The Second Time Around

Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard was a position that was not bestowed on just anypony. In order to rise through the ranks, Shining Armor had undergone rigorous physical training and conditioning, as well as mental exercises meant to enhance his innate magical abilities. His dedication had paid off the day that the Sun Princess herself had recommended him to fill the position left by her previous head of Canterlot's security, an opportunity he had gladly seized. No matter what the other stallions who had sought that job whispered behind his back about the alicorn's close relationship with his younger sister Twilight Sparkle and how that had “clearly been the deciding factor” in his appointment, Shining – and more importantly, Celestia herself – knew that the sole reason he now served as head of all the guard ponies in the capital city was because he was the most qualified stallion, strong in both magic and physical prowess.

All of his training, however, could not have prepared him for the events surrounding his wedding to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the spell cast upon him by Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen. The subsequent invasion by the shape-shifting horde, followed soon after by the liberation of Canterlot through an enhanced shield spell with the assistance of Cadance, had certainly taken its toll on Shining, both mentally and physically. He had made it through the wedding and reception unscathed only because of his stamina and a great deal of adrenaline; the journey to the suite where he now lay passed out atop the bed, fully-dressed and not even underneath any of the silken sheets, was a blur, a sequence of foggy memories that mostly involved him trying to keep himself conscious. The promise of frivolity on the honeymoon had lent him strength to fight the urge to utterly collapse from exhaustion, but to his great relief (and slight disappointment), less than a minute after arriving at their suite in the Chariot, Cadance had stumbled over to the four-poster bed and thrown herself onto it, her snores commencing almost immediately. With a tired grin, Shining had clambered up onto the bed beside her and lowered himself into its welcoming embrace, joining his new wife in slumber.

He was in the same position upon waking as he had been when he had fallen asleep, and he opened his eyes quickly to assess the situation, his training temporarily taking over. A soft smile spread across his face when he was met with the sight of Cadance on the bed next to him, her head resting on a folded foreleg and her midsection rising and falling with slow, even breaths. Her mane cascaded down around her face, and Shining grinned at its disheveled state, a testament to the mare's desperation to get some rest after the events of the previous day. And the weeks before that, he thought, reminded of the testimony of both his sister and his bride regarding her imprisonment in the caverns beneath Canterlot. He slowly and gently scooted off the bed, doing his best not to rouse his slumbering bride, and trotted to the nearby bathroom to undertake his typical morning ritual.

Their luggage had been waiting inside the suite upon their arrival, delivered ahead of time by royal couriers, and Shining easily located the necessary supplies for him to freshen up. After a quick emptying of his bladder and a brief assessment of his current state in the mirror (he'd certainly seen better days), he made his way to the shower and turned the silver handles to the angles that gave the water his desired temperature: hot, but not scalding. He nearly forgot about his clothing, which had been on him for what seemed like an eternity, and he peeled off the dress uniform and cast the outfit into the corner before taking his first step into the cascading water.

Las Pegasus certainly spared no expense when it came to luxury. Even as a city in the sky, they were still able to accommodate guests with all the amenities they might have had on solid ground, even hot, running water. Shining could only imagine what they had undertaken in order to accomplish that, chalking it up to pegasi who clearly knew more about indoor plumbing than he did. Whatever the means, the feel of the water on his coat as it thoroughly soaked him and flowed down his legs, pooling on the porcelain underneath his hooves before emptying down the drain, was nothing short of exquisite. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, his body relaxing under the gentle pressure of the steady stream. I've needed this, he mused as he levitated a complimentary bottle of shampoo in front of him and began to apply to the gel to his coat and mane, feeling cleaner by the second. The deluge of clear, cleansing liquid was soon joined by a liberal amount of suds that swirled together with the water as it spiraled down his body and into the drain below.

He remained in the shower longer than usual, relishing in the hotel's luxury, but finally, he twisted the knobs to their off positions, and a few final drops of water fell from the shower head before the flow finally came to a stop. Shining retrieved a towel from the nearby rack, a white, fluffy thing with the hotel's name embroidered in gold lettering near the bottom that reminded the unicorn for the hundredth time that he was a guest in this particular establishment. For a hotel towel, it was surprisingly absorbent, and after only a few minutes, Shining stepped out of the porcelain tub thoroughly dried off. The next several minutes were spent at the sink in front of the mirror, attending to his teeth, mane, and face with careful brushing and scrubbing. With one final glance in the reflective glass, Shining gave a brief nod, and satisfied with his appearance, he retrieved his discarded garments and made his exit from the bathroom.

Cadance was right where she had been before, her sleep uninterrupted, and Shining smiled as he saw her again. Even in a ruffled gown, her hair slightly unkempt, and her deep breaths occasionally turning into little snores, the white unicorn still felt the same way about the alicorn on the bed that he had since their first date. Nopony else in the whole of Equestria could hope to match her for beauty, both outward and inward. As he absentmindedly placed his uniform in a bag reserved for dirty laundry, he kept his gaze on the sleeping form of his wife. “My wife,” he whispered softly, the gravity of those words hitting home for what felt like the first time. This gorgeous mare curled up on the bed, each curve of her body accentuated by the cloth that still clung to it, her barrel rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm, was his to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for all of time and beyond. His heart soared as the truth of those ideals took flight inside him, and he stepped back to the bed, propped up on his forelegs, and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

As he pulled his head away, the pink-hued pony's eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head to look lazily at him. Her face molded into a joyous, if tired, smile, and with a yawn, she said, “Morning, Shine.”

That nickname would have been most unwelcome coming from anypony else, but whenever Cadance said it, he always felt a little tingle in his heart. “Morning,” he said back, nuzzling her cheek with his snout gently. “Sleep well?”

“Oh, did I ever,” she said, rising up into a crouching position as she stretched out her forelegs with another yawn. She turned to face him. “You?”

“Like a foal,” he responded with a smile, hopping up onto the bed beside her and assuming a similar sitting position. “They made these beds very comfortable.”

