Nearly 8 hours later, after Princess Cadence went into labor, the Crystal Empire had an heir.
The news of this great feat was kept confided to the assembled ponies present until the newborn filly, and her mother were deemed fit for release. A testament to his character and skill as a suitable mate, Shining Armor hadn't left Cadence's side for the entire time from beginning to the pony equivariant of egg laying.
I had excused myself from the spare room converted waiting room when Topaz had to explain there were no eggs of any kind involved. This departure was the perfect excuse needed to pry the new father away from his exhausted mate, and with great reluctance Shining Armor did so.
The haggard father-to-be and I found our way to the mess hall for a plate of food, and a moment of rest while Topaz remained behind to keep the (hormonal) alicorn company until our return. During the first two hours of our wait, Cersus grew bored, and after my own objections, I eventually requested a guard to be the disguised nymph’s chaperone until we could return.
Once removed from his wife’s side, Shining appeared to be relaxing as the adrenaline being pumped into his blood diluted with each minute, but the depressing mixture of feelings made it obvious he was missing Cadence, and the newborn he had briefly seen.
"Eat Shining. The food is getting cold."
My best friend of over a decade continued to play with the generous helping of grits and fried hay the cooks had deemed needed, but had never taken a bite of it. I watched as his mind further slipped into that strange void Luna ruled unchallenged as the levitating fork followed the sides of the bowl, pushing the grit and hay mixture around. There's a time and place for everything I was told once, and observing the worn shell of a pony I called my BGF(Best Guard Friend) stirred his breakfast over the recommended blending suggestions with no remorse I knew this mi...
"How was it Idol?"
"How was what?" I asked back, watching as the fork slowed until it stood half submerged into that hay/grit mixture. Shining was watching me now.
"When you first became a father, how did you do it?"
Ever since the wedding, and my eventual reveal to Princess Luna, I've been in constant conflict with my newly discovered expressive self. This, coupled with the rising desires to fret over my appearance and need to unleash this repressed need to affirm my connections to everypony. Topaz had taken to the rekindling very well after the official declaration of our intention to court, but the doubt of its authenticity is a big deterrent from pursuing this new Idol further.
Since that time, I've fought to control my emotions with limited success finding it most difficult when around Topaz and Cersus because of the familial nature of our residence. I even claimed the perceived role of 'father' to the nymph in the front of Viridian in a rare outburst of anger, but have done little to support such a claim since.
"It just happened, Shining." I told him the truth, but he must have taken the statement beyond its meaning.
"So it's like a class change then? You went from perfect guard to father of puns so flawlessly that even my father was impressed, and it takes a special talent to reach that level of pun on the tongue"
"That was terrible. " I interjected, partially flinching from the attempt.
"I figured now was the time to start preaching what dad taught us." He shrugged before taking his first bite of his grit, and hay mixture.
"His excitement to teach is very commendable. I found his mastery over the vocal language surprising as it is inspiring."
"And dad loved that day, he still talks about the time when I visit or write them a letter. They see you as part of the family Idol."
That admittance nearly caused me to expel my food.
"Sorry.." I apologized while collecting myself from that mild coughing fit. "...but the revelation left me woefully unprepared."
"Yea, that might have been a bit blunt, but it's true. Mom and dad adored you since they first met you, and when you admitted the amnesia, that was it."
"My mental affliction gave them the justification to adopt me?'' The question wasn't supposed to house a hidden meaning, but how Shining ceased stirring his bowl signaled it might have had one.
"Idol..we've known each other for years, and what I'm going to tell you is only for our ears. Don't tell anypony, and that means Topaz and Cady especially." He leaned in as he whispered, looking at the other partially filled tables.
"Cross my heart.."
"Don't!" I started making the movements when he reached out and grabbed my forelegs. "No chances, and if Twilight is right then her pink friend will know."
"Fair enough. You have my word as a Colonel and your friend not to repeat any of our conversation." The promise pacified my tired tired friend as he let go of my forearms, and took one last look at the tables. "Dad sees you like his nephew."
