Her Knight in Shining Armor
Her Knight In Shining Armor
It was a wonderfully normal day. Sunny Flare rose from bed at seven AM, donned her fluffy robe over her nightgown, and made her way out to the kitchen for coffee. Once the warmth was filling her stomach she made her way into the back of the house to check on her little brother, heading into the room to make sure his blankets were snug and the life-giving machines were still working properly before making her way back out to the living room to slide into the office chair in front of the family computer.
She brought up the web-page for Hearts Together, the dating service provided by the Love Spa, as she did every Saturday. She didn't expect anything, but as long as it was there, she figured checking it once a week couldn't hurt. She had gotten two responses already, but both were from boys she fully expected to see on an episode of Cops someday. She supposed she could check out other profiles herself, but she wasn't really in a hurry to find someone. She had lots of education to get through before she worried about starting a family.
It was with some amusement that she saw a third response on her web page, registered just one day ago. Without much of an expectation, she clicked the link to his profile, and was met with a powerful-looking man with a strong jawline and hard, but kind eyes.
"Hey, I'm Shining Armor. I'm twenty-two, graduated from the best school in the region, and currently enrolled in the police academy. I'm gonna make sure this town is at least a little better than it was by the time I finish, for the sake of my family. Nothing is more important than seeing my family safe, and helping them succeed in life. I'm looking for someone ambitious, who understands wanting to make the world a better place." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I guess that's it. If that's you, hit me up."
Sunny swirled her coffee around the mug in her hand as she considered the video. He didn't look like he was lying, in fact she would be surprised if he was. She could certainly appreciate a man who was out to do good, he wasn't so much older than her that it would feel weird, and he was most certainly good looking. She didn't expect the world, but hitting him up for a date couldn't hurt. Besides, she had nothing else going on this weekend.
His profile showed that he was currently online, so she pressed the link to start an e-mail.
Hello Shining Armor. This is Sunny Flare. I just got your message and I'm interested in meeting you. Are you free tonight?
It took a few minutes before the response came. I certainly am. How about six PM tonight at the Roseluck Diner?
A little presumptuous, Sunny thought to herself, but at least he was confident, and had a plan. I'll meet you there.
It was a brief exchange, but it got right to the point, which she could appreciate. She hated having to beat around the bush, fidgeting about things that could be resolved with a few simple words. It had been so brief that she had made her way into the kitchen and was halfway through a bowl of cereal before it suddenly struck her that she had a date in less than twelve hours. She had been on a few dates before, but it had been over two years since her last one...
She was snapped out of her growing anxiety by her cell phone, which cried out "ring ring ring ring" in Twilight Sparkle's playful voice.
Sunny snapped up the phone and brought it to her ear. "Good morning, Twi. What's up?"
Twilight's voice was wild and frantic. "Oh my gosh, Sunny, Sunny, I got a response on Hearts Together! What do I do!?"
Sunny smiled to herself in bemusement. "Click on his profile page and see if he's someone you're interested in meeting."
"O-okay... give me a minute..." Twilight's voice calmed and she went silent for a minute before responding. "Okay, I watched his video."
"And?"
"And... I don't know. He looks like a boy. He says he likes girls, I'm... not sure how to take that."
"I would hope he does, if he's contacting one for a date."
"Should I respond? I don't even know what to think. What if I say yes and he's wrong for me? What if I say no and he's perfect?"
Sunny pondered for a moment. Twilight was even less of a people-person than the rest of the group. She might have difficulty gauging what she even wants in a potential partner without some experience. "How about this? I have a date tonight myself. Tell this guy to meet you at six PM tonight at the Roseluck Diner. We can make it a double-date, and if your date ends up being not right for you, we can just leave."
"Just leave? You can do that?"
"Absolutely. After leaving money for dinner, of course. We're not sinking to sticking our dates with the bill."
"R-right, of course we're not. Thank you so much, Sunny."
"Don't mention it. Honestly, it's been a long time since my last date. I could use the backup too."
"Great. Hehe, we've got each others' backs."
"Come by my house at five and we'll make our way down. Wear something nice... but not fancy."
