The Twilight Child

by Detectivefish

Winter Start Up

"So..." Midday Eclipse said, to the small purple dragon sitting next to her.
"Yeah."

She began to ponder whether telling Spike the truth about herself was the best idea. Well, maybe not began. She had already had first thoughts, second thoughts, third thoughts and fourth thoughts. She was incredibly certain that it had been a bad move. Then Spike's brow furrowed.
"So" he said, "when you said you never spoke to your 'big brother' at the Sisterhooves Social... you meant me?"

"You were paying attention? I thought you were trying to look at Rarity."
The dragon frowned.

"I was paying attention" he said, pouting for extra measure. Midday laughed, then quickly stopped herself.
"Although this does make sense. Like why you knew about Pinkie Sense, and... everything else."

"Yeah."
"So..." Spike said.

"Do you hate me?" he asked. Midday suddenly felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach.
"What?"

"It's a fair question."
"Why would I hate you? Just because I've never seen you?"

"Well, you made it sound like Future-Spike is avoiding you."
Midday raised a hoof to gently move the ice pack on her head.

"I was speculating. I can't construct an understand of your future self's behaviour if I've never met him."
"... Future-Spike sounds like a jerk."

"It is entirely possible he moved because he just got to be quite big. You are a dragon after all. Ponies only have to worry about hormones when they hit puberty, you have to worry about constantly banging your head off the ceiling." She looked at the concerned look on Spike's face.
"I don't hate him, or you. I save my hate for those who truly deserve it."

"Such as?"
She paused before she answered. "I'll let you know when I find someone."

"So, what's the future like? Apart from you being there and future-me possibly being a jerk" A thought occured to the dragon.
"What's Rarity like?"

"Rarity?" Midday shrugged. "She's like Rarity."
"That's not exactly what I meant" Spike muttered. She gave him a meaningful Look.

"I know what you meant, and I'm not telling you. If I tell you, or even give the vaguest hint, it could affect your every action between now and then, and that would be irresponsible." She frowned.
"Actually, my every action has a damaging effect anyway. Lousy quantum physics."

"So... what should I do then?"
Midday shrugged.

"Just do what you were gonna do anyway. Just be you, that's all that matters."
There was a pause, before she smiled at him.

"You and Rarity, huh?"
"Yeah. I can't believe that she knew."

Midday laughed.
"You'd have to be as blind as Applejack not to notice" she said, rolling her eyes.

"What about Applejack?" Spike asked.
"Nothing" she said hurriedly.

"But, if you're from the future... don't you have any advice?"
"I already told you. Careful, Spike, I'm easily distracted without a headache from nearly being stomped."

A tremendously guilt look flashed across Spike's face. "Sorry about that."
"Well, I hope you've learnt something today Spike: that there are no shortcuts to growing up. From now on the only way for you to reach adulthood will be to grow into it. The way Your Creator intended!"

Spike stared at Midday, and her attempt at looking deadly serious.
"Rarity said she likes me" Spike said.

"She sure did." Dragon and pony smiled.
"What do I do now?" he asked.

"Whatever feels natural. Provided, of course, that doesn't involve setting fire to anypony."
"Yeah, they told me I breathed fire on you." He stared at her, and she could see confusion passing over his face.

"How come... you know?"
"Well, I thought Rarity had fire-proofed the Mare Do Well costume, but... as it turned out, she hadn't. So that required a bit of quick casting. Hurt a lot." She said, calmly. She leaned in and whispered.

"Do you know what the trick is?"
"No."

"The trick, Spike, is not minding that it hurts."
"But... that doesn't make any sense!"

"Says the dragon who went from fifteen stories tall to flank-height because he felt love, to a pony who managed to time-travel by accident." Spike frowned. He considered that and shrugged.
The two sat there. Spike slid off the bed, and walked over to the door to the stairs.

"Well, it was nice talking" he said, slowly. "I think I'm gonna go talk with Rarity."
"Go forth, noble spirit" Midday laughed, doing a small salute. Spike reached the top of the stairs and stopped.

"And Midday?"
"Yeah."

He smiled warmly at her. "Nice to meet you. Big little sister."

*****

Twilight felt something nudging her. She continued on with her work. Something nudged her leg again.
"Twilight!"

She leapt, and when she landed saw Spike staring at her.
"What is it?" she asked.

"I was just thinking... If something changed, if something happened..." Spike looked down at his feet.
"If something happened with me, would you be there to help?"

Twilight stared at Spike, and the earnest look on his face.
"Of course" she said, before turning back to her work.

There was an irritated sigh from Spike.
"That's not what I meant. I was just thinking... because as I get older, I'm going to get bigger, right, and... well..." Twilight turned back to look at Spike.

