Chapters A Girl Worth Fighting For
The summer sun faded on the scene like a movie. Shining Armor dropped his bag (surprisingly, he fit everything into one) onto the sidewalk. twilight ran up to him and asked, "You are gonna come back, right?" Shining Armor got down on one knee and tussled her hair. "Of course, Twily. Don't miss me to much." and he gave his sister a big bear hug. A bug silver bus turned the corner and pulled and parked right in front of his feet. Shining Armor kissed his parents good-bye and picked up his bag. "Bye!" he waved, and stepped onto the bus.
He expected the bus to be full of boys, chattering about their dorms or the exercises. So he was surprised to see that the bus was completely empty, and the bus driver and him were the only ones on the bus. "Well, were you planning on taking a seat so we can get to the Academy?" the bus driver snarled rudely. Shining Armor slumped in his seat has the bus revved up and sped farther and farther away from his home. Soon a large field became visible and they came up to the stairs of the school.
Shining Armor grabbed his bag and stepped out of the bus. "If I were you, I'd get in and head to the lunch room ASAP. You're already late." the bus driver said, and with that, he sped away. Shining Armor stalked up the steps of the school and into the front doors. 'Room 171, 172, 17...huh? ' he thought. Three boys were standing in a triangular formation, One in the front and the other two on his left and right back. "Well, isn't someone a little late?" the front one teased. "Um, I actually came to drop off my bag." Shining Armor replied. He wasn't going to make a fool of himself in the first 30 seconds of him stepping inside the Academy. "Ya! So if I could just step aside..." "Not so fast," the front one piped again. "You want to pass, make me move."
Shining Armor sighed. "Look, I don't want to cause any trouble-" The boy pushed Shining Armor. "Well then, you ain't gettin' anywhere." "Come on, just please move." Shining Armor pleaded. He could feel his anger rising and his face felt hot. He also swore he heard footsteps rounding the corner. "Is a baby getting mad? Huh?" he pushed him harder and Shining Armor stumbled. "Get OFF!!!" his anger got the better of him. A huge burst of strong magic was issued from his horn. Then chaos broke loose. The blast had sent the boy in the front off his feet and flying into the hallway end. Shining Armor didn't mean for the blast to be so strong. "Oh no! Are you ok?!" Shining Armor asked. The boy stumbled to his feet and all three off the boys ran off. Shining Armor turned around and he felt sick.
Princess Luna and a few other students were standing in the hallway. "Uh...I-" Shining Armor started. "My office. Now." the Princess stated firmly, and with that she turned around and walked away. The other boys in the hallway watching the whole thing were awe-struck, and even watched him follow Princess Luna down the hallway.
The Princess told him to wait inside her office while she got Princess Celestia. That made him feel nervous. He sat down at the desk where in front of him lay a box of delicious looking chocolates. They were nicely wrapped and were milk chocolate with caramel. He had a very strong urge to take one, but he sat on his hands to resist the temptation. They looked so decadent and he felt his mouth begin to water, but still he maintained his composure. Soon he heard the door open and in walked the two Princesses. He stared at them as they walked around and sat on the other end of the desk.
"That was," Princess Luna began. "Terrible. Against the rules. I know. I'm very sorry for my actions, and I wouldn't be surprised if you sent me home now." Shining Armor rushed. The room was silent for what seemed to be an eternity. The only noise was an occasional bird caw. After a bit, Celestia said she needed to start the beginning of the year assembly, and she walked away. "If you had let me finish," Princess Luna started, "I would have said it was exceptional."
"What?"
"It was amazing. I've never seen so much magic being issued at one time."
"Uh..."
"But I must ask, why didn't you take a chocolate?"
"Huh?"
"A chocolate. You seemed to want to take it, but you didn't."
"Well, ya."
"You didn't even try to smuggle one. Why?"
"I just, I didn't think I should have."
"But why?"
"Well. I just...I...had a gut feeling."
"Hm."
She lifted a chocolate into the air and unwrapped it. Then she moved it close to Shining Armor's mouth. "Eat it." she said firmly. He took a bite. It was sweet and milky, and the caramel added a decadent touch. It was heaven. "You see, this is magic candy. If the eater doesn't own it, or hasn't been offered any, the candy tastes terrible. But if it's offered to somebody, it tastes decadent and sweet." Luna explained. "Shining Armor, collect your things from your room." Shining Armor sighed. "Yes ma'am." "I'm now transferring you to a 2nd year curriculum." Shining Armor nearly fell off his chair. "A s-second year program?!" he exclaimed. "Yes. But first, you have to attend the assembly." Luna told him. She stood up and escorted him out, not without giving him a couple chocolates first.
