The Young Prince

by Bluecatcinema

The Big Brother Instinct

Dusk and Dazzle were walking through the streets of Ponyville, fresh from their latest date. Dazzle had to return home to help her mother with some new designs.They stopped just outside the Carousel Boutique.

"See you later, Dazz." Dusk smiled.

"Not too much later, I hope." Dazzle purred.

The young couple shared a quick goodbye kiss before Dazzle went indoors. Dusk trotted home happily, feeling like he was on top of the world. As he walked past Sugarcube Corner, he saw something that made his blood run cold: Sitting at a table was Starlight, and she was nuzzled against a colt her own age. The colt had a hay-colored coat, an orange mane, and pale green eyes. His Cutie Mark was a stalk of wheat.

The colt whispered something into Starlight's ear. She giggled coquettishly. At that moment, Dusk's blood went from ice cold to boiling hot. He went over to them.

"What do you think you're doing with my little sister?" He asked the colt.

"I, uh..." The colt mumbled, taken aback.

"Oh, hey, Dusk." Starlight smiled nervously. "This is Wheat Stalk. We're sorta... going out."

"What?!" Dusk gasped. "No way! You're too young!"

"No, I'm not!" Starlight protested. "I'm almost thirteen!"

"And I was fourteen when I had my first date." Dusk declared. "Like I said, you're too young."

"Hey, Starlight, I gotta bail." Wheat Stalk said nervously. "Our date's gotten a little crowded for my tastes."

"Yeah, you do that." Dusk sneered.

"See you soon, Wheat." Starlight smiled.

"Not if I can help it." Dusk growled at Wheat. "Beat it!"

Wheat timidly trotted away.

"What the heck, Dusk?!" Starlight yelled. "What did you do that for?"

"Don't give me that look, squirt." Dusk huffed. "I was just protecting you."

"i'm not a little filly anymore, Dusk!" Starlight groaned. "I don't need you to protect me!"

"Yes, you do." Dusk countered. "That colt was bad news. I could feel it."

"Yeah, right." Starlight snorted. "We'll just see if mom and dad feel that way..."

A short while later, Starlight stormed into their library home.

"Mom, dad, Dusk ruined my date!" She yelled.

"Date?" Twilight asked. "Did you hear that, Flash?"

"I sure did." Flash smiled. "Our little girl just had her first date."

"They grow up so fast..." Spike sighed.

"Didn't you hear the first part?." Starlight pouted. "About how Dusk ruined everything?"

"Dusk, is that true?" Twilight asked.

"I was just trying to protect her!" Dusk protested.

"I didn't need protecting!" Starlight roared.

"Look, squirt-" Dusk started.

"And quit calling me 'squirt'!" Starlight interrupted. "Don't talk to me like I'm a kid! In fact, just plain don't talk to me!"

Starlight stormed upstairs.

"Well, that could have gone better." Flash declared.

"I didn't mean to make her angry." Dusk said ruefully. "I was just-"

"Trying to protect her?" Twilight echoed. "I know. Turns out you're more like your uncle Shining then I thought..."

"Say what?" Dusk asked.

"Speaking of which, Shining, Cadance and Anthem will be coming for a visit tomorrow!" Spike told Dusk. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, sure." Dusk said listlessly. Normally, the chance to see his aunt, uncle and cousin would have elated him, but not at the moment. "Excuse me."

Dusk went upstairs, stopping at the door to Starlight's room. Finding it locked, he knocked three times.

"Starlight?" He asked.

"Go away." Starlight's voice replied.

"I'm sorry." Dusk told her. "I was just trying to look out for you."

"I don't need to you to look out for me any more!" Starlight yelled. "Just leave me alone!"

Crestfallen, Dusk turned away from the door.

At dinner, Starlight barely looked at Dusk, let alone talked to him. She did her best to ignore him for the rest of the evening, and the morning after. Dusk met with Dazzle soon after, telling her what happened.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't think you handled that very well." Dazzle said, after hearing the whole story.

"What do you mean?" Dusk asked.

"Well, you just rushed on over, and started acting aggressive." Dazzle recalled. "You could have been a smidge more calm."

"I was calm." Dusk said.

"Well, look at it from Starlight's point of view." Dazzle suggested. "She was just sitting there, enjoying a handsome colt's company, and her big brother came along and interrupted. I don't blame her for being angry."

"I was just trying to help!" Dusk protested.

"Well, far be it for me to speculate, but I don't think Starlight appreciated your 'help'." Dazzle declared. "And I'm sorry to say she was right. You really overstepped the mark."

"What do you know?" Dusk shot back. "You don't know what it's like to have a little sister, so don't talk about things you don't understand!"

Dazzle frowned.

"You're right." She said cooly. "I don't know what it's like to have a little sister. But I do know how a mare feels when somepony butts into her romantic life."

