There
“Hngh!”
“Come on Twily, you can do it!”
“Hngh!”
“Almost there, come on!”
“Hngh-ah!”
The young filly fell onto her back and her chest heaved as the thin bedtime book hit the floorboards. Her brother groaned and stroked her mane as she turned her face away. She scrunched up her lips and clenched her eyes tight, tucking her chin into her hooves and lying down on her side.
“Oh, there’s no need to be upset, Twily.” The stallion prodded her and shook her, begging for her attention.
“There’s no point!” cried the small, lavender filly, straining her voice. “I’m never going to be able to do it! I’ll never be able to lift that book!” With a sniff, Twilight curled up into a ball and rubbed her eyes into her hoof.
“Don’t say that! You’ll get there eventually,” comforted Shining Armour, sitting down beside her, continuing the endless stroked of his hoof.
“No I won’t!” she retorted. “I’ll never be good with magic, and I’ll never be able to do what you do!”
Her cries pulled at his ears but despite his best efforts, Twilight continued to bawl and stomp her hooves on the ground. Sighing, he sat down beside his little sister and urged her to place her head on his hoof. Carefully, he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, concentrating his own aura into his horn and letting it burst into a flare of myriad colours. It was small but wonderful, and Twilight had forgotten about her shame and was instead mesmerised by the spirals and the flashes. Meanwhile, Shining Armour wiped away his sweat with a hoof.
“Do you like it, Twilight?” he asked with a pant. She eagerly nodded her head and continued to watch as the sparks slowly faded, growing dimmer and dimmer with every passing second. “Well very soon you’ll be able to do that.” In an instant, Twilight’s smile disappeared, and in its place Shining saw the same frown that usually came before a torrent of tears.
“No I won’t,” she mumbled, hanging her head and prodding the carpet with a hoof. “I’ll never be able to do that...”
“Twilight,” started Shining, sitting up straighter. “Do you think that I was always this good at magic?” The filly raised her face and stared up at him in wide-eyed confusion. “Well, I wasn’t. I had to work hard, just like you’re doing right now! In the beginning I couldn’t even turn a page, but I got there eventually, and now I’m here.”
He hugged Twilight and pressed his cheeks against hers, feeling it flush and seeing it for himself when he grinned at her.
“Trust me, Twilight, you’ll improve and not only that but you’ll get so good that even Princess Celestia will want to meet you!”
“Really?” begged Twilight, balanced on his shoulders and knees, pressing down on his brother. “Do you really mean it?” she continued, eyes sparkling and the corners of her mouth jerked up.
“Of course I meant it, Twily!” he assured, face flushed when he was pinned by his baby sister.
Gleefully, Twilight skipped from Shining’s head to his tail and all the while, despite his intermittent cries of pain, Twilight cheered with joy and her cheeks were a vibrant rose as she fell out of the air only to jump back up again. Eventually, Shining calmed her down and before long, their laughter started to wane.
“So, are you ready Twily?” Shining’s voice rose like Celestia’s sun, as did his eyebrow, and he waited patiently for Twilight to respond.
“Yes!” she cried, jumping up one last time before bracing herself and sticking his tongue out as she readied her mind for the night of practice that lay before her.
***
“What’s wrong, Twily?”
Without a word, the filly ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room. As Shining climbed up after her, he could hear the faint sobs coming through the oak door. Carefully he pushed it open and peered through the crack, and he saw a violet tail with a streak of brilliant rose being flung about from underneath a bed. With a lengthy sigh, Shining stood beside his sister for a moment before diving under the wooden frame, finding himself on the floor with a teary-eyed filly beside her.
“Are you okay, Twily?” he asked, lighting the tip of his horn, casting a gentle glow upon her face.
Her eyes were bloodshot and her shoulders shook with each of her sniffs as she tried to keep her face dry, to no avail. Shining’s magic brought a box of tissues down to the floor and pulled out a few pieces, dabbing at her cheeks and holding another thin square up to her nose, waiting for her to blow.
“Thanks,” she muttered with a sniff as Shining cautiously rolled the now balled up, damp tissue.
“Why are you crying?” he continued. He wrapped a hoof around her shoulder and pulled her closer, cradling her head in the curve of his neck. “Were the other ponies mean to you?”
Twilight clenched her eyes even harder and dug her face into his coat, slowly nodding her head.
“Aw,” he mumbled, stroking her reassuringly and giving her a soothing peck on her forehead. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked?
She shook her head and dug her face deeper. Shining could feel the tears being wiped onto his neck.
“Come on, you can tell me what happened can’t you?” he continued, giving her a gentle shake.
Her head shook again.
“Did they make fun of your mane?” he wondered, lifting a part of her smooth hair.
“No...”
“Did they make fun of your teeth?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as she pulled the corners of her lips up.
“N-No,” she stammered, pulling back.
“Hm...Then did they make fun of how ticklish you are?” His hooves flew to her sides and she started to giggle, louder and louder until she needed to take a deep breath.
