Armor Gleaming Bright

Chapters

There is Only
One Kind
Of Alicorn
Princess

There is Only

Shining Armor had never seen this part of Canterlot Castle before. It had been so long since his experience in Equestrian leadership that this wasn't a terribly unexpected thing. That didn't make it any easier to pass through vast chambers that had not existed, filled with strange machines of metal and flashing lights with threads of plastic running between them.

Shining probably should have followed the changing state of Equestria more over the last few years. But the older he got, the less any of this made sense. His younger sister had reasons behind it all—reasons behind bringing him here. It was enough that Captain Gallus hadn't thought it necessary to escort him through the castle to his destination. For better or worse, Shining's name still meant something.

They'll be telling stories about the old gray stallion soon enough, if they haven't already started. But whatever might be waiting, Shining Armor wasn't old and feeble yet. He found the memorial hall Twilight had indicated, its somber length filled with statues of the dead. He lowered his head respectfully as he passed a few of them. Honored Leo the Bold, and Moire Pattern with one wing broken even in stony monument.

Soon I'll be one of these in the Crystal Empire. In another century, only my family will remember me.

At the end of the hall he stopped to fish around on the side of an empty grave, and found the indicated lever. Morbid, little sis. Stone ground on stone, and the passage opened for him.

At least everything was built for Alicorn sizes—the spiral staircase was high enough that there was no danger of scraping his horn against it. As he descended he reached a section without sides, opening into a vast space of multicolored crystals. Canterlot Caverns. We were bound to get down here eventually.

The room he arrived in was mostly empty though, with a pair of stone ponies holding spears to form a doorway between them. Their eyes glowed with spots of blue crystal, seeming to watch him as he passed underneath. He felt his fur stand on end as he walked through. He had never matched his sister's magical gifts, but he could sense a powerful defensive spell. The next generation of the shield he had invented so long ago.

Once through, Shining had to do a double-take, his mouth hanging open as he stared. Had his sister managed to work in a teleport so subtle he couldn't feel it?

On the other side of the guards was a laboratory as modern as the fancy photos he sometimes saw from new construction in Manehattan or the Empire, where thaumatech was advancing fastest. Princess Twilight had a miniature version of that, with a single piece of almost every kind of lab equipment he could name and many he didn't recognize.

One apparatus spun, another hummed and churned, microscopes displayed their contents, and beakers boiled. A two-dimensional grid of rolling whiteboards took up the far end of the room, covered so completely in spell diagrams that his eyes blurred them together beyond recognition.

There was only a single exit from the room, separated by a heavy steel blast door as secure as the one on Canterlot Tower. It was open currently, its rusty metal teeth gleaming in the electric lights.

"Big brother, you're here!" Twilight called, waving one hoof from beyond the door. "Over here!"

I am never going to get used to that. His little sister towered over him now, with wings as wide and mane as magical as Celestia. She held all the same responsibilities now, and maybe the same Alicorn magic. Shining was a little weak on his understanding of Imperial magic.

He couldn't hurry over without feeling his fetlocks begin to ache. He ignored it, biting his tongue to suppress the pain. Princess Twilight would be happiest if she never noticed.

His little sister was clearly excited about something, that much was obvious. But since when did she feel the need to share her magical innovations with an old guardspony who wouldn't appreciate them?

He clambered through the security door, noting the crystal stubs emerging from the walls. This wasn't some newly built vault to keep thieves out. All these spells pointed inward.

The chamber itself was a ritual casting circle, more advanced than any he'd ever seen. Six perfect obelisks of the six pure metals surrounded a perfectly flat lower platform. Huge conduits passed between them, along with more of those plastic threads.

Shining did not need his sister's mastery of magic to understand just how much power was flowing through this room. His horn began to ache as his own magical reserves charged from the stray power radiating all around him. With nowhere else to go, the magic would gradually build up into a migraine. Or worse, if a pony were trapped in here.

"Well this is... intense," he said, stopping in the doorway. That way he wouldn't have nearly as far to go when he inevitably made a break for it. "Thought my retirement was too boring even for me, Twily?"

The old nickname felt strange on his tongue when looking up at a creature as magical as his little sister. Her eyes seemed to look right through him, with a confidence and might that went beyond a horn and some wings.

But she wasn't the only one. Another pair of figures stood on the far side of the room, mostly concealed in the shadow of the iron obelisk. But hearing him, they both emerged, and Shining froze.

It was his wife and child.

Though the years had been harsh enough on him to turn his mane grayish and his limbs shriveled, his only child had aged like... every natural Alicorn. Of which she was the only one ever born, but that was beside the point. She looked to him like his little sister had, on the day she was coronated. Shorter than he was, with oversized wings.

His wife was somewhere between her old self and Twilight's current state. But without the magic of sun and moon within her, she'd grown more slowly. They suspected it would take at least a thousand years for her to look like Twilight. Not that it would matter much to Shining either way.

Is this the moment that she tells me it's too weird to be together? Not coming on that last cruise had seemed like a warning sign. But why would she show up with his little sister in a secret lab? Flurry had even less interest in magic than Cadance, and spent almost all of her time in the growing crystal pegasus cloud-city of Prism.

There was only one thing that could bring them all together like this, and it didn't have anything to do with his doomed marriage. "Equestria's in danger," he said, taking a few steps closer to the ring of obelisks. Down on the floor between them was a spell diagram, but not chalked onto the floor in the usual way.

This one was melted into shape, and looked to be made entirely of gold. If he had to guess, it was the same spell he'd seen prototyped on the whiteboard behind him.

"Not exactly," Twilight answered. His wife and daughter both started towards him, but the walkway outside the spell was narrow and neither wanted to go anywhere near it. They didn't move fast. "Though there's something to say for the mental health of its ruling class... and their nepotism. But we've saved Equestria so many times now. Just this once, I get to do something for my family."

That doesn't explain anything. He might've said so to his little sister—but Twilight was an Alicorn now, and the ruler of his whole world. It didn't feel right to make friendly quips with this goddess of endless youth and magic.

