"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see." - Winston Churchhill

It was foolish of Blueblood to think a full belly would calm the filly running haphazardly between his moving limbs. “Where are we going next?” she asked, skidding to a halt in front of him.

He carefully stepped around her. “Well, what would you like to see?”

She plopped down on the carpet, touching a small hoof to her chin. Seconds passed as she remained in that position; the only movement the Prince could see was the gears turning in her head. A nuance of impatience built up within him, until she finally jumped to her feet and exclaimed, “Do you have a library?!”

He blinked, then smiled. “Why, yes, we do,” he replied. “Would you like to see it?”

Twilight's eyes sparkled with the intensity of a thousand stars. “Yes, please.”

“The library it is, then.”

There was a skip in the filly's steps as she followed Prince Blueblood closely. She knew better than to stray from his sight. Princess Celestia wanted her to behave for him, and she didn't want to disappoint either of them. Plus, the Prince was so nice! She couldn't remember the last kind-hearted Canterlot pony—other than the Princess, and her family, of course—she met. Then again, she only times she ever left the knowledge-filled sanctity of her bedroom was when her mother needed help shopping, or when there was a dinner party at their home and her presence was pretty much obligated. During the former she was under strict orders to not talk to strangers. During the latter, party participants usually paid her no mind.

She remembered the words of an elderly mare that came to her brother's celebration for getting into Tall Tail's military training program. “Foals are to be seen, not heard.” Those words came in a harsh voice after Twilight made the “mistake” of complimenting the mare on her completely-obvious wig. Needless to say, she never again spoke to that particular pony... or any other adult who showed up at their house.

Tired of the silence hanging over them like a shroud, Blueblood cleared his throat and asked, “So, do you like reading?”

Twilight smiled. “I love reading! I do it all the time, mostly at home.”

“You wouldn't rather hang out with friends?”

“No. Having friends means less time for reading. The only friends I need are my books!”

A chill crawled its way up Blueblood's spine. Those were all-too-familiar words, spoken by a filly who was hauntingly similar to another prodigal student—albeit one from the distant past. Auntie sure knows how to pick them, he thought with a sigh. “The library is the place to be, it seems,” he added aloud.

As they reached the end of the hallway, however, another pony emerged from the adjacent corridor. He thought nothing of it (for he kept a close eye on the energetic little one trotting alongside him), until he actually looked. He wished he hadn't, as his blood ran cold upon doing so.

The pony was an older mare (and he could tell, without a doubt, despite the makeup she often used in desperately to conceal the wrinkles around her eyes), with a light gray coat. She was clad in an elegant lavender dress of silk, and her mane was done up in a bun secured by a large, gemstone-studded barrette. Her icy blue eyes relentlessly scanned the area, like a hawk searching for prey.

Unfortunately, he knew precisely whom she sought and it filled him with dread. His pulse quickened as he tried to usher his charge back the way they came. “On second thought,” he blurted, “this isn't the right—”

“Oh, Blueblood! There you are!”

He froze mid-step. Horse-apples... He turned, a false smile plastered on his face, and he hid little Twilight behind him as the mare approached. “Mother!” he exclaimed. “What brings you here on this fine day?” And does Auntie know you let yourself in... again?

Sterling Silver appeared concerned, reaching up to place a hoof on her son's shoulder. “What kind of silly question is that?” she inquired. “Shouldn't a mother worry herself sick about her son after an explosion occurs so close to his home?”

The Prince's smile fell. “I take it you're addressing the mishap that happened early this morning?”

“Yes, yes, that one. I would have come sooner, but I had a charity breakfast to attend.” She retracted her hoof, only to then closely inspect it for imperfections. “You know how it is, darling, but I can see you are well, so what exactly happened? There was talk of an enemy siege on the castle.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes. “An overreaction, nothing more.” Albeit, it was an understandable overreaction, like the one he had that very morning upon experiencing the shattering of his chamber windows. “One of the students at Auntie's school simply... lost control of their magic for a moment.” He felt Twilight wrap her forelegs against one of his rear limbs, possibly in embarrassment.