“Haha, no!” she laughed, trying to keep him away. “Stop that -- haha -- I can’t take it!” she cried, curling up into a ball.
“Gee, this is turning into a real mystery!” he declared with his hooves at his hips and his head in pain after trying to stand up under the bed. “Why would anypony be mean to you anyway? You’re smart, polite, and adorable-” Twilight slapped at his hooves, rubbing her cheek where it had been pinched. “-Surely everypony should love you!” Twilight grinned at him and her eyes glistened momentarily before her smile turned upside down and her gaze fell to the floor.
Shining couldn’t help but sigh and slowly, he slid his head out from under Twilight’s bed, sitting upright beside it with a pout as his sister followed reluctantly behind. Her eyes refused to meet his and they kept wandering behind her. At first Shining thought that she had been captivated by her own flittering tail, but he soon understood what was on her mind. Taking her by the shoulders and glaring sympathetically into her purple, stunned eyes, he took a deep breath, glancing behind her.
“Twilight...” He trailed off and Twilight became noticeably worried as he stared unblinkingly at her.
“Yes?” Her voice, softer than a feather’s fall, reached his ears.
“Twilight, are the other foals making fun of your blank flank?” he asked, gesturing to the lavender patch at the base of her tail.
Instantly her face flushed a tropical burn and Twilight’s heavy heartbeats could be heard by her keen brother. With a bead of sweat hanging precariously on her head, Twilight quickly turned her back to Shining and slouched forward, hugging the three-toned tail that had covered but one of the two unmarked sides. Her shut eyes shook furiously as she pained herself with an iron-clad grip on her tail, but when she felt Shining place a hoof on her shoulder, she could feel it stop. She could feel that all of it had stopped and in an instant she felt her nerves calm down. Without realising it, her lips parted and her head turned to face a relaxed, smiling stallion whose smile radiated a warmth like Twilight had never known before. Staring out of a pair of wide, incredulous eyes, Twilight moved her entire body closer to him and once again he placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.
“Twilight, what do you want to be when you grow up?” asked Shining, his eyebrow raised, pulling up a smirk.
Her eyes shone like the stars and her open mouth still bore some resemblance to an amazing smile, but she paused to think for a moment as images of lab coats, chalkboards and pointy hats flooded her mind. After some pondering and glancing at her growing collection of books that filled two whole shelves, Twilight had her answer.
“I want to be the world’s greatest magician!” she declared, standing up on two hooves and sketching an arc with the other two as she stared in awe at her own imaginary construction. She and Shining shared a few chuckles before they settled down again and she was once more on the floor with her legs crossed and her tail curled into her lap.
“Really Twilight?” asked Shining, gentle giggles still interrupting his words.
“Yep!” Her naive smile was brighter than any of the lights in her room.
“Because last year you told me that you wanted to be a scientist,” he remarked.
“Well, that was before I could do this!” she retorted, throwing a book towards herself and only just managing to keep her balance with the tome in her hooves.
“Very impressive Twilight,” he cheered with jaunty applause. “But still, if you changed your dream once, then what’s to say it won’t change again?”
Twilight stared at him, bemused.
“My point is Twilight that you shouldn’t feel bad because other ponies have their cutie marks and you don’t. Do you know why?”
“Why?” she asked, eager to hear.
“Because you may not have found your special talent yet, but you will eventually, and until then you have a world of possibilities before you. Your talent could be anything and you won’t know what it is until you get your cutie mark, but you can rest knowing that it will definitely be something you love, and it will definitely be something you’re already great at.”
Twilight’s cheeks started to glow again, and she found it harder to keep eye contact as Shining pointed a hoof at the shield emblazoned on his own flank.
“Thing is, with a pony like you, one cutie mark just isn’t enough! I mean you’re good at reading, you’re great at magic, and you’re better than anypony else when it comes to organising! How can the great Twilight Sparkle settle for just one cutie mark?” he cried, swinging his hooves in the air and chuckling with his sister. “The answer’s simple: your cutie mark will be for a unique talent -- something only you can do, and there won’t be a pony in the world that doesn’t admire you for your skill!”
Twilight’s growing smile eventually touched her ears and her tail had started to wag again. Bit by bit, Twilight leaned closer to her brother and when Shining finally noticed, he stretched his own grin and embraced her, pressing his cheek against hers. He stroked her mane lightly and gave her a caring peck on her horn before looking into her eyes.
“You’ll get your cutie mark soon enough Twilight,” he started, voice low and lasting. “Don’t let the other ponies get to you. So what if they already have their cutie marks? I promise you, your talent will be so much more impressive than theirs that they might as well still be blank flanks.”
Twilight’s cheeks turned a gentle pink mixed with the lavender of her coat and she lowered her eyes, breaking their eye contact. Her grin remained however and with her head turned to the side, Twilight reached for Shining, pulling herself into his hooves, resting her head on her shoulder like she would do when she was a younger filly and she had scraped her knees or bruised a hoof. Shining’s recently trimmed, sapphire mane tickled her face and every one of his movements forced a giggle from her, but she felt safe in his hooves and she was ready to spend the rest of the day there.
