"Spike, take a letter." Twilight instructed. He had been awakened the previous night from their noisy departure. Twilight told him to come to the hospital the next day, today. He took out his parchment and quill. "Dear Celestia..." She began.
"Umm, do you want me to add 'Princess'?" He asked. Twilight answered by fluttering her wings. "Right. Okay."
"Dear Celestia," She repeated. "I'm writing to inform you of a joyous occasion..."
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Cadence and Shining happened to already be in town for another matter. They had been visiting earlier that morning. Little Starswirl had quite the liking for Uncle Shiny. It was a bit strange for Shining though, given the circumstances. But with Cadence right there, it made it doubly difficult.
"Oh, look Shiny, he likes you." Cadence said. "He's got his uncle's nose... and ears." She said. He and Trixie exchanged an awkward glance. Shining felt uncomfortable at the comparison. But it was true that the foal did have some of his features. But that was where the similarity stopped. His fur was blue, like his mother's. But just a shade darker. And he had Twilight's eyes, a deep violet. His mane and tail were definitely from Twilight. Striped pink and lavender, like her fur. Shining gave him back to Trixie. Cadence watched as the new mother held him in her hooves in her hospital gown.
"Don't you wish we had one of those?" Cadence asked her husband.
"A hospital gown?" He asked.
"A foal, silly." She said. "You certainly pester me enough to practice making one."
"Cadence!" All three of them scoffed at her blatant remark.
"What? Is it so wrong for a mare to want a foal? Oh Shining, can't you just picture the feeling of seeing your newborn foal?"
"Oh, I can imagine." He said, looking at the foal in Trixie's hooves.
"Drats!" Cadence cursed, looking at the clock. "Time flies. We have to get back to those delegations. I'm sorry Twilight."
"It's okay. I'm sure we'll all see eachother again soon." Twilight said.
"Thank you for coming." Trixie added. They had a bit of peace and quiet for a short while. That is, until Twilight could hear Princess Celestia's arrival as various ponies curtsied and greeted her as she arrived. "Princess." "Your highness." "Your Majesty." Her tall form finally stepped into the room.
"Oh, let me see him let me see!" She was giddy. Princess Celestia, normally so stoic and aloof, was giddy. Twilight had never seen Celestia giddy. Ever. Trixie adjusted herself in the bed, showing off tiny Starswirl in her hooves. "Oh he's sooo adorable." She practically squealed as she held him in her magic. Luna entered the room shortly after, coming alongside her elder sister.
"Ah, the Sparkle progeny." She said curtly as she took her turn holding him. She turned him about and looked him over with a clinical inspection. "He appears well." She said.
"Yes, the doctors said that he is perfectly healthy." Trixie said, grateful. Celestia gave the proud parents a surreptitious wink.
"You know, we would love to have you back in Canterlot." Celestia said "You would be closer to his grandparents."
"He would attend the School for Gifted Unicorns, of course." Luna added.
"Actually," Twilight said. "We were thinking about staying here in Ponyville with our friends. He can go to Cheerilee's school." She moved closer to Trixie's side, taking her hoof in hers. "And later, if he chooses to, he can take the entrance exam in Canterlot. On merit, just like everypony else, of course."
"Of course." Celestia agreed. Twilight had more wisdom about her than Luna gave her credit for. A prince with small-town roots could only make a better leader, more in touch with the citizens.
"Prince Starswirl Sparkle. You have quite the hooves to fill. We will be watching your career with great interest." Luna said to the foal. "Though you hardly seem like the 'prince' type to me." His response was the wittiest retort an infant could offer, vomiting on her midnight blue fur. Luna returned the foal to his mother, wiping her fur clean with a cloth. "Yes, well I suppose I may have had that coming." She sighed. Celestia could barely contain her giggle.
"You should both be very proud." Celestia said at last before they left.
"Thank you. We are." Trixie said, bidding them farewell.
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Nightmare Night, Several Years Later
Starswirl paced back and forth at the base of the stairs, waiting for Twilight. Or as he called her, Madre. It was a bit of a trick early on for parental labels. Obviously Trixie was mom. She earned that title in the delivery room. Twilight wanted to share the title, but he needed to be able to differentiate when he called across the house for one of them. Though, Twilight was uncomfortable with 'dad'. Madre ended up being the compromise idea that they got from their friends Bon Bon and Lyra. His mom, Trixie was already downstairs with him and Spike.
"Ugh, we're going to be late!" He complained, looking at the clock. "Time is candy!"
"She's punctual every other day of the year." Spike said. "How's my costume?"
"Same as it was the last time you asked. It's still a Manticore." He said. He looked over his own costume. Rarity had done a great job making his Changeling costume. Especially with the thin filament wings. He thought it turned out a lot better than Spike's costume.
