Consanguinity

by D4ftP0ny


Restless Nights and Practice Fights

Even when you know the pony in charge of the nighttime, it can still be really lonely after the sun goes down.

Skyla sighed and glanced out of the window to her right, her gaze touching the half moon hanging in the sky as she folded her front legs across the desk and settled her head on top of them, her head sideways with her left ear pressed against her hooves. It had been quite a while since Cadence and Shining Armor had bade both the girls goodnight, but despite the late hour Skyla didn't feel the least bit tired. In fact, she couldn't really decide what it was that she was feeling, and that alone was enough to drive her sleepiness away faster than ten pounds of chocolate cake.

It feels like I'm being all mixed up inside, she thought with a wince as she squeezed her front legs tighter together. Or like I might throw up at any moment... or maybe one because of the other... A lock of her hair fell out of place and into her right eye, obscuring her view of the moon. I guess I feel kind of like the moon tonight... half full, and half empty...

She let out another sigh and shifted her head atop her legs so that she could bring her gaze back to the book that sat on the desk in front of her, her hair falling back into place as she settled her chin onto her hooves. It was a rather large book, certainly bigger than anything that Skyla had ever personally owned in her life, and it was bound in dark blue with a silver crescent moon on the cover, making it easy for everypony to guess who had given it to her. Skyla felt her lips curve into a minuscule smile as she traced the curving lines of the decorative moon with her eyes. I wonder when Princess Luna will get back to me this time, she thought. I hope it'll be soon... The filly reached out and touched the book, the ridge of her left hoof tugging gently at the binding as she fought the urge to open the book and stare at the pages until the other alicorn responded.

Skyla had received the book from the Princess not long after she'd made the decision to stay in the Crystal Kingdom, and had been thoroughly overjoyed to have such a beautiful book to use as a journal; however, a letter enclosed just inside the cover had explained to her that this was no ordinary book. It was enchanted to allow two ponies to write back and forth to one another using a pair of linked books, which meant that whenever Skyla wrote in hers, Princess Luna would receive her message in a sister book in Canterlot Castle. It went much faster than sending letters to one another, and didn't require Skyla to learn the spells required to send a message through magical means, despite her having the ability to do so. It probably has more to do with Luna and her schedule, she thought as she touched the crescent moon on the book's surface. I doubt she'd want a letter to just pop out of thin air when she was with a diplomat, or when she was in the bath or something. Doing this with the books is a good idea, since she can check it whenever she has a moment and write back when she's available.

It all made perfect sense, of course... but that didn't make Skyla feel any less alone.

Despite the complexity of her current emotional maladies, Skyla didn't have any problem recognizing the stabbing pangs of loneliness coursing through her. It was something that irritated her even more than usual, considering that Flurry Heart was currently sleeping in her bed on the other side of the room. The alicorn turned in her chair to cast a glance at the younger filly's sleeping form and, as if on cue, Flurry snorted gently in her sleep and rolled over on the bed, a motion that pulled the sheet into a tight wad around her winged form. Skyla smirked and shook her head. Well, I guess it's a good thing that I'm not sleepy – I'd probably have to go without blankets now that Flurry's got them.

Skyla hopped down from her chair and moved to the bed, her smirk slowly becoming a genuine smile as she looked down at the smaller pony. I wonder what she's dreaming about, she thought as she stopped at the bedside. Flurry twitched in her blanket cocoon and breathed something that sounded almost like words, but it was clear that she was still sleeping contently. Probably about eating that pineapple from dinner earlier, if I had to guess, thought Skyla as she lifted a hoof and used it to brush Flurry's mane out of her face. She's such a happy pony... I have to wonder if she has any worries or cares in the world that can't be solved with a smile and some kind words. She tucked a lock of hair behind Flurry's ear and lowered her hoof, running the pad of it gently down the small Princess's left cheek before returning it to the ground. Just the fact that Flurry Heart was here should have made it a lot easier to ignore the lonesome feeling that had invaded her inner thoughts, but something about this particular night had stirred up her heart and was magnifying everything she was feeling – a sensation that wasn't about to let her settle down anytime soon.

