Long after the wedding and the fiasco with the Changelings, Shining Armour and Cadence are finally settled in at home. But one bundle of 'joy' may just end it all.
Long after the wedding and the fiasco with the Changelings, Shining Armour and Cadence are finally settled in at home. But one bundle of 'joy' may just end it all.
Getting the help of his younger sis', Shining try's to keep the foal a secret from his wife. But how long will she remain a secret, and how will ice cream cones get involved?
Shining Armour was trotting home from the outskirts of the Crystal Empire after a supposed changeling sighting. Well, whoever had spotted the bastard was right. But the actual changeling was long gone, flying back to their disgusting hive.
And now, he was stuck with this thing.
This... this foal.
It had the pure white coat but also had the jagged horn and insect like wings of the Changeling Queen. He didn't know where the foal had come from, nor did he know if it was a filly or colt, but he was taking it to the Royal Castle to ask Cadence for help.
Hopefully she would help him.
The young foal cooed up at him with bright eyes from the basket and blankets it was found in, chewing on something he had not noticed before.
Shining levitated it in front of his eyes, which were widening every second he read on,
My dearest and most beloved Shining Armour, Remember my little visit to Canterlot last year? When I acted as your beloved fiancee? Well I certainly do. I also remember the lack of power I had after I was flung from the city unceremoniously by you and your 'wife'. I just wanted to say how 'thankful' I am and have decided to return the favor. Here is your little filly. Mothered by me, and fathered by you. Have fun explaining all of this to your 'wife'.
With all the love in the world,
Queen Chrysalis.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Shining yelled.
Shining rubbed a hoof on his head. How would he ever explain this to Cadence. How was it possible? Unless... he had gotten her pregnant when she was acting as Cadence.
"Buck!" Shining Armour yelled, glaring at the foal under the bushes. He couldn't face Cadence but he definitely needed help. He couldn't go to Celestia or any of the Crystal Ponies either, they would only blab to Cadence.
A face and name snapped into his head and he glanced down at his foal. "Stay here." he snapped. Shining ran off towards the castle leaving the foal to sleep in the sunlight. But now he needed to contact the only pony he could trust.
Shining Armour ran towards his home, the Crystal Palace. The guards bowed to him as he galloped into the main hall, quickly looking for a quill and parchment. He spun around, running between different rooms searching for the equipment when he heard muffled hooves coming down the hall.
"Shining? Is that you?" Cadence called out. She could hear frantic pacing and drawers being opened and slammed as somepony raced around her room.
She entered to find her husband running backwards and forwards, searching for something. He was so distracted he didn't even notice her walk in.
"Shining what's wro-?" she started but was quickly stopped as Shining started to blab away.
"Have you seen a quill and parchment? I need to talk to Twiley now." he said looking around more frantic than before.
Cadence lifted an un-used scroll and quill from her saddle bags.
"Here, I have some." she offered looking at him worriedly. "Shining... honey, what's the problem?"
Cadence walked over to a chair sitting down and pulling a book out. Shining quickly started to scratch away like his life depended on it.
"A... um..." he started puffing. "Changeling... was seen... scouring the edges... of the... Crystal Empire... we're not sure... where... it went though... and done." he said, rolling it up. Shining quickly rolled up the letter to Twilight and used a spell Celestia taught him to send letters straight to a recipient.
Cadence gasped. "But... how? And what does Twilight have to do with this?"
"We could need the help of the Elements of Harmony. So I've asked for her help." he lied, coolly packing a bag. He spun around to kiss his wife. "I'll be back soon. I swear. Let me just deal with this, okay?"
Cadence hugged him tightly. "Be safe. Please. And say hello to Twilight and her friends for me."
"Always." he whispered before sprinting from the room. Cadence walked to her balcony slowly hoping to glimpse her husband.
She could see him running towards the area of the gates before disappearing over the horizon. Cadence placed a hoof of her small bump.
"I was going to tell him about you today. But I guess fate had other ideas..."
Twilight jumped at Spike's sudden burst of flames. She had been reading a book on mind spells when the letter arrived. "Twilight! There's a letter here for you. And... um, I don't think it's from the princess." Spike called down at her from his cosy bed, sounding mildly confused. Twilight stood up, stretching, before slowly walking up the stairs taking her time.
Not many ponies knew that spell. Celestia created it and never published it, so it would be from somepony important. Her mind ran through different scenarios as she finally reached her bedroom. Twilight levitated the scroll.
The paper was crushed and had ink spills all over it. Definitely not from the princess. “I wonder who it’s from?” she questioned as she looked down at Spike.
“Beats me. I’m going back to bed.” he growled, hiding away his head underneath the covers. Twilight chuckled at the baby dragon’s love of sleep and flattened her letter against her bed, laying down to read it.
Twiley, You have to help me. Today, a changeling was found on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. But it left a filly changeling. A note was left on the foal to me from Chrysalis claiming the foal was mine and her’s. Please help me, I can’t face Cadence alone. -Shining Armour
Twilight stared blankly at the piece of parchment in front of her. Re-reading the letter, she brushed it off as some cruel joke her brother was playing, but decided to play along for his sake. She quickly wrote a note saying she would help him and sent it quickly.
