Liquid Pride

.
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.