Sleep well, Flurry, she thought with a sigh as she turned away from the bed and towards the door to her room. As much as I'd like to join you, I think I need to take a walk... She moved silently across the room, opened the door carefully with her magic, and slipped out into the hallway, making sure to shut the door silently so as not to disturb the sleeping Flurry.

The gentle moonbeams cast a strange sort of half-light into the hall, making everything feel cold and alien as Skyla turned and headed to her left, her hooves clicking solemnly in the quiet. The thought that she should have felt more secure in the castle during the night skittered across her mind, but her lips pressed into a frown as soon as it did. This isn't the same castle, she reminded herself as she moved past a bank of windows to her left, the moonlit city glittering below her. I can't even remember the moon ever shining in the windows like this, and it really does make the whole place feel different. Her frown lifted slightly. Better, sure, but different all the same.

She followed the hallway down to the door at the end of it, where a guard in full armor stood dutifully at his post. Skyla managed a smile for him as his brown eyes met her own and, in spite of her knowledge that she wasn't technically doing anything wrong, she felt her ears droop ever so slightly.

“Good evening, Princess,” greeted the guard, his firm features lifting into a smile as she approached. “And what has you out of bed so late?”

Skyla's ears perked back up and she drew herself up to her full height as she slowed to a stop before him, her wings twitching along her flanks. “I'm not a princess, sir,” she said, “and though I appreciate you honoring me with the title, I would ask that you not use it again.” She fought with her gaze to keep it from turning into a glare, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop it completely. Flurry Heart had told her more than a week ago about how stories of her presence had taken root in the castle staff and the citizens of the Kingdom, and ever since then she'd been running into random ponies who called her Princess. It was something that had immediately gotten under her saddle and seemed to draw out her most acidic of glances; however, if the guard noticed her less than friendly stare, he did nothing to show it. He merely gave her a respectful nod, his helmet dipping low enough to hide his eyes with shadows in the moonlight.

“As you wish, my lady,” he said, his tone using the same respectful measure as before. He held his head low for a few moments before bringing his gaze back to Skyla. “And as for your activity this late at night?”

Now Skyla felt herself shrink slightly, and it was all she could do to keep herself from making up some elaborate excuse on the spot. In fact, that's exactly what she had done many times when she'd been caught out of bed in the Crystal Empire, and it was apparently a hard habit to break; she felt the lies spring unbidden to her mouth, their sour taste causing her to wince as they plopped down onto her tongue and teased her with their tartness. There's no reason for me to lie, she told herself firmly. He's just doing his job, and he's not going to have an opinion one way or another no matter what you tell him, so you might as well tell him the truth!

“I... um...” Skyla sighed and let her posture droop, her wings slouching so much that the tips almost touched the floor. “I... can't sleep,” she said finally, the truth clearing the sour taste out of her mouth. “I've got a lot on my mind, and I just can't seem to settle down...” She shifted on her hooves as she dropped her gaze to the floor, her neck prickling as she felt the guard's eyes stay on her. “I was going to try and walk until I was tired, but if I need to be in my room because of a curfew, I'll gladly return there...” To her surprise the guard shook his head vehemently, the sound of his helmet clinking delicately against his breastplate drawing her eyes back to his.

“Oh no, my lady – no such rule is in place. You are free to roam the castle at your leisure, of course.” He bowed his head again and stepped a little further away from the open door, his spear thumping against his armor as he pulled it tightly against him. “And, if I may be so bold..?” His words tapered off into inquisitive silence, leaving ample space for Skyla to nod.

“Please,” she said with a subtle wave of her left hoof. The guard met her gesture with another nod before straightening and smiling down at her once again.

“I might suggest that perhaps Your High-,” he cleared his throat, “perhaps my lady is simply not tired enough for sleep? It was quite stormy today, with no chances to get out and fly or exercise at all. Perhaps, if you need such exertion to end the day, you could venture down to the training area for the guards and move around a bit.” He shrugged. “It is, perhaps, unhelpful of me to suggest it, but often when we guards have trouble settling down for the night, we will go and practice our drills until we're tired enough to sleep.”

