Chapter 4
Keeping a secret in a small village?
Twilight Sparkle arrived home to the Book and Branch Library in the same manner she had departed, in a purple blink of Unicorn teleportation magic. Having been born the most powerful Unicorn in a thousand years had some benefits. It had saved her from walking down the streets of Ponyville with a basket in tow, and thus becoming the inviting target for the inevitable flood of dreadful questions about the origin and breed of her skinny niece.
Wearily she set the basket carrying her sleeping niece upon her bed and was soon on the bed herself for some well-deserved rest. 4 hours of sleep is simply insufficient for a pony to stay awake throughout a stressful day. It didn’t help that her udder between her hind legs was tender and full.
Not long after her head had received some fitful rest, an annoying and rather insistent hand began to prod her into consciousness. Twilight Sparkle opened one beady eye. It was enough to stop Spike from prodding her again.
“Wisp made a mess. I think we need to clean her up”
Spike had never been more correct. It smelled and terribly so, yet somehow she had slept thought that repugnant stench. It was expected of course. Foals made messes until they were toilet trained. Yet as expected as it was, it annoyed her. “Alright,” Twilight let out a long sigh. Her short temper was likely caused by sleep deprivation. “I’ll clean her up and her basket. Go out and buy some diapers.”
** *** **
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where our fashion is chic and our dresses unique.”
“Hi Rarity,” the purple dragon greeted as he entered the premises.
“Oh Spike, what brings you here?” The alabaster Unicorn asked.
“I need to buy some cloth.”
“Dear me, one simply cannot go into the dressmaker’s shop armed only with the general desire to buy cloth. There are many types cloth, many different grades of each type.” The Unicorn answered. “Perhaps I should begin with a simple question. What do you want to use the cloth for?”
Spike hesitated. “I need cloth for diapers. I went to the general store, but Berry Punch sent me over here because she didn’t stock any.”
“Diapers,” Rarity put on her red rimmed glasses and begin looking through an array of hang labels. “Muslin cloth would do,” she said as she levitated out the appropriate bolt of cloth. “Are you buying for Pinkie Pie? I didn’t know Mr and Mrs Cake needed more diapers for Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake.”
“No, I’m shopping for Twilight.”
“And why does Twilight Sparkle want diapers?” Rarity inquired as her magic took hold of a pair of scissors.
“Ummm…” Spike hesitated. “We got a newborn foal at the library, and Twilight just got back from the hospital. She sent me to buy some diapers because she is too exhausted to come herself.”
The fashionista didn’t know what to think of it. Her first reaction was to deny it. Twilight Sparkle would never get herself pregnant unplanned. All grown mares in Equestria took Heat Suppression potions every spring till the end of summer to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Rarity simply could not believe that Twilight Sparkle could be that careless. She always seemed so tied to her schedules.
It must have been shame, the Unicorn decided. Such deep, dreadful shame that even such a powerful and usually controlled Unicorn as Twilight would hide her pregnancy from her best friends. Rarity vowed not to judge. Twilight had already gone so far as to give birth in secret without anypony the wiser. It must have been terrifying going through such an ordeal without family or friend close by. Rarity was not going to push one of her best friends to hide forever in shame because of a careless mistake.
“Who is the father?” she inquired softly.
Spike hesitated again. He answered only because it was Rarity who was asking. Love did strange things to a dragon. “Shining Armour.” He answered. “I’m actually not supposed to tell.”
‘Her own brother?!‘ Rarity gasped in palpitating silence, she very nearly called for her fainting couch but somehow found the strength to steady herself. This was too much, simply too much. But in hindsight, it was obvious even to a blind mare. Certainly, Twilight seemed overly fond and protective of her older brother at the wedding, but never in all her days did she imagine that Twilight would cross the line and seduce her own brother.
“Does her sister in-law… Does Princess Cadance know?”
Spike didn’t answer immediately, and his silence was damning. His subsequent answer merely confirmed her suspicions.
“No. I think Twilight is afraid to let Cadance know. She’s thinks that Cadance would banish Shining Armour to the moon or something.”
“I see.” Rarity could not say she was at all surprised. If she had caught her stallion cheating, he too would be banished to the moon, if it were within her power to do so. And if he was cheating with his own sister….Rarity felt a shiver run through her. It was a pity too. Shining Armour seemed like such a nice stallion. He honestly did appear to love Cadance, and any mare would be lucky to join their herd. Yet the evidence was all there to be seen, looks could be deceiving. This made two stallions whose looks could not be trusted. Was high Canterlot society littered with such stallions like Prince Blueblood?
“Twilight is kind of worried to show Wisp around Ponyville. Wisp, that’s the filly’s name by the way. She is worried how ponies are going to react if they found out.”
“No pony will find out from me. Although I believe most ponies in Ponyville would accept the foal regardless of her birth.”
“I told Twilight the same thing, but she didn’t believe me. She was going on about gluing on a fake horn onto Wisp.”
Rarity was taken aback. Glue on a fake horn? Did the poor dear have some disfiguring birth defect? Yet she knew that she shouldn’t be surprised. The Unicorns of Canterlot were rumoured to be inbred, as they kept their marriages and titles of Royal lineage to themselves. As for Twilight’s newborn daughter, well the poor dear didn’t have a chance. She was hopelessly inbred.
“As one of her best friends,” Rarity declared. “It is my place to support Twilight in her moment of need. I will personally put to task any pony that would dare say a poor word against Wisp.”
“You will?” The dragon was surprised. “I mean even if Wisp isn’t, you know, like other ponies.”
“The manner of how Wisp was born may have much to be desired, but the foal is blameless. She has no control over who her parents are.”
Spike didn’t know what to say. Maybe all that worry of raising a Changeling foal in Ponyville was so much stress over nothing. “That…that is the most understanding thing I have ever heard.”
“Here Spike, take the cloth.” Rarity smiled. “I have cut several sheets to the appropriate size.” A soft white bundle floated into his outstretched claws.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing, nothing at all. Take it as my gift to Twilight. We did miss giving her a baby shower.”
Spike nodded his head in thanks and walked out of the Carousel Boutique. It was only when he was outside, halfway towards the Book and Branches Library that he wondered “Why throw Twilight a baby shower?”