Delicate Sky
"Auntie Luna, how much longer is it going to take?"
The long-retired princess of the night looks up from her book. Currently, she is sitting in a decently comfortable chair in a waiting room of the Ponyville Hospital, and sitting impatiently in the chair next to her is a young girl, about seven years old. The girl is certainly unique. For one thing, she appears human, much like her father. Barely four feet tall, she sports a head of pink hair cut just shy of her shoulders. A single horn like that of a unicorn's protrudes from her forehead, though it isn't much more than an inch or two long yet. Her bright, curious magenta eyes compliment her hair well. She wears a white dress with gold trim, carefully crafted by Rarity, which has three small holes in the back to accommodate her large wings and her long pink tail. At the moment, she is sitting near the edge of her chair, her feet not quite reaching the floor and instead kicking back and forth in a restless manner. Luna chuckles at the inquisitive girl.
"Have patience, Hope. We cannot rush this."
"But we've been here foreeeeverrrrrrrr!"
"These things take time. You want your new brother to be healthy, don't you?"
"Y-yeah, but..."
Hopeful Skies trails off, knowing that her aunt is right. She glances at the nearby clock on the wall. 3:42 AM. It was about 6:00 PM when her mother, Celestia, was rushed to the hospital courtesy of her nervous father, Anon. It's not like it came as a surprise, especially with how much her parents talked to her about what her mom's pregnancy really meant, but she didn't expect it to take so long. Ten minutes is an ETERNITY for a child, how can they expect her to just wait patiently for NINE HOURS?
With a huff, she rests her head in her hands. There are no other ponies in the room, so there isn't exactly a lot for her to do. That said, in spite of her boredom, she can't quell the excitement building in her chest. After all, she's going to have a brother! She's going to be a big sister!
With nothing else to occupy her, she begins daydreaming for what must be the thousandth time about what it's going to be like to have a brother. She'll teach him everything she knows, from the best spots to make a hideout around town to the proper way to sneakily swipe a few of their mother's beloved sweets without her knowing. Plus, she'll get him to behave when the doctor comes over, like a good big sister should! Heck, maybe the doctor won't have to come as often at all! According to her dad, doctors have to come and perform regular checkups on her since she's the first pony-human hybrid. They still can't figure out how she manages to shapeshift between the two forms, and she doesn't really know how to explain it, either. One day, when she was about two years old and presumably just an "ordinary" alicorn filly, she sneezed. This wouldn't have been a problem if not for the fact that amidst the sneeze, she was quickly shrouded in light, and once said light faded, she was... well, she was a human. One more sneeze later and bam! Back to a little filly. Nowadays she can control it, but she can't really explain how. She just... does it. Actually, now that she thinks about it, she's the only one that can teach her new brother how to do that.
Wait a second!
"Auntie Luna, do you think my brother will like me better as a human or as a pony?"
As if to emphasize her point, her body briefly glows before shrinking and morphing into the shape of a filly. Somewhat short for her age, she has a snow-white coat, a pink mane extremely reminiscent of her human form's hair, and a tail that's a bit too long for her and drags along the floor behind her. Her horn looks like it fits on her head a bit better as a filly, but her wings look a size too large. Her clothes were enchanted to shapeshift with her, and they cover up the fact that she does not yet have her cutie mark. Now even shorter in the chair, she looks up expectantly at Luna with her curious magenta eyes.
"Hmhm, well Hope, I think he'll love you either way. What you should be asking is, how do you want to look when you first meet him?"
"M-me? Well, I... I dunno. I'm... kinda nervous either way."
"Then just do whatever feels natural. And try not to worry about it, okay? It'll be fine, I promise."
Feeling anxious, Hope leans forward and nuzzles into Luna's neck. For her part, Luna wraps a hoof around the filly, returning the hug. She glances at the nearby clock, just as Hope had done moments before. It's a lot quieter now than it was for the past few hours. If Hope's birth was anything to go off of (during which Luna was hardly better than Hope is now, considering how much uncertainty there was surrounding that miracle child), they should be getting some news soon.
As if on cue, a older stallion wearing doctor's apparel and a mask enters the waiting room and looks at the pair.
"Celestia's sister and firstborn, I presume? They are ready whenever you are. You are free to enter, but please try not to make too much noise or crowd around the baby."
Hope leaps out of her chair and takes a few quick steps towards the door before Luna magically halts her in her tracks. Hope turns to look back at Luna, who is struggling to contain her emotions but gives Hope a warm smile regardless.
"Stay calm, Hope. You don't want to surprise him."
"A-alright, auntie."
Now walking side-by-side, the two of them are directed into the sizeable room. Along the way, Hope makes the last minute decision of changing back into her human form. She takes a deep breath as the pair finally enters the room.
Hope's attention is immediately brought towards the center of the room, where a well-made hospital bed holds a very, very run-down-looking Celestia. Her face shows signs of extreme strain, but a tired smile is spread across her face. Her mane has stopped flowing, and is instead frazzled and draped behind her back, the sheer volume of which makes it look almost like a colorful blanket. Held against her chest is a small bundle, within which sleeps a teeny, tiny foal. Hope quickly rushes to the side of the bed, her mouth agape in wonder and excitement.
Meanwhile, Luna observes the scene from afar, allowing Hope to have a moment with her new sibling. She nods silently at the nurse waiting by the door and walks to the far side of the bed, standing next to Anon. While not in nearly as rough of a condition as her sister, he looks like he's been through the wringer, too. Luna briefly recalls Hope's birth. He was an absolute mess then, worried about both his daughter and his wife to the point where he might have had an even rougher time than the mare that was, you know, actually giving birth.
