As engrossed as they were in learning new feats of magic, they could not ignore the letter that arrived with Celestia's hoofwriting on it.
Night raised a brow at it and turned to Sunny. "Is there a reason you didn't just tell us?"
"Propriety." Sunny nodded lightly. "Besides, the letter itself is a ticket to the event. You will all come to the Grand Galloping Gala, I do hope?"
Morning made a valiant attempt at the word, but it turned into excited cooing that his sister responded to with a slightly more sedate attempt. Both laughed and became distracted by something else.
Silver smiled at the foals before nodding back at Sunny. "I don't see why not. Besides, we have our foals. Technically, I'm available for duty again."
Sunny reached up and tapped his nose. "I wasn't going to mention that, but, yes... If you feel ready for it."
Night stretched out, wings extending. "Finally! I'm done being idle. We can take the foals with us." She reached and patted each on the head gently. "They're well behaved."
Sunny smiled. "I wouldn't dream of leaving them behind, but do be mindful of them. Sometimes the event can be a little... stuffy. The only other foals I feel certain will be coming are the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
Silver smirked a little in thought. "Maybe it'll make it clear to everypony that I'm not on the market. Wife at my side, foals riding us. I can't think of a much stronger 'I am taken' signal."
Celine shook her head a little. "It did not work for either myself or my sister."
Sunny focused on Night, approaching closely. "Speaking of that, how have I been?"
Night perked her ears up. "Like a good friend. You're easy to get along with."
Silver got the thrust and glanced between Night and Sunny. "I think she'd like to know if we'll let her in."
Night snorted at him. "I know that. Let a mare think." She turned slowly in place, eyes sweeping as if she'd dropped something. "Is that what you want, friendship? I don't think the family needs more foals, and you said you weren't here for that."
Sunny shook her head a little. "I don't need a foal. My foals are the foals of Equestria. Every little face that I protect with my duties. Every bright little student I take under my wings and try to guide towards being a productive and joyful pony. I have many foals."
Celine rose suddenly. "You're making me feel guilty, sister. I have affected the lives of our little ones. Should I be happy with that?"
Sunny walked with ease through the room. "You shouldn't be. Everypony is different. There is no shame in wanting something a bit more... personal." She turned to look at Celine. "Some would say I was the aberration for being satisfied with my distant position."
Rough shook his head a little, his cheeks a bright red. "I'm not used to being so close to two such powerful ponies, less so when they're discussing such private matters."
Celine smiled, her momentary funk broken by Rough's admission. "You may one day be our father by merit of marriage. There is nothing to hide between us, not like that. What do you think... father?"
Rough increased his efforts to imitate a tomato as he squirmed. "I... I'm happy knowing one's on the way. I don't think me or Trixie will need more than the one."
Trixie waved a hoof. "One is sufficient, and Trixie will be sure to raise them to be a powerful and astounding magician known throughout Equestria."
Sunny smiled gently at Trixie. "Have you been seeing the doctor? How far along are you?"
Trixie snorted at the idea. "As if Trixie needs help with such a simple task."
Celine came in from the other side, trapping Trixie between the royal simulacrums. "You say that, but this is no small matter. For your own sake and that of your foal, at least a cursory examination would be prudent."
Silver found himself agreeing and wrapped his magic around Trixie, only to feel her magic slip against his and ward him off.
She wrinkled her nose at him. "Your mother has been learning just as you have. You won't fool her so easily." She sat in place. "Very well, this seems a fair challenge. If you can lift me, then perhaps she will deign to go where you carry her."
Silently, Silver accepted this challenge and began feeling where her magic started and ended, which changed as she moved to block him with her will. He kept brushing against her shield, distracting her with feints and half-hearted attempts to get at her. She didn't even notice when the ground lifted away from her. "Let's go."
"W-what?!" Trixie looked down, seeing she was a foot lifted and hovering behind Silver as he trotted with a triumphant look on his face. "How did you do that?" she demanded, driving a hoof silently into the silvery hand he had used.
Silver led a procession of his family through the castle. "Just because I learned new tricks didn't mean the old ones stopped being applicable. Lifting myself up is clumsy with the hand, but for another pony, even a Great and Powerful one, it works fine."
Sunny reached up as she walked, patting Trixie on the side. "It's for the best. It's only because we care for you, Trixie."
Rough slipped in beside Silver, whispering, "Thanks. I couldn't convince her. She's a little stubborn when she wants to be."
