The Yearbook

Rarity, for lack of a better word, gawked at the house.

True to Twilight’s word, her parent’s home was, by Canterlot’s standards, a small family home. But to Ponyville standards? The place might as well have been a mansion. Slotted right in between two bigger homes was a little humble abode. It was obvious that the inhabitants of the home did not care too much about the lawn, as it was slightly overgrown, but it hardly detracted from it’s grandiose appearance.

“Well, don’t just stand there!” Twilight’s Dad, Night Light, said. He waved her in as he trotted down the stone path towards the front door. He was an older stallion with a charming personality, and Rarity really couldn’t see Twilight in him. Rarity didn’t wait to be told again, however, and quickly followed him. Night Light pushed open the door and held it, letting the white Unicorn trot in and marvel at the interior, her eyes glistening as they darted around.

“It’s just so…” Her eyes glossed around the space. To her left, a staircase. To her right, a living room, and directly in front of her was a kitchen. The wallpaper was a light blue, and the home was very clean. There was a slight fragrance of a burning essence that gave the entire house a library-esk feel. Very fitting for Twilight’s parents, of course. “It’s just so fancy!”

“Haha!” Night Light said, trotting past Rarity and into the living room. There were two couches facing each other, and he sat down on the furthest one, sinking into it. “Sure. Fancy. I like that word.”

“Is Twilight’s friend here?” A voice rang out. Rarity was broken from her stupor, turning to look towards the kitchen. From there, levitating a silver tray with cookies and tea, was Twilight’s Mom, Twilight Velvet. She was a silver mare, and…

Rarity had to take a second. Her eyes focused intently on the mare, and for a good few seconds, genuinely wondered if Twilight had dyed her coat silver to play a prank on her. Everything about the mare was identical to Twilight. From the way her dimples formed when she smiled, to the way her shoulders sat. The only difference Rarity could see was the coat colors, the lack of wings, and obvious aging lines.

“Are you alright?” Velvet asked. Rarity blinked, shaking her head, and quickly realized she had been zoning out while staring directly at her.

“Oh- um- I’m so terribly sorry.” Rarity said, rubbing her eye. “Oh, dear me. I just- I don’t mean to be rude, but has anypony ever told you that-”

“I look like Twilight?” She interrupted with a laugh, setting the silver tray on the coffee table in front of them.

“Or Twilight looks like Velvet?” Night Light added. He quickly grabbed a cookie with his magic and stuffed it into his face, much to Velvet’s annoyance. She shot him a glare as she sat down next to him. “Wha-? The cookies are there to eat!”

“For our guests.” Velvet retorted, straightening her posture and looking over at Rarity. “Please, sit down! I don’t think we have ever met!”

“Oh, thank you.” Rarity said, politely taking a seat on the opposite couch, facing both of them. She sank a considerable distance into the surface, having to flex her core to not tumble and sink further into the cushions. “No, I do not think we have-” Rarity paused, her memory quickly racking. “No- I do believe we shook hooves. Once. During Shining and Cadence’s wedding!”

“Oh, that’s right!” Night Light said, slapping his knee. “I remember now! You were so tired from fighting Changelings, it looked like you were fighting to stay awake!”

“I think this calls for re-introductions!” Velvet called. “My name is Twilight Velvet, and this is Night Light.” She gestured to the blue stallion. Rarity couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow at the mare’s name. And before she could even open her mouth, Velvet was already speaking again. “And yes, I know- Twilight-Twilight. It’s a family tradition to name the filly Twilight.”

“Ah.” Rarity daintily rubbed her forehead, just below the horn as she felt a headache slowly begin to develop. “I see. Sorry- just, the coincidences seem to really be getting to me…”

“Oh, not a problem.” Night Light laughed. “Raising the kids- it sometimes really felt like there was two Twilight’s running around.” He turned to Velvet and wrapped a hoof around her, to which she responded by rolling her eyes. “I mean- sure, Twilight’s a little more organized-focused than Velvet here, but you really start to see some creepy coincidences after a while.” He leaned forwards and lowered his voice, as if Velvet wasn’t sitting right next to him. “Did you know they both do tippy-taps the same?”

“Tippy-taps?” Rarity asked.

“You know- excited dance! When they get excited, they just dance on the spot-”

“Quite enough, Night, Dearie!” Velvet reversed the hoof around her neck to his, and pulled him back with a nervous smile. “Now- I believe you’re here for a reason. Isn’t that right, Night Light?”

“Oh- yes, Miss Velvet!” Rarity adjusted herself on the couch, using her magic to snag a teacup from the silver platter and bring it to her muzzle, blowing on it. “I was just in Canterlot for business, but then I realized Twilight’s birthday is only a week away! I hadn’t gotten the faintest clue on what to get her for her birthday!”

“Ah- the birthday conundrum.” Velvet said, tapping a hoof to her chin. “Well… you know what?” She looked over to Night Light, who smiled back at her. “I think we might just have something!”

“H-Have?” Rarity asked. “Oh- no, I couldn’t possibly take something from you two! I was here for a simple recommendation!”

“A-ta!” Velvet stood up quickly, waving her off. “Don’t you worry your little head about it!” She began trotting away, but paused suddenly. “You are a fashion designer, right?”

“Oh, yes. I own a quaint little shop down in Ponyville- I’m sure Twilight has told you all about it?”

“Great! Just checking- I’ll be right back!” Velvet disappeared up the stairs, the creaky planks making quite a ruckus as she did so. Rarity turned back to Night Light with a smile. So far, this had been going quite a lot better than she had imagined. For whatever reason when Rarity had the idea to visit Twilight’s parents, the first thing she imagined was two older Twilights. For whatever reason, that did not seem very enjoyable.