Skyla frowned. Physical training, huh? That's certainly not something I've done in... well, not since I've been here, at least. Actually, it seems like an eternity, now that I think about it... Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the open door before her, her mind suddenly churning with a thousand new thoughts and old memories, all blending together into a fan blade that kicked her tumultuous emotions back into a frenzied state. Her tail flicked in agitation before she could stop herself, and without another thought she smiled up at the guard.

“That is an excellent suggestion,” she said, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. “Though I'll admit that I don't think I'd like to just run around in circles in the training hall...”

“If you would prefer, we keep the practice weapons behind the door on the north side of the room,” the guard said with a shrug. “They're wooden, so the door is always open, even to non-guards – though I suppose that probably does no good for you, my lady.”

Skyla's eyes widened and she grinned in spite of herself. “That... does make a difference to me, sir.” She gave the guard a quick nod before darting through the door and turning to her right, her eyes locking onto the staircase that would lead her down. “Thank you for your help!” she called lightly over her shoulder, hoping that her voice would carry far enough that the guard would hear it but not far enough that it would wake anypony up. The guard stepped through the door just long enough to wave at her with his free hoof, his whole face hidden by the shadow of his helm.

“Train well!” he said simply, and Skyla felt a fresh burst of excitement explode through her chest as she skidded to a halt and started quickly down the stairs.

I guess this night won't be a total waste of time, at least, she thought as she took the stairs two at a time. I just hope they have what I want in that room of theirs...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The training hall hadn't changed one bit since Skyla had been there that afternoon, and the crisp, cool scent of moisture in the air made it blatantly clear that nopony had been working up a sweat in the room that day – or, at least they hadn't since Skyla's training session with Starlight Glimmer. The pale moonlight filled the upper reaches of the room thanks to the large windows, but it left a good deal of the lower spaces swathed in shadows, as if the moon were slowly trying to fight back the forces of darkness and never quite achieving total victory. A fitting tone for a room where warriors are trained, thought Skyla as she pulled the door shut behind her with her magic, though I'm sure that Luna would have something to say about not achieving total victory.

Though the click of her hooves had echoed sharply in the hallways, Skyla found that the large room seemed to swallow the noise of her hoofsteps as she moved across the wide open space towards the door on the northern wall where the guard had indicated that the practice weapons were. It struck Skyla as rather silly that she'd been in this room a half-dozen or so times now and never thought to ask what was behind the doors around her. I mean, I guess it makes sense that they'd keep things like this in here – after all, the guards DO practice in this room, and that means they have to have equipment nearby. She sighed softly at herself as she reached the door and grasped its knob with her magic. There had been a time not so long ago when Skyla had prided herself on being able to pick up even the smallest of details and ask just the right questions to fill in the gaps in her knowledge, but that had, admittedly, been a skill developed and kept sharp out of necessity rather than a desire to have it. I guess if I still want it, I'd better start paying closer attention to things and not let this peaceful world bring my guard down too far, she thought as she twisted the knob and pulled the door open. I mean, I guess that's kind of why I'm coming back here in the first place...

She allowed her magic to go dark, the blue hue fading away into the shadow and silver of the night as she gazed into an armory of wooden weapons, all sorted into types and placed on racks for easy access. The room was perhaps twelve feet wide and fifteen feet deep, and every inch of the walls were covered with the weapon racks; in addition, there was a broad table in the center of the room that looked like a single, solid piece of wood to Skyla, though she knew that would make no sense in an armory like this. Her eyes widened as she stepped inside, the smell of polished wood and clean metal filling her nose. They must have some live steel in here, she thought, glancing first to her left, then to her right. Either that, or they have some armor stored in here. I guess that's much more likely than a real blade in the unlocked training weapon room... She frowned at her own thoughts as she moved inside, her gaze sweeping heavily shadowed weapons racks holding swords, spears, bats, and staves of all sizes and lengths. Come on, Skyla – what were we JUST talking about? Try to use your head and not make silly statements! She moved around the central table and gave it an experimental poke with her hoof only to find that it was much heavier than she'd expected. Her frown melted as she bent her head low, squinting at it in the low light from the high window until, after several long moments of scrutiny, she finally spied something that put everything into perspective: a handle built into the apparently solid side of the table suggested that it wasn't a solid piece of furniture after all, but a massive storage unit secured to the floor. Aah, so that's where the armor is, she thought as she straightened. I suppose it would make sense to stash it all together instead of displaying it like a noble would – especially since it's just so recruits don't get hurt when they bash each other with sticks.

