Claiming "Goodbye".

Prompt: Goodbye
It was early in the day, the Sun had made its way over the horizon only a few hours ago. A pink Alicorn was waiting outside near the castle gates when the pony she had been waiting for appeared.

The lavender Unicorn came with full bags and a purple Dragon trailed behind carrying another bag. The Alicorn could read the Unicorn's feeling even though it was plain to see that the Unicorn bore an expression of reluctance and pride. The Alicorn smiled, knowing what the Princess had asked the Unicorn to do and hoped things would go well and maybe help the Unicorn open up more.

The Alicorn walked over to give a firm hug first to the grumbling Dragon then to the Unicorn. The Unicorn smiled lightly leaning into the embrace.

They both knew this was likely the last time they would see each for a long time. While the Unicorn's assignment was brief, the Alicorn's assignment would be longer and much further from home.

The friends separated and shared a bittersweet smile, both had been enjoying their rare time together. A time of peace in their busy lives.

The Alicorn whispered an old Earth Pony blessing, the Unicorn smiled at its recitation and repeated it back to the Alicorn. A fond reminder of their earlier days when their time together seemed infinite. They had found it when sharing a story late one night.

It became more than a fond reminder, it was also a wish that each gave the other when they were about to leave, when commitment and duty drew them apart. The blessing was a wish for safety and good fortune until they met again.

One final nuzzle and hug and that was all they needed. How long it would be to their next time to spend together was unknown. Both knew not what lay ahead but hoped for more times when farewells and long partings such as these were not needed.

New Prompt: Life

Inspiration comes from werid places, this time it came from a blessing/prayer which does exist.

3757552 I'll claim Almost

3757552

Fangirls Number 16(?) in MLD.

The early morning air above the Everfree forest canopy was warm in the full light of day. The sky was clear for the moment as they hugged close to the tree tops. Small clearings, here and there, offered them a quick glance at the forest floor and a sluggish moving river peeked out as it wove its way under them. Bird sailed along side them as they flew, and it was peaceful enough that it could be mistaken for any regular forest on the face of the planet.

Cadance grinned and flapped her wings to rise along with the land below her. White and grey birds chirped at her sides as they followed her in temporary flock formation. The greenery zipped passed under her hooves, swishing in the light breeze that was propelling them forward. She had never seen the forest before, but her time at the castle in Canterlot had been filled with stories of the Everfree, often times told to her by Twily as the unicorn read yet another book on the fabled fallen civilization. It certainly didn’t look wild and dangerous for a distance.

Four days at Zecora’s hut had shown the truth of those tales, however. The weather was unpredictable and changed without warning or reason. The animals took care of themselves, but they were odd. They stared too long and had more than a little malice in their eyes. When she had gone out the first time with Spike to collect some lichen Zecora needed, she had seen a rabbit. She had been about to call out to it when she noticed it’s teeth looked considerably larger and sharper than they should. It might have been her imagination, but it looked like the rabbit had red staining around its mouth too.

The plants were no better. Creeper vines had grabbed at her hooves, flowers had snapped at her, even the trees seemed to be wild and almost violent. On top of that, there were the ruins. None that they had encountered so far had come alive to harm her, but when she noticed them, it was like being watched. They were easy to miss in the overgrowth. Plinths and spars of stone with lines a bit too straight for nature. They sat and brooded, as if they were waiting on something and had long ago grown weary of the world.

Cadance flared her wings to catch a thermal and lifted herself while slowing her forward momentum. She started flapping as she slowed to a stationary hover and whistled softly. The sea of green broke up ahead of her into the largest clearing she’d seen yet. Down among the now intermittent copse of trees, a city lay choked with roots and leaves and detritus. Paved roads still ran between the walls of buildings that had long since collapsed. From the air it looked quiet and untouched, but she knew anything involved with the Everfree was more than it seemed.

“Wow...Twily is going to love this!”

---

“Like w’at you see?”

Twilight blinked as the voice called her back to reality. She turned in the saddle and looked back at Zecora. “Huh?”

The zebra smirked and nodded toward Cadance as she flew ahead of Spike. “You watc’ ‘er fly and move, lost in you own world. S’e you Princess to t’e bones.”

“Uh…” Twilight flushed and brushed her mane from her eyes, “I guess? Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, but you protect. Keep you eyes open, Twilig’t Sparkle. T’e Everfree be dangerous and C’rysalis is a powerful t’ing.” Zecora reached forward and patted Twilight on the back. “Love also powerful. Make sure you don’t ever lose it.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks. I’ll try, Zecora. Cadance is the most important thing in the world to me.”

“Hey!”

Twilight and Zecora squealed as their ride bucked under them. Spike turned his head slightly to look back at the ponies on him. “What am I, chopped liver?”

Twilight shot her brother a look. “You know what I mean!”

They made landfall a few minutes later in a large area where Spike could make a safe landing. Cadance did a few circles above them before landing next to Zecora and Twilight. The three ponies and one dragon took in the ruins around them before looking at Zecora.

“Ok, so what are we looking for?” Twilight unclipped her staff from its holster at her side and looked around the ruins. A few animals had moved away when they set down, but the place was otherwise deserted as best she could tell. “Last time I was here, I just went into the castle at the top of the hill.”

“We look for a way in first.” Zecora pointed a hoof at a large building that was mostly still standing. Pillared walls held the roof up and weathered reliefs lined them near the top, showing the sun and ponies, dragons, diamond dogs and other races bowing in reverence to it. “Inside I t’ink we find more about the C’angeling and a type a fungus I need for me potions. We pair up and look. Call if we find way in.”

Zecora looked up at Spike and smiled. “You come wit me. We look on t’e back side for t’e door.”

“Twilight and I will look around the far side then.” Cadance grinned and stepped up next to Twilight and draped a wing across her back as she gestured at the ruins with the other. “Isn’t this amazing? You told me stories of this place, but I never thought I’d see it! Maybe we can find some souvenirs?”

Twilight rocked as Cadance leaned into her and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess. It is amazing. I’m still shocked that there was religion based on sun worship. It makes a weird sort of sense, considering Princess Celestia potentially being there, but she doesn’t seem like someone that would lead one…”

Twilight whistled and smirked playfully. “Wanna go look at it up close?”

“You bet!”

Spike groaned and yelled as the two mares galloped off. “Remember this is a crazy magical place! Be careful and look out for a way inside!”

Zecora laughed quietly and patted the drake on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, t’e surface is safe. Well, safe for t’ose two. Follow me.”

Spike groaned and flexed. The magic inside him that connected his body to the world and powered the huge furnace that was his body, changed flow and he collapsed in on himself. His wings pulled into her back, his spines along his head and tail shrank, he got smaller and more compact. The shift in his mass burned off as excessive light and once it had faded, he stood before the old Zebra on just two legs.

“Ok, let’s find a way in. If it won’t bring the ceiling down on us, I could just bust the wall down.”

“No need for t’at.” Zecora waved him over as she carefully picked her steps over the uneven and piled stones that used to be an alleyway. “T’e door rig’t over ‘ere”

“What? Then why did you have us spli...oh.” Spike raised an eye ridge at Zecora. “Sage, Potion Maker and now Matchmaker too?”

“In me land, elder wear many ‘ats. Do a little bit of all.”

Spike shook his head and hurried to catch up. “You crafty ol’ bird…”

---

Twilight craned her head back to look up at the carvings and bas relief artwork that lined the upper reaches of the tall stone walls that made up the temple. “Wow...those are a lot bigger than I thought they were. Up close, even from down here, you can see they’re really detailed.”

Cadance nodded and shielded her eyes with a wing against the sun. “What do you suppose their religion was like? It looks like they had all types of people bowing to the sun. Was it the literal sun, or was it someone that represented it? Zecora says Aunt Celestia used to be some sort of priestess.”

“Yeah...not sure what I make of that.” Twilight stepped closer to the wall and kneeled down to peer at the section near the ground. It was far more weathered there, and faint traces of carved runes or lettering remained. “I never read anything about a sun worshipping cult or anything in the Everfree legends, but here we are...hmmm, Cady do you feel that low level hum coming from these carvings here? This enchantment is still active.”

Cadance shook her head. “No, but it might explain the feeling I keep having of being watched. I feel it whenever we get close to any of the ruins.”

