Once upon a time, in the golden capital of Canterlot, there lived a very special young unicorn filly. She was an introvert without a friend yet beloved all whom she considered family all the same.

She whose bathed under the attention of the immortal princess herself. Everything's perfect and Twilight Sparkle was contented with her life.

Every night, as the canvas of stars painted over the sky. Twilight Sparkle would sometimes observe the celestial body with wonder. Her eye was tightly against the lens of the telescope and her curiosity overtook the fear of the dark as she lost in the otherworldly beauty of the night sky.

Huddled against the cold brick balcony of the Royal Castle. The lavender filly was lost in her trench like a sailor who succumbed to the song of sirens.

The only light source came from filly's pride, her horn. An orchestra of magical threads moves in harmony as her quills and scrolls aglow with a pale purple aura, noting down little here and there. Her mind wandered around as the topic changed every ten minutes or so.

"No more research papers. No more essays. Please, Twilight." said the immortal princess.

Her mentor, the princess of the sun, Celestia, ordered her to relax and Twilight Sparkle, the ever-faithful student, would obey.

From predicting the motions of celestial objects to calculating the ∆v required for the hypothetical lunar orbital insertion. Every little scribble is categorized into each corresponding scroll for future assessment. Pure formulas and numbers without essay just as the princesses ordered.

The lavender filly's definition of relaxation was alien even to her fellow ponykinds indeed.

To her mentor's dismay, the young Twilight Sparkle followed every word to the letter. And sadly, the filly's unconscious malicious complaint will continue to go unnoticed if not for the incident of today.

Everything was right with the world, and another unremarkable day of her life would go by, and the facade of normalcy would remain... but fate had another plan.

The alicorn turned foalsitter, the energy of youthfulness coursed through her whole body. A glimmer of light in her eyes and a cheshire smile plastered across her face. Her favorite adokrable purple filly loses in her own little world yet again. A little prank was in order.

Unbeknown to her at the time, that decision was a grave mistake. Today was the day of the Twilight's combat training. The filly's unwashed coat still glistened in sweat and a part of her subconscious mind still stuck in the mindset of a war mage.

The proverb "Buck around and find out" was considered uncouth by many of her Canterlot nobility acquaintances, but as she looked back, Cadance thought this fit her situation perfectly.

"Hiya! Twiligh-" *Bang! *Splat!

Twilight Sparkle's horn dimmed down and the smell of ozone filled the air. The world of darkness would soon end as another spell was cast. Ball of white light on the top of filly's horn. She pushed down her fear and searched for the intruder.

As Twilight looks around for the disturbance. Her frown turned upside down as her fear of the unknown was replaced by happiness. Only to falter away at the stillness of her foalsitter.

It's Cadance... but something's wrong.

The body of the pink alicorn collapsed on the floor. The only light source of this vast darkness is Twilight's very own horn.

As squinted her eyes, she noticed Cadance's pristine pink coat tainted by something with the color of crimson, as the very same liquid slowly spread around where the alicorn lay.

Twilight lifts a foreleg off the ground, her lavender hoof is not supposed to be red. Why is it red and wet?

The filly's mind deduces for the answer. Even with the balcony as dark as it is, only a few seconds of observation was all it took her a moment for her mind to understand.

I see. it's Cadance's blood. My hoof was coated in Cadance's blood.

Twilight Sparkle looked up, smiling. She was a good little filly, and a good filly must say sorry when she's in the wrong.

"Cadance, I am sorry I..." Her mind went blank when she came closer to her foalsister.

What she saw was a face mare in great pain. An embodiment of pure agony. The same face any ponies would make when they are hurt. Cadane's body twitched on the ground, as her mouth seemed to not be able to choose between panting or soundless scream.

Why?

Why is Cadance making that sound? Alicorns shouldn't feel any pain. Princess Celestia told her so. She even proves it to her. It must be true.

Then why was Cadance clenching her stomach and still lying down, twitching like she was in pain?

Incomprehensible. Nothing is making any sense.

Ignoring the great pain, the broken alicorn slowly crawls toward Twilight, each movement accompanied by a grunt.

The alicorn raised herself up to the same height as Twilight's. She gritted her teeth as one of her shaking limbs weakly extended toward the lavender filly.

The tired bundle muscles did their best as they strained themselves to move the pink fluffy wing on a path of circular movement, exerting a slow and gentle rubbing moment, petting Twilight's back.

Cadance's face comes closer. The smell of iron greatly intensifies. Was it a new trend? What kind of perfume smells like iron? Why does her foalsister smell like one?

Blood smells like iron, and nothing is weird about it. Ponie felt pain when blood came out, but alicorns were incapable of feeling pain, weren't they?

Cadance’s face is also marred by red stains and a trace of mascara under her eyes trace the trails of tears. Some crimson-colored areas reflected light in a show of wetness and others were matt red of a darker shade.

Princess Celestia wouldn't lie to her, would she?

Twilight could see Cadance's face clearly as it came near to her horn. The same horn that lit up the whole room.
The very horn that fired off that spell.

But Shinny and Cadance are also known, then why?

Why is Cadance crying?

"Ahh… Cadance I…." Twilight understood now. She understood from the beginning. She just didn't want to acknowledge it. “W-What have I done….”

Cadance tried and failed to hide her agony, yet she tried her best to give the lavender unicorn filly comfort nonetheless. Her gentle smile was still on her face failed to tell the filly that nothing was wrong.

The pink alicorn looked at Twilight and then shook her head. She opened her muzzle to form words of comfort. Her voice quavered in pain. "I forgive you, Twilight." The alicorn said kindly.

Why did everponies lie to her?

Feeling trembling and trepidation from the lavender filly, Cadance hugged Twilight tighter and cooed softly.

“I forgive you my little ladybug, no matter what.”

Author's Note

Credit: Duskie-06