It was war. Everywhere she looked, artillery shells bombarded from the ashen sky. Craters littered the ground like pockmarks, revealing where previous soldiers had been stricken down. The smell of gunpowder and burnt arbor hung in the air, indicating the all too familiar notion in her head. She was on the losing side of this battle.
Putting her helmet back on and snapping it to her chin, Major Twilight Sparkle turned around and walked to her command platform at a brisk place. Unable to truly fortify an area within the timeframe she was given, Twilight’s cover was merely a makeshift tent swaying in the winds of war. It had become her home away from home. No… try as she might, Twilight knew she could never go back to the way things were. This was her home now.
“Alright, men,” she called, shouting above the sound of bullets and flak cannons around her, “This is our final push. We take back this front and we may have time to sweep out and bring in our flank. Isn’t that right, First Lieutenant Smarty Pants?” She turned to the sullen soldier beside her.
“…”
“No, not that kind of flank, Lieutenant! We don’t have time for sass!” Looking back at the table with a tattered map of the battlefield messily scrolled across its surface, Major Sparkle began calling out commands to her soldiers.
“Now, Smarty Pants will take his men and lead a bayonet charge against the enemy from the west side.” Her hoof demonstrated for her men to see. “Simultaneously, Sergeant Major Fluffle Puff will march down the center, firing upon anypony who thinks they have a chance at taking us. Do you understand, Sergeant?”
The ball of fur and cotton sat silently in reply.
“Good! And I wouldn’t be half the leader I claim to be if I didn’t join in on the fray.” Twilight pounded her chest in pride as she continued to inspire her men. “I will take the war horse battalion, suit them up in the toughest armor we’ve got, and charge the right flank with more ferocity and vigor than the Battle of the Backyard all those many months ago! Do you hear me, soldiers?!”
“…”
“Yeah! Who’s going to win this fight?”
“…”
“Right! And who’s going to go home to their husbands and wives tonight?”
“…”
“That’s the spirit!” She turned her back on them and pointed out towards the battlefield. “Charge! Attack! Fling yourselves into the fields of war! Show them what we ponies are made of! Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori!” Drawing her very stick-like musket from her back, Major Twilight Sparkle took to the battlefield with enough spirit and vigor to conquer any opponent.
It was a slaughter. Before Twilight’s eyes flew mounds of poorly sewn together limbs and age old stuffing. Men and women she knew since she could form coherent thought were being torn apart, and there was nothing she could do. History would remember this day.
Lying face up in a crater, Twilight began to pray. She was not a religious pony, mostly because she didn’t know a whole lot about religion. She’d have to read up on that a bit later, she noted. But now more than ever, she figured, was a good time to start.
Oh sweet Celestial being, wherever you may be. I may not ask for much, although I think I may have prayed for a leather-bound diary last year for Hearth’s Warming Day. Regardless, I pray on this day that you will bless upon this pitiable gang of revolutionaries the means to win this battle and take back what is rightfully ours. I care not what it is. A divine wind sent to sweep back the enemies, a sudden earthquake sending them plummeting into oblivion. Anything! Help us, just this once!
And just like that Twilight’s ears picked up on the most peculiar noise. One that she couldn’t quite specify, but was unquestionably friendly. Her prayers had been answered. The great sun goddess had blessed her with a reinforcement. Not an army, nor a divine act of nature. Something much better than that had arrived.
“Twiley! I’m home!” a voice called.
No, she didn’t need all that. For she had just found her knight in shining armor.
“Big brother!” Twilight called. She clambered out of the pile of leaves that lay at the base of the tree in her front yard. Running as fast as she could Twilight leapt into the air and into the waiting arms of her big brother Shining Armor.
“Woah, hey Twiley!” he chortled as he spun her around in his arms. “I’m excited to see you too! I’ve got some big news for you!” Looking over at their lawn, Shining couldn’t help but notice the meticulousness of how the fall leaves had been arranged. Where Twilight once lay was an empty squared off arrangement with a drawn on piece of paper laid on top. Across from that seemed to be various “hills” of leaves, each accompanied with one of Twilight’s stuffed animals. Smarty Pants, her favorite, lay in the middle of the yard with a stick stricken into the ground right beneath his armpit. Surely, Smarty had suffered an honorable death.