But so far, these two ponies seemed almost the other way around- Twilight seemed more like a combination of these two, rather than another one of them. Which was great for Rarity’s headache, thankfully.

“I’m really happy little Twilight made some real friends, you know.” Night Light said, levitating up yet another cookie from the platter. Rarity took a sip of her tea, but cocked her head to tell him that she was listening. “Twilight used to be such a social recluse. Especially after-” He laughed. “Bah- what matters now is that you’re here.” He took a large bite of the cookie, it almost vanishing as soon as he got it. “So- how did you and Twilight meet?”

“Oh- now that’s an interesting story!” She smiled dearly, and began recounting the tale. She went through the usual suspects- things ponies all across Equestria heard when reading the newspaper that night. Nightmare Moon’s return, Twilight coming to town, and them defeating her, bringing back Princess Luna in the process.

But Rarity tried her best to give him a side of the story that only she had. After all, the newspapers were focusing on the bigger picture, and not the individual stories of each of them.

“Poor little Spike- I could practically see the lovehearts floating off his head!” Rarity laughed along with Night Light. “Ever since then, Spike’s been a great help around my little shop, but…” She sighed, breaking the conversation with a little sip of tea. “I do feel quite bad leading him on all this time, but- I’d feel so much worse, seeing him with a broken heart!”

“Oh, I get that.” Night Light sighed. “I’d hate to see Spike like that, too. That little drake was like a third, uh, second son to us.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’d hate to see Shining or Twilight like that. You know- I do wonder if letting Spike go with Twilight was the best of ideas…”

“Hm?” Rarity intrigued.

“I mean- she was only a c- a filly when she hatched him. I just feel like it’s a lot of pressure. We tried to help out where we could, but-” He sighed. “I hope Twilight treats him well, that’s all…”

“Spike’s been living a good life, Mister Light.” Rarity reassured with a gentle nod. “Trust me- if that little drake had an issue living with Twilight, I’m sure he would’ve told me about it by now.” Rarity’s words seemed to reassure Night Light.

“I found it!” Velvet reintroduced herself quickly, giving Rarity a small startle. Velvet quickly sat back down on the sofa, and levitating a short distance in front of her was a tiny little box. “Twilight’s had this for a very long time, and knowing your background as a fashion designer, I thought this would make the perfect present!”

“Oh?” Rarity asked. She illuminated her horn and gave Velvet’s aura a small push. Willingly, she gave it over to her, and she levitated the box to her side of the living room. It was a small white box, perhaps something that a necklace would be sold it. It wasn’t very deep, and only a little larger than her hoof. Carefully, Rarity maneuvered the box opened, and peered inside.

On a small plushy purple pillow sat a bracelet. It was quite a crude looking thing, being made of what appeared to be frail and fraying string that was intertwined with one another. It was composed of five colors, one for each string- blue, purple, green, white, and another darker blue.

Carefully, Rarity lifted it up and inspected it.

“Hm.” Rarity pondered. “Quite an… interesting choice.”

“Oh, I remember that!” Night Light said, giving his knee a slight slab as he leaned forwards. “Oh, geez- It’s been a long, long time since I saw Twilight wear that. Are you sure she’ll still like it?” He asked, looking to Velvet. Velvet simply smiled and nodded.

“I must ask, what is the story behind this… thing?” Rarity tried her hardest to be polite, but the way in which this bracelet was falling apart- it was almost revoltingly put together. Sure, it had a lot of love… but perhaps there was a limit to the amount of love somepony should give…

“Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday.” Velvet sighed. “Twilight needed a gentle reminder that we all still loved her, so I went out and bought some string for us two to make bracelets for the whole family.” Velvet’s eyes unfocused as she stared at an undefined spot in the room. “We made a bracelet for all of us- me, Night, Shining, Spike, and her. But ours fell apart very quickly, so Twilight stuffed hers in an old jewelry box I had lying around because she was scared hers would also fall apart.”

Rarity nodded along to the story, but felt her mind get snagged on a particular detail.

“I’m sorry- but you said… that Twilight needed to be reminded…” Rarity set the box down and leaned forwards intently. “I don’t mean to pry, but was there something that happened?”

“Oh, you’re not prying.” Velvet waved her hoof. “It’s just Twilight’s life. A very important part, to be sure.”

“It was a tough time in Twilight’s life, that’s for sure.” Night Light laughed. “I mean, that was right after she came out to us. Wasn’t that a shock, Velvet?”

“Oh, it sure was.” Velvet nodded. “I really wasn’t sure how to respond to it. I mean, on one hoof, I wanted to support her, but on the other hoof-” Velvet stopped her rambling, looking at Rarity. “...why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m sorry?” Rarity quickly grabbed a teacup, taking a hearty gulp to try and restabalize herself. “I’m- Did you say- I’m sorry, but did you say come out?!”

Velvet and Night Light paused, looking at each other nervously. Slowly, they turned back to face Rarity with the biggest smile they could manage.

“...did she not tell you?”

“No.” Rarity responded curtly. But she leaned forwards, putting her chin on her hooves smugly. “But I would quite like to know the story, now. How did Twilight come out?”

The two older ponies in the room kept their big smile on, but it was obvious that it was waning. Rarity’s mind was overflowing with intrigue and possibilities. Subconsciously, she was searching her mind for anything that could’ve possibly exposed Twilight for being… well, being gay.

