Nightmare Night, a Sister's Plight

by Wolftamer54

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Comedy
Length: 5068

A Nightmare Night party exposes feelings long buried.

Shining Armor and Cadance attend a Nightmare Night party in Canterlot, where they reconnect with Twilight Sparkle.

Written for the "Spoopy October Incest Contest!" for "Incest is Wincest."

Published 2019-11-01 01:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2019-11-01 01:20:02 UTC

Chapter 1: The Party

Chapter One: The Party

Nightmare Night. A tradition dating back centuries, supposedly with the intent of hiding behind costumes and offering a tribute to the infamous evil alicorn, Nightmare Moon. Yet like all holidays, its current state is hardly a reflection of its original purpose. Now it is an excuse to gorge on candy, bathe in a tub full of apples, run in fear from a Princess just trying to make friends(thanks for that Pinkie), and… dress up like your wife?

“Uhh, honey, are you sure about this?” Shining Armor asked, eyeing himself in the mirror. The stallion’s normally pristine white coat was now a startling pink, his mane in curls of purple and gold, with a crown perched on his head and fake wings strapped to his back.

“Trust me,” Cadance assured him, “it’ll be fun.”

Shining turned away from the mirror and regarded his wife. She had a hopeful smile on her face, clearly wanting her husband to go through with her costume idea. However, she herself was still bare. “Alright then, what are you going as?” Shining asked playfully.

“You’ll see in a minute, don’t worry.” Cadance teased, an excited glimmer in her eye. Having said that, she ducked away into an adjacent bathroom to change. Left alone with his thoughts, Shining Armor pondered what his wife could have planned.
“Well it can’t be any weirder than it already is,” he thought, once again regarding his crossdressing costume.

Soon enough, Shining heard the noises of Cadance's preparations stop, and the door creaked open. She trotted out, ready to go in her new costume. Shining quickly took in her new attire, and sardonically though “I should’ve known.”

Cadence was now dressed up to look like her husband, pink fur bleached white, mane a dark blue, with her wings hidden beneath a red uniform. Beneath the get-up though, Shining could still see the familiar curves and body structure of his wife. Though just about as large as he was overall due to her alicorn stature, her snout was still noticeable more narrow and the uniform could be sagging slightly where her barrel was slimmer than his.

“A matching set are we then?” Shining said, regarding this new visage with mixed emotions.

“Exactly. We’ll very much still be the same couple, merely a little bit of switching around for the night,” Cadence said with a slight giggle.

“Hopefully nopony actually mixes us up though,” Shining remarked. “I’m hardly the Princess of Love that they’d be used to.”

Cadance laughed and replied, “Enough silliness, we’ve got to get to the festivities, don’t want anypony missing us.” And so, she trotted out the door, Shining close behind.

For a country that seems to have a major holiday or event every other day, Nightmare Night is no exception. Although the festivity has roots in the small, quaint town of Ponyville(which still is one of the primary sites for its celebration), it has expanded outward to be a common tradition across the land. And of course, the biggest celebration is in the capital city, overseen by the princesses themselves. And it is to this very party which our kinky cosplay duo are travelling.

As their ornate carriage passed through the streets, 'Cadance' and 'Shining' took the time to look out of the windows at the transformation the city had undergone. The normally pristine white buildings of Canterlot were decked out in fake cobwebs, plastic skulls strung out on lines above the streets, pumpkins piled up on doorsteps, buckets of candy left out as a sacrifice, and, of course, countless ponies out and about decked in costumes of all kinds. From generic ghouls and animals to the latest pop culture obsessions, they were all on display.

Through this menagerie of oddities, they soon came to the royal palace. As they pulled up to the magnificent gates, Shining saw that even the guards were dressed up, all with skeleton makeup on and armor and spears styled to look like they were made out of bone. They briefly stopped as one of the guards checked their invitation. Looking into the carriage, the stallion displayed the guard’s trademark lack of emotion at seeing his captain crossdressing. He merely took the envelope which Cadance handed to him, looked it over, nodded, and then handed it back.

“All right, you’re clear to go in. Happy Nightmare Night,” he said in a serious voice, before adding “don’t want Nightmare Moon to come gobble you up.”

