Liquid Pride

Chapters

Moving Day
Diary of a Deviant
Preludes & Nocturnes
The Best Night Ever?
Disorder in the Court
The Brohoof Bash
Belated
Hearth's Desire
Broken Hearts and Hooves
The Plot Thickens
Oh Brother, Where Art Vow?
Foaly Matripony
Crystal Methods
The Most Dangerous Game
The More Things Change
The More They Stay the Same.
Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns
The Worst Night Ever
#BONUS: Hearts and Hooves pt. 2

Moving Day

Broken shards of glass and debris hurtled at Shining Armor. He instinctively brought up a magical shield, deflecting the projectiles away. He stared out the gaping hole in the wall at the beautiful rainbow filling the sky. The colors swirled and blended, constantly changing, taking shape and fading. It was glorious.

"There... are no words... They should have sent... a poet." He whispered through the tears in a hushed prayer to whomever deity might listen. He clenched his eyes. A warm voice answered.

"They will have to settle for me."

Shining opened his eyes. Princess Celestia had flown in through the broken window. He looked up at her to speak, but words failed him. It was no matter. She did not break stride as she walked straight inside the auditorium. He was left there, alone once more on the floor, completely dumbfounded.

"... coloration..."

He turned and looked over his shoulder, his gaze following the Princess. It looked like all of Tartarus was breaking loose inside the classroom.

Celestia walked calmly into the auditorium. The Sonic Rainboom had caught Twilight in mid-spell. It shook loose the tiny door in her young mind shielding her fragile psyche from the magic vortex. Her eyes were pools of iridescent white. She hovered in mid air, raw magic raging freely from the powerful unicorn.

The school staff were held captive in her arcane levitation. Her parents were turned to plants. The exam dragon hatchling was transformed into an enormous, building-sized full grown dragon! Twilight's mind was held hostage to all of time and space flowing through her. All that was, had been or would ever be. All things that could never be. The smell of the number seven. The color of infinity. Impossible things. She knew all things, and no thing. Her mind was burning up.

Celestia gently placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, mercifully closing the door. The magic ceased. The teachers were released. Twilight's parents were ponies once again. The dragon returned to its normal, hatchling size.

"Twilight Sparkle." Celestia greeted her. Twilight only now just barely realized what she had done, though not what happened to her in her own, internal battle.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-" Twilight began to apologize.

"You have a very special gift. I don't think I've ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities," Celestia praised.

"Huh?" Twilight was still barely recovering.

"But you need to learn to tame these abilities through focused study." The princess continued.

"Huh?"

"Twilight Sparkle, I'd like to make you my own personal protege here at the school."

"Huh?"

"Well?" Celestia asked. Twilight looked to her parents for their consent. They nodded enthusiastically. It was more than any of them could ever have hoped for.

"YES!!!" Twilight exclaimed, leaping into the air.

"Oh, and one other thing Twilight." Celestia, said, halting her mid-air celebration.

"More!?"

Celestia pointed at Twilight's flank.

"My cutie mark! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" Twilight leaped about in circles around the alabaster alicorn.

Shining Armor watched from the doorway as Twilight completed her victory dance. He remembered fondly when he had gotten his own cutie mark. It was just a couple years ago. He and little Twilight were walking down a Canterlot street to the candy shop with their allowance bits for some sweets. A construction scaffold broke, sending bricks tumbling down above them. Before he could even react, a deep down preservation instinct kicked in, and he raised a magic shield, surrounding himself and his defenseless little sister, protecting them both.

The bricks deflected harmlessly off the shield. And in that moment, Shining realized it was his calling to protect those who could not protect themselves. And that was when his cutie mark of a protective shield appeared on his flank, adorned with stars of magic, indicating his special talent in defensive magic.

But colts would be colts. And in the mean time, he was still intent on being a rock star with his band.

Twilight finally settled down in her victory dance. Celestia bid her farewell, and exited the room. She walked past Shining, and she whispered to him quietly.

"You be sure to look after that one." She said with a wink before leaping out the window, plummeting down and taking flight.

Shining sat down and just watched the Princess fly off after having so casually thrown herself out the window.

out the window

He jumped to his feet. Thine muse thy name is Celestia.

"DefenestratiON!"
________________________________________________________________________________

The Sparkle family walked home from the school. Twilight's proud parents led the way, followed closely by their two children in step. It had been a very... interesting day.

Between Twilight channeling the pure, untempered magic vortex, getting accepted into the Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and becoming Celestia's personal protege, they could all do with a quiet evening at home to relax. Twilight, for her part, could not remember much of the more... exciting bits. She was only vaguely aware of the commotion that had gone on around her. Her last clear memory was the loud boom, and afterwards a sense of guilt, responsible for causing all the carnage in the classroom. The Princess had assured her that it was not her fault. Magic is, by its very nature, dangerous and volatile, when not wielded by one trained and disciplined in the arts.

Still, every once in a while as they walked home, a little wave would wash over Twilight. As if she had somehow forgotten, she was reminded of the realization that she had passed the test. She had been accepted into the school. Not only that, she would be the personal protege of Celestia herself! Twilight's legs stopped moving as all her muscles tensed up. She momentarily forgot to breath. Then, all at once, she burst into a fit of joy, hopping about in a wide circle around the walking family.

"Yesyesyesyesyesyes!" She repeated ad nauseum.

"Not again." Shining muttered to himself. "This is like the sixth time since we left the school." He hung his head, dying in embarrassment as other pedestrians witnessed the strange event of the purple filly noisily orbiting the group. "Come on Twi, we know you're excited but give it a rest would ya?" But Twilight would not be denied. She finished her circles, and fell into place beside her brother, still hopping. She just grinned at him, beaming the biggest, brightest smile she could while her lips were still attached to her face. He looked back at her and tried to scowl. He just smiled back. It was a face you couldn't stay mad at.

"Hey guys," their father said, looking back at them. "it's been a long day, wouldn't you say?" They both nodded. "Your mother sure doesn't feel like cooking, so what do you say we all go out to Kentucky Fried Griffin?" They both cheered. It was their favorite restaurant. Everything was country fried, so the kids loved it. And it wasn't too expensive, so the parents liked it too. "Twi, do you think you can promise to keep it together while we're in there?" She nodded. It was good enough for him.

Several years ago, when Kentucky Fried Griffin first opened in Canterlot, it was met with a great deal of hostility. Many of the citizens thought that it was actual Griffons being fried and served as food. And with the unrest from the Griffon kingdom, the ponies of the city were afraid it would cause undue tension. Well, as it turned out, 'Griffin' was merely the name of the proprietor of the restaurant. Nopony knew what 'Kentucky' was. And he never told. It was the mystery that endured after all.

At first he would have apologized for the misleading name of the eatery. But the notorious infamy it brought was a boon for his first-time business venture. Any exposure was good exposure. Ponies came in droves after reading the scandal tabloids. They came to see if indeed this- place... was serving Griffon meat. To their relief, they found he offered the morally sound and legal menu of vegetarian dishes. All country fried in 100% vegetable oil. Those brave enough to enter the front door were surprisingly greeted with culinary delight they had never known. Word of mouth spread quickly among the Canterlot elite as the once-quirky diner soon became one of the most popular hot spots to meet and eat in the city.

The Sparkle family walked in. It was still early in the afternoon. Past the lunch rush, but before the dinner early bird specials. There were only about a dozen other ponies in there at the moment. Griffin looked up from behind the short order counter. His face was marred with sooty oil from the deep fry-a-lator, as he liked to call it. All the fur on his fore-legs was burned to his bare skin up to his elbows. And despite the apron, his fur was matted down with grease and sweat and pony-knows-what else. If his fur was ever white, nopony would ever be able to tell. The mottled cooking stains had now set into his coat so deeply by this point it was in his damn DNA.

"Mister Spahkle!" Griffin called out over the noise of the cooking. His voice had a thick Clopston accent. It was the city just to the north of Manehattan. And Celestia-help-you if you confused the two. Apparently the two cities had a bit of a rivalry regarding the local hoofball teams. "What kin ah get foe ya, ya crazy bastahd?"

"Oh, just the usual for me, Griffy." Mister Sparkle told his old friend. "What about you, dear?" He asked his wife.

"I'll take some fried broccoli with the cheese sauce, Grif." She said.

"What about you guys?" Griffin asked of the kids.

"Um..." Shining pondered the menu, posted up behind the counter. Griffin looked up at the menu behind him and tore it down with his hoof.

"Gah, this ole thing?" He said, crumpling it up in his hoof. "Fahget-about-it! Nopony uses this!" He threw it on the floor. "You just name it sonny, I kin make it right quick!"

"Um, okay. How about some fried green beans?" Shining asked a little nervous.

"Boom! You got it!" He looked at Twilight.

"HAY FRIES!" She shouted.

"YEAH! That's mah little filly right they'ah! You know what's good!" He smiled and turned around, starting up his cooking show. "So what brings you guys he'ah t'day? 'Sides ya stomachs? Amirite!?" He laughed.

"Well, we're actually celebrating." Mr. Sparkle began. "You see little Twilight here-"

"I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!" Twilight squealed. Griffin spun right back around on the heel of his hoof.

"AW no freakin' way! Get up he'ah an lemmie see!" Griffin patted the stool at the counter. Twilight hopped up and showed off her new Cutie mark with pride. "Now that they'ah's a beauty. Good on ya kiddo." He pulled his apron aside to show her his. "I think mine is one a' these grease stains. But I dunno which one anymo'ah." He laughed and turned back around, pulling their orders up out of the boiling oil. He put each their plates out on the counter, saving Twilight's hay fries for last. "He'ah ya go kiddo. These ah on me, foe a special filly- I mean... a special mare, on her special day."

Twilight smiled, picking up one of the fries, surrounded in the magenta aura of her magic, dipping it in some ketchup.

"You got ya magic finally too?" He said. "Ged-outta-town! Know what? Ya all eatin' on the house today!"

"Aw, come on Grif," Mr. Sparkle said, "Let me at least give you a good tip."

"Well, I can't say no t' that." Griffin smiled, before moving on to the next customer coming into the diner. "What'chu you want beardy?"

"Hay bacon strips."
________________________________________________________________________________

On one side of the table, Shining and Twilight noisily munched away on their fattening meals and sipped their carbonated, molasses seltzer. On the other side, their parents tended to their own plates quietly. Mr. Sparkle, in particular, chewed idly on his meal and just stared into his glass. The suds of his 'grown-up' drink swirled around on its surface. He had heard of some unicorns who could divine the fortunes of the future by reading the swirls of the surface of the brew.

The world around him dulled out. The noises of the kitchen, the din of the patrons, the voices of his family. His pupils dilated wide as his vision filled with the churning of the beer's spiraling vortex. It was like- it was like he could see into forever. In that brief moment, he could see ALL, he knew ALL.

"... so what do you think, dad?" He heard his son's voice in the distance.

"Dad? Equestria to DAD!" Shining raised his voice. His father was shaken from his trance.

"Um, yeah. Sure." He answered, unsure of what exactly he was agreeing to.

"AW SWEET!" Shining hoof-pumped into the air.

His wife promptly socked him sharply in the ribs with her hoof. "Ow! What?"

"They are NOT playing music in the house tomorrow!" She scolded. "We have to help Twilight get ready for starting school! And you and I are both working." She turned to her son. "YOU need to lend your sister a hoof while we're at work. Take a break from the band for a couple days. Please?" Shining slumped down in his seat and grumbled.

"Er- oh, all right." He resigned. Twilight leaned across the seats and hugged him tightly.

"YAY! Me and Shining are gonna pack for my school!" She squealed.

"Yay." Shining deadpanned.
________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Twilight's mother finished getting ready for work. "Now remember Twilight, just pack what you really need for a few days. We'll ship everything else in your room in a few days. Shining, you help. Okay?"

"Yes mom," they said together.

She hurried out the door. The two siblings waited a moment in the kitchen. Shining turned to the living room and started setting up his band equipment.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked.

"I'm getting ready for the guys to come over. We have a practice later today." He answered.

"But you promised mom you would help me." She said.

"Yeah, well she's not here, is she?" He told her, defiantly.

She pouted. "You promised me!" She cried. Those doe eyes. His weakness. He sighed.

"Look Twilight, I know mom told me that she wanted me to help you. But you're not a little filly anymore. You have your cutie mark now. You're a grown mare!" He said, tapping her on the flank. "And I think you can handle this yourself," he explained, "even if they don't." He turned his attention back to setting up the drum set in the living room.

"Shining-" She whimpered. He tried to ignore her. "Shining, of course I know I can do this on my own. But I want us to do this together. I'm going away to school and-" Her voice trailed off. "And I don't know when I'll see you again." She turned to go to pack in the bedroom they shared. "I just... wanted to spend these last days with you... Am I not that important to you anymore?" She began walking away. She felt a hoof on her shoulder.

"Hey, you're my little sister. Of course you're important to me." He said, stopping her. She looked over his shoulder at the drum set.

"Not as important as your band." She said.

"Hey, you're more important to me than anything. It's just that... well yesterday you got your cutie mark and that means you can take care of yourself. I'm not sure what happened in there, but it's clear that your magic sure is stronger than mine will ever be. And it's... it's a little intimidating." He admitted. "You're not a little filly anymore. You're a grown mare."

"Can't I be a little fill- you're little sister one more day?" She begged. He looked at the clock on the wall.

"Hey, you'll always be my little sister." He said. "Tell ya what. If you need me, if you really need me to help, I'll come help. No matter what." He bargained. "Besides, I'll be packing the rest of your half of the room once you go, to send to your dorm anyway." He said. Twilight loved her brother. But he could be so thick sometimes. It wasn't that she needed his help. It was just that, she just wanted to spend this time with him. But it just seemed like he didn't understand. Maybe he never would.

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed. She headed upstairs and began to organize and label boxes.

KNOCK KNOCK

Shining was the only one to hear the door. He expected it to be either one of the Ben's or the other Francis in the band showing up to practice early. He threw open the door.

"What's up bro you're early-" His sentence was cut off. In the doorway stood Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

"Oh, hey Shiny. I'm sorry I'm late. Is Twilight here?" She asked. Shining was still somewhat stunned. He was expecting his bros to be coming over. He had completely forgotten that it was a weekday and that Cadence was going to be here to foalsit Twilight.

"Hey Caddie! Um, yeah, Twilie's upstairs." He answered. She started to enter. Shining put a hoof up, stopping her. "Um, Caddie, it's just that, um, Twilie got her curie mark yesterday so..."

"Oh my gosh! Twilight got her cutie mark!? I wanna go see!" She tried to push her way inside. He stopped her again.

"Yeah, I know, it's just that... well it means you don't need to foalsit her anymore. In fact, she's going to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, so... you know, she's moving out."

"You know Shining, I don't just come here to see Twilight..." She winked at him suggestively.

"Oh, yeah sorry, my folks didn't leave me any bits to pay you today." He tried to tell her. "You know, since she doesn't need to be foalsat."

"Oh, I don't care about any of that." She smiled at him. 'He'll catch on one day.' She thought to herself, trotting upstairs.
.....

Cadence walked into Twilight's room.

"Twilight!"

"Cadence!" Twilight dropped what she was doing and ran over to her foalsitter. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake..." Twilight stopped mid-dance. "How come you aren't doing the dance?"

"Oh, come on Twilight." Cadence scoffed. "Do we really have to do that dance every time we meet?" She asked. Twilight just glared at her with utmost seriousness. "Ugh, fine." Cadence groaned. "...ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" She sang, completing the dance. As they did a little shake, she noticed Twilight's cutie mark.

"Oh my gosh, Twilight, your cutie mark!" Cadence said with glee! "How did you get it? And when? You have to tell me all about it!"

"Well yesterday when I went to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and I had to pass an entrance exam and I almost didn't pass but then a rainbow exploded outside and I hatched a dragon egg and then levitated the test judges into the air and turned my parents into plants and made the dragon huge! Then Princess Celestia came and fixed everything and asked me to be her personal protege! And that's when I got my cutie mark!" Twilight finished, gasping for air.

"Oh... kay..." Cadence answered.

"Yeah! So now I have to pack up some stuff to go to stay in the dorms at her school but Shining doesn't want to help." She pouted. Cadence rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

"Hey, your brother loves you." She said. "I bet that he's going to miss you while you're gone. It must not be easy for him to be able to see you now, knowing that you're leaving soon. That's probably why he's avoiding you."

"Wait, so... since he knows I'm leaving... he wants to see less of me?" She asked.

"Well, yes." Cadence answered. Her special talent was love after all. And not just the romantic love between two very-special-some-ponies. But that between family members as well. "It must be hard for him to see you, when he knows he's going to be losing you soon." She explained. She picked up Twilight's 'Smarty Pants' doll.

"Like, what if I told you I was going to sell your Smarty Pants doll?" Cadence started.

"NO!" Twilight cried, grabbing for the doll.

"I'm not going to!" Cadence reassured her. Twilight relaxed. "But what if I told you I was going to sell her tomorrow. And you would never see her again." She hid the doll behind her back. Twilight thought for a moment.

"I guess I'd be okay." She said. Cadence brought the doll back out, holding it in front of Twilight.

"You would never see poor Smarty Pants again!" Cadence said, holding the doll right in front of her now. Twilight felt her tears rising, falling to her cheeks.

"NO!" She cried out, grabbing Smarty and holding her tight.

"You see, it's not so easy to let something go when it's right in front of you being taken away." Cadence explained.

"But I'm not being 'taken away'. I'm just going. I want to go. It's no big deal..." Twilight said.

"And you're certain Shining feels the same way?" She asked.

"Well sure..."

.....

Hey, you're more important to me than anything.

.....

"... oh." Twilight realized. Cadence saw the light switch on in Twilight's head. She just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Do you understand now? He doesn't want to be around you because it hurts too much. And he is too proud for you to see him cry."

Twilight scoffed. "Stallions don't cry."

"Yes they do, Twilight. You don't always see it. But they do. Sometimes it's when they're alone and they think nopony can see them. Sometimes it comes out as misguided anger. But it is crying all the same." Cadence explained. "He might seem fine to you right now, but inside, he's crying. He's losing his sister! Not just that she's moving out, but she's growing up. You're not a little filly anymore."

You're not a little filly anymore

His exact words. She was right. Things were changing. She had been so swept up in the events that she did not see the impact that it had on the ones around her.
..........

Downstairs, Shining's other band mates had arrived and their instruments were tuned.

"Come on guys, lets get started." Shining ordered. "I've got this great new song I want to try out. Ben, do you got the tabs I made, ready?" Ben on lead guitar nodded. "And you Ben?" He looked at the other pony on the bass guitar. "Francis, you got to look at them." He looked back at the other Francis on the drum set. "See what you can do with setting us up with a catchy beat. You ready Ben?" He said, looking beside him to his backup singer. Ben nodded. "Okay, lets start from the chorus! One two three four!"

Oh, I can't, I can't
I can't stand losing.
I can't, I can't,
I can't stand losing.
I can't, I can't, I can't,
I can't stand losing you!

Shining screamed the lyrics of the rest of the song into the microphone. It wasn't penned from his mind. He sang from his heart. And it hurt. His cheeks were wet. He didn't understand why at first. But he was glad he was facing away from the band. At the end of the set, Shining Francis Armor wiped his face.

"What's a matter?" Ben heckled. "Ole Cadie break up with you?"

"SHUT UP!" He shouted back, throwing the microphone.

Sometimes it comes out as misguided anger, but it is crying all the same.
..........

Upstairs, the two mares began sorting through Twilight's things in preparation for her move.

"Aren't you excited, Twilight?" Cadence asked.

"Of course I'm excited." Twilight answered. "But- I'm a little nervous too."

"It's okay to be nervous about going to a new school. Especially one like Princess Celestia's school for Gifted Unicorns. I know I was." Cadence assured her.

"You went to that school too?" Twilight asked.

"I sure did." She answered.

"But.. you're not a unicorn, you're an Alicorn, a Princess." She said.

"Yes well, they can't make an entire school just for princesses. There would have been only me. And that would have been just boring... and lonely." She said, hugging Twilight. "I didn't want to be home schooled in Auntie Celestia's castle. I wanted to meet other ponies and make lots of friends."

"But why?" Twilight asked. "I'd love to have my school in the castle. I think that'd be neat." Cadence smiled softly.

"Twilight, meeting other ponies and making friends is all part of being a happy, healthy young pony. It's part of what makes a life happy and complete." Cadence said. Twilight dug through a couple more boxes in her closet, pulling out a couple books and another doll.

"I have my books to read. Smarty Pants is the only friend I'd ever need." Twilight said giving her doll a squeeze.

"What about me?" Cadence asked. "Aren't I your friend?"

"You're my foalsitter." Twilight said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but can't I be both? Can't I be your friend too?" Cadence put on her best pout. Twilight ran over and hugged her.

"Yeah. You're my friend too."

"What about Shining?"

"He's my brother."

"Can't he be your friend too?" Cadence asked, nodding her.

Twilight rolled her eyes in admission. "Yeah, I guess."

"You see? Don't you think you're life is better for having us in it- as your friends?" Cadence tried to emphasize her point. "Don't you think it might be worthwhile to make others?"

"I... guess." Twilight said, putting her doll on top of her wooden chest. Cadence picked it up in her hooves.

"You know, I can't believe you still have this thing. I remember when I first gave this to you. You two were inseparable." Cadence said, inspecting the repaired, worn seams, belying the passage of the years.

"So what's it like?" Twilight asked after a few moments.

"Hmm?"

"Celestia's Magic school? What is it going to be like?"

"Oh." Cadence thought for a second. "Well I don't know if my point of view would be very helpful."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Well, let's just say being a princess in a school of unicorns kind of put me up on a pedestal. Everyone expected so much of me. And for a long time, it was kind of isolating."

Cadence vividly remembered her first day of magic class. They were all in their seats, waiting for the beginning of class to start. The professor made it a point of making an entrance, bursting in to the room, throwing open the heavy wooden door. He was a tall, pale-furred stallion with a long, disheveled, jet-black mane that flowed wildly over his dark cloak. He began speaking his rehearsed first-day speech before the door even closed behind him. He spoke with rapid, practiced tempo. Though he seemed to also have a penchant for dramatic pauses.

"There will be no foalish horn waving, or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science, and exact art, that is potion making." Cadence busily scribbled notes. "And then again," he continued, staring daggers at the young princess, "maybe some of you have come to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to NOT PAY ATTENTION." He finished.

Cadence failed to notice his gaze upon her. She was still busy writing. The pony beside her tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention. It was then she noticed the professor singling her out in front of the class. And that everypony in the room was now staring at her as well. He stepped down from the podium, taking a few steps closer in her direction.

"Miss. Cadenza... our new celebrity."

He certainly had a way of making a pony feel only an inch tall.

Cadence came back to the present, shaking her mind of the unpleasant memory. "Anyways, I'm sure you'll do fine."

After a bit of a ruckus downstairs, Shining eventually joined the mares in the bedroom.

"How's practice going, Shiny?" Cadence asked, folding a couple of Twilight's outfits into a bag.

"Um... I don't really wanna talk about it." He said, entering the room slowly. He started helping Cadence folding a few items laid out to go into one of Twilight's bags. "... I think Ben might have just quit the band." He mumbled.

"Oh, well that's too bad for Ben." Cadence comforted, withholding her question of 'which Ben?' "You can still be a cute quartet of boyish sound." She offered. Shining looked like he was going to smile but it never came.

"Um... I think the rest of the band quit too." He muttered, packing some more books into a box.

"Is that the end of Ben, Ben, Ben, Francis and Francis?" Cadence asked. Shining just nodded solemnly.

"Well you're still my BBBFF!" Twilight said. Shining looked back at her over his shoulder quizzically. "Big brother, best friend forever!" She smiled. That got him to smile. At least a little.

The trio of ponies dug through her room, sorting out the mountains of stuff. Her closet was like a Bermuda triangle of storage space. Once it was emptied, the sheer volume of stuff filling the room looked to have been impossible to have ever all fit in the tiny closet in the first place. They made a mission of culling it down to the things that Twilight 'capital N' needed. After a judicious selection process over the course of the day, they managed to get it down to three bags of essentials. Twilight heard her parents come home. The group headed downstairs. Shining and Cadence carried her luggage, placing it by the front door for tomorrow.

"Hey mom! Dad!" Twilight hugged them each. They were surprised at first to see Cadence. And then they remembered.

"Oh, my goodness," Mrs. Sparkle realized, "I completely forgot to tell you. In all the excitement of Twilight getting her cutie mark, I didn't get around to letting you know that you didn't need to come foalsit for us anymore."

"Oh, it's quite alright Mrs. Sparkle. I'm just happy to spend the day with my friend Twilight." Cadence said, tussling Twilight's hair.

"Yes well, it's just that I haven't the bits for-"

"Don't worry about it at all. I had a great time and that's enough." Cadence said putting a hoof up. She grabbed her bag and turned to hug Twilight. "Have a great day at school tomorrow." she said. They hugged and Cadence looked over Twilight's shoulder at her brother, giving him a wink. He must not have been paying attention, or just missed the gesture. Hmmf, colts. She thought.
________________________________________________________________________________
After Cadence left for the night and dinner was served, it was time for bed. Unfortunately, Twilight's side of their room was chaos befitting a Draconequus. Not even the space on her bed was spared, with boxes of stuff piled high. Each of them were too tired from the day to bother moving it. Consequently, she hadn't any place to sleep.

"Um, Shining?" Twilight asked, peeking into the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. He spat out the last of the toothpaste foam.

"What's up kiddo?"

"Um, Can I sleep in your bed tonight? My bed is kinda..."

"Sure. No problem. I can sleep downstairs on the couch tonight." He offered.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. There's more than enough room for us both." She said.

Shining was hesitant. Yes it was a bigger bed, but still.

"Um... I dunno Twilight. You're my sister. We really shouldn't. It wouldn't be right." He told her. Twilight looked genuinely confused.

"But- but why? You never had a problem before whenever I had nightmares."

"Well, you have your cutie mark now. Your not a little filly anymore. Your a grown mare. It's different now. It's... we just shouldn't."

"But... why?" Twilight asked.

She still didn't understand. She just felt hurt, and it showed in her face. Shining didn't have an answer for her. At least, not one he could explain to her without him looking... well, without her understanding more about the birds and the bees at least. As smart as she was, she had so much left to learn about life, and love. She was old enough to date, meet some lucky young stallion and... He cut off that train of thought right quick. She just stood there pouting like a little foal who had just learned the truth about Santa Paws.

Maybe she wasn't so different from the little filly who was scared of the lightning.

And... it would just be one night.

"Oh, all right." He said as he finished washing up. Her frown vanished as she bounded off to the bedroom. She waited patiently by his bedside as he walked in. "Aren't you getting in then?" He asked, a little frazzled.

"Well, it's your bed after all. You first." She said, playfully bowing and directing him with her hoof like a chariot chauffeur.

"Um, okay. Whatever." He said climbing into his bed. He scooted over, making room for his sister, and faced the wall. She climbed in beside him, facing in the other direction, back to back. Perfect. Perfectly fine. Perfectly normal. They laid there for several minutes as Shining dozed off to sleep.

"Um, Shining?" She asked.

Shining had been quite looking forward to getting a good night's rest after a long day.

"Hmm? What." He grumbled, barely still awake.

"Could you hug me... until I fall asleep?" She asked in barely a whisper.

"Mmhph, no. Just, just close your eyes and go to sleep." He tried to tell her.

"It's just that... I'm scared about... tomorrow. Could you just... hold me... for a little while until I fall asleep?"

"No, I... I shouldn't. We shouldn't." He told her.

"But why? Why do you keep saying that? What's wrong?" She whimpered.

He could hear her voice trembling. He felt terrible about this whole situation. He knew darn well why he shouldn't. Why they shouldn't. Especially now that she wasn't a little filly anymore. He wanted to just get out of bed. Get away, just escape and go sleep on the couch. He KNEW why. But he just... didn't have the courage to break her heart.

"Oh... fine. Okay then." He slowly turned over in bed, reaching across and draping his foreleg over her, hugging her. He made sure to keep his lower half a good distance away from her, pressing it to the wall behind him. As long as she stayed on her side of the bed way over there-

Twilight scooted herself closer, pressing her whole back against his underside.

"Goodnight big brother best friend forever." She whispered.

"Uh, goodnight Twilie..." He was trapped, pinned between her and the wall. He had no way of pushing her away from him without it being perceived as a lewd gesture. He decided to just pretend to sleep, keeping as still as possible, until she fell asleep. Then he could get up and carefully climb over her and escape the bed, and go sleep on the couch, where it was safe.

But when you're as tired as Shining was, pretending to sleep... is the fastest way to accidentally, actually sleep.
________________________________________________________________________________

Shining was blessed with pleasant dreams that night. He dreamed of a pink unicorn, dancing with him, tenderly kissing him. They were dancing on a dance floor... no, it was his bedroom. It was both. For some reason his bedroom had a dance floor. For some reason he knew how to dance. Of course he knew how to dance, he was a great dancer. The dance floor had a bed. Of course the dance floor had a bed. It was a bedroom too after all.

He twirled her expertly, performing grand dance moves like a seasoned professional. He leaned her back in a dramatic pose, delicately balancing her in his strong hooves. The bed was beneath her. They were in his bed. She was in his bed with him. He had a mare in his bed with him.

'Score!' He thought to himself. Her wing draped over him, caressing along his body. It moved slowly down his belly, reaching his- 'Oh Celestia! She's touching my-' His thoughts were cut off as the sensations he was feeling shorted out his mind. She continued to stroke along his length with her wing. She moved closer, her fur brushing his sensitive member. She licked her lips seductively, slipping lower, opening her mouth. 'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, she's going to-'

Shining was stirred from his dream. 'Gah, why now? I was so close to finishing!' He complained in his mind, trying to finish, humping against his pillow-

"Nnhgg."

The sound of Twilight groaning caused Shining to freeze in place. Pure adrenaline flooded his blood as he became acutely aware of EXACTLY where he was. He was in his bed. Twilight was beside him. He strained to listen, to see if the lavender pony had awoken. But all he could hear was the thundering heartbeat in his ears. How it didn't wake her and everyone in the house he couldn't say. After a moment, he began to feel dizzy. It was then that he realized he had been holding his breath. He hyperventilated as silently as he could, regaining his composure. He assessed the situation.

It was nearly dawn. He was still in his bed. He was still pinned against the wall, with his sister's back pressed squarely against his raging morning wood. She stirred a little. Shining began to panic. Twilight was about to wake up, with... him pressed against her. She went still again. He had to get out of here. He couldn't risk trying to climb out of bed now and have her seeing him like this! What would she think of him? Getting... like this with her beside him! No, the best he could do was try to remain as still as possible and will it to go away before she woke up.

Now he played the waiting game. He tried to think of anything, anything to try to get Little Shiny to go away. Hoofball statistics, math problems, dead kittens. Nothing. He had been so close to finishing his would-be wet dream. He was still so close, sooo close. He couldn't bear it, he just grit his teeth. Only time would fix this. 'Just go away.' He silently prayed.

Twilight stirred again, shuffled a little bit and went still again, very much still asleep. But the sensation of her rubbing against him was too much. His erection was never going to go away now! She shifted again, rolling slightly back and forth, as though she had an itch on her back and she was scratching it against a post. HIS post!

Shining cursed in his mind. 'Oh Twilight what are you doing? Stop! Aw! Ah, keep going! No, I mean stop!' Shining summoned every ounce of will he could to keep from screaming, still trying to remain motionless. Every nerve, every muscle in his body was on edge. Tingling electricity ran through him. He felt it coming, the point of no return. His last conscious thought was to shove his hoof in his mouth. Twilight adjusted herself once more in her restless sleep, leaning forward on her side, her tail brushed up along his shaft as she backed against him, pressing her hot, moist marehood against his scrotum. The last light in Shining Armor's mind popped.

Thankfully, the angle pushed his tip up, away from her, as he ejaculated up against his own belly and his sheets. Shining's eyes watered as he dug his teeth into his hoof. Pulse after throbbing pulse, he felt himself gushing his load under the sheets. How she didn't feel his member throbbing against her he didn't know. His blood pressure skyrocketed. He felt like his lungs were going to burst through his chest from holding in his scream of pleasure. He tasted blood.

After what felt like an eternity, Shining finally calmed down. He pulled his hoof from his mouth. It had several painful teeth marks, a couple broke the skin, staining his white fur with dots of red. The morning light began to peek into the bedroom as he lifted the covers ever so slowly, inspecting the carnage. Finally relieved of its load, his morning wood slowly started to soften. But the damage was done. His entire underside was coated with... himself. There was also a sizable pool of... him soaking into the mattress cover between them. Twilight was mere inches from having her back soaked in her brother's... mess.

She shifted one last time, trying to close the distance between them. Shining panicked, pushing his hooves against her back, pushing her away. In his hasty zeal he accidentally bucked her completely out of the bed. Oops.

"OOF!" Twilight flopped onto the floor. "What the hay!?" She said, groggily. Shining did his best to feign himself only just now waking up. He faked his best yawn.

"Oh? What's up?" He asked as innocently as he could.

"I- you kicked me out of bed!" She said indignantly. He looked at her, trying to appear puzzled.

"Oh, uh, did I? I'm uh, sorry about that. I guess I'm a little bit of a kicker when I sleep. I must have been having a nightmare."

Ain't that the damn truth

"Anyway," he continued, trying to keep control of the situation "the sun's up so I guess we should start getting ready." He said trying to shoo her away.

"What? No, I still have at least an hour before I have to get up. Lemme get some more sleep." she said grabbing at the covers, trying to lift them, to reveal his shame and his shame's puddle.

"NO!" He shouted, grabbing at the covers to... cover himself. "I- I mean, no. It's a big day, you should get an early start." He said as sweat began to form on his brow. She eyed him suspiciously, but only for a moment. She relaxed an instant later.

"Yeah... Yeah I guess you're right. 'Early to rise' and all that." She said, turning to head downstairs for breakfast. Shining let out the biggest sigh of relief in his life, quickly stripping the bed and hurriedly cramming the sheets to the bottom of the laundry hamper. Next stop was the shower. As good as it felt at the time, his... mess, was murder drying onto his fur if he didn't clean it right away. It was going to be a long shower today.

"Dammit! They don't make water hot enough..."

He came down to the breakfast table. He still felt ill from earlier. Twilight had just finished eating. And made her way past him, heading back upstairs to get ready for the day with nary a second glance. His mom spotted him drudging down the stairs.

"Are you alright honey? You're looking a little paler than usual." She said.

"I uh, didn't sleep so great." He mumbled.

"Oh, did you have a bad dream?"

You have no idea.

"Uh, yeah something like that." He said dismissively. He sat down at the table eating a plate of... food. He didn't even pay attention to what he shoveled into his mouth. He was still hoping to wake up.
________________________________________________________________________________

Shining and his dad carried Twilight's bags as they walked to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Twilight carried a pair of books bound in a strap with her mouth, still unable to sustain her magic for long periods. The school was nearly on the other side of Canterlot, near the Royal Castle. It was too far for her to commute everyday, nearly a ninety minute walk, so they opted for her to stay at the dormitory. Especially since the Princess granted Twilight her own loft with its own library!

The distance was all the more acute as the two stallions lugged her baggage along. But eventually they reached the main entrance to the school's campus. The guys set the bags down for a moment to rest. A bellhop pony came out to assist the new student in escorting her to her new residence. The family took a moment to give a few more heartfelt farewells. He took her bags and began to show her the way in.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"

They moved aside as a powder blue pony with a silvery mane was being escorted by two guards down the grand staircase from the entrance.

"You can't do this to me! I am the Great and Powerful-"

"We know who you are lady!" One of the guards said, cutting her off, "You keep telling everypony! But guess what? Nopony CARES!" He said as they tossed her out onto the sidewalk at the bottom of the stairs.

Twilight and the bellhop walked past the guards. Their mood instantly changed as they nodded politely at her. She looked over her shoulder one last time, waving to her family. They waved back reassuringly, smiling. She and the bellhop walked in through the great double doors before they closed behind them with a resounding thud, securing the entrance from any 'great and powerful' riffraff.

"Don't let us catch you breaking into the Canterlot Archives again!" the guard shouted to the blue pony. "Or you'll spend the rest of your natural life banished on the moon!" He threw her bag down after her, landing hard on the ground beside her, accidentally triggering the pyrotechnics within.

The fire gave way to a flurry of colorful explosions. More went off, sending fiery rockets and mortars into the crowded square. Burning missiles hurtled toward the rest of the Sparkle family!

Diary of a Deviant

Fireworks barreled toward the Sparkle family, exploding just feet from impact! The parents cowered, expecting to be showered in burning embers. But none came. They looked up to see bits of burning mortars bouncing harmlessly off a translucent, purple membrane, a magic shield protecting them.

After a moment, they realized that it was actually surrounding the area of the exploding fireworks, containing the mayhem. Once the danger had passed, Shining released the magic hold on the shield. In the commotion, the azure mare made good her escape and took off down the city street to pony-knows-where. Another of the royal guard was at a nearby stand outside the campus. He spotted Shining and called out to him.

"Hey sonny, come here." He said. Shining, being polite, walked over to see what he wanted. "That's quite a talent you have there."

"Um, thanks. Shields are kinda my thing." Shining answered.

"Have you ever considered joining the Royal Guard?"

"Um, not really." He answered honestly.

"Well you should consider it. We could use a big, strapping lad like yourself with a knack for helping ponies. It's a great career. Good benefits too." He told him, handing him a brochure.

"Um... thanks." Shining said before returning to his parents nearby. His dad witnessed the exchange and leaned over his shoulder.

"You know son, your sister is younger than you and she's already moved out--" He said casually, tapping the recruitment flyer in Shining's hooves, "So, you know... hintity, hint hint."
.....

Inside the halls of the school, Twilight followed the escort, carrying her books in her mouth. She paused in front of a tall, stained glass window of Princess Celestia. Her mentor now. The window towered over her. In that moment, she felt terribly small.

__________________________________________________________________________________

The Sparkle family walked home from the school, minus one purple mare. Shining had put the recruitment flyer in his bag. But the thought stayed on his mind. He was long done with school. And now that his band seemed to have broken up, he felt so... lost. Yesterday, he knew exactly what he was going to do with his life. His purpose was to be the lead singer of a hit pop music band. Rocking all night and partying every day. But now... Now he just felt lost— directionless. His once-certain future had become a dark forest road. Hidden, mysterious. Scary.

For all that he complained about Twilight hopping around them the other day, he felt something missing without her walking by his side. He found himself glancing out of the corner of his eye from time to time, somehow expecting her to magically be there. The act was at the very edge of his consciousness. Each time she wasn't there, he felt a small wash of disappointment. But he couldn't recall why he had that feeling but a moment later.

Still, it wasn't all bad. He had a family who loved him, a roof over his head. He looked at the pamphlet once again. For now anyway. Twilight was going to be in magic school for four years, give or take. A four year tour in the guard just might be what he needed to think about what he wanted to do with his life. Plus, it was a paycheck.

It was a noble cause, he truly believed, to answer the call of your nation. He had no shortage of patriotic pride 'For Princess and Country!' Still, the idea of cutting his mane short bothered him. But something in his mind — no, in his heart — just made him feel that this was definitely the right thing to do. He remembered back to Twilight's entrance exam, the majestic Princess flying into the window to save the day. She was beautiful, and powerful and, she just made him feel like everything would be okay. The very sight of her was a warm mother's embrace of a scared child. He wanted to return the feeling, to be his Princess's 'sword and shield', as the flyer said.

"Hey dad?" Shining asked his father, gaining his attention beside him.

"Yeah son?"

"I'm thinking I might actually do this." He said, holding up the recruitment brochure.

"We'll son, I was just making fun earlier about you moving out after your younger sister. You don't have to feel like you have to do that. The military is a big commitment. If you are thinking about it, you need to really think about it."

"I have been." Shining said confidently. "And, I really think it's what I want to do. Do you think I could? I mean what do you think?"

"Son, I have absolute confidence that you could do whatever you set your heart to."

"Yeah, but I mean, what would you think if I actually went and did this?" Shining asked.

Mr. Sparkle smiled. It was a warm rich smile of when a parent witnesses their child becoming everything they had hoped for. A validation of all their long years and hard work raising them. He smiled, putting a hoof around Shining's shoulders.

"Son, I couldn't be prouder."

"Honey, we're here." Mrs. Sparkle interrupted. The trio stopped in front of a home supply store.

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" Mr. Sparkle said, lost in the moment with Shining. "We need to pick up some boxes to ship the rest of Twilight's stuff. After all these years, you'll have your room to yourself again!" They went inside, heading to the Moving section, buying a couple stacks of flat, collapsed cardboard boxes, bound together with twine. Shining and his dad each carried a stack home after he purchased them.

On the way, Mr. Sparkle stole the occasional glance at his son carrying his stack. He was shouldering half the work, half the responsibility. He had grown into a good stallion. He had let him entertain the fantasy of rock stardom for a little while. He was actually quite envious of him. He remembered fondly of his own friends in his youth trying to start a band themselves. But just like everything else, those little crazy dreams just kind of came and went.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Once home, they laid the box stacks in their— well, his bedroom now. The three of them just looked at the heaps of... stuff on her side.

"Well son--" His father started.

"I'd say you have your work cut out for you." His mother finished.

"Yeah. Looks like it." Shining agreed. He started to undo the twine and assembling the first box. They went back out to tend to their own day, leaving him at home to his mission. "Okay Twilight, how would you do this..." He thought to himself. He tried to be as organized as possible, her modus operandi. After all, she would be the one opening these boxes.

He started simply, going for the obvious. All her clothes went in one set of boxes, her toys and nick knacks in another, papers, notebooks, photos, and of course, her books. He made it a point to organize her books alphabetically by author. He was sure she would notice and appreciate the gesture. Her clothes and other things could be stuffed and packed in whatever sloppy fashion and she wouldn't care. But he knew full well that it was her books that she revered.

He had all her books neatly stacked, and arranged just so. He did a final sweep of the area, making sure the shelves of her closet were clear, he pulled open the drawers of her desk, and her nightstand. Nothing left. But then-

Something stood out to him. It was an old, unlabeled notebook, now laying on the floor. He had been over and over this patch of the room so many times but this was his first time seeing it. Shining picked it up. He felt a subtle aura surrounding it. A rudimentary ward, or magical lock. While not a specialty to him, magic was something intrinsic to all unicorns. He could tell that this ward was one of the most basic, first learned spells for a unicorn, along with levitation and a few others.

The thing with magic though, was any spell cast, any enchantment set, any ward placed, left an identifying fingerprint of the caster, an imprint of their-- soul, if you like. Think of someone you know, someone you've know for years, perhaps all your life. There is a collection of ideas or an image that is that person. If they were to cast such a spell, it would leave a similar 'image' with the spell, saying "I did this."

Shining needed little other clues considering the location of the item. But he reached out and felt at the magical tendrils of energy surrounding the book. It was indeed a ward of Twilight's making. Not only a lock for the cover, keeping it closed, but also a perception filter screaming 'IGNORE ME!' It worked fine in and among a bookshelf, but alone on the floor, and nearly tripping over it... well, a perception filter can only do so much. But why ward something as trivial and worthless as a notebook? What could possibly be in it that she would try to hide? Unless she was studying something she shouldn't. Perhaps Black Magic or something equally dangerous. Shining wrestled with the idea in his head for a few minutes.

Twilight's magical signature, like any signature was something that could be forged, with the right skill. However, a forgery was something that likewise could be detected with the right skill. Shining could remove Twilight's ward on the notebook. And he knew her well enough, very well indeed, to be able to emulate her magical signature. It would be accurate enough that she would not be able to detect any difference with her (as yet) novice talent. He could unlock her notebook, read it, and lock it again without her knowing he was ever there. He could. But should he?
.

He decided he would not read it!

Until after a good lunch. He left the notebook on top of one of the stacks of books and promptly headed downstairs to eat some... food. He didn't really pay attention to what he was eating. He was in a hurry. He ate quickly. He was in a rush to get back to finishing packing Twilight's belongings because... because...

Strangely, as he tried to recollect why exactly he was in such a hurry, his mind was met with a sort of- fog. And the harder he tried to remember what it was he had forgotten, the thicker the fog in his mind became. But whatever it was, he knew it was important. That, he could not shake. He needed to hurry eating because he had something... something important to do.

Once back upstairs, he looked at all the full boxes. All that was left was to pack her books. He would alphabetize them by author and then- oh, he had already done that. Yes, he remembered doing that, but, somehow he forgot. How could he have forgotten that? 'Oh well.' He decided he no longer cared. It was one less thing he had to do now.

He began to carefully place each stack of books in the boxes. He came to one of the last stacks. He reached out to touch it, his hoof landed on her notebook. It had a magical aura about it. It had a sort of... ward?

It all came flooding back! He held the notebook firmly in his grasp. Apparently the perception filter on it was stronger than he realized, affecting not only his immediate attention to it, but also his memories. Memory manipulation was a grey area of mind control. It skirted the fringes of black magic. He needed to find out what his sister had been getting into. With an effort of magical will, he dispelled the ward. He opened the notebook, starting, logically, at page one.
___________________________________________________________________________

Hello. I have been learning how to write. But I need to practice. Mom says that I should keep a diary to practice writing. So I will. A diary is a log of my day to day activities. Today I am practicing writing.

Shining sat back for a moment. He had never, ever suspected that Twilight kept a diary. But judging from the notebook's thickness, the wear on the binding, and the nature of the first entry, she'd been keeping one for some time now. He knew he really shouldn't pry.

And, in knowing that he had acknowledged that it would be wrong of him to pry, it made him feel a little bit better about doing it anyway. He hadn't any interest in reading about her learning how to write. He flipped forward several dozen pages. Years of her life whirred by.

Dear Diary,

Today, Mom started her new job at the observatory. That means I have to have a foal sitter. She came over today and watched me while Mom and Dad were at work. Her name is Cadence. She is nice.

He remembered about when Cadence had started coming over a few years ago. It was the first time he had ever met a winged unicorn. She was only a bit older than him. She had started in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns at the time. He was mid way through grade school himself. It was shortly before he had gotten his own cutie mark. He flipped a few more pages ahead.

Dear Diary,

Today, Cadence, gave me a doll. The doll's name is Smarty Pants. She comes with her own notebook and quill for when you want to pretend she's doing her homework! And I really like her mane!

Yawn. Still a couple years ago. At least her penmanship had improved. Shining flipped further forward.

Dear Diary,

I think something might be wrong with me. Yesterday I was reading while sitting on my pillow. Normally, reading is a calm, soothing activity for me. I was in the middle of triple fact-checking Astounding Astrology for Adamant Enthusiasts earlier when my problem started. I felt tense, anxious. I felt a weird itch between my legs. I rubbed around the area a bit. It didn't feel any better. In fact it felt worse. Not bad worse, but just, more intense.

I noticed the pillow I was sitting on had become damp. It wasn't warm in the room at all so I knew it wasn't sweat. I feared that I had wet myself without my knowing. But it didn't smell like pee either. It was slick and sticky between my legs. I might be sick with something. It's just, I don't want to talk to the doctor about it. It's in an embarrassing place. I'll try to figure out what it is at the library tomorrow.

Shining recoiled away from the notebook as if it had transformed into a tarantula. He had remembered getting the 'birds and bees' talk from his parents a couple years ago. That 'colts and fillies were different and go through different 'changes'. His dad danced around the facts of life with colts specifically, using vague euphemisms and abstract similes.

The truth was, Shining had discovered himself some time before 'the talk'. He had awoken one morning to find that part of him was suffering acute rigor mortis. After a bit of exploratory touching, and clumsy rubbing, he found out how to make himself feel really good. Later, when he gained a mastery of magic, THAT was a game changer. Much more precise than a clumsy hoof.

His parents were remiss on explaining the counterpoint of a mare's changes. One afternoon, after a bit of awkward questioning, Cadence explained estrus to him.

That must have been what was happening to Twilight for her first time when she wrote this. Shining took a deep breath and turned the page.

Dear Diary,

Today, I made a list of my symptoms to research at the library. The symptoms are, well, embarrassing. Mild pelvic ataxia. Trembling of the limbs. Trouble concentrating. Itching in… places (no visible rash). Elevated heart rate and shortness of breath. Flushing of the face and other areas. Profuse perspiration. And a drastic increase in… ‘sensitivity’.

I looked through Super Naturals: Natural Remedies and Cure All's that are Simply Super, Perplexing Pony Plagues, and even Princess Celestia’s Comprehensive Guide to Catastrophic Curses and Devious Enchantments! I found nothing!

While researching my symptoms, I read a pony anatomy book. It had pictures showing the different parts of a pony. All the bones, muscles and organs. We are so amazing and complex! Maybe I'll get a doctor cutie mark someday! I saw that there was a whole section about the differences between a filly and a colt. There were illustrations of their... differences. But I was too embarrassed to check the book out. But I will have to go back and find that book again, or others like it for further research.

"Whoa." Shining stopped there. He couldn't picture his sister researching sex. That was enough. He placed the book in the box and started to close it. It was almost too much for him to deal with.

Almost.

His curiosity kept the better of him. He grabbed the book again, opening to the next page.

Dear Diary,

Mom had to work Saturday preparing for a meteor shower, so I asked Shining to bring me to the library. Mom told him to keep a close eye on me, so he followed me everywhere like a shadow. But I tricked him by looking at stuff that I knew he would think was boring. I told him that he could go look at the comic books because it was just a library and I wouldn't get lost. He seemed to think it was a good idea. And I know he likes comics.

So once I was on my own, I went back to the medical section to find the book I read last time. It kept referring to the parts that were different between fillies and colts as reproductive or 'sexual' organs. So I went to find the books listed in the bibliography references.

Well, apparently there is a whole section on 'sexuality'. I understand now that the symptoms I am experiencing is not any ailment. Rather, it is called 'Estrus'. And it is a normal part of a filly growing up. So that is a relief. It is part of the preparation for the reproductive process. Where a male and female pony mate to produce a foal. So that rules out my previous Stork Theory.

However what I find more interesting is the equipment involved in the process. There are illustrations of a male when he is 'aroused' and it is unlike anything I have ever seen! Its scale seems to be grossly exaggerated in the book. I always knew that colts didn't have a flower vagina is the proper term now. They have balls testicles. But I have never seen any such 'erection' appendage on any colt I've encountered. I checked later, and Shining doesn't seem to have it. This will require more field research.

Shining had to stop again. The short hairs on his neck stood up. He specifically remembered that day that he had to take Twilight to the library, and she suggested that he read comics. It wasn't all that long ago... maybe... eight months ago? She was gone for some time. He had managed to read through at least three... three and a half comics. But he remembered distinctly that when she came back, she hadn't any books to check out. That was strange by itself. Yet what struck him as really odd was that she kept looking at him strangely. He didn't really think too much of it at the time but thinking back now... she was examining him?

The startling realization caused him to get goosebumps. She was looking at his 'no-no' place. He felt a cocktail of emotions, ranging from flattery to betrayal, to mild paranoia. But despite the creepiness he knew he ought to be feeling, he felt a base stirring in his loins. It was Little Shiny's way of saying, 'Hey? Hey? You know that mare you were grinding on this morning? She totally has the hots for you!' Little Shiny didn't care about trivial details like age differences, familial relations, or cultural mores. He was down for anything! It made for a terrible conflict with Shining's rational mind screaming, "EWWW!"

But like any good train wreck worth its weight in bent steel, he couldn't keep his attention from the pages in front of him.

Dear Diary,

My pursuits in examining male counterparts has proved futile as of this writing. However, I have made great strides on the female side. I started with a more earnest examination of myself. With the aid of a mirror, I was able to identify each surface component of my female anatomy.

Though I must admit, in my current condition, the process had left me a bit, worked up? Itchy? It's hard to find the words to describe such a sensation. I felt a-- yearning. But I didn't understand what for. It seemed like any physical contact with the... affected area served to both simultaneously alleviate and exasperated the condition.

I felt dirty for touching there. But as much as I wanted to stop, I couldn't help myself. I kept rubbing. It kept making it feel weird, both worse and better. It got to the point where it felt like I couldn't take it anymore! Especially when I touched around my clitoris. And then all of a sudden, I felt like I couldn't breathe, even though I wanted to scream. I thought I was going to explode. I felt tingly all over my body. It felt SO GOOD! I think I may have wet the bed in the process though. It didn't smell like urine, but I changed the sheets anyway. The laundry should be done by now. I'm going to go get it.

The graphic depiction of a filly's first orgasm was enough to bring Little Shiny to full attention. Regardless of which filly it was. He found himself subconsciously touching himself, his magic slowly stroking in an idle pace as he continued to read. Any thought on the weirdness of his relation to the author passed out of his mind as blood left one head for another.

Dear Diary,

My continued literary studies have informed me that what I had experienced a few days ago was what is known as an 'orgasm' as a result of 'masturbation'. The act, otherwise known as 'clopping', as I have come to understand it, it is a perfectly normal aspect of sexual maturation. So, that is a relief. Also, the wetness I reported earlier was indeed not urine, as I had hoped. Apparently I am among a minority of fillies who experience what is known as a 'female ejaculation'.

However, what I find more interesting is the fact that colts also 'clop'. The resultant 'ejaculate' is described as being much more spectacular. But in all my time sharing a bedroom with a colt I have never witnessed any sort of behavior matching the description. Although, regarding the subject matter, as well as my own choice of environment for self-study, the bathroom, I imagine it will prove to be difficult to observe such an occurrence in the natural environment. But I've never backed down from a challenge before.

Shining could feel his face turn red. He looked at the date of the entry. It was nearly six months ago. For six months, Twilight, his little sister, had been actively pursuing his clopping habits.

His mind reeled like a foal being called to the principal's office, remembering every naughty thing he'd ever done. How many time's had he clopped in the last six months? Oh buck, it had to be dozens of times! There were ample chances for him to have been caught, or at least suspected by somepony who knew what they were looking for. He was almost afraid to keep reading. He skimmed a few more pages. She seemed to have left the topic behind. Until...

Dear Diary,

I have spent the last two months tracking my brother's behavioral patterns. He is, for all his rebelliousness, a creature of habit. The only variables are when he can get his friends to cooperate enough come over and play (what they call) music. This 'pop' or 'metal' that they are trying to combine is not my forte. I prefer the classics, such as Haythoven, Moats Heart, Barns or Wagoner.

However, more to the topic, the key points in his day have little variance. With a few noted exceptions. During one on his baths, he had taken several minutes longer than usual. Upon investigating this discrepancy, I could hear rhythmic splashing and slapping of wet fur on fur. At first I took this for him scrubbing himself with soap. But the regularity an lack of breaking for changing location was a strong indicator for clopping. I stayed a bit longer, listening, careful to not be discovered by him or my parents.

His pace quickened, and at the end I heard him groan. If it was a similar experience to my own, then it falls right in line with the other evidence. I made myself scarce of the area outside the door before he let the water out. But it is a good sign that I am not the only pony to have 'clopped'. Good evidence though it may be, I still need more concrete proof.

Shining felt all the moisture leave his mouth. He looked at the date of the entry. It was a few months ago. She had listened to one of his personal sessions in the tub. Pony-knows which one. By the stars, it could have been any of them, or all of them since then. He nervously turned the page. He had to know how much she knew about his... personal habits.

Dear Diary,

Sorry for not writing for so long. I've been studying magic ever since I went to the Summer Sun Celebration. I even started a separate journal on the subject. But last night I had a breakthrough regarding my other research. I awoke late at night to a strange noise in the bedroom. My brother, in the bed on the other side of the room, sounded like he was having a nightmare. He made a sort of whining, moaning noise. It was almost like he was in pain.

But as my eyes adjusted to the dark, that was when I noticed he was moving his hoof under the sheets. It was as though he had a bad itch on his abdomen. It was clear he wasn't asleep, so I just watched out of the corner of my squinted eye to figure out what was going on. He kept at it a few moments longer.

Then all of a sudden, he kicked the sheets off with his hind legs and grabbed a towel from his dresser. That was when I saw it, his- penis! It was much bigger than I ever thought it would be.

I mean, I've never seen it... out. I've always known that colts were different, that flap of skin hanging underneath, between their legs. But I never knew that, that flap hid that- that thing! I could only watch as it spurted ejaculated into the towel he was holding. There was so much fluid! It was mesmerizing!

I felt a tingling between my legs as I watched. It was like before, but not as bad. I didn't tend to my 'itch' as I didn't want him to think I was awake. So I waited. I actually wanted to just fall back asleep and deal with things in the morning, but I was too excited.

As soon as he finished, he cleaned himself quickly and rolled over, pulling the covers over himself. I could tell from the way his breathing changed that he was asleep. But I waited several minutes more. Once I was sure he was in a deep sleep, I silently crawled out of bed. I went over to his bed and carefully pulled back the covers. But when I got down to his- crotch, it was gone! It was just his usual self, the flap of skin that is always there. I didn't risk prodding for anything, for fear of waking him.

He began to stir and I feared being discovered. So I went back to bed and tried to wait but I fell asleep again. The next morning, I tried to recover his towel for study, but he had already added it to, and began the wash. This explains his enthusiasm for the chore.

But today, I learned about a new phenomenon in the sexuality section of the library, Nocturnal penile tumescence. Whereupon a stallion becomes aroused during sleep, or awakens in such a state! It's the perfect opportunity for a direct observation! I will try this tomorrow night and morning.

Morning wood. The great mystery of a young colt's life. Now the subject of his young sister's research. Shining sat on his bed. So much had happened in the last few months. So much, right here in this very room. The room he slept in. So much he had been unaware of. It made him feel uneasy. He hadn't felt like this an hour ago before he started reading. And the progress he had made through the pages only made him feel worse.

He felt like some poor fellow at a casino, who was doing so well until those last few losing hooves. He should just cut his loses and run now. But something was calling to him in that deck. That next hoof of cards would be his chance to turn this franchise around.

Shining looked at Twilight's closed diary in his lap. His unease of having been under his sister's surveillance for the past several months clashed with his arousal. He was still rubbing himself. With a mix of hesitance and anticipation, he opened to the page he left off on, somehow knowing he would hate himself for it later. Her penmanship was drastically improved, indicating she had written it very recently with the aid of magic to hold the quill.

Dear Diary,

Changing my sleeping routine has proven to be somewhat difficult. Shining always wakes up before I do to help me get ready in the morning. I always thought that he was just being nice, but this new revelation about 'morning wood' may yet prove to be a factor. With determination, I have managed to wake up early enough for a chance at a direct observation early this morning!

About an hour before Shining woke up, my own alarm went off. It was set to its quietest setting and tucked under my pillow, such that I would be the only one to hear it. I silenced it and waited in the dark, not moving, watching him in the other bed. I waited to see if the noise had also woken him. But his breathing stayed steady. He didn't stir. After a couple minutes, I had gotten the courage to make my move.

I slipped out of bed and crept across the room over to his bed. For a few minutes I just stood there, watching him sleep. Finally, I got up the nerve to do what I had gone there for. I carefully peeled back the covers, trying very hard to not wake him. I pulled them off all the way, uncovering his body. And there it was!

It was so strange, just looking at it there in front of me. It protruded out from his white sheath. It was white, mottled with dark grey spots. And it was so BIG! It looked so strange. It looked both hard and soft at the same time. I wanted so much to reach out a hoof and just touch it to find out. But he moaned out of nowhere, startling me. I pulled the covers back up over him and he involuntarily pulled at them, covering himself, and rolled over. I was too afraid to do anything else, so I just crawled back into my own bed.

He accidentally skipped a page ahead. Beyond, they were blank. He realized he must have been at the end. Indeed there was only one page of text left after where he left off. It was messily scrawled on the page.

Dear Diary,

I gotta make this quick. Shining is downstairs eating breakfast. Sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been studying magic in my other journal. I'm off to Celestia's Magic school today! Anyway, last night I had an amazing opportunity. My bed was covered with boxes of stuff for moving so I slept in Shining's bed! And this morning when I woke up, as I predicted, he had a morning erection! He must have been having an arousing dream because he woke me as he bucked in his sleep. I could feel it pressed against my back! It felt so hot and firm, yet soft and almost spongy. I rubbed my back against it a little to get a better feel for it. It was making me get worked up too. I think he woke up because I felt him go rigid when I pressed my crotch against him.

I felt him throb and jerk against my back when he had an orgasm. I wanted to see what his liquid felt like since I didn't feel any spurt against me. I tried to get at some to analyze, but he kicked me out of bed. Like, literally, KICKED me OUT of the bed. I was scared that I had been caught. But he had just woken up himself. He said that he must have been having a bad dream and apologized. I tried to pull back the covers to see what had come out, but he didn't let me. I realize now that he must have been embarrassed. I couldn't push the issue without giving myself away. I could just go back and look later.

Shining was clopping at a furious pace reading the final page, he dropped the book and lurched forward, his climax imminent. He half landed on Twilight's bed. His face was pressed into her sheets. He could smell her scent, her musk. It catapulted him over the top. His magic grip was a blur of motion on his cock. He exploded onto the floor beside the bed. With each throbbing pulse, he splashed another rope of cum on the floor. He came harder than he could ever remember. It felt like he came buckets.

Shining panted into the sheets. His senses were flooded with raw Twilight essence. The aroma caused his erection to delay for some time to retreat back into its sheath. Shining finally composed himself a moment later, getting his trusty towel to clean up his mess. He made sure it was spotless before discarding the towel in the bottom of the laundry bin. He went downstairs and got a cold glass of water. He went back upstairs and sat down on the floor, retrieving the diary. He picked up where he left off, finishing the entry.

... He said that he must have been having a bad dream and apologized. I tried to pull back the covers to see what had come out, but he didn't let me. I realize now that he must have been embarrassed. I couldn't push the issue without giving myself away. I could just go back and look later.

But when I came back up after breakfast, he'd already put the sheets in the wash. What a waste! I was going to do research on those sheets. But still, just the memory of rubbing against his erection this morning... it makes me feel, good. Really good. Like, I get the feeling of butterflies in my tummy, and I feel all... warm and fuzzy inside. It also make me feel all googly between my legs too.

I just realized I'm leaving today. I'm not going to be sleeping in the same room as him anymore. And it really hurts. I mean, I had been expecting to feel a little sad when I left my family. But now that this morning has happened, I just feel... I don't know, closer? I know it wasn't sex, but I feel like we shared something special, even if he doesn't know about it. And now that I have to leave, it hurts more now.

Anyway, I'll use the enchantment I learned to make you unnoticeable while I'm at school. See you soon!

The rest was blank. Shining just sat there. He felt like Christopher Colt Lumbus discovering that the world was round. His whole life was turned upside down. Now that he was no longer thinking with his dick, the gravity of the situation sunk in. He felt guilty and ashamed that by pleasuring himself to her diary he had crossed over some weird, sick boundary. He felt like he needed another shower. Ice cold this time.
.....

He packed the final box with the last of her personal things until all that was left was her diary. He ran his hoof along its binding a final time. His horn glowed as he restored her ward enchantment on the book. He tucked it in the middle of the box, as so it was not in any obvious position of interest. Just dumped in there with everything else because he didn't notice it. Exactly.

He brought the boxes downstairs to the front door. Getting back into the task at hoof helped to get him out of the strangeness of earlier. Tomorrow the boxes would be shipped to her dorm room. He walked back up to their bedroom-- his bedroom now. It felt too big for one pony. Tired, he sat alone on his bed. That was when it hit him.

For all the weirdness of that day, the reality of his little sister leaving struck him with no less impact.

She was gone.

Shining wept.

Author's Note

I want to give a big thanks to my editor, iloveportalz0r
You rock man! Thanks for all your help!

Preludes & Nocturnes

.
Several Years Later

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Shining Armor regarded the text in front of him. It didn't make any sense whatsoever. It was literally two conflicting statements in the same sentence, accepting both as true. It was too early in the morning for complex thought. He set the tome down next to his bowl of Wheaties. He looked across the breakfast table at Twilight, quietly munching on her own meal. Her violet bangs kept falling into her eyes as she bowed her head to eat. It was so cute. Mostly because of how frustrated she was getting trying to read the book beside her bowl.

It was so fun to watch. She would push her hair aside. Maybe behind her ear. She would read a paragraph or two, take a scoop of her cereal. And then her hair would flop back down into her eyes. Which wasn't to say her bangs were of an unmanageable length. Quite the contrary. She made it a point to keep them of the 'optimal length' as she put it.

If only she had the patience to wait until after eating to read, it would remain a non-issue. She was still too young to be this busy on a Saturday. Shining had tried to explain the concept of a 'lazy' Saturday to her. But she would have none of it. Always on the move, that one. He shook his head, trying his best to stifle another giggle as her hair fell back into her face again.

Being the elder of the two, Shining knew first hoof what it was like to grow up fast. He may have only been a couple years older than his sister, but he was tasked early with being her caretaker as soon as he was able. Life in Canterlot was nice, angelic even. But expensive. Their parents sacrificed so much to give them the very best opportunity at a bright future. They both worked long hours to pay for their home and schooling. And for their sitting services at the hooves of one Cadence.
.....

Twilight had just finished her third year of Magic School. She had grown a great deal. She was a beautiful, full-grown mare now. Smart, mature, and beautiful. Oh, did I already say beautiful? She ate her Wheaties now without complaint. None of her filly fussiness.

Her magic had grown exponentially as well. She excelled at everything. She would be the head of her class. That is, if she was in one. Her personal tutelage at the hooves of Princess Celestia stunted her social development however. Not that Twilight had any complaint about it. She didn't miss the social scene anyway. While the other ponies her age relaxed or partied over summer break, she just kept right on working, despite being afforded a great deal of time off.

Shining, on the other hoof, hadn't the time to spare. He had taken leave from the Royal Guard to spend a couple weeks with his family, just as he had several times before whenever Twilight was 'on a break' from school. But a month ago, he had promised a certain somepony that he'd have read this cursed book by now for her... book club. He shuddered at the concept. A club, for ponies to get together, just to talk about books? How bizarre was that?

He kept looking across the table. He kept... noticing her. They'd been seeing less and less of one another for the past few years. But he still held onto the memory of her diary. Of her... research, regarding him. Everyday since, he'd thought of her. He wondered if she missed him as much as he missed her. If she even realized how much he missed her. But as much as he was enraptured with watching her at the breakfast table, she seemed like she had barely noticed him all week.

Sure, they'd talked, and done things with the family. But she always seemed like she was miles away. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Or she had her face buried in one book or another. Shining tried to gain her attention.

"Twily, I need your help." He said across the table to her. She looked up from her own book at him.

"Hmm, what?" She said, only now having her concentration broken.

Shining held up his book in his hoof, showing her the cover. "Twi, I'm going to level with you. I can't get into this thing at ALL! And I need to know all about it for this... thing I'm going to today. Have you read it?"

Twilight's eyes lit up. "A Tail of Two Fillies"? Of course! It's a classic!

Shining rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, well I've been trying to read it for like, a month now, and it just makes my head hurt. Could you just give me, like, the short, SHORT version? Like, a hundred words or less?"

Twilight focused her thoughts, trying to summarize a universally accepted masterpiece into a manageable bite size for her brother. She loved her brother dearly, but he could be so thick sometimes when it came to intellectual pursuits.

"Um, let me see." she started, "It's about this stallion who was in prison during the Canterlot Revolution..."

Shining interrupted her, "Wait, so it's a history book?"

Twilight corrected him, "No, no. It's a fiction, in an actual historical setting. The Canterlot Revolution was a historical event, and the author created the story within those events. Do you understand?" She asked. Shining nodded.

She continued, "Anyways, um, there's these two stallions who both love the same mare. One tells her that he would sacrifice anything for her. He's a lawyer, but he drinks too much cider and he's kind of a loser. So she marries the other guy and has a daughter. But her new husband ends up in prison because they were going after the aristocracy."

"Aristo-what-now?" Shining interrupted.

"Aristocracy. The rich ponies." She explained. He looked at her blankly. "The Canterlot Revolution! The poor rising up and overthrowing the rich?" He nodded in understanding now. "So anyways, the lawyer finds out that he got arrested and goes to help. The thing is, the two stallions look really similar, so when he visits him, he drugs him with a sleeping potion and switches their clothes. So then the next day he goes to her husband's execution in his place. Sacrificing himself for the mare he loved to have the stallion she deserved, his sacrifice being the one good thing he ever did."

Shining stared at her with a blank face. He glanced down at the fat book beside his cereal bowl. "Twi! This is like five hundred pages! That's it?!" She nodded at him.

"Yeah, pretty much. The lawyer realizes that he isn't worth anything to the mare of his dreams alive. In sacrificing himself, he makes it so that she could have her husband back. It was the one good thing he ever did with his life."

Shining sat back in his chair, contemplating the meaning in that statement. "I- I guess that's pretty noble."

"Yeah! You bet it is." Twilight finished off the rest of the bowl. "I mean there's a bunch of fluff around it about the plight of the revolution, and a bunch of other stuff. But that's the main message that you really need to take away from it."

"Huh." Shining sat there, slack jawed in awe at the concept. Twilight clopped her hoof on the table loudly.

"Hey! Wake up! You wouldn't want to be tardy now would you?" She said, prompting him to finish his meal quickly.

He managed to gasp out a few words between shovel-fulls, "What about you? What are you doing today? Did you want to come to the book club with me?"

She looked out the window longingly, "Oh, sorry, I have a lot of studying to catch up on." She picked up her bowl with her magic and placed it in the sink. She trotted over to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "See ya later BBBFF." She picked up her book and headed out the door. Shining smiled, reading perhaps a bit too much into her chaste kiss. He hastened to finish his breakfast, getting ready to start his day.

He trotted back upstairs. It was Saturday after all. And that meant laundry day in the Sparkle home. He collected the linen from his bed, placing the heap of sheets into the bin. He moved across the bedroom to do the guest bed- Twilight's bed, as well.

This should be so simple. Put it in the bin.

He promised he wouldn't do THAT this time.

Just like he promised EVERY time she visited.

His anger welled up inside him. He hated himself for this. He shouldn't feel this way. He shouldn't feel this way about her.

It was the best and worst part of his weeks off.

He pulled Twilight's linen from her bed, and pressed his nose into it, breathing deep her scent. He could smell her. He could smell her musk. He could feel himself getting hard. It was the same every time she visited. He would put these in the wash, and then take a shower to- relieve himself.

Shining stood in the shower, bracing himself against the tiled wall, his other hoof, busy working.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

"Sheesh, you said it." He muttered to himself as he clopped furiously.
.....

Shining stepped out from the shower. He felt dirtier for the experience. It was a feeling that had haunted him for years now. It was what spurred him on in life. It made him try harder, do better, be better. He was a pony with something to prove. He had a chip on his shoulder so big now he couldn't escape its shadow. His infatuation with her fueled his guilt. It always made him feel like no matter how hard he tried, no matter his success, he was some kind of failure as a pony.

It had gotten him quite far in fact. He was the very model of an upstanding citizen of Canterlot. He joined the Canterlot Academy of the Royal Guard as soon as he was able. He tried harder, put in more effort, and out-shined the rest of his peers. He graduated first in his class in officer's school.

He was in line to become Captain of the Royal Guard soon. He had been preened and polished, groomed for success. It had nothing to do with what he knew. It didn't matter that he knew the regulations backwards and forwards. It was about who he knew. He was good friends with the past and present Commanders of the Royal Guard. Even Prince Blue Blood himself. Though they could barely stand each other, it was a contest of who could out bear the other's company. It ended in a respectable, and amicable draw of politeness. Though it was clear that each would have preferred that things had gotten violent.

Nevertheless, it was clear that Mr. Armor was destined for greatness. He had met Princess Celestia numerous times by being the brother of her star student, Twilight. It was even rumored that he had caught the eye of the beautiful, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! And why shouldn't he? He was a flawless, shining example of a pony. Not a single flaw about him.

