The Middle Pony

by AutumnSky98

Tests and Troubled Thoughts

Chapter 2

Tests and Troubled Thoughts

Cadance cocks her head to the side in confusion.

She is well and truly over the shock of seeing that her foal is already so powerful, but there are lots of unanswered questions swirling around in her head, and though it isn’t a publicly known fact, Cadance can be a pretty impatient pony.

“What do you mean by ‘Those’? Are there others you could try?” Cadance finally asks, rolling her eyes when she sees Lavender give her a knowing smile.

“How about I start by filling you in on what I observed just then, and we can go from there?” Lavender says, moving to jump up onto the bed and laying down next to Cadance to give her report.

They’d always done this as fillies; shared a bed and stuck close together while telling each other stories or secrets.

“I’m all ears.” Cadance replies, flicking said ears to emphasise her point.

The action makes Lavender giggle sweetly and causes a loving smile to form on Cadance’s lips in response.

“Well, I definitely know that the hormones have set in.” Lavender starts, ducking as Cadance swings a pillow her way.

“…But regarding that test, I already know that your foal won’t accept ANY foreign magic.”

She continues, placing a reassuring hoof over Cadance’s as her face clouds over in worry.

Pausing, as she’s about to continue, Lavender suddenly changes topics.

“Say, saying ‘the foal’ all the time is rather tiresome, isn’t it? Can you tell me what gender you guess he or she is going to be, so that I can just say that?”

Cadance blinks at the sudden topic change, failing to see the connection that could’ve made Lavender switch from one topic to the other, but she knows that that’s just the way Lavender is.

“I’m not entirely sure…” Cadance begins, placing a hoof over her stomach.

“…But I get the feeling she’s going to be a girl.”

She finishes, giving Lavender a smile, which is returned full force.

“Great. Now then, where was I… Ah, yes. That test wasn’t the only time she’s gotten magic from a source other than your own. Her strong rejection proves that. And since the rejection was to a magic source that is already so similar to your own, we’d only be endangering you, the foal and even your surroundings if we tried any of the other magic sources I have prepared.” Lavender says, leaving Cadance gaping at her as she absorbs all this new information.

One thing bugged her though.

“But, where could she have gotten another magic source from?” Cadance asks with her brow furrowed in confusion.

Lavender tries to control her facial expression. She REALLY does. But, seriously? It doesn’t occur to her who that magic source could be coming from? Who is tired ALL THE TIME and a lot more agitated and fretful as of late? Who turns a _tiny shiver into a palace-wide search for fluffy blankets and pillows, regardless of the time, even without a paternal instinct yet?

Lavender’s disbelieving expression, which pretty much screams ‘seriously?!’, unfortunately, doesn’t clue Cadance in to her thoughts, as the Princess continues awaiting an answer with an expectant look.

“Cadance.”

The Princess of Love straightens a little at being addressed so suddenly.

“I’m guessing you moved back into your princess suite when you thought you were sick, right?”

Lavender continues, receiving a nod of affirmation in reply.

“Before you got sick, who did you sleep next to every night?”

Cadance’s eyes go wide and she slowly raises her hooves to hide her face in total mortification.

“Oh Celestia… She’s been taking Shining’s magic too!”

Lavender merely nods when Cadance lowers her hooves enough to see her again, though it’s obvious from her quirked lip that she’s holding in her laughter.

Lavender ignores the look, knowing that, for the moment, things need to stay serious, and nods in confirmation.

“Exactly, so, she already has a penchant for a certain TYPE of magic, if you will.”

Cadence’s eyes widen when the full implications of what Lavender is saying finally sink in, the laughter falling from her face like foliage in the fall.

“So… She can ONLY get magic from me or Shining?” Cadence tries to confirm, her brow furrowing when Lavender’s lips quirk into a tiny smile and she cocks her head thoughtfully.

“Well, she’s definitely happy to receive yours and Shining’s magic, but I think I saw something earlier that could help me get you back on your feet AND keep the little troublemaker sated.” Lavender goads, grinning when Cadence good naturedly whacks her over the head with a pillow.

“Lavender blooming Night, would you PLEASE just tell me outright what the HELL you mean?!” Candence says in a louder tone of voice, though she doesn’t quite yell.

