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// 128 - Knock Knock 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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The party had gone off without a hitch and they returned home to give the foals some needed rest and attention, to say nothing of their deserving mother.

A gentle rapping at the door brought Trixie's ears up as she trotted for the sound. She pushed the door open with her magic. "Yes? Please kee--" Her voice trailed off as she beheld the familiar small form of one she had not seen in some time. "Celine? Trixie thought you were gone."

Silver looked up from where he was lying beside a snoozing Night Watch. "What?"

Celine stepped in with a nervous smile. "I hope I'm not entirely unwanted. Congratulations, Silver, Night..."

Sunny shook her head. "Sister, I do hope you listened closely to what I said before."

Celine's ears turned back. "I know this isn't the exact way you had in mind, but yes. This is me, not part of me. But it is me without overwhelming alicorn power and physique. I offer no physical threat."

Rough poked his head out of a side room where the foals were sleeping. "What's going on out here?"

Silver sighed a little. "I think Luna jumped the gun on wanting to be part of things." His tail was swaying a little. "Come in, Celine."

Celine glanced away before she trotted inside, her magic closing the door behind herself. "My promise remains. I am not here to petition, simply to be present. May I see the foals?"

Silver quickly shook his head. "They're sleeping after a busy day. Let them rest, then I'll introduce them to another wonderful mare of my life."

Celine colored a little. "Why do you say such things when you don't..."

Sunny slapped a hoof over Celine's snout, cutting off the words. "Silver has a logic of his own, and he likes you. You are his first love, even if you don't have the first place in his heart."

First love? Silver recoiled faintly at the word, realizing it wasn't false. Looking at Celine made him think of his awkward first times. Celine had showed him a lot, including what it felt like to be loved unconditionally. "Let's not get too, uh, deep in this. Night will be very cross if we do. Sit with us. It's a quiet time, and you can join us for that."

Trixie nodded as she moved back beside a dresser and sat. There was a book already on top that her eyes began to roam across.

It was a quiet time. Celine sank to her belly with Sunny at her side. The room settled into tranquility. There were no arguments.

Celine began to relax with time. A little smile spread over her dark-furred snout as she watched and listened. There was no discord or strife, just peace.

"Did someone mention me?" Discord  popped free of the air, hovering over the proceeding.

Silver snorted softly. "Hey bud. If you can keep quiet, you're welcome to look, but no touching." He thrust a hoof towards the nursery. "They're napping."

"Oh." He zipped his snout and hovered into the next room where Rough Draft was. Despite the zippered defense, his muted giggles could be heard before he returned. "Well aren't you the proud stallion? Next thing we know, you'll be making these little foals with every mare you can find."

That hit a bit close to home and Silver darkened rapidly.

Sunny shook her head up at Discord. "In his dreams, perhaps. We are more composed in our waking hours."

Trixie raised a brow at the exchange. "No colt of mine is going to compose himself like that."

Discord shrugged. "Suit yourself." He slipped between here and there, and was gone from sight.

The quiet returned until a soft cry came from the nursery, which roused Night almost instantly. Silver was glued to her side, supporting her to stand and offering to go check on them for her, but she insisted, and soon they were both in the nursery.

Rough Draft was already there, bouncing Clear Twilight up and down on a leg and making silly faces at her. She was giggling, but the sight of her parents distracted her quickly and she began reaching for them.

Silver gently plucked up the child in his magic, drawing her over into Night's reach where severe snuggling began in earnest.

He tilted his head a bit as he watched Night tend to the foal's needs. "I know unicorns and pegasi can exert extreme spikes of personal power while they're young, do earth ponies?"

Rough nodded. "My parents said I used to rearrange furniture as a foal. Not in any particular order, mind, just moved them all around."

Silver tilted his head the other way when he saw Night feeding Clear with a bottle. "When did you get that?"

"Get what?"

Silver pointed a hoof at the bottle. "The bottle, there, and when did you fill it up?"

Night peered at him as if he were mad a moment before it seemed to click. "Is this another difference?"

Silver giggled a little, a nervous sound. "I'm trying to figure that out. Where I come from, babies have to drink directly from the mother unless bottles are prepared in advance, which I didn't see you do."

Night looked perplexed at the idea, looking down at the bottle, and the foal that nursed from it. "That sounds messy."

Silver squirmed a moment. "It can be fun."

Night blinked rapidly. "Silver!"

"There's a reason that feels good." Silver wrinkled his nose. "Because mother's have to do it. Nature encourages it, since we wouldn't be very good parents if we let our children go hungry, but here you are, with a bottle." He sank to his haunches. "Pony world is a strange world."