Twilight hummed tunelessly to herself as she brushed away the weeds and overgrowth against the side of the building. “They go all the way down. Probably all the way into the foundation. Oh hey,” Twilight’s horn flashed as she pulled away a thick vine and then lifted a corroded bit-sized piece of metal. “Cady, just think of all the relics we could find here. Enough to fill a whole museum, I bet! I wonder if this was a coin?”

Cadance shrugged. “Maybe.” She turned slowly and walked a few paces away.

“Stay close!” Twilight slipped the rusted piece of metal into her holster pouches and followed Cadance. “I am still supposed to be guarding you, remember, Princess?”

The pink mare stuck out her tongue. “Yes, I recall that, Battle Mage. Whatcha gonna do, slap a shield around me all the time like your little brother, Shining, would? I’m a big mare, I can take care of myself.”

To prove her point, Cadance pranced gracefully away from Twilight. “We’re all alone out here, what’s going to happen?”

“Stop tempting fate!” Twilight groaned. She sped up and jumped over a tangle of roots and rubble to land on the other side of Cadance. The alicorn gasped and Twilight took her chance to catch her and press Cadance up against the building wall.

She planted both of her hooves on either side of Cadance’s head and leaned in close. “Battle mages don’t do shields. I do fire. Ice and lightning and force are my tools. Anything tries to lay it’s hooves, claws or pincers on you and I’ll blow it to kingdom come.” Twilight grinned. “Besides, Shining’s way too uptight to do this…”

Twilight leaned in and kissed Cadance lightly on the lips. She held her Princess there for a moment before breaking the contact and she looked into Cadance’s eyes. “When we’re done with this...about what you said last night…I want to try that.”

Cadance nodded slowly, her eyes locked on Twilight’s. She reached out and put her arms around Twily, and pulled the unicorn closer. “I would like that.”

Twilight chuckled quietly and let her chest rest against Cadance’s. The Princess opened her mouth to say something else, but Twilight silenced her with her lips and then tongue.

---

Creamy Goodness wiped her brow with a hoof and smiled to herself as she looked over her creation. It was just what the Princess had ordered, a full platter of protein-rich sushi with a side of miso soup. She’d used traditional ingredients and hoof rolled each piece. Then she had arranged the pieces by color until the platter looked like a wavy rainbow that matched Celestia’s mane. She had finished just in time too, as the door that lead out into the main kitchens opened and a tan colored stallion in server’s clothes and a push cart rolled up to the table where she was working.

“Hey, Creamy, I’m here for the Princess’ lunch.” The earth stallion whistled as she gently lifted the sushi and miso onto the cart. “Wow, you really outdid yourself this time.”

“It’s all the practice.” Creamy smirked. “Plus, the Princess deserves our best, right?”

“I suppose so.” The stallion grabbed a clamshell lid from the cart’s lower shelf and covered the food. “Hey, Creamy...you doing anything tonight?”

She looked up in honest surprise and gave the server her attention. He was young, new and not yet familiar with the kitchen staff. His name was Batter Dip, if she remembered correctly. “Um...actually, I am. My special somepony wants me to take care of a few things.”

“Oh.” Batter Dip scratched his head awkwardly.

Now that she was looking at him, Creamy could concede that he was a handsome colt. When did Tia start hiring so young? He looks like he just got out of school.

“You know...Batter, if you’re looking for somepony to hang with, have you asked Meringue Slice? Green mare like me, with curly hair. Kinda short, works in the desserts department?”

Batter Dip blushed and backed up his server cart. “Um, thanks. I’ll ask. What are you taking care of for your special somepony? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, not much.” Creamy Goodness grinned wider than a pony had a right too. “Just gotta go out and get a couple of things that were lost in the woods. It wouldn’t do if something else found them first, now would it?”

Word Count: 2194
Next Prompt: Energy Drinks

Claiming Life again

Feather, the last piece in the 'Second Chances' series. Previous segment is here.

The train ride back to the Crystal Empire was a long, awkward affair. Cadence spent nearly the entire journey in a corner of the railcar that had been set aside for her, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. Around her, the Crystal Knights, all of them at least somewhat disgruntled after having been left behind yet again by the Princess they were charged to escort, did their best to maintain a healthy distance in the somewhat cramped quarters. Any and all conversation that arose was quickly squashed with a scathing glance from Cinnabar.

Cadence hardly noticed them. She leaned against the window, her eyes unfocused as the green of the countryside passed by in a blur. She wasn’t lost in thought, nor did she daydream. She merely existed, all her strength to think or feel or move stripped from her. Her eyes were only open because they weren’t closed, she sat only because she wasn’t standing. Almost certainly, had it not been for Cinnabar, Cadence would still have been on the hilltop she had landed on after fleeing Ponyville.

Regardless of whether the Crystal Princess took notice or not, time did continue to pass, and eventually Cadence was roused from her stupor by a gentle hoof on her withers. From habit if nothing else, Cadence turned her head and saw it was Sir Cinnabar, concern etched into the hard-worn lines of his face.

“Your Majesty, we’ve arrived,” he whispered, quietly enough for only her ears. She blinked at him, suddenly noticing the burning dryness of her eyes, and she glanced around the car. The other Knights were all watching her, each making the attempt to appear politely disinterested.

Cadence looked back at Cinnabar mutely. The silence dragged on for an uncomfortably long moment, Cinnabar unwilling to speak before his liege and Cadence completely unable, before Cinnabar retracted his hoof and came to attention. “If you would like to head to the Spire, we would escort you, Princess.”

Despite the dense fog of lethargy encapsulating her, Cadence recognized the support Cinnabar was offering, and dipped her head to confirm his suggestion. She stood, her muscles sore and aching from her long bout of inactivity and the furious exertion that was her rush to Ponyville. The simple act of moving forced her mind into something at least barely resembling functionality, if only to direct her steps.

The train station was nearly empty, the rest of the train’s passenger having long since disembarked and those returning to Equestria already boarded. Ponies pressed against windows in the passenger cars to watch as Cadence and her retinue passed them on their way to the city, all of them eager to see a Princess in the flesh, even if separated by a panel of glass.

The steady clip-clip of hooves ate the road to the Capitol quickly, until the empty fields surrounding the city gave way to monolithic crystal buildings. The streets were filled with the midday crowds, a majority of Crystal Ponies with the odd Equestrian or even Griffon here and there. Regardless of species, they all parted to allow the party through.

While it would be a gross fabrication to say that Cadence was even remotely alert, she had walked the streets of her city often enough to recognize anything out of the ordinary regarding her ponies. Normally, when she took a stroll through the Capital, the ponies would be all smiles and pleasant greetings. While they would normally maintain a respectful distance, with the exception of the occasional overly-enthusiastic foal, most ponies would make a point of offering a kind wave at the very least.

But, as the group passed through the emerging corridor of the crowd, nopony smiled. Nopony waved. Conversation, normally free-flowing and enthusiastic, was hushed. The ponies whispered among themselves, too quietly for Cadence to overhear, casting furtive glances her way and quickly looking away if she tried to meet them.

The Knights, unsettled by the unusual behavior of the crowd, tightened ranks around her. They were stallions, and more importantly, soldiers, of a different time. The word ‘assassination’ hung heavily in their vocabulary, not as a distant concept banished to the annals of history, but as a shadowy presence well within living memory. It was not only a lasting legacy of Sombra, but the inevitable result of ponies a thousand years out of their own time. Even with years to adjust, many were still adapting to the new, more peaceful place the world had become in their long absence.

With the stallions surrounding her on every side, their crystal armor clinking as they moved in step, it made it even more difficult for Cadence to make sense of the ponies’ odd behavior. It was petty happenstance that, at just the most inopportune moment, an errant breeze passed by, carrying with it a potent sampling of their words.

“Whore.”

Cadence stumbled.

Word, it seemed, had beaten her to the Empire. The Knights, noticing her distress, stopped and put themselves between her and the crowd. Without the inherent noise of walking, and knowing now what to listen for, the quiet, faint chattering morphed into sharp, cutting condemnations.

“Whore.”

“Cheater.”

“Liar.”

“Harlot.”

Cadence turned round and round, finally taking notice of the hostility that surrounded her. Gone were the familiar smiles and happy eyes, and in their place were sneers and derision. It was a bitterly unfamiliar feeling, seeing the ponies she always sought to do justice by turning on her so. The great, omnipresent weight she had carried for weeks suddenly pressed down on her with renewed vigor, and she very nearly collapsed in the street.

