It was early in the morning when Twilight heard a knock at her door. Still yawning, she made her way down the glittery staircase and discovered it was her brother, come to visit her.
"Shining Armor?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing," he said. He laughed to himself. "Just a fight with the missus."
"So you took a five-hour-long train ride to come here?"
"Okay, so maybe it was more than just a fight."
"Well? Don't keep me in suspense! Come in and tell me what happened!"
"It's really not a big deal. Ooh, that couch looks comfy!" Shining Armor threw himself on a long outcrop of crystal and laid his head against a crystal pillar. Twilight didn't have the heart to tell him it was just a decoration, and probably not very comfortable at all.
"Shiny, just tell me!" Twilight urged him.
"All right. All I said was that stallions had it really difficult these days. Cadance got all huffy and said that mares obviously had it more difficult than stallions. And I told her that was ridiculous."
Twilight sighed. "Really? You got into a fight with her over that?"
"Like I said, no big deal." He hopped up from the "couch" and looked around, saying, "So, where's your kitchen?"
"You are not staying!" Twilight told him. "Soon as the first train to the Crystal Empire comes in, you are going right back to apologize to Cadance!"
"No need for that," said a charming, pleasant voice just outside. Cadance flew in through the front door and snatched up Shining Armor in a massive hug. "I was so worried! What were you thinking, running off?"
"I thought, after our fight, that you wanted some space," Shining said.
"Honey, we have an entire castle. I have all the space I need." Cadance frowned and backed up from him. "Do you really think I could be so mad at you that I'd want you to run away from home?"
Shining Armor snorted. "Well, considering you said, and I quote, 'Oh, Shining Armor, I am so mad at you right now, I can hardly stand to look at you!'"
"Okay, I did say that, but I was exaggerating!" Cadance smiled and flitted her eyes. "Besides, I can never get enough of you, Mr. Big and Studly..."
"Okay, back it up, you two, save room for Celestia," Twilight said, hurriedly putting herself between the two lovebirds. "So," Twilight added, "you're really not mad?"
"No, of course not," Cadance said. "I may not agree with him, and he may have said some things that were a tad hurtful, but I still love him."
"Wait, what did I say? Because I distinctly recall you saying, 'Stallions have no idea how easy they've got it.' I think I was in my rights to respond to that."
"What, by saying, 'Stallions do all the real work in this society?' What do you think my aunts do, then, huh?"
"Cadance... BBBFF..." Twilight called out to them, but Shining Armor pushed her to the side.
"I didn't say 'real work,' I said 'the backbone of Equestria.' You were the one who said stallions were too stupid to become alicorns."
"Only because you said mares 'can't understand the vast intricacies of military strategy.'"
"Hey, I'm just sayin', all my female officers preferred latrine duty over strategy meetings."
"Well, you'd better double-check with those officers, bucko, because there's no way that's true!"
"Please, stop fighting!" Twilight pleaded.
"Twilight! I'm sorry, I totally forgot about you," Shining Armor said.
"This is my house," Twilight replied, deadpan.
"Well, it looks like my house, and... anyway. C'mon, back me up here!" Shining Armor said. "Tell her about how stallions are the battered workhorses of today's society!"
"Twilight, tell him that mares have it way harder than stallions do!"
Twilight was perplexed. Her brother was looking at her with his "big brother in need" eyes, while Cadance was looking unusually upset, like she needed some sympathy.
"...I don't know. My brother does have a point," Twilight said slowly.
Cadance shook her head and laughed. "You've betrayed your gender, Twilight," Cadance joked. "Celestia will hear about this."
"Thanks, Twily," Shining Armor said. "I knew you'd take--"
"Not so fast, BBBFF. I'm not saying you're not wrong, too."
"Bwuh?"
"Yeah, stallions do get the short end of the stick sometimes, but that doesn't mean we mares don't have our trials, too! Life isn't a whine-off to see who has it worse. We have to work together in harmony if we want to be happy."
"Yeah, you're right." Shining Armor stood by Cadance and smiled sadly. "The truth is, I work hard all day getting the Crystal Guard up to snuff. Before that, I was Captain of the Guard; before that, I did my time down in the Canterlot Harvesting Fields. And all of that just seems to be... expected. I've never gotten any recognition for it. Sometimes I just feel totally invisible."
"Oh, honey, I appreciate you!" Cadance said. "I'm sorry if I haven't shown that for you enough. I promise I'll be more receptive to when you do something for me."
Twilight waved a hoof. "Now it's your turn, Cadance. I doubt you jumped on him because you thought he was a chauvinist."
"No, I guess not..." Cadance thought about it for a moment. "The truth is, what really bothered me was how quick to jump to conclusions you were. You don't think through what you say. And it's not just that! You feel like I'm angry with you, so you decide to run off to your sister's house. You buy a brand new set of decorations without thinking about the cost or how I might feel about you. You never think about how I feel!" Cadance started to tear up. "You didn't think about how I'd worry."
"Cadance..." He held her close, and their horns touched, giving off sparks. "I'm so sorry for running off. And for all those other things, too."
Cadance hiccupped through her tears. "I thought... I thought you were abandoning me..."
"No, never," Shining Armor told her. "I'm sorry that I don't always know the right thing to do or say. I'm sorry that I don't always think my plans through all the way. I promise to be more considerate for your feelings before I shoot my mouth off."
"Aww..." Twilight couldn't help but react to the beautiful moment her brother and sister-in-law were having.
They eventually pulled away from each other. Shining Armor joked, "So, while I'm working on my mind-reading, what are you thinking about right now?"
And Cadance, sweet Cadance, replied innocently, "I want to start a family."
Shining Armor's eyes grew 'til they were as big as dinner plates. He whipped his head to Twilight, who gave him the "hoofs-up" sign. He turned back and said, "Aw, what the hay. Yes, of course!" He spun her about and gave her a kiss. A... rather long kiss...
"Wait, eww, not right now!" said Twilight.