Blessed Moon is still going to be a Nightmare, isn’t she?
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“Hey, ya’ll!” Everypony screams as I just pop into existence above them all. I smirk down at them, my forelegs folded. “What? You think I’d miss when the Crystaling?”
We’re on the train to the Crystal Empire. Having decided to hang around the Empire today, I know that Cadance’s baby is born. I decided I’d wait to see it with the rest of the Mane 6, Starlight and Spike.
“Do you have to do that?” Starlight asks, slightly exasperated.
The rest of the ponies and dragon just look to her and shake her head.
“Trust me, Starlight, ya get used ta Screwball just popping up wherever she likes after a while,” Applejack looks up to me, her eyes narrowed. “And Ah can’t help thinkin’ ya’ll know sumthin’ ‘bout this we don’t.”
I give a mocking “Pfft”. “Come on, how could I know anything about the baby? I’m just as clueless as you all.”
“Ya, I’m with AJ on this one,” Dash gives me a sceptical look. “You only tend to pop up like that when you know something nopony else does.”
I shrug. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Dashie.”
In truth, this is literally the last thing I know about the future of this world. The baby is going to be Princess Skyla. It’s the only thing left I have foreknowledge of and I can’t wait for their reactions to the first baby Alicorn ever seen since Luna and Celestia.
After a few minutes, we arrive at the Empire, during which I learn Starlight is tackling her first real Frienship Lesson. Reuniting with Sunburst.
…
Hoh, boy, that’s gonna be awkward.
As we get off the train, Twilight, too distracted discussing the plan to visit the castle and see Skyla before going with Starlight to meet with Sunburst, walking Shining Armour, who… Yikes! Fatherhood hit you hard, man.
His mane’s ass ragged and those bags under his eyes indicate he definitely hasn’t been getting much sleep.
“Shining Armour!” Twilight gasps happily.
“Twi… light...!” the stallion replies in a way that’s kinda cute, really.
They hug and Twilight pulls back. “I didn’t know you were meeting us!”
Shining just smiles really goofily. “Of course I am! It’s me, right here. Here I am. Why wouldn’t I come meet my sister? Though we have met before.” He finishes with a chuckle, like one would have when stoned and seeing something weird.
Okay, bad as I feel for him from his clear lack of sleep, this is really funny. Something Dash and AJ seem to agree with me on, if their snickers are anything to go by.
Twilight Sparkle gives him a concerned look. “Are you all right?”
Shining waves off her worries. “Never better! Being a father is amazing! And wonderful, and amazing, and confusing,” he scratches his head, with a very perplexed expression that I’m sure is because his baby is an Alicorn, “and amazing, but surprising too, you know? I mean, not that you’d know. You wouldn’t know, I know... You know?” he ends with a slightly forced smile.
We all glance around at each other.
Shining sighs, getting serious. “Sorry. I haven’t really slept since Cadance had the baby.” Shining scratches his chin. “Come to think of it, she hasn’t either. It sure would be great to get a break.
Twilight, understandably, turns to Starlight and apologizes to her about how, since we’re going to the castle and Shining, and it sounds like Cadance too, could really use a break, Starlight's friendship lesson will have to wait.
Spike, however, suggests that, since Twilight’s already handled the list for Starlight to follow, he and she can go handle the lesson while the rest of us go see Skyla.
Twilight smiles at his suggestion. “Spike, you’re a genius!”
Starlight facehooves, before giving Spike a glare that I’d be worried for his life if Starlight didn’t know what I’d do to her if she tried it. “Yeah... genius.”
Twilight turns back to Shining as Starlight and Spike head off. “Alright, big brother, let’s go see this amazing baby pony!”
I can help snickering a little, as Shining has fallen asleep while standing, murmuring, “the baby...” in his sleep.
After a few minutes, we get to the castle and Shining takes as to the room where I can sense four Alicorns inside. Yep. There’s Skyla.
“Before we go in,” he says as we stand in front of the door, “I should probably tell you. Seeing the baby might be a bit of a shock.
Twilight snickers as we all walk in, myself nodding to Celestia and Luna in greetings. “Come on, big brother. I’ve met babies before. I expect meeting this one won’t be any different.”
