> All of the Above
>  by Wolftamer54
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equestria. The realm of the ponies. Earth, pegasus, and unicorn alike. For some it is essentially the whole world, and for others it is just the beginning. Magic and mythology are science and history. And so it is that in an ancient city of dazzling white, built on ley lines and home to beings capable of moving the sun, there is also a pair of unicorns eating fast food and perusing comic books. 
One a stallion, just on the cusp of puberty, with a shaggy blue mane that falls across his eyes, and a lanky frame covered in a gleaming white coat that shines in the sunlight. The other several years junior, still just a filly, with a purple coat and darker purple mane that has an edge as straight as a ruler. Together they laze about on a grassy hillside tucked away amid the towering buildings of the city. Each is snout-deep in a brightly colored comic book, their eyes glued to the panels detailing the adventures of Power Ponies and Daring Do. Despite the fries being levitated into their mouths, not a single crumb falls onto the comics’ pages. Every copy is immaculately clean, with not a single edge bent or page creased. 
Soon enough, both reach the end of their respective comic, and gently set them down into a neatly stacked pile between them. With nothing left to distract them, they turn their attention to each other. 

“So that was fun. What did you wanna do now Twily?” the stallion asked, giving the younger unicorn a playful grin. “I think we already cleared out the comic store enough for today.” 

Twilight quickly leapt to her hooves and bounced over to her brother, staring up at him with big, sparkling, pleading eyes. “Ooh! Oooh! Can we go to the library? Please Shiny!” 
With his sister so close, Shining saw an opportunity for some fun. He reached out and grabbed her with his hooves, rolling onto his back so she was on top of him. She squealed in surprise and delight, before giggling madly. 

“Before we go, let’s have some fun! I’ll make you fly like Princess Celestia!” Shining said. He tensed up, drawing his hooves back with Twilight balanced on top. When he was ready, he pushed up with all his might, at the same time as she leapt off from above. The combined force sent Twilight flying into the air. 
For a few seconds, a few glorious seconds, Twilight floated in a graceful arc across the sky. She closed her eyes, feeling the sun soaking into her fur, and the wind rustling by. And yet, gravity still won. As fast as she was up, she was down, crashing and rolling through the thankfully soft grass and soil of the hillside. She tumbled end over end, unable to tell which way was up. 
Shining, seeing how his plan had backfired, quickly ran down the hill after her. He was still a few feet away when Twilight crashed through a wall of brush and hedge. Slowing down as best he could, Shining climbed through the hole in the leaves, looking around for his sister. 
Twilight was on the ground in a jumbled heap, twigs and leaves clinging to her fur, grass stains all over, and covered in dirt. The force of going through the plants had broken her momentum, but left her a mess. 
“Oh Celestia! I’m so so so sorry Twilight, are you okay? Hurt anywhere?” he fussed as he circled around her, looking for any injuries. 

Twilight lifted herself off the ground, shaking rigorously in an attempt to rid herself of the muck. Then, much to Shining’s surprise, her face broke into a wide grin. 

“I’m okay Shiny, that was so much fun!” she said with a giggle, throwing her legs open wide to emphasize her point. 

“Oh thank Celestia,” Shining gasped, breathing a sigh of relief. He drew her into a hug, holding her close despite the dirt and debris now getting on his coat as well. As she returned the gesture, he continued to look her over for any scrapes, seeking to reassure himself of her safety. Once he was satisfied that she really was okay, he finally took stock of their surroundings. 
Twilight had crashed right through a hedge into a little nook of sorts. The trees and bushes grew so close together that they had formed a natural wall, blocking off this small bit of the park from the outside. Only dribbles of sunlight managed to filter in through the tightly woven branches and leaves, giving the ground a dappled pattern between light and dark. 
By now, Twilight too had started to look around, and immediately took a liking to the space. 
“Ooh, it’s nice here!” she said excitedly, quickly darting around and exploring. She stuck her face into the hollow of a tree, and proceeded to test the acoustics. “E-cho!” 
Echo… echo… echo… the tree sounded in response, earning a giggle that reverebated in kind. 
Shining grinned at his little sister’s antics, and went over to pull her from the tree. Hooves on her shoulders, he managed to coax her back out, though she still wore a grin. Together, they set about exploring the rest of the grove. While not very expansive, there were still plenty of places to hide among the dense growth. Numerous burrow entrances could be seen dotting the ground, though their inhabitants were likely hiding inside. A number of bird nests could also be seen perched in the trees above their heads, many filled with peeping little chicks. 
The two ponies watched as a parent bird returned to one of the nests, answering the screeches for food with a dead worm. 
“Heh, they’re just like you when you were younger. Couldn’t stop crying and only thought about food.” Shining joked, earning an offended scoff and playful nudge from his younger sibling. 

