Natural Born Alicorn

"Princess, are you alright?" Gallus asked in a gentle tone.

"Y-Yes, I am! Please let her go!" Flurry implored, jumping out of her seat in the train. She was breathing heavily, looking at the scene. "She didn't do anything!"

A few steps away from her, standing in the aisle, Gallus was holding Cozy against the floor, with his clawed-hand on the back of her neck. "Aye Aye, Princess." He loosened his grip.

Slowly, Cozy straightened her legs to stand up. She winced, stretching her neck by tilting her head to the side.

"Cozy! Are you h-hurt?" Flurry approached her until she was in front of her.

"I'm fine," Cozy looked behind at her squashed saddlebags on the floor. "I had a soft landing."

"I'm so sorry this happened." Flurry's vision became blurry. She sniffled, lowering her head.

Cozy chuckled, wearing a slight smile. "Oh, it's okay. Maybe I deserved it for being too curious." She glanced at Gallus, who had backed away a few steps with his severe gaze fixed on her. "Still, I can't help to wonder... Are you hurt, friend?" Cozy inquired, looking into Flurry's teary eyes.

"I..." Flurry exhaled deeply. She rubbed her eyes against her shoulder, wiping the tears away with her shirt. Then, she straightened her posture. "C-Captain Gallus?" she called, turning her head.

"Princess, what are your orders?" Gallus asked, standing at attention.

"Please, uh... could you leave us alone?" Flurry raised a hoof and pointed behind Gallus. "I mean, it's okay if you just go back to the door."

Honesty

Gallus had followed Flurry's command, turning around and returning to his post by the inter-carriage door. With her magic, Flurry had lifted Cozy's saddlebags and placed them next to hers under the train seat.

Flurry hopped on her seat and sat down. She inhaled deeply and looked at Cozy standing in the aisle. "W-Would you like to sit next to me?" she asked, wearing a tiny smile.

"Um, with all due respect..." Cozy briefly twisted her head to glance at Gallus's eagle-eyes, fixed on her from half a wagon away. "Are you sure you're not gonna go loco in the coco again?" she asked, looking back at Flurry.

"I won't. I promise." Flurry nodded energetically.

"Okie dokie." Cozy hopped on the free portion of the seat, sitting down. She turned her head and smiled warmly at Flurry. "Now, feel free to tell me everything. Get it all off your chest."

Flurry gulped. "I-I thought we could just, uh..." She looked down at her own seated body, gazing at her forelegs covered by the sleeves of the shirt. "C-Could we just forget about it, please?"

"Oh, I understand. That seems a bit too intimate to talk about... yet," Cozy said. "Then, how about a little context on this?" She raised a hoof and tapped the dark stone on her necklace, making a slight clack sound.

Flurry pressed her lips together, looking at the necklace. "Uh, that's your flight-restrictor." She sniffled and then looked away, turning her head towards the train window.

"Well, yes, I figured that the moment I couldn't fly anymore," Cozy said, inhaling deeply. "I suppose you know how to remove it, my friend?"

"I-I..." Flurry was breathing heavily. Her forehead was boiling; tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and around her horn. She twisted her head forward, looking at Cozy out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not supposed to... uh, I mean..." Her gaze shifted towards the empty seat in front of her, getting lost in the void somewhere beyond the crystal structure:

"Auntie, is this...?" Flurry had asked the previous night, at the Canterlot Castle. She had looked wide-eyed at Twilight while holding a tiny dark crown with her magic.

"Yes, that is Queen Chrysalis's crown." Twilight had told her in a calm tone.

"Oh my..."

"I know, niece. Worry not though. It is not dangerous. Well, it's not as long as it remains in its special case."

"What?! Auntie, why didn't you tell me that before I opened it?!" Flurry pupils had contracted. She quickly had grabbed the empty case on the dressing table nearby.

Twilight had let out a chuckle in reaction, shaking her head. "No, niece. Please, take it easy. This crown, a magical device of changeling nature, is never a threat to us unless it falls into the wrong hooves."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." Flurry had sighed heavily. "W-Why are you giving me this?"

"Because it has the power to both cast changeling spells and undo them," Twilight had explained. "Furthermore, if combined with the magic found on Chrysalis's throne shards, a pony can perform yearlong-lasting spells that can only be reverted by the same method."

"Like the one cast on Cozy's necklace," Flurry had concluded.

"Yes! An impressive deduction from you, niece! Twilight had raised a hoof and placed it on the side of Flurry's muzzle, smiling widely at her. "Now, before you go to sleep, make sure to shut the crown's case securely, and place it inside your saddlebags. Again, securely." She had leaned to smack a kiss on Flurry's forehead. "Good night." She had turned around and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Auntie!" Flurry had left the small case on the table and then rushed to a leaving Twilight. "How and when am I supposed to revert the flight-restriction spell on Cozy?"

