Cadance turned around and saw her husband walk into the room. He tossed a scroll onto the love seat and sauntered over to her.
He gave her the bedazzling smile he always gave her. "Hey there pretty lady. Come here often?"
Cadance couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Shining playing a ladies stallion. "Does that ever work?"
He shrugged and wrapped her up in a loving hug. "No, but this usually does." He began to kiss her up and down her neck stopping only for a moment to nibble at the base of her neck. "You smell wonderful."
Cadance felt herself melting into the wonderful hooves of this stallion she loved deeply. "I took a shower."
Cadance felt herself become warm for a multiple reasons. She hummed as Shining continued his kissing but her mind started screaming warnings at her. Those warning quickly became muted as Shining began to rub the spot just between Cadance's wings. Her mind became foggy as her muscles began to relax. Oh wow, that feels amazing.
Shining whispered to her in her ear. "You should have waited. I could have gotten all the hard to reach places."
Shining nibbled on her ear and she let out a small moan. She couldn't believe how good this felt. She was the center of Shining's world right now and she desperately wanted to return the favor. She wanted nothing more than to let the rest of the world wait while she and Shining held each other.
Rose can't wait. I need to tell him now. Cadance forced her mind out of the wonderful haze as she gently push Shining away. Shining stopped what he was doing instantly and gave her a confused but concerned look.
"What's the matter? Did I do something you didn't like?"
Cadance felt a pang of love for the stallion. His first concern was that she was upset and now she was going to kill the mood with something important. She hated herself for what she was about to do.
She gave him a loving smile. "No. You were doing fine it’s just that I need to tell you something."
She sighed as she read the slight disappointment in Shining's eyes. He tried his best to hide it but she had spent so much time with the white stallion that she could see right through him. She move close to him and placed her hoof on his shoulder.
She looked into his eyes. "I found a filly in our bathroom. She was hiding in the shower and I startled her. She was scared of me and thought I would hurt her."
Shining's eyes widened. "What? Was she one of the maid’s foals?"
Cadance shook her head. "No. I can guarantee that she isn't. She's an orphan."
Shining looked shocked. "That's horrible. How did she get into the castle?"
Cadance stopped for a moment and thought about that question. How did Rose get into the castle? The place was swarming with guards all the time and with all three princesses home they upped the security to the highest she had ever seen it. She forced her curiosity to the back of her mind for the moment.
"I don't know. She looked starved and dirty so I fed and cleaned her. There's something you need to know about her."
Shining gave her a curious look. "Was she hurt or sick? Starving would make her body weaker."
Cadance shook her head. "No. Nothing like that, well from what I could tell at least. She seemed unharmed from what I can tell and she's resting on our bed right now. She's not exactly a pony."
Shining became confused. "Is she a griffon?"
Cadance took in a breath and took the leap. "She's a changeling."
In an instant Shining's face went through a few rapid changes. First was shock mixed with horror, second was understanding, and finally anger as his eyes became steely and resolved. Cadance knew that look. She had seen it before when Shining had ordered the guard to sweep the city and capture all the changelings they could find.
Shining moved beside her and headed to the bedroom. Cadance tried to stop him by grabbing his shoulders. "Shining wait, please."
Shining made it to the door and threw it open with his magic. "Let go. I'll deal with this."
The door made a loud *bang* as it hit the wall. The sleeping changeling jumped in fright and when she looked to the source she was greeted with the hate filled eyes of Shining. She crouched low to the bed in hope that he would leave her alone. Only a moment later she was lifted into the air roughly by Shining's less than gentle magic.
Cadance and Rose both let out cries. Rose's of fear and Cadance's of protest.
"Shining put her down!"
The unicorn turned to the mare, ignoring the shrill cries from the filly. "Why? You know exactly what these things did to us and to Equestria. I'm putting it where it belongs, in the dungeons. The I'm shipping her off to the Wastes."
Cadance used her magic to break Shining's hold on Rose and lowered her to the bed gently. She moved in front of her husband and looked into his eyes with her own determination.
"She's innocent. She had nothing to do with that."
