> Where's Your Armor? > by Cora Zone Unicorn > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Where's your armor, Shining? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a regular, beautiful Saturday morning. The sun was shining, and everyone in town was either working or hanging out with friends. Sonata was just as happy and go-lucky as ever, smiling and walking like an idiot, though she didn’t really care. She walked along the sidewalk, swinging her arms back and forth in an obnoxious manner. The sound of pebbles hitting the ground with each step she took. Some pebbles even stuck to bottom of her shoes as well. Sonata turned her head slightly to the right, spotting Sugar Cube Corner from the corner of her eye. A cheeky smile spread across her face, as she jumped in the air excited. She then began running toward the bakery. I wonder if they have any kind of desserts in the form of tacos!  The girl opened the door with all her might, almost to the point of breaking it off its hinges. All the other customers inside looked at Sonata as if she had gone mad. Some of the strands in her hair had come out of place due to the way she ran toward the restaurant. She proceeded inside, walking, trying to regain her breath. As she walked up to the counter, she was immediately greeted by one of the owners, Mrs. Cake. “Hello, there. What can I get you, dear?” Mrs. Cake took out a little notepad and pen, ready to write down the girl’s order. “I was just wondering,” Sonata began, “Do you have any taco-like desserts?” Mrs. Cake smiled at the teenage girl, “Well, lucky for you, we just added ‘Red, White and Blue Tacos’ to our menu! It’s a soft and doughy taco shell filled with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.” Sonata licked her lips as the young woman told her the ingredients that were in the dessert. That sounds really really good. “I’ll take two.” Mrs. Cake wrote down Sonata’s order on her little notepad. She then explained to her that it would be a good fifteen minutes before her order would be ready, for they needed to bake the shell for the taco. She nodded her head, going off to sit on a little green chair. The teenage girl took a seat next to a young man, who had sapphire blue hair with streaks of different shades of blue. She noticed that he was reading some kind of book. “What’cha reading?” The boy turned his head to looked over at Sonata, startled a little by her sudden question. “Just a book I brought along with me while I wait for my order.” Sonata’s mouth formed in the little shape of an “O.” She moved her head downward, looking to see that there was a castle on the cover. It looked to be one of those three dimensional covers where you can actually feel the angles and outlines of the picture once you ran a hand across it. “Is it a fairytale? Because it looks like a fairytale since there’s a castle on the front!” He looked over at the girl beside him, raising an eyebrow, chuckling. “No, it’s not a fairytale,” he corrected her. “It’s actually a book on the most famous castles in history.” Sonata put a finger near her mouth, making a fake gagging sound. “Boring! I’d rather read a fairytale. Maybe about even about a pink fluffy unicorn.” Her pupils began to bulge, fantasizing about having an adventure with a pink fluffy unicorn. It’s times like these that she forgot that she was from another world… Well, she, Adagio, and Aria had been here for a long time. She was brought back into the real world when the young man sitting next to her gave a little laugh. “You’re funny,” he complemented her. “What’s your name?” The blue haired girl looked him in the eyes, suddenly starting to play with her ponytail. “Oh, my name is Sonata. Sonata Dusk.” The boy stuck out his hand, waiting to her to take it. “Nice to meet you, Sonata.” She took his hand and shook it. “I’m Shining. Shining Armor.” A puzzled look came across her face. Her eyebrows furrowed together, “Shining Armor,” she asked him, tilting her head to the side. “Yes. Shining Armor.” He then began to notice the confused look on her face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Sonata studied him for a few moments, looking at him up and down, side to side. “Nothing, it’s just that where’s your armor?” Shining was taken aback for a slight moment. What is she talking about? He hesitated just a little, stammering. For some reason, he had a little trouble coming up with an answer. “I-I-I don’t wear armor.” Her confusion grew even more. “But I thought you said your name was ‘Shining Armor.’” “It is.” “Well, shouldn’t you be guarding a castle somewhere in a far away land,” she asked him, a quite serious look sprouting upon her face. “Well… I-I…” “Are you a knight on a secret mission to protect everyone in this town?” By this time, Shining Armor was glowing a bright red from both frustration and a bit of embarrassment. Beads of sweat were starting to roll down the sides of his face. Why does she think I’m some Castle Guard? And what’s with all the questions? Shining turned away from the girl, not looking her in the eye. He took a few deep breaths, calming himself. After he relaxed for just a few moments, he decided to play along with her little game. His body turned in one full swing, facing Sonata. “Yes, Sonata, I am secretly a knight here to protect this small town from harm’s way.” She gasped, covering her mouth with the palms of her hands. “I knew it!” “My parents named me that because they told me that I was destined to serve and to protect those that I care about.” Sonata nodded, not saying a word, for she was truly fascinated. “That’s amazing,” she exclaimed, but not too loud for everyone in the bakery to hear. “Yes, but you have to keep this a secret just between us.” He took her hand and rested it in his. “Understand?”   Sonata looked down in her lap, staring at their hands. His hand laid on top of hers in a comforting manner. She brought her head up, seeing the look of hope within them. Her lips gave an enclosed smile as she brought her right arm up, tracing her lips with her thumb and index finger pressed together. “I swear I won’t say a thing.” He gave her a simple smile. “Great.” “Shining, your order’s ready,” said Mrs. Cake from across the bakery. Shining Armor rose up from the table, carrying the book he was reading underneath his arm. He walked over to the counter, picking up the treat that waited for him in a small white paper bag. A couple of dollar bills going into the woman’s hand. “Thanks, a lot, Mrs. Cake.” The elder woman nodded, as he headed toward the door. The young man waved to the new friend he had made. She waved in return, giving him a great big, cheeky smile as he walked out the door. A few minutes after her new friend had left, Sonata continued to sit quietly in her seat. Wow. I can’t believe I’m friends with a knight who happens to be on a secret mission. She began to think about all the amazing, wonderful adventures and duties her new friend had in the past and will have in the future. The teenage girl was broken out of her thoughts when she was suddenly called up next to pick up her order from the counter. She could smell the sensuous aroma of the berries mixed with the sweet whipped cream and she could feel the softness flakiness of the dough they used for the taco shell once she picked up the bag. “Ohhhh!!! I can’t wait to eat these,” she said excitedly, clapping her hands together lividly. “Well, I hope you enjoy them, hun.” Mrs. Cake gave her a smile, knowing she made herself another satisfied customer. “Now, that’ll be $4.50.” Sonata stopped for a moment, eyes widening, and just stared at the woman behind the counter. She slowly looked up at the menu at saw that each taco was $2.25 each. Her hands reached for both pockets, trying to find money inside them. The girl looked up to see Mrs. Cake still behind the counter waiting to for her money. A deep red blush began to spread to her cheeks, feeling embarrassed. She pressed herself against the counter, trying her best to be cool. “Sooo,” she began, giving off a forced laugh, “any chance you can let me borrow four dollars and fifty cents?” Mrs. Cake just stared at her, clearly unamused.