Twilight had never been so angry. She tried remembering Cadance’s calming techniques, but a thousand deep breaths wouldn’t have been enough to calm her at that moment. It all came back to her brother.
Why can’t we just get together once and it be pleasant? If some creature isn’t trying to kill us, he’s making a complete and total donkey out of himself. I swear, where does he get off...
“Twilight?”
Twilight jumped and whirled around. Fluttershy had entered the library, so quietly that she hadn’t heard her.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I just came by to pick up that book I ordered, um, if that’s okay. I can come back...”
“No, it’s okay,” Twilight said with a sigh. “It’s over here.”
As Twilight searched through her reserves for Fluttershy’s book, the butter-yellow pegasus spoke. “Um, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Shiny.” Suddenly, all of Twilight’s anger came forward again. “He was trying to set me up with some guard of his and make me dump Blaze. He kept trying to tell me how to run my life, so I told him to get out! Can you believe that?!”
There was silence for a minute as Fluttershy worked up the nerve to speak.
“Um, well... I guess I can, kind of. He... he didn’t have any right to, of course, but... you’re his little sister, I can understand he’d be worried about you.”
“I know, but... argh!” she screamed. “I’m just so... so...”
“Twilight! Please calm down!” Fluttershy said quickly, not wanting the library to be turned upside-down with her in it.
“I... I’m sorry,” she said, calming herself a bit. “But... I don’t know, I’m not sure I want to see my brother anymore.”
“Twilight, please don’t talk like that, you love your brother.”
“I’m not sure anymore.”
“Twilight? Remember the wedding?”
“Don’t bring that up!” she snapped. “It’s not the same!”
Fluttershy sighed and flew a little closer to Twilight. “Remember when you bursted in and accused the imposter and Shining told you not to come to the wedding?”
Twilight nodded as she frowned at the memory. “And you all walked out without saying a word thinking I deserved that, and later I came in bursting in with the real Cadance as we escaped from the underground caves where I thought I was going to die...” Twilight reminded Fluttershy, with the latter biting on her lower lip in guilt as she looked down to the ground.
“Yes... and do you remember what we did before the wedding reception?”
“You all came apologizing to me and vowing to never doubt me again, in tears...” Twilight said as she turned to Fluttershy, giving a sad smile. “I remember you crying the most and saying you don’t deserve to be the Element of Kindness...”
Fluttershy chuckled at the memory. “Do you remember what happened afterwards, after Princess Celestia came in and apologized too?”
The lavender mare nodded as she shrugged. “Shining came in, apologizing and giving a long speech on how wrong he was and how family should always come first... he literally bowed to me as he said those words!” she said as she remembered her brother prostrating before her, bawling his eyes out before she lifted him from the ground and held him close as they both cried in each other’s shoulders.
“Right... you both have done things you have regretted,” Fluttershy said softly as she smiled. “Yet you came out stronger and closer cause of that, and I’m sure if you both apologized you will come out of this ok.”
Twilight sighed as she absorbed her friend’s advice and she looked up to the ceiling with her eyes moist. “I just wish he would stop calling Blaze evil and all, he doesn’t deserve such treatment...”
Fluttershy nodded as she agreed with her friend. “Shining just doesn’t know Blaze like you and I do,” she answered her friend and sat next to her. “We both know that Blaze is a good pony, but Shining doesn’t know that because he hasn’t been around Blaze like we have...”
“True...” Twilight muttered, before her eyes widened and she turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, do you agree with me and Blaze being together?” she asked her friend, and was shocked when Fluttershy laughed at this question.
“I think it’s great that you have a stallion like Blaze in your life,” she finally said to her friend after her laughter ceased. “The fact that Blaze sacrificed so much just to keep Light safe is just one of the many things that make him a good pony in the end.”
“I wish Shining would see that.”
“He will, if you go talk to him again.”
“No,” she said firmly.
“But Twilight...”
“I’d be willing to forgive him,” she assured. “But it’s him who has to come talk to me. If I had been wrong about Cadance, you would have expected the same from me. You all came to me after the wedding. I’ll forgive him if he’s really sorry.”
Fluttershy was silent for a moment. “Well... I suppose that makes sense. But what if he never comes and talks to you because he thinks you don’t want to see him?”
“Cadance will come by soon to talk to me. I know her. She may have left with Shining Armor, but I guarantee she’ll come talk to me next, to make sure I’m okay. I’ll tell her I’m willing to talk to him.”
