//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14 
// Story: Discharged 
// by The_Last_Centurion 
//------------------------------//

This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc. 
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth. 


Chapter 14



My eyes snapped open to find an awed lavender mare in the new room. She stood by the side of the bed, but looked at all the things I had created last night. When she noticed I was awake, she looked at me with amazement.
“Did you...?” she started.
I nodded my head and put my hooves out to her. “Help me up, please.” I asked quietly.
She obeyed a little too quickly, which threw her off balance. She tried to pull me up, but ended up falling into me. She looked at me straight in the face, and blushed a deep red which made me smile. She moved so she wasn't right on top of me, but she didn't try to get out of my embrace. Instead, we ended up on our sides, with me still holding her. After a few moments of peaceful silence, Twilight spoke.
“We have a lot of work cut out for us if we are going to make this room complete in time. I already talked to Applejack and told her you couldn't come to work today.” she stated.
“Umhum.” I said as I pulled her closer to me. She nuzzled me with her head, rubbing my cheek.
“Come on Crimson. Spike is making breakfast and has the list of things ready. We can't be up here all day.” she said turning her face to mine. “Plus, this is going to be their room. We can do these things in your room.” she said with a sultry wink.
I looked at her as she got up with a wild smile. Where did that come from? I shook my head, happy I could spend my time with such a mare, and got up. I followed her down the two sets of stairs and into the kitchen. There, we found our cooked breakfast on the stove top, put there on plates because the table was in use. 
The table was covered in the same map of Ponyville Twilight had out when she thought I was missing. Instead of worried mares surrounding it, Spike sat contemplatively at one side of the table, wearing a green-camo helmet. At the other side stood Pinkie Pie, dressed in a black sneaking suit. She donned a headpiece and night-vision goggles and stared at the map in thought too.
Of how Pinkie Pie got into the house, I'll never know. Why she was wearing such an outfit, I didn't want to know. What I do know is that that mare brings up more questions than she answers.
“Good morning Spike, Pinkie.” Twilight and I said to the pair who gave us curt nods, military like.  
Twi and I grabbed our plates of scrambled eggs with celery and we put them on the counter in the middle of the kitchen, eating standing up. We watched the pair of miscreants whisper to each other and make gestures to the map. They were obviously trying to hide something from us, but they weren't being to discreet. All their clowning around ended up giving us breakfast and a show. 
When we finished eating Twilight got up and walked over to them as I washed the plates. 
“Spike, what are you planning?” she said in a stern big-sister voice. 
Spike's demeanor as a gruff, battle-hardened general faltered and he glanced down to the floor. 
“Nothing.” he said pawing the ground. Pinkie looked back and forth between the two.
“Spike...” Twilight said a little more seriously.
“WeweregonnathrowabisurpriseforArmorandCadence.” he spluttered out.
Twilight stood there trying to discern his fast words, but Pinkie broke the silence.
“Spike? SSSSSPPPPIIIIIKKKKEEEE! NOOOOOOOOO! You need to stop Metal Gear!” 
“Pinkie, what are you talking about?” Spike said as he gave her a crazy look.
Twilight spoke up before Pinkie could answer “Go ahead. Just make sure you don't make a mess or hurt anypony. Crimson and I have to get their room ready, so we can't help you two.” she said like it was nothing. She turned away from them, but looked over her shoulder. “Oh, and make it something big.”
Pinkie and Spike gave her a salute. Spike folded up the map and Pinkie grabbed him into a hug. Then she ran out of the kitchen holding onto Spike, and into the chimney. Twilight was about to tell Pinkie to get out of there, but Pinkie pulled out a crossbow and pointed up the chimney. She shot it, and it's arrow carried a line of thread which she attached to her outfit. Then she and Spike put on sunglasses and disappeared up the chimney. 
Twilight stood there stunned, but I broke out laughing. 
“How did she? And the crossbow? The sunglasses! The sunglasses!” I laughed out as I rolled on the floor. Pinkie certainly lived up to the bearer of laughter. Twilight looked at my rolling on the ground and rolled her eyes.
“Come on Crimson, we have to go get a lot of stuff today.” she said.
