When Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire and Captain of the Royal Guard, finally made it to his bedroom that night, he didn’t want to think about that title of his for a long while. All he wanted to do is to put his head down on a pillow and see his wife again. Oh sure, it wasn’t that long ago since the last time he had seen her, but with the day he had, it felt like a century.
He pushed the doors and turned on the light in the bedroom, only to be greeted with an empty bed in front of him. He groaned under his breath. That was the one thing he was looking forward to all day. Oh well. She was in a meeting and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for it to be going over.
He started removing his officer's armor and tossed it over to the couch in the middle of the room, eager to get it off as soon as possible. It always felt nice touching his bare hooves on the carpet after a hard day’s work, and this was no different.
Still, the first thing he did was flop his exhausted body on the top of the bed. His muscles relaxed from feeling the soft cushions and marshmallow like pillows, and he moaned in relief. Ahhhhh….that’s just what I needed.
He rolled over on his back and stretched out his hind legs, getting some life back into them. Then he cracked the joints in his front legs, and that got him comfortable at last.
However, his ear twitched when he heard the door open. He looked up and smiled at the princess coming in, his spirits rising at the sight of the most beautiful pony he ever saw.
“Scoot over,” Cadence groaned. She was busy getting her golden sandals off, and the neckplate and crown were already hanging on the coat rack.
Shining made room for her on the bed, and Cadence flopped head first on the bed next to him. She buried her face in the pillow and grunted again, then she turned her head over to look at the best stallion in the world.
“I hope your day was better than mine,” she said softly. “I don’t think griffons understand diplomacy very well.”
Shining greeted her a kiss on the cheek. “Um...I think so. We did a full runthrough with the Crystal Guards all day. It felt even longer than that. I was thinking about you a lot.”
Cadence grinned at the thought, and she snuggled her face on his neck. “I was doing the same thing. I was busy with a diplomatic meeting this time.”
“I heard about that,” Shining responded, scooting closer to his wife. “So what was easier, the Saddle Arabians or the Griffon Empire?”
“Take a guess.”
“Saddle Arabians. From my experience, the Griffon King yells and makes speeches in every single meeting.”
“Ugh, I know. That was what he did all the time. I think we came close to war three times during our talks. And yet he still signed a new peace treaty, and he even said I was the nicest princess in all of Equestria.”
“Well, I might be biased, but he’s right,” Shining grinned.
“Oh, Shining…”
She kissed him on the lips tenderly and wrapped a front hoof around his neck, eager to repay him for those wonderful compliments. Shining returned the favor and hugged her with his front limbs, finally getting to embrace his wife like he wanted to do for so long. But it didn’t take long for them to realize something: Neither one had much strength left in them after the day’s events.
“You too, huh?” Cadence noted.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re tired. Really tired.”
“Yeah...military practice does that to you.”
“I know the feeling…maybe we should do something else. Like, anything else but talk about our day.”
“I think that’s a good idea. And I know just what to do…”
Shining brought his snout down to her neck and started to nuzzle it. Cadence giggled from the touch. It was so ticklish that she couldn’t stop laughing. But she liked it when he nuzzled her, and so she didn’t pull away.
While he kept nuzzling her, she rubbed his neck with her front hooves, making it a nice and gentle massage.
“Yeah...keep doing that, there’s a lot of tension there,” he asked.
Noting that, Cadence worked some more on his neck. As she continued her deep massage, she felt the tension leave his muscles over time. Shining didn’t seem as tired anymore, and he repaid her with a hoof down her back.
Cadence didn’t say anything to him, she enjoyed that too much. Shining brought her in close for yet another embrace, and she hugged him deeply as he massaged her backside. Just what she needed after a long and difficult “discussion” with the worst griffon in the world.
However, things were getting a little too quiet for her tastes. She giggled louder than before, and he stopped in his tracks to figure out what was going on. While his guard was down, she leaped up and brought his left ear in her mouth. She started nibbling on it playfully, and she had him right where she wanted him.
“Dang it, I fell for your trick again,” Shining grumbled.
“Come on, you know I like doing this,” Cadence laughed.
“Fine. It is kind of cute…”
“Kind of?”
“It hurts when you do that.”
“Oh. I keep forgetting that part.”
“Thanks…”
Cadence slipped back down from his ear, and they were eye to eye now. She couldn’t stop smiling when she was looking at him, and he was just happy to see her now and then. Then her thoughts drifted to another matter entirely.