"She has very fine hearing, too." Trixie glared down at her husband, making him shrink away.
Night snorted with new laughter, the foals strapped to her sides in a position they'd grown used to. "Don't be angry at him. He should worry about you, like a good husband."
They arrived to find everypony on duty. The doctor, the nurse, and even Samantha. The latter perked up on seeing them enter. "Oh! I wasn't expecting a visit today." She hopped forward towards them, looking them over one by one. "I don't see any obvious trauma." She suddenly stopped and brought a hoof to her snout. "Is this a social visit? I've read about this..." She frowned a little. "I accept. Now we can date, yes?"
Silver burst out into laughter. "Oh Samantha, you are a darling, but we've come for medical expertise, not a date this time." He brought Trixie forward with his magic. "We have a Great and Powerful pregnancy that we'd like to check on."
The doctor walked forward towards the patient. "Oh my, so far along." Somehow, despite her state being entirely hidden, he could see the truth of the matter. "Please put the patient down. Right this way, mother-to-be. We'll make sure everything's going just right."
Trixie stepped down from the invisible, to her, hand and followed the doctor towards the table, hopping up and getting comfortable. "She is certain there won't be much to see, but my family insisted and being the Gracious and Humble sort, here we are."
While the doctor walked Trixie through the examination, Samantha looked over the family. "You brought a lot of ponies with you." She suddenly perked. "Oh! Silver, you never said how you knew about me. Now's a good time to fix that."
How did he even start to explain? "I--"
Night slipped between them. "It was a prophecy he read."
Samantha blinked owlishly at the news. "I'm in a prophecy? Astounding, if improbable. Though I suppose the evidence is clear." She glanced away and back. "I thought you might have been studying me..." Her cheeks colored a bit. "I was a little excited to be the subject for once."
Silver frowned a little. "About that... If you are the foal of a human, do you know anything about them?"
"Nope." Samantha shook her head. "She died making me. It was not the ideal learning environment." She raised a hoof, pointing at Silver. "But I have another right here. I should be asking you questions."
Night kept placing herself between the two unicorns. "Which you can do with a letter, so he can consider it carefully and give you a lengthy reply."
"Oh, that's a good idea." Samantha nodded as she sat on her haunches. "And the replies will already be written for inclusion in my report. How lovely! You two are just such delightful subjects." Her eyes lowered to the foals riding Night. "And here are my smallest subjects. How are you two feeling?"
They reached for Samantha. Morning popped off of Night and appeared on top of Samantha, landing right on her withers and hugging her. It only seemed to please Samantha, who began to giggle uncontrollably. "They've been of good health and development, I trust?"
Silver looked around, noticing Sunny and Celine had vanished at some point. Princesses... "They've been perfect little foals."
Night reached with her wings for Morning, only for him to vanish again and a startled squeak alerting them to his appearance on Trixie's side.
Samantha looked thoughtful about the whole thing. "I see they have typical youthful exuberance. Have they shown any unusual talents or ability considering their exotic heritage?"
Night trotted to fetch her foal. "Nothing I'd count as strange so far, just an earth pony and a unicorn learning to be who and what they are."
Silver nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak when a shriek filled the area, turning his eyes towards Trixie and the doctor beside her.
"She told you not to use that on her!"
The doctor tilted his head lightly. "We have to in order to get a good look at what's going on inside you, ma'am."
Rough reached up for his wife on the table. "Please, dear, relax. He's trying to help you and our foal."
"Trixie can take care of herself just fine!" Trixie turned up her nose. "Complete your examinations, without this." Her magic wrapped around the screen that the doctor had been attempting to get into position and thrust it aside.
Silver sighed softly. "Worse than wheels..."
Night retrieved her startled foal and gently held him close as he recovered from the fright.
Samantha raised an ear. "I don't see any wheels. Her foal is facing the wrong way though."
The doctor went rigid and turned to face Samantha. "Are you certain?"
Samantha bobbed her head. "The resolution's blurry without the screen, but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between a head and the other end."
"You twisted Trixie's foal with that infernal device!" Trixie hopped down from the table, fire in her eyes. "She will have you stripped of your title as a doctor. She'll make sure you never work again!"
Her being on the floor made it easier for Rough to reach her and he held her back from venting her fury on the doctor. His gentle words for calm fell on largely deaf ears, but he did keep her from doing anything that would land her in jail.
