//------------------------------// // Interlude How to raise a foal part 1 // Story: Making Foals, with SCIENCE! and magic // by titankore //------------------------------// If you like this story you should check out my new series "Monster Sitting" Now a quick break from subject hunting to show you what Celestia and Luna are doing to prepare for the new prince         After all of the shock from the previous night, princess Luna slept soundly, if only through sheer exhaustion. Hours passed as she slept, but as the sun slowly crept over her eyes, she woke violently, her hooves striking outward. Calming down she nestled into the warm covers of her massive bed, not wanting to leave its embrace. Lying there she kept wondering if she had made a mistake by letting things go so far. It was too late now. Slowly she rose from her bed, silken sheets slowly flowing off of her to reveal her ethereal mane and tail beneath. "I wonder if he will have hair like me or Celestia?" she mused to herself, walking over the ebony tiles of to her bathroom. The empty room magnified the lone pony’s hoofsteps, leaving her with thoughts of smaller hoofs racing across the same room someday.         Gazing at herself in the mirror, she stared and day dreamed herself playing with a little foal like the one she met during nightmare night. A smile crossed her lips and putting her at ease. "Wait, it's just not playing and running through fields, what about feeding, washing, and what if he gets sick?" she inwardly chastised herself, realizing she knew absolutely nothing about raising a foal. "Celestia would probably know, but... She was so terrible about teasing me since I returned with teaching me things, she never even bothered to warn me about how speech has changed in the last THOUSAND YEARS!" Accidently slipping into old habits, she yelled, alerting her assistant to check on her. "Did you call for me, your Majesty?" said the bespectacled grey unicorn. Book Cover looked for all intents to be a no nonsense pony, from her black mane tied up, not letting a single hair stay out of place, to her immaculately white blouse, but all of this belied her true nature.  She was trained specifically by Celestia to use any means necessary to keep the other staff on their hooves, including replacing the normally demure maid outfits with some more racy ones thanks to a miss Velvet. That one went well with the visiting dignitaries and even led to a few relationships among the staff.          "No, Book Cover, but maybe you can help me, do you know anything about children?" she half pleaded to her assistant.         Book Cover was mildly shocked, but looked over her boss and saw that she was authentically worried, her expression softened somewhat from the no-nonsense look she usually favored. She thought back to her own foalhood remembering her own mother telling her to not mess around so much and be serious, her father being a standup comedian teaching her pranks and jokes, this mix lead to her serious exterior and fun loving interior. She had no siblings, she never really had to foalsit for money growing up, and she had no children of her own. The closest thing to she had was chastising her father when he went a little too far in his own silliness. So she had little she could really advise the night princess on.         Book Cover decided to be honest. "I don't really know much about foals or children in general, but I believe that there are books on the subject, and I think there are ponies that can teach you, if you want I can schedule such a pony to come by this afternoon." She hoped that this would cheer up the Lunar Regent. This apparently did, at the mere mention of books she immediately perked up. "You go do that," she then paused dramatically and declared "I Will Be in the LIBRARY, tally HOOOO!" and with that she flew by so fast a few strands of Book Cover's bun stuck out in defiance. Hair posing some intelligence is occasionally able to shout situational appropriate phrases and advice, unfortunately for everypony involved hair is much too quite for anypony to hear so their advice is largely unheard.         Book Cover, glad to see her Princess excited and chipper, began to ponder who would be the perfect pony to teach Luna about children. She pulled out Celestia's little black book of blackmail, bribes, bad business, and bounties and found the perfect teacher. She was friendly, charming according to the heart marks and apparently owed Celestia a huge favor for stealing Celestia's pet and causing a stampede.         