Shining Armor would be hurting tomorrow. The day had been long and grueling, but guardspony training was always that way. He was still a little wiry, but several months of training had started to fill out his frame with muscle, and with constant practice, his magical prowess had steadily increased. He heard his name being discussed among his superiors often, but he ignored the whispers and rumors; the work was its own reward.
It wasn't that extra bit of muscle that got him the most notice as he trudged home through the streets of Canterlot. The unicorn had the white coat most ponies associated with the royal guard and nobility, although his shield cutie mark spoke 'guard' to most. Shining didn't mind the attention; it kept him in touch with those he had sworn to protect.
But all that was behind him for the moment as he let himself into his family's house. After dropping his saddlebags at the door, he let weariness overtake him and fell sideways onto the living room couch. He massaged his legs, trying to return some feeling to them.
The house was modest, but only by Canterlot standards. Small knickknacks and photos filled the room. Himself, in his brand-new guardspony armor, saluting the camera proudly. A star chart, made by his sister, with a blue ribbon attached. Pictures of his parents as newlyweds. Vacation photographs with all four of them.
Staccato hoofsteps pulled him from his reverie as a voice cried, "Big brother!"
Shining suppressed a groan and ignored his aching muscles as he rolled onto his back, catching a lavender filly on his chest and squeezing her in a tight hug. His sister let out a happy squeal and hugged him back.
"Big brother! You're home!"
Shining grinned and ruffled the filly's deep purple mane. "Sure am. But some little filly is up past her bedtime, isn't she?"
A mare followed the filly out of the hallway. Cadance had always been cute, but it was only in the past few months that Shining had realized how just how... graceful the mare was. How she held herself with poise, but still had the loveliest laugh. How her mane just flowed off of her shoulder.
Her violet eyes caught his, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a knowing smile. Shining blushed and quickly averted his gaze. It wasn't proper to stare at a lady; it was even less proper to stare at a princess.
The unicorn filly on his chest was staring at him, brow furrowed in concentration. Her mane was neat and straight-cut; orderly, just the way she liked it. A pink stripe ran down her mane and tail, just off-side of her horn. It made her mane unsymmetrical, but she had eventually come to grips with that.
"It is past her bedtime, but Twilight had something she was just so excited to share with you, I thought it'd be okay if I let her stay up just a little bit." Cadance gave Twilight's head a soft pat. "But just this once, understand?"
Twilight poked Shining in the chest with a hoof. "You have a funny look on your face." She beamed up at the older mare. "Yes, Cadance! You're the best foalsitter ever!"
Shining Armor chuckled softly and sat up a little more, the enthusiasm of his sister helping to put the day's aches out of mind. "Something exciting to tell me, huh? Well, it must be important if the world's best foalsitter let you stay up extra late to tell me. So what's up, Twily?"
The filly hopped off of Shining's lap and started dancing around. "It's super awesome fantabulous news! Guess!"
The older pony put his chin in his hoof and watched his little sister dance around. "Let's see.... Cadance took you out for ice cream sundaes?"
Twilight stopped and turned to look at him, rolling her eyes. "No... Well, she did, but that wasn't the super amazing thing! Guess again!"
"Let me think... How about..." Shining dove forward and scooped the foal into his arms, cradling her and inspecting her hoofs. "Did Cadance take you to get a hooficure for your first day of classes with Princess Celestia tomorrow? Nope, doesn't look like it." He tickled her belly until she burst out laughing.
The filly squirmed out of her brother's grasp. "Nope! But it does have to do with the Princess!"
Cadance watched on with a soft chuckle.
"Hmmm... The Princess..." Shining pretended to tap his chin in deep thought. "The Princess said that you were already a super mega awesome mage, and she was going to make you the royal court wizard?"
Twilight eyed her brother suspiciously. "Are you even trying to guess?"
Shining shrugged and flashed a quick wink at Cadance when Twilight couldn't see. "I sure am. I guess I'm just horrible at guessing. Why don't you tell me?"
"Well.... I really wanted you to guess..." The filly squirmed as she tried to hold in the news, but burst out in an excited scream as she leapt back into her brother's lap. Cadance hid a smile behind a hoof as she watched Shining Armor's face contort at the rough treatment of his sore muscles. "Princess Celestia came here today and invited me, personally, to go see the symphony with her! And not just any symphony, the Canterlot Royal Philharmonic Orchestra!"
The colt ruffled Twilight's mane. "Wow, sis. That's amazing. Was the symphony good?"
Twilight squirmed and pushed the hoof away, but was still beaming up at Shining Armor. "It was amazing! And Cadance got to go too! And guess what?"
Shining pretended to think over a response. "Princess Celestia said you were going to be the Royal Court Symphony Listener?"