And yet, little did she know he would be on her doorstep the next day.
Shining banged on the library door loudly. He jumped on the spot nervously- holding the basket containing it, in his mouth. A familiar scaly face appeared at the door.
“Shining? What… what are you doing here?” Spike asked, scratching his back. Shining quickly ran inside shutting the door behind him.
“Spike, what is all that rack- Shining!” Twilight squealed, bolting down the stairs and trapping her brother in a huge hug.
Shining used his magic to seal all the curtains and soundproof the walls.
“Twilight, I need your help with… you know... the foal.” he said seriously, pointing to the basket he had set down in the corner.
Twilight looked at him before moving to the basket to peek inside.
She gasped and skidded away putting as much distant as she could between her and the… thing.
“How… how could this be?!” she shrieked frantically.
He lifted the blankets off revealing the foal.
“I’m not sure. That’s why I came to you.” Shining said levitating the gurgling white foal in the air. Twilight could see the similarities to both Shining Armour and the Changeling Queen. But how was it possible? Did changelings even have offspring if they weren’t capable of love?
Shining paced nervously. “I couldn’t face Cadence, Twiley. It'd break her heart just to see the foal, let alone live with it.”
A sleepy Spike spoke up from his rug. “Just send it back…”
“Send it back... SEND IT BACK!?” Shining screamed at the young dragon. “I CAN’T JUST SEND IT BACK! IF I COULD DO, YOU THINK I WOULD BE HERE, SPIKE?!” A final burst of rage made his mane catch ablaze with red flames.
“Shining! Calm down!” Twilight yelled, backing away from the heat and at his younger sister's request, Shining calmed down quickly- panting from the exhaustion.
“What… what was that?” he asked and Twilight gave a nonchalant shrug.
“It was a magic rage. You get used to them.” she said simply. “Now onto the problem at hoof.” She walked over to the filly.
“Hmm… She definitely has your coat and her wings and horn. But how is what I want to know." Shining looked at his ‘daughter’. “I don’t know. But I need your help to figure out how to keep her safe. I know I shouldn't but... I care for her. Even if, you know, she is half changeling."
“Okay. So what do you need my help for?”
"I need you to help me hide her true origins until I have the right way to tell Cadence, please. Do you have a spell to cast on her to hide her horn and wings? "
Twilight sighed looking softly at the filly. “I think I do. But you still have to tell Cadence sometime." she said, poking him in the chest. "You can't hide behind an enchantment forever. Espically when she starts to grow up, but the spell will take some time to get ready."
Shining facehooved. "Do you think she could stay here with you? Just for a while until the spell's ready and I have the right way to tell Cadence?"
Twilight looked into her brother's pleading eyes, only before letting out an exsaperated sigh.
"Fine." she muttered. After all, she did have Spike, so how hard could a foal really be?
Shining sighed in relief. “Thanks Twiley. Now I got to go. Cadence will be worried. Love you and I promise I’ll be back soon!” he said running out the door.
“But-“ Twilight didn’t end the sentence realizing it was too late. She sighed once again, only before turning to the foal and giving a small smile.
I wonder if you have a name. she thought, glancing down at the filly.
"Well, I think I’ll call you…" the Element of Magic paused for a moment, placing a hoof on her chin to think. "Allia. That’s a nice name, right?” Twilight smiled at little Allia, levitating her and nuzzling her softly. The foal yawned loudly, which urged Twilight to place her in the warm blankets of her bed to sleep.
The train to the Crystal Empire chugged along. Shining Armour was sitting in the Royal carriage at the back sitting next to the window watching Ponyville fade. He sighed resting his head on his hooves. Shining didn't know why he couldn't face Cadence with the truth; he knew it wasn't his fault. Yet, to see the shock and sadness that would appear on Cadence’s face would be too much for him to bear.
Nor did he mean to leave the foal with Twilight but he needed time to find the best way to explain it all to Cadence without her freaking out.
He knew Twilight could handle it. Her powers were at least ten times the power of his.
But in the back of his mind he couldn't help but care for the small filly. He was his daughter and he wanted her to be safe. She wasn't natural, but that didn't make her less real. Part changeling and part pony. Would she feed off the love of others? Would she become an evil alicorn like her mother? These questions rushed through his mind as the sun started to set and the cool night washed over the sky. Shining Armour stared at the stars rising into the sky.
What was he going to do?
The train pulled into the Crystal Empire ad Shining saw his gleaming city. In the train station he was meet with the sight of his wife making his stomach churn and twist with guilt. He put a false smile onto his face, trying hard to hide how weary he was.
Shining Armour stepped out of the train and onto the station.
Cadence galloped over to him smiling. “Oh Shining I’m so happy you’re back! How did it all go? Are you alright?” she asked hugging him tightly.