Except for that one thing

That one thing he kept buried down deep

That ate away at his core

Leaving him feeling empty.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Shining knocked at the door of Cadence's villa. It was a confident knock. It said, "I am here. I have nothing to be ashamed of. And I definitely didn't do anything unsavory with my sister's dirty linen this morning for my own perverted pleasure." But, you know, in knock form.

Cadence opened the door, "Shiny!" She said as she wrapped her hooves around him, kissing him sweetly. Shining kissed her back. He kissed Equestria's most beautiful eligible bachelorette back with intense passion. She called him Shiny. He loved, and hated her for that. She called him Shiny, just like Twilight did. And it turned him on for all the wrong reasons. Cadence felt him getting excited against her. She glanced between them, "Shiny, please," She whispered, pulling away, "save this for later." She said with a sly wink, giving him a playful tug.

She turned back into her house, back to her other guests. Shining brought his hoof to his mouth, biting it sharply. Pain. Hoofball statistics. Anything to get... Little Shiny... under control. He hadn't showered long enough. He caught Twilight's scent on his hoof from handling her dirty sheets. It only served to spur him harder. He tried. He tried so hard. Not to imagine her bare plot rubbing against the soft linen... soaking them in her wetness...

"GAH!"

He had to do something. He rushed inside, hurrying upstairs to her half-bath. She caught his quick scurry. "Shine?"

"Just a mo." He said, dashing inside, closing the door behind him. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" He quietly cursed to himself in the small bathroom. Little Shiny stared up at him eagerly. Awaiting his attention. "I just- I just need to get through this day." His stallionhood slapped against his belly with each hard beat of his racing heart. "Ughhh, Celestia forgive me..." He wrapped his hoof around his member. This wouldn't be about him. This wasn't about his pleasure. This was mechanical. A simple means to remedy his offending erection as quickly as possible.

One would normally picture the mare that they were courting. Or their wife, should they be married. That was the proper thing to do, wasn't it? He tried to picture Cadence. He tried to recall their intimate moments. Their risqué getaways when they were sure that nopony could hear them. Their remote picnics in the hillsides, away from everypony else, where they could have of each other as they pleased. He stroked himself harder, faster. "Fuck." It wasn't working. He let his mind relax.

"Ok, let's just get this over with." He mutters to himself, clopping furiously. "So Twilight. I'm... taking her on the bed in the bedroom- oh, this is so wrong... She moans like she wants me." He imagined that she was dripping wet. He licked her sweet, tight little slit. He licked it and she liked it. His sweet little Twilight. "Cum to big brother!"

He imagined her yelling in desperation. He could still smell her juices on his hoof from the linen earlier. He envisioned her juices dripping on the sheets as he took her in their room. He could almost feel her on him, hear her moan, as he thrust in. He imagined her shrieks, but when he backed off, she shouted for more. He'd thrust back in and she felt slipperier with every push but her slit was still as tight as if it was her first time.

"Oh yes! I'm taking my little sister's virginity!" And then... and then...! The pulses started, and he barely had time to aim it away from himself as his seed splattered, landing about a foot from his tip, the spurts slowing down, drawing a line on the floor to his softening member. Then the horrifying reality of the deed returned.

Little Shiny retreated as he quickly cleaned himself and the room. He headed downstairs to his marefriend's... book club meeting. He shuddered. Truly, this book club was his punishment for his impure thoughts. He walked into her living room as they were already in the midst of their meeting. He could hear the clucking chattering of the mares all squawking about as they discussed their 'individual, personal deep understanding of the author's narrative.'
_______________________________________________________

One of Cadence's friends was giving her take on the book. He couldn't remember her name, but he knew she was the one who liked doing amateur photography. It was so pretentious, and her photos were so trite. 'Ooh, you took a black and white photo of a chair and its shadow. You're so brooding and deep.' Her shrill voice made his teeth hurt. He could feel it resonating in his eyes.

"I really like the portrayal of the downtrodden poor under the oppression of the aristocracy. I could really relate with their plight." The mare prattled on.

"Like hell." He thought to himself, "You ARE the aristocracy. You've never known a day of real plight in your life. You've never had to worry where your next meal would come from you pretentious little-"

"Shiny!" Cadence called out, interrupting his thoughts, "I saved a seat for you." She said, patting a pillow beside herself. He took a seat beside her, joining the group. The others were all clutching their copy of the book like a dear little friend. Shining decided to do as the locals do. He pulled his copy from his bag.

Another of the mares piped up, "I disagree. I thought the behavior of the ponies rising up and revolting against the establishment was abhorrent. They should have found another way to resolve their differences." A couple of the others nodded in agreement. Others shook their heads, silently voicing their opposition.

Cadence maintained her practiced position of stanch neutrality. "Well, each side of the political aspects have their merits and faults. I think we can all agree on that. What about you Shiny? What did you think about it?"

Shining tried his best to ground his thoughts away from the unclean acts he had just committed moments ago upstairs. He thought about Twilight's description of the characters. But his memory failed him.

"I- uh, I'm actually not too sure about... that." He mumbled.

Cadence smiled, and tried to urge on his courage, "Well, sweetie, just talk about... what character did you connect with the most?"

Shining thought about their conversation at breakfast. He peeled open the book to the last few pages for the specifics.

"Um, well, I really felt like I could understand the character of..." He glanced quickly at the pages, "Carton."

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Cadence asked, placating.

"Um, well because..." He dug down deep. He spoke from the heart. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I could sympathize with him for wanting so badly to be with somepony..." He looked at his marefriend, Cadence, but his thoughts were for another. "... so badly that he would do anything for her. Even when the opportunity presented itself for her very-special somepony to be removed from the picture, giving him an opening to make his move on her..." He stifled a cough, "Instead, he gave her what she really deserved, when he took her condemned husband's place in being executed. Because he knew it was the one good thing he could do with his otherwise worthless life," he finished, his eyes on the text of the book, "A far, far better thing." He sat down. The others sat in silence.

Cadence sat beside him in shock. She hadn't actually expected him to have read it. She was expecting to poke some fun at his expense. But it seemed that he had read it after all. And it clearly has had a deep effect on him. She put a hoof on his shoulder and held him close, kissing him on his forehead.

He sat back, reclining in his seat. Cadie's little book club meetings were fine. As long as he was very far away from them. But as their relationship continued to blossom, she kept inviting him to join her in more and more of her activities. The fair Princess and the upstanding Guardspony. What a perfect match they were. Each of them perfect. Except for one thing.

That one thing.
.....

Shining and Cadence needn't keep their relationship a secret. They were both adults, free to court whomever they choose. But they enjoyed the thrill of when they would sneak away in secret. Away from the eyes of the world, their love known only to them. They'd steal away every chance they could, to the backroom, the alley, or the trusty woods. He used her and she used him, but neither one cared. They were getting their share.

His thoughts wandered back to his memories. The book club became much more tolerable. His mind was very far away. The others chatted around him as he stared off into space, melting into the background of the room, an inconspicuous shadow on the wall. He remembered all those times, laying beside her, cherishing every moment, because who knew when they might ever have another chance.

Sure, Cadence was right there, in the same room as him this very moment. He need only to open his eyes and see her there before him. He opted to indulge his imagination. Everything about her was so different there, so wild and uninhibited. He remembered just watching her sleep in her bed. Her soft, pink wings rustling slightly as she dreamed. The way her violet tail would sometimes fall aside, affording him a glimpse of her little lavender... No- wait!

He was rushed back to reality as he felt a slight stir in his loins at the devious memory. He slouched forward in fear and adrenalin fueled panic. He was NOT about to pop wood here surrounded by all these proper ladies. His mind reeled, trying to think of anything else to get himself under control. He was keeping it together for the moment. But only just barely. The thought of all these mares all sitting around, staring in wanton lust at his massive, veiny member. They'd have to form a line as he had his way with each of them. One after another after-

"Excuse me ladies." Shining hurriedly ducked out of the room, escaping to the back porch. He had a full on fearection. On the highway to the danger-bone. The memories of the thrill of getting caught, plus the dangerous social situation had gotten him all worked up. Had he not taken care of things twice today already, he might not have been able to escape in time. He looked down at himself, all rigid and demanding-looking.

"What's with you today?" He said down to Little Shiny as he took a seat in one of the back porch chairs. "Gah, having Twilight visiting back home, it's like I'm a colt again, popping wood every ten minutes and trying to hide a boner at school." He took a folded blanket from off the chair beside him and threw it over himself to try to hide his shame. Or pride. Depending on how he looked at it. Now he played the waiting game. Saturdays were good days for the waiting game. A lazy Saturday, one best spent frittering the time away in a hammock in the cool shade of a large tree. Waiting for the grill to heat up, waiting for the beautiful sunset...

Waiting for an embarrassing erection to go away.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warm sun on his face.

Sometimes the waiting game turned into the sleeping game.
________________________________________________

Some time later, Cadence bid her friends farewell. The commotion of everypony leaving out the front stirred him from his nap. Thankfully, the time had assuaged him of his arousal. He heard the door open behind him. Cadence trotted out beside him, sitting in the other chair.

"You know, if you don't want to come to these meetings, you don't have to." She said with a frustrated sigh. He turned in his seat to face her, apologetically. "But you didn't have to just up and leave like that. It was kind of rude."

"No, it's not like that." He tried to explain, "I- I just wasn't feeling well. That's all." She narrowed her eyes a bit, inspecting his face.

"That's a lie." She said with a humph. "I could always tell when you were lying because you were never any good at it."

"Well, I never acquired your comfort with it." He answered.

"True. But then you never had to. Life is much simpler for a soldier." She retorted.

"Hey, nothing about what I do is easy." He said, defensively.

"No. I didn't say easy. Just... simpler. More direct. You're given orders and you carry them out. There's no mystery, no subtlety. No secret agendas." She looked away for a moment before continuing, "You should try fighting on my battlefield. A Princess among these politicians, scheming and squabbling and all the back-stabbery."

"Back-stabbery?" He asked at the silliness of it.

"Yes. It's a thing." She said, pointing her nose up. "At least with you, you know who the enemy is. But being a Princess in the great hall with Celestia's Day Court, it's like a pit of snakes." She frowned. He just stared into her eyes. The young Princess had to grow up so fast. So many responsibilities. She grew up too fast, he thought.

"You're too pretty to be playing with snakes." Shinning said softly, leaning in to gently kiss her. She welcomed his touch. His embrace just seemed to magically make the woes of the world melt away. She felt herself enclosed in his love, wrapping around her like a protective... shield.

"So, tell me, honestly. Why did you come out here then?" She asked after a few quiet minutes. He pondered for a brief moment. A good liar, he was not. He knew he should just tell her the truth. But his time with Cadence had taught him how to bend the truth just as far as it could go. It was almost like a plea bargain. Admit to something slightly less embarrassing to avoid the real problem.

"Yeah, it's true. I don't like going to your book club thing." He admitted. She just nodded. "And I didn't mean to be rude today, I really just wasn't feeling well." Which, he decided, was true enough. Now to clinch the deal, "And I'm sorry."

An apology. It wasn't the first one he had given and didn't mean it.

Why should he apologize after all? None of this would have happened if she hadn't guilted him into going to this stupid thing. But he apologized anyway. Just like he always did. Sometimes he apologized without even really understanding what it was he was apologizing for. Ain't love grand? Her mood shifted. She seemed satisfied enough with his answer. She now, instead, showed concern.

"So you aren't feeling well then?" She asked.

"Hmm? No. I mean, I wasn't earlier, but I feel better now. I think I just needed some air or sun or something. I'm fine now, really." He answered, a little shaky. He wasn't lying. He wasn't trying to lie. But he also didn't want her to think she was catching him in a lie either.

"Was it something you ate? Were you feeling queasy?" She asked, prodding for clues. "I just- it's just that I care about you. You know that."

Okay. That made him feel really bad now about this whole thing. She just really wanted to make sure he was okay, and here he was trying to duck her.

"Okay, okay. It's just that- it's embarrassing." He started, his face already turning red. "I was kind of daydreaming in there and I started to get a little... excited." He said. She just stared at him blankly. "You know... excited?" he said again, this time motioning to the blanket covering his crotch. The gears whirred for a second as Cadence came to her realization. Her concern vanished into a mischievous grin as her eyes lit up.

"Oh. OH! Did Little Shiny want to join the book club too?" She jested mockingly, prodding him gently between his legs.

"He's not little." He grumbled, crossing his hooves across his chest. Cadence was on the verge of hysterics. She brought her hooves up in front of her, holding them a mere inch apart.

"Ooooh, da widdle bitty tiny shiny chubby wanted to come out and pway?" She said in her worst possible baby babble voice.

"Stop it." He deadpanned. He knew she was just trying to get a reaction out of him. She put her hoof back on his crotch, rubbing him through the blanket. She was soon getting an entire other rise from him instead. After earlier, it didn't take much to bring him back to full mast. She felt him grow beneath the blanket in her hoof.

"Hmmm." She purred, "Not so little now, huh?" She said, ditching the baby voice for a much more sultry tone. He groaned as she continued to slowly slide the soft blanket along his length. "Is this for me?" She asked playfully. She moved her other hoof to pull the blanket away. "Here, let me make it up to you for teasing you." She went to pull the blanket away to uncover him. He put his hoof on hers.

"No, just-" His breath was already quickening, "just keep doing that, what you were just doing. It feels good." He instructed. She went back to running her hoof up and down his shaft. Cadence wasn't particularly skilled in giving a hoof job. In fact, a good hoof job was somewhat of a holy grail in the pony foreplay arena. Even a Princess like Cadence, who had never had to do a day of manual labor in her life, still walked everywhere on her hooves. This left them always at least just a little bit rough.

It could be done though. A hoof job. There were special aids that you could purchase from adult stores. It was an augmentation one would wear on their hoof to give it the soft, velvety texture of... other pony anatomy. But this, this velvety blanket served just as well.

A moan escaped his lips and she kept sliding her hoof up and down him. She knew just how to turn his crank. She used just the right rhythm, the perfect amount of pressure, and the exact right speed. He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation. He could just picture her sucking on his meat soon. He was getting close now. He couldn't wait. He could just see her now, bobbing her head up and down. Her cute little violet bangs falling back in her eyes again, just like at breakfast-

"GAH!" Shining bolted upright, the blanket tossed from off his body. His massive cock sprang free as the first gout of semen exploded from his flared tip, splattering across her cheek, and into her mane. She recovered from the surprise in a flash, and was upon him instantly, her mouth filled with his pulsing member. His world spun as he felt her take him into her mouth. His second rope burst into her waiting throat. Then a third, and a forth. She tried her best, but there was so much this time! She popped off, gasping for air as his torrent of semen slowed to a dribble onto her chin. She coughed a little as she wiped her cheek.

"Gees honey, were you saving that up for me or what?" She wheezed, exasperated. Even he couldn't believe how much there was either. Especially since he had already taken care of himself twice that day.

"Of course baby. I love you." Was all he answered. She kept trying to wipe her face, pulling her hoof away. A long strand of jizz connected her hoof to her cheek.

"Clearly you do." She said, smiling. "Come on, let's go inside and wash up."
_________________________________________________________________

After a shower together, Cadence and Shining were once again presentable. Whatever it was that was in that shampoo of hers was a liquid miracle. How she ever managed to get... him out of her hair before she discovered the brand was a mystery. But she swore by it now that she had it. Especially since he sure seemed to like to get... himself in her mane, and tail, and on her wings a lot. She gave him a kiss farewell at the door. He gave her one back. She gave him another. He gave her another back.

"Go on! I know you have things you need to do." She said, shooing him away. He pouted and turned to leave, heading back home. His house was about halfway between her villa in the palisades and Canterlot Castle. He hurried home to finish helping out around the house.

Normally, during the week, he reported to the Castle Guard barracks. But with both of their parents working, there were a lot of things that needed to get done around the house on the weekends that required the strength of a strong, young stallion. Their father was hardly an invalid, but neither was he the strapping buck of his youth.

Shining arrived at his house. Parked in front was a chariot with a pair of royal guards. He recognized them as a couple of the newer guys from the barracks, but he wasn't on a first name basis with them yet. They saw his approach and went to attention.

"Lieutenant!" One of them said as they saluted. He saluted back.

"Hey guys. Um, are you here for me? Has there been a weekend recall?" He asked. They shook their heads.

"No sir, we're here for Miss Twilight." He answered.

"Why of all the nerve!" Shining thought to himself. He felt his blood pressure rise. "Not only were these two picking up mares on duty, in uniform, with a government vehicle, but it was HIS sister of all ponies! In broad daylight!" He reared up to knock their lights out. "And what's worse, there's TWO of them! What the hay kind of kinky-"

Twilight and her dragon familiar, Spike, exited the front door, heading toward the chariot.

"Hey! Shiny!" She called out, running over to him. She hugged him. He hugged her back. He looked at her with concern. Spike meanwhile simply waited on the chariot.

"Twilie, what's going on here? What are you doing with these two?" He asked.

"Princess Celestia has asked me to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville. See?" She showed him the letter she had received from the Princess. Sure enough, it had her royal seal and everything. He looked over her shoulder at the two standing behind her, waiting to take her to Ponyville. He suddenly felt very embarrassed. He was just about to beat the snot out of two of his own troops for no good reason. He to needed relax more on his time off.

"Oh. Okay. So you're leaving now?" He asked.

"Mm hmm." She nodded.

"That's kind of a big deal. Were you going to tell me before you took off?" He asked, a little hurt.

"Duh! Why do you think I came home? I just told mom and dad. I figured you were going to be here too, but you weren't. I was in a rush so I figured they'd tell you when you got back. But you're here now so it's all good!" She said.

"Well still," Shining said, "you wouldn't like it if I had some big, huge announcement and I didn't tell you in person." He hugged her again, just a little bit longer. And then she boarded the chariot, taking off into the sky, headed for Ponyville.

"See ya later BBBFF!" She called out as they took off.

"Yeah, see ya Twilie." He said to himself. She was long out of earshot by that point. He let himself into his house and closed the door behind him. There was still a lot of work that needed to get done. But he didn't want to do any of it. That wasn't like him. It wasn't like him to shirk off work. He felt sluggish, like something had just taken all the wind out of his sails.

He struggled to focus his effort. He had gotten home in time to take the linen out of the dryer before they wrinkled. He made his bed and then he made his sister's. There was no joy in the task for him. It just smelled like detergent. He went to the kitchen for a snack before he started. On his way, he passed by his parents, each packing a bag in their room.

"Mom? Dad? What are you guys doing?" He asked

"Oh Shiny," His mom answered, looking up from her bag, "You sister was just here. She's going to-"

"Ponyville. Yeah, I caught her outside before she left." He cut her off, "But what are you two doing?"

"Oh, well with Twilight out of town, your father decided that we've been working so hard lately, that we deserved a little getaway with the rest of our time off. Just the two of us." She smiled at her husband. "So we're going to Fillydelphia for the night. Just like that! He's so spontaneous!"

"That's why you married me." He said, nuzzling her.

"We'll be back some time tomorrow evening... depending on the trains. I left a list for you on the fridge." They each closed their bags. She gave Shining a quick peck on the cheek and they headed out the door.

Shining stood in the hallway a moment longer. The house was too big for just one pony. It was too quiet. He walked into the kitchen. On the fridge was the to-do list next to the calender. Tomorrow was the summer solstice, making tonight the shortest night of the year. But somehow he got a feeling it was going to be the longest.

The Best Night Ever?

Shining Armor trotted into the Royal Guard barracks, passing by the office of the Commander.

"Morning sir," he said as he passed.

"Yeah, yeah," he responded waving him off with his hoof, clearly engrossed in whatever paperwork was on his desk. Shining continued on, greeting the new Lieutenant fresh from officer school. Lt. Sea Cay was a Pegasus pony from the coast. He tried showing Shining how to surf a couple of times. Shining thought it would be easy to pick up since it should translate easily from his skateboarding skills of his youth, but after nearly drowning a couple times, Shining put that little dream behind him.

As the ranking officer, Captain Shining was able to enjoy the term Louey or Lou for his Lieutenants that he himself once had to accept. Sure, he could end the cycle of title belittling. But he didn't see any reason why his subordinates should have it any easier than he did. So the cycle continued.

"Morning Lou, what's the word?" Shining said as the two walked together.

"Well sir, there are a few going-ons on the agenda." He said, passing the list to the Captain. Shining read them as the Lt. read the list aloud. "The Princess is entertaining some dignitaries from Griffonia. There are still efforts going on integrating her sister into the command structure. There are reports of more native unrest from the Appaloosa settlement. A few other odds and ends." He prattled on. Shining flipped to the second page.

"What's this?" He pointed at an entry low on the second page near the end of the list. "Ponyville moving detail?"

"Um, oh, the Princess has requested a few bodies to pack up and ship one of her 'Gifted Unicorn' student's personal effects to be shipped to Ponyville. I'll send a detachment over later to handle that task." He said flatly. Shining waved a hoof at him.

"Don't bother, I'll handle it," Shining said. The Lieutenant froze in place as though Shining suggested treason.

"Sir, with respect, this is a menial tasking. Grunt work! I was just going to send a couple of privates to-"

"And I said. I'll handle it. Lieutenant." Shining turned and looked at him sternly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all sir." The Lieutenant shied away. "Handle it as you see fit."

"I intend to."
_______________________________________________________________

The Captain walked through the halls of Celestia's school. Fillies and colts stepped aside as he passed. Some bowed or curtsied. There was no rule requiring civilians to show such deference to any Royal Guardspony. But he wasn't about to ruin it now. Besides, he had neither the time or the inclination to educate everypony individually.

He exited the far side of the building, cutting through the campus courtyard. A few fillies smiled and waved before turning and giggling in their little packs. No, not pack. What was the term for a pack of girls now? A Clique? Shining was silently grateful he was no longer in school. He always felt that the term 'pack' was plenty appropriate. He had seen fillies just as predatory and vicious as any wolf he had encountered in the wilds of Equestria. Twilight's dorm room was a two story studio loft perched atop the school library spire. He trotted up the exterior stairs and opened the door.

He immediately regretted his decision to tackle this task alone.

A cursory scan of the dwelling revealed little in the way of personal affects. His sister was nothing if not pragmatic. But the truly daunting task was the shelves upon shelves of books. It would be hard enough to locate his quarry, enchanted as it surely was. An enchantment the powerful unicorn had no doubt improved upon in the intervening years. But hidden in a private library, it was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles.

Outside the window, the sun slowly crept higher in the east. It was still early. There was time. But he would still need to work quickly. And carefully. Her perception filter enchantment would be assaulting his psyche to ignore her diary. If he moved too quickly, he'd look right at it and not even see it.

He made short work of gathering the rest of her personal items into moving boxes by the door, her scrolls, parchments, and quills. He emptied the drawers of the few outfits she owned. Simple skirts and blouses, plain dresses. He cleared out her shelf of knickknacks, including her silly doll.

As soon as everything else was sorted, he focused on his primary mission. There were hundreds- no, thousands of books in the room. Somewhere, hidden among them in this room was her diary. And within it, answers to so many of his lingering questions. He focused on his memory of the diary. How could he ever forget? He took care to memorize the details of it. The specific color, size, and dimensions. The texture of the binding and the particular way the edges were worn in such distinct ways. The weight of it in his hooves. He kept that mental image sharp in his mind even after all these years.

Aisle by aisle, row by row, shelf by shelf, he inspected each book closely. He kept his sensory magic on high alert for any trace of enchantments, veils or shimmers. The whole room was a miasma of latent magic, both from the magic tomes themselves and the leftover energies of a unicorn that stayed in and practiced magic a bit more than was healthy.

Celestia's sun continued its procession across the sky. Shining ignored the rumbling in his stomach as he went over the final shelf. Again. He had thoroughly swept the entire room thrice. His head was positively throbbing from magical exertion. He collapsed onto her reading couch, causing a pair of her reading glasses to fall from the arm. Shining picked them up off the floor and put them on, mocking his sister.

"The sum of the squares of two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side." He recited in his best nerd voice. He went to take them off when he caught a glimmer in the corner of the frames. He took them off to get a better look but the glimmer vanished. He put the glasses back on and moved closer.

On the end of one of the shelves, there was a yellowish, ethereal glow. It was an extra shelf, revealed only by wearing the reading glasses. He reached out with his hoof to grab at the hidden book. It passed clear through its translucent image. He focused a bit harder on the magical entity and grasped the spectral book in his hoof from the empty air. He looked down as the diary took on corporeal form in his hoof.

Time had changed it little since he had last held it. It was positively brimming with magic keeping it preserved and restored. There was no magical lock or warding on the covers. Apparently, Twilight was confident enough in her means of keeping it hidden that she needn't bother with locking and unlocking it each time.

Shining set the book down on the end table. He backed away for a moment to catch his breath. He hadn't realized he was hyperventilating. His pulse was bounding, thundering in his ears. His hooves were sweaty with anxiety. He did a quick circuit of the room, trying to shake off the nervous energy.

Slowly, carefully, he took up her diary once more. He opened it and skimmed to where he had left off, years ago.

But still, just the memory of rubbing against his erection this morning... it makes me feel, good. Really good. Like, I get the feeling of butterflies in my tummy, and I feel all... warm and fuzzy inside. It also make me feel all googly between my legs too.

Anyway, I'll use the enchantment I learned to make you unnoticeable while I'm at school. See you soon!

Shining felt his excitement grow as he reread the page detailing the events of that memorable morning they slept in the same bed. But even though the events were by her design, his feelings were still marred with equal parts shame. It didn't help matters that he was actively going out of his way to snoop into her privacy. He hesitated for a moment as to whether or not he should proceed.

For a moment at least.

And the fact that he seriously considered not doing it, made him feel a bit better about doing it anyway. He turned the page. The next entry wasn't until several days later.

Dear Diary,

The challenges of a new school and home have been, well, challenging. I settled into my dorm loft easily enough. Unpacking was made easy by whomever organized the boxes. I was afraid when I remembered that you were among my books, but it seems you were packed unnoticed.

The class schedule is demanding and the workload is considerable. It is nothing I can't handle but... Reading my previous entry has brought to focus a recurring problem. Ever since -that night- there hasn't been a day gone by that I haven't thought about it. There hasn't been a night gone by that I haven't dreamed about him. I miss him so much, so much more so than my home and parents.

I awaken in the middle of the night, and I am reminded that I am alone in my room, that I don't have him in a bed next to mine. I find myself clutching my pillow seeking his embrace. And I realized that what I wanted was the intimacy, the closeness I felt in that moment, to share something so personal.

But until I get a chance to see him again, I need to try to keep my thoughts of him from my mind. I find myself thinking about him when I don't mean to, during studying and lessons. I need to focus on studying magic, free from distractions. Including you, diary.

Shining felt the knot in his stomach loosen somewhat. So he wasn't the only one of them to have gotten hung up on that night. He flipped ahead. There was plenty more writing. He was relieved to see that she hadn't given up on the diary entirely either. He went back to the next page. The date was several weeks later.

Dear Diary,

My continued studies in the realm of magic proceed well. Well enough, anyway. My -fixation- on Him continues to be a distraction. I think the time has come for me to discuss my distracting problem with my mentor, Princess Celestia...

Shining felt his stomach drop, and his heart lurch into his throat. Twilight talked about her incestuous fixation on her brother with THE Princess Celestia? His boss!?

... leaving out certain specific details of the distraction.

Shining felt the air get sucked back into his lungs as he breathed the biggest sigh of relief since Cadence's last negative pregnancy test. At least Twilight was bright enough to keep the details of her problem vague. But he couldn't hazard to guess what it was that the Princess would do for her, if anything.

"Dear Diary,

I have a major decision to make. I have confessed to Princess Celestia that I have been distracted by my obsession with a certain stallion. I didn't give His name, and she didn't ask. But I explained that as much as I enjoyed the thought of Him in-that way, I would prefer to keep my mind unoccupied while I'm trying to learn. She seemed to understand. She has offered me a spell to make me forget about that aspect of that pony. And I am conflicted as to whether or not to accept it.

I love Him. I love Him more than I know I should. And I know we can never be together the way I want to. In the end, perhaps it would just be for the better if we I went back to feeling for Him like I am supposed to.

Shining Armor turned to the last page of text.

Dear Diary,

This will be my final entry. I have decided to accept Princess Celestia's spell to block my romantic feelings for Him. Maybe some things are best left forgotten. But for the spell to hold, I will have to cut off any reminders of those feelings, including you. Princess Celestia suggested that I destroy you, but I can't bring myself to do it. Instead, I will hide you, and have her make me forget about you as well. But I promise I'll start a new diary, with my new life, free of- distractions.

And that was it. There was no further text. No more answers or explanations. If she indeed had a new diary, she had taken it with her to Ponyville. If it was here, in the library, it was beyond his power of finding it. Shining pushed the notebook back into the enchanted shelf space. Its physical form dissolved back into the ether of the shimmer. Shining took the glasses from the bridge of his nose, looking at them introspectively. The Pegassistance moving company pulled up to the building and began loading the boxes into the truck.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe some things are best left forgotten.

He dropped the glasses to the floor, crushing them under his hoof.

He looked up at the doorway. A tall figure stood at the entrance. She looked different in the daylight. Her mane lacked the ethereal luster of the stars and moonlight that normally filled it.

"Fair Captain," Luna greeted, "We... we owe thee an apology. When we first met on the day of our return, we- we were not in our right mind." She trailed off. "It has taken us some time to find the courage to face thee after our taking advantage of thine feelings." She looked back to his eyes, "It was wrong of us to manipulate you by taking the form of thy marefriend. And we are sorry."

Shining's shock of being discovered gave way to inquiry and almost pity.

"First of all, she's- she's not my marefriend. And secondly... how did you even find me here?" he asked.

"We sought thee at thine barracks, whereupon thine subordinates did inform us that thee would be at this location." She moved about the room, inspecting the packed boxes. "Dost thou not perform manual labor for thine love's affection?"

"She's not my marefriend," he said.

"So thou hast already informed us. But why then, dost thou then act as though she is?" she asked, inquisitively.

"It's- it's complicated," he mumbled.

She put a hoof on his shoulder. " 'Tis always."

He turned to speak. But when he looked to her, she was gone, and he was alone once more.
___________________________________________________________________________

Months fell off the calendar. Each week, Shining hoped for Twilight to return to Canterlot. Each assignment for a posting in Ponyville he applied for, denied. Until at last, a break. A major threat to national security came across his desk. He read the report. He read it again, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming. It was terrible. It was wonderful. It was perfect!

Shining circumvented the ensign courier, electing to personally deliver the report to Her Highness. It was still early. Celestia's Day Court would not begin for at least another hour. Until then, she would be in her personal study 'preparing for battle' as she liked to say.

Shining skidded to a halt outside her door. Her two personal guards saluted the Captain. Her secretary, however, barely deigned to notice his arrival, her brown eyes barely lifting to look at him over the thick, black, hipster rims of her glasses. She was a white furred earth pony with a dark brown mane trussed up in a large bun. Her cutie mark, a quill and ink well. And she exercised her special talent with extreme prejudice as her hoof and quill hastily scrawled ink across her current parchment. Her red handkerchief tie bobbed along with her punctuated motion.

"Good morning, Ms. Hay Bailin. " Shining greeted.

"Captain." She responded curtly, never breaking pace as she moved on to the next page of her work.

"I have an urgent report to deliver to the Princess!" Shining said in all seriousness.

"Her Highness is unavailable." She said, completely dismissing him.

"It is a matter of national security!" he said, with emphasis.

"Her Highness is unavailable." She repeated. Her tone identical. Shining was taken aback somewhat.

Did she even hear me? Wait- did I just get- form responded in person? Clearly this called for drastic measures. Shining levitated a small pouch from his bag. Suspending it in front of her. Her quill immediately froze in place. She looked up at him, and glanced at the guards. Their gaze looked away from the scene. Once you got to the level of being Celestia's personal guards, you knew when 'not to see things.'

"Is that what I think it is?" She asked. He simply nodded, tossing the pouch on her desk. She stared at the pouch for a moment. "I'm not saying I'm accepting this. I'm just uncomfortable with it being on my desk." She said, pulling open her drawer and dropping it inside. She closed the drawer and cleared her throat. "Ahem, the Princess will see you now."

Shining passed by the guards, closing the door behind him. No sooner was the door closed than she poured the pouch into her hooves. She grinned wildly, her eyes wide. These would make an excellent addition to her Pog collection.
_________________________________________________________________________

Shining trotted hastily toward the Princess at her personal desk. She was sporting her red reading glasses that were at least four decades out of fashion. But she insisted that she was going to 'bring the look back.'

"Ah, Captain Armor! It is fortunate that you are here!" She said at his arrival. Shining took a quick knee.

"Why is that, Your Highness?" He asked.

"I need your help with a matter of grave importance." She said. Shining lit up. Perhaps she was already aware of the news he had planned to deliver. And she had already planned to select him as her champion for the cause. "I need your help rewording this tax hike proposal so the citizens don't try to stage a revolution again."

"How about... a 'temporary refund adjustment'?" He suggested. She repeated it to herself silently a couple times and wrote it down.

"Yes. That will do nicely. Thank you Captain." She said before continuing to write on. She glanced up again after a moment. "Oh, forgive me, was there something else?"

"There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty. I bring you a report a great importance regarding the security of Ponyville, nay all of Equestria!" He said, trying his best to sell the drama. "I've received a report from our Pegasus division that a dragon has taken up sleeping residence in the Smokey Mountain cave. And his snoring is creating a smoke cloud that is spreading over all of Equestria. Therefore, I volunteer myself to lead an extermination squad to Ponyville to eliminate the threat."

Celestia considered his proposed plan. At least, she tried to appear to consider it before immediately rejecting it. "No."

"But, but Your Highness! I already have a team in mind, ready and assembled to depart! We were very successful in our last dragon-removal mission at Pony's Peak! There was so much dragon blood that we just slid down the mountain like a water slide."

"No."

"Princess please, I beg you! Something must be done!" He pleaded.

"I quite agree Captain. But given the current tensions with Draconia, we don't need any more 'accidental' deaths of foreign dignitaries while they are trying to have a snack."

"That dragon was attacking sovereign Equestrian territory! We did what we had to do to save civilian lives!" Shining said, standing firm.

"Captain, perhaps with time you will gain the wisdom to understand that sacrifice is oft required for the greater good." She said sternly, laying her glasses on her desk. "But perhaps..." She took out a fresh parchment and began writing a letter. "perhaps there is another way."

"If I could be privy to Your Majesty's master plan..." Shining said, trying not to growl.

"I am enlisting the help of your sister, Twilight. I am informing her the smoke that she is sure to have seen by now is not coming from a fire, but a dragon. That it is because he is sleeping, and that his snoring is what is causing all the smoke." She continued writing. "I am tasking her to seek out the help of her new friends in Ponyville to encourage him to nap somewhere else."

"Your Majesty, with respect- it is my professional opinion that your plan seems... incredibly unlikely to succeed. Please consider my plan."

"Consider it considered, Captain. But you would do well to place more faith in the abilities of your sibling..." The Princess said, casting the letter out her window in a wisp of green smoke. "...and her friends." She returned to her writing. He remained standing there. She glanced at him once more. "Now, unless there is anything else to report, you are dismissed Captain." She said, shooing him away with her hoof. Shining bit his tongue, and rendered a proper salute before making an about-face to the exit.
________________________________________________________________________

"And then, and then she just blew me off like I was a no-pony! ME! With all my experience dealing with dragons! And she flips me for some two-bit scheme with Twilight! She could get killed!" Shining vented on Cadence's sofa. Cadence was trying her best to be sympathetic to his plight. But she was buried with work of her own in her South Castle Wing office.

"Shiny, I'm sure she won't let anything bad happen to Twilight. She cares about her at least as much as you do." She said, cradling his head in her lap. "Besides, you don't get to be as old as her without having a plan. And she always has a plan, Shiny... That pony doesn't take a dump without a plan." She said.

Shining stared at the ceiling for a moment at that one. He couldn't even imagine Celestia having to deal with such mundane mortal issues such as bowel movements. But he definitely could see her having a plan for it if that were the case. For everything. For every little detail of every day. Like some kind of... puppet master. Like a mythic Gorgon. The face of a siren, the body of a snake. He looked out the window at all the stone pony statues in her garden. He shuddered.

"Besides Shining," she continued, "I have to deal with the preparations for Celestia's 'unofficial casual visit' to Ponyville next week."

"There's nothing casual about a visit from royalty." Shining muttered. "But- but she will need a security detail to accompany her!"

"Which will be seen to by the enlisted guard ponies. I don't see why you're so hung up on this, Shiny." Cadence reasoned.

Shining Armor barely heard her. He was already formulating a plan to get himself on that security detail. He had already used up his leave for the last Summer Sun Celebration. He had to get to Ponyville to see Her. Somehow.
__________________________________________________________________________

"But sir, only four Pegasus guards for a trip to a whole other town?" Shining pleaded.

"Yes, Captain. That is all that is required." His Commander answered. "They are four of our best. Besides, do not underestimate your Princess. She is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. She will be just fine on her..." He dug through his paperwork on his desk, "unofficial, casual visit to Ponyville. And she will not require your personal assistance. This is not some diplomatic mission to a hostile nation. It's a public relations tea party." He said rolling his eyes.

"Yes sir. I- I understand." Shining said with resignation, rendering his salute and exiting the office. Shining closed the door behind him, taking a breath in the hallway. A worried looking ensign came rushing past him with a scroll. He hurried after him. He recognized him as Ensign Camisa Roja, an earth pony from southwest Equestria, who he had sworn in at his cadet school graduation no more than two weeks ago.

"Hey! Where are you going in such a hurry?" Shining said, keeping pace beside him.

"I have an urgent message for the Princess from Fillydelphia!" Said Camisa Roja.

"I'll deliver it!" Shining said, seeking another opportunity to speak with the Princess.

"Sorry, I was told to deliver it directly to-" he said looking at him. "Oh, sorry Captain, I didn't see that it was you. But this must get to the Princess right away!"

"And I'll see to it." Shining said, taking the scroll from him as a marathon baton. He hadn't the time to read the contents. It seemed too urgent. The Princess was just about to depart for her 'unofficial casual visit' to Ponyville. He quickened his pace. He reached her throne room doors in record time, bursting through.

"News from Fillydelphia, Your Highness." Shining said, presenting the scroll. Celestia took the scroll from him, reading it.

"Hmm, unfortunately, my visit to Ponyville is going to have to wait for another time. I'm afraid an emergency has come up in Fillydelphia. Apparently there's been some sort of infestation. A swarm of incredibly bothersome creatures has invaded the poor town. I'm just sorry to have put the citizens of Ponyville through so much trouble over nothing."

"If it would please Your Highness, I could deliver the message to Ponyville of your absence myself." Shining offered, hoping for a chance to see Twilight.

"That will not be necessary Captain. Ponyville is on the way to Fillydelphia. I can at least do them the honor of telling them of the situation myself." Celestia told him. She turned on her hooves to go out to her waiting chariot. Shining could only watch as another opportunity to see his sister slipped through his hooves. He may not have aced Equestrian geography in school, but he was most definitely sure that Ponyville was NOT on the way to Fillydelphia.
_______________________________________________________________________

Time and again he watched opportunities to visit Ponyville pass him by. It didn't help that the Princess had become more reckless in her personal excursions. It was no secret that she did not enjoy having her secret service ponies following her everywhere. She made it an irritating habit to vanish from the castle for hours at a time, sending everypony into a panic. Especially after the Nightmare Moon incident.

One particular incident came that autumn. Celestia just reappeared in the castle after having been gone for some time. Her only explanation? "Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so I went to Ponyville to celebrate the Running of the Leaves." Shining tried to plead with the Princess, explaining about accountability, and procedures and protocols. Celestia just chuckled at the notion. She knew all too well that she needn't answer to anypony. At least when she went to judge the Best Young Fliers competition, she elected to be accompanied by a pair of her Pegasus escorts.

They accompanied her again when she visited Ponyville with her pet phoenix. As much as Shining had petitioned to be a part of her non-cloud-walking excursion, he likewise couldn't blame her for her choice. Twin brothers, Sword Wing and Shield Wing were among the most professional of her guard elite. There were few in the Corps that took their jobs as seriously as they. Even in basic training, the drill sergeants could never make them crack under pressure. They were the epitome of stoic, holding the line wherever it was drawn, be it the hostile borders of Draconia, or a pastry shop entrance.

In retrospect though, Shining Armor serving on that particular tour to Ponyville would have served him little. The Mayor of Ponyville requested an audience with the Princess, and it ended up being a massive search party for the guards upon her bird going missing.

He had all but given up hope. That is, until he heard the news. Twilight would indeed be attending the Grand Galloping Gala in just a few weeks, as per Cadence's suggestion. And Shining Armor had been selected to be in charge of guard detail for the event! This would be his chance to see her again at long last. It was going to be the best night ever!
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Celestia made her final preparations for the evening, affixing her golden shoes to her hooves. She looked at herself in her mirror. Flawless, as always. A flicker of motion behind her in the mirror caught her attention. She turned to see her sister, Luna, watching from just outside her chamber doors.

"Are you sure you will not join us this evening, Luna? The Ponies of Canterlot would be honored by your presence." Celestia spoke kindly.

"No thank you, sister. You enjoy your 'gala' this evening. As it was before, we shall guard the night." Luna said in a serious tone.

"As you wish, Luna. But please, feel free to join me at any time." Celestia offered. Luna simply nodded and made her way to her tower to oversee the world nocturne.

Downstairs in the lobby, a white unicorn stallion was frantically trying to pull together the last minute details of the evening.

"Status!" He demanded of his line of lieutenants.

"Chefs are standing by, h'orderves at the ready Captain!" one sounded off.

"Security checks in. All entries and exits secured. Nopony is getting in or out without our knowing about it sir!" said the second.

"What of the status of the Elements?" he asked of his Pegasus scouter.

"Sir, They shall be arriving momentarily from Ponyville!" he said, wings rigid at his sides.

"Excellent!" Shining answered, before briefing the group of Royal Guards at large. "Gentlecolts, this night is what we've trained for. The Grand Galloping Gala is the one night of the year with the most ponies in the castle at any one time. Therefore, it is also the highest security risk night! Make no mistake, Equestria has many enemies to the throne, both foreign and domestic. I want everypony on high alert! Keep your eyes peeled and your assholes puckered until the very last civilian exits the premises! You understand?"

"YES SIR!" The formation said in unison.

"Get to it!" Shining said authoritatively, dismissing the squad.

Shining didn't mince words. Everything he said was true. Throughout history, more attempts had been made on the Princess's life on the night of the Gala than any other. Both for the publicity of the timing of the event, as well as such an auspicious location. Especially with the increased accessibility of the castle to the public that night.

Shining passed by the front entrance. The main doors would be opening in less than four minutes. A noise began to rise outside. A chanting. Dozens of ponies in unison. This was all he needed right now, an un-permitted impromptu protest!

"Spotter! Sound off! What is it? A protest? A riot? A revolt?" Shining called up to the tower lookout.

"Sir, it's- I think it's a musical number," he answered.

Shining strained his ears at the door, listening. 'At the Gala. At the Gala!' he heard the crowd singing.

"Okay, that's... strange I guess. But harmless." Shining breathed a sigh of relief. The grand castle clock chimed the hour. The Wonderbolts screamed overhead in their flyby. Fireworks announced to the city that the event had begun. The drawbridge lowered dramatically. The great gates opened as guests began to slowly filter inside. Shining peered through the crowd at the group of six mare walking line abreast, his sister, Twilight among them. She was but a moment away.

"I can't believe she's finally here!" Shining whispered to himself "With all that I've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this the best night ever!"

He felt a hoof on his shoulder. "Sir, we're having issues with the garden animals pestering the guest area!"

Shining looked back over his shoulder. He was seconds away from embracing his sister after so long.

Service before self

He heard the core values of the Royal Guard echoing from his memories of boot camp. He could come back and see Twilie later. It was going to be a long night. There would be time.

"Sir?"

"I'm on my way." Shining said, turning to head toward the Princess's garden.

"Oh what the hell is this!" Shining burst out. Critters of all kinds were trying to sneak into the dining hall.

"Sir, I think they're looking for treats or table scraps. The Princess has gotten them a bit too accustomed to ponies. We can't keep them away." One of the guards tried to explain.

"Oh, for the love of- Get back to your post. I'll handle this." Shining called forth his magic will, summoning an animal repellent spell. It spread out over the garden grounds, causing the animals to scatter. "There, that should keep them from approaching anypony for at least twelve hours."

"Captain Armor?"

Shining turned at the calling of his name.

"Would you care to join me for a quick- hmm hmm, tryst in the hedge maze?"

Shining huffed in annoyance. "For the last time Blueblood, my barn door doesn't swing that way."

"Hmm, come on now Cap. Don't knock it until you try it." Blueblood teased.

"I don't think I need to try having a dick up my ass to know I'm not gonna like it." Shining sneered.

"Ugh, such crude language. I still don't understand what it is that I see in you. Oh, that's right, I see me in you. Hah ha ha." Blueblood chuckled.

"Egh, now who's being crude?" Shining retorted. He turned to quickly head back to the lobby. There was still time for him to greet Twilight in the entrance queue before he lost her to the crowd. He cut through the dining hall as a shortcut. The muical band had already finished warming up and began playing their first number as the first few ponies began to trickle in.

"AHHH!!!" A blood curdling scream came from the kitchen. The last thing Shining needed was an injured chef or some other kitchen catastrophe. He ran in through the double doors fearing a pool of blood beneath a cut cook. "Murderer!" She cried out, kneeling over the corpse on the floor. Shining skidded around the corner to find Cadence huddled over the the burnt husk of... a cooking pan?

"She killed my Spinach Lasagna!" Mulia Mile cried out, pointing a hoof accusingly at Cadence. "I prepared that dish for hours and you- you assassinated it!"

"What is going on here!?" Shining demanded. Cadence looked up from the charred remains in the pan.

"Shini- Captain Armor, I was just trying to help in the kitchen and, well, there was a bit of an accident with the oven."

"It was no accident!" Mulia spat, "She is trying to sabotage my hard work!"

"No, it was an accident! Honest! I- I just thought that the temperature settings on the oven were in Imperial... but it was in Centigrade." Cadence said mournfully. Shining did some quick conversions in his head. A lasagna at 350 in Imperial converted to 350 Centigrade would be... Shining looked at the metal pan. It looked as though it were made of wax, warped and deformed from the heat. Its contents were no more than a charred cinder.

"Cadence- I mean, Princess Cadenza, why are you even in the kitchen? Shouldn't you be with Princess Celestia greeting guests?" Shining asked.

"Ugh, heavens no! I can't stand all that formal meet and greet charade. Besides, I love to cook. This is my place, with my cook ponies." Cadence said, motioning to the room around her.

"Your place is on the moon!" Mulia yelled from across the counter.

"I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS CENTIGRADE, MULIA! COME OFF IT!" Cadence roared back "Besides, you can't talk to me like that! I'm still a royal Princess!" She said. Mulia stomped across the tile floor and brought her face right up to Cadence.

"A Princess you may be, but in this kitchen, I'M THE QUEEN!" Mulia growled, shoving a mixing bowl into her pink hooves. "Now if you insist on staying in here you will do what I say, when I say. So finish whipping that custard. And Celestia have mercy on your soul if you burn that too!"

Shining recalled an expression about not being able to take the heat in the kitchen and quietly backed out, silently praying that the kitchen's fire suppression system was in good working order.

Shining walked back into the ballroom, cutting back to the lobby. The pink one was bouncing around on the floor like a gas molecule singing to herself in a matching, bouncing rhythm.

"...I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala. I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala. I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala! It's all I've ever dreamed!..."

"Captain!" One of the guards called out.

"Oh no, what now?" Shining moaned.

"Captain, the Princess has requested your presence in her quarters at once!" He said.

"The Pri- but she's supposed to be greeting the guests! What's wrong!?" Shining began to panic.

"She didn't say, only that it was urgent that you get to her chamber right away!"

Shining galloped past him, making a bee line to Celestia's quarters as fast as his hooves would carry him. Whatever was wrong, he needed it fixed immediately, if not sooner. He soon arrived at her door. Her guards were suspiciously absent. True, all the guards had been reassigned for Gala details, but her personal guards were to attend her wherever she went, no exceptions. He knocked on the door. There came no answer. He pushed the door open and stepped inside to ensure everything was okay.

It was not.

Celestia was nowhere to be seen.

But the room was not unoccupied.

There upon the bed, she lay. Twilight Sparkle. Shining had hoped for this very moment for so long, to see her again. He had rehearsed what he had hoped to say to her so many times. But here she was, and he was lost. All that remained was his sense of duty to the night. It was not the greeting either of them intended.

"Wha- What are you doing here? Where is the Princess? I was summoned to see her here!" Shining asked aggressively.

"I may have told the guard a teeny tiny fib about that." Twilight said with a grin. "She's still downstairs greeting guests."

"Okay, fine. But we shouldn't be in here then!" Shining said sternly.

"Oh, come on. Live a little. Haven't you ever wanted to take a crazy risk?" She said patting the mattress. "I've always fantasized about being naughty in here." She smirked.

"Naughty by just being in here," he said, hoping to expedite their departure.

"No," she purred, "I mean getting naughty in here." She gave him a seductive glance.

"Twilie we- we really shouldn't do- er, be in here." Shining found it increasingly harder to speak, much less protest her indecent proposal.

"Come on Shiny, when are we going to get another chance to do this?" She said, parting her legs slightly.

"I- we- ah uh..." Shining had not expected this eventuality to the night at all. Every contingency in his mind had completely ruled out anything even remotely close to this as impossible. Had he really been so blind to his sister's plans this whole time?

He decided that the only possibility was that he had never escaped that kitchen. It burned to the ground and he was killed in the blaze. He was now dead and this was his heaven. Yes. He concluded that he must now be dead. He decided that it was the only explanation.

He then, also immediately decided that he no longer cared.

"Hmm," Twilight moaned, "It sounds like your mouth can't decide. But your... ahem, seems to like the idea." Her grin widened as she pointed between his legs.

Sure enough Little Shiny had chosen that moment to make his grand entrance. Shining's legs moved out from under him, bringing him over to the edge of the bed. She patted the mattress again, encouraging him to join her. He hopped up and sat on the bed. The opposite end of the bed from where she was. It was an exceptionally large bed, and there was a great deal of space between them.

He could sit on the bed with his sister and still be a good pony. She was over there, flashing her goods at him. He tried not to look. He tried at least. He was still a good pony. He had an erection, sitting on the bed with his sister. But he was over here, and she was over there. He could still be a good-

She crawled across the bed and pushed him onto his back. He had neither the state of mind or will to resist. He found himself laying on a feather-soft duvet staring up at Celestia's vaulted ceiling. His vision quickly became filled with purple as Twilight's face hovered over his.

"Well, well, well. Look at you." She said in a playful tone. "Laying on Celestia's bed with your..." She placed her soft hoof on his staff. Shining sucked a sudden gasp of air at the contact. "...stallionhood out where anypony could see it." Twilight took the opportunity to surprise him further, kissing his shocked lips.

He could not comprehend the sensations. She was kissing him. Her warm lips on his. He felt her velvety tongue graze across his parted lips, the tips of his teeth, beckoning him to join her. His tongue met hers and they danced around each other. All the while, her hoof slowly and methodically began to stroke up and down his shaft. He moaned into her mouth. It was all so much.

Her mouth sucked on his as she slipped away slowly. She pulled on his lower lip, gently nibbling it with her teeth, before releasing it with a wet pop. She let her cheek rest on his chest before slowly sliding down his frame. She tilted her head so that her horn brushed along his fur as she slid her cheek further south. It didn't take her long to arrive at her destination.

She lifted her head off his chest, and instead let it rest on the base of his rod. For a moment she didn't move. She just looked up and down his length with her eyes, simply admiring it. Shining could only lay there, enjoying the soft fur of her cheek on his sensitive flesh, the warmth of her every breath upon him. Slowly, she turned to lay her mouth on the side of his shaft. She wrapped her lips as wide as she could around the side of his cock, licking it as she worked her way sideways along his member, ever closer to his tip.

Shining braced himself for her to take him into her mouth. But she stopped at the last instant and worked her way down the other side of him, ensuring to get his entire length wet with her saliva. Her mouth was literally watering for his cock. Her desire was palpable. She made a second pass up his veiny surface. Her soft hoof cradled his heavy balls, rolling them gently in her warm hoof, massaging them. Shining lost all focus under her hoof's tender ministrations.

Which was why he was all the more caught off guard when she took him into her mouth.

Once his eyes stopped rolling into the back of his head, Shining was treated to a wonderful sight. He watched as his flared tip vanished into his sister's mouth, along with several inches of his shaft. She opened her mouth wide, wrapping her lips tightly around him as she began to bob her head up and down in a methodical rhythm. Her tongue lapped at his sensitive head and ridge, spurring him on, but only to just before the point of losing control.

Each time she felt him getting close, tensing up, she stopped, and changed her approach, shifting his plateau of pleasure in a new direction. The suspense was terrible. He hoped it'd last. He reached down to run his hoof through her violet mane, running it down along her spine. He grabbed a hold of her flank and gave it a playful squeeze.

She made a sort of 'yelp' noise, but with a mouth full of cock, it was little more than a high pitched hum. The vibration of her outburst only served to stimulate him further. She regained her pace and resumed sucking him off with renewed vigor. Shining reached a bit lower, pulling her tail aside with a generous tug. "HMMMmmm!" Twilight moaned onto him again, giving him goosebumps. Twilight felt his balls churning in her hooves, generating what was sure to be a massive load for her soon.

Shining reached under her tail with his hoof and began to slowly rub along her wet slit. But he could only idly pleasure her, as he was completely enraptured with her performance fellating him. Each time she lowered her head along his cock, more of him entered her mouth.

But nonetheless, he was having an effect on her. Her labored breathing became more ragged as she struggled to get precious oxygen through her nose with each withdrawal. Shining felt a familiar sensation build in his loins. He was nearing the point of no return. He loved Twilight after all. She deserved at least a courtesy warning.

"Twilie- I'm, I'm gonna-"

Before he could even get another word out, Twilight took a deep breath and lurched forward. Shining felt himself careen over the edge as she took his entire length into her mouth. He could only watch in awe as his flared head pulsed and bulged in her throat. Her strong muscles swallowed continuously as he exploded rope after rope of cum into her. He could feel her nose being pushed against his balls as she held herself in place. She held her breath, swallowing every drop until he finally finished after what felt like an eternity.

Shining felt himself slip from her mouth with an audible 'pop'. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking over at her as she recovered, catching her breath. After a moment, a strange look came across her face, as though she were suddenly queasy.

"BURRRAP!" Came the loudest and most unladylike belch he had ever heard from a mare. Nay, even most all of his stallion friends would have been hard pressed to best the magnitude of that burp. "Excuse me," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"A sure sign of a good meal, eh?" Shining said, trying to break the tension. He laid back down, closing his eyes. He still needed another moment to recover. He felt her hoof on him again, stroking him. He didn't think he had it in him, but the excitement of the situation brought him back to full mast in a hurry. Twilight crawled on top of him and began grinding her sex along his rigid length. She was clearly enjoying his textured skin against her sensitive nub. She lifted herself a bit and reached down to bring his tip to her entrance.

"Wait, Twilight! We- We can't! We can't do that!" Shining said with his last ounce of reason.

"Why?" she asked. "You keep saying that. But why not?" She pouted.

"You KNOW why!" he said. She leaned in close to him. She subtly continued to align herself with his swollen member, pressing her folds against his rod, parting them slightly.

"I want you to tell me why. Say the words." Twilight whispered seductively, as she continued to press back against him. It wouldn't be long now. It wouldn't take but another small push and his incestuous head would be inside her hot, wet, forbidden tunnel.

"B- because! Y- you're my... MY SISTER!" Shining cried, nearly on the verge of tears.

Twilight's horrified eyes suddenly went as wide as dinner plates. In an instant, she leaped off her brother and the bed, bolting for the door. Shining had barely any time to react before she had vanished around the corner, long gone by the time he got to his hooves.

Her sudden absence became his instant sobriety. A million thing buzzed through his mind at once. Twilight. The Gala. Celestia's bed! He hastily smoothed out her bed covers. It seemed that Twilight had taken great care to avoid leaving any kind of mess. A close inspection found only the most minute drop of... sweat most likely. It had no identifiable odor, and that was good enough for him. Once he was sure that everything was as it should be, he hastily removed himself from Celestia's personal chambers.

His brief stint as a housekeeper had afforded him an opportunity to suppress his previously obvious arousal. Which he was silently grateful for as he sprinted through the halls back to the Gala ballroom. He passed by an ornate clock, showing an hour until midnight. How long had he been up there? He wondered. He felt the floor rumble and shake. Several loud bangs and booming crashed came from just up ahead.

"Oh, oh no no no! What now!?" He prayed as he skidded to a halt just outside the ballroom. The statue of Celestia was in pieces on the floor. The classical stone pillars around the room were toppled and smashed. Dust and disoriented guests were everywhere. The Gala was a complete disaster in his absence! He spotted Twilight on the far side of the room standing beside Celestia in the other entrance.

"Well, it can't get any worse," he muttered.

The gate to the garden burst open. The animals he had worked so hard to keep out of the hall came pouring in as a massive stampede. A yellow pegasus loomed in the entrance menacingly.

"You're going to LOVE ME!"

A small voice in his mind whispered a single word of sense.

Run

He looked up to see that Twilight, her friends and the Princess had already taken the initiative and fled the room. He fought the urge to go after her. He had so much he needed to ask her, so much to talk about. But he was head of security, and the castle was under assault. She would have to wait.

Again.
___________________________________________________________________

It was a long night of regaining control and cleaning the castle. The animals were rounded up and returned to the garden. Emergency staff were called in to augment the restoration efforts. After the animals had overrun the ballroom, they laid siege to the kitchen. Cadence had managed to escape and return to her home in the Palisades. But rescuers later found poor Mulia huddled in a corner, cradling a sole surviving plate of Pommes Souffle, murmuring to herself surrounded by culinary carnage.

"...the horror... the horror..."

Shining's eyes felt like cotton balls covered in saw dust by the time the sun came up over the horizon. Celestia looked no worse for the night, walking inside from her solar duty. Shining approached her, trying his best to not look as bad as he felt. He took a quick bow before addressing her.

"Your Highness, if I might have a moment of you time?" he asked.

"Of course Captain. How goes the recovery efforts?" She asked.

"We're just finishing up as we speak. But I was wondering, you saw Twilight just before the evacuation. When she returned to you, did something seem off about her? Did she say anything?"

"Returned to me? Captain, she never left my side the entire evening." Celestia said.

Disorder in the Court

For the next several weeks after the Grand Galloping Gala, Shining Armor did not sleep very much. He did his best to deal with his issues the best way he knew how to, by ignoring them. Or, more actively, by focusing more and more on his work. After each tiring day, he sought a hard day’s night of sweet slumber. And each morning, his much needed rest eluded him.

He took on extra duties, working extra shifts. If he was going to be awake all night, he could at least get paid for it. All night, every night, he would sweep the entire castle and its grounds. It was his duty as a night guard to patrol the area. But he was more than searching for castle trespassers at night. He was searching for the Moon Regent herself.

For a pony nearly twice his size who was ‘unofficially’ restricted to the castle grounds, she was incredibly illusive. Further indirect inquiry confirmed that the Princess of the Night generally kept very low visibility, and was seldom in her quarters at night.

Official channels of scheduling an audience with Princess Luna hadn't yet been established either. The only route was to request it directly through her sister, Princess Celestia. And Celestia did not grant visits to her sister without very good reason. She was a bit over-protective in that way.

“Princess Celestia, I need to request an audience with your sister, Luna, to confront her about seducing me while taking advantage of my incestuous desires by being disguised as my sister, Twilight.” Shining said quietly to himself, while walking the grounds of the castle garden. “Yeah, that’d go over great.”

He looked up at the moon in the cloudless sky. He could have sworn he saw something moving across it. He looked again, rubbing his tired eyes with his hoof.

“I must be seeing things again.” He muttered as he continued on his route, still keeping one eye on the sky. Inside, he decided to mix up his routine. He headed up the stairs to the second tower, intentionally trying to not count them again. “It doesn't get any less each time you count them…”

Foregoing serious protocol, he pushed open the door to Princess Luna's bedroom with neither knock nor request. He walked into her empty room. It had changed little since she had returned. She was a bit old fashioned after all.

The large window hung slightly ajar. The sheer fabric of curtains rustled and billowed in the cool breeze, allowing the crisp moonlight to illuminate the dwelling. He felt a sharp chill run up his spine. He wasn't one to buy into extra sensory perception or a sixth sense of any kind. But his time in the guard had taught him to trust his survival instincts.

“Princess?” He whispered to the room. He was answered only with silence. “Luna, I know you’re in here.” He said again, with more resolve. “We need to talk. You and I have unfinished business.”

Darkness, and nothing more.

“SHOW YOURSELF!” He fumed, waiting for a response. He couldn't be sure if he had broken out in a cold sweat, or if the room had, in fact, actually dropped several degrees. Shining held fast and stifled a shiver. After a moment he regained his composure.

“Heh, look at me, barking at the wind, like some raving lunatic.” He chuckled to himself, turning to leave the room. Her door slammed shut in front of him, sealing him in the room. A gust of wind blew the windows wide open, before they too slammed shut as well, with a force that should well have shattered the glass from them, yet didn't.

The sudden loud noises and wind halted as quickly as they began, leaving him only in silence but for the sound of breathing. His ears strained to find the source, only for him to realize it was his own terrified hyperventilating. He willed himself to get his breathing under control.

But he could still hear breathing. It was definitely not his own this time. The drapes had fallen still, shrouding the room in moonless darkness. He peered into the pitch shadow.

Luna’s bed was no longer vacant. He looked right at her. She said nothing, her breathing steady. He took a step closer, if only to see if she reacted. Nothing. His eyes continued to adjust to the dark. She wasn't on the bed, she was in bed. She was asleep?

She looked so peaceful, so serene. He moved closer, standing beside her bed. Her hair lacked its ethereal flowing, laying limp on the duvet behind her. He wanted so much to wake her, and tell her all the angry things he had wanted to say, and to interrogate her for her reasoning for her behavior that night at the Gala.

But standing there now, looking at her, he felt his anger melt away. Truly, she had an unnatural beauty that he just could not stay mad at. Or maybe it was that he was just too nice of a stallion. But he would not let this opportunity to speak with her slip by. He leaned in to wake her as gently as he knew how, as Cadence had taught him, and his mother before her.

A chaste kiss on the cheek, to wake a sleeping beauty.

Shining felt a mighty force slam into his chest, sending him reeling through the air, before pinning him to the vaulted ceiling. The stars and crescent moons decorating the wall came aglow brightly with an eerie green, lighting up the room. A mighty voice boomed beneath him.

“Senno ecto gammat!” Luna was on her hooves, her eyes glowed an iridescent white. Shining felt the force pressing him harder against the ceiling gradually increasing, crushing his rib cage, squeezing the air from his lungs.

“Yeah, that was a bad idea.” Shining barely gasped.

Luna’s eyes calmed, the white cooled to their usual teal. The decorations of the room faded. Her bedside lamp turned on as Shining felt the pressure on his frail body release, lowering him from the ceiling. He was still held suspended, upside down a few feet off the ground as he gulped precious oxygen.

“Captain?” Luna asked of the figure in her magical grasp.

*gasp* "Ma’am." Shining wheezed.

“Hast thou forgotten the procedures for requesting entrance to the chambers of thine Princess?”

“No ma’am.”

“Then why hast thou disturbed us?” Luna demanded.

“I-" *cough* "I need to talk to you.” Shining said.

“There are means by which to request such an audience.” She said.

“I didn't feel that I should have to go through your sister to speak with you. Do you think you should have to go through her for everything?” He gambled. He hoped that he was right about her disliking playing second fiddle to her big sister as much as he suspected. Luna did not react right away. But something, something in her eyes maybe, told him he had struck a nerve. She lowered him to the ground on his hooves.

“What hast thou cometh to speak with us about?” Luna asked at last.

“Oh, I think you know.” Shining accused, feeling emboldened. Luna kept up her poker face, giving no tell to the claim. “That night, at the Gala? I know it was you disguised as my Sister!” Luna winced at the S word. It was evidence enough for him. He waited for a response. “Well? Have nothing to say? No reason to give?”

“We- we did not know that she was thine kin.” Luna answered meekly, looking to the floor like a little filly that was just caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. “When we first met thee, we were quite taken to thine charm. It is with no ego that we admit we were rather infatuated with thee. We sought thine attention when thou denied us upon this very bed before.”

“But you said you wouldn't do that again!” He said.

“Nay, fair Captain. We did apologize, as we could not control ourselves. As t'was the case the eve of the Gala. Our desire for thou was greater than our reason. Until- until we discovered thine affection's relation.” She said. Now it was Shining’s turn to hang his head. He pulled up an arm chair from her vanity, before plopping in, putting his face in his hooves.

“We could not face thee again after forcing that upon thou. Not even to apologize again, though thou surely deserves it.” Shining just sat there looking over at her, unsure what to say. “We- we are sorry, again, truly.” It didn't make him feel much better and she knew it.

“But- if it might make thee feel any better, know that thou are not the first pony to have ever... lusted after thy own sister.” Luna said in a hushed tone. Shining caught the tiniest glimmer of a tear in her eye. He rubbed his own with his hoof.

“Thou appears tired.” She said, changing the subject.

“I- haven’t been sleeping much these days.” He said.

“Wouldst thou like us to help with thine affliction?”

“Help me sleep?” He asked. She nodded. “Yeah, sure, that’d be grand.” He said. She smiled a little. He lifted himself from her chair, about to leave.

“Captain?” Luna called out. He turned back to look at her. “Wouldst thou wish to join us in bed one last time before thou departs?” She rolled onto her belly, flagging him seductively with her tail. Shining turned on his heel, walking back over to the side of her bed.

“You are beautiful, Princess, as you are divine." He whispered, climbing on top of her, his face inches from hers. She closed her eyes and moaned in anticipation, her body tense and on edge, waiting for his touch.

None came. She felt his weight leave the bed.

“Goodnight, Princess.” He bid her, before leaving her room, closing the door behind him.

“Goodnight, fair Captain.” She whimpered to the empty air.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

The next morning Shining Armor woke up feeling… better, good even! It was the first time in a long time. It was Saturday, and he didn't have weekend duty this week. He was going to make the best of it. He got up and got himself cleaned up before heading out.

He went for a walk to go see what Cadence was doing. Whenever things in his life were going crazy, she was always his rock in the storm, that one solid thing he could hold onto whenever it felt like everything else was falling apart around him.

The walk wasn't particularly lengthy, but it gave him plenty of time to think. Time to think about all that had happened to him recently. True, Luna had deceived him. Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice, shame on me. Shining resolved then and there that he would not be fooled by the night Princess again.

All in all though, things weren't that bad. Despite his dark secret being known to another, Luna knew better than most the value of discretion. He could appreciate that. He could also empathize with her. He couldn't even begin to imagine going a thousand years without any pony contact whatsoever. It would drive anypony to act on pure, desperate desire. Still, he just didn't like being manipulated like that.

Still, Celestia didn't know, Cadence didn't know, and thank the stars above, Twilight didn't know. And as long as Luna kept their 'activities' to herself, Cadence needn't know about that either. Shining certainly had no desire to pursue a relationship with Luna. And it would stop there. He and Cadence could go on about their happily ever after. Twilight would have her own life. Shining's desire for her would pass with time, distance, and a great deal of willpower.

Shining felt a weight lifting from his shoulders. All the burdens of his worries melted away with each step he took. He felt like he was in control of his life once more. A master of his destiny. A victim of circumstance no longer, he had set out a plan for himself, and he would see it through. His smile grew as his pace shifted into an upbeat trot. Today was going to be a good day.

He arrived at her door even sooner than he realized. He brought a hoof to the polished oak finish to rap a knock. But, just an instant before he made contact, the door pulled open before him. His would-be knock almost became a punch to the face for Cadence. He caught himself at the last second.

"Cadence!"

"Shiny!" They quickly embraced each other. "I was just about to come see you!" She said. "I know you haven't been feeling well lately and I wanted to come by and check in on you."

"Well you know, I'm actually feeling a lot better today." He said. "I got a great night's sleep last night, and I just feel... good! So I came to see what you were doing." They each smiled, hugging again. Today was going to be a good day.

"Let's see," Cadence started, with a hoof to her chin, "I was going to head over to your place and round you up and take you out to my favorite place of peace."

"Place of peace?" Shining asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know, that one place you can go to, and it just... I don't know, it's like all your problems just go away for a little while, and you can find your peace..." She said, trailing off. "Don't you have a place like that you can think of?"

"Sure, your bed!" he said with a devilish grin. She gave him a playful slap.

"No I mean it. Surely there must be someplace you can go to just, you know, get away from it all?" she asked. He thought about it a bit harder.

"It's not really a place. But like today, while I was walking over here, I just- started feeling better. Like each step I took, I could feel my problems being left behind, and I was just... walking, free." He said. She smiled.

"Well then, I think you'll like what I have in mind for us today."
_______________________________________________

Shining tried his best to orientate himself. Judging from the sun, they were heading east, which he was pretty sure was wrong.

"Cadie, I think we took a wrong turn." He said. She just giggled beside him. "We're just going to get more lost if we don't try to work out some kind a system."

"Oh, Shiny, that's the point! Why do you think I wanted us to walk the Palace Labyrinth?" She said, trotting merrily on, carefree. "Stop worrying about the future so much. You'll get to your destination eventually. Just focus on the here and now. Here you and I are, enjoying a wonderful day together. Just appreciate the little things for what they are."

Shining pondered her words as his gaze followed her down the path between the high hedges of the maze. He realized she was right. And besides, he didn't have anywhere he needed to be today. He should just relax and enjoy the moment. He caught up to her, surprising her with a kiss. She stopped in her tracks.

"Hmm, what brought this on?" She asked, kissing him back.

"Oh, just you." He said, kissing her again, more passionately this time. She laid down on the soft grass, pulling him on top of her. He ran his hoof though her soft mane as they continued to make out in the labyrinth. She felt him grow hard between them.

"Ooh, Shiny! Right here?" She asked in a hushed tone. She felt him beginning to grind his shaft against her rapidly moistening folds.

"Hmm, I like to live dangerously." He said in a sultry tone. "Besides, we're the only ones out here." He said as he started nibbling on her ear. He knew that was her weakness. She loved it.

"MMmm," Cadence began to buck her hips back against his now-slick member sliding along her slit. "Okay, but can you make it fast? I just don't want to get caught." She said. Shining nodded, happy to oblige her request for a quickie. She flipped over, laying her face down in the grass, her flank raised high in the air, her tail flagged, exposing herself completely to him. He didn't waste any time mounting her. He brought his throbbing head to her wet entrance, missing his mark a couple times in his haste, causing her to gasp as he rubbed against her swollen clitoris. He aimed it once more, ready to sink home.

"I want to start our field trip here, in the world famous Canterlot Sculpture Garden."

Shining froze at hearing the voice from just on the other side of the hedge wall. He and Cadence must have been closer to the edge of the maze than he thought.

"That one over there represents Friendship." He heard Cheerilee continue. Dammit, today was the Ponyville school field trip to the Canterlot Palace! How could he have forgotten? He quickly dismounted Cadence who looked similarly surprised and disappointed.

"All right my little ponies. This one represents Victory." Cheerilee narrated, leading the tour. Thankfully, they were moving further away. He could still hear some of the school fillies bickering something about a dictionary. Any hope of him keeping his erection quickly faded.

"I suppose we should just get out of here." He said to Cadence. She frowned a little and just nodded in agreement. The pair followed the sound of the field trip to, what must surely be, the maze exit.

"Now this is a really interesting statue. What do you notice about it?" Cheerilee asked her class.

"It's got an eagle claw."
"And a lion paw."
"And a snake tail."

"This creature is called a Draconequus." Cheerilee explained. "He has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things. What do you suppose that represents?"

