A Lullaby for Big Brother
Twilight, now an older and taller alicorn, strode quickly through the halls of the Crystal Empire's general hospital, carefully avoiding bumping into anyone. She paid little heed to the few ponies who bowed to her along the way and made a beeline toward the door where Spike was standing. The sorrowful expression on his face conveyed everything Twilight needed to know, and Cadance's heart-rending cries only confirmed her fears as she witnessed the older alicorn breaking down in sobs, with Spike providing comfort.
The other alicorn standing nearby was as tall and beautiful as Cadance, someone Twilight knew quite well too. It was Flurry Heart, with teary eyes but more composed than her mother, who ran up to Twilight.
“Auntie! You came!” She exclaimed as she hugged her aunt, which was quick to return the hug.
“Of course, I did. I only wish I was faster,” Twilight whispered while patting Flurry on the head.
“It’s understandable… Twilight… You must have many duties… being the ruler of Equestria,” Cadance stuttered between her tears as she attempted to calm herself down.
“How is he?” Twilight asked as Flurry looked down.
“Not good…” Her niece answered with a trembling voice. Twilight could see she was trying to stay strong, but she understood perfectly how hard losing a parent was.
“The doctors said he… might not have a lot of time left…” Cadance revealed, making the ruler of Equestria close her eyes. She didn’t seem as heartbroken as the rest of her family, judging by her expression, but Spike knew better. He could tell how much she was hurting. “Spike came out of the room a couple of minutes before you arrived,” She added as Twilight turned to look at her oldest friend.
“He asked me if you were here. He didn’t outright say it, but it was obvious he really wants to talk to you,” Spike stated while rubbing the back of his neck. Clearly, his talk with Shining didn’t leave him unaffected.
“I’ll go in without further due, then,” Twilight said only to be stopped by the older alicorn.
“I… I wish I could be there with you, Twilight… I talked with him for a few hours earlier, but… I don’t think I can be there when it’s time…” Cadance stammered as Twilight put a hoof on her back.
“It’s alright, Cadance. I understand it’s hard for you,” She reassured her. Cadance wasn’t a stranger to losing loved ones, but that was her husband and the stallion she loved for decades. Having never married or loved someone romantically, Twilight couldn’t say she knew how Cadance felt. But she was aware it was more painful than she could imagine. “What about you, Flurry?”
“I was with Mom earlier, but… I don’t want to see dad… go. He must feel so lonely, am I a bad pony for this?” Flurry inquired as she hid her face with her wings.
“Of course not. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to see this. Shiny already knows you love him, and I’m sure that was enough to him,” She hugged Flurry with her wings for a couple of seconds, then went into Shining’s room.
She closed the door behind her and laid her eyes on her brother, lying in bed. He was noticeably slimmer and covered in wrinkles, with a white mane and coat, a far cry from the strong stallion she remembered from her childhood. But one glance at his face was all it took for her to recognize her beloved sibling. He was connected to a machine that monitored his heartbeats, which revealed that his heart was beating at a slower pace than it should be.
“Thought you would be late,” He teased in a weak tone as he looked at her.
“Really? You know how anxious I used to get when I was late for anything. I’m always punctual, Shiny,” Twilight chuckled as she sat beside his bed.
“I’m glad you’re here, sis. Did you get taller since the last time I’ve seen you?” He asked as he looked at her from head to hoof.
“Nope! You just got shorter!” Twilight replied teasingly as Shining snickered.
“Well, getting old will do that to ya,” He retorted weakly. The way he was smiling didn’t make it seem like he was on his deathbed at all. They didn’t speak for a few seconds, letting their small laughter die as the tension in the room increased a little.
“How are you holding up?” Twilight asked with concern and in a more serious tone than earlier.
“The doctors said… Well, they said I don’t have much time left. But I feel fine. I mean, I’m tough, so news like this won’t bring me down. Nothing even hurts… That’s what I told Cadance, Flurry, and Spike anyway,” Shining replied as he lowered his eyes in shame. “Truth is… I’m scared, Twily. And I knew if told that to the others, they would insist on staying. I’m not saying I want to be alone, but… I don’t want to see them heartbroken. I’m so happy that you came, Twily, but you don’t have to stay either,” He added as his voice trembled.
“What are you saying? Of course, I’ll stay. You’re my brother, dummy! We always said that we would be here for one another,” The princess of friendship smiled, showing no hints of sadness. If her brother didn’t want to go while everyone in the room was in despair, then she would respect that wish.
“And I would have done the same for you, sis… I just… We were together when Mom and Dad…” Shining paused. “And that wasn’t the last time either,” Twilight already knew who he was referring to. Applejack and Rarity. It wasn’t easy… She… She didn’t want to think about it since this was already too much. “I wish I could always be there to comfort you. I’m sorry,”
“Shiny,” Twilight smiled reassuringly. “You’ve been the best big brother a filly could ever ask for, so please don’t apologize for something like this. I told you I’d be fine, didn’t I? So trust me,” She placed her hoof on one of his.
