Catherine: Love is Over?

by _No_One_Remains_

The Grand Opening

Day 1, Shining Armor’s Chambers- 6:34am

It was a bright, sunny spring morning, and Shining Armor awoke to the sound of the birds chirping outside of his window. Armor didn’t have to be on duty at all for the rest of the week, so it was his time to kick back and relax. He stretched and yawned, trying to wake up before hopping out of bed. His ruffled blue mane shined in the sunlight that poured in from the window. His blue eyes glistened in the light as he stared at the ceiling.

Beside him in his bed another pony stirred awake. The mare was holding him tight, her head resting on his shoulder. Her pink-purple mane was rustled into a messy bundle, scattered around her head. Her light-purple eyes glowed as she yawned and stretched beside Armor. She sat up in the bed, placing a hoof gently on his chest.

Armor spoke softly, “Good morning, Princess. Did you sleep well?” He smiled.

Princess Cadence giggled, “I sure did. How about you?”

Armor nodded, looking back up at the ceiling. “So, did you have any plans for tonight?”

Cadence yawned again, “Sort of…Why do you ask?”

Armor sat up in the bed. He said, “A couple of the other guards were talking about some new bar opening tonight in town. I was wondering if you wanted to check the place out.”

Cadence smiled sheepishly, “I don’t know about that… I don’t really like bars.”

Armor frowned, “At c’mon, Cadence! It’ll be great. It’s supposed to be a really fancy place opening up.”

“I think I’ll have to pass, Armor. But you should go ahead and go.” She looked him in the eyes.

“Are you sure about that? I don’t get days off often, so I thought we could spend this week together.” He looked at her.

She smiled, and then spoke softly, “We’ll have plenty of time to spend together when I get back from my trip.”

Armor looked at her with a confused expression. “Trip? What trip?”

She scoffed, “The one I told you about last night! Celestia, Luna, and I have to leave Canterlot for a few days. We’re going to visit some friends out of town.”

He couldn’t remember anything about a trip. In fact, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember anything about last night. From the time he got off duty to the time he woke up this morning, he couldn’t remember anything. “I guess I must’ve forgotten…” he said sheepishly.

Cadence rolled her eyes. “I don’t guess I can blame you. Last night was a little wild.” She smiled at him.

Armor scratched his head, trying to remember what had happened last night. He couldn’t remember anything. It was starting to bug him. “Well, are you sure you don’t want to check the place out before you leave?”

Cadence shook her head before climbing from the bed. She walked over to the small rack that stood against the wall of the room. Using her magic, she wrapped her dress around her and placed her tiara on her head. She stepped into her shoes before turning to say something else. “You know, Armor… We’ve been together for a few years, right?”

Armor looked at her, unsure of where this was going. “Yeah, three of them. And they’ve all been wonderful.”

Walking closer to the bed, Cadence sighed, “You know, Armor, I think we should make it official.”

Armor looked at her with wide eyes. Of course he knew what she meant. “Y-you think we should? I-I don’t know, Cadence…”

Cadence scoffed, “You know, we can’t stay in the same spot forever. We should think about moving forward. You know I’m right…”

Armor had nothing to say to that. He was speechless. He’d always known that the day would come, but he never truly readied himself for it. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to get married yet or not. Seeing his expression and knowing he had nothing to say, Cadence turned to leave Armor’s chambers without another word. She left the room, closing the door behind her. Armor was left speechless.

She wants to get…married? But I just don’t think I’m ready for something like that. Not yet. I’m not even really sure. I’ll have to think about this a little bit longer… Armor’s thoughts bounced all over the place over the course of the next few minutes. Finally, he decided to cast the thoughts out of his head.

He decided he would go check on the other guards in the barracks. He wasn’t the only guard on vacation this week. Four of his best friends—and loyal subordinates—were also on vacation. They were the ones who told him about the new bar. He decided he would go see if they were awake yet, and off he went.

He had a bad feeling that Cadence was mad at him, and that was something he didn’t like very much. He tried not to think too much about it as he entered the Royal Guards’ barracks on the east side of the castle. He wasn’t surprised when he found majority of the guards still asleep. It was only around seven in the morning, so it made sense that they would be out cold. A voice called to him from the spiral staircase that led to the upstairs barracks.

