"Uhhh. My head is killing me." Shining groaned as he lifted up on the sheets, coming face to face with a white coated Day Guard standing at the side of his bed.
"AHHHH!!!"
"AHHHH!!"
Both stallions quickly pounced away from each other, Shining smashing off the left side of the bed with a loud thud.
The stallion on the right shivering in place, pale blue eyes filled with fear.
"Who are you?!" Shining asked as he gazed to the guard in confusion, using his hoof to rub the back of his head slowly.
"Private Jenkins sir!" The stallion quickly lifted a hoof smacking himself in the forehead by accident. His dark red bangs falling in front of his eyes slightly.
"Aren't you a Night Guard?" Shining groaned as he slowly got back onto his hooves. shaking off the scare.
"Yes and no sir!" Replied the guard in a cracking voice.
"At ease. You know just relax." Shining rolled his eyes as he walked away from the bed towards a small vanity, he sighed at the first glance that his mane was a complete mess.
"Thank you sir. I mean of course sir. I mean...well... I got placed on Day Duty as well for what my superior called "Idiosyncrasy of the Asinine Persuasion.". "The stallion sighed, lowering his head down in shame.
"What? Being a dumbass?" Shining narrowed his eyes to the young guard slightly.
"Yeah..."Jenkins shrugged it off.
"Well in my book, you are alright. So why were you watching me sleep?" Shining asked turning back to the mirror as he fixed his mane.
"I was supposed to inform you. That your Sister, Daughter and Wife will be here within the hour!...but then I thought I remembered a saying, that if you woke a sleeping pony, then you would die or they die...somepony dies..." Jenkins trailed off thinking hard on the matter.
"What! When was this?!" Shining snapped in shock and anger.
"Um. About a hour ago?" Replied the simple pony, who chuckled nervously.
"Jenkins...you..." Shining took a deep breath holding his tongue before quickly dashing out of the room, swift as a bolt of lightning.
"I know." Jenkins folded his ears back in shame, his gaze falling to the ground.
"Standing up your wife is bad. But here I go outdoing myself and standing up my baby sister and kid too!" The stallion gasped aloud, making a sharp turn down the winding hallway of the Royal Canterlot Castle.
A loud smash echoed across the hallway as Shining tackled hard into Flash. Both stallions falling to the floor, as Flash ended up atop Shining in a daze.
"Owww. Sir?" Flash asked his head swimming a bit, looking down to his friend below.
Shining doing his best not to let a slight blush appear over his cheeks, quickly tossed his friend off him. The stallion flopping onto the right side and quickly standing to his hooves.
"Sir! Sorry Sir!"
"Whatever." Shining replied in a harsh and annoyed tone.
"Are you ok? I was sent to check up on you and deliver a message." Flash spoke in a serious manner.
"Which is?"
"You failed to greet your family at the gates. Princess Luna then requested for Cadance and Flurry Heart to visit her chamber for a small chat.-To not be disturbed for a few hours. Lastly Princess Twilight asked if you would meet her uptown for brunch at "Le Magnifique Cafe."
"Damn! I really screwed up my hours this morning." Shining groaned knowing if he really hoofed it. He'd be late to meet his sister at the cafe.
"Hey! We all make mistakes." Flash smirked playfully.
"Phst. Such friendly words, towards such a dick." Shining rolled his eyes slightly, Flash letting his gaze widen in shock.
"What! I...who told you I said that!? Grrr was it that dumbass Jenkins!!" Flash growled aloud in anger, smashing his two front hooves together. Jenkins who slowly walked up from behind, simply turned around and walked back away out of sight.
"Doesn't matter. I need to at least try and catch Twily at the cafe." Shining sighed, allowing his pent up anger to just slide off his shoulders.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just...you've changed a lot over the years is all." Flash bit his lower lip slightly, searching his mind for the right words.
"I got to go." Shining pushed past his friend with a slight shove, breaking into a quick trot down the hall.
"At least hear me out!" Flash growled a bit as his friend vanished from view.