“Thanks...” She rubbed her muzzle against Shining’s neck and this time, his coat wasn’t wet.
“Anytime.”
***
“What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?” screamed Twilight, pupils shrunken and mane dishevelled by her erratic hooves.
Three ponies slowly enclosed her and one of them knelt down onto his knees, beckoning for Twilight to come to him. For the first time in a long time, she ignored Shining and continued to scratch her head as she stormed around in an ever-shrinking circle.
“Twily” he moaned, trying to get her attention. “Twili-Twiligh-Ugh! Twilight!” Shining took a step forward and grabbed her hooves.
He could feel them shaking, even though he was holding them down and when Twilight turned to face him, Shining saw a desperation in her eyes that he had never seen before, not even in the eyes of other ponies. Her breath reeked of fear and the sweat that drenched her coat had almost freed her from Shining’s hooves.
“Twilight, why are you so worried?” he asked, causing more than a little frustration for her.
“Why? Really? You don’t know why?” she howled, eyes even wider and hooves stiff. “This test determines whether or not I’ll study in Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns! Princess, Celestia!”
“Calm down Twilight!” Shining had to readjust himself so that he could contain Twilight’s jittery, nervous energy. “I know that this is an important test to you, but it’s not like there’s a lot in the balance or anythi-”
“Not a lot in the balance?” shrieked Twilight, slack-jawed.
“-I meant, that there’s no need for you to worry. You’re going to ace the test, you always do!” he declared, letting her go for a moment to emphasise his point with the use of his hooves. “Trust me, there’s no reason to be afraid of this exam.”
“But what if-”
“But nothing,” Shining interrupted, shaking his head with pursed lips. “You will pass this test, you will impress the judges, and you will join Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns because that’s what you are! You’re a brilliant unicorn with a hunger for knowledge and an outstanding understanding of magic! If you failed this test then I would lose all respect for Princess Celestia, because she’d be ignoring the most intelligent, hard-working student she’d ever have the good fortune to meet in her life!”
“You can’t say that...” she mumbled, face crimson and heart beating faster than ever. “She’s the princess...” Twilight found it impossible to wipe the faint smile from her face, and just the sight of her brother and her parents there threatened to make it grow larger.
“You’ll definitely pass this test Twilight, you don’t have it in you to fail,” he added, giving her a short but needed hug. “Now then, are you ready to go in there and wow those judges?” he cried, standing up and thrusting a hoof into the air with a look of determination chiselled into his features.
“Yes sir!” she replied, jumping up with an enthusiastic stare and running after her brother who started to gallop towards the entrance of Canterlot Castle.
Shining Armour soon arrived at the grand double doors and stood in awe for a few moments before Twilight and their parents eventually caught up. Just before they both ran in together, their mother pulled them back and slowly brushed their manes until the knots and licks were all flattened. Pulling them together for a brief peck on their cheeks, she trotted with them up the steps and met with the guard that stopped them in their tracks.
“Excuse me ma’am, is she here for the entrance exam?” he asked, taking off his helmet and gesturing to the filly.
“Yes, she is.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let all of you in. At most, I can let her take two ponies in, but three is too many.”
“But three ponies is only one more than two ponies,” complained Shining Armour, his tail whipping from side to side. “Can’t you just let us in this one time?”
“I’m sorry but I can’t do that, it goes against Celestia’s orders. She doesn’t even want the foals to have their parents with them because she thinks that her students need to be able to do well without their support. It took a lot of work for her to let even two ponies in, I wouldn’t push it if I were you.”
“But-But I want all of them to be there!” cried Twilight, her eyes and mouth wide with unease.
“I’m sorry, I can only let two of them go inside. Other foals will want their families in there too, I imagine the waiting room would be completely full by now. I’m not even sure if two more ponies can fit inside,” he admitted, stealing glances at the doors behind him.
“But!-”
“It’s okay, Twilight,” interrupted Shining, suddenly calm.
“Wh-What?”
“It’s okay, go in with mom and dad,” he instructed, motioning for her to go on ahead.
“But what about you?” she asked, shaking her hooves stomping them on the ground. “I want you to watch me, I need you to be there!”
“Oh, I know you’re going to pass the test, Twilight, so there’s no point in me watching you.”
“But I want you there with me!” she whined, eyes wetting.
“Don’t worry, Twilight,” he assured, kneeling down and grazing her mane with a hoof. “I’m not going to be in there with you, but I’ll always be here for you. Right. Here,” he affirmed, placing his hoof on her chest with a smile that promised to reassure her for all eternity.
Twilight stared down at his hoof and at first she was puzzled by the motion, but the meaning behind it soon sank in. Immediately she lowered her face and tried to hide her embarrassment, but Shining’s chuckles were evidence enough that it wasn’t a secret. She tried to say something more than once, but each time she froze up right when her mouth opened and all that made it out were a few gargles and quiet breaths.
