After the Swamp Fever scare with Rumble, things quieted down in Ponyville for quite a while. Shining Armor took advantage of the opportunity to move back to the Crystal Empire. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to be away from his family for long. Since Flurry Heart was getting to the point where she could now start to walk a little and even spout something besides gurgles and coos, he didn't want to miss any major developments in her life. "Seems like only yesterday Twily was as young as Flurry is now. And now look at her, all grown up and living her own life with her own friends," He thought to himself. "Man, I'm getting old!"
Of course the prince had to get used to waking up in the middle of the night to tend to Flurry, which often meant changing her diapers or soothing her upset stomach. "One thing's for sure," He could be heard to say. "I can't wait to leave this phase of growing up behind. Long live the age of the lavatory!" He even started consulting some books on that crucial development phase known as potty training. He'd been down that bumpy road with Twilight, and he'd seen how it had driven his parents crazy. This time he was going to be prepared, even if that phase wasn't for another year and a half at least.
Then one morning, as Shining was sipping his morning coffee (to counter the effects of another sleepless night of tending to Flurry) and Cadence was busy feeding Flurry her Mashed Peas, a small letter suddenly appeared before the alicorns. Shining carefully grabbed it in his magic before his daughter could get any ideas, and scanned it over. When he'd finished reading it his eyes lit up like a Hearth's Warming Tree! "Cadence, you are NEVER gonna believe this!" He exclaimed! "Twily just wrote to me! She says Mom and Dad just won a free zeppelin cruise, and they're going to take the whole family with them! Even Twilight and Spike are gonna come along!"
"That's terrific, dear," Cadence said with a smile. "But are you sure you want to go? You know you get air sick on long zeppelin cruises."
"I'm sure I'll be fine, just so long as I can cast the necessary spells to keep it under control," Shining retorted. "Celestia knows we could use a vacation after all we've been through."
Cadence nodded. "Not to mention, Flurry really needs to get out of the Crystal Empire and see other foals. There aren't very many on her level around here. And as much as I appreciate you turning into a foal sometimes, the last thing this place needs is another little one running around and causing chaos."
Shining blushed. "I'm not that bad, Cadence. My parents say I was extremely well behaved as a foal. Twily was the wild one."
Cadence just winked. "That last mess in the nursery says otherwise."
"It's not my fault Flurry doesn't know how to change a diaper," Shining playfully whined as his blush grew brighter. "I was trying to show her how. I just didn't anticipate my tiny hooves being so clumsy."
"Whatever you say, dear." Cadence cooed at her husband.
The very next day, Shining Armor and Cadence were standing at the dock in Canterlot, waiting to board the zeppelin. Twilight and Spike were already there, as were Twilight and Shining Armor's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
When the ramp was rolled down, all the passengers made their way up to the zeppelin one by one. The Sparkle family was no exception, and Flurry Heart was safely in tow in her transportable mini-cradle.
"Oh gee," Twilight Velvet said to herself in a giddy tone of voice. "It'll be so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot, and my writing desk. I am really looking forward to a nice, relaxing vacation."
Night Light laughed and whispered to his children. "Watch out. She'll never admit it, but when my darling Velvet here says 'Relaxing Vacation' she really means doing something crazy. Last time she ended up bungee jumping over Luna Bay, go figure. And I hear what she's really looking forward to most, is a barrel ride at Neighra Falls. But you can't help who you fall in love with."
"What was that, hun?" Velvet innocently called.
Night Light quickly responded to his wife. "Oh uh... I was just telling the kids about my new bingo strategy book, it's a... real heck of a page turner, you know." Then he gave a knowing wink to his children, who said nothing more on the matter.
"I'm just glad I finally get the chance to see my favorite niece," Spike cooed as he tickled Flurry Heart with a claw. "Isn't that right, Flurry Heart? You love seeing your uncle Spikey Wikey, don't you?" Flurry just babbled and cooed in response.
Twilight couldn't help but snicker. "You're actually going through with this, B.B.B.F.F? I seem to remember you getting airsick on Admiral Fairweather's Wild Ride at Pony Island in Manehattan."
"Twily, you promised not to tell!" Shining whined, before he realized his mistake and hastily tried to correct himself. "Er, I mean... I don't know what you're talking about. I do not get airsick."
"Whatever you say, Shining." Twilight said with a wink.
Cadence decided it was best to change the subject. "I'm just looking forward to the Peewee Princess Playtime, Flurry's finally going to have a chance to meet some foals on her level," She commented. "Thanks again for finding out about it, Twilight. You've really done your research."
Twilight beamed with pride. "It's what I do. Although, come to think of it, the whole cruise seems to have a really weird prince/princess theme to it."
"You don't suppose that's just a coincidence, do you?" Spike pondered as they all stepped onboard the zeppelin, mere moments before it was set free from its moorings and departed Canterlot for the open skies.
"Come to think of it, I don't remember what kind of contest we entered that mentioned a zeppelin cruise as the grand prize," Night Light commented as the group made its way to the suite provided for them. "But as my darling Velvet likes to say 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth'."
