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// Episode 63: One thing After Another 
// Story: My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony: Season Two 
// by Captain_Cosmos 
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‘Twas the night before Hearth's Warming eve. Ponies around Equestria were sound asleep. In Canterlot however, one pony was beginning to regain consciousness after an extraordinary experience. Sparkler groaned softly as her mind and body began to turn back on. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, and squinted them when she still couldn’t see anything. It took a moment but she eventually could make out shapes in the dark. One of which she recognized was Twilight’s slumbering form. “Ugh…what happened?” She asked softly. Her mind was racing as the events of old came back to her. She was at the Yule Ball, had been thrown out…her eyes widened as she bolted upright. She remembered the most important thing, the thing that led her to being knocked out in the first place.

“Kicker!” She exclaimed. She got on her hooves and hopped off the bed, failing the landing slightly as she dropped down a little more than she thought. She shook her head and raced over to the slumbering Twilight. “Twilight! Wake up.” She said, trying to rouse the mare awake.

Twilight was eventually roused awake as she fluttered her eyes open and saw the shape of Sparkler wide awake. “Ugh…what time is it…” She asked groggily.

“Twilight, is Kicker ok? Did he make it?” Sparkler asked urgently. All other concerns were secondary to her, like sleep.

Twilight rubbed her eyes as she sat up, and magically turned on the light. Lighting the room up.

Both mares squinted their eyes to adjust them to the sudden brightness in the room. Twilight opened her eyes and smiled at Sparkler. “Hey Sparky. You’re up.” She stated.

“Yeah.” Sparkler said hurriedly. “Twilight, did Kicker make it? Is he ok?” She asked. She needed to know that she didn’t lose him forever.

Twilight chuckled and picked Sparkler up and held her close. “Well, he’s alive. That—“ Twilight’s eyes widened as she registered what she just did. I shouldn’t have been able to pick Sparkler up so easily. And…is she smaller? Twilight set Sparkler down on the couch in front of her, and gasped when she got her first real look at what was undoubtedly Sparkler, but she was the size of a five year old foal! “Uh…Sparkler…”

“What?” Sparkler asked. “Twilight what’s—hang on a second, why is my voice so high?” Sparkler asked as she realized that she sounded different. “And…why are you suddenly bigger than I remember?” She looked up at Twilight. “Twilight what’s going on?” She asked, fear quickly taking over.

Twilight blinked a few times before gulping. “Sparkler, sweetie, don’t panic, but you look like you’re five years old.” She told Sparkler, gesturing behind Sparkler to a mirror.

Sparkler turned around and looked at the mirror on the door, and screamed. “I’m a foal?!” She exclaimed.

“I…I think so?” Twilight responded uncertainly.

Sparkler tried her best not to panic, as Twilight asked, but it was very hard. “No. No no no this isn’t happening. This is all a dream. I’m still uncon—ow!” She yelped as she felt her flank pinched magically. She whirled around to glare at Twilight. “What the hay Twi—“ She stopped when she realized that it hurt, and she remembered that there was no pain in a dream. “You gotta be kidding me.” She said as she realized it was reality.

“I’m sure there’s a way to fix this sweetie.” Twilight responded as she pulled Sparkler in for a hug. “We’ll go to Celestia in the morning and try to fix this.” She assured her.

Sparkler took a few deep breaths to calm herself down as a few tears made themselves known. “First the pregnancy now this? Twilight. I really need some good news right now. Is Kicker ok?” She asked.

Twilight bit her lip. “Well, he’s alive and well. That much is clear.” She told Sparkler.

Sparkler should’ve been relieved, glad that Kicker hadn’t been hurt. But she remembered the six Alicorns bit. “W-what happened?” She asked.

“Sparkler…is your magic working? Can you track him?” Twilight asked. “If you can, then this will be easier to take.” She reasoned.

Sparkler was confused, but she tried lighting her horn, and much to her relief, it glowed on command. She could then feel Kicker’s location, confirming that the spell still worked. “Yeah.” She said. “I can feel his location.”

“Good.” Twilight responded. “Come on.” She said, hopping off the couch and offering her back to Sparkler. “I’ll take you to the ICU…it’ll be better to show you what happened.” She told Sparkler.

Twilight was trying to keep Sparkler calm, but Sparkler was growing more and more terrified. Without knowing what else to do, Sparkler climbed onto Twilight’s back.

Soon after, in the ICU, Dr. Shadow Wind was doing rounds, making sure everything was hunky dory when he saw princess Twilight awake and coming. “Princess Twilight?” He asked. “A little late isn’t it?”

“Sparkler woke up.” Twilight responded, turning her body to let Dr. Shadow Wind see her marefriend in her current state.

Shadow Wind blinked a few times before sighing. “I know why you’re here so I’ll forego the obvious questions until you get a look at your six foals, they’re the only ones in there so that should remove any doubt that they’re yours.” He said, gesturing for Sparkler to get a look.

Sparkler looked through the window, and found that there were six sleeping babies on the other side of the glass. All of them with wings and a horn. She took a look at each individually and indeed she counted three girls and three boys. But she rested her eyes on the orange one, and her world crashed when she pieced together that it was Kicker, without a doubt Kicker was the orange Alicorn that her tracking spell confirmed. But there was a big problem. He, or rather, SHE, was the wrong gender!