"Is this about what happened today?" she asked.
"No!" Spike paused, and frowned. "And yes. ... I don't know, actually. I think it's both, I guess."

Twilight knelt down in front of Spike.
"Spike, no matter what happens, no matter what changes, you will always be my number one assistant."

Spike stared straight at her, looking unimpressed.
"Thanks" he said blandly.

"You're welcome" Twilight smiled, before standing back up and returning to her notes.
"And... I think that's it" she said. She carefully rolled up the paper she was working on and lifted it into a saddlebag by the front door.
"Just going to see Rainbow Dash Spike. I'll be back in five minutes."

"Okay." Spike said. He heard a sound of hoofsteps after Twilight was gone. Midday was walking down the stairs, still keeping the bag of ice balanced on her head. She smiled faintly at him, and suddenly Spike felt something, a sudden stirring of something.
"I'm going to see Rarity" he announced.

"I'll be back... later, I guess" he added.

*****

The rest of the day passed without incident, and the rest of the night. Midday watched as the Ponyville weather team flitted about the sky, moving clouds together. Tomorrow morning, she said to herself, was going to be interesting.
She couldn't get to sleep for quite a while, as she tossed and turned she wondered, as she so often did, whether she should have told Spike the truth. She fell asleep before she could determine an answer.

She woke up to somepony violently jostling her.
"Wake up!" A voice said.

She ignored it. The jostling did not stop.
"Wake up! Wake up!" It repeated. She still ignored it. Then she noticed it wasn't Twilight who was asking her to wake up. It was Trixie. She quickly opened her eyes to see Trixie... and the showmare was smiling.

"What?" She asked, cautiously.
The showmare said one word.

"Snow!" she squeaked.
Instantly Midday's horn glowed and she pointed it at Trixie, prepared to blast whatever demon was impersonating her straight to oblivion.

"Who are you and what have you done with Trixie?"
The Trixie-shaped thing squeaked again and rushed downstairs, "Neige! Neige! Neige!"

Midday sat there, wondering what was going on. Was snow really that much of a novelty to Trixie that she acted like a little school-girl when she saw some? Or was Midday just desensitised to it from living in Canterlot, where the snow fell thick and heavy?

'Guess Neigh Orleans doesn't get much snow.' She sighed, though she did smile a bit, and walked downstairs. She found Trixie jumping up and down around the room, as Twilight and Spike stood and watched. Twilight was wearing a scarf, little tiny booties, and a furry stomach-warmer, over a blue-green-and-brown vest, and she had the most truly adorable smile on her face. Spike wasn't wearing anything, and just looked half asleep.
"About time you got up!" Twilight declared when she saw her.

"Huh?"
"Can't have Winter Start Up without my second best assistant!" Twilight smiled.

"I'm your what now?" she asked, as Twilight's horn glowed and she noticed a vest that was a mix of blue, green and light brown floating towards her.
"Ah. Yes. Got it." Midday said. Her mind may have been fully awake but somewhere between thought and action most of the syllables seemed to have gone missing, and she wasn't sure if she had 'got it', or even what 'it' currently was. Then she saw a list float appear in front of Twilight and unfurl.

"What makes you think I'm going to help?" She asked.
"Because everypony else is taking part?"

"Doesn't work, I'm used to being an outsider." Twilight paused, frowned, and then seemed to arrive at a new solution.
"Please?"

'Damn!' Midday fumed to herself.
"Fine" she said, trying to make her reluctance as plain as possible. Twilight grinned and lifted her checklist.

"Okay! Assistant, check. Other assistant, check. Back-up assistant, check. That's the Start Up preparation check-list done." She beamed. She lifted Spike onto her back. Midday noticed Trixie had somehow acquired a hooded jacket in the same purple as her cape, and on top of the hood was... Trixie's hat. Midday rolled her eyes.

She stepped outside onto completely dry ground to see all of Ponyville standing there staring expectantly.
"Okay, is everypony ready?" Twilight smiled.

"Yes!" Several dozen ponies said at once.

Rainbow Dash took to the air.

"Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays."

Midday stared at the sight.
"Tell me you aren't" she said, though she was quite sure what the answer was.
Then Pinkie started.

"We'll keep our tootsies warm at home,
Time off of work to play."

"I'm surprised you can tell the difference."
Then Applejack started.

"Food we've stored so it won't run out,
Cuz' we can't grow nothing in this cold"

"That bit needs some work."
Then came Rarity's turn.

"And even though I love the look,
This Autumn's getting old."

"It hasn't been Autumn for months!" Midday said to herself. Just Twilight, Trixie and Fluttershy left. And it was Twilight's turn.

