Stairway to Equestria

by AlexUk

Chapter 30: A Blooming Love

Blink stared at himself in the mirror. There was a small scar next to his left eye that still hadn’t fully healed, leaving less fur along a minute line of his face.

He groaned. He didn’t look as perfect as he wanted to even if the costume was, well, an amazing one. Very similar to the black suit he wore at the Gala where he proposed to Twilight, the piece combined Rarity’s extreme attention to detail with her increasingly powerful and breath-taking spells that altered the nature of cloths and other materials. It was a shining black, magically reflecting shades of light and ‘bringing out the mystery from within’, as Rarity put it.

“You look great, dude.”

“I don’t look great,” Blink retorted flatly.

“You do know you’re not the one who has to catch the attention of everyone, right?” the dragon next to him argued.

Blink floated the military insignia to the upper part of his chest, trying to clip it onto the suit. He frowned as the blue tendrils of magic wavered and dispersed, making the badge shake in mid-air. The insignia was a distinguished military reward that had been given to the unicorn for his actions during the battle of Struthill and Canterlot, but was currently irritating the stallion by not staying in place.

“Let me do it,” Spike offered, taking the badge in his claws and gently clipping it to Blink’s attire.

“It’s been four months,” the disgruntled stallion muttered, “and I still can’t use my magic properly.”

“You’ll get there, bud. These kind of wounds take longer to heal. You remember what the doctor said–”

“The doctor said I could never use my magic again,” Blink countered, staring at himself in the mirror. Somehow, the highest possible military award on his chest didn’t make him feel any better.

“Clearly not the best of doctors, ey?” came Pearl’s voice from across the makeshift dressing room. “You’re already picking up pebbles and whatnot all by yerself. It’s why I don’t trust them doctors more than I trust my left eye,” he added with a laugh, pointing at his patch.

The Captain was wearing a perfectly white suit, which somehow worked just fine with his already white coat. Black and yellow admiral insignias adorned his shoulders, and a formal Captain’s hat rested on a table nearby.

“I guess there’s something else that’s wrong with you, Blink,” Spike said with a grin.

The stallion’s face dropped. “What? What is it?”

“I believe you’ve got a serious case of cold hooves.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Blink dismissed, waving him off. “And you,” he continued, turning to Pearl. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

The white pony got up and grabbed his hat. “Aye, Captain!” With a salute, he left the room. “Your Highness . . .” came his words from outside.

The door opened again. Luna walked in, her expression quite stoic for that particular day. “Spike, may I have a few moments in private with Captain Blink?”

“Sure, Princess. Hey, I’ll see ya there,” he then told the unicorn while leaving the dressing room, closing the door behind him.

“Please don’t call me like that, Princess.”

“But you are still the Captain of the Royal Guard, are you not?” Luna asked, walking behind him as he continued to stare in the mirror.

“That rank belonged to Chaser. I didn’t claim it back after . . .”

“I understand,” Luna said after the settling pause.

“I promoted him so that I could go to Struthill, and that he would stay in Canterlot. I thought he would be safer there, protecting you and your sister.”

“But he was not. None of us were,” the alicorn responded, unusually calm.

Blink shifted his gaze on the mirror, looking at the royal figure behind him.

“Are . . . are you okay, Princess?”

“I’m fine, Blink, thank thee for asking. But the past is the past, so let us not think of such sad moments right now.”

“You are right. Why are you here, if I may ask? Afraid I will run off like the others seem to think?” he asked, chuckling.

“You’ve braved worse things than this, of that I am sure. I only wish to congratulate you and may the best days be ahead of you, Twilight, and your friends.”

“Thanks, Princess Luna, and . . . the same to you.”

The alicorn returned the smile. “The best days are always ahead of an immortal pony like myself. Also, you may simply call me Luna; we’ve been through too many events side by side to keep these formalities up between us.”

“No problem, Luna.” Blink continued to stare at the Princess, noticing something still lingered behind the mask of reserved happiness she had put on for that day. “That’s not all, isn’t it, Luna? Please tell me what’s wrong.”

The mask fell. Her eyes turned serious, yet troubled. “I didn’t wish to bare this news upon you, especially on such a day . . . alas, it concerns thy future.”

Blink turned to face her. “What about it?”

“You’re a bearer of Death . . . like I once was. And like me, I fear that thou suffers the same condition as I did.”

“Condition? What condition?”

Luna’s eyes faced the floor briefly before returning to meet Blink’s. “You are a Deathbearer, Midnight Blink. Life may never source from within you, for you can only end it.”

The stallion stared at her for a few moments, confusion slowly turning to understanding. “You’re saying that Twilight and I . . . we’ll never have a family?”

“I deeply regret it, but tis’ the truth I wanted you to know. I’m . . . I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you such a thing, especially today-”

“No, Luna. It’s all right; I always appreciated you being honest to me, no matter what. This time is no different. Although the timing seems off . . .” He pondered for a while before turning back to face the mirror. His mind churned at what Luna had told him, but he kept his spirits up.

“You are right. I should have not told you this now. It hath been on my mind to talk to you about it, I might have waited for too long. Again, my apologies. I mustn’t hold you any longer; I will see you at the lake.”

Blink simply nodded, and the Princess left the room. After a few moments, Spike came back, standing in the door with a serious expression.

“It’s time,” he said.

The small town of Ponyville seemed packed, despite the fact that only a few ponies had come from places other than the town itself. Near the forest residing next to a wheat farm, a small wooden house rested close to a small lake. Facing Ponyville, the nearest neighbor was the Golden Oak Library about a mile away.

Usually it would be fairly quiet in that secluded oasis of calm, but on that day, more than a few had gathered in front of the lake for a special occasion. The sun was out, wildlife seemed more active than ever, and the guests were brimming with anticipation.

Right in front of the lake, on a small wooden platform adorned with life-filled flowers, Captain Pearl stood quietly as he faced all the other ponies. In front of him, a very nervous Blink shifted on his legs.

“Relax dude, it’s not like you’re going to war again,” Spike’s voice came from nearby.

Next to the dragon, Big Mac and Silver Wisp, Pearl’s second in command, stood silent, giving the unicorn the best reassuring looks they could muster.

“I’d rather go to war,” he muttered, swallowing hard.

“Aww, isn’t he just adorable when he’s nervous!”

Blink turned left to a group of five mares, all of which giggled behind their beautiful dresses and styled manes.

“Who said that?” Blink hissed between gritted teeth, making sure no one else heard him.

Their small horseplay however didn’t go unnoticed by the ponies behind them, and the first row of guests tried to hide their chuckles, in what was a rather sweet relief from the anticipating await.

Blink gazed behind him with embarrassment, but his eyes fell on a single empty chair in the first row. He sighed with a content smile, forgetting for a moment where he was as his mind wondered briefly to a painful memory.

“Hope you’re watching, buddy. Saved you a spot, as promised . . .” he said under his breath, eyes beginning to water.

It was then when everyone turned their heads back, murmurs filling the vibrant meadow. At the end of a long carpet that lead to Blink and his friends stood Twilight and her father. The stallion’s jaw dropped while his heart swollen in his chest.

The fabric of her dress captured the very essence of the sun’s warm light. The design was simple, yet somehow rivaled everything Blink had ever seen in both of his lives. Fitted underneath her neckline, the white dress covered her barrel, then flowed to the ground starting near her hind legs. The dress’s train was short, and the edges seemed to wave slightly above the ground, throwing specs of sunlight back into the air. She wore no veil or any other headwear at all, but her mane was beautifully styled and weaved in the manner she normally had it.

At that very moment, Blink had no doubt about it: she was the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. A slow chirping song began playing somewhere, as Twilight and her father, Night Light, started walking down the aisle.

Her gown trailed behind her and even if Night Light seemed to step over it as he walked alongside his daughter, his hooves never touched the dress, going straight through it as they walked.

All the guests watched breathlessly as the bride made her way towards the front of the lake where her stallion nervously awaited. While watching them, in the first row, Twilight Velvet tried to contain her sobs behind a hoof. Shining Armor, Emerald, and Cadence sat next to her and further to the end of the row, Celestia and Luna followed with genuine happiness as their two disciples met in front of Captain Pearl.

Night Light gave Blink a nod as he gave him Twilight’s hoof. He then returned next to the crying Twilight Velvet in the first row.

“You’re beautiful,” Blink mustered between nervous lips.

“You look great too,” Twilight replied, the blush on her face contrasting with her dress. She then took notice of the sun that was out that day, and Blink’s lack of shades to protect his eyes.

“Luna helped,” Blink mentioned before she could say anything about it. His eyes glimmered a faint blue hue for a moment. Twilight smiled, taking her hoof and running it along the scar line next to his left eye.

“It’s ugly, I know.”