Sterling arched a brow. “... Pardon me? A child caused that explosion? That's hard to believe.”

“I know, but that's what truly happened.”

“Goodness, I hope Princess Celestia properly dealt with the little troublemaker. A foal with that kind of power is far too dangerous to be around others.”

The hug encompassing Blueblood's back leg vanished. Puffing out her cheeks, Twilight emerged from her hiding spot. “I'm not dangerous!” she yelled. “It was an accident!”

The Countess flinched. “Blueblood... Why is there a filly with you?”

The young stallion cleared his throat. “Well, Auntie asked me to watch her for a while. That's all.”

“And why couldn't her parents watch her?” She tilted her nose up. “Plus, with an entire castle full of staff, she could have easily found somepony else to do it.”

His false smile twitched, but didn't waver. “It was a last-minute decision, I'm afraid,” he calmly retorted. “Then again, I'm sure there's nopony more capable of watching over her new personal student than yours truly.”

He couldn't help but find satisfaction in his mother's new look of stupor. “New student? Her?” she gasped. Her surprise quickly turned into a growl. She then grumbled something under her breath as she turned her back to her son—a common tactic she used when she needed to compose herself. Once a few tense, quiet seconds passed, she turned her head to look at him. “What about your lessons?” she asked; her tone dripped with suspicion.

“Auntie gave no indication that she'll put an end to my lessons.” Yet, he predicted they would be temporarily put on hold. Between himself and Cadance, and now the addition of Twilight, time for rescheduling was needed. Not that his mother needed to know; any and all information regarding his personal schedule had to remain out of her hooves. The same could be said about his time, and he'd already given her too much of it. “Now that I've put your concerns to rest, I should really return Twilight to her parents. I'm sure they are somewhere in the castle as we speak.” He quickly moved his attention to the filly. “Let's be off, Twilight.”

“Aww,” she groaned. She pouted. “But I want to see the library!”

“I know, young one, but there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You'll see it soon enough.” And you may see it frequently, judging by your baffling love of books.

Her ears folded back, and she solemnly nodded. “Okay...”

Sterling scoffed, gazing at the child disapprovingly. “I certainly hope the filly will learn to properly address her superiors during her lessons.”

Blueblood chose to ignore her as he nudged Twilight with his hoof. “Come,” he softly ordered. The sooner they got away from Sterling, the better. “Let's find your parents.”

The Countess said nothing as the pair walked away. There was really no need. Although, while her son was well in body and mind, something was amiss in terms of his prestigious status. It was... off-putting. She needed to have a word with Princess Celestia about the issue, before business tore her away from the castle.

Fortunately, she knew exactly where she could acquire such an audience.

“Mom, would it be possible for you to sit down and relax for a minute?”

Velvet ceased her pacing, momentarily, to look at Shining Armor. “Of course,” she replied. There then came a nervous chuckle. “I'll just feel a lot better once Twilight is here.”

“The guards will have her here soon enough, dear,” said Night Light.

“My statement still stands.”

He sighed. Smiling at his son, he shrugged. “Just let her do her thing, Shining.”

Shining Armor sighed. The name of the game was simply “Waiting,” it seemed. That's what Princess Celestia was doing; she sat silently near the window—her ever-watching eyes transfixed on the outside world. When in doubt, follow the lead of a superior. And patience was a virtue, after all, and so he remained rooted to his spot at the foot of the bed.

Silence reigned over the room for the next few minutes. Every so often, he glanced at the Sun Princess. Though she was still as a garden statue, he saw her ears twitching and swiveling. Listening. He couldn't help but wonder how much of the castle's activity she could hear just from this room. He never before had the honor of staying in the same area as her regal form, especially for so long. It was almost intimidating. Now that his little sister was her personal student, and he her bodyguard, he had to get used to it.

Lost in his thoughts, there was no warning when the Princess suddenly turned her head and said, “They've arrived.”

Velvet stopped pacing. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness?”