Oh, I’m pretty sure she…
I blink, staring at the foal swaddled in blanks in the bed before us. That… that’s not Skyla. The colours are all different.
What the heck? I end up gasping with the others as the foal reveals her massive wings, but my shock is for a totally different reason.
Backing away from the others, I swipe my hoof in the air and do a quick search. What? Skyla doesn’t actually exist aside from in worlds created by fanfictions, comics and animations about her? The hell? Who’s this Alicorn foal then?
“The baby is an Alicorn?!” Twilight’s cry pulls me from my thoughts and I look back to see the foal sucking on her hooves… how the freaking hell did she fit both in her mouth at once.
Okay, Equestria’s screwing with me. Any confidence I had in this is pretty much gone. This baby changes everything I thought I could guess about the future of this world.
“But... But... But I thought Alicorn wings had to be earned by accomplishing some great, princess-worthy deed!” Rarity states, Twilight nodding along with her.
Applejack scratches her head. “Yeah. How can you just be born with ‘em?”
Celestia closes her eyes. The birth of an Alicorn is something Equestria has never seen!”
…
Wait, what?
Luna glances to her sister. “It is beyond even our understanding.”
…
No, seriously, WHAT?! Are they saying they aren’t natural born Alicorns themselves, or that this foal is just the first Alicorn born strictly in the land of Equestria?
“That’s not very reassuring,” Fluttershy murmurs and I find myself agreeing.
“Wow! A unicorn, and a Pegasus!” Pinkie cries, getting close and it seems the baby really likes her from the reaction she gives. “So she could be a super-strong flyer and have crazy baby magic!”
“She’s also an Earth Pony, Pinkie,” I frown, folding my forelegs as I float over to them. “Don’t forget that. I mean, you’re an Earth Pony too, after all. Don’t sell our tribe short.”
Dash smirks. “Well, I know all about super-strong flying!”
Twilight smiles. “And I can help keep tabs on her magic!”
Seriously? Nopony but me, the being who originally wasn’t even a pony, is going to bring up the Earth Ponies?
The baby suddenly starts sniffling, before letting out a sneeze— and firing a massive laser blast from her horn that literally bursts holes in the ceiling and floors for the next six floors.
My jaw drops open. Um… WHAT?!
The baby burbles, before closing its eyes and acting like it’s going to take a little nap.
Celestia rests a hoof on the little one’s head. “It appears her magic is more powerful than that of a newborn unicorn!”
I just deadpan, before indicating to the foal. “No shit, Sherlock! She’s an Alicorn!”
Celestia gives me a small frown, but I just stare back. Hey, my argument there is reasonable.
“Do you think we should call it off?” Cadance ask, the foal now acting fully awake again, suckling on the end of Cadance’s golden shoe.
Dash snickers. “Um, we’ve all faced a lot worse than baby magic.”
I just stare at Dash, an eyebrow raised, wearing an expression that says, “Really, bitch?”. Pumpkin Cake is tricky enough with her magic and she’s just a normal unicorn.
This baby is an Alicorn who fires clearly deadly laser from just sneezing. I think this still ranks up as something that’ll cause problems.
Celestia looks to us all. “In light of the little one’s abilities, this Crystalling might be more important than ever.” She looks strictly to Cadance. “Perhaps you should address your subjects and remind them of that.”
Cadance nods, kisses her baby and heads out.
Twilight nudges her brother, who’s fallen asleep leaning against the bed. “Shining Armor! Do you have everything you need for the ceremony?”
Shining snorts awake. “Huh?” Suddenly, his eyes widen in panic and he runs into the centre of the room and starts pacing. “Oh, no! I still have to interview the honor guards, choose the purity crystal, and pick a crystaller!” he finishes by flopping onto his flank in the centre of the room, looking like he’s close to losing it.
Yikes. It’s like this is Shining Armour’s Lesson Zero.
Twilight walks over and pats his shoulder, smiling comfortingly.
“Alright, take it easy. Pinkie can stay here with me and keep an eye on the baby.”
Pinkie turns, revealing the baby is hugging her face… and her eyes. Man, I will never understand that pony.
“And we’ll all help you with everythin’ else,” Applejack reassures, before we all blink.
