Intermission
“Private Armor?” A runner asked, panting, as he found a group of stallions in the barracks of the Stalliongrad royal guard academy. They were all packing their things to visit home before their deployment after graduating.
“Yes?” Shining asked, stepping towards the runner.
“Really, really bad news apparently... The commander wants to see you.” The runner said.
“Wait... How bad?” Shining asked.
“Bad enough to leave him speechless for half a minute.” The runner said and dashed of to his next task. Shining was scared now. He looked back at his fellow graduates, who gave him worried or supportive looks, and quickly made his way to the commander’s office.
Commander Steel was just that, made of steel. Not literally, of course. He was the toughest pony he had ever met. Not just physically, either. Last time the commander had news bad enough to make him speechless he had just found out that his elderly mother had finally passed on.
Shining hadn’t even heard of him reacting to news that wasn’t for him... That really, truly scared him. He had a sinking feeling that with all the worry and fear he was feeling now, it couldn’t even compare to what he was about to hear.
Boy, was he right. He had never wished he was wrong more in his entire life.
---
For the first time, Commander Steel had been almost... sincere. He gave Shining the choice of an honorable discharge to care for his little sister. Shining wanted nothing more than to take it, but he hesitated and he didn’t know why. Steel told him that he’s expecting all of the graduates back in Stalliongrad for deployment and that the decision could be made then.
“So why did you hesitate?” Cadence asked. She was his current best friend and she had refused to stay in Stalliongrad, instead staying with him to offer her support. They were currently on an express train, which was fueled by magic and coal instead of just the latter and therefore much faster.
“The message was from the captain in Canterlot. It said it was a murder from a group of ponies affiliated with a very dangerous gang that my father had recently put behind bars. The fact that something like that could happen in the middle of Canterlot... I don’t know... I feel like I need to do something from within the guard...
The message said that my sister would be put into the best orphanage they could find, so if I choose to stay in the guard I won’t be abandoning her...” He explained.
“But you wouldn’t be abandoning her! She could stay with me in Stalliongrad.” Cadence suggested. He gave her a look. “Right... Maybe a place like Stalliongrad isn’t the best place to raise a filly...” She resigned.
“All of the hostilities with the Griffons have subsided somewhat after the treaty, but there are still bandits and rogue griffons all around... And besides, I would be so busy and so focused on working my way up the ladder to somewhere I can actually do something that I would be neglecting her. I’d rather some stranger adopt and raise her than have her neglected.” Shining said.
Cadence watched him for a moment, stood up, walked over and sat down right next to him instead of across from him. He sighed hard and leaned his head against her shoulder, in which she rested her head on his. They stayed like that for a little while before Shining spoke again. Cadence looked deep in thought the entire time before he spoke, though.
“I know what you’re going to say, but we can’t afford to switch out ambassadors for the griffon alliance... They’ve only just begun trusting you. We’re going to probably be set back a week’s worth of progress just because you’re taking this little impromptu leave...” He said.
“...Why do they have to be so stubborn and traditional...” The mare growled rhetorically.
“Look, I’ll check on my sister and get every detail I can. We’ll get there rather late, so if she’s awake I’ll have to stay and put her to sleep again... Hopefully she didn’t see or won’t remember any of the gruesome details... I’d fine if she didn’t remember any of it at all. But if she did and does, then that’ll be the deciding factor.” Shining explained, taking his head off her shoulder.
“What’s the deciding factor?” Cadence asked, his explanation unclear.
“If my she’s scarred and needs my help and support... If she can handle herself then I’ll most likely come back to Stalliongrad...” Shining replied, though when he started the part about leaving his voice cracked and he slowly returned his head to that comfortable shoulder. He was too well trained and too desensitized to actually cry over something but pure happiness, but this soft little rambling he was doing was the closest thing. She stayed silent as he continued.
“I...I just don’t want to leave her all alone... Am... Am I a bad big brother if I would rather follow my ambitions instead of taking care of my now orphaned baby sister, even just a little bit?” Shining asked. Cadence was getting worried now. It sounded like he was actually going to cry. She quickly wrapped her forelegs around his head in a gentle embrace and started stroking his cheek lightly.
