In the lounge sofa lay a foal, her arms held aloft as if dreaming of cuddling the mother who abandoned her. Celestia knelt, sliding her pinky into the filly’s open hand in a pique of curiosity, and watched as tiny fingers curled around it, the baby sleeping on as she felt her soft breaths on the back of her hand.
What to do? What to do? Where could she send her? What actions should be taken? Celestia fretted silently. For the first time in years, a witch had been spotted in her capital. Canterlot was no longer that unbreakable bastion of safety her ponies once believed it to be. Apparently, the witch had been targeting one particular house, breaking and entering with a little bundle before preparing to leave unseen again.
What’s more, the witch would have succeeded in her mission, had she not lingered by the door and then been seen by a nine-year-old colt - one with aspirations of becoming a guard and who raised the alarm almost instantly. The sorceress had narrowly fleed the scene, leaving the bundle behind.
The members of House Twilight had been understandably cautious of approaching said bundle, but when she herself had gotten there, and revealed what was within...
The filly stirred suddenly, a few gurgles escaping her throat as she instinctively grabbed the pinky with her other hand as well, tugging it towards her before turning her head to bury it in the corner of the seat, stubbornly pushing and nuzzling her nose to the firm surface repeatedly, all without it giving way, even a bit.
Her little face screwed up in frustration and her arms pounded onto her blanket, releasing Celestia’s finger as tiny beads bud underneath her eyes, still squeezed tightly shut,
The Princess frowned, reaching her hands out hesitantly as she slid them underneath the filly and her blue blanket, lifting both up and taking a seat on the vacated couch.
Celestia held the foal against her chest. She was smaller than a bag of sugar from the kitchens, the alicorn noted with a tiny smile as she rocked the filly gently, quieting her down. Celestia’s magic enveloped the folds of the blanket and rearranged them a bit to better wrap around the prone figure.
An unexpected giggle bubbled out of the baby’s mouth, and the Princess’ ears perked in surprise, even more so when brilliant amethyst eyes revealed themselves for the first time. With a curious burble, she pawed at the golden aura, giggling gleefully yet again at the static feel of magic, earning her an amused smile from her temporary guardian.
Tiny toes peeked out from underneath the fluffy cloth, dangling in Celestia’s lap. Her head, a surprisingly neat mass of thin navy strands of baby hair, bounced under her supporting hand as the foal reached for more of the energy kept alive by Celestia.
It amazed the Princess just how... innocent the foals of the greatest threats to ponykind were. “Why, aren’t you just an adorable little bundle?” Celestia finally heeded the urge to nuzzle her cheek to the filly’s forehead, drawing her attention quickly.
The baby babbled, giggling again as her tiny hands drew away from the magic and instead to Celestia’s face, craning her head and gripping the alicorn’s cheeks happily, only for them to leave and stretch towards her glimmering, ethereal mane instead, eyes sparkling with curiosity as the strands slid harmlessly into her fingers and slipped smoothly out of her grasp again.
She clapped, legs kicking in her excitement, harmlessly hitting Celestia’s middle before she quietened down again, nestling against the alicorn’s breasts as said alicorn straightened the blanket once more.
A genuinely warm smile crept up Celestia’s face as the tiny witch let an adorable little yawn pass through her mouth, mumbling out few more sleepy gurgles with her bright, half-lidded eyes finally fluttering closed, the Princess gently rocking the baby all the while.
Celestia’s eyes shut, and she breathed out a light sigh, the corners of her mouth curling up.
No. Nobody would hurt the foal. Not her, not the Council, not another witch.
Not with her here.
“Princess!” The toddler squealed as soon as the double doors opened for her. She clumsily ran up to the steps leading to the throne, catching the attention of Raven, Celestia, and her two guards, who relaxed upon seeing who it was.
Whilst her companions chuckled quietly, the Princess bent down a bit, beaming as the little witch climbed the final carpeted step and leaped enthusiastically into her waiting arms. Celestia twirled the both of them around, the little pony held safely in her embrace giggling as she did. “I missed you so much!” The filly exclaimed.