Shining continued to smile his tight smile. “Fine. Turns out it was just a hoax. Some kid dressed in a costume, nothing to worry about.” He slowly started to walk them towards the chariot waiting at the steps to take them to the palace. “But onto important issues honey. Are you feeling better? Is your sickness gone, what did the doctor say?”
Cadence giggled. “Shining I’m fine. Just a little… bug. But I’m fine now, truly.”
Shining helped her into the chariot being pulled by a pair of crystal stallions. “Are you sure? Because I could send a letter to Princess Celestia to send a-“
Cadence cut Shining Armour off placing a hoof on his mouth. “No I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Please.”
Shining smiled at her. The chariot started forward going towards the Crystal palace. Cadence peaked at Shining out of the corner of her eye, noting his nervousness, his eyes kept darting towards her then back to the train station.
“Shining are you sure you’re alright? I know when something’s wrong so please, don’t keep things from me.” She said cuddling into his side letting his warm body comfort her.
“No. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all…”
Twilight looked at the young filly sitting in a highchair she had transfigure from an old pot plant, eating mashed apples. Spike was feeding the foal slowly while Twilight worked on the spell she would need to disguise the foal for Shining.
Spike sighed, exasperated at trying to feed the foal. "Come... on. its apples, it's good for you!" He tried to push another spoonful of the mix for the foal to eat only to have it splashed in his face. The changeling foal levitated the spoon into the air and bonked him on the head.
She giggled from her place on the chair hitting Spike again.
"Ouch! Cut- that- out!" Spike said between the spoon hitting him. "Twiiiliiight! Help!"
Twilight looked up from the spell book. "Oh good you're keeping her entertained. Just hang in there for a few more seconds Spike; I nearly have the spell ready to go."
The foal giggled again amused by Spike's wailing. She soon grew bored of this and looked around the room. The purple pony was too absorbed in her book to take notice of the filly and Spike was nursing his bruised head with an icepack. The little filly tried to move from her entrapment in the high chair but failed after face planting. She grew frustrated wanting to leave this place and go back to home, to her mummy who had rocked her to sleep every night. But mummy wasn’t coming; mummy said she was going to live with daddy now. But this wasn’t daddy.
The foal felt her magic surge as she was encased within her own magic and was levitated into the air. She giggled flying around the room heading to the upper level. She zoomed into the room landing on a blue star covered quilt, making a loud *poof* as she fell to the bed. A sequel of joy erupted from the foal’s lips as she landed loving the exhilaration. She lifted herself into the air again and started to fly again using her crumpled wings to push herself forward quickly ending a unicorn statue flying to the wooden floor.
CRASH!
“Spike? What was that? Spike?!” yelled Twilight after being startled by the loud noise. She looked around the room trying to detect where the noise had gone. She soon noticed that the filly was gone.
“I don’t know. Why is something-“Spike tried to ask as he entered the room holding and ice pack to his head?
Twilight cut him off looking around frantically. “Spike where is Allia?!”
Spike was about to retort when a loud giggling sound came from above them. In the air floating above them, was the filly. “Well I guess you found your answer.”
The foal giggled as she floated above them. Twilight stood gaping at the filly levitating high into the air who was staring at her with the blue eyes she inherited from her dad.
Twilight snapped back into reality. “Okay um... Come on… sweetie. Time to get down for your nap. Then you can keep playing and maybe we can go outside later if you behave. Please?”
The foal stared at her quizzically. She opened her mouth and mumbled incoherently, “You’re not mama.” She took off again having fun and swinging of bookshelves sending its occupants flying. Twilight started to frantically pick up the old books sent flying before they could be damaged further, but she was wrong.
Spike jumped up towards the foal trying to cling to her but her magic aura picked him up and threw him to the ground next to all Twilight Sparkle’s books. A long burst of flames erupted from Spike’s as mouth towards the books burning them all into a pile of ash.
“SPIIIKE!” Twilight whined at his destruction of her books climbing up an empty shelving unit. The purple unicorn turned to the foal sitting above her and quickly thought of a spell. An aura of magic encased the young filly in a bubble with Twilight floating it to the ground. The foal tried to use her magic again to escape but failed in Twilight’s magic safe bubble.
Twilight Sparkle sighed in relief. “There. That wasn’t so hard now was it Allia, now you can have a nap while I finish your spell.”
The young foal struggled with her magic to escape Twilight’s bubble. The changeling wings on her back started to flutter quickly propelling her into the side of the bubble. Twilight started to struggle against the strain of keeping the filly under control with her magic, sweating she could feel her magic start to fail her as she balanced on the bookshelves.
“Spiiiike! Help me get her under control!” Twilight called. The purple dragon came running through with a rope tied into a lasso.
“Here! I’ll hold her down!” He yelled swinging the rope up into the air. The rope went through the bubble and caught the filly around the leg. The filly looked at the rope inquisitively before struggling away from it. Suddenly her leg was engulfed in green flames as the rope was burnt away by her magic leaving Spike with the slack rope to fall into a bookshelf, destroying the library even more.
