//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Big Brother Blues // by BronyBraeburn //------------------------------// "WHOA!" A gray pegasus exclaimed as she collided with the railing of the library's sundeck, an envelope fluttering from the pony's mouth to the lavender unicorn's open book. "Oops, my bad." "Derpy, are you alright?" Twilight asked as she bit the mail mare's mane and helped her over the rail and onto the balcony. "You really must be more careful." "It had a first class stamp so I had to rush it over here as fast as I could," Derpy explained, her yellow pupils moving independently as they searched for the missing letter. "Here you go," she reached down and grabbed the envelope. "First class? Who would bother to send me something first class?" Twilight wondered aloud as she took the letter with her magic. The princess always communicated with scrolls through dragon flame and her parents always sent letters at the normal shipping rate. No one else outside of Ponyville traditionally sent her letters. "Don't know, but I have other deliveries to make. See you later!" "Bye, Derpy! Please be more careful!" She called out as the pegasus flew off haphazardly. She looked forlornly at her book, feeling the printed words call out to her, demanding to be read, but if somepony bothered to send her a letter first class, it took precedence. Without even bothered to check the return address, she opened it and frowned as soon as she saw the letterhead. She unintelligibly muttered the letter's contents to herself. "SPIKE!" She shouted as grabbed her book and ran inside, tossing the book on her bed as the dragon rushed into the room. "Grab your things, we're going to Canterlot. If we hurry, we can catch the next train," she added with a quick glance at the clock. "Why the rush? What's going on?" He asked, a half-eaten ruby sandwich still clutched in his claw. "Shining Armor is home," she replied, hastily packing a saddlebag. "Your brother? You never jumped for him before; usually you try to avoid him as much as possible. Why the sudden change now?" "He's bringing home a surprise for the family, and he asked I come as quickly as possible. Besides, he hasn't been home since long before I came to Ponyville, so my parents are going to demand we maximize our family reunion time before he's sent off elsewhere again. What am I supposed to do, let them down just because I don't want to see him?" "No, I guess not," he conceded, and finished his sandwich in one gulp. "Maybe he's retiring from the army and that's his big surprise?" "Please, the army is his life," she retorted and motioned for him to jump on her back. "He'll be as old as Granny Smith and hold a desk job while annoying everyone with how badly he wants to be back out in the field," she reminded him as they left the library at a canter. "Hey Twilight!" "Oh no," Twilight muttered under her breath before looking up and smiling at the cyan pegasus flying above, effortlessly keeping up with her even though the unicorn was exerting herself. "Can't talk, Rainbow, I need to catch the train." Rainbow Dash vanished from view, and for a moment Twilight vaguely wondered where her friend disappeared to, until the answer became clear when her hooves were suddenly dangling in mid-air rather than touching the ground. With a squeak she pulled her legs against her body, afraid of being dropped. "What are you doing?" "You said you were in a hurry," the flying pony replied, carrying her and Spike to the station, arriving fifteen minutes before departure. Twilight dashed to the ticket window as soon as her hooves touched the ground, half-convinced the train would be full. "Thank you," the unicorn panted as the teller gave her two tickets, "and thank you Rainbow for getting me here on time." "Hey, what are friends for?" She casually waved it off as if it was nothing. "So why the rush? Did the princess summon you or something?" "Actually, my parents did," she lied, unable to pull off a convincing face, and speaking far too quickly. "They said they missed me and wanted me to visit for a while. Mom said she'd meet me at the station so I had to take the next train so she wouldn't be waiting so long for me. Thank you again for your help, I really appreciate it." "No problem," Dash replied, appearing oblivious to the unicorn's deceit. "When do you think you'll be back?" "I really don't know. Could you ask Fluttershy to keep an eye on Owlicious? He usually feeds himself hunting mice, and I don't think he'd do well in a city. I'd feel better if somepony was looking after him." "Sure. I bet he'll enjoy all the company living at her place for a few days." "You're