I got up and wiped the tears from my eyes, my mirth slowly subsiding, and followed the lavender mare out of her home and into Ponyville. She had her bit-bag and a list, but nothing more. I wondered where her saddlebags were as we walked together to Beds and Pencils, Ponyville's bed store. I found it really strange that a store would sell nothing but beds and pencils. I told this to Twilight and she told me that there was another store that only sold quills and couches. As I expected from the beginning, Ponyville was a weird little town. But that weirdness gave it its own irresistible charm.
Twilight eventually choose a king sized mattress and sheets to go with the room. She payed for the thing and I grunted and huffed as I put it on my back to carry it home. However, fate had other plans.
“Holy, horseapples! Look at the time!” she shouted as she looked at the sky. “Crimson, we don't have that much time! Hold on!” she said as she grabbed me. I looked at her horn and saw it was glowing. 
“Aw crap.......” I muttered as I felt a rush of magic around me, distorting the world.
I felt my body expand and then explode magically, making me nothing but particles. I felt myself fly to the library and into the new room, my particles being directed by magic and nothing more. Then I felt heavy, really, really heavy. I felt like I was being crushed as I came back into existence in the room with a 'pop'. Twilight appeared right next to me, and then I felt the weight of the mattress on my back. I slipped and fell to the floor, the mattress crushing me smugly. 
Twilight quickly moved the mattress off of me and onto the bed with magic, asking me if I was alright the whole while.
“Yeah. I'm fine. Just.....just don't ever do that again.” I said getting up and popping my joints.
Twilight giggled. “Fine then. You stay here and make the bed and tidy-up while I go and get the other things.” she said before teleporting out of the room, leaving me alone. 
I decided that this wouldn't do. I would make sure this room was clean and ready for the guests, but working alone and bored? Nope. I went downstairs to my room and rooted through my suitcase until I found it. It was a little metal box with a crank on its side. I had gotten it as a present from Luna for my last birthday, and it's one of the greatest things I ever got. I brought it up to the new room and put it on the table grown out of the wall. Then I turned the crank for a few minutes and turned it on. 
Luna had called it a 'Radiation Automated Detecting Inter-Operator' or a RADIO. She said it worked by some magic found in music. Music's magic could be picked up on this little device and played back. It was probably much more complicated than what she told me, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that I could listen to Jump Jett and the Blackhooves and The Drop-hoof Murpheys. 
I listened to my favorite bands as I made the bed, pausing only to get a broom to sweep and my gauntlets to fix a few rough patches of the room. 
Twilight surprised me by teleporting into the room while I was pretending to be Jump Jett, playing guitar with the broom and singing “Oh, I don't give a hay about my reputation!” She popped in  and saw me. She was surprised for a minute and the sound of Jump Jett filled the room. Then she started laughing. I was embarrassed for a second, but decided to go with it and keep singing. She dropped the two candelabras she was holding in her hooves as I started to jump around the room rocking out with the song. I stopped on the bed and threw the broom to the ground, finishing “Not Me!” with the song. I was hot and sweaty, but it felt good to screw around like this. Twilight laughed herself to the ground and tears of joy streaming from her eyes. She looked up at me on top of the bed and I did the only thing I could; I bounced on the bed, and landed in front of her in a pose. She clapped and got up inches away from my face. 
“You should go be a rock star.” she said slyly.
“Yeah! We could be a band, and you could be the singer.” I said moving closer to her. 
“Only if we get to share a room on the tourbus.” She replied before we kissed. 
It was brief, but every second was incredibly blissful. We broke away looking into each others eyes, when Twilight gave a seductive glance to the new bed. I was stunned, but not unpleasantly so.
“So you want to get it on in your brother and sister-in-law's new bed?” I asked amazed at how lusty Twilight was acting today. She gasped remembering why we were getting this room ready.
“I still have so much to go get!” she cried before giving me a quick kiss and teleporting away again. 
I shook my head after her, finding that I missed her already. But then I hear one of my favorite bands, Flogging Mare, and decided to get back to work. 
Over the next two hours, Twilight popped in and out of the room quickly with random pieces of furniture. A large dresser, a standing mirror, a wardrobe like mine, two small bed side tables, a small sitting couch, and another telescope. 
As she came in leaving the furniture, I set them around the room, where I thought they looked best. One lamp on the long wall-table, one a bedside table next to the bed. The wardrobe went behind the bed and acted as a headboard, while I put the dresser at the foot of the bed. The small sitting couch went under the eastern window and the mirror in the doorless-closet. But I was stuck with where I should put the telescope. 
So I thought up an idea and told Twilight before she went back out to get the drapes for the bed next, but get a few extra.
