"Shiny!"
Flurry Heart flew around like a hawk around their heads, progressively getting higher and higher as the wind lifted her above their vantage point.
The crystal gardens shone with grandeur across the horizon of the palace, radiant rainbow colors gleaming and the variety of sparkling rocks splashed through the trees and gave the pastel plants ever more vibrancy.
The foal-sitters made sure she was OK, but knew she would be fine considering her power level and frequent flights when she was waiting for picnics, table setting, and other various activities to be completed. They knew that she would stay near them, even if she got sidetracked - she would always come back to them.
The furball flew a bit higher up so that she could see the setting sun that was just...so...gloriously...shiny!
Pink leaves even danced across the scenery, twirling in the breeze as if the objects were being pulled in to join in a ballet - enticed to swing and sway throughout the air and land in front of your view.
Oh wait - that was just Flurry's molting feathers.
And now, there is a pink tornado - nay - a fluffy blizzard - covering the camera lens.
Despite this, the alicorn continued to rise higher and higher above us mere mortals.
"Wooooo-hooooo!"
Just as the filly was starting to get out of sight, the purple-scaled teenager looked down at last- at the picnic blanket to see that the Flurry's shadow was getting a bit too far away.
"Hey, Flurry-Flurry, maybe you should think about coming down now? Me and Auntie Rarity have finished setting up the picnic."
The filly slowly floated down like the string of a popped balloon and landed on her uncle-cousin's spikey scales.
"Finally," Spike said. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You really love disappearing high into the sky, don'cha? Man, you love flying even more than me! Glad to see you are grounded again, you silly."
"Hee-ha!"
He detached the preschooler off his head and sighed good-naturedly. He smushed her chubby cheeks and booped her nose. After returning it, she blew a cheeky raspberry, challenging him to make his move. As she suspected, he took the dare.
Spike snuck his claws onto her belly, and he tickled her. Not caught off guard in the slightest, she did the same with her own grubby hooves and they both wriggled in equal delight and torture - as was their greeting ritual every few months.
"Honestly you two," Rarity said, taking a graceful sip of tea as she watched the squealing, giggling youths, "You act like you are a pair of wild wolf pups."
"...Well...maybe we are!" Spike puffed up in annoyance, stopping both his barrage of attacks and his rolling on the grass. "Maybe we just want to be a couple of free spirits, and you are cramping our style with your excessive ladyness."
Spike smiled and nodded his head resolutely and Flurry Heart copied his movements as quickly as he did. There was only a second of time in between the actions; they were so in sync, don't you think?!
Flurry blew a jokey raspberry.
Rarity blinked, recognizing Spike's bluff and Flurry's love of imitation.
- "Now dear, it is not polite to stick tongues out at ladies - especially aunties who are obviously correct in the matter."
Rarity snorted, holding her emotions at bay. She knew that Spike liked who she was but went along with it rather than protesting aloud or getting upset.
Instead, she quietly stood up, flicked her curled mane out of her eyes, closed her eyes...and walked away. She trotted along slowly, diverting most of her thoughts on using her magic to start packing up the picnic.
"Oh well, I see that I am not wanted here," Rarity accused, flicking her tail like a pendulum (in a dismissive manner.)
"I assume that you do not want graceful, beautiful mares, OR a quality and well-read companion to help you look after for niece. I suppose that being "free-spirited" means becoming unbecoming towards a lady you like, and blatantly lying to her face about not liking her cultured personality. -A great way to end a date. What a wonderful example to set for a little princess."
"...Wait, Rarityyyy!" Spike called out, removing Flurry from his head yet again and chasing after her (Rarity.) "Hey, Rares, I didn't mean it! It was a joke!"
The white unicorn stopped trotting so both Spike and Flurry Heart slammed into her back.
"Ow!"
"Oof!"
Caught off guard, Spike had not been paying attention to Rarity's proximity and a flying Flurry had just been following in Spike's clawsteps - looking at him while following behind. (Rarity had not gotten far as she had actually been dragging her hooves and not actually been meaning to leave.)
Unbothered by the predictability of Spike's reaction (except for the tiny flinch she made outwardly when bumped into,) she smiled.
"Is that so? I would have thought that a supposedly noble dragon and honorary prince of Equestria would have more sense than to taunt a lady."
"Wow, you're really taking this too far. I'm so sorry again, Rarey!"
"Ah, I am just teasing. I guess my acting skills are a bit too high-leveled for you, my dear Spikey-Wikey."
Rarity kissed him on the cheek and he nuzzled her nose-to-nose.
"Just wait until the next time a Shadow Spade or Sherlock Pones video game comes out and I play the villains you have to uncover. Then we shall see who the best actor among us is."