Lavender’s smile softens as she plucks the pillow Cadence is still levitating out of the air, which makes Cadence dispel her magical energy, and gives Lavender the perfect chance to talk.

“I’m going to have to test it first, but I think she’ll take the magical energy of anyone who is family.”

Cadence’s mouth falls open, her eyes shocked as she wonders who Lavender plans to pull something like THAT off.

Gesturing to Cadence’s stomach with her head, Lavender continues.

“When you embraced me earlier, she picked up on your love and comfort and took that as a cue that I was “safe”, so to speak, and thus her own magic instinctually tried to get a feel for mine.”

Well… That was something Cadence hadn’t thought of.
Though, in hindsight, it made perfect sense.

Nodding as she sorts through her thoughts, Cadence turns to address Lavender again.

“Ok, but how do you plan to test her reaction to your magic, when YOU’RE the one who has to give her your magic AND observe her reaction to it?”

Lavender’s brow furrows for a moment, having not yet thought that far ahead.

“Good point.” She murmurs, a hoof on her chin and her eyes half closing as she digs through the memories of her studies in the hopes of figuring this out.

-

She could ask Shining to be the tester, but, considering that that theory was as good as proven, it wouldn’t help to have him give his daughter even MORE of his magic, while he was still recovering from having lost so much over the past few weeks.

Creating a transfusion of her own magic was always an option. But containing her magic is a transfusion bag would take days, at least, and Cadence was growing weaker every few hours, when her foetus got hungry. So, time wasn’t really a luxury she had.

She bit the inside of her cheek in frustration.

With time being a key component, asking Twilight, Celestia or Luna to come by would also be difficult. Getting word to them would take time, and she wasn’t sure if Shining had lowered the barrier around the Empire yet, not to mention that they had to take care of their kingdoms, first and foremost, as was the curse of a ruler.

Asking mum and dad to come would also take too long, unlike the royals in their family, they didn’t have the magical ability to just teleport to the Kingdom within a few seconds.

-

Cadence watches with a worried gaze as Lavender gets lost in her thoughts.
Her eyebrows drawing ever closer together and the furrow of her brow deepening as the answer she seeks keeps eluding her.

Wriggling her way across the bed and closer to her sister-in-law and best friend since fillyhood, Cadence pulls a hoof around Lavender’s shoulders and touches their horns together, just letting the blue glow of her horn sooth her little sister.

Lavender relaxes at the touch, slowing surfacing from her thoughts.

“Sorry Cadence. I’ll figure something out, but you may have to give me a little time.” Lavender apologises, her eyes practically shimmering with worry and regret.

Cadence offers her sister a sweet smile.

“You always were one to try way too hard Lavender. It’s not like I’m dying, and I certainly don’t want you working yourself to death over a problem that I’m sure can be solved much easier than you seem to think it can.”

Lavender smiles and rolls her eyes, knowing that Cadence is speaking the truth, but still feeling a little tight strung.

“I’ll sleep on it and let you know what I come up with in the morning.” Lavender promises, slowly righting herself and stepping down from Cadence’s bed.

Candence nods approvingly.

Shining wasn’t the only one who was aware of Lavender’s tendencies to put others needs above her own, even if it meant hurting or endangering herself.

“That sounds perfect.” Cadence agrees, though her tone has Lavender pausing before she leaves the Princess’s room.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Lavender asks quietly, turning back to see Cadence laying on her bed, facing her with a sheepish expression.

It was both surprising and somehow funny to see how quickly Cadence’s mood could shift.

“I don’t mean to bother you… but, would you mind, maybe, singing me something before going to bed?” Cadence asks shyly, causing Lavender to gift her with a shy smile and soft nod in reply.

It wasn’t a very widely known fact that Lavender both could sing and enjoyed singing.
Still, Cadence had always felt peaceful and at ease when she heard Lavender sing, and it was a luxury she wanted to give herself before going to bed for the night.

Lavender quietly walks back over to Cadence’s bedside, and, with a flash of magic, teleports her guitar into her waiting hooves.
With a few practised twists and testing strums, Lavender tunes her guitar and decides that a softer song would be appropriate for the current time of night.

After a few soft chords of intro, Lavender starts to sing a song by her favourite singer.

(Kings by Lauren Aquilina)

“You’re alone,
you’re on your own,
So what?
Have you gone blind?
Have you forgotten what you have
and what is yours?”

