by Knight of Lycaeus
~~~
Shining Armour sighed as sat inside his office, Spike had accompanied him when they both left the restaurant and the mares last night. Last night had been rough for both of them and so he had decided to stay in his office instead of returning home. Some space was probably best after last night, though he hoped his and Spike’s plan worked out he still had doubts. Doubts that were very much real given how well he knew the two mares in question. He sighed again, asking Cadance out had been a dream come true and we was reminded of how they met. That wonderful spring day at the park where he ran into a fleeing ball of fluff, the ball of fluff turned out to be a small kitten that gave the air of one who enjoyed leading her owner on a merry chase. Said owner appeared shortly behind the fast kitten, a worried pink pony who was trying to find her kitten only to see her resting on Shining Armour.
That day was the start of a friendship that continued to grow once the two began spending more time together. That small mischievous ball of fluff was an ever present part of these early years. Even now with that first cat gone, one of her kittens still managed to cause the same amount of chaos as her mother did.
Shining continued to fill in the paperwork at his desk before a knock on his door interrupted his work. Outside his office was the last two ponies he had hoped to not see but at the same time knew would come to see him. Outside was his close friend Cadance and his sister Twilight.
He spoke a rather awkward “Hello” before leading them into his office. Knowing what was to come, he walked over to the adjacent room where a simple bed had been set up. Spike had also spent the night in Shining’s office and for their talk to proceed all of them needed to be present. “Spike. Spike.” as he gently nudged the drake.
“I’m up”, as Spike yawned. “So what’s going on?”
“Cadance and Twilight are here.”
At this Spike sat up straight and got quickly got off the bed. He went into the main part of the office and on two of the chairs was Cadance and Twilight. “Um, morning?” trying to greet the newcomers.
Twilight answered, “Morning Spike.”
Spike and Shining both two seats in the room and although the four were present and seated, none could figure out how to muster the first word.
Eventually Spike broke the silence, “Right. Last night….”
Twilight picked up from where Spike trailed off, “Yes, last night. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about what you two attempted.” turning and glaring at Shining, “Or what you were trying to do by dumping Cadance through a letter.”
Shining sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot this morning, “I…. I thought it was the best way forward. When I asked Cadance out while we were docked at the Gryphonic Empire I thought I had my dream come true. But every time she said “I Love You”, I could tell her heart wasn’t really into it. What else could I have done but end it before we did something stupid or we would regret.”
“But do you regret this?” Cadance growled. All of the others present knew things were bad if Cadance, normally very calm, was nearing the point where she would raise her voice. “How long have we known each other? Why couldn’t you have told me in pony.” she screamed out even as she began to break down and cry. Last night she felt shock for Shining even attempting this sort of stunt, today was more of fury and crying as what had happened finally set in.
Twilight glared at the males in the room, “You’ve been working with her the last couple of years and have known her for longer than that. You could have given her the courtesy of telling her in pony. So why? Why did you not tell her yourself?”
Another sigh from Shining, “I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I’m supposed to be brave especially as I work to protect Equestria and its Princesses but even this could not prepare me for talking to Cadance. I-I” taking a deep breath, “I’ve tried. So many times to tell her it wouldn’t work. But I just couldn’t, each time I was plagued by doubts, I was stuck. Twily, you remember the story of how I first met Cadance right?”
Twilight nodded.
“Well that day brought us close together. We became close, we were of two different worlds. Her life among the nobles had prepared her well but she always had a sense of empathy and understanding some others sort of lack. Our family despite their long lineage and noble status is more relaxed on protocols. Her upbringing always made her stand out when compared to me, to others. It felt like we were two world, similar but separate and would never join.”
“So how does this relates to your difficulty with telling Cadance?”
“The feeling of two worlds, even as I became friends I always felt this barrier between us. Even now I’m still a coward for not telling you in pony but it’s because I could never muster the strength or resolve to do so.”
“So you wanted me on a pedestal?” Cadance asked, she had calmed slightly but there was still a hardness in her eyes as she spoke to Shining.
Shining eyes widen, “No, that’s not it. Its just…. It’s always been hard to find voice to speak, I’ve never been good with speaking” Shining sighed, “But the letters was also something to put distance, after this I didn’t know if I could face you.”
“Shining we work together, facing me is something that happens all the time.” asked a confused Cadance.
Shining remained silent but Cadance remembering this was Shining’s office used her magic to lift the current forms Shining had been working on. The first was Request for Reassignment, the second a Letter of Recommendation praising another pony, last was a Letter of Resignation.
“Y-you’re going to resign” as she understood the lengths Shining would go to distance himself.
“I was. I didn’t know if I could face you again after this. Not right away at least. There have been rumours of something in the North, I was requesting a transfer.”
“Away from your family?” this time it was Twilight who nearly yelled in Shining’s face. “You’ve already been away for so long.” Twilight had actually given the forms a quick read after Cadance had picked them up. “If this goes through you likely won’t return to Equestria for five years at the bare minimum.”
Cadance also picked up on this, ‘You would go this far? To leave me, to leave everything? Why?”
“Fear, uncertainty. I don’t really know except that I-”
“Stop.” Spike spoke out for the first time since the conversation began. His voice was not loud but it was calm, calmer than the other three in the room were; he had placed in himself between the three arguing ponies. His figure was nowhere as intimidating as an fully grown dragon but his voice in that moment was enough.
“Stop, just stop. This is going nowhere at all. You” pointing at Shining, “are afraid. You” pointing at Cadance, “are hurt from all of this” And you” pointing at Twilight, “are again caught in the middle.”
Spike took a deep breath, “Shining” he turned to face the stallion, “you have been family to me. Maybe a brother. I’ve always thought you were brave and strong. The letter may not have been brave but it still was, you ended it before it could get worse.” Spike sighed, “I didn’t and it took me so long to end things with Rarity. It may not have been good but not continuing this relationship was likely better, I understand.”
A deep breath, “Cadance”, he turned to face the alicorn, “you’re also close to me and you’re hurt by this and I also understand. You think something will work and then it doesn’t, you’re unsure of how to handle it and if things are right. Rarity was the same, when we talked after it ended. she told me she wasn’t sure what she felt for me. She had thought things may be okay but in the end it was better for us that we didn’t go for it.”
Another deep breath, “And Twilight”, turning to the unicorn, “you were there when things ended for me and Rarity. This is like that again but closer since we’re family. Picking a side in a fight has the potential to ruin friendships but sometimes you need to do so to ensure that things can work out in the end; that’s something you learned from it so remember that. But I meant what I wrote though, Cadance and you probably have a better shot than me and Rarity.”
The three ponies were all stunned to hear the small drake speak, and to speak with authority and knowledge on a subject such as this. Twilight however understood why, she had been there for the fallout of Spike and Rarity’s attempt for a closer relationship. “I think,” Twilight braced herself, “I think we have more to discuss but I think we also need space to calm down. Shining, Cadance, Spike is right about it. We could only solve this by talking but things are too heated right now, maybe we should have waited a few days before we got together. That’s what I’m suggesting, we take some time and give it a few days and then talk, perhaps without everypony’s temper running high.”
It took some time but Cadance eventually spoke, “Fine” her shoulders slumped, “a few days apart may be enough to cool down.”
Shining nodded, “Fine, a few days then.
Cadance left first but Twilight lingered a bit, “You really hurt Cadance with this and I’m still angry with you for it. But Spike’s right, we all need to calm down first.” Twilight picked Spike with her magic and left Shining in the office alone.