“Whatcha doing Captain? Aren’t you on vacation?” One of the Royal Guards walked down the stairs to greet him.

He chuckled, “I could ask you the same thing, Rough! What have I told you about wearing your armor off-duty?”

The guard laughed, “It makes me look good for the mares. Besides, what are you doing here, anyway? I figured you and Princess Cadence would still be snuggled up together in bed.”

Armor shot him an annoyed glare, “Yeah, I don’t think Cadence is too happy with me right now.”

One of the other guards stirred in his bed, yawning. “Captain, that you?” The guard sat up, stretching.

“Sorry Rain, we didn’t mean to wake you.” Rough spoke a little quieter.

The guard yawned again, “It’s alright. Is something up?” The guard stood up from his bed and stretched his back.

“I think we oughta go someplace else before we wake anypony else up.” Armor looked at Rough. With a nod, the three now-awake ponies left the barracks and headed toward the castle’s Dining Hall for some breakfast…

The three of them happily enjoyed their breakfasts, waking up and getting ready for the day ahead of them. After they had finished eating, Armor asked, “We’re still on for that new bar in town, right?”

Rough replied with a laugh, “What kind of self-respecting stallion wouldn’t want to try a new bar? Especially on the grand opening! I hear the owner has every drink you can imagine stocked on his shelves!”

Rain groaned, “Yeah, and I hear he lives in the back of the bar. Dude doesn’t have a house in town.”

Armor chuckled, “I heard he bought the building for over two-hundred-thousand bits! Can you blame the fella for not having a house?”

Rough waved his hoof in enthusiasm as he said, “The building is supposed to be huge by Canterlot standards. I can’t imagine why he’d need a separate home!”

“Do you guys even know the owner’s name?” Another of the guards from the barracks plopped down beside Rain, a tray of food in front of him.

Rain laughed, “It’s about time you got your sorry ass outta bed, Lightning!” He slapped the guard on the back with a hoof.

Rough talked quieter as he said, “I hear he comes from a town all the way on the other side of the world, beyond the Everfree Forest. The sign on the bar’s door says his name is Boss, but I get the feeling that isn’t his real name.”

Armor couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Boss? What kind of egotistical jackass do you have to be to call yourself Boss?”

Lightning clapped his hooves, “Apparently a super-rich one. I hear the monthly payments on that building are so high that even Fancypants can’t afford it!”

“How much money does this dude have?!” Another guard plopped down beside Rough, his tray filled to the brim with food.

Armor mumbled, “Hopefully enough. We don’t want to get hooked on the place just to have it go bankrupt.”

Lightning scoffed, “What took you so long to get here, Brawny? You left the barracks before I did!”

The new member of the group scratched his head as he said, “I had to talk to the old mare. You know how spouses are…”

Rain waited a second before commenting, “Dude, you’re the only one here that’s actually married. We don’t know how it is.”

Armor’s eyes lit up at the mention of the word ‘marriage’. He lowered his voice as he told them, “So…uh…I think Cadence wants to get things a bit more serious now…”

Brawny raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He asked, “More serious how? You don’t mean…?”

Armor nodded. Lightning’s hoof hit the table, “You two are finally tying the knot?!”

Armor shushed him, “No! I mean, not yet. I mean…I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of commitment.”

Rough looked around the room. “I think we oughta save this type of talk for when we’re away from listening ears and prying eyes. We can talk about it at the bar tonight, alright?”

The five of them shared nods of agreement, and they changed the subject back to talking about the new bar.

Lightning rubbed his hooves together excitedly as he told his friends, “The barkeep actually sold tickets to his grand opening yesterday. They were sold out within the hour! So when I went there last night to buy some for us, he turned me down! But luckily I’m a guard, and I have a little bit of authority in this town…” His voice trailed off as Armor shot him an angry glare.

“You extorted tickets from him with your title?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Armor’s hoof hit the table.

Lightning flinched and continued, “N-no, nothing like that! When he saw my uniform, he told me to sign our names on some clipboard, and he’d make sure we had some seats reserved! I didn’t do anything! I was about to leave when he practically forced the clipboard into my hooves!”

Armor sat back down, letting out a sigh. “You had me scared for a second, Lightning. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in for abusing power like that?”