"Spiiiike! I can't hold her here much longer! Send for help!" Twilight screamed. The magic bubble burst under the filly's weight sending her high into the air.
Spike grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment from Twilight's writing desk and scribbled down a letter. He quickly blew flames onto the parchment sending into the air and out a window. He turned back to the struggling Twilight to see Owlicious had joined in trying to catch the foal while flying through the air using his feet to snatch at the filly, but sadly to no avail. The purple dragon quickly joined into the fight as the letter was sent just down the road to the one person he could think of.
It was a sunny day in Ponyville. Everyday ponies trotted about doing their work or casually walking. Birds chirped and fillies and colts ran about playing in Celestia’s warm sun.
A certain grey mare with a bubbly cutie mark was flying from house to house delivering the local mail. She was opening a cloud letter box with the name of ‘Rainbow Dash’ printed on the side in colourful rainbow colours. But unknown to the mare a little cloud of green ash was whizzing through the air to a Boutique not far from the mansion of clouds.
Popping the mail into the box, she turned to flutter towards the Heartstrings household, the next on her list, but this plan was quickly put out of action as the small cloud shot past her spinning her around in circles. The clumsy Derpy fell through the sky plummeting towards the ground before she could control her decent.
Lyra Heartstrings was playing her instruments while Bon Bon was out when a great crash came from above. She jumped in the air frightened from the sudden noise, dropping her Lyre. She grabbed a broom from the cleaning room under the stairs. She climbed the stairs slowly on her hind hooves (she had what Bon Bon called, a nasty habit of doing that) to see what the loud noise had come from. She entered the attic to find her roof collapsed in and dust floating in the air. Movement came from the pile of rubble and she prepared to pounce. A blonde mane poked out from the dirt and a pair of crossed eyes emerged followed by the rest of her face. In the mare’s mouth, she carried a letter.
“Here’s your letter.” She said, holding it out to Lyra.
Lyra stood there, shocked, but slowly managed to stutter a sentence. “How… what happened?”
Derpy looked down - ashamed. “I just don’t know what went wrong…”
Above her head, the green mist continued quickly on it's path finally arriving at the destination it was sent to. It shot through an open window on the second story and condensed into a letter above the Element of Generosity, Rarity. She was sleeping soundly with her purple mane in curlers and a frou frou eye-piece. The letter fell onto her face waking her up suddenly from her ‘beauty’ sleep.
She snorted in her sleep after being woken suddenly. “Huh… who’s there? Who touched me?”
Rarity removed her eye piece to find a letter on top of her blankets. "Ooooh! I wonder if it’s from the Princess!” She said squealing like a filly on Hearth’s Warming morning.
She unrolled the letter with her magic and started to read quickly.
Help. Twilight and I need your help. Please HELP. Spike.
“Oh my stars! I just have to help Twilight and Spikey Wikey! Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called, walking out of her room. “Oh, erm, Sweetie Belle!”
Sweetie Belle ran up the stairs from where she had been camping with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Yes, Rarity?”
Rarity started to walk gracefully down the stairs keeping to the right, mustn't forget manners even in a time of generosity, and continued to talk to her sister. “Sweetie Belle, I'll be heading down to Twilight’s library. I’ll be home soon so don’t touch anything. Anything at all. Alright?”
Sweetie Belle nodded signalling she understood. “But what are me, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom meant to do for breakfast?”
“It’s Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and I, darling, please use your words properly, but I believe there are some oats in the kitchen - I beg of you, no cooking. We don’t want the same disaster that happened last sleepover to happen again, now do we?”
“We were meant to be the Cutie Mark Crusaders Master Chefs.” Sweetie Belle whined.
“Just please, do what I ask. I'll be back soon, I promise.” Rarity sighed to her sister. She left the room, quickly trotting down the street to her good friend’s home.
She lifted her delicately polished hoof to knock the door when, all of a sudden, she heard crashes and shouts coming from inside.
“SPIKE! GET HER UNDER CONTROL!" She recognized the yelling voice to be Twilight Sparkle's. Whatever they had needed her help with, it sounded important. Rarity decided to walk in without knocking - casting away her manners for but a moment, and what she found nearly caused her to faint.
Twilight was teetering on the edge of bookshelf high in the air while Spike was running around with ropes. Twilight was panting and sweating from exhaustion and casting what seemed a very hard spell. He eyes followed the magic to a small bubble encasing something she couldn’t quite see.
But the harder she strained to see the more the object came into form. Her eyes widened in shock. It was a foal!
“Twilight! What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” Rarity cried shocked at the display. Twilight’s head snapped to her.
“Oh, Rarity, thank goodness Spike messaged another unicorn! Please, I need your help!” She yelled from her spot in the air.
“Quickly - encase my bubble with your own magical entrapment spell.”
“But-“
“NOW!”
Rarity strained to remember the spell she had learned in magic school but quickly remembered. Her blue magic aura surrounded the pink one Twilight had made. Twilight sighed in release as she released the magic spell and fell to the floor. Instantly the small foal tried to escape again and crashed into Rarity’s spell and started to strain against it.