A Girl Worth Fighting For
Luna swung the front doors of the cafeteria opened. Princess Celestia was standing beside a beautiful girl Shining Armor had not yet seen. She stopped mid-sentence to look at the people who had just walked through the door. Everyone in the cafeteria had seemed to turn around and stared at Luna and Shining Armor. Some of them whispered, and he identified one of the boys as the bully's accomplice. "I am very sorry to interrupt you, Ms. Mi Amora Cadenza." Luna spoke. The girl next to Celestia smiled sweetly. "It's okay, Ms. Luna. And I told you to just call me Cadence." The girls voice was sweet and soft. Shining Armor only snapped to reality when Princess Luna told him to take a seat at a certain row.
A boy with dark blue hair issued for Shining Armor to take a seat next to him, and he gladly excepted the invitation. He sat next to the boy. "Hi. I heard you had a...confrontation with Spider? Ya, ha can be a bit...pushy." the boy said, "Oh, my names Astro. Yours?" "Shining Armor." he replied. "Shining Armor. I've never heard of you. Why did Administrator Luna tell you to sit in the 2nd year row?" Astro questioned. "Well, she did mention something about me going into a 2nd year curriculum." Shining Armor explained. The boys at the table were awed and whispered things to each other.
Princess Celestia cleared her throat and started to speak once again. "Like Princess Cadence was saying, the Forest next to the courtyard is strictly forbidden. Even us administrators don't know what lies in that forest." She had a worried look on her face of unease. It made Shining Armor feel particularly wary. "Please, do refrain from venturing in there. No all 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years, if you would please go back to your dormitories so we can speak with the 1st years."
Everyone around Shining Armor stood, so he slowly stood up and walked with them to the dormitories. "So Shining Armor," Astro started as they entered the cabin, "How in the actual hell did you magically become a 2nd year?" "Ya," another one piped up, one he heard be addressed as Lightning Charger . "1st year is probably the most heavily graded, making sure they ain't sendin' in any pussies." "Look, I don't know, okay? Apparently abuse is acceptable here." "No way! The administrators run a tight ass ship." a different one piped up. "Ya, speaking of which," Shining Armor said sitting on a bottom bunk bed, "Who was that 3rd administrator? I think they said her name was Cadence. Ya, w-what's her deal?" "Why? Got a crush on her?" Lightning teased.
"I- what? T-that's not what I said at all!"
"Ya, but it sure seems like it.'
"Well check again Flash, I didn't say that."
"That wasn't my question. I asked do.You. Have. A. Crush. On. Cadence?"
"Uh, I-"
"Ha! You so do!"
All the boys in the dorm started laughing, two falling on the floor. They laughed and chanted, "Shining and Cadence, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" "Sh-shut up! The whole world doesn't need to hear it!" Shining Armor said, his face turning hot and red. "Come on, it'd be true if you weren't so chicken!" Lightning said, and everyone started laughing again as Thunder began to pretend to make-out with the air. Shining Armor got very red. "G-guys! Please! Come on!" Shining Armor yelled. "Come on guys, stop." Astro said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Let's be serious. We all need to calm down. Shining Armor needs me to teach him some new moves!
That one killed everyone. Almost everyone was clutching their sides, and the ones standing were against the wall for support. Shining Armor felt like climbing underneath the blankets and staying there for the rest of the year. "Well, come on! She's the only girl in the school who's our age and she's just..." Shining Armor looked up and smiled. "Well, she's pretty, nice, smart...amazing." "Wow, what a lovesick son of a bitch you are." a unicorn named Regal Masquerade laughed. Shining Armor was snapped back to reality when the whole dorm started laughing. Shining Armor scowled, but smiled, and said, "Ya, I'll remember this for when some girl comes and you guys go wild." as the dorm laughed and laughed away.
A Girl Worth Fighting For
Fog drizzled in as room 137 made it's way to the courtyard. A man in a white jumpsuit, dark black hair, and a baseball cap stood with his hands behind his back as the future soldiers lined up in a line, backs straight. The man started to speak with a loud, clear voice. "Well then, good to see you back. To uh, most of you. I here we have a transfer?" Shining Armor felt every eye except the coach's float to him. "Uh. me, sir." he said. The coach turned and slowly stepped down. He bent down to become eye level with him.
"So, you're the transferred 1st year?" he asked.
"Yes sir."
"What'd you do?"
"I, uh,-"
"I asked you a question, I certainly expect an answer."
"I sent a kid flying down a hallway, sir."
"D'you hit 'im?"
"Not exactly, sir"
"Ha, sure."
