Cadance was worried. She placed her hoof on her chest and sighed as she extended her leg straight out in front of her body, an action she had done several times in the past ten minutes as she waited for the train. She was worried about who was getting off the train and every moment made her all the more concerned.
Relax. Everything will be fine. All I need to do is be patient and be calm.
A loud whistle sounded in the distance and she felt her heart quicken a little. She looked up the railway and spotted the train approaching. She shuffled in her spot for a moment then noticed the way her guard was looking at her. Brass Hail was giving her a small smile.
"Permission to speak freely."
Cadance chuckled and nodded. "Given. You don't need to ask when guarding me."
The guard nodded with a friendly smile on his face. "Nervous about meeting your in-laws?"
The pink mare shook her head. "Not at all. I'm more worried about how they will react to Rose. It's not exactly common knowledge in the kingdom yet and they have been away on a small vacation over the past week. I really hope that they like her and look past the fact that she..." A slight pause as she looked around to see if any ponies were listening. "... not a pony."
The guard nodded and glanced at the now slowing train. "If the reaction of the nurses to her is anything to gauge ponies’ reactions to her then they will love her. Just be calm and tell them all you can and from there just hope for the best."
The princess gave a small nod of the head to the guard. "Thank you for your kind words. I noticed that you and Swift Clean have been spending some time with each other over the last few days. She talks about you a lot."
The guard blushed a little under the helmet. "We have. She approached me the other day when I was on break and from there we have been spending a lot of time together." The guard took a moment to take a deep breath and shuffled on his hooves for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"
The princess looked up the tracks to check on the train then back to the guard. "Of course. What is it?"
The guard swallowed then spoke. "I... I think I might be in love with her. I know it’s been really quick but... well she just seems like the perfect mare to me."
Cadance nodded and smiled at the stallion. "I understand perfectly. I fell in love with Shining rather quickly as well and I didn't even get a chance to talk to him until two weeks later. Rose has noticed your connections as well. The other day when Swift came to clean Rose followed her around, and Swift told me the same thing you're telling me right now."
Brass Hail looked up with a surprised look. "Really? She really is in love with me?"
Cadance nodded as the whistle from the train sounded, much closer and much louder. "Yes. I would suggest a dinner date for the two of you. If you need to talk about this again we can talk later this week. For now let’s get to the matter at hoof."
The train pulled into the station slowly then halted with a small screech. Cadance took a deep breath and glanced over to see that Brass Hail had resumed his guard like pose. The princess was glad for the extra height that being an alicorn gave her and she scanned the small crowd getting off the train. For a moment she wondered if she had gotten to the station on the wrong day but as she finished that thought she spotted them.
A pair of unicorns walked off the train carrying a pair of suitcases between them. The stallion, Night Light, was a light blue with a dark blue mane and tail. The mare, his wife Twilight Velvet, was white with a purple mane with white streaks in it. The mare glanced over and noticed Cadance standing there.
"Cadance! I must say this is a great surprise."
Cadance walked over to the pair and hugged them both. Brass Hail quickly took the suitcases and followed the trio as they left the train station. They made it all the way to the street before Cadance spoke to them.
"I wanted to introduce you two to somepony that Shining and I have taken in."
The unicorns following her shared looks of surprise mixed with confusion. It was Velvet that broke the small silence between the trio. "You and Shining adopted a foal? When did this happen? Why didn't you two tell us this before you did it?"
Cadance gave a small cough and looked at the unicorns. "We didn't exactly plan on it. It just sort of happened suddenly. I don't think I should be the one to tell you all the details. Shining knows you both better and will know how to tell you this."
The mare spoke again in a kind voice. "Cadance, we have known you since you were a young teen. You are just as much a daughter to us as Twilight is. You can tell us anything."
The pink princess stopped walking for a moment then hugged the white mare. "That means a lot to me. I'll give you some of the details but I think Shining should be the one to tell you the rest."
The princess used the rest of the trip to explain how Rose had been found in the royal chambers and how they had decided to keep her with them but made sure not to mention that she was a changeling. As the faces of her in-laws grew relaxed and pride began to show Cadance became worried. She was hoping that they would have the same feelings when they discovered the truth.
"So what exactly is Rose? Is she a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony?"
The pink mare shook her head. "No. Shining will explain that. Ahh, the castle is just ahead. Sergeant Hail please escort them to Captain Shining please. I need to check on Rose."
The princess took off in flight as the guard motioned for the unicorns to follow him. A few minutes passed in silence as they reached the castle gate and walked into the lush gardens.
"So mister Hail, have you met this Rose yet?"
The guard turned to look at the blue stallion. "I have. This way please."
He led them into the palace itself and guided them through the halls. Night Light spoke again. "What is she exactly? I think that if we are the adoptive grandparents we have a right to know."
"I've been asked not to tell sir. Shining will answer all your questions."
The older stallion sighed and the mare spoke up. "Can you tell us anything about her then?"
The guard nodded. "She's rather cute but kinda small for a foal. I think the whole hiding in the royal chambers for who knows how long did that to her."
Velvet nodded. "I take it that the whole castle has met her then?"