In the blink of an eye the purple mare was running towards numerous books spread around the floor. Using her magic she flipped through all the books to find a spell she had seen earlier. “Oh, I saw it here earlier!”
Rarity was already feeling the strain of trying to keep, whatever this was, under control. “Twilight, would you be a dear and hurry up?!”
Twilight flung books left, right and center looking for the spell she had found. She saw the spell she would need and cast the on the filly, but she would need Rarity’s help. “Rarity, could you lower her to the ground?!”
“She-?”
“Now!”
The unicorn lowered the filly lower to the ground and managed to keep hold of the thing as it tried to escape. Twilight galloped next to her watching the magical bubble. Her face scrunched up with concentration as she focused her magic around the filly. A small cage suddenly appeared around the magic bubble, but no ordinary cage, a foal crib cage especially made to prevent magic and unescapable for pegasi foals. It filled with toys with a flash of magic from Twilight Sparkle’s horn.
“There! Now I can get my work done for Shining!” Twilight nearly screamed to the ceiling, sighing dramatically. “I swear, you’re worse than that Ursa Minor.”
Rarity slowly crept up to the crib to peep inside, inside surrounded by cuddly toys sat a pure white foal. Rarity squealed in shock and backed away as quick as she could. “It’s… it’s… a white changeling!” She screamed towards Twilight who, quite literally, had her nose in a book after Rarity had crashed into her and sent her into Twilight’s pile of books.
Twilight moaned rubbing her sore nose. “Yeah, I know. Isn’t she cute?” Twilight said sweetly. “But she’s got a lot of magic in her which was actually kinda difficult to handle.” The purple mare trotted over to the cage crib and looked into where the filly was chewing on a toy’s head.
Rarity stood there mouth agape shocked at the revelation. “But where… where did it come from?!”
“It’s not ‘it’ it is ‘she’. But she’s um… well, my brother might've... how do you put it... uh... well..." Twilight hesitated and let out a sigh. "My brother 'hooked up' with Queen Chrysalis when she was Cadance and he thought it was her so now this little one here - " she pointed a hoof to the changeling filly in the crib. "Is their child." Rarity still looked at Twilight as if she had just raised the sun and moon into the sky.
“So you are saying that thing-… foal in the basket is Shining Armour's filly with who now?!" the white unicorn shrieked, quickly recomposing herself. "Darling, you know I love a joke as much as Pinkie Pie but come now, how could that ever happen?"
Twilight looked blankly at Rarity. “I'm not kidding." the Element of Magic said simply. "It's all true. But right now, all I'm trying to do is make this filly look like a regular old unicorn."
Rarity’s face drained of colour. “You Pinkie Swear?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly,stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight said while doing the movements. “Now do you believe me?” Rarity nodded. “Good, now you can’t tell anypony she’s here or else - we would have reporters everywhere trying to get a picture of her.”
Rarity again nodded still looking pale.
“Now you have to Pinkie Swear you won’t tell anyone?”
“Remember, Rarity, you have to keep this promise FOREVER!!!” A new voiced screamed from above. Rarity screamed and ran into the kitchen where pots and pans were clanging together. Twilight lifted her head to look up and black form with a curly pink mane and tail were poking out.
“Pinkie Pie, were you listening the whole-!?“ Twilight was shut up as a hoof was jammed into her mouth.
“Ssshhh... I’m undercover.” Pinkie Pie said quietly. Twilight scanned Pinkie from head to toe noting all her black clothing and the night vision goggles. How the pink mare was floating in thin air was undetirmined though.
“Pinkie, please don’t tell me you’re still being a spy?” Twilight whined sitting down. She rubbed a hoof on her throbbing temple.
“How did you know? Oooh! Was it my night vision goggles?” Pinkie said, giggling.
“Just a lucky guess, I think.” Twilight said sighing.From within the crib Allia started to cry and Twilight’s mind started to tick slowly. Her eye started to quiver as her head pounded.
“Aghhh!” Twilight finally screamed after what felt like hours of unstoppable noises. Her magic levitated the crib into the air and she quickly teleported down stairs into her magic to finish the spell Shining Armor would need. Allia, as she had named her, had fallen asleep and was snoring softly. Twilight looked at the filly slightly as she tried to focus on her work. The spell she was making was extremely complex more of a potion than a spell. Time started to fly by as she worked on the disguise. Twilight loved the feeling of making new magic, even if it was a minor one. The empowerment she felt lifted her spirits as she felt the harmonic magic flow through her body.
After what felt like many hours, she had completed it. “There. Now we can get you to your dad.” Twilight said, walking over to her niece.. “Alright, now here it goes, little one. I promise it won’t hurt.”
The spell she had been building escaped her horn, making her feel exhausted in losing all the power she had. A swirling pink mist sorrounded the now awake foal. The light sizzled and flashed around the filly. Twilight collapsed not realizing how much power she had put into that one spell. She layed her head on her hooves as the room filled with a light so bright she had to shield her eyes from the magical glow of her spell.