“Well I heard from mom and dad that you liked to test your magic by flinging peas across the kitchen,” she retorted with a smug grin, eager to inflict similar playful embarrassment. It worked, and Shining gave a conceding and slightly sheepish smile. Rather than issue a return jest, however, he returned his attention to the environment. Twilight did likewise, and they walked around in silence for a few minutes. 
Shining had completed a full circuit of the grove and returned to the hole they had entered through when he heard Twilight call out. 

“Hey, look at this!” she said, excitement plain in her voice. Shining looked over to where she was bent down, closely examining something. He quickly joined her, and at first saw nothing but a rock with some scratches on it. 

“Maybe it’s the remains of an ancient civilization lost to time!” Twilight proclaimed in a grandiose manner. 

Shining chuckled, but sought to correct her. “Nah, probably just a stone. Like every other one in existence.” 

“Nay! This is a finding to be recorded in the annals of history! Ponies will forever remember this day as when Professor Twilight Sparkle made her first discovery, aided by her faithful assistant Shining Armor!” she continued to fantasize. 
Shaking his head, Shining regarded the stone a second time, and was surprised. Upon closer inspection, it actually did appear to be more than just a rock. What he had seen as just scratches were inscriptions, forming pictures and words. 
Moving aside a leaf obscuring the rest of the rock, they found that it was more of a slab, long and flat. And upon its surface were depicted several symbols that seemed very familiar. Six orbs, each adorned with their own unique marking, arrayed around the sun. 

“The Elements of Harmony,” Shining breathed, amazed that such an artifact would be so randomly found. 

“Exactly! The most powerful magic in Equestria, used by the great and powerful Princess Celestia to banish Nightmare Moon away!” Twilight explained needlessly. As she gazed at the slab, her features suddenly lit up. “Oh! I’ve just thought of a new game to play! We can’t do it here though, we’ve gotta go home!” she exclaimed. 

“What happened to going to the library?” Shining asked, cocking his head to the side with a puzzled look.  

“We spent all morning reading. But this is something we can do together! I love books, but I love you more Big Brother Best Friend Forever.” Twilight answered earnestly. Her response caused Shining to smile warmly and he gave a short salute. 

“Then home it is.” 





A short time later, the pair arrived back home. They trotted inside and up the stairs to Twilight’s bedroom. Twilight continued to chat away about all of the things that they would need to gather. 
“I think I have some construction paper and markers in my closet, and we can probably use some old boxes for cardboard.” She paused in her list as they arrived at her bedroom door, opening it and stepping inside. Although relatively small, it was jam packed. Bookshelves lined the walls, a desk was littered with papers and ink stains, crumpled papers in a bin nearby, and a purple bed stood in the middle. 
However, the siblings ignored all the mess and instead focused their attention on a small closet, recessed between two bookshelves. Opening the door, they found a clutter similar to the one afflicting the room. More books, clothes, toys, and miscellaneous items had taken up residence in the small space. 
Still, there were items inside that they sought. So, with a grimace, Shining and Twilight plunged into the mess. Levitating item after item out, they eventually found what they were seeking. In the very back of the closet, a small collection of construction paper, markers, pencils, tape, and other such arts and crafts supplies. Collecting all that they could, they turned to leave, only to find that their spelunking had left no space in the room to work. 





A short while later (though it felt much longer), and the non-essential items had been returned to the closet. Shining and Twilight quickly set to work, cutting, taping, and coloring. Their creations started to take form as curves became feathers, yellow became the sun, and white the moon. Soon, they had finished their work, and strapped the faux wings and cutie marks to themselves. Twilight adorned like Celestia, and Shining as Luna. 

“You know,” Twilight giggled, “This is completely inaccurate. Celestia is the older sibling, not Luna.” 

“Oh hush you. We’re just having fun. No need to ruin it with facts.” Shining retorted, booping his sister on the nose and causing her to scrunch up her face. “I bet Celestia will love to see a bright young filly dressed up in her honor for Nightmare Night.” 

“True.” Twilight acquiesced. “And I suppose dressing like Luna may dredge up some painful memories.” 

 “Alright then. With that out of the way, let the battle commence!” Shining proclaimed in a grandiose voice. 

“Avast sister! I shall not let you plunge the world into night!” Twilight cried, leaping up onto her bed. 

“You can’t stop me! No pony will stand in my way!” Shining replied, shaking his hoof in mock anger. 

