Three
Shining Armor's office was his sanctum, his strong-hold against the constant issues and responsibilities that came with his position. Here and there on every wall were pictures and awards for his time as a royal guard. Mounted on the wall above the grand window that looked down on the palace grounds was a ceremonial spear that had been gifted to him by Celestia herself following his retirement. Or had it been a promotion? On his expertly carved marble desk were framed snapshots of his wife and daughter. Yes, here he was safe and secure. Totally sure of himself and his position in the world.
That was how it was most of the time, anyway.
Seated on the other side of the desk, going over a summary of notes Shining Armor had compiled following his meeting with his former queen-mother, sat Thorax, the King of the Changelings. His brows creased as he read, the only sound in the room the inexhaustible and never-ending ticking of the clock on the wall. The multi-colored monarch finally finished and looked up. "So... I just have to choose a mate?"
"I know. It seems a bit unfair to the other mated changelings that they can't produce eggs of their own..."
"Oh no, this all makes it much easier. Believe me." Thorax's face broke into a wide and easy smile.
"How so?"
"The eggs are fertilized by love, right? And the mated pairs obviously have great love for one another. The new queen can produce the clutches, and those who wish to have grubs of their own can just take one of those and use their own love to hatch it."
Shining Armor thought about it, and then nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Of course, you’d have to find yourself a queen first."
"That, ah, might not be too much of a problem." Thorax's face went a darker shade of green. "I've been talking to... someone...."
Shining Armor grinned. "Somepony special?"
"I think so."
"That's good."
Thorax cleared his throat. "Is this... is this the part when I ask for fatherly advice?"
Shining Armor stiffened, his smile flickering. "Um... I don't..."
"I'm sorry." Thorax offered quickly, "I was just trying to lighten the mood. Make a joke..."
Shining Armor quickly realized how his reaction must have looked, and he held out a protesting hoof. "No, it's alright. It's just..." He sighed, lowering his hoof back to the desk. "This is why you're here, isn't it? To talk about it, I mean."
Thorax nodded, slowly slumping into his chair.
"Well… let's talk about it then. Stallion to stallion." The unicorn leaned forward and took a deep breath. "What exactly is it that you want?"
"Want?" Thorax looked up quickly. "What do you mean?"
"You obviously had some reason for telling me."
"Well... yeah. I just..." Thorax sighed. "I really just thought you deserved to know. That I exist, I mean. I mean, if I somehow had a child out there that I didn't know about, I think I'd want to know about it."
"You're right. And now I know." Shining Armor held his hooves out in the air. "So… now what?"
"I... I don't know.” Thorax looked lost, like a child in the woods. “I mean, we're still friends, aren’t we? That doesn't have to change at least."
"Of course it doesn't. But..." Shining Armor remembered his wife's words and decided to tread carefully. "I just don't know what you expect to come from this." He saw Thorax's antlers drooping once again and backpedaled. "What I'm trying to say is that I can't lie to you about your... your becoming. You weren't exactly borne from love."
"But I was." Thorax looked away. "It was your love for Cadance that made me happen, remember?"
"That's technically correct..."
"I'm not going to lie to myself, Shining Armor.” Thorax looked up with new conviction. “I know who, and what, my mother was. I know that neither of you meant for me to exist. But even though it was evil and deception that led to my birth... I'm still glad it happened. I’m glad to be alive.” He looked down at the desk’s surface. “And I'm glad that you're my father. You’re the best stallion I’ve ever met. You’re everything I aspire to be. You’re a wise ruler, a brilliant warrior… You take care of your family and friends, and you wouldn’t hesitate at all, even for a moment, to help them or come to their aid. Even before I knew you were my father, I idolized you."
Shining Armor was silent, listening intently.
"And now? Now everything makes so much more sense. I always knew I was different from my brothers and sisters, and now I know why. I'm the first changeling in millennia to have a biological father. Now everything I've done? The metamorphosis? The change in the hive? It has context. It makes sense." Thorax had straightened up in his seat as he continued, and now he sat proud and erect as he looked across the desk at his sire. "All the best parts of me? They came from you."