“Hurry up Twily!” urged Shining Armour, pointing to the golden doors behind her. “You should get a move on, the exam is starting soon.”
Sure enough, a bell sounded and alerted them that it was the beginning of a new hour as well as the start of the examination process. Suddenly filled with terror at the thought of being late, Twilight bolted through the doors followed by her parents after they waved to the stallion that stayed outside. Shining waved back at them and smiled as he took a few steps back before he sighed and let a frown grow across his face. He wanted to see it all as well, but he knew that it’d be fine.
“Shining!” he heard somepony cry. Surprised, Shining reeled around and saw at the top of the steps a small filly with a rosy streak in her mane. “If I pass this test, promise me we’ll celebrate!” she demanded, panting but upholding her crescent lips.
“Well then I’ll just go ahead and buy the cake right now!” he replied, chuckling. “In fact, I’ll buy two cakes because I’m sure that today’s the day you’re going to get your cutie mark!”
Without delay Twilight forgot about her breathlessness and instead she beamed at him, her toothy, open-mouthed grin taking up most of her face.
“Really? You mean it?”
“Of course I do, Twilight!” he replied, cocking his head. “Now go on! I’ll get the cakes, don’t you worry!” Shining waved his hoof and Twilight gave a short nod before waving once and running back into the castle, leaving Shining well and truly alone.
As the time passed Shining’s expression faded and ended with a longing stare at the double golden doors and an unspoken ‘good luck’ hanging on the tip of his tongue. Chortling, he gave a momentary smirk before he tipped an imaginary hat to Twilight and turned his back to the castle. His steps were lethargic and his eyes were downcast, but he was definitely heading in the direction of Canterlot’s favourite bakery.
Before he got too far however, a powerful shockwave flew through the air and punched him in the face, stunning him for a second. Soon he regained his footing and when he lifted his gaze into the sky, he couldn’t look away. There was an expanding ring in the sky that shone brighter than the sun, and definitely garnered more attention than it as well. Within the ring there were individual bands of colours that he was used to seeing after some heavy rain, and as it passed over the castle, Shining Armour couldn’t help but smile.
Shining’s smile was short lived however, because it was wiped away like a bead of sweat shortly after it appeared. Instead, he wore an astonished look as his neck arched upwards, following the immense tower of flowing, orchid light that shot through the clouds and reached for the heavens. He, like all the other ponies that witnessed the pillar of magic, had his eyes transfixed in amazement. The air rushed into his empty lungs but even though his chest was puffed out he still felt breathless. Gazing in awe, he watched until the pillar broke apart and what was left of it drifted up into the sky before dissipating with the winds. When his trance-like wonder finally came to an end, he realised why the colour was so familiar to him, and it was impossible for him to keep his smile from showing up again at the thought of his younger sister.
Chuckling under his breath, Shining Armour gave a slow bow followed by a proud salute before he continued to trot away from the castle, towards the bakery, with countless worried voices and hurried hooves behind him.
“Good job, Twily...”
***
“Come on, Twilight,” moaned a young dragon, swinging his arms impatiently above his head. “We should get a move on if we want to have time to settle into our new home as well as do what Celestia asked us to.”
Twilight looked down at him then back at the sliding door that led from her study out onto the balcony, her lips parted and pulled down.
“He won’t be much longer, can’t we just wait a little bit longer?” she asked, pawing at the seat of the carriage with her hoof.
“Twilight, we can’t just make the Royal Guards waste their time here with us!” protested Spike. “They probably have a lot of important things to do today, so we really need to go.”
“Excuse me, we have been instructed to ensure that your journey is as smooth as possible,” started one of the two pegasi, stretching his neck as he spoke. “We don’t mind if you need us to wait for a while, as long as we can get you two to Ponyville by sunset.”
“See, there’s no need to be so impatient Spike,” she remarked, eyeing the windows and incessantly tapping her hoof. Spike scoffed and rolled his eyes before crossing his arms and sitting down beside her with a scowl on his face.
Twilight’s spire was remarkably high up above the other buildings of Canterlot, but she has never once come out onto her balcony to enjoy the view or the fresh air. At most she’d come out with her telescope and monitor the stars. She still wouldn’t gaze around her at the quaint ponies beneath her and the blissful clouds that drifted up above, instead choosing to fixate on a pony that had yet to arrive. She didn’t have a watch with her and there wasn’t a clock nearby so the exact time was a mystery to them, but Twilight was certain that it was long past when Shining Armour told her he’d arrive.
A gentle whistle blew through Twilight’s mane and it brushed against her face; her back shuddered with the cool breeze that stroked her. With a hoof she cleared her line of vision again and waited with great agitation. It took an incredible effort not to chew at her hoof and her tail slapped from side to side as if there were a fly buzzing around her. All the while the guards remained motionless, their backs erect and their tails flat whereas Spike grunted, and moaned, and pouted at regular intervals, hoping that Twilight would take the hint.