“Almost too comfortable,” Cadance said with a grin. “If I remember right, as soon as we got here, I was out like a light.”

“You weren't the only one,” said Shining. “But I'm sure we both needed some rest, after all that happened.” He leaned against her, their cheeks together, and sighed contentedly.

For a moment, neither pony spoke, happy to bask in each other's presence. Finally, Cadance said, “You smell nice.”

Shining pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “That's kind of a strange thing to say, don't you think?”

She feigned shock and gasped, bringing a hoof to her chest for emphasis. “Well, it may be strange, Shining Armor, but as unusual a statement as that is, I dare say it's very true.”

Both ponies giggled before Shining said, “It's probably because I had a shower.”

“Oh, that's just what I need!” Cadance shouted, leaping off the bed and trotting in the direction of her bags. As she dug through them to find her toiletries, she asked, “Is it a nice shower?”

“Let me put it this way,” answered Shining. “The ponies who designed this place really knew what they were doing.”

Her necessities retrieved and floating around her in a magical aura, Cadance turned back to her husband. “Sounds amazing. Can't wait to try it out!” She began walking toward the bathroom door, a grin on her face.

Before she reached the door, Shining spoke up, “Hey Cadance?”

She looked in his eyes again. “Yes, Shine?”

He smiled softly. “I love you.”

She answered with a smile of her own. “I know. I love you, too, Shine.” He hopped off the bed and stepped over to her, leaning his head in toward hers. She responded in kind, bringing their lips together for a brief, modest kiss that was sweet but oh-so-short, the sensation of the touch setting off sparks in Shining's mind. She pulled her head away and gave him a wink. “I'll be done before you know it,” she said before giving a quick toss of her head and stepping into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving Shining alone in the room.

The white unicorn took the opportunity to briefly explore the honeymoon suite. While the rest of the hotel had seemed garish and overly fancy, he was surprised to find that the room which he and Cadance occupied was rather subtle and subdued, with a color scheme of deep red tinged with gold trim. The patterns on the sheets, curtains, and upholstery were simple, as was the layout of the room, consisting of the very spacious bed, an end table on either side of the bed, a small dresser on the left side of the room, and two chairs against the wall on either side of the wide window. The bathroom was situated near the bed, just beyond one of the end tables, and Shining heard the sound of running water from inside as Cadance took a shower of her own. A modest closet rounded out the room's features, and upon seeing it, Shining perked up and began the menial but all-important task of unpacking their luggage.

The mindless task of sorting through personal belongings gave Shining the chance to think. The first subject his mind drifted to was the mare currently being washed clean in the other room, and he found his heartbeat increasing its pace as she entered his thoughts. She'd always had that effect on him, even since before they had begun “seeing” one another. As a young colt in Canterlot, he'd first laid eyes on the alicorn when she had been asked by Princess Celestia to watch his little sister Twilight. The young princess and the little lavender filly had hit it off famously, Twilight even going so far as to call Cadance “the greatest foal-sitter in the history of all foal-sitters.” Shining's sibling, however, had not been the only one to notice how wonderful Cadance really was. Despite being at that awkward age where mares were just starting to become interesting rather than annoying and mysterious, Shining found himself enamored by the pink alicorn, his interest enhanced by the closeness of her relationship with Twilight. If anypony could get along with his sister that well, they were certainly worthy of his attention as well.

His pursuit of a position as a royal guard, however, prevented him from forming anything more than a mild friendship with Cadance. Years of rigorous training and exercises kept him occupied, even as Twilight quickly outgrew her need for a foal-sitter. During that time, Shining saw nothing of Cadance, his entire being instead focused on becoming the most capable guard in Canterlot. Finally, the dream was achieved, and he was made Captain of the Royal Guard. He was elated, and his parents and sister showered him with praise and accolades. At that moment, he felt like he was on top of Equestria.

Then, at the celebration his mother and father had thrown in his honor, there came a surprise. One moment, he was chatting away with Twilight about some of the more memorable moments of his guard training, when he felt a light hoof tap on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was, and his eyes opened wider than he ever thought they could. There, standing before him, was Cadance, but not the foal-sitter he'd known and respected. She had grown up into a stunningly beautiful young mare, and Shining had to pick his jaw up off the floor before greeting his old friend. For the rest of the party, it was nearly impossible for the white unicorn to be anywhere but next to the alicorn, conversing about anything and everything just for the sake of talking to her. A promise of dinner later in the week made his heart leap, and he found it difficult to sleep that night as images of the young princess danced through his subconscious.

Occasional lunch or dinner meetings soon turned into official dates. It was difficult to focus on guard duty sometimes, as Shining's thoughts continually drifted to Cadance, but he soldiered through his shifts and responsibilities with gusto, looking forward to his next outing with the alicorn. She was regal and proper, being a princess, but Shining soon discovered her fun-loving side as well. Her wit was infrequent but sharp, and she relished any opportunity to have a laugh, her ringing peals of mirth warming the stallion's heart. She lived up to her cutie mark as well, encouraging love between other ponies who were having arguments or issues, and Shining smiled often as he realized that the heart on her flank was also beginning to serve as a symbol for how he felt about the mare. He had fallen hard for her, and it soon became clear that she had done the same for him.

The unicorn levitated the final outfit out of his bag and hung it carefully in the closet next to the others. While clothing was often unnecessary for ponies, Shining understood the importance of his garb, especially the regalia that indicated his status as guard captain, and he regularly (if begrudgingly) wore some manner of suit when he went out in public. This trip, however, had not required very heavy packing, considering that his plans for the very near future did not involve leaving the confines of the honeymoon suite, and the few outfits brought along for both him and Cadance were vastly outnumbered by empty hangers inside the closet. Shining slid the door closed and turned back to the luggage, sighing in contentment as he confirmed that his task was complete. The water in the bathroom was still running, and Shining hopped back up onto the bed. He lay down on all fours atop the red sheets, letting his mind wander as he waited for his wife to finish her shower.

