The Attempt
A few miles away from the marvel that is Canterlot Castle, a young unicorn was walking through the moonlit streets of Canterot. His snow-white coat seemed to reflect the moonlight, and his dual-colored mane flowed with each light breeze that came his way. The young unicorn slowed to a steady walk as he approached a dark purple house. He started to breathe heavily and his legs began wobbling. A hint of anxiety started to show in his cerulean eyes as he walked closer to the house.
"Okay, don't freak, just walk in, and don't make a foal of yourself like last time," the young colt muttered under his breath as he came up the front porch stairs of the house. "Here we go," he mumbled to himself as he hesitantly opened the door to the house.
"Twi-Lee, I'm home!" a young filly with a purple mane shot straight up from the nearby couch and bolted towards her older brother.
"Shining Armor!" Twilight yelled as she embraced her older brother with a tight hug.
"Hey sis, where’s Cadance?" Shining Armor asked more enthusiastically than he intended.
"Upstairs in the bathroom... why? You wanna say you loooove her?" Twilight teased.
"Shut up." It was at that moment a young pink-coated alicorn with a pink, purple, and bright yellow mane put up in a ponytail emerged from the bathroom.
"Hey, Shining Armor, how was work?" the pink beauty asked.
"Oh, you know, just another day of shoving books on shelves,” Shining Armor replied.
Cadance walked downstairs to join the two unicorns, her light purple eyes sparkling like diamonds in the light of the house.
"Twilight was so good; I love foal sitting for the little one.” The little filly known as Twilight blushed a bit behind her brother.
"Yeah, she's a great little sister, and I hear she is just as great of a student."
"I still can't believe she's studying under my aunt, it’s amazing, really. Oh, and Shining, that little dragon is just adorable," Cadance said with excitement dripping from her voice.
"Yeah, but all the little guy does is sleep and suck on his tail," Shining Armor said, just a little annoyed at the small dragon.
"Hey, he's only a year old, give Spike a break," Twilight retorted. Shining Armor laughed a bit while ruffling his sister's mane.
"Whatever, sis.” Cadance couldn't help but laugh at this tiny bit of family teasing. Although it was just a short giggle, to Shining Armor, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. It only compared to her singing voice that he occasionally heard when she and Twilight had a small duet in the house as he came home from work. Shining Armor could still remember the first day he saw his crush.
***************
It was a few months ago, Shining Armor and Twilight's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, had announced that they were both going to work together to help their family friend, Pony Joe, expand his donut business. However, trying to establish a business all the way in Manehatten can leave a family in demand for a foal-sitter. Night Light and Twilight Velvet didn't want to make Shining Armor quit his first job at the library to become a constant foal-sitter, which left them in a bit of a difficult situation. One day, while studying with Princess Celestia, Twilight explained her family's predicament, so Celestia did something nopony would have thought a princess would do. She got her niece, Cadance, to be Twilight's foal-sitter. Celestia, with Cadance, dropped by Twilight and Shining Armor's house one day to offer their help, and of course their parents said yes, and it's been a plan in motion since. That same day Cadance got to meet the whole family, even Spike, and it was on that day that Shining Armor laid his eyes on the most captivating mare he ever saw. Her tri-colored mane put up in a ponytail, her light purple eyes, her loving and caring personality were all Shining Armor could think about for weeks to come. Even then he struggled to utter out a full complete sentence to her. In fact, all he could manage to say to her when she asked his name was:
"Abugh- ugh- you- my- my- my- my- name- ugh... Shining Armor." Cadance chuckled at his response while he continued to shake and sweat.
"Alright, Cadance, let's get back to the castle; you need your rest before your first day on the job," Celestia called while heading towards the front door.
"Okay, Aunt Celestia. Bye, Night Light, bye Twilight Velvet. You won't be disappointed, I promise."
"Oh, we’re sure that you'll do great," replied the still-flabbergasted parents. Cadance started towards the door then turned around to Twilight.
"I can't wait to get to know you more, Twilight, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Princess Cadance," replied Twilight.
“Just call me Cadance," Cadance replied with a small giggle at the formality shown towards her.
"Okay, Cadance," said Twilight, who nearly passed out at this showing of casualty towards royalty. Cadance then turned towards the still shaking Shining Armor, "Hope I see you too."
