The Romantics and the Theatrics
Autumn Blaze stood on the stage, the lights on as she was alone in the building. She felt her heart beating fast with the knowledge that this was not only the first play in Ponyville directed by a Kirin, but it was her first play ever done outside of the Peaks of Peril. She had spent several nights back at home, and several more in her hotel slaving away at a script dedicated to depicting the history of her favorite princess that she had researched: Princess Cadance.
There were only so many musical plays she could write involving her own kind, and when Applejack and Fluttershy had told her village about the many different creatures moving into Ponyville to seek opportunity, Autumn Blaze had her heart set on going to the little town right away. Princess Twilight had insisted on paying for her stay in the hotel till the opening night of her newest play, and gave Autumn Blaze plenty of information about the Princess of Love. For Celestia’s ability to raise the sun, Luna’s ability to raise the moon, and even Twilight’s never-ending mission to bring friendship to every nation far and wide, there was no achievement that quite brought Autumn’s attention like the ability to help create and mend relationships for the name of love.
Autumn had moved into the hotel room when she was a third of the way done with her script, when Twilight Sparkle had given her plenty of books to help with the rest of the play. Autumn had finished her script after only a week of being in Ponyville, and now she stood on the stage as she waited for Twilight to bring the lead actress that would play the Princess of Love. It was easy to talk to the curtains while she waited, sure they weren’t the rocks and twigs that she normally conversed with, but talking to them allowed her heart to stop beating so fast regardless.
“You really think I can pull this off?” Autumn whispered as she trailed a hoof down the dark blue curtain. “My village was easy to please, what if they don’t think I’m good enough?”
Autumn dropped her hoof and glanced at the door behind all the seats in the building as it opened, Twilight walking into view and she grinned at the Kirin.
“Ready to meet your lead actress?” Twilight asked.
“Does she need to audition?” Autumn stood up on her four hooves as she attempted to see who was still behind the door. Twilight smirked as she shook her head.
“I think you’ll be pretty happy with who I chose,” Twilight explained. “And don’t worry, she’s actually good at acting. This won’t be like the last time we got a Princess to star in her own play.”
Autumn had barely registered the last sentence Twilight had said when a slightly taller pink alicorn walked past Twilight, staring up at Autumn with her purple eyes and wide smile. Autumn felt her breath taken away as she froze, her face heating up as the alicorn began to speak.
“I take it you’re the director I’ve heard about? Autumn Blaze?” Cadance flew up onto the stage in front of Autumn as she extended her hoof towards the Kirin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, truly.”
Autumn remained in her locked state for a few seconds before she brought her hoof to Cadance’s and shook it.
“S-Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you,” Am I blushing? “I’ve read about how you saved marriages, and brought families back together with your gift. I c-can’t believe I’m actually meeting you! It’s really an honor.”
“Autumn, it’s an honor to be here at all. Nopony or creature has written a play about me before,” Cadance pulled her hoof back as she wrapped her wing around Autumn Blaze. “Tell me, young mare, what is this play called?”
“Amor,” Autumn replied, the heat in her face intensifying as she felt the Princess’ wing rest on her back. “It’s about how you discovered your gift, and how Celestia took you under her wing and showed you all the possible ways to use your talent. And of course, the final part of the play where you ascend to being an alicorn.”
“I suppose I’ll have to keep my wings binded till then,” Cadance noted. “Don’t worry about that part, Twilight brought a wing-binder on the way here. I heard you were holding auditions for the other roles. Can I help you with those?”
“Can you?” Autumn whispered. “Of course you can!”
And with that, Autumn had two of the Princesses helping her judge auditions for different roles. It had only taken a few hours, and as Autumn and Cadance followed Twilight out of the building, Cadance put her wing around Autumn and leaned in. Autumn moved her head back only a little before she realized that Cadance was only speaking to her.