His thoughts first drifted to the couple that occupied the room adjacent to theirs. Cadance had been the one to suggest intervention when they spied the two ponies having words with the desk clerk, not surprising considering her penchant for love, and he grinned as he replayed their reading of the list. A single glance at the name reserved for the suite that should have belonged to the couple – Plywood and Hazelnut, if he recalled correctly – had made Shining's decision extremely easy, and he was glad to have neighbors who seemed friendly and kind.

He remembered the conversation that took place outside their rooms the night before. Honestly, faithfulness, and love. They were concepts that had been the cornerstone of all great relationships, but to hear them admonished by a couple that seemed genuine, down-to-earth, and (dare he say it) common refreshed and encouraged Shining. Many of the marriages he had been around in Canterlot consisted of two ponies who had simply tied the knot for the sake of convenience or social standing, while others were failing experiments undertaken by overly ambitious and immature ponies who had moved too quickly and now had more responsibilities than they were prepared for. Shining Armor, on the other hoof, was dedicated to making his union with Cadance something special, even if she was royalty and therefore used to being pampered and provided for. They may have been a high-profile couple, the talk of the newspapers, tabloids, and practically the whole of Equestria, but he knew that they would face many of the same trials that his own parents, as well as Hazel and Ply, had experienced throughout the course of their own marriages. No matter what, however, Shining was confident that the two of them could weather their storms.

The next place his mind traveled was quite unexpected, yet surprisingly pertinent. He flashed back to a sunny spring day, and a conversation his father had instigated with him when he was just on the verge of puberty...

***

“Shining, can I talk to you for a moment?” Orion's voice drifted to Shining Armor's ears.

“Sure, Dad!” The colt cast aside his magazine, the latest news about hoofball abandoned as he trotted up to the older unicorn that stood before him. Instead of the normally stoic and proud figure his father usually cut, however, the stallion before him looked nervous, almost uncomfortable, one front hoof scuffing the ground absently while his eyes looked everywhere but at his son. As Shining assumed a sitting position in front of his father, he said, “You okay, Dad?”

An unconvincing smile crept onto the stallion's face as he finally made eye contact with the colt. “J-just fine, son.” His shaky voice told Shining otherwise. Before the colt could comment, his father continued, “I just wanted to talk to you about...um...things.”

“What kind of things?” Shining asked, suddenly desiring to return to his article about potential draft picks.

His father cleared his throat before saying, “Well, Shining, you're starting to get to a certain age, and with that age might come some...feelings.” He paused for a moment. “Feelings about...mares.” Orion stepped forward and put a hoof on his son's shoulder. “I think it's time I told you about the, um, facts of life.”

Shining stared back in confusion. “What are you talking about, Dad?”

The stallion placed his hoof back on the floor. “Do you remember when you were younger, and you asked where foals come from?” Shining nodded. “Remember what your mother and I told you?”

“Yeah, you said that foals were a gift from the princess for mommies and daddies who love each other very much,” Shining said, his tone indicating how much he actually believed that explanation. His curiosity, however, had been piqued by his father's line of questioning. His education at a rigorous private school had not included any lessons regarding the more intimate details surrounding pony anatomy and the main function of certain body parts, at least not yet, and he was genuinely curious about the origin of little ponies like himself and his baby sister Twilight.

“Well, Shining, that wasn't...completely true.”

No, really? The white unicorn held his tongue.

“You see, son, the truth is that mares and stallions are...different in a very, very important way. The fact is, stallions and colts like you and me, we have a...*ahem* stallionhood.”

Shining had honestly never heard it called that before, but he had a pretty good idea about what his father was talking about.

“Yes. You – we – have a stallionhood. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's perfectly natural, and it's a very important thing for any male to have and take care of, like when you're playing sports or something like that.”

The young unicorn had received a few blows to the area between his legs, and he winced as a memory of the pain flashed through his mind. He could not, however, follow his father's train of logic, and he waited for the older unicorn to continue.

Orion did so after a moment of silence and yet another clearing of his throat. Shining considered retrieving a glass of water for his dad, but remained in place as the unicorn finally carried on. “And of course, you also know that it's where you, er, urinate, and that's also perfectly natural, it's what it's there for.”

Now Shining really wished his father would get to the point.

The stallion's eyes were shifting around again. “But a mare is...well, different. A stallion has a stallionhood, but a mare has...well...a marehood.” A weak grin came to Orion's face as he once again settled his gaze on his son.

“Um...what?”

The grin shattered instantly, and the elder unicorn struggled to regain the momentum of the conversation (what little there had been to begin with). “Well, son, what you and I and every other stallion out there has, mare's don't have that. Not at all.”

Confusion was giving way to impatience. “Then what do they have, Dad?”

Shining could see the wheels turning. Unfortunately, it seemed they were turning the wrong direction. “It's like...you see...the best way I could describe it is...” One of his father's front hooves twirled through the air in a vain attempt to accelerate his thought processes. “Well...it's kind of like a flower.”

“A...flower?”

“Yes!” The older unicorn's eyes shot open, and a smile that was rather unsettling came to his face. “And what we have, what stallions have I mean, is like a, a bee!”

“Seriously, what?”

Orion carried on, ignoring his son's interjection. “And bees, well they just love flowers, you know, so much that they want to help the flowers make little seeds so there can be more flowers for other bees later on. So a bee has to help a flower by...um...flying to it, and...”

It was akin to watching two hoofball players run into each other accidentally, ending up sprawled on the ground in a disorganized heap; as much as Shining wanted to look away, he was enamored by how horribly this was going. His father's desperate eyes were scanning the room, and his smile was fading away rapidly as he struggled to maintain his incredibly perplexing analogy.