“Princess, I believe it would be best if we continued on our way,” Sir Cinnabar whispered to her urgently after noticing her distress, not taking his eyes away from the crowd. He was a clever stallion, and it was no mystery to him what had suddenly afflicted her. Cadence offered no resistance when, after a brief moment of her indecision, he began to lightly coax her forward. She nearly tripped on her hooves, but managed to remain upright as the shield of stallions around her escorted her towards the Crystal Spire at a quick but controlled pace.

In her shock and her guards’ haste, Cadence failed to notice that not all the faces were entirely hostile. While there was no approval to be found, the great majority of ponies wore expressions of pity, or sympathy, or mere sadness. Cadence saw only the flecks of harsh gold in the stone, the scattered judgmental glowers blending together into a solid, damning mosaic.

The group reached the Spire with merciful swiftness, and Cadence was soon safely ensconced in her glass tower. She sat panting on the floor of the Spire’s foyer, her chest gripped with she could only think of as a panic attack. She performed the breathing exercises Celestia had taught her repeatedly until her body returned to her control. She refused Cinnabar’s pleas for her to allow the Imperial physicians to examine her.

Instead, she dismissed him and the rest of the Knights and left to return to her room. On the way, she passed dozens of staff, attendants, and guards, and left hushed gossiping in her wake. She felt as if she were a fugitive fleeing justice as she rushed through the halls of her own home, avoiding eye contact and skulking through lesser-used passageways.

It was a relief when she finally reached the door to her chambers, which was swiftly cut down by the realization that a pair of Crystal Knights still stood vigil on either side.

“Sir Pyrite, Sir Rigid,” she acknowledged with what could not even be charitably called a smile and a nod of her head.

“Majesty,” they intoned together, their voices flat and professional.

Cadence hid a wince: though they had always been quite formal, both Knights had near always shown, in their own way, the affection they felt towards her and Twilight. As members of their personal guards, much more often Twilight’s than her own, she realized belatedly, she and Twilight had come to know them as well as any of their guards.

Pyrite, the more talkative of the two, was always quick to offer them warm greetings or pleasant conversation whenever he was present. His near-constant companion, Sir Rigid, despite rarely speaking, could also communicate a tome’s worth of meaning in a single glance.

Now, gone was the familiarity she had grown accustomed to, and its place was cold formality. It hurt to lose yet another source of comforting familiarity: her wife had left her, her aunts were furious with her, one of them having all but banished her from Equestria proper, her staff was no doubt mocking her the moment she was out of earshot.

She was an iceberg adrift in a hostile ocean, and the knowledge that she had been the one to hack herself free hurt all the more.

Sir Pyrite and Sir Rigid, disciplined soldiers that they were, opened the double doors for her with perfect precision. They kept their eyes forward as she passed, and she lowered her head in shame to avoid seeing their faces, no doubt locked into the stern, unyielding half-scowl pony soldiers were renowned for the world over.

When the doors closed behind her, she took a moment to look around her bedroom. The cleaning staff had done their duty despite her absence. The bed had been remade, and the curtains, ruined during Twilight’s violent teleportation, had been replaced, as had the sheets and comforter. The condom that had been her ultimate undoing had been discarded, and she wasted no thought on what its fate had been. Near the balcony window, the floor was uneven and warped where the spell’s energy had superheated the crystal into a boiling puddle.

Cadence looked away and kicked her hoofboots free haphazardly. She tossed her torque and crown in the general direction of her vanity table, crawled onto her bed. It truly was her bed now, she thought. There would be no Twilight waiting on her after a long day of performing her royal duties, no reason to leave a spot beside her for her wife to crawl into beside her. As she looked over the huge bedspread, it suddenly seemed desolate rather than spacious.

She drew the canopy closed, determined to sleep and escape her troubles as long as she could, and settled herself beneath the covers. The bed curtain blocked out a fair portion of the light streaming in through the windows, allowing only a dim portion of the sun’s rays through. The thick walls and insulated glass insulated her from the hustle and bustle of the city’s activity, allowing her bed to act as a quiet oasis of peace.

Cadence tossed and turned at first, unable to find a comfortable position. She was unused to sleeping alone: she and Twilight had hardly spent a night apart since their wedding, and never for more than a day at a time. She had grown used to cuddling and falling asleep with the scent of lavender and parchment in her nose. The freshly laundered sheets smelled unfamiliar and wrong, the expensive detergent a poor substitute.

Frustrated, Cadence eventually pulled a large, rarely used body pillow from the closet and brought it to her chest. As she wedged it in beside her, a streak of dark purple on the light violet sheets caught her eye, freezing her in place.

The maids had not been as thorough as she had expected. A purple feather, apparently trapped between the pillows, remained. Cadence picked it up carefully, as though expecting it to dissolve at her touch. When it remained solid, she rolled it between her hooves, watching the delicate patterns in the vane shift in the light. A thought occurred to her, and she sniffed the discarded plumage.

Cadence smiled sadly. Though faint, the smell of Twilight was unmistakable. She used her magic to cut a small slit in the pillowcase and slid the hollow shaft inside securely. Satisfied, she curled into her nest of sheets and clutched the pillow tightly to her chest. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine, for a moment at least, that it was Twilight against her. She could pretend she hadn’t lost the love of her life, ruined her marriage, and turned her entire nation against her.

For a moment, at least.

With sleep sinking its sharp talons into her for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, Cadence didn’t notice that she had already soaked her pillow with tears.

Far below, at the base of the Spire, the Crystal Heart hovered in place, suspended midair between the Earth and the Spire itself. The Crystal Heart, a conduit for the inherit magic in all the citizens of the Crystal Empire, was absolutely humming with energy. The excitement of a royal scandal, even if all the exact details were not yet known, was a rare thing. Rumors flew, carrying news of varying believability. There was talk of everything from Princess Twilight having renounced her Imperial Crown to Princess Cadence and the entire Imperial Guard having been replaced by a Changeling.

As Princess Cadence cried herself to sleep in solitude, and her ponies eagerly gossiped back and forth, the Crystal Heart began a low, nearly inaudible whine. It shivered in place, though nopony was quite close enough to hear it.

Distracted as they were, nopony noticed when a thin, hairline fracture appeared in the center of the perfectly cut face of the Crystal Heart.

After another few rounds of editing, this is going to be posted as its own independent story, with a few little additions and extras

New Prompt: Lover

Prompt List:

Almost
Buffalo
Energy Drinks
Fade
Feather
Germs
Haunted
Life(Bekdontraz)
Limitless
Lover
Oh my...

3791012 Can't say I can muster even an ounce of pity for Cadance here...

3791187 Who hasn't monumentally screwed up once in their life? Let he who is without sin chuck the first brick.

3791012

I'm going to take a second shot at this, seeing as how my first effort was too terrible to mention. I kinda find Cadance difficult to write for, but I think I'm better now than I was before, so let's see. I shall snag Feather and get back to you tonight.

Also, I really enjoyed your story.

Ga, letting Life go..its not happening!

3791199 Well, it is not the cheating per se. There can be circumstances to justify that. But from what Cadance herself said, when she first did it, and how often she did... No way Twi deserved that in any way, shape or form. So, really. No pity.

Reclaiming and now posting Almost.

Part of my "Lavender and Love" series.

Almost

By: Magicman7997

“Focus Shining, you’ve almost got it!” cheered Twilight Sparkle. The young white alicorn colt clenched his tongue between his lips and focused his casting through his small horn. Slowly, the shielding spell began to spring to life. “You’re doing it son, that’s it! Just a little more!”

“I…(huff)...can...do this! I can do this!” Shining Shield exclaimed. Slowly, a light blue aura surrounded his horn and began to cascade down his body. The shielding spell began to take hold and after a few tense moments, the young alicorn’s body was enveloped in the protective barrier. When Shining opened his eyes, he was met with the hazy field of his own magic.

I DID IT! I DID IT! The young colt bounced up and down, “Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!”

From the sidelines, a very proud Cadance and Twilight Sunshine clopped their hooves and whistled. The two mare cheering section rose to their hooves and walked towards their other family members. “I’m so proud of you son! You remind me of your uncle so very much,” Cady said wistfully. Gently she nuzzled the colt as his sister took to his other side.

“Not bad, for a colt,” teased Sunshine. “Too bad I could do it better! And I’d use less energy too!”

Shining glared daggers at his sister. “Oh, I don’t think so sis. Just because you share Momma’s name doesn’t mean you’re as strong as she is. I’m twice the alicorn you are!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“Are not!”

