(Canterlot High, Shining [Age 15] POV)

Ten years of school and I’m already ready to just leave school, even though graduation is still a good half-year off. Now a lot happens in 10 years. First and most obvious, was the birth of my sister, Twilight Sparkle. Roughly about two years after my first day of Kindergarten, Mom gave birth to her. When she got to age 4, she witnessed the view of the Summer Sun Celebration that turned her into a heavy book worm. Roughly a year later, Mom and Dad signed her up for school at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. When she was being tested (the test was a test of capabilities, not an entrance exam as she would tell you), I was busy with my classes of 7th grade. When I heard the two explosions of magic, I thought nothing of it and continued with my school work. When I got home, I discovered that my sister was (mostly) responsible for the second explosion, and along with her getting her cutie mark and being admitted as Celestia’s personal, I pretty much got a new younger brother, who will be educated alongside Twilight.

Moving past my sister’s accomplishments, I also got my cutie mark. When me and my four friends got to the 1st grade, some of the unicorn ponies in our class got bold and began bullying me and my friends. However, when a bunch of them started getting physical (kinda) and started beating Midnight, I got between them and activated a shield spell that held up until some of the barely aware adults intervened. During the melee assault on my shield, my cutie mark appeared on my hips and my shirt (I had my shirts at the time enchanted to detect that). Afterwards, when my parents found out, they took me to Donut Joe’s to celebrate, and I invited all of my friends to the party.

Now, coming to the now, I must say that my increased appetite and my addiction to hay foods had an interesting effect on my body. I ended up becoming rather fat. However, and oddly, I was part of an ROTC program and they required a certain amount of fitness for me to join the Equestrian Armed Forces (the auxiliaries, specifically). This resulted in me being rather muscular and strong, while supporting a “Beer Belly”.

Anyway, my “Beer Belly” prompted a lot of joke names between me and my friends and a number of attempted insulting names from the school bullies. Now, I never was insulted by their comments, but if they took a step too far, I would contain them in a shield spell for about five minutes. After about a year or two of this, the bullies backed down, mostly.

It wasn’t until 9th grade that I noticed an interesting pony who was bullied for her stereotypical girly personality. Now, in public, she seemed to ignore the teasing and bullying that came her way. However, whenever she feels that she’s alone, she cries, like, a lot (and yes I followed her to her locker when she was alone, that doesn’t make me a perverted stalker!).

It was during one of the times she was bullied that my heart broke for her, as a trio of unicorn mares made fun of her “overly girly” looks and messed up her mane and books. When the mares left, she started crying. I immediately kneeled down and hugged her, while using my magic to gather her books up and fix her mane.

“Why are you helping me?” She asked, clearly confused. “I’m a freak, just like those mares said I was. I’m...I’m…”

“You are a beautiful mare with feelings that shouldn’t be violated by the mean things those mares said and did.” I countered. “If anyone should be considered a freak, I should be.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, not having taken a clear look at me yet.

“First off, I’m an Anthro Pony, therefore making me the odd one out at almost any gathering.” I told her. This got her to clear her eyes of tears and look at me clearly, shock appearing on her face when she saw me. “Second off, I’m rather fat, despite my muscles and fair fitness.” I patted my ‘beer belly’ gut to point it out to her.

“I...well...thank you.” The mare said. “I needed to hear that.”

“By the way, I’m Shining Armor. What’s your name?” I said, giving her a smile.

“I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can call me Cadance.” She answered, giving me a hug.

(Canterlot Theatre, Shining [Age 20] POV)

A couple of years have passed since my first meeting with Cadance. I graduated just short of being made valedictorian or salutatorian; I became a Captain in the Auxiliaries, leading my own squad that is composed of my friends from Kindergarten (the foreign ones became Equestrian citizens); and I became a couple with my sweet Caddy (don’t judge the nickname, she calls me Belly Armor as an inside joke between us). She was also close to my younger sister, babysitting her and Spike (the young dragon brother of mine) to the point of being a sister they never had.

Currently, Caddy and I were walking home after watching a night showing of what seemed like a ponyfied version of “Beauty and the Beast”. The main difference between the movie from Earth and the version in Equestria is that “Beauty” was replaced with an Earth Pony of “great beauty”, and “Beast” was replaced with a draconequis.

“That was a brilliant movie.” I said while I held Cadance in my arms like a large doggo puppy.

“I can’t disagree with you.” She said as she cuddled up to my chest and belly. “The movie was well designed to portray not love at first sight, but more properly developed love between two individuals.”

“I was referring to the comedic parts, but that works too.” I added, causing us both to laugh. We then arrived at my parent’s house, where I set Cadance down and opened the door. As soon as the door was closed, I could hear Twilight racing down the stairs.

“Shiny! Cadance!” She called to us, jumping into my arms and hugging my head. She then jumped down and did the little ‘Sunshine, Sunshine’ dance with Cadance. When they finished with a round of giggles, Mom and Dad came out of the kitchen with some plates and food containers.

“How’d the movie go son?” Dad asked as he set up some of the plates and containers.

“It went well, Dad.” Was my answer. “If only someone would just hurry up and make something to allow movies to be watched at home, I’d then show you the movie without fear of it not being played for the next six or so months.”

“Calm down, Shining.” Mom said, placing other plates and containers on the table. “Your father has plenty of connections in the Magical Science communities, so he’ll probably pass the idea to someone and the wheels will get rolling.”

“So, aside from the movie and dinner with your parents, what were planning on for this evening?” Cadance asked. When she said that, I just sighed and discreetly signaled for Dad to find the ‘gift’ I had gotten for her. When he came back, I kneeled down, roughly to her level.

“Caddy, for the past five years, we’ve been very close friends. Heck, Boyfriend and Girlfriend are just too much of an understatement, we are practically joined at the hip...proverbially speaking Twily, it’s just an expression.” I said, giving a ‘context note’ to Twilight. “So, after much consideration, and a lot of careful begging on mine and Dad’s part, I have a question.” I held my hand open for Dad to place the ring box in my hand. I then opened it and presented it to Cadance. “Will you Marry Me?”

Cadance started crying in joy. “I will, Yes.” She said. “I also want to show you something that Twily and I have been working on as well. I think it’ll make our marriage work better than how things are right now.” She then turned to Twilight and gave her a wink. She nodded and teleported off. A few seconds later she reappeared with a necklace in her magical grip. Cadance’s magic took over and placed it on her neck, and it looked beautiful on her. She then tapped the necklace’s gem and she began to glow a yellow color.

The glow intensified in a non-painful way, and I saw her outline go from a quadrupedal and unclothed form to a bipedal and clothed form. The light died down and there stood my Caddy, but now in an anthro form. “I wanted you to not feel alone in your...form. I’m willing to sacrifice my own reputation and form to make you happy.”

I stood up and placed the ring on her finger. “You made me happy by just saying yes.” I told her, and then hugged and kissed her.

Author's Note

To get an idea on what Princess Cadance looks like in relation to Shining, this picture will give you the idea.

Artwork credited to th0mas on FurAffinity.

Here's a link to the picture if the image doesn't work: Cadance and Shining