“You see, flowers need pollen so they can make seeds, and the bees, well, they have to fly to the flowers, and they bring the pollen to the, er, flowers, and they give it to the...um...flowers, because they love flowers so much that they just want them to be happy and have little seeds of their own, seeds that'll grow up into even more beautiful flowers. And if a bee really loves a flower, it'll only fly back to that specific one, and it'll only give pollen to that one flower because it loves it so much and wants it to feel special.” The stallion paused, his face blank. “Understand, son?”

Before Shining could give the obvious answer, a third voice interjected into the conversation. “Honestly, Orion, we've done it I don't know how many times, and even I don't have any idea what you just said.” The colt looked over to see his mother, Dazzle, stepping into the room. With a wide smile, she stood next to her husband and draped her foreleg across his withers, looking up at him. “That was...almost painful, but I had to hold back some serious laughter.”

Orion said weakly, “How long were you there?”

“Long enough,” Dazzle responded with a light chuckle. She turned to Shining. “Son, your father is obviously having a hard time with this, so I think both of us will do the explaining from here on out.” She turned back to Orion, who wore a sheepish grin. “Sound good to you, sweetie?”

“No objections here,” the stallion said, his smile growing as he looked comfortable for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.

Over the next half-hour, Dazzle and Orion (mostly the former) spelled out all the details regarding the process of reproduction as their son listened with wide eyes and rapt attention, and when they concluded, Shining honestly wasn't sure whether to be amazed or greatly disturbed. As he mulled over his opinion, Dazzle said, “Now, Shining Armor, I know that this is a lot to take in right now, but we're here to answer any questions you might have. Your father and I don't want you to feel embarrassed to ask us anything at all. We want to make sure you understand everything completely. Got it?”

Shining gave a nod, his head still a jumble of new and enlightening information. One question, however, sprang to his mind. “Just one thing: You two did this together?”

Both adults chuckled before Orion answered, “Yes, of course, son.”

Shining looked to the other room in time to see a small purple filly gallop past, her horn alight with magic that was pulling a raggedy doll with button eyes alongside her. He turned back to his parents. “Twice?”

***

Shining Armor's trip down memory lane was interrupted by the sound of an opening door. He had been so engrossed in his revisiting of one of the most awkward moments of his (and probably his father's) life that he hadn't heard the water shut off, and he sat up on his haunches as Cadance stepped out of the open door, humming a little tune as her dress levitated beside her. She seemed to have a little more spring in her step, and the white unicorn smiled and said, “Feel better?”

She paused her impromptu recital and turned to face him, her face a beaming grin. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Shining chuckled. “Actually, I kinda do.”

Cadance blushed slightly and giggled, her voice still trembling from laughter as she said, “Oh yeah, I guess that's true.” She skipped toward the closet and opened it up, using her magic to hang her dress from an empty hanger. Without swiveling her head, she asked, “Did you unpack all our bags?”

“Every last one,” Shining responded with an air of pride. “This room is all set for the week.”

“You're just too good,” Cadance said as she slid the door closed and spun around to face Shining, her face beaming with a coy smile. “What did I ever do to deserve a pony like you, my brave Shining Armor, great sorter of luggage?” She brought a hoof to her barrel and raised her chin high, eliciting a brief laugh from her husband.

“Careful now, Cadance,” the white unicorn said, “or you'll start sounding like our dear friend Blueblood.”

The alicorn giggled as she hopped up on the bed, joining Shining atop the mattress. “Could you believe the room next to us was supposed to be for him? Was there even another name with his on the list?”

“I don't think so,” Shining said. “It might as well have said, 'Prince Blueblood and his flavor of the week.'” He laughed again, then scooted closer to Cadance, closing the distance between them.

The pink princess sat down herself, her flank pressed up against Shining's. The white unicorn felt his cheeks flush with heat, and he draped a hoof across his wife's withers as she rested her body against his. Her warmth against him was a welcome feeling, and he nuzzled his head onto hers, gently rubbing up and down. She gave a sigh of happiness, and the couple was content to sit there for a while, basking in each other's presence.

Shining Armor broke the silence. “Cadance?”

She pulled her head back, and he followed suit, looking her in the eye as she asked, “Yes, Shine?”

For a moment, he didn't know how to start, the sight of her face leaving him temporarily dumbstruck. Her formerly disheveled mane had been styled into its usual pattern; the multicolored hair flowed down around her face and delicate frame, accented by her trademark tiara perched in its usual place. Other than the tiny crown, she wore no other garments, but he found himself unable to admire her beautiful body. He simply couldn't tear his gaze away from her deep purple eyes; they were one of Cadence's more subtle features, at least when compared to her elaborate mane, but Shining had always found himself enamored by them. It took another prompt from her to snap him out of his minor trance. “Shine? What is it?”

He blinked twice and said, “Sorry, lost my train of thought for a minute.”

Cadance gave a sly grin, one eyebrow raised. “I do have that effect on stallions.”

“Especially this stallion,” Shining said, causing a blush to rise on his wife's cheeks. He continued, “Actually, I've been thinking a lot about what Plywood and Hazelnut said to us yesterday, about how their marriage has lasted as long as it has. It really struck a chord with me, and...well, I feel like I need to say something before I do anything else.”

“Is everything okay, Shine?” Cadance asked. Her face tensed up into a look of concern as she placed a hoof on her husband's shoulder.

His own hoof came to rest atop hers, a strong press assuring her that he was all right despite the turbidity within him. “How could it not be? I'm on my honeymoon with the most beautiful mare in Equestria.” The blush on the alicorn's face deepened. “It was what Ply said about honesty...I need to confess something, Cadance.”

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of something wrong, her formerly boisterous countenance giving way to a face filled with worry. “What is it, Shine?” She leaned closer, her head only inches from his. In a whisper, she said, “You can tell me, whatever it is.”

He exhaled heavily. “I know.” He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, then revealed the truth. “While you were, well, imprisoned, and the changeling queen was in your place, I...I made out with her.” He opened his eyes slowly, and even though he felt a great burden lift from his heart, he had no idea what to expect from the mare before him.