What was originally a clear, azure sky had become scattered with cotton clusters and irregular shadows had been cast over the city of Canterlot. The wind picked up and at such a height, the temperature was significantly lower. Twilight, who was more exposed than the guards who wore armour and Spike whose head stayed under the rim of the carriage, felt the full force of the chilly wave. Her teeth chattered, her hooves shook furiously and every now and then she had to wipe at her nose. Despite the conditions, Twilight never moved from where she stood and her eyes never left the door to her balcony.
Eventually, the clouds drifted apart and the possibility of a storm disappeared along with the almost icy gusts that had assaulted her previously. Again, the sun’s rays shot down to them and warmed them up, relaxing Twilight’s jaw from a stutter to a stop. The growl of her stomach was evidence enough that more than just a few hours had passed and Spike was less than amused at its rumble.
“Twilight,” started Spike, his voice already whiny and peevish. “It’s been so long that I don’t even know how long it’s been anymore! Can’t we just go now?”
“But he said he’d be here!” she protested, face wan and worried. “Can’t we just wait a little bit longer?”
“We’ve already been waiting for a few hours! We should just get a move on or else we won’t be able to do what Princess Celestia asked us to. We have to get everything done by tonight, so we really need to go, now!”
“But he said-”
“Never mind that!” interrupted Spike, waving a claw at her. “You can just send him a letter when we get there, or better yet, tell him about it when we get back. We’re just going there for a short while after all, I mean, if we weren’t then Princess Celestia would have arranged a better place for us to stay than a library.”
Twilight was ready to respond but her voice disappeared before she could utter a word. She looked pleadingly at Spike before glancing at the door once more and turning back to the baby dragon who glared at her with disapproving eyes. She balanced on the edge of her hooves for a moment, but eventually she let out a heavy sigh and let her head hang low as she furrowed her brow in annoyance.
“Okay...” she mumbled, face downcast and hoof poking the seat of the carriage. “Let’s go...”
“Thank you!” cried Spike, throwing his claws in the air and leaping up onto the cushioned seat. “Gentlecolts, please take us to Canterlot!”
With a short whinny the two guards reared up and stretched their wings out, flapping them twice before starting to run forward. Twilight watched as the edge of the balcony slowly approached them and sighed, shaking her head. Of a sudden, her head shot up and her ears erected as she stared blankly at the two guards in front of her. After listening intently to the air, her mouth opened and her pupils shrank down, smaller than a drop of rain.
“Wait!” she cried, leaning forward and pulling on the reins that linked the carriages to the guards.
In an instant the guards were jerked backwards and they landed on their flanks before pushing back the carriage that threatened to run them over. Incredulous, they got to their hooves and dusted themselves off, rubbing the bruises and the grazes. Once at eye level with Twilight, one started to grind his teeth and the other’s mouth was open, ready to scold her when she suddenly flashed out of the carriage and stood between where the carriage came to rest and the door that led out onto her balcony. After a few moments, she was sure that she heard the sound of faint hoofsteps and panting as somepony ascended the stairs. Her violet eyes glistened with elation as she stood there, unable to move. Not long after the guards removed the reins from their mouths, a stallion with his blue mane ruffled and a hoof pressed against his heaving chest appeared with a look of relief on his face as he stepped out into the fresh air.
Twilight’s smile grew from an anxious mouth that couldn’t close to a crescent that dominated the majority of her face, reaching up to the corners of her eyes. Without hesitation she galloped forward, closing the distance between them that Shining couldn’t and jumped into him, hanging onto his neck with her hooves and praying that he stays upright.
“Hi, Twily!” he managed, panting and groaning as he regained his balance.
“Hi, Shining!” she replied, staring up at him out of delighted eyes. “You made it!”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, straightening his mane. “I’m sorry that I’m so late, I had to run a lot of the way,” he explained.
“Run?” repeated Twilight, confused. “I thought you were just going to take the train to King’s Cross and then take a taxi here.”
“I was, but I had a little accident in Fillydelphia and I lost all my money. I had to ask one of the guards to fly me back here, but it’s apparently really hard for one pegasus to fly with a carriage, so it took us a while to get here.”
“Oh my goodness, what happened?” she asked, with a gasp.
“I bumped into a few colts that were in dire need of some bits I guess,” he ventured, chuckling as if it would redeem his pride. “They took the money that I was going to use to pay for the train and the taxi.”
“Oh, well I’m glad you’re okay.” Twilight pulled him into another hug and rubbed her cheek against his damp, sweaty coat.
“Of course I am Twilight,” he affirmed. “After all, I am the Captain of the Royal Guard after all.”
“Haha, of course!”
Shining smiled at her briefly before letting it fade as he stared over her head at the two guards some paces away, still straightening their helmets and flaunting their scowls. They glared at him for a moment then turned their noses into the air, gripping the reins in their teeth again.
“Looks like you really need to get going,” started Shining, motioning for Twilight to glance behind her. “Have you been waiting for a few hours?”
“Yeah...” replied Twilight, hanging her head in shame as she peeked at the pegasi that stayed with Spike through the gaps in her dangling mane. “I’m still happy that you managed to make it.”
