Author's Note

This story, is NOT a take on Past Sins, written by the brilliant Pen Stroke (I'd never be able to compete!)

No, this is my attempt at an Alternate Universe, which, if it works, I'll be able to bring more stories in.

If you like it, please let me know, if you don't, well, please let me know. If you can think of things to be improved, again, let me know.

All comments are welcomed.

My Little Pony - Edited

The setting is Ponyville’s Library, sometime after Nightmare Night.

Twilight was busy in her laboratory. She’d acquired, somehow, a higher magic book, that, if truth be told, Celestia would banish her to the Everfree Forest, and lock her in a dungeon there. Fore, the book was forbidden knowledge.

The substances required were rare, and combustible. And could probably take out half of Ponyville if mixed wrong. So, she needed peace and quiet.

Spike was packed off to Rarity for the night, seeing as there was a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover happening, it was an easy task.

Some of the ingredients had taken time to acquire. Items like Manticore venom, and the original shards of the elements. This had been very difficult to keep from her friends, she had to use some of the more ‘dubious’ shops in Canterlot to get them, and as for the shards, well, nopony had bothered to clean up the castle. So, getting them was the easy part, removing them, well, that nearly cost her the whole spell.

Now, the time was right. She’d gathered all together, and had studied the spell perfectly, word for word, and glyph for glyph. She knew when to add this, and cast the spell for that. The last time she’d ever studied this hard, was for her final exam at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

Why was she doing this? She’d asked herself for the umpteenth time, and, each time, the reply was ‘It’ll make a nice addition to the library, and Spike always wanted a playmate.’

That was the reason, no doubt about it. No doubt about it, at all. Or was there?

No! No doubts, no hesitation, no forgetting parts of the spell, or when to add an ingredient, or of what proportion. None!

Now, to begin.

It’s so easy to start, it’s just the continuing that requires courage. But, she’d do it. She’d complete this spell. But, what about the outcome? How could she explain that?

‘I’ll work something out, I’ll tell everypony something that’ll be convincing.’, she thought to herself as the spell continued.

Whilst in the process of the spell, she’d started thinking to herself, and, being the powerful unicorn that she was, she’d convinced herself that she could do MORE than two things at a time.

‘Hmmm, so, a pinch of this, no, that’s too much, now, this hoof pass, and that cantrip, oh, it’s ancient canterlotian’, she’d memorized the spell perfectly.

‘BUT, what if I fail? No, I won’t go down that path. I shall succeed, and the Princesses will not banish me. But what if? No!’, she was trying not to work herself up into a frenzy, ‘Now, back to the spell. Oh yes, that part where I have to stir counterclockwise for 5 stirs, then the venom, urgh! That really smells!’

It went on for ages! At least, subjectively, it felt like ages. Still, in the privacy of her mind, she still agonized over the possibility of failure.

‘Surely, Luna will know, there’s enough magic going on here to make the library shine like a beacon, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! She’ll be here with her guards, and drag me off to the deepest, darkest dungeon in Canterlot, I just know it!’, she’d almost convinced herself that this would arise. Still, there was nothing, no sounds, not even Owlowiscious snoring!

‘Still, I WILL SUCCEED! Not because I want to be the most powerful pony around, BUT, because it’ll be a lovely addition to the library.’, she’d convinced herself by this time, ‘Now, for the final cantrip. And, there!’

Expecting something spectacular, there was, nothing. NOT.A.THING!

“Well, that’s a bit of a let down!”, Twilight said as the remnants of the spell dissipated away into the ether, “I thought there’d have been an indication that SOMETHING had happened, anything.”

So, after contemplating the possibility of a failure, she decided to start to clear away all the remaining ingredients, and making sure that the book was safe, she heard something coming from upstairs. Something that, if she was right, meant that she had succeeded, and not failed. Something, that if found out about, she’d be not only punished, but, banished, ‘No! I will not be banished!’, she thought, ‘I have done something that only Starswirl has done.’

Dashing up the stairs, leaving the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the book) to deal with later, she dashed into the main room of the library to make sure that she hadn’t been hearing things, and that it wasn’t just her imagination playing tricks on her.