"That's not even a real thing!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'd have seen it in that book about the royal court."
"Okay then. What else?"
The filly puffed her chest up proudly. "I got to explain all the story of the symphony to her."
Shining Armor gave his sister a squeeze. "Wow, I bet the Princess was very impressed."
Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! I told her I knew all about it, and she asked me to tell her because she had forgotten, so I got to tell her everything! And I didn't even need the program!"
"Well, well, well, looks like the Princess has an amazing new student, don't you think so Cadance?"
Cadance nodded. "She certainly does."
The filly beamed up at Cadance, but then leaned in close to Shining Armor. In a conspiratorial whisper, she said, "I think she really knew what it was about and was just being nice. But she did really listen to me and everything!"
"Well I'm glad. Now, I think a certain little filly should be getting to bed. You wanna be rested for your first big day of studying with the Princess tomorrow, right?"
Twilight dropped her gaze and her voice fell flat. "Yeah, I guess so." She gave her brother's cheek a quick nuzzle and hopped down to the floor.
"And don't forget to put your books away, okay Twilight?" added Cadance.
"I won't," said Twilight as she trotted off to her bedroom.
Shining Armor pulled himself up into a seated position, patting the cushion for Cadance. "Hey, thanks again for staying with her so late. You've been really amazing."
Cadance's lips curled up into a playful smile as she sat, her wings fluttering out briefly. "Oh, so I'm amazing, am I?"
The stallion turned his head away. "Amazingly helpful! As a foalsitter! I mean, you're great with Twilight and all, you know? She really looks up to you."
"She looks up to her big brother too, you know," said Cadance as she settled on the couch. Her smile wilted. "But there's something I have to talk to you about. And it's about Twilight."
"Oh? Don't tell me she didn't mind her manners with the Princess."
Cadance shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. She was... Well, about as well-behaved as an excited filly could be. But it's about something the Princess said to me."
Shining shifted on the couch, "She's still taking Twilight for her studies tomorrow, right?"
"No, it's nothing serious like that, I hope, but... Twilight hasn't been using her telekinesis. Or her magic."
"Wait, are you sure?" asked Shining Armor, as he searched his memory.
"Princess Celestia pointed it out, and I had to tell her I didn't know why. But a lot of the time Twilight's so quiet and studious..."
Shining Armor nodded in agreement. "It's easy to not notice when something's bugging her. I'll talk to her." He slid off the couch and stretched his weary muscles.
Both pairs of eyes turned to the hallway as a short yell rang out. A muffled thud followed a moment later. Shining Armor and Cadance bolted for Twilight's bedroom.
The filly's bedroom was dominated by books. She had long since outgrown her bookshelf, but kept insisting there was an order to the stacks filling the rest of the room.
An overturned stool had fallen beside Twilight, and an upturned book lay on her other side. The filly started to sob and sniffle.
"Hey hey, come here, sis. Let's have a look." Shining lowered himself to the ground next to her, and started looking her over. "No cuts, but it looks like you're gonna have a nasty bruise in the morning." He patted slowly over her back. "Come on, sis. Big, deep breaths. You're gonna be okay." He took a deep breath, and Twilight slowly managed to match his. They both exhaled softly, and after a few repetitions Shining smiled at his sister. "There you go... Now show me a smile."
Twilight stared adamantly at the floor. "I don't feel like smiling."
Cadance levitated a tissue over to Twilight, who obediently blew her nose. The foalsitter sat down on the filly's other side and softly stroked her back. "How did this happen, Twilight?"
The filly stared at the floor, tracing a pattern in the rug with a hoof. "I fell off the stool because I've been avoiding using my magic."
"Twily, you should never be afraid to use your magic." Shining Armor gave his sister a gentle hug. "Your magic is a part of who you are, and you are a wonderful and smart little filly."
Twilight leaned into Shining Armor, sniffling softly. "I know. And you and Mom and Dad said the accident wasn't my fault, but..."
"But what?" asked Cadance.
The filly's voice was small. "I keep having dreams. Where I turn ponies into plants. Or giants. Or other bad stuff happens."
Shining Armor nuzzled Twilight. "Why didn't you tell us, sis? We could have talked to you."
"I didn't want to be a bother... I figured if I didn't use my magic, nothing bad could happen."
"And go through the rest of life without using your magic?"
Twilight was silent for a moment. Finally, she shook her head. "I guess not."
"The only way you're going to get over this, is to prove to yourself that you can be a great wizard and can control your magic."
The filly looked up at her brother. "But what happens if I mess up again?"
Shining Armor gave Twilight's mane a soft pat. "Well... The only thing you can do when you make a mistake or have an accident and fall down is to get back up and try again."
"That's easy for you to say. You don't make mistakes."
