//------------------------------// // Previously in Boast Busted... // Story: Shadowbolts: The Hunt for Twilight Sparkle // by Commando-Scarecrow //------------------------------// Previously in Boast Busted… Shining Armor nodded. “Thank you, your Majesty.” Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard, expressed his gratitude toward his nation’s regent, Princess Luna Equestris of the night. Only a few moments ago he found out that his little sister, Twilight Sparkle, his little Twilie, had made the biggest mistake of her life: using an illegal curse to mind-slave an ursa minor, ravaging a local town and causing thousands of bits in property damage. The princess would do little to stop the press from finding out. All she would do was delay it, but he could hardly blame her. She wasn't there to protect her subjects from their own stupid mistakes, after all. “There is no need, Shining Armor. I owe your family much, and you in particular as well.” Luna eyed Shining Armor. “But this also comes with an expectation. If your sister contacts you, you must inform the Shadow Bolts. I want your word as captain of my Royal Guard, and as a scion of the Starlight family.” Shining Armor nodded slightly. “I will,” he promised. Then his brotherly concern began to take hold. “What…what will you do with Twilight?” Luna grimaced. “That depends heavily on the circumstances surrounding her arrest. At the moment, I am willing to take her emotional state into account, and her contribution of banishing the Ursa Minor back to the Everfree. But there will be some form of punitive action, Captain, likely several years in prison, or at the very least under house arrest, either in Canterlot or Latigo.” The unicorn captain of the guard nodded again, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of his sister, of little Twilie, causing so much trouble. They used to be so close, but ever since she had set out on her journey through Equestria to learn as much about magic as possible, they'd begun to grow distant. Letters from her began coming less and less frequently, and of course Shining Armor – and indeed, his father and mother as well – had a difficult time ever contacting her due to her constantly being on the move in that caravan of hers… “You must have some leave time coming up,” Luna said, interrupting Shining Armor’s ruminations. “In fact, it doesn’t matter if you do. Take the next week off, captain. Go and see your family.” Shining Armor started to object, but the look in Luna’s eyes brooked no argument. Instead, he nodded. “Yes, you’re Majesty. I’ll do that.” “Very good,” Luna said. “I’m…I’m sorry, captain. I know how this feels, to have a sibling act in a way you didn’t think possible. But Twilight has done nothing unforgivable. If you speak to her at all, please, make sure she knows that.” Shining Armor nodded, as Luna gave him leave to depart her rather standard style. He did so stiffly, without even acknowledging the guards on the other side of the door as he did, letting his hooves fall almost mechanically to the floor as he made his way from the princess’s personal study. Twilie…Shining Armor thought. What have you done?