Now the race was on to find the source of the crying. She was certain that it didn’t sound like a monster, unless, it had decided to injure itself,. No, it was more like a cry of sadness.

What seemed like hours later, she’d found the place where the crying was coming from, which turned out to be the top of the shelving containing, of all things, Entertainment.

Levitating the crying bundle down, she carefully unwrapped it, and, let out a cry of delight, “I’ve done it! I’ve done it!”

Within the bundle was, of all things, a foal. Sobbing with joy, she cradled the new-born, and held it close in her forelegs.

“Well, little one, I’d better get you something to eat, and then we’ll get some sleep.”, she yawned, and levitated the foal onto her back, walked off towards the kitchen.

She’d read up everything she could find on raising a foal, so, within Ponyville, and the surrounding environs, she was probably the most knowledgeable pony in regards the theory of raising foals, but the reality of it would be different. Very different indeed.

If she had to trust any of her friends with helping out, it’d have to be either Rarity, or Applejack. They were the only ones who had younger siblings, although, at a push, Fluttershy could help.

But, at this moment in time, she didn’t want any of them knowing what had just transpired here.

Seeing as Spike was the main one who cooked in the library, Twilight was at a loss at first as to where everything was, but, after a little exploring, she found everything she needed to make a meal for her and the newborn.

“Now, little one, here’s some milk for you.”, she moved to the chair, and levitated the small foal onto her lap, “Don’t drink it too quick, you’ll feel unwell.”, the small foal greedily drunk at the bottle Twilight was holding.

Soon the bottle was empty, and the foal was yawning in Twilights forelegs. Giggling, Twilight gently carried the little, now quietly snoring, pony on her back, and made her way up to her bedroom, “Now, let’s get up tuck in, and we’ll get some sleep, my beautiful, little pony.”

She carefully laid herself down next to the sleeping foal, and, using her magic, moved the blanket over herself. She started to stroke the mane of the little pony next to her, and considered her next move, ‘In the morning, Twilight, in the morning.’

Yawning, she looked carefully at the foal, and noticed sleepily, the coloration, was similar to her own, but with pink, and light purple instead of the rose and violet colors.

‘That’s curious, and her tail is puffy, suitable for platting. Oh, my foal, you are going to be a beauty when you grow up.’, pondering on this, Twilight slid into a pleasant sleep.

The morning sun shone into the bedroom, as if Celestia herself had decreed it to shine on her beloved student. Yawning, Twilight turned over to check on the foal, and was excited to see her soundly asleep, sucking on her hoof. Giggling, she got up, and made her way down to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for herself and the foal, ‘I’ll have to think of a name for you little one.’

The kitchen wasn’t too much of a mess this morning, which caused her to think, she hadn’t tidied up after herself last night,’Oh my Celestia, Spike!’

Lo and behold, in walked a small purple dragon, “Hiya Twi! You sure made a mess of the kitchen last night, and you been drinking milk out of a bottle now?”, he called out.

‘What to do, what to do?’, she silently panicked to herself, “Ah, haha, yeah. Always wanted to know what it’s like!”

“Okay Twi, whatever you say.”, Spike replied, as a wailing emanated from upstairs, “Twilight? What’s making that crying?”

“No time to explain, Spike, just make some warm milk, put it in the bottle, and bring it upstairs.”, she called over her shoulder, “I’ll explain then.”, and galloped up the stairs to her bedroom at the double.

“Easy, my baby, mama's here. She just went to get you some breakfast, shhhhh”, she gently cradled the foal in her forelegs, “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head.”, she softly sang to the foal, ‘I must thank Fluttershy for that song.’

Spike had, by this time, made his way to the bedroom, and looked on in shock to the scene before him, “Twi?”, he called out, with a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Thank you Spike, I’d better explain while she drinks, hey, not too fast little one!”, Twilight waved Spike over to her, “You know I packed you off last night?”, Spike nodded, not daring to speak, “Well, it was for THIS reason. I needed quiet, and some peace. What I was doing, was something, that if the Princesses knew about, I could be not only banished, but, possibly have my magical abilities removed.”

“Surely they wouldn’t!”, Spike replied, but was quickly cut off.