"I'm just so happy with the way mine turned out." Trixie said, flaunting her Luna costume. It was little more than replicas of her royal shoes, collar and crown with a bit of glitter tossed into her mane and tail. But then his mom always thought she was beautiful all on her own.
"MADRE!" He yelled up the stairs. Twilight appeared at last at the top. "Oh not again!" He groaned. She was wearing her Starswirl the Bearded robe again. "Every year!? UNCLE DISCORD!" He yelled to seemingly nopony. In a flash, the summoned draconequus appeared in the room.
"Yes? Did somepony call my name? Oh it's you Starswirl." He said, tussling his mane.
"It's just Stark now." Starswirl said.
"Ooh, 'Stark'. How edgy." Discord mocked playfully. "Well, what did you pull me away from my literary dinner for?" He said, munching on a book. Stark pointed at his madre. Discord didn't make any effort to conceal his snicker. "Again Twilight? I mean it's bad enough you named your son after him. You don't need to rub it in."
"I know right!?" Stark said.
"What? This is my Nightmare Night costume." Twilight tried to defend. "I didn't have Rarity make me anything else."
"Okay, leave this to me." He said. With a snap of his claws, the costume was off of Twilight and hanging over his paw. Another snap and Twilight's fur and wings were turned white as snow. Her mane became ethereal, colorful and billowing in an unseen wind. On her hooves, neck and head were copies of Celestia's apparel. If not for the height difference, she could actually pass for the sun princess. "You know, I think you actually wear it better." He said, satisfied with his work.
"Aww." Trixie complained. If it was one thing she hated, it was being upstaged.
"Um, could you, uh..." Stark pointed at his mom, flipping his mane.
"Why not." Discord snapped his fingers again. Trixie's hair billowed like Luna's, showcasing her sparkling glitter.
"Yay!" She squealed. "Oh Twilight, look at us!" She said moving to her side. "We're a shoe in for best couple's costumes this year!"
"Yay." Twilight groaned flatly. Discord offered the colt beside him the Starswirl robe on his arm.
"Not a chance. If your claws try to put that costume on me you'll be pulling back a stump."
"Sheesh! Such gratitude." Discord balked. "If I'm no longer needed, I'll just be on my way." He said, setting the costume folded neatly on the table as his form shimmered into that of Nightmare Moon, strutting out the door. His exit was greeted with terrified screams of foals outside.
Twilight moved to the table, checking the robe. "This is a good costume. Look at the borders on these robes. These are hoof stitched!"
"But you wear it every year." Spike said.
"Yeah Twilight." Trixie agreed. "Besides, variety is the spice of life. I like this new look on you." She started nibbling on her ear.
"Ooh, Trixie..." Twilight cooed, turning to kiss her.
"Ugh." Stark groaned. It was weird enough that his parents were kissing. Made worse by the fact that it now looked like Luna making out with her sister. "I think I'm gonna be sick before I eat too much candy." He looked at Spike, nodding toward the door. "Come on, let's go." After they left, Twilight broke the kiss with Trixie.
"Maybe I should start up a pony group to teach ponies about history. I bet everypony would love it."
"You can be so dense sometimes. Thank goodness for that flank." Trixie said, resuming the kiss. Twilight glanced at her now-white behind. Noting that it was disproportionately Celestia-sized.
"HEY!" She yelled. A disembodied voice chuckled at his handiwork.
"Just until midnight." The chaotic voice echoed. Trixie put her hoof on Twilight's flank.
"Well we better not waste it!" She pulled Twilight's hoof toward the bedroom.
"Um... do you think he can see us?" Twilight whispered nervously. Trixie took Twilight's face in her hooves and looked her dead in the eyes.
"I WANT him to watch!" She breathed.
"Oh my."
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Blissfully far from the range of his parents voices, passing by the town well, Stark saw a filly from his class at Cheerilee's school, Pumpkin Cake.
"Hey Spike, Can I ask you for some advice?"
"Sure."
"How do I ask a filly I like to go to the Nightmare Night dance?"
"Dude, you're asking the wrong dragon." Spike lamented. "I've been playing, and losing, that game for years. I'm afraid you're on your own with that one."
"Oh."
"But, if I could relay the advice that had been given to me, I would say, be direct." He said. "Mares like a pony with the courage to speak their mind."
"Okay. But what if she says no?"
"Then she won't go to the dance with you. Will she go with you if you don't ask at all?"
"No."
"Then what have you got to lose?"
"Huh. I guess you're right." Stark realized. He trotted over to Pumpkin. Spike noticed Rarity over near the stage with Sweetie Belle. Sweetie was going to be singing that night. But Spike had his eye on her older sister.
"What have I got to lose..." Spike repeated to himself as he walked toward her.
---------------------------------------------
"Hey Pumpkin." He said once he got close enough.
"Hmm? Oh hey, Stark. Nice Changeling costume." She said.
