Love, Equestria Style

by Bluecatcinema

Birth Of A Shine

Thirty years earlier…

Through the cold wilderness of northern Equestria, a train made it way towards it's next destination, Vanhoover. It was a medium-sized city with a good level of commerce. Everypony aboard the train was looking forward to seeing the sights of Vanhoover... well, except one.

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Yep, so quit yer belly-achin'."

White Knight the Pegasus and his best friend Big Red the Earth Pony, were on their way to Vanhoover, via train.

"I don't even know why we're going." White pouted. "Dodge Junction's the best place in Equestria!"

"That's may be so, but ya gotta admit, things do get pretty dull, there." Big Red declared. "Now Vanhoover, the big city, has all sorts a' sights ta see, things ta do, ladies ta woo!"

"Well, I'm glad you'll be having fun." White sighed, running a white hoof through his silver mane. "You practically dragged me along on this trip."

"C'mon, White." Big Red declared. "Y'all need ta get out there. Dodge Junction ain't the center of the universe, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah." White muttered, a grim expression on his face, as he glanced out the window.

Big Red noticed.

"Come on, White… what happened to Black wasn't your fault…" Big Red tried to reassure him.

"Big Red, don't… I just want to get this trip over with so I can go back home…" White frowned.

"Suit yourself…" Big Red frowned as he glanced out the window as well.

White cast a sideways glance at Big Red. He knew that he meant well, and he was grateful for that, but… it was complicated.

As far as he could remember, Dodge Junction had been his home, where he and his older brother, Black Knight, grew up alongside Big Red, Cherry Jubilee, and many other they came to know over the years. The two had loving parents, Ivory Templar and White Dove, who passed away when they were just young colts. Shortly after their deaths, both of them, as well as Big Red, went and worked on the Cherry Hill Ranch for Cherry Jubilee and her father Maraschino.

When White and Black turned 16 and 18 respectively, they joined the Royal Defense Legion, an army branch of the Royal Guards, as their father was a soldier himself. After a year of training, they were shipped off to Saddle Arabia, where a civil war was under-going.

They were placed in a platoon of four, featuring a pegasus named Avalanche, a unicorn named Nora, an albino Earth Pony named Nevec, and another Earth Pony named Rookie Blue, and both White and Black were made leading officers to lead them. For three years, a lot had happened... but nothing could compare to an incident during his fifth year of service... an incident that would forever burn itself into his mind… needless to say, White shortly retired from the army with honors and returned alone back to Dodge Junction.

Nopony there except a rare few knew why he retired from the army, but they didn't press the matter. White soon went back to work on the ranch under Cherry, who had recently inherited the place, and things went back to normal... or at least, close to it. White felt he had seen quite enough of the outside world after those five years in the army, but Big Red saw things differently.

Soon the train arrived in Vanhoover. As soon as the doors opened, Big Red was the first once out, lugging a barrel of cherries on his back with ease.

"Ah, smell that city air!" He smiled. "Good stuff!"

"Yay." White said listlessly as he followed, toying with the locket around his neck.

"Hey, look there!" Big Red smiled, spotting the merchant they were supposed to sell to.

"Hey, pal, I brought the cherries ya ordered for your stand." Big Red declared.

"Ah, wonderful. How much for them, one bit a pound?" The merchant suggested.

"One?!" Big Red sneered. "Good sir, these cherries were home-grown by Cherry Jubilee and myself! You ain't find cherries of finer qualities elsewhere! They are easily worth three bits per pound."

"Three bits?!" The merchant gasped. "Where do you think you are, Canterlot? Nopony around here will pay that much for some measly cherries!"

"What?! Oh..." Big Red set down the barrel of cherries and glanced back at White. "You might wanna go check out the sights. This is gonna take a while. Meet ya back at the hotel?"

"Sure." White shrugged.

"Good." Big Red nodded as he turned to the merchant, "Now ya see here..."

White rolled his eyes as Big Red tries to haggle with the merchant. The big guy took a lot of pride in his cherries, especially ones grown on the ranch belonging to a certain crush of his.