"Confusion."
"Evil."
"Chaos."
"It's not chaos you dodo!"
"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of! And it is too chaos!"
"Is not!"
"You're both wrong!"

"Actually, in a way, you're all right." Cheerilee cut in, trying to break up the argument while staying positive. "This statue represents discord, which means a lack of harmony between ponies. In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so well that you're each going to write me an essay explaining it." The rest of the class giggled at the trio's misfortune. "Now let's go. And I don't want any more fighting."

Shining peeked out of the maze exit from around the corner of the hedge wall. The class had moved on, out of sight, into the west castle courtyard. The coast was clear for them to make good their escape. They started to make their way through the sculpture garden.

"Muh ha ha ha."

Shining swore he had heard a murmur of a sinister laugh. He looked over at Cadence. She too had frozen in her tracks. Both of their heads where on a swivel, looking around them to find the source. Bits of stone fell from the cracks in the Draconequus statue. Shining moved closer to inspect it. Had one of the fillies damaged it in their fight?

Suddenly, brilliant white light burst from the seems in the stone as the rest of the statue crumbled and fell in pieces on the ground. It was instead replaced with the imposing figure the statue once represented.

"EEYEAH! OH! OOH! Well it's about time some pony got me out of that prison block. What a relief!" The Draconequus said, before snapping his fingers. In a flash, his magic struck Shining and Cadence.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shining demanded. He was suddenly silenced as he noticed the sudden change in his voice's pitch. It was much too high and... feminine?

"Why, stretching of course." Discord said. "When you're a creature of chaos, stone body suits aren't your typical go-to fashion choice."

Shining looked over at Cadence. She looked much more stocky and muscular, with a rugged jawline. And most definitely- male. Her horrified expression mirrored his own.

"Hah ha ha! You should see the look on your faces! Priceless!" Discord was nearly in tears, clutching his sides. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak!" He snapped his fingers, vanishing in a flash. The sky filled with pink clouds as it started to rain.

"Cadence, what's going on with this rain? I mean, chocolate milk. I mean, chocolate milk rain?" He asked her in his new mare voice.

"We need to tell Celestia right away!" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves. She hadn't expected her own voice to have become so baritone. They each exchanged nervous glances. Neither wanted anypony else to see them like this. But if anypony would know how to fix this, it would be Princess Celestia. They sprinted for the castle.
______________________________________________________________________

Rivulets of chocolate milk began to stream down the sides of the castle walls as they made their way inside. They tried to pass into the restricted area.

"Halt."
"Who goes there?"

It was the twin Pegasus guards, Sword Wing and Shield Wing. They crossed their wings, obstructing their progress.

"Sword, Shield, let us pass!" Shining commanded. They didn't budge. His girly voice hardly commanded them anyway. "It's me and the Princess!" He said, motioning to the pink stallion behind him. "It's me! Shining Armor! Look at my cutie mark!" He said, turning to the side. They eyed his supple, feminine, mare flank. Sure enough it was the cutie mark of the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Captain Armor?" Sword asked.
"What happened to you?" Shield followed up.

"It's a long story! A powerful, magical creature is somewhere on the castle grounds causing chaos! We need to tell Princess Celestia right away!" He said. The guards moved aside, letting them pass. They each turned and watched the Captain run toward the Princess's throne room. They returned to their post.

Neither of the stallions could get their wings to go down.
___________________________________________________

The pair burst into Celestia's Day Court.

"Princess!"
"Auntie Tia!"

"Oh no." Celestia groaned. "Cadence, have you been trying to make potions again? Testing them out on the hapless Captain?"

"No auntie."

"Your Highness, we just came from the sculpture garden. The Draconequus statue broke and released a creature. He... did this to us. And then it started raining chocolate milk! We came as fast as we could!"

"Discord!" Celestia growled. "I need Twilight and her friends here right away. Only the Elements of Harmony will be able to stop him." She brought up a fresh parchment, hastily scrawling a message to Twilight. Exposition would have to wait until she got here. All that mattered was that she got the message as soon as possible, and hurried to Canterlot before Discord could gain any further strength.

My dearest Twilight,

I need to see you and your friends in Canterlot immediately!

- Princess Celestia

She sent the letter out the window in a green smoke.

"Princess, is there nothing we can do?" Shining asked.

"I'm afraid not. Discord's power is beyond anything the Royal Guards could handle. And now that Princess Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, even we are powerless to stop him. The fate of Equestria is in your sister's, and her friends', hooves." Shining felt his stomach do a flip. The concept of 'Celestia' and 'Powerless' in the same sentence made him feel queasy.

"Auntie, could you at least fix... this?" Cadence asked, motioning to Shining and herself.

Celestia's horn came aglow, as her warm spell washed over the gender-bent pair. Afterward the spell faded, the two ponies looked at each other. To their dismay, they remained sexually swapped.

"This is worse than I realized." Celestia fretted. "My magic is already faltering. Hopefully Twilight will get here soon and stop him. Luckily, the Elements are in a chamber protected by a powerful spell that only I can break. They will be safe from him until they arrive." She looked at the pair before her. "As for you two, just lay low until all this is over. Once Discord is defeated, harmony will be restored and his magic will be undone."

"Lay low?" Cadence asked.

"Cadence, you can stay in my personal chamber until this is resolved." Celestia instructed. "Captain Armor, you may stay in the guest bedroom for now. I'll brief the commander of the situation and that you are... indisposed. I'm sure you don't want your subordinates seeing you like this." Shining blushed. "I can't imagine how embarrassing this must be for both of you. I'll see to it that neither of you are disturbed." She said. Each pony turned and went to their respective, temporary lodging.
__________________________________________________________________

Shining arrived in the guest room. It was less a guest room than a full honeymoon suite. It shared the same hallway as Celestia's Royal Quarters, and was generally reserved for diplomats, foreign dignitaries and other guests of honor. It was at least as large at the entire first floor of his home.

It came complete with a full kitchen, a master bathroom and bed room with a plush king size bed. The bath was a massive hot tub with massaging bubble and water jets. The high ceilings had beautifully sculpted crown molding, and the walls were all adorned with ancient pre-classical tapestries. He settled onto the bedspread, sinking into the soft pillow top.

He laid on the bed, absent-mindedly staring out the window at the chocolate milk rain gently pelting against the glass. After a few moments, the rain gave way to bright sunshine again. Maybe thing wouldn't be so bad after all. Things were already looking up. He was still a mare, but Celestia said she would be able to fix that once all this was over and her magic was working again. He decided he might as well make the best of the luxurious bed while he could. He pulled the covers back and laid his head onto the pillow. He was fast asleep in mere moments. However, his dreams did not bring him the peace he desired.

"Hmm mmm ha ha. Oh Shining Armor… Captain of the Royal Guard. Oh captain my captain!
Your destiny will cause quite enough chaos on its own. Hmm hmm hmm."

He awoke in the comfortable bed. He moved to look out the window more closely. Across the way, he could see the Canterlot Sculpture Garden, and the Palace Labyrinth beyond that. Suddenly, there seemed to be some kind of commotion coming from the maze. All of the hedges vanished into the ground in a cloud of dust, leaving a big brown crater where the maze once stood. The skies filled with pink clouds once more and the chocolate milk rain resumed.

Maybe this wouldn't be over as soon as he hoped.

Any further sleep eluded him. He instead decided to explore the room’s amenities. He walked past the full length mirror by the bedroom vanity. His quick self-inspection earlier outside only told him enough that he needed to panic. But now that he had more time, he looked over his new form more closely.

His feminine features were quite striking now that he had the time to appreciate them. His curves were shapely and attractive. His mane and tail were long, silky smooth and voluminous. He looked to the locked door of the room again. He was suddenly a bit self-conscious. He turned his rump to the mirror and flagged his tail. He looked back over his shoulder. Indeed, his new mare body came complete with all the feminine features and… equipment.

For a while he just stood there and stared at it, his marehood. It wasn't like he had never seen one before. But this was still a very different, very new experience. He had never had one attached to him before.

He shifted his hips from side to side, adjusting his stance, watching as his muscles moved beneath his fur. He experimented a bit, flexing new muscles he had never had before. He found it ‘winking’ at himself in the mirror. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing the mirror, looking down at himself.

He rubbed it a bit with his hoof, touching various parts and feeling the differences. He felt himself positively radiating warmth. His pussy lips were soft and pliable. He rubbed and spread them apart. He found that rubbing his little nub at the top of his slit was particularly pleasing.

The wetness of his nethers began to soak into the fur on his hoof. The smell of his sex filled the room. But he couldn't resist a closer inspection. He brought his sticky hoof to his nose, taking a deep whiff of his feminine aroma. It was positively intoxicating. He enjoyed Cadence’s flavor very much. It was an incredible turn on when she asked to taste herself on… whatever part of him she was on at the time.

Still, he felt a bit strange looking at his own hoof with his own juices on it. He had certainly never ventured to sample himself as a male. But even still… He scrunched his eyes and stuck out his tongue, tapping the tip of his hoof briefly. It wasn't revolting. It was quite pleasant in fact! He tried again with more confidence, taking a bigger lap of his hoof. His nectar was very appealing, spurring his arousal further.

He began to rub himself more vigorously. Up and down, in tight circles, faster, then slower. He started to instinctively buck against his hoof.

Shining had enjoyed watching Cadence pleasure herself. He tried his best to mimic her movements as best as he could remember. In the end, a lot of it just came down to experimenting with what just felt good. He felt the heat and tingling electricity spreading out from his nethers throughout his abdomen and his whole body.

He felt the tension and pressure slowly building, like a knot in his belly being pulled tighter and tighter. He slowed down his pace a bit before he got too sensitive. He tossed and turned in the bed, rolling onto his belly, his hoof trapped beneath him, between his legs. His pinned hoof could only make small movements. It was more than made up for as his whole body rocked and bucked, grinding his crotch down onto it.

The frame of the bed began to squeak under the rhythmic humping of the masturbating mare. His juices were making a positively sloppy mess of his hoof and the covers. He felt the knot in his tummy getting bigger and bigger. And just when he thought he couldn't take any more…

“Ngh, uh uh AHHH!” Shining bit the pillow and screamed out a muffled moan of pleasure from his first maregasm. He jerked and bucked in spasms as his orgasm rolled and rolled like waves on a beach. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Before it was like a firework, an explosion of pleasure all at once.

But this, it came in waves, rolling through his pelvis again and again as he writhed on his side, with his hoof in a death grip between his thighs, completely immobilized. Any more friction on his crotch, and he felt like he was going to explode.

He finally managed to free his hoof from between his legs. He laid there on the bed, panting, struggling to catch his breath. Unlike before, when he was a male, he didn’t feel rocked by the urge to roll over and go to sleep. No, he felt his motor revved up. And he was just getting started. But now he needed something. He needed something IN him. His rational mind now long absent, he had but a sole mission. He needed a male. NOW!

And it just so happened, he knew right where to find one…

Shining peered out into the hallway, checking left and right. The hall was vacant. Clearly everypony was busy dealing with all the chaos outside in the city with Discord wreaking havoc. He quickly trotted down the hall to Celestia’s chambers. Out in the fresh air of the hall, he only became slightly aware of just how strong he smelled of musky sex.

He arrived at her door and reached out for the handle. For the second time that day, the door was pulled open before him. Shining was greeted with the sight of Cadence in the doorway, semen staining her broad stallion hooves. Her new stallion penis hanging long beneath her, growing harder again by the second.

“I could smell you coming.” She said in a deep stallion tone. Her nostrils flared with Shining standing before her, fully aroused and literally dripping with pheromones. “Get in here.”

She nearly tackled Shining and yanked him into the room, tossing him onto the bed. Shining felt something he had never felt before when making love with Cadence. Nervousness. Apprehension. Fear.

“Cadie,” Shining whimpered in a weak mare voice, “let’s- let’s take it slow okay? It’s-“ Shining realized how ludicrous the words were even before he said them, but they were the best, and most appropriate for the ludicrous situation. “It’s my first time.” He said.

The burning lust in Cadence’s eyes eased somewhat at the statement. Shining wondered if all stallions appeared so intimidating when they were horny. He made a note to be more aware of it once he was back to ‘normal’.

Cadence relaxed and slowed her motions. This helped Shining relax as well. “Sorry.” She said, “I just never realized how hard a stallion’s drive is when they’re horny. Everything in my head is screaming how much I need it. Like NEED it! I was just moments away from fucking a hole into the mattress before you got here.”

“Well, I’m here now and I do want to… do it. But it’s just that… well…” Shining trailed off, looking away.

“What is it?” Cadence asked.

“It’s- ...it’s bigger than mine.” He said. Cadence was confused for a moment, not yet realizing what it was he was talking about. Then it dawned on her as her massive member swung about beneath her. She blushed at the accidental compliment.

“Shining, after everything that’s happened today, THAT is the thing that’s bothering you?” She asked. He nodded, frowning. “Oh come on. Don’t feel bad. I’m taller than you as a mare, of course some things are just going to be… proportionate.” She offered. “I could only imagine the beast that Auntie Celestia would have if…”

“Ewww! Why are you thinking of your aunt like that! Gross!” Shining said, the image of Celestia wielding a massive stallion phallus seared into his mind. Cadence laughed at his reaction. Shining joined her, feeling better about the whole situation having made light of it.

“I promise I’ll be gentle.” She whispered. She pushed Shining onto his back with her strong hoof. She slid her head up along his thighs, inhaling his strong aroma. Shining just looked down as Cadence stuck out her long tongue, tracing a path up his inner leg. She tried her best to take it slow, but her male instincts rushed her to her goal.

She pressed her muzzle into his hot pussy, her warm breath washed over his nethers, stimulating him further. Her tongue lapped greedily into his wet slit, running along its length. She fucked his tight entrance with her tongue before sliding up to the apex of his sex, flicking and teasing his clit.

As a mare, or a former mare, she knew exactly how to please his new anatomy. He was already still worked up from his solo performance earlier. It didn't take her long to bring him back to his plateau of pleasure, and holding him there. She teased his clit, pushing his threshold ever higher, and then backing off just as she felt him tensing up. Indeed, she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

Every fiber in her male body was demanding that she just finish what she was doing and get to the rutting. But her willpower was strong. She was going to make this last and enjoy it. She continued lapping deep into Shining. She began humming with her nose pressed against his sensitive nub.

“Oh, oh ohhh CADENCE!” Shining cried out in a high voice.

She grabbed a hold of his legs and held her face firmly in his crotch as he exploded, gushing mare cum into her mouth. He bucked and jerked wildly on the bed, but she held on tightly, not letting him pull away.

She waited a few moments, letting him relax, making sure not to move, lest he be overstimulated. Her soaked face absolutely inundated her senses with his essence. She was rock hard for him. She climbed onto the bed, aiming it at his face. Shining loved Cadence, and his body desperately craved stallion cock. But deep down, he was still Shining Armor. His field of view was filled with penis, eagerly awaiting his mouth’s attention. He winced, turning his face away.

“Uh, Cadie, I don’t think I’m quite up for that part.” He said. She looked down at him, disappointed, but understanding. She climbed back down off the bed, letting Shining roll over onto his belly. He flagged his tail at her, indicating that he was at least ready for the final step.

She reared up on her hind legs, mounting him. He felt her large cock bob off of his flank, missing its mark and sliding along his back. She backed off a bit, trying to realign herself. She moved in again more slowly. He felt her press against his butt, and he tensed up. He tried to wiggle a bit until she slid southward into his slit.

She felt his wetness getting her head slick and pushed forward a bit, parting his lips. Shining took a deep breath as he felt himself spreading open onto her. She just managed to get a couple inches inside when she met resistance. She backed up a bit and slid forward again. A solid barrier. Cadence chuckled.

“What is it?” Shining asked.

“I think Discord made you a virgin.” She said with a laugh. Shining at first looked insulted, which gave way to unsure trepidation.

“So what now?” He asked.

“Oh I think you know.” She said with a devilish grin.

“Wait! Is it- is it gonna hurt?” He asked with all the genuine innocence of a filly on her first time. Cadence thought back to her first time and gave him the honest answer he deserved.

“Yes, it’ll hurt at first. But then it starts to feel REALLY good.” She said. Shining nodded, and closed his eyes, bracing himself. She pulled back a bit. “You ready?” she asked. He nodded. “Okay, I’ll try to make it quick. On five; One… Two…”

Cadence lurched forward, tearing through Shining’s virgin hymen. Shining cried out as he felt burning hot fire flare though his crotch in searing pain, paired with the sudden fullness of his tunnel being stretched around Cadence’s full girth embedded inside him. She remained still, letting him adjust to her size, her heavy balls resting against his clit.

“Owie, owie, owie.” Shining quietly whined beneath her.

“Oh come on you big baby. It’s not that bad. Even I didn't complain this much my first time.” She said, still trying to remain motionless. “Here, try this.” She reached under him and pushed one of his forehooves into his crotch. “Just rub the boo boo until it feels better.” She instructed. Shining began massaging his clit in his hoof. The pleasure began to wash away the pain. His whines turned to moans after a few short moments. “Okay, I’m gonna start again.” She said.

Cadence pulled back, letting her cock slide nearly completely out of Shining until only the head remained inside. Shining felt himself now longing for the fullness he just had. Cadence didn't make him wait long, pushing forward again, sinking to the hilt. She repeated the motion slowly a few more times.

Gradually she began to speed up her thrusts. Each time she bottomed out in him her balls would slap against his swollen clit. Cadence was absolutely in heaven feeling Shining’s tight pussy wrapped around her throbbing cock. She could understand now why stallions wanted to do this all the time. It felt fantastic.

Shining felt tremendous satisfaction in having his wanton pussy thoroughly plowed by his endowed girlfriend. Each thrust pushed him closer, every slap of her scrotum against his clit a spike in pleasure. He felt himself tensing, his legs getting weak. His third orgasm that day was a few humps away. Cadence felt him tensing up. Her own climax was imminent. She sped up to a blinding pace. Her hips were a blur as she fucked him with intense fervor.

“OH OAH AH AHHH!” Shining cried out and his most intense orgasm yet wracked his body, making his pussy clamp down on Cadence’s speeding piston. His juices splashed out onto her balls. Cadence fought back her orgasm as long as she could, but Shining’s pussy rippled and milked her cock, sending her reeling over the edge. She slammed home one final time and exploded inside him, painting his insides white with her seed.

“OH OH OH MY GOSH!” She said as her eyes rolled around in her head. She saw stars. Shining felt her cumming inside him, flooding his pussy with her cream. There was so much, she was pumping him full and he felt himself stretch around her. With each gush from her flared cock, she felt the pressure of cum inside him pushing her out. In a final, defiant, buck, she thrusted herself back inside, her cum gushing out of his pussy around her throbbing shaft.

A mix of their cum was splattered on their legs and crotches. As well as all over Celestia's bedspread. The room stank of hot sex. There was no hiding what had transpired within those walls. Cadence looked about them, surveying the damage. She immediately decided she didn't care and collapsed onto the bed beside Shining. Her limp cock slipped from his pussy with an audible ‘pop’, spilling the remaining contents onto the floor beside the bed.

"You know," Cadence said after a moment, "I think I'm reconsidering your suggestion for bringing a third into the bedroom."

"Really?" Shining asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah. I could definitely see the appeal in having another mare here right now." She said, still heavily influenced from her male libido. "So, who did you have in mind, Shiny?"

Don'tsayTwilight. Don'tsayTwilight. Don'tsayTwilight.

"Um, Luna?" Shining said nervously.

Her aunt? Yeah, that was a great choice. Totally not awkward at all.

Cadence put a hoof to her chin. "Hmm, that might be fun..."

Shining couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was she seriously open to the idea? Was he really going to bed two princesses? At the same time? Granted, he would be on the receiving end in this case, but, perhaps after they were changed back...

For now, the pair were both thoroughly exhausted from their post-coital bliss. Cadence curled up behind Shining, running her hoof through his soft mane. The sun vanished from the sky again, replaced with the moon. It was still chaos outside. But they each found some peace sleeping in each other's hooves.

_________________________________________________

“I’ll tell you what we've learned Discord. We've learned that friendship isn't always easy, but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for.”
___________________________________________________

Shining and Cadence were shaken awake as a wave of powerful magic swept across Equestria. The pair watched through the window as the pink clouds and chocolate milk were swept away. The Palace Labyrinth hedges were restored. The sun and moon stopped flip flopping in the sky. Shining and Cadence looked at each other. Everything was once again right with the world.

Well, almost everything.

“Why didn't we change back too?” Shining asked. Cadence thought for a moment, wondering the same thing herself. She put her hoof to the window to push it open. She felt the shimmer of magic in the window and walls.

“Ah ha! I know. It’s because we’re in Celestia's room.” She said.

“What does that have to do with anything?” He asked.

“Celestia's personal chambers are warded against even the most powerful magic. That must be why we weren't affected by the spell's correction.” She figured.

“I- guess that makes sense.” Shining agreed.

KNOCK KNOCK

They looked to the door, each afraid to say anything. The door opened. It was Princess Luna.

“Forgive thine intrusion Princess Cadence, but we- Oh, Captain Armor, we expected to find thee in the guest room. We have come to inform-“ Luna paused as the smell of sex hit her nostrils. Everything became abundantly clear in that moment. Shining in Celestia's room. The disheveled bed. The obvious stains. “...We- have come to inform thee that the foe, Discord, hath been vanquished. Our sister will be honoring the Elements forthwith. She is remiss that she will not be able to attend to thine afflictions until after and recommends thou remain sequestered rather than attend the ceremony in thine… current condition.” She looked at the embarrassed pair. “We came to see if there was anything thou required. Shall we send for a chambermaid to attend to the linen?”

Cadence replied sheepishly. “Thank you Aunt Luna. That would be most gracious.”

Luna turned to leave saying on her way out, “Afterwards, we would suggest thoust refrain from thine acts of carnal passion. We’re sure thou art aware of our sister's stance on premarital relations.” Luna smirked. “We shall return with the maid in, say… thirty minutes?” She winked before closing the door.

“Thirty minutes?” Shining asked.

“We've got time.” Cadence said, pouncing on top of Shining again.

The Brohoof Bash

Shining Armor was tied to Cadence's bed. Princess Luna was straddling his hips, rocking back and forth with him inside her. She could feel him getting close. Oh sure, he resisted at first, but no pony denies Luna for long. There was no ploy at deception this time. No disguise of subterfuge. Just pure, unadulterated, domination.

"We did tell thee we would have thou eventually. Immortal as we are, we hath naught but time to bide." She hissed with a wicked smile.

Shining wriggled and writhed beneath her, struggling against his bonds, trying to escape, but his hooves were securely fastened. Her spell on him had disabled his magic. He was completely at her mercy, and his struggles only served to stimulate the Princess further. He didn't want this. Not like this. He felt his body betraying him. He indeed was getting close. A few more thrusts of the Princess riding his shaft would send him over the point of no return.

BOOM

The door to his bedroom was kicked in. Cadence stood tall in the entrance, her wings fully flared, her eyes ablaze with rage. She reared up to attack.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" She demanded of the rutting pair.

"Oh gah, Cadence! Help me!" Shining cried out. "HHNNGG-" Shining couldn't stop. He felt himself erupting inside Princess Luna, spraying torrents of his potent semen deep into her fertile womb.

"HUZZAH! Thou art too late Cadenza!" Luna cackled "Thine stallion hath given us his seed. We shall have his foal! And thou art powerless to stop us!" Shining was too exhausted to do anything more than groan as he felt himself leaking from Luna and onto himself. He felt used, dirty, and nauseous. A pink blur flew across his field of view, tackling the Moon Princess from off his body. Cadence was now on top of him. To untie him.

Right?

"YOU CHEATING BASTARD!" She hollered at him, grabbing his mane and shaking him violently. She raised a hoof to bash him in the face. Shining tried to raise a shield to defend himself, but his magic failed him.

"NO! Cadie! It wasn't my fault! She tricked me!" He cried. Her hoof came down to strike him with terrible speed.
____________________________________________________________________________

"AHHH!" Shining screamed, trying to throw the pony off of him.

"Shining! It's okay! Wake up! It was just a bad dream!" Cadence said, trying to shake him awake. "It's okay! It's me!"

Shining peered into the darkness, trying to make out the figure of his marefriend. His eyes adjusted. Her eyes were filled with compassion, not anger. He was a sweaty mess. He still felt bound. His hooves were caught in the sheets.

"You were tossing and turning something fierce tonight. You got yourself all stuck in the sheets." Cadence explained as she helped free him. Shining rubbed his wrists. He had given himself rug burns from his night terror struggles. "I woke up when I heard you call out my name for help." She continued. "I saw that you were having a nightmare and I tried to wake you. And then you screamed. But it's okay now." She comforted.

"You- you heard me call out for help?" Shining asked.

"Yes, you were talking in your sleep." She said.

"Um- what else did you hear me say?" He asked.

"I couldn't make out anything else. I was just trying to wake you as fast as I could." She said. She pulled at the covers to remake the bed.

"UH- uh, actually, could you get me some water please?" Shining asked suddenly. Cadence released the covers.

"Sure. I'll be back in a minute." She said, heading out to the kitchen. Shining watched her as she left the room. Once she was gone, he pulled back the covers. His side of the bed was a sticky mess of his semen. He quickly pulled the soiled linen from the mattress and stuffed it into a crumpled ball in the hamper, pulling fresh sheets from the closet.

"What are you doing?" Cadence asked from the doorway with his glass of water. Shining closed the closet door and set to reassembling the bed.

"The sheets were... all sweaty. I thought it'd be a good time to change them anyway." He said.

"Okay." She replied, giving it no more thought. She gave him his glass of water. He sipped it quietly and they each climbed back into bed. "Sleep well." She said, snuggling close to him. He wrapped his hoof around her and held her close. Cadence laid her broad wing across her troubled stallion.

Even a Captain of the Royal Guard needs protecting sometimes.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

After his little episode, Shining had no further bad dreams that night. Cadence had seen to that. The remainder of his sleep was the peaceful rest he needed. Still, he wanted to talk to somepony about his bad dreams problem. But the resident expert in dreams would be awkward for him to talk to, considering- well, pretty much every interaction he'd ever had with her. He decided to follow protocol this time around, scheduling an appointment, and not dropping in unannounced on a powerful Alicorn demigod. Sunset was in an hour or so. Luna would be awake soon to attend to the night. Now was as good a time as any. He pushed open the door to Celestia's throne room.

"Your Majesty." Shining said as he bowed before Princess Celestia. "I wish to request an audience with your sister, Princess Luna." He asked. He braced himself for what was sure to be a thorough interrogation as to his reasons for such a request. Most who requested were denied by Luna's over-protective elder sister.

"That needn't be necessary, Captain..." Celestia answered. He figured that meant that she was no longer even accepting requests. "... Because you are on my sister's no-appointment-needed list." She finished.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, surprised.

"Luna retains a list of ponies that may see her at their leisure." Celestia explained pulling a small scroll from her cabinet. "You are on that list."

"Really? Me? Who else is, if I may ask?"

Celestia looked over the scroll. "As of this moment..." She paused, as though counting, "You are the only one." She said flatly, keeping her expression stoic. She peered over the top of the scroll, staring at him, trying to read him. His training of being stared down by drill sergeants came to bear under her gaze. She narrowed her eyes by the slightest degree. She could sense nothing untoward from the Captain.

"Well Captain, if there is nothing else, you are dismissed."

"Um, actually, I was going to ask if there were any upcoming Ponyville assignments I might be able to volunteer for." Shining said. Celestia returned Luna's list to her cabinet, exchanging it for her day planner. She flipped forward several pages, scanning for 'Ponyville'.

"Hmm, the Ponyville Nightmare Night festival is coming up next week. Luna has expressed an interest in attending. She will need a security detail..." Celestia said. "And she does seem quite... taken- with you."

"That sound perfect! It would be my honor to-"

"Oh, no. Sorry." Celestia cut him off. "She already has a contingent of her Bat Pony night guards for the task." She flipped forward several more pages. "Hmm, no, I'm afraid there are no other taskings in Ponyville in the foreseeable future."

"Might I schedule some leave then?" Shining said at last, resigning that he would have to handle this himself on his own time if he was ever going to see Twilight again.

"Let me see... Yes, I can spare you for a while... the week after next. Is that suitable?" She asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your time." Shining said before bowing and turning to leave.

"Captain. There is just one other thing I wish to discuss." Celestia said, rising from her throne, striding over to him. She stood close to him, making a point to tower over him for a moment before leaning in close, whispering in his ear.

"I don't know what's going on between you and my sister. But do not for a moment consider a romantic relationship with her. Your mortal mind cannot fathom what she has been through.
And if you break her heart- I will break your neck. Is that clear?"

"Y- Yes ma'am. Crystal clear." Shining swallowed hard.

A wisp of green smoke flew into the window, materializing into a scroll before Celestia. She opened it reading it over quickly.

"Hmm, It seems that Spike has sent me a letter... Twilight seems to be letting her fears of being tardy with her friendship reports get the best of her, and she needs my immediate help." She said, turning back to him. "You are dismissed, Captain."

"But I could-" Shining started. Celestia vanished in a flash, teleporting to Ponyville. " - help..." Shining said to the empty throne room. He looked over at the new stained glass window of Twilight and her friends vanquishing Discord. The scene went dark as the sun set outside. He quietly swore to himself. "Buck."
_____________________________________________________________

KNOCK KNOCK

"Enter!" Luna's voice came from behind her door. Shining opened the door and walked inside. Luna was just returning from raising the moon on her balcony. "Captain! To what do we owe the pleasure of thine company this evening?" She greeted. He bowed briefly.

"Your Highness." He returned.

"Please, how many times must we beseech thee to call us Luna?" She said.

"At least one more time Your Highness." He said.

"Thou art still such the gentlecolt. Even after our... informalities." She smiled.

"That's kinda what I came to talk about." He said, scratching his mane nervously.

"Oh? Hath thou reconsidered our offer?" She said, sprawling onto her bed seductively.

"Um, no. It's just that, I've been having these... explicit dreams about, well, you." He explained.

"Hmm?" she purred.

"And, I know dreams are kinda your thing, and so I was wondering if you had anything to do with it." He said

"Art thou accusing us of manipulating thine dreams for our own ends?" She asked, looking hurt. Shining said nothing. With respect, those were not his words. And besides, he felt it was rude to answer a question with a question. He waited patiently for her response.

"No." She said finally. "It is not within our power to bend the free will of the dreams of ponies. Whatever thou art facing in thine dreams that thou finds undesirable, it is thee alone who hast the power to overcome them." Any trace of desire fled her face, replaced only with compassion for a good pony seeking her genuine help. Shining didn't feel much better. He believed her when she said that she hadn't a hoof in his bad dreams. But he had hoped there would be more she could do for him.

"Captain- Shining, here, take this." She levitated a large ring over to him. It appeared to be a branch, bent into a circle. Inside, a thread had been woven into an intricate pattern resembling a spider's web. Some beads and feathers were suspended from the bottom.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Tis a dream catcher. T'was a gift to us from the Buffalo Tribe Shaman near the Appaloosan settlement. It is said to 'catch' bad dreams if it is suspended by one's bed." She explained.

"Does it work?" He asked in all seriousness.

"If thou believes in it." She replied. He looked skeptical. "Shining, much of that which is magic, greatly depends on our faith in its machinations. Thine belief in thine magic powers it. So too with the dream catcher. It works if thou believes it will." She said. That answer would have to be good enough for him as he held it in front of him in his hoof.

"Thank you, Princess." He said, turning to leave.

"Goodnight, Shining."

"Goodnight... Luna."
_______________________________________________________________

Two weeks later

"... and we threw spiders and killed a pumpkin..." Luna recounted to Celestia.

"Uh huh.... Uh huh..." Celestia tried her best to show interest in Luna's story about her time in Ponyville for Nightmare Night.

"And we want to add a pony to thy list. His name is Pip. He is an Earth Pony in Ponyville. He just moved there from Trottingham." Luna said. Celestia added 'Pip' to her list under Captain Shining Armor. "And he said we were his favorite Princess. It pleased us greatly!"

"Uh huh- wait what?" Celestia perked up. "You're his favorite princess? Has he even met me?"

"We do not know. But he did proclaimeth that we were his favorite Princess. We heard it with thine own ears, as did several others."

"Hmm, I need to have a chat with this 'Pip'." Celestia noted in her mind.

"...And then we bobbed for apples and ate lots of candy and..." Luna continued.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Thank the heavens!" "Come in!" Celestia called out. Shining Armor opened the door, poking his head inside.

"Princess Cele- er- Princesses." He bowed quickly. "Good morning, I was just reporting for my off-duty, starting my leave today." He said. He already had his bag from his barracks locker. Celestia nodded in acknowledgement. He was about to close the door.

"Oh, Captain, just a moment if you would." Celestia called out. He stepped back inside. "Princess Luna here was just regaling me with tales of her trip to Ponyville last Nightmare Night. Would you be so good as to escort her to her quarters for the day. I'm sure she'd love to tell you all about it."

"Oh, would we!" Luna said, rising to her hooves to join Shining.

"Of course, Your Majesty. It would be my honor." He said. The pair left Celestia's chamber, leaving her in peace.

"I should give that stallion a medal..." Celestia mused, pouring herself a glass of wine.

"... and we threw spiders and killed a pumpkin..." Luna recounted to Shining. The pair arrived at her door. "...And then we bobbed for apples and ate lots of candy and..."

"YES. WELL, here we are." Shining announced. "Um, it's been fun, and I wish I could stay, but- I have a train to catch."

"Oh, some other time perhaps?" Luna asked.

"Yes. Of course." Shining said, leading her inside her room. "Sleep well."

"Shining, how hath thou been sleeping? Hast thy dream catcher been working for thee?" She asked.

"Yes. Thank you. For that. But, I really gotta go. Okay?" Shining said anxiously.

"Ah yes. Farewell Captain."

"Princess."
__________________________________________________________________

Shining had run every morning since he joined the Guard. He was in the best shape of his life. He'd even run from honest-to-goodness dragon attacks. But nothing moved his hooves quite like leaving the palace for some well deserved time off. As the last gate to the palace closed behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Free."

He started down the road to his childhood home. He could at least stop by and see his parents before he boarded the train to Ponyville that afternoon. He opened the door to his family home, calling out to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

"We're in the kitchen dear!" He heard his mom yell back. He trotted to the kitchen where they were having lunch. She had already finished and was sorting through the day's mail. His dad was finishing his sandwich while perusing a copy of the Hoofington Post.

"Hey, I thought I'd stop by and see you before I headed to the train station." Shining said, taking a seat at the table, helping himself to one of the apples in the fruit bowl.

"Oh, did Twilight send you another copy?" His mom asked. Shining's ears perked up.

"Of... what?" He asked. His mom held up a scroll, handing it to him. Shining took it in his hoofs, unrolling it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I will be arriving in Canterlot next Friday evening coinciding with Shining's scheduled leave. Looking forward to seeing all of you again and spending some time after being in Ponyville all year. We have so much to catch up on.

- Twilight

"That's why you were going to the train station right? To meet her there?" She asked. Shining silently crumpled up his ticket to Ponyville in his bag's pocket.

"Uh, yeah, exactly. You know me, I can't wait to see her!" He said.

"Well, we have a bit before her train gets here. Why don't you tell us what it's been like being in the Royal Guard?" She asked. Visions of being seduced by the Princess of the Night who was disguised as his sister flashed through his head, culminating in the memory of his marefriend rutting him senseless as a temporary stallion.

"Oh, you know... The usual." He said. "Guard patrol, royal guests, chaos spirits. Stuff like that."

"Yes, tell us about vanquishing Discord!" She said excitedly.

"Well, I wasn't really... directly involved in that- matter." He said cautiously.

"So no dragon slaying stories this time?" She said with a pout.

"No, sorry." He shrugged.

"Hmm, well tell us again about that last dragon you fought. I love that story!" She said.

"Oh, okay." He resigned. "It was last spring. We were scouting the southeast boarder on a routine patrol. There had been reports of hostilities in the area. That was when we saw this huge shadow in the sky coming in on us for a strafing run..."

"... and there was so much blood we just slid down the mountain like a water slide!" He finished. His mother just shook her head at him.

"How you ever washed your fur to be white again I'll never know." She said, looking up at the clock. "Oh, Twilight's train will be here in about a half an hour. Why don't you head on over there and surprise her?"

Shining Armor made record time getting to the station. He was grateful for his physical conditioning. He was barely winded. He had finished the thirty minute walk in barely half that time. Despite ample seating, he stood ridged on the train station, as close to the edge as he legally could, closest to the end facing the approaching train's direction, as though somehow willing the train to arrive sooner.

The locomotive smoke on the horizon slowly became a shimmering point of light. His eyes followed its path into the mountain tunnel and then to the ridge-side pass, the shimmering point resolved into the vague, elongated shape of a train, and then into individual cars. The train neared the station. He could feel the pounding of the locomotive's loud, powerful engine resonating in his chest.

Or maybe it was his pounding heart.

Shining began sweating nervously. He felt his hooves get clammy as the engine passed by him. Steam hissed from the boiler and the breaks squealed as the train ground to an eventual halt. A voice called from the front of the train through a megaphone cone.

"Canterlot Station! Disembark for Canterlot Station! Mind the gap! Next stop, Baltimare!"

Mares and stallions of all walks of life exited the train. His eyes scanned each of them quickly looking for his sister. Lavender fur. Violet hair. Lavender fur. Violet hair. Lavender fur. Violet hair!

"Twilie!" He called out. She seemed to be distracted with something. She looked like she was arguing with the engineer about something. He quickly waded through the crowd over to her.

"... sir, I'm just saying that if you look at the math, a petroleum powered internal combustion engine would be much more efficient and- SHINY!" Much to the engineer's relief, Twilight abandoned her proposal for locomotive reform in favor of embracing her brother. "Shiny, I haven't seen you in forever!" She squealed, hugging him tightly. It was all he could do to just hug her back with equal enthusiasm.

Here she was. After all this time. Here she was, in his hooves.

"Twilie! Aw, I've missed you kid. How was the train ride?" He gushed.

"Well, I was actually expecting a chartered chariot back after my last trip to Ponyville. But Celestia said that since this wasn't on official 'friendship studies' business, she couldn't justify the travel expense. But other than that, I mostly just read my book on the way here. Passed the time."

"Ah, you and your books. Same old Twilie." He said with a smile.

"So, are you excited?" She asked him.

"Uh, for what?" He asked back. She gave him a playful jab in the side of his ribs.

"You know! For the Canterlot Brohoof Bash!" She said. Shining did his best to parry a look of a deer in headlights. The poker face he managed convinced him in that moment that he should have pursued a career in professional gambling.

"Oh. Yeah, of course!" He lied.

"Have you read up on the events?" She asked.

"No, sorry. I've... been busy at work." He said.

"Well don't worry. I'm sure that we'll be ready by tomorrow if we practice tonight."

"...'kay..." Shining felt himself being strung along by forces outside of his control again. He didn't like the feeling. But he could accept the new puppet master as long as it was her. They took their time walking home. He had gotten to her fast. Now he wanted to take it slow, and cherish this time with her.

"... and so that was how I helped Princess Luna understand what Nightmare Night was all about." Twilight finished recounting her adventures in Ponyville for the past year. They had taken the long, long, LONG way home to accommodate her thorough story telling. By the time they arrived home, the sun had just set, and the city's sky was quickly becoming dark with the onset of Luna's night.

"Oh, there you two are!" Their mother said as they walked inside her house. "I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry Mom. We were just catching up on the way home and we took a little detour." Shining explained.

"A little?" She said, looking at the clock.

"Okay, a big detour. But we're here now. Safe and sound." He said, putting her bags down. He hadn't realized how heavy they were until he felt the burden of their weight leave his shoulders. They ached something fierce now.

"Hi Mom!" Twilight squealed, leaping into her mother's hooves, diffusing the situation instantly. "I missed you and Dad so much!" She said, nuzzling her cheek.

"I've missed you too, Twilight." She said, squeezing her. "Um, we still only have the one guest bed so... I guess you two will have to fight it out over who gets the bed and who can sleep on the couch." She said, motioning to the sofa behind them. It was older than both of the siblings.

"Twilie, you should get the bed of course!" Shining immediately said.

"Oh, no. You carried my bags all the way here, you must be aching, you take the bed!" Twilight said.

"Twilie, that couch is way more comfy than any cot at the barracks. I'll be fine." He said.

"No. I have a bed at home. You have a cot at work that you have to sleep on all the time. I'll sleep on the couch. If you sleep on the couch, I'm gonna sleep on the floor!" Twilight insisted.

"Alright. I don't want to argue. I'll take the damn bed." He huffed, and then smiled. She really did care about him.

Later that evening after a gregarious dinner, Shining settled into his old bedroom bed. Their foalhood bedroom had been transformed into a rudimentary guest room for when either of them happened to visit. Therefore, it had gone largely unused since he had moved out.

He laid there on his old bed, staring out the window at the night cityscape. The illuminated figure of the castle in the distance reminded him not of his day-to-day work there, but of his dreams as a younger colt, preparing to enlist for the Royal Guard. And laying there, he felt, just, safe. Like no matter what else happened in his life, if it all fell to pieces, he could still come back here, to this house, this home, this room. And it would be okay. With each blink, his eyes closed a bit longer. His tired eyelids closed one last time. Sleep took him.

Shining was stirred from his sleep briefly after he found it. He felt another weight climbing into the bed. He had shared a bed enough times with Cadence before that he thought nothing of it. Just Cadence coming back from getting some water. He thought. He moved to wrap his hoof around his marefriend. The instant of the first muscle contracting in his arm brought him acutely back to reality.

His eyes opened. He looked around himself. This was not his room. This was not Cadence's room. He was at his parents' house in his old bedroom. That was not Cadence in bed with him. It was-

Shining's arm froze. He had barely moved it from his side. Hardly an inch even. But with careful, deliberate patience, he returned his hoof to his side a fraction of an inch at a time. His eyes strained at the darkness. Her straight combed mane filled his field of view. He could just barely make out the highlight streak of pink in her violet locks. And her scent! Only now, with the genuine article bombarding his senses, could he see how trite Luna's attempts were at replicating Her. Luna hadn't deceived him, he let himself be deceived with his desire.

Adrenalin flooded his system. "Luna, if this be a dream, let it never end." His every sense told him otherwise. He was really in his bed. She was really there beside him. He had a thousand questions. Most began with 'Why?' Why are you in this bed with me? Why have you rewarded my wishes so? Why do you torturer me so?

And yet an instant later, as quickly as they had arose, his questions vanished from his mind. Dream or not, he decided to simply enjoy this for what it was. Whatever it was. He snuggled closer to the mare in his bed, draping his hoof across her.
_______________________________________________________________________

Shining Armor packed lightly for his visit to his parents' house. Among the trivial items he disregarded were Luna's dream catcher. That night, he had a very embarrassing dream that he was laying in bed with a mare. She pressed herself close to him, grinding against him. And that when morning came, he was sporting very turgid morning wood. To his surprise, the mare reached back and gave his shaft a couple of gentle tugs, and then left his bed before the dawn.

Shining awoke from his strange dream. He was alone in bed after all. But he was still, very proudly sporting morning wood. He sat up in bed. It was not yet dawn outside. But the morning light was glowing dimly on the horizon.

FLUSH

Shining heard the noise from the restroom in the second floor hallway. He immediately played possum, laying back down, feigning sleep. He dared to open one eye just a sliver to peek at whoever it was. Twilight opened the bathroom door. She walked into the bedroom, reaching for the covers to climb in the bed. She looked hesitantly at the approaching dawn and thought better of it. She released the sheet, opting instead to head back downstairs to the couch.

But- it was a dream. Wasn't it?
__________________________________________________________________

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Shining lurched forward in bed, striking his alarm off. Little Shiny was tenting the sheets in front of him, but that was nothing new to him. It would pass in a few moments. He squinted out the window, counting down the seconds.

"... and three... two... one." He brought a hoof to shield his eyes from the sun cresting over the horizon. "Right on time. As usual." Shining's pulse was still pounding from the adrenalin of the mechanized waking. And also because- because...

His memories came flooding back. Last night, the mare, the dream, Twilight! He looked at the bathroom. It was empty. He inspected the bed and blankets for any sign of her presence. A particular way the sheets were pulled, any errant purple hairs.

"Nothing." He said quietly to himself, frustrated. Finally convinced that it was indeed just a dream, he roused himself from his bed and began to prepare himself for the day. Downstairs, Twilight was already at the breakfast table.

"Hey Twilie! What's for breakfast?" He asked.

"A banana and peanut butter." She said, handing him one that she had just prepared.

"Really? That seems a little strange." He said. "Why?"

"The banana had good potassium and vitamins for energy. And the peanut butter is a good source of low cholesterol protein." She said, spreading some peanut butter onto her own banana. "Plus, it tastes about the same on the way up as it does on the way down." Shining looked at her a little puzzled. "The last time I really physically exerted myself I was a little... ill."

"Ah." Shining sat down, biting off a piece, and chewed on his breakfast. Twilight was idly doing a crossword puzzle. She insisted on the banana being covered with peanut butter to begin with, but had a weird habit of eating it separate from the banana. Shining watched the uncomfortable scene unfold as Twilight licked the spread from the dangerously phallic-looking food, sucking on it to an obscene amount. He tried not to stare. At least he tried not to be obvious about staring.

He tried at least.

On the way to the Brohoof Bash, Twilight briefed him on the events. Shining's stomach growled a bit. One banana does not a complete breakfast make.

"I'm still a bit hungry." He said.

"That's good." She said. "There is a pie eating event that you need to save room for. Besides, it's better to work out on an empty stomach."

"Work out?" He asked, a little incredulous.

"Yeah, it's a lot of physical activities, culminating in a timed obstacle course race!" She said excitedly. "And no magic allowed. So we need to be on the top of our game to keep up with the earth pony teams."

"Okay, pie-eating contest, obstacle course, what else?" He asked.

"Here, let me show you." She pulled the flier from her bag. "There is also a Twister competition, water-volleyball and a six-legged race."

"Wow, sounds like it's going to be quite a day." He said, reading over the paper.

"Yeah, but I'm sure we can win this if we work together." She said with a smile, nudging him with her shoulder as they walked, quickly nuzzling his neck with her forehead.

"Wait, where is this being held?" Shining asked, noting their location and direction.

"Oh, they have the whole thing set up in the west castle courtyard." She answered. Shining dreaded being anywhere near the castle while he was on vacation leave. It just made it that much easier for him to get roped into doing castle guard work on his time off.

"Are- are the Princesses going to be at this thing?" He asked nervously.

"No, they're actually doing their own thing this year in Ponyville." She explained.

Shining was suddenly very relieved that he had avoided spending his time off in that town this week. They arrived at the palace and were each given a matching colored team handkerchief. The announcer began explaining the rules and scoring system. Each event would be worth so many points. Whichever team at the end of the event with the most points would be this year's winners and receive a blue ribbon.

Twilight wasn't listening. She had already begun limbering up, doing her stretches.

Shining wasn't listening. He was watching Twilight limbering up, doing her stretches.

"The first event will be the Twister competition!" The announcer said at last. There were several other brother teams and a few other brother/sister teams. The event referee would hit the spinner, calling out the limb and color. The first team to have a member not be able to reach a spot or to fall, was eliminated. Two rounds of teams went before Twilight and Shining were called up.

Twilight recognized the other team, Thunderlane, and his little brother Rumble. The four of them each stood on a side of the large, square play mat. Shining and his sister stood opposite one another. The ref called out the first instruction.

"Left foreleg, red!" The four contestants each placed their left foreleg on a red circle. "Right hind leg, green!" The group all followed along. Several instructions later, the two teams had far outlasted the two previous matches. It was truly the game that ties you up in knots. The mass of ponies on the mat was a tangled mess of fur and limbs. Twilight and Shining were both adults, giving them the advantage of a longer reach. But tiny Rumble was able to squeeze into the tiny spaces between everypony else.

"Left hind leg, yellow!" That one practically had Twilight doing the splits. It was a good thing she stretched before they started, she thought. "Left foreleg blue!" Three of the ponies were able to get to a blue spot with little difficulty. However, Shining was faced with a dilemma. The last blue spot available was underneath Twilight. Each side of her was crowded with pony. The only way he could reach it would be by going between her splayed hind legs. Twilight looked back at Shining.

"Shiny, there's a blue spot open under me." She said.

"I- I don't know if I can get to it." He said nervously.

"Come on! At least try! I want to win this thing!" She said, practically ordering him with her seriousness. Shining carefully reached under her, pushing her tail aside, sliding his hoof as low as he could to the mat. He was nearly there. His face was perilously close to her marehood. She was not aroused in the slightest, but her idle scent was unmistakable at such close proximity. He stretched his neck as far away from her as he could, willing his leg to stretch an extra inch. His face was turned away to the point of straining his neck.

"Am I there? I can't see." He asked Twilight.

"No, you need to slide two inches closer." She guided. He looked behind him. The other two were already exchanging glances of victory, smiling widely.

"I- don't think-"

"Just do it you wimp!" She barked. Buck it. Shining went for broke. If she felt uncomfortable, she'd surely say something. He shifted his weight slightly, sliding his hoof across the mat onto the blue circle. Shining felt her heat on him as his shoulder rested against her soft pubic mound. His cheek was mashed squarely against her marehood, separated by the mere width of her shielding violet tail hair. Twilight didn't say another word. She didn't even flinch. Her mind was dead focused on winning, blocking out all other sensations. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the next command from the ref.

"Right hind leg, red!" Shining brought his leg forward easily enough. Twilight had to stretch hers backwards, causing her tail to shift aside. The side of Shining's face was now in direct contact with her burning hot nethers. His blushing was legendary, showing up starkly against his white fur. He considered just dropping to the floor. But Twilight would never forgive him for forfeiting, and all this discomfort would have been for nothing. He could feel little Shiny getting excited. He focused on the crowd of onlookers, focused on the fear of public embarrassment. It was all he could do to prevent his semi from exiting his sheath. But it remained hidden. For now. He prayed for the commands to come faster as the sound of the spinner slowed to an agonizing halt.

"Right foreleg, green." Shining was able to get to an easy one beside Twilight. She reached one further ahead, making her lean forward, her crotch slid down, grinding against his foreleg before, mercifully, no longer toughing his leg or face. But her new position had her forward half low, and her hindquarters up in the air. And Shining had front row seats to her display. He averted his eyes to, well, anywhere else in the room.

"Left foreleg-" Oh thank goodness Shining thought, quickly retracting his intruding leg from between her legs. "yellow!" The other three once again were quick to make their selections. Shining considered his options. The only yellow left was beside her left foreleg. But her entire rest of her body was between him and the spot. He'd have to reach over her. His other leg was already beside her. He'd have to practically... mount her. She looked back at him.

"It's the only one left." She said, nodding at the open yellow spot. He reached forward, shifting his body over hers, their hips butting together as he placed his hoof onto the spot. He could feel her body's pressure on his yet-hidden semi in its sheath. There was no way she couldn't feel it against her backside also. Shining saw a flash from a camera in the crowd. Shining felt his face turn a darker shade of red.

"Right hind leg, blue." Shining and Twilight turned to the sound of a thud as Thunderlane lost his balance, falling to the mat. The match was finally over, they had won. Shining quickly dismounted his sister.

A volleyball net had been strung up across the pool. Twilight and Shining were now on the same team as Thunderlane and Rumble. On the other side of the net was Little Pip, and his older brother in the back, and up front were two twin stallion brothers. They had identical yellow fur and red and white striped manes and tails. They would be indistinguishable from one another but for one of them sporting a mustache.

Shining and Twilight were at the net on their side. After the first several serves, the score was close at nine points a piece. The ball came over the net. Rumble set it forward to Shining. He bumped it over the net. Only to have it spiked back at him by one of the twin brothers towering over him. He was sitting on his brother's shoulders, giving him a tremendous height advantage.

"Hey come on! That isn't fair! Ref?!" Shining yelled, looking to the official on the sidelines.

"There's no rule against it." The zebra answered, putting the tiny rule book back into his shirt pocket.

"Fine. Two can play that!" Twilight huffed, climbing onto her brother.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Shining panicked, feeling her weight suddenly on him.

"Evening the odds." She said confidently, settling in and straddling his shoulders. He wasn't about to argue with her when she was this determined. Her light frame was of no burden to him compared to his usual heavy armor at work. He took her weight with ease. Her wet hair and tail laid plastered to his back.

"Let's do it!" She said. The strangeness of her saying 'let's do it' while on top of him was not lost on Shining. Between that thought and the memories from twister seared into his mind, he was silently grateful that his arousal was hidden beneath the surface of the water.

Twilight's idea served them well. Despite every underhoofed tactic the Flim Flam brothers employed, Shining and Twilight at the net were able to keep pace. Flim on top of his brother edged out a few inches in height as a tall stallion, keeping Twilight on the defensive. The score climbed, keeping close, if not tied the entire time. it came down to the wire at twenty points a piece. The next score would win the match.

"Shiny, I have an idea." Twilight whispered. "Do you think you could balance me on your head?"

"What? That's crazy!" He said.

"Let me try. Levitate me up to sit on top of your head before the next serve." She instructed. Shining lifted her with his magic, setting her on top of his head. She sat upright, her hind legs dangling on either side of his head. She was now head and shoulders over the brothers. Flim was much heavier than her. And Flam did not have the physical strength that Shining sported. It was a bit of a workout for Shining's neck, but nothing he couldn't handle for at least this last play.

Thunderlane put up the serve, sending it over to Pip's brother. He tried to set it forward for Flim to spike it, but overshot his mark slightly, sending it straight to Twilight. She went for it with gusto, spiking it for the win with extreme prejudice. In her haste, she nearly lost her balance, sliding forward, stopped from falling only by Shining's horn.

This only left her in a more precarious position with the side of his horn mashed into her now-parted vulva. She flailed her hooves, trying to regain her balance, leaning backwards. It only served to roll her hips, exposing more of her slit against his horn. One of her hind legs managed to gain a footing on his shoulder. She tried to lift herself from his head so she could shift her weight backwards. Shining, struggling to remain still beneath her her movements, tried to lean his head back to help her move backwards. But his timing coincided with her lifting herself from him. He moved his head back too far under her.

When she came back down, she sat right on his horn. In an instant, his sensitive horn was buried inside her warm love tunnel. His horn was inside his sister's vagina! Shining panicked. His legs buckled. The pair collapsed into the pool, mortified.

The entire affair lasted only a second. The other players were already exiting the pool. The crowd was already dispersing, heading toward the next event area. Nopony realized what had happened.

Except two.

The siblings exchanged embarrassed glances in the water. They shared a simultaneous look of "Yes, I know one of us was just inside the other. Now let's pretend it never happened and never speak of it again." They quickly exited the pool.

From opposite sides.

The rest of the Brohoof Bash was comparatively uneventful. Shining's ravenous hunger won them the Pie Eating event by a mile. And even though they didn't come in first for the obstacle course, they still had enough points to win the Brohoof Bash First place blue ribbon that year!
____________________________________________________________________

Twilight took the ribbon from her bag, looking at it again as they walked home. She smiled, putting it away again.

"Twi, I- sorry about, you know-" Shining tried.

"Shiny, it- it was just an accident. So, don't worry about it." Twilight said before he struggled further with his apology.

"I just- I hope I didn't hurt you or anything." Shining said after a moment.

"No, no no. It didn't hurt. It felt g-" Twilight bit her tongue, mentally berating herself for nearly saying that being penetrated by her brother felt 'good'. Even if it did. She felt ashamed. "It didn't hurt. I'm fine. Now let's just- forget about it okay?"

"Yeah, that's- that's a good idea." Shining said.

The ensuing silence was painful.

"But hey, we won right?" Shining said, desperate now to change the subject.

"Yeah, yeah we did." Twilight said, smiling, pulling the ribbon from her bag again, showing it to him again for the um-teenth time.

At home, Shining collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from the day. Downstairs, Twilight penned a short letter to the Princess. She didn't have Spike with her, so she would have to wait until she got back to Ponyville or deliver it personally while she was in Canterlot.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, on a separate adventure at the Brohoof Bash, I learned the importance of loving your brother, even if you don't always get along.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Belated

“You only have the one week off?” Twilight asked as Shining finished packing his bag.

“I’m sorry Twilie. I had scheduled two weeks off but Princess Celestia recalled me for guard detail for a garden party at the palace. So I’m not going to be able to make it to your birthday this year.” He said, frowning. Twilight looked down at her own bag. Two tickets back to Ponyville. She only needed one now that Shining wasn't coming with her anymore.

“But you promised…” Twilight whimpered with a tear in her eye. “I haven’t seen you for so long and now you’re leaving again.”

“Yeah, well you’ll have to take it up with the Princess, or my commander. Because apparently of all the ponies in the guard, I’m the only one who can oversee this. They must have somepony really important for it or something. Sometimes I just don’t understand how they run things over there.” He said, throwing his bag over his back. “But don’t let that stop you from having a great time with your new Ponyville friends.” He said.

He leaned in to put a hoof around her. She hugged him back for the last time until pony-knows-when she would see him next. Canterlot was the closest city to Ponyville, but they might as well be worlds apart with the way fate seemed to conspire to keep them apart, Twilight thought. Shining made his way downstairs and bid his parents farewell before heading up the street back to the palace. He heard Twilight shout behind him from the second floor window.

“Shining! Say hi to Rarity if you see her! I asked the Princess to accommodate her at the castle while she’ll be in Canterlot this week.”

“Will do.” Shining said. She had shown him a few photos of her friends. He remembered Rarity was the pretty one with white fur like his own and a beautiful indigo mane. He’d recognize her if he saw her.
__________________________________________________________________

Shining flopped out on Cadence’s couch in her palace chamber. It was her little home away from home when she had to stay at Canterlot Castle for extended periods and it wasn't convenient to travel to her villa in the palisades.

“I can’t believe she did this to me again.” Shining huffed, venting to his marefriend. “It’s like she has some kind of personal vendetta against me being happy.” He looked over at Cadence. “I could only imagine what would happen if she knew about us.” He said.

“Why?” Cadence asked. “What do you think my auntie would do to us?”

“Well nothing to you. You’re her niece.” He said.

“Adopted.”

“It doesn’t matter. She wouldn’t do anything to you.”

“Oh? I’m pretty sure she was none too pleased when she came back with her sister that first time and thought I had tried to usurp her throne in her absence.” She said. “I think fraternizing with a guard, even a Captain, pales in comparison to national treason.”

“That’s what I mean. You could get away with it. I can’t”

“Fine, what do you think she would do to you?” Cadence humored him.

“Well, she might throw me in the dungeon. Or banish me to the Everfree forest. Or throw me in a dungeon in the place she banishes me to!”

“Do you really think auntie Tia would do that?” Cadence asked him sincerely.

“Are you sure that she wouldn’t? She banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years for pony’s sake!”

“Now Shining, that isn’t fair. You know as well as I do that she didn’t resort to that lightly. And she had no other choice. It was for the good of all pony kind.”

“Hmm. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am just over-reacting. But why is she trying to keep me from being able to see my family?” He asked.

“She’s not. Shining, when you signed on the dotted line, you made a commitment to put your service to Equestria before yourself. And this ‘garden party’ as you deign to call it is a very important event. Some of the most influential ponies in Canterlot are going to be gathered there. Celestia has asked that the very best be assigned to oversee that nothing goes wrong.” Cadence explained. Shining just looked out the window, unsure what to say. Cadence ebbed the silence.

“AND some damn fool accused you of being the best.” Cadence said. Shining looked up from his thoughtful daze. Cadence didn’t curse often, but when she did, it was because she meant it. And that got his full attention. “Why do you think I promoted you to Captain?”

“Because I’m fantastic in bed?” Shining said jokingly. Cadence jabbed him in the ribs.

“AND because I truly believe that you are the exemplary paragon of the guard. So don’t make me question it by coming in here and whining about having to do your job. Got it soldier?”

Shining rose from the couch, standing at attention putting his hoof to his brow in a salute. “Yes ma’am.” He said putting his hoof back on the ground. But he was still saluting her in a very different way now. Cadence didn’t fail to notice as she got up from behind her desk.

“Hmm, you didn’t bring a concealed weapon into my quarters did you soldier?” Cadence said, smiling coyly. She circled around behind him, locking her door, never taking her eyes off him. Shining remained motionless, save for the rhythmic bobbing of little shiny in time with his pulse. He loved it when she role-played like this.

“Do I have a double agent in my midst? An assassin, come to… stab me with his, hmm hmm, dagger?” Cadence swept her hoof across her desk, knocking her items to the floor. “And me, all alone in my quarters…” She laid bent over on her desk, with her hind legs on the floor. She lifted her tail, flagging him seductively, shaking her flank at him. “… helpless to defend myself.” Shining just stood there, grinning like a horny colt with his first dirty magazine.

“Well what are you waiting for assassin? Take me!” She cooed, looking over her shoulder back at him with come-hither eyes. Shining needed no further persuasion. She always did know how to cheer him up. She moaned beneath him as he mounted her.

Maybe this week wouldn’t be so bad after all.
_______________________________________________________________

A few days later

Shining passed before the line of guards assigned to the garden party detail. They were his to command for the evening. There was nopony there below the rank of sergeant. Their respective subordinates were busy running around the garden arranging the area for the night’s event.

They were undermanned due to their forces being divided to prepare the Gala Hall for a separate event that had been arranged at the last minute by the request of Princess Celestia herself. But as was the way of the guard, one made do with what one had. Half the ponies doing the work just meant working twice as hard and fast.

“Alright gentlecolts. This is it.” Shining started his motivational speech to the formation of guards. “Tonight’s garden party event will be hosted by none other than Fancy Pants. One of the most influential ponies in Canterlot.” He began slowly circling the group. He found it helped to calm his nerves when he spoke.

“Now it is palace policy to have a guard detail for any high profile event on the grounds.” He continued. “But Fancy Pants has requested that our presence be invisible. Therefore, we will be keeping to the shadows and watching from a distance. We will intervene ONLY if there are dire circumstances and a life is at stake. His words.” He circled around back to the front of the group.

“He has the approval of the Princess herself for this tactic and we WILL adhere to it. Make no mistake; this should be a cake walk for us all. Which is why it is all the more important that it go off without a hitch. I have it on good authority that a bonus awaits our success.” A few in the formation grinned, breaking their military bearing. Shining knew when to impose his corrective judgment, and when to hold it. He opted for the path of morale and joined their smile.

“I want that just as much as all of you so don’t screw this up for me.” He said with a smile. The formation chuckled quietly. “Now get to it!”

“HOOAHH!”

Everypony was in position. Shining fell back to the makeshift command and control center assembled in the large garden tool shed across the way. It was the perfect place to observe the event while remaining invisible. He had just sat down in the folding chair at the card table when a voice shouted from the doorway.

“ROOM TENCH HUT!”

All present were on their hooves, before immediately bowing. Princess Celestia walked inside.

“Carry on.” She said in her usual soft voice. She approached Shining’s makeshift desk. He remained on his hooves, saluting her. The others made themselves scarce. “Captain Armor, I have good news for you.”

“Your Highness.”

“It has been brought to my attention that your tasking this evening is in conflict with a… personal matter of yours. Therefore, I am relieving you for the evening for a night of compensation time off.”

“I am relieved to whom?” He asked.

“Lieutenant Sea Cay will oversee tonight’s detail. You are dismissed to attend to your personal matter.”

“Your Majesty, I am already invested in tonight’s event. I feel responsible to-“

“The event will be in able hooves with the Lieutenant. And fear not. Your efforts in preparation for tonight will not go unrewarded. You will still be entitled to your bonus.” She said with a smile.

“Thank you Princess.” Shining said, bowing quickly and taking his leave. He nodded to the Lt. on his way out. “You have the helm tonight Louie.”

Shining looked up at the sun, low in the west. It was still a couple hours until dusk. There was still time for him to make it to Twilight’s birthday party. Celestia departed the area, preparing to set the sun soon. Her absence allowed normal guard operations to resume.

Shining scrambled in the barracks. He could not remember a drill sergeant motivating him to move like he was now. His practiced motions were a blur. He put his guard armor away and in order. He bent protocol to the breaking point, sprinting through the palace hallways. The sun kissed the edge of the horizon as he barreled through the Canterlot streets. Twilight’s party was scheduled to start at dusk. He would be late, taking the train to Ponyville, but he’d still make it.

He’d still make it.

His lungs burned from being in a dead sprint for twenty minutes straight. He envied the natural stamina of earth ponies. He could recover on the train ride, he decided. He pressed on. The station was only a few more blocks.

His leg muscles were on fire, his knees threatened to buckle beneath him as he got into line at the ticket counter. He looked up at the clock in the station. He was in luck. His effort got him there just in time to catch the very next train, leaving in a few minutes! Adrenalin kept him vertical just long enough to step up to the counter.

“I- I need.” *huff* “Ticket. Ponyville.” *gasp* “Next train.” *wheeze* “Please.”

“Yes sir. That’ll be-“

“27... bits.” *huff* “I know.” Shining tossed three ten-bit coins on the counter. The clerk was about to hand him his ticket when she ducked behind the counter. Shining was puzzled. He looked through the window. She was bowing behind the counter. Did she recognize him? Even if she did, you don’t bow to the Captain of the Royal Guard. He was about to explain to her exactly that, and get his ticket before he missed the train.

“CAPTAIN ARMOR!” A voice boomed behind him. Princess Luna swooped in out of the sky, landing beside him. “Captain, wait!”

“Your Highness, please, I need to get to Ponyville! I’m going to miss my sister’s birthday!” Shining begged.

“She is not in Ponyville.” Luna said.

“What?”

“Her friend, Miss Rarity. She was unavoidably detained during her stay at the castle on account of her cat. She was unable to make it to Twilight’s birthday party in Ponyville. Twilight petitioned the Princess to move her party to the palace. Princess Cadenza tried to reach thee but thou had departed the grounds. She did beseech us to find thee before thou departed for Ponyville.”

“Twilight is back here? In Canterlot?” Shining asked.

“That is correct, Captain.”

Shining’s face shifted through several emotions in rapid succession. From shock to resolve, and without another word, Shining dropped back into a dead sprint back to the Palace. Luna looked to the west. The sun had long since slipped below the horizon. She had her own duty to attend to, taking to the sky. She flew higher into the night sky, raising the moon with her ascent.

Trained though he may be, conditioned as he was, running flat out across the city twice in succession just wasn't going to happen for him. Twilight had tried showing him how to teleport during her last visit, but he could never seem to grasp it. He could sure use it now. Shining collapsed on the sidewalk, struggling to breathe. He staggered back to his hooves.

“Come on… just one hoof in front of the other. Just… keep moving.” Shining felt his shin bones aching. Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning. He hadn’t even gotten a gift for her!

Shining looked around himself. He moved his head too quickly in his oxygen starved condition. The world spun and his legs gave out from under him again. He stood up again, more carefully this time and surveyed the area. He was near the downtown commercial district. If ever there was a place for him to get her a birthday gift, he was there.

What does Twilight like?

He asked himself that same question over and over as he ran past store after store. Horse shoes? ReBuck, HoofLocker? No no. Dresses? Flowers? Flowers?! This was his sister after all! He pressed on, determined to find something she would love.

“AH HA!” Shining was elated, standing before a Barns And No Bull store. “Books! Twilie loves books!” The clock in the square said it was 7:55 PM. The hours on the door said the store closed in five minutes at 8pm. “GAH!” Shining dove inside, scrambling to think of what book Twilight would like. “Come on, think, think, think!”

Shining trotted past the fiction section. The end-cap featured the latest Daring Doo book. “Twilie loves the Daring Doo series! Jackpot!” He quickly grabbed the book and headed to the checkout to pay. “7:59. I’m good! Hey do you gift wrap?” She looked at him with an ‘are-you-bucking-serious’ look that only a twelve hour shift could conjure. “Uh, never mind.” Shining said, tying the bag into a knot and haphazardly sticking a bow on it.

His fatigued body wouldn't let him sprint again. He tried to maintain a brisk trot. He could at least get there before nine. He could still make it.

