A Secret in Shining Armour

So great a distance travelled yet still so far till the ponies could reach the bustling city of griffons. They dragged their feet as they marched toward their stretched and distorted shadows which faded into the path before them. A cool, dry wind wrapped itself around their feeble bodies as if desperately trying to remind them of the time. It could no longer be denied, night had arrived.

Shining Armour looked to his half-asleep partner, shivering from the chill air around them. He wanted so desperately to walk closer, to indulge in the boundless warmth of another so dear to him, but he could not. There was no need to ask, Steel Hunk would certainly oppose. He quickly shook the thought from his mind, how ridiculous! He chuckled to himself, catching the attention of his companion.

“What’s up?” asked Steel Hunk.

“Nothing. Just a strange thought that crossed my mind.”

Shining Armour turned to face the rising moon that they walked towards. He began to wonder how the moon looked in Griffonstone and if his few friends had made it there to see it. His mind began to wander, gracefully shifting from future to past. He had just begun to forget he was travelling in the first place when all of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted. He felt a distinct warmth emanating from his flank; It was Steel Hunk. The exhausted pegasus had brought Shining Armour’s fantasies to life, leaning against him to keep warm.

Shining Armour immediately looked the other way, blushing profusely. He tried to distract himself with anything he could think of. Of course! The sun had fully set now and the vast territory before them lay hidden in the darkness. They could make no progress without light.

Shining Armour concentrated on performing the spell for light, a simple spell. Yet despite its simplicity, the unicorn could not do it. The dragons had taken his magic. With no light, they had no choice but to settle down and sleep for the night. He turned to the pegasus at his side. Steel Hunk had already fallen asleep, collapsed on the ground next to Shining Armour's hooves. He did not wish to wake his comrade, but it was dangerous to sleep on the road like this. He decided to stay there and watch over him as he slept

In the end, this plan failed, and Shining Armour fell asleep beside Steel Hunk. In an instant, all faded to black.

The bright morning sun shone on the face of Shining Armour, waking him from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes. He was alone, as he always was when he awoke. He was just about to close his eyes and return to his unconscious state, but then, he remembered.

Steel Hunk!

He frantically looked about but saw nothing. Had it all been a dream? Had Steel Hunk never actually travelled with him? Was he even real in the first place? In a panic, he ran straight ahead, calling his name.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder. It was Steel Hunk. Shining Armour breathed a sigh of relief as he looked into the smiling face of his companion.

“Calm down, I’m right here. We’d better get going if we want to make it to Griffonstone today,” said Steel Hunk, trotting along the path.

Shining Armour nodded and followed him. He knew that if they did not go quickly, they would have to stop and search for food, delaying them further. The longer it took them, the less likely they were to get into Griffonstone.
By noon, the two had reached the mountain upon which stood the great city of Griddonstone. Looking up, Shining Armour shook with fear. The mountain was as steep as the stock market during the 2008 financial crisis. There was no way he could climb it!

“Steel Hunk…”

“Yes?” replied his comrade.

“How are we supposed to get up?”