//------------------------------// // Only Beats for You // Story: Tugged on his Heartstrings // by FlimFlamBros. //------------------------------// “Wakey-wakey you two…” a voice hummed over Shining Armour. “Five more minutes,” he grumbled. “But Shining,” the voice giggled. “What about our wedding?” “What…” the stallion rolled over to his side. Lyra was still sleeping peacefully, her hooves tightly wrapped around his arm. It wasn’t her that was talking… “Up here, genius.” Shining tilted his head forward, his eyes adjusting to the light. At the end of the bed was a blurry pink figure, with a colourful cotton candy mane. He didn’t need to see her to know who it was, and how absolutely screwed he was as well. “Cadence?” “Did you two have fun last night?” asked his fiancé, her smile was unsettling and her glare disturbing. “It looks like you two had fun.” “Cadence, I was going to tell you—“ “No, this is fine!” laughed the alicorn. “Better than fine, this is great!” “Umm…” wondered Shining, “Okay…” “It all makes sense now, why the feed has been lackluster these past few days!” said Cadence. “It’s because you don’t love Cadence.” “Did you just refer to yourself in the third point of view?” asked the stallion. “That’s kind of weird…” “No, Shiny…” grinned Cadence, her eyes glowing a bright green. “This is going to be weird.” Her body was engulfed in green flames. Shining jumped back from the jaded fire, scrambling to the back of the bed in confusion as Lyra slept through all of this. When the flames finally died out, Cadence was gone, and in her place was a tall, dark, insect looking pony. Almost as tall as Celestia, the new beast had holes in its hooves, horn, and bug wings. Her long blue hair covered her feral face and murky green eyes. “Wha—what are you?!” “I am Queen Chrysalis! Ruler of the Changelings!” the beast that had been Cadence bellowed. “And I am here to feed my hive on the love of everypony in Equestria.” “You’re the threat!” screamed Armour. “You’re what I’m keeping out!” “Indeed. Luckily, I managed to slip through disguised as your fiancé… Well, ex-fiancé by the look of it,” she laughed. “You have been a naughty little boy, Shining Armour, cheating on me with this harlot.” “I love her!” he growled, his horn starting to glow red with magic. “And if touch even a hair on her head I’ll—“ ZAPPP!!! A green bolt of magic collided with Shining face, blasting him back against the back frame of the bed. With another bolt, Chrysalis shot at Lyra, the still sleeping mare going up in flames. “Nooo!” screamed Shining, as he watched the last bit of his Lyra sink into the bed, and disappearing in a puff of black smoke. “I’ll kill you!” “Then I’ll kill her,” smiled the changeling queen. “She’s no use to me dead… yet.” “You lit her on fire!” cried the stallion, feeling the burnt mattress where his love one laid. “And she’s gone!” “Yes, gone to a disclosed place for the foreseeable future, and if you play nice, I might let you live to say goodbye to her…” cackled the changeling. “Since you no longer have feelings for Cadence, I need a new source of love to feed off of.” “What do you mean?” “Changelings require love to survive, we feed on it and it gives us strength and power,” explained Chrysalis. “I was feeding on your love for Cadence until just recently I felt it expire, tapped dry. So I kicked you out to see where you would go… And here you are.” “So what do you need me for?” grunted Shining. “Your love for that green pony is…well, it’s intoxicating,” she grinned. “You are going to keep my existence a secret. You are going to pretend that nothing is wrong, that you are still on guard,” she leaned in close to Shining, he could feel her breath, the stench of dead insects was overpowering in it. “And you are going to let in a few of my lieutenants pass the shield, are we clear on this?” “I’ll die before I help you,” sneered the stallion. “You may be willing to toss your life away so easily…” grinned the changeling, “but are you willing to throw away the life of your green coated love?” “Lyra…” “That’s right,” Chrysalis smiled wickedly. “So do we have a deal…” she burst into green flames, emerging from them as her Cadence form. “My loving, loving, soon to be husband?” ***** He had no choice but to take the deal, he could never let harm come to one of his love ones. Every day he watched as the disguised Chrysalis secretly set up her forces. She