“Then you leave me no choice. I shall use the Elements of Harmony!” Twilight exclaimed, simultaneously levitating cardboard replicas of the Elements and tossing them at Shining. The stallion jumped, dove, and twisted to avoid them. However, as he executed a pirouette in midair, he lost his balance and fell flat on his face. With an easy target, Twilight nailed her last shot perfectly, and the element of magic bounced off her brother’s face. 

“Now I banish you to the moon for a thousand years! Let the sun shine on Equestria once more!” Twilight recited, rejoicing in her victory. Shining gave a mock gasp and death gurgle, sticking his tongue out with a bleargh. At this, Twilight leapt down from the bed and scampered over to Shining. She placed her hooves on either side of his face and leaned in close. 

“You can stop now Shiny. I won. The game’s over, get up.” When he didn’t move, she pouted and started to poke at him with her hooves. “Come on. You’re not actually banished to the moon.” So preoccupied with trying to rouse her brother, Twilight was caught off guard when he reached out and grabbed her with lightning speed. Snatching her up, he ignored her cries of protest and blew a loud raspberry on her soft stomach, resulting in a ridiculous noise and riotous giggles. 

“S-s-shiny! Stop! That t-tickles! Mercy! Mercy!” Twilight gasped, thrashing around to try and escape the tickle torture. Fortunately for her, the assault was over as quickly as it had begun. The siblings sat there, Twilight cradled in Shining’s forelegs, both panting from the sudden exertion. As their breathing slowed to a more reasonable rate, Twilight turned to face Shining, looking up at him with serious purple eyes. 

“You know I’d never actually banish you to the moon. I couldn’t live without you,” she promised him, burying her head into his chest floof. Shining returned her affection by patting her gently on the head, and nuzzling the back of her neck. They sat like this for a while, basking in the warm glow of each other’s affection. Eventually, Twilight drew her head back, and before Shining could react, or point out how odd it was, she planted a quick kiss directly on his lips.  
“I love you B.B.B.F.F. And I always will, no matter what.” 
> Chapter 2: Lovers?
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Time marches on. Years pass, and the world evolves. Nothing can escape change, not even the closest of siblings. From lovable dorks to a Royal Guard and prized student, and now Prince and Princess. But titles hardly convey the most significant changes. 





“Come on Shining! We’re gonna miss it!” Twilight exclaimed, bolting down the street with fervor. 

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Shining replied, breaking into a trot to catch up to his sister. He soon drew even with her, and together they rushed ahead. Ducking and weaving around other ponies, stands, and whatever obstacles were in their way, the siblings moved relentlessly. 
Their mad dash soon brought them to their destination, an ornately decorated movie theater. The marquee advertised “Power Ponies: The Final Stand”, and the inside of the theater was packed with lines of ponies, all trying to get their tickets. Resolute in their goal, Shining and Twilight dove into the crowd. Soon swallowed up by the rush, they were only barely able to stay together. As they waited, they noticed some of the other patrons stealing surprised glances at them. 

“I think we’ve drawn some excessive attention,” Twilight whispered to Shining, shrinking down slightly from the stares. 

“Just ignore it. We came to this theater all the time as foals. Why should it be any different now?” Shining replied out of the corner of his mouth. 

“Well, we weren’t part of the royal family then. Most ponies don’t expect to see royalty in line at the movie theater.” Twilight countered. 

“True, true. But we’re still the same old Sparkles, and nothing’s going to stop us from seeing this movie. Especially not some little old gawking.” Shining said, continuing to hold his head high. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Twilight acquiesced, giving her brother a playful nuzzle on the side of his neck. 
By this point, they had finally made their way to the front of the line, and were greeted by the cashier. The elderly stallion did a brief double take when he saw his next customers, and then broke into a wide smile. 

“Shining! Twilight! I haven’t seen you two in years!” 

“Corny?! Is that you?” Twilight exclaimed in surprise, and Shining’s eyes widened in shock. 

“Sure is! Heck, I never thought I’d see you again, what with you growing up and saving Equestria and all. It sure is nice to see you back at our humble theater.” he answered with a content grin. 

“No problem. Could we get our tickets though? We’d love to stay and chat, but we shouldn’t hold up the line too much.” Twilight asked. 