Velvet nodded. "Exactly. When somepony offers you a free zeppelin cruise, you just sign on the dotted line and don't ask questions. Besides, royalty is always a popular theme among vacation enterprises. Who wouldn't want to feel like royalty for a day?"
"You'd be surprised at how much work goes into being a princess," Cadence cautiously replied. "Or a prince for that matter. Sometimes I really wonder how my aunts put up with it all every day. If it weren't for Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle my responsibilities day after day."
Shining smiled and pecked his wife on the cheek. "That's so nice of you to say, Cadence. You always know just what to say to make everypony feel better. No wonder you're the princess of love."
Now it was Cadence's turn to blush. "Oh stop it, not in front of Flurry Heart! She's just a foal for Celestia's sake!"
"Oh come on, Cadence," Shining teased. "She's seen her parents sweet talk each other before, why should this time be any different?"
Just then, the loudspeaker blared to life. "Hey there, cruise ponies!" An energetic, male sounding voice could be heard shouting. "This is your captain speaking! Don't let this cruise be a bore, why not leave your room and see the tour? Tours are starting in less than five minutes. Better hurry and get in line now if you want to see the sights of Canterlot!"
"Good," Twilight smiled as she pulled out a long piece of parchment from her saddle bag. "That fits perfectly with the schedule I made for everyone! We've got some time to kill before the bingo tournament, which is princess themed if you can believe it."
"Ah, bingo," Night Light fondly sighed. "I just love how the numbers and letters are so organized in their neat little columns. There aren't enough bingo tournaments in Canterlot as far as I'm concerned. Foals these days, always obsessed with Ogres and Oubliettes or Dragon Pit. Just give me a bingo card any day and I'm golden."
However, when the group left their suite and joined the tour, they were shocked to discover that all the ponies in the tour group were decked out in prince and princess grab. Some even wore masks and crowns that loosely resembled Shining Armor and Cadence.
"The whole cruise is prince and princess themed!" Shining Armor and Cadence realized together! "And it's modeled after us!"
"That explains things like Princess Bingo and Peewee Princess Playtime," Twilight realized! "How could I have overlooked something so obvious?!"
Velvet gulped. "It's all my fault! I should've read the fine print! How many times do I hear other ponies saying that, and now I can see why."
"It's not your fault, hun," Night Light apologized as he put a hoof around his wife. "We're both guilty of singing on to something before we even knew what it involved. I should've realized there was a catch for a free zeppelin cruise."
"Well whoever sent you the paperwork is about to wish they never had!" Shining declared as he stomped a hoof down in protest. "I'm going to find the captain of this here airship and let him know just what I think of his little marketing scheme! No one tricks my family and gets away with it!"
Before anyone could stop him, the prince stormed his way up to the captain's quarters and threw open the door. "Okay, you!" He hissed. "What's the big idea?! What do you think you're trying to accomplish by selling a zeppelin cruise to my family, just so my wife and I can be a part of your marketing scheme?!"
The ship captain spun around, revealing himself to be a unicorn stallion of medium build. He sported a gleaming white coat, a dark blue mane and tail styled into waves, eyes that seemed an innocent ruby red in color, and a cutie mark depicting an anchor. He was decked out in a white captain's hat and matching uniform that had blue on the sleeves. "Oh my," The stallion spoke up in what sounded like an innocent tone of voice. "Whatever are you talking about, prince? I thought your family willingly signed on?"
"Don't try to act innocent with me, Captain," Shining hissed. "My parents got a flyer saying they'd won a free zeppelin cruise and they signed it in eagerness. But you conveniently forgot to mention what it involved, that it was modeled after my wife and I, the newest alicorns of the royal family. All so you could market a royalty cruise to the masses!"
The captain appeared to be shocked at the allegations if the wide eyes and jaw dropping open were any indication. "Really? Is that why you've here? But I thought you..." Then a thought struck him and he gasped! "Oh dear! Well... this is quite the unfortunate pickle!" He then offered his hoof to the prince. "I'm Captain Iron Anchor, but you can just call me Captain Anchor. This is my first time as captain on Canterlot Cruise Lines, the company I used to work for got bought out just after the Storm King's invasion. There were... rumors, totally unfounded I might add... that my company had secretly supplied airships to the Storm King's forces. When in truth they were simply old models discarded and due to be cut up for scrap, and it seems the Storm King's army got a hold of them before then."
"And just what does that have to do with the nature of this cruise?" Shining demanded. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report you to the authorities and have this operation shut down?"
Captain Anchor explained. "I swear, it was never my intention to mislead anypony about the nature of this cruise. I specifically recall sending out a form asking your family for permission to use the royal image of you and your wife for a series of themed zeppelin cruises. It seems that somehow, that form got mixed up with the promotional flyers and one of them was sent to your parents instead. Somepony else must've mistaken their signature for a stamp of approval, and thus felt no need to contact either you or Princess Cadence," A sigh escaped his lips. "It seems I'll have to turn this ship around now and issue a refund to all the passengers, to say nothing of the legal challenges I'll surely face because of this slip up. I'm sure to be canned over this," He kicked the ground in frustration. "Can't I do anything right?!"