"Hey, you did all those things way before you knew I was... y'know." Shining Armor hated that he couldn't bring himself to say the words, but he pressed on. "You don't need context. You never did. You're the king you are today because of who you are.” He leaned forward and gestured at the changeling. “Who made you? It doesn't really mean all that much. All I did was give you a start, and then a little help along the way. The rest? That was all you, big guy."
Thorax nodded. "So then... you just did for me what most fathers do. Right? A good start and a nudge here and there?"
"Huh." Shining Armor considered the idea. "You know... I hadn't thought about it like that."
"Can I ask you a question now?" Shining Armor waved him on, and he continued. "Are you... angry that I told you?"
Shining Armor winced. "Angry isn’t the right word. I'm not going to lie; it's a shock. A nasty one. But... there are worse things to be told, I'm sure."
A pause. "Have you told Cadance?"
Shining Armor nodded. "Of course. She's my wife. I tell her everything."
"And how did she take it?"
"She's... fine, I guess. She's mostly worried that somepony could find out about this and use it to their advantage."
Thorax cocked his head in confusion. "Advantage?"
"You're my..." He choked. Again. "You're technically, by your age, the heir to the Crystal Empire."
"But I'm already a king." Thorax laughed slightly. "Or do you really think I'd muster my troops and descend like a great dark wave as we did in the old days?"
Shining Armor had to laugh too. Try as he might, in the light of day he could not see the happy-go-lucky creature before him as any kind of ruthless conqueror. "No, I don't think so."
"I don't want to be your heir. Flurry Heart can have the Crystal Empire. I just want..." Thorax choked up slightly. "I just wanted you to know who, and what, I am. That's all. If no one else ever finds out, then that'll be fine. You're the only one who deserves to know. The only one that really matters."
A thought occurred to the unicorn and he glanced back at the window. Far below, he could see the various dots of his crystal ponies engaging with their changeling visitors. "As it happens, I have a question for you as well.”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you told anyone else?"
"Not really. Just Pharynx."
"Ah." The possibility that Thorax's brood mate might somehow also be his offspring suddenly popped unbidden into his mind. "And...?"
"And he's one hundred percent changeling, to his very great personal satisfaction, I should add. Nothing against you, of course, but he's a proud traditionalist. As far as I can tell, I was the one lucky egg in the whole clutch to get something from you that wasn’t your love."
Something in the way his voice strained pulled at Shining Armor's heart. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, then simply stood and went around the desk to the king's side. "You've got my love too, kiddo. You had it as my friend. That hasn't changed. Not one bit."
Thorax tried to smile, but it looked false.
Shining Armor exhaled and sat down on his haunches. "This... this isn't going to be easy. For either of us. I know that. But..." He steeled himself and met his progeny's eyes. "But I wouldn't be doing right by you to deny your existence. You... you are my son, Thorax." The changeling's violet eyes widened on hearing the word come from Shining Armor's mouth for the first time. "You are my son, and I won't hide it from anyone or pretend otherwise. Not for anypony or anycreature.” He put out a hoof and laid it on Thorax’s chitinous shoulder. “I'm proud of you, and of everything you've ever done. You've saved your kind, given them a better way of life... you're the best leader they've ever had. A stallion would have to be a fool to not be proud of you."
"Thank... thank you." Thorax wiped his eyes quickly. "Sorry..."
"Hey, you being that quick to tear up just shows another way you're like your old man."
The two laughed, and Thorax nimbly jumped down from his chair. "Can I ask one more question?"
"Sure."
"Can... can I have a hug?"
Shining Armor didn't hesitate for a second. He pulled his son into the tightest bear-hug he could muster, one that Thorax eagerly returned. Revealed to each other in the light of day at last, father and son shared their first moment as such and relished it.
"I love Flurry Heart, and you can never tell her this, but the truth is that I've always wanted a son." Shining Armor whispered, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Glad I could help." Thorax laughed, trying his best not to sniffle.
"Speaking of Flurry." Shining Armor pulled away, coughing to clear his throat. "We should probably head upstairs and tell her the good news."
"Good news?"
"That her Uncle Thorax is actually her big brother. She’s going to be thrilled."