“Ah, well... okay.”
“Well, enough about me, how’s Pip? Did you get anything out of him?”
“Oh my, he’s at my cottage right now. I just left to get this book. I better get back to him.”
“I sent his info to the Canterlot and Trottingham orphanages, to see if anypony has heard of him.”
“Oh, good. I’ll, um, try to get him to say something. I really better go.”
“Go on. I’ll see you later.”
Fluttershy flew off. Taking a deep breath, Twilight looked out the window. For a moment, she considered going and finding Shining Armor, but remembered her promise to Fluttershy and decided to stay put.
Shining Armor fumed. His own sister had kicked him out of her home just for trying to protect her. Now, sitting on this hotel bed, he looked back, trying to figure out how everything went so wrong.
“What is wrong with that mare?!” he asked himself as he shook his head in frustration. “She is so unbelievable at times!”
“Shining...”
Shining jerked his head back as he groaned. “She’s hardly known that stallion for a few months now, and suddenly she loves him completely?!”
“Shining...”
“Can’t she see she’s being used in this situation by a sick con-”
“Shining Armor!” Cadance shouted out with the famed ‘Canterlot Voice’, as she expanded her wings and her magic shined brightly. She saw Shining finally becoming still and she sighed calming down. “I think you just went a little too far with Twilight today...”
Shining took a step back as he eyed his wife in shock. “You’re kidding me, right? How can you say that-”
“Shining, let me finish, please,” she interrupted him with a little stricter tone, silencing him once again. “I know you think Twilight is making a big mistake, but from what I have seen and heard... I think she will be perfectly fine with Blaze Stream.”
“Cadance-”
“Please, Shining,” she raised her hoof, muting her husband again. “I was also skeptical at first when I heard what was going on... until I talked to Blaze and realized there’s more to him than what we thought.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Cadance smiled playfully as she looked upwards, shrugging and chuckling. “Don’t tell him or Twilight this, but I used a truth spell on him...” she said, but was met with a frown from her husband. She groaned as she furrowed her brow too. “With politics, you hardly meet anypony who is completely honest and truthful when proposing movements and when capital is ‘required’, Shining.”
Shining rolled his eyes, but agreed with his wife on the political part. “Fair enough... but what did you learn of him exactly?” Shining asked her.
“Surprisingly, a lot..”
“Really?” Shining responded indubiously as he cocked his eyebrow. “A lot is a little vague.”
“I know,” Cadance said, “but believe me, in this case, a lot is good. Blaze is a pony who lives for others.”
“What?” Shining was gobsmacked that his wife would side with ‘the enemy’. “But... he’s a criminal!”
“No, he was forced to act like a criminal because the pony he lived for was in danger. Back at the orphanage, Light was all he had, and he protected him well. Now, he has Twilight, and he’ll protect her just as well.”
Shining stepped away from Cadance, lowering his head slightly as he eyed his wife. “...Are you sure?”
“Shiny, Blaze is a good pony,” Cadance spoke softly as she nuzzled her husband. “This is the first time he’s ever had a stable lifestyle. A home, a job, income for himself and Light... and friends. And soon, he’s going to have a real family. If this relationship works out, we are going to be the only family he’s ever had beside Light. We can’t be rejecting him when he needs us.”
“But... what if he does end up trying something?” Shining asked as his eyes looked down on Cadance’s head.
“Then we’ll handle that when we come to it,” Cadance said. “But honestly, Shiny, you can’t keep being like this toward Twilight. Even after she turned eighteen, you practically threatened any guard who even said she looked cute. She’s saved Equestria four times already, I think she can handle somepony trying to take advantage of her.”
Shining Armor took a deep breath. He thought back to when Twilight was a toddler, who would giggle and laugh when he played with her. He remembered when she had met Cadance for the first time, when she hid behind Shiny until Cadance could work her charm and win her over.
That was no longer Twilight, he knew. But it was the Twilight he always thought of when he thought of his sister.
“I guess I’m not one to talk,” he sighed. “At our wedding, I thought Twilight was selfish for not wanting to let me go... but I’ve been wanting her to still be that little filly who looked up to me.”
Cadance placed a hoof on his. “I know what you mean. I miss those days, too. But Twilight isn’t a foal anymore. She doesn’t want or need your protection, or mine anymore. She wants our friendship. So let’s go back to the library and be friends.”
“...You think she’ll want to talk to me?”