"Nice but not fancy... hoo boy... I'll try my best."
"I know you can do it. I'll see you tonight." Sunny hung up the phone feeling much better. It would be nice to have support as she stepped back into the dating scene again. Now she had plenty of time to get ready...
***
She really didn't dress herself up often enough these days, Sunny decided as she marched down the sidewalk from the bus stop to the Roseluck Diner. Whenever she wasn't wearing her school uniform she tended to throw on clothes that were clean and matched, but didn't really put much effort into her wardrobe beyond that. She felt really nice tonight, however, in her snug sleeveless and backless blouse and thigh-length skirt with a pair of tights underneath. Twilight was walking beside her with a much simpler sleeveless dress that hung down to her knees, and no makeup on her face.
"Man, I never make myself up. Maybe I should go back and put on at least a little makeup..." Twilight blushed as they walked.
"Don't worry about it, this is part of what makes you, you. If he has a problem with you not wearing makeup, he's just not for you."
"Hey, yeah, maybe." Twilight smiled slightly. "I think we're almost there... what does your date look like? Mine's a bit taller, I think, with really big eyes."
"Mine looks... like this." Sunny smiled as they approached the Roseluck Diner, and the two guys who seemed to be chatting just outside its door. The two men turned toward them with smiles on their faces, but Shining Armor's smile faltered when he saw Twilight at her shoulder.
"Twily?"
"Shiny?"
Sunny looked back and forth between the two of them in the increasingly awkward silence. "Um, do you two know each other?"
Twilight whirled on Sunny, pulling her close and turning away from the boys, speaking in a sharp hiss. "Sunny, that's my big brother! I can't do date stuff with my brother watching!"
"What kind of date stuff are you planning on doing?" Sunny asked. "First dates are about talking, that's all. I think he has seen you do that before."
"Oh... well... when you put it that way..." Twilight nodded slightly. "O-okay..."
"Just relax and pretend he's not here. We'll be fine. Just... try not to tell your date that Shining Armor is your brother. It could make him act differently." Sunny gave her friend's shoulder a squeeze before standing up straight and approaching the boys. "I'm sorry about that. Shining Armor, yes? I'm glad to meet you." She held out her hand.
"L-likewise." Shining Armor shook his head briefly before returning the proffered handshake. "I didn't realize you were one of Twilight's friends."
"I didn't realize you were one of Twilight's friends either, so we're even." Sunny smiled. "It's a small world, I suppose."
Twilight approached the other boy, following Sunny's example and holding out her hand. "H-hello, OC, it's nice to meet you."
"Yeah, nice to meet you too, Twilight." OC took her hand in a looser grip.
"OC?" Sunny asked curiously.
OC gave her a wry smirk. "It's short for Ox Claw. Yeah, I know, animals weren't my parents' strong suit."
"I'll give them points for creativity," Sunny quipped.
Shining Armor spoke up next, his voice slightly tense. "Hey, now that we're all here, apparently, let's go inside and get some food. I don't know about you three, but I'm pretty hungry."
"Lead the way." Sunny pulled the diner door open and let the other three in before following them through herself.
The diner was nice, but not very fancy, which suited Sunny just fine. They were soon seated at one of the booths near the north side, where there was a large speaker pumping out soft string music that was low enough to provide a soothing ambience without getting in the way of conversation. Sunny and Twilight each sat on the outside of the booth with their respective date beside them.
Sunny looked over at her partner with an attentive smile once their food was ordered. "So, Shining Armor, how much longer are you in the police academy for?"
"I have another three months to go." Shining Armor's reply was terse. He seemed distracted by glaring across the table at OC.
"I hear it can be pretty grueling."
"Yeah, it's tough."
Sunny glanced across the table at the others, but saw nothing amiss over there. They were speaking in low tones, and Twilight had a soft blush on her cheeks, but that didn't seem abnormal for someone who wasn't used to dating.
"You must be very proud of your sister." Sunny spoke up a bit louder now. "She has had the highest grade-point-average across two schools."
"Extremely proud."
Sunny sighed and rested her chin on her upturned palm with her elbow on the table, looking across at Twilight and OC again.