Thorax's broad grin matched his sire's, and the two left the office together, side by side.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A few days later, Shining Armor's office remained very much the same. Save for one small change, anyway. One of those blink and you'd miss it kind of things.
There was a new photo on his desk of a smiling and decidedly not pony-like kind of creature. Should any visitor in the many years to come ever ask why there was a photograph of the King of the Changelings on the desk of the Prince of the Crystal Empire, right next to pictures of his wife and daughter no less, Shining Armor was always quick and sure with the answer.
"Oh that? That’s Thorax. He's my son. And I’m very proud of him."
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Manly
tearsliquid pride was shed while reading this story. Best of luck in the judging.Damn, now we need a sequel involving the lucky mare meeting her future in laws
Oh hey! I recognise this premise from the Fimfic Discord! Congrats on finishing it! :D
That A/N hit harder than expected.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Brilliant story, heartfelt and satisfying. Amazing job.
Awwww thats so sweet 😢😭
Edit: did I say something wrong
Wow this was a pretty very interesting story here so Shining armor and thorax finally got the chance to talk to each other after the discovery of the truth what Chrysalis told them sure things couldn't have gone different ways but you know but for what it's worth maybe if it wasn't for that situation thorax will never been born and probably the changeling would have been their enemies still with a lot of Aura surrounding thorax that's why he's a little different from the others which that's a pretty interesting Theory actually which that would make sense but anyway nothing changed between them and I'm kind of glad of how much honey mama is very proud of thorax what he does this was a pretty good story keep up the good work
wow....
I can heavily relate to this...due to my dad and his...decisions in life. THANK YOU for writing this. it was wonderful.
This was wonderful. I've always found the idea that Shining fathered a changeling an oddly-compelling tweak; the idea that Thorax could be that changeling just makes so much sense. Especially the way you describe it here, where it's not neccesarily a 100% strictly-biological process.
10882393
It’s honestly funny for me that a lot of my best traits came from my father who was a loathful evil man. You can pick your influences but you can’t pick your family, and despite a very rocky road my mom has led me down a good path
Really nice. Really sweet. This was a fun, quick read. Be proud of this.
This was a very sweet story! I very much like reading about these themes, and I think you kept everyone very close to their character.
10882509
Jim Miller said on Twitter that it doesn't.
10882442
Me too, but I always favored it being Ocellus.
10882509
Or at least it did for Discord - his magic is entirely different from anyone else's.
10882553
The length of time Chrysalis body-snatched Cadance is entirely up in the air.
There was a line, cut in editing because it seemed clunky, that hinted that Thorax was still very young during the invasion. That it was, in fact, the first time he'd left the nest.
10882509
Discord is Discord. Other characters turned to stone (see: Twilight in S1) don't remember their time in it.
10882720
To be fair, Twilight wasn’t turned to stone the same way as Discord.
This was nice.
Hey you made it to the top of the featured pretty awesome huh
As a royal bastard, Thorax does not have a claim to the throne over a legitimate daughter, at least not in a land where ruling mares are the norm.
10882622
Or, and follow me on this one, Discord is a lying liar who lies, and lied about this to make the ponies feel bad about imprisoning him, and to weaken their resolve to do it again.
Discord claimed to be able to hear what Celestia said while he was petrified, to wit, that the ponies were planning on reforming him and counting on Fluttershy to make it happen. But he could just as easily have guessed these things as heard them. There isn't much of a reason for the ponies to de-petrify him if they don't think he can be reformed, and of the main cast Fluttershy was the only one not susceptible to his mind games.
10883068
Cadance is descended from Amore. She's even the same color. Princesses are rulers in Equestria. Shining Armor was a guard captain before he was a Prince, a title he gained through marriage.
So... yeah. I'm pretty damn confident.
This is a very deep and moving story, and I applaud you for doing such a great job. It was beautiful.
10883068
Cadance was royalty even before she took the throne of the Empire, even if only due to her alicorn status/adoption as Celestia's niece, Shining wasn't(arguments about the Sparkles nobility status aside, it's pretty clear they weren't royalty pre Shining's wedding/Twilight's ascension.) Also it's CADANCE we see sitting on that throne in most trips to the Empire afterwards, while Shining continues in his role as a guard captain.