“I actually like it. It makes you look more . . . like you,” she said, for lack of better words. The event was definitely taking its emotional toll on the mare’s ability to think straight. Her eyes kept locked onto his as she gently stroked his scarred temple before a pony nearby cleared his voice.

“There be’ a lot of touching each other tonight, my hearties, but now I need to get the two of ya wed!” Pearl said, drawing chuckles from everyone present.

The two ponies remembered they were in the middle of their own wedding and that a lot of guests had their eyes on them.

“Why are you in a hurry?” Blink retorted just for the sake of having the last word.

The Captain shook his head with a grin, and cleared his voice again. “Dearly beloved that be’ gathered here on this beautiful day!” he started the ceremony, addressing everyone present. “Some of ya’ve come far and wide, others not so much; but we are all here to see these two loveguls united in the strongest of bonds.“

“Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!” Pinkie squeaked amongst the Bearers of the Elements, unable to contain her excitement and drawing a couple of looks.

Pearl eyed her for a moment before returning to the two main protagonists. “Well then, without wasting any more time . . . Midnight Blink! Do you want to take this here Miss Sparkle’s hoof in marriage, to love her, protect her, and watch over her for the entire of yer’ life, till’ Death brings you apart?”

“I’d like to see Him try that. But yes, I do.”

“That’s one . . . Twilight Sparkle!” He continued, turning towards the bride. “Do you agree to unite yerself in marriage with this stallion, vow to love, respect, and protect him in turn for the rest of your lives?”

The mare looked Blink in the eyes, the happiest she had ever been. “I do!”

“Two outta’ two! Now then, under the watchful eyes of our Princesses here this day, and the close presence of your friends and family, I must say: you two be’ husband and wife! Kiss the bride, will ya!?”

While the guests erupted in cheers, the two shared the deepest kiss ever. The entire world faded out, as they had ears and hearts only for each other. When the married couple eventually parted, white and red petals fell from the sky while the guests stomped their hooves in celebration.

Music erupted out of nowhere, and the once peaceful meadow near the lake became the biggest party ground Ponyville had ever seen. Friends rushed to congratulate the newlywed couple. The girls took turns in hugging Twilight and Blink, while the groomsmen settled for strong pats on the groom’s back and quick hugs for Twilight. Spike however, lingered in his congratulation, holding the mare he’d lived with for his entire life longer than anyone else.

“Spike, are you crying?” Twilight asked, hearing a sniffle as he held her in his strong arms, her hooves not even touching the ground.

“No, I’m not. I’m just glad to see you happy,” he said, facing her.

Twilight held his cheek, comforting him. “You’ll always be my number one assistant . . . and friend. I love you, Spike.”

“I love you too, Twi.”

“Hey, where’s my hug?” Blink called out from between the group of friends.

Spike gently placed Twilight down and turned to the grinning stallion. In one quick motion, his neck was snuggled between the dragon’s arms, his hooves hovering above the ground as well.

“Watch the suit and mane!” he struggled to say as the air flow to his head was severely obstructed.

“Like you care.”

Meanwhile, Twilight was smothered by her parents, Velvet and Night Light. “Our little filly, I can’t believe you’re getting married!” Velvet cried, tears still fresh in her eyes.

“Mom, I’m not a filly anymore. And me getting married doesn’t mean I will stop loving you any less. You’re the best parents a pony could have.”

Nearby, Spike let Blink go, and Shining Armor was next to grab him. Fortunately for the just-married stallion, Shining’s grip was lesser than Spike’s, bordering towards a hug even. “You watch over my little sis, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Come on, there are no ranks in family. Call me Shining from now on.”

Before he could retort anything else, Cadence grabbed him into a warm, gentle hug. “Congratulation, Blink.” Her slightly taller stature surprised him for a moment, as no other alicorn has shown him such affection before.

Soon he would experience the same gesture from the rest of the known alicorns, as Luna was surprisingly the next one to drab a hoof over his back and hold him to her chest. “I wish thou the very best. Take care of her, for she was the one that brought me back to my dear sister and ponies.”

The young alicorn moved on to the bride and now Celestia stood in front of the stallion. The two stared at each other reluctantly. Celestia still felt the heavy burden of remorse for what she had done to him two years before, and they had never revisited that conversation ever since before she left in her self-exile.

“I . . . I feel that before any felicitations are said from my behalf, it would be best if I-”

She was quickly silenced as the blue unicorn rested his head on her neck, a hoof holding barely above her shoulder in a reserved hug. “You’re sorry, I know. Heard you the first time.” He parted, giving her a quick smile before turning towards others that were waiting to congratulate him.

Celestia was content with that exchange and chose not to say anything else to the pony she had hurt so much in the past. At that point, she could only hope that, in time, their relation would soften and warm up. The Princess then found herself in front of her dearest student and soon was holding the beautifully dressed bride at her chest.

“I’m so happy for you, my dear Twilight. You’ve come a long way in your studies about friendship and magic, and you made me prouder than I’ve ever been in centuries.”

“You’ve been a great mentor too, Princess. I’m glad you’re back with us.”

“I would like you to accept this as a wedding gift,” Celestia said as they parted, her horn summoning a parchment midair.

Twilight grabbed it with her own magic and opened it, eyes skimming the contents. “. . . hereby grant full ownership rights to the public institution of Ponyville, the Golden Oaks Library as well as its contents . . . new owners, Twilight Sparkle and Midnight Blink.”

“I thought you might like having your own place, without it being opened to the public,” Celestia said. “Also, the books are yours to keep. All of them.”

“This is . . . amazing! Thank you, Princess.”

“Rest assured, I will arrange for the construction of another public library, and if you two wish to build a new home somewhere else, I can facilitate you with a land deed anywhere in Equestria.”

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you again, Princess Celestia.”

The alicorn draped a wing over her protégé. “The whole kingdom is in your debt, Twilight. It’s the least I can do.”

The endless rows of congratulations continued for many minutes, while Pinkie’s party settled over the town’s edge. The rows of chairs from where the guests had witnessed the married couple’s I do’s were replaced with many large, round tables. Food and drinks stations lined the edges of the meadow, while music played from tall loudspeakers cornering the party grounds.

At the main table, the wedding couple and their closest friends enjoyed what had to be Pinkie Pie’s greatest accomplishment in her career as a festivity organizer.

“This morning, there wasn’t anything here,” Blink stated a few hours into the party, baffled by all the logistics that went into his wedding’s ceremony.

“Thanks!” Pinkie said cheerfully, getting up from her chair just minutes after coming back from the dancing ring. “Come on now, it’s your wedding party! You can’t just stand around while Twilight’s out there dancing!”

Blink gazed at the crowd of partying ponies, noticing two particular ponies standing out of the crowd. It wasn’t because of who they were, but merely because of their borderline embarrassing dancing style. “Wow, so that’s where she’s got her moves,” Blink said with a chuckle as he admired Twilight and Night Light rocking on in the same unique style, much to the amusement of the guests.

The music slowly crossfaded from the up-beat disco song to a slow dance. Some ponies retreated to their table seats while others formed couples and stayed on the dance ring. Blink approached Twilight and her father. Night Light went back to his table, cracking a smile as he passed his now son-in-law.

“So, decided to show up?” the bride asked, her face lighting up at the sight of her stallion.

“I just had to save you from that embarrassment.”

Twilight’s face and ears dropped. “What?”

Blink burst into a laugh, grabbing her and lifting both of themselves on their hind legs. “Twilight, I love you more than anything, but the way you dance is . . . well, horrific.” He slipped a hoof around her waist, cradling the other one with his right limb. Blink then pulled her close, their chest touching and their muzzles not even an inch away.

“Well, didn’t see you do any better,” Twilight managed from behind her blush. Her heart began racing, and her throat dried up. The song carried on its slow pace as the two ponies swayed to its rhythm. “It’s just like that night . . .”

Memories from the Gala where he had proposed to her began flashing back one by one. He remembered the beauty of the clear night sky, the soft nuances of the song his best friend played, the beautiful image of Twilight as he held her close to him, their hearts beating in sync. “Yeah, just like that night.”

“Never imagined myself being here. Certainly never imagined myself being the first among my friends to get married-”

“Are we doing the right thing?” Blink interrupted her in a whisper as they danced, the sneaked looks of the guests upon them.

She looked him in the eyes. “You think we shouldn’t have married?” she asked sincerely.

“I don’t know. Not saying that because I don’t want to be with you, I’m saying it because I, for one, don’t care for formalities like these.”

“You don’t believe in marriage?”

“Well . . . not really; probably because of what marriage meant in my world. But for all it’s worth, I know I love you, and I know I would like to spend the rest of my life with you, and no one else. Plus, I promised it to the crazy Captain with an eye patch, so can’t really step over his hooves on that.”

Twilight chuckled, resting her head on his chest. “That’s enough for me.”