Lightning thought about the last stallion to get punished for abusing his influence. “Yep, we could end up like poor old Larry…”

The group laughed at the mention of the dumbass. Rain stretched as he stood up from his seat at the table. “So, we’re set for nine, right?”

Lightning nodded, and Rain walked off to put his tray up. Brawny followed him. It was at this time that the three remaining ponies got up from the table and went their separate ways. They’d have plenty of time to talk at the bar tonight. In the meantime, they each had business to attend to…

Day 1, Stray Stallion Back Room- 7:23am

Thomas Mutton sat on his small cot he called a bed, listening to the sounds of the ponies in the streets happily passing by his bar. Many would stop and read the signs on the door, then continue on with excited chatter. He hadn’t expected his grand opening to sale out. He was almost guaranteed to find at least one unfaithful stallion tonight. Maybe it would even be the guard that came to him last night.

He closed his eyes for just a second, and when he reopened them, Catherine was sitting in the chair across the room. He jumped when his mind registered her presence. He shouted, “Don’t scare me like that, Ms. Catherine! I thought you said you had clients outside of town!”

She giggled, “I do, but I decided to stop by and say hello. It’s not like I have to worry about being late. I mean, I can essentially teleport.”

Thomas sighed, “Really? Lord Nergal finally gave you that, eh?”

“Yeppers! Now I can go anywhere I want with a snap of the fingers!” She laughed as she fiddled with the small round emblem around her neck.

“I hope he knows just what he’s done…” Thomas leaned back against the wall, looking at the clock. “It won’t be long now. You should probably clear up your schedule, because there will be dozens of stallions here tonight. I’m betting at least one will need a little bit of tempting.”

Catherine squealed excitedly, “Ooh, more work! I can’t wait! I hope it’s a sexy stallion, just like Vincent! <3”

Thomas chuckled, “I’m sure you do, Ms. Catherine. At any rate, you should do your best to avoid messing with anyone tonight. There will be too many witnesses that won’t be able to see you.”

Catherine laughed, “You think I don’t know that? I learned my lesson with Vincent. If I’m going to beat someone up, it needs to be where no one will hear!” She let a seductive smile grace her lips.

Thomas stood up from his bed, grabbing his shades and putting them on before opening his eyes. “I think you ought to leave, Ms. Catherine. I can’t have potential customers thinking I’m talking to myself.”

Catherine giggled, “Okey-dokey! I’ll be back later tonight, kay? Try not to judge too many stallions before I get a chance to find one, alright?” Blowing another kiss in Thomas’s direction, she disappeared as suddenly as she showed up.

Thomas adjusted his shades as he sighed, “This will prove to be an interesting game. I do hope I find a competitor like Vincent. At least then I might have to work harder building the towers.”

He stepped out of the bar’s back room and walked behind the counter. He pulled a glass and the bottle of whiskey from under the counter and took another swig. His mind raced with thoughts of just what kind of ponies he would meet tonight…

Day 1, Princess Cadence’s Room- 1:25pm

Princess Cadence paced back and forth from one side of the room to the other. She stopped periodically to look at the door, almost as if she was expecting something or someone to come through. After staring at the door for a few seconds, she would return to her pacing. After a few more minutes of pacing, Shining Armor walked into the room.

Cadence snapped, “Where have you been? I’ll be leaving in less than half an hour!”

Armor walked up to her, an ‘I’m screwed’ expression on his face. He stuttered, “I-I kind of lost track of time. But in all fairness, the message was short notice.”

Cadence stepped up beside him and lowered her voice. “Look, I know what you’re thinking about earlier today. It was a bit sudden to bring it up.” She hugged him, and then continued with, “But when I get back from this trip, we have to have a real discussion about it, okay? Promise?”

Armor hugged her back. He whispered sheepishly, “P-promise. A real talk.”

With that, Armor picked up Cadence’s large luggage bag and followed her as she made her way to the throne room to meet with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Placing the luggage bag next to the rest of them outside the throne room door, Armor said one last goodbye and walked off, headed for the barracks once more to meet up with the other guards…

Day 1, Upstairs Guards Barracks- 3:00pm

“I’m telling you guys, she’s serious about this!” Armor sat down at a table with his friends, playing some blackjack to pass the time.

