Roll for Her
B_25 & NC Mares

Memories hurt in their own pleasant way, prompting a sigh from Cadance as she cleaned her old room. Her wing carried a duster that swiped layers of dust off an ancient bookcase. Cubed aisles loomed behind her filled with aging boxes.

Cadance lifted a hoof and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Auntie, is there a reason you needed our old stuff cleaned out now?" Cadance whispered as the duster ran over a series of high-school yearbooks. "Suppose it's time me and Shiny get it all out anyway…”

She blinked and cocked her head. Had she called him Shiny? Playing the part of a real-life princess meant ditching cute nicknames long ago. When had she called him that last? She couldn’t remember.

Cadance glanced with vague familiarity up to the next shelf. Numerous boxes were wasting away under generous films of dust, polished mahogany and gold accents peeking from beneath the grime.

"It can't be..." She smiled in disbelief and let the duster clatter to the ground as a host of memories welled up. "That poor boy. That helpless, geeky, adorable boy."

Cadance's wing reached over the edge of the shelf and she gripped the bottom-most corners of a box. She slid it free and sat atop a nearby stool, letting her mind’s eye wander back to when she first saw it.

That first night.

"You'll love this one, Cadance! C'mon. Check all of this out!"

"Shiny! Easy on the hoof—w-whaaat is all of this?"

"Get a load of this table! Can you believe the cafeteria was just going to toss it? I washed and cleaned it well enough; it's perfect!"

“Sure, but, what’s on the table?”

"Oh, duh. The board! This is the game! My favorite game! Remember, I told you about the one me and my friends play all the time? Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it looks. You remember, right?"

No.

"Of course! So we're going to play this board game on this table?"

“Hey; checkers is a board game. O&O is special! And it's better than playing on the floor. Trust me, we had to in my basement for a while."

“...Shining, dear?”

“Yes?”

"When you said you wanted to play a game with me on top of a table..."

“Yeah?”

"And then pulled me into a dark hallway into this abandoned room where we can be all alone..."

“Uh-huh?”

Look at that smile. A sweet, naive geek; inside and out.

"You know what? Nevermind." She shook her head and smiled. "How do we play?"

Cadance set the box on the ground. She'd heard of Ogres and Oubliettes, sure, but only when her former "friends" had been making fun of the ponies that played it. Never in a million years did she think she'd be one of them!

After Shining Armor stole her heart from atop his float in the Fall Formal Parade, however, she was smitten. No longer did she desire the big, strong polo star Buck Withers so she could look good in front of Auntie and the other nobles.

Shining Armor was her stallion and she'd do anything for him; even give this incredibly geeky game an honest shot. Now that she remembered, he did finally take that hint...

"I don't play games only with you." A hoof ran over his face as he arranged the game pieces, focused downward. He was sweating and seemed embarrassed. "A-and when it comes to -ahem- other games on tables... I’ll have you know I'm actually a real slayer!"

"A slayer, huh?"

"You betcha!"

"And just how many other mares have you been with, Shiny?'

“Er, what now?”

"When you're not too busy rolling dice... just how many different beds are you rolling in?"

"Countless!"

"Because the number is zero?"

"Cadance! It's not exactly like that! It's… exactly like that." He huffed in defeat. "Okay, you got me."

"Did I now?"

"I'm a slayer of goblins and demons! Not mares." A chill seemed to run down his spine. "Dear Celestia; you're going to tell your friends about this, aren't you?"

“Maybe!”

"Can you please—and I'll do whatever you tell me—not say I was an outright loser?"

"Well, it depends..."

"O-On what? Do I... have to kiss your hooves?"

"Don't tempt me, sweetie. Now, back to business! Tell about these stat-sheets, brave mare-slayer."

Turns out the game was far more fun than Cadance could have imagined—and not just because she was playing it alongside her true love. The Crown Princess became the fifth member of Shining's party, much to his friends' surprise and suspicion.

Cadance opened the top-most box to reveal a collection of velvet sacks. Each contained miniature trees, buildings, figures and dice exquisitely hoof-crafted by some of the kingdom's finest artisans. Shining's friends whole-heartedly welcomed her aboard after that! They shared many incredible adventures together in the castle’s basement, but her favourite ones were between just her and Shining Armor...

"You brought your own figures, Cadance?"

"That's 'The Blushing Beauty of the Frozen North' to you, Mare-Slayer."

"Do I have to use that name?"

"Of course not, but I think it suits you."

He's so cute when he blushes like that…

"So, what's with the castle?"

"This? It's a toy from when I was a filly. The real one is still being sculpted."

"I thought alicorns are young forever?"

"Hey, pay attention or else I'll make you kiss my hoof again."

“Carry on!”

"Now, when I was young I used to play with my dollies I would pretend to be the princess of this very castle. It was... a favourite fantasy of mine. Not all that different from O&O, right?"

"Uh, tons different! We are not playing with dolls; that would be ridiculous."

"Ah yes, of course. The point is I have a soft spot for this sort of campaign and decided to bring this for terrain. You still get to play as the heroic knight but I get to be the princess!"