She stepped back from the storage unit and cast her gaze around the room once again, her gaze dancing across the hilts of wooden swords and the handles of wooden axes until she found what she'd been searching for: a wooden staff, around five and a half feet long, that sat nestled between a staff that was much too long and a staff that was much too short. She moved around the storage and hurried to the rack that held the staves, her magic igniting once more and wrapping itself around the mid point of the weapon. A twitch of her hoof lifted it from the rack and brought it floating to her, her eyes glued to it as a smile returned to her lips.

“It feels like it's been an eternity,” she said aloud, “but I suppose I should just do my drills like always. That's probably the best place to start.”

She nodded to herself and turned towards the door, her magic opening it then closing it behind her as she made her way out into the training area. Simply feeling the weight of the staff in her magic brought a strange dual emotion into her heart: it felt good to hold the weapon, so like her own back in the Empire... but that very similarity brought with it a rush of gut-wrenching guilt, fear, and insecurity that washed over Skyla like the crest of a tsunami. She winced as memories of her training flashed through her mind, but she forced her hooves to continue carrying her towards the center of the room. I can't let these memories beat me, she thought, her magic gripping the staff so tightly that the wood creaked beneath the blue glow. I have to push forward, push THROUGH them, or I won't be able to keep making any kind of progress towards... towards...

Her thoughts tapered off as she slowed to a halt in the center of the room, the staff floating down to be held horizontally in front of her, its tips pointed to her left and right. What am I moving towards, anyway? she asked herself finally, and as she did so her magical grip on the staff split into two and shifted apart, gripping the wooden weapon at two different points around a foot and a half away from one another. Where exactly do I want to go from here? She took a deep breath and held it for a heartbeat before exhaling again, her pulse almost audible in the otherwise silent room. What do I want to do now? Her hooves slid apart into a loose stance, and with a flick of her horn she whirled the staff in a quick circle before flipping it vertically and thrusting it to her right, as if to block an incoming strike from an opponent. She held the position for a moment before whirling the staff back to her left and assuming a block position there as well, the staff swishing through the air as she forced it into place with all her might.

Everypony's been so kind to me, she thought, and it's been really great to just sit back and relax, but... She took a quick step backwards, her hooves crossing delicately as the staff whipped in front of her yet again, a motion that was designed to deflect thrusts from enemy weapons and keep a safe distance from them at the same time. But I can't just sit back and enjoy their hospitality forever, she thought as she stepped into her next form. I have to start thinking about the future... MY future.

The swishing of the staff through the air slowly filled the room as Skyla lost herself in her drills, her body falling into the forms as if she'd never missed a day; each thrust of the staff was crisp and unwavering, each block steady and firm, and each hoofstep and movement was fluid and light as she swirled and danced across the training room, her blue eyes wide and half focused. I've never really been able to dictate my own future, she thought as the staff whirled around her head in a circle so tight that it touched the back of her neck before lashing out to her left in a strike meant to trip an opponent. I guess I don't even know where to begin...

She stepped forward and her magic shifted sightly on the staff, both points moving towards the end closest to Skyla so that she could thrust it with all of her might at one of the entrances to the hall. The staff vibrated in the air from the force of her attack, and Skyla held the form rigidly as she took some much needed deep breaths. As she stood, her eyes wandered past the staff and her little sphere of influence to the doorway where a white stallion leaned against the door frame, his eyes glued to her.

Every thought in her head evaporated into a flush of heat as she blushed feverishly and lowered the staff, her magic morphing back to one spot on the wooden shaft as the weapon floated to her side. The figure shifted and stepped towards her, his smile evident even in the low light.

“Whoa, don't stop on my account – I was just admiring your technique.” Shining Armor's voice was rich and clear despite the late hour, and his coat shimmered as he stepped into one of the moonbeams. “I'll admit that I'm impressed, and, not to toot my own horn or anything, but it takes quite a bit to impress me.” Skyla winced and dropped her gaze to the floor, her mane falling into her face and sticking to her sweat as she did so.