Unfortunately, Rarity’s quick search over her memories came out fruitless. Sure, Rarity couldn’t remember Twilight being into stallions, but at the same time, she couldn’t remember Twilight being into mares, either. Perhaps this ‘coming out’ was her confronting her potential asexuality? Maybe, maybe not. Still, Rarity was smiling dearly as the two older ponies started to sweat.

“Well- look at the time!” Night Light suddenly yelled. Rarity jumped with a start, turning to look at the clock.

She had been here for less than six minutes.

“Oh- that’s right!” Velvet laughed, also standing up. “You know- you should really be getting home by now, Rarity! You wouldn’t want to miss your train, now, would you?”

“But-” Rarity couldn’t respond properly, as somewhat unlady-like, she felt an aura wrap around her backside. She couldn’t see which pony it belonged to, but before she knew it, she was forced into a standing position. “But wait-! I hadn’t gotten the story-!”

“Plus, it’s almost time for my daily nap!” Night Light said, helping Velvet in physically pushing Rarity out of the house. “I wouldn’t want to miss out on my beauty sleep!”

“That’s what I say-”

“It’s been so lovely having you!” With a final shove, both Velvet and Night Light pushed Rarity out of the front door. She scampered, desperately trying not to fall onto the dirty ground. Thankfully, she recovered, just in time to watch as the front door slammed shut.

And then there was silence.

Rarity blinked, trying to catch her breath at the resulting situation. It had all happened… so fast. One moment, they were talking to one another like three friends, and the next…

Were they ashamed of Twilight? Was that it? Was Twilight’s sexuality that much to be ashamed of, that after spilling the beans, they forced Rarity out the door? Rarity knew the upper-crust of Canterlot could be quite… well… rude about things of that nature, but she had no idea that Twilight’s Parents of all ponies could be like that.

Maybe that made more sense on why Spike lived with Twilight. Perhaps Spike had to choose between her or her parents, and made the decision to stick with the… well, lack of a better word, the not homophobic one.

But now, Rarity had intrigue. Something that was incredibly dangerous for a mare of her nature to have. And, more importantly, still being held in her aura was the white box.

Now, the question was to who she would talk to?

Sure, she could go straight to Twilight, but Rarity was supposed to be in Canterlot for another five hours. She simply couldn’t wait that long, plus however long it takes the train to get back to Ponyville. Who else, who is currently in Canterlot, could she talk to about this?

Twilight’s parents were already off the table, with that insane reaction, while Shining and Cadence were currently hundreds of miles north in The Crystal Empire…

Princess Celestia.

That should be it, right? The one pony she could talk to about Twilight’s history?

Does Princess Celestia even know, though?

...maybe it would be a better idea to wait to talk to Twilight.

But I just NEED to know…

With a sigh, Rarity, somewhat reluctantly, and somewhat giddily, began trotting towards the castle.

There was just something so much inherently better about royal tea than normal tea.

No matter how exotic Rarity tried to source her tea from, simply nothing could beat being served tea, quite literally, fit for a Princess. As far as Rarity knew, this tea could be from some extinct species of plant. After all, Celestia is quite literally old enough to have been around to harvest tea herbs from some unknown to pony kind plant.

“Ahh-” Rarity finished taking a sip from her tea- her second cup of tea today- and looked over at Princess Celestia. “Royal tea just tastes so much better, doesn’t it?” Rarity asked the Princess.

There was something slightly unnerving about being so close to Princess Celestia. She hadn’t ever been alone with the sun monarch before, and doing so right now… it was a strange feeling to know that the pony sitting across from you could snap you from existence if she so pleased.

Of course, Rarity didn’t think she would do something like that, but… it was still just a thought she had.

“Hm-” Celestia hummed, taking a sip from her own tea. “I seem to get that a lot.” She set her tea down on the small table in between them. “But I can’t seem to figure out why that is. I have simply settled on the idea that a royal presence adds to the flavor, in a way.”

“Oh? Hm- so like a placebo, then?”

“A little bit.” Celestia nodded. They were in Celestia’s private meeting quarters. It was an ornate room that distinctly felt aloof, in some strange way. For something so royal and professional, there was a surprising amount of trinkets lining the room, each of which Rarity was sure had some multi-essay length history on them. One of which was a pony’s skull, that Rarity was quite certain was looking back at her.She didn’t want to annoy Princess Celestia by asking to be removed from the room, but at the same time… the eye sockets of the skull weren’t completely empty.

“Might aswell get right into it, then?” Rarity asked nervously. Princess Celestia responded with a small smile.

“I suppose so.”

“Well…” Rarity wasn’t exactly sure how to start. “I- uh- well, I talked to Twilight’s parents this morning.”

“Miss Velvet and Night Light?” Celestia asked, her face lighting up. “Oh, those two! I’ve not talked to them since Twilight left for Ponyville. Are they getting along alright?”

“Ha-ha… well, you see-” Rarity blew out her cheeks, slowly letting air out. “Well- they seemed to have… kicked me out? Of their home?”

Princess Celestia’s smile slowly faded- not to one of anger, thankfully, but of confusion.

“Really, now?” She asked. “Why would they ever do something like that?”

“I was wondering the same thing, Princess.” Rarity adjusted herself on the seat nervously. “You see, I was trying to get a recommendation for Twilight’s birthday. But then I believe they let something slip that they didn’t mean to… and… well, they kicked me out when I pressed them on it.”

Princess Celestia still looked confused. Rarity really, really hoped that Princess Celestia knew what she was talking about.

“They told me Twilight ‘came out of the closet’”

Suddenly, Princess Celestia looked like she was hit with a flashbang.

