Shining Armor awoke in the familiar embrace of the ponies he loved most in the world, the warm Saturday sunlight filtering in through the blinds on the window. He smiled and groaned softly, pulling the nearest foreleg closer to his face and snuggling against it, relishing in the warmth of his wife’s body. He didn’t want to get up – and heck, it was a Saturday, he didn’t have to get up. Except for one small detail. There was a knocking noise coming from across the house, sounding suspiciously like a pony requesting entrance at the front door. Shining Armor opened his eyes and looked over at the clock, the simple black hands indicating it was precisely ten-thirty in the morning. Still not quite making the connection, he pulled his head up and rolled to look over at the calendar.
Let’s see, he thought, If the meeting with the Princesses was on the fourteenth, and the fourteenth was last Wednesday, that makes today the… seventeenth, right? Which means- his eyes focused on the black text scribbled into the little box on the wall calendar.
“L.S.B.F.F. Visiting,” he read aloud. The information processed for a moment, then clicked. Ah crap.
As gently as he could, Shining Armor slid himself out of bed, doing his best not to wake anypony else, though not entirely succeeding. Cadance groaned softly and shifted in her sleep, halfway to waking up, but not quite there yet. Shining Armor pulled a brush through his mane with his magic, and stepped into the main hallway of his house.
It was a modest place, but big enough for him and his family to live comfortably. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a hooffull of other assorted living spaces, it took only a couple moments for him to reach the front door and take a quick glance out the peephole to confirm that it was, in fact, his sister at the door. The fisheye lens distorted her somewhat, and her head appeared rather larger than it should have. Shining Armor chuckled to himself and opened the door.
“Twiley!”
“You forgot I was coming, didn’t you?” Twilight asked, a smile on her face and not even a hint of annoyance in her voice. “It’s so good to see you again, B.B.B.F.F., even if a little less so to smell you. You haven’t had a shower yet, have you?”
Shining Armor rubbed a hoof behind his head nervously. “Nah, I haven’t, I just rolled out of bed. I can’t believe I forgot you were coming today, sorry Twiley. Come on in,” he said as he stepped to the side, allowing his sister entry.
“Really, it’s not a problem at all, Shining. I’m just glad I could see you again,” Twilight said as she stepped into the house, glancing around. “So how are you? How’s life been?”
“Absolutely fantastic, Twiley. I’ve got two drop-dead gorgeous wives and a beautiful daughter, the job of my dreams a-”
“Two wives?” Twilight asked, incredulous.
Shining Armor refused to meet her gaze, and coughed nervously. “Sorry, Twiley, slip of the tongue.”
“‘A drop-dead gorgeous wife’ and ‘two drop-dead gorgeous wives’ is hardly a slip of the tongue, Shiny,” Twilight questioned, suddenly suspicious, “And did you say daughter?”
Shining Armor even more blatantly refused to look his sister in the eye, his entire body now turned to face the opposite way, beads of nervous sweat starting to bead up on his forehead and neck. She didn’t know she doesn’t know how could I have forgotten that she doesn’t know?
Twilight gasped. “Shiny… you’re not cheating on Cadance, are you?”
In an instant Shining Armor whirled around again, all nerves suddenly gone and replaced with anger. “Twilight Sparkle, you of all ponies should know I love Cadance with every ounce of who I am, and I would never, ever cheat on her. I can’t belie-” Shining Armor cut himself off and sighed. “I’m sorry for yelling Twilight, I just… I’m sorry. Alright, I need you to listen to me for a moment. Twilight,” Shining Armor said, trotting a few steps over to her and taking one of her forehooves into his own, “You are my little sister best friend forever, and all that that implies. And I really, really need you to trust me on this, alright?”
Twilight nodded, suddenly slightly afraid.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Twiley,” Shining continued as though he could read her mind, “I just… you really, really need to not freak out, ok?” Shining Armor didn’t wait for her reply, and turned to call over his shoulder down the hallway. “Honey? Snugglebug? Twilight’s here, I’m coming in.”