The stallion gave a wry chuckle. "Oh, I've made a few mistakes, sis. In fact, I almost got Mom and Dad hurt pretty bad once."
Twilight's eyes widened. "No way!"
Cadance stayed quiet, but her expression was contemplative.
Shining nodded softly. "Oh, it's true, sis. It happened a long time ago, before you were born."
* * *
Shining Armor wasn't happy. They were talking, but they were using that really quiet and hushed voice that meant that they were trying to keep him from hearing what was going on. That meant that there was something secret they didn't want him to know. And it was about him, because his mom had that worried look on her face when she checked to see if he was playing quietly.
He did the only reasonable thing: sneak over to listen to the conversation. They were in the kitchen, and he stepped carefully on the carpet to stifle his hoofsteps. The colt crouched down low beside the door frame, keeping out of sight.
"Are you sure?" said his father, Nightlight. Shining could picture him; the blue stallion was probably standing by the coffee machine. His father had said once that he drank a lot of it to help him stay awake for his job at night. Mom jokingly called him a 'caffeine addict', whatever that was. Shining Armor thought the stuff tasted pretty gross.
"Well, no, not really, but... I mean, we've been hoping, right?" That was his mother, Star Sparkle. She was probably sitting at the kitchen table; Shining could hear the rustling of paperwork. She was fond of juggling and levitating an impossible number of things at once, and Shining imagined there was probably a small cloud of papers floating in the air. His mother's coat was a light gray, but it was her purple- and white-striped hair that he thought made her really pretty. "I'm going to make an appointment with the Doctor, to see," she continued.
Shining frowned. The doctor? Why would she need a doctor? She wasn't sick, was she?
"Right, yes. Best not to get ahead of ourselves. The last thing we want to do is overreact." A few hoofsteps marked his father moving away from the coffee machine. They were probably nuzzling now. Or worse, kissing.
"And we should wait to tell Shining," said his mother. "I don't want to worry him, just in case."
The colt's ears fell. His mom was sick and they didn't want to tell him? He was a big boy, right? They could tell him important stuff like that.
His father started speaking again, "Well, do you want me to come?"
Shining could hear the soft smile in her voice, "Oh no, dear... I mean, it's probably nothing. You don't need to dote on me just yet. I'm going to go check on Shining, and make sure he's okay."
Shining gulped and turned around, rushing as fast as he could without making a sound. He threw himself in front of his desk and stared grumpily at the paper where a half-finished drawing waited.
Why wouldn't they tell him?
Star Sparkle found her son still brooding a moment later. "Hi Shiny, how are you doing?"
"Oh, fine," said the colt, shaking his head to clear it. "Just doin' some drawing." He telekinetically lifted a crayon, encasing it with a light blue aura and making a few aimless strokes.
"Let's see what you're drawing," said the mare as she sat down next to her son.
Shining stared at the drawing. He had only just started it moments ago. "It's, um.... I forgot."
"Oh, I see. Can I draw something with you while you try to remember?" She lifted a fresh piece of paper over and laid it down besides his.
"I guess..."
* * *
Sunrise Gardens was a sprawling park in the heart of Canterlot. It was renowned for its stunning botanical displays, but much more importantly, it had a playground. Even more importantly, it was close enough for Shining Armor's caretaker, War Bonds, to walk to without complaining too much. He usually sat on a bench and left the colt to his own devices, which suited Shining just fine.
Shining Armor sat alone on the park swing, kicking listlessly at the ground. What was the big secret they weren't telling him? His mom hadn't really acted out of the ordinary, but he could tell there was something on her mind. He had tried to smile and put on a brave face. Could she tell that he was upset? She hadn't said anything about it.
With a soft kick he pushed himself into the air, and let himself swing back and forth slowly, the wind barely moving his mane. If his mother was going to the hospital, there'd have to be some results. Maybe he could find them. He slowly drifted to a stop.
"Shining!" called a voice.
He didn't look but raised a hoof to acknowledge the greeting. "Hey, BB."
A unicorn colt stepped in front of Shining and scrutinized him briefly. BB had a similar white coat to Shining's own, but his mane was blonde. It was neatly trimmed but purposefully pushed into disarray. The mark of a compass rose stood out on his flank.
"Shining, are you okay? I've got some new ideas for adventures we can have."
Shining shrugged, still staring at the ground. "Yeah, I guess."
BB poked him squarely in the chest. "You don't look okay. Did your dog die or something?"
Shaking his head, Shining brushed the hoof aside. "No. We don't even have a dog."
"Oh." BB frowned. "Want one?"
"They said they'd think about it for my birthday. But it's not about having a dog!"
"Then what is it?"
"What's what?" said a new voice.