Lavender smiles at the pause and Cadence settles back against her pillows, just letting her sister’s words wash over her.
Neither one notices the soft golden glow that’s slowing strengthening in Cadence’s womb, expanding as it attempts to get closer to the voice and magic source she’s come to associate with kindness, calmness and comfort.

“Glass half empty,
Glass half full.
Well, either way, you won’t be going thirsty,
Count your blessings, not your flaws.”

By this time Cadence has already slipped into a light sleep, and the foetus in her womb has ALMOST reached Lavender’s form, sitting only a few paces away from her mother.

“You’ve got it all,
You lost your mind in the sound.
There’s so much more,
You can reclaim your crown.
You’re in control.
Rid of the monsters inside your head.
Put all your faults to bed.
You can be Queen again.”

Lavenders eyes widen when she reopens them at the interlude, only now feeling the premature presence of magic trying to establish a connection with her.

Careful so as not to stall her song, Lavender gently opens a direct magical link with the little girl, and is pleasantly surprised when, rather than quickly draining as much magical energy as she can, the baby let’s Lavender’s magic flow into her naturally with the music.

So, now partly focusing on keeping her magic channel open, Lavender none the less continues her song, hoping to give Cadence as much of a reprieve as possible.

“You don’t get what all this is about.
You’re too wrapped up,
In your self-doubt.
You’ve got that young blood,
Set it free.”

With every chord, and every stanza, the baby consumes a little more of her magic, but, she does so in such a measured manner, that Lavender is fairly certain she’ll have recharged her power by the next morning.
Deciding to end the song a little prematurely, Lavender prepares to sing the next verse as her final one.

“You’ve got it all,
You’ve lost your mind in the sound.
There’s so much more,
You can reclaim your crown.
You’re in control,
Rid of the monsters inside your head.
Put all your faults to bed.
You can be Queen… again.”

Letting the last notes trail off, Lavender is once more surprised when Cadence’s little girl cuts off the magical link herself, her golden magical glow withdrawing back into her, as both mother and unborn foal settle into a deep and comfortable sleep.

-

Sleep now being the furthest thing from Lavender’s mind, the mare teleports back to her room, sets her guitar back on its stand, and quickly takes out a notebook to record the happenings of the day and under what conditions the self-initiated transfusion had taken place.

Lavender spends a good hour writing down everything she remembers.

From her unborn niece’s golden magic, to Cadence’s calm and peaceful disposition, to the musical timing that seemed to influence her niece’s magical intake and anything else she remembers happening prior to, during and after the event.

Even still, her mind now abuzz with these new findings, Lavender knows that sleep will be a long time coming for her.

Trotting over to the window, Lavender looks down at the slumbering empire below her, noting, with a sideways glance, that there’s still a light burning across town… near where she now knows the orphanage to be.

Weighing her options, Lavender has a little mental debate with herself.

Shining will be FURIOUS.
Her pony angel warns.

Yeah, if he finds out.
Her pony devil laughs.

If, still means there’s a chance that it could happen.
Pony angel points out.

And if it does, I’ll have to listen to a lecture and then get back to work, no problem.
Pony devil says, poking out her tongue.

Well, what about Flash?
Pony angel tries again.

It’s not like I’ll be gone long. Besides, the guy needs his sleep as much as anypony.
Pony devil reasons.

It’s not safe for a mare to go out by herself at this time of night either!
Pony angel huffs.

Right, because I’m not currently in the city with the LOWEST crime rates in ALL of Equestria since King Sombra’s defeat.
Pony devil counters sarcastically.

It’s not exactly proper either.
Pony angel mutters.

Since when has that ever STOPPED me?
Pony devil remarks, and the argument is won.

After that, Lavender smiles to herself and teleports to the bakery near the orphanage.

The Empire is… different, now that the night reigns.

Luna’s night is beautiful, with not a cloud in the sky and only a crescent moon smiling down at her as she slowly walks to the orphanage, which, she now notes, is the building with the light still on. Fireflies drift lazily through the streets, and her hoofsteps echo softly around her.

Stopping in front of the entrance, Lavender raises a hoof to knock, only to notice a small figure sitting on the roof, away from where the lights are still on.

Her eyes go wide with panic, before she realises that the little colt has wings on his back.