Shining had to stifle a chuckle with his hoof, knowing that one of the princesses(probably Luna) had ordered all the guards to say that. “Oh, I think there’s a greater danger of someone else gobbling me up tonight,” he replied jokingly as the gates were opened for them and they were brought inside. “Isn’t that right, ‘Shining’?”

“Oh yes, I much look forward to my treat tonight,” Cadance replied, giving his snout a playful lick.

Before things could progress any further however, the carriage ground to a halt just outside the entrance to the main hall. Opening the door, Cadance and Shining stepped out into the night air. Turning to the drivers, Cadance waved them off with a hoof “Go now, we’ll be fine until the end of the party. Enjoy yourselves!” The burly crystal ponies nodded and started on their way again.

With their entourage dismissed, Shining and Cadance were free to trot right up to the main door, which more skeleton dressed guards opened for them. As the heavy oak doors swung outwards, a blast of noise greeted them. Inside, a great menagerie of costumed ponies was massed together. As the pair made their way into the party, they spotted ever grander and more complex costumes, including custom made ones with working parts and incredible prosthetics. At the head of the hall, princesses Celestia and Luna, themselves clad in the cruel looking armor and with fake fangs to approximate the appearances of their Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon forms. As the couple approached them, the regal sisters stared down upon them with feigned looks of disinterest.

“Aunt Celestia, aunt Luna, happy Nightmare Night!” Cadance greeted, bowing down, with Shining following suit.

“Greetings Cadance and captain Shining Armor. As I have said before, there is no need for such formalities, even during events such as this,” Celestia said, a genial smile breaking through her previously stoic features.

“On the contrary! Tonight we demand fear and respect as fearsome and powerful Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon! We have no need for personal relationships when we have raw power! Demand of these peasants the rituals of respect and admiration we deserve.” Luna spoke in a commanding tone, clearly a tad upset about her sisters breaking the immersion of their role play.

Although initially slightly surprised by Luna’s statement, Celestia quickly regained her composure, and re-addressed the pair before her. “Yes, as I was saying, thank you for your gesture, now kindly carry on and partake in the activities we have provided for your entertainment.”

“And besides,” Luna butted in again, “there are plenty of other ponies for thou to converse with, including thy sister!” she pointed with a hoof into the crowd, and Shining turned to look. His eyes roamed until they found the pony to which Luna was referring, and soon his gaze fell upon a stunning sight.

His sister, Twilight Sparkle, but she was not quite what he remembered. Wearing an elegant blakc dress, the dark fabric flowing over her body, softly clinging to her fur and highlighting her beautiful curves. A silver necklace with an inlaid ruby hung around her neck, resting on her delicate throat and bobbing slightly when she spoke or laughed her adorable little giggle. Her long purple mane, now with highlights, fell gently across the side of her neck. In a rare occurrence, she was also wearing makeup, with dark purple lipstick and eyeshadow further completing her transformation. Finally, the tips of two fangs could just barely be made out when she spoke.

Shining stood, enraptured by the sight before him, until he felt a nudge at his side, and turned to look at Cadance who was giving him a questioning look. He realized that he had been staring at his sister for a good while, and shook his head to clear it and regather his thoughts.

“Sorry hun, just kinda spaced out a bit,” he said, chuckled nervously.

“Well, are you going to go talk to Twilight, or just stand here all night ogling her?” she said, gesturing towards Twilight.

“Wha? No, nononono, I wasn’t, I was just- surprised?” Shining stuttered out an excuse as they began to walk over.

“Surprised that your sister is so beautiful and sexy?” Cadance asked with a smirk and a knowing look in her eyes.

“Nono, she’s my sister, I couldn’t think of her like that,” Shining said, uncomfortable with the turn that the conversation was taking.

“Well, I’d honestly be slightly disappointed if you didn’t, Twilight is a wonderful mare, and a beautiful one at that.” Cadance said reassuringly.

“Whu-?” Shining started, but before he could respond properly he heard another familiar voice.

“Shiny! Cadance! Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” Twilight called out from directly in front of them, a wide, beaming smile plastered across her face. Their conversation having prevented them from realizing that they had already reached her. “I’m so glad you could make it, I was worried you would miss it. How have you been? Is the Crystal Empire okay? Why are you dressed like each other? Oh, do you like my costume? I’m one of the Hex Mares! You remember them?” Twilight paused in her barrage of questions to take a breath, but before she could continue, Shining put a hoof up to her lips to stop her.