He could still make it.
~~~~~

“… And I think the dress you made for your friend is lovely. I dare say every mare in Canterlot will be wanting one.” Fancy Pants said, praising Twilight’s plain dress that Rarity had made.

“Ooh, I'd like to place my order right now!”
“I think you should get two!”

“Uh, yes, now then, how about you introduce me to your friends?" Fancy Pants said.

"With pleasure." Rarity replied.

"Yes well, everypony, It’s getting quite late. Thank you all for coming. I bid you all a good night.” Fancy Pants said, leaving for his carriage. The rest of the party dispersed. Twilight’s friends stayed back a bit to wish her another happy birthday before they too headed home. Only Twilight and Rarity remained.

“Twilight dear, will you not be joining the others going home to Ponyville?” Rarity asked.

“No, I’m going to be staying with my parents tonight at home- er, their house.”

“All right then. Well I’m going to head back to my suite at the castle. Are you sure you’re going to be all right heading home at this hour?”

“Yes, the Princess will have a guard escort me.” Twilight assured her.

“Oh, Twilight, just one last thing.” Rarity said, turning on her heel. She gave Twilight an envelope. “I wanted you to have this, but I didn't want to give it to you in front of everypony else.”

“Oh Rarity, you already made me this wonderful dress, you don’t have to get me anything else.” Twilight said.

“Oh it’s nothing really. I just didn't want you to get embarrassed is all.” Rarity said, passing the card to her with a wink. “Go ahead and open it later.” Rarity gave her one last hug and headed upstairs to her castle suite. Twilight waited a moment, pondering whether or not to open the envelope there and then. She put it in her bag with her other gifts, throwing the bag over her shoulder. She headed back inside the Gala Ball Room to find her assigned escort.

A flurry of activity behind her gained her attention. Pony guards appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, and immediately began cleaning the mess in the garden from the party.

BOOM

Twilight turned back to the main entrance at the far end of the ball room. The great doors had been kicked open. A ragged, white stallion practically fell inside the room.

“- Twilie-” He barely managed.

“Shining?”

“I said- *gasp* - I’d make it.” He groaned, rolling onto his back. “Sorry I’m late kiddo.” He laid on the floor, sweat poured from him. "Happy belated birthday."

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” She rushed to his side.

*cough* “Yeah, never better.” He wheezed.

“What happened to you?” She asked, bringing a glass of punch over to him. The ice had long since melted and left it very watered down. Shining sipped at it until his mouth no longer felt like a desert. He took the second glass under his own power, drinking it more quickly.

“Oh, you know, I just-” *cough* “just ran out to get you a little something.” He said, handing her the plastic bag with a bow on it.

“Oh Shiny, you didn't have to.” She said. He sat up slowly, smiling. She sat down on the floor beside him, pulling the bow off the bag, sticking the adhesive side of the bow to Shining’s forehead, just like they used to do when they were foals. They both laughed at the situation and the fond memory.

She untied the knot in the bag. It was a book. That much she was sure of by the shape and weight. That by itself had her excited. She pulled it from the bag. “Daring Doo and the Griffon’s Goblet.” She read aloud. She smiled at him. He pulled the bow from off his forehead. He could tell it was a fake smile.

“What is it?” He asked.

“It's nothing. I just- I… kinda already have this one.” She said apologetically. “Sorry.”

“UGH.” Shining groaned, falling back on the floor. “I suck.”

“No no no! It was very thoughtful of you. You know how much I love Daring Doo!” She leaned over and hugged his head. “I’m just glad you were able to make it.” He wrapped a hoof around her waist, hugging her back. Rarity's card fell from her bag as she leaned in.

"What's this?" Shining asked, picking up the envelope, rising to his hooves and handing it back to Twilight.

"Rarity gave it to me earlier. I suppose I could open it now." Twilight answered. She pulled back on the sealed flap, tearing open the envelope. She pulled out the card and opened it.

Twilight darling, here's hoping you have a 'fun' time for your birthday. -Rarity

A gift card fell out. Twilight picked it up.

"A fifty bit gift card to a shop called 'The Crop'?" Twilight read aloud off the gift card.

"Wow! Fifty bits! She really is the spirit of generosity." Shining said.

"What's 'The Crop'?" Twilight asked him.

"I have no idea, but the address of the shop is on the gift card." He said looking at it. "It's just a few blocks away. We should go see what it is."

"Okay. Sounds fun." Twilight said. The pair left the palace together into the city. The evening was still young.
___________________________________________________________________________

They arrived at their destination. It was at the very edge of the commercial district, tucked away on a side street off the main drag. It was a small, unassuming little hole-in-the-wall of a shop. They had nearly walked right past it. The wooden sign had a picture of a bushel of wheat on it. It read 'The Crop: Canterlot's best kept secret'.

Judging from the bushel, Twilight figured it must be some kind of a small farmer's market or maybe even an apothecary shop. The one window had an opaque curtain drawn across the inside of it, occluding any outside observer from seeing what was inside. But the sign said the store was open until midnight, and the door was unlocked.

"I guess this is the place." She said. Twilight and her brother pushed the door open and stepped inside. It became immediately clear that the title of the store referred to an entirely different kind of 'crop'. A lilac-furred attendant with a pink mane greeted them.

"Oh, hello. You must be new! My name is Velvet. Welcome to 'The Crop'. How may I help you?" She said.

Twilight looked around the shop nervously. It was a clothing boutique, like Rarity's. But the similarity stopped there. To say that the outfits on display were provocative would have been a massive understatement. The various garments were a wide assortment of lingerie and what could only be described as full-body bridles. The walls were adorned with all manner of restraints such as fuzzy hoof cuffs, vinyl strapping, ball gags, whips, chains and yes, even the namesake riding crops. Some things were beyond her description. Twilight could not even begin to guess as to their design or intended purpose.

Velvet recognized the all-too-familiar shell-shocked look on a new customer's face. She tried Shining Armor instead. "Are you looking for something to spice up things in the bedroom with your marefriend?" Shining was shaken from his lost daze.

"Wha? Oh, no, she's not my marefriend. She's just my-" Shining's mind worked at a blinding speed. He quickly worked out in his head how weird it would look showing up in a sex shop with his sister. "...just my friend." He said. Velvet could understand the hesitance in a new customer. But there was no disguising the nature of the relationship of a couple that came here. She didn't understand why he felt like he needed to hide the fact. But she decided not to press the issue.

"My friend Rarity gave me this gift card." Twilight said, presenting the card.

"Oh, you're friends with Miss Rarity? You must be Twilight." Velvet said excitedly. She felt a bit more comfortable dealing with the friend of a loyal customer. Rarity had always been something of an inspiration for Velvet's fashion pursuits. "She told me that you might be coming by this evening. I didn't think you'd be bringing your... friend. But hey, the more the merrier." She chimed. "Feel free to look around, and just let me know if there is anything you're interested in or if you have any questions."

Velvet gave the pair some space, returning to her workstation putting together an new outfit she was working on. Twilight and Shining exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"Well. This is..." Twilight started.

"Weird." Shining finished.

"Yeah." Twilight said. Shining scratched his mane a bit, waiting for her cue for them to leave. "Well... since we're here." Twilight started. Shining looked surprised. "And she kinda was expecting us. I don't want to be rude. Beside, we have a gift card." She said.

"Hey, you have a gift card. Don't roll me into this." He said defensively.

"What? It could be..." Twilight picked up a pair of pink, fuzzy hoof cuffs, inspecting them closer before immediately setting them back down. "...fun." Shining put a hoof up in surrender.

"Hey, it's your birthday. We'll do what you want." He said. Twilight walked around the display room looking at the various garments and items. She held up a sheer corset with frill and lace against herself.

"What do you think?" She asked him. He glanced quickly at her, and again averted his eyes.

"I uh, I'm trying not to." He said, blushing worse. Twilight realized the strangeness of asking him how she would look in such a get up. She put it back on the rack. Perhaps something that wasn't lingerie. She reached the saddles, picking one up in her hooves, feeling the texture. The price tag said it was way beyond her budget. But it was so beautiful just to look at and hold and-

"EEK!" She dropped the saddle as though it had transformed into a hideous spider. Velvet rushed over, followed by Shining.

"Miss Twilight, is something wrong?" She asked.

"The tag says its made of leath- leather!" She cringed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot to mention, all our 'leather' products are synthetic. Real leather is illegal in Equestria after all. I'm sorry for the scare." Velvet apologized.

Twilight composed herself. "Oh. I'm sorry I dropped it. It actually is very pretty." Twilight said, levitating it back onto its stand.

"That's quite alright. All our products are very rugged and durable." Velvet boasted proudly. "Some of our 'clients' enjoy pretending with the naughty idea of leather. The idea of something being taboo can make the experience all the more pleasurable." She explained. Shining tried to keep his gulp from being audible. Twilight continued her circuit around the room. At the back, there was a doorway with a curtain across it.

"What's in here?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, that's our back-room. Go ahead and help yourself to a look." Velvet said, waving her in. Twilight stepped through the curtain, exploring inside. Shining meanwhile, remained out in the lobby, inexplicably fascinated with staring down at his own hooves while she shopped. But after several minutes of Twilight not coming out of the back room, curiosity got the better of him. He didn't want to be in here with her another minute longer than he had to. He had to see what was taking her so long.

Shining stepped inside the curtain. The back room was round, and a bit smaller, housing the shop's much more explicit items. The walls were lined with shelves and shelves of various phallic replicas of all different shapes, sizes and colors. The center island had some synthetic mare torsos with a textured hole in a very obvious place, clearly marketed to stallions. From the ceiling, there was suspended what he could only describe as a swing with restraints in key locations. His imagination could fill in the blanks as to the compromising position in which it would put a mare.

Beyond the swing, he saw Twilight checking out one of the synthetic stallion staffs. She had her neck bent at a weird angle, holding up one of them, looking at it closely.

"What? Ain't you never seen one before?" Shining said. He immediately wanted to jam a hoof in his mouth. Firstly it was something you just don't ask your sister. Secondly, he knew damn well the answer was 'yes, she had seen one before'. His!

Twilight jumped at the sound of his voice, dropping the dildo. She quickly picked it up and put it back on the shelf, embarrassed to have been caught with it.

"I was just- I was just-" Twilight stammered.

"Looking? That's fine. Here, I'll look too. See? It's fine." Shining said, trying to diffuse the situation. He pretended to look at the stallionhoods on display. Twilight moved on, walking around the room. Shining followed slowly, trying to keep to the opposite side of the round room, giving her space. They were of varying prices based on the size, quality, and features. Some were ridiculously colorful. Others had a strange array of beaded ridges. Others were more realistic looking, with a veiny surface. Some were only twenty bits. Others were fancy, vibrating, and over a hundred bits. He got to the one he had caught her looking at. It was white, mottled with blue and dark grey spots. It looked dangerously similar to his own. It was forty nine bits.

"Um, hey listen." Shining said, heading for the exit. "I'm gonna just head outside. All of these... are making me feel a little weird. But go ahead and take as long as you like. I'll be right outside." He said excusing himself. Shining stepped out of the shop into the cool air of the Canterlot night, calming himself in the dull quiet of the evening.

He didn't have to wait long. He heard the ding of the door open beside him a few moments later. Twilight had a bag in tote. It was a plain, unmarked paper bag.

"There. The bill came out perfectly!" Twilight said.

"Oh? You found something you liked that was exactly fifty bits?" Shining asked.

"Well, I had to spend one bit on batteries." She said, blushing. The box bulging at the bottom of her bag was suspiciously oblong.

Forty nine bits

He had a pretty good idea of exactly what it was.

Hearth's Desire

Shining stood at the kitchen counter in the squadron break room. He had recently changed over to the evening shift for a change of pace. He also found that the night guard tended to be a bit more talkative, making the nights go by a little faster. It totally had nothing to do with him preferring to take orders for Princess Luna or anything like that.

But it also meant he had to adjust his sleeping schedule. He was so used to being 'up with the sun' that he was having trouble sleeping through it. Or staying awake all night. So each evening, he came here. He stood at the kitchen counter, trying desperately to remain vertical. His head kept dozing off, making it look like he was bobbing for apples. He angrily tried to will the infernal contraption to work faster. Its demonic gurgling sounded like it was about ready to overflow and regurgitate all the sewage of the city. "WORK dammit!"

DING!

Shining retrieved his coffee mug from the machine, taking the first, blissful sip.

"Oh, coffee machine, I love you. I'm sorry about yelling at you. Let's never fight again." Shining cooed, nuzzling the stained rim of the BrewMaster 9000. "OW!" Shining winced, his cheeked burned on the hot surface. "You always hurt the ones you love..." Shining considered divorcing the coffee machine- with his hooves. Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, passed by the break room door.

"Captain Spitfire!" Shining called out. Spitfire backpedaled into the doorway. "You're back early. I take it the mission to exterminate the rampaging dragon in Ponyville went well?" He asked. Spitfire looked at him nervously for a split second.
~~~~~

She flashed back to that terrible mission. The Wonderbolts scrambled upon receiving the report of a dragon terrorizing the town of Ponyville. They started their attack run, strafing the beast, hoping to draw him away from the populous. He took to scaling the nearby shear mountainside. They had to stop him before he took up residence in the highlands. They had already lost the element of surprise and they were about to lose the high ground.

They knew full fell that a dragon's tough hide was impervious to all but the most powerful attacks and weaponry, but they were running out of time. In a bold gambit, Blaze went in for a direct attack, sheering a few of the dragon's green spines. The superficial injury only served to anger him.

He turned to attack, rolling his back to the cliff side. In doing so, he exposed one of his few weak spots on his underbelly. In unison, the trio turned and dove in for a swift strike. Speed and maneuverability were their only advantages. But at the last second, the dragon caught the trio in a water tower tank, slamming it into the mountainside, trapping them within.

Spitfire couldn't remember how long they were trapped in that darkness. Herself, Blaze, and High Winds imprisoned together. The three of them had no illusions that they might meet their fate in the line of duty. A dangerous mission like this, fighting a dragon, they knew full well that any one of them could be struck down and killed or eaten by the monster. Dying in a crash happens so fast that they never put any thought to it. 'By the time it happens it's over. Painless.'

But none of them had expected this. Trapped, waiting, it was torture. Spitfire and her two sisters-in-arms huddled close together. The other two mares shivered in terror, uncertain of when the end would come.

"I guess this is it girls." Spitfire said solemnly. "It was an honor serving with you." Spitfire began to cry silently.

"I never got to see Manehatten." Blaze whimpered. "I kept putting it off and putting it off. I always told myself, 'There would be time'." She wept openly, pressing her muzzle into Spitfire's flight suit. High Winds started to sob. The youngest member, it was barely her second year on the team.

"I wish I had met somepony. I always pushed them away for my career. Just- some nice stallion to hold me and tell me everything would be okay. Somepony to just- just tell me I was pretty." She cried.

"Everything will be okay." Spitfire lied, hugging her tighter. She kissed her on the forehead. Comforting her two wingmares, Spitfire couldn't help but ponder her own regrets. She had always lived her life to the fullest, hadn't she? No regrets. That was her motto. Perhaps she could have taken Soarin up on his offers. Even though fraternizing within the ranks was strictly forbidden. That, and she never did have the heart to tell him stallions weren't for her.

Her thoughts turned to that one mare, the Best Young Flier, Rainbow Dash. There was instant chemistry as soon as they met. Spitfire could tell that Rainbow was into her big time as well. But all that changed when Rainbow told her that it was her dream to join the Wonderbolts. If they were to date, that could never be a possibility. Not only because of the fraternization rule, but if she were to be selected, it would appear to the other applicants as favoritism.

Spitfire put her personal desires aside in favor for a chance to work along side such a talented Pegasus. Albeit only as a friend. She had already signed the acceptance letter for her to try out at the next season's recruitment. But now she wished only to know how that wild, untamed mare kissed. So full of passion, she wondered if she was just as aggressive in bed. It had been so long since she had been intimate. Spitfire retreated into her fantasy world, abandoning the terror of her current state. She imagined the rainbow pegasus on top of her, running her hoof up her thigh to her hot, wet-

CREEK!

The heavy metal tank fell away from the mountain side. The three looked around, seeing no dragon anywhere. It must have run off, leaving the city. That was good enough for them. Mission accomplished. They recovered themselves quickly and darted off back to Canterlot, swearing to never speak of what happened that day again.
~~~~~

Shining was a bit taken aback by Spitfire's thousand-yard stare. "Spitfire? I take it the mission was successful?" Spitfire returned to the present moment.

"Yeah, well there ain't no giant dragon there NOW is there?" She said, forcing a cocky smile, and quickly heading on her way. He watched her head down the hallway, her toned flanks rippling beneath her tight flight suit. He couldn't understand how she didn't have at least two coltfriends at any one time.

He loved those flight suits. Sure, he had seen all of them out of it. But the way the fabric conformed to their contours, especially when she got a wedgie. "Hmm." He grinned at the image. He turned and headed back to his own office. A few items were waiting for him in his inbox mounted to the outside of his door. He took them and his coffee inside.

Princess Cadence was waiting for him at his desk.

"Get the door will you?" She asked. He quickly looked around outside to see if anypony saw her. He quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

"Evening babe." He said giving her a smooch on the cheek. "Are you here to uh, start off my Friday night with a bang?" He asked seductively.

"Ah, no, I can't." She said. "Besides, this office lacks the soundproofing we would need. You know me." She smiled with a devilish grin. It was no secret to either of them that she could get very vocal in the heat of the moment.

"Hey, I found this store that I think you'd just LOVE. It's 'Canterlot's best kept secret'." He recited.

"The Crop?" She replied. "Yes, I've heard of it. I've always wanted to check it out, but I've never been able to go."

"Why not?"

"Come now, I'm a Princess, a celebrity. Could you imagine the scandal if anypony were to see me in a- sex shop?" She whispered.

"They said that they were very discreet." He said.

"But what about the other patrons inside? Or anypony outside that saw me enter? You might not have to think about these things but I do." She said frowning.

"Well... you could schedule an appointment for a private shopping session and just teleport inside." He suggested. Cadence put a hoof to her chin.

"I- I suppose that could work..." She said. Shining grinned like an idiot, nodding excitedly. "Okay. MAYBE. But only if you're REALLY good okay?" She said. He nodded more seriously. "Anyway I actually came by to tell you that I have two tickets to the Canterlot Heath's Warming Eve pageant play!"

"Ugh, not really a fan of the theater." He groaned. She gave him a slight glare. "Buuut I'm always willing to try something new for you sweetie!" He said.

"Well I thought you might like to know that Twilight and her Ponyville friends will be in the production this year." Cadence said with a smile.

"Really? Okay then I guess." He said.

"Perfect. It's a week from tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at your place?"

"Oh, no that wouldn't be right for me to not pick you up at your place." Shining said, trying to be chivalrous.

"Oh, no it's okay. Your place is closer anyway. I'll just take the shortcut." She said.

"Shortcut?" He asked. Her response was simply to teleport to right beside him. "Oh. Right. Shortcut."

"Next Saturday. Don't forget." She said opening the window.

"How could I?" He said. Cadence leaped out the window, taking flight to the evening sky before vanishing in a flash. He shouted after her, "Showoff!"
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

KNOCK KNOCK

Hearth's Warming Eve. Shining walked to answer the door. But when he opened it, there was nopony on the porch.

"Surprise!" Cadence said from behind him, triggering his PTSD, having teleported inside. Shining nearly leaped out of his fur.

"GAH! Cadence! You do NOT sneak up on somepony who's in the guard! I'm on high alert here! I almost killed you right then! You do not even realize!" He shouted, breaking out in a sweat. Cadence just hugged him.

"But you didn't. And if that isn't true love, then I don't know what is." She smiled. "Come on, let's go to the pageant."

They arrived at the palace playhouse. A name that always irked Shining. His idea of a 'playhouse' was a makeshift room built up in a tree that would terrify any inspecting fire marshal.

"Why don't they just call it the palace theater?" Shining asked Cadence as they waited in line.

"They don't show movies here Shining. They do play productions. That's why it's a playhouse." She explained.

"Yeah but you don't play in it." He mocked. "And you always say how you want to go here as 'going to the theater'." He said.

"Yes but in that context- what I mean is- ARG! Sometimes I swear you deliberately try to misunderstand me." She huffed. Shining just laughed.

"Yeah, it's true I do." He admitted.

"Ah, Good evening Princess Cadenza. It's a pleasure to have you." The maître de at the door greeted, turning to Shining. "And you are?"

"Uh, he's my personal security for the evening." Cadence interjected. The short service pony behind the greeter had a brief look of surprise before quickly darting inside.

"Very good. Your booth has already been prepared for your arrival this evening." He bowed, as she passed with her 'guest'.

"Booth?" Shining whispered.

"Shining, I'm a Princess. I can't just sit in the general seating with the common rabble now can I?" She said with a grin. Shining knew that she didn't usually like to take advantage of her title. Usually that sort of thing was forced on her. But whenever she played along it was always with a sort of satirical mocking that Shining just found amusing to no end. He had gotten quite good at playing along himself.

"No. No we can't now, can we?" He said, as they both pointed their noses up in the air like snobby elitists, before they both broke down giggling at how silly the whole situation was. They walked up a small staircase to the balcony seats. It was a small booth in the back wall of the theater. Cadence had a large, custom seat with regal padding and upholstery. Beside it was a hastily-placed metal folding chair, presumably for him.

It was one of only two such booths. The other was a short ways away beside them. It was slightly larger, with a big, plush... throne for lack of a better descriptive. It didn't take a genius to figure out for whom it was reserved. Beside it was a smaller plush chair, similar to Cadence's.

Cadence settled into her seat, making herself comfortable. Shining... made do with his chair. The stage was in a good viewing position from their height. A grey mare poked through the curtains, waving at the attendance before promptly vanishing behind again. He looked over at Cadence's mini-throne. There was generous room for two. He was about to join her when the trumpets sounded, announcing the arrival of the Royal Princess.

Or rather, Princesses.

Everypony in attendance rose from their seats as Celestia passed through the booth curtain onto her private balcony. Her sister, Luna, not far behind. She greeted the ponies in the audience below with a warm smile and a nod before taking her seat. Everypony else followed suit. Luna settled into her seat, looking as excited as a small filly on Hearth's Warming Day. Shining slumped back into his metal chair. With her aunts a mere thirty feet away, it seemed that invading Cadence's personal space that evening would have to wait.

As was tradition each year, the Princess, Celestia, would mock the play mercilessly from her perch on high. In olden times, it was a test of the actors' resolve. If she successfully caused any of them to falter, then they failed the test and were ejected from the play production afterwards.

In civilized times since, it had turned into a more lighthearted joking. It was the one night of the year that she got to really let loose in public. And no matter what happened in the play, even if it became a total disaster, the benevolent Princess would always be the first on her hooves to applaud at the end.

Still, her constant chatter made the seats at the very back of the theater that much less desirable for those who genuinely wanted to enjoy the play. And unless you were a complementary guest of the actors, the seats at the front, away from the range of her voice, became much more pricey.

Perhaps that was her plan all along.

The lights of the playhouse lowered, signaling the start of the play.

"Ah. It's about time!" Celestia shouted into the room. "I haven't got all night!"

Luna joined in. "But prithee, sister. Art thou not immortal?"

"I am! That makes them wasting my time all the more impressive."

"AH HA HA HA"
"AH HA HA HA"

They laughed together in unison. The ponies directly below them groaned. For them, it was going to be a long night. The curtains parted. Spike was onstage as the narrator for the evening.

"Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, -"

"YEAH! Sing it brother!" Celestia shouted, pumping her hoof in the air. Luna looked hurt.

"BLASPHEMY! We did also rule! Hath our name no merit any longer? Doth they no longer recognize our crown?" Luna asked. Celestia stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"Nope! I guess not!"

Spike continued the story, undeterred, away from the range of their mockery. "... and so, mistrust between the tribes festered. Until one fateful day, it came to a boil!"

"HA HA HA!" Celestia laughed. "A festering boil! I guess they do remember you Luna! Or your BUTT anyway!"

"TIS A LIE!" Luna fumed. "We shall have thee know that our backside tis as immaculate as it hath ever been!"

Shining wasn't even watching the play anymore. The display in the balcony beside them was worth everything. He had never seen Celestia in such rare form. It was refreshing to see her acting so... normal.

"... So the summit of the tribes did not turn out as well as hoped. And the three leaders returned home to lick their wounds, and basically complain." Spike narrated.

"Yeah! Lick their crotch wounds!" Celestia yelled.

"SISTER! Hath thou no shame whatsoever?! How dare thee speak of such a crude subject. Especially in front of our loyal subjects?!"

"What's the matter? Getting butthurt from your crotch wound? AH HA HA HA!"

"NEIGH! Speaketh of our behind again and we shall pummel thine's all the way back to the castle!" Luna fumed.

Okay. Maybe 'normal' was being too generous of a descriptive. On stage, Rarity, in her role as Princess Platinum, made her way into the scene.

"Clover the Clever, I need you!" She called out. Twilight made her first appearance on stage, gaining Shining's attention back to the play itself.

"Yes your majesty." She said placing a blanket over her. "Did the other pony tribes see reason as I predicted?" Twilight said in her role as Clover the Clever.

"No Twilight!" Celestia shouted. "She just NEEDS you! She needs you to warm her up! She just came in from the cold and she needs you to get her body hot hot HAWT!"

"Please sister! Hath thou no respect even for thine own faithful student!?" Luna begged. Celestia lowered her voice.

"Luna, it's just a game. A bit of traditional fun to have with the common ponies. It's all in jest." Celestia explained. Luna's eyes lit up.

"Ah, 'tis tradition? We enjoy games!" Luna looked back to the stage. Princess Platinum continued to rant to Clover the Clever.

"... Unicorns are noble and majestic. We will no longer consort with the likes of them." She finished, slamming her hooves into the tub of warm water, splashing Twilight.

"HA HA! She hath gotten that mare wet, like during sexual intercourse!" Luna tried in a mocking shout. Celestia cringed, putting a hoof on her sister's shoulder.

"Um, maybe you should leave this to the professional." She said.
~~~~~

The rest of the play went on like that. Shining's attention was divided between his sister on stage, his marefriend beside him, and the train wreck in the other balcony. His initial interest in coming out tonight was to see Twilight. And he was looking forward to spending time with Cadence, and perhaps being a little naughty. But with her watchful Aunt nearby, he couldn't even do that.

Celestia's little display was a whole different show on its own. Poor Luna's butt continued to be the... butt of many of her sister's jokes, and her own awkward attempts to mock the play continued to be almost painful to listen to.

But all good things must come to an end. After the final scene of raising the Equestrian flag, Celestia did indeed lead the standing applause as the full cast came back out on stage. The whole theater sang along with the traditional Hearth's Warming Eve carol.

Afterwards, Shining and Cadence made their way back down the stairs. She put a hoof on his shoulder, halting his descent. He turned to look back at her, only to be met with her lips on his. He pulled her close into him in a sweet embrace as they made out in the dark stairwell. He ran his hoof over her sensitive wings, causing them to involuntarily stand up stiff. She shivered under his touch.

"Hmm, you know just how to rub those." She purred.

"Do you think we have time?" He asked, cocking his eyebrows. She looked nervously down the stairs.

"Can you make it fast?" She asked. Her voice was ragged with heated desire. His wing play had already gotten her quite worked up. He just nodded vigorously. She could see that he was quickly becoming fully aroused. She turned and put her forehooves on the stairs above her, leaning low, her rump up high. She flagged her tail aside, exposing her hot, wet, marehood to him. The danger of the situation was a massive turn-on for both of them.

There was no pretense of foreplay. He mounted her immediately, his iron rod easily sinking to the hilt in her very ready pussy. She tried her best to stifle a moan. They had each hoped for a long, romantic evening of heavy petting in their private booth. It was now clear that their desire had been denied for far too long. He wasted no time as he started to just jackhammer away, utterly fucking her.

He didn't usually like to use that term. He would usually much rather prefer to 'make love' to her, or something similarly less vulgar. But there was no disguising what this was it that dark stairwell. With the quickie, there was no attempt to prolong the experience. They were each just trying to get off, and get each other off, as fast as they could. It was just pure, carnal, rutting. Unadulterated lust.

He was fucking her.
And she loved it.

She felt his member sliding in and out of her wanton, velvet tunnel with each of his powerful thrusts. Each time he sunk home, his heavy balls slapped against her sensitive clitoris, sending a bolt of electricity from her loins throughout her body, causing her wings to shudder. He leaned forward, nibbling on her tender wing tips. It turned her on hotter to no end!

Cadence could feel her climax getting close. The pressure was rapidly building in her tummy. She felt his cock begin to flare inside her, signaling that he was about to cum himself. That knowledge, and the new sensation of his widened girth forcing itself against the insides of her stretched pussy walls, sent her reeling over the top in perfect unison with his own throbbing bursts inside her.

Far downstairs, out of sight around a couple corners, an attendant called up the stairwell. "Miss Cadenza?"

"I'M CUMMING!" She shouted. Her pussy clamped down on Shining, milking his cock for all it was worth. He just grit his teeth, struggling to stifle his own moan as he pumped rope after rope of semen deep inside her.

Downstairs, the attendant was satisfied with the Princess's response that she was 'on her way.'
~~~~~

After a quick stop to the little fillies room to 'freshen up', Cadence rejoined with Shining outside the playhouse. They both still looked a little flush in their afterglow. Outside, anypony else would have chalked it up to the cold.

"Are you sure you won't come and see the folks? I'm sure they'd love to see you again." Shining asked.

"I'm sorry Shiny. I have to go to the palace and help prepare for the Hearth's Warming Day celebration. But you go and have fun with your family. You deserve it." She said. He pouted a little. "Hey. Thank you for... tonight." She said, smiling with a knowing wink. That got him to smile. "Good night, Shining Armor. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." She spread her wings, flying off to the palace.

"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Princess." He whispered. Snow began to lightly fall around him. He turned to make the long walk across town back to his parents' home.
____________________________________________________________________

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Shining called into the house. He closed the door behind him, shaking off the dusting of snow that had accumulated on his fur on the way. He heard a bout of laughter from the living room and made his way inside. He could hear Twilight regaling them with tales of her adventures in Ponyville.

"... and so we all dressed up like Mare-Do-Well to teach her a lesson about humility. And it was fun pretending to be a superhero for a while." Twilight said.

"What was your super power? Reading?" Shining said, walking into the room. Twilight saw him in the doorway and leaped to her hooves.

"Shiny!" She exclaimed, running over and wrapping her hooves around him. He hugged her back.

"It's good to see you again Twilie." He said. "You were great in the play tonight!"

"You were there? I didn't see you." She asked.

"Sorry, you must have just missed me." He said. "But I'm here now! On holiday leave!" Twilight began hopping around.

"Oh, this is so exciting! It'll be just like old times!" She squealed. "We're gonna stay up all night, waiting for Santa Paws the Magic Reindeer to bring all the good little colts and fillies Hearth's Warming presents!" She started clopping her hooves together in glee.

"Don't stay up too late you two, or else Santa Paws won't stop at this house." Their mom said, as she and their Dad got up to retire to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight walked back into the living room with a couple mugs of cocoa. She topped them each with a bit of whipped cream. However, Shining was paying more attention to the fact that she was now wearing long, pink and violet striped socks. He never told anypony, but he always secretly had a thing for a pony in socks. There was just something so arousing about them that he couldn't explain. But it really turned his crank. She passed his mug to him and he took a sip.

"Um, you've got a little..." She motioned to his nose. His eyes crossed as he tried to look at his own nose. He had a bit of whipped cream on the end of it. He tried in vain to lick it off before finally giving up. Twilight leaned in quickly and licked it off before either of them even had a chance to think about it.

The ensuing, awkward silence gave them each way too much time to think about it as they both blushed deeply. Twilight suddenly stood up.

"Hey, I just remembered!" She said, eager to change the subject. "I got you something." She went behind the couch and pulled out a small box, wrapped in pretty, decorated wrapping paper, with ribbon and a bow.

"Aw, Twilie, now I feel bad because I didn't have a chance to get you anything for tonight." He said.

"Oh that's okay. It's enough that you're here." She said, passing him the gift. He pulled at the bow and ribbon, and began tearing the ornate paper. Inside was a plain, oblong box.

oblong box

He nervously lifted the cover. Inside, it was white, mottled with blue and grey spots.

It was-

It was...

"Socks?" He pulled the set of socks out. They were polka dotted with grey and blue.

"Yeah! You can't have Hearth's Warming Eve without socks." She said waving her own hoof, showing her socks off. He started putting them on.

"Why is there five? I only have four-" Shining froze. Did she honestly expect him to wear a sock on his-

"It's for the hearth silly!" She said, pointing to the fire place. Three other stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Santa Paws would soon be there. One of them matched Twilight's set of pink and violet striped socks. The other two belonged to each of his parents he assumed.

"Oh. Right." He walked over with the fifth sock, taking the spare nail from the mantle and hammering it into the wood frame. He sat back down next to Twilight, levitating a blanket from the couch and wrapping it around them together. They each watched the fire crackle, sipping at their cocoa. She slowly leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, starting to doze off.

"So... what do you want for your Hearth's Warming wish?" She asked. He felt her warm body against his. He tried to think of something that didn't involve the words 'Twilight's' and 'plot'.

"I dunno. A new skateboard I guess. I haven't gotten a new one since I joined the guard. And my old one is too small for me now. I just- I don't really need anything I guess." He said, trying to keep it something safe. "What about you? What do you wish for?" He asked. Twilight placed her empty mug on the table. Her half-lidded eyes were on the verge of falling asleep. She rolled into him, pressing her muzzle into the soft fur of his strong chest, yawning.

"You're here. I've already got my wish."

Author's Note

Partly inspired by this. (safe)

Broken Hearts and Hooves

Shining Armor and his sister cuddled close beside the fireplace, wrapped together in a blanket on Hearth's Warming eve.

"What about you? What do you wish for?" Shining asked his sister. Twilight placed her empty mug on the table. Her half-lidded eyes were on the verge of falling asleep. She rolled into him, pressing her muzzle into the soft fur of his strong chest, yawning.

"You're here. I've already got my wish." She replied.

She slumped down beside him as they each laid down on the floor together. She rolled away so her back was against him. After several moments, her steady breathing told him that she had fallen asleep. Shining couldn't tell if it was the heat of the fire or her body against him, but he was uncomfortably warm, too much so to sleep. But he just laid there and enjoyed the closeness of her against him.

After a few minutes, her tail swished back and forth, teasing his thighs. She must have been dreaming. It would bob up occasionally, tickling his sensitive scrotum. She unconsciously gyrated her hips and back against him, stimulating him in ways he was embarrassed to admit he enjoyed. His response was immediate. He felt his erection quickly grow between them.

If she felt his dick digging into her back, she didn't show any sign of caring. She just kept up her rhythmic motion, grinding her body against him, squeezing and rubbing his member between their bodies. Shining had a flash of thought. 'What if it was like in her diary again, and she was just pretending to be sleeping?!' He felt emboldened by the notion, putting his hoof around her waist and pulling her tighter against him. She went still for a moment, that is until he started grinding back against her.

"Hmmm, Shining..." She moaned as the feathers from her wing tickled his nose.

'Her wing?!'
________________________________________________________________

Shining's eyes shot open with a start. He was in his bed.

No. He was in a different bed. This wasn't his bedroom. The daze of the dream cleared from his mind. Everything came rushing back. He was over at Cadence's house for the night. She laid in bed beside him. His very erect member was firmly pressed into her back, and he had his hoof wrapped around her. Her wings had flared open from his attention, tickling his nose and startling him from his dream's fantasy.

"Hmm, why'd you stop?" She murmured.

Shining resumed his motions, giving her another squeeze. He loved her after all, and here she was beside him, ready, willing and able to go. She cooed her approval quietly as her tail continued to tease him under the covers. He loved her after all...

So why did he feel disappointed?

Disappointed to have awoken from his fantasy, and ashamed for feeling so. Ashamed that he preferred his dream world to the real thing. Here was a flesh and blood mare who loved him, truly. A princess no less! She was everything, powerful, wealthy, and beautiful! So why did he feel longing? To both of their dismay, he began to soften.

"Aww, is widdle Shiny too sweepy?" She teased gently, bucking her hips back against him softly, trying to rub some life back into his member.

But Shining Armor's mind was miles away. He was still thinking about Hearth's Warming Eve with Twilight all those weeks ago.

"You're here. I've already got my wish." She replied. She slowly got to her feet and nuzzled his nose in a chaste gesture. "See you in the morning." She said before she trotted off to bed for the night, leaving Shining alone on the couch.

For several nights since then, he had a recurring dream of that night, each time it went a little different. Sometimes bad, but sometimes good. His mind trying to exhaust every possible outcome of that night. And every morning Shining felt a little more empty for it.

Shining closed his eyes, trying to focus on remembering the dream that night, Twilight's body close against him under the blanket beside the warm fireplace. His member, rigid between them. He squeezed her close, letting her know that he was awake too, humping against her.

Cadence felt him quickly regain full mast against her once more. "Oh Shiny!" She purred.

"Oh Shiny!" Twilight said, as she felt him reacting to her advances. She shifted her body upwards, letting his staff dip down beneath her tail, bobbing between her legs as she laid beside him. He held her tightly as he tried to align himself with her entrance. She was already so wet, his swollen head brushed against her warm marehood a couple times, becoming slick with her essence. His last push met with little resistance as he slipped inside her with ease. He heard her gasp.

Her warm love tunnel quivered and grasped at him as he slid in and out of her in a practiced motion. This was what he truly wanted for Hearth's Warming Eve, though he would never say it. His belly rubbed against her soft back, her mane, against his neck and muzzle. He wrapped his leg over hers as he continued to slowly make love to her, just trying to get as much contact with her as possible. She bucked back against each of his thrusts, their bodies slapping together harder with each advance.

Suddenly, she wriggled free of his embrace, his penis slipping from her envelopment, leaving him feeling cold. He didn't dare open his eyes this time, he didn't want the dream to end. As quickly as she left, she was upon him again, rolling him onto his back, straddling atop him. Her hips slid up and down his length before bringing his tip back to her inviting marehood. In no time at all she was bobbing up and down on his pole, frantically riding him in ecstatic joy. He never thought that Twilight would be this aggressive in bed.

She leaned in close, kissing him passionately on the lips, her tongue dancing with his as they both desperately gasped for air. She wrapped her wings around him, enclosing them inside as she continued to fuck him more slowly now.

Wings

Shining opened his eyes, staring deeply into Cadence's. Her wings blocked much of the moonlight, but he could still make out the features of his marefriend. It was Cadence on top of him and definitely not Twilight. Shining tried to close his eyes again, but the fantasy was now long gone. He was very much awake, and aware of what was going on. No amount of pretending could change that now.

He didn't let his disappointment show on his face, but Cadence could feel him going soft inside her. Her face fell. Shining felt embarrassed. This usually never happened. Especially to a healthy young stallion like him. Cadence tried not to bring any attention to it as she carefully climbed off him, back onto her side of the bed.

"I- I guess I must be more tired than I thought." Shining tried. "I could, you know, help you finish..." He offered, licking her ear playfully.

"No, it's okay. It happens." Cadence comforted. "Besides we should really just get some sleep. We have to get up in a few hours to go to the Canterlot Hearts and Hooves Day Bachelorette Charity Raffle." She said. Shining rolled onto his back, feeling tired in a very real way, thinking about the busy day to come.

"Dammit, that is tomorrow." He cursed, clutching his pillow uncomfortably. He had to perform security detail for the event. He was not looking forward to it. All it meant was him working on the most romantic day of the year when he'd rather be with his sis- er, his marefriend. Cadence stroked his shoulder gently, helping him relax. He let go of his pillow and slumped into it, feeling his tension slip away. Cadence watched him slip back asleep.

Shining Armor and his sister cuddled close beside the fireplace, wrapped together in a blanket on Hearth's Warming eve.

Cadence watched him smile gently against his pillow, surely enjoying pleasant dreams. She returned to her side of the bed, getting some much needed rest herself.

"You're here. I've already got my wish." Twilight replied.
___________________________________________________

Cadence sat confidently at the ticketing booth. Behind her was the chest for the contestants' bits as she sold them tickets for the raffle. It was closely guarded by the Captain of the Royal Guard. In front of her was the roll of tickets and the submission boxes for the participating ponies. Every year in Canterlot, the Hearts and Hooves Day raffle invited many of the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes to be contested for. Each contestant had an ornate box with their name embroidered on it for ponies to choose whom they'd wish to try to win. The proceeds benefited different Equestrian charities. But the big event was always seeing who won a date with Princess Celestia at the end of the event.

This year however, she had some stiff competition.

"Shining, er, I mean Captain Armor, I'm gonna need another box!" Cadence called out. He quickly produced a much less ornate-looking, plain cardboard box. Cadence hastily scribbled 'LUNA' on it. The other box bearing her name was already filled to the brim with tickets.

"Sister, please explain this to us again." Luna begged of the alabaster mare in the throne beside her.

"Each pony buys tickets and puts them into the respective boxes of the mare or stallion with whom they'd like to enjoy a date." Celestia explained.

"But we are royalty. We could have any companion we desire. Why must we consort with the commoners?" She asked.

"Luna dear, you don't have to consort with anypony. It is simply a gesture of good will, raising money for charity. Come on sis, try to get into the spirit of things." She said, nudging her playfully.

"ONE BIT! ONE TICKET! SIX TICKETS FOR FIVE!" Cadence yelled out across the line of ponies leading out the door. It was certainly one of the biggest events of the year. It reached across all classes and pay grades. One ticket was all you needed, and you had the same chance as the upper class pony sitting across the row from you for a lunch date out with the Princess. Rumor has it that many of the great ponies in the course of history rose from obscurity in just such a similar manner.

"Hey Cap, how's weekend duty treating you?" Lieutenant Sea Cay said, buying a couple tickets.

"It is what it is." Shining said, shrugging, and taking his bits and tossing them into the chest.

"Why don't you get a few tickets yourself?" Sea Cay asked. Shining tried to ignore the surreptitious glance from Cadence.

"Oh, you know me. I'm married to the service." Shining said nervously, dodging the issue. Sea Cay wrote his name on each ticket, adding them to a variety of baskets, but dumping the bulk of them into Princess Luna's box. He glanced up at Shining Armor, looking downtrodden, working on a lovely Saturday. He remembered all the nice things that the Captain had done to help him in the past. He saved the last ticket, hastily scrawling Captain Shining Armor on it before tossing it into Luna's box with the others.

"Making a concentrated effort I see." Shining said.

"Oh yeah. I really hope I win. That Princess Luna, I don't know what it is. She's just so dark and mysterious and... and..."

"Sexy?"

Both stallions froze in shock at her comment.

"What?" Cadence said, defensively. "I'm the Princess of Love. It doesn't matter if she's my aunt. I can admit that she has very appealing features."

"Yeah... well, good luck." Shining said, trying to ignore the awkward moment.

"Yeah, you too. Uh, I mean, thanks." Sea Cay said, heading off to find a seat in the audience.
___________________________________________________________________________

The line finally finished filing in and buying tickets. Every seat in the hall was taken. It was standing room only, if only just barely. It was absolutely packed. Even Princess Celestia was impressed.

"This is quite the turnout this year!" She mused quietly to her sister. Luna barely noticed the comment, staring lazily at the crowd, only wanting this event to be over. It was cutting into her sleep schedule after all. Celestia stepped forward, addressing the crowd.

"Attention citizens of Canterlot!" She called out across the room. Her normally soft-spoken, soothing voice resonated loudly against the chamber walls, quieting the crowd to a dull hush. "We will now begin the Hearts and Hooves Day raffle!" She said as the male contestants began to enter stage left.

"First up we have a mister Braeburn. Tell us, from where do you hail?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Beggin' yer pardon Princess?" He asked.

"Ahem, where y'all from?" Celestia asked, attempting her best southern accent.

"AAAAAAAAAppaloosa!" He said, kicking his hooves into the air excitedly.

"Well, that's just splendid. Let's see who the lucky pony is who wins a date with you in... aaaAAAaaappaloosa." She tried, imitating. Princess Celestia picked up and vigorously shook the box of tickets for Braeburn. She lifted out a ticket, reading the name aloud, "Twinkle Shine!"

An exuberant pony came running up the main aisle. "I won! I won!" A couple guards stopped the ecstatic mare from leaping up onto the stage.

"Whoa there." Princess Celestia said, trying her best to remain calm. "Let me just remind everypony that this is a raffle for a date Tomorrow on Hearts and Hooves Day. You will be given the details of the outing today of where and when to meet your date if you win, so please..." She looked down at the crazed mare, with outstretched hooves trying still to reach for the stallion on the stage even as she was dragged back to her seat. "... don't rush the stage." She advised. Braeburn, for his part mostly ignored the crazy mare, watching longingly as several disappointed stallions began to slowly file out of the hall.

"Next up we have..." She looked at her card. "Soarin of the Wonderbolts!" Soarin waltzed out on stage in a practiced motion, used to the spotlight, taking Braeburn's place at center stage as the golden farm pony exited stage right. Celestia lifted the box bearing Soarin's name. "Ooh, this one is quite heavy." Celestia teased the crowd. She shook it well, making sure to make it fair. She reached in. "And the winner is... Raindrops!"

"Dammit!" Came a shout from a blue Pegasus with a prismatic mane hovering in the back of the room.

"Okay, who's next?" Celestia said.

The event continued as each contestant appeared on stage and was drawn for. After the stallions portion, came the mares, including...

"Next we have, Spitfire! Captain of the Wonderbolts!" The Princess announced. Her box was nearly full. "My, my, somepony is popular!" Celestia said, finding the box legitimately weighty. After a generous shaking, she pulled a ticket from the box. "And the winner is... Cloud Kicker!"

"DAMMIT!" Came another shout as the kaleidoscopic mare in the back stormed out the door in disappointment.

"Oh well, let's see, ooh, next we have a special treat, a date with both Miss Lotus and her sister, Miss Aloe!" Celestia continued.

The event culminated in the grand finale, the chance to win a date with the Princess, Celestia!
Oh, and her sister, that other Princess.

"And at long last, the grand finale! Bring forth the final box!" Celestia announced. "For a date with yours truly, the winner is... um, hang on." Celestia showed the card to Luna. "I can't tell," She whispered, "It looks so messy. What do you think it says?"

"Berny Purch?" Luna called out. "Is there a Berny Purch?" She said again. No one in the audience responded.

"No, no, look, the R's and N's look really similar..." Celestia said, "How about a Berry Punch?" She called out.

"What'sh it to ya?!" Came a slurred response from the cash bar in the back of the room.

"Um, Miss Berry Punch?" Celestia called out.

"Dat's my name babe, don't wear it out!" The purple mare said, slumping out of her bar stool, trotting up to the stage.

"Yes, well, it looks like you are the lucky pony who has won a date with your Princess tomorrow on Hearts and Hooves... are, are you drunk?"

"No, you are! Hah hah hahaha." Berry burst out, tumbling into the aisle in hysterics. A couple guards came in to help assist her to a seat.

"Well I suppose I'll have to be the designated flyer tomorrow." Celestia joked, bringing forth a murmur of chuckles. "Well everypony, thank you all for coming out for today's... Oh my, what is all this?"

A pony carried an ornate box, similar to Celestia's, with Luna's name on it. It was positively stuffed. It was followed by two more boxes of tickets, each nearly full themselves. The three boxes were laid at Celestia's hooves. She pondered what to do for a moment, before levitating a couple of empty trash bins up to her, emptying the three boxes into one, much to the astonished gasp of the crowd.

"Now now, be patient." She calmed them, silently astounded at the sheer volume of tickets for her younger sister. She pressed the other trash bin on top of the first, sealing them together to make a large container, shaking it far longer than was needed. She couldn't believe her aloof sibling had over three times as many tickets as herself. She finally let them settle back into one bin. "Sister, would you care to do the honors?" She levitated the bin over to her younger sister, who pulled a single ticket from the container. She looked at it quickly before passing it to Celestia, excited.

Celestia looked at the card, and then up, across the hall at Cadence. Or rather past Cadence at the white guard pony watching after the chest of bits. His face's expression looked as though his mind was miles away. She narrowed her eyes just slightly. No one in the crowd could tell. She looked back at Luna who looked quite excited at the result.

"Unfortunately, for the sake of fairness, this particular pony is unfortunately disqualified to participate in this event." Celestia informed. "But we do thank them for their contribution to the charity none-the-less." She said, discarding the ticket. "Princess Luna, another please?" Luna's face fell briefly, but drew another ticket rather than draw attention. She looked at the ticket.

"Derpy Hooves?" Luna called out.

"Yay Luna! WooHoo!" A grey mare shouted, stumbling from her chair, waving excitedly at the Princess of the Night.

"Well, there we have it. All the winners!" Celestia said. "I'd like to thank everypony who participated and donated. We've raised a tremendous amount of bits for the Filly Scouts of Equestria."

"It's about time." Shining grumbled.

"Awe, come on, it wasn't that bad." Cadence said. "There's still tomorrow! And we have it all to ourselves!"

"Yeah, that's true." He agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow evening then." He said, bidding her farewell as she exited with her security entourage.
______________________________________________________

At dinner that evening, Twilight didn't eat much. Shining sat opposite her chewing idly on his salad. Their parents were away for the evening for a romantic dinner. After raising two foals, they certainly deserved the time off. Twilight quickly finished what little food she took, too enthralled with the book she was reading to pay her trivial appetite much mind. She leaned back in her chair, completely obstructing his view of her face with the book.

TAP

He looked up from his food to see that she had placed a hoof up on the table as she leaned back in her chair. It was very unlike her to put her hooves on the table. But perhaps with the parents out she was feeling more brazen. Shining didn't particularly care. She was going to be the one to clean the table after all.

"This is just the most fascinating book about Hearts and Hooves Day!" She said, without even looking away from the pages. "Did you know that this holiday got its start because of a love potion?"

"No, I didn't." He answered.

TAP

She put her other hoof on the edge of the table, pushing her chair back, balancing it precariously on its back two legs, rocking it slightly.

TAP

Twilight tapped her hoof on the table again, as though only to get his attention. Her face remained hidden behind the book, but he had a front row seat to her marehood on display across from him as she kept her hooves up on the table's edge, spread-eagle. She couldn't see him looking from behind the book. It was almost as if she was beckoning him to stare at her loins.

TAP

She just rocked in her seat, tapping her hoof, gently flexing her leg muscles to move the chair, each flex making her marehood quiver and stretch slightly.

TAP

As though broken from his trance, he looked up at the book to check to make sure she didn't see him gawking. But she was peering straight at him just over the top of the tome, watching him ogle her with his drooling mouth agape.

TAP

Wait.

TAP

It's not her hoof.

Shining jumped up in bed, sitting upright with a start. His mane was wet with sweat, Little Shiny pitching a tent in front of him.

tap

Shining looked to the window, expecting to see a branch hitting the window in the wind.

tap

Somepony was throwing pebbles at his bedroom window. Clearly in an attempt to gain his attention. The clock beside his bed said it was five past midnight. He was about to get out of bed to open the window.

SMASH!

A large, heavy bag came bursting through the frame, landing on the floor with a thud and sending tiny bits of glass hurtling all over his bedroom. He looked closer at the bag to check to see if it was a bomb or any kind of threat. The emblem on the clasp was that of a crescent moon.

"We attempted a route of subtly without success. We instead chose a more direct approach."

Shining looked up to the silhouette in the window against the moonlight. "You smashed my window." He said angrily.

"T'was locked." Luna said impishly. The room glowed blue with magic as the thousands of tiny fragments floated through the air and back into the frame as Luna stepped inside. The glass dust pooled together into clear islands of glass pane until even the cracks melted away, leaving the window completely restored. "There. Satisfactory?" She asked.

"That's a neat trick." Shining deadpanned.

"Please." Luna scoffed. "Tricks art something that a prostitute does. Altering thine very fabric of matter 'tis leagues beyond any mere whore's talent." She boasted. Shining sat back in his bed.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked quietly. Luna retrieved her bag from the floor. She produced a small, crumpled slip of paper, passing it to him. He looked at it. It was a ticket from yesterday's raffle. It said 'Captain Shining Armor'.

"Did thou desire a date with thine Princess of the Night?" She asked seductively. "Perhaps a much more personal exposition?" Her eyes drifted to the bulge in the sheets. Shining followed her eyes and pulled his sheet further up his body defensively.

"I didn't put my name in your box, or anypony's! Now please just go!" Shining whispered louder. A light in the hallway shone under his door.

"Shining! Is everything okay? I heard glass." Twilight Velvet said from the other side of the door.

"It's okay mom, I just knocked over my cup, but I took care of it." Shining tried to keep an even tone as Luna silently crawled on top of him, her magic locking the door. She looked over his shoulder at the Mother's Day frame on his bureau. It said 'World's Best Mom', framing an off-white mare with a purple and white striped mane.

'Mom?' Luna mouthed silently as her body shimmered into Twilight Velvet's form atop Shining. Shining's eyes were the size of dinner plates. She pulled at his sheets trying to expose him.

"Are you sure you don't need a dust pan?" Mrs. Velvet said from the hallway. Luna, now a dead ringer for his mom, finally ripped the sheet free of his grasp as she pinned his hooves down with her own. He tried to push her away with his magic, trying to stay quiet about the whole thing. The last thing he needed was his mom seeing him in some kind of sick role play with her doppelganger. Luna bopped him in his horn, causing his magic to backfire, giving him a nasty headache and unable to focus his will into magic.

Though appearing smaller, Luna was still much stronger than the guard pony, pinning him to the bed as her head slipped lower, working the head of his cock into her mouth.

"I could get the vacuum and suck up any bits you missed." Mrs. Velvet said outside. Luna responded by vigorously sucking on his member as though it was her only source of air. Shining tried to focus his mind and not think about the image of his mom fellating him while saying 'suck up'. Stars and stones! Luna was good at doing this.

"Ngh, MOM IT'S FINE! I'll see you in the morning!" Shining said, nearly shouting by the late hour's standards. Luna continued to bob up and down on him, taking him deeper into her throat. She slipped off for a brief moment, barely whispering.

"You should invite her in." Luna whispered with a wink, before diving back in and sucking his cock some more.

"Okay, Shiny, goodnight. I love you." Mrs. Velvet said. Shining couldn't help but open his eyes at that last remark, looking down at the mare pleasing him with her mouth. Luna looked up at him with his mom's eyes as she proceeded to swallow his entire length. That was it, he couldn't take it anymore as he erupted into the tight confines of her esophagus. Her powerful throat gripped and rippled as her muscled worked to swallow his load. It took his last ounce of will to keep from crying out.

"I love you too mom." It was all he could manage. He said staring straight into Luna's stolen visage. He felt the bile rising in his throat. Just when he thought he couldn't feel any more conflicted about something. The light turned off in the hallway as Luna released his member from her mouth. It was sucked completely clean. He watched his mom lick her lips of his seed.

"Hmm, her little surprise inspired me to see just how far your little, hmm hmm, incest fetish goes." She whispered softly into his ear.

"It is not a fetish! You don't understand!" He pleaded as his mom, or rather, Luna disguised as his mom, he repeatedly reminded himself, worked her hips up his body, straddling his waist. "I'm not attracted to my mom or anyone else in my family! I mean it."

His mom squirmed on top of his softened pride, causing it to stir again. Shining tried to shut his eyes. But it only served to help him to focus on the sensations on his groin. He tried looking right at her, in hopes that his mom being right there would scare him limp again. She leaned in close to him again as he continued to grow hard under her.

"Hmm, my little Shiny is such a good boy, giving mommy a midnight snack." She said, still in Velvet's voice. "Hmm, mommy's little boy is so big! I don't think he'll fit inside her again." She lifted off of him, bringing his steel rod to her inviting entrance, before sitting back down on top of him, letting him slide into her to the hilt. "Ooh, Shiny, you're so big! Bigger than your father. You make mommy feel so good!" She was getting way too into this.

Shining, for his part, was just reeling from the whole thing. He felt helpless pinned under his mom as she- NO, it was Luna! Pinned under Luna! His mind shouted. It was like she was in his head, trying to skew his perception. He felt his load building up again as she rode him. It was his body betraying him, biology beyond his control. He was going over the top of the roller coaster, and all he could do was hold-the-buck on, praying for it to end as his mother raped him.

It felt so good. He hated how good it felt. She was staring down at him, mocking him. Her mouth didn't move as she continued to fuck him against his will. But he could hear her laughing. Laughing at him in her mind. In his mind! In his ears. His balls tightened as he came for the second time that night inside her, plastering her womb white with his rich seed.

"Ooh yes, that's it, cum inside me baby, fill mommy with your cum. Let mommy make you another sister to lust over."

Shining felt his blood boil. Adrenaline flooded his system.

"Would you like that baby?" She asked him in his mom's voice "Is that what you want? What do you want Shiny?" Her form shimmered around him, still impaled on his staff, changing into Twilight Sparkle, him still buried inside. "What do you really want?"

Shining stared at his sister on his cock. "I want you-"

She smiled, victorious.

"...to GET OUT!" His magic restored, his horn flared an iridescent white, his magic slammed her with a kinetic strike. Unprepared, she was sent hurtling through the window, smashing it again. Shining looked outside into the cold, February night. She was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully now she'll think twice before breaking into this stallion's bedroom.

"Shining! I heard glass again!" Mrs. Velvet called out. Her voice flashed back imagery of her riding him. He shooed the thought away. His stallionhood now completely retreated in the cold wind.

"It's okay mom, I just have the dropsies tonight. I'll fix it in the morning. Go to bed." He said. He slumped back onto his bed. He suddenly felt very tired. But at the same time, he didn't think he'd be getting any sleep that night now. He feared what dreams might visit him after this ordeal.

tap tap tap

"Shiny?" Twilight Sparkle asked, pushing the unlocked door open a crack. "Are you okay?"

"It's just the window. I'll take care of it in the morning." He said.

"You'll freeze. I can fix it." She trotted inside. Luckily the blast of cold air into the room vented any scent of sex. Twilight focused on the glass scattered outside, bringing it back into the pane. She willed the glass particles to meld together again. It didn't look as good as earlier. It was cloudy, but still solid. "There, good as new. Sort of. A little trick I learned from the Princess." She said.

"Twily, what book was I reading last summer?" He asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"What book was I reading last summer?" He asked again.

"You mean A Tale of Two Fillies?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's the one." He said.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just- I just needed to make sure it was you." He said, still bowing his head, avoiding looking at her.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"I, I had a nightmare." He said. His voice was shaky. The shock of being helpless and being sexually assaulted finally began to register.

"That's not what I asked. I asked if you were okay." She said again. He looked at her for the first time that evening. Tears started running down his cheek. He shook his head as his voice squeaked.

"No."

He fell over into his bed, pulling his blankets over him and clutching his pillow tight as he curled up into a ball. His tears stained the fabric.

Twilight laid down behind him, wrapping her hoof around him, gently rubbing his shoulder as he silently wept. He didn't want her to see her big brother like this. But he had no strength left to pretend things were all right. They were pretty bucking far from all right. Twilight laid in bed beside him. There was no eroticism in the act for him. He only welcomed the comfort of her presence.

"Don't tell mom, okay?" He whimpered.

"Shh, it's okay." Twilight whispered. She had heard that the service could be hard on stallions. That they could experience traumatic things that could scar their memories and leave them a wreck. She couldn't imagine what must have happened to her big brother to drive him to tears tonight. And she silently hoped she never had to.

She watched over him for several minutes. He soon exhausted himself and was fast asleep. She wanted to help him. He had helped her so much in the past. She kissed him softly on the cheek and left for her own bedroom.

"Sweet dreams."

Shining Armor and his sister cuddled close beside the fireplace, wrapped together in a blanket on Hearth's Warming eve.

"You're here. I've already got my wish." She replied, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Shining Armor's sleeping form smiled softly, nuzzling against his pillow as he hugged it gently.
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Dawn streaked through the dull glass of his window. It diffused the harsh morning sun with its translucent texture. Shining Armor roused without alarm from the best sleep he'd had in some time. He couldn't recall his dreams, if he had any. But something just felt... good. As though he'd just awoken to the aroma of his favorite breakfast. Twilight trotted by, poking her head in to see if he'd awakened yet.

"Good morning." She said, drawing his attention from the cloudy window. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"I'll be downstairs in a minute." He answered. She trotted off as he orientated himself and combed his mane. His leg bumped into something just under the edge of his bed. He pulled out a saddle bag bearing Princess Luna's cutie mark. He could only imagine what his favorite stalker would have left for him last night. He was somewhat unnerved at the idea of her sneaking into his room at night and him not knowing about it. He paused for a moment.

There was something- something just at the edge of his mind that vexed him. On the tip of his tongue. Some vital clue that was eluding him. But the harder he tried to remember what it was, the more elusive it became. "How did she even get in here?" He wondered. The window in his room was not one that normally opened. He looked to it again. The glass wasn't frosted over with ice, it was the glass itself that was cloudy. "This is probably her doing." He sighed. "Well, let's see what she left me."

He opened the bag. Inside were two items. Two books to be exact. No wait, three items. A tiny slip of paper tumbled out, drifting to the floor. He picked it up. It was a crumpled raffle ticket from yesterday. It had his name on it. But it definitely wasn't his hoofwriting. "It must have just been a note to herself for whom these books were for." He reasoned.

As for the books themselves, one was really old, and the other was positively ancient. The old one was a history book regaling the origins of the Hearts and Hooves Day holiday. The other, ancient one was nearly indecipherable in an exotic pre-classical dialect. But the illustrations told him it was some kind of a PonySutra. It was bound in what felt suspiciously like leather. He felt uneasy handling it. Shining stuffed the books back in the bag.

"Shining!" Twilight said from the doorway, "Hey, how are you feeling? Did you sleep okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I slept well. Really well actually." Shining said, still thinking about the books under the bed. "Actually, hang on a second." He said, reaching under the bed for the one that wasn't covered in cow skin. "I got something for ya." He said revealing the book. He figured she'd get more out of reading about the history of Hearts and Hooves Day than he would. Or reading about anything for that matter.

"You got me a Hearts and Hooves day gift?!" She squealed, hopping on the bed beside him, looking at the book. "I didn't even get anything for you." She said, pouting. "I guess you can be my very-special-somepony for today." She said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He turned at the last second to try to explain that he already had a very special somepony.
Before he had time to react, their lips collided.

Worlds collided.
Time stood still.

Her soft lips met his for the briefest, fraction of a moment, before they both realized their error and recoiled away from eachother. But for an instant, it felt like an eternity when they kissed.

"He he..."
"Uh..."
"Yeah..."
"Sorry, I-"
"No it was my fault-"
"Hah ha ha!"
"Ha hah Ha ha!"

They both broke down in laughing hysterics at the situation.

"Oh my gosh, it's like we're foals again!" Twilight laughed.

"I know, it's so silly!" Shining agreed, tearing up from laughing so much. He wiped his cheek.

"I mean, it's not like it's a big deal or anything!" She added.

"Totally not a big deal." Shining agreed again.

"We could kiss all day and it wouldn't change anything." She said.

"Nope."

"Watch." She leaned in and kissed him right on the lips again. This time with intention, and a bit more finesse than the accidental collision earlier. Shining was still a bit shocked at her sudden forwardness. But he couldn't let on that it was affecting him. He just closed his eyes and kissed her back. It was still just a quick kiss by any measure, but still, it was heavenly.

"See? No big deal." She said. Shining could barely hear her over his pulse pounding in his ears. He could see that she was breathing heavier, despite her best efforts to hide it, and her eyes had dilated to nearly twice their normal size.

"Yeah... no big deal. I'd kiss mom like that." Shining said, still trying to play it cool. "Even if it wasn't a real kiss."

"A real kiss?!" Twilight took that as a challenge. She leaned in again, kissing him. Shining felt her hot breath from her nose on his cheek as she adjusted her neck, parting her lips ever so slightly, but thankfully, sparing the tongue. Or was it regrettably? Her breath was ragged and uneven. His own hooves were shaky, trying in vain to hold himself steady. She held herself there for several seconds, likely trying to prove her point. After what felt like an all too brief encounter, she slowly pulled away with a smooching 'pop'. "There. See?" She breathed. Her voice had grown low and husky. Her eyelids sank a degree, making her look intoxicated.

Shining tried his best to keep his own bearing. The room felt hot as an oven. That was why he was sweating. Because the room was hot. Yeah, that was it.

"So. Breakfast?" Shining said after a long pause. Twilight's eyes fluttered, as if she had been half-asleep.

"Yes! That's right!" Twilight hopped off the bed with her new-found energetic sobriety, bobbing her tail as she crossed the room. Shining stole a glance at her fine behind as her tail swayed to the left and right. "You're gonna love eating what I've got downstairs!" She said as she vanished around the corner.

"Truer words were never spoken." He whispered to himself.

The Plot Thickens

Princess Celestia looked out into the darkness of the early morning from the raised steppe of her terraced gardens. The ancient stone patio, along with the very foundations of the palace itself, was the very first structures of the city that would one day become Canterlot. Though many hundreds of years ago, Celestia remembered the day clearly. It was shortly after the fall of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, which had been destroyed in the battle with Nightmare Moon. After the banishment of her sister, Celestia hid the Elements of Harmony there and enchanted the Everfree Forest to reclaim the ruins in dense foliage, to be lost forever to the grasp of time.

Or so she thought.

Celestia placed her golden-clad hooves on the compass rose keystone at the center of the patio, its edges perfectly aligned with the geographic cardinals. She should know. She was there, levitating a shovel and an iron pick, the day of the ground breaking, at the founding of Canterlot. She placed this first, perfectly etched, stone slab. It also marked the intersection of two major Ley Lines: powerful channels of naturally occurring magic, crisscrossing the landscape. They provided a powerful boost of energy to those properly attuned to, and able to tap into, them.

Ponies encountered these lines all the time, yet seldom understood their experience. Pegasi or Earth ponies crossed a line and felt a slight tingle. Their fur would stand on end for a moment, as though a chill had run up their spine. At places where lines intersected, the feeling was more pronounced. It made a pony feel nauseated, or just a general sense of unease. The place may have just felt creepy but ponies could never articulate as to why.

Throughout Equestrian history, these Places of Power had been discovered and marked across the land. Avoided by most and worshiped by a select few Unicorns. Sometimes, great monuments would be erected at these sites. Their purpose lost, long ago, to the indecipherable symbols etched into the ancient stone. Celestia marked her claim with her city.

Canterlot: the city of magic.

In these 'modern' times, ponies crossed the lines in droves, too busy with their daily lives to give nary a second glance to a place that gave them a chill. Canterlot became a focal point for the magically gifted to come from all across the land and hone their craft. Few would ever come to understand why it was so much easier here, in the city of magic.

But Celestia never forgot.

She straddled the intersection of the two largest Ley Lines in her world. The energy ran up her hooves in electric waves, like a warm flow of air from a floor vent. She reveled in it, feeling it run along her extremities, to the long flowing hair of her tail, the light, feathery tips of her wings, and the alabaster tip of her horn. She watched as Luna's moon obediently slipped beneath the horizon. The Great Canterlot Clock Tower chimed the hour.

She was ready.

Her every fiber charged with power, she ascended into the dark sky, bringing forth the dawn with her, bathing the land in its warm glow. Cresting the horizon was always the hard part. Once the brilliant orb cleared the ground, she set it on its path. She landed gently back on her hooves, watching with the sun rolling high in the sapphire sky on its great and endless round.

Celestia walked down from the steppe, letting the excess energy seep from her hooves back into the ground as she crossed the small stream of water running through the garden. Running water was a natural ground for magical energy. One of the first lessons taught at her School for Gifted Unicorns. All around her, the air filled with the sounds of the birds waking, chirping to greet the new dawn.

"Happy Tuesday." She whispered, as she made her way across the Palace grounds, cutting a shortcut through the Canterlot Archives to her Day Court duties. In the hallway, Celestia caught a familiar scent on the air.

Sniff sniff

"I smell a Twilight."
~~~~~

Spike ran to the library window. "Twilight! It's over! It's officially Tuesday morning." Twilight scrambled through the aisle of books to the window.

"No! Tuesday morning? The disaster! Incoming!" She screamed, pushing Spike aside and ducking for cover from whatever catastrophe would befall them. But none came. Spike poked Twilight with his finger.

"I dunno Twilight. I don't see any disasters. It looks like a pretty nice day." He said.
~~~~~

At the sound of Twilight's scream, Celestia poked her head into the doorway of the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. She was struck with two emotions simultaniously. One, Twilight was okay, and two...

"Princess?" Twilight exclaimed, noticing her imposing presence.

"DAAYNUM GIRL!" Celestia thought to herself very loudly seeing Twilight in a tight, black, latex catsuit. She prayed that she did not, indeed vocalize the lascivious thought. Celestia quickly recovered her composure, a skill she was quite adept at.

"Good morning, Twilight! Love the new hair style! Well, happy Tuesday!" Celestia rattled off quickly before excusing herself from the room in a hurry. She made her way back out into the hallway away from the sight of anypony as her strained wings sprung open at last. It had taken all of her willpower to restrain her wing boner at the sight of her faithful student clad in such a provocative outfit. The regal Princess scurried through the halls like some depraved deviant, willing her wings to relax. She mentally scolded herself as she made her way outside. She was always so good about this sort of thing. She would have to do better in the future.
~~~~~

Twilight was suprised herself. "Why isn't anypony surprised to see me sneaking around in here? Is it possible there never was a disaster? That I've just been making myself frantic over nothing?"

"I don't get it." Spike groaned. "If Future Twilight wasn't warning you about a disaster, then what was she trying to tell you?" Twilight looked at her disheveled self and giggled.

"I don't know. But I do know one thing. I look ridiculous!" She laughed. Spike joined her laughter.

"Yeah, you do." He added.

"And it's all because I couldn't stop worrying and let the future handle itself." She said. "Well not anymore. From now on I'm going to solve problems as they come, and stop worrying about every little thing."

"That's great! Does that mean there won't be anymore late night pacing?" He asked

"No more late night pacing." She answered. "If only I'd learned this lesson a week ago, we wouldn't have had to go through all this."

"Twilight! Twilight!" Pinkie Pie called out from another book aisle. "I found something!" She said as she held up an ancient spell scroll. Twilight took it in her magical grasp, levitating it over to her. "It doesn't stop time, but it lets you go back in time. It says you can go back once and it only lasts for a few moments. Does that help?"

"Pinkie! You're a genius!" Twilight adulated.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie celebrated.

"Now I can go back and tell Past Twilight that she doesn't need to go berserk with worry about a disaster that's never going to come!" Twilight said, as she focused on the spell. The loose papers in the library began to swirl around her in the magical wind as the room became awash in brilliant white light, culminating in Twilight vanishing in a flash!

Only to reappear a moment later.

"... waste your time worrying about..." Twilight trailed off as she reappeared. She face-hoofed, groaning. "I can't believe I just did that!" She huffed, as Pinkie Pie moved to her side to greet her back.

"Did you tell her about the cool birthday present?" Pinkie asked, minding her priorities.

"Remember last week when future Twilight came to warn me about something? That was me trying to warn myself not to worry so much! Now I'm going to spend the next week freaking out about a disaster that doesn't even exist! Ugh!" Twilight groaned.

"Aw, don't worry about it. It's Past Twilight's problem now." Pinkie comforted.

"He he, I guess you're right Pinkie." Twilight said.

gurgle

"Oh, my stomach!" Spike groaned. "I- I think it's all that ice cream. I thought the stomach ache would be future Spike's problem. But now I am future Spike. Oh." Twilight and Pinkie shared a cheap laugh at the small dragon's misfortune.

"Come on future Spike." Twilight said, levitating him onto her back. "Let's get you home." As they were about to leave the room, Twilight looked back at the shelves of books and scrolls. She'd never turned down an opportunity to check out a new library before. Well, certainly not new, but at least one that she hadn't been in before. "Pinkie, do you think you could take Spike home? I kinda want to look around a bit."

"Sure thing Twilight!" Pinkie said as Twilight levitated Spike onto the party pony's back. She knew better than to come between Twilight and a library odyssey, so she made her way back to the Canterlot train station.
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It was Shining Armor's second day back on day shift. He'd just finished morning role call. His best chance to talk to her would be just after sunrise. He sped up his pace to make up for lost time. The Great Canterlot Clock Tower had already beckoned the dawn. The Sun was already in the sky. He was too late to see her at the garden patio. He could still try to intercept her at the archives. As he ran through the hall, he noticed the door to the Starswirl Wing was ajar, and any guard ponies absent.

"What the hay?" He wondered as he looked inside the room. Papers and scrolls had been scattered all over the room. It was an even bigger mess than usual. "Who was responsible for this?" He thought, scanning the aisles, his magic at the ready for any intruders. He rounded the corner of the last aisle. There, at the far end, Twilight was rummaging through the bottom shelf searching for something, her flank high in the air. The black latex of her suit was stretched taught across her behind, leaving nothing to the imagination.

"DAAYNUM GIRL!" Shining felt his heart jump and the air leave his lungs. Thankfully it prevented him from making his surprise audible. His mission to track down Princess Celestia that morning vanished from his mind. His every thought was consumed by the feeling of his rapidly growing erection trying to break free from the confines of his guard armor plating, leaving him somewhat hindered in his movement with the suddenly-tight fit.

"Shiny!" Twilight called out, looking up from her search. She rushed over to embrace him. She caught him off guard, knocking him back a step. He reared up to regain his balance and hug her back. His armor shifted, causing Little Shiny to rub against the fine wool lining of the plating. It was never meant to feel sensual for the wearer, but now...

"H- Hey kiddo. What are you doing in Canterlot? I thought you were going to be in Ponyville for a couple months." He asked, as she released him and he dropped back down to all fours, causing his member to shift again.

"Hmm? Oh, I came up here to find a spell to stop time to prevent a disaster, but it turned out there wasn't one, so I'm just browsing around before I head back to Ponyville. What about you?" She asked. He motioned to his uniform. "Oh, right. You're working." She answered her own question. "Well, I'm glad the guards and the Princess don't mind me being in here." She continued. "There's so much literature in here about Equestrian history and magical spells. I could stay here all day!"

"Wait, the Princess? Did she come though here?" Shining asked, suddenly remembering his purpose that morning.

"Yeah, she was just here a couple minutes ago." She answered. "She headed that way." She motioned toward the Palace's inner entrance. He turned to take off. Twilight teleported beside him, halting his hasty exit. "Hey!" She closed her eyes and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek goodbye.

He turned to her at the last moment, accidentally meeting her lips with his. She recoiled at the unexpected contact, if only briefly. After only a split moment of hesitation, she leaned in again, kissing him on the lips again. Though, perhaps slightly longer than was proper for a sibling. It felt like it lasted forever. Each waited for the other to pull away first, in a sort of twisted version of chicken. But after a short moment, Twilight breathed, "Go on. You don't want to be tardy now do you?" She bopped him on his helmet, waking him from his sudden stupor. The obedient solider did as he was ordered and took off, running on military autopilot, trying to track down Princess Celestia.

It wasn't until his hooves hit the grass outside that the reality of the moment hit him like a truck. Half of his legs wanted to stop in his tracks at the realization, the other half wanted to run faster from it. The result was a sort of controlled tumble that he quickly recovered from, thankful that nopony saw him. His 'excitement' had thankfully retreated as well, giving him some much need mobility.

Dammit, I forgot to tell Twilie!

There was no time now. He had to find the Princess. He could come back later and tell her afterwards. No doubt she would still be there for hours. It was urgent that he bring Celestia this information as soon as possible. He arrived at the royal throne room. It was still another half an hour before her day court started. The door guards nodded to the Captain as he passed by. Inside, the regent throne was vacant. 'Where is she?' He ran to the back of the room to the door of the Princess's antechamber. He was about to knock when he heard the faintest noise from within. He froze, straining his ears. Was it a starting-the-workday groan? A grunt of physical exertion? He put his ear to the door.