The only question was: what was he to do for the rest of the day while Red tries to get more bits for the cherries. His answer soon came as he spotted a small tavern, 'The Watering Hole'.

"Well, I ain't got nothing better to do…" White sighed.

He entered the tavern, as he took a seat at the counter.

"One sarsaparilla twist, please." He told the bartender.

"Sarsaparilla? You're not from around here, are you?"

White turned in the direction of the speaker. It was a pretty Earth Pony mare, with a black mane and a light blue coat. Her Cutie Mark was a gust of wind.

"Actually, I'm from Dodge Junction." White answered.

"Way out there, huh?" The mare nodded. "Is it nice?"

"Best place I know." White declared, as the bartender gave him his drink. "I'm White Knight, by the way."

"Silver Wind." The mare replied. "So, what brings you so far from home?"

"My friend, Big Red and business." White declared. "We had cherries to deliver and Big Red wanted to see the city, so he dragged me along for the ride."

"Hey, it's not so bad here." Silver declared. "I've lived here my whole life. Take it from me, it's a great place to be."

"Maybe you're right." White declared. "Maybe I should give this place a chance..."

"You do that." Silver smiled. "Nice Cutie Mark, by the way. Are you a Royal Guardspony, or something?"

"Oh, uh..." White glanced at his unique solar eclipse cutie mark with the blue eye. "I used to be. I'm just a work-hand at Cherry Hill Ranch now..."

"No kidding?" Silver smiled. "Never met a soldier before. Where did ya serve?"

"Saddle Arabia." White answered. "Spent four years before transferring to Canterlot and then retired."

"Retired?" Silver raised a brow, "Why did you leave?"

"It's a long story…" White muttered, his mood suddenly dampening. "And please don't take this the wrong way, but I rather not talk about it."

"Oh… okay, I understand." Silver nodded, as she checked her watch. "I have to head for home anyways. It was nice meeting you, White."

"You too, Silver." White smiled, a little enlightened by Silver's smile.

After Silver left, White downed the rest of his drink. Acknowledging that Big Red might be wondering where he was, White decided to leave.

As he walked down the streets all by his lonesome, dusk starting to descend. However, as he did, he soon heard a struggle close by.

"Get away from me!" Yelled a familiar voice.

"Silver?" White gasped, heading in the direction of the voice. As he rounded into an alley, he found Silver cornered by two thugs.

"What's the matter, sweet cheeks?" One of them smirked, waving a crossbow at her. "We just wanna have some fun with ya."

"Yeah, fun." His shorter companion chortled.

"HEY!"

The two thugs and Silver glanced at the origin of the voice, as White stepped down the alleyway.

"Step away from the lady." White declared.

"Mind your own business, pal." The tall thug glared.

"That lady happens to be a friend of mine." White declared. "So what happens to her is my business."

"Your funeral, buddy." The shorter one smirked. "Yaaah!"

The shorter thug charged at White, who quickly downed him with a roundhouse kick.

"Ready to call it quits?" White asked the taller thug, silently grateful that his military training still served him well.

"You wish." The thug fired his crossbow.

White dodged the arrow, then tackled the thug before he could reload, knocking the crossbow from his hooves. The two wrestled on the ground as White had the thug pinned... only to feel an agonizing pain in his abdomen. The thug had pulled a knife, and jabbed him in the abdomen. It didn't hit any vital organs or what-nots...but it still hurts like Tartarus.

"Yaargh!" White screamed as the thug pushed him off.

"Gotcha now, ya-" Before the thug could finish his taunt, White instantly pulled the bloodied knife from his wound and threw it into one of his legs, "GAH!"

The thug recoiled, holding his stabbed leg, when he hears a cocking of a crossbow. He looked on in horror as White held his crossbow in one hoof, while his other front hoof was on his wound.

"Now, would you kindly leave this lady alone, before I go and do something that I cannot be held responsible for…" White threatened with grit in his voice.

