The young twelve-years-old Shining Armor was currently giving magic lessons to his six-years-old little sister, Twilight Sparkle. Since he discovered his talent to create protective barriers, his magic greatly increased, and now he could use it for things like levitation and other simple things, and, because he was a good brother, he was helping Twilight using her magic too.
"Come on, Twily, you're almost there" Shining encouraged. "Just think you can do it."
Twilight did so, squinting and concentrating as she much as she could. Her horn made out sparks of the color of her magical aura, but she could not turn it into brilliance.
"I can't, Shining" she said. "It's too hard."
"Come on, Twily, I know you can do it" Shining said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.
"But you were older than I am now when you started to control your magic" she said.
"Yes, but I don't have the talent that you have" Shining answered. "Only I know the things you did with your magic surges, when you were a baby. You did amazing things, things that even I couldn't do when I was a baby."
"Really?" Twilight asked, uncertain.
"Don't you trust in your B.B.B.F.F.?" asked Shining.
"Of course I trust you!" Twilight replied. "But I don't trust so much in my abilities."
"But I trust you" Shining said, with his tender smile. "And I know you're capable of doing it. Come on, try again. For me."
After that, Twilight agreed to do so, but only because Shining had asked her to do it. She turned her focus to her magic. She concentrated further and sparks started coming out of her horn, this time with more intensity. Shining looked expectant. It was then that little Twilight's horn began to glow with her magical aura and that aura covered the book in which they were working on. Then it rose a few inches off the ground. Shining grinned as she was getting it. The book was still unstable in the air, but Twilight managed to stabilize it.
"You did it, Twily!" Shining exclaimed, going to his sister who ceased magic, gasping, and hugging her. "You did it!"
"And all thanks to you, B.B.B.F.F." Twilight replied, returning the hug.
"But what's going on here?" Velvet asked, entering in the living room.
"Mom, Shining taught me the levitation spell and I got it!" she exclaimed, all excited, going to her mother.
"That's wonderful, dear" Velvet said, stroking his daughter's mane. "I'm so proud of you. And I'm proud of you too, Shining. It was very sweet you to teach magic to your sister."
"Thanks, mom" he thanked, blushing slightly and scratching his head's back.
"But I think it is better you prepare yourself and get ready all your stuff" Velvet said to her son. "Blue Sword must really be arriving and I want you two study before making your preparation training."
"Don't worry, mom" Shining said.
Velvet nodded and left the room, heading to the kitchen.
"Blue will come here?" Twilight asked, who had heard a lot about her brother's best friend.
"Yes, he will" said Shining, using his magic to put the books they were using to the magic lessons in their respective place. "He and I will study a bit and then we will train for when we go to the admission proof to the royal guard academy."
"I'm eager to meet Blue" Twilight said. "And I could meet him already, if daddy and mommy hadn't agreed I must have private lessons at home. Shining, is he as handsome as you?"
"Twily, I can't answer you that" Shining replied.
"Why?"
"Well, you know, I'm a colt and colts don't care much about how each other looks like as fillies do" Shining said, preparing his study objects in the living room table. "But you already know Blue Sword. He came here to see you."
"Yes, when I was a baby filly" Twilight said. "I don't remember him. I don't even remember how he is."
"Well, you'll remember him in a bit" Shining said.
There was then a knock at the door.
"It must be him" Shining said.
Velvet went to the door and opened it, with Blue Sword coming in. It was amazing how he and Shining remained with an equivalent height and a similar structure, though Shining showed to be slightly slimmer. As Shining had obtained his Cutie Mark, also Blue Sword got his sometime later, a shield with two shades of purple and two crossed swords upon it, when he saved a filly of their class from some bullies, thus discovering his talent for combat.
"Hello, Blue Sword, it's been a while since I saw you for the last time" Velvet said "You grew up a lot, just like my Shining."
"Thank you, Mrs. Velvet" he thanked her. "You're also very charming."
"Oh, you're so sweet" Velvet said, blushing slightly.
Blue Sword had immense talent with words. After all, he and Shining tried to learn everything they could to become Royal Guards and that included being gentlecolts, especially with mares and fillies. The fillies of their school were delighted with them, but the two colts virtually ignored them or were unaware of it, because they only had eyes for their future.
"Where's Shining?" Blue asked.
"In the living room with his sister."
"Thank you, Mrs. Velvet" Blue thanked, entering and advancing to the living room.
He entered there, greeting:
"Hello, pal, ready for the study?"
"You bet" Shining replied, bumping his hoof in Blue.
Twilight was wide-eyed when she saw Blue Sword. She knew he should be really cute, but she never thought he was that much. He then turned to her and said:
"Oh, it can't be. Are you little Twilight? No... The last time I saw you, you barely reached my knees."