“Coming right up,” Corny replied, ringing up their tickets on the register and hoofing them over. 
Moving away from the admissions line, Twilight and Shining entered the concessions line instead. While this wasn’t quite as long it still ate up a couple minutes, and the pair had to rush to their seats, junk food in tow, in order to make it in time. Making their way up the stairs and down an aisle as quickly as they could without stepping on anypony, they just barely managed to settle into a seat as the previews started. Drinks in cup holders and tubs of popcorn cradled in their laps, they soon became riveted to the screen. 
The lights in the theater went out, drenching them all in darkness. The screen stopped playing its last ad (buy one get one free at the hayburger chain), and showed the usual “the following preview has been approved for all audiences” message. 
A whisper of wind playing over the surround sound, the screen faded onto a desolate plain, bathed in soot and ash. Flat as far as the eye could see, stretching out in all directions. After a few seconds to soak it all in, the scene changed to the lifeless, skeletal husk of an enormous dead tree. Its lifeless limbs and trunk poking jaggedly into the sky. A second cut brought the scene to a destroyed city, the empty shells of buildings falling into themselves. 
The silence was abruptly broken by the jarring sound of gunshots ringing out, echoing through the streets and into the emptiness beyond. The camera shifted focus one last time, as spent bullet casings cascaded down into frame. The shot slowly panned upwards, showing the one responsible for the noise. First, a quartet of gray hooves, soon followed by blue and black fatigues, and a green glowing magic enveloping the ivory handle of the revolver being reloaded. The gun snapped back into place as the camera completed its journey, finishing on the tired face of a certain small, brown-maned unicorn. 
Just as the audience had time to take this all in, the screen flashed bright gold as a slow, sad piano began to play. The flash soon turned into streaks of golden thread criss-crossing all over the screen. As the piano climaxed, the shot zoomed out to show Fallout: Equestria written in glittering golden letters. As the title proudly displayed on screen, the audience was silent for a moment, before erupting into cheers. One very vocal stallion could be heard shouting “Yes! YES!” at the top of his lungs. 

For her part, Twilight leaned over and whispered slyly into Shining’s ear, “Great, now I wanna see that movie instead,” to which he chuckled and nodded in agreement. 
Unfortunately, the rest of the previews were not nearly as impactful, and the audience was soon once again thirsting for some super-pony action. They didn’t have to wait long, as the opening logos took their turns on screen, finally signifying the start of the film. Triumphant music played over rapid flashes of the comic book source material before turning into film clips from previous installments. Each showed off a particular hero and their abilities, and the images soon came together to form an elaborate title screen. 
As the film played, the audience seemed as one, a single-minded entity that cheered together, laughed together, and cried together. Popcorn buckets emptied down to the kernels, slushies sucked clean of all their flavor, and candies munched away. As the action intensified, the audience was bathed in multicolored lights from explosions, attacks, and the almost too brightly colored superhero costumes. 
Twilight and Shining were no exception, enjoying the film just as much as everypony around them. However, they did still add in their own thoughts from time to time. 
During a scene where the sidekick Humdrum was separated from the rest of the team, and sought help from a friendly stallion, Shining coyly remarked: “You know they put that in just to pass the Braeburn Test.” 

“Oh hush,” Twilight chided, though still with a smile. 

In another scene, a combination of slow motion and extreme close up shots revealed just how tightly the costumes fit the forms of the ponies. Toned thighs and backs shown off in all their glory, gripped by the shiny smooth latex. Shining and Twilight were less than impressed though. 

“Those suits look like they’d be impossible to move around in”, he said. 

“Oh believe me, they were,” Twilight muttered under her breath. 

“What?” Shining asked, looking to his sister in confusion. 

“Oh nothing, let’s just watch the film,” she said quickly, attempting to redirect his attention. The ploy worked, and Shining turned back to face the movie screen. 





About two hours later, the film had finished, the audience trickled out one by one, and a few die-hards stayed behind to catch the post-credits scene. Shining and Twilight were among this group, and exited the theater a good while after the rest. Hyped up on all the action and emotions, they could barely contain themselves from belting out all the new quotes, and spoiling them for all the ponies waiting in line for the next showing. Still, they managed to contain themselves until they were out on the street and well away from any prying ears. 

“So, did you like it?” Shining asked. 

Twilight let out a small laugh. “Of course I liked it, couldn’t you tell? We were practically floating out of the theater.” 

“I know, I know. I just meant… actually, hold on.” Shining cut off, and went down a side alley. Twilight followed closely, curious to hear what her brother had to say. When they were both tucked away in the shadows, he continued. “I knew you liked the movie, I meant more, did you enjoy our little ‘date’?” 

Twilight was thankful for the darkness, as it concealed the blush spreading across her face. “Oh, well um, yes. It was very nice.” She glanced around quickly, even though she already knew that they were alone. “However, I would enjoy something a little more, personal,” she whispered tenderly in his ear. 

