> Celestia's Twilight > by Foals Errand > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Twilight's first word > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a rare opportunity when Celestia was able to spend any significant time with her niece. Usually the foal was in the care of a trusted adoptive family. Celestia gazed into the crib where the purple unicorn foal fitfully slept. She ran a gentle hoof through her short mane. What luck, just as the ponies of Equestria have decided they no longer need a princess to guide them, Twilight’s adoptive parents were unable to care for her. In all honesty, Celestia had been legally exiled from Equestria. Celestia glanced at her back with a soft sigh, still not used to seeing a bare back. Princess Celestia may have been exiled, but the unicorn mare, Breaking Dawn, and her infant daughter, Twilight were quite welcome in their Canterlot... well, former Canterlot apartment. Celestia sat on her haunches beside the crib as she read over her manuscript again, checking it for errors. She was starting her new job in the morning, assuming that herd of unicorns was actually able to raise the sun. “You know, Twilight, this vacation is kind of nice. Granted, I did not enjoy being dragged before a judge and labeled as a tyrant, mind you, but being here and having you…” Celestia took a deep breath. “Your mommy will return to us, Twilight. I’m certain of it, it’s just a matter of our patience. However, until then, we have each other.” Celestia turned to look at the crib to see two big purple eyes staring at her. Celestia beamed, “Well hello there, Twilight! Just like your mommy, I see; more at ease during the night, not that I find that surprising.” She wrapped Twilight in her golden aura, lifting her out of her crib and settling her into her forelegs. “I bet you’d like a nice bottle of milk, hmm?” Twilight fussed the smallest bit at the mention of a bottle and Celestia nuzzled her while grabbing a pre-made bottle from the fridge. She tapped into the power of the sun for a split second to warm the milk. She waited, her ears twitching. If they had sensed the touch she’d be arrested on the spot. She had to be very careful. After a full minute she released the breath she didn’t notice she was holding. Twilight wasn’t sure what was taking her baba so long to reach her mouth. She let out a small cry, reminding the white mare holding her who was in charge. Baba, now, mine. She glimpsed a look of fear in the mare’s eyes, but it vanished quickly. A smile had quickly replaced the frightened look. Twilight began suckling the nipple that was put to her lips. Mmm, that was better. Celestia barely held back a laugh. “My you are an impatient little thing, aren’t you, Princess Twilight?” She kissed the foal right under her horn. “We have to be careful right now, Twilight. This… takeover, it will fail soon. Until then, you and I must have the patience only a pony who does not fear death can achieve.” Celestia watched her niece gulp down the bottle’s contents before lifting her to her shoulder and patting her back. The foal let out a large belch and Celestia laughed, unable to hold it back. “You always make me happy, Twilight, just like your mommy did…” Celestia trailed off, setting the foal on the floor to crawl around. Celestia turned to the television that was built into the wall. It had come with the apartment, not that that was unusual; technology like that was springing up all over Equestria. Celestia glanced towards the laptop that was in sleep mode on her desk. She had to admit, it was all very addicting. She picked up the remote from where it sat on the small table and aimed it, turning on the television. She flipped through the channels, searching for a news program that might be on so late at night. She knew it was unlikely, but there was always… Ah, there's one. “In our final story for the night, we go to correspondent Starfield for the results of the first election primary. Starfield?” A mare with a dark blue coat appeared smiling at the camera. “Thanks, Rainy Skies. I’m here in the city formally known as Canterlot as a long day of speeches are wrapping up.” Footage from earlier in the day showed three stallions giving speeches to a packed auditorium. “The unicorn candidate Brass Bell seems to be leading in the polls, but we won’t count out his opponents Blustery Winds, of the pegasi ticket, or Paper Thin, of the earth pony tribe.” Celestia tuned the rest of the report out as she watched Twilight chew on a block. “It’s happening again, Twilight. The ponies are starting to return to the old ways; every tribe for themselves. One tribe to rule all. I guess it is true, those ponies who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.” She shut off the television. “Wondrous advances in technology or not; this is not the way for ponies to live. They call me a tyrant, yet they mean to allow one stallion to control Equestria. Whether they vote him in or not, a pony of a single race can never rule Equestria, there will be too much discontentment. That’s why Luna and I were chosen to become alicorns.” Celestia smiled at Twilight, who was staring at her while gnawing the squeaky block. “I do appreciate you listening to me ramble.” Celestia lifted Twilight on to her back. “Come on, it’s