Another colt, an Earth pony, hopped onto the swing next to Shining's, balancing on all four hooves on the seat. His coat was dark blue, and his mane was a mess of bright red hair. On his flank was a red ball covered in yellow stars.
"It's nothing, High Wire," said Shining. "Let's just get this over with."
BB huffed. "That's hardly the spirit of an adventurer! You're supposed to be excited! We can't do it without you, after all."
"Yeah, come on!" High Wire leapt off of the swing and landed squarely on the ground. "Besides, if something's bugging ya, we can help! The Wondercolts can do anything!"
"Well..." Shining Armor dragged his hoof through the dirt. "It's my mom and dad. I think they're hiding something from me."
BB shrugged. "My parents keep all sorts of things from me. There's a lot of stuff they're not allowed tell me."
"Yeah," said High Wire, as he started shimmying up the swing's frame. "And my dad doesn't tell us how to do some of the really cool tricks he thinks we can't handle yet. But I bet we're waaaay more talented than he was!" He reached the top and sat on the cross bar, surveying the park.
"I dunno, guys. Mom and Dad say that I can always talk to them, but I heard them say they wanted to keep it a secret from me. They weren't sure if I could handle it."
"Wow," said the circus colt, letting himself fall backwards to hang upside-down from the swing. "They really said they didn't want to tell you about it?"
Shining kicked at a pebble. "Yeah."
"Sometimes they have to keep secrets," said BB. "That's just their job. However..."
Both colts waited for the unicorn to finish. High Wire prodded, "However?"
BB grinned, putting his map away. "However, secrets are for finding, and this will be the Wondercolts' next adventure! We're going to find out whatever it is Shining's parents won't tell him."
"I guess we could, but how're we gonna do that?"
High Wire reached up and patted the top of Shining's head. "Come on, the Wondercolts can do anything. It'll be a piece of cake. Hey, do you guys know where we can get some cake?"
"Not now!" said BB. "We have a plan to make. We can get cake after. And you're paying for your own this time."
"Oh, sure, you offer him a dog, but I have to buy my own cake." High Wire let go of the bar, flipping into a perfect four-point landing. He posed triumphantly, puffing out his chest. Neither colt reacted. He shrugged and wandered over to BB. "Okay, so what's the plan?"
Shining Armor slipped off the swing and joined the other two. "Well, if you think it'll work..."
BB levitated a stick and started sketching out a diagram in the sand. "Shining, tell me everything you know..."
* * *
The three colts sat in Shining Armor's living room, each trying to feign interest in War Bond's stories. The old pony's coat and mane had already lost most of their vibrance, and all too often he gazed into the mists of yesteryear as he recanted old tales and anecdotes. Shining occasionally enjoyed the old soldier's stories, but today he was too distracted.
BB leaned over and gave Shining a discrete nudge. Shining glanced over and nodded slightly. This was the perfect time to slip away. Operation Secret Finding was a go.
"Uh, War Bonds, I gotta go use the bathroom," said Shining as he stood up.
"Yeah," said the other unicorn, quickly jumping up. "I gotta go use it after him."
"And then that was the year that I saw Princess Celestia raise the sun for..." The old stallion trailed off, and eventually came back to the present. "Hmm? Okay, but don't get lost!" He chuckled at his joke and turned his attention back to the earth pony still sitting before him. "Now where was I?"
"The summer sun celebration, sir," said High Wire. He gestured with a hoof to the other two to get going. His job was to distract War Bonds should the old stallion get curious, or the other colts took too long.
Shining Armor and BB sped down the hallway once they were out of sight, and stopped in front of a door.
Shining swallowed hard, pawing at the carpet. "I dunno... What if they find out we were looking in their office?"
"Please," scoffed BB. "Not even the Royal Guard will know we were in here."
"Yeah, but... They always said it's not nice to snoop around."
BB put a hoof on Shining's shoulder. "They also told you it's not nice to lie, I bet. Look, we picked today because your parents aren't here. If we don't do it now, you'll never get to find out what they're hiding from you."
"I guess you're right. Here goes..." Shining Armor reached out with his telekinesis and carefully tested the doorknob. It turned easily. He cracked open the door and took a peek inside.
"Come on, come on," said BB urgently as he pushed at Shining's hindquarters.
Shining Armor dashed inside, batting BB away with his tail. "Hey, you don't have to push."
"We have to be quick!"
Shining Armor stepped aside to let BB pass, and then left the door ajar. The office was spacious, with a desk on either side of the room. One was neat and tidy; the other was a mess of paperwork. Star charts and diagrams lined the walls, and in one corner rested an easel with a half-finished landscape.
"Okay. Which desk is your mom's?" asked BB, glancing around.
"This one over here," said the other colt, gesturing with his head to the messy desk.