"Oohh..."

A moan of pleasure? Was Princess Celestia clopping right before day court?

Captain Armor quickly retreated. It would be his ass on the moon if he disturbed her now! He went back out into the main hall, ignoring both of the pegasi guards and just staring at the wall for a minute. The sun was still only just barely above the horizon. This was already too much for his Tuesday. He paced the hall for a few minutes, giving the Princess ample time to 'take care' of herself.

After all, she's a mare with needs too. Right?

He walked back into the throne room, closing the large doors loudly. "Princess Celestia!" He called out. She emerged from her antechamber less than a moment later, discarding a small handkerchief and donning her golden horse shoes once more. She took her place on her throne. Shining bowed before her hooves.

"Your Majesty, if I might have a brief audience with you before you start your day?" He asked.

"You may." She answered with a soft smile. Shining detected a subtle afterglow in her expression from her earlier activities. And perhaps the faintest remnants of her musk on her hooves, barely detectable if his nose was not seeking it. Clearly, efforts were made to mask it.

"Your Highness, I come before you to make a most humble request..." He began. Her eyebrow raised slightly. Just tell her. Just tell her. His mouth went dry. His mind went blank. He had rehearsed this speech a hundred times and now he was lost. Every beat of his pounding heart in his ear was a doomsday clock counting down.

"Yes Captain?" Celestia asked, urging the words from him.

"I- I uh," Shining felt his hooves breaking out in a cold, clammy sweat. The room was closing in around him. He had faced down certain doom against dragons and other deadly foes of the crown in the past. The fact that he was still breathing today was a testament to his bravery. After fighting for his very survival, the other things in his life tended to get the volume turned down.

"Captain?"

"I uh, I came to ask for your blessing..." He took a nervous knee. "That I might take your niece's hoof in marriage."

"Princess Cadenza?" Celestia asked in surprise.

"Y- Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"Marriage?" She asked, putting a hoof to her chin. "Seems a bit... sudden, don't you think? I would have started with asking for my blessing to at least court her first."

"She uh, Princess Cadence- er Cadenza did not want it to be public knowledge that..."

"That what?"

"That we've been courting now for some time." He said, wincing, prepared for those to be his last words in this world. He prepared for his banishment. None came. He opened an eye cautiously. She was waiting patiently for him to recover himself. She looked at him. Speaking at last.

"Well then, she is a grown mare after all. She ought to be free to court whomever she chooses. She needn't seek my permission. These are modern times after all. I suppose you needn't either." She relaxed, sitting back into her throne. "Smile Captain! This is a happy occasion. And there is much to be done. Now go on and get started!" She said dismissively.

"Wait, so does that mean...?"

"Yes. You have my blessing. I was just surprised. I just always thought that you only had eyes for..." She trailed off. "No matter. We have a wedding to plan!"
~~~~~

Twilight gathered up the books and scrolls that she wanted to study, placing them in her bag. In a flash, she teleported away to the train station for the next trip to Ponyville.

"Twilie! I have great news sis! I... Twilie?" Shining called out as he ran back into the Starswirl wing. But she was already gone. He needed to get back to Cadence and give her the good news. Twilight would just have to find out with everypony else when she got the wedding invitation. He wanted to tell her in person but... oh well.
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In the month leading up to the wedding date, Shining tried time and again to get the news to his sister in Ponyville. He'd gone into town several weeks ago. But she, and a couple of her friends, had gone off to secretly follow her dragon on some kind of personal journey of self discovery or some such nonsense.

The week after that was a wash too. The entire town of Ponyville was swept up in the annual Cloudsdale water replenishment at the Highland Reservoir. It was a mandatory assignment for pegasi, but Twilight had gotten herself involved with her annie- anna, a mom meter, or whatever the hay it was called. Her wind meter. But he had no idea where she was at the time he was in town, and no unauthorized ponies were allowed near the reservoir during the tornado.

His weekend off after that was a waste too. Her entire tree home was surrounded in a giant magic force field and she had sequestered herself inside all on account of some libelous fillies. He didn't have time to wait around for her to emerge. He still had a wedding to plan after all.

In a last ditch effort, the week before the big event, he took another train ride back to Ponyville. He was determined to bring her the news in person. There was a commotion at the Ponyville station regarding an over sized pastry being loaded onto the train. Upon arriving at Twilight's library abode, her dragon informed him that she and friends were accompanying said pastry on that train back to Canterlot.

He caught the next line back to Canterlot some time later. He visited his parents home to see if she had stopped in there. She hadn't. Apparently she'd escorted her friend to the Canterlot Pastry Competition, hosted by none other than Princess Celestia herself. By the time he managed to catch up to her trail, the event was already being shut down, the palace janitors clearing the area.

"But I thought the event went until five!?" He pleaded to the older pony he recognized as Sweeps McBroom.

"Sorry sir, apparently the pink one ate the bulk of the pastries, so they had to cut the event short. She and her friends all left to go back to the train station shortly after." Shining didn't stay long enough to catch the end of the sentence. He went into a dead sprint across the city. He'd found himself doing so with alarming regularity these days. He'd memorized all the best shortcuts and alleys. He broke his old speed record and got to the train station just in time.

... to watch it pull away from the station.
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He'd used up the last of his personal days for the fiscal quarter. It would be another two months before he could take any more time off. He sulked at his desk. The past few weeks had been among the most stressful of his life with the disappointment in Ponyville, coupled with the tasks of booking reservations, getting invitations out, getting his uncle's uniform tailored to fit him, and about a thousand other things.

"Hey Glummy McGlummerson." Shining looked up to see Lieutenant Sea Cay in his office doorway, flanked on either side with a couple of the guys from the squad. "Why you look so glum? You glum or something?" He continued. Shining stared at him with tired eyes.

"Wow. You must be like, a detective or something." Shining grumbled. His irritable mood was out on his sleeves.

"Aww I think he just realizes that he's getting married next week and his life will be pretty much over." Camisa Roja piped up from the back of the growing group of guard ponies at his door. The others joined in with uproarious laughter.

"Come on Cap! It's Friday! And me and the guys are treating you to a night out!" Sea Cay said, stepping in to drag Shining away from his desk. He pulled on Shining's hoof, rolling him and his chair across the office to the door. Shining yanked his arm away.

"No! I don't want to go out. I don't want to do anything. I just want to go home and go to sleep!" He snapped, scooting himself back behind his desk and crossing his hooves defiantly. The group just stared at him. Smiles slowly crept across their faces. "What?!" He asked angrily.

"We were hoping you'd say that." Sea Cay said in an eerie tone. "It'll be more fun this way..."

"GET 'EM BOYS!"

Before Shining could even react, his office was flooded with guard ponies, each one grabbing at his hooves and legs and carrying him out the room.

"AHH! Get off me!" Shining screamed. "This is assaulting a Commissioned Equestrian Officer! It's punishable under article-"

"Stow it, Cap! We're doing this on higher orders." Sea Cay shouted at him. "We're calling you out on your Stallion Card! Which you're gonna lose if you don't go to your own BACHELOR PARTY! WOOO!" They carried him out through the barracks past the commanders office.

"Colonel! Colonel you've gotta help me! Stop them!" Shining cried out. The commander watched the mob pass by with their prisoner.

"Stop them from doing what Captain Armor? I don't see anything." He mocked, winking before covering his eyes with his hooves. They dragged him out to the waiting chariot. "Hey, make sure you bring him back in one piece, okay guys?" He shouted at the mob.

"YES SIR!" They answered collectively as they headed off toward the Canterlot Red Light district.
~~~~~

PSST

Sea Cay held the can of hard cider in front on Shining's face. "Drink up bud! Tonight's on us!"

"I think I'll pass, thanks." Shining argued in vain.

Sea Cay chugged the can of cider himself, crushing the can against his own skull. "YEAH!"

PSST

A private passed the Lieutenant another can of cider. "Drink up Cap. Don't make us get the funnel." Shining looked behind him at one of the other privates holding a funnel and tube menacingly.

"Fine! Gimmie the damn thing." Shining said, taking the can and chugging it aggressively. He was not about to be called out on his stallionhood. Especially in front of the troops like this. He finished the can in moments and crushed it against his skull.

"WHOOO!"

There are five stages of drinking.

1. Social Drinking: The sip of wine at mass. The glass of champagne for a toast. The single drink with dinner.

2. Happy Drinking: Celebrating with a couple drinks with friends because of a promotion or equally good news.

3. Sad Drinking: A significant other has left you and you are trying to drown your sorrows. (see also: Irish Funeral)

4. Angry Drinking: Everything sucks and you hate everyone! Trying to put out your burning rage with gasoline!

5: Competitive Drinking: In the Game of the Drink, you either win, or you die. (Or alternatively, you pass out and have dicks drawn all over your face in permanent marker.)

That night, Shining Armor skipped straight to stage 5.

One could follow the trail of alternating Cider and Crimson Cow cans going from the Palace barracks to the Red Light district. With two designated driver pegasi pulling the chariot, moderation was left far behind. By the time they arrived at Canterlot's most infamous strip club, The Plot Line, Shining was already bucked-in-half drunk.

Slung over his friends' shoulders, they helped him stumble inside the club. The greeter eyed the hapless unicorn who could barely keep his balance.

"Reservation for Shining Armor." Sea Cay said, trying his best not to slur, himself.

"I think he's had enough already." He said, motioning to the Captain, who, at the moment was mesmerized by his own hooves. Camisa Roja leaned in close, whispering to the greeter, as he passed him a sizable bag of bits.

"Come on, give the guy a break. He's a damn war hero for pony's sake! It's his bachelor party. We'll take care of him."

The greeter cleared his throat. "Very well. Your table is this way." He led the group inside. Once seated and served drinks, the group enjoyed the club's atmosphere. That is, the atmosphere of hot mares shaking their flanks on stage for droves of horny stallion on-lookers.

Backstage, the club owner shouted. "Thirty Four, your reservation's at table three!"

"Excuse me! THIS dancer has a name and she will be refered to as such!"

"I swear to Celestia, Thirty Four, if you don't get your flank out there right-the-buck now I'm gonna kick it right back to the curb! Now MOVE IT!" He shouted.

It had already been a long night. It was about to get a whole lot longer. She threw back another shot of Applejack Daniels. The dancers weren't supposed to drink on the job, but they were seldom sober. Those ponies giving it away up on the stage were always in some kind of an altered state. The shot of liquor didn't burn her throat anymore. It was already numb, like the rest of her. She staggered off to another bachelor party with a bunch of drunk, horny retards.

But this time it was different. She recognized the stallion from her wall at home of ponies with links to her archenemy. Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, and brother to Twilight Sparkle. Twilight. She spat at the thought of the name. She would have her revenge, starting now.

His drunk friends cheered him on as she danced in his lap. Shining, no longer in control of his senses, could only barely register what was going on around him. The dancer in front of him was shaking her flank right in his face. He could smell her strong musk. His involuntary reaction was immediate. She had no shame, grinding on his lap, rubbing herself against him, teasing to no end. Shining lapsed in and out of consciousness, his eyes doing their impression of a chameleon.

"Hey, why don't you show him a good time in the champagne room?" One of the privates whispered to her. The smell of hard cider on his breath turned her stomach. However, the large quantity of bits he put in her hooves made up her mind quickly.

His 'friends' cheered him on as she levitated him to the Champagne Room, flopping his limp form on the stained couch inside. She, along with the other dancers at the club, were prohibited from coming in to work while they were in heat. But there were bills that needed to be paid, and The Great and Sultry Trixie would not be denied good pay over a trivial little matter like biological imperative. She had planned on relieving her itch after her shift. But taking Twilight's brother right here, right now, would be a suitable alternative. Getting paid to do it was just the cherry on top.

She climbed onto his lap. His erection was impressive despite his haggard state. One of his eyes drifted to a light on the wall, utterly entranced. His other eye was interested in seeing what his brain looked like. Trixie closed his eyelids. "Shhh, just relax. Let the Great and Sultry Trixie take care of you." She reached behind him, taking a swig from the complementary bottle of champagne for which the room was named. And not for any other nefarious activities. She took his mottled member in her hoof, stroking it gently with a practiced motion. In her other hoof, the bottle of booze. She began to make short work of both.

Before long, the bottle was empty and her head was swimming. It was unspoken standard practice to give a hoof job to the champagne room 'V.I.P.' and then leave. Some poor schmuck janitor would have to come through and clean the mess later. But Trixie just starred at the cock in front of her. She put her hooves on his shoulders and lifted herself up onto him. Her evident wetness from being in heat made it easy for him to penetrate her warm folds as she lowered herself onto him. She would have her satisfaction. And she got it as she felt his girth filling her hollow void.

She started to slowly hump herself up and down on his shaft. "I know a little secret." She whispered into his ear as she rode him. "I know who you are, Shining Armor." She said, as a wicked grin spread across her face. "You're the brother of..."

"Twilight Sparkle!"

Shining Armor groaned under her, unconsciously grabbing her hips. She felt him grow harder, longer and thicker inside her, as though all of the ill effects of the alcohol in his system had magically vanished.

"I know your secret." She repeated, trying to test her theory. He remained steady, humping almost pathetically at her in tiny jerky movements.

"Twilight." She spat.

"NNghh, Twilight!" He moaned, practically talking in his sleep at this point. His grip tightened as he started to thrust hard into her. She finally understood. He thought that she was her! The sicko was attracted to Twilight, his own sister! She would have that mare's life, piece by piece. Starting with her brother, tonight! Trixie rode him harder, matching his rhythm. She felt him begin to flare inside her. She knew he was about to finish and she should dismount immediately. But damn if it didn't just feel sooo good!

"I'm Twilight! I'm your sister!" Trixie said to him.

"Ngh- NGH- UHHH Twilie!" Shining gave a final thrust as Trixie felt him exploding inside of her. He gushed pints of semen into her. Her womb was a burning wildfire of heat that she needed him to douse with his stallion seed. The instant she felt him painting her insides white with his cum, her own orgasm wracked her body as she shuddered on top of him, nearly collapsing, herself.

She laid on top of him for a few moments, regaining her composure. She felt him begin to shrink, retreating, satisfied, from her moist tunnel. She climbed off of him, a substantial volume of his cum dripping from her nethers. "Come on." She said to his unconscious form. She lifted him into the air with her magic, carrying him back out to his 'friends'.

"Your friend was magnificent." She said nonchalantly as she passed him to Sea Cay. He finished his drink and checked the body. He was still alive, having not succumbed to alcohol poisoning.

"Well, that's a plus." He mumbled. He enlisted the help of the others to carry him back out to the waiting ride.
~~~~~

Shining Armor's 'friends' dumped him on the front lawn. They then proceeded to spray him down with the cold garden hose, washing away the spilled alcohol, stripper glitter, and dried shame/vomit from his once-white coat. He thrashed around in the muddy grass, the cold water shocking his system. As soon as he was awake, they rang the doorbell and ran, jumping into the chariot.

Cadance answered the door. Shining Armor was a mess in her front yard. A shout came from the chariot.

"He's all yours now! WHOOO!"

The chariot pulled away. She looked down at the wrecked form of Shining, writhing around in the mud. She didn't even have to get close to smell the bachelor party on him. A fragrant confluence of cheap perfume, booze and barf. The sure sign of a good time had by morons.

"You idiot." She moaned, picking him up out of the mud. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Then you can give me your love properly." She carried him inside, closing the door with her magic. The lock on the door clicked shut. The green aura of magic on it faded.

Oh Brother, Where Art Vow?

Shining Armor awoke slowly. Or rather, to put it more accurately, he came to, albeit slowly. His eyes felt like they had been replaced with cotton balls covered in sawdust. The inside of his skull felt lined with gravel, the slightest movement causing his tender brain to grind against it. His whole body felt like he had just run a marathon. He was soaked in clammy, cold sweat. Thankfully, the curtains were still drawn, keeping the room in pitch dark. The intense light from the tiny digital clock on his bedside was painful to look at. His eyes struggled to focus.

9:08 AM

“Horse apples!” Fueled by adrenalin, he lurched forward, realizing he was late for work. Instantly he felt the room spin, he lost his balance, and fell off the bed. In a panic, he grabbed for something, anything, to arrest his fall. He grasped at the curtains, tearing them from the rod. They did little to slow him from collapsing, face-first into the carpet. It was a practical carpet, low and tough from years of traffic. It was not a floor for comfort. He might as well have face planted into hardwood.

The first sensation that registered for him was that of feeling his snout getting kicked in. He got that strange metallic smell in his sinuses. The second, concurrent feeling he received was his brain slamming into the front of his skull. It was crippling pain, sending him rolling onto his back, clutching his temples. The third and final blow to his senses was the sun pouring into the now-very-bright bedroom, burning into his retinas, through even his clenched eyelids.

It felt like he was dying.

He prayed he was dying.

But t’was not to be.

“Dear?”

He looked up from the floor to see her standing over him. Cadance. ‘What was she doing here?’ It was in that moment of agony that he realized that he was not indeed in his own bedroom, nay even his own house! He had seen Cadance’s bedroom many times before, but the view from laying prostrated on the floor was a new perspective for him. "How did I even get here?" He continued to wonder through the flurry of panic and pain. Cadance watched her fiancé wince as he tried to piece together the events from the last twenty four hours.

“Hurts to even think I bet.” She said to him as he writhed on the floor. “Here, let me get that for you.” She cooed, applying her magic to his tortured form. In a viridian flash, all his pain went away; his nose, his headache, his nausea, all of it. He was left with only the warm feeling of his affection for his bride-to-be.

“How- how did you- how did I-” He tried to ask.

“Oh, it’s just a little something I whipped up for you when I saw the state your ‘friends’ left you in on my front lawn last night.” She answered.

In that moment, pieces of last night came flooding back. He was at work, and then they came and… they took him. He remembered that he started drinking, getting to the club, and then everything after that was a blank. But somewhere, there on the edge of his memories, was Twilight. Her name, something about it, stuck out and it had something to do with last night. Did he see her? Did she see him? Oh, what a wreck of him she must have seen at the time if he couldn't even remember what happened. But he just couldn't place her in any of the context.

“Hmm, happy to see me are you?” She purred, extinguishing his meta-investigations of his memories. They quickly faded like a soon-forgotten dream. He realized he wasn't wearing his guard armor anymore. There was no hiding the wood he was suddenly sporting. She crouched down beside him, stroking it gently, much to his surprise.

“You’re- you’re not mad?” He asked nervously. She had a history of making him miserable the morning after he went out and partied a little too hard. It was why he was so hesitant to do so last night. Wait, what was it about last night?
“Well, I was a little upset that you came home as such a mess. You and your clothes reeked of booze, barf, and bodily fluids. But I undressed you and carried you to the shower and washed you off. Your uniform should be done drying on the clothes line soon.” She explained.

“Uniform! Work!” He looked at the clock again.

9:13 AM

He was now even more late than he was five minutes ago. He struggled to get to his hooves. She pressed softly into his abdomen, keeping him from rising.

“Shh, it’s Saturday.” She assured him, still pinning him to the floor until he stopped struggling and relaxed.

“Saturday?” He asked her. She nodded in answer, resuming her work on his member.

"Saturday." She whispered, dragging her cheek down his abdomen, reaching the head of his shaft, using her tongue to work it into her mouth, taking over where her hoof had left off. "I think, for breakfast, I'll have... you." She said between bobs, before taking a large amount of him into her throat.

Now feed me!
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"Your Majesty, the final preparations for the wedding are in order. Will there be anything else?" Ms Bailin asked, sorting the last of the written orders from Celestia.

"That will be all. I just need to finish composing this list of individual tasks for my faithful student and her friends to attend to when they arrive. I already sent out the official invitation so they should be on their way." Celestia instructed as she continued to pen the supplemental letter.

Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception.

Princess Celestia paused for a moment, considering the cake. Cake: her one weakness. She remembered the fiasco of the National Dessert competition, and the scandal in the infamous Foal Free Press. "Actually there is one more thing. Send for Captain Shining Armor right away. I need to speak with him at once. It's urgent."

Ms. Bailin turned on her hoof, quickly trotting out to send for the Captain's summons. Celestia quickly finished up her letter to send to Twilight, via Spike.
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"Ah, it is gorgeous out. Just gorgeous!" Rarity said, taking in the sights of the meadow. She had picked the perfect spot for their Saturday picnic tea party. The sky was dotted with white, fluffy clouds. The sun was shining bright. Birds chirped in the trees and butterflies danced on the warm breeze. Applejack enjoyed her cool glass of water while Rainbow Dash snacked on one of the sandwiches. Twilight levitated a juicy apple from the basket, dropping it at the last moment as she saw Spike running toward them in a hurry.

"Twi- light- I- have-" Spike struggled between gasps. "Lemme just- HUH!" He huffed before belching out a burst of green flame, manifesting into a royal scroll. While he recovered his breath on the picnic blanket, Twilight retrieved the scroll.

"Dear Twilight," She recited, "I'm sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot." She paused, confused. "Wedding?" She looked at the others, before continuing on. "I will be presiding over the ceremony, but would very much like you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. Fluttershy, I would like you to draw a maze in one minute that it takes two minutes to solve."

"I can do that. I'll make it a circle." Fluttershy said.

"Pinkie Pie, I can think of nopony more qualified than you to host the reception."

"Hip hip hooray!" Pinkie said while doing a cartwheel.

"Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception."

"Well color me pleased as punch!"

"Rainbow Dash, just sit perfectly still and try not to break anything."

"YES!"

"Rarity, you will be responsible for literally everything else in the ceremony, to include designing the dress for the bride and her bridesmaids."

"Princess Celestia wants me to- ah eh uh- wedding dress- for a Canterlot Wedding- gah-" Rarity trailed off as she fainted on the grass.

"And as for you Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all, making sure everything goes as planned. See you all very soon. Yours, Princess Celestia." She flipped the letter over, hoping for more information. "But, I don't understand. Who's getting married?"

"Oh, wait!" Spike said, handing her another scroll. "Uh, I was probably supposed to give you this one first." Twilight unrolled the other letter.

"Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and-" Twilight gasped. "My Brother!?"

"OH SNAP!" Rainbow Dash quipped.
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KNOCK KNOCK

Cadance answered the door. "Yes?"

"Good morning Ms. Cadenza we were told we could find Captain Armor here." The Pegasus guard pony said.

"Excuse me! I am a Princess and I will be addressed as such!" Cadance huffed.

"Begging your forgiveness Princess. But we were sent to bring the Captain to Princess Celestia right away!"

"What's going on?" Shining asked appearing beside Cadance in the doorway.

"Captain, your presence is needed in the Throne room for Princess Celestia!" The other guard answered.

"He was addressing ME!" Cadance shouted. "You will NOT speak on my behalf!"

"Babe, come on!" Shining said. "We were having such a nice morning. Give the guy a break. I'm sure it's nothing. Come by the castle as soon as you're done here and I'll see you there." Shining said as he quickly donned his uniform. He had done so so many times in the past that he could do it in his sleep. And with the hours they sometimes made him keep, he sometimes actually did. He gave her a quick kiss goodbye and hopped into the chariot.
~~~~~

"Captain Armor." Celestia greeted him. He took a quick knee in penitence. "I am so sorry to have to bother you on a much deserved weekend off, especially the weekend of your wedding."

"Not at all, Your Highness, I am a Royal Guard on call twenty four, seven." He said with nationalistic pride.

"Well, I have a task that I'm afraid only you will be able to accomplish." She began. A task only he could do? This was interesting indeed. "I need you to make a major increase in security. A threat has been made against Canterlot. I don't know who is responsible for it, but I need you to provide additional protection. I need you to use your shield spell talent to surround the entire city of Canterlot." Shining nearly choked.

"The- the entire city! But- I don't have the- I couldn't possibly-" He stammered.

"I know you do not posses the raw power on your own. That is why I will grant you a boon for the next two days, lending you a majority of my power to this end. I trust that you will use it wisely." Celestia said, bringing her horn to his. They both rose into the air, glowing together in a bright yellow glow as Celestia's solar power gave him strength. Shining felt the furious power of a thousand suns flooding his senses. His very fur felt electrified, pulsating with power he had never known before as his mane and tail flared to life. After a moment, the pair drifted back to the ground.

"Now," Celestia said, somewhat out of breath, "cast your shield spell on the whole city." Shining stepped out onto the balcony, closing his eyes and focusing his spell. He envisioned the scale of the city limits. Trying such a feat any other time would have been a futile endeavor, fizzling out before he could even think to cast it. But this time...

A brilliant arc of violet magic shot high into the sky, spreading out into the arcane membrane, engulfing the whole of the city. Nopony would be able to get in or out without him knowing about it and consenting. Shining's head throbbed with what felt like the worst migraine of his life. His mere unicorn horn was not used to throwing around spells of such magnitude. It physically hurt. It looked like he wasn't going to be able to avoid the consequences of last night's hangover after all. But after a few moments, the pain began to subside.

"There is one final thing I must tell you." She said, stepping beside him. "While you have this boon for the next two days, I will be severely weakened. The burden of keeping Canterlot safe and secure will rest squarely on your shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hoof must be your top priority. And further, nopony else can be made aware of my weakened condition." She explained.

"I- I understand." He acknowledged.

"I'm sorry that this has to fall to you on your big day this weekend, but you are the only pony who can do this." She apologized.

"Can you not make such a shield yourself?" He asked of his 'omnipotent' ruler.

"I can. But it would likewise drain my strength to do so. That, coupled with controlling the sun, would leave me in a much more visibly weakened state. Make no mistake Captain, Equestria still has many enemies. And their spies are everywhere, just waiting for a moment like this to take advantage of me. That is why none must know that it is my power you wield for your shield spell. Likewise, our enemies can falsely report that you are a power to be reckoned with now. Entire conflicts may be prevented with our enemy believing we have your shield as a deterrent. In counter-espionage, misinformation is as powerful a weapon, as the very Elements themselves."

Shining understood. He took his leave. He needed to assemble the entire force. Whoever made this 'threat' would regret ever going hoof to hoof with Equestria.

Celestia settled back in her throne, her mind wandering. She fantasized about the wonderful cake confection that Applejack was sure to create. In the wake of the 'Cake-Lestia' incident, she wanted to be able to freely enjoy herself this time. There would not be ANY form of paparazzi within the entire city this time.

She looked up at the purple, translucent shield occluding the blue sky, smiling slightly.

She had seen to that now.
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On the Friendship express, Twilight's friends all chatted among themselves excitedly over the upcoming ceremony. Twilight, though, just solemnly stared out the window. She was still reeling from the news that her brother was getting married. She didn't know he was even dating! Just when she had thought they would start growing closer again. Applejack noticed Twilight acting distant. She trotted over to her seat.

"Why the long face, sugar cube?" AJ asked. Twilight tried to ignore the accidentally off-color remark.

"I'm just thinking about Shining Armor. Ever since I've moved to Ponyville, we've been seeing each other less and less. And now that he's starting a new family with this Princess Mi Amore Ca-what's-her-name, we'll probably never see each other."

"Come on now. You're his sister. He'll always make time for you." Applejack said, thinking of her own brother.

"He couldn't seem to make time to tell me he was getting married!" She spat, yanking the window shade closed.
~~~~~

Just outside the dome of magic, two guard ponies watched the train approach the city limits. They stood there with their spears crossed across the tracks.

"Here comes the train. Get ready to let them pass." One said.

"Let them pass? As though a pair of crossed spears would even slow a damn train!?" The other retorted cynically. The other just rolled his eyes. He didn't try to make sense of the whole 'city lock-down exercise. He just did as he was told. As the train neared, they stayed their weapons, letting the train pass through the shield.

Inside, the passengers each felt the ripple of magic sweep across them like a splash of cold water. Twilight in particular felt the disturbance in the aura.

The station was littered with guards. Apparently they had recalled everypony from weekend leave for this. Rainbow Dash was the first to remark on it.

"Whoa. What's with all the guards?" She asked.

"I'm sure they're just taking the necessary precautions." Rarity explained. "Royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies." She said as Pinkie sneezed confetti. "Now let's get going, we have work to do!"

"And you've got a big brother to go congratulate." Applejack said to Twilight.

"Yeah. Congratulate." Twilight grumbled. "And then give him a piece of my mind."

Far above the city, on the balcony of the highest room of the tallest tower, Princess Celestia scanned the train station with her observation telescope. Those with baggage were thoroughly searched. "No press. No cameras." She had decreed. She had one photographer for the wedding with one issued camera and film, which would be thoroughly inspected afterwards. At least Ms. Foto Finish could be trusted to not exploit Princess Celestia in a compromising, cake-related position.

Twilight neared the outer castle wall. She spotted Shining directing his Lieutenants to their tasks. "I've got something to say to you!" She shouted across the courtyard in front of the castle wall. "You've got me stomping mad Shining Francis Armor!" He cringed for a second. He knew she was going to be upset with him not telling her in person about the wedding, but she only ever used his full name when she was really, really mad. The guards around him took up arms, preparing to defend their Captain against this would-be assaulter. He stepped in front of them, diffusing the situation, and tried his best to deflect her anger.

"Twilie! Aw, I've missed you kid. How was the train ride?" He extended his hoof to her.

"How dare you expect a brohoof when you're getting married without my permission! Not to mention you not even telling me in person! I'm your sister for pony's sake!"

"Sorry Twilie, but things have been really gnarly around here. And I mean the bad kind of gnarly, where things are gnarled. Princess Celestia has requested a major increase in security. Didn't you see all the guards at the train station?"

"Yeah. There's a big wedding coming up. Maybe you've heard about it!?"

"It has nothing to do with the wedding. A threat has been made against Canterlot. We don't know who's responsible for it, but Princess Celestia asked that I help provide... additional protection." He lifted her sulking chin with his hoof. "This, you need to see." Shining Armor stepped back and recast the shield spell. Twilight watched in awe as he slung the biggest magic she had ever seen him throw around in her life. She watched as the reinforcing wave rippled across the whole sky, strengthening the ward. Shining stumbled a bit from the exertion.

"The burden of keeping Canterlot safe rests squarely on my shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hoof has been my top priority." He explained.

"Okay okay, I get it. You've got a really important job protecting all of Canterlot with a force field only you can conjure up. But still, how could you think it was okay to go off and start your own family? Don't you know that you're supposed to be my family?" She asked with those doe eyes that always made his heart melt.

"Hey, you're my little sister." He reminded her. And mostly himself. "That's why I want you to be a big part of my wedding. Because I love you the way all brothers love their little sisters."

"You want me to be a big part of your wedding?"

"Well, yeah."

"I'd be honored." She said as they hugged... before she promptly pushed him away. "But I'm still pretty ticked that you're marrying some pony that I don't even know! When did you even meet this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza'?"

"Twilie, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadence! Your old foalsitter!"

"Cadence? As in the Cadence? As in the greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters!?"

"Heh, you tell me, she was your foalsitter."

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Cadence is only the most amazing pony ever! She's beautiful, she's caring, she's kind! How many ponies can just spread love wherever they go? I only know of one. And you're marrying her. You're marrying Cadence. You're marrying Cadence!" Twilight said hopping around nearly bumping into the pink alicorn.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Cadance said.

"Cadence!" Twilight leaped over to her. "Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Twilight recited as she performed the associated dance.

"What are you doing?" Cadance asked.

"Cadence! It's me! Twilight!" She said.

"Uh hah." She huffed as she passed by her, taking her place beside Shining.

"I'm so glad we're all together now. My little unicorn sister, who I love in a completely platonic way. And my beautiful Alicorn bride, who I love with burning romantic passion! I've got to get back to my station. But Cadance will be checking in with all of you to see how things are going. I think I speak for both of us when I say we couldn't be more excited to have you here. Right dear?"

"Absolutely."

"Well now, you two get bonding. I insist."
_________________________________
_________________________________

Princess Celestia was feeling the fatigue of being on her hooves all day at the observatory. But her vigilance did not go in vain. There was no paparazzi movement under her watchful gaze. She had set the sun some time earlier. The moon obediently rose shortly after. Yet her sister was a good bit tardy getting to the observatory post as she promised. In fact, she'd made a terrible habit of being conspicuously absent for the last couple days.

Celestia turned to a tremor in the magic force field. She watched her sister flying into the city from parts unknown. Or perhaps it was just easier for her to manipulate the heavenly bodies from outside the ward.

"Oh, hi sister, I've been looking everywhere for you." Luna said, trying to make the most of the little time they were both awake.

"This is actually a bad time." Celestia said. Her physical fatigue was amplified by her weakened magical state, unbeknownst to all but Shining Armor. She quickly made her way inside, retiring to bed at this first opportunity.

"Rest, my sister. As always, I will guard the night." Luna said as Celestia stumbled inside, collapsing onto her bed. She neglected to even remove her shoes or helm of office. She was out cold as one of her shoes tumbled to the tile floor. Luna took the opportunity the escape from this lame 'surveillance' assignment. She spread her wings and took off into the night.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

After a long day on high alert, Shining took off his royal guard armor and bathed. He hadn't seen Cadance since that morning, since she was checking up on all the preparations for the wedding. He toweled off and walked into the living room. He took his favorite uncle's service dress off of the hanger. He'd just gotten it back from the tailors. He put it on, checking to make sure it fit him for tomorrow.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Twilie!" He greeted his sister as she walked inside. "Look Twilie, it's shiny! Your favorite." He said, showing off the ceremonial uniform. She looked up at him with sad eyes. "Huh? Everything okay?"

"We need to talk. I secretly have feelings for-"

"AHEM!" Cadance coughed, walking down from the second floor.

"Oh, uh, hi sweetie!" Shining greeted.

"She sure has a way of sneaking up on ponies." Twilight grumbled. The princess approached the pair.

"Could I speak to you for a moment, dear?" She said, trotting into the next room.

"I'd better see what she wants." He said

"Twilight and her friends are all really weird."
"What are you talking about? They're radical."
"No. Her friends are all one-dimensional caricatures. And it's starting to rub off on you."
"That's not true."
"Ever since Twilight got here you've been acting like some poorly written gag character. And I thought I made it perfectly clear that I didn't want you to wear that."
"This was my favorite uncle's."
"And?"
"And I think I should wear it."
"Are you disagreeing with me?"
"I guess I am!" Shining said finally. She had been acting so strange lately. So confrontational and demanding. In fact, the more he thought about it-
"Ow!" Shining's temple was suddenly rocked by a stabbing pain, derailing his train of thought.
"Oh, dear are you getting another one of your headaches?" Cadance asked. Shining felt the pain melt away along with any situational concern he'd had a moment ago. His mind became eerily calm as a serene emerald haze clouded his vision. It felt so much easier to not worry. So much easier not to think.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

"MmmHmm," he mumbled. They walked back out to 'deal' with Twilight. But it seemed she'd already taken her leave for the night.

"Twilight!" He called out.

"Let her go." She said.

"Hmm, it seemed like she had something she needed to tell me."

"Don't worry about her. You just stay here and relax for tonight. Tomorrow is a big day. And I just know it's going to be perfect."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Oh, I just need to step out for a moment. Back in a flash." She said, vanishing with her spell. Shining sat in his chair, trying to think. Twilight was worried about something. He was worried about her. He tried to figure out what was going on. Something was off.

"Ow." He felt his temples throbbing again right behind his eyes. "Maybe if I just close them for a minute..." His last thought before sleep took him.
~~~~~

In order to keep from getting found out for playing hooky from her duties, Luna found it wise to stop in to the tower occasionally to 'make an appearance' so if asked by her sister later, there would be plenty of guards who saw her 'doing her job.'

There!

Movement on the palace grounds!

"Who goes there!?" She bellowed. The purple unicorn scurried across the courtyard, violating the imposed curfew. "Stay indoors, Twilight Sparkle."
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Shining woke up early. This morning would be the final dress rehearsal before the actual ceremony at noon.

"I decided to have Twilight's friends be the new bridesmaids." Cadance said beside him as he got ready.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently the other mares only wanted to be in the wedding to meet Canterlot royalty." She told him.

"Huh, well I'm glad you warmed up to her friends at least." He said.

"Hmm. Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the other night. It's just with you so busy, I've had to make all the wedding decisions myself." She explained. "I've just been completely stressed out because it's really important that my- I mean, our big day be perfect."

"It's okay. I understand. I love you."

"Yes, I know you do."
____________________________________________

"Perfect, girls. No need to rush." Princess Celestia directed Twilight's friends. Shining Armor watched from his designated spot on the stage. "Then of course Cadance will enter." She continued. The guards at the doors each opened them, as Cadance stepped through, before they closed them again behind her. "I'll say a few words and then we'll begin with the vows. Shining Armor, you'll get the ring from your best mare." Shining looked behind him to where Twilight ought to have been standing. Why was it only now that he noticed that she was missing? He wasn't noticing a lot of things lately. He tried to remember the actual time he had last seen her. It made his head hurt.

"Hey, has anypony seen Twilight?" He asked.

And then she barged through the doors and ruined everything!

"I'm here! I'm not going to stand next to her and neither should you!" She yelled. Shining cringed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why she's acting like this." He whispered.

"Maybe we should just ignore her." Cadance suggested.

"You have to listen to me! She's EVIL! She's been horrible to my friends. She's obviously done something to her bridesmaids. And if that wasn't enough, I saw her put a spell on my brother that made his eyes go all chameleon!" An evil spell? Okay, that got even Celestia's attention. These were serious allegations. She backed Cadance into a corner. The pink alicorn started to cry.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you're evil!" Twilight shouted, chasing her out of the hall. "EVIL! And if I don't stop you, you're going to ruin my brother's life!" Cadance scampered down the hallway out of sight. With her mission accomplished she turned back to the room victorious, bumping into her brother.

"You want to know why my eyes went all chameleon?" He winced. His head hurt just simulating it. "Because ever since I started having to perform my protection spell, I've been getting terrible migraines. Cadance hasn't been casting spells on me. She's been using her magic to heal me. And she decided to replace her bridesmaids because she found out the only reason they wanted to be in the wedding was to meet Canterlot royalty. And if she hasn't been on her best behavior with you friends, it's because with me being so busy she's had to make all the decisions about the wedding!"

"I was just trying to-"

"She's completely stressed out because it's really important to her that our big day be PERFECT! Something that obviously wasn't important to you!" He finished. For a second, he couldn't even remember what he had just said. Something about it felt rehearsed, Like he had read it somewhere else. Prepared lines for him to say. He felt his head twang again, shattering the notion. His head hurt. That was the only thing he could think about now. His head hurt and the only pony who could help him was Cadance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and comfort my bride. And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all."

Shining stormed out of the hall. He had to go find Cadance to get rid of this awful headache. He looked everywhere for her. He checked her dressing room twice, where she ought to be. The ceremony was in just an hour and they both needed to get dressed. He started worrying. Everything about this was going wrong. Nothing made sense. In fact, the more he thought about it...

"Ow!"

The more it hurt.

Shining clutched his head. He would just go back to the dressing room and get ready. She was sure to show up there eventually. He walked back to the room. His mind was running on autopilot.

Time to get ready for work.

Shining picked up the uniform and started getting dressed.

Gotta dress faster. Sarge's gonna yell at me.

He mumbled more nonsense to himself as he finished the buttons on his shirt.

"Uh, look at you." Cadance said from the doorway. "I told you I didn't want you to wear that." She looked at his uniform, and then the clock on the wall. She was running out of time. He wobbled on his hooves a bit. "Is your head hurting? What did I tell you about thinking too much?"

Head hurting

He echoed the words back to her. "Come here, let me take care of that." Shining felt the warm spell wash over him. Nothing mattered anymore. Everything was okay. And nothing hurt.

"Now go on, go back to the hall now that you're all dressed. I'll be there soon. You mustn't see the bride's dress before the wedding. It's bad luck." She cooed before sending him on his way. She closed the door after him. He was completely under her control. She turned back to the mirror, preparing her dress for her big day.

"This day is going to be perfect..."

Foaly Matripony

"Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor." Princess Celestia began narrating the ceremony. Everything was working out. Cadance was winning. She was so proud of herself. She was such a lateral thinker. Plans within plans. Now it was only a matter of time. All she had to do was take a knee and run out the clock. She listened to the sun Princess prattle on about 'love' and so much other tripe.

Soon

"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you-"

"STOP!" A yell came from the hallway. Twilight threw open the grand doors to the hall. Cadance wondered for a moment for what purpose the door guards even served standing there besides collecting a paycheck.

"Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother!?" Cadance growled, gaining an odd glance from Princess Celestia. Buck! She put on the tears. "Why does she have to ruin my special day?" She cried.

Wait a minute, if SHE managed to escape from the crystal caves, then that means-

"Because it's not your special day! It's MINE!" Cadence yelled, appearing in the grand doorway with Twilight.

"You're too late!" Cadance said.

"I don't understand. How can there be two of them?" Applejack asked.

"She's a changeling!" Cadence explained. "She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!"

Cadance narrowed her eyes at her. Oh well, so much for Plan C. It was about time for the next phase soon anyway. She would just need to step up the schedule. On to Plan D. Cadance became surrounded with magical green fire, eventually engulfing her whole body. She transformed right before their very eyes, emerging as a black, carapace encased insect. Her voice shifted into a demonic cackle. Celestia chose this moment to slink away. Thank goodness somepony else took the spotlight off her. She'd needed to go take a leak for some time now.

"Ha ha ha ha! Right you are princess. And as Queen of the Changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"

"They'll never get the chance!" Cadence spat back. "Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"

"Hmm hmm hmm. Oh I doubt that. Isn't that right dear?" Chrysalis said, looking back at the entranced stallion.

"Mmm hmm." He nodded absently, eyes aglow with an empty green aura. Cadence tried to make a run for him.

"Uh uh ah! Don't want to go back to the cave now do you?" Chrysalis cackled. Cadence yielded. "Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment, he grows weaker, and so does his spell. Even now my minions are chipping away at it. Muah ha ha ha ha! He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the royal guard!"

"Not my Shining Armor!" Cadence cried out.

"Soon my changeling army will break through. First we take Canterlot, then ALL OF EQUESTRIA!"

FLUSH Princess Celestia washed her hooves clean. She looked back out into the Great Hall. It looked like the big bug was done with her big villain monologue, and shit was about to get real.

"NO! You wont!" Celestia stepped forward and challenged. She'd taken a gamble giving Shining Armor the bulk of her power. And now that decision was coming back to bite her. Especially if this changeling had been feeding off him this whole time. But she still had her subjects to protect. "You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell. But now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self, I can protect my subjects," She leaped high into the air, her wings flaring wide, "from YOU!" She knew this was a bad idea. She knew she didn't have the strength for this. She charged up every last ounce of energy she had.

Her long life flashed before her eyes
For all her power
For all her wisdom
She could not foresee
Her own demise

'We've all got to go some time.' She thought to herself as she watched the green counterattack from the Changeling Queen push back her weakened solar beam. When it reached her horn, her world went black. She felt the power under her hooves fail her. She could no longer hear the whispers of the Ley Lines of the earth. She could no longer feel the cosmic power of the Sun. She felt weightless, nothingness.

So this is what death was like?

After what felt like falling for eternity, she was greeted unceremoniously by the hard tile floor, sparking her consciousness awake just enough to let her brain know that her body was in agonizing pain. 'Thank you brain. Thank you for making sure I was awake to feel this.' She cursed inwardly. At least her little detour to the filly's room would keep her from soiling herself in front of everypony.

"AH! Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried out, rushing to her side.

"Ah, Shining Armor's love for you is even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!" She bellowed triumphantly. The final X factor of her plan had been eliminated. There could be no stopping her now!

"The Elements of Harmony, you must get to them, and use their power to defeat the Queen!" Celestia commanded with her last ounce of consciousness. She'd only ever asked for one thing from this life of hers. That her death be for something. Not of something. She closed her eyes, perhaps, for the last time.

Twilight nodded to the others. This meant only one thing.

NAKED TIME!

Shining's glazed eyes could not appreciate the show in front of him. She and the others stripped off their dresses, throwing them carelessly into the air. Well, almost all of them. Rarity tried her best to keep her work from getting soiled on the floor.

"Rarity!" The others called. She hesitated for a moment. She knew what was coming. It was going to be a bloody battle, with the very fate of Equestria at stake! And if there was going to be blood, she was going to battle... in the nude!

What? Have you ever tried to get a blood stain out? It is not easy.

The six bearers of the elements vanished from the room. Chrysalis yelled after them, "Muah ha ha! You can run, but you can't hide!" She relaxed a moment. With the X factor out of the way, she felt assured of her own success. 'Now... what to do with the first spoil of war?' She wondered, as she circled the unconscious form of the 'great' Princess Celestia. The sound of the Force Field shattering at last signaled the final stage of her tactical plan. Several changeling drones flew through the broken windows. She motioned to the alabaster alicorn, unconscious on the floor. "Process her!" She ordered. The drones set to work on the once-glorious Princess. Soon she would be naught but food for the hive.

Some time passed. The Queen was actually quite impressed with how long the Elements managed to hold their ground. But there were none who could repel The Horde forever. In time they would be brought back to her custody, their efforts fruitless of their prize.

By the time Princess Celestia came to, she wasn't even sure if she was alive. Everything around her had a green tint and... upside down? It was then she realized that she was hanging from the ceiling in some kind of... cocoon! She tried to call to her magic, but it failed her. Whatever this medium she was in, it simultaneously kept her alive and incapacitated.

Princess Cadence would be next. In the mean time, her hooves were bound to the floor with changeling goo, effectively grounding her magic as well. She was trapped where she stood. But she yet had hope. Chrysalis chuckled at the notion.

Hope.
The quintessential pony delusion.
Simultaneously the source of their greatest strength
AND
their greatest weakness.

"You wont get away with this!" Cadence shouted from her cemented position. "Twilight and her friends will-"

The doors to the hall opened as the six elements were lead, escorted and otherwise carried back to the queen.

"You were saying?" Queen Chrysalis asked smugly. She turned to the six would-be usurpers. "You do realize the reception's been cancelled don't you?" She ordered the remainder of the changeling drones in the room. "Go! FEED!" The rest of the drones flew out into the city of terrorized citizens to get their share. "It's funny really. Twilight, here, was suspicious of my behavior all along." The queen mocked, lifting the purple unicorn's chin before the mare smacked her black limb away defiantly. "Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding planning to realize those suspicions were correct! Ha HA!"

"We're sorry Twilight. We should have listened to you." Applejack apologized.

"It's not your fault. She fooled everypony." Twilight said.

"Hmm, I did, didn't I?" Chrysalis cooed, strutting over to the window to soak in the glorious victory she had wrought.

"This day has been just perfect.
The kind of day of which I'd dreamed since I was small.
Every pony I'll soon control,
every stallion, mare, and foal.
Who says a girl can't really have it all?"

Twilight took the Queen's moment of lyrical gloating to free Cadence of her slimy changeling restraints. "Quick, go to him while you still have a chance!" She whispered. Twilight decided that if she and her brother were to meet their end this day, he deserved to be with the one he loved... even if it wasn't her.

Cadence ran over to him. His dull, empty eyes stared out into the room past her. She hugged him tightly. "I hope you remember who you were." She silently prayed as she embraced him. Her prayer manifested from her horn, penetrating the cheap trance the queen held him in, shaking him awake.

"H- huh? Uh? Is the wedding over?" He asked groggily. Cadence and Twilight both sighed a breath of relief to see the Shining they remember still among them in the realm of the living. Having taken notice, a tall, black carapace flew over to break up the happy tidings.

"It's ALL OVER!" She gloated.

"Your spell! Perform your spell!" Twilight shouted while her brother had a spare moment to hear and understand her words.

"Muah ha ha ha! What good would that do?" Chrysalis cackled. "My changelings already roam free!" She boasted. It was true. The city was overrun, flooded with the insect beings, terrorizing the citizens.

"No!" Shining gasped, as he focused on the spell, trying for the scale of the city. But his strength failed him. The boon of power that Princess Celestia granted him had worn off, or had been drained by the Queen! "My power is useless now! I don't have the strength to repel them!"

"My love will give you strength!" Cadence said, holding Shining close.

"Muah ha ha! What a lovely, but absolutely ridiculous sentiment!" The Queen spat, watching from the window as her assured victory unfolded outside.

Cadence looked into Shining's eyes. They both understood in that moment what must be done. He focused on his spell once more. He'd done this before, engulfed the entire city in a force field. Now he needed to make a small one, and stretch it to the size of a city, pushing out all of the enemies. It was there, crystallized in his mind. The plan, the means. He needed only the fuel. Cadence touched her horn to his, feeding his strength with the reserves of an alicorn possessed.

She was his.
She would give all for him.
Even if it meant her life.

He gave his all.
He cast the spell.
They saved the city.

The changeling empire, and all evidence of their brief occupation, was expelled from the city, propelled to parts unknown. As she was catapulted through the air to the horizon, she silently apologized to her changelings, flung helplessly around her. They had done their part in her scheme admirably. And for that she commended them. But this failure would not be hers. In a flash, she vanished from the sky, abandoning her minions.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

“My love will give you strength.”

That was what she said. Celestia sure didn't love him the way he knew Cadence did. But he knew what he felt. Cadence gave him a boon of her alicorn power, giving him the strength to repel the changeling invaders, and save the city.

All evidence of the invasion had been swept away in a brilliant, violet blast. Naught left but the memories of the day’s events. Celestia had recovered from her assault and subsequent imprisonment. Shining, for his part, seemed to not be suffering any more ill effects from the queen. His lieutenants were already scrambling to reassemble the wedding party and the seating for the hall. But it would still be a couple hours yet until the wedding could be restarted.

The officers disseminated the word to the enlisted guards in and around the palace to spread the all-clear message to the city to assuage any residual panic. Order would be restored and maintained. Inside, Cadence tended to Shining Armor. He had expended all the energy that she had bestowed onto him, leaving no residual power to give him a headache this time. Twilight and her friends stood by patiently as the flurry of activity around them moved with calculated automation setting everything back to the way it was. Cadence still looked a fright from her ordeal in the caves. And she was starving from the time in the caves to boot.

“I need to eat something, get cleaned up and get dressed. I’ll meet you back here soon for the wedding. I love you.” She kissed her fiancé, before excusing herself from the chapel hall. Twilight realized that she too was without her best mare dress. Her friends, whom had shed the cumbersome garments when they went to battle, had begun to recover their articles. Twilight’s task was made easy. After the others had gathered up their items, hers were all that were left. She collected her things, noting that Shining was also leaving to fix himself up. In just a couple short hours, he would be a married stallion. He vanished around the corner of the hallway to his guest bedroom.

It was now or never.

Shining sat down in front of his dresser. He looked like a mess. He was in no condition to get married. In fact, he almost had half a mind to call the whole thing- er, postpone to a better date for everypony. He had so much on his mind. He just needed to close his eyes for a second.

FLASH

Shining nearly fell out of his seat at the burst of noise behind him. His adrenalin kick-started his energy, springing him wide awake, on full alert. He took a defensive posture.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He said back to the purple unicorn, relaxing somewhat.

“Listen, I, uh, I need to talk to you.” She started.

“No, it’s okay. I know.” He cut in, surprising her. “I’m sorry about earlier. I should have listened to you, we all should have. I mean, I know I was under that… spell-” He said, trying to find the word for whatever it was that the queen had done to him. “But the others should have at least believed you.”

“No. That’s not what I mean. And it wasn't your fault. She fooled all of us.” Twilight said, trying to regain her original train of thought. She set her dress on the spare seat. “I needed to talk to you about us. I've been meaning to tell you but, well, things came up.” She motioned to the castle, and all the crazy stuff that happened in the last few days. “It’s just that I've always sort of secretly had feel-"

KNOCK KNOCK

“Captain, I just wanted to-” Celestia said, pushing the door open and poking her head into the room. “Oh, Twilight. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just checking up on Shining and making sure he was okay.” Twilight said.

“Oh alright. Well then I guess you’re already in good hooves then.” She smiled and closed the door.

“I told you, I’m fine now.” He told Twilight.

“I know that.” She said.

“Then why did you say-”

“Shh,” She hushed him, putting her hoof to his lips. He stilled his words, waiting for her to speak. She slipped her hoof from his lips to his hoof. They just sat there for a moment in silence, staring at each other. Twilight leaned closer, moving too imperceptibly slow for Shining to notice at but only the unconscious level. She read him. She read his face. Her hoof felt his pulse accelerate. She watched his pupils dilate. His rate of breath increased.

It was not adrenaline from the scare.
It was not fear from the battle earlier.
It was excitement. Anticipation. Longing.

“Shining?”

“Twilight.” He responded. She swallowed hard. But her mouth was dry. She took a sharp breath.

“A kiss for good luck?” She offered. He nodded just slightly. They closed their eyes as she leaned in. He brought his head closer to her, closing the distance. They kissed.

They kissed.

She kissed him. He kissed her back. Soon he would be married. She kissed him as long as she would be able to get away with. He kissed her as long as he could get away with. He felt her trembling against him. He opened his eyes. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. Twilight was crying. He stopped, pulling away. He put his hooves over his face in shame.

What had he done? He had ruined his relationship with his sister forever for his own selfish desires. On today, his wedding of all days! And now his act had left her in tears. He couldn't even bear to look at her. He felt so ashamed.

What had she done? She had ruined her relationship with her brother forever for her own selfish desires. And on today, his wedding of all days. Look at him now. He was so disgusted with her he couldn’t even bear the sight of her. She felt so ashamed.

“I’m sorry!”
“I’m sorry!”

They said together in stereo. She wiped her cheeks quickly, trying to think of something, anything to break the ensuing silence.

Shining’s heart was pounding in his ears. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He’d rather be staring down a Cockatrice then see the look on her face as she stared at her perverse brother.

as she stared at him

stared at him

What was she staring at? What was she waiting for? He summoned all his will to look at her. It was torturous. She deserved an answer. She deserved to know the truth. She deserved him being honest to her for once. No more lying. No more secrets. He had never told her anything. He’d kept his relationship with Cadence a secret from everypony. But her, the longest. Her, the one who looked after him the most when he needed it. The one who very well may have saved his life today. In the face of the queen deceiving everypony, to lie to her now would be salt in a wound. No more.

“Twi, I-”
“Shine, I-” They each tried to start. She tried to speak, tried to tell him what he must surely suspect of her. It must be so obvious to him. He looked so- no, not angry. Not disgusted. She looked past him to the mirror behind him on the dresser. His expression mirrored her own. Shame.

He looked ashamed. Why would he-

Twilight felt like the air suddenly rushed into the room as the biggest, brightest, most obvious light had finally just turned on. She had been staring at two plus two on the chalkboard for so long, she didn't even recognize the numbers anymore. But it was all so clear to her now.

But her realization didn't address the yet-enormous elephant in the room.

“Shining?” She squeaked. Her voice was barely a cracked whisper. “Are you attracted to me?”

He cringed, as though the accusation had struck him in the face like a whip. He readied himself for the blow. It was Shining’s turn to cry. A single tear escaped his clenched eyes as he nodded nervously, waiting to be struck, beaten, for the bad pony that he surely was. Her hoof hit his face. No, it touched his face. Her hoof was touching his face. Why was she touching his face? He peeked at her, opening his eyelids. She wasn't angry. She caressed his cheek.

“It’s okay. Shining, I love you.”

“You’re… you’re not, I mean, you don’t think I’m, you know... weird?”

“Only if you don’t think I’m weird too.” She said, smiling slightly. “I love you, Shining Armor.”

“You? I mean- you mean?” He stuttered again, still unable to comprehend the turn of events. She just nodded. “I- I love you too.” He said back. It felt so good to say that at last. “I love you Twilight!” He nearly knocked her out of her chair as he hugged her tightly.

It was not an erotic embrace. There was no passion in the act, no lust. Only genuine, loving, intimacy. The hug of a long lost friend or relative, not seen in years. Two siblings, who knew each other their whole lives, but feeling like only just now, did they finally meet at last. They had finally found each other, and, to a degree, themselves, in each other’s hooves.

He kissed her. She kissed him back. It was NOT a familial kiss. He felt her tongue on his lips, his mouth opened and he greeted hers with his own. He felt her hoof on his shoulder. He stopped, as though she was going to push him away. He felt her wrap her hoof around the nape of his neck, running it through his tussled mane, pulling him closer. He resumed kissing her. His cheeks felt wet. Her tears on him. His tears joining hers. He was crying too. He understood now. They were each tears of joy. He held her tight, for fear of losing her again, somehow. She finally paused to come up for air.

"But, how?" He asked. She tilted her head in confusion. "I mean, I thought Princess Celestia, you know, made you forget."

"How did you-?"

"I kinda, read your diary." He admitted. Twilight's face looked mortified.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped. "So you know about..."

"Yeah, all that." He answered.

"But if you knew this whole time, why didn't you, say something?"

"Well, I didn't know what to feel at first. I was shocked at first, and confused. Then when I started feeling the same way, I felt ashamed of myself. But mostly, I was just... scared." He admitted. "But what about you and what the Princess did?" He asked.

"Well, when Discord changed my friends, I had to use a memory restoration spell to save them and defeat him. I didn't think until later to use it on myself. I figured, if he had messed with my memory, I certainly wouldn't remember it obviously. So I did." She ran her hoof through his mane. "You can imagine my surprise when all of... this came flooding back." Her eyes wandered slowly over the details of his face, as though finally seeing the real him after all this time, in a new light.

"But there was always something..." Twilight continued to explain, "Something deep down that even the Princess couldn't touch. Some- feeling that never went away. A- I don't know, a craving. But I didn't understand it until after I remembered." She looked down at her hooves. "I never dreamed that you would feel the same way after all this time. But when we kissed on Hearts and Hooves day it just, I don't know, felt so... so..."

"Right." He finished.

"Imagine my surprise when I find out that you're getting married out of the damn blue! I didn't even know you were dating!" She looked at him a bit hurt.

"We kept it a secret from everypony. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." He apologized. "And in person. You deserved as much."

"So, that's why I'm here. I had to find out once and for all before it was too late. Before you had your wedding." She lost another tear. There was no joy in it.

"Oh no! The wedding!" He looked at the clock on the wall. It would be starting in an hour. He got up to start getting ready.

"Shining please!" She blocked his path. "Let me have you." She pushed him onto the bed. "This one time. Before I lose you." Her breath grew ragged.

"I- I can't! We can't! I'm about to get married!" He tried.

"But you're not married yet." She whispered as she started to nibble on his ear, running her hoof down his belly. His reaction was immediate. He wanted her. By the elements! He wanted her so bad!

"I- I mean, we shouldn't!" He pleaded. The last scraps of willpower wouldn't last much longer like this.

"Why not? We're both consenting adults." She climbed on top of him, straddling his rigid member. Stars and stones, she was soaking wet, as her marehood slid along the side of his shaft, pinned against his belly between them. "Isn't that what you always told me? That last night I slept in your bed? You remember. 'I'm a full grown mare now.'" She echoed his words from years ago.

Her words brought the vivid memories of that night flooding back. The countless nights since then when he clopped furiously to that very memory. The occasional times he was with Cadence, closing his eyes and pretending for a moment, that she was the very unicorn he had been lusting over in depraved secret. The unicorn who was at this very moment getting his steel rod slick with her arousal.

"Look at me now brother. I'm all grown up." She whispered. He throbbed under her, swelling another inch. It was the most intense erection of his life. It was painfully hard. She leaned in close, sliding to the base of his shaft, soaking his swollen balls in her wetness. She held his face in her hooves and kissed him again. He wrapped his hooves around her, hugging her tight against him. He felt her grinding against his crotch, her little love nub flicking against his veiny ridges. She moaned into his mouth. She continued to buck against him, her fits and starts growing more erratic until she went rigid and motionless. She exhaled after a moment. Her eyes looked at him from on top, full of lust.

"Did you just-"

"Hmm, not yet." She purred in a lithe tone. "Working up to it." She lifted herself from him, and turned around on top of him, careful to avoid any contact that would push her over the top. She wanted to hold this plateau of pleasure with him as long as possible before the peak. She looked down at her brother's wonderful penis. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, she decided. It was even better than she remembered. She held it up in her hooves, gently stroking it. Feeling its every texture and detail, committing it all to memory. She couldn't fathom how she had ever wanted the Princess to make her forget these feelings. She never wanted to forget this moment. The sight, the feeling, the smell of his strong, masculine musk.

She put her tongue to his tip, licking the droplet of precum forming there. The taste! It was even better than she had imagined. She leaned down, running her tongue along the sides of his length. She felt his hot breath on her nethers as he moaned out. It was music to her ears. She kissed around his flared tip as she wiggled her rump at him.

Shining was nearly paralyzed. His every sense was in overload. Of all the wild and kinky things he'd done in the past, none stole the very air from his lungs as this experience was doing. He felt her mouth on his shaft, working the head with practiced motions. She'd been training for this moment with the 'study aid' she'd gotten from The Crop on her birthday. Her tail was raised high. His entire field of vision was consumed with her beautiful marehood, mere inches from his nose. He was struck temporarily catatonic, frozen in abject awe of the sight. And the aroma! Her arousal positively radiated off of her delicate flower. He could feel her warmth on his face already.

She wiggled her rump at him, causing her pussy lips to purse reflexively, winking at him invitingly. It was all the coaxing he needed to shake him from his daze. He placed his hooves on her supple flanks, pulling her down to his face. He made first contact as the tip of his snout brushed against her swollen clit, causing her to buck in surprise. But he held fast, keeping her from wiggling free of his grasp. He brought his face to her again, this time, pursing his lips against hers. He could hear her gasping as he started to return her oral ministrations.

He brought his broad tongue to the base of her slit, lapping a wide swath up to her dripping love tunnel. He repeated the motion a few times before flexing his tongue rigid to probe her hot depths. Her nethers were on fire, her heat against his face was palpable. He could feel himself sweating.

Twilight returned the engagement, trying to not let his pleasuring distract her from the task at hoof in front of her. In a practiced motion, she took the whole of his head into her mouth until it reached the back of her throat, causing her to gag slightly. She'd worked hard on taming her reflex, but her toy was a gross underestimation for the size of his real thing. But she would not be deterred. She started slowly bobbing her head, causing him to stumble in his pace on her pussy. With the momentary advantage, she used the distraction-free opportunity to really get him going, quickening her pace.

Shining's mind was reeling. He tried his best to focus despite his whole body feeling electrified from the sensations he was receiving from his sister sucking him off with wild abandon. He mounted a counterattack on her pussy, this time focusing on her clitoris, licking, kissing, sucking, yet taking care to not over-stimulate her to discomfort. Her fluids ran with increased measure. He could feel himself getting close. He was surprised he'd lasted as long as he had. He felt her moaning onto him in her mouth. The vibration was nearly too much. It grew into a muffled scream as he gave her nub a final assault. Her legs clamped onto his head as her pussy gushed forth her climax. Thank goodness her mouth was full or else the whole castle would have probably heard her. Her flavor flooded his mouth in vast quantity. He greedily swallowed what he could, the rest plastering his fur wet against his face.

Her muffled cry of ecstasy on his cock reached a fever pitch. He felt his balls tighten as he reached the point of no return. She felt him begin to swell in her mouth. She took a quick, deep breath before diving forward, impaling her throat around his pulsating shaft, not stopping until her nose pushed into his flexing scrotum.

Neither of them heard the knock at the locked door.

"I'm cumming!" Shining called out.

The response proved satisfactory to whomever had come by to inform him of the time.

The last light in Shining's mind blew out as he felt his sister swallow his entire length. His head mushroomed in her throat as he erupted his seed into her. She felt her esophagus stretch from him swelling, crushing her airway. She felt the spasm of a cough, trapped in her lungs, and painfully forcing tears from her eyes. But she refused to yield. She had waited for this moment for too long to quit now. She willed herself to swallow every drop as he continued to ejaculate what felt like quarts of semen into her distended stomach.

Shining's eyes decided to see what his brain looked like as they rolled into the back of his head in ecstatic bliss. The swallowing muscles of her throat were milking him of every last drop. He blasted a fifth, voluminous rope of semen into her. By the time his eighth throb passed, it was little more than a dribble.

To her relief, Twilight felt her brother begin to shrink, and retreat from her mouth. She flopped off to the side of him, coughing and gasping. Shining wiped his sister's marecum from his eyes and squinted at the clock on the wall. The ceremony would begin in less than half an hour.

"Oh horse apples!" He yelled, leaping from the bed. He hopped in the shower for a quick rinse to get the smell of sex off him. He heard the door to the bathroom creak open.

"Room for one more?" She asked.

"No, we can't. The ceremony is in less than half an hour. We need to get washed and dressed!" He said.

"I agree." She said, slipping inside the curtain with him.

"What are you-?"

"Oh, just relax and pass me the shampoo. You're not the only one who smells like sex." She said, lathering her mane. Shining tried his best to behave, despite the incredibly arousing view of his sister's wet mane plastered against her slick fur. His military training ran on autopilot as he quickly washed himself as fast as possible. Not intentionally teasing, Twilight couldn't help but brush against him in the cramped quarters of the shower stall. Thankfully his recent release kept little shiny at bay. The siblings bathed quickly without further incestuous incident. After, the pair quickly dried off and re-dressed in their respective wedding attire.

"I still can't believe we did that." Shining said, quickly buttoning his shirt.

"Do you regret it?" She asked.

"No! No, of course not." He said with sudden seriousness. "I just- I just wish we had known sooner. I mean I did, but it seemed like you didn't want to feel that way in your diary." She gave him a bit of a glare. "Yeah yeah, I know I shouldn't have read it, but it all turned out okay, right?" He asked. She looked away, a bit crestfallen. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It's just- still, you're getting married." She stifled a sniffle. "It's like Cadet School all over. It's like I'm losing you again." She whimpered. He moved to her side, taking her chin in his hoof.

"Hey, you're my little sister. Of course you're important to me." He sighed. "We'll work this out somehow." He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."

"But, if you're married, we can't keep- I mean it would be wrong." She said.

Shining looked at the drying stains on the sheets where he had just shared passionate incestuous oral sex with his sister a few minutes ago.

"I... think we're a bit past the point of social mores." Shining said with a slight smile. "And you're definitely not going to lose me." He kissed her again, this time on the lips. "I promise." He said as they finished dressing.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

After the panic of the day's event had subsided, there was a wedding to resume. Celestia stood at the head of the hall once more, filled again, with the citizens of Canterlot. She admired the resiliency of her citizens.

But then again, after being doomed to eternal darkness, suffocating from a century of dragon smog, annihilation by parasprites, eternal chaos, hypnotic dolls, greedy rampaging dragons, Windigos, time-travel paradox disasters, pegasi tornadoes and changeling invasions, she realized that what might have been a seismic event a decade ago would barely pass as a blip for these disaster-hardened citizens these days.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Shining Armor's uniform was still a bit disheveled from his lovemaking with his sister earlier. Twilight stood proudly beside her brother, adjusting his uniform to look perfect for his perfect day. Okay, maybe that was aiming a little high. For his special day then. But then, Twilight thought about how the queen had more or less mind-raped him for the bulk of it.

Twilight stood proudly beside her brother, adjusting his uniform to look perfect for his... day. Their parents looked on in the front row. Her mom, Twilight Velvet, wiped a tear of joy from her eye. Celestia gave the cue to Fluttershy. She began to instruct her bird choir as they sang 'Here Comes the Bride'. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo lead the way, spreading flower petals as they went. Behind them, the genuine Cadence followed. Her beauty was absolutely radiant. Everypony in attendance could not help but wonder how they could have ever mistaken some other cheap facsimile for the genuine article before them.

Twilight nudged her brother, "Seriously though, I can understand why the Queen of the Changelings wanted to be with you, but how did you get somepony as amazing as Cadence to marry you?"

"I told her she wouldn't just be gaining a husband, she'd be getting a pretty great sister too." He answered. Twilight tried her best to hide her blush at the remark.

"Mares and gentlecolts," Princess Celestia repeated again for the day, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-"

"Princess Cadence is fine." The bride said to her.

"... the union of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love undeniable. May we have the rings please?" Spike stepped forward, presenting them. Celestia took them with her magic, placing them on the horns of each of the spouses. "I now pronounce you, mare and colt." She finished as the newlyweds stepped out onto the balcony to the roaring applause of the Canterlot citizens flooding the streets below.

Twilight watched her brother and his new wife greet the crowd down below the balcony. She had been right all along. There was something wrong, something off about that other Cadance. But what had been the root of that doubt? What was it that had driven her to so quickly turn on her once beloved foalsitter? She had been so happy when she had first found out that Shining was getting married to her. Hadn't she?

Was it just her gut instinct that had told her that there was something off about the pink alicorn she once knew? Or was it something deeper? She had so many questions that had been left unanswered, so many questions to ask of her, of him and of herself. The sun was heading to the west in the late afternoon. Her brother was married. Her eyes teared up.

She wasn't sure if they were happy tears this time

As the newly wed couple kissed, a rainbow exploded in the sky, causing Shining to nearly bite his tongue and hers too. A few of the groom's colts hit the deck. "Incoming mortar!" One yelled out.

Shining looked to the sky. He had dove to the floor, pulling Cadence with him. He watched the Pegasus streaking across the sky with a prismatic trail. Cadence wiggled herself free from his hooves.

"Shining, please. Let's at least wait for the honeymoon!" She said with a smirk.
______________________________________________________________

Later that evening at the reception, the sun had set, leaving a faint light on the horizon. The lanterns around the courtyard lit the dance floor where the couple shared their first dance. The moon would be rising shortly. But first, its controller had a party to attend.

"Hello everypony. Did I miss anything?" Luna asked nonchalantly.

Before her elder sister could respond with: 'How about an entire city-wide invasion?!' Pinkie Pie activated the DJ booth, complete with the famous DJ, Vinyl Scratch herself.

"Let's get this party started!" The pink party pony yelled, throwing the microphone to Twilight.

"Love is in bloom!" Twilight began singing.

As the party got underway properly, Celestia slowly stalked, circling her prize. She had only allowed Shining Armor to wed her niece on such short notice for promise of what she would finally get tonight. In the face of a city-wide occupation, she would not let the ceremony be delayed another day. She had waited for this opportunity for too long already.

Certainly, she could have it made, fabricated, but it wouldn't be the same. It had to be genuine. It had to be real! Not just any wedding would do. But a Royal Wedding. She checked out of the corner of her eye. Photo Finish was busy taking wedding pictures of everypony else but her, just as instructed. A nice, incriminating photo of Pinkie Pie devouring cake. Applejack playing the fiddle. Spike dancing with a minor. Rainbow Dash hitting on a Wonderbolt. Rarity flirting with married Canterlot elite.

The Princess's revenge on the Foal Free Press would soon be complete. All eyes were on the bride and groom. There was nopony to stop her now. She moved in for the kill.

The wedding cake.

A ROYAL wedding cake. She voraciously grabbed a hoof-full of victory, and it tasted delicious.

After, Twilight escorted the couple to their stagecoach, opening the door for them. Cadence stepped inside, Shining waited a moment.

"Twilight! None of this would have been possible without you little sis. Love you, Twilie."

"Love you too B.B.B.F.F." She said, hugging him close. Shining whispered in her ear.

"I'll see you again soon. Promise."

Inside, Shining turned to his new wife.

"Ready to go?"

"Oh. Almost forgot!" Cadence said, leaning out the window, throwing the bouquet.
___________________________________________________________________

Celestia approached her younger sister.

"Well, that was certainly one of the most 'interesting' weddings I've ever attended. It's too bad you missed most of it." She said.

"I was too busy helping to plan the honeymoon. A lovely mountain chateau with one of the most romantic views of Equestria. Can you imagine the looks on their faces? The waterfalls, the birds. One of the most sought after vacation spots in Equestria! After everything they've been through. Finally together at last."

"You know, that's probably the last thing on their minds, right?" Celestia asked.

"Oh, I know." Luna answered with a knowing grin. They both giggled, knowing exactly what the newlyweds would be doing on their Honeymoon Night.