The sudden knock on the door spoke for itself. “Auntie?” called the deep voice of a stallion. “Are you in there?”

Gracefully, the alicorn rose and made her way to the door. She opened it with her magic in one fluid motion. “Blueblood,” she greeted with a smile. “It's safe to assume Twilight is still with you?”

Hearing her name, the filly ran out from behind the young Prince. “Here I am!” she exclaimed.

Her mother cautiously stepped around Princess Celestia, holding out a foreleg. “Oh, thank the stars, there you are,” she breathed.

“Mom!” Twilight accepted the hug without hesitation. “What are you doing here?”

“Your father and I brought some of your things—mostly your books, of course—from home.” Her smile widened. “We also have a big surprise for you!”

“Really? What is it?”

“Go inside and see.”

Hesitantly, Twilight walked around her mother to peer into the room. Her eyes were immediately drawn to her father, who was seated near one of the bookshelves. He waved, then pointed to the guard at the foot of the bed. The filly was confused as to why that was, as the pony appeared the same as all the other guards in the castle. She looked to her mother for answers.

Velvet rolled her eyes before shooting a playful glare at the armor-clad stallion. “She doesn't recognize you in your uniform.”

Bewilderment crossed his features, until the realization finally sunk in. “Oh!” he laughed. “Sorry about that!” Grinning, he reached up and slid the gilded helmet off his head. “Guess this armor doesn't take as much getting used to as I first thought.”

Twilight's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “Shining!” she squealed joyfully—running into her big brother's open forelegs. “You're here! You're here!”

Shining Armor chuckled as he nuzzled her mane. “Of course I'm here! What kind of big brother would I be if I missed my kid sister's special day?”

The filly pulled out of the hug. She proceeded to then bounce around him like a sentient ball. “Yes, yes! You heard!” she exclaimed. “I got my cutie mark! Look!” She pointed to the long-awaited symbol of her special talent. The pink star was very similar to her brother's; although, hers wasn't encased in the navy-blue shield that served as the background for his cutie mark.

Still, the similarities didn't go unnoticed by the stallion. Huh, it must run in the family, he thought. Both of their parents donned celestial-themed cutie marks, so why not them as well? Then again, it didn't really matter. Twilight could have ended up with either a microscope or a beaker as a mark (both of which were equally appropriate, he thought, given her love of science), and she would still be adored. “It's a wonderful cutie mark,” he finally said. “I'm so proud of you!”

“As are your mother and I,” added Night Light as he ruffled his daughter's hair. He placed a kiss atop her head. “It won't be easy leaving you here, sweetheart, but I'm sure we'll manage.”

Velvet nodded. “It's for the best...”

“After all, there's no better teacher than the Princess herself!”

Glancing between her parents, Twilight could sense their hesitation. It wasn't something she particularly enjoyed. “But, you can come visit me right?” she asked.

“They are your parents, young one,” replied the Princess. She took a step towards the filly, lowering her head to look her in the eyes. “I'll never deny them the chance to see you. You have my word.” She smiled. “Plus, your brother will be here to watch over you.”

Twilight's eyes grew to an almost comical size. “What?” she shouted excitedly. “Really?” She looked again and again between everypony in the room, as though she were the center of some unknown joke. “Really?!” she asked once more, her eyes finally settling on Shining Armor.

He nodded, grinning. “Yep!” he replied. “Consider me your own personal big-brother-bodyguard from now on!” A grunt was pushed from his lungs as Twilight threw her tiny forelegs around his neck. Laughing, he happily returned the hug.

Their parents couldn't help but find comfort in the sight, and they shared a hug as well. Then, as they nuzzled, Princess Celestia approached them. “Rest assured,” she said. “Your daughter is in the most capable hooves. Mine, your son's, and my nephew's.”

Blueblood, who was content to remain in the doorway throughout the heartwarming reunion, snapped to attention. “Pardon?” he muttered.

She smiled at him. “You've already bonded with her, have you not?” she replied. “I'm certain now's not the time to say goodbye. Am I wrong, dear nephew?”

