Princess Cadance

Princess Cadance is an Alicorn pony who is first featured in the season two finale A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1 alongside Shining Armor, her husband (after the season 2 finale). She is Twilight Sparkle's foal-sitter in Twilight's flashback, and she becomes her sister-in-law after marrying Shining Armor in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2. Various promotional materials, including a New York Times ad, A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1's Hubworld, iTunes, and Netflix summaries, the back cover of the DVD Royal Pony Wedding, and the home page of Treehouse TV's Royal Wedding Contest site, state that she is the niece of Princess Celestia, and the chapter book Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell specifies that Celestia adopted her as a niece. A blurb on one of the toy sets featuring Cadance says that she and Shining Armor "lead the Crystal Empire together!" Indeed, a background pony proclaimed her as "The Crystal Princess!" at the end of The Crystal Empire - Part 2.

Production and development
Lauren Faust was involved in the inception of the story in which this Princess first appears. At that point in development, she was not designed as an Alicorn, and Faust was surprised to see her as such; the decision was made after she was no longer working on the show. Faust intended Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to be the only Alicorns. Like the other two princesses, Cadance is called a unicorn in the series, despite having both a unicorn horn and Pegasus wings.

Name
Cadence is a musical term of Italian origin meaning a musical progression or configuration that concludes a phrase, or more generally, a rhythm. The term may also refers to the rhythm made by a horse's gait.

The spelling "Cadence" is used in the credits of the first two episodes of season 3 and in some publicity material, while the later variation "Cadance" is used in the credits of the second-to-last episode of season 3 and near-exclusively and prominently in publicity material and all products, one of which used "Cadence" in a promotional photo but used "Cadance" in its actual release. Prior to the episodes' airing, a New York Times ad gave Cadance's full title as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, mi amore cadenza being Italian for my love cadence. Twilight Sparkle initially doesn't recognize this name as referring to Cadance, who is a close friend of hers, when she reads the wedding invitation in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1.

Cutie mark
Cadance's cutie mark switches between two different designs throughout A Canterlot Wedding. The cutie mark, a crystal heart, is sometimes depicted with a single mirror-like facet at its center, and sometimes with multiple facets around its center. The Cadance toys use the single-facet version, embedded in a gilded decorated frame. Her cutie mark bears a strong resemblance to the Crystal Heart from The Crystal Empire - Parts 1 and 2. In The Crystal Empire - Part 2, when she holds the crystal heart, her cutie mark glows as if surrounded by her magic.

Wedding invitation
Cadance is first mentioned by Twilight Sparkle in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1 when Twilight reads aloud the wedding invitation sent to her from Princess Celestia. Twilight is invited to "the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and... [her] brother", Shining Armor. Twilight immediately resents the situation for not being told about it personally by her brother, and doesn't recognize the name "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza". When Twilight gets to Canterlot and confronts her brother about the wedding, he tells her that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadance, her old foalsitter, and Twilight gleefully calls her "the greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters" then goes on to praise her as "beautiful", "caring", and "kind" in her voice-over of a flashback of her childhood where she is foal-sat by Cadance.

Twilight's flashback
Twilight's flashback depicts Cadance as caring, kind and fun-loving. She greets a young Twilight with a hug, bandages her and wipes her tears when she's hurt, plays with her on a swing-set, tells Twilight she feels lucky to be her foal-sitter, and does a little song-and-dance with her. Twilight's voice-over says Cadance spreads love wherever she goes, while a brief scene shows Cadance casting a spell that quells an argument between two ponies. Twilight mentions in the flashback that Cadance is a princess, while she sees herself as "just a plain ol' unicorn".

Impostor Cadance
Immediately after the flashback, Cadance joins Twilight and Shining Armor. Twilight enthusiastically greets her with the song-and-dance from the flashback, but Cadance coldly rebuffs her. Throughout the episode, Cadance raises Twilight's suspicions with her "demanding", "totally insincere", and "rude" behavior, as she tells her friends. She tries to broach the subject to Shining Armor, but Cadance interrupts before they have a chance to talk and takes Shining Armor into another room. Twilight, peeking through the door, sees Cadance casting a spell on Shining Armor. Concluding that Cadance is "downright evil", she runs off.

Twilight later confronts Cadance at the wedding rehearsal, in front of Princess Celestia and the rest of the attendants. After Cadance runs away from the rehearsal in distress, Shining Armor angrily explains that the spell Cadance used on him was meant to ease his chronic headaches. He excuses Cadance's behavior as stress from the wedding preparations and tells Twilight that she shouldn't show up at the wedding at all. Rebuked, Twilight is left alone to regret her accusation in a short reprise of the song B.B.B.F.F. Cadance returns and at first looks down compassionately at Twilight. Then her eyes shine green, her face becomes cruel and she encircles Twilight in green flames, which pull her into the ground as the episode ends.