“Twily, Twily, slow down you’re gonna give yourself a heart attack,” despite his previous discomfort, he couldn’t help but give a genuine smile. Apparently underneath all the fancy getup, she was still the dorky, neurotic, and caring mare that he knew and loved. “We’re happy to see you too, and the Empire is going great. And yes, your costume is great. You look gorgeous.”

Twilight blushed at the complement, looking away bashfully and pawing at the ground with a hoof. “T-thanks. I was hoping you’d like it. Fluttershy and Rarity dressed up with me too.” She gestured to either side of her, where Shining now realized the two ponies in question were also clad in the faux vampire costumes. Fluttershy in a green dress and Rarity purple. They weren’t really paying attention however, each dancing with another creature. Fluttershy was slowly turning in a circle with Discord(in a sombrero and mariachi suit) and Rarity, surprisingly, with Spike(in a miniature suit of knight armor).

“The others are around here somewhere too,” Twilight continued, “Oh there’s Pinkamena,” Pinkie was guzzling spooky punch at the concessions table, her mane straight, covered in fake blood, a dress of cutie marks, necklace of unicorn horns, and pegasus wings.

“Mad scientist Rainbow Dash,” The vibrantly maned pegasus in a white lab coat, black undershirt, and a syringe of rainbow spectra, chatting with fellow Wonderbolts Soarin and Spitfire.

“And Applejack the, uh… escort.” The orange earth pony was among a quartet of mares, each in an extraordinarily suggestive sequined dress of varying colors, surrounding a bright red stallion with a blonde Mohawk, sunglasses, grenadier belt, and smoking a cigar. With a twinge of unease, Shining dimly recognized the stallion from Twilight’s letters, Big Macintosh, Applejack’s own older brother. He didn’t know the pink unicorn though, or the two gray earth pony mares, though he noticed the purple-eyed one seemed uncomfortable in the skimpy getup, and the yellow eyed-one seemed annoyed at something.

Shining didn’t have time to ponder this however, and diverted his attention back to his sister. “Well, those are all, uh… great, but how have you been doing huh? How’s my favorite little sister?”

“Yes, how have you been Twilight?” Cadance added.

“Oh, I’ve been great, you know, saving Equestria, spending time with all my friends, watching them find special someponys, wishing I had somepony myself, learning new spells, you know, just trying to live my life,” she said this all very quickly.

“Wait, what was that about a special somepony?” Shining asked, concerned etched on his face, leaning in closer to his sister.

“Ha ha ha what? I didn’t say that! Oh, I think I hear somepony calling me! See you later byeeee!” she quickly recited with a blush and guilty smile before bolting off into the crowd at near the speed of light.

“What do you think that was all about?” Shining asked Cadance, a dumbfounded look on his face.

“I think you know,” she replied, looking him straight in the eyes. Fixing her gaze straight into his, he couldn’t look away. “But it’s up to you how to respond, I won’t make any decisions for you.” Shining tilted his head in confusion, unsettled by her sudden seriousness. But just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared. “But for now, let’s enjoy this party, come on!” Cadance said, beaming and starting to dance. Shining smiled in turn and joined her.

Throughout the night, however, he couldn’t stop pondering what Cadance and Twilight had told him. Cadance had said that she expected him to think of his sister as beautiful, even sexy. If he was anypony else, Shining would have no problem thinking of Twilight in that context. But having grown up with her, played together, had bubble baths together, and even slept together(in a non sexual manner) when she had a nightmare, it was always his instinct and his duty to protect and care for her, at all costs. And yet, he couldn’t deny the mare she had grown into. Through the years, there came more and more times when he wouldn’t just see his sister as adorable and dorky, but also as increasingly pretty. Acts that had formerly seemed innocent began to take on a whole new meaning, as wrestling sessions could lead to unintentional awkward positions between legs, baths meant sexy wet manes, and a night in bed could lead to an embarrassing case of wet dreams and morning wood, the former sometimes featuring Twilight.