late enough. Most of the lights should be out by now.” Celestia trotted outside onto their balcony and took a deep breath of the air. It seemed clear but she could feel the discontent in her bones. It was only a matter of time, and time was something Celestia had plenty of. She lay on her back, settling Twilight onto her barrel. “See that, Twilight? All of that beauty was designed by your mommy, she’s such a wonderful artist… M-maybe if I had told her that more often she’d be here laying next to us. She’d cheer me up and we’d plan how best to handle the crisis that is coming. She’d tell me not to worry and fuss over her. I’d swat at her and remind her I was the older sister and she’d laugh.” Celestia didn’t realize she’d started crying until she felt the softness of Twilight’s tiny tongue on her cheek. “Mo-Mommy,” Twilight babbled out. Celestia felt her heart break. No, T-Twilight isn’t calling me Mommy, is she? No, no, no, no! I’m so sorry Luna, I’ve tried so hard to tell her all about you! I don’t deserve to be called Mommy! You deserve that honor, and only you! “No-” Celestia stopped as she looked towards the direction Twilight was looking. She was staring into the night sky, looking at the moon which hung low. The outline of Luna’s profile was unobscured. Twilight lifted her forelegs towards the moon as if to be picked up. “Mommy!” Celestia felt a tear run down her cheek as she began to smile. “Yes Twilight, that’s right.” Someday Twilight’s mommy would be able to pick her up and cuddle her in her forehooves, but for now Celestia was honored to do the job for her. “And Mommy loves you so much, Twilight.” Celestia encouraged the foal to lay down, and together they lay under Luna’s masterpiece. Several minutes later, Celestia felt Twilight’s respirations soften and smiled. She carried her sleeping niece back inside, tucking her back into her crib. She kissed her cheek, then approached her computer. She had a book to finish. > Twilight's Surge > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia, or as she was now known, Breaking Dawn, stared at the coffee maker. Her chin rested on the kitchen table as she prayed desperately to any deity which might be listening. Please let me get some coffee into my system. She glanced down the hall towards their shared bedroom, where her niece was still thankfully fitfully asleep. "Ugh, if I had to pick just one thing I miss about being Princess Celestia, It'd have to be having a cup of coffee waiting for me once I rose the sun." She continued to stare as the precious liquid slowly dripped into the pot. Buck it, that's enough for a cup Quickly, she poured what was in her pot into her awaiting mug adding cream and sugar before replacing the coffee pot. She frowned at the drip of coffee on her white counters but found herself unable to really care enough to clean it up. "Meh…" She switched on the TV as she sipped her coffee more polls from the upcoming election; it honestly appeared as if it would come down to a few votes. Celestia dreaded what she knew was yet to come yet could not devise a way to protect Equestria from the coming storms. "W-wah!" Right on schedule Celestia thought to herself as Twilight's cries filtered out from the baby monitor. She took another large gulp of coffee before heading back to the single bedroom to see Twilight sat up, wailing her forelegs stretching to be lifted up. "Yes, yes, Twilight. Auntie Tia is here. Hush now, my sweet filly." Celestia gently levitated her close enough to nuzzle her cheek before she made a nasty face. "Oof, I still wonder if I got all the nightmare out of you. There is no way a normal little filly could produce such an odor." Twilight giggled as she booped her Aunt's muzzle sighing in relief as she was changed into a new diaper. As she suckled on her hoof, she reached for her dolly with her other hoof cooing as the toy magically flew into her forelegs "Gah!" "That's right, Twilight, that's your Smarty Pants, huh? And you'll be a Smarty Pants too! Just like your Mommy!" Celestia shook her head in remembrance of her brilliant baby sister. She was, however, drawn out of the memory by the sound of an Ursa Major's growling. She blinked as she heard it again before she laughed. "Well, it seems both of our tummies are demanding breakfast, aren't they?" Celestia cooed to Twilight, who licked her lips at the mention of breakfast. Celestia just stared in shock at the mess Twilight had made from just a single jar of baby food. Twilight was happily licking the applesauce off her hooves, making happy burbles. Celestia simply shook her head and levitated a wet washcloth towards Twilight to clean her face. She was not, however, expecting Twilight's magic to surge, sending the table straight up. "Uh! Uh!" Twilight howled while Celestia was forced to hold her face still with magic and wash her face with her hooves. After much ear-blasting cries from Twilight, the chore was finally done. Celestia had finally sighed in relief before the doorbell rang Oh no…. Immediately, Celestia's mind went to the worst-case scenario. Somehow, they had been tracked down by the court of Unicorns had taken back over the sun and moon. They must have felt Twilight's magic flare! Subconsciously, she grabbed a broom in her magic as she slowly walked to