//------------------------------//
// A Foalsitter Adventure 
// Story: The Life of a Young Colt 
// by Rakoon1 
//------------------------------//

Two years had already passed since little Twilight Sparkle had born. Since she went back home with Velvet, Shining did everything he could to help his mother. But he had to give some reason to Dhalia because baby foals gave really a lot of work. However, Shining didn't care about it. Doing all that work gave so much joy to the little white colt. It made him feel like fundamental in her life. His mother also thanked his help, admiring his efforts. She also did everything to not give a lot of work to Shining because he also had to study and he deserved to play with the other ponies of his age.

When night came, Twilight couldn't give rest to anypony. That was the part Shining didn't like. She cried a lot that Shining couldn't sleep, just like Blue's sister had said. He could hear his parents trying to calm her, but it was a bit difficult. Shining then realized that he should have given a lot of work to his parents when he was a baby and then decided to help them. One night, he got up and went to his parents' bedroom where they were trying to calm down the little baby filly, and when she barely saw him, she calmed down and then went back to sleep, smiling. Night Light and Velvet were quite surprised at this and realized that Twilight really liked Shining and vice versa.

One afternoon, Shining returned from school.

"I'm home!" he exclaimed, entering and landing his saddlebag.

"Shining!" a little voice called.

Twilight appeared in the hallway, running toward his older brother, excited.

"Twily!" Shining exclaimed.

The two gave a hug to each other and then Shining asked:

"How are you, little sis? Did you miss your bro?"

"Yes."

"We're so glad you arrived, Shining" Night Light said, coming into the hall with Velvet.

"What's up?" Shining asked.

"Your father and I will go to a dinner tonight and we wanted you foalsitt Twilight while we're out" Velvet replied.

"What?" Shining asked. "Me? Foalsitt Twilight? Alone?"

"It's just for a little time" Night Light said. "Besides, you're already a grown colt, aren't you?"

"And Mrs. Sunset Light will come here occasionally to see how things are going" Velvet said, referring to their neighbour.

"But what about grandma?" Shining asked. "Can she come take care of me and Twilight?"

"We wanted to ask her, son , but have you forgotten that grandma Starlight is passing some days at Neighagra Falls?" Night Light asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure" Shining replied, remembering. "But are you sure I can take care of Twilight?"

"Of course, you can" Night Light said. "She loves you and you love her."

"Yes, but..."

"Dear, if you notice that you can't do it, you can always go to Mrs. Sunset Light's" Velvet said, stroking Shining's face. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay."

"But what if Twilight suddenly get sick?" Shining asked. "And what if something goes wrong? I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens to Twily."

Velvet Night and Light exchanged a look, then they smiled and Night Light said to his son:

"Shining, we know how you had always helped us with Twilight .

"Yes, help, but I've never taken care of her by myself" Shining said.

"It's normal you are afraid, but you don't have to worry about that" Velvet said. "Do what you always do and you will see that everything will be fine."

Shining was still uncertain about that. It was too much responsibility for him. What if something went wrong? Then he looked to Twilight. She looked at him with her eyes full of light that seemed to hypnotize anypony and she smiled to him with her ​​sweet smile. It was impossible to resist that cute face. Shining sighed and said:

"Okay. I'll do it."

"That's my boy" Night Light said, ruffling his son's mane.

"You'll see that you'll do well" said Velvet, smiling.

"My big brother is the best!" Twilight exclaimed, jumping up and down lively around Shining. "The best, the best, the best!"

He smiled to his little sister's enthusiasm.

Later, when it was almost twilight, his parents were preparing to leaving.

"Don't forget give to Twilight her diner and eat yours" Velvet said to Shining, who was at the door of the bathroom while she was putting makeup in front of the bathroom mirror, using her magic. "Your dinner is ready and also is Twilight's."

"Yes, mom" Shining said dryly because her mother already told him that often.

"And don't forget Twilight's bath. The water mustn't be...