At that the prince stepped back, stricken with guilt. While it was possible this was all a tall tale made up by the captain to sound sympathetic, something deep inside told the alicorn that wasn't the case. Was it really fair of him to ruin everypony's fun because of an honest mistake, even one as big as this?
It was then that Shining got an idea in his head. "How about this, Captain Anchor?" He proposed. "I'll let this incident slide and allow you to use me however the nature of this cruise demands, but in return you have to let my family and I do the things we want to do. It's our cruise as well, and we want a chance to have a relaxing vacation without being hounded by autograph hounds."
Captain Anchor beamed and shook Shining's hoof. "Oh thank you, Prince Shining Armor! You really didn't have to do this! Be assured that I'll honor the deal as best I can! You have my word that the cruise passengers won't bother your family. And you only need to preside over a few activities here and there."
Shining soon returned to the suite to explain his decision to the others. They all took the news surprisingly well, even though Cadence had a noticeable frown on her face. "You really didn't have to do that, Shining Armor. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others. Don't forget, it's your vacation too."
"I know, Cadence, but I can't ruin everyone's happiness because of an honest mistake," Shining replied with a sigh. "If that means I have to make a bit of a public spectacle of myself so all of you can enjoy your vacation, it's a price I'm willing to pay. Besides, there's not much I actually need to do. Just a few appearances here and there will be enough, Captain Anchor said so."
Cadence still frowned. "You don't have to prove yourself, Shining. I know you still blame yourself for what happened during the Storm King's invasion, and you want to make up for it. But this isn't the way to go about it. You may be a prince, but you're also a loving husband, a caring older brother, and of course a very devoted father. Other ponies will understand, your needs are just as important as everyone else's."
Shining shook his head. "I put myself before others, Cadence, and we know what the end result was. I'm not about to repeat that mistake. So long as Captain Anchor upholds his end of the bargain, I'm honor bound to do the same with my end. The alternative would be to scrap the agreement and call off the cruise. I can't let that happen, not when everypony's been looking forward to what may be their only chance all year to get away from it all."
"Well then, I just hope you know what you're doing, Shining," Cadence unhappily sighed. "I'm going to go see about signing Flurry up for the Peewee Princess Playtime. But in the meantime, why don't you stay here with Velvet and maybe get Flurry to take a nap? Don't need her to get tired out in the middle of playtime."
The prince nodded. "I can do that, Cadence. I'm not needed for a good half an hour at least, and Captain Anchor promised to come get me when I'm scheduled to make a public appearance."
Soon, Shining and Velvet were alone in the suite with Flurry. Shining had taken Flurry out of her mini-cradle and was now gently rocking her back and forth in his hooves.
Velvet couldn't help but coo. "This really takes me back, you know. To when you and Twily were just little ones. You especially used to love playing with my mane, molding it into all kinds of funny shapes."
"And it seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Shining commented as he observed his daughter trying to do the same with his mane. "Now, Flurry, we don't play with other ponies manes."
Flurry babbled something, but seemed to understand what her father was asking her to do.
"Oh, would you look at that?" Velvet commented. "She's so well behaved around you. You could practically whistle and she'd obey."
"Well, she wasn't always like this. And sometimes it still seems like what I say goes in one ear and out the other," Shining replied to his mom. "Like right now, for example," Then he instructed. "Hey, Flurry, be a good little pony for Daddy and go to sleep, okay?"
Flurry stuck out her tongue and made a face.
"See what I mean?" The prince complained. "And don't get me started on diaper changes, she never wants to hold still."
The elder mare commented in observation. "Well I remember that when you and Twilight were Flurry's age, a bedtime story was just what you needed to fall asleep. I used to read you Daring Do, or tell you stories about Meghan and the Rainbow of Darkness."
"I think that's a little too advanced for Flurry," Shining remarked with a frown. "I need something more on her level. Something simple enough for her to understand, yet interesting and exciting enough to get her in the mood for a nap," Then his eyes lit up as realization struck him! "Of course, why didn't I think of it before?! The legends of the ancient ponies! I've heard the stories so many times, I know them like the back of my hoof!"
"You think Flurry will want to hear about the likes of Flash Magnus, Mistmane, and Rockhoof?" Velvet pondered. "I'm not so sure those are stories to be telling to little ones."
"And I suppose tales about evil creatures threatening to roll heads and enslave ponies are?" Shining arched an eyebrow upward. Velvet blushed, realizing she'd been beaten at her own game. And Shining just giggled. "That's what I thought," Then he turned his attention back to his infant daughter. "So, Flurry, you want to hear a story?" He asked her, and she babbled in response. "Well, how about I tell you the story of Flash Magnus?! He was Flash Sentry's great great grandfather, and he served in the royal legion under Commander Ironhead! In fact, this story I'm about to tell you, is how Flash earned his famous shield and cemented his reputation as the bravest soldier ever to serve in the legion." And this is how the story went:
It didn't take Flash Magnus long to build up quite the reputation in the royal legion. He wasn't quite reckless, but all the same he was young and eager to prove himself.
