Bringing a lost empire into the modern age is stressful enough, but for a pair of young lovers, the weight can be difficult to bear. Fortunately, their love is stronger than ever. Their vows to one another the solid foundation of their marriage. There is nothing he wouldn't do to protect her from harm, nothing he wouldn't do to show his love. But, whether he is Captain of the Guard or Prince of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor is her stallion, first and foremost. Her beloved. For the one who captured her heart, Princess Cadence will protect him from that which would harm his spirit—whether he knows it or not.
Editing and prereading done by The Albinocorn, Bad_Seed_72, Foals Errand, Meridian Prime, and Zodiacspear
Artwork originally done by Silfoe/RoyalSketchbook and used with permission.
I will be watching this, and when I'm less bouncy, I will sit down and read it. Bounce. Bounce.
5758399 The best kind of tax.
5758470 So... bouncy... can't... stop... O______O
You'd think that a stallion who isn't scared off by Discord, Tirek, or a bear attack wouldn't cringe away from his own wife.
5759296 Ah, but he does not have to live with them :P
5759300
That doesn't mean one should cower to them. It sets a bad precedent.
5759308
More accurately, I've never had a girlfriend I can't trust to be reasonable and keep a cool head during stressful moments. Or, at the least, I've never had one for very long.
I don't deal with unreasonable people when I can help it, much less date or marry them. And I don't submit my life for someone else's review.
5759308
And when that woman is a magical princess, that fury is amplified.
You'd better keep that woman happy, otherwise you might not live to regret it.
5759313 Thing is, he knows why he's in trouble. He mislead Cadance about what he had planned for training and then got hurt during the run. So... It's not so much "Please don't hit me!" as it is "Oh, I'm toast."
5759353
Is she his mother or something? It's a run through a forest, nothing illicit. At most, something to talk over civilly. It's a bad idea to let yourself get pushed around in a relationship, even if the other party has good intentions.
Moreover, for all the guys out there, women don't like men who are afraid of them. It's bad juju.
5759393 Consider it like this: with Tirek and Discord, he only has to deal with them until their dealt with. with Cadence, it's for the rest of his life and everyday. Which would you rather have angry at you?
Besides a man shouldn't fear his woman, he should respect her. A real man doesn't dominate over his woman, he works alongside her for a healthy and fun relation.
Frankly, we really need more stories of Shining and Cadance's daily lives. Good on you! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; it's almost pitch-perfect as far as how I'd actually imagine the two of them in married life. I can't tell you how excited I am to know that more chapters are coming!
5759393
There's a very fundamental difference between Discord/Tirek and Cadance that I'm not sure you're understanding. Discord and Tirek and Sombra and every other villain that Shining Armor has faced is just that: a villain. He doesn't respect them or consider them important beyond the fact that they're a threat to Equestria and the people he loves. Of course he wouldn't back down or cower in fear when he feels the need to protect those he cares about from them (hence his cutie mark and the whole shield magic thing to protect Canterlot).
Cadance, on the other hand, is his wife. He cares about her very, very deeply (the extent of their love is evident when it was strong enough to blast the Changelings out of Canterlot). Unlike the villains listed above, he respects, loves, and is in a committed relationship with her that will likely run the rest of his life. Because he cares about her and intimately cares about how she feels towards him, he'd be a lot more concerned with trying to make her happy and keep their relationship positive. Lying to a villain or someone you don't care about holds next to no consequences for one's morality. If they mean nothing to you, then it's easy to lie or mislead them. For someone like Cadance (and her relationship to Shining), being open and honest is an immensely important aspect of the relationship. If I lied/misled/whatever to anyone who is significant in my life (a parent, a sibling, a close friend, a significant other), then I'd be damn worried about what consequences lying would have on my relationship with them.
5760458 Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed it! Originally, I was planning to do a fic about how they got together, but then I realized that I could have just as much fun showing a young couple going through their day to day lives, coupled with how they deal with governing over a civilization that's been frozen in time. Bit of a chance to practice a little world building as well as the utter adorableness that is Shining Armor and Cadance.
Hope you enjoy the rest.
Seems like Shining is about as pushover with other ponies as he is with villains. Why does he let others hit him? He needs to find some self-respect for himself. He'll be sleeping on the coach and probably not even thinking why he lets someone have the authority to order where a grown stallion can sleep.
Well she could always start from her controlling behavior
Well you got me interested for now, I want to know where this goes from here.
Please tell me this isn't going to go all like "Alicorn Instinct" on me.
Whipped like the family pig.
