Two Weeks Notice
Silence was expected when it came to working in a library. Shining Armor knew that even before he applied for the job almost half a year ago, but what he didn’t count on was meeting somepony that took the expected boredom out of it.
Working alongside Stardust made the job fun for Shining Armor, and it got him a best friend he never thought he’d get. All that only made her absence all the more felt in the library, and it was brutal.
The last few days that Shining had started working again passed slowly, excruciatingly slowly, like a foal watching the clock tick away at the last few minutes of class. The unholy snail-paced days progressed with the usual book shelving and record taking, minus all the borderline-intrusive banter, laughs, and other little things that made the job fun. Now, all that remained for Shining Armor were books that he didn’t really care for in monstrous stacks, endless return entries, and a deafening silence in the large building.
He missed having somepony beside him. Not only did he miss Stardust, he missed the days where a certain somepony else would keep him company, even if some of those days required a fire extinguishing spell. Spike may have been a baby, but Shining missed having his baby brother around the library. Now even he was off somewhere else. No Spike, no Stardust, just him and that suffocating smog of silence. He was going to lose it.
“It’s getting to you too, isn’t it, Shining Armor?”
Shining whipped his head to see Ms. Paiges standing at the end of the isle of books. He couldn’t make out her expression exactly. It wasn’t her scowl when things threatened her books, and it wasn’t the resigned calmness she wore at her desk. It was more of a mix of the calmness ready to break, and a hint of concern.
“Excuse me?” he asked.
“Being the only one here? Stardust not working here anymore? Going through the days almost in complete silence?”
Shining’s ears splayed against his head as he tried to think of an answer that didn’t sound like he hated his job now. “It’s noticeable, but it’ll blow over.”
“Are you sure, Shining? Because this entire week you’ve been back, and the few days last week, you’ve been… off, to put it lightly.”
“H-Have I?”
He has.
The day Shining Armor returned to the library, Ms. Paiges nearly lost all sense of professionalism to the urge of smothering the young stallion into a grandmother-like embrace. News of Shining’s heroics at the fire didn’t take long to spread, and Ms. Paiges was one of the first to hear. Since he came back, she kept a good eye on one of her favorite employees, and that was when she noticed the change in him. He didn’t seem to enjoy the library much anymore, at least that’s what she could tell. All the years under her belt taught her how to read ponies, and Shining was a walking “How-To” book. The way he kept quiet, the way he walked around, almost like a lost zombie at times, and the way he now looked at the clock like he was counting the hours down until he got to leave, something he never did before. It was all she needed to know something was up.
“Yes, Shining, you have. And you know, I miss her too, but I saw it coming.” Her lips curved upwards as her eyes lost that plastered on librarian glare. “I’ve gone through so many library assistants in the years I’ve worked here. It’s more of a transitional job. They work a few months or years here, then they leave off to better and brighter things. Stardust just did what everypony else did, and I’m sure you’ll leave me pretty soon.”
Shining Armor never really thought his job as “transitional”, as Ms. Paiges put it, but now that he thought about it, he could see the fitting name. He didn’t want to spend his life working there, and he really knew Stardust didn’t want to during her time of employment.
“It’s going to be a real drag when you leave me as well, Shining Armor. You, Stardust, even little Spike, when he came over, gave a little life to this place.”
“Aw, thanks, Ms. Paiges,” Shining said with a growing smile.
“But,” Ms. Paiges noted loudly with a hoof in the air, “I can’t shake the feeling like something else is bothering you, Shining. It takes more than a friend changing workplaces to get to how you’ve been acting the last few days.”
Where would he even start with that all too correct assumption? There were a few options. Added onto his siblings moving out, and Stardust’s absence, Shining could start off with that royal guard, Iron Defense, and his impromptu test, the questioning of his future, his run ins with the Canterlot elite, or the one that still burned in his mind, his mother’s reaction towards the possibility of her son joining the Royal Guard.
