Shining's Log

by Zulaq

Shining's Log: Coming Clean

“Shining, you really have no clue about fillies do you?” Cadence asked her coltfriend. “I think you’re worrying over nothing. Aunt Celly would never let Twilight sink as far as you think she will.”

“Princess Celestia is over a thousand years old, and most of that time has been spent here in the palace, where young fillies and colts generally aren’t allowed.” Shining Armor protested, “She’s used to dealing with adults who have worked their way up to her court, not a princess-worshiping filly.”

“Obviously you’ve never met Prince Blueblood.” Cadence snorted with half-lidded eyes.

“Well she’s not personally training him, and nor is she burdening him with responsibilities above his ability to handle. Blueblood may be a bit infantile, but he at least has some value of himself beyond his standing in the Princess’ eyes.”

“Tell that to him next time he starts hinting he would be the perfect stallion for me.”

“Besides the poi-“ Shining froze, “Wait what?!”

Cadence raised an eyebrow. “Well he is a prince.”

“He’s also insufferable,” Shining retorted, “You don’t hear the horror stories from the guards assigned to him. He treats the guard well enough, but he just doesn’t seem to care about most other-“ Shining paused and collected himself, “-And this is entirely beside the point. I’m worried about Twily. What can I do to get her out of her collection of books and to actually live a little.”

Cadence frowned, “She’s growing up and can make her own decisions, Shining. You’re her brother, not her father.”

Shining Armor started pacing the balcony they were on. “Mom and Dad are too intimidated by Princess Celestia to even dream of interrupting Twily’s studies. They’re oblivious to the fact that all this studying isn’t a substitute for actually living a life.”

“I seem to recall a colt who spent all his time practicing and didn’t make friends outside his family until he moved out.” Cadence pointed out, “I think she’s just focused on her goal, give her some time and she’ll come out of her shell.”

“Yes, and how many years will it take for that to happen?” Shining asked, “And how many opportunities for friendship and happiness will pass her by in the meantime? Twily can be the best of friends, the potential is there, but she’s so focused on whatever the Princess is teaching her that she won’t have time to consider the ramifications of her lifestyle.”

“And now you’re going in circles,” Cadence sighed, “Listen, I love Twilight like a little sister, but I honestly think you’re overreacting. Twilight’s growing into her own mare, and I think her older brother is having problems letting her go.”

“I do not have a problem with letting Twily go!” Shining protested, “I’m justifiably concerned about her wellbeing.”

“The fact you always use a pet name for her instead of her real name points otherwise.” Cadence used a hoof to poke Shining in the chest.

“Twily is Twily. I’ve never thought of her as Twilight. She’s not that person.”

Cadence had a bewildered look on her face. “Not that person?” She repeated quietly to herself, before continuing louder, “You speak like Twilight Sparkle and Twily are different ponies.”

“They are!” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Shining Armor’s mouth slammed shut and he backed away from Cadence.

Cadence’s confused look increased, “You’re going to have to explain that one to me. How is your sister Twilight any different from Twily?”

Shining Armor stopped backing away from Cadence, but his eyes had a frightened look and his ears were flat. “I promised I would make Twily happy. That has and always will come first. The day I got this,” he gestured to his cutie mark, “I made a promise to Twily and myself; Screw destiny, fear of the future will not dictate how I treat her, I will be the best big brother I can be. I swore to her that she would never just be Twilight to me.”

“Oh Shining,” Cadence sighed once more, “You’re still not making any sense.”

Shining Armor could no longer look Cadence in the face. “I knew from the day she was born that Twily would be a special mare.” He closed his eyes, “That time and again she would be tested, and that the fate of Equestria would be in her hooves.”

“Twilight might be destined for great things, Aunt Celly doesn’t take ordinary ponies for students after all, but I don’t see how you’d know that from the day she was born.”

Shining sighed and didn’t reply for a minute, mulling something over, before taking a deep breath and meeting Cadence’s gaze. “I’ve known that Twilight Sparkle was destined to do great things years before she was even born. I just didn’t know that she’d be my sister.”

Cadence looked at Shining like he had gone insane. “That’s nuts! Did one of your friends buck you in the head or something?”

“I swore I would never lie to you, everything I’ve said or am going to say is the truth.”

“That doesn’t mean it has to be true outside of your head!” Cadence protested backing away from Shining Armor.

“I’m perfectly sane!” Shining retorted, “I just know a bit more than I really should. Tell me, do you know of reincarnation?”

Cadence neighed a nervous laugh, “Reincarnation is the idea of having a past life, emphasis on the past life. You wouldn’t know the future, even if you remembered anything at all, it just doesn’t work that way!”