”ARE TOO!”

The two youngsters stood muzzle to muzzle trying to intimidate one another. Just as it seemed that a new family war was going to erupt, the elder Twilight stepped between the two.

“Well now, it would seem that you two need to burn off a little energy. What do you guys say to a little magic duel? It will give you guys a chance to stretch your horns a bit, and your Momma and I haven’t had a good laugh in a day or two.”

The young ponies turned to their parents and then grinned at each other. The unspoken bond between the two shone through as they exchanged glances. Slowly, they paced themselves apart and took up positions to challenge each other.

“Casters at the ready!” called Twilight Sparkle. “And, BEGIN!”

As soon as she spoke, the two mischievous young ones turned and fired a harmless feather tickle spell at their mother. A quick gasp of surprise escaped from Cadance’s lips as the elder Twilight was taken in the spell. A sly grin slowly spread across the lavender alicorn’s face as the spell wrapped around her and then ebbed away like water. The twins were stunned. It was as if they didn’t even cast any magic at their mother at all.

“Tsk tsk, you two almost surprised me there,” said Twilight as she charged her own horn. “Almost…”

Word count - 486
New Prompt - Downhill

Claiming Lover, also Arguing sorry.

3793890 Very nice, cute family fic

3797512 Sorry for....what exactly?

3803261 -coughs into hand- Writing unauthorized sequels?

I'm still working on the Prompt, but my family is currently going through some stuff so it might be awhile before I'm in a good headspace to write.

Hello, here's a little idea one-shot I hope you might like.

Prompt and Claim: Deductions

The dinner was a cause of celebration. Cadence had been found by her foalnapers and has been returned safely after being gone for several weeks. It was a dinner that was after all the pomp and circumstance that gave the heroes of finding her, those heroes being Sherlock Hooves and John Trotson.
Sat besides the clean white tablecloth table that had the finest silver, china and crystal glasses that only royalty could afford, sat five ponies: Cadence, her husband, Princess Twilight, Sherlock and Trotson were eating away at the appetizers.
Sherlock wasn't known to enjoy himself when it came to other ponies, that being in a small group, in public or otherwise, he didn't really enjoy being around ponies in general, so he did the next best thing, he observed.
“It’s so good to have you back here again,” Shining said giving his wife a quick and predictable kiss. Sherlock rolled his eyes but Twilight caught his attention when her cheek bone and her left ear twitched. He raised an eyebrow.
“And I’m glad you were able to come back safe and sound.” Twilight smiled while raising a hoof for the waiter to have some more wine. He saw that near the tip that there was a small cut. A paper cut from several hours ago. Her eyes were a little red, perhaps from lack of sleep until just recently. As the waiter poured her a glass, Twilight adjusted her necklace a little that matched the earrings she was wearing.
“Consider yourselves extremely lucky that you were able to contact us.” Trotson said politely, “And to find her highness just in time as well.”
“Once again, I thank you for that,” Cadence replied. “But in the past several hours, I still can’t put my hoof on how is it that you do it?”
“Do what?” Sherlock asked.
“How were you able to figure out where I was taken to?”
“Deduction, simple detection was all.”
“How was it simple?”
“Your highness, all the clues as to where you were was right there out in the open, the trick is to look.”
“But you were just able to pick up details that were microscopic,” Shining pointed out.
“I know, it’s the tiniest of details that can tell you everything. Take Trotson here,” Sherlock turned to his partner. “Look at the uniform he’s wearing, there’s still folded creases which indicates that he hasn't worn them since his military service. His proper, upright stature suggests that he’s showing respect from a military standpoint. His mane was combed and gelled heavily trying to keep his appearance sharp though out the ceremony and most likely this dinner.”
“But Sherlock,” Cadence stopped him. “You and Trotson have been working together for some years and I think you might have already known him by now. So what about somepony that you haven’t met, say, Twilight for example, what can you deduce from her?”
“Um, your majesty,” Trotson said in alarm. “I’m not sure if that’s a-”
“Oh come on, it gives me something to do.” Sherlock interrupted.
“Yet I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“But they want to see it done.”
“But not with these ponies.”
“I wouldn't mind.” Twilight piped up.
“See, she said she wouldn't mind.” Sherlock retorted.
“Well… Alright, fine.” Trotson turned to the purple alicorn, “Just remember, you agreed to this.” And with that, he leaned back in his seat for the upcoming fireworks that were about to being.
“Your highness,” Sherlock said, turning his attention to Twilight, “Would you please stand up from your seat for a moment?”
Twilight said she wouldn't mind at all and stood up beside her chair. Sherlock got up to examine the purple princess. Taking in the details about the jewelry, the mane style, her facial features, he even sniffed the air around her before turning back to his seat.
“To begin with,” Sherlock said as Twilight retook her seat at the table. “You have been up reading late last night.”
Shining laughed, “Well that’s no secret.” But Sherlock ignored him and continued his deduction, “Your red eyes suggest that you not only do reading but very heavy reading that you had probably had spent long hours on. Now normally I would say that the red eyes were due to the amount of stress considering the foalnapping until I saw the cut on your right hoof. A paper cut that must have been made between ten to twelve hours ago.”
“Well, very good,” Trotson said. “I think you should sto-”
“And just by looking at you, I've already deduced who your special somepony is.” This statement that Sherlock made had gotten all the attention from not only from the entire table but from the whole room of the staff that was present.
“W-What?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight! That’s wonderful!” Cadence said happily, “Who is it?”
“I think it’s rather obvious your majesties.” Sherlock said before continuing back to his deduction. “The jewelry was a near give-a-way. Now in all of the pictures I've ever seen with Princess Twilight, outside of her crowns, she almost never wears any jewelry. And never at such a level of extravagance either. Next, her mane as well as her tail has not only been trimmed and combed but it’s all done very recent judging by the small pieces of her hair on her coat. And then, there’s the perfume, the smell of lilac and roses can be only traced to one particular brand. Floral and Fonda, which is one of the most expensive brands on the planet. Now, with all of this, why would a mare put on the best jewelry, shows off the best mane cut and wears expensive perfume? It’s because she wants to impress somepony. But who? Again, the jewelry provides a clue, pink diamonds, yellow gemstones, amethysts, and rubies.” At this point, Twilight was increasingly getting more and more edgy the further that Sherlock spoke.
“As well does the perfume, especially when it’s meant for a mare.”
“A mare?” Shining asked.
“Twilight has made it clear, especially in her coronation that the flower of choice was lilac. Considering it's tradition that royals should be surrounded by their favorite flower during their coronation. Luna was of course moon flowers, Celestia with lilies, and Cadence with-”
“Roses.” Cadence finished his sentence, her eyes widen.
“Correct. And finally, there’s the twitching. Whenever Cadence and her husband show affection, there’s always that twitch. I saw it during the ceremony, our walk to this room and especially at this very table. I could have written it off as a nervous tick but that wouldn't make sense considering the events of today. So if the jewelry, the mane cut and the perfume were to show signs of anything, it would say that the twitches are a sign of jealously. But why would Twilight be jealous? And from whom? The fact that you’re here within an hour after Cadence have been found; the fact that the whole ‘Sunshine’ dance seems to indicate that you two probably know each other for a very long time; and the fact that out of all the ponies in not only here but though out all the media that Twilight is much more closer to Cadence then even Celestia has left me with a conclusion. She’s actually in love with Cadence but couldn't admit it because she’s already married to her brother. Hence, that’s where the jealousy might have sprung from.”
Sherlock turned back to Twilight, “So your majesty, am I wrong?”
Splash!
Twilight threw her drink at Sherlock’s face. Even when dripping, Sherlock wore a smug on his face.
“He’s right.” Twilight said, tearing up. “I… I’m so sorry.”
And with that, Twilight ran out of the door.
“Twiley! Come back!” Shining called out as he and his wife got up from the table.
“Now see what you've done?” Trotson asked.