“As you wish, my princess”, he replied, nuzzling against her neck. “I’ve got just the thing. But first,” he said, lighting up his horn, “I want it to be a surprise.” A strip of cloth levitated out of his bag, and tied itself around Twilight’s eyes. 





“Ta-da!” Shining exclaimed, removing the blindfold. As light flooded back in, Twilight’s vision adjusted as she tried to figure out where she was. Despite not being able to see, she had correctly surmised one of the city park’s, having been able to smell the dirt and trees. However, she now saw that they were tucked away in a familiar knot of trees, light only barely filtering in through the gaps in the branches. 
“What do you think?” Shining asked, gesturing with his hooves spread wide. He had set them up a small picnic, complete with quilted blanket, sandwiches, and a small pile of apples. 

Twilight smiled warmly, touched by the gesture. “I love it. Thanks Shiny.” She laid down on the blanket. “Now, you spent so much time putting this together, let’s enjoy it.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he said, grinning while giving a short salute before plopping down next to her. Together, they began to dig into the food. 
Several dishes later, Shining looked up from his food and regarded his sister. He swallowed what was in his mouth to allow himself to talk. “Hey, can I ask you something?” he ventured. 

Glancing up in response, Twilight shrugged and said “Sure.” 

“Why me? I guess, I don’t entirely understand. You could’ve chosen anyone in Equestria, and they probably would have been ecstatic at the chance to be with ‘Princess Twilight’, Element of Magic. I know that guard, Flash, he definitely had an interest in you. And Sunset was always dropping hints. So why, with all the options in the world, did you pick your own brother?” 

Somewhat surprised at the unexpected question, Twilight pondered for a minute before responding. “Well, it’s pretty simple really. Just because I could be with anybody doesn’t mean it would be a great idea. So I thought, who would love me? Understand me? Appreciate me for who I am, not what my title is. And the answer was obvious. You always read about ponies who start off as best friends, and everyone sees how well they go together, but it takes them a long time to figure it out for themselves. So, why couldn’t it be the same for us?” 

Shining shook his head, smiling. “Well, I’m awfully flattered. Though most ponies would say that there’s a very good reason why we shouldn’t be together.” 

Twilight scoffed. “Well, ‘a lot of ponies’ is not us. I love you B.B.B.F.F., and I’d rather try to find happiness with the pony that loves me the most than spend the rest of my life wishing I’d done it differently.” 

“Yeah, I know the feeling. You’ve got to go for what you want, make it happen for yourself. In fact, I can think of something that we probably both want,” he teased, leaning forward and giving Twilight a suggestive smile.She smiled in kind, and leaned in as well. Tucked away, out of sight of the world, with no one to tell them they were wrong, the brother and sister kissed. 
> Chapter 3: Parents
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Romance is a fickle thing. One may perceive it to be a necessary part of life, and yet its origin is simply chemical reactions in our brains. A simple need to breed, produce offspring, and continue the survival of a species. The primitive minds of the first creatures were not so concerned with things like “dates” and “love”. Even now, having evolved into so complicated a courtship system, there still remains for some the instinctual urge to have children. Something that our pair of unicorns have discovered for themselves. 





“Paladin, are you ready to leave yet?” Twilight called, craning her neck up the stairs. 

“Almost ready mom, just packing a few things into my bag real quick!” replied the light purple filly, her short blue and purple mane bouncing around as she dashed about the room. Grabbing pencils and paper off a desk, a stuffed pony toy off her bed, and finally a small hoofball from inside a bin of toys. Stuffing the items into her saddlebag, she fastened the straps around her middle and trotted off down the stairs. 
Twilight watched with a smile as her daughter bounced and bounded down the stairs, filled with the boundless energy of a young foal. The filly hopped down the last few steps and landed in front of her mother, mane askew, bag crooked, and grinning from ear to ear. 

“Are you ready to go see uncle Shining and aunt Cadance now? They’ve come all the way down from the Crystal Empire just to see us. And your cousin Flurry Heart is here too.” 

“All set,” Paladin answered, raising a hoof to her brow in salute.  

Twilight’s heart melted at the adorable sight, along with a pang of familiarity and guilt at who the gesture reminded her of. 
	“We’ll see him later anyways,” she thought, not wanting to go too far down the rabbit hole of her and her daughter’s relationship with Shining. Instead, she simply walked off through the royal quarters. As she opened the door to leave however, she was greeted by the sight of a squadron of royal guards, led by a reddish purple unicorn mare with a distinctive cracked horn. 