“You remember how we first met?” she mentioned.
“I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to. Not that I want to, of course”
That got a laugh out of her. “You’re so funny when you want to be. But I was thinking about that song you performed for me in high school….”
Shining’s cheeks went from snow white to tomato red in seconds. “Oh Celestia, not that moment. Anything but that moment.”
“Still painful for you?”
“You have no idea. I’m not sure if you remember, but when they pulled us off stage in the middle of the song, I thought I embarrassed myself in front of the whole school, and I lost you forever. It was one of the worst moments in my life.”
“You were right about one thing,” Cadence giggled. But that only made Shining’s cheeks turn more red.
“It was worth it in the end, but still,” Shining added. “Not something you want to relive.”
“But...I kinda liked it. I still do…”
His eyes blinked in confusion. “Why?”
“Well...hmm...you were being honest with yourself. Even if it was silly and overblown, I believed everything you said about me up there. It was sweet and sincere, and sometimes I think about those lyrics you wrote for me.”
“I-I….OK…maybe I see your point.”
“It was the thing that helped me realize I liked you so much. And for that, I will always look back at that as a good memory.”
She rested her head on his shoulders as a thank you, and he smiled at the sentiment.
“That’s good. It was a huge moment for our relationship after all. And besides, if I ever want to embarrass you in public, there’s always those pictures of the time Rarity styled your mane for the Crystal Games…”
Cadence froze in horror. “Wait, you can’t be serious.”
“Your mane was really ridiculous. I bet anypony who saw it would laugh at it.”
That was enough for her. She got up and looked him dead in the eye. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Shining had a smug look in his face. “I’m thinking about it.”
“That’s it! I’m stopping you this moment!”
She got up and leaped after him, and even though he was physically stronger, she pushed him down on his back and pinned him there. He tried to squirm away from her tight hooves, but she wasn’t going to let him get away without a fight. She sat right on his waist and tried biting his ear again.
Seeing no other way around this situation, he threw his hooves around her waist and managed to pick her up. She gasped as he tossed her gently to the other side of the bed, and he made a break for the door. He galloped as fast as he could, going for the place in the library where he had those embarrassing photographs.
But he felt something grab his rear left leg halfway through, and his head crashed into the carpet. He turned around to see that Cadence had a grip on his hoof. To make things even worse, she dragged him across the floor with a mischievous smile to boot.
“Hey! I have magic too, you know!” he complained.
“But I’m an alicorn. That means my magic’s stronger than yours!”
He was back on the bed, and Cadence lunged after him with her legs out. But he caught her in mid air, and now she was the one pinned down on the bed.
“Give it up! I’m going to show everypony those pictures!”
“NEVER!”
She rolled him over again, leaving her on top of him. That was when she used her secret weapon: Tickle Shining Armor all over his stomach.
Shining laughed hysterically from the sensation. He couldn’t help it anymore; she knew early in their relationship that he was ticklish, and she used it every time they had a “fight” like this. To make it even more embarrassing, he kicked his hind legs all over like a dog. He was completely useless in this spot, and he kept laughing.
Cadence grinned knowing she won the battle, and she kept tickling him in his vulnerable spot just for fun. His laughter was too enjoyable for her. After a few seconds, when Shining was literally crying from laughing so hard, she came by and looked at him with another smug grin.
“Do you surrender?”
“Yes...he he...yes! I surrender! Please stop…”
“Do you promise not to show anypony, not even the ponies in your family, those pictures?”
“I’ll do anything you want. Just stop tickling me!”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
She pulled away and laid down next to him again. He took a few breaths to recover from the tickle assault, and he made a mental note to burn those pictures the next chance he got. They might have been hilarious, but it wasn’t worth his stomach getting tickled to Tartarus and back.
After that moment, they spent a quiet moment with each other for a while. The tickle fight made them more tired than before, and they were already tired before they hit the sack.
Then they glanced at each other once more, realizing just how badly they wanted to see each other again. Even when they didn’t do anything, a moment like this would still work as the highlight of their day. But they wanted to do more with each other.
So they spent the next few minutes snuggling each other silently. Kisses, nuzzles on the neck, hugs, they did it all. That’s all they really wanted to do at that point. Nothing less, nothing more.
