//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Little bird, Little bird // by Storylover-Vodhr //------------------------------// Dash gave a weak, very watery smile as she held the tiny foal in her lap, her gaze never leaving his face for a second as she held his blanket swaddled body, his eyes seeming to stare straight through her soul. He was just... so beautiful. It blew her mind and her world apart to just comprehend it, but the very sight of him brought her to her metaphorical knees. He was just so perfect, and she refused to think about anything else. She just wanted to continue staring at him, at his wonder and magnificence. To focus on the miracle that she held in her hooves. Of course, there was no doubt that he wouldn’t have been beautiful; He was the child of Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt extraordinaire and of Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of friendship and hero of equestria ten times over. The both were considered beautiful, both considered beyond attractive. Nay, they were the ones who set the bar on attractive. It was only natural that the pair's beauty would transfer over to the child. That's how genetics worked, after all. But she never expected for their beauty to work off one another, to do some sort of multiplicative effect. In a single phrase; he took her breath away. If she had any expectations, he blew them away without effort. He was definitely her child in that regard. Already besting expectations before anyone had even knew that they had made any. It must've been the Pegasi in him; a trait that he shared with Rainbow. A perfect little pegasi. But, what should have she expected? He had the best looking parents in all of equestria after all; of course he would look absolutely beautiful. It was just nature, the way things worked. With her lean, athletic body and impressive, pristine wings, and Twilight’s beautiful face, natural grace and gorgeous coat, the child would be a heartbreaker, without a doubt in the world. She could already see it in her mind's eye. Heck, he already broke hers, and he didn't even have to do anything. Not a single thing. Rainbow put a gentle hoof against the foal's face and gave it the lightest and most loving of caresses, as if afraid that he'd break if she dared touch him, yet unable to keep herself from doing so. Yes, she could definitely see that he shared Twilight's face; the soft edges, the gentle, loving smile that only she could pull off, the beauty that only she had held. He held every bit of Twilight's almost supernatural beauty, and wore it with pride. But, while he had Twilight's face, he also had Rainbow's own eyes and brow. The same magenta irises that Twilight had many times said pierced one's heart, the same intensity and cocksure determination that Dash saw whenever she looked into the mirror just before she started a show. He had gotten the best parts of both parents, without a doubt. And his body. She was pleased to realize that he was definitely gonna take after Twilight for that one. Tall, strong, and proud. He'd be broad shouldered, and probably tower over everypony else once he actually got going. And his wings, they themselves were a sight to see. Strong, flexible, yet broad, just like if her speedster's wing-build had been somehow perfectly mixed with Twilight's Alicornic endurance build, and all the while covered in a beautiful, almost breathtaking purple layer of down, just like the mother that had carried him. But his mane and tail... that was an unexpected twist. They shone a bright, almost glowing shade of bird's egg blue. Neither of them had had that shade of blue, neither in themselves or in family, but Twilight has warned her that magical conceptions could have... How did she word it? Oh yes, “quirks”. She had said, way back when they first talked about even having a child, that magic conceptions had a medley of small little tweaks and dangers, via the naturally random nature of the magic; Coat colors could be different, their races could end up being irrelevant in what the end result would be, etc. But she didn't care. He could have all the quirks in the world; He was still perfect in every way, be he pegasus, Alicorn, or even Earth Pony. And she'd take down anyone who dared suggest otherwise. But still, random or not, magically brought about or not, he was just so beautiful, and Dash couldn’t help but pull him closer into a protective embrace, holding him against her chest in a gentle yet secure hold, feeling herself shake lightly as she did so. Sure, he may be absolutely gorgeous, but he, like all newborns, was positively tiny, barely big enough for her to feel against her chest as she held him. Yes, he was just... so tiny. Dash had never really understood what Twilight had meant back when she said that their child would be tiny, that Flurryheart was absolutely, positively colossal for a newborn, and that comparing him to her would be a futile effort, at least in terms of size. But now that she could actually see him, hold him, she understood what the word tiny actually meant. So tiny. And oh so fragile. Far too tiny for how... difficult the birth was, and even now, he looked as if the smallest of breezes could steal him away. But she’d keep him safe, happy, and whole. She'll make sure that he'll grow up to be strong, to be brilliant just like his mother Twilight, to be skilled and graceful like she herself was. She'd do everything in her power, move heaven and earth for him, burn every bridge she had to, do anything for the little foal that rested in her embrace. "I Promise... I'm gonna... I'm gonna keep you safe, my little Whippoorwill." But the infant offered no response. Dash didn't need one. She was to remain here, alone in this chair. “Ma’am? The... the coroner’s here.”