Flurry reached him first, gliding over to embrace him too tightly with her massive wings. "Daddy!" she called, her delight louder than the drone of Twilight's thaumic generators.

Thank Celestia you didn't stay a teenager forever. Fading before his children was a natural thing—all ponies went through it before the end. So long as Flurry continued to tolerate him, he could live with that. She had already grown into far more than he ever could've imagined.

"Hello sweetheart." He squirmed free, groaning slightly with the pain. Even when she tried her best, Flurry Heart's strength could be incredible.

"Honey." Cadance was stiffer, and only waved a polite hoof. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about this. But it didn't feel right to... get your hopes up, if we couldn't do it."

"That's the reality of research on the cutting edge of magical knowledge," Twilight said, before the silence could get any more awkward. "Today is a gamble too, but now we've gathered together enough data that I'm confident we'll succeed."

"Succeed at what?" He glanced nervously between the three of them, resting one hoof against his aching horn. "I don't have the magical endurance of an Alicorn, so I'd... rather not have much of this conversation in here. Could you tell me about your amazing new discoveries in the lab instead?"

Twilight shook her head, but it was Flurry who spoke first. "This is for you, Dad.You need to go down into the spell, not away from it."

Both the other two turned to glare at her. Flurry winced, ears flattening. But Shining had heard, and his expression grew more cautious. What did she mean?

"This is for me?" He glanced around the room, trying to make sense of any of it. This much magic bordered on the levels an Alicorn needed to raise the sun. It could lift a city up into the sky, or shield it from an invasion for months at a time. "Can't be. Whatever this is—I hate to say it twice, but I'm not an Alicorn. Even when I was young, all this would've been past me. Maybe my spells were stronger than most, but I couldn't reach much further than the rotes in my spellbook. I don't know what this is."

"That's exactly the reason we did this." Princess Cadance stepped towards him, reaching out with a single hoof. Even after all these years, he was still transfixed by her beauty. But while he had once been something of an equal to her, the years had withered him, while she only bloomed brighter than ever.

He twitched reflexively away from her, but managed to hide his shame. He thought.

"If we don't do anything, you're going to keep going like this. We'll lose you... we can't let that happen."

What? He turned away from her, towards where Twilight had taken up position beside a single control panel. It used one of those strange new hoof-twisting devices, clicking with each change she made. "Everypony who ever lived probably wishes that," he said ruefully. "But there aren't very many stories where the ones looking for immortality find it."

"True." Twilight didn't stop what she was doing. As she moved her hooves, the floor in the center of the room pivoted and rotated slowly, moving the glowing obelisks with it. "But that doesn't mean aging is a secured, immovable point. Every pony it takes is something precious lost forever.

"One day, as our understanding of magic grows more advanced, I imagine a future where no pony dies who does not wish to."

"But we couldn't wait that long," Flurry added, popping up beside him again. At least someone wasn't treating him like an unsteady crystal goblet about to fall over. "That's why Twilight has been figuring out a way to make you into an Alicorn princess!"

Shining chuckled in response, patting his daughter lightly on the shoulders. "I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate the sentiment, sweetheart. But that isn't—"

The others weren't laughing too. Cadance and Twilight both looked deadly serious. He went on, "I've been around long enough to know that Alicorns don't work like that. They're chosen by harmony as much as made. It's fate and destiny and stuff. If it were easy, ponies like Sunset Shimmer wouldn't have rebelled."

"Nopony said it was easy," Twilight said, a little of her more familiar sarcasm returning. "Does this room look easy?I had Starswirl's magnum opus as a starting point, and it still took the spare time of the last decade to work all this out. Then there was sourcing the raw materials, and the digital models..."

"It's real, Shiny." Cadance met his eyes, expression deadly serious. "Your sister figured out a way to keep our family together."

He glanced between them, taking in the scope of the spell for the first time. It was for him. A decade of work, for me? As the ruler of Equestria, Twilight could not have much spare time. But instead of seducing suitors or traveling the world or just reading all the fiction written in Equestria, she'd built all this.

"Flurry's right?" he asked. "I walk down into that thing, and walk out an Alicorn? Is that... fair? I have to assume we can't cast this spell very often. If we're going to make somepony immortal, why not someone who matters more? What about that apprentice of yours, Twilight? Give her my spot."

"Starlight? She made herself into a lich years ago, this spell wouldn't work on her."

Before Twilight could say more, or even explain what a lich was, Cadance advanced on him, backing him up against the cavern wall. "We didn't make this for just anypony. You heard your sister—one day, we'll be able to help everyone. But being an Alicorn is more than that.

"It's the selflessness to serve something more. To care about your subjects, to give them hope when there's none left. Shiny, you've been that for me for almost half a century now. This spell is ours to give to you, nobody else."

Shining opened his mouth to argue—then fell silent. He knew that face, his wife wasn't interested in an argument. Besides, as terrifying as the spell was, it was an opportunity. The kind of thing most ponies could only dream of.

I didn't ask for this, I don't have to feel guilty for accepting it. "So ponies were wrong about Alicorns and destiny? All I have to do is walk into the spell and... I walk out immortal? Hopefully... not looking like this for all eternity." He held out one shriveled limb, wincing. "It's harder and harder to look noble for the royal portraits with so many wrinkles."

Twilight winced. "Well, there's... good and bad news for you there, Shining. It's... the reason we're having this conversation, and we didn't just cast the spell. Being able to age isn't something I would consider important to your identity. But becoming an Alicorn princess is more than just agelessness."

"More than just..." He froze, glancing between Twilight and Flurry. That was the second time someone had used that particular description. In Twilight's modern, friendlier Equestria, she even took the time to use inclusive language towards stallions. "What exactly are you asking me to do?"

Now it was the mighty Alicorn struggling to meet his eyes, instead of the other way around. "The magical realities of Alicorns are... complex. It's possible that with more research, I'll understand them better. But we don't have time for that. This spell requires immense strength from the recipient as well as the casters. If we waited much longer..." She didn't finish, but she didn't have to. Shining could read the implication in that silence.