Hail shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. Only the maids that work up there have seen her and the guards have been briefed but I doubt that many have seen her or met her. None of the night staff have met her so far as I can tell."
"Oh... you seem to know a decent amount. Have you met her yourself?"
Hail nodded. "She got lost in the castle and I was the one to find her. She was scared but fortunately she was unharmed." The guard looked around the corner and pointed. "Ahh, here we are."
The elderly unicorns rounded the corner and spotted their son. "Shining!" Velvet ran past the Sargent and hugged the white stallion tightly that was standing a little down the hallway.
The Captain returned the hug lovingly. "Mom! It's great to see you again. How was the trip?"
"Oh it was nice. Wonderful weather and such nice ponies. The train ride could have been a little shorter though."
The stallion nodded with a smile then looked at the trio of guards he was talking to before his mother hugged him. He could see them struggling to hide grins and snickers.
"I think we can finish talking about the duty roster some other time. Dismissed."
The guards nodded and moved down the hallway. Shining turned back to his mother and received a kiss on the cheek.
"My little colt is all grown up, giving orders and being a captain." Velvet began to brush his mane to one side.
"Mom, stop." Shining grabbed her hoofs gently. "I know you’re happy to see me and all but we have something important to deal with right now." The white stallion stopped and looked over to his father and Hail. "Sergeant, take their bags to the suite and then return to your duties."
Hail saluted and left the trio of unicorns alone. Shining looked at his parents for a moment then his smile faded. His mother was wearing a forced smile and his father was giving him a very serious look.
"So what has Cadance told you so far?"
Night Light was the one to answer in a no nonsense tone. "Not much. Rose is not a pony and you two adopted her. That's all we know."
Shining nodded. "Right, um... I think the best way to tell you is to show you. When I was told what she was I didn't react well. So, let’s head up to the chambers and show you."
The trio moved up through the castle, taking the shortest route. Shining kept looking back to his parents to gauge how to talk to them. His mother looked worried and his father looked... well, he couldn't tell.
His father spoke again. "So... Hail told us she got lost in the castle. I have a feeling that isn't what happened."
Shining froze for a moment then continued walking. "Yeah... she wasn't supposed to leave the suite. The palace hadn't been briefed fully and um... foal-proofed."
"Why wasn't she allowed to leave the rooms?"
Shining stopped as they reached the hall to the royal chambers. The white stallion sighed and looked at his parents. Both had mingled looks of concern and curiosity on their faces.
"She... doesn't look like a normal pony. A lot of ponies would consider her ugly and wouldn't want to see her in public."
The looks on their faces became confused. Velvet gave a small cough. "What do you mean? Is she deformed in some way?"
Shining shook his head. "No, well maybe, she mostly looks like what her race should, except a few little things. Look I think if you meet her it will clear everything up quickly."
The captain held up his hoof to silence their questions. "Please. It's easier to just let you meet her, but before you do I want to let you know this. Cadance and I have grown very fond of her over the time she has spent with us." A smile spread across the captain’s face. "Her first word was my name... and Cadance wants to make sure that she never feels alone or abandoned again."
Shining sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No matter what you think or say we're not going to abandon Rose, even if it makes you angry and never want to speak to us again. She needs us and we won't let her down."
Velvet walked up to her son and gave him a hug. Shining was surprised at the strength and love put into the hug and returned the emotion. The elderly mare spoke with a soft but wise tone.
"You always knew when to do the right thing. No matter what Rose is, we will both still love you and Cadance."
The captain gave his mother a small kiss on the cheek. "Thanks mom."
Shining turned to open the door to his home when the door opened and Swift Clean walked out. She spotted the trio and gave a quick bow to Shining.
"Afternoon sir, I was just on my way out, Cadance and Rose are waiting inside."
The maid moved down the hall and gave a small bow to the trio again. Shining nodded and sighed. He walked into the suite followed quickly by his parents. They moved into the living room and Shining moved towards the kitchen.
"Cadance? Is Rose ready to meet my parents?"
The pink princess walked out of the kitchen and gave a fond smile to Shining's parents. "Twilight Velvet, Night Light, meet Rose."
The unicorns looked at Cadance for a moment then shifted their gazes lower to the floor. Rose was standing between the pink mares legs and had her ears pinned back in slight fear. As the stunned unicorns looked at her she shuffled back a little and tried to hide behind Cadance’s leg.
Night Light stared at the filly for a moment then looked at his son. His voice was filled with complete surprise and he couldn't seem to get the words out. "She's a... and you two took her..."
Velvet took a few steps forward towards Cadance and Rose, her eyes never leaving the filly. She was less than a step away from the filly when she looked up at the princess.
"May I?"
Cadance nodded and took a step to the side leaving the filly in the open. Rose crouched low to the ground and started shaking a little. The filly couldn't read the energy that the older mare was giving off. It was strange, but familiar at the same time. It was like the warmth Cadance gave off but it wasn't warm but it wasn't cold or harmful like the energy some of the maids gave her.
Rose looked at the pink mare. "Cadanze?"
The pink mare gave her a smile and nodded. "It's okay."
