To be Awakened

Chapter 2: Under the Influence

As the young guard walked away with a goofy smile, Princess Cadance felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of using her talents once again. It had been a while since she had been able to delve into matters of the heart in such a direct way. With her responsibilities as a mother and as the Princess of the Crystal Empire, finding time for her passion had become increasingly difficult. However, the joy it brought her made it all worth it.

She quickly made her way into the room next to Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron, which she had made sure to keep empty. With a flick of her horn, she opened the door quietly and slipped inside, closing it behind her. She approached the wall and cast her spell, making it see-through from her side and allowing her to observe the goings-on in the room next door.

Through the translucent wall, she saw that the room was grand and opulent, with a high, shallow-arched ceiling sitting atop carved stone corbels and tall, arched windows that let in streams of golden sunlight. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of heroic conquests, and the floor was covered in plush, red carpeting. In one corner of the room, where the carpet gave way to tile, there was a large tub filled with bubbling water, surrounded by fragrant candles and fluffy towels. The beds were made of soft, white clouds that had been enchanted so that anypony could sleep on them, regardless of race. They looked as though they would be comfortable enough to sleep on for days.

Inside the room, Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron were engaged in a heated discussion about a recent archaeological discovery, their voices hushed in the quiet of the castle. Cadance smiled to herself, curious to see where the night would take them.

She watched as her spell took effect, feeling a sense of satisfaction as she saw the mist envelop the room and the two ponies. She could sense the tension between them dissipating, replaced by a warm and cozy feeling that would encourage them to open up to each other. She could see their eyes meet, and she knew that they were starting to connect on a deeper level.

Cadance's mind wandered back to that first time she cast the spell, and how it had filled her with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. She had always known that she was destined for great things, but it wasn't until that moment that she truly understood what her calling was. From then on, she had dedicated herself to honing her craft, learning everything she could about love magic and using it to help ponies find happiness.

As she watched Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron in the other room, Cadance felt a sense of excitement building within her. She knew that she had the power to bring them together, to help them overcome their differences and find the love that they both deserved. All she had to do was wait and watch, and let the magic of the spell work its wonders.

However, as she observed the couple, she realized that there was more she could do to facilitate their connection. She closed her eyes and focused her magic, channeling it towards the two ponies in the next room. A gentle breeze filled the room, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and the soft sound of a distant waterfall. Cadance opened her eyes and saw that Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron had paused in their conversation, their expressions softening as they breathed in the soothing atmosphere.

Encouraged, Cadance continued to weave her magic, sending gentle sparks of light around the room. The sparks floated around the couple, illuminating their faces and casting a warm glow in the room. The tension between them dissipated further, and they started to speak more openly and honestly to each other.

"It seems like we're going to be at least three miles from the affected area. A little unnecessary, but I guess the princesses don't want to take any chances," Dr. Caballeron thought aloud to himself. It had been a long time since he sat down with his old classmate, Daring Do. As he thought back, they had been way closer when they were under their teacher. He suddenly felt a feeling of familiarity and comfort that he hadn't felt since they were both virgin apprentices with idealistic and hopeful outlooks. Or at least, when he had that mindset.

"Yes, I still think the princesses are playing too safe," Daring Do agreed, breaking the silence. "We're not just going to have royal guards, but also dragon escorts, the griffin battalion, the changelings’ infiltration squad, and probably some of the best Magi in Equus. That’s not to mention any other groups that may tag along. Even though I read the reports, this seems like overkill. If I didn't know better, it would seem like we're invading a territory. We'll have open supply lines, medical assistance, and the best magic Equestria has to offer."

Dr. Caballeron couldn't help but snarkily reply, "Well, I'm sure you'd prefer to take your chances, Daring. But some of us would rather have a fighting chance against whatever we may encounter."

Daring Do rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I can handle myself just fine. I've taken on worse things than what we'll face on this mission."

Dr. Caballeron smirked. "Is that so? Well, I guess we'll just have to see who comes out on top."

As Daring Do began to respond, Dr. Caballeron interjected, "But I do have to admit, Celestia's experience is frightening. And not even talking about that horror show she described in her report. Those poor creatures died hungry, alone, and scared in that underground bunker, surrounded by a monster of their own design. Hopefully, we won't run into something like that, but with our only job being to raid the library, I doubt we'll be in any real danger. I feel like we're just going in there to become Twilight Sparkle's personal errand runners."