“I know, I know. But a big brother always gotta worry about his siblings,” He chuckled, Twilight’s words seemingly successful in cheering him up. “I’m also happy that Spike seems to take it like a champ,” He wished he could have spent more time with the dragon. If only to make sure he knew he always saw him as a little brother. He told him earlier, but actions were always stronger than words, after all.
“Well, he isn’t a baby dragon anymore,” Twilight grinned, thinking back on how small Spike used to be. She used to carry him on her back, but that wouldn’t really be possible now, would it? And he would be embarrassed, too!
“We’ve really come a long way, haven’t we?” Shining smiled warmly, his life and accomplishments as well as Twilight’s flashing before his eyes. His sister nodded in agreement. “I’m really proud of you, sis. And I’m sure Mom and Dad are, too,” He added, which made Twilight’s wings twitch.
“Shiny, I…” She started hesitantly as if holding down something in her throat.
“Hey, do you remember that time when we stole cookies from Mom’s cookie jar? I think you ate like five of them all on your own!” He laughed at the memory.
“How could I forget? Didn’t we blame Dad for it?” Twilight replied while snickering.
“Mom was sooo mad at him! She even made him sleep on the couch that night!” Shining laughed. “Wonder if she ever knew it was us…” He added warmly.
“I would bet she did. Our lies never worked that well before,” Twilight whispered.
“She was like a lie detector. Nothing could fool her… At least, we couldn’t,” Shining chuckled.
Simply sitting down like this and talking was nice. At some point, they even stopped thinking about why Twilight was there or why he was lying in a hospital bed. Those details didn't matter at the moment, did they? They both understood that if you were so close to the end, you'd rather spend your time having fun and making good memories. Those last moments shared would be remembered fondly, and Twilight knew that this would be how her loved one would be remembered. As someone who lived a happy life, with no regrets or resentment. Someone who said everything that needed to be said and lived life to the fullest.
They didn’t know how long they talked, but they shared their early memories and the competitions they had as foals. Twilight wondered why it took her so long to realize. She didn’t have many friends when she was a filly, but she had nothing to be envious of when she had a big brother like Shining by her side.
This was one of the other reasons she refused to cry in front of him. She already promised him she would be strong, didn’t she? Besides, it would be a shame if she were to bring the mood down, so she would keep it in. keep her emotions in check, and she wouldn’t allow herself to cry while he was there. Eventually, Shining’s voice grew weaker as he got more and more tired.
“The Sibling Supreme competitions… They were fun, too. Kinda miss them, but I think it’s fitting that Spike won that last one,” Shining breathed, smiling at the memory.
“We could always have a rematch, you know. On the other side, I mean,” Twilight grinned as Shining raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, alicorns don’t live forever either, silly!” She chuckled as Shining grinned competitively.
“Well, I’m up for it! But no cheating with your alicorn powers or anything, ok? I’ll have Mom and Dad watch the competition to make sure you play fair!”
“As if I needed wings to beat you!” They both laughed, pleased with what they had planned.
Silence fell upon them again as the grim realization that Shining’s time was almost up, came back. Twilight didn’t need to use much of her magic nor check the monitor to see that life was slowly leaving him. Her brother was aware of that, too. It was his own body, after all. But she wouldn’t cry. Not yet.
“I love you, Twily…” Shining started hesitantly, trying to keep a small smile on his face.
“I love you, too,” His sister answered almost immediately.
“But I’m getting kinda sleepy, so I think I’ll just… Close my eyes and rest a bit. I’m glad you came,” He said as his eyes were getting heavier. No, she still wouldn’t cry.
“Of course, you shouldn’t push yourself too much…” Twilight replied, then fell silent, unsure of what to say or do.
“Hey, Twilight?” Shining called out to her weakly. “Do you remember that lullaby Mom used to sing when we had nightmares?”
“I do,”
“Can… Can you sing it to me? I think that’ll help a little,”
“For my brother, anything,” Twilight replied as she caressed her brother’s head.
In the land of Equestria,
Where the skies are always bright,
There's a special kind of magic,
That weaves through the night.
Hush now, my little one,
Close your eyes and rest,
Drift off to sleep with the stars,
Safe and sound in my nest.
The moon is high up above us,
As Luna keeps watch tonight,
And the gentle breeze in the meadow,
Is singing you to sleep tonight.
Shining softly hummed as he listened to Twilight’s soothing voice while he slowly closed his eyes. He lived a great life, didn’t he? The princess continued to caress him, patting him on the head as she went on.
Hush now, my little one,
Close your eyes and rest,
Drift off to sleep with the stars,
Safe and sound in my nest.
The ponies in the fields are sleeping,
As we snuggle close and warm,
And the night sky twinkles brightly,
As we weather any storm.
Hush now, my little one,
Close your eyes and rest,
Drift off to sleep with the stars,
Safe and sound in my nest.
So close your eyes, my little one,
And dream of happy things,
For in the morning light you'll wake,
To the joy that the new day brings.
Twilight finished the lullaby as tears finally streamed down her face. She cried.
Author's Note
Now with an audiobook by The Mystery Fluttershy Fan