“Royal escort, reporting for duty Princess,” Tempest said, raising her hoof in a stiff salute. 

“Tempest, really, I said we wouldn’t need an escort. We’re not even leaving the city,” Twilight said earnestly, trying to shoo away the procession. 

“It’s for your own safety,” Tempest said stubbornly, holding her ground. 

“Really, Fizzlepop? We’ve been at peace for years, and even if there was a problem, you think I wouldn’t be able to handle it?” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow at the captain. 

The use of her real name having obviously rattled her, Tempest pursed her lips and hissed in a whisper “Please don’t call me that in front of the guards. I know you don’t really need any protection, but it’s our job. Equestrian law states you must always be accompanied by an escort. Just let us come along, we’ll be as discreet as possible.” 

Sighing, Twilight acquiesced. “Fine, just try and keep a low profile.” 





Fortunately for Twilight, the trip itself was relatively uneventful. Dispensing with the fanfare of the royal carriage and procession, they kept to the side streets and back alleys, avoiding most of the bustling crowds of the capital. The few ponies who they did encounter were largely too shocked at seeing the Princess to make a large fuss. At any rate, they moved on past before their presence could be broadcast. Tempest and the other guards kept their word, staying hidden in the shadows and almost never allowing themselves to be seen. So in what seemed like no time at all, they had arrived at their destination. Twilight and Shining’s foalhood home. 
Lifting up the brass door knocker, Twilight banged it several times. Just a few seconds later, the door swung inwards and Twilight and Paladin were greeted with the sight of a beaming Princess Cadance. 

“Twilight! Paladin! Oh, it’s wonderful to see you again, come inside, come inside. You all too,” she said, gesturing to the guard detail. 

“Thank you ma’am, but we should stay out here to guard the premises,” Tempest responded, taking up a position in front of the door. 

“Oh alright. I’ll bring you out some snacks later. Can’t have Equestria’s finest getting the munchies.” Cadance said sweetly as she closed the door. 

“Cadance, they’re Royal Guards, not foals,” Twilight said, though she wore a telling smile. 

“Oh hush now, everyone can use some snacks now and again. From what you’ve told me, that little badger in particular has a sweet tooth. I mean, look at him now.” They all peered out the window, where they could see Grubber was attempting to raid the dumpsters as Tempest looked on in disdain. 
“Truth be told, he doesn’t really seem like Royal Guard material,” Cadance idly wondered. 

“He’s honestly not, but he was Tempest’s only true friend before she reformed, and I didn’t want to separate them. Besides, it’s nice to have someone a bit more light hearted around the palace. Faust knows we could all do with a laugh now and again.” 
By now they had reached the living room, where they found Shining Armor and Flurry Heart waiting for them. Then it was time for a round of greetings and hugs as everypony got reacquainted. Shining gave his little sister a noogie, and Paladin a kiss on the cheek which she made a show of wiping off. 

“Ugh, uncle Shining, why?” she said in disgust, running a hoof over her cheek. 

“Just my way of saying ‘I love you’, Paladin.” Shining said cheekily. “Flurry Heart gets them too,” he continued, giving said alicorn a peck on the cheek as well. 

“Yeah, well, I’m not your daughter.” Paladin said dismissively. Shining’s eyes twitched nervously at this, and he exchanged a look with Twilight, who shook her head. 
“Anyway, I thought we were gonna have some fun today. You said we could play hoofball, and then look at some of your old favorite books and stuff later.” 
Grateful for the change in subject, Shining quickly responded to the affirmative. 
“Uh, yeah. We’ll head right out, we were just waiting for you all to arrive.” He used his magic to grab a sports bag from the side of the couch, stuffed to the brim with balls, cones, and other equipment. After a quick check to ensure everything was inside, he trotted over to the door, motioning to the others to follow. 
As they exited the house again, the guard detail looked up in surprise. 

“Don’t tell me you’re leaving? We just got here a minute ago!” one of them whined, causing Tempest to berate him. 
Ignoring the disciplinary action taking place, the royal ponies continued off. 





Not much later, they were all relaxing at their destination. A very familiar park, nestled in the heart of the city. Shining, Paladin, and Flurry all tossed a hoofball back and forth, Twilight and Cadance watched them while chatting, and even the guards were enjoying the sunshine. Though they still kept a perimeter all around the royal party, blocking them off from the other ponies in the park (though the royals didn’t particularly enjoy this either). 
“So, I hear you’ve taken on a new student?” Cadence ventured. 

“Oh, yes, her name’s Luster Dawn. She’s very bright, but doesn’t seem to have many friends.” Twilight replied. 

