//------------------------------//
// Pop 
// Story: Gilded Sister 
// by Kind of Brony 
//------------------------------//

I'm practically vibrating as I'm led by a guard towards the royal gardens. Besides not having seen Cadence in what feels like ages, I'm also eager to see Twilight face to face.

The letters we've exchanged over the last couple years have been nice, and I honestly feel like we're more like true friends now than we ever were when she used to just sit quietly within our little group, but I'm looking forward to hearing her voice and having a conversation that doesn't happen over a week or more of correspondences. Really, I know she's a very busy filly, but one time it took her nearly a month to respond to one of my letters.

As great as she is with Blue and me, sometimes I worry Princess Celestia is a far less lax teacher than she is an aunt. It always seems like when Twilight does write a letter back, she mentions some big research project or test she's studying for. I've mentioned it to Moondancer, but she just nods her head as if it makes perfect sense. She's always loaded with work at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, so of course being the Princess' personal student would be even more challenging.

I don't think that should be the case, but it's also hard to openly question a mare you look up to so much. How exactly does one ask the ruler of a kingdom and one of their favorite ponies if they're overworking a filly without it sounding accusatory? I'm not sure yet, but hopefully after today, I'll have an answer.

"Princess Cadenza should be right ahead, Miss Pure. If you don't need anything else, I'll return to my post," the guard leading me says, stepping aside as we reach the edge of the garden.

I look up at the stallion and tilt my head. "Thank you, but aren't you coming with? Usually whenever I'm spending time with Aunty or Cadence, there's at least one guard not far off."

"Princess Cadenza has already chosen a guard to watch over your luncheon, insisting that Cadet Armor will be sufficient for the task," he answers.

It takes me a second to put a face to the name, but I quickly realize it must be Shining Armor and smile. No doubt he's really here to lend support to his little sister and I nod, and the guard returns the gesture before turning to leave. I hurry into the garden, quickly heading towards the center. Upon rounding a hedge, I see Cadence laid upon a red and white checkered blanket, forehooves crossed as she happily chats with an armored white colt.

I haven't seen Shining since the first time I tried to speak with Twilight after the accident, and he's clearly in the midst of his final growth spurt, standing on much longer legs that look like they haven't yet had time to thicken to match their new length. He's smiling and laughing along with the princess, but as soon as I call out, he jumps, the helmet held in the crook of one leg falling to the ground. He scrambles to pick it up and put it back on, doing so lopsided and earning giggles from both Cadence and I as I approach.

"Ah, Miss Pureblood! Hello!" he says in a forcefully deepened voice, fixing his helmet. "I was just... scanning the surroundings for danger!" He makes a show of looking this way and that, nodding. "Hmm, all clear. You ladies can rest easy and enjoy your picnic in safety."

Cadence snorts behind a hoof, a faint, "Such a dork sometimes," being heard among the giggles, causing Shining's face to burn a little brighter. "I'm so happy to see you, Pure," the alicorn continues once she drops her hoof. "Especially since it means I can finally dig into this picnic basket. I'm starving."

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long," I say as I look around, moving to sit on the blanket across from Cadence. "I know how hard it is to have delicious food right in front of you and not being able to dig in."

"It's alright," assures Cadence. "The wait makes the food taste even better."

"Heh, that's an optimistic way of looking at it," I say, looking around once more. "I guess we'll have to thank Twilight for making us wait a bit longer. It'll make filling our bellies all the more satisfying, right?"

The mood instantly changes as I say this, Cadence's smile drooping and Shining's eyes drifting  sideways. My own smile begins to falter as I ask, "Um, where is Twilight, anyway? I figured she'd be here before me since, you know, she lives here. Is she in the little filly's room?"

Cadence sighs a little, smile falling away completely as she answers. "I'm sorry, Pure, but Twilight's... not coming."

Brow furrowed, I can't keep the hurt out of my voice as I ask, "Why not? She knows about this picnic, right? And that it's safe for her to be around me now that my leylines are stronger."

"She's... aware," Cadence begins uneasily.

I pout. "Does she... just not want to see me?"

"No, no-!" the alicorn starts as Shining speaks up.

"Twilight really wanted to come," he says. "She just has this big report she's working on over the last lesson she had with Princess Celestia before she went on her trip. Plus the spells she was shown that she wants to master before Celestia's return." He chuckles uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's... a really busy filly, you know?"

Pout turning into a full-fledged frown, the thoughts from earlier come flooding back. "That's wrong..."

"What was that, Pure?"