Crystal Methods

Shining awoke, and immediately regretted the decision to do so.

His eyes felt like they had been replaced with cotton balls covered in saw dust. His head felt like it was in a vice. The curtains of the room were mercifully still drawn closed. The sliver of light that managed to sneak through told him that the sun had been up for some time now. He stared at the plaster ceiling of their Canterlot villa. The random patterns of the texture were like amorphous clouds, letting his imagination run free, finding shapes and images in it.

"Ow."

It hurt to think. The past three months had not been kind to him. Or rather, they had been too kind. After the wedding ceremony and honeymoon, the reality of the change began to manifest. He was a prince now. It was a promotion of sorts. And it was a retirement of sorts. But he just felt out of sorts. The summer days had been made long since then by the angst of idle hooves. He was too young to retire. He needed purpose. He needed a reason to get up in the morning. He took off his simple chain necklace, holding it up in front of him. They had tarnished a bit from neglect. He missed the Royal Guard. His dog tags jangled slightly. It reminded him of the noise they would make when he was doing mandatory PT.

Yeah, he even missed the PT.

Shining was never much of a drinker. How could he be? He had to be in top form at all times as the Captain of the Royal Guard. He couldn't be showing up to role call hungover. But now, what did it matter? He put his chain back on, rolling out of bed. It was then that he noticed the water and aspirin on the nightstand. Somebody really loved him.

He drank the water a little too fast, causing him to choke a bit and sputter. The sudden movement setting off an acute spell of vertigo. The room spun as he stumbled, knocking over the lamp, crashing to the floor. The impact was like somepony putting a screwdriver into his temple. He curled up on the floor, cradling his head, and trying not to vomit. He heard the bedroom door open.

"I heard you stumbling about in here knocking things over. I assume it's safe to say you are awake now." Cadence said from the doorway. Shining's only response was a haggard groan of pain. "I'll take that as an apology for your little display last night." She continued in an almost smug tone. "I'll get breakfast started. You need to take a shower and get your butt to the table in thirty minutes or else you're going to be wearing your meal." She knew he responded well to direct orders. He craved the structure of the military life he had left. She left him once he was on his hooves.

Shining leaned against the wall of the shower stall, letting the warm water run over his fur, cleaning the sweaty stench of drunken sleep away. He'd bit the aspirin before swallowing, breaking it up a bit, causing it to take effect a bit faster. He could even swallow them without water these days. He'd been getting good at this game. It wasn't a particularly good sign. He looked up and made the same vow to the shower head he'd done many times before.

"I swear I will never do this again... and this time I mean it." He rinsed the lathered shampoo from his mane, checking the small, ornate clock on the bathroom counter. It'd only been 6 minutes. Despite everything, he still made good time getting ready in the mornings once he actually got going.

Or when a certain pink alicorn put some Thermite under his ass.

He needed to do something today. Something productive. Anything. This whole 'being a prince' business was for the birds, and Blueblood. Shining shuddered. He hated the very idea of himself being compared to that sad excuse for a pony. He had to get out of this villa. Being stuck inside these four walls was making him soft, weak. He needed some action dammit!

He wanted to get out of Canterlot. Sure, Cadence had actual royal duties. But his title was ceremonial at best. All it did was force a good captain into early retirement.

"No, a great captain!" He muttered, leaning his forehead against the cool tile.

The last remnants of the the alcohol's oppression on his body washed away in the warm rivulets of water running down his body. He felt rejuvenated, energized, motivated. His body responded in turn, causing him to tremble as the water ran down along the length of his now-exposed member protruding under him. He had a thought about what he could do with it once he got out and surprised her in the kitchen. But then he remembered how the morning had started. She would be in no mood for his brand of 'surprises'.

He glanced out of the curtain once more. He still had plenty of time before he had to be at the table. And the water sure felt great. He had time to rub out an easy one to start the day off right. Using magic would still be an issue until he got some more electrolytes in him. He braced one hoof against the wall, and began to idly stroke himself with the other.

Certainly, as newlyweds, they had enjoyed their fair share of consummation. But as his idle discontent grew, that aspect suffered. But there was something else as well. Something that kept the fire from being as hot as it was before they had gotten married. Shining chalked it up to the institution of the marriage itself. As a married couple, the act no longer held any deviance, no thrill. It was now just a normal thing that they were practically expected to do. But the more he'd thought about it over the weeks, the more he realized that it was not the case. There was something else.

Guilt.

Every day, everything he did felt tainted with it. He couldn't get what happened on his wedding day off his mind. Not the Changeling queen, or the invasion, but Twilight. Not a day went by where he didn't think about her. Not that he minded, but there were times when it was a bit intrusive for her to be on his mind. Like now, for example, as he stood there in the shower, beating himself off to the memory of his sister deepthroating him less than an hour before he'd gotten married. But there were other times as well, like when he was making love to his new wife.

Which is to say, every time they made love.

Every time since that day, it wasn't Cadence he was thinking about as they rutted, it was Twilight, his sister. Though it had been happening less frequently of late. Simply because they had been rutting less frequently. In fact, beating off in the shower now was the first action Little Shiny had seen in over two weeks. He actually started to feel a little indignant. He was a stallion with needs after all. "How dare she withhold sex as a weapon?" He clopped more aggressively now, almost angrily. Any trace of guilt in his choice of thoughts melted away. He actively thought about Twilight now. He replayed the scene in the castle dressing room. Her love confession, and the ensuing carnal outpouring from them both. He was grateful that he'd kept enough sense of mind to carefully memorize every vivid detail of the event.

The sight of her, his beautiful sister in her lovely bridesmare's dress. The sight of her out of it. The taste of her kisses. The smell of her arousal. The slurping sound of her aggressively felating him. The feeling of her strong muscles milking him as he burst his hot, sticky semen into her throat.

"HNNNGG!" Shining grunted as he sprayed his load against the tile of the shower stall. There was certainly a lot of it this time. He washed his mess down the drain and turned the water off. He shook the bulk of the water from his fur before he began toweling off. The vent pulled cool air in under the door, causing him to shiver a bit after the warmth of the shower left him. Though, it did expedite Little Shiny's retreat. He quickly brushed out his short mane and threw on his bathrobe.

His royal bathrobe. With his gold-lace monogram. By the elements he hated the thing. But it was improper for a prince to show up to the dining table 'nude'. He groaned and tied the waistband, heading out to the kitchen.
________________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere in Canterlot, Ms. Hay Bailin was midway through submitting her latest fanfiction to Princess Celestia for review. She had scheduled the block of time weeks in advance, as she levitated the hefty stack of paper in front of the sun princess. Celestia quickly read over each page, amending corrections, making small edits here and there, or just giving a check mark to good pages.

"Why does she insist on having Daring Do in a romantic relationship with Ahuizotl?" Celestia thought to herself as she read on. "They're enemies! *sigh* Some ponies..."

After a good hour of judicious proofreading, their time was nearly up. She found herself flipping pages faster, checking off pages with more haste. She did NOT want to have to schedule another session of this.

Just a few more to go...

BOOM

The door to the throne room was thrown open as one of the Royal Guard ponies galloped inside, up to the throne.

"News from Northern Equestria, Your Highness!" He called out as he ran.

"Yes?"

"I am simply to tell you that IT has returned." He said with a reverent hush. Celestia nearly panicked. That message could only mean one thing...

"Find Princess Cadence and Shining Armor!" She commanded of her guards. They took off immediately to fetch the pair for her summons. Celestia began to hastily scrawl a letter to her protege,

My dearest Twilight,

You must come to Canterlot at once! I have a test for you that requires your immediate attention.

Awaiting your arrival with all haste,

- Princess Celestia
______________________________________________________________________________________

"I was thinking about going to Ponyville today." Shining said between bites of his hash browns. "I haven't been there in a while. And I figured it could be something for me to do while you're busy with... princess stuff."

"We've already been over this." Cadence said. "You're royalty now. You can't just go waltzing off on your own any time you feel like it. It could be dangerous!"

"Yeah, and? Celestia does it all the time!" He huffed.

"Yes, and every time she vanishes without telling anypony it causes a panic. You need to start thinking about other ponies besides yourself! Even if nothing bad happens, it still causes a disruption. The mayor would need to be informed of your visit, the royal guards, and it wouldn't hurt to keep aunt Tia in the loop."

Shining finished his breakfast and shoved the plate away. "I am TIRED of half of Equestria monitoring my every action! Last year I was out fighting dragons at the southern border, and nopony bats an eyelash. But now I'm a prince, living in fear of the paparazzi and everypony loses their minds!"

"Keep your voice down." Cadence scolded.

"No! I will not sit quietly and take this. I'm going stir crazy in this bubble we live in and I want out!" Shining stood up from the table, heading for the door. "So unless Equestria is in dire peril, I'm going to Ponyville. On my own!" Shining reached for the door handle just as a knock came from the other side. He opened the door.

"Princess Cadence, Prince Armor, Princess Celestia has summoned you both to the castle at once! Equestria is in dire peril!"

Shining just froze for a moment. The gravity for the situation kept it from hilarity. Just as well though, this meant some action. That was what he'd wanted after all. He clutched his dog tags under his robes and looked back at Cadence, already moving to make for the castle. He faced the guards again.

"'Dire peril', you say?" He tried to hide his smirk.
_______________________________________________

The chartered train pulled up to the Northern Outpost Station. Shining stared out the window of the train car. It had been an eleven hour ride. The endless white outside was almost hypnotic. It looked like it just went on forever. He suited up into his cold-weather gear. He'd heard of this place, but only rumors.

The Northern Outpost was the end of the line for the Equestrian Rail Service. Trains only ever came up here once every four months, and that was only to deliver supplies and change out the contingent of guards relegated to the post. The posting here was always used as a sort of threat to younger guards. "Straighten up or else we'll ship your ass out to the Northern Outpost until your mama forgets what you look like!" they'd say.

Good to their word, the guard ponies with 'attitude' problems did tend to get selected for the assignment, or their CO just hated them. Almost none ever volunteered for a tour of duty here, except for the odd recluse, or somepony with something to prove. But one thing was universal; nopony understood why an outpost existed in this place at all.

Until now.

Beyond the dilapidated structures of the ancient station, peering into the whiteout storm, massive light shone forth from the distance. And it sure wasn't the sun.

"Come on." Cadence said, passing behind him, "Auntie Tia said I have to get to the Crystal Empire and spread love and light to keep King Sombra from taking it back into his power." She said. Shining put on his visor.

"Well then, there isn't a moment to lose." He said as the train doors parted, letting in the cold and storm. They made haste crossing the barren, frozen wastes. After the empire vanished, the engineers could only guess where to place the station. To their credit, they were only off by a couple miles. Both going into a steady canter, it felt like a couple dozen miles into the bitter wind.

The sun had fallen below the horizon. Considering the situation, he'd hoped Celestia would've given them an extra hour or two of sunlight. But as she'd say, 'Rules are rules.' And it would be kind of hypocrytical of her after Luna asked for extra moon time. The cold intensified in the sun's absence. A murky black cloud began to manifest on the eastern horizon. It was growing larger, moving fast, and against the wind.

"That's not good..." Shining said. They were closing on the outskirts of the empire. He saw green, it was... grass? Could this mission get any stranger? As though tempting fate, a roar came from behind them.

"Crystals!"

"Okay, that is definitely NOT GOOD!" Shining yelled. "Cadie! Go!" Both ponies felt the cold air burning their lungs as they went into a dead sprint. He was expecting a unicorn king to fight, not this monster! His eyes watered in the wind, freezing against his cheeks. They were both running flat out, but the shadowy monster behind them loomed larger and closer with every passing second, moving with unnatural speed. It was mere yards behind them, tendrils of soot began to reach out as they dove over the border. "NOW!"

Cadence's horn flared a brilliant bluish-white, as an invisible wall rose up, surrounding the whole of the empire. The enormous figure of smoke rebuffed off the unyielding barrier. It tried a couple more times to entreat entrance before retreating back into the white of the storm.

Shining and Cadence were cut off. No plan, no backup, and no exit strategy. Lying panting on the grass, Shining was beginning to rethink his wish for action. Cadence's tears thawed and flowed freely as she tried to recover on her patch of grass as well. But her magic didn't falter. She would need him now, more than ever. It was going to be a long twenty two hours. Tomorrow, he would make for the outpost station to escort Twilight and her friends.

If they even make it through the night that is...
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight exited the train at the very same station the next day.

"Twilight!" A familiar voice called out from the storm.

"Shining Armor?" Twilight called back.

"Twilie, you made it!" He said, running up and hugging her tightly. He had missed her even more than he had realized. "We'd better get moving. There are things out here that we really don't want to run into after dark." He said. Twilight could see a look a genuine terror in his eyes. It was the kind of look that said, "I've seen some shit, Twilie. I've seen some shit."

"What kind of things?" Fluttershy asked.

"Let's just say that the empire isn't the only thing that's returned." He said grimly. He led the way as the group made its way into the frozen north. "Something keeps trying to get in!" He called back to the ponies behind him. "We think it's the unicorn king who originally cursed the place."

"But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the empire. If King Sombra can't get in, then it must already be protected." Twilight argued. Dusk shrouded the land. A fell howl came over the wind.

"That's one of the things isn't it?!" Fluttershy cried out.

"We have to get to the crystal empire, NOW!" Shining commanded.

Sombra materialized behind the group, closer and faster this time. He would not make the same mistake twice. Shining snatched up Spike out of his catatonic state and they all started running for it. The empire was in sight, but Sombra was closing fast. Too fast. They weren't going to make it this time.

"Almost there..." He needed to buy them some time. He turned about, making a stand. All he had ever asked of his life, was that his death be for something, not of something. The girls made good their escape. Sombra slowed his pursuit, facing the brazen stallion. He would not be denied his return by a mere unicorn. Shining reared up.

For Twilight.

A beam of magic shot from his horn at the imposing figure. It did naught against the ethereal being. Shining stood his ground. Sombra dove in for the attack. Shining tried to call for his magic shield...

The stallion tumbled through the shield moments after the others. Twilight rushed to his side.

"Oh no! Shining Armor! Your horn!" She cried. Shining had been a split second too slow on the draw this time. Sombra hadn't power enough to kill the former captain outright, merely cripple him. Shining could no longer use his magic shield to aid Cadence. Shining didn't say it, but she could read it in his face. 'I've made a huge mistake.'

After escorting the ponies to the Crystal Castle, he and the group rejoined with Cadence.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked Cadence.

"Cadence had been able to use her magic to spread love and light." Shining explained. "That seems to be what is protecting it. But she hasn't slept, barely eats. I want to help her, but my protection spell has been countered by King Sombra."

"It's alright Shining Armor. I'm fine." Cadence interjected.

"She's NOT fine." Shining continued. "She can't go on like this forever. And if her magic were to fade, well, you saw what's out there waiting for that to happen."

"That's why we're here." Twilight said.

"Why we're all here." Applejack added.

"Well, with Cadence putting all of her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the crystal ponies. But we have to believe that one of them knows how to protect the empire without having to use Cadence's magic."

"A research paper! That must be a part of my test. To gather information from the crystal ponies and deliver it to you!" Twilight said to Shining "This is going to be great! I love research papers! Don't worry big brother, I am really good at this sort of thing." She put her hoof around him, giving him a reassuring hug.

Shining watched as Twilight and her friends went off to 'save the day' again. It was all Cadence could do to barely stay upright on the crystal throne. It pained him to see his wife in such a state with no way to help her beyond holding her hoof.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Some time later, Twilight and Spike returned with a large book.

"A Crystal Fair." Twilight read aloud from the book to them. "According to this book, it was established by their first queen and became their most important tradition. The fair was held every year to 'renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm. My friends and I could put it together. Everything we need to know is in the book."

"That sounds pretty promising." Shining said. He glanced at his wife. She couldn't even keep her eyes open any more. Twilight understood what was at stake.

"We'll get started on it right away." She said. "Come on, Spike. We've got a crystal fair to put together!"
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Cadence?" Shining Armor whispered into her ear. "Cadence, can you hear me?" She stirred a bit from her trance. "Twilight's back Cadie! They did it! The put together the Crystal Fair! We need to go out on the balcony so it can start." Her eyes listed open, barely awake. He helped her up to her hooves. It would be over soon, and then she could rest. They followed Twilight out onto the balcony.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Twilight shouted to the city below. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor do cordially invite you to attend the Crystal Fair!" Ponies below began to fill the streets. Twilight smiled to Shining and Cadence before running off down to street level to oversee the festivities.

Things were looking up. The crystal ponies were happy, looking like their old selves, The shield was holding... for now. Shining allowed himself the luxury of hope. We might just pull this off! But just minutes after the fair had started, Twilight and her friend Rainbow Dash came rushing back up to the castle.

"I think we may have a problem." Twilight started off. Oh, not good. "It's about the crystal heart. I didn't know it was an actual relic. The book didn't mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart." Twilight gasped, "There was a page missing! How did I not notice?!"

"It's alright, Twilight..." Cadence's last words before slipping unconscious, falling into Shining's hooves.

"Twilie!" Shining cried out. The shield around the empire faltered and crumbled, exposing the city to the arctic. A howl echoed across the snowy land as inky smoke and shadow surrounded, and began to close in on the city. "The empire is under attack!" Shining helped Cadence back to her hooves. She could see the enemy approaching. She steeled her resolve, and redoubled her efforts. She reengaged her protection spell forcing the king back behind the shield. "I have to find the Crystal Heart!"

"No! You stay here with Cadence. She needs you, Shining Armor." Twilight said as she started off for the exit once more. "I'll retrieve the heart!"

Shining caught sight of her on the street from the balcony, calling out to her, "Twilie, be careful."

"I will." was all she said before running out of sight once more.

Minutes crept by like hours. Cadence was fading fast in his hooves. The shield spell she clung to flickered in and out. Soon it would be no more a defense than tissue paper. Shining didn't know what he would do if Twilight failed. He didn't know how King Sombra operated as the monarch. But the fear he felt in his presence, and on the faces of the crystal ponies who spoke of him, it was terrifying. He feared for Twilight and her friends. He feared for himself. He feared for his poor wife Cadence.

He had seen enough in the service to know that there are indeed many fates worse than death. He couldn't bear to imagine what kind of tortured existence would befall Cadence in her weakened state. Shining swore he wouldn't let that happen to her. He held her close to his chest, hiding the horror at the borders from her view while he considered his options. Peering over the balcony, he made a grim decision. If it came down to it, he wouldn't let them be captured alive. It would be a quick way out. He would throw her first, then he would jump after, meeting her in the hereafter.

Twilight's friends joined them on the balcony, trying to get away from the panicked mob below. Applejack tried to placate them with a skill she was not well versed in: fibbing.

"Now don't y'all worry yer pretty little crystal heads, the real Crystal Heart will be here any second."

"I don't know if they believe you." Rarity whispered.

"I don't know if I believe me." Applejack whispered back.

Cadence gave her last ounce of strength. The final trickle of her magic left her horn, before fading out to dark. The facade of the shield fizzled and vanished, revealing the true threat just beyond.

"Hey! Up here!" Spike shouted from high above. "I've got the Crystal Heart!" Sombra charged towards the castle, riding a spear of jagged, deadly crystal. Spike lost his footing and tumbled over the edge of the precipice.

Shining watched as the last sliver of hope hurtled toward the ground. It was all over. All was lost. He wouldn't let his wife or himself be taken for slaves or worse. They would die now, together. He lifted Cadence and threw her over the edge of the balcony. He started climbing up on the railing. He would jump after, and hopefully the others would be brave enough to follow suit. "Goodbye cruel worl- oh, wait, never mind, she caught the heart and saved the day. That works too I guess." Shining climbed back down from the railing.

Back in Canterlot, Celestia and Luna watched as the northern sky lit up with the ethereal colors, hailing the success of the mission. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. It was getting time for her to retire. She had to be up early tomorrow. Up with the sun. Just like every other day.

Luna stayed, watching over her night sky, as was her duty to do so. It had been so long since the Crystal Fair lights had accented her nocturnal tapestry. She would enjoy tonight immensely.

Cadence flew back up to the balcony. He ran over and hugged her tightly. He was very pleased that she was not dead. That was when he noticed that she, along with every other pony in the empire, including himself, had become crystalline! Shiny, sparkling, lustrous crystal ponies!

"Wow! That was brilliant!" Cadence said. "I would never have been able to have that kind of take-off speed on my own! Way to think on your hooves!" Shining blushed at the compliment, undeserved as it was. He decided it would be best to take the secret of his true intentions with him to the grave. The ponies below cheered for Cadence.

"Victory party?" Pinkie suggested. Cadence gulped nervously at the idea.

"Actually, after everything, I'm really quite tired." She said. "I think I'll just have a bit to eat and lay down for a while."

"I'll come with you." Shining said.

"Shining, please. I'll be fine. I just need to rest a bit. You go on and enjoy Pinkie's... victory party." Cadence said as she left the group to go retire of the evening.

Pinkie Pie began bouncing away to go throw, what Shining could only assume would be, the biggest party the empire had ever witnessed. The others followed, leaving Shining alone on the balcony.

FLASH

with Twilight.

Once the balcony had cleared, she had teleported down to the balcony from the towers upper level. Before he could say a word, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered.

"I've found some great hidden passages in this castle that nopony else knows about." She punctuated the implication as she started to nibble on his ear. "Come on. This way." She said. Nothing like a near-death experience to really show you your true priorities.

Shining did a quick double-take, checking over his shoulder and around him for anypony that might have been watching. Nothing. He started after Twilight, openly ogling her now. He'd follow that flank into the gates of Tartarus. Which was convenient, since he was sure that was where he would be going after what he was about to do with his sister.

Even so, he couldn't keep the grin from his face.
________________________________________

Shining could barely keep pace with his sister. She had been wanting this even more than he did it seemed. Her rapid hoofsteps echoed against the empty halls. The entire castle was utterly vacant. Everypony was out in the streets celebrating. And Cadence was in the royal chambers in the far end of the castle. It mattered little though. After being awake for two days straight, that mare could sleep through a hurricane.

The strange architecture of the castle seemed to not make any sense. Some halls seemed to go on forever. Others twisted and circled back around on themselves. And there were so, so many DAMN stairs! Shining was getting impatient. He had nearly caught up with her and was about ready to just tackle her and rut right there in the stairwell.

"Twi, how much further do we need to-"

"Here! It's just through here!" She called back over her shoulder. They had been heading downward for so long he feared that she had led him to some kind of kinky dungeon chamber. She threw open the door, forcing Shining to shield his eyes from the brilliant white light from the other side. He stepped through. They were outside? But how? More so, they were at the top of the spire!

"This... is..." Shining tried to speak.

"I know, impossible right?" Twilight said, grinning like a fool. "If Pinkie Pie has taught me anything, it's to not ask too many questions."

Shining peered over the edge. Indeed they were in the highest point, he could see the whole of the empire from up here. The bright colors emanated from an indiscernible point just over their heads. The origin point was a brilliant white point of light not unlike the sun's. Shining felt her hooves on his face, pulling it to hers. He felt her begin to kiss him deeply. He didn't hesitate to return the sentiment. Their tongues danced together before she finally broke the kiss.

"As soon as the Heart was activated, this whole place lit up. It was so magical. I knew this was where I wanted it to happen." She said as she pushed him down onto his back, crawling on top of him.

"Wanted what to happen?" Shining asked dumbly. She began to kiss him again, rubbing her leg between his, coaxing Little Shiny out of his sheath. She reached down with her hoof, running it along his length. He had a pretty good idea about 'what' exactly it was she wanted to happen. But he wanted to hear her say it.

She looked down between them, admiring his stallionhood, as she gracefully handled it. She brought her other leg around to straddle his waist, pinning Little Shiny under her at the medial ring. She rocked her hips back and forth, sliding her marehood along it, getting it slick with her wetness. Her juices glistened in the light. Despite their crystalline appearance, her body was just as supple and warm as he remembered.

"Twilie?" He was loving what she was doing to him, but he'd be damned if he was going to let his question go unanswered. She was almost in a hypnotic state, grinding herself along the textured surface of his stiff rod. "Wanted what to happen?" He asked her again, gaining her attention. She answered with shimmying up his body for another sultry kiss. She whispered in his ear.

"This is where I wanted you to finally have me." She felt his penis throb even harder at her taboo words. "This is where I wanted you to take me." She continued, spurring him on. "This is where I want you to take my virginity."

Okay, THAT one got his attention.

"Your... your..."

"You heard me." She said, sliding a bit more up his length until the tip rested at her entrance. This was it, the moment she had been waiting for.

"You mean, this whole time, you never-?"

"No." I was always waiting for the right stallion."

"Like who?"

"Somepony like you." She said, pushing back a bit, causing her marehood to spread apart around his broad tip. Just a bit more pressure and he would be inside her. Another inch backwards and she would be deflowered.

"Twilie, this, uh, this might hurt a bit." Shining warned. While he was no 'Big Mac' (if the rumors were to be believed), he was still a good deal above average. And if this really was her first time, he didn't want to hurt her. And he certainly wanted to make sure it was special for her. He leaned his head back, looking at the whole of the empire sprawled out upside down under him. Considering their locale, it didn't get much more special than this.

Twilight would not be denied her desire. She wanted him NOW. She wouldn't wait another second, pain be damned. She felt her entrance spread around his girth as she backed onto him. She felt his mushroomed head slip inside her love tunnel.

Shining braced himself. He was grateful that he had rubbed one out the previous day, or else he was certain he would have came right then and there. He expected a 'pop' or even a tear, but she took the next couple inches of him inside her without so much as showing a grimace on her face. His medial ring vanished inside her, and soon after, the rest of his well-lubricated dick sunk home.

Her supple ass rested on his hips. He was greeted with a rare view. He could actually see himself inside her. He could see the entire length of his cock filling her inside through her translucent crystalline skin. It was both strange and incredibly arousing. She sat atop him, smiling down at him with a smug grin.

"I- I thought you said you were a virgin." He said, confused.

"I am." Twilight answered. She looked down at her belly, seeing her brother's cock inside her. She rubbed the bulge he was poking out of her tummy. "Or rather, I was." She said with a smirk, rocking her hips, grinding her swollen clit against his pubic bone.

"But what about your-"

"Oh, you mean my hymen?" She giggled, causing her muscles to tremble around his sensitive staff. "That was broken a while ago." She said. He arched his eyebrow. "At the Brohoof Bash. Remember?"

Shining's mind flashed back to the events of that day, where she accidentally fell on his head in the pool, causing his horn to penetrate her for a moment.

"Why do you think I ran off to the fillies room after that? It hurt. And when I saw the blood, I thought you had actually stabbed me until I had figured out what had happened." She blushed. "So I guess you get to take my virginity twice." She lifted herself up and back down again, watching her brother go in and out of her. She had studied plenty of pony anatomy in books. But now they were like a living cut-section diagram. It was getting her incredibly hot.

Shining watched as well, but at the same time had to keep closing his eyes, concentrating on not blowing too soon. This was Twilight, it was her first time, and he wanted to make sure he gave her a good ride before going off. She sure wasn't making it easy on him. She rode him like a seasoned expert. If she was indeed a virgin, how did she ever learn how to do those moves?

"You like that? I've been practicing on that special something I got from The Crop." She answered his unasked question. "I've got to say though, I much prefer the real thinggggGGG OOOohh!" She was not expecting to cum so quickly. But the idea of fucking her own brother had turned her on so much. And she had waited so long for this very moment.

Shining felt her powerful pussy walls clamp down on him as her juices gushed out around him, soaking them both. She lurched forward, grabbing his mane and kissing him hungrily, savagely. She was a mare possessed! Her lust had completely taken over her mind.

The aftershocks of her orgasm rippled through her body and onto him in a series of pulsating contractions, trying to milk his cock, sucking him in deeper. He grabbed her flanks and bucked his hips up into her. He'd be damned if he was going to let his sister save the day AND be the dominant one here and now. She was almost insatiable. The harder he bucked up into her, the harder she slammed her hips back down on him. Each time they collided, it was accompanied by wet, slapping sounds of hot sex.

"Twi- Twilie- I'm, I'm gonna-" Shining barely grunted. He pushed her off of him to get her to stop so he could pull out. But her horn flared to life, pinning him down in a purple aura. Her hips became a blur of movement on top of him, until she felt his head flare inside of her, a sign of the inevitable. She slammed down one final time, burying him deep inside her. Her second orgasm rocked her body, putting Little Shiny in a vice grip. Shining could only look on helplessly as he exploded inside his sisters vagina, throbbing, gushing rope after rope of semen inside her.

The steady stream of colorful light above them was interrupted by an energetic blast of a prismatic light ring radiated out away from the top of the spire. It mirrored the feeling Twilight had of the explosion inside her. The feeling of him pouring his hot seed into her was immensely satisfying to her. It was the sensation she had craved all this time. The one she couldn't simulate with mere toys or magic. It was the real thing at last, after so long. It was really him, and he was hers at last.

Shining could see the mass of white seeping further into her fertile body. He felt the magic binding him to the floor release as she collapsed on top of him, panting in sated pleasure. She refused to move off of him, but spent now, Little Shiny retreated out of his sister and back into its sheath. Shining could feel more of... him, spilling from her. He could only hope that all of it exited. But what was done was done. And there was no use crying over spilled... seed.

After some time of quiet snuggling, the noise of the party below began to subside. Shining rose to his hooves, lifting his sister with his magic. He left behind their mess, hoping this place was as hard to find as she described. His navigation skills were put to the test, but he remembered the way back through the castle.

He brought Twilight to one of the guest rooms. She was sleeping comfortably in the magical embrace of the one she trusted more than any other pony. Laying her in bed, he tried as best as he could to focus his magic on scooping out the rest of... himself from her. She moaned a bit in pleasure in her sleep at the sensation of his magic along her insides. He levitated the amorphous white blob to the toilet, flushing the evidence. Still, no method was 100% effective. But he had done the best he could in light of the circumstances.

He headed down the hallway to check on his wife. It had been so easy, earlier, to forget that he was even married, let alone that his wife wasn't feeling well. He felt guilty about that. Still, she was right where he expected her to be, out cold in bed with a dirty plate on the nightstand from her meal. Three actually. Though, Shining decided he wouldn't start worrying until Twilight was the one who suddenly started gaining weight. He laid down beside Cadence. He had gotten to be quite tired as well.
______________________________________

The next morning, Shining and Cadence walked the Twilight and her friends back to the train station. The anatomical effect of the crystal heart spell had worn off during the night. The empire was still quite safe, but the ponies were no longer crystalline, much to Rarity's chagrin.

"Everything's going to be okay now." Shining reassured Twilight. She had been so worried about the test that Celestia had assigned her, she had overlooked the salvation of the whole empire. "You've got to stop saving my rump like this. It's starting to get embarrassing."

"It wasn't me who saved you in the end. It was Spike." Twilight despaired. Celestia had specifically told her that she had to be the one to save them.

"It's just a test. Maybe she'll let you retake it." Shining offered, somewhat in jest. Cadence jabbed him with her wing. She did not find it as funny as he had in his mind.

"I don't think she's gonna give me a new test." Twilight said, before bidding him farewell, in a totally innocent, platonic fashion.

On board the train, a panic washed over her. Considering what she had just done last night, she would have to go to the Ponyville apothecary for an entirely different kind of 'test'.

The Most Dangerous Game

The royal sisters waited in the throne room. The younger paced in a small circle around the other.

"I just don't understand why we don't just go there right away and do it ourselves!" Luna huffed impatiently at her sister. They had already dispatched Cadence and Shining to the Crystal Empire to hold the fort temporarily until a permanent solution could be found.

"I have every confidence that Twilight and her friends will be able to save the Crystal Empire." Celestia said in a calm, even tone.

"Can't you use something else for Twilight's test? Perhaps a task that doesn't put all of Equestria in peril? You are gambling with ponies' lives!" Luna beseeched.

"It is not a gamble if you know you are going to win. I do not play dice with the world." She answered, stoic as always. That really got Luna's goat.

"So certain are you? Fine, be that way! Why don't you put your bits where your mouth is then?" Luna provoked. Celestia arched an eyebrow. Luna was pleased. She was on the verge of getting her older sister to express an emotion. "I bet she'll fail without at least one of us to help." An attack on the competence of her protege was a sure way to be a stick in her craw. Celestia took the bait.

"I know Twilight will succeed. There is too much at stake to sully the seriousness of this crisis with an immature bet!" Celestia scolded. Luna tried another angle.

"Well, sure she'll succeed with her brother and Cadence helping. Not to mention the rest of the elements going with her as well. Gosh Tia, why not just send all of the Canterlot militia too? Because there is no way she could do it herself."

"SHE COULD TOO!" Celestia barked back. Bingo. Luna had gotten her to actually raise her voice.

"Oh? What do you wager on that?" Luna asked. "What do you bet that she will succeed, and, as a Parlay, that she does it herself?"

"Fine." Celestia finally rose to her bait. "My chambermaid is in need of a long vacation anyway. If I win, you must take over her responsibilities, in addition to your own."

"And if I win, you have to be my servant, and do whatever I tell you." Luna said back with a smug grin. She offered her horn to her sister. Celestia tapped it with her own, 'shaking' on it, as it were, sealing the deal. Celestia grinned for a moment.

"I'm going to have to get a custom maid uniform made up for you." She said confidently.

"You'll have to have it let out when you find out that your plus-size posterior will have to be squeezing into it." Luna snapped back. She knew that Tia had always been self-conscious about her flank. "Perhaps if you didn't just sit on it all day. You should try getting out more, do some trotting."

"Well, I never! Speak for yourself Luna. I have never seen you work out. When was the last time you exercised?"

Luna looked out the window for a moment.

"Tia, do you know what the circumference of the moon is?"

Celestia shook her head.

"It's six thousand, seven hundred and eighty four miles. I know. Because I ran it in its entirety. Eleven thousand, six hundred and twenty one times. There wasn't much else to do for a thousand years after all."

Celestia lowered her head. Luna bit her tongue. She hadn't wanted to win this exchange with that guilt trip. Besides, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go as well?" Luna asked of her elder sister.

"Yes. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are already there. The others will be joining them soon." Celestia reassured her.

"The empire's magic is powerful. It can not fall again, my sister." Luna cautioned.

"She will succeed at her task. And when she does, we will know that she is that much closer to being ready."

"Ahem." Twilight interrupted from the doorway.

"Trust me, little sister." Celestia whispered to her. Luna made her way out of the throne room, leaving them alone.

"You wanted to see me? To give me a test?" Twilight asked, opening her bag. "I brought my own quills, and plenty of paper to show my work." Its contents spilled onto the floor. A roll of paper unraveling its way to Celestia's hooves. "Sorry! Sorry!" Celestia ignored her obsessive compulsive tendencies, re-rolling the paper.

"This is a different kind of test...." She began.

Luna waited outside the throne room for her sister to finish briefing Twilight.

"I have every confidence that you will succeed." Celestia said as she wrapped up her monologue. "And when you do, I'll know that you are ready to move on to the next level of your studies." The pair exited into the hall, joining Luna. Celestia's confidence in Twilight was not a sentiment that Luna shared and it showed on her doubtful face.

"But, what if I fail?" Twilight asked.

"You won't," Celestia reassured her.

"But, what if-" She was cut off again by Celestia's hoof on her shoulder.

"You won't. But Twilight, in the end, it must be you, and you alone, who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the empire. Do you understand?"

"Mmhmm." Twilight acknowledged.

"Then go. There is no time to lose!" Celestia said before shutting the door and sending Twilight on her quest.

"Was that really necessary?" Luna asked.

"What?" Celestia asked indignantly.

"In the end, it must be you, and you alone, who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the empire." Luna recited, mocking her sister's voice. "You might as well have just straight-up said, 'Twilight, I need you to do this task in a very specific, arbitrary way for no apparent reason. And definitely NOT because Luna and I have a bet on it.' Please!" Luna said, raising her hooves in a massive quotation gesture. "That's practically cheating!"

"Hmf!" Celestia turned her nose up. "The conditions were that she do it on her own. It didn't rule out her being specifically instructed to do so."

Luna narrowed her eyes. She had forgotten how much Tia thought like a twisted combination of a politician and a lawyer. "You're just exploiting a loophole!"

"Luna, you of all ponies should understand that you don't get to rule all of Equestria for millennia without knowing all of the angles." Celestia said with a playful smile.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

The next day, Spike saved the Crystal Empire.

Back in Canterlot, Celestia and Luna watched as the northern sky lit up with the ethereal colors, hailing the success of the mission. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. She bowed her horn to her sister, awaiting her acceptance of defeat. Luna hesitated for a moment, but returned the gesture. Time would tell if she succeeded with her parlay as well. It was getting time for Celestia to retire. She had to be up early tomorrow. Up with the sun. Just like every other day.

Luna stayed, watching over her night sky, as was her duty to do so. It had been so long since the Crystal Fair lights had accented her nocturnal tapestry. She would enjoy tonight immensely. The first couple of hours were peacful and serene until...

"Oh, Shining!"

The steady stream of colorful light from the northern horizon was interrupted by an energetic blast of a prismatic light ring radiated out across the sky. Luna was grateful that Celestia had gone too sleep. The burst of energy could only mean one thing.

It was time.
_____________
_____________

Twilight's semi triumphant return meant two things for Celestia the following evening. One, she had to get the stained glass window featuring Twilight saving the Crystal Empire replaced with one with Spike instead. And two...

"I went ahead and had the royal seamstress adjust it to your... ample dimensions." Luna said, throwing the maid uniform onto Celestia's bed with a smug grin. "Put it on." Celestia unceremoniously grabbed the outfit hastily started dressing herself in the very garments she had been expecting Luna to be wearing. "No, no." Luna stopped her. "Do it... do it slowly." Luna said as she reclined in the armchair. "I want to enjoy this."

Celestia narrowed her eyes at her. She couldn't believe that she had gotten herself talked into this. She couldn't believe Twilight had let her down even after she had specifically told her to do it herself. At the very least she could have lied about who saved the empire. "No, no." She thought to herself "I mustn't be encouraging dishonesty."

She finished dressing, finding that the ensemble had two fishnet stockings added to it. Celestia picked them up and looked at Luna. "Really?" Luna just nodded. Celestia hesitated for a moment, considering calling the whole thing off. But if she welshed on this bet now, she would never be able to talk Luna into any future bets that she would be able to rig properly.

Celestia slipped on the leggings one by one. They were an unnecessarily erotic addition to the outfit. And it certainly didn't help that the uniform was originally designed for a pony many times smaller than she was. The paltry amount of fabric barely covered her!

They had agreed to keep the activity limited to the west wing of the castle, which had since been cleared of guards. Fun and games though it may be, if any word of one of them dressed in such a way got out, it would be a scandal.

"This way." Luna said calmly, leading her scantily clad sister down the hall to her own bedroom. She opened the doors. "You may begin here." Luna said, motioning to the shelves beside her TV. "My WiiStation 360 games are in need of re-shelving." She said as she settled into her own armchair. Celestia looked at the games on the shelf. They were all in line and in alphabetical order.

"They seem to already be shelved." She said. The games came aglow in Luna's magic as she dumped them all on the floor in a heap. Celestia looked at her with an annoyed expression and levitated the game cartridges into the air and placed them all on the shelves in one deft motion.

Luna's blue magic aura knocked the games to the ground again. "NO!" Luna barked, swatting Celestia's exposed bottom with a riding crop. "That's cheating! Do it right!" Celestia whipped right around, glaring at Luna.

"Luna! What the hay is wrong with you!?" Celestia yelled.

"No using your magic." Luna said. "That would be too easy. My maid is an earth pony after all. And be sure to put the games back in alphabetical order this time."

"No! I mean what's with the damn whip!" She said, pointing at the crop Luna was still holding.

"Oh, this thing? Just a little something I picked up..." Luna brought the end of it to Tia's chin. "Just in case the help starts to talk back. But that won't be a problem now will it?"

"You're bucking with me right?"

"I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS HERE!" Luna yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Celestia sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Yes."

"Yes Mistress!" Luna corrected her. Celestia cocked a confused eyebrow. "You will refer to me as Mistress for the rest of the evening."

"Oh come on!"

*SMACK*

"OW! Okay okay, just stop hitting me with that!" She said looking at the little red mark on her alabaster backside. It was then that she noticed it was in the shape of a little heart.

"Now, you may resume your work." Luna instructed.

"Yes... mistress." Celestia groaned. Luna wore a wicked grin. It had been so long since she had done anything manually, it felt so strange to physically pick up the individual games and place them on the shelf. Behind her, Luna was reveling in the sight of her 'high and mighty' sister reduced to such degrading work. And the sight of her bending over for each individual game didn't hurt either. Luna pulled a throw blanket over herself, carefully slipping a hoof between her legs. She would enjoy this immensely indeed.

She needed little other encouragement, she was already quite wet from everything leading up to this. Her hoof slowly worked little circles on her marehood. Celestia was putting all the games that started with 'The' under T, but Luna didn't actually care anymore. The tight waistband pulled at Tia's hips, causing her flanks to flex with each trip to the floor. The ribbon bow on her tail kept the voluminous thing lifted up out of the way for Luna's viewing pleasure.

Luna shuddered by the time Tia got up to the M's. She bit her lip and stifled a moan from the small orgasm she's given herself. She had made sure earlier to spray the blanket with a heavy perfume to mask her arousal. She did her best to wipe her hoof on the underside of it. She could feel her wetness soaking into the chair. That little jolly she'd given herself had managed to take the edge off. But like any appetizer, it simultaneously left her wanting for more.

Luna stood up, walking behind her sister. She brought the crop to her flank and gently ran it down the side to her thigh.

"Eek!" Celestia jumped at the contact. "What are you-"

*THWAP* Luna gave her a light smack. "Be silent, slave!"

"I hope you don't actually treat the maids like this!" Celestia shuffled away from her sister's advances. Tia's words words were met with a firmer swat.

"I said be silent!" Luna smiled at her handiwork. Tia's flank was getting patterned with pink and red heart welts. She'd have a bit of trouble explaining those at her Day Court tomorrow. "Besides Tia, who is to say they don't like it?"

Celestia wasn't naive in the arena of love, nay far from it. She'd taken many lovers in her long years, though it had been some time as of late. She did have her eye on a certain somepony though. Regardless, she never did quite understand the whole concept of masochism. The idea never appealed to her. But she never had any issue with the tastes of other ponies. Different strokes for different folks, she'd always say. Celestia turned around to deal with Luna.

"Uh ah! I didn't say you could stop working." Luna said. Celestia was content with finishing cleaning once Luna left her flank alone. Then she felt Luna's hoof on her shoulder. "Hmm, is that sunflower shampoo I smell?"

"You know it is." Celestia deadpanned.

"You know it is... WHAT?"

*sigh* "You know it is... mistress."

"Hmm, are you a naughty maid?"

"No, mistress." Celestia tried to finish putting the rest of the games away before this got any weirder. She was taking her role-playing a little too seriously.

"Hmm, I think you are a naughty maid, wearing those sexy stockings to work."

"You made me wear these." Celestia said, but Luna ignored her.

"And that skimpy little uniform, with your big flank out for anypony to see. You're just asking for it. I bet you just get it from anypony and you don't even care because you're a dirty, naughty maid and that's how you like it."

"Your games have been re-shelved... mistress." Celestia interrupted Luna's monologue.

"Hmm? So they have. You may now make my bed then." Luna instructed. Celestia turned to the disheveled bed. Like the bookshelf, it looked as though she had intentionally made an extra-difficult mess of it. Still, it was a finite number of pieces of fabric. Even without her magic, it didn't take long for Celestia to get it back to looking neat and tidy.

"Oops. It looks like all my games have fallen from the shelves again." Luna said whimsically. Celestia grumbled. It was going to be a long night.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Back in Ponyville, Twilight paced in her bathroom. Two minutes. It takes two minutes. That's what it says on the box. The test kit waited on the edge of her counter. She paused her pacing to look at herself in the mirror. She turned herself sideways, putting a hoof to her belly.

It didn't look any bigger.

What would she do? What would she tell ponies? Would she lie? She'd have to. She'd have to tell Shining of course. But what about the Princess? Should she lie to her? Could she?

A minute passed.

She sat on the edge of her bathtub. The last two weeks had been torture. She knew she had to wait at least two weeks from after it happened for it to be accurate.

How could she have been so foalish? She mentally berated herself. She knew better than that. Nether of them were thinking clearly.

"Clearly." She muttered to herself. She looked up at the wall. The clock said it had been two minutes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She stood up and looked down at the test on the counter.

The result was clear and unmistakable.

"I'd better tell Shining."
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

"Twilight and her friends should be arriving shortly." Cadence called across the villa to Shining. He was in the living room doing his morning workout.

Ever since the attack on the Crystal Empire, he had turned over a new leaf for himself. He had quit drinking, and was back in top form. He needed to be ready for anything, what with disaster falling upon the world on a semi-regular basis since the return of Nightmare Moon. Plus, he wanted to keep himself looking good for the special mare in his life. He looked down the hallway to Cadence, brushing her mane in front of the bathroom mirror.

Well, the special mares in his life.

"I'm heading down to the spa to get my ceremonial headdress done." Cadence continued. "I told them that I would meet them there. I need you to go over to the Crystal Stadium and make an appearance for the competing athletes while I'm busy with the Games Inspector."

"You got it. I'll get them to double time it!" Shining said proudly.

"Now now. I just need you there in a ceremonial capacity. Just relax." Cadence demonstrated her relaxation technique, taking a deep breath and extending her hoof out from her chest as she exhaled, 'pushing' the stress away. She had been teaching it to Twilight as well. It was doing wonders for her anxiety issues. After Sombra was defeated, Twilight looked quite stress free. Glowing even.

"What that pony really needs is to get laid." Cadence thought to herself. "That poor girl is probably going to die a virgin."
_______________________________________________________________

"So then I said, 'What that pony really needs is to get laid." Cadence said to her hooficurist. She was just finishing giving the princess her pony-pedi, listening to her tell her story. She looked up at the candidness of the statement. It was quite low browed of the princess to make such a remark. But then, this was the spa, a place to relax. And even Princesses are just ponies like the rest of us at the end of the day.

"You really said that to him about his sister?" She asked in shock, putting the hoof file away. Cadence paused for a second.

"Well, no. Not really. But I thought it." Cadence said with smirk.

The door to the spa opened a few minutes later as Twilight and her friends walked inside. After a brief meet and greet, a messenger informed them that Miss Harshwhinny, the Equestria Games inspector, would be arriving on the next train, and not later that day.

"Okay. We'll be fine." Twilight said as they headed out the door back to the train station. "Everypony just be on the lookout for the pony with the flower-print luggage."

Cadence had barely a moment to wave farewell before Rarity practically tackled her into the mane styling chair. Thankfully, the first several steps of mane 'preparation' had already been accomplished by the scrupulous princess that morning as part of her routine mane maintenance.

Rarity threw out the lever of the chair. Cadence found herself on her back at the mercy of another pony much earlier that day then she had planned. A flurry of combs, hairpins and crystals whirled about her head as Rarity set to work. The spa was filled with the sound of a variety of power tools. Rarity blurred the line between an artist's tapestry and a construction site on the princess's head. However, some of the weaves and braids soon turned into snarls and knots. And the natural proclivity of Cadence's hair to curl wasn't helping matters.

"So, uh, how's it going so far?" Cadence asked, for lack of access to a mirror. Rarity pulled apart some of the mess, trying to backtrack a bit of her work. The result pulled on her hair a bit too much, causing Cadence's legs to jerk in pain.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just oh so complicated." Rarity laughed nervously. "I can fix it."

I can fix it

Four words anypony dreaded to hear at either the dentist, or this, the mane salon.

"Fix what?!" A frightened Cadence asked. Rarity dropped the variety of gems she had been levitating at the time as she ran off to review the instructions.

"Well, I, uh I was looking for shortcuts and I thought step twelve was optional." Rarity said, nervously passing a mirror to Cadence. "But it's not." Cadence looked at the rat's nest that was once her perfectly styled mane. Her eyes started to glisten, but she kept back the tears. Things were rapidly looking worse, and she was running out of backup plans. If she was going to pull a miracle out of her plot, she was going to have to stand up.

Rarity set back to work. She was going to have to make up for lost time. But first these snarls would have to come out. Short of cutting them out with scissors, the only alternative would be a conditioning rinse. Scissors would be faster, and Rarity could hide the damage for today, but her hair would look like a blind foal cut it for the rest of the time until it grew back in.
_________________________________________________________________

The crystal stadium was devoid of spectators, making it seem larger than it already was. The ponies who practiced in the field felt even smaller for it. A running track ran around the perimeter of a perfectly manicured lawn.

"Twilie!" Shining called out as he saw his sister approaching the field.

"Hello there." Twilight replied, walking down to him. "Shining Armor, you've got to help me-" Twilight was abruptly cut off as Shining blew the whistle to start the next run.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"I left the other ponies behind giving the games inspector the worst castle tour ever-"

"COME ON GANG! ARE WE GONNA GALLOP OR ARE WE GONNA TROT?!" Shining bellowed across the field. He turned back to Twilight. "A castle tour huh? I'm pretty sure I could give you a hoof with that."
"LET'S MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" He shouted again. He put a hoof on his sister's shoulder.
"Everything's going to be okay."

"I know. I'm not worried." Twilight said, coming to a stunning realization. "I'm not worried! It worked!" The doors were thrown open once more.

"Oh! Ah! I'm outside!" The yellow mustang said.

Twilight and Shining both looked up to see the games inspector running down to the field, onto the track and even passing the others. The rest of the welcoming committee followed, joining Twilight and her brother.

"What the?!" Shining looked on in confusion. "Watch it!" He yelled as she barreled through the other competitors, knocking them aside. With the games so close, he couldn't afford an injury, regardless of where they were hosted. "Make her- stop!"

"Wait! That's the games inspector. Let her do her thing." Rainbow Dash said.

"Why... would she do that?"

"I have no idea. But then that's why she's in charge of picking who gets the games and we're not." Dash tried to explain. The frantic running sent the pony out of the stadium off into pony-knows where. "Yeah. Okay. We need to stop her." Rainbow Dash flew after her.

Trailing not far behind, Shining watched as the earth pony literally gave Dash a run for her money for fastest pony in Equestria. Dash didn't quite succeed, but Fluttershy managed to stop her long enough for him to catch up to them.

"I just love to travel and see new places. Such a beautiful spot you got here too." She said.

"Why, thank you so much. I'm Shining Armor."

"Oh? The Prince."

"What's going on?" Twilight asked when she caught up to the group.

"By the looks of it, just locking up the games for the Crystal Empire is all." Dash said confidently. "Ain't no thang."

"My oh my. I've never met a prince before." She said.

"I'm surprised. I'd think in your line of work you'd meet princes all the time." Shining said.

"Hardly. Just an ordinary wild mustang from mustangia here to enjoy a little vay-cay. Never thought I'd also be meeting royalty to boot." She giggled flirtatiously, giving Shining's whistle a playful flick. The group looked at each other, confused.

"You are Miss Harshwinny, the Equestria Games Inspector, aren't you?" Twilight asked.

"Inspector of what now?" Miss Peachbottom said, even more confused.

"We got the wrong pony?" Dash asked very loudly, and right into Twilight's ear. Twilight began to hyperventilate. No amount of stress reduction was going to un-buck this mess.

"We've got to find her before Cadence finds out what a mess we've made of things." Twilight said.

"Okay, here's what we do; we split the empire up into five sectors. Each of us search a sector." Dash instructed.

"Well except for the spa. What's the point of checking there. Duh, that's where Cadence is. If Miss Harshwhinny is there, well, then, game over right?"
_________________________________________________________________

The door to the spa opened once more. Rarity had to come to grips with the reality that just because she was having a hair emergency, it didn't mean she could monopolize the entire spa. She had moved the princess behind a changing screen where she wouldn't disturb, or be disturbed by, the other spa patrons.

A bedraggled pony, twice splashed with muddy puddle water, stumbled inside. She was having the worst day in her recent memory. The Crystal Empire's Spa quickly gained notoriety by word of mouth of its specialized treatments and amenities that could be found only in that region.

Of particular note was the Crystal Mud Bath. It had the same properties as other mud baths in that it relaxed your muscles and rejuvinates your coat. What made it special was that the hydrophobic fluid did not adhere to fur. So when ponies stepped out, they needn't clean or towel themselves off.

Miss Harshwhinny settled into the spa chair. She'd been on her hooves all day and was aching for a hoof massage and pony pedi. The attendants at the spa quickly set to work putting her at ease. The entire time, she complained about what a rotten day she'd been having. It was something they were used to. Many ponies came to the spa to relax and unwind. And a lot of time, to vent.

Other ponies came in after her. Including a certain vacationing mustang with a similar flower-print bag. She laid down in the back massage chair. Unlike poor Miss Harshwhinny, she'd been having the best day of her life. And the massage she was now receiving was the icing on the cake. She couldn't understand how the upset pony beside her could have possibly been having such a bad time here.

"Why are you so upset anyway?" Miss Peachbottom asked her. In the chair next to her, Miss Harshwhinny had just received a couple of cucumber slices for her eyes.

"Every city and empire wants to host the Equestria Games! So I have to go through all the big phony bologna song and dance. Though of course I'm never getting the real inside scoop." Harshwhinny said.

"Oh, golly I've been having a swell time since I got here. I'm actually thinking of extending my stay!"

"And what exactly has made your visit so 'special'?" She asked, skeptically.

"Oh gosh, where to start?!"
____________________________________________________________

Shining Armor dismissed the athletes to hit the showers. With everything that was happening, getting a few runners to push themselves a little harder took some perspective. He double-timed it across the city toward the spa. Outpacing the entire group during PT was a bit more challenging now that he looked back on it. He was no young cadet anymore.

The sweat poured off him. He drank the rest of his third sports bottle. But then another matter began to become a pressing issue. He was going to have to use the little colts room as soon as possible. The doors to the spa flew open as Shining darted inside. Miss Peachbottom was face down in the massage table, regaling Miss Harshwhinny with the story of her day. "... and let me tell you," She whispered out of range of his hearing, "that prince, hmm, I'd like to ride him into the sunset!"

Her position on the table afforded him a generous view of her hindquarters. Mustangia knew how to breed 'em right it seemed. It had been some time since anypony had flirted with him as aggressively as she had. He couldn't tell if the stirring in his loins was from the thought of rutting her senseless right then and there, and showing her EXACTLY what this prince could do, or from his pressing need to go.

Shining ducked into the colts room to relieve himself. It became quite easy to aim as he gained extension from the thought of the mare in the next room. She'd seemed so enraptured with him, he could probably talk her into anything. He wondered if Cadence might be open to the idea of bringing another mare into the bedroom. He looked down to find that he had begun to idly stroke himself. Almost on autopilot, he locked the door and started to beat off more aggressively.

Maybe not Cadence, but Twilight might be open to it. Hell, she already knew that she has to share him with Cadence. He clopped faster as he thought about her riding his cock while Twilight sat on his face and he licked her senseless. All the while, the two of them making out on top of him. Just thinking of Twilight making out with another mare while he ate her pussy made him want to-

"HHHnggg!" Shining grunted as the first couple loads shot straight up, before landing on the floor. He managed to get the rest in the bowl. He quickly cleaned up the mess he made and flushed. Now that he had gotten that out of his system, he needed to go talk to Cadence.

Shining headed back out into the spa. Miss Peachbottom was still going on about the welcome she had mistakenly received. He walked behind the changing screen where Rarity was wrist deep in his wife. In her mane that is. She was trying to get it to hold in a certain way but was not having success.

"Cadence, I need to tell you something." He said. Before the princess could even respond, Rarity addressed him.

"Oh, Shining, I'm glad you're here. I could use another unicorn's help." Rarity said. "I need you to come over here and hold this part like... is that- is that hair gel?" She said, motioning to him. Shining just looked at her like she was crazy. She reached over with her hoof, taking a glob of white goo from his ear. "Good, because I could really use some." Shining was speechless as he watched Twilight's friend rub his semen into his wife's hair. To her credit though, it sure did the trick of holding the hair perfectly in place. "Ah, Fantastic!" Rarity said. "That was just what I needed. She's ready! You'll have to give me more of that later."

Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts.

Cadence got up from the chair and walked out with Rarity into the spa. Shining was frozen in place behind the screen from what he'd just witnessed. The door to the spa opened as the rest of Rarity's friends came in.

"Wonderful news!" She said to everypony. "Look! Princess Cadence, better than new!"

"Princess Cadence?" Miss Harshwhinny said, sitting up with a start. "So this is where you've been! I'll have you know that this is by far the worst welcome I've had in all my years!"

"I can't believe it." Cadence said. "What was wrong with your welcome?"

"There wasn't one!"

"What's going on?" Cadence demanded of the group.

"Princess, we gave our welcome to the wrong pony." Rainbow Dash said. "I wanted so badly to help the Crystal Empire win the chance to host the games, but it looks like I ruined your chances instead."

"Not so fast speedy." Miss Peachbottom said.

"I just finished hearing about how this pony was just treated to the warmest, funnest, most fabulous reception she'd ever had!" Harshwhinny said.

"Darn toot'n" Peachbottom added.

"Courtesy of these fine ponies right here." Harshwhinny motioned to Twilight and her friends. "Which, in my expert opinion, amounts to the first ever, unvarnished, unrehearsed and unbiased appraisal of a potential host of the Equestria Games. Which can only mean one thing: the next host for the Equestria Games will be the Crystal Empire."

"Why, thank you so much! I'll make the announcement right away!" Cadence said.

"Well, actually Princess, if it could wait a bit, I was just about to get a mud mask before I realized you were here. It has been quite a stressful day." Miss Harshwhinny said, settling back into the spa chair.

"Yes of course. Please, you can all help yourselves to the spa services. It's all complementary." Cadence said.

If anypony could use some relaxation after today's stress, it was Twilight. She made a bee line for the vacant mud bath and slipped into its soothing embrace. She reclined back, closing her eyes. An attendant came by, giving her a couple cucumber slices.

"Would you like a hoof massage Rainbow Dash?" Rarity suggested.

"Nah. Spas aren't really my thing. I think I'm gonna go look around the city a bit more instead."

"Hmm, suit yourself." Rarity said, reclining back in a massage chair beside Fluttershy's.

"Hey AJ, do you wanna come get another cinnamon bun with me?" Pinkie asked.

"Actually I am a might hungry. That sounds swell!"

"Hey."

Twilight looked up, lifting one of her cucumber slices. Shining Armor slipped into the mud bath beside her.

"Oh, Shining," Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper, "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Shh. It can wait." He said as he put his hoof in her lap, unseen beneath the opaque mud's surface. Twilight immediately understood his intent.

"Right here?" She whispered.

"How good is your poker face?" He asked, spreading her legs, working his way between them as he started rubbing sofly against her submerged marehood. Twilight glanced over her shoulder. Rarity and Fluttershy were right there in the very same room. Twilight turned back and tried to look straight ahead, keeping her expression unreadable. His hoof sure wasn't making it easy though.

Hmm, right there Shiny. Twilight thought. You know just how to turn my crank. She went to put her slices back on when another pony came over to the tub.

"Good work today." Cadence said from the edge of the tub. Shining paused, but couldn't remove his hoof from her marehood without making it obvious what he was doing. She climbed into the mud, sitting on the opposite side of Shining. "Ah, this really is good isn't it?" She asked. Shining agreed.

Twilight expected Shining to stop what he was doing. But he started playing with her pussy once more. She looked over at him and he winked at her. Other ponies in the room was risky enough, but there was another pony right there in the tub with them. His wife no less! If Twilight gave off any sign of what was going on, the jig would be up.

Shining for his part looked like he didn't even have a care in the world, just staring out the window like it was no big deal. Sure, it was easy for him. He didn't have some pony working him over under the mud. Twilight chewed her lip.

Beneath the surface, Shining felt a hoof on his leg. He thought it was Twilight at first. But it was on the wrong side. He looked over at Cadence. She just winked at him. Her hoof moved to start toying with his sheath. His ability to remain calm was really put to the test as he had to keep his work on Twilight steady so as to not rouse her suspicion either now! His hoof full of Twilight had already had him quite excited. It didn't take much for Cadie to coax Little Shiny out into the warm mud. Shining slumped a little lower to keep himself from breaching the surface. Cadence had taken quite a risk initiating this. She'd half expected him to push her away, especially with his sister right there. But he was just sitting there, taking it, playing right along.

Twilight's legs clamped down on Shining's hoof as she grit her teeth, stifling a moan as her climax washed over her. Shining's hoof stiffened and twitched, trying to get free, causing her orgasm to be prolonged as he continued to inadvertently stimulate her so.

It wasn't his fault. Cadence was giving him one of the best hoof jobs of his life. Plus the added excitement of the whole situation, there was no way he would be able to last long. She felt his member swell and twitch in her hoof, spurting his load into the muddy mixture. Shining's whole body stiffened and twitched, trying to suppress expression of his outburst. Including his hoof between his sister's clamped thighs.

Cadence winked at him and laid back in the tub, closing her eyes, never knowing she'd helped the siblings to a shared orgasm. Twilight practically passed out herself, in complete disbelief that he was brazen enough to do that right next to Cadence. Shining just sat there between them, the only one completely in the know. It was the most erotic thing he'd ever experienced. It was as close to a threesome as he'd ever known.

Cadence smiled softly as she rested her head on the towel. She was quite pleased with herself. The love spell she'd cast on Shining lowered his inhibitions, keeping him from objecting. Though she was somewhat crestfallen that he didn't reciprocate. She'd tailored the spell to fill him with the desire to get her off with his hoof. "Oh well." She thought. He must have been too distracted thinking about Twilight right there.

The More Things Change

Shining! Shining, wake up!

Shining Armor stirred in his bed. It was too early to be awake.

"Shining! Wake up!" Came the voice from downstairs. His mom.

"No!" He yelled back. "I don't want to go to school today." He pulled the covers back up and rolled over.

"Good morning." Twilight said beside him.

"GAH!"

"Shh!" Twilight hushed him. "Mom and dad will hear!"

"What are you doing in my bed!?" He asked. Instead of answering, Twilight simply vanished beneath the covers. In an instant, he felt her lips on his morning wood. She wasted no time in taking his head into her warm mouth as she began to fellate him with gusto. He tried to stop her, but after a second he no longer cared that it was his sister doing it, it just felt so damn good. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed her work.

Shinning heard hooves coming up the stairs.

"Twilie, stop! Mom's coming!" He said in a hushed whisper.

"Hmm," She hummed on his dick in her mouth. "She won't be the only one." She said before taking him even deeper in her throat. She slipped a hoof between her legs, clopping herself furiously, making wet noises with her sopping marehood.

It was too late to kick her out now. Shining pulled the covers up, covering her completely, doing his best to keep her movements hidden. The natural lumps in the blankets hid her presence.

"Shining, get up!" His mom yelled.

"I am up!" He yelled back, trying to halt her advance.

"Hmm, don't I know it!" Twilight purred under the covers.

"Be quiet!"

"I made breakfast! Hurry up before it gets cold!" She called up from the staircase. Shining could barely hear her. Twilight began to roll his balls softly in her hoof. She felt them tighten up as the head of his cock began to flare and twitch.

"I'm CUMMING!" Shining blurted out, as he gushed into his sister's mouth.

"I'm glad to hear it." His mom said from the doorway, giving him a stern glare. Shining looked up in horror. "Gosh dear, you look flushed. Are you not feeling well?" She said in a very cross tone.

"Gah, ah, uh I can explain!" Shining stammered.

"Oh really now?" She said. "Because I would love an explanation for this!" She pointed at the large hill in the blankets of another pony. "For pony's sake it reeks in here!" She said, making a face. Indeed, the whole room stank of sex and heated arousal. "Alright now, out with it! Who do you have under there!"

Shining felt the blood vacate his face, leaving his once flushed expression a whiter shade of pale. Twilight poked her head out from under the covers.

"Hi." Twilight waved, her mouth still smeared with his seed.

"Wha- TWILIGHT!? Wha- what is this! What the hay is wrong with you two!!!" Their mother screamed.

"Oh come on mom! It not like this is even a big deal! I'm already pregnant with his foal!" She said, pulling back the covers to reveal her distended belly.

"AND YOU GOT HER PREGNANT!?!?!" The windows began to rattle. "Well, you know what this means then!" Shining suddenly got the feeling that this meant he was going to be taken away in shackles by guards to the gelding clinic. He watched his mom unzip her... fur? Her coat fell away as a pink pony jumped out of the costume. "A party!"
___________________________________________________________________

Shining wake up!

Shining opened his eyes. He wasn't on the bed. He was on the floor. He was back in the Crystal Palace. Cadence had announced that the Crystal Empire would be hosting the games. Twilight pulled him away to go someplace private. He thought he'd be getting some more Twilight action, but it turned out otherwise.

"Oh Twilie," He groaned, getting up. His head throbbed. "I guess I took a little spill." He steadied himself. "Heh, I had the weirdest dream that you were pregnant."

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Twilight said. "I'm pregnant." Shining couldn't believe it.

"Uh, could you say that again? I think I had something crazy in my ear."

"Shining, I'm pregnant with your foal." She repeated. The room started to spin.

Oh buck, here comes the floor.

Shining awoke in his bed. Twilight was sitting beside him in the chair. He opened his mouth to speak.

"No. It wasn't a dream." She cut him off. "Just, stay in bed for this. Lay down before you fall down again." Shining flopped back on the pillow. It hurt to move his head that fast, pillow or not. He put his hooves to his temples. She had already been wrapped in bandage. "Yeah, I already took care of that for you." She said. He just stared at the ceiling for a minute. It felt like it was getting lower, the walls were getting closer, everything was closing in on him. He started to hyperventilate.

"Come on Shining." She said, holding his hoof. "Don't panic on me now. I need you." He looked down at the purple hoof wrapped around his. It helped.

"What are we going to do?" He asked at last.

"Well, that's what we're here to talk about." She said, moving from the chair, sitting beside him on the edge of the bed.

"What are you going to tell mom? What am I gonna tell Cadence? What are we going to tell the Princess?" He rattled off.

"Pretty much anything but the truth. I'll just say it was somepony else." She said.

"Who?"

"I... don't know. I'll just say I had too much cider one night and made some poor decisions I later regretted." She said.

"Well... I guess that would be mostly true."

"Hey," She lifted his chin with her hoof. "I don't regret it. I just wish you hadn't cum inside me." She said with a smirk.

"How can you be so glib about that? This is serious! And besides, I tried to pull out but you held me in!" He said.

"I'm not being glib. And besides, It's not my fault that you gave me such an amazing orgasm that I didn't want to let you out just yet. You should have kept yourself from cumming for a little longer."

"With how tight and sexy you are? No, that would have been impossible. Anyway, you were on top. You kind of had me pinned down."

"Okay, so I guess it's both our faults." She said, waving a diplomatic hoof.

"Yeah-but-it's-still-mostly-yours." He retorted melodramatically.

"Can we focus?!" She said, silencing him. Both of them. They sat there for a moment in the relative quiet. Outside, the noise of the crowd's celebration for getting the games was still in full swing. Inside, each waited for the other to voice a solution to their dilemma.

"So... adoption?" He said.

"Okay- you're thinking way too far ahead. I mean what do we do now?"

"Yeah, just say you got drunk. It'll be okay I guess. I mean, mom and dad will be mad for a little while but they'll still love you. I'll still love you." He punctuated the statement with a kiss. She kissed him back, deeper. "And I promise I'll be the best damn fath- er, I mean uncle ever!" Twilight sighed. It was never going to be normal for them. Even if they managed to get everything to work out, they were never going to be able to be the open, loving couple they desired.

"Ugh. Stupid rules. Stupid laws. Who says? Who says we can't be together? Who made that law?" She groaned.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Princess Celestia." He said. "She is the law." he recited from the academy.

"Well she's wrong!" She snapped. "I just- I just wish we could just...run away. Just run off somewhere where nopony would know us or find us and we could just be happy. Just the two of us." She started to cry.

"Twi, I- we can't just do that." He said. "I'm a prince now. I've got a whole empire to be responsible for. And Cadence too. And you... you're an Element of Harmony!" He looked at her with all seriousness. "Ponies like us can not just disappear." Twilight wiped her eyes. She knew he was right. Of course he was right. She looked over at him.

"Yeah but, if we weren't, you know, special, you'd go with me?"

"You'll always be special to me." He said.

"You know what I mean."

"In half a heartbeat." He said.

She hugged him.

He hugged her back harder.

"It's gonna be okay." He said.

There, in his strong hooves, she wanted to believe him.

She really did.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Twilight had taken the train back from the Crystal Empire. As soon as they got home, Spike decided to take one of his seven-hour bubble baths. Twilight had been home less than an hour when she received a special delivery from the Princess.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

The spell contained on the last page of this book is Starswirl the Bearded's secret, unfinished masterpiece. He was never able to get it right, and thus abandoned it. I believe that you are the only pony who could understand and rewrite it.

- Princess Celestia

Twilight cast the spell, but nothing seemed to happen. The spell itself didn't make any sense. It didn't even rhyme. Besides, she had more important things to worry about at the time. She put the book away, and went to bed. She had an early appointment with the doctor. The first one available in fact.
__________________________________________________________________

The next morning, she left before the sun had even risen, leaving Spike at home to sleep. At the hospital, sitting in the waiting room was torturous. Thankfully, being the first patient of his day, the doctor was actually punctual in receiving her, lending some brevity to her torture.

The nurse had already taken her blood for analysis. They saw it fit to move her from the large, comfortable waiting room to the small, unnecessarily cold waiting room with the paper covered exam table. The OB/GYN exam room walls were adorned with colorful diagrams showing the development of a foal in utero. Twilight looked down at her belly as she rubbed it with her hooves. It had been less than three weeks since she had had sex with her brother. She wouldn't even be showing yet, and she knew it perfectly well. Still she couldn't help but run her hoof over her tummy.

A few moments later Dr. Horse knocked on the door, letting himself in with a slight limp. He was not a very sociable pony, nor looked as such either, with his constant five o'clock shadow, but he was the best at what he did, and that was diagnostic medicine. But this was a much less serious encounter. Patient: Ms. Sparkle, though the first of his day, was just the latest in a string of clinic patients he was required to see to fill his clinic hours that week. He, like the other mare in the exam room, just wanted this encounter to be as mercifully brief as possible.

"Alright Ms. Sparkle, your lab results came back and-"

"And I know, I'm pregnant." Twilight interrupted, producing the take-home test she had used, showing the positive result.

"Ah, I see." He said.

"So, what do you suggest?" She asked. Dr. Horse took the test kit and looked at the back of it.

"Ms. Sparkle, when it comes to something as important as this, I suggest spending the extra two bits, and to not buy Flim Flam brand." He said throwing the kit in the trash. Twilight looked at him with a confused expression. He opted to just fill in the blanks for her.

"Ms. Sparkle, you're not pregnant."

Twilight ran home. Everything was going to be fine! She ran as fast as her hooves could carry her. Never had she heard such good news before! She finally understood why those stallions would dance after getting a negative paternity result on daytime TV, and why Pinkie Pie was sometimes overcome with the urge to sing. She threw open the door to her library home and ran upstairs to the highest window she could and threw it open.

"Morning in Ponyville shimmers!
Morning in Ponyville Shiiines!
And I know for absolute certain,
that everything is certainly fine!"

At least, everything was fine until she found out that she had accidentally switched all of her friends cutie marks and, consequently, their destinies.

"Why don't you just cast the same spell four more times and get them all back to where they started?" Spike suggested. He was so adorable when he tried to be helpful. The idea actually made a lot of sense. But Twilight remembered her mentor's wise words: 'Disregard logic, acquire friendship.'

"Oh Spike, don't be silly. That would be taking the easy way out." Twilight said. "No, we must solve this problem in such a way that it takes exactly twenty two minutes."

"That... seems incredibly arbitrary." Spike said.

"Twenty. Two. Minutes." She repeated, poking him in the chest. She headed out the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" He shouted.