On more than one occasion, Commander Ironhead would have to warn the young soldier. "Don't try to rush headlong into battle, boy. The truly brave wait and survey the danger before they make their move. Only a fool charges in without realizing what awaits them."
Then one day, Flash Magnus tagged along with the Commander on a visit to the disputed territories on the border between Equestria and the dragon lands. When they arrived, there was trouble. The dragons had seized all the disputed lands, and the current dragon lord, Cinder, had made it clear ponies weren't to set one hoof into the territory.
Naturally, Commander Ironhead refused. "Those lands are not yours to take, Cinder!" He coldly hissed. "We've no intention of starting a conflict, but if you start one we'll gladly finish it!"
At that Cinder let out a roar! "You ponies are fools to challenge us dragons! You can't defeat us!" And he gave the order for the dragons accompanying him to attack!
Ironhead, Flash, and the rest of the legion members all split off and flapped their wings to try and escape. Flash, Ironhead, and Grimhoof all managed to meet back up. But two of their comrades weren't so lucky, they were captured and imprisoned.
"Commander, permission to launch a rescue mission for the cadets!" Flash Magnus spoke up.
Commander Ironhead shook his head. "Permission denied, Flash Magnus! This is a hostage situation, and the dragons hold the upper hand. We cannot risk the lives of our comrades for a personal vendetta."
"But sir, we can't abandon them! They're a part of the legion, and the legion never leaves a soldier behind!" Flash protested. "Please, Commander, allow me to try. I'm fast enough! I can be in and out of there before the dragons have a chance to react!"
"I won't risk an international incident for your personal glory, Flash," Commander Ironhead frowned. "Dragons are too dangerous to engage head on. I don't like the idea of having to leave the cadets behind, but we may have no choice. We need to retreat and think carefully about our situation. If we don't, we could be looking at a mass casualty situation."
Flash shook his head at the commander. "I'm sorry, sir, but I joined the Royal Legion because I wanted to make a difference! I told myself I'd never let anyone be put in harm's way if I could help it! And that's a promise I intend to keep! If you wish to court martial me for my disobedience, then do so! But regardless of circumstance, regardless of what the future may hold, I'm not leaving here until my fellow cadets are safe and sound!"
Commander Ironhead sighed. "You're quite persistent, Flash. You remind me of myself when I was your age. I suppose, so long as you know what you're doing, I'll look the other way this once on your rescue mission. But the next time you defy my orders, there will be consequences! Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes, Commander!" Flash saluted.
"One more thing before you go, Flash!" Commander Ironhead spoke up and held out a shield. "I'd like you to have this. It is said that this shield can withstand just about anything. It was supposedly wielded by Commander Hurricane himself on the battle field, and even the icy touch of the windigos couldn't put a scratch in this shield. If you use it wisely, it's yours to keep."
Flash beamed a bright smile. "Thank you, Commander! Now wish me luck!"
"You'll need far more than that, Flash Magnus!" Commander Ironhead cautioned and watched as the young recruit flew off to the rescue. "One of these days, you're going to be the death of me, kid." He sighed.
The shield was a big help to Flash, for it allowed him to block the fiery hot breaths of the dragons as they tried to no avail to halt his progress. He was able to eventually reach the cave, pick the lock, and free his captured comrades! "Follow me! I'll lead us to safety!" He called.
Of course, every wise pony knows that in a one on one race you can never out fly dragons. But you can out smart them, and that's just what Flash Magnus did. Flying about erratically and with no clear destination in mind, he was able to confuse the dragons that chased after him. They didn't realize until too late that the puny pony pipsqueak they'd dismissed earlier, had tricked them into a collision course with each other.
And when they bumped heads and were rendered dazed and confused, Flash took full advantage of the opportunity and quickly got the cadets out of there!
Even Commander Ironhead was impressed. "That was a very brave yet very gusty and almost reckless decision on your part, Flash Magnus," He cautioned. "You were lucky this time, but next time you might not experience the same results. All the same, you deserve praise for risking life and limb to save your fellow cadets. And for that, I'm proud to have you serve by my side from now on!"
"Thank you very much, Commander Ironhead, sir!" Flash Magnus saluted. "I won't let you down!"
"And from that day forward, Flash Magus was forever known as the hero of the royal legion," Shining finished telling his story. "He carried that shield with him wherever he went, until the day when he left on an unspecified mission and never returned. Even his shield seemed to disappear without a trace, but through the years and decades that followed, his legend only grew. To this day, Flash Magnus is considered a pillar of bravery. A pony who risked so much, even when he got so little in return."
The story had worked like a charm, Flurry was soundly asleep as her tiny body bobbed up and down with each breath. Shining lightly nuzzled her mane as he inserted her pacifier.