After a few minutes in which their dance continued under the settling evening, Blink noticed something odd about Twilight’s dress. “Did you change your wedding dress?”

“No, is it- Ohh . . .”

The now visibly shorter train on the end of her white dress was barely flicking wisps of light anymore. “It’s one of the features she worked on, I believe. As the sunlight dims, so does the edges of the dress. I believe she used a light absorption spell and enchanted thread to fit the-”

A kiss silenced the nerdy mare’s rambling. “It’s beautiful,” Blink said after they parted. “Not because of some spell, but because of you being in it.”

Twilight remained silent for a few moments, her face turning a grimace as she tried to contain herself. “That’s . . . so cheesy,” she burst into a giggle, still holding onto the stallion as his face froze.

“It’s how I feel, okay? Even so, how can you possibly know it’s cheesy? How many weddings have you had so far?”

“I’ve just read . . . novels; and they all seem so dreamy and sappy. My brother’s wedding was totally the opposite.”

“Don’t tell me you wanted us to be invaded as well?”

“No, this is much, much better. So many bad things happened in the past year, I’m glad that this moment is ours, and only ours.”

The couple continued their slow dance, while bright stars began painting the sky as day gave way to night. The moon itself peeked from under the horizon, curiously gazing upon the cheerful gathering of ponies at the edge of the small town.

“I think this might be the greatest one so far, Pinkie,” Spike said as he downed another glass of champagne. “This is, like, the best mix between your fun parties and a special occasion like Twi’ getting married.” He grabbed another glass with his tail from the refreshments table he had strategically position himself near.

“Aye, young lass! This be the best one I’ve ever seen myself!” cheered Pearl from across the table, also downing another glass. Pieces of food stained the corners of their mouth, having enjoyed the amazing wedding cake Pinkie prepared.

“Thanks, guys. But I can’t actually believe this is happening!”

“I know, right? Our Twi’, getting married? Before any of you girls as well?” the dragon voiced, still in disbelief of what they were actually celebrating.

“Well Ah’m happy for ‘em. To our friends, Twilight and Blink!” Applejack toasted, raising a glass of cider.

After they all downed their drinks, the white captain got up from the table. He’d been eying a particular mare from across the party for some time. “I’m off to request a dance. Wish me luck.”

Blink and Twilight returned to the main table, joining everyone else that was not dancing or having fun with the rest. “Hey guys!”

“Ohh, look who it is!” Spike grabbed the stallion, holding him in a tight hug.

“Spike, how much have you been drinking again?” Twilight questioned him with the usual scolding tone she’d use whenever he did something bad.

“Relax, Twilight. He’s just having fun,” Applejack swiftly intervened. The bride simply sighed in response.

“How does everyone fare so far?” came Luna’s voice. The monarch cautiously took a seat at the table, bearing an unusual smile that contrasted her usually saddened demeanor.

“We’re great, Princess. Thank you very much again for your gift,” Twilight addressed the alicorn.

“What gift?” Blink quickly asked.

“It’s not something grand, dearest Midnight. Sadly, I am not the best at coming up with ideas for presents, as such tokens of friendship and appreciation have always been my sister’s talent.”

“Princess Luna offered to cover the costs of our entire wedding ceremony,” Twilight said, causing the alicorn to smile meekly. One might say she actually looked embarrassed by the recognition.

Blink’s eyes widened. “That’s . . . great! Wondered how we could afford such a party.”

“A toast, then!” Luna announced, raising a glass of champagne with her magic. Spike didn’t need a better reason to grab another glass. The others followed the Princess’s action as well.

“To prosperity and fulfillment. May the stars and moon guide the two of you on your journey together in life,” Luna wished the two of them and downed her drink, followed by everyone else at the table.

Night settled over Ponyville, but the party at the edge of the secluded town carried on unhindered. The food and drink were still plentiful, and the music never stopped. At the main table, only the groom and Spike lingered. One was deep into his thoughts, the other too tired to keep up with his wife on the dance floor.

“I’m really sorry Ruby wasn’t here for this,” Blink told the gloomy dragon, sensing the true reasons of his unusual silence.

“It’s all right. The Old One didn’t really like it that she came with those dragons to Canterlot and helped out, but she told me in her letters that she would be allowed out of her territory soon.”

“That’s good news, I guess. Cheer up, you’ll be going on dates with her soon enough.” Strangely enough, that didn’t make Spike seem any more cheerful. In fact, it didn’t drew any kind of reaction from him. He kept staring at the dance ring, his claws wrapped around a glass of some sort of alcohol from the bar.

Blink followed his gaze and winced slightly when he saw who the dragon was following with his eyes. “Come on, buddy, I’m sure they’re just dancing as uhh- friends?”

“It’s not that. I’m actually glad for her. She deserves to be happy. Even with . . . him. Wow, now that I don’t get.”

The two continued to stare in awe as Rarity and Pearl enjoyed a slow dance together. As the nicely-dressed Captain held the fashionista close to him in his hooves, they exchanged words in what seemed to be a rather affectionate display. Some of the guests were as baffled as the groom and his dragon friend sitting at the main table, especially their closest friends.

“So uhh, you and Rarity are actually okay?” Blink continued.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be? We both agreed that it couldn’t work out and we’re happy by just being friends. That was a while ago, Blink, and nothing changed. I just miss Ruby; I wish she was here.”

The stallion wrapped a hoof around Spike’s back. “Being away from the one you love hurts like hell. I know how it is. The bright side, however, is that the more you two are apart, the better the reunion will be.”

“I guess you’re right. By the way, she sent this with her last letter. It’s for you and Twi’. You know, for your wedding,” he said, retrieving a small, fine crafted wooden box from one of his natural pockets.

“I never understood that. Can you show me how you keep things behind your scales?” Blink quickly asked, more interested in that odd fact rather than in the actual gift.

“Just open your present,” Spike rebuked with a sly grin.

Blink grabbed the box from his claws. “Fine, whatever.” Using the tip of his hoof, he gently prodded the box open. It revealed two small, red diamonds.

“They’re called Soulmate diamonds. Apparently some dragons gift these to each other as a symbol of bond and love. They’re named like that because the raw diamonds are always found in pairs of two.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Remind me to write Ruby a thank-you letter. Hey Twi’, come check this out!” Blink called after the mare, who was returning from the dance floor with several other of their friends. “Ruby’s gift for us.”

Twilight floated the box to her and opened it. “These are beautiful. Are they- I think I’ve read about these somewhere-”

“Is there nothing that genuinely surprises you anymore?” Blink complained, giving his mare a peck on her cheek.

Twilight couldn’t stare him down for long before she burst into laughter, followed by everyone else. “I love it. We’ll need to write Ruby a letter thanking her for these,” she said, turning to Spike. “And thank you everyone for all the gifts and wishes,” Twilight added, looking at all their friends around them.

They all conglomerated into a warm, heart-melting hug. That was, until a rapt voice hollered from nearby. “Gather your attention here, me’ hearties! I haven’t gone through announcing my present for these two young loveguls!”

“I should probably get married more often,” Blink said, actually surprised by how many gifts they received. Luckily for him, Twilight hadn’t heard him, as she watched the white stallion approach with slight hesitance.

“I saw that dandy balloon of yers, Twilight. It be a fine flier, don’t get me wrong, but the two of ya deserve better!”

Pinkie was quick to turn several spotlights towards the sky, where every pony partaking in the reception shifted their eyes.

“You got to be kidding me,” Blink muttered, wide-eyed.

A flying zeppelin approached the meadow, hovering just above the small lake nearby. It was smaller than Pearl’s ship that went down in Canterlot, and its basket was also suspended from the balloon, not joined like on Celestia’s Pearl. It had an open deck, with wooden handrails and a couple of small-caliber cannons on each side.

“Really, Pearl? Really? When you told me you were working on bringing back Celestia’s Pearl, you were making this all along?” Blink continued, his face plastered with a huge, goofy smile.

“It’s . . . I don’t know what to say, Pearl,” Twilight added, holding a hoof over her mouth as she admired the beautiful aircraft.

The color scheme of the zeppelin’s balloon was identical to the one of her hot-air balloon, and the entire body of the basket was sculpted in fine, noble wood. Two small engines with round, circular propellers attached to them rested near the back of the zeppelin, and carved symbols of their friends’ cutie marks decorated the front sides of the basket.

“This be a gift from me an me’ crew, plus this fine lass over here,” Pearl said, pointing at Applejack.

Rainbow Dash, who was next to her, dropped her jaw. “AJ?”

“Ah helped with the wood carving,” she meekly said, trying to hide herself behind her mane in a very Fluterresque manner.

As the zeppelin landed near the lake’s edge, several party guests got out from the ship, with Silver Wisp being the last one to get off. Pearl’s crew then gathered cheerfully around their captain and their friends, wishing the two the very best in life.

