Author's Note

Fair warning: There is a particularly salacious kiss in this chapter, but that is all.

This is... basically the halfway point in the non-side story/sequel section of Cadance's and Silver's interaction. As such, I've been waiting to do this for a while, and when writing the chapter, I ended up writing the whole thing in one sitting.

As you can probably see, it is long.
(The appetizers are roughly a third of the way through, wow)

It happens. I couldn't find a good reason to split up the chapter, so here you go.

Bugging the Princessesses

Cadance looked between the two, Silver and Photo with growing concern.

"Why do you look like this?" Photo said to Selene.

"I'm Noxa Selene right now. Hoping to stay incognito."

Sliver chuckled to herself. Cadance narrowed her eyes, and mumbled to Silver as the two mares met each other. "I don't think this is very funny."

Silver smiled wider, "Good." She made a face Cadance couldn't read.

It was immeasurably annoying, not being able to understand what was happening around her. In reality, it was Cadance's lack of control of the situation that was getting a rise out of her, being in a place with ponies on par with her own skill with interaction meant that she was constantly on the back hoof. Two of the three ponies aside from herself were immune to her emotion sense, they all used body language too old to make sense to her, and Silver was seemingly making random facial expressions just to mess with her.

And the changeling queen that trapped her in a cave for three days was standing in front of her, excitedly talking to Selene like they were long lost sisters.

"Where have you been?"

"Where have you been?! I invaded your capitol!"

"You what!?"

A clapping sound came from Silver, though Cadance didn't see what exactly she had clapped with as Silver took a few steps towards the restaurant. "Shall we head inside ladies?"

That's when Photo saw Cadance. Her face filled with a leer and a predatory smile, "Well look who it isss. The Princess of Love herself."

Cadance lit her horn and stepped back. Leaning down in case she had to take flight, her body tensing like a cord under the gaze of the ancient queen.

Photo laughed at her, "Ohohoh! Please, we're not here to fight are we?" She glanced at Silver

"We're not. We're here to enjoy a nice relaxing dinner." Silver's taunting smirk came back in full force.

Cadance's nose wrinkled.

"I believe I am missing something?" Selene said, glancing between the weird standoff.

Photo looked away from Cadance, who stopped holding her breath, she said to Selene, "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"EHEM" Silver said out loud, rather then fake coughing. "Inside? Please?"

The mares shared a series of looks. Well, Silver, Photo, and Selene did. Cadance had her gaze locked firmly on Photo, waiting for the other horseshoe to drop.

Photo rolled her eyes, "Not much for a Love Alicorn. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I hope you don't mind if I'm unconvinced." Cadance responded tersely.

"She isn't going to hurt you Little Princess. She couldn't even if she wanted to. She's here on a favour to me."

Photo nodded, "Yes, just this once though."

Cadance settled her wings and tentatively returned to a normal posture, though she didn't look away or even blink. "Fine, but... Selene's staying right next to me." Selene got the message, whether Selene came to stand over with Cadance because of Cadance simply commanding so, or whether it was because Cadance looked like she was about freak out was up to interpretation.

"Alright, c'mon Photo, it's your restaurant after all."

Photo strutted up towards the door, lighting her horn in that sickly green aura that haunted Cadance for weeks. All it did was swing open the door. Dim orange mood lighting and the sound of light piano cords filtered out from the opening, and Photo made a wide sweeping gesture leading inside. "After you."

"Why thank you dear." Silver said, laying on a thick accent and trotting inside.

Photo's tail flicked and she grimaced as Silver said 'dear', and Selene and Cadance walked up to the door together after Cadance took a second to readjust the gem on her shoulder keeping her blanket/sash in place.

"After you." Cadance said.

Photo rolled her eyes and entered, letting the door swing shut. As soon as the door was closed, Selene leaned over, "Explanation?"

Cadance quickly said, while half sighing, "Chrysalis invaded Canterlot the day of my wedding, after foalnapping me, taking my place, mind controlling my husband, attacking Twilight, and trapping me in a cave for three days."

"Oh." Selene said in surprise, followed by an, "Oh" in understanding.

"Yeah." Cadance took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The interior was just like outside, despite it being much darker to make the dim chandeliers hanging from the ceiling cast the entire room in romantic ambience. Mostly in tones of deep red and accents of white, with soft wood flooring that stretched around in snaking pathways surrounded by plush red carpet.

"Ah so they decide to join us." Silver snarked.

"Welcome to The Parlor, Princess, Noxa." Photo inclined her head to each mare in sequence.

"It's a lovely place." Selene said tentatively, gauging Cadance for a reaction.

"Table for four?" A small black coated mare said from the side. She was practically invisible with the lighting, though she held a stack of menu's in her hoof.

Another changeling...

Silver was the first to respond. "Yes, please and thank you. A curtain and a circular booth."

"Right this way."

Silver was the first to follow after. Photo continued to maliciously grin at Cadance, who started moving with Selene as she followed Silver. Their hooves clacked against the wooden pathway as the changeling led them through the open floor filled with tables and candles, and the clinking of silverware against ceramic. The building was packed, but surprisingly quiet, even while walking through the open sections with wide circular tables, the chatter was almost inaudible.

"It's a privacy spell." Photo said from behind her, "With plenty of uses."

Cadance could hear the grin, along with the implications. Cadance was able to pick out a few ponies moving about in the crowd, managers and waitstaff. The majority were changelings, blending in with the darkness; though there were a hooffull of regular ponies as well. Ten total, by her quick headcount.

"Right here ladies." Green magic gripped a piece of wood that pulled itself out from an embedded structure in the wall to act as a step up point to a large circular booth, raised up to nearly Cadance's height. There was a rail near the ceiling with a blood red curtain hanging from it, bunched up to the side.

"Thank you miss." Silver leaned over and kissed the mare on the forehead. Cadance heard a buzzing sound, and the mare's eyes lit up.

Photo pipped up from the tail of the group. "Don't go spoiling my staff Fiyrra."

Silver chuckled, "I'll do what I want." and she stepped up into the booth, the wood made a creaking noise. Selene was next, with less squeaking. Cadance glanced over her shoulder at Photo, who was nonchalantly inspecting her hoof.

The booth was more of a massive 'U' shaped mattress that curved around a round block of black marble. The block had carved sections in it, pockets, for cups and anything else a pony wanted to store out of visual range. The seat was a dark red that matched Cadance's dress, and the backing was just as plush and red as the mattress that Cadance struggled to maneuver over due to it's squishiness. Once Cadance clambered inside, and scooted herself up next to Selene, Photo hopped in, hovering up with a buzzing sound and clambering up onto the couch next to Cadance. Before Cadance could protest, Silver spoke up.

"Give her some space Fanatic." She said.

She scooted away, and Cadance unruffled her feathers.

"So? What do you think?" Photo propped herself up on the table as the disguised changeling waiter drew the curtain closed. Plunging the booth into near complete darkness. Cadance was the only pony who's eyes didn't glow.

This was not where she wanted to be right now.

"It's eerie."

She raised an eyebrow, "That's a compliment."

"I personally love the mattress. This booth is fantastic."

"It's a little dark." Cadance retorted.

"It is?" Said Selene.

Silver chuckled, and a floating blue light appeared over the table.

"Thank you... Fiyrra?" Cadance questioned

Silver laughed, "Holy... I totally forgot that name."

"You forgot Fiyrra?" Selene asked.

"So for a little context, Little Princess. I was a few people while I was Dusk Swirl. Fiyrra was a unicorn mare that formed the monster hunting brigade in Atiria."

Photo pipped up, "She nearly killed me. Twice."

"You fell into a hole the second time, that wasn't my fault."

"So." Cadance interrupted the back and forth. "You all know each other?"

Photo gave Cadance a softer look than she thought was possible. "Silver said you were naïve, not young."

Silver groaned. "She's never been to a moot, as far as I know."

"There wouldn't be a point." Selene said, "All of the other ageless are dead. Celestia killed them."

"Well... clearly not all of them." Silver pointed at Photo.

Photo grumbled, "She's had me under her hoof for centuries."

What?

"Wait, wait, hold up." Silver put her hooves up in a 'T' shape. "Who's still around?"

"Us four. Celestia, Discord." Selene said.

Photo answered as well, "Novo is still around, and Lyrane. I haven't heard from the harpies in a long time."

"What about Anubis? Exxctics? Mia?"

Photo shook her head.

