Ask and you shall receive!
I saw a lot of people wanting a headcanon (not much of a shock there), so I decided to work on someone who I could have fun with! It took me hours to design this armor for Shining, and honestly it was my favorite part! Pony outfits are my weakness '
Without further ado, here are my headcanon notes on Shining Armor!
-Shining Armor, the oldest of Night Light and Twilight Velvet, seemed ready to for the world even before he was born. Twilight Velvet reported regularly that her little foal seemed like he was doing a tap-dancing routine in her belly, from dawn until dusk. He was born prematurely, but was quick to break the idea that all premature babies were weak. He was a fighter from day one, and his parents immediately believed his can-do spirit was unbreakable.
-His parents quickly realized, however, that his can-do spirit only extended to what he WANTED to do. This was common for most foals, but Shining seemed to reach a new level of stubborn-ness. He didn't complete his schoolwork, or didn't finish it. Night Light and Twilight Velvet knew their son had the potential, if he only put his all into it. Shining Armor only seemed to care about friends and after school activities, like sports. That is, until his sister was born.
-The moment Twilight Sparkle came into the world, Shining Armor felt his whole world flip upside down. He was so used to his parent's attention, whether it was positive or negative, that he felt rather abandoned when the new baby was born. He would make faces at her and quietly grumble how he was here first, but it was clear how much he actually loved his little sister.
-While Shining Armor grew up popular and athletic, his little sister seemed to be an introverted book-worm. It wasn't uncommon for ponies to make fun of her in school, but Shining Armor always seemed ready to step up for her. And she adored him for it.
-Once Shining realized exactly what he wanted to do with his life, he realized his grades and classwork were anything but impressive and wouldn't get him far in higher education or a career. So for the first time in his life, Shining gave school his all. While he felt embarrassed asking for help, he went to tutors and when he came home, Twilight would offer her assistance. She would quiz him with note cards, go over his classwork, and do her best to help her big brother. It was at this point, that Shining Armor caught Cadence's attention.
-Shining Armor had been crushing hard on Cadence for years, and he figured his popularity would help him work his way into her crowd. She thought he was cute, like most mares did, but only really focused on him when he decided to do better in school. Cadence would see him after school studying in between practices, and then come home and work with Twilight while Cadence was babysitting her in the evenings. His determination and ability to care about more than his popularity was attractive to the young princess, and she started to volunteer to be his study buddy.
-With his hard work, Shining seemed to turn his life around. While he was by no means the best in the class, his grades were much better than they had been before. He managed to get into the academy of his choice and start working towards being a member of the royal guard.
-Within a few years, everything in Shining Armor's family started to shift. He was away at school, Twilight was in Celestia's advanced academy, and he and Cadence were in a serious relationship. Once Cadence and Shining were married (and the whole changeling debacle was over and done with), everyone finally seemed to relax. And then the Crystal Empire was back.
-Once another adventure had ended and the Crystal Empire was safe from King Sombra, Shining Armor had to relearn how to use his magic. While Sombra's magic-blocking spell was broken when he was destroyed, there seemed to be lingering residual effects. Shining Armor didn't start back from scratch, but had to focus to re-hone his skills and work back to where he used to be.
-His official title is "Prince of the Crystal Empire". While many expected him to be crowned king, the law in place stated that the true member of royalty shall be named differently than one who marries into royalty. Even though Cadence is known as "Queen of the Crystal Empire", Shining is perfectly satisfied with his title.
-During Cadence's pregnancy, Shining Armor was an emotional wreck. He constantly made sure she had everything she needed, that she was comfortable, that the baby was okay, etc. His anxiety grew as each day passed, and got no better when the doctor told the couple that the baby seemed far too mature to be born naturally, so a c-section would be necessary in order for both baby and mother to survive. During labor, Shining Armor fainted and stayed down until everything was finished.
-The moment Flurry Heart was born, Shining was awestruck. While he was confused about her alicorn-ness, nothing else seemed to matter more than his new baby and his wife. He continued to coddle his wife, making sure she healed as much as possible while he took care of the baby.
-As Flurry Heart grows, Shining Armor will be sure to teach her to fight. Princess or not, learning to fight is essential!
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That's all the notes I have for now! Thank you guys so much for being patient while I have so much going on in my life