“I had the best mages in Canterlot help me with this one. Specially built to be controlled by unicorns, you can even fly it by yerself, no crew needed!” Pearl told Twilight with pride in his voice. “Eighty miles she does in a clock, and can hold five tons before complaining. The hull is split into a lower deck, a kitchen and a captain’s room, which is a fine bedroom with a king-sized bed for those rowdy nights.”

While a wave of laughter poured from the guests, the captain turned to Blink and held a hoof to his mouth, lowering his voice. “You’ve got two 38-punders in the lower deck as well, plus two of them fancy turrets mounted at the sides, plenty of ammo to boot. Ya know, for yer safety.”

“That’s- I really don’t know what to say. It’s amazing; heck, it’s more than amazing! Thank you so much, Pearl.”

“Dun’ wanna hear nonthin about it! You two just promise you’ll enjoy it. Now whatcha gonna name her?”

Blink and Twilight stared at each other, in a total loss of words or ideas.

“I could give ya a hint,” the white earth stallion said with a smirk, “I think Twilight’s Pea-”

“Not gonna happen!” Blink swiftly cut him off.

“Harmony,” Twilight murmured as she stared with a smile at the cutie marks of her five best friends engraved on the front of the basket, next to hers, Blink’s and a head of a fire-breathing dragon. “HMS Harmony. What do you think? And it doesn’t need to be only mine and Blink’s,” she said, turning towards the rest of her friends. “It can be ours.”

“Harmony it is, then,” Blink concluded.

“Well, what are ya two waitin’ fer?” Pearl asked, pointing a hoof at the zeppelin.

The newlywed couple then noticed the bottle of champagne hanging by a rope tied to the airship’s front anchor. Twilight levitated the bottle away from the ship, and Blink chimed in with his weakened magic. A few seconds later they let go of the bottle in unison, and it came smashed against the zeppelin’s basket, drawing a wave of cheers from all the ponies.

An idea sparked into Blink’s head and he turned towards Twilight. “So uhh, what do you say? I looked into it, and tradition dictates that the wedding couple usually leaves just before the party ends. It’s getting pretty late, as far as I can tell.”

“But the library is right here, we might as well stay for the rest of the party.”

“I meant we could leave for our honeymoon, like, right now,” Blink eagerly said.

“But we haven’t decided where-”

“It doesn’t matter, Twi’. We can go anywhere. Right. Now.”

And then she got it. Darting her eyes from Blink to the zeppelin, her mind filled with all the possibilities. With a firm nod, it was decided.

The groom turned to the white captain and gave him a big hug. “Thanks again, Pearl; this is perfect. Is it fueled up?”

“Enough to go around the entire Equestria. Plus she can run on magic easily! There’s plenty of supplies and food in there as well.”

“Perfect. Spike, you got the library for yourself. Don’t burn it down while we’re gone.”

“Sweet. For how long?” the dragon asked, pleasantly surprised.

“I’d say about a month,” Twilight answered that one, nuzzling Blink lovingly.

“Ohh. Well then, have fun!”

“Come here you two,” Rarity stepped in, grabbing the couple in a hug. The rest of their friends did the same, while the other guests congratulated them once again from a not-so-personal distance.

Twilight and Blink boarded the zeppelin, while all the ponies from their wedding stomped their hooves and waved them goodbye. The two made their way to the quarterdeck, all the while admiring the zeppelin’s lustrous shine.

“Can you handle the navigation, Twi’? My magic’s not to be trusted yet, don’t want to crash this thing right away.”

Twilight approached the helm, noticing a simple wooden command panel behind it. “Sure, I think I can fly this. Seems pretty straightforward.” With a flick of her magic, the ship came to life. The engines started and the zeppelin began ascending right away. “I’ve never done this before,” the mare said excitedly, spinning the helm.

Slowly, the airship turned away from Ponyville. Pinkie kept the big spotlights on them as the crowd underneath them waved and cheered. The engines began working at maximum speed, and even if they were picking up speed fast, the circular shape of the propellers kept the entire ship surprisingly silent. Blink and Twilight turned back and walked to the handrails right behind the helm. They waved at their friends and family, while the lake and the sizeable party next to it became smaller and smaller.

When the meadow was out of sight, the two unicorns found themselves alone in a sea of calm. The entire ship and the main ropes holding it onto the balloon creaked every now and then as it settled, with only the warm summer night breeze whispering in the two lovers’ ears.

A sudden burst of explosions and multi-colored sparks filled the sky above Ponyville, as a heavy barrage of fireworks was fired from their party. Blink held a hoof over Twilight’s shoulder as they enjoyed the breath-taking view. Streaks of flames erupted in every direction one by one, easily recognized as Spike’s work. A large figure shot into the sky above the library, gaining considerable altitude before starting to leave trails of fire from its mouth as it charged up one last shot.

“Ohh boy, he’s gonna do it,” Blink said with a grin.

A bright ball of fire left Spike’s mouth, continuing to ascend as the dragon dived back down. Moments later, the projectile exploded, filling the air with dancing flames that slowly rained down over the entire town. They all sizzled out before even getting close to the ground.

“That was amazing,” Twilight murmured.

As the firework display died down, the two were able to make out the star-painted sky above, while the moon provided them with plenty of light. The capital was visible in the distance behind them, resting quietly over its mountain. Twilight returned to the helm and began adjusting the engines’ speed. She then opened a compartment underneath the dashboard, finding what she was looking for.

“So, where do you want to go first? Baltimare is three hundred miles north-west, I’ve read it’s beautiful during summer.”

Blink held her in his hooves from behind, gazing on the map that was unraveled on the helm. “Sure. I’ve never actually visited any city other than Canterlot and the ones I went through on my journey to the Griffin Kingdoms.”

Twilight craned her neck behind and gave him a soft kiss. “Perfect.” She then turned the helm slowly, keeping an eye on several navigational instruments on the dashboard. With the adjustments done, she further adjusted the engine power before turning in Blink’s hooves, her back now resting on the wheel.

“Isn’t that a bit slow?” he asked, rather confused.

“It’s slow enough to get us there tomorrow at noon.” Something in her eye sparked.

Blink saw that flicker, and a smirk grew on his face. “Oh, okay. I believe you would like to rest now. Pretty busy day-”

A burst of purple magic engulfed him, and the next thing he knew, Blink found himself in a spacious room, presumably still onboard the zeppelin. Behind him, there was a large set of windows forming a wide wall that faced the distant town of Ponyville. In front of them, a huge, king-sized bed laid assorted with fine sheets and comfy pillows.

He didn’t manage to say anything else, nor to observe the rest of the captain’s cabin. An eager pair of lips had met his own and immediately began struggling in a sensual battle of dominance.

“I’ve been waiting so long for this night,” Twilight managed after an intense make-out sessions, her face flustered like never before.

They were already standing on the edge of the bed, but their passionate acts ceased for a moment. Blink stared at her with a loving, yet confused look. “You have? Then why did you want to save ourselves for after our wedding?”

“I don’t know. I thought it would make it more . . . real, more honest. Afterwards, when I realised how much I loved you, I just went with it, wanting to see if you felt the same for me.”

“You could have told me,” he said.

“I should have not made us promise,” she told him back.

“Twilight Sparkle, I love you more than anything in this world, or any worlds for that matter. Yes, we probably should have done it when we both felt it was right, but right now . . . I don’t think it matters anymore. You’re my wife, and there’s nothing that can make me feel bad or regretful.”

They leaned their heads against each other’s, the bases of their horns gently touching. Twilight stroked his face with a hoof, her gaze lost into his. “I love you too. Now let’s stop talking, I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

Their lips met again in another intense embrace, silencing any possible retort from the stallion. Their wedding clothes were quickly tossed away as the two made themselves comfortable underneath the bed sheets, the passionate night of their wedding only beginning.

HMS Harmony kept its steady course, with no rough winds to stray it away from its destination. The gently twinkling stars above and the bright-shining moon finished the beautiful painting of the zeppelin flying through a sea of warm air and calm.

Twilight groaned, stretching her hooves as the early morning shimmers tore through the blinds. She felt something tight around her barrel and immediately recognized Blink’s hooves holding her snugly. They began shuffling, and the stallion yawned as he too awoken from their good night sleep.

Twilight turned on the bed to face him, their horns gently scraping each other accidentally. Blink winced slightly, and his eyes fluttered open. “Careful with that . . .” he muttered groggily. “Still sensitive.”

“I don’t remember you complaining last night,” she said with a half-dazed smile.

“Last night it felt good, but now I got two things that sore.”

A loud knock on the library’s back door filled the room. Blink sighed, slowly getting out of the bed. He trotted downstairs and opened the door to a rather cranky-looking dragon.

