A Princess in name, a Queen in heart

Flurry Heart sat by the window in her room, overlooking the Crystal Empire. It was the highest bedroom in the Spire, the perfect place to hide a princess from the rest of the world. Two weeks had passed and Flurry was getting the feeling that she was becoming a prisoner in this place. She was still denied her full magic, the inhibitor ring allowed her only a small amount for her telekinesis. She was being tutored in various subjects, some such as etiquette, geography and very basic diplomacy, Flurry admitted learning these would be helpful down the road, they were things they didn’t have in her old hive. Other things she was subjected to however were far less useful, Cadence had ordered she receve a formal ‘re-education’ as she called it. Flurry had demonstrated her reading skills by reciting a very old, and very complex, tomb in the crystal library. Reading had then been skipped thankfully, unfortunately other basic subjects weren't.

For the past two weeks Flurry attempted to endure being treated like a foal, being taught the most basics of math, history, literature, writing and levitation. Flurry was not going to be coddled like this, so she did what all good hive mates did, she hatched a plan. Over the past week, she had snuck every scrap of work she could manage from her tutors, completing them all as quickly as she could, it wasn’t just her studies that she worked on ether. Over the last several days Flurry had also been working on the inhibitor ring, unlocking it and dismissing the spell on it. Once she did that she would show her magic ‘teacher’ her full knowledge, perhaps then they would teach her something on her level.

Be like the river, it need not be wide nor fast, only constant. For even the smallest trickle of water, can bring even the mightiest mountain down.

Flurry remembered more of her sensei's teaching, maybe she could find more Neighpony books on magic, they had taught her well so far. A gentle knocking came from the door, followed by a crystal pony maid entering. She bowed, never bringing her eyes up to meet Flurry’s. Yet something else Flurry knew she needed to overcome here.

“Your majesty, I have come to collect you for your lessons.”

Math, ugh not my favorite, but I’m glad I was good at it. “That won't be necessary.” Flurry spoke in a calm voice.

“I’m sorry but the empress is quite-”

Flurry levitated over a stack of papers and scrolls. “I have surpassed my current teachers,” The papers showed completed work for almost the next years worth of work. “Please inform her highness that I will require more advanced studies.”

The maid stared wide eyed. “Y-yes your majesty.”

“And Please send in my hoof maiden as soon as you can.” Flurry tried to make her voice sound as friendly as she could, but the emotions coming off this pony told her of only fear, but fear of what?

The made left quickly, taking the scrolls with her. Flurry returned her attention outside, she always found watching day to day life helped her focus, and right now she needed all she could get. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, concentrating on breaking the inhibitor spell, but her efforts were about to pay off. There was a magical click, Flurry could feel her full magic returning to her. Flurry couldn’t help but grin, the first piece of her plan was coming together now, speaking of, here came the next piece. The door opened once again, this time admitting a crystal pegasus, her coat was sapphire blue, with a curly black mane and golden eyes, Midnight Star.

“You have need of me my lady?” Night said with a low bow.

“Yes I do, but please stand, you know I told you I didn’t want you doing that.”

“We are required to show you all due respect, my lady.”

Flurry just huffed. “You are my hoof maden, but I would also like to be your friend.”

“Not with me, a lowly maid.”

Flurry was really starting to get tiered of this, she was also really thanking Shade for convincing her to take those infiltrator classes. Time to switch tactics.

“Yes you are a lowly maid,” Flurry said with all the authority she could muster in her voice, she sounded very high and mighty at that moment, Flurry couldn't stand it. “So who are you, to tell me who I can and can not call my friends?”

Midnight was sweating now. “I-uh…”

“Wow, ok enough of that. How do some ponies seriously act like that all the time?”

Midnight was still bowing, not daring to get up, less she anger the alicorn before her. She suddenly found herself lifted in the air by a golden aura of magic, looking to Flurry she saw her horn glowing with full power.

“W-what? How did you?”

“I unlocked the ring, but you're not going to tell anyon-pony here, are you?” Flurry still said ‘everyone’ instead of ‘everypony’ from time to time, in the hive there were both lings and ponies, making it ‘everyone’.

“N-NO, never!” A full power alicorn holding you in their magic tended to make one very agreeable.

Setting Midnight down Flurry stepped over to her, putting one wing over her withers. “I really want to be your friend, but I can’t if you're going to keep me at legs length.”

Midnight’s ears drooped. “I’m sorry my lady, your mother has decided that the Spire’s staff shall remain just that, we are not permitted to be friends.”

Flurry figured something like that had happened, making the need to move forward with her plans even greater.

“Well you are my personal hoof maiden, and you must follow my commands, even above those of Cadence’s, am I correct.”

“Um… well yes technically, but what-”

“Then I declare that Cadence’s order regarding us not being friends rescinded.”

Midnight's eyes went wide. “B-but...”

“Now none of that.”

“The entire staff knows, I can’t just start being your friend!”

“True, so we need to keep up appearances, but I do want you talking to me more,” Flurry paused in thought. “Here I have an idea.”

~o0o~

Shining Armor was conflicted, as former Captain of the Royal Guard, General of the Imperial Guard, and Emperor this was not something that happened easily, and yet it had happened. Cadence had received Flurry’s teacher in court, showing her that Flurry had not only completed, but exceeded the education she was to receive for the next year. Cadence had been unable to leave court, she asked Shining to look into Flurry’s ‘antics’ as she put it, telling him that she needed to complete all of her lessons correctly. And yet Shining had seen the work Flurry had sent with the made, she was clearly more advanced than they had thought, and so here was he was walking to Flurry’s room to figure out what was to be done. As he approached her door, he nodded to the guard who saluted.”

