The incessant blaring of the alarm clock woke the Lavender mare who occupied the bed that it neighbored. Removing the sheets she shifted to the side of the bed, switching the clock off she stretched and yawned. Examining the room around her she glanced at the stallion laying beside her. He had messy brown hair and a hourglass clock work. She smiled at the sight and kissed his forehead before getting up and walking to the bathroom.
Her routine was simple, brush her teeth, comb her hair, check up on her baby, make breakfast, see what the girls were up too, if needed do some politics. It was a simple life, a simple nice life. Sure in her youth she was the savior of Equestria, the shining example for every citizen to meet. Sure her life was action packed. Sure she fought to save the world more times than she can count. But if she had to pick, between her years of fighting and the peace that she has been feeling, she’d pick the latter.
She spit into the sink after brushing her teeth, and picked up the brush that lay on the sinks side. She hummed a simple tune as she brushed, stopping to closely examine that her hair was growing grey. A grumble escaped her lips, but she finished up and left to see her baby girl.
Down the hallway into the third doorway on the left, she quietly opened the door, so that her baby wouldn't wake. A soothing tune could be heard from the room, this made Twilight smile. Walking inside as carefully and quietly as possible she made her way to the crib that lay dead in the center of the room. The crib was white and had a sun engraved on it, a gift from Twilight’s mentor. The top had a slowly spinning mobile with all five of Twilight’s friends and Twilight herself recreated as small cloth dolls on it. It was a weird feeling, Twilight thought, having merchandise of yourself.
Twilight looked down to the occupancy of the crib and saw her baby girl sleeping delicately. She had blue fur, a blue, red and pink mane and a tiny unicorn horn that always made Twilight giggle. Celestia insisted on hiring wet nurses for her but Twilight would never allow it. No one was going to touch her baby. Jack was her name… Well it actually wasn’t, her real name was Jack O’ Lantern. The terrible name that her husband Time Turner gave her after he was stuck in the waiting room for twenty hours on Nightmare Night. He signed the papers for her name while Twilight was unconscious from the pain of giving birth. Twilight got into a big argument with him that night and they decided to call her Jack instead, even if the records say Jack O’ Lantern on them. If she ever grows up too hate her parents that would be a good starting point.
Twilight caressed her face, which caused the young foal’s eyes to bolt open. Her deep red eyes pierced through the darkness. Welling up she began to cry. Twilight picked her up gently with her magic and gently caressed her, and began to sing.
Who, Who, Who?
Who will talk to me,
Who will answer me,
Who knows why I sing who?
Who knows the reason why
I sing this lullaby,
Who, who, who?
The owls are flying,
I hear them all crying,
Through the trees and the curtains
As they hurry on home.
With my feet on the limb
And my eyes sad and lonely,
I sing who, who, who?
And like that, her baby’s cry had been depressed and rather than wailing she cooed softly and reached to her mother’s face. A soft kiss was put onto Jack’s head and she was magically levitated to Twilight’s back. Twilight pranced into the bathroom and turned the water on, turning it to medium heat. Taking off the diaper that was placed on her daughter’s rump, she levitated the foal into the bath tub. She stepped inside soon after and began to wash her foal down. Scrubbing strawberry shampoo into her and her babies hair. Afterwards she placed her baby on the counter and began to dry her off. Jack just had this smile the whole way through, she was always happy when she was with her mother.
Twilight was in the middle of diapering Jack when the door opened to reveal a very tired Time Turner. He had coffee in his hoof and tired eyes that lit up when he saw Twilight. He made his way over to her and gave her a peck on the neck.
“Start of a normal day, right?” Time Turner said mockingly.
“Start of a nice day you mean.” Twilight countered.
“If you say so. I can take care of Jack today if you want.” He made his way to young Jack who gestured to be picked up. He picked her up by the scruff of her neck and placed her on his back. “You and me all day, what do you think of that?” Jack bounced happily in agreement.
“We can spend it together. You don’t have to-” Twilight’s sentence was cut short and a blaring ringing blared throughout the castle. Twilight covered her ears in response and ran out of the room to see the perpetrator of the foreign sound. Which turned out to be a telephone. A device that had been created two years ago and became widespread, Twilight being a Princess had to have one… Even if she couldn’t really understand how it worked. She picked it up and spoke into it. “Hello?”
On the other end there was a familiar voice, a gruff raspy voice, “Uh- Twilight. It’s Flash. I know it’s been what… 5 years since we’ve seen each other?”
Twilight knew her ex-fiance’s voice in an instant, she gave a sigh and responded with a blunt, “Four.”
“Four. Sorry. I was just asking. If you wanted to… Sunset wanted to ask if you wanted to have dinner together today. You, Time Turner, Sunset and me. I mean… You don’t have too…”
“Uhm… Could you give me a minute to think it over?”
“Uh… Yeah.”
With that Twilight put the phone down and walked over to her husband.
“So…” She said casually to Time Turner, who was playing with pattycakes with Jack.
“So....? So what?”
“Flash asked us if you want to head out and have dinner.”
