Luster did her best not to giggle as Pearl struggled to lift her cup with her magic, her horn swirling in every color of the appendage itself. This had been going on for some time now. She knew that she shouldn't be laughing, for she remembered how much trouble she too once had with her magic, but she couldn't help it. Did that make her a bad pony?
Pearl finally finished her coffee before groaning as she set the cup down again. “How the hell do unicorns do this? I’ve had this thing a month now, and I’m still like this.”
Luster put on her best teaching smile. “Well, Miss Rose. Unicorns are born instinctually knowing how to use their magic. You just got your horn. It is to be expected.”
Pearl grumbled as she blushed. “Twilight said the same thing, and she’s been teaching me. I’m much better than I used to be at least. And if last night was anything to go by, I am awesome.”
Luster rolled her eyes. That was an understatement if the noises coming from the couple’s bedroom were anything to go by. Even several hallways away as her room was. “You used the spell I assume?”
Pearl nodded, grinning at the memories. “Yeah. Hopefully, it worked. Not like I can ask Riko about it.”
Luster tapped her chin. She understood the whole family enough now to know who this was. “Why not? You are family.”
Pearl sighed. “I know, and Kohaku’s said she is much nicer and more approachable than Kazumi. But going to all the places she would frequent, hoping she might show herself to me, doesn’t feel right. Guess we’ll wait for the obvious signs from Twily. She’s carrying if it worked.”
Luster frowned. She was still sore about having been used and manipulated as she had, even with all of the good that had since coming from that encounter.
Pearl’s ears fell. She wasn’t too happy about it either. Whatever she had once felt about the unicorn was long gone. “How much of that was Kohaku and Summer’s pushing? Or…?”
Luster sighed. “Some of it was them. But everything I said was how I felt. Perhaps I wouldn’t have said it as I did, or at that time. But it was on my mind all the same.”
Pearl made a note to add some more pounding the next time she got the chance on Kohaku. He had it coming for any number of things. Just add one more to the list.
Luster looked around, the cafeteria of the School of Friendship filled to the brim with most on their lunch break. “Where is the queen, anyway? I thought she was joining us?”
Pearl rubbed her forehead irritably. “Lord Ember is making a huge stink about Tiamat visiting as she did. Plus something about Garble I didn’t catch.”
Luster tapped her chin. “I thought the Dragon Lord answered directly to the Dragon Queen?”
“She does,” Twilight sighed, as she sat down with them, waiving off the bows of the students. “Garble does not seem to care. Another one of his harebrained schemes to be named Dragon Lord.”
Luster frowned. She understood enough dragon customs to know how dangerous that was. “How? I thought that was punishable?”
Twilight sighed. “It is. Smolder was able to talk Ember out of going straight to Tiamat with the first scheme. I don’t know how much longer that will last though. Death is the only outcome if it goes that far.”
Pearl nodded somberly. “Tiamat will empower one of her Consorts, and they will kill the offender. It’s only been once or twice if I read it right. Dragons backstabbing each other is normal. But to go after the Dragon Lord? To try and turn them against her? Yeah. That’s going too far.”
Luster’s ears fell. That wasn’t fair at all. “What about Spike? Some of the students know about the last Gauntlet of Fire, and what he did. Hay. Some were in it.”
Pearl rolled her eyes. “If the Dragon Mother had any problem with it, she would have done something before now about it. Spike knows it too. Garble’s being a sore loser.”
Twilight nodded. “It did give me a distraction from last night at least. I still think we should have waited more, Rosie.”
Pearl rolled her eyes and poked her wife. “Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud, Twilight. You want this as much as I do. Stop acting like you didn’t enjoy it.”
Twilight blushed as Luster giggled. “Fine. I can only imagine what else could be in Riko’s library. What else do any of them have? Think of what we could learn.”
Luster and Pearl shared a smirk. “Good luck finding any of them, let alone getting them to give something up,” Pearl grinned, poking her fellow alicorn. “Riko might be easier since her shade would hang around places of healing. But there’s a lot of those.”