“Oh.” She said quietly. “I see.”

“I-I was hoping you had some more information?” Rarity quickly said, before Princess Celestia decided to kick her out, too. “I was planning on asking Twilight about it when I arrived back in Ponyville, but I simply couldn’t wait that long!”

“Hm.” Princess Celestia’s face fell to a blank emotion. She showed no ill-will, no anger, and no happiness. Instead, it looked as if she was deep, deep, deep in thought. But then, she did something that surprised Rarity.

“I’m sorry you found out that way.”

Princess Celestia apologized to her.

“I’m sure Twilight was going to tell you when she felt the time was right. But unfortunately, it seems as if the cat has left the bag.” Princess Celestia sighed, and Rarity noticed just how old she looked. Only for a moment, however, as when Princess Celestia looked back at her, all signs of age were wiped off in an instant. “I assume you would want a more cohesive answer, correct?”

“H-Yes! I-I mean- um- yes, please!”

“Well.” Princess Celestia took the teacup from the tray and drank from it once more. “I’d have hoped Twilight would’ve done this, but dwelling on it any longer would make you have the wrong impression of her. I wouldn’t want your thoughts to corrupt Twilight’s memory. Let me tell you a story, Rarity.”

Rarity couldn’t help but smile like a foal.

-- 12 Years Ago --

“Me and my brother…” Shining let out a small sigh. “I don’t understand my brother. And that’s okay. I don’t really need to. He’s my little brother, and I love him for that.”

“D’aww!” Cadence, the princess-to-be, cooed as she tippy-tapped her hooves on the rocky pavement. “That’s the sweestest thing I’ve ever heard!” Shining just rolled his eyes, but none the less, leaned into the Alicorn by his side as they walked down the mostly empty streets of upper Canterlot.

Today, for Shining Armor at least, was an early day out. It was somewhat rare for the instructor of the Royal Guard Recruits to not show up, so naturally, everypony got to go home early. Whether the old hag forgot to set his alarm, or he had finally croaked, it didn’t really matter. What did matter was that fact Shining got to go home early.

Despite being the colt-friend of a literal Princess, Shining Armor didn’t earn any special treatment by his instructor. If anything, it only made his life worse by the snarkish and unbearable other colts who tried their hardest to make fun of him. He knew they were all jealous, of course, as any other one would die to date an Alicorn Princess.

But that was okay. After all, if Cadence ever overheard what the other soldiers said about Shining behind both their backs- Shining knew that the Mare In The Moon would no longer be the only Alicorn legend banished to the lunar satellite. Shining simply never mentioned it to her, knowing full well the power that his filly friend, if angered, could posses. There was legends about angry Alicorns that made Shining somewhat uncomfortable to read.

Oh- and another con of dating an Alicorn? It’s really, really hard to introduce her to your family.

Of course, Cadence had already met his parents and his brother, Dusk Shine. She used to be his babysitter when he was younger, and sometimes Cadence even acted as his personal bodyguard at times around the castle grounds. So Cadence had met his entire family. It was just the next step- telling them that they were dating- would be particularly difficult. How would you even do that? How would you tell your parents that you were dating an immortal Alicorn Princess.

Cadence cleared her throat nervously. Shining tilted his head slightly to look at Cadence’s face, which had suddenly dawned a concerned expression.

“There’s something about Dusk.” Cadence said.

“Huh?” Shining responded. He took a moment to flash a mare a glare. She had stopped in the middle of walking to gawk at Cadence, as an Alicorn walking down a commoner’s street was apparently a rare occurrence. Once the mare scampered away quickly, Shining brought his attention back to Cadence. “What do you mean? Is something wrong with him?”

“I don’t know if wrong is the right word.” She said slowly, lowering her voice. “I feel… Hm. I don’t know. I’m supposed to be the Princess of Love. That’s my destiny. I can… feel this kind of… sadness underneath him. Well- sadness isn’t the right word, either. It’s like… a cross between sadness and longing, if that makes sense?”

“Not at all.” Shining said. Cadence rolled her eyes and playfully nudged him with her flank. “I mean, I thought Dusky was happy, though.” He said, similarly lowering his voice into a serious whisper. “He’s the personal student of Princess Celestia. He’s got everything he’s wanted when he was a colt.”

“I don’t know.” Cadence shrugged. “Either I’m not as good in my magic than I thought I was, or he only recently started having these feelings. It’s really well hidden, too.”

“You think he’s hiding it?” Shining asked. “Like… is he consciously trying to hide it?”

“I don’t know.” Cadence shrugged again. “I noticed it the other day when me, Celestia, and him had lunch together. But recently, it’s gotten a lot worse, and I’m a little concerned.”

“Worse?” He asked.

“Worse.” She confirmed. “I don’t know. I’m concerned.”

“Yeah…” Shining rubbed his chin. “I am, too.”

“Can you talk to him?” Cadence asked as they arrived to the front steps of his house. “I know you don’t notice anything wrong, but I really hate seeing him like this.”

“Of course.” Shining smiled, quickly hugging the Alicorn. “I wouldn’t leave my little bro hanging like that.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” Cadence smiled, leaning in and pecking Shining on the cheek. Shining felt a blush erupt across his muzzle as Cadence hastily retreated, giving a wave as she left. Shining, shell-shocked from the sudden kiss, could only offer a small one back. Of course, this wasn’t his first kiss, but each one still felt electric to him. Cadence had to go back to the castle, because although Shining’s day was over, Cadence’s still wasn’t. She was being forced to sit through government classes, etiquette classes- apparently becoming an Alicorn Princess came with a lot of responsibilities.