“That can wait!” shouted the young Twilight Sparkle as she dragged Shining over to what she called her “command center.” She went on to explain how her and her freedom fighters had spent hours fighting the good fight, only to be set back from a sudden onset of artillery fire. Shining Armor, being the big brother that he was, of course would not stand for such battlefield atrocities. Strapping on the helmet three sizes too small for his thick head, Shining and Twilight spent the better part of an afternoon strategizing, regrouping, and finally bombarding the enemy with everything they had to offer. The enemy stood no chance. Soon the day was saved; the battle was theirs. Not that that was any surprise to Twilight since her big brother was around. He always knew how to save the day.
Noticing that the setting sun was soon headed for the horizon, Shining Armor turned to his little sister to ask her the most important of life’s questions.
“Hey, Twiley. Where are you wanting to eat tonight?” Twilight had not even pondered the idea of food, what with being a supreme military commander and whatnot. But as they cleaned up Twilight recalled her parents saying something about not being able to come home early that night. Something about seeing a play in the theatre that’s much too adult for kids. Pssh, not that she couldn’t handle that. Twilight considered herself of the most mature individuals she knew. Which wasn’t saying much, due to the fact that she had no friends. Still, that left her alone with her big brother, which didn’t bother her since he was her favorite pony in the world. She gave his question some serious thought.
“I dunno,” she answered. “Anywhere is good I guess.” Shining rolled his eyes and smiled as he dropped his backpack off in the house before returning outside to lock the door. His high school graduation was soon, which made Twilight so proud. She knew her big brother worked really hard to get where he was in life, and she admired hard work over anything. Twilight sometimes wondered where he would go in life after he finished high school, but she knew that whatever it was he could do it amazingly without batting a hoof. With her and the rest of their family behind him, Shining Armor was unstoppable. Plus his really awesome girlfriend Cadance didn’t hurt either.
“I knew you’d say that” he replied. Wrapping his arm around her neck for a moment, Shining asked “Alright, well how ‘bout we go down to that nice coffee shop you like? You can get a tea and that cucumber sandwich, and I can get, uh, whatever’s there that’s not tea. Or a cucumber sandwich. Do they have corndogs there?”
Twilight giggled and nodded her head. He even knew what her favorite meals were. Before long Twilight and Shining were headed down the clean and robust streets of downtown Canterlot, passing by exotic wardrobe shops and an impressive bakery whose smell enticed their hunger even more. Maybe they’d come back there a little later. Twilight looked up in awe as the lamps lining the street were filled with fireflies, making the dark town light up with excitement as the sun finally passed below the mountains in the distance. This was her favorite time of the day, seeing everypony hustle and bustle as they made their way home to their families or out to their favorite restaurants. The lights served only to make things even more beautiful.
“You know,” Shining began, “Maybe on the way home we could stop by your favorite bookstore and pick something out. I know it’s not your birthday, but… I’d like to get you something. You know… just ‘cause.” He leaned down and winked at Twilight, who began jumping for joy at the idea. He played with me, is taking me out to dinner, and is going to get me a new book? This is the best night ever! The best night ever with the best big brother, of course.
Finally making their way into the coffee shop/diner that Twilight loved so much, Shining went up to the counter to pay and order their food while Twilight bounded over to a booth and took a seat, eager to eat and spend time with her brother. She wondered what Shining had meant earlier when he said he wanted to talk to her about something, but she was sure he’d bring it up. It was probably something that went on that day at school. Oh, or maybe he wanted to take them all out on vacation after he graduated? Twilight’s curiosity was peaking, but she would have to be patient. She definitely could wait and see what it was, because she was just so polite and patient and wasn’t really that excited about it in the least. Not at all.
Sliding into the seat opposite of her, Shining Armor grinned at Twilight as they waited for their food and drinks to come. This, in turn, made her grin as well. Was he going to mention it?
“Having fun tonight, Twiley?” he asked as he undid the wrapping on both of their napkins. “We haven’t had a one on one day in a while, huh? This is kinda nice, just you and me.”
“Mmm hmm!” Twilight agreed as she arranged her fork, knife, and spoon in order of size and chronological use. Knife came first, then the fork, then the spoon. Always. Who knows what chaos would spring forth if she did it out of order? “I like eating dinner with just the two of us. It makes me feel like a grown up!”
Shining Armor chuckled. “You are growing up, Twiley. So fast.” He sighed, and she thought she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I remember when you were just a little girl, barely able to walk and use your magic. Now look at you. You’re so smart and ambitious, and you never let anything get in your way!” Twilight smiled at her big brother. It felt nice to be appreciated as much as she was, and she knew she was a lucky little sister.
“Thanks Big Brother,” she replied as a waitress brought their meals over and placed them before their hungry faces. “Still,” she pondered, “what’s with all of the compliments? And the dinner too? I haven’t really done anything to deserve all this.” Of course, she was constantly getting good grades and commendations in her magic kindergarten class, so perhaps she had done something there that she had forgotten about.