But just as the prince was hoping to have some solo time, Captain Anchor came trotting into the suite (by now Velvet had left to go explore the ship, and Night Light hadn't come back from the bingo tournament yet) and cleared his throat. "So sorry to disturb you, prince. But it's time for your first official appearance. You're needed to preside over the tiny boat races in the tiny pool. There's a total of ten races, and you're going to referee them all."
"Great, in a minute," Shining declared with a reluctant sigh, as he slowly got up. By now the spell he'd cast was beginning to wear off. But that was easily rectified with a glow of his horn. "Okay, ready," He said to the captain, before he turned his attention towards the sleeping form of his infant daughter. "But what about Flurry? I can't just leave her, but I also don't wanna wake her up."
Luckily, at that moment Cadence came trotting back into the suite. She had heard everything. "It's okay, dear. I'll watch over her. I signed Flurry up for the Peewee Princess Playtime, but it won't be for another hour and a half," Carefully plopping down next to her sleeping daughter, the princess of love then looked across to her husband and said to him. "Are you sure you want to do this? I know you were really looking forward to racing Twilight in the tiny boat races."
"Cadence, I already told you, what I want is unimportant," Shining protested. "I have to do this if I want to be a good prince, and set a good example. I gave my word, and I intend to keep it."
"You're already a good prince, Shining," Cadence sighed. "Your happiness is important too, don't forget that."
Captain Anchor simply spoke up and cleared his throat. "If you wouldn't mind, we need to get going. The tiny boat races will start at any minute!" And with that, he and the prince departed the suite.
Cadence couldn't help but frown as she watched her husband depart. "Sometimes you can make it so hard to love you, Shining." She thought to herself.
The tiny boat races took part in a small pool on the back end of the zeppelin, ponies had lined up for a mile long at least just to have a chance to compete in one of the ten races.
Twilight and Velvet were already there, and Twilight was most surprised to see her brother decked out in referee attire. "Hey, I thought you and I were gonna have a race," She frowned. "Did you chicken out?"
"Of course not," Shining shook his head. "I simply got drafted to be the referee instead. I'm sorry, sis. It looks like we'll have to find something else to do together."
But Velvet had an idea. "Shining, you owe your sister a tiny boat race. And you know you never break a promise," She trotted up to Captain Anchor and said to him. "How about I stand in for my son on this race, and he and his sister can race each other for an exhibition match?"
"I don't see why not." Captain Anchor nodded in approval, and then lifted the referee attire off of Shining and onto Velvet.
Shining simply slipped on a life jacket, and stepped into his tiny boat, as Velvet held a flag high above her head with her magic and said. "Racers: On your marks, get set, go!"
The Sparkle siblings took off without hesitation, but ultimately Twilight proved to be too fast for her brother and crossed the finish line before he had any hope of catching up! "Yes, I won!" Twilight proudly cheered! "Better luck next time, eh B.B.B.F.F?"
"What are you talking about, sis?" Shining playfully retorted as he stepped out of his boat. "I let you win. You know, air sickness and all that."
Twilight simply snickered. "Whatever you say, Shining. It's a good thing Cadence and Flurry weren't here to see me whip your sorry behind," Then in a friendlier tone she added. "Don't forget about the Northern Stars tonight, I've been looking forward to them since I found out our cruise will pass a prime viewing location for them at just the right time."
"Sounds cool, I guess," The prince commented in response. "But for now, I've got tiny boat races to referee. And then I think I'm just gonna go back to the suite and try to get some rest."
The boat races flew by lightning fast for Shining, but he was glad that when it was all over Captain Anchor agreed to let him go back to his suite. "You won't be needed again for another half hour or so," He told the prince. "Then you're gonna do a Q & A session on becoming an alicorn. Lots of ponies wanna know what it takes. And then, after we leave Neighra Falls, you're going to sign autographs."
"Just remember our deal, Captain," Shining advised. "My family isn't to be bothered during any of this."
Captain Anchor nodded in agreement. "I've kept my word so far, prince. Your father had a terrific time at Princess Bingo, and we've already arranged for a barrel ride for your mom when we get to Neighra Falls. And we've made sure to leave room for everyone in your family to see the Northern Stars tonight."
The prince felt happier upon hearing that, and then made his way back to the suite. Cadence and Night Light were now with Flurry, who had clearly woken up from her nap.
"Hey, Flurry," Shining called. "Daddy's back!"
Flurry floated out of her mini-cradle and into her daddy's waiting arms. She booped him on the nose and seemed to babble something. Her father just smiled. "Aw, I think somepony missed me."
Night Light giggled. "Reminds me of how you and Twilight were always at the front door, waiting for me when I came home from work everyday. You especially seemed to love hearing about my work."
"You always made it sound so cool." Shining replied.