"That's wrong!" I say louder, stomping a hoof down. "Twilight's just a little filly, but she always has a bunch of work to do! She barely has time to even return my letters, and now Celestia is loading her with even more work when she's not even around? It's not fair!" I stand, tail whipping angrily behind me. "I don't care if she's a princess or my aunt, she can't be doing this to a filly! Twilight deserves to have a foalhood and friends and be allowed to play and have fun like the rest of us, and I'm going to tell her that as soon as she gets back!"

I grind my teeth, frustration overtaking me as I realize I've once again been unable to help Twilight Sparkle. That I've been stopped from doing so. Turning, I take a hard step towards the castle. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to go find Grandpa right now and have him help me send a letter!"

"Pure, wait!" Cadence shouts hurriedly, taking wing to vault over me and into my path. "It's not like that! Celestia isn't the one pushing Twilight this hard!"

I blink in confusion. "Then who-?"

"Herself," Shining says with a deep sigh, head bowed. "She's doing this to herself."

"Aunt Celestia knows Twilight's foalhood is being consumed by her studies, she's told me more than once of her worries for her," Cadence cut in. "But no matter what she does, Twilight would rather have her head in books or practicing magic or just doing homework she assigned herself."

"Princess Celestia didn't tell her to write a research paper while she was away," continues Shining. "She just decided to do it on her own because she says the princess wouldn't want her neglecting her lessons just because she's not here. She thinks it's what Celestia expects, and none of us can convince her otherwise. Like, she's got it in her head that, even if Princess Celestia tells her to not do any assignments and just relax, that it's a test to see how serious she's actually taking her apprenticeship. A test she'll fail if she actually does let herself relax."

"That... that's horrible," I say in disbelief.

"We know, believe me," Shining says, sagging a little more. "And we've tried to get her to stop. Even the princess has tried talking to her, but even when we do manage to get her to put the books down and focus on things other than practicing or studying, it only lasts for a couple of hours before she starts getting... twitchy."

"Foal anxiety and studyholism," says Cadence as she moves around me, gesturing for me to follow as she sits back on the blanket. "That's what the psychiatrist who talked to her called it... Not like they had a lot of time to work with her."

I eventually sit back down and tilt my head. "Why not? Couldn't the psychiatrist help?"

Shining shakes his head. "Seeing a doctor just made her anxiety worse. Ever since the accident, we've had to work hard to make Twilight stop believing she's some sort of danger to society, that she's just a  filly who happens to have a lot of talent and not some sort of monster. As soon as she found out she was talking to a shrink, she thought it meant that she was crazy, which meant she was dangerous and would be locked up."

"That was a tough couple of weeks reassuring her that nothing like that was going to happen, and even then she doubled down on her practice as if to prove to herself that she could... fix herself," Cadence voice quivered for a second, but she clears her throat. "Regardless, she is getting better, just... slowly."

"Then why couldn't she come here today? Even if she thinks she needs to get this report done, she has plenty of time. More than enough to see a friend for an hour or two."

Shining rubs the back of his neck, looking rather awkward in response to my question as he answers, "In your last letter you wrote that your magic, uh, leylines? Were almost all better or something, right?"

"Yes? The walls of my leylines are a lot thicker now, so I can handle being around magic a lot better than I used to."

"Almost within range for a filly your age is what you wrote," Cadence says, wincing. "Almost being the key word. Twilight kind of fixated on that and was nervous that she'd do something around you that would set back your recovery."

I stare, stunned at that. Then, slowly, indignation began to bubble up inside of me. All this time, all the work I've put into getting better, improving myself, all so I can be less of an inconvenience, and Twilight still wants to treat me like that weak little foal I used to be? Like I'm still made of glass?

My anger must have shown on my face as Cadences reaches forward to place a hoof on mine. "I know, Pure, I know it's frustrating, but we can't push, even if we want to. I've wanted so many times to just drag that filly from her tower to go to the park, or see a show, or even just get ice cream. Shining feels the same, but even when we do manage, she's always so... agitated. Fidgeting, nervous, distracted, and clearly unhappy. Even if you were to march up there and make her come eat with us, she wouldn't enjoy it."

"We just have to take our time with her," Shining adds. "It's hard, but she is getting better. In foalsteps, but she is."

"How much time?" I ask with a bit more bite than I meant. "When we're all grown up?" Both older ponies wince at that, and I realize that's probably a real fear they have for Twilight. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, realizing that there's nothing I can do right now to help Twilight. "I'm sorry. Twilight will be ready when she's ready, and forcing things might make it worse... I'm still going to keep trying to help her though."

