There was this little song that played shakily as the train made its way to Canterlot through gears and smoke. It was a song that made a young Twilight smile and that told her the truth down in the ominous crystal caves. Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake…clap your hooves and do a little shake. She learned that tune from her old foal sitter and now sister-in-law Cadence. It kept looping like an mp3 as she stared out the window at the passing hills and trees beneath the pale blue sky with fluffed tufts of clouds. Soon, she wouldn't be the only one in Cadence's life to know that song.
"Twilight, Hey, Twilight," Spike shouted in her face, tapping her shoulder with his dull claw, "You still here?"
"Yeah, you've been out of it since you got the message this morning." Rainbow Dash said.
The Pegasus was right. When Twilight dragged herself out of bed, thinking she was going to be visiting Fluttershy to help remove a boulder from in front of a rabbit den, Spike regurgitated a scroll in a puff of green flame as he attempted to say "good morning". On it was a message from her older brother, Shining Armor, that Cadance was having their baby right that minute. And in that same minute, Twilight informed all her friends, discarded any plans she'd made for the day, and hopped aboard the next train to Canterlot.
Most of her friends that sat in the booth with her were half awake, yawning with heavy eyelids. Twilight, however, was full of energy, jittery in her seat, staring out the window with a glazed look. The tune played over and over again.
"Sorry guys," she said with as much confidence she could carry in her low tired voice, "It's just…just…I'm gonna be an aunt. Do you guys even know what that means?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged and Spike fell asleep in seconds. Rarity however, pushed the baby dragon to the side of the seat, and sat down with Twilight, stroking her frizzy purple mane with her hoof.
"There there dear, calm down. I felt the exact way when Sweetie Bell was born. I couldn't sleep, eat, sew, nothing! All that was on my mind was 'There's going to be a little me joining the family!'" She spoke like a young mother to Twilight, which put her even more on edge.
"No, for pony's sake, Rarity, you missed the point. I went through that whole thing when I found out. But I rarely see my brother and Cadence as it is. I'll never get the chance to be a good aunt. Oh, and right now, Cadance must be in so much pain. Why couldn't I have come sooner to help out?" Twilight had no idea the entire train could hear her.
Pinkie Pie couldn't help but giggle. "Look at you. You're even worse than Mr. Cake was!"
"Not helping, Pinkie!" Twilight gritted her teeth and scowled at her.
Pinkie cowered over in her seat and squeaked "sorry". It probably would've been heard if not for Spike's monstrous snore; not something you'd expect from a baby dragon.
"Would you like me to get you a drink?" Fluttershy asked, hoping to be heard over the snoring, "That always seems to help."
Twilight just sighed loudly and turned to the window, tapping her hoof against the glass.
"Uh…Twilight," Applejack shut her mouth, realizing that the unicorn didn't want to be bothered anymore. Instead, everypony was quiet, Spike kept snoring, and Twilight stared out the window, the same song playing through her head. Sunshine, sunshine…
Shining Armor, who was waiting for the group at the train station, appeared relatively calm and dauntless, with only a few loose strands in his mane and no bags under his eyes. Yet these seemingly normal blue eyes couldn't focus on anypony and he stood a little too strait like he had a brace on his back.
On a whim, Twilight ran up and embraced him, crushing the breath out of him. Her friends made an attempt to catch up but carrying a weary dragon can slow you down.
"Whoa there, Twily, I need some space!" He gasped.
"Oh please, please, please, tell me Cadence is okay! Is the baby here yet? Dear Celestia, I've been a mess all morning!" As she spoke, Twilight gazed at him with her large bloodshot eyes and ground her teeth to the roots.
Shaking his head, Shining Armor put a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, you need to slow down; take a break. Dang, this is my wife and child we're talking about and my sister's more nervous than me!"
That remark made Twilight fume. "Never mind me!" She took a breather, playing the song again. Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. "How's Cadence? I wanna see if she's okay."
"Everything's fine. We've still got a couple of hours to go."
Twilight still shuddered as she imagined waiting forever in a crowded room with no end in sight. All the while, Cadence is going through her own personal hell as she braces the pain.
"Y'know," Shining Armor saw the dazed look on his sister's face, "If you're so worried, we can let you see her."
"Really," Twilight grinned at the offer, "Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I know…" She backed away two steps, keeping eyesight on her brother. "But what if she's, I dunno, not fine. We may get there and something devastating could've happened."
