Shining's shock at his little sister—his Twily—becoming a princess held him upright for nearly a full minute, then he fell. Slumping to the big throne, Shining Armor folded his wings up and tried to cover his eyes with his forehooves.

"You look ridiculous." Cadance rubbed Shining's mane slowly, her hoof gently brushing over one ear. "Surely it isn't that bad? After all, you are an alicorn right now." The words were bait, and she was a master angler when it came to catching a reaction from her husband.

Flashing with green fire, Shining sat back up straight. Once more just a unicorn, he leaned to the side and rested his neck over Cadance's withers. "You know that doesn't change who I am. I just needed a way to protect you from danger."

"Protect me from your sister's ascension?" Cadance spread a wing and wrapped it around Shining. "I am not so fragile, Shiny. And neither is Twilight now." She nuzzled Shining's neck, working her snout along his strong muscles.

Shining felt a measure of normality return to his world. "You're right, but I don't think I can ever stop worrying, it's in my cutie mark. I am a shield, I protect everypony. No matter what I become I will always have that."

Cadance hugged Shining tighter. "You are my Shiny, you are the Prince of the Crystal Empire. I love you, Shining Armor."

"I love you too, Mi Amore Ca—" His snout turned up into a smile, as Shining started using Cadance's full name, only to have the wing pull back from him and a blue jolt of magic delivered to his plot. "Hey!"

Chasing Shining from the throne room, Cadance took a brief moment to undo the physical lock spell she had put up. "You know the deal, Shiny!"

"You realize things will get very interesting now?" Cadance stood beside Shining Armor, watching Princess Twilight Sparkle leave the castle with her friends.

Canterlot was trapped in the biggest party in quite a while. Not only a new alicorn, but one of their own mares (it didn't matter that she lived in Ponyville, she grew up in Canterlot) was the new princess. In the sea of ponies wishing Twilight well, Shining and Cadance stood, afforded the privacy that only a really big and really loud crowd can give.

"You mean for Equestria, or for our meeting?" Shining tried to remember the last coronation, when he had met Cadance, when they had snuck away together. He felt a pair of lips touch his own, a reminder of the day he had found true love. Then he blinked, seeing Cadance at close-quarters, kissing him back.

Letting the kiss linger, Cadance let Shining finally break it. "Let's go and decide what to do about our little problem." She turned, waiting for Shining to reach her side. Spreading her wings, Cadance made a path through the revelers easily—just by virtue of her being an obvious alicorn.

"Make way for Princess Cadance!" Gilt stood sharply at attention, her disguise of a powerful mare lending an air of exotic command. "Your Highnesses." She didn't bow, she was alert and on guard. She knew for a fact that there were enemies in Canterlot, and wasn't going to take any risks.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Prince Shining Armor." Princess Celestia was decked out in her grandest of regalia for such an event. "Would you please, both, follow me?" She didn't wait, she turned and expected Shining and Cadance to follow.

"By your leave, Your Highness, we would ask that our retainer and a single guard attend with us." Cadance was standing still, watching Celestia. She waited for Celestia's nod of acquiescence before moving after her. "Careful, Lieutenant Gleaming, please follow me." Following, Shining wordless at her side, Cadance entered the same medium-sized room that the Princess of the Sun did.

The moment the door was closed Celestia cleared her throat. "Please, no disguises here. All of you, drop them." She turned as she sat down on the smaller throne, Luna already on an equally-sized one beside her.

Shining looked to Careful, and nodded. He called his fire and let it spin and wrap around him. The green flame burned away his form, revealing a lot of dark chitin, insectile wings, and a fanged smile. "Your Highnesses, as you can see, things have progressed further."

Bowing, Careful was in a decidedly horrible situation; standing beside his queens, terror almost overwhelmed him. Flame stole away his safety... his only line of defense. "Of course, Your Highness." He stood back up, nearly rattling in his carapace, only to see Princess Celestia turning her mixed look upon Gleaming Shine.

"And you?" As soon as she glared at the guard, Celestia knew she had made a mistake, and been caught in it. "You will forgive me, with the news that there are changelings infiltrating in Canterlot I have been seeing them everywhere."

