A young unicorn filly yawned as she woke from her restful slumber in her own personal chambers in the Crystal palace, feeling the morning’s warmth shining onto her face. Her pink and yellow crib stood tall around her as she rolled onto her fore-hooves. She sat down taking in the unfamiliar room around her. It wasn’t like that room in the palace where everything shined, almost causing pain to her delicate eyes. In here it was like the huge room in the library with that purple mare who’d made her look different. It was nice, with regal wall patterns and pictures of frolicking ponies. So unlike her home land.
But her nerves started to grow. She didn’t like being confined in this small crib, not at all. The filly felt that oh so familiar sensation of her magical aura lifting her into the air. She loved to fly and she normally would if she could find her wings. But now they were gone, just like her teeth. Like those small holes in her legs she could look through for fun. Though using her magic would make do until she could get them back.
She slowly made her way to the fluffy carpet below where she would be free to roam. The soft fabric made contact with her hooves as she started to crawl towards the door leading to only Mother knows where. The young unicorn focused her magic on the handle above trying to open the door but failed as her magical aura dispersed into the air. She again tried but putting more effort in but failed again at trying to use an unnatural spells. Finally giving up she instead used her hooves to bash on the door. Soon after the large door opened to reveal yet another pony, this time a sparkling navy stallion.
He looked down at the filly with black eyes that were so unnaturally deep, it was almost terrifying. But her mother had told her not to be scared of anything, especially ponies. She was an alicorn changeling, nothing could harm her.
Instead of backing down she lifted her head high and crawled as gracefully as the stubby foal legs could let her. She wandered past the bemused guard and into a warm room with red furnishings and colourful yellow and blue walls. Inside the room was her one and only daddy.
“Dally!” she called trying for her beloved father’s attention. “Dally!” She reached towards him with her hooves failing at the word she wanted to call him with. His attention turned away from the three crystal pony guards and towards her. He spoke to her in some foreign tongue she couldn’t quite understand. He smiled at her giving her an affectionate nuzzle which in return she cooed for him.
Shining Armour cuddled his little daughter, Allia, as Twilight had called her. He was so pleased with his baby sis; he couldn't believe she had remembered the name he had desperately wanted to call his filly, if he ever had one. Allia.
He couldn’t believe how perfect it suited his new daughter. Allia Sparkle, his Allia Sparkle. She cooed at him as he gave her a small nuzzle. She smiled her soft smile at him looking up at Shining with the eyes he knew she had inherited from him. No matter who she was parented by, he would love his little filly no matter what.
But he still had to tell his wife. He knew he was winding himself into a huge spaghetti storm, but as soon as he would build up the tremendous courage to tell her all those scenarios of what could happen would shoot through his mind. What if she didn’t believe him it was an accident? What if Cadance told her Aunties? Would the two celestial goddesses take away his young foal? Would they banish her? Throw her in a dungeon? What would happen to her?!
No matter what he had to do, he would protect his little Allia.
His daughter giggled in his arms as the guards still stood at attention watching the affectionate display between stallion and foal. Shining placed Allia back onto the ground raising a hoof to his head and dismissing the two crystal pony guards. He turned his head to the white foal chewing her turquoise tail. He smiled and lifted her onto his back setting off for the personal kitchen. Cadance had a thing for home cooking and Shining Armour preferred to make his own breakfast, so he was off to make Allia and him breakfast.
“Come on silly filly, let’s get something in your stomach.” He said continuing his walk.
Shining entered the blue kitchen, placing Alia down in a highchair, before moving over to the fridge and stove. He looked over his shoulder at the foal in the highchair.
“Now, what would you like made from the kitchen of CHEF ARMOUR!? Would the lovely mare like mashed bananas or would she prefer mashed apples?” Shining Armour said with a fake “” accent. Allia stared back with blank eyes and a confused look before giggling in his face. “Alright, apples it is!”
I bright magenta light filled the kitchen with loud crackles and sparks. Shining dropped the toast he was burning to face the light. Coming from around Allia was the bright glow fizzing and sparking everywhere, revealing a long jagged changeling horn and insectoid wings jutting from her back. Her soft turquoise mane become matted and sickly with holes appearing within the hair and on her four hooves. But within the blink of an eye she was back to her disguise.
Shining stood there dumbfounded by the sceptical that just happened. “What- what- how?! Twilight’s spell failed! How could it?!”
Allia giggled at the dazzling display of colour surrounding her body, while Shining Armour still stood there dumbfounded by his sister’s spell failing. A shutting door brought him back to life with the sounds of metal regalia clicking down the hallway leading down from Cadance and Shining’s room. Shining’s blood pumped with adrenaline as he snapped into action and quickly started to act as though nothing had happened. His body shook with nerves finally feeling the shock of what had happened only moments before. He could hear his wife walking through the halls and rooms leading into the kitchen.
Soon enough Cadance entered the small kitchen with a green face. Shining smiled and moved forward to kiss his wife, seeing her discomfort but she put a hoof to his lips quickly ending his kiss before it started.
“Honey, are you alright?” Shining asked with concern written etched onto his face. He pulled her into a small hug which she soon relaxed into nuzzling the side of his face.
Cadance smiled her tender smile towards her husband. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about little old me.” She turned to the small foal in the highchair chewing on her, again. “And how are you this morning Allia? Sleep well after your rendezvous yesterday with Uncle Shining?”
The little unicorn shook her head looking up at the pink alicorn. Pointing towards Shining Armour she loudly argued, “No Uncie! Dally! Dally!” Cadance stepped back looking surprised at the small filly’s outburst.
“Oh, um, ok.” Cadance giggled suddenly. “That’s such a cute nickname. I wonder where she got it from? Guess it’s a bit like how Blueblood used to call me ‘Queen Galaxy’, never got why he called me that.” She swivelled around to see Shining Armour scribbiling on a piece of parchment. “Shiny, what’s that?”
He looked up as though being caught in the act of murder. “Oh, I’m just notifying Twilight on how our cousin is going. Slept really well last night, strutted out of her room this mornig like she owned the place.” A nervous laugh ended his letter as he continued to scribble his note down. Sending the letter he so desperately needed the answer too, he looked to the scene unfolding around him.
Cadence held his daughter in her arms softly rocking her while feeding her the foal food from within the fridge. He smiled at the sight. Contently he though, what could possibly go wrong?
*****************************************
The train from Canterlot pulled into the station.
“Last station, Crystal Empire!” a conductor aboard the train called. A light grey mare with white and purple mane stepped out stretching her aching legs. “Oh, it’s so nice to finally see the Kingdom our little Shiny and daughter-in-law rule over. Everything’s so sparkly!”
A dark navy stallion with a mane colour on slightly darker stepped out stretching the same as his wife before him had. “Indeed. I am so glad we decided to visit before our cruise!”
“I can’t wait to see the look of surprise on our son’s face as we walk into his magnificent palace!”
The pair of unicorns walked through the sparkling city towards their unsuspecting son.