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// Chapter 8; To See What is Not Seen 
// Story: This Day is Going to be Perfect 
// by Freewing Alchemist P 
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Chapter 8; To See What is Not Seen


     Shining Armor opened his eyes, the room was dark.
      The cabin seemed to be empty, Cadence was missing and nothing seemed to be stirring, no sound, it was not natural. Something was not Right! Shining immediately put up his guard and readied himself for anything. I’ve failed once, but not again! The raged to himself. He couldn’t let it happen again!
     He started to check the cabin there was still nothing. That’s when he notice a faint glow, it was coming from the bathroom. Shining knew that glow it was green it was, a changeling one must have followed them here. Rushing forward he threw the door open just in time to see the last of the pink Alicorn mare to fade away to reveal the sleek black form of a familiar foe.
    “Chrysalis! How did you get her?” Shining Armor raged. 
     She shook her head. “Oh dear, dear Shiny there never was a Cadence,” her voice lowered into a calming hiss.
    “What! No, your lying!”
    “Believe what you will but it is true, the real one was executed a looong time ago and I replaced her. I have been planning this for so long, but my stand in got a little too big for her own good and started to cause trouble. I must thank your pretty little sister for helping me. May be after I make you my King she can be my adviser?” Chrysalis mused. 
   “I will stop you this time!” Shining declared. 
   “How?”
  That’s when Shining started to notice his body moving closer to her’s. Her crooked horn lit up with green magic. His eyes forcefully forces on the glow. “Not this again!” 
    “No, this is different, now just look at the pretty little light and forget everything but our love and your obedience to me!”
    “No!” Shining shouted. 
    “Hush, just quiet…” She calmly said starting to lightly way her head. “Calm down and look, my love. It is for the best, watch the glow let it consumes your attention, you don’t want to look away and the more you look the more it become harder to think and the more loving and obedient you will become my king.”
   Shining could stop his eyes form following the glow as his body move inches away from her’s. Slowly she embraced him with her front hooves. “Let my embrace calm and relax you.” she hissed softly. Shining felt his muscles obey her wish as his eye continued to follow the light, the beautiful light. No, not beautiful! His thoughts tried to rage. Things were becoming cloudy. 
    “I do love you My Shiny that is why I’m going to make you my king and not a thrall. Just watch the light everything will be OK.” She flashed a fanged smile. 
    It was like quicksand, his body sunk deeper and deeper into Chrysalis’ hooves he eyes would not stop watching the light. Little by little the fog of his mind became worse and worse until all he would see was the light. He fought, he did but there was nothing he could do as he felt magic being to violate him. 
   “That is it Shiny almost there, OH  you will look so handsome.” Chrysalis voice said.
   Deeper, deeper and deeper he sank until he was floating in a sea of calm and bliss.
    No thoughts, no feeling, nothing but love. 
   “Wak-e, wak-e Shiny.” Chrysalis voice said.
   Shining’s yes opened. There was a massive black Changeling, two expansive insect like wing unferald  this changeling had a blue mane and was looking back at him.
    “You look so good now Shiny, say when we get back lets start with you sister and her friends. What do you say?”
    Shining was terrified as his voice answered back with a reverberated twist. “I like that idea my love.” He body replied
   “Nothing is going to stop us now, lets get to work on making a whole new batch of changelings. Chrysalis beckoned him to the wedding bed.  

    A gasp escaped Shining Armor as he woke up, sweat covered his face. Looking around he knew it was late, but the feeling wouldn't leave him alone. He quickly exited the room and himself. 
   Nothing out of place! He breathed a metal relief. A dream obviously, but it still didn’t make him feel better.  The dream was a product of his turbulent heart, he needed time to think about everything. 
    “Sorry Cady, have to get up.” He whispered softly to his bride, who was still deep asleep.
    He slid out of bed, trying not to wake his lover, he took a long look at his wife. His face took on a shape of someone in pain. Shining went out into the living room where a smoldering fire sat into a stone fireplace. He slumped down into a chair next to a dying fire and stared into the embers. Everything was still bothering him but he couldn’t elevate the pain in his heart.

    I was such a foal! He thought to himself. How could I not see it.
    Shining stood up and with his magic put another log on the fire and then pushed the coals around with a rod iron poker. I racked my sister's heart through coals, because I couldn't see. I almost ruined my sister's life, because I was so blind. He sat down in the chair again, and glanced back into the bedroom where his wife was sleeping.

    Looking back into the fire he wondered what he could do to stop this from ever happening again. He knew he was not very smart nor very studious, like his sister. He was powerful just like his sister, but he was more of a one trick pony. Shields that's all I'm good at, when it comes to magic that is. How can I ever be the strong supporter that Cadence needs if I can be so easily taken en. She needs a strong knight and a sure husband to support her and right now I'm neither. I need to do..." He stopped in mid thought.

