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Hey Readers! This is a really quick note to explain how this story works, and how you can participate! You will help Shining Armor in his quest to win back the love of his teenage daughter before the end of the month (and the end of the contest).

At the end of each chapter will be a number of choices which you, the reader, will be able to vote on in a strawpoll. Once a sufficient number of votes have been received, I'll proceed to write the next quick chapter showing the results of your choices, and creating all new avenues for you to chase.

Your speculation and suggestions in the comments can help too!

Let's all try to get Shining Armor to successfully reconnect with his daughter before the end of June!

“You’re firing me!?”

The only thing lower than the sinking feeling in Shining Armor’s stomach was his lower jaw, which nearly touched the floor as he stared in disbelief at his longtime employer.

“Not at all! Not at all!” Princess Celestia shook her head. “You really mustn’t jump to conclusions…”

“I was the one who wanted to fire you.” Luna sniffed, not moving even a single muscle as she sat with a deadpan expression next to her sister’s throne. “Your replacement of the alarm-swans with alarm-frogs was the final straw for me.”

Shining gesticulated with his hooves frantically. “B-but they leave less of a mess… and they keep the mosquito population down in the summertime and-”

A particularly wart-covered bullfrog hopped onto Princess Luna’s head, perfectly perched against her silver crown. Already well-accustomed to such events, Luna didn’t even flinch, simply maintaining her deadpan stare at the flustered captain of the guard.

“It’s a moot point anyway Prince Shining Armor.” Celestia sighed. “We are not firing you… merely suggesting that you take some time to be with your family. The kingdom has been safe under the protection of your sister for nearly a decade. Surely you have considered retiremen-”

“Uh-uh… nope! No way!” Shining Armor puffed his chest out. He’d been the leader of his country’s military force for so long that it was a part of him. Overseeing the new recruits, organizing the defense of Equestria, being a leader of the best and brightest stallions and mares on the planet was not something somepony could just… step away from. Certainly not while he was in the best shape of his life! “You can’t ask me to turn in my sword and shield!”

“A sabbatical then…” Celestia sighed.

Shining Armor’s eyebrows pinched together and he cocked his head in confusion. His brain was having trouble parsing the unfamiliar word. “I mean… I like heavy metal Princess, but what does Rockhoof’s band have to do with this?”

“Not Rainbow Sabbath… a sabbatical.” Celestia groaned, rubbing her temple. “A short break from your career to take care of other things… say… six moons?”

“Oh.” Shining chewed his cheek, running the idea through his head. “I… could do that… but can I ask... why?”

Celestia stood up and walked down from the dais, extending a friendly wing. He’d been her captain for so many years and though he’d gotten a few chewing-out sessions, usually after some super-villain found yet another way to subvert all of his carefully planned defenses, she’d never suggested he take time off.

“I’m concerned about your family, Shining.” Celestia smiled. “I worry that I am depriving my niece and grand-niece of your steady and reassuring hoof. It is selfish of me to keep you here when the nation is experiencing such a stretch of peace.”

Shining’s shoulders slumped. It was the one reason that he had trouble arguing against. He constantly felt guilty about how much time he spent away from his wife and daughter. The commute from the Crystal Empire to Canterlot took the better part of a day, and though he dutifully made it at the beginning and end of every week to spend weekends in the north… there were so many family dinners, playful afternoons, snuggling evenings… that he had surely missed out on.

“Go be with them Shining. Be with Cadence.” Celestia had calmly turned him around with her wing, directing him toward the door to her throne room. “But more importantly, be with Flurry Heart. She needs you!”

Shining sadly started to trot toward the door, hanging his head. But the Princess lifted his chin up with one of her hooves and stared into his eyes with the fierce, burning energy that he had long known her to possess.

“Captain, make no mistake. ‘Tis a far more difficult and noble task to be a great father than to micromanage a well-maintained army at peace.” Celestia nodded. “My order is not without reason: your daughter’s upbringing could impact the fate of Equestria for untold generations - I want that childhood to be filled with as much love and affection as possible.”

Shining stiffened slightly. He hadn’t really thought of it that way. This was almost like… a mission! A challenge! He wasn’t failing the Princess or his country - he was helping them! And even better, he could help his daughter too! He nodded to the Princess and saluted, his pride restored.

“We’ll still be here when she is grown, Shining Armor.” Celestia smiled, “Don’t worry!”

“Yes. Don’t.” Luna deadpanned, the frog on her crown croaking.

Shining Armor stopped by his home before heading back to the train station.

The small flame of enthusiasm that had started to grow in his breast upon leaving the throne room was in danger of being snuffed out entirely. While walking through the paved streets of Canterlot, thinking about how best to approach his new ‘mission’ he started to remember just how soured his relationship with young flurry heart had become.

Thinking back, it was quite hard to place a hoof on just when his little girl had grown up. She’d been such an ‘energetic’ little foal, sure… always blowing up the castle playrooms when she threw a tantrum… but other than that, she was really a sweet little child, who had lots of love for her aunt, mother… and for her father.