He had thought things would get better when they grew up and apart, but an incredibly sexually open Cadance was all too quick to figure out the effectiveness of teasing him with thoughts of his sister. But now, it seemed almost like Cadance was outright encouraging him to actually be with Twilight! His own sister! The stray few dirty thoughts and light teasings aside, Shining always adhered to keeping Twilight’s status first and foremost as his little sister. And yet, she herself had seemed to be lonely, and even in search of a relationship beyond the familial. But certainly not with him, that would be wrong, it would be incest! So what had Cadance meant?

“Shining? Are you paying attention? It’s your turn.” Cadance’s voice cut through his thoughts, breaking him from his stupor. She was offering him a toy spider to throw at a web target a short way across the room. Her’s was already stuck to the sticky, white threads, just below the center.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, don’t worry. I’m on it.” He took the offered spider, and drew back his hoof to throw. Drowning out the drone of sounds around him, from chattering conversations to ambient music, he focused solely on the target. Zeroing it in his sights, he brought his hoof forward with great force, launching the spider through the air in a perfect arc, and landing cleanly in the center of the target.

“Ooh! Nice shot!” Cadance congratulated him and clapped her hooves together in celebration.

“Yeah, you get good at throwing things after playing hoofball for years.” Shining replied with a smile. “Now, what else do you want to do?”

And so they continued to make their way around the party, dancing, getting compliments on their costumes, as well as more than a few weird looks, bobbing for apples, launching pumpkins, and all the other fun activities provided. After a time, they decided to take a break, and grabbed some concessions from a table laden with food and drink. Now, quietly sipping on punch and nibbling on frosted cookies, they stood idly by and observed the chaos around him. Shining watched with mild interest as 'Duke' Big Mac and his entourage of mares slipped off into a side hall, going to do Celestia knows what.

However, his attention was soon drawn back to a different mare, as he noticed Twilight approaching them again. Her posture was submissive and ashamed, gaze locked on the floor, and tear tracks down the sides of her face indicated that she had been crying. She slowly shuffled over towards them, and both Shining and Cadance looked at her with expressions of worry and concern.

“Twilight? What’s wrong?” Cadance asked, clearly worried for her. Twilight, having made her way over to them, fidgeted in place, rubbing a hoof across her foreleg before speaking in a hushed tone.

“I uhh… I’m sorry I ran away earlier, I just uh…” she paused, finally bringing her gaze to bear, locking eyes with Shining. Purple stared into blue, desperate. “I was wondering if we could talk? I had some questions I wanted to ask.”

“Of course, you know I’m always here for you Twily,” Shining responded.

“Okay, but, uh, can we go off somewhere else, away from everypony else? I want to be alone for this,” Twilight asked.

“Uh, okay, if that’s what you want,” Shining said. He was slightly apprehensive as to why she would want to be alone, but seeing her so despondent, he couldn’t just leave her. “We’ll be back in a bit, okay hun?” he said to Cadance.

“No problem, I’ll be waiting here,” she said, giving him a quick kiss. As her soft lips pressed against his, Shining swore he could taste some of the chocolate she had been eating earlier, along with a sweet taste that was distinctly Cadance. As they pulled away, she fixed him with a mockingly stern gaze and deepened her voice into a passable imitation of his own tones. "Be sure to play nice with my sister though, otherwise you'll have to answer to me, ya hear?"

Leaving his wife to her antics, Shining went off with Twilight through a side door and out into a hallway, bedecked with decorations, but with not a pony in sight.

“Alright, so what’s this about Twily? Why couldn’t we talk in there?” Shining asked, concern on his face.

“Well, it’s just a bit, uh, personal. I just didn’t want anypony else overhearing us, that’s all,” she explained, blushing.

“Okay, so what did you want to ask?” Shining inquired, wanting to know what had his sister so bothered.

“Well, hypothetically, have you ever encountered a situation where you knew in your heart that was right, but society would look at it wrong?”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” Shining said in apprehension, cocking his head to the side.

“Well, it’s complicated. See, there’s this pony I really care about. I love them deeply, but not in a way that everypony else would approve of. They would call it freakish or wrong, or disgusting. But I know that it’s not, they just don’t understand. And unfortunately, ponies tend to demonize what they don’t understand. I’ve even kept it a secret from the pony themselves, because I was afraid they would react poorly. But seeing all my friends pursuing whoever they want, regardless of what society thinks of them, made me finally realize that I need to take the leap of faith.” As she said all this, Shining had taken a step back, becoming very concerned over what he thought she was implying.

