Chapter Twenty-Two
Big Brother

In the ruined streets of Appleloosa Captain Shining Armor of the Peace Fighters walked, the eerie calm punctuated only by the wind blowing across the desert, blasting sand and grit against the wood and steel that was once Appleloosa.

The ELEMENT GEAR soldier MAGIC GEAR had walked into the town after dragging Shining out of the wrecked DRAVM just as a sandstorm rolled in, forcing the Peace Fighter leader to follow her in. Now, amidst the rubble, the enemy soldier could be anywhere.

“When I was just a filly...” Sudden music filled the around Appleloosa and Shining Armor whipped around, wondering just where the song was coming from. He recognized it immediately as the little tune his sister Twilight Sparkle had sung to him years ago, having come up with it one night when she declared that he was to be his BBBFF for the rest of their lives.

“...I found it rather silly, to see how many other ponies I could meet...” the song continued, sounding like it was being broadcast from the air traffic control tower of the airbase. It was still the same song Shining remembered it as, but it had a deeply disturbing air around it. It felt wrong, but Shining didn’t know how or why.

“I had my books to read, didn’t think I would ever need...”

“...other ponies...”

“WHO ARE YOU!? WHERE ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!” Shining Armor yelled, confused as to how this soldier knew Twiley’s song.

“To make my life complete” MAGIC GEAR said behind Shining, seemingly completing the verse of the song and answering the Captain’s last question.

Quickly turning around Captain Armor raised his rifle and was about to fire when MAGIC leaped forward and grabbed the gun with her left hoof, putting her right on Shining’s shoulder, turning and throwing him to the ground and wrenching the gun from his grasp.

Rather than turn the CSC-12C on Shining the operative took the gun and dismantled it, scattering its various parts across the battlefield.

Getting to his hooves Shining pulled his custom SP-M6 pistol he took of Chrysalis’ body and took aim, having it too taken from his and dismantled. It seemed MAGIC wanted to do this hoof-to-hoof.

“Let’s finish this, Shining. FACE ME!” MAGIC GEAR declared, her face sounding tauntingly familiar, but the Captain couldn’t quite place it since it was muffled and altered by the helmet.

Raising his hooves and standing on his hind legs Shining Armor began to circle around MAGIC, waiting for her to make the first move.

And make the first move she did.

Reaching her hoof over her back and spinning around MAGIC produced a sword, thrusting it forward in an attempt to stab Shining Armor. The leader of the Peace Fighters dodged the blow and reached forward, grabbing MAGIC’s hooves and throwing her over his back to the ground, taking the sword and twisting the blade free from the handle.

Getting back on her hooves MAGIC used just that; magic. Her horn, mostly covered by the armor, had an opening in the tip and she channelled power to it, unleashing a beam of magical energy not unlike a laser directly at Shining.

Running to a nearby house to avoid the laser Shining smashed through the door and rushed for the stairs to get up higher, hearing the magic laser cutting and slashing through the wood of the house, literally melting what it touched and setting fire to what it didn’t.

Reaching the second floor Shining turned the corner and ran down the hall, heading straight for the window at the end. Leaping through the glass Captain Armor saw MAGIC GEAR still firing her laser at the first floor of the house, cutting off the flow of her magic as Shining dove for her.

Landing on the soldier the two ponies tumbled together across the street, slamming into another house. Shining was on top of MAGIC and decked her hard across the face, a steady CLANG resonating through the air as the shock of the hit transferred through the metal helmet and into MAGIC’s head, dazing her.

Throwing Shining Armor off her MAGIC GEAR rolled over and shook her head, getting back into the fight immediately. Leaping forward in a roll MAGIC landed directly in front of Shining and hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Grabbing the stallion by the right hoof MAGIC threw him to the ground.

Getting back up Shining Armor took aim and fired his magic over and over again, MAGIC GEAR teleporting away to dodge the attacks.

The battlefield suddenly still and empty Shining Armor took a few steps back and desperately looked back and forth for the enemy, having not a single clue as to where she could be.

“...Big brother... Where are you, big brother...?”

Whipping around and surveying the area Shining saw nothing behind him, his breath beginning to grow shallow.

A blast of magic above made Captain Armor look up as MAGIC GEAR reappeared, landing directly on the Peace Fighter. The two of them rolled and tumbled in the desert dirt, kicking up dust as they went. MAGIC fired off a burst which threw Shining off her, immediately getting up and sprinting for where he landed. Shining Armor rolled away as MAGIC conjured a magical sword and stabbed it at him, the appendage sinking into the dirt.