Dusk felt horribly guilty about yelling at his marefriend.

"I'm sorry, Dazz." He apologised.

"I know you are." Dazzle smiled. "You're letting this thing with Starlight get to you. You need to calm down, and start thinking straight."

"I'll try." Dusk smiled.

"That's my guy." Dazzle kissed him on the cheek. "I gotta go. My mom needs me to model her new outfits."

"Okay." Dusk nodded. "Catch ya later."

On his return home, Dusk found that his aunt, uncle, and cousin had already arrived.

"Hey, cuz." Anthem smiled.

"Hey, Ant." Dusk shared a hoofbump with his cousin.

"Hello, Dusk." Shining said solemnly. "Mind if I have a word? In private?"

"Sure, uncle Shining." Dusk nodded.

The two went into the kitchen.

"Twilight told me what's been going on." Shining declared. "About you and Starlight."

"Oh." Dusk said dully. "I guess you think I'm wrong, too?"

"Not wrong, per se." Shining smiled. "Just misguided. The old 'big brother instinct' is pretty strong. I should know. I used to think of your dad the same way you thought of that colt you saw Star with."

"Whoa, really?" Dusk gasped.

Whenever Dusk saw his father and uncle together, they always got along famously. The idea that it wasn't always so came as a shock to him.

"Really." Shining nodded. "I was worried he wouldn't be good enough for Twilight, or that he'd hurt her."

"So what changed your mind?" Dusk asked.

"Eventually, I got to know him better, and I realised he wasn't such a bad guy." Shining recalled. "You shouldn't hold anything against a colt, just because he's dating your sister. The next time you see that Wheat Stalk kid, try being a little more friendly and accepting. I know Starlight would really appreciate it."

"I guess I could do that..." Dusk mused. "For Starlight... Thanks, uncle Shining."

"Anything for my favorite nephew." Shining smiled.

In a textbook example of perfect timing, Starlight returned home at that moment. Dusk dashed out of the kitchen, following her upstairs.

"Hey, Star!" He called, as she entered her room. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Not now, Dusk." Starlight said flatly, as she sat on her bed.

"What's wrong, Star?" Dusk asked, noticing his sister's sullen attitude.

"It's Wheat Stalk." Starlight sniffed. "It turns out he was only going out with me because I'm a princess. He just wanted to look cool."

"He did?!" Dusk snarled. "Why, I oughta..."

"Relax, Dusk." Starlight declared. "I dumped him right then and there... right after giving him a zap from my horn."

"Nice." Dusk sniggered.

"Thanks." Starlight sighed, wiping a tear from her eye. "I just can't believe my first coltfriend was such a jerk..."

"Hey, it'll be okay." Dusk joined her on the bed, comforting her. "Besides, there's always next time."

"Next time?" Starlight repeated.

"I'm sure your next coltfriend'll be a nicer guy." Dusk smiled. "And I'll do my best to accept him."

"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Dusk?" Starlight asked. "I thought you didn't want me dating!"

"I got some good advice since then." Dusk told her. "To be honest, it wasn't you dating I had such a problem with. It was the thought of you growing up. You were right; You're not a little filly any more. Before we know it, you'll be a grown mare. I just wasn't ready for that to happen."

"That's okay, Dusk." Starlight smiled. "I kinda like how you're always looking out for me. Never stop, okay?"

"Okay, Starlight." Dusk chuckled.

"You can call me 'squirt', if you like." Starlight nudged.

"Okay, squirt." Dusk nudged him back. "And if I ever see Wheat Stalk again, I'm gonna buck him square in the nose."

"You do that." Starlight chuckled. "Nice to know there'll always be one guy I can count on."

"C'mon, squirt." Dusk ruffled her mane. "Let's join the rest of the family for dinner."

"After you, bro." Starlight smiled.

The two siblings went downstairs, joining everypony at the dinner table.

"Everything okay with you two?" Twilight asked.

"Everything's fine, mom." Dusk replied.

"Couldn't be better." Starlight added.

"Glad to hear it." Flash smiled. "We're all one big, happy family again."

"Hear, hear." Twilight smiled.

As they eat their dinner, Dusk felt a great sense of relief in having resolved matters with Starlight. She would inevitably find other coltfriends in the future, but, having learnt his lesson, Dusk would always treat them fairly, and allow them to be with Starlight, without interfering.

Comments

[brony323]

They grow up so fast...

[Lunaluver98]

wait how old is Dusk now??

[Rakoon1]

if twilight fell pregnant when dusk was five and if the pregnancy lasted eleven months, dusk and starlight must be an age difference of six years. So, if Starlight, in this chapter, is almost thirteen, Dusk must be around eighteen or nineteen years old. It's my opinion.

[Train wreck]

Overprotective brother. Hmmmm? Ring a bell?

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

I mean I can be a bit overprotective of my siblings and I worry about them too, so guilty as charged