"Not too cold, not too hot" Shining completed. "I know, mom."

"And don't forget Twilight's bedtime..."

"Is at eight o'clock" Shining completed. "Mom, you've said that a hundred times. I understand at the first time. "

"I know, my dear" said Velvet, after putting lipstick on the lips, fixing her makeup kit and approaching Shining and making a caress on his face. "But I get nervous for being away from my two babies, knowing that you will be alone."

"We'll be fine, mom" Shining said. "At least, I hope so."

"I have said that to your mom lots of times" said Light Night to Shining, appearing with a black tuxedo dressed. "But she's always worrying, despite knowing you are well capable to stay here alone with your sister."

"What do you want?" Velvet asked defensively. "It's mother love talking. A mother doesn't like being away from her children."

She then left the bathroom while magically rearranged Night Light's bow tie. The three went down to the hall where Twilight was playing with her blocks with her pacifier in her mouth.

"Be good, both of you" Velvet said to her children.

"Don't worry, mom" Shining said. "Everything will be fine. Word of a future royal guard."

"Oh, son, don't say that as it still costs me to believe that you will follow the life of a royal guard" Velvet said, who never accepted very well that Shining's dream was becoming a royal guard. "Well, see you later, my loves."

And she kissed Shining's forehead, but he cleaned moments later, just because he knew that she always marked him with lipstick. Velvet did the same with Twilight and she did the same thing than his brother, thinking it was fun what he did when Velvet kissed him.

"Now, be good and don't destroy the house" Night Light said, ruffling his son's mane and giving a hug to baby Twilight.

"Bye, dad" Shining said, while his parents left home. "Bye, mom."

When the door closed behind them, Shining turned to Twilight and said:

"Now, it's just you and me."

There was silence as the two exchanged a look and then asked Shining:

"So what would you like do to?"

Twilight then took her pacifier and asked:

"Shining do a horsieback ride?"

"Oh, I dunno, Twily" he said. "We can still break something. Or worse, hurt ourselves"

But Twilight started making her sad face.

"Please, Twily, don't make that face" Shining asked, trying not to look to that little face, but of course he couldn't do that. "Okay, okay, but only for a short time."

"Yheee!" Twilight exclaimed, all happy, raising her forelegs.

Shining then cuddled up and Twilight climbed up to his back and he started galloping between the living room and the hallway carefully. Twilight laughed and then said:

"Fast! Fast!"

Shining rolled her eyes and hurried the gallop. Then he hit, without wanting to, with his flank in the living room table and the vase which was on top of it started swinging, threatening to fall.

"Oh, no!" Shining exclaimed, putting her sister down and running to catch the vase.

He managed catch it with his hooves when it almost sprawled on the floor. He sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Twilight laughed and said:

"Shining got the vase! Shining got the vase!"

"Yeah, I got it, wasn't it?" he said, placing the vase on its place again. "Twily, what if we stopped playing and we went to get some dinner?

"Food!" Twilight exclaimed happily.

Shining then took Twilight to the kitchen where he placed her on her highchair which had once been his and then brought his food and Twilight's. Shining had his favorite sanduiche and Twilight had her green moss. But before he could start eating his sandwich, Shining had first to give the moss to Twilight.

"Come on, Twily, open your mouth" Shining said, holding a spoonful of moss with the hoof and trying to give it to his sister.

But Twilight simply turned her face to him, refusing to eat.

"Come on, Twilight, you will not do this to your brother, will you?" Shining asked.

It was then that Twilight's horn began to glow with a light brilliant raspberry shine. The spoon shone with the same brightness and then it was taken from Shining's hoof and then it was stuck in Shining's mouth. That made Twilight laugh. Shining felt the sweet taste of the moss and then took the spoon with his hoof. Whenever Twilight accessed to her magic in her surges something unexpected always happened.

"Twilight, that was not funny" Shining scolded.

But then he noticed that Twilight's horn was glowing again. He then noticed the bowl with the moss was missing.

