Bigger, Not Older.

"Happy Birthday, Shining!" Everypony cheered in Canterlot Castle. Shining Armor, and his wife, Princess Cadance, had decided to visit Canterlot for his birthday this year, since it was where he grew up, and his parents still lived there. That made it easy for his parents to attend and see their granddaughter, Flurry Heart. Twilight and her friends came up to visit from Ponyville. Princess Celestia and Luna were there too. Even some of Shining's old friends from the royal guard were there.

"Blow out your candles, dear," Cadance said. Shining took a deep breath and blew out all the candles. Everypony cheered. Rarity admired the cake.

"You seem to be short a few candles," Rarity said. Twilight double-checked.

"Nope. It's right. Twenty seven," she said with perfectionist pride, elbowing Shining in the side, causing him to blush.

"But darling," Rarity interrupted, "didn't you just celebrate your own twenty ninth birthday last month?" she asked.

"I know," Twilight sighed, "The big three oh, next year."

"No, what I mean is; you're older?" she asked, surprised.

"Uh, yes. That is correct," Twilight confirmed.

"But, you've always called him your big brother," Pinkie Pie said.

"Well, sure," Twilight answered. "I mean, look at him." Standing beside him, he was clearly a good deal taller than her.

"Yeah, but Twi," Applejack said, "when you refer to him as your big brother, it implies that he's older."

"Really?" Twilight asked, confused. "So I've been using the term wrong this whole time?"

"Kinda," Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, what does it matter?" Twilight asked.

"A lot!" Rarity said. "It completely changes what our impression is of your sibling dynamic when you were younger."

"He may be bigger now," Applejack said, "but it must have been very different for the two of you while he was still your 'little' brother. I can't even imagine what things would have been like for me if Big Mac was my younger brother."

"So what was it like when he was your little bro?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight and Shining Armor exchanged nervous glances.

"Brief." Twilight answered simply. "Shining grew up quickly and was taller than me very fast. I didn't sprout until I was much older. He also got his cutie mark before me, which was embarrassing."

"Well that explains the flashback sequence in the wedding episode," Pinkie Pie said.

"Yeah he- wait, what??" Twilight asked, confused.

"Nothing." Pinkie Pie said nervously.

"Hey, I didn't try to get mine before you on purpose," Shining said.

"Yeah, I know. But I guess that's why it was easy for everypony to assume he was older than me all this time," Twilight said.

"Hey, it's no big deal," Shining comforted.

"No, but this cake is!" Pinkie Pie said, cutting slices for everypony. The others each grabbed a plate and received a piece, the conversations moving on to other things.

Twilight's mind was still thinking back to when she was younger, to the day she first met her big- well, her little brother.