Rose looked back up at the white mare and moved towards her slowly. She stopped in front of the white mare and slowly looked up at her. She gave the white giant a look of curiosity and fear.
Velvet picked up the small changeling gently and held her close. Rose noticed that the way this mare held her was somehow gentler than the way Cadance held her, a way that spoke of experience that allowed the white mare to hold her comfortably for both of them. Rose took a chance and nuzzled against the chest of this mare.
Velvet looked down at the small creature in her hooves and was amazed by the large red eyes looking back up at her. They were filled with curiosity and the simple light of life, the fear from before gone. The changeling gave the mare a shaky smile and her heart melted at the sight. She brought the tiny filly closer to her and nuzzled her in return.
Rose felt sudden warmth radiate from the mare as she began nuzzling back. She gave a small peek to the side to look at the stallion. The blue stallion was looking at Shining and Cadance.
"How exactly did a changeling get into the castle?"
Shining was the one to answer after a moment of silence. "No pony knows. We thought that maybe she hatched up here after a few changeling egg sacks were found in some of the buildings in the city but nothing like that was found anywhere near or in the castle. Best guess is that she somehow was smuggled in by a changeling or found a way in by herself."
"And you’re certain she isn't dangerous?"
Velvet turned to her husband. "Light, does she look dangerous? She is just like any other foal I've held only she has holes in her legs and her eyes are a little different." She looked to Cadance. "Do you know how old she is?"
Cadance shook her head. "No idea. For all we know about changelings she could be anywhere from a few months old to a few years."
Night Light moved over to his wife and Rose and looked down at her. "Were there any changelings found near the castle during your honeymoon. Maybe that's how she got in."
Shining shook his head. "No, all the changelings that may have been near the castle were caught on the day of the invasion. None have been spotted anywhere near the palace or the royal grounds at all."
"Hmm, I would have said that if there was one found near the castle that could have been how she got in. The guards might have been distracted by having to capture a changeling."
As Shining nodded Night Light looked over at his wife and Rose. The elder stallion gave the small filly a smile and a moment later Velvet shifted the filly into his forelegs. Night Light held the filly gently and watched as she settled her head onto his chest. He smiled as memories of his own children filled his mind. He watched the eyelids of the filly grow heavy and shut.
The blue stallion sat down on the sofa and looked to his son. "Have you told Twilight yet? She should know about this."
Both the guard captain and the princess shook their heads. Cadance sat down next to her father-in-law and looked at the now sleeping Rose.
"We thought you two should know first. We planned on talking to Twilight later this week about her. I'll take her back to bed. I had to wake her up to meet you both."
A magical aura picked up the sleeping filly and placed her on the pink mares back. Cadance walked over to Shining and gave him a small kiss.
"I'm going to lie down with her. You okay with talking to your parents alone?"
The white stallion nodded. "Of course." He gave the small changeling a kiss on the forehead. "Have a nice nap Rose."
As the princess walked into the bedroom, Shining looked at his parents sitting on the sofa. He sighed and sat down on the small chair across from them.
"I know this won't be easy to accept, but—"
His mother cut him off. "Darling, it's simple for us to accept it. I think I can say that we are both proud of you. You found a creature, no a filly, in need and did the right thing. You made the right choice and for that we could never be mad at you."
Night Light nodded and smiled at his son. "We will be happy to help you two however we can. I know that keeping her here in the castle can't have been a popular option, but it is the right one."
The white stallion got up and moved to his parents. He hugged them both tightly. "Thank you both. I want you to know that this means so much to me and Cadance that you accept her." Shining looked at each of his parents and saw the proud smiles they each had. "But I have to know. Why are you so okay with this? I mean I was expecting you two to freak out or scream or something like that."
The elder unicorns looked at each other then shared a small laugh. Velvet gave her son a small pat on his cheek as she spoke.
"Honey, we have both raised a pair of unicorn foals and helped raise a baby dragon. We learned quickly that all young creatures are alike in a way. They are all innocent and just... wonderful to hold."
The blue stallion nodded. "I think we both realized that she's far too young to have had anything to do with the invasion and it would be cruel of us to hate her for something she didn't do."
Shining gave his parents a grateful smile and noticed their suitcases sitting near the door to the guest room. He sat down on the couch for a moment then looked at his parents.
"Would you two be willing to spend the night? I think that when Rose wakes up she will be happy to spend some time with you. The guest room is ready and pretty comfortable."
A chuckle came as a response from his father. "You don't need to sell it to us. I'm to tired to walk back to the house and I would love to see more of our adopted grand-daughter."
The day slowly winded down as the older ponies talked to each other and spent the day playing with Rose. The night settled early for Cadance and Rose as the princess went in to lay Rose down for the night and didn't return. Shining's parents went to bed with content smiles. The captain cleaned up the tea cups and small plates they had used for after dinner tea and headed into the bedroom.
He was met with a sight that warmed his heart. Nestled under the blankets were Rose and Cadance, cuddled together with smiles on their face. Shining slowly got into bed and cuddled up to the pair, putting Rose between himself and Cadance. He drifted off into one of the most peaceful sleeps of his life cuddled close to his wife and adopted daughter.