Rough scoffed, “Just give her a few days. I bet once she gets back from this trip she’s going on, she’ll forget all about marriage talk.”

Brawny laughed, “Just don’t screw yourself over and bring it up. Let her do that.”

Lightning slapped Armor on the back. “You’re worrying too much about this, Captain. Just drown your worries with some liquor when we get to the bar, and see if that doesn’t help you out!”

Rain nodded his head, “Yeah, I think a few drinks will definitely calm you down a bit.”

Armor sighed, “Alright, fine. I’ll try and forget about this for now, but I know this won’t be the last I hear about it…”

Rain placed a hoof on Armor’s shoulder, “You are worrying way too much. At least you know Cadence won’t be around for a few days, so you’ve got some time to relax until she gets back.”

“Rain’s right. At least relax while she isn’t here. You can cross the bridge when you get to it.” Brawny took a swig from his mug of cider.

“Fine, I won’t worry about it until she gets back. What time is it, anyway?” Armor looked around the room, seeing that there wasn’t a clock in sight.

Lightning cheered, “Almost three! We only have a few more hours to wait!”

The five of them sat at the table playing blackjack and shooting the shit for what felt like forever. Finally, at about half-past eight, the group decided it was time to head to the bar and see just what kind of services were offered there...

Night 1, Stray Stallion- 9:23pm

The five guards sat in a booth at the very back of the bar. They were astounded by the sheer luxury of the bar’s designs. The tables, chairs, and booths were all so carefully crafted and shaped for comfort. The rumors about the barkeep owning every type of alcohol imaginable were also true, to Armor’s delight. The bar was completely packed with stallions and mares all wanting to find and try something exotic. It was surprising that the bar didn’t actually run out of alcohol with as many ponies as were in attendance.

After the first few hours, the bar really died down. By midnight, most of the patrons had already left, satisfied by the number of drinks they were able to try. Either that or they had run out of bits. No matter the reason, most of the ponies had left early and the bar was now peaceful and quiet. Aside from a few ponies here and there, and a jukebox in the far corner of the bar, the place was silent.

Rain sparked a new conversation by saying, “Okay, we all know the rules. Whatever we say here will stay here!” The others nodded. “There will be absolutely no talking your drunken friends into doing something incredibly stupid!” Another round of nods. “And, of course, if you get wasted and end up waking up next to an ugly mare, you have to tell each of us all about it.” The group burst into laughter.

Armor called to the stallion behind the counter, “Hey barkeep, another round of drinks over here!”

The stallion adjusted his shades, “Certainly. Five glasses of rum and cola coming right up.” He quickly poured the five beverages and placed them on a tray. A mare with a gray coat and black mane picked up the tray and carried it over to Armor’s booth.

The five guards’ jaws dropped when they realized who the mare was. Lightning was the first to speak up, “Octavia?! W-what are you doing working here?!”

The mare scoffed, “Just because I’m a musician doesn’t mean I don’t do actual work, Lightning. This job opened up, so I figured why not.”

“I never would’ve guessed you would work as a waitress in a bar.” Rain shrugged his shoulders, taking his glass from the tray. The others did the same.

Octavia smiled, “You learn something new every day, don’t you?” She took the tray and walked back toward the counter.

“Thank you, Ms. Octavia.” The stallion behind the counter nodded in thanks, and returned to polishing the mug in front of him.

Armor got up from his booth and walked over to the counter. He took a seat on one of the barstools, his glass in his hoof. “So what’s your name, buddy?” He looked at the stallion behind the counter.

The stallion laughed, “I assume you aren’t one of the dozens of stallions that stopped to stare at the signs on the door.”

Lightning chuckled as he took a seat beside Armor at the counter, “You’d assume correctly, good sir.”

“Geez Lightning, why don’t you kiss more ass?” Rain plopped down beside him.

Brawny and Rough walked over and took seats on the other side of Armor. The stallion behind the counter continued, “My name is Boss. Or at least, that’s what everyone back home called me. I’m the stallion that purchased this building and stocked this bar. Are you having a good time?”

Armor tried to hide a laugh. “So wait, your name is really Boss?”