Silver's voice sounded a little desperate, "What about the spirit council? It and They?"

Did... Did this really happen?

"Celestia sealed the Fey realms behind Time ages ago." Selene answered.

Silver hit her hoof against the table and looked down. It was loud. Loud enough for Cadance to feel. "Damn. Mare really went on the war path all the way."

"She rules the world." Photo added, wearily.

"I feel like I only got a little bit of that." Cadance said slowly.

Silver sighed. "Let's just move on then. What were we talking about? Cadance's hilariously thin skin?"

"I think we were ordering drinks." Photo said, tapping her hoof against the wall. A second later, the curtain came open, and the same small mare stepped up onto the wooden platform. There was a notepad that levitated in her green aura, despite her not having a horn.

"Water, with a bit of salt for me." Said Silver.

"Do you have wine?" Selene asked. The small mare nodded, and then turned towards Cadance.

"Water... too, please. No salt."

The small mare didn't turn to Photo. Just closed to curtain and supposedly left to get their drinks.

"So tell me about this drama" Silver said, while her wings fluttered, her voice returning to 'normal Silver.'

Photo gave a haughty chuckle. "I blindsided her on a train."

"We were heading to Canterlot for the wedding."

Selene frowned, "Firefly, why would you do such a thing?"

"Why are you calling her Firefly?" Cadance interrupted. Photo's mouth closed as both Silver and Selene turned to her.

She rolled her mouth around, "I- Firefly is my original name. Before Discord did this to me." She gestured at herself.

"Discord had quite the habit of creating immortals for fun."

Photo bit at the air, "I was already on the starlit path before he stole Eternity from me."

Cadance's brow furrowed. "You were an Alicorn?"

Selene answered instead of Photo, "Almost."

Photo leaned back and crossed her hooves.

That was when their drinks arrived. Just the drinks; they floated up through the curtain and settled themselves in front of each of the mares according to what they ordered. In Selene's case, a stemless wine glass and a metal tub full of ice and a bottle of wine. Cadance grabbed her drink in her hooves, just wanting to hold something. The tactile feedback helped her destress ever so slightly.

Chrysalis is being... normal... what...

"Photo?" Cadance said, catching the eyes of the mare, "What is this restaurant for?"

She snrked, "Isn't it obvious?" She said like it was an insult.

"I just want to hear it from you." Cadance responded evenly.

She waved a hoof, responding flippantly. "It's a regular restaurant. Changelings need bits too, so what if they skim a bit of love off the top of the customers?"

"They don't foalnap anypony?"

Silver leaned across the table and poked Cadance in the hoof "Anyone, Little Princess."

"Sorry."

Photo responded, "Not that I know of. Wouldn't be a good business if ponies disappeared every time they went in."

"I thought changelings replaced ponies?"

Photo laughed, Silver frowned from across the table, "Little Princess, would you mind not embarrassing me with every single sentence?"

What'd I say?

"Not all changelings are infiltration experts Cadance." Selene said, "It takes years of training, and advanced magic that few changelings can do."

"To phrase it in a way you'll understand." Photo snarked, "If I had an army of infiltration specialists at my disposal, why would I put my own neck on the line to impersonate you myself?" She half whined in annoyance. "Most of my children are... just normal people, but changelings."

"Wow. Surprise, surprise, xenophobia is bad? It yields mindless results that make no sense and confuse societies and alienate cultures?" Silver rolled her head to the side, lifting her hooves in a faux shrug. "Who could have seen this coming?"

"Why attack at all then?" Cadance said, getting a little red in her cheeks. "Why bother invading if you have nothing to lose?"

Selene hummed, and both her and Photo monotoned at the same time: "Celestia."

Silver extrapolated, "Celestia has been playing chessmaster for centuries. Is it not just a little bit strange that every other nation or city state besides Equestria has been in constant decline since you were born?"

"I find it hard to believe Celestia has that kind of malicious intention for the world." Cadance responded.

"Believe it, Cadance."

Cadance mind caught up for a second that it was Selene who had said that.

Silver continued, "Celestia has been preparing to unite the world under one banner. Her own, and she's nearly there." She finished, sounding impressed.

"I just-"

"Bucking Tartarus, none of us care what you think." Photo withheld a snarl. "It's the truth, believe it or not, otherwise, shut up about it."

Cadance shrunk back a little. "Sorry."

Okay... so Chrysalis isn't a literal monster. All of them know each other... Celestia is...

Cadance shook her head. Selene was the one who picked up the conversation from where it was dying on the floor. "How did the invasion go?"

Silver tapped her hoof against the marble block, "Oh shit, that's right. You slept through the whole thing didn't you?"

Selene smiled abashedly, "Let's not focus on that."

"I was so close to victory I could practically taste it. Canterlot had fallen, I had beaten Celestia and stuffed her into a cocoon. It was a brilliant day."

Cadance raised her eyebrow, frowning, "It was my wedding day."

"She said brilliant." Silver helpfully pointed out.

"It would have been a lovely wedding had I not crashed it." Photo joked

Cadance clapped back. "You tried to marry my husband."

"He's a good husband." Photo shrugged.

Cadance slapped a wing over her face.

"It's true." Silver smiled and turned, "Say, Selene, where are you at for romance these days?"

Wait, did she just compliment him? Wait, did they both just-

Photo chuckled, "Please, Selene's never been able to hold down an interest for more than a week."

Selene's response was cut short as she began to stutter incoherently.

"Remember Adherence?"

Silver did a liquidless spit take, "Oh yeah!"

"You promised not to bring that up again!" Selene forced out.

"Wait, who?"

"No!"

Silver ignored Selene's protests. "Selene went on date once, convinced she was going to marry this stallion she'd met the day before."

Selene coved her face with her hooves.

"Ooooo! and what did he tell you?" Photo egged on Selene.

There was a short moment of emotional pain before she eeked out, "He thought I was a stallion..."

Silver laughed uproariously. "A stallion! Ha! Warrior Princess, and the idiot thought you were- goodness. What is the world like?"

"Hilarious. That's what. What about you Princess of Love, surely you've had some kind of fun with relationships."

Now it was Cadance turn to fidget under the attention. It was true, she did have a hooffull of stories. Being told she was the Princess of Love at the young age of twenty two puts a kind of mentality in the head that leads to such things. Despite intrinsically knowing that wasn't really the point of being an Alicorn, she did habitually flirt with the palace staff for years while training under Celestia. Mostly out of angsty teenage spite, and because she was lonely and confident.

"Oh ho ho! I see a story behind your eyes." Silver taunted from across the table.

"There... is a story that comes to mind." Cadance said, gauging the reactions around the table. Selene seemed genuinely interested, Photo seemed like she was pretending like she wasn't interested. Silver... Looked like Silver always does, attentive yet empty. Cadance swirled the water around in her cup while trying to avoid telling the story.

"Well? Do not keep us in suspense." Selene commented, nudging Cadance with a wing.

Cadance took a breath, "Back when I was learning... Princess things at the palace in Canterlot, way before Twilight was born, there was this gray pegasus stallion who always wore a bow tie and the front half of a suit, he was super cute."

"Have a thing for palace staff don't you?" Silver smirked

"He was one of the butlers..."

Do I have a thing for palace staff? That may be an issue

"Anyways, I snuck off during one of Celestia's lessons. He was there so... I convinced him to follow me into a closet..."

"Cadance?" Came Selene's questioning eyebrow.

"Hah! So what? Celestia wrenches the door open while you're sucking face?" Silver leaned over the table.

"No no... I heard Celestia coming, I told him I'd be back, and I stepped out just in time for her to not see. She scolded me for running off, and then we left to continue the lesson."

Photo smiled, sensing where this was going, based only on Cadance's rising embarrassment.

"Then what? You went back and he wasn't there?"

"More like the opposite..." Cadance looked down at her glass. "I... forgot about him."

"pppbbbttt!"

"Cadance!"

"Hah! Princess of Love for sure!"

Cadance adequately fought back the rising heat in her face. "Celestia was livid with me when she found out. He didn't talk to me again afterwards."

"I can't believe you simply left your paramour."

"We didn't even do anything!" Cadance tried to defend herself

"Oh I'm ~sure~ you didn't." Silver sing songed

Cadance turned to the mare and pointed an accusatory hoof, "Uh-huh, and what about you? Dark and mysterious. What's your romance story?"

"Oho, I got plenty. What do you wanna hear? I've got everything from comedically tragic to heart wrenchingly romantic."