Shining looked at his wife in disbelief and his voice rose in anger. "Innocent? They attacked Cantorlot, threw you into the crystal caves and nearly forced me to marry their queen. Or did that somehow slip your mind?"
Cadance stood her ground. "Look at her. Does she look threatening to you?"
Shining didn't look at Rose. "It doesn't matter if it's threatening. It's a monster and should be dealt with accordingly!"
Cadance took a step closer to the stallion. "Stop calling her it. She's not a monster, just look at her and tell me that she could possibly be dangerous." The unicorn was about to protest but he stopped when he saw Cadance's expression soften. She moved closer to him and placed her hoof on his chest. "Please, just look at her."
Shining looked at the cowering changeling that was using one of the pillows as cover for herself. Only her horn and red eyes were showing. He saw fear in those large red eyes and that she was shaking slightly. He knew that Cadance was right. This small changeling was in no way a threat to him.
Cadance spoke from beside him. "She's terrified of you. She acted the same way after I calmed her down." Cadance walked to the side of the bed and laid the changeling back down on the bed and covered her with the blanket. She turned to her still angry husband. "Living room. Now."
Cadance walked past the white stallion as he cast a hate filled glare at the small changeling. Shining followed his wife out into the living room and heard the door to the bedroom shut behind him. He turned to Cadance.
"I know you're mad right now bu—"
"Mad? I'm a little more than mad right now Cadance. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to keep her here for as long as you have? What if a maid had walked in and seen you tucking her into bed?"
Cadance stood there silent for a moment. She bit her lip as she thought. Shining continued. "I'm under enough fire as it is. Half the royal court want me out of office and Celestia is trying her hardest to protect us both from them and now you want me to let one of those things sleep in our bed and just pretend that it’s okay?" His voice rose as he spoke. "They nearly took you away from me! I don't want that to happen again."
Shining finished and was left panting slightly. Cadance looked into his eyes and saw fear mingling with his rage. She walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "That won't happen."
Shining returned the hug, only slightly calmer than before. "How do you know? If it’s as young as you say she is then she should have a protector somewhere. What if they came here and attacked you?"
Cadance looked into the eyes of the stallion. "It won't. I won't ever let them or anything take me away from you. I just have this feeling that this filly is alone and needs somepony to help her."
Shining sighed. "Cadance... we can't keep her here. The longer she stays the more likely she'll be discovered by one of the guards and if that happens then there is nothing I can do. I should be dragging her to Princess Celestia right now."
Cadance pleaded with the stallion. "She wouldn't survive that. She's weak from starvation and lack of love. Rose just needs some time before that happens."
Shining looked at the door to the bedroom and let out a groan. "You named it? You shouldn't have done that. Now this will be harder on you if Celestia orders me to send it..." He stopped once he saw the look on his wife's face. She gave him a look that both admonished and pleaded. "Her, to the Wastes."
The princess but her lip once more and glanced towards the door. "I couldn't keep calling her 'it' or 'you'. She still deserves a name, even if her species did something wrong. She shouldn't suffer for something she wasn't a part of."
She gently moved her husband’s face so she could look at him. "Just give me one week. You don't have to like her or anything like that. I need that time to strengthen her so she can survive. At least until she's back with her own kind."
Shining sighed and looked at the door his expression unreadable. Cadance leaned forward and nuzzled him softly. "For me?"
He looked at her for a moment. "Fine, but on one condition."
Cadance smiled at him. "Anything."
His gaze was almost icy. "Prove to me that you are Cadance."
He took a small step back from her. "I need to know that this is you talking. Not some changeling trying to feed off of me. I trust you on the fact that the filly can't harm me but a fully grown changeling can and has. Tell me something that only the real Cadance would know."
Cadance stood there for a moment as she searched her mind for some moment only they had shared. She looked at him and smiled.
"Our first date was a total disaster. Everything went so wrong, from the food to the movie. The only thing that mattered about the whole thing was that night we spent at the lake." She moved closer to him with a warm smile. "As we fell asleep you whispered to me."
She leaned towards him and whispered in his ear. "This night was perfect because of you."
She leaned back and looked at the now smiling face of the white stallion. She gave him a coy smile. "Then we shared our first moment of... intimacy."