“Twily, do you not want to go?” he asked, catching her off guard.
“W-What?” she stammered, taking a step back.
“Twilight, you’ve been waiting here for a few hours even though Princess Celestia is waiting for you to go to Ponyville and there are two very nice stallions there, waiting for you to get on the carriage so they can do their job and go home. You’re not the kind of selfish pony that can ignore all of that are you?”
Twilight’s face flushed a vibrant red as she broke her eye contact with Shining, searching desperately for something to stare at so she didn’t have to look at her brother.
“Twilight, why don’t you want to go?” he asked, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I thought you would be ecstatic that Princess Celestia gave you a mission, so why don’t you want to go and do it?”
“...It’s not a very important mission,” she mumbled, her lips barely moving. “I’m just supposed to go and make sure that everything is in order for the Summer Sun Celebration...”
“Twilight, I know that’s not true,” revealed Shining, shaking his head. “Princess Celestia wouldn’t tell you to go to Ponyville just to organize the preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration; the ponies over there can do that themselves. Why are you really being sent there?”
Twilight dodged his eyes for as long as she could, looking to Spike for reassurance who was unfortunately sitting with his back to her on the rim of the carriage. Her breathing paused as she eventually looked him in the eyes and tried her best to think of a lie, but nothing came to her. Sighing, she let her head drop and seemed to hold up two paperweights with the corners of her mouth.
“I was doing a bit of research,” she started, lifting her regretful gaze to her brother who stared straight at her, completely neutral. “And I found out that Nightmare Moon is supposed to be released from the moon on the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration...which is going to be this one...”
“Nightmare Moon? Isn’t that one of those stories that mom and dad used to read to us when we were foals?”
“It’s not a story!” protested Twilight, stomping a hoof. “I’m certain that it’s true, but...”
“But what, Twilight?”
“But when I warned Princess Celestia, she just told me to stop reading those, ‘dusty, old books.’ I can’t believe she doesn’t believe me!”
“Are you sure that it’s nothing more than a story?” pressed Shining Armour, cocking his head.
“Yes I’m sure!” she assured. “I just know that Nightmare Moon is coming back, but nopony believes me!”
“Well, even if Nightmare moon is real and even if she is coming back, don’t you think that Princess Celestia would be able to handle it?” asked Shining, rubbing her shoulder with a reassuring grin.
“But Princess Celestia needed something called the, ‘Elements of Harmony’ to banish Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago! What if she can’t use them anymore? If Nightmare Moon is so powerful that even Princess Celestia needs help to banish her, then shouldn’t we be a bit more concerned about the possibility that she comes back to Equestria?” retorted Twilight, voice strained and eyes determined.
Shining Armour drew an ellipse with his head as he hummed and pondered what his sister had told him, unsure how to respond. The sweat of running for miles and miles to see his sister off became the sweat of nervous inability and it became apparent that he wanted to avoid Twilight’s resolute stare.
“I suppose so...” he managed, never officially ending his last syllable. “But what if Princess Celestia has a plan?” he suggested, brightening up at the thought. “Yeah, what if Princess Celestia has a plan to defeat Nightmare Moon once and for all? Nightmare Moon was Princess Celestia’s sister right? So she probably intends to bring back her sister and to get rid of Nightmare Moon.”
“But why would she lie to me and tell me to stop reading old books?” argued Twilight, stomping a hoof. “Why would she tell me to forget about it and to make sure that the arrangements for the Summer Sun Celebration are in order?”
“She probably just doesn’t want you to worry about her,” he explained with a shrug. “Like I said, she wouldn’t send you, her best student, to Ponyville just to have you check up on their preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration. She probably wants to make sure that nopony starts panicking, so she wants to keep you busy with something.”
“But why can’t I stay here? Why can’t I be kept busy in Canterlot?”
“Maybe because Princess Celestia plans on meeting Nightmare Moon here,” proposed Shining, not entirely convinced himself. “Anyway, you don’t need to worry about anything, why don’t you just enjoy yourself in Ponyville? After all, Princess Celestia asked you specifically to do this for her, you don’t want to let her down do you?”
“No...” she mumbled, sighing and sketching lines on the ground with her hoof. “But I still don’t think that Princess Celestia can defeat Nightmare Moon on her own without the help of the, ‘Elements of Harmony’ though,” Twilight admitted.
“Even if she can’t, I’m sure that she’ll be able to win in the end,” assured Shining with a nod.
“How can you be so sure?” wondered Twilight, raising an eyebrow.
“Well what if she’s sending you to Ponyville because you’re her secret weapon?” ventured Shining, winking.
“What?” screamed Twilight, astounded.
“You’re her greatest student Twilight, and there’s no denying that you’re a great unicorn too. I mean, you did attend Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns. What if she’s actually planning to let you help her defeat Nightmare Moon?”
“No way! That can’t be true, she would never do that!” denied Twilight, shaking her head vigorously and taking unnecessarily deep breaths.