“Oh Cadence,” Shining sighed, “I wish it did work that way. Then I wouldn’t have to try my best to forget what I had, and I wouldn’t have to worry about my sister’s destiny.” Shining looked down again, “Do you know what it’s like to lose everyone you once knew, your family, your friends, everything you knew, only to wake up in an infant body not your own, with strangers as your new family? I’ve spent years trying to suppress my feelings, trying to remember all I’ve lost and to instead focus on what I’ve gained.

“I will not let anything take away the happiness of my family. And I especially will. Not. Let. Twily. Down!” He stomped his hoof with each word.

Cadence paused in thought. “You honestly mean that,” she said with slight wonder in her voice, “You really believe that you had a past life, and that you know about events which are yet to happen.”

Shining snorted, “Well yeah! That’s why I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Cadence raised an eyebrow, “I guess that does explain some things. So what were you in that life?”

“A human,” Shining Armor did a double take, “Wait how’d you know I wasn’t a pony?”

Cadence laughed gently, “You’ve always been a bit, well, strange. You’re word choice at times can be downright bizarre, and the way you think about royalty is just downright bizarre for a pony.”

“What’s wrong with my word choice?” Shining asked confused.

“Most of the time you aren’t that bad,” Cadence explained, “But I’ve known you for years, every now and then you tend to slip and use person instead of pony. You did it the day we first met, I just passed that off as nerves meeting a princess, but you tend to mess up more when you’re upset about your sister, like how just recently you referred to Twilight as a separate person, not pony, from Twily.”

“Oh,” Shining replied sheepishly.

Shining’s Log-Entry: Coming Clean
Ok, so maybe telling Cadence about my past life could have gone better. Things are a bit rocky between us at the moment, but I’m sure that I have enough information to convince her I’m telling the truth. Although the fact that she thought that something was up with me before hand hoof helps. We still need to talk some more to clean the air between us, and I think I’m going to be groveling for a long time to come but I think we’ll survive.

She promised to keep the past life stuff to herself, at least after I promised her that most of the problems I know about are also known to Princess Celestia. Which lead to the topic of Twily’s destiny. Cadence was all for letting Twily know everything I know, but I don’t want to put that sort of burden on her. She’s already all worked up about Spike, and I think that dumping something like the entire fate of Equestria on her back would be too much. I just want Twily to be Twily, not living up to some impossible to measure ideal of Twilight Sparkle.

For now Cadence and I have agreed to disagree on what to do about Twily. But that hasn’t stopped Cadence from being curious about what other things I remember from my past life. We haven’t really had much time to just talk about thinks, what with the whole Twilight is going to save Equestria thing, but I think that eventually she’s going to pin me down and do a full interrogation about everything she can think of. I’m not sure if I should anticipate or fear the coming of that day.

Shining Armor, Signing Off

Comments

[silvadel]

Now Shining did it. Cadance is not the kind of pony to let things drop.

[Sky Hooves]

Two chapters in one day? Is "Hearts Warming Eve" again already?

[Spectrumancer]

Figures that the same day I read this through, it updates. Yay!

Shining, you idiot.

Also, best way to convince Cadence? Write the events of the first two episodes down, complete with names, give it to Cadence in a sealed envelope, and tell her to open it the day after the Summer Sun Celebration #1000. Although I'm not sure how far away in time that is in the story currently.

[Spectrumancer]

Such double post, much mis-click. wow.

[shadowx]

4163111

The problem isn't really convincing her of the future by telling her about it beforehand and not changing it, the problem is changing the future of the events and the characterization of Twilight before that point.

[the_sane_maniac]

4163111 probably a few years, most likely between 4 and 6 years

[the host]

I honestly think Cadence may be the most moraly sound pony on the show.

[Blixt]

Two updates? What did we do to deserve this?

I'm stoked that we're getting this. I absolutely love this story.

[Humanist]

“Do you know what it’s like to lose everyone you once knew, your family, your friends, everything you knew, only to wake up in an infant body not your own, with strangers as your new family? I’ve spent years trying to suppress my feelings, trying to remember all I’ve lost and to instead focus on what I’ve gained.

Okay, bit of a downer question here, but...

Does Shining realize that he's probably going to do the same thing with Cadance and Twily when he dies again? I mean, he talks about how he's tried to surpress his feelings and focus on what he gained instead of what he lost... That's all going to happen again, isn't it? Someday, assuming he reincarnates again, he's going to try to suppress his memories and feelings about Cadance and Twilight, yes?

Or maybe he won't reincarnate again and instead will go to an afterlife with both of his families and friends. It'd be an interesting reunion, I suppose. I'm going to go with that as my headcanon because any alternative seems really damn depressing.

[ramseymac]

4174996 Or he could BECOME AN ALICORN!
But that would be cheating, wouldn't it?

[Nightmare Twilight]

4732934
Also assuming all alicorns are immortal cadence will have to deal with his death

[KvAT]

4732934
It's not cheating, nepotism just runs in the family