The Truth
Chapter Two
It was very rare that Twilight saw more than a dozen bodies in the library at any given time (the most notable time being Pinkie Pie’s welcoming party for her), but this was one of those times, and with this one, she knew, came a wave of heartache mutually shared by her five best friends.
Her gaze swept over the foals at her friends’ sides. Each one had some trait or other that reminded her (and her friends, she was sure) of him. Applejack’s son Jonagold had one malachite-green eye (from his father), and one jade eye (from his mother). He also inherited his father’s selflessness and his quick temper, the latter only seen when a friend was in trouble. Rainbow Dash’s soft-spoken daughter Crystal Prism also had her father’s malachite eyes and temper, only seen on very few occasions.
Pinkie Pie’s unicorn son Silver Streamer had Pinkie Pie (or, rather, Pinkamena’s) straight hair, but was charcoal-black like his father’s. Despite the somber air hovering over everypony in the library, Twilight allowed herself a small smile. Silver Streamer was normally quiet and studious (all of Pinkie’s friends joked that he was actually Twilight’s son instead of Pinkie’s) but whenever he was with friends or was happily helping his mother prepare for a party, his hair spiked every which way and was suddenly a male unicorn foal taking exactly after her mother.
She looked over to Fluttershy and her daughter, Rose Quartz. She, like Silver Streamer, inherited her father’s charcoal-black hair. Though she inherited her mother’s teal eyes, they shone brightly and eagerly much like her father’s did, and like her father, was more open to interaction and not afraid to speak her mind.
She looked to her own daughter. Everypony noted a long time ago that her own daughter, Ruby Dawn, and Rarity’s son Jasper looked most like him. Pinkie Pie, in her usual manner, assumed that since he, Twilight, and Rarity were all unicorns, it was only obvious that they would look most like him. Both of them had deep red coats and charcoal-black manes. Dawn wore her mane like her father’s: long, with a single braid over one shoulder. Jasper, however, wore his short and spiked up. Dawn inherited her mother’s purple eyes and love of books, while Jasper had eyes that shone like golden topaz and had an eye for tailoring like his mother.
Looking at her daughter and Rarity’s son she immediately shut her eyes, fighting back tears, and took a deep breath. “Kids,” she began slowly, “Dawn came home from school this afternoon in tears...”
“I know!” the bright orange-colored earth pony foal piped up angrily. “I wanted ta knock the teeth offa...”
“Hey, that’s enough outta you,” Applejack cut in, putting a firm hoof on her son’s shoulder. “Yer Aunt Twi’s talkin’.”
“Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said wearily. She looked around at the five other foals. “I want you all to know that despite what you heard, and I’m sure what you will hear in the future, that Dawn’s father was not just some stud. He cared for me and his daughter deeply.”
“What’s a...”
Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to her daughter’s mouth. “Let’s talk about that word some other time, huh?” She cast a sidelong glance at Twilight.
“What does that have to do with us, Miss Twilight?” Silver Streamer asked politely.
“Look at the others,” Twilight replied cryptically. “You’re all smart foals. Tell me what you see.”
The six children looked at each other.
“Jasper and Ruby look a lot alike,” Rose replied.
“And Rose and Streamer have the same hair color,” Crystal went on.
“Jonagold has one light green eye and one dark green eye,” Jasper replied. “That’s really cool.”
Applejack’s son puffed out his chest with pride. “‘Course it is. Aunt Bloom says I got th’ dark one from my pop.”
“Crystal’s got really pretty dark green eyes,” Rose said, “and her coat’s just like her mom’s.”
“Is Jasper my brother?”
All eyes turned to Silver Streamer in surprise.
“What...whatever makes you say that, Streamer?” Rarity asked, expertly feigning surprise.
“Jasper has the exact same color hair as me and he wears it all spiky-like, kinda like when I help Mama get ready for a party,” the gray unicorn replied. “If Jasper’s my brother, does that mean Ruby Dawn’s my sister, too?” His hair started to spike up, as if it were slowly gathering electricity. “‘Cuz Dawn and Jasper look so much alike, and it would be cool if Dawn and Jasper and I were brothers and sister, cuz we would get to hang out after school, and maybe after school one day...” His spiky mane stood up like a frightened porcupine. “...After school one day, Jasper and Dawn could help Mama and me throw a party!” He started bouncing up and down excitedly in place and turned to his mother. “Are they, Mama? If not, can they be my brother and sister? It would be so awesome!”
There was a moment of stunned silence as the six mothers stared at Pinkie Pie’s son. Twilight was the first to regain her composure.
“And you thought Streamer was my boy, huh, Dash?” she asked with a playful sneer. Rainbow rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie smiled sweetly and gave her son a hug and pointed at Twilight.
“You should ask Miss Twilight and Miss Rarity,” the pink earth pony replied. “Can my Silver Streamer be Jasper and Dawn’s brother?” Twilight knew that there was no malice at all in Pinkie’s question.
The lavender unicorn looked down at the now-excited unicorn. “Actually, Streamer, Jasper is your brother and Dawn is your sister. Well, they’re half-siblings, anyway.”
Silver Streamer’s slate-blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. “Really?”
“Rose and Crystal are your half-sisters, too,” Twilight carefully ventured with a nod. “And Jonagold is also your half-brother.”
The six foals looked at each other like they all just met for the first time.
“Mama,” Jasper asked, “is what Miss Twilight saying true? Ruby Dawn is my sister?”
Rarity closed her eyes tightly and nodded. “Yes, my dear.”
Jasper looked at Dawn then looked up at Twilight. “Then it’s true, isn’t it?” His face contorted into a mask of contempt. “It’s true what Diamond Tiara said, isn’t it?” He turned to his mother. “Isn’t it?” He turned back to Twilight. “If Dawn really is my sister, how can Diamond Tiara be lying? She said he didn’t care about you or Dawn! He just went away!” He dashed past Rarity and Twilight and was about to make for the door when twin flashes of blue, one trailing white and the other trailing a rainbow, zipped past the two older unicorns and tackled the fleeing foal.
“I may not be your mom,” Rainbow Dash said, annoyed, “but that doesn’t mean you get to talk to your mother or your sister’s mother like that.” Her eyes narrowed. “And don’t you ever, ever talk that way about your father.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” he spat determinedly. “He’s not even here!”
“Aunt Twi was just about to tell us,” Crystal Prism said. “Right?”
Twilight nodded. She turned to the main desk and called up her magic. A large box floated from beneath the desk and landed gently at her forelegs.
“Gather round,” she said to the children. Rainbow Dash scowled at Jasper as she forced him back on his hooves and nudged him in the direction of the forming circle. “Your mothers and I wanted to wait a little longer, but after today, I thought it was time you learned about your father.” She tipped the lid of the box away and lifted up a picture frame with herself, her friends, and a deep red unicorn colt with charcoal-black hair worn in a single braid and malachite eyes. “His name was...is...Red Zircon.”