Knowing his mother, he expected her to freak out over just the idea of her son going into the Royal Guard, but that was the thing, she didn’t, or at least, Shining didn’t think she did. The night he pulled out that pamphlet about joining the Royal Guard, Twilight Velvet just stood there completely silent with eyes wider than Celestia’s moon. No immediate protests against it, no wailing cries that if he went, she’d see him in a coffin, nothing. Last thing she did that night was say she was going to her room in a quiet and struggling voice.
“Actually,” Shining struggled to get out, wondering if he could even get advice on what he was wondering from somepony like Ms. Paiges, “I was wondering something.”
“I’m listening.”
“Well, uh, you’ve had kids, right?” Shining asked, wondering if that was an intrusive question on his boss.
A smile crossed the librarian’s aged lips. “Three actually. I even have seven grandchildren now.”
Apparently not.
“Well, how would you have reacted if say, one of them thought of joining the Royal Guard?”
Ms. Paiges knew he didn’t even try to make it sound like that situation didn’t apply to him, but paid no mind to think of an answer. The knowing smile that appeared on her face told Shining she had something. “It all depends on the pony. Some mothers would give a salute and be on board from the get go, and other would protest to the best of their abilities. But if it were me, I’d have a little trouble grasping the idea of one of my children going off like that, but if it’s what they really wanted, then I’d see them off with tears coming out of my eyes and the proudest smile in Equestria.” She paused as she tried to think of another bit she could add to aid Shining’s situation. “First, they’d have to give me a few days though, to really come to terms with it. It’s rough on a mother that cares to know their child is going away, especially if it’s something like that.”
Shining noded knowingly as thoughts of his mother resurfaced. She could be overbearing at times, but she did care. Seeing how she reacted when Twilight and Spike had to move out was a prime example that she did, and that was moving into if not a more safe area. Now he could see how Velvet reacted the way she did.
“Thank you, Ms. Paiges.”
The old mare returned his thanks before trotting to the end of the isle. “Whatever it is that you want to do, whoever it is that’s worried for you will come around. They just need time. And when you do whatever it is you want, I know you’ll do great. Celestia knows you’re meant for better than this little gig here.”
What was with her today? Shining rarely saw the side of Ms. Paiges that didn’t look like that scary teacher everypony knew not to mess with, but it was nice. Somepony else had faith in him. “Thanks, Ms. Paiges.”
“No problem. Oh! Going back to yours and Stardust’s positions, I wasn’t lying when I said it was basically transitional. So, to speed things along for you, you’re fired.
Eyes widened, jaw dropped, a little twitch, only thing missing was a spit take to fully grasp the surprise Shining felt at those last two words. “Wh-Wh-What!”
“Sorry, let me clarify. Consider this your two weeks notice,” Ms. Paiges corrected as she started towards her counter.
“I thought I was supposed to be the one to give that to you?” Shining asked, trying to catch up to his probable ex-boss.
“You are.”
***************
“She fired you just like that?”
“Well, kinda. She kinda gave me some reverse two weeks notice.”
“What’s a two weeks notice?”
“It’s basically telling somepony you’re quitting ahead of time.”
“Oh. Ugh, Shining? You got a little chocolate on your lips.”
Shining gave a quick lick of his lips, tasting the traces of chocolate icing from the donut in his hoof while fighting the blush he felt could appear any second now. “Did I get it, Cadance?”
Cadance took a look at Shining’s face with a sly smile. “Almost.” Her lips met his, and he wrapped his forelimbs around her as she did the same.
“Still gets better,” Shining beamed as he, once again, got trapped in his marefriend’s purple eyes.
“You’re telling me. But, ugh, can your boss really fire you like that?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I’m kinda glad she did it.”
“Really? Why?”
“Well,” Shining began with a thoughtful sigh, “maybe it was time. I told you about Iron Defense, right?”
Cadance just nodded.
“Well, ever since then… well, it’s not like what he said didn’t get me thinking about it.”
“So, you’re honestly thinking about joining the Royal Guard?”
“Maybe?” he asked more than answered. “I don’t know. I mean, it fits in with the whole ‘defender’ thing you said perfectly, but I never even imagined myself like that; suited up in armor, running drills, spears. You’re lucky, Cadance. At least you know what you’re going to be doing.”
“Yeah, try alicorn magic training that somepony’s aunt decided to intensify because apparently I might need it in the future and then tell me I’m lucky.”
