"Are you sure you will be okay?" Cadence's voice was calm, but Shining Armor's focus lay on the maelstrom of suitcases encircling his wife. The baggage flew through the air at alarming speed, but the blue aura emanating from each one told him that Cadence was still in control of the tornado of supplies for her trip.
Canterlot for a whole week, he thought, scrunching up his face in a look of disgust. She gets to go to Canterlot for a week, doing non-existent royal duties and hanging out with everypony. What do I get? He pondered his own question for a moment, before coming to a conclusion.
I get to take care of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the most rambunctious, hyperactive, easily-bored-
"Shining?" Cadence snapped him out of the slew of foul language he was thinking about. The luggage stood still, and Cadence looked upon him with worry in her pink, wide eyes.
"I'll be fine, honey." He replied without thinking. "I only ask why I have to be the one to watch the three little fillies."
"Everypony else is busy, my dear." Cadence's voice was soothing and comforting, much like a mother trying to explain to her foal why the family pet couldn't live forever. "Twilight and her friends are doing the same thing I am, every foalsitter from here to the Griffon Kingdom has rejected us, and Celestia doesn't know anypony else who knows anything about kids."
"I don't know anything about kids!"
"Well..."
The last of Cadence's luggage had packed itself and settled to the floor, declaring an official end to the packing. With a flick of blue magic, Cadence lifted the multitude of suitcases and shifted them into a single-file line. She began to trot out of the bedroom, the suitcases following her one by one. Shining had to hand it to his wife, she knew how to over-pack.
When he finally caught up to Cadence, she was standing at the door to the Crystal Castle, two guards at her side. The line of suitcases still followed her, and Shining knew this would be the beginning of a week-long personal Tartarus.
"Have fun, dear." His voice was resigned. He had clearly already given up, but Cadence had no time to waste.
"I hope you do too." Cadence walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Shiny."
The loving couple said their goodbyes, and Cadence and her guards finally left the castle, headed for a train back to Canterlot. The army of suitcases marched right behind her, almost as if they were her own personal guard.
He envied the suitcases.
The three harbingers of exhaustion and frustration sat in the middle of the foyer, playing a board game.
"I win!" Sweetie Belle shouted at the top of her lungs, flipping the board in the process.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked with anger at Sweetie, then back at the ruined board, then back at Sweetie.
"Oops..."
Shining watched with minimal interest, brushing through his mane and massaging his temples. It was already 5 pm. Only 3 more hours, Shining, he thought to himself, 3 more hours, then day one is over and you can go to bed. Looking down from the ceiling, he realized that the CMC stood before him expectantly.
"Yes girls?"
"We're bored." Apple Bloom's words were frank and flat, completely devoid of emotion. "Can Zecora come to the Crystal Empire?"
"I'm sorry girls, just find something to do, okay?"
"Okay..." Scootaloo's voice held the same lack of emotion, but it took naught but 3 seconds for her eyes to sparkle with an idea.
"Cutie Mark Crusader Crystal Miners!"
"Wait, wha-"
Shining Armor was interrupted by the sudden disappearing of the CMC, followed by the sounds of a pickaxe striking crystal in the hallway. He jumped out of his seat, hitting the ground running. His hooves collided with the ground in full force, the inherent clopping blocking out the other sounds resonating through the castle. He turned a corner to see that a large portion of wall had disappeared in the fillies' wake.
"GIRLS WHAT HAVE YOU-"
"Cutie Mark Crusader Crystal Chandelier Cleaners!" Shouted Scootaloo.
"Cutie Mark Crusader Crystal Carvers!" Shouted Apple Bloom.
"Cutie Mark Crusader Crystal Corruptors! Shouted Sweetie Belle.
"GIRLS DON-"
Again the CMC disappeared, leaving little dust outlines where they stood, floating miner hats and all. It looked exactly like a cartoon.
This is gonna be a long night, Shining Armor thought, trudging down the hallway to have another look at the clock.
5:02. The sight crushed Shining Armor's hopes, and he collapsed onto his stomach. almost sobbing. That entire fiasco took TWO BUCKING MINUTES! He was mentally screaming at himself, the sound of crystal shattering and three young fillies hitting the walls at high speeds being blocked out. He sighed to himself.
I need help. The sentence was all the motivation that he needed. He was going to get help withing the hour. Only one question remained:
Who?
"You better have one darn good reason for dragging me out here at this hour, Shining."
Shining Armor eyed his visitor up and down. Same black, glistening body. Same cyan hair. Same conical fangs. Same big, green eyes.
Yep. It was Queen Chrysalis.
"Look, I'm really sorry but I need your help."
Chrysalis' eyes widened and her ears perked up. "I'm listening." She said, obviously awaiting something.
"I-I need your help to take care of some kids."
"Ha!" A grin cracked her face in half, revealing her pearly white fangs. "Who exactly?"
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders." Shining's sentence was met with a look of confusion, which he quickly picked up on. "Basically, Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle, a unicorn, Applejack's sister Apple Bloom, an earth pony, and Scootaloo, some random pegasus who can't fly and idolizes Rainbow Dash."
Shining fluttered his eyelids and donned a smile in a desperate attempt to appear innocent, but it fell flat. A look of dissatisfaction was the only thing that met him, with Chrysalis as it's conduit.
"No thanks."
Chrysalis turned to walk away, but she stopped when she heard a loud THUMP from behind followed by a slight sensation on her hind left leg. Her head whirled around, revealing that Shining Armor was clutching her leg, looking directly at her with puppy-dog eyes.
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll do anything."
Shining Armor immediately regretted his words as the most maniacal of smiles spread across Queen Chrysalis' face.
"Anything huh?"
Oh buck, he thought, what have you gotten yourself into Shiny?
"Erm... yes?"
"How ironic," mused the towering figure before him, her smile only growing wider as the groveling form of Shining Armor shrunk back in one spot, avoiding eye contact. "Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot, married to the Princess of Love, who happens to be Celestia's niece, is begging for mercy at the hands of the one he had defeated using the power of love..."
Chrysalis licked her lips. I am SO bucked.
"I accept your offer." Shining Armor's face brightened into one of both happiness and shock.
Chrysalis pulled her hind leg from his grip, lowering her head right next to his ear. She whispered in the softest of tones.
"We'll get to that 'anything' later."
Shining armor got up onto his hooves and dusted himself off, much to Chrysalis' boredom. He led the Changeling Queen inside the palace, but she heard a crash in the foyer and passed him, swaying her hips ever so slightly as she did so. When Shining reached the foyer, the three fillies were fast asleep in Chrysalis hooves, surrounded by broken and shattered crystal. The Queen was rocking the CMC back and forth in her grip, looking upon them with almost motherly concern.
"How did y-"
Shining's mouth was zipped shut by magic, and he instantly recognized the message. After the spell was released a few seconds later, he kept quiet. Chrysalis sat there for a little while in silence, then she began levitating the fillies while walking upstairs. She returned a few moments later, the fillies nowhere to be seen.
"They're asleep upstairs, one of the guest bedrooms."
"How do you do that?"
"I have over three million children my dear." she chuckled to herself, giving Shiny a malicious smile. "Don't you think I would have learned all the tricks by now?"
Shining Armor opened his mouth, but the thought he had been meaning to mention flew from his mind, and was replaced by another.
"Where will you sleep?"
"Master Bedroom."
Shining Armor's head cocked to one side in confusion. He contemplated her response, but could come up with nothing. He gave a questioning gaze to Chrysalis, who motioned to the couch.
"Oh heck no."
"Either that, or you sleep with me, Shiny." She gave him a pair of bedroom eyes.
"Couch it is."