"Alicorns are always female," Twilight said. "When I was researching the history of everyone Equestria has any rumors of... I learned that has always been the case, even for the natural ones. That never meant that the pool of candidates was half as large as it should've been—it meant that those who chose this path sometimes left more of themselves behind than others."

His mouth nearly hit the floor. For a few seconds Shining was momentarily distracted with speculation, imagining which of the ancient Alicorns of myth and story had once been stallions. He couldn't quite figure out if the story were empowering or insulting, but if it was true then it didn’t matter either way.

"How is..." It was his turn to reach over to Cadance, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. She held him there, without flinching at the touch of his old, feeble body. "Is that much better than me being dead? I wouldn't be the same pony anymore. How could you... still love me?"

Even asking that much was a struggle, with both his daughter and his sister here to watch. But if his whole life were about to be rewritten, he couldn't afford to shy away from the most important question.

Cadance was crying now, though he couldn't tell if they were tears of sadness or joy. "Oh, Shiny... do you think it would make a difference to me? I'm the princess of love, and I love you. I don't know if the same will be true for you—but if it is, then I'm prepared to honor the oath I made half a century ago. I'll love the new you just as much as the old."

"Me too!" Flurry added, nuzzling up beside him. "I don't wanna be mean about it, but there was so much we couldn't do together! Once you're an Alicorn, I can show you what Prism is really like! No more peeking at it from balloons and creeping around with a cloudwalking spell. We've done amazing things up there!"

"I'm sure you have." He leaned up, kissing Cadance for perhaps the last time. Certainly the last time looking like himself, anyway. There were plenty of unanswered questions, and fears for what his elevation would do to Equestria. But Twilight was much smarter than he was—if she'd gone this far, she would've thought of all that.

"Alright." He turned back towards the spell. "I'm going to stop asking questions before I run away or the magic in here explodes my head. Let's just... do this. Before I change my mind."

One Kind

Shining didn't know what to expect from the spell. Maybe it would send him to that strange almost-place his sister had briefly described upon completing Starswirl's spell. Maybe he would drift in agony for many days as it rebuilt his body one bone at a time.

What he didn't expect was that he would step down into that circle, feel the magical might of a nation pointed down at him like a lens—and wake up in bed.

He blinked, scanning the room. His mind still filled with aching magic in his horn and the pressure of all the nation's Alicorns watching him. Suddenly, that was gone. He was back home in the Crystal Empire.

Granted, it had been some time since he'd slept here. Cadance always denied it, but it didn't matter how many times she did. She had worked their schedules such that they never stayed together for long. He couldn't even blame her, really—it was weird.

How did I get here? It was unmistakably the same room he had spent many years of his life, but the decorations had changed. Family portraits were gone from the walls, right along with the stylized images of Cadance or Flurry's cutie marks. They'd been replaced with modern photographs, depicting the various scenery of the Empire. Even most of the pillows were gone, and he'd been resting on a single one in the center of the vast bed.

Shining rolled out of bed, feeling a brief, confusing pressure as he did so, like he'd just pinched one of his legs the wrong way. He caught himself on all fours, and that vertigo only increased. He spun in a slow circle, taking in the huge space. These were unmistakably royal accommodations, but not the one he was used to. He was also missing his usual morning aches, which probably should've appeared by now. It took an hour to limber up enough for sudden movements.

Did the castle get bigger? Shining nudged a bedside table with one leg, and froze at what he saw. The limb was thinner than he remembered, longer and tapered with fur covering the fetlocks completely. That wasn't the only thing that felt out-of-place, either.

It wasn't a dream. That threat of being transformed, the incredible spell buried under the castle—had it all really happened?

Shining darted for the little open doorway across the room, guessing it would lead to a bathroom. This wasn't his usual quarters, but all the royal suites in the Crystal Palace were fully equipped for important visitors. This one was comfortable and spacious, with more of the familiar scenery of the Empire to put visitors at ease.

But Shining only cared about the mirror. He stopped right in front of it, and in that instant every strange sensation he'd been feeling came into sharp relief.

The creature looking back at him shared almost nothing in common with what his mind was expecting. Other than the white coat and different shades of blue mane, she might as well be a total stranger.

It wasn't that all the furniture was much bigger—Shining was smaller, about equal to Flurry Heart. His mane was long and unkempt, as though it had been growing for years without a barber anywhere nearby. Most dramatic of all were the feathery white wings on both sides of his body, which explained the uncomfortable pressure he'd briefly felt in bed.

They opened at a thought, responding to his attention as one of his legs did. He concentrated, getting one to open all the way. Those muscles were weak and ill-used, but still they responded. I'm going to need a lot of practice to use these. It took him almost a minute to close them again. The wings didn't want to respond, but he could trick his brain if he focused on one of his legs.

Of course, there was the other thing. Twilight hadn't been making vague threats—he had become an Alicorn princess.

He spun slowly around, lifting his tail out of the way to inspect the damage. Twilight hadn't been joking or exaggerating with him about the transformation. With the help of the mirror, Shining could confirm everything he'd already been feeling since he woke.

Since she woke. "Please don't be—" Her voice was high and melodic. It reminded him a little of the way Twilight had sounded before acquiring her present position and incredible powers. "I shouldn't have expected otherwise."

One thing at least hadn't changed, the single thing her immortality had spared. Shining's cutie mark was exactly where it should be, completely unchanged. So I'm the same pony underneath all of this. The same special talent.

Shining lowered her tail back into place, shivering once at the sight. She wasn't supposed to think her own reflection was attractive.

I need to find my wife before I do something I regret. It wasn't just Shining's various aches and pains that were gone now—other things that had faded as the years wore him down were waking up.

Did you leave me a note or anything? The spell had obviously worked, though why they would feel the need to bring him all the way back to the Empire was a bit of a mystery. How long was I asleep?

Shining searched the room for any sign of messages from his wife, but found none. There was a single chair beside the bed that smelled like her—as though she'd been visiting to check on her, maybe many times.

Like most of the royal suites, this one had enough space for an important visitor to bring an appropriate number of outfits and possessions. Here that meant an attached closet bigger than the house Shining had grown up in. She made her slow way inside, the last place left to search in the huge, empty space.

