Six friends stared in horror and disgust at the incredibly foul-smelling, nasty mess.
"Oh. My." Fluttershy opined.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeww," Pinkie offered.
"This is just SICK," Rainbow chimed in.
"I think I'm going to BE sick," Rarity added.
"This jes' ain't right," Applejack drawled.
Twilight shook her head and sighed. "Okay, I guess I should've seen this coming after the foal formula rain..."
"Well, this is what happens after a foal has her formula," Pinkie said.
"Yeah, but not ALL OVER PONYVILLE!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Twilight, I'm sorry, but that foal's gotta go..."
"NO," Twilight stated firmly. "We are NOT running Velvet and her family out of Ponyville just because things get a little..." She struggled to search for the right word.
"Caca?" Pinkie offered. Applejack bucked her into the nearest wall.
"Look, we're all just a little...weirded out right now," Twilight said with a sigh. "We should all just go home, take a nice long bath, and...well..." She trailed off with a game shrug. "Try to forget this happened."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can forget this sh—" Rainbow was interrupted as a large clump of baby powder fell out of the sky, hitting her smack in the face. She broke into a coughing, sneezing fit. "GAH! WHAT—*cough* THE HA*gchoo!*"
"Oh look, Lavender must be changing Velvet's diaper," Twilight said tonelessly.
"Okay this is jes' too weird," Applejack said as it began snowing baby powder all over Ponyville. "Ah reckon Ah'm gonna go home an' hit th' cider. Anypony wanna come with?"
* * * * *
The next day, Cadance and Shining Armor arrived in Ponyville, announcing that given the previous day's bizarre weather incidents, Princess Celestia had decided Shining's unique ability was needed more in Ponyville until Velvet's accidental magic fits started to subside.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble," Lavender said to the noble stallion and his royal bride.
"Not at all!" Cadance said cheerfully. "I love foalsitting!"
"She does at that," Shining said with a smile. "And I don't mind at all, really. Princess Luna and her guards have agreed to keep an increased vigil in my stead while I'm here." He paused, nose wrinkling. "Did it...did it really rain...um...you know..."
"Yes. Yes it did."
Cadance made a face. "Goodness."
"As near as I've been able to tell," Twilight began, adopting her lecturing tone and beginning to pace, "Velvet's magical outbursts are connected with whatever happens to be on her mind at any given time. If she's hungry, for example, it starts raining formula. When she...soils herself, it starts raining..." She cleared her throat and flushed. "Ahem. And when Lavender changes her diaper, it starts snowing baby powder."
"Baby powder? That's weird," Cadance said. "Um...I mean, weirder than..." She trailed off. "What I mean is—"
"I know what you mean," Twilight said with a laugh. "I wondered about that too, so I decided to do a little test."
"A test?" Shining asked, tilting his head.
"I sprinkled a little baby powder on her belly," Twilight said. "A few seconds later, a baby powder blizzard broke out in the nursery." Her brother and sister-in-law blinked. "Apparently, she likes baby powder. The smell, probably."
"Well, that's...good to know, I guess," Cadance said. "I mean, the baby powder makers would be happy to know foals like the smell of baby powder, right?"
Shining Armor shook his head, chuckling.
"And that little test also confirmed that her magic doesn't always affect a large area," Twilight continued. "Whatever effect she produces seems to be exponentially linked to her overall mood."
"How so?" Cadance asked.
"Well, when she made it rain formula all over Ponyville, apparently she was really hungry," Twilight explained.
"Oh, I get it," Shining said. "And then right after that, she took a really big—"
"Yes," Twilight interrupted, coughing. "Also, the magic flares are as random as any unicorn foal's magic. Sometimes it's barely noticeable, other times—"
"It rains icky no-no all over town," Cadance finished.
Lavender buried her head in her hooves. "We will NEVER live that down, will we?" she moaned.
"Anyway, I can't say for sure how long it'll be like this," Twilight said. "My best guess is another three months, and then we can start training her, or at least encouraging her not to act out with her magic."
"I dunno, Twi," Armor said. "You were nearly a yearling before Mom and Dad broke you of random magic."
"Yeah, well..." Twilight looked away, face flaming. Then, she looked back up with a manic smile. "THEY didn't have a plan. I have a plan. And it. Is. Going. To. WORK!"
"...I have a very bad feeling about this," Cadance said, backing away from the manic lavender unicorn with one hoof raised.
"No, no, don't worry!" Twilight said brightly. "I'm sure I can horn-train Velvet by the time she's eight months old, nine tops!"
"I certainly hope so," Lavender said, looking forlornly out the window.
Outside, it was raining pacifiers.
"...oh, ponyfeathers," Armor said with a grimace. His horn began to glow...
* * * * *
In Canterlot, the two rulers of Equestria were having tea.
"So, Velvet Frost can manifest many different forms of matter, and reproduce them as an atmospheric effect?" Luna asked her sister.
"Evidently," Celestia replied, amusement in her tone. "At present, everything she has caused to fall in Ponyville has been the sort of things that preoccupy a foal's mind..."
"Yes, I've heard the rumors," Luna said. "I have yet to witness any such manifestations myself; every time I go down to see her, she's asleep."