_*_

Cadence and Shining Armor now stood in front of one of the guest rooms that Twilight was in, where they could hear her cries though the door.
“Shining, I want to talk to her.”
“But I’m her brother.”
“I know, but this time, I think I want to talk with her. I’ll call you when I need you.”
“If you say so,” Cadence reached for the door. But before she could open it, Shining added: “Just be careful with her.”
Nodding, she opened the door. “Twilight?” She stuck her head in to find Twilight, still having the jewelry on, was crying uncontrollably on her bed. Cadence quietly made her way towards the bed, taking a seat next to her. Putting a hoof on her head, she said, “There there Twilight. I’m not mad at you in the slightest. It’s alright.”
“N-N-No i-it isn't!”
“Twilight, it is. Like I said, I’m not mad at you. In a way, I’m rather flattered.”
The purple alicorn looked up, “As well as a little confused.” Cadence added, “Twiley, why didn't you tell me before? Was it because I fell in love with Shining?”
She nodded, “You two were just so… happy. Shining was happy when you’re around as the exact same as you are with him. Cadence… I wanted to say something. I wanted to tell you how amazing of not just as a princess, but what an amazing pony you are. You are the kindest, sweetest and even the most caring pony I've ever known, and considering I’m friends with Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity, that says a lot. I was going to tell you, but…”
“But, what?”
“What if I get in the way?” Twilight asked, looking at her straight in eye, “What if I become a bother to you and make things difficult for Shining? What if you never felt that way towards me? What if…” Cadence gave Twilight a hug as she once again burst an ocean of tears.
“Twilight, I, first of all, I think that you still should had given me a clue about your feelings towards me. Second, I do care for my Shining, but as a princess of love, all I can say is that you have one of a few choices to choose from. Either you let me help you move on so that you’ll be able to find somepony else to make you happy.”
“Or?”
“Or, since you’re an alicorn now, you could wait. Shining, though I love him deeply, I know that one day, your brother will not be around anymore. And when that dark day comes, maybe you can help me back into the light, to show that I can love again. I can’t make this choice for you, so you’ll have to decide on your own. Okay?”
Twilight nodded.
“Now then, shall we get back to dinner?”

Total word count: 1,787

So... What do you think? Something more or is this fine? A little feedback would be nice since I've never done anything like this before.
That is, if you don't mind.

Droping Lover like a bad habit..

3821912 goddamn, that's some fine work, especially if you've never done anything like this before. I'll give more thorough feedback later, I'm on mobile now, but until then very good

3791012
Le claim Limitless

3793890

Response to prompt: Downhill

The winter winds howled past the summit. The unforgiving peaks did not care for the coming spring. The only things they knew were the ice and the snow. The mountains held no refuge from the cold; they were shaped only by the primal forces of nature. Up here, the frozen remnants of an ancient history still held power.

Twilight began to shiver as the frost pierced through her scarf. However, a cyan wave of magic washed over her before she could even speak of the cold. She looked back and nodded thanks to her companion.

The snow shone a brilliant white under the clear sky. Any break in the pristine surface would be swept flat by the wind in mere moments. Every cloud in Equestria stood below the two, and none were high enough to even be seen. Cadence simply looked forward and spoke out over the wind.
“Beautiful.”

“I’d rather call it hyperborean.”

Cadence chuckled and shook her head. She brushed a wingtip against her companion as she walked by. Twilight let out a small yelp and stumbled.

Luckily, Cadence stopped and let the smaller alicorn catch up. They stood side by side, at the very top of the world. A ramp stood right at the limit of their vision, incredibly tall despite the distance.
“So, this is it. The Leap of Faith. I hear hundreds of ponies have died making this jump.”

Twilight gulped visibly and began eyeing both the ramp and her snowboard with reluctance. She had to wait for a moment before her voice returned.
“R-Really?”

“Oh yes. In fact, I think Sombra himself tried it and just barely survived.” Cadence laughed as she dropped her own board onto the snow.
“Though, in all honesty, I doubt anyone besides us even knows this place exists. And I think it’s best if we keep it that way.”

Twilight looked down toward the ramp. It dwarfed the great peaks out in the distance; it could even be called a mountain in its own right. The slope leading to it was larger still. Twilight felt that calling it a slope was too generous; she preferred to call it a mildly smooth cliff.

The wind threatened to send Twilight tumbling down the precipice. Her legs felt unsteady as she was overcome by a sense of vertigo. Regular flights had acclimatized her to height, but looking out over the world was different. The inability to see the ground beyond produced a visceral fear in Twilight.

The snow collapsed from under her. She instinctively spread her wings and began flailing her legs, hopelessly seeking purchase in any surface possible. Twilight closed her eyes as she made peace with death. The last thing she saw was blocks of ice sailing past her.

Twilight dared to open her eyes again as she felt the ground beneath her once more. The bright sky was blinding.

“BOO!” Cadence’s eyes took up the entirety of Twilight's field of view.

“BWAAH!” Twilight threw herself on her side and almost fell down the slope a second time.

Cadence swiftly picked the fallen princess back up and brushed away stray bits of snow.
“I’m sorry! You weren’t moving for a long time and I needed to make sure you were still alive.”

Twilight was still visibly shaken. Cadence reluctantly nudged her, worried that she would somehow fall a third time. Fortunately this merely caught her attention.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, as she composed herself. She shook her head.
“No, it would be a shame if I backed out after coming all this way.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there to catch you if anything goes wrong,” Cadence said as she helped straighten Twilight’s board.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but was still reluctant to step onto her board. Cadence turned and gave her an inquisitive look.

“Can we… go at the same time?” Twilight said, just barely able to find the courage.

“Sure. On three?”

“Alright.”

“One,” they said in unison.

“Tw—”

A flash of cyan, then a blur of pink and purple shot down the mountainside.

Screams of terror and joy could almost be heard over the howling wind, as gravity flung them into the unknown.

Word count: 381
Edited, new word count: 708

New prompt: Counting

I'm also rather new to this (and writing fanfics in general) so critiques are welcome!

3821912

Having finally gotten the chance, the promised feedback: Starting off with negatives, it basically amounts to nitpicking. Small things like an odd period popping up where a comma is needed:

“Your highness,” Sherlock said, turning his attention to Twilight. “Would you please stand up from your seat for a moment?”

“But you were just able to pick up details that were microscopic.” Shining pointed out.

A wrong word that could conceivably be chalked up to an autocorrection mistake:

Next, her mane as well as her tail has not only been trimmed and combed but it’s all done very resent judging by the small pieces of her hair on her coat.

Some unnecessary capitlization:

But who? Again, the jewelry provides a clue, pink diamonds, yellow gemstones, Amethysts, and rubies.”

As I said, I had to nitpick to find anything to comment on for cons, and this is all stuff that a bit of pre-reading catches that tends to pop up more in prompt collabs due to the nature of the writing here.

As for the positives, which are vastly more common, first off the characterization is extremely well met. As fortune has it, I had just finished watching Sherlock on Netflix for the first time the day I read this(I know, I'm a few years late to the party) and both Sherlock and Trotson felt very authentic even in the light of so recent exposure. The pony cast is also done very well, and both their actions and reactions feel very in-character. Additionally, and where some crossovers stumble, the mesh between series is handled very gracefully and interaction is very believable, almost as if Hasbro and BBC teamed up for a one-off.

Plus the ending was adorable sprinkles

3845789 Thank you for ref bring those mistakes to my attention. While at the moment I cannot correct them at this very moment, I will try later today.

Once again, thank you.

3845789 I just went back and fixed the things you pointed out, hopefully it's to your satisfaction. But I might have overlooked some things.

And it's rather funny you should brought Sherlock up. I've seen that show too (an immediate favorite of course) and it kinda given me the idea for the story. I was going to go with a guard who has the similar powers of deduction but I thought it would be better for Sherlock to do it. And yes, I did had that Sherlock from the BBC and from the YouTube radio drama from Squeak Anon. Also the idea came to me when I was watching the dinner scene from Sherlock Holmes, the first one played by R. Downey Jr.

Overall, it was a fun little piece to write, and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.

3846376

hopefully it's to your satisfaction.

It was well beyond my satisfaction before you made a single change, I was just trying to answer your request for some feedback.

3847324 Oh, alright. Now with that out of the way, I'm looking forward of you adding to the collab I hope.

3847338 Actually formatting it right now(damn you copy-paste BBC code!)

If anyone is interested, Second Chances has been polished and posted

Claiming prompt "Oh my...

Be warned.

Story for the prompt "Oh my..."

“As you can see, the castle has numerous historical artifacts placed among not only the library but as well as the halls. Princess Cadance likes to have the public be able to see the history of the Crystal Empire as the walk the halls,” the tour guide, who ironically was named Tour Guide, said with practiced ease. This was his one hundredth tour already , ever since the Crystal Kingdom had reopened it’s borders.