Shining watched dreamily as she walked down the street. One day he would introduce her to his parents. Would it be today? Maybe? Maybe not.

Shining took a deep breath, fluttering his eyes as if he was sick with love, and nudged open the door.

It was always a strange feeling trotting into his home at such a time of day. Whenever he got home after training, the sun was usually well on it’s way falling back down. During the weekends, he would usually sleep until it was past mid-day. So seeing light stream through the curtains at this angle was defiantly a strange feeling.

He let out the deep breath, letting his heavy saddlebags slide off his shoulders and hit the ground with a thump. He rolled his withers, feeling the knots that had built up pop out, wincing at the uncomfortable feeling.

Lunch was usually provided by the camp. Unfortunately, seeing as Shining was let out early, he hadn’t been given anything to eat. The oddly illuminated kitchen was practically begging him to make a delicious sandwich. With a wide grin, he began happily trotting towards the ice box.

He let the door swing wide open, blasting him with a wave of cold air. With his smile still plastered on his muzzle, he levitated out a plastic bag of freshly picked dandelions. Along with it, a jar of mayonnaise, and some extra cabbage. He let the door close, and using his magic once more, plucked two slices of bread from the breadbox. Placing them on the counter, he slipped open the dandelion bag and began neatly placing them on the bread.

Shining got halfway before he stopped.

Both of his ears began irradically twitching. Above him, there was a noise. The sound of murmuring, like somepony was talking into a pillow. Slowly, he put down the bag of dandelions, straining his ears to hear.

He was a guard. (in training.) He was (almost) trained for situations exactly like this. As far as he should know, this would be no different to him sneaking up to an assassin in the castle, ready to take them out. Like he was trained to do, he crouched down low to the ground and peered around the corner of the kitchen island. If the sound was emitting from somewhere above him, then he would have to go up the stairs.

A determined look of concentration appeared on his face as he barely slinked across the floor. His head was kept low, his movements careful, as he pushed his head into the living room. Despite just coming from here, he still made sure the room was clear. Of course, it was.

He inched his way up the staircase, taking extra care to not step on any of the squeaky steps that would potentially blow his cover to whoever was up here. His mind raced, trying to come up with any reason why somepony might be in the home this early. Maybe Mom came home early? But the voice surely didn’t sound like hers. None the matter. He was a royal guard… in training, of course, but still. I anypony could sneak up on an intruder, it would absolutely be him.

The mumbling voice was coming from the room at the very end of the hallway, that being where Dusk’s was supposed to be. Now that he was closer, he could identify that it was definitely a filly’s voice, and no offense to his brother, but Dusk wouldn’t have known any fillies- especially none to bring home.

The door was open by a sliver, a stream of light making it’s way past and stretching slightly down the hallway. Shining’s hoof felt slightly warm as he set it down directly into the beam of light.

“I know, Spike.” The filly said. The voice was clear enough that he could now make out words. “Princess Celestia let me try transfiguration spells, and- well, they’re pretty versatile.” Shining pushed his eye to the crack, closing the other one so he could see into the room. He could now even hear the baby babbling of Spike. “I know. It’s still me, see? Feel my fur. I just… look a little different, okay?” Shining heard her let out a sigh. “I really hope you’re too young to remember this.”

Shining was stunned. He couldn’t look away. In the middle of Dusk’s large, observatory-like room, was the filly. She was facing towards the door, letting Shining get a clear picture of her face. In front of her was Spike’s crib, and both of them watched as Spike reached up, gripping her muzzle with his claws. It looked like he was listening to what she said, as Spike rubbed his claws up and down her muzzle, gripping her bottom lip. Spike let out a babble that sounded vaguely happy.

“Do you think it fits?” The filly asked. She lifted him out of the crib and sat down with him on the floor. The filly ignited her horn in a shockingly identical violet color to Dusk’s, and levitated a book towards them. She laid it flat on the ground, opening it up and showing Spike. “Do you see the similarities?” The filly asked Spike. Spike observed the book closely, and after a moment or two, he pointed with a claw at a photo, along with a babbling sound.

“I know. I tried to look like Mom. Do I look like her?” The filly reached her hoof up, parting her mane. A mane that looked identical to Shining’s Mom’s. “Ponies tell me all the time how much I look like Dad, so I thought… you know, if I was born, and I do mean if, if I was born as a filly, I would probably look a lot like Mom.”

All of this Mom and Dad talk made Shining confused. Shining pushed his head further towards the door, and strained his eyes, trying his hardest to read the book on the floor. It was rows and rows of portraits, featuring ponies. They all looked younger, all of them somewhere around Dusk’s age.

Shining’s brow furrowed. She was trying to look like Mom… Who’s Mom? The only yearbook in the house would’ve been…

His parents yearbook.

Slowly, Shining made a connection he really wasn’t sure of.

The filly, still sitting with Spike in her lap, looked an awful lot like his brother. And his Mom. Like some kind of cross between the two. The coat colors were Dusk’s, sure, but if Shining was colorblind, he would’ve had a very, very hard time distinguishing between this filly and his Mom.

Of course, this filly was decades younger than his Mom. Shorter, thinner, less wrinkles- but the similarities were so shocking it didn’t even matter. The shape of her muzzle, the space between her eyes, even the way she smiled- she was a drop-dead copy of Shining’s Mom, just with Dusk’s coat colors.

Shining felt a name worm onto the tip of his tongue. One he wasn’t sure how to feel about.

“...Dusk?” He finally asked in shock.

The result was instantaneous. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed the filly exploded infront of him. It started with a yelp, which evolved into a scream, and then the door slammed shut in his face with the force of the sun. It shook the whole house, the resulting sound making his ears ring. Shining took a preemptive step back, listening intently as it sounded like a nuclear winter was happening just on the other side of the door.

But finally, after about six or so seconds, the sounds all haulted. He took a deep breath in, raising his hoof, and knocking twice.

“Dusk?” He asked through the door, this time louder. After not getting a response, he knocked again. “Can I come in, Dusk?”

Still, no response.

“Alright… I’m coming in.” He decided. He reached his hoof out and twisted the door knob. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the door was locked. “Dusk…” He let out a sigh. He leaned his head forwards, touching his horn to the knob. As if he needed more confirmation, the lock matrix was not only hastily assembled and shoddy, but it was also overflowing with Dusk’s handiwork. It took less than ten seconds to crack, but was still impressive considering what had just transpired. If Shining needed any confirmation that his brother was powerful, this would’ve been it. A shoddily and hastily applied lock that was stronger than what 90% of Unicorns could do.

The sound of a deadbolt sliding open rang out when the spell disintegrated after some simple probing. He turned the knob again, letting the door swing open.

Spike was sitting on the floor, babbling away and chewing on a plush toy held tightly to his chest. He was blissfully unaware of anything that had just transpired, and for that, Shining was happy.

The room, as usual to Dusk, was messy. Vials from experiments were simply laying around, and there had to of been about a good dozen or so notebooks, caulked entirely full of notes on magical experiments. Everything was thrown haphazardly across the floor, but Shining got the impression that some of the mess was created by Shining interrupting Dusk.

Shining scanned the room, until eventually, his eyes laid on an awkward lump in Dusk’s bed.

“Dusk…” He sighed, trotting over. He leaned over the bed at roughly where Dusk’s head should’ve been, and with a tug of magic, ripped the blanket off.

“Eep!” The filly made a yelping sound. She quickly used her magic to throw the blanket back over her head, covering her once more.

This was all the confirmation that he needed. He just needed to get up close and personal. Some ponies say the eyes were the gateway to the soul, and Shining agreed.

Bright purple eyes.

It was Dusk. It had to be.

“So…” Shining started awkwardly. “What’s, uh, this about?” He asked the unmoving heap of blankets. Shining’s thoughts drifted back to Cadence, and how mere minutes earlier, she had talked about Dusk’s negative emotions. He closed his eyes and sighed, a sense of understanding washing over him.

He hated seeing his brother like this- even if he was currently a sister.

Deciding that standing over Dusk like a demon probably wasn’t going to make him come out any time soon, Shining trotted to the foot of the bed, away from Dusk, and sat down. The bed creaked as he did, morphing to his weight. He placed his hooves onto his lap, sighing out and looking around the room.

“Yeah…” Shining talked to the heap of blankets once more. His horn ignited, grabbing the book Dusk and Spike were looking at earlier. Spike watched it float through the air, still preoccupied with eating his toy plush. Sure enough, once the book landed in Shining’s hooves, he could visually identify that it was, in fact, a yearbook. He cleared his throat and began reading.

“The Freshmare Writing Club.” He read the top. There was a shuffling sound, and in the corner of his eyes, he watched as two purple orbs peered out from the top of the blanket. He smiled, but didn’t look at him- her- him just yet. He did, however, slightly adjust his hooves so the book was facing Dusk a little better. “I think you’ve already figured out which one’s Mom, right?”

Dusk still didn’t say anything.

In the picture, front and center, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a bunch of other students, was Twilight Velvet. Better known as Shining and Dusk’s Mom. She was smiling broadly, along with the ten or other ponies sitting around her in a circle.

It was surreal, though. He was staring at an old picture of his Mom, and to his left was an almost exact copy. They really did look identical.

Shining drew another breath.

“Cadence is worried about you.” He said, putting his hoof over the photograph and feeling the texture of the paper. Dusk shrunk into the bed, but didn’t take his eyes away. “She’s noticed that you’ve not been very… well, you recently.” Finally, Shining looked at Dusk. He flinched.

“Hey, it’s all right.” He said, reaching over and placing a hoof on where he assumed Dusk’s shoulder would’ve roughly laid. “Can you tell me a little bit more about… this? How you did this?”

Dusk adjusted uncomfortably under the blanket, but didn’t move much more, making no effort to reveal himself. Shining was surprised at how much smaller the mare was under the blanket. She- he- she took up, compared to Dusk’s- or, compared to his old appearance, she took up almost no space.

Dusk cleared her throat.

“P-Princess Celestia gave me a spell-”

“Please.” Shining put his hoof in front of the blanket, resting it on the bed. “You don’t need to lower your voice like that.” Dusk drew in a shaky breath.

“P-Princess Celestia helped me learn an transfiguration spell. I-It was very powerful. I-I could turn an o-orange into a coffee mug, a-and nopony even noticed!” Dusk’s voice was identical to that of a filly’s. If Shining didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed he was talking to a filly. “I-I got curious, and I-I wanted to use it on a living creature. Um- t-the only living creature I had access to was me or Spike, and…” Shining looked across the room. Spike was chewing on a notebook, now. “I-I don’t think Spike would appreciate that…”

“I see.” Shining closed the book, putting it on the ground next to his legs. “And you tried turning into… Mom?”

“N-Not right away…” He mumbled. “I tried looking at photos, s-so I could base the spell off of ponies I saw. I-I tried turning into you, first, but nothing really changed. Me, you, and Dad all look pretty much identical, s-so I thought I would try somepony else. I-I thought it would be weird to turn into some random pony, though, so…”

“So you chose Mom?” He asked.