That bond had lasted into her toddler and grade school years. Shining smiled as he replayed some of his favorite memories: wrestling with little Flurry Heart playfully out in the lush springtime fields of the Crystal Empire. The way she’d drawn him crayon-scratches and made him little arts and crafts figurines - each one a treasure that he had proudly displayed to the chagrin of all his subordinates.

He missed his little Flurry, her bright cheerful smile. Her pure, innocent and unembarrassed love for her papa. At some point, his little girl had grown up.

It had happened so quickly - too quickly.

All of a sudden, his goofy jokes were only met with eye-rolls and scoffs. His attempts to start impromptu tickle-fights got him a death stare that could have made a cockatrice jealous. Any outing with her quickly resulted in the teen pulling out her phone and treating him with about as much attention as a fica plant.

And it wasn’t that Flurry Heart was a bad teenager. Sure, she was what you would normally expect from your average fifteen-year-old filly: angsty and emotional, convinced that at her young age she’d already solved the mysteries of the universe… but she was not a bad apple. She still got along great with her mother: the two mares in his life were as close as sisters - giggling and sharing heart to heart chats all the time.

Every attempt he made to participate resulted in cold rebuffs from his daughter and sympathetic shrugs from his wife. He definitely felt left out.

That’s why all he could do was turn to his own father for advice. Maybe Night Light would know what to do? With a deep breath, Shining walked into his childhood home, closing the door behind him.

“Hello?”

“Well hey there! Come on in - what’s the matter?” Night Light waved at him from his study. “You’ve got the look of a stallion with the weight of Equus on his withers.” Night Light chuckled, putting down his pipe. “Want me to get your mom?”

“No, Dad…” Shining slumped into the comfy armchair opposite his father’s beaten-up old recliner. “I wanted to talk to you, actually. I’m… I’m lost.”

“Well hey there Lost, I’m Night Light.”

‘Heh, good one!’ Shining thought with a grin - he wondered why he’d never appreciated his father’s brand of humor when he was younger. “I’ll remember that one, pop. But I wanted to ask your advice - I’m heading back to the Crystal Empire for a few moons to be with the family.”

“Oh great!” Night Light smiled, closing his book. “Velvet and I have been meaning to get out there more often to see our grand-daughter, this will be a great excuse to make more trips.”

“Well that’s the thing Dad, it’s Flurry Heart.” Shining grunted. Seeing his father’s face shift into one of concern he quickly followed up his statement. “Oh, nothing’s wrong… she’s totally fine… I’m not going back because she’s sick or anything like that. If anything it’s something wrong with me.”

Night Light removed his reading spectacles in his somber, fatherly way. Shining hoped that one day he’d be able to act with half as much gravitas as his father seemed able to do. “Tell me what’s up.”

“Dad… did you ever… have trouble with Twilight?”

“Well, your mother was a hoofful and a half to handle in bed when we first m-”

“LALALALA CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Shining shouted, blocking his ears and shaking his head. “No! First off, way way too much information Dad… second I was asking about Twilight Sparkle, your daughter.”

The mischievous older stallion didn’t even miss a beat. “Well, she wasn’t as much trouble in bed, but I-”

“DAD!” Shining stomped his hoof. “That’s gross - can you stop kidding around? I’m being serious here! Flurry has become a teenager, and it’s like she’s an entirely different pony! You always had such a good relationship with Twily… but I feel like I can’t relate to her at all… and I have no idea how to reconnect with her. I-I just want my little girl back.”

Night Light stood up and strode over to his son, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey kid, she’s still your little girl. Always will be, no matter what. That’s what it means to be a dad.”

Night Light chuckled and turned away from Shining, picking up an old photo that rested in a copper frame on one of his bookshelves. In it was a family portrait from many years back, the two proud parents standing next to Shining still in his fresh cadet uniform from the day he’d entered the academy. Off to one side was a disinterested looking teenage Twilight, her nose buried in a book.

“You may remember things differently Shining, but your little sister was quite an independent teenager herself.” He chuckled. “I remember when going star-spotting with her poppa suddenly became far less important than reading a book about the constellations instead. Nearly broke my heart.”

“So… what did you do?”

Night Light considered for a few moments, deep in thought. His eyes flashed to his son then back to the picture in his hooves a few time. It seemed to Shining like he was considering how much he should say, rather than how to say it. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Well…” Night Light sighed, “I did a lot of stupid things. Tried to pull her out of her shell. Tried to treat her like a kid. Then to treat her like an adult. I got mad, I got sad, I tried everything.” He chuckled. “In the end, it was her who came back to me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Son, there is no way to understand teenage fillies.” Night Light laughed, mussing his son’s hair. “They’re a little girl wrapped up in a woman, mixed with a conundrum and befuddled by puberty.”

“Puberty!?” Shining groaned. He did not want to think about little Flurry Heart going through… that.

“Sure.” Night Light laughed. “Suddenly all that affection is mixed up with all sorts of biology and hormones… things can get confusing for them.” He scratched the back of his head, pausing again in consideration. “If Flurry is anything like your little sister was, she still loves you… maybe more than you know. You just have to trust her to come back to you.”