“To the public? So anypony could just wander the halls?” A voice among the group spoke up.

“Not exactly, ma’am. You see, even though it is ‘open to the public’ you would need an escort of some type to walk the halls, thus the reason for tours,” Tour Guide responded. The shimmering blue stallion knew almost every question that could be asked at this point.

“Oooh,” the group said all together.

“Indeed, now let us continue our tour. We will be moving on to a room that is the exact replica of Princess Cadance’s room. Obviously we can’t show her exact room, mainly for security reason, but this room can be shown to the public,” Tour Guide said as he trotted down the hall, the group following close behind.

They turned the last corner before arriving at the door that led to the replica room, the group following the experienced tour guide. Yet something different happened this day, they didn’t make it to the door in one complete motion though. Instead they were briefly halted by a guard who was walking in the opposite direction.

“Just a warning, Tour Guide, the replica room… yeah, you may want to avoid it,” the crystal guard said with a nervous laugh at the end.

“Is it currently being cleaned or something?”

“Uh… not exactly,” the guard responded.

“Then I see no reason for the tour to not make it’s way to the replica room,” Tour Guide said a little haughty.

The guard opened his mouth and closed it a few times, trying to find the right words, before smirking. “I guess you are correct, Tour Guide. I shan’t hold you up any longer.”

“Good, thank you, Corporal,” Tour Guide said before motioning for his group to follow him to the first door that was on the left. The Corporal was nearly keeling over in laughter as he rounded the corner, away from the group.

“Now as you are about to see, the room is indeed the exact replica … of … Princess …” Tour Guide trailed off as he opened the door.

Inside, on the bed was two alicorns; one purple and the other pink. Both of them, oblivious to anything but each other, were in the throes of a hot passionate embrace. Neither of them noting that a tour group had just opened up the door to their little private time, which they had gotten around to quicker than it took to lock the door to the room.

The entire crowd gaped at the sight they were beholding, not a single one moving or speaking, aside from one single brown stallion who had nudged his way to the front. A slightly shocked yet very intrigued expression doned on his face.

“Oh my…”

You were warned.

New prompt: hips

3882512

Sorry I took so long. Had other projects going and lost interest on this one, then there were a bunch of false starts and re-writes and blah...
Anyway, here is Limitless, next in the My Little Dynamite series.

Six years ago.

Celestia’s bedchamber was just as she had left it that morning. Paper piled up on the desk in a mess, huge brown rings marking where Celestia’s warmug had sat. The furniture was all just slightly out of alignment, the couch cushions could use a fluffing, the shelves needed a decent dusting. Philomena’s enclosure was, paradoxically, the cleanest thing in the room. Celestia was very dutiful in caring for her pet.

Even the bed was messy and unmade. Chrysalis, currently Monarca, unicorn head librarian and secret paramor of Princess Celestia, smirked at that. The condition of the bed was partially her fault. She’d had to sneak out suddenly in the pre-dawn hours when Princess Luna had visited her sister’s room unexpectedly. Otherwise, she would have made it while Celestia showered.

Perhaps, I should talk Tia into hiring a personal maid again. Monarca chuckled and her green colored aura grabbed the sheets and pillows and started to arrange them. How the immortal Princess of the Sun has a forever untidy bedroom is beyond me. If the room is going to be as clean as possible, she’ll have to have a maid take care of it.

With the bed soon made, Monarca stretched herself out in and pulled out the chopsticks that held her mane up in a bun. Celestia would be back in the room any minute and she didn’t want to leave any uncertainty in the air about the nature of her visit. Luna hopefully wouldn't be a bother again tonight and give them another case of cuddlous interruptus.

She’d barely had time to toss the chopsticks onto the bedstand when Celestia burst into the room and all but slammed the door closed behind her.

“Tia? What’s wrong?” Monarca sat up on the bed and shook out her hair. “You look upset.”

“What?” Celestia sniffed and wiped her face with a wing before she looked at the bed. “Monarca? I’m sorry...I just had to deal with something. I...I don’t…”

“Come sit with me, Tia. Tell me all about it.” Celestia sniffled again and plodded over to the bed before falling into it like a particularly weepy stack of bricks. Monarca smiled at her warmly and slipped her hooves around Celestia’s neck and nuzzled the mare softly.

“Momo, I think I may have broken Cadance’s heart.” Celestia sighed as a fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks. “I told her tonight, before dinner, that she was going to have to go on a mission for me. She’s leaving Equestria tomorrow and...and I think it hurt her a lot to have to leave all this. To leave her friend, Twilight Sparkle.”

Monarca nodded slowly. “Yes, I know the mare.”

“I told her it was for the good of all Equestria. That she is the only one that can do this. Her life is going to be in danger for however long this takes.”

“How did she take the news?” Monarca brushed Celestia’s wild rainbow mane out of her eyes as she looked down at the alicorn.

“She cried, but she...she agreed with me, in the end.” Celestia seemed to deflate and her eternally flowing mane grew still and cold. “That was the worst part, Momo. She agreed with me and it’s going to kill her one true friendship here because she might never return.”

Monarca smiled and booped Celestia on the nose. “Oh hush. I know that Twilight filly. Theirs is a friendship that will survive this, Tia. Trust me, and stop crying, ok, my pretty princess?”

Celestia sniffled again and looked into Monarca’s eyes. “Do you think so?”

The librarian nodded and leaned in to kiss Celestia softly on the lips. The princess groaned quietly into the kiss and her mane burst back to life. Monarca pulled back after a moment and stoked Celestia’s cheek. “I know so. They have a friendship similar to ours, my little sunbeam. They are young and smart and have strong hearts. I can tell. They will weather this and come out the other side even stronger.”

---

Creamy Goodness hummed and skipped as she trotted through the castle’s staff area toward the kitchen loading area. Her shift had come to an end now that lunch had been served and she had real work to get to now. She slowed as she came up to the section of the kitchens where the deserts were prepped and she stuck her head in the door. A few ponies were busy working away at some pies and she spotted a young mare with a green coat similar to her own.

“Hey, Meringue Slice!” Creamy waved and grinned. “I hear there is a handsome colt looking for you.”

“What?” Meringue Slice paused as she decorated one of the pies and flushed. “Who?”

“Cute stallion on the serving team. Batter something…” Creamy tapped her chin as she pretended to think hard for dramatic sakes. “Oh yeah, Batter Dip, that was the name.”

Meringue giggled nervously. “Why is he looking for me?”

“‘Cuz I might have told him you were single and about his age.”

“Ms. Goodness, do you have a point in interrupting my workers?” A large mare in a chef’s hat cleared her throat as she walked up to the door where Creamy was leaning in. Creamy Goodness shrank back and smiled sheepishly.

“Just sowing the seeds of love.”

The lead chef harrumphed at her and rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t that lovely? Go do it elsewhere. These girls have a big order to fill for tonight.”

Creamy chuckled and waved at Meringue Slice before she started trotting away towards the rear of the castle. She rounded the corner and smirked as she started down the stairs into the darkened larder. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, her green coat had become hard, shiny black plates with emerald bands over her abdomen. Membranous wings spread from her back and her teeth narrowed to needle-like points.

“Those two should prove to be a yummy snack later on.”

Chrysalis stretched and buzzed her wings in the cool darkness of the larder for a moment before her horn lit up with a dull green glow that cast stark shadows around her. She paced up to a spot where the earthen walls of the larder were bare of shelves and food stores and focused her gaze there. The glow from her horn grew brighter until her eyes started to glow green and streaks of purple and black miasma started to leak from the edges and drifted into the air around her like dust.

The wall lost itself in the shadows and darkness until it was no longer a wall, but a hallway made of pure shadows. Chrysalis blinked away the dark magic from her eyes and stepped into the portal she had opened to the shadow realm. Unlike traditional teleportation, this would allow her to reach far further afield locations, though it wasn’t instantaneous. She merely had to move from a ‘like place to like place’ though the shadow realm and the darkened root cellar that doubled as the castle’s food larder was the perfect place to use as an anchor whenever she felt like returning to her old home in the sunken ruins of the Everfree.

Chrysalis…

The Changeling shook her head. The shadow realm was a dangerous place to get distracted and she sped up her walk as she left the castle behind and the portal closed with a barely audible ‘pop.’ Vague shapes stretched and twisted about her, dark mockeries of things and creatures of the mortal realm moved around her at almost a sickening pace as each step took her leagues toward her destination.