Twilight cringed a little at the pet name – they had never really been something she had liked or saw the purpose of – but followed her brother down the hallway nonetheless. Nothing could have prepared her for what lay behind the light pinkish-red door. In the bed was the rather expected Princess Cadance, the pink Alicorn reading a book, sitting up with her back against the headboard, but next to her lay two ponies Twilight did not expect. Sprawled out facedown underneath the sheets was the large, black form of Queen Chrysalis, and a small changeling that bore Shining Armor’s own colors. Cadance idly ran her hoof through the foal’s mane as she looked over the top of her book at Twilight. Before the purple Alicorn had a chance to question anything, though, Shining Armor spoke.
“Twilight, this is my wife, Princess Cadance, my wife Queen Chrysalis, and my daughter, Varia.”
Twilight’s unconscious body made a loud thunk when it hit the floor.
Several months ago…
Shining Armor woke up on a typical lazy Saturday, lying in bed with his wife, Princess Cadance. She was warm, and soft, and wonderful, and he loved every minute of every day he spent with her, but somepony was knocking on the door, so he had to spend one fewer minute with her and one more dealing with the real world. He slid out of bed and pulled a brush through his mane, before stepping out into the hallway. When he arrived at the door, he checked through the peephole and was surprised to see a small mare wearing a hood and holding a small bundle. Thinking nothing of it at first, he opened the door.
“Good morn-”
“Is t-this the re-residence of Shin-ing Armor and Prin-cess Mi Amore Cadenza?” The pony almost sounded as if she were crying, her voice an irregular staccato of breaths and pauses.
“Nopony calls her that anymore, but yes, this is the residence of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,” the white unicorn replied, a little annoyed at having been cut off.
“May I co-come in?”
“I don’t see why not,” Shining said, and stepped aside to let the mare in.
As soon as he closed the door behind her, though, the light purple mare before him vanished in a flash of green fire, leaving a tall, black, insect-like pony standing in her place.
“Chrys-!” Shining Armor’s alarmed yell died in his throat as he saw the tears streaming down the changeling queen’s face.
“I can’t feed her,” the mare sobbed, “I can’t feed her. Please… please I don’t care what you do with me just don’t let my- our daughter die. She doesn’t eat love. I can’t feed her.”
Shining Armor stiffened as the distraught changeling unwrapped the bundle in her forelegs, revealing an alabaster changeling with a mop of two-tone blue hair on top of her head.
“I- we- how-” Shining Armor stuttered as he sat down on the couch, suddenly unable to hold himself up. Chrysalis took a few steps towards him and, when he made no moves to leave, sat down beside him and set the child on his lap.
“We did, that’s how. You might not remember it, due to the mind control, but we did. It was wrong, but I was starving, and I… was not thinking of the consequences at the time. Shining Armor, I am begging you, please find it in your heart to take Varia. To take her, to love her, to raise her as yours. I can’t. I do not have the ability to feed her, to love her, to raise her, as she deserves to be. I need you, Shining Armor, I offer myself in exchange for this but I need y-” Chrysalis stopped and flashed green, the purple mare from before reappearing.
“Shining Armor? Who is that?” Cadance asked as she strode sleepily into the room.
Shining Armor froze.
“J-just a f-friend from the gu-guard, dear,” he replied unsteadily, hoping against all odds she was still tired enough not to question it. Thanking Celestia that she was, Shining Armor took a few moments to try to scrape his thoughts together as Cadance pulled a bowl and a box of oats from the cabinet.
“I love you, Cadance.”
“I love you too, Shiny,” the Alicorn replied.
“No, Cadance… this isn’t the normal ‘I love you.’ I need you to look me in the eyes when I say this, and I want you to tell me you know and you understand.”
Cadance turned around. “Shining, what’s wrong?”
“I love you.”
Cadance was momentarily taken aback by the fierceness in Shining Armor’s eyes – the stallion was right, this wasn’t the normal ‘I love you’ that they greeted each other with constantly. “I-I know, Shiny, I know you do, I love you too, and all that that implies,” Cadance responded.
Shining Armor sighed heavily and began to address his wife.
“Cadance, you are the Princess of Love, and all that that implies. For many weeks before the wedding, Queen Chrysalis, a creature that feeds off of love, and all that that implies, had replaced you. I know you’ve already said you forgave me for any dalliances I may have made under the influence of the mind control spell, but… something has come up,” Shining sighed as he braced for the incoming verbal tirade, “Cadance I… may have had a daughter with Chrysalis.”
