Cadence had wondered why I had just appeared in the middle of the crystal throne room with a backpack on my back and I looked at her. I waved and signed to her that I would talk to her later. But for now I was babysitting little Flurry Heart and Pupa. Both of whom were giggling their diapers off at my silly antics. Shining Armor decided that right now would be the best time to talk to me about my sudden appearance inside of his throne room. Technically it was Cadence's throne room but I feel like if I corrected him he would only get upset and kick me out. So I told him what happened, up until that point. "So yeah that's pretty much it."

"So you decided the best way to deal with your angry alicorn wife, who is pregnant and raises and lowers the sun, is to run away?"

"Yep, and the thing is. She doesn't expect for me to be here since you and I don't really like each other all that much." I pointed out.

"True." Shining nodded. "Alright we'll let you stay here if you help babysit Flurry and Pupa."

"Sure, no problem. Ever since I got my magic, taking care of my kids has been a breeze." I relaxed.

"Well recently they've been having trouble getting to sleep." Shining said.

"Sleep spell. Jeez it's like you don't even think creatively." I sighed.

"Cadence prefers a more natural way of putting the little ones to sleep." Shining sighed and I looked at him.

"I already invented something that will put the kids to sleep faster, it's a white noise machine." I said.

"Huh?" Shining was confused.

"Look, it's complicated. Basically it's a music box that you don't have to wind up. Just plug in some crystal batteries and you'll be fine." I snapped my fingers and summoned it to me. "Here, put some batteries in it and turn it on when putting Flurry and Pupa to sleep. It generates calming noise and helps the babies go to sleep faster." I handed it over to him.

"Thanks, do I need to pay you?" Shining said and I looked at him.

"Dude, it's me." I looked at him.

"Keep forgetting you're the richest person in equestria."

"That's because I don't let my money go to my head." I said, "I have the money, but I don't let it own who I am."

"You're very humble. I'm surprised we aren't close friends." Shining commented.

"It's because secretly you wanted Twilight to marry someone like you, someone to protect her and not follow his own ideas on a whim. You lived with her for so long, protecting her from everything from the bad world and when it came time for her to leave your protection you were upset that the person that was going to be her new protector wasn't exactly like you in every single way."

Shining paused then looked at me. "How long have you known this?"

"My world's technology is so advanced that the situation that we're in has become a cliche." I looked at him. "In my world, everything has been thought of. There is no original ideas anymore."

Shining looked down, "Huh, is it that overused?"

"Almost every love story you could imagine, girl dates bad boy. The father or brother of the girl disapproves, thus it causes the girl to get even closer to the bad boy, something terrible happens and soon the father or brother finds out that the bad boy has a heart of gold and the father or brother changes their mind about the bad boy." I explained this to him and suddenly Shining felt so stupid.

"I.....wow....really?" He asked and I just nodded. "I. I think we should start over, as friends. Because, as much as I don't like you. I do respect you, but I gotta ask you this. You are military, what happened to turn you so rebellious?"

"I've seen a lot of fucked up things Armor. When I came home I expected a lot of things, opportunity, respect, some generosity. But when I did, I was greeted with nothing. I fought for my country, but my country didn't fight for me. Is it too much to ask for that?" I looked at him.

"Well, damn..." Shining scratched his head.

"Look Shining, we are very alike. We will fight for the ones we love and lay down our lives in order to do so. It's because we're so alike we butt heads." I told him. "Let's just put this all behind us and move on with our lives. Because I really need some guy friends."

"Alright fine, but you are going to have to go back home some time." Shining said, "You can't run from your problems."

"I'll run as far as my legs can take me!" I proclaimed.

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on in your head." Shining said.

A thought bubble appeared over my head and this started to play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VsuGMELajk

"Sometimes I wonder too." I agreed with Shining, "Well I better get going, I've been here for a few hours and Celestia should have calmed down from her pregnancy rage by now."

"How do you know?" Shining asked.

"Because I don't feel like the sun is intentionally trying to give me skin cancer anymore." I said. "I'm going home, wish me luck."

"Good luck." Shining said as I teleported away.

When I returned to Ponyville I was teleported to my front lawn and saw Celestia standing there with her exceedingly round belly. I was face first in the grass because teleporting that far takes a lot of energy, also if you're wondering why I wasn't flopped down on the ground in the courtroom in the crystal empire is because of fear and adrenaline. I looked up at my pregnant wife and awaited my punishment. "Do what you want to me, I'm willing to take it."

"I just wanted an explanation as to why you three were gone for so long." Celestia said. "When you teleported away Twilight was left to explain what happened."

"Oops." I said.

"Yeah, dumb-dumb." Celestia crossed her arms. "Seriously the crystal empire?"

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"Cadence told me." Celestia looked down at me.

"Great now I can't trust my own niece." I pouted and Celestia helped me up.

"I'm pretty sure you're exhausted. You need some rest." Celestia helped me to the bedroom and then lay me down as I went to sleep. When Celestia knew I was asleep she rubbed her belly. "I wonder what I'm going to tell him about you two." She wondered.