“Well hey there, Spike. Let me guess, you’re not here for a cup of sugar, are you?”

The dragon snorted black smoke out his nostrils, his arms crossed in annoyance. Blink waved the smog away with a hoof. “Fine, we’re finishing it today.”

“Morning, Spike!” came Twilight’s voice from inside. “Want to join us for breakfast?”

“Morning, Twi’. Sure, why not?” he said, stepping inside through the door that was increasingly narrow for him.

The three of them sat at the table in the living room. The dragon simply stood on the floor, as the chairs had become too small for him about a couple of years ago. Fresh daisy sandwiches and warmed-up hay fries filled their plates. Spike’s one was actually a platter, and had several gems added in to complement the normal food.

Blink took a bite out of a sandwich, munching at it hungrily. “Hey, remember-”

“-the first time we ate at this table? Yes, you basically bring it up every few months,” Spike cut him off with a devilish smile.

“I think it’s nice. It’s amazing remembering the times when you could actually sit properly at this table, Spike.”

“And that was what, four, five years ago? Have to say, Spike, you grew quite a bit since then.”

“Thanks guys, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to help me today. My smoke is really acting up and I almost burned down your old house by the lake twice this week.”

“We’ll finish it today, and then you can move out of that house. Spike, we haven’t forgotten about your gesture, but I asked you of you were sure about it.”

The dragon waved his claws at the mare. “No way was I gonna live in the same house with you two horny creatures. You needed your space, and I needed mine.”

“That’s uhh- oddly mature of you, Spike. You sure you’re not filling ill today? Might be from that smoke you filled your small house with these last few weeks,” Blink said, while chewing on his sandwich.

Twilight turned to him. “Blink . . .”

“Bite me,” the dragon responded to the stallion.

“Spike!” the mare scolded him, then rolled her eyes at the two’s exchange.

Blink wrapped up his breakfast, snagging the last sandwich on his place with his magic and getting up from the table. “Come on, Spike; your earth house won’t finish itself.”

The dragon’s eyes lit up and he got up from the table as well. Twilight joined them, as the three went outside through the library’s back door.

The group of ponies happily chatted with each other, enjoying the snacks and drinks laid out on a couple of tables brought in from the library. Spike overlooked the entire scene, taking in the grandeur of his new home. The main room was large, more than twenty feet in height and spanned on a wide surface that it alone could have held the Golden Oaks library in it.

The ceiling was brightly lit, and made out of dark, thermally treated rock. A huge skylight window spread out on one side of the ceiling dome, illuminating the room nicely. Apart from a large table and a few equally large shelves, plus a huge, comfortable hay bed, there wasn’t much else inside the freshly inaugurated burrow. But there was room to grow.

“Well, it’s finally done. You like it?” Blink asked him, breaking the dragon’s train of thoughts.

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect it to end up so big.”

“Well, Twilight said you will grow even more so hopefully you’ll still fit this place in ten years.”

“Still, I’ll miss the library.”

Twilight approached them, overhearing their conversation. “Ohh, come on Spike. You’ve been living on your own for almost a year; plus, you’re now even closer to us. We dug this burrow in the hill our library is on.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the tree’s roots when we set the walls of the kitchen. Still, it feels weird to have an actual place of my own.” His eyes fell on the small basket on a table near the refreshments. “Did you actually have to bring that?” Spike asked, still somewhat embarrassed.

“You mean Spiky-Wikey’s little basket bed from when you were a baby dragon? But it’s so cute,” Blink teased him, making a face. A wing swiftly smashed him over the head, almost sending the unicorn to the ground.

“That one you deserved,” Twilight arbitrated with a chuckle.

“And here I thought you were my loving, caring, and protective wife.”

“Uhm, hey everyone,” a rather meekly voice interrupted their shenanigans.

All three of them turned to Fluttershy, who had Big Mac next to her. “Uhh, so you’re all coming this weekend, right?”

“Of course we are, Fluttershy! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I’ve heard rumors that Pinkie and AJ are planning a proper bash for the occasion,” Blink told the large red stallion.

“Eeyup.”

“Planning on making it bigger and louder than ours, eh?”

“Eeyup.”

“But not too loud,” Fluttershy said meekly, raising a hoof.

“Nonetheless, we’re happy the two of you are getting married,” Twilight said with a warm smile.

“I don’t think I’ve seen Applejack happier. Which is so strange, it’s actually cool,” Blink added with a laugh.

“She’s just happy for me and Shy’, ah’ guess,” Big Mac explained.

“Well, happy house warming again, Spike,” Fluttershy wished the dragon, raising on her hind legs for a hug.

He grabbed her, holding the pegasus to his chest, her hooves more than a foot away from the ground. “Thanks Fluttershy.”

Meanwhile, a particularly energetic pony flew laps around the house’s ceiling, forming a small, harmless tornado out of the smoke Spike had been expectorating.

“Dash, could you not race around in my new house?”

“But this thing’s huge! It’s even bigger than my cloud mansion!” The pegasus landed in front of them, proudly watching the tornado of smoke dissipating and leaving through an air vent at the top of the dome-shaped ceiling. “What’s with the smoke? You sick or something?”

Spike coughed again in his fist, more trails of dark fumes rising from the corners of his mouth. “No, it’s just my fire chambers. They’re maturing again, I guess. Great thing you designed that vent thingy in the house’s plan, Twi’.”

The unicorn simply grinned in response. Pearl approached the group, giving a hearty salute to everyone. “Blink, ya ready?”

“Uhh, Spike, is it okay if I leave a bit early? I got that thing in Canterlot I need to go to.”

“Sure. And thanks for helping me build this. It means a lot for me.”

“Not a problem. See ya later.” He gave Spike a light punch with his hoof and Twilight a gentle kiss. “Come on, Pearl; we’re taking Harmony.”

The two stallions left through a large, cave-shaped entrance, which was the main way inside the house. When they got out, the two were facing the small lake and wooden house both of them used to live in. Blink put on a pair of shades as they headed towards the lake.

HMS Harmony was parked right along the water, anchored tightly in place. Blink and Pearl got onboard, and using his magic, the unicorn lifted the anchor up in place, while at the same time starting the engines and getting some altitude.

“Yer magic seems better,” Pearl noticed, standing at the front of the quarter deck, near the helm and control panel.

“Yeah, Twilight’s been helping me with my magic rehabilitation. I’m already combat fit by army standards, so that’s good. So, how does it feel to not be the one sailing?” Blink asked from behind the helm.

“Strangely relaxing. Ya sure you don’t want to join the Royal Zepp Force? You seem like a lad born fer’ it.”

“Nah, I’m fine with flying zepps just for recreational purposes.”

The ship settled at its maximum cruise speed on its path towards Canterlot, the wind blowing in Blink’s man. “So, do you think they’re gonna make the decision today?”

“I think they already made it. They be calling all higher ups in the armies; can’t mean anything else, I gather.”

“Still, let’s just hope they approved Shining’s proposal.”

“Aye, lad. Let’s hope they did.”

The library door swung open late into the night, and Blink stepped inside, tired from an eventful day at the Royal Castle. He trotted upstairs, not wanting anything more than to join his wife in bed for a good night’s rest.

He gently opened the door to their bedroom, tip-hoofing inside. To his surprise however, his dearest half was meddling with some scrolls and books over her study desk. “Blink, you’re home!” she said, rushing to the stallion and giving him a hug and kiss.

“I thought you were already asleep.”

“I know, but my studies . . .”

“You really want that title, don’t you?”

“Being named an Archmage doesn’t only come with the title, Blink. It’s the most prestigious position a unicorn can dream of, and it grants access to all the academic outlets in Equestria.”

“Uhh, fancy title that is, then,” he mocked her with a grin.

Her characteristic deadpan look did little to him anymore. He lifted his saddle bag off of his back and threw it in a corner of the room. With careful attention however, he removed a shard-shaped pendant from his neck, resting it on his own, albeit smaller desk.

“Why do you like wearing that thing all the time?” Twilight asked again, probably for the tenth time since he got it.

“It was an amazing thank-you gift from that scientist unicorn uhh . . . Quantum something. You know, one of the Avatar special units in the war.”

“Still, it seems weird to me that you made it into a necklace,” Twilight argued.

“It’s completely harmless. The Grenium 241 inside is encased in pure, transparent amber. Zero radiation emission.”

“Depleted Grenium 241, you mean. If it wasn’t the halved reactive, you would have been dead by now.”

“Still, it’s what was left from firing those beams of energy at Struthill. I think it’s cool.”

Twilight simply shook her head, getting herself into bed. Blink joined her soon, wrapping his hooves tightly around her. “I thought you were still sore from last night,” she murmured, turning to face him with a clever smirk.

Blink mustered only a weak smile. “It’s not that. I just love you.”