Trixie's twisted tale of tails over heads in turn to trouble attending.
well, i guess she hates the doctors and is afriad of them
A nice little slice-of-life chapter, what's here largely set things up for the next series of events.
The first one was the notice that we're about to have the next Grand Galloping Gala, which will in turn showcase the forthcoming events with Discord's jealousy and the Smooze. Again, I'm somewhat uncertain how well this will fit in with what's happening in the course of this fic. That's because that particular event was focused around Discord, Fluttershy, and Tree Hugger. Simply put, it's an event that necessarily sidelines everyone that isn't directly involved in it. I suppose it's possible that events might go differently if Silver and company are there - Discord seems to relate to Silver more as a distant patron than a friend, per se - but that'll take some difficulty to get right. About the only way I think that could work is if Silver's relationship with Discord was used to highlight the central theme of that particular episode, which is Discord's realizing that multiple friendships need not be in conflict, in that having a second friend does not diminish your relationship with the first.
I'm also starting to wonder why the foals are still being allowed to rush around with their uncontrolled power surges? At this point, someone should have brought up the whole fledgling's forbearance spell that Sunburst mentioned in "The Crystalling - Part 2." That spell just makes too much sense for it not to come up in conjunction with this particular issue (even if it doesn't come up immediately, the way it didn't for Pumpkin Cake, the fact that Silver is a magic-focused unicorn, and living with royalty...and Trixie...no less, should bring this to light sooner rather than later). At some point Morning Glory's antics are going to stop seeming so cute, and the parents will want to get a good night's sleep (something this fic has already been far too generous about).
So Sunny just wants to have peers, huh? That still doesn't answer the question of why she wants into the herd, specifically. If all she wanted was to have people she can relate to as equals, then she should acknowledge that she already has that. Turning into Sunny Days and interacting with Silver and co. are already satisfying that particular urge, and yet she's still pressing for admittance as a wife. That suggests that she wants more than just friendship. If we take her at her word that she doesn't want children (and there's no reason not to), then there's only one answer remaining: sex. Of course, this ignores the question of whether or not Celestia gets any play for herself (and I bet she does), but that's not the full scope of the issue: most likely she wants a long-term sexual relationship, rather than just flings with ponies that revere her as a quasi-deity.
Luna, of course, wants that as well, but she wants to take that to its natural conclusion and have children of her own. In that regard - and presuming that the question of impregnating alicorns being near-impossible is just a figment of Silver's dream (as Flurry Heart will likely confirm; I bet this was a central reason why this fic got such a massive "it was all a dream" retcon) - it would be a notable irony if the two sisters were accepted into the herd and Sunny almost immediately got pregnant, whereas Luna couldn't seem to conceive. How's that for a plot development that's rich with drama?
Moving on to Samantha, she's all but out-and-out confirmed that she wants into the herd. Given her blushing, I'm starting to wonder if her pushing for acceptance has less to do with her wanting to keep her experiments going and more with her being genuinely lonely and looking for acceptance. She's pretty clearly unbalanced, but presumably the basic emotions and drives are in there (though she still seems more emotional than her dream incarnation). One can only wonder what will happen with her when Night rejects her application (hopefully the story doesn't shy away from Night enforcing her prerogative on being selective about who can join the herd; it'd undercut the current tenor of the story if she just kept agreeing to let new members in. The trick here is to remember that it's not enough to have a disqualifying reason to keep them out; rather, there needs to be good reason to let them in).
So Trixie's baby hasn't turned over? That's pretty bad...or it would be if Samantha hadn't caught it. That said, with the problem identified before she's gone into labor, this really shouldn't be very much of an issue. Of course, if Trixie fights them on this, then it might become one, but overall this isn't anything that shouldn't be too difficult to fix.
7103469 I did not say that she could not be better than Twilight prior to her ascension. Nor did I imply that formal education would inherently make her better. Their are always the exceptions to the rule after all. However, it is the fact that Twilight is an Alicorn and not just the Alicorn of the sun, moon, or love, but frickin' Magic itself that is the problem. It would be like comparing the strength of a Spartan to Hercules himself. Not even in the same league. Also, I would say that the education would increase strength due to regular usage but a natural could very well surpass this; after all Starlight was busy creating her Soul stealing communist regime. Therefore she was using her magic a lot if not more than Twilight who was busy discussing theory. The education itself would be more about how many spells and how to use them more efficiently or creatively. But there still remains the fact that Twilight is linked to a ancient artifact of nearly god-like power (the element of magic) and that she is an Alicorn which in itself should be a force multiplier.