The light dimmed and she opened her eyes. Sitting in front of her was the most perfectly disguised changeling filly she had ever seen. The holes on her body were gone, her horn was completely normal, and the fly-like wings had dissappeared.
“Spike!” the purple unicorn called, smiling like a goofball. She heard the baby dragon running down the stairs.
“Yes?” he questioned, however his own question was answered once his gaze fell upon the disguised Allia. “Wow… she looks…”
Twilight couldn’t stop grinning. “I know." she said simply, only before clearing her throat. "Take a letter to Shining, Spike.”
Shining Armour was doing his usual daily routine of patrolling the city perimeter of the Crystal Empire with a pair of his guards. The crystal ponies bowed and moved out of the trio’s way even though Shining was making no sign of aggressiveness. In Canterlot, he was used to mares flirting and fluttering their lashes at him, but he only had eyes for one mare.
But the way these ponies acted was like he was going to order their death just for looking at him. It was disturbing how shaken some of the ponies were still after Sombra’s take over one thousand years ago. He smiled at the crystal ponies as warmly and kindly as he could much like Cadence would.
Ponies galloped out of his way as he walked past them. “What is it with these Crystal Ponies?” he asked his guards.
“We do not know, sir!” They shouted saluting him.
“You don’t have to scream at me…” he grumbled. “Have you two had any trouble with the Crystal Ponies?” He continued towards the Crystal Palace now his patrol was finished.
“Yes, sir! They seem to be scared of us, sir!” They yelled again saluting. Shining rolled his eyes at the stallions yelling.
“I wonder why.” He said sarcastically.
“So do we, sir!” They said together. Shining Armour looked at them over his shoulders. They were dead serious. He mentally sighed in his head trying not to say things a prince really shouldn’t.
“I relieve you both of your duties today. Take the day off and relax for a while.” He said to them both saluting the two stallions. The guards ran off, forgetting their manners. Shining Armour’s head hurt like he had been hit over the head with a pillow case full of bricks. He made his way up the stairs to the Royal suites of the palace. Everything shined so brightly here it was nice that both he and Cadence had agreed to have normal furnishings, flooring and walls used for their wing of the castle. It felt like their house back in Canterlot.
He trotted into the main room which was a sort of lounge room that he and Cadence received guests in during the after court hours. In the room Cadence was sitting on a large pillow reading a book but she placed it down when she saw her husband enter the room.
“Shining, how was your guard rounds?” she asked smiling up from her place on the floor. Shining walked over to her and lay down next to her. Cadence started to nuzzle his neck feeling how tense he was.
“It was like it usually was - Crystal Ponies running away from me like I’ll throw them in the dungeon if they even look at me. I just wish they didn’t think I was the bad guy.” He sighed closing his eyes. The crackling fire next to the pair warmed Shining’s body relaxing him as time went on.
A large ‘pop’ resounded through the room making Cadence jump. Shining saw the green poof in front of his face turn into a letter. Before Cadence could get a word out Shining had levitated the letter in the blink of an eye and was standing up reading. Cadence watched Shining’s serious face as he read the letter wondering who would have written to him. A small smile broke onto his face as he continued to read.
“Honey, what is it? Is it serious?” Cadence asked getting up from her cosy spot on the cushion. Shining looked at her like he had been caught in the middle of murder. He shook his at her.
“No it’s just… my… my mother’s sisters … second cousin, twice removed’s daughter is coming to stay while the parents are in… hospital. Nasty 'bout of flu this winter in Canterlot.” Shining lied smoothly thinking of a story on the spot.
“But it’s summer. Shining are you lying to me?” Cadence asked sadly. She looked at him with those sparkling eyes and Shining nearly let it all spill out. He caught his tongue before this could happen though and dragged a poker face on to look his wife in the eye.
“‘Course not. Did I say winter? I meant summer. Silly me. But my mother’s sister’s second cousin twice removed’s daughter is only a foal, so we’ll need a crib for her to sleep in.” Shining said quickly, changing the conversation, beginning to pace back and forth.
“Couldn’t we ask the ponies bringing her to also bring her crib? That would be easier than buying a new one and having it delivered here and she would most likely feel more comfortable to have something from home.” Cadence said in her kind tone thinking of the filly being scared and alone without her parents.
Shining scoffed. “Twilight doesn’t have- I mean… I can ask?” He caught himself before he finished his sentence that would have brought the death sentence. Cadence nodded absently minded. Shining left the room to reply to Twilight’s letter. He wrote down he could make the arrangements for his daughter to come stay at the castle now Twilight had gotten her undercover. But as he re-read her letter he saw how it also warned of how powerful the filly was with magic. Shining knew he had to be careful with his foal because if Twilight had trouble with the filly, he was bound to have chaos here.
