//------------------------------// // Princess Cadance's Sick Day // Story: Cadance: The Shining Armor Chaser // by Captain-Brony //------------------------------// Princess Cadance was absolutely miserable. She had been spending the entire day in bed getting acquainted with her new best friend, a tissue box. Her nose was runny and her cough was killing her, her head was pounding which was only as half as bad as her chills...hence why she was wearing her favorite pink bathrobe. One would think she'd be spending it alone but not quite, Shining Armor, her white knight, had come to return the favor she had given him...except the situation was exactly like the one before... Cadance glared at him from her bed while he sat in a chair next to her reading a magazine. "Say you love me!!" she snapped. "No." he replied in a bored tone. "Say you love me!!" "No." "Say it!" "No." "Say it!!" "No." "Say it!!!" "No." "As a royal princess I COMMAND you to say it!!" "Your aunt says I don't have to obey any commands from you when you're like this." "Aw shoot!" "Now lay down and get some rest." "Well I could do that..." a mischievous glint shined in her eyes. "Or I could give you a surprise snuggle!" She threw her arms out to wrap around Shining Armor and bring him close. She felt a sense of victory as she hugged him...who was a lot softer than she expected...and smaller...and had button eyes...this wasn't Shining Armor. She looked down at her childhood teddy bear and then back at Shining Armor whom seemingly hadn't even moved from his chair. "Wait...how did you..." "Cadi, you have a fever. Your aim isn't quite as well as may think it is." "That's one possibility, the other is that you are a secret ninja who works for the good of Equestria!" Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "Does this have anything to do with crystal palaces?" "I don't know..." Cadance placed one hoof on her hip and pointed the other at Shining Armor. "You tell me!" "If I was a real ninja you'd be asleep by now." "Or maybe that's just what you want me to think." "Cadi, you're delusional. It's the fever. Now please lay down..." Instead of laying down she merely smirked at him. "You caaaaaaaare...♫" "Oh for the love of..." He placed his hoof on her forehead (mining the horn) and carefully pushed her back on to her bed against her pillow. "Ha!! It will take a lot more than a really soft pillow...and a cozy bed...and...I'm just gonna rest my eyes for minute but don't think I'm not done!" In a couple of seconds she was sleeping peacefully and Shining Armor let out a breath of relief. "I hope you have some sweet dreams. I honestly mean that." 'Sweet' might not have been the correct word to describe the dream she was having. No, just like Shining Armor, she was having a sort of fever dream...one where she was a gunslinger of the old west. "SHERIFF!! I'M CALLING YOU OUT SHERIFF!!!" From out of a building came Shining Armor dressed as an old western sheriff. "I thought I told you to take your feelings and scram!" "My feelings belong with you, but more importantly..." she steeled her gaze. "They deserve to be reciprocated!" Shining Armor steeled his gaze as well. "This town aint big enough for both our desires." "Then I guess one of us is going to have to give in!" A tumbleweed passed between the two of them as they stood adjacent to one another. "DRAW!!!" shouted Shining Armor. Cadance quickly blew a kiss at Shining Armor before he could move. He clutched his heart as the kiss allegedly connected and fell down. Staring at his not moving form Cadance started to grow concerned. "I've heard of a kiss of death but this is ridiculous!" Cadance's head swam a little as Shining Armor propped it up. "Sorry to wake you sleepy head, but you need to eat too. However, it seems I'm going to have to feed you." She smiled at him. "I'm not complaining, Sheriff." "What'd you call me??" "Don't worry about it. What'cha got for me?" "Just some soup." He pulled up a tray from the floor which had a bowl of soup on it. "Like the soup I made you?" "Nah. It's just regular tomato soup." He placed the tray on her bed and used his magic to levitate the spoon. He spoon fed her and she quietly ate it. Not a word was said between the two until it was all gone. "Shiny?" "Yes Cadi?" "I'm....sorry, for chasing you everywhere and pulling all these tricks on you. I'm just...I don't know...scared." "Scared?" Shining Armor put the tray back on the floor. "Scared of what?" "Losing you I guess. Shining Armor...you have become an important part of my life. I started to realize this when you left to pursue your dream, at first I thought I was just missing my friend. However, the more I thought about you the less platonic those thoughts got, and then one day it just hit me. Shining Armor...I'm in love with you. You can keep saying that we can't be together because I'm a princess or because you're a captain but none of that will ever change the fact that I love you." Shining Armor looked at her as if it he was really seeing her for the first time. He hung his head, his darted as he searched for an answer, finally he rose his head with a look of the utmost focus on his face. "Cadance, listen...maybe, if things were different I..." The sound of snoring cut him off as he saw that the majestic Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had fallen asleep sitting up. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, her mouth was open and drool was starting to escape. Somehow he found the whole scene adorable. He tucked her back in, wiping the drool away. "You'll see Cadance..." he walked to the door giving her one last look before leaving. "It's better this way." Cadance sat up in bed and gave a big stretch. A smile graced her lips. "Wow, I feel great!" She jumped out of her covers and shook all her joints loose. Her time in bed came flooding back to her, how she confessed to Shining Armor. She smiled. "Things are probably going to be easier now. If I play my cards right I bet I could get him to confess by tomorrow." She left her room and started to travel down the hall. Looking up at the ceiling she saw the mistletoe Twilight hung to be missing. "I guess Shining Armor finally had them taken down. Oh well." Upon a second look she could see that decorations hanging up. "Shining Armor must have cracked the whip on preparations. There literally isn't anything left to set up." Turning in to a corridor she saw her two friend chatting...but they were in their Gala dresses. "Hey gals..." "Oh Cadance! We were just about to visit you." "How are you feeling? Are you holding up okay?" The concern on their face was a little confusing. "I'm feeling much better now, but what's with all the decoration? The Gala is still days away. And why the dresses, are you getting them fitted or something?" Her two friends shared a concerned look. "You might want to sit down, Cadance." It was a little unusual but Cadance sat on the floor like her friend requested. "You better brace yourself Sweetie, because I don't think you understand how long you've been out! The Grand Galloping Gala is tonight!!" "What?! It only feels like I've been out for an hour! How long did that fever have me?!" "Well Shining Armor was able to shake it off in a day because he's a military pony. He's sturdier, built to take it; you on the other hand, well...you're a princess. You were built to rule not fight." The room started to spin as the gravity of the situation set in. No wonder she was asked to sit. "We're sorry, Cadance. We know what this means for you." It felt like her heart was breaking, it took everything she had to fight back the floodgate of tears. "It means..." she fought back a sob. "It means I lose!"