"Thanks. I made it with my mom." He said. "Where's your costume?"
"Ugh, I ditched it. My parents wanted me to go as a jack-o-lantern. Again!" She complained.
"Tell me about it. My madre was going to go as Starswirl the Bearded again."
"Wow, really?" Pumpkin laughed. "Why doesn't she just go back in time and marry him?"
"She probably would if she could. And if she wasn't already married to my mom." He said.
"Well you know what I mean." She smiled.
"..."
"..."
"So Pumpkin-"
"So Stark-"
"You go ahead." Stark said.
"No, it- it's silly. You go."
"Oh, uh, um..."
Be direct.
"Pumpkin, I, uh, was just wondering if you wanted to go to the-"
"PUMPKIN!" Stark looked a the voice from behind him
"Oh for pony's sake!" Pumpkin muttered putting her face in her hooves.
"There you are." Her brother, Pound, said. "What did I tell you about running off on me? I'm your older brother."
"Yeah, by like a minute! I'm not a little foal. You don't have to keep watching over my shoulder." Pumpkin said.
"What are you doing with my sister?" He said, turning to Stark.
"We were just talking." Stark explained.
"Uh huh. Come on." He said, taking his sister's hoof. Stark knew better than to try to get between them. The last thing he wanted was to be on the receiving end of one of his infamous poundings.
"It was nice talking to you." Pumpkin said over her shoulder to him.
"Yeah, you too." He called back before she was out of range. He shuffled back over to the well where he came from. Spike was already there, looking just as dejected.
"No luck?"
"No luck."
"Next time." They assured eachother.
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Elsewhere, ponies dressed as the royal sisters were getting lucky.
"Oh, Celestia!"
"WHAT!?"
"....."
".....call me Celestia again."
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At school the next day, everypony had brought the candy they had collected the night before. Out on the playground at recess they were trading with eachother. Stark had hoped it would be another opportunity to talk to Pumpkin. But as usual, Pound was always nearby, on the lookout for any colts with his sister. Twilight often talked about how his uncle, Shining Armor would look out for her when she was younger. Stark wondered if that was the reason why it was so hard for her to have friends too.
The second half of the day went by quickly. About an hour before school let out, Miss Cheerilee made an announcement. They were going to get out of school early! They were going for a surprise field trip. And with that, Cheerilee led the class a short ways across town to the Golden Oaks Library.
"Princess Twilight has graciously volunteered her time to start up a pony group to teach ponies about history. I bet you will all love it." Cheerilee said, knocking on the door.
"Yay! Twilight time!" The other ponies cheered, honored to spend time with Ponyville's princess. Twilight opened the door. Stark wanted to disappear when he saw that she was wearing the damn Starswirl costume again.
"Come on in everypony! Spike is making nachos." Twilight said as they filed in.
"Thanks for this Twi." Cheerilee said quietly. "If you want to later, I'll be over at the Bannered Mare with Berry, trying to imagine a career that doesn't so closely resemble Tartarus." She whispered, a bit frazzled.
"Oh I'm sure they're not that bad." Twilight said.
"Well, you say that, but... I don't know how to end that sentence." Cheerilee said as she headed toward the pub.
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Inside Stark's home, the public area of the library had been transformed into a small school room, with several chairs. Up front was a chalk board and a small table with book. He pitied the foals, as they sat there excited to be in the princess's home. For they did not know what fate worse than death awaited them. Lecture.
At the front of the room, Twilight began writing on the chalkboard as she spoke.
"Today for our pony group to learn about history, we will be learning about Starswirl the Bearded." Twilight said. The other ponies in the class who knew his real name turned around and looked back at him. He was busy trying to make himself as small as possible. To him it felt like a scene from Fluttershy's Wild Kingdom.
Watch now, as mortified colt's fur changes color to blend seamlessly with the surroundings. A natural camouflage to hide him from the view of the predatory classmates.
Hardly camouflage, he only managed to turn a bright shade of red.
"No, not that Starswirl. Hi honey." She waved at him. As if he couldn't see her. As if he wasn't already embarrassed enough. A few of the other colts snickered. Salt in the wound. "I'm talking about the historical Starswirl the Bearded. He was the most important conjurer of the Pre-Classical era and the father of the Amniomorphic Spell." Twilight read out loud to the class from the book of Obscure Unicorn History. Stark didn't need to see the cover to know which book she was reading to the class.
Because she had read it to him before.
Several times.
"He created more than 200 spells." She continued. "He even has a shelf in the Canterlot library named after him. And he was the mentor of Clover the Clever, one of the founders of modern Equestria." She was interrupted by a voice from upstairs.
"Oh Twilight~ where's my naughty librarian?" Trixie said, appearing at the top of the stairs in stockings and a lacy saddle. The whole room went dead silent. "....Oh. Was that today?"