She looked at me puzzled, but I told her “Trust me.” She shrugged and left. I turned to the northern window and cracked my neck. I connected to the earth again and left my magic seep over to the north wall. I couldn't make it grow for what I had in mind so I was left with forcing it to move. I started and the top of the wall slowly started to recede, leaving a gap between the eastern and western walls. However, as the wall melted downwards to the floor, I pushed it out of the room. I heard the window-glass fall out of the window frame and hit the floor with a resounding 'thud', but I paid attention to what I was doing. Making a balcony was serious business. Not only did I have to push and form the extra matter, but I had to support it from below with other matter. It was mentally taxing. 	When I felt it was done I cut my magic to it and felt the wave of tiredness I always felt after using my magic, but it was much less than yesterday. I had to make sure the new balcony was stable, so I walked out onto it. It held as I walked about it, and then I decided to jump around on it. Luckily it still held, but I almost fell over the edge thanks to my coordination. I decided to make it fool-proof by making a bannister to surround the balcony. It took a little more effort than I expected, but that was just because I made all the stakes that connected it to the balcony swirled, like the pillars of the poster-bed. 
I smiled at my hoofwork and then sat on the bed. I felt tired, but not as much as last night, which surprised me. I actually felt a little energized from the sudden use of energy, like the one I get after a short run. Tired, but just tired enough to know you didn't even try your hardest. I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling like I did last night, only fully awake. Could my magic be getting stronger?  Or was it just because I did something small compared to yesterday? I couldn't say. I closed my eyes and let the gentle morning breeze caress me. The balcony was definitely a good idea, and I found out I wasn't the only pony who thought so. 
Twilight teleported into the room for the last time with a 'pop' that echoed out of the room. She didn't see the balcony right away, which I laughed at, since it WAS a missing wall. 
“Crimson! Get off the bed and help me put up the bed drapes! Now where is that breeze.....Oh my! Crimson, it's beautiful! I always wanted a balcony!” 
“Isn't this room for your brother and his wife?”
“Oh yeah. Speaking of them, we gotta finish up quick! The train is going to arrive at the station in half an hour!” she said a little off-hoofedly.
I sprung up off the bed. “Why didn't you say so earlier! Let's go!” 
We raced to finish the room and made it just in time to go take showers and get a little presentable. While Twilight was putting on some make-up in her room, I was in my room putting on my uniform and brushing my mane. It was starting to get a little unruly again, but it wasn't as long as had been when I first came to Ponyville. Now, it was a little long, but still short, so I was able to brush it to a good shine.
“Crimson?! You ready?” Twilight called from the stairs.
I stepped out of my room. “Let's go greet them.”
“Wow....Your uniform is.....”
“It's all Rarity's work.” I smiled at her. “Now, let's get moving.”
“That's the thing Crimson. We won't be able to make it there by hoof.” Twilight said mischievously, her horn starting to glow.
“Wait, that means...NO!” I shouted as the lavender mare laughed and jumped on me, teleporting us as soon as she touched me.

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We popped into existence outside the Ponyville Train station, which probably wasn't the best idea. I say that because when we arrived we startled some Solar Guards and they had us surrounded and at spear point before we could move our tails. We slowly opened our mouths and tried to explain.
“Hold it!” said the Solar Guard in charge. “Who are you and state your business!” He and his soldiers were obviously for Shining and Cadence.
“Captain Crimson Moon Steelhooves of the Lunar Battalion escorting Twilight Sparkle, sister to Shining Armor and Princess Celestia's protegee.” I said in my most official military voice. “Move aside Soldier, we are here to greet the royals and take them home.” 
“But...” he faltered, his spear point dropping.
“That is an order soldier! I may not be part of the Solar Guard, but I still take order over you and your men. NOW MOVE!” 
He looked from me to Twilight to his men and then to me again. Then his gaze dropped and he said “Yes sir.” He backed away from us, and so did his soldiers. We walked briskly away from them to the terminal.
“Do you really have enough power to command them around like that?” Twilight asked as we waited for the train to arrive. 
I shifted a little uncomfortably. “Well, I did.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, in times of emergency, like during the Changeling invasion, I was able to command any soldier of any army up to the rank of General, and my title changed from Captain to Legate, like your brother. But that's nothing, look at what you could do during times of emergency.”
“But that's just me and the girls, just six of us. You could lead a whole battalion.”
“And you think ponies wouldn't follow you? In a dire emergency, you could lead an army.”
Twilight looked dismayed after I said this. She was silent for a time while we looked for the train. 
“But how could you take care of all those ponies?” she asked eventually.
“You talk to them, keep them fed, keep them warm, and try to keep them safe. Make sure to put them first in your mind, but most important, make them your friends.” I said looking to Twilight. “After all, friendship is magic.” 
She smiled and said “I kind of get it now” before leaning on me. I threw a hoof around her shoulder and we waited.
The train could be heard before we saw it. Its whistle blew quite loudly before it rounded the bend in the track, making it visible, but still distant. I watched as the candy-colored train slowed and pulled to a loud halt in front of us. The steam from the exhaust along with the smoke created from the breaks billowed around us, making the bright morning seem a little creepy. All creepiness disappeared after the doors opened. The train was empty of passengers except for two. 
Shining wore his vest that held all his medal and he led a dainty Princess Cadence be her hoof out of the train. Her gorgeous pink coat shone in the sun and her lovely mane was swept to the side of her face, showing how much joy she radiated. What really surprised me though, was that the first sign of being pregnant could be seen in Cadence's slight baby bump. 
After Shining helped Cadence out of the train he turned to Twilight “Come give your bbbff a big hug Twi!” 
“Shiny!” she squealed as she dove into a hug. 
I snorted at the two as the had a rapid conversation and I went over to give Cadence a hug.
“You look well Crimson.” she said. “If you're doing as well as your uniform looks, then you're set.”
“What about you?” I said playfully. “Radiating beauty like that should be illegal. I'm going blind!” 
She giggled and gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek. “I forgot you taught Shining how to be charming.”
I leaned back out of the hug “Damn right! That little filly you call a husband wouldn't have even met you if I didn't almost throw him at you.” 
“Hey!” Shining said as he and Twi walked over to us. The mares exchanged greetings while I replied to Shining.
“Hay is for horses.” I said repeating a certain insane mare. 
Shining punched me in the shoulder. “Still just as weird.”
“Yeah, and just as tough too.” I replied giving him a toothy smile.
“Dude, your uniform is even better than before you left. How'd it happen?” 
“One of Twilight's friends said she would touch it up.”
“Oh, so you know all of the element bearers by now.”
“Met them all on my first day here. It happens when you're a mares-stallion.” I said breathing on my hoof and then rubbing it on my uniform. Shining laughed and slapped me on the back as the mares started looking at us.
“Well, shall we go?” Twilight asked
“Yeah, yeah sis.” he said to her before whispering “God, living with her was hard, but now you're stuck with her! Ha!” to me jokingly.
“I don't know, living with her has its benefits.” I said slyly.
Shining's eyes narrowed. “You bastard.... you didn't.....”
“Ok Twilight, time to go!” I shouted before cantering away from Shining.
“Get back here you!”
“Sorry Shining, I think I hear Cadence telling you to slow down.” I said throwing a glance over my shoulder to see two laughing mares and one unicorn stallion sprinting at me. I increased my speed too, and suddenly we were out side of the station, racing past the Solar Guards and down the street into Ponyville.
I slowed down when I thought I heard something, and Shining caught me by tackling me to the ground.
“You little devil!” he shouted at me. “You better not have done any....”
“Shhhs.” I said holding up a hoof. “You hear that?” I asked
“Hear wha......wait, yeah. What is that?”
“I don't know.” I replied as we tried to find out what was making the strange rumbling noise. Then the ground started to shake too and we both looked at each other in wonder. However, that was when Spike and Pinkie decided to round the corner. They had some how made an oversized float which was pulled by two elephants who were quickly stomping down the street towards us.
“Run?”
“Yep.”
We sprinted back the way we came. The mares were just leaving the station as we reentered it and we pulled them back into the safety of the station.
“Crimson?” Twilight asked me.
“What's going on Shining?” Cadence asked her husband.
We both answered in pieces, since we were regaining our breath.
“Pinkie....”
“Spike....”
“Loud noise....”
“On elephants....”
“Huge float.........”
The mares looked at each other, trying to discern what we had just said.
“Did you say elephants?” they both asked at the same time.
A concussive trumpeting came from behind the mares and they turned around quickly to see Spike's and Pinkie's surprise.
“Shalom!” Pinkie yelled from atop her elephant waving and wearing a turban, like the ponies of the Samarea Desert.
