//------------------------------// // Birthday Cake, Tummy Ache // Story: To be her Mother... // by Mayhew Cullen //------------------------------// +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author notes preamble Please stay tuned after the program for an important message! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Crystal happily bounced around her new foalsitter as they moved through the vaulted halls of her mother's castle. At first, Maple Seed had been quite overwhelmed by her young charge’s abundance of energy, but soon learned to take everything in stride. Maple shook her head letting her short cut auburn mane dance in the bright light of the hall, likewise her bright yellow coat reflected the warmth of the rising sun. Her kind hearted smile was easily visible in both her grin and her gentle blue eyes. Her adoptive mother had warned her about the follies of the young, but it had taken being a witness to Crystal burying herself in bread dough to fully realize how whimsical a foal can be... and how wonderful caring for them could be at the same time. “Come along now Crystal. Your mother gave me orders to have you in the dining hall no later than half past two. You don’t want her to fire me and find you a new foalsitter do you?” “No! Mommy won’t put you on fire!” Crystal squealed as she stopped right in front of the slightly older Pegasus filly. Her pleading eyes looked up into her foalsitter’s as she continued in a more subdued tone, “Mommy won’t hurt you, I promise.” Maple’s eyes softened even more as she failed to hold back a joyful giggle. Still the laughter subsided quickly as she reassured her little filly shaped responsibility, “I’m sorry Crystal. I was just teasing you; I know your mother won’t hurt me. Now come along, let’s see why she wants us in the dining hall.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Princesses report.” Celestia’s voice easily reached the furthest corners of the dining hall and each of the three other princesses quickly made their way to her. Luna expertly flew down from the ceiling to land beside a recently teleported Twilight. Cadence was last as she remained on the ground and had remained graceful enough to forego galloping. Celestia smiled at her fellow members of royalty and spoke, “Princess Twilight if you would care to go first.” “Of course Princess Celestia.” The four alicorns shared a warm bit of laughter at their old inside joke before Twilight got down to business, “Pinkie and A.J. have a handle on the food, Fluttershy and Rarity just finished the decorations, and Rainbow and myself are putting the final touches on Luna’s ceiling plans.” “Very good, and yourself Luna?” “Thou dost doubt us sister? We might take offence if not for our love for Crystal. The party games are ready and the ceiling is perfect. Thou should be proud of thy excellent student.” “Very good. Cadence, how are your preparations?” The princess of love smiled before rendering a salute that made her husband cringe, “The party guests were acquired with minimal loss of life. Though Shiny almost got kicked in the head by a cellist.” “Yeah, but I think her wife broke a couple of my ribs.” Cadence giggled warmly as she pressed a hoof against her husband’s side. She was about to tease him further when she was interrupted by Celestia, “Alright that’s enough, Crystal will be here any minute so let’s get everything finished.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crystal was humming a happy tune by the time she arrived at the giant doors leading into the royal dining hall. Maple giggled at the sight of her young charge pushing on one of the doors with all her foalish might. Which to be fair was more than some other foals her age, but still it was not enough to budge the magically sealed doors. With a caring smile Crystal’s foal sitter lifted a hoof and knocked three times grinning when she saw her charge abandon her efforts and look to her sitter with curiosity in her eyes. Maple replied with a knowing smile as the doors before them were slowly pulled in revealing a space of insurmountable darkness. With only a gentle push from her foalsitter, Crystal began walking. Fear gripped the small filly, but just as she began to whimper silver lights illuminated the room. An expanse of the night sky had been painstakingly fastened to the ceiling. Crystal was slack jawed at the display she didn’t notice her mother’s approach until everypony in the room leapt from their hiding places to shout. “SURPISE!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The party had quickly come to full swing with the young foals and Pinkie happily playing amongst the older guests. Laughter and joy nearly filled the room. Only one corner remained solemn, though Celestia’s smile was no less filled with joy. A young unicorn mare stood beside Celestia with a rather quiet smile as she offered the princess a cup of tea. Almost in spite of her station as a servant her alabaster coat and rust colored mane easily showed the care that went into the mare’s grooming. Her crystal blue eyes looked to her ruler as if expecting a response. Celestia only smiled as she brought the cup to her lips and after a long sip sighed before rewarding her subject’s patience. “Yes, this is quite good. It honestly reminds me of something, but it has been many years since this unique flavor has passed my lips. If my memory serves me, it was during the griffon war about six hundred years ago.” Celestia paused only a moment as the memory of being poisoned played out in her mind. The griffon king had foolishly thought that an alicorn princess would not be prepared for such mortal toxins, but it amused her even more that her guest had made the same mistake. “Tell me child, what is your name?” Celestia’s voice carried every ounce of strength and authority that it had for over a thousand years leaving the servant mare confused that her attack had been so... pointless. Still