Shining Armor Hates(?) Anon - Prologue

The castle at Canterlot has been silent for several hours; the stonework illuminated by the light of a waning moon with the only sounds being the quiet breathing of the breeze and the occasional rush of leathery wings from outside. Inside the palace, all is still as the entire garrison enjoyed a well deserved rest.

Well, except for one.

Princess Cadence sighs as she turns about and begins marching down the hall. She can almost see a thin, worn line beginning to develop as she follows the familiar path. With a shake of her head, she pauses in front of an uncovered window and leans out into the night.

The pink pony’s hooves dangle loosely out over the lip of the window sill as she watches the world below. Canterlot, that great city, is still bustling with life and light. Faint sounds of music reach the Princess’ ears, but the familiar tune does little to lighten her mood. As though feeling her displeasure the wind picks that very moment to blow, a chilly, biting breeze coming from the north. Before her eyes, a few strands of her mane begin to bend and dance in response, like a spring flower garden full of purple petals, accented by touches of lush rosy pink and quiet platinum.

At last the Princess smiles and leans forward, resting her muzzle on her hooves. Several minutes pass as she watches the town below, but even then she can see the lights beginning to go out. One by one, first at the fringes of the city, then in a steady spiral inward. Within an hour, only the center of town is still awake, and likely not for much longer.

After pushing herself away from the window Cadence begins to pace again, but when she reaches the end of the hall she pauses, her face contorted slightly in thought. When she resumes walking, she rounds the corner and makes her way towards her bedroom. The door opens and shuts without a creak as the Princess quickly moves to her table, the horn on top of her head lighting with a pale, blue glow.

From the other end of the room there’s a squeak of a drawer opening and the hiss of a match, the accompanying scent following shortly after. The slender flame floats to Cadence’s desk, dipping and lighting a pair of fat candles on either side. While the match quickly burns out, the wax guardians are quick to take up the fight, casting a gentle glow onto the determined face of the pink pony.

Following another set of creaks and squeaks, a quill finds its way into a bottle of ink on one side of the alicorn. From below the desk, a single sheet of paper rises and smoothes itself out on the open space, but Cadence doesn’t make any move to use them. Seconds tick by into minutes, and time slows to a crawl that they feel like hours. But at last, ruffling her feathers a few times, the Princess picks up her pen in her magical grip and begins to write; the quiet scratching sounds seeming far too loud to her own ears.

Darling,

Sitting down to write this letter is perhaps the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I have agonized for what feels like an eternity in my attempt to put pen to paper, afraid of what my words will mean. What truth will I find when I confront the secrets lurking in the dark corners of my heart?

I don’t think that I am unhappy; indeed I have led a blessed life up to this point. But I would like think I have been fair and just, but I have seen how they plan to record this story. Our story. In good conscience I cannot allow this tale to slip away into history unsaid. And so I have decided to write.

Taking a moment, Cadence sits on her haunches and looks over what she’s written so far. Her eyes flit from one corner of the parchment to another before a slow, sad smile spreads across her lips. Squirming against the cold castle floor, she picks up the quill and continues.

There is no guarantee that you will ever receive these thoughts of mine; I may find the very act to be cathartic enough to set my heart at ease. This is my hope, that I may write  and upon completion examine the tale and find it acceptable. If so, then I will place it somewhere safe for the rest of eternity, never to be seen again. Part of me knows that if you read this, it will challenge a great deal about what you know regarding the hectic events of that fateful year. This is my primary concern; I do not wish to burden you with this knowledge but it must be recorded so that our story does not fall by the wayside.

So, should this letter should it ever find its way to you either through providence or an active role on my part, I would like to make one thing perfectly clear:

Love is boundless; it goes far beyond what you simply feel in your heart. Love is felt with your entire body from head to tail. Love does not come once, but many, many times over, so when I say “I loved”, please do not assume that in someway devalues what I mean when you hear those words from me. Love, by its very nature, is meant to be held between many and can never run out.

Another pause as the Princess glances underneath her desk. A pile of unused paper lays waiting for her, enough that she might be able to tell her story in one sitting. She hopes.

With that said, I would ask that you be patient with me as I have a great deal to tell you and I have a tendency to ramble sometimes. Because of your position, you know better than I what is being said officially about this fateful year, but I would wager that much of this you will be hearing for the first time. As a result, it feels only proper to begin my tale with a fitting opening.

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was a Human; the only one of his kind in the world. No one knew where this man had come from or how he might return, but he was not disheartened and kept his eyes on the future. The man’s name was Anonymous, and he was serving the Canterlot Guard during the return of Discord…