the best!" She hugged the pegasus and reluctantly let go when the train pulled into the station. She really didn't want to deal with her brother when she had such good friends waiting for her at home. "Listen, you're welcome to stay in the library if you want, catch up on some reading. I have more adventure books besides Daring Do you know." "Yeah I know. Just don't make me read something boring like Commander Hurricane's biography." "It's actually a pretty fascinating read." "Pass. I read it for school as a filly and it's such a bore. There's no action, just the author praising him for doing this and that with no real detail as to how. Consider yourself lucky I got into reading period. That doesn't mean I'll turn into an egghead like you." "I know," she smiled warmly, sighing when the conductor made the last call for passengers. "I'll be back as soon as I can." "Take your time," the mare called as the unicorn and dragon entered the passenger car. "Spend a lot of time with your folks, you earned it!" "My folks, yes, but Shining Armor, no," she said quietly, sinking in her seat as the train pulled away, mournfully watching the fading image of Rainbow Dash waving goodbye. "Why didn't you tell her the truth? Do they even know you have a brother?" Spike inquired. "No, and I'd rather they never find out. What am I supposed to tell them? 'We've known each other for over a year now but hey, guess what, I have an older brother?' That will go down well," she answered sarcastically. "They have to find out eventually. You can't keep it a secret forever, so you might as well come out in the open." "And tell them how Shining Armor still treats me like a helpless little filly? No thank you. Just because he got his cutie mark protecting me from a nasty snake when I was a baby doesn't mean I'll always need his protection. I held my own against so many creatures ever since we came to Ponyville, where was he then? Where was he when I stood up against Nightmare Moon, or Discord? Where?" She loudly demanded, getting swept up in the passion of the moment. "You might want to tone it down a bit," the dragon quietly suggested, subtlety pointing at fellow passengers who were giving her funny looks. Humiliated, the mare shrank in her seat, silently cursing her brother. "It's embarrassing enough when it's just the family, but if he said or did anything in front of my friends, they'll laugh at me. The way he talks about me makes Fluttershy sound like she could kill a dragon just by looking at it." "But you told him about your accomplishments, didn't you?" The hopeful look in his eyes pained her as she lowered her head. "No," she shamefully admitted. "He'll probably say something about how my friends covered my flank, building up my involvement when in reality I just stood there cowering in fear and everybody else did everything for me." "But you were the cornerstone in defeating Discord," he argued, appalled at what he was hearing. "He can't twist that no matter how hard he tries!" "It doesn't matter, Spike, I'm not telling him, and I don't want you to either, is that understood?" She fixed such an angry gaze on him that made the dragon concede to his friend's wishes. He cowered before her and grabbed his tail for childish comfort. "I did what I had to do to protect those I love and my country. Telling him about it won't be simply telling a story but bragging, and I refuse to sink to his level. He was destined to be the fairy tale prince always running around and rescuing damsels-in-distress, and I was the bookworm reading fairy tales. Let's just be grateful that when the time calls for it, I can be just like him." "Grateful and proud to call you my friend," he said with a beaming smile, putting his claw on her hoof. Twilight pulled him into a smothering hug and they stayed that way until they arrived in Canterlot. She steeled herself as the train rolled to a stop. It wouldn't be long now before she had to face Shining Armor, but at least she had the support of her friends behind her. Her heart grew light as she stepped off the platform and onto the cobblestoned road. She filled her lungs with the urban scent and slowly exhaled, savoring it. "Home," she proudly declared. No matter how much she loved Ponyville, she was born here and such a connection could never fade. She hailed a passing cab and jumped inside, feeling the animosity in her heart gradually fade as she watched the city pass by, filled with such joy to be home. Images of her younger self walking outside the buildings fleetingly passed by, and for a while she forgot her reason for returning, only to have it hit her like a brick wall as the cab pulled