The short, multicolored curls of Empress Cadance's bob-cut mane spilled out across the pillow in waves that were between regal and cascading, despite their short length. She listened to the sound of icy winds outside, whooshing through the streets of her Empire, and she whistled along with the haunting melody, although softly. Her tune was merrier than the sound of the storm outside; she'd no doubt picked it up from one of the many mead halls in the Empire.

The storm was not a savage one, but Cadance knew that when it stopped there would be shoveling, snowball fights, and cocoa stands up. Ponies would be talking in the streets or watching the snow fall from windows. School time for foals would be delayed because of the morning's snowfall.

Cadance smiled a little at the thought of foals, and like the snow outside her thoughts drifted. First, they briefly went to her tiara, which rested on the nearby nightstand, but the flurry quickly strayed, this time to the castle. She thought of mornings, of a table of three and breakfasts of things both Equestrian in nature, like pancakes, and more native Crystalline meals.

Mostly, she thought of Skyla among the dripping sounds of the room. The Princess of the slowly growing Crystal Empire had been so for over fifty years, growing into a capable mare who aided Cadance in her rule.

Lying there, still trying to blink away sleep, Cadance smiled a bit wider, and the gesture was still soft from sleep. Skyla would be up right now, already seeing to the first of her royal duties, and sneaking in a few extra bits of preening when nopony was watching on this cold, slow, sleepy morning.

Sunlight was already slipping through the window, not longer dancing like it used to, but that was not much of a surprise when Cadance thought of who was raising it. Instead, she let her early morning thoughts drift back to her daughter, who could fly through the snow with an impressive strength for a pegasus - one of the few who lived this far north - and had a sharp mind instead of magic. By the time she had been a teenager, Princess 'Skyla' Somber Skies had been the one speaking over the advisor, Silver Lining, on matters about the home she loved as much as any crystal pony.

Yes, Skyla would be done with breakfast now. She was such a good girl, sort of. There was always a scheming, coy, and manipulative side to her that so many Equestrians found off-putting when facing the cool, reserved, yet sociable princess. She was very unlike her mother, with a small smirk-ish smile as smooth as her voice, a cool demeanor, occasional snide quip, and an impressive record of all the little deeds she saw you do when you weren't watching - and, of course, Skyla knew what she could get out of everything.

The damn filly was already a proper politician long before she got her cutie mark and everypony who never knew better - like the aunt she never grew close to - thought she would be a mane stylist like her friend Qilin, who she'd lead off on this little scheme and that.

And she grew up, standing with a quiet pride next to her brave, honorable, funny, level-headed father, whose love of his family was an almost amusing contrast to the vague, quiet arrogance that his daughter possessed. How she, the filly with thick tresses of stormy, dark gray-blue pinned away from her face with a unique and skillfully arranged collection of mane clips grew to only have a slim build like her bubbly, outgoing, and cheerful demigod mother that had yet to look like she ... and who really didn't want to get out of bed right now, and only just managed to reach up with a forehoof and rub the sleep from her lavender eyes.

She gave a small yawn, and gave the radiant ceiling mosaic one last look - the sun's light was playing across it nicely - and carefully sat up. The array of dripping sounds had been like a clock ticking through the night, though the I.V. hadn't had the same rhythm.

Carefully, Cadance pulled her purple mantle closer around her, shivering slightly. Some days still made her long for the southern nation she once called home, but only a little. One day Equestria stopped being her home, even if it never stopped being Shining Armor's. He was the All-Equestrian Colt still, but her heart was the Crystal Empire's.

The hospital room had a subtle luster; the crystal floors and walls reflected faint silhouette in their facets, and Cadance was able to glimpse her form in blurs of pink. The rest of the room was shown in gleams and smudges of reflections in soothing hues: rose, purple, and blue were the predominant colors. Reflections of silver metal frames from the hospital bed could be glimpsed as well, next to the few pieces of art hanging up.

In them were figures familiar to the Crystal Ponies - the legends of their heritage, now revived, were vividly captured in watercolors. Within the plain frames, painted in pastels were the distant and simplified visages of Crystalline Alicorns, immortals of the past so unlike the fabled mortal Empress who viewed their modern rendition with sleepy eyes.

No Equestrian bred resident other than Cadance herself would recognize what these figures were supposed to represent. However, ax-bearing crystal ponies with painted forms and chain mail were heroes known to many. Cadance knew them better once, when then-young Skyla told her dear mother what she thought of the stories her father read her - Cadance always was up late, or asleep early - and how he could name every champion. She was the one who recounted the tales of fearsome boats and the mysterious, shadowy tales of the equally enigmatic Ouroboros, a serpent of shadow doomed to control the Empire, as said by the departed prophet-Alicorn queen Ezmeralda.

Even now, Cadance thought there were better things to talk about over breakfast than apocalyptic fantasies, and was usually quick agree with Shining Armor about hoofball, ice archery, hockey, and other things that only held so much of her attention. Those were years she treasured.

Cadance brought a forehoof to her mussed mane and yawned. Loudly. She stretched her wings gingerly but thoroughly, not wanting to disturb her husband slumbering beside her. No matter how late he'd started waking, he still needed his rest with such frequent hospital visits.

"Shiny?" Cadance whispered, reaching out a youthful pink foreleg to better maneuver under the blankets to prod the shape of a sleeping stallion, whose century-old white coat had faded a bit, and battle scars from old conflict marked his withers, sides, and legs. "You awake yet?"

A tale of blue streaked with a lot of gray swiped out from under the covers.

In response, a smile spread across Cadance's face. "Still sleepy?"

A leg kicked out from the covers, playfully and a bit clumsily. Feebly, too.

Another tug of the mantle again. It wasn't cold now, Cadance just liked the royal purple garment. "Alright, if you're going to be so stubborn, maybe I won't be getting you any scrambled eggs with your breakfast."

And from under the hospital bed's blankets was a groan. "Cady," a tired voice rasped, "you wouldn't, would you, dear?"

Cadance's smile remained and she wasted no time in leaning forward to wrap the blanketed figure in a hug. Her mantle fell over the sterile, wrinkled blankets that had been crinkled by Shining's movement. "I'll get us the biggest, best breakfasts, yo! The nurses say that the pancakes here are good, and we're only going to be here for two weeks this time, Shiny!"

Cadance beamed at him.

Shining Armor, prince of the Crystal Empire, snored a little, but managed a yawn that Cadance's many years of marriage to him had taught her the meaning of: It's Saturday, Cady. Lemme sleep.

She did, lit her horn with blue aura, and was careful to close it quietly on her way out.

Author's Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_UdwZ7ZU1E

Chapter 1/3