Daring Do let out a small chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint the princess, now would I? But don't worry, Caballeron, I'll make sure you come out of this with all your limbs intact."

Dr. Caballeron grinned. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I just hope you can keep up."

Daring Do raised an eyebrow. "Keep up? Please, I'm the one who sets the pace."

Dr. Caballeron leaned forward slightly, a twinkle in his eye. "Is that so? Well, maybe you can show me later just how fast you can go."

Daring Do's cheeks flushed slightly. "I think you're forgetting that we have a mission to complete, Caballeron."

Dr. Caballeron leaned back, a smug look on his face. "Oh, I haven't forgotten. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun along the way."

Daring Do rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach. This mission might just turn out to be more interesting than she thought.

"We both know your version of fun is filling up your pockets with as many bits as you can carry."

As they sat in the cozy room, Dr. Caballeron couldn't resist teasing Daring Do about her love for danger. "It's better than your idea of fun," he jested, "Crawling through death traps, dodging claws, spikes, and boulders. Ever since I took you to Somnambula, you've been a complete danger junkie."

Before he could go on, a pillow flew towards his face, courtesy of Daring Do. She gave him a stern look. "We do not talk about that. Or would you prefer I start talking about Las Pegasus?"

Dr. Caballeron's face turned panicked, and he started making hissing sounds as he looked around the room, worried that somepony might be listening in. "You know we made a pact never to talk about that, either. Or would you prefer me to talk about the time you were bit by that snake in the Everfree and I had to suck out–"

Daring Do was quick to act, placing her hoof over his muzzle and forcing him onto the bed. She landed on top of him, and with a stern voice, warned him, "And I remember telling you if you ever told anypony about that, I would break all four of your hooves and leave you in the Everfree!"

After what felt like several minutes of staring at each other, Daring Do removed her hoof from Dr. Caballeron's muzzle and scolded him. "This is what I mean about you being too aggressive, and you can keep your hooves to yourself." She flew off of him and returned to her seat, cheeks still red from the embarrassment of the situation.

Dr. Caballeron, unfazed by the ordeal, continued to tease her. "I don't know why that story is even embarrassing to you anymore. Your adventures as Daring Do are quite unflattering in themselves, even with your selective editing."

Daring Do took a seat and turned back to him with a curious look in her eyes. "It seems like everypony's a critic. What do you have a problem with in my stories?"

"Other than not being paid for the use of my likeness?”

Daring Do rolled her eyes.

“'How about, every time somepony walks up to me and asks, “Can I take a picture with you? Your cosplay is spot on,” or “That's not what he would wear,” or “His cutie mark doesn't look like that.” Unlike you, I don't pretend to be someone else. I am Dr. Caballeron…”

Daring Do snorted in response. “Ha! Since when do you not like attention?”

Dr. Caballeron scowled at Daring Do. “When I make deals with clients or give ponies items. I was in Manehattan, and my clients did not believe that I was who I said I was because of your little books. They almost locked me up in the dungeon! I escaped before they could look up anything, but they could have arrested me, and all because of your books.”

Daring Do raised an eyebrow. “And just what were you doing that ended in you being arrested?”

The stallion started to mumble something, then stopped.

“Sorry? I couldn't hear you.”

The stallion mumbles again, louder this time, but still inaudible.

“One more time…”

Dr. Caballeron angrily and loudly sighs. “I had a partner who was supposed to be transporting some items for me, and he ended up selling one; a powerful amulet that I was unable to activate. I was going to sell it to a collector, but he beat me to it, and it went to some mare. The great and powerful something-or-other. I don’t remember what her name was, and that sucks because I couldn’t collect even a single bit for that. The vendor disappeared a few weeks later."

"So you're saying I make it harder for you to commit crimes," Daring Do retorted with a smirk. “If it didn’t go to her, it would have just gone to some other maniac with bits.”

Dr. Caballeron looked visibly annoyed. "I have a license to sell magical items in Equestria. It's not my problem what ponies decide to do with them."

Before Daring Do can respond, a knock interrupts their conversation. They both turn to the door, puzzled as to who could be knocking.

"I guess one of the princesses must still have something to say," Daring Do speculated as she stood up from the bed and walked to the door. Upon opening it, she was met with a unicorn mare, mane red as wine over a yellow coat, holding a tray of small food items; two bowls of grapes and an assortment of chocolate-covered strawberries.

"Is this the room of Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron?" she asks.

"Yes."