He then gave her a noogie, something like how Shining did to her. She normally would not liked much, but, however, she didn't mind at all.
"You have here a pretty sister, Shining" Blue commented.
"Yes, I know" Shining replied with pride. "She's a little annoying, but who can get angry with a little face like that. Well, Twily, it's time for you to left the room for a bit."
"But why?" she asked.
"Blue and I have to study, little sis" Shining said. "And we can not do that, if you're here."
"Oooh!" Twilight exclaimed in dismay, leaving the living room and going to the kitchen, where her mother was.
"You know, I think it's cool the relationship you have with your sister" Blue said. "You seem to be really close to each other. I wish my relationship with Dhalia was like yours."
"Well, I think it could be... if you two collaborate for that."
"Yeah, I think you're right."
"Well, it's better we get started" Shining said to Blue. "The sooner we start, the sooner we're done with it."
"And we want to finish this as quickly as possible" Blue said, doing his horn glow with his magical aura, that was cobalt blue.
He did her saddlebag levitate and put it on the floor, opening it up. Then he made all of his study material to get out and put it on the table. After that, the two colts started doing their homework.
In the kitchen, Twilight kept looking to the living room from the kitchen door. She didn't know why, but she was charmed with Blue Sword. The truth is she never met a colt of the same age of her brother, besides him, of course. Maybe it was her curiousity working.
"Twilight, darling, do you want a slice of berry pie I brought from the pastry?" Velvet asked, taking a pie out of the fridge with her magic.
But she looked at her daughter and saw that she seemed not to be listening her. She put the pie on the banking and then approached her and asked:
"What's up, Twilight?"
"Nothing, mom" she replied, always looking to the room.
It not take long for Velvet to realize just what was happening to her.
"You are very interested in Blue Sword, aren't you?" she asked with a slight smile.
"What, no, mom!" Twilight asked, turning to her, blushing. "Of course not!"
"Oh, honey, you can't trick me" Velvet said. "I can even understand. Blue is a cute colt."
"Do you think if I ask... he becomes my coltfriend?" Twilight asked timidly.
"I don't think so, my love" Velvet replied. "He's a little old for you, Twilight. He must be interested in fillies of his age. Besides you're still too young for this."
Twilight became discouraged. Touched by her dismay, Velvet tried to cheer her daughter.
"But you know what?" she asked. "Falling in love is a very good thing. You can feel immense feelings you never felt. It's also a sign that you are growing quite quickly."
"Really?" Twilight asked, smiling.
"Yes" Velvet said, waving. "You'll see it will not delay until you are a grown up mare and with many young stallions going after you. Who knows, maybe someday, Blue will become your colfriend."
Both gave low laughter and then Twilight said, hugging his mother:
"Thank you, mommy."
"You're welcome, sweety. Now, what do you say about a slice of pie?"
"I say Hmmmm!" Twilight said, smiling.
"Well, then it's decided" Velvet said, using her magic to grab a knife and cut a piece, pick it up and put it on a plate and then put the plate on the kitchen table. "Here you go."
Twilight licked her lips and then began to eat her slice of pie. When she finished, Velvet prepared two other dishes and told to Twilight:
"Twilight, dear, can you take these two slices of pie to your brother and Blue? It's already time for them to eat something."
"Sure, mommy" Twilight replied promptly.
Velvet then carefully placed the two plates on Twilight's back and she went with even more cautiously into the living room. When she arrived, she said:
"Pie time!"
"Oh, good!" Blue exclaimed, putting his quill "I was getting hungry in here. I neither could think on these multiplying and dividing calculations."
"You bet" Shining said, while he and Blue used their magic to pick the plates and then levitate de pieces of pie to their mouths. "Thank you, Twily."
He then looked and saw that his sister was still there, looking expectant to him and Blue. Knowing her, he asked:
"Yes, Twily? What do you want?"
"Please, Shining, can I stay? I promise I won't bother you."
"I don't know, Twilight..." Shining replied, turning then to Blue. "What do you think?"
"For me, she can stay" he said.
Shining then sighed and said:
"Okay, Twily, you can stay, but behave yourself."
"Yuuupi!" she exclaimed, jumping full of joy, but suddenly stopping and said. "Sorry."
The two colts take their quills again and got back to their homework. Twilight watched them, but soon she got bored of sitting there doing nothing. She then began to see more closely what they were doing and when we went to see what Blue was doing, she said:
"Excuse me, Blue, but I think you have there a miscalculation."
"Twilight, you're still a little filly" he said. "I don't think you know..."
But when he checked, he saw that...
"You're right" said Blue. "That's why the result went wrong. But how..."
"My sister loves studying and reading" Shining said. "I'm proud to say that she is the most intelligent of all fillies. Of course I don't need her to see my calculations because I made them quite well."