"To solve this problem!" She shouted back. "With another musical number."
..........

Twilight's efforts finally culminated in a full-on singing parade as all the unemployed denizens on Ponyville lined the street as they had nothing better to do that day. At the end, Twilight and her friends gathered together for a group hug.

A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled.

"Wait a second, that's it! I understand now! I know how to fix the spell! From all of us together, together we are friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end." Twilight recited as she penned the final line into Starswirl's book.

Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony came alight, as the five around her emitted beams of magic into her. In a flash, she vanished. The blast knocked everypony unconscious.

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked. The others screamed in realization. Twilight had been vaporized leaving naught but a scorched mark on the floor.

"OH MA GOSH WE KILLED HER!" Applejack panicked!

"Now wait just a minute!" Rarity interrupted. "Just what is this 'we' business! Don't drag me into this mess! I'm getting out of here this instant!"

"Why? So you can be the first one to rat us out to the cops?" Rainbow Dash said, blocking the exit. "I don't think so!"

The gravity of the situation was completely lost on Pinkie Pie who kept walking laps about the house saying "Marco... Marco... Marco." to no answer. Fluttershy, meanwhile was curled up in a ball in the corner.

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening. It's just a bad dream..."

"Now everypony just CALM DOWN!" Applejack shouted. "Now look, panicking isn't going to help anypony. We need to get our stories straight for when the cops show up."

"Applejack, you can't be serious!" Rarity cried.

"As serious as Apple Cancer!" She said.

"Um, Applejack?" Fluttershy said, "I'm not a doctor, but I don't think that's actually a-"

"Now see here. There ain't no body. And besides us, there are no witnesses. So here's the deal: We were never here! Got it?" Applejack said.

"Applejack, I can't believe you'd be the first pony of us to suggest lying!" Rainbow Dash said.

"T'ain't somethin' I like doing. But I can't just let the farm go to rot while I await a trial for high treason! This is just how it has to be."

"But Twilight is gone! And there's a big scorch mark!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, RD, I ain't one for understandin' magic. But as far as I can see it, she dun blew herself up with a crazy spell. I was at my farm." She lied with a straight face. "And y'all were at yer homes as well. Nopony saw nothin. And we take it to the grave." She said firmly.

"I... I don't know. I don't feel right about this." Fluttershy cried.

"T'ain't nothin to feel right about! But it ain't gonna do us any good for us all to be going to the dungeon for something none of us had any control over. None of us meant for this to happen did we?" She looked around the room as everypony agreed. "Now come on, we need to get out of here before anypony else sees us." Fluttershy started to break down as they left the library, out into the night. "C'mon now sugercube. There will be a time and a place for that lat-"

BOOM

Outside, the group looked up as an enormous image of Twilight's cutie mark appeared in the sky.

"AHHH! It's the rapture!" Fluttershy screamed. The symbol lowered to the ground, shrinking in size but just as bright as it ever was, brighter even. It turned into a brilliant ball of white light as it touched the ground. As the light faded, a familiar silhouette appeared in its place.

"It's a ghost!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"It's a changeling!" Fluttershy cried.
"It's a zombie! Cut its head off!" Pinkie screamed.

"Twilight?" Applejack peered from behind her shielding hoof. "Is that you?" The figure stood, opening her wings. "I've never seen anything like it." Applejack said, getting closer.

"HA! Twilight's got wings! Awesome! A new flying buddy!" Rainbow Dash said once she realized there was no danger.

"Why, you've become an Alicorn! I didn't even know that was possible!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Alicorn Party!" Pinkie yelled as she swung in by the top of the screen.

"Wow, you look just like a princess!" Fluttershy said.

"That's because she is a princess." Celestia said, lofting down from the air.

"But what do I do now?" Twilight asked. "Is there a book about being a princess I should read?"

"There will be time for all of that later." Celestia said.

"Does this mean I get to have a magic, moving mane?" Twi asked.

"Does Cadence look like she has a magic mane?" Tia answered. Twilight just shook her head. "Well there you go, sport. But enough of that. Let's all go back to Canterlot Castle. Tomorrow is a big day."
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Shining Armor hastily finished packing his bag. He and Cadence had gotten the message shortly after dusk. They were to both be in Canterlot for tomorrow morning's ultra formal event. The details were omitted. But it was clear that they both needed to be there in their very best attire. "What about you?" He asked Cadence.

"I can't take the train to Canterlot tonight." She said. "I need to have my mane done up with the Crystal Princess Traditional hairstyle. I'll have to take the early morning express six hours after you. I'll still be there in time. Just let the Princesses know for me."

"I will." Shining said, kissing her goodbye as he rushed out the door to the station for Canterlot.
___________________________________________________________________________

Twilight, her friends, and her parents had already settled into their guest rooms in the castle. The bed chambers for distinguished guests were all in the same hall, just down from Celestia's royal suite.

Twilight's was closest, kept on reserve for her frequent visits. Beside hers was the chamber reserved for Princess Cadence. And now, also her husband, Shining Armor. Past hers was the first interchangeable accommodations for Twilight's parents. And beyond them was the rest of Twilight's friends in a large, multi-bedroom suite.

Luna passed by Celestia as she headed up to her tower, overlooking the city darkness. "Rest, my sister. As always, I will guard the night." Celestia headed down the hall to her royal chambers. She knocked on Cadence's door, pushing it open.

"Ah, Captain- I mean, Prince Armor," Celestia greeted, "is your lovely wife about?" She asked, noticing the absence of both the princess and her things.

"Oh, uh yes, she's running a little late. She has to get her mane done for the... event, tomorrow. But she told me to pass along her assurances to you that she would absolutely be here on time in the morning."

"Ah, very well. I know she is a mare of her word." Celestia said, closing the door and moving on. She visited Twilight next. As she suspected, the poor mare was pacing about her room. "Twilight, what's troubling you?" She asked.

"Hmm, oh, nothing really. I'm just anxious about tomorrow." She said, her wings nervously on edge.

"Twilight, come, listen." Celestia said as she settled on the the rug, inviting Twilight beside her. "I want you to remember this: You are here now, not because of the path that lies before you, but because of the path that lies behind you. Think on the challenges you have encountered and overcome in your time since you lived in Ponyville. Then remember how small tomorrow is in comparison."

"Is that how you keep calm?" Twilight asked from under Celestia's wrapped wing.

"Oh yes. I've quite the lifetime of challenges to look to for inspiration and strength. And with the frequency that the world has been in peril lately, these other matters tend to get the volume turned down, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, I guess they do." Twilight said, as her own wings began to relax.

"There now. Why don't you get some rest. Your whole family is here to see you tomorrow." Celestia added for some good news. She rose from the floor and headed for the door as Twilight got into bed. Twilight already knew her parents were staying in the castle.

"Shining and Cadence are here already?" She asked.

"Cadence has been a bit delayed. But she will be arriving in the morning. Now get some rest you." Celestia said, turning out the light and closing the door.

Twilight sat in the darkness for several anxious minutes. The clock on the wall said that only she and Luna would still be awake now. She climbed out of bed and opened her door a crack. The hallway was empty. Two guards occupied the only way in, guarding a large door, out of sight around the corner of her friends' suite. She snuck out into the hallway, silently closing her door behind her. Her socks made a whisper of her hooves on the marble floor. She checked around her one last time quickly before pushing open the door the the room beside hers.

The curtains had been drawn, keeping out the light of the city. But the layout of the room was nearly identical to hers. Once her eyes adjusted enough, she was able to make her way over to the bed. She could clearly make out the form of the stallion under the covers. It was like she was a filly all over again, watching him while he slept. She pulled back the covers a bit. Sure enough, he was already at half-mast in his sleep. Barely able to contain her excitement, she climbed in beside him. Half asleep, he instinctively draped his hoof over her body, running it through her wing's feathers.

"Hmm, I thought you weren't going to be here until the morning." He murmured. Twilight realized that he must have thought she was Cadence. She decided to have a bit of fun with it. She wiggled her hips a bit and flagged her tail, rubbing her marehood against the underside of his shaft, causing it to quickly become more turgid. "Hmm, I'm glad you're here now." He whispered. He ground against her a bit, sliding his hoof down her belly to her slit, growing wet with excitement.

As he began to tease her pussy, she reached back and started to softly stroke his member, getting him fully hard. Shining shimmied down the bed, his cock slipping out of her grasp. Under the sheets, he rolled her onto her back and settled his head in between her thighs. Twilight chewed her upper lips as she felt her brother begin to lick her lower ones.

Shining wasn't about to squander his chance at some pussy. She'd been quite cold for some time, harboring what he assumed was unspoken resentment of his time with the changeling queen. He never spoke of what happened during that time. He couldn't remember most of it. But maybe it would be better than letting Cadence's imagination assume the worst. Her little surprise of giving him a hoof job in the crystal mud bath was a sign at last of things turning around. And now this!

He couldn't help but think that there was something different about her tonight. She even tasted a bit differently than he remembered. Maybe she used a different body wash. Lavender perhaps? His wandering thoughts were extinguished as he redoubled his efforts on her.

Twilight, meanwhile, was in heaven. She hadn't had anypony go down on her since that last time with him on the wedding day, despite a few thinly veiled offers from her one, openly bisexual friend. Shining, however was clearly practiced at the art. Cadence was a lucky mare, she thought. He reached up along her sides, playing with her wings spread out under her. Stars above! She hadn't realized that her wings could be an erogenous zone. But he sure knew. He knew just the right way to play with them without overstimulating her. It was the perfect way to augment the sensation his tongue was giving her while he ground his snout into her swollen love nub.

Shining humped against the mattress as he worked. He knew the rules. First he had to get her off, then he would be allowed to. He was soon rewarded for his work as he felt her thighs clamp him against her as her climax overtook her. It took every ounce of Twilight's will to keep herself from crying out. She felt her pussy quiver against his mouth as little spurts of her marecum soaked his face and sheets.

Finally releasing his head from between her strong legs, she rolled onto her belly, wiggling her rump at him. In the darkness he felt her tail enticing him. He crawled up behind her, on top of her form. She finally felt his cock brush against her pussy. She was so ready, so excited, she couldn't wait. His head grazed against her slit, sliding under her, pinned between her and the mattress, the veiny ridges slid against her clit as he bucked under her. Feeling his shaft sliding along the outside of her certainly had its charm, but she wanted the real thing.

Shining did as he had been instructed. As part of his probation, Cadence had refused to partake in vaginal intercourse. When they were intimate, he was to go down on her, then he may rut under her and ejaculate into the sheet. He hated that she used sex as a weapon like that, but now was not the time to get on her bad side.

Twilight was confused. Sure, the silk sheets were certainly not the worst thing to rut against, but she'd expected him to enter her several strokes ago. She feared he was still half asleep and unable to notice. She couldn't use her magic without creating too much light. She reached under herself with her hoof and took hold of him, guiding him back up to her wanton entrance.

Shining couldn't believe his luck. Tonight was the night she would let him back in! He was ecstatic. His head slid along her slit until it finally found purchase in her love tunnel. He pushed into her, stretching her open. It must have been longer than he thought. She was at least as tight as he remembered his sister being. The very thought of her caused his rod to jerk and swell even more, stretching her to her limit.

Even though they had done it before, it was still intensely exciting for Twilight. She got up off the mattress, onto he knees and backed against him with each buck, causing him to slam into her even harder. It also caused the frame of the old bed to squeak in a telltale rhythm, the headboard banging against the wall. She felt his head begin to flare inside her. He was getting close. Their bodies slapped together with wet smacks each thrust. Shining tried to ease off, but she just bucked against him harder.

"Ngh! Shh! My parents will hear us!" He said, feeling his climax coming on soon. He started to pull out. The light of magic from her horn nearly blinded him in the dark, grasping his body and holding it firmly against her.

"Let them!" Twilight said.

"Twilie?" Shining froze up. His orgasm was past the point of no return, letting loose a torrent of cum inside his sister. Her muscles flexed and squeezed him, magnifying the intensity. His cock swelled and throbbed, pumping hard long after he had any sperm left to give.

KNOCK KNOCK

Shining froze, still buried to the hilt inside Twilight as she hid under the covers. The door opened a little bit as the mare poked her head in, intentionally not looking in his particular direction.

"Shining Armor!" Their mom scolded. "I know that you two are married, and it's not that your father and I don't... appreciate your efforts to give us a grandfoal. But if we can hear you, then your sister can too! You're going to end up giving her a complex listening to her brother... getting busy! So please, if you must, at least keep it down!"

...

"Sorry mom." Shining apologized. He felt Twilight's pussy muscles tremor as she stifled a giggle.

"Goodnight." His mom said, closing the door. Once she was gone, Twilight let her giggle out a bit.

"That was close." He said. He started to pull out of her.

"No, please, stay inside me a bit longer." She begged. He couldn't argue with that request. He pushed back into her, a bit of him leaking out now that he wasn't quite so rock hard.

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter since you're already pregnant." He sighed.

"Oh! Yeah." Twilight said suddenly. "That's what I meant to tell you. I'm not pregnant!"

"But what about-"

"It was a false positive."

"Oh, well... whoa WAIT! I just came inside you!" He panicked, trying to pull away again. Again, she held him firmly inside her. "What? you want to take that gamble twice?"

"No, it's okay. I'm off my cycle. I'm not in heat." She said. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

"Not in heat? Sheesh, you could have fooled me with the way you were a minute ago." He said. His fatigue finally caught up with him as he fell back on top of her into her feathers. "SO, wings!?"

"Oh, just noticed did you? She said.

"Well the fear of knocking up my own sister in the seat of Equestrian government kinda made them take a back seat. So, what, are they a spell?"

"Not really no. They're real." She said.

"But how?"

"It's kind of a long story. And not really one I want to tell right now." She said with a yawn. "Just... hold me." She rolled onto her side with him behind her, still inside her. He wrapped his hoof around her and puller her close to him. She fell asleep in his strong hooves. A silent tear left his closed eyes.

Perhaps even more than the sex, he longed to just sleep beside her. Share a bed for the night, holding her close. Shortly after her, sleep took him as well.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Cadence hadn't any time to sleep herself. Her stylist set to work getting her mane in order in the wee hours of the morning. She and Cadence's hoofmaiden both accompanied her on the train to Canterlot in case she had a mid-transit mane emergency. The moon began to lower as they disembarked the train at Canterlot Station. Once she set hoof inside the castle, she was able to relax. She made it, hair intact.

She knew the way to her room by heart. The day shift guards had clocked in, bowing as she passed. Nearing her room, she passed by Luna, who was on her way to wake her sister.

"Ah, Cadence. Are you as excited as we for Princess Twilight's Coronation?" Luna asked.

"Coronation?" Cadence asked, confused.

"Oh, forgive us. We were not aware of the extent to which Tia had wanted this to be a surprise. She tells us precious little when it come to these matters." Luna said. " But yes, Twilight has gained her wings, as you had gained your horn. Her coronation is this day. That is why you are here."

"Oh."

"If you will excuse us, as much as well love the night, we must go get our sister to rise, so that she may make the sun do so as well." She said, walking past her. Cadence walked down the hall and opened the door to her room. She stepped inside quietly, to let Shining sleep. She likewise put down her bag in silence.

"HhMmm."

Cadence's ears perked up. It sounded like a mare stirring in her sleep. Slivers of light crept through the blackout curtains as the sun rose outside. There was clearly two ponies in the bed. Shining had his back to her. She moved over to the edge of the bed, lightly pulling back the covers a bit.

"Oh."

The other pony was Twilight. A little strange but not shocking. Perhaps she had a bad dream like old times. Or maybe she was nervous about her big day. Or she just stayed up too late, catching up with him and just slept where she fell. They were both clearly still in a deep sleep.

"Let's get a look at those wings." Cadence thought, pulling the blankets further back. Cadence gasped and nearly fell backwards in shock. Not at the wings on Twilight, but the fact that her tail had been pulled up and Shining was still buried nearly to the hilt inside her! That's when the stink of sex hit her. The bed reeked of their dirty deed. The sheets were stained a familiar color from his spilled seed around their coupling.

Cadence didn't know what to do. She wanted to run away. She wanted to scream. She wanted to smack him, both of them, senseless. She stood up, accidentally brushing against the curtain, letting in a bit more light. Her horn came to life, almost on its own, and something changed. With the blanket covering their shame once more, she saw them differently. The love magic that her horn exuded had let her see, not her husband and her sister in-law, no. Not even siblings. She saw the scene with clear objectivity.

She saw a mare and a stallion sleeping peacefully together after a night of lovemaking. They looked... happy. He looked like, she had gotten him to glow. It was beautiful. Her horn faded and the moment passed. The reality of the situation came flooding back. She needed to deal with this, but not now. She looked around the room quickly. She grabbed her bag and hid it in the walk-in closet. Then she walked in after it, closing the door behind her.

Through the slats, she used her magic to throw open the curtains just enough to cause the light to shine on Twilight's face. The pony awoke to the dawn pouring in. She woke up with a start, realizing that his wife could be showing up at any moment. She pulled herself away from him as he slipped out of her with an audible 'plop'. She smiled, pulling the covers back over him and kissed him. Still mostly asleep, he kissed her back. "Love you Twilie." He mumbled and rolled back over, resuming his snoring.

"I love you too BBBFF." She said before making herself scarce.

Cadence waited in the closet for a few minutes after Twilight had left the room. She was awash with emotions. Jealousy. Betrayal. Disgust even. She stepped out into the room, placing her bag where she had before. She would have to have a talk with him once today was over. She took a deep breath, and put on her 'everything-is-fine' face.

She walked over to the door and opened it. And then closed it again, loudly. Shining stirred awake. Cadence pulled the curtains open fully.

"Good morning!" She said. Shining looked over at her. His hair was a mess. "Rise and Shining!"

"Never gets old." He muttered, sitting up. The absence of Twilight upon his member had seen it fit for Little Shiny to retreat into its sheath at last. Shining climbed out of bed.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"You know I didn't." She said, motioning to her perfectly styled coiffure.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. Everything is fine." Cadence smiled. "Lets get you dressed."

Princess Celestia personally oversaw the preparations of the Great Hall. Everything was in place, including Princess Luna, nursing a mug of coffee on the stage.

"If you spill any of that on your dress it'll be your plot." Celestia warned.

"Well, if we had held this little soiree at night, instead of during the day, AFTER I just finished a twelve hour shift, I wouldn't need this!" Luna said. "And you would be singing a different tune. But 'nooo'. Everything important has to happen during the day."

"I will have you know that the Grand Galloping Gala happens at night." Tia retorted. "This little soiree, as you deign to call it, is our ticket to some time off. With Cadence and Twilight handling all the major threats lately we could practically retire. Especially if Twilight truly is the Progenitor. After all, with her here, I needn't have to save Equestria any more."

"Ah. Yes. That is what I need after being on the moon for a thousand years. More down time. I do recall some murmurs about the last time you did try to be the hero. Against a certain changeling queen? Way to drop the ball in Equestria's time of need."

"You know nothing! You were not even there. Where were you anyway?"

"Sleeping, sister." Luna raised the mug to her lips a final time, finishing the coffee. "Again, if we had held that event at night... you'd be singing a different tune."

"Be quiet. It's about to begin." Celestia hushed.

"Shining, come on! We're going to be late! Cadence yelled through the door.

"I'll be right there!" Shining yelled back. "I can't get my uniform right. You go on ahead, I'll join you there in a minute."

Cadence shrugged in frustration and hurried out. Her attendance was not optional. In the bathroom, Shining struggled to finish. The whole day was all about Twilight. Twilight this, Twilight that. Twilight cutie mark banners everywhere. It was all too much. Everything was triggering his memory of last night. He couldn't get into his form-fitting uniform with such a raging erection.

"Ugh! Why now of all times!"

He couldn't fit it to tuck it inside. Nor could he just waltz into the Great Hall with Little Shiny out for everypony to see up on stage. He started clopping quickly.

"Gotta make this fast!"

Cadence and Twilight's Ponyville friends took their place on the stage. The other attendants filled the seats of the hall.

"We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion!" Celestia began to speak to the crowd. Luna simply stood beside her in her silent role looking miffed. "My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things since she's lived in Ponyville. She even helped reunite me with my sister, Princess Luna."

Luna looked up at her sister as her name was mentioned. She couldn't help but smile at the bit of public recognition. At least now the populous outside of Ponyville could know her as something other than 'Celestia's sister.'

"But today, Twilight Sparkle did something extraordinary." Celestia continued.

"Last night." Luna corrected under her breath. Celestia ignored her.

"She created new magic. Proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest Princess. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Aaand here we go." Luna mentally complained.

Twilight entered the room, walking up to the front, past her parents, who were crying tears of joy. But she was hurt to see that Shining was nowhere to be found. His space between Cadence and Applejack was conspicuously vacant. "Oh well." Twilight sighed, keeping in step with her choir entourage. "The show must go on."

"NGH Ngh ngh!" Shining spurted his load, and he quickly cleaned up as best he could.

The Princess Twilight cometh. Behold, behold.

"Oh horse apples! The music's started!" He rushed out of the room, down the hall to the ceremony. By the time he got there Twilight was already out on the balcony addressing the ponies in the streets.

"Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria." Twilight finished her speech.

"There you are!" Cadence said, catching sight of him. "You practically missed the whole thing! Come on!"

"Twilight!" He called out to his sister. "I'm so proud of you!" He embraced her in a hug. Twilight felt something sticky from his hoof get into her mane. She recognized his familiar musk.

She whispered in his ear, "Did you just get jizz in my hair?"

"Of course not." He lied. "It's, it's Liquid Pride. Totally different thing."
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Back in their room after the ceremony, Cadence sat Shining down in his chair.

"We need to talk." She said.

Even married less than a year, Shining had been in a relationship long enough to know that those four words were never a good sign.

The More They Stay the Same.

Author's Note

Pinkie Pie stared out of her window into the night, down at the flickering city lights of Canterlot. Something had been troubling her terribly since they had left Ponyville. Perhaps it was that her travel bags were so light. Had she forgotten something? As she stared straight out of the screen at the reader, she finally realized what it was, muttering nervously to herself,
"We've left canon behind..."

The More They Stay the Same.

After attending Twilight Sparkle's Princess Coronation, Cadence and Shining Armor stayed in their reserved suite at the castle. Shining was ready to settle down after an exhausting day. Cadence was already on day two of no sleep. After walking inside, Cadence closed the door behind her and sat Shining down in his chair.

"We need to talk." She said. Shining had been married long enough to know that those four words were never a good sign.

*Sigh* "What did I do now?" He asked.

"I think the more important question is who." She said.

"Who?"

"Yes, 'who'. Now that we are done doing our impression of owls, we need to talk about who you did now." Shining locked up. He had the right to remain silent. He knew anything he said can and would be used against him.

Admit nothing. The burden of proof lies on the prosecution.

"I know about you and Twilight. I saw you together this morning." She said.

"Like... at the coronation?" He tried.

"No. Like literally together. In bed. With your dick still inside her!" She said bluntly. Shining tried to speak, but any argument he had in his mind fell flat. It wasn't like he could just say that she slipped, fell and landed on his dick, now could he? No, his ass wasn't talking his way out of this one. She'd caught him red hoofed. The web of lies he'd built was like a house of cards that he kept building taller with each lie, each deceit. A delicate house of cards he'd worried about constantly, losing sleep over. And now Cadence came in like a wrecking ball as it all started to crumble before his eyes. What was he supposed to say? What could he say?

"How long?" She asked.

"How long what?" He asked back.

"How long has this been going on?" She asked. "With you two."

"That... is a very complicated question, with a very long answer." He said solemnly.

"Then get started. Before us?" She asked.

"Sort of."

"And during us." She added.

"Sort of.

"I'm not liking these answers." She said.

"To be fair, I don't particularly care for these questions either."

"I am your wife! I think I'm entitled!" Her voice rose.

"You want answers?"

"I want the truth!" She shouted. He looked at her. She looked at him. She looked hurt. He'd deceived her. He was completely in the wrong and had no right to get defensive. She deserved to know the truth and he damn well knew it.

"Okay." He started. "Okay. I think you can handle it. Please," He offered her a seat. "I guess it really all started when Twilight was much younger. I didn't know about it until later on when I found her diary..."
_________________________________________________________________________

Next door, Twilight struggled to keep her wings down long enough to get comfortable in bed. She tossed and turned, pulling the sheets up and kicking them off in frustration. Suddenly her window opened as Luna glided in from the night sky. Twilight scrambled to get to her hooves, but was still tangled in the sheet she'd wrapped around herself. From her saddlebag, Luna pulled two familiar looking notebooks. Twilight's diaries.

"We need to talk." Luna said. Twilight recognized the books immediately. The realization caused her to turn stark white. "Ah, now I see the family resemblance." Luna remarked of Twilight's newly pale complexion.

"I- I can explain!" Twilight blurted.

"That won't be necessary. The situation is quite clear to me." Luna said flipping through the pages. "You, however do not fully know what is going on. Mostly because she's been controlling you this whole time."

"Who?"

"Princess Celestia. Her hoof has been guiding your path your entire life. Even before she discovered you at her School for Gifted Unicorns. She had created that school specifically to find you, or rather a unicorn with your raw ability. Her success in manipulating you would have been complete if it were not for Discord."

"What do you mean?"

"Discord triggered your suspicion of your memory being tampered with, as he had done so to the others. But in doing so, you uncovered the feelings for your brother that she had buried."

"At my request, as I recall."

"Oh, I'm sure that's how you 'remember' it." Luna said. "Celestia has been making every effort to keep you two apart. Do you think it was a coincidence that Cadence was sent to your house to foalsit you? She's a construct. Sent to try control your brother's love. You said it yourself, 'What other pony can just spread love wherever they go'?"

"Wait, what do you mean, a 'construct'?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Princess Cadence was never born. She was made. She's a fabrication of Celestia's magic. She's a pony of flesh and blood, yes. She has her own mind, body, and... if you like... soul. Why do you think you've never met her parents? Alicorns don't just fall out of the blue yonder."

"But... but why? Why do all this?"

"Because you are an Element of Harmony! What you don't understand is that the trinkets your friends wear about their neck and on your tiara are merely a tool. A focus. YOU embody the spirit of the Elements you represent. The magic of the Elements are powered by love."

"When Celestia and I controlled them, they were powered by Familial, the Love of family members, as sisters. You and your friends power them with Philia, the platonic Love of Friendship. She had created Cadence to control them with Eros, the romantic Love between ponies. Cadence was able to tap into that, using her power with you brother to save Canterlot on the day of their wedding."

"So what does that have to do with me now?"

"Twilight, do you not understand? You are romantically in love with your Big Brother, Best Friend Forever. You control the power of the Elements with all three loves! You are the Triumvirate! The last time this happened, it nearly brought about the end of our race!"

"Ponykind?"

"No Twilight, Alicorns. We were not always just us two. We were once as populous and thriving as Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorn alike and we were no more special. We were simply winged unicorns. But when Discord came to power, Celestia and I sought out the Elements to defeat him with our Familial love. As bearers of the Elements, we were heralded as heroes, given a coronation as Princesses, the sibling rulers of Equestria. But our position of power came with isolation, and heavy did lie the crown. As we became more insular, we turned to each other for companionship, and... more."

"You were lovers?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, we were." She said wistfully. "We were each other's best friend, lover and sister. It was then that we discovered the Triumvirate of the Elements. It gave us our immortality and province over the heavens. Our apotheosis in the eyes of our subjects made us deities. But our ascension came with a heavy cost."

"What do you mean?"

"The rest of the winged unicorns began to change from a mysterious plague. Tens of thousands of ponies! Some lost their horn to rot, others lost their wings to gangrene, most lost both. What few were spared, including us, were struck sterile. Tia and I watched as the last generation of Alicorns died off, until only we, she and I, remained. We were immortal, but we neither could sire an heir." Luna bowed her head. "We later came to understand that through the Triumvirate, we had absorbed the lifetimes of the Alicorns who died. We could not have known that would happen. But she refused to be my lover after we discovered that." Luna shed a tear. "And with my love for her unrequited, the Triumvirate was broken. But the damage could not be undone."

"So where do I come in with this?"

"Starswirl was a brilliant unicorn. He struggled to find a way to try to resurrect the Alicorn race. Between his anti-social ways and Celestia's refusal to open her heart to anypony else again, he did not understand the magic of Friendship as you do. Eventually, the cruel hoof of time took him from us before he could finish."

"But now, you were able to complete his work! Your ascension is the final piece in Celestia's plan that has spanned countless centuries. Your self-substantiation is proof that you have the power to create Alicorns of ponies. You did so with yourself first! The only thing keeping her from seizing that power is your Love for Shining Armor. That's why she's tried everything to prevent it. Luckily for you, I've been undermining her work, helping you two toward each other."

"I don't understand." Twilight asked.

"Only together will you two be strong enough to stop her! Twilight, life is an energy. And like energy, it can not simply be created or destroyed. It merely changes form. She can not just conjure her own life force. It would have to come from somewhere. And she will not sacrifice her longevity now. She's become too comfortable with her immortality. And there are many ponies in Canterlot. Why do you think there are so few reported crimes? They are made to 'disappear' and be forgotten about. Absorbed into her life pool's coffers."

"I, I just can't imagine her doing anything like this..."

"I have seen her dreams Twilight. I have seen the terrible things that she has done. That she plans to do. But we must act quickly while we still have the element of surprise on our side..."
_________________________________________________________________________

"... and then on the day of the wedding, after the changelings were vanquished, we finally confessed our love to each other." Shining Armor finished explaining. "And we've been... you know, ever since."

"Huh." Cadence answered with unexpected calm.

"Huh? You aren't mad that I cheated on you? That it was with my own sister of all ponies!?" He asked.

"Well, I am upset. But not about that so much as the lying, the secrets, the deceit." She said in an even tone. "But it actually explains a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"Shining, I'm the Princess of Love. I can tell when somepony's affections are going elsewhere." She said.

"But I do love you!" Shining said.

"I know. But just... not as much as her." She sulked. Shining wanted to disagree with her, tell her she was wrong. But she wasn't. And they both knew it.

"Well, why didn't you just... magic me back into loving you more if you knew something was wrong?" He said.

"That would be dishonest. And I think I've made it pretty clear about my stance on that issue." She said. Shining put his head in his hooves.

"So what do we do now?" He asked.

"I think the three of us need to all just sit down and-"

The door to the bedroom opened a bit as Twilight poked her head inside.

"Oh, hey. Um, Shiny, can I talk to you about something?" Twilight said.

"Sure Twi, come on in." Shining said.

"Uhm, Cadie, could you give us a few minutes?" She asked.

"Why? I'm his wife. Whatever you need to say to him you can say to me." Cadence said, trying (and failing) at not sounding defensive.

"Um, if this is a bad time I can-"

"No it's okay Twilie, come on it. She... already knows everything." He said. Twilight's eyes went wide.

"Do you mean-"

"Yeah. That everything. Come on, and have a seat so we can talk." He said.

"Well, actually I came to talk about something really urgent about what I just learned about me becoming an Alicorn." Twilight said. "Let me explain..."
.....
.....

"... and that's why Celestia had been trying to keep us apart." Twilight finished relaying the information to Shining, omitting Cadence's role for now.

"I bucking knew it!" Shining said, slamming his hoof on the table. "I knew she was doing that shit on purpose. Cancelling my vacation time, weird shifts and postings! Sending us to oversee the Crystal Empire half a world away!"

"She's been keeping tabs on me from very early on." Twilight said.

"It just all seems so big! I can't imagine her doing something like this." Cadence said.

"Wait, so how did you find out about all this?" Shining asked.

"Princess Luna just told me a few minutes ago." Twilight said. Shining jumped from his seat, running over to the door. He opened it quickly, checking the hallway. Empty. He closed and locked the door, moving to the curtains. He peered out into the night. Nothing. He locked the window and tied the curtains closed. He double checked the other rooms in the suite. They were alone, but just the same, he huddled the girls close to him.

"I don't trust her." He whispered. "She's got something else going on that we don't know about. We need to get more information about what's going on."

"Do you think we might be in danger?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. All I know is we are getting to the bottom of this first thing tomorrow. But right now it is already unfashionably, unreasonably late, and I'm exhausted." Shining said.

"Okay. But, um, what about us." Twilight asked.

"Well get that figured out too." Cadence said.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll get back to bed then." Twi said, walking toward the door.

"Twilight," Cadence called out. Twilight looked back at her. "Why don't you sleep in here tonight... For safety." Twilight looked at Shining. He just shrugged. He had no better idea of what Cadence had in mind than Twilight did. Twilight hesitated for a moment, before walking back across the room and climbed into the spacious bed. Cadence motioned for Shining to get in next. She climbed in after him, pinning him in between them. He shifted a bit to try and roll to face Cadence, but she put her long hoof across him and Twilight, holding them both tightly together against her. Twilight's wings *pomfed* open.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. You'll get used to them." Cadence said in a motherly tone as she helped her fold them back up, placing Shining's hoof on them gently until Twilight could fall asleep.

With all the uncertainty of what was about to happen tomorrow, Cadence held on to the one thing she knew for sure. There was a lot of love in that bed. It comforted her, helping her to fall sleep herself. Shining and Twilight felt her hoof across them go a bit limp as she fell asleep. But neither of them felt particularly inclined to initiate anything, whether Cadence was right there in bed with them or not. Maybe Cadence knew that, and that was why she was so confident to let them have the bed together. She really was the Princess of Love.

Shining was perfectly content to just hold Twilight.

Twilight was perfectly content to just let him.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

It was still early when Celestia awoke, as usual. She roused from her bed and began her morning routine. The coronation yesterday had been a long day, even by her standards. She bathed, put on her royal attire, had her morning coffee, raised the sun and tended to her bird. The phoenix had reached the end of its life cycle much more quickly than last time. Feathers were strewn on the floor below the cage.

"Philomena, you're not looking so well. Why don't you just go ahead and get it over with." She said. Philomena actually looked a little hesitant this time. The room echoed with a labored squawk as the last feather fell to the floor of the cage. "Don't say that." She said to her. "It's never really goodbye. I'll see you soon." Philomena dropped from the perch, bursting into flames before striking the cage floor. In an instant all that was left was a pile of ash.

"There. That wasn't so bad now was it? Honestly, I don't see why you feel the need to be so dramatic about the whole thing every time." Celestia said, waiting a moment for the Phoenix to rise from the ashes. "Come on now, you're not fooling anypony." Still, nothing. She began to worry. "Philomena, come on, you're scaring me." Celestia said opening the cage.

.....

"A gift your majesty." A young Starswirl said, "A Phoenix. A magical bird that rises from its own hot ashes after dying, and enchanted to continue to do so as long as you reign."

.....

Celestia had always interpreted that as 'forever'. She touched the ashes with the tip of her hoof. For the first time, ever, they were stone cold. A chilling omen.

She looked out to the dawn she had just risen. She feared that this would be her last.

"Guard!" She called out. In an instant the guard pony just outside her door entered.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Summon Twilight Sparkle right away!" She said. The guard vanished out of the door and down the hallway.
________________________________________________________________________

Down the hall, Twilight began to stir from her sleep. She recognized the familiar fetlocks on the hoof around her waist. She took hold of her brother's hoof and pulled him closer behind her. He hugged her a little tighter in his sleep. Her eyes blinked open. Cadence sat awake in the chair opposite her. Twilight panicked. A magic aura froze her motions in place, sealing her slips.

"Shhh," Cadence said, putting a hoof to her own lips. "You'll wake him." Twilight was still wide-eyed. "I'm going to let you go now. Are you going to be okay? Are you going to stay quiet?" Twilight nodded silently. Cadence's magic vanished. "It's okay." Cadence whispered. Twilight relaxed. Cadence pulled Shining's hoof gently over Twilight waist again, and he hugged her again his sleep.

"I woke up just a little while ago." Cadence explained quietly. "I was going to wake you two for an early breakfast but... seeing you two together was just so- adorable." She said. "Maybe I should be mad. I suppose I was at first. Though, not because of this," she motioned to them in bed, "rather, because of the secrets and the lying." She paused.

"Did Celestia send you to be my foal sitter to keep us apart?" Twilight asked.

Cadence sighed. "Told you, did she?"

"Luna did." Twilight said.

"Hmm, Interesting." Cadence hummed.

"Why is that?" Twilight asked.

"Luna wasn't here when you were a foal. How could she know such things?"

"She's read my diaries." Twilight said. "I have them back now."

"Do you mean that diary?" Cadence said, with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you know of it?" Twilight asked.

"Well, since we're getting all of the secrets out of the bag, I must admit that I did happen to take a peek at it when I saw where you hid it once." She said. Twilight blushed. "Now now, there's no need for that now. I already caught you two yesterday while you were still... coupled." Twilight blushed deeper. "But as I was saying, after I had read it, I had to report my findings to Princess Celestia."

"Princess Celestia knows!?"

"Not so much. Only what I told her at the time." Cadence said.

"But why?"

"You were right about how she had sent me to keep tabs on you for when you would one day become her pupil. I didn't question how she knew you would be one day, but then I didn't question her much at all. I wasn't lying when I told you that you were 'anything but ordinary.' Together we formulated a solution to keep you on the 'right' path. But ultimately it was my idea to date, and eventually marry, Shining. At first, yes, it was to keep you two from each other, but my love for him is, and always has been real, I swear it." Twilight slipped carefully from Shining's hoof.

"I need to go talk to Princess Celestia before this gets out of hoof." Twilight said. "But before I do, just in case..." She turned to her brother in the bed, her horn glowing. "Shining, there's something that you and I need to do." She said to his sleeping form as she cradled him in her levitation. She turned to Cadence. "You can watch if you like."
___________________________________________________________________

A guard searched Twilight's room frantically, unable to locate the new princess. He burst back into the throne room to deliver the news of her absence. "You Highness, I have news about Princess Twilight!"

"What is it?" Celestia said.

"Well, it's just that, um- she's..."

Twilight walked in behind him. "Excuse me, Princess. But if you're not too busy, I'd like to talk with you if that's alright."

"She's- right here!" He said before scurrying back outside the door, having dodged that bullet.

Twilight closed the door behind her.

"Ah, Twilight, just the pony I wanted to see." Celestia said.

"Oh? And why is that?" Twilight asked suspiciously.

"Much has changed lately. So much... so quickly. Three hundred lives of ponies I've walked this world. And now I have no time." Celestia said, walking over to her bird's cage. She ran her hoof through the ash. "How did it come to this?"

"Princess, I... I don't know what you're-"

"My phoenix, Philomena is dead. She's not coming back this time." Celestia said.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Twilight said.

"She was a gift from Starswirl the Bearded." Celestia said. "She was enchanted by him, binding her to my magic, to live and die and be reborn for as long as I reigned as Princess of Equestria... She died shortly after sunrise. And for the first time, her ashes have gone cold."

"As long as you reign?" Twilight asked.

"Your ascension to a Princess can not be a coincidence." Celestia said. "What do you think that could mean?" Celestia said, slowly striding to the smaller, purple princess. The great door was kicked open. The two guards outside had been put to sleep. Luna stepped through the door.

"Do not be coy with her Tia! We know all about your plan to keep Twilight from gaining the Triumvirate" Luna shouted.

"Do you now?" Celestia said turning back to Twilight. "Is this true? Have you come to usurp me as a tool of my sister's vengeance? Is my Phoenix's omen true?"

"Your sis- Princess Luna's vengeance?" Twilight asked, nervously as Luna walked up beside her, horn glowing at the ready.

"What lie did my sister feed you this time?" Celestia ask accusingly. "Do you honestly believe this is her first attempt at a coup? Did she tell you that I'm actually 'Solar Flare', set on making eternal day? Or are you going to accuse me of committing genocide again?" Celestia wings flared open, taking up a defensive stance from her elevated position.

"Do not listen to her!" Luna said to Twilight quietly. "She knows she's cornered and will say anything to get out of it!"

"Have you considered the source of your information, Twilight? My sister, a pony who has twice tried to take over Equestria!?" Celestia said to Twilight.

"Can you really trust a pony who already has?" Luna said to Twilight quietly.

"TWILIGHT! Get away from her!" Came a shout from the door. It was Cadence, rushing to Twilight's side, pulling her away from Luna.

"Which one is lying?" Twilight asked

"I don't trust either of them!" Cadence whispered.

"What?!" Twilight was exasperated. This had escalated more quickly than she had planned. All she wanted was Celestia's side of the story, not this standoff! Cadence leaned in close to Twilight and whispered.

"Shining and I figured it out between the two of us."

"Where is he?!" Twilight asked desperately.

"He'll be here soon! We just need to stall them!" Cadence said.

"Princess Cadence!" Celestia said. "You, who are bound to me. Do you stand against me also? If so then you have sealed your fate young lady!" Celestia said, vanishing in a flash of light.

"There's only one place she could be going!" Luna shouted. "Come on!"

"What about Shining Armor?" Cadence said.

"There's no time!" Luna yelled, making for the door.

"He'll find us." Twilight said with certainty. Twilight focused her thoughts as they followed Luna.

Brother!
Find me!

Shining Armor stopped in his tracks. The assembled battalion of guards galloping behind him skidded to a halt. Shining listened to the voice in his mind.

Find me!

And then he knew.

"This way!" He shouted, heading in a new direction.
________________________________________________________________________

Princess Celestia stood atop the crossing of the two most powerful magic Ley Lines in Equestria. She built her whole city, her whole empire, around this one spot. They thought her mad to try to build the Equestrian capital on the side of a mountain. But this was where she wanted it to be, where it had to be. She felt its channeled power running up through her legs. Today she would need all of it. She had sacrificed so much, too much. What had she gained? She wondered as he looked out over the sprawling landscape of the land below her, Ponyville and beyond. Even after all these years she was not entirely sure. But whatever it was, she was not about to lose it now.

"Celestia! Stop!" Luna shouted. Twilight and Cadence were right behind her.

Celestia turned and looked at them. The mana of the land coursed through her. Her ethereal mane billowed and whipped up from an unseen gale, and magic arced from its fringes in electric snaps. She gave Twilight one last chance to come back into the fold.

"Twilight! You do not yet realize your potential! This needn't end for you here!" She said. "Your fate is not with these usurpers! I have seen it! Your fate is to rule Equestria! Together we can rule Equestria in peace for millennia to come with you at my side!"

"No."

"It's treason then." Celestia took to the air, her horn coming alight. Her eyes became a brilliant white, bearing down on the three Princesses on the ground. Without control of the Elements, banishing her sister was no longer an option.

She could mourn her later.

A bright bream came down upon the group in a wide swath. She sought to strike down all the enemies of the throne in one fell swing. Twilight was ready. Her shield came up in time to protect the group. Celestia's attack buffed against the shimmering barrier, washing over it. The clash of magic thundered in the early morning quiet of the castle courtyard, waking the other Elements who rushed to the windows above. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Celestia focused her attack on their friend, channeling seemingly inexhaustible energy. But Twilight held her shield fast.

Twilight's horn began to glow red hot as her shield absorbed the attack. But she held her shield.

Her violet mane around her horn began to smolder and burn away. But she held her shield.

Celestia narrowed her attack to a white hot lance of magic. Twilight followed suit, countering the move, neither losing focus. Beside her, Luna and Cadence fed every enhancement spell they could remember into Twilight's side of the fight.

Without her connection to the Lines, Celestia's assault slowly began to falter and lose ground. Twilight pushed her back, physically pushing Celestia away from the others. With each small step forward, Twilight got closer to her goal. She could not see or hear her friends up in the castle windows, but she could feel them. She could feel their fear, their confusion. They didn't understand what was happening. How could they?

Cadence and Luna helped to bring the fight to a stalemate. Neither Twilight or Celestia gained any ground in the battle of wills. Twilight took a final step forward, then she felt it. She was standing atop the Ley Lines. She felt the weight of the shield spell she was holding lift away. All it needed was a nudge now. She focused and remembered why she was here, why she was doing this. For her very survival. For her friends. For Equestria!

For Shining

Twilight closed her eyes. The purple beam surged up and reached Celestia, knocking her from the sky with a dull thud onto the grass. The air smelled of ozone and burnt hair. Twilight walked over to Celestia, there on the ground, and looked down at her old mentor.
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"When diplomacy and defensive magic fails, what are the three rules in offensive magic, class?" Celestia asked the room of unicorns. A young Twilight Sparkle raised her hoof. "Yes, Twilight?"

"One: I know when to attack." Twilight recited.

"Yes, and the second?"

"I attack!"

"Correct. And most importantly?"

"I know when to stop attacking." Twilight said.

"Outstanding! Remember class, it is always important to show restraint when you gain the upper hoof." Celestia said.

"Even if you know your enemy wouldn't?" Twilight asked.

"Especially if you know they wouldn't!" She said. "Or else you become no better than that which you sought to defeat."
__________________________________________________________________________
Celestia's words echoed in Twilight's mind as she stood over the fallen matriarch. The princess squinted up at her, waiting for the coup de grâce. She took comfort in seeing how funny Twilight looked without a mane. The sulfurous stench of burned follicles hanged in the air.

"I understand now," Twilight spoke, "why you were afraid... Afraid of our love, of Shining and I. By gaining the Triumvirate, I was able to self-substantiate my own ascension. To make myself into an Alicorn. But you know as well as I do that the Law of Inverses applies to all magic."

Celestia cringed. She knew what was coming next.

"If I have the power to make an Alicorn..." Twilight's horn glowed. The spell washed over Celestia. She expected pain, cold, something terrible. But there was nothing.

"... then I have the power to unmake one."

Twilight stepped back. Celestia stood up. Twilight had gotten a good deal taller, or rather she had gotten shorter. Her golden shoes were now much too big for her. She stepped out of them. Her crown, too heavy and large fell down her forehead, with no horn to stop it. Her sides felt cold in the absence of her wings. And worst of all, her flank was bare. She looked at Twilight, with Luna looming behind her. Luna was enormous now. She seemed to tower over both of them. Was this how she appeared to her subjects all this time? No wonder they cowered. Celestia felt so small. The sky began to grow dark. Something was blotting out the sun. It was a swarm of... Changelings?

"Twilight!" Celestia shouted.

It was the last thing the lavender princess heard before the blow struck the back of her head.
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The battle between Twilight and Celestia raged. Lightning flashed and thunder clashed as worlds collided. Yet Twilight was somehow watching herself from somewhere else.

Was she having an out-of-body experience?

She looked down at her hooves. They were pink! She was... Cadence? She was watching the fight from Cadence's point of view. She watched... herself, defeat Celestia. As soon as the larger Alicorn hit the ground she felt the blow. The world spun as she fell to the ground. She watched Luna step over her and walk up behind Twilight as Changeling minions began to flood the sky. She tried to cry out to warn Twilight, but her voice failed her. Twilight had cut Celestia off from her magic. Cadence's vision faded to black.

"Remember me"

_____________________________________________________________

Twilight opened her eyes. Her vision was clouded and tinted with green. She tried to focus. She tried to figure out where she was. It looked like the throne room, but the throne was on the ceiling. She tried to re-orientate herself, finding her motion hindered. She was bound by... something. She realized she was upside down, it was her, not the throne, suspended from the ceiling. Blurry, black figures scurried about the room. Beside her, cocooned in the next pod, was a small white earth pony. Celestia. Cadence was nowhere to be found. The throne below was occupied, not by Queen Chrysalis, as she had expected, but Luna.

"Oh good. You're awake." Luna said. In the cocoon, Twilight called to her magic, but the conductive gel she was suspended in grounded any attempt she made. "Oh don't bother trying anything. You're not going anywhere."

"Chrysalis!" Twilight shouted. "Drop the act! We know it's you! What have you done with Luna?!"

"What have I done with- oh HO HO!" She laughed.

"What's so damn funny?" Twilight shouted.

"For all your book smarts you still haven't figured it out? Still using all the muscles except the one that matters?"

Twilight grit her teeth. She would not stand to have her intelligence insulted.

"There is no Chrysalis!" Luna laughed. "I created the identity of a changeling queen to seize control of a wayward changeling army. A force enough to overpower the Royal Guards loyal to Celestia! I thought you would have figured it out after I shape shifted on Nightmare Night. I had honestly thought I had given away my plan that night. But when the wedding came and went with me stealing the form of Cadence, nopony put it all together. The one pony who had been conveniently absent for the entire invasion!" The gears whirred in Twilight's head. A giant, obvious, puzzle piece fell into place. Luna's plan became clear.

"The caves beneath Canterlot." The false Cadance said to Twilight on the day of the wedding. "Once home to greedy unicorns who wanted to claim the gems that could be found inside. And now, your prison. No one can hear you. And no one will ever think to look for you either. Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist. Which is why they are the ideal place to keep the ones who try to interfere with my plans."

Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist.

Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist.

A queen of the changelings would never have known about those caves. Only those who knew about the area before the city was founded... And that narrowed it down to just two ponies.

"But... why? Why do this?" Twilight pleaded from her pupa prison.

"You dull creature!" Luna snapped. "Do you have any idea how long a thousand years is!? Can you even fathom it? You have no idea, not even the slightest clue what that kind of time is like in complete isolation. With nothing to do but watch, and wait, and plan, and scheme! And for WHAT? To be redeemed in a hoof full of minutes by the 'magic of friendship'?" Luna spat at the floor. "The idea is laughable!"

Beside Twilight, Celestia hung idly in her own pod, occasionally rubbing her forehead where her horn had been. Her own schemes of eternal life paled by the complexity and execution of Luna's plan.

"The first invasion was a test, ultimately under the guise of a changeling queen. I was able to test the security of the city, the guard, and the ability of Celestia herself, all without ever truly reveling myself!" Luna mused for a moment. "Though I must admit, I took a bigger gamble than I had planned on at the wedding. I actually hadn't counted on you to escape the crystal caves with Celestia's puppet. But I'm nothing if not pragmatic" Luna gloated, walking past Celestia's pod.

"But my pièce de résistance was my sabotage of my sisters efforts to keep you from your brother, ensuring that you would invoke the Triumvirate! Power enough to overthrow her, even at the height of her strength!" Luna hissed. "An alicorn she may be-" Luna walked past her trapped sister. "Or was. But she was no longer connected to the Elements. She got lucky with the Ley Lines, Twilight, but your- I mean my victory was all but assured. Though I can't say her evil plan would have had any of you fare any better. After all, for a few to be immortal, many must die."

"No pony should be immortal if even one pony has to die." Twilight retorted.

"What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment!" Luna cackled. "In the end, the only other variables were your friends-" Luna was cut off by the doors opening. Twilight's friends came in. They were likewise cocooned and carried inside. "But here you all are, safely in my keeping. All that's left now is for my changeling army for hire to- Oh, and this is the best part! I didn't even have to sell them on the idea of invading Canterlot again, they volunteered! Hungry for revenge!" Luna laughed. "But as I was saying, all that's left is for my army to clean up whatever disheveled mess is left of the royal guard. Including, I imagine, your dear brother. Equestria is mine!"

"Equestria will never be enough." Twilight said.

"Hmm, that is true." Luna purred. "But it's such a perfect place to start." She sat back in her throne. "I'm actually quite disappointed. I had made so so many plans during my time on the moon. I hardly used any of them." Luna walked over to the other Elements of Harmony. "I was originally going to use Applejack here, with what she had going on with her brother."

"That is-" Applejack blushed. "That ain't none a y'alls darn business!"

"But alas, it had to be a unicorn." Luna said moving down the row. "And the one this one here had, well, it was a bit one-sided."

Rarity hollered at the changeling holding her captive. "Let me out of this thing at once!" Her eyes glared at Luna intensely "I'll destroy her!"

"Which brings us, of course, to Twilight dear." She waltzed over to the lavender pony suspended from the ceiling. "I actually feel a little bad about him. Of all the parts of my plan, of all the ponies I had to manipulate, your brother was the easiest."

Twilight fumed in her gooey cell.

"You must have gotten ALL of the smarts in your gene pool... because him? HA!" Luna tapped a hoof to her chin. "Though I must admit there was a bit of a trade off. For a mere unicorn he has- or, had by now, quite the bit of magical clout."

Find me, brother.

"But what good is all that brawn with no brains?" Luna taunted.

Find me, brother.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "When I get out of here, I'm going to-"

"YOU'LL WHAT?!" Luna shouted in utter contempt. "You'll stop me? Foil my master plan? Save the day? No, Twilight, the only way you're leaving that pod will be as a dead, shriveled HUSK!" She barked. "And when I consume your Triumvirate life force, I'll be more powerful than Celestia could have ever dreamed!" She cut Twilight down from the ceiling, holding her pod close, yelling, drunk with power "I will be a GODDESS! A Goddess with an army!" Luna's horn began to glow, surrounding the pod. Tendrils seeped through the membrane and into Twilight's chest. The lavender pony could feel the life being sucked from her body. "And what will you have? Huh? WHAT HAVE YOU GOT!!!"

I...

...found...

...you.

"A brother."

"LUNA!!!"

The very foundations of the castle trembled. The walls reverberated the thunderous bellow. Windows burst their meticulous stained glass. The roof of the castle glowed and tore away, shaking Celestia loose, and falling to the floor. Glass, tile and stone brick fell about as the magic crumpled the ancient granite roof like so much paper into a stone meteor.

Hovering behind the compressed sphere, Shining Armor's horn glowed with the intensity of a thousand suns as he beat his broad, mighty wings. His voice thundered.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

"But how!?" Luna cried out in fresh terror, dropping Twilight's pod. Twilight could not longer keep the smirk from her face, speaking with utter assurance.

"It takes two to Triumvirate, Luna."

Shining moved with unnatural speed, hurling the projectile. Twilight's whole world slowed down. She could actually see, in the fraction of a second that the meteor broke the sound barrier, and at such terrible speed, the stone ball even came alight, burning up in the atmosphere, in the mere few hundred feet it moved. Luna had the barest instant to teleport away. The missile struck the throne, obliterating the dais completely in a hail of brimstone.

Yeah. He was mad.

Twilight watched in slow motion at molten rock, inches away from her, fragmented into a thousand pieces of super-heated shrapnel, annihilating everything caught in the blast. Every changeling present was instantly incinerated. Twilight watched in awe as the flaming rocks flittered off of the shield he made surrounding her, and the other pods, like delicate snow flakes from hell. Except for one sharpened stone each, carefully slicing open each pod with the precision of a surgeon. His clumsy levitation of a writing quill gave him the penmanship of a foal. But when it came to combat magic, her brother was a savant!

Shining Armor lofted down to Twilight's side. "Are you okay?" Twilight nodded, a bit tired from Luna's attempt to consume her life. "You look silly with no mane."

"Go kick her ass." She said.

"You're coming with me!" He said.

"I don't think I can... She took... part of me." She said. Shining leaned in, kissing her. She felt the rush of energy flowing through him into her. She felt reinvigorated, with the energy of two, no, THREE of Pinkie Pie's espressos. Her mane even sprouted and grew back in. She'd always suspected it, but now she knew it.

His kisses were magical.

The remaining pegasi from Airborne Division, led by Camisa Roja, flew in to (what was left of) the room, tending to the others.

"We need to stop her!" Twilight said. "She could be anywhere!"

"Well, we don't need to worry about her going back to the Ley Lines. I rigged that whole area with so many defensive wards that it'll take her an hour dispelling them, or die trying."

"But she's escaped!" Twilight cried.

"Hmm, If only there was some way to teleport her back here..." Shining mused. "Oh, wait." His horn flashed, causing Luna to reappear from... wherever she had fled to at high speed, sending her careening into the remaining stone wall. Still conscious, Shining's magic grasp lifted her from the floor, bringing her horn to bear against the stone wall, dragging it along the coarse surface, grinding it to a nub. The sound was a horrific version of nails on a chalkboard. Every unicorn in attendance cringed, knowing just how sensitive a unicorn's horn was.

"Shining stop!" Twilight plead for mercy. He paused.

"After what she did to you? To me? What she was going to do?" He fumed.

"And if you carry on like this, then you're no better!" Twilight cried. He yielded, tossing Luna at Twilight's hooves. Luna writhed on the floor at the edge of consciousness, clutching her head with, what Twilight could only imagine was, a headache making her pray for death. In almost an act of mercy, Twilight cast the Alicorn spell on Luna. Her horn faded gently to dust, her wings molted their feathers and then fell painlessly from her body. Her mane fell limp and her flank faded bare. Her body shrank down to an average-sized earth pony.

She looked up at Twilight, the visceral pain of her horn was gone, but it was still fresh in her memory. She wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy. She spoke the only two words on her mind.

"Thank you."

Shining's eyes still bore daggers into the frail blue pony. Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder, staying his rage. Luna cowered away backwards, bumping into the white pony waiting behind her. It was her sister.

"Celestia and Luna." Twilight addressed them. The new earth ponies both looked at the pair of new Alicorns in front of them. "I, Twilight Sparkle, as ruler of Equestria-"

"We." Shining cut in.

"What?"

"We. We as rulers!" Shining insisted

"Heh heh, you said weewee!" Twilight chuckled.

"Oh, oh hoho I did! Ha ha. But no time for that now!"

"Ahem. We as the rulers of Equestria, do find you both guilty of crimes against Equine, and do hereby banish you both from its borders, never to return."

"You know, we do have a court system for this sort of thing." Celestia said glibly. "You may want to entertain the idea of actually using it in the future."

"BANISHED!" Shining yelled, teleporting them both in a flash as far away as he could envision.

May you find solace in the love you once had in each others hooves. Twilight quietly prayed. "I hope you sent them someplace nice at least."

"Actually I did. A little slice of paradise I found a few years ago off the western coast."

With the dust settled, Twilight's friends walked over to them.

"Well, that escalated quickly and ended abruptly." Rarity said.

"So uh, you and Shining, huh?" Applejack said, trying to broach the elephant in the room.

"So uh, you and Big Macintosh huh?" Twilight parroted. Applejack promptly silenced herself. "So what are we gonna do with this place?" Twilight said, changing the subject. She waved her hoof at the demolished castle around them.

"Hey, Camisa Roja!" Shining called out. The Pegasus double-timed it front and center. "Go over to engineering squad and have them send over all of their one-stripers with some bricks and mortar, and see about putting this place back together again, huh?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" He said before taking off.

"HEY wait!" Shining groaned. "I liked it better when it was just 'Captain', or even 'Sir'."

"Well, get used to it." Twilight said, fluffing his wings with her tail. She walked over to the edge of the floor, looking down to the streets of Canterlot. The swift counterattack led by an Alicorn Shining Armor at the head had sent any remaining Changelings into a full retreat. The citizens began to file out into the streets near the castle seeking explanation.

"I guess we should go address the ponies." Twilight said. "Let them know that there is still leadership alive in this castle. And, you know... that Equestria is under new management."

"Aren't they going to think it's a little weird for a brother and sister to be the prince and princess?" He asked as they walked out toward the balcony.

"Actually I was thinking as King and Queen."

"You know what I mean." He said.

"Celestia and Luna ruled as siblings. No one said anything about that being weird." Twilight argued.

"Well you haven't seen the erotic literature about them that I have." Shining said. Pinkie Pie came pronking beside them.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Twilight." Pinkie said. "I mean, kinky Celestia on Luna action? Now that's some hot stuff! But who would ever want to read erotic fiction about you and your brother getting it on?" Pinkie said as her gaze slowly turned toward the reader.

"Shining Francis Armor! You naughty colt!" Twilight scolded playfully as Pinkie bounded away back to the group. She looked down at the crowd gathering below them. She sighed. "Shining, we're celebrities. And tabloids will be tabloids. Let them say what they want. It's not going to affect how I feel." She looked at him. "Is it going to change how you feel?"

"Of course not." He said, waving to the crowd and showing off his wings. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said. "Should we just kiss now and get the rumors out of the way?" Shining looked back at Applejack, still beet red with her own embarrassment.

"Uh, why don't we wait a couple centuries and let them warm up to the idea a bit." He suggested, giving her a chaste hug.

"You ready?" She asked. Shining nodded, bracing himself for what he knew was coming next.

"CITIZENS OF CANTERLOT," Twilight addressed the crowd in full Royal Canterlot Voice.

Right in my bucking ear. Shining winced.

"WITH THE CHANGELING INVASION REPELLED, PRINCESS CELESTIA AND LUNA HAVE RETIRED! AS YOUR NEW RULERS WE SHALL BRING EQUESTRIA TO A NEW GOLDEN AGE! STARTING WITH A BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS FEEEAST!"

Seriously. This is why I have tinnitus. The ponies below cheered. "Did you just make that up on the fly?" Shining asked. Twilight nodded.

"Everypony like victories and feasts. Give them what they want I say." Twilight said.

"And a 'new golden age'?" He asked.

"Oh... we'll just make something up. I'm good at thinking on my hooves after all." She said.

"You're telling me! You know, when I woke up this morning I wasn't expecting to have these." He said, giving them a little flap.

"I need to go talk to Princess Celestia before this gets out of hoof." Twilight said. "But before I do..." She turned to her brother in the bed, her horn glowing. "Shining, there's something that you and I need to do." She said, turning to Cadence. "You can watch if you like." Twilight's horn glowed, encapsulating Shining Armor in a veil of magic, lifting out of the bed. A part of his essence left his chest and swirled around him, turning into a blurry ring, before snapping shut in a bright flash. She gently set him back down in the bed, being careful not to ruffle his new wings. "Keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't panic too badly when he wakes up."

"Well it's a good thing I did." Twilight said, walking with him back into the throne room. "Now get over here so I can preen you." She said as she started nibbling on his wing.

"OKAY we're leaving!" Rarity said, ushering group out, leaving the siblings to their privacy.
__________________________________________________________________________
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---Two Years Later...---

In their royal bedroom, Shining sat at his desk, his quill scrawling feverishly. Outside, the sun shined brightly, its warm light pouring through the large window.

Twilight walked in and put her bag down. When she saw Shining busy at the desk she asked, "What are you writing?"

"I'm writing the history of Celestia and Luna's rise and fall." He said as he wrote. "I'm calling it 'A Tail of Two Fillies'."

"There is already a book called 'A Tale of Two Fillies'." She said.

"Braaak!" Philomena agreed from her perch.

"Yeah, but mine is spelt T. A. I. L. And my version is going to have way more corn dogs and explosions." He tittered, causing his wings to *pomf* reflexively.

"It sounds like a dirty romance novel with that spelling." Twilight said as she walked over, leaning her chin on his shoulder, running her hooves through his ethereal mane, massaging his wings and looking at his work. "Your penmanship still looks like a foal's hoof writing." She teased. He turned around in his seat, kissing her.

"How did your trip to Saddle Arabia go?" He said, putting down his quill.

"They agreed to the 'vegetable oil for wheat' trade proposal." She said. "Any news from the Crystal Empire?"

"Everything's fine there without Cadence. Rarity is doing a fine job as the Stewart for now. I still can't believe she volunteered to move all the way out there."

"Are you kidding me? She practically creamed herself at the opportunity to live with 'oh my gosh, CRYSTAL PONIES!' But I hear her crystal fashion line is a big hit there now. At least it's better than the desert of Saddle Arabia. I don't know how they can stand living there like that. But that's diplomacy for you."

"You're too good at this whole 'politics' thing. I'm going to have to keep my eye on you." He said.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why you're keeping your eye on me." Twilight said, flagging her tail at him, flicking his nose. Shining got up from his desk, threw the cover over the phoenix's cage and followed her over to the bed. "Hmm, Shining, is that your royal scepter? Or are you just happy to see me?" She teased.

"Never gets old." He grumbled.

"Oh, shut up and kiss me." Twilight said as Shining climbed on top of her in bed. He ground against her as they kissed passionately. The spark of the 'honeymoon' phase had never left them. If anything it was hotter than it had ever been, sharing a bed as often as they could. Sure, ponies talked for a while. They always will. "Oh, I almost forgot, we still need to go to the Canterlot Hearth's Warming Eve pageant."

"Ugh. Can't we just stay in and... rut this year?" He said rolling onto his back. Twilight leaned over beside him and started kissing a trail down his belly.

"We can still do that before the pageant." She said, grinning. He still groaned. He hated official outings. "And after." She bargained. He groaned a little more agreeably. "Aaand maybe during." He perked up. "BUT only if you're good this year!" She teased, keeping her mouth off his 'scepter' for a moment.

"Aww come on! Celestia used to make fun of the play every year! I want to keep that tradition at least."

"You can get one or the other!" She said, standing fast, playing with Little Shiny in her hooves.

"Ugh, fine."

"Thank you." Twilight said as she started to work on him with her mouth. Shining groaned, this time rather, in pleasure.

"Wow, almost three years and you're still amazing at that." He complimented.

"Thank you Shiny. Oh, Did we get a Hearth's Warming card from mom and dad this year?"

"No. I think they're still not talking to us." He sighed, killing his mood.

"Aww, I'm sorry." Twilight said, trying to rub some life back into Little Shiny, wilting in her hooves. "They'll come around eventually."

"I guess." He sighed. It had been so long, since now they mostly saw each other as lovers. Only occasionally, like this, were they reminded that they were still siblings.

"Hmm, there was something else... Oh, is Camisa Roja out of the hospital?"

"He'll be out in a few days. I swear, with the way he keeps almost dying on me, it's like fate has him marked for an untimely end. I just visited him today."

"I'm glad you still look after the troops like that. I know it means a lot to them."

"Yeah yeah. 'Peace is our profession'." He recited.

"No, peace is my profession, Mr. 'Commander in Chief'. Your profession is to make sure that when I fail at my job, you don't fail at yours."

"Hey, don't jinx it. We've had two peaceful years."

"Well here's to nine hundred and ninety eight more." She said as she kissed him. She got a naughty idea. "You know what? For visiting him in the hospital, I think you've earned yourself a special treat." She reached inside the night stand getting the bottle of personal lubricant.

"You mean?" He arched his eyebrows suggestively. She nodded. Little Shiny came back quickly, throbbing menacingly with each excited heartbeat. He crawled over to her quickly, raring to go.

"Hey!" She halted him with her hoof to his chest. "Are you going to be gentle?"

"Yeah yeah."

"Are you going to go slow?"

"Yeah yeah."

"Are you going to slow down when I tell you to?

"Yeah yeah. Yeah yeah."

"I mean it!"

"Yeah yeah." She passed him the tube and rolled onto her stomach, lifting her flowing tail. He gave himself a generous coating, as well as her presented plot hole. Shining knew better than to just use spit. Those dirty films that they had rented we nothing but lies!

"Hey! Remember," Twilight said, "this is a special, sometimes thing. Not an all-the-time thing. And be quiet this time! I don't want to wake up Cadence again."

"Yeah yeah." Shining's blood flow had clearly left one head for the other. Twilight took hold of her pillow and tried to relax. She felt her brother's hooves on either side of her waist. His cock bobbing behind her as he aligned it with her back door. They were both slick with lube and his precum. He added a bit of pressure. Twilight tensed up.

"Wait. Just, let me get it started at least." Twilight said, keeping her pert ass poised on the round end of his member. She wiggled a bit, trying to work in a tiny bit at a time. This was of those rare instances she regretted having a brother who was quite so well endowed. Gradually her body got on track with her mind and began to relax, letting in just a bit. She felt him get excited. "Hold on. Stay still." Twilight kept gradually increasing the pressure back on him, controlling the pace. He was actually being very well behaved this time.

Twilight took a deep breath as she felt his head finally slip inside her tight ring. He stayed put, letting her adjust to him inside her. Her gradual pressure slipped another inch of his slick shaft into her. With enough lube running through her to service the axles of an entire chariot fleet, the rest was relatively easy going. "Okay." She said, giving him the green light to start moving. He took over where she left off with gentle pushing. Once he was able to get completely inside her, he could really start getting to it. But not before.

Twilight cast her pillow aside and hung her head. On her knees, Shining was coming in at a steep, downward angle. She felt her tummy filling up as more of her insides had to move out of the way to allow her brother's girth. Twilight took a sharp breath as his medial ring passed inside hers. Twilight looked underneath as his shaft began to produce a notable bulge in her belly. It always fascinated her to watch it move inside her. Just as it reached her belly button, she felt his warm scrotum resting against her marehood.

Twilight brought her panting under control. After a moment she just nodded, letting him know he could continue. He began to withdraw, and Twilight watch as her belly lost fifteen pounds in moments. He pulled back until just his head remained inside. Then he slid forward in one continuous motion this time. He increased the pace and speed with each successive rut.

"Ahem!" Twilight reminded him. Shining had enough presence of mind to slip a hoof between her legs, playing with her marehood as he went. This was a treat for Shining, sure. But it shouldn't mean that she shouldn't get her 'treat' as well. And she didn't get off to anal penetration alone. Another porno lie.

His hoof played with her sopping marehood, rubbing and teasing at her winking clit. With the additional stimulation, Twilight began to really get into it. She moaned into a pillow as he stated to really give it to her. His balls slapping into her added to his manual stimulation. She felt her vagina clench and grab for something that wasn't there. Her inner walls gripped and ground against themselves with Shining's dick pounding against the membrane just next door.

She trembled as a small orgasm rippled through her, causing her vacant pussy to spurt little droplets of marecum onto the sheets. Her already-tight ass clenched around his invading shaft, causing him to groan. "Ngh, ngh, getting close." She was impressed. That was almost a full sentence. She reached underneath herself, swatting his clumsy hoof away. When you want it done right, sometimes you just have to do it yourself. She began to clop herself at a fevered pace, her hoof was a blur on her pussy. She was not about to have him finish in her with only her small one to show for it.

She quickly caught up to where she imagined he was when she has a wicked idea. First she started in with the dirty talk. "Oh, yeah Shiny, that's right! Fuck your little sister in the ass! You gonna cum inside your sister? You're so dirty!"

"NGH!" Shining's knees buckled as he started to really jackhammer now. It wouldn't be long before he popped.

"Oh, I'm going to cum all over you! My big brother is gonna make me- cuuuuuum!" Twilight beat herself to her own punch as she felt her climax wash over her. Her intentions to get her brother worked up had worked all too well on herself. Juices dripped from her pussy profusely, splattering with each wet slap of him sinking home against her. She felt him flare inside her, signalling his finish. This was it. Twilight smirked.

"I wonder if mom likes it in the ass too?"

"GAH!" Shining's wings burst open and his body jerked uncontrollably as the first volley of cum loosed inside her ass. His back spasmed as he lurched forward trying to deal with the weirdest orgasm of his recent memory. "GHH! NGH! NGG!" Twilight had no idea what he was trying to say but there were obviously no vowels in any of his attempts at words. Conflicting trains of thought jumped tracks in his head creating a massive wreck. It was like somepony had put a ball of tinfoil in the microwave that was his brain and set it to eleven. He was fried. Twilight chalked it up to her imagination, but she swore she could feel him cumming more. "NAH OH AHHH!" He involuntarily yelled out loudly, collapsing on top of her. Twilight knew what was coming next.

"WHAAAAAA! WHAAA!"

Shining groaned. Twilight tried to block it out. For several more seconds she could still feel him twitching, long after his actual orgasm had ended. "Come on." She resigned. "I need to clean up." She passed him an old towel. Tomorrow was laundry day anyway. But then again, they were royalty. Every day was laundry day.

Shining pulled himself free of his sister with a *plop* and wiped lube and... himself from... himself. Twilight sort of waddled quickly to the restroom, trying to keep from making an unholy mess of the floor. All to the symphony of an infant's wails. Shining sorted himself quickly and had cleaned his hooves. He tended to the crib just as soon as he was decent.

He gave the foal Twilight's old Smarty Pants doll, ceasing her cries. She promptly threw it out of the crib and fluttered her wings. She watched as he picked it up and gave it back to her. She immediately threw it again. Twilight walked back out of the bathroom and joined Shining's side after a few moments. She threw the doll again and giggled.

"Do you think she remembers who she is?" Shining asked.

