“Shiny,” Cadance leaned against her husband, batting her eyelashes. “Your sister thinks this’ll be the perfect hotspot for us to reconnect, you don’t want to disappoint her now, do you?”
The two were at the entrance to Hope Hollow, with Flurry Heart giggling and pawing Cadance’s back. Shining felt the tension from the bottom of his hooves to his shoulders as he took in a deep breath.
“No, I wouldn’t,” Shining sighed, letting his shoulders drop. “She’s got a point, Flurry deserves to have both of us around. And w-who knows? Maybe a change of scenery could bring the magic back.”
Cadance’s eyes lit up, a small smile sparking from her lips.
“Wonderful,” Cadance pressed her lips to her husband’s cheek. “I’m going to check us into the hotel, find us a place to eat?”
“Sure thing honey,” Shining nodded, breaking away from his wife’s gaze and making a beeline for the bakery. Pies, cakes, salads, sandwiches...Shining Armor gave a short nod at his discovery. Now that his task was done within a matter of seconds, he could peruse his type of selection.
He glanced at the mint green unicorn mare talking to a customer over the counter, quickly shaking his head and walking out the door.
Too old.
Passing by a yellow earth pony with bright red hair, Shining Armor considered it briefly. But the way she carried herself, with her head held high, and her hooves moving forward with such purpose, caused Shining Armor to look away.
When he looked in the other direction, he did a double take, landing his eyes on a pegasus with a coat colored like the sky and a rosy pink mane cascading down the side of her face. Her eyes, a deep purple, locked onto Shining Armor’s as she froze. Shining Armor didn’t move, didn’t know if he could move, as the pegasus’ gaze pulled his heart closer and closer…
Even though his mind was still checked out, he found his hooves moving on their own accord, closer to the building the mare was in. Eventually, he was close enough that he stood over the pegasus, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I love your fur,” she said, trailing a hoof down his leg. “I met a white unicorn once, she was the prettiest pony I’d ever met. It was such a shame she was already coupled up…”
The sky blue pegasus was blushing as she glanced away from Shining Armor. Her hoof reached to his chest, and the stallion was still frozen to the touch. He felt as though she could touch every inch of him, and it still wouldn’t break him out of the state he was in.
“So rude not to introduce myself,” the mare laughed. “I’m Kerfuffle, and you are?”
“You don’t know who I am?” Shining whispered.
“No, should I?” Kerfuffle tilted her head. “I suppose a well-built stallion such as yourself is well-known?”
“I’m Shining Armor, ruler of the Crystal Empire,” Shining stretched his hoof out, Kerfuffle shaking his hoof slowly as she stared down at it. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Kerfuffle.”
Kerfuffle let go of his hoof, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at him, her tail swishing about.
“Let me show you around!” Kerfuffle turned around, showing him a different assortment of scarves, shirts, and hats. Kerfuffle grabbed a purple cap, placing it on Shining’s head. Shining felt his horn slip through the cap easily, and he looked at Kerfuffle.
“It’s a unicorn cap!” Kerfuffle smiled. “It’s got a special hole in the center for the horn! Do you like it?”
Shining felt the heat rising in his body, his heart stirring in a way that he hadn’t remembered feeling in years. Stepping closer, Shining Armor leaned his face closer to Kerfuffle’s.
“I love it,” Shining Armor felt Kerfuffle’s fruity breath tickling his nose, and leaned closer-
A bell ringing against the door sent Shining Armor stumbling forward and falling to the ground. Kerfuffle looked to the door, seeing a tall pink mare walk in with a foal on her back.
“Hey, you two look like Twilight!” Kerfuffle remarked, before glancing back at Shining Armor. “You okay, Shining?”
“I’m fine, the bell surprised me. That’s all,” Shining Armor got up, trotting over to his wife.
“I see you’ve met my husband already,” Cadance said, narrowing her eyes at the pegasus. “What is your name?”
“Kerfuffle!” she replied, smiling at the princess.
“Good to meet you, Kerfuffle,” Cadance nodded. “Shining Armor, let’s get going.”
“O-Okay,” Shining glanced back at the mare, feeling his heart trying to tug him back. “Bye, Kerfuffle.”
Kerfuffle beamed, and waved her hoof as they left.