“I'm sorry to be in here so late, Shining Armor,” she said quickly, her heart pounding in her ears so hard that it muffled her own words. “I just couldn't sleep, and the guard on my floor said that-,”

“That he and the other guards sometimes come in here to work off some steam before bed, right?” Shining's blue hooves came into Skyla's view and stopped a few feet away from her, his posture relaxed. “Yeah, he's right – but what he forgot to mention is that typically you have to have permission to use the training weapons.”

Skyla winced again and bowed lower, her wings spreading down and away from her in a display of subservience. “I... I'm sorry, I didn't know...” she said, her voice slowly growing softer and softer as she took a half step backwards. “I thought that... well, I just wanted to...”

“Hey, Skyla – take it easy, okay?” Shining's hooves moved towards her at a careful pace, as if he were approaching a startled animal, and Skyla had to admit that he wasn't too far off from that. “You're not in trouble or anything.” A frown touched Skyla's face and, before she could stop herself, she lifted her chin and peered at the stallion through her curled bangs.

“But you just said that you have to ask permission first. I didn't, so I'm breaking the rules.”

“Ah, I said that you usually have to ask for permission.” Shining's smile was light and easy as he gestured dismissively with his left hoof. “You're not some wayward cadet who sneaked in here to pretend to be a dragon slayer when they ought to be sleeping and resting up for drills the next day.” He dropped his hoof back to the ground and took another tentative step forward, his movements careful and light. “So no harm done, okay?”

“If... if you say so,” said Skyla, though she couldn't quite wash the acrid taste of suspicion out of her mouth. It wasn't Shining's fault, of course, and Skyla felt horrible looking at him with such wariness, but there were some things that kind words just couldn't erase. Skyla took a deep breath and straightened her neck, her eyes never leaving Shining's face. “But why go easy on me if I was breaking rules?” she asked. “I mean, what's the typical punishment for doing what I did?”

“Typical punishment?” Shining blinked for a moment, his confusion even more apparent thanks to the stark shadows of the moonlight. “I... guess it would be a few extra laps around the castle? I'm not really sure.” He chuckled and shrugged. “Honestly, I can tell you that there's usually no need for a punishment. The ponies who do that are upbraided firmly, then called out for it in front of their fellow cadets – that usually does the trick.”

Now it was Skyla's turn to look confused. “But... what about ponies who do it repeatedly? What happens to them?” To her surprise, Shining Armor grinned broadly.

“Well, they usually get promoted... and then, if they're lucky, they get to marry a princess and become Prince of the Crystal Kingdom.”

Skyla's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but crack an incredulous smile. “That's... did you..?”

“And, to answer your second question,” continued Shining as he took another step towards her, “the reason that I'm going easy on you is simple: you're practically a member of our family.” He reached out and ruffled her mane gently with his hoof. “You'll continue to get a little bit of special treatment for that... at least from me.” He patted her once on the head before taking a step back, his eyes so soft and full of understanding that Skyla felt her eyes prickle with tears.

Special treatment for being almost family? she thought. Well, that's ironic – I spent most of my life getting harsher treatment for being actual family...

She sniffled and swiped a hoof at her eyes, hoping against hope that the tall stallion hadn't seen her tears. “W-well, I guess that's fine by me,” she said in her best flippant tone, despite the coarse rasp of emotion that teased the edges of her words. “I mean, the less trouble I get into, the better.”

“My thoughts exactly,” said Shining with a nod. His tail swished behind him as he pointed to the staff that still floated at her right side. “So... would it be too much to ask where you learned your staff technique?” he asked. “I wasn't kidding when I said it was pretty impressive.”

The staff floated closer to Skyla as she glanced down at it, her cheeks flushing again as her ears flattened themselves against her mane. “I... was trained by my mother and father,” she said, her throat tightening down on the words as she said them until they were barely more than a whisper. “They said... Mother said, mostly... that if I was going to lead an army, I was going to lead an army.” She felt her shoulders tighten as memories filled her: memories of her mother and father, their faces cold and their eyes judgmental as they watched her drill with her staff. “They didn't want me to just sit at the back and command an army... they insisted that, as an alicorn destined to lead both nations to glory, I had to fight.”