The battle between Twilight and Celestia raged. Lightning flashed and thunder clashed as worlds collided. Yet Twilight was somehow watching herself from somewhere else. Was she having an out-of-body experience? She looked down at her hooves. They were pink! She was... Cadence? She was watching the fight from Cadence's point of view. She watched... herself, defeat Celestia. As soon as the larger Alicorn hit the ground she felt the blow. The world spun as she fell to the ground. She watched Luna step over her, er- Cadence and walk up behind Twilight as changeling minions began to flood the sky. She tried to cry out to warn Twilight, but her voice fell silent. Twilight cut Celestia off from her magic. Cadence's vision faded to black.

"Remember me"

"Cadence delivered clear instructions in the moment she cast her final spell, as well as for how to save her." Twilight reassured him. "She gave me all of her memories, and the means to 'make' her again." They sat and watched their foal throw the doll again.

"Yeah, but, do you think it will still be the same Cadence?" He asked.

He was answered with a glow of blue magic from the foal lifting him into the air. "Hey what the-" He yelled out. The magic carried him outside and tossed him over the edge of the balcony. Baby Cadence had a fit of giggles. After a moment, Shining flew back up and onto the balcony. Both Little Cadence and Twilight were in hysterics now. Twilight caught her breath just long enough to speak.

"Yeah, I think she remembers just fine!"

____________________________
____________________________

Half a world away, Celestia sat on the beach of the small island. Beside her was a bowl of assorted tropical fruit in a bowl she'd made of a coconut shell. She closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face. She tried to reach out to it, but she could no longer feel her connection to it.

Luna sat beside her, playing in the sand, making small piles of it with her hooves.

"How much do you think she gave us?" Luna asked. Celestia opened her eyes and looked at her sister. She wasn't sure what Luna meant by the question. Luna clarified. "Time, I mean."

Celestia looked down at her hooves. She didn't feel herself aging. She didn't feel two years older. But she knew she was. She knew that they were no longer immortal. She moved closer to her sister.

"She gave us what any pony gets." Celestia said, putting her hoof on Luna's. Slowly, Celestia leaned in and kissed her. A tear rolled down her blue cheek. Celestia wiped it away. "She gave us a lifetime."

One mare come in the name of love.
One mare come and go.
One mare come here to justify
One mare to overthrow.
In the name of love.
What more in the name of love.
Free at last, they took your life.
They could not take your Liquid Pride.

Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns

As a young filly in Canterlot, Twilight had always wanted to go to the Summer Sun Celebration, where Princess Celestia raises the sun. So finally, one summer solstice, her parents decided to grant her wish, and bring the family to see the event. And what an event it was.

"Twilight, wake up!" Shining Armor said, nudging his sister. As her older brother, he was in charge of making sure she woke up on time to go see the sun rise. Also, it just made good sense, being that they shared a bedroom.

"Nhgg- hmmf." Twilight mumbled, still half asleep, rolling back over.

"Come on!" He said again, louder this time. He pulled her covers away and shook her a bit more vigorously. "It's time to get going!" Twilight finally woke fully. She sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes, looking out the window.

"It's still dark." She mumbled, before stretching out her hooves.

"Of course silly!" Shining answered. "Princess Celestia hasn't raised the sun yet!"

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight bolted out of bed, fueled by a sudden surge of adrenaline. "The Summer Sun Celebration!" She said in realization of what day it was. She did a quick circuit, running around the room. "Oh- oh no! What do I bring? What do I need? Ahh!"

"Whoa, slow down there kiddo." Shining said, catching her in his arms. "Mom and Dad already have everything together downstairs. We just need to go down and have some breakfast and then we'll get going!" He assured her as he tussled her mane.

Twilight and her brother trotted downstairs to their waiting parents. A bowl of Wheaties was waiting for each of them at the table. Shining levitated his spoon from the table and immediately started to dig in. Twilight grasped her spoon in her hoof and scooped some of the cereal. She eyed it with contempt and dumped it back into the bowl.

"Come on now, Twilight," her mother chided, "eat up. It's good for you!"

"Yeah Twilie!" Her brother garbled enthusiastically with his mouth full. "It's the breakfast of champions!"

"Shining Armor! Do not talk with food in you mouth!" His mother scolded. He chewed and swallowed before apologizing.

"Sorry mom." He said bowing his head a bit.

Twilight did not share her brothers zeal for the processed wheat cereal. She was certain that he only requested the cereal to ogle the attractive Wonderbolts cheerleader on the box. He never did take his eyes off the thing.

"Come on now Twilight, eat your breakfast. I don't want you two filling up on the common carnival fare." Her mom said.

"Aww," they both whined in unison. Their father looked up from his morning paper.

"Oh, come off it dear. It's a special day." He said with just the slightest hint of a smile. His wife gave him just the subtlest of glares. It was there, just barely in the corners of her eyes. Not enough for the children to notice, but it was loud and clear to the stallion who married her all those years ago.

When she first became pregnant with Shining, they both agreed that, as parents, they would never fight in front of the children. But, that also meant not undermining each other's authority. They didn't want the foals being denied something by one, only to run to the other for it. He was treading dangerous ground.

"Fine." She conceded. "But just for today! You understand?" They both nodded. Twilight looked up at her father with begging eyes. He reached over and pulled the bowl of cereal toward himself, exchanging his doughnut with her. She held out the spoon in her hoof. He took it from her with his magic as he began to eat.

"When am I going to be able to do that?" Twilight whined, pointing with a frown at the floating spoon with her hoof. Her mom came up behind her and hugged her.

"Oh, Twilight, I've told you, you'll get your magic soon. Every unicorn does!" She smiled.

"I'm going to be the most magical unicorn ever!" Twilight said excitedly, before devouring her doughnut.

"I bet you will," Her mom said proudly.
________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot's city park was a flurry of activity when the Sparkle family arrived. Every building in the area was adorned with flags and streamers and balloons. The streets were lined with vendors and games. The air was full of the smells of fried food and the sounds of fun. Bells and horn punctuated the quiet roar of the growing crowd.

There were carnival rides assembled in the square. A dizzying tilt-a-whirl was still lit up in the dim light of the coming dawn. It was occupied by ponies who had assuredly been up all night at the carnival. There was also a beautiful Ferris wheel giving ponies a wonderful bird's-eye-candy view of the city.

"Dad, why is it called a Ferris wheel?" Shining asked his father.

"Well son, because it's made of metal. 'Ferrous' is the old kingdom name for iron." He explained.

"Actually Daddy, it was named after the great mule architect who invented it. F-E-R-R-I-S Ferris Muler. Not the metal. And back then it was called an 'observation wheel'." Twilight chimed in.

"Well, you learn something new everyday!" He father said. "When did you get so smart Twilie?" He asked.

"When you started taking me to your library, daddy!" She said with a happy grin, hopping up and down.

The tune 'Hail to the Princess' came blaring from the horns of the Royal Guards just outside the castle, announcing the Princess's arrival. All the guards went to attention, saluting in anticipation of the princess's arrival. Shining Armor turned to Twilight beside him, copying their salute.

"What do you think?" He said.

"My brother the royal guard? Nah. I can't see it."

"I know right!?" He laughed. Twilight dashed away from her family toward the crowd surrounding the solar podium.

"Twilight!" her mother called out, "Don't you go getting lost!" But the caution fell on deaf ears. Twilight wormed her way through the mob. Her small size allowed her to get to nearly the front row.

Princess Celestia slowly walked out onto the stage. It was a feat she had done countless times before. But for just once a year, it was truly something special. She smiled gently at her adoring subjects. Her gaze passing over the crowd, pausing for just the briefest of moments on the lavender filly in the third row. Twilight watched, wide-eyed, seeing the Princess of Equestria for the first time in person.

Twilight watched as the Princess's horn came aglow, her great wings unfurled. She closed her eyes and took to the air, her long, slender hooves outstretched. As she rose higher into the air, her magic brought the sun with her, pulling it up over the horizon. The brilliant white light pierced the dull haze of the pre-dawn light. Celestia's form vanished into a silhouette in the sun's glare.

Twilight's eyes adjusted. She could see the Princess again. Having completed the spell, Celestia opened her eyes and looked back down at her audience. Perhaps it was by luck that her gaze once again came to a focus on little Twilight. But in Celestia's experience there was no such thing as luck. The rest of the crowd cheered and stomped their hooves. Twilight could only stare in utter awe. After a few moments, Celestia exited the stage, back to the castle. Twilight, for her part, knew in that moment what she wanted to do.

"Twilie! There you are!" Shining called out. He had finally managed to muscle his way through the crowd and find her.

"Shiny! I know what I want to do!" Twilight said excitedly, "I want to learn all about magic!"

"Well I know just the place for that." He answered, taking her hoof in his. They walked back to their parents. "But first, how about we go on a couple of these gnarly rides?"

"Okay!" She answered with a giddy smile.
_____________________________________________________________________________

At the apex of the Ferris wheel, Twilight could see some ponies in a nearby field playing. One of them had a kite.

"I wish I knew how to do that." Twilight complained.

"What's that?" Shining asked.

"That." She pointed with her hoof at the filly flying a kite. "Fly a kite."

"You don't know how to fly a kite?" He asked. She just shook her head.

"No. I mean, I've read about it, but nopony's ever shown me." She said.

"Well, we'll fix that. But first we need to get one." He said.

"I saw one on the boardwalk we could win!" She said, excited.

"Aww, come on Twilie. You know those games are rigged. It would be cheaper to just go buy one."

"But I want you to win one for me." She pouted.

"Oh, all right." He resigned. The ride brought them back to the bottom after a few rotations. They exited and headed towards the boardwalk.
____________

"This is the one!" She called out to him. He caught up to her. On the side of the booth was a colorful, classic diamond-shaped kite to win. It had a two crossed white stripes and four triangles of color around it, red, blue, orange and green. He looked at the game. It was one of those strength games where you had to hit a plank with a big mallet and make the little cylinder slide up and hit the bell. It was clearly meant for the stronger, earth ponies. The was even a sign, 'No magic cheating.'

"I dunno Twilie." He said. "I've never really lifted much more with my hooves than a guitar." Twilight broke out her secret weapon. Cute doe eyes.

"PWEEASE?" She pouted. Shining sighed. He handed the booth worker a bit and picked up the comically over-sized mallet. The carny working the booth definitely looked shady. He had a straw boater hat with a blue band. His shirt had matching blue and white pin stripes. His pale yellow fur contrasted sharply with his bright red and white striped mane and tail. He had an equally red mustache. He just kind of gave off that sort of vibe that Shining just knew he wasn't playing on the level.

He just shook his head and raised the mallet up over his head and swung down as hard as he could. The cylinder flew up a good distance, but it didn't reach the bell. "Try again!" Twilight said. He rolled his eyes, handing over another bit. He swung again. And again, it was close, but not close enough. "Oh. You were so close! One more try!"

"I don't think so Twi. I only have a couple bits left and-" He leaned in close to her. "I told you, these games are rigged." He whispered, taking her aside. She pouted. "Look, we can just buy one later okay." He tried to comfort her.

A red colt with a short, blonde mane stepped up after them. He looked to be about Shining's age. He handed over a bit, taking the mallet in his hooves. He wound up- and swung at the plank.

DING

The bell rang out. It had received a fairly large dent. And then it fell off. The plank had been broken in two.

"Um-" The carny gulped, "it looks like we have a winner." The stallion pointed out the prize that he wanted. He turned to the pair to the side, handing her the kite she had wanted. Twilight looked up at him.

"Is this for me?" She asked.

"Eeyup." He smiled, before going on his way.
___________________________________________________________________________

In the field, Shining called out to Twilight, standing a good distance away, with the kite string clenched in her teeth.

"Okay, now the key is to get a good running start!" He yelled. She started sprinting as soon as he threw it into the air. It fell back to the ground and bobbed along the dirt before skidding to a halt. She frowned, walking back over to him. He took the string from her. "Here, like this." He took off in a full gallop. The kite took off into the air. Once it got high enough he turned back around, letting the wind hold it up. He got back to Twilight and let her take the string. She held onto it as the kite stayed up in the sky. She was flying a kite!

She turned to thank him for teaching her, but as soon as she tried to speak, the string got away from her. Shining was quick to react, catching it before the kite got away. He gave it back to her. She just smiled. It was thanks enough.
______________________________________________________________________________

After they reunited with their parents, the family enjoyed the rest of the day at the celebration fair. Riding rides and eating junk food and spending way too much on rigged games to win cheap prizes. Moreover, just having a great time. But afterwards, Twilight hadn't forgotten about pursuing her dream.

"Dad, on the way home can we stop by the library?" she asked.

"Whatever for, dear?" He inquired back.

"I want to learn all about magic!" She said proudly.

"Alright, we can make a short stop." He decided.

Which turned into a three hour long literary odyssey, culminating in Twilight pushing a cart of twenty three books to the checkout counter.

"Dear, are you really going to read all of those?" Her father asked.

"Yes." She answered with the surety of the sunrise.

"Really?" He asked her again.

"YES!" She said, a bit frustrated.

"Huh. All right. We'll take these." He told the clerk.

"Of course, Mr. Sparkle." she said, checking the books out.

Having a father who was the head curator of the Canterlot Library had its perks.
_______________________________________________________________________

Twilight poured herself into learning everything she could about magic. Starting, of course, with basic levitation. It was a staple skill for any unicorn to possess. She sat down at her father's desk in his basement study. He had given her the space to read in a quiet environment. She opened the book to the first page.

"Chapter one: Levitation Theory. When levitating an object, a unicorn must apply a magical force, N, to counter the force of gravity, G. The object at rest will remain at rest until acted upon by a net..."

Twilight tore through the book. She had read the theoretical application of magic and was ready for practical field study. But first she needed to turn the page. She lifted her hoof to flip the page over, but instead placed it on the desk along with her other. 'Not this time.' She decided. This time she was ready.

She remembered the chapter on magic philosophy. 'Your magic is an extension of yourself. Lifting an object with magic is as simple a reaching out with you hoof... in your mind.' Twilight closed her eyes and focused.

She focused on the page she wanted to lift. She focused on the texture. She felt its weight, its essence in the world. She could feel the tree the paper once was. She felt the forest it once called home. She could hear the birds that nested in the tree. She could smell the air in the leaves. She could taste the water raining on the branches. She could feel the earth that the roots held on to. She could feel the earth upon the stone. She could feel the stone upon all of time, eternal.

She experienced all these things at once as she tapped into the magic realm for her very first time. Her corporeal body struggled and groaned in profane pain, tied to a mind trying to ascend beyond the physical world. And, just like all unicorns, she promptly forgot the experience. Not that the forgetting was intentional. Far from it. The unbridled exposure to the magical vortex is one of the most beautiful and profound experiences possible for a pony. But it was far too much for the conscious mind to bear. And so it is mercifully, if regrettably, repressed into the subconscious. But it is there for life, in the very soul of a unicorn, tying them forever to the magical coil.

Twilight's portal to magic opened.

Her horn glowed.

The page turned.

Twilight gasped in delight. The reward of success to her work filled her with a revitalized wind. She surged forward, reading the rest of the book. And the next. And the next. Several hours later, Twilight had finished the last of the stack of books. It was only then, that she felt the passage of the time. She had read long into the night. It was now so late that it was early. Twilight had bookmarked a few pages that she wanted to get back to and re-read. But her eyelids felt so heavy at the moment. She would just close them for a minute to rest her eyes.

"Just for a minute..." She muttered, laying her head on the desk.
_______________________________________________________________________________

PLING! TWANG! RINNNNG! SCREECH!

Twilight was jolted awake by the most horrible noises she had ever heard. It sounded like some cruel pony torturing a poor kitty cat to death!

"SHINING FRANCIS ARMOR!" Twilight's mother hollered across the house, "It is too early for that noisy racket!"

"But mo-o-om!" She heard him whine.

"But nothing, mister! It's too early for that noise!" She yelled back.

"It's not noise mom! It's music! We're a band!" He yelled proudly. "You just don't get it! You're not 'with it'."

"Yeah, well your mother used to be 'with it'!" She said back in the third person. "But what 'it' was isn't 'it'. And now what 'it' is is strange and annoying."

"If it's too loud, you're too old!" He quipped.

"It'll happen to you too one day son." His father added, getting the last, cryptic, word in.

"No way! We're gonna rock on forever!" He said. "Alright guys," he turned to his friends in the living room, "let's take five until my folks chill a bit." The other four colts all just nodded and tuned their instruments... quietly. So un-cool. It was then that Twilight realized where she was. She was in her bed. Just a moment ago she remembered being downstairs in the study. This could only mean one thing...

"MOM! DAD!" Twilight yelled out, galloping down the stairs, taking them two at a time. "MOM! DAD!"

"What is it dear? And don't run down the stairs like that, you'll break your darn neck!" Her mother scolded.

"And scuff the woodwork." Her father huffed from behind the newspaper.

"Mom, Dad! I time traveled!" Twilight yelled, excitedly. Her parents exchanged a confused look.

"Time traveled?" Her mother asked, incredulous.

"Uh huh! AND I teleported!" She added, her smile wide on her face, as she hopped up and down.

"Teleported?" Her father asked, lowering his paper. "Do tell." He prompted, eagerly awaiting the epic tale this must be. Twilight tried to collect herself, barely able to keep her excited hooves planted on the floor.

"Okay, well, I was reading my books about magic, and when I finished, I closed my eyes for a second to rest them, and when I opened them, I was upstairs in my bed and it's now the future!" Twilight explained happily clapping her hooves together. "I did magic!"

Twilight's parents exchanged a knowing glance, accompanied by tiny smirks of amusement. He raised a 'should I tell her?' eyebrow. She shook her head 'nay'. What good was it to crush a poor filly's dreams with such a mundane explanation of, 'you fell asleep and we carried you to bed'. There would be plenty of time for harsh reality when she became an adult.

"Well Twilight, could you show us now?" He father asked her with mock sincerity. Twilight tried to remember exactly how she had time traveled... or teleported. But could recall neither. She tried instead to clearly remember what she could.

"Um, no. I don't remember how to... But I can do this!" She focused on the spoon on the table. She reached out with her magic. An invisible appendage in her mind extended and touched the spoon. She felt the cold metal in her mind. Her subconscious linked to the magic vortex. Deep in the recesses of her mind, she felt the metal ore, once embedded in the stone of the mine for the eons of the life age of the world.

Twilight simply experienced her magic grasping the spoon, and with an effort of will, lifted it from the table in a soft, magenta glow. Her parents were both very impressed. A self-educated unicorn who taught herself magic nearly over-night! Twilight's focus wavered as the aura vanished and the spoon clattered on the tile floor.

Twilight huffed and gasped. The effort had taken a lot out of her in that moment. She was disappointed with herself. She was so sure she would have been able to hold it longer. Her parents seemed happy with her though, and that made her feel better.

"Twilight that- that was amazing! Her mother cheered, sweeping her up in her hooves, hugging her tightly.

"Well, not really. It was just-" Twilight complained.

"Twilight! I can't think of any other unicorn who had taught themselves magic so quickly! You are quite a talented little filly!" Her father praised.

"Really? Wow!" Twilight hugged her mom back even harder. "I can't wait to see what else I can do!" Twilight let go of her mom, and took off for the study again, "I'm gonna try to do that teleport spell again!" She yelled back as she vanished around the corner.

"I can't wait to see what else you can do too." Her mother whispered, a tear of joy forming at the corner of her eye.

SCREECH

"YEEEAAAAHHH! Twilie's gonna get her magic ON! Like a PRAWN that YAWNS on the LAWN at DAAAAWN!" Shining screamed the trite lyrics into the static-filled microphone, clashing with the ear-bleeding feedback of the speakers, and the blaring guitar riff. "WHOOO!"

"DAMMIT SHINING! OUTSIDE!" His mother hollered, shooing him and his friends out the door. "We're trying to have a moment here!"
____________________________________________________________________________

Not long after, her parents decided to enroll her in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. They smiled brightly as her father presented Twilight the approved acceptance letter. Twilight hopped up and down in joy! It was a dream come true for young Twilight, except for one thing; She had to pass an entrance exam!

Twilight could feel her hooves getting sweaty and clammy as she and her family walked down the hall to the audition exam room. Her parents were close behind her, there for support. Shining trailed a bit, singing to himself in a hushed tone, banging his head. To an outsider, it looked like the poor colt was having a seizure.

"Twilie gonna get her magic ON. Like cinnamON on a cina-bON. Take'n out the competitiON like a chess PAWN. Then we gonna celebratiON. CongratulatiON! And then- uh. Hmmm."

"Shining, knock it off." His mother hushed. "Twilight needs to focus." They arrived at the door to the auditorium. "Listen, why don't you wait outside here and... practice. In your head. Okay?" He nodded and took a seat on the bench in the hallway. Twilight paused, took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Her parents followed her in. Her mother whispered to her, "Remember to smile. Charisma is key."

On shaky legs, Twilight took her place in the center of the room. She looked around nervously, trying her best to keep her nerves calm, or at least, hidden. The four judges sat up in the back of the room, quietly... judging her. She looked to her parents standing by the room's entrance. They motioned for her to 'keep smiling'. Twilight turned back to the judges, all a-grins. An attendant rolled in a cart with a pink and purple spotted egg, nested softly on a bed of hay.

"Well Miss Sparkle?" One of the judges prompted impatiently.

Twilight walked over to the egg, inspecting it closely. She laughed nervously, still forcing out a smile for the judges. They made no effort to hide their condescension. They scrawled a variety of comments on their evaluation clipboard. Every tap of punctuation on the pads was a thunderous hammer in Twilight's ears. She began sweating profusely now. She could feel beads rolling down her cheeks. It would help to hide her tears when she failed.

FAILED

No! She pushed aside her fear. Fear is the mind killer. She began mentally preparing for the task at hoof. She reared up and focused all her will into her horn. Tiny sparks sputtered from the tip. She groaned and huffed from exertion. But the stress had caused her to crack under the pressure, leaving the egg failing to also do so. Another of the reviewers yawned. The leader looked at her watch. "We don't have all day."

She knew it was the most important day of her life. That her entire future would be affected by the outcome of that day. And she was about to blow it! Her whole world fell down around her. All her hopes, her dreams, began to crumble before her eyes. All because of one stubborn egg. She tried a final time, forcing every last once of will she had! A tiny spark from her horn fizzled out again. She felt her stomach fall, her heart sink. Doubt overtook her. At least she could still keep her dignity. She tried not to cry. Maybe she wasn't meant for this after all...

"I'm sorry I wasted your time..." Twilight whimpered in defeat.

Out in the hall, Shining rhythmically tapped his hoof on the floor, nodding his head in time.

"Celebration, congratulation... um... evacuation?

Sanitation?

Evaluation....?"

He struggled to find a fitting lyric for his most gnarly metal song yet. A beautiful ivory mare with a pastel pink mane and tail passed by him. Shining, feeling sly, used his magic to surreptitiously undo the clasp on her saddlebag. It fell to the ground, spilling her books. She bent down to collect them, affording Shining a brief glimpse up her skirt. She re-secured her bag and went on her way. He felt the beginnings of a familiar stirring in his loins.

"... masturbation..." He grinned.

.....

Suddenly, a chromatic blast tore across the sky outside. The myriad of prismatic colors filled the heavens. It was beautiful! Awe inspiring! He fell to his knees. Tears filled his eyes. But the blast- the BOOM! It was louder and more powerful than anything he had ever heard come out of his band's amplifier. A shriek came from inside the auditorium. Somewhere in Shining's mind, it registered as sounding like Twilight's. The shock wave struck the huge window panes of the school's hallway.

Deadly blades of broken stained-glass were propelled at Shining Armor.

The Worst Night Ever

RIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!

Shining's hoof swung blindly through the air, knocking the alarm clock from his night stand. After a moment he sat up in his bed, staring through the darkness across the room over at Twilight's bed. It was still empty. She was still in Ponyville. He turned and looked out the window to the east over the dark, pre-dawn Canterlot.

In twenty seconds the sun would come up. Just as it did every day. Exactly one minute after his alarm went off. The city clock tower chimed dawn.

"Happy Summer Sun Celebration." He said to himself. "And... three... two... one..." Shining squinted in preparation. But no glare came. The clock tower finished chiming.

"Late?" Shining asked aloud, rising to his hooves. "The Princess is never late," he said, an air of panic in his voice. He checked his clock again. It was now well over a minute. Now two minutes past.

"In a thousand years, the Princess is NEVER late!" He flew around the room gathering his guard uniform.

KNOCK KNOCK

Shining rushed downstairs, still half dressed, and answered the door. It was another of the Princess's royal guards, of the Pegasus division.

"Lieutenant Armor, there's been a mass recall. The Princess has gone missing!"

"I'm on my way. What do we know?" Shining asked, finishing the last of his buttons.

"The report just came in from Ponyville sir. I'll brief you on the way."

Shining boarded the chariot pulled by two other Pegasi.

"She must have gone missing some time during the night. She didn't make her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville. Her personal guard attempted to engage a 'Nightmare Moon'."

Ponyville. That's where Twilight was.

Shining pushed the thought from his mind. Twilight was a smart mare. And strong. Whatever was wrong, she would stay away from it and be safe. But it was up to him and the rest of the royal guard to see to the Princess's safety. That was their first priority.
___________________________________________________

"Lieutenant, I have made myself clear on the matter!" the Commander of the Royal Guard barked at Shining. "You are to head up the team sweeping the castle and its grounds for any clue as to the whereabouts of Her Highness."

"But sir, it's just that her last known location was Ponyville. It only makes sense that I go there to-" Shining tried to counter.

"A team has already been dispatched to Ponyville for its own search and rescue sweep. You know this!"

"Sir, it's just that... my- sister is there."

"Lieutenant Armor, do not let your personal feelings in the matter cloud your judgement. You have your orders. Now see to them!"

"Yes sir! What of Princess Cadence?"

"She is secured and is being escorted to the castle as we speak." The Commander said.

That was a relief at least.

He continued, "Just see to it that the castle gets a thorough search. She could still be on the grounds playing one of her elaborate- pranks."

Shining knew the Princess was always a bit of a trickster. But this was too big even for her.
____________________________________________________

Team Alpha was headed by Captain Anne Tan Kneel. She was the current Captain of the Royal guard. She did her job well, for neither the title or the pay, but for the love of the work. Her term was nearly up however. Many hoped that she would go on to succeed the Commander. But she chose retirement instead. It was no secret that Shining Armor was the leading contender for the position.

Team Alpha searched the West Wing of the castle, which held the highest tower and the Princess's personal quarters. It was known for being fraught with long staircases and hidden alcoves and secret passages. Shining did not envy their task.

Lieutenant Shining headed up team Bravo, searching the East Wing of the castle. It had the second tower, and the royal Library. But most of the wing was unused these days and had fallen into neglect. There were many areas that hadn't seen the light of day in some time.

And if they couldn't find the Princess, never would again!

Shining's team fanned out. Each of them moved in pairs. With him was Low Key. He was a unicorn with a bit of a checkered past with a series of B&E's. But he never stole anything, just rearranged the furniture. Shining was actually in the jury for his trial.

"Your honor, you just don't understand. The Feng Shui of those rooms were seriously throwing off my Chi!"

His dream was being an interior decorator. But his talent was locks. After a bit of community service, Shining talked him into joining the Royal Guard. They needed someone with a knack for quiet breaching rather than brute force opening doors. And tonight was his night to shine.

As they worked their way up the height of the castle, they were mostly greeted with a series of empty rooms inhabited by nothing more than the odd spider web. They finished their sweep, leaving just one last door at the top of the spire.

"Huh? Wow!" Low Key said, feeling around the door with his magic.

"What? What is it?" Shining asked from over his shoulder.

"This door, it's- it's different."

"Different... how? Like, good for us or bad for us?"

"Well it looks like somepony went through a LOT of trouble to see to it that this door never be opened."

"Bad for us."

Low Key kept feeling around the borders of the frame, meticulously inspecting every inch.

Shining asked, "So, is it dangerous? Defensive wards? Booby traps?"

"I don't think so. It has some pretty old magical locks on it. Definitely her work. But there are quite a few mechanical deterrents as well. Pads, deadbolts, tumbles. Damn, even the tumbles are enchanted!"

"Wait, you mean to tell me you can't get this door opened?" Shining asked.

Low Key rolled his eyes. "No. It just means it's going to take a minute. Keep your panties on Lou."

Shining stood by, waiting impatiently. After a series of thuds, creeks and metal scraping on metal, the door crept open on tired hinges. He stepped inside. The air was dank and heavy, making breathing a chore. Moonlight poured in through the large window panes. The light cast long shadows on the furnishings inside. It was a bedroom.

It was nearly the size of Princess Celestia's personal quarters. It had a massive bed and all manner of lavish bureaus and dressers. The curtains and tapestries adorning the walls were all of a night time theme with stars and crescent moons in cool themes of blues and blacks.

But perhaps the oddest thing of all, there was not a speck of dust anywhere in the room. Everything was spotless, perfectly kept. Though it was obvious that nopony had been in here in decades, centuries even. 'More magic,' he assumed. Somepony, Princess Celestia no doubt, wanted this room kept just as it was when it was sealed. Waiting for somepony.

A cursory sweep around the room satisfied him that the Princess was not here. Shining left the room, and began heading back downstairs, calling back over his shoulder.

"Seal it back up. Just as it was."

Low Key nodded and turned back to the door pushing it closed. But just before he could seat it in the frame, a small pressure of air pushed back for a moment. From the darkness of the stairway, he peered inside through the crack in the doorway.

The window opened silently. A blue wisp of smoke flew inside, snaking around the room. Tendrils reached out, feeling along the edges of the ancient mattress. Suddenly there materialized a black alicorn on the bed with ethereal blue smoke for a mane and tail. She rolled off the bed and stood in front of the dresser, looking at herself in the mirror. The Alicorn mare in the mirror was much smaller, of blue fur and a light blue mane. She looked sad and scared. The black Alicorn reared up and punched at the mirror with an armored hoof, shattering it. Bits of glass showered onto the floor.

The glass fragments slowly floated up from the floor, replacing themselves in the frame. The cracks in the glass melted away, leaving the mirror completely restored. The small mare continued to stare back at her. The larger alicorn fumed.

"Low Key, are you coming!?" Shining shouted up the staircase.

The black alicorn turned suddenly to the noise from the doorway, seeing Low Key there. In a flash, she lunged at him, her teeth turning to long fangs. A spell slammed into him like a truck.

FORGET!

In an instant, Low Key blinked. The room was empty. The window was closed. He was alone. His pulse was racing, but... he couldn't even fathom as to why. He casually closed the door and reset the locks and wards, just as ordered. He turned to join the Lieutenant downstairs. But he just couldn't shake that slight nausea that had suddenly washed over him. He dismissed it as skipping breakfast again. Yeah, that was it.
_________________________________________________________________________

Low Key regrouped with Shining and the rest of Team Bravo in the throne room. The other teams had also assembled there, their respective searches completed. The throne room had been transformed into a headquarters for the castle search.

"ROOM 'TENCH HUT!"

The royal guardsponies went to rigid attention as the Commander entered, escorting the Princess. Princess Cadence, that is.

"Commander, I think this may be a bit too preemptive." She said to him as they walked. Ponies bowed as she passed them.

"Your Highness, sunrise is now several hours late. The citizens are starting to panic in the streets. We need to act now to avert total catastrophe!" The Commander advised. "Forgive me for forgoing the usual coronation procedures. But you must try to raise the sun yourself!" They turned past the throne toward the West Castle courtyard balcony. "We need order. You must try!"

Cadence stepped out onto the balcony, looking to the east. Aunt Celestia had explained once before about her connection to the sun. Cadence tried to remember what she had said. She closed her eyes and reached out with her magic, trying to emulate the connection herself. She felt the sky above her, the earth below her, the mountains in front of her. The the sun was beyond her grasp. She could feel its distant presence, weak, and hidden. Imprisoned. But she failed to touch it.
___________________________________________________________________________

You see Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the spark that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element. The element of MAGIC!
____________________________________________________________________________

Cadence felt the magic plane of the world shift. She was lurched from her feet as though thrown from a suddenly stopping cart. Powerful magic had just happened somewhere. She took to the air, wings outspread. The sun rose with her above the horizon. The other ponies behind her looked on in awe, kneeling before the new Princess of the Sun. Princess Cadence of Equestria.

Cadence landed back on the balcony. She looked to the sun beaming from the east.

"I didn't do that." She whispered to herself. Her train of logic ran down the possibilities, arriving at one final conclusion. Auntie Tia was back. All would be well. She smirked. She was such a prankster. The magnitude of this would be an academy record for her. Fine, if you want to play, I'll play your game.

Cadence turned back to the throne room. Walking tall and proud. She had wanted to do this for a long time. She would enjoy this. She marched confidently to the throne and took her seat. The rest of the ponies knelt before her.

"Behold the new Princess of Equestria!" One shouted out.

"Behold!" The others echoed, "Long live the Princess!"

"Lieutenant Armor!" Cadence called out into the room. "Front and center!"

Shining Armor scurried to the front of the throne room, kneeling before the Princess.

"Captain Anne Tan Kneel, front and center!" She commanded. The captain joined Shining at the foot of the throne.

"Attention to orders!" She continued, "As acting Princess, I do hereby decree Captain Anne Tan Kneel retired from duty with full honors and retirement benefits for a term of Captain of the Royal Guard very excellently served." She said, tapping the Captain on the shoulder with her horn.

"I do further decree," Cadence tried to keep a straight face. This was too much fun. "That Lieutenant Shining Armor be promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard! In honor of service very excellently rendered." Her dirty mind wandered to an entirely different kind of servicing she enjoyed from him. Her smile was unreadable. It was simply of a Princess proud of her troops. And definitely not from anything else.

"I present to you all, Captain Shining Armor, and Captain retired, Anne Tan Kneel!" She said at last. The assembled crowd stomped their hooves in ovation.

"Now, let's get this celebration started. Bring forth the royal cake!" Cadence shouted. Cheers erupted from the crowd.
____________________________________________________________________

Princess Celestia wasn't sure what to expect when she returned to her castle with her sister. She anticipated finding a castle full of worried ponies. But she would never have guessed that she would walk into her throne room to a- PARTY!?

She threw open the great doors to the throne room. Balloons and streamers were everywhere. Thumping music blared from the DJ booth. Tables lined the walls with all manner of food and drink. Ponies of all kinds were cutting a rug in the middle of the Day Court floor. The guard ponies had shirked their armor, busting moves on the makeshift dance floor, clearly inebriated from what overpoweringly smelled like very strong cider.

Cadence laid recumbent in the throne, ponies in togas on either side of her hoof feeding her grapes. Nopony even noticed the royal sisters in the doorway. Luna turned to her elder sister.

"Tia, be this a bright and glorious feast in honor of our return?" She asked.

"I'm sorry Luna, it seems they've started the celebration a bit early..." Celestia answered. She turned back to the room.

"PRINCESS MI AMORE CADENZA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Celestia shouted across the room in full Royal Canterlot Voice, throwing the needle from off the record, killing the music. The room went stalk still in shock, before immediately falling into a hush kneel.

Cadence galloped across the room, curtsying quickly. "Auntie Tia! You're back!" She said stumbling, slightly tipsy.

Celestia glared at her. Cadence was wearing one of Celestia's royal Helms of Office. She grit her teeth and asked in a hushed growl away from Luna. "What is going on here?" eyeing her Helm. Cadence realized she was still wearing a set of Celestia's royal jewelry. She started peeling it off from herself, replacing it with her own, small tiara and smiling nervously.

"Um, hehe. Uh, dress up?"
________________________________________________________________________

After a hushed discussion behind the throne, the trio reappeared a few moments later. Cadence stood in front of the throne, with the Royal Sisters above and behind her.

"Um, everypony? It is my great honor to welcome back our beloved Princess Celestia and her estranged sister, Princess Luna!"

Murmurs of 'sister?' moved through the crowd. Cadence continued in a forced tone, trying to lead the crowd.

"THEREFORE, I am very GLAD that we put together this celebration FOR THEM!" she said, with emphasis, winking to the crowd. "I present to you all Princess Celestia and Princess Luna returned!" Cadence announced, moving aside for them and stomping her hooves loudly, with a large, forced grin, trying to lead the ovation. The shocked crowd joined her after a moment, clopping their hooves on the floor.

Princess Celestia stepped forward, "Thank you Princess Cadenza for arranging this celebration for my sister, Princess Luna."

Luna stepped forward with her, "Thank you, citizens. We did not expect to have been remembered after all this time." she said, starting to frown.

"Of course not Luna," Celestia said loudly, "We never forgot about you. Isn't that right?" She said at the crowd. A smattering of response came back.

"Oh, of course not."
"We remember."
"Hail Princess Luna!"

"HAIL PRINCESS LUNA!" The rest of the crowd echoed.

Luna smiled, bringing a glass to herself with her magic, raising it in front of her. "Then let the festivities resume!"

The music started up again. Ponies began to dance again. Crisis averted.

Shining Armor made his way across the room toward Cadence. Luna pounced in front of him.

"Fair Captain, may we have this dance?" Luna exclaimed excitedly. Shining glanced over her shoulder at Cadence, giggling to herself, waving him off.

"Of course, Your Highness." Shining said with a polite bow. "It would be my honor."
___________________________________________________________

Many ponies danced long into the afternoon. There was perfect freedom in dancing. There was no distinction of class or rank. The maids danced with the guards. The handmaidens danced with the grounds keepers. Some of the guards danced with each other when the Village Ponies songs came on.

Others kept to the sidelines, watching the spectacle on the dance floor. For all the dancing and intermingling, all kept a wide berth of Princess Luna. Dancing had evolved a great deal in the past millennium. And her wild gesticulations and flailing resembled less a modern dance, and more a poor pony suffering a violent seizure. Shining did his best as her brave dance partner to mirror her moves, trying not to get accidentally pummeled to death.

His attention kept wavering to the sides, watching as Cadence turned down several offers to dance. She instead opted to remain at Celestia's side, watching in amusement as the hapless Captain struggled to keep up with Luna's seemingly inexhaustible energy. Shining looked back on his days of running for miles with full saddlebags in Basic Training with envy as sweat poured from his brow on the dance floor. Finally, the Princess of the Night relented.

"We thank thee for a most wonderful dance fair Captain. Would thou be so kind as to escort us to our quarters?" Luna asked.

"Of course- huff Your Highness- pant. Just let me- gasp inform the others- cough that you are departing." Shining wheezed, still trying to recover.

"Save thy breath Captain. You seem like you surely need it. Besides, we need not report to our sister. We are our own authority." Luna said, slightly perturbed

"Yes- pant Your Highness." "Just- just give me a moment."

"Very well..." Luna sighed.

Shining hobbled over to Cadence, whispering. "Hey, Princess Luna asked me to show her to her quarters. So I'm just going to walk her upstairs." Cadence just nodded in acknowledgement.

Shining escorted Luna through the castle. He had a good idea of where they where going. But it mattered little as Luna kept the lead with her long stride and brisk pace. He was used to Cadence being taller than most other mares. But Luna, though smaller than her sister, still positively towered head and shoulders over the Captain. Cadence's slender figure was one of her appealing features to Shining. The lovely Luna took it to a whole other level. It was actually quite intimidating to him. And the trek up the tower stairs kept her at quite a revealing angle in front of him in spite of her voluminous tail. He tried his best to avert his eyes. He tried at least.

At last they arrived at her door. Luna felt the ward her sister had placed upon it. What had taken Low Key several minutes, she casually brushed aside with a wave of her hoof, as though removing a mere cobweb. Her horn glowed for a moment, accompanied by the sounds of several locking mechanisms opening at once. The door swung open, revealing her room, just as it was a thousand years ago, untouched by the passage of time.

She strolled in and collapsed onto her bed. The fatigue of the long night and vigorous dance finally became evident in the Princess. Shining waited just outside the door, waiting for any further command before he bid her good night- er, day. He was about to close her door and take his leave when she called to him.

"Art thou not going to join us?" Luna said, as she turned onto her side.

"I- I beg your pardon Princess?" Shining could almost not believe what he had just heard.

"Art thou not going to join our Majesty in bed for a rut?" Luna asked again. "Does thou not find us attractive?"

"Your Majesty, please! With respect, this is incredibly forward!" Shining said, trying to remain polite.

"Forgive our directness. We would like to circumvent the formalities of courtship. It- it has been a very long time for us since anypony has..." She rolled onto her stomach, arching her back, displaying her marehood to him. "We are not seeking a relationship, we just- need this!" she moaned. Her folds glistened in the low light, wet with both sweat and wanton desire. Shining could not deny their appeal. The Princess was indeed divine in her beauty.

"Your Highness, do not misunderstand. I do find you very attractive and I appreciate the offer. Truly I do. Any stallion would kill to be so lucky to receive such an offering. But I must confess, my heart belongs to another." Shining said. Luna frowned.

"We know. We can tell that you are in love. Our niece is not the only specialist in the arena of Love." She paused. "It would be our secret if- you would please us. We each have much to risk in this tryst." She bargained. Shining stood firm, trying with every once of his willpower to resist her siren song. "Would it help if we took the desire of your heart's form?" She asked. Before Shining could even answer, Luna's form shimmered, shrinking and morphing shape and color. He didn't know if her would be able to remain so resolute if she changed into Cadence.

Which is why he was thrown completely off guard when he saw Twilight's form laying on the bed before him.

Luna looked at her new form in the mirror. "Our sister's student? A fine choice. She is a lovely mare. We can see why you like her." Luna said in Twilight's voice. Shining's mind reeled.

"I- how- how did you-?" He struggled.

"We looked into your heart and found your greatest desire and took its form." She answered matter-of-factly.

"I- I shouldn't. We shouldn't. It wouldn't be right." He tried to protest, even as his hooves began to move on their own, bringing him closer to the lavender mare on the sheets.

"Fear not, fair stallion. Your marefriend needn't know." Luna encouraged.

"She- she's not my marefriend." Shining mumbled.

"We are not privy to details in the arena of emotion. We looked only to your heart and found your desire." She said, rolling onto her back, spreading her hind legs. She began rubbing at her purple folds with her hoof. "Come, indulge in your desire..." She purred.

Shining's mouth went dry. All thoughts of protest evaporated from his mind as his hooves continued to slowly move on auto-pilot, inching him closer to his sister's form. He could smell her scent filling the room, Twilight's scent. His body betrayed his last scrap of will as his repressed arousal became very evident, throbbing beneath him. She scooted herself so her hind legs were at the edge of the bed. Shining fell to his knees before her. His head rested against the soft fur of her inner thigh, as he soaked in the image of his sister's sex, mere inches from his face. He had dreamed of this moment for so long now. A tiny whisper escaped his lips.

"I'm so sorry."

Luna's body was electric as Shining moved along her thigh. Her anticipation was palpable as she enjoyed her first intimacy in over a thousand years. She could feel his breath on her loins as he continued to close the distance. His breathing was ragged and hot, as his mouth opened to taste her. Every nerve in her body came alive as he finally laid his lips on her hot pussy. She gasped as his tongue slowly lapped along her slit, parting her lips slightly.

Shining was in absolute heaven. He pressed his muzzle deeper into his sister's pussy, lapping greedily into her. His long tongue probed her love tunnel, drinking the sweet nectar within. His nose bobbed into her slit, rubbing against her swollen clitoris. His senses were flooded with Twilight's essence. He was drunk with arousal as his hooves ran along her legs, thighs and supple flanks.

Luna writhed beneath him. There was no pretense in his action. No nervous stilted motions of a guard trying to not disappoint a Princess. His was the love making of pure, unadulterated lust. She reveled in his carnal ministrations. She reached down with her lavender hooves, which were shorter than she was used to, and ran them through his ragged mane. She took a gentle hold and pressed him into her a bit more forcefully.

Shining was so pleased that his sister was enjoying his efforts. His licking became more rapid and wild, unpredictable. He alternated between her honey hole and her clit, flicking it with his tongue, but holding back just enough from putting her over the top. Luna's hips bucked in time with his motions as she rolled in bliss and agony, her much-desired orgasm repeatedly denied. She simultaneously resented, and was grateful for, a lover who didn't just try to get her to cum as quickly as possible.

His careful strategy was soon rewarded as he could tell her plateau was nearing a peak. Her hips bucked much more erratically. She sucked a sudden breath and went rigid as her legs clamped down on his head, holding him in place as her pussy spasmed, soaking his face in her juices. Luna cried out in a subdued whimper in Twilight's voice. Her orgasm struck her with such force, her mind became a black hole. She lost all focus, leaving her with just the feeling itself. Twilight's form melted away as her magic veil dissipated. Her form morphed and grew back to her original body around Shining.

She felt a sudden struggling between her hind legs, and she was returned to the present moment. Her legs were still clamped on the poor stallion's head. She released him as he gasped for breath. The adrenaline of near-asphyxiation shocking him back to full consciousnesses. He looked up at Luna's satisfied face, still from between her legs. His sudden shock robbed him of his aroused stupor.

"I- I should go." He said nervously, backing away and bowing politely before turning to leave. Just as he reached the door, the Princess spoke one final time.

"Oh Captain," She said, as he looked over his shoulder. "Thank you. Though you may want to freshen up before you return to the festivities." She smiled coyly. Shining put a hoof to the slick mess that was his face and mane. Its scent was no longer that of a certain lavender unicorn. But it was no less obvious in the source of its aroma.

"Will do, Princess." He said, closing the door behind him.
_____________________________________________________________________

Shining washed up and returned to the throne room. The wild dance party had completely transformed in his absence. The haphazard 'Welcome Home Luna' banners were replaced with the much better prepared 'Summer Sun Celebration' tapestries. Cadence saw his return and trotted across the room. She had to refrain from embracing and kissing him in the official setting.

"You were gone for quite a while." She said.

"Oh you know," He tried to explain. He had rehearsed an explanation that was bulletproof on the way there but his mind went blank trying to recall it now. "Royal Princess requests." he said, somewhat truthfully, "Took a little while to cater to them." He said. Celestia joined the pair a moment later.

"Well, this has certainly been an event!" She said. "It is a shame that Twilight couldn't make it." Shining's hair stood on end at the mention of her name.

"Wha- what?" He studdered.

"I said, it is a shame that your sister, Twilight, could not attend the Canterlot Summer Sun Celebration. As I understand it, her dancing rivals my sister's in... entertainment value." She said with a playful smile. "She is going to remain in Ponyville, pursuing her advanced studies in the magic of friendship."

"Perhaps she could attend the Grand Galloping Gala later this year?" Cadence suggested.

"Yeah," Shining agreed, "You should totally send her a ticket!"

"Hmm, that is a splendid idea! Tomorrow I'll send her two. Just in case she wants to bring a dat- er, a friend." Celestia corrected herself in Shining's presence. No brother wanted to hear that sort of thing about their sister after all.

Cadence yawned. "Speaking of tomorrow," she said, looking at the setting sun out the window, "it's been a long day, after an even longer night. I'm about ready to retire, myself." Her contagious yawn spread to Shining who joined her in the sentiment.

"Yeah, I should probably be heading home myself... Princess Celestia," he bowed, "if there is nothing else you require of me, I will take my leave."

"You are dismissed Lieuten- I mean, Captain." Celestia said.
___________________________________________________

RIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!

"Gah. What a weird dream." He grumbled to himself.

In twenty seconds the sun would come up. Just as it did every day. Exactly one minute after his alarm went off. The city clock tower chimed dawn.

"And... three... two... one..." Shining squinted in preparation. Celestia's sun rose over the horizon. The clock tower finished chiming. He fumbled for his clock on the floor, placing it back on his nightstand. The morning light illuminated a small card that was not there when he had laid down to sleep last night. He opened it.

Captain, thank you for a wonderful time.

- L

The memories of yesterday's events came flooding back Shining felt his face turn crimson.

"Oh my."

#BONUS: Hearts and Hooves pt. 2

After a lovely breakfast, Shining Armor and his sister, Twilight Sparkle, parted their separate ways for the day. After all, she had an early start and a date to keep. With the train station. The train ride back to Ponyville went by quickly for the studious mare, who was completely enthralled in the book her brother had given her that morning.

Equestrian history had always intrigued her ever since she was a filly. It proved to be quite a page turner. Love potions, love poisons, royalty, dragons, kingdoms, and chaos! Twilight was heading back through Ponyville in the midst of her second read through. Not looking where she was going, she bumped into the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Oh my goodness! I didn't even see you there. I'm so so sorry!" Twilight apologized.

"Oh, that's okay Twilight. It was an accident." Applebloom said from the pile of fillies.

"I've just been reading the most fascinating book about Hearts and Hooves Day. Did you know that this holiday got its start because of a love potion?" Twilight explained, retrieving her book and heading on her way. The trio of fillies dove in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Did you say a love potion?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"That's right! It even has the recipe." Twilight answered, opening the book to the page and showing them.

"I don't suppose we could borrow that book for a little while, do ya?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Of course you can." Twilight said, passing the book to the ivory filly. Twilight reached into her bag, grabbing the Elements of Harmony book. "I have another book here that I think you'll-" Twilight looked back to the trio, but the girls had already vanished, heading off to pony-knows-where on another one of their adventures, she imagined. She just couldn't understand a pony who would turn down the opportunity to read a new book. Especially one as good as the Elements of Harmony. Never the less, she had a library that she needed to run, and headed on her way.
________________________________________________

DING DONG

Shining Armor answered the door.

"Good Morning." Cadence whispered. She was wearing a long, simple dress that covered her entire body, hiding her cutie mark, wings, and all but her tail. She had a broad sun hat covering her mane and large sunglasses. It wasn't like her to show up incognito like this, especially when she could just teleport about the city, completely baffling the Canterlot paparazzi. "Is your family here?" She asked quietly.

"No, my folks are out for the day and Twilie went back to Ponyville this morning. Why are you dressed like that? Who are you even hiding from?" He asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Well, I had to be discrete when I went out last night to get your Hearts and Hooves Day gift." She said, producing a bag with an image of a bushel of wheat on it. Shining recognized it as being from 'The Crop: Canterlot's best kept secret'. He looked inside the bag.

"It's empty." He said, unsure of what it was she could have gotten for him at that store. She just stood there, smiling at him with a devilish grin from under her hat. "What?" He asked her, getting a little confused at whatever game it was she was playing.

"I had it... gift wrapped." She said, her voice dropping an octave into a seductive purr. She motioned to her dress, sashaying it to and fro on his porch. "Why don't we head upstairs so you can... unwrap your present?" She said, stepping inside, flicking his nose lightly with her tail as she passed.

Her aroma, light and diffused outside, was rich and musky, soaked in her tail, and flooding his senses as she passed it by his nose. It was instant hypnosis as he turned to follow her upstairs. The dress, simple as it was, was nonetheless effective at concealing her form beneath. He had seen her nude plenty of times, but somehow it was the act of disrobing that he just found so arousing.

Without a direct view of her sex, he was able to take in more appreciation for the other subtleties. The delightful bounce in her step, and the way it sent tiny ripples up her toned thighs to her shapely flanks. The seductive stare she gave him, glancing back over her shoulder, watching him follow. Her eyes, oh how he loved her eyes! That deep magenta color that just pulled him in.

Cadence knew that Shining would follow her into the very gates of Tartarus. His excitement became visibly evident beneath him. He followed that thing around like a divining rod, and right now, it was locked onto her trail. Inside his bedroom, Cadence turned around, facing him. He tried to follow around her hind end, but she gently put a hoof to his chest, instructing him to halt.

"Hop up on the bed." She instructed. He stood there for a moment, pouting. His hoof reached past her, pawing in vain to pull at her dress. She loved when 'all the blood ran from one head to another' with him. He'd never think to just use his horn to lift her dress. Not in this state. He usually didn't have the capacity to think with both at the same time. She smirked. "Go on." She insisted, shoeing him away. As the taller of the pair, she had a somewhat longer reach, preventing him from gaining any purchase on her fabric. He relented his attempts and resigned to do as he was told. The obedient soldier in him took over the autopilot.

He settled onto the mattress as Cadence started to slowly dance in a very unladylike way. She gyrated her hips and back, moaning suggestively as she elevated her butt into the air and waving it back and forth at him. He took it as a sign to go get her. She put a hoof up.

"Uh uh uh! Not yet. You sit your butt back down." She scolded. Shining slumped back onto the bed, rubbing himself against the duvet. If she made him wait much longer he was going to fuck a hole right into the mattress. Cadence slipped a hoof under her dress. "Mmm. Oooh, ohh yeah." She moaned as she obviously played with herself, hidden from his sight. Shining was in agony, tearing his hooves at the bed post. She lifted her hoof out from under her dress, bringing it to her snout. Her white stocking was positively soaked in her juices. She stared at him as she quickly gave it a tiny lick.

"Grrr." Shining Armor felt like a caged animal, trapped on the bed, begging for release. She strutted over to him at the edge of the bed, bringing her hoof to his face, he craned his neck to lick her wet hoof, but she pulled it away at the last moment, leaving him wanting with only her strong scent. "Gah!" He was nearly giving himself a rug burn from humping the blankets. She ran her hoof down the front of her dress, over the ornate buttons adorning the front of it.

"You want this?" She asked, motioning to herself.

"Yes!"

"Tell me that you want it." She teased.

"I want it!" He said louder.

"Well then... open your present." She said. He stood up to strip the dress off her.

"Uh uh!" She said. "Do it from over there. And do it gently. Slowly!" She wanted this moment to last. And she didn't want her dress torn after all. Shining settled down, trying to focus. It was always a struggle for him to concentrate on his magic in this state. Slowly, his horn glowed, along with the top button of her dress. He carefully manipulated the fabric as so not to damage it. What was normally a simple task was excruciatingly difficult for him right now, and she knew it. She had put a lot of effort into making this day perfect, and he was going to have to earn it. One by one, he undid each button, arriving at the last one. The front of the dress parted, revealing a lilac ribbon at the top of her stocking.

"You want this?" She asked him again.

"I WANT IT!" He cried out.

FOMP

Cadence's wings burst open, throwing the dress from her body. Beneath, she was clad in a skimpy lingerie. A matching lilac corset with white frill, and white panties base.

She looked stunning. Shining was stunned. All his focus on trying to undo the buttons had left him somewhat limp. But now, she resumed her dance, humming as she went. He recognized the melody.

clap your hooves and do a little shake

She wiggled her rump at him. He remembered now. It was the song she used to sing when she was foalsitting Twilie.

Twilie

He was hard again. Fully hard. Painfully so. He was confident he could hammer nails with his steel rod at that moment. But there was quite something else he was ready to nail. Or rather, somepony. She reared up, putting her hooves up on the edge of the bed, ready to pounce him. Her panties shifted aside slightly.

THUD

Shining heard something fall to the floor. The both looked behind her. An oblong, white object that had up to that point been concealed, had slipped from its wet hiding place. It whirred away on the floor. Bzzzzzzzzz.

"Has that been in you this whole time?" He asked, astonished.

"Hmmm, just a little something I got for myself while I was there." She said, turning off the vibrator. "Getting me warmed up for you baby." She said climbing onto the bed, pushing him onto his back. "Here. You can have this for now." She said, levitating the vibrator over to him. He grasped it in his hooves. It was drenched, infused with her essence. Her scent was divine. He didn't hesitate to fellate the phallic object like a Popsicle, if only to get more of her flavor.

She slid up his body. The soft fabric of her lingerie and stockings brushed against his sensitive groin. She took his member in her hooves, massaging it gently. She gave Little Shiny small kisses, starting at the base, slowly working his way up his shaft to the head. The entire time, she softly massaged his heavy balls in her free hoof. He looked on in anticipation as she flicked her tongue across his medial ridge. He always loved it when she did that. She brought her mouth to his tip, pausing an agonizing moment before she started.

"Sooo, what did you get for me?" She asked, speaking into the microphone.

"What?" He tried to regain his senses once his eyes stopped rolling back from her ministrations.

"You heard me. I got this really nice outfit for you. Did you at least get me some flowers to snack on after?" She asked with pouty eyes.

Dammit! He completely forgot to stop at the florist's last night!

"Oh- yeah! Of course! I got you a... it's a..." Shining's hoof flailed around along the bottom of the bed, reaching underneath. "A book!"

"A book!?" She asked, cocking her eyebrow, her voice falling flat. Shining grabbed the book, handing it to her. She looked over it skeptically, opening it to the first couple of pages. It was definitely old. Her disappointed expression gave way to intrigue, then surprise, and then a deep blush!

"Oh my gosh! This is a First Edition!" She exclaimed. "You found a First Edition PonySutra! How?" She was ecstatic.

"Wait? You mean you can read it?" He asked.

"Medieval Equestrian? Of course! Can't you?" She said, looking at him as though it was a silly question. He just shook his head. "Hmm, the benefits of a classical education I suppose." She sighed, flipping though the pages, idly stroking his cock as she read. She looked up at the clock. "How long do we have the place to ourselves?" She asked.

"My folks won't be back until later tonight." He said, wishing she'd get back to the task, literally, at hoof. She flipped through several more pages before setting it on his bureau, opened to page one.

"Oh, we are doing ALL of these!" She said, before nearly swallowing his cock. Shining sucked in a quick breath, eyeing the thick book beside the bed. He was silently grateful that Twilight had made him a hearty breakfast that morning. He had the feeling it was going to be a long Hearts and Hooves Day.
________________________________________________________________

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Camisa Roja waited at the door for a response. They had sent out a notification yesterday that they would be here at this time. He was growing impatient. This one last charter was all he had left to do and he could be off duty for the rest of the holiday. Lieutenant Sea Cay waited by the chariot.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Camisa asked.

"Yeah. Just knock again."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Dammit!" They heard a mare shouting from within. The door cracked open. A disheveled Berry Punch squinted at the guards suspiciously. "Sheesh, do you have any idea how early it is?" She hissed at them.

"Ma'am, it's 11:35." Camisa informed her. Berry looked at her watch, only to be reminded that it was smashed last night because of... something. Oh well, even a broken watch is still right twice a day. Her red eyes slowly came into focus, as she recognized the stallions as Royal Guards.

"Crap... What are the charges?" Berry asked, rubbing her puffy face.

"Ma'am?" Camisa was confused.

"Why are you here?" She asked, watering down the question.

"Uh, we're here to bring you to Canterlot."

"The hell for?" She asked, sipping at her breakfast, a Bloody Mary.

"For your date that you won with the Princess, Celestia." He said. Berry clenched her eyes.

"Aw horse apples! That was today?" She rubbed her forehead. "You think you could get her to turn the sun off at least?" They just stared at her. "Okay, okay, just... just gimmie a sec." She said, slamming the rest of her drink, and then the door. Camisa looked back at Sea Cay, shrugging. Sea Cay just shook his head. He knew a few ponies in his time like Berry. He was not looking forward to this trip.

taptaptaptaptap

scrape scrape

taptaptaptaptap

scrape scrape
scraaape

snort
snort snort
SNOOOOOORT

Berry threw open the door after a moment, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"OH, BUCK YEAH! LET'S DO THIS." She announced, jogging out the door, and proceeding to hop up and down in the chariot. Camisa closed the door after she didn't even bother to. "Sweet! Two designated drivers!" She reached into her bag, grabbing a can of AppleJack Daniels Cider, chugging it.

"Haven't you ever heard of the open container law?" Sea Cay said back to her over his shoulder as Camisa got back into the harness.

"Sorry. I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am!" She yelled, crushing the can into her forehead and chucking it into the bushes.

"Or littering." Camisa muttered.

"MUSH!" She yelled, collapsing in a fit of laughter as they took off into the sky, toting the lunatic.

"We don't get paid nearly enough for this crap." Camisa complained to the lieutenant.

"At least Princess Luna's date was able to fly herself there." Sea Cay consoled.
_________________________________________________________________

"Prithee, tell us again of these 'video games' fair Pegasus." Luna asked of the wall-eyed mare.

Princess Luna stood amidst the crowd of young fillies and colts in the grand Canterlot Arcadia. It was not what Luna had in mind for her 'date' on Hearts and Hooves Day.

"Watch, you just put a Bit in the slot..." Derpy put a coin in the arcade machine. It whirred to life, with a menagerie of colorful lights and electronic sounds. "And then you try to win and get a high score."

"What do we win?" Luna asked, interested.

"Uh, well you win tickets and then you can exchange them for a prize at the front counter. It's fun!" Derpy explained.

"Fun you say? We remember this 'fun'. We enjoy fun." Luna said, taking hold of the joystick on the console. "So the yellow circle has to get all the little white circles before those colorful shapes get to him?..."
________________________________________________________________

Shining laid panting on the bed. The sheets were soaked in more than just sweat. His mane was plastered to his face and neck.

"I- I dunno- how much more- I can do." Shining gasped between breaths.

"Awe come on! This is so much fun!" Cadence said, toying at his sheath, trying to coax Little Shiny out for another round.

"Cadie, look, he's... he's turtle'd. You scared him. I think he's done for today. Maybe the whole week." He wheezed.

"Hmm. Okay, let me get you something to drink." She said before she vanished in a flash. Shining tried to gather his strength to at least make it across the hall to get washed up. He sat up slowly. Cadence reappeared. A glass of juice in hoof. "Here you go." She said. Shining gulped the liquid with all haste. It was a little bitter, but refreshing none-the-less.

"Hmm. What was that?" He asked.

"Oh, it's this new thing called an energy drink. It's called Crimson Cow." She said.

"It's cow?!" Shining was about to be sick.

"No no! It's just a name! Cow free! I swear. It's just water and sugar and fruit juice." She trailed off. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" He asked.

"Well, I mighta, kinda also added a... virility potion." Cadence said, trying to avoid the question.

"A what now?"

"It's like an energy drink for... Little Shiny." She smirked. Shining could feel a tingle running through his abdomen to his loins as the potion started to take effect.

"Ugh, isn't that a bit much?" He asked, a little worried. "I'm gonna start chafing soon!" Cadence wasn't listening, she was already reading the next page.

"Oh, come on! We're only on page 63." She teased. "Ooh, here we go. This will give you a chance to take a break."

"A break? Okay, yeah let's do that." He sighed, closing his eyes. He felt him being lifted up by her magic and flipped onto his belly. "Hey! What did you do that fo- what the hell is that?" Shining asked in terror as he watched Cadence strap on a harness to herself. A black, latex appendage now dangled menacingly between her legs.

"Remember when Discord changed us? It's gonna kinda be like that." She said with a wicked grin, lifting his tail with her magic.

"WHAT WHAT WHAT! No! OH NO! You are not putting that thing in my thing!" He screamed, trying to crawl away from the advancing alicorn on his bed.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I said something similar when you first suggested trying this on me..." Cadence said with a smug expression. She applied plenty of lube to the dildo attached to her crotch, pulling Shining's butt closer. "Just try to relax..." She said, her voice shifting to a comforting maternal tone. She leaned in onto his back, pinning him to the bed. Shining was already exhausted. He couldn't resist even if he wanted to. "Don't worry, I promise I'll be gentle." She whispered in his ear as he felt the slick tip pressing against his puckered butt. He took a deep breath, grabbing the sheets and just holding-the-buck-on. "Gentler than you were that first time, anyway..." She added. Shining gulped.
_________________________________________________________________

"GET THE STRAWBERRY! GET THE STRAWBERRY! IT'S WORTH MORE!" Luna screamed over Derpy's shoulder.

"I know! I know!" Derpy answered. "I got this!"
__________________________________________________________________

"Wow-is-this-the-castle's-driveway?Why-do-they-call-it-a-driveway?You-don't-drive-on-it.You-park-on-it.It-should-be-a-parkway.They-have-parkways-but-you-don't-park-on-them-you-drive-on-them.Isn't-that-so-backwards?Hey-you-know-what-else?What's-with-"

"I liked her better when she was still hungover." Camisa groaned. "We're here!" He announced to their gregarious passenger. She proceeded to do a sloppy back-flip out of the chariot.

"I AM THE GREATEST MARE ALIVE!" She yelled, getting back on her hooves.

"I would agree with you, except for the fact that I'm here." Celestia said, approaching Berry from behind. The two guard ponies wasted no time in putting as much distance between themselves and the purple train wreck that was about to commence. "Are you alright?" She asked in her usual, soothing tone.

"I'm super! Thanks for asking." Berry announced proudly.

"Do you want to have that looked at I mean?" Celestia asked, motioning to the deep cut on Berry's leg, pooling blood on the ground. She must have caught one of the metal edges of the chariot on her dismount.

"WOW! That is a huge gash!" Berry said, looking at her own leg, still running profusely with blood. "Like... a HUGE gash! He, he, he. Doesn't hurt though. Whoa... I have hooves..." Berry trailed off, mesmerized by the red liquid running down her fur.

"Well, be that as it may, let me get that for you." Celestia said. Her horn glowed the same warm yellow as the sun she reigned over. Berry's wound closed before her eyes.

"Are you a wizard?" Berry slurred. In a matter of moments she was good as new.

"There you are. You should be back to one hundred percent." Celestia said. "I even cleared your system of those toxins." She said proudly. Berry's eyes went wide.

"You did WHAT?" She screamed.

"I cleared the mind altering toxins from you circulatory sys-" Celestia was cut off. Berry grabbed the golden yoke around Celesita's neck, pulling her down to her level, staring into her eyes.

"But those were EXPENSIVE toxins!" Berry screamed, releasing Celestia. Berry fell on the ground. A couple guards came to assist the Princess from her assaulter. But Celestia waved them off. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh..." Berry rocked back and forth on the ground, clutching her knees. She brought her hooves up to her face, looking at them for what felt like the first time in her life. She sat and stared at them. "Oh, oh gosh." She looked up a Celestia. "IS THIS WHAT SOBER FEELS LIKE?" Celestia just nodded.

"There now. Now that you are back to feeling normal, we can proceed with our evening-"

"THIS ISN'T NORMAL!!!" Berry screamed. "This is sickness!" Berry spun in circles. Her Berry-Sense was failing her. She could no longer divine the locations of the nearest bar, pub, club, speakeasy, saloon, or brewery.

"Get me to a bar!"

"I believe the word you're searching for is 'please'." Celestia urged her. Berry was nearly irate.

"Please, pretty please, with sugar on top, get me to a DAMN BAR!"

"As you wish." Celestia said as her horn glowed a bright white and they both vanished in a flash of light.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Cadence sifted through the various bit of hardware littering the carpet. All the straps were right, but the connectors for the bars were backwards it seemed. Shining craned his neck, trying his best to look on while still chained to the bed.

"Urh Eedng huh huuseyed hown."

Cadence used her magic to removed the ball gag from his mouth.

"What was that dear?" She asked.

"I said, I think you reading the diagram upside down." He said. Cadence turned the instructions around.

"Ah! You were right. Don't worry, I'll have the swing up momentarily." She continued to assemble the contraption, strapping the ball gag back onto his head again. "Love you." She cooed.

"Uh huv oo hoo." Shining garbled.
________________________________________________________________

"Doth our ears deceive us? We may play video games at our home?" Luna asked, astonished.

"Yeah, you just need one of these." Derpy said. She held up a box. Princess Luna read the label. It was an X-Cube GameStation. Luna was shocked by the price.

"Six hundred bits!" Luna exclaimed. "Tis a far cry from the one bit price at the arcadia!" She complained.

"Yeah, but that is one bit for every time you play. You spend a lot up front for this, and you can play forever!" Derpy said. "Besides, you're a princess. Aren't you, you know, rich?" She asked. Luna thought for a moment.

"Play forever?" She thought aloud. "Forever is exactly how much we have!" Luna looked around the electronics store. "Store clerk, we shall take a... GameStation! And one of every game!" She commanded. The store clerk grabbed a second cart and started filling it with one of every game title they carried.

"Princess Luna, the Gamestation comes with one controller." Derpy said.

"Yes, for the playing of the games!" Luna said excitedly.

"What I meant was, it comes with only one controller..." She said. Luna just stared at her blankly. "Some of the games are... more fun with two players." Derpy hinted. The light came on for Luna.

"More 'fun' with two players?" She repeated, turning to the clerk, "And a second controller! The fun shall be doubled!" Luna exclaimed.
________________________________________________________________

In a flash, both Princess Celestia and Berry Punch reappeared in a bar.

"Where are we?" Berry asked.

"More important than where, is when." Celestia said.

"When?"

"We are at you favorite pub, last St. Lyra's Day." This is an opportunity for you to see yourself at your worst... through sober eyes." Celestia said. She motioned to the purple earth pony at the bar. It was Berry, from several months ago, already thoroughly sloshed.

"Gimmia nutha beeah ya freegan faggod!" She slurred at the bartender. Berry Punch looked on in awe at her past self.

"Lady, I think you've had enough." He said.

"Dafuq? AH'll tell yew when nive adda nuff!" She hollered.

"It's okay barkeep, she's with me." Berry said, sitting down beside her past-self. The drunk one just stared at the sober one. Then she started to pick her teeth. "What are you doing?" Berry asked. Drunk berry looked at her sideways.

"Aye, I thing ewe my be right." She said to the barkeeper. "Thiz mirra is talkn' ta me."

Sober Berry sat back, slammed with a moment of clarity. She remembered talking to a talking mirror last St. Lyra's Day. But she couldn't remember the conversation. That meant two things: 1, nothing of what she was about to say could have been rehersed, and two, it didn't matter what she said because she wasn't going to remember any of-

"Thefuggayoustarinat?" The drunk beside her asked accusingly. "You thing ur bettranme? I'll dringurass underdatable!"

"A drinking contest? You're on!" Berry said. "Barkeep, two more over here! And keep 'em coming!"
____________________________________________________________________________

"Hmm..." Cadence flipped through the last few pages. "The entire last chapter requires something called a human. But I'm pretty sure those are extinct..."

"Oh, thank Celestia!" Shining sputtered from the ruined bedspread. He was an utterly destroyed, dehydrated husk of the stallion he was that morning.

"Well I guess that's it then. We did everything we possibly can in the book." Cadence said, clopping her hooves together. "I guess we can both die a happy pony."

"I would welcome death." Shining groaned.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic." Cadence said. "I'll start cleaning up." She said as she started teleporting various bits of equipment and toys back to from whence they came.
__________________________________________

Luna and Derpy settled into her couch in her royal chamber. She'd gotten a new big-screen TV and had set up the GameStation.

with two controllers

Luna put the first game in from her mountain of a 'to play' pile. "Huzzah! The fun shall last FOREVER!"
___________________________________________

Cadence made the last of the dirty dirty evidence vanish from Shining Armor's bedroom. He was already passed out on the bed. He didn't even rouse when she changed the bedding out from under him. She'd made arrangements for him to have tomorrow off. A sick day, she said. She made her way downstairs to take the long way home.

His parents walked in as she was about to open the door.

"Ah, Princess Cadence! We didn't expect to find you here." Twilight Velvet said.

"Oh, well, Shin- I mean Captain Armor wasn't feeling well so I came over to tend to his needs. He'll be needing plenty of fluids and bed rest tonight and through tomorrow." She instructed before leaving their home.
______________________________________________________________________

The twin Berrys at the bar slurred back and forth with, what Celestia could only barely decipher, was a mix of compliments, thinly-veiled threats, and sexual promises. Her past self had already had quite the head start on the drinking contest. It was nopony's surprise when she was the first to pass out, falling backwards through the glass table behind her.

The future Berry watched as her past self was carted off to the ambulance. She felt at the scar on the back of her head that she had gotten from that night.

"She's gonna need 34 stitches." Berry said to Celestia, remembering what the doctor had told her in the hospital.

"OH, SHIT!" Berry grabbed the princess and together they dove to the far side of the room, away from the bar, on the floor.

"What in the world was that fo-" Celestia was cut off, as the ambulance past-Berry had hijacked, crashed into the building, through the wall. Past Berry was ejected through the windshield, slamming into the bar. She stole future Berry's drink, slamming it just before the police carried her off. As they dragged her to the police chariot she screamed out.

"I AM THE GREATEST MARE ALIVE!"

Celestia looked on in abject awe. She'd seen some shit in her long years. She'd seen some shit. But this won.

"Well, Miss Punch, what have you learned from this experience?" She asked future Berry.

"I think I kinda rule!" She said proudly.

"I think I'd have to agree." Celestia said, teleporting them both back to their own time, the pair vanishing in a flash of light.

Author's Note

Written under the influence.