The last thing he could have anticipated, however, was a deadpan face. After several seconds of nothing but locked stares, Cadance said, “Is that it?”

“Um...yes,” Shining said, caught off guard, ironic considering his job title.

“You didn't do anything else?”

“Nope.”

A shove on Shining's shoulder was accompanied by a quick burst of laughter from the pink alicorn. The stallion stood in stunned silence, waiting for Cadance's giggling fit to pass. Finally, she calmed herself down enough to say, “And this is a big deal to you?”

Shining's eyes widened. “Of course it is! I kissed another mare!”

Cadance waved her hoof in the air. “I'm gonna stop you right there, Shine. Now, answer me something: did you know it was another mare?”

“Well, no,” Shining answered. “She had us all fooled.”

“Well there you go!” Cadance shouted. Her hoof came back down onto his shoulder. “It's not like you went out looking for somepony else to hook up with. That...thing was a master of deception, and I don't think for a second that you didn't believe that it was me all along. If a changeling had showed up as a copy of you, I probably would have done exactly the same thing.”

“But I should have seen the signs,” Shining said, his voice pleading. “Twilight tried to tell me, but I didn't listen.”

“You were trying to plan for a wedding while keeping Canterlot defended at the same time,” Cadance said. “The stress would get to anypony. I mean, I was worn out too, even before I got thrown down into those caves.” She drew closer to Shining, pulling him into an embrace. Her head rested on his shoulder. “It's all right, Shine...I understand.”

“So, you're not mad?” the unicorn whispered as he returned his wife's hug, gently stroking her back.

“Not at all,” she responded in a voice equally as soft. Shining let himself sink into her hug, his heart taking flight as his conscience finally felt clear. He had expected at least a little bit of backlash after his revelation, but Cadance's willingness to forgive had definitely taken him by surprise. He continued to trace idle circles along her body as the couple sat quietly, the only sounds their breathing. Finally, the pink alicorn spoke. “I thought of you while I was down there. Every hour, every minute, all my thoughts were consumed by you. I honestly didn't know what I was going to do if I couldn't get back to you again. I...I can't imagine living without you, Shine.”

“Cadance,” Shining whispered, “I've never loved any pony as much as you.” He felt warmth rise within his heart, surging through his body with each beat.

“Do you remember what Plywood said yesterday?” Cadance said as she pulled back from the hug, staring into Shining's eyes once again, the barest hint of a grin on the corners of her mouth.

“Which part?”

“About reminding each other how much we love each other. If I remember correctly, he said that we need to show it, not just say it.” A pair of hooves suddenly slipped behind Shining's head, and faster than he could react, his head had been pulled into Cadance's, his wide, surprised eyes slowly closing as their mouths melded together.

The young couple had engaged in heated kissing before, but Shining had made sure to keep those sessions short and sweet for fear of losing control. He'd been madly in love with Cadance for a long time now, but the two of them had made a pact with each other that they would wait until they had tied the knot to partake of that most private and pleasurable of acts. A mantra of sorts had served as a reminder of their promise: “True love waits.” It was a sentiment that Shining's parents had both instilled in him and encouraged him to follow from a young age. He'd been tempted many times – oh, so many times, his wife was unbelievably sexy – to break their promise and give in to his passion, but he was able to quell his eagerness through the use of two reminders.

First, both he and Cadance were high-profile ponies in the capital city, already receiving undue amounts of attention simply because they were dating. If they were discovered in a compromising position, or if Cadance were to become pregnant out of wedlock, both their reputations would have been torn to shreds, and for the niece of the Princess of the Sun to be caught in any sort of scandal would be absolutely devastating to her.

The second reason was much simpler: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was worth waiting for.

Now, however, there was nothing to hold him back, and as his lips gently massaged hers, the reality of the situation flooded into his mind, bringing with it desires that had been held back for a very, very long time. Their maws still interlocked in intimate contact, Shining flicked his tongue gently across the entrance to Cadance's mouth. Without pause, she widened her jaw, and Shining followed suit, their heads pushing closer together. Shining brought a hoof up to stroke his wife's mane even as his tongue began its trek around her mouth, relishing her subtly sweet taste as he rubbed his flexible organ against her teeth, her gums, even her own tongue, which gladly rose to meet his in a gentle samba. His exploration of his lover's mouth complete, Shining retracted his intruding tongue and allowed Cadance to take her turn. He shivered as she imitated his earlier actions, her tongue leaving a thin coating of her saliva in its wake until her taste permeated his entire mouth. Each breath the alicorn released flowed into the stallion's mouth, warming his head with her exhalations.

Their lip-locking lasted a little longer before the lovers finally pulled back their heads, panting heavily. A thin tendril of saliva hung suspended between their mouths, snapping in two as the stallion fixed his gaze on the deep purple eyes of his mate. They were so familiar, those irises, but they never failed to draw him into her enrapturing gaze. Still panting, he cracked a smile. “I think...Ply may have been on to something.”

Cadance matched his grin. “I think you may be right.” She stroked his face gently with her hoof, her stare never wavering from him. Her voice was a whisper as she said, “Shining Armor...I want you to show me.” Now a hoof was on either side of his face, focusing Shining's vision straight onto her face. As if I'd want to look anywhere else. “Show me how much...you love me.”

He put his own hooves atop her shoulders. “I would be happy to, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” he whispered back before moving his head forward for another kiss, this one much more passionate. Shining's tongue dove in almost immediately to meet Cadance's in a wild, aggressive dance. As their mouths continued the intimate tango, Shining scooted forward, one hoof sliding down Cadance's back while the other took position against her barrel. When the kiss finally broke, he gently nudged her backward while supporting her with his other leg, and she leaned back, braced by his strong foreleg, until she was lying prone atop the red sheets, Shining looming above her with his hoof still on her pink torso. He smiled softly as he gazed down at his bride, her multicolored mane pooling around her head and shoulders and her eyes alight with a passion that was quickening the pace of Shining's heart and filling him with a soft, comforting warmth. Her wings spread out beneath her, still close to her body and not yet at their full extension. He engaged her in another light kiss, barely more than a brushing of lips, then whispered, “You're so beautiful, Cadance,” his hoof gently rubbing up and down her soft barrel.