Every set of eyes suddenly fell upon the young Prince, as though some mysterious power made them realize he was there. Once Twilight wiggled out of Shining's grasp, however, they quickly shifted to her small form as it bounced up to him. “You mean we'll be able to hang out some more?” she eagerly asked.

Blueblood possessed half a mind to dance clean around the question—a rather useful skill he developed over the years. Yet, it was so innocent and genuine, and the twinkle in the filly’s eyes threw that plan for a loop. “Between your studies, I'm sure we'll find the time,” he said.

She hugged one of the Prince's forelegs, giggling, “Yes, yes, yes!”

Another situation well handled, the stallion thought with a sigh. One minefield down, one to go. Carefully, he maneuvered himself closer to his aunt; Twilight didn't seem to mind one bit as she released him and returned to her brother's side. “Auntie,” he said under his breath.

“Hmm?” Princess Celestia turned her head to look at him. “What is it, Blueblood?”

“My mother is in the castle.”

The alicorn stiffened. “I see.”

“She saw me with Twilight. I... I let it slip that she's going to be taking lessons from you now. I'm sorry.”

She gave him a comforting nuzzle. “It's not your fault, my dear nephew, and do not worry. I'll take care of it.”

You always do. “Thank you, Auntie. Should I accompany you?”

She shook her head. “You already had the misfortune of bumping into her already,” she chuckled. “It's my turn.” With her hoof, she pointed to the Sparkle Family. “I think it best to remain here and introduce yourself!” With a smile, she once again turned to address Velvet and her husband. “Forgive me, but I have business to which I must attend. I will try to return in time to see you out. But, for now, I shall leave you in the company of Prince Blueblood.”

“Oh, Your Highness, don't be sorry!” replied Night Light. “You've given us so much of your time already!”

His wife nodded. “Don't let us keep you from your duties.”

“Thank you for your understanding.” After a quick smile directed at Twilight and her brother, Princess Celestia gracefully took her leave—the guards at her fetlocks.

As soon as she left, Blueblood gathered his nerves, cleared his throat, and approached the family. “Well, I guess that means it's my turn to make introductions,” he chuckled. “I'm Prince Blueblood. It's lovely to make your acquaintances.”

Shining Armor and his parents bowed, to which Blueblood shook his head. “There's no need for that,” he said. “Please, rise.”

The ponies rose. “It's nice to meet you, Prince Blueblood,” retorted Velvet. “Thank you for watching over our little Twilight.”

“It was no trouble at all.”

“Oh, I'm so glad. My name is Twilight Velvet, 'Velvet' for short. This is my husband, Night Light.”

The navy-blue stallion gave another bow. “An honor to meet you, Prince,” he said.

Shining Armor was the next to approach. Albeit, he did so with caution. Though he had never before met Prince Blueblood, his brief time in the Royal Guard granted him access to a plethora of absurd stories. From Blueblood being an outside-fearing hermit, to him being a conniving monster who was secretly planning to rob Princess Celestia of her throne, there was no shortage of rumors and speculations. The most believable and common rumor, however, was that he was the kind of stallion who wanted nothing more than to strut about flaunting his wealth and prestige—acting as though all other ponies were beneath him. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, for the same claim could be put against nearly ninety percent of Canterlot's population.

And yet, now that they were in the same room, Shining saw an entirely different stallion. Prince Blueblood was apparently calm, despite the slight tension in his withers. But, was this merely a front to appease the family of Princess Celestia's student? The young guard wasn't sure, but the Prince was behaving himself appropriately and, more importantly, Twilight seemed comfortable in his presence.

Like his father, Shining presented another bow. “I'm Shining Armor of the Royal Guard, Your Highness,” he said. “I'm also Twilight's big brother.”

The filly puffed out her chest. “He's my B.B.B.F.F.!”

Blueblood blinked. “Pardon me?”

“'Big Brother Best Friend Forever!'”

“Ah, understood.” He smiled at the other stallion. “It's nice to meet you, Shining Armor.”