“Aah... I see...” Shining's ears drooped towards his mane, and Skyla saw the gentle gleam of sympathy fill his blue eyes. “Sorry – I didn't mean to pry.”

“No,” said Skyla hastily, her words leaping to her lips almost faster than she could say them, “no, don't apologize. It's nothing to be sorry about.” She smirked and hefted the staff in her magic. “Actually, I was just thinking about the future, and what I'm going to have to do in order to start moving on... and I'm starting to think that talking about everything with you and Cadence is going to help me do that.”

Shining's face lit up, but he somehow held in the burst of enthusiasm and covered it with a gentle cough into his hoof. “I know that we'd both love to talk to you more,” he admitted, dropping his hoof back to the floor, “and... it's really good to know that you actually WANT to. The last thing we wanted to do was force you to talk about stuff like Twilight did in the interview.”

Skyla nodded, her muzzle wrinkling at the memory. “Yeah... that really wasn't fun. I mean, I get why she had to do it that way, but still...” She let her words fall away, and quiet fell between them in the moonlit room, the nighttime air snatching every sound and muffling it in a way that made Skyla feel like they were the only ponies in the whole castle. She shifted her weight from her right hooves to her left, the staff bumping against her flank as she looked up at Shining's face. He looked so much like her own father, but more different than she could have ever imagined; where there had been judgment before, now there was understanding. Where there had been anger in her father's eyes, here there was kindness, and it was slowly becoming easier and easier for Skyla to see Shining Armor for who he was, rather than how she remembered him. Finally, the unicorn stallion cleared his throat.

“Well, I'll make sure she doesn't do anything like that again,” he assured her with a nod. “Now, it's pretty late. Shouldn't you be getting back to bed?”

“I guess so,” sighed Skyla, “but I'm really not tired yet. I didn't exactly get to practice much before you came in.” She lifted the staff and stood it next to her vertically. “I don't suppose you'd mind if I worked through a few more of my drills, would you?”

Shining's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were really weighing his options as far as what he could and could not tell her to do, and Skyla felt ire rise in her chest as moments ticked by. Oh come on, Shining Armor, she thought, I was just starting to think you're cool – don't screw this up and go all 'angry dad' on me... She was just about to tell him to forget it when he shook his head.

“I guess I don't mind, but on one condition.”

Now Skyla's eyes narrowed at him. “And what's the condition?” she asked carefully.

Instead of responding, the unicorn turned and trotted off to the practice weapons room, his form disappearing inside for only a few moments before emerging with a six foot long practice spear held in his violet magic. Skyla's eyes widened as he hurried to his left and took up a spot a dozen feet away from her, the spear held low by his side. She blinked and turned to face him, the staff rising defensively across her chest.

“That doesn't exactly answer my question,” she said.

“Do you really need me to spell it out for you?” chuckled Shining with an arch of his left eyebrow. His horn flared and the spear leaped to life, whirling in a quick circle on his right side before flipping over his back and performing a similar circle on his left before ending its journey by darting up to Shining's front, its shaft slanted across his chest with its wooden point held high. “I can't think of a better way to get tired than from sparring with each other, can you? Plus, it'll give me some idea of how good you really are with that staff of yours.”

The staff floated closer to Skyla as she stared at the white stallion, its wooden texture the only thing to remind her that she wasn't dreaming. He wants to... actually practice with me? Like, for real, not trying to kill each other but just practicing PRACTICE with me..? Her mind whirled for a moment, but it didn't stop her from taking a half step back and whirling her staff before her, its ends whistling through the air as her magic split on the shaft and once again assumed positions spread out from one another. She whipped it around her neck and turned to her left slightly, slanting the staff down and across her right wing as she gave Shining a smile that was half excitement and half challenge.

“Whenever you're ready,” she said, the bubbles of her exhilaration boiling over into her voice.