Twilight had stopped her hooves, looking at Flurry with a gentle smile. "Undoing her curse simply requires holding the bare crown, while removing the necklace from her. All done with simple telekinesis. She had turned her body and raised a hoof, placing it on Flurry's chest. "As for when to do it, niece of mine, that will lie upon your judgement, both as a responsible princess to her subjects and as a caring friend to Cozy Glow."

"Hello? Equus to Flurry..." Cozy called, seated next to Flurry on the train seat. She had rotated her body towards her.

Flurry blinked her eyes rapidly. She straightened her posture on the seat. "I-I'm sorry, Cozy." She inhaled deeply, looking down. "I can't talk about that with you," she finished, glancing at Cozy's necklace.

"Oh, okay." Cozy nodded once slowly. "So that's also a 'not yet' conversation."

"I really ho—" Flurry cleared her throat. "I wish you understand," she looked at Cozy with a slight smile and furrowed eyebrows.

"I do. Either way, it's clear to me now." Cozy grinned, looking into Flurry's eyes. "You do know how to free me."

Listening to her words, Flurry swallowed dryly and turned her head away. She took a deep breath, looking out the train window. The landscape outside was barely distinguishable due to the high speed of the Crystal Express. She narrowed her eyes, looking beyond a vast flatland almost devoid of trees. Many leagues away, between massive rock formations flooded with water and mist, there were the Neighagara Falls. At its bottom, the water flowed into the extensive river that separated the Equestrian Midwest from the East Coast.

Then, Flurry remembered once more Twilight's words about the case containing Chrysalis's crown: Place it inside your saddlebags... securely. Her eyes widened and she bent her body forward, looking at her saddlebags under the seat. Then, yellow magic appeared from her horn and enveloped them. She magically lifted them, making them float to the height of her seated body. She opened one of their flaps and looked inside. When she saw her Whammy—her stuffed snail toy—within the bag, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Forgot something?" Cozy asked, looking in Flurry's direction.

"Uh, n-no," Flurry replied, quickly placing her saddlebags back under her seat.

"Gosh, forgive my curiosity, but what was that box inside your bag?" Cozy inquired. She raised a hoof to gesture, tracing a square in the air.

Flurry petrified on her seat, looking at Cozy out of the corner of her eye. "W-What box?"

Cozy let out a soft giggle. "The one with the cool design, of course. Which else?"

Flurry frowned, batting her eyes a few times. "O-Oh, yeah!" A wide smile appeared on her muzzle. "My auntie gave me a dress for my..." Her cheerful expression soon dropped. "Oh, buck." She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. You should've realized earlier, you foal, her inner voice reproached her.

"Golly! what was that last word?" Cozy asked, looking wide-eyed at Flurry.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to swear." Flurry inhaled deeply, turning her head towards Cozy. "It's just that there's gonna be a party tomorrow, for those of us who graduated from school this year," she explained, slightly raising a hoof to gesture but quickly dropping it back.

"Ooh, that sounds like fun." Cozy tilted her head, smiling gently at Flurry. "Although you don't seem keen about it... at all."

"Yeah, I just..." Flurry looked down and sniffled. "I just don't think ponies my age like me much. Not my former classmates at least."

"Well, I like you," Cozy said. "And we're the same age, aren't we?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Thanks." Flurry chuckled; her pale pink face went red. "I also like yo—I mean, uh..."

Cozy stood on the seat. She met Flurry's wide eyes as she took a step towards her. Even though she was standing while Flurry was seated, the top of Cozy's head only reached the height of Flurry's muzzle. She stopped at the length of a horn away from Flurry's body. Briefly, she turned her head and glanced at Gallus, who was guarding the inter-wagon door. "You can say that you like me. It won't make you a bad pony," Cozy said in a soft whisper, looking back at Flurry with half-lidded eyes and a smirk on her lips.

"I-I..." Flurry felt her heart pounding in every artery of her body; her cheeks burned and the beads of sweat multiplied on her forehead. "I have to use the mare's room!" She jumped out of her seat and walked past Cozy and out into the aisle of the train.

The rest of the ride in the Crystal Express was unremarkable in terms of conversation. Flurry had briefly gone to the toilet area in the next car. Meanwhile, Cozy had remained under Gallus watch—from half a dozen seats away. When Flurry had returned, she found Cozy seated and proceeded to place herself again next to her. However, silence had reigned, mostly ever interrupted by Cozy's spontaneous humming. Flurry had rested her head against the window. Under the spell of Cozy's wordless lullaby and the gentle vibration of the glass, Flurry closed her heavy eyelids falling asleep.

