Chapter IV - Twilight Sparkle
About two weeks after the cabinet meeting, Cadance came walking up the castle lawn with two other ponies behind her. “Blueblood!” she called out. “Blueblood?”
“Here.”
Blueblood strolled up to Cadance. “You’re back early,” he said as he looked at Cadance’s two guests. They were unicorns: a bold, teenaged, white colt and a young purple filly who shadowed him. “And with company.”
Cadance nodded. “Yep. This is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Shining Armor.”
Shining Armor smiled at him. “You’re Blueblood, right?”
“I am.”
Blueblood swept his eyes more carefully over Shining Armor, not glaring, but definitely scrutinizing. “Y’know,” Shining Armor said, “I think you’re the only member of Cadance’s family that I haven’t met yet.”
“I’ve been busy lately,” Blueblood said. “My Confirmarktion is coming up this weekend and I’m helping Celestia with the guest list.”
Blueblood finally looked back at Cadance and gave her a small nod. “So,” Shining Armor asked, “do I meet your approval?”
“Well,” Blueblood said, “Cadance is generally a good judge of character, although Princess Celestia’s description of her date to the school dance is the first time I’ve ever heard her use the word ‘twerp’, so you could hardly be worse. But that can be forgiven as an outlier. You seem quite adequate.”
“Hey,” Twilight snapped, “my BBBFF is not ‘adequate’!”
Cadance rolled her eyes as she noticed Blueblood’s smirk. “So I take it you don’t approve of them seeing each other?” he asked.
“What? Of course I approve! He’s awesome, she’s awesome, they’re perfect for each other!”
“I thought you said he was inadequate.”
Twilight devolved into a stream of angry sputtering as Shining Armor laid a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s OK, Twily,” he said. “Just breathe. He thinks I’m a good guy.”
Blueblood opened his mouth, but Cadance shoved her hoof into it. “No. I’ve seen what happens next. Don’t push your luck.”
Eventually, after several deep breaths, Twilight finally stopped baring her teeth, but she kept scowling at Blueblood. Cadance and Shining Armor shared a long, nervous glance before Cadance cleared her throat. “Twilight, Blueblood, as you know, Shining Armor and I are going out now. As such, we really want you two to get along. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Cadance told Twilight, “you two actually have more in common than you think. As long as you two just play nice,” she looked directly at Blueblood when she said this, “I think you two will get along nicely.”
Twilight glared at Blueblood, whom Cadance was glad decided not to smile. Then Twilight looked back at her brother. “It’s OK, Twilight,” Shining Armor said. “You don’t have to defend me anymore.”
There was silence until Twilight eventually nodded. “Okay,” she said.
Shining Armor smiled. “Alright. We’ll just let you two mingle. We won’t be far, so just holler if you need anything.”
With that, Shining Armor and Cadance walked off behind the hedges. Twilight and Blueblood watched them leave, then turned to look back at each other. Twilight frowned. “Well,” she said, “I guess we’d better-”
“What did your brother mean by ‘you don’t have to defend me anymore’?” Blueblood asked.
Twilight scowled. “Nothing that has anything to do with you,” she icily spat.
Blueblood raised his hooves. “I’m just curious,” he told her.
Twilight glared at him. “Well,” she said, “for your information, Shining Armor got bullied at school a lot because a bunch of jerks think he’s a nerd. They insult him, they’ve stolen from his locker, they’ve even hurt him just because they’re jealous of how smart he is. The principal is useless; a lot of the bullies are just too well connected to be expelled and the school’s too vital to close. Shiny’s actually come home crying once because he couldn’t do anything without getting in trouble.”
Twilight moved closer to Blueblood. “I, however, did. Thanks to the miracle of homeschooling, I don’t go to his school, and I probably never will. Therefore, I can’t really be punished by them for getting even and my parents don’t punish me for protecting my brother. Now that the last of the big bullies is gone, my brother’s safe now. However, if I find that you’ve hurt my Big Brother Best Friend Forever in any way,” Twilight jabbed Blueblood in the chest with her hoof, “I will hurt you in kind. And I guarantee you that Cadance will help me.”
