(The Crystal Empire, The Barracks)
When Shining Armor, Shadow Armor, Burning Star, and the rest of the Elemental Masters arrived at the Crystal Empire a few days ago, they were immediately warned of the army on the outskirts of the city.
Burning Star sat at a table with Princess Cadence, discussing with her his plan to defeat Diamanda once and for all.
He, alongside his fellow Element Masters would prepare a ritual that would drastically change the climate in the area, so the Windigos would lose their biggest advantage, the cold.
But this required time to work, Burning Star asked Cadence and Shining to put up a shield around the Crystal Empire while he gathered his friends together, the estimated time of completion was the problem.
Hearths Warming Eve.
The day on which no pony really wanted to do anything other than celebrate the holiday joy with their family and friends.
It was a day of holiness, a day of celebration...
Not a day for warfare!
Shadow Armor sat looking out upon the training soldiers, he had a look of loneliness on his face, he missed the days when he only had to fight for himself...
Cadence appeared from behind him and said, "Hey Shadow Armor, you ok? You seem... alone. I heard about what happened to Tempest Shadow... I'm sorry that happened."
Shadow Armor responded with a callous growl, "You weren't there, you don't know how it feels to lose somepony close to you."
Candence sadly nodded, "You're right, I don't know what it's like, but I can sense that it weighs heavily on your heart... did you really care for her that much?"
Shadow Armor sighed in frustration, "Yeah. Go on, laugh it up, laugh out loud that the tough and gritty Shadow Armor had a crush... I don't blame you."
Princess Cadence smiled a warm smile, "No. I would never laugh at somepony who lost their lover. It's wrong, those ponies should be comforted for their loss."
Cadence gripped Shadow Armor in a hug that made the black knight gasp in surprise.
She then said, "Maybe, somepony here would like to go out with you... you know that you are a bit of a ladies magnet in the Crystal Empire. At least that is what I hear from some of the ladies in my spa group."
Shadow Armor broke his stoic position with a surprised deep breath and glare, "What? What are you saying? That somehow, I am a object of attraction amongst mares I have never seen and/or interacted with? Princess, don't make me laugh. I have not made any attempts to attract the attention of a female, so what are you insinuating?"
Cadence's face went into a mad grin, "I think I owe you a favor, for saving me so many times... being the princess of love I do have the powers to make ponies fall in love... maybe I can set you-"
Shadow Armor broke into an immense blush and put his large hoof in Cadences mouth with a loud yell, "NO! None of your magical interference, Candence. As much as I would like a Mare friend and I'm really hoping for it (he didn't realize he said that out loud), I do not need you to intervene, imagine if your spell malfunctioned and hit somepony like I don't know... Twilight Sparkle or Celestia?!"
Cadence laughed a little, "You know that Twilight is hooked up with Burning Star, and Celestia is way too busy running the kingdom..."
Shadow Armor rolled on to his sides, laughing "Hah! Celestia runs this kingdom?! Come on Cadence, all she does is sit on her flanks and eat cake and send Twilight out to fix the problems she could be bothered to solve."
Cadence was about to respond with Shadow Armor mentioned something that chilled her to the bone.
"I mean, what other reason would Twilight have for developing an evil alter ego?"
Cadence went wide eyed and said, "What?!"
Shadow Armor smirked, "She's talking in her sleep, I'm just kidding Cadence. The moment Twilight turns evil is the moment King Sombra turns good, so never."
Cadence sighed, "Let's go, Shadow..."
(The Crystal Empire, The Diamond Bistro)
Shadow Armor sat at a table, waiting for his meal, he ordered some Lemon Glazed Salmon, much to the disgust of the waiter.
While Shadow Armor was sitting, he thought to himself, "What are you doing Shadow Armor? You should not be letting Princess Cadence play matchpony for you, you have a duty... protect Burning Star and anypony close to him..."
He leaned back in his chair, his scarlet red eyes staring at the kitchen door, waiting for his dish to come out...
When suddenly he heard a Female voice, albeit slurred. "Excuse me, is... is this seat taken?"
Shadow Armor looked at the mare who spoke, it was Starlight Glimmer.
Cadence had set him up with probably the last Unicorn he wanted to see, as he had heard of what Starlight did to her townspeople years ago.
He leaned back on the flank that bore his cutie Mark of a red serrated sword and said, "So, I'm guessing this is supposed to be your idea of a date? Taking me out here, having dinner with me..."
He leaned closer to Starlight, creating an energy knife behind him, "Then you would take me back to my house and take my cutie mark... am I right?!"
Starlight violently shook her head, "What are you talking about?! Cadence thought that we would make a good couple, so I agreed. I am single, and I am extremely powerful.
She leaned closer, a oddly sultry look in her eyes, "I know you like strong mares, right?"
Shadow Armor snorted and got up, "I... need some air. I'll sleep on it, Starlight, Goodnight."
Starlight went wide eyed and then huffed, before leaving the bistro.
She bumped into a noble couple on her way out, it was Fancy Pants and his female colleague, the beautiful Fleur De Lis.
Fluer and Fancy sat down on a table underneath the giant crystal dome and began to chat, Shadow Armor picked up what they were saying with his acute hearing.
Fancy spoke first, "I must say, despite its out of the way location, The Crystal Empire is quite the beautiful place, isn't it Fluer?"
Fluer responded, "We, This place is simply divine in its design..."