Photo smirked, "Aren't those the same thing?"

"Damn right! Up top!" Silver reached over a limb, Photo did the same, their hooves clapped together as Silver turned back to Cadance. "So what'll it be?"

"What about Sunset's progenitor?"

Silver's face folded back to neutral. "Mmmm. Fire Dance, let me think for a second..."

"Wasn't that the name of that white circus mare?" Photo asked

"Who?" Selene asked back.

"Never mind."

"We met, I think," Silver started, looking off into somewhere else, "Oh... what was I doing?" Silver played up trying to remember, "I think I was spelunking? Or looking for a mining spot for silver, it doesn't really matter. It was practically midnight, and I stumble across this plowed field attached to the cutest little tribal settlement you've ever seen. Fire Dance is outside, watching the stars, and he hears me trip over a tangle of watermelon vines and rushes over to help me."

She shook here head. "Random mare comes wandering in, never met her before, and he runs out in the pitch black because I'm swearing like a sailor. I came back, say, a week later. We talked... or, well... I talked. He listened, the rest is history."

"Ugh-gag"

"Be nice." Selene admonished Photo.

"Oh come on, that was the sappiest drivel I've ever heard and you barely even said anything!"

Cadance smiled to herself, finally feeling like she was part of the conversation, "I could tell you the story about how me and Shining met instead, if you want."

Photo looked actually afraid of Cadance's sarcastic threat. "Oh no! No thank you! I don't need any of your perfect destiny love bond nonsense."

Selene decided to come to her rescue, "I believe now is when we would normally order dinner?"

This is...

Cadance had no clue what was going on, as usual. Except it was working, that, and Cadance was starting to get used to the feeling of being out of her comfort zone.

Luna doesn't seem to think it's weird

Silver lifted a hoof, "Appetizers, and I second that."

The curtain opened, and the small mare levitated four menu's from outside into the booth. Then the curtain closed

Cadance tilted her head, "Is she just standing out there?"

Photo nodded, "All of the private booths get constant attention."

Silver added on, "Makes sense, otherwise we'd having to keep opening the curtain ourselves, waving down the staff, no thanks."

"It is astoundingly good service." Selene smiled to herself, "For changelings."

Photo flopped her menue down onto the table, "You wanna say that again?"

"Whoah whoah, hey you two, relax. You're gonna scare our tagalong." Silver pointed at Cadance, who was about to say something. She ended up grumbling instead.

She perked up, "Wait, why do you have a menue?"

Photo frowned, "What, now I'm not allowed to eat either?"

Cadance lifted a placating wing, "Not what I meant, you didn't get a drink, I thought-"

"I'm sure you did." She monotoned back

Silver chuckled at the antics. "Give her a break Fanatic, nobody's told her anything about you or your kids."

Photo answered Cadance's question after huffing, it was clear she didn't like it. "I can eat whatever I want. I just don't like liquids." Silver cleared her throat, and Photo grumbled but continued, "My changelings can't digest anything other than heavy proteins and love. Water is a requirement for all living things."

"Do you not drink water?" Cadance asked back, curious.

"Firefly is scared of water." Selene said.

"I am NOT." Photo protested.

"It's true, I keep a spray bottle in my desk." Silver joked. Probably.

Photo continued to futily protest as Selene began to politely titter, even Cadance was nearing a chuckle herself. "Nobody likes being sprayed with a spritz of water by surprise! That was one time!"

The disguised changeling queen had some genuine vitriol for Cadance, but seemed happy with, even pleasant to the other two mares a the table. Cadance's misconceptions of chrysalis were quickly becoming more and more alien to her as she continued to act almost alike to Quick Silver.

Collecting those thoughts into a question, Cadance gestured to both Silver and Photo. "So I have to ask, what's the story here? How did you two meet?"

"Heh, maybe pick up your menu first Little Princess? I can tell you're hungry." Silver said.

Cadance tentatively picked up her menu in her magic. "How can you tell?"

Photo was the one who responded, "Please. Your constant outpouring of emotions is almost annoying, despite how good it tastes."

"Wait, I'm constantly outpouring emotion?"

"Nobody ever told you?" Selene tilted her head, catching Cadance's eyes.

Huh?

"You're an emotional beacon Cadance, I'm pretty sure every changeling in The Empire could point in whatever direction you were in if the Crystal Heart wasn't around." Silver explained.

"Am..." Cadance tried to focus on her menu, but failed. "Really?"

She'd never considered what she looks like in the eyes of somepony elses emotional senses.

"Oh yeah. I've tried to figure out why exactly, I've settled on the misnomer that you're not the Princess of Love." Silver waved a hoof. "More like the Princess of Connection."

"Can that happen?" Cadance asked

"Most immortal names and titles in the old pantheon were intentionally misleading." Photo said, "Even Celestia, 'Princess of the Sun' that's not really her Alicorn nature."

"Oh! What ever happened to The Mother?" Silver suddenly remembered the name

"Slumbering, I believe." Answered Selene.

"Awww..." Silver faked disappointment, or maybe not. Cadance couldn't tell.

"Who's The Mother? And... Celestia's not the Princess of the Sun?"

Photo groaned, "Can we please not talk about Celestia anymore?"

"I'll summarize, but seriously Little Princess, look over the menu while I talk."

"Why do you keep calling her Little Princess?" Photo questioned, folding up her own menu.

"It was a pet name I gave her as a joke, it just stuck, anyways." Silver waved a hoof

Pet name? Excuse me?

"The crash course is this: There are two primary sources of entropic reversing energy in our Universe, The Sun, and The Earth. Ponies used to separate the two in primal states of 'creation' and 'destruction'. Their position in tandem with the other forces of Eternity generates Ley Lines, in addition to the cascading features that make the world... the... the world."

As Silver rambled, Cadance looked down at the menu, really looked at it for the first time. It was subdivided into several sections, and had everything she could think of while splitting her focus.

"The Sun isn't really a force. It's more of a representation of raw magic as present to Eternity in reality, Celestia isn't tied to the Sun, she is tied to the thing that creates the Sun."

Cadance's eyebrows went up, and she opened her mouth

"Have an order ready, then you can ask questions." Silver pointed at her menu and continued. Photo gave an odd sounding giggle at Cadance's mock frown. "The Mother is the opposite. You see, material, wood, iron, dirt, it all exists. In a vacuum, if everything up and disappeared, if magic stopped flowing, if time stopped, Equus as a whole would still be present."

Silver sent a questioning look to Selene, "She was like Discord right?"

"Before Celestia dispersed her essence, yes."

Silver rolled her eyes. "Regardless, The Mother, or her full title, 'The Mother Flame' was the spirit of the cycle of Experience. From life to death, change and growth, that was her whole deal. She was responsible in that day and age for natural disasters, new flora, Earth pony magic, and the Featureless Flame. Everyone has some kind of connection to her, some tie back to the first life that ever existed."

"There's still a group of Kirin that worship her out in Japony." Photo added

Cadance lifted her head to respond and met Silver's eyes. She looked back down at her menu, frustrated. At random, her eyes settled on what was vaguely described as a sandwich full of cheese and random toppings and committed the name to her mind. "What's a Cibum Pollum? Is that old ponish?"

Silver responded first, "It is, it's meat, you wouldn't like it." She turned to Photo, "Also, you need to have your menu rewritten. Old Ponish fell out of style for 'the romance language' a hilariously long time ago."

Cadance groaned in her head a she looked over the menu again. Half of these things made no sense to her.

Guess I'll go with old faithful.

Cadance folded down her menu which drew the eyes of everypony at the table.

"Here we go..." She saw Photo mumble to herself

Cadance refrained from voicing all of the questions bouncing around in her head, not really knowing what to ask. "Are we all ready to order?" was the one that made its way out of her muzzle first.

"I think so, Selene, you're not ordering the bugs are you?"

Selene made a face, having been caught in the act. "No." She failed to lie convincingly.

The curtain opened again, and the small mare stepped back up onto the platform and silenetly collected the menu's while levitating a pad of paper and a red quill.

Silver began first, "Roasted fish rolls for me."

Selene answered tentatively, trying to avoid the smug look Silver was throwing her way, "The... centipede kabobs"

Cadance stuttered over her own order in response, "U-the... The, cucumber salad, please." Once she finished, she gave Selene a look of confusion.

"I'll have the same thing she's having." Photo pointed at Cadance.