"Your Highness," Careful was screaming in his own head, begging his mouth to close, "but the best way to find changelings, is with changelings." Idiot, just listen, let your queens handle things!

Cadance cut in, saving Careful any further words. "He is correct on that. We," she gestured to Shining, "got lucky. The three ways we have established to find a changeling are: have them walk near the Crystal Heart, have some ponies overwhelm them with feelings of love, and with hard work by good changelings."

"The Heart?" Luna joined the conversation. "How would that factor in? Could it be moved and used to find them?" She hoped her look was as neutral as she could get it. She glanced at Careful. If Nightmare Moon can be turned from evil, I have to believe a changeling can. The thought actually made her smile a little.

Celestia was ready for this concession. After all, she had an unknown amount of changelings in her city already; at worst she would now have a slightly larger unknown quantity. "Alright, you have more experience in this manner than our Guard, so you may continue to send changelings in—"

"And Trixie Lulamoon. We insist she moves to Ponyville to maintain a trained guard in the town." Shining had no hint of compromise in his voice. "I think you will agree that having a trained pair of eyes there will benefit us both, and especially Twily." He knew his look was hard, but when it stole the little smile that Luna had gotten Shining almost broke. "Please, let me change."

Cadance ignored Celestia and Luna, spread her wing around Shining's neck, and squeezed him against her. "You are my Shiny, never forget that. However you look, you are mine."

It was never quite so apparent that this was really Shining Armor, as when he leaned into Cadance and wept. Luna's shock at seeing fiercely determined changeling queen turned to concern, and self-incrimination. Celestia's feelings were not far away. Neither diarch said a word when Shining called the green fire back, and disguised himself as himself.

Silence filled the room, it was a short silence at first, but it grew, gaining in body and momentum. At last, Shining let out a deep breath. "Sorry." The moment he said the word, Luna added her own.

"Our apologies, Prince Shining Armor. We were the ones who pushed you to wear that form, it was our fault for taking offense at it." Luna tilted her head and looked at her sister, Celestia half-hiding behind her mane. "Of course it will be fine for Royal Crystal Guardspony Trixie Lulamoon to take up station in Ponyville."

"It will take some getting used to. Shining Armor," Celestia climbed off her throne and walked up to Shining, "I keep forgetting how this must be for you. I am sorry for making you uncomfortable." She tilted her head slightly, making sure Shining could see all of her face.

Shining closed his eyes and let go of his disguise again, reverting to the dark chitin and green mane-styling that were synonymous of a changeling queen. "Slick Dive has contacted you?" Business, get back onto business and save crying for private.

"We have found notes, hidden in places where we would find them." Luna looked to Celestia. "He claims there are almost thirty changelings in the city now; Chrysalis' changelings, that is. Our efforts to even catch sight of him haven't been successful, so far."

"He is a good infiltrator, and he is under a lot of stress." Four royal ponies started looking at Careful at once. He remembered Cadance had told him to tell everything. I hope she meant everything… "Every changeling is bonded to a hive, to a queen." He looked up at Shining and Cadance. "I am bonded to the best I have ever known, Queen Shining and Queen Cadance. As are Gilt Wings and Bright Flash. Slick Dive wants to bond to our hive, but if he does those other changelings would find out about him."

"Are you saying his loyalty is still to Queen Chrysalis?" Luna's eyes widened.

"No. He wants to bond to our hive, but he is fighting everything he feels for us, and for you." Careful didn't realize he had just used guilt as a weapon until after he had deployed it. Sort of serves them right, jumping to conclusions. "He is a good bug. He is still giving you useful information?" Both Celestia and Luna nodded. "Good, because I think it is time we send a message."

Shining's emotions rose along with the eyebrows of Celestia and Luna. "Has he given you the address of the nest?" A piece of paper levitated out, held in Luna's magic. "Then it is time to start playing for keeps. We will go down to their nest, and we will break their link to Chrysalis." He saw the shock in Celestia's eyes, admiration in Luna's.

"That… what does it do to a changeling when you break that bond?" Celestia looked to Careful, the only changeling in the room that had had it happen.