"I-I can't say I would or wouldn't, I mean..." Twilight mumbled in a low tone.
"Here we are!" The waitress interrupted her train of thought as she swept up with a platter in one hand. "Two specialty burgers-" she set two plates in front of the guys, "a salad-" she set a plate in front of Twilight Sparkle, "and a fish fillet." She set the last plate in front of Sunny Flare, and a drink beside each plate. "Please enjoy and let us know if you need anything."
"Yes, thank you." Shining Armor flashed her a brief smile.
Sunny grumbled to herself in a low tone. That was more attention than he had given her since they entered the diner.
"Mmmh, this salad is pretty good." Twilight nodded in approval after her first bite.
"I bet it is." OC's lips curled into a crooked grin as he took a bite of his burger, his eyes lingering on Twilight as she focused on her food. Sunny couldn't help but notice Shining Armor's fingers clench a bit tighter on the wooden table.
"Why don't you tell us about yourself, OC?" Sunny stepped in before anything could escalate. "We're all friends here, but we'd like to get to know you better."
"Me? I'm just a guy trying to make his way in the world, you know?" OC replied with a smooth smile. "Working on getting my band going. I'm the lead singer."
"Ah, that's very ambitious of you." Sunny nodded in approval. "I've always had an appreciation for the arts."
"Yeah, art's pretty cool. Especially nature's works of art." OC's eyes flitted to Twilight again, most distinctly away from her head.
Twilight looked up from her salad with an oblivious smile. "Oh I know what you mean! Every day when I ride home on the bus we pass the lake and oh my goodness it looks so amazing, and just slightly different each day depending on the clouds. Really amazing what nature can do just by itself."
"Oh it sure is." OC cocked an amused eyebrow.
"Hmm..." Sunny pursed her lips. She was starting to understand Shining Armor's distraction. "I could use a moment in the girl's room. Do you want to come with, Twilight?"
"Oh, no thanks, I'm okay." Twilight smiled and took another bite of her salad.
Sunny stared across the table. "Twi, please come with me to the girl's room."
"Oh..." Twilight blinked. "Oh, okay, yeah. Sorry OC, I'll be right back."
"Don't worry about it babe, I'll be here when you get back." As Twilight slid out of the booth OC's hand flipped over and gave her butt a soft smack that made her squeak and bounce to her feet.
Silence reigned over the booth as Shining Armor slowly lifted a napkin in both hands to wipe his mouth, then rose to his feet.
***
There was silence in Shining Armor's car as it rolled down the street away from the Roseluck Diner. Sunny Flare was sitting in the passenger's seat, looking curiously over at Shining Armor's face while Twilight huddled in the back seat with a deep crimson blush on her cheeks.
"I've never been kicked out of a place before," Twilight mused in a soft voice.
"I am so sorry, Twily, Sunny." Shining Armor took a deep breath. "That was completely uncalled for. I... just couldn't stand to see someone treat my little sister like that."
"Personally, I don't really mind." Sunny waved off the apology. "Besides, I've always wondered how far you can stretch Velcro before it snaps. Now I know."
"No, I lost my temper. That just... shouldn't happen, and I completely ruined our date." Shining Armor let out a deep breath. "Are you okay back there Twilight?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I learned a little bit about what kind of guys I don't like, though..."
"Then I call the night a success," Sunny declared with a sweep of her hand. Twilight giggled softly.
The car pulled up to the curb in front of Twilight's house and Shining Armor turned his head back. "I'll call you tomorrow, Twi. Check up on you."
"Really, I'm okay, I promise. It was just a silly slap." Twilight blushed and climbed out of the car, walking around to the passenger's side window. "Goodnight you two."
"Goodnight, Twilight." Sunny waved companionably out the window.
"Take it easy." Shining Armor waved after his little sister as she turned to head to the door. The car remained in place until Twilight has disappeared through the front door, at which point they pulled away from the curb to head down the street.
"You live on Hoofbeat Drive, you said?" Shining Armor asked.
Sunny nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Not too far from here."
"I really am sorry... I showed the worst side of myself, and I don't expect another date..."