The bowl she had been carrying shattered when it hit the ground.
Oh boy here it comes. Not like I don't deserve it, but still.
“How did you find out? Is she alright? Can Chrysalis care for her? Is she safe? Will I ever get to meet her?” Cadance was in Shining Armor’s face in a flash, before she turned to the purple pony. “Did you bring him this news? How did you know? Where is the child?”
“I know I screwed up and I- wait, what?”
“Shining Armor, you are a completely inconsolable idiot sometimes, but I understand the circumstances at the time and I still love you with every fiber of my being. Right now, though, I need to know. Is the child safe?”
“Yes,” the purple mare replied, lifting Varia from Shining Armor’s lap, and gently hoofing her to Cadance. Cadance’s magic flared for a moment as she moved to take the child, but then she thought better of it and stretched out her forehooves to accept the foal.
“She’s beautiful,” Cadance breathed as she looked down at the little white half-changeling, “She looks just like her daddy, doesn’t she?” She sat down so she could balance as she brought a hoof up and gently touched the child’s face. “Does she have a name?”
“I called her Varia,” the anonymous pony replied, before wincing at her own accidental self-identification. Cadance stiffened, eyes wide, as she made the connection of just exactly whom it was standing in front of her.
“Queen Chrysalis?” Cadance asked hesitantly. The other mare sighed, and flashed green.
“Do with me what you will, but please, I cannot care for the child on my own,” Chrysalis said, looking at the ground. “Imprison me, banish me, execute me, I don’t care, just please, raise my… your husband’s daughter.”
“Of course, Chrysalis,” Cadance replied.
“You seem to be taking this remarkably well, Cady,” Shining Armor said with a nervous laugh.
“Oh no,” Cadance smiled as she closed her eyes, “I’m actually pretty irate. But what’s done is done, and I can’t really hold you responsible, as you were literally being mind-controlled. And I can’t let a pony in need of help like this just not get any. Don’t you worry, Shiny, after we get this sorted, you’re sleeping on the couch for a month.”
Shining Armor raised a hoof in protest, and then thought better of it, realizing he had gotten off about as light as a pony could hope for when telling their wife they had a child with the pony that invaded Canterlot and tried to ruin one’s wedding.
“Cadance,” Chrysalis started, then paused for a moment. “Please don’t punish Shining Armor for things he was not in control of. He was merely a victim in this situation. If you’re going to punish someone, punish me, please just help my daughter.”
“I know exactly what I’m going to do with you, Queen Chrysalis. And you too, Shining Armor. Chrysalis, you are going to raise your own daughter. Shiny? No husband of mine is having an illegitimate child. So you two are going to get married.”
“We’re going to what?” Shining and Chrysalis replied in unison.
“Cadance I love you too much to ever leave you,” Shining insisted.
“I have a hive to run!” Chrysalis cried.
“Not anymore, you don’t,” Cadance replied, with perhaps a bit too much glee in her voice. It did feel good to exact some small form of revenge against Chrysalis, but what she was doing was ultimately for the queen’s own good. “That’s the second half of your redemption – leaving the changelings. Shiny, dear, of course you’re not going to leave me. I am the Princess of Love, and all that that implies, and I know a thing or two about Equestria’s marriage laws. Specifically, the fact that there is nowhere that it says a pony is not allowed to have multiple spouses as long as all parties are knowing and consenting. So we’re going to go see Celestia, and we are all going to get married.”
“You’re all going to… what?” Celestia asked incredulously.
“I’ve read up on all the laws, Auntie, it’s completely legal in Equestria,” Cadance reassured.
“I know full well it’s legal just forgive me if I’m a little… skeptical at your sudden desire to marry the pony that ruined your wedding.”
“Celestia, there are other reasons. Shi-”
“I fathered a child with the chang- with Chrysalis,” Shining Armor cut his wife off, “And both Cadance and I feel it would be only proper to induct Chrysalis and Varia – the child, that is – into our family.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“I cannot feed the child on my own,” Chrysalis added, “Being half-pony, Varia needs actual food and milk as well as love. My intention was to turn myself in in exchange that Shining Armor might let the child live. It would seem Mi Amore Cad-”
“Cadance,” Cadance corrected.
