When I gently led Shining Armor - completely kitted out in his special Pet Therapy Tack - into their room, poor Cadence gasped softly... and then her eyes misted with tears as she breathed, "Oh, Shiny..."
"Yes," the white stallion intoned once I gently removed the soft bit from his mouth, "I've begun attending Pony Pet Therapy. I've become a... a Pet Pony, Cady. This is David, my 'owner...'"
"I..." Cadence was stumped. "I don't understand!" she cried. "Why? How could you... demean yourself like this. You're a Prince for Luna's sake--and the Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard!"
At this, something inside poor Shining Armor snapped, and I slackened his halter lead allowing him to pace as his frustrations boiled over. "EXACTLY!" he thundered, a heavy snort escaping through his nose, bringing Cadence silent. "Sisters, Cady... do you have any idea how stressful it all is. Managing the guard, my duties as a Prince, having to attend the courts and functions, plus... the other problems I've been having..."
"What problems?" Cadence wanted to know--but Shining cut her off as he continued.
"It... it got so bad that I started to get the headaches again; like the ones I had during the Royal Wedding when... she was draining me. I... I had to do something..." Shining Armor inhaled a breath then released, calming himself, gathering his thoughts. "I... I'd heard about the human's 'Pet Therapy' from Twily, who regularly attends. It's a very special, discreet service offered by the Petting Parlors - carefully monitored and regulated - where a human and a pony enter into a Contract. For a specified time, a pony can agree to become a human's pet. When this happens the pony who becomes the pet can let go; surrender the responsibilities of normal pony life and just be cared for and loved unconditionally. It's an utterly gentle, nurturing treatment, for both ponies and humans. To care and be cared for--and yet more than that..."
Shining moved to lean gently against David and - without thinking - the human knelt to scratch his withers and oh bliss... Seeing his face, the blissed expression, Cadence licked her lips. "So, David is your... your owner? When you first became his pet... What did he do?" Breathless, she awaited his reply--and the big male didn't disappoint.
"He took me to his house and ran me a hot bath, Cady--and during that bath he bathed me by hand. Oh, Alicorns," the stallion moaned, "it was bliss. His hands and fingers can reach places hooves just can't get to. David washed me so well - gave me so much pleasure during the bathing - that I... I dropped there as I stood in the bath. But... but David didn't care; he just... he just..." A deep, primal snort escaped Shining Armor then as he remembered what David had done; how the human had gently fondled him with wet, soapy hand until he was fully erect, before the human had curled his hand around his stallionhood, allowing the big male to rut himself to climax, whinnying and snorting with ancient, feral lust!
As David moved to gently scratch him behind the ears, Shining Armor continued. "After the bath, David dried me off with this big fluffy towel and then petted me until I fell asleep. Mmmhh... The day after that, my new owner took me to an Equestrian Vet - a human highly skilled at treating our injuries and maladies. The vet used a machine called an 'Ex-Ray' to look inside my body - discovering that I had multiple tiny stress fractures in various places from training - and he also gave me a mild painkiller, which I'm now being taken off of. No more stress, Cady. That's what the vet said; that and plenty of Pet Therapy, and I should be fine..."
As the tears fell from her eyes, poor Cadence watched in awe and horror as her Shining Armor sat to lean against David; he nickered, nuzzled and fawned gently against his human owner, shamelessly shifting this way and that way for petting. What kind of power did the humans have that they could reduce brave, upstanding ponies to mere pets? Suddenly, a horrible thought struck her! Was that what would happen? Would Equestrian Ponies eventually become the pets of humans? She... she had to stop this! Gently, near-seductively, the Princess of Love sashayed towards them. "Oh, Shiny," she purred throatily, "you don't need this Pet Therapy. I can take care of all your needs. I can take care of you..."
It was a mistake.
A huge one.
No sooner had she stood and started to move towards them, Shining Armor's eyes glazed over as the other problems he'd hinted at came roaring to the surface... flashbacks. He knew it was Cadence - David had told him repeatedly that this was Cadence - and yet... and yet... "...you don't need this Pet Therapy. I can take care of all your needs. I can take care of you..." Chrysalis in her guise stated as she slowly stalked him. "Love me, Shiny, only me..." Chrysalis whispered as she leaned forward, opening her mouth, her fangs showing slightly as she made to kiss him, made to show him her love. "Please Shiny," Cadence said spreading her insectoid wings wide...
A terrified, coltish whinny was torn from poor Shining Armor as he turned and bolted from the room, David moving to intercept him, the human picking him up and leaving swiftly, even as the white Unicorn, lost in memory, continued to 'run' his legs flailing uselessly as he bawled like a terrified foal.
Both exited the room at that point, leaving behind Cadence who sat upon the floor, horrified at what had occurred.
Outside, David softly petted and stroked poor Shining Armor as he cried, "I... I thought I was rea-a-a-dy..."
Rocking the poor male back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, foal-like, David soothed him softly, gently. "I know; I thought you were, too. I'm sorry, Shine. I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay..." the big unicorn slurred. "I fhorghive you, Masterr. P-P-Please take me home. Take me home..."
"Of course," the human replied, hoping deep within that he hadn't set back their therapy by months.