A heart of stone

No, no. This wasn't happening, this couldn't have been happening. I got away from Sombra, but how is he here now? NO, NO, NO!-

Denza woke up in a cold sweat. She looked around herself, at first stunned by her new surroundings. She was so used to a warm, feather bed and a warm room. Not that she was ungrateful for being taken in by Windy Willows and a reluctant Timber Plank. The pink pegasus slowly rose from her bed on the floor of Windy's home inside a birch tree. She sighed as she found no sign of Windy or anypony else, apart from her brother, who was lying on his side in the fetal position.

"Guess you had a nightmare too," Denza spoke to her brother as she placed him on her back. She smiled as she felt the white colt awake. "come on, Bluei, let's see what we can do around here." Denza smiled as she opened the door of Windy's home.

"Oh, Denaza!" Denza turned to her left to see Windy carrying two water buckets on her shoulders. "You're awake." the light brown mare smiled.

"Yes, I am," She answered. "is there anything I can do?" Denza asked as she placed her brother on the floor.

"Why, yes. Since you're a pegasus, you can fly. We need somepony to set up the fruit bat traps around our farms, could you do that for me?" Denza immediately nodded. "Great! I'll hold Star for you." Windy said as she picked up Ivory Star, Denza's brother.

Denza smiled as she trotted over to were a large, hoof-made, brown net. In all truth, it was pretty badly made, almost anything could get through the holes of the net and into the farms.

"Have you ever lifted a net before?" Windy asked the pink pegasus.

"No," Denza said dryly.

"I knew it, those hooves were far too polished and clipped." Windy smiled. "You must've come for someplace fancy," she spoke as she helped Denza with the net. "you must've had good parents as well, your not skinny like other foals who've wondered through our home. Where did you come from?" Windy asked. "You're far too brightly colored to have come from the north, nasty things would've eaten you in seconds, was one of your parents a northern?" Windy asked.

"Yes, my uncle was, at least, I think he was...why do you ask that?" Denza stated as she looked down to the earth pony.

"Well, you're brother's as white as snow, I just presumed he was a northerner," Windy explained.

"He is... we are from the north." Denza smiled. "We had to leave quickly though." she sighed.

"Well, you're gonna be safe here... ain't no Sombra supporters here!" she cheered.

"Really?" Denza asked, her smile widened as she took to the air.

Windy nodded. "If they are any, they would 'ave to answer to ma daddy, the chief!" Windy smiled.

"You're... your father is the chief?" Denza said with disbelief. "But, you're not being helped by ladies-in-waiting or anypony else." Denza shook her head.

"I don't need all that stuff!" Windy declared. "I can defend myself, feed myself, wash, and get my own food!" the earth pony said as she planted the net firmly in the ground and then covered it with some dirt.

"Really? I've never seen you get helped by the others, do they not 'accept you'?" Denza asked again.

"Nah, they just know I can do it by myself," Windy replied.

"Denza, if you don't mind me asking, why are you a pegasus but your brothers a unicorn? I mean, I know sometimes unicorns and pegasi have foals together, but pairing's so rare, ever since that commander sent that rude statue to Princess Platinum, is been like a cold war between those two." Windy said.

"Our mother was a unicorn, our father was a pegasus... the paring is rare, yes, but, two ponies can still love each other, even if the entire world thinks otherwise," Denza explained.

"What book of Star Swirl is that excerpt from?" Windy asked the pink pegasus.

"Excerpt? I didn't use an exert, I just said what I felt was right in my heart." Denza said as she settled back down on the ground.

"DENZA!" Windy suddenly screamed as other ponies came rushing forth.

"What is it?" Denza asked as she looked around herself, only to find herself surrounded.

"Your - your cutie mark! It's glowing!" Windy screamed as covered her eyes.

Then, almost as soon as the event had started, it stopped. Without any explanation. Denza looked around herself, all the ponies in the village had circled around her as if she was some sort of 'show' or 'amusement' to them.

"Denza? Are you alright?" Windy asked.

"Y-yes... what just happened?" Denza asked as she looked at all of the earth ponies that now surrounded her, each wearibng a more dissparoving face than the last.

"Your cutie mark just started glowing!" A random earth pony yelled.

"Really?" Denza looked to Windy, who simply nodded.

"It started as soon as you finished talking, then, it just stopped," Windy said.

"How'd she do it?" Timber plank suddenly appeared by Windy' side.

"I-"

"-We don't know, Timber," Windy answered for Denza. "It just... 'happened'. She said uncertainly.

"Maybe she just needs rest, we've never encountered a pegasus this young before, maybe it's just a sign of tiredness." Windy tried to explain as she came around the front of Timber, still carrying Star on her back.

"I'll escort you back, just in case somethin' happens." She said aggressively.

"Timber-"

"- Just in case, Windy." He replied.

. . .

Inside Windy's home, Denza lay on Windy's faded pink bed. Timber, Windy, and another earth pony, who Denza guess was a mare, just by the shadow she cast, were talking just outside of the tiny tree. Denza gulped as the door was suddenly opened, by Timber.

"Come." He said without any other words.