Shining Armor helped boost BB onto the seat, and the other colt started to quickly scan the papers.
"Report, paper, another report..." BB muttered to himself as he carefully lifted and peeked underneath the papers.
Shining Armor crept back to the door and peered through it. "You find it yet?" he asked.
"Ssh! I need to concentrate." BB swept his gaze over the heaps of papers. "When did your mom go to the doctor?"
"I dunno. A couple of weeks ago, I think. She didn't take me with her." Shining Armor frowned. She usually took him everywhere, if she could. He hadn't been in school, but had still been forced to stay behind with the foalsitter.
"Okay, couple of weeks ago, couple of weeks ago... I don't see it here," said Shining as he leaned down and gave an experimental tug on the desk drawer. "Maybe it's in here."
Shining Armor caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. "What are you doing? She keeps those drawers locked. I'm not allowed to go in there!"
"We're not allowed in this room either," said BB as his horn lit with a faint golden glow. The drawer's lock lit up as he studied it. "It's not enchanted. Give me one moment."
"BB, come on! That's like... doubly not allowed, or something!" said Shining Armor in a heated whisper as he ran back over to the desk.
"I need to concentrate...." BB's eyes were closed, and his ear was pressed to the lock. Suddenly, the mechanism turned with a small 'click'. "There. Now let's see..."
Shining Armor fidgeted, glancing between the drawer and the door. "Come on, come on..."
"Ah ha!" A letter lifted up, encased in BB's magic. "Let's see..."
"What?! What does it say?"
The warbling of a bird interrupted their thoughts. The two colts glanced at each other.
"The signal!" said Shining. He ran back to the door, peering out.
"Got it." BB replaced the letter and slid the drawer closed. A quick burst of magic turned the lock back into place. Hopping down from the chair, he started to walk backwards to the door, sweeping his head back and forth.
"Come on, come on, what are you doing? We gotta get out of here!"
BB glanced over his shoulder. "Getting rid of our hoofprints, duh. Or do you want to give the whole game away? Get outside."
Shining obliged, and BB followed him backwards out the door, before finally shutting it. "See? Nothing to it."
"Whatever. Let's get back."
The two colts rushed back to the living room. They were greeted by the sight of High Wire balancing on a forehoof, whistling a tune. Relief washed across his face and he gave an upside-down nod to the other two colts before falling back onto all fours. "Whatcha think of my trick?"
"Well, I'll say," said the old foalsitter. "I don't think I've seen a little colt with your kind of balance in ages. That reminds me of the first time I went to the circus..."
All three colts did their best to stifle a groan as War Bonds launched into another story.
* * *
Shining Armor sat by himself underneath the jungle gym at Sunrise Gardens. It was the 'secret base' for the Wondercolts, but Shining was too distracted by his thoughts to imagine it. He was staring glumly at the ground when High Wire walked up behind him.
"Hey Shining! How's it going?"
The unicorn shrugged. "Fine, I guess. But I really wanna find out what was on that letter. How're you?"
"Pretty good! I started learning a great new trick last night." High Wire hung from a bar and regarded his friend. "Wanna see?"
Shining Armor shook his head, "No thanks. I'm not in the mood."
High Wire shrugged. "That's okay. It's not really ready yet anyway. Where's BB?"
"Dunno. But I wish he'd hurry up and get here already."
"Guys!" came a frantic call. BB ran up to the jungle gym, panting for breath. "Sorry, sorry. Took forever for the servants to let me go outside." He loosened his necktie as he continued. "They insisted on brushing my coat three times today."
Shining rolled his eyes. "Oh, poor you."
"Hey," said BB as he scowled briefly. "Do you want to know what I found out or not?"
"Fine, fine. I'm sorry. Go on."
BB sat down in the middle of the jungle gym. "I didn't find out about the trip to the doctor's office. But I did find out that your parents are remodeling your playroom."
"What?!" Shining Armor jumped to his hooves. "My playroom? They didn't tell me about this. That doesn't make any sense!"
"The date looked right," said BB with a shrug. "But I didn't have long to read all the details."
"But..." Shining fell back onto his rump. "How could they do that without telling me?"
High Wire reached down and gave the despondent colt a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, come on. Maybe they're just giving you a bigger and better playroom."
Shining shook the hoof away. "You can't make it bigger, dummy. There's no more space."
"Well... Just better then!"
"But why wouldn't they tell me?" Shining Armor fell onto his back, staring up at the sky.
High Wire shrugged. "Um... Oh! Maybe it's for your birthday? Maybe it's a surprise!"
"My birthday was 3 months ago."
"Oh, um...."
"Perhaps a celebration for getting your cutie mark?" offered BB.
"But I don't have my cutie mark yet. Everypony knows you can't predict that."