Steam poured onto the train station platform of the Crystal Empire. Shining Armour had made all the arrangements for his filly to come stay with Cadence and him. He had made his mind up that he would tell Cadance the true origins of the foal when she had grown to care for it. She could understand then and he would have more time to find the best way to tell her. The train’s doors opened to show a tired Twilight standing in the compartment. Her mane was slightly messy with flyaway hairs everywhere. On her back sat a young fluffy white unicorn filly with a light turquoise mane and green eyes. Twilight had done an excellent job with her disguise; Shining could barely recognize his daughter sitting on her back. The filly cooed reaching out of the confinement of the foal carrier strapped to Twilight's back towards her father, her tiny white hooves shining in the sunlight. He levitated her through the air and brought her close to his face. She placed a small hoof on his nose and giggled as she placed another onto her father's nose.
"Thanks for bringing her over, Twi. It means a lot to me you would do this for us." Shining said smiling at his sister.
She blushed and smiled at her brother. "It was no trouble at all, B.B.B.F.F. She was an angel coming over on the train."
Shining raised an eyebrow at his sister’s blatant lie but brushed it off as the nerves of caring for a foal. Cadance stepped forward to see the young foal, her face lighting up at the sight of her. “Aw, isn’t she just adorable! What’s her name?” Cadance looked up at Shining, expectantly.
Shining Armour started to sweat, girly names running through his head, but before he could think of a name for his daughter, Twilight butted in. “Her name is Allia Sparkle.” Twilight grabbed the foal carrier slung over her back and snapped it onto her brother’s. “She’s adorable isn’t she?”
Cadance nuzzled the little filly who in returned cooed at the pink alicorn. Allia looked up at her dad and booped his muzzle, giggling all the while. Cadance stood still for a moment with an obvious face of confusion plastered on. She suddenly spoke up though, “Shining, dear, didn’t you say she was from your mother’s side of the family?”
Shining nodded his head. “Yeah, what about it?”
“Well then... why is her last name Sparkle?”
Twilight’s eyes widened behind Cadence, seeing her mistake. Shining Armour had the same shocked look on his face at his wife’s words. “It’s um… a common unicorn name?” Shining tried.
“Hmm, alright, if you say so, dear.” Cadance said, eyeing her husband suspiciously. He smiled tightly back at her trying to blow this over quickly. Twilight backed away, sensing the tension in the air and cleared her throat.
“Well, I think I should be getting back to my library, lot of studying to do and all. I’ll be seeing you all later, I guess. Bye!” Twilight said quickly turning away and running towards the soon to be leaving train. The engines started up and she quickly ducked inside the private carriage waving to the trio still on the station platform.
Cadance waved back to the young mare before turning back to her husband. He was playing with Allia, rolling around on a patch of grass as she crawled from place to place climbing on top of Shining Armour. She smiled at how well he was playing with the little foal, she knew he would be a good father when the time was right - which would be quite soon.
...She just needed to find the right time to tell him.
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.
Shining Armour continued to chug is hot cup of coffee down his throat ignoring the scalding drink. He nearly slammed the drink down onto the table with his magic as he felt more food splatter on his face. Shining sighed and again looked to his wife.
"Honey. Are you sure that you don't need any help with Allia?"
Cadance looked over with smeared carrots all over her face.Her normal perfect and curled mane was frizzled and disheveled in it's torture from the young filly pulling on the hairs. She had an insane look in her eye, almost like Twilight did when she forgot her homework at school back when she was younger. "No! I'm fine, I have handled many foals before and so I can easily handle Allia! Now would you please just open your mouth and swallow the carrots! PLEASE!"
Shining sighed at his wife's frustration over Allia. For the last fifteen minutes she had been trying to force feed the poor foal after Allia refused to swallow her carrots. Shining Armour couldn't help but find the humor in it all. The master of foalsitting, Princess of Love, savior of Canterlot and Equestria, Princess of the Crystal Empire and Alicorn demi-god couldn't feed one young foal a bowl of carrots. Well I guess the foal was a changeling...
Oh well. He still found a bit of amusement out of it. More of the mushy carrots fell onto his muzzle and Shining finally gave up. Standing up fully he trotted out of the kitchen to the bathroom to wash up.
Cleaning his face and mane with the sink and a wash towel he managed to get all the carrot out. Except for the stains. Knowing nothing could be done to fix the problem Shining Armour gave up and decided to read a book on the couch and wait till Cadance got her sense back. Pulling his favorite story, "A Nightmare Moon Before Hearth's Warming Day", and sat on a cushion opening to his bookmark.
Noises could still be heard screaming from the kitchen as Allia tortured his wife. But he knew no matter how much he tried to help, she would refuse and be as head strong as ever. Sighing to himself he continued reading.
Everything had been going alright so far, other than the issue going on in the kitchen, with Allia and he was happy that she could have an almost normal life here. Outside the doors for the apartment he heard whispering voices and shuffling.
BANG!
Something had been thrown at the door from outside. Shining grabbed his decorative spear and shield off the wall and rushed to open the doors but was flung aside as they were crashed into the walls.
"Honey, I'm home!" Night Light screamed standing on his hind hooves, forehooves in the air dramatically. Velvet Sparkle trotted in placing her bags on the floor and waving at her son on the floor.