I didn't know how to respond to that revelation, and it must have shown when my friend tried to pat my shoulders.
"You and dad have gotten along great since we graduated basic. And truth be told, when dad told me I was a bit shocked too, but he grew up as an only foal and never had siblings like I did."
"But what would that make us?" I was conflicted with how to respond to 'being adopted'.
"Realistically, probably nothing. It's dad's way of treating you like family I guess, and my folks may be friendly, but I never really see them take to somepony like that since Cadence."
"That is..good to know." I was still feeling overwhelmed by not only my own thoughts, but that of my friend who was an unscheduled Everfree Storm of emotions. He was tired, worried, happy, concerned, and above all proud of the world at that moment.
"You're like the son of his brother who's from another mother. You'll be invited to family gatherings from now on."
"An honor I will cherish as much as I do my duties." That earned myself another pat on the shoulder and a smile from my exhausted friend.
"Good. That's good to hear." He said as the hunger of not eating compelled him to finish his bowl of cold grits, and me to finish my own plate. We ate in silence for a good ten minutes as we made up for lost time, and the moment every crumb of food was finished did we pick up where we left off.
"With your new position as a father, you'll have to incorporate fatherly puns into your daily routine."
"Oh really? Everyday?" He asked with amusement. I learned long ago he was going to challenge this requirement.
"Indeed Shining. Has the Postal Service contacted Cadence recently?"
"...no, why?" He asked, lost as to what the government entity had to do with our conversation about fatherhood. I would fix this doubt.
"Because to my understanding, Cadence's domain is that of Shipping and Handling. Her recent leave of absence will only cause a delay for the foreseeable future."
"Buck Idol!" He slammed his hooves on the table, nearly hitting the bowl and startling the ponies at the other tables.
"I've taken Uncle Night Light's lessons to heart. “
“I’m a princess, you know? I live in a castle.”
Cersus told her guard escort as they walked along the base of the castle where the Crystal Heart floated above the pedestal. The early morning sun had just risen above the frozen horizon and crystal rooftops of the city, casting a brilliant gleam that shone like the sun on the ocean’s surface.
“So you’ve told me.” The massive Arabian Unicorn Hybrid informed his charge of the last seven hours.
Unstoppable Force had barely gotten off his scheduled shift when he was approached by the Colonel for this special assignment. In the past the massive pony would have scuffed at the suggested offer, but telling your new boss no would be a terrible idea for his future career. Besides, out of everypony he’s ever known, Colonel Hooves might be the most surprising, and strangest pony.
It’s too early for the unicorn to make a decision, but his close proximity to the Night Mother at the very least made his character.. credible for the moment.
“It’s true! The princess told me so, and Idol never denied it either!” Cersus stomped her little hooves, annoyed that the first pony she told this secret didn’t believe her.
“Why do you call the Colonel by his first name and not as father?” The filly’s declaration wasn’t lost on the tall unicorn, and would look into that later, but the idea of calling your father by their name felt unnatural. It would be like calling his mother White Star instead of mother. He didn’t like it.
“Because that’s his name, duh! Just like I call Topaz, Topaz because that’s her name.”
“That may be, but isn’t he not your father?” The question didn’t hold the usual snarkiness he likes to mix in between the words, and to watch his young charge deflate forced him to backtrack. “Never mind, young princess.”
Unstoppable had endured much hate and fear over the course of his life, but to his surprise he felt a sting of sympathy for the young filly, and he knew not the reason for it.
Their walk saw them travel the entire base of the castle ending with their return to the Crystal Heart still floating above the pedestal, only now it too shined with a sparkling magnificence that could only be found in the Crystal Empire. His little charge stopped to take one look at the heart before trotting quickly toward the wide doors of the castle, forcing the tall Arabian Unicorn hybrid to walk a little faster to keep up.
“I am a princess, you’ll see.”
“I’ve no doubt, your highness.”