In a total of an hour and a half , the train had covered dozens of leagues from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire. Before reaching the immense Empire's valley—green during the summer—it had crossed high, ever-snowy mountains. The locomotive's horn roared and the brakes on all of the cars were engaged. Finally, the train came to a stop at the crystal station. The five of them—Cadance, Shining, Flurry, Cozy, and Gallus—had already approached the doors and were waiting for them to open automatically.

"Psst, bestie," Cozy whispered, standing next to Flurry.

"Uh, yeah?" Flurry looked at Cozy with narrowed eyes.

"This is my first time coming to the Crystal Empire and I'm just wondering..." Cozy chuckled, glancing at Gallus. "Do they hate me here too?"

"Unlikely, miss Cozy," said Cadance. She was standing on the opposite side to Flurry and next to Shining. "We believe your presence would go unnoticed by most of the crystal citizens. At least before any official statement," she stated, looking at the double doors ahead.

SWOOSH

The sliding doors were opened. Looking out them, Flurry's eyes widened.

Dozens of crystal guards were standing in files between the purple crystal building of the station and the train, facing the latter. Their light grayish-cyan armors shone under the almost-noon sun.

"Uh, dad?" Flurry called, glancing at Shining. "Did you...?"

"Nope. This was not my idea, sweetheart." Shining raised a hoof to scratch the back of his head. He then looked at Cadance. "Was it yours, honey?"

Cadance let out a chuckle. "Well, I didn't expect—"

Trumpets, magically floating, were heard. A red carpet was unrolled from the gap between the lines of guards, all the way to the train doors.

"W-Welcome home, crystal family!" shouted a cloaked unicorn, rushing down the carpet towards the family. "I hope this was enough for the small escort team you asked, princess," he smiled with his brow furrowed, looking at Cadance.

"Mhm, more than enough. Thank you, Sunburst," Cadance replied with a half-smile.

"All quiet on the northern front?" Shining asked, taking a few steps to the outside of the train.

"C-Certainly, sir!" Sunburst twisted his body towards Shining and cleared his throat. "I ordered to double the patrols in the city and the guards around the Crystal Heart. Also, given the special circumstances"—He slightly turned his head and glanced at Cozy—"A curfew was imposed on the citizens last night," he finished, magically fixing his round glasses.

Cadance inhaled deeply. "I can already see you did your best as the Crystal Regent." She smiled warmly at Sunburst, who bowed in response. She nodded once, gesturing up with a hoof. Then, she walked outside and stopped beside Shining. She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Shiny, could you take it from here?" she asked, sweeping her gaze across the lines of guards waiting for a command.

"Sure, honey." Shining turned his muzzle to peck Cadance's cheek. "Not gonna lie, I kinda missed doing these drills." he admitted. Looking forward, his smiling face became a stern one.

"Golly, your dad can be intimidating," Cozy commented, standing next to Flurry still inside the train. They were watching how Shining trotted around and yelled commands to the guards; those obeyed him, turning their bodies all in the same direction at the same time, and began their march.

"Well, uh, he used to be a royal guard himself," Flurry explained.

Then, Cozy poked her head through the opened doors. "Are you sure nopony will question why the whole crystal army was guarding the train station?" She looked at the ponies that had come out of the other train cars and gathered outside, witnessing how the guards left in an orderly fashion.

Flurry closed her eyes, letting out a sigh.

While Shining commanded the marching guards, the rest of the group—Cadance, Sunburst, Flurry, Cozy and Gallus—followed the same path from a few strides behind. They had left the train station, crossing the tracks.

Then, they had passed between tall, twin crystal cairns, which were landmarks at the start of the dirt road that led to the city of the Empire. From half a league away, Flurry could see the colossal tower of the Crystal Castle. Her home.

After a few minutes of moving through the green, low hills on the outskirts, the group set hooves on one of the main crystal streets. Some of the Crystal citizens had come out of their houses or workplaces to watch the unexpected military parade; The older ponies greeted the royal family with ovations and bowed as they passed.

Similarly as Cozy did while walking through Canterlot, she commented excitedly about the things—like the huge crystal statue of a preteen dragon, who was holding a replica of the Crystal Heart—that her eyes caught on the way to the Crystal Castle.

Not long before reaching the castle square, Flurry saw that Shining—ahead of everypony else—led the company of guards into taking a turn on an intersecting street to the one they were, splitting from the original group. She stopped her pace in the middle of the street and watched how they marched away.

"Err, young princess?" a male voice called gently.

Flurry quickly turned her head forward and met a pair of blue eyes. "Oh, hi uncle Sunburst," she said with a tiny smile, breaking eye contact and looking down. "W-What's up?"