the front door before slowly opening it. Depending on how many unicorns are here, I know I can hit at least five horns giving Twilight and myself time to ru— A single unicorn stood at the door wearing a tasteful suit. He smiled pleasantly at the silver mare. "Morning, Ma'am, we just got an alert that your infant had a pretty radical flare of magic. Sometimes this can happen when a mother or her foal are just stressed." He glanced around the mare to see the mess of the apartment that the little one's flare had caused. "Er, yes… my apologies Twilight and I just moved out on our own. I uh didn't mean to activate any alerts…." "It's not a problem. I'll just make sure to mark the fact that your apartment houses a strong magical foal. Actually, the reason I'm here is to offer the help of our Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. They'll put everything back to normal and clean up while you and the foal go for a nice walk." Celestia hesitated probably a few seconds longer than the normal mare would before finally nodding her assent. They'll likely place bugs around the apartment, but jokes on them, I'll be able to use them to spy on them, not the other way around. "Yes, that would be wonderful! It's so totally hard to care for such a super-powered filly!" Celestia groaned to herself Of course, my disguise makes me look young. Someday I'm going to have to tell Luna about this, and she's going to laugh her tail off at me. "Great! The Squad will be here in five minutes. Might want to grab a jacket; it's a bit chilly out." With that, the soft-voiced unicorn turned and headed down the hall. Celestia watched for a few more seconds before releasing a held breath and closing the door. "Alright, Twilight, let's go to the park so the silly unicorns can try to bug our apartment." She smiled as Twilight burbled in contentment as Celestia levitated her into her stroller Smarty Pants still held to her chest. > Meeting A Friend? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia settled onto a bench with a sigh of relief. Well, we got through our first scare, luckily everypony has forgotten what Luna’s magic feels like. She chuckled and looked into Twilight’s stroller to see her very attentive niece watching the older foals running around and playing on the climbing gym. “New around here aren’t you?”  Celestia looked up to see a blue unicorn with a stroller of her own. “Oh uh, yeah I just moved in with my daughter. This is Twilight Sparkle and I’m Breaking Dawn.” She glanced at her phone and winced, “Of course, now I’m going to be late…” “Hello, Breaking Dawn I’m Moon Lily, and late for what might I ask?” Moon Lily smiled as she sat beside a hopeful new friend.  “Oh! Uh, my new job as a barista. I’m supposed to be there in thirty minutes and…” Celestia’s eyes widened as she face hooved “And, I completely forgot that I needed to find a sitter for Twilight. I am not cut up for this!” “Let me guess, Twilight’s Dad split and your family is just gone?” Moon Lily asked gently of the panicked unicorn. “Yeah, you could say it’s something like that. I have a sister but she's not in the country right now.” And won’t be back for a few more centuries at least…  “Well, you are in luck! I actually watch foals in my home and I have an opening for a filly!” Moon Lily smiled at Breaking Dawn who was looking at her as if she were an angel or something. “No kidding here is my card. I can watch Twilight for free today and when you pick her up we can discuss a schedule and pricing. Is there anything I need to know?” “I…” Celestia took the card and looked it over. Moon Lily actually lived in her apartment building the floor under hers. Luna, is this… could you have? “Thank you! I- you saved us! Um, she isn’t crazy about cheese and has fairly strong surges. My shift will be over at four. Thank you so so much!” Celestia leans over and kisses Twilight “Be a good filly I love you!” Moon Lily watched as Breaking Dawn raced towards the nearby coffee shop “What an odd mare.” She grinned as she lifted Twilight from her stroller, settling her along with her son “I am certain we will be great friends!” She turned to the two foals “Twilight Sparkle this is my son Cloudy Days. Cloudy, this is Twilight, play nice.” Cloudy cocked his head at the new pony before he smiled Hi do you like playing in the sandbox? When I’m allowed, giants are weird they always act like it's beneath me. I dunno that's why I prefer being with the white giant. Cloudy handed a shovel to Twilight curious. The white giant isn’t your Mommy? Twilight shook her head as she began to dig into the sandbox. Oh no she's called an Auntie I believe. No, no my Mommy is the moon. Cloudy wrinkled his muzzle then shrugged. Moon Lily looked up from her phone and smiled as the two babbled to each other in foal speak. “So adorable.” She returned to the news article she was reading. “Oh for Sun’s sake…” They exile the Princess and now they are upset that they can’t find her? What do they even want her for? They were pretty adamant they didn’t need her anymore. Sure destroyed my life plans… She chuckled Maybe they need her to come back and read them the big words She shook her head and set her phone down. If only I could find her, I wish I could help her… I was to be one of her guards after all