The red-haired pony wasted no time. She used her magic to levitate the tray to Daring Do. "Compliments of Cadence," she said before trying to peek into the room.

Daring Do thanked her and started to close the door, but the pony quickly spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, and this is slightly inappropriate, but can I have an autograph?"

Daring Do took the tray from the unicorn's magic and smiled. "Of course. Just give me a minute." She closed the door and walked over to a nearby table, placing the tray down and grabbing a pen from her shirt pocket.

Dr. Caballeron lay lazily on the bed, glancing towards Daring Do as she entered the room. "Who was that at the door?" he asked.

Daring Do smirked in response. "A fan," she answered. Caballeron grumbled, but didn't say anything else.

Daring Do walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the pony still waiting outside with a copy of one of her books grasped in her magic. The red-maned mare eagerly presented the book to Daring Do, who smiled in response.

"Daring Do in the Forbidden City of Clouds," she smirked. "That's my favorite one to read, too." Daring Do quickly signed the copy and handed it back.

"Thank you!" the mare said excitedly.

Daring Do was about to close the door when the mare spoke up again, sounding slightly more nervous. "Can I also... can I..." she trailed off, trying to find the words. Daring Do waited patiently for her to continue. "Can I have Dr. Caballeron's autograph, too?"

Daring Do kept a smile on her face, but inside she was slightly irritated. She turned back to the stallion and saw him lazily lying on the bed. "Give me one second," she said before closing the door and bringing the book with her. Walking over to Dr. Caballeron, she threw the book onto the bed next to him. "It looks like you do have fans," she said, annoyed.

Dr. Caballeron stared at the book for a moment before scoffing and rolling over it to look at the cover. "I hate this volume the most," he grumbled.

Daring Do sighed in frustration. "Just sign it, please," she said, holding the book out to him.

Dr. Caballeron sat up lazily and took the book from her. He opened it to the front cover and scribbled his name with a flourish before tossing it back to Daring Do. "Happy now?" he asked with a smirk.

Daring Do rolled her eyes but didn't respond. She walked back to the door and opened it, revealing the waiting mare. "Here you go," she said, handing the book back to her with both signatures inside.

The mare’s eyes widened in excitement as she took the book in her magic. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed before turning to leave.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Daring Do turned back to Dr. Caballeron. "Why do you have to be so difficult all the time?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Me? Difficult?" Dr. Caballeron replied with a chuckle. "I'm just a simple stallion who doesn't like signing books."

Daring Do shook her head. "No, you're an ass that has the manners and greed of a griffin."

"Ha! What would your fans think if they heard you using casual racism like that?"

Another knock at the door interrupted Daring Do's thoughts. "Are you going to answer that?" Dr. Caballeron asked from where he lay on the bed.

With a sigh, Daring Do made her way to the door and opened it, revealing the same red-haired unicorn from before. This time, she looked embarrassed.

"Sorry, I forgot to give you this as well," she said, holding up a bottle of Applejack's hard cider, named for the daughter of the two who had made both. Daring Do was surprised to see the drink; it had been discontinued after the creators died in some kind of accident.

"Wow! I haven't seen that since my college years," Daring Do exclaimed, quickly grabbing the bottle with her wings and cradling it like a baby. "Are you sure you want to give this to me? From what I've heard, there are only a few bottles left."

The unicorn gave Daring Do a smile. "This is from the Princess. She personally gave you the bottle," she said, giving a bow before walking away.

As the unicorn walked down the hall, Daring Do called out to her. "What’s your name?"

"My friends call me Red," the pony replied, skipping away with a smile on her face. Daring Do closed the door and walked back over to the bed, where Dr. Caballeron was now sitting up and looking at the bottle with interest.

"What's so special about that cider?" he asked, eyeing the bottle.

Daring Do smiled. "It's just a really rare vintage," she said, sitting down next to him. "I can't believe she gave it to me."

"Looks like you have a new fan," Dr. Caballeron smirked, nodding towards the door.

Daring Do rolled her eyes. "I doubt it," she said, unscrewing the cap of the bottle and taking a sip. "But I do owe her a thank you."

Dr. Caballeron realized what the bottle actually was and smiled. " Wow! When's the last time we saw Applejack’s hard cider? I think it was that time we ended up wasted after graduating, wasn't it?"

Daring Do finishes her swig and passes the bottle to him. "Yes, it was. And I believe it was you who was wasted. I was only a little tipsy."