Cadance was immediately suspicious, which the changeling queen got a sense for immediately. She turned with a tired frown and rolled her eyes, "I can like salad too, Little Princess."

"Only Silver gets to call me that." Cadance let out. She only knew what it meant when Silver said it after all. "And sorry. I'm just..."

"You're trying to rationalize the creature that left you for dead in a cave being a normal pony?" Silver offered.

"Uh" Cadance nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess I am."

Photo half snarled, "Well don't. I'm not playing nice because I am. I owe this to Silver, as soon as we leave here it'll be right back to the way it was."

"Why?" Cadance asked, genuinely upset, "If... Does it have to be that way? If you're a reasonable creature-"

"Next pony to call me 'creature' is going to get punted out of a window." Photo interrupted.

"Sorry, if you're a completely reasonable person, why go to war anyways? I mean..." Cadance gestured out to the booth, and the restaurant beyond. "This place is proof at all that changelings and ponies can coexi-"

"Pbbtt" Silver stopped Cadance in her tracks.

"Please." Photo started, "Your 'Goddess' has been working Equestria for a millennia, there's no hope for peace, not while she's on the throne. I'm not stupid enough to fall for your 'let's all just be friends' act. Blegh."

Selene shifted in place, "In her defense, she doesn't believe Celestia is... well... Celestia."

"I think we're starting to convince her." Said Silver.

And they were. Cadance would have been far more unwilling to believe anything they were saying if Selene wasn't nodding along the whole time, even adding onto their gripes about the Solar Alicorn.

"I'm... starting to see that, yes."

This is... more complex than I thought, at the least.

"Again, can we please talk about something else?" Photo half snarked, half begged.

Selene offered a solution, "Why don't you share one of your own romantical misadventures?"

"Easy" Photo scoffed, "I don't have any. As soon as I learned how to fertilize my own eggs, I swore off the whole thing."

Cadance frowned at the casual dismissal of 'like, her entire deal.'

"That's astoundingly boring. Do better." Silver snarked

"You're one to talk, your story was just a gross lovely dovey quip. It wasn't even a story."

Silver turned to Cadance, "To answer your question, me and Photo met in Atiria, I was Fyirra at the time, and you were what? A wandering transmutationist?"

"A kind of illusionist, yes. I was looking for somewhere to settle down once Discord turned my old home into a giant basket of pastries."

"You joined my brigade didn't you?" Silver tilted her head.

Photo rolled her eyes, an action she seemed fond of. "I ran your brigade, once you stopped coming. That's how I met Discord."

"Ah. Well-" Silver's ears perked up, "Oh yeah! I remember now, you came back filled with holes, that's why I got back into the monster hunting business."

"Little did I know that the mare that trained me was actually the ruler of the city itself." Photo quiped.

Cadance leaned into the conversation. "I've heard the name Atiria a few times, is that the name of the city you made?"

"Atiria is..." Silver trailed off, "Something. Something else. It's not important, but I named my tiny little city after Atiria."

"I fail to see the reason for the distinction." Selene said, though Cadance got the sense she was saying something else.

"Regardless." Silver shrugged off the veiled question, "Basically? Yes. Fanatic Photographer here showed up maybe... ten? eighty years before the unification wars ended?" Silver tilted her head towards Photo.

"What makes you think I remember? It was before Celestia and Long horn over there arrived. After Discord started mussing up my countryside." Photo responded flippantly.

"That's a pretty long range, I thought the unification wars ended before Equestria was founded?"

Silver nodded, "Sure, the first ones."

Selene explained, "After the mass exodus to Equestria, not just the unified had crossed over. Pegasi barbarians, tribalists, and other creatures beat the majority of our civilization over the border and had taken up roots. Resources were fought over, me and my sister were the ones who finally brought some semblance of order."

"I was one of those 'other' ponies that crossed the Frozen Sea." Silver said.

Photo added on, with a shrug when Cadance looked to her. "I was born in Equestria."

"Weren't you born up north? Near Rainbow Falls right?" Asked Silver

Cadance shook her head, "I don't know where I was born. I'm an orphan, technically. Though it never felt like it."

"Good for you." Photo rolled her eyes again.

Before Cadance could respond, Silver solemnly interrupted. It was her tone that stopped Cadance, rather than the volume. "We're all orphans here, Little Princess. Every immortal is, except Twilight. Another one of Fate's cruel jokes."

There was a wave of emotion that passed over the group. Something Cadance couldn't grasp, something only creatures that had experienced years and years on their lonesome could feel; something only they could understand.

Cadance realized why specifically these three immortals were sitting here in the booth. They were all constant, maybe the only vaguely neutral constants in each others lives since they were born. Discord had fought and hurt most of them. Celestia was an enemy of two. Twilight was supposedly the same, and everypony else was dead.

Why am I here?

Cadance wondered. It was hard to grasp what immortality had done to any of them, Cadance wasn't old enough to have lived her whole lifetime. She was just out of the prime of her life, when it came to pony lifespans; so why was she invited? Why was she here? If Silver had planned for this scenario like she planned for everything else, had she always been waiting for Cadance to invite Luna? If so, why be so frustrated about it? Why not do it herself? and why wait until after to bring Chrysalis along to have this moment? Was it random?

What does it all mean?

The group's introspection was cut short as their food arrived.

Selene's was by far the most eye catching, it was an upright circular... holder. For the lack of better word. Something you'd keep your miscellaneous kitchen tools in. Stowed inside of it were six sticks of obsidian coloured wood with cooked centipedes running up and down each length. Selene's eyes went wide when their server placed the thing in front of her... She also started to drool slightly. Silver received a triangular plate with a less geometrically inclined pattern of raw smelling rolls that looked like they were made of rubber, surrounding some kind of potato looking stuffing. The whole plate had what Cadance could barely identify by smell as lemony vinaigrette artistically strung around the plate and the rolls.

Then Cadance and Photo's salads came down. They were in oblong wooden bowls filled to the brim with the heartiest lettuce Cadance had ever seen, the cucumbers were just as visually delicious, glistening, but not soggy, firm, but not hard. There was a lit peppering of some kind of white cheese over the top, along with the carrot shavings mixed inside. Simple, elegant.

"Holy shmit." Silver said around a roll. She visibly sagged, to the point of compression as her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped away from the table. There was a hearty moan of satisfaction. "Eternity. Buck, and other apt expletives." She finished, still relaxing.

"Are..." Cadance could only smell... weird... savory, raw scents. Like licorice if it were a stew, she'd smelled the scent of cooked meat plenty of times, having been to Griffonia on several occasions, though, never this close and certainly not with that much attention. "Are they really that good?"

There was a crunch from Cadance's side as Selene slowly removed an entire stick from her mouth, sans bugs. The crunching continued as she munched on them and a warm smile came over her features.

"Enjoying, ladies?" Photo said from the side, a mix between a sneer and smile on her face.

A plate with one of the rolls slide its way over to Cadance with a cerulean glow to explain where it came from. "I haven't eaten since I was born, so my perspective is a little bit off, I think they're divine." Silver said, popping another one into her mouth and shivering as she tuned out.

"I am curious then, Silver rarely has such high praise for things in general." Selene wrapped the roll in telekinesis, despite not having a horn, and the thing came apart in two equal halves. One remained on the plate, the other went over to Selene, who bit one end of it off, cutting it in half again. Cadance watched, waiting to contemplate eating the thing until she saw Selene's reaction. She began to nod slowly before swallowing and speaking, "She's right. Try it Cadance, you may like it."

Cadance appraised the meat in question. "Is it safe to eat?"

Photo was the one who answered incredulously, "You're too stupid to know your own dietary restrictions? How old are you?" She seemed genuinely confused.

"I-"

"She's just around eighty." Silver said, "And like I said, cut her some slack. Celestia purposefully sheltered her." Silver looked at Cadance, and the plate slid a little closer to her, "Most pegasi actually eat some fish from time to time. It's a pretty common southern cuisine, you're an Alicorn, so you can safely eat pretty much anything, even gems."

"I can eat gems?"

Selene nodded, "Gems have magical qualities, you are a magical creature that resonates with the same geomagical features. You should try them sometime, they have very exotic flavours."

Cadance looked over to Photo, who was muzzle deep in a her salad. They locked eyes and Photo immediately began glaring as she pulled her muzzle from her food. "What?"