"I already told you I don't mind that." Sunny smiled slightly. "If anything I appreciate it."
"Excuse me...?"
"I used to do things like that for my little brother." Sunny smiled wistfully with her elbow leaning against the door. "He was always a little stick of a kid. When he told me the bigger boys were picking on him I would corner them out in the streets and hold them down until they promised to stop." She looked over at him out of the corner of her eye. "I understand being protective of the ones you love. It's something that's always been important to me... so no, I don't mind you defending your little sister. Honestly, if you hadn't done it, I might have."
"Some things are worth defending through any means necessary."
"I couldn't agree more. This may sound weird, since we're the same age, but I almost see Twilight as a little sister too. Watching her try to get along with people is a bit like watching Eclipse learning to walk. I just wanna get in there and hold her up sometimes, you know?"
"Believe me, I absolutely know what you mean." Shining Armor chuckled under his breath as the car pulled up in front of Sunny's house. The engine died, leaving the two of them sitting in the silence of the night. "Did you get as bad as me when your little brother started getting interested in girls?"
Sunny's smile faded slowly as she stared out the window at her house. "I don't know... he didn't get the chance."
"Oh? Why not?"
Sunny took a deep breath. "He got sick two years ago. Seemed like a flu or something at first, but he just didn't get better. A little over a year ago he fell into a coma... he never really showed an interest in girls before that."
Shining Armor winced from his seat. "Geeze, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have asked."
"I don't mind... dates are for learning about one-another, right?" Sunny turned back to him with a sad smile.
"Man, you're so much stronger than I am."
"Stronger?" Sunny blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"You're smiling, and laughing." Shining Armor shook his head. "If I had to watch Twilight go through that... I don't know if I'd ever do either of those things again."
"Mmm..." Sunny grunted. "I actually didn't do either of those things for a long time. I was just bitter and angry... bitter at the world for doing that to him, and angry at everyone else for not having to deal with it. I shut out everyone to focus on my studies. I was going to get into medical school, I was going to find a way to cure him." She chuckled softly. "Childish, right? This disease has been around for generations and I, some teenage girl, am gonna be the one to cure it."
"Nothing is impossible," Shining Armor insisted in a voice so firm Sunny was almost forced to believe it. "If I may ask... why did you start smiling again?"
"My friends..." Sunny nodded without hesitation. "The Friendship Games really opened my eyes. It may sound cheesy to say, but it just made me realize that... yeah, things are bad, but I'm not making them better by being that way, I'm making them worse." She looked over at him. "So when Lemon Zest asked me to hang out with her and the others, I said yes. It took a little while... but eventually they made me smile. For the first time in over a year I smiled. It was the best feeling in the world."
"Friends have a way of doing that, even when you don't want to."
"I'd do anything for them now." Sunny nodded with her mouth set in a grim line. After a moment she felt like she came back to herself, looking up into the kind, but powerful face of her date. "Ahem... I'm sorry, I have just completely ruined any romantic atmosphere we had left, didn't I?"
"Uh-uh." Shining Armor shook his head slowly. "In fact I... was hoping I was wrong earlier and we could meet up again some time."
Sunny stared up into his face in disbelief for a moment, then smiled even wider and more genuinely. "I would like nothing more." She reached into her pockets to pull out a small piece of paper and a pen, quickly scribbling her phone number onto it. She handed it to him, then opened her door and climbed out of the car. "Call me."
"Yeah, I will!" Shining Armor grinned after her.
Sunny hesitated on the sidewalk, then marched around the car to the driver's side, reached through the open driver's side window to pull his head toward her, and leaned in to press her lips to his. The kiss remained in place for several long, lingering moments before she pulled back and opened her eyes, staring into his soft, almost puddle-like eyes. "Goodnight, Shining Armor."
"G-goodnight... Sunny Flare..."
Sunny pulled back, letting her palm slide off of his cheek before turning to march around the car and up to her house. She didn't look back until she was in, but she didn't even hear the engine start until she had the front door open, and the sound of the car moving away down the street was her only sign that he had gone.
She couldn't help but smile to herself. Beating the odds never felt so good.