up in front of her parent's house. The heaviness returned to her shoulders as she slowly crossed the yard and walked up the front steps. Spike put a comforting claw on her shoulder, and the unicorn smiled, lifting her head high as she knocked on the door, feeling her grin engulf her face as a light blue male unicorn with a darker blue mane and tail, and two crescent moons for a cutie mark answered the door. "Dad!" "Twilight Sparkle," Night Light greeted enthusiastically, and the two unicorns reared up and wrapped their forelegs around each other. "Good to see you again, Spike," the stallion said as he offered the dragon a hoofshake. "You too, sir," Spike shyly replied. Having been raised in the castle, he wasn't accustomed to Twilight's parents as he was with the castle staff. "Come, come, your mother and brother are waiting for you." Twilight and Spike followed him into the living room, where her mother was happily conversing with her son and a tall female pink unicorn who stood on his left, her body hidden from view. Is she the big surprise? Shining Armor brought home another girlfriend? Since when is that a big deal? Girls were always falling for the handsome stallion, a fairy tale prince straight from the pages of a storybook. "Hello Mom, Shining Armor," she smiled as she approached her mother. "Twilight Sparkle, welcome home!" Twilight Velvet lovingly embraced her and then pushed her in front of Shining Armor. "Go on, dear, tell her," she insisted, excitement filling her voice as she pranced in place, ready to tell her daughter the news herself. Shining Armor took a step forward, sharing a big grin with everyone except the confused lavender unicorn. "Twilight Sparkle, may I introduce my fiancé, Princess Cadence? Cadence, this is my younger sister, Twilight Sparkle." "Fiancé?" Twilight repeated, her mouth hanging open as she stared at the two. "Princess? But aren't princesses—" "Alicorns?" Cadence suggested with a playful grin, extending her wings, enjoying Twilight's dropped jaw and wide eyes. "I'm the princess of Dream Valley, the—" "The birthplace of all ponykind," Twilight interjected as she recovered; now sporting the same enthusiastic grin as everyone else, but for a completely different reason. "I've always wanted to go! There is so much to learn, so much to study!" Like why are only stallions with earth pony blood retaining the stocky genes of the first ponies? Why did the seaponies and flutterponies die off? Was the ancient myth of two bipedal females and one bipedal male coming from another dimension true? Her heart began to race with the possibilities of discovery. "Better leave that for archeologists," Shining Armor said, cutting Twilight's joy. "You're better off reading their accounts then getting your hooves dirty." I'm not a little filly anymore, she fumed silently, narrowing her eyes at her brother, but the stallion took no notice. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Twilight Sparkle," Cadence said, flashing her a warm smile. "I have heard so much about you." "It is an honor to meet you, princess," she said as she bowed deeply. But why did he never mention you? "How did you meet my brother?" "He and his troops were stationed in Dream Valley for the past seven months to assist my struggle against creatures who wish to take over the fertile valley for themselves. He has been a perfect soldier and an even more wonderful gentlecolt." The pink alicorn nuzzled his neck and Twilight saw genuine affection pass between the two as the stallion returned his fiancé's caress. He never showed this much care and concern for past mares, like he knew it was just a fling that wouldn't last long. "The wedding is in two weeks. I trust you'll be my best pony, Twilight?" Her brother asked in an unsure, hopeful tone. "Of course," she answered without hesitation, surprised and honored that she was chosen rather than some lieutenant. "I've always wanted to see Paradise Estate." "Well actually, we're having the ceremony in the main hall of Canterlot Castle," Cadence shyly pointed out, "but you're welcome to come to Dream Valley after our honeymoon. I will personally give you an in-depth tour of the whole country." "How did you manage to reserve the royal hall on such short notice?" "There are certain privileges that come from being the princess's niece," she answered with a sly grin. "You're Princess Luna's daughter; Prince Blueblood's ancestor?" Living history right before her eyes! She felt that inquiring about Blueblood's ancestry in the past was inappropriate, but now her curiosity in alicorn-pony breeding was peaked. After all, what kind of niece or nephew could she