"Like I said, you need to relax. Princess Celestia's put her niece in the best of hands. Just let me worry about things for you."
"Yeah, you heard him, Twilight," Rainbow Dash interrupted, "If you don't stop worrying you'll never get to see Cadence."
"Eh herm," Applejack nudged Dash, who rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Oh, sorry," she said, "I'm sure she'll be a 'okay."
The Pegasus proceeded to lead everybody into the chariots outside. Twilight gulped and went in stride.
"C'mon Twilight. It's time for yah to become an aunt." Applejack assured her.
Sunshine, sunshine…remember that Twilight!
But making her way through the empty spaces of white, tile, blood, and rubbing alcohol, and finally seeing Cadence, the sunshine started to fade. The alicorn was a wreck of sheets and IV wires. Her mane was pinned back in barrettes, tangles, and knots and the pinks and purples felt like someone threw a paintbrush in it at certain angles, rather than the smooth flow Twilight remembered.
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine…
Cadence attempted to sit up, weighed down by her ridiculously swollen stomach. She smiled weakly as she collapsed back onto her hip. "Twilight,"
Twilight winced as she saw her in this state.
"Twilight, it's all right." Cadence said dryly, "Alicorns just require a lot more medical attention than other ponies."
She seemed years older, with dark sagging eyes with smudged eyeliner, sore limbs, and overall less energy. To think that before there was this beautiful, vivid, pony that spread love wherever she went. In this case, she is spreading love, not matter how painful it is to anyone.
"Twily," Shining Armor turned to his sister as he stood by his wife, "You can say hi if you want."
Yeah, c'mon Twilight. Think happy thoughts; sunshine, sunshine! You're gonna be an aunt soon. And Cadence may be a little beat up but it's all good.
Step by step, the unicorn made her way to her brother's side. Closing her eyes, tears budding, she embraced her sister-in-law's shoulders with all her strength. She let the song play over and over and over again, letting her qualms be whisked away.
"Ngh,"
Twilight sprung away as Cadence cowered over in her bed, ground her teeth, shaking, with Shining Armor clutching her hoof in his.
"Uh," the unicorn glanced at the door and then back at the couple, "I should go."
"Wait, Twily!"
Not even her BBBFF could keep her from fleeing the room and back into the waiting room, where her friends were waiting for her.
The pale blue walls were an escape from the oppressive whiteness, as were the potted plants on the end tables. Spike was awake but not fully aware of what was going on. He leaned against the wooden arm of a chair, clicking his foot against it as he tried to understand the concepts presented to him in "The Canterlot Enquirer". Everyone else, however, knew what those familiar hoof clops down the hall meant.
Rarity peaked over the pages of her magazine, "Oh my goodness, your back."
"You feel any better?" Fluttershy asked, looking at Twilight with big puppy dog eyes as she was flew high, fumbled with the leaves of the plastic shrub hanging from the ceiling.
"Yeah, we thought you'd faint in there!" Dash smirked, trying to add some more light into the already cluttered conversation. Well, that's what it was to Twilight, at least.
Pinkie nodded with enough force to break her spine, "Oh yes we did! That would've been so incredibly terribly awful! Then I would've had to drag you down to get some coffee like I did with Mr. Cake when Pound and Pumpkin were born! I swear I grew muscles. And…"
"Anyways," Applejack cut in, "We just wanna be sure yah feel better after seein' Cadence for a bit."
Twilight tapped her hoof against the tile, looking down as she tried to come up with an answer.
Was Cadence okay? Was she okay after seeing her? Maybe seeing her niece or nephew will make things better. It's supposed to, isn't it? But, before it happens, will she make it through? Will the baby? After all her studies about everything available in her library, she knew it was possible. It was possible even though she herself didn't want to think so. Sighing, she gave the best answer she could.
"E-everything's f-fine,"
"So, are yah gonna go back?" Applejack asked, "Y'know…to see the birth?"
To see it, Twilight pondered. Then I'll see that things can go both ways and that nobody can do anything about no matter how smart or experienced they are. It's not Cadence's fault she has to be the first alicorn in thousands of years to carry a child.
"I-I dunno," She turned to the winding white corridors behind her, "I think I'm just gonna go and, uh, get a drink and, uh, maybe then I'll decide."