The taller thug gulped as he ran off… but he didn't get far as he was soon hit in the back of the head with a flung crossbow, courtesy of White.

"Maybe that'll... teach ya to... treat a lady right... oh man, that smarts…" White groaned, holding his wound.

"White!" Silver rushed over. "You're hurt!"

"Just a scratch..." White winced.

"Scratch, nothing!" Silver frowned. "Come on. My place isn't too far from here..."

Silver helped White to his feet, and they made their to a small loft apartment. Once they were inside, Silver eased him onto the couch.

"Hang on." She told White. "I've got some bandages around her somewhere."

Silver found the bandages, and started wrapping up White's gash.

"You do know what you did back there was pretty crazy, right?" She asked. "Risking your life for a mare you barely know?"

"Well, where I come from, we're taught to defend a lady's honor, no matter what." White smiled. "Especially one as pretty as you."

"Oh, um... thanks." Silver blushed. "Don't get me wrong, though. I'm glad you did it. You're my hero, White."

As Silver finished wrapping the bandages, her hooves remained on White's side, as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Well, uh..." White chuckled nervously. "I guess this makes us even."

"Yeah, guess so." Silver smiled awkwardly.

"Nice patch job, by the way." White declared.

"Thanks." Silver grinned. "I'm something of a herbalist healer."

"Seriously?" White raised his eyebrows. "Don't see many of those around."

"It's my calling." Silver shrugged. "Here, let me get you something to drink."

Silver went into the kitchen. As White laid on the couch, he glanced around the loft. He had to admit, the place was real fancy. It was spacious and modern, with fancy furnishings and architecture. Silver wondered how much a place like that would cost. However, his eyes caught the sight of papers on a nearby table. White picked one up and it read "Homeowners tax: Overdue."

White frowned, as he looked at another paper. It too also said "Overdue". He adjusted himself as he then proceeded to look through all the papers. Much to his dismay, each and one of them were un-paid and/or overdue bills.

"What are you doing?"

White glanced up to see Silver, holding two mugs.

"Oh… um…I was just looking around, and I noticed the papers on the table..." White rubbed the back of his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, it's fine…" Silver sighed, as she sat down aside him, setting his and her mug down on the table. "Just some bills..."

"Silver, are you having money problems?" White asked.

"You could say that." Silver groaned, "It's just that business has been real slow for the past couple of months, and the bills just kept piling up. I'm only days away from being evicted…"

"Wow…I'm really sorry to hear that…" White frowned.

"No, it's fine, White… I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out… somehow…" Silver muttered, letting out a pained sigh.

White felt a pang in his heart. He couldn't bear to see this beautiful mare upset… if only there was something he could do to make it better…

Fortunately, as if it was an instinct, something did come to mind in White's head.

"Well…" White began, "I might have an idea, if it helps… back home in Dodge Junction, I own a homestead. Me and my brother inherited it when my parents passed…and there's plenty of room… so… maybe you could come to Dodge Junction… with me?

Silver's eyes widened.

"W-what?" Silver gasped. "White… we just met! And you're already asking me to move in with you?"

"Now, don't get the wrong idea." White said hastily. "I ain't lookin' to take advantage, or nuthin'. I'm just doing the chivalrous thing by helping a mare in need."

"Lemme guess: that's what you're taught back home?" Silver smiled.

"Sure is." White smiled, "And don't you worry none about rent… at least, until you get back on your hooves."

"Really?" Silver smiled. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver... in more ways then one."

"Hey, it's the gentlecoltly thing to do." White declared.

"Wow…I've never met a stallion like you before, White." Silver scooted closer to him. "You're one of a kind."

"Aw, now you're makin' me blush." White chuckled.

"Good." Silver nuzzled against him. "Get some color in those cheeks."

"Um, okay…" White blushed harder, trying to keep his wings from popping out.

It was not a particularly cold night, but the two found themselves nuzzling closer and closer together.

Soon, White let out a yawn.

"Sorry." He apologized. "Long day…"

"Time for bed, I think." Silver smiled. "Come on."

