Liquid Pride

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

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.
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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!