expect sometime in the near future? "No, my mother is Musica, youngest sister of Celestia and Luna. She was born centuries after the two left home. I don't know who Prince Blueblood is, much less who is his ancestor." Time to find out, she privately vowed, and speaking of foals, "Isn't two weeks a little hasty for a royal wedding? Most weddings in Ponyville happen several months after the proposal, sometimes even a year." Was there a little bun in the oven? "I can't be away from home for long. There are still threats against the valley, and Shining Armor is so great is keeping them at bay. As of late, his mere presence scares villains away." Cadence's eyes shone brightly with admiration as she smiled at her love. By marriage he'll be a prince, he'll be a literal fairy tale prince, just as I always thought of him as. Talk about embracing your special talent.She turned her head and looked at her cutie mark. Ever since she was a filly, Celestia would never allow her to downplay her magical ability, almost like the princess knew that she would one day do something great like bear the Element of Magic. Twilight's head shot around as Cadence spoke to her, her trained ears catching words like "smart" and "student," distraction blocking out the rest. "Yes, I've been told that I'm something of a prodigy. Princess Celestia has been my mentor ever since I was a filly." "That's wonderful," Cadence complimented, giving her fiancé a sideways glance. "You failed to mention that." Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "Impressive, yes, but a mere student and her books won't stop Tirek or anyone else from taking over Dream Valley, so is it worth boasting about such a thing?" Spike and Twilight's parents were shocked at his bold words and look over at the lavender pony, who simply set her jaw and stared straight ahead. Only her narrowed eyes expressed any response to the stallion. The dragon opened his mouth to protest but it was promptly zipped shut with magic. "Shining Armor!" Twilight Velvet snapped. "Your sister has accomplished much in her young life! She—" "Mom, please!" Her daughter intervened, moving between her and her brother. "It's not worth fighting about. He's right; my books can't defeat evil like Tirek. Studying tactics and strategy isn't enough to fight; you have to practice it, to know defensive magic like the back of your foreleg. He's dedicated his life to study and practice, where I've studied so many other subjects that I could never find the time to study it in-depth the way he has. Despite his rude tone, he's exactly right about what he said." "Truth or not, you've both done your part for Equestria," Night Light compromised, his stern tone ending the argument. The siblings looked at each other and nodded solemnly. The dark blue stallion looked at his children and frowned. Why was his son ignorant of Twilight Sparkle's accomplishments? Didn't she tell him in her letters? Tell him that she was a bearer of an Element of Harmony, the rarest and hardest to control? Or did he forget, choose to ignore it? Why wouldn't Twilight tell him? If she chose to remain quiet, it wasn't his place to defy her wishes. "We couldn't be prouder of either of you for everything you both have done." "Hungry? Would anyone care for dinner?" His wife offered, escorting everyone to the dining room. Twilight and Shining Armor took their usual seats opposite each other, with their companions sitting on their right, and the parents were to sit at the ends. "I made my famous four-grain lasagna," Twilight Velvet announced, levitating five plates into the room and placing them before the ponies. Night Light was right behind her with a plate of drinks for everyone. Spike's face blanched at the idea. Living among ponies gave him an acquired taste of grains, but he couldn't handle the different tastes of four at once. "Don't worry, Spike, I made you a special meal all your own." The dragon's mouth began to salivate as a bowl filled with a rainbow-colored collection of gems made its way to him. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Velvet!" He happily scooped his claw into the bowl and inhaled the pile of gems in his fist. "Slow down, Spike, before you get a stomachache," Twilight Sparkle scolded, and her assistant ate at a more polite rate. Dinner conversation mostly comprised of small talk until Shining Armor asked, "Twilight Sparkle, who are you bringing as your guest?" Oh no, it's the tickets to the Gala fiasco all over again. "I'm actually bringing five guests, though they can help prepare for the wedding. Rarity makes dresses, Applejack can help cater, Pinkie Pie is a wonderful pastry chef, and Fluttershy—" "Of course your friends are invited," he snorted, waving his hoof. "You are bringing your special somepony, right?" "I…I don't have a very special somepony at the moment." I never had one to begin with, she mentally corrected, but she couldn't tell that to a stallion who always had a girlfriend as soon as he was allowed to date. Sure Ponyville was home to several cute ponies, but none had ever approached her and she was still too shy to approach them. "Afraid of showing up your big brother by getting married before him? Well now that I've found someone, I'm more than happy to share the altar for a double wedding." The elder unicorns turned so quickly that Twilight feared their necks would snap, and she shrank under the hopeful smiles that engulfed their faces. It broke her heart to dash such high hopes but a double wedding was never going to happen. "I'm not ready for such a thing and I'm not dating someone at the moment." Her brother's horrified expression said it all. "Twilight, it's about time you got your head out of those books and paid attention to more important things." The mare attempted to control the growing anger deep inside but she knew from the start it was a futile effort. She heard the same thing all too often from her classmates in Canterlot and who acted like drinking themselves into a stupor and having casual sex with ponies were so much more important that studying and good grades. Hearing it from her own brother's mouth was too much. She rose from her seat and stomped her hooves on the table, glaring dangerously at the white stallion. "I'm Princess Celestia's personal student! It's my job to keep my head in books!" The whole table grew silent, watching the siblings square off in silence. Their parents' eyes moved between the two, unsure of what to do. They had never witnessed or even heard of such a heated squabble between their children. A half-eaten emerald fell from Spike's claw back into the bowl, cautiously eyeing his friend's horn, praying that it remained in its normal state. Raised from birth to be a politician, Cadence diffused the hostile situation like a perfect diplomat. "I never did hear how you became my aunt's personal student. That is quite an honor, especially for such a young mare." The unicorn shut her eyes a moment and focused her energy on letting go of her anger. "I was a filly when it happened," she began as she opened her eyes, ignoring her brother's presence and staring straight at the princess. She told the story so often that it was second nature, allowing her to think without getting distracted. There's no doubt she's related to Princess Celestia and Luna. She's so kind and nice, she doesn't lord her ancestry over us like the Canterlot elite, but the way she holds herself, the way she speaks, you know she's of breeding even without the extra appendages. What is she doing with my brother? We're nothing special; we're not related to the great ponies of old, but she wants to marry him though they met seven months ago. Instinctively she vowed up to study up on the subject but dismissed such an idea almost immediately. Try as anypony might, love wasn't something to be studied scientifically, and not even myths and novels about true love would better explain why an alicorn fell for an ordinary unicorn. The mare's story lead to more peaceful conversation for another few hours, with Twilight and Shining Armor acting like nothing happened, until everyone was excused for bed. Brother and sister went back to their fillyhood bedrooms, still preserved with the same furniture and decorations of their youth. "Why didn't you tell him?" Spike demanded as soon as the door was shut behind them. "Why didn't you tell him you bear the Element of Magic, or that you saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon and Discord, or that you're Mare-Do-Well, or any number of things you did to save Ponyville? He was asking to be put in his place! Aren't you proud of your accomplishments?" "Of course I am," she snapped as she dug through her closet and pulled out Spike's basket, placing it on the floor before rummaging for his pillow and blanket. "I told you before, I don't boast about what I've done." "But you're not! You're just stating a fact! Don't you remember the friendship report you wrote after Trixie came to town." "Of course I do, but I'm not going to tell him. I told him in my letters and obviously he doesn't care enough to remember. Obviously he thinks I'm just a stupid little filly who needs protection. Now where is the silly—ah ha! Found it!" She levitated the basket, blanket, and pillow to the side of her bed and quickly