"Well,—" Sunburst cleared his throat. He glanced at a wide-eyed Cozy, who was petting a tiny ewe on the street. "—I've just let your mother know that there's a surprise for you at the castle."

"A s-surprise... for me?" Flurry frowned slightly, blinking her eyes rapidly. She glanced at Cadance standing a few steps behind Sunburst.

"Indeed, princess." Sunburst nodded twice, wearing a warm smile. He raised a foreleg to point at the tall castle. "P-Please, after you."

Flurry inhaled deeply. She turned her head to look at Cozy and Gallus standing nearby, and nodded once at the latter.

They continued on their path along with Cadance and Sunburst. When they reached the Square—the open space below the castle—Cozy stopped her hooves, hypnotized by the spinning Crystal Heart in the center. However, her gaze was soon severed by Gallus, who stood in between with his grim-face towards her. Cozy rolled her eyes and resumed following the others to the entrance of the castle. The doors were promptly opened by the guards at them. Once the group entered, they were closed behind them.

Standing on the entrance hall, Cadance's horn illuminated. Her cyan aura enveloped the saddlebags on her back and, in the blink of an eye, they poofed into thin air.

Willing to imitate Cadance, Flurry used her magic to surround her own bags. However, the yellow light faded away before she could make them disappear as well. Don't, a single word in her mind warned. She opted to keep the saddlebags on her back.

Cadance took a few steps ahead of the group and then turned around to face them. Exchanging looks with the group, her eyes finally landed on Cozy. She cleared her throat and inhaled. "Miss Cozy, even though neither my husband nor I are responsible for you, this is our home," she said. "And there are rules that apply for all of those who reside in this castle." Her gaze shifted towards Flurry and a slight smile appeared on her muzzle. "I'm sure my daughter will explain them to you soon."

Cozy nodded once with eyes closed. "Understood, princess."

"Good," Cadance expressed, glancing briefly at Cozy. "Flurry, dear, you may want to go show her the guest's room," she said before turning around and lifting her hooves to walk away along with Sunburst.

Flurry glanced at Sunburst, who was then walking by Cadance's side. "W-Wait, mom and uncle!" she called, trotting after them. "What about the... surprise?"

Cadance and Sunburst had stopped their paces and then exchanged glances.

"Oh, of c-course!" Sunburst chuckled, face-hoofing. "Forgive my short term memory!" He sighed. "It was quite stressful to rule an empire for an introvert pony like me... even if it was just for a day."

Cadance smiled warmly at him. "Even so, we wouldn't trust anypony else for such task,"—She turned her body and bowed before him—"o wise and studious Sunburst, the Crystaller and magic-scholar," she recited, closing her eyes.

Sunburst let out a chuckle mixed with a neigh, looking at Cadance. "P-Princess, please! I-It was my pleasure, really." He twisted his head towards Flurry. "Err, young princess, before I forget again: I told her to wait for you in the throne room."

"Uh..." Flurry licked her dry lips, looking narrowed-eyed at Sunburst. "Who is 'her'?"

"Sweetie, it's a surprise, remember?" Cadance reminded. She had straightened her body and raised a hoof to point at the long hallway ahead. "Go ahead, dear. We'll be right behind you."

Flurry nodded once and swallowed saliva. She glanced at Cozy and Gallus behind her before taking the first step forward. She walked past Cadance and Sunburst. She was then leading the five of them down the hallway. Her heart was pounding and her brain was flooded with thoughts; her hooves became heavier with every step she took. Without stopping her pace, she shut her eyes for a moment, letting the thoughts take the reins in her mind: First it was Cozy... Then it was Chrysalis's crown... And now they won't tell you who this 'her' is... Isn't it obvious? Flurry inhaled deeply and opened her eyes.

After a minute of walking, she and the others finally reached the closed doors of the throne room—with no guards to be seen nearby. With her lower lip shaking, she stood crestfallen before the doors.

Her ears perked up to a familiar voice:

"Sweetie?" Cadance called. She approached Flurry, while the rest of the group stayed a few steps away. Standing close to her side, she raised a forehoof and placed it on Flurry's withers. "Ready to meet her?"

Flurry sniffled and then raised her head. Looking vacantly at the deep-blue doors, she nodded once. "Let's do it."

Upon confirmation, Cadance's horn illuminated. One of the two door handles was enveloped by the cyan aura of her magic. Then, the tall door was pushed open.

The throne room was brightly illuminated, with natural light coming through the many windows and reflecting on the crystal pillars by the walls.

Standing on the threshold, Flurry's gaze scanned the pale purple carpet that stretched across the room. Squinting her eyes, she could see the bubblegum-pink figure of somepony lying down on the crystal throne; their golden mane partially covered their face.

Flurry dropped her lower jaw open. "L-Luster?!"