“Heh, that sounds like somepony else I know,” Cadance chuckled, grinning suggestively. 

“Yeah, yeah. I used to wonder what friendship could be, and look at me now. The princess of friendship,” she embellished with quotes. “Still, I know Luster can learn. Her heart’s in the right place. I was thinking of introducing her to the council of friendship at some point. I think it would be good for her.” 

“Might be a good idea. Though of course, friendship is really something everycreature does on their own. You can’t force someone to make friends.” Cadance said sagely. 

“True, true. But it doesn’t hurt to see some examples. If she doesn’t value friendship, I want to try and show her how important my friends are to me. And how I wouldn’t be here without them. I wouldn’t be here without you two either,” she said, indicating Cadance and Shining. 
For his part, Shining was looking intently at his wife and sister as they chatted, becoming so distracted that the next throw caught him in the side of the face. 

“Ouch!” he cried, more startled than truly hurt. He rubbed the impact spot with a hoof, while noticing a guilty look on Paladin’s face. 

“Sorry, I thought you were paying attention,” she explained in a meek voice. 

“Paladin, sweetie, just call my name if you want to get my attention, okay?” Shining said gently. 

“Okay,” she said, her voice barely above a peep. 

“Good. Now heads up,” he said as he tossed the ball back to her. She deftly caught it with a single hoof, and instead of tossing it back, tucked it in towards her body and began to run at Shining. 

“Paladin sprints up the field looking for an opening,” she narrated to herself. 

Squaring himself off to face the charge, Shining took part in kind “The defensive line is headed by Shining Armor. What will Paladin do?” he grinned as she approached. 

“Flurry Heart out of nowhere!” came the response as said alicorn smashed into Shining, knocking him over backwards and giving Paladin the distraction she needed. She sprinted past them, reaching the line of cones. Slamming the ball down in triumph, she did a little touchdown dance, shimmying her hips and wiggling her hooves. 
Shining could just barely see her through the tangle of limbs and couldn’t help but laugh internally “She’s as terrible a dancer as her mother”. 
Soon enough, Paladin had finished her gloating, and looked over to where Shining and Flurry were still entangled. Grinning, she crouched low, pawing at the ground with a hoof. Making eye contact with Shining, who realized what she was about to do and whose eyes widened in fear, she charged. Sprinting towards the pile, she steadily picked up speed before leaping into the air, flying like a fuzzy purple missile before crashing into her target. 

“Gaah!” Shining exclaimed as Paladin smashed into them. Flurry, who hadn’t noticed Paladin’s charge, screeched at the unexpected attack. She quickly regained her composure however, and counter-attacked. The two fillies rolled away, locked in a struggle. Shining managed to pull himself upright, leaning on a hoof and watching as they tussled. Though young, both fillies were strong beyond their years, and went on for a surprisingly long time. Flipping, poking, booping, and generally causing a ruckus. Eventually, Paladin emerged the victor, pinning Flurry beneath her in a full-body lock. 

“Gotcha! Now yield!” she proclaimed, leaning her face in extremely close to Flurry’s. But the other Princess was not so easily dominated, and rather than give in, she channeled her magic and trapped Paladin in a telekinetic hold. Completely paralyzed, the earth pony princess was helpless against her alicorn peer as Flurry lifted her up and off. 

“Not so tough, now, are ya?” she said, looking her in the eye and smirking. 

“Flurry! Let her go!” Shining’s stern voice interjected. 
Startled, Flurry released her magic and sent Paladin crashing to the ground. She turned to see her father with a look of mild fury on his face. It was reminiscent of his days in the royal guard, but just as effective at bringing unruly children under control. 
“Good. Now let’s get back to your mothers. I’m sure they’ll want to speak with you as well, and it’s time to eat anyway,” 
Though still glaring daggers at each other, both Paladin and Flurry heeded Shining’s words, and the three trotted back to the picnic blanket and rejoined Twilight and Cadance. 

Cadance regarded Flurry with a stern look on her face. “I feel I shouldn’t have to remind you again that your quarrels shouldn’t escalate so far. Simple games do not need such force and violence,” she lectured to Flurry, who sheepishly looked away. 

“The same goes for you Paladin. You need to learn to keep your competitiveness and aggression in check,” Twilight added, looking to her own daughter. 