gained more and more each day, but only in small numbers. If she were to amount a full assault on Canterlot, she would have to wear down the shield. He had wondered why she just didn’t demand that the shield be taken down, but she explained that she needed more love if she was ever to become strong enough to defeat Celestia. It was ironic that his need to protect Lyra was also the reason why Chrysalis grew in power. He was dooming all Equestria because he was too selfish to let Lyra go. It had been a blessing when Celestia made his sister the wedding planner. Chrysalis had complained one too many times in her charade to impersonate Cadence that she insisted that her faithful student and friends were sent to help. Twilight had always been smart, she could hopefully help. There were times that broke his heart, like when he had to yell at Twilight, knowing full well that she was absolutely right about Cadence being evil, and seeing that his sister failed to get the Elements of Harmony. There was a moment that he thought all was lost… But then Cadence had sent him free, and together they had managed to rid Canterlot of all changelings, and free all those that were imprisoned. Everypony thought that it was their undying love for each other that had saved them all, and for Cadence, maybe it was. But for Shining Armour, all he could think about were the soft green lips of Lyra, his one and only true love. He couldn’t stop thinking about her as he kissed Cadence, as he walked down the aisle, as he said I do… But he owed it to Cadence. He had cheated on Chrysalis, but he would never cheat on her. Cadence was still just as sweet as ever. Loving, appreciative, caring, just an overall great mare, and she deserved to be happy, even if it meant he couldn’t, he would make that sacrifice. He just prayed that Lyra would eventually forgive him. ***** “Bye!” waved Shining Armour from out the window of his wedding carriage. Cadence and him had just been married and were leaving for their honeymoon. “It’s always so nice to see your sister Shining,” said Cadence, who sat right next to him. “I have to remember to stay in touch better, when you—I mean she was planning the wedding, I was under so much stress that I had completely forgotten to write or visit.” “Well I’m sure you’ll visit her soon,” smiled the pink alicorn. “Yes, we’ll visit her soon,” said Shining, giving her a small peck on the cheek. “We are married now.” “Right…” laughed Cadence. “I can’t wait till we get to the northern hot springs. I hear it’s one of the most romantic places in Equestria.” “I’m sure it will be lovely Shining,” she said, looking out the window. “Are you okay?” the white stallion asked. “You seem sort of…distracted.” “I’m just seeing how much farther it is,” she said absent-mindedly. “Until we get there.” “What, the train station?” asked Shining. “Honey, we aren’t going to get there for at least an hour. Try to relax a little. You deserve it.” “It’s not that…” she started to say. “Never mind, we’re here.” “Huh?” wondered Shining Armour as he looked outside the window. “Why are we at the Ponylodge?” “Shining Armour,” smiled the mare. “I’m breaking up with you.” “WHAT?!?” “I know about you and Lyra.” “But—but Cadence!” Shining tried to explain. “That was a mistake, you were acting like—I mean that changeling queen was acting like a complete nut job! I would have never slept with—“ “Not that,” said the alicorn, “Well I knew about that, but I was talking about how you two have been in love with each other for over two years.” “But Cadence… how did you…” “I’m an alicorn of love, silly,” she smiled. “I knew about it since that awkward moment at your party a few years ago. I could sense the overpowering emotions you two had for each other. Why else did you think I wanted to fly home that night? I wanted to give you two some alone time.” “But if you knew this, then why did you agree to go out with me?” Shining asked. “I was trying to help you,” Cadence said. “I had hoped that if you dated someone else for a while, that maybe you would get over Lyra. I had never expected you to try and fall in love with me, and I certainly didn’t plan for you to marry me.” “Then why did you say yes?!” “We were in a crowded restaurant, and I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of all those ponies. That would have been cruel,” she said. “I was going to talk to you about it after we got back to your place but when I went into the bathroom… Well, you know the rest.” “That’s when she abducted you,” muttered Shining. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have noticed the change!” “How could you? She was a changeling. ,The queen in fact,” she said. “I’m sorry that all this happened to you, and I’m sorry that I sort of strung you on a little too long. I honestly thought you would have tried to get in touch with Lyra sooner.” “I…” “It doesn’t matter now anyways,” smiled Cadence. “I know you love her, I know she loves you, and I know that while you are my best friend, I don’t love you that way and I sure as heck can’t just stand by and watch as my best friends are miserable, ‘cause that will make me miserable.” “Cadence… Are you really doing this?” asked Shining. “I think we should see other ponies,” said Cadence. “I hear that there is a particularly lovely one in room seven.” Shining looked at his friend, and at one point his newly wedded wife. There was no sadness or bitterness in her eyes. She truly cared for the stallion, but she did not love him that way. A tear rolled down Shining Armour’s face. “Thank you…” he said, as he hugged the pink alicorn. “But what about you?” “Oh, don’t worry about me,” she grinned. “I actually met a rather charming stallion at the reception. He’s over there in fact. The mare pointed to a rather tall yellow unicorn walking towards the parked carriage. He had a curly red and white mane and wore a white and blue vest over a white dress shirt. He had a big smirk on his face as he opened the door of the carriage. “Mind if I squeeze in?” Flim smiled. “Umm…sure!” said Shining, quickly hopping out of the carriage, making room for the new unicorn. “You two enjoy yourselves and thank you again!” he shouted as he ran into the hotel. “So…” grinned Flim, hopping into the seat next to Cadence, and draping an arm around her. “Did you say something about two weeks in the northern hot springs?” “Yes,” she cooed, “Just you and me alone for fourteen wonderful days.” “I love you Cadence.” “I love you too Flam.” “What?” asked Flim. “I said I love you Flam,” repeated Cadence. “I’m Flim,” said Flim. “Really? Huh, I thought you were Flam,” shrugged the princess as Flim did his best not to have a full mental breakdown. ***** “One, three, five, seven!” counted Shining as he stood outside of Lyra’s hotel room. He had all the confidence in the world, and he finally knew the answer to his captain’s question. “Well son? Do you love that mare?” his captain had once asked. “Yes sir,” he smiled, as he knocked on the door. “I love that mare.” Knock, knock, knock! “Coming,” sighed Lyra on the other side, slowly opening the door, “I’m just packing the last of my things, I’ll be out before check—“ “—out this awesome stallion in front of you,” smirked Armour. “Shining?” gasped Lyra. “What are you doing here?! I thought you and Cadence were going to—“ “She broke up with me!” the stallion said happily. “She WHAT?!” “She knew all along Lyra!” he said. “She knew everything between us! It’s why she flew away that night, why she had you on the wedding invitation, and why she broke up with me not five minutes ago!” “Shining…this is all happening so fast!” gulped Lyra. “But what about my spell?” “Oh, I’m under a spell all right, but it isn’t the one you are thinking of.” “Shining I… I don’t know what to say.” “Then don’t say anything,” said Shining, closing the gap between them. He kissed her fast and passionately. It had been a long time coming for him, and he wasn’t going to wait another second to kiss her. She started to kiss back, having long awaited this; to feel his lips against hers, to have his tongue caress hers, to hold him, knowing she would never have to let go. The two lovers rushed into the bedroom, Shining quickly remembering to shut the door and place the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door handle. They kept at it as they fell onto the bed, both of them refusing to break their embrace. They rolled and moaned into the covers of the bed, to experience not lust, not enchantments, or misfired spells or lies or secrets. But to experience true love. THE END Thanks to Bunsen for editing, Chain Reaction for the Cover Art, and Garbo802 for organizing this awesome collab! Check and join The Collab Cage today! And be sure to check out all other entries of The Great Shipping Collab here!