“They would, what I did last night was CREATE life.”, she said, quietly, “It’s a banned, and ancient spell, and, I so wanted a foal, but without going through the pregnancy, and all the other YUCKY parts. I just had to, and well, this is the result, this beautiful little bundle!”

Spike, through all this sat staring at the light blue pony in Twilight’s lap, “She’s beautiful, I’m sure the Princesses wouldn’t do anything against you.”, he didn’t sound too sure of himself.

“Spike, I’m going to have to let Celestia know, but not through a letter, well, not straight away.”, she thought to herself for a while, and the foal giggled at Spike.

The day passed peacefully enough, and, thankfully, it was a slow Saturday, so the passing trade was light. This gave Twilight more time to tend to the little foal, who wouldn't leave her side. This meant that she had to 'borrow' Spike's bed, which he didn't mind one bit.

"Twi?", Spike called out to her.

"Yes Spike?"

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off? I've got everything under control here, I'm sure there's some lesson, or other, that the Princess has asked you to do.", he replied.

"You're the best Spike!", at which he puffed out his chest, "I'll be working in my room, and trying to keep an eye on this little pony.", she nuzzled the sleeping foal, "She's a cutie! Can you bring up something to eat later?"

"Sure thing, Twi!"

"Oh, and you'd better bring some milk for her. I'm sure she'll get hungry later!", she replied over her shoulder, as she walked up the stairs, levitating the sleeping foal, bed and all, in front of her.

"Twilight, you sure have fallen in love with her!", he sighed, "There again, so have I."

Sometime later, Spike was just finishing dusting the shelves, when he heard a shout from upstairs, “Spike, SPIKE!!!!”

“She’s probably run out of ink, or snapped her quill.”, he said to himself, but still trotted up the stairs, “You called?”

“I’ve been thinking about what I should say to the Princess. And, well, I think it’ll be an idea to ask her to come here. But, not tell her the reason.”, she said, “This needs to be handled with care.”

So, with the help of her number one assistant, they managed to compose a letter that covered the bare minimum:

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

I am sorry that I have not completed the tasks that you have sent me for this week, but, I have finished a project, that I think you should see, personally.
I will not explain to you what the project was, it is the outcome that I wish you to see.

I am sorry if this seems very cryptic, but, the outcome of your visit will hold my very future in your hooves.

As ever, your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.’

“Twilight, Sparkle!”, replied Spike.

“Send it!”, Twilight said, and watched as the scroll turned into smoke, and find its own way out of the library, “I just hope that she can come as soon as possible, I don’t think that she’ll leave to too long. I hope she doesn’t leave it too long. Oh my! What if she doesn’t even come? What if she sends Luna? Or just doesn’t bother at all?”

She’d started to work herself into a panic, at which Spike slapped her around the face, “Snap out of it! She’ll be here, and probably sooner than you realize. Remember when you thought you were going to be sent back to Magic Kindergarten? She turned up pretty promptly.”

“You’re right Spike, as usual!”, she gently rubbed his head, “Now, would you be so very kind, and rustle us up some dinner?”

“Hehe, um, it’s 5 in the afternoon!”, he replied, sheepishly, “I’ll get supper ready!”, and made his way down to the kitchen to start preparing the evening meal.

The foal had started to wake up, and the loving look in her eyes made Twilight’s heart melt, “Don’t worry, my little pony, the Princess will love you, as much as Spike, or your mommy does! Yes she does, she loves you with ALL her heart!”

They left the bedroom, and made their way down to the kitchen, where Spike was busy preparing veggie burgers, and hay fries for himself and Twilight, and warm milk for the foal.

“Spike, as usual, you have surpassed yourself!”, Twilight called out as she entered the room.

The meal was eaten in silence, finally, Spike spoke up, he’d had a few things on his mind whilst making the meal, “Twilight?”

She stopped eating suddenly, he only called her that when he was concerned about something, “What is it , Spike?”

“What will we tell everypony else? Or, more precisely, what are you going to tell everypony else?”

Thinking about what he’d said, Twilight replied, “I’ll think of something, especially if, no, when Celestia has seen her. But, apart from that, I’ll tell them the truth. That I created her with a spell. I’m sure they’ll love her as much as us.”