Her face dropped as she realised something was wrong. “What happened today? You said it was a military council and they needed you.”

The unfiltered moonlight coming through the window caught in her beautiful mane, and Blink couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He wished that moment would never end, just the two of them standing close to each other, their hearts beating as one. However, he had to tell her.

“Your brother’s proposal to attack the main Changeling Hive was approved.”

Silence filled the air. After a few moments, Twilight was the first to break it. “Are you . . . going to war?”

“After Cadence killed Queen Chrysalis, another Class One changeling took the reins. She’s too unexperienced, too violent, and unpredictable. She can’t even keep all her troops under control, not to mention she refuses any diplomatic contact. We have to do this, otherwise the Crystal Empire will be swarmed soon.”

“But why do they need you? You served well in the battle and your magic isn’t even the same anymore.”

“I have about month to get ready. But I’ll be fine. The entire old crew’s going. Pearl will lead the Zepp Forces as air fleet admiral, Shining Armor will lead all the ground troops, and Spitfire will co-ordinate the pegasus air forces. Dash and Spike are going to be there as well.”

“How many ponies?”

“All our forces, including reserves. Over two hundred thousand; but it’s just as an assurance. We’ll have a contingent of dragons there as well. They’re sending quite of lot of their own, given that we fought to maintain a pact that protected their lands. It’s gonna be fine, Twi, I promise. We’re hoping to win this with no more than a few hundred losses.”

“All right, but I’m coming. I won’t let you go and fight who-knows-where while I wait at home.”

The stallion sighed. “Fine. Let’s get some sleep now. I think tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”

With one last good-night kiss, the two comfortably settled in their usual sleep position, namely Twilight on her half with her hooves tucked close to her barrel, while Blink sprawled his members every possible direction, eventually invading his wife’s half shortly after falling asleep.

Well into the night, a hoot was heard outside. Owlowiscious rested on one of the library’s branches, turning her head every now and then as she scouted for the usual mice that made up her midnight snack. Raven however was sleeping calmly on Blink’s desk in their bedroom, her head tucked snugly underneath her wing. Outside, a thin trail of smoke emanated from Spike’s home dug deep into the hill the library sat on.

The night had no reason to be anything else but quiet, yet Twilight turned and shuffled in her sheets. Her dreams were clouded by the news she heard before going to bed, and her magic began to manifest as it normally did when she had bad dreams. It was mostly her horn glowing or a lone spark or two jutting out from its tip, while her energy field went wild around her. Her breath and heart rate picked up and her magic senses involuntarily detected a foreign presence nearby.

A series of low thumps got louder and louder in her head. She suddenly awoke, standing up in the bed, sweat drops falling down her face. “Blink, there’s someone here,” she said in a hushed tone, eyes darting around for whatever she had felt.

The stallion next to her shifted, slowly awakening. “Hmmm . . . it’s probably Spike raiding our fridge again. We probably didn’t pack his with supplies today. You can go to sleep, Twi’.”

“It’s not Spike. The presence I felt is . . . it’s someone I’ve never met before.”

Blink’s eyes snapped open. His horn erupted with magic, and the whole room filled with blue light. A second later, the entire bedroom was packed with shadow clones, while Blink was up on the bed, his eyes looking for the intruder as well.

“Go, find out who it is!” he ordered his clones and the dozen or so stallions burst through the door, searching the whole library.

“Twi, sweep the surroundings for me. Tell me where it is.”

Twilight’s eyes shifted in several glows, as she looked around in various specters of light, heat, life and magic. “I can’t see it. It’s not here anymore.”

Subconsciously, Blink’s shadow clones relayed to him that the entire library was clear, as well as the area around it. He sighed, getting himself back under the sheets. “It was just a bad dream Twi’.” A series of puffs were heard outside, as his clones dissipated. Raven watched the two with half interest, half annoyance, having been suddenly awoken from her sleep.

The two ponies fell asleep, with Blink holding Twilight close to him. His grasp comforted the troubled mare as they both travelled back into the realm of dreams.

The library was silent. Twilight was at her desk, eyes lost into nothingness. The white set of armor that once belonged to Celestia rested on a mannequin nearby. It was repaired and improved by the best blacksmiths in Canterlot in preparation for the upcoming battle.

Next to it, Blink’s Hydra leather suit mark 2 rested on another mannequin. Suffice to say, Rarity had developed a technique to sew the armor together without having to burn the wearer.

The atmosphere inside the bedroom was gloomy and stale however. Owlowiscious stood next to Twilight, comforting her in the time she needed it most. The loud sound of engines came from outside. She gazed upon the balcony window, and saw a large zeppelin land in the back yard. Soon enough, hoofsteps ran up to the bedroom door.

“Hey! Guess what? Pearl finished Celestia’s Pearl right in time. That crazy bastard actually sculpted Celestia on the front of the basket. Anyway, the army is now within a hundred miles from the hive. We leave on board Pearl’s zeppelin tomorrow, and we should be there by the end of the week, right in time for the assault.”

Twilight said nothing. She turned to face the stallion, her expression bordering on outright panic. Blink immediately felt that something was wrong.

“Twi’? Is everything okay?”

“Do you remember that night when I felt something strange nearby? And we thought it was just a dream?”

He rushed to her in a heartbeat. “Did it come back? What was it?”

Her mouth opened and closed, unable to speak. “It never left, Blink,” she said after a while. “I don’t know how to tell you this . . .”

“Twilight, whatever it is-”

“I’m going to have foals.”

He froze in place. After what felt like an eternity, the mare spoke again. “Blink? Can you please say something? I- I don’t know what to do.” She was on the brink of tears.

“Are you sure?” he asked, more out of reflex.

She nodded. “I can sense their heartbeats.”

“Their?” His whole body began to shake. “Have you . . . I won’t hate you if you did, but-”

“No, Blink! I would never! They- they’re ours. They’re your foals.”

“But what about my- what about my condition? How can this even be possible?”

“I don’t know, I have no idea at all. I took some tests today to make sure. I- I’m five months in.”

Blink slumped down on the floor next to her. “You’re not going.”

“What?”

“You’re not coming tomorrow with me.”

“But you, and even Dash and Spike-”

The stallion stomped a hoof against the wooden floor. “No!” It was the first time he had shouted at her.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears. The next second, he grabbed her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have yelled. But I can’t let you go, Twi’. You’re carrying- you-re . . . you-re carrying my foals. Our foals. I can’t possibly let you do that.”

“Do you want to keep them?” she managed between sobs.

Blink stared into her eyes, gently moving a strand of her mane from over her face. “That’s not even a question, Twi’. Of course I do. Us having kids is . . . it’s- unexplainable.”

“But you’re still leaving tomorrow?”

“I have to. But I promise I will be all right. I swear, Twilight, it won’t be like in Canterlot or Struthill. I will come back to you and our foals. Come on, you need rest; you seem exhausted like hell.”

Blink then took her to their bed and tucked her in, staying at her side and talking for a few more minutes. She fell asleep in his hooves, tired from a day of self-casted magic tests and high emotions. He stayed awake, lamenting on the news he just received. His body shivered every few moments. The shock of what he was told was still powerful. Eventually, he too fell asleep, with Twilight in his hooves.

The next day came all too soon and none of them were ready to say goodbye to each other. Their friends eventually found out about the news and the couple was smothered by their congratulations, while Blink packed his last things and put on his black armor.

“I will be okay, Twi’; please don’t cry,” he told her before they left the library.

“I still can’t believe we’re going to be parents,” she said. Her hormone imbalance was not helping at all either.

“I know. It’s very weird, but a good weird. A very good weird, okay?” he tried to re-assure her, having no idea what else to say.

“We never even planned for it. Ever since you told me we couldn’t conceive because of your powers, I thought it would never happen.”

“I know this whole thing was unexpected, I can barely believe yesterday was real as well. But we will go through this together, okay? We’re going to be a family, and at the same time, we’re still going to do what we had planned, okay? You’re going to become an Archmage, and I will . . . do whatever I want to do, because I still don’t know what I want to do with my life.”

They both laughed at that. Twilight cleared her runny nose and straightened out her mane. “You’re right, it’s going to be fine. With the right planning, we’ll be able to do all of those things.”

“Yeah, planning sounds good,” Blink said with a chuckle. “Come on, I have to go now. They’re probably waiting for me.”

Outside, the sunlight cast a wide shadow of Pear’s zeppelin onto the library’s back yard. The new ship now had two machine gun turrets, one in the front and one near the back, and both were heavily armored. The whole basket was built like a fortress and the four large engines had protective shields cast around them.

All their friends were there. Pearl, Silver Wisp, Spike, and Rainbow Dash had packed their things as well and were saying their goodbyes to the rest. Pearl and his cousin, Kazooie, were hugging, and Silver Wisp and Nurse Redheart shared a last, long kiss.

