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// 134 - Say Ahh 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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As engrossed as they were in learning new feats of magic, they could not ignore the letter that arrived with Celestia's hoofwriting on it.

Night raised a brow at it and turned to Sunny. "Is there a reason you didn't just tell us?"

"Propriety." Sunny nodded lightly. "Besides, the letter itself is a ticket to the event. You will all come to the Grand Galloping Gala, I do hope?"

Morning made a valiant attempt at the word, but it turned into excited cooing that his sister responded to with a slightly more sedate attempt. Both laughed and became distracted by something else.

Silver smiled at the foals before nodding back at Sunny. "I don't see why not. Besides, we have our foals. Technically, I'm available for duty again."

Sunny reached up and tapped his nose. "I wasn't going to mention that, but, yes... If you feel ready for it."

Night stretched out, wings extending. "Finally! I'm done being idle. We can take the foals with us." She reached and patted each on the head gently. "They're well behaved."

Sunny smiled. "I wouldn't dream of leaving them behind, but do be mindful of them. Sometimes the event can be a little... stuffy. The only other foals I feel certain will be coming are the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

Silver smirked a little in thought. "Maybe it'll make it clear to everypony that I'm not on the market. Wife at my side, foals riding us. I can't think of a much stronger 'I am taken' signal."

Celine shook her head a little. "It did not work for either myself or my sister."

Sunny focused on Night, approaching closely. "Speaking of that, how have I been?"

Night perked her ears up. "Like a good friend. You're easy to get along with."

Silver got the thrust and glanced between Night and Sunny. "I think she'd like to know if we'll let her in."

Night snorted at him. "I know that. Let a mare think." She turned slowly in place, eyes sweeping as if she'd dropped something. "Is that what you want, friendship? I don't think the family needs more foals, and you said you weren't here for that."

Sunny shook her head a little. "I don't need a foal. My foals are the foals of Equestria. Every little face that I protect with my duties. Every bright little student I take under my wings and try to guide towards being a productive and joyful pony. I have many foals."

Celine rose suddenly. "You're making me feel guilty, sister. I have affected the lives of our little ones. Should I be happy with that?"

Sunny walked with ease through the room. "You shouldn't be. Everypony is different. There is no shame in wanting something a bit more... personal." She turned to look at Celine. "Some would say I was the aberration for being satisfied with my distant position."

Rough shook his head a little, his cheeks a bright red. "I'm not used to being so close to two such powerful ponies, less so when they're discussing such private matters."

Celine smiled, her momentary funk broken by Rough's admission. "You may one day be our father by merit of marriage. There is nothing to hide between us, not like that. What do you think... father?"

Rough increased his efforts to imitate a tomato as he squirmed. "I... I'm happy knowing one's on the way. I don't think me or Trixie will need more than the one."

Trixie waved a hoof. "One is sufficient, and Trixie will be sure to raise them to be a powerful and astounding magician known throughout Equestria."

Sunny smiled gently at Trixie. "Have you been seeing the doctor? How far along are you?"

Trixie snorted at the idea. "As if Trixie needs help with such a simple task."

Celine came in from the other side, trapping Trixie between the royal simulacrums. "You say that, but this is no small matter. For your own sake and that of your foal, at least a cursory examination would be prudent."

Silver found himself agreeing and wrapped his magic around Trixie, only to feel her magic slip against his and ward him off.

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Your mother has been learning just as you have. You won't fool her so easily." She sat in place. "Very well, this seems a fair challenge. If you can lift me, then perhaps she will deign to go where you carry her."

Silently, Silver accepted this challenge and began feeling where her magic started and ended, which changed as she moved to block him with her will. He kept brushing against her shield, distracting her with feints and half-hearted attempts to get at her. She didn't even notice when the ground lifted away from her. "Let's go."

"W-what?!" Trixie looked down, seeing she was a foot lifted and hovering behind Silver as he trotted with a triumphant look on his face. "How did you do that?" she demanded, driving a hoof silently into the silvery hand he had used.

Silver led a procession of his family through the castle. "Just because I learned new tricks didn't mean the old ones stopped being applicable. Lifting myself up is clumsy with the hand, but for another pony, even a Great and Powerful one, it works fine."

Sunny reached up as she walked, patting Trixie on the side. "It's for the best. It's only because we care for you, Trixie."

Rough slipped in beside Silver, whispering, "Thanks. I couldn't convince her. She's a little stubborn when she wants to be."

