A Call to Vespers

Chapters

Prologue: Princess and Pirates
Chapter 1: Dreams
Chapter 2: Parthenogenesis
Chapter 3: Trust
Chapter 4: Sedate

Prologue: Princess and Pirates

“Vesper! Come inside!”

“Aw, Mom! Can't I stay outside just a little longer?”

“No, kiddo. It's bedtime for you!”
My name is Twilight Sparkle. You've probably heard of me. Bearer of the Element of Magic, and all that.

“Momma, can you tell my favorite story?”

“The Little Princess? If you really want to...”

“Yay!”

“'Once upon a time, on an asteroid far away, there lived a little princess...'”
I've been having weird dreams lately. Well, two, really. And at least one of them's been going on a bit longer. I just don't know which.

“'So, just as the pirate meant to push his nemesis off of the plank, Skyward said, "My dear enemy Blackmane, accept the magic of friendship!"'”

“Mooom! That's not how The Pirates of Seapony Island goes!”

“I know, but I thought I'd embellish it a little.”
In one dream, I have a dear, sweet little colt. He's smart, kind, and funny, but a bit weak in magic.

“But I wanna hear it just as it goes! The princess can't befriend the queen, the businesspony, or the tippler. They're supposed to be examples of what not to do!”

“You're right as always, Holly. Tell you what: why don't you read the next part?”

“Sure! 'As the princess traveled on, she came upon a geographer...'”
In the other dream, my child is a filly. A sweet, tender little filly, and almost as powerful in magic as I, but...

“Mom, what's a 'vagabond?'”

“Well, it's someone who travels from place to place. They don't have a home.”

“Do they have a mom like you?”
The genetic data requires a male child. A child who will bear the key to our salvation...

“Of course they do! Everyone has a mother.”

“What about the clones? Do they have a momma?”

“Well, yes. Princess Celestia is their mother.”
One of the dreams is reality. The other is fiction.

“She's not nearly as good a mom as you!”

“Aw, Vesper. You're so sweet. I love you.”

“Love you too, mom.”
So I must wonder. Are we saved, or are we damned?

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, momma.”
I don't know.

“So, the kid's to bed?"

“Yeah, he is.”

“And tonight, you'll...?”

“Yes.”
All I know is, I love them both. No matter which is real.

“Good luck with him, then.”

“Don't be ridiculous, silly. You're there, too.”

“Oh, okay. Enjoy the dream, then.”
And I'll do my best to raise them, to become the best they can be.

“Maybe you're the dream. Thought of that?”

“I can assure you, I'm not a dream.”

“That's what the other Jade says, too.”
Who knows, maybe Holly can save the world too.

“I see. Quite the conundrum.”

“Yes, well, I'm figuring it out one day at a time.”

“Did you talk to Luna today?”
But perhaps this is a bit too far in the story.

“Yes, she told me I have to talk to her every day to stay sane.”

“Celestia really has enough time for you every day?”

“Of course, I'm her faithful student!”
Perhaps I need to go back. Back to when I first learned the truth.

“All right, all right. No need to get defensive.”

“I just haven't known Luna that long. I trust her, more or less, but...”

“She really likes Holly, though, right?”
Back when there was only one reality to worry about.

“Oh yes. When she drops by, they're inseparable.”

“And Luna in the dream loves your dream daughter, right?”

“Yes. It's strange, all the contrasts.”

“Yeah. It's odd.”
So let's go back. It's easy to do in a story. Hard to do in real life. (Trust me, I know.) The magic of narration, I suppose.

“Well, good night, Twilight.”

“Goodnight, Jade. See you there.”

“Haha, yes. See you there.”
Wait, where do I want to start? … Hmm, how about... the letters? Yes, the letters. Let's start there.

Chapter 1: Dreams

A Call to Vespers
an MLP:FiM fanfic by Alicorn Priest
a sequel to “The Grey Factor”by Japko
Chapter 1
Dreams

“I must... disappointment...”
“Don't worry... I will always love you...”
“I'm sorry... irreparable damage...”
“A miracle of science and magic... so proud...”
“Please... Don't be upset...”
“It's gone... hope is lost...”
“I tried... enough? No... if only...”
“You are... even if...”
“Impossible... without a... how...”
“Jade and I... we will stay...”
“Are you willing to pay the price?”

Twilight woke in a cold sweat. She noticed it was still quite late at night. With a single movement, she removed herself from her bed and stared out the window at the waning moon.

It had been two months since she and Professor Jade had discovered the strange truth of the royal guards and their perfect similarity. It was a genetic experiment called Project Orphan, unknown to all save the Princesses and the clones themselves, designed to create a team of super-soldiers that could protect Equestria from an otherworldly threat. And she, Twilight, was perhaps the linchpin of the entire project. She carried a gene known as the Grey Factor, a superlative talent for magic born from the genetic code of a mad wizard-unicorn and key to the plans of the cloning project. However, she herself did not display the gene in a way beneficial to the Princesses. No, it was a talent passed only from mother to son, and someday, her son would be the one whose genes would be the blueprint for the perfect unicorn clones. No other carriers of the Factor were known, and no child could do it but hers. She did not know what that would entail, but she trusted the Princesses.

However, perhaps the worry had been bothering her more than she had thought. She had been so sure that what she had promised to the Princesses was right, but ever since her adventures, she'd been having strange dreams. She could hardly remember anything about them but fragments and hints, but they worried her nonetheless. She had never been one to believe in the power of dreams, but there was something going on in her head that she did not fully understand. Perhaps her subconscious was trying to tell her something. She resolved to talk to a psychologist to see what was the matter. She went back to bed, but, try as she might, she could not return to sleep. It was as though something was keeping her from returning to the land of dreams.

She had been like this before. All she needed was to find something to relax her mind. She went downstairs to find a book, maybe one she hadn't read yet. As she hit the ground floor, her thoughts were suddenly drawn to her desk, where her pen, ink, and parchment lay dutifully waiting. That's it, Twilight thought. I should write a letter to Princess Celestia. I'm sure she can figure out what's wrong. She grabbed a clean sheet of parchment, dipped her quill, and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have been having some strange dreams recently. I have a feeling that this is related to Project Orphan, somehow. I can't say anything about what the dreams are about, but they don't seem to be the natural creations of my thoughts. If you know anything that would be helpful, I would be very appreciative.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

As she was writing, she heard the soft patter of scaly feet coming down the stairs. “What are you doing?” asked Spike. “It's 3 o'clock in the morning!”

“Sorry to wake you up,” said Twilight. “But, while you're awake, could you send this letter for me?”

