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Taken In

by Speedy Quill

Chapter 15: Two More Princesses

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Two More Princesses

The sun rose over the castle as I made my way back inside. The gardens at sunrise were indeed a sight to see.
I walked to the kitchen to see if Butter Whisk has gotten up yet. When I entered though, it wasn’t the chef I found. It was Celestia. She was pouring some cereal into a bowl. A carton of milk was levitating nearby, waiting for her to finish. She looked up as I entered the kitchen.

“Good morning. Would you like some cereal?”

“Yes please. What brings you down here so early?”

“Getting the sun started on its daily journey works up an appetite. Why are you up so early?”

“I was out in the gardens. I couldn’t sleep after spending the night with Luna.”

Celestia’s eyebrows arched up and she smiled. I realized too late what I’d said.

“No!”

I put a hoof to my face.

“Not like- I think you know what I meant.”

She giggled at my embarrassment.

“Yes. She told me everything before going to bed.”

“Everything?”

She nodded and levitated a second bowl in front of her. The cereal began pouring.

“Luna is not easily led into telling anypony anything. But with my approval of you, and a little charm from yourself, she’s beginning to open up. I’m glad she has someone besides me to talk to.”

“Charm? I don’t know what I do to make anypony think I’m charming.”

“That’s just it. Charm is not taught. It simply...is. Haven’t you ever seen a stallion that thought he was being charming?”

“Ah. I get it now. And yes, I’ve seen several examples in Ponyville. They think they’re charming when they’re actually coming off as either sarcastic or just plain creepy.”

“Right on the button.”

She passed me my bowl and we began to eat. I found myself glancing at the princess every few bites. She caught me one time and smiled.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just... All I’ve been thinking about for the last few days is what you must have been like in your younger years.”

“Oh? Am I too old for you?”

I rolled my eyes in an attempt at looking annoyed, but I could feel the heat in my cheeks from blushing. This made her giggle again.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself sometimes. I don’t often make jokes with ponies. At least not ones I have a professional relationship with. Plus there’s the fact that Luna relayed your interest in learning how to find yourself a mare.”

“That’s not exactly what I told her. And it’s okay. The jokes I mean. I’ll just have to get used to it. Eventually.”

“Why so much interest in the old days?”

“I just wondered what the two of you must have been like as fillies.”

“I think that’s a story that Luna will want to be present for. She’ll want to make sure I don’t forget anything.”

“That’s alright. There is one thing I’d like to know. If you’ll tell?”

“Shoot.”

“If you ascended when you were so young, why don’t you look that young anymore? Not that you don’t look young now of course!”

“Well thank you for the compliment. See what I meant about that charm?”

That got me smiling. She sipped the last of her milk out of the bowl and flew it over to the sink.

“The spell that gave us immortality had a safeguard in it to ensure that we didn’t just stop aging entirely. Our bodies continued to mature until they reached an appropriate age.”

“So you look to be about..”

“I didn’t notice the halt in aging until I was nearly forty. So I would assume somewhere between thirty and there.”

“Wow. I’m guessing Starswirl thought that was the ideal age?”

“I’m sure that’s the age he wished he looked. But he’d already gone grey by the time he used it on himself.”

“Unfortunate.”

“I suppose. But he’s made good use of his time. Despite looking ancient.”

We both chuckled at that. Her mane whipped wistfully through the air as her head shook with laughter.

“What about yours and Luna’s manes?”

“What about them? Oh! You mean the wavy thing?”

“Wavy thing?”

“We never came up with a proper name for it. They started doing this a few centuries into our rule. Some sort of side effect I guess. Completely harmless.”

“A nice side effect. Does it ever get in your eyes? I swear it looks like your mane is avoiding your face.”

“It is actually. It won’t get in my eyesight unless I want it to.”

“I’m sure that makes more than a few ponies envious.”

“You have no idea how many mares have asked what conditioner I use.”

The sound of somepony approaching brought our attention to the entrance. Butter Whisk cam through the door and froze.

“Princess! Shade! I’m sorry to intrude.”

Celestia stood up.

“Not at all Butter Whisk. It is your kitchen after all. Shade and I were just having a light breakfast before our guests arrive.”

That got me curious.

“Guests? You didn’t say anything about guests.”

“Twilight and Cadance will be here soon for our biannual meeting.”

Of course! Twilight had mentioned she’d be coming to Canterlot soon. I hadn’t realized that much time had passed already.
I followed Celestia out of the kitchen and we made our way to the throne room. A table had been set in the middle of the floor with four seats around it. There was a row of seats not far off from the table as well. Celestia pointed to that row.

“That is where you, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart will be sitting. We tried letting everypony sit at the main table last time, but Flurry Heart proved to be a distraction for all of us.”

“You want me at the meeting?”

“Of course! You need to start getting up to speed on current events. What better way than our meeting?”

“Okay.. Cadance won’t be mad I’m here right?”

“A lot happened since the last time you saw her. You heard about Thorax?”

“Yes. I’ve met him too.”

“He helped Cadance see there was something other than evil in changelings. She has no reason to be upset at your presence.”

“Only if he wakes the baby.”

We turned towards the entrance to find Cadance and Shining Armor approaching. Shiny Armor was pushing a stroller. Cadance smiled at me. A genuine smile that surprised me.

“Shade. It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise princess. I was glad to learn about your discovery of Thorax.”

“He changed a lot of things for us. In a good way.”