BB shrugged softly. "Well... I must admit I am at a loss."
"Yeah, me too," admitted High Wire.
Shining Armor rolled over onto his side. "Thanks a lot guys."
* * *
Shining Armor had taken to listening as frequently as he could at his parents' bedroom door. Most of what they talked about was uninteresting: Things happening at work, grown-up stuff like bills, or some of the Canterlot gossip. He had quickly discovered that the only interesting information came after they thought he was asleep — perfect proof that they were trying to keep secrets from him.
"We've already been through the list twice," said Star Sparkle, weariness in her voice.
"Well," followed the voice of Nightlight, "What about your sister?"
Shining imagined his mother shaking her head as she replied. "She's not even in Canterlot, and we couldn't do that to Shining."
"Well, we need to find someone who can take him..." Nightlight was pacing. He was probably levitating at least a couple of pages of notes, and gesturing animatedly with his hoof.
The words sunk in suddenly and the colt jerked away as if he'd been shocked. We need to find someone who can take him... Shining felt a weight growing in the pit of his stomach as he stared at the door. He turned and fled back to his room, not heeding the sound of his hoofsteps.
A few moments later, Star Sparkle poked her head into Shining's bedroom. All she found was her son, seemingly asleep, curled up under his blanket.
She didn't see the tears staining his cheeks.
* * *
Shining Armor stared glumly out of the window of the carriage, watching the landscape go by with an acute disinterest. They were heading to Lake Circinus, to visit a small cottage his family owned there. It was one of Shining's favorite vacation spots – or it had been, but he had found it increasingly difficult to look forward to being there. There was only one reason to take him to one of his favorite places: they had some very bad news for him.
The colt watched as his parents disembarked. Nightlight insisted on going first, and wouldn't let Star Sparkle step down without a helping hoof. Star Sparkle rolled her eyes but smiled, giving her husband a peck on the cheek. The stallion levitated both sets of luggage and rushed ahead of his wife to get the door for her.
Shining Armor stared at the ground as he levitated his own luggage to his bedroom. How could they just be so... happy? They acted as if nothing was wrong. In fact, they even seemed excited. Almost giddy. He hardly saw them like this.
The colt tossed his suitcase onto the bed and moved to the window, staring out at the placid lake with a sigh. No matter how he tried, he couldn't feel any excitement. The heavy feeling in his stomach had been more and more present in the last few weeks, and even his parents had noticed. They thought he didn't notice the worried looks they gave each other, but those were the least of his problems.
Shining turned from the window and threw himself onto the bed. If they wanted to keep pretending was fine, then he'd keep playing along.
"Shining! Are you ready for lunch?" called his mother.
"Yeah, I guess," Shining Armor shouted back. He slipped off the bed and made his way to the kitchen.
Star Sparkle was preparing lunch, despite her husband's protests. She was humming to herself as a storm of ingredients swirled around her. Multiple pots and pans were bubbling and sizzling, and the tantalizing smell of food filled the air.
Shining quietly watched her work for a moment. "Need any help Mom?"
"Thank you, sweetie, but I think I've got it under control." Star Sparkle lifted a pot lid to peek inside. "Why don't you go out and relax on the patio? It's a lovely day out."
The colt nodded and trotted outside.
The patio offered a perfect view of the lake. Lake Circinus had earned its name for its most distinguishing characteristic: its almost perfect circular shape. In the daylight, it showed a reflection of the surrounding forest. But at night, it was a bottomless well of stars.
Nightlight stood with an easel at the far end of the patio. He was studying the lake, making measurements with his hoof against the canvas. Nodding to himself, he magically directed a paintbrush, dabbing at his palette before brushing in a vague outline of the lake.
Shining sighed as he watched his father paint. The blue was much too dark.
The colt climbed up into a chair and rested his head on the table. The sun was beating down on the patio, but the warmth wasn't unbearable. He yawned and decided to close his eyes — just for a few minutes.
"Shining," started his mom hesitantly.
He opened one eye and looked over to his mother. She was levitating food from the kitchen. "Yeah Mom?"
Nightlight joined them and sat as Star Sparkle set the table. "Son, we've got some news to share with you."
Star Sparkle nodded in agreement and took her seat. "Yes, it might not be easy to hear, but please keep an open mind, okay?"
Shining Armor looked at the table. Manehatten-style chowder and starberry sundaes. His favorites. And he knew without looking that the cups were filled with zapapple juice. This was it. Whatever they had to say was going to be really bad.
"I know what it is," he said reluctantly.
This caught both parents by surprise, and they shared another one of those glances before both speaking at once.
"You do?"
"How did you find out?"
They stopped again, and this time Nightlight gestured to his wife to continue.
"Sweetie, I'm sorry, but we wanted to find the right time to tell you. Is that why you've been so upset recently?"