Still, it’s strange for such a young colt to be up so late at night, and on a rooftop at that.

Sighing, Lavender thinks through her options.

She can’t just teleport up there, ‘cause doing that would, most likely, give the kid quite a fright.
Her eyes light up when her wandering gaze stumbles upon a ladder that’s propped up against the side of the building.
Thanking Celestia that Tutti isn’t a Pegasus, and thus, needs a ladder around, Lavender sets about the task of carefully and quietly climbing the wooden rungs up to the roof.

Careful to keep her balance when she steps onto the tiled roof, Lavender decides to announce her presence softly, despite now being unable to see the young colt.

“Hello up here. I don’t mean to intrude or anything, but, I’m Lavender, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to talk?” She calls quietly, waiting a few moments before she starts to pick her way from one end of the roof to the other.

It’s a little windy up there, but Lavender manages to keep her hooves under her and finally arrives at the other end of the roof. Where she finds herself looking into a pair of wary, teal eyes, though they quickly become curious and more open as recognition lights the colt’s expression.

“Good evening.” Lavender greets with a friendly smile and a small nod.

“Hello.” Flame Shot replies shyly, still speaking very softly.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you?” Lavender queries, though her smile broadens when Flame Shot answers her with a little head shake.

“Got a lot to think about?” She asks, coming closer to the edge of the roof to have a seat next to the colt.

Flame Shot shoots her a contemplative look at her astuteness, though he eventually responds with another small nod, a light blush bridging his nose.

“Me too.”
She sighs, turning her gaze to the stars above the two of them and keeping her silence.

-

It was a little trick she’d learned when she became an older sister.
Eventually, and without any pushing on her part, Twilight would tell her what was bothering her, if she stayed quietly by her side for a long enough period of time.
Even if it didn’t work, it always gave Lavender some time to sort through her own thoughts.
And she had a LOT of thoughts to sort through.

-

Sure, she’d found a way to establish and transfuse magic directly with her unborn niece, but there wasn’t yet a guarantee that she’d be able to repeat the process.
Would the baby accept her magic under different circumstances?
What could she do to lessen the foetus’ magical hunger?

As it stood, if the baby needed more energy, her mother was an alicorn princess, and had MUCH more magical energy than most mothers, so, she could just take what she wanted. But the baby didn’t know how she was affecting her mother, and, if the strain got any worse, well…
Lavender shuddered when she remembered how shakily Cadence had stood for those few seconds while she’d conducted her test.
If she lost even MORE energy…

Lavender was quick to shake that thought away.

That was the reason why she was here, after all.

And if all else failed and she had to pay Cadence a visit every four to six hours to play her guitar and sing the same song, so that the Princess of Love could get some rest and try to build up her magical energy reserves, well, then that’s what she’d do.

A small hoof on her foreleg suddenly startles Lavender out of her thoughts.

Turning to the side, she sees Flame Shot looking up at her with a worried gaze.

She gifts him with a small smile.

“Sorry, I zoned out for a little bit there.”

The colt doesn’t let go of her foreleg, nor does his worried gaze waver, but he does return her smile with a small one of his own this time.

“It’s easy to get lost in our thoughts when we have so many of them, isn’t it?” Lavender sighs, wrapping her tail around the colt, when she notices him shivering slightly next to her.

His eyes widen, though she notes that he snuggles closer to her and answers her with another nod, and Lavender finds herself releasing a short, light breath into the night air.

“You know, I don’t think any one pony has more or less worries than another, but, if we all try to approach our thoughts and problems one at a time, at our own pace, I think it might be possible for everypony to be happy, wouldn’t you agree?” She ponders, hoping to help the little colt in some way, even with a bit of general advice, even if he doesn’t want to tell her his specific worries.

Lavender doesn’t think she’s overly smart or very stupid, but, in some contexts, some things are just obvious to her.
When she looks down at the colt snuggled up to her side, her golden eyes gleaming so warmly in the glowing light of the stars, Flame Shot feels his façade start to crack.

-

He’d only been at the orphanage for a few weeks.

It had only been a few weeks since he had seen that training stunt go so horribly wrong.

It had only been a few weeks since he’d last seen his parents in neighbouring hospital beds and in pain from simply breathing.

It had only been a few weeks since he’d had to watch his mother and father be lowered into the ground and buried in a graveyard that he just couldn’t bring himself to visit.