made it up with her magic before placing it on the floor. "Come on, Spike, time for bed." The dragon stood his ground, glaring at his adopted sister. "You're just as good as he is, if not better. Why can't you tell him?" The two stared each other down, but Twilight lost the battle, averting her eyes to the floor as her whole body drooped. "Because I can't let Princess Cadence think less of him," she quietly admitted. "I can't allow her to think that her beloved fairy tale prince isn't nearly the kind of fighter that his untrained sister is. What if the girls and I are a better option to keep Dream Valley safe? It sounds like Shining Armor's constant presence is required to chase away those who want to conquer the land, but who knows what kind of magic the Elements could do? No one knows their full potential, or even how or why they were made. Those gems could render the entire army useless, and what would my brother be without someone to protect? I'm sorry, but I can't do anything to ruin the princess's perception of him. I'll tell him privately, after the wedding." "But if she really loves him, then it wouldn't matter, because she just wants him around," the assistant argued, a loud yawn interrupting his longer speech. "You're right, as always. I'm going to bed." "Good night, Spike," Twilight tucked him in and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for looking out for me." "Anything for you…Twi…" snoring stole the rest of his words as he quickly fell into a deep sleep. "May you have sweet dreams of Rarity," she whispered, and tip-toed to the book shelf, glancing through her meager collection before pulling out an old favorite, The Pony Bride. She could use some relaxing, nostalgic reading after today. It wasn't long before she was lost in the old words that she could almost recite by heart, and characters that she looked up to as a filly, but repeated thumping from her brother's room dragged her back to reality. "Ugh, what are they doing in there?" She placed a bookmark between the pages and rolled off the bed, trying to keep her hoofsteps as quietly as possible so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping assistant as she approached the wall. She raised a hoof, ready to knock on the wall, but it froze in mid-air as she heard a rather intimate moan coming from Cadence. That isn't what I think it is, is it? She pressed her ear to the wall, and her stomach twisted in revulsion as the sounds confirmed her deep fear. Sweet Celestia, they're…they're… she backed away from the wall in revulsion. "Shi-Shining, right there, oh yes, right there," the pink alicorn moaned, her voice muffled outside of the wall. Twilight blanched and felt dinner churn in her stomach. Did they have to do…that…here, now? Couldn't they go into the basement where no one would hear? Didn't he care about his sister and a baby dragon overhearing? They were both magic users; couldn't they come up with a way to erect some kind of sound-proof barrier? The arrogant bastard probably planned this, to remind me of the joy in having a special somepony. Well he can enjoy it, but I don't have to. She used her magic to place earplugs in Spike's innocent ears, and never had she been more grateful for a dragon's deep sleep. "Continue dreaming of Rarity; just stay far away from sexual relations with her, please." She crept out of the room, flinching as the sounds of sexual pleasure assaulted her ears. Sweet Celestia, it's louder out here. I could buck the architect who built this house! She trotted down the hall and out the backdoor, not caring if anyone heard. "Where do I go now?" She wondered aloud, looking around her. She couldn't stay at home while her brother was rehearsing the wedding night. "Easy, stomach," she grunted as her stomach churned again. "I rather like Mom's lasagna, but I don't need to taste it again coming back up." What to do, what to do, aha! "Taxi!" She shouted, chasing after a cab that just dropped off a neighbor. She jumped inside before it came to a complete stop, "to Doughnut Joe's doughnut shop please!" She didn't know why Joe kept his shop open so late, he rarely had any customers after 10 PM, but it became a nice nightly getaway before she moved to Ponyville. It was a great place to study or read, and Joe was a nice companion, helping her with homework as best he could and often providing free food and drink. He has to be open, or else I don't know what to do. The lavender unicorn threw her bits at the driver and made a mad dash toward the shop as the cab rolled to a stop. "Doughnut Joe, are you still open?" She panted as she pushed open the front door. "For you, Twilight, I'm