With Great Power Comes..... [Crystal Empire] Attn Steel and Blue

[Skycoaster]

Flurry Heart's eye shot open even before her alarm went off. "Today is the day!" she'd exclaim as she shot out of bed. It was like Hearthswarming, except better. Today was the day she'd start to learn advanced magic! A odd quiet hung over the Crystal Castle as she could hear every tick of her clock. What time was it anyway, she would wonder. Walking over to her balcony, she'd open the curtains and open the door with her gold aura. When she saw sunlight barely begin to crack the horizon she'd sigh deeply. "Ugh. Everypony is still asleep," as she rolled her eyes. "I wonder who's supposed to teach me today anyway? Mom? Dad? Maybe Aunt Twilight? That'd be fun." she'd say to herself. It had been a while since she had seen her aunt.

 

With time to kill, Flurry had an idea....well her stomach had an idea. Flurry would find herself in an empty kitchen as her stomach rumbled. Being up before the staff had even arrived created a bit of a problem, though as a princess, it was her job to fix problems, right? Before long, the smell of burnt toast was lofting from the kitchen. "Hmm, next batch will be better," as she put butter on it and placed it on a tray. With a tray now loaded with butter heavy toast, she'd eat a few pieces herself before making her way to her parents bedchamber. The door would open with a creak and let just enough light in to show her silhouette as the smell of the burnt toast would entrance the room. "Guess what day it is!" Flurry would say excitedly, waiting for her parents to awaken.

[SteelEagle]

Princess Cadance had woken up early that morning herself, though for entirely different reasons than her very reasonably excited daughter. There was always the business of governance to be done and as the winter marched inescapably towards spring, she needed to prepare the Crystal Empire for the changing seasons. She often enjoyed the crisp, cool air that snapped just before it became uncomfortable, letting her feathers free to feel the bite of the cold. It was nice. She enjoyed the winter. She was fond of all seasons as their charms had found themselves entrenched in her, one way or another. But winter? Winter she liked the best, and as it drew shorter and the days longer it was harder and harder to find that right bite.

 

And so she had awoken early and went to a secluded part of the castle, to a balcony rarely used.  Some time to sit back and feel the cold, watch over her beloved empire and the subjects for whom she cared so deeply, and prepare herself for the day to come. Every day was an important day, but today was special. It was a day that meant a lot to her because it meant a lot to her family, and the meaning imparted therefore was absolute. She needed this time less, therefore, to prepare herself for duty or to steel herself for a job, but rather...to calm her haunches, because she didn’t want to be more excited than her own daughter was!

 

In time she made her way back inside and once deeper in the castle she smelled something burning. The only staff at the castle at this hour would be those working in the Royal Administrative Quarter- a dreary place if such could exist in an empire of crystals- and the Guards. Certainly no cooks- well, she could tell that much just by the fact it was toast that was being burnt to a crisp. She followed the smell until she was in the kitchen. Where she found to absolutely no one’s surprise, her daughter excitedly preparing for her day.
“Well, I’d say excited to...I don’t know, should I guess?” She said as she came from behind her daughter and gave her a half hug while looking around, her smile warmer than the flaming toast. “Are you hungry, Flurry?”
 

[Skycoaster]

Flurry was surprised by a familiar wing embrace as she heard her mother's voice. "I....um.... yes please. I though you and Dad where still asleep. I though since I was up early I could try my hoof at breakfast. The second batch of toast turned out better at least. I was hopping to give the burnt pieces to Dad.... At least I didn't mess up the cereal." Flurry would look away from her mess in the kitchen. Giving her mother the sad eyes, she'd ask. "Do you know how to make cheese omelets? From the book I was reading, it says magic takes a lot of energy and we'll need a lot today."

 

"Speaking of today, what spells am I going to learn? I hope the 'pew pew' spell is on of the first ones. Gotta learn to defend the Crystal Empire. Then maybe I can show Aunt Twilight all the stuff I've leaned on her next visit." Flurry would tap her chin for a moment. "So, when dose Dad normally wake up?"

[SteelEagle]

Cadance didn’t need Alicorn senses to smell the results from her daughter’s attempts at toast. It was very cute that she wanted to help- cooking was an excellent skill that all ponies should learn, at least the basics, and she wondered briefly if she would enjoy the day if that was the topic of Flurry’s education. Of course, the filly would be very disappointed to have gotten so ‘jazzed up’ only to learn how to cook some simple breakfast items. “An omelet does sound good. A nice cheese and dandelion omelet would hit the stomach just right. Flurry, can you get the plates?” She offered, letting the filly out of her wings as she took everything needed for the omelet and went to work.