I've never seen a unicorn with such raw power.

Her side open Shining got up and blasted the mare in the side with his magic, sending her sprawling. As she lie prone Shining Armor stalked towards her, his hooves crunching the dirt beneath them.

Big brother... I love you, big brother... Twilight’s voice echoed in Shining’s head as he got closer to MAGIC, and Shining determined that whoever she was she knew possibly everything about Twiley and would use the knowledge against the leader of the Peace Fighters.

You won't break me.

The ELEMENT GEAR operative got up and fired her magic at Captain Armor, who deflected it with his own. Resorting back to physical attacks MAGIC teleported behind Shining and grabbed his back hooves, flipping him over and hitting the stallion across the face.

Getting up the two took a moment’s respite and began to circle around each other, contemplating their next moves.

MAGIC struck first, reaching her right hoof out in a hook. Shining grabbed it and threw her to the ground, the operative getting back up immediately. Shining attempted to punch her square in the chest and MAGIC grabbed his hoof, yanking it forward and throwing him over her back.

Rolling over and getting up on his hind legs Shining tried to straight punch MAGIC across the face, getting his arm grabbed once again. Instead of getting thrown over the enemy’s shoulder, however, MAGIC yanked his arm up into the air and hit him in the gut with her off-hoof, dropping him to the ground afterward.

Getting back up Shining Armor had to rethink his strategy, since they couldn’t keep trading hits for the rest of the day. He needed a way to kill MAGIC, and quick.

A sudden punch from MAGIC forced Shining to block her attack and blast her backwards with his magic, slamming her into the wall of a house which warped and splintered the wood. MAGIC slumped to the floor, still conscious but dazed. Her helmet had been knocked loose and she was forced to lock it in place.

That’s it! I’ll knock her helmet off Shining thought.

Rolling forward MAGIC swung her hoof at Shining who dodged the hit and counter-attacked by kicking her knee out and throwing her to the ground. As MAGIC got back up Shining Armor dove away and grabbed the sword blade with his magic, planning on using it to twist the operative’s helmet off.

Stepping forward MAGIC attempted to strike at Shining, who leaped back and swung the blade of the sword, the edge striking the mare’s suit, sparks flying as metal screeched against metal, leaving a large cut in the surface of the suit.

Pulling back Shining readied the sword blade again as MAGIC approached him, dodging his strike with the blade and hitting him across the face so hard he stumbled around, the mare kicking him in the back to send him sprawling afterward.

Fuck, THIS!

Getting back up Shining rushed at MAGIC and she prepared for him, dodging his sword attack and reaching forward for a counter-attack. Throwing her right hoof for a straight punch MAGIC attempted to once again put the Peace Fighter down when the stallion grabbed her hoof, smashing the face of her helmet with the back of his hoof which dislodged it as Shining spun around, taking the blade with him and using his magic to guide it into MAGIC’s throat behind him. The sound of flesh tearing and a pony choking on blood let Shining know that he had hit his mark.

“It’s finished” Shining exclaimed, turning around to see the face of the pony that had harassed him for so long.

“What th-- TWILEY?! NO! NO!!” Shining screamed, seeing that his worst enemy was his beloved sister. Pulling the blade out Shining stifled the flow of blood with his magic as Twilight collapsed to the ground, holding on to her big brother.

“Twilight! What the fuck?! Why did the Princess do this to you?!! Hold on, Twiley, I’m gonna get you out of here!” the Peace Fighter leader promised.

This was the Princesses’ plan all along; to torment me with a soldier who knew everything about my sister because she WAS my sister!

Deep terror in her eyes Twilight gripped Shining’s armor and clothes as she looked into his own eyes, her lips trembling as she struggled to speak. To try and explain everything to her brother or at least give him something that would help him.

“Twiley, don’t talk! Just rest!”

Light fading from her eyes Twilight Sparkle found enough energy to channel magic to her horn for a telekinesis spell, establishing a link with her brother’s mind to speak her parting words. If nothing else she had to say something to Shining, anything.

“Thank...you, big brr......”

Eyes rolling into the back of her head Twilight Sparkle released her grasp on Shining Armor and collapsed unceremoniously to the dirt, the vigor of life being released from her essence as she went under. Shining was broken as he stared at the corpse of his sister, unable to say or do anything.

Finally, mere instinct took over and Shining Armor collapsed on his sister, his face buried in her neck. Tears watered down blood as they ran into the Appleloosan dirt, forever staining the very earth of Equestria.

Author's Note

Legal note: Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and all related characters belong to Hasbro. All original characters belong to their respective owners. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro.