Night Light's eyes were glazed over as he lay on the cool tile floor of the hospital. His mind was blank, his mouth dry as a desert and slightly agape. Twilight Velvet was hyperventilating into the 5th paper bag a doctor gave her in the past three minutes. Code Blue was prepping another paper bag to hand to the mare when her current one burst from over use like the others. The filly Twilight Sparkle was silently leaking tears as she lay on the examining table, curling up as tight as possible and wrapping her tail around herself.

While this wasn't the first case regarding a blank flank foal the doctor had seen, it was still a rare enough occurrence. One that while he wasn't as deep in shock as the parents in front of him, the only thing keeping him on his hooves was the five minute window he gave himself to regain his composure before delivering the news.

"How long?" Night light breathed out his question like the wind was knocked out of his lungs. That didn't stop everypony in the room from hearing the whisper that finally broke the silence. "How long doctor?"

"We would have to run a more thorough blood analysis, or bring in an expert on life detection spells, but from what we found, it is within the first trimester." Code Blue's response was detached, clinical, devoid of emotion. This was the only defense he had against the breakdown he would surely suffer the moment his shift ended. Same as the last two times, it never got any easier.

The next pony to speak up was the last any of the others expected to. It came out as a fragile whimper, but everypony in the room could hear it clear as day. "Do you know who the father is?" Twilight Sparkle was still curled up, face hidden behind her hooves, mane, and tail. Yet her question rang out like a siren's call in the cramped box the hospital called an exam room. While nopony else could tell, Twilight managed to peak through her defenses to see the faces of her parents and doctor.

"Ahem, yes well, that would fall under the same purview of those extra blood tests or specialist mage. These wings of mine might help get around quickly, but they're useless for casting spells." While her parent's faces darkened, Twilight's heart fluttered slightly at the thought that she still had a chance to keep her true secret safe. "That is, unless you happen to know already?"

Twilight's mind raced as she swore the alabaster pegasus doctor made eye contact with her. "N-no! I-I mean... no, I don't know."

That got both her parents' attention as three pairs of eyes bored their way into her soul. "Twilight, it's okay. You can tell us. You won't be in trouble, and we won't let anypony hurt you." Night Light made sure to control his tone, but even so, his only response was a shaky whimper.

Code Blue's face twitched ever so slightly before turning to the other stallion in the room. "Sir, perhaps it would be best if you and your wife stepped out for a moment."

Velvet's eyes dilated as she scowled at the doctor. "Are you trying to insinuate something doctor Blue?" Her voice was cold, holding a warning edge as she got up from her haunches.

Code blue held up a wing to forestall any protest. "It's just standard procedure ma'am. Nopony is pointing any hooves, and as soon as I know what I need, I'll call you back in. Please just wait in the hall for a few minutes." It took all his will power to keep up his calm professional demeanor. It wasn't until Night Light nudged his wife out the door before nodding to the doctor that Code Blue finally allowed himself to relax.

After taking a few deep breaths to reassert his professional mask, he turned to his shivering patient, clearly trying to shrink into nothingness by sheer willpower. It wasn't working too well. "Twilight, it'll be okay. I won't hurt you or get you in trouble. I know you're scared and upset, but I'm only here to help." While that got the filly to stop shaking, she was still curled into as tight of a ball as she could manage on the exam table. "I promise I won't freak out or get angry, no matter what you tell me. But if you know who the father is, it would at least help us know the best way to treat you."

Code blue sat on his haunches so his muzzle was eye level with Twilight's obscured face. "You're gonna be just fine. You have two parents who will do everything they can to help you through this and I'm sure your brother Shi-" At the mention of her big brother, Twilight tensed up before she started shivering again. Code Blue's eyes went wide at the filly's reaction.

"T-Twilight?" The room fell silent as the stallion's eyes bored directly into Twilight's soul. She finally made eye contact. While her tail was still obscuring most of her vision, the moment she peaked her eyes out from her hooves, her pupils locked on to Code Blue, unable to look away. Her shaking intensified and tears began falling down her muzzle.

"Please..." Twilight wasn't sure what she was asking for or who she was asking. To wake up, only to realize this was all a nightmare? For the doctor not to realize her secret? For him to keep the secret if he already knew? Why couldn't I be better at controlling my emotions? Why did I let Shiny rut me that last time? Why did he rut me in the first place? I only ever wanted my big brother! Twilight's fear morphed to anger in the blink of an eye.

Standing up for the first time since she arrived, Twilight hopped off the examination table and started pacing the room, only able to take more than a few steps thanks to her smaller stature. All the while, her doctor just sat on his haunches, worry etched on his face. "Twil-"

"It's all his fault!" Twilight blurted out without thinking, a flash of regret on her features before resolve took over. "It's his fault. I just went along with it because he said it would bring us closer. It felt good, but he always wanted to do it more than me. He stopped caring for me... did he ever really care?"

"Twilight are yo-" Code Blue was once again interrupted by the irate filly in his care.

"Don't play dumb doctor! You already know who," Twilight growled between clenched teeth, tears once again falling from her face. "I thought..." she trailed off as she slumped down on the cold sterile floors of the exam room. "My... my-" Twilight's voiced hitched as she let out a half sob. "M-my... B.B.B.F.F. Shiny." She shut her eyes tight, letting her tears flow freely. "There! I said it! A-are you h-happy now? I... my big brother, we..." Twilight was sure her parents could hear that, but she didn't care anymore.

Code Blue was speechless. He half expected Twilight's parents to barge in any second. The door wasn't even locked, but nothing happened. "T-t-t-Twilight, a-are you sure?"

Twilight rounded on the stallion, fury in her eyes. "What, you don't believe me? You think little innocent baby Twilight could never do something... like that? Well guess what! We've been doing it for months! I was more than nighty five percent sure I was pregnant ever since last night! I knew this was going to happen, I knew I was going to be taken away, I would never see Shiny again, but I can't take it anymore! So lock me up, or banish me, or lock me up in the place you banish me to, I don't care anymore!" Having said her peace, Twilight promptly collapsed into a splayed out heap on the floor. "I just... don't care."

It was at that moment the exam room doors creaked open. Code Blue was too stunned to stop anypony, let alone take his eyes off the filly in front of him. To nopony's surprise, Twilight's parents shuffled back into the room, mouths agape and bloodshot eyes. Velvet was the first to recover, making her way to the defeated filly on the floor. Twilight didn't protest when her mother lifted the filly in a telekinetic field. However, when she felt the soft, firm embrace of her mother, when she smelled the faint vanilla scent in her mane, when she heard the steady, familiar heartbeat, Twilight looked up.

Velvet managed the ghost of a smile as she looked down at her filly with sad eyes. "You're not going anywhere Twilight. This isn't your fault, you're not in trouble. Everything will be just fine." Velvet held her daughter tight to her chest as her husband finally broke out of his stupor to join her in the embrace.

While Velvet's mind was entirely focused on comforting her daughter, Night Light began to process the full implications. Their daughter was hurt, yes. He had failed as a guardian, and the pony... no, the monster wearing pony flesh that had done this... was his own son. Externally, he was calm, comforting, resolute. Internally, he was raging, bucking and screaming, desperate for a target to blame. But it all came back to him. What had he done wrong to let his own son think anything like this could ever approach being considered okay? Did somepony else corrupt him, or was he just born wrong? Cadance clearly had feelings for Shining, why wouldn't he reciprocate?

None of them could tell how long they had been sitting there. After what simultaneously felt like an eternity and an instant, Night Light felt a hoof tap on his shoulder. Focusing his eyes on the pony in question, he was met with the stoic face of his second lieutenant. He managed to peel himself away from his family long enough to fill out an initial report. Everypony involved managed to go about their business. Velvet scheduled a followup appointment with Code Blue before meeting back up with Night Light.

Twilight rode on her mother's back, muzzle hidden in her alabaster and violet mane. Meanwhile her father walked close enough to rub coats with his wife, periodically checking on his daughter to make sure she was still there, still breathing, still softly sobbing. Twilight felt bad for getting her mother's mane and coat wet and messy. Velvet didn't mind in the slightest. It was a reminder her little filly wasn't gone. She had been damaged, shattered, broken, but she was still alive.

As their home loomed in the distance, their hooves increased in weight until they felt like led by the time they reached their front porch. For a moment they just stood there, not knowing exactly what to do. That is until Twilight let out yet another sob. That's all Night Light needed. "Vel, wait out here for two minutes then come inside. Take Twilight to her room, tuck her in, and place a sound dampening spell on her door before joining me in our bedroom."

Velvet felt no hesitation, only grim understanding and resolve. "Right. I'll meet you inside." With that, Night Light opened his front door, exuding an aura of determination.

As soon as he walked in, he heard hoof steps coming from the stairs. Shining bounded down to meet him, worry and guilt written all over his face. "Dad! Where's Twilie? Is she okay?" Night Light was almost impressed with the way the monster imitated pony emotions. If he hadn't known better, he might have entertained the idea his son was a changeling. While their existence was highly classified, S.M.I.L.E has managed to apprehend a few specimens for study. However much he wanted it, that wasn't the case. If it were, Twilight would have birthed a clutch of green eggs by now if her timeline was accurate, and Night Light had no reason to doubt his daughter.

"My bedroom. Now." He didn't yell, didn't raise his voice at all. If anything, Night Light spoke softer than usual. However, his tone made any yelling redundant. It broached no arguments, and warned of the dire consequences should his orders not be carried out immediately.

Before his last hoof hit the bottom step, Shining was already backpedaling. He managed to reach the bedroom at the end of the hall in record time. Meanwhile, his father drew out each step taking his time, letting Shining stew in his juices just a bit longer. After a full minute passed, Night Light finally made his way to his bedroom and closed the door. The whole room as well as Night Light's horn briefly flashed the same dull yellow before he sat at attention facing the door while ignoring Shining Armor who was standing at attention, facing towards a wall, perpendicular to the captain of the royal guard.

They stayed like that, neither talking. One too afraid to break the silence and bring the wrath of a guard captain down on himself. The other using what little he knew of psychological warfare to keep his prey on the tips of his hooves. They were both counting the seconds, for different reasons, but after an agonizingly eternal minute sitting alone with the stallion radiating murderous intent, Twilight Velvet poked her head in the door. While she greeted her husband with an affectionate nuzzle, one he returned, her gaze mimicked that of a dragon greeting an intruder to its hoard. This was not his mother and father. This was his judge and jury.

Night Light finally turned to face him. "Sit." Shining sat. His heart racing. His mind desperate for some way to get out of what he knew was inevitable. "Speak." While his mouth worked, opening, closing, like a fish out of water, no words came out. Night Light's face showed the slightest hint of annoyance. That terrified Shining more than anything he's ever seen. Sweat poured down his body in buckets. "I said speak, mutt!"

"I-I-I'm not a dog! I'm a pony!" Silence fell for another moment after Shining had finally spoke.

Velvet's eyes narrowed. "You have one chance Shining Francis Armor. What did you do to my daughter?"

Shining's eyes went wide as his mind went into overdrive. His pupils darted all around the room landing on everything except his irate parents. The book shelves on either side of the door, filled with titles he's never touched. The beige painted dry wall held no answers in its random patterns of specks. Glancing over the various family photos lining the walls, all that granted him was a further twist to his stomach. The mid afternoon sun seeping in from the curtain covered window provided no solace.

Did Twilight tell them? No, no, she wouldn't do that! She knows how much trouble we would get in, or at least what I would get in. They might not actually know what happened for sure. Maybe they just think I did it. Yeah, they can't prove anything. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied. "Are you trying to tell me I had something to do with Twi-"

Night Light finally raised his voice as his face contorted in rage. "DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO US!"

"I'M NOT LYING!" Shining's heart rate skyrocketed. So they know, or at least they think they know. Doesn't matter, they can't prove anything.

"YES YOU ARE! WE KNOW YOU RAPED OUR DAUGHTER!"

That accusations stole the wind from Shining's lungs. "What." His world fell out from under him. Unable to stand, he collapsed back on his flank, staring blankly ahead, his vision going in and out of focus.

"Oh don't play innocent, she told us everything!" Velvet finally decided to chime in. While she was clearly angry, her eyes never stopped pouring out tears.

Fuck, they must have pressured her into it."She's lying! I never touched her! You want me to swear to Celestia? Swear on the stars themselves? I'll do it if that's what it takes to prove I'm not lying!"

Night Light barged up to Shining, horn alight. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO LIE TO US! Your word clearly means nothing if you're not willing to admit what we already know! YOU RAPED MY DAUGHTER!"

Shining had tears in his eyes at this point. Regardless, he was committed to his course of action, and only dug his hooves in further. "I'M NOT LYING AND I'M NOT A RAPIST!" He was shaking now. Be it from rage or fear, he couldn't tell. All he knew was he couldn't admit the truth.

"YES YOU ARE, SHINING!" Night Light's voice was almost pure rage. Almost. There was a slight hint of pleading to his voice now. His face had relaxed slightly, most likely from exhaustion rather than actually calming down.

