//------------------------------//
// Congratulations... I Think 
// Story: Royalty And Family 
// by Uber_Shy 
//------------------------------//

	In a dark cave in the middle of the southern badlands, a changeling hive worked feverishly. Changelings continually flew in and out of the various tunnels in the walls. Most of them were carrying green slime-covered gems into the main chamber. At the center of that spiraling main chamber, a certain changeling queen was observing the progress her subjects were making on her latest project. She watched with a bored and impatient expression. If her timing was correct, and it usually was, her latest project would be finished just in time for her master plan. Unfortunately for her, the elapsed time in the interim seemed to be taking an eternity to go by. The fact that she was almost constantly hungry did not help alleviate her issue. She missed the times when she could feed on Shining Armor whenever she felt like it.
“Excuse me my Queen,” A raspy voice said, interrupting her thoughts.
“What is it,” She replied, not even bothering to look at the changeling behind her.
“Odonata sends word that the baby is due any day now,” the messenger reported.
A smile slowly crept across Chrysalis’ face. It was just the news she had been waiting for.

***

Shining Armor paced rapidly in the maternity ward hallway. He anxiously awaited the arrival of his new baby. Cadence had been in the delivery room for well over an hour, and he was starting to worry. Just then, he heard the door behind him open and he whipped around to see a nurse standing in the doorway.
“The princess is ready to see you sir,” She said quietly. 
Shining Armor was immediately concerned to see that the nurse was not cheerful, but instead dour in light of what should have been happy news. Shining Armor burst through the doorway, almost knocking over the nurse whom had just barely got out of the way in time. He saw cadence on the hospital bed. She was sobbing softly.
“What happened? Is the baby ok?” Shining Armor asked the crystal pony doctor standing next to Cadence’s bed.
“The baby is fine sir,” The doctor reassured him, “it’s just that… well.” The doctor gestured to the cradle to the left of Cadence. Shining Armor strode quickly over to it. He peered inside at the sleeping infant and gasped. The face of the baby was not that of a pony, but instead that of a black insectoid changeling. Shining Armor looked at the baby and then at Cadence in utter shock. He couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“This can’t be. This is impossible,” was all Shining Armor could think of saying, as if the statement would change the facts.
“If I hadn’t delivered her myself I wouldn’t have believed it either,” said the doctor at the foot of Cadence’s bed. He was a pale blue pony furiously looking over something on a clipboard.
“As far as I can tell,” he continued, “she’s perfectly healthy. How she came to be like this is beyond me.”
Shining armor walked from the baby to Cadence. She leaned over to him and he embraced her, drawing her tight against his chest. She continued to sob as she held onto him. Shining Armor was tempted to say that it was going to be all right, but he felt foolish even thinking about it. Everything was definitely not going to be all right.
“If I may your highnesses,” A voluptuous voice interjected.
Both Cadence and Shining Armor turned to look at a bright violet unicorn in a white lab coat.
“Yes?” Shining asked.
“Well, I think I know what has happened,” The Unicorn mare said.
Shining Armor was a bit off put by this unicorn’s voice. It was so smooth the words practically caressed his ears as he listened to them. He mentally shook himself so he could concentrate on what she was saying.
“You do?” Asked the doctor next to the unicorn. “Wait, who even are you?”
The unicorn rolled her eyes. “I’m Doctor Applecart. I transferred here a few weeks ago from Maretropolis remember?”
“You did?” The crystal pony doctor asked.
“Yes I did,” Doctor Applecart said a little irritably.
The crystal pony doctor continued to stare at her for a few awkward seconds before speaking.
“Ah yes Doctor Applecart,” He said finally, “Of course. How silly of me to forget. Yes well, you were saying?”
“I was saying that I know how the baby ended up being a changeling changeling,” Doctor Applecart stated.
“How?” came a choked up response from Cadence.
“Shining Armor was under the influence of a changeling queen once correct?” Applecart asked. Both Cadence and Shining Armor nodded. 
“There is an old reference in the field of changeling studies that covers certain elements of changeling magic,” Doctor Applecart elaborated, “Specifically that of the changeling queen.” All of the ponies in the room were intently listening to what the young mare had to say. “When a changeling queen feeds on her prey she has the ability to slightly alter them. It makes them easier to control. It is possible that Shining Armor’s extended contact with the queen in question altered him enough to produce changeling offspring.”
The room briefly remained silent as Applecart finished. The nurses exchanged glances and muttered to each other.
“That is completely preposterous,” the crystal pony doctor said, “you have no evidence for this changeling theory.”
“I believe all the evidence is sleeping right here doctor,” Applecart said flatly, gesturing to the cradle.
“Assuming you’re right,” Shining Armor interrupted, “how do we fix this.”
“You speak as if there is something wrong with her,” Applecart responded raising an eyebrow. “Nevertheless,” She continued, “the only one who can undo the altering spell is the changeling queen who cast it.”
Cadence drew a sharp breath and continued sobbing. Shining Armor tightened his hold on her as he thought of what to do next.
“Are you sure of this,” Shining Armor asked.
“Quite sure,” Doctor Applecart said.
Shining Armor turned to one of the nurses. “Tell one of the guards to find Sergeant Wrath and tell him to assemble five of our best soldiers at the train station by sundown,” he said. The nurse nodded and left the room.
“What are you going to do,” Cadenced asked as she looked up at her husband.
“The only thing we can do,” Shining Armor replied, “we have to find Queen Chrysalis.”