“Yes mom,” both fillies acquiesced, though neither in a particularly convincing tone. Twilight and Cadance picked up on this, and each regarded their daughter with a suspicious look. Their once pristine coats were now matted and tangled, covered with dirt and grass stains. And despite their attempts to look away, the less than pleased expressions they wore could still be seen. Nonetheless, Twilight didn’t resist when Paladin came up to her and nuzzled into the side of her neck, enjoying the affection of her daughter. Even if she did get a bit of gunk on her. 
After she finished her little gesture, Paladin settled in beside her mother and tucked into the food. Several minutes passed in comfortable silence, the previous tension and wrought emotions dissipating in light of a good meal. Everypony was too distracted by the delectable feast in front of them to waste any precious mouth time talking. Though nothing was said out loud, each was still free to ramble on in their minds. 
Paladin and Flurry each fantasized about triumphing over the other. Shining continued to keep a close eye on the two, worried about how quickly their competition had escalated. Cadance was focused on everypony’s physical well-being, looking them over and checking for any signs of injury. Twilight’s thoughts were going a mile a minute, quickly jumping between topics ranging from the Equestrian-Changeling summit to what to eat for dinner that night. 
As nourishments dwindled and stomachs grew full, conversation started to occur again in fits and starts. First to speak was Shining Armor, hoping to extend an olive branch between Flurry and Paladin. 

“So, when we get back, would you girls be interested in looking at some of my old comics?” he ventured. 
It appeared to work, both fillies perking up and looking at Shining. 

“Of course! I’m always interested in some antique entertainment,” Paladin confirmed excitedly. 

“Vintage. Not antique. I’m not quite that old sweetie,” Shining corrected her. 

“What’s the difference?” 

“Antique means over a hundred years old, vintage simply means something from a previous generation,” Shining explained. 

“Ah.” 

“So I guess Luna and Celestia are antiques then,” Flurry interjected, causing the adults to stare at her in disbelief. Seeing their mortified looks, she said “What? It’s not like it’s a lie. They’re ancient and they know it.” 

“That may be true, but please don’t ever say that to their faces. It’s not very nice.” Cadence implored. 

“If you say so. Not like we see them very often anyway.” Flurry acquiesced with a shrug. 

“Alright then,” Shining said while giving a small nod, “let’s pack up and head back.” 





Returning back to the house, they once again split into two groups. Twilight and Cadance went to chat in the living room, while Shining took the fillies upstairs. 
Reaching the top of the stairs and turning left, they located Shining’s old room. It was not entirely different from Twilight’s, a good amount of comic books and toys could be seen, but there were also far fewer books and papers, and far more balls and sports equipment. As Paladin and Flurry stood awkwardly, trying not to go too deep into the mess, Shining had focused his attention underneath his old bed. Among the various dusty artifacts preserved there was his old Princess Luna costume, a match set with Twilight’s Celestia costume in her room. Though that was not his goal. Eventually finding what he was searching for, his horn lit up and his magic dragged out a large wooden trunk. 
“Here we go, this is what I wanted to show you,” he said, bringing it over to the two fillies. As they looked at him curiously, Shining undid the clasps and opened it up. Inside, carefully pressed and packed in plastic, were dozens of vintage comic books. Pulling a few out, Shining’s eyes gleamed with nostalgia as he reminisced. 
“I loved these as a kid. The adventures of Daring Do, the Power Ponies, all the works. Before they were multi-billion-bit franchises, they started out with more humble beginnings.” 

“I thought Daring Do was a novel series, not comic books?” Paladin questioned, holding up one of the issues. 

“Well yeah, but they were expanded into comics later. I have all the original novels too. I should say we do, cause both me and Twilight had to share them. Your grandparents weren’t going to buy two sets of the same books.” Shining explained, while also going to his bookshelf and pulling out some of the novels in question. “Anyway, if you both wanted to look through those for now, I’ll head back downstairs. And remember to be careful with them, don’t crease the pages, and put them back in the plastic sleeves when you’re done.” 
Paladin and Flurry both rolled their eyes, but nodded nonetheless as Shining backed out of the door, closing it behind him. 
“Let’s hope they can get along better over comics than they do over hoofball,” he thought to himself as he trotted back downstairs to join the others. As he reentered the living room, he saw that Twilight and Cadance were already chatting away. 

“Well they certainly fight like siblings, even if they don’t know it,” Cadance was mentioning. 

“Hey now, Shining and I never got into fights like that,” Twilight countered. 

“Well, I would hardly say that you have had the standard sibling relationship. But everyone fights. Maybe not of the same intensity, but they do. Siblings, best friends, lovers, parents, everyone. It’s just a matter of how you deal with it.” 

Twilight gave a soft snicker before answering, “Heh, I guess you could say we’re ‘all of the above.’”