She was amazing.
There was really no other word for her. Twilight Sparkle... Princess Twilight now, stood on the balcony in the bright sunlight, facing the throng of admirers far below her. Thousands and thousands of ponies, all here for her. All here to see the amazing unicorn that had accomplished the impossible.
Shining Armor wasn't a mage. All his knowledge of magic beyond his inborn talents was just knowledge he'd gleaned from helping Twilight study, but even Shining knew it was incredible. Even temporary illusions of alicorns were impossibly difficult, and here she was, fully transformed.
'Liquid pride', he had told her. He'd meant it, of course. He was very proud of her, how could he not be?
Shining Armor was no slouch himself, not by any means. Fighting his way from a well-to-do family of common birth all the way to Captain of the Royal Guard, he was Celestia's hand-picked leader, sworn to protect her and Canterlot from any and all threats. Even more than that, he had found his one true love in the most unlikely of mares, a princess in her own right. By all accounts he should be hailed as a stunning example of all that a unicorn could be.
He remembered the pride in his parents' faces when he'd been selected as Captain. He smiled just slightly as he recalled his mother's joyful tears on his wedding day, the most important moment of his life.
Shining looked at his parents now, and knew that his wedding was only second in their hearts to today. His mother and father both looked as though they were about to burst with pride for their amazing daughter. He shuffled a bit in place, suddenly uncomfortable. His medals of heroism felt like cheap tin on his coat.
When had she become so infallible? Was it when she had moved to Ponyville? For every threat Shining Armor faced, Twilight had defeated two stronger ones. For every tale of valor that he could report to Celestia, she had two letters about Twilight's lessons and magical exploits in Ponyville.
Shining Armor rolled his jaw, wincing a bit at the cracking sound. Why had his teeth been so tightly clenched?
He looked to his side, but Cadance had already moved to congratulate the new princess. Shining Armor turned to face the crowd around his little sister. Her friends, all beautiful and athletic mares, were laughing and happily chatting with her. Princess Cadance, Celestia, and even Luna all stood with them, smiling and beaming with pride.
His parents lingered on the side of the crowd, watching his little sister with adoration in their eyes.
Twilight seemed to shine, there in the center of the crowd with her new wings outstretched. She was Celestia's personal protege, incarnation of the element of magic, vanquisher of Nightmare Moon as well as Discord, and savior of the Crystal Empire-- of his own Empire! He couldn't even protect his own home and mare, let alone all of Equestria. When had he stopped being her big brother? When had he become so helpless?
Everything he had done, all the work and all the effort of his entire life, paled in comparison to an accidental magic effect that Twilight hadn't even intended to create. He had spent years in grueling physical training and learning strict mental and moral discipline to gain his position in the guard. He and Cadance had been through many difficult trials to forge their love into its unbreakable bond. Now he was here, standing alone against a wall in a room full of ponies, forgotten while everyone clustered around her.
Shining Armor rubbed his eyes. His brow felt tense where he had furrowed it in frustration.
Something seemed to have changed, when he opened his eyes again. The crowd seemed quieter, and though Princess Twilight still shone with the brilliance of her position and her glory, the moon outside the palace outshone her. Wasn't it just daytime a moment ago?
The crowd's noise had gone silent, though for some reason Shining Armor didn't find it strange. Nopony was moving, the hall silent and still in all ways. A quiet hooffall caught his attention, and he looked to the balcony in the complete silence of the night time coronation.
There stood the only pony in the room not looking at Princess Twilight. Princess Luna landed on the balcony from outside, her hooves making the only sound in the silence of the coronation. Hadn't she been fawning over the new princess just a moment ago?
Princess Luna stood with the moon casting a halo of light over her dark fur. She didn't speak to Shining Armor. She didn't even so much as glance at Twilight. She only watched him.
The light of the moon fell upon Princess Twilight, and the shadows in the room seemed to lengthen, until only Shining Armor and his sister remained, aside from the still resplendent Princess Luna. Luna's light fell over Twilight, and Twilight's shadow fell over Shining Armor.
Princess Twilight turned toward Shining Armor and smiled at him. He recognized that smile: she looked like Princess Celestia. She smiled that slightly condescending smile that Celestia often wore, which always made him feel like a colt beside the princess, but somehow never made him angry. She stepped toward him, seeming to grow only taller as she did so. No other ponies even moved now, except to follow her movements in glowing adoration of the newest princess.
How could this royal alicorn mare be his little Twili?
He looked again to the princess on the balcony, nearly silhouetted against the shining moon behind her. Something about Luna's expression made him shudder. It wasn't unkind; she didn't look angry. She stared at Shining Armor with a strange look in her eyes: a sad, knowing look. It almost looked like pity mixed with understanding.
Luna stood next to her silent and still sister, and even in her movement and shining glory, she fell short of Celestia's height and presence.
A moment of wordless sympathy passed between Luna and Shining, though Luna's expression bore a hint of worry as well.
She opened her mouth to speak to Shining Armor, but hesitated a moment, as though she did not have the words.
The world went black.
---
Shining Armor sat bolt upright, the darkness of the palace bedroom and the quiet of the real world crashing in on him all at once. Cadance lay beside him in comfortable and peaceful slumber. Shining looked to the grand balcony window, at the stars outside, and the full moon casting its pale light into the room.
The same dream again. Usually it ended with Twilight accepting his supplication with everypony else, and with that blithe, condescending smile of royalty on her lips. Princess Luna watching him was new, and he hadfelt strangely guilty under her gaze.
The moonlight glimmered over the carved crystal floor of the castle, and Shining Armor sank into the bedcovers once more. Another dream, and another sleepless night.