“Anything to report?”

“The hoof maiden Midnight Star is currently in with the princess.”

“How long?”

“A few hours.”

This raised some red flags for Shining, Flurry had yet to have any single pony around her for so long. Opening the door with his magic, inside he found Flurry sitting in front of her vanity mirror, with Night behind her brushing and styling her main.

“I don’t know, I’ve always liked the straight look to my mane.”

“Well you out right refused curls, even though I think you would look good in them. Besides I think you would look good with a braid, you’ve got your blue highlight that really stands out like this. Not to mention if we give a little weve to your tail to match, it will me much easier to swat any colts that get too close.”

“There will be no chance of that happening.” Singing voice was very firm as he approached the two mares.

Midnight spun around realizing who had just heard her. “M-my emperor, forgive me I didn’t mean-”

“We will talk later.”

It was a clear dismissal and Midnight Star left without question, Flurry remained where she was as she glared Shining down.

“Well thanks for scaring off the closest thing I have to a friend here.”

“We can’t let anypony get close to you, not after what happened.”

“Ya no need to fear that,” Flurry gestured to the locked window, high above the city. “Why are you here even?”

“You sent a maid to your tutors with the next years of work, all done.”

“And? I’ve been trying to tell you all that I’m beyond those lesions, actions speak louder than words, to I acted.”

Shining sat on his hunches, pinching his forehead with a hoof. Flurry opened her sense, she had learned to control the ‘aware of everyone at all times’ power she seemed to have, now able to direct it, or ignore it at will. Right now Shining was not happy, and it seemed to go a lot deeper than some school lessons.

“This isn’t about lessons, not really, is it?”

“No, it’s not.”

Flurry moved to stand in front of Shining. “So tell me, not as father to daughter, tell me pony to pony, what is it?”

Shining looked up, staring into eyes just like his. “We had so many plans for you, we wanted so much for you. All that was taken away that day. I think Cady is trying to ‘make up for lost time’, or something like that.”

“I know, and I understand, you're my first parents. But I was taken, and nothing either of us can do can change that, but if you know that, then why are you still trying? And why are you keeping everyo-pony away from me?”

Shining looked determined now. “I’m the one keeping everypony away from you, I’m afraid that hive, or even other changelings will try to take you again, I will not let that happen. As far as your lessons, Cadence is the one in charge of them, I’m not sure whys she's going about things this way.”

Ok time to try something. “Alright I get that, you're being protective, then why aren't you teaching me to defend myself?”

Shining just blinked.

“I mean your the military leader here right? I’m not the helpless filly I was, teach me. If nothing else, just do it to spend time with me.”

Over the last two weeks Flurry had minimal contact with her ‘parents’, partly due to the lessons they had been having her take. But it was the changeling lessons that served her now.

Remember, manipulation doesn't have to be evil. Like magic its how you use it and the end result, if you manipulate others into helping others, or even helping themselves, that's not in itself bad. When you manipulate others for your own gain, for things that do not benefit the hive as a whole, that is when it is evil.

Shining slumped down, his ear drooping sadly. “You're right, I’ve been so worked up at having you back after all these years, fearing that those changelings would come back to take you again, or something worse coming for you… I’m sorry.”

Thank the first mother. “It's alright, how about we try again? Do over?”

Shining chuckled. “You sound like your aunt when she was younger, ‘Shinny do over please’."

“Must run in the family.”

Shining nodded, grinning at his daughter. He got a contemplative look, as something in their conversation hit him.

“Flurry, what did you meant when you said ‘first parents’?”

Oh boy! “Everypony in the hive was adopted,” Flurry saw SHining’s eyes narrow, she decided to keep things simple. “When were old enough to understand, everyone is told that their adopted, and that they have ‘first parents’, as we called them.”

“Does anypony try to leave, to find their parents?”

“Everypony has the option, but you have to understand, every foal we took in was abandoned, they wouldn’t have had any parents to return to.”

“You did.”

Flurry’s ear drooped. “I didn’t know, I was found in the woods. They had no way of knowing where I was from.”

Shining was curious now. “How did they say they found you?”

“There was a storm above the hive, one of the changelings was out foraging.” Flurry decided not to mention that said changeling had become her father. “Apparently I landed in a tree near him, he said I was crying. He rescued me, brought me to the hive, they cared for me from then on.”

Shining was rubbing a hoof on his chin. “That does match up with that day, we couldn't send pegasus out because of the storm. It also explains why you weren't found with the changeling body we found, you did have such large wings as a filly.”

Flurry stretched out one wing. “Still do. What happened to the changeling? I doubt I did anything back then.”

“Lightning. Its entire midsection was hollowed out.”

Flurry winched. “And I wasn’t hit?”

Both Shining and Flurry sat in silence for a moment, neither had considered that before, it was a sobering thought.

“Lets not think about that, we agreed to a do over correct?”

Flurry nodded, smiling for the first time in two weeks. “Yep, and since I’ve got my homework done for... the next year. Can we try some training, or at least get some exercise? I’ve been stuck in here for two weeks, I don’t want to get pudgy.”

Shining just shook his head. “I’ll have to talk to Cady about actually training, she's still your mother, but some PT never hurt anypony.”

Flurry continued grinning as the two walked out of her room, she was finally making headway, connecting with at least one of her first parents.