Shining blushed a little as a dreamy look passed over his face. "Yeah... okay. There's no doubt in my mind that you're the Cadance I fell in love with." He moved closer to her and gave her a small kiss. "I'll give you a week. That's all I can promise."
Cadance smiled gratefully at her love. "Thank you. Let's just forget about that for a moment and focus on you and me."
She pushed him back onto the sofa and smiled down at the stallion. He returned the smile lovingly as Cadance got on the sofa and kissed him.
"You have some unfinished business with me that really needs your focus right now."
That....err....actually, it didn't escalate too badly, did it?
I think that was in character for Shining... But he needs to go d'aww for a moment longer.
I like it, but its too short.
OH YEAH!, update
I like it! More!
Lovely. Though it does feel a bit short... Anyway, let's just say I expect this unfinished business will, again, be interrupted.
the shit has hit the fan....and even if it is a filly changeling I would not doom it to starve, I would have to just make sure it didn't try and take a bite out of my butt
Don't worry little changeling. Shining will come around. Just be super cute in front of him.
perfect, fucking perfect, you have the characters personalities down pat!
Sh*t, if Shining Armor opens up to that little filly-changeling, it'll weigh a ton by the end of the week!
Things turned out better than expected, at least for now.
Picked up on a couple of typos:
Other than that, good so far.
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You should read On The Importance Of Spelling to get the full truth about Shining Armour's name
(btw, exuvium, "British" only has one 't')
"I'm under enough fire as it is. Half the royal court want me out of office and Celestia is trying her hardest to protect us both from them and now you want me to let one of those things sleep in our bed and just pretend that it’s okay?"
Oh come on, not this argument again, I have seen it in some other stories before, a stupid and corrupted court want to get rid of Shinning Armor from his job, yea, get rid of Unicorn who is so OP that he can hold entire city from siege for weeks, Unicorn whos shield is stronger then Alicorn one, as Unicorn who with Cadance power support single hoof banished entire changeling invasion forces and saved the day ( with Twilight assistance of course ).
COME ON, it make no sense, not to mention that whatever royal court say, Celestia and Luna have far more influence and power to decline they decision any time, it is not like court choices Celestia and Luna to rule over Equestria, it was Celestia who choice royal court to help her rule this country.
2072998 My intended use of this isn't that the court is corrupt or "evil" but that they are simply trying to figure out how it happened. If your home was invaded I would think that a least one member of the nation would try to point fingers at someone for a power play of some form. This is barely a month after the invasion and I'm certain that paranoia is running high.
Think of it this way. If the security officer of a store fails to keep it safe (Ex. it gets robbed under his watch but he fails to realize it until after the fact) then the owner of the store will start to scrutinize the guard. It's a natural reaction.
Fortunately this will be a VERY minor of the plot as a whole so you won't have to deal with it for very long.
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When entire invasion forces are send back from capital and Shinning Armor and Cadance show up in front of everyone as the ones who repealed them, getting blame for failing to let the invasion start in the first place is last thing ponies would point out.
There is far higher chance they would blame Celestia who failed to defeat Chrysalis in duel in front of many subjects, quite good topic for press, or that Luna was not even there when town was under siege, or that Guards are far to pathetic to defend the city, but there is no way they would blame national hero.
2080277 Fair enough. I wrote that part in passing and didn't really intend for it to play anything more than a minor role. So bare with me on this one.
Looking forward to seeing how this story develops.
And then Rose walks in on them and is horribly scarred for life.
That aside, this has a vast potential for d'awwws.
So Cadence put out on the first date
Just sayin'
Okay, I'm sorry, but this chapter has seriously damaged my ability to like or root for Shining Armor in this story.
Really, I'm sorry, a lot of people would see a complete snarling willingness to harm or kill a child, especially one they admit may or may not be a threat, as a Moral Event Horizon, I know I do, and because of that, it doesn't matter if he decides to hug and shower it with affection later, which I know he does. By this point, I am already set against Shining Armor and simply don't think I can like him, not just because of a quick change of mind, but because for me, he has immediately crossed a serious moral line and we're still expected to like him. Made worse, because I don't think he ever really gets properly called out for it.