“Hi Crimson! Hi Cadence!” Spike yell similarly.
“Pinkie how did you get elephants?” Twilight asked.
“Gypsy magic!” she said energetically.
We all got the look of confusion Pinkie Pie causes on sane ponies, but then we realized it was Pinkie.
“These guy owed me a favor, so I asked them to come say hi!” she continued. “Go on Jumbo, say hi!” she said patting her elephant. It raised its trunk as if it were to trumpet again, but instead it shot confetti and streamers out. 
“You too, Little Tom.” Pinkie said to the other elephant. It reached into a saddlebag at its side with its trunk. It pulled out a large box on wheels and placed it in front of us. Then it took away the box, leaving a large cake on wheels.
“Welcome to Ponyville!” Pinkie and Spike shouted as fireworks went off  a few meter above their heads. 
“Um, thanks.” Shining muttered, not sure what to say.
Cadence took the lead in this. “Thank you so much! We both love the display and the gifts. Now, we want to get home now since we're tired from our journey, but we'll be ready to party later!”
“Ok. Just remember, no bringing peanuts; these guys are allergic.” Pinkie said as she and Spike turned the elephants around and rode away in the noonday sun.
“That was.....weird.” Shining said.
“Nope, that was Pinkie Pie.” I said, making Twilight laugh.
Shining rolled his eyes and we walked to the library talking about what Shining and Cadence had been up to after their honeymoon. Shining and Cadence had been busy buying a home in 
Canterlot and managing the Solar Guard away from the Royal castle. Now that Shining was married, Celestia pulled him off the front lines. Shining and Cadence had also been busy meeting with dignitaries from foreign countries.
“So you guys know King Sharpbeak?” I asked the couple as we walked into the library.
“The griffon king? Yes, why?” Cadence asked.
“Did you go to the kingdom to meet him, or did he come here?”
“We went to the kingdom. Does it matter?” Shining inquired.
“Yeah! You should have seen him last time. He got smashed and was quite the sight.”
“Really? Wow....” 
“Yep. He can't hold a drink at all, but he's a riot when he's smashed. You'd be surprised how well he can fly.....”
“Do you have any other stories about the dignitaries?” Twilight asked over the couple's laughter
“Nah, we'd be up all night.”
“Then tell us what you've been up to.” Shining said.
Twilight and I took turns telling them about what has happened in my time in Ponyville. Twilight told him about everything, except the story of my last mission, and I added to the parts that she didn't know.
“Ditzy Hooves was a Captain in the Lunar Battalion!” Twilight exclaimed when I told them about the day I met the Doctor. 
“You didn't know that?”
“She just the mailmare, and usually she's a little....scatterbrained.” Twilight said a little ashamedly.
“She probably just got bored. Did she talk in a goofy voice?”
“Yeah. It made a lot of ponies think she's....” she trailed off.
“Ditzy just likes to mess with ponies. She also doesn't care what other ponies think of her. She's quite the amazing girl.”.
“She's like a sister to me.” I finished as I got strange looks from everypony.
They all nodded in understanding and Twilight and I continued telling them about our escapades. 
“...and then we came and picked you up.” Twilight finished, breathless.
“Oh, the room must be beautiful!” Cadence said, her eyes alight with anticipation. “I can't wait to see it!”
Shining looked at me with a raised eyebrow “So you're telling me an earth pony made this room with magic?”
“You wanna see how 'magical' it is?” I asked him, brotherly.
“Yes please!” Cadence answered for him. 
“Come on!” Twilight said, springing up the stairs. 
I rolled my eyes and went up a little slower with the anticipating couple. 
We reached   the top of the stairs where Twilight waited for us. It wasn't the best idea to wait at the top, since there was little room, but she was jubilant, so I brushed it off. 
“You go in first Crimson!” Twilight squealed excitedly. 
I carefully walked around the couple and Twilight, almost falling off the stairs in the process. I mentally told myself to make a railing for the stairs as I opened up the sliding door and walking into the room. 
I was greeted by a warm, gentle breeze. I looked proudly at the drapes surrounding the bed that swayed softly in the gentle breeze. I sighed contentedly as I walked away from the door to the balcony, allowing my friends to enter the room. I leaned on the bannister of the balcony as I heard the couple enter the room, signified by a loud gasp from Cadence. 