“Oh, sorry,” Shining quickly apologized with a weak smile. “Intense?”
“Getting easier, but pretty soon I’ll probably be able to blast any threat to Equestria if it comes to that,” Cadance answered a little too eagerly.
“Oooookay,” Shining nodded ever so slowly as he dragged out his word as Cadance relished in his reaction, wanting to turn it into another reaction she loved to see.
“So… armor, huh? You’d look pretty good in armor,” she smirked playfully, causing the blush Shining had been fighting to shine through. How she loved to see that. “But seriously though, if it is something you want to do, or at least thinking of doing, get a little more info about it. You know the barracks and training ground are on the other side of the castle. Iron Defense is probably over there.”
Shining looked at Cadance with fondness and wonder, thinking how she kept getting more amazing every passing day. A jokester and insightful. “You are a genius, you know that?”
Now it was Cadance’s turn to blush. “I am a princess. Looking out for my subjects is what I do. Especially if one of them is my super sweet coltfriend who brought me donuts before our date tonight,” she added with a bat of her eyelashes.
“I thought princesses aren’t supposed to choose favorites,” Shining smirked coyly.
Cadance just nudged his shoulder as she tried to suppress a giggle. “Oh shut up and hoof me the little pink one.”
Following instructions with an eye roll, Shining Armor grabbed the treat he picked up from Joe’s Donuts out of its box and hoofed it to Cadance, who opted to take more delicate bites than the first time she sank her teeth into a donut.
Shining just sank back into the bench he and Cadance sat in to take in the view. The royal gardens were stunning to say the least. Flora and fauna bloomed or ran everywhere or flew everywhere. And here he was, with the mare of his dreams simply eating their favorite treat together. It almost remained that way; quiet, simple, and nice, but a familiar flash of emerald light and the girlish scream that followed shattered all traces of tranquility.
“What happened? Shining asked, trying not to panic.
“I think Spike just found Blueblood.”
The sound of frantic hoofsteps drew nearer and nearer to the couple. The regal owner of the hoofsteps sprinted right past Shining Armor and Cadance with a trail of smoke following, and an ear-splitting holler ringing through the gardens.
Blueblood didn’t deal with ponies much, much less dragons, and not to his surprise, he eventually met Spike’s fire breath. While he expected to get burned at least once, he didn’t know exactly how hot a baby dragon’s fire could be, and now he knew. Blueblood just needed relief, and the stone fountain in his sight was calling his name. Blueblood dove in, almost like he was cannonballing, into the fountain. Hot met cold in a sizzling bliss on Blueblood’s flank.
“Oh, sweet auntie that feels better,” he moaned as he let his flank sink deeper into the fountain.
Through his half-lidded eyes, Blueblood saw Cadance and Shining Armor running towards him, and behind them, the source of his trouble.
“What happened?” Cadance asked, offering her hoof to help Blueblood out of the fountain which he took immediately.
“I was just doing like you asked me, Cadance. ‘Keep Twilight and Spike company, go play a game, nothing will happen’,” he answered, mimicking his cousin the best he could. “Well, Twilight suggested hide-and-seek, I go along with it, and I get burned!”
“It was an accident!” Twilight defended, stepping from behind her her brother with Spike on her back. “Spike just had to burp, he didn’t mean it, and he’s really sorry.”
Twilight bent her head down to let Spike eye Blueblood, and even Blueblood could see, in those big green eyes, that the little dragon was sorry. If that wasn’t enough, the red rose in his little outstretched claws had to be.
“I sorry.”
Nope, that had to be.
Cadance came to Spike’s side and gave him a quick nuzzle before turning back to Blueblood with pleading eyes. “Aww, c’mon, Blueblood. Can you really stay mad at that little face?”
As mad as he wanted to be, and he really wanted to be, Blueblood just couldn’t win against those big green eyes. They were penetrating him with cuteness, and shattered his defenses like a cannonball of puppies. “Okay, apology accepted. Just, please, make him stop! It’s too much!”
