Shining Armor rested on a nearby arcade machine and admired his love from a distance. While doing so, he was having a hard time comprehending the spectacle before him. He couldn't believe that his marefriend, a pony of royalty, was actually playing an arcade game. And not just any arcade game. This was Castle of the Dead. One of many of Shining Armor's most loved and treasured arcade titles from his youth. This game was regarded as being one of the most highly original zombie slaying arcade shooter of an era of gaming. And to his surprise, she was really into it from the looks of it. He could tell from the way she was playing that the game had intrigued her. And from what he recognized, she was only on the first stage of the game.
As he continued to watch her play, he began to notice something somewhat different about the teenaged princess. Shining Armor couldn't put his hoof on it. Something seemed a little off about Cadence. He squinted his eyes to examine the mare in front of him for any differences. After a while, Shining Armor then found that Cadence did in fact looked the same as she always did, but at the same time, she simply looked, "different." This got Shining Armor thinking.
Had she grown taller? A little bit. Did she have her mane in the same ponytail she's always had? Yes. Did her coat suddenly change color? Not bloody likely. Did her heart shaped cutie mark change? No…
Suddenly…everything became clear for the not so confused teenaged colt. Cadence had gone through a change. Her cutie mark had given it away by giving an obvious clue. Shining Armor instantly began to blush as he found out what the difference was within the princess. Cadence's flank… had gotten more…. well, "noticeable." Shining Armor just stared at it, his face was now a deeper crimson red then it's original turquoise white.
"Cadenza." he said silently with his mouth slightly ajar, he then shook his head, breaking him out of his trance.
He quickly turned his body away from the alluring mare, to the side of the machine he was resting on to avoid being caught, and NOT to be labeled as a pervert from others. That was the last thing Shining Armor wanted on his reputation. He had good credibility with others and didn't wanna ruin it by being caught looking at a mare's flank.
Shining Armor then started to think. This discovery had made him reflect upon a previous picnic date Cadence had set up last month. He tried to remember the most memorable aspects of that date to determine if Cadence had already gone through with the change of having a more noticeable flank. He remembered eating the delicious sunflower sandwiches she had made, and taking a stroll around the lake with her and talking about fun and bad aspects from both of their lives as they would feed the neighboring ducks that would come by. But it was no luck, he couldn't help but remember her face. It was all he would ever think about. He then remembered the end of the date being ended abruptly because Cadence had to leave and go meet her tutor, Miss Peacecraft, she then had given him an goodbye kiss and left quickly to avoid being given an lecture on being late for lessons.
Shining Armor wasn't mad, he had learned the hardships of being a princess from Cadence that date. He actually felt sorry for her. He knew that one day, she would be needed for the high purpose of ruling Equestria.
He also knew that she needed someone strong to rule by her side. One to help make judgment on issue's over the fate of Equestria. One to protect the her from harmful villains. To be loving and caring for her.
One to being her knight in shining armor.
Within realizing reality, the white unicorn then decided what was best for the future aspiring princess as she stood before of him. He knew he wasn't hero material. She deserved someone better than him, like a rich prince, or someone who was already related to royalty. It was a knife through his heart realizing he wasn't good enough for Cadence. He loved and cared for her with all of his hearts limitation, but he had to face it. He wasn't royal or related to royalty. Shining Armor really then thought best to enjoy the time he had with Cadence now and not let it go to waste. And at least try to delay the inevitable of impending despair. For every moment with her now, was to be cherished with love. And simply wait for the right time to separate himself from Cadence. So that she could live a more happier life. He could feel a tear leave his face.
No! Now was not the time to sulk, time was know of the essence. Shining Armor then wiped his eyes and pulled himself together. He made up his mind to finally approach Cadence. He started walking towards her, while doing so, he tried avoiding the new change he had discovered earlier from her. Upon reaching her in speaking length, he decided to strike a conversation with her.
He finally spoke to her and said, "Hey Cadence, how's it going?" he said trying to keep a cool demeanor in his voice.
Cadence turned her head, "Shining!" she said in fright as the dropped the controller she using, she appeared to be embarrassed, "How, how long have you been standing there?" she blushed.
The unicorn replied, "Two to maybe three seconds." he smiled; seeing her act like this gave him self confidence to break the ice.
Cadence on the other the other hand was caught red hoofed. She actually let herself act unladylike. "I was just, seeing if, this game was working, so I…" she said trying to lie to convince Shining Armor.
He looked away from Cadence to the ground where she the dropped gun controller, he reached and picked it up, "Here, don't stop because of me." he held it out in front of her, "Keep going, your doing great."
The young princess looked at him and his offer dumbfounded, she learned that he didn't care if she acted like a princess or not, in fact, he just encouraged her to keep playing and to be herself.
She gave a smile, then she pushed his hoof away to finally welcome Shining Armor's presence with a kiss to his lips, then wrapped her hooves around his neck. Shining Armor was taken aback by Cadence's advance, he then immediately returned the favor by dropping the gun and wrapped his hooves around her just like she had done. He then applied the same pressure in his lips like Cadence had been doing. And just like that, they were in unison. Neither pony wanted dominate in the kiss they were sharing, but just enough to show that they needed affection from each other. They stayed in that state long enough to make minutes seem like hours.
Upon being both satisfied, the couple withdrew their lips slowly and looked into each others eyes. They heard the arcade machine next to them give a game over screen jingle. This meant Cadence had died and failed to put the required amount of bits into the coin slot below and hit continue before the countdown ended. She didn't care, sharing love with Shining Armor was more better than slaying ponies of the undead.
Then, an idea came to the pink teenaged mare. A wonderful idea.
"Shining, do you, wanna play with me, unless your too afraid then I understand." Cadence said intimidating the colt in her arms.
"What!" exclaimed the provoked colt, he continued, "It would be an honor giving the princess a royal spanking in zombie hunting." he said as he removed his hooves from around her neck in a grinned facial expression.
And Cadence had done it. She started the date with him and was proud of it. She knew his weakness. Shining Armor then magically levitated the arcade gun he dropped earlier from their embrace and offered it to Cadence.
"Firmly grasp it." he joked.
Cadence just rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up" she said as she accepted his offer for the gun.
Shining Armor then walked to the left side of the arcade screen while Cadence stayed and occupied the right side. Castle of the Dead was known widely to be a fun two player combatable arcade game. Shining Armor then decided to play the coltfriend role and remove some bits from his money bag and insert the required amount of bits into the coin slot of the machine for him and Cadence. He then reached and lifted his own gun that was holstered into the machine before him. After grabbing it, he admired it as he looked at it. This piece of plastic in his hooves was his weapon to succeeding. Shining Armor couldn't determine if this moment with Cadence was divine judgment from the heavens, or simply lucking out in coincidence.
"Are you ready dear?" his marefriend asked by his side.
He responded in saying, "Let's do it, to it dear."
Shining Armor then fired a shot at the screen making a loud gunshot echo through the arcade building as it started the game. He smiled. He had know just entered into a world of survival horror, with the mare of his life. With Cadence.
Author's Note: Man, the last chapter was horriable. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. I also hope your getting "The House of the Dead" reference, not the movie, the game. Also, I won't be writing for a while. So stay gold in the meantime. Well, till next time. PLZ REVIEW!