“You, you made this, Crimson?” Shining asked from behind me, sounding as surprised as he must have looked. I turned around to face them, but still leaned on the bannister. I saw that Shining was stunned and Cadence was estatic.
“Crimson, this is so beautiful! I can't believe you did this all for us!” Cadence said with glee as she spun in a circle taking in all the room had to offer.
“Yeah, I can't believe it either...” Shining muttered as he felt a pillar around the bed. “You really did all this with magic?” he asked skeptically.
“With good-old earth pony magic.” I replied smugly.
“I knew you had a few tricks up your sleeves, but this....” he said as he waved a hoof around the room.
“Shining! Don't be rude! Don't you love this?” Cadence said sharply.
Shining smiled at her and then smiled at me too. 
“Yeah, I actually do.” he said as he pulled Cadence to his side.
“Did you two bring any luggage?” Twilight asked while she examined the inside of the new wardrobe.
“Don't worry about it sis. The guards from the station will bring it all later. Plus, it's not like we packed a lot.”
“Why not?” Twilight asked surprised and a little crestfallen. Apparently she didn't care to find out how long they were staying from the letter.
“Oh you know....dead fish and house guests.....” Shining said weakly.
“What?”
“They both stink after three days.” I said flatly.
“No they don't! Well my house guests don't! Especially when it's Shining and Cadence!”
I walked past the mare rolling my eyes. “It's only an expression.”
“Oh.”
“So you wanna show us how you made this?” Shining asked with a sidelong smirk.
“Sure, but we have to go outside. I'll meet all of you there.” I said as I walked to the stairs and started to descend. I thought I just acted a little harsh, but Twilight.....she was so..... 
I felt just as excited as she did, but she was overdoing it. When Shining told her that they wouldn't be staying, she was so sad. Why didn't she act that way towards me? 
Holy buck. I was jealous. 
I stopped short as I realized this on the last step of the stairs. Was I really like that? Like a colt in love? Damn. I smacked myself to break my trance. Nah, that wasn't me. I really liked Twilight, I knew that much for sure. I also knew I felt happiest when I was with her and that I wouldn't give anything to be apart from her, but I couldn't be in love, right? 
But then, I remembered Fluttershy's words to me. Her words combined with my thoughts and just conflicted my feeling even more. 
Did I just want to have fun with Twilight? 
No, I knew I'd never want to do anything to hurt the beautiful mare.
Did I really lover her? 
I wasn't sure I could answer that right now.
But why? Is it because of Oakleaf?
No. Yes. Urgggh. 
I shook my head to clear my mind and found that I had subconsciously walked into my room. I took the act of my hooves as a blessing and grabbed my suitcase from under the bed. I undid the latches and put my gauntlets on, letting their feel and metallic sheen clear my mind of confusing thoughts and feelings.  I walked out of my room briskly to make sure I wasn't left alone with myself for too long, before more thoughts invaded my mind.
I stood at the door frame that separated the kitchen from the outside world. It was bright and warm outside in the noonday sun, with the same warm, gentle breeze wafting it's way in the backyard. Twilight, Shining, and Cadence were engaged in idle chit-chat. Twilight looked so happy and bright in the sunshine with her brother and sister-in-law. For a minute I thought of going back inside to leave them to their cheerful selves, but Twilight spotted me.
“Hey Crimson! What took you?” she asked happily from across the yard. 
I couldn't fight her addictive mood, so I smiled and stepped out into the light and crossed over to them. 
“Twilight told us about your gauntlets Crimson. May I see them?” Cadence asked me to my surprise. 
“Sure” I said as I loosened one off of my hoof. “But why?”
“Oh, my father, the Baron Mi Amore, loves to collect things like these.” she said as she looked at one of my gauntlets discerningly, flipping over and over in her hooves. “He has a a whole wall of swords used by all the pony cultures around the world. Dad also has a lot of other weapons like maces and some exotic things. He even has a full set of armor, yet nopony was crazy to use gauntlets alone.” she said looking up to me, with an uncharacteristic smile. 
“You came from Stalliongrad, correct?” she asked
“Yeah.”
“And your father's name?”
“Oh, it's Billows Steelhooves.”
She flipped the gauntlet back to me and I caught it. “I might have to have you introduce him to Dad; those gauntlets are some of the best pieces of metal work I've ever seen.”
I smiled proudly. “Thanks. But I never expected that you of all people would have a father into weapons.”
