Death of a Queen, V2.

by Arkane12

19: Homecoming

Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof, hiding a yawn strong enough to bring tears to her eyes. Shining was late, leaving her to sit alone at the small restaurant table. Morning light filtered in through the blinds, almost blinding as they reflected off the white tile floor. Off to the side, a few ponies ate their breakfasts at the counter in between sips of coffee and conversations with the waitresses. Behind the counters nearby, a dozen ponies scurried around the kitchen, working on their stoves and ovens. The bell above the door chimed, drawing her attention. Unfortunately, she didn’t recognize this particular unicorn. She watched him take a seat in one of the far booths that lined the restaurant's outer walls.

“Good morning, Princess.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Twilight straightened up. Behind her, a waitress had arrived. A white-furred mare with her mane tied up in a bun.

“Oh . . . uh . . . Good morning.”

The waitress pulled a pencil and notepad from her apron’s front pocket. “Would you like to put in an order?”

“You know what, that coffee does smell fantastic. I’ll take a cup of that.”

The waitress’ pencil scratched down her order. “Will that be all, Princess?”

“For now. Thanks.”

Stashing her tools back in the pocket, the waitress offered one final bow before stepping away from the princess. As soon as she was out of sight, Twilight put her head down on the table. She wondered how any pony could be so eager this early in the morning.

The bell chimed again. A familiar white unicorn approached.

“Sorry, Twily. Cadance needed some help with something this morning. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.” Shining Armor scratched the back of his neck as settled into the booth bench across from her.

“Wasn’t really sure you were going to show up. I was starting to wonder if that note was some sort of cruel prank.” Twilight said, squinting.

“You really thought I’d leave my favorite little sister hanging?” Shining asked, putting his hoof to his chest in offense.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Remember that time you and Cadance took me to the park back when she was my foalsitter?”

“You really thought I’d leave my favorite little sister hanging twice?” he corrected.

“Whatever.” Twilight rested her cheek on the cool marble table.

“Did you already order?”

“Just a coffee. I’d rather not eat breakfast on an upset stomach.”

“And coffee is any better?” Shining inquired, removing his helmet and setting it on the table corner. He shook his flattened mane.

“Nope.” Twilight watched the diner staff shuffle in and out of the kitchen door. “But I’m not getting through this morning without coffee.”

“Late night?”

“A very late night. I didn’t sleep a wink. Didn’t help that I was sick on top of that.”

“Think you’re coming down with something?” Shining leaned forward to comfort his sister, while simultaneously trying to back away from the potentially diseased pony.

“Yeah. A ton of stress. I found gray hair in my mane this morning.”

“Ouch.” Shining chuckled. “You kind of get used to them after a while, but the first one’s always rough.”

Twilight glanced around the room, studying each patron as they crossed her gaze. If they had noticed her horn and wings, they hadn’t shown any reaction to it. She thanked Celestia for small miracles. The kitchen door swung open as the waitress from before reappeared, carrying a coffee on her tray.

“Here’s your coffee, Princess.” She set a cup and saucer set on the table, as well as a small stack of napkins, a miniscule porcelain pitcher of cream, and a box of sugar packets.

“Thank you,” Twilight said, looking up at the waitress as though she were an angel.

“Of course. Is there anything else I can get for either of you?”

“Yeah . . .” Shining flipped open his menu. “I think the blueberry muffin sounds pretty good this morning. I’ll take one of those. Twilight?”

“I’m good.”

“You sure?” Shining closed the menu back up. “It’s my treat.”

“I’m sure,” Twilight said flatly.

“Alright.” He turned to the waitress. “That will be all. Thank you.” The waitress smiled at him as she wrote down his order and disappeared back into the kitchen. “So, have you ever eaten here before, Twilight?”

Twilight tore open a pair of sugar packets and poured them into her drink. “No. I’ve heard good things from Luna, though. Apparently, they open early enough for her to eat here before bed.”

“Really?” Shining glanced up at the bar. “I can’t imagine Luna sitting here eating breakfast by herself. Of course, I can’t imagine Luna doing a lot of more . . . normal things.” He added hastily, “Don’t tell her I said that.”