"Shining, you raped my filly! My baby! How could you do that?" Velvet only had a modicum of rage in her tone. While she too was pleading, Shining could parse what else she was trying to convey.

At this point, Shining's mind was just going blank. What else can I do? There's gotta be a way out. Something I can say, some way to fix this! "Get it through your thick skulls! I never raped her!"

"The guards will be arriving at sunset." While he was no longer yelling, and his voice was hoarse, Night Light was no less intimidating.

"Wait, what? Why are the guards coming?" Shining was genuinely dumbfounded.

"I wrote out a report at the hospital Shining. They're coming to do a follow up investigation, question us, then arrest you for consanguineous rape of a minor."

"I never raped her!" I'm not a rapist! I'm not. I might have had sex with my sister, but she wanted it.

"Shining, lying at this point is not only useless, it will actually hurt your case. You'll get a trial, but you would be an idiot t-"

Shining actually interrupted his father this time. "No, you're right. Fine, I had sex with Twilight! I admit to that! It felt good, she felt good, she asked me for it, she enjoyed it! We love each other! I. Did. Not. Rape. Her! Plus, what does consanguineous even mean? Some dumb legal jargon they love adding on everything?"

Velvet shot him a deadpan glare. "Shining, it means you raped your little sister. I know you aren't as bookish as my filly, but you really should have been able to piece that together."

Something finally clicked in his head. "Why do you keep calling her that?"

They both cocked an eyebrow, curiously. "Calling her what?"

"Our daughter?" Velvet raised a single eyebrow, challenging anypony to contradict her.

Shining scowled. "Yes, that. She's not just your daughter. She's my sister! I'm still your son!"

Night Light picked up Shining in his telekinetic field, fury flickering fervently from his eyes, his coat flashing white as his mane caught on fire for just a moment before dropping the overgrown colt unceremoniously on the floor. Night Light looked him dead in the eyes before snarling through clenched teeth. "You're no son of mine. The only reason you're still alive is thanks to my years of training in the guard keeping my emotions in check. However, if you come within spitting distance of my baby girl again, I will take a rusty knife to your sheath and balls, and let you bleed out in a ditch." At that, he turned about and left the room. Shining heard another spell discharge as he faced his mother.

Any glimmer of hope he may have had for comfort from the mare that gave birth to him was shattered upon making eye contact. Her features were grim as she looked down on him like he was a pile of shit. "You will go down to the living room. There, your father will keep an eye on you while I continue to comfort my daughter."

Shining couldn't help but think that emphasis was specifically meant as a jab at him. "Can I at least see Twi-" An off white hoof struck him across the muzzle.

"Don't you dare speak her name. She is not your sister! You gave up the right to call her that the moment you stole her innocence. Now get out of my sight before I take it upon myself to carry out my husband's threat." Velvet practically growled at the threat to her family in front of her, bearing her teeth and taking a predatory stance.

Mind fully blank, expression unreadable, Shining marched his way down to the living room where his father was waiting with a dull grey ring in his hoof. Without protest, Shining lowered his head and felt his magic being cut off by the cold iron band. He barely registered the feeling of emptiness. Why were things still happening? Why is the world still turning. Shining Scowled at the floor, refusing to sit or lay down. How can the world keep moving when the world just shattered two minutes ago? How can ponies keep going about their day, fall asleep, wake up, chat with their neighbors, when the world already ended?

As he continued to wallow in his misery, he internally raged at the world for daring to continue moving. Should I just kill myself? I mean what do I have to live for? I'll never see Twilie again, even if I don't get life in prison, nopony will ever trust me. I'll never be able to join the guard. I'd be lucky to be their janitor.

Shining was stuck in his rumination until he fell asleep that night. By that time, he had been arrested, booked, processed, and taken to the Canterlot dungeons. Other than a single guard, he was alone, laying on a pile of old moldy hay, a magic suppression ring secured around his horn. The last thing he clearly remembered was wondering how the world could keep turning when it already crumbled to dust. That night, he tossed in his sleep, tormented by nightmares of his awaiting punishment.

He wasn't sure what time it was other than late night, but he was rudely awoken by the shout of the guard on duty. "Wake up vermin, you got a visitor."

Shining blinked in confusion for a moment until he caught sight of a silhouette he recognized. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, he took shallow breaths, his heart started up again. I wonder if I'll just get a heart attack before they can even do the trial. "C-c-c-c-Cadance?"