“Why?” she asked in all seriousness.
“You know, the whole love-magic thing.”
“Daddy has a love for weapons. To him, they are magic.” she said with a wicked smile.
I whistled, amazed to Shining. “Wow, you landed quite the catch.”
“Oh, I know it.” he said hugging her lovingly. “Now how about you show us how you made that room.”
“Ah! Of course. However, it might take a while, so may I offer you a seat?” I said politely and mischievously.
They looked at me confused as I loosed myself up to the earth and focused. 
Blocks of compact earth shot up from the ground underneath the trio of ponies. They all gasped in surprise and looked shocked, until they found themselves sitting in a crude, earthen couch. I disconnected myself  and bowed, giving a wave with my hoof.
They were all stunned for a second, until Twilight started clapping. Then Cadence gave a delightful twinkling laugh that made Shining break out of his amazed stupor and smile at me. Before they could ask any questions, I gave them a brief description of the properties of my gauntlets. Shining put a hoof under his chin and listened intently. Then he whispered something to Twilight which made her first frown, then light up in interest. She jumped up from the sod couch.
“Let me get my note pad first!” she said before teleporting  away.
Where was she off to?
“Crimson,” Shining said standing up from the couch too. “What do you say to a friendly little spar?”
I was shocked. So was Cadence.
“Shining, what in Celestia's name are you doing?” she shouted at him.
“We're not gonna fight with our hooves, but with magic!”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, before you came outside, Twi was telling us about how you created the room yesterday, and then went back in the night to create even more.” Shining said, his eyes aglow. “And then how you created the balcony this morning.”
“Yeah, but did she tell you how I was exhausted after each time.”
“Not this morning.”
“Oh please, the balcony was much easier than a whole room.”
He grabbed my face with his front hooves. “You don't understand Crimson! Making any of the things you managed to do, with just magic, could kill any other pony. Even a strong mage like me or Twi would have a hard time making just the balcony alone! You're much stronger than you know!”
I brushed him off of me, a little disgusted at him, but also lost in thought. Could I really be that strong? But I couldn't teleport, use telekinesis, or use any spells. Yet, I didn't see any unicorns who could mold the earth as I could. 
My thinking was broken by Cadence reprimanding Shining.
“How dare you?!” she yelled at him, tugging at his ear. “We're here not one day, and you already manage to anger your friends and cause some trouble! What is wrong with you!?!”
“Ow,ow,ow. Calm down dear.” Shining tried to assuage her.
Twilight teleported in on the spectacle and tried to separate the quarreling couple. Soon it became a large cacophony of chaos. 
“ENOUGH!” I shouted over the noise.
The three ponies stopped immediately in a pose I thought incredibly painful, yet funny.
“I'll do it. I want to see my limits. But nothing that we couldn't stop, ok?”
“Of course! It's just to see what you can do.” Shining said, attempting to nod his head while Cadence still held him in her headlock.
“And I'll record everything!” Twilight said from under Cadence's hooves.
Cadence looked angry, but she released the siblings. 
“Humph.” she said angrily, washing her hooves of us by going back to the sod couch and sitting down. She crossed her hooves and watched Shining with a glare that would put Celestia's sun to shame.
Twilight put us at opposite sides of the yard and drew two large boxes around us in the grass with magic. The lines glowed a pulsing purple as more lines sprung across the grass, putting my box and Shining's box into a larger one. It had a line across the middle and looked a lot like a hoofball field.
“Ok.” Twilight said sitting down next to a simmering Cadence. If she noticed Cadence was still pissed she must not have cared, because her pad and her quill floated above her ready to transcribe any notes.
“The object of this is to make the other mage submit. Normally, it would go on until one of you either submitted by will, or fell unconscious from exhaustion. However, this is only to test Crimson.” she said officially.
“You two can't leave the smaller boxes, and your spells are confined to the larger box. Nothing to serious boys. We don't want anypony getting hurt.” she said, casting a glance to a smiling Shining.
“You ready Shining?”
“You know it Twi.”
She looked to me. “Are you ready Crimson?” she asked softer.
I took a moment to connect myself to the earth, to feel it's power and mine, and also to ready myself. 
I opened my eyes. “Yeah. Let's get going.”
Twilight smiled, but looked at us with fierce intensity. 
“You make the first move Shining.” She told him.
He nodded and looked at me.
“Ready?” the sadistic lavender mare asked. 
“Go!”