“Uh, sure, I guess,” Spike replied. He puffed up his chest and released a puff of green flame. The letter vaporized into a magical cloud and whisked itself away to the castle. “Are you coming back to bed then?”

“Not yet, Spike,” Twilight said suddenly. She hadn't considered doing anything else, but the thought had just suddenly jumped into her head. “I also need to write a letter to Professor Jade about what's going on.”

“What exactly is going on?” Spike asked. “You never told me what you got up to with him, anyway.”

Twilight paused. She had wanted to tell Spike about Project Orphan, but she wasn't sure what Celestia or Luna would think about it. He wasn't old enough to understand the science or the ethics of the situation, at any rate. “Just... something's come up from before, and I want to make sure everything's all right.”

“Whatever.” Spike was suddenly interrupted by a letter returning through him. He expelled the fire, bringing forth the letter directly before Twilight's eyes. She caught it with her magic.

“What's this? A response already?” wondered Twilight. She opened the letter.

Faithful Twilight,

My sister is currently abed. However, We would be more than willing to help thee with thine conundrum. We are the Mistress of Dreams, after all, and We have much we can tell thee.

Dreams, such as they are, are the effect of the brain entering the “morpheic state.” Thou hast not read much on this topic, We wager. It is an effect little known to all save ourself. This morpheic state is a greater consciousness, a conjoining with the greater energy of the universe. For most ponies, it effects a peaceful, restful slumber. For some, it causes discontent and worry. But to the rarest of ponies, it can afford them the ability to foresee that which is to come. However, this most commonly occurreth during the period of greatest physical development, that which ponies now call the “teenage years.” Suffice to say, thou hast little worry of this, save if thou beest in a similar period of hormonal change.

Wherefore thou seest strange visions is perhaps beyond Us. As such a talented unicorn as thou art, perhaps thou perceivest echoes of the world's energies. Art thou seeing normal ponies acting out their lives, with neither the bizarre of the implausible nor the vortex of the ever-changing? This chaos in dreams is most common in the dreams of normal ponies. Should this not be so, then thou art seeing a more plenary version of what is. It is a good tiding, not ill! Rest easy, for these visions shall only worry thee if thou sufferest them to do so.

Thy constant servant,

Princess L'argento Luna

Twilight scanned the message. It only barely made sense. Something about dreams being prophetic... sometimes, and otherwise being healthy? Dreams being the activity of the brain in a hyperconscious state? Luna may have been able to modernize her speech, but she was still as formal as ever in writing. Perhaps a doctor nearby would be able to be more helpful. She sighed and turned to the next sheet of paper.

Dear Professor Jade, she wrote. Her quill stopped. What had she wanted to write? She had felt so confident before. She needed to write something... but what? She dipped her quill in the ink and wrote three words and no more.

I need you.

That seemed to appease the buzz in her brain. She set the quill down and put this message in an envelope. She put a stamp on it and prepared for its trip in the morning. With that, she returned to bed, where she slept a dreamless sleep.

“Tell me, when was your last checkup?” This was Dr. Stirrup, the best pony doctor in Ponyville.

“Six months ago,” said Twilight sheepishly.

“You didn't stop by two months ago during that Pony Pox outbreak?”

“Well, no. I was out of town.”

“Hmm,” was all he said. He asked her to stick out her tongue, took her blood pressure, weighed her and measured her. “For this next part, I need you to hold still.”

“Why?”

“I have a special spell I've developed; got my degree for it, actually. It'll give me the 'life signs' of all of the ponies in this room. It'll double check what I've got, but it'll also determine your blood type, your blood sugar level, and your respiratory rate.”

“Ah, sounds useful! Teach it to me sometime?”

“Maybe later,” he said with a chuckle. His horn broke into a bright orange light. However, it quickly fizzled out.

“What's wrong?”

“I don't know,” he responded. “It usually only does that if I've miscounted the number of people in the room. I can usually do up to 50, but--”

“Never mind that. I think I know the problem. Pinkie Pie has this tendency to hide away in the nooks and corners nearby. Can you get her?”

“Sure. Coincidentally, she had an appointment today right about now. Let me go get her.”

Dr. Stirrup left and returned with the bubbly pink mare. “Hey Twilight!” she said. “I'm here to get my teeth whitened!”

“Pinkie, this isn't a dentist's,” Twilight said.

“I know! I'm really here for a vaccine. But every time I get a shot, I go get ice cream, and my favorite flavor is vanilla, so I always get ten scoops of that, and it gets all over my teeth, and they get all white! So rather than thinking of that scary old shot, I like to think of it as getting my teeth whitened!”

“Of course.”

“So, what did you need?”

“Nothing, really. Can you promise not to teleport around or do any of your weird Pinkie Pie stuff?”

“Sure!” she burbled.

“All right, Doctor. Run the spell again,” Twilight said.

He obliged. His horn once again lit up, sparked, and stopped. “I don't understand it,” he said.

“Ooh, ooh, didya count yourself?” Pinkie asked, naïvely helpful.

“Of course I counted myself!”

“Still, maybe you should add one, just in case.”

“If it will get you to be quiet, sure...” said Dr. Stirrup. He lit up his horn. This time, it flashed four times in the air. The flashes lit up the entire room, before being sucked into his eyes. At the end of the spell, he shook his head as if confused.

“What did you see, doctor?” Twilight asked. “Who is the fourth?”

“That's just it,” he said. “There are four of us here: you, me, miss Pie...

“And your child in the womb, miss Sparkle.”

Chapter 2: Parthenogenesis

Chapter 2
Parthenogenesis

“I...I don't understand...” said Twilight, her head suddenly feeling light.

“I can, mother... just once...”

“Whoa! Please, sit down, Miss Sparkle!” the doctor said, beckoning her.

“Is there more... do? No... I'm free...”

“I... I'm sorry,” she replied. She sat down, and felt the visions fade.

“I understand how such sudden news can shake you,” he said. “Can you explain when you would place the conception?”

“Wait, what? I mean...” Twilight babbled.

“I'd tell you myself, but unfortunately, my spell doesn't work quite as well on fetuses. All I know is, you are approximately two months along, your child is healthy, and it is not affecting your overall health too severely. What I mean to ask is, do you have any ideas as to the identity of the father?”

“Just... just stop for a moment and let me think!” she burst out. This couldn't be happening, Twilight thought. It couldn't. It's not scientifically possible...

“I've never so much as, well, you know, Doctor,” she finally said.

“Now, my dear, you don't need to be reluctant to share the truth with me. I'm not going to judge you.”

“What about magic?” asked Pinkie. In the moment, Twilight had almost forgotten about her.

“What about magic?” replied Twilight.