Boss nodded, and the five guards burst into laughter. Brawny managed to stop laughing long enough to answer Boss’s question. “This place is amazing! It’s got everything! Atmosphere, friendly service, convenient location, and the largest selection of alcohol ever!”

Lightning added, “It must’ve taken forever to gather all these different drinks.”

Boss laughed, “It didn’t take that long. I’ve had plenty of time, either way. I’m not sure if you can tell, but I’m not the youngest stallion in town.”

Armor chuckled, “Well, you’re definitely the richest if you’re paying for this place!”

Boss scratched his head, blushing. “So, tell me a little about yourselves. I care to take interest in the goings-on of my customers.”

Rough slapped Armor on the back. “Well, old Captain here’s afraid of tying the knot with his lover!”

Armor shot him an angry glare. Boss raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Afraid to tie the knot? Why ever would that be?”

Armor sighed, “It’s not that I’m afraid, I just don’t think I’m ready for such a large step up the ladder.”

Brawny laughed, “Trust me, man, it ain’t that bad. I mean, you lose almost all of your freedom, but at least you have someone to hold at night.”

Boss looked at Brawny with a smile. “I take it you are married, then?”

Brawny shrugged his shoulders, “Yep. Been married for almost a year. If the first year is the hardest, then my marriage is a piece of cake.”

Rain looked at Boss with a curious smile. “And what about you, Boss? You got a significant other?”

Boss adjusted his shades. “I did, at one point. Alas, she went out of town for a few days. When she returned, she caught me with another woman in our home. I was a fool, and she was a scary lady. We split up not long after that. Of course, I also lost the harlot I had cheated with. In the end, I was left with nothing but my money.”

Armor gave him a sympathetic frown, “That’s rough, dude. Any particular reason you cheated?”

Boss smiled, “When a love comes to an end, weaklings cry, efficient ones instantly find another love, and the wise already have one in reserve…to quote the musings of a certain someone. To put it simply, I was playing the field while my lover was gone.”

The five of them looked at Boss in confusion. Armor asked, “Have any advice you want to give me with my problem?”

Boss sighed, “Sadly, I do not believe that I am the one to ask for relationship advice. However, I would suggest you decide what you want to do. Do you want to be with your lover forever, or do you want to be able to sleep around with other women?”

Rough laughed, “I know what I’d do! But I think it’s pretty obvious what Captain’ll do.”

“I-I don’t know. I mean, I want to be with Cadence, but I’m not sure if I want to be tied down like that…” Armor took a swig of his rum and cola, taking a deep breath.

Boss placed a hoof on Armor’s shoulder, “Of course you have no reason to decide immediately. These kinds of decisions take time. Perhaps if you mull it over before you go to sleep, your mind will clear itself when you awake.”

Armor chuckled, “Do you think so?”

Rain scoffed, “Probably not. The answer won’t come to you in the blink of an eye.”

The group sat at the bar and drank down a few more glasses before finally deciding it was time to leave. Brawny patted Armor on the back, “You ready to head back to the castle?”

Armor laughed, “Nah, I think I’ll stick around and have a few more drinks. You guys take it easy.”

Lightning asked, “You sure about this, Captain? We don’t need you getting wasted and screwing something up.”

Armor scoffed, “I’m perfectly fine, Lightning. I can handle my alcohol, thank you.”

With that, the four guards left the bar. The only people left in the bar were Boss and Armor. Octavia had left an hour or so ago so she could leave and get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another busy day at the bar. After a few more drinks, Armor decided it was high time to head back to the castle. He left his bits on the counter and headed toward the door. Just as he opened the door, a young mare walked through and collided right into him. They both fell to the ground.

Armor hustled to his hooves, flustered by his clumsiness. He extended a hoof to help the mare up. “A-are you o-okay, Miss?”

The mare looked up at him with innocent blue eyes. She exclaimed, “I-I’m terribly sorry! I should’ve been watching where I was going!” She took his hoof and lifted herself up as Armor pulled her to her hooves.

Armor blushed, captivated by the mare in front of him. “Th-that’s fine, Miss. I-I should’ve been more careful…”

The mare looked into his eyes, and giggled, “Here, let me buy you a drink for the inconvenience.”