“Why else would she ask you to go to Ponyville when just about any one of the countless ponies that work for her could have checked up on their preparations? Compared to them, your magic is a thousand times better so she must be asking you to go because of your magic! She might well need you to help her defeat Nightmare Moon.”
“She would never bet the fate of Equestria on me would she?” demanded Twilight, voice trailing into the pitch of a screeching chalkboard. “I mean, what if I couldn’t do it? What if I fail and Nightmare Moon wins? We’ll be forced to endure an eternal night only this time, nopony will be able to stop her! Princess Celestia would never be that reckless!”
“Twilight, don’t put yourself down; you deserve more credit than that. You may not be as powerful as Princess Celestia, but how can you be sure that you won’t be enough to help her defeat Nightmare Moon? She’s incredibly powerful, you’re incredibly talented, and the two of you make a formidable duo. I don’t think that Nightmare Moon will be able to do anything to you.”
“Shining, this isn’t the time for jokes!” she whined, tapping her hooves furiously. “I’m serious; I don’t know what to do! I just know that Nightmare Moon will return soon, but I don’t want Princess Celestia to think that I’m disobeying her, so I have to go to Ponyville! But I’m afraid that Princess Celestia isn’t taking this seriously, I just don’t know what to do!”
Twilight had her head securely wrapped in her hooves and she started to rock back and forth as she sat on her flank, her tail curled around and patting the ground beside her. Shining Armour groaned quietly and knelt down, stopping her with his hooves and pressing his forehead against hers, their horns side-by-side. Slowly he peeled away her hooves and pulled her into a gentle embrace, stroking her mane and shushing soothingly in her ear.
“Calm down Twilight,” he urged softly. “This isn’t your problem; it’s Princess Celestia’s. You’ve already warned her and she knows what to expect. Trust me when I say that Princess Celestia can definitely handle this on her own.”
“But-”
“But nothing. Princess Celestia can handle this on her own, you don’t need to worry about anything. You just go to Ponyville, do what you need to do and then come back home. Everything will be okay! I promise.”
Twilight’s reply held on to the tip of her tongue and all that Shining heard was a small, indecipherable mutter. She looked up at him, at his gentle blue eyes and she saw a modest smile on his face. It was the same smile that she often saw as a filly, and it was the smile that always offered reassurance without exception. Her cheeks assumed a pinkish hue and she wanted to turn her face away, but she couldn’t bring herself to break their eye contact and to look away from his face, full of calm wisdom and inspiring tranquillity.
“O-Okay,” she managed, barely audible over the pleasant breeze.
Twilight slowly moved away from Shining Armour despite every one of her instincts begging her not to, and she stole a glance behind at the guards waiting patiently by her carriage with a distempered dragon pouting inside. She thought for a brief moment before facing her brother and giving a weak smile followed by a nod and another instant hug.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, taking a step back. “You’re right. I guess I’ll just go to Ponyville and help out in whatever way I can...”
“That’s great Twilight!” he declared. “I’ll wait for you to come back and when you do we can celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon together! I’ll even drop by the bakery and pick up a cake!”
“Haha.”
Twilight drifted across her balcony, slowly picking up speed until she was trotting away from her brother who she managed to keep in the corner of her eye. Their hooves had been raised into the air and were being waved harmonically at each other as the distance between grew larger and larger. Eventually Twilight found herself in the carriage again and after gesturing to the pegasi she turned back to her brother who had taken a few steps towards her. The wheels of the carriage rolled along the balcony as the guards started to run and Twilight kept waving at her brother.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can!” cried Twilight, regretting how far she was getting from her bed and her books.
“I’ll be waiting here!” replied Shining, his hoof vigorously oscillating. “Don’t worry, everything will be alright! There’s no need to wo...”
Twilight, Spike and the two guards were in the air now, and Shining’s words never made it to Twilight, but nonetheless she grinned at him and kept waving until he became nothing more than a dot in the distance. For a while she stood there, hoof half-raised and carefully ensuring that she stays inside the carriage. Sighing, she placed her hoof on her heart and breathed out, easing the air out of her lungs bit by bit before taking her seat next to Spike.
“Spike,” she started, focussed on the air rushing into her face. “Can you read me that letter again?”
***
Twilight gazed up to her side at the proud stallion beside her dressed in crimson garments with a strap-on badge emblazoned with a star. Furrowing her brow, she straightened it with her magic and grinned briefly at him before turning her face back to the double doors with two guards standing ready on either side. Before her she saw her parents, teary-eyed with a hoofkerchief at the ready, pursing their lips and trying their best to smile for the occasion. Behind her stood Princess Celestia, regal and powerful, and her friends stood on both sides, giddy with anticipation. Fluttershy on the other hand stood by the opening that led out onto an overhang and she waited for the cue with her birds warming up their voices. Twilight was on the top of a raised platform and from where she and her brother were to the grand doors before them there was a ruby strip of carpet that soon Princess Cadance would trot down with all eyes on her in delighted envy.