Cadance just smiled. “I’m sure she’ll be willing to talk.”
Spike smiled broadly as he was trotting back home to the library. He heard his uncle and aunt were in Ponyville and he wanted to see them again. What he saw when he approached the library, however, was Fluttershy walking out and looking glum as there was no smile present on her face. The little colt cocked his eyebrow and wanted to ask what was going on.
“Hey Fluttershy, what’s-”
Before he could finish, Fluttershy flew off quickly in the direction of her cottage. Spike simply shrugged as he stood there. She probably didn’t hear me. Once he got to the door, he went inside and found his mother looking depressed.
“Mom?” Spike called out worriedly to her as he walked to her, seeing her lift her face only by an inch. “What’s wrong?”
Twilight sighed and gave her answer, not in words but in a gesture. She reached out to her son and held him close, nuzzling him. “I-I just had a rough day, that’s all...” she said to him dismissively, but Spike arched his brow again.
“Did you and Fluttershy have a fight?”
“No, not at all... in fact she tried to make me feel better...” she told him as she let go of him.
Spike’s eyes widened and he furrowed his brow as he frowned. “It was Blaze, wasn’t it?! What did he do-”
“No, Spike!” Twilight chimed in, raising her hoof to silence him. “It was actually Shining and I having an argument.”
“Uncle Shiny? Why, though?”
Twilight turned her head away slightly as she stood up from her haunches. “How would you feel if I told you how to run your life, saying who you can be friends with and who you can’t be friends with, Spike?”
Spike blinked and looked down, thinking hard on the question. “I wouldn’t be very happy, I like my friends. But... I guess I’d trust you, since you’ve always taken care of me...”
“Right,” Twilight replied and a nod as she looked down on him. “And how would you feel if I told you to stay away from Sweetie Belle because I didn’t like her?”
Spike’s eyes widened. “But... Sweetie’s nice! I really like her! And why wouldn’t you like her, she’s always been nice! You...”
Twilight shushed him with a hoof to his mouth. “I know, Spike. I’m not telling you to not see Sweetie anymore. And I’m proud to hear that you would think for yourself, even though you trust me. That’s a very grown-up attitude. But your uncle seems to forget that I’m not a little filly anymore.”
Spike blinked. “You mean, he doesn’t like Blaze?”
She sighed. “He doesn’t... he kept trying to set me up with one of his soldiers. So I told him to leave.”
Spike kicked the ground a little bit. “Mom? I... well, about Blaze...”
“You don’t like him, either?”
Spike looked at his mother. She wasn’t disappointed or angry, or even sad. She just seemed like she wanted conformation for something she had already suspected.
“Well... no,” he admitted.
“And why’s that?”
“Well...” Spike squirmed a little. “It’s always been just you and me,” he admitted finally. “Ever since I was hatched. And now everything’s changing...”
Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her boy and pulled him in the moment she saw the tears beginning to form. She softly stroked his mane as he continued.
“You’re so happy with him... I’m afraid. What if you forget me?”
“Spike, please don’t think that. Listen, it’s true I’m going to spend time with Blaze... I’m going to spend time with Light, too. So maybe you’ll lose time with me. But you don’t need to think of it that way. Think of it as getting a father, and a brother. You like Light, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“And you’ve always wanted a father, haven’t you?”
He was silent. “I don’t know... I never thought of it...”
“You’ll like it, I promise.”
“But...”
Twilight kissed him softly on his forehead and looked at him again. “Please trust me on this, Spike...”
Spike smiled softly and reached for his mother’s neck, encircling it and nuzzling her. “I will try, Mom...”
"And Spike," she said softly, seeing him turn his head to her. "No matter with who I spend time with, you will always be my number one assistant," she kissed him again on the forehead. "And my beloved son."
Twilight and Spike sat there for a few moments before a knock on the door brought them out of their state. Spike made his way to the door and opened it with his magic, and found his uncle Shining Armor standing there with Cadance.
“Hey there, Spike,” Shining greeted his nephew by ruffling his mane and gave him a quick hug, before Spike was brought to Cadance.
“I heard from Twilight about your cutie mark, Spike,” she told him soothingly as she held him close, taking a quick glance at it as her smile broadened. She looked at Twilight and then to Shining, before her gaze landed on Spike again. “Say Spike, why don’t you tell me more about how you found your cutie mark?” she suggested to him and opened the door.