Time Turner’s face contorted, “Your ex coltfriend?” He scoffed at the idea. “We went to his wedding, isn’t that enough?”
“Turner… Can’t you let that go…”
TIme Turner didn’t want to say it, but he was jealous, Flash Sentry was a barrel chested stallion, with a military record spanning back to when he was a child. He was suave and charming. Time Turner on the other hoof? He thought of himself as a geek at best, he was just some inventor that by some one in a million chance he bumped into his dream girl at a train station one day. And how she put up with his non-stop talking and tangents was beyond him. He was happy with his life, with her, more then happy, it was euphoric. And her old boyfriend has come to woo her back over? He didn’t want to, he opened his mouth in protest but then stared at her sheepish grin. He sighed and replied “Sure.”
She clapped her hooves together and said “Thanks! I’ll call Pinkie to ask her if she can take care of Jack.”
“Jack O’ Lantern!” Time Turner yelled back with a coy smile on his face, watching Twilight pick the phone back up and telling Flash that they could go.
***
When they got there the day had transitioned into the evening, the sun set high in the sky. They sat at their respective seats and each picked up their own menu.
Twilight looked down at herself to see if she looked appropriate for the social occasion, A frilly light blue dress was what she wore, nothing too flashy. It was a friendly gathering after all, she wasn’t trying to pick anyone up. She looked over to the others sitting at the table, Time Turner was dressed in a brown long coat, Flash was dressed in a military uniform with a beret on his head. He grew a bushy mustache last they met, I guess Sunset likes facial hair. And lastly Twilight’s eyes settled on Sunset, the reformed prodigal student of Celestia, who returned seven odd years ago. She was dressed in a fiery red and orange dress lipstick and her hair done up.
A waiter approached from behind, and asked “What would you like to drink?” He held out a notepad magically and awaited their command.
“Water.” Twilight responded.
“Same” Time Turner agreed.
“Vodka.” Flash said bluntly which made Twilight and Time Turner raise their eyebrows confused.
“And Sex on the beach for me.” Sunset said.
The waiter wrote everything down and bowed before departing.
“Drinking this early in the day? You really haven’t changed Flash.” Twilight said with a grimace.
Flash rolled his eyes and put on his best ‘Nightmare moon smile.’ “Anyway… How have you two been. Heard you had a kid.”
Time Turner perked his ears up, “Where’d you hear that?”
Sunset gave an innocent giggle “Are you kidding me? Everywhere, from the newspaper to the TV. The Princess of Friendship had a baby! Dubbed, Jack O’ Lantern!”
Twilight blushed and smiled sheepishly. “The name wasn’t my idea.”
Flash and Sunset burst out laughing, which caused the other two to begin laughing.
“How about you? Any kids of your own?”
Sunset shook her head, “I’m not ready to throw away my life.”
Twilight awkwardly touched her hooves. “It’s not really throwing your life away…”
A laugh slipped out of Flash’s lips as he heard the remark, “Yes because staying home and changing Diapers is such a better life then adventuring and having fun.”
Time Turner and Twilight looked at each other with awkward expressions. They had been enjoying their life with Jack so far, sure she cried sometimes and they always have to be there for her. But there was something nice about spending time with her. Time Turner thought to himself about how the statement was biased and that Flash didn’t know the true joys of parenting. Twilight however… Something deep inside of her began to flicker like a lighter.
Their attention returned when the waiter placed drinks on their table, Twilight quickly passed it around and began to scarf hers down fast.
Time Turner attempted to lighten the mood by saying “What have you two been up too?”
Flash looked too Sunset, “Celestia has made Sunset over her the head ambassador of Equestria. We travel to different nations and talk politics. The usual, me on the other hand I’ve become a bootcamp instructor. Help teach new generations the art of combat. How about you two?”
Time Turner and Twilight just sat there defeated.
Seeing the defeat on their faces Sunset gave a concerned smile and said “Come on, Princess and Prince of Equestria you got to have exciting lives.”
Twilight muttered out, “Nothing… We don’t do anything. Politics here and there… But we mostly stay home and take care of our kid.”
“Oh.”
They finished their meal up in silence and departed with a smile and a wink but nothing else. A defeated Twilight and Time Turner entered their home to see their Pink hair friend playing with their baby. They tried to pay her but she said it was an act of friendship. After that they put Jack to rest and tried to go to bed.
Twilight looked at herself in the mirror as she began to brush her teeth, the pony in the mirror looked foreign. A boring pony who was slowly wasting away, deteriorating into nothingness. Consuming life energy greedily, life energy that could have gone to someone else more qualified. Someone who can leave a burning mark in the world. The pony in the mirror was not Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle was a pony who saved the world. She was the reasons villains held their heads down in Equestria. This new pony wasn’t her. She wasn’t Twilight Sparkle.
Time Turner walked in and pecked Twilight on the neck. “Don’t let what they said to you get to you. Okay?”
Twilight nodded silently, and finished up. Washing her hair she got into bed and turned off the lights. She looked up at the ceiling unable to sleep. She had to do something with her life, she had to live again.