"Mum? Dad?! What in the name of Celestia are you doing here?!" Shining Armour asked his parents with his mouth hanging open.
His mother and father walked around the room while his father sent him an annoyed look. "That's no way to talk to your parents now is it Shining?"
Shining Armour sighed. "No, but why did you two decide today of ALL days was a good day to pop in on me and Cadance?"
His mother sat down on one of the plush chairs near the fireplace. "Oh we just had this feeling we needed to be here, that's all. And can't we visit or son and his alicorn wife when we want to?"
"But... alright, it's fine, but what are you two planning to do here?" Shining Armour asked them getting off the floor.
"We were hoping you and Cadence could give us a tour of the Crystal Empire while we're here. Your mother and I only plan to stay a few days because I need to get back to work and she wants to start a new book for her publisher." Night Light said with a smile.
"Shining? Who are you talking to?" Cadance called from the kitchen.
"Uh... mum and dad decided to have a surprise vacation in the Crystal Empire for the next few days, sweetheart." He said nervously to his wife.
I bright blue glow emitted from the kitchen before Cadance walked into the lounge room looking clean and with a carrot free mane. She had a bright cheery smile plastered on her face as she walked through carrying Allia in her magic. "Hello Night Light and Velvet how are you?"
"Good as every dearie! Now who is this little cutie? Shining, we know you've kept things from us in the past but not saying you and Cadance have had a foal, that an all-time low!" Velvet gasped looking at the foal giggling in Cadence's aura.
Cadence looked shocked at Velvet's accusation "Oh- oh no she's not ours, we're just babysitting her for a little while until her parents are better. I would have thought you would recognize one of Shiny's cousins?"
Velvet looked as confused as Cadence. "I've never seen this little foal before. I didn't know Pink Petal and Heavy Metal had finally had a foal?"
Shining Armour plastered a fake smile on his face as beads of sweat rolled down his face. "Um... well... she's the daughter of one of our distant cousins, no one close like Pink Petal and Heavy Metal. I think its Aunt Yellow Petal and Uncle Soft Pillow! They weren't feeling well so Twily took on the task until Princess Celestia sent one too many reports for her to do and she gave us... the task?" Shining tried to see if his parents bought the lie.
Both his parents nodded their heads in understanding. "Well I hope they feel better soon! Wonder where their hospital is, we could go visit after our visit here!" Night Light said to his wife.
"NO! I mean.... no you can't see them; their disease is very, very contagious. No visitors allowed. At all. No question about it." His mother's eyes squinted at Shining, scrutinizing his words. Night Light cut her off
“Aw, that’s a shame; it would have been nice to see them. So what’s this little cutie’s name?” Night Light asked cooeeing over the small foal which was now on the ground sucking on her hoof.
“Her name is Allia. She’s a real cutie isn’t she?” Cadence said nuzzling Allia, who in turn booped Cadence’s nose. Sighs of the overwhelming cuteness came from his parents as they watched their daughter-in-law with this little foal.
Shining wiped the sweat trickling off his brow with his hoof and awkwardly smiled picking Allia up in his magical grip.
“I think it might be nap time for one little filly. I’ll just go put her to sleep!” Shining dashed into the spare room with Allia’s crib and placed her behind the bars. “Okay, um… stay? Oh it sounds like I’m speaking to a pet! I’m sorry baby girl for all this kafuffle* and everything, I’m just so nervous about being a dad! It’s not like you came with a manual or anything! Oh I sound like one of those obnoxious teen dads off of 16 and with Foal!”
Allia stared at her dad blabbing on about his troubles to her. Allia looked around her room again thinking of a new fun thing to do. A short sharp scream emitted from the living room and Shining ran outside to see his mother and Cadence crying while his father was smiling like never before.
“What- happened?!” Shining panted.
“Oh it’s just wonderful! A new addition to the family, I wonder what the civilians of Equestria will say?!” Cadence squealed.
“What… what do you mean?”
A letter was shoved into is arms by his loving wife and he carefully read the parchment’s words.
Dear family of Twilight Sparkle, You are cordially invited to the coronation of the newest princess of Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The coronation service will take place tomorrow afternoon at the time of three o’clock with a ceremonial banquet to celebrate Twilight Sparkle’s new alicorn hood. Sincerely, the Royal Pony Sisters, Princess Celestia and Luna.
Shining stood with his mouth open in shock.
He felt the urge to run and scream with joy and surprise. Twily was a PRINCESS?! The feeling of pride had never been higher than at this moment for his sister.
“I… I can’t believe it… our little Twilight’s a princess!” Night Light cried into his wife with joy. Sobs and tears of joy was all Velvet managed to get out showing her joy for her daughter’s new status.
“I… I never realised that Celestia would have… have plans like this for Twilight… did you ever know she would become an alicorn like you Cadence?” Shining asked his wife.
“No, never, ever! I would have thought Celestia would have said something but I guess she wanted to keep it a secret or it could have been like my turn, her destiny, uncontrolled by either sister.”
“Well we better get packing for this coronation tomorrow!” Shining said with a grin.
