His breath was labored, as the small cloud in front of him disappeared amongst the fog. With each troubled exhale, another came and went. His head ached, with each thought and emotion racing through his head. The cold that bit at his coat was noticeably more potent than yesterday.
The blades of grass beneath his hoof had a disturbingly blanket of white on them, frozen from the frost in the air. Each step providing a sickeningly loud, but satisfying crunch. As the frozen meadow moved to accommodate his hoof, he felt some of the icy blades cut at his ankle. He shivered, as the sight of a singular bench came into view.
His lonesome mind shot towards the subject of this solitary seat. In the middle of a small field, inside a forest, a single, obviously unused bench sat patiently. As he strode closer, he was able to make out the rotting wood and rust. He reached out his hoof, and gently pressed down upon the wood bench. It held its own, and despite the look, seemed very sturdy.
In a very methodical, yet weak motion, Shining Armor sat himself upon the bench, groaning in his dismay. As his apathetic eyes turned toward the mist in front of him, his ears were met with the irritating sound of silence. He couldn't hear her voice, nor the flap of her wings. He longed to hear her voice glide across the air, not like the sharp bark of orders he would receive and give. She felt like the only source of solace amidst the constant routine of marching and exertion the Guard put on him. She was his getaway, his vacation from his harsh lifestyle.
And now Cadence was gone.
Off to some land in some other nation. He wasn't really paying too much attention to the details. His mind was reeling too much from revelation. He could tell she too was considerably less than pleased about the turn of events. The two of them had spent so much time together, even before his initiation. To have to be separated like that, without knowing when she would come back, if at all. The thought crushed him, as he rested his head against the back of the bench.
The wood was cold to the touch, as he suspected. His cheek felt like fire in comparison, but soon the two came to a warm compromise. The mist around him only seemed to get thicker as time wore on.
His mind began to paint beautiful pictures. Cadence could canter right up to him, and he wouldn't know. She could quietly sit right next to him, and console him. His crippling loneliness wanted nothing more than to see the pink alicorn step forth from the opaque curtain in front of him. His depression deepened with each passing second that nothing had emerged.
With nothing to focus on in the physical world, his mind began to sift through his memories, plucking the most pleasant ones of her for him to relive. She had been there for a majority of his life to date, and he hoped that would continue. He treasured his time with her almost as much as the alicorn herself. The past visions were a soothing aid against his sorrow. Cadence's smile was the highlight of every one.
It still baffled him how he managed to win her heart, but he certainly wasn't one to question a blessing. He actually managed a chuckle, as he relived his past self. His slender, rather scrawny form was pitiful, and he was belittled for it. His looks, his friends, and his interests seemed to be the absolute opposite of what was considered 'popular.'
Even if Cadence was considered to be the height of beauty, he caught her eye. It took a grand display for the Fall Formal Parade to turn her curiosity into interest. The dance cemented their relationship, or at least laid down the foundation.
Then came his interest in the Royal Guard. He had to sacrifice his old school for his new studies in the Military Academy, but Cadence's foalsitting responsibilities allowed them to still see each other. A twinge of guilt overcame him as he recalled some of her reactions to his more potent injuries. She was rather skilled at the role of a nurse.
His favorite memory of that year was escorting Cadence to his house one afternoon. Traveling through his old school, he got multiple curious looks towards his bigger, more muscular form. He wasn't the scrawny nerd he used to be. The looks of surprise, admiration, and even envy caused his pride to soar. His chest puffed out as he trotted the halls, towering over those whom once taunted him.
The two grew closer with each passing year. Finding the two apart was a challenge, even for the Princess. A simple joke from the alicorn raised a very serious, but very enticing prospect. Soon, the topic of marriage hovered over them. However, it was less about the act itself, and more about how it wouldn't work.
They were too young, even if they were certain of their decision. Regardless of their age, the circumstances regarding Shining Armor's class raised some hurtful gossip. Cadence wasn't worried about her image, but worried about the validity of the union. Marrying someone below her station was the equivalent to forfeiting her title. While she was willing, Shining Armor convinced her otherwise. It would simply be something to work out in the future.
But with her sudden departure, would they still have a future?
Shining's head hung low, his sighs of resignation growing weaker. He had no choice to succumb to this fate. He would see her again, and he could stand by her side once more. He wasn't a patient stallion, that much he could admit to himself, but he would wait. Protecting her from whatever cataclysms they would face. He was her knight, in almost every way. It was his duty to protect her. His directive to respect her, and admire her. He was fortunate enough for her to return the feelings. That much he was thankful for. She was his charge, one he would personally guard until the end of time.
And now, he was guarding no one.