Armor couldn’t look away; he was captivated by the mare’s beauty. “N-no, that’s alright. I was just heading home to-…”

The mare took his hoof and dragged him back to a booth. She looked over at Boss and winked. Armor couldn’t resist. It was as if her beauty literally left him immobile. He managed to choke out, “S-so what’s your name, M-Miss?”

The mare giggled again, “You don’t have to be so formal, Mister. My name’s Catherine. What’s yours?”

Armor fell silent for a second, before realizing she had asked him a question. “Uh… My name is Shining Armor… Catherine’s a nice name…” He blushed as he realized what he had said.

Boss walked up to the booth, carrying two glasses of whiskey on a tray. “Two drinks, Ms. Catherine.”

Armor looked at them with curiosity. “You know each other?”

Boss blushed, “We met earlier today. She helped me organize the alcohols in the shelves.” Boss was a quick thinker when he needed to be.

Catherine laughed, “Thank you, Boss. So…Shining Armor, you say? What exactly do you do around here?”

Armor stuttered, “I-I’m captain of the R-Royal Guard. I make sure the town is s-safe.” Catherine slowly started moving closer to him.

She exclaimed, “The captain of the Royal Guard?! That’s sounds like an amazing position! I’m sure you get tons of work in such a large city.”

Armor rubbed his hoof through his mane, trying to think of something to say. “Well, it’s not the easiest job ever, but it isn’t that bad.”

Catherine placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hoof. She looked up at Armor with those innocent eyes. “So, how long have you been with the Royal guard?”

“About sixteen years now, I think.” He looked into her eyes, butterflies taking flight in his stomach.

“Wow, so you’re a veteran!” Catherine’s eyes lit up.

Armor’s hoof shook wildly as he picked up his glass of whiskey. He took a swig, and then replied, “Not really. I just keep my eyes open…”

Catherine laughed, “You’re pretty humble for such a high-ranking officer.”

Armor went to take another swig of whiskey, but the glass slipped right out of his grip, spilling all over the both of them. He jumped from his seat, “I’m so sorry! Hey Boss, can we get some towels?!” He face flushed red as the alcohol ran all over the table and their coats.

Catherine giggled, “Well, at least the day’s over now. It’s not like anyone will notice.” Boss handed them a few towels and left them to clean up the mess.

Armor mumbled, “I’m so sorry for this! It was a complete accident…”

Catherine took his arm and pulled him back down into his seat. She whispered in his ear, “You know, you really oughta loosen up a bit, big fella…” Before Armor could say anything in response, Catherine planted a kiss right on his lips.

Armor’s face flushed red and his body loosened up. Before long, he was embracing the beautiful mare beside him, returning the kiss…and then some.

Boss smiled as he watched Catherine yank Armor back to his seat and kiss him. Maybe now Armor would see just how faithful he truly was to Princess Cadence. It’s a shame that such a high-ranking pony would have to be the first victim of the nightmares. Of course, Armor’s other friends were just as bad…

"All things truly wicked start from an innocence." - Ernest Hemingway

A/N: After this chapter, don't be alarmed if updates take a while to come out. Writing the nightmares will take some skill, considering how difficult it will be transform the essence and feel of the gameplay into words.

Comments

[Shadowed Rainbow]

Man, Catherine sure worked her succubus-like magic on Shining Armor pretty fast! Oh man, he's gonna be in a bit of a pickle...

Take all the time you need with writing those next chapters, but when they do come out I shall read them!

And there's gonna be multiple endings?! AWESOME!

[Quad Ruple]

I just love how all of his friends have human names and he has a name like armor.

Still this a great story and it's off to a great start.

Keep them coming.

[_No_One_Remains_]

696802 I do most definitely plan on having Questions and Block climbing, although the latter of the two will be tricky...

As for the quote...I'm trying to use quotes that are a bit deeper than that, and involve Romance, Triumph over Obstacles, and the Evils of Man.

[MidnightOil]

The human names kinda ruin it for me. It kinda breaks the idea of them being ponies with human names. Like John(The smoker from the game) can be smoke stack or something. Also about the towers, How are you going to get armor to work it, his unicorn horn can be a gamebreaker unless you have the blocks immune to magic or something. Sorry if I am being critical of your story. I do not want a lame crossover