With the morning came a rush, then a fall. A rush of endorphins, then memories, and then a fall back down into the depths. Cadence lay in her bed, her hands covering her face, groaning into them. Images of alabaster skin mingling with flame red hair, the gentle sway of Celestia's bosom as she was brought to a shaking orgasm. It was too much, too much for Cadence.

She brought her hands up into her hair, fitfully grabbing hold of the pink locks, and staring up into her ceiling. As though the patterns above her bed would hold all the answers. She looked over, and saw the sleeping face of her husband. She would have to say something, wouldn't she? She would have to tell him. A gnawing, pulsing feeling of guilt ate away at her gut. Anxiety pooled in the pits of her chest, setting her heart a flutter.

In her mind, there was no two ways about it. No way to reason herself around this one. She had been unfaithful, with her own aunt no less.

Still, a voice said. It was in a dream, and dreams didn't count, surely? Everyone had a dream about doing that with someone that wasn't their significant other. Hell, sometimes she and Shiny would share notes on what happened, because all it was was subconscious fantasy.

Except, this wasn't subconscious, nor just a fantasy. She was conscious all throughout, and so was Celestia. Cadence had, for lack of a better word, seduced Celestia into trying her methods. It had worked, but that still didn't stop what she did. It didn't stop the magic she worked, twisting around Celestia's body right underneath the clothing. It didn't stop that Cadence had, quite literally, exploded Celestia's dress from around her supple curves. It didn't stop that Cadence, just mere hours ago, was running her hands up and down Celestia's chest.

Shaking her head, Cadence dispelled the memories. She couldn't afford to get lost, she had something important—and painful—to do.

She whipped her head up when she heard the bedroom door open. Shining stepped through, and when he saw she was awake, he offered her a dashing smile. "Morning, sweetie," he said. "How were things with Celestia?" He went into the room proper, and towards a set of drawers. He was dressed in his finery, a red coat and navy blue slacks, with his hair styled in a slicked-back, windswept look that made Cadence's knees weak.

For a moment she purred, and imagined stalking out from between the covers, and doing her best to break the man's control, and rut her over the bed in his uniform. Send him off on his duties smelling of lust, and sweat, and her.

She licked her lips and thought about doing so much more with him. Pinning him to the bed, tying him up, blindfolding him, and riding him until he begged her to stop, and then going some more because he was hers.

He popped open the top drawer and took a look inside it. He turned around to face her. "You don't know where my broach has gone to, do you?"

In an instant, Cadence was back in control. She felt a surge of love in her heart for the man at the foot of her bed, that completely dispelled the lust she had felt not a few moments before. She knew that he deserved to know the truth about what had happened last night. What she had done.

Cadence felt a pit open up in her stomach. She opened her mouth, and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Taking a breath, steeling herself, she tried again. "Shining?" she managed to squeak out.

He looked over his shoulder, tilting his head at her. "Yeah?"

Cadence when to speak again. She wanted to tell him. She needed him to know, she had to be honest. She imagined his disappointed face at hearing she was unfaithful in the worst way, and she clicked her mouth shut. With a smile, she shook her head. she had to tell him, and she would deal with the consequences as they came.

Shining, I'm so sorry. Celestia and I... In the dream, we got a little intimate. she thought the words, willed herself to speak them, but when she went to speak, something else spoke for her.

"They went fine. Daybreaker is gone." Her eyes went slightly wider when she heard the words coming out of her mouth. What in the hell?!

Shining grinned back, and turned around fully so he could see her. "That's great! Anything weird happen?" he asked.

The more Cadence thought about seeing his disappointed face, the more she thought about him not bearing to look her in the eye, the more she thought about destroying the trust that was there, built up over years of a happy marriage, she found herself less and less willing to speak the truth.

She shook her head, and feigned a yawn. Inside she was screaming at herself to come clean, but she kept going.

I had sex with Aunt Celestia!

"No, not much." She said, her arms stretching above her head, displaying her lithe figure and supple curves. She saw Shining's eyes shamelessly drive across her body, covered as it was by a thin, silk nightgown. "I'll tell you about it later."

He nodded, satisfied with her explanation. Taking her lies as truth because he had no reason to distrust her. "Alright," he nodded. "You coming down for breakfast? Sunburst and Flurry made pancakes." He went back to rifling through the drawers, finding a purple-gem encased in a broach, and wrapping it around his neck. He never went on guard duty without it; it was her anniversary gift to him.