"I'm upset because you didn't tell me!" Shining Armor leapt out of his seat and stomped his hoof. "I'm upset because you guys are redoing my playroom and getting rid of me and keeping it all a big secret!"
"Son, that's not what–" Nightlight started out of his seat. Star Sparkle was already on her hooves.
"Sweetie, that's not it at all, how could you possibly think we'd want to get rid of you? We love you." She approached her son, but the colt kept backing away.
"I heard you!" he shouted. "I heard you in your room, talking about how my aunt couldn't take me and stuff! I'm not gonna let you send me away!"
The colt turned tail and ran. He ignored the shouts of his parents and charged into the woods surrounding the lake.
* * *
Shining Armor didn't know how long he had run, but he was gasping for breath when he finally came to a stop. He collapsed onto the ground, his stomach now a lead weight. His blood pounded in his ears and his head felt like it was about to split.
If they didn't want him, he'd just run away. He'd go join High Wire. Or maybe BB could help him. Anywhere but a home where he wasn't wanted.
The echoes of two familiar voices rang through the forest. Shining pushed himself up to his hooves, getting ready to run deeper into the woods.
Shining froze as a roar echoed through the forest, followed by a scream. He turned to scan the trees, eyes trying to pierce the brown and green veil. It couldn't be them, right? The lead weight in his stomach grew cold, and he shivered.
He took off, charging back through the trees.
In a clearing, he saw the beast. Its head and forelegs were those of a lion, with golden fur and a thick mane. A pair of black horns swept back from its temples. Thin wisps of smoke drifted and curled from its nostrils. The hindquarters were that of a goat, down to the almost-dainty cloven hooves. But instead of a tail, a thick viper emerged. The serpent turned towards Shining and let out a rattling hiss. While the snake glared at the colt, the chimera's lion head was facing his parents. Star Sparkle cowered behind Nightlight, whose horn was glowing with a bright yellow light. The stallion hurled a few bolts that barely deterred the monstrous hybrid.
"Mom! Dad!"
"Shining!" his mother called out. "Get out of here! Get help!"
Nightlight was too focused on the beast to say anything.
"But I can't..." Shining Armor halfheartedly prepared to run.
Star Sparkle ducked behind her husband. "Go!"
Shining's gaze shifted from his parents back to the serpent, whose reptilian eyes had not left the colt. It was slowly drawing back, winding itself up like a spring. Its tongue flickered in and out, and Shining tensed.
His mother whimpered as the beast started to advance. Shining Armor snapped out of his daze. Fire filled his heart, and he started gathering energy within himself, charging his horn with a bright blue aura. He stared down the snake and stamped his hoof in the dirt, snorting. The viper hissed as the entire beast turned and the lion's gaze settled onto Shining.
"What are you doing?!" shouted his father, as he flinched away from the venomous serpent. "Get out of here!"
"No!" Shining Armor lowered his head, the magic in his horn pulsing. He darted forward, charging at the beast. The chimera raised a massive paw and struck, claws bared. Shining dodged and kept running between the creature's legs. Dragging his horn along the beast's belly, Shining left a trail of singed fur.
The colt emerged from between the beast's legs and darted for the safety of his parents. The viper lunged at its prey, but a yellow bolt of energy forced it to recoil. It bared its fangs and hissed as the front of the chimera turned to the family.
"Shining! Take your mother and go!" Nightlight fired another yellow bolt at the advancing chimera.
"No! I can do this!" Shining Armor faced the beast squarely and stepped forward. He forced more energy into his horn. and his head started to pound. The creature leapt forward, paws outstretched. It crashed into a newly-formed disc of blue light and fell back. The chimera attacked the barrier furiously, and it sparked and crackled under the assault.
The monster drew back. Small licks of fire flickered from its jaws, and thick plumes of smoke billowed from its nostrils. It drew a massive breath, and with a roar, unleashed a swirling sphere of flames. The blaze struck the barrier and scattered, but the colt could feel the heat roll over him.
Nightlight clutched Star Sparkle tightly. They both watched as their son tried to repel the beast.
The beast let loose another fireball, which crashed into the shield and dissipated. Shining could feel the sweat matting his coat as the heat intensified. Scorched grass smoldered on either side of his him. The colt dug in with his hooves, trying to steady himself. He felt his magic falter; the shield flickered. He reached out with his senses, desperately searching for another source of energy.
Shining felt a hoof on either shoulder. The presence of his mother and father enveloped him and flew through his body as their magic joined with his. He channeled it into his shield, the barrier growing solid again and starting to expand as the monster released a torrent of flame. The barrier and the maelstrom of fire battled for dominance.
