Bedtime for Ponies

         “Twilight! Twilight, time for bed!” you call aloud, seeking out the little filly. You make your way into the living room, only to find she isn't there. Sitting in the arm chair is Shining Armour, a book in his hooves.

“Has she gone missing?” he asks, placing a bookmark in his story. You nod at him, to which he sighs before getting up. “I’ll go find her, you carry on preparing the bed.” He says, before walking out of the room, calling out for his little sister.

You sigh and turn to leave, blaming yourself for losing the filly. You should never have told her to finish the last page of her book before going to bed. You just warned her in advance. You shake you head, and begin to walk out the room, but not before noticing a small grey object sitting behind the sofa. You crouch down and reach for it, grasping it in your hands. You pull it out, only to see it's Twilight's beloved doll, Smarty Pants. You turn him over in your hands, noticing a few moist chew marks on his arm.

You take him to the bedroom, and put him on the bedside table as you wait for Twilight to arrive. As you place a glass of water next to the bed, you hear the sound of tears slowly growing closer. You turn to face the door as Twilight floats into the room, her eyes clenched shut as tears stream down her cheeks. Shining Armour stands close behind, a frown upon his face. He continues to hold Twilight aloft with his magic, as he regards you with a half smile.

“I found her crawling around the kitchen, carrying one of her books with her. When I picked her up, she dropped it and began to cry.” He levitates Twilight closer to his face, and smiles. “I guess little Twily doesn't like going to bed early, does she?” he says in a mocking tone, before moving her over to the bed. You can't help but feel sorry for Twilight, even though it is past her bed time. A keenness to read should never be punished, you think to yourself.

Shining Armour slowly lowers her into the bed, while you walk over and pull the covers back. Once she's safely down, you wrap the blanket over her purple body and gently ruffle her mane. She crosses her arms in protest of going to bed, and lets out a loud huff. You smile at the little filly, and pick up Smarty Pants from the bedside table. As soon as she spots her favourite doll, Twilight moans eagerly and reaches her hooves out to him. You're about to pass him to Twilight, when a purple glow appears around Smarty Pants, which pulls him from your hands!

He slowly floats over to Twilight, who grasps him firmly in her hooves and lets out a happy squeaking noise. You laugh at the cuteness, while Shining Armour lets out a contented smile, before using his abilities to tighten the blanket around Twilight's body, making sure she stays warm and comfortable.

“Would you like to hear a bedtime story, Twilight?” you ask the little filly, knowing full well what the answer would be. She smiles widely and nods her head enthusiastically in response. You turn to the bookcase and start looking for the perfect book, until you hear a moan from behind you. Turning back, you find Twilight shaking her head from side to side, squirming out of the bed covers.

Shining Armour quickly darts out of the room, leaving you to tend to the agitated filly. You walk over the bed and sit down on the edge, smiling at her. She looks up at you and frowns, continuing to squirm out from under the bed covers. You reach down and steady her hooves, stopping her from messing up the bed. As you do so, Shining Armour enters the bedroom again, carrying a book with him. As soon as Twilight spots it, she smiles happily and claps her hooves together, no longer squirming about.

“I think she wants to finish the book she was reading first,” he says, placing it down on the bed next to you. Twilight reaches for it again, a faint purple glow beginning to appear around the edges. You pick the book up before she pulls it away from you, and study the cover. 'Stallionspeare's Greatest Works.'

Certainly an advanced book for such a small filly! you think to yourself.

You look up from the cover, only to see Twilight looking up at you, eager to hear her story. You position yourself next to her and open the book to the last page she was on, beginning to read aloud.

She smiles and hugs Smarty Pants closer to her chest, listening to her story. As you continue to read, Shining Armour trots over and climbs into the bed next to Twilight, putting a hoof around his little sister. She cuddles up to his arm and listens intently to her story.

After half an hour of reading, you expect Twilight to be fast asleep. You finish the page you're on, and turn to face her, only to find she is still wide awake. You sigh quietly to yourself and open the book again.

“Does it always take her this long to fall asleep?” you ask Shining Armour, turning to face him. To your surprise, he is the one who has fallen asleep! Twilight looks up at her big brother and pulls on his mane, rudely waking him up. He wakes up with a start, before looking down at Twilight, who frowns back at him.

You decide to ignore the fight and continue reading the story. After another half hour, you reach the end of the book, much to the surprise of Twilight, and yourself. She claps her hooves happily, and tugs on your shirt sleeve, pointing at the bookcase. Another story? Really? you wonder to yourself.

“Come on Twilight, it's getting late. You better get your sleep, or Nightmare Moon will come get you!” Shining Armour joked. Twilight, however, was ignorant of his intentions and started to tear up, hiding her face behind Smarty Pants.

He quickly apologises at his foolish mistake and  hugs her and Smarty Pants tightly. He releases his hug, and looks down at Twilight again, who still looks around uneasily. You walk over to the wall and plug in the night light you kept handy for all the little ponies, and immediately see a change in Twilight's expression. She smiles and hugs her brother again. You then turn to the bookshelf and pick another story to read, only for it to be levitated out of your hands.

You turn to the bed, only to see Shining Armour holding it out to Twilight, waiting for her approval. She nods happily, so he begins to read aloud to her. He looks over to you and nods his head towards the door, smiling. You take the cue and leave him to read the next story, but not before giving Twilight a goodnight hug.

You come by the bedroom a half hour later to see how they're getting on. You peer in through the doorway, only to see Shining Armour fast asleep, Twilight laying next to him. Fortunately Twilight was fast asleep at last, though she was laying on top of the book itself.

Looks like she really wanted to hear the ending! you think to yourself. You step in and gently slide it out from underneath her, not wanting to wake her up. You place it on the bedside table and cover Twilight back up, placing Smarty Pants in her hooves. You turn the light off before leaving the room, slowly closing the door.