"Nothing, I just assumed you would say something. Sorry." Cadance turned away from the disguised queen and lifted up the roll with her magic. She gave it a tentative sniff that yielded nothing new, and then popped the thing in her mouth. It was soft, tangy, savory, and had this odd flavour of a mix of sea air and oily bread that she couldn't describe. There was the hint of some steamed spinach mixed into the stuffing.

Cadance chewed slowly, mixing the flavour around. "Wow. That's... Really good."

"Heh, thank you." Photo said, smug, "I think the Sole Rolls were my own recipe."

"You're welcome." Cadance said, surprised with herself

Credit where credit is due.

Selene leaned one of her centipede sticks over to Cadance, "Would you also like to try one of these?"

"Uh-" Cadance shivered, having caught sight of the many faceted eyes having been cooked out of one of the three centipedes wrapped around the stuck, "No thanks, I don't think I'd be able to get that into my mouth."

Selene shrugged, "It's an acquired taste."

"Speaking of, will you pour me some of that wine?" Silver asked and Selene obliged. There were already enough glasses and plates on the table for all of them, both with towels and ornate silverware.

Selene offered a glass to Cadance, she waved a hoof, "No thanks, I don't like wine."

"~reaaaally. The diplomat stick doesn't like wine? How scandalous."

Cadance subconsciously reoriented her water with her telekinesis, the condensation from the outside of the glass smearing from the force. "Don't get me wrong, I've drunk plenty of wine at all sorts of occasions, I just think it's gross."

"She doesn't like beer either."

Photo inclined her head, "Which is fair, in my opinion. You ponies are always finding new and creative ways of poisoning yourselves."

Silver smirked, "Little Princess, remind me to tell you the story of the first time we discovered 'Love tolerance.'"

Photo's eyes closed slowly and she sighed through her nose.

"Can..." Cadance quickly glanced between the three other mares... at the moment, she considered for a second before continuing her thought. "Can I ask why I'm here?"

"What do you mean? This was your idea." Silver said back.

"It wasn't. This was all you." Cadance responded, "And I... feel like I understand why, at least a little, but I don't see how I fit into this situation."

"Ugh. You're like a teenager." Photo somehow refrained from rolling her eyes, but still managing to get across the idea with voice alone.

Silver just slowly leaned back, "You wanna take that one Selene?"

"I would, but I don't know either."

Silver's wings spread in frustration. "Great. Glad I'm the only one paying attention, as usual."

Cadance waited patiently for Silver to huff and puff about it, eventually she was done, and Silver continued, "I'm trying, as I always am, to distract you, and lower your guard."

"You're lying." Cadance said with full confidence.

There's no way you'd waste this much effort on distracting me

Silver let out a single explosive laugh. "Of course I am."

Great. Glad we cleared that up.

"About what though?" Photo waggled her eyebrows at Cadance, it made her very uncomfortable. "That's the question."

Selene placed her wine glass down on the table, having been pretending to sip at it to stay out of the conversation, "I believe Silver isn't lying Cadance, rather, she's intentionally being misleading with the time presence of her words."

Silver propped her head up on the table with her hoof, and the last roll floated into her mouth.

Selene took that as permission to continue, "Silver is trying to placate you, to make you comfortable with her, so she can manipulate you and go behind your back right now."

Cadance grit her teeth. "That's... basically what she told me she was doing."

"And you're still falling for it? Seriously?" Photo joked

Cadance felt the need to defend herself, "She gives off mixed signals!"

Selene snarked, "That is literally what I would do if I wanted to be as confusing as possible."

"But you said-"

"It isn't a lie if it's blatantly obvious."

"Alright well fine." Cadance's hoof tapped against the block of marble as she decided to let herself vent. "Fine! Okay?! I get it! I'm young and stupid! That's why I'm asking! Could ONE of you give me a straight bucking answer!?"

Maybe a little to much

Silver and Photo seemingly found it hilarious, as they shared chuckles and a few glances. Selene seemed torn, looking away from Cadance guiltily.

"Fairness Cadance. It's a damn bucking lie. There's no such thing." Silver said, building up some mysterious tone as her words began to artistically flow. "But I still owe you a question. You're free to use it at any time."

"Remember? You asked me what my real name was. You didn't hear. That counts as an unused question to me."

Cadance waited for a moment, mulling over her thoughts, "How do I know you won't just lie to me?"

"I probably will, if you ask the right question." Silver shrugged.

Photo laughed again at the annoyance plastered over Cadance's face. Cadance, meanwhile internally quit.

"It doesn't matter does it?" She frowned on the inside. Feeling what it felt like when somepony rejected you. "It doesn't matter what I ask, or how I ask it, I might as well just say something stupid so you'll humor me."

"It's okay Cadance." Selene wrapped a wing around her, and it got her to stop talking, but it didn't make her feel better.

"Nice contraction." Silver quipped

She doesn't care...

Cadance decided to stop talking for a while.

I'm getting way to emotional for this

She glanced over at her salad, but she wasn't hungry anymore.

"I believe you two owe Cadance an apology." Selene said, "You've both been picking on her this whole time."

"She deserves it." Photo said.

"Shut up cheese legs." Silver snapped back, then more sincerely, "I'm sorry Cadance, always have been. You don't deserve having me done to you."

Cadance smiled, despite the confusing phrase, "Thanks, I think."

"Just a reminder who started this whole mess, hmm?" She inclined her head towards Selene, who looked away when Cadance glanced her way.

"I don't care much for who started it. Though, thank you for apologizing."

Photo added on, "For whatever it matters, you're not complex enough to be worth it to put down." She waved a hoof flippantly.

Cadance sent her a glare, "Says the shapeshifter who failed to fool somepony who hadn't seen me in years for a day with mind control and years of experience at your disposal. Not to mention an entire shapeshifting army." The tensing of each phrase got the mare frowning deeper and deeper as Cadance continued on.

Photo opened her mouth but Cadance threw a cucumber at her from the bowl. "That! And what was your plan exactly? Capture Canterlot? Marry my husband? Why? Why not just kidnap him and feed all of your subjects? What would capturing Canterlot even do? with all the ponies foalnapped to produce love, it's not like any of the infrastructure would work!"

Silver's chuckling turned into laughing, and Selene tightened the wing over Cadance's shoulder in support as she continued.

"And another thing! Maybe you ought to have thought about what would have happened if S- Princess Luna woke up and noticed that Canterlot was under siege? You surprised Celestia, but did you really think you could beat the Ancient Warrior Princess herself? Quick Silver? What would have happened if your chaos freed Discord again huh?"

Photo cringed at the last thing, she raised a hoof to respond but Cadance cut her off again, "Think before you make 'evil plots', and before you call me simple. If I recall, it was my magic that beat you, in the end." She gave a curt nod to finish off her triade.

Silver was uproariously giggling to herself, in-between breaths she managed to work out: "She's got you there cheese legs!"

"Tis true, The Princess of the Night certainly would have sent your flanks packing."

Cadance snorted, "I don't have the mental acuity to correct the grammar and lingo in that."

"Alright! Alright." Photo finally managed to get a word in, "You're an Alicorn. I get it, you don't have to be so smug about it."

"I won't if you won't." Cadance responded.

"Fine." Photo held out a hoof, "Truce, for now, At least."

Cadance reached over a hoof, and they shook. "Thank you."

"Eh- Don't make it weird."

"What do you all think about main courses?" Silver asked, hoping to steer the conversation back onto track. However much a group with the conversation in question could be 'on a track' at all.

"I could stand to talk a little more." Selene said

"I mean, I've just realized how hungry I am." Silver argued

Cadance leaned forwards, which was enough of a reason for Selene to remove her wing from over Cadance's back. "How does that work by the way? I've been wondering about your... uh, body." She made a face, "You know what I mean."

"I'm flesh and blood. I'm full of implants though, my blood isn't quite blood, and I have two brains, one is made out of a faceted omni-dimensional tetrahydric crystal. That an-"

"I meant more in the sense of how it affects you? I... I'm not going to understand any of what you're saying anyways."

"Oh." Silver leaned back. "Well I'm sure you- you actually did notice my attitude shift. Silver, that is, who I am right now, is now individually biochemically active. Once I was old enough to really be my own consciousness. I've only been 'awake' for about a week. Everything else was just... A mix of all of my old minds and personalities trying to drive my amalgamized form around. They're still all back there." She said, tapping the back of her head, "I can hear them giving advice, but I have free reign to do what I want my way."

Photo was the one to express curiosity, "How does that even work? Surely if you recreated a body by memory, you'd just be the same pony every time?"

"I poorly memorized my own string of genetic code. Every time I recreate it, I have to make a few guesses, so I come out just a little different every time. Silver is a little more twitchy, personable, and has a way bigger consequential interactive attitude."

Selene frowned, "I know little about pony biology, but surely you can't just guess to form a stable life?"

"It's part of my curse. I get to cheat. It makes it so that I can't fail, otherwise, I'd be dead." Silver tapped the marble, "but for now, I'm hungry. 'Silver' just realized she's sustained herself on nothing but magic for weeks, and wants to fill her belly when she can."

Photo snorted and tapped the wall again, the curtain came open and the menus, that is, different menus were distributed between them.

Gooddness, was the other one all appetizers?

This one had pages, at least ten. There was everything from gourmet pancakes to stuffed turkey dinners.

"Woah." Silver said, quickly flipping through the menu, "You changelings really don't hold back. I've got to say, I'm seriously impressed."

"Changelings organize far better than ponies can." Photo said, sounding smug, "I've seen kitchens in Canterlot, worked in a few myself. It's disgusting, not even a drop of Love, much less comradery, to be found."

Selene smiled to herself, thinking back, "Do you remember that soup kitchen, Quick Silver?"

Silver gave a quiet chuckle, "Of course I remember it. That was our only front against Discord."

Photo sighed, "Discord was really something wasn't he?"

Selene half snorted while she looked through the menu

Cadance just looked across the table at Silver, who was staring over her menu at Cadance.

"What?"

"I ain't waiting another five minutes."

Cadance's response was to pick something at random from the menu by placing her hoof down on top of it. She looked down over the menu and moved her hoof slightly. "What is... Tartiflette?" She said slowly, only slightly mangling the pronunciation.

"It's a Prench dish." Photo answered, "Potato, cheese, lardons."

"Lardons?"

"Bacon." Silver corrected.

Cadance moved her hoof down, "Bacon is meat right?"

"Pork, yeah." Silver nosed a page of her own menu over.

Well... If I can eat it, it's not like...

Unlike the average Equestrian, Cadance didn't feel any 'ick to the idea of slaughtering animals for sustenance. Ponies were pretty much the only species she knew of that were strictly herbivores, and even then, apparently that information was subject to change if the other three were to believed. She wouldn't go murder and eat an animal herself, but what was the harm in eating something that was already dead? Of course, Cadance also wasn't aware of the standard ranching process, and just assumed the animals were processed after they'd lived a full life.

"Is... uh," She looked down at the menu again, "Tartiflette any good?"

Selene answered, "It is. Photo, is the... fajita's accurate?"

Photo snarked, "Are you asking if they're not some hay knock off from Equestria's pathetic attempt to copy griffon cuisine?"

"That is what I am asking." Selene raised an eyebrow, "Though, I think I got my answer."

"So we've got a Tartiflette, and an open Fajita?"

Selene 'pbbbttt'd, "Please. A burrito, I actually remember what good food tastes like."

Silver continued, "And Photo? What are you getting? I'm going get the penne drowned in every cheese known to ponydom."

"Eh, I'm thinking I'll just take the rest of Cadance's salad and not bother." She flipped the menu closed and Cadance responded by sliding her untouched salad towards Photo. Photo threw the cucumber back at Cadance but otherwise accepted the salad. Cadance caught the projectile in her magic and set it down near the end of the table on one of the plates. The curtain came open and the mare stepped up again.

It must get tiring doing that over and over.

"Are we ready to order?"

"Tartiflette, please." Cadance said, having gotten used to the word and not butchering it.

"A steak fajita burrito, corn. No peppers, and as much cheese and onion as is allowed." As the mare turned towards Silver, Selene continued, "Also, can you bring two limes to the table?" The mare nodded and sent Selene a wide and happy smile while her floating quill scribbled it down on the equally floating pad of paper.

"I'll be having the cheesy penne dish, two, actually." Silver flipped open the menu again, "Can you put any sauces on the side?"

"Of course." She scribbled something down, "Would you like one large bowl? Or two medium ones?"

"One medium, and would you put the other into a to-go container for me? That'd be perfect."

Silver was almost humorously kind. It caused Cadance to smirk slightly to herself, she'd never seen Silver be so polite, not even to the nobles, and especially not to her. The fact that it was a changeling waitress that garnered that much effort of manners was certainly something.

Once she was done scribbling it down, she stepped backwards again, and the curtain closed.

"So, are we going to talk about the complexity of that burrito?" Photo snarked, eyeing up Selene.

"I know what I like. I don't see how that is strange."

"I have a question." Cadance interjected, "Does, well, hmm..." She reorganized her thoughts for a second, "Do the meat dishes on the menu not get their own column on purpose?"

"Is this another racism thing?" Silver rolled her eyes

"That's what I thought." Cadance added, before anypony else could say anything, "It's all labeled. I don't see an issue with it, I was just asking." Cadance rolled a question around before letting it loose, "How much don't I know about?"

Each of the mares had an answer for her,

"Plenty."

"What do you know about?"

"You simply require more experience."

Cadance 'hmm'd and slowly said "Okay." Mulling over their responses. She was sitting at a table with more than three thousand years of collective age. Besides Luna, who'd spent most of that time possessed on or in the moon. She could probably get any number of valuable tidbits of wisdom, that is, if any of them weren't agonizingly against the idea of giving her a straight answer; even Lu- rather, Selene seemed to be oddly silent by comparison to the other two.

She elected to not say anything, eventually Selene filled the void.

"So what have you been up to? Since 'crashing' my friend's wedding?" The question was directed at Photo, who groaned in response. Selene's tone at 'friend' didn't give away anything; despite the casual discrepancies that filled the conversation and would have otherwise given away the fact that Selene was Luna in disguise.

"Maintenance. Ruling a kingdom is boring, but most of my children are too stupid to handle logistics."

"What about the ones that are?" Silver asked, meeting Cadance's eyes momentarily.

"They handle more important tasks. Running places like this, for example." She pointed at the curtain, supposedly to the center of the building, "Infiltration, spying, everything else I can't do on my own."

"Photo has the largest information network in the world, even trumping the old SMILE, and ICON." Silver smiled, swirling some wine, "Certainly a good mare to be friends with."

"Don't give her ideas." Photo mumbled.

"I'm actually not opposed to that." Cadance tried to say, the hope in her words easily heard.

"What did I say?" Photo snarked

"No, I'm being completely serious." Cadance turned fully to face Photo, she didn't quite know if she was an adequate ruler or not. In the end, Cadance could only accept that what 'ruling' really was included a premise of personality that she wouldn't be able to recognize even if she occupied it; thus, she equally didn't know where the words she spoke came from, only that it worked. "The Crystal Empire has no presence on the world scale. We're working on that, but getting trade deals before Equestria? Hearing the ins and outs of the world? New innovations and technology? We could use that."

Photo gave Cadance an appraising look, visibly considering what was just said. Something which brought a sense of accomplishment to Cadance on its own. "I don't think so. You're not willing to pay any price I'd give to you, so the idea is moot anyways."

"I'm not asking for much, just a letter, every now and then, and I am absolutely willing to negotiate." Cadance tapped her hoof to her chin and noticed a complex series of looks Selene and Silver were sharing, before Silver's eyes locked onto Cadance's and the silent conversation ended. "The only trade good I can think of you wanting wholesale is Love, and... I do have some of that." She chuckled to herself, ruffling her wings. "What would you need? To keep... just me in the loop, personally?"

Photo looked over at Silver, who smiled and inclined her head. Photo turned back to Cadance and opened her mouth with an unreadable expression before closing it again. She took a deep breath after a look of deep thought crossed her face and spoke, "How much would you be willing to give? A whole pony? A week of Love?"

"I don't really know the measurements..."

"What about a kiss?"

Cadance didn't have an exterior reaction to the blunt question, but Silver did, the mare snorted loud enough that it startled Selene. "Here we go again." She waved a hoof

"Don't." Photo tried to clamp down on whatever Silver was about to say

In true Silver fashion, that failed quietly, "Fanatic's got this vendetta to kiss every immortal she can find."

Cadance raised an eyebrow in the mare's direction. She made to defend herself, "It's a hobby. I eat emotion." She shrugged, "It's quite the impressive collection, if I do say so myself."

"As far as I know, the only one you haven't gotten is Discord."

"I don't count him." Photo snapped back

Cadance interjected, "Wait, does that mean she's smooched both of you?"

Selene nodded, seemingly reminiscing. Something Cadance didn't know how to feel about. "Photo is an excellent kisser, you should take her up on her offer."

Silver chuckled, "She got me too. I honestly couldn't resist, it was too funny. I also support the hobby."

Cadance made a face but Silver continued, "One day, you'll pick a strange thing to do over the ages to keep yourself sane. Photo has her kisses, Celestia has her books, Selene's got her stars, I've got my kids. You'll get up to something, eventually."

Cadance mulled over the words as the silence settled. "I wouldn't be opposed, I guess? If that's all you're asking for."

Photo scooted over in the booth and Cadance lifted up a hoof, "Not right now!" She said a little too quickly, "I don't... The, Love- I kinda need to stay focused right now." Photo rolled her eyes, but scooted back.

"Sounds opposed to me." Silver quipped.

Selene lightly gestured out with her wing in Cadance's direction. "Cadance is right, now may not be the perfect time to have herself drained of emotion."

"Regardless, I've been meaning to ask-" Silver was interrupted by the curtain opening up.

Cadance was impressed by the mare's handle on precision telekinesis. Forks, knives, and a single spoon along with all of their bowls and plates, in addition to the food that rode on top directly and cleanly flew from one end of the table to all the correct positions in less than two seconds. The booth was suddendly filled with exotic sents Cadance hadn't smelled before, one such sent coming from the plate in front of her. It was, in a sense, a tiny casserole. The stark white ceramic plate was rectangular with a lip that curved upwards to contain the dish itself, the dish looked like any other oven baked stack of potatoes and cheese; aside from the rich, oily sent emanating from it, and the mixed in spices she'd probably not even recognize the name of.

Selene had already picked up her burrito, a massive orange tinged thing the width of her hoof and probably as long as her snout. There was already a bite taken out of it, and Selene leaned back into the booth, sitting strangely upright on her flanks as she cradled the steaming tube in her hooves with a contented sigh.

Quick Silver had recieved a bowl of cheese and penne pasta. It was a confusingly simple dish, until Cadance realized that the singularly coloured melted cheese was only the top section of what was essentially pasta and cheese soup.

Photo casually swallowed a cucumber slice when Cadance's gaze eventually landed on her.

"Nevermind." Was all Silver said before the fork presented to her came to life, floating a bite of very gooey pasta to the mare, who accepted it with gusto despite the trailing cheese getting on her coat and the table.

"Please don't ruin my booth." Said Photo.

Silver didn't look at Photo when she responded. "Sorry, I can't hear you. I'm busy remembering what it feels like to eat."

"Have you really not eaten since... since we met?"

"Nothing but alcohol. That doesn't really count though, I had to manually remove most of that."

Both Selene and Cadance shared a similar frown, though neither of them noticed the other's dissatisfied look towards Silver. Selene eventually looked away, levitating a lime over the open side of the burrito and squishing the juice onto the interior. Cadance kept eyeballing Silver.

"Don't look at me, look at that!" Silver pointed at Cadance's dish. She was given a spoon, and a knife and fork. She briefly considered what the correct procedure might be before tossing caution to the wind, grabbing the spoon in her magic and lifting a bite for her to taste.

It was... Something.

Cadance didn't have a good reference point, but she chewed slowly, almost expecting some massive reaction to come to her from nowhere, but it was just food. The meat was clearly identifiable, and it was delicious. It tickled parts of her senses she'd never used before, the oil and the fat striking against her normal palate. Like the fish, it seemed as the the texture was half of the flavour, parts of the rectangular strips were solid and almost crunchy, while other parts were gooey and tasted like it melted, while really it bunched like rubber while she chewed all of the flavour out of it.

The potatoes were perfectly cooked, wonderfully soft, with all of the moisture and flavour. She could taste some sort of brine that they must have been soaking in, it stood out against the contrasting savory flavour of the cheese, clearly aged, and too perfection she would have added, if she wasn't to busy humming in delight and going in for another bite.

"You know." Photo started, conversationally, "It's times like these where I'm glad I don't have to eat."

Silver responded, muffled by the-

Cadance took a double take of Silver's hilariously cheese covered muzzle.

"I don't have to eat. It's just sanity inducing, so it's a good idea, from time to time."

"You really should take better care of yourself Silver." Selene said softly.

Silver's response was filled with iron. "You do not know who I am." Though she turned away, back to her pasta, her brow was furrowed in opposition to the smile of a mare consuming a comfort food.

In truth, Cadance had similar concerns but... Silver had been alive far longer than Cadance had. You didn't get to be as old as she was without knowing a thing or two about taking care of yourself.

She's complicated... I'm sure she'll be fine

Though the back of her head reminded her that she wouldn't ever know for certain.

Cadance took another bite of her potatoes.

Seems like the conversation has died down, everpony... everone is eating.

Cadance turned towards Photo, who was watching her come to the conclusion that the other two were busy, just as she had.

"So... I feel like I should ask..." She led, making sure Photo knew she was talking to her, "Are you planning to attack Equestria again?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"Why Equestria as a whole? Why not... Just Celestia? If I'm reading that right?"

Photo rolled her eyes, something Cadance was getting seriously tired of seeing, "I know you don't understand the intricacies of immortal feuds, but safe to say, it's revenge. I'm going to take away everything she built, and shove it in everyone's face when I'm on top, just like she did."

Cadance asked this carefully, tentatively, "Wouldn't that just make you like her?"

"Ohoh! Of course!" She smiled, looking far off into the distance, "Why?" her head snapped back down to Cadance.

"Uh." The response short circuited Cadance's brain, as she struggled to make sense of the confusing hypocrisy. "I was just wondering, forget I asked."

Photo shrugged in response and pulled out a piece of broccoli from one of her two bowls of salad.

Cadance turned towards Silver and giggled. It looked like a large percentage of the cheese from the bowl had ended up on her face. Selene was politely looking away, fighting to not laugh herself.

"What?" Silver glanced around the table as Cadance's giggling intensified, Selene snorted, and Photo, guess what? She rolled her eyes. "Is there something on my face?"

Cadance had spent a nearly half a life time teaching herself how to laugh, when to titter, and what was becoming of a princess. Now, she remembered why she hated those lessons so much when she was younger. It seemed so silly to restrict something like laughter, so pointless; going as far to say that it was a good habit to break in general.

"You're completely incorrigible." Selene muttered under chuckles

"At least I don't say words like incorrigible. Wow." Magically, all of the cheese slurped into Silver's muzzle like pasta noodles, albeit, a different shape. "Anyway, I've been meaning to ask. Selene?"

Selene mumbled affirmation of attention around a bite of burrito.

"Did you get home all right last week? You were in quite the daze when we left."

"Sounds like something I would've wanted to see" Photo said, though her comment went mostly ignored.

Selene nodded, then swallowed, "The morning after brought the suffering. Should I apologize for... over indulging?"

Silver waved a hoof, "Nah, c'mon, I saw you dancing. Not only was that what you were supposed to do, you had a blast. Worth it, in my books."

Selene side eyed Cadance, "Don't think, just drink?"

"Ugh." Cadance flared her wings to cover her face, "I'm never going to hear the end of that."

"Not because you're a princess?" Photo connected the dots, "Oh, wait! You said that?"

"Cheered it, more like."

Cadance grumbled. There were a few chuckles. Food disappeared, aside from the salad. By length of meals Cadance had ever gone along with, this one was on the shorter side, it was clear these mares came here to eat.

"So what does the cheque look like?" Silver asked Photo

"I'll cover it. Just this once. So long as you're still going to honor that deal." Photo said, doing her haughtiest impression of a noble upturned noise while side eyeing Cadance.

"Okay. Okay." Cadance took a deep breath, and briefly considered Shining being upset that she smooched a changeling queen. This particular changeling queen. Shortly, she came to the conclusion that he would recognize the benefits, and understand that it wasn't a case of infidelity, and merely a transaction. So she took a deep breath, and scooched closer to Photo.

Photo did exactly what she expected. She tried to make Cadance as uncomfortable as possible. She licked her lips, and made a particular series of 'fluttering half lidded eyes while smiling' expressions that made Cadance immediately regret this course of action.