She fled through the hallways until she came to the first room that wasn't completely white—off-white, really—and slunk down in a chair. Sunshine, sunshine…ladybugs awake. In the name of Celestia, I'm losing it!
All Twilight could see now was the Cadence presented to her today. What made her go through with this? So many risks, Shining Armor and I could lose family. I can't go back in there. I just can't.
There was a Styrofoam cup next to her. By now she didn't care whose it was, where it came from or what was in it. It had to be water. It's the calmest drink in all of Equestria from the Pegasus' weather.
Happy thoughts, Twilight! Happy thoughts! You're gonna be Auntie Twily from now on! Happy thoughts! Water was the only thing that would help. So, setting the rim against her lip, Twilight tipped the cup, let the clear flat liquid go down.
"There you are my student."
A tall, elegant, alicorn with bronze hooves and a mane that flew like a cape, green, blue, and pink stood next to Twilight. Her crown rested firmly on her head, the sun embedded on it was as bright as the one in the sky.
"Oh my," Twilight spit out the drink in her mouth, "Princess Celestia, I thought you'd be with Cadence."
"I was. But when they told me you run out, I went to find you and bring you back." As she spoke, her calm demeanor seemed almost deathly to the mere unicorn.
She was always calm; royalty should be, Twilight perceived. Celestia, however, was literally always calm. Because of this, Twilight usually had to turn to her eyes to find any sense of emotion. Now, those deep pink eyes glinted gold, a soft gold. There was no hard edge to them. They were rounded and soft like clouds at dusk. Not threatening in the slightest. Still, that eerie voice of the princess, loud and prominent, stung Twilight greatly in her current state.
Twilight rolled her eyes towards the hanging plant on the wall and back. "Tell them to leave me alone. I don't wanna be there when something goes to hell."
Celestia sat down next to her student and draped an enormous wing around her shoulder. "Everything's perfectly fine. The doctors are grateful they were able to deal with an alicorn."
"That's what everyone's been telling me. But something can happen. What if she's dying right now?" Twilight sniffed and buried her face in her hoof. The cup fell on the ground and spilled.
"You know, I brought someone here with me who I think you should talk to, if that's okay with you."
"Huh?" Twilight looked up. She'd been so caught up in her worries that she didn't realize there was someone else here, sitting on his own by the receptionist's desk. He was a buff regal unicorn with pale white fur, a dull golden mane, and sparkling blue eyes. The gold and metallic cutie mark on his flank gave away his identity.
"Oh," Twilight sneered, "You're that snobby unicorn from the gala. What was your name again? Bluebeard?"
"It's Blueblood you mangy excuse of a unicorn! Now go do me a favor and…"
Celestia leapt from her chair and covered Blueblood's mouth with her wing. "I greatly apologize for that, Twilight. My nephew is, as you said, very protective of his status and well being."
He was released, his aunt's discipline leaving him with a shortage of breath. He fanned the hazy view away from him and adjusted his eyes. "Since when did were we even acquaintances? I don't even know your name."
"Hm, let's see, you were a complete ass to my good friend Rarity when you guys hung out at last year's gala. Does that ring a bell?"
Celestia groaned, ignoring this childish argument. "Blueblood," she motioned him to the vacant seat next to her student, "This my student, Twilight Sparkle. She's the younger sister of Shining Armor, our loyal captain of the guard, that's in a hospital room waiting out the birth of his and his wife's child. Your niece or nephew."
"Ah yeah, your that little filly my sister used to look after. I've heard about you plenty."
"Wait…what?" Twilight leaned in closer to Blueblood, staring at him with blank wide eyes. Since when did Cadence have a brother? "But, but, you're not an alicorn! You weren't at the wedding."
"Heh heh, she gets it from our dad," Blueblood, for the first time in years, smiled about something other than himself. It was genuine and lit up the dreary space.
"Yes, he was an alicorn. We don't like to talk about him though," Celestia said, sadly, "It's complicated."
In that instant, the white unicorn grimaced then lost expression in seconds. His lip quivered as if he were about to cry. "She hates me. She tried to give me affection and I pushed her away."
Gee, where have I heard this before? Twilight burrowed her eyebrows at him as he spoke.
"Right before my father left us he sent us to live with our aunts—or aunt at the time. I'd never been in such an expansive kingdom before. It was the heart of Equestria. Unfortunately I became so caught up in being the prince of the land that I completely neglected my sister.
