Sitting upon her desk, in the comfort of her room, a sigh escapes from the lips of a little filly. Lately, Twilight Sparkle has been cooped up in all her studies. Desperately desiring to impress her brother, Shining Armor, to prove what a smart pony she is. Suffice to say, all the schoolwork Twilight has received began to take it’s toll on her. Still and all, Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn too stubborn to allow a pile of papers to slow her down.
Glancing at the clock atop the desk, the big hand, and the little hand points toward the midnight hour. A new day just began, and Twilight finds herself nowhere close to being finished with her homework. Her eyes dart towards the bed, which seemed very tempting for the exhausted filly. But Twilight stubbornly turns back to her work, her mind set on finishing her assignment before going to bed.
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RING!!!!!!!!!
The little filly jumps as the alarm goes off. Groaning in exhaustion, Twilight reaches over and slams the snooze button with a single hoof. It was then Twilight realized she fell asleep at her desk… again. But all that said, as Twilight glances at her papers, the work is complete and that’s all that matters.
As Twilight stands up, a wave of lightheadedness ran through her. The little filly did her best to ignore it, as she trots into the kitchen to join her big brother for breakfast. She kept the breakfast as simple as possible: Cracking a few eggs on the pan, while putting a few slices of bread into the toaster. A few minutes passed, and Twilight finds herself at the table with her brother’s breakfast of choice… scrambled eggs over toast. Just the way Twilight prefers to start the day.
A great big yawn, from a few feet away, draws Twilight’s attention as she sets the plate. She turns around just as her big brother, Shining Armor himself, shuffles into the kitchen.
“Morning, big brother!” Twilight greets softly.
The stallion smiles as he watches Twilight position the plate of food before him. He mutters a silent ‘Thank You’ as she takes her seat while Shining Armor eats.
“Sorry this isn’t much,” Twilight spoke sadly. “We need to get groceries later today.”
“No need to sweat it, Twily,” Shining Armor pats her head. “This is more than enough; thank you.”
Shining Armor just finished his breakfast before Twilight took her seat at the counter. Surely he had such a busy night, that it’s no wonder he seems so hungry. His stomach growls even as he just finished his plate.
“Sorry…” Twilight apologized again.
Wiping his lips with a napkin, Shining Armor turns toward his little sister. His eyes narrow with great concern.
“You okay, Twily?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ve never seen you this quiet… and so apologetic. Did something happen?”
Twilight opens her mouth, as if she were about to reply. Only no words emerged from her lips.
“Twily, what’s wrong?” Shining Armor asked seriously.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Twilight replied, pushing her plate to him. “Here… you can have my plate. I’m not really hungry.”
Twilight starts walking out the kitchen so her brother can eat. Just then, another wave of dizziness washes over her. The motion stops her in her tracks, the little filly clasps a single hoof upon her head.
“Twily…?”
“I-I’m fine big brother,” Twilight said dizzily. “I just… need to—”
Twilight takes a single step, and…
“TWILY!!!”
Twilight barely hears a word he said, her vision soon turns blurry. All she could feel is the grasp of his hooves just before she fell over. A single hoof brushes the top of her forehead, realizing his sister is so sick she could barely stand.
“You’re burning up!” Shining Armor observed. “That’s it, you’re staying home today.”
Next thing Twilight knew, Shining Armor drags Twilight to her bed and tucks her beneath the sheets. So tucked in fact, Twilight can barely squirm. Leaving the room for just a minute, he returns with a wet rag and gently places it over her forehead. Her eyes flutter open, looking toward him.
“I’m fine,” Twilight whispered.
“Twilight, you have a fever,” Shining Armor said softly.
“But…”
Sleep had already begun to take over, as Twilight trails off to sleep. The last she heard before passing out is her brother’s words to her:
“You’re straining yourself… just rest, Twily… rest…”
<>
By the time Twilight Sparkle wakes up, she turns her face toward the clock. The big and little hands remained around the number twelve. Only this time, it marked 12:00… at noon. Sighing, Twilight turns her head as a pair of light-blue eyes stare intently toward her.
“I missed school,” Twilight whispered.
“It doesn’t matter,” Shining Armor spoke, with concern. “You’ve been working yourself to death, haven’t you?”
“I’m fine—”
“Twily, you just collapsed!” He interrupts, frightened. “I know you’ve been working too hard last night. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I-I just… I just wanted to impress you,” Twilight answered quietly. “To be the pony you can be proud of, a pony like you! But that can never be possible if I’m never going to be the best.”
Shining Armor’s eyes widen, shocked beyond belief over such a response.
“You…”
“I’m sure if I go now, I can still—”
But a sudden coughing fit says otherwise, shaking Twilight words before she can speak. He gently rubs his hoof up-and-down along her back, until Twilight is able to catch her breath.
“I’m sorry, big brother,” Twilight apologized. “I guess I’m not fine after all. I can’t impress any pony this way… why do I even try so much?”
Shining Armor takes her shoulders, slowly turning her so they can look one another in the eyes.
“Twily, you’re already the most amazing sister in the world,” Shining Armor said sincerely. “I don’t need you working yourself to death over me. That’s not healthy for a pony your age.”
“I know… it’s just… I never feel… smart enough,” Twilight turned away. “No matter how many books I study or how many papers I put together or how many good grades I get, I feel as if it’s never enough. That I can never st—”
“Twilight Sapphire Sparkle, you are such a bookworm,” Shining Armor interrupts mid-sentence. “We already love the fact you’re smart, then again mom and dad are easy to impress. But sometimes, you can be really silly.”
Twilight Sparkle glares at him, one because he used her full name against her (Something her parents would do if she misbehaved) and the fact he called her silly. Shining Armor ignores her pouting and just moved on.
“I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even the smartest ponies in the world knows it not good to tire yourself out just to pursue progress. You can have all the fame in the world, and more fortune than you can keep in your own bank account. But if you ‘did’ obtain the whole world… who do you have left to share it with?”
“I know what you’re saying,” Twilight insists. “But—“
“But nothing. As your older brother, I won’t sit idly by and let you strain yourself. You need a break or at least some alone time, so don’t hesitate to tell me… or else I’ll find out anyway. You know how I feel when you push yourself too hard. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Twilight Sparkle takes a deep breath, a heavy sigh soon escapes her lip.
“Okay big brother,” Twilight nods reluctantly. “I understand.”
“That’s all I have to know,” Shining Armor nods smiling. “Now you lay back while your big brother fetches you a bowl of soup.”
Shining Armor just turns to leave, when he suddenly feels an aura wrap around him drawing him back. He just turns around as Twilight Sparkle throws her arms around him, the tiny filly giving him the cutest hug.
“I promise not to strain myself,” Twilight spoke.
“Just focus on getting better, okay?” Shining Armor asked, with a crooked smile.
“Okay,” Twilight smiled. “You’re such a cool pony… and a great brother.”
Shining Armor hugs Twilight back, pushing her gently back into bed. He cushions the pillow to make sure it’s nice and comfy, while flattening the sheets around her to avoid wrinkles. He then takes his leave to get started on the soup. As he closes the door behind him, he turns back toward his sister.
“I’m a great brother… because you made me that way,” Shining Armor whispered.
Twilight smiles, as her head rests upon the pillow. Shining Armor may not know if she heard him or not, but Twilight truly was listening. More than enough to make a little filly feel better.