The closet wasn't empty.

For several long moments she just stared, utterly dumbfounded at what she saw. It wasn't that her wife had selected a few spare articles of clothing from around the Empire in case she needed them. The entire closet was full. This was no generic stuff off the street either, these were the dresses worn by the wealthiest ponies in Equestria. She could see at least one Rarity original off to the side.

Of course she didn't have time to go and try something on, but she didn't need to in order to know all this had been chosen for her.

There in the center of the closet, occupying a place of prominence, was a guardspony's uniform in Crystal Empire colors. Though this armor might be better compared to something Celestia herself might've worn during the Dragon Wars. The metal breastplate was hard and light, and resisted deforming under Shining's hoof. The sides had detachable shields for both wings. Even the helmet was plumed with Crystal Empire colors.

This wasn't taken from the armory. A master smith made this, probably over weeks. How long had she been asleep?

The distaste for nudity briefly warred in Shining's mind with the embarrassment of wearing clothes made for a mare. For any of the dresses scattered about, even the more practical outfits, they never would've stood a chance.

But this wasn't so bad, right? The back might be flared differently for a mare's hips, but the difference was slight at her size anyway. Besides, she'd feel closer to her proper height with some armored boots on.

Shining needed no help wearing the armor. Unicorn soldiers could easily go from nude to fully uniformed with only minutes notice, and that was about what she took. She even donned the silky underclothes, though part of her missed the simple linen that standard uniforms used.

She settled her breastplate over her chest maybe ten minutes later, securing the last strap with a pull of magic. Her initial suspicions had been only further confirmed by the examination—it was custom tailored to her body. The wing sections settled so smoothly over her sides that there was barely any clearance.

However disturbed she might be by the implication, Shining could endure. It meant being able to wear armor again. That almost made this whole experience worth it on its own.

She took a few careful steps forward, extending her legs in turn. The armor remained securely in place, barely jostling on the straps. She jumped forward, right in front of the mirror, gritting her teeth in her fiercest battle-pose.

It almost worked. The room was still huge around her, that was hard to miss. But with her helmet on, she would be hard to mistake for some ignorant creampuff of a noble mare. I'm more me than I used to be. All the things I used to be able to do are still in there.

She focused a moment, generating a bubble of energy in front of her. The spell took almost no effort, forming a spherical shield. She smacked it with a hoof, and her armored horseshoes banged. Like smacking into cement.

"Maybe this won't be the worst thing ever," she admitted. Of course, the real challenge of being transformed wouldn't be adapting to her new body, though she'd already considered a dozen ways for her to be challenged by it. The real change would be how others treated her.

Shining removed her helmet, though some part of her wanted to hide her face inside it and remove the cutie mark insignia. There's no point, the wings are going to stand out anyway.

She began bouncing from hoof to hoof, heart racing. What was she supposed to do, anyway? You should've told me, sweetheart. Does Equestria get to know who I am? Did you come up with some clever story about my ascension, so ponies won't know that this was nepotism?

She rested one hoof on the door, nervous and fearful. The royal hallways would have at least one guard she could ask. But she was dressed like one of them herself, and wouldn’t know the proper passwords. What if they thought she was an imposter?

She didn't get to stew on the question for much longer. Something exploded from just outside, shaking the whole hallway with the force. Stone and crystal cracked, and even the furniture in her own room wobbled and tilted.

Suddenly all of Shining's shyness and embarrassment seemed selfish. She yanked her helmet back on, then twisted the knob in her magic.

Locked.

Shining hesitated for a second, then twisted around and bucked with all her might. Even a large stallion would have to take several strikes against the solid steel locks and heavy doors used in the Empire.

The lock ripped right out of the door in a single kick, sending splinters and twisted metal flying through the air in all directions. The door kept swinging, banging into the wall loud enough to shake the hallway again. It ripped right off its hinges, smacking to the ground a second later.

"Oops." She lowered her legs again, blushing deep red. What the hell did that? That kind of strength could only come from an earth pony...

Suddenly it made sense. Of course only an earth pony could manage forces so incredible. But she was an Alicorn now, full of the magic of the three tribes. Not all of it would be as obvious as wings.

There was no time to stew over it. Shining burst out the doorway seconds later, surveying the situation with trained battle instincts.

The explosion hadn't actually come from the hall of royal suites, but echoed down it from further on. Even as she emerged, a pair of Crystal Guardsponies appeared at the doorway leading to the rest of the palace. Judging by the sandbags, they'd been expecting an attack from outside. They had been protecting her.

She galloped towards them, unarmed but unafraid. There was no hostility on their face, only utter shock. They also didn't look good.

Those uniforms didn't fit, their armor was dented and rusty, and their spears were mismatched. Oh buck.

"You there!" one of them yelled, though his voice didn't reach imposing so much as afraid. "You should, uh... probably not be here. They're coming." The other nodded his agreement, stopping a few paces away. His head lowered in defeat, the spear faltering in his magical grip.

These weren't just poorly equipped soldiers, then. They thought they were doomed.

But not stupid. One pointed over her shoulder, at the broken door. "Wait a minute. You were... up here. Were you the one we're guarding?"

"Yes," she answered, without even thinking. "But I'm awake now, and I want to help. Tell me what's going on. I've been unconscious for... probably a long time."

They glanced between each other, confused. Neither was terribly impressive as crystal stallions went, though even in Shining's boots they were taller than she was. Finally the older of the two answered, adjusting his helmet. Underneath was an older stallion, not much younger than Shining had been what felt like minutes ago. "We had an Alicorn princess in the tower?" he asked. "And dressed like that... are you a warrior princess?"

"I... yes." She strode past them, tail flicking anxiously from side to side. "There isn't time to explain. I need to know what has happened to my—to the Crystal Empire. Where is Princess Cadance? Flurry Heart? Canterlot wouldn't abandon us."

"They shouldn’t be this far north..." the other stallion muttered. "The Troggles. Princess Twilight baited them towards Canterlot. But apparently they were smart enough to split their forces. They broke through the city, capturing or killing anypony who got in their way."