"Har-har."
Rarity looked down at the silent filly, her innocent eyes and tongue-out expression betraying how happy Flurry was at the flirty, teasing banter.
"Now, you are definitely on my side, right? We ladies have to defend ourselves from brutish accusations from drake-friends."
"Plllllll...yes!"
"See? She agrees with me!"
"Uh...Dude that's betrayal!"
Flurry Heart laughed with uncontained glee and Spike pouted. Rarity unfurled her picnic blanket and set the plates, desserts, and teacups she had removed when she had pretended to abscond from the duo.
The sunlight glinted onto the charm Rarity had been wearing this whole time but I only just remembered to tell you.
-A sparkling blood-red fire ruby - a gift from Spike, and one of the reasons for Flurry Heart's sudden transformation into a shiny-happy magpie bird one year ago.
"Shiny!" Flurry Heart slapped herself onto Rarity's neck and chest in a hug and cuddled the necklace's gem. Rarity daintily rolled her eyes. Spike sniggered but got a glare in return.
"Now let us eat while we still have time," Rarity warned, "The garden's guards will be here soon to take us inside the castle."
The pink filly and purple drake sat down on the blanket and happily did what they were told. At first, they attacked the cakes and sandwiches, (but Rarity told them they were royalty and were behaving like wild dogs again), so they stopped stuffing themselves on Spike and Rarity's prepared delicacies and ate properly.
The fiery sunset was steadfastly coming to an end - the golden glow was giving way to a blueish hue across the garden. The impending time for retrieval by the guards kept becoming a reality for the trio.
The blazing colors waned, and the guards approached. Well, not before Flurry force-hugged the jewel on Rarity's chest again, squeaking:
"Shiny!"
Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were nuzzling their nigh-baby girl when Flurry's tiny crystal polar bear cup Winter Frost tackled the family so that he would be included in the hug.
After a long day of royal delegations, the royal couple wanted nothing more than to play with their daughter and her pet. Unfortunately, like a child sent home from school with homework, they had duties that included paperwork - due that night.
After giving Flurry the go-ahead to play with "Frosty" the cub for an hour in the private part of their castle, Shining Armor sighed at the work still left to do.
"Yay!"
"Have fun!" Cadance called.
"Don't break anything!" Shining added. "(Though we will be mighty impressed if you do...OW!)"
His wife kicked him, hearing the muttering under his breath.
...
After 30 minutes, Shining groaned for the nth time.
"Seriously Cadance, how long is this WORKLOAD?!"
"We are almost done."
"That's what you said ageeeees agoooo! I'm growing a beard here!"
Shining grabbed at an imaginary, long beard and sniffed.
"I look like Starswirl!"
He placed his feathered hoof on his head, upkeeping the theatrics.
"It's been so long...I've grown so old...how old is Flurry Heart? Has she gotten a husband and kids yet? Tell the grandkids Pops is taking a nap..."
"Oh my goodness Shiny," Cadance shook her head, "You'll survive. And please stop complaining, you're giving me a headache. We a halfway through with the political paperwork - we should be done just in time to put Flurry to bed. Even though being a royal can be hard, you should be grateful we are even in a castle, and that there are no threats on the Empire. Please stop acting like a colt - you sound like a whiny kid at this point, and I've only foalsat a few annoying kids. Come on sweetie, the work will be over soon...if we just keep on track and finish i-"
"-Uuuuugh. Yeah yeah," Shining waved dismissively, impatient and at his limit with the government. "I wanna play with Flurry Heart."
"That's really sweet," Cadance said cooing, "But if you shirk off your responsibilities, not only are you showing Flurry Heart you are not very capable of being a prince, but she'll have a role model of a lazy or unresponsive father - is that what you want for her?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Then come back and finish the paperwork. Then we can have the break for the night."
"Uh-huh." "Yawwwwwn, I'm going to see what Flurry Heart's doing - see ya!"
He bounced away like a giant toddler and Cadance facehoofed, almost using her magic to drag him back to her.
"Just come back soon and don't get distracted playing a game-"
Slam!
"Oh brother, I married a giant six-year-old!"
Cadance started up work again. Like a raging fire, she burned through it as fast but as accurately as she could.
"Still, I love my family! I just hope we have no adventures today...for me to clean up."
Shining Armor had caught up with Flurry Heart and was now assaulting her with hugs and kisses. He had caught her eating extra cake from the royal kitchens - a foolhardy baker had left out the leftover yet uneaten cake from the day's activities as well as staff and noble's birthday parties.
