"...as long as I don't get stressed out, I should be fine.”
Shining Armor
Storm was taking a detour on his way home from school. Turning down a familiar lane, he knocked on a door and waited. A few moments later a smiling blue earth pony with a pair of skis cutie mark answered, “Hey, Shiny! How's it going?”
“I'm alright Ski Hoof, I was wondering if I could ask you something.”
“Name it.”
“Did Jacks happen to bring home a second saddlebag after school today?”
Ski Hoof hesitated, “Yeah, he said he was watching it for one of his friends.”
“Well as it turns out, it happens to be Twilight's. Apparently Jacks thought she'd stop being such a ‘know it all’ if she lost her books for a while.”
Ski Hoof frowned and dropped his gaze, “Sorry about that Shiny. I'll talk to him; tell him to lay off your sis.”
“Thanks,” nodded Storm, “I appreciate it; in the meantime do you think I could get the bag back please?”
“Hold on a minute.” Ski Hoof disappeared into the house leaving Storm alone on the porch. Storm knew that Ski Hoof probably wasn't really mad at Jacks. Although he wouldn't say it, Ski Hoof thought Twilight was a weirdo geek, as did most of the school. But they respected Storm, who had made it very clear that any foal who bullied Twily would answer to him, and so aside from isolated incidents like this, everyone left her alone, (which was exactly what she wanted so she could study in peace).
Ski Hoof reappeared in the doorway holding Twily's bag in his mouth, “Better make sure everything’s there,” he advised as Storm took it and looked inside. One second grade grammar book (for her classes), a fifth grade math book and a sixth grade history book (for her 'playtime'), a sandwich she forgot to eat (again), and Captain Smartypants (able to fight off entire armies of invisible book burning gremlins with his enchanted pen-sword, yet powerless before a common book-napping foal).
“It's all here,” nodded Storm, “Thanks, Ski.”
“Hey are we still on for the hoofball game on Saturday, Captain?”
“You bet. We'll get the rest of the team together on Friday and work on our defense one more time.”
“Sounds cool, see you then.”
Storm shouldered Twily's bag next to his own and began the journey home. His parents were right; he was a good big brother, sticking up for Twily all the time. At first some of his friends had given her a bit of hassle but all he had to do was show them he was serious and they'd back down. It was no wonder Twily had knighted him high defender of the magical realm of Twilightopia so many times. With the successful rescue of Captain Smartypants, he was probably due for another knighting ceremony that afternoon.
Storm's grunted in disdain at Shining Armor's pathetic memories. Could Shining Armor even begin to imagine what it meant to protect his little sister from harm? Shining Armor had always loved and been protective Twilight, and Storm respected that, but... there had never been anything to protect her from.
Against his own wishes, Storm's mind began replaying the first time he had ever killed other ponies. He was eleven, Silver had been eight. Late one evening in Hoofington, they had gone to a bar at the edge of town near closing time, hoping to get some leftover food in exchange for helping to clean up. A couple of rich colts who’d had way too much money to blow on way too much fermented cider, had taken a liking to Silver Thorn and wouldn't take “NO!” for an answer. The fact that she was barely half their age didn't seem to matter to them (or else they were too wasted to notice); but the facts that there were two of them and that they were much bigger than he was didn't matter to Silent Storm. He was going to protect his sister!
One of the colts had found a knife penetrating his ribs, and bled out on the floor. The other... the other had spilled enough cider on his coat that he was literally combustible. Storm hadn't meant to kill them! He had just wanted them to leave Silver alone, and to have something to eat, he was just so frightened, and then... Storm and Silver had fled Hoofington that same night and never went back. The sight of the flaming, shrieking colt burning in their minds as they huddled together in the back carriage of a train transporting coal to Baltimare. If either of the colts had been even remotely sober, Storm wouldn't have stood a chance against them. But then... if they had been sober, there probably wouldn't have been any confrontation.
Some good came from that night at least—almost enough to make it into a good thing. Before running, Silver had cut the saddle bag from one of her attackers; inside were enough bits to keep them both fed for the next several weeks.
Storm groaned as the ghostly vision faded, and tried to focus his mind on something-anything else, but the only idea that kept flying into his mind was how he and Shining Armor were so alike in so many ways and yet so different. Their lives had been almost the same except... everything had always been better in Shining Armor's life; EVERYTHING! Both of their parents worked constantly; leaving them home alone with younger sisters whom they grew very close to. The difference was that Shining Armor's parents chose to be that way because they were workaholics, whereas Storm's parents needed to work that hard to keep the rent paid and food on the table. Both their sisters also had special names for them; Twilight called Shining Armor, Big Brother Best Friend Forever, Silver had called Storm, Big Brother Friend Strong Protector. Storm knew that the memories of Twilight weren’t his, but he clung to them anyways. It was almost like having Silver back again, a smarter Silver, maybe a Silver who had gone to college like she was supposed to instead of joining a secret army and then... Storm didn't even want to think about it.
