//------------------------------// // A Kirin Is Born // Story: How To Raise A Kirin In 12,371 Steps // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// When someone is waiting for a critical moment, the worst thing that could happen would be the sound of silence. The feeling that nothing is happening, or things have come to a standstill. It could be painful or create an intense sense of anxiety. It was never fun when it happened. Pinkie Pie was experiencing that for herself just now. She waited at the hospital’s waiting room, along with six of her friends. She watched the hands of the clock up on the wall, counting every passing second. Her hands were fidgeting as she realized she had been waiting for a few hours by then. “Are you sure she’s okay in there?” she asked around the room. “Pinkie, we can’t just rush something as monumental as this,” Rarity replied. “When it’s time, they’ll surely let us know. None of us wish to wait any longer, my dear, but it is necessary for this occasion.” “Yeah, and I’m pretty sure delivering a baby isn’t an easy thing to do,” Starlight agreed. “Just let it take its time, and we’ll meet her once it’s over.” “I just hope she’s okay,” Fluttershy commented. “She’s really been stressed out about it for weeks.” “Everypony gets stressed on days like these, y’all,” said Applejack. “But it’s always worth it. At least, that’s what my ma used to say.” Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was trying to kill the time with the latest Daring Do book. She glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe her eyes. “Has it really been two hours already? What’s going on in there?” “I know!” Pinkie replied. “You think it’s going to be quick, but then again, I don’t know how baby delivery works at all, and I just hope she’s okay! Oh, I wish I could go in there and cheer her up!” “I’m sure Spike will do that for us,” Rarity replied. “I just wonder if this is how it will be like if I ever have a child…” Meanwhile, the delivery room was a few rooms down the hall. A series of doctors were there with Twilight as she screamed from the birth pangs. Her hospital gown was drenched in sweat as she clutched the railings of the bed. Celestia was there with her, sitting in the back of the room. She would never admit it openly, but a part of her was debating if her former pupil was going to make it. Nothing she had ever seen in a delivery room was quite like this, and surely it would grab the attention of the ponies in the next room over. Spike was there with them as well, and he held Twilight’s hand as tight as he could. He was fearing the same thing; while he expected this to be painful for her, he didn’t count on the blood curdling screams. It killed him to see her this way, even if he knew what would happen at the end of this. The doctors were encouraging her to push, and every time she did, another scream came out. “It hurts so much! Why does it hurt like this!” “I’m right here with you! We’re all here with you!” Spike panted. “You’re almost there! Just hang on and keep pushing!” “I’m trying!” She grasped his hand so hard, he thought she was going to break one of his finger bones. “Please tell me it’s almost over!” This continued for an unbearable amount of time. Her gown only grew more saturated with sweat, and Celestia was openly debating on using a spell of some sort to help her survive this delivery. Luna was in another room, awaiting the new prince or princess but not wishing to get in the way, and Celestia debated if she would need the assistance. After more and more pushing, the doctor stood back. “I see the head! But it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before.” “See? You’re getting there!” Spike pointed out. “You’re almost done!” “Oh thank Celestia. Spike...I don’t know if I’m going to make it!” Twilight gasped. “You will! Just a little more!” The purple alicorn screeched as she kept pushing the baby out. The other doctors crowded around her to get the baby out. They, too, were stunned by the creature coming out, but they brushed it aside to focus on their job. Spike held her hand as tightly as he could. He couldn’t help but gasp when he started seeing the baby come out, and he looked back to his wife. She was still in deep pain, but she had no idea what she was in for. Neither was anyone in the room, as it would turn out. “It’s almost out!” the doctor shouted. “Just a little more and you’re done!” “I...I...aaahhhhhh!” She gave every little ounce of energy into the next push, screaming on the top of her lungs. That did it, and the baby came out with that last ounce of pain. It slowly dawned on her that the pain was gone, and she tilted her head up. “Wait...Spike...is she...is she...where is she?” “Yes,” Spike gasped. “It’s over.” The doctors looked at each other, as they were stunned by what Twilight just gave birth to. They glanced over to the royal couple, not exactly sure how to handle this, and finally brought the child into view. Twilight and Spike were both shocked to the core by what they saw. Their child was neither a pony or a dragon, but it had characteristics of both. Her feet were clawed, just like a dragon. Her skin from the belly to the chin was