“You can't send her away!” The loud shrill of Cadance's royal voice boomed through the throne room.

“Pray tell Cadance, why not?” Celestia huffed at her nieces behaviour. Slowly working through a stack of papers, she assumed where not going to get done anytime soon.

“Because it's- it's not right!” Cadance seethes. “You have, 'hic' no idea what kind- kind of challenges she's gonna, f- face out there! Have you already forgotten wh-what happened to her!” Cadance staggers towards the throne where Celestia is perched, barley being able to stand up right.

“If it bothers you Cadance, she still has a week before she departs. Why not come back with a sober presentation and a better argument, and try to convince me tomorrow?” Celestia forces out, irritated at her nieces distasteful, but now usual behaviour.

“You- You, still wouldn't listen.” Cadance mumbles, rubbing her eyes, that had long since turned red from years of crying and sleep deprivation.

“You're right Cadance, I wouldn't.” Celestia sighs, finally relenting to putting her quill and parchment down in favour of gazing at her clearly inebriated niece.

“I know that this upsets you Cadance, but quiet frankly, I don't care anymore.” She fixes her niece with a stern gaze, who returns it just as strongly.

“Twilight has grown very secluded, that I fear for her. She rarely eats, barley sleeps, and despite my many attempts to coerce her out of that seclusion, she has remained there.” Celestia stands up from her throne, slowly walking over to a stumbling Cadance.

“And you think it-it's my fault!?” Cadance hiccups.

“Can you blame me?” Celestia's nostrils flare. “Four years Cadance. Four years she's been asking where you have been. Four years she's been wondering where you disappeared to and I can't bring myself to lie to her anymore.” Celestia stops just in front of Cadance, glaring down at her. Cadance stares up at her in defiance before huffing and looking off towards to side of the room. Celestia sighs, her gaze softening. She gently raises a hoof, placing it on Cadance's shoulder.

“What happened Cadance? Things were going so well. What changed?” Celestia begs. Cadance just clenches her eyes shut, breathing deeply. “Cadance, tell me, please?” Celestia begs, emotion evident in her voice. Cadance just shakes her head, as tears fall from closed eyes. Celestia sighs lifting her hoof off and retreating to her throne.

“Then you leave me no choice Cadance, I don't know what happened between you two, you refuse to tell me and Twilight appears to not know. I thought-I hoped that you would recover. That you could save your friendship with her, but it seems I was mistaken.” Celestia huffs, sitting back into her throne.

“But I cannot let this continue, Twilight needs friends, she's hurting, I can tell, but she refuses to tell me. I can't let her live like this anymore, I won't.” Celestia firmly looks at Cadance, eyes filled with pain.

“If you truly care about her, you will either fix this, or let her go Cadance. She doesn't deserve to be forgotten, you can not claim to care about her when you're partly the reason that she is like this.” Cadance growls. Celestia sighs.

“Cadance?” She begs. Cadance turns her gaze towards Celestia, sadness and sorrow, buried deep in her eyes. “Tell me what happened, and I might reconsider. If you can give me something, anything. That will make me understand why you abandoned her. Anything, that can show me that you can still be there for her. Anything, please.” Celestia pleads. Cadance just huffs, shaking her head.

“I can't, I just- I can't be around her anymore. It's not healthy, for her or myself.” Cadance closes her eyes in despair. Celestia sighs, lifting her quill and parchment back towards herself.

“Then you leave me no choice Cadance, she leaves next week. End of discussion.” Celestia returns her gaze to her paperwork.

Cadance just stands there for a few moments. Eyes burning with anger, pain, remorse. She just shakes her head, as tears fall to the tiles below and turns around, heading towards the door and exiting.

Celestia clutches the parchment, crinkling it in her aura as tears fill her eyes, hearing the closing of the door softly resonate to the empty throne room.

“Cadance.....” She sobs, letting tears fall free, as her niece disappears once again.

….................................................................................................................................

The soft sounds of hooves can be heard, as Cadance makes her way through the gardens. A place that once filled her with hope and warmth, now felt bitter as the cool night's wind rushed through her fur causing her to shiver.

She continued walking, lost to her thoughts, to the numbness that had replaced her heart. In one week Twilight will be gone. Cadance felt relief and sorrow at the thought.

Maybe Celestia was right?

Ever since she'd caught Twilight, she'd found that she couldn't muster the strength to face her any more. Not without guilt settling into her heart. As first she blamed it on spending too much time with her, that maybe if she backed away, removed herself from her life a little bit. That things would calm down, that she could look at her like she had always done. With love and friendship.

But as the days, weeks, months went by. She realised that she could no longer do so. The thought of Twilight being sexually attracted to her, had made her more happy than she had been in years.

But it was wrong, so wrong. Twilight shouldn't be attracted to her, she was just a filly despite how mature she was. She needed someone her own age. Someone who could be there for her. Someone who could save her. That wasn't Cadance.