He felt a nuzzling down below and looked down to see Morning Glory attempting to prove his theory. As it turned out, male ponies don't even have the needed plumbing. Not even a nipple to try with. Silver's magic wrapped around his foal and lifted him up carefully before hugging him close. "Sorry, that's a mother's job, unless she has another bottle?"

Night held over a second bottle, to Silver's confusion. He accepted the bottle in his magic and soon had it in Morning's little snout. He couldn't help but smile at the happiness on his foal's face.

"They are adorable." Celine stepped in timidly.

Night raised a brow. "We have a promise."

Celine raised a hoof. "I am here to visit. I wanted to see the foals." She looked from one to the other. "And they are amazing... If I can help, please, don't hesitate to ask."

Sunny emerged into the room after Celine. "Two very special foals. I should wonder what destiny has in store for them."

Thoughts of the Text flared in Silver's mind as he glanced around as if he would see the enigmatic figure at any moment. A coo called his attention back to his crooked leg, where Morning Glory was peering up at him intently. "What's up?"

Morning reached out a hoof and soon Silver was nuzzling into the foal, smiling and forgetting about such small things as destiny or those that wielded it. He had his children, and that was far more important.

Night let out a little sigh. "You lasted longer than I thought you would."

Celine raised a brow.

"I expected you to arrive during the birth or at the party afterwards." Night smirked a little. "Thanks for waiting this long. I know why you're here."

Celine looked a little uncertain, and kept her mouth shut.

Night reached with a wing and patted Celine on the head. "You're already learning."

Celine frowned at that. "Don't taunt us. We're trying to do this properly."

Night nodded. "You are. I can see that. Now tell me, fully, why you are here."

Celine gestured between the two foals. "You have proven that the lunar tribe can encompass all three, naturally. I... can't ignore that, but I'm not here just for that. I..."

"Fully."

Celine frowned a little. "You drive me towards a broken promise."

Night softly petted over her foal's back, encouraging a little burp from her. "On this day, you get one freebie. Tell me."

Celine grunted softly and sank to her belly. "If we could take back our many foalish mistakes, we would. We wish to be a part of... this. Not as Luna, princess of the land, towering with physical and arcane might, but as an equal, as my sister already has."

Night gestured at the quiet Sunny. "She hasn't joined us, though she has earned the right to prove it would be a compatible match."

Celine licked her lips. "And how would I get such a chance?"

"I haven't chased you out yet." Night passed Clear to Silver, who balanced both foals carefully. "I'm going to hit you."

Celine sprang to her hooves and bounced away. "You will do no such thing!"

Night stepped towards Celine. "Why shouldn't I?"

Silver raised a brow. "Because I'd rather you didn't?"

Night waved that comment off. "Besides that."

Celine frowned sharply. "Because this family, your family, should not have violence within it."

Night smiled a little. "Now you're getting somewhere. And you?"

Celine's shoulders sagged. "I should not have struck him. You know I regret that. Poor stallion couldn't hurt me if his life depended on the act. I had no reason to fear him as I did at that moment."

Sunny softly coughed into a hoof. "That's enough heaviness for such a delightful day." She clopped her forehooves before she stood up. "Since everypony's awake, why don't we go to the garden? It's still warm out and the foals will love the chance to look around at the plants and animals out there."

Silver rose to his hooves, moving his foals to his back and keeping them snugly held in his magic. "That sounds like a great idea, if you're up for it, Night? Today's been one hell of a day for you."

"What?" Night raised a brow. "Human saying, right. I can sleep in the sun." Her wings shuffled on her back. "That sounds perfect actually."

She led the way in a great procession of ponies. Soon everypony was outside. Silver was on his back, playing and laughing with Clear Twilight while Trixie attempted to teach magic, with little results, to Morning.

Rough sat across from Sunny and Celine. "So, you're the princesses, but not really?"

Celine smiled gently. "We'd rather you think of us as not. We are just two ponies."

Rough pointed to Celine's wings, then up at her horn. "Not many ponies have both, Celine. I'm not sure how I missed that the first time."

Celine glanced back at them. "Many do... But you may have a point. If sister can handle being without wings, then so shall I." With a dark flare of her magic, the wings were banished, and she was simply a unicorn. "This is most bizarre."

Rough tilted his head. "I thought you were born a unicorn, like Princess Twilight?"

Sunny shook her head gently. "Princess Cadance was born a pegasus."

Rough blinked at that. "Really? I had no idea..." He forgot to ask which one the princesses before him might have been born.

It was perhaps for the best.