Shining Armor halted the stroller at the row of seats and returned to the group.

“It’s good to see you Shade. Twily says you’ve been doing well. I couldn’t believe it when she said you’d moved here!”

Cadance nodded.

“Neither could I. But it’s good to see you again. Especially after we met under such bad circumstances.”

“That’s all in the past now Cadance. I’ve moved on just like you have. And you had a baby along the way! My belated congratulations!”

She smiled. Again, truly genuine.

“Thank you. But having an alicorn for a baby is a serious hoof-ful.”

“I can imagine! Tell me if this is too much, but I’d like to meet her once she’s awake! A baby alicorn is something new to me. And I’m really good with foals.”

“I can vouch for that.”

Twilight had appeared at the entrance.

“Twily! You finally made it!”

Cadance and Shining Armor embraced her as she ran up to join us. She looked over at the stroller and Cadance whispered in her ear, obviously telling her to wait. Twilight looked a little sad at having to wait to see her niece, but shook it off quickly. She saw me and beamed, pulling me into a hug.

“It’s so good to see you! You have to tell me everything you’ve done so far!”

“I don’t want to hurt you’re feelings though.”

She pulled away.

“Why would you hurt my feelings?”

Celestia put a hoof on my shoulder.

“He doesn’t want to brag that he’s already finsished every book in the library.”

“WHAT?! EVERY BOOK?!?!”

She was beside herself. I think I might have broken her. Cadance began laughing.

“Finally someone to take you down a peg, huh Twilight?”

Twilight took a deep breath.

“I just can’t believe you’ve done so much already! That’s amazing!”

“Thanks.”

Celestia took her seat at the table.

“Why don’t we get ready to start? Luna should be here in just a moment.”

Cadance and Twilight took their places while Shining Armor returned to the seats and stroller. I joined him and peaked into the stroller. By the sun and moon! She was adorable!!
Luna walked in a minute later and the four princesses began their meeting. There was some brief catching up and then they each began summarizing what was going on within their respective domains. Celestia covered most of Equestria, Luna the night and dream-realm, Cadance the Far North, and Twilight general pony well-being and the lands to the South. It seemed nothing too exciting was happening at the moment. Not since the Storm King anyway. Though I was excited to hear that Twilight was about to open her own school! How exciting!
Shining Armor was listening too, but he checked on Flurry Heart every few minutes. About halfway through the meeting she woke up. Everypony looked over at her as Shining Armor lifted her out of the stroller. Once everypony had seen the smiling foal, the meeting was continued. Shining Armor sat her in front of him and she began looking around the room. Her eyes connected with me finally and she stared. Just...stared. Was I too scary-looking or something? I just hoped she didn’t start crying because of me.
She stood up and waddled over to me. Shining Armor didn’t look concerned. In fact, I don’t think he’d even noticed that she’d moved yet. Flurry Heart pulled herself up on the edge of my seat and giggled at me. I smiled down at her and she giggled even more. I glanced back up and saw Cadance smiling at me. It seemed I had her permission. I looked back to the little filly and she raised her hooves towards me. I slowly picked her up and she began climbing all over me. The energy in this one! Shining Armor had finally taken notice and was doing his best not to laugh. Without warning, Flurry unfurled her wings and began flying. Shining Armor and I glanced at each other nervously as she flew over the table. What I witnessed next was astounding.
Cadance, without looking up or stopping her own report, lit up her horn. She stopped Flurry in midair, turned her around, and levitated her back to Shining Armor. All within five seconds!
Shining Armor held a firm grip on his daughter and placed her back in the stroller. She looked defeated. I couldn’t blame her. The taste of freedom was too tempting. But..mother knows best.
Shining Armor leaned back in his chair and whispered to me.

“It’s lucky her mother is an alicorn too. I don’t think I could handle this little lady on my own.”

I smiled. They seemed like a perfect little family.
That thought got me thinking. Here was Cadance, an alicorn, and she was in a loving relationship and had a baby! She’d been able to work it out. Then again, she was still very young by alicorn stadards. Her early thirties at the latest. Surely Celestia and Luna had talked to her about relationships when you’re immortal? Or had she not cared? I looked at her and noticed that she was looking over at Shining Armor to make sure things were okay. He was reading to Flurry Heart and making her laugh with his weird sound effects. I glanced back at Cadance and saw this look in her eye. A look that I can only describe as absolute love. And..something else.. like the way I used to look at animals in the forest when I had been hungry....Oh!
I turned away from the table, hiding my face. I had to get this blushing under control!
I couldn’t understand why I was so embarrassed about the subject. It was a natural thing that ponies did. Something shared with the one you love. That’s what I’d read anyways. So why did it make me feel so..funny?
I shook my head to clear it and began listening to the meeting again. The last report was finished a few minutes later and the meeting was adjourned. The princesses all came to say ‘Hello’ to Flurry Heart. The foal giggled at all of them. They must have all looked really silly to her. Luna left first, returning to bed. Celestia has some matters to deal with members of the delegation. She made sure to let me know I wouldn’t be needed for the rest of the day. Twilight was excited to hear that, as she wanted to take me to lunch and catch up. She invited Cadance and Shining Armor along as well. And Flurry Heart of course.

“Let’s go to that new restaurant down the street! I heard they have a great menu and all you can eat fries!”

We all chuckled at her excitement and followed her out of the throne room.

Next Chapter: Waffles And Relationships Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 37 Minutes
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