To Cadence's tired eyes the room appeared to be a water color painting, colors being smudged and stretched out with shapes being blurred and fuzzy. Her hearing was slightly muffled from the strain she had placed on her body and her pink orbs focused solely on the large light above her which appeared to be swinging around, leaving trails of light as a firefly does in the late night air. She felt a soft touch at her side and she turned to see her dear husband, his mane frayed and large, black bags under his eyes from nights of continuous watching, waiting for the moment that had just occurred. She saw a smile on his face as he looked down the bed she lay in with tear-rimmed eyes.
"Shining-" Cadence muttered, her barely audible voice sounding croaky, broken from the loud cries of agony she had been releasing minutes earlier. But as she looked down where her husband was all of her aches and pains disappeared as a glowing feeling came from in her chest, a proud feeling that made her entire body as warm as smoldering coals on a blazing fire. In the arms of a nurse dressed in a white uniform lay her newborn foal, wrapped in a thick and snug blanket. She could hear his cries even with her muffled ears, attempting to sit up only to have Shining gently hold her shoulder to prevent her from moving.
"You need to rest" he said, his voice much clearer as her hearing began to improve "You lost consciousness for a few seconds after the birth"
"It's a boy" the nurse said to Cadence "And he's got a little surprise for his Mommy and Daddy" The nurse grinned widely as she gently handed the bundle to Cadence. She immediately supported the foal as she held him close to her chest, looking into his little blue eyes. His body was the same color as his father's but with a slightly darker shade of white, not being the brilliant snow white that Shining's was but more like a creme shade. His mane was the same structure as her's, different layers of certain colors, but when it came to color he had inherited his father's once more. The three streaks on his head were the same size and sat upon his head in a row of colors, going right to left with dark blue, then light and then the same creme as his body. The colors showed both sides of his heritage and Cadence was happy to see his little, ruffled locks. His small jaw was more of a mixture between both parents with it not being as blocky as Shining's but at the same time not as sleek or thin as her's. Instead she knew his chin, as with the rest of his features, were sharp and defined like cut marble. The foal was a unicorn, this easily spotted by the small horn on his head. Cadence was happy to see that his horn was in a likeness to her own with it being thinner but also sharper. As she analysed him she began to wonder what the special surprise that he was supposed to have was.
"You said something about a surprise?" Shining asked as second before Cadence could open her mouth as if reading his wife's mind.
"Move the blanket and you'll see" the nurse said, noting several things down on a checklist before turning towards the large set of doors "I'll bring the rest of the family in shall I?"
"Yeah" Shining said with a laughing nod, his face beaming as it dawned on him that he was finally a father. Cadence held the child against her chest before beginning to unwind the blue blanket he was wrapped in. As she pressed her hoof against the side of the child to grab the blanket again she felt a small lump push against her hoof. She bit her lip as her excitement began to grow, her heart pounding faster and faster until the blanket dropped away and revealed a small set of wings n the child's body. The couple looked at each other with excited smiles as they watched the feathered limbs flutter weakly as the little colt tried to snuggle closer to his mother. The door opened and Shining's parents, Star Sparkle and Night Light, rushed in with desperate expressions. As the child's grandmother looked at him she began to tear up as Night began to grin happily.
"He's an alicorn" Shining said with an astonished look in his eyes.
"Is he now?" Celestia asked as she walked into the room with Luna and Twilight by her sides "I'm positive the doctor said he wouldn't take after Cadence enough to inherit the alicorn gene"
"He did... but I'm glad he was wrong" Cadence said as she held the colt close to her "I'm so happy he's one of a kind"
"May we see him?" Luna asked as she hurried over to the bedside with a wide grin on her face.
"Sure" Cadence said, holding the baby out to his aunt and allowing Luna to look at him closely. Luna examined the child's features closely, getting close enough for the child to duck his head out and nip her on the nose. She recoiled in shock, placing a hoof over her nose with a set of wide eyes.
"He bit us!" she exclaimed.
"How Aunt Luna?" Cadence asked "He doesn't even have teeth yet" The family began to chuckle, Luna's cheeks turning slightly red as she glared at the child. Seemingly in response he stuck his small tongue out at her, making everypony laugh.
"Such a cheeky little one, definitely takes after his mother" Celestia said with a smile.
"Well I just hope if he takes after anypony in our family" Shining said as he looked at his little sister "He gets the same intelligence that Twilight got, I don't want him to be an idiot like his Dad"
"Shining" Cadence said "Don't put yourself down like that"
"It's true though" Shining shrugged "The only reason I made Captain at my age was because I was exceptionally good at hitting things" Cadence rolled her eyes before the attention of everypony was turned back to the colt as he made a loud yawning noise.
"Well it looks like he's as lazy as Shining already" Star said with a wide smile as she gave her son and daughter in law a hug each "I'm so proud of you two!"
"Thanks Mom" Shining said.
"I am too big brother" Twilight said as she hugged her brother "I guess I'm an auntie now"
"Yup, I hope he likes you" Shining joked "When he learns to speak try not to confuse him with your genius-talk"
"No promises" Twilight chuckled softly.
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Celestia asked.
"Not yet" Cadence said as she looked thoughtfully at her husband "I was thinking of naming him after your grandfather"
"Tiberius?" both Shining and Star asked in surprise.
"I don't know why anypony would want to be named that in this day and age" Star said "No offense dear but I think that Tiberius is an old fashioned name... what if we called him one of these new names like James?" The two men looked at each other for a long second before wild grins broke out on their faces.
"Can we give him the last name Kirk?" Shining asked.
"Don't even think about it" Cadence said dryly, her expression extremely bemused "We are not naming our son after a Star Trek character"
"Damn, it would've made him popular at school" Shining sighed.
"Of course, he would've loved being named James Tiberius Kirk by his dork of a father" Cadence said with a hint of irritation in her voice "Though I still do like the name Tiberius and as long as I'm his mother I am putting that on his birth certificate"
"Jeez, she doesn't hesitate with the stranglehold does she?" Star asked with a surprised look towards his son.
"Nope, she cracks down like an avalanche and if you don't get her what she wants then there is going to be hell on" Shining nodded "I've lost count of how many times I've slept on the couch because I wouldn't let her paint the bedroom red, that argument went on for about a month"
"And I won because you love me" Cadence said with an innocent smile.
"Glad to see you're teaching your son a good moral Cadence" Celestia said "If you don't get what you want; throw a tantrum" Cadence ignored the comment purposely as she went back to thinking about a name.
"Well what about your grandfather Cadence?" Star asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Gosh, I don't think I know my grandfather's name to begin with" Cadence said as she looked at her mother with a questioning gaze.
"My father's name was Drake, but he was a colossal alicorn with a much darker body and mane than your son... I personally do not believe the name would suit him" Celestia said "But it's really up to you"
"I actually like the name Drake" Shining said "A Drake is a cousin of the dragons, fierce and proud creatures... and I think he looks like a proud little prince don't you?"
"I think it would suit him perfectly" Cadence nodded with a decisive smile.
"Drake it is then" Shining grinned "Ooh, this day can't get any better"
"Prince Drake... our little bundle of joy" Cadence said as she kissed the sleeping colt on the cheek, his soft breathing making everypony coo with adoration.