Chrysalis...my daughter…

“Shut up.” Her voice sounded echoey and hollow as she kept walking, eyes forward. “Shut up. You aren’t real.”

Crystal...my sweetness...listen to daddy…

“You’re dead. I can’t...hear you anymore. You died a long time ago, father.” She faltered as a particularly large shape in the darkness shifted across her path. “Don’t...do this. Please, not now...I’ve been so good!”

Crystal...I have another job for you...you are almost done...and we can be a family again…

Chrysalis stopped where she was and grabbed her head with her hooves and pressed in tight. Sometimes, when the voices in her mind grew loud, she could force them to be silent, if she held tightly enough. Her head started to ache and she gritted her teeth against the pain. If she just held on, it would go away. If she held on, her mind would clear. She had honestly thought that she had silenced the voices for good, last time.

---

Fifteen years ago

Chrysalis wore her coat in aqua blue and had her blond mane swept back out of her bright violet eyes. She stalked on long legs toward the end of the runway, the bustle of the dress she was modeling swishing gracefully behind her. She stopped at the end of the long and narrow stage and and threw her sleek hip to the side as she vogued with a disinterested look on her face and the cameras around her flashed.

The pony managing the photographers barked commands at her and Chrysalis sighed tiredly as she turned for another pose. Soon the enormous ballroom would fill with the who’s who of Canterlot nobility and the most affluent merchants as they came to admire the latest in fashion in the luxuriousness of Canterlot Castle proper. Rumor had it that even the Royal Sisters would be in attendance, but neither mare had showed up during any of the set up or any of the rehearsals.

Chrysalis ran a silk-covered forehoof along her side, over the split in her skirt that allowed her spiderweb cutie mark to show through, and sighed. She had so hoped Celestia would come see the show, and her, specifically. It had been a few years since she had been in Equestria and stolen her Princess’ heart and attention. She was just turning to strut back down the runway when the main doors opened and the Princess of the Sun herself slipped in.

Chrysalis paused, along with every other person in the room as pony, dog and drake alike took notice of the alicorn suddenly in their midst. She flushed as she realized what pose she was inadvertently holding and what angle Celestia could clearly see her from. She forced herself into a more relaxed position and took a deep breath before looking back at Celestia and meeting those eyes. Celestia was smiling and looking straight at her while other models and photographers converged on the princess. It was the same look she had seen all those years ago, in another city, now lifeless and choked with vines. The same look that told her the princess liked what she saw.

Oh Goddess how she had missed that look.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Talk buzzed through the crew and talent alike that Celestia was indeed going to watch the show and had arrived early to speak with the director and designer. Chrysalis felt herself tingling with excitement as she slipped out of the dress in her small dressing room with help of her assistant and temporary student in the ways of modeling. The lanky young unicorn hung up the satiny affair before they stepped out into the private area backstage for a quick bite to eat from the buffet tables. At the far end of the tables by themselves, Celestia and the lead designer, Photo Finish stood near each other, speaking quietly.

Chrysalis lifted a plate with one elegant wing and did her best to appear focuses on the orderves as she nonchalantly wandered closer to the pair. She hushed Fleur as the excited teen all but danced in place with excitement at being in the presence of royalty.

“Ja, Prinzessin, I dizcovered her at a cafe in Germaney lazt zummer. Zhe iz da natural beauty!”

“Silk Spinner certainly is lovely, Ms. Finish. Thank you again for putting together such a wonderful show and bringing such a breathtaking up and coming model to our humble castle.”

Chrysalis’ ears perked up and she fought herself to keep from squeeing in happiness. She knew that Celestia would like the body and identity she had built just for this purpose. She looked up and again met those wonderful eyes.

“Hallo, Sie waren wunderschön auf der Bühne.”

Chrysalis, aka Silk Spinner, froze and for a moment her body forgot how her lungs and heart were supposed to operate. She recovered a long moment later and bowed to the regent, her voice soft and breathy. “Vielen Dank, Prinzessin.”

Celestia smiled at her again with a twinkle in her eye before turning back to Photo Finish. “Ms. Finish, I would like to ask you for a special favor, if that is alright?”

“Oh?” Photo Finish adjusted her rose colored shades and looked up at the taller mare.

“Yes, I’d like you to set up a private photoshoot. There is a very special somepony I would like you to capture some images of for me. It was recently brought to my attention that a new alicorn has appeared in Cloudsdale. She is being brought here to Canterlot to be trained as a future princess of all Equestria and we’ll need proper pictures for the press and official proclamations and such.”

“Oh my Goddess!” Fleur gasped at Silk Spinner’s side, her eyes huge as she stared at Photo Finish and Princess Celestia. “That’s so amazing! A new princess alicorn! Can you believe it, Miss Spinner? Wouldn’t it be just a dream come true to become a princess like that?”

Silk Spinner nodded, her expression carefully neutral as her plate of tasty orderves started to crack under the pressure of her grip.

---

Chrysalis groaned as she picked herself up off the cold stone floor and brushed the grit off her cheek as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. At some point she had left the shadow realm behind and had stumbled out into the buried chambers under the temple in the Everfree. There was a fine coating of dust on everything and the air smelled stale and musty.

“What was I doing?” She blinked and looked over at the stone slab table she had set up centuries ago for her experiments. Her supplies, all sealed within bottles and beakers sealed with wax and wooden boxes treated to withstand the years, sat just where she had last left them. “Oh yes, now I remember. I have a princess to kill.”

Chrysalis chuckled to herself as as stepped forward and a row of candles started to light with low, green flames in time with her hoof falls. By the time she reached the table, the chamber was filled with soft light and her work space was well illuminated. She buzzed her diaphanous wings and the gale from them cleared the dust. She grinned and reached out to tilt a small framed picture of Celestia towards herself. “Soon, it’ll just be us, my love. I’ll be by your side just as I was always meant to be. I’ll be your Princess, for a change. Not that little filly with the pink flank.”

Her grin slipped slightly. “You like pink flanks, huh? I can have pink flanks. Or blue, or purple, or whatever! I can be any mare you want! You hear me, Celestia? Any mare you want...I can be! I’ve always been the one for you! You were supposed to pick me!”

She growled and lifted the picture frame in her aura to look the picture in the eye. “I came from a royal line. I was the most powerful candidate. The contests were mere formalities, I know, but you must understand that I couldn’t have competition. It just wouldn’t do. You are supposed to be mine, Tia! That’s why...that’s why I had to get rid of the others. They couldn’t be princesses. Only me.”

She growled again, her wings buzzing as her eyes started to glow and the picture frame started to groan in protest. “Everything I ever did was all for you. Everything. I won’t be passed over again! You thought I’d leave just like everyone else when you gave up the Everfree, but you were wrong, Tia.”

Chrysalis’ eyes glowed brighter and the metal part of the frame started to smoke as she stared at the picture it held. “I stayed. I still believed in you. I perfected the magics you forbade everyone else. I mastered it and I got these wings.” Her wings buzzed faster and started to fill the dark place with high pitched shrill. “I became an alicorn for you. I became so much more for you. I gave up my home and my name and my soul for you.”

She snarled and gnashed her fangs. “I will have what you promised me, Tia. I will rule at your side, no matter how many pretenders to the throne I have to kill to do it.” She hissed and the picture frame finally snapped under her focus, the glass protecting the old photograph shattered and sprayed her with shards.

That made her pause and blink away the power that had been building inside her.

“Oops!” Chrysalis giggled nervously and her magic pulled the frame back into shape and reformed the glass into a clear pane once again.

Chrysalis! Stop dawdling!

“Huh?”

It is almost done, daughter. Free me and you can have the Sun Priestess all to yourself.

“She isn’t a priestess anymore, dad. She’s a princess.”

It matters not! Free me and return our kingdom to the world! Then you can have anything you want. Anyone you want. The promises made to you will all be fulfilled. Believe your father, and you will rule Equestria however you please.

Chrysalis nodded slowly and put the picture frame down on the table and pulled several of the sealed boxes and vials to herself. There was only one more seal to break. Then her father would be back. My father is dead. He has been dead for a thousand years.

No trace of her father, or his empire had ever been found. Legends didn’t even exists about it, but she could still remember the way the snows had sparkled on the mountainsides. She still remembered her father’s magic lessons, the ways to force the world to bend to her will and by extension, his will. But sometimes, she wondered if that was all just a dream invented by a lonely mind. Maybe breaking the final seal wouldn’t do anything at all. Then she could go back to the way things were long ago.