'Oh no, what do I say? What do I say? What do I say?' thought the quivering colt.
"Y-Ye-Y-Ye-Yeah, hope I get to s-s-see you too," he quivered.
'You stuttering idiot!' he thought to himself while forcing a smile. Shining Armor could still hear the chuckles coming from Cadance as she flew off with Celestia towards the castle.
"She's wow!" muttered a love struck Shining Armor standing in a pile of his own sweat. Since then, Shining Armor had a crush, and has been a bit of a muttering buffoon on numerous occasions.
***************
Today, though, Shining Armor made it his mission to finally work up enough courage to finally ask his crush out on a date. He stood up, took in a deep breath, and laid his eyes on the pink pony.
"Cadance?" he asked.
"Yes, Shining Armor?"
"I was wondering, if maybe... on some day... when you're not busy... or not foal-sitting... or just want to do something... or I don't know... ugh... ugh, maybe Friday, Saturday?" Shining Armor managed to get out with long pauses between each part of his question. Cadance really tried to follow his question, but the all too obviously confused look on her face showed that she was lost with his words.
"What?" she asked.
Shining Armor opened his mouth, only to be cut off by a ground-shaking BONG. The three ponies looked towards the direction that they heard the disturbance from. Cadance was the first to pick up on the fact that it was the clock tower a few blocks from the house.
"Oh my goodness, I've gotta get back to the castle before my aunt gets worried!" exclaimed Cadance, hurrying towards the doorway. Shining Armor stood there gazing at his crush, unable to come up with something else to say after part one of his train wreck of an attempt to ask her out.
"Bye, Cadance, see you tomorrow," Twilight waved ecstatically as she imagined the fun she was going to have the next day.
"Okay, Twilight, see you tomorrow. Bye, Shining Armor," Cadance cooed, turning away from Shining Armor and walking out of the doorway, her hips swaying with each step.
‘Great job, Shining. You just bucked up and lost her. Fantastic.’ He groaned, both as a way to vent his anger towards himself and longing for the pink princess walking out of his front door.
Shining Armor propped himself against the door frame, trying to keep himself from collapsing to the ground. He watched helplessly as the mare of his dreams prepared to take flight. He urged himself to do something more, say anything to get her attention. “Y-Y-Yeah, bye, Cadence.”
‘REALLY!?! That’s the best you could come up with?!?’
Twilight, with a look of disapproval, started nudging at her brother’s chest, urging him to do more.
“C’mon, Shining, go after her!”
“I know I should, Twi, but I can’t do it,” Shining Armor whispered back. “What if I mess up again?”
“You already did, you got the worst part over, you can only go up from here,” Twilight retorted.
Shining Armor, after brushing off Twilight’s blunt advice, started to composed himself. He took in a deep breath, and went after his crush.
"Cadance!" he called after the mare of his dreams. The pink beauty turned around, her eyes sparkling beautifully under the moonlight.
"Yes, Shining Armor?"
The young colt froze in his spot. His heart started racing, sweat began to form along his mane, and his legs began to wobble. He was literally melting from the look she gave him, her eyes too captivating for him to look away. A few moments passed before Cadance broke the silence.
"Shining?" she asked.
"Ugh, ugh, w-w-would you, ugh..." he mumbled.
"Yes?" Cadance asked in anticipation.
"Ugh... have a nice night," Shining Armor managed to say with a hint of shame in his voice.
"Oh, ugh, okay... thanks Shining," replied a confused Cadance.
Twilight stood there in the porch, observing part two of the train wreck that was her brother’s attempt to ask Cadance out. Cadance turned away and flew off into the night sky towards the Canterlot castle, leaving the stuttering colt to mentally, and physically, beat himself up about his horrible attempt at asking Cadance out.
'Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot,' thought the white unicorn as he slammed his hoof into his forehead repeatedly. After beating at his forehead for a good minute, Shining Armor walked inside his house, with Twilight waiting by the couch.
"C'Mon bro, that was worse than the time you tried to ask her out when she came to the library, and you ended up running away and bumped into those bookshelves."
Memories of that day flashed through Shining Armor’s mind a little too quickly for his liking. The way he choked up upon seeing Cadance at the library, and the end result of books falling atop his head and burying him underneath a pile of literature. "I know, but at least the books hid my face," Shining Armor half-heartedly joked.