Denza shyly followed, bearly even raising her head from the ground. She felt a tiny bit better as she found the beautiful smile of Windy. The light brown earth pony nodded to Timber, who snorted and left the three mares alone.

"Denza, this is my good friend, Blueberry," The other much older mare, with a light blue coat and dark blue mane and tail, stepped forward. "she's the pony 'round here with the best knowledge on magic and outbursts - like the one you had earlier," Windy explained.

"Nice to meet you," Denza greeted the blue mare, who did not speak back.

"She wants to ask you if you have ever experienced anythin' like this before," Windy said.

"Well, when I was young, this thing would happen at least every month," Denza said.

Blueberry turned to face Windy. "Could be a curse." She muttered under her breath to Windy.

"Has it happened anytime else?" Windy asked again.

"Only when a couple would argue or a foal would cry, or anything else like those things," Denza explained.

The blue mare turned to face Windy again. "Not a curse." She mumbled.

"Okay, so it's not a curse," Windy smiled at Denza. "does your brother have any reaction to the same things?" Windy looked down at the white colt, who hid behind Denza's front legs. "He's a unicorn, so I would expect the reaction to be much stronger," Windy said.

"No, Bluei, to the best of my knowledge, has never had a reaction like I have, he does get shy thought, very often," Denza added, as she looked down and smiled at her brother, who smiled back.

Windy turned to face Blueberry. "Hmm." Was all she said.

"What do you think might 'ave triggered it?" The light brown mare asked the pink pegasus.

"Well, In my family, some of us have strong reactions to love. I don't know if Bluei has the same reaction, though." Denza said.

"Oh, Interesting, very interesting," the blue mare said in a tone that would belong better with a chant.

"What do you mean 'interesting'?" Windy asked her friend.

"Strong magic, alicorn magic." She said in an almost hostile tone.

Denza felt her stomach turn, what would these ponies do if they found out she was a princess? "Alicorn magic? You're joking!" Denza tried to laugh it off.

"Denza, who are you, who really are you?" Windy asked softly.

Denza sighed. The jig was up. "Alright, If I tell you, do you swear not to hurt my brother or I? Or turn us over to Sombra?" Denza looked to them with pleading eyes.

"We swear," Windy said, crossing her heart with her left hoof.

Denza took a deep breath in. "My name isn't Mia Denza... It's actually Princess Mi amore Cadenza... My brother's name isn't Ivory Star, his name is Prince Ni eros Blueblood Soleil." the princess looked to the ground, shame written all over her face.

"Wow, didn't know we were playin' host to a prince and princess," Windy smiled. Cadence then looked up, surprised by Windy's reaction. "do you think she could do it?" Windy turned to face Blueberry, who looked at Cadence with suspicious eyes.

"Yes, yes. She fits the bill," Blueberry answered. "go on, go on." she chanted again.

"My mother is, or was, Princess Mi amore Ruby, or at least, she was...." the pegasus gulped. "my father was Prince Wrath Soleil." She answered. of the royal unicorn house of The Crystal Empire."

"Ah, Soleil blood, the sun princess' blood." Blueberry continued to chant.

"She could do it, Blueberry, she could do it!" Windy asked excitedly.

"Do what exactly?" Cadence asked the two mares.

"Defeat Prismia!" Windy cheered.

"What? No, I can't do that!" The Pegasus screeched.

"Denza, err, I mean Princess Mi amore Cadeza, We need you, Prismia is becoming far too strong... the necklace you wear around your neck, it's just like one she has," Windy said.

"She has a necklace like me?" Denza asked, suspicion rushing into her, there was once a second necklace that her mother owned, but, one night, she awoke to find it missing. The name did certainly sound familiar, it was a popular name for fillies back in the Empire, but, elsewhere, the name was pretty much unknown.

"Yep, just more... dark and moody." Windy smiled. "Like it was... 'corrupted' or somethin' like that, I don't really know what am talking 'bout though." She said.

"I can't, I won't. I am not about to go a fight somepony who I only know a little about... if war and heated is what rules around here, how can we ever expect peace and acceptance to be born?" Cadence's cutie mark sparkled again, causing the prince to jump forward and do a barrel roll.

"That proves it!" Blueberry sudden rumbled, like a raging bull. "The princess of LOVE!" Cadence took a step backward as Blueberry came far too close.

"Blueberry, what do you mean?" Windy pulled back the mare.

"She's love, in its purest form!" Blueberry barked.

"Okay, Blue, settle down," Windy calmed the other mare. Windy sighed before she spoke again. "Princess, please, as the daughter of the chief, I implore you to help us," The mare pleaded. "we don't know how many more ponies Prisma is gonna take and transform into 'dead' ponies," Windy said. "We're not asking you to go up to her and be like 'Hey, I'm gonna kill ya" Or somethin' like that, just, try to reason with her." Windy smiled.

"Don't we want her dead?" Blueberry suddenly screamed.

"Shh! We're not asking you to do that." Windy stated.

Almost a minute went by before Cadence replied, she bit her lip and looked between Windy, Blueberry, and her brother. Finally, she answered;

"Alright, I'll try to reason with her." she smiled.