“You and me both,” Twilight muttered, eyeballing the amount of cream she added. “You know, things like going behind my back.”

Shining sighed. “She’s worried about you. We all are.”

“Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t make it much better.”

“Look, Twilight--”

“Here you are, Sir. One blueberry muffin,” the waitress announced as she slid the plate onto the table. “Will that be all for you two?”

“Yes. This looks amazing. Thank you,” he said with a smile.

Shining waited for her to leave before turning to face his sister.

“Shiny, why are we here? Because if you’re just going to argue with me over this, I’m going back to the castle. I still have a lot of work to do.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Twilight.” Shining took a bite of his food, scattering crumbs across the plate. He swallowed his bite before continuing. “How long have you been working lately? When was the last time you slept? Or ate, for that matter?”

“I’m taking care of myself--”

“Then explain this.” Shining’s horn ignited. Twilight felt his magic tug at the part of her mane she had been forced to cut recently. “Why is there a chunk missing from your mane?”

“I wanted to switch up my look,” Twilight said, hastily hiding behind the rim of her coffee.

Her brother answered with a disappointed frown.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine. One of my experiments boiled over. The solution turned to tar, basically. I got a bit stuck in my mane. I couldn’t get it out, so I had to cut it out. And I’m self-conscious about it, so would you not go showing it off?” She used her magic to put her mane back in place.

“How did you end up with it in your mane?”

“It was a mishap.”

Shining leaned forward. “What sort of mishap?”

“I fell asleep. The burner was still on, causing the solution to boil over. It was an accident. I’ve made sure to start setting redundant alarms.”

“Twilight . . .” Shining shook his head. “This is crazy. I know you want to help Celestia, but you won’t be of any help to anyone if you end up maiming yourself out of exhausted incompetence. I think you should take a day off.”

“You saw what happened last night, Shiny. I don’t have time to spare.” Twilight shook her head. “Besides, I actually have to put in more work now, ever since somepony decided to tear me away from the one pony that was actually helping me.”

Shining sighed, leaving Twilight to feel a slight twinge of regret.

“I know you’re mad at me, Twilight, but that was for your own good.” Shining nodded. “Which is the same reason I’m telling you this now. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You’re barely holding together. This isn’t healthy.” He sat back in his chair. “I know Celestia is important, but that doesn’t mean you can just let your own health suffer.”

“I can’t, Shiny. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t relax.” Twilight paused. She was already shaking. “Free time is just more time to think. More time to think is more time to worry.”

“I think I might know a way to set your mind at ease,” Shining said through his last mouthful of food. Using his magic, he gathered the crumbs onto his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“What are you thinking, Shining Armor?” Twilight asked, trying to read her brother’s expression.

“Only one way to find out.” He grinned. “Let me know when you’re ready, and we can head out. It’s only a short walk from here.”

“I’m ready to get back to work.” Twilight declared, climbing out of the booth. “My work is important, Shining. I know you know that. And dragging me away from it for . . . whatever this was, isn’t helping.” She waved her hoof in a circular motion.

“I know your work is important, Twilight. That’s why I’m doing this. A little break will do you some good. Give you a fresh perspective. Maybe keep you from slipping up.” Shining removed a few bits from his bags and tossed them onto the table. “This’ll be good for you. I promise.”

Twilight groaned. “Fine. But I swear, Shining, if this turns out to be a waste of time–”

“It won’t be. Promise.”

Their waitress waved to them from across the room as they filed out the door and onto the streets of Canterlot.

---

In the few minutes since leaving the diner, Shining and Twilight had crossed over into the Residential District. Unlike the cramped buildings and wide roads of Main Street, this district consisted of spaced-out houses with wide yards. Many ponies waved to them as they passed on the sidewalk.

“Where are you taking me, Shining? There’s not much out this way.”

Shining glanced back over his shoulder, watching his sister with an amused expression. “Really, Twilight? You don’t recognize anything?”

She tried to look around, but the morning light hurt her eyes. And that pain only added to the exhaustion-fueled headache buzzing around between her ears. She put a hoof to her forehead in an attempt to quell it, but nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. She couldn’t deny that this place looked familiar, but between the pain and her mounting frustration, she didn’t care enough to figure it out.

