"Hey, Princess? Not for nothing, but I'm getting pretty tired on my hooves. Could I head to my room and settle in?" Rainbow Dash asks as the tour reaches the throne room.

  Celestia blinks, looking back at the pegasus as startled realization suddenly sets in. "Oh goodness, you're still recovering, aren't you? And here I am, dragging you all around the castle all day on your hooves."

  Rainbow Dash offers a weak smile, shuffling in pce. Her hooves are, in fact, still quite sore, and the lightning-patterned veins of red lines crawling up her leg have yet to dissipate, leaving her crisscrossed in swollen crimson marks. "Eheh... I'll be fine, promise. I just think I'd like to rex for now, that's all." She tries to brush off the injury.

  Celestia nods. "Of course, Rainbow Dash. Do you need me to show you the way back?"

  Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Nah, I think I got it," she affirms before taking off and zily floating through the air back to where she came from; flight is easier on her hooves after all.

  That leaves Twilight alone with just Celestia again.The unicorn’s eyelid twitches as an undercurrent of stress begins pulsing through her. Rainbow Dash's forthrightness had made it easier to rex around the Princess, but now it's just the two of them again. Well, three, technically, with the small dragon on her back reminding her of its presence by tugging on her mane.

  Celestia warmly appraises the unicorn filly, Twilight's heart pounding just a smidge harder in her chest now that the monarch's attention is once more upon her, specifically. "And how about you, Twilight? Do you also feel the need to rest?"Twilight shakes her head fervently. "No! I'm ready to start!" She isn't sure exactly what she is ready to start, though; her lessons? Nonetheless, she's eager to start learning whatever it is she is here to learn. Magic, right?

  Celestia giggles softly. "While I admire your eagerness, I'm afraid it is not yet time. I haven't had time to clear my schedule for this week to begin lessons, so I am afraid my duties call. Csses will begin next week."

  Twilight makes a face of horrified disappointment. "Next week?" She can't help but let her impatience through in her voice; She wants to learn magic now! If she had known she wouldn't be getting any lessons for an entire week, she’d have brought books from home to study.

  Celestia offers the young filly an endearing smile. "Now there, Twilight. What do you say we find you some books in the library in the meantime? Your brother tells me you love to read, and you now have plenty of time to do so."

  Twilight immediately perks up, both at the mention of books and her brother. "Huh? Shiny? You've talked to Shiny?"

  Celestia nods. "Of course. I've spoken to every prospective pace guard." For just a second as they say that, the princess looks entirely too exhausted. But they quickly pull themself back together again. "And as soon as I learned one of the cadets was my new student's older brother, I of course went to go and visit him. I enjoy learning about the personal lives of those near me."

  Twilight's eyes shine with eagerness. Although she knows her brother is a royal guard cadet, it somehow has not occurred to her before that means he is here, in the pace where she would be staying. Hopping in pce excitedly, Twilight beams up at Celestia. "Can we go and visit him!?"

  Celestia hesitates. It would likely not be a good idea to distract the guard with his little sister. Then again, it might help remind him what he is protecting, and the princess is keen to give those that serve them a chance for warmth and happiness. As they are all too familiar with, such opportunities, once squandered, might never return. So, Celestia nods. "Of course. But we should hurry; I do not have much more time."

  Twilight nods. "Which way?" The filly asks, looking around questioningly.

  "Just follow me, I shall show you." Celestia offers, taking the lead with Twilight following closely behind. The pair trot through a side passage leading through a garden, around the outdoor section of the pace, to the training grounds towards the pace rear. There is a small courtyard, connected to two buildings; a tower on one side and a half-dome on the other, which Twilight guesses is probably the dormitory. And in the middle, a variety of unicorn guards-ponies in the midst of a magical training exercise, the drill sergeant behind them barking orders. They’re organized in two groups, with one bombarding the other with magical spells while their opponents block the onsught with a shield spell.

  Twilight watches as she approaches. The team on the defense looks almost entirely wiped out, most of the unicorns struggling to even stand, but a single galnt figure in the middle of the team is holding the line, standing stock-upright and single-hoofedly absorbing the entire enemy team’s assault.

  Twilight’s gaze lights up as she recognizes her beloved brother holding the line, and she hops up and down excitedly, much to Celestia’s surprise; this is certainly the most excited the princess has seen her since they’d met. "Wooh! Go Shiny!" Twilight cheers, grinning broadly.

  “Huh?” Shining Armor’s head instinctively jolts in the direction of the sound, the sudden distraction weakening his shield enough for it to shatter under the sustained magical bombardment, pelting him in a variety of stinging bolts.