Hurry up.

“Yes, daddy.”

---

Spike stopped after he dropped the large fallen piece of the wall that was blocking their way into the lower levels of the temple building. He cocked his head to the side and concentrated on his hearing. He could hear three sets of breathing behind him from the ponies, but in the dark hole he had uncovered there seemed to be something else. Something faint and high pitched.

“Hey, Twi, I think I hear something down there.”

“What is it?” Twilight Sparkle adjusted her cloak and stepped up to the crumbling edge of the hole with Spike. She strained her ears but she couldn’t detect anything and the ancient enchantments in the stones around her was throwing off that sense as well.

“Dunno. Some sort of buzzing, maybe?” Spike scratched his frills and tilted his head again. “It keeps fading out and then coming back for a second.”

Twilight nodded and turned to the two other mares. “Ok, there might be some dangerous stuff down there, more than just a slowly collapsing ruin. Princess, you are to stay by me, Zecora, keep close to Spike. We’ll take point and hopefully nothing will be stupid enough to try and take on a dragon and a battle mage in close quarters.”

Word Count: 3361
No new prompt as we do have a good collection of them at the moment.

What's the masterlist at the moment?
oh hey look who's alive

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Counting
Buffalo
Energy Drinks
Fade
Feather
Germs
Haunted
Life
Lover
Hips
Downhill

That should be the current master list.

3902344 Okay, so I'm a little unclear. Chrysalis and Celestia have been having affairs for centuries, right? So which of the following is going on?

A.) Celestia doesn't know her lovers have been Chrysalis in disguise

B.) Celestia knows her lovers have been Chrysalis, but Chrysalis doesn't know she knows

C.) Celestia knows it was Chrysalis, and Chrysalis knows she knows

I think its B but, as I said, I'm a little unclear.

Also, you wouldn't happen to have that on gdocs would you? I normally don't mind reformatting bbcode when I paste them but with a little over 3000 words I feel I'll miss something

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Assuming my calender hasn't developed a malevolent sentience and sought to isolate me from society by sewing the seeds of confusion and paranoia deep into my psyche to better influence me to serve its whims again, then the holiday season is upon us. This collab has been...I'm going to say inactive, for a while, our last posting before Fuzzy's MLD update being three weeks ago. With Christmas and New Years rapidly approaching, I thought that this was as good an excuse as any to get in some nice magic-horse-shipping wordsmithery.

Schedules allowing, I'd like to invite everyone who is interested to write up a Christmas and/or New Year's prompt. Christmas prompt will be 'Fireplace' and New Year's will be 'Resolution.' We have a pool of some incredibly talented writers here, and anything you would like to contribute would no doubt spread a great deal of holiday cheer all around.

Source for the adorable Twilight picture

3904814

I'll try to give it a go. I've neglected this one for way too long. I'll try and keep it cheerful and fun, too.

3904814
I'll do my best ^^

3904814 You have my santa hats.

Translation: I'm on it, chief.

3904814 and you have my reindeer.

I think Foals and I are collabing on Fireplace

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3904814
AND MY AXE!

3904814
I won't commit to anything just yet, but I'll see what I can do.

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Gdoc can be found here--> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eDGKrjG9wRn8xLE3SvB_uhDj6Jxe_XPgmFHilEuY2ko/edit?usp=sharing

As for Celestia's and Chrysalis' relationship status: It's complicated.

I am currently going with the concept that Celestia knows it's been Chyrsalis in her bed MOST of the time. She has always been suspicious, but she can only confirm some of them. Chyrsalis, for her part, always assumes Celestia is suspicious but believes that Celestia has never figured it out.

The odd part is that through all of this, they've been exclusive with each other the whole time. While Chrysalis is obviously more than a bit unstable at times, her love for Celestia is one of her constants(even if it takes a turn for the homicidal now and then). Celestia thinks that's the most adorably romantic thing in the world(though she'd never admit it).

Of course, that's all subject to change as the story evolves.

3904814 I'm game, I've just been in a dark place for a bit. So sure I'll try and get a fireplace out...

3904814
No guarantees, but I will try to have something for one or the other or hopefully both.

3902812 Dibs on Energy Drinks.

3712904 Fuzzy...dude....short little prompts...-smirks-

My 'Hearth' Christmas Special contribution. Criticism is invited

Cadence’s mouth tasted like chocolate liqueur, Twilight noticed, though she guessed that there was a better than fair chance the flavor could be attributed to the near two boxes worth of the alcoholic treats that she had consumed with the ferocity of a wood chipper rather than an inherent quirk of biology. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the dessert bar, or what had once been a dessert bar at any rate. What had been a mountain of fermented sugary goodness neatly stacked on a silver tray had been reduced to a pitiful hoof full of half-eaten survivors that served only to act as a testament to the glory of what had been.

As her own tongue fought a losing struggle for dominance against Cadence’s experienced and incredibly earnest efforts, Twilight thought that perhaps the mistletoe had been hung a bit too close to the hearth of Celestia’s study, as her right side was feeling uncomfortably warm from the crackling fire. It was a very large room, one of the largest in the suite wing of the palace, surely there was another beam somewhere more suitable where the ponies engaged in the time-honored tradition of the Hearth’s Warming Kiss wouldn’t feel any undue heat. Then again, Princess Celestia had been the one to arrange the decorations, and she was, understandably, somewhat predisposed towards warmer temperatures.

As her mind wandered and her hooves traveled down the graceful, smooth curve of Cadence’s neck, Twilight caught sight of her family, as well as the two other Princesses, staring at them with expressions ranging from smug self-satisfaction in Luna’s case, to literal open-mouthed shock in Celestia and Spike’s. She silently tsked at them, her lungs being too otherwise occupied to spare the oxygen for such a noise. She had taught Spike better than to stare, and Princess Celestia had always impressed on her the impropriety of such gawking. She was likewise disappointed in Luna, who it seemed had still not shaken her nasty habit of, as Spike would say, 'rubbing it in.'. Given her…extended lifespan*, it was unlikely she would ever shake the habit, but Twilight could hope.

As Cadence advanced on her and pressed her against the dark wood beside the hearth’s brickwork, their mouths never breaking contact except to take in short, hurried gasps of much-needed air, Twilight next wondered why her parents were staring at her so strangely. Her mother was lightly dabbing her eyes with a hoofkerchief she had summoned from the dining table, another seasonal addition to the study brought out only during private holiday parties, and her father was pumping his hoof in the air and mouthing ‘two-for-two’. Beside them, neatly tucked under one of Luna's wings, Shining Armor was making every effort to shield his eyes with his hooves.

As she began to shape the first syllable of a question about her family’s odd behavior, and a scolding for Spike to close his mouth, lest he invite flies, she paused. Her mouth was not answering her commands, and a brief flash of panic lanced down her spine as she ran a mental checklist of possible causes. In rapid succession she ruled out stroke, neurological trauma, magical puppeteering, mind control spells, and an implanted forced suggestion which left only—

‘Wait.’

Was—sweet Celestia’s gloriously undyed beard—she was!

Princess Cadence was kissing her!

Princess Cadence, the Princess of Love, Twilight’s lifelong best friend, Rustler’s six-year-running Hottest Mare in Equestria and Beyond, and the literal mare of her dreams was kissing her like she was trying to suck the air out of a wooden carriage wheel!

As Twilight’s wings, of their own accord as she lacked the coherency to blink much less control extremities, spread out to caress the literally award-winning pink flanks, Twilight realized that she and Cadence had far exceeded the normal quick, awkward peck that was typical for holiday mistletoe kisses. It wasn’t a peck, it certainly wasn’t a smooch: it was full-throttle, no-holds-barred snogging.

Confused, inexperienced, and not entirely convinced she wasn’t in the middle of yet another Cadence-centric dream that would force her to sneak downstairs and wash her sheets before Spike woke up, Princess Twilight Sparkle made up her mind:

Cadence was delicious, and Hearth’s Warming Eve was by far her favorite holiday.

---

*When around mares with the power to control the heavens themselves, one learns very quickly to never comment on their advanced age.

3905188 Thank you for the link. And that picture wouldn't happen to be from Santa Slays would it?

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I believe so, yes. Seemed appropriate at the time.

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Short...prompts? Was ist das? I only write perfect length prompts, which by extension - ba dum tish - increase the collab's overall length and girth.