“Perhaps we could go out and learn a bit more about each other?” Cadance suggested. “I know you’ve already finished the script, but it couldn’t hurt for the director and lead actress to spend time together. Right?”
Perhaps it could.
Autumn didn’t know where the thought had come from, what could possibly hurt from spending time with Equestrian royalty? Autumn smiled as she allowed the warm and fuzzy butterflies flutter in her insides, nodding her head as they exited the building.
“Where to?” Autumn asked.
“Oh! There’s this restaurant that my husband loves called The Hay Burger. It’s a bit of a simplistic taste, but it’s got great dishes for visitors.”
Husband, Autumn had heard of Shining Armor several times in her research, and yet the word still turned the warm feeling in her blood into a cold and sharp sensation throughout her body. This Princess that Autumn researched had a family, plain and simple. And yet Autumn ignored that and wrote about the alicorn’s past instead, but why?
“We don’t need to walk there,” Cadance winked, lowering her back as she extended her wings. “Climb on, dear director.”
Autumn blushed as she climbed onto Cadance’s back, the alicorn flapping her wings and taking to the Ponyville skies as they left the Ponyville Theater. Staring up at the yellow and pink sunset, Autumn lifted her hoof and felt the clouds brushing against it before they landed at the Hay Burger. Sure, the Kirin had Sugarcube Corner and several other places delivered to her, but she had never tried this hay burger.
Climbing off Cadance’s back, Autumn joined the Princess’ side as they walked into the restaurant.
The Romantics and the Theatrics
It had been two weeks since Autumn Blaze had spent the evening out with the subject of her play, and they had gone out to eat several times since then. That thought that popped into her head was correct, it could very much hurt to indulge in the previously unknown butterflies that came about every time she had spoken to the lead actress of her play. It didn't take a very clever creature to understand why Autumn had felt her heart twisting every time Cadance had brought up her husband and their growing filly, and Autumn screamed into her pillow the night she had come to the conclusion that she had crossed the line of admiration and research and into a much more dangerous territory.
Having had a life with ups and downs in her home village, Autumn never quite dated anyone. By the time she was welcomed back with the other Kirin, Autumn was just grateful to be back with her friends and had no desire to engage in anything more than that.
But when she spoke of her kind and her faraway home, Cadance smiled and her eyes twinkled as she listened to every word Autumn had to say. Cadance admitted that she hadn't interacted with many other creatures besides the changelings, but she thanked Autumn for enlightening her on a land she had never heard of before. She told Autumn of a land she had already had some knowledge of: the Crystal Empire. She'd even offered Autumn a ticket to the Crystal Empire where the Princess would give her a tour of the colorful sights.
She had almost said no. Even as she stood behind the curtains as opening night was about to begin, did she question just how she was going to make it through this play without screaming out everything bottled in. Rarity, one of the ponies in the play, trotted to her side and grinned.
"My first play! And I get to kiss Princess Cadance on stage. If I wasn't straight, I might've just swooned!" Rarity chuckled.
"Hehe…" Autumn trailed off as she looked at the curtains that've been there for her as she tried to think of how to avoid the Princess she had spent nearly every day with.
Well, they'll perform Amor for three more nights after tonight. But...they all have their lines memorized and have all the materials they need. I'm sure if I send a letter to Twilight, she'll be more than happy to oversee the rest while I go home.
Autumn felt a sting within her heart at the thought of ditching everypony to go home, but what if she blurted out everything to Cadance? This was different than what had plagued the village that she lived in, this emotion had to be hidden away...
"And now," Fluttershy, playing Celestia once more, said. "You are a Princess just like me and my sister."
Cadance grinned as the curtains began to close, hearing the thunderous applause coming from the audience as she hugged Fluttershy. After hugging her, Cadance trotted backstage where Autumn Blaze would surely be…
Making her way backstage, Cadance froze as she saw Twilight and Rarity talking to each other, the former's voice slightly raised.