Shining took the turn at the end of the hallway, coming to a quick stop. Taking a few moments to catch his breath, he let his mind wander a bit. Perhaps he should give Flash a chance to explain, no matter how hard he tried, a part of him knew he couldn't just toss a friend like that out, without a thought.
Sighing softly he made his way towards the front door of the castle, mind set on meeting his little sister. Never noticing that his mane had grown a few inches in length, gently reaching past his shoulders.
Alone on the floor of the empty chamber, sat the old worn tome. A soft but elegant blue glow pulsing from it hypnotically. A feminine yet distant voice echoing around the room in a soothing tone.
"Sisterhood I want no more..." The voice echoed, knowing deep inside this was not the truth.
The plaza was booked solid, many a pony were walking through the main pathway, scrunched together each in their own little world none caring about the world around them.
Shining trotted slowly through the crowd his mind running in a thousand various directions, the dream of the past night still fresh on his mind.
Was he really running from himself?
Would telling the truth really set him free?'
Or would it shackle him further in the farce he called a life.
"Oomph!" Shining huffed aloud running into a large stallion coming out of the nearby cafe, his gaze fell upon Shining yet instead of annoyance was a simple smile.
"Excuse me." He spoke politely as he moved out of the way, allowing Shining to pass, his mane now flowing down past his shoulders slightly.
"Um thank you." Shining replied his voice cracking softly before he rushed inside, quickly clearing his throat trying to avoid all eye contact.
Blue hues scanned the cafe, his heart racing as he wished he wasn't too late. Off near the corner of the room was Twily, her eyes filled with a sense of worry for her missing brother.
Shining allowed a soft sigh to escape his lips as he quickly darted over to the lonely table in the room, Twily's ears perking up happily as she watched her brother come into view.
"Big Brother! Thought you might not have gotten my message." The violet colored alicorn squeed aloud, clapping slender hooves together in a giddy pose.
The stallion chuckled as he plopped down to the seat across from his sister, a large weight lifting from his chest.
"Would never miss a chance to see my little sister. Just been busy." Shining sighed as his little sister flashed a small frown quickly replaced by a sweet smile.
"I can see that. Your mane is like super long, guess you haven't been able to get it cut." Twily giggled flaunting a hoof towards him.
“It is?” A soft flash of magic lifted a silver spoon up as he gazed to his reflection in a bit of confusion.
Twily just giggled sweetly and placed a hoof atop the spoon, swiping it to the side with ease. Her soft caring eyes meeting with his own, filling his soul with a sense of calm.
“Reminds me when we were kids. I used to practice braiding your mane.” Twily held back a snort as she shook her head side to side.
“Ha! Yeah and dad would always bitch about my long mane…’ Shining chuckled a smirk across his lips.
“Cut that mane! What are you some kind of nature lover!” Both ponies spoke aloud in unison, quickly falling into a fit of laughter.
Yet to those around. They might have thought they heard two mares giggling aloud at a inside joke.
“I’m just happy, that you are doing well.” Twily sighed as she slumped down in her seat.
“Yeah I am. Why are you so worried?” Shining asked a bit curious as he placed both hooves on the table politely.
“No reason. Just had a odd dream a few nights ago.” The alicorn shifted her gaze away from her brother.
“Dreams can’t hurt you kid.” His hoof placed atop her own gently.
“I know. I just saw a strange mare in my dream, followed by flashes of me losing you.” She bit her lower lip in somber silence.
“Strange mare?” He blinked in confusion.
“I know marriage can be rough brother. But it is a bond between two ponies, just promise me you’ll never stray.” Twily tightened her grasp on his hoof as he snapped back into reality.
“I’d never cheat on my wife Twily!” Shining groaned aloud as his ears fell flat folding back.
“Didn't mean to say you could.” She giggled nervously with a slight blush as she changed the subject.
“Ahem. Now let’s get us some lunch!” His sister quickly flung up her menu before her.
Shining huffed softly under his breath. His wife was growing distant with him. He had a interesting night out as a mare, yet those feelings as a female still were lingering.
And now his sister thought he might be a cheater!
He knew this day was going to be rough.
Just didn’t expect it to be this bad.