The unfairness of it was sickening. Shining Armor would split the last apple on a picnic with Twilight and call that problem solving. What if there was only half an apple to begin with, neither of you had eaten that day and you didn't know when you might be able to buy, earn, find or steal the next one? Shining Armor had probably never even once considered that he might starve or freeze to death; or worse, that these things could happen to Twilight!
Storm gave a quick shudder, but as he did he suddenly became aware of the pink mare sleeping peacefully at his side. The first thought to attack his mind was how Shining Armor had became a Ranger to protect something he cared about and that he could go back to; while he had became a Ranger because it was the best option life had offered him. It was totally unfair, but staring into the serenity of Cadance's sleeping face, the anger couldn't get a grip and Storm felt it melt away.
Back when they were cadets, Storm had been certain that he hated Shining Armor. He had made up all sorts of excuses as to why that was; he was weak, he was naive, he gawked at the sight of dead bodies and had told himself these things over and over, even after they had ceased to be true. Hating Shining Armor had been easier then admitting the truth. Years of solitude had taught Storm the truth and staring into the sleeping face of Cadance proved it. He didn't hate Shining Armor, he never had. When they were cadets he couldn't stand being around Shining Armor and sometimes he had been so angry that he wanted to kill him, but it wasn't because he hated him.
It was because he envied him.
…........................................................................................................................................................
Rainbow Dash stood watch at the mouth of a cave; guarding the sleeping forms of Twilight and Shining Armor behind her. Shining Armor had taken the first watch, but despite her weariness, Rainbow couldn't get to sleep and so offered to relive the grateful stallion. In the last two days, she'd discovered what might be the biggest cover up in Equestrian history, fought a battle against monsters that officially didn't exist, quit the Wonderbolts, almost gotten one of her best friends killed, learned that the stupidest, lamest mare she'd ever met was really the smartest, fastest mare who'd ever lived, and now couldn't stop thinking about a stallion she'd only met twice and whom she knew almost nothing of.
Storm wouldn't stop galloping through her mind and that was just fine with Rainbow who never got tired of watching him. Any normal Ranger in the deep forest went insane within a month, so how had he survived, sanity intact for five years? Did his sheer awesomeness repel insanity? Did he hunt alone, because no one else could keep up with him? It still didn't seem right. He should have someone out there to help him... someone brave... someone strong... someone like-
"Twilight!!!!"
Dash spun around in a heartbeat, Shining Armor was on his hooves, muscles flexed, face pale, horn aglow with a defensive spell; and within seconds Twilight was on her hooves trying to mimic her brother’s stance, her horn ready with a spell of her own, "Yes?!"
Shining Armor took several rapid breaths as his eyes frantically took in his surroundings "... nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I was testing you to see how quickly you could be ready for battle if we really were attacked. You did very well, A+, now go back to sleep."
Twilight stared at her brother with her mouth ajar, first in confusion, then annoyance, then finally compliance "...O...K." she slowly mumbled as she lay back down.
Shining Armor teleported into his armor and approached Rainbow Dash, "I'll watch for a while, get some sleep."
"No thanks."
"Then consider it an order."
Rainbow prepared to protest, but one look into Shining Armor's eyes made her think better than to argue with him and she withdrew to the back of the cave. She wasn't sure what, but something was seriously wrong with Shining Armor. For one, right after they had met that group of Rangers earlier today, Shining Armor had scribbled out some note, given it to Pyromite and sent him off in the direction of Ponyville, but utterly refused to explain himself to her or Twilight. Secondly, he was trying to pretend that waking up in the middle of the night, screaming his younger sister's name was perfectly normal; (if it was the case, Cadance was headed for some tough times down the road.)
Sleep continued to elude Rainbow and she found herself mesmerized be the pacing stallion, back and forth, back and forth in front of the cave's entrance. There was something about him that unnerved her. It wasn't his silent hoof steps, or the way that he continually scanned the forest around him, those were good things. It might have been how frequently he stopped at the mouth at the cave and stared in at her and Twilight, (maybe just Twilight), but that wasn't it either. There was something else that was off about him; something about his eyes, and the way his mouth kept moving without ever uttering a sound. It was so strange... yet so familiar.
It was like Twilight.
Rainbow had seen Twilight act in a similar way twice before; once when Twilight couldn't think of a lesson about friendship to tell the Princess, and another time when Twilight had been visited herself from the future with a misunderstood warning. The eyes, the pacing, the muttering, Shining Armor was acting almost exactly like that, only silently.