“Could you have magically made a little baby in your tummy?”

“Miss Pie, it's not in her stomach—”

“Don't. Just, don't bother,” Twilight interrupted. “I don't think it's possible, but I don't necessarily know everything about something like this.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for? To the library!”

Along the road home back to the library, Twilight's steps began to slow down. Pinkie, blissfully unaware, continued her merry hopping. There were a thousand thoughts running through her head, some reasonable, others less so. How could I be pregnant? was the first one, followed closely by I'm too young to be a mother! Soon after were the more bizarre thoughts. Perhaps the doctor's spell was wrong. Maybe he predicted a... future child? Or... what if Jade... while I was asleep... no, that isn't like him at all! What if, while we were separated, something happened, and I've repressed it? Does that even happen?

“Twilight!” Pinkie called out, her voice a mere whisper due to distance. “I'll meet you there!”

“Of course, Pinkie! Sorry!” Twilight replied. I suppose I can't change it now, can I? she thought bitterly. She hastened her step to catch up to the bouncing pink mare ahead of her.

When she arrived at the library, the rest of her friends were waiting. “Hello, everyone! What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Well, we heard there was some drama at the hospital,” said Rarity.

“And we wanted to help ya in any way we can!” added Applejack.

Twilight turned to Pinkie, daggers shooting from her eyes. “What did you tell them?” she asked.

“Nothing really,” she said. “I didn't mention the you-know-what, and I made sure they didn't know about that thingy-thing-thing.”

“Thanks, Pinkie, that's very helpful,” said Twilight.

“What she did say,” mentioned Fluttershy, “was that you were looking for books. Which ones did you need?”

Twilight sighed. “Well, since you're here,” she said, “I need books on magical conception and parthenogenesis.”

“Partheno-what now?” asked Applejack.

“I'm not sure what that means myself, but I do get conception...” said Rarity, a strange look getting in her eyes. “You're pregnant!”

“Well, that cat's out of the bag!” cried Pinkie Pie. “Oh, but why was it in a bag in the first place? And did it still have those PJ's Applejack stole?”

“Getting back on track... yes, I am pregnant, apparently. But it's—”

“Ooh, so exciting! I'll have to plan a baby shower! Wait, how far along are you exactly?”

“About two months, but—”

“Was that...? No, it wasn't? Wasn't that when you were out and about with my uncle?! Oh, how scandalous!”

“Rarity, it's not—”

“Oh, does he know about your premarital love foal?”

“No, he doesn't—wait, it's not a love foal!”

“Oh, I shouldn't put it that way. Did you learn the gender?”

“No! Rarity, please! Just calm down for a second and let me explain!”

Rarity stopped mid-gossip. “Why of course, dear. I'm terribly sorry.”

“If you can find me those books, I'll be able to explain much better.”

“Here you go, Twi!” Pinkie chimed. The book fell snugly upon Twilight's snout.

“Ah, thank you,” Twilight said. She levitated the book to an actual reading position. “Let's see here... 'Parthenogenesis: the development of an egg cell without fertilization.' Okay, that's good, but can it occur in equinoids?”

“Birth without fertilization? You mean, without a stallion?”

“That's the gist of it.”

“Impossible! A child being born without a father... how could that be?” said Rarity.

Something Rarity said seemed to stand out. Twilight looked from her book and asked, “What did you just say?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering how something like that could be possible.”

“Well, this book says that some scientists think that, with some genetic finagling, two egg cells could fuse together, one 'fertilizing' the other, so to speak.”

“Ah, I see!” said Rarity. She clearly had little to no idea what Twilight was saying, but she let her continue.

“However, there is one snag.” Twilight turned her head unhappily. “Egg cells can only contain an X chromosome. A child born through parthenogenesis would always be a girl.”

“My dear, I simply don't see how that's a snag,” said Rarity. “If what you say is true, that you never... shall we say... were fertilized, then your child is truly a miracle of science and magic! No matter what gender, you must surely be so proud!”

As Rarity spoke, Twilight suddenly felt extremely light-headed. “Please take the book,” she mumbled, before finally falling over.

“Such a young foal... can it be...”

“Your choice... else can...”

“Quickly... too late... don't...”

“You never... chance...”

“I shouldn't be alive!”

Twilight woke to the sudden stench of smelling salts pressed against her snout. “You all right, sugarcube?” asked AJ, who was currently pressing the noxious mixture to Twilight's nose. “You gave us quite a shock.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she muttered. “I'm fine now.”

“What happened?” asked Fluttershy. “It isn't like you to faint like that.”

“I think it might have something to do with the dreams I've been having recently.”

“Dreams? What kind of dreams?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“...Strange ones,” said Twilight. “Possibly prophetic. I've been in communication with Luna recently, and she says that it might be due to a hormonal imbalance.”

“Which, if you're preggers, makes a heap 'o sense,” Applejack remarked.

Hearing such a straightforward sentence sent Twilight spiraling into self-doubt once more. “Oh, girls, I don't know if I can do this!” she cried out. “I didn't even want to consider this for a few more years! I'm not ready! I don't know anything about raising a foal! I just wanted to run the library, do my experiments, and send my letters to the Princess. This is just too much!”

She fell to the ground sobbing. Rarity fell to her knees and held Twilight tight. “My dear, you don't have to worry. So long as we're here, we'll do our best to help you.”

The rest of the group voiced their assent. Twilight stood up once more, wiping away the tears in her eyes. “Thank you, everypony,” she said. “I'm so glad you're willing to help.”

“Hey, no worries. That's what friends are for!” said Rainbow Dash.

Their happy reunion was suddenly interrupted by a series of swift knocks on the door. “Who is it?” Twilight asked.

“Jade. Open up.”

She swiftly released the door's lock with her magic. Professor Jade nearly broke the door down as he entered. “What's wrong, Twilight? I got your letter and came here as soon as I could.”

“Hello, Uncle. Just fine, thank you,” said Rarity sardonically.

“She's pregnant!” exclaimed Pinkie.

Jade's face instantly cleared itself of all emotion, save for what Twilight recognized as anger boiling deep beneath the surface. “Everyone, out. Now.”

“But--”

“NOW.”

The five ponies left the library, complaining all the while. As soon as the last person had left, he shoved the door closed with his own magic and locked it tightly. “This is bad, Twilight,” he said.

“Bad? I mean, it's not what I wanted right now, but--”

“I can't believe they did this to you!”

“What are you talking about? No one did this to me!”

“Yes, they did! Oh, the nerve!” He began to pace back and forth, his mane sizzling with rage. “I can't believe this. Anyone else to be sacrificed, I could understand. But you? They love you. They value you. I thought they respected your decision to wait.”

