Shining Armor had been a fanfiction writer since Twilight introduced him to one of her Daring Doo adventurous books. The stallion was fond of writing, always exploring his skill in many levels when he had the time. Either they’d be poetry, essays, biographies, Pikies (The pony wiki), non-fictional stories, or letters he would send to Twilight time from time; Shining Armor simply enjoyed writing. Reading was what he also enjoy, finding it one of his favourite inspirational tools to assist him in his work.
The only thing Shining Armor never did was show his literature to his wife, Cadence, or his mother and father. Twilight was the only one who saw his work first and at times edited it when he couldn’t. She was also the only pony that knew his alias since he began publishing his works to the Canterlot’s Fan-works that sale hard cover copies of his fanfics at conventions, and also publishing at the famous and well-managed industry, Manehatten Free-writing Publishers. Shining Armor was only fourth to being one of the greatest writers behind their aliases. The pony in first place was Daring Doo, above Ms. E. I. Xirt, and Lunara Sol. He was proud of that achievement for sure, though he only wished he had the courage to tell his family and wife…most of all…his wife.
Shining Armor enjoyed comics a lot, mostly the ones Spike collected time by time. Whenever he was asked to baby sit the dragon, he would gladly agree, hoping to read whatever new volume the baby dragon obtained. All in honesty, Shining Armor enjoy hanging out with Spike, being able to relate with him by that certain category. Time by time they would discuss their favourite comic or go to conventions. They’re times together were the times they unleashed their true nerd with their type of community. Most conventions they would attend would be Ponicon being located in Las Pegasus or Coltpan. When Twilight was going to be gone somewhere like in the Crystal Kingdom, the two would travel to annual conventions located in the Gryphon Kingdom. This was something the stallion was not ashamed about. It was normal for him.
Whenever he went back home after watching over Spike, the baby dragon would let him borrow one of his comics until he was finish and returned it in its normal condition. Power Ponies was one of those comics he would ask for, enjoying the plotlines, actions, dialogues, and backgrounds with the heroes and villains that either involves being in the city known as Metropolis. Though, the heroes were not that interesting to him, instead it was villain they would encounter time by time in many issues. He was fond of this villain, the villain being a she, and loved her character for who she was. Her cynical, cruel, selfish, power-hungry, and mad character along with her traditional ominous sardonic smile was what he searched for in many villains. The femme-fatale she was, her name was Mane-iac!
She was amazing in his eyes and one of his favourite types of villains that were rarely seen in many stories. She was preferred as being perfectly done in his opinion, and better than the generic, angst, and life-hating nihilistic types. She had been insane from the very beginning since she made her appearance in the series. Even a background made from the creator described her character being a clear sign of greed. Her hair was what he was so fond of too. The way they moved around, so life-like, and carried off their strange allure majestically and perfectly, better than the hero known as Radiance.
Though, there had been fan-works he read that had her paired with Radiance more than the other characters, especially the one who was used for comedic relief. His name has no importance. He never founded a fic where she founded love or love founded her. No fic involving an OC. He knew OCs had a tough chance in being characterized as good since many had traits too stale, boring, horrible, or Pouenish from the fancy Mary-Poueny. It was difficult to make an OC that would attract ponies’ attention and pass on as good. He was a critic to others and himself, so experienced in this, he had to read carefully and truly understand the character and story before making any points at it. But he gave his feedback privately to the writers and not out in the public as most others do on the Ponynet. Though, his feedback came through the electronics than letters.
Taking sheets of papers, an ink quill, and some energy drinks. He made sure everything was private and Cadence was gone. Entering into his private room, he sat down in front of his desk and began writing. Time did not matter to him at the moment as he focused his attention towards the words being sprung onto the white sheets of paper. When he made a mistake, he would usually scratch it and continue instead of crumbling up the paper. He was not like many authors that would rip up their papers or crumble it most of the time if something did not seem right. The writer took his time to read over his work and make another copy to see if it is better than that one or worse.