"She has very fine hearing, too." Trixie glared down at her husband, making him shrink away.

Night snorted with new laughter, the foals strapped to her sides in a position they'd grown used to. "Don't be angry at him. He should worry about you, like a good husband."

They arrived to find everypony on duty. The doctor, the nurse, and even Samantha. The latter perked up on seeing them enter. "Oh! I wasn't expecting a visit today." She hopped forward towards them, looking them over one by one. "I don't see any obvious trauma." She suddenly stopped and brought a hoof to her snout. "Is this a social visit? I've read about this..." She frowned a little. "I accept. Now we can date, yes?"

Silver burst out into laughter. "Oh Samantha, you are a darling, but we've come for medical expertise, not a date this time." He brought Trixie forward with his magic. "We have a Great and Powerful pregnancy that we'd like to check on."

The doctor walked forward towards the patient. "Oh my, so far along." Somehow, despite her state being entirely hidden, he could see the truth of the matter. "Please put the patient down. Right this way, mother-to-be. We'll make sure everything's going just right."

Trixie stepped down from the invisible, to her, hand and followed the doctor towards the table, hopping up and getting comfortable. "She is certain there won't be much to see, but my family insisted and being the Gracious and Humble sort, here we are."

While the doctor walked Trixie through the examination, Samantha looked over the family. "You brought a lot of ponies with you." She suddenly perked. "Oh! Silver, you never said how you knew about me. Now's a good time to fix that."

How did he even start to explain? "I--"

Night slipped between them. "It was a prophecy he read."

Samantha blinked owlishly at the news. "I'm in a prophecy? Astounding, if improbable. Though I suppose the evidence is clear." She glanced away and back. "I thought you might have been studying me..." Her cheeks colored a bit. "I was a little excited to be the subject for once."

Silver frowned a little. "About that... If you are the foal of a human, do you know anything about them?"

"Nope." Samantha shook her head. "She died making me. It was not the ideal learning environment." She raised a hoof, pointing at Silver. "But I have another right here. I should be asking you questions."

Night kept placing herself between the two unicorns. "Which you can do with a letter, so he can consider it carefully and give you a lengthy reply."

"Oh, that's a good idea." Samantha nodded as she sat on her haunches. "And the replies will already be written for inclusion in my report. How lovely! You two are just such delightful subjects." Her eyes lowered to the foals riding Night. "And here are my smallest subjects. How are you two feeling?"

They reached for Samantha. Morning popped off of Night and appeared on top of Samantha, landing right on her withers and hugging her. It only seemed to please Samantha, who began to giggle uncontrollably. "They've been of good health and development, I trust?"

Silver looked around, noticing Sunny and Celine had vanished at some point. Princesses... "They've been perfect little foals."

Night reached with her wings for Morning, only for him to vanish again and a startled squeak alerting them to his appearance on Trixie's side.

Samantha looked thoughtful about the whole thing. "I see they have typical youthful exuberance. Have they shown any unusual talents or ability considering their exotic heritage?"

Night trotted to fetch her foal. "Nothing I'd count as strange so far, just an earth pony and a unicorn learning to be who and what they are."

Silver nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak when a shriek filled the area, turning his eyes towards Trixie and the doctor beside her.

"She told you not to use that on her!"

The doctor tilted his head lightly. "We have to in order to get a good look at what's going on inside you, ma'am."

Rough reached up for his wife on the table. "Please, dear, relax. He's trying to help you and our foal."

"Trixie can take care of herself just fine!" Trixie turned up her nose. "Complete your examinations, without this." Her magic wrapped around the screen that the doctor had been attempting to get into position and thrust it aside.

Silver sighed softly. "Worse than wheels..."

Night retrieved her startled foal and gently held him close as he recovered from the fright.

Samantha raised an ear. "I don't see any wheels. Her foal is facing the wrong way though."

The doctor went rigid and turned to face Samantha. "Are you certain?"

Samantha bobbed her head. "The resolution's blurry without the screen, but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between a head and the other end."

"You twisted Trixie's foal with that infernal device!" Trixie hopped down from the table, fire in her eyes. "She will have you stripped of your title as a doctor. She'll make sure you never work again!"

Her being on the floor made it easier for Rough to reach her and he held her back from venting her fury on the doctor. His gentle words for calm fell on largely deaf ears, but he did keep her from doing anything that would land her in jail.