“Jade, you're not making any sense. Who is 'they'?”

“The Princesses! Celestia and Luna!”

Chapter 3: Trust

Chapter 3
Trust

“What?! How could you say that?”

“Isn't it obvious?” said Jade. His pacing had stopped, but now he fixed Twilight with a deadly serious stare. “Celestia needed you. You are the key to her century-long operation. And as soon as she realized this, she wanted to begin development immediately. But you put it off!”

“Of course I put it off!” she replied. “I'm hardly old enough to be raising a family.”

“But Celestia isn't,” he said. “She is antsy; she wants results now. So she did... something to you and made you pregnant!”

“Jade, I think you're being ridiculous. You're jumping to conclusions, just like I did with our research two months ago.”

“Yes, and you were right.”

“That's beside the point,” Twilight said. She put a hoof to her forehead. “We need to learn more before we start accusing Celestia of things. Jade, do you know anything more about magical parthenogenesis?”

“A little,” he admitted. “It's extremely rare. It hardly comes up more than once every millennium or so. And even then, it only ever shows up in unicorns, and the most talented and powerful ones at that.”

“So why can't I, a talented and powerful unicorn, just be pregnant, like those ponies of the past?”

“It requires a spark,” he explained. “Sometimes, the unicorn herself did it. But more commonly, some other potent force caused the change necessary for the parthenogenesis to occur. Something like Discord, or the Fire of Friendship, or the magic of an alicorn. Since you knew nothing about this sort of magic, Discord hasn't broken loose from his prison, and I've never heard of the Fire of Friendship being used since the Pre-Equestrian Age, it's apparent that an alicorn must have done this!”

“...That is a pretty good reason,” said Twilight. “Still, I think we should talk with Celestia before we start condemning her for something she may not have done.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Jade. “If we hurry, we can catch the Friendship Express at 11:30!”

“Yes, and we won't arrive until 9:00. By then, Celestia will have already gone to sleep. Or do you think Luna might have done it?”

No, I don't think so. Project Orphan was Celestia’s idea. She began it while Luna was on the moon.” Jade caught himself and added, “And besides, she knew you carried the Grey Factor before Celestia did, but she didn’t act on it. I think we can trust Luna.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you stay the night? We can leave early tomorrow morning and have audience with Princess Celestia in the afternoon.”

“I suppose so.” At the very least, Jade seemed a lot more calm than he had seemed upon his arrival. “Now, did you want me to take the couch, or do you have a guest bed for me?”

“Oh!” Twilight blushed. “I thought you could stay with Rarity, Professor. I didn’t literally mean—”

“Right, of course,” he replied, flustered. “Girls, are you still there?” he asked.

The door opened, and the five mares came inside. “What was so important that you had to interrupt our conversation?” asked Rarity with a huff.

“Something from before. But never mind that,” he added hastily, seeing the look on Rarity's face, “it seems I'll be staying here in Ponyville until tomorrow morning. Would you be willing to let me stay for the night?”

“Of course, uncle,” she said.

"Good. Then why don't we enjoy the rest of today, so we'll be up and ready for the morning?"
***

“Twilight. Twilight. Let's get going.”

“Hmm? What?” Twilight turned away from her books and saw Jade standing there next to her.

“Have you been up all night?” Jade asked unsurely.

“Yeah... had an assignment from the Princess.” At the mention of the Princess, Jade's face soured, but he recovered. “What are you doing here, Jade?”

“We've gotta go. There's a train leaving in... 3 minutes, and we're gonna get it now!”

“Now now?”

“Yes, now now!”

“3:30 AM now?”

“Yes, 3:30 AM now! If we leave now, we'll get there early enough to talk to Celestia before she goes to sleep!”

“When I said 'tomorrow morning,' I didn't mean—”

“No time for that! Let's go!” And with that, Jade grabbed Twilight by the forehoof and sprinted out the door. She caught her step and began to match Jade's insane pace. As they ran, Jade threw back his head and just laughed like a maniac; Twilight couldn't help but join in. She could see the lights going on as they ran past, and ponies were stepping out to complain about the noise. But the two unicorns hardly had a care.

They bounded up to the station, and Jade shouted to the vendor, “Two tickets to Canterlot, please!” He tossed a bag of bits her way, snatched the tickets with his magic, and practically flew onto the train just as it was about to leave.

When they were finally situated, Twilight turned to Jade with a wry look and asked, "So what was that all about?"

"I have no idea," he replied. "But it was way too much fun."

"I agree. I'm sure my neighbors will have a few choice words for me when I get back."

"Eh, what do they know?" He chuckled and eased back into his chair.

"So, Jade, how have you been?" asked Twilight.

"Not too bad. It seems like ever year my students get lazier and lazier. How about you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual things. Fate of the world, Bearers of Harmony, keepers of peace. Oh, and I've been gainnig weight recently, but at least I know where that's coming from." She tried to crack a half-hearted grin.

"Don't joke about that," said Jade, his smile instantly dissipating. "When that pink friend of yours mentioned you were pregnant, I was so concerned for you. I can only imagine how stressed you are right now."

"I am a little, but..." Twilight squirmed in her seat, trying to find the right words. "It's just... why? Why are you so concerned? We've only known each other for, what, two weeks, and that was two months ago. Why do I matter to you?"'

"Well, for a lot of reasons. You're my niece's friend, for one. You're a celebrity, or you should be, anyway." Having said this, Jade suddenly reached forward and grasped Twilight's forehooves with his own. He stared straight into her eyes and said, "But more importantly, we stood against the world together. I saved your life, and you saved mine. I learned over those two weeks how wonderful of a mare you really are, Twilight Sparkle. You mean a lot to me."

Twilight blushed and looked away. She could only respond with a meek, "Thank you, Jade."

"That's why I hate to see you in trouble like this. Celestia and Luna have done wrong to you, Twilight, and I won't let them escape judgment. I want them to pay." With that, he sat back down in his seat, his cold gaze revealing to Twilight his tortured thoughts.

She tried to break the silence, but only got as far as, "Y'know, we really should try to..." before a massive yawn overtook her.

That was apparently enough to get Jade to crack. "Wow, you must be tired. You didn't get any sleep tonight, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I... (yawn) pull all-nighters all the time."

"I'm sure you do, Miss Workaholic, but what with all the stress and shock you've been through, it's no wonder you're wiped out."

"I guess that's true."

"Why don't you take a nap, then? I'll wake you up when we get there."

Twilight muttered, "But then I'll have dreams..." but she could already feel herself getting drowsier. She closed her eyes for just a second, and she was out like a light.