"But where is the..."

He then looked up and saw the bowl just above of his head. Lowering his eyes, frowning, he said:

"Oh no..."

The bowl then turned and Twilight's magic ceased, causing the bowl to fell right on top of Shining's head, messing his mane. The baby filly laughed a lot while Shining took the bowl from his head and took a cloth to clean his mane. He never thought that feeding a baby foal was so complicated. Then somepony knocked at the door and Shining hastened to clean the rest of the moss on his mane.

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, running out to take all the visible moss and went to the door. She opened and then faced a earth pony mare with an orange coat and a blonde mane. She was his neighbor, Sunset Light.

"Mrs. Sunset Light" Shining said.

"Hello, Shining, I came to see if things are alright here" she said.

Shining had already forgotten that his parents had asked her to come check things out. But he didn't want his parents to think he was not able to take care of Twilight, so he said:

"Everything's fine, Mrs. Sunset Light. Just perfect."

And he made ​​a nervous smile. Mrs. Sunset Light made ​​a suspicious look and then dilated her nostril, asking:

"Why does your mane smell like moss?"

Shining struggled immensely to find an excuse for it until he had an idea.

"Ah, it must be my new shampoo."

"Your shampoo has a moss aroma?"

"Ah... yes?" he replied, laughing nervously.

Mrs. Sunset Light continued to make her suspicious look. Shining hoped she would believe in that. Then she said:

"Well, if it's okay, I'm going back to my house. If you need anything, I'm at my house."

"Yes, of course, Mrs. Sunset Light" Shining answered.

She then moved away and Shining closed the door, sighing. He returned to the kitchen and then saw that Twilight had used her magic to take his sandwich and bring it to her, starting eat it.

"Twilight, that's my sandwich!"

And he took the sandwich from her and then gave the moss to Twilight. It took a lot of time and gave a lot of work, but he finally managed to do the task, then eating what was left of his sandwich.

After dinner, it was time for Twilight's bath. This was another hard moment for Shining, because her sister didn't want to take a bath. Once he have filled the bathtub with water, neither too hot nor too cold , he tried to put Twilight in the bathtub. But it was easier said than done, because that little filly didn't really want to get into the tub. Shining grabbed her and tried to put her in there, but she always fought with her hooves.

"Come on, Twilight" he said, while trying to put her in the bathtub. "You have to take a bath."

"No!" she said, frustrating at all costs his big brother's attempts to put her in the bathtub.

It was then that her horn began to glow again. It was coming another surge of magic.

"Oh no..." Shining said, preparing for what was coming there.

It was then that he and Twilight were involved by her magic aura and began to rise up in the air and, when Twilight's magic stopped, the two fell into the tub, causing a large splash that soaked almost the entire bathroom.

"Well, at least you entered in the bathtub" Shining said frowning and totally soaked.

Twilight laughed and then she began to sprinkle his brother. He then got out of the bathtub, put the bath salts for foals that their parents always laid in Twilight's bath and then went to get her toys.

" There, now, stay here playing" Shining said. "I think I'll go..."

And then he turned around and saw that the bathroom was wet. He sighed and turned dejectedly:

"...clean the bathroom."

But before he could even started, he heard the door downstairs. He turned to Twilight and said:

"Twilight, stay here. Don't leave the bathtub."

And then he left the bathroom, down the stairs and opened the door. It was Mrs. Sunset Light again.

"Hello, Shining, came here to see if you... Oh, Celestia, my boy, but what happened? You're all soggy."

"It's nothing, Mrs. Sunset Light" he said. "It's that Twily like, but really like, sprinkling other ponies while she is bathing."

"It seems to me that it was you who took a bath" she commented.

"Yes, right... But, Mrs. Sunset Light, you don't need to worry. Everything is going perfectly well."

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Sunset Light asked. "If you want, I can give you a hoof."

