Chapter 7: Foal in the Library

Twilight fidgeted a bit as she took turns glancing at her book and the scene in front of her, it got to the point that the pony she was watching sighed,

"If you have something to say," blushing at getting caught, Twilight shut her book,

"I was wondering if I could have a turn with him?" she asked quietly, blue eyes watched her for a moment before the foal was placed in her hooves.

"He's very fussy about unfamiliar ponies," the pegasus warned her, Twilight nodded quickly as she carefully adjusted him and sat back,

"You know, its been more than a month since I've come here and this is the first time I'm holding him," she said in a small voice, "I mean, Rarity told me about him and some of the others took hooves in helping raise him, but it sounds so strange to think of someone my age with a foal. Does that make sense?" she asked Trade Wind who patted the snoozing foal on the head, causing him to coo in his sleep.

"I'm guessing you are rather curious about who the father is and whether I know him?" she asked lightly, the purple unicorn looked sheepish at the question even as she admitted to it, "It is not for me to tell you, when Rarity feels up to it she will just know that the father lost any right he had to Titanium years ago. Now, are you done looking over the reports for the restoration?" caught off guard by the change in subject, the Element of Magic coughed as she gathered her thoughts.

"Yes, it is rather remarkable, you have a list of every book in the library of that castle, some that haven't been in print for centuries! But there are a lot of black lines," Twilight commented a bit puzzled but Trade waved her off,

"That's because some of those books ended up having curses on them or contained dark magic," seeing her alarm, Trade assured her, "We had an alicorn with us to deal with those books," Twilight blinked puzzled.

"Which one?"

"Princess Cadance," the unicorn jumped to her hooves,

"Cadance was here?! Why didn't anyone tell me? She was my foalsitter," she added the last part at the raised eyebrow.

"Well, she was going to come into Ponyville when we came across a particular book that she immediately had packaged up and flew off to take it to Princess Celestia. Considering it had its own room with booby traps, it must have been pretty important, she's actually coming back next week to help move all the books we packed up to store in a storage locker on the outskirts of Ponyville," Twilight pouted,

"Not here?" she asked before looking at the notebook she had been reading, the hundreds of names listing books and amended her statement, "Never mind," the night would have gone on splendidly with Trade going by Rarity's boutique to drop Titan off and Twilight finishing her reading when there was a clap of thunder, waking up the unicorn toddler whose face scrunched up in displeasure as he started to wail, the two trying to calm him down.

"Do you know how to calm him down!" Twilight cried, Trade gave her a look as she rocked the colt back and forth in her hooves,

"What about that spell you used for the Ursa Minor that Lyra raved to me about?" the purple unicorn blushed a bit at the reminder before shaking her head,

"That was different, it was outside and I'm pretty sure Rarity doesn't want me lifting him in my magic, oh! I'll get some milk ready, she went to get the foal bag by the door before she looked out her window and exclaimed, "What are Rarity and Applejack still doing out there!" she threw the door open and called out for them in a loud voice to Titan's protests as he grew louder, Twilight looked sheepish at the annoyed Trade Wind.

Rarity rushed in, took one look at her son and was over there fussing as she sung softly to him, leaving Trade free who grabbed a bucket and towels for a muddy Applejack,

"Thank ye kindly, what's going on?" Applejack stared at Rarity holding Titanium as he calmed down, eyes closing as he fell into a restful sleep.

"Thunder woke him up, he didn't react all that well to it, or to the loud noises," she glanced at Twilight wryly who apologized in a small voice,

"Sorry, I was concerned about Rarity and Applejack being in the rain and forgot for a moment," Trade shrugged,

"Never mind then, but why were the two of you in the rain?" there was a noticeable tension when she said this, but Twilight suddenly clapped her hooves,

"I know! Since we are all here and the storm might go on for a while, how about a sleepover," Applejack's ears pinned back, Rarity stopped humming.

"Uh, nice idea Sugarcube, but I got to get back to the farm," she opened the door only to jump back at the sight of lightning in the distance, "On second thought, let's do this," Twilight squealed quietly with glee and ran to get a book which was revealed to be about sleepovers.

Placing Titanium on a pile of pillows, Rarity helped Twilight set up the first activity while Applejack and Trade Wind stood back,

"You know, for somepony who hates being in mud, you are sure covering yourself with it," Applejack glared at Rarity who ignored her as she plastered the green mud on Twilight's face.

