Chapter 2
July 8
I’m Shining Armor. I know, I got this journal a year ago, but I just couldn’t think of anything to write about, but that changed today. I’m a big brother! Today, mom gave birth to my little sister! Her name’s Twilight Sparkle, and she’s a unicorn, just like me! Dad says that almost everypony we’re related to is a unicorn, so I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m so excited, though! I have a baby sister! I could tell from the moment I held her for the first time that we’re going to be best friends. I gave her one of my old toys to play with, and she loves it! And If she’s happy, I’m happy. I’m fourteen, so it’s not like I play with it any more.
Shining Armor paused for a moment. Taped to the page below this writing was a picture of him holding an infant Twilight. He looked at his flank, barren of his cutie mark, then remembered that he hadn’t gotten it until the year afterward, when he decided that he had wanted to join the Royal Guard.
August 2
Well, summer vacation is almost over. With school coming up, and the fact that Mom and Dad have to get back to work soon, they decided it was time to get a foal sitter. And guess who they got? They got a princess!! Her name’s Princess Mi Amore Cadenca (I really have no idea how to spell it yet), but she says we can call her Cadence. And she is beautiful. Not just that, she’s funny, kind, and smart. I’ll admit, I blushed when we first met, but… so did she. We became friends pretty quickly. She’s an alicorn, I’m a unicorn, so we talked about magic some. I tried to keep my flank hidden, so she didn’t see my lack of a cutie mark (why are they called cutie marks, by the way? It sounds stupid.), but somehow, she found out. She was cool about it, though, and didn’t ask. I think I… like her.
I’ve definitely never felt this way about a girl before.
September 1
School has officially started. As of today, I won’t be able to see Twilie (my nickname for my sister), but Cadence will be coming over every day. We don’t go to the same school, so the only time we see each other is when she comes over to foal sit. And since I don’t have many friends at school, (being the only one in your class not to have a mark does that) I look forward to every opportunity I get to see Twilie or Cadence.
January 8
It happened today! I got my cutie mark! I don’t care how dumb it sounds anymore, because I finally got it! It looks like a shield.
It appeared when I was walking down the street with Cadence and my family and we passed some guards marching down the street. I noticed that someone had lost control of a cart he was pushing, and it began rolling down the street toward the guards. Nopony else noticed it, so I made a shield of magic and the cart crashed into it and nopony was hurt. My head hurt a bit, and my vision was kind of blurred, but I felt proud.
Twilie was clapping her hooves together yelling “Again! Again!” And one of the guards approached me. He was wearing purple armor, unlike the bronze armor all of the other guards were wearing. He said “What’s your name, son?” I didn’t know what to say, but then I realized he was just asking for my name. “Shining Armor, sir” I said. “Well, Shining Armor, how old are you? We could use someone like you in the Royal Guard.” I paused. Was what I just did really that impressive? “I just turned fifteen yesterday, sir,” I said. He paused for a few moments, then said, “Well, you’re still too young to join. Tell you what, in three years, head down to the recruiting office downtown. You’re a talented kid, and I could get you into the West Pony military academy! Whaddaya say?” I thought about it for a few moments, then I felt a tingling sensation in my flank. I looked, and there it was. My mark. I shook his hoof and said “I’ll think about it.”
He nodded and walked back to his men, and then suddenly Cadence rushed up to me and hugged me. “YOU DID IT!” she said, “YOU GOT YOUR CUTIE MARK!” I stood there for a few moments, confused, and saw Dad wink at me. I smiled and hugged her back.
Today was probably the best day of my life.