//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two: Assistance 
// Story: A Shining Lunar Experience 
// by Jensettiman 
//------------------------------//

	The two of them sat silently on the couch. Not a word was spoken after Luna's proposition. Shining kept his attention pointed towards the alicorn next to him. His eyes were fixed, yet insecure. Questions raced within his mind.
What is going on? Why is she so silent?
Luna looked back into Shining's eyes. Cyan met cerulean. She could sense her seatmate's troubled mind. She cleared her throat.
"Is there something wrong, Shining?" she asked calmly. "You haven't said a word." She put a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder.
Shining winced by the sudden touch and snapped out of his trance. He cast a quick look down at his shoulder. The dark blue hoof touching his golden apparel. He looked back up at Luna's face and let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I didn't mean to seem ungrateful or anything." He put his left hoof on Luna's. "It's just that I'm surprised. Surprised that somepony of your status would offer to help a guard with his troubles..."
Luna smiled warmly and gave off a faint blush. She nodded slowly.
"It is rather uncommon, I must agree," she said back. "But you know, among rocks and dirt lie gems. Gems and other treasures, disguised to the pony's eyes. But those treasures are still there."
Luna smiled and snuck a gentle hoof under Shining's plating as she spoke.
"The same goes for kindness. Ponies can be very friendly, and you might not realize right away. But if you look closely enough..."
She loosened one of the locks.
"...you may be lucky enough to find a trace."
She slid her other hoof under the opposite shoulder and undid the leather band.
"Follow that trace..."
The golden plating popped open.
"...and you will find the treasure."
Luna slid the armor off of Shining's chest, maintaining her calm smile without a break. She ran her hooves down along his arms, feeling the white coat brush gently against her hooves.
Shining blushed deep as he realized what had just happened. His cerulean eyes slid down slowly, moving his attention to the princess of the night's actions. Her dark blue hooves tickled against his skin, leaving him gently trembling.
"L-luna..." he stammered lowly.
Luna looked up at Shining's face. "Yes?" she responded. Her expression turned slightly worried.
The unicorn kept at his shaky posture. His jaw shivered, he was unable to speak a word.
Luna's ears dropped. "I see..." she said lowly and closed her eyes. She retracted her hooves and let out a sigh. "I understand." She lowered her head slowly.
Shining moved his gaze slowly up along the pony in front of him. He didn't dare look the princess directly in the eyes. It didn't take him long to figure out he had hurt the long living, yet young mare. The realization burned in his chest. He brushed a lock of hair out of his face and let out a sigh.
"Your highness..?" he lowly spoke.
Luna didn't speak a word in return. She just let out a low "Mhm?" as she nodded slightly.
Shining put a hoof gently under the alicon's chin and lifted her face up. He took a deep breath. "I accept your offer," he said and smiled carefully.
Luna's eyes opened slowly. She focused on the friendly face before her. She smiled back. "You do?" she asked back.
Shining nodded again. "I understand it means something to you," he continued. "And no matter what that something would be, I wouldn't want to take it from you." He blushed lightly as he finished his sentence.
Luna smiled warmly and nodded. "Thank you," she replied. "You are right that it means something to me. I am glad you understand."
She put a hoof to the white under her chin.

It didn't take long before the princess of the night had prepared the massaging station for Shining. The area in the middle of Luna's bedroom had been cleared out and covered with a thin matress. By one shortside were two bottles of oil and a small iron ball. Along the longside were an arranged row of scented candles, releasing the mild fragrances of lavender and honey.
"I hope you can find yourself comfortable," Luna smiled and looked at Shining sitting next to her.
The unicorn turned and looked back at Luna. "I'm sure that won't be a problem at all," he smiled.
Luna chuckled lowly as a bright blush arose on her cheeks. "Well then" she said. "Please lie down on the mat, and we will begin."
Shining nodded and crawled onto the matress. He took a deep whiff of the scents that surrounded his wondering mind.
"Have you ever had a back massage, Shining?" the princess asked and levitated a bottle to her hooves.
"Umm..." Shining began insecure. "Not as far as I can remember, no."
Luna nodded and let a gentle "Mhm" escape her muzzle as she poured out a small stripe of oil onto her right hoof. "Then I guess you could use one right now." She smiled warmly and rubbed the liquid between her hooves before she placed them onto Shining's back.
Shining's eyes shot open by the sudden sensation. He clenched his teeth as he felt his tense muscles finally acting up.
