//------------------------------// // Mix and Match // Story: A Selection of Sappy, Sweet, and Sometimes Somber Short Stories and Snapshots // by Baby Seal Burritos //------------------------------// “We are not naming our child Custard Clove.” “Why are you being such a grumpy face about all my suggestions?” “Because all your suggestions are terrible!” Pinkie Pie gasped. She narrowed her eyes and jutted out her lower lip in an angry pout that somehow was more adorable than intimidating. “Yours haven’t been any better! ‘Moonlit Night’? Really?” She blew a raspberry. Twilight Sparkle felt her teeth grinding together. Pinkie was being incredibly adamant about her suggestions, but the unicorn wasn’t really being too receptive either. The two of them had been arguing for the better part of an hour and had gone through at least half a dozen names each. Finally, they had reached a stalemate, and neither mare was going to budge. Twilight huffed. “Custard Clove is probably your worst suggestion thus far. At least Gumdrop Dreams had some kind of meaning behind it. Custard Clove is just alliterative nonsense!” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “As if you never suggested anything nonsensical! Evening Eclipse? Remember that one?” To be fair, that had been a rather silly suggestion on her part, but Twilight wasn’t about to concede the point. “Éclair Flair.” “Sunset Beaches.” “Corncake Daydream.” “Darkest Night.” Twilight groaned and flopped down in the chair next to Pinkie’s hospital bed. “Okay. Okay. We’re both pretty bad at this naming business. Fine. Happy?” Pinkie continued to frown for a few seconds before releasing the expression with a sigh. She reached over and patted Twilight gently on the head. “No. Are you?” Twilight chuckled. “Absolutely not.” Pinkie scooched herself a bit closer to the edge of the bed and grabbed Twilight’s hoof in her own. “Maybe we should take a break?” “Maybe you’re right.” Twilight stroked Pinkie’s forearm absentmindedly. “It’s just really important that our child, our firstborn at that, is given a good, strong name. You know what I mean?” Pinkie thought for a moment. “I think so. I just think it’s important that it’s something fun. Nothing too stuck up and snooty.” “I can understand that.” Twilight smirked. “But I think it’s imperative that the name is not too silly that it’s hard for them to be taken seriously.” Pinkie tapped her chin. “Hmm. So fun, but serious?” Twilight laughed. “Like me? Hmm?” “More fun than you.” “More serious than you.” The two mares exchanged sharp glances for long moments before breaking down into laughter. Twilight took a deep breath to still her giggles. “I suppose that’s a valid point.” Pinkie smiled, just a little smile that turned up the corners of her mouth and crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Well, the new pony is a mix of me and you isn’t it? So maybe the name should be a mix of me and you too.” Twilight leaned over to nuzzle Pinkie’s cheek. “You’re right. I think we’ve been approaching this a bit too selfishly.” Pinkie rubbed a hoof over her now substantial stomach. “Maybe I kinda thought that I had dibs on the name because the foal’s in my tummy.” “Womb. It’s not actually your…” Twilight shook her head. “Never mind. I-” Pinkie cut her off with a hoof to the mouth. “But you know what? We did this together! So we should name them together too!” Twilight planted a kiss on Pinkie’s nose. “Are you sure? I mean, I guess it’d make sense if you got to name them because you were carrying. I could just name the next one after I carried them?” Pinkie laughed. “But we’re both terrible at names remember? We’d have a bunch of foals with silly names!” “I guess you’re right.” “So maybe when we put our heads together,” Pinkie said with a wink, “we can come up with something amazing! We always do.” Twilight chewed her lower lip in thought. “I would like to have a nighttime or starry motif. My family has been naming foals like that for generations.” “What about Shining Armor? That’s not nighty or starry.” Twilight waved a dismissive hoof. “The shining part counts because stars shine. It’s a lot of semantics and justifications…” She trailed off. Pinkie decided not to pursue it. “I want food.” “Oh. Are you hungry?” Twilight reached for the nurse’s call button. Pinkie shook her head. “No! I want the name to have something to do with food!” “I see.” Twilight tilted her head. “Is that something your family does?” “Nah.” Pinkie giggled. “I just like it. Plus, you’re “Twilight” and I’m “Pie” and we’re a nighttime food couple!” “Nighttime food…” Twilight tapped her hoof on the siding of the bed. “You mean… kind of like a midnight snack?” Pinkie squealed in delight. “That’s it! That’s so super cute, Twilight!” Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You like it?” Pinkie reached out and gestured for Twilight to hug her. The unicorn obliged happily. “Like it? I love it! Midnight Snack is the perfect name for our little mixed up pony!” Twilight snuggled her face into Pinkie’s mane and breathed a happy sigh. “Yeah. It’s not bad. Not bad at all.” ---Author's Note--- This was a story written for Thirty Minute Ponies for the prompt, "Two pony parents discuss what to name their foal." Hope you enjoyed. :)