"That's Princess Mi Amore Cadenza to you son of a mule!" The guard clanged his spear on the cell bars.

"No, don't call him that." The familiar melodious voice called out in the darkness. For a second, he entertained the thought he might have found an ally. Then that second passed and his hopes were shattered. "Don't insult Night Light or Velvet." Shining's face fell, he felt like he'd be bucked in the gut. He would have preferred that actually.

"I-I-I" Shining tried. He really tried to stammer out some kind of answer. He failed.

Cadance raised a hoof to cut off any further attempts at speech for the time being. "Guard?"

"Yes, your highness?" The guard's tone managed to come off as a gentle base instead of the harsh bark he used on shining.

"Leave us. I wish to speak with the prisoner alone." She was firm, commanding, giving no room for dissent.

The guard hesitated for a moment, glancing between the princess and the prisoner, but in the end, he relented. With a quick bow, he trotted up the carved granite steps. Cadance's regal splendor contrasted with her dreary surroundings. The damp repurposed cave lit by scant torch light granting the young princess a malefic aura. While usually Cadance barely stood a hoof above Shining Armor, at that moment the young stallion felt as if he were in the presence of the solar monarch and her impossibly tall stature.

The steady drip of moisture off of stalactites clearly marked the flow of time. Even so, Shining was sure the time it took Cadance to speak up again spanned at least an hour, and not ten seconds. "What did I do wrong Shining?" With that one question, all illusions were dropped. This was not a demon seeking vengeance, nor an angel seeking justice, not even a royal alicorn. No. Slumped on the dank, dirty floor next to the bars of his cell sat a broken mare. "What's wrong with me?" Shining wasn't sure who she was asking. He just lay on the floor, ears splayed back in submission, eyes betraying concern and curiosity.

Despite his best judgment, Shining decided to speak up for the first time since he was taken from his home. "Nothing is wrong with you." His voice was a bit hoarse from crying himself to sleep his first night in the dungeon. Still, it rang out in the cavernous cell block. A moment after speaking up, he almost regretted it as Cadance's fury came back with a vengeance.

"Really? If there's nothing wrong with me, then how did I manage to fall in love with a rapist?" She didn't raise her voice, her face remained impassive, yet Shining was instantly cowed as if she'd just used the royal Canterlot voice. "If there's nothing wrong with me, why didn't I realize the colt I was pining after was raping his own little sister? How could I not notice that same filly I had watched over all month had been defiled by the one pony who was supposed to protect her!" While Cadance's tone rose, she still wasn't yelling.

"You want to know the worst part Shining?" Cadance only got a pathetic whimper in response, but she continued anyway. "The worst part, the absolute worst part...." she trailed off, needing to regain her composure. "The worst part of this, at least for me, is that I... I still love you. You're a disgusting, inequine, monster, and I still love you damn it!" Despite her best efforts, tears ran rivulets down her muzzle as she bowed her head, refusing to make eye contact. "Some delusional part of me is still hoping you'll get off easy, that you won't be banished to the other side of the planet. What's worse, is that I could make that happen. I could advocate for you, but if I did that... if I helped you, it wouldn't be for my sake."

As Cadance finally raised her eyes to examine Shining, she saw tentative hope in his eyes as his ears finally perked up. He still looked like a mangy caged animal, but Cadance could see into his soul. See how broken he was, just like Twilight. She winced at that thought, but she refused to look away. "Despite what most ponies would think, I know you aren't pure evil. I read the full report. Ignorance of the law isn't a defense, but it does provide context." She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and held her hoof to her chest. After three seconds, she slowly exhaled and pushed her hoof away before opening her eyes again.

At the risk of angering his only hope of any kind of mercy, Shining spoke up. "So, what happens now?" He was still laying on his stomach, but he worked up the courage to lift his head from the grimy floor. He was not reprimanded, nor did Cadance show any further hostility.

Cadance cleared her throat and ruffled her wings a bit before responding. "Now, I go make a case for your rehabilitation."

Shining's lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. "Good luck." Having said her peace, Cadance promptly left and called the guard back in. That night, Shining managed to fall asleep without drying out his tear ducts.

True to her word, Cadance spoke to her aunt in defense of the pony she loved. Nothing overt, there were no direct confrontations or pleas for mercy. Cadance would drop subtle hints here and there, over meals, in between her royal and magic studies, making it known any time she was visiting the current sole occupant of the Canterlot dungeons. Slowly she hoped to sway her aunt. Plant an idea in Celestia's head and make her think she came up with it.