"Oh dear!" Luna exclaimed and retracted her hooves quickly. "My apologies! I hope it didn't hurt too bad." Luna looked at Shining's face worriedly.
The unicorn looked back at Luna and shook his head. "It's okay," he reassured her. "I just haven't really noticed how stressed up I really am." He turned his head back forwards, looking at the bottle in front of him. A long exhale left his nostrils. "The work has just been really demanding lately, you know? Security has to be reinforced, new recruits need to be trained..."
Luna moved a hoof to Shining's lips. "Shh..." she began in a low tone. "Do not stress yourself over it now. Your shift is over, and you must not worry. Now try and relax. I am sure you will enjoy the treatment. Or at least I hope you will."
Shining moved his eyes back towards the cyan ones.  "You have experience in massaging ponies?" he asked.
Luna closed her eyes and starting moving her hooves in small circles. "My sister Tia is a very busy pony of authority," she calmly spoke. "And just like your work, hers has a history of leaving her exhausted and a bit stressed. When she returns from her duties, I like to offer her some kind of favour to help her relax."
"And that includes massaging?" Shining questioned.
"That is correct," Luna nodded and smiled. She continued to move her hooves over the back of the white unicorn. She then sat up. "Now, would you please sit up so I can more easily get to your shoulders?"
"Oh," Shining said. "Of course." He gave off a friendly nod and sat up slowly.
"Thank you," the princess smiled and gently grabbed the unicorn's shoulders. She then proceeded to put pressure on Shining's shoulder blades.
Shining closed his eyes and hummed lowly. Only interrupted by some jolts from tense muscles, he smiled by the magic of the hooves massaging him. It had been a long time since he felt this content. He simply enjoyed it.
"You're very good at this, Luna," he said.
"Well, thank you very much, Shining," Luna responded and smiled sweetly as her heart started to beat faster from the compliment. "I guess you're getting a bit more comfortable?"
"Very," Shining smiled and hummed again. "I like it a lot. You're a good friend, princess Luna."
Suddenly, a new sensation tickled his senses. His eyes slid open, his ears perked up. Something felt odd. It was something that he couldn't really make out. But he was certain it wasn't common for a massage. He turned his head slowly to the right. His eyes followed, and he saw it.
Luna was leaning forward, lightly touching the unicorn's neck with her muzzle. She took long, slow whiffs off his natural scents. And she was lowly purring.
"Umm... princess Luna..?" Shining lowly asked.
The princess of the night didn't respond. She was just slowly rubbing the unicorn's shoulders and sniffing his neck.
"Luna?" he asked again, a bit louder, and turned around.
"Oh..." Luna said and looked back at Shining. A bright red blush rose. "Oh heavens... I..." Her voice was slowly getting lower as she realized she had been letting her mind run freely.
"Your highness..?" Shining tried again and cleared his throat. "Would you please tell me what you were doing?"
Luna closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "I apologize," she said back. "I did not mean to do anything wild." She turned her head away. "I guess my mind ran freely for a moment..."
Shining cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he questioned.
The alicorn looked back at him. "I did not want to tell you yet," she said lowly. "I wanted to find the right time to let you in on something. Let you know a secret."
Shining's ears dropped. "You..." he started. "You wanted to tell me something?"
Luna nodded slowly.
The unicorn couldn't hold himself. He had to know. "What is it?"
Luna looked deeply into Shining's sparkly eyes. "Are you certain you want to know?" she asked.
Shining nodded. "If it will make it easier for you," he replied. "Then yes. Get the burden off your chest."
Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I have been watching you for several years, Shining Armor," she started. "And I told you that I admire your work, right?"
Shining nodded. "Yes, you did."
The princess put a hoof on Shining's shoulder. "But there was something more to it that I didn't tell you. Something deep." She moved her hoof gently to the unicorn's neck.
Shining gave off a wondering look on his eyes. "And what would that be?" he asked lowly.
Luna smiled warmly and leaned forward slowly. She could feel her heart race as their eyes came closer. An inch separated their faces before she whispered lowly: "I love you, Shining Armor." And then their lips made contact.
Shining's eyes opened wide in great surprise. He could hardly believe what was happening. Many thoughts, impressions, questions were filling up the young unicorn's mind. But he realized there was only one thing he could do that would not only make his princess happy, but also himself:
He kissed back.