Immediately, Spike’s eyes dialated to their normal size as he went into another fit of giggles, all the while, still holding the rose out. Blueblood took Spike’s offering in his magical grasp, and he could swear he thought he saw Twilight give the dragon on her back a wink.
“Okay, Twi-Lee, now maybe you and Spike would like to take Blueblood back to Princess Celestia to get that burn on his, ugh, well, get that burn healed up?”
Blueblood huffed only slightly, but the severity of his annoyance was made present nonetheless. That, however, didn’t stop the little filly in front of him from smiling and motioning towards the castle. “Thank you, Twilight,” Blueblood said, knowing if he refused her offer out of his own irritation, Cadance would not let him hear the end of it.
Twilight, Blueblood, and Spike all headed into towards the castle, Blueblood taking more reserved steps as to not irritate his flank, leaving Cadance and Shining Armor alone in the gardens once again.
“Okay,” Shining began after a few seconds, “you have to admit, that was pretty funny.”
She really didn’t want to laugh at her cousin’s misfortune, but her quivering lips betrayed her desires as Cadance broke into a small fit of laughter. “I’ve never seen him move so fast.”
Shining raised a taunting eyebrow. “So you admit it?”
“Okay, yes it was. Does that make me a bad pony?”
“If it did, then I’m pretty sure anypony who saw that would be ‘bad’.”
“Well, alright. Hey, are you gonna take those home?” she asked, pointing back to the box of donuts still on the bench.
“Thanks for reminding me. Some of them I got for Twilight and Spike, could you give some to them?”
“Sure.” Cadance picked the box up in her magic and floated it over to her side. “Can Spike have donuts?”
“He eats gems for snacks, and once ate a piles of worms he found in the backyard and came out totally fine. I don’t know if there’s anything in Equestria he can’t eat.”
“Could’ve done without the worm story, but alright then,” Cadance responded, fighting the shiver that tried to crawl down her spine. “I’ll just go give these to them, and then I can get ready for out date.” Her smile and half-lidded eyes sent little shivers down Shining Armor’s entire being. “So where are we going anyway?”
“Oh, I just thought we’d head down to this carnival that’s in town and I win you a crapload of oversized stuffed animals.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Cadance cooed before turning towards the castle, making sure her tail brushed past Shining’s face teasingly. “See you tonight.”
Shining watched on as Cadance walked off towards the castle, trying to decide if she was deliberately adding an extra sway into her hips at that moment. Shaking off the topic and remembering something she suggested, Shining broke towards another path on the castle grounds.
***************
Grunts, hollers, stomping, and groans. Had he known that there was training going on, Shining would’ve waited another day, but he was already there. He might as well at least try and look for that guard pony he met days ago. That however, he realized quickly, was easier said than done. Everypony he saw looked alike. Every single stallion and mare were either grey or white, and it didn’t help that the stallion he was looking for fit that color description.
As he trotted around the training grounds, he saw only a few ponies lagging the white or grey colored fur, but he could easily tell they had to be higher ranking ponies of some sorts. Whether it was by their patterned armor, or the fact that ponies seemed to stop dead once they saw one of them.
“Was Iron Defense wearing anything on his armor,” Shining wondered aloud, not noticing where he was going once he felt scorched grass under his hooves.
“READY YOUR SHIELDS!”
Shining whipped his head towards that holler and saw two lines of ponies, all unicorns, a good distance away from one another. Then came the flashes of light. From what he could see before shutting his eyes and hitting the deck, he saw one row of unicorns fire their magic almost mercilessly at the other row of unicorns. Beams met something solid, and once Shining Armor opened his eyes, he saw colors. The other row of unicorns each had a wall of magic projecting from their horns. Some walls looked ready to burst, and some only showed a few cracks.
“NOT BAD PONIES! BUT THAT’S WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING A HIT! WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE CAUGHT OFF GUARD?!? LIKE THIS!”
The screaming stallion that was probably the leader of the lines of ponies whirled around and shot out a beam at a poor unsuspecting pony. He barely had enough time to summon a shield that protected him from the fierce yellow bolt of magic before shattering on impact.