 

It was an easy breakfast. Most pegasi learned to cook primarily with their wings and hooves working in unison, but she had been raised and learned to cook by earth ponies and so she was very much a mare working with her hooves. Her wings and horn came in once in a while, but there was something instinctual about using her hooves. She always believed that the magic of the earth ponies was more subdued but worked through the effort and care they put into what they did. Maybe it was just her, but Earth pony made food just tasted better, preserved better.  “You'll need lots of energy today, that much is true. As for beams, perhaps, but maybe not. There is a lot to learn about higher level magic, after all...pew pew and otherwise,” she chuckled. “There is a lot more to defending our subjects than magical laser beams...though that doesn’t hurt. Well, it does, but you know what I mean.”

 

As she continued cooking, she did a quick inventory of time even as the inventory of the kitchen was splayed out in front of her. Shining woke up most mornings before her. Habit of being a Guard Captain, she supposed. “He should be up soon,” she said before giving it some more thought. She turned to Flurry and smiled, “actually, while I make breakfast- let's not tell the staff- could you go fetch your father?”

[Blueblood]

It was indeed a rare day that Shining Armor was the last to wake up of his family; oftentimes habit alone had him up at reville, sometimes he even did a personal troop inspection at turnout if he was up early enough to dress for it.  But, last night had been a bit tiring with paperwork and other matters, and just by coincidence that happened to be the day that Flurry was so excited to wake up.  The stallion stirred amidst the sheets, at first groggily concerned about the empty bed, though smells of varying degrees of appetizingness from the kitchen was enough to clue him in of what was likely going on.  The burnt toast left by the bedside, too.

 

*So my little Fluffalump is starting her lessons today with cooking?*  Rather incautiously, he took a bite of the charcoaled bread; in Shiny's defense, he hadn't had his coffee yet.  *Ech... probably best used as grill fuel for later.*  He was a good enough dad, though, to refrain from commenting once he heard the returning footsteps of his daughter.  Sitting up, he smiled at Flurry Heart as he slipped out of bed, running a hoof through his mane to smooth it down.  "Ah, good morning Flurry!  Excited for today?"

[Skycoaster]

Flurry would nod before she quickly levitated a stack of plates over to her mother. Her stomach would rumble as the smell of frying eggs graced the room. She would hover over her mother for a few moments, nodding to the answer she gave. "I guess your right. Magic beams probably fall more under target practice anyway."

 

As Cadance suggested Flurry retrieve her father, she'd nod before zooming up the stairs to his bedchambers. Upon hearing Shining greet her, Flurry would launch herself at him like a hug seeking missile, wrapping her hooves round his neck. "Excited is an understatement!" she'd say, still latched onto him. "Mom's even making us omelets this morning for for energy!"

[SteelEagle]

When Flurry Heart was out of view, Cadance allowed herself a moment to think deeper about the day’s plans.
Fact was, she was not Twilight. There were many reasons why that statement was true, but for today the primary one was that she had grown up a pegasus raised in large by earth ponies. By the time she had magic and Celestia found her, she had her cutie mark. From there she had learned quickly, thanks to some very hooves on training from Celestia. But there was no denying that she lacked a certain degree of finesse, knowledge, and power.

 

Despite being an Alicorn, in all magic not directly related to love Cadance was only above-average. There were plenty of unicorns who were stronger than her, more refined, more efficient, more creative than she was. She had immense power, true, but she never had the proper training as a young filly to mold her magical self to use it well. She didn’t find that it ever really mattered, of course, and with Twilight’s help she had learned a lot of tricks on how to manipulate her own magic to get the best results.

 

More importantly, she had her husband. He had lived his whole life in a family that valued knowledge and learning, and this had translated into a proper magical education and training for the young colt. As he became a stallion- and what a stallion at that!- his diligence and commitment to becoming the best Shining Armor he could be for himself, for Cadance, and for the Princesses had given him a lifetime of training and study that she found invaluable to lean on.

 

Now it was their daughter who would hopefully benefit from this. There were many things only Cadance could help with as an Alicorn, but what she needed more than anything else was somepony who was astute and had the experience of growing up with magic. Shining Armor would as invaluable in her education as he was in so many other ways.

Cadance allowed these thoughts to dance at the edge as she started finishing breakfast for her family, the night still fighting to remain relevant ever longer...