Shining is asleep again, murmuring. “...baby...”
“That is, if you can stay awake long enough to tell us how,” Rarity says uncertainly and I find myself agreeing.
“Well... at least she’s having... fun!” Pinkie says, saying each part every time she passes one of us, being dragged around the room as the baby flies without a care. “Whee!”
Twilight and I are barely keeping up together. The baby is just having fun, but that fun is including firing yellow lasers pretty much everywhere.
“Pinkie, hold her still!” Twilight shouts after we handled a particular barrage of lasers that almost hit a maid, who wisely gets the heck out of here.
“I’m tryiiiiiiing!” Pinkie shouts, her hooves dragging on the floor as she desperately tries to keep the baby from moving.
Good lord, is Blessed Moon going to be this much trouble, too? Screw the name change, raising her is still going to make her a nightmare for Luna. Yeesh! Awkward or not, Starlight must be having it way easier than this.
About ten or so minutes later, the four of us come out, walking/floating towards where everypony else is gathered around the Crystal Heart, myself floating next to Pinkie and the baby, whom are both in a magenta bubble Twilight’s using to make sure the baby doesn’t fly off.
“She’s a really strong flyer!” Pinkie calls out as we get close.
As we reach the heart, Twilight and Cadance seperte Pinkie from the baby, the latter now being in a bubble with Cadance’s aura colour.
At once, the baby starts reaching out to Pinkie and I see and feel her unhappiness.
She starts sniffling, warning she’s about to cry, but I stumble as my mind suddenly start ringing with massive alarm bells.
What the…? Why…?
The baby lets loose a massive wail, blending it with the Royal Canterlot Voice, literally breaking the bubble holding her. The force is so powerful, and I’m so distracted by the alarm bells still going off in my head at the same time, I actually lose focus and drop the ground with a thump.
The alarm bells are still going off as I sense something worng with… holy crap, I can feel a disruption in the Crystal Heart itself.
I turn in time to see not only has it stopped spinning, but cracks quickly spread across it, before the heart literally shatters, falling to the floor in pieces, leaving me to just stare, slack jawed.
I… but… WHAT?!
The baby burbles anxiously, floating down into Cadance’s hold.
Applejack walks up to the shattered heart. “Ah’m guessin’ that’s gonna make it harder to do the Crystalling.”
“It’s worse than that,” we all look to Twilight, who’s looking through the curtains hiding us all from everypony outside, waiting fo the ceremony. “Without the Heart, the Crystal Empire’s about to be buried under a mountain of ice and snow!”
Shaking off the ringing in my ears from what was clearly a warming about the heart shattering, I float up and pop over to her, looking out too to see dark clouds quickly making their way towards the Empire.
“So... not only can we not take part in a fabulous ancient ceremony, but we’re also about to be frozen solid?!” Rarity looks around at everypony.
Twilight shakes her head. “Without the Crystal Heart’s magical protection, the entire city’s about to become a winter wasteland!”
Wait… what about —?
“But what about when King Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Heart was missin’?” Applejack cuts off my train of thought with the very question I was thinking of, leaving several thought passengers very annoyed at the hold up. “The city wasn’t covered in snow then!”
Twilight shakes her head. “The Heart wasn’t missing. It was still in the castle. King Sombra had just hidden it.”
That… makes a lot of sense. Phew. If she hadn’t given that explanation, I’d have had a field day with that massive plot hole.
Celestia sighs. “I’m afraid Twilight is correct, and the storm clouds are already forming.” She indicates to the curtains, which she’s holding slightly open with her magic, so we can clearly see the storm clouds coming, just as lightning cracks.
“I can totally fly up there and bust those puppies! No problem!” Dash reassures, flying towards the curtain, only for it to close in her face as Celestia releases her magic.
The white Aliocrn shakes her head. “I wouldn’t advise it, Rainbow Dash. Those storm clouds are not like the ones you know.”
Luna nods. “This far north, the weather has a will of its own, and now it will only grow stronger, enveloping everything in its path.”
Cadance blanches. “Including the Crystal Empire!”
“And us along with it!” Twilight cries.
I facehoof. Thank you for explaining that, Princesses of Obviousness.