Shining had pulled her away from eating past the top layer of cake, then pulled her into a cuddly, yet tight hug to distract her from devouring the rest of the treat as fast as a snake. She was already the "princess of sugar" - there was no need to add to the cake's trauma tonight. Flurry was successfully distracted and the icing-covered filly laughed at the affection.
"Hmmm..." Shining wondered at Flurry's behavior. He did not want to tell her off - the pulling away from the cake was already enough obstruction from the dessert. Still...how was he going to keep her entertained enough until Cadance finished the work -I mean- until Shining AND Cadance finished the rulers' work? Even her teddy bear polar bear had gone to sleep already...Ah...
Distract Flurry again!
Jingle-ingle-ing!
Flurry Heart's eyes dilated at the sound and sight of a beautiful, shiny polished set of keys, so gorgeous and beautiful, it made her little heart go and melt! 
The metal clattering together caused a trance-like state to wash over the princess like a salty sea wave.
"Hey Flurry...if you agree to behave yourself while mummy and daddy are working, I'll treat you to it!"
The tantalizing, harmonic sound and the deliciously glossy keys were making them hard to resist! Still, Flurry had her doubts...
It was not that Flurry liked causing trouble, it was just that...trouble found her! So she would do her best to not cause chaos, do her best to not look like the spawn of Discord in front of the ponies as she had a few years ago as a newborn. Oh, and the "spawn of Discord" thing is not meant as a demeaning insult, but as a fact that her sheer raw strength reminded others of Discord's chaotic powers.
However, she would try her best to prove herself...if she could have a polar bear, Pound could have a lion, and Pumpkin could have a shark, she could learn to not be dangerous by accident too! Decent around foals and loved throughout Equestria! Hmmm-and maybe she would be rewarded with tons of cake and ice cream for being good again! Score!
She loved being good, but the sweets helped dampen would-be accidents.
("Mmmm....Uncle Cheese and Auntie Pinkie Pie's MMM cake...") She thought, licking her lips.
What a treat!
"Yes dad, I'll do my best!" Flurry Heart agreed in her squeaky voice. Shining laughed and ruffled her mane, walking out.
"I'm sure she won't even get up to anything surprising while I'm away."
"Uh...daaaad?"
"What? Oh yeah, GO LONG!"
Shining yelled and tossed the keys.
A pink and blue sonic boom hurtled past and scooped up the keys before they were even halfway to the ground.
Honestly, it was a wonderful distraction.
Shining laughed at his sweet little seagull that was pecking and gently gnawing at his well-polished steel.
"Yawn...this was definitely a great idea."
Flurry Heart had flown around the castle for a while, but with her bear asleep, she was now bored again. She could not be too loud, nor eat any yummy candy. Trying not to cause trouble was hard!
Finally, she lit up her horn and concentrated on her newly acquired keys to see what would happen.
The metal hummed rhythmically, as her power manifested a lock-finding spell that would find the nearest (correct) location of where the keys would lead her. She specifically made the shiniest, biggest key the one that she concentrated on; as the hallways that had anything and everything to do with guards were fast approaching.
She flew faster, getting excited. She lost her focus, driven to distraction...flown to distraction? Yeah.
Anyway, the keys forging her path forward glowed a bright magenta as a signal that she had found the correct door. She jammed the key in the lock and unlocked the heavy metal doors. The mystical shiny goodness had shown her where to go; it was a good leader! The only problem was - she was too near the door! It was right in front of her, coming in at a break-neck speed!
"AHH!"
SHA-POOOF!
If she had not teleported out of the way of the obstruction (and inside the room), she'd have had a head-on...horn-on collision!
Thankfully, all was well, she had not caused any issues despite her thirst for adventure - not to mention - her love for wandering on her own.
Good thing there was nopony or creature around to stop her - they would have ruined her indulgent fun!
Exhausted from the harrowing experience, she landed softly in the dark yet cramped room and fell asleep.
In her dreams, she dreamt of becoming a teenage mare - both a princess and a guard. Her grown-up self was a sweet foalsitter and a love therapist like her mother, as well as a nerd and protective guard like her dad - the best of both worlds concerning her parents!
She was a living battery for the Crystal Heart that stopped all threats from attacking her friends, family, and Empire. Even a Windigo horde and a sudden King Sombra reincarnation - all on her own!
Her father and uncle Flash would be proud. One day, despite her shortcomings, she would be the sweet, cute, cool, perfect, pink pretty princess they all would love and deserve. A hero like her parents and aunts and uncles. A ruler and protector for the ages!
She would save the entire Empire, show that she actually loves the Crystal Heart, and become everyone's favorite niece for everypony she knew - including B.A.E. (Best Aunt Ever!) Twilight and Flash Sentry. She could be a cupid that would save marriages and relationships from crumbling or hitting rough patches and keep families safe and happy and well.