How was a colt supposed to deal with something like that?

How did you go from smiling up at your mum as she sets out your favourite snack, to having to accept that she’ll never be able to smile at you or make your favourite snack for you again?

He was so lost, so confused and so overwhelmed, that he just didn’t know what he should do.

-

So, when he feels the tears pooling in his eyes and clouding his vision; when he sees how Lavender’s gaze softens even more and she tightens her hold on him, he breaks.

His sobs tear at her heart and his tears soak into the fur of her side and foreleg, but Lavender merely holds the poor colt close to her, gathering him up and hugging him to her chest, where he cries and sobs and heaves for breath as she draws comforting patterns on his back and lets his head rest over her heart beat, hoping that that steady thump of life might help him somehow.

“Shh… It’s ok. You’re ok.” She comforts the colt quietly, her own eyes betraying her sadness, when she feels Flame Shot get heavier in her arms and she realises that the poor dear must have cried himself to sleep.

Carefully rising on three legs and still holding Flame Shot, Lavender decides not to risk the trip back with one hoof less, and, instead, teleports herself and Flame Shot back to the entrance of the orphanage.

No wanting to wake anyone, Lavender walks her way over to the window with the light still on and, upon seeing Tutti going over some documents inside, knocks on the window to draw her attention.

Tutti reacts to the sound immediately, eyes straining through the darkness for a moment, before she recognises the kind mare standing outside and opens the window for her.

“Goodness Lavender, what are you DOING here at this time of night?” Tutti asks in a quiet, though still reprimanding, tone of voice.

Lavender smiles up at the earth pony before giving her a little shrug.

“Couldn’t sleep… and then I found someone else who was having trouble sleeping and he ended up falling asleep on me.” She explains, shifting her hooves so that Tutti can see the little colt she’s carrying.

Tutti’s expression clouds with sadness when she sees the tear tracks on Flame Shots cheeks.

He hadn’t gotten even a single night’s sleep without having to deal with some form of nightmare since coming to the orphanage.

“I see, I’ll come and let you in then.” Tutti sighs, before offering Lavender a grateful smile and moving to let the mare in through the main entrance.

“Would you mind telling me where Flame Shot usually sleeps? I’ll like to take him to his room myself.” Lavender asks once the three of them are in the receiving chamber of the orphanage.

Tutti raises a brow at that, though her eyes soften when she sees how Lavender tries to hold the sleeping colt out for her to take, only for the little fella to tighten his grip on her hoof and nuzzle closer to her chest.

The two adults exchange helpless looks and Tutti concedes, directing Lavender to a room right under where Flame Shot had been sitting on the roof earlier.

Once she manages to put the sleeping colt into his bed, Lavender pauses when the moonlight seems to sway around her.
It was a rare phenomenon and could mean one of two things.

Either, Princess Luna was teleporting to an area very close by.
Or there were Nightmares lurking nearby.

Knowing that Luna had no reason to be nearby, Lavender lets her worried gaze wander over the suddenly frowning face of the sleeping colt.

Brushing his mane out of his face and cocking her head curiously when her touch seems to calm the young colt, Lavender suddenly remembers something she once learned while studying under Zecora.

Not wasting any time, Lavender uses her magic to pluck a few white strands from her mane and weaves them together to make a dreamcatcher necklace. Imbuing the charm with her magical energy, to keep away the nightmares and call on Luna if ever they were too severe, Lavender smiles at the finished result and ties the necklace loosely around Flame Shot’s neck.

“Sleep well, little one.” She whispers, quietly leaving the room, saying good night to Tutti and teleporting back to her own room in the castle.

So much for having recovered my magical energy by morning.
Lavender thinks, though she can’t bring herself to regret her actions.

She falls into her own bed with a tired sigh, drawing the curtains this time, in the hopes that her attuned body won’t rouse her when the sun rises the next day.

Author's Note:

I'M BACK!

And I am SO sorry for being gone for so long and not updating or changing the story's status!

Without going into too much detail, there was a death in my family and I, sort of, lost touch with my creativity for a while...
BUT, I've FINALLY managed to pull myself out of that funk and keep living my life, so, yay!

and also feel free to comment on the chapter!

Yours,
Aki

Comments

[Midknightshadow]

sorry for your loss. hope it keeps getting better for you.