//------------------------------// // What do you know?. // Story: Chrysalis' unexpected Life // by coto616 //------------------------------// --------------------------------- What do you know?. --------------------------------- "Princess." Windy said, feigning surprise. "It's a pleasure to welcome you to our humble abode, to what do we owe the pleasure of having you visit?" "I'm sorry to tell you that this is not a pleasant visit, there is a..." Twilight thought of the best word to describe the whole affair. "...a medical situation concerning Rainbow's pregnancy, and I would like to know if you can shed any light on the matter." Bow and Windy looked at each other for a few seconds and nodded. "Would you like a drink while we talk?" The stallion asked. "Thank you." Twilight replied, following Windy and sitting down at the table in front of the Pegasus. Bow went to the kitchen to boil some water, then came back and sat down at the table next to his wife. "The water will be ready in a minute." "I appreciate it, and how have you been, since I've been ruling beside Luna, I haven't had much free time for social visits." "There's not much to complain about, just some changelings that tried to live here, but unlike Pegasus or Griffon, they can't walk on clouds, but we managed to make some arrangements and were able to adapt the foundations of some houses with wooden beams, as well as some buildings and most of the streets, and you have something new to report?, I can tell by your face that your job is very stressful." "A little, at first I had a hard time adjusting to the change of pace and moving the sun requires a huge amount of magic but over the years I managed to get used to it. I'm surprised that Celestia hasn't had a psychotic break like Luna over the centuries, or at least not one caused by the whole Chrysalis and Clear Spark incident." "Maybe she always saw reigning alone as some kind of penance for what happened to Princess Luna. It must not have been easy for her to banish her sister..." The sound of the kettle interrupted Windy as he spoke, and Bow rose from the table toward the kitchen, but the mare tapped him on the shoulder before the stallion retreated. "Bring you know what." The mare said, she wasn't an avid drinker but she knew the conversation could get dense and she wanted to be prepared. "The big one or the little one?" The stallion asked. "The big one." Windy replied and her husband nodded his head. Bow Hothoof went into the kitchen and returned after a few minutes with three cups of tea and placed them on the table, then circled the table and stopped in front of a bookcase, looked at the books and picked up a large one and took out a bottle hidden behind it, leaving a very confused Twilight. "You're hiding booze in your own house? "It's a habit we picked up during Rainbow's teenage years, sometimes she would steal a bottle or two from us, we didn't mind her drinking, we were teenagers too, the problem is that she doesn't have any self-control when it comes to alcohol." The stallion replied, putting the bottle down on the table before sitting down next to his wife. "There are ponies that can handle alcohol and there are ponies that can't, and my daughter is in the second group, you've seen her behavior when there's alcohol in her system." Windy added, and Twilight remembered how Rainbow used to react on the days when AppleJack sold her special cider, and how sad and desperate she would get when she couldn't drink a drop. She wasn't the town drunk, but she did have a drinking problem. "This bottle was sent to me by a friend who lives in Saddle Arabia." The stallion said, adding some of its contents to his cup of tea, "It gives an extra buck to anything it's added to." Windy brought her cup closer and her husband added a small amount as well before offering some to the princess. She cordially declined the invitation. "So, Princess, do you want to keep chatting, or do you want to get right to the point?" Windy said taking a sip from her cup, her tone direct but friendly. "I want to talk to you about Rainbow Dash." "We know, but what exactly do you want to know?" Now it was Bow who asked the question. "A few things that caught my attention, but first I want to let you know that Rainbow has given birth to a beautiful baby girl and that they are both doing well." "We're glad to hear that." "But there is a problem with... I don't know how to say it, and I hope you don't take this as insulting to your daughter, but... Soarin has doubts about Rainbow's... loyalty to him." "What do you mean?" Windy asked with a confused look on her face. Twilight looked down, wondering how to talk about such a sensitive subject. "Even though the little one has no health problems, she doesn't share any physical characteristics with Soarin, or even with Rainbow Dash, the little one is a black earth pony with a reddish mane and tail, Nurse Redheart was able to guarantee Rainbow's motherhood because she was present during the birth, but she said that this only happens once in a million." "That your daughter doesn't look like you is a hard blow for every parent. How did Soarin take it? Bow asked. "He didn't take it very well, he just left the hospital without saying anything. Right now Rarity is talking to him to find out how he's feeling so he doesn't do anything stupid." "You think he would hurt our daughter?" Windy asked worriedly. "No, but Rarity knows him best. She knows that if he leaves Ponyville, we'll never be able to find him." Twilight took a sip from her mug and rested for a couple of seconds before resuming her speech. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but... Rainbow and Soarin have a rather... dysfunctional relationship, and from what Rarity told me, the fights were always started by Rainbow. I know them both, but I've never heard anything from Rainbow or Soarin, but I'm inclined to believe Rarity is telling the truth." "You know as well as I do that our daughter is very impulsive, she has a strong temper and her patience leaves a lot to be desired. Coupled with the hormonal and rhythm changes, I wouldn't be surprised if they fight from time to time, I know from experience." Windy replied. "Yes, I think you're right." Twilight replied, sipping at her tea again. She wondered if Windy would give her a different answer if she knew that they fought almost every day and that Rarity knew all about it because Soarin often slept over at her boutique. "I remember something from my biology class about the genetics of ponies, and how some genes are dominant over others to give a certain trait to a foal when it develops in its mother, so if the parents are of different races the little one will have unique traits from one of its parents. For example, if the father is a unicorn and the mother is a pegasus, the child will be a unicorn or a pegasus because the gene that determines the race is dominant and it is always one or the other. Do you have any relatives who are from a different tribe or who have physical characteristics that are similar to those of the daughter of Rainbow?, dark coat or reddish mane?" The two of them thought for a long moment about whether they knew of any relatives who looked anything like what the princess was describing. "The only one I can remember is a distant uncle who had reddish hair. But the rest of my family has always been light-colored, and as far as I know, they've all been Pegasus." Bow Hothoof replied. "I have an orange mane like my mother. I'm sure all the mares in my family and most of the stallions have lived in Cloudsdale, and we've all been treated at the same clinic, including Rainbow." Windy added. "Is that why you read your daughter's medical report?" Twilight asked suspiciously, bringing up the open letter that Windy had given to her a short time ago. "I'm sorry to ask this way, but intercepting somepony else's correspondence and reading it is a crime. I need an answer." "I admit it was a mistake, all my life I've seen Dr. Mustard, and many times to avoid waiting for my test results he sent them to my house, when I saw it was from the clinic I was sure it was mine and I opened the envelope not knowing it was from Rainbow, but I assure you the information inside is routine, hormone levels, blood flow and such." "I understand, I know she is your daughter, but what you did is still wrong, you should look more closely the next time you receive correspondence, I am sorry to use this tone with you, but I need you to understand that what you did was inappropriate." Twilight said a little annoyed and in a reprimanding tone. "I know Princess, it won't happen again." Windy replied with obvious remorse. "Don't worry, I won't press charges for now." Twilight said, calming her temper in a much friendlier tone. "So that is how you found out that Rainbow was pregnant?" "Not really, we knew months ago." The stallion replied. "Then how did you find out that she was pregnant?" Twilight asked confused. "From the newspaper, when one of Equestria's heroes and the main character of the Wonderbolts turns out to be pregnant, it is not something that goes unnoticed by the reporters." The mare replied. "Besides, we were reminded of it almost daily by the constant stream of congratulations from our friends, neighbors, and ponies at the market." The stallion added. "But she's your daughter and today was a special day for her, why didn't you go to the hospital? "When Soarin told us the news, he also asked us not to go to the hospital to see our daughter." The stallion replied. "But why?" "We're proud of her, but she didn't want us to go there," Windy replied. "What do you mean?" "Rainbow has been avoiding us at all costs since she found out she was pregnant, like the other day when I went to visit her and she wasn't home, we used to see Rainbow every month but for a little over a year now she has been avoiding us and when Soarin gave us the news he said she was very upset to hear he was coming to tell us, sure she told him not to tell us anything so she wouldn't get stressed and have a problem during the delivery but he felt it was the right thing to tell us anyway." Bow replied. "But why is she avoiding you, did something bad happen between you two?" Twilight asked worriedly. She thought that maybe Rainbow's parents didn't approve of their daughter's pregnancy, and maybe that's why she fights with Soarin all the time, because he wanted her parents to know, maybe she feels that no one supports her. "We know our daughter and there are only two reasons for her to avoid us, that she's angry because we forbid her to do something or because she's ashamed, it's been years since we can tell our daughter how she should live her life, so I think you as well as we can imagine this answer." "I understand..." Twilight thought about the mare's words for a long moment. If what she said was true, there could only be one reason for Rainbow's attitude, and if it was, this answer would connect all the dots and even if she didn't want to ask the next question, she had to ask it anyway. "You're her parents, and you know Rainbow better than anyone. Do you think she's ch... done anything inappropriate?" she asked. The princess asked without knowing if she wanted to know the answer to that question. The Pegasus looked directly at the princess for a long moment without saying a word, then she drank all of the tea in her cup in one gulp. "Twilight, please come with me." The mare said in a serious tone, getting up from the table and walking up the stairs on her way to Rainbow's old room. The princess, not knowing what Windy wanted, got up a few seconds later and followed her, Bow knowing where they were going decided to stay seated and pour more liquor into his cup. At the top of the stairs, Windy waited for the princess to approach. When she reached her side, opened the door to the room and motioned for the princess to enter. Twilight slowly walked in and could see that several trophies were stored in a box, and their place were children's books, toys, and clothes for foals, some new and some used, there were even some small sweaters that you could see were hoof knitted, on Rainbow's bed were several packages of diapers for newborns and a huge box that could only be from a crib, Windy closed the door so her husband wouldn't hear anything and approached the princess. "What is all this?" Twilight asked. "When we found out our daughter was pregnant, we were