Trial and error was a procedure Shining Armor went through in his own way over and over again until he came out with the perfect piece of writing. When it struck the final hour where Cadence was coming back home, he finished writing the last paragraph for his first chapter and stacked the completed sections on top of each other, setting them on top of a table near his potion shelf. Sighing in relaxation, the writer set down his dry quill on the table and tosses away his empty energy drinks into the trash bag, before picking it up and carrying out of the room, shutting the hidden door hard.
A potion bottle fell to the side, popping out its cork, releasing a stream of purple liquid that touched the written sheets of paper. Suddenly, they began glowing brightly, causing the entire room to shake. Soon, the papers began floating into the air as more objects fell to the ground. They twirled, crumbled, and twisted in many strange forms until they began fused together behind the bright purple light that concealed their forms. When the room was done shaking, a massive green glob of hair fell to the ground, releasing a groan in pain. When the strange green glob’s of hair revealed to be actually tendrils of hairs, it revealed a purple mare with a slimmed body.
She revealed her white teeth and smiled evilly as her bright emerald eyes with red small pupils in the center scanned the area she was in. She soon let off a maniacal laughter as her long, loose, strange mane began spreading out, covering most parts of the room, moving everywhere like octopus’ tentacles. Her tendril like hair soon grabbed the handle of the door and twisted it, but it suddenly came to a halt once they founded out the door was locked. The mare stopped laughing and glared angrily at the door.
“You insolent fool think you can prevent, I, MaNE-IaC from getting out! I will show you like those pathetic weak Power-Ponies that I am not to be messed with!” She yelled turning her tendril like hair into a battering ram. “Know suffering!” She yelled swinging it into the stone surface.
When the door was destroyed, it revealed a hallway on the other side, enlightening another evil laugh to escape her mouth. She moved out and looked left and right, seeing Shining Armor taking a right down the hall, she would expect him to be startled or at her sudden entrance, mostly making a hole in the wall that surely would catch anypony’s attention. But before he made his turn down another hallway that led towards the living room, she noticed he was wearing large headphones over his ears and humming out a chorus out loud, oblivious to what happened behind him.
“I found you my dear husband!” She cooed, sneaking towards him, using her mane’s unique tendrils to support her in the air.
“Every day is exactly the same…there is no love here, and there is no pain.” Shining Armor sung quietly as he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV in front of him.
Looking for the remote, he looks left and right before finding the small device by his side. Clicking the on button and switching it to his favourite channel, Ponytoon Network, he smirked and took off his headphones. Shining Armor stared at the TV for a few seconds enjoying the show about some blue cat performing crazy antics with an orange fish, he decided to turn off his Tphone and set it to the side.
He suddenly gasps once he felt a warm touch resting on top of his shoulders. He sighed in relief and shut his eyes once he felt soft kisses pecking his back neck and heading towards the side. A chuckle escaped his mouth once he felt the pecks begin to tickle him.
“Sheesh, honey, I did not know you are so happy today that I am getting attacked by your lips. Were you poised from the beginning to strike this captain when he least expected?” He asked, licking his lips, enjoying the warm sensation from the gentle touches of the soft lips that pressed against the sensitive spots in his neck.
“You bet, lover.”
The stallion’s eyes jolted open as he scrambled off the couch escaping the mare’s clutches and fell to the ground. The stallion scurried back against the TV breathing heavily in horror as he stared at the mare before him. “W-w-w-w-w-w-what in tartarus, y-y-y-you are real!” He yelled.
Mane-iac giggled and lowered herself over the couch and towards her trapped “husband”, licking his right cheek slowly before giving him her traditional maniacal smile. “Of course I am real, how’s my sweety doing from work? Has he been still helping those pesky Power Ponies again to the point they tired him out. Those ponies don’t understand a thing in how to handle a stallion.” She said staring into the petrified stallion before her.
“They need to be gentle.” She said as one of her right tendrils caressed his right cheek. “And loving.” She puckered her lips, leaning towards his face, only to kiss the screen of his TV. She blinked twice in confusion before turning around spotting him crawling away from her.