Shining gasped as a dam of magical potential burst forth and flooded his body. His eyes blazed with energy, and the world turned white as he battled with the tremendous flow. Violet light spilled into the blue aura of his horn, and his barrier began to expand faster and faster, encasing the family in a protective purple bubble. The pounding in his head lessened as the shield stabilized.
The colt gritted his teeth. He pushed, and felt the barrier start to grow outward. Through the white haze he could see the monster take a step back, and then another. With a loud cry and one last surge, the barrier snapped outward. It collided against the creature and drove it into a tree trunk. The bark shattered in a spider web of cracks and the beast dropped to the ground, barely moving.
Shining Armor panted, exhausted, as he finally released the spell. His vision returned to normal, and the colt teetered for a moment before his legs gave out. His voice was a coarse whisper. "Mom... Dad..."
Star Sparkle scooped up her son and held him tightly. "Shiny, that was amazing."
"I'm sorry I got mad and yelled," said Shining, closing his eyes and resting his head against his mother's chest. "I didn't mean for this..."
Nightly joined the embrace. "You're okay. We're all okay. That's all that matters."
Shining Armor nodded weakly, and finally let exhaustion overcome him as he passed out.
* * *
"You made a shield and protected Mom and Dad?" asked Twilight. "Is that when you got your cutie mark?"
Cadance gently hushed the filly. "Let your brother finish his story."
Twilight had the manners to look embarrassed. "Sorry."
The stallion ruffled Twilight's mane, "It's okay. I was almost done, anyway. But to answer your questions, no, and yes."
The filly frowned in thought as she replayed the conversation in her head. "Then... Who else was there?"
Shining Armor grinned and poked Twilight in the tummy. "Oh, somepony else who's very, very important to me."
"Huh? Who? You never said there was anypony else there!"
Cadance used a hoof to cover up a small giggle.
"You, silly!" Shining gave the filly's nose a playful tap.
Twilight briefly went cross-eyed as she tried to follow the hoof. "But I thought this happened before I was born!"
"Oh, it did. But Mom was pregnant with you at the time. I was just a little too foolish and jumped to conclusions."
"Really?" Twilight's eyes grew wide.
Shining nodded. "Really really. Here, check it out." He turned on his side, and pointed to the shield mark on his flank. "See that star? That's the same star as your cutie mark. We're connected, little sis. No matter what happens, we'll always be connected."
The filly rolled to her side to compare the two cutie marks. "Wow... How is that even possible?"
"It just goes to show, Twilight. Sometimes two ponies can be connected before they've even met."
"But... What happens if I mess up again? You can't always be there watching over me."
Shining Armor picked up his sister and gave her a tight hug. "Sometimes, sis, mistakes and accidents will happen. But the people who really care about you will love you anyway. Your magical misfire was just an accident. I was a big ol' dummy and almost got Mom and Dad hurt. But they love both of us anyway, right?"
Twilight nodded and gave her brother a squeeze. "Right."
The stallion grinned and dropped his voice into a stage whisper. "Although just between you and me, I don't think Mom and Dad are going to take their chances with a third foal. Who knows what kind of mayhem she'd cause, huh?" Twilight giggled softly, and Shining Armor set her down on the bed. "There we go. That's the smile I like to see. Now, bedtime. I'll see you in the morning."
"Thanks big brother." Twilight dove under the covers, and Cadance lifted the blanket up to tuck her in.
"Good night, Twilight," said the foalsitter. "Sweet dreams."
Twilight yawned widely as she closed her eyes. "Nini Cadance. Nini Shining."
"Good night, sis." Shining kissed Twilight's forehead. "Sleep tight."
Shining Armor extinguished the magical lights, and the two teens retreated to the living room. Cadance watched the stallion silently as he threw himself onto the couch. He blushed under the scrutiny, and moved over to make some room. "Sorry, have a seat."
Cadance took the seat and then slid over closer to Shining, her wings flaring slightly. "That was a very sweet thing you did for your sister."
Shining's breath caught in his throat. He reflexively ran a hoof through his mane to smooth it down. "Well, you know... She's my sister. I'd do anything to make her happy."
Cadance leaned in and kissed his cheek softly, then pulled away with a grin. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shining Armor."
The stallion couldn't suppress his own grin as Cadance stood up. "Ah, but didn't we tell you? The Princess will be tutoring Twilight all day tomorrow. We won't need you to foalsit."
The pink mare laughed softly. "Oh, I know. Like I said, I'll see you..." The mare leaned down and gave the stallion's nose the briefest of nuzzles. "Tomorrow. At 5."
Shining Armor hastily returned the nuzzle as the mare pulled away. He stayed silent as he watched her leave. As the door closed, he pumped a hoof joyously into the air and fell back over on the couch again.
Tomorrow was starting to look pretty good.