Blueblood backed away from Twilight. “Understood,” he whimpered.
Twilight nodded at him. “Good.”
The two sat in silence for a few seconds before Blueblood opened his mouth. “I did the same thing for Cadance,” he said. “She was trying to settle in after moving here, but several girls were spreading rumors about her being stupid and inbred. After she came home in tears one time, I decided to exact a little revenge involving several swarms of mice.”
Twilight stopped frowning. “Oh. Cadance mentioned that. She thought it was Shining, but he had no idea.”
Blueblood frowned. “I thought she knew. Oh well. The rumors stopped, and anytime they started again, I quickly put an end to them. I know how you think, Twilight, and I give you my solemn word that even though I might send your brother into a fit, as I believe is my right as Cadance’s brother, I will never intentionally hurt him.”
Twilight nodded. “Good.” She smiled. “Well, this shouldn’t be too hard. I mean, we’ve got something in common already: we should find something else pretty easily.”
“Alright,” Blueblood said, “what would be your favorite class in school?”
Twilight groaned. “I can’t decide. Umm, maybe science?”
Blueblood nodded. “Good choice. Thinking of going into it as a career?”
Twilight shook her head. “Nothing’s set in stone, but I’m thinking I might become a librarian. I take it you-”
“Duke of Cambreeching, yes.” Blueblood steepled his hooves. “I take it you like books?”
Twilight brightened up. “Oh, yeah! Any kind! What kinds of books do you like?”
“Actually, I’m more of a cinephile,” Blueblood told her.
Twilight’s smile dropped. “Oh. OK. I don’t watch a lot of movies.”
“I have my own film projector. We could-”
Twilight waved him off. “No, I’ve seen a bunch of them; I just like books better.”
“Yes,” Blueblood said a slouch, “nonfiction is still best conveyed in literature.” He straightened back up. “What kind of science are you interested in?”
“Physics and magic.”
“I’m more interested in engineering. The more tangible stuff.”
“Well, I have an interest in stuff like that!” Twilight said. “I like working with magic.”
Blueblood shook his head. “No, I’ve still never had much interest in magic. Mathematics on the other hand...”
“No. Immensely useful, and I’m very good at it, but not really something I go into just for fun.” Twilight put her hoof to her chin. “Um, what about history? I really like the early days of Equestria, with Star Swirl the Bearded and the two Princesses’ earlier days.”
Blueblood looked down his nose at her. “One of those princesses is my aunt: those stories kind of lose their charm after the fifth retelling.”
Twilight frowned. “Yeah, I guess they would,” she mumbled.
Blueblood’s face softened. “I’m much more interested in modern history.”
Twilight shook her head. “Never really caught my eye.” Twilight swallowed. “Well, that covers the core classes. Do you have any other interests besides film, like, uh, astronomy?”
“Astronomy, no. I do like building little mechanical things, though. Do you?”
Twilight shook her head again, slowly.
Blueblood hmmed. “Well, I’ll be honest, you seem like a nice pony. I’m sure there’s something we-”
“Just forget it.” Twilight turned away from Blueblood. “I don’t know why I bothered.”
Blueblood was about to bite back when a tear rolled down Twilight’s cheek. Blueblood shut up and walked around her. “Is somethi-” Twilight turned away from him again. “What’s wrong?”
Twilight sighed. “Nothing’s wrong, I-I just…” Twilight turned to face Blueblood, another few tears running down her face. “Did I do something wrong? I mean, yeah, I snapped at you when we first met, but you seemed OK with that. I swear I read the book right, but-”
Blueblood awkwardly laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Um, shh, it’s OK,” he told her. “You didn’t do anything wro... wait, book?”
Twilight sniffled. “It’s stupid. I tried to derive the algorithm for friendship out of a little kids’ book about a cockatoo. I thought it would work, the book was really well reviewed, but I still don’t have any friends!”