‘How in the blazes did she get here, wait, how did she get in this world to begin with? She is a fictional character for Celestia sake!’ He was cut off from his thoughts when he felt a cold shadow hovering over him. Looking back slowly, he came face to face with Mane-iac where their noses were touching each other. “H-hi.” He muttered.
“My dear, why are you frightened, have I really aroused your attentions towards my uniqueness?” She asked, leaning down to kiss him, until the sound of the door unlocking shifted her attention to the hallway.
“CADENCE!” Shining Armor cried out in hope, but paused and froze in terror, “NO!” He yelled, crawling out from his trapped position and grabbing Mane-iac’s right hoof, rushing her through the back of their house. He scanned the area and was glad no passing folks of the neighborhood spotted him with the strange mare and her sultry attraction towards him. It would be too difficult to explain his position or perhaps the end of his entire life if it was too late to escape from this unpredictable circumstance.
“My dear, where are you taking me? Somewhere private so that we may bask in our glow of love and perhaps…” She leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Make foals.” The stallion choked on his own spit; beginning to cough once he heard those last two words escape the evil mare’s mouth.
Spotting the abandon factory up on the hills north from his home, the stallion did not answer the twisted mare and rushed her to the place. It took them twelve minutes to make it there and twelve minutes for Shining Armor to hear her endless seducing words he would say he remembered Cadence saying a lot to him whenever she was in the “mood.”
“This place has been vacant for many years, yet I know somepony that puts most of his free time into fixing and cleaning the things here up. You’ll be staying here for now on.” He said, panting out of breath as he rested against a soda machine. They were inside of the empty manager’s room and had a good view of the flourishing neighborhoods that stood in Canterlot. Mane-iac admired the view, but deep down she was already making plans in ruling the city and perhaps the world. Suddenly, her ears perked up as her attention sprung back to Shining Armor after hearing him saying she would be staying in this place for now on.
“What do you mean, dear? This place is going to be our home?!” She spat out in joy, laughing a bit before looking around excitingly.
“I…y-yeah, let’s go with that.” He said smiling nervously. “H-how did you…come to this world?”
“What do you mean lover?” She asked, grinning at him, “I was always here to begin with! I must make plans, those Power Ponies will know what’s coming once they fight against me and with you by my side, and they will surely understand true agony and despair and have no choice but to obey me and my every command. Or perhaps be eliminated, but then again, every villain needs their foe.”
Shining Armor paused for a moment, feeling a sense of memories rush into his head. She acted just like her character from the comic book and even said the lines from his fic. His heart sank as his coat’s color grew paler. He nearly fainted before stumbling onto one of her tendrils that caught him.
“Dear, you’ve been acting weird. Are you okay? Do you need rest?” Mane-iac asked, smiling madly at him as she carried him towards her.
“N-no thank you…umm…dear? I am perfectly alright. I just need to get back to my place and get some things for you!” He panicked as she leaned close to him.
“Are you sure?” She questioned breaths away from his lips.
The stallion nods his head furiously and gets free from her gentle warm tendrils of hair, quickly walk-running to the door backwards. “Of course!”
“Well, be back, my love! Your wife yearns for you, along with her babies.” She said, holding one of her tendrils of hair, licking the sides of him before stuffing her face into it. Shining Armor felt like his theory about her coming to existence in this world was slowly and slowly coming to life. Not wanting to stay in the room any longer, he quickly left her alone and rushed back home.
After twelve minutes passing by, he returned into his home, breathing heavily out of breath. He came through the back and was relieved that Cadence was not around, but once he went straight towards his hidden room located in the hallway, he froze in place, staring at the very being that can snuff him out in the planet without a single thought of mercy. She was beautiful, magnificent, and wonderful in his eyes, but most of all…behind that was a mare he was afraid of and in love with—his wife.
Standing next to the massive hole in the wall where all of his collections rested in, she was tapping her right hoof on the ground staring at him sternly, awaiting an explanation.
“Dear, I can explain…well…I can’t…but I can try at least!” He panicked.
“Go ahead, try, I want to know why there is a hole in our wall and a bunch of broken stuff in this room I never even knew existed.”