"It shakes the foundation of your world. Up seems down, left seems right. But when you realize that your belly is full for the first time in your life, and you feel the love of ponies—not just around you, but at you—I may have chirped a little." Careful blushed and looked to his queens, already feeling the warmth radiating off Cadance, and seeing the approval in Shining's eyes.

"Chrysalis declared war on Equestria when she invaded." Luna looked to her sister, her words directed mainly to her, but also Shining. "She assaulted and greatly harmed one of our most noble citizens, and she is now directing a minor invasion again. Her drones don't deserve her, nopony does. Let me say it, sister. If anypony is going to be controlling an army of shape-changers near or even inside Equestria, I would rather it be Prince Shining and Princess Cadance."

Celestia inhaled deeply. "Events rush ahead. This seems like such a minor thing, compared to the invasion." She made herself look at Shining, see what Chrysalis had done to him. "Do it. She sends an army, and you repelled it. She sends spies, I can think of none better for dealing with them."

"Is this going to stop?" Luna gestured to Shining, cutting off the previous topic once her sister gave assent.

Cadance jumped in before Shining. "We don't know of any way to stop or reverse it, and as far as we can tell it will progress until Shiny is a changeling queen completely." She lifted a hoof when Luna opened her mouth. "This is hard enough already, please don't push. You will not be kept out of the loop. Once we know facts, you will know them too," she paused a moment, "now."

"Future business." Celestia changed the topic, earning instant thanks from her three contemporaries. "The Princess Summit. You are willing to host that? It is tradition for whichever city is holding the Games to hold it each year just ahead of the competition. Of course, Twilight will be invited."

Relaxing, Cadance nodded. "Of course we can. Our castle might be a little… busy… with our new guests, but we have so much room I am employing maids to tidy up rooms that have never had anypony sleep in them." She froze when Shining leaned over and murmured in her ear.

"We will be using those rooms soon, for our hive." Shining brushed Cadance's ear with his lips, nuzzling his wife a little.

The way he says "hive" makes me think "foals." Cadance nodded. "My darling husband just reminded me that we are going to need a lot of those rooms for new additions to our hive, but I am sure we will have room for a few princesses." She was almost fanning herself in delight.

"One last thing, before we clear out this nest." Shining Armor had to fight the warm feelings "hive" brought to him now, particularly for the last question he had. "What about your other two spies?"

"Other two spies?" Luna turned to look to Celestia, who looked at her and shook her head. "Sister gave the task to me, I only sent Trixie." She left out that she had pushed for it herself, and for Trixie.

"Then what of the two Guardsponies? Dropper? Gl—" Shining felt the emotions of surprise from both alicorns opposite him.

"Wasn't Lieutenant Dropper the stallion who had a big problem with having mares and changelings in the Royal Crystal Guard?" Careful hadn't paid much attention at the time. Weeding out disgruntled Guardsponies had been Gilt's problem, one she had deal with effectively.

Shining gave a deep sigh. "I am sorry, it appears we all have a problem with him. Gleaming Fire I am not so sure about. He was—"

"I have a note from a Gleaming Fire. Half-written, but he seemed intent on getting it to me." Luna interrupted Shining, her magic flaring brightly and presenting a note to him.

Dear Princess Luna, LT is off the rails, he thinks the Cap is a changeling in disguise. Heading somewhere, probably Crystal Empire. Check sto—

"Stores." Shining Armor finished the last word. "Anything missing we should be worried about?" He looked at Luna and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just alert rods." Celestia shrugged. "At the time it was thought some Guards replacing ones broken in the North. We will discuss this more at the summit."

Author's Notes:

Careful: how does it feel to have not recognized that Trixie was a spy, while at the same time recognizing that she would be a great spy, and that she should be trained as one?

Careful chittered his wings in embarrassment. "It was a huge oversight. I figured since my queen knew her by reputation that she was safe." He closed his eyes and let out a chirp before continuing. "Now? Now I am told she is trustworthy. At least with changelings you can tell if they are outright lying to your face." He grinned a little, flashing his fangs. "Just assume 'yes.' "

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and I they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, I they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! I They will pick one question per chapter.

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