Cadence, for her part, looked exhausted. "She's really excited today, she woke up from her nap not even ten minutes after you left. I need a break," She got up from her spot on the couch and told her husband. "I'll be back to take Flurry to the Peewee Princess Playtime. Don't worry, I already changed her diaper and she hasn't had anything to eat. Just keep her occupied and maybe try to calm her down a little until I get back, okay?"
Shining gave a salute. "Can do, Cadence!" And he watched as his wife left the suite.
The young prince then sat down on the spot on the couch his wife had just occupied, cradling Flurry in his hooves. "How about another story, Flurry? You like hearing stories from Daddy, right?" He asked his little one. Flurry babbled and clapped her hooves in response.
"If it's a story you want, I've got plenty of those," Night Light offered. "Did I ever tell you about the time Shining got into the cookie jar and got stuck?"
Eager to change the subject before any embarrassing baby stories could be brought up, Shining looked at Flurry and cleared his throat. "How about the story of Mistmane? She was a unicorn who gave up everything in order to save that which she held dear." And soon he had launched into another story:
Mistmane was from a village in Eastern Equestria, the same area from which Fleur hailed from. Mistmane was known to many as the most beautiful and magically gifted mare they had ever seen.
Her talents did not go unnoticed, and one day she was invited to study abroad. All were there to see her off, knowing that Mistmane would not disappoint them.
For years Mistmane was gone. But when she finally returned to her village she was shocked and dismayed to find that everything had changed. The land seemed to have fallen into disarray and the villagers went about in drab clothing with only frowns on their faces.
"What caused all this?" Mistmane questioned a villager. "What has allowed this village to fall into ruin?"
"The Empress," Came the reply from a stallion. "Sable Spirit has declared that beauty is a lie, and all traces of it are to be removed. The land has been like this since she rose to power."
Horrified at this discovery, Mistmane marched into the empress' courtyard. "Sable Spirit!" She sternly demanded. "Why have you done this?! You were once my friend!"
Sable Spirit simply hissed in reply. "Once your friend, yes. But when you left to study abroad, someone had to step in and fill the void," And then she growled. "I tried hard to be a good leader, but everyone kept talking about you. Prattled on and on about how you were the best thing to ever happen to us! So I tried to give them what they wanted."
At that Mistmane gasped! "You didn't!"
Sable Spirit lifted the black veil covering her face, exposing a pony that had aged very considerably and rapidly. "I did, and it backfired spectacularly!" The empress then went on. "I saw in that moment that I would never be as beautiful as you are, that true beauty is impossible. So I sought out a chance to correct that oversight, to shatter the false hopes of other ponies. I'm simply taking what you taught me about beauty, and perfecting it. Beauty is an outdated ideal, there's no need for it in this or any other world!"
"I can't let you do that, Sable Spirit! I won't allow it!" Mistmane retorted with a growl. "Ponies like you don't understand that true beauty comes from within, not from the outside. And I won't allow you to run this village into oblivion in pursuit of your revenge scheme!"
"Just try and stop me, Mistmane!" Sable Spirit laughed as she lit up her horn, summoning a projection of a massive dragon.
Mistmane countered with a projection of a phoenix which ultimately managed to overpower Sable Spirit's projection. Then, drawing on her innate magic abilities, the young mare conjured up a series of vines to imprison the empress that had once been her friend.
It was then that Mistmane became aware of a cruel fact. "Yes," She spoke to the vines. "I'm aware that the land is starved of proper nutrients. Plant life cannot grow here. Not to worry, I've prepared a solution. I will do what I must to ensure beauty is not snuffed out." And just like that, in a magical glow that surrounded her entire body, Mistmane began to age rapidly. Yet even as she did so, the landscape around her grew more and more beautiful.
Even after she had given up her own outer beauty to restore to the land, however, Mistmane still went about in public. She worked hard to teach her fellow villagers how to grow plants and care for the soil. Eventually she built her own greenhouse, where she kept and nurtured many plants that would otherwise not survive in the outside world. And that's what she did day in and day out until her abrupt departure on an unspecified journey, a trip from which she never returned.
"It is said that Mistmane's greenhouse eventually became a garden, and to this day there are those who still maintain it. Waiting for the day when Mistmane returns," Shining concluded his story. "And it's also said that her most prized possession, was a lone flower she planted when her village was still recovering from Empress Sable Spirit."
Night Light beamed with delight, noticing how Flurry appeared to have hung on every word Shining had said. "You really should write those down somewhere, son. You've got a real knack for story telling."
"I certainly try my best," Shining replied. "Seeing Flurry's smiling face is what makes it all worth while. But those parenting books you and Mom gave me were certainly a big help."
"They're a real life saver," Night Light agreed. "Without them, I'm not sure if I would've survived dealing with you and Twilight. You sure knew how to run me ragid."
Just then, Cadence came back into the suite, as did Captain Anchor. "I'll take care of Flurry Heart from here on, dear. It looks like you're needed on the upper deck." Cadence said to her husband, as she gently levitated Flurry over to her.
Captain Anchor nodded in agreement. "It's time for the Q & A session, and one fan wants to do some themed photo shoots really quickly."