“Get a grip, she’s not talking about you, it’s probably a different species, or another mare or something, don’t be a pervert.”

“Uhh, who are you talking about exactly? Maybe I could help better if I knew the exact situation,” he stammered out quickly, sweat pouring down his forehead, eyes darting nervously.

Twilight inhaled deeply, and then exhaled long and slow. She steeled herself mentally and physically, and gradually but deliberately brought her gaze up to his. Shining couldn’t bring himself to look away, fixated by her eyes. The purple eyes blazed with a determination and fire he rarely ever saw.

“It’s you, Shining Armor. I love you B.B.B.F.F., and not just as a brother,” she spoke clearly, and with conviction, but her calm and collected demeanor was a far cry from Shining’s reaction.

“WHAT?!?! What the f- Twilight, are you serious?! I’m your brother!” He yelled as he stumbled backwards away from her. As he scrambled he came up against the wall, and couldn’t back away any further. His retreat hindered, he was forced to look back at her. What he saw broke his heart.

Twilight was standing stock still, having watched his reaction in silence. But her expression told a different story. Her eyes watering, tears starting to flow down the fur of her cheeks, blinking rapidly, chest heaving as she gasped. She was clearly devastated. “I was afraid you’d react like this. I kept it a secret for so long, but I couldn’t bear to for any longer. I’m sorry.”

Despite the shock he had just received, Shining still felt the instinctive urge to protect his little sister. He quickly sprung forward, closing the distance between them and placing a hoof comfortingly across her neck. “Hey now, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, don’t cry,” he said soothingly, stroking her back.

“But you obviously don’t feel the same way, and now I’ve just bared my whole soul and have nothing to show for it!” she wailed, burying her face in his chest, her salty tears staining into his fur.

“Well, I mean, what did you expect, I am your brother. We can’t be together, it’s just wrong,” he said awkwardly while still stroking her mane comfortingly. Suddenly her sobs stopped. She pulled back, and looked him in the eye again.

“And why, pray tell, is it wrong? Take away the fact that we’re brother and sister, and what would anypony say is wrong with the relationship? We are a mare and a stallion, just the same as any other couple, and we shouldn’t be forced to not be together,” she argued determinedly.

“Whoa, we are not a couple. We are brother and sister, and that’s the point. We can’t be together, it’s too weird, and there’s too many ways it could go wrong.”

“Why should that change anything? Is it not the point of love to find somepony who care for you, supports you, and is there for you through thick and thin? I can think of nopony to better love than my own brother.”

“But that’s different, family kind of has to love each other! I’ve always looked after you because you’re my sister, not my special somepony!” Shining argued back, still on edge.

“I know, and I’m very grateful for that. I’m just asking for our relationship to evolve, to love you in a whole new way.” The tears had stopped now, nothing obscuring her fiery gaze, scaring him with its intensity. “Cadance always says that your heart and your brain don’t always agree. You have to balance them out. So remove society, taboos, all that from your thoughts. Forget I’m your sister. Just see me for who I am. What do you see, and how do you feel?” she implored him.

Still slightly uncomfortable, Shining had to comply. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Banishing away his doubts and anxieties, he reopened them and looked at the mare in front of him. She was beautiful, an effect not in the least bit dampened by the tear tracks staining her face. But more importantly, she was smart, determined, independent, and always trying to help. He knew she was a mare who would go to Tartarus and back for those she loved, and would never stop in the face of a challenge, even if it overwhelmed her. She wasn’t exactly like him, but that was okay. She could push each other outside of their comfort zone, make him try new things. And he could push her right back. All of her weaknesses, were his strengths, and vice versa. They could learn from each other, and have a blast every step of the way. In short, she was the dream mare. Not perfect, but nopony really is. And he knew he could love her, no matter their relationship. Sister, friend, lover, she was a pony he wanted in his life no matter what.

Shining smiled, overcome by the simple joy of seeing a truth that seemed so obvious now, but he had been blind to for years. He shook his head, knowing that this revelation couldn’t go unacknowledged. “You’re right. I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner,” he looked into her eyes, “so allow me to make it up to you now.”

