When out for a fly, Princess Twilight find a baby...but...
Twilight has always been an excellent student. Knew everything about any subject. But there was one she didn't really study on. Motherhood. And that is put to the test when she finds a baby Changeling...and has to hide it from her friends, the Princesses, and everypony else!
Note: The contents of this story happen before Starlight Glimmer started her revenge plan on Twilight as well as before Thorax appeared
Cries echoed in the forest as Princess Twilight Sparkle flew overhead. Not one to ignore a pony in need, she swooped down and went to investigate. Trotting through the forest, she followed the source of the sound. To her surprise, it was...a baby Changeling! Twilight stumbles back and fell on her rump, speechless. What was a baby Changeling doing out here? How did it get here? She looked around, thinking it might be a trap, but after some surveying, she could see that it wasn't. This foal...er, larvae was completely alone. Looking at it closely, the larvae was pretty cute. It had a small curved horn and a few small holes on its legs as well as the largest, adorable green eyes. The larvae stopped crying when it sensed twinges of Twilight's adoration and stared at the purple alicorn. The two stared at each other before the baby giggled and let out small cooing sounds. 'I know I shouldn't bring him with me, if anypony finds out, I don't even know what they would say. And if the Princesses found out, Celestia only knows how they'd react! But...I just can't leave him alone out here.' She thought. Unable to resist the adorable creature, despite what it'll grow to become, Twilight picked it up in her magic aura and brought it home to her castle.
***
Back at the castle, Twilight tiptoed around, shushing the baby each time it cooed. But then she remembered that sneaking around wasn't necessary. All of her friends were pretty busy for the next few days. Rarity was in Canterlot at her boutique (with Spike accompanying her), Applejack was in Appleoosa in a competition for the largest apple, Rainbow Dash was away with the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy was off on a trip to see the butterfly migration, and Pinkie Pie was babysitting Pound and Pumpkin while Mr. and Mrs. Cake were away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight took the larvae to the bathroom, carefully removed it from its green, sticky hatch shell, and cleaned it up. It was then she found out the larvae was male and had transparent wings to match his body size. She carefully dried the small holes in his legs as well as his wings and sighed heavily to herself.
"I wonder who left you out there. Even if it was Chrysalis, I doubt she'd be cruel enough to abandon one of her subjects." She said, carefully drying him off. Even if that is the case, why did I bring him back to Ponyville? I can't keep him a secret. Not from my friends or the Princesses. And I don't even have a clue how to care for a baby, much less a Changeling. So what do I do now? She thought, cradling the larvae in her forearms.
The larvae cooed and sucked on her hoof, making Twilight's heart flutter. A strange feeling washed over her, something unfamiliar yet also calming. Looking down at the child in her grasp, she felt...happy...nostalgic even. Seeing her reflection in the baby's large eyes reminded her of her own foalhood and being held by her mother. A sweet and soothing smile set on her face, Twilight shifted to hold the baby in her left wing as she walked to her room. Once there, she grabbed a blanket and extra pillow, setting it on her bed. She knew this would have to do because it would be strange if she went to the furniture store and asked for a baby crib. Everypony knew she didn't have a coltfriend and it would be hard to come up with a plausible excuse as to why she wanted a crib. But the larvae seemed completely satisfied with the pillow as long as he could stay near Twilight.
She gently laid him on the bed and he rolled around, giggling contently.
"You're so cute. So innocent. I don't think I could give you up if you're found." She smiled to herself as she climbed on her bed. "While I will continue to worry about your possible discovery, I should give you a name. I can't just call you Changeling larvae or you forever. So what should I call you? I think it should be appropriate to you." She tapped her chin with her hoof and thought for a little. Coming up with a name for a child, no matter what species, was a little difficult. Soon she gasped and smiled brightly. "Shadow Fang. That'll be your name."
The larvae stared at her for a moment as if to register his new name then smiled, little fangs showing.
"You like your new name?" Twilight picked him up, gaining an excited giggle. "You're so cute, my little Shadow Fang. I wonder what I should do now. I've given you a bath and you seem pretty happy. If my memory serves from what I've seen, you'll need diapers and toys and fo-" Twilight blinked and her thoughts raced. What do Changelings eat after hatching? All that's known about them is that they feed on love. Is that also how it is when they're just born? Looking down at Fang, Twilight saw him staring up at her with curiosity.
"Can't hurt to give it a shot," Twilight mumbled and held him closer. She mustered up a healthy amount of love to feed him.
Feeling the love surround him, Fang was a little startled by the sudden energy. Slowly, his small body absorbed it, and ever so slightly, Fang grew. Surprised, Twilight didn't hesitate to grab a quill and scroll with her magic and scribble down what happened. While she would treasure her newly adopted son, she would also study him as a start to learning more about Changelings and if they can possibly adapt. Fang let out a small yawn and snuggled in the Princess' arms for a nap. Twilight couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched him dream in her arms.