"How did they get past the Heart?" she demanded, rounding the corner onto the central concourse. There were more barricades here, with weapons abandoned and the signs of struggle not far off. But the explosion had come from further away. "The Heart should be protecting us."

"Ponies are losing hope," said one, trotting nervously after her. “The Empire has lost a lot over the last few years. Some said this was only a matter of time."

That means the Heart is failing. The more demoralized the ponies of the Empire became, the weaker their protections became. It was how Sombra had taken the Empire, how he'd almost taken it again.

"I've never heard of a... Troggles," she muttered. "Are they new?" She wasn't far from the castle's massive central courtyard. Shining could already see the balcony railing. Once she reached it, she would have a clear view of the Heart.

How can I get them to have hope again? I'm not my sister, I don't have the Elements of Harmony. I'm not even really an Alicorn.

Granted, that last part was harder to judge. What made a real Alicorn compared to a fake one?

"We've seen them coming for a long time, but nopony thought they would be this... destructive," said one of the guards. "The Monster King is all the way down in Canterlot, so at least he can't raise new ones. but there's so many here, and little chance the army will arrive in time."

Shining wondered at what could possibly have put Equestria in such a precarious position. Trusting to the Heart as the Empire's sole defense made sense if its ponies were confident and secure. Not when they were frightened and demoralized.

She reached the balcony a second later, looking down through the glass at a desperate battle. A temporary barricade surrounded the palace, once made of sturdy crystal. It had been blasted into shards, in a gigantic ring spiraling away from the front gate.

There couldn't be more than a dozen ponies still in fighting shape down there, backing closer and closer to the Heart. The Troggles closed in from all sides. They stood on two legs, with bodies made of condensed sludge. They swung bulbus arms from one side to another, wielding massive clubs, bits of rubble, or nothing at all.

The invaders didn’t fight with any particular intelligence, they just pressed in like a mob, lashing out at anypony who moved too quickly or got out too far from the others.

"Stars above, we're dead," said one of his escorts, staring down in horror. Shining could almost feel the Heart droop a little further in the air, its light not even bright enough to see in the feeble overcast sun. "There's a thousand down there. Did the army come north instead?"

"We don't have to fight a thousand." Shining glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the guard’s feeble weapons. She thought better of stealing either one. "The Empire resisted the return of Sombra. We're not giving up now!"

Shining yanked off the metal wing-guards, smashing them forward into the balcony glass. It shattered ahead of her, and she jumped.

Shining had never used her wings before, and the drop ahead of her was at least five stories. Her stomach fell from her chest, and her hooves began to scramble under her—but there was no turning back now.

She spread her wings wide, gliding past the Heart down towards the battered barricade at the center. They weren't even protecting the castle entrance anymore, which explained the ruins inside. Only the Heart mattered now.

There must be more outside. If they break it, we could be completely overrun.

Guardsponies beneath her—reserves and retirees like the ones upstairs—looked up, pointing up at her. Let them stare.

As she fell she began to pick up speed, wind whipping past her wings. They wobbled, and the strength she needed to hold them up seemed greater and greater. But before she could drop, Shining aimed her horn down at the densest crowd.

She might not know how to fly, but war was one of things she did know.

Shining pointed her spell as close to the center of the attackers as she could, focusing with just as much energy as she had every time Equestria had been attacked. It was true that Shining had spent the last few decades slowly withering away, but that wasn't how unicorn magic worked. If anything, the oldest wizards were the strongest.

Cement shattered at the force of the impact as a bubble smashed into it, spreading outward in all directions. It struck against the Troggles one after another. But it did more than just throw them back as previous shields had done. They turned to paste, splashing thick black ichor around in all directions. The spell couldn't continue without striking the defending ponies. She killed it a few feet from the barricade, leaving a straggler or two to be picked off by crossbow or magical blast.

She landed in the center of the impact a second later, horn steaming and wings still spread wide from her desperate glide. There were still more Troggles coming, apparently too stupid to flee. So was she.

"Ponies of the Empire, to me!" she yelled, with strong new lungs. She marched forward through the slimy remains of her fallen enemy, which had become a sea of little pebbles. Something inside them that animated them, maybe? This wasn't the time to find out.

Her shout was answered from somewhere behind her, and one by one the embattled ponies poked their heads up from the barricades. While they ran, Shining searched among the fallen, lifting a spear from a dead guardspony. She held it high, charging straight into the enemy.

They crumbled before her. With every meter of ground they took, more ponies joined the fight. But the real fight was over the Heart itself. As they advanced across the city, the shield became more and more opaque, until the windswept wasteland outside vanished in a single, terrible flash.

Every remaining Troggle warrior fell then, as though their puppet-strings had been cut. Ichor oozed out in all directions, leaving only the little glowing pebbles behind.

Shining was at the center of a cheering mass of ponies, holding their makeshift weapons to the sky. She removed her helmet at last, shaking out her unruly mane. But there was no recognition from any of them.

"I must know who saved my division," said an officer, finally reaching Shining through the crowd. "With the rest of the army so far from us, I thought we were doomed. Everypony did."

The crystal stallion wasn't familiar to Shining, though that was more the rule than the exception so far. She had spent all her time with the best of the Crystal Army, not the backups and second-string reserve. They fought well once somepony gave them a reason. We could probably put their talents to use somewhere.

"We didn't think there was anyone left in the palace," someone else said. Shining looked up, recognizing one of the guards upstairs. "We were supposed to be protecting old art or something. Not an Alicorn princess."

She flushed at the label, her ears tilting backwards. But just because she hadn't come to terms with it didn't make it less true.

Shining couldn't risk saying anything that might spread through the empire and steal away the hope she had restored. There was no telling how many more Troggles were waiting outside the shield.

"Believe me, it was as much a shock to me as anypony else here. I think... I think it would be best if Princess Cadance explains it all when she gets here." Because she hasn't told me what in Tartarus is going on either.

"Of course. My name is Copperhorn. Reserve Captain Copperhorn," The officer said, his tone deferential. "Still, my fighting mares and stallions deserve to know the name of their savior. You saved our home."