“No! No no no of course not! It’s not even that, you’re not choosing your ambitions over your sister. You have a newfound need to make changes for the better. Your ambitions just happen to fall into what that entitles. You are not a bad big brother. In fact, you couldn’t be a better big brother. You want to make sure something like what happened never happens again, especially to your little sister. You’re even refusing the possibility of neglecting her, instead giving her a chance to get a family that will care for her as much as you want to yourself.” Cadence slowly explained softly into his ear.
It was a full five minutes before he finally reacted. He looked up at her from in her embrace, sniffled a little bit and then kissed her.
“I love you...” He said softly, returning his head to its previous position. The contact surprised Cadence, but she quickly got over it.
“I love you too, it’s about time you kissed me.” She said, as if scolding him for being late. That earned a very faint chuckle.
---
Twilight was, indeed, sleeping when he arrived at her room at the Canterlot Orphanage around midnight. Cadence was asleep in the carriage that brought them here. She had talked to a staff member and she told him that, in the few days since the incident, the filly had been mostly silent. She was quickly recovering, though, since a mare by the name of Care started reading to her.
The staff he talked to was also a psychiatrist, since this orphanage specialized in helping orphaned foals who lost their families to the more sinister events. She told him that she would recover in time and that she is too young to remember much of it anyways. The little filly had shown an immense intelligence, though, because the mare could tell that she knew her parents were dead.
Shining asked why that was a show of immense intelligence. The explanation involved a lot of big words that he didn’t understand, but he got the gist of it. Foals that young don’t have much of a developed mind yet. It wasn’t like they were just mindless animals, but there was little room for anything besides basic functions and recognitions. There had been foals in very similar situations as her, and as much as a year or two older, that merely thought their parents were hiding somewhere or that they would be fine.
Not Twilight. She knew that they weren’t coming back. She couldn’t speak very comprehensively yet, and would wind up barely speaking at all for much of her stay, but she could make out some words. She understood questions, though, and would answer them with nods or shakes.
She shook her head when asked if she was alright.
She shook her head when asked what was wrong.
She nodded her head when asked if her parents weren’t coming back.
Shining was furious with the mare for asking such a terrible question, but that was an hour ago. He had spent the last half an hour looking down at the sleeping filly.
“I won’t let this happen to you or anypony else again...” He said softly. He proceeded to kiss his baby sister on the head and turn around.
“Big Bwadur!” He heard when he took a step away from the little crib. His heart nearly stopped at the pure joy in that sleepy voice. He turned to see two eyes shining back at him in the moonlight.
“Hey Twily...” He said softly.
“Aw you big awmd swong now?” The little filly mumbled out. He gave a miniscule chuckle at her choppy speech. She had gotten better since he last saw her. She was six months old at the time and could only say a very garbled version of ‘Mommy’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Hungry’. That was more than six months ago.
“Yeah, I am. I’m gonna get even bigger and even stronger... To do that, though, I need to go away for a little while again. I need you to stay here for awhile.” He said, going back up and nuzzling the little filly. Her grin fell. He thought his heart stopped for a second at that.
“Buh Mommy amd Daddy awre gone...” She said softly, stumbling over the words. It sounded like she was really trying to talk. It seemed like she didn’t think he knew what happened.
“I know, Twilight... I know... And I need to get bigger and stronger so that I make sure you aren’t gonna be gone and that nopy else will be gone either. I have to go now, I love you Twilight. He said after a few moments of silence. He proceeded to nuzzle her again, but before he moved away he felt something. It kind of seemed like the little filly had said something, but there was no voice. He just felt it.
‘I’ll be ok, make bad ponies go away’
Shining looked at the filly with surprise. Telepathy was advanced magic. When he looked, though, he saw that the filly had fallen asleep to his touch. He must have been imagining it then. Even so, he felt the need to reply.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do the best I can. For everypony.” He whispered and proceeded to leave the room.
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There was another one, but I lost it.
Decent chapter, all told.
... Does this mean that Shining is still alive?
No, death would be merciful. No mercy. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra_dealwithit.png
2592833 Oh, please, turn down those glasses... dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Rainbow_Dash.png
Shoddy?
What is this 'Shoddy' you speak of?
Blacksite: Area 51 has a shoddy storyline.
Most of Amnesia's custom maps are shoddy.
This? This gave me some feels.
Feels don't come from "a shoddy update at best"
I was wandering about Shinning Armor. At least he didn't abandon her.
2592838
What's wrong with Celestia's sunglasses?