Spike turned to Twilight, and saw her smile and give him a single nod. “Ok,” he answered with a shrug and made his way to the door. “I’ll see you later, Uncle,” he told Shining as Cadance and him walked out of the library, leaving Twilight and Shining alone in the library.
Light and Blaze landed before their house, both ponies laughing merrily at today’s events.
“Spitfire seems like a cool captain,” Light told Blaze before he looked back at his newly acquired cutie mark.
Blaze shrugged with his eyes closed smiling. “She has her moments, but she can be-”
“Strict?”
“I was gonna say ‘a hard plot’, but that’s a nicer term.” Both ponies laughed, before Blaze took a look at the sky above him. “So what you want to do for the rest of the day?”
“Hmmm...” Light tapped his chin and squinted his eyes in thought, until he smiled when an idea came to him. “I’ll go see Scootaloo! I promised her that I would show her my cutie mark if I got it before her, and she promised the same to me.”
Blaze suppressed a laugh. “Awww, that’s so cute of you, Light...”
Light’s brow furrowed as he glared at Blaze, pursing his lips. “Knock it off, will you?” he told the elder pegasus. “I bet you’re gonna go to Twilight now anyway with me gone for the day.”
He shrugged. “Believe me, kid, you’re going to want to spend time hanging around Scootaloo once you sweep her off her hooves.”
Light blushed. “Cut it out,” he protested, but Blaze poked him again.
“Going to lay on the charm, just like your big bro, huh?”
Light batted the hoof away, but laughed all the same. “I said, cut it out!”
Blaze did just the opposite. He tackled him to the ground and dug his hooves into his sides. “Come on, tell me, you’re planning to go give her a big kiss, aren’t you?”
“Knock if off!” Light was laughing.
“Can I be best stallion?”
“I said, knock it off!”
“Maybe we can hold the wedding the same time as the cute-mitzvah. It would save money...”
Finally Light broke free and scurried out of reach. After stopping a bit, he turned to his older brother nervously, half-expecting to be followed.
Blaze just waved him off. “Okay, kid, you can go play. Be back inside before dark, okay?”
“Cool, see ya, Blaze!” he said, running off.
Fluttershy sipped her tea as, across from her, Pip did the same.
“You were a big help to me today.”
“Weren’t no problem, Miss Fluttershy. I coulda used the bits,” he said.
“Yes... it looks like I’m going to be the one watching you on the camping trip coming up.”
Pip’s ears perked at this and he cocked his eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy answered as she sipped on her tea. “I’ll be your guardian on the camping trip,” she let out a yelp as Pip jumped high in his seat.
“Alright!” he shouted out midair, but stopped when he saw Fluttershy’s timid form. “Sorry, didn’t mean to give ye a fright...”
The cream-coloured mare laughed softly as she rubbed the back of her head, blushing hard at the embarrassing moment. “It’s okay,” she told him as she took her cup again. “But Pip, I would like to know one thing...”
Pip smiled at Fluttershy eagerly. “Anything, Miss Fluttershy.”
“Why can’t your parents be on the camping trip?”
The smile vanished just as quickly, and Pip looked at Fluttershy with a blank expression. “They’re too preoccupied with their work...”
Fluttershy titled her head at this, looking confused. “They’re not off on weekends?”
“Yes,” Pip answered her fast, albeit too fast.
She blinked at his answered and her brow started to furrow slightly. “What kind of work do they do, Pip?”
Pip started sweating as Fluttershy continued to stare at him, her eyes never leaving his. Is this the ‘Stare’ Apple Bloom warned me about? Bloody Tartarus! “They-they-”
A loud yelp was heard behind them, making Fluttershy turn sharply at a crying puppy who ran away from Angel Bunny. Fluttershy gasped, flying quickly to the puppy and scooping it up in her hooves.
“There, there, are you okay?” she cooed at the puppy, gently stroking the fur. “What happened?”
The puppy pointed to Angel, and Fluttershy turned her stare at the furry assailant.
“Angel Bunny! Apologize right now!”
Angel merely shook his head and crossed his paws, turning his head sharply in one corner and closing his eyes.
“Angel!” she said, showing anger, a rarity for her. She sighed and turned to Pip. “I’m sorry, can you...”
She stopped. Pip was gone.
She gave a sad sigh. then, remembering who had caused her to lose him, she turned her attention back to Angel. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Angel stuck out his tongue.
