Chapter 9: Pain Between Siblings

For several long moments, no one moved. Twilight looked at her brother, and noticed his facial expression was…ashamed. The whistling of the teakettle sounded. With a murmured excuse, Catania dashed to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with five steaming cups. "Tea, anypony?" She asked softly.

Everypony, including Shining, took a cup. "Mmm…is this jasmine?" Luna asked, breaking the silence. Catania smiled slightly and nodded.

Shining cleared his throat. "Um, is it alright if…ah—well, is there a place Twilight and I can talk privately?"

"You can talk in the library." Onyx offered, his voice sounding tense. Clearly, Shining was still not on good terms with him.

Catania stood and motioned for the siblings to follow her. Leading them down the hallway, she opened a door about halfway down. "Here," she said as she turned and went back to the others.

Shining motioned for Twilight to go in ahead of him. He spoke only when he was at her back. "We need to talk." He said, shutting the door as he entered. To say the atmosphere was uncomfortable would've been an understatement.

Twilight looked at her hooves. "I know this is about the rehearsal…and you don't have to apologize…not really. I was being a foal."

Shining blinked in shock. "No, I do need to. You were right. This whole time, you and Catania were right. You knew something was wrong and tried to warn us. But…but I didn't listen. I'm your brother, your family, and I just cast you aside for a false bride!" Twilight looked up and saw shame, pain, and self-loathing in his eyes as he continued, "I should've trusted you, but I didn't…and that nearly cost everypony everything."

He locked eyes with his sister, and they seemed to come to an unspoken agreement. "Twily…whatever you feel you need to say about what I did, please…say it now."

Twilight drew a shaky breath as she considered this very carefully. She knew her brother well enough to know he wouldn't let this rest until she'd said what she'd needed to. And, she had to admit to herself, even though she was hurting, the last thing she wanted was to let her family and friends see her become bitter or resentful. So, taking a deep breath again, she spoke. "You're right. There are things I need to say to you. Throughout my life, I've felt closer to you than I have with any other pony. More than Spike and my friends, more than Celestia, even more than our own parents, you were the one pony I could rely on…the one pony I could trust."

Shining seemed to flinch with each word that was said, as if it were punching him in the gut.

"For you to do that…Shining, I was only trying to protect you, yet you practically disowned me and revoked me of the title of Best Mare." She shut her eyes, trying not to let her tears fall. "I won't lie; it hurt me, more than words could ever say. I had my friends and Celestia turn away from me. That hurt me enough…but you? You abandoning me like that, refusing to believe me…it inflicted pain that I doubt anything could ever match." She opened her eyes again, several tears falling.

The white unicorn shut his eyes, unable to meet his sister's teary eyes as she carried on.

"You rejected me for caring about you. And now, looking back on how easily you cast me aside when I was only trying to help you," she paused, then said, in a pained voice, "maybe I was right to fear we were drifting apart…that our love for each other wasn't as strong as it once was."

It was here Shining broke, collapsing to his knees. His eyes beginning to well, he looked up at his sister. The sight of him like this, once so strong, now so brought down was hard to bear. Nevertheless, Twilight listened to his response.

"Twilight…there is nothing I can say or do that can ever make up for how I hurt you. I know you can't forgive me, just as I can't forgive myself. I…I don't deserve a sister like you. A sister whose every thought and action was for my benefit…and I threw back at you for one who was manipulating me. I'm so sorry for what I did." Tears finally began to fall down his cheeks.

Twilight looked at her brother as memories of their foalhood together surfaced. She got down on her knees as well and touched his shoulder to get his attention. "Shining…what you did hurt me, and it probably will hurt me for a long time afterwards. But…I can't stay upset with you…not even for this." Her brother looked up in shock as she continued, "Maybe we have drifted apart…but you are still my brother. You've been with me for as long as I can remember. You're my BBBFF for a reason, and that hasn't gone away." She sighed. "I'm still upset at you and at my friends and Celestia for tuning away from me…but…I forgive you."

"B-b-but…forgive? How? Why? I-I don't deserve—"

Twilight raised a hoof to stop him before continuing, her voice shaking, "Maybe you think you don't deserve it, maybe some small part of me doesn't want you to deserve it, but you're still my brother. And I love you." As she said that, her expression changed to a gentler one, the hurt in her eyes replaced by acceptance.

Shining Armor looked down at the ground, still uncomfortable. He couldn't fathom that she'd forgive him. But he knew the emotional injury she sustained from, not only him, but also her friends and Celestia, would be with her for the rest of her life, most likely. He was surprised when Twilight reached forward and embraced him. After he recovered, her returned it, holding her close. Maybe they would never be as close as they'd been in their youth, but there was one thing that would never change. As they broke apart from their hug, they voiced that.

"I love you, Twily."

"I love you too…BBBFF."