7104139 The artifact is gone. Why do ponies keep bringing it up?
Being an alicorn has no displayed advantage beyond having wings and a horn. Stop getting your headcanon all up in here.
7104130 Heh, I was wondering at first when we'll get to this chapter. Yep, Trixie is making everything complicated. If she just laid back down and let them do as they want to do, they'd have her and her foal sorted out in not too long at all. Foals or babies being upside down happens all the time, and is not a fatal mistake, but only if the patient allows intervention, otherwise they're in for a more trying birth by a few notches.
As for Discord, well, we'll let him explain his motives when he feels like it, which is rare but not never.
Sunny already gave another reason for her actions beyond friends and/or bedroom rights. She's blazing a path for Celine to follow. She's already made having Celine/Luna around not seem like a huge deal. Is it that hard to believe Sunny/Celestia would go the distance to win her sister a true measure of happiness and belonging?
7104144 really point 1. The rainbow power due the chest from the elements. The gems maybe gone but the spiritual connection is not. Also the Season 4 finale greatly implies that Alicorn magic is a significant thing. Also in your own story when Silver was an Alicorn he was more powerful. Therefore it is your own headcannon that has stated that Alicorns are more powerful.
7104169 Silver was never an alicorn outside his dreams. He also dreamed he got involved with two dead pony sisters.
but another pony - but on/with/for another pony
*****
This was a fun chapter, lots of character moments for all the major players as well as the foals; even Samantha had her moment and seemed to soften a little.
Sunny Day/Celestia never did answer Night's question. The conversation turned away so I won't consider it a dodge.
Wait, what? Ok, this is the second time in recent memory that Celine/Luna has said something that really begs for clarification, and nobody so much as bats an eye. Hmm...
7104173 Somehow I knew you were going to use the Dream excuse. I will not argue that one because literally anything is possible. So by your logic then Celstia, Luna, and Cadence could have given all or their "Alicorn" magic to Starlight and that the show lied when is said that Twilight was the only one who could due to her being the Alicorn of magic. Again Season 4 finale.
7104175 Typo addressed! All attention should be focused on Great and Powerful problems! They may have blue fur and pointy hats.
7104144 Strictly speaking, I disagree with regards to the issue of becoming an alicorn granting "no displayed advantage beyond wings and a horn."
We know that alicorns have their own magic, since the show has said so:
So there's clearly some magic that's unique to alicorns; moreover, we know that Twilight receiving it from her peers gives her a huge boost in power. Given that it doesn't grant her any actual new powers, however, makes it seem as though "alicorn magic" is a helping of free metamagic, in d20 terms.
Poor Trixie, being of the mental disorder that she blames the passive viewing device for changing her view of the world from what she wishes it to be.
Corrupted deniability is destructively self reinforcing? The ego cannot possibly be wrong, even as everyone dies.
Hope they get the problem sorted out, even if they have to use General Anasthetic Type C.
7104144
... ... No displayed advantage? OK, challenge accepted.
Celestia + Luna < Discord (Unable to overpower him without the Elements of Harmony)
Luna < Celestia (?) (Debatable, since Celestia did not fight back directly when Nightmare Moon confronted her, but Luna has more displayed power, moving moon, stars, and shepherding dreams than Celestia, who only moves the Sun in the show).
Cadence > Unicorn Twilight, maintaining high level barrier / warming / loving / who knows what else for days on end without sleep against assault, while unicorn Twilight, though versitile, is arguably not the unstoppable juggernaut the fandom makes her out to be, given how much the Ursa incident stresses her, and her difficulties with Zecora's magic training.
Alicorn Twilight + Cadence + Celestia + Luna == Discord + Every single other living pony in Equestria.
Conclusion: Either Cadance is powerful enough inherently to tip the scales to match Discord and every single other pony in Equestria, or Twilight gained a massive power boost through her ascension. Even accounting for either, you still have Tirek possessing of every other pony's magic PLUS DISCORD'S being unable to overcome just Luna, Celestia, Cadence, and Twilight's raw energy. They weren't even using spells, so it's pretty clear that the two are effectively equal.
No displayed advantage indeed. No, the four of them might not be omnipotent, but they are bucking demigods.