“A little tipsy?” chuckled Caballeron. “The way I remember it, you very nearly pulled down the chandelier!”

“And who was it that was wearing a lampshade on their head the next morning?”

“Two lampshades, thank you. I refuse to mitigate how drunk I was, and neither should you.”

“Easy enough for you to say. I have a public image that I have to maintain.”

Caballeron chuckled. “Suit yourself,” he said, tilting back the bottle. “I’ll just sit back and enjoy this gift while you worry about your precious public image.”

Daring made a grab for the bottle, but Caballeron swiped it away. “Give me that!”

“No, no, you wouldn’t want to end up being “a little tipsy.” Your dignity is far more important than a priceless bottle of cider.”

“Quit being an arse. We’re obviously supposed to share it. I shared with you, you share with me. Or are you too good to share?”

With a laugh, Caballeron pushed the bottle forward, then pulled it away as she reached for it. “First, I want to hear the truth. Be honest, how drunk were you?”

“Just a little tipsy. Enough to make it irresponsible to go back to my apartment, and no more.”

“I don’t think that’s the truth.” He turned the label so that Applejack’s face was visible. “I want you to look her right in the eyes and tell her, the very element of honesty herself, exactly how drunk you were the night we graduated.”

Daring looked at the sticker and sighed. “Drunk enough to swing upside down from the chandelier…”

With a smile, Caballeron took one final draught from the bottle and gave it back. “Was that so terrible?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m leaving you the rest of the bottle. I’m going to take a bath. You wanna join me?”

Daring looked up from the label. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. It’s probably already turning cold.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

That wasn’t good. Cadence took a deep breath. They had been doing so well with the bottle of cider. Sure, they’d been a bit crude with each other, but they were talking. Now, as Caballeron climbed into the water, which had admittedly turned a bit chilly, they were back to silence and looking away from each other.

She gave it a minute to see if they would start back up on their own, but no such luck. She’d have to interfere again. But where to start? Perhaps some positioning would make this easier?

Caballeron was overcome with a sudden discomfort. He’d found a good spot to sit in the water, but now it was doing something to his back. What was even stranger was that he had a sudden rouge thought that the problem would be solved if he just moved to a different spot in the tub, and one in particular stood out to him.

Daring, meanwhile, had just sat down on the corner of the bed. Despite how soft and warm it had been earlier, now she just couldn’t seem to find a comfortable spot. She took a swig and turned a few times until she found a place that was much more plush.

They both looked up, and found that they were face-to-face.

“See something you like?” chuckled Caballeron.

“No,” insisted Daring. “It just turns out that this is the most comfortable spot on the bed. What about you? Trying to sneak a peek while my back is turned?”

“Don’t fool yourself. This just happens to be the best place in the tub to sit.”

“Oh, that’s a laugh. You can’t even see the window from there.”

“And here, the sunset’s not in my eyes.”

Daring shook her head and took another swig from the bottle. “You gonna be done anytime soon? I want a bath, too, ya know.”

“Plenty of space for two.”

“And marinade in your stank? I don’t think so.”

“You make me sound filthy and greasy.”

“You are.”

“Then I suppose I should just keep hogging the bath, then.”

“Would you just come out and drain the water, already?”

Caballeron turned his head to the side, then laughed. “Good luck refilling this thing. Faucet’s all the way across the room.”

Daring looked around the edges of the tub. The faucet wasn’t across the room, but it wasn’t by the tub, either. The way the tub had been filled was by taking a bucket back and forth, or so she could assume. If she wanted the tub refilled, she’d have to fill up the bucket with hot water, carry it over, and dump it in before going back for more. That was assuming there was still enough hot water remaining.

“Fine,” she sighed. “Scoot over.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s the best seat in the tub, you said so yourself. Scoot over.”

“No, I don’t think I will. You snooze, you lose.”

“Come on, make some room.”

“I gave you most of the cider; the expensive, rare cider. That means it’s only fair that I keep the best seat in the tub.”

“Just scootch over a little.”

Cadence was pleased that it was going this way. Sure, it wasn’t ideal, but from not wanting anything to do with each other to being able to share a bathtub was a huge boost. The problem right now was with Daring. She just needed a gentle push in the right direction, and that was something Cadance could provide.

Suddenly, something occurred to Daring; something she hadn’t thought about before. “Well, then, we’ll just have to share the spot.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Daring climbed into the tub and sat down on top of Caballeron’s legs. “If you won’t leave the spot, I’ll just have to sit here.”