“And it’s not just limited to Equestria.” All three mares swiftly turned their heads to see Kohaku lounging about next to an open window. A book held up by two of his tails, a plate with mooncakes, and an open bottle of soda with a straw beside him. “She helps all places of healing through the entire world. Of course, if you do want to learn more you can always visit the library. But I know how you feel about visiting the old temple.” A sly grin crossed Kohaku’s face.
Twilight sighed. “It is not as bad as it used to be, with us now being family. But I can’t help it. And it is not going through the Everfree either. Maybe one day I’ll get over it.”
Nodding softly he turned a page and popped a mooncake in his mouth. “I understand. Even I have trouble visiting the old temple at times. But that’s for a different reason altogether.” Closing the book in his tails he looked up. “As a change of subject. I’m glad to know you two are enjoying the spell I gave you.” Kohaku smirked as he saw the pair blush. “No, I didn’t peep. I little owl told me. I didn’t press him for details. But I’m here to let you know something I forgot to tell you at the wedding.”
Twilight made a note to talk to Owlowiscious about that but raised a brow all the same. “What would that be? Should I expect any more visitors?
“No. it’s about the spell I gave you. I was so distracted I wanted to explain a few things. I’m sure by now you know it’s not a hundred percent chance of conception.” Twilight and Pearl both nodded. “Well, please don’t go messing with the spell to enhance anything. Sis was very specific about that. It could lead to some bad things.”
Pearl wouldn’t even know where to start, but turned a glare on Twilight, seeing the slight gleam in her wife’s eyes. “And I’ll make double sure somepony doesn’t. I’ll make what Summer did to you look tame by comparison.” Pearl had a slight giggle watching her friend openly shiver at the thought.
“What kind of bad things?” Twilight quirked an eyebrow after turning her head away from the glare of her wife.
“She wouldn’t say. Probably because she herself doesn’t know. Since no one has ever gone against her orders to find out. But that’s healers for you.” Kohaku shrugged and purred as the afternoon sun hit his fur. “Thankfully Riko is far more open about giving warnings than Kade. But then not many would want to browse through her library. Unless you're a pyromaniac.”
Twilight huffed, crossing her legs. “Okay, I get it. You’d think I was a filly with her hoof in the cookie jar or something.”
Luster tapped her chin. “Weren’t you caught doing the same several times?”
Twilight blushed, while Pearl giggled. “I hate that you told her that,” Twilight grumbled.
Pearl just smiled. “Somepony needs to knock you off that pedestal of yours. Might as well be me.”
“Well just don’t knock her down too hard. We wouldn’t want to damage the little one.” Kohaku yawned and rested his head down on his front paws. Both Pearl and Twilight almost wrenched their necks turning toward him. “What you didn’t know?”
“The doctor told me I wasn’t…”
Scoffing Kohaku smirked. “I swear. You ponies need to pay closer attention to things. Your doctor is lacking in the one thing I have.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “A keen sense of smell. Your physical chemistry has changed, it can mean one of two things. One. You're in menopause, which as an alicorn is impossible. Or, you're pregnant. Congratulations.”
Twilight’s head spun. As much as she had wanted to, she hadn’t planned on getting pregnant on the very first try. She hadn’t thought it would be that simple. Now… “Oh sweet me,” she mumbled.
Pearl, though, was all smiles, before it hit home. “Oh sweet you is right. I’m gonna be a mother. And I have no idea what to do now!”
Luster tried to process all of this, but it was easier said than done. “So. Do I keep this to myself, or spread the good news?”
After a moment, Twilight shook her head. “Keep this to yourself for the moment, Luster. I trust your smell, Kohaku. But let this simmer a bit before we spread the news.”
“So I shouldn’t have told Cadence and Celestia?” Kohaku grinned as the three mares glared at him. “Yeah, that’s my cue to leave. Ta.” With that Kohaku popped out leaving nothing but leaves in his place.
Pearl growled. “I am going to strangle him one of these days. I don’t know how. But I will!”
Twilight nodded as both Cadence and Celestia popped in and started bombarding the two with questions. Leaning over Twilight whispered to her wife. “I’ll try and hold him down for you,” before groaning.