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!