"Are you joining in too Trade Wind?" Twilight asked but Rarity waved her hoof,

"Unfortunately while the dear is used to mining and such in all manners of earth, we've learned there's an ingredient that does not react all that well with her, sorry darling, I don't have ingredients for that other mask," she told Trade Wind, the pegasus shrugged,

"It's fine, hey Twilight can I read that?" she pointed to the slumber party book, Twilight nodded enthusiastically before Rarity asked her to stop so she could put the cucumbers on.

Trade Wind flipped through it, looking at the chapter list and skimming through information as she waited for the girls to be done with their mud masks.

Then a blue glow enveloped her and she found her hair brushed and curlers being put in, but she ignored the sensation as she went through the book, taking mental notes and trying not to laugh at some of the things in there, then they were removed and it was time for scary stories.

"I'm surprised you haven't read the book before, you've done a tone of articles on a lot of subjects," Twilight stated when the pegasus shut it to join them, she received a wink.

"I was already aware what went on slumber parties, and felt that there was no need to read up on these kinds of books, but there are several things missing in this," the unicorn gasped,

"Like what?" at this point Rarity and Applejack were glaring at one another, trading insults of 'scary' stories but were actually of the other, Trade pointed to them,

"Like what to do if you have friends who are in a quarrel, that doesn't very end well in a sleepover, especially if they are ruining basic stuff like how to do ghost stories. If you haven't noticed they are both kind of bringing the slumber party down with their feud," Twilight's ears went back.

"I've noticed," she said quietly, "But maybe we can carry it on with our own ghost stories," she turned wide purple eyes on Trade Wind who grimaced,

"You want me to do one too don't you?" Twilight smiled with stars in her eyes.

"But me first, I want to save yours for last," the unicorn appeared among the arguing friends and started her story of the 'Headless Horse'.

Overall it was a rather good story, even if Twilight went into too much detail, she did wind up scaring the cider out of Applejack and Rarity (Titanium had a silence bubble that blocked sounds outside but if he woke up they would know.)

"Okay, your turn!" Twilight turned to Trade Wind, looking eager but also hesitant, "I don't suppose you'll tell us about the Rainbow Factory story?" Rarity and Applejack stopped their bickering and stared,

"Uh sugarcube-" Applejack warned but Trade gave a small smile, she knew why Twilight would be interested.

"I do not really mind telling you about it, but I warn you it is not a very good one, so if you want me to do a different story, tell me now," the other two looked uncomfortable but they were too interested so the pegasus made herself comfortable and started.

"A thousand years ago, rainbows were made differently, but after the end of the Discordian Era, any knowledge of how they were made faded away and pegasus scrambled to find out a way to be able to create Rainbows. Celestia herself made sure it was a top priority, but after the banishment of Nightmare Moon she lost interest in overlooking the project and entrusted it to some of the top Pegasus and unicorn mages in the country. It got to the point where they almost gave up, were it not for an incident that gave them the ideas on how to produce rainbows," her voice was quiet, but the other three were watching with wide eyes, "There was a filly by the name of Aurora Lights who while diving to save her sibling, performed a Sonic Rainboom, creating a rainbow that spread throughout all of Equestria," that story always was in her nightmares and she did not leave it out.

"This gathered the attention of those in the Rainbow Factory project and they invited her to see how it was possible, and it was literally a rainbow mine for them. They figured out that every pegasus while young had a unique energy only special to them before they grew up and matured. None of the other adult pegasus had the same kind, but no one could figure out how to harness the magic in a legal way, till one night, it came to them," her voice turned dark, "Why should they care how they harvest the energy to make rainbows so long as they could? A scientist came up with the Pegasus Device," the tone she said this in created a shiver down their spines, "It harvested the energy from fillies and colts, but left them in the unfortunate manner of a half-life, but then something strange seemed to happen to those whose energy was only depleted halfway. In fact, something strange happened to those who worked in the Rainbow Factory, every time they harvested a filly or colt, it was like any guilt, any horror, it festered inside and instead, they started feeling the pleasure of it. Some would say their ways turned red as this continued, and those who survived grew to be emotionless and even more sadistic than those who condemned them to their half lives. Of course, concerns were raised when the fillies and colts were in public, and it was growing rather difficult figuring out what to do with those that did not survive, so they added to the factory, and decided to harvest the bodies of the foals themselves.

As years went by, they started singling out the colts and fillies whose flying prowess weren't as great as the others, they created a test that all Pegasus were required to take. If you did not pass, your parents took you out of town and dropped you off at the Rainbow Factory with other fillies and colts that did not pass. None that came in never went out, and the souls of all those murdered for the 'greater good' of producing rainbows wander throughout the halls of the Rainbow Factory and if one finds themselves near a rainbow, they notice a strange smell," she approached the trio slowly, "Of blood! she shrieked, startling them all into shrieks themselves and Twilight hurriedly turned on the lights.

"You and Twilight are going to give meh a heart attack," Applejack gasped, Rarity was in agreement with the mare, which was a surprise, Twilight was staring at Trade Wind,

"Fluttershy said you relived that nightmare every night for years, is that what really happens?" she asked quietly, Trade sighed,

"Yes and more, be lucky all you get is a story of it and not it happening around you, or to you, do you want to hear the song?" there was a haunted look in her eyes and the trio hurriedly shook their heads.

"No thanks, darling!"

"Ahm good!"

"Let's start smores!" the purple unicorn ran to the kitchen for the ingredients while Trade drank from a glass of water to soothe her throat.

"And I thought that story about the stallion with the hook was scary," Rarity groaned, "I'm definitely going to have nightmares now," she shot a pout at Trade who shrugged.

"You all agreed, I was going to do the Phantom Stallion of the Opera which isn't as scary, just sort of sad in the end," she looked up when Twilight returned with the stuff to make smores and they began making them.

Of course, then Rarity and Applejack started up again with Rarity talking about making smores neatly and Applejack eating the one she just made, resulting in another squabble.

"Here, so long as you enjoy eating them its fine," Trade handed Twilight one she just made and the unicorn thanked her, eating it in one bite and checked it off the list.

"Now the next item on the list is Truth or Dare," she stated, and when it looked the other two weren't going to do this game by the rules either, Trade Wind shook her head and went over to the pillows where Titanium blinked sleepily at her,

"Want to see Mama?" she asked quietly upon lifting him from the bubble and he laughed as she carried him back to the unicorn and an earth pony, depositing him in Rarity's startled hooves.

"Darling!" Rarity's protest was cut off when Trade pushed up her glasses and an icy aura surrounded her, Applejack gulped.

"You two are going to sit there for the entirety of this discussion, and we are going to talk in quiet tones so that we can resolve whatever you two are arguing about, is that clear?" any attempt to speak was caught off by her glare and she made Applejack sit next to Rarity, "Twilight, would you like to take notes as we do this?" she asked the unicorn who agreed, taking out a clipboard and quill,

"Ready!" she declared, and the pegasus turned to the two.

"Now please explain what started this whole argument in the first place? Applejack," she nodded to the Earth Pony who shot Rarity a smug look, but an increase in the cold aura dropped it.

"We were supposed to be preparing for the storm and take down all the loose branches, but this here neat freak decided to spruce them up instead. Then when it did start raining we tried to find shelter but she refused to get under a bench because of mud! She's so nitpicky about everything, she doesn't think about why its so important," Trade nodded and pointed to Rarity.

"I just thought it was a shame to create such a huge mess and thought the sticks could use up a nice touch, and I wasn't going to hide under a bench in the storm, in mud," Rarity huffed.

"I see, Rarity do you know why the branches are taken down and such?" the unicorn shook her head, "Its because loose branches can be a danger in such a big storm, they get loose and end up breaking someone's window or hurting someone who finds themselves out in the storm." the unicorn stared at the floor in chastisement, "Applejack," the earth pony froze under the younger mare's gaze, "You know for a fact that Rarity likes things neat and that she has a compulsive desire to keep things in order, and it can be trying when you have different opinions about things, but it is also necessary to have patience about another pony's personality. This is about both of you, you two have been in Ponyville for how long and just now you two get in a fight about each other's ideas. Now I gather in the morning both of you might have thought over it better and apologized, but you two are in a slumber party in someone else's house, so isn't it better to have put whatever hard feelings aside in order to be gracious guests? Instead of telling a ghost story, you two insulted each other in a roundabout way, and in truth or dare, it is customary to ask if they want truth or dare and then ask them a question or dare them to do something, not say 'truths' about the other pony," the two mares shared a look before looking at Twilight who was writing the last words in.

"Gee, Ahm sorry about arguing during your first sleepover Twilight and almost ruining it, and ahm sorry about insulting you Rarity, we're two different ponies, and I should have been more clear with you about why it was important instead of yelling at ya," Rarity looked at Titanium who returned it with wide eyes,

"Ooh, I'm sorry too Twilight, and I'm sorry Applejack for not being a good helper, I let my need for neatness ruin it, I should have looked at it from your perspective instead of getting all defensive, I don't suppose we can start the game all over?" she asