"I've been thinking..."

Cadance knew one thing on this planet, when her Auntie was 'thinking,' nothing good would ever come from this.

She decided to keep her head down, and focus on her pancakes instead. Those were less likely to betray her.

"Maybe I have been wrong, keeping you cooped up in the castle so much."

Except when they did, and she choked on them. Her trust, betrayed again!

"I-cough, what do you mean?" She very cautiously rose her head to meet Celestia's gaze, who seemed to be twiddling with her fork and knife.

"It's just... I know there are a lot of memories here you'd rather not linger with. Faces you'd rather not see. Especially after... well, all those balls and meetups and parties and-" Celestia cut herself off for a moment, sighing quietly. "I've been worried that you weren't recovering well, but maybe I was the one not considering how you were really feeling. It can't be easy for years of effort to..."

Cadance's ears twisted back slightly, and her gaze dropped to her plate again.

"... Exactly that. Seeing how quickly you found your footing the moment you left Canterlot, I'm starting to consider if what you need isn't so much to be sheltered or pampered in the castle, as it is... Well, getting some fresh air." Her mentor let out a small chuckle at the end, letting off some of her own tension even as it did little to remove hers. "I made a mistake with Twilight, not pushing her to reach out before she was to fulfil her destiny. It turned out well, yes, but... If everything is a manner of destiny, I have to wonder if that takes anything from a pony."

Her lip thinned for a brief moment, but she banished the thoughts that came with it.

Celestia leaned back in her chair, slipping her utensils quietly back under the lips of her plate. Staring up at the ceiling for a moment, she pulled in a long breath. "While I know I said I would take you back under my wing in an effort to make you feel better, maybe I should have given you the same push I ought to have earlier with her."

Her eyes flicked back to her oldest student again, briefly narrowing as her gaze remained firmly facing downwards. 'It really is that bad, isn't it?'

"So, I was thinking... Maybe you could take a small break. Get out of the castle, not have to show up to every gala or little event. My ponies do tend to... overcelebrate. Stretch your hooves a little, preen your wings, test your magic. That sort of thing. I'm still here, to steward our kingdom, and Luna wants to take an active role again. We've both had long, long lives to live, and yours has barely started. We became alicorns much later in life than you, and... perhaps you deserve some of that experience as well."

"Where would I even go?" Cadance muttered, still staring downwards. "It's not like I can stay with the Sparkles anymore. And most of the houses haven't exactly been kind to me..."

The effort it took to not laugh rivalled the first few times Celestia had to properly raise the sun alone. She might've felt a bit worse about that, but... Love was maybe as blinding as it was blind, in this case. Hurtful as it can be.

She raised an eyebrow, looking down at Cadance again. "Well, where would you like to go? Anywhere is an option. You could even go home if you liked, as far away as that is..."

She went quiet again.

"Hmm... well if you don't have any ideas... I can think of one," She started, the effort needed to not smile pre-emptively outweighing any of the effort from before. "One that would keep you close if you felt like coming back to do your duties, as I know your passion for your talents are quite... Strong."

Cadance remained quiet, but her ears did flick in slight interest.

'Now for the hook.'

"I was thinking- with threats like... The Nightmare moving there during crises, and the rather explosive population growth recently with it's notability, Ponyville could use a closer watch from the crown..." Celestia knew she'd already succeeded in some way, when Cadance's eyes flicked open in interest- whatever thoughts were drowning her mind quickly dashed away, even if she didn't dare look up yet. "And considering what Twilight has told me about the chaos there, I thought it was a bit unfair for her to have to deal with it all alone. Well, her and her friends without more tools from the crown to aide them, if they are to be our protectors. Their names are already beginning to spread after the gala, so their anonymity is at an end as well..."

She tapped a hoof to her chin, nodding to herself for exaggerated effect. "You already know much about the magic of friendship, much less love, a powerful force in itself that is quite related. Especially as another mentor to her, I thought Twilight could use a helping hoof. Much less the fact that only exposing yourself to the rather formal love of Canterlot's upper crust cannot be good for your own studies..."

Her eyes flicked briefly to Cadance's cutie mark, though didn't linger for too long.

"So," She nodded again, moving her hoof from her chin to the table as she leaned over closer to Cadance. "What are your thought-"

"Would I be staying with Twilight?" Cadance cut her off- near the end of her question sure, but... Celestia couldn't keep her smile hidden any more. "What exactly would I have to do, if I'm there as a Princess?"

"We'll decide your lodgings later this week, but for now- Continue your duties as the Princess of Love, spreading it as you see fit. Protect Equestria to the best of your abilities. Support Twilight, but you are to step out when you feel the elements are making a mark on her, or her friends."

She moved a hoof over, gently pressing it to Cadance's chest. "And to take it slow, and take a small break. As a personal request, I intend you to teach yourself and Twilight how to slow down a bit. Your mind tends to linger and fixate too much, my little pony, and though I understand passion, I also understand how it feels to punish oneself."

"I'm not sure I can promise that last part," The smaller alicorn mumbled, looking away with a soft blush. "But that does sound... nice, actually. This city can be... a lot sometimes. Especially when you're stuck in the castle..."

Celestia nodded, giggling to herself a bit. "Don't I know i-" She caught herself, clearing her throat. "Now, I don't intend for it to be now, I expect a week or two for the necessary work to clear you from the schedule and get your affairs in order... But, I don't intend to keep you here any longer than necessary either. I have been suffocating you, and I see that now. As odd as it seems, sending away my students seems to have a better track-record than keeping them too close."

... She missed Sunset.

She went the tiniest bit stiff in surprise as Cadance stepped forwards out of her seat to rest her head against her chest, though she was all the happy to wrap a wing around her and tug her close.

"I just don't think you're very good at letting anypony leave the nest, until the last possible moment..." She mumbled a bit. "How long would I have stayed here if I didn't... you know?"

Her expression went blank and she stared forwards, over her student. Opting to say nothing, knowing she was right.

The giggles from under her only left her with one resort: to swat her with her wing while retracting it, even as it made Cadance laugh even louder.

"To think I do this for you, and you betray me like this..." She pouted, flicking her wing towards the door a few times. "Take your food and go settle your affairs. I won't forget this, Niece."

It was genuinely hard to understate how infectious Cadance's laughter could be, but those giggles of hers truly threatened to break her pout.

"... Thank you, Auntie. I thought I was going to be stuck here forever since I couldn't..." She peeled off, using her magic to lift her plate, and deftly swiping a hoof against the little black box that sat next to it. "I feel... kind of bad for doubting you now. But I know you only want the best for everypony."

She turned, and started to leave with quite the pep to her step. When close to the door, Celestia caught her raising that 'phone' of her's...

"Tell David I said hello," She called, a wicked grin coming to her face. "And that no, you can't stay over again, after your last drunk fiasco with him."

Her magic faltered last moment, causing Cadance to walk face-first into one of the doors of the castle, her phone and food both falling to the floor with a loud crash.

For once, in what felt like years, Celestia wheezed.

"Ooo, that one was a doozy!" Pinkie all but vibrated on David's back, who groaned in response.

"Care to stop moving that much? I'm already struggling here..." He sighed. This mare did not understand personal space. Nor how heavy she actually was.

"I can't help it! My hooves are a schmoovin'!"

"... What does that mean exactly?"

She leaned in to his ear, ominously. "It means you should watch your step, David, or you might drop the ball!"

"Why do I put up with you, you hardly make sense..."

"Because you love me! Everypony loves Pinkie Pie!"

"Good thing I'm not a pony, then..."

"Not yet!"

"... The hell does that mean?"

"Nothin'!" Pinkie finally stopped vibrating on his back, instead propping herself on top of his head, taking a gander around the town from her newly minted watchtower. "It waaas a doozy though, and I think my tail a twitched' too! So watch for falling objects! Ponies, even!"

"... How far in the future do these 'senses' of yours predict again?"

"Anywhere from 5 seconds to 12 years!" She chirped happily.

"... 12 years?"

"Yupperooni, had a big ol' twitch before that tower in Canterlot fell, but they didn't listen! That was a big twitch, too! At least Luna got a new bedroom out of it, that was very convenient timing!"

"Excuse me, what the fuck-"

Author's Note

Alright, fiiine... I'll start working on a sequel...

~~It's a good thing I didn't do what I originally was going to do- which was thanosing Shining from existence. I've left myself an interesting few things to deal with, here!~~

I'm glad I've had experience before, at least insofar as to managing my own hype. I've ran head-first into sequels and follow-ups before, and it didn't turn out amazingly well. Had to rewrite that thing from the start-
If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right. Slowly, progressively, in my own time. It helps that I already have a decent idea of our starting drama~
No promises on release dates, but what I will say is... yeah, I love our awkward duo too.

But honestly, it's the comments that got me going. Y'all are gems, especially the ones who read between the lines.