“Please don’t do anything stupid or risky. I want you back unharmed. I want all of you back unharmed,” Twilight said to Blink and her friends.

“Relax egghead, those dumb changelings have nothing over us!” Dash said, her voice filled with certainty and bravery.

“Don’t worry Twi’, I’ll be fine as well. Last time I checked, my scales are magic-proof,” Spike said, giving the mare a hug.

His specially crafted armor felt cold against the mare’s fur coat. She held onto him as much as she could. Fluttershy was crying in Rainbow’s hooves, while the mare tried to comfort her as best as she could.

“We’ll be back in a couple of weeks at most. You won’t even know we’re gone. Rarity, thanks for this again,” Blink added.

She closed in on him for a quick hug. “Nothing to mention, dear. Just take care out there.” She held onto him for a few more seconds. “Remember darling, you’re going to be a father. Stay safe,” she said in a lower voice.

“I will, Rarity. Your armor will do most of the job anyway.”

Everyone that was leaving got on board the new Celestia’s Pearl. Blink gave Twilight another hug and a kiss before boarding the zeppelin. “We’ll all write to you and send the letters through Spike!”

They waved their goodbyes from the basket’s doors and hatches as the zeppelin took off. The ponies on the ground waved back, all of them hoping that it wouldn’t be the last time they saw their friends or family.

With a thud, Blink dropped a stack of papers into a box on the desk.

“Come on, you lucky scoundrel, it can’t be that bad, can it?” Pearl asked with a wide grin, balancing the chair he was resting in onto its two back legs.

“National Defense Lead Researcher? That’s a shit job, and a shit title.”

“The armies are contracting. Even with yer’ experience in two wars, they be’ doing no good in promoting you.”

“I could have been promoted to General,” he continued his venting, “There’s no reason why I should get a desk and lab job while you get your own fleet, and Dash gets to be Captain of the Wonderbolts.”

“Aye, but remember my fleet’s not what it was when we charged at the bloody changeling hive. We’re down to five zepps. We lost two there, and thirteen be given to public transport when we came back.”

Blink threw in the last things from his desk into the box. “It still sucks. Twilight’s instated as the new Archmage of Equestria in two months, while I move my lousy job at home to take care of the foals.”

“Yer’ a family man now, Blink. Soon Twilight will have your foals and your job won’t matter as much when you got those screaming little things on your head all day.”

Blink sighed. “Look, it’s not that I don’t want to take care of them, it’s just that I don’t feel like I’m getting the recognition I deserve.”

Pearl remained silent for a moment, as the sound of nothingness filled the room. “Is it bad for me to want that? To want more?” Blink asked after a while. His voice was quiet and reserved.

“You are who you are, lad. But you’ll have a family to take care of. They are your proudest accomplishment, not some medals or rank on yer’ chest.”

“You’re right . . . I’m such an idiot.”

“Your life’s not over lad, you’ll still-”

“Ahh.” Blink winced, taking a step back. “That feels like I’m getting a-” He winced again. His horn spat a wave of sparks, and a scroll materialized in front of him, dropping limply on the now-empty desk.

He opened it and read the hastily-written message. His eyes widened and he immediately turned to Pearl. “Get your ass onboard Harmony right now, we need to get to Ponyville.”

An hour later onboard his zeppelin, Blink was still pouring as much magic as he could into the engines, the town now in sight.

“Ease up lad, you’ll break them if they go any faster,” Pearl shouted from across the deck.

The unicorn however was only focused on getting back as fast as possible. The arrow in the speed dial was stuck against the dial’s ceiling, as the airship’s basket pulled strongly at the balloon.

“There it is!” Blink announced. “I’ll teleport the rest of the distance, the building is in sight. You just park her somewhere safe and come after me, okay?”

“You bloody fool! There be two darn miles to that-”

“See ya later!” the unicorn shouted, galloping towards the front of the zeppelin. His horn glowing strong, he jumped off-board towards Ponyville, erupting in a blast of magic two seconds later.

He promptly arrived at his destination, crashing into a hard surface with a loud thud. Opening his eyes and clearing his head of pain, he found out the floor was brightly white. The strong light inside also made him wince, as he had lost the shades when he teleported.

“Blink, you’re here!” Spike’s familiar voice was heard, and soon a strong claw raised him off the ground.

“Is everything okay?” Blink asked, noticing all their friends behind Spike. The ground trembled slightly underneath his hooves.

“Yes, you’re right in time,” came Celestia’s voice from nearby.

He turned his head and saw the two monarchs bearing reassuring smiles. “I don’t even ugh . . . where is she?” he asked, focusing on what was truly important.

“Down the hallway, third door on the left. She’s fine,” Spike answered, pointing him the right way. The entire room shook again, and the lights flickered briefly.

“Is that-”

“Just hurry!” the collective voices of the Element Bearers urged him.

He burst through the double door he’d been pointed at and galloped down the brightly lit hallway, squinting his eyes from the light. His blood raced, his legs began to turn to jelly, and his heart shrunk, lodging into his throat. He went into the third room on the left just as the whole building shook again.

A stallion blocked his view. “Sir, you can’t be here-”

“I’ll pulverize you out of this existence if you don’t get the fuck out of my way,” Blink threatened, dark wisps of magic already swarming around him. The pony ate his words, letting him inside without a hesitation.

Another wave of magic made the room shake, all the pieces of furniture and equipment jutting on the floor violently. The dark energy he had summoned dissipated in an instant, leaving him dumbstruck. His whole magic had just been nullified.

It mattered not, for her voice then reached his ears. “Blink!” He followed it to a bed surrounded by a couple of doctors and nurses.

“Twi’, I’m here,” he said, kneeling next to the bed and grabbing her hoof.

“We’re about to deliver. Nurse, give me more light in here, I can’t use any of my scan spells,” a doctor said from nearby.

“You- you’re late,” she managed between quick breaths.

“I’m so sorry, I was in Canterlot when I got Spike’s letter. Are you okay?”

She muffled a scream, her face contorted in absolute pain. ”Do I look okay, Blink?!” Her hoof almost crushed his as she held onto him for dear life.

“I don’t know what to do, Twilight. How can I help you?”

“Just- just hold me . . .”

“Aaaand they’re out!” the doctor announced all of a sudden, accompanied by a set of cries.

“What?” both parents asked in unison.

A wave of relief soon settled over the mare, as the pain began to subside. Blink continued to hold her hoof, showering her with kisses and whatever words he thought might relax her.

“Congratulations you two. You’re now the parents of two healthy foals,” the gray-coated doctor said, bringing the two fresh bundles of life wrapped in blankets to their mother. “Mrs. Sparkle, I’m going to remove them from their towels and put them against your belly. They need their mother’s body warmth in their first few hours of life, all right?”

She just nodded, unable to form coherent sentences at that point. The doctor took the foals out of their blankets and gently placed them on the bed near Twilight. Both her and Blink sat there speechless, staring at the two newborn foals.

“They’re-”

“Ugly,” Blink concluded with a bit more sincerity in his voice that he would have wanted.

“How could you say that? They’re our foals! Plus, the books mentioned they would look . . . not so pretty in their first few days,” Twilight said with strain and fatigue in her voice.

“Is that a- uhh, doc? They’re not unicorns. Why?” the stallion addressed the lab-coated pony filling up a medical sheet nearby.

“Well, one’s an earth filly, the other one a pegasus colt. It’s mostly genetics, they can inherit their racial genes from either the mother’s or father’s family tree, sometimes even both. I can schedule a gene test on both of you if you want to know precisely.”

“It’s all right for now, thank you,” Twilight said, returning her attention to her foals.

The two little beings had their eyes closed, as they shakingly moved towards their mother’s body. Both were furless and had long, skinny legs. One in particular had two appendages sticking out of its back, much like a newborn bird.

“That one looks like a chicken,” Blink remarked with a light chuckle.

Twilight’s eyes became an endless pit of fury at that remark, and Blink immediately felt in danger for his life. “I’m kidding, Twilight. I’m sorry.”

The two foals pawed at their mother’s belly with their little hooves, and Twilight curled up protectively around them.

“Can I touch them?” Blink hesitantly asked.

“Yes, but please don’t move them too much.”

The stallion slowly approached the two little creatures, not daring to touch them with anything but the tip of his nose. The small, featherless and furless pegasus blindly turned around and rested himself on his father’s warm nose, holding onto it with his tiny front hooves. Blink’s eyes watered up instantly, and it took great constraint for him to maintain his composure.

“The books said they should be hungry by now, why aren’t they- oww! Okay, she found it . . .”

The earth filly was eagerly suckling from her mother, and Blink gently guided the small pegasus next to his sister. Soon enough, he too was feeding himself alongside his sibling.

