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// The best foal sitter! 
// Story: Moments of Heaven 
// by Slick Dash 
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“You know, you’ll always be the best foal sitter to me Cadence!” Twilight said happily as the two lay there, admiring the latest book Twilight had bought. Cadence laughed, frowning at her magenta friend.
“Where did that come from Twilight?” 
“Well, I’m obviously too old for a foal sitter, but I want you to know I still think of you as the best one ever!” Cadence blushed. She glanced away quickly, trying not to make her eyes well up with tears. 
“Come on Twilight, don’t do this to me! You’re going to make me cry!” 

Twilight’s face fell. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! It’s just that...I...” Cadence put a calming hoof over the younger mare’s shoulders and squeezed gently.
“It’s ok Twilight, you just caught me off guard is all. I know you’re older now, and I guess it kind of scares me knowing you don’t need me anymore.” Twilight gave her a huge smile.
“I’ll always need you Cadence!” and with that she gave her former sitter a tight embrace. To which Cadence returned in kind.
“And I’ll always be here Twilight!” 

As the two continued to glance through the book, Twilight noticed something in one of the pages she was about to turn over. “Elements of harmony...” She muttered.
“Twilight?” Cadence asked, leaning over to glance at what Twilight was reading. “The power of the elements of harmony is without equal...” she recited thoughtfully. She glanced at the studious mare. “Mean anything to you Twilight?” The unicorn sat there scratching her head. 
“I’m sure I have... somewhere!”

After a few minutes of silent thinking. Twilight stood very suddenly. “I can’t think in here! I’m going to go down by the pond, maybe the fresh air will help jog my memory.” And as soon as the idea had sprouted from her lips, Twilight was gone. 

Cadence glanced around the room; she was now alone in Twilight and Armour’s house! This was strange, though she had barely been able to visit lately; she could still remember every detail from when she had come every week to tend to the little purple foal, now fully grown and gallivanting around Canterlot. She stood, and glanced around the living room, as though being reunited with an old friend.

But this was improper! She shouldn’t be in somepony’s house when they aren’t! So getting to her hooves, she made her way to the door. As she reached the mat on the inside of the door however, she saw the doorknob turn of its own accord. Cadense frowned, then realised who it must be. As the door opened, she smiled to the waiting pony. “Forget something?” she laughed.

Her chortle died as she realised it wasn’t Twilight. 
“Uhhh... no, I just got off duty.” Laughed the stallion, who now came in to the house. “What are you doing here Cady?” He asked bemusedly before he began to pull at the strap holding his Captain’s armour to his chest with his teeth. 
“I was here with Twilight.” 
“She just left, I bumped into her on the way up.” 
“Yeah,” The mare blushed. “She kinda left me here.” 
“Oh...” The stallion realized. Standing straight and looking over to the princess. 

For a moment they stood there in awkward silence. Then Armour tried to resume taking off his armour, with little to no avail. Cadence watched as the stallion grew frustrated with the defiant little leather strap. Giving a small laugh she came over to the captain. 

“Here, let me do it.” she said as she began to undo the strap from a less awkward position than Armour. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she worked the stubborn material out of the buckle, and finally gave a little puff of relief as it fell away. “There you go.” she said. Armour gave her a fleeting smile, then quickly glanced away. 
“Thanks.” He muttered as he began to work on the second one, now far less awkward now the first buckle had been undone. “I don’t know what I’d do without you Cady.” He said happily, then froze. 

Did he just say that? What on earth possessed him to say THAT?! 
“You’d probably collapse under the strain of dressing yourself!” Cadence joked leaning down to meet the captain’s eye and winking at him. He gave a nervous laugh in response, and Cadence stood straight. She was a little disappointed; she had hoped he would be a little more open with her, like he used to be.

She wanted the stallion who she had joked with and accidently kissed, not this silly quiet wreck of resent months! With a sigh, she turned and headed for the door. “I’ll see myself out.” She grumbled, and reached for the door that hung ajar before her.

“Wait!” came a quick and panicked cry from behind her. Before she turned, Cadence risked a small smirk, maybe he was going to be like his old self! It was the first time he had shown interest in her lately! 
“Yes?” She asked as innocently as she could as she turned to him. He had finally succeeded in removing his armour and placing it on its mannequin in the corner of the living room. Slowly, his horns glow faded as he placed the glinting metal in its place. 

“Cady... I was wondering...” the captain began, taking a few tentative steps back towards the alicorn mare. 
“Yes?” She asked again, urging him to continue. She was hoping, more than anything that he would finally act on her promise, though at the time it had been a joke. She now hoped he thought her words to be true. For him to think he could try because he was finally the captain of the guard!

Armour laughed slightly at the expression he was observing from Cadence, her eyes were wide and glinting in the light. She looked more beautiful than ever! Which made this all the more difficult! He continued to approach her, and she began to move back towards him too. Within moments they were right ahead of each other. Yet the blushing Shining Armour continued forward slowly.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing here...in fact; I haven’t even got the slightest clue! But...” their faces were quite close now. 

Armour gulped, obviously nervous. “I...We’ve known each other for such a long time Cady, and... I was wondering.” He was beginning to get flustered. Cadence couldn’t believe what she was witnessing, to usually cool and confident Shining Armour was actually stuttering and babbling like a school colt. But most of all, she couldn’t believe that Shining armour was building up to what she thought he was. 

“And Twilight loves you so much... I wanted to know if you’d... possibly”- He was cut short by a sudden weight pushing him back. It was Cadence. She held him close, and brought her lips to his ear. The pearly white ear twitched as he listened to what she whispered.
“I’m free tomorrow night.” With that she let him go and made her way to the door, leaving Armour in an amazed daze. 

As she opened the door with her faded blue magic, she took a quick glance over her shoulder. “Pick me up at eight.” And with that she was gone. 

Armour stared at the gaping door that Cadence had stood in moments ago, yet again he gulped, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. Yet he couldn’t. Why was it still there? He shouldn’t be nervous! He should be happy! The mare he liked had just agreed to go on a date! NOTHING COULD RUIN THIS DAY!