Her heart twisted itself, strangling her, but she grit her teeth and nodded.

Shining wait. I lied. I need to tell you something important!

"Great!" she actually said. "Save some for me."

Shining shut the bedroom door with a click. Cadence threw herself back onto her bed, smothered her face with her pillow, and stayed there until her eyes were dry from crying.

The Night came early that day. Far too early for Cadence. For a third, and hopefully final time, she sat at her dreamscape table, sending out a subconscious signal for her aunt. She saw the pulsating, writhing inky blue horizon shift and swirl into clouds of dust, nebulae that formed, sparkled, and dissipated instantly, and offered her flashes of memory—often disjointed and meaningless.

The Princess shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. There was an icy flash of mercury-like sensation in the back of her mind, and she opened her eyes to find the smiling face of aunt Luna looking back at her.

"Cadence," the Night Princess said. "We must speak with you."

"Luna." Cadence stood up. "I was wondering when you would show up." She took a step towards her aunt, only to freeze when she felt another flash of cold ice, and felt a presence as warm as the sun manifest next to Luna. Her other aunt, regal and poised as ever, appeared in view. Absent was the trademark sundress she was so often seen in, and in its place was a gown of white silk. A silver sash was around her waist, and a slit ran up one of her legs, displaying her perfectly sculpted thighs. Her golden peytral hung around her neck as ever, accompanied by golden chains that went from the sleeves of her gown, down to her hands, wrapping around her middle fingers before running backup. They shifted like water as she clasped her hands over her stomach, and offered Cadence a motherly smile.

Cadence swallowed around a very dry throat, and made to bow. "Celestia, it's good to see you, if a bit unexpected."

Celestia ignored the bow, stepped forward, and wrapped Cadence up in a hug. The smaller princess yelped in shock as she was embraced by the warmest pair of arms she had ever felt. "I wanted to thank you," Celestia said. "What you did was..." she trailed off, and Cadence flushed. Celestia cleared her throat. "Well, at least the outcome was very much appreciated."

Cadence furrowed her brow and stepped back. "The outcome?"

Luna tittered briefly behind a hand. "You should have seen her, Cadence. Lady Penny Pinch petitioned for a ten bit tax on carriages, knowing that it would only serve to inflate the costs of Manehattan's taxi services, thus lining her own pockets." She waved a hand. "Trifling matter, happens all the time. My sister very eloquently told her to... piss off, was it?"

Celestia flushed hotly and swept a strand of her prismatic hair behind her ear. "It was."

Cadence put both of her hands up to her mouth to stifle the gasp of shock. "Oh my gosh!"

"In any case," Celestia said with a cough. "I've been feeling more sure of myself. More confident, definitely, and, well, more daring in my wardrobe choices?" Giving a little twirl on the spot, she displayed herself a bit more fully to the others. The bottom of her gown flared outwards, and came to a stop when Celestia did.

Cadence watched the display and hummed. "I can tell."

"Luna told me, and I remember vividly, your very personal approach in the matter of reconciliation with Daybreaker."

"I, uh," Cadence flushed a beet red and idly started playing with her hair. She took a seat back down, like a scolded child. "I really didn't see any other way to—"

"Peace, Cadence," Luna said with a gentle tone. "The both of us do not come to judge."

"I just want to know, Cadence," Celestia stepped forward, and tilted her head to one side. "Is there anything romantic in your mind towards me?"

Cadence balked. Her mind replayed the events in great detail. She looked at Luna, and then at Celestia. They were both beautiful women, and the lustful part of her mind cackled with glee as Cadence shifted in her seat. She couldn't tell them the truth. She couldn't explain the depths of her fantasies, all spawned from Luna's unexpected display. She looked up at the two of them, and shook her head. "It was a spur of the moment decision to get things started between you and your counterpart," she said. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. "I didn't mean to—" she continued, but Celestia held up a hand to stop her, and Cadence's mouth clicked shut.

The solar diarch looked towards her sister, who was studying their niece with intense eyes. "She does not lie."

"Very well," Celestia took a seat across from Cadence. "We've established a metric."

Cadence drew back in confusion. "A metric?"

