> Shining Armor Gets a Magiflu Shot > by katzoo12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > You want me to get a WHAT?! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "No." Shining Armor and Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire were sitting in the lounge of the Canterlot Royal Palace, while Princesses Celestia and Luna looked on. One of the two sisters had an uncomfortable expression on her face, the other...was caught between laughing and smirking at her newly-acquired blackmail against Twilight's BBBFF. Apparently, a specific topic had come up in conversation, and Shining's face and demeanor was absolutely hilarious in response to it. "Shiny-" Cadance tried exasperatedly. "No!" the relentless onslaught of negative answers continued. "It's not that ba-" "I SAID NO! Cady, you KNOW I don't like shots! Do you even REMEMBER what happened last time?" Shining Armor freaked. The pink alicorn deadpanned. "...I wasn't THERE last time, and I'm almost 100% certain you were exaggerating when you said you nearly passed out and a Neighponese mare had to tell you to get up," she commented drily. The Captain of the Royal Guard looked at his wife in disbelief. "No, THAT happened, and THIS is going to suck...it's raining, are they even open when it rains?" Are you REALLY that desperate to avoid getting this shot? Cadance briefly wondered. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality and the current conversation-quickly-becoming-argument. "Yes, they're open, and before you ask, they close in around five hours. That's enough time for us to go there, get you the Magiflu vaccination and get out so you can "die."" Shining Armor threw his forehooves up dramatically. "I AM going to die! Ugh...Aunt Celestia, give me an excuse not to go!" he pleaded, turning to his adoptive-aunt-in-law. Celestia started, and tried looking around for inspiration. None came, so she shrugged helplessly. "Luna...?!" A tinge of panic was in the stallion's voice now. The Princess of the Night, the one who was taking amusement in this, smirked. "I had mine. And it's not that bad! It's just a paper thin needle injected into your muscle that they give you the vaccination in!" she teased gleefully. The eldest alicorn looked to her sibling admonishingly. "Sister! ...Aaaaaand he's on the ground." That couldn't have been any closer to the truth. Shining Armor was now curled into the fetal position, looking petrified, hyperventilating, paler than normal, and ignorant to everyone and everything around him. Princess Cadance sighed. "Just...help me calm him down." "Ugh...where am I? I had a crazy dream that I was going to get a shot..." Shining groaned. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty...you're in the royal carriage, no, that wasn't a dream, and yes, you're getting a shot today whether you like it or not." Well, THAT was a wake up call. After hearing that, I suppose it would be safe to say that he reacted calmly and with decorum. Not. "Noooooooo! Doesn't it count that I was sick just three weeks ago? I should have natural antibodies!" he screamed, shaking his wife. Cadance, on the other hand, used her magic aura to force his forehooves off her shoulders. "...You didn't get sick with Magiflu." she deadpanned. "I threw up and coughed a lot! That should count!" Shining shuddered at the memory. Cadance raised an eyebrow. "...Was your horn leaking aurafluid?" "No, but-" "Then case closed. It's JUST a shot, and you're getting it TODAY!" The Princess of Love glared at her cowardly husband. In response, Shining turned away and pouted, opting to give Cadance the silent treatment. "I'll take you out to eat at your favorite Marexican restaurant after..." Cadance tried coaxing him. "That doesn't change the fact that I have to get a shot in the first place!" "Shiny...you're a Captain of the Guard and a Prince! You should be brave enough for this!" "Well, I'm not!" Shining became increasingly worried the longer his wife didn't reply. "Please tell me we took a wrong turn...or went the wrong way...or SOMETHING! Just don't tell me that-" "We're here!" And from there, all Tartarus broke loose. However, since you apparently want to know what happened next, here's a transcript that a reporter captured of the incident. "NOOOOOOO! GET ME OFF THIS THING!" "SHINING ARMOR, YOU GET THE BUCK BACK HERE!" "Wha-? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" To this day, the Canterlot ponies wonder if they'll ever see anything as absurd as the Prince of the Crystal Empire jumping out a carriage window and his wife dragging him into the building with her magic aura...while he was clawing at the ground with his hooves. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock in the Canterlot clinic (try saying that five times fast!) counted the seconds at an agonizingly slow pace. Cadance looked to Shining Armor. "You know, they can give it to you in the flank..." "I don't want it in the flank!" was his swift reply. Silence reigned. "Ooh, that's a great tombstone quote..." Cadance mused. Shining looked to his so-called "heartless" wife like he would an enemy. "...You do realize I'm never going to forgive you for this, right?" he gritted out. Cadance sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, I am well aware....okay, you know what? Let's practice our breathing exercises, just like what I taught Twilight.” Cadance closed her eyes, took a deep calming breath in, and exhaled. As for Shining, however... "(breathes in) aaaaaahhhhhhhh...(breathes in) AAAAAAAHHHHHHH..." The Princess of love looked at her husband like he had sprouted a second head. "Why are you-" she began. "THIS is my breathing right now. Don't. JUST DON'T." Cadance was saved from replying when the door to the examination area suddenly opened. "Prince Shining Armor?" A bright red mare with a blue mane and a syringe cutie mark called. Well, Shining looked about ready to faint. As for Cadance, she took another deep breath, smiled calmly, and turned to her husband. "Well, that's us. Don't make me drag you in there, Shiny! I did it when we got here, I can do it again!" "Greetings, Your Majesties! I'm Nurse Remedy Innoculation. I assume that the Prince here is due for his Magiflu vaccination?" the red pony asked. "He is. He's a bit mad at me because I made him come..." Cadance answered. Nurse Remedy chuckled. "Not a fan of shots, I presume?" "Not at all." "Ah yes, I've dealt with many a foal with this problem...” Remedy sympathized, nodding. She turned to the unicorn stallion. “So how do you want to do this, Prince Shining?" "I won't be looking, yadayadayada, get it over with..." Shining said, his tone resonating with defeat. "All right then...” Remedy nodded, getting down to business and preparing the needle. Shining clenched his eyes shut, turned away, and braced himself. Any second now, the cold steel embrace of agony will penetrate my- “All done!” The prince opened his eyes and blinked dizzily. "...That's it?" he asked. "That's it." Nurse Remedy confirmed. "Great, can we get out of here, Cady? I didn't even feel it and that FREAKS ME OUT!" Cadance chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of course, Shiny..." "I'm proud of you, you know that?" Shining just stared down at his veggie burrito. "Yeah..." he monotoned. "Think of it this way: it's better for you in the long run!" Cadance tried to engage him again. "I guess..." Cadance quirked an eyebrow, unamused. "...Shiny, you can't keep giving me such short responses. I told you I'm sorry!" "And I told YOU that I was petrified of needles..." the Captain of the Royal Guard shot back. "...Is there a reason for that?" Shining looked down forlornly. "Yes...” The Princess blinked, not expecting that...and decided to press further. "Do you want to talk about it?" "Not right now...maybe later." Cadance put a loving hoof on Shining’s shoulder. "Well, whatever it was, just remember...you'll have me nearby from now on, and I won't let any harm without reason come to you..." she soothed. Shining looked up and gave a weak smile. "That means a lot, Cady...” The royal couple embraced, with not a care in Equestria. Cadance was careful to avoid her beloved’s bandaged forehoof...but that was the least of her worries. She still had one more thought on her mind: Maybe I shouldn't tell him about his upcoming pony pox booster...