In the few days since Twilight found Fang, there was a lot of data gathered. He grew at a steady rate and was currently almost the same size as a five-year-old colt. She was intrigued at how much she had gathered in such a short time and was more than excited to learn more. Her son, on the other hoof, was pretty curious. His giggles and running hooves echoed through the corridors as he ran around. From time to time he would fly, but he mostly liked to run around. Twilight walked around looking for him.
"Fang? Fang, sweetie. It's time to eat." Twilight called, and the giggling increased. The purple alicorn started teleporting to any and all locations he could and couldn't be. The map room, the tower, one of the many basements, the kitchen, her room, his room, etc. The last place she stopped at was the dining room. There she found him sitting in his chair, his adorable eyes as big as ever.
"Ready for food, mommy." Fang lifted his left hoof, waving.
"I'm glad because today we're going to see how you like...this!" A low hum was heard as Twilight's horn lit up, pulling the cover off a tray of baby carrots, broccoli, and some fruit. Fang's natural instincts of recoil made his face scrunch up.
"I don't wanna. It looks yucky."
"Just one little bite? For mommy? You might like it." Twilight smiled, lightly nuzzling his slick, cool shell.
Fang shook his head. Though after about fifteen minutes of convincing, Fang agreed. As Twilight took notes, she saw him recoil again after trying the carrots and broccoli. Understandable since most fillies and colts this age would react the same way. But when Fang tried the fruit, he liked it. He made sounds of glee from the sweetness. "Mommy, what is this? It's so yummy!" He squeaked, nibbling on a slice of mango.
"That's called fruit, sweetie. What you're eating is called a mango. This is a kiwi, a banana, a strawberry, and an apple." She giggled as she explained what each fruit in the platter was, even more at the excited wonder in Fang's eyes. Twilight scrawled down some more notes before setting the quill and scroll down. When she looked at him again, all of the fruit was cleaned off his plate and his face was a mess of various fruit juices. "Oh my, what'll I do with you?" She smiled and grabbed a napkin to wipe his face.
"Mommy, stop~ I'm not a baby." He pouted adorably.
"That may be true, but you're my baby." She said proudly. "Now it's time for your actual lunch." Twilight held him close, gathering up all of the love she had for her child and Fang absorbed it like a sponge in water. "Was it filling?"
"Yes, mommy. It was sweet like that fruit. Can I have more, please?" He asked, referring to the fruit.
"Of course." She set him down and went to cut up more fruit.
Fang watched her. He looked at her legs and then his own, seeing they weren't the same. There were other differences he noticed like their eyes (as he were now completely emerald green orbs), the fact that he had fangs and she didn't, their body types, and more. Twilight heard the buzzing of wings and looked over, finding herself muzzle to muzzle with Fang, who sat on the counter. Twilight, understandably, let out a startled shriek.
"Fang, you sca-"
"Mommy, why do we look different?" He interrupted, taking Twilight aback.
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"Mommy looks different from me. Your legs don't have holes like mine do...your eyes look different...your coat is soft and warm but mine is cold and hard...you don't have fangs or a funny tongue..." His ears folded back. "Is there something wrong with me?"
Twilight quickly wrapped her arms around him. "Oh no, sweetie. There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all." She sighed. "You look different because you're a-"
"Oh no..." This was all Twilight could mutter in her now panicked state of mind. It had now dawned on her memory that all this time she spent in happiness with her newly adopted son was the time her friends were away. And now they're all back.
Fang watched Twilight panic but was curious about the new voice he heard.
"We have to hide you. Can you change? Are you old enough to? Oh, I don't know!" Twilight's teeth started chattering as she tried thinking up a plan or excuse. Fang thought on what Twilight said and, even though confused, he changed into a grey Pegasus colt with white patches and light emerald eyes. His mane and tail were as black as his carapace shell. Upon hearing the whoosh of Changeling transformation magic, Twilight turned and saw Fang in the facade of a Pegasus colt. Mental note, jot down this new discovery down later. she thought.
"H-How do I look, mommy? Now I look like you." He smiled timidly.
"Oh Fang, you look adorable." She picked him up and hugged him. "I'm surprised you can change already. I thought you might be too young."
"It feels weird, mommy. But you looked really scared for someone to see me and you wanted me to hide. I thought this would make you happy." He said, nuzzling under her chin.
"Oh sweetie...you didn't have to-"
"Twilight, there you are. Didn't you hear me calling?" Spike asked, walking into the kitchen. He noticed the little Pegasus and cocked an eyebrow. "Who's that?"