“GOOD REFLEX, HEX! BUT WHAT IF THAT BOLT CAME FASTER?!? AND AS FOR THE ATTACKERS, YOU NEED TO BE QUICKER WITH YOUR DRAW! SO, I WANT ALL OF YOU TO TRY AND LAND A HIT ON ME!”
Both rows of unicorns looked at one another like their leader just snapped.
“WHEN I SAY THAT I MEAN NOW!”
The unicorns stumbled only for a second until they all took stances. With uncertain looks, they all quickly prepared their magic and fired. Shining watched on from his spot, seeing what could’ve been a really awesome laser light show. Magic beams of all colors shot out, and Iron Defense made near-effortless sidesteps, avoiding every single shot.
One shot, however, blasted its way to the lead stallion, but only met with solid yellow magic. Once the dust settled from the magic scuffle, it revealed awestruck ponies, and the stone-faced expression on lead stallion’s face behind a scratchless wall of yellow magic.
“Almost had me there, Quick Draw, BUT WHAT DO I ALWAYS SAY, PONIES?!?”
“ALMOST ONLY COUNTS IN HORSESHOES, HOOF GRENADES, AND ATOMIC WEAPONS, SIR!” the unicorns hollered, slightly deafening Shining Armor even from his distance.
“THAT’S RIGHT! NOW PARTNER UP AND EACH OF YOU TRY TO HIT THE OTHER WHILE HE OR SHE TRIES TO DEFEND. I WANT TO SEE QUICK BLASTS AND QUICK DRAWS. NOT YOU QUICK DRAW, THE ACTUAL THING!”
“YES, SERGEANT IRON DEFENSE, SIR!”
“Oh, well, that made it easy,” Shining mumbled to himself as he got up from the grass. With Iron Defense in sight, all he had to do was walk up and—
“KID! LOOK OUT!”
Shining’s eyes barely registered the stray shot of magic that ricocheted its way across the training grounds. Before it had the chance to ram into his face with a wrecking ball’s force, it shattered against something round and lavender. Shining Armor opened his eyes to see himself encased in his own magic bubble before dropping it once he felt the danger was gone.
Once he lowered his magic, all eyes were on him, and he could hear distant whispers.
“Not even a scratch!”
“That thing was comin’ at him like a torpedo!”
“That was a perfect bubble!”
“BACK TO YOUR TRAINING!” Iron Defense’s voice cut in brutally, and all followed his instruction.
Shining never thought one pony’s screams could leave a ringing in somepony’s ear. Then again that could’ve been the hums of magic in the air from the magic firing going on. He decided to chalk it up to a mix of both.
“Shining Armor, right?” Iron Defense asked as he calmly trotted up to the white unicorn.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well glad to see you again. Though next time, just ask the guards outside the palace where I am. It’ll save you a near-death experience or two,” Iron Defense joked, eliciting a few nervous and forced laughs from the pony in front of him. “So, are you here about what I told you last time we met?”
“Actually yes, but the thing is, I’m a little unsure about joining. I’ve never really thought about it before, and I have no idea about—”
“About what to expect going in and whether or not you even should?” the older stallion finished off, surprising Shining Armor. “I went through that before I joined. Me and quite a few others in the Guard have. I’ll just cut to the chase because I have ponies waiting on me. I was nervous about joining because I was honestly intimidated by other ponies that were joining.”
The look on Shining Armor’s face let the tall wall of muscle, fur, and armor know he didn’t believe it. “Believe me when I say I did not look like this when I joined, thank you late growth spurt,” he added with annoyance. “I joined at about your age, and was probably a head shorter than you with a lot less muscle. I barely passed the physical requirements when I joined. Thinking back on it, that might be the reason my old sergeant told the mess hall workers to load my tray more than the other recruits. Anyway, the ponies that were going in, I used to think that those were the ones that should be royal guards. I didn’t think I had what it took, and I almost backed out completely.”
Shining was hanging on every word Iron Defense spoke like it would save his life. “What made you go through with it?”
Iron Defense’s solid face seemed to soften as his eyes seemed to gleam with life. “Greats friends and family. They all knew I was hesitant and my reasons for being, but no matter how little I thought of myself, they talked me up to finally joining. Had it not been for them, I’d probably still be wondering what to do with my special talent.”
