//------------------------------// // 142 - The Show Must Go On // Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat // by David Silver //------------------------------// Silver and Night walked side-by-side back towards their room. Night nodded towards him. "Not the most productive day, but it's good to be back in the saddle, as it were." Silver perked an ear. "How did that saying get any traction?" Night tilted her head at him. "Just like a foal, falling off their parent's saddle and crying, but you've gotta get up and get back in the saddle. Crying won't get you anywhere." Silver shook his head in response. "We use the same saying, but different background. Our parents had arms and hands, not saddles." As they approached their room, the door swung outwards and Rough Draft's solid form burst out with Trixie on his back. He gallopped past the surprised pair, not even noticing them. Night spun about in place to follow him and got to galloping to keep up. It took a moment for Silver to catch up mentally to what was going on before he vanished and appeared beside Night, galloping along with her. "What's going on?" "You're gaining a brother or sister, or something's wrong." Night's voice was tense as she drew heavy breaths in their powerful run. Silver inclined an ear towards her. "I had all the brothers back home, a sister would be nice." "All the brothers?" Silver bobbed his head as he galloped. "Twin, Half, In-law, Adopted. May have had a long lost, can't prove I didn't." Night raised a brow, but before she could speak, they had arrived at the infirmary. Rough had beaten them soundly to arriving and was speaking frantically to the doctor as the nurse gently got Trixie off of his back and onto the operating table with a little smile. The doctor nodded at Rough. "You did everything right. All you have to do is relax and let us do our part. She's in good hooves." He tried to nudge Rough towards some chairs, but Rough wasn't having it. "No. I'll be right at her side. This is our experience, and our moment. I won't get in the way, promise." They pulled a curtain into the line of view, but permitted Rough Draft to attend his wife. Night and Silver could hear her panting and grunting in a most un-lady-like fashion, but they didn't call it labor without a reason. "Here it comes..." "Trixie can... handle this..." "You're doing great, love." Night leaned in against Silver. "Did I sound like that?" she whispered gently. "It's odd seeing it from the outside." Silver nodded softly. "And you both handled it well." A small part of him wondered why they didn't use magic to nudge things along and he made a mental note to check that later. It was perhaps just as well that they didn't rely on magic for every step of every life phase. To be born of the strength of the mother, and to die as your own strength faded. There was a symmetry there that would be missing if they just used a foal-birthing spell or grossly invaded the mother and... Ick, perhaps he had answered his own question. He was stirred from his thoughts by a shriek, then quiet. "She's a girl," announced the doctor through the curtain. They could hear Trixie speaking quietly and quickly. Rough's voice was less discreet. "They're enchanting, and they will make a big mark on life, just like you, horn or not." "But..." "Maybe they'll become a stuntspony with the Wonderbolts." Rough sounded encouraging. Night shook her head. "Not a unicorn." Silver huffed softly. He wasn't personally upset that it wasn't, but he knew Trixie had her heart set. "I hope Mother recovers. Her foal is her foal, whatever the tribe." Night prodded him suddenly. "I know how she feels. Neither of my foals will soar the skies with me." She spread her wings out, only to have Clear suddenly grab one of them, reminding them both that they were right there. "Oh! Don't you worry you two. I love you both very much." She nuzzled at each gently. The curtain was drawn back, revealing Trixie laying on the bed, disheveled but intact. In her forelegs was a bundle of fur, bright blue and silver maned as she was, but with little wings tucked up to her. Trixie gave a sudden little laugh. "Trixie got her wish." Rough smiled. "You did. She looks just like you." He nuzzled his wife gently. "We'll just do a little cross-training." "Cross-training?" He pointed to Night Watch. "You have a wonderful daughter-in-law to help this foal learn to fly, and their foal will learn at your hooves. It's a fair trade." Night smiled brightly, wings giving a little flutter. "It would be an honor, once they're just a little bigger. Watch out though, pegasus magic is just as wild as the other tribes when they're newborns." "Congratulations." Several eyes turned to see Samantha holding a cake, a curious cake. It looked... old. "Sorry, Surprise gave it to me to save for this moment but it was some time ago. Perhaps it would be better to summon her." She set the cake down with her magic. The doctor shook his head. "Be that as it may, both the mother and the foal are healthy and fit. A completely successful birth. It was a pleasure working with you, ma'am." "Thank you." Trixie smiled at