"The time has come to welcome Winter,
And snow so bright and clean.
Now it's time to say goodbye,
to all that's nice and green."

"You should fire your songwriters."
Trixie piped in, though amazingly her singing was quiet and withdrawn and utterly unlike her.

"How can I help? I'm new you see
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in?
I haven't got a clue!"

There was a slight paused, and Midday could practically feel the giddy anticipation on everypony's lips.

"Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!"
Let's start our holiday cheer!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!"

Whoever wrote the original version of that tune, Midday mused, was an utter genius of a sadist. This was never going to leave her brain, just like it's counterpart.

"'Cuz tomorrow winter's here!"

She watched as everypony got to work, every few seconds stopping to sing that annoyingly catching refrain. She wondered who had changed the lyrics, and whether they had occasionally stopped to laugh their behind off.
She followed Twilight and the alarmingly awkward Trixie around the town, watching as everypony went about their winter-y tasks, sending the birds on their way south, helping animals to their rest,covering every last surface with snow, and as she watched Twilight go down the incredibly long, long, long list she wondered, oh how she wondered, why they'd put this off until the middle of December.

"'Cause tomorrow winter's here!
'Cause tomorrow winter's here!"

Suddenly the singing stopped, the music stopped. Everypony turned to stare at her.
They couldn't. They didn't. They wouldn't be that cruel.

They were still staring.
"No" she said.

They stared at her.
"No" she repeated. They kept staring.

"I've been stared at by experts. You're not going to succeed."
There was a nudge at her knee. She looked down to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders staring at her.

Apple Bloom looking pathetic she could have handled. Sweetie Belle, perhaps. Scootaloo's puppy dog eyes would have caused no small amount of guilt in her, but all three at one? No being in all existance could withstand it.
She caved instantly, and sighed.
"Fine, fine. Don't blame me for this." She began to sing.

"Now we know what we all do
We all have our place.
We help with all our heart,
Tough tasks ahead we face.
But it's the pony way,
we must do our best today!
Do our best today..."

Everypony sang this time.

"Because tomorrow winter's here!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
Let's hear our holiday cheer!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!"

"Because tomorrow winter's here.
Because tomorrow winter's here!
Because tomorrow... winter's here!"

Midday's smile, which she didn't even know she'd had, instantly vanished.
"Right, now I'm going back indoors and cuddling up to a hot water bottle" she said.

"Don't nopony bother me till Hearth's Warming!"
She managed all of three steps before a snowball hit her. She heard somepony giggle behind her. Her tail swished for an instant.

"Right. Okay..." she hissed. She turned around, and quickly began to roll snow together.
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" Pinkie roared.

Seconds later and Ponyville was the sight of a localised snowball war.

Author's Note:

Yeah. I just did that to Winter Wrap Up.
... but the song is already stuck in my head again. Woo.
I was a bit worried about having Trixie be a bit... weird about the snow, but New Orleans gets little snow, so hurrah! Reality contrives to help me in my endeavours once more!

Comments

[Archivist Nightwatch]

ok so I had finally gotten that song out of my head.... now you pull this number thanks alot...

[Dream Seeker]

You got it stuck in my head too! Good thing it's a pretty good song anyway...

[Phoenix Kitten]

...How does this story not have more comments?

anyway...Midday's snark in this was the stuff of legends.

[notapony]

When all else fails send in the tactical nike of cuteness. I loved the CMC's puppy-dog face attack.

[Lunae Lumen]

Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays
We'll keep our hoovsies warm at home
Time off from work to play
We've stocked our pantries full of food
'Cause we can't grow in the cold
And even though I love the look
This Autumn's getting old

It's time to welcome Winter in
With snow so bright and clean
And it's also time to say goodbye
To all that's warm and green
How can I help? I'm new you see
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in with the locals?
I haven't got a clue!

Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
We're starting our holiday cheer!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!

Sending out the southern birds
A Pegasus' job begins
And filling up the empty skies
To bring cold weather in
We kick the clouds
And we start the white snow
When the world turns white
Its frozen beauty will show!

Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
We're starting our holiday cheer!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!

Now we all know what we must do
And we all have our place
We'll help with all of our hearts
Tough task ahead we face
But we will face it all together
Ponies from far and near
All of us belong so we must
Do our best this year,
Do our best this year!

Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
We're starting our holiday cheer!
Winter Start Up! Winter Start Up!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!
'Cause tomorrow Winter's here!

Maybe I'll work out the rest of the verses later.

[TwilightShipper]

You had to make Midday sing. Priceless.

Also: Winter Start-up really. It's stuck in my head.