Spike wasn’t too enthralled with that explanation, but didn’t voice his concerns.

Later that evening, they were in the main room, and the library had been closed up for the weekend, when Spike burped out a letter:

‘My Dearest, Most Beloved Twilight,

I am intrigued as to your project, and I hope that it will not be something that I have to banish you for!
I’m only kidding (Luna keeps telling me to lighten up!)

I will be visiting you tomorrow morning, I hope that this will not put you out of your schedule, I know how highly you value them.

As always,

Princess Celestia.’

“Well, that answers my worries.”, Twilight said, “Well, some of them anyhow!”

Twilight and Spike sat in the main room of the library, with the foal asleep on her lap, Spike was getting nervous, and Twilight was stroking the foals mane, trying NOT to panic. She wouldn't panic, for the sake of the little life she held, ‘She won't banish me, she won’t punish me. She can’t! She’ll see her, and fall in love with her. Oh, Celestia, please, please!’

There was a knocking at the door, and Spike got up to open it. In walked Twilight’s mentor and teacher, “Twilight, my most beloved student!”, she spoke, “What is it, that you had to speak to me about with such urgency?”

“Your majesty, please forgive me for not bowing, but, I have something to confess.”, Twilight spoke with a gentleness, and a touch of pain, in her voice, “Last night, I performed a spell, a spell that is banned, I am truly sorry.”

Celestia, sat down, and calmly looked to her pupil, “Please, continue.”

“I...I, created a life!”, she blurted out, “This foal in my lap is the result.”, she then levitated the small bundle over to her teacher.

Celestia accepted the foal, and cradled it, a tear stealing itself out of the corner of her eye, “Twilight! You created a... foal?”, she quietly spoke, “Of all the things that I was expecting, this was not it! Please, forgive me.”

The foal was handed back, carefully, to Twilight, and Celestia stood up.

She stood, stock still for a time. It seemed to Twilight as if her mentor had turned to stone, not knowing the thoughts that were running through her regal mind.

'She had just succeeded in completing one of the most dangerous spells known to ponykind, and of ALL things, she created a foal! BUT, it is still a forbidden spell, one that even Luna and myself would NEVER contemplate casting! BUT, she created a foal! Not a monster to conquer all of Equestria, but a foal! A foal!', she'd gotten herself into a loop with her thinking, 'I will punish her, BUT not in the way she is expecting! The foal needs her!'

“Twilight Sparkle!”, she spoke in a normal voice, “As punishment for performing a life creation spell, which is punishable by expulsion, I hereby pass judgement upon you.”

Twilight, and Spike, were shocked into silence by this decree, “I decree, that you shall from here on, be the lawful guardian of this foal, and must bring her up in the highest tradition of Equestria. If you fail in this undertaking, you SHALL be expelled to the farthest north, beyond the Crystal Empire, where you shall have NO contact for the rest of your life with ANY pony. This I, Celestia Regina, declare.”

It took a few seconds for Twilight to process what had just happened, “Your majesty,”, she began, before being cut off by Celestia.

“Twilight, the spell you used, was banned for a reason. Sombra used it to create his guards, and other creatures. I never, in millennia, ever thought that somepony would create a newborn pony. You have surprised, and delighted, me.”, she leaned forward and gently kissed both the foal, and Twilight, on the forehead, “Have you named her yet?”

“N...no, not yet.”, she replied.

“If I may?”, Twilight nodded, “I, Celestia Regina, doth name her… Eventide. She shall be, forever more, a Sparkle. If there be ANY pony who declares otherwise, I shall deal with them. I will contact your brother and sister-in-law. But, you must let your parents know, and, especially, you must let the element bearers know.”

“I shall, your highness. And, Eventide Sparkle, shall know love, kindness, and all the elements of harmony and friendship. She shall want for nothing.”, she replied with tears rolling down her muzzle.

“Then, I shall take my leave of you. You shall still be my student, and I look forward to teaching your foal in the future. Be at peace Eventide, don’t go keeping your mother up too much!”, she said with a chuckle in her voice, and then departed from the library.

Spike and Twilight were speechless.