Maybe I'm overreacting a bit here, but to me, Shining Armor was about to unhesitatingly send a child to its death and for me, that's a huge thing. If Cadance had not convinced him not too, he would have done it and probably with a complete straight face. That really unsettles me too much.
2727130 The thing to remember is that even good people are capable of horrible things if they think it is alright, more so if they think the people they are doing it to don't count. For example slavery, a god-fearing man who loves his family and is a well liked man around town wouldn't bat a eye to beating a slave that did something wrong.
To quote Harry from HPMOR.com,
So while Shining is in the wrong, it's more of a problem with society than with him. After all, until the invasion, changelings might of just been a fairy tail to him, monsters that kill your love ones just to steal your love, incapable of feelings and evil to the core.
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As a person with experience, I would put it to PTSD. Understandable, but can become very dangerous if allowed to expand too much.
I don't think I've seen a single non-comedic fic that involves Shining where he isn't dead set as an antagonist for any "evil" that is trying to be good. Nyx (Past Sins series), Kuno (An Affliction of the Heart), and now Rose. (there are others but I don't remember them anymore) Granted, most of those protagonists were changelings...
Suudenly, it's crhysalis in disguise!
Cadence: oh st!
Um... Mr Author? Im sorry to do this but Im going to have to break the fourth wall... Brace yourself! *I Reach through the screen and slap Shining Armor upside the head* There... justice hath been delivered upon the Heathens!
The argument kinda reminds me of Disney's Tarzan when Kala was trying to convince Kerchek to let him stay
5367452 Well played!
YOU GOT A WAR HUG? AAAAAAH! THAT'S A WAR HUG! NOW LET ME SEE YOUR WAR HUG!
BULLSHIT, YOU DON'T SCARE ME. WORK ON IT.
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Well, she is tthe Alicorn of 'love(ing)'!
I wonder if ponies are even going to try investigating why the invasion happened and whether the changelings were all for it or just carrying out orders.
Cya
Raziel-chan
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Ponies don't seem to think and investigate things that much. Like with Zecora, the ponies immediately thought she was evil and was trying to do something horrible, without actually trying to find some reason to confirm their suspicions. Same with the changelings. Though, one flaw I find with Chryssie's plan is this: They need love to survive. I assume they can feed off of other positive emotions as well, but love is the best provider. If they attacked and took over everything, then the ponies' love and other positive emotions would all turn to hate and fear. Fear because, well they're being attacked. Hate because they hate the changeling for attacking them and destroying everything . They would lose all their food. It doesn't make sense, but living in the w̶̷a̶̷s̶̷t̶̷e̶̷l̶̷a̶̷n̶̷d̶̷ badlands, they'd be pretty desperate. But still, ponies are pretty judgmental, and don't think or question much. The story "The Moon, the Flower, and the Door" follows along the same lines of blind obedience. Though I guess herd instincts may have something to do with it.
Then
I think it should be bite.
Me thinks they need a safe word.
Giggity
Oh boy I know he is upset what Queen Chrysalis did to him and Cadence and especially to his sister Twilight but he has to understand just like thorax it's not Rose fault they were just basically in the middle of this whole situation it was Queen Chrysalis fault
Canterlot
Oh boy I'm sensing some deja vu especially what happened to thorax and how he was treated like that as well in the episode
Again this is pretty much during between season 2 and 3 and before the Crystal Empire came around
Just like thorax but he was technically part of the attack but he didn't even want to hurt anybody
Ok I kind of figured that would happen it looks like shining armor return to Princess Cadence but she told him about the changeling inside the room and with that reaction he was about to do something to the little one and Cadence had to explain to him that she is not a threat she's just an innocent little kid and of course I understand that Shining Armor had a difficult time with a changeling especially Queen Chrysalis but as I said just like thorax both him and her just got involved into this whole mess because of chrysalis you can't punish all of them just because of one bad creature I hope Shining Armor well come around and probably that's why he was been gone cuz it looks like they wanted to take them out and now adding more stress I hope they can work this thing out somehow
Oh good, shining isn't a blind murderer.