"Cadence." Celestia reached over and took ahold of Cadence's hands. " I want you to listen to me very closely. I love you, you are as close to family as Luna is. You kept me company for much of Luna's absence, and on top of that, you are burdened with the role of Princess, watching the world age before you. I care for you as deeply as I care for all those I consider my friends, or my family. Now I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to consider your answer carefully."

"Okay..." Cadence gulped her fear down. It stuck in her throat and wouldn't budge, in the form of a lump of pure dread. Her mouth felt dry.

Celestia stared into her eyes with a gentle look. "Is there anything you want to tell me, regarding last night?"

Cadence considered it for a moment, before setting her jaw and shaking her head. "No?"

"Cadence," Luna placed a hand on the table, rapping her nails against it with a symphony of clicks. "I advise you to rethink your answer. Think about where you are, and who I am." Luna's look was one of quiet, and solemn command. The dream world belonged to Luna.

Cadence gulped.

Celestia's look was much gentler. Much less forceful. She reached over the table and stroked the back of Cadence's hand. "I don't want you to lie to me, Cadence. So I am going to ask once more; is there anything you want to tell me, regarding last night?"

Steeling herself, willing her heart to still, she thought about it. There was nothing she wanted to tell Celestia. There was nothing that the solar diarch needed to know. There were things Cadence should've told her, but a quiet, giggling, and exceedingly coy voice in the back of her mind singsonged that, as there was nothing Cadence wanted to tell her, then she wouldn't be lying if she said; "No."

Celestia nodded.

Luna narrowed her eyes.

"Have you been feeling yourself, Cadence?" Celestia asked.

Cadence tilted her head. The little voice in her head stilled, and silenced itself. "Myself?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"You are dealing with forces that have not yet tried to harm you. To fall into darkness is easy, to fight it is hard, especially if it begins as something you think is normal." Celestia explained. Though she cast a side eye at Luna—who, herself, bristled at the words—there was an air of regret about her look.

Cadence listened intently. "You think I'm gonna go the same way as...?" she let the question hand.

Shaking her head, Celestia sighed. "I don't want to, but have you been casting protective spells? Wards? Guarding your mind?"

"Well, I've been with Luna, I didn't think that..." Cadence once again trailed off.

Luna merely shook her head. "I cannot guard another mind. My duty within the dreamworld is to banish nightmares, and assist people with overcoming their own personal issues. I cannot magically ward against dark influence."

"Oh." Cadence let the word drop from her lips like a lead weight.

"We may be reading too much into this, but please, Cadence, be careful." Celestia took her niece's hand and squeezed it. "Your mind is walking amongst darker minds. Myself, Luna's... we try to be good. But the very fact we have been alive for so long, seen so much, makes our minds far blacker than any other." She shook her head once more. "I couldn't bear to lose you to the same powers that haunted us—that still haunt my student."

"Hopefully, not for much longer," Cadence said, with a resolute nod.

"Indeed." Celestia took that as her cue to leave, stood up, and offered a small smile to Cadence. "When you're ready, I'll leave for my own dreams, and the two of you can, uh, work on Twilight." She stepped past Luna, towards the edge of the dreamscape.

"Phrasing, sister," Luna teased.

"Oh stick a cork in it!" Celestia shot back over her shoulder, face alight with mirth.

Cadence arched a brow. "She seems happy."

"We both are." Luna watched her sister leave. "The only reason we are not harsher in our interrogation is that your methods, however unorthodox, seem to have worked."

Cadence cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. "That's good to know, I suppose."

"Tonight, I hope, will be the last night of your involvements?" Luna crossed her arms over her chest.

Nodding, Cadence linked her fingers over her stomach, partly to quell the butterflies, and partly to quell the rising realisation that she didn't want it to be her last night/ "I hope so, too. After this I can relax, reconcile with these thoughts, maybe distance myself if needs be."

Luna arched an eyebrow. "That is most unwise."

"What?" Tilting her head in confusion, Cadence spluttered for something to say. "Why?"

"Distancing yourself never works." Luna stepped forward, placing a hand on Cadence's shoulder. "Take it from someone who tried that,"

Cadence nodded. "Point taken. Well, if I'm not gonna distance myself from you, then what should I do?"

Luna paused for a second, unsure of how to answer. Flicking her head, she bade Cadence follow. "Come," she said. "The night has begun."

Author's Note

Don't call it a comeback.