IT WAS a day for bells and trumpets, a day for dancing in the office and concerts in the streets. On any sunny day the Crystal City sparkled, but on this day it shone, and the walls and spires rang with merriment. Even the sun seemed a little brighter and more golden overhead, like a special hug from the Princess to everything under its light.
From all across the Crystal Empire, and far beyond, came performers of all sorts, musicians and magicians and jugglers and clowns. Some came to celebrate the wonderful news, some came because all the goodwill was sure to bring generous tips, and most came somewhere in between. Also flowing in from everywhere were the vendors, filling the streets with a moving bazaar of the most fantastic and exotic goods. And candies, yes.
Everywhere about the city were strings of lights and banners, flurries of confetti, and fireworks up above. Traffic was terrible, and not much serious business was conducted that day, but nopony really minded.
In the Great Hall of the Crystal Palace, a hall far taller than it is long or wide, the pegasi of the Cloudsdale Herald Choir performed, taking full advantage of the vertical space. While they sang, they circled and swooped in mesmerizing patterns, and they cast their voices out to the crystal walls to make the palace itself sing along with them. Though they were known best for solemn ceremonial recitations, on that day they sang bright, upbeat popular tunes so the ponies below could join on the chorus.
For on that day in the Crystal Palace, a Princess was born.
"Hoo-wee, Rarity, you sure do talk it up pretty!" Applejack gave Rarity's shoulder a teasing poke. "You been practicin' all that?"
"A repertoire of well-polished anecdotes is invaluable in high society," said Rarity with an unflappable smile. To Dreamsweet, she went on, "As it happened, we missed most of the choir's performance, but for the very best of reasons..."
In the midst of the second song, a servant slid discreetly up to Celestia and muttered a quiet message. Celestia, and the others in the royal box, stood and tried to make their way out discreetly, but in vain; ripples of whispers and pointing hooves swept back and forth across the auditorium below. Hoping to calm them, Celestia turned to give a reassuring smile and a gracious wave, but that only stirred up more hubbub. She wasted no further time before sweeping away through the rear curtain of the box.
Behind her, into the hallways of the palace, followed Princess Twilight Sparkle and, technically, her royal courtiers. They could hardly have made a less stately procession, however; even Celestia had gladly left most of her dignity behind in the theater box. Rainbow Dash swooped colorfully overhead beneath the vaulted ceilings, and Pinkie Pie bounced even higher than usual, visibly vibrating on the edge of total party explosion.
Twilight Sparkle was burning her own giddy energy off in a constant stream of chatter.
"Such a wonderful day for the Crystal Empire, and for all of Equestria!" she declared. "Imagine, the first royal heir born in this castle for more than a thousand years! Well, in this or any other castle, I suppose. Not to mention –"
"Hey now, Twilight, you know that sort of thing ain't why this baby is special, right?" said Applejack, tossing her a suspicious eyebrow.
Twilight blinked. "Well, she has an auspicious birth sign, but I don't think that's –"
The farmer rolled her eyes. "She's your niece, Twilight!"
"Well, yes, of course. Uh... she's related to some of the most powerful spell-casters of the modern day? So there's a good chance she'll inherit –"
"She's your kin, ya silly filly! Your own flesh 'n' blood. That's what's important, not all them history-book honors.'
Twilight's cheeks flushed magenta. "Oh, uh, right – right, naturally I'm totally excited about that too..."
"Don't tease the poor girl, Applejack!" Rarity interceded. "I'm sure we all know that our Twilight is always thinking just as deeply as she's feeling."
"You all know what now?"
"Oh don't blush, dear, that busy mind is one of your best qualities. Honestly, I admire your composure anyway – why, if I were in your shoes, I'd be jumping around like Pinkie Pie!"
"I'm not in her shoes, and I'm still jumping around like me!" Pinkie agreed, springing up between them. "I'm just so super-excited, for you, and for Cadance and Shining Armor, and and and, for everypony everywhere!"
Abruptly she stopped, and cast a glower of deep suspicion toward Rarity. "Waaaaait a minute... Twilight's not wearing shoes!"
Before Pinkie could pick any further at the hole in Rarity's story, Celestia came to a halt before a high-arched double door and cleared her throat.
Instantly the focus of attention, she tapped on the door, then pushed it open a fraction. Into the gap she poked her nose and called, "I hear we're ready for visitors?"
A moment later she drew back, smiling broadly. Raising her head and straining to hold the corners of an impish grin, she announced, "Princess Twilight Sparkle, honored Bearers of the Elements, Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious – it is my privilege to present to you the newest addition to our royal family. Please greet the Princess Infanta and Mare Apparent to the Crystal Throne, born Duchess of Shadowvale and Protector of the Hollow Shades: Her Royal Highness, Dreamsweet!"