"Well, you still have a few days left before mom and dad get back home from their vacation in the Hayman Islands, maybe you can find a way to ask Cadance out by then, she isn't gonna foal sit forever you know," Twilight teased.
"Yeah, yeah, shouldn't you be in bed right now?" Shining Armor asked, getting a bit annoyed.
"Ughhh, fiiiiiiine," Twilight sighed as she headed upstairs to her room. The door shut, and Shining Armor walked over to the couch and sat down.
"Oh Cadance, why can't I just bring myself to ask you? Why can't I be more confident? Why am I talking to myself?” Shining Armor’s mind went straight to thoughts of Cadance, no, not just Cadance, Princess Cadance. His ears drooped and his self-confidence plummeted into the negatives. “I'm just a library assistant, and you're a princess, the niece of Celestia! You deserve so much better than me," Shining Armor mumbled to nopony.
Twilight stood by her door, listening to her brother's self-loathing. She couldn't stand listening to her own brother talk about himself like he was the most unworthy pony in all of Equestria. She opened the door, and went downstairs to her brother.
"You're not just a library assistant, Shining," spoke Twilight. Shining Armor jolted up to see the little filly standing by him with the most sincere look in her dark purple eyes.
"Oh... you heard that," Shining Armor groaned, then averted his gaze to the floor.
"Shining Armor, you’re the most caring, hardworking, and biggest lovable goofball I know, you're an awesome brother, and yet you talk about yourself like you're the most pathetic colt in Equestria," lectured Twilight.
"After that horrible attempt, even you have to admit that I looked pathetic," droned Shining Armor.
"No, not pathetic, more like just really really really really nervous. But you shouldn't be, Cadence thinks you're a super nice guy, and I honestly think she might like it if you actually told her you feel," explained the little filly. Shining Armor took this all in, raising his head as if new hope was ignited in his heart.
"Thanks, Twi-Lee, you always know how to pull me up when I'm down."
"What else are sisters for?" remarked Twilight as she gave her brother a hug.
"Now go to bed, Twilight, you can't be sleepy while studying with the Princess," instructed Shining Armor as he broke off the hug between the two.
"Okay bro, love you BBBFF," Twilight said.
"Love you too, LSBFF," replied Shining Armor.
Twilight headed up to her room and got into bed. Little snores could be heard from the side of her bed as the little baby dragon dreamed on.
"Good night, Spike, get your rest. Shining Armor's taking you with him to work while I study with the Princess," the little filly whispered to the still sleeping dragon.
Downstairs, Shining Armor sat on the couch wondering how he would be able to get the most beautiful pony in Equestria, nay, the world to go out with him. Shining Armor yawned and stretched out his forelimbs. "I'll sleep on it, maybe something will come to me," he yawned out. And just like that, Shining Armor knocked out on the couch, not even bothering to make an effort to go to his room. Finally, there was silence, and temporary peace, in the house.
***************
Cadance made her way to the castle, landing in the large courtyard with grace. When she entered the castle, she was greeted by the great white alicorn she knew as her aunt.
"Aunt Celestia, I'm home!" she exclaimed.
Princess Celestia turned around to greet her niece. "Cadance, how was Twilight?" she asked.
"Wonderful, I got to show her some spells that she could study, got to play with Spike, and had a bit of a half-gibberish half-conversation with Shining Armor." Celestia chuckled at the last comment.
"Awww, do I sense a little crush on my student's brother?" the white alicorn asked.
"Auntie, Shining Armor's a nice guy, but... I don't know, if I see him in that way, but he is really... I mean... I don’t know." There was a short silence before Celestia spoke again.
"You're young, you'll have plenty of time to figure out how you feel, just remember, the heart that waits the longest, aches the most," and with that, Celestia walked away from the confused Cadance, back to her throne room.
Cadance stood there by the entryway of the castle for a while before heading up the gigantic staircase up to her room. She pondered what her aunt had said for quite a while, thinking about it even more as she headed out onto the balcony outside her room. Cadance gazed up at the starry night sky, and then down at the view of Canterlot she had from her balcony. A few streets away she could see the dark purple house she had just left, and stared at it for the longest time.
"The heart that waits the longest aches the most."
Those words echoed in Cadance's mind. The young alicorn looked on at the house, deep in thought.
‘I don't know, I just don't know.’