"Alright, just give me a second." Shining responded as he cast the spell to calm his air sickness. "I should really start looking into long term solutions, like medication or something. I'm not sure I can keep doing this." He thought to himself.
The Q & A session lasted a little longer than either Shining Armor or Captain Anchor had expected. Shining barely had time to reach the balcony overlooking Neighra Falls, as his mom safely plunged over it in a barrel.
"Oh! Neighra Falls was so amazing!" Velvet proudly exclaimed! "This barrel ride was the best thing I've ever done!"
Night Light (with a camera hanging around his neck) simply laughed and gave his wife a wink. "Another 'relaxing vacation' in the books, darling."
"You're one to talk, Mr. Bingo Tournament Winner," Velvet ribbed her husband as she got out of the barrel. "Because of that we've got a matching set of princess and prince themed socks."
Shining simply commented. "Glad to see you're having fun, Mom." In a tone of voice that made it clear he was starting to feel just the slightest bit left out of all the exciting activities going on on the cruise.
"Oh now honey," Velvet cautioned. "You really should be enjoying yourself, too. This vacation is for the whole family. Even princes need to take some time off for themselves every now and then."
"I'll settle for seeing the Northern Stars tonight with everypony," Shining declared. "But for now, I need to rest. My autograph session isn't for a good half an hour or so."
The prince returned to the suite to rest, only to find an exhausted looking Cadence with Flurry in tow. "What are you doing back here already, Cadence? I thought the Peewee Princess Playtime lasted longer?" He questioned his wife.
Cadence let out a sigh. "Let's just say that when I told Flurry to go play with the other foals, she didn't quite do it in a way I wanted. And what's worse is that the moms kept telling their children to play with Flurry so they could and I quote 'make a princess friend.' I don't want Flurry to be treated like some wild animal in a zoo!"
Without even thinking for a moment about the implications, Shining declared. "Well, how about I take her off your hooves for a while? You look worn out."
"I could say the same for you," Cadence commented with a frown. "You've already done more than enough for one day, dear. Let somepony else tackle the responsibilities for a while."
"Weren't you just saying the other day how I needed to be spending more time with Flurry?" The young prince inquired as he sat down next to his wife.
Suspecting nothing, Cadence responded with. "Well, yes, but..."
"-But nothing!" Shining protested. "It won't even be for that long. Besides, I've got one more story I wanna tell Flurry."
The princess of love reluctantly folded, sensing that her husband wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Alright, Flurry's yours until you're called away again. Just don't forget, you promised to see the Northern Stars tonight with everypony. So don't disappoint." And with that she got up, though not before levitating Flurry over to Shining.
Shining soon had his daughter bouncing on his knee, looking up at him with those innocent green eyes. "So, Flurry, are you ready to hear the story of Rockhoof and the Mighty Helm?" He asked her. Flurry gurgled and cooed in response. "Good," Shining smiled. "Well, the story of Rockhoof begins when he just a scrawny little colt." And like before, he was soon immersing himself whole heartedly in the story:
Rockhoof did indeed begin life as a scrawny little colt. But he always looked up to the Mighty Helm that lived in his village and maintained a silent but watchful vigil over it day in and day out.
As soon as he was old enough, Rockhoof tried to join the helm itself. But its members all laughed him off without a second thought. "You're much too small to make a difference," They teased him, and one even gave him a shovel. "Here, take this and knock yourself out with it. Maybe one day when you're all grown-up and strong, we'll have something for you, lad."
The members of the Mighty Helm thought they were being clever and funny, but the joke would be on them. Rockhoof took their words to heart and started to train hard every single day, all the way that shovel never left his side. Slowly but surely he built up his body, his physical strength becoming something to marvel at.
"My shovel and I, we make a fine pair," Rockhoof was soon heard to have said. "Aye, I daresay there's not much we could ever not accomplish together."
Little did the young stallion know that his words (and strength and bravery as well) would be put to the test in a way he never imagined.
One day, while Rockhoof was hard at work digging trenches with his shovel, there came a low and ominous rumbling. The whole village began to shake like it had never shaken before! Rockhoof immediately stopped what he'd been doing and looked up. And what he saw, horrified and frightened him to no end!
The volcano that his village had been built near was about to erupt, and the stream of lava that would pour out of it threatened to bury his entire village! Orders were soon given to evacuate, with the Mighty Helm leading the charge.
Civilians were put onto boats and sent far away with no clue as to whether or not they would ever return. But the Mighty Helm, lead by its bold captain, Steela Oresdotter, vowed to stay and protect the village for as long as they could.
But Rockhoof knew that the helm was in over its head. Even an entire brigade of well trained ponies would be no match for the volcano. So without hesitation and without an invitation, the stallion grabbed his shovel and started digging trenches as fast as his legs could carry him! His strength was rivaled only by his speed, in a matter of moments he had encircled the entire village with a set of trenches that led to the sea.