Fluttershy responded by grabbing him by his ears and lifting him up. As the bunny kicked and protested, Fluttershy carried him to the “time out” corner and plopped him down inside, closing it tight.
“Now you stay in there and think about what you did,” she scolded as Angel produced a tin cup from nowhere and rattled the bars.
Fluttershy looked out her front door just in time to see Pip disappear over the horizon. She sighed, but didn’t chase after him. Pip couldn’t run forever.
Scootaloo had been enjoying the view on top of the Ponyville Clocktower when she saw Light drop by, and invited her up. It was getting late, and the sun was beginning to set, giving everything a warm glow.
But Scootaloo barely noticed that.
“You got your cutie mark!” Scootaloo said happily.
Light showed it off. “Just wait, I’m going to get into the Wonderbolts, and I’ll be the best one yet!”
“Second best,” Scootaloo said. “My mom’s a Wonderbolt, remember?”
“Well, yeah, and she’s good, but I’m going to be better!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Will not times infinity!”
“Will too times infinity plus one of whatever you say period!”
Both ponies looked at each other, before both snorted and finally started laughing. Light rested his back on the clock tower and looked on to the sunset before him with a smile.
Scootaloo smiled too, but not at the sunset. She just looked at Light and found herself blushing. Ok, I know this is so lame to feel so... but you’re really cool, Light! She found herself leaning forwards to him, her eyes blinking rapidly as the blush was increasing on her cheeks. Why am I feeling so girly right now?! All reason left her when she neared his cheek.
“Say Scoot-” Light turned his head to Scoots, but found his words muted when her lips touched his softly.
Girly Mushy Moment! Reaching Danger Zone! Abort! Abort! Yet her body didn’t respond, and she stayed in her position for that moment. Her eyes started closing slowly as the warmth in her body was overflowing.
Light was frozen in place and he could not react at all. Oh my gosh! She’s kissing me! What do I do!? What do I do?! Wait! Why am I complaining!? I like Scootaloo! His eyes closed too for the duration of the innocent kiss, but opened again when he felt his lips were free. He looked at Scootaloo, smiling softly at her and seeing her return a coy smile to him.
Scootaloo decided to nuzzle Light and leaned her head onto his shoulder. She felt a wing drape over her back and looked up to Light as they both were enjoying the sunset.
“There’s something I want to tell you, Scoots...”
“Yeah?”
Light blushed as her looked at Scootaloo. “I like you...”
Scootaloo started giggling and her body reacted by nuzzling Light with her eyes closed, smiling broadly. Stupid body! You’re so not loyal now! This is too much mushiness! But... She found herself staring at his blue eyes that were radiating thanks to the sun’s last beams. I guess for today, it’s okay...
“I like you too, Light...”
Light smiled broadly as he nuzzled Scootaloo in return, with his wing still over her. “... You realize Pip is never going to shut up about this, right?”
“Don’t remind me,” Scootaloo groaned. “But look on the bright side. We outnumber him now. Maybe we can get him to shut up.”
“Or pair him with Apple Bloom,” Light joked.
Smiling, Scootaloo kissed his cheek. He blushed.
It was an incredibly awkward moment. Never, since that infamous rehearsal, had the tension between the two siblings been this bad. Twilight felt the anger flared up in her, but she remembered what it was like being on the other side of this argument, so she kept it in check.
Meanwhile, Shining Armor was realizing exactly how his sister must have felt, and made a mental note to apologize again for that too.
“Well, let’s hear it,” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice even.
Shining Armor shifted a bit. “...I’m sorry,” he said, barely making the words leave his throat. He paused. Twilight motioned for him to go on. “Twilight... I really just want what’s best for you. And...” He paused. Twilight could tell he was picking his words carefully. “So... when I heard who your coltfriend was... I wasn’t happy. But... I forgot you aren’t the same pony that used to follow me around. If you really think Blaze is going to be on the level, then... then I trust you.”
There was silence for a moment.
“Well... you did say everything I wanted to hear,” she said, her expression softening slightly. “And I guess I can understand you freaking out about all this... even though I didn’t wait until I was about to get married to tell you about him.”
Shining Armor thought about pointing out that Twilight didn’t actually tell him, but wisely decided against it at the moment.
“Well... alright. You are my brother, Shiny, and I do love you. So...”
There was silence again.
Then Shining approached Twilight and held her close, closing his eyes as he never let go. He felt Twilight’s hooves return the hug and a genuine smile was present on both siblings faces for the time hug lasted.