My home too. "I'm..." She hesitated for just a second, eyes catching the reflection in his armor. There was her own cutie mark shining back, unchanged despite almost everything else. "Gleaming Shield," she finally said. Twilight would probably mock her for it. But a new life deserved a new name."

"All hail Gleaming Shield!" the stallion yelled, raising his spear high into the air. "Hero of the Crystal Empire!"

Of Alicorn

Shining was the last pony to suggest needless relaxation after the worst of a crisis was over. After all, she had no reliable information about what was outside the shield, and every reason to suspect that the Empire might be under siege again at any moment.

But the Crystal Empire’s unique magical defenses created an incentive to keep ponies as relaxed and happy as she possibly could. She had tried to call Canterlot for aid, but no phone in the city could reach beyond the Empire’s borders. Their enemy outside the wall could apparently isolate them so completely that their incredible new inventions could not reach.

If ponies weren’t so overconfident about all these fancy new technologies, maybe we’d have a few dragonfire scrolls left in the palace to send back for help. But she couldn’t find any, and so she abandoned any hope that rescue might come for them.

In the Crystal Empire, that meant only one thing: it was time for a party. In other times, she probably could’ve expected serious resistance from the quartermasters and petty city bureaucrats, who would demand an accounting of every bit she spent. But “Gleaming Shield” was an Alicorn princess, and she had saved the city when its actual ruler left with the whole army.

There were even whispers that Cadance had known the army would come here, and had seized the chance to flee. For this claim Shining had no patience whatsoever. “There’s not a bucking chance,” she said, glowering at the soldier who had repeated the idea. “This is Flurry’s home as much as yours, and Cadance loves every creature in these walls. Anyone who repeats that in my presence again can’t come to the party.”

A pity she didn’t have any of Twilight’s friends around to throw the party. But while Shining didn’t have the special talent for it, she had been to college. Lay out enough booze, keep the kitchens busy and invite the most attractive locals, and she had a recipe for quite the celebration.

It began as a more somber feast, with a blazing pyre to the fallen soldiers outside the palace grounds. But as the flames began to rise and the ceremonial prayer was concluded, she turned towards the palace. “Every creature who lifted a hoof or claw to protect the Empire is invited to celebrate with us,” she called, amplifying her voice with some simple unicorn magic. It was amazing how much authority could come from just talking louder than everyone else.

The palace ballrooms had once hosted dignitaries from all over the world, dancing in delicate circles in their fine gowns. Now it was packed with drunk soldiers, singing rowdy marching songs and eating too much.

“You’re still wearing that armor?” Copperhorn asked, after the sun had gone down and the dancing was more energetic. Like most of the officers he’d changed into a cloth uniform, rather than just stripping down completely as the rank-and-file had done. “You can’t possibly be relaxed wearing all that.”

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It had been many years since Shining had been at a party like this—not since her marriage, really. “I’ll have to talk to the quartermaster about a uniform,” she said. “I couldn’t possibly take my armor off otherwise. The mares and stallions would…”

“They’ll think you’re a pony like them?” Copperhorn suggested, grinning at her. “You must be, under all that. Even the bravest hero is a pony too, underneath.”

“I am too!” she insisted, jerking back from her seat. “Being an Alicorn is the change. I rose through the ranks like anypony else. I did my time digging latrines and patrolling waystops. I served three tours before I…”

She was getting too specific, any more and someone was going to put things together. Even if she was a mare now, it was a small miracle that nopony had recognized her yet. Even retired guard captains had statues. The big family portrait, including a much younger and more regal version of him, was still hanging near the entry stairs.

What am I going to do when somepony recognizes me?

“Is that so?” somepony else asked. Lantern Light, with the stench of alcohol on his breath. Apparently he’d wandered over during the conversation, along with several others. “The mystery Alicorn says she’s one of us. Join us for a dance then, Princess! Do the Winter Waltz.”

A few ponies gasped, others turned to stare. Another officer appeared from nearby, rushing to drag the drunk Lantern away. But the words were already out. Once spoken, Shining could hear the mutters starting.

“Alright.” She hesitated, her horn glowing brighter. Lantern recoiled, shielding his face with one hoof. As though that would’ve protected him from anything.

Shining teleported a few steps backward, without her armor. It held its shape empty for a fraction of a second, then crumbled to the ground. That alone elicited a gasp or two for its familiarity rather than the strangeness. Or… maybe they were just staring at Shining.

She tucked her tail slightly, but there was no backing down now. These ponies needed to know she could still be like them. The Heart had to last until rescue arrived.

Besides, it’s true. I’m no Alicorn princess. This wasn’t even supposed to happen.

As she approached the dance floor in the center of the room, the orchestra shifted. Slow strings transitioned to the drum and high brass of the Winter Waltz.

Everypony was so big. Her wings opened and closed awkwardly at her sides, but she couldn’t do anything with them anyway. So long as she didn’t make a fool of herself, and they didn’t fall off, that would probably be enough.

Who could she dance with? Her face reddened at the thought. Normally he’d always picked the most attractive mare around and always ended up with his wife. But she wasn’t here. More importantly, the Waltz was an ancient dance, too old-fashioned to allow her a female partner. Anyway, she wasn’t quite sure the most attractive ponies here were mares.

This is harder than fighting the Troggles, she thought. Ponies were muttering, practically half the room crowded close to stare. The longer she stood here acting shy, the weaker her case became. Some of them weren’t saying anything about her dancing… they were commenting about her looks.

There was only one choice. Her eyes settled on Copperhorn, still lingering by the table. She lifted one hoof to him, expectant. “Copperhorn,” she called. “You’re the most senior officer here. Come and dance with me.”

He did, though he didn’t meet her eyes as he finally took her hoof. Just a light touch, and they spun once around each other, beginning the relatively simple performance. Except that nopony in the ballroom was dancing along. They were all staring.

“I’m… sorry,” he stammered, face pale. “I didn’t mean to imply I had the authority to… This is how I ended up commanding the reserve in the first place.”

Shining shrugged. “I wouldn’t do it during peacetime. But I’ll forgive you.” She was hardly the best performer—once she twitched out of line, beginning the stallion’s part before she realized what she was doing. She missed a required bow necessary for any pegasus (or Alicorn). But it seemed everypony was too drunk to care.