She then went to see his brother's work and then said:
"Sorry, Shining, but you also have there a miscalculation."
That made Shining look and see, frowning when he saw that she was right. Blue stifled his laughter and Shining said:
"Maybe too smart."
Blue Sword stretched and said:
"I'm tired of so many numbers and letters. How about we stop here? We can continue tomorrow."
"Yes, it's a good idea" Shining agreed.
The two packed up their things and Twilight asked:
"So what do we do now? Oh, what about some reading?"
"Ah, Twilight, I and Blue Sword will train, remember?" Shining said.
"Can I join you?" Twilight asked.
The two colts exchanged a look and Blue said:
"Kid, I don't know if you can endure our pace."
"I can, I promise" Twilight said.
They then went to the backyard, where there the two colts began to do thirty laps around the backyard in continuous running, with Twilight behind. As Shining's house's backyard was medium size, they could do a good workout with that race. But Twilight was still very small and didn't have so much resistance and eventually got tired quickly. But it was clear that the two friends didn't want stop there. They did pushups, crunches, extensions... Twilight, at one point, stopped and merely stayed watching his brother and Blue with their training. Finally, the two colts began training the close combat.
"Looks like I'm giving you a beating, Shining" Blue said, while pinned him against the floor.
"We'll see about that, Blue" Shining said.
He then made a motion with his body given him enough freedom for Shining's forelegs to free themselves a little and the white unicorn used it to break free and then grab onto Blue and press him against the ground, pinning him. He tried to free himself, but he couldn't do it.
"Okay, I give up" Blue said, tapping his hoof on the ground.
Shining smiled and then freed Blue and helped him stand up.
"It's the fifth consecutive time that you won" Blue said. "What's your secret? I mean, I'm stronger, but still you can always bounce back."
"Well, I just tried to move me as much as I could until I found the perfect opportunity to release me" Shining said. "You must train better your firmness. That's why I could release myself."
"Yes, you're right " Blue said, looking to his hooves. "I think I use so much force in the beginning and I forget that I'll need it in the end."
"You know, what we need is to sign up in a gym. It opened here a new one..."
"Sorry, are you done now?" Twilight asked, coming up with a bored look. "Good. If you kept going, I would get more tired than I already am just by watching you."
"But, sis, it was you who wanted to train with us" Shining Armor said.
"We told you" Blue Sword continued. "You're still very tiny to do this kind of stuff with us."
"I don't understand the reason for you wanting to be royal guards" Twilight said.
"You're still too young to understand, Twily" Shining replied.
"Okay, okay" Twilight said. "Now, can we do something of my choice?"
"And let me guess" Shining said sarcastically. "And that would be..."
"Read a book!" Twilight exclaimed, excitedly.
"Why am I not surprised?" Shining asked rhetorically.
They returned to the living room, where there was a closet full of books.
"Wow, you really have many books" Blue said.
"My mother, being publisher, eventually collects a lot of books" Shining explained.
Blue ran through the queue of books and then noticed a thing.
"Wow, you have the complete collection of Daring Do books so far? And all the first edition?"
"Of course, yes" Twilight replied. "Our mommy is..."
But Shining Armor intervened, blocking his sister's mouth and saying:
"Our mom got them all. She's... a good friend of the author.
"She knows the author?" Blue asked. "Cool. It would be great if she could introduce her to me. I'm a big fan. Daring Do is my favorite book series."
It was then that Twilight took Shining's hoof of her mouth and said:
"It's our mommy."
"What?" Blue asked.
"Twily..." Shining exclaimed, in a warning tone.
"But it's true" Twilight replied. "It was mommy who wrote all those books."
"Wait, your mother is the author of the Daring Do books?" Blue asked.
Shining tried to find a way to around the situation. His mother always told him she didn't want anypony know that she was the pony who wrote the Daring Do books, saying she wanted ponies to like her work and only that. However, Shining knew he could trust in Blue. He already knew him well enough... Beyond being his best friend."
"Yes, our mother is the one who wrote the Daring Do books" he admitted. "She published the first shortly after I was born."
"But that is... awesome!" Blue said." It means then that you can read her work in beforehand."
"Not really" Shining replied. "She prefers we read her books after publication. But, Blue, please, you gotta promise not to tell anypony. My mother doesn't want to be recognized in this way."
"Don't worry, I won't" Blue said. "It's a promise."
Shining waved. And then turned to his sister, saying:
"As for you, missy. Mom told us not to tell anypony outside of the family?"
"But Blue Sword is like family" Twilight replied.
That made Blue to blush slightly. Indeed, Twilight had told the truth. Shining considered Blue his brother, the brother he never had.
"Yes, you're right" he replied, smiling.
Then , he made a Daring Do book come up to them and handed it to Twilight to read it because that was what she loved to do, and he and Blue listened very carefully what the little filly read to them.