scaled, colored with a medium shade of purple. Her wings were just like Spike’s as well, but the wingspan was feathered as if it was a pegasus. Every other part of her body was light purple, and it closely resembled that of a pony. The dark purple mane was certainly like that of a pony. The tail was dragon-like, though, with its spikes and pointed tip. What really grabbed their attention were the two antlers on her head, resembling that of a deer’s. As soon as Celestia saw the creature, she ran into the other room. Luna was going to want to know about this as soon as possible. Better to do this now than later. “W-What…” Twilight gasped. “Is it…” “Is she…” Spike wondered. The lead doctor wasn’t sure how to respond. “What do you want us to do with her? I know it’s a lot to take in.” “It doesn’t matter what she is, she’s still our daughter,” Spike replied. The baby started to cry as she came into the world. After the doctors wrapped her up in a blanket, she was brought into the waiting hands of her mother. Twilight held her close to her chest as they gazed upon all of her unique features. She wouldn’t deny that she didn’t know what to make of this, but when she let it sink in, she was still crying that she got to see her daughter at last. “She’s beautiful…” “Yeah. She really is. She’s even got your face,” Spike thought. “And a little bit of my good looks.” That made her laugh nervously. “Yeah. She’s got your scales and tail and…” The baby slowly opened her eyes as she was crying. They revealed reptile-like pupils in her orbs, and they were green in color. “She’s even got your eyes.” “She does?” Spike went around to get a better look. “She does. Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this is happening…” “You want to get a better look? I think she’s going to like you.” Spike nodded, and he carefully picked her up in his arms. He was almost trembling as he looked upon his first child, and his whole world changed with that moment. It was like nothing else mattered, not unlike the moment when he fell in love with his wife for the first time. He wasn’t even thinking about it anymore, as his mind stopped at the occasion. Twilight’s eyes were streaming in tears. It was going to take some time to process the fact that they birthed a pony-dragon hybrid, but deep down, she had a feeling this was a positive thing. How she knew that, she didn’t know. She just knew it was special. However, her thoughts turned to a certain topic at hand. “If she’s not a pony or a dragon, what is she?” “A kirin,” Luna spoke as she stepped into the room with Celestia. “Just as I thought.” Spike and Twilight turned to the princesses, very confused at the news. “A kirin?” they said together. “Yes, a kirin. It is thought to be a mix of a dragon and a pony. We had our suspicions that you would give birth to one, but we did not want to assume anything until it was time,” Luna continued. Spike looked down at his baby once again. She was already asleep in his arms. He stroked her mane softly as his mind raced through all this. “What does that mean? Is she something special, or is she a monster? I just hope it’s not the latter. My daughter will never be a monster.” “Truth be told, we are not sure,” Celestia admitted. “They were thought to be just a myth, as there hasn’t been a kirin in recorded history. At least, not since Equestria was founded. And yet, it might have been inevitable. You and Twilight are the first known union of a pony and a dragon, after all.” Twilight’s mind was buzzing. To say that this was a lot to take in was an understatement. “I guess you’re right about it being inevitable, but what do we know about them? If you know anything, please tell us. I want to know everything I can about kirins. It’s very important that we understand what our daughter is.” “Truth be told, we know very little. Even in myth, information about them was rather limited. However, we might know somepony that might know,” Luna commented. “Sister, where is Starswirl the Bearded?” “He should be in Canterlot,” Celestia answered. “I’ll go summon him at once.” “Wait, we’re dragging Starswirl into this?” Twilight gasped. “Is it that serious?” “It could be. Even then, you need near fear the nature of your child, Twilight,” Luna replied. “If anypony knows about kirins, it would be him. For now, rest and relax. This isn’t a detail you need to burden yourself with.” “Yes. We’ll take care of Starswirl ourselves. And, by the way, congratulations,” Celestia smiled. She left the room to give the royal family time by themselves. Luna soon followed suit, along with the rest of the doctors. Now that they were alone, Spike climbed slowly into the hospital bed, cradling their daughter carefully. They looked all over her frame as she was sleeping softly in their arms. Her hands very much like Twilight’s, only making the princess overjoyed that she could see herself in the kirin. “Be honest. Did you think she was going to turn out that way?” Spike asked. “I knew it could happen,” she admitted. “Does it matter, though? She’s our daughter, and we’re going to accept her as she is, not what we think she should have been.” “I’m not upset over how she turned out, even if I’m surprised. She’s