She even assembled her two best friends, on either side of her, and she would go up against bad guys side by side with one another, fighting enemies of Equestria, reforming villains, and temporarily incarcerating the horrible, mean ones who had literally broken the law as well as sympathizing with most of the wayward criminals. Just like Auntie Twi-Twi!
Someday, she would show them all...all of the meany-pants' that her mother, father, aunt, and uncle WERE worthy of the crown despite the fact that none of them were borth as royals - not even her own mother, the lovely princess of love. And she was...the princess of...merchandise? No, no, she would figure it out someday... join the royal family and prove her coronation really was a success despite her occasional magic and flight hiccups. Maybe her working title would be...the princess of affection? Yes, maybe...
Her mind wandered onto her busy baby life - soon to be preschool life.
She had already gotten ponies to make up their relationships due to her being Cupid last year - thanks, Dad! Flurry herself could not believe that she had actually shot the right couples to love each other! She had also (accidentally) been to shoot at impertinent royal or noble ponies and other creatures with a laser gun and light saber because they did not respect the royal family nor think that her dad was fit to rule. Even though her father was proud of her, her mommy made her heal the rude ponies' injuries, though, though those creatures had been scared enough to back off for a while.
Also, she was banned from movies and video games until she was older. Laser gun safety was NOT on her list of "enjoyableness" in her mandatory royal classes.
Someday, she would prove her birthright as a natural-born alicorn - she did deserve the horns and wings both! At least her best friends, pegasus, and unicorn Pound, and Pumpkin Cake would always appreciate her having both limbs. It did not seem so cool to have such huge, glorious wings and long, pretty horn until Pound needed her magic to help him get lumps out of cakes, and Pumpkin could always count on Flurry to get high ingredients off top shelves by using her wings and flight - she would make a difference in the world, and in their lives too. She would make her parents - especially her dad - exceedingly pleased with her in lieu of her chaotic nature. She would always lend a helping hoof; even if she needed a break herself and felt like a princess stuck in a tower - especially if her friends were tired and sleepy and felt the same way. ...Maybe Dad was also tired when he gave her such pretty, shiny, valuable keys. She's better not lose or ruin them!
Flurry blinked at the memory, and she started turning back into a four-year-old. She was a little sad that she had not been able to remain a teenager for long, but she was delighted when her dream best friends did as well.
"Flurr-bear-bear...what are we doing here?"
"Yeah future sis, what are we doing here?"
"You are here because my dream is so strong," Flurry Heart exclaimed as the friends she had subconsciously brought into reality looked at all the memories and dreams about the future she had had. This made them understand that everything was very real, but being friends with powerful Flurry, all this was pretty normal for them.
"Welcome to my humble dream abode!"
They both snickered and yelled in unison:
"Thanks!"
Her mind temporarily prevented from wandering, she happily hugged her friends and snuggled Pound, making her blush. She would not mind needing a prince to rescue her if that prince was Pound...just last week her dad had been upset about it since he had been called into a parent-teacher meeting (the one with the snooty royals and delegates,) and Flurry had been told off and punished for kissing a colt in class. Shining Armor would not hear of Flurry's explanation considering that she was the daughter of the princess of love, much less the fact that she wanted to start dating. When he finally let her get a word in edgewise, he felt really silly when he found out that his daughter had picked a good, decent pony - Pound Cake; who was the only colt allowed within three feet of Flurry Heart (unless it was a school group project.)
Flurry had picked a good, clean, respectable colt to "date" - not many creatures could tell that the preschoolers were actually serious - but Cadance and Shining could.
Little Flurry Heart laughed and hugged her friends again. Finally, she stopped having internal monologues and worries about the future and focused on the now, like her father would. She told the Cake twins they would likely always remain her best friends for the rest of their lives, forever, for life, five-ever, for the rest of eternity, for-
"OK, we get it, we love you too, beary. We couldn't bear to not be your friend! Gulp...and coltfriend..."
"You are precious and you don't have to prove anything to us, or your family!" Pound Chimed. "Seeing you crying inside and without your pet to hug is unbearable!"
"And next time..." Pound started, with a grin. "Tell us and your family your fears."
Flurry Heart's eyes filled with tears and her wavering smile turned into a grin. She was so fortunate to have such sweet comrades!
"OOOH, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" She squealed loudly.
"!"
"?"
She swooped in like an eagle and pounced on them - enclosing them in a tight squeeze.
Pumpkin was happy, but Pound Cake's entire body was smushed.
