"Cadence! I´m so happy to see you!"

"Me too Twilight."

"I´m surprised you could make the time to visit me," Twilight said while Cadence entered the library, nodding the pegasus who pulled her royal carriage to wait for her.

"I can still take a day off to visit my favourite filly. Did you get the fairy-tale book I asked you in my letter?"

"Sure, Spike has it. Spike. Spike! Ugh, he must be upstairs."

And upstairs he was, crying on his bed while holding the book.

"Please Spike, it´s just a fairy tale."

"Is not! This is the greatest romance story ever written! The tragic love between Emerald Bright, the crystal pony, and Broken Fang, the dragon. Their love was pure but they got separated when the kingdom disappeared. It´s so saaaaaad!" he cried a bucket, quite literally.

"Please, I don´t know how you can get so emotional with the story of a sparkling pony, Spike. Um, no offense Cadence." Twilight said, blushing.

"None taken and hope you don´t get offend but I´m afraid I can´t stay for lunch," Cadence said, levitating the book away from Spike.

"Why?"

"I need to travel to the Badlands?"

"The Badlands? The most dangerous place in Equestria, home territory of the dragons? Why do you want to go there? Does Shining know what you´re planning to do?" Cadence waited for Twilight to catch some air and simply patted her shoulder before heading for the door. "...Spike! Get your things, we´re going out!"

***

During the journey towards the desert land, Cadence avoided most of Twilight´s questions, her attention focused on a cloaked pony that was already waiting in the carriage.

"Twilight, what do you think of my aunt?" she finally asked.

"Princess Celestia? She is the most wonderful pony of all, she is the whole reason I began to study magic."

"And you think she can handle any problem? That she is all-powerful?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean she is probably the most powerful pony in the land..." Twilight said, a little unsure.

"And yet she failed to rid her sister of the evil that corrupted her. That was you and your friends. And she couldn't deal with Discord when he returned and was defeated but the Changeling Queen..."

"Stop it Cadence!" Spike and the cloaked pony jumped in surprise by how loud Twilight was.

"Calm down Twilight. I´m not insulting my aunt. I just want you to realize that sometimes, there are things that not even a princess can handle," and she placed her hoof on the cloaked pony, comforting her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Twilight asked.

"Just keep that in mind on the future."

The carriage finally landed in the middle of a rocky field, next to a canyon. As they talk towards it Cadence said

"You made fun of that story but I recall it was one of your favourite bedtime stories, Twilight."

"Is that so?" Spike said, causing Twilight to blush once again.

"It was also one of my favourites. My aunt used to read me that story all the time. She said that it was important that I remember it, that I have to keep the story alive. I didn´t understand at first but now I realize why is important to keep it alive," they reached the border of the canyon and a dragon jumped to confront them.

The guards were ready but Cadence order them to stay behind. The cloaked pony walked forward and removed her cover, revealing to be a crystal pony with an emerald mane. The dragon came forward showing he had a broken tooth.

"Because sometimes even fairy tales can be truth and we must never forget them." Cadence said as the pony and the dragon, separated for a thousand years, embraced, finally reunited.