“Enough, Shining!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “I told you that I don’t have time to waste!”

“You know, Twilight I don’t think Mom and Dad would appreciate being called a waste of time,” Shining asserted confidently. He raised a hoof, pointing towards a house at the end of the street.

As though a dam had broken, memories came flooding back. The streets she used to play in. Or, rather, the streets that she watched Shining play in while she studied. Suddenly, details started to click together. Twilight’s cheeks burned as she realized just how obvious it was.

The air changed. Something about being home again put Twilight at ease. Her pain dulled and her frustration vanished like the flip of a switch. And while Twilight was stuck in the process of realization, Shining snuck past.

“Race you!” He shouted back as he galloped off.

“What?” Twilight shook herself from her stupor. “Hey, that’s not fair, you’ve got a head start,” Twilight yelled back, taking to the air with a running start.

“A head start’s not fair? You have wings!” Shining cried.

Twilight made sure to make his point obvious as she rocketed past him. The muscles in her wings were tense, the feathers uneven and in desperate need of preening. Until she took to the air, she didn’t understand just how long it had been since they had been cared for.

She snapped her wings to her side, catching herself on her hooves. Having nullified her brother’s head start, she decided they were even now. She kept her steps light, just like Rainbow Dash taught her.

Still, she could hear her brother gaining on her. Even in full armor, he closed the distance between them, leaving them neck-and-neck as they neared the final stretch of the race. His hooves struck like rolling thunder.

“Why are you so fast?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Years of training,” Shining sang as he regained the lead.

Twilight grit her teeth, pushing her body harder than she had in weeks. Her already exhausted body crumbled under the pressure, causing her to trip. She rolled twice before landing in her front yard, flat on her back.

“Twilight!” Shining appeared over her, blocking her view of the sky.

“I’m fine. Just tripped.”

“Yeah, I saw. You hurt?”

“No.”

“Here.” He reached out his hoof. “Let me help you up.”

“Thanks, Shining.” She took his offering. “And I’m really sorry.”

Shining hauled his sister upright. “Sorry for what?”

“I know I’ve been a bad sister the last few days. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, but that doesn’t excuse how badly I treated you.” Twilight hung her head.

“Hey, you’re my sister. I know you love me, Twilight. It’ll take more than you being rude to stop that. It’s the price of being a big brother.” He laughed.

Twilight offered a tepid smile. “But most of all, Shiny, I’m sorry for this.”

Shining tilted his head. “Sorry for what--”

Twilight flipped his helmet crooked. Before he could recover from the sudden attack, Twilight bolted for the front door. She planted herself beside it and rang the doorbell.

“What was that for?” Shining turned to see his sister sitting on the front porch, sticking her tongue out at him. The sight summoned a hefty chuckle from the soldier. “I forgot you played dirty, Twilight.”

“If it’s any consolation, I meant what I said,” Twilight offered.

Shining straightened his helmet and joined her on the patio. Together, they waited. And waited. And waited.

“Shiny?” Twilight asked. “You did make sure they were home first, right?”

As if to answer Twilight’s question, the front door swung inward, revealing an older, gray-furred mare. Sharp locks of her purple and white mane spilled over her shoulders.

“Hey, Mom.” Shining and Twilight shouted in unison.

“Shining? Twilight? What are you two doing here?” Twilight Velvet asked with a mix of surprise and delight.

“Just wanted to stop by. See how you were doing,” Shining said.

“We can come back later, if you’re busy,” Twilight offered.

“No. Your father and I were just finishing up breakfast. Come in.” She stepped out of the way, allowing her children into the front hall. Each child greeted their mother with a short squeeze as they piled in.

They continued through the short hallway next to the stairs. Polished family portraits watched from their golden frames as Twilight crossed them. Twilight felt a hint of nostalgia as she watched her brother and her grow from foals to the ponies they were today.

“Night Light, we have guests.” Twilight Velvet announced, guiding her children into the kitchen.

Twilight noted the black and white checkered tile on the floor, complete with a faded pink stain. A casualty of one of her earliest experiments. The kitchen looked almost identical to how Twilight remembered it. A round wooden table and chairs, old, weathered counters. The strangest part about all of it was just how neat and tidy everything looked.