Twilight could’ve sworn she saw Shining’s eyes well up, if only for a moment.
“I’m, uh, just really proud of you… is all” he muttered before quickly taking a sip of his soda.
Twilight pondered this odd behavior, but quickly put it off as her brother being weird – as he often is – before digging in to her favorite meal. A cucumber sandwich with tea, just as Shining predicted. With all that had been going on she completely forgot about her brother’s exciting news and just let herself enjoy the night. They talking, laughed, had deep conversations on her favorite books and subjects; and even brought up funny old stories. Remember that time Cadence got her tongue stuck in Shining’s braces? Of course he did. Or that time that Twilight make a complete mess of the kitchen trying to find out what happens when you mix baking soda with cola? How could one forget? An hour or two passed before Twilight even remembered where they were.
“Hey, where to next BBBFF?” Twilight asked as giddily as one would expect a six year old. Shining lazily looked out the window before taking notice of something in the sky.
“Hmm, it looks like it might rain soon.” He turned back to meet Twilight’s gaze. “Maybe we shouldn’t go to any more places tonight, Twiley.”
Twilight shook her head in defiance. “I can handle it!” she proclaimed, turning the corner of Shining’s mouth up just a tad. “I’m not afraid of a little rain, Shining Armor. And neither are you!”
Chuckling, Shining said “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. It’ll take a lot more than rain to take us down, right Twiley?” An enthusiastic head nod confirmed his suspicions. “Alright, Ms. Sparkle, where would you like to go now?”
Twilight hopped out of her seat as they began moving towards the door. “Ooh, so many choices. The book store, the park, the theatre – oh wait, that’s where mom and dad are.” She made a mental note of the thunder and lightning that rang outside the restaurant. The storm was already here, she supposed. “We could go to the bakery, or – or the library! Or is that too much like the book store? Oh, there’s so many places I want to go with you!”
Shining held up a hoof and laughed. “Hold your horses there, kiddo. We can’t go to all those places tonight. We only have a few hours before mom and dad get home.”
The little filly beamed as the first few raindrops made their way down from the sky above them. “It’s okay, Shining! We always have tomorrow, or the next day. Or the next week. Or the next month! We have all the time in the world.”
Shining Armor’s face suddenly became worried. “Yeah, about that…” he muttered.
Twilight cocked her head in confusion. “About what?”
Sighing, Shining looked up at the ceiling before taking a deep breath and began to speak.
“Look, Twiley,” he began, “there actually was a reason I brought you out tonight. Other than just… hanging out with you.”
“What was it?” asked Twilight with a concerned look in her eye.
Shining scratched the back of his head. “So, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About… my life, and what I’m going to do with it after I graduate. I know we’ve never really talked much about that.”
Twilight muttered in a listening fashion.
“And it took me a lot of time to come to this. And I mean… a lot of time. I’ve been weighing my options for the better half of a year now. But after a while I finally decided that… I’m going to join the military.” He looked down at his little sister to judge the reaction, but only got a confused stare in return.
“The military?” Twilight asked. “Why do you want to join the military?”
“Well, Twiley,” he continued, “I want to serve my nation and my people. Plus, if I join soon then maybe I’d have a chance to work my way up to the Royal Guard! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Twilight paused for a moment. The military? She honestly didn’t know much about it, surprisingly. What did that mean for her? What did that mean for her family? Would she have to move in to a military base? She decided to press on.
“I’m okay with that. As long as you’d stay safe.” Twilight pondered briefly before asking “So, where would I be? I’d come with you, right? We’d still be BBBFFs, right?”
Hanging his head, Shining begrudgingly went on. “Th- that’s the thing… Twiley.” He noticed her expression shifted, just a little. “You… wouldn’t come with me. It’s kinda a full time commitment. Two years is just basic training for a national guard, and if I wanted to make it to the Royal Guards then it’d take a few more years. We get some vacation time and holiday time, but other than that, well… That’s it.” He swallowed. “I’m moving out, Twiley.”
Twilight immediately felt her stomach sink as her vision went blurry. She tried her best to speak, but only a few dejected cries came from her mouth. Noticing her brother’s face turn from saddened to downright horrified, Twilight tried her best to calm herself down. Unfortunate for her and the few ponies still in that restaurant, it was to no avail.
“Moving?” Twilight whimpered. “For years?! You’re leaving without me and I’m not going to see you for years?”