For a few moments, the room is silent. Hope leans in closer, and Celestia shifts ever so slightly to give her a better look. The foal is absolutely adorable. He has a green coat, and although there isn't much there yet, the beginnings of a black mane are starting to sprout from his little head. If she could see his tail, she would be able to confirm that it is the same black shade as his mane. His sleeping eyes are closed, but if he were to open them she would be ecstatic to see his bright green eyes that stand out even more than his coat. What catches her most off guard, however, is his horn and wings. Specifically, the lack thereof. Following Flurry Heart, who was already a teenager when she was born, Hope was the second alicorn baby to be born in Equestria. Of course, with her being half human, there were some who questioned the validity of her "alicorn" status. She was expecting the same to be true for her brother, but he appears to be an earth pony.
"That's him?" She's speaking barely above a whisper, perhaps overcompensating after being asked by the doctor to keep it down.
"Yes, Hope. Meet your new brother, Passing Comet."
"He's... really small."
"Hmhm, yes he is. But, he'll get bigger. Other than your wings, you were even smaller."
"How long will it take for him to get as big as me?"
"Give him a few years, Hope. He's not even a day old yet." Celestia gives her daughter a gentle smile. "You'll need to be a good sister and watch over him until then, okay?"
"Y-yes, mama! I'll be the best sister ever!"
Hope looks at her mother with confidence, her wings suddenly unfolding as if of their own volition. Celestia chuckles and briefly turns to look at her sister, who has now approached her from the other side of the bed.
"He's beautiful, sister."
Luna's voice is barely a mumble. Although she is typically good at retaining her stoicism, Luna has always had a soft spot for children. It's taking everything in her power to keep herself from tearing up.
"He really is, isn't he?"
"He certainly takes after his father." Turning to look at Anon, she notices the slight puffiness in his eyes. He's been crying. He does little but laugh incredulously at her remark, apparently still processing the past few hours. "I must say though, I wasn't expecting an earth pony. Heh, I was starting to think we alicorns couldn't make anything but more alicorns."
With a tired-yet-playful chuckle, Celestia gives her sister a sly grin.
"We?"
"Pfft. I will start a family when I am good and ready, sister."
"Hmhm, I know you will."
Directing her attention back towards Hope, who is at this point putting pretty much all of her weight on the bed and her mother's side, Celestia lifts Passing Comet ever so gently.
"Would you like to hold him?"
"C-can I?"
"Just be careful with him."
Celestia scoots over, allowing Hope to take a seat on the bed next to her. Extremely gingerly, she slowly passes the bundle of joy that is her newborn son to Hope, who carefully and anxiously holds the foal in much the same manner that her mother just was.
He's so cute! As Hope looks down on her newborn brother, a thousand thoughts run through her mind. What is he going to be like when he grows up? Why is he an earth pony? Is he going to be able to turn into a human like she can? Will he be able to run or climb trees as fast as her? When will he start getting bigger? How is he supposed to help her steal some of her mom's cake if he's so small and helpless?
...Helpless.
He isn't just small, he's really, really small. Forget climbing trees, he can't even walk, can he? He has to be held while he sleeps. Heck, compared to her parents, SHE'S small, and she looks like a giant compared to him! What is he going to do? Unlike her, he can't even try to learn how to fly or something, he doesn't have wings! What if doesn't grow up the way he's supposed to? What if he CAN'T shapeshift like she can? What if he doesn't like her? What if he gets hurt? After all, he's so small, and she's the only thing keeping him off of the ground. What if...
What if she dropped him?
Hope's amazement at the prospect of having a baby brother was quickly turning into a wave of anxious and uncertain thoughts. Before those thoughts could get too far, however, the room is filled with the sound of sniffling. Everyone present immediately turns to the newborn, who begins crying. Instinctively, Celestia takes her son back into her embrace, and the nurse approaches once more, politely asking Hope to move a bit out of the way. A few moments and a quick conversation between the nurse and Celestia (that Hope didn't really understand) later, Passing Comet was being carried off by the nurse out of the room. With a heavy, exhausted sigh, Celestia leans back against the headrest of the bed. Hope looks at her with worry.
"I-is everything going to be okay?"
"Yes, Hope, everything is fine."
"Where are they taking him?"
"They're going to take care of him for a little bit. Clean him off, make sure he doesn't get sick, all of that. Don't fret, dear, they know what they're doing."
"...What if something happens to him?"
"I said you don't need to fret, Hope. He's going to be fine."
"But what if he isn't?!"
She raised her voice, her concern obvious to everyone in the room. Celestia looks surprised for a moment before giving her daughter another warm smile.
"That's what he has us for. We're not going to let anything bad happen to him." With extremely weak telekinesis, Celestia turns her daughter's nearly crying face towards her own, locking their matching magenta eyes. "That's what big sisters do, after all."
Hearing a slight chuckle, Hope looks behind her mother, where her aunt seems to be reminiscing about something. Ah, that's right! Her mom is a big sister, too!
Suddenly, everything her parents had told her made sense. They had been talking to her for months about the responsibilities she was going to have as a big sister. How she would need to watch over her brother, help him figure out who he wanted to be and how the world around him works. Most of all, though, she had to remember to show him that he's loved. She didn't really get why they kept saying that, though. Like, of course she's going to love him. He's going to be her brother and her best friend, duh! It isn't until now that she finally begins to understand what those words really meant. She turns around to look at the door the nurse went through before facing the rest of her family once more. Her nearly asleep mother, her currently stressed-looking yet supportive and doting father, and her always-helpful aunt. And, as of today, she can add a very small, very vulnerable foal to that list.
"What a family I have," she thought to herself.
Going forward, her life was about to be very different. And yet, in spite of her anxieties, Hope knew deep down that everything was going to be okay.
And she was going to be the best big sister ever.