"OOF! Wow...you get more and more light Aunt Pinkie every day-even more than us...!" He croaked, "Maybe you spend too much time with her. The love of sweets, randomness, tight hugs, and loud squeals or laughs are a bit much."
Everypony laughed, and Flurry finally stopped taking his breath away.
Then, Flurry started to wake up...she said goodbye to her friends. And as soon as she opened her eyes...she got a surprise...she noticed something glinting in the darkness, something...sparkly!!!
Boom!
"Flurry! Sweetie, wear are you?!~"
Prince Shining Armor burst through the door to see a cute but shocking discovery.
In the beautifully shiny armory, he found the decorated room with a new centerpiece in the middle of the floor - his white-ish-pink daughter Flurry Heart!
She was wearing something SHINY that belonged to him. -His helmet and plume (which looked giant on her,) and she swung her wooden sword around, saying that she would defend her green snail plushie "Whammy" from the invading neighboring kingdom's blue plushie bear "Icicle" - even if she was not a perfect princess and did not have everything all together - nopony did!
"Oh whew..." Shining sighed, panting, "You're...OK...Flurricana!"
Flurry Heart chuckled into her hoof. Her daddy was so silly! Her actual name was Princess Mi Amore FlurriHearta, but "Flurricane/Flurricana" and "Flurrenza/Influrrenza" were her unofficial names that sounded more like ice cream, winter and cold fronts...or colds...
He must have come running all the way to save her - which was impressive, considering the fact that her mom was faster than him. What helped him out was that Cadance would usually say in these situations that she "would have her dad's head" - like the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland...wait, Queen of Hearts? That was oddly familiar...except for the beheading part.
Hooray.
Shining scooped up her daughter and apologized for leaving her without a chaperone, and for trying to obtain or earn a "get out of work free" card with his wife. He would score points to be a better leader or even parent that way, and he was ecstatic that she had "survived the night in such a creepy black deep dark dungeon" - all without needing rescue!
Flurry laughed and said that she could learn to face things alone if need be, but it was way more fun - as well as way easier - with help.
Shining said sorry for giving her the set of keys - such scary keys that could have led anywhere - shininess was becoming a common vice for her and he knew it. He was glad she did not get into the beautiful riches in the treasury or the cubbies filled with sharp swords and thick shields.
"Gasp!"
"Whoops."
Flurry's eyes grew wide again, and this time he kissed her on her head - a safer distraction than keys.
Flurry then explained her aforementioned thoughts and dreams - causing Shining to have the same reactions as the Twins. He decided that friends and family members should be alerted - despite Flurry's happy-go-lucky and sometimes oblivious-like-Shining's self, she was already starting to struggle under the weight of the crown and her future responsibilities - at a mere four years old.
Shining picked up his barely-a-preschooler filly and nuzzled her - telling her he was so brave and strong and awesome. And to not let any creature - even royals - tell her she was not, or that she did not deserve her crown and wings - she deserved every bit of it!
He was impressed that she wanted to become a princess AND a guard - to protect others despite the responsibilities of both jobs. He reminded her that being a guard was not just about proving herself to others - she had already proven herself to them, and one day, she probably would protect the empire fervently just like the life within her dreams!
"I am proud of you, sugar plum!"
"Thank you Daddy..."
Flurry Heart snuffled, grateful for the deep life lesson.
"Just don't swoop in on ponies like a hawk if they insult our family."
They laughed, and Shining realized his part of the deal from earlier.
"Well, since you were a good pony, ice cream parties every day for the rest of the month!
"Weeeeee! Yay!"
A few minutes of playing pretend-guard edition, (and clacking wooden swords against each other) later~
***
Cadance teleported into the room, a bit frazzled and ready to yell, but relieved upon seeing Flurry Heart safe and sound and without a mess around her, she decided to not say anything.
Shining and Flurry both hugged each other cutely. And then Shining dangled the hoop of the tempting keys again, cutting the moment short but temping Flurry once again.
King, King, Kling, Klang!
"Shiny!"
(Aw! The cuteness just makes your heart melt, doesn't it? As it should!)
-Maybe he put the keys a little too close to his little magpie daughter's nose...
Oh no...Flurry Heart is sneezing...a big magical one; not one of the teeny safe ones!
"A...A...A...CHOO!"
Shooom! CRASH, BANG, BASH!
The helmets and metal saddles crashed all around the crystal and glass room, ruining its immaculate state.
"..."
"OOPS, sorry Papa! I can fix it!"
Her mom glared at her, and the Flurricane knew what her silent, stern body language actually meant. "Hearty, don't you dare fix this mess, missy. Love you! "
Looks like poor Shining is going to have to clean up this mess...ouch!