Shining put a calming hoof on her shoulder but she shook it off. “Twiley, don’t cry. I’m still going to see you a few times a year! It’s not that bad. Besides, I’ll be making some money for the family and-”
“I don’t care!” Twilight was yelling now, causing Shining to look around in embarrassment. “You’re my brother! My only friend I have! We were supposed to take care of each other! What am I supposed to do now that you won’t be there for me?”
Exasperated and wanting to calm the situation down, Shining said “Uh, you can find other friends! And you can still write to me! It’s not like I’m just abandoning you!”
“But you are!” sobbed Twilight, tears streaming down her face. “That’s exactly what you’re doing.”
Twilight pushed past Shining Armor and ran out of the restaurant into the rain, which was now coming down at a steady pace. Before he had time to react Twilight had disappeared into the dark and pouring streets of Canterlot and he had no idea in which direction.
“Well…” Shining said as he looked his way around from inside, “crap…”
Shining panicked as he made his way out of the library. She wasn’t there either.
The library, the book store, back home… she isn’t anywhere! he thought as he made his way through the streets, barely able to see a hoof in front of his face due to the torrent of rain that was cascading down from the heavens. What if she got hurt? Or lost? Or… gasp - hurt and lost! It would’ve been all his fault. And in his own mind, Shining Armor had deserved it.
He should’ve known not to bring this up to Twilight in a public area. Shining should’ve told her at home, where he could easily console her if things went sour. But he so wanted one last outstanding memory with her before graduating high school and moving out, and he didn’t get many chances like this where his parents were off on their own. Shining Armor sighed as he sat down on the wet curb and sneezed into the open air.
Oh great! he thought. Now I’m catching a cold. Using the full extent of magic that he had, Shining forced out an overhead shield that separated his body from the rain. Not being nearly as structured with magic as his sister he knew that he couldn’t do it for long, but he needed respite from the chilled wisps of rain that only served as a reminder of his failure. Swallowing his shame and putting his regrets aside for a moment, Shining stood up and began his search once more.
“Twiley!” he called into the dank gloom of late-night Canterlot. With rain like it was at the moment, Shining was sure that nopony other than Twilight would be out on the streets to hear him. Unafraid of disturbing the locals, he pressed on with the exploration for his sister.
“Twilight Sparkle!” His cries filled the night as the downpour continued.
Tears began to well in his eyes out of fear for his sister. He could think of nothing worse than losing her, not to mention her getting hurt. He never imagined things would’ve turned out like this, and he cursed himself again and again for letting it happen. The one pony he loved more than anyone else in his life, and he let her get away from him.
“Stupid, Shining, stupid!” he shouted as he turned one last corner before his shielding gave way. With ears slinking against his head, Shining Armor slammed against the wall and sank into the ground. He had searched everywhere for her. Everywhere. There was nowhere left to go. Letting the tears fall from his eyes, Shining gave in to his failure. He’d lost.
How can I protect Equestria if I can’t even protect my own sister?
Laying there drenched, teary, and defeated, Shining began to look around for shelter while plotting how to go about fixing things. An alley? No, no covering there. He’d go into the nearest store but most places had closed by that time, even without a storm as big as the one he now faced. Looking across the street he spied a building with awnings covering a large window as well as the front door. Looking harder under the awning, Shining swore he could see something.
“No way…”
Sitting there, face pressed against the glass, stood Twilight Sparkle on her hind legs looking up at all the confectionaries in front of her. It was the sweet smelling bakery that they had passed by before, enticing them with their display of desserts and breads that tantalized their tongues as they had passed by. No longer feeling the pit of despair he once did, Shining Armor stood up and bolted as quickly as he could over to the bakery.
“Twilight!” he shouted right before she looked over at him galloping over. Before Twilight could react he swept her up and embraced her with a tighter hug than he had ever given. All the pain, all the disappointment, all of the anger that he thought he would have when he found her were all swept away like dirt in the rain as he held his little sister in his arms. And, surprising to both of them, Shining Armor began to weep.
Not knowing what to do or say about the situation, Twilight leaned in and returned his hug two fold. Hoping to quell her big brother’s tears, Twilight began to speak.
“Shiny?” she said.
After sniffing a few times, Shining leaned back and looked Twilight dead in the eyes.
“Don’t you dare do that again, Twilight” he scolded. “How could you? In this rain? And this late?! I was worried sick! I looked everywhere! What were you thinking running away like that?!”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to well up. With an outturned lower lip, Twilight shouted “Me?! I ran away? I can handle myself! You’re the one who’s going away forever! You were the one pony I could count on and you’re leaving me! How can I trust anyone now?! You were all I had!” Now matching her brother’s demeanor, streaks of tears flowed freely from Twilight’s eyes. Little gasps of breath escaped her as she wrangled free from her brother’s hold.