The real Cadance
The story resumes with A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2. Underground, in "the caves beneath Canterlot", the imposter Cadance taunts Twilight through apparitions in the caves' crystals. She tells Twilight that the caves are the ideal place to keep those who try to interfere with her plans. Twilight attacks the apparitions with blasts of magical energy from her horn, and eventually breaks open a passage to find a scuffed and scared Cadance who almost immediately recognizes Twilight and tells her she's been imprisoned by the impostor Cadance. She does the song-and-dance from Twilight's flashback, proving her identity, and the two ponies warmly hug.

Cadance and her impostor share a song sequence, This Day Aria, with Cadance and Twilight making their way out of the caves while the impostor prepares for the wedding and begins the wedding ceremony. After the song, Twilight and Cadance are confronted by the three former bridesmaids Lyra, Minuette and Twinkleshine, who block their way out of the caves. The scene cuts to the impostor and Shining Armor almost completing their wedding ceremony, when Twilight and Cadance interrupt the wedding, and a brief flashback shows Cadance throwing a small bouquet to distract the bridesmaids. Cadance declares that the impostor is a changeling, and the impostor reveals herself as queen of the changelings, who is named Queen Chrysalis in the episode's script but not on-screen. Cadance charges the queen, but backs off when the queen threatens to send her back to the caves. Princess Celestia tries to overpower the queen with her magic, but is defeated, surprising everyone, including the Changeling Queen. Celestia sends Twilight and her friends to get the Elements of Harmony, but they are captured by the Changeling Queen's minions and brought back to the wedding hall, where Celestia is imprisoned in a cocoon and Cadance's hooves are glued to the floor.

Love conquers all
Twilight takes the opportunity, when the queen is preoccupied, to free Cadance so she can reunite with Shining Armor, and her magic snaps him out of his trance. Shining Armor tries to perform a spell to repel the changelings, but he doesn't have the strength to repel them. Cadance tells Shining Armor that her love will give him strength, and their magic spreads outward and repels all the changelings and their queen off into the horizon.

Twilight and her friends help Cadance put together her wedding, with arrangements meeting her enthusiastic approval, and Shining Armor jokes that Cadance agreed to marry him after he told her she'd be gaining Twilight as her sister. At the wedding, Celestia proclaims that the power of Cadance and Shining Armor's love is undeniable, and pronounces them "mare and colt". The couple look onto the castle courtyard and wave to the cheering crowds, then kiss.

After a wedding reception montage, Cadance and Shining Armor enter their chariot and Cadance tosses a bouquet, which Rarity violently catches. The happy couple then ride off into the night, presumably going on their honeymoon.

The Crystal Empire
Princess Cadance first appears in season three in the episode The Crystal Empire - Part 1. When Twilight Sparkle and her friends arrive at the Crystal Empire to help Shining Armor and Princess Cadance protect the empire from King Sombra, they find Cadance in the throne room overlooking the empire. She is using her magic to power a protective barrier to fend off King Sombra, and looks haggard and weary. However, at the sight of Twilight, her close friend and new sister-in-law, she eagerly runs to her and recites their childhood chant. She tells Twilight that one day they should get together when the "fate of Equestria isn't hanging in the balance".

Shining Armor explains to the ponies that Cadance hasn't slept and barely eats because she must constantly use her magic to "spread love and light" and defend the empire. She cannot go on like that forever, so Twilight Sparkle and her friends must find another way to protect the empire. They set up a Crystal Faire to help the Crystal Ponies recall their rich history and culture, and all seems to be going well until the friends realize that the heart-shaped crystal serving as the centerpiece of the Faire is supposed to be a genuine artifact called the Crystal Heart. When Twilight notifies the royal couple of this disheartening discovery, Cadance reassures Twilight but suddenly collapses in Shining Armor's arms, gasping for air. Holes start appearing in the magical shield, and King Sombra's black smoke billows into the vulnerable empire.

The next episode continues where the previous episode left off. As Sombra advances ever nearer to the empire's center, Shining Armor supports Cadance and exchanges a tender glance with her. She straightens up and recreates the magical shield, blocking Sombra's advance and slicing off the tip of his horn. This close call reminds the other ponies that they must find and restore the real Crystal Heart. As Sombra launches his second invasion, Twilight and Spike eventually locate the Crystal Heart at the top of the castle's central tower, but Sombra sees their progress and traps Twilight in an encirclement of crystals. Spike begins the long descent down the tower, precariously holding the heart, when Sombra charges right at him.