always open!" the large dirty blonde unicorn answered jovially. "What can I get you, Colton Cream, apple-grass, jelly-filled?" "Chocolate with sprinkles and a Colta-Cola, please," the young mare replied as she happily trotted across the floor, tossing a few bits on the counter. "On the house," his feathered hoof pushed back the bits after he brought her the order. "Joe, you'll go out of business if you keep offering me free food." She moved to push the coins forward but the stallion pushed them back. "Are you kidding? This place is famous as 'the doughnut shop that Twilight Sparkle frequents.' I get so many students coming here at night hoping your intelligence will rub off on them, or maybe that my doughnuts made you the great student that you are." The student smiled, pleased that she was making such an impact with her old school. "Well they certainly made studying here very enjoyable, thank you." She levitated the doughnut and daintily nibbled. His doughnuts were better than Pinkie Pie's, but she specialized in cupcakes where Joe prided himself on his doughnuts. "So what brings you back to Canterlot? I haven't seen you here since the last Gala." "Shining Armor is back in town," she answered before sipping her drink. "And just who is Shining Armor?" A familiar voice demanded as the doorbell rang and several pairs of hooves trotted on the tiled floor. Twilight spat out her drink, nearly choking on the liquid. In her embarrassment, she was glad that everything spilled onto the counter and the floor behind it, leaving the doughnuts unharmed. "What the hay are you all doing here?" She demanded as she turned around, facing her five concerned friends. Rainbow Dash stood before them all, her eyes narrowed and her jaw set in determination. "Who is Shining Armor?" She repeated, "An old boyfriend? Do I need to 'speak' with him?" She punched her hooves together. "No!" The lavender unicorn quickly responded. "Rainbow, you can't hurt him, please! He's not my boyfriend, he's just my brother!" "Brother?" The five repeated amongst themselves. "Twilight, you never mentioned you had a brother," Applejack spoke for all, a little concerned about this deception. "I know, and I'm sorry," she apologized. "Doughnut Joe, please give them whatever they want while I tell them." "On it," the shopkeeper obediently replied, swiftly taking orders and delivering their food as they gathered around the same table they shared at the Gala. "Shining Armor is my older brother. He's a captain in the army, traveling around the world as a peace keeper. When I was a filly, he saved me from a snake and got his cutie mark from it. My base star," she twisted her body to show off her cutie mark, "is the same as his on the face of a shield. He took it to mean that I always required his protection. For my entire life, he treated me like a helpless filly and no matter what I've done, what I've accomplished, it's not good enough for him. To him, I'll forever be a child. I didn't want him to embarrass me in front of you." "But you're Princess Celestia's personal student," Fluttershy argued. "Isn't that something?" "Yes, it means I'm an egghead. I'm only useful for reading books, nothing practical, nothing physical, and nothing that he admires." "Hey! Only I can call you an egghead!" The cyan pegasus defended, and the unicorn smiled, appreciating her friend's affection. "You were in such a rush to get to the station. Why did you rush if you two don't get along?" "I received an urgent letter from him this morning, telling me to come home to Canterlot, and he had a surprise for us all, a fiancé, but not just anypony, an alicorn, Princess Cadence of Dream Valley, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's niece." The clang of a fallen metal tray was the only noise that came next, the listening ponies all had their mouths hanging open. "Sorry, sorry, my fault," came Joe's rough voice, and his head appeared from behind the counter. "I'm baking tomorrow's batch of muffins, little dented but still sellable." "Spying on us, Con Mane?" Rarity teased, batting her eyes flirtatiously. "You caught me," he conceded in his best English accent, using magic to slick back his mane. "Oooh, you are rather dashing, Darling," the marshmallow unicorn flirted, brushing her mane back. The dirty blonde stallion stiffened and smiled widely, and suddenly the fashionista was grateful for the counter that covered his lower half. "Yes, well," she nervously cleared her throat. "Twilight, the princess wouldn't happen to be in need of a wedding gown would she? I'll spare no expense and dedicate all my time to give her the perfect design!" "Applejack, the