"You are helping her," Shining says, coming to sit on the blanket himself to pat my shoulder. "Your letters make her smile whenever she remembers to read them." He chuckles. "Then, ah, she kind of has a little panic attack when she realizes she got the letter weeks ago, then she ends up writing a hundred different drafts for the response trying to make it perfect for you... I love Twily, but she stresses over some weird stuff sometimes."

"Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better," I respond with a tired sigh. "Not knowing that she stresses over writing me back though." I shake my head and look over at the untouched basket. "There better be cookies in there. I need something to calm my nerves."

Shining snorts while Cadence giggles. There are indeed cookies, and the pair are gracious enough to allow me an extra share. It's an attempt to raise my spirits, but the thought of Twilight sitting up in a tower, head buried in parchment is hard to cover with sugary treats. Still, I paste on a smile and talk with Cadence and Shining, the latter having gone back to looking out for us despite a guard really not being needed in the middle of Canterlot Castle.

It doesn't stop him from eating a sandwich that Cadence levitates over to him or drink from the bottle of water she insists upon. "It's hot out and I don't want you overheating in that armor."

"I'm fine. Guards are made of sterner stuff, you know?"

"Yeah? Are they stronger than the sun?"

"Well-"

"Are you stronger than the giant ball of life-giving flame in the sky, Shining?"

"... No."

"That's what I thought. Now drink the water."

"Heheh, you two act like my mom and dad."

My giggles mingle with their red-faced sputtering denials. Oh, I'll definitely be writing about this to Twilight later.





After half an hour the food has been eaten and I've finished telling the probably-couple the last of my friends' cutie mark stories, just wrapping up my brother's. Shining looks intrigued as he rubs his chin in thought. "Hm, your brother sounds like he has a lot of promise. Does he plan on joining the guard? He'd make a good platoon leader, or maybe even a general."

"Don't let him hear you say that," I say in a faux-serious tone. "It'd go straight to his head, and believe me, it's already pretty big." A smile breaks through my grave expression as I add, "But no, he's pretty set on going into politics so he can help Aunty."

"And me," Cadence chimes in dramatically. "I'm only just dipping my hooves into princess work, and it's exhausting. I'll more than welcome your brother if he's willing to lighten my future workload, too."

"Well, what about you?" Shining asks. "Your grandfather is a legend in the guard, and from what I've heard, you're no slouch in a fight. The armorer mentioned you spar with his son and that you've really been pushing the colt to train harder to catch up. Sounds like you'd make a good guard."

I feel rather awkward as I answer, "Heh, Grandpa says the same thing, but I don't think I'm a good fit for the job." I chuckle sardonically. "He even thinks I'll get some sort of fighting cutie mark."

"You might," Shining says encouragingly. "You're good at it, right?"

"I guess, just because I've had a lot of practice, though. It's not like I'm a prodigy or whatever. That's sort of what a cutie mark is. Your special talent is usually something that comes naturally to you, right?"

Cadence frowns. "Not really. I mean, I guess that's part of it, but it's also usually something you're passionate about. Ponies are good at their talent both because they have a knack for it, sure, but also because they're driven to practice that talent a lot. It's not like when you get your cutie mark, you suddenly just become a master of whatever it is."

"She's right. My cutie mark doesn't just suddenly make an expert in my field. I've trained hard and studied every day since I got it."

Both intrigued and eager for a change of topic from my special talent or lack thereof, I tilt my head to get a better look at Shining's mark. "Studying... how to use a shield? Or protecting others?"

He follows my gaze and chuckles. "Actually, my talent is defensive magic. Shields, barriers, wards, that sort of thing."

That captures my attention instantly. I might not be going to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but that doesn't mean I'm still not as intrigued by magic as I was when I was just a tiny foal seeing it for the first time. As a matter of fact, I've been learning everything I can on the subject over the last couple of years, even going so far as to read Moondancer's own textbooks she brings home from school. After helping my best friend with a few reports, she often says I know as much of the theory as she does on the subject.

Clear flattery aside, I'm eager to learn more when the opportunity presents itself. "Really? Can you show me some?" I ask.

"Um, maybe?" he answers uncertainly, sharing a look with Cadence. "It won't hurt you, right?"

My eye twitches, but I answer calmly. "I already said I'm a lot better. Unless you're going to be casting a shield around the entire castle or something crazy, I'm sure I'll be fine. Now come and show me something cool!"