Seeing this, Shining Armor lifts Cadance on his back. Cadance opens her eyes and sees a bright blue light falling towards King Sombra riding on a black crystal. She stretches out her wings and Shining Armor throws her at the Crystal Heart. She flies fast enough to intercept both the Crystal Heart and Spike in the nick of time, leaving Sombra dumbfounded. Levitating the Crystal Heart before her and carrying Spike on her back, she flies over the astonished Crystal Ponies. One of them cries, "Behold! The Crystal Princess!" She lands amidst the ponies and proclaims:

"The Crystal Heart has returned. Use the light and love within you to ensure that King Sombra does not."

- Princess Cadance

The Crystal Ponies smile and kneel before their princess as they become more translucent and resplendent than ever. Their combined power defeats Sombra once and for all, and the Crystal Empire is saved. She later walks with Shining Armor and the main cast to the train.

Games Ponies Play
Princess Cadance is mentioned by Fluttershy in the episode Just for Sidekicks, and returns in the episode Games Ponies Play. She invites Twilight and her friends to Crystal Empire so they can welcome the Equestria Games Inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny. When the six arrive, Rarity offers to stand in for the absent hairdresser, attempting to style Cadance's mane in a traditional crystal headdress. Cadance also teaches Twilight a way to manage her stress. Rarity makes a mistake, and Cadance's mane turns out to be a mess. By the time Cadance's mane is fixed, she learns Twilight and her friends mistook a tourist, Ms. Peachbottom, for the Games Inspector. Ms. Harshwhinny at first seems outraged at not having received a proper welcome, but then adds that Ms. Peachbottom told her about the warm welcome she received, and that she has decided that the Crystal Empire will host the Equestria Games after all.

Magical Mystery Cure
Princess Cadance makes a brief appearance in Magical Mystery Cure, attending Twilight's coronation. She wears her crystal hair style and dress from the previous episode. It was the first time she appeared in an episode with no lines. When Twilight came back in after her speech, Cadance's hair style was changed back to her regular one.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Cadance appears in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, greeting Twilight when she arrives at the Crystal Empire, and extolling her to recover her stolen crown. After Twilight returns, Cadance questions her on her shy reaction to bumping into Flash Sentry, asking her if she knows him.

Unlike most pony characters, no human counterpart of Cadance is seen in the mirror world.

Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell
Princess Cadance is featured in the chapter book Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell. The book tells the story of Twilight Sparkle after she'd been made an Alicorn and seeks advice on being a princess. She turns to Cadance, who tells her life story, how as a baby Pegasus she was found in the woods by Earth ponies, who took her to their village. When she grew up she reversed a love-stealing spell cast by a pony called Prismia. Prismia wore a magic-enhancing necklace that amplified her evil and jealousy, but when Cadance confronted her, the necklace amplified Cadance's love. Once Prismia changed her horrible ways, Cadance was surrounded by magical energy and transported to a strange place where she met Celestia, who adopted her as her royal niece.

Toys
Cadance is featured in a number of products, among them:
 * A "Pony Princess Wedding Castle" playset featuring a plastic castle, a Shining Armor playful pony, and a Princess Cadance Playful Pony.
 * A playset with Shining Armor and Princess Cadance Fashion Style ponies, which states the couple "lead the Crystal Empire together".
 * A large talking Princess Cadance toy that says phrases when you press her cutie mark.
 * A Princess Cadance miniature figurine which comes as part of the fifth wave of mystery packs with a collector card that states that she "loves tiaras" in its European release and that she "likes to spend time helping others" in its American release.
 * As part of the Miniature Collection, Princess Cadance is included in a pack with Shining Armor and Twilight, this version is closer to the show model than the mystery pack version and is shown on the right.
 * A 3-pack that comes with normal sized Princess Luna, normal sized Princess Celestia, and Cadance. They are brush-able, and come with a few accessories.
 * A Playful Ponies pack with Twilight Sparkle and accessories as a part of the Crystal Empire toyline.

Trading cards
Princess Cadance is listed as possessing a seventh Element of Harmony, Love, in the 2012 My Little Pony trading cards. The element is also attributed to Shining Armor; the initial release additionally lists it as his pet.

My Little Pony mobile game description
Also known as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle's former foal-sitter is married to Shining Armor.

Quotes
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

- Multiple episodes

"How could I forget the filly I love to sit for the most?"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"My love will give you strength."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"One of these days, we need to get together when the fate of Equestria isn't hanging in the balance."

- The Crystal Empire - Part 1

"The Crystal Heart has returned! Use the light and love within you to ensure that King Sombra does not!"

- The Crystal Empire - Part 2

"There are my girls."

- Games Ponies Play