When she finally finished with the last bow, the room shook with cheers again.

Shining might wish she could forget some of the things she heard whispered about her that night—but most of it just made her chest feel light and her face warm. Equestria had always had some of the most beautiful rulers. Why should she expect to be any different?

The city was still celebrating several days later, when the Royal Guard finally arrived in the city, announcing the final destruction of the Monster King. Shining was at the palace steps with Captain Copperhorn and the ragtag survivors of the battle, watching as Cadance’s carriage touched down. Her wife had never been much of a fighter, but she'd come with the first wave anyway. She wants to make sure I'm okay.

"We weren't sure there would be anyone left," said one of the pegasi, looking around the palace grounds with visible relief. "The Monster King wasn't supposed to send half its forces north."

Shining nodded absently. "I don't know enough about this enemy to speculate. Maybe it was just aiming for maximum destruction, and it didn't care about accomplishing any specific goal. Maybe it made a tactical misjudgment, and thought it could catch Princess Cadance alone up here. Either way..." She shrugged both wings. Even after just a few days, she was getting used to the basic movements. Probably wouldn't be jumping out of any more buildings anytime soon, but...

Princess Cadance stepped out of her carriage, and Shining’s mouth fell open. Her wife had dressed in some armor of her own, though it bore little resemblance to anything Shining was wearing. While Shining's gear was practical and strong, Cadance wore thin silver metal cut to accentuate her beauty.

It worked. I'm allowed to stare. She's my wife.

The Alicorn finally turned, seeming to notice Shining at last. She jerked once, wiping at her eyes with one hoof. Shining grinned stupidly back at her, the way he had so many times before.

Her escort seemed entirely oblivious to their brief exchange. "Apparently she hadn't left it defenseless," the pegasus continued. "We had a secret Alicorn protecting us this whole time. How could that be?"

"That's for the princess to tell you. We made it, that's the important thing. The Crystal Empire is safe."

Cadance slowed as she approached, rather than meeting her in one of their characteristically public hugs. She towered over Shining now, the same way she did over everypony else around. Shining was practically the shortest pony on the landing platform.

Her tail began to swish back and forth in her frustration, but she bit her lip, biting back the worst of her embarrassment.

The soldiers began to stare, confused as what should've been a joyful reunion became suddenly tense. Cadance’s wings twitched, each one covered with entirely impractical feather armor. But it sure did make her look imposing. "You're awake," she finally said. "I was beginning to worry you never would."

How much can I say with all these ponies around? She had no desire to share Empire secrets with everypony—they would probably be better off the less they knew. But she hadn't become a soldier because she was diplomatic. "I'd say 'me too,' but nopony told me I was going to be asleep. How long have I been gone?"

Soldiers muttered all around them. Shining could guess what they were whispering without having to hear it.

Through her thin helmet, Shining could see tears begin to streak down her face. Cadance shoved past her escort, embracing Shining with all the earth-pony force she was accustomed to. Only this time her joints didn't protest, and she didn't bite her tongue with the pain that would show just how old she was becoming.

Being the shorter of the two wasn't new for her, but being smaller was a little harder. Even while fully armored herself, Shining felt like Cadance could probably crush her if she wanted. Or pick her up and carry her off to... wherever she wanted.

So maybe that wasn't so different either.

"I thought I'd lost you again," Cadance whispered. "When the scouts said the Troggles had come north, I couldn't think of anything but you locked up in the palace. They would find you, and... all this waiting would be for nothing."

She was crying too. A strange feeling—Shining hadn't cried since Applejack's wedding. But she couldn't stop the tears. She might be different, but Cadance was the same mare she'd always dreamed about. The same smell, the same voice, the same strength. It was only Shining who had become less.

But this time, for a purpose. This time I can get it all back. "Did you know it would happen?" she asked. The pain had ached at her chest since her first moments awake. "Please, tell me the truth. I need to know."

Cadance pulled away, straightening her armor with a quick flash of magic. She gave Shining a meaningful look, then raised her voice a little so the others could hear. "Alicorns have always arrived when they were most needed. We aren't just unicorns who can fly. I am incredibly grateful to see a... daughter of the Crystal Empire rising to protect us in our time of need."

Of course. How hadn't she seen it? Her sister had seemed so sad—and Flurry didn't have to be there to ask him to change into a mare. They'd been afraid they were saying goodbye. You can't just make an Alicorn princess. Fate matters too. You had to wait until there was a place for me.

"Gleaming Shield brought honor to the Empire!" said Copperhorn from beside her, helpfully. "She fought like the old blood, Princess. I've never seen a warrior so experienced at her age."

Cadance’s eyebrows went up. "Gleaming Shield is wiser than she looks," she said. "And stronger too, it seems. Equestria will need her strength in the years ahead."

The next few hours passed in a blur after that. She toured the city with Cadance, explaining everything they'd done to protect the city and their efforts to rebuild already begun. Cadance listened closely, apparently unsurprised by Shining's strategies. She had fought before, and knew how to direct the army.

"I wasn't sure how long this engagement would continue," she explained, as they finally reached the barracks. "But I've replaced the reserve program with something that should make sure its ponies are prepared if they have to fight again." She hesitated, eyebrows going up. "Will we have to fight again? I never thought I'd see the day Equestria was invaded again, but..."

Princess Cadance watched her. She'd been giving her that same look whenever she thought Shining wasn't paying attention. She still hadn't figured out what it meant. Mostly she wanted some time alone with her wife to catch up after everything, but her duty to the Empire came first. As frustrating as it could sometimes be...

"Grogar the Monster King is gone," she said. "Another statue for the Canterlot Gardens. But the world is a big place. Princess Twilight has been suggesting an active expansion of Equestria into lands long abandoned. The more of us there are, the harder we are to conquer."

She turned away from the training ground, and the spear-drill taking place down below. "Join me in the carriage, Gleaming Shield. We have a lot to talk about."