Her smile was even more alluring than usual, considering that not only was she on her back beneath him, but also that her eyes were blazing with desire. “Show me,” she said again, her hooves around his withers.

Truth be told, Shining was brimming with nervousness as much as excitement, but he found that the former was quickly losing ground to the latter the more he looked at Cadance beneath him. He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her neck, and his trepidation fled almost entirely as he inhaled her scent through his nostrils. It was like the first smell of a field of daisies, warmed by a spring sunrise and rustling under a gentle, cool breeze. She nuzzled her head against his as he kissed lightly against the skin of her neck and crept upward to plant a peck on her cheek. He moved up further, teasing her with a soft nibble of her ears and a whisper: “I'll show you.”

His hoof began to blaze a trail along her body, and his mouth soon followed in its wake. He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, but instinct drove him down, slowly down from her head to the rest of her body, each inch of her receiving a gentle rub from his hoof and a lick from his tongue, already eager for more action. Soft coos of pleasure from his bride indicated that he was doing something right, and he continued his ministrations, spurred on by her wordless encouragement. Kiss after kiss, lick after lick, he drew ever nearer to the most sacred place. He felt her hind legs spread out beneath him as he reached her pelvis, mere inches from his destination. He reached one hoof down to her thigh and softly stroked her cutie mark, eliciting a slight gasp from Cadance, while his mouth resumed its course. A dull heat seemed to radiate from the area just below his jaw, and he pulled his head back to take in the sight of his lover's treasure for the first time.

The small mound of pink, a lighter shade than Cadance's coat, was rather like a flower, its petals closed during the night; it looked moist as well, the little patch of hair below it slightly damp. It seemed rather simple, and yet, at the same time, Shining wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. That was only until the first hint of scent wafted into his nose. It was similar to the taste that still lingered on his tongue, but it was infinitely stronger and more pungent, tearing through his olfactory senses like a bolt of lightning and filling not just his nose but his entire head with its sweetness. He dipped his nose closer to her entrance, breathing in deep and shuddering as another wave of her smell assaulted his nervous system. The warmth within him increased as he absorbed her scent. He felt his stallionhood begin to poke out of its sheath, blood already rushing to engorge the eager flesh, and his hoof continued its gentle rubbing against the heart on his lover's flank, a soft “Mmm...” escaping her lips.

His curiosity pressed him to go one step further; if her musk alone could have this kind of effect on him, what would it be like to experience her taste? His tongue snaked out of his mouth slowly, tentatively, finally making contact with the lower end of her slit and giving a quick flick across her entrance. She let out a squeak and recoiled slightly, her wings fluttering, and he quickly brought his head up to look her in the eyes. Her cheeks were flushed deep crimson, and her mouth hung open as she breathed slowly and evenly. “All right, Cadance?” he said, his tone filled with concern.

With a quick nod, she said with a slightly hoarse voice, “I'm okay, Shine...just don't stop.”

He lowered his head back towards her marehood. “Does it feel good?”

“Just don't stop,” she said sharply. “It's...oh, Celestia, it's amazing...”

Shining smiled; that was all the answer he needed. His head descended the rest of the way, and another light lick across the pink folds brought a moan of pleasure and a tremor from the mare beneath him. This time, Shining felt a jolt of excitement rocket through his body as Cadance's arousal made contact with his taste buds, flooding his mouth with the taste of his lover; it wasn't quite as strong as her aroma, but it was filled with the same wonderful essence. He focused his attention on her damp entrance, which was rapidly becoming more wet by the second. Each sweep of his tongue drew out a cry or groan from the alicorn. The sounds of her pleasure spurred him to continue his licks, as did the moisture that met his tongue with each contact against her treasure and the ever-present scent of her musk. The sweet smell and the more subtle flavor on his tongue assaulted his senses, nearly overwhelming him with a surge of pure, unadulterated lust; he had never felt a desire quite this strong, his brain urging him to please the mare on the bed in oh-so-many ways.

The unicorn's head swam with the combination of smell and taste, but he could also feel his own arousal growing beneath him, the blood filling his member until its entire length hung loose from its sheath, his sensitive head barely brushing against the bedsheets. Emboldened by his expanding erection, he pressed his nose further forward, engaging his lover's lower lips in a sort of kiss. Her sharp cry of “Oh!” and the accompanying moan gave Shining the message that this was quite all right with Cadance, and he took the next natural step that would have come during a normal kiss: his tongue became more involved. The princess' shouts grew in volume and frequency as his tongue darted out from between his lips to explore the previously unplumbed depths of her passage, lightly brushing against her pulsing inner walls. Her tight chamber seemed to clutch at the intruding organ, and he swirled his tongue around the circumference of her tunnel. Her sweet moisture that his tongue lapped up was quickly replenished by the mare's increasing arousal, which was also evidenced by Cadance's repeated cries and gasps of pleasure.

After a few circular motions of his tongue around her pulsing walls, he pulled his head away, Cadance giving a little whine at the sudden absence of his mouth. Shining, however, rose to his hooves and stepped forward, standing straight over his bride, her eyes ablaze with desire. He leaned down to give her a kiss, and her muzzle eagerly rose to meet his, their lips and tongues engaging in glorious battle for several seconds before the two panting ponies broke the contact, their gazes meeting. Cadance smiled and said in a breathy voice, “I think I tasted...myself on you.”

Shining grinned. “How was it?”