Celestia laughed, “Oh, Twilight, I missed you too.” She laid a gentle kiss on Twilight’s forehead and stroked her fingers through her long, thick bangs almost instinctively. “Tell me, did you have fun at Missus Velvet’s home? You didn’t cause much trouble for her, I hope?” She arched an expectant eyebrow.
Twilight pouted, “But I never cause any trouble! Oh, oh but we had so much fun!” The witch lit up like a candle, barely able to keep still in the Princess’s arms.
“Missus Velvet makes the very bestest triple chocolate chip cookies, and she said that it was a super-secret recipe, but since I was family, she taught me how to make them! And Mister Night Light had this really really cool telescope to show me, it was magically magnified and we could see all the way to the craters on the moon! And- and Shiny showed me his new shield spell, and we battled each other with swords - um, cardboard ones, don’t worry! - and then I was the Princess and he was a brave knight, and he slew the monster and saved me!” Twilight sucked in a huge amount of air, before grinning happily.
The alicorn smiled fondly, “Well, it sounds like you had a good time, did you remember to thank them afterward?”
“Mhm!” Twilight exclaimed, hands sparking magenta in her excitement, causing some of the closest nobles - who Celestia only then realized were still there - to step away cautiously. “You always say to be polite to everypony!”
Celestia nodded, sitting back down her throne and ignoring the elder Blueblood’s pointed cough. She sat Twilight snuggly on her lap and smiled at her. “Indeed I do. Now, I believe you rushed in here while we were in the middle of something-”
The filly blinked, then finally noticed the small mob of the nobility left in Open Court, shrinking at their judgemental stares and even the few glares from some, ears slowly wilting. Celestia paused and hugged her close, one of her primaries curling around the little witch protectively. A clear sign to back off.
They did as they were told, and Twilight relaxed a bit, “Do you think you can sit here patiently with me for, hmm... an hour at most? Then you can tell me more about your weekend.”
Twilight looked between Celestia’s warm, maternal expression, the lingering nobles, then to Celestia again, before finally nodding and hugging her arm, looking to the last petitioners to the Crown.
Celestia smiled and looked to them as well, straightening up and assuming her regal stature once again.
Maybe this Court wouldn’t be as boring as she’d thought it’d be.
“Twilight...” A large wing squeezed her tight. “I’m here, Twilight. You’re safe, I promise, it’s okay now.” A voice cooed comfortingly in her ear.
She curled up tighter, pulling away from that wing, shaking like a leaf.
Everything hurt.
“Come here, my little one, they’re gone, I promise, it’s just me.” Somepony whispered to her, lovingly stroking her messy bangs. She whimpered and finally gave in, pushing herself into the familiar mare’s arms, sobbing her little heart out.
Strong arms squeezed her for all she was worth, murmuring quiet reassurances all the while as she was cradled to a warm chest. “I-I dun’ l-like M-Magic Kin-Kindergard-den-” She wailed pitifully.
She winced and only cried harder as she felt something brush over one of her many bruises, and she felt the alicorn stiffen, hold tightening. “I know, baby, I know.”
“Nopony touches you and gets away with it.” She heard a soft growl and only quivered in the embrace of the one she trusted most.
“P-Princess...?”
Her words stopped Celestia in her tracks, a few paces after all the others who’d gone to comfort the bride-to-be. A dash of hope dared flicker.
A sad sigh crushed that hope.
“Of all of the witches, I had least expected for it to be you to fall to your darker thoughts, Twilight Sparkle. Jealousy is unbecoming of you, and I am very disappointed.”
Celestia turned her head a little, just so she could see that one magenta eye, shining with... displeasure, disappointment, sadness. Devoid of love.
And just like that, the one pony she trusted most of all shook her head and walked the last steps out of the hall, “You have a lot to think about, Twilight.”
The door slammed shut with a final bang, echoing throughout the hall as Twilight crouched down low on the pristine marble tiles, trembling with her fingers crackling with uncontrolled energy and her body wracked with her silent sobs as every single pony she’d ever loved left her alone to drown in her own doubt.
“Of all of the witches, I had least expected for it to be you to fall to your darker thoughts, Twilight Sparkle. Jealousy is unbecoming of you, and I am very disappointed.”
“...M-Momma?” She whimpered.
“Let me go! Tell me how she is! I have to see her! P-Please, she-she’s all I...”