Unstoppable and Cersus felt their spirits lift just a bit as they began the climb up to the medical wing (sixth floor) before moving to the ninth floor where the young filly would retire for the morning. It’s been a long night for both ponies, and while one wanted to go to bed, the older stallion wanted to ponder what he learned a little bit more before turning in.
‘A princess.’ He thought as he watched his charge hop up the stairs with the assistance of her little wings.
It was early when Unstoppable dragged his heavy hooves down stairs to the fifth floor where his quarters were assigned. Understandably, the Guard knew some of the recruits would have some form of residence outside of the castle, but allotted them a spot in the castle for moments such as last night. Thankful for this foresight on their part, the Arabian Unicorn lumbered with the speed of a newborn foal to the sanctity of this allotted space.
Drained of most feelings, Unstoppable ignored the few looks and mutterings the castle staff and the few crystal ponies in the guard did when he was around. By tradition of his upbringing, these acts of disrespect would have been met with some form of retaliation, but this was ignored in favor of making it to bed.
Unstoppable’s body was exhausted from the unexpected double shift, yet his mind was consumed with a fire he hadn’t felt in a long time. Excitement. A sense of wonder and joy he understood was missing in his life, but never knew how to find that spark until escorting the filly back to the medical wing where Colonel’s wife almost bumped into them on her way to grab breakfast. A pleasant mare all around.
‘They looked similar.’ He thought, and began to wonder if Idol had adopted the young filly when the filly’s words rigged in the void of his thoughts.
“She calls them by their names..could she be adopted?”
It made some sense in explaining the rumors surrounding the Colonel and his family with the biggest being his marriage to Princess Celestia. Unstoppable couldn’t dismiss it entirely, but found the rumor as little more than wishful thinking.
So, that made the second most popular, and perhaps the most blasphemous to consider is that the sweet filly isn’t a filly at all, but a changeling. Having learned of this new species, and their declaration of war upon ponykind left the unicorn conflicted on how to feel, but having spent the last eight hours with that filly filled him with a new anger at the thought of calling Cersus such a creature. These rumors held no shame, and cared not what lies were spread with the intent to stoke the needless fires of gossip for the sake of gossip.
But it was these same fires of thought that led the tired unicorn down the lone trail looking for a truth that may or not exist.
“Where did you come from, little princess?” Unstoppable asked as his tired brain latched onto the riddle to keep his hooves moving. Could the filly he had taken to so well only hours ago really be one of those strange parasites?
Until his enlistment, he’d never given the Royals or the Colonel’s family much thought, having learned what he knew in passing. That changed, and through his own research turned up nothing new that was already known to the vast majority of the Empire…
“The Colonel and his wife are too formal to let their foal use their names, so no. What about Shining and Miss Top..no. Never.”
These were the questions wrecking his exhausted mind when he subconsciously opened the door to his shared room-the other three were absent.
Fearing the act of removing his armor would only drop the stallion where he stood, the Arabian Unicorn endured the last few hoofsteps to his bed before collapsing, armor and all onto the mostly new mattress. The familiar softness of a bed began massaging the aching muscles of a double shift, into a relaxing puddle of dark fur and metal as the stallion’s red eyes fought off the impending sleep for a few more minutes. He wanted to come up with some sort of working theory before Luna’s realm erased every incomplete idea he had, but with his body crying and pleading every second, the unicorn eventually wasted that valuable time.
It would take a few days for Unstoppable to fully remember the ramblings of his sleep deprived mind, but there was a single assumption he did take with him into the dream realm while waiting for Princess Luna to visit. An idea assumed to be farfetched, and even viewed as pure fantasy, but it gave the stallion some measure of comfort. A sense of meaningful purpose he desperately needed to escape the stigma of being a ‘king’s bastard’ while providing him a new option to redeem him of a sin he had never committed.
‘Pro..tect th..lost.princ…’ he thought as Luna finally came to grant the stallion some much needed rest.