Dash looks to me. “Do we really need to be that worried? We’ve got Screwball, here. She can fix the heart with a wave of a hoof.”
I sigh, shaking my head. “What do you think I’ve been trying to do since Twilight first mentioned the clouds? The heart’s energies are really tricky. Chaos Magic can’t fix it.”
Everypony’s eyes widen in fear.
“But, what do we do?” Twilight looks around at everypony. “With the storm clouds’ speed, they’ll be here in no time. How’re we going to figure out how to repair the heart before the get here?”
I just cock an eyebrow. “Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Sparklebutt.”
They all look to me. I roll my eyes and blink. At once, an orange aura spreads out from me, moving past everypony and expanding outwards, before it fully encompasses the Empire.
I look around at them all. “There. Not that I really need to put a shield up myself, since both Cadance and Shining can that, as can all the adult Alicorns present here. Now we have a lot more time. No need to really rush.” I frown, looking over my shoulder. “Though I can’t keep this shield up for too long. Celestia and Luna are right. That storm has a mind of its own and is none too pleased about the shield I just raised. No real rush, but it’d be nice to be done before the day’s out, okay?”
Everypony looks to each other, before nodding.
Twilight looks to the Royal Sisters. “There must be a spell that can restore the Crystal Heart!”
Celestia looks thoughtful. “Perhaps.”
Luna shakes her head. “But it isn’t something that either of us know.”
“The library here at the castle is nearly as extensive as the one in Canterlot,” Cadance suggests. “There’s a good chance we can find something there!”
Twilight looks around at us. “I’m gonna need all of your help. The crystal library is enormous!”
Shining nods. “You can count on us, Twily!”
Suddenly the baby giggles and disappears in a burst of yellow light, only to reappear, holding onto Pinkie’s face.
The startled mare cries out and ends up THROWING the baby away. Shining dives to catch her, but she teleports again, this time not appearing anywhere in sight.
“Where’d she go?!” he cries in alarm.
Suddenly the baby’s giggling is heard echoing around us and I can’t help feeling like we’ve entered a horror movie.
“This way!” Cadance calls, indicating the door leading into the castle and we all hurry after her.
___________________________________________________________
“So… you’re all trying to find a way to fix the Crystal Heart?” Twilight Velvet asks, the baby snuggling against her chest.
I nod, glancing over my shoulder at the rest of the ponies, half of whom are searching each book they can find with any hint of being related to relic magic, while the other half are trying to catch their breath after having been chasing the baby throughout the library. Even I can’t stop her. If I hold her in place, she just teleports out of my magical grip. “Pretty much.”
Dunno why I was surprised to learn that Twilight’s parents were coming for what is essentially the Crystal Empire’s version of a christening, when it’s about their own family.
Their train arrived about an hour ago, during which they had some time touring the Empire before coming to the castle, where a guard showed them to where we all are.
“Frankly, thinking it over, we should’ve just waited for the baby to want to stop playing with Pinkie before giving her to Cadance,” I facehoof, floating over them as they head in to speak with their kids and daughter-in-law. “This all started because the baby was upset we took her from Pinkie, whom she was having a lot of fun with.”
The baby gurbles, before teleporting out of Velvet’s hold, reappearing above one of the bookshelves and the chase starts all over again.
I deadpan. “Also, like Pumpkin Cake, she just uses her magic without really thinking about it to have fun.”
“Can’t Princess Celestia or Princess Luna handle her? They’re Alicorns too and have live a lot longer,” Night Light asks.
I just keep my deadpan and point to where both said princesses are trying to untangle themselves from somehow ending up in a mess after both trying to catch the baby.
I hope Blessed will be a lot calmer a baby then this one.
“What’s going on in here?” I glance behind me to see Spike and Starlight have come back.
I both want to laugh and groan is Pinkie Pie is dragged past us, the baby just holding onto Pinkie’s back right leg. “You want the long or the short version?”
Starlight Glimmer gets an uncertain look. “Short?”
“The baby’s an Alicorn and she accidentally destroyed the Crystal Heart, so Twilight and Cadance are looking for a spell to put it back together and save the Crystal Empire from turning into a giant wasteland of ice and snow,” Pinkie says in a quick and rather matter-of-fact, calm manner.