"No idea... who..."

"Why... I... just want..."

"Don't make me..."

"Pain... stabilize her..."

"Twilight. We're here." Twilight awoke to Jade shaking her awake with a hoof. She groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"I slept the whole way?"

"Yup. Welcome back to Canterlot."

"Maybe this time, we can stay outside of caves," Twilight commented.

"No guarantees." He smiled cheekily, and suddenly Twilight realized that Jade reminded her, just a little bit, of her brother.

As they walked together towards the castle, Twilight asked, "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, we're gonna march in there, face down Celesta, and tell her what for!"

"...Then what?"

Jade pondered this a moment. "I'm not sure. Kick her off the throne, maybe?"

"I'm pretty sure that won't happen. And besides, we still don't know for sure that she had anything to do with it."

"Twilight. Project Orphan is far too important for her to--"

"Quiet!" They were suddenly pulled aside by a unicorn guard. "You mustn't talk about Project Orphan in public like that!"

"You know about Project Orphan?" Twilight said, then smacked herself when she realized how stupid that was.

"...Yes, I know about the process that created me," said the guard flatly. "In any case, that's classified information, and you shouldn't be discussing it where anypony could be listening!"

"We apologize," said Jade. "We need to go talk to the princess about it as soon as possible. Something's come up that mustn't be delayed."

"I understand. I'll send a report up to my superiors, then we'll get you to the court posthaste." The guard lit his horn up with magic, but he was noticeably straining as he sent a magical pulse up to the castle.

Jade watched the guard's progress, confused. "I did a study on that spell; it's not terribly difficult. Why are you having so much trouble?"

"Please, sir, I'm trying to concentrate."

Twilight frowned. "Jade, do you remember what Celestia said?" Once the guard was done, Twilight asked, "Sir, what score did you get on your Magical Ability Test?"

The guard stood tall and recited, "87/26, miss. Top of my class."

Jade reeled back in shock. "87/26? I'm not the most powerful unicorn in the world, but I received a 102/55!" He turned to Twilight and asked, "What about you?"

Twilight scuffed her hooves. "Well... my magic is actually so powerful that I... sort of break the scale. My TQ is probably over 200, easy, and on the Endurance Test, I held the weight up so long that they just wrote down 'indefinitely' and left it at that."

"But compared to you or me, these guards are..."

"Yes. They're significantly below average. If the draconequi were to attack right now, we'd be toast."

"Miss Twilight, I resent that remark! We guards may not be magical adepts, but we--"

"Do your absolute best, sir, yes." Twilight gave a smile, and there wasn't an ounce of deception in it. "I don't doubt your service. In fact, given the choice of any other ponies in Canterlot, there's no one I'd rather be around than the Canterlot Guard." She turned to Jade and sighed. "But the Guard is trained for minor scuffles between royalty and the occasional monster foolish enough to attack the capital of Equestria. They aren't ready for a massive army from time and space. We need the Grey Factor, and we need it soon. Perhaps... perhaps I can understand why Celestia did what she did."
***

The rest of the walk to the castle was uneventful. All too soon, they found themselves in front of the door to Celestia's court. Their escort bowed his head and said, "The Princess will see you now."

"So," asked Twilight, "are you ready?"

Jade took a deep breath, then let it go slowly. "I think so," he said.

"Then let's do this."

Twilight opened the ponderous door slowly. The hall seemed to stretch to infinity, and there at the end, in her highback throne, was Princess Celestia. She wore a benificent smile, demure yet powerful, and she stood completely relaxed as the two of them approached. When they had come before them, she said, "Why, hello Twilight! I am so glad to see you. Tell me, what is the occasion?"

Twilight gulped, then began her speech. "Princess, we have significant evidence to believe that you implanted a child into me without my consent, with the intent of continuing Project Orphan. We're here to find out the truth, and to take any action, if need be, against you. I'm sorry it's come to this, Princess."

The princess' smile faded. "I see that this is not a pleasant visit, then, Twilight. Please, begin at the beginning."

"What do we need to say?" said Jade, interrupting. He pushed himself in front of Twilight, then pointed at Celestia accusingly. "It is obvious that you did this! You have motive, you had opportunity, and you're the only one who could have done this!"

"Are you so certain, Professor?" said Celestia. Her eyes glittered with an angry energy, though her voice maintained a calm, if icy, composure. "What do you know? You know Twilight carries a child. That is all. You assume I did so because you assume that she was implanted via magical parthenogenesis, and also assume that I am the only current force capable of doing it. It is not 'obvious,' as you claim, nor can you prove it."

"Twilight herself can prove it! She knows she has never had sex with another pony. Without that, magical parthenogenesis is the only possibility."

"Another possibility is that she does not remember, perhaps due to a magical effect or a mental illness. Or that she does remember, but chooses not to tell you or me out of a sense of pride. Perhaps the child was created magically, but it was not me. Perhaps there is something more complex than you understand going on."

"But the simplest idea with the least amount of assumptions is that--"

"Until you have actual proof, every theory is assumptive. Believe me, Jade, you may have come here to issue justice on me, but I will not be so easily pushed around by your foolish guesses and paranoia." Her gaze softened, and she sighed. "I know I have put you in a difficult position. I have given you classified information about an earth-shattering phenomenon and expected you to be okay with it. Believe me, if I could have had it any other way, I would have. Alas, we must make do with what we have. I beg you, Jade, not to let your suspicions get in the way of your better judgment."

Through all this, Twilight had remained silent. She finally spoke up, saying, "Princess? May I ask you something?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course, my faithful student."

"You would... never lie to me, would you?"

"Never, Twilight. I know that what I say sometimes can be... enigmatic, but I will never outright lie to you."

"Then I ask only this: Did you, or did you not, implant me with this child?"

Celestia did not speak immediately. She appeared to be looking far away, to the end of the room, rather than look at Twilight directly. When she spoke, all she said was, "No." But there was something strange on her face, something utterly unreadable.

Jade asked her, "No, what?"

"No, I did not implant Twilight with that child."

Jade was stunned. "That's not possible... There's no way... you must be lying..." But he didn't sound convinced.

"My word is my law, Jade. I promised Twilight I would not lie to her, but indeed, I do not lie to any of my subjects at all. I did not implant Twilight with that child, and that is true." Jade still seemed uncertain, so Celestia added, "You must trust me, Professor. That is all I can say."

Twilight could hardly look up. "I'm sorry we doubted you, Princess. I am so ashamed that we could have thought such things about you..."