“A little strange,” Cadance admitted, “but...kind of hot.” Both ponies chuckled lightly, but then Shining felt the tip of his erection brush against the soft body below him. Cadance gasped, then turned her gaze to the space between their bodies, her eyes widening with awe and hunger as she beheld the unicorn's stallionhood on full display in her presence for the first time. Shining blushed slightly as her attention turned to the impressive member, and his cheeks reddened further when his wife said, “It's...oh, Shine, it's huge.” A sudden pressure on his shaft caused Shining to twitch; one of the alicorn's hooves had ventured down to touch his erection, and it slowly slid along his length as Cadance whispered, “Oh my...”

The first hint of contact against his hard member had sent a quick wave of pleasure through the stallion's body, and now that it had the mare's undivided attention, he felt multiple pangs of bliss course through him. They traveled along his length and rushed through the rest of his body, filling him with a feeling of warmth. He closed his eyes as Cadance's hoof slowly stroked back and forth along his shaft, his sensitive head still pressed lightly against her barrel. Each light brush against his throbbing stallionhood sent a fresh surge of pleasure through Shining, his desire finally coming to fruition. Between gasps, he managed to say, “So, you...like it...Cadance?”

She kept her eyes fixed on it for a moment longer before looking back up at Shining, her mouth agape and a thin tendril of drool running down her cheek. “Oh, Shine,” she whispered lustily, “it's even better than I imagined.” She brought her hooves up to loop around his withers, the sudden absence of her touch causing Shining to gasp slightly. She leaned her head up next to his and nuzzled against his cheek. In a soft, sultry voice, the princess repeated two words that sent a shiver of absolute desire through the captain's entire being: “Show me.”

Her head dropped back down against the bed, her unkempt mane flowing down around her shoulders and her wings now spread out beneath her pink body at their full length. Shining gazed deeply into her purple irises, the eyes that were normally filled with joy and pep now half-lidded in a much more primal, hungry look. Neither pony dared to speak; everything that they had gone through in their relationship, and especially all the events surrounding their wedding, had led them to this moment, and words would only spoil it.

Shining managed to tear his eyes from Cadance's and looked down, stepping his hind legs back and shifting his hips as he attempted to line up his throbbing member. The alicorn kept her hooves across his withers, holding his head steady, and for a moment, there was no sound but deep, slow breaths and the rustling of a mattress as the white unicorn adjusted his position, lifting his erection from the mare's body and pulling it back. Finally, after a minute of fumbling, he found his position and began to lower his hips slowly and carefully, his hind legs spreading out slightly to allow him to sink downward to his ultimate goal. The head of his stallionhood suddenly made contact with a warm, moist surface, causing both ponies to gasp. Shining caught his breath as an electric jolt of pleasure tore through him; the feeling was unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life, and it sent his mind to untold heights of joy, though he knew the best was yet to come. With one final look at his wife, her eyes wide with anticipation, Shining braced his hips and gave a little push.

The initial penetration was rather easy, considering how aroused Cadance was, but her unexplored depths were still tight around his shaft as he sunk into her. Shining barely noticed the resistance, however, as his brain nearly exploded with pleasure at the feel of her inner walls clutching him, smooth and wet and incredibly warm. Underneath him, Cadance let out a scream that topped the volume of all her previous noises of pleasure, and as Shining paused to relish in the sensation of her passage encompassing his sensitive head, her breaths came quick and short, punctuated by soft whines and moans of pleasure. Shining found his own breathing difficult, and he released a low groan indicating his own bliss. Finally, he regained control of his senses, his brain still flooded with new and incredible sensations, and looked down to the pink mare beneath him. “Oh, Cadance, you feel...so good...”

“Don't stop,” she said, her voice almost desperate. “Please, Shine, don't stop.”

He leaned his head down again to nuzzle her neck as he resumed his descent into her, propelling himself forward slowly with his hips. As inch after inch of his stallionhood vanished into her eager passage, the friction of her inner walls against his sensitive shaft created wave after wave of nearly unbelievable pleasure. His thoughts were unable to concentrate anywhere else other than their intimate contact. She was tight, but her juices made his task easier, making her passage just slick enough that he had no trouble sinking deeper into her, accompanied by a high-pitched moan from the alicorn. Soon, however, he came to a barrier, and Cadance gave a cry that sounded more like pain than pleasure. Despite her earlier insistence, Shining paused his penetration and brought his head up, looking at her face again. “Cadance, are you all right?”

Her eyes were closed, and she was panting, her cheeks now a deep crimson. She managed to open her eyes and meet the unicorn's gaze. “It's okay, Shine,” she said in a throaty voice. “I'm okay. Go ahead.”

Despite knowing this moment would come, Shining was still a little afraid of following through, and he asked in a whisper, “Are you ready?”

She shut her eyes once again, drawing in and releasing two deep breaths before looking back up at him, her eyes the picture of steely resolve. “Take it. Take me. I'm all yours.”

Shining nodded slightly and leaned his head back down next to hers, whispering, “Here I go,” before giving one last steady push. The resistance against his stallionhood gave way, and once again, Cadance cried out, throwing her head back. He quickly pressed his own head against her neck, mumbling “It's okay, it's all right, I'm here” repeatedly and punctuating each sentence with a kiss or light nibble against her pink coat.

Finally, after several seconds of deep breathing, Cadance rubbed the back of Shining's head with her hoof and said, “I'm all right now. Please, Shine, keep going.”

He withdrew his head from its gentle attention to her shoulder. “All right,” he said with a light smile before bracing his hips once more and continuing his plunge, his consciousness once again assaulted by a fresh wave of pleasure as her passage seemed to rejoice at the renewed motion. Cadance moaned loudly again, and this time her voice carried no trace of discomfort. Shining's heart soared as the noises she made revealed how good he was making her feel, despite the pain of her first time, and he continued to sink deeper into the mare. She took in his stallionhood eagerly; the mare moaned and gasped while the stallion grunted and groaned.