Celestia of course, was fully aware of all these manipulation attempts. However, seeing the effort her niece went through on behalf of that sick colt did manage to soften her ire. Once the full investigation was concluded, she had reached a final decision and ordered Shining to her throne room for sentencing. It had taken just nineteen days to gather all relevant information, mostly due to the need to track down some extended family members to question them. Right at the appointed time, the massive double doors to the throne room opened without fanfare and Shining Armor made his way inside.

While he was provided two daily meals of hay and oats and given weekly showers, he still looked like he'd been to Tartarus and back. As he was led to the foot of the throne's dais, his chains clinked and clanked until his designated guard forced him into the seating position. Despite regular visits from Cadance, Shining's eyes looked devoid of hope, no doubt from Cadance's waning confidence in her own abilities and sharing her insecurities with him. Regardless, Celestia lit her horn, peered into his very soul.

In truth, it had been corrupted, broken, ruptured. What little Cadance managed with her visits merely staunched the hemorrhaging of his will to live. Still, even without any magical insight, it was clear this was a broken pony. No punishment, be it banishment or life in prison could do anything more than what he had already done to himself. He may recover some semblance of life given enough time, but he would never be the same.

"Shining Francis Armor of house Twilight, I have ruminated on your crimes and reviewed all relevant details of your case, and heard every argument for your defense and prosecution." At the mention of a defense, Shining's eyes momentarily darted to Cadance who was sitting off to the side behind her aunt. "That said, I hereby pronounce you guilty of sexual assault of a foal, and consanguineous intercourse."

Shining didn't know what that last charge was supposed to translate to, but he guessed that was just legal speak for incest. "These crimes would normally lead to banishment or petrification." His ears splayed back as he flinched at the mention of banishment. "That being said, you yourself are also a minor, and therefore cannot be dealt such harsh punishment. This is also your first offense, and multiple ponies advocated for your defense." Multiple? I thought Cadance would be the only one, but maybe one of the royal advisors spoke to her about it? "Henceforth, you are sentenced to four years of probation and service to the crown.

"Furthermore you will be required to attend and graduate a specialized rehabilitation program. You will be kept in housing provided by the crown, and compensated for your work. You will not be permitted to visit any of your blood relatives unsupervised, and you will not come within fifty pony lengths of Twilight Sparkle. Your suppression ring will track your every movement and will not be removed until you have served your full sentence. Once your sentence is served, your record will be sealed barring any further convictions."

It was leagues more lenient than expected, more lenient than Shining thought anypony in his situation deserved. Yet, actually having his judgement being passed down still took the wind out of his sails. Any hope he may have held in the deepest depths of his mind of a full pardon was crushed. His world wasn't shattered, that already happened. Still, he was numb to almost everything around him as his shackles were unlocked and he was guided out.

For the month following her initial hospital visit, Twilight Sparkle was catatonic. No matter what anypony did, she found herself unable to do anything more than lay on her side, breathe, and blink. Her parents had to feed her, roll her over to avoid bed sores, bathe her, they even got her a bed pan when it was made clear she wouldn't be snapping out of it. No amount of cajoling, pleading, shouting, or magic stimulus could get Twilight to do more than blink and breathe. The day Shining Armor's fate was announced, a single tear dropped from her muzzle. Weather it was from relief of knowing she would likely never see him again, or the final shred of hope of ever seeing her big brother leaving her, not even she could tell.

It was weeks later when Twilight finally moved of her own volition. By that point her muscles had atrophied so walking was difficult, but she got the hang of it after falling on her face no more than three times. Still, while her mind decided her legs could be used once again, her face maintained a sunken dullness even as a small trickle of blood dripped off her muzzle.

Peaking her head out her bedroom door she looked down the hall to the stair case. After looking just a moment longer than she probably should have, she turned the other way, toward her parent's room. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew they would come to their room eventually, so that was her destination. Once at the threshold of the closed door, she sat on her haunches and waited. She had no clue how long she just sat there, but it couldn't have been more than a few hours because she didn't get hungry. Either that, or her body was still catching up to her suddenly active mind and couldn't process hunger yet.

In any case, the next stimuli Twilight registered was the door to her back opening up and the sound of gasps coming from behind. Turning around, she saw her parents faces, contorted in emotion she was currently incapable of processing. What she did know was her mother had tears in her eyes. Her father's gruff voice came out first. "T-Twilight! What are you doing out of your bed? I mean, it's so good to see you up and moving! What do you need?"