Princess Celestia held up a hoof. "Don't be, Twilight. You did your best with what you knew. I do not doubt you for your course of action." She put on her dignified smile once more. "Now, must you be gone, or can you stay a while?"
***

Though the two of them stayed in Canterlot for a few days, they eventually needed to return home. As they rode on the train back to Ponyville, Jade said to Twilight, "It just doesn't make any sense."

"I know it doesn't, but we must keep faith in the princess."

Jade frowned at this, remarking, "What I don't understand is, if it was the princess, then who? Who put the child in you?"

Twilight fidgeted, then asked the question that had been bouncing around in her head. "Jade, you know I would never think this of you. It's simply ridiculous. But... sometime during the two weeks we stayed in Canterlot... you never... you didn't..."

"I think I know what you're asking," he replied, "and I understand why you might have doubts. Believe me when I say I would never, ever do such a thing. The very idea is abhorrent to me, beyond comprehension."

"How can I know for sure you're telling the truth?" Twilight asked.

"You'll just have to trust me."

"Just like you'll have to trust Princess Celestia?" said Twilight.

"...True," said Jade. "I guess I hadn't thought of that. I suppose, until we find more proof, we'll have to--"

"Jade... let it go." Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder compassionately. "I know you're worried about me, but we can't change things now. I know this isn't... entirely what I wanted, but I'm willing to go from here. Is that all right?"

"I suppose." Jade frowned, and Twilight could see the hint of a tear forming in his eye. "Just... don't let anything happen, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

Author's Note

I'm back!

I am completely ashamed that this took so long to write. This chapter wasn't really well-formed in my brain, so I eventually hit a roadblock which completely stalled me. (Oh, yeah, and I was crazy booked with schoolwork, and I was coming up with more story concepts, and I was reading other, better stories.) But recently, I've gotten a few more people following me, and I'm taking a creative writing class in college, and I've been a bit more proactive with my life, so now, I finally got it done. It's... probably not my best work, but like I said, not a major chapter to me. I'm fairly excited for the next one, which will be called "Sedate."
Which brings me to another topic. I called this section "Shame," in part because of a section which I decided to cut. I wanted to write a part where Twilight was made fun of in gossip for getting pregnant, and she had to overcome her sense of shame. Now that this point is gone, should I change the title? I'm thinking "Trust." What do you think?

Chapter 4: Sedate

Twilight awoke to the gentle beep of the heart monitor nearby her bed. She turned her head and looked at the clock next to her: 6:03 AM. She sighed, then turned away. She'd been here in the hospital for far too long. The days were starting to blur together, and she was falling asleep and waking up without a pattern. To a mare who was usually very careful about her schedule, it was quite aggravating. If only this baby would just be born already, she wouldn't have to stay here much longer!

She closed her eyes only for a second, but when she opened them up again, two hours had passed, and her parents were standing quietly next to her bed. When they saw she had woken up, her mom smiled and asked, "So, how's our little girl?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Thanks for asking."

"No change so far?"

"Nope." Twilight shrugged. "According to the doctors, it should be any day now. The foal will be here soon, I promise."

"I sure hope so!" her dad said. He paced about the room, eventually heading towards the window. "I'm sure you must be sick to death of this darn room by now."

"I'm surviving." She lifted up a set of books that sat comfortingly on her nightstand. "See? I'm catching up on my classics."

"Twilight, you've read all of those at least three times!" her mother said with a sigh.

"I know, but I haven't read them this year. I don't want to forget any important details." She set them back down, the effect of her use of magic suddenly draining her.

Her father noticed it with a frown. "Don't overexert yourself, Twily. If you need to rest, go ahead."

"Resting's just about all I do these days!" Twilight shouted. She recoiled as she felt a spasm in her chest. It hurt like the blazes, but she didn't want her parents to see.

Her mother was far too quick to be deceived, though. "Was that it, Twily? Are you starting to go into labor?"

"We'll go get the doctors right away!"

"Mom, Dad, I'm not--!" But they were already rushing out the door. She shook her head. Her parents were such worrywarts; she was sure that, if she really was beginning to give birth, she'd know it. She hadn't read through every book on foalbirth in the Ponyville Library for nothing. As her parents galloping steps vanished into echoes, another visitor came into her little room: Professor Jade. Twilight remarked, "I didn't know you were coming by."

"Well, I probably would have shown up earlier, but I didn't hear you had been transferred up to Canterlot." He looked about the place, giving it a low whistle. "Nice place. They really do have all the best things up here."

"Supposedly, Celestia had something to do with it," Twilight said. "She wants to make sure I have access to the best doctors in the country to make sure nothing goes wrong."

Jade frowned. "I hope not. You're rather young as it is to be a mother. Celestia's probably right, then. A lot could go wrong, I won't sugarcoat it." He tipped his head, smiling weakly. "How are your dreams?"

"Actually, since I've been in the hospital, they've been tapering off." She tapped the equipment near her. "If I started having weird dreams, I think they'd know."

"Maybe so. I'm glad you're doing all right at least."

"Her Majesty, Princess Celestia!"

Twilight was interrupted of any response as the herald announced Celestia's entrance, with Twilight's parent and a small horde of doctors and nurses in her wake. Jade lowered himself into a formal bow, but Celestia quickly raised him up with a wave. Twilight noticed that Celestia was not adorned with her usual jewelry. Instead, she was wearing a set of scrubs, a head mirror atop her head in place of her tiara. Her flowing mane was tied up into a ponytail, though it still fluttered obstinately within it. Celestia smiled, then said, "Good morning, Twilight. I got some news from your parents, but it looks as though you're all right after all."

"I am, Princess." Twilight hesitated before asking, "There's just one thing... What are you doing here?"

Celestia laughed playfully. "I'm sure you're not used to seeing me like this, are you? Here, Twilight, check my nametag." She magicked it over to Twilight so that she could see it.

"'Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., Esquire?' You're a... doctor, a physician, a dentist, and a lawyer?" Twilight asked skeptically.

"And a princess, don't forget about that one." She winked at Twilight, then added, "I decided that I wouldn't be happy to have just anypony in charge of your foal's birth, so I chose myself as head doctor. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"I've been going over your file -- you never thought I would say that, did you? -- and I think we may need to consider inducing birth. I know you've been here a while, and the last thing we want to do is keep you any longer than necessary."

"Inducing birth?" Twilight's mother asked. "I've never had that. Are you sure it's safe?"

"Quite," Celestia replied. "Twilight is a very special unicorn, but I'm afraid it may start interfering with the child's natural magic if we allow it to stay in her much longer."

"If you say so, Princess. I trust your judgment."

"That's Doctor now, Mrs. Twinkle." Celestia said with a grin. She turned to Twilight again. "Are you ready, then, Twilight?"