“Likewise.” By the stars, Shining didn't expect the Prince to be so tall. He hadn't noticed his height as he stood next to Princess Celestia. Granted, Blueblood was nowhere near her height. However, now, as the guard sized him up, it was shockingly clear he was shorter than the other stallion by at least five inches. That wouldn't mean much if Shining weren't already considered a large pony for his age. “It's nice to meet you, too,” he said. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh, how so?”

“Princess Celestia assigned me to act as Twily's bodyguard.”

Blueblood, though stoic, couldn't be more relieved. “It seems my dear Aunt has made more than enough necessary precautions to keep your sister safe while she remains with us.” It's a little much, in my opinion, but I won't argue...

Shining chuckled and nodded. “She's very kind for all this.” He looked over his shoulder as his parents continued to unpack Twilight's things. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I'd like to help my parents finish unpacking.”

“Go ahead. It would be wrong of me to keep you away from them.” Slowly, he turned and headed for the door. “I bid you a fine farewell, Sparkle Family.”

Velvet and Night Light waved him goodbye, while Twilight bounced after him. “Bye, Prince Blueblood!” she chirped. “See you later!”

Magic resting on the doorknob, the stallion looked down at her and smiled. “Goodbye, young one,” he replied softly. “I'll see you at a later time.”

Princess Celestia considered herself a patient pony. More than a millennium on the Solar Throne conditioned the way she now, after so very long, dealt with her subjects. Patience was a key virtue, especially when dealing with Equestrians who had a lot on their mind. Unfortunately, most of them were nobles.

Money was an oddly powerful thing, an item associated the most with greed. And for a good reason. She saw far too many lives corrupted by the abundance of their bits. Bits meant wealth. Wealth meant popularity and possessions—mere things that came to mean so much more than anything else in the eyes of a rich individual. Such a selfish lifestyle disturbed the Sun Princess greatly.

Thankfully, there were plenty of wealthy families who didn't flaunt and worship their money. One such family currently graced Canterlot Castle and, in truth, she wished she had remained with them rather than deal with Sterling Silver. Though the Princess didn't have the luxury, it comforted her to think of her upcoming situation like a band-aid. The sooner she tore it off... the sooner the pain would end.

Taking a deep breath, she approached the guards standing at the doors. “Good afternoon, gentlecolts,” she gently greeted. “Am I expecting company, by any chance?”

The stallions shared a glance. “Countess Sterling Silver has been waiting for you, Princess,” one explained.

The other added, “We tried to inform her that you were attending business elsewhere, but she insisted on waiting.”

Celestia nodded. “That's fine. I'll handle it from here, you two.” She sucked in another breath, using her magic to gently open the large doors. As she expected, her single-mare audience could be seen standing at the stained-glass windows. A fraction of her dared to hope her visitor was simply interested in the sublime craftsponyship, but Sterling's eyes looked past the colors—fixated on something unknown lingering on the ground below. “Countess,” the Princess softly called.

Her voice succeeded in attracting the noble's attention and, though she looked in Celestia's direction, she otherwise didn't move. “Princess,” she replied.

“It's good to see you.”

“Likewise, Your Highness.”

Years of these routine visits molded them into minimalistic checkups. Short, but sweet, and there was no time for smalltalk as the Sun Princess lead herself to the raised thrones set at the end of the chamber. The Solar Throne, her seat, was a masterfully-crafted familiarity, with a frame of gold and a crimson cushion. It's counterpart, on the other hoof, was made of platinum framing and a blue cushion.

While the former seat was worn from a millennium of use, the latter had been painfully unoccupied for... far too long. The only evidence anypony touched it was the fresh bouquet of violets laid upon it earlier that morning. With a sigh, Celestia tore her eyes from it before taking a seat upon her own. She took a moment to then make herself comfortable before she returned her attention to Sterling. “So, Countess, to what do I owe this visit?” she inquired.

Sterling turned her back to the window. “It was originally a venture to check on Blueblood,” she retorted. “Then, I learned something interesting.” Even steps guided her to a spot to stand in front of the Princess. “Not only did you take yet another student under your wing, but it seems you took it upon yourself to leave said student with my son.”