I do love me my Shining and Cadance living in the Crystal Empire stories. And this one looks promising so far!
I can understand what Snake Staff is talking about and I agree in some ways. Their relationship seems a little lopsided. Shining armor is child-like and Cadance is the overly worrisome motherly type. They hardly seem like their married, but then again, they just got married, right? With that in mind, you can imagine that there would be some dysfunction, until things get worked out. Not to mention that rebuilding the Crystal empire from the rubble is not the most conducive to an equilibrium in their relationship.
Cadance is worried and rightly so. It is her new husband, after all, and she doesn't want to lose him. She just has not figured out a productive way to handle that fear. Shining armor on the other hand, is trying to balance protecting the empire to the best of his ability, and spending quality time with his love. Both are struggling to find balance between spending time with each other, and going about their royal duties. It seems to me that they haven't quite figured things out yet emotionally, and I think that is what ZOMG has in mind.
This is a great story and plot line (from what I can tell at least.) but please do check your spelling and grammar errors, at it is a personal pet peeve of mine. Sorry for being so pushy. I can't wait to read more!!!!
I'm loving this so far, great start.
5762086 I'm honestly not sure why this comment got a thumb down. It's probably the most even-keeled of those making observations and doesn't try to make the accusation that Shining is either cowering to Cadance or that he's whipped. Frankly, you hit on something that I wanted to accentuate while outlining this: they are very young lovers who have suddenly had the duties of ruling over an Empire dropped in their lap.
So, kudos to you, reader person!
5759393
You do make a good point there. However, what ZOMG noted is also true. Shining Armor kept his intentions secret from her. He could've tried to talk things through, but he didn't even give her the option. And considering what happened, any possible objections she might have had would've been right. On top of that, she might not be his mother, but since he's still referred to as captain here, she outranks him. So, essentially, he kept his commanding officer in the dark about a training session with recruits in dangerous territory, and subsequently got injured in a situation that was entirely avoidable.
I have a suspicion what the Council's mystery note is about. It could just happen to be an inquiry about when they can expect an heir to their beloved rulers.
I love the "just married" vibe these two are giving off. Clearly we've stepped into the phase of their lives while they're still working out all the things a newly married couple tends to. With a few complications such as rank, standing, and the mild implication that the council wants to know if there will be heirs sometime soon.
This is an excellent opening chapter, it does everything it's supposed to. Sets the scene, motifs, and implications of what the story will be about. A few too many authors on this site forget that, and wonder why no one reads their stuff. This definitely does the job right, and you have my steadfast approval. Keep writing! :D
5764708
Well given what's shown, it's not really that far-fetched, isn't it? We readers get to see where Cadence is coming from, but the little we've read from Shining you've already given him three points which definitely imply pushover status. It's a reasonable assumption. Slight exaggerating probably for now until more is revealed, but there are strong hints given already.
Though I agree with the downvote. It was rather sound post focusing on the other parts.
5764853
Seeing how quickly Cadence connect the dots on Shining's true intention, I'd say he's done it before and how Cadence acting I can see why he would resort to half-truths. Which again plays into my pushover assumption, as he is not capable of standing his ground and doing his job properly without bending down to Cadence.
5765733
I'm afraid I have to reply by using part of your own message:
There's a lot more to come with these two.
5765820
Well I was hoping to get more than that. I'll take back what I've commented when it's shown that he isn't a pushover, until that, I have my worries.
Besides, how normal is it for ponies to hit others on a whim?
5765954 Uh, we could start with the number of times that one of the mane six has grabbed Rainbow Dash by the tail as she tries to go flying off. That's probably very painful for a pony, not to mention how it could be taken as an invasion of personal space.
5765969
Fair point. Though it does clash a bit since you're mixing up slapstick and actual bleeding injuries.
5766031 Such is the nature of the show, to be honest. We've had Rainbow Dash run full on into a building and laugh it off, but then get injured by a falling rock. Pony durability in canon is entirely subjective to what the plot demands.
I like this story so far. Hope to see more in the future.
Oh and that end though, Shining will have a lot of explaining to do.
Can't wait to see where you go with this. Excellent start, mang.
A fantastic read, friend! World needs more Caddy and Shiny slice-of-life fics. Though I think you may have gone a bit overboard with Cadence being the worried housewife.
