//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Full of Love // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 1 ___________________________________________________________ Cadance was not new to the idea of ponies fussing over her. To the contrary. As a member of royalty, that was par for the course and she had become used to it over the last couple years. However, it was more the type of fussing that she was unaccustomed to … and Twilight Velvet comforting her currently passed out after he’d fainted husband upon learning the princess of love’s predicament was in the bed next to her was not helping her nerves in any sense. It had been almost twelve hours since the princess of love had somehow found herself pregnant with Twilight Sparkle. When her parents had gone home and found no trace of Twilight or Cadance, only a note telling them to meet at the castle, they’d thought Cadance had merely needed to attend to some urgent royal matters and had brought Twilight along. Upon learning what had happened to Twilight, her father had promptly flopped to the ground, while Velvet had just looked bewildered. During the time since her husband had passed out, Velvet had been shifting her focus between tending to his unconscious form and giving Cadance advice about giving birth. Velvet had been through it twice, after all, so had experience in the matter… experience Cadance was not all together sure she was happy to be hearing, the idea of giving birth to Twilight still scaring her beyond anything she’d ever experienced in her entire lifetime. Cadance had always hoped to have a foal someday… but this was not how she’d seen it happening. Shining Armour was apparently still unaware of the current scenario, as he was on duty in another area of Canterlot and likely wouldn’t be returning for at least three more hours. Cadance was unsure whether or not this was a comfort to her or the opposite, as she and Velvet had spent much of the time trying to figure out how to break the news to the stallion, but had come up with nothing. After all, how do you explain to your coltfriend that you’re now pregnant with his little sister? That’s not exactly something that just comes up in conversation. On top of that was the fact they still had no exact idea when Cadance was supposed to give birth. Velvet had assumed a few hours to a few days judging by Cadance’s belly, but they still had seen no sign Twilight was ready to be born (again) yet. “I wish Aunt Celestia and her scribes would hurry up and figure out how long it will be already,” Cadance glanced down to her distended belly. “It will be okay, Cadance,” Velvet moved away from her husband’s bed, came over to hers and held her hoof. “We’ll just go with the flow. Mother Nature is in charge of this now. Things should take their natural course… as unnatural as this situation is,” she added, noticing a kick from Twilight against the distended pink fur covered flesh. “I don’t want to take her from you,” Cadance looked to Velvet with worry. “What if Twilight only sees me as her mother now? I couldn’t bear to have that happen to you, Mrs Velvet!” At once, the unicorn mare’s expression became firm. “No. No Mrs with me, Cadance. Regardless of how it happened, you’re technically family now. Velvet is just fine, for now anyway.” Velvet kept her gaze with Cadance, before the pink mare eventually broke it and glanced down to her stomach. “How… how do you think Shining Armour’s going to take this?” Velvet shook her head. “Your guess is as good as mine, dear. I honestly don’t know what he reaction will be. We’re not exactly dealing with a run of the mill magical situation here.” A knock on the infirmary door drew the mares’ attention as a dark-grey stallion in Royal Guard armour walked in, stopping at Cadance’s bedside, bowing. “Your Highness, a message from the princess.” “What has she found out?” both mares asked in unison. The guard was slightly put off for a moment, before getting his composure and continuing. “From what the princess and her scribes have been gathered, there is no danger for Miss Twilight Sparkle. Though she has been returned to an infant, she is in no danger.” A sigh of relief came from both mares. “And, how long until Cadance gives birth?” Velvet asked, smiling. The guard rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. “If I recall, though it isn’t worded normally, the spell specifies that birth should occur within half a day of the spell being cast. So, you have some time to prepare, yes? Um, what?” he added, his expression becoming uncertain. The two mares’ joy and relief had to turned to blank stares. “Half… a day?” Cadance asked, her head turning slowly to Velvet. “As in… twelve hours?” Velvet’s voice was flat as she turned to Cadance. “Is… that a problem?” The guard asked. Suddenly, Cadance’s eyes widened and she cried out in pain. ___________________________________________________________ “I… I still can’t believe what I’m seeing,” Night Light shook his head. It was afternoon and he’d finally come to. Now he, his wife and Princess Celestia herself were gathered around Cadance’s bed. Held within her forelimbs was a small baby filly with a lavender coat and a horn atop her head. However… that was not all she had. At her sides were a small, but slightly larger than a baby pegasus' pair of wings. “How was Twilight reborn an Alicorn?” Velvet looked to the taller princess. “She went in a unicorn? How in Equestria did she come out an Alicorn?” Velvet blinked. “And I only just now realized how weird a set of questions that was.” “I… I honestly do not know,” Celestia shook her head, her expression bewildered, something Cadance wasn’t as put off by as the unicorns. Not many got to see Celestia looking anything but regal and composed. “The birth of an Alicorn is something Equestria has never seen. It is beyond even my understanding.” Cadance found herself so conflicted as she looked down at the sleeping purple Alicorn in her hold. She felt a warmth like she had never experienced, a joy too powerful even to begin to comprehend… but she also felt disgust and horror, aimed solely at herself. The Twilight Sparkle who had existed before was completely gone. In her place was this Alicorn foal who was now her child, not Velvet and Night Light’s. On top of that, she was still worried how Shining Armour would take the news of his LSBFF’s fate. As if by some twisted fate, he had been called to aid in a dispute further downtown in Canterlot, so still didn’t even know any of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours. The purple foal stirred from sleep, drawing all attention to her. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the pink mare. “Mama,” the little Alicorn smiled. Cadance felt her heart break. As Celestia and her scribes had learned, the spell had allowed Twilight to retain some memory, so she wasn’t a complete foal, just one with a more developed mind than others… but she now saw Cadance as her mother, not Velvet. A sob from her side told her the unicorn mare had come to the same heart shattering conclusion. The sound caused little Twilight to turn her head towards the mare. She smiled and held out her forelegs. “Mommy.” Velvet’s had jerked upright, staring at Twilight. “Wait. What?” Night Light looked from his wife, to Cadance, the infant and Celestia. Twilight looked to Cadance and grabbed her muzzle with her hooves. “Mama.” “Huh?” Her father’s voice caused Twilight to look to him and his wife and she smiled the innocent smile of an infant. “Mommy. Daddy.” “Does she…? Wait…” Velvet looked to the taller Alicorn. “Princess, is it possible…?” Celestia had an intrigued expression and leaned down to the little princess. “Twilight?” The foal immediately turned to her and looked up in awe. Celestia had to hold back a chuckle, before she pointed to Cadance. “Who is this?” Twilight giggled. “Mama.” Celestia then pointed to Velvet and Night Light. “And who are they?” Twilight turned her head to the two unicorns and laughed. “Mommy. Daddy.” “Wait, what?” Velvet blinked, glancing from the foal to Celestia. “She… she sees both Cadance and myself as her mother?” “It would seem so,” Celestia pondered, rubbing her chin. “The spell never did specify which memories would be retained. Perhaps her bond with the two of you was so strong it merged with the new mother-child bond she shares with Cadance, so she identifies you both as her mother?” Velvet cried out in joy, pulling Cadance and, subsequently Twilight, into a hug, the baby Alicorn not understanding exactly what was going on, only that both her mother’s were happy and laughed, wedged between the two mares’ tender embrace. “Now we just have one other problem,” Celestia’s concerned tone made them all glance to her. Suddenly, the doors to the infirmary slammed open. “What happened to Cadance and Twily?!” Celestia sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Okay, maybe more than one problem.”