  The drill sergeant's whistle blows. "Everypony, at attention! Their majesty is with us!" Every guard in the line snaps into a rigid, upright position, even those who, mere moments ago, had been too tired to stand.

  "At ease, guardsponies. May I borrow one Shining Armor for a moment?" Celestia asks cordially as she walks up to the edge of the group of ponies, their tone of voice seemingly suggesting that 'no' is a possible answer despite the fact that nopony would dare refuse the Princess. Twilight scurries along underhoof, keeping close to the princess.

  "Of course. Shining Armor, please escort the princess! Everypony else, you may take a five-minute break." The drill sergeant orders, and Shining Armor gnces back and forth in confusion before trotting over to Celestia.

  "Your majesty, what have I done to deserve the honor of your company?" Shining Armor asks in his best formal tone, bowing his head so low that he doesn't even notice Twilight standing right beside the alicorn.

  "Oh, I'm afraid you've done nothing, Shining Armor." Celestia's voice betrays a sense of amusement. "However, I have it on good authority that my companion here would dearly like to see you."

  Shining Armor raises his head in confusion, just in time to see the purple filly throw her hooves around his neck, squeezing him tightly. "I just realized we'll both be staying at the pace during the week, now! Isn't that amazing?" Twilight announces, grinning ear to ear.

  Shining Armor blushes, keenly aware of Celestia’s presence watching him. "U-Um, Twilie, can’t this wait until we get home..?" He asks, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

  "Huh? Do you not want to see me?" Twilight furrows her brow, her lip quivering in an obnoxiously cute dispy that just about makes Shining Armor’s heart burst from his chest.

  "It's not that, It's just... Celestia’s... Right there." Shining Armor hisses out between clenched teeth, clearly growing more nervous with the moment.

  "Oh? I suppose I could take a few steps back if that would be more comfortable for you." Celestia suggests pyfully. "Or to the side. Or even forwards, if that would help?"

  "Th-That won't be necessary!" Shining Armor quickly stammers out, his voice cracking.

  Twilight shrugs. After seeing all the things that Rainbow Dash had gotten away with near Celestia, it's hard to feel as intimidated as she normally would have been. Besides of which, she has something to show her brother! Lifting Spike with her levitation, she promptly pces the dragon down right in front of her, waking the baby dragon who had fallen asleep on her back some time ago.

  "Uooh?" Comes the curious sound from the purple-scaled wonder themself, blinking open wide green eyes as they look up at Shining Armor.

  "Spike, say hello to Shiny, my Big Brother Best Friend Forever! And Shiny, say hello to Spike!" Twilight beams up at Shining Armor, who takes a step back, quite literally taken aback.

  "Uhm? And who is this little fel?" Shining Armor asks, uncertainly.

  The response comes not from Twilight, but Celestia. "Your sister pulled off a phenomenal magical feat during her magical exam, and hatched Spike here from a chunk of inanimate rock."

  Shining Armor's jaw drops wide open, his eyes practically bulging from his head. "Twilie did WHAT?"

  Celestia giggles at his reaction. "You didn't think I took in students lightly, did you? Your sister has an extraordinary gift for magic, you should be proud."

  Shining Armor doesn't hesitate any longer to throw his hooves around both Twilight and her draconic companion, triggering a giggle from both Spike and Twilight. "I am proud of her! As proud as a brother can be!" A faint warble can be heard in Shining Armor's voice.

  "I can see that talent runs in the family, as well." Celestia states, approvingly. "Your performance in drills just now was exempry, Shining Armor. I hope you know that I expect great things from you."

  Shining Armor salutes with one hoof, while the other remains tightly wrapped around Twilight, sandwiching a presently very-happy Spike in between the two ponies as they coo gently. "Yes, Princess! It's an honor to serve!" Shining Armor's voice takes on its more characteristic formal tone.

  Celestia's smile slips a little with a sigh. "Well, it's been a pleasure. It is good to see my little ponies in such good spirits, but I'm afraid that's all the time I have today. Duty calls. Shining Armor, could you please escort your sister here to the library? She seems to be in need of some recreation to fill the time until her csses start."

  Shining Armor releases Twilight and Spike from his grasp and bows low before the sor monarch. "Of course, Princess, it would be my honor." Shining Armor holds the pose until Celestia lifts off and flies off, before turning his attention back to his younger sister. "Well, somepony has been busy, huh hotshot? Look at you, making inroads with royalty and conjuring new life on the spot. I wonder what other surprises you've got in store for me?"