Celestia's brow furrowed. “I needed to make living arrangements for the little one, and Blueblood is more than responsible enough to shortly care for a filly.”

“That's not my point, Your Highness.” She turned up her nose. “He is a Prince, not a foalsitter.”

A corner of the Princess's calm smile twitched. “You are correct, on both accounts. However, contact with ponies other than us and the staff would do him a lot of good, I believe.”

The Countess' brow arched. “And why is that, Your Highness? I highly doubt my son's well-being is being stunted due to his lack of associates.”

“Only in a matter of speaking, Countess. Physically, he is a healthy young stallion—one who has countless and wonderful opportunities ahead of him.” Her smile widened and, this time around, it became genuine. “But, he would fare so much better if he took one of those opportunities to make some friends.”

Sterling was taken aback. “Friends?” she gasped. “Surely, you jest!”

“No, Countess, I do not.”

She scoffed, then began to pace, albeit at an even and collected speed. “Why, that's absolutely ridiculous! You speak as though he is just some lonesome little schoolcolt, not the regal stallion into whom he's grown!”

Now, Princess Celestia felt herself frowning. “I'm speaking out of concern for his future. He may be grown, but he is still young. There remains much for him to learn.”

“Is that not your duty? Aren't you his aunt, his teacher?” She glared at the alicorn. “Or is this 'friendship' something even the magnificent Sun Princess cannot teach?”

Said Sun Princess mentally rolled her eyes. Careful, Countess, she thought. Your mask is slipping. And, were Sterling anypony other than the mother of her beloved nephew, she would have had them politely escorted out of the castle right away for such rude behavior. But, as usual, she held her tongue—allowing the fired-up mare to continue her rant.

“And what of Cadance—?”

“Princess Cadance,” Celestia interrupted. Seconds of silence passed as she and Sterling then stared at each other. She could see the gears turning in the other's head. Cadance was a... delicate subject between them. So, the Princess dismissed the topic; it was time to end the discussion altogether. “Blueblood will be encouraged to be more interactive with his fellow ponies,” she said. I will not allow him to live the rest of his life in isolation.

The hair on the back of Sterling's neck bristled. “And Her Majesty cannot be swayed otherwise?” she asked. She spoke softly with caution.

“My decision is final.”

The Countess said nothing more—allowing silence to continue its reign as she promptly turned her back to Celestia and saw herself out of the throne room. As soon as the great doors again closed upon her exit, the Princess released her frustration with a hearty exhale. “Why must she be so difficult?” she inquired to nopony in particular. Gently, she reached over to the neighboring throne and she placed her hoof upon the cold frame. “Our dear Blueblood is almost nothing like her, thank the moon and the stars,” she whispered.

She allowed her hoof to slip away from the platinum. But, I couldn't stop him from manifesting his own mask to bear, she thought sadly. A half-heavyhearted chuckle escaped her, against her wishes. “Like aunt, like nephew...” An icy sensation crawled up her spine. She was blessed to have raised Blueblood since he was a foal. Back then, she gave him as much as her time as she could happily sacrifice. Playtimes were favored over court dates, bedtime stories over paperwork.

Now, he was a young adult, and a whole new set of worries came to mind. The Canterlot Elite, and countless others, expected her nephew to follow in her hoofsteps. Yet, whilst her attention remained fixated upon the Lunar Throne, she was reminded why she struggled on a day-to-day basis to shun those expectations. There were so many things she regretted—far too many mistakes she made that often plagued her mind and poisoned her dreams into waking nightmares.

“He can't walk the same path as I,” she breathed. “Oh, Sister, how I fear for him...” And, in her heart, she dared to hope little Twilight Sparkle and her family were the keys she needed to not only pave a new path for Blueblood, but, for herself, a path of long-awaited redemption.

Author's Note

Oh, hey, look! It lives! IT LIVES!

Enjoy a more substantial chapter to make up for my procrastination!