Caballeron chuckled. “You know this is an empty threat. Why should I care?”

“Then it’s not a bother to you?”

“Not remotely.”

“Then you can just sit there until I’m done.”

With a smirk, Caballeron reached up and ran his hoof across his mane, gathering up a small smattering of oil. It wasn’t a big reach from there to smear it onto Daring’s shoulder.

“You’re disgusting,” sneered Daring. “And petty.”

“I’m the petty one? You just sat down on top of me because you couldn’t have your way. There’s plenty of other places to sit, and you chose right there.”

“I’m not moving.”

“Fine. Sit there.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Just as Cadance was thinking about giving them another push, Daring suddenly jumped up and skittered to the other side of the tub. “You unbelievable pervert!”

Caballeron was wearing a lecherous smile. “I can’t be in full control of that. It’s used to doing that when pretty mares are sitting in my lap, and it can’t see your face through the bubbles.”

“But you can. What, you think I’m hot?”

“Most mares would see that as a compliment. I don’t know why you’re not.”

“Because you’re disgusting!”

“Admit it, you’re soaking wet right now.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Ha! Prove it!”

Daring stood up and turned around, but before she could move her tail, Caballeron pulled it back in the way. “Okay, let’s take that bottle back. I can’t believe you were actually about to do that.”

As Caballeron reached for the bottle, Daring kept moving it out of his reach. “Nope, you said the rest of this was mine.”

“And it is, but you’ve had one draught too many.”

“You’ve had one too many,” she teased. “You’re not taking this away from me!”

“Just for the night. You can have it back in the morning.”

“No, I’m not falling for that!”

“Come on, there’s not even a chandelier in here. What are you going to swing from, a sconce?”

“You’d like that, wou–”

Daring was cut off in the middle of her sentence. Nopony, not even Cadance, could say what had happened. While they were wrestling over the bottle, one of them had slipped. Whether it was Daring that had lost her grip and kicked Caballeron’s legs out from underneath him, or Caballeron that had lost his footing and fell on top of her, who could say?

Either way, the outcome was the same. They knocked out the plug that was holding the water in the tub, and it drained very quickly. That was a good thing, too, as both of them were only submerged for a few seconds before the water disappeared, leaving just the two of them lying in a pool of soap suds, their bodies pressed together, staring deeply into each others’ eyes.

Cadence’s heart was pounding. This was it. They were firmly pressed against each other. Daring was feeling bold, Caballeron had told her she was attractive, and their lips were mere centimetres apart. They were going to kiss, she could just feel it. Any second now…

“Now look at what you did!” shouted Daring. “You drained the tub! I wasn’t done with my bath!”

“Me? You drained it! I’d only just barely started!”

Daring groaned. “Look, this thing isn’t going to refill itself.” She grabbed the bucket and pushed it into his hooves. “Let me know when it’s full again.”

“Why should I do that? In fact, why should I fill it?”

“Because it’s your fault it’s empty!”

Caballeron shook his head. “You know what? No. I’m going to bed. You want a bath?” He dropped the bucket in front of her. “You fill it.”

“I’m not filling it!”

“My mistake, you’re too drunk.”

“I didn’t even finish the bottle!”

Caballeron snatched it. “And you’re not going to tonight. You can have this back in the morning. I’m going to bed.”

“You know I can just grab it out of your luggage, right?”

“Not going’ in my luggage.” As he flopped down onto the bed, he brought the bottle with him, pressing it against his chest as he pulled the covers up over his shoulders. “You can have it back at breakfast.”

Daring huffed and closed the blinds. They were very powerful blackout curtains, blocking out the sunset with ease. All that was left was a few slivers of light as she slumped down onto the bed, sitting and waiting for Caballeron to fall asleep.

Cadence knew that there was nothing else for her to do here tonight. She’d almost had them falling in love again on day one. It was kind of disappointing, really, knowing that she’d lost some of her touch. Still, there was time before they shipped out tomorrow. With any luck, they’d hook up on the train on their way in. Goodness knew they wouldn’t want to hook up after they arrived. That made her window of opportunity very small, but at least she had come close. It was something, at any rate.

She erased the spell that allowed her to see into the room. There was little point in staying here anymore. It was unlikely that either one would make a move tonight; not without her helping them along. She might as well hit the hay, herself. Or at least, find some guard to roll in it with her.