“Oh my Faust…Kicker…” She whispered, tears forming in her eyes again. She couldn’t believe her eyes. But she was wide awake, and she could clearly see that Kicker was in fact a girl. “W-what happened to him?”

“Honestly? We’re not entirely sure.” Shadow Wind responded. “Princess Twilight said that he went in as a colt, I guess something happened when he was inside you. Maybe he was affected at the gender level by your Alicorn Magic?” He guessed.

Sparkler couldn’t hold back the tears as a million questions formed in her mind. Did she really lose the colt she adopted forever? Did Kicked even have his memories?

“We’ll keep them in the ICU for a few days, then we’ll discharge all of you.” Shadow Wind said. “Now, do you want to go back to your room so we can have a look at you?” He asked.

Unsure of what to do anymore, Sparkler only nodded in response, refusing to take her eyes off the orange Alicorn; she kept her eyes on the baby for as long as she could before Twilight walked far enough away that she couldn’t see them anymore. She tightened her grip on Twilight as they and Shadow Wind went back to her room for an examination.

An hour later…

“Well. For all intents and purposes, you are healthy as can be. It’s remarkable that you recovered so fast from the…ordeal earlier.” Shadow Wind concluded after he gave Sparkler a thorough once over.

“Except that I’m a grown mare in a filly’s body!” Sparkler exclaimed. “What the hay happened?!”

“If I had to guess, maybe this is just normal for a sextuplet Alicorn birth?” Shadow Wind responded. “I apologize Ms. Medley. But a pregnancy like yours has never happened before. And the mother who gave birth has certainly never regressed to such a young age before. Medically there is nothing wrong with you.” He told her.

Sparkler facehoofed and groaned. “First Flurry sneezes Kicker into my womb, then I suddenly give birth to 5 more children than went in, they’re all Alicorns, Kicker is the wrong gender, and now I’m a five year old. All I wanted was a Hearth's Warming that I could enjoy with my family. Was that REALLY so much to ask for?!” She asked nopony in particular.

Twilight reached out and pulled her regressed marefriend in for a hug. “Sparkler, relax, and look at the bright side. We have Kicker back plus five more bundles of joy.” She told her.

“Do we?” Sparkler asked. “Twilight, he’s an Alicorn, and SOMEHOW, he’s a filly. Who’s to say that his memory wasn’t completely wiped?”

“Princess Luna is looking into that right now.” Twilight responded. “She came by and when she saw the foals, she agreed to go in and make sure Kicker didn’t lose his memories. So don’t panic yet.” She told her.

Sparkler gulped. “O-ok.” She responded, shivering a little in fear. She hoped that princess Luna would bring good news.

“If it’s any consolation.” Shadow-Wind spoke up. “All six foals are healthy and there’s nothing medically wrong with them.” He informed them.

Sparkler smiled at that. She would take whatever good news she could get. “Thanks doc.” She said.

Shadow Wind smiled. “Anytime.” He nodded. “I’ll leave you two alone now.” He said as he left the room.

With Shadow-Wind gone, Sparkler snuggled up to Twilight. “We did say we were keeping whatever came out of me right?” She asked.

“Yeah…” Twilight replied, remembering that talk. “Alicorn Sextuplets…” She said.

“Yeah.” Sparkler responded.

“Still think we should keep them all?” Twilight asked.

Sparkler bit her lip. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t give up any of Kicker’s siblings, but that was before she gave birth to SIX Alicorns. “Do you think we can handle six Alicorn foals?” Sparkler asked Twilight.

“Worse case scenario, we cast a forbearance spell on Kicker’s 5 siblings until we can teach them how to control their power. And Kicker, when we age him back to the correct age, and possibly gender, he’ll be at the point where we can teach him.” Twilight responded. “But yeah. I think we can handle it.” She said with a smile.

“We’ll have to have that talk about living together then.” Sparkler responded with a giggle. “Find out if we have to renovate my house or not.”

Twilight chuckled. At least Sparkler was finally calm. “I love you Sparkler. Even if you’re a five year old now.” She said.

“I love you too Twilight.” Sparkler responded. “Nice to know I have you by my side.”

Twilight smiled and planted a kiss upon Sparkler's horn. “Always Sparky.” She said.

Sparkler nodded, before something came to her mind. “Hey, whatever happened to Silver-Mane?” She asked.

“He’s in the dungeon. Celestia is gonna strip him of his power and influence for what he did and HAS been doing since you came out.” Twilight responded.

“Good.” Sparkler replied. “One less Noble to worry about.”

“After this, I doubt the Nobles will continue to cry about you. Lest they want their power stripped away as well.”

Sparkler chuckled at that. At least one good thing came out of what happened at the Yule Ball. She snuggled against Twilight again and yawned. “Mind if we cuddle for a while?” She asked.

“Of course.” Twilight responded. “We can cuddle for as long as you like.”

“Good. I might fall asleep though.” Sparkler said.

“Be my guest. Little ones need their rest anyway.” Twilight giggled.

Sparkler just rolled her eyes and smiled. She saw that coming from a mile away. “G’night Twi.“ She said.

“Night Sparkler.”

To be continued…