He closed his eyes again, as she did the same, and the distance between them vanished. Their lips met, and the whole world fell away. In that moment, they couldn’t care if they were found, what anypony would think, or even if they burst into flames. All that mattered was each other. The lips danced in a gentle caress, the soft, supple flesh gliding over each other. Rather than a battle for dominance, it was a passionate embrace, neither attempting to overpower the other. Breathing in deep through his nostrils, Shining took in Twilight’s scent. It was flowery, feminine, and with a twinge that was distinctively Twilight. Soon, though, he needed more. He began to open his mouth, licking at her lips, begging for an entrance. She complied, and he soon tasted her tongue on his as they writhed against each other in passion. The salty taste of saliva mixed together as they moaned into each other’s mouths. Their hooves wrapped around each other, drawing themselves into a tight embrace, suffocating any space between them as they tried to get as close as possible. But for all the passion in their souls, they had to stop sometime. Slowly opening their eyes, they pulled away from each other, bliss etched on every corner of their faces, and a saliva string connecting their mouths still.

“That was incredible,” Twilight said, breathless but ecstatic. “I’ve never actually kissed anypony before.”

“What, really?” Shining said, breaking out of his own euphoric stupor. “I was your first kiss ever?”

“Yeah, and you were amazing. Still are,” she said, winking at him. “In fact, I can think of another thing that you can be my first of.”

“Hold on now, let’s take this a bit slow,” Shining chuckled, slowly recomposing himself.

“Shining, I think slow has gone out the window. We should probably check in with Cadance, then find a nice, quiet room for some private time.” Shining’s stomach dropped.

“Oh shit Cadance! Holy Celestia, she’s gonna freak out when she hears about this!” he yelped, panicking. Twilight just giggled her heavenly giggle.

“Shiny, Shiny, don’t worry. I told her about this months ago, she totally understands and is fine with it. I thought she was even dropping hints,” she reassured him.

“Oh, well you could have mentioned that earlier,” he retorted.

“I would have but I was too busy being worried that I had lost my best brother forever.” Shining’s face fell. “Oh don’t worry, it’s all good now, but still, we should probably let her know what happened.” Shining nodded, and together they made their way back out into the party.

Cadance was still at the concessions table, trying her best to chug a bottle of Apple's best hard cider, to the cheers of several guards. However, she looked over when she saw the siblings returning, and set the bottle down on the table, gulping down what liquid was left in her mouth.

“Uh, hi again Cadance,” Twilight began. “Our talk went really well, and we were, uh, just going to go spend some time together, alone, if that’s okay with you?” she looked up at her former foalsitter imploringly.

Putting on her fake Shining voice, Cadance responded, “You have your fun Twily. You little bookworm more than deserves a bit of excitement. And I'll still be here if you ever want me to join in.”

The two siblings giggled at her roleplay, and waved goodbye as they trotted off through the crowd and into one of the many hallways branching off into the castle. Twilight led the way, knowing the building by heart after many a visit. After a few twists and turns, they came to a fine oak door emblazoned with her cutie mark. “My special guest room, for whenever I needed to stay at the castle overnight,” she explained. Her horn light up, engulfing the door in a purple magic aura, causing the ancient wood to creek as it swung inwards. Inside was a four poster bed, a desk with parchment and quills, a sizeable bookshelf, and a door that led to a private bathroom. Moonlight seeped into the room through a single large window that was opened by another magic aura. Twilight trotted over to the bed and lay upon it in preparation for what was to come. As Shining approached her, her mane splayed out across the pillows, soft fur rustling in the breeze, the sheets clinging to her sides, and moonlight bathing her in a soft glow, he realized she was the most beautiful mare that he had ever seen. He simply took a minute to marvel at the sight before him, before getting started.

As he drew closer, Twilight let out a soft sigh and said, in barely more than a whispered hush, “I love you, Shining Armor.”

“ I love you too, Twilight Sparkle.” And as the words left his mouth, their bodies came together as one, and they did the most natural thing anypony could do. They loved each other, in as many ways as they could.

The End… or is it?

Author's Note

And that's my story. I hope you like it, please leave comments of all types, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.