And he was just in time too! For no sooner had he climbed out of the trenches he'd dug and set his shovel aside, then the volcano blew its top! Molten rock, hot ash, and boiling lava poured down the mountainside lightning fast! But the trenches Rockhoof had dug worked to perfection, preventing any of it from reaching any of the villages. The Mighty Helm could only watch in amazement as it all flowed safely out to sea, where the waters cooled the hot mixture and reduced it to small deposits of mud and sediment at the base of the shore line.
Steela Oresdotter was, needless to say, impressed. When the volcano finally quieted down and the all clear sign had been given, she approached Rockhoof and extended a hoof out to him. "That there was a mighty fine job, lad," She told the stallion. "Your quick thinking and even quicker digging saved us all from what would've surely been a disaster. The Mighty Helm is honored to welcome you into its ranks."
Rockhoof shook Steela's hoof in eagerness! "Oh thank you, Steela! You've made me a happy lad!" He proudly exclaimed! "Henceforth, my strength lies with you!"
"Up until the day he disappeared, Rockhoof served in the mighty helm fatefully," Shining concluded his story. "And his shovel, or at least a replica of it, was always by his side. Much like Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, and Mage Meadowbrook, he too became a legend. And to this day, though it isn't know what happened to any of them, ponies still look up to them and admire them for the traits they represent."
Captain Anchor (who had come into the room sometime ago) clapped his hooves. "Very impressive, prince. You're a fine story teller, and an even finer family stallion."
Shining looked up and gasped, looking out the window! "Oh my gosh, it's late!" He exclaimed when he noticed it had gotten dark out! "Oh, I hope I'm not too late to see the Northern Stars!" He quickly teleported up to the deck, just in the nick of time! The stars zipped past mere seconds later. "Twilight was right, they are beautiful!" He thought to himself.
But the prince then felt a pang of guilt as he realized something. If the Northern Stars had just passed, then how long had Captain Anchor been waiting for him to come out and sign autographs as promised? With a gulp, the prince immediately rushed to find the captain, who was facing down an entire mob of angry passengers. All of whom were yelling and shouting. "Where's the prince?! We were told this cruise would give us a chance to see Equestria's newest member of royalty! You said he'd be here to sign autographs!"
Captain Anchor gulped, trying to defend him. "N-now hold on, folks. I made no promises about the prince or where he'd been at any given point. Events are subject to change."
But the crowd just continued to shout, "We want the prince!" over and over again.
"Enough!" Shining cried out, and used his magic to quickly seize the microphone from the captain. "My apologies, folks," The prince spoke at length. "No one is to blame but me. I found out after the fact that this cruise was being marketed to ponies like you as a chance to meet with me. My family never meant to get mixed up in this, but crossed wires caused the wrong piece of mail to be sent to them. I appreciate that all of you wanted a chance to get to know me and see me, it really means a lot to me. But I realize now, that I shouldn't have committed to a deal I couldn't hope to keep. I got swept up in tending to my own needs and tending to my daughter, as I'm sure many of you can relate. But I didn't want to disappoint any of you and ruin your vacation. It's taken me until now that there should've been a better way, I should've been honest with all of you from the start. For the rest of this cruise, I really just want to be alone with my family and enjoy some time with them, alone. If any of you want to see me though, you don't need to go on a cruise. Just stop by the Crystal Empire or Ponyville, or if you're lucky you may even see me on patrol in Canterlot."
Captain Anchor then reclaimed the mic and told the gathered crowd. "I too wish to apologize to you all, folks. I made promises I couldn't keep and tried to conceal the reality of what was happening. This cruise never should've been marketed the way it was. I never should've assumed it was possible to get the alicorns onboard with this," With an unhappy sigh he declared. "On behalf of the company, I want to offer my sincerest apologies. And if any of you want a refund, I won't try to fight you."
But to the surprise of the captain, the crowd spoke up. "We still got a chance to see the alicorns for a while, and get away from it all for a couple of hours. That's more than we could've ever hoped for on a regular cruise." And just like that the matter was settled. A few unsatisfied ponies did end up requesting a refund, but most were convinced they'd gotten their money's worth out of the ordeal.
As the zeppelin was pulling back into the dock in Canterlot the next morning, Shining was most surprised when Spike ended up belching out a scroll. He gave it to Shining Armor as the little dragon told him. "It's for you."
"Hmm, that's odd. I wasn't expecting any dragon mail today," Shining commented aloud as he unfurled the scroll. When he'd finished reading it, something akin to a gasp left his mouth. "It's from Princess Celestia! She wants me to come to Canterlot right away."
"Whatever for?" Cadence pondered.
"She says Sunburst has just made an unexpected discovery, one that could change everything we know about ancient pony legends," Shining explained. "If that's the case, I need to get to the castle right away! It seems she's already requested my friends to be there as well, and Starlight Glimmer."
"Can I tag along too, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight offered. "If it involves old pony legends, you're sure to need my help!"
Shining smiled. "I don't see why not. I'd be glad to have you by my side on one of my adventures for a change."