So yeah, even discounting the word of god connection to Amore, CADANCE is the one providing the royal lineage, meaning Thorax wouldn't be in line for the throne, since aside from being married to his sire, she has no connection to him as far as family lines go.
10882476
That’s something I actually did notice myself while reading. Thorax is an illegitimate child, so even if he was of the ruling line he would not be the rightful heir which he’s not.
In all fairness to the story, succession wars in history have been fought on weaker claims. Henry Tudor VII of England was only related to the ruling house through a consort’s line when he took the throne and William the Conqueror was also illegitimate.
nice story
but i feel like maybe a sequel detailing the changeling side of things would be great
Fantastic story by the way. Felt very real with regards to the range of emotions Shining was going through related to the reveal and the conclusion. Loved it!
On a lighter note, I find it oddly amusing how House Sparkle, which probably was a regular common house only a mere 20 years prior, is now one of the most powerful dynasties in the world.
Twilight rules Equestria as sole monarch. Her niece is heir to the Crystal Empire. Her nephew is the sole king of the changelings. Now we only need Spike to marry Ember and they nearly rule half the world!!
Great work!
10883471
Careful, or you’re gonna have folks arranging dynastic marriages for Flurry and any of Spike or Thorax or Twilight’s future foals when they grow up with that kind of thinking.
Unfortunately, I cannot relate to this story on a personal level, BUT I can still say that this is one of the best stories I have read in a long time.
10883471
Reminder that Grandpa Gruff is the de facto leader of the griffons and Gabby is (as best evidence we have) one of his wards. And thus theoretically Spike's in on that line of succession, too.
10883882
So what you’re telling me is Twilight has plenty of options with regards to put her relatives on foreign thrones
Twilight has secretly been playing 4d chess while everyone else has been playing Chequers!
Good feelings in this story. Very good feelings. Liked and Faved.
10883886
She doesn't have to delegate all the shipping to her relatives, she could marry herself.
Yes, I know how that sounds. Make your EqG jokes now, get it out of your systems.
10884081
On the contrary sir, marrying Flash would not bring any strategic benefit!
Twily can definitely aim higher!!
Lol, let me revise my comment from the first chapter: I would love a sequel where Shining Armour and Thorax grow and bond like father and Son. I'd like to see Flurry Heart react to her "Uncle Thorax" is really her "Big Brother Thorax" and how they grow and bond too. Have the story start with the lead up to the picture Shining has at the end of this story. Then continue it up to the end when Shining inevitably dies of old age. Then end the sequel story with Thorax reading his eulogy at Shining's wake as his son not king of the changlings
I was not prepared, this story has destroyed me
10883068
This was well put together and rather interesting to read.
10884322
I like your take. I will say I never understood why they did not make him a alicorn?
Ps. Naturally this is not really a part of story.
But...like the main six not becoming alicorns? Would it not make more sense that their would be no need for a princess of friendship. Since...everyone can be a great friend? Like it wasn't Twilight friends with five ponys. It was six ponies friends with each other.
10884303
You realize not being able to lie doesn't mean she wants to answer tho right?
10884442
At this point, why wouldn't she tell him everything? She knows she can't escape, knows she's got eleven minutes tops before she's frozen again. What better way to spend her precious time than hopefully poison another friendship?
And besides; when has Chrysalis ever been able to keep her mouth shut?
10884464
I foresaw this argument and my counter is that she could probably do more damage by denying him the truth.
Lu- I mean, Thorax, I am your father.
10884637
They were already all but sure of the truth. Besides, Chrysalis's need to laugh in triumph over her foes overrides her actual schemes.
10884680
Yeah ok sure. Whatever I guess.
I suspect that a big part of why this is doing is well as it is, is because for a lot of us, if we were to end up in a situation even remotely similar to this, Shining Armor is exactly the sort of stallion/man that we hope that we would be.
So much liquid pride… I greatly enjoyed this story. Take care, friend.
10884680
Not going to lie, I auto-completed the "Lu" to Luna.
And now have a very silly Starswirl the Bearded headcanon floating around
So Thorax is Flurrys half older brother
Well now, that author's note. That is something else. Nice stuff sir, very nice stuff indeed.