"That... actually sounds like a lot of fun, yeah! You're my princess, game or not, and I'll always come to save you, Cadance!"

“Awww! It hurts to hear you say sweet things like that."

"But why?"

"Because I just told all my friends about how dangerous you are and to be on the lookout."

"I... b-but why?"

"Because you're a real mare-slayer when we're alone."

“Caaadance!”

Time had passed but much between her and Shining remained the same. From teenage love-birds to crystal prince and princess, their love was as strong as ever.

When was it, exactly, that they stopped being kids though?

"It's been a while since I've teased you, hasn't it Mare-Slayer?" Cadance laughed to herself, closing her eyes to another round of memories. All those nights they used to play; all the different ways she used to play with him. "Hearts and Hooves day is coming up soon, isn't it?"

Cadance turned to the stacks of boxes on the shelves and then to the ample space of the room. With a smirk she hatched a plan and trotted away. Moving out of Canterlot could wait a little longer.

Author's Note

It must have been years, so long that dates are blurry and memories are fuzzy, but the feeling of seeing NC Mare's art for the first time sticks with me, even now, after all this time. The glimpse from the corner of my gaze, the blinks of my eye followed by clicks of my mouse, seconds filled by an exhale—minutes spent staring, unblinking, with an open mouth.

An explosion of something new. It's a style I've never seen so crisp and so clean, a polishing beyond belief. The quality is unlike anything I've seen before and it pushes art in my mind to a height I've never felt nor cared to look for.

The ponies are drawn in a way high-quality and beyond unique. Their socks spin a new sense upon the word warm. There's so much to appreciate in his art that I now understand by people take their time in an art museum.

Truly. I'm blown the fuck away.

And then I saw they drew macro.

I don't think anyone pushes macro in terms of visual storytelling or of scale-like NC. The perfect level of suggestion that brims the mind alive with so many ideas. He'd been my favourite artist for years. Even when I'd been a part of Reviewer's Cafe—I fought to have their art be a banner.

It's safe to say they've been my idol for longer than I can remember. From the drawing to the feeling of the character to the uniqueness of the situations. All rose such wonderful sensations and motivations.

When I finally took to writing macro a year ago, I didn't think much would come of it. I wasn't a good writer then (and I'm not much of one now). To be perfectly honest with you, I'd already scoured the web for any and all macro/micro-content and, having consumed it all, resorted to the final stand of writing my own.

It really wasn't meant to turn into anything more than creating content for me to enjoy later.

But as I got into it, really into it, there was always one person in the back of my mind that I was trying to raise to the same level. Not that it would ever be possible, but I at least knew where the hight of the genre laid.

Whenever I gaze at NC's stuff, the feeling his worlds give of, the sense of scale, of how everything feels so real—I wanted to succeed upon that feeling. Not going to lie: this is proably some really gay shit to say.

But when I took to writing macro, I wanted to continue what the art had created. The story behind that situation being played out to the same size and scale and degree, the feeling of the characters and their dialogue keeping consistent.

In short, my new reason for trying to get better, in changing the style of my prose, over and over, was to get better enough to match that quality of art. Once again. Never going to be possible. But unattainable dreams are the best kind, right?

I hadn't been expecting it. It happened out of the blue one day. There was a message—one from NC.

I proceeded to do laps around my kitchen before even opening the message. It took me a little while not fangirl over such a normal event, and yet, I was losing my shit with a big goofy smile.

It was NC, not only telling me he had actually read my works—but wanted a commission. For that, my boys, I fucking ran around my block quicker than the flash. I do not think I can convey how much I respect this person no matter how many words you give me.

When it comes to genuine people I greatly admire, for whatever reason, that is the time words tend to fail me. But getting commissioned by someone I idolized for years, knowing the works and words I had made by being inspired by their art had then been read by them.

Sorry boys. But I don't have any words to describe it.

To put it even more into scale. I was worried I wasn't going to meet the man at Brony Con due to the outrageous lines. Deciding to get drunk with my current group of friends, I'd stumbled back into the main hall only to find the way to the vendor sector to now be open.

Worried this might be my only chance to make it in, I went for it, fuckin' drunk out of my mind. Countless people I ran into. Aragon and Octiva Harmony and Bad Horse, the boys from my server and everyone else. I was so elated to meet them all, and yet, despite this, my first words were:

"You're awsome... but can you please tell me where NC's booth is?"

Hahaha. I'd been so fuckin' wasted at the time and I felt so bad for it (moon-man as I told people). I kept stumbling through the hall like a man set in the middle of a desert without any water. I'd been so worried I wasn't going to meet this person, when actually, I kept walking circles across their row.

Finally, I met the legend himself, drunk out of my mind, doing my best to keep myself composed. Hope to all sweet fuck that I made a good impersonation because of how gone I was. I ended up buying anything macro I could get my hands on.

And as Don't Look at My Name Bro and others can attest, upon reaching them in the writing hall, I ended up weeping in joy.

This story has been made by us both, and I hope you'll enjoy it.