The next thing Twilight knew, she was engulfed in off white fur as her mother clutched onto her for dear life. "It's gonna be okay baby. Oh thank the stars you're up, we were so scared sweetie." Velvet continued blabbering as Night Light wrapped his own gentle hooves around the pair.

"The entrance exam is coming up soon right?" Twilight's monotone was muffled by her mother's fur, so she let up slightly on her death grip and prompted her filly to repeat herself. "The entrance exams. For Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. Entrance exams are coming up soon right?"

Velvet's already pale complexion drained of what little color it still had. "W-what are you talking about Twilight? You're in no shape for an entrance exam."

Twilight blinked slowly, and slightly out of sync. "You filled out the application forms right? That was one of the things you said to try to get me out of bed. Was that a lie?" Her near lifeless voice unnerved her parents but this was the sole reason her mind decided to leave her bed. She wouldn't be dissuaded. "Dad, you asked me what I need. I need to go to an entrance exam. I need to learn magic. It's all I have left." Twilight was still facing forward, staring into her mother's chest fluff.

She didn't notice her parents glancing at each other then down at her abdomen. After a heated silent conversation between the two adults, Night Light finally spoke up. "It wasn't a lie Twilight. We did fill out the application. If that's really what you need to.... keep going, we'll support you. Your exam is scheduled for two weeks from now, but-"

"Then I guess I have two weeks to brush up on my magic. Thanks dad." Twilight made her way out of the room. Velvet's shock at the abrupt dismissal left her limbs incapable of holding her daughter in place. While her parents tried to process her esoteric behavior, Twilight once again gazed longingly at the staircase. It would be pretty easy, wouldn't it?

Before that train of thought could go any further, Twilight set her jaw and walked down the stairs. She took it slow, didn't want to fall and hurt something would she? Before she realized what she was doing, the bookish filly found herself in her father's study, surrounded by various scrolls, tomes, and treatises on magic. Better get reading Twilight. You've got work to do if you ever want a chance to fix this mess.

Two weeks came and went. Twilight traded her bed for her father's reading cushion. In all that time, she slept a maximum of twenty eight hours. She was as prepared as she possibly could be. All that was left was the final test to determine her future. The actual day of the exam was fully overcast. Some nobles complained about the weather getting too hot and demanded a day of cloud cover to cool off. While Twilight was still suffering from ennui, her body refused to falter as her parents led her through the hauntingly empty halls of Celestia's school.

In the back of her mind, a part Twilight couldn't help but criticize whoever designed the building. It was just a giant rectangular prism with a slanted roof. She would have thought Celestia had better taste. In any case, she wasn't there to study architecture, she was there to study magic.

As she took her place in the exam room, Twilight's eyes seemed to burn with determination. It was the most lively her parents had seen her since her world shattered. Now, she was brimming with an inner strength nopony had ever seen in her. It was definitely keeping ponies attention off her distended abdomen. A minute after she entered, a cart was wheeled in. Atop it was... a purple on purple spotted egg the size of Twilight's head. A brief hint of confusion passed by her expression before locking back to its default scowl. "Miss Sparkle, for your entrance exam, you will be tasked with hatching this dragon egg. Proceed when ready."

With a curt nod, Twilight made her way to the egg. Alright, dragon egg, dad had a book on dragons. They just need heat to hatch so a fireball should do it. Focusing her will on the egg, she attempted to surround it in magic fire. Instead all she got was a fizzle. Her eyes opened in confused anger before she put more effort into her spell. Why is this thing resisting me so much? Hatch already!

Out of desperation, she tried casting from different angles, switching up her spells, she tried everything she could think of, but nothing worked. The dragon egg refused to be touched by Twilight's magic. As she glanced at her examiners, they appeared bored... no, not bored. They were impatient, indignant that this filly still hadn't hatched one simple, stupid egg. That's it egg! You messed with the wrong filly! I refuse to let you keep me from my goal!

She dug deep down through all she had learned, every spell she practiced, elemental alteration, levitation, sound manipulation, barriers.... barriers. Shields. "Shiny." In a flash of grief and rage, Twilight focused every last scrap of her will on the egg in front of her and created a magenta bubble shield... inside the egg. The next thing she knew, Twilight, as well as the rest of the exam room, was covered in dragon embryo. A fully developed dragon embryo. Blood, amniotic fluid, as well as a plethora of tiny purple scales mixed with sporadic green frills and spines.