“Cadance,” Chrysalis continued, “Seemed to have other plans. Which is why we’re here.”
“So be it. Are you looking for a big ceremony like last time or…?” Celestia trailed off.
“I think just the paperwork would be nice for this case, as most ponies probably aren’t going to react as well as Cadance did,” Shining Armor replied, “If neither you or Cadance object,” he added to the other two ponies.
“No, I agree. I think a more… subdued wedding might be optimal in this case.”
“Very well, I’ll draw up the paperwork myself, to keep the news between as few ponies as possible,” Celestia replied, magically scribbling a note on one of the sheets of parchment in front of her, “I can have it completed within a week.”
“Thank you very much, Auntie,” Cadance chirped.
“Your highness,” Shining Armor bowed deeply.
“Th-thank you,” Chrysalis stuttered, her voice suddenly broken up by sobs, “Thank you.”
In the present day…
“And Celestia just went with it?” Twilight’s thinly veiled shock brought her voice nearly to a yell.
“Shh, Twilight, quiet down, everypony else is still asleep,” Shining Armor chided, “And of course not. Celestia is extremely forgiving, but she’s not dumb. Chrysalis was under pretty heavy surveillance for the first several months, but over time Celestia decided that if she was going to try something she would have some time ago, and now we're one big happy family. Varia’s turning one in a couple weeks and-”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” The Alicorn’s voice had changed from one of anger to one of sadness
“I was going to, Twiley, I was. You are my little sister best friend forever-”
“And all that that implies?” Twilight asked, dejectedly.
“And all that that implies. I was just waiting for you to be ready, Twilight, Celestia knows you’re not the best when it comes to big changes and surprises,” Shining paused for a moment and Twilight blushed a little, “I just… didn’t know when or if you would be, so I kept putting it off and putting it off and eventually I forgot you didn’t know. I’m sorry, Twiley, I really am.”
“Shiny?” A rather… organic voice floated down the hallway, and Shining Armor could practically see the hair on Twilight’s neck stand up as his sister’s eyes widened. Chrysalis stepped sleepily into the room, covering her mouth with one holey hoof in an attempt to stifle a yawn, “Shiny my dear I could use a little breakfast. Not that Cadance’s love isn’t delicious bu- Oh, hello Twilight.”
“Chrysalis,” Twilight greeted her, doing her best to sound cheerful and not entirely succeeding.
“Twilight, I completely understand your unease, and I don’t expect you to just get over it any time soon. It’s ok, you don’t have to love me,” Chrysalis said solemnly, before making a rather pointed statement about her position in Shining Armor’s heart by wrapping her forelegs around his neck from behind. Shining Armor leaned back into his wife, and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. The changeling looked as though she melted slightly, her entire body relaxing just a little at the contact.
“I tell you Twilight, this was not exactly how I intended my life to go after marrying Cadance, but I really, really don’t mind it. I understand if you’re not comfortable with it, but please, just don’t freak out or go telling the whole of Equestria about it without thinking about who you’re talking to first.”
Twilight nodded, but a second set of hoofsteps coming down the hallway got her attention, and she turned to see Cadance walking into the room, her wings flared just enough to keep the foal on her back from falling off.
“Is… is that her?” Twilight asked.
Shining Armor nodded. “Twilight, this is Varia, my daughter. Your niece.”
Twilight slowly got up and stepped over to Cadance, the two ponies sharing a brief hug of greeting, before Twilight took the child into her forelegs.
“She looks so much like you, Shining,” Twilight breathed, the little foal giggling up at her and attempting to get some of Twilight’s mane into her mouth. Twilight smiled and magicked her mane out of the little girl’s reach, before letting Cadance take Varia back.
“Yeah, there’s really no questioning that,” Shining said with something between a laugh and a sigh, “Come on, Twilight, let’s have brunch.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine, I already ate-”
“Nonsense, Twilight,” Chrysalis said, “You’re going to eat with us. We’re all family, and all that that implies.”