This made me sad
I love it2592841
n. pl. shod·die
a. Woolen yarn made from scraps or used clothing, with some new wool added.
b. Cloth made from or containing such yarn.
excellent, keep up the good work.
2592841 it felt even more rushed and awkward than any of the other chapters were...
2592833 of course he is. When did I ever say he wasn't?
Hmm. i found it decent, made sence to a degree, but it could use more detail.
keep it up bro.
2592893
Just making sure. He would never abandon his sister... without being mind controlled.
Oy don't beat yourself up, I liked it!
It still comes across as him abandoning his sister to an orphanage so he can go out and play Batman.
It should really be Telepathy not Telekinisis. But otherwise great chapter.
great chapter look forward to the rest of the story
I think you mean telepathy in this case, since you are referring to Shining Armor hearing something unsaid, not seeing something move.
I think what you mean here is Telepathy.
Telepathy is the direct communication of multiple minds through some form of mental link. Telekinesis is moving objects through pure mental focus.
Also, you misspelled Shining.
But still, great chapter. I can't wait for the next one!
2592965 2593002
Dang, you both did that as I was typing....
Dat Title.
MOAR!
Posted a rather large note on that blog post, hopefully my feedback helps you better your story.
YAAAAY NEW CHAPTER. hope the next comes out soon
2592965...
fixing now...
I like you writing style man. These writings are the most unpredictable if done well and that's what makes people come back for more. Party on bro.
2592916
I guess you a fan of gurren lagann too?
Telekinesis is the ability to move objects with the mind, Telepathy is speaking through thought/reading minds. Just so you get that one right.
And that was quite the sad moment.
2593367 I fixed it... flub unflubbed
I really want to see the moment when Cadence discovers that Twilight is Shining Armor's sister...
At lest from what i read, you never really said that Cadence knows about Twilight...
2592858 Well, in this case they're real sunglasses. Ow, my eyes...
Any idea when the next chapter will be up?
just looking for an idea when i can come back and continue to read.
2593423 in the next REAL chapter, I was planning on that revelation coming about. Debating between it happening when Cadence recounts the trip to Shining and Twilight telling Cadence about the memory and Cadence piecing it together from what she heard from Shining. I'm going off the fact that she only knows the name Twilight, and there are a lot of Twilights in names, even orphans. Like I said, though, that'll be in the next chapter.
Fun fact for everyone, I've stopped finishing chapters at night. It leads to them being rushed and slight incoherent due to not only my normal sleep deprivation, but my scattered insomnia on top of that.
2593463 sometime tomorrow hopefully, but depending on if I decide to have a gaming spree or not (which, now that I have so many fresh ideas and awesome suggestions, probably won't happen). If not tomorrow then definitely the day after.
One word..... Awesome
2593417 nopy Nopony. at the bottom
And thus Shining Armor became Batman.
2593791
Awe I was gonna say that!!!
Seriously of the many D'aww inducing stories I've read this is probably in the top five. Can't wait for more
Villager news
This was very cute and heartbreaking at the end, but for the love of Talos, get a capable editor!
2593791 if shining is the batman who is his joker mmmmmm...................?????
Wait, what is the age separation between Shining and Twilight here? Cadence looked to be in her teens from the "lady bugs awake" clips, so she is the youngest ambassador ever and Shining would be a ridiculously young guard. I am guessing that the youngest Shining can be is 15-16 when his parents were killed, that makes him 23-24 when Celestia adopts Twilight. Assuming that Twilight is 17-19 during the events of Nightmare Moon, that puts Shining at about 33-36 when he finally marries Cadence.
Well, maybe he could have written some more letters, cause that would have been a nice thing to do. Also, being Twilight's only living relative, you think he would have been consulted about having her sent to the test for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
2594068 you use the name "talos" as if he were a god... he is not.
he was a great man, but he is NOT a god. fucking talos worshippers.... oh, and ELVEN SUPREMACY IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD!!!!
2594190 The Thalmor shall not deny the true heritage of Skyrim!
2593322
Of course
I thought this was going to be a simple time-killer for me, until I finished the second chapter. Then this became one of my favorite fanfics. Keep up the good work, dear sir, and keep the cuddly motherly love coming!
Lol, I was so lost, I blame being tired. But still, lookin' forward to next chapter.
-Hotwingsrule
This Fanfic is probably my num 1 favorite!