Shining Armor cried on the inside. His hard work destroyed by the unknown was something he mentally felt sad about, but gladly not depress. Forming up an excuse, he played along with the hole in the wall as one of his magic spells gone wrong.
“I sneezed!” He yelled causing Cadence to look at him confuse, startled a bit.
“You…sneezed?” She questioned, tilting her heard, attempting to hear him out again.
“Yeah, I did! I was going to levitate my Tphone and I ended up sneezing accidentally firing a spell into the wall!” He lied; feeling like this was the mad mare’s ploy to escape from her world and into here.
“What about this room, I never knew this existed?” Cadence asked, causing Shining Armor to gulp.
“It’s…it’s my quiet room. Somewhere I go to escape from the world and relax!”
“So, this is where you usually go when you don’t feel like spending time with me?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.
“N-n-no, never, Cadence! I swear! I only go there if I feel like releasing a lot of stress, you know how work is! Whenever you are around, I sometimes even go there to make plans that I want to be a surprise for you!”
Cadence remained silent for a few minutes, causing the air to remain quiet. Shining Armor could only hear his heart beat rapidly as he waited for his wife’s next response. She clearly was not amused. Suddenly, Cadence sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“Look, it does not matter. You better clean up this mess.” She said, pointing her right hoof at him. Shining Armor nodded his head furiously with a nervous smile as sweat ran down his forehead.
Cadence smiled softly and began walking, heading down the hall, before brushing her tail against his nose causing him to blush lightly and turn back to her. “And if you ever feel stressed out just ask me and I will settle you down in many ways than you can imagine.”
Shining Armor nodded his head and smiled softly. “Y-yeah.” He said.
When Cadence was out of sights, Shining Armor quickly entered into his room and searched for his written sheets of papers. He searched all over the shelves and used his magic to levitate all the broken heart-breaking items up into the air. Looking left and right, he started to panic; feeling like his entire theory was possibly coming to life into a hard cold fact. Taking a step back, he accidentally fell back onto his back and groaned in pain.
“Dang it…ouch.” He muttered, getting up from the ground. Looking at the object he slipped on, his eyes grew wide as he picked up and stared at it in horror.
“Shining, I’m sure you know a few spells to fix that wall, hurry up, you’re going to miss TAWOG!” Cadence yelled.
Shining Armor shakes his head side by side and quickly tosses the empty bottle of potion into the trash can, before rubbing his temples. “This is crazy! Too crazy! She came to life…literally to life from the damn fic! She…she thinks I’m the main character and that she still is in her universe! I can’t let Cadence know this…or anypony at all! I have to keep her secret from everypony and find a way to bring her back to her world!”
Quickly entering into the hallway, he turned back to the piles of broken hard work he made and cast a void spell sending them into another pocket-dimension. He soon cast a Terra-spell and fixed up the wall, before turning down the hallway and making it to the living room.
‘Alright, I will visit Mane-iac tomorrow, and try to use a spell that will bring her back to her world. While doing that, I will have to make sure Cadence does not get suspicious around me and most of all…I must have her be distracted with other stuff. Maybe make a false letter and have her fly to the Crystal Kingdom, giving me more time to handle that crazy mare in the factory.’
He planned quietly, as he sat down next to Cadence who giggled at the silly antics going on in the show. One problem though, that was pondering around in his head, was how Mane-iac was going to take it if she founded out he had a wife. She clearly looked convinced that he was her husband and to find out that Cadence was actually in his life, problems were going to surely occur. He loved both the mares, seeing them beautiful and perfect in many ways. But Mane-iac was fictional. She was not real, so how could he have deep feelings for her if he had Cadence in his life? The poor stallion felt trapped. As if he was an unlucky character in some love triangle written from the stand-point of view by some author outside of their universe. If that was true, he would not hesitate to beat him into a pulp, if it was her, he would surely have to be polite and ask for her to stop making his life even harder than it was.
Shining Armor truly felt like his life was on the brink of extinction.
-To Be Continued?-