She followed her, leaving their escort of soldiers behind. Part of Shining's old instincts protested to leave the garrison without a proper command. Copperhorn wasn't really cut out for this yet. But he would be, with a few more months of instruction. There were plenty of good ponies in the reserve, though they'd all washed up and washed out for one reason or another. Shining didn't need the finest raw materials so long as they cared about their country.

Only when the carriage doors were shut, and they were up into the air again did Cadance finally speak. "I'm glad I got that armor made. You look even prettier in it than I imagined you would."

Shining reacted instantly, pressing her legs together. Her face flushed, ears tilting backwards. "I don't..." She winced. I risked my life fighting monsters, but I can't tell my wife how I feel? She cleared her throat and started over. "I understand why I... feel the same way about you. You're the same mare I've always loved. Maybe a little taller, but that only..." she swallowed "...helps. But I'm nothing like I used to be. If you couldn't see my cutie mark, you probably wouldn't recognize me."

Cadance's horn glowed, and something lifted Shining right up off the seat, settling her beside Cadance. She wrapped one wing around her shoulder, giggling with laughter. "Now I know for sure you must be my Shiny. He's the only stallion I can think of who would ask the Princess of Love if she could still feel attracted to the pony she fell in love with, just because she's a mare now."

She reached down, running one hoof through Shining's mane, the same way he used to do for her. "I knew from the moment I fell in love with you that something would have to change sooner or later. Alicorns live a long time, and regular ponies... don't. This is leagues better than I could've imagined."

She reached back, levitating her own helmet down onto the seat beside her. Before she could say anything, a hoof banged on the front of the carriage, loud enough that they both jumped.

"We're approaching the palace now, Princess...es. Where should we land?"

"Do a few more circuits," Cadance called, her voice instantly returning to its usual regal, commanding tone. "I'll let you know when we're ready to land."

She twisted sideways, pulling Shining up to her chest. "I've been waiting for years for you to wake up, Shiny. All this time I've wondered what it would be like when you did. I was afraid you'd be different... that you wouldn't want me anymore. Maybe you'd be some soft little puff of feathers who wanted to hide in towers somewhere."

"Never," Shining exclaimed. Armor might separate them, but she hardly even cared. Shining hadn't fought so desperately to save an empty palace. She fought for her family. For this moment. "You might have to go a little easy on me," she admitted. "I might look... different. But I don't feel different. I'm not going to be graceful and pretty just because I'm an Alicorn."

"You might be surprised," Cadance said. "I always loved a mare in uniform." Then she kissed her.

Princess

Epilogue

A few years later...

Gleaming Shield shifted uneasily in her light environmental suit, until the sleeves settled properly over her wings. Most of the Martian-born ponies just wore respirators outside these days, and some part of her wished she could be so brave. But even if the temperature outside were getting better, standing under the pressure washer to remove every potential drop of poison from her coat wasn't worth a little extra sweat.

The suit was little more than light plastic, clear except for the portion that covered her legs. Ponies always preferred to get a good look at each other. That was fine so far as she was concerned. Gleaming liked seeing her subjects.

She crested the watchtower a second later, clambering through the tight rubber airlock and into the tower's secured observation post. A dome of clear glass looked out on all sides, with communications equipment in the center for the crew.

"Princess," said Blue Emerald, saluting with one clawed foreleg. His helmet bulged out a little to permit for the beak. "You didn't have to come up here personally. I emailed you the report."

She patted him once on the shoulders as she passed him. "I'm a little old-fashioned to trust the safety of Carnelian to a few pictures on a screen. I wanted to see for myself." She stopped at the edge of the curved glass, looking out on Carnelian.

The “city” was just over a dozen squat domes now, each one about a hundred meters across and ten high. Even as she watched, the vast fields of solar arrays stopped tracking the sun and began to retract, plastic shields folding over each bank.

The horizon was a vast wall of red, stretching unfathomably high into the sky. "I don't see a weather team out there," Blue said. "We're not diverting this one?"

"Not after two weeks ago," she answered, fiddling with her helmet for a second, then pulling it back. Like all the creatures born here, Blue Emerald would be more comfortable if he could see her face, instead of the matte black plastic of a respirator. "Team still needs to recover. Mirror gate with Equestria doesn't open again for another week. I want to keep them on standby for a real emergency."

Blue sighed, slumping into the observation chair. It was mounted into the floor, able to pivot around to look out in all directions. But from the position of his coffee, he spent most of his time staring at the screens. The cameras were mounted higher up, and gave a much better view. "So we'll be shoveling sand for a few more weeks?" He hesitated. "Wait. The alarm isn't sounding."

"Not this time." Gleaming spread her wings to either side, grinning back at him. "I couldn't let my city get all dusty for Princess Cadance’s royal visit. The Crystal Empire expects progress from its colony. We're going to show them progress. Real veggies, and grass growing outside. No storm is going to ruin it."

She looked away from him again, facing the oncoming storm-wall. Years of terraforming had transformed these storms from a minor annoyance to a serious hazard. Every dome in the city was rated to survive them—it was why the city had hired its own team of diamond dog excavators. But there was no reason to perform unnecessary safety tests.

I'm going to take her flying when she gets here. She could imagine Cadance’s pleasure with her progress, and how the Alicorn might express that satisfaction to her wife. Gleaming flushed bright red at the thought.

She focused, picturing the boundary wall of Carnelian on all sides. It was much like the domes themselves, a circle of reprocessed Martian soil and polymer, perfectly flat across its entire area.

A brilliant pink shield flared to life around the city, turning the growing maelstrom to perfect stillness. Moments later the wall struck against it, and Gleaming buckled—but her legs held.

After a few seconds she rose, still panting from the effort. But she'd kept shields up for the length of an entire invasion without any Alicorn magic of her own. She could do a dust storm.

"You can take the rest of the day off, Blue," Gleaming said, reaching for her respirator. "That shield will be up until after your shift ends anyway."

"Thanks, Princess." He saluted again, scrambling for his own respirator. "Sometimes I forget that we have our own Alicorn ruling Carnelian. You're amazing."

She grinned back at him a moment, before settling the mask over her mouth. "I'm learning."