He appears uncertain for a few seconds longer, but Cadence gives him an encouraging look, and he eventually shrugs. "Alright, fine, something simple. How about I show you the shield that got me my cutie mark to begin with?" I nod vigorously, earning a chuckle. "Okay then, here it goes."

Breathing through his nose, Shining ignites his horn in a magenta glow which matches the circle that forms along the ground around him. Over a little more than a second, a sphere builds up around him from this base, smooth and transparent, tinging everything within a pinkish hue. "Aaand there! My first shield," Shining declares, his voice slightly muffled behind the magic. He looks rather proud as he explains, "I made this to protect Twilight when she was a little foal. The whole family was at the park enjoying a nice summer day when a kickball some colts were playing with came flying right towards Twily. I didn't even think about it and just snapped this shield up around her, protecting her and earning my cutie mark at the same time. I hadn't even been taught how, I just did it to save my little sis."

As he explains, I'm busy walking around his barrier, examining it. Squinting my eyes, I lean close and realize the shield is actually two layers, an inner rigid layer surrounding by a lightly pulsing sheen of magic. "I'm not surprised you didn't get taught this one," I comment. "This is a shapeless spell, isn't it? No proper matrix?"

Shining blinks, but nods. "Ah, yeah. How'd you know?"

Cadence giggles as she watches us. "She's quite the little scholar, remember? I bet she knows as much about magic as you or me."

"And Twilight?" Shining asks absently as he watches me circle his barrier.

"I think there are professors who don't know as much as her."

While the two banter, I'm busy looking over the spell. Grandpa Shield isn't actually great at barriers as his talent is more in subduing criminals. Protection via removing the threat, he would say. As for Shining's talent, I'm honestly impressed, and maybe just a bit envious. The aether protecting the rigid dome of magic beneath is incredibly controlled, the undulations of its surface kept so minimal as to almost look like part of the hard barrier itself. It's also thin, meaning that Shining is expelling very little extra mana to maintain his aether, which is something I've been practicing ever since I learned of the theory.

I thought I was pretty good at it, better even than my parents or brother, but here Shining is doing it effortlessly while maintaining a conversation with Cadence. I try to soothe my bruised ego by reminding myself that this is his special talent and he's probably practiced this particular spell for years. "This is a pretty good barrier," I pipe up. "How much can it take without breaking?"

Returning his attention to me, Shining polishes a hoof against his chest. "Well, I don't want to brag-"

"And yet it sounds like you're about to," quips Cadence, which Shining ignores as he continues.

"-But I've got a bit of running challenge with the other cadets to see if they can manage to break this shield, and none have managed yet."

I ponder this answer and try to glean just how strong that'd make the barrier. Tough, sure, but how much? Well, there's only one way to find out for sure, and that's by testing it myself. Spinning on the spot, I buck the barrier with my hindhooves, really putting my back into it and following through. It's like kicking a wall, and the shock it sends up my legs leave them tingling as I nearly stumble upon placing my hooves back on the grass.

Shining gives a surprised shout and tells me to be careful, but I'm too focused on turning back around and looking at my handy work. There's two small spiderweb cracks the sizes of my hooves now on the surface of the barrier, but I can see the aether sinking into the hardened layer, filling the cracks to rapidly fix the damage.

"That is strong, and self repairing, too. This is a pretty good shield for how simple it is. I can't imagine what you can manage with a proper spell matrix."

"It is strong," Shining confirms with a frown. "Which is why you shouldn't risk cracking a hoof kicking it like that, You could have gotten hurt."

I roll my eyes. "Grandpa Shield has me practicing my bucks on a big upright log. If I can kick that a hundred times a day, I think I can manage this. Besides, it's strong, but not unbreakable. I could probably break it if I kept on bucking faster than it repairs itself."

"Yeah, how about we don't try that," Cadence says nervously. "I wouldn't want to risk you spraining an ankle just to prove a point. Your family would be furious if I let you get hurt."

"Seriously, the other cadets stand to win twenty bits if they break through, so if they can't manage when they're older and motivated, I don't think you stand as much of chance as you think."

Ears perking at Shining's mention of bits, I ask," Really? There's money on this? So does that mean if I break your shield, you'll give me twenty bits?" The thought is certainly tantalizing. Having bits of my own to buy my own sweets, or maybe I can order us pizza during the next sleepover at Moondancer's.

"If it means you're going to keep trying to kick your way through, then no," Shining says. "I'm supposed to be protecting you two, not letting you hurt yourself."

I look back at the barrier, thinking deeply about everything I know about how magic and spells work. Eyes narrowing, I hum and ask, "What if I get through without bucking?"