Shadow Armor's smelled something foul, he could smell the stench of evil.
Starlight jumped over the balcony railing from the ground with an evil grin on her face, Shadow Armor was shoved to the side by a shockwave, but he saw that Starlight Glimmer's eyes glowed a bright green before she was overtaken by green fires, as were the rest of the staff in the bistro.
When the flames cleared, there were dozens of Changelings, and where Starlight once stood Queen Chrysalis now stood, a smug grin on her face as her drones ensnared everypony in the restaurant.
She clapped her hole-riddled hooves together, "Bravo, my children. The Crystal Ponies are heavily irradiated by the love Energy of the Crystal Heart, we will drain them when we return home."
Chrysalis walked over to Fluer and Fancy and smirked while creating a lime green energy saber, "But with you two, i despise anypony that thinks they are more beautiful than me. Goodbye forever, you stuck up nobles!
Shadow Armor wasted no time and rushed in to block a swing of Chrysalis blade with his own serrated one, before breaking it in two on the serrations.
He sent the giant Changeling flying with a double kick from his back legs, but he was pounced on by the rest of the Changelings.
Fluer slipped out of her bindings, and a Changeling lunged at her, fangs bared.
She screamed, getting the attention of Shadow Armor, who forced the Changeling drones off him and tackled the shapely unicorn out of the way, before stabbing the drone in the hoof with a food knife.
Fluer looked up to see Shadow Armor parrying, deflecting, and killing every Changeling that approached her.
He said in his gravelly voice, "Miss Fluer, You ok? Nothing broken?"
Fluer's perspective was suddenly clouded by fog, as she looked on dreamily as Shadow Armor slashed, stabbed, and kicked through the hordes of insectoid life forms, finally shouting in an angry voice toward Chrysalis.
"LETS SEE YOU SURVIVE THIS, YOU BITCH!"
Shadow Armor fired a bright red beam of concussive energy at Chrysalis, which sent her flying out the window.
Fluer was suddenly lifted to her hooves by Shadow Armor and said, "Miss Fluer, I recommend you get out of-"
Shadow Armor's sentence was cut off by Fluer kissing him full on his lips, sending the dark pony into a deep blush that showed through his dark gray fur.
Fluer whispered into the black knights ear, "Please, mi amor... call me Fluer. You saved my life. O Black Knight named Shadow Armor, you seem much more... authoritative than Fancy Pants."
Shadow Armor asked in a confused tone, "Then why did you stick around with him?"
Fluer let out a small giggle with a half lidded gaze in her eyes, "He had the bits to spend on my fashion products. You... you have strength, speed, you have testosterone for days, mi amor. I would like to retreat back to my manor, care to escort moi?"
Shadow Armor felt blood rush to his nether regions, and he took hold of Fluer's hoof and said, "With pleasure, Fluer. Fancy Pants need not know of this, right?"
Fancy Pants was still pinned underneath a table, saying "Fluer? Fluer my love? Hello?"
(Fluer De Lis's Manor)
Fluer's manor was quite the large estate, Shadow Armor found out that it was a vacation home for Fancy Pants and Fluer, and from the looks of it it was extremely expensive.
Shadow Armor opened the front door and said, "Here you go, Fluer, I've escorted you home. You need anything else?"
Fluer De Lis gave him a sultry look from her light purple-rose eyes and brushed his chest with her rose pink tail, saying "Yes, would you care to join me for dessert inside? I can made some Creme Brûlée for us. It is the least I can do, since you saved my life."
Shadow Armor shrugged, "Sure. But I must leave afterwards, I have to go to report to Cadence something."
So Fluer went into her kitchen and began to make Creme Brûlée for the two of them, Shadow Armor looked around at the interior of the manor.
A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling illuminating the vast hallway. There was a single large door at the end of it and several smaller doors along the side, he figured the largest door was the bedchambers, and the smaller doors were either servant quarters or parlors.
Fluer called him in to the kitchen where the Creme Brûlée was waiting for him, he picked up the cup and began to chow down.
Fluer giggled slightly at the sight of the black knight eating, causing him to look up at the beautiful unicorn.
He hadn't noticed how good she looked until now, her horn was long and slender, compared to his broad and sharp one.
Her slim body...
Her shapely legs...
Her lovely mane and white ivory fur...
He snapped out of his stare when Fluer said something he didn't expect, "Shadow Armor, Mi Amor... would you care to take this to my bedroom? I'm sure that you would love to become acquainted with me more there, yes?"
Shadow Armor felt blood rush to his nether regions again, and he gave in.
He thought to himself, "Heh, If Cadence wants to see me happy, I think becoming this mare's coltfriend would more than satisfy her..."
Shadow Armor responded, "Of course, Fluer De Lis. I'm guessing you desire to sleep with me?"
Fluer blushed, "Oh my, no subtlety when it comes to you, Shadow Armor?"
Shadow Armor smirked, "I'm not one for being subtle, Fluer. One question though, why do you find me attractive?"
Fluer giggled a bit, "You are strong, commanding, you are stern with other ponies, I like that. Also, the red and green reminds me of Hearths Warming Eve... now come, don't keep me waiting."
Fluer walked up to Shadow Armor and kissed him, sending a massive blush onto the stallion's face.
He said in a dizzy voice, "T-Thanks Fluer, Oooh..."
With that, the two went to the bedroom and... well...
I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.