If one were to ask, the would find that Shining Armor had a more accepting view of mental illness than they had been expecting. Having a sister with severe anxiety did that to a stallion. However, he still believed that ponies needed to 'buck up' to a certain degree. Basically, he didn't care very much about things like mental health. Maybe if he had, he would have recognized the warning signs.
Shining Armor woke slowly and softly. He turned to his side and saw the outline of her, the love of his life, his beautiful wife, Cadance. Her pale pink coat was lit golden from the soft light coming in from the nearby window. Her hair shone gently, slightly mussed from sleeping. Basically, everything was perfect.
Shining moved slowly so as not to disturb his sleeping prey. He gently lifted himself so he was above her prone form, his bared teeth mere inches from her neck and gentle pulse. Without second thought, he dove in for the kill.
"Shining!"
Cadance giggled as she felt her husband attack the side of her neck with light kisses. She attempted to push him away with her wings, but he was never one to be easily dissuaded. Redoubling his efforts, he was rewarded with the sounds of his wife's laughter rising in volume.
"S-Shiniiiing, st-t-top!! That t-t-tickles!" she wheezed out, tears rolling down her face from her laughter.
Unable to hold back his own laughter any longer, Shining allowed himself to fall on top of his wheezing wife, his chin laying on her chest. For a few minutes, the two just laughed together. After a bit, Shining felt his wife's soft hoof caress his cheek and he opened his eyes, meeting hers.
"I love you, Shining." she said genuinely, eyes practically radiating her happiness.
"I love you too, Cady." Shining smiled at his wife before closing his eyes, allowing himself a moment of peace to simply lay with his wife.
After a few moments of silence, a slight buzzing filled his ears. His head shot up, ears perked as he looked quickly around the room.
"Shining? What's wro-" Cadance was cut off by a knock at the door. Without missing a beat, Shining leapt off the bed and stood hunched slightly before the door. Slowly, his magic gripped and turned the handle. With a burst of magic he flung the door open and leapt forward, standing with his head lowered and his front legs spread wide.
On the other side of the door, a tiny mare wearing a maids hat shrieked and fell backwards, cowering against the far wall. Shining stepped out to the hallway and glanced in both directions, finding it empty. Finally, he spoke to the mare as his wife joined him at the door.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Shining asked harshly, not letting his horn stop its magic. Cadance put a hoof on his shoulder and stepped forward, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.
"Silver Shine, please rise." she requested in a calm tone. The mare obliged, still shaking from hoof to tail. She couldn't raise her gaze from the carpet before her. "What is it you need?" Cadance asked, offering the mare a kind smile. Swallowing thickly, Silver finally looked up.
"P-Princess Luna requested I bring you this.. this note!" her short horn glowed and a scroll was pulled from the saddle bags on her back. The scroll was wrapped in deep blue ribbon and was being held aloft in a sickly green aura. The mare's aura was green.
Snorting, Shining snatched the rolled scroll from the mares grip making her yelp and hop back again, lowering to the ground. Without another word, he slammed the door shut and engaged the heavy dead bolt locks. Cadance stared at him, mouth agape.
"What the hay was that about?" she demanded, wings twitching in anger. Shining didn't respond, instead waiting with ears perked until he heard the pony outside scamper away from their door.
"She's one of them." he growled out. Cadance rolled her eyes.
"Shining, we got rid of all of the chang-" she was cut off again as Shining armor finally turned to look at her.
"Why was she acting that way then!? She was acting strange!" he yelled.
Cadance took a deep breath, trying to keep her calm. "Shining," she began, placing a hoof on her husbands shoulder. "Silver Shine has worked for Princess Luna for a long time. She's always been a timid mare. And during the wedding, she was... she was one of the staff that was kidnapped and fed upon." She continued before Shining could jump on that point. "But we found and freed her, and Princess Celestia herself guaranteed that is indeed Silver Shine. The poor mare only just returned to work after weeks of therapy, and you had to go and scare her again!" Cadance huffed, ruffling her wings in an attempt to vent a bit of frustration. Shining didn't speak. With a sigh, Cadance snatched the scroll from him and walked back into the main room.
"H-her magic... it was green. It was the same color as theirs..." Shining added, voice low. Cadance stopped and turned back to her husband, head tilted to one side.
"Shining... her magic just now was blue. It's always been blue."
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After a stressful morning and many apologies to Cadance, Shining stepped out of their private chambers. He was freshly showered and wore the coat of his new uniform, hair pulled up into a small tail. He was ready to start the day. Strolling through the castle felt different now. He felt more confident. Guards snapped to attention and saluted him as he passed. A small smile on his face, Shining Armor approached the throne room. However, before he could make the last turn, a splotch of pale blue caught his eye. Stopping and turning his head, he noticed the door to a small broom closet was ajar. Poking his head in, he found the source of the color. Silver Shine sat with her back to the door, head hung low. Shining was about to leave before the sound she was making reached his ears. Crying. The mare was crying. All at once it was no longer some maid sitting before him, it was his sister. He recognized the strained breathing, the shuddering sobs. The mare was having a panic attack. His brotherly instincts took over before he could stop them.
"Hey," he said softly, placing a hoof on her shoulder. The mare jumped and whipped her head to face him, cowering when she saw who it was and crying harder. "Hey hey no, it's okay. I'm sorry for this morning, I... I wasn't thinking clearly." As he spoke softly, he shifted so he was laying down next to the mare. She was so small that he could still look her in the eyes despite her sitting upright. The mare too seemed to come out of her shell while he spoke. She sniffled a few times.
"I-it's okay you.. your highness. I'm sorry if I sc-sc-sc... If I startled you..." she stuttered a few times, wincing as she did so. Shining smiled encouragingly at her.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked gently. The mare sniffed and wiped her eyes before nodding. "Good, good! Take your time though. If you feel like you need to take a break, you can tell your boss it's on the orders of Prince Shining Armor." he added, standing and walking back towards the door. Silver Shine stood as well, hurrying to catch the stallion in a quick hug.
"Thank you, your highness." she said, offering him one last wide smile before exiting the room. Now it was Shining Armor's turn to sit on the floor and lower his head down. His ears flattened and his eyes were pin pricks, staring at the door before him. Silver Shine's smile had given him a good view of her teeth. The mare had fangs.
Author's Note
Is Silver Shine a changeling, or is Shining Armor just paranoid? Keep reading to find out~ I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this story and happy Valentines day! Let me know what you guys think in the comments!