“I am not running away!” Shining shouted. “I… I’m not running away…” Her words, her face, hurt him more than anything he had faced before. But now was the time to be honest with her.
“Twiley…” he began, “I never wanted to abandon you. That was never my intention. Believe me, I love you!” He put a hoof under her tear stained chin and brought her eyes to meet his. “I love you more than anything, Twiley. More than anything in this whole world. More than mom… more than dad… heh, even more than Cadance!” They both chuckled for a moment. “I’m your Big Brother Best Friend Forever, Twiley. I will never, ever abandon you.”
Twilight wiped tears from her eyes. “Then why? Why are you doing this?!”
Looking at the ground, Shining heaved a big breath before looking her in the eye once more. “Remember what I said in the restaurant? About how proud I was of you? And of your accomplishments? I meant that, Twiley. I really did. You’re the most amazing little pony I have ever known, and I have no doubt that you will do great, amazing things in life. More amazing than I could ever even dream of!”
“But you were right…” he continued. “You can handle yourself. Twiley, you’ve been stronger than me since the day you were born.”
Twilight shook her head. “No, Shining! You’ve always been the big, strong one! That’s why I’ve always looked up to you! You’ve been brave and courageous and… you’ve always been there for me no matter what.”
That brought a smile to Shining’s face. “You’ve got it all wrong, Twi. You were the one who made me brave. You were the one that made me strong. Every moment of doubt, every time that I thought to myself ‘Can I do this?’ It was your voice in my head that told me I could.”
He averted his eyes for a moment. “You were always destined for greatness, Twilight. But I wasn’t. I’ve gone my whole life wondering where I fit in. I’ve been a nerd through high school, but that wasn’t where I fit in. I tried to be the best I could be for Cadance, but that doesn’t define me either. But then one day I realized what I could be. What you would want me to be! Being in the military – being in the royal guard! – that’s where I could make a difference, Twiley! I could help ponies from all across Equestria! I could serve our princess and defend our country from evil! Twilight, I… I could be that knight in shining armor that you always thought I was…”
Tears struck Twilight again as she buried herself in her brother’s chest. She had no idea he had felt this way. All these fears, all these doubts… he was a person just like she was! Suddenly, she felt selfish for the way she acted, selfish and stupid for thinking that he was hers and that he owed something to her.
“Shining…” she said as she looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all I’d been saying. But you were wrong.” Shining tilted his head in confusion. “You are destined for greatness! You’re proving that now! And we have all been proud of you. When you’re gone, mom and dad talk about you all the time! Saying how proud they are of you and how hard you try at school and with your friends. And when Cadance is babysitting I can’t get her to stop talking about you!”
They both chuckled at this as Twilight put her hoof on his. “And you were wrong about yourself, Shiny.” She looked up at him and smiled. “You’ve always been our knight in shining armor.”
Shining’s lips trembled as he brought his sister into one final hug. “Thank you, Twiley. Thank you so much.” He sniffed as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “And I promise, no matter how far I am, no matter where the princess sends me…” He picked up her hoof with his own. “You will always be my Princess Twilight Sparkle. Never forget that.”
Twilight beamed as they both stood up. The rain had begun to wane and their tears had started to dry. Picking Twilight up and planting a kiss on her forehead, Shining swung his little sister over his back. Wrapping her arms around his neck as they walked to the edge of the awning, Twilight yawned and closed her eyes for a moment.
“Looks like you need some rest” Shining said with a smile.
“You mean, we won’t get to go to all those places tonight?” asked Twilight with half an eye open.
“Mmm, not tonight Twilight. But I promise that I’m going to spend the rest of my time here with you doing whatever you want. That sound okay?”
Sighing and closing her eyes once more, Twilight said “That sounds perfect, BBBFF.”
Twilight held on tight as Shining once more crafted an umbrella shield with his magic and stepped out into the sprinkling night. Closing her eyes, Twilight admitted that she was scared of what the future would bring. There would be sad days and heartfelt goodbyes, but at the end of the day she knew that they would be there for each other to sort it out no matter the distance between them. And whatever happened with their lives they would always find time for each other, despite what business may occur. Things would be okay, she told herself. They always end up okay. But for right now, protecting her from the rain and carrying her home, Twilight was glad that he was her knight in shining armor.
Who was she kidding?
He would always be her knight in shining armor.