[Blueblood]

Chuckling, Shining emerged from the bedroom carrying his daughter in an impromptu ponyback ride.  "Mmm, that's good!  Magic does burn a lot of calories at high level, so its good to have high-protein breakfasts."  Training began even before you hit the practice field; that was one of the first things that Shining Armor had learned in the guard.  You needed to develop the attitude beforehoof, and fuel yourself right at the table.  Given Flurry's spirit of eagerness and curiosity, combined with Cadence's culinary support, he'd say she was set up for success!

 

The two of them clattered into the kitchen, interruping Cadence's reverie with the noise.  Shining made up for this by giving his wife a kiss on the cheek as he deposited their daughter at the table, helping to plate the eggs through the use of his magic.  "Sleep well, dear?  I hope we all didn't get you up too early."  He felt a little bad, to be honest, that Cadence was getting kind of left out of this training.  True, it was to be expected, given her pegasus heritage, but Shining had only met her after her alicornification, and hadn't seen her without a horn.

[Skycoaster]

As her father placed her at the table, Flurry would watch the omelets make their way to their plates. Flurry would lick her lips as she looked to both her parents as if asking permission to dig in. She'd eye each one with intent, almost as if she was looking for the perfect one. With a giggle, she'd levitate the largest one to herself and grin at her mother. "This one looks perfect." Within a blink of an eye it would vanish. "Um...May I have another please. It was the best omelet I've ever eaten." Flurry's eyes would count the remaining ones on the serving plate, nodding as she counted each remaining one. Within a few moments, another would find it's way to her plate. Looking to Shining's plate and then her own and then back to his, she'd giggle. "I guess I have a big appetite today... I think I'm eating more than Dad."

 

As the second helping vanished from her plate, she'd levitate a banana over before she began pealing it. "I think I eat some fruit so you can have time to enjoy your own cooking mom," she'd say with a wink. At this point, it was hard for her to tell if the feeling in her stomach was still hunger or her nerves. Ether way the felt pretty similar to a young alicorn.

[SteelEagle]

She made sure his kiss on the cheek was stockpiled for a future return. The Princess of Love paid all debts and when it came to her husband, she always made sure she repaid with considerable interest. How she adored his willingness to be affectionate, so distant from that awkward little colt she once knew. He was a perfect stallion for her or any other mare, and she wasn’t just thinking that because he started helping with plating the breakfast. No, that wasn’t the absolute sexiest thing a husband could do but it was really close. “It is not too early, love,” she said with a warm giggle as the feeding of Flurry Heart began.

 

It was a tale as old as time: Growing fillies could have big appetites. A tale almost as old but thrice as legendary was that Alicorns had terrifying appetites. Cadance had the calmest diet of the five and even she routinely ate considerably more than her husband, who himself ate well. Twilight? Last Cadance dared to count, it a number too high for the ruler of all Equestria to share. This was all a setup to say that Cadance did not stop cooking even once her daughter began to eat. She mad many omelets ready to go, putting the finishing touches and helping her daughter load just as readily as she did her husband. 

 

She was happy to do so. She so desperately wanted her beautiful daughter and handsome husband to be ready for what was sure to be a trying day. She would be involved herself, but she already knew that when it came to the finer points of magic she was more likely to be a learner than a teacher.  In time she also got a large plate of omelet(s) and sat down, ensuring her husband was well fed too. “Don’t change up on my account, Flurry. I made sure you would have everything you need, my treasure,” she said as she started eating herself. Not as quickly as her daughter, but still quick. “So, some ground rules. Don’t turn our castle staff into house plants. Seems like a good start?”

[Blueblood]

Seeing the huge pile of food in front of Flurry Heart disappear so fast made Shining Armor whistle.  He could have put that much away back when he was a growing colt, or just going through basic, but as a full-grown stallion who kept an eye on his fitness... well, there were only so many calories he could take in a day!  Still, today would take enough out of him to warrant a second omelet, by no means a common thing these days.  

 

Still, he made sure to pace himself, as his daughter would need the lion's share of eggs this morning.  "You sure are, Fluffalump."  He smiled, unable to resist taking the opportunity to use the cute nickname he'd coined for his daughter when the opportunity presented itself.  After all, she was growing up, and far from slowly these days.  Soon, the days when he'd carry her to the table on his back would come to an end...

 

No, best stop that line of thinking there.  The eggs were salty enough without paternal tears at the passage of time.  He nodded in assent to Cadence's house rules, "Number two, no freak blizzards.  I know those come easy to you, but save it for the next invasion, OK?"  It was only half in jest; Flurry Heart got her name for a reason, after all.  Special talents could give access to legendary-level spells, after all.  He himself had access to a near-inpenetrable shield, but he would prefer not to use it today!