- - - ch 7 - - - day 2 part 3
“Another wonderful meal, Merry Hearth. Thank you.” Celestia said, standing from the table.
Luna poked one last bite of kimchi into her mouth before standing herself. “Indeed. I will be flying an extra lap around the city tonight.” Leaning over, she helped Clover down from his stool; her muzzle wrinkling as she sat him back on the ground. “I think he is a bit overdue for a shower.”
“I suppose you are right,” Celestia said, looking at the colt’s oily coat. “I also need to pick which room will be his.”
Luna paused. “You have decided to speak for him, should nopony claim him tomorrow?”
Running a hoof through Clover’s mane, Celestia watched him in silence for a moment. “If you would do me the honor of volunteering me, I would like to accept the responsibility.”
Luna met her sister’s eyes with a stoic expression. “You are sure of this? You wish to give this foal a special place in our home and your heart?”
Celestia’s expression flickered as she looked down at Clover. She wanted to set things right for him. She wanted to see him flourish. “I want to call him my son.”
A soft smile spread across Luna’s muzzle. Her sister had said it of her own free will. Luna could finally voice her own opinions without fear of influencing her. “I could think of no pony better. We will need Twilight or Cadence there too.”
“Thank you,” Celestia said with a little nod. “I will send Twilight a letter, after I get Clover washed.”
Luna let out a mischievous chuckle. “Thank me when he’s old enough to move out.”
Bidding her sister a good night, Celestia lead Clover to one of the guest bathrooms. He seemed familiar with the shower’s workings, and once she had shown him where the soap was, he made signs that he wished to shower in private.
Leaving Clover to himself, Celestia wandered into the reading room. Picking up a fresh scroll, she sat down at the writing desk.
---
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
There is a minor function of state I need you to perform the day after tomorrow. Please ask Rarity to also come, as I need a winter coat made for a foal that is in my care. All of your friends are welcome of course. I look forward to seeing you.
Your friend,
Celestia.
---
Rolling the letter up, she let her magic consume it. Celestia sighed, Twilight had grown so much under her wings. One of Twilight’s old letters caught her eye, picking it up, she reread the old memory.
Finishing another letter, the hiss of the shower nagged at Celestia’s mind. ‘How long have I been reading?’
Making her way back to the bathroom, Celestia eased into the steamy room. More steam billowed into the room as she slid open the shower door. She could barely see the motionless Clover, sitting between the two shower streams, his head pressed against the wall as scalding water ran down his head and back. Reaching out with her magic, she shut the water off.
One ear swiveled towards her, but the rest of him held still. Old healing spells ran through her mind: burns were tricky. She touched him lightly with her magic, shedding the water from his coat in sheets, feeling for damage. He ignored her for a moment, before curiosity made him watch the spell’s work. The usual wonder was gone though, only a grunt and a sad smile. Beneath his coat, his hide was cherry pink, but he was fine, no burns.
He mumbled something as he stood up: she could only guess it was a half-hearted thank you. Trudging over to the sink, he looked up at her with dull eyes. Baring his teeth, he made a brushing motion with his hoof.
Opening a drawer, Celestia pulled out a fresh toothbrush and unwrapped it. She went ahead and added a dollop of toothpaste to it before floating it to him. He took the offered brush in hoof with little effort: he’d obviously been practicing. It wasn’t enough to let him use the brush though. His grip just wasn’t strong enough for the scrubbing motion. After a few failed attempts, he gave up and used his fetlock to hold the toothbrush. It looked awkward to her, but Clover seemed comfortable with the method.
Hoofing the brush back to her, Clover used the shower faucet to rinse his mouth before she could offer him help getting up to the sink. She would need to get a step stool in here for him as well as a scald-guard for the shower.
Drying his face again, she pondered his sudden melancholy. She needed something to distract him. The thought of a late-night flight again came to mind, but she brushed it away. It was too cold for him to enjoy it, even if she could get him to let her take him up.
Standing, she motioned for him to follow her into her bedroom. Walking over to her dressing mirror, she sat down facing it, and motioned for Clover to sit between her and the mirror. With a little adjusting, Celestia and Clover sat looking at themselves in a mirror just a hoof’s reach away. Clover seemed uncomfortable with the arrangement, but held still. The details of his face distracting him from the moment.
Celestia cleared her throat; getting Clover’s attention as she lit her horn with unpurposed magic. Looking back at him through the mirror, she motioned for him to try the same. Shrugging his shoulders, he grumbled something at her.
‘Not going to be that easy,’ she thought.
An idea came to mind, she hoped it would end with the colt discovering something special about himself, and not just scaring him witless. She formed a simple spell, then let it leap out and attach to Clover.
Golden sparks of magic crackled around his horn, making motes of Clover’s emerald magic jump out in response. He yelped at the sensation, backing into her legs as he stared at her in the mirror. Feeling the colt’s magic clashing against her own, she tuned her aura to echo Clover’s; letting the green sparks mellow into a dull glow.
It was an old trick; offer a mild threat to the unicorn’s magic, and it would respond with its own will. A simple way to see what color a foal’s magic would be, and to get a feel for a young pony’s natural ability.
Clover let out a nervous giggle. She watched him reach up and touch his horn, staring intently at his reflection. He relaxed by degrees, but his ears stayed pinned back. She knew even with her skilled touch, the involuntary magic would be itchy. He seemed more interested than bothered at the moment, so she let the spell linger a bit longer.
Her curiosity piqued when Clover settled into a meditative pose and took a deep breath. His eyes took on a glassy look as they focused on the light of his horn. The emerald light flickered, faded, then redoubled. There was no pattern or form to the magic, but there was will. Letting her spell drop, she watched to see what Clover would do.
With her spell’s antagonistic force gone, his horn flared with raw magic. It was nothing compared to what Twilight had done—only the reflexive flare of magic, but still impressive for his young age. More impressive was his concentration. The light and sound did little to break his meditation. His horn relighting with an unsteady crackle as soon as the flare faded.
She felt the colt’s magic even out, shift, then fluctuate. There was a pattern to it. He was doing exactly what she had hoped he would: use the mirror as a feedback tool.
It occurred to her that he had been formally trained in meditation and mind-body awareness. Whoever had kept him these years, had neglected so much, yet taught him how to focus and meditate. It was a riddle she wanted to know the answer to.