beautiful, and whatever she is, I still love her. I mean, look at her! Have you ever seen anything cuter in your life?” The little kirin stretched her arms out as she slept. She yawned as she did so, exhausted from everything that just happened to her. Given how painful her delivery was, it wasn’t a surprise. “I haven’t. She’s just...I can’t even get the words out,” Twilight laughed. “She really is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. No offense, Spike, but I think you’ve been topped as the cutest thing in all of Equestria.” “Hey, if I’m losing that title to my daughter, I can’t complain.” He held her with both arms again. “I just realized, we never came up with a name for her. Think we wanted to wait until we found out if she was a pony or dragon. Did you have something in mind?” “That is a good question.” Twilight gave it a good deal of thought. She considered the kirin’s color scheme, and that’s when a light bulb went off in her head. “She is a really nice shade of purple, and Maud Pie introduced me to a gem that has the same color as her. What do you think of ‘Kunzite’?” “Kunzite? It’s got a nice ring to it. How does Princess Kunzite sound to you?” “Yeah, that’s going to be her name. You hear that, Kunzite? You’re just as precious to us as a gem--” Then she remembered that her daughter was sleeping, so she lowered her voice. “You’re like a little gem to us.” “She is. Speaking of a Pie, you think the rest of our friends will want to see her? I just hope they don’t give her the wrong treatment because she’s not like anything they’ve ever seen.” “They’re our friends, Spike. They’ll understand. We’ll just explain to them that she’s half pony, half dragon. It will make sense after that.” “You’re right. I just hope that they’re as understanding as we are.” ------ As it turned out, her friends were very, very confused about the whole thing, and they asked a lot of questions about the kirin. It was rather scary to have questions Twilight and Spike didn’t have the answers to. After the shock of the moment came and went, they thought she was the best thing ever. Rainbow Dash made a mental note to train 40% harder, as she was certain that she was about to lose the title of best flier in Equestria. To say it was a relief that things went smoothly as they did was an understatement. Twilight started to feel like this was going to be easier than expected--well, as easy as raising a child from a species you don’t know about could be--and she would have help along the way. After a while, Kunzite wasn’t the only one getting tired. Her friends understood that the new parents were going to need some rest, and they went on their way. Pinkie was already planning a huge party for the whole thing, but the incident with the Cake twins taught her to give some time and space for them. Twilight and Spike rested together after that. It was desperately needed after such a painful delivery, but it wasn’t going to last for very long. With the importance of the moment not left unnoticed, it might bring more trouble with it. At least it would be bring familiar faces with it this time. Celestia and Luna returned to the hospital room, but they brought a certain guest to the room with them. His white beard was as long as ever, but he needed to bring a walking stick with him these days, a side effect from his advanced age. His hat jingled from the bells on his hat, but his eyes still carried a hint of unending wisdom and arrogance to them. “So, the reports are true after all?” Starswirl the Bearded inquired. “Is it true that you, Princess Twilight, have just given birth to a kirin?” Twilight’s eyes lit up from seeing her former idol, now a colleague, step into the room. “It’s true.” She turned around so he could get a good look at Kunzite’s face. “They said you might know more about kirins, and we could use all the help we can get. Just, please don’t hurt her.” “Hurt her? I’m more curious if they’re real.” He slowly came up to see Kunzite, all while Celestia and Luna watched on. They were rather tense about this, knowing this could go a thousand ways, and only a handful of them were good. As he got a good look at her, he rubbed his beard and thought about the scaled face that greeted him. “Is this a good thing?” Spike asked. “I just want to know she’s going to be alright.” “Alright? That’s the least of your concerns, Prince Spike,” Starswirl thought. “If I know anything about kirins, they’re very powerful and protective beings. They carry the strength of a dragon and the magic of a well trained unicorn. And to see one in the flesh, when even I thought they were merely a figment of a vivid imagination, it might be a monumental discovery.