    Shining’s eyes looked around the room, until his eyes fell on his wedding gifts. He noticed a scroll that sat on top of the other gifts. Curious he got up from the chair and unfurled it.

  

  Dear, BBBFF

    You probably just notice this gift, I had Spike send it  to you, so don't worry you didn't miss it. I found this spell in the Royal Library and I thought that it could be useful. I know that you aren't too good at learning new spells. You don't have a vast array. Your Shielding spell, a couple of attack spells, and some restraint spells, if I'm not mistaken?
    Well this spell could be used to unmask Changelings. The spell can break through magic that changes perception, such as the Changelings ability to become other ponies. You can try and learn it on our own, but if you're having trouble, then I'll help you learn it when you get back.

    Love, your LSBFF



    Shining studied the spell for a few moments. He started to scratch his chin in thought. "Brakes though magic that changes perception ah, that could be useful. I could use that..." An idea came roaming into his head. "Even if I master it, there's got to be a way to use it all the time.  I'm not like my sister, I can't just make up a new spell, even if I have an original to work from." Another idea came to him. "Yah, just may be..., What was it that Charming told me?" He said to himself.

    The memory came back. A time before he had began his relationship with Cadence. When he was dating a  unicorn named Charming Aspen, a specialist in charm magic. The two had just finished a lovemaking section, they laid in bed together, he was dozing while she was writing on her pillow case. He was use to a mares, and fillies, burning the midnight oil.
    "Charming, what are you doing?" He asked with his eyes still closed.
    "Working on a little something..." She replied childishly
    "Oh really," He opened his blue eyes and focused on her. "What is it, something world changing?"
    "Maybe? It is a way to apply charm magic to the body with out an intermediary." She respond still working on it.
    "I did not understand half, if not any of what you said." He told her.
    "Simply put, charm magic usually needs something to attach the magic too. Charm magic is release only when the conditions are right. Usually this conditions vary depending on the charm. What I am working on is a way to apply Charm magic to a living being without any thing else. Does that clear things up?"
    "A little," He looked down at the formula and examined it. "This will do it? Say, what's the difference between spells and charms?
    "Spells have to be cast the moment they are needed and you need an X amount of magic to complete any spell. A spell's power is equal to the amount of magic power in the caster's body. But charms can be use by any unicorn because you can charge the charm with power and in many case it can keep or even strengthen over time. A charm could be set up with a little magic now and  months even years later, I could use it and it would be just as good as a unicorn casting a spell the same day I use the charm. The charm can be used by non unicorn as well. Any better?"

    Shining laughed hesitantly. "I guess I'll take your word for it."
    "Simple, I can take a spell and picture it being wrapped around the object you want, like your shield spell. Then let another pulse of strait magic and picture the magic tying the spell to the object. Dose that help now?" Charming smiled.
    "A little, so why do you need a formula for all that?" Shining asked.
    "I only gave you a simplified and water down version of charm magic." Charming giggled and pushed a pillow into his face. Before she pounced on him again. "Ready for another round?"
    "You know it." He laughed.

    "That mare was insatiable," Shining said with a chuckle. "I just couldn't deal with her family, we had to part way,” He paused. “But she did point me towards Cadence. I wonder if she found her special somepony. I mean she is kind of wobbly, but get beyond that... though I didn't see her at the wedding." He thought about it for a moment. "Well, to be fair a lot of guest were missing after the first wedding..."

    Shining looked back at the spell and then remembered what Charming said. He smiled and nodded, it was a sound idea, right. He knew some of the formula and the basic idea so why wouldn't it work? He study the spell and got up from the chair and walked over to a full size mirror. He aimed his horn at the mirror and focused on his eyes, he slowly charged his spell and just as Charming said he slowly wrapped his eyes in the spell. When he was sure that his eyes were completely covered he readied to let out another burst of magic to seal the spell to his eyes. He focused letting another burst of magic energy build. With a deep breath and steady himself and then let his magic loose. The magic charge blasted from his horn and bounced off the mirror  and back into his face. He was thrown back and collide with the wall.

    Shining awake, he was not sure how long he was out. He didn’t wake Cadence. He wasn’t sure that he efforts worked. He looked around he could was something different, but it was all the same. He looked into the mirror and saw an unnatural sheen to his eyes, he seen that before when Charming had made them in front of him. "I think it worked," He breathed a smile crossed his face. "Can't be sure, but I'll see if I can talk to Charming when we get back."

    He was tired from all his work and he knew he need sleep. He didn’t notice a strange bleeding of magenta energy from his eyes. He could sense something was out of place but he couldn’t put his hoof on it. He returned to his wedding bed with his wife waiting for him. He was too tired and as soon as he put his head on the pillow he drifted off to sleep. While sound asleep his partner shifted slightly, only enough to reach Shining's ear.
    "Good night Gleaming Shield, my love, sleep tight." A voice that sounded like Cadence but slightly deeper. If Shining was still aware of his surrounding he would have noticed a more muscular, pink arm drape over him.