He examined Shining Armor.
"Seem pretty scrawny to me."
"Maybe sir."
"Probably won't last 'till the end of the week."
"I beg to differ."
"Huh?"
"I beg to differ...sir."
The coach laughed. "You know you don't need to address me as sir, but I like the respect." He slapped Shining Armor on the shoulder. "R-right." he stuttered. "Welcome, uh-" "Shining Armor, sir. I mean, uh..." "Shining Armor! Welcome, Shining Armor, to the Soldier Training Academy. I am coach Strong Runner. I hope you know that since you are supposed to be in a 1st year program, I am not going to go easy on you.
"This, soldiers, is what I like to call Death Trap. But, sadly, in reality, it's just a labyrinth. This is going to be your training exercise for today. Inside the labyrinth, I uh, "asked" the three administrators to hide in different locations inside. When you one day become a soldier, some missions will be a search and find. Once, well, more if you find any of the princesses, send a signal with magic, or fly out of the labyrinth." "Uh, sir?" squeaked a tiny, frail earth pony. "what if you're an earth pony?" "Oh, uh...just ask the princess to do it." The boy shrunk back, a worried look on his face, as if he were ashamed to ask such a question. Shining Armor had even took a second glance himself yesterday when he saw him in the dorm, thinking he was a lost 1st year. Or maybe a kindergartener that had snuck into his older brother's bags.
"Well, what are we waitin' for? You have princess's awatin!" Coach Strong yelled. The boys all stepped forward into a small opening in the Death Trap. Shining Armor saw a small shape move past the bleachers and disappear. He glanced again but faced forward. Once Coach Strong blew his whistle, a rectangular hedge grew and covered the backside, so there were no means of escape. A small iron sword was placed by him in a leather sheath. He slowly stepped for and strapped the sheath around him. He withdrew the iron sword from the sheath and continued.
Shining Armor walked a while until he reached a small, tan pyramid with an opening in the bottom. Next to the opening stood a figure. Upon closer examination, it seemed to be a princess. Shining Armor walked forward and felt himself get red. Standing at the opening of the pyramid was none other then Princess Cadence. "Oh, thank Celestia! I feared I wasn't going to be found." She walked forward up to Shining Armor. "Thank you, soldier." "Uh, j-just my, uh, job." he stuttered. She smiled a soft grin. She seemed to emit a glow, bright among the foggy and drear morning. Were Princesses always like this? Or, did he just see her this way?
Cadence turned toward the opening in the pyramid. "I'm not sure, but I think one of the other princesses might be in there. She turned back to Shining Armor. "We best look in there, unless you'd like to head back?" Shining Armor contemplated this. The way she phrased it, it was as if, as if she wanted him to go. Even though finding another princess would technically be against the rules, how could he be docked for it? The next thing he knew, he was halfway down a cold, tan-stoned hallway with Cadence at his side.
A Girl Worth Fighting For
"It's here! Mom! Dad! Twily! The letter came!"
Shining Armor burst through the front door of the quiet little townhouse. The family looked up at him. Shining Armor had been awaiting a letter from a certain academy. The Soldier Training Academy in Canterlot. Twilight ran up to him and grasped the fabric of his pant leg. "Big Bwutha, what does it say?" she asked anxiously, tugging on his jeans. "Let me see, Twily." he said, scruffing the hair of his adorable little sister.
The family gathered around the dining room table as Shining Armor carefully lifted the seal. He reached his hands inside and lifted the neatly-folded creme colored letter into his palms. "Now, remember sweetie," his mother began, "even if you don't get in to the Academy, we are still so proud of you." "Mom, now you're makin' me nervous." Shining Armor whimpered. He neatly unfolded the letter:
Dear Shining Armor,
All of us here at the Soldier Training Academy are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our program. School will begin on August 30, and a bus will arrive and escort you to the Academy. Your dorm will be room 177, with 5 other first year students. Please note some of our rules at the Academy, and know that unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated. We hope to see you on the 30th.
Signed,
Princess Celestia
Princess Luna
Princess Mi Amora Cadenza
Shining Armor could not believe what he was reading. "I...I've been accepted!" he cried! The whole family cheered. Twilight jumped up and down saying, "Yay! We gonna have a soildew bwotha!" His father pat him on the back. His mother was so overwhelmed with tears that Twilight has to run and get her a box of tissues. " I-i'm just s-s-so proud of you, Shining Armor!" she said and hugged him tight. he could feel his mother's tears of joy flow on to the shoulder of his shirt.
"Just...promise me you'll be okay?" his mother asked. Shining Armor hugged her tight and whispered, Of course, mom. I promise."