“I take that back. They’re the cutest things I’ve seen in my life,” Blink murmured, gently nuzzling Twilight.

“Yes they are. Have you thought about names yet? We always postponed it . . .”

“Hmm, this might be difficult. I’m bad with Equestrian names.”

“Well, they will be taking part of names anyway, so what would you like to call our daughter?”

“I- I don’t know Twi’, I really don’t.”

“How about Bell?” Twilight proposed. She turned to the filly feeding underneath her belly and softly licked her across the head. “Her ears are so floppy.”

“Bell? As in Twilight Bell?”

“Yes, unless you want her to take your name.”

The two foals kept feeding themselves, completely indifferent to the discussion in which their names were being decided.

“We’re not naming our daughter Midnight Bell. It’s pretty creepy,” Blink said.

“Twilight Bell it is. What about our colt?”

He pondered for a moment, his mind drawing a complete blank. It then came to him. It came like a wave of sadness filled with memories of a dear friend. Not only the sole, sad memory, but also all the happy moments and times they had together.

“Can- can we name him Chaser?” he asked with heavy heart.

“Midnight Chaser,” she murmured with a hint of sadness in her voice as well. “Of course we can. He’d be so happy to know that . . .”

“I bet he is.” The stallion then stifled a tear and cleared his throat and nose. “Well then. Welcome to this world, Twilight Bell and Midnight Chaser.”

“Mrs. Sparkle, there are a few visitors that would like to see you. They are the ones that have been in the waiting room. The foals should be all right as long as they are not touched by anyone else. Should I let them in now?”

“Sure,” Twilight responded to the doctor and the door to the saloon opened.

A wave of ponies, all five of Twilight’s best friends, rushed to her bed. Spike ducked his head and went through the door as well, taking his place at Blink’s side.

“Congratulations, dude; you’re a father now. I would have never guessed back when Twilight found you and put you in our library’s spare bedroom that night that this would happen.”

“Thanks. That makes two of us.”

“They’re the cutest foals I’ve seen in my life!” Fluttershy gently said, trying to get a better view of the two of them. “I’m so happy for you Twilight.”

“Well, if you and Mac start trying now, I bet you’ll have your foals play together in a few years,” Pinkie said with a wide smile, causing the pegasus to instantly turn red.

“For Celestia’s sake, Flutters’, you’re married to that stallion. We all know you did it anyway.” Rainbow’s remark only made the yellow pegasus turn ever more red.

“They’re simply beautiful, darling. You are so lucky,” Rarity said. “Reminds me of the first time I saw Sweetie Belle.”

“I kinda contributed a bit as well, you know?” Blink said from behind the circle of mares, yet none heard him as they continued their talk around Twilight. “Ehh, whatever.” He turned towards Spike. “You know what this means, right?”

The dragon’s face brightened up in a heartbeat. “Drinks are on you tonight?”

“Uhh, I think you might have a problem. But no. You’re an uncle now, Spike! Or a brother, depending on what you consider Twilight to be. I’d go with uncle. Yeah, my kids are going to love the stories about Spike, their alcoholic dragon uncle,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Hey, fermented fruit is a-”

“I know, ancient dragon tradition, helps your digestive systems and whatnot. But to me, you’re all a bunch of drunken lizards,” he teased, earning a wing over his head.

“Well, that’s it, ladies. And Spike,” Blink decided, massaging the back of his head as he came in between the mares. “Visit time’s over, you’ll see the two little balls of fur more when they’re actually going to have fur. Twilight’s just been through Tartarus and she needs her rest.”

“Come on, Blink, they’re our friends,” the mother tried to argue, yet couldn’t refrain from letting out a yawn at the mention of the word rest.

“Still, I would really like it if our friends didn’t all stare at your teats, okay?”

“Yeah, I have to agree with him on this one,” Spike chimed into the conversation. “We‘ll be seeing them at the library. Come on now.”

The whole gang left, Spike being the last one to close the door behind them. The gray doctor approached the two again, bearing a wide smile. “Quite the friends you have there, you two. Not to mention both the Princesses in our waiting room today. Mrs. Sparkle, regarding your parents and close family, I was told by Princess Celestia that your parents are coming shortly, and your brother and his wife uhh- royalty as well, will arrive here sometime this evening from the Crystal Empire.”

“Great, more ponies to look at my wife’s tea-”

“Blink . . .”

The doctor tried to hide a chuckle, but then remembered one last question he had to ask. “What about you, Mister Midnight? Any family coming to visit from your side?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he said with a hint of sadness.

“Okay then, I’ll leave you two alone. Mrs. Sparkle, please have some rest before any more visits, all right?”

“Okay. Thank you, doctor.”

After the stallion left, Twilight returned her attention to their foals, who had apparently finished feeding and were now sound asleep, tucked against their mother’s underside.

“Blink, I’m so nervous,” she said in a low voice, as to not wake them up.

“Why? You’re doing great! All those books you’ve read about taking care of foals. Relax, you got this.”

“Even so, I can’t help it. Look at them, they’re so small and fragile. And I’m . . . I feel like I’m too young to be a mother.”

The stallion grabber her hoof, while gently pressing his head against hers. “Twi’, I’m here. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here. We’re going to go through this together, okay?”

With a nod and a deep breath of relief, the mare laid her head over her hooves, watching the two foals as they slept peacefully. Blink rested himself next to her, joining in on the foal watch.

A distant sound woke Blink up. His eyes were bloodshot, and his nerves were tethering at the edge. He swallowed hard. The bed underneath him wouldn’t give up without a fight. A sharper cry however said otherwise. He felt Twilight shuffle next to him, so he held her with a hoof.

“I’ll do it. You need to rest, tomorrow’s your Archmage inauguration.”

“Are you sure?”

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Yes, I’m sure. Now go back to sleep.”

The stallion got out of bed and dragged his hooves to the room next to theirs, the same room where he lived during his first days in Equestria. The bed had been replaced with a large cradle that was currently occupied by two screaming foals.

“Facing the daemons of Tartarus seems more of a docile fate than you two,” he muttered, leaning over the crib and grabbing the two hungry infants.

Despite his understandable grumpiness, he always enjoyed holding his foals, feeding and cleaning them. It greatly contrasted his personality and nature, yet he loved them more than anything else. Partly because his own blood flowed through their veins, but mostly because they defied all he knew about what he was.

Blink floated a couple of bottles of milk to him, and began feeding them as he gently swayed the foals in his front hooves. How could these two bundles of life originate from him? He had been told, and it was even proved that he would never be able to give the gift of life to anything in that world.

Yet it happened. Twilight bore his foals for eleven months, and they were now two normal ponies, coming from parents that represented the most contrasting notions in the world. That was why he loved them so much. He knew that only his love for Twilight and her love for him were the things that made their existence possible. That same existence defied nature’s oldest guardians, Life and Death themselves.

With the bottles of milk now empty, Blink gently patted them on the back with his hoof. The two foals however decided something was still not right for them, so Bell began crying again, which made Chaser cry as well.

“Ohh, come on you two. What’s wrong? You’ve drank so much milk your tummies are bulging . . . fat little rats, that’s what you are,” he jokingly said, swaying them left and right. “You know I’m bad at lullabies, don’t make me do this.”

The foals however cared little for their father’s lack of musical talent. They continued crying, despite being fed and swung to their hearts’ content.

“Okay, I’ll sing you something.” He racked his mind to remember any soothing melody he could sing for them, but only one song from his previous life came up. “Damn it, here goes.” He cleared his throat and began singing softly:

“The stars lean down to kiss you,

And I lie awake and miss you;

Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere.

'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly,

But I'll miss your hooves around me;

I'd send a postcard to you, dear,

'Cause I wish you were here.”

The two stopped their crying, as they watched their father intently. Blink smiled, glad to have made them happy.

“I'll watch the night turn light blue,

But it's not the same without you;

Because it takes two to whisper quietly.

The silence isn't so bad,

'Till I look at my hooves and feel sad,”

'Cause the space between my hoof

Is right where yours fits perfectly.”

By some sort of miracle, the foals were now calmly sleeping in his hooves. Blink stopped singing, eyes wide that it actually worked. He then gently placed them back in their crib, drawing a warm blanket over them. The stallion sighed, standing there and just looking at them as they slept.

“That was beautiful,” Twilight’s soft whisper came from behind him. She approached the crib and leaned against Blink. He gave her a kiss, welcoming her embrace.

“Thanks. Damn, they’re so beautiful when they’re asleep.”

“I know. But something tells me you love them just the same when they are crying.”

He simply smiled back, holding her tightly in his hooves. Outside, the night went on, as peace and tranquility nourished over Ponyville. The Golden Oaks Library, now the Sparkle private residency, had never been a better place to be for the two ponies and their young foals.