Blueblood blinked. “What do you mean? You have Cadance and I’m sure that somepony like you has plenty of people who like....”
Twilight sobbed. Blueblood stared at her. “You really don’t have any… no, wait, you still have Cadance.”
“Yeah, I have my babysitter,” Twilight spat. “She doesn’t count. Neither does my brother. Mom and Dad keep telling me that I have to make friends my own age, and I try to, but nopony’s interested in hanging out with me. I’m just too much of a nerd. Then Cadance told me about you, about how smart you were, and I thought that I might finally find somepony to connect with.” Twilight wiped her eyes. “I guess she was wrong. I guess I’ll just never have friends.”
Blueblood pulled Twilight closer to him. “Don’t say that. You can’t say that we have nothing in common from just a minute’s worth of conversation.”
Twilight’s frown deepened. “Yes, I can. I don’t really like a whole lot of things, mostly just reading and magic.”
“That’s OK. I still read a lot.”
Twilight scoffed. “Great. Every time we get together we can read books about completely different topics and occasionally spout off facts that one of us isn’t interested in.”
“My interests aren’t ironclad. I could be interested in something random you have to say.”
Twilight glared at him. “So what about the rest of the time?”
Blueblood hesitated. “...you have a point.”
Twilight slumped forward and lay on the ground, eyes getting puffy. Blueblood released Twilight from the hug, then lay down next to her. “Twilight, have you ever tried joining a group?”
Twilight turned away. “Yes. The groups for kids aren’t that detailed and the groups for adults don’t want kids. I got to join an adult book club a few weeks ago, but I talked so much that I know they don’t want me back.”
Blueblood nodded. “It could have been worse; you could’ve made fun of someone’s dead mother.”
Twilight turned back to face him. “What?”
“It was a complete accident and I was six at the time,” Blueblood assured her. “But the dust settled eventually, I learned from that, and I started making friends. Just give it a little time and I’m sure everypony will forgive you.”
Twilight sighed. “If I don’t screw it up again. Besides, there aren’t any other kids there.”
Blueblood smiled. “Very well, I’ll join too.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Twilight, when I said I preferred films to books, that didn’t mean that I hated reading. I actually read quite a lot of fiction. I actually follow Garth Nicker’s Keys to the Empire, R.L. Scute’s Terror Road, and A.K. Yearling’s Daring Do very closely.”
Twilight brightened up. “So do I!”
“See? I told you it was too soon to give up on me.”
<Fifteen minutes later>
“Keep your eyes closed, Shiny.”
Shining Armor sighed playfully as he crawled through the brush. “This isn’t another hornet’s nest, is it?”
A sigh. “For the last time, I didn’t know about the hornets. I promise you, though, that there are no hornets here. Keep moving, keep moving… OK, now.”
Shining Armor opened his eyes, and his jaw dropped. Before him was a garden made almost entirely out of crystal. The grass, though soft to the touch, seemed to be woven out of peridots. Throughout the lawn, leafy plants seemingly made out of amethyst sprouted. Shrubs of brown topaz planted beside the small pond were garbed in andesine foliage. And in the middle was a giant rose quartz tree, sprouting aquamarine leaves and large opal fruits. With Celestia’s sun overhead, the garden sparkled with a pleasant light.
“It’s beautiful,” Shining Armor said. Then he looked over at Cadance, and his jaw dropped further. “Cadance, you-”
Cadance had changed, her body now gleaming and translucent, like the rest of the crystals in the garden. She smiled at him. “Look at you.”
Shining Armor looked down and stared at his new, crystalline form. “Whoa.”
“Yep.” Cadance motioned to the garden. “This is a group of plants are descended from plants saved from the Crystal Empire. The magic they give off can manifest itself in the ponies nearby, supposedly revealing the purity of their heart and the brightness of their spirit.” Cadance cuddled up to him. “And it looks like you have plenty of both.”
Shining Armor smiled again. “Well, I have got good inspiration.”
Shining Armor put his hoof around his special somepony, and the two slowly leaned into a tender kiss. When they had finished, they leaned back and looked into each other’s eyes. “Shiny?” Cadance asked with a smile.
“Yep?”
Cadance’s smile vanished as she saw something. “Would you mind looking up for a second?”
Now Shining Armor had stopped smiling. “What is it?”
“Shiny, please?”
The confused colt did so, and Cadance scrutinized his eyes. Though it was pretty a few seconds ago, now the multicolored light was hindering her ability to make it out. She put a hoof up to Shining Armor’s head and gently tilted it this way and that, squinting until she saw…
“Oh sweet Celestia.”
“What is it?” Shining Armor asked her.
Cadance backed away. “Shine, uh, Shining, um, you know how Blueblood has this thing with the whites of his eyes?”
Shining Armor shrugged. “Yeah?”
“Well, I just happened to notice that, with your eyes and your white coat, you kind of look like my little brother!”
That caught Shining Armor’s attention, and he sprung away from Cadance. “Oh sweet Celestia, I’ve been dating my cousin!”
“Dating your cousin? You’ve been kissing he...”
While Shining Armor hyperventilated, Cadance dashed to the pond, slurped up some water, and began gargling. “Wait a minute,” Shining Armor said, breathing slowing. “OK, having the same genetic abnormality might be odd, but just that’s not proof we’re related.”
Cadance spit the water onto the grass. “Well forgive me if I want a little more to go on before you stick your tongue down my throat again,” Cadance told her possible cousin. “Can you remember any of your family tree?”
Shining Armor paled. “Uh, not really.”
Cadance grabbed him. “Think, darn it!”
“Well I don’t know! Mom and Dad don’t know anything about my parents!”
Cadance stared at Shining Armor. “Come again?”
Shining Armor stared at Cadance. “I’m adopted, Cadance,” he said. "Didn't I tell you?"
Cadance stared at Shining Armor. “I don't think so. Ugh!” Cadance shook her head. “If we want to keep going out, we have got to find out who your birth parents were.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Yeah. I might like you, if we're not related, but I really don’t want to be charged with incest.”
“You… won’t.”
Shining Armor and Cadance turned to see a panting and sweaty Blueblood pull himself out of the hole in the shrubbery. “Blueblood,” Cadance said, “you can’t know Shining Armor’s family tree already, so please don’t tell me...”
“Aunt… Celie.”
Cadance frowned. “What are you,” she stopped. “You’re right.” She smiled at Shining Armor. “It’s OK, we’re not related.”
Shining Armor’s eyebrow rose. “Because Princess Celestia says so?”
Cadance giggled. “You don’t know Aunt Celestia. If one of her nieces or nephews was orphaned or given up for adoption, she’s the sort of person who’d immediately arrange for a good family to adopt them, and she never forgets any of them. Odds are, if you’re related to me, she’d know you, and she would’ve stopped me from going out with you.”
Shining Armor frowned, but eventually, the corners of his mouth turned up. “Alright,” he said, “I trust you.”
He moved towards Cadance, but she stopped him. “I know we’re not related,” she said, “but you still have Blueblood's blue sclerae, and I’m going to need a while to get over that.”
Shining Armor shrugged. “That’s alright. I can wait.”
Cadance turned back to Blueblood. “So, what’s up? I’ve never seen you sweat like this before. And where’s Twilight?”
Blueblood had recovered his breath by that, and he started fiddling with his hooves. “Uh, yes, about that.” He turned to Shining Armor. “Uh… well… we were… your sister, uh, she…” He smiled. “Fire?”
There was a loud BOOM! and Blueblood hid behind his older sister. Standing in the new hole in one of the walls was Twilight, who had transformed into a red-eyed, smoke-breathing fireball. She stomped forward through the smoking remains of the brick wall, snorting flames with every breath. Where she stepped, the grass turned black and purple, and all of the plants in the garden turned darker.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT DOCTOR CABALLERON?!” she snarled.
The two older ponies glared at Blueblood, who tittered. “I thought it would be funny?”
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Nice chapter. I love how you pointed out Shining and Blue's similarities. Great job. Thanks for the update.
5379321 Yeah, I noticed it. While writing I was kind of nervous about pointing it out and opening that can of worms. Then I realized someone was going to, so I might as well have an answer waiting.
Those words make me happy. Thank you for reading.
This just goes to show: Not every instance of teasing, arguing, and bickering necessarily means an inevitable romantic attraction. No matter what Hollywood wants you to believe.
... He'd be much better with Rainbow Dash or Applejack anyway...
5381519 Or a deep friendship, for that matter. Hollywood tactics of attempting to tell an interesting story do not always work outside of the movies. Even geniuses have disagreements and different tastes, and nothing's going to make up for that.
Also, thank you for your favorite!
5381830
Agreed! Also, I wonder if Blue had any meaningful interaction with Sunset Shimmer.
And no comment about the second note?
5382047 Rats! I've forgotten about her, too... no, I think I have it. I'm glad you brought that up!
And regarding said comment, I could see it. I actually think that there are several valid interpretations of Blueblood that would make him perfect for any of the Mane Six.
A hardworking bureaucrat who only went to the Gala as a favor to Celestia? Twilight Sparkle.
A high-class, charitable romantic eventually willing to forgive and/or beg forgiveness? Rarity.
A vain but decent pony who just needs a good ol' butt-kickin' to get back in line? Applejack.
A stuffy stick in the mud who needs to learn to get along and live a little? Pinkie Pie.
A prankster with a taste for retributive justice? Rainbow Dash.
A shy guy who was only acting like he thought Canterlot nobles were supposed to? Fluttershy.
There are other possibilities to be sure, but these are a couple I came up with. Part of the reason I love Blueblood's Just Zis Guy, You Know? is due to the number of interpretations that make sense without turning him into a villain.
5382469
All very good points! I'd really like to see one, five, or six done well some day.
Out of all of them, I've seen option three the most often. Though never one where Blueblood managed to hold on to some dignity or pride in his life; one of the problems I see with it. We've witnessed that AJ doesn't like ponies trying to change just to fulfil somepony else's expectations and that she has her own prejudices. It would be nice to see them bond on a more even level some time.
And, well, I've been kicking an idea around for ages now. It'd be Rainbow stumbling across Blue, who's come to Ponyville to learn how to be a real hero. Only problem? He's a prissy coward. So Rainbow drags him into numerous, escalating, painful and stupid situations in order to teach him. They grow closer over time and at the end, part on good terms. I think it could even make a fun episode, with the moral that trying to better yourself is good, but you should know your limits as well.
5385693 I'd write such an anthology, but I'm worried that others already have. Aside from which, I have quite a lot of ideas already.
Yeah, I can see the Applejack idea. I can also see the Rainbow Dash idea and I'd love to see how you'd do it.
5387447 These words comfort me. I was worried that I had erred by having a child of eleven do all that. I think, given your reaction and those of others, that I can proceed as I had planned. Just got to figure out what exactly I'm doing.
I had to look all over Google to see the sclerae similarities. Blueblood's is quite a bit more bluish than Shining Armor's. I never would have had Shining as the adopted sibling. I have seen Twilight as the adopted one (only because she was Celestia's daughter.)
Kissin' cousins?
What's the problem, sugarcube? 
Adopted? Well, that's new.
Not that Cadance would really be related to him even if there was a genetic link between Shining and BB.
As for the first part, yeah, two people being intelligent (or 'gifted' as children) still doesn't mean they'll connect much or share the same tastes. Hell, I'd say it makes them just as likely to find a lot of differences they're both equally committed to. Acknowledging that in a story isn't something you see too often.
Cousins don't count as incest. Period.