Cakes, and I can cater dessert," Pinkie Pie volunteered. "I can make up for all the lost bits at the Gala!" Applejack exclaimed. "I've been pushing for you girls to help out all day," Twilight promised, thrilled that her friends were supportive of her plans. "I'm so very sorry I kept my brother a secret from you." She hung her head in shame "We understand why you did it," Fluttershy assured her. "If we're around, maybe he won't be so condescending." "He shouldn't be that way to begin with," Rainbow argued. "It's not our place to get involved," Applejack interjected. "But it is our job to stand by her side and support her." "So…can we just reuse our Gala dresses for the ceremony?" The cyan pegasus shyly brought up. Her dress was so cool and surprisingly not all that girly. She'd like to keep it that way. "ARE YOU INSANE?" Rarity passionately shouted, making them all step back from the table. "You don't recycle a dress you already wore in public to a royal wedding, especially a dress you already wore to the Grand Galloping Gala!" "What's the big deal?" The tomboy argued back. "The big deal? The big deal?" Her voice rose in indignation, tempted to crucify the pegasus for her ignorance. "High society ponies pay attention to everyone's attire at all times! If anypony wears the same dress to two important social gatherings, it's considered bad form. The Grand Galloping Gala is a social event second only to a royal wedding. Everyone needs a new dress for the event, compliments of me of course." Kiss goodbye my hat and boots, the orange earth pony frowned. "Ugh, are you sure you won't get overwhelmed making so many dresses from scratch in so little time? "I live for such moments!" The fashionista declared, her eyes sparkling with delight. "And since you'll trust my original designs, I can save all my stress for when the princess makes constant changes. Oh and Con Mane? Promise me you'll rent a tux for the occasion. I would love to see you in one." "Yes ma'am!" Doughnut Joe saluted. Conversation drifted into other subjects and they lost track of time until the shop was closed for the night. "Do you know of a hotel that's open this late, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked as they walked down the sidewalk. "Nonsense, you can all stay over my parents' place!" The lavender unicorn volunteered. "They won't mind five ponies crashing in the middle of the night?" Fluttershy asked, "Really, we'll stay in a hotel, it's no big deal." "Shining Armor did so much worse when he was a teenager," she pointed out, "and I never had a teenage rebellion. I'm long overdue for something this crazy." "Did he ever bring home five mares? Sounds a little suspicious to me," Rainbow Dash teased. She blushed brightly, remembered why she came to the shop to begin with, "N-no, just one, always just one." They flagged down two passing cabs and went back to Twilight's childhood home. "Alright, girls, quietly," she instructed as she unlocked the backdoor and crept inside. If she was lucky maybe her parents wouldn't find out at all and they could leave early in the morning and have breakfast at a diner, then she could bring them home and say they caught a morning train to meet everyone. "He is a rather dashing gent," Rarity complimented at a normal volume as she passed Shining Armor's portrait on the wall. "Rarity SHUSH!" The lavender pony hissed. "Sorry!" came a whisper. "I agree, I can see the family resemblance," Fluttershy whispered. "Girls, please! Save it for the bedroom!" "That didn't sound wrong at all," Rainbow snickered. "I give up," the unicorn sighed, half-expecting to hear her parents cry out, or worse, her brother, but the only noise came from the girls as they quickly slipped inside Twilight's bedroom. "Thank Celestia, we made it," and thank Celestia Shining Armor finished his…practicing. "Aww, look at Spikey-wikey," Rarity softly cooed over the dragon's sleeping form. "He's quite the little cutie." "Seriously, girls, time for bed," Twilight scolded, tossing pillows and blankets from her closet. "Shining Armor and the princess are right next door. I don't want to disturb them. They didn't care that they were disturbing me but that's beside the point. "No worries, Twilight, we're all pretty tired. Good night," she dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes and was fast asleep in seconds. The five stared at the sleeping pink pony for a moment before chalking it up to just another one of her random moments and wished each other good night. The lavender unicorn settled into bed and smiled at the array of ponies surrounding her. With them at her side, there was nothing she couldn't face.