Starlight Glimmer blinks, her uncertainty turning into mild worry. “Oh.”
Pinkie stops being pulled by the baby as she and Shining collide, both getting stars spinning around their heads, while the baby just laughs and flies off. I’d laugh if we weren’t dealing with the heart’s destruction right now.
And this is just one baby. What happens when Blessed Moon is brought into the mix? I dread thinking about it.
A gasp from Cadance draws our attention. “What about this? Trotter’s Tome of Reliquary?”
Twilight takes the book and rifles through it, before grinning and turning the book over to show Cadance the page. “I think this is it!”
“Spell of Relic Reconstitution!” Cadance cheers. “I can’t believe we found it!”
Twilight takes the book back, closing it and holding it up. “It’s a good thing, too! Without this, I don’t know what we’d do!”
Oh, well thanks for calling on Murphy’s Law there, Twilight!
Suddenly the baby appears right next to Twilight, followed by Pinkie tackling the baby to the ground.
We’re given no time to be thankful Pinkie caught the little magical disaster, before the baby sneezes, sending a laser blast right at Rarity, who grabs a mirror in her magic, deflecting the blast, which heads for Shining, who quickly forms his magic into a shield the looks a lot like his Cutie Mark, which deflects the blast towards Starlight, who raises her own bubble shield, which deflects the blast again… and it goes through the book with the spell Twilight and Cadance just found, burning a hole right through the middle.
Pinkie gives and apologetic look. “Oops.”
Twilight just stares at the destroyed book, jaw agape. “That spell was the only thing we found in the whole library that was even close to what we needed!”
Starlight steps forward. “I’m so sorry, Twilight!”
Twilight shakes her head, opening the book and flitting through the broken pages. “It’s not your fault, Starlight. None of us were expecting any of this.”
Cadance looks worriedly to the other Alicorn. “Do you think you can remember the spell?”
Twilight stares incredulously at her sister-in-law. “I only read it through once!”
I sigh. “Besides which, she wouldn’t need to rewrite it. The book poofs with smoke and is suddenly whole again, as if the baby never touched it.
“Oh,” Cadance smiles sheepishly. “Right.”
“I only hope this spell is the one we need,” Twilight opens the book to the page, looking the spell over.
“Is there anything I can do?” Starlight offers as we all leave the library and head off to where the heart’s remains still lay on the ground.
Well, unless she knows a spell or somepony else who knows a spell we can guarantee will repair the heart, I doubt it.
“Sunburst?” I glance at Cadance, apparently having zoned out part of the conversation. “I don’t recognize the name, but if he’s an important wizard, you should bring him here. Maybe he’ll know what to do if the spell fails.”
And… with those words, you’ve called on Murphy’s Law, too Cadance. Now the spell is defiantly going to fail.
Starlight’s eyes widen, cries out “Of course!” and before any of us can ask what she’s thinking, she hurries off.
Twilight looks to the baby dragon and nods after the unicorns. “You better go with her, Spike.”
He nods and does as instructed.
We reach the heart and Twilight, Cadance and the Royal Sisters all cast the spell. I watch as the heart comes back together, but I don’t sense it’s magic healing and the cracks are disappearing either.
It floats, glowing for a few seconds, before the pieces all fall back to the ground again.
“And we all left the library, instead of some of us continuing to search, why?” I ask, looking around at the five Alicorns, the baby resting on Cadance’s back.
“This is bad. This is really bad,” Twilight looks to me. “How’s your shield holding up?”
I blink, having actually totally forgotten about the shield I put up. I check and it seems to be fine, though the storm is getting very pissed off. The shield’s been hit by lightning at least half a dozen times in the last ten minutes alone.
“It’s fine, but the storm’s still really pissed at me for making the shield in the first place.”
Suddenly, there’s a flare of green fire and a scroll drops in front of Princess Celestia’s hooves.
We all blink, Celestia taking the note and opening it, reading it through. She blinks, before looking around in both surprise and a little pride. “Starlight thinks she has a plan. Or, more specifically, somepony she knows has a plan.”