Shining's grin became sharp and without another word he lunged forward, his own magic splitting on the shaft of his weapon much as Skyla's had done – the only exception being that he kept one grip on the center of the spear while shifting the other to the very bottom. Skyla's eyes narrowed at it as he approached. It's different than what I've seen before, but I can remember reading about that style in a book, she thought, her muscles tensing. It maximizes the motion of the tip of the spear without resorting to fancy whirling and twirling, and gives the wielder great control and strength. She crouched a little, her tail flicking eagerly as her magic blaze brighter on her weapon.

Shining closed on her in a matter of seconds, and without hesitation his spear lashed out at the right side of her chest, aimed for her heart. Skyla's staff leaped from her wing and slammed into Shining's spear, the center of the wooden shaft driving the spear's head out and away from Skyla's body just enough to keep it from hitting her. Skyla winced as the first thock of wood against wood echoed dramatically in the empty room, but she didn't let it distract her; she took a swift step back and away from Shining's considerable mass while giving her staff a firm twist that sent Shining's spear point to the floor. Her staff darted away from his spear as she took another step to her right, and with a flick of her horn she brought the staff skimming low across the floor then up into a quick circle that would have brought the end of the staff crashing down onto Shining's head.

Shining's spear rose faster than Skyla could see, the upper shaft battering Skyla's staff out of the way as he stepped to his left, following her. The alicorn reversed her strike and brought the opposite end of the staff whirling up towards Shining's face, its momentum amplified by the stallion's own strike on the weapon; Shining's eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks as the staff whistled by his head, mere inches from striking its mark. Skyla's hooves clacked on the stone floor as she followed the path of the spear and spun, the staff gaining even more speed as it was tugged along with her on a centrifugal ride that brought the weapon in at Shining's face even faster than before.

To her shock, Shining's spear met her strike with a deflection so solid that it literally stopped her in her tracks, her eyes locking onto the stallion as she completed her turn. Shining stared at her, his face a mirror of the surprise that she felt, and for a long moment neither of them moved, their gazes locked as if they were really just seeing each other for the first time. Finally, it was Shining who broke the stalemate by taking a quick step back and lowering his spear, his eyes still watching her carefully.

“Well... all right then,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “I think that's enough for tonight.”

Skyla blinked and lowered her staff in a similar fashion. “Enough? But I only attacked you twice...”

“I think twice is enough,” he said, his lips curving into a slight smile. He shook his head slowly and moved to stand in front of her again. “I've got to admit, you've got some skill with that staff. I wasn't sure when I was watching you before, but I'm sure now.” His smile solidified. “How would you like to pick this up tomorrow? I'll strap on some armor and we can really spar – like, go until one of us gives up.” Skyla's eyes widened and her smile returned.

“You mean it?”

“Of course I mean it!” chuckled Shining, his eyes glimmering. “And then, if you want to, maybe we can have a little talk about your future. I might be able to help with your decisions – but only if you want me to, of course.”

Skyla nodded. “Of course... thank you.” She smiled up at him, and before she could even attempt to prepare for it a yawn rose in her throat and squeezed its way out of her mouth, its broad tones echoing in the training area loudly enough that Skyla felt her cheeks turn bright pink with shame. Shining, for his part, just laughed it off.

“I guess that means you're finally tired,” he said with a wink. “Here, let me put those away – I've got night duty for a while still.” Skyla nodded and levitated her staff over to Shining, who took it in his purple magic that somehow made her think of her mother. “Now, why don't you hurry off to bed? You'll need your rest if we're going to train tomorrow.”

Skyla nodded again, a little more eagerly this time, and managed a smile for Shining that she hoped looked nicer and less tired than it felt. “All right, then – good night, Shining Armor.”

“Good night, Skyla,” said the unicorn as Skyla turned and hurried towards the door, her mind whirling with the possibilities that sparring with a soldier like Shining could bring for her.

I'm glad that I came down here, she thought as she pushed the door open and glanced back at Shining, who disappeared into the storage room just as she caught sight of him again. I might not have gotten much practicing done, but I think I may have taken my first steps towards a future that's mine... but still built with the help of others. She smiled slightly and pushed the door open. That might take some getting used to, but I don't see why I can't start relying on them. After all, it's not like my real parents will care...