“Twily,” started Shining Armour, leaning to his side slightly only to be corrected by Twilight when he had gotten her attention. “I wanted to say thanks for everything you did.”
“Oh you don’t need to thank me!” replied Twilight in a sharp whisper. “It’s nice to be able to help you for once.”
“Seriously Twily, I’m grateful for what you did, especially after what I said to you,” he insisted, frowning.
“You didn’t know!” retorted Twilight, almost angrily. “You were tricked by Queen Chrysalis, I only realised that because I was trapped in the Canterlot Mines. You can’t blame yourself for anything that happened, you can only blame Queen Chrysalis!”
“Haha, I guess you’re right,” admitted Shining Armour, shoulders shaking as he held in his chuckles. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you saved all of us, so thank you Twily.”
“Well, you and Cadance did more to save us than I did. I mean, I just made you realise that the Cadance you were with was a fake but you two were the ones that banished all the changelings. If anything, I should be thanking you!”
“I need to look out for my little sister, don’t I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve always been looking out for you, it’s my job.”
“Well I’m still happy that I got a chance to look out for you,” mumbled Twilight, leaning towards her brother for a moment before returning to her upright stance. “It’s a nice change.”
“Well you won’t need to look out for me for much longer Twily, I’m sure Cadance has got that covered.”
“Yeah...” agreed Twilight with a sigh.
“Is something wrong Twily?”
“It’s just that...I have the feeling that after you’re married, I’ll be seeing less and less of you and...and you won’t be there for me anymore.”
“Don’t be silly Twilight,” scoffed Shining, smirking at Twilight. “I’ll come visit you whenever you want me to, and you can come visit us too! We’ll always be family Twilight, all this marriage means is that you’re going to have a new older sister, that’s all! You and I will still be brother and sister, and I’ll still help you whenever you need me to. I may even need you to help me out in the future. Nothing’s going to change between the two of us, I promise.”
“Won’t you be too busy as the Captain of the Royal Guard to visit?”
“I’ll quit my job if I have to! Nothing’s more important than seeing my little sister. I’ll do whatever it takes to make the time so I can visit you.”
“You don’t need to go that far,” murmured Twilight, hiding the deep burn of her cheeks. “The thought’s still nice though.”
“Twilight, I need you to know that I’ve been your big brother ever since the day you were born and I’ve always been there to help you. I’ve loved you, I’ve cared for you, and I helped you practise your magic when you were a filly, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to do anything else. I’ll still be there for you, as long as you need me to. Whatever you do, I’ll be there to cheer you on and watch as you succeed. I love you Twilight, I’ll never leave you on your own, and especially not when you need me there.”
Twilight’s eyes were wide and her lips clenched as her face turned from her natural lavender colouring to a solid cherry. She could feel that Shining Armour was staring at her, but the embarrassment kept her from looking up and the most she managed was a weak smile as Shining started to giggle quietly to himself. Before long he turned to face the doors again and of a sudden, the birds started chirping and the procession started. Shining’s eyes went wide with anticipation and his mouth fell open into a faint grin that grew larger as his bride-to-be marched down the aisle with three fillies sprinkling flower petals on the ground.
Twilight watched as Princess Cadance and her brother held each other’s hooves, staring into one another’s eyes lovingly like her parents would on their anniversaries and their special occasions. He was completely enamoured and Shining’s blue eyes shone like the ocean would on a sunny day. Celestia started the service and everypony went into hushed elation as they watched the two ponies that never broke their stare. Twilight felt the corners of her mouth being tugged at and eventually, she was smiling at them even though Shining Armour was the only one that even had the chance of seeing her. He didn’t notice though, but she didn’t stop either.
Twilight felt as if it wasn’t enough, as if her smile couldn’t live up to this moment, but it was the best that she could manage. She kept trying though and she kept pushing her smile to the limits, stretching it and shaping it in the hopes that it would capture his attention if only for a brief moment. As she stood there, smiling the most synthetic and sincere smile, she thought back to another smile that she often saw when she was a filly. Whenever she was upset, this smile would brighten up her day like a second sun, much closer to home. She wanted to emulate it, to produce the wonder of eternal reassurance, of unaffected kindness and of a warmth beyond comprehension, but the longer she moulded her lips the more she realised that it was an exercise in vain for those qualities are unique to one pony, and one pony only.
That very pony started to smile at his fiancée and though Twilight couldn’t see her childhood in the curvature of his lips, she knew that this was a smile she was going to see very often. Her brother was moving on in life and he was ready to start his new family, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to leave his old family. Twilight exhaled slowly and felt the emptiness in her chest pulling her in. Giving an unnoticeable nod to her brother, she stepped back and watched the wedding as if she were nothing more than a spectator. They kissed, the ponies erupted into a cheer and Twilight clapped her hooves in sync with the voices and hooves of the others. She closed her eyes as the uproar washed over her and with one long breath, she grinned at her brother, knowing the message would get through.
‘Congratulations, B.B.B.F.F.’