After all, when you’re with the love of your life, even the simplest action feels all the better.
And that’s what happened to them in that moment in time. Every kiss felt sweeter, every snuggle was cuter, and every second they looked each other in the eyes was magical.
But something was weighing down on Cadence’s mind. It wasn’t something she thought about when she stepped into the room. She just wanted to spend time with him intimately after a long, long day. But it was coming back to her memory now, after spending weeks and weeks dwelling on it. And it was something she had to get out as soon as she could.
She looked up to Shining’s face, and he could read the worried state in her expressions.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“There’s something I want to talk about. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, just promise me you won’t take this the wrong way or anything, please?”
“I promise. Go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind.”
She gulped and got herself ready for the big announcement.
“We’ve been together for a little over a year now. And it’s been the best year of my life, really.”
“Same here,” he grinned. “Life with you is the best thing I’ve ever had.”
She smiled when he said that. “Thanks. But we’re going to be together for a long time. And I’ve adjusted to being the princess of the Crystal Empire for a while now. That had me thinking about our future, you and me, and what I want for myself. For us.”
Another deep breath. She was even more nervous now, as she braced herself for the stinger.
“And I realized something. The thing I want for us in the future, more than anything else, is a foal. I want to have a child with you, and I want us to raise him together. That...that would make me very happy.”
When Shining heard those words for the first time, he was frozen still. A thousand thoughts ran through his head at the speed of light, and he was terrified more than anything else. So many fears, so many doubts. It was like he wasn’t in the room with her at all, but in a palace inside his mind.
Cadence wasn’t sure what his reaction would be, but she didn’t like the reaction she got at all. It felt like a slap to the face to her desires and ambitions, and she was tempted to literally slap him right then and there.
“I know that’s a lot to take in, but you can show more enthusiasm than that!” she complained. “Just don’t look at me like that. By Celestia, just stop…”
Her vengeful words brought Shining back to reality. He brought his head back to her, and he shook his head at the idea. “I...I’m sorry. I just can’t…”
“Why not? We’re good ponies, we could raise a foal together. And it’s not like we’re new to huge responsibilities--”
“That’s not the reason. It’s something else.”
Cadence got up and sat down on her haunches. “Then what’s wrong?”
He sat up with her, and before he even said a word, tears were already starting to come out of him.
“It’s...it’s...it’s our history together. I love you so much, and I would do anything for you. But don’t you remember what’s happened to you over the time we’ve been together?”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
He had to wipe away the tears just to stay sane. “Ever since we’ve been together, you’ve been in grave danger so many times. And I’m part of the reason. Remember when Queen Chrysalis imprisoned you in those mines underneath Canterlot? I was right there with Chrysalis before the wedding, and I should have been smarter about the whole thing. I could have saved you.”
That made Cadence gasp in surprise. Her heart was starting to break from those memories.
“Or what about the time Sombra tried to take back the Empire? You had to cast the shield spell all by yourself, and if Sombra hadn’t blocked my horn’s magic, I could have helped you cast it together. But I didn’t. You were so weak, and it tore me apart to see you like that. I should have helped you.
“And what about the time Tirek almost took over Equestria. You were sent to Tartarus of all places. You didn’t deserve to be sent there, and what happened to me? I faced Tirek face to face. I wasn’t strong enough to stop him and Discord. I should have been, and you know it.”
“I’m not strong enough to protect you from all that. I should be, but I’m not. It tears me apart every time you’re in danger like that. And what would happen if something happened to you while you were a mother? By Celestia, I don’t know what I’d do if something like that happened to our child…”
He broke down entirely in front of her. Tears ran down his face without anything to stop them, and Cadence didn’t know what to say. Her heart was breaking seeing him like that, but she didn’t know what to do about it for a while.
There was only one thing she could do.
She came over and brought her hooves around his waist again, giving him the more tender, loving, and caring hug she could give. Shining buried his face into her chest and cried some more, matting her fur with his tears. She didn’t care anymore, she was there to support him to the best of her ability.
The alicorn patted him on the back as she comforted him. She didn’t dare speak a word, but allowed him to bare his heart to her. The alicorn allowed him to bare his fears, his shortcomings, and his tears, and she stood there to accept it all.
Minutes and minutes passed, and her chest fur was soaked by then. Shining brought his eyes back up to hers, and they were bloodshot from all the crying. And yet, after all of that, she kissed him on the lips with all her heart.