very excited, it's not every day you find out you're going to be a grandmother, but we were also very disappointed because we found out when we read the newspaper. It's also not very nice to find out your daughter hid her pregnancy from you, but anyway, she's still our daughter and we're going to help her in any way we can." Windy replied. "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Twilight said. "I love my daughter as a mother and no matter what happens I will be on her side, if I have to lie to save her I will do it, if I have to fight with you to save her I will do it, if I have to destroy my marriage so that my daughter can have a better life have no doubt I will do it, you knew her very well these years but I know her much better, I gave her life, I nursed her, I changed her diapers, I tucked her in at night, I brushed her mane, I taught her to fly, so in answer to your question, no. ... my daughter is not capable of cheating Soarin. " The mare said in a serious tone with conviction, making every word count. "I understand... I'm sorry to bother you." Said the princess in a low and somewhat concerned tone. She left the room and went downstairs to the door to leave the house and return to Ponyville. "Princess Twilight." Hothoof called to the princess before she walked out the door, causing the princess to stop and turn her head "Yes?" Twilight asked quietly as the Pegasus pulled another bottle out of the books. "I don't know exactly what my wife said to you, but I can imagine her words, and I know my daughter isn't the smartest pony in Equestria, but she's not stupid either, and she wouldn't throw it all out the window for a night of fun. The boy is a good Pegasus, and my daughter knows it." Bow approached Twilight with the bottle in his hoof. "What's that for?" The princess asked, referring to the bottle the pegasus was carrying. "I promised Soarin I would give him this bottle the day he became a father, but..." The stallion sighed with a glance at the label on the bottle. "But I guess it will be up to him now if he decides to accept it or not." He finished and hoofed the bottle to the princess. Without saying a word, Twilight took the bottle with her magic and left the house. She opened her wings to take flight when she felt herself being called. "What's her name?" Windy asked as she came out of the house. "Excuse me?" Twilight asked, not understanding what she was being asked. "Our granddaughter, what's she called?" Windy asked, standing next to her husband. "Oh... her name is Shadow Fire." Twilight replied. "That's a pretty name." Windy said. "Yes... it is... It's something Rainbow would choose for her daughter." Twilight said with a smile. "Yes, it is." Windy replied with a smile as well. "Thanks for your time and hospitality." Twilight said before leaving for Ponyville. The journey from Cloudsdale to Ponyville was a little long, and Twilight could get there in seconds if she used her magic, but she decided to fly instead, thinking about what Bow and Windy said. She learned a few important things from talking to her friend's parents, like that Rainbow's whole family was pure Pegasus, surely there were some earth ponies and unicorns in their family tree. These days, everyone had uncles, cousins, siblings, grandparents, and others who were from another tribe, and it would be ridiculous to think that anyone had a completely pure lineage, but Rainbow's parents didn't have any that they could remember, They don't remember having a dark relative either, but they do have a relative on Bow Hothoof's side with a red mane, but it's too far away to tell, and his mother has a two-tone orange mane. These two pieces of information would make the birth of one in a million possible over Shadow Fire's reddish mane, but that doesn't explain his dark coat, much less his being an earth pony. There was also what Windy and Bow had said about their daughter avoiding them because she was embarrassed; earlier, Rainbow had shown a similar attitude to her parents when she became a Wonderbolt, and she didn't want them to attend her presentations because they got too effusive, She had some reason not to tell them because once they even brought fireworks and almost caused an accident, but back then she didn't avoid them in the same way as now, much less for so long and not for something as important as she was going to be a mother, she knew her parents would find out eventually, and didn't explain why she specifically asked Soarin not to tell them. It was also known that Rainbow was very impulsive and often did things without thinking and ended up regretting the consequences, like when she wanted to stop the winter to avoid losing Tank, or when she accidentally traded Fluttershy for a Daring Doo book, or when she told her that she had accidentally become pregnant, knowing very well that a pregnancy was not "accidental", there was a long list of things that showed how impulsive the light blue Pegasus was. She was the only one of her friends who had marked the beginning of the cider season in her calendar, just like AppleJack. But the farm pony was justified, because it was one of her star products, and the ponies lined up endlessly to taste the delicious drink, Rainbow was almost always in the first row and ordered enough jars for a regiment. Rainbow might have done something impulsive under the influence of alcohol and that's why she avoided her parents, knowing that they would find out immediately?, but what if it was all a simple misunderstanding and just a genetic roulette prank?. And finally, the way Windy answered all the questions, and that Bow gave her a bottle of wine for Soarin, but let him decide whether to accept it or not, they must have known something and lied to her to protect their daughter, they were her parents after all, and if what Windy Whistles had told her was true, it would be useless to keep asking them questions, everything gave the impression that they somehow knew the truth about Shadow Fire's paternity, no, the truth was definitely inside, but both gave her indirect answers, leaving her with the same questions, only they were kind enough to add one more question to that list. Soarin would accept the bottle?.