“Wait. You mean that Sunburst guy Starlight came here to meet again?” Rainbow asks, looking around.
“It would seem so,” Celestia look to the note again, smiling. “I had no idea another of my students was here in the Empire.”
“So, we just wait until they get here and hope whatever plan Sunburst has is gonna work?” Applejack looks to Twilight.
“I guess so,” she replies, uncertainly.
So, we sit and wait, Velvet keeping the baby from doing anything else that could risk our lives.
When Starlight and Spike return, Sunburst is with them.
I cock an eyebrow. He kinda looks like a blend of Star Swirl the Bearded and Harry Potter due to those big round glasses, with a goatee, wearing some kind of green cloak with a few star patterns here and there.
Frowning, I quickly look over his timeline and… nope. No relation to the former. Aww. That would’ve been fun. Then again, Star Swirl didn’t understand friendship, as evidenced by his failed spell Twi fixed and used to become an Alicorn, so I doubt he’d have understood love, either.
The unicorn stallion walks over to the remains of the heart, looking over the shards on the ground, before looking around at us in shock. “The baby did this?!”
Twilight shows him the book. “I tried putting it back together with—”
“The spell of Relic Reconstitution. No, that won’t do it. ” he cuts her off, shaking his head, levitating another book from his saddlebag and flipping through it. “The Crystal Heart’s been around for millennia. Restoring a relic like this is way beyond one spell. You need to combine it with something else.” He stops the book at a page and shows it to her. “Something unique to the relic itself. Something that strengthens it and provides it with power...?”
Wait. Seriously? Is he saying all we needed to do to fix the heart this whole time, was just go through the Crystalling?
I suddenly really feel the need to punch something. Where’s Cheese Legs when you need her?
“The Crystalling!” Twilight gaps, her eyes wide.
Sunburst nods. “Combining that spell with the light and love of everypony gathered for the ceremony, together with...” he pulls several scrolls and another book out of his bag, “Somnambula’s Weather Abjuration to clear away the snow...” he gives second book to Starlight, “and a little Fledgling’s Forbearance for the parents...” he gives a scroll to Cadance and Shining. “That should curb the little one’s power fluctuations.”
He rubs the baby’s head and the baby coos and giggles.
Cadance smiles. “You must be Sunburst. Starlight said you were a powerful wizard.”
Sunburst shakes his head. “Oh, I’m no wizard.”
Wait, what?
“But he studied magic his whole life!” Starlight looks around at us, giving an nervous smile. “You should see his house! And since nopony has any better ideas, what do we have to lose?!”
Well, it’s a plan at least, which is better than our no plan, so she’s got a point, there.
Shining looks to Sunburst. “I had planned on asking Twilight to be our crystaller, but since it seems like she’ll be busy...
The baby is levitated over to him and he takes her, the baby giggling and beginning to play with his glasses. “I’d be honoured!”
“Well, what are we waiting for?!” Twilight calls out and we all do our thing, myself staying with Starlight, Twilight, Celestia and Luna to make sure something doesn’t go wrong. With our current run of luck today, you can’t be too careful.
They all gather around the heart’s shards. Twilight uses Relic Reconstitution again, with Starlight and the princesses aiding with their own magic to keep the heart together.
“Citizens!” Sunburst’s voices sounds from outside, “May I present the newest member of the Crystal Empire!”
I can’t help smiling as I feel the love in the air thickening. It makes me feel all tingly.
A few moments later, Sunburst hurries in with a glowing crystal shard and places it into the heart, the shard literally sinking into the still currently cracked heart.
At once, the heart glows, before I feel it’s magic fully restore and the heart starts spinning again, before it releases a wave of energy outward, crystalizing every living being in range. Oddly enough, Celestia and Luna’s manes don’t get done up in a fancy style, the two ponies just get the crystal glow effect.
Then again, their hair is magically already and always moving, so I guess the heart’s magic can’t really do much with that.
At once, I feel a slight nudge from the Crystal Heart’s magic and drop my shield, it no longer being needed. I wink at it. You’re welcome, heart. Happy to help out.
I sigh. Okay. I really am going to need a long rest after this. Hopefully, nothing crazy will happen for at least the next couple weeks. Right?