  Twilight blushes at the praise, looking away. "I wasn't able to just do it on my own, you know... I only passed the exam because of Rainbow Dash's Rainboom."

  As Shining Armor begins leading Twilight down the halls, he gnces back at her and raises a brow. "Whose whatnow?"

  "Rainbow Dash! She's Celestia's other new student. She's a pegasus from Cloudsdale. Do you remember the huge rainbow from the day of my exam? That was her doing, and that's what gave me the magic necessary to hatch Spike." Twilight expins, gncing back to see Spike presently absently munching on a bit of her mane. "Ow, Spike, stop it!" Twilight protests, as the little dragon tugs.

  "Rainbow Dash, huh? From Cloudsdale?" Shining Armor snorts. "Oh, the other nobles are gonna have a field day with this..." He mutters under his breath.

  Twilight cocks her head looking at her brother. "Huh? Why?"

  Shining Armor just shakes his head. "Nevermind that. You're gonna love the Canterlot pace library, sis. I don't think I can let you into all the rooms just yet, but some of the rarest magical texts in Equestria are stored here." Shining Armor casts a look over at Spike, who is presently nestled down against Twilight's neck. "And maybe you can find something on taking care of that little fel while you're here, too."

  Twilight perks up. "That's a good idea, I'm sure they have something on dragon physiology around here!" She pauses, frowning. "...Dragon's don't produce milk, do they? I have no idea where I would get dragon milk..."

  Shining Armor shrugs. "I think you'd know that better than me, Twilie. Anyways, we're here!" Shining Armor stops before a gated room, rows and rows of books concealed just out of range. With a poof, Shining Armor manifests a key out of seemingly nowhere, sliding it into the lock and opening the gate.

  Twilight stumbles forward in an awed daze, eyes growing rge. It isn't that the library is immense in size, but rather that the books are incredible to look at. Many appear ancient, but all are in excellent condition, gilded within eborate tomes bound in leather (a rarity in Equestria), gold, silver, and even... Are those gemstones studded into some of the books?

  "Be careful now, Twilie." Shining Armor cautions. "Stick only to what isn't locked up. Some of these books can be dangerous." Though he could technically leave now to get back to practice, Shining Armor figures that Celestia would probably want him to watch the unicorn filly and make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble. Plus, if another guard came by, they might think she had broken in; Having Shining Armor there ensured she wouldn't be bothered.

  So, Shining Armor settles in, scanning the bookshelves to find something for himself to read. Ooh, unicorn combat tactics seventh edition. I didn't know they came out with this. Shining Armor thinks to himself, approvingly, as he draws a book from the shelf. One of many works that is only avaible to the personal retinue of Princess Celestia themself, and for good reason; It simply would not do to let any old insurrectionist be able to read all about the combat techniques of the royal guard.

  Meanwhile, Twilight is running from bookshelf to bookshelf in a flurry of activity, eyes scanning and rapidly grabbing books with her magic as she goes. "I don't know if I've ever seen any of these books before, Shiny!" She whisper-shouts. "How should I start!? Should I read them in alphabetic order? Or maybe by author? Or-"

  Twilight's flurry of questions is halted by Shining Armor levering a pointed look at her. "Don't you think you should start with dragon physiology? I don't know if anypony actually knows what you need to do to take care of your... Um, creation." He points out.

  Twilight halts in pce, ceasing her ecstatic bouncing for a moment. "You're right, Shiny. You always know what's best." Twilight offers her older brother an endearing smile which almost makes his heart explode from his chest at the sheer wholesomeness of it, before quickly scanning the archives. "Let's see... Rare and unusual creatures volumes one through four, that might have something... A treatise on Equestria's neighbors, no, that looks more like it's about politics... Ah, here we are! The Compendium of Known Dragon Lore, by famed explorer Rope Trotter!" Twilight announces eagerly as she accumutes a small stack of books to read, curling up beside her brother and starting with the st of the books acquired.

  Shining Armor hides a smile as he gnces over at the small form of Twilight Sparkle, now sandwiched neatly between him and the wall. She'd just naturally taken up that position without even thinking about it, perhaps feeling safer close to her brother, or at least more comfortable. In turn, Spike curls up between Twilight's hooves, leaving the three of them snuggled together in the corner of the room. Honestly, where do you get off being so precious? I can't even be upset about being taken away from training for this.

  Sighing, Shining Armor turns another page in his book. He has a feeling he's going to be stuck here for a nice long time, indeed, judging from the size of Twilight's stack of books...