"Beg pardon?" White gulped.

"Well, I can't expect the stallion who saved my life and offered me a place to stay to sleep on a couch, can I?" Silver declared. "It's downright ungrateful!"

"Well, when you put it that way..." White shrugged.

Silver leaded White to a quaint bedroom, as the mare climbed into her bed, beckoning White to join.

"Come on, White, there's room for one more…" Silver grinned seductively.

White gulped as he noted the amorous look on Silver's face.

'Looks like my night's just getting started.' He thought, as he joined her.

As soon as he did, Silver soon captured his mouth in a passionate kiss. White was initially caught off guard, as his wings sprouted like rakes when stepped on…but immediately, he soon melt into it, as he took the lead…

The following morning…

It was lightly snowing outside, as White and Silver laid in bed, with the White's hooves wrapped around Silver's abdomen and his head on her shoulder. The two were blissfully in slumberland when…

*KNOCK KNOCK*

A loud knock at the door echoed through the loft. White groaned as he got up, leaving Silver in bed still asleep as he slowly trotted to the door. He opened it, only to see a peeved Big Red.

"Red?" White gasped.

"White! Where in Sam Hill have ya been?!" Big Red demanded. "Ah told ya to meet me back at the hotel!"

"Oh... right... Red, I'm sorr-" White stuttered.

"Oh mah gosh, what happened to you?!" Big Red gasped, noticing White's wounds.

"Well, you see, I was drinking at this bar and..." White started.

"Aw, forget that! You have any idea how worried sick Ah was?" Big Red asked. "Ah thought something horrifically bad happened to you. Ah lit'rally spent all night asking around if anypony'd seen a white Pegasus 'round here. Yet here ya are... whose place is this anyways?"

"White? Is everything alright-oh my..."

Big Red glanced around and saw Silver Wind slowly walking out. He was shocked by how beautiful she was. Silver in turn was shocked by the stallion's big size.

"Who's this?" They both asked at once.

"Red, this is Silver Wind... we met last night." White said nervously. "Silver, this is my best friend, Big Red."

"Pleased to meet you." Silver held out a hoof.

"Um, likewise..." Big Red shook her hoof awkwardly.

"Silver's going to be coming back with us to Dodge Junction." White declared.

"She is?" Big Red repeated.

"Yes." White nodded, as he turned to Silver, "How much time do you need to pack?"

"Not long... and the sooner I get to your place, the better." Silver smiled, as she pecked White on the cheek.

As she went back to her room. Big Red ogled at her retreating flanks.

As soon as she was out of the room, Big Red glanced at White with a wide smirk.

"...What?" White asked.

"Ya know what..." Big Red smiled.

"Not really..." White stated. "How did things goes with the merchant?"

"Forget the merchant, man!" Big Red chuckled, "What in Equestria happened last night that you met a sexy mare like that?!" He gestured to where Silver went.

"It's a long story, Red..." White declared, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "But to cut it short, she was days from being evicted, and I decided to help her out by offering her a room at my home..."

"And Ah take it that she wanted to repay ya for yer kindness..." Big Red smirked mischievously. "You sly dog..."

"I didn't intend to sleep with her, Red... it's just... the way she looked at me last night, with those gorgeous gold eyes... and that beautiful smile..." White sighed contently.

"Well, good for ya, pal." Big Red chuckled as he slapped him hard on the back, "Getting' yerself a foxy city mare, right off the get-go! When can Ah expect a weddin' from ya two?"

"Wedding?!" White repeated, as he frowned. "Don't you get any ideas, Red! What happened between me and Silver was just a one-time deal. From here on out, I am just offering her a place to stay till she can afford to live on her own. That is all."

"Sure..." Big Red smirked, "That's what they all say…heck, ya remind me of that Leonard feller from Big Buck Theory, when he fell in love with Penny."

"Oh, like you can talk, Big Red. Why haven't you asked out Cherry Jubilee yet, hmm?" White challenged.