A bit of blood got in her mouth. After ten seconds of silence, only interrupted by the squishing liquid of dragon guts falling from the cling, there was a deafening boom. The window behind Twilight lit up as the clouds of Canterlot were torn apart by a rainbow shock wave. By the time it reached the school, Twilight's vision went dark. While the last fragments of her soul retreated inward, the darkness born of her rage and grief was let loose.

Her eyes turned green as purple smoke emanated from the sickly green orbs. Her horn lit up with a wrenched malevolent aura of purple green and black. Her fur turned the color of a moonless midnight, as her mane and tail erupted in a violet flame. Various chaotic beams shot out of her horn, blasting everypony in the room. She could have killed them all, instead she opted for pain. She would force all who dared approach her feel the anguish she was forced to suffer because everypony who was supposed to protect her failed. The one pony she thought she could trust above all else betrayed and abandoned her.

Dark waves of magic started radiating, reaching the surrounding classrooms, then encompassing the whole school. While there were only a scant few staff and extra dedicated students present, the sphere of agony continued expanding. Ponies on the streets dropped to their hooves. It soon reached Canterlot Castle and the guard barracks. Within one particularly disgusting latrine, an alabaster unicorn with a magic suppression ring on his horn scrubbed the toilets with his hooves until it hit him.

Shining Armor did not cry out in agony. He did not feel physical pain. He felt her pain. He thought he understood heartbreak. He thought he understood fear. He thought he understood what it felt like to have his world shattered. He knew nothing. As he lay on the disease ridden floor, catatonic as Twilight had been for a month, all he could do was breathe, and leak enough tears to flush one of the toilets he was cleaning.

Despite the utter agony he was in, he could only feel thankful. He knew where this was coming from. Even if it left him in a coma, it would be worth it just to feel a connection to her one last time. Then, just as fast as it came, it was gone. Shining could have sat up. He could have gotten back to work. He could have gone out to check on everypony else. He chose to stay exactly where he fell. Exactly where he belonged. Some officer or even just a grunt would come in and read him the riot act, maybe kick him around a bit, and he'd apologize and get back to work, but for now, he chose to not move more than breathing and blinking.

Back at the exam room, a purple filly lay as catatonic as Shining Armor. Twilight Sparkle lay, writhing in silent agony as she clutched onto her last hopes and dreams as they evaporated into the ether. Princess Celestia sat on her haunches, visibly exhausted, Shielding the filly with her wings. "I'm sorry Twilight. I'm so sorry." Everypony in the school had passed out from the pain, so did most ponies nearby out in the streets. "This wasn't supposed to happen, I'm so, so sorry."

Twilight Sparkle, the sole heir of House Twilight, shed tears she didn't realize she still had while clutching her horn to her chest. Princess Celestia, Sol Invictus, wept. She wept for the stolen future of the pony who would have rescued her sister. It was clearly printed on her flanks. The element of magic surrounded by five sparks, except the star burst was shattered. The six points of the central magenta star were separated, broken.

Twilight did not go back to her mattress. She didn't stare longingly at tall staircases. Twilight did not live either. She lost all her reasons to live, but she kept surviving. She survived because the ponies around her seemed to care about the thing growing inside her. She saw it as a parasite, but she didn't have any worth as a hornless unicorn so she kept it alive as well as herself. She went to every doctor appointment, she answered all their questions, but the spark and drive she had for most of her life was gone. She was a living corpse.

There were times she thought she saw Shining out of the corner of her eye walking down the street, but every time she looked to check, he was nowhere to be seen. On the occasional nights where she could actually get a few hours of sleep, Twilight was either tormented with nightmares or she dreamed of Shining. Playing with him, reading with him, cuddling with him... fucking him, begging for more. She preferred the nightmares, at least they hurt less when she woke up.

Time lost meaning. A month before winter wrap up in Canterlot, Twilight felt her first contraction. Eight agonizing hours and a panicked ride to the hospital later, Twilight was holding a foal. An earth pony colt, born with a half formed useless lump on his head and two barely visible lumps on his back. His coat was a deep blue like his grandfather and his mane consisted of various strands of light blue and lavender that alternated between light and dark strands. "Nova," Twilight croaked out. "Nova Sparkle."

Author's Note

I have an epilogue planned. Not sure when I'll release it. Until then, here's a personal nightmare of mine. I hope you hate it as much as I do.