"She was still very young, hardly even speaking, when we came here. I had no idea she'd grow into this lonely troublesome little girl who wanted to make use of her love. She needed her brother more than ever and I completely ignored her. Then one day she tried using her spell on me to no avail. Soon after she began foal sitting for you and before I knew it she was in love with one of the guard's trainees. In all that time we never spoke. I felt horrible."
Twilight eased herself as he continued on. There was no way this was the same stuck up self-centered brat of a prince Rarity told her about. He spoke on the verge of crying, clicking his back hooves together against the tile like she did during long study sessions.
"Aunt Celestia forced me to come here. They probably won't even let me see my sister. I bet that kid's gonna be completely spoiled by her love. It'll be everything she wanted in me. Gad, I just wanna see her once, apologize and congratulate her, all that kind of stuff. You, Twilight Sparkle, are one lucky unicorn."
Celestia handed him a little silver key chain with a heart of stained glass carved into the front. He pressed it against his heart with enough pressure to leave a dent. He gave it to his sister-in-law, open face up, showing an aging picture of filly Cadence with her mane tied back in a white bow and with the biggest smile possible, though with a tad overbite. From the pained look on Blueblood's face, this was the only thing he had left of his sister.
My big brother best friend forever. I get it now. Twilight got up and quickly embraced Blueblood. He became dizzy and sunk in his seat like someone yanked his spine right out. It was like he wasn't even of royal blood.
"I'm still mad at you for treating my friend like crap." Twilight grunted.
"Fine, fine, I'll apologize to uh…Rare…Rare something, something now."
"It's Rarity! Do you want to see your sister or not?"
Blueblood wound up hitting his head on the back of his chair. "Oh alright, once Caddy gives birth come get me and I'll do whatever you want."
Nobody called her Caddy, Twilight thought, her brother really does love her enough to give her a pet name.
"You got it, sir! Just stay with Princess Celestia and I'll get you once it takes its first breath."
She ran back through the hallways and into the room she fled before, where Cadence lay on the bed, with Shining Armor holding her hand. By now, all three of them looked like they'd been up for days in a matter of half an hour. This was only the beginning of the long grueling hours leading up to the arrival.
Twilight became an aunt at exactly 2 AM the next morning when her nephew's air waves were clear and he gave a hallowed cry. Placed on his mother's chest in a muddled bloody towel, Cadence petted his short muffled mane and stub of a horn, kissing her husband, tears in her eyes. Shining Armor, so tired and jittery you'd think he drank coffee and aged up a couple of years, was then given the opportunity to hold his son for the first time, pressing the colt against his cheek. He motioned his sister forward.
"You're an aunt." He whispered.
The baby was forced into her arms, causing her to sink into the chair across from Cadence's bed. Then he started crying again, only to be stopped by the hug from his aunt. Twilight soon found herself smothering the little colt in kisses on a whim. Everyone was perfectly healthy even with all the complications. It was worth it all for this. Sunshine…Sunshine…Ladybugs awake!
There was a new alicorn in Equestria; the only male. Only a few minutes old and he was flapping the tiny wings, the same white as his horn and coat. His mane was a shock of off white, a royal blue, and smooth purple. It was when he opened his eyes that Twilight remembered what she had to do. The colt stared up at his aunt with icy blue eyes. Blueblood's eyes.
"Well, what d'you think of little Sabien, Twilight?" Shining Armor asked.
Twilight snapped back into focus. "Who,"
"We named him Sabien. His mom came up with it." He turned to his wife, who was lying down on a bunch of pillows.
She sighed, her eyes circling the room. "He…he was my twin brother who died as a baby. I feel it'd be best for him to fully understand his routes. Well, some of them."
You can hide it all you want, but he still has those eyes. The eyes of the brother who's still alive. Twilight handed the baby back to his mother, who touched her nose to his. "That's nice, very nice. Now, if you excuse me, I know some ponies who'd like to meet little Sabien."
"Oh no Twilight, not now," Cadence said, nuzzling her son against her chin then handing him off to her husband, "They're probably fast asleep at this hour and the baby needs some sleep. He can meet them in the morning."
"I get that," Twilight groaned, "Poor Spike's been sleepy all day! Everyone else is probably knocked out by now."
Cadence yawned and rolled over on her pillow, her eyes drooping shut.