Twilight looked down to Fang and smiled nervously. "This is...he's...uh...he's-"
"Hi. I'm Emerald Ace. Y-You can call me Ace. Are you Spike? Mommy told me lots about you." Fang timidly poked the crystalline floor as he looked around from Twilight's side. Fang nuzzled Twilight's leg and looked up to her as if asking if he did alright.
Spike and Twilight blinked in a little shock. Spike was the first to speak. "Mommy? Wait huh? Twilight, what's going on?"
"Well...um..I took in a colt. Fa-er Ace is going to be staying with us." Twilight wrapped her wing around him. "So I guess you can say I have a son now."
"Do the Princesses know?" Spike asked.
"Oh no...I haven't gotten to tell them about him. I wanted Ace to get more situated first before letting anypony else know about him." Twilight said honestly.
"Well, soon the others will know about him since they're all in the map room," Spike said. "I came here to get some snacks for us. This is gonna be a huge surprise."
"You all would've found out eventually. I guess now is a good a time as any. So what do you say, Ace? Are you ready to meet the rest of mommy's friends?" Twilight asked. Fang was nervous about his answer but nodded yes anyway. With that, Twilight made her way with Spike and Fang to the map room to introduce her new son to her friends.
"Your son?!" Five voices rang out. The echo of it made Fang hide behind Twilight.
The remaining bearers of the Elements of Harmony were sitting in their respective seats, all with shocked looks on their faces after Twilight explained how she came across the child. Well, except Pinkie who looks shocked and ecstatic. The five mares looked between their friend and the colt hiding behind her.
"Darling..." Rarity began, breaking the silence "I-I believe I speak for everyone when I say we're all happy for you...but..."
"But this is a huge step, Sugar Cube!" Applejack said.
"And don't you think you'll get questioned about it? I mean you don't have a special some pony. And would it even be alright for you to adopt this colt? What if his parents are looking for him?" Rainbow interjected.
"Motherhood is a big responsibility. Do you think you can handle it?" Fluttershy asked.
"I know you're all concerned, girls. But I'm sure I can handle it." Twilight looked back at the child. "I may not be experienced, but I've read up on motherhood for colts his age. He needs me. And I couldn't be happier to have him."
Pinkie Pie bounced over to her side, babbling with delight about her friend becoming a mother, how excited she was, and - of course - having a party to celebrate. A party which Twilight tried to politely decline. But once Pinkie was hyped up, there was no stopping her.
"Oh, nonsense! This little one needs a party to celebrate becoming a Prince! Ya know since you're a Princess and he's your son. So it's a double celebration! It's a 'Congrats-Twilight-For-Became-A-Mom/Ponyville's-First-Prince' party!"
Fang looked at all of the mares in the room and - only a mere hour later - the castle was filled with ponies celebrating and partying. He looked around the room seeing children his "age" running around and laughing together. But he stood under Twilight's wing as he observed them.
"Yeah, we were all stunned that Twilight adopted a kid." Spike was talking with Mrs. Cake. Twilight was standing within earshot and kept looking down to make sure Fang was alright despite all the attention he was getting. She picked up a cup of punch in her magic and took a sip of it...until Spike said, "In fact, we were so shocked, I sent a letter to Princess Celestia about it!"
Twilight spit out her punch upon hearing that. "You did WHAT?!!!!!"
The sound of Twilight's voice echoed in the crowded room, even over the music, making the party stop in its tracks. Every pony stared at Twilight and Spike, who was covering his hears. Fang hid under a nearby table at the sudden outburst.
"Ow! Twilight what was that for? You didn't have to shout." Spike said, rubbing his ears.
"Spike...did you say...you sent a letter to Princess Celestia...about Ace?"
"Well yeah. She deserved to know. What's the big deal?"
Twilight started gasping loudly as her eyes darted around. Her ear twitched erratically as she forced a smile. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all, Spike. Y-You're right. I shouldn't have overreacted like that. Well look at the time, it's time for Ace to get to bed."
"But...it's only 5pm." Rainbow Dash said.
"And we haven't cut the cake yet." Pinkie whined.
"Well I just don't want him to get too overwhelmed. Too much excitement for one day. Now, please excuse us." Twilight scooped Fang up and teleported out of the room, leaving everyone confused.
***
Once in privacy, Twilight set Fang down before pacing back and forth with a worried look on her face while ranting to herself. She only stopped periodically to try calming herself down before finding something else to worry about. "Oh Spike...what have you done?! Telling Princess Celestia couldn't have waited a bit longer?! I mean I know she's my teacher and all and this kind of development for me is totally out of the blue. But what if she finds out he's a Changeling?!"
Fang let down his disguise and sadly watched Twilight fret. He placed a hoof on his chest as his eyes shimmered a bit after letting out a soft groaning sound. This caught Twilight's attention. She went to him quickly. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"I...I don't know, mommy. When I was watching you, my chest started hurting a bit. Is it bad?" He looked up at her sadly and Twilight saw tears forming in his adorably huge eyes.