“I don’t care what you think happened,” she responded, crying herself. “You’re the bravest pony I’ve ever met. Even when you didn’t stop them, you faced them head on. And you were there for me.”
“But I didn’t save you…”
“Yes, you did. Together, we stopped Chrysalis with our spell. You threw me off the balcony at the Crystal Empire, and you helped Spike stop Sombra. And you were so brave when you faced Tirek like that. I’ve seen him at his full power, he’s terrifying. You were brave just by confronting and attacking him when he was nearly at full strength. Most ponies don’t have the courage to do that. I’m so proud of you for doing that.”
That didn’t get Shining to smile at first. He just stood there, soaking in all the words she said to him. After what he had been through, it would take some time to let it sink in.
“You are the bravest, most handsome, most inspiring stallion I will ever meet. And you will be a great father one day. I know you too well. You’re going to take great care of him, and he will grow up to be a great stallion. Just like you.”
She ended her speech, shaking from all the emotions she was feeling at the time. It had to be said, that much was true.
Shining still had to let all her words sink into his soul. It was like getting hit with several brick walls at the same time, all the things he heard and felt. But it was clear how he felt about things now.
And he was going to let her feel it.
He lunged after Cadence and gave her the deepest, most passionate kiss he ever gave the princess. He threw everything into his embrace, thanking her without saying a word. Not that he needed to. Actions spoke louder than words, this one especially so.
“Oh Celestia, I love you so much,” Shining whispered.
“I love you too,” Cadence responded, kissing him back. “I married you for a reason. There’s nopony else I want to be with. Nopony.”
“I feel the same. All those things you said about me...that’s what I needed to hear. I want to be there for you. I’m not letting anyone hurt you again.”
“Does that mean you want a foal too?” Cadence couldn’t help but grin. Dang it, she wanted this too much.
“I’m not sure yet. To be honest, I never really thought about it until just now. It’s something that changes everything.”
Cadence’s ears parted to the side. She couldn’t help but feel a sting of disappointment.
“Oh, I see. You are right about that.”
“I’m not saying no, if you want to know. I just want time to think about it.”
“That’s alright. I had to put a lot of time before I decided I wanted a foal, so I get it. Can you tell me your decision when you make it, though?”
“Sure. Don’t want to keep you in the dark about that.”
“Thanks. That’s what I wanted to know. But it’s been one crazy night, hasn’t it? And I thought the day was crazy.”
Shining chuckled. “You have no idea. I think it’s about time we hit the sack. I need the sleep anyways, there’s more military drills we need to do before the week’s over.”
“Yeah, and there’s even more diplomatic meetings for me in the future. At least I got to spend some time with you. Our time together is always interesting, isn’t it?”
“It is. It really is…”
With that business out of the way, they turned off the lights and slipped into the covers. They snuggled up to each other’s arms for the last time that day, as they fell asleep together.
The night rolled on, and the Crystal Empire was quiet that night. Almost as if it was mirroring the peace their prince and princess shared.
Cadence’s eyes creaked open. She still felt cranky and exhausted, and she had to use the restroom really badly. It sucked to have a perfectly good night’s sleep interrupted by something so stupid, but she didn’t have a choice. It was a choice between not the sleep she needed, or sacrificing five minutes to get it.
Five minutes later, she flushed the toilet and returned to her bed. But she realized that Shining Armor was wide awake, and his eyes were locked on her.
“It’s not time to wake up, right?” Cadence mumbled. “I really don’t want to get up yet.”
“No, we still have a few hours,” Shining noted. “But I couldn’t sleep. Can’t stop thinking about what you said.”
“Oh, really? That was some heavy stuff, I admit.”
“It was. But there’s something I want to tell you before we go back to sleep.”
“And what’s that?”
“I want a foal, too.”
“Wait, did I hear that right?”
“Yeah. I think it would be the best thing for us in the future. And I kinda like the idea.”
That was one of the best things Cadence heard in her lifetime. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and she cuddled back to his side.
“Thank you...you have no idea how much...this means...to...me…” she tried to say, already drifting back to sleep.
“You’re welcome,” said Shining, kissing her on the top of her head.
It wasn’t much longer until Shining Armor went back to sleep, holding his wife in his hooves. They slept together, the future parents of a happy foal, as the night marched on.