Regret, not stop. There were three things on the line here. First of all, Cadance was going to be brought into the loop of what was apparently an incredibly large information network if she did what she was about to do. Secondly, and probably more importantly, was Cadance's honor. She was the princess of Love after all, even though 'kissing' was far from her nature as an Alicorn, time and reinforcement of the idea by her younger self and others compelled her to not only keep her tentatively given word, but to properly 'commit to the bit'.

Lastly, and probably least importantly, she had an audience. Photo was doing her best to make a show of it, to gross out Cadance, and that annoyed her. Photo wanted her trophy of kissing Cadance?

You're gonna get it alright.

Cadance fought back her disgust, and temptation to look towards the other two and brought up a smirk, letting the mischief twinkle in her eye unabashedly. "You're not going to change form?"

Have to get you a little bit closer...

"Oh of course." Photo smiled wider, and with a flash of green flame, Shining was sitting in the booth across from her, making kissy faces.

"No." Cadance intoned, scooching a bit closer, slowly moving a hoof forwards along the booth. "What you actually look like."

"Oooohhh" Photo dragged out, "~You mean-" Another flash of green flame, and Chrysalis leaned over to leer at Cadance. The height difference was now clearly tilted in the queen's direction, especially while sitting. Chrysalis actually could 'lean over' Cadance; which was exactly what Cadance wanted. Not being the Princess of Smooches didn't mean she didn't have some decent practice in timing. "~Like thi-mmph?"

Chrysalis' taunt was interrupted by Cadance using the hoof she'd snuck forwards to lift herself up to mouth height. As such, the surprise physical bridge was excellently excecuted, with a sideways tilt, for Chrysalis' larger muzzle and fangs; in addition to the lower side of her mouth, due to the low angle. Chrysalis was surprised only moments, before using whatever changeling magic at her disposal to attempt to draw the Love from Cadance's soul.

It felt like... some kind of mental pressure. Like trying to focus while you really don't want to, but in the other direction. Regardless, Cadance was going to go all the way, so instead of fighting the sensation, she fed it. She focused on Chrysalis, her height, her stature, the localized imagine in the pink Alicorn's mind filled with little details she found appealing. Chrysalis' bluntness was respectable, her clear skill was admirable, her intelligence was jealousy inducing and just as Cadance started thinking about how pretty the queen's eyes were, Chrysalis attempted to pull away, the draining sensation having long since faded.

Attempted being the keyword. Cadance stood up, and leaned forwards, allowing her to prolong the kiss for another few seconds.

There was choked laughter from her side, and Cadance eventually decided to pull away. The action made a soft popping noise, and she stood there, lightly out of breath. She stepped backwards on instinct alone. She quickly looked at the other two ponies before turning back to Chrysalis. "How did I do?"

Silver was smiling a massive cheshire smile, Selene was staring wide eyed while blushing up a storm.

Chrysalis lifted a hoof to say something in response, her wings were outstretched and she wobbled in place, her head lolling to the side with her mouth hanging lightly open. After a second of trying and failing to vocalize, her wings trilled once, and she slumped over, sliding down the back side of the booth and onto her side. She occasionally twitched and her wings buzzed in time with what Cadance assumed was her heartbeat.

Silver laughed, "Good work Little Princess!"

"Yes." Selene vocalized, trying to keep her tone neutral, "That was quite impressive."

"I've only ever seen that happen once before," Silver sent Cadance a wink, "Guess you were too much mare for her?"

Cadance blushed lightly at the attention, ironically, rather than the kiss. Though, she looked down at Chrysalis' twitching form, aware of the gap of biology between the two of them. "Is she going to be okay?"

Silver waved a hoof, "She'll be fine. In fact, I'd say she'll be happily trying to live down getting out kissed by someone less than a single percentage point of her age."

You don't have to say it like that

"That being said. I think it's time to wrap up tonight. I've honestly run out of things to talk about."

"I agree, that may be a good idea."

"Do you mind bringing Fanatic home?"

Selene nodded, and then scrunched her eyes and shook her head.

Silver looked over at Cadance, "Don't do that to any of the staff."

Cadance sat back down. "I wasn't planning on it."

This time, it was Silver who tapped the wall. The curtain opened in a flurry, and the waitress checked on Chrysalis' prone form before stepping up onto the box. She levitated what was supposedly Silver's second box of cheesy pasta to her at the same time as Selene melted into the shadows, and appeared at the other side of the table.

In a series of movements that must have been practiced, Silver levitated herself and Chrysalis out of the booth, landing softly on her hooves, and leaving Chrysalis balanced on Selene's back. Cadance herself clambered out of the booth a few seconds after, just in time for the three to step away after she watched a few bits change hooves silently from Selene to the disguised changeling.

"Thank you for brining me out once more, Quick Silver."

"Just say again." Silver monotoned.

There was a pregnant silence, and a pregnant alicorn.

Silver smiled and moved her hoof in a 'go on' gesture, "No really, try again, but say the word."

Selene chuckled to herself. "Thank you for bringing me out again, Quick Silver."

"It's a pleasure to have you, Selene." Silver intoned, a message not meant for Cadance passing through in her words.

Selene nodded. "Goodnight, to both of you." She said, turning back towards Cadance and noding her head once. Cadance nodded back, and refrained from hugging due to the quietly stirring changeling queen. Once second Selene was there, the next, she was not.

I wonder how she does that.

"Shall I take you home now?" Silver said, waving her hoof towards the door.

Cadance took the gesture and began to walk in front. "Is there another option?" She asked as she walked past.

"Of course there is."

Cadance looked over her shoulder, "Really?"

"Well yeah, you could just fly off into the sky and never come back. Be the first mare to go to space."

Cadance waited to respond until they had skirted the edge of the open restaurant and exited into the cool night air. The refreshing night winds of Las Pegasus were slightly ruined by the blazing bright lights of the city itself, and the ambiance of voices and electronic noises filtering up to the clouds. "Why the first mare in space?"

Silver spoke conversationally, "I went to space once, though I was a minitour at the time. Hands, you see." As if the feat was some kind of macaroni picture she made.

"Uh-huh."

Nothing changed, that is, Silver and Cadance stood outside the restaurant, and neither of them moved or spoke. They just looked at each other. Silver looking like she was viewing something far away. Cadance was trying to search for something concrete for once, to understand if the moment was some kind of spontaneous joke... or anything for that matter, as far as she knew, Silver had just gotten distracted and was staring off into space.

"Do..." Cadance said slowly, "You want to go for a walk? Or something?"

Silver tilted her head, not breaking eye contact. "No. I don't think so. Nice try though." That's when she turned away, and began walking back towards the street where they had taken the portal to get here.

Cadance caught up with ease, her stride long enough. "I'm not trying anything." She argued.

"Funny." Silver kept walking, "I don't remember asking."

Cadance frowned, half in annoyance, half in disappointment.

"Thank you, for not making a complete and utter fool of me, by the way."

It took her a moment to realize what Silver meant by that, she retorted with "Thank you for introducing me. I learned... a lot more than I thought was- that I would have, without you."

"Wow." Now it was Silver rolling her eyes, "It's almost like there's a theme there or something. Some sort of repetitive event that coincides with a certain other series of causes."

"Selene is right. You're incorrigible."

"Yes, yes. Fresh fish spinning towards the horizon without their mustard, I get it." Silver came to a stop, and pulled the portal coin from her mane. Cadance ignored the nonsense phrase and tried to pay attention to how the portal worked. "Feel free to invite Selene again, for next week."

Cadance watched the coin land, but was distracted as an idea struck her square in the forehead.

Of course, why haven't I thought of this sooner!

"Actually, I was thinking next week... I could make the destination? And it'd just be you and me. No surprises."

Silver shrugged, "I'll just accept that, hoping that you've learned your lesson." She nodded towards the now open portal, "Now off to bed with you; big day tomorrow."

"Is it?" Cadance asked, of course, wondering what Silver knew that she didn't. "Wait, you aren't coming?"

"I have some business here tonight. Nothing you need to worry about." Silver chuckled, "and I can even say that without lying. You genuinely have no reason to worry about my business here tonight in any way, shape, or form."

"Okay..." She leaned away from Silver's creepy smile and hovered a hoof over the portal. "Goodnight Silver."

"Not quite, but you've never been closer."

Cadance retracted her hoof and opened her mouth to ask a question that was drowned out by the whoosh of the portal coming up from the ground to deposit her into her office. If she had blinked she would have missed the action, the only reason she was sure it happened was because of the odd sensation of passing through folded space.

She took a second to glance around at her office before stomping her hoof in mock frustration. "Dang it."