"I think what you're feeling is worry." Twilight said. "You're worried about me because I'm panicking."
"Is mommy scared?"
"Yes...mommy is very scared. Because if anypony discovers you're a Changeling...they might take you away."
At this, Fang rushed to Twilight's side and hugged her foreleg. "No! I don't wanna be taken from mommy!"
"I won't let anyone take you. I promise." Twilight hugged him tightly, her wings wrapped around him. "I'll protect you."
***
After the party guests cleared out, as well as her friends, Twilight contemplated what to put in a letter of her own to Celestia. She paced for a while before finally resigning herself to telling as much of the truth as she could.
Dear Princess Celestia,
This will sound a bit strange since I don't know exactly what Spike told you in his letter. But the colt I've taken in is...is...
Twilight sighed frustrated and crumpled the letter in her magic before tossing the scroll. "There's no way to sugar coat this without potentially telling the truth. I can't keep the truth hidden forever...but how will a meeting with the Princesses go...if they discover the truth?" She mumbled to herself as she stared out the window.
A puff of green smoke solidified into a letter in front of Celestia in the middle of recess from Day Court. Taking the letter in her golden aura, she opened it and read it.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I have some great news! Twilight has adopted a colt named Ace. I guess he'd be considered a young prince since Twilight is a princess and all. So when it's your earliest convenience, you and Princess Luna should come to see him. He looks like a shy little guy but also well behaved too. So I'm pretty sure you'd like him.
Spike
"Well, this is quite the joyous surprise. My faithful student has taken on the role of motherhood." Celestia smiled to herself. She quickly penned a response to Spike informing him that she and Luna would come the next night after Luna raises the moon. She sent the letter and promptly returned to the meeting as it resumed.
***
Twilight was in the library with Fang, teaching him basic education a foal about his age should know. She wanted to get him caught up on the learning curb although she was still deciding to send him to school. She was in the middle of teaching him math when Spike came, prompting Fang to assume his disguise.
"Twilight, I brought snacks."
"Thanks, Spike. They look delicious. And we could use a break." Twilight said and noticed the scroll on the tray as well. "What's that?"
"A letter from Princess Celestia. She said she and Princess Luna will come tomorrow to meet Ace." Spike said, setting the stay on the table. Twilight’s eye nervously twitched at this. She still had nervous reservations about the princesses coming and meeting her (Changeling) son.
“Oh...ok...d-does it say when?” She asks.
“After Princess Luna raises the moon. So what are you doing?”
“Mommy is teaching me something called math...but it’s kinda hard,” Fang said as he nibbles on some mango slices. “She keeps using big words.”
Spike looked at Twilight with a quirked brow. “Trying to teach quantum mechanics to a kid again?”
“Nooooooo.” She looked around nervously. “Maybe?” Her eyes fell back on Spike, who’s arms were now folded. “It’s a force of habit! Don’t judge me!” She whined. Spike shook his head.
“Let me help out. He’s a kid so he needs the basics. Learn to crawl before he can walk and all that. I’ll even ask Miss Cheerilee to help. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the new student.”
Spike went off to the Ponyville school for some materials. Once he was gone, Fang dropped his disguise and continues his nibbling. Twilight sat next to him, pouring herself some tea and taking a moment to clear her head.
“Is mama scared again?”
“I am, Fang. A bit.” She wraps her wing around him. “But I have a feeling everything will be ok.”
He nuzzled her side and smiled as he snacked on the fruit and Twilight’s love. Twilight has never had her love forcefully fed on before by a Changeling, but she imagined it was an uncomfortably painful feeling. But she knew it would be a feeling she’d never have to experience since Fang would never do it. But she also knew she would have to answer the questions he asked the other day. No time like the present.
Taking a deep breath, Twilight held him a little tighter. “Sweetie...do you remember when you asked me the other day...about why we’re so different?” Fang nodded. “Well...the reason we’re so different is because I’m a pony. And you’re a Changeling. Changelings feed off of love. You aren’t like the Changelings I’ve met, they have been quite vicious. They’ve done bad things. But you’re not like them and you never will be because I will never let that happen.” She nuzzles him.
“Is that why I can change into a normal pony too?” He asked.
“That’s right. Because Changelings have magic that can help them transform.”
"Did they hurt mommy?"
"They almost did. But mommy was brave and your aunties and uncle Spike helped fight them off."
"Will I turn out to be bad too?" Fang's eyes shimmered with tears and Twilight hugged him tights in her hooves and wings.
"Of course not. You could never be bad, Fang. Because I love you" Twilight smiled. "And I know you'll always be your kind and sweet self."
Fang nuzzled his face into Twilight's soft coat and smiled. "I love you, mommy."