without a moment’s hesitation she replied confidently, “Starlight Zirconia, your highness. I’m glad you enjoyed the tea.” Celestia’s laughter was musical, and her voice flowed with conscious sincerity as she spoke, “Well that is a lovely name. Perhaps you will tell me who you really are.” Celestia only needed to wait a moment to see a tiny flash of surprise appear then vanish from Starlight’s face. Though there were more pressing matters than the true identity of the pony beside her. “Later then. Now tell me Ms. Zirconia, is this tea anywhere else in the castle? I could find it myself, but I do not wish to miss my daughter’s birthday. She turned six today, though of course you know that.” Zirconia almost smiled, it was actually refreshing to see a pony so calm after being poisoned. Even if the poisoning didn’t work. “Nowhere your highness. The earth pony mares wouldn’t let me anywhere near the food and you are the only one who asked for tea. Still it seems I overestimated the strength of this leaf.” “Don’t feel too bad. It would have worked perfectly on almost any other pony. So I suppose it should go without saying that I am thankful that I was your target.” Celestia replied quickly though she kept most of her senses trained on the goings on of the party. When she noticed the foals being ushered toward Crystal’s pile of gifts Celestia had to summon every ounce of restraint she had to keep from quivering with excitement. Despite this Zirconia still noticed the slight shift in emotion and smiled wickedly before replying, “I suppose, though any measure of chaos that would allow me to capture your daughter would be enough. Though our queen will not need to resort to such brutish measures if you simply told us what that foal is.” “Your Queen is dead.” Celestia’s tone turned cold in an instant though her face still held an expression of joy at watching her daughter open a package containing two jars of the Apple family’s famous zap apple jam. “I saw her die myself and that filly is likely her only surviving heir.” Zirconia’s blood ran cold. This new information swirled in her head for nearly a minute before she turned her gaze back to Crystal. The young birthday filly was happily playing with the gift she received from Luna, a pair of plush dolls shaped like the two celestial princesses. Zirconia simply remained silent as Celestia addressed her. “Speechless? I would imagine so, usually tyrants who take advantage of a power vacuum would villainize the heir rather than send her soldiers to foalnap her.” “N- um, no your majesty... it- oh goddess! If I had known...” Celestia allowed the silence to mature before interjecting, “What would you have done? Would you have taken her underground to prop her up as the rightful ruler? She would have been torn to pieces by any who would see her line fall.” The young unicorn trembled as her words failed her. Instead she concentrated on her escape plan. Green magic flared around Zirconia’s horn for only a moment before the teleportation spell triggered, sending her far outside the castle. “Who was that, Princess? She left in an awful hurry.” Celestia instantly recognized the voice of her newest peer and with a warm smile she replied. “She was a blessed source of much needed information, though it seems some family emergency has called her away. Now what can I do for you, Princess Twilight?” “Well, it’s time to cut the cake and I thought you would like a piece.” “I most certainly would. I’m happy to say I have taught you well in regards to the magic of cake.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The party had ended. The cake was no more than crumbs. The punch, little more than stains on the tops of foalish tongues. In the center of the grand hall three fillies happily slept with the aid of pillows and blankets provided by the princess of the night. Piled near them were the gifts the young daughter of Celestia had received from friends and family. A ticket and backstage pass to see a Wonderbolts show from her Auntie Dashie. A silver necklace with a bright emerald as a pendant came from her Aunt Rarity. She had received a pet rock named Flint from her aunts Pinkie and Fluttershy. Though they had taken the expert advice on rocks and rock care from Pinkie’s elder sister. Two jars of zap apple jam sat next to a box of candy she had been given by her foalsitter, Maple Seed. A soft scarf from Cadence and Shining Armor sat folded neatly beside a tray of fresh muffins brought by Ponyville’s leading(and only) mail delivery mare and her daughter. Last was a potted tree. Big Macintosh and Cheerilee had put a lot of effort into cultivating a bonsai zap apple tree that could bear fruit. Their happy first success now belonged to the little filly happily embracing a pair of alicorn dolls and dreaming of her future. A telescope from Twilight and Spike sat far removed from the other gifts, it pointed purposefully at a bright green star happily blinking down toward Crystal. The star only felt joy at the love that little filly was receiving simply from being alive. Celestia also looked down on her daughter, but hers was a look of concern. What were the changelings planning? Who was Starlight Zirconia? Why had she been so distraught upon learning Crystals parentage? “Oh silly Sunbutt, if I told you, it would spoil the ending.” “Discord, you know I have little patience for your games. Just promise me that she will be safe.” Discord shook his head with a smile. He slowly shrugged as he spoke, “You know I can’t promise that. Chaos means things are always changing. If that changeling you spoke with keeps her mouth shut then the hive won’t notice her until she comes of age.” “And what will you do, you cut rate chimera?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow. “Only what I should have done over a thousand years ago.” Celestia let out a heavy sigh of relief before leaning her head against Discords chest. “Thank you.”