5786867 Hey, thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed the first chapter. To your point on Cadance being a bit overprotective, there are a few reasons for that. Canon basis is, of course, centered around what she remembers from their wedding, but also from how Tirek robbed him of his magic and, frankly, could've killed him without a thought. True, Cadance was also in danger, but I think both of us can agree that anxiety isn't always rational. Additionally, within the fic itself, she's under quite a bit of stress dealing with an economy that has to be pulled into the modern age, a population that has been slumbering for a thousand years, and what the Council wants (no spoilers for you!). All in all, Cady's being pulled in a few directions, and Shiny getting hurt is something that, I feel, would set her off.
If you disagree, I'm happy to discuss. Always welcome to outside opinions and critiques. Thanks again.
5787101
No, I agree. With my story Finding Your Place, I did my best to give both Cadence and Shining a bit more depth to them. I drew from the comics, admittedly, mainly because their characterization in the show has been somewhat lacking. I tried to have both of them be a bit more mature in helping Spike with his growing problems, but I like very much what you did here. Seeing Shining as a bit of a hen-pecked husband was very cute. Can't wait to see where you go from here!
5787169 Yeah, they do need a bit more characterization in the show, but it does hint that they're both very caring and laid back off duty. I tried to draw from the comics, in that Shiny was a bit of a dork and Cadence knows what buttons to push to make him blush and delights in doing so. For this, I wanted to play with what a young couple such as them might go through with having the weight of governing the Crystal Empire fall on them.
You keep teasing this big secret so hard, you're gonna give the fic Blue Balls...
5807283 I was once called the biggest cock tease on another fic writing site...
Food for thought~
I actually haven't heard that one before. I like it!
5807890
She's the Princess of Love, and all that entails~
This chapter is better than the last! Really enjoy how you have the interaction between the two. Keep up the good work and I can't wait for the next chapter!
5807890 Molestence? Or Molestance. Which ever.
I'm liking how you're developing the relationship between Cadance and Shining Armor. They feel more three dimensional in their interactions in this fic, and as I'm always open to more fics with the two as a couple, this pleases me greatly. I also can't help but feel that something big is going to go down later on. Anyway, nicely done as usual, and I'm curious to see where it goes next.
Please write this.
Seriously though, great update. I can't wait to see what the Council wrote, and what it means for Shiny and Cady.
5813166 Oh? So that's the clopfic you want me to write now? Well to that I say...
Maybe. Skype me, Baddie.
Again, I'm forced to ask: why does he let her push him around? She isn't his mother, and it isn't healthy for either one of them to act as though she is. Also, on a more personal level, it's a romance-killer.
5817472 As for why Cadance is so protective: similar reasons to why Shining is overprotective and hides things from her. Unfortunately, telling would be spoiling half the plot. If being over protective is a problem, I'm sorry. This is how I see their characters acting, and they do have reason for acting this way.
Can't help ya with your personal stuff, dude. Also, not sure why you've brought it up again when you told another reader that you don't put your personal life out there to be judged. Might want to get rid of that part if that's the case.
5818396
I wasn't referring to myself. I was talking broad principles with the first statements (individuals do not benefit by acting as though someone is someone else's mother when they're not) then bringing it to the level of individual relationships. Mothers, after all, do not romance their children - or at least I should certainly hope not.
5817472
May I ask how acknowledging the fact that your actions and decisions directly affect the people closest to you, all the while letting them know their thoughts and opinions matter to you, qualifies as being pushed around?
5821230
Around the point where you let yourself get berated like a child or apparently have allowed yourself to be exiled from your own bed. The time-out chair is for five-year-olds, not grown adults.
5821210
Strawmanning is such a convincing argument. Please, continue.
5821256
Adults have the maturity to realize they made a mistake, which Shining did. They also have the maturity to apologize, which Cadance did.
And a cool-down period after a fight never hurt anyone. If anything, it helps. Things calm down, and the issue can be approached rationally again.
5821256
Really? It is for children only? What about sports?
Being benched is a timeout chair. Of a rather literal sort. That's an adult thing. There are rules at play. Relationships have rules, just as sports do, and breaking those rules has to have consequences, or both sides will run roughshod over one another in a cycle without end.
That's usually how most poor relationships end. Accepting rules, and bowing to another's judgement is a sign of maturity. Pouting in the timeout chair and refusing to learn from the experience or think about it is a sign of immaturity. Children pout on the timeout chair.
Adults learn from it. Both the one doing the chastising, and the one being chastised. Sometimes one or both are wrong, and they need to have the maturity to see it, recognize it, and learn from it. That's life.
I think in a new marriage, with both of them still learning the intricacies, there are bound to be mistakes made on both sides, and lessons learned, and they grow together. Hopefully never to make the same mistake again.