//------------------------------// // Missing Shining Armors // Story: Too Many Shining Armors (are Terrible Dads) // by owlicious //------------------------------// Half an hour later, the original Shining Armor and his two clones continued walking to the edge of Ponyville. One clone asked, “You seriously don’t want to help out our daughter instead?“ “And I’m scared I might forget something, and mess up Rarity’s fundraiser.“ The original stated, “I can always fix things later.” “Are you sure we’re going the right way?“ Back at the Mirror Pool, five Shining Armors were bickering. “EVERYPONY STOP!”, one yelled. “There’s a huge problem! Nopony brought snacks!” Another interrupted, “The dungeon master is making it too hard for my mage to use her explosions without ’everybody’ near her dying!”. “We need a healer and a short range fighter!”, another complained. Another chimed in, “The snacks were in our saddlebags! Along with the quills, paper, dice, and everything else!” The dungeon master ordered, “Let’s all go to the chariot and get them!” The five Shining Armors all rushed out of the Mirror Pool and then galloped to Ponyville. On his way out, the last stallion levitated the boulder back over the entrance. Flurry Heart’s Maneican Bell opening party preparation was going pretty well. The musicians showed up early to rehearse and their equipment worked, the decorations looked fantastic, and enough quesadillas, burritos, and cupcakes had been prepared for all of Ponyville. Unexpectedly, Flim Flam’s Fantastic Flurry Flinger had broken down in smoke and flames shortly after Sweetie Belle helped out by making a few dozen more ManeFlurries during an employee’s break. Thankfully, Flurry Heart figured out how to fix the machine with a diagnostic spell and an innate sense for metals and the flows of gases, liquids, and magic. Princess Flurry Heart started casting a spell. She started floating, and her eyes, amulet, and her entire body glowed red. The fires were snuffed out with wind magic, then the mechanical issues and various design flaws in the Flurry machine were miraculously and permanently fixed using a massive amount of alicorn magic, tossing the laws of physics and microbiology to the curb. This was much less impressive than moving the sun and moon, but wouldn’t have been possible without the mildly cursed magic accessories that she had legally requisitioned from Zecora’s hut months ago. Then, using the wind manipulation magic which her old foal-sitter Sky Piercer taught her as a filly, Flurry Heart swiftly and precisely vented the steam, smoke and smell out of the building and well above and through the clouds with an upwards vortex. While foal-sitting, he helped her dig a secret crystal cave fort under the Crystal Palace’s courtyard. Later, he’d taught her wind manipulation magic to keep the cave ventilated while spray painting the fort’s walls black. Flurry Heart floated to the ground and stopped glowing. She thought about how the opening party would have been a disaster without enough ManeFlurries, the eponymous corn syrup sweetened milkshake she was sure that everycreature at the opening party would love. Anypony else would have needed to wait for days for Flim and Flam to repair the F.F.F.F.F., and pay for the repairs. She shook her head, noticing something out of the corner of her eye. “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!” Princess Flurry Heart proclaimed in the Royal Canterlot Voice, looking at her ManeFlurry cutie mark. Princess Luna and her co-foal-sitter’s vocal lessons helped her inform everypony in the building of the great news. Her opening party was going well, and she’d discovered her destiny too. She thought, ’food is a much better special talent than cold and gloomy weather. And it’d be weird if my talent was the same as Cadance’s.’ “Congratulations! Former Cutie Mark Crusader Councillor Sweetie Belle has still got it! Take that, Scootaloo!”, Sweetie Belle cheered, then left to coordinate the start of what would be Ponyville’s biggest party in almost a year. Another employee started sweeping up shattered glass. Later, Princess Flurry Heart gave her speech for the restaurant‘s opening party to cheers, and chatted with some fancily dressed ponies. The visitors from Canterlot loved the food, and a hooffull were interested in becoming franchisees. After chatting with everycreature there, she took a short walk around Ponyville, with her royal guards following her. Over at the Canterlot Boutique, Rarity mingled with guests and looked at the clock nervously. She optimistically considered, ‘Oh, dear. Shining Armor and almost everycreature else seem to be a few minutes late.’ Once Shining Armor arrived, Rarity planned to thank him for his help and financial support, with a surprise gift of three new and inspired goth tailored outfits for Flurry Heart. Rarity hoped that they’d raise lots of bits. If enough funds were left after paying for the overdue orphanage repairs and maintenance, she would make sweaters and socks to keep every foal and filly in the Orphanage warm and adopt-ably adorable before winter.