"I think so, Prin-- I mean, Doctor." Twilight shook her head. "I still can't believe you're actually a doctor."

"You'd be surprised how much time I have in between holding court and raising the sun," Celestia said. She motioned to a group of nurses, who moved her quickly over to a gurney and headed her out of the room. Celestia added as she followed along, "I hired some extra doctors and nurses to help, so we'll need a bigger room to do this in. Just try to relax until we get there." She picked up the file once more and noted, "Twilight Sparkle headed to room to induce labor. Date is May 23rd, time 08:33 AM."

She did as Celestia told her; the ride was actually fairly comfortable, despite the constant rattling of the cart. The movement and pace made her drowsy, and before long she felt herself drifting in and out of sleep. She felt herself jostled from sleep when Celestia roused her, saying, "We're here, Twilight."

She looked around. They were in a large room, huge even, with only a few lights, leaving most of the chamber in shadow. There were dozens of machines nearby, many of which Twilight was embarrassed to admit did not recognize. The rest of the room was nearly full to the brim with ponies, be they doctors or nurses. Twilight asked Celestia, "Just how many ponies did you say you hired?"

"I didn't," Celestia replied. "I believe the number would be about, 'a lot.'" She giggled, quite unbecoming to a princess (or a doctor, for that matter). "I wanted only the best for my faithful student."

"Well, I'm sure it will be just fine, now."

As Twilight settled down, Celestia gathered the nurses and doctors around her bed. "Is everypony ready?" she asked. There was no trace of humor anymore in her voice.

"Yes, ma'am!" they cried out as one.

"Then let's begin."

***

Twilight felt as though she were on fire. Every nerve seemed to be burning, every part of her rebelling against her. The doctors and nurses were hurrying in and out of the room, frantically trying anything that could help. She didn't fully understand, but something was horribly wrong.

Celestia sat right next to her. Her horn was glowing a brilliant gold, with sparks flying off of it and prominences curving across the edge. Her face bore a frown, and her brow was furrowed; it looked subtle, but Twilight had never seen Celestia exert herself so much magically. Twilight could hardly imagine what her condition would be if Celestia were not applying so much magical aid. Even still, Celestia was working. Twilight watched scalpels, IV's, and other equipment fly by in that golden aura. And among each group, a golden Celestia-shaped image barked out orders and demanded more medicine.

"Bring more salicylic acid!"

"Her heart rate is dropping!"

"Watch her thaumic level; don't let it dip below 22!"

"Quickly, remove the foal! Now, before it's too late!"

"Something's wrong with the uterine wall!"

"Keep her steady, keep her steady!"

Twilight arched her back as another wave of pain overcame her. Celestia's magic forced it to subside as quickly as it could, but there was no way to stop it entirely. She focused on her breathing, making sure she continued to take in breaths, no matter how ragged and uneven. All she wanted was to rest, to escape from this world of fire and storm, but she could not. Not while she had a foal to take care of. Not while Celestia was counting on her.

She felt a heaviness escape her, and knew that it was done. The pain was still intolerable, but she could see one nurse putting the foal into a special crib. From what she remembered, it was designed to help jumpstart the child's breathing and heartbeat, in case it wasn't able to do it by itself. Despite her pain, she was able to relax, if only a bit. She looked over to Celestia, who hadn't moved in the hours that the operation had taken place. She mumbled, "Is it over?"

Celestia didn't move from her position, but she murmured in response, "Unfortunately, not at all, my faithful student. I'm afraid there is still a lot more to do before you are stabilized."

"Will I... will I be all right?" Twilight asked.

"...Perhaps," said Celestia. Twilight meant to ask further, but another spasm of pain flared through her, and it was all she could to keep herself conscious.

The pain began to subside, though slowly. It was a long time before any of the doctors were willing to let her sit up or use her magic. Even after the last stitch had been put in place and the salicylic acid had begun to wear off, her life signs were still dangerously low. Celestia finally stood up, wiped the sweat from her eyes, and walked over to the child. She brought it over to the convalescing Twilight and asked, "Do you want to hold her, Twilight?"

At Twilight's nod, she put the foal into Twilight's forehooves. "A filly..." she murmured.

"Yes."

Twilight looked at her closely. She was small, intensely adorable. Her coat was a deep midnight blue, and her mane and tail reminded her of her own. It was the eyes that Twilight found most intriguing. The foal's eyes were a piercing violet, and even now, they looked at her with an intense curiosity. Twilight whispered, "Holly. Her name is Holly."

"All right." Celestia retrieved the foal from Twilight's arms, then set her on the ground. A nurse came in and walked Holly out of the room. "We've got to get her started on walking soon, or she won't learn properly."

"I understand," Twilight replied. Once everyone had left, Twilight asked, "May we talk about the Grey Factor?"

"Not now, Twilight. Just rest, and I'm sure--"

"Holly doesn't have it," Twilight stated. She looked at Celestia for some sign of emotional response.

"I know. Nor does she carry it."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "How can you know for sure?"

"We've done a blood sample. With your help from before, we've developed some new tests. If Holly ever has children, none of them will have the Grey Factor, not even the colts."

Twilight struggled to make sense of this. "Well, that's no problem. I'm still carrying it, aren't I? I can just have a colt later, an younger brother for Holly, and he'll have it, right?"

Celestia turned and looked away. Twilight looked at her, suddenly afraid. "...Can't I? What aren't you telling me?" Celestia still wouldn't answer or look at her. "Please, tell me! I have to know!"

"I'm sorry, Twilight... I'm so, so sorry. We did everything we could."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm afraid there was irreparable damage to your body. You'll never have children again."

"Then that means..."

"Yes. The Grey Factor is gone. Hope is lost. We are doomed."

***

It was later in the evening. Twilight had explained everything as best as she could to her family and friends. Her five friends from Ponyville had made it up, though when they heard the bad news, they switched from joy to sadness. Rarity remarked, "It's terrible, my dear. And so young!"

"It... It's not a big deal," she said. The stammer in her voice gave away her lie. "As long as I have Holly..."

"I've seen the girl, galloping through the halls," Applejack said. "She's a fine little filly, make no mistake about it."

"I know, but..." She couldn't explain the imminent danger, not to them. She resolved, then and there, to make the most of what she had. If they were going to die, if the draconequi were coming within her lifetime, then she would make the most of her time with Holly. Perhaps there had never been any hope to begin with.

"If there's anything we can do," said Fluttershy, "please, ask us."

"We're here for you, Twilight," Rainbow Dash added. "No matter what."