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “You mean...not only did I have my first child, but it might be a...a...huge discovery that might change how we see the world?” “Here we go again. She’s in research mode now,” Spike sighed. “It’s possible,” Starswirl concluded. “But this raises questions that I don’t have the answers for. We know very little of them, and--hmm. There is that to consider.” “What do you mean, ‘that to consider’?” Princess Luna asked. “Is there something we need to know about?” “I’m not sure. I’ll have to go into my own library and check my notes from long ago. There might be something of value I wrote that could prove fruitful to the nature of kirins.” “In that case, what should we do about her?” Spike asked, a little high strung with all this hoopla going on. “We don’t have to be afraid of her, right? That would be the end of me.” “You shouldn’t have to. She is but a baby, after all. Even Celestia and Luna did not understand their powers when they were out of the womb, after all.” “Even if I almost crashed the sun into Equestria that one time…” Celestia blushed. “For now, though, just keep a close eye on her and learn all that you can. There is much I have to look into, and I will find out all that I can about them. Good luck.” He went out the door without a second thought, much to the ire of Spike. “He still puts magic and knowledge above everything else, doesn’t he?” the dragon noted. “Not even a thank you or congrats on the big day?” “You have to keep in mind that this is a huge discovery for him,” Celestia explained. “When he was on the verge of making a scientific breakthrough, it was all he could put his mind to. He might not always have the best tact about it, but this might have an impact on the whole world.” “Although, we would agree that he could still use work on his tact,” Luna piled on. “Maybe. At least he didn’t call her a monster,” Twilight replied. She yawned and almost fell asleep on the spot. “Sorry, it’s just been a long day. You sure we don’t have to worry about anything with Kunzite? He was a little startled when he saw her.” “I don’t believe so, and that was just Starswirl being Starswirl. Just take care of yourselves. And, Twilight, your daughter is beautiful,” Luna gleamed. That got the purple alicorn to smile. “Thanks. And if you find anything out about her, you’ll tell us, right?” “You’ll hear about it the moment we find out. For now, rest well. You deserve it,” Celestia trailed off. She left the room with Luna, closing the door as they left. That left the new family to themselves, and oh boy, was it a rough day for them. At least Kunzite was enjoying a deep sleep, and she cuddled into the arms of her parents. Spike and Twilight were quiet as they started to drift off to sleep. It felt like they aged five years in the span of five hours, but they knew it was worth it whenever they looked upon Kunzite’s face. The only thing that wasn’t clear was what pitfalls and trials the future held for them. Then again, the dragon prince and pony princess were starting to get used to having an uncertain future together. They just brought a new kirin with them along the ride. It wasn’t long until they were all asleep on the hospital bed, dreaming of things they wanted to do with their daughter. How much of it would become reality would be up to them. Hopefully. ------ Starswirl stormed down the halls of the hospital, and the gears in his mind were whirring with questions. It didn’t matter to him that a lot of the hospital guests were in awe of the legend in their midst; he was too occupied with the kirin in that room. Was it to be feared or not? Was she the first one in existence, or merely the first one in a long time? It always aggravated him when there was a part of the world he didn’t understand, but that only motivated him to find out. Right after he left the lobby to the street outside, he heard Celestia and Luna go out with him. He turned around to face them with a stern look. “I assume you have questions of your own about this.” “More like a thousand,” Luna huffed. “I don’t think I have to tell you that you could have handled things better than you did, but that’s not why we’re here. What are you doing, exactly?” “Exactly what I said I would. I’m going back to Canterlot to fetch my notes. To my recollection, I did make notes about the kirin myths I came across before I was put into limbo. It may not be much to work on, but it’s the only lead I have right now.” “So you don’t know much about kirins as well,” Celestia replied. “I was afraid of that. I don’t wish to put Twilight in a situation like this, if I must be honest.” “She helped defeat the Pony of Shadows and save Stygian. That alicorn can do anything she puts her mind to,” said Starswirl. “That said, I am rather curious about that Kunzite.” “Do you think she needs to be feared?” Luna asked. “If you do, now is the time to come clean.” “Truth be told, I don’t know. I’m terrified to admit that it’s something I have no knowledge of. What I do know is that she’s very powerful, with the potential to be more powerful than either one of you. That is why I must go see my notes at once. If Kunzite poses a threat, we need to find out.” “Whatever you do, don’t treat her like a monster. For their sake,” Celestia warned. “Whatever you find, we will not treat the daughter of Twilight like she is something to be disposed of. Is that understood?” Starswirl was taken aback. It had been a long time since he saw that side of Celestia, but it was a side he had seen before. “Understood. I assume you want to go with me to find out what we can from my notes?” “Very well,” Luna nodded. “The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better.”