15 minutes later, at an arbor based institute of literary excellence. (translation) library in a tree. "And that's why transmogrification spells are different from morphic spells, Spike," the purple, prodigal, pony student explained to an equally purple, but perplexed, dragon. "Ya, ya, Twi, it's not like, Blaragagaggghh!" Before Spike could finish the statement that would have earned him another lecture, he had a bout of intestinal distress in the form of a scroll. "Yay! it's a letter from Princess Celestia. Maybe she will approve of the large Hadron collider I want to build in the basement," she eagerly went for the scroll, but before she could, her assistant blocked her with his claw. "Wait. It says it's for Fluttershy. Great. Apparently my body is the mail service for all of Ponyville" Spike sighed as he spotted a cross eyed pegasus stare angrily at him and to the plant to his right simultaneously. "Yew TERK MEAH JERB!" cried the grey pegasus. "He took yer Jerb?" shouted a random bystander outside the library.         She began to use her front hooves to express her mixture of anger and confusion. Pointing to him and waving them about in a frantic matter akin to an angry Air traffic control pony. "HeTERKMERJERBBBB!" she replied "TEkherJERB!" the bystander shouted back in unison with a whole group of blue collar ponies. "MEEEH JERBBBHERRR TOOook!" She continued. "Uhhh sorry I'll try not to do it again?" he said wasn't unsure how to calm her down.         The Blonde maned pony smiled and said "Okey dokey," and then drew a serious expression "I'm keeping my eye on you," and with this she flew away, all the while one eye was kept on him.          Twilight, having long since lost patience with the entire ordeal, picked up the scroll along with her saddle bags. "I'll go ahead and drop this off at Fluttershy's cottage, I need to pick some things up at Zecora's anyhow, try not to burn anything down while I am gone" She then trotted out the door before slamming it with her magic. "What did I do now?" Spike sighed as he began to read one of the library’s few comics. "Man, one of these days I gotta get my own place" he sighed again; before getting comfortable to finish reading. Back at the Castle:         The co-rulers of Equestria where walking down the hallway, the taller white monarch was weary from a long day and currently annoyed at the smaller night princess, who was floating several books around her. "I already know how to raise a child, I've done it myself a few hundred years ago," said the miffed older princess. "Well, things have changed since then. Believe me, I should know, and besides, it would fun to go to class together. We never had to go to school when we where foals, and it wouldn't be the same if I was the only one in there," as she said this she playfully bumped into her grumpy sister, drawing only a small glare and a grunt from her. "Alright, if it will get you off of  my back I'll do it, but don't expect me to let you cheat off me, after all, I am an expert," the Sun monarch joked, returning her sister's bump.         Luna looked aghast at the accusation of cheating. "You know I would never cheat, this is serious" she cried. "Oh Lu Lu, I was just joking. I'm sorry, I forget sometimes you have a hard time telling when I'm joking," Celestia said, remembering the first few days of Luna's return, all the times she playfully ordered someone to the dungeon, everypony laughed but Luna thought that she and everypony else had become unmerciful barbarians since she left. Then there was the time that she told Luna that she sent her favorite toy to the moon while it was getting repaired, even her royal guards gave her an evil look for pulling that one on Lu Lu.         They continued their walk together before being interrupted by Book Cover, her bun once again the paradigm of order, no longer free to wave about and dispense unheard helpful advice. She gave a little cough to get their full attention. The grey pony's expression became so serious it appeared to be chiseled from stone, this perfect poker face was unreadable save for Celestia, who has been around long enough and knew Book Cover well enough to see she was up to something. "Well, I figured on both of you attending the class, more for a refresher on Celestia's part so I arranged an appropriate room and seating arrangement. I also have taken the liberty of clearing both of your schedules for the rest of today, so there should be no interruptions. So if you two will please follow me, the instructor I arranged should be arriving shortly," As Book Cover said this she led the two to the prepared classroom.         As she led them Celestia noticed something poking out of Book Cover's pocket. A small black book, but not just any black book, her own black book. What are you up to? thought Celestia. "Well here we are, your Majesties" Book Cover said as she opened the doors. Luna gave a small squeal of delight while Celestia thought.         You're kidding... you're kidding right?