“Y-Yeah…” Dusk took another breath in. “I-I really liked it! I-I feel- like- I feel great! S-So I modified the spell to not change my coat, mane, or Cutiemark. A-And there was a certain point where… I just… I felt so much happier using the spell then not.”

“Huh.” Shining nodded along, trying his hardest to keep still in fear of scaring away Dusk. “It doesn’t feel… weird?” He asked.

“No.” She almost immediately shook her head. “Ever since I tried the spell, I’ve just been… using it when nopony was home. I-I’ve been… Happy. O-Or, I guess, content? I-I don’t know…” Shining felt a pair of eyes rest on his face, and finally, he turned to look at Dusk. Those two orbs were staring back at him. They looked scared and fragile. “Is it weird that I like using this spell, Shining?”

Shining wanted to respond right away. Tell him that no, it was okay. But instead, he thought about it for a moment. Shining was a stallion. That much was obvious. And all things considered, he quite liked being one. He never really sat down and took the time to think of the advantages or disadvantages of being a stallion, and there really wasn’t much to consider. All of his friends were stallions, he liked playing hoofball… but what else separated him from hers?

Did he like being a stallion? Absolutely. Would he be a royal guard in training if he was one? He had no idea. But apparently, this was something that Dusk had seemed to though about quite a bit.

Was it weird?

He couldn’t answer it without hurting Dusk’s feelings.

“Hm.” He said, rubbing his chin. “That’s a tricky one.” It hurt Shining’s heart to watch the little bit of Dusk’s face gulp nervously. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, if that’s what your asking.”

“B-But you think it’s weird?” She asked.

“I-” Shining couldn’t lie to Dusk. It’s not that Dusk could easily tell a fib from the truth- it just simply felt like the wrong thing to do. After a moment of deliberation, he bit his cheek.

“I… I think it’s…” He mumbled. “…kind of?”

“Y-You think I’m weird?!” Dusk suddenly shouted, covering his head once more with a blanket. Shining stuttered, and quickly placed both of his hooves on Dusk’s shoulder, slowly rocking him back and forth.

“I-I- well, I mean- it’s not, like-” He stumbled over his own words, listening to a sobbing… sobbing filly that he had just hurt the feelings of. “I-I guess- I mean-” He grunted. “H-Help me understand, okay? What’s so special about being a filly that I don’t understand?”

Dusk’s breathing slowly returned to normal, and she began mumbling incomprehensibly under the blankets. Shining tried to strain his ears, but unfortunately didn’t hear anything.

“What was that?” He asked.

“I don’t know, okay?!” Dusk’s muffled voice rang out. “I don’t like girly things. I don’t like dressing up, doing makeup, o-or anything else! I didn’t mind being a stallion for my entire life until I tried this stupid spell! I-It felt like I left a cave for the first time in my life, seeing the sun!” Dusk made a sad noise. “I-I don’t know why I feel this way, all I know is that I am!” There was a moment of silence. “And you aren’t making it much better!”

“I-”

Shining knew he had done bad.

“I’m…”

He hurt his brother.

And he had made terrible first impressions with his sister.

“C-Can we-” Think, Shining, think! Make this better! “C-Can we start over?”

Silence rang out across the room. Even Spike, who was watching from a distance, stopped chewing a book to watch.

Dusk moved underneath the blanket, and finally, for the first time, popped her head out from under the blanket. Once again, Shining was taken back by how much she looked like his Mom. Her face was slanted into a tear-stained scowl as she stared at him. The scowl was something both Dusk and Shining had seen Mom wear a lot while raising them, but the tears were a new sight that made him slightly squeamish.

“What?” Dusk asked tiredly.

“Can we start over?” Shining asked again. Dusk didn’t seem to get the message, furrowing her brows and squinting at him.

“How?” She asked. Shining turned his entire body to face her, straightening his back and holding out his hoof. Dusk’s eyes darted from him to his hoof a few times, before cautiously, reaching out and taking it. Shining responded by shaking her hoof.

“Hello. My name is Shining Armor.” He said. Behind Dusk’s eyes, it seemed to click on what exactly was happening. She dawned a disappointed look, frowning at him. “What’s yours, little sis?”

That did something. Whether it was asking her for her name, or calling her ‘little sis,’ Dusk’s eyes lit up in a face of surprise.

“Oh, I already know.” Shining stopped shaking Dusk’s hoof and p-shaw’d the air. “I forgot. Obviously it’s Twilight.”

“Twilight?” Dusk asked incredulously. “Twilight’s Mom’s name. Why would you call me Twilight? That’s like-” Dusk huffed out. “It’s one thing to take her appearance, it’s another thing to steal her name.”

“Did you forget?” Shining asked. Twilight’s frown returned, but she didn’t say anything. “All the mares in the family share the same name-”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake-”

“-every filly born in the family is named Twilight. That’s just how it works!”

Dusk pondered for a second, biting the inside of her cheek. She scrunched the blanket up, pulling it tightly to her chest. He could tell she wasn’t exactly thrilled about the name, but he could also tell that she didn’t hate the idea behind it. It was true that every filly was named Twilight. And it was true that if Shining or Dusk was born a filly, they would also be named Twilight.

“I don’t know…” Dusk mumbled, looking down at the blanket. “It feels… wrong…”

“I mean…” Shining laughed. “This isn’t gonna be a permanent thing. You can just take her name for-” But Shining stopped when Dusk looked up at him with the most pitiful and hurt expression a pony could possibly muster. In an instant, Shining felt his heart break into a billion pieces as tears welled in Dusk’s eyes. “...permanent?” He asked.