"What seems to be the matter?" Cadance asked, walking closer to the two mares.
"Autumn Blaze is gone!" Twilight used her magic to bring a letter to Cadance's face. "She said that she had an emergency back at home, and now I have to take over the play!"
"But how would she even know of an emergency back at home?" Cadance frowned, putting her hoof to her chin.
"Exactly! Something really horrible must've happened to scare her off like that!" Twilight began to hyperventilate. "Oh no, did I do something? Did I send her to a bad hotel? Did I-"
"Shh, darling," Rarity put her hoof to Twilight's lips. "I can confidently assure you that it was nothing you did. Cadance, could you possibly…?"
Rarity turned to look in Cadance's direction, but the pink alicorn was already gone.
Autumn Blaze sat on the bench with her suitcase beside her, waiting for the train to arrive and take her back to the land where she could wake up to her village of Kirin who wouldn’t turn her life upside down. She could have a safe life there, and still be happy writing her plays about all the ponies she met there, just not her.
Autumn turned to look down at her suitcase, feeling an overwhelming sensation throughout her body as tears came to her eyes. Placing her hoof on the suitcase, she spoke.
“Oh Suity, where did everything go wrong?” Autumn whispered. Moments after she spoke, a flash of pink light appeared in front of her, causing the Kirin to squeak as she gripped her suitcase. Cadance appeared, her wings spread out as she stared down at Autumn.
“Emergency?” Cadance frowned. “How did you hear of this emergency? None of your village knew which hotel you were staying in, so how would they be able to reach you?”
“I...it was…”
“Save it,” Cadance brought her wings back to her side as she looked at the ground. “I know what this is about.”
“You do?” Autumn’s wide eyes, matched with her heavy blush, did no favors to hide the truth.
“I wasn’t what you hoped for,” Cadance told her. “I get how this goes. Everypony falls in love with my image, but when they find out the real me, I’m just another pony.”
“Wait, you knew that I liked you?” Autumn gasped.
“Of course I did, why else would you write a whole play dedicated to me? It’s what suitors did whenever they were trying to win my aunt’s hoof,” Cadance shrugged. “It’s okay Autumn, I just wish you were honest about not wanting to be with me.”
“Cadance, you have a husband,” Autumn hoof-palmed her face. “I’m not going to get in the way of you two.”
Cadance froze, her mouth hanging open only for a few moments before she bursted into laughter. Wiping a tear from her eye, Cadance jumped onto the bench and wrapped her wing around Autumn.
“Is that what this is about?” Cadance howled. “Goodness, for all of the research you’ve done, I’m surprised you never came across my more unusual dating history.”
“Your what?”
“Oh sweet Autumn Blaze,” Cadance leaned in closer. “Me and my husband have an open relationship. Sure, neither of us have dated anypony during our marriage yet, but did you really think the Princess of Love was capable of loving only one pony?”
After staring into Cadance’s intense gaze, it was Autumn’s turn to laugh. Pulling back and howling, Autumn then rested her forehead against Cadance’s as they both giggled and grinned at each other. Drunk off the internal butterflies, now free to flutter as they liked, Autumn didn’t hesitate to lock her lips with the Princess of Love. Cadance wrapped her wings around Autumn’s back as the Kirin felt her emotions magnify tenfold in the Princess’ embrace.
“Now let’s get you back to the theater,” Cadance smirked, pulling back as she jumped off the bench, taking a few steps away before looking over her shoulder. “You coming?”
Autumn beamed as she jumped off the bench and used her tail to pull her luggage as she followed the alicorn off into the sunset, her trip to Ponyville having changed her life forever.
Author's Note
"Rainbows don't light up the sky unless you let it rain~"
Thank you all so much for reading! And while this story is finished, I was wondering what kind of future sequel would be most interesting: a detailed plot for the play in the story, Amor? Or a sequel where Cadance brings Autumn Blaze to the Crystal Empire?