him and the nurse before she sat up a little. "Trixie is sore in new places." A bottle appeared, held in her magic before she moved it for her foal to access. "You need a name. I claimed her appearance, Rough Draft, you get to decide on a Great and Powerful name." Rough tilted his head a little, considering the new pegasus deeply. "Sapphire Streak." Both parents seemed at ease with the name selection, confirmed silently by the gentle tugs of destiny. They nestled in around young Sapphire. Samantha turned to Night and Silver. "Have you two been well?" She tilted her head. "I heard you fought the ambassador from across the ocean." Silver colored slightly. "It was a friendly spar. Only one mild nose bleed came of it." Samantha leaned forward. "For not being born a pony, you use magic surprisingly well. Has anypony ever mentioned that?" Night waved a wing at that. "Only a few times. What's up, Samantha? You're unusually... friendly." Samantha blinked at that, looking startled. "What? I'm always friendly! Aren't I? You're my favorite subjects. Everytime I see you two I get happy." Night tilted her head. "Still using that word?" "Wha--Oh! Sorry... I'm getting better, promise." She squirmed in place. "But you are... I mean that in the best way possible. I've made so many notes observing you two. I know I'll figure something big out if I keep watching." The doctor put a hoof on her shoulder. "That's enough, Samantha." "No! I mean..." She glanced around nervously. "I just want to talk to my friends." Silver perked his ears and a smile formed. "If we're friends, and not subjects, you're quite welcome to chat." Samantha approached cautiously. "You can't be both?" Night suddenly laughed. "You are too much, Samantha. Come here." She thrust a hoof at the ground in front of her seat. Samantha approached and tilted her head at Night, looking confused. Night leaned forward and bit Samantha's nose lightly. "You can't have both. If we're your friend, then your observations are biased." Samantha paled suddenly. "N-no! I've been..." She began to tremble, lightly at first but it built rapidly into a body-quake of alarming proportions. "No..." Silver raised a hoof. "Easy there. Biases can be worked against, and impossible to entirely avoid anyway. Science is never perfect, that's why we have to keep trying and be as rigorous as possible so other ponies can repeat our experiments." Samantha looked between the two. "So... which...?" Her eyes fell to the foals and her shaking began to subside. Her eyes were lost in Morning Glory's penetrating gaze, but unlike some other adults, she was not put off by it, but fell into it. She met his gaze and they were both quiet. Night watched Samantha a moment or two before she was sure Samantha was lost to the world. She shook her head a little and looked past her to Rough and Trixie and her new sister-in-law. "Everypony alright over there?" Trixie huffed. "As if creating a foal would be too difficult for Trixie to accomplish? She could put on a show right now if there was an audience." Despite her bold words, she looked harried and tired, and leaned into Rough's embrace as they recovered from the event. Silver reached out a hoof and gently tapped Samantha on the nose. She started and came out of her trance. "Huh? Oh! Hello! How are my favorite two subjects doing?" Night smirked at that. "We're just fine, how are you, Samantha?" Samantha rolled her shoulders, which became a wriggle that ran down her body. "I feel... relaxed. I don't even know why. How are the little ones?" She smiled down at them. "They look healthy and well." "They are." Silver bobbed his head. "They have the usual surges, but both are, overall, well-behaved and good foals. I'm a lucky father." Samantha bobbed her head. "Could I trouble you to fill out a little journal on their growth and status on a daily basis?" A book appeared, hovering in her magic beside her head. "It would help so much!" Night frowned at Samantha. "Why should we do that?" Silver took the book from her and flipped it open before scanning it over. "It might be nice." "Nice?" Night raised a brow at Silver. "Are you using the right word?" "I mean it." Silver smiled a little. "We didn't measure my growth as a kid, but we can with them, for their own sake, and ours. Like a picture book, but with numbers and time." Night rolled a wing lightly. "We could get a camera, goat face." Silver flashed a grin. "Also a good idea, and you know what I meant." Rough looked over from where he sat with Trixie. "Why don't you call that pastry chef friend of yours. It looks like she wants to be involved in this." Trixie nudged him in the side. "You want a fresh cake." "And if I do?" Rough smiled. "I'll share, promise." Silver hopped to his hooves. "I'll trot over and tell her the good news. I'm sure she'll beat me back." Without bidding, Night rose up to go with him and they trotted side-by-side to spring a surprise on Surprise. What they didn't expect was for there to already be a roaring party in progress at Just Desserts. With a sudden bang as they approached, confetti exploded out of one of the windows. What had they trotted in on?