"Mmm," Celestia replied. "Most of the more...unusual events seem to occur at hours you and I are unable to escape our obligations here." After sipping her tea, she added, "The one time I've directly witnessed Velvet's more...unusual outbursts, it rained rubber duckies in the bathroom." At Luna's raised eyebrow, she clarified, "Lav was giving her a bath and forgot to put her ducky in the water."
Luna chuckled. "Interesting."
"I only hope Twilight Sparkle is equal to the task I have set before her," Celestia said. "Velvet Frost...if her magic is not properly shaped and trained, and if she is not given the proper guidance, then her power could disrupt all of Equestria..."
"From what I know of Twilight Sparkle, you could not have chosen a better mentor for the little one," Luna assuaged her sister. "Besides, you must also have faith in the foal's parents, must you not?"
"You're right, of course," Celestia agreed. "Lavender Rose and Sable Star are good, kind, decent ponies. I am certain we have nothing to worry about..."
* * * * *
"IF I HAVE TO CLEAN MANURE OUT OF MY MANE ONE MORE TIME I AM GOING TO GO COMPLETELY BUCKING BERSERK!" Lavender Rose shrieked. Numerous objects of various shapes and sizes were propelled forcefully from the direction of the bathroom, wreathed in rose-hued unicorn magic.
Sable Star winced. "Uhhh..."
Upstairs, Velvet started to cry. A loud clap of thunder shook the house; the flash of lightning lit up the stairwell.
Eyes wide, Twilight charged up the stairs. Just as she arrived, she saw a rather frantic Cadance attempting to lull the cranky foal to sleep. Her soft lullaby, accompanied by a burst of her own unique magic, quickly pacified the little alicorn, and the brewing thunderstorm silently dissipated.
"Whew," Cadance said as Velvet fell asleep, making quiet little baby pony noises. "That was a close one."
It was then that Twilight noticed the older mare's mane was frizzy and rather crisp at the ends.
"Uhh...want me to watch her while you go tame your mane?" Twilight offered.
Cadance blinked. "My mane? What—"
Wordlessly, Twilight levitated a mirror over to the alicorn, who stared in horror. "Oh horseapples," she groaned. "I'll uh...just...excuse me a minute."
As Cadance rushed down to the bathroom, Lavender trotted in, looking sheepish. "Um...I'm sorry you had to see me freaking out like that," she said.
Twilight smiled and waved a hoof dismissively. "I completely understand. This is always the hardest time on new parents when a unicorn is born; it's only natural it'd be much worse with an alicorn...I'm not helping, am I?"
"Not really, but thanks for trying."
"Right," Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof sheepishly. "Sooooo..."
"Actually, Twilight?" Lavender began. At the other mare's headtilt, she continued, "Sable and I could REALLY use a little time...y'know...away. Um...do you think—"
"It's not a problem," Twilight assured her. "I'm here, my brother and Cadance are here, Pinkie's good with foals, Fluttershy's...not coming anywhere near Velvet right now and I totally understand...but there are plenty of ponies to look after Velvet while you and Sable take a little breather. About how long were you thinking?"
"Oh, not too long," Lavender replied. "Two weeks, three at the most."
"Three...WEEKS?!" Twilight echoed. "But...Velvet is still awfully young..."
"Twi. I just spent an hour getting manure out of my mane. And that's the third time this week."
Twilight winced. "I...see your point."
"Yeah." Lavender sighed. "So, me and Sable are gonna go to Neighpon for a while. We've always wanted to go, we just never got around to it..."
"Neighpon! I've always wanted to visit there too," Twilight said, eyes bright. "Mind if I send along a little souvenir money and a list of things I'd like from there?"
"Sure, no problem! It's the LEAST we can do to thank you for all your help," Lavender replied with a smile.
Twilight clopped her hooves together happily. "Thank you so much! I'll make a list tonight and bring it over tomorrow. When were you planning to leave?"
"Tomorrow after breakfast," Lavender said.
"That soon?!"
"Manure. Mane. Three times this week."
"...right..."
* * * * *
Shining Armor and Cadance happily agreed to housesit, and Pinkie offered to help foalsit anytime she was needed. The following morning, Twilight and all her friends saw Sable Star and Lavender Rose off at the mareport. An hour after the beleaguered couple left, the housesitters returned to the quiet little house; Pinkie Pie and Cadance wasted no time in raiding the fridge, while Shining Armor reinforced the barrier that was protecting Ponyville from any random uncontrolled weather.
"Sooo..." Twilight said to her brother as he settled down on the sofa with the daily newspaper, "Three weeks of housesitting and foalsitting. You, me, Cadance, and Pinkie Pie."
"Eeyup," Shining replied in his best impression of Big Macintosh.
"Well then, there's nothing to really worry about, is there!" Twilight smiled cheerfully.
Shining Armor glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. "Are you nervous?"
"Nervous? Me?" Twilight laughed. "I've been entrusted with the safety and well-being of an incredibly powerful foal who randomly makes it rain things that shouldn't scientifically be possible, in places it shouldn't scientifically be possible, and my entire future as a scholar of magic could be on the line if I screw this up. What could there POSSIBLY be to be nervous about?"
It started sleeting in the living room.
Twilight's ears drooped. "I'm so dead."