He finally came to a halt when all but an inch of his sizable member was buried inside her body, and both ponies took a moment to simply revel in the feeling. Shining's breath was coming in gasps, each heartbeat sending a throb of pleasure through his body all the way down his length, and Cadance's inner walls clutched him tightly. He had never felt such warmth as he did emanating from his lover's passage, the pleasant temperature making his erection feel very comfortable, and he knew that her body welcomed the feeling of being filled. He felt like he belonged there more so than he'd ever belonged anywhere else, locked in intimate contact with the love of his life; each surge of blood through his veins carried a fresh supply of utter bliss directly to his brain.

Then, he started to move back, and the assault on his senses began anew, punctuated by even more cries and moans from Cadance. It was as she was desperate for him to stay, grasping at him even as his stallionhood slowly slid out. He grunted as her passage's attempts to retain him caused incredible friction against his shaft and around the flared tip of his head, each inch an adventure in pleasure. As he slowly withdrew from her, he whispered between panted breaths, “Cadance, I...feels so good...”

Interspersed with her own rapid inhalations and exhalations came a reply: “Never...felt this way...in my life...oh, Shine, please...keep going...don't stop...don't you even think about stopping.”

Shining flashed a toothy grin as he finally ceased his exit, only a little more than an inch of his member still inside. Cadance's passage pulsated with anticipation of his return, and he wasted no time in returning to its welcoming depths, this descent a little faster than his previous foray. He soon came to the same point at which he had stopped earlier, fighting against the urges of his brain that told him to throw caution to the wind and begin rutting the living daylights out of the mare beneath him. With a great deal of self-control, he retracted his length from her again, pausing when just his head was still inside. His mind told him to move, move, move, to buck his hips as fast as possible and cause the mattress to shake from a relentless pounding. Instead, he gritted his teeth and drove in slowly again.

Soon, the stallion had settled into a steady rhythm, rocking his body up and down as he plunged into the alicorn's depths, retracting back only to dive back in. He groaned as the pleasure built through his body, each incredible descent into Cadance sending a new shock of rapture to his brain; her twitching inner walls and her moans and cries that only increased in both sound and frequency as he continued his even-paced lovemaking filled him with joy, knowing that his bride was having the time of her life even as he was riding higher than he could ever have hoped to on his own. His pace increased with each penetration, a fresh shout of elation escaping his wife's lips with each thrust.

His stamina could only hold out so long, and in far too short a time (though he honestly didn't know how long he'd been going), he felt a familiar sensation begin to build up in his testicles. Now, his concentration shifted to a new subject: there was no way in Tartarus that he was going to allow himself to lose control before the mare that shared the bed with him had experienced her own moment of utter bliss. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw shut, grinding his teeth slightly even as the speed of his hips picked up even more. The urge was difficult to fight, and even without looking at Cadance, he could still hear her screams of pleasure as he pistoned in and out of her. The sounds of her arousal became ever louder and drove him wild with desire. He let his instinct take control, his motions becoming nearly automatic and picking up speed as he focused every fiber of his being on keeping himself contained. It was a losing battle; the endless barrage of amazing sensations that crashed against his mind was nigh overwhelming, and even with all his thought power dedicated to not releasing, he was drawing close to the edge far faster than he wanted, his groans becoming longer and more guttural as the bed began to shake beneath both ponies.

Then, just when he felt he couldn't stand it a moment longer, Cadance's screams suddenly had words. “Oh! Shine! I'm...oh!...I'm gonna...gonna...” A moment later, her long, loud shriek pierced the air of the room accompanied by a rush of warm liquid from somewhere deep within the alicorn, coating her passage with a fresh slickness that enveloped his member in its wet warmth and proved to be the final straw for Shining. With his own shout, a roar of sheer joy that mingled with Cadance's in a concordant symphony of ultimate bliss, he finally, finally let himself go, ceasing his eager thrusts as his stallionhood throbbed and pulsed with each shot of thick, warm seed into the depths of his lover. It was a blinding orgasm; his eyes rolled back into his head as he unloaded spurt after spurt of his payload into Cadance, the screams of their mutual peaks of pleasure morphing into each other's names shouted at the top of each pony's lungs.

At long last, the final gob of ejaculate spilled forth from the tip of Shining's member, and he collapsed onto the bed next to Cadance, one hoof wrapping around her midsection and his head nuzzling against her neck once more. He simply breathed long, steady breaths that brought refreshing air swirling back into his eager lungs. Each one carried with it a hint of his wife's sweet scent. Beneath him, Cadance did the same, and she leaned her head against his as they lay prone on the bed. He smiled and inhaled deeply, his mind still riding high from the incredible sensations that had rocked his body only moments before. His stallionhood gradually softened before finally making its final exit from Cadance's passage, soaked now by a combination of her juices and his cum that leaked out of her entrance and pooled into a wet spot on the sheets.

After several minutes, Shining managed to pick his head up and bring it over to Cadance's to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. She smiled back at him, her eyes still flickering with the last remnants of arousal but her face the model of sheer satisfaction. With a soft voice, the princess said, “You sure showed me.”

Shining chuckled. “See? I really do love you.”

She brought a hoof up to his face. “I never doubted that for a moment.” The young couple brought their heads together for a brief, delicate kiss, their lips brushing together softly. Their mouths hung open as they pulled away, their breaths slow and even. In a whisper, the princess added, “And don't you ever stop.”

The unicorn smiled. “I won't.” As he pulled her into a tight embrace, he realized that he believed those words with every cell in his body, and the mere thought of loving such an incredible mare as the one who lay next to him in this lavish honeymoon suite in Las Pegasus brought a fresh surge of joy to his heart. Even more than that, he knew that she loved him back, and that made him the most fortunate stallion in all of Equestria.

For a while, the couple just lay there, basking in each other's presence and warmth but with a sense of anticipation building in the backs of their minds. After all, their first go had been absolutely wonderful, an incredible experience of ultimate bliss shared between two ponies who loved each other more with each passing day and were fully committed to one another. Their honeymoon, however, had just begun; what would it be like the second time around?