"Others have already tried magic from beams to fireballs. I don't think you'll have much luck if that's what you're thinking."

I smirk as a plan starts to form. After all, I'm more than aware of all the ways a spell can be broken after all my training. Or more accurately, all of my failures during training. "We'll see about that. So how about it? If I manage it, you give me the bits?"

Shining looks to Cadence who shrugs, which he returns. "Alright, bet. Let's see what you can do, Pure."

"Great!" I chirp back, then look at the rosy obstacle between me and tasty junkfood. I don't have a lot of magic, but then, when it comes to shapeless magic, it's never too much that's the problem. Igniting my horn in a long-practiced process, the aether flares for only a second before shrinking and smoothing around my horn, already less than half that of Shining's own horn.

From there, I start to form my own structure, a small ball with a bit of aether around it, and try to gently press it to Shining's shield. A frown tugs at my lips as his own aether washes away the lighter pink around my sphere before I can replenish it, causing the sphere to crumble. Shining chuckles at my first attempt, but I ignore him.

Distance between the caster and the effect increases the lag between action and result, usually not enough to really matter, but with the delicate work I'm trying to perform, it's enough. I'll need to be able to adjust the mana quickly in response to Shining's own magic messing with mine. I step closer and lower my head so my horn is a few inches away, then try again.

Even armed with the results of my last attempt, the small sphere still crumbles, lasting only long enough for me to start the second step of my plan of pinching a hole through the middle of my construct to form a donut shape. I form a third sphere and crane even closer, the distance almost nonexistent now.

As soon as the sphere makes contact, I flare the aether to protect it, but that's quickly being leeched away. I won't have enough time to proceed at this rate, so in a split second decision, I lean in the last few centimeters, spearing the sphere between my horn tip and rigid layer of Shining's barrier.

His mana against my horn is unpleasant to say the least, but compared to when the doctors were probing my brain to keep my leylines open, it's nothing and I instead focus on the plan. I hear the colt talking and Cadence's questioning, slightly shocked tone, but I ignore them as I quickly start to expand the ring of magic impaled on my horn. Like throwing a pebble into a lake, the expanding circle of my magic, small as it is, slides flush over Shining's barrier, pushing aether away from the center in a ripple that leaves the solid layer of magic exposed to the open air.

Instantly, the hard shell starts to destabilize and crack, far more so than my kick managed. Still, the aether still residing and protecting the inside surface of the shield is slowing the process enough that my magic will give out long before it does. Splitting my focus a bit further from maintaining the impromptu dam I've made holding Shining's aether at bay, I push as much magic as I can manage into the very tip of my horn and press forward hard, taking a firm step and straining my neck muscles. My spellwork crumbles half a second later, but it doesn't matter as I pierce the bubble of Shining's magic, sending huge cracks all throughout its surface.

Like glass, shards break off and begin to fall, dissolving into mist before they hit the ground, leaving the colt behind to stare in shock, white face finally unhued by the glow of magic now gone. "I... How'd you do that?!"

"Heh... just a bit of magic... applied just the right way," I manage between panting breaths, righting myself on shaking legs as I had nearly fallen on my face when I pushed through the shield. The whole process ended up taking at least a third of my mana reserves from the feel of things, but the sudden exhaustion I feel is nothing compared to the exhilaration of actually, miraculously besting someone else in a contest of magic. I beam up at the young stallion and say, "So... when can I expect my twenty bits?"

Cadence gasps and I chuckle. "Oh come on, a bet's a bet. He owes me that money now, right?"

"Pure! Y-your flank!" Cadence responds strangely, getting me to look over at her to see her shocked expression, her eyes glued on my back half.

Shining gasps too as I finally turn to see just what is so fascinating about my rump, only to gasp myself and nearly fall over. There on my flank, a few residual sparks just now fading, is a brand new cutie mark. I can hardly believe my eyes as I gape at the monumental image.

It's a light, almost translucent pink, six-pointed star. Unlike my brother's compass, it's all one solid color, and looks almost stretched out. The prongs are thin and sharp, a bit wider than you'd get if you merely drew three intersecting lines. It's the most simple cutie mark I think I've ever seen, and yet, as I stare with slowly watering eyes, all I can think is how beautiful it is.

My cutie mark. Cadence suddenly rushing to my side to give me a hug is all that keeps me from collapsing onto the ground. She's excitedly congratulating me and Shining is doing the same, but the words hardly register. I got my cutie mark. I finally got it.

A grin slowly spreads across my face as happy tears run down my cheeks. I can't wait to tell my family.