//------------------------------//
// Of Guards and Princesses 
// Story: Love is Blind 
// by RaijingtheClockworkPony 
//------------------------------//

	Shining Armor sighed as he made his way through the halls of the castle. He had a less than restful night, and now he had to talk to the princess about the matters that had plagued his sleep. Last night he had discovered that a portion of his work to clean the city of changelings had failed, and worse, that Princess Celestia knew that there were changelings among then, and didn't tell him. 

I have a right to know! I am the head of her security, and I am married to the princess those things tried to imprison!  He fumed slightly then sighed. He gave a small nod to a guard passing by then stopped to rub his neck. Not things... changelings. Rose is one, but she's not going to be like them. Cadence and I will raise her to be a good girl, a kind pony. A smile broke across his face and he felt a sense of pride. My daughter, Rose.

He continued on his way, his thoughts on the tiny filly, and how within the few weeks he has had her, she had gone from thin, and frail, to a healthy form for her age, or at least for a filly her size. His smile faded once he reached the hall of the Princess's office. 

This will be interesting to say the least.  He reached the door of the goddess's office, and then knocked on it. 

"Enter." The voice of Celestia reached him from beyond the door. 

Shining took a quick breath then moved into the office. He spotted the alicorn mare sitting at a large oaken desk, a roll of parchment floating before her, and a quill writing quickly.

The alicorn looked up and gave the stallion a warm smile. "Ahh, Shining, please do come in." 

A chair moved beside the princess as her quill went to work. The stallion gave a quick salute before walking up to the desk.

"Princess, I have a matter I wish to discuss with you." His voice was clam, but he injected enough firmness into his tone to carry his intention.

"Of course, at ease by the way." The princess levitated a cup of tea that the stallion hadn't noticed and took a sip. “What is the issue you wish to discuss." 

Shining removed his helmet and sighed. "The major breach of protocol you made when you failed to inform me of Changelings within our ranks." He placed his helm in the chair, and kept his eyes locked with the princess. "That's information I need to know. It's also a huge security issue, to say the least!"

The captain took a moment to swallow and he chewed on his tongue. He hadn't meant to raise his voice. A moment later he spoke once more, his voice calm. 

"As your captain of the guard, I have a right to know when enemies of the state are entering and exiting our capital without detection, and if members of a foreign power are in the same city, and within my own guard."

Celestia's face remained neutral as she placed her tea cup down. She placed the parchment and quill down as well and gave the stallion a small nod. 

"You are correct captain. I broke protocol with you, and for that I am sorry." She made a small gesture to his seat. "If I may defend myself, and my actions."

The stallion remained standing. "Princess, you left major holes in your security, and on top of that, you left enemies within our ranks. How do we know they aren't spies their queen?"

"Because I interrogated each of them personally, and the ones that remained are all under a magical oath." She again offered him the seat. "Breaking that oath is not a wise move for them, I can assure you."

Once more Shining didn't take the seat. "Princess, they invaded our kingdom, and almost removed you from power. How can you possibly expect me to take the news of the leader of the invading force, and yourself have been talking, and in private as well!?"

Celestia sighed softly and took a sip of tea. She remained silent until she placed the cup back on its saucer. "Because I believe in second chances, and I think she is trying to do what is best for her people." Her hoof pointed to the chair. "Please do sit down."

The captain let out a long sigh of his own then sat down after moving his helm. "Explain, from the start if you would." 

The mare nodded. "Of course. I came into contact with the changelings that avoided your sweep of the castle about a month after the invasion. I interrogated them all, and only the six left took the oath. The rest left on their own accord."

The mare took a sip as the stallion spoke, his voice inquisitive, but still angry. "And at what point did you decided to lie to me?"

"Roughly two days after the last one took the oath." She placed her cup back down and then opened a box of tea biscuits, and held one out to the stallion. "I argued with myself about telling you since I discovered the first, but... your fervor with purging the ranks made me worry you would attempt to retaliate against them." She gave the stallion a smile as he levitated one of the biscuits out. "I was hoping to keep them under the radar until at least a year had passed... that plan seems to have failed."

"No kidding." The stallion sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Princess, I am angry that you wouldn't trust me with this sort of information. The risks on your security and the risk to those six that stayed were, and still are, huge." 

The princess nodded. "I have faith that you can now compensate for that information." 

Shining took a bite of the baked good, and then sighed. "So... you mentioned a second chance. What is she doing to redeem herself for the invasion?"

"She is helping me by removing as many of her spies as possible, and in due time... she and I hope to integrate her people with our own."

Shining raised an eyebrow. "And you think this will work?"

The princess nodded. "It won't happen overnight, but in due time, it can be done. Years of repairing the bridges she burned with her actions." Celestia sighed deeply. "I wish she had come to me in private and had brought her worries to me in a peaceful way, but instead she invaded." 

For a brief moment Shining saw the true age, and weight of her responsibilities on the face of the princess. Her normally regal and perfect features looked tired, worn down. The moment passed as she smiled to the stallion, her voice as kind as her expression. 

"I heard from Cadence that you are really connecting with Rose." 

The stallion quickly finished his biscuit. "I am." He smiled fondly. "She can say my name, and she is my daughter."

Celestia nodded and took another sip of her drink. "Could you ever imagine that once the invasion was over, you would feel that way about one of the changelings?"

"I..." The stallion rubbed his neck and let out a small chuckle. "If you told me I would have a changeling as a daughter, I would have thought you were insane." He chuckled again and looked to the white mare. "But now... I look forward to seeing her every day. I can't imagine her not being there with a smile and a hug for me."

"In a way, you two are saving each other." Celestia offered the tin of biscuits again. "You are giving her love to live, and a home. While she has cured you of a hatred of her kind, at least, mostly I would say."

Shining nodded. "I guess that is true." He sighed again. "It still wounds me that you didn't trust me. I have done everything I can to keep you and your sister safe." 

Celestia's smile fell and she nodded. "I am sorry for not giving you the trust and good faith you deserve. You have been nothing but loyal and brave. I hope you can forgive me of this transgression."

As the stallion nodded, a bright green light lit up the office, and a small scroll landed on the desk. The golden aura of the goddess engulfed the parchment and unrolled it. 

"Twilight is writing me earlier than I expected." The mare read the parchment. "She had a friendship lesson on the importance of expressing ones worries. Oh, and she hopes that your talk with her today will go well."

The captain smiled and stood up from his chair. "On that note, I suppose I should head to meet her." The stallion bowed to the princess. "Wish me luck."

"You will not need it." 

As the captain reached the door of the office he heard the voice of the goddess reached him.

"And captain... I truly am sorry for not being honest with you."

The stallion looked back to her and nodded. "I can forgive you for it. Thank you for the biscuits." 
                                                                                                                                                                                       

Twilight shuffled in her seat at a small cafe in Canterlot. Across from her sat her longtime friend Spike, who was very happily devouring a sandwich. She sighed and bit her lip and shuffled more, which caught the attention of the dragon.

"Twilight, calm down. Everything will be fine." He gave her a comforting smile and finished his sandwich. "You and Shining will be fine. A small talk and boom! You are an aunt." 

The dragon smiled and leaned back in his chair while Twilight gave a small nod. "I hope so. We both said some mean things to each other."

Spike nodded. "Sometimes you say mean things, but they are said in the heat of the moment. Like that time you yelled at me for spilling the brownie batter everywhere can called me a little nightmare dragon." The purple drake smiled. "You didn't mean it, you were just upset."

Twilight nodded. "I know, but... that was over brownie batter, this is over the fact he adopted a..." She looked around and lowered her voice. "A filly."

Spike nodded. "Rose. We can say her name Twilight. Besides, don't you want to be an aunt? I like the idea of being an uncle... sorta." 

"I do... but... Rose is not exactly how I imagined it would happen." She sighed and took a small sip of her water. 

The dragon nodded and smiled. "Yeah, and I'm not exactly the little brother you thought would happen either." He got out of his chair and walked over to the mare and hugged her. "Now look at us. Family, even if you have fur and are a major bookworm."

Twilight beamed at her friend and hugged him back tightly. "Thanks Spike." 

The dragon smiled and then moved back to his chair. "You're welcome. So, when is Shining supposed to get here?"

The purple mare looked to a clock hanging on the wall of the cafe. "Well we got here almost an hour early. So... in ten minutes or so."

Spike nodded then pointed to the door. "Or right now." 

Twilight's ears pinned as she looked behind her and spotted her brother walking in. She shuffled in her seat as Spike called out. 

"Shining! Over here!" The small dragon stood on his chair and waved to him. 

The stallion smiled and waved back then quickly moved to the table. "Spike it's great to see you again." Shining glanced to Twilight and gave a more cautionary look. "Twilight, I'm glad you came here today."

As the stallion sat down, the purple mare shuffled more and swallowed. 

"ShiningIamsorryIdidn'tmeantofreakoutlikethatpleaseforgiveme!"

The stallion and the drake blinked for a moment then Shining chuckled. "Twilight, a little slower. My Twilenese is rusty."

The purple mare blushed and nodded. "Right, um... I'm sorry for what happened. I over reacted and well..." She swallowed and nervously smiled. "I do want to be an aunt."

Shining nodded and smiled back his sister. "I am sorry too. We both said stupid things, but what I said was not okay." The stallion sighed and gently held his sister's hoof. "I'm so sorry, but I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me, and to give Rose a chance."

Twilight smiled then moved from her chair to her brother. "Shiny, I forgive you, if you forgive me." 

"I forgive you." Her older brother said as he hugged her. The pair spent a moment simply hugging each other, but then they pulled apart and the mare nuzzled her brother. 

"Thank you B.B.B.F.F." She smiled up to him. 

"You're welcome my L.S.B.F.F." 

"Can we see Rose now?" They turned to see Spike smiling at them. "If the moment is over I mean..."

Shining chuckled and shook his head. "Not right now. Cadence is having a mother daughter day, so we should wait until tomorrow, or maybe later tonight depending on how things go." He smiled and picked up the menu with his magic. "I want to spend a day with my sister, and scaled brother."

The trio smiled as the waiter came over to them. They were all ready to have a pleasant family day.
                                                                                                                                                                                       

Cadence looked to the guard she had summoned, and motioned to the chair opposite of her. She was laying on the couch of her living room, the small filly Rose asleep in her grasp, and the guard she has summoned stood near the chair. 

"At ease, Echo. I wanted to ask you some questions about my daughter's people." She gave a small smile, and gently nuzzled the filly. 

"Of course princess." The stallion responded. "I ask that you not call me that when I am in my pony form. It could risk my concealment." 

With a small flash of green the stallion had transformed into the black carapaced creature she had seen in the alley way, but with a striking difference she had thought was just magic. His eyes, and back were of a deep green. 

"What do you wish to know, your highness?" He spoke softly as he removed his helm. 

Cadence spent another moment inspecting his differences then spoke, her voice full of curiosity. "Your eyes and back... they are not blue... why?" 

The changeling sat on the chair and smiled. "Ahh, you noticed. It's a way for changelings to know what class you are in. Green is the color of deep infiltrators. My type stays deep undercover for years without contact with the hive. Blue is the color of the warrior, and general combat service." 

Cadence nodded and her brow furrowed. "Class? Like... a caste system?" 

The stallion nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes." He placed his helm on the floor and looked to the door. "You are not confined to that class, but the classes are there to keep the hives organized, and efficient. Also the quick color recognition helps in the hives when domestic matters arise..."

His voice trailed off as he looked back to the mare and spotted her looking at the ruby hued filly. Cadence gently brushed the little changelings frill, and then looked up to the guard. 

"And... what is red?" She looked up and watched the stallion shift from the chair to the love seat.

The guard sat down and checked the door, and once he confirmed he couldn't be seen from the door he settled into the chair. "Red is the color of brood mothers. Her future is set to bring many more of her kind into this world, and bring joy to our young. Essentially, either she is making foals, or raising them." 

Cadence was taken aback by his casual nature while discussing such a class. "She... is only alive to make children?"

He shook his head. "No, she can change that if she wishes. It's just the class she was born into, so if this was a hive, it would be her job more than likely." He looked to the filly. "She is filling out very well. Your and Captain Shining's love is making her growing well. I'd say she has less than half a year for full growth."

The pink princess nodded. "I see... is there anything I need to know about changelings?" 

"Her fangs will hurt." He said and chuckled. "The fangs always hurt." 

Cadence tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mea—"

The princess heard the door open and she turned her head to look at it, and out of the corner of her eye she spotted the green flash of the changeling changed back to his pony self. From the doorway walked a mare, and personal maid of the princess. 

"Princess Cadence, I am off the clock, but I wanted to..." She spotted Brass Hail and smiled then winked at him. "Hello there stud. You remembered our dinner tonight, right?"

The stallion nodded. "I did. I am off shift in an hour. I will pick you up then." 

"Not before a shower." She winked to him again then looked to the princess. "Princess Cadence, can I get you or Rose anything?"

The princess shook her head and giggled. "No, but I can give you something." She turned to the guard with a playful grin. "You are off shift now. Princess's order. Enjoy your night."

Barely a moment passed before Swift grabbed the stallion and began dragging him to the doorway. The stallion smiled and picked up his helm as he looked to the princess. 

"Thank you princess..." 

The door closed as the maid giggled. Cadence smiled and was certain that no matter what the night entailed, she would hear of it tomorrow. They make a cute couple. I kinda like playing matchmaker.