“I-I wish you’d never seen me like this…” Dusk started crying again, but this time, in full view of Shining. “I-I’m sorry I’m so weird! I-I didn’t think- it would come to this!”

“Hey-hey!” Shining said quickly. “H-Have you-”

Make it right, you stupid stallion!

“I-I’ve always wanted a little sister!” He sputtered. Dusk’s crying, before it could crescendo, momentarily died down. “I-I see nothing wrong with it! If you want to be a filly, then- What the hay does it matter what I think? Brother or sister, it’s still you, Dusk!” He leaned in and grabbed Dusk’s hoof, holding it between his own. “You’re still the same pony that passed Celestia’s entrance exam with flying colors! You’re still the same pony that hatched Spike from an egg! You’re the same pony-” His voice broke. “You’re still the same pony I held as a foal, all those years ago. If you want this to be a permanent thing, then what the hay do I care?”

“B-But-” Dusk whimpered. “P-Ponies a-at Princess Celestia’s school recognize me. I-If I show up as a filly-”

“Why do you give a flying hoofnail what they think?” Shining gripped her hoof tighter. “I’m sorry for being so insensitive, I just didn’t realize this was such a big moment to you, okay? If you want to do this, then… I’ll be behind you. Cadence will be behind you. I’m sure Mom and Dad will be. And Spike-” They both looked over at the drake. Even he was crying. “I’m sure Spike will, too.”

Dusk stared at him for a few moments longer. Then, slowly, and somewhat robotically, she leaned in and wrapped her hooves around him. Shining, somewhat quicker, followed suit, and they found themselves in the tightest hug either had ever seen.

Shining found himself surprised at just how much smaller she really was, now. Instead of the broad shouldered stallion Dusk once was, she was now probably half his width, making the hug seem much more like Dusk was being smothered by Shining.

Finally, they broke. Dusk took a few extra moments to wipe the tears away.

“I-” She mumbled. “I- I have to tell Princess Celestia…”

“Why?” He asked softly.

“B-Because… she can help me… change.” Dusk could no longer keep her eyes on him, either too embarrassed or too overwhelmed to do so. “S-She’s better at magic then I am… so… I thought…”

“I get it.” Shining sighed. Slowly, he stood up from the bed, leaving Dusk looking somewhat lonely in the middle of the bed. Shining stretched, and feeling slightly lightheaded, made his way to the door. “Listen- uh- for you and Spike, I’ll make some sandwiches. All this, uh, crying’s made me kinda hungry.” He opened the door, and looked past it, down the hallway. “Um- if you need to talk…” He mumbled. “I’ll be downstairs, okay?”

Dusk nodded.

“Okay.” He paused at the door, turning to look at her in the bed. “And, uh, I’d like it if you’d join me downstairs. You don’t have to. I- uh-” Finally, with a respecting nod, he ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The hallway looked the same. It was… wrong. Just like that, Shining’s entire perception of who Dusk was and who Dusk wants to be was flipped upside-down. And now that he trotted down the hallway and down the stairs, leading back into the kitchen, everything felt… off. The future felt shaky. His hooves felt shaky. Everything was wrong.

But… wrong wasn’t the right word, was it? Was it so bad to let Dusk express himself? Was it so bad to do… this?

Shining’s hoof was, in fact, shaky, he noticed, as he picked up the two slices of bread he placed earlier. He moved them to the side, and out from the breadbox came three more slices of bread. He carefully sliced one of the pieces of bread into two for Spike, and began slowly assembling it.

It had been so long since he first started that the dandelions had turned slightly warm. But he didn’t mind. His mind was elsewhere. Thinking about Dusk. The repercussions. The events that would soon transpire.

He wanted it to be permanent…

Did that mean Shining had to start calling him a her?

Had he already been doing that?

Mom and Dad were out, and wouldn’t be back until around five o’ clock. What would Dusk tell them, then? Would they accept it like Shining had? Or would they fight back? Especially Mom. After all, Dusk was practically stealing her look, down to the way her scowl formed. Was that going to be an issue?

Shining’s thoughts were broken, however, as he heard the sound of floorboards squeaking. As he looked up, the sight made his heart flutter with what felt like pride. Trotting down the stairs, slower than a snail, was a purple filly with a baby dragon on his- her back. On her face was an embarrassed, shying away look as she refused to make eye contact with Shining. Slowly, she trotted to the kitchen counter, and sat down on one of the stools.

Shining offered a smile and pushed a plate towards her as she sat Spike down on the stool next to her. Dusk, still not making eye contact, looked down at the sandwich. A red blush was erupting across her face, no doubt embarrassed by the whole situation. She carefully lifted the sandwich off the plate with her hooves and stared at it.

“So…” Shining said, taking a large bite of his sandwich. “Have you thought about how you’re gonna tell Celestia, Dusk?”

There was a mumbling sound as Dusk hid behind her sandwich.

“I’m sorry?” Shining said, leaning in. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

She mumbled again, this time slightly louder. Still, Shining’s ears strained.

“Dusk, I need you to speak-”

“Twilight.”

There was a moment of pause.

“Twilight?” He asked. “Did you-”

“It grew on me, okay?” Dusk said quietly. At least she wasn’t mumbling anymore. “I-I kinda like it. And- I guess it just makes logical sense to be named Twilight. Like Mom and Grandma.”

Shining smiled.

“Well, then.” He pushed a sandwich towards Spike. “Welcome to the family, Twilight.”

To Be Continued...