Their father, a handsome blue stallion, had yet to move from the breakfast nook. He chewed the eraser of his pencil, enamored by the half-finished crossword in the morning paper.

Their mother cleared her throat, drawing her husband from its mental gymnastics.

“Twilight? Shining?” He rocketed from his seat, nearly knocking his children off their balance as he rushed to greet them.

“Morning, Dad.” Shining reached an hoof around his father, clapping him on the back.

“Hi, Dad.” Twilight stepped forward, joining the other two in their group hug.

“What are you two doing here? We didn’t even know you were in Canterlot.” Night Light released them.

“Luna asked us to come. We would have sent you a letter first, but this was kind of short notice.” Shining shrugged nervously.

“What about?”

“Hold that thought,” Twilight Velvet interrupted. “What do you say we take this little get-together to the living room?”

At the matriarch’s orders, the family shuffled into the cozy living room. Night Light took his customary place in his recliner, while Twilight and Shining hurled themselves onto the sofa. The ancient springs groaned in protest. Though her young had left her a spot on the couch, Twilight Velvet preferred to rest her hooves against the mantlepiece, allowing her easier access to the conversation.

“You were saying?” Night Light continued.

“Just a royal thing. Luna wanted me and Cadance to help her entertain some foreign guests.” Twilight was impressed with how quickly her brother had grasped the royal art of the lie.

“Anyone interesting?” Night Light asked, leaning forward.

“Don’t know,” Shining admitted casually.

“Shouldn’t you be helping them with that, Twilight?” Concern bled into her father’s words.

“I offered, they told me they didn’t need my help with the preparation but wanted me here for when our guests actually arrived.”

Shining gave his sister a knowing look before tagging back in, before either parent could follow up. “What about you two? What have you guys been up to?”

Velvet spoke first. “Oh, you know, we’ve been surviving. A lot of free time nowadays since your father and I retired. I thought I’d take up writing again. Or maybe I’d try painting. I haven’t decided yet.”

“And I . . .” Night Light said proudly, “I successfully defended my bingo title for another year. I’m up to six years now. The longest record in the hall.”

“That’s wonderful, Dad,” Twilight said.

“You always were a mean bingo player,” Shining said, stifling a laugh.

“But we’re old, we don’t do anything interesting.” Velvet waved a hoof nonchalantly. “Tell us how you two have been doing. Any juicy gossip worth knowing about around Equestria?”

“None that we can talk about,” Twilight joked.

“Oh, really?” Velvet frowned. “That’s a shame.”

“Alright, so what can you talk about?” The other three turned to look at Night Light as he started talking again. “How about the other princesses? Celestia and Luna? Are they treating you alright, Twilight?”

“Of course they are, Dad. They’re like sisters to me now,” Twilight said.

“Good.”

“How is Celestia?” Velvet asked. “We haven’t seen much of her these last few days.”

“Yeah,” Night Light agreed. “She’s usually out with her subjects daily. But it’s been a while since we’ve seen anything about her. Is she alright?”

“Yeah.” Twilight said too quickly. “She’s doing alright. She just hasn't had much free time lately. Princess stuff. It’s definitely time consuming. Luna’s been helping her out.”

Shining gave his sister a sideways glance, and their conversation stagnated in a long pause.

Eventually, Velvet shot straight up. “What kind of a host am I? I didn’t even ask if either of you wanted something. Are either of you thirsty? Hungry? We just made a store run the other day.”

“No thanks, Mom,” Shining said.

“You sure? We have the juice boxes you used to love,” she offered.

“Mom, I’m a Royal Guard now, I can’t be sitting around drinking juice boxes like . . .” Shining bit his tongue. “Alright. If you have some to spare, then I guess I’ll take one.”

“I would love a glass of iced tea,” Night Light called out. “And with a dollop of honey, Honey.” He laughed as Velvet rolled her eyes at him.

“Of course, Dear.” As Velvet passed, she put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Twilight, would you mind joining me in the kitchen? I’ll need help with the drinks.”

“Sure,” Twilight said. She climbed out from where she had sunk into the couch cushions and followed her mother back into the kitchen.