Cadance knew she could never be what Twilight needed. She could never protect her, help her, save her, when she'd need her most. How could she? When she couldn't even save herself. So she stayed away.

She made excuses, she always did. Maybe if she stayed away, then Twilight would return to normal, find normal ponies to spend her time with. Grow up, without Cadance corrupting her. It didn't go unnoticed. Twilight asked for her. Day after day, week after week. Killing Cadance to stay away, but she knew she couldn't risk dragging her further down a dark path. Knew that one day she would lose control and reveal everything to Twilight, she couldn't do that. She wouldn't.

She convinced herself, that staying away from Twilight was the best thing to do, but as the years went past, she realised that she was just a coward.

The sight of Twilight had been burned into her memory, replayed again and again, causing her to jerk awake from her sleep in cold sweats and uncomfortable arousal. She realised that she felt the same and it filled her with guilt and shame.

Cadance wanted ever so badly to give in and return all the love that Twilight had given her, all the patience, all the purity, but she knew she couldn't. She was far too damaged, far too afraid. If she gave in, she'd had to tell Twilight everything, but she couldn't. She wouldn't ruin her life anymore than she already has.

Cadance retraced to the shadows, where she remained.

Everypony was confused, as expected. Reeetro tried to change her medication, telling her that maybe it was just the anxiety but she refused. She knew medication wouldn't help.

Spark and Reaper had tried everything to get her to talk but she refused, the less they knew, the better.

Celestia was hurt, she could see the pain and torment in her eyes, but Cadance knew if she told her. That she would have just sent her away even quicker. She wanted Twilight to remain the same, and she wouldn't if she knew.

But Twilight hadn't stayed the same, she'd been hurt, abandoned, without any reason why. Shining had come to her angry, in tears, begging her to tell him. Pleading with her to try again, but she couldn't. She watched the tears fall from his eyes, the look of betrayal on his face, and refused. He'd been angry. He still was.

He'd come round every now and then, to tell her what Twilight was doing, in the hopes to get her to return. He'd fill her with guilt, talking about what a fine mare his sister was turning into, and how she wasn't able to see it. Eventually he stopped coming, Twilight stopped asking about her and Celestia stopped pressing for answers.

Eventually, she had been forgotten again.

She filled her empty days with drinking and sorrow. Refusing to engage with anypony, removing herself from the light. She'd lost the small amount of love she had left, replaced with a cold ache. She'd lost the will to live, and so, she left.

Walking back into the castle, she returned to her chambers, noting the guards to leave with worried expressions on their faces. She climbed into her bed, tears pouring from her eyes as she fell into an uncomfortable sleep once again. Her last thoughts of the hurt expression, in a pair of violet eyes.

….........................................................................................................................

“My faithful student, are you sure that this is what you wish?” Celestia looked at her student with a warm smile. Confirming if this is what her student truly wished. Twilight nodded back slowly.

“I'm sure princess, I want to stay here with my new friends.” She smiles.

“If that is what you wish, then it is yours.” Celestia says. Leaning down to give her student a hug. She let's go, watching as Twilight leaves with her new friends. Celestia smiles, before returning to her chariot, departing to Canterlot.

She arrives back at the castle, stretching her wings from the long journey. She proceeds to head towards her chambers to retire for the day.

“Hey auntie! How was the Summer Sun Celebration!” She hears the sound of a familiar voice. She lifts her head, following the voices owner.

“Wonderful Cadance, Twilight has truly made some wonderful friends.” She offers her a warm smile.

“I'm glad, I know I wasn't there for her, but I'm sure these new ponies will be. You look tired, you should get some rest, then you can tell me all about it tomorrow.” She beams. Celestia nods, continuing to walk towards her chamber, she watches as Cadance struts down the hall. She thought that Twilight leaving would be the end of Cadance, but maybe it was the break she needed to finally recover. She sighs heading towards her chamber to rest. Cadance continues to trot down towards her chambers, dismissing the guards to leave. She heads inside, closing the door and locking it.

“A whole week, and she's not even noticed.” Cadance chuckles, as she picks up a mirror and proceeds to grin evilly into it. Her eyes flashing a bright green for a split second. “I guess that's just how replaceable you are.” She chortles with a hint of malice. “Now, let's go see the captain of the royal guard shall we?” She laugh hysterically, placing the mirror back on her vanity as she proceeds to exit the room.

….................................................................................

In darkness, far below the castle walls, a faint sobbing could be heard.

The sight of a smiling pink Alicorn trotting down towards the training ground. Towards a commanding Shining Armour appears plastered on several giant green gems.

“Shining.......no.........” The broken voice of Cadance can be heard echoed through the cave, before turning into a blood curling scream.

…................................................................................

Author's Note

Filles and gentlecolts, I have found some inspiration this week and trying to push out as much of the story as I can.

Regards

OnTheTrot