"No, don't go to sleep yet," The unicorn's screams jolted her sister-in-law up and wide awake, "One of them hasn't fallen asleep yet and he's not going to until he meets his nephew."
"Nephew…no," Cadence woozily sunk into the pillow, "Twilight, please don't do this to me."
"Trust me on this one okay." And the unicorn left the room, leaving the new parents confused and dazed, staring at each other.
Sabien began to cry softly against his mother's shoulder.
Not everyone was asleep in their chairs, with a magazine shielding their eyes or sprawled out onto the floor. Twilight could hear the shouting from down the hall like stray cats. She found her front hoof twitching, curling into a fist, once she saw Blueblood cowering down on the ground beneath Rarity as she dumped a cup of water over his head.
"I thought I told you to add ice!"
Blueblood shook his head, shifting his eyes towards Twilight as the liquid stung them a mute red. "S-sorry…you were whispering."
"Rarity put the cup down!" The cup encircled his horn.
"Hm," she scoffed, "That serves you right for tripping all over my gown."
"What in the hoof's going on?"
"Twilight," the prince hugged her leg like a lost child who just found its parents, "This…this horrible creature's been beating on me all night. I said I was sorry but she just wouldn't listen to me. And she thinks I'm insane."
Twilight gave Rarity a dirty look and shook her head, "You don't have to worry about her again. She's one of the most generous and talented ponies I've ever known but she's got a tendency to hold a grudge. Short grudges but still."
"It's not gonna be short if he doesn't learn to respect his women." Rarity snapped.
"I'm sure he'll learn," Twilight looked down at the lowly prince, "isn't that right?"
Blueblood nodded with enough force to snap his neck and sprung to his hooves. "Never again,"
Rarity just sighed and lost herself in a magazine.
"Now then, would you like to know how your sister's doing?"
The smug look on his face drained he had the most deadpan eyes Twilight had ever seen. "Oh my, Caddy! Please tell me she's okay."
"It's all fine. She had a ten pound seven ounce colt about fifteen minutes ago. Both are doing just swimmingly."
Whoa, was I really like this? And this is the guy who convinced me to watch the whole thing. Both slipping and reviving every five minutes. The pain, the screaming, I'm shocked I didn't start crying.
"A colt…" He looked to his front hooves. "Twilight, you've gotta let me see the little guy. It'd mean so much."
"Then c'mon,"
I should've told him to think of sunshine and ladybugs. That tune will never abandon you ever.
Anyways, the new parents were admiring their little one as if those aching memories were never brought back.
"Look at him;" Shining Armor hugged his wife closer to him, "he's perfect."
"Just like his mother,"
They both jumped as Blueblood stood in the doorway. Neither noticed Twilight step back in.
Cadence was frozen as she looked at her older brother; the pony that abandoned her as a child and left her with no one to lead the way. She saw the eyes of her son. Why did he have to inherit that gene?
"I-I just wanted to see my nephew, only once. I won't bother you again."
She squeezed the colt close to her and turned back to her brother. Little Sabien didn't seem at all fazed.
"Make it quick."
Twilight stood next to her own brother, nudging his shoulder playfully to calm his nerves. Blueblood was handed the baby, reluctantly, and he cradled it so those same bright blue eyes could meet.
"Hey there," Sabien was beginning to yawn as his uncle spoke, "You better treat your mother well. There's never been a more amazing pony and don't you forget it."
Cadence leaned in closer under the sheets as he spoke, her features softening.
"Do the same for your own mare. If not, you'll get owned hard. Just remember that now and you'll probably be the brother Cadence never had…no, let me rephrase that…the perfect boy in…no that's not right either." He was interrupted when somepony wrapped her arms around him gently. There could only be one pony speaking through those muffled sobs.
The last thing Blueblood was told before he left from his saddened sister was "I understand." And that was all he was willing to take. He knew where it would go from there.
He'd later visit now and again, though very briefly, as he didn't want his sister to cry anymore. But Twilight came back whenever she and her friends found time to come to Canterlot and they treated little Sabien well.
Especially Twilight, who promised him every chance she got through the glass observation window, as he slept soundly in his little cot, all swaddled in a blue blanket, that she'll be the greatest auntie possible. And as she held him again later that night, pressed to her cheek as he sucked on his hoof, thinking of how lucky she really was. She never left that fact slip away.