“Wow,” Shining breathed, thinking of four certain ponies and dragon that would probably have his back if he made the decision to join, and hopefully another later on.
“Support goes a long way when you’re unsure, but once you step into that enrollment office, you have to be sure that’s what you want to do.” Iron Defense snorted a small chuckle. “So much for cutting to the chase, huh?”
“No, that actually helped out, a lot actually.”
“Well, let me help you even more. As for what to expect, I’ll make it short. It’ll be tough, and it’ll drain you, but it’s all worth it in the end when you see that strong pony you’ll become if you do everything right. Another thing, if you join and get me as your commanding officer, you will not like me as much as you do right now.”
“Noted, sir,” Shining said with an awkward nod.
“Just think if you can really see yourself as a part of all this,” Iron advised, gesturing to the training grounds. “If you can, then it’ll be a pleasure to see you at boot camp.” Giving a quick salute, Iron Defense hurried back to the awaiting ponies, leaving Shining alone to take in his advice.
He stood there for a few seconds, just lost in thought. Finally, he brought a forelimb up to his forehead in a bent angle. Directed at the grey sergeant that didn't see it , Shining gave a full-hearted salute before walking off the training grounds. He came to the front gates of the castle, the guards ponies already having opened the golden gates once they saw him.
Staring at the streets he knew he’d have to go through, and more specifically the ponies he’d probably see looking at him, Shining took in a breath and breathed a deep sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”
***************
The walk hadn’t been as bad as other days, but it was still pretty bad. Shining Armor just thanked Celestia that he hadn’t run into anypony in that area, otherwise he’d be given yet another round of insults why he wasn’t enough for Cadance. He could feel himself tense up just thinking about what some of those ponies have said, especially that big-headed Jet Set and his equally snobby wife. Even without the verbal assaults, the stares and side whispers he saw were enough to let him know they still didn’t approve. He didn’t care. It hurt a little, but he didn’t care. He saw how he made Cadance smile, and he remembered that she chose him. He remembered their first date, when she kissed him on the cheek in the drizzle, their first real kiss, and every one after. He knew he was good enough. Even if, that still didn't quench the irritating urge to somehow prove it to those snobs wrong.
“Yo, Shiny!”
The familiar accent and volume of that voice was all it took for Shining’s thoughts to take a turn for the better. “Hey, Star,” he greeted with a wave to his friend across the street. “Where you headed?”
“Back to work. Break’s almost over. You?”
“Home. Me and Cadance have a date tonight and I need to get ready.”
Even from across the street, Shining could see the taunting grin Stardust formed. “Ooooh, look at you, little Casanova.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Hey, the two of ya are still comin’ to see me play tomorrow night, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he reassured.
“Great! I haven't seen much of ya all week. We need some catchin’ up. Anything happened to ya?”
“You have no idea,” Shining muttered under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow, I gotta go, and I’m pretty sure the whole block could hear us by the way.”
“Whateva. See ya later, Shiny!” Shining watched Stardust gallop away towards her work as he continued homewards. He reached his front porch wondering if his mother would be open for a talk about the Royal Guard again. Every day after he brought home the pamphlet on the Royal Guard, Twilight Velvet had avoided the topic any chance Shining brought it up. Thinking that today might be different, he pushed the door open to see Night Light on the sofa, reading some astrology book.
“Hey, dad,” Shining called as he stepped through the door.
Night Light glanced up to see his son. “Oh, hey, Shining. How was work?”
“Ugh, good, I guess. I’ll tell you more about it later, but, ugh, where’s mom?”
Night Light’s glance shifted to another room in the house as a worried expression crossed his face. “In our room. She’s still kinda, well… nuts.”
“Dad,” Shining droned.
“Yeah, I know, but I just need to ask, are you still considering the Royal Guard?”
A brief silence grasped the room as Shining became more decisive with his answer. “Yes.”
Night Light pushed his tongue to the inside of his cheek as he nodded his head. “Huh. Well, no wonder she’s like that.”
With a raised eyebrow and cocked head, Shining had to ask. “Huh?”
