“So...” Shining said, looking at his wife. “I see you gave Flurry some magic lessons.”
A loud POP was heard before Cadence answered.
“I thought it would be a good bonding moment between us,” the pink alicorn said as she tapped the tips of her hooves nervously.
*POP*
Shining looked at her disapprovingly. “And you didn’t think about what she could do with this magic?”
*POP*
“Other than making her happy?” Cadence pointed a Flurry sitting in her crib, her tiny horn glowing with a pink aura. A red heart grew out of it and floated for a few seconds before popping loudly.
“Cadence...” Shining said sternly.
“Oh, come on! There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Shining said nothing and walked up to the door of Flurry’s room, opening it to reveal one of their maids making out with a guard.
Cadence’s cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. “Don’t they look cute together?”
Shining, still saying nothing, used his magic to make the walls transparent, revealing dozens of guards, maids, and other staff in similar situations.
Cadence couldn’t look at her husband in the eyes. “Well, at least it’s contained inside the castle.”
Shining walked up to his wife, and moved her head so she could look out the window.
The streets of the Crystal Empire were filled with couples, old and new, making out in public, not caring about anything other than their partners.
The only ones not making out were a purple unicorn brandishing a potted plant, “defending” a cowering orange unicorn in wizard robes from the love-crazed citizens.
“I fail to see what's wrong with this,” Cadence lied.
“You should fix this before we have to explain the birds and the bees to Flurry at an early age,” Shining warned.
Cadence sighed. “You're right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Your majesties!” Flash Sentry shouted as he entered the room, apparently untouched by all the love spells saturating the empire. “The changelings are invading!”
Cadence’s eyes widened. “What?! Why would they-”
*POP*
“Oh...”
Shining facehoofed.
The deafening buzzing of thousands of insect wings made itself known to the three adults in the room, making them move to the window and watch as a swarm of changelings started descending on the empire, arranged in battle formations.
Flurry also looked out the window, and started laughing as her horn shined even brighter than before.
*POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP*
The entire attack stopped dead in its tracks, the changelings halting their charge before looking at each other with hearts in their eyes. They quickly threw away their weapons and started to gather in pairs to kiss each other and share their love.
And as if the sight wasn’t unbelievable enough for the witnesses, they all started to glow bright pink before exploding, leaving behind colorful, kid-friendly versions of themselves.
A few seconds passed as Cadence, Shining and Flash confirmed they weren’t hallucinating, and the alicorn finally exclaimed with a fake smile. “The day has been saved with the power of love!”
“I think I better leave you two alone,” Flash said, slowly walking away as Shining glared at his wife furiously.
“You need to fix this right n-” Suddenly, a large figure barged into the room through the window, tackling Shining Armor to the floor.
Cadence looked in horror as Chrysalis, the changeling queen, stared down at her trapped husband
*POP*
and started kissed him passionately.
Cadence’s terrified expression quickly turned into sour anger. “Shining! Get that thing off of you right now!”
“I can’t. The spell is too strong!” Shining lied, hugging the changeling queen as they continued making out on the floor.
Cadence rolled her eyes in resignation and teleported herself and Flurry out of there, appearing at the base of the castle.
“Okay Flurry, we’ll have another magic session, okay? This time, the lesson will be in restraint,” Cadence said with her best mom-voice, looking at her daughter.
Flurry giggled and charged up another, bigger heart, but instead of popping, it flew away until it merged with the Crystal Heart.
Cadence’s jaw fell to the floor as the ancient artifact started spinning wildly on its pedestal, expelling ominous pink lightning before firing a beam to the top of the castle where it created a massive red heart that started growing... and growing… and growing… until…
*POP*
A pink magical shockwave expanded in all directions, displacing the clouds as it moved towards the horizon, leaving trails of small red hearts slowly descending to the ground.
After reattaching her jaw, Cadence looked at her daughter with a nervous smile. “Uhm… but for this lesson, you and I will need to go somewhere where no creature or consequences can find us!”
Flurry laughed and tapped her hooves playfully.
“I'm glad that you agree,” Cadence said before she and Flurry disappeared in a flash of pink light.
