“Ponyville?” Armour asked incredulously.
“Uhhh...yeah... Princess Celestia wants me to go and organise the summer sun celebration.” Twilight stood before the golden carriage, with Spike stood just behind her. The little dragon was trying to focus on anything other than the two talking ponies. Armour couldn’t quite understand why this was had come so quickly, but he wasn’t one to argue with the princess.
Armour gave his sister a tight hug, burying his muzzle in her mane. “Be careful Twily, will you?” Twilight pulled herself away and gave him a beaming smile. The look didn’t help, in fact it hurt more knowing that she was putting on such a brave face, when he knew she didn’t want to really go! He hated seeing her doing things that went against her own wishes, but she was always so dutiful to the princess.
“I’ll be back in a few days big brother!” and with that she left on the golden carriage, leaving Armour to watch her go. He wasn’t stupid, he knew she could handle herself fine, but still it was the first time away from home!
So immersed in his thoughts, Armour didn’t notice the soft elegant hoofsteps from behind him. Slowly, Cadence made her way to the stallion’s side and watched as the carriage became a dot in the sky. “Are you ok?” She asked. The stallion nodded bitterly.
“I don’t know what it is! But there’s...something, I can’t quite put my hoof on.” The stallion’s mood became sombre and moody as he stared at the little blot on the horizon that was Ponyville. Cadence knew if she didn’t do something, he would only get worse. So without hesitation she flung her hoof around the stallion’s foreleg, holding it tightly, and rested her head on his shoulder.
“Come on!” She said, smiling up at him encouragingly, “Let’s go on that date!” Armour frowned.
“It’s not eight yet.” Cadence arched an incredulous eyebrow.
“You’re joking right?”
“A little.” Armour winked, and the two headed off for the nearest restaurant. Armour took a quick glimpse back, still unsure, but even as he did Cadence gave a happy sigh as she nuzzled closer into his thick warm fur.
“She’ll be fine.” The former foal sitter said happily, “She’ll have fun, don’t you think it’s time you did too?” and with that she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
The contact of her lips seemed to fill him up with courage, confidence and an entire plethora of happy feelings. And finally, Armour stopped thinking of Twilight as his baby sister in need of a sitter, but as a young mare, ready for anything. Which meant he saw Cady in a completely different light. As he glanced down at her, walking with her foreleg entwined with his, her head so naturally nuzzled into his neck and shoulder, he thought a wild and unbelievable thought!
‘This could be the mare I could spend the rest of my life with!’
And the rest... You already know.