Shining grimaced. It wasn’t really an easy answer to hear. He was a stallion of action. “B-but…”

“No buts, kid… well…” Night Light paused again, a vacant gaze crossing his face. “Some butts.”

“Huh?”

Night Light quickly coughed and walked back toward his pipe and spectacles. “Trust me Shining… if Flurry Heart is anything like your little sister - just let her do her thing… and she’ll come to daddy.” He coughed. “I mean come back to daddy.”

Shining nodded, standing up. “I think I hear you, pop. I just have to clear the way of any obstacles, and my little girl will find her way back to me, and I can be her dad again.”

“Mmm.” Night Light grunted, though his eyes lingered on the photo he held in his hoof, his mind clearly someplace else.

“Well, I’m off!” Shining trotted toward the door. “I have to catch the night train to get back home by tomorrow. Tell mom I love her and come to visit soon… and Dad?”

“Yes?” Night Light looked up his attention back on his son, his breath drawing in a small puff of smoke from his pipe.

“Please don’t joke about you and Twilight having trouble in bed… that’s just… ick.” Shining stuck his tongue out with disgust. “I know it was just a dad-joke but… mom and Twily would kick your flank.” He chuckled and gave a wink, closing the front door behind him.

Night Light shook his head, blowing smoke out of his clenched teeth and clicking his tongue. “Shining Armor you poor, oblivious, goddamn moron. Who said I was joking?”

The train ride has been uneventful.

Unfortunately, the welcome home had been even more uneventful. He’d arrived just around supper time, and though Cadence had showered him with affection and concern, pampering him as she always did when he came back and making him feel like the king of a castle (which, to be fair, was not far from the actual truth)... Flurry had given him a cold shrug and had even asked why she should accept his proferred hug, as this was the exact same as when he’d returned home from work the previous week.

The next half-hour had been a blur.

Shining had asked for dinner to be served and even offered to Flurry to get her favorite pizza. But the plan to resume conversation over the family dinner table was quickly scuttled by the young teen-filly taking her meal back to her room.

It was not the start he’d been looking for.

Cadence had given him a sympathetic smile. “She’s studying for a test at school tomorrow. And she’s feeling a bit grumpy about her upcoming birthday.”

Her birthday! Shining slammed one hoof into another, it was only a month away! She’d be turning sixteen. A critical year for any young filly, a chance for her to really move into adulthood. He had to win her back over by then. It was critical! The fate of Equestria’s future might depend on his actions over the next month!

“Uh oh.” Cadence sighed, cleaning up the empty pizza boxes herself, waving away the overly helpful servants. “I know that look. Just what are you scheming Shining Armor?”

“Nothing!” Shining Armor sat stock upright, trying and failing to look casual.

“Yeah, right.” Cadence was always able to see right through him. “Just, don’t annoy Flurry heart too much with whatever you’re planning, OK? Despite how she acts around you, she’s sensitive Shining.”

“O-oh… OK.”

“I mean it. No stupid Shining Armor strategies.” Cadence crossed her arms and looked at him with a skeptical frown. “No alarm-swan type plans. Understood?”

:”Wh-what? Of course!” Shining laughed. “I… I was actually just thinking about a new training regimen that I could implement with the troops in the Empire. Now that I’m going to be home full-time I can make sure that our arctic strategies are fully developed. In fact… I think I’m going to go drop down to the barracks right now!” He sweated nervously, clearing his brow.

“...Uh-huh.” Cadence shook her head. “I keep telling you, just give Flurry space.” Cadence had a strange grin on her face. “I bet that you’ll find you two will be best friends by the time her birthday rolls around if you do.” She trotted toward their bedroom, waving her hoof at him playfully.

‘Best friends by her birthday? That’s the plan!’ Shining chuckled to himself… leaving the table with a thankful nod to the servants as he headed toward the barracks.

With the inspection finished (the guards were in tip-top shape, as always), Shining found himself at the main junction of the Crystal Palace corridors.

It was time to put his plan into action. He had only one month before Flurry’s birthday. The decisions he made, right here and now could determine the ultimate success of this, his most critical and daring mission yet… with the fate of Equestria in his hooves.

In front of him were three paths:

1) Should he go to the left, toward his bedchambers and speak with Cadence, attempting to get more information about Flurry Heart and her interests, her concerns, the background about what really mattered to her.

2) Should he go to the right, toward Flurry Heart’s bedroom? Why wait to tackle the heart of the problem? Beating around the bush would only waste time - maybe with a solid heart-to-heart and some good old fashioned dad-jokes he could even win the prickly teen over this evening?

3) Should he go straight ahead, to his study? Scotch and a book in front of a roaring fire might seem like he was just lazing around. But it had been a very long day. Plus, both Night Light and Cadence suggested sitting back and not doing anything to make the situation worse. Perhaps a defensive strategy was in order?

Author's Note

STRAW POLL HERE!

Vote for your choice! Once we hit 50 votes I'll write the next chapter!

Things aren't looking so good from the outset with our hapless, goofy, unicorn-dad. He's got a long road ahead of him, there's going to be lots of twists, turns and struggle to go through... and Flurry's birthday part at the end of June is coming up fast!

Let's get him there... together!