• ...
8
 129
 5,876

Twily Wants To Play

The day was warm, the weather was perfect. A pleasant breeze blew through the gilded streets of Canterlot. Normally, on a day like this Shining Armor would be out taking on a stroll at the park. Unfortunately, he had been drafted with the task of foalsitting his seven-year old sister. Her ordinary foalsitter, Cadence, was at home sick with alicorn flu.

Shining loved his sister. She was playful, sweet, adorable, gifted with magic and his little sister best friend forever. They never fought. He had taught her how to fly a kite and helped her with her homework and sometimes she helped him with his homework. Her skill with trigonometry came in handy any time he had an exam. The problem was that since he had to take care of her she would expect him to play with her. This wouldn't usually be a problem. However, today he had to practice. This year, at the age of thirteen, he was going to join the Junior Guard Academy. To do this, he had to show some proficiency at combat magic. He had spent two years learning basic hand-to-hand combat, the spear, the sword, the bow and various magical martial arts. Last month, he had gotten beaten up by two bullies that were older than him and shown him the weaknesses of his combat forms. He had spent the last month training two hours a day.

He stood listening and inwardly sighing as his parents stood at the door and lectured him on how to look after his younger sister. Twilight was sitting on a couch looking through a large encyclopedia. Shining thought it possible that she would remain distracted by the book. It wasn't likely though.

"And remember, don't let her forget to eat! Take away her books if you have to!" Twilight Velvet said. "I've prepared a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, strawberry her favorite, oh you know that."

"Yes, I do."

"And don't let her do any dangerous spells. If you see her doing any spellwork, ask her what it is before you let her cast."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Seriously. I don't want another house fire."

"Absolutely. Should I just slip an inhibitor on her horn?"

Velvet bit her lip and for a minute looked like she was seriously considering it. "Nah. Just watch her."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I love you, bye."

"Love you, too."

She kissed Shining then she and Night Light trotted over to kiss Twilight goodbye. Twilight seemed startled by the display of affection, but put down the book and kissed back. Then the couple said good-bye again and left.

"So, Twily."

"Uh-huh?"

He sat next to her. "Are you going to cast any fires?"

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Summon any demons?"

"Not that good at evocation."

It alarmed Shining that that was her only objection to that. Then he saw her grin and realized she was joking. He tousled her mane eliciting a giggle.

"You little rascal, you. So what are you planning to do?"

She levitated some scissors and a piece of paper as she set the encyclopedia aside. "I'm going to make a get well card for Cadence!"

"Aww." Shining cooed. "Mom would kill me dead if I left you alone with scissors and you hurt yourself so want me to help?"

"Sure!"

She set the paper on the table then her horn lit as she levitated the scissors. Under Shining's watchful eye she cut out a heart from the red construction paper. Shining put some glue on the paper and Twilight sprinkled glitter all over it. She shook and shook the can, trying to make the heart as sparkly as she could.

"Twilight, I think that's enough." Shining said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

"I want it to look like her cutie mark!" Twilight announced.

"We need to write on it though."

"Oh, yeah." Twilight said. She picked up a pen and wrote in her exquisite horn-writing "get well soon, Princess Cadence."

Twilight and Shining both signed it.

"Can we take it to her?" Twilight asked.

"Sure." Shining said. "Then, I can come back and do my practice."

They left, locking the door behind them. The siblings made their way through Canterlot, Twilight hopping ahead. The castle rose up before them and two guards gave them weary looks as they walked up to them.

"Hi!" Twilight bounded up to the guard, the card held in her magic. "Can we see Princess Cadence?"

"Princess Cadence is not to be disturbed, but Princess Celestia is available."

"We want to give her this get well card." Twilight explained.

"I'm afraid her illness is quite contagious."

"I thought it was alicorn flu." Shining said.

The guard shrugged. "I don't get it either, but that's what the Princess told us. However, we will deliver the card." He took the card in his own magic and turned to walk away. Twilight's ears dropped.

"I wanted to see Cadence." She mumbled.

Shining patted her head. He had too. "Come on. We can see her later."

The two made their way back home. When they passed a bookstore, Twilight stopped.

Shining sighed and shook his head. "Alright. Five minutes. One book."

She zoomed in and returned ten minutes later with a new Daring Do book. Shining didn't mention how long it took her. He really was unable to say no to her. There was no further interruptions on their way home. Twilight went inside to curl up with her new book, Shining staying outside. He breathed in the scent of the grass and found his center of calm that every warrior needed. He then began to move through the forms, punching, kicking and jabbing at imaginary foes. Every now and then he thrusted outward with his horn. Then he would draw back as if evading an enemy.

"BBBFF!"

He stopped and turned. Twilight pranced over to him. "Can we go back to the bookstore? I picked up the wrong book in the series!"

Shining inwardly groaned. He didn't want to feel like a jerk and tell her no. But he really, really had to practice. Avoiding looking into her pleading eyes he told her no.

"Why not, BBBFF?"

"I have to practice to get into the academy. Don't you have to study for your entrance exam?"

"I already have."

"The exam is in three months."

"And I already studied everything!" Twilight said, sounding exasperated. "Now I don't have anything to study or read!" She laid out on her tummy and looked up at him. "I'm bored. Can we go to the park? I can study insects!"