Despite her playful tone, the fancy introduction cast a veil of silence over the group. Quietly they flowed through the door as the Princess pushed it open, falling in naturally behind Twilight as she approached the bed.
Shining Armor stood at the bedside with a bright brittle grin, hovering at the edge between joy and panic, while his wife lounged bonelessly amid the deep rose bedcovers, radiant with exhaustion.
Cradled in Cadance's embrace was the most perfect little foal in the world.
(Oh, don't give me that look. I'm your old auntie, I'm allowed to be mushy.)
Twilight Sparkle was shocked, almost frightened, by the sheer power of emotion that swept through her as she laid eyes on the infant. Of course, she loved her family, Spike included, and her friends, and the Princesses, but this was a deep tidal force of feeling that made her head light and her hooves heavy. She would risk anything, sacrifice everything, to protect this foal; from that moment on, it was a simple new fact of her existence.
The newborn was, of course, impossibly cute, even with her face flushed red and wrinkled like a grumpy little old mare. Her coat was rosy peach, and her mane a wispy cotton-candy pouf of multicolored stripes, much like Dash's, but in delicate pastels: mint green, lavender mist, pink and cream from her mother's mane, and one thin stripe of bold dark blue from her father.
As Twilight watched entranced, the baby stretched her tiny forehooves up above her head and yawned, adorably, shifting around in the blanket. Twilight's eyebrows shot up and she drew her head back in surprise.
"She's got wings! And a horn!"
Her friends all gasped and murmured, and they leaned in close around for a better look. Celestia and the new parents were unsurprised, exchanging looks of mingled pride and concern.
"Oh my goodness, she does!" Fluttershy squealed. "Just look at those teensy-weensy little wingies – ooh wujja wujja wujja!"
Twilight shook her head as though she'd been sprayed with water, and bobbed her jaw searching for words. "But, but that – that's –"
Celestia made a smooth interruption. "It is very uncommon. One more way that our little Princess is most special."
Twilight glanced up at the elder Princess, whose look in return conveyed, clear as words, that she should save it for later. Before Twilight could say anything more, Rainbow Dash was in her face, seizing her shoulders.
"Do – you – realize – what this means?" she demanded, voice high up into the squeaking range. Twilight blinked, blank. Dash let go and puffed out her chest.
"It means I get to teach her how to fly!" she burst out, then soared up to do more triumphant loops in the air, pumping her hooves and cheering in a hollow crowd-sound whisper-roar.
Cadance drew Twilight's attention by shifting closer to the edge of the bed and holding up the baby. "Would you like to hold her?"
"Hold? Hold her? Me holding her? I don't, I don't hold, I mean, I don't know –"
"It's okay, Twilight!" Cadance laughed. "She's not made of glass. Just support her head, like this, and put your other hoof under here... there you go!"
Cadance leaned back, and Twilight found herself bearing the weight of her family's future. The bundle of blanket was warm and absurdly heavy. The baby yawned again and smacked her lips, then abruptly opened her eyes wide and caught Twilight in a hypnotic gaze. As their eyes locked, Dreamsweet's mouth curled in a smile of cosmic adorability, and for Twilight everything else in the world ceased to exist. For once there was nothing on her mind, only sharing a smile with her newborn baby niece.
The spell eased somewhat as the baby gave a sweet tinkling giggle, and began to look up and down, at Twilight's eyes rather than into them. Twilight likewise studied the clear, brilliant turquoise gems of Dreamsweet's eyes. She couldn't help wonder what unworldly, wordless thoughts might be going through the nascent mind behind that fathomless gaze, at once vacant and inscrutably wise.
Just then, zhoop!, up popped the baby's foreleg, clouting Twilight firmly on the nose with a tiny hoof-edge, surprisingly sharp. Twilight squawked in startled pain, and Dreamsweet laughed, suddenly becoming squirmy as a bag of snakes. Vision blurred with stinging tears, Twilight lunged forward to keep the wriggling bundle over the bed.
No sooner had Twilight blinked her eyes clear than the baby said, with curious clarity, "Blorp."
Then she erupted. Hot, gooey, partially-used milk fountained from the foal's grinning mouth, down her cheeks, and inevitably pouring past the blanket all over Twilight's hooves.
"GAHH! AHGG! HGAA!" Twilight flapped her wings, hopped on her hindlegs, and flailed everything except the parts she most wanted to shake, her forelegs, which held the baby perfectly still above the bed even as she freaked. Cadance quickly leaned over to take Dreamsweet back, and Twilight shot up into the air on a jet of disgust.
She glided across the spacious bedchamber toward the bathroom door, to avoid befouling the floor with her tainted hooves. And of course, behind her the whole room full of so-called friends erupted in laughter.