“Well,” Night Light started, putting his book down as he began, “I think your mother knows that you really are considering this, and that’s what’s scaring her.”
“Dad, I know she’s worried for me, but—”
“It’s not just that she’s worried for you, son. It’s also the fact that if you go, that’s the last of her kids.” Shining had to let that last part sink in. He blinked in realization. He never thought of it that way before. “You’d be the first and only out of you and your siblings that she’d have the chance to watch grow from baby foal to grown pony. I don’t think she’s done getting over that quite yet.”
Night Light breathed in and sighed heavily as a glimmer danced in his eyes. “Remember when Twilight told us that Princess Celestia wanted her to move into the castle.”
Shining nodded.
“Well, as proud as she was, and she really was, your mother was also devastated. I held onto her in our room later on that night as she basically bawled her eyes out. Only two things I said got her to stop crying that night; that we’d still be able to visit your brother and sister whenever we wanted to, and that you’d still be here for a few more months.”
Silence. It was all Shining could do as he listened on, a little bit of pain grazing him as he came to realize the pain Twilight Velvet must’ve felt. Both of her youngest kids were gone, one of which she didn’t get to spend a full two years with.
A weird and short chuckle escaped from Night Light as he remembered a certain day. “Looking back on it, it’s probably no surprise the way she acted when we dropped Twilight and Spike off at the castle, remember?”
How could he forget? If the public wailing as Twilight Velvet clung onto Twilight while Night Light tried to pry the two apart wasn’t enough, the way she held onto Spike had to be the icing on the cake.
“Yeah. I’m just glad scales are tougher than fur and skin, otherwise I’m pretty sure she would’ve squished him alive.”
Both felt shivers go down their spines just imagining that messy image.
Night Light cleared his throat as he pushed that thought aside. “Well, bottom line is, she’s already had to see two of her kids go off, and well before most mothers see their kids off. Now, she has to watch her last one leave.”
Shining opted to staring at the floor beneath his hooves, not really knowing how to respond to that bit of insight just thrown at him. “Did you… did you feel like mom did?” he finally asked after a few moments of silence.
A deep sigh escaped the blue unicorn as he sunk slightly in his seat. “More than I led on, Shining. I had to be strong for your mother, but it did hurt seeing Twilight and Spike go. Just like it’s going to hurt seeing you go, but I know it’ll be for the best. Whether it’ll be seeing you go into the Royal Guard, or something else, but I know it’ll be for the best, and I know you’ll make me and your mother proud.”
How to respond to that? Shining really didn’t have a full idea, and he honestly didn’t think anypony would, so he settled for something simple. “Thanks, dad.”
“Just give your mother a little more time. She’s been through a bit lately.”
Shining’s gaze traveled to the door of his parents’ room as a resigned smile snaked across his face. His gaze returned to his father, and he gave a nod. “Okay.”
Night Light returned his son’s smile. “Thanks, Shining.” He picked his book back up and turned to the page he was on. “Now go and get ready. I know you’ve got a date with your lady.”
“Dad,” came the cry Shining wished wasn’t as loud as it came out. Night Light just laughed as Shining dragged his way to the bathroom.
With the door closed, Shining took a minute to look at his mane. Both shades of blue shined nicely. All he needed was a little readjustment, aaaand…
“Perfect,” Shining grinned, satisfied with his mane.
He stepped back and patted his mane down, making sure it would keep its place. In the mirror though, while he did see himself, he also saw a few other things. The past few weeks had been crazy, but they had gotten him thinking. Before all that, he’d see the stuttering, nervous, and at times dorky pony who never thought too much of himself.
Now, standing in front of the mirror, he saw so much more. He saw a young stallion dating the most amazing mare in Equestria. He saw the pony that risked his life to save two others. He saw the courage that others have pointed out. He saw the purple magic that came so naturally to him. All those combined, he made out a whole nother pony staring back at him.
He was a white unicorn stallion with a mane just like his. He was proud with strong blue hooves and eyes, and he wore the most astounding patterned armor Shining ever saw. This stallion was staring back at him, wearing the same smile he had on his face.
Shining brought a forelimb to his forehead, and the stallion did as well.
Together, they gave a salute.