"Wh-huh... Ah dunno whatcha talkin' about!" Big Red stuttered.

"Sure you don't." White chuckled. "How about ya don't hassle me about Silver, and I won't hassle ya about Cherry."

Big Red pouted with a 'hmph'.

Silver came out with a full-loaded suitcase.

"Okay." She smiled. "Ready to go."

"Please, allow me ta take that heavy suitcase." Big Red offered.

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to-" Silver started.

"It's the least Ah can do ta help mah best friend's lady friend!" Big Red smiled, taking the suitcase.

"Your friend's as much a gentlecolt as you are." Silver smiled at White. "Thanks again for this." She nuzzled against him. "I promise I'll make it very worth your while..."

"I, uh... okay." White blushed. 'Maybe Big Red has a point after all...' He thought.

Three years later...

It was a warm summer day in Dodge Junction, so warm in fact that most ponies would be at home, trying to remain cool.

But today happened to be a momentous day for a certain couple, as in one of the rooms at the local hospital, Silver had recently given birth to White's son, whom he had named Shine Paladin, as per tradition amongst Paladin colts.

Not long after Silver had moved to Dodge Junction, having joined White and Big Red on the train ride back, Silver had already endeared herself to the community (and likewise), and she and White had started courting, their love blossoming from that supposed "one-night stand". It soon culminated in their marriage, and eventually Silver's pregnancy.

White looked at his son with pride and tears.

"Hello, Shine." He smiled as he took his son into his hooves. "Welcome to the world."

Shine cooed, looking up at his father with his blue eyes, as he pawed at White's locket (which now contained a picture of White and Silver on their wedding night), fascinated by it's sheen.

"You're meant for great things, my boy." White whispered. "I just know it."

Big Red then entered, joined by Cherry Jubilee. The relationship hadn't changed much between the two since Silver came to Dodge Junction... but it became more obvious that the two were madly in love with each other… not that they saw it.

"There he is!" Big Red smiled. "Say 'hi' ta uncle Red, li'l critter!"

White handed Shine over to him. The little foal giggled as he rubbed his hoof against Big Red's beard.

"Oh mah gosh, he's so tiny…" Big Red chuckled, "He's got yer eyes, White. Great big blue ones."

"You're so good with him." Cherry smiled. "I bet you'd make a great father someday, Red..."

"Uhh... thanks, miss Cherry." Big Red blushed.

"Who'd have thought that one day in Vanhoover could have brought about so much?" Silver mused.

"It was fate, my love." White kissed Silver. "Destiny brought us together."

"Well then, thank you destiny." Silver grinned.

"And thank you, me!" Big Red boasted, "White would have never left the ranch if not for me!"

"Whatever you say, Red…" White chuckled, secretly forever grateful to his best friend.

Twenty-five years later...

It had been a long road for him… but there he was, moments from being married to the mare of his life.

Shine stood outside the wedding hall, his wedding to the princess of the sun, Celestia, mere moments away. His best men Big Red, Blueblood, and Gothic were doing last minute preparations as Shine glanced at the silver heart locket, given to him long ago by his parents shortly before their untimely death.

The Pegasus could not help but let a tear roll down his cheek as he opened it and looked at the picture of his parents' smiling faces on their wedding day.

"Mom, dad." He whispered. "I know you'll always be watching over me. Thanks for giving me so much. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here. And I hope me and Celestia will experience the joys of love like you have…"

"Shine, are ya ready ta get hitched or what?!" Big Red called to Shine.

"Coming, Red…" Shine chuckled, wiping his tears, as he kissed his locket before slipping it into his tux, and he headed down the aisle towards the altar… and to a brand new chapter of his life… brought upon by love blossomed so long ago…

Comments

[00RaiserGundam]

Loving this story so far.

[Vakama95096]

a wonderful chapter about how Shine's parents met. i really love this chapter

[SageBrony07]

That was sweet. Great job.

[danick]

I wanted a big red and cherry jubilee story

[Galaxy Knight]

Ah, nostalgic beginnings...