Twilight dried a tear from her eye. "Thanks, girls. That means a lot. Although I think the worst is behind me, now. The operation was..."

"Horrible. I can imagine."

"Well, as soon as you and Holly are out of here, we're going to throw you a big old party! How's that sound?"

"Thanks, Pinkie," Twilight said. "I knew I could count on you. The truth is, I could really use the joy right about now."

"Then let's not talk about what's done and gone," said Rarity. "Let's just lighten the mood for now."

And so they did. As the evening stretched on, she felt herself slowly exiting the conversation. Her eyelids shut, and as her body relaxed more and more, she contented herself that things could only get better from here. With Professor Jade, her family, and her friends, she could make it through.

***

Her dream was full of pain. She felt as though she were back in the operating room, and the foal was being cut out of her once again. She could hear the disjointed comments of the medical team around as Celestia instructed them from several different points.

"She's in pain! Get her back up to normal now!"

"Her blood pressure's low. Get it back up right away!"

"Watch her thaumic level!"

"Stop the hemorrhaging, STAT!"

"Stabilize her! Don't let her slip!"

"The foal! Cut the cord!"

Twilight could hardly focus. She had been in this position once, but it was even worse the second time, knowing exactly what was going to happen. She could recall each moment with almost perfect clarity: the wracking pain shooting up her spine, the final release of the foal, the slow recovery. The dream was relentless in how strong the details were.

Celestia sat up, but Twilight stopped her. "Please, don't go."

Celestia looked at her, confused. "I was just going to get the foal. I thought you might like to see him."

"Of course I'd like to see her, it's just that..." Twilight slowed, then stopped. "Did you say 'him?'"

"Yes, him. Your child is a colt. You really do need to see him." Celestia smiled, then used her magic to bring the child over to her. She placed the foal carefully in Twilight's forehooves.

The first thing she noticed was that he looked just like a guard. His coat looked nothing like anypony in any of her lineage that she knew of. But she knew immediately why it was so. Gray. His coat was gray.

"He... he..." Twilight stammered.

"Yes, he has the Grey Factor." She paused, then added, "He looks almost exactly like Dawnstrike did, all those years ago. This is the color we've been attempting to reproduce."

"It's not possible...What about Holly?"

"Holly? That's typically a mare's name, but I suppose you know best..."

"No, his name isn't Holly!" Twilight shouted. "In fact, he doesn't exist! I gave birth to a filly named Holly not four hours ago, then you told me I can never have foals again, and now I'm here, and I'm so confused!"

Celestia opened her eyes very wide. "You know about that? I was afraid to tell you; I wasn't sure you were ready."

"Yes, because you JUST TOLD ME!"

"No, I didn't. I haven't mentioned it yet."

"Look, this is too confusing. I just want to go back. Wake me up, Celestia, please!"

"...Wake you up? Twilight, you really are confused. You're not asleep. This is real life."

"No, I'm dreaming right now. Holly's birth was real life, and I'm asleep now."

"Are you sure?"

"...What?"

"I said, are you sure? You did fall asleep on the gurney on the way here. Maybe you dreamed up this whole thing with Holly."

"That doesn't make sense. That was real, and this is dreaming, and..." Suddenly she wasn't so sure anymore. If this was reality, then that was dreaming, and the time before that was real life.

...Come to think of it, when had she been asleep and awake? When she had woken up to see her parents, had that been dream or reality? What about the time before that? She had fallen asleep and woken up so many times in the hospital that now she wasn't sure. All of it had felt so real, so she'd assumed they'd been, but what if some of them were dreams? What if all of them were dreams? What if everything she'd ever experienced was some fiction dreamed up in her head and now she was going to wake up and be right at home in bed with Spike back in the library and none of this ever actually happened and what if--

She felt a slap across her face. Celestia must have noticed she was spiraling. When she looked over, Celestia looked incredibly concerned. "What is going on, Twilight? You looked like you were in trouble somehow."

"There's a lot to take in..." she said.

"I understand. You've had a foal, through a very difficult and sacrificial birth might I add, and now you have to consider the responsibilities on you and on the colt here."

"Vesper," she said.

"Ah, a good name," Celestia said. "From Vespers, one of the Founders of Canterlot?"

"My lineage," Twilight added.

"That's right. I had forgotten." She set the colt down, and he raced out the door. "Oh, before I forget, let me write that down on the file." She pulled a pencil from the air, then wrote down carefully, "Foal, Vesper, born on May 27, time 05:24 PM."

"It's the 23rd, isn't it?" But Twilight caught herself. That was in the dream. Why the dream had purported to start on a different day, she didn't know.

Celestia looked at her. "You really are confused, aren't you? I promise you, this is real life, and today is definitely the 27th."

"All right." She resolved to keep that in mind. No matter what happened, this was definitely real life. She'd had a strange dream, for sure, but it was definitely real life now.

Most of her friends were able to come over, except for Rainbow Dash. Apparently there was a huge storm planned today, and only she could keep it in check. Still, Twilight was glad to have all of her friends nearby. She let herself drift off into peace.

***

"Oh, thank Celestia! Apologies, Your Majesty."

"Not at all."

"Uhhnn..." Twilight woke up to see Celestia and a crowd of other onlookers standing eagerly by her bed. She looked at one, then the other. "Is... is something the matter?"

"Twily..." her father said (he was the one who had sworn to Celestia, she noticed), "You've been in a coma for 3 days."

"We haven't been able to wake you up for anything!" cried Pinkie Pie.

"3 days? Then that means today is the thir-"

"The 27th, I know!" said Pinkie Pie. "Why on Earth would you want to sleep that long?"

"I-I certainly didn't mean to!"

"In my medical opinion," Celestia said, "it was probably some sort of coping mechanism for the trauma you went through during the operation."

"I see..." Twilight shook her head, then asked Celestia, "How is Vesper doing?"

"Vesper? What are you talking about?" As Rarity said this, a blue-and-purple foal came trotting into Twilight's room.

"Holly! So this is..." She pinched herself with a bit of magic. But no, she refused to wake up. Something strange was going on...

"Oh, hey little one!" Applejack said. She hoisted Holly up into the air, making her babble and spit joyfully. "How y'doin', Holly?"

"Silly AJ!" Pinkie said, "Holly's way too young to start talking!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Applejack said with a scowl. "I watched my little sis grow up; I know these things!"

"Please don't start fighting..." Fluttershy said, folding herself into a corner as she did so.

Twilight noted a single pony missing from the group watching her. "Where's Rainbow Dash?" said Twilight.

But the look in Fluttershy's eyes told her that she already knew the answer. "Oh, we're sorry. She wanted to come, but... she had a big storm to work on."