"Absolutely" Shining replied with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, if you say so, I'll trust in you" replied Mrs. Sunset Light. "But only because I know you are a very responsible colt. Remember, if you need anything..."

"You're at your house" Shining completed. "Yes, I know that, Mrs. Sunset Light."

She then moved away and Shining closed the door, leaning against it, sighing. He then looked at the top of the stairs and then saw Twilight advancing and calling:

"Shining..."

"Twily, no!" he exclaimed. "Look out!"

But she then began slipping due to her wet hooves, almost falling down the stairs.

"NO, TWILIGHT!" Shining shouted.

He had to do something, but he wouldn't arrive in time. He had only one option. He had to use magic, though he still didn't have adequately control over it. He focused as much as he could, expressing all his desire to save his sister. It was then that his horn began to glow until the brightness became very intense and then a protective barrier of the same color as his magical aura appeared around Twilight and when she began to fall down the stairs, she pounced as if she was within a bouncy ball. Shining hurried and threw himself to the ground at the end of the stairs, where the barrier burst at the precise moment that Twilight fell upon his back.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed.

"Shining!" Twilight called overjoyed, hugging his big brother. "Again! Again!"

Shining gave a nervous laugh. That was a close one. If he didn't acted that way, Twilight would have fallen down the stairs and get seriously hurt. Indeed, taking care of a foal was not easy. He really should have asked Mrs. Sunset Light for help when he could, because, if he had done it, that wouldn't happened.

It was then that he remembered the protective barrier that he had created to protect Twilight from the fall. He had never attempted something like that. It was something that came naturally when he felt the fear of losing her sister. It was something that came with his desire to protect his most precious possession.

"Oooooh, pretty image" his sister said.

Shining Armor then looked and saw with great joy that in his flank had the image of a very dark blue shield with a large soft pink six pointed star inside and three smaller ones above.

"My Cutie Mark!" Shining exclaimed, all excited. "I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!"

He turned to his sister, who had her innocent look, and smiled to her. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have maneged get his Cutie Mark.

"Thank you, Twily" Shining thanked, hugging her sister. "It was all thanks to you."

The two looked to each other and then Twilight gave a big yawn.

"I see that all this action tired my favorite filly" Shining commented with a grin. "And how about a good nap?"

"Shining tell a story?" the little filly asked yawning.

"You bet" he said.

Shining placed Twilight on his back and started up the stairs. He came to her room and laid her gently on her bed, but she was already asleep. Shining smiled when he saw her sleeping. She looked like a little angel. He then grabbed a puff and sat on it, watching his beautiful sister sleeping.

Shortly after, Night Light and Velvet were coming home with the last a little nervous.

"Calm down, Velvet" Night Light asked.

"I can't calm myself, Night Light" Velvet answered anxiously. " You heard what Mrs. Sunset Light said. She said Shining seemed to be struggling to take care of Twilight."

"Yes, you say it, seemed" Night Light said, looking around and noticing everything was quiet. "But, look, everything seems to be fine."

"I'll just get rested when I see my children" Velvet said, starting to climb up the stairs.

Night Light sighed and followed her. Up there, they went to Twilight's room and opened the door and gasped due what they saw, smiling. Twilight was sleeping peacefully in her bed and Shining was there, sleeping on the puff and with his head resting on Twilight's bed. The two held a smile on their face.

"It seems that everything is fine" Velvet said relieved.

"I told you" Night Light said, approaching Shining.

He then noticed the Cutie Mark on Shining's flank.

"And it seems we'll hear a good story tomorrow morning" he remarked, motioning to Shining's Cutie Mark.

"Our son got his Cutie Mark! " Velvet said. "But that's wonderfull!"

"I think it's better put him in his bed" Night Light said.

Using his magic, Night Light levitated Shining and then took him to his room where he laid him in his bed. After snuggle him and give him a good night kiss, Night Light prepared to leave when he heard his son say, while sleeping:

"I love you, Twilight."

Night Light smiled and then left the room, leaving his son living his dreams.