7104316
The series premiere established that Celestia moved the moon and the stars while Luna was imprisoned. Moreover, we've seen Celestia have prophetic dreams (e.g. seeing that Tirek had returned in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1; Luna was also aware of this, but the implication is that she learned of it via Celestia's dream), and utilize the dark magic of King Sombra (e.g. The Crystal Empire - Part 1). She's also the only pony that's ever been shown to be able to use all six Elements of Harmony on her own (e.g. Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2), for whatever that's worth.
In other words, there's a strong case to be made that Celestia is more powerful than Luna.
7104342 Either way both of them are less powerful than Discord, having to resort to the Elements there, and given the necessity to using the Elements in season 1 on Nightmare Moon, I'm pretty sure 'Luna > Unicorn Twilight' is fair to say as well. Celestia > Unicorn Twilight is also *probably* a given. And you can't even say it's because of their age, not species, when again, Cadybug and Twitwibird are both ascended alicorns, and together are enough to match Discord and every other pony's power, when Tia and Luna's are added to the mix.
So, even if Luna isn't stronger than Celestia, they are both individually stronger than Twilight was as a Unicorn, which means Cadence is either secretly God, or Alicorns get a power boost.
7104316
7104211 You've proven quite nicely that Luna and/or Celestia has some pretty amazing magic.
That's all you've proven.
7104359 I wasn't denying that alicorns receive their own boost in power (in fact, I'd previously posted that the show had said just that). I was simply suggesting that there's a very solid case to be made that Luna doesn't have the same degree of power that Celestia does.
7104361 Those quotes about the two of them referring to "alicorn magic" as a discrete thing - and Twilight then referencing her own "alicorn magic" - seem pretty undeniable that alicorns have more magical ability than other ponies.
7104361
... Uh, I'm not. I'm not sure where the miscommunication is going here.
Celestia and Luna put together can't face Discord on even footing. Just Discord. They can't overpower him, can't hurt him significantly, and can't outlast him. They had to use the Elements on him both when he popped up the first time, and when he showed up again. OK so, if we take this knowledge that they can't take on Discord, and apply it to the Tirek situation, we know that their magic combined would not be able to match or surpass what Tirek stole from Discord.
This leaves a portion of Discord's power, and the combined power of every single other pony in Equestria to be matched by Twilight and Cadence's magic. This means that, because Tirek and a Twilight containing just 4 alicorns worth of magic were evenly matched, their raw power (all they were using) is equal enough to be unable to gain a definitive victory over the other.
That doesn't mean that 'Twilight and Cadance are collectively stronger than any single other pony in Equestria', this means that they are stronger than every single other pony in Equestria, and still have enough to make up the difference between Celestia and Luna's power vs Discord's.
Cadence was (if you believe the comics) born a Pegasus, and isn't even that old, so it didn't come from experience. So either Cady would have grown up to be the strongest pegasus in history, or that power came from apotheosis. To say nothing of Twilight.
7104403 Celestia and Luna never had a magical armwrestling contest with Discord. It never happened, and likely never will. Discord doesn't fight directly when he can help it. Trying to use him as a measuring stick feels foolish.
7104431 ... He has enough power to fuel his constant, tireless reality warping, however much that requires. Still remains, every single pony in Equestria plus Discord divided four ways is still "Pants-wettingly powerful"
7104505 Which is fine and all, but we have no idea what percentage of Luna or Celestia's magic comes from the undefined 'alicorn' portion or just their personal reserves and training.
We never will.
7104507 Well, without referring to the comic to gauge the various power levels but that's unreliable. Still, Twilight herself says of Starlight Glimmer "She might even be more powerful than I was as a Unicorn" implying a net gain in power.
7104521 Of... a little? A lot? The show doesn't like doling out such details.
7104521
Citation for this quote, please. Because if you're referring to The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2, then that's not what Twilight says. She says, "She obviously has more talent for magic than almost anypony I've seen. My magic couldn't stop her. I had to convince her to stop on her own."
7104716 ... o.O
Where the hay DID I hear her say that? Well now I'm confused. I could be wrong but I could have sworn she actually said that.
Side war aside (really guys? Take this to a blog post or something!), this was fun.
Nefertari saved Silver's face for some reason, kinda suspicious...
Trixie doesn't trust technology, indeed worse than wheels. Good pun!
Keep going! ;)
So Trixie's about to give birth?
(Foals kind of face the wrong way and then twist around a little before birth.)
if this is what I think it is, she would be very near the time?