Shining looked straight ahead. If he looked into those eyes he was lost.

"I'm sorry, Twily."

She pushed out her lip. "Can't you do it later?"

"I really wish I could, but I can't put this off. We can play as soon as I'm done. Please don't cry, Twily."

"I'm not. I know how important practice is. I'll go...practice levitation or something..." Sighing heavily, she dramatically rose up. Her ears drooped and her tail dragged along as she trudged back to the house. Shining felt his own ears droop. He wanted more than anything to run after her and play, but he wasn't kidding about needing to practice. He had to develop the iron will of a guard so he returned to his forms. He focused on his horn and summoned a shield. The shield didn't extend around his back. That was something he was trying to correct. An enemy could sneak up on him from behind.

Suddenly he felt something leap on his back and wrap its forelegs around his neck.

"Twily? Did you just jump on my back?"

"Yep!" She giddily announced into his ear.

"Twily. Why did you jump on my back?"

"Because I want you to play with me!"

"I already told you that I would play with you as soon as I was done practicing."

"But you always practice a really long time! I wanna play now!"

It was moments like these he wished his sister had more friends. No, he loved his sister. He enjoyed spending time with his sister. He needed to have a talk about boundaries with his sister.

"Twilight, I'm going to count till three. If you aren't off my back till then there'll be consequences."

From atop her perch, Twilight rolled her eyes. There wouldn't be any consequences, not from his hoof anyway. He wouldn't even tell their parents.

"1."

Twilight kept her forelegs around his neck.

"2."

She blew a raspberry.

"2 and a half."

She nibbled his mane. It tasted funny so she spat it out.

"3. That's it."

Twilight found herself swept up in her brother's aura. She didn't feel a bit afraid until he sat her down on her back, still in his magic so she couldn't move.

"Um, what'cha doin'?" Her eyes widened as he loomed over. "No, no, no! C'mon!"

His hooves descended and dug into all her most ticklish spots. The little filly helplessly squirmed and giggled as the older stallion tickled her senseless.

"Shiny! Come on! Please!"

Deaf to her pleas, he continued his tickle assault, running his hooves all over her tummy.

"Are you going to be a good filly?"

"No!"

The tickling intensified and she laughed and kicked her hooves.

"Why aren't you going to be a good filly?"

"Cause you weren't playing with me when I was being a good filly!"

Shining stopped. He didn't like the idea of his sister thinking that the best way of getting attention was by misbehaving. That seemed like the kind of thinking that would be problematic later on. He had a sudden image of Twilight standing in the smoldering ruins of Canterlot, her eye twitching with madness.

"Now will you play with me, BBBFF?! NOW WILL YOU PLAY WITH ME?!" Vision Twilight demanded. Shining shook his head.

"Uh, you know what? We can play some as long as you promise to be a good filly."

"I promise!"

Twilight lept up.

"So, what'd you wanna do?" She asked.

"You're the one that wanted to play, silly." Shining answered, booping her lightly on the nose with his hoof.

"Hey, maybe you could show me some of that fighting stuff. That way you could play with me and practice at the same time!"

Shining felt his heart warm at the suggestion. His little sister was so considerate.

"Alright. I was working on my shield. Try to blast it."

He brought his shield up. She scrunched up her muzzle in an expression of utmost concentration. Her horn lit up and she sent out a burst of energy and struck the shield. Shining didn't even feel it as it struck the shield. She sent out a second blast. This one rocked the shield lightly. Shining grinned.

"Give it your best shot, LSBFF!"

A beam of energy erupted from her horn. Shining yelped as it hit his shield, shattered it and sent him sprawling.

"Oh my Celestia! Shiny! Are you alright?!" Twilight asked as she rushed up to him. Shining stood.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I need to make my shield stronger. Let's work on some forms. I'll show you the basics."

He trotted to the center of the yard. Twilight pranced next to him.

"Close your eyes and breathe Twilight."

Twilight obeyed and took in a deep breath like her brother.

"Now jerk your horn forward, like this."

They jerked their horns forward. He took her through the full form, showing her each evasion, strike and horn thrust. By the third time they did it, she seemed to have memorized it. Together they went through the rhythm of the form. It was like a dance. Every now and then, Shining would gently correct her form. After each correction, Twilight did it nearly flawlessly. Shining found himself just a little jealous. It'd taken him weeks to get them perfect. They moved through the form again and again, then Shining decided to show her a more advanced form. Shining demonstrated it. Twilight had a bit more trouble with this one, but Shining helped her with it.

Shining realized as he taught it to Twilight that he was developing a better understanding of the forms himself.

"This is kind of fun!" Twilight said as Shining showed her how to throw a right hook. "I never knew exercise could be this fun!"

"Oh, it is." Shining said. Suddenly he felt his stomach growling. He ignored it as he and Twilight finished the form. He still had a lot more to do and he could ignore his hunger...then Twilight's stomach started to growl. She imitated her brother and started the new form. A grin tugged at his lips.

Like brother, like sister.

"Say Twiliy, wanna take a lunch break?"

"But I'm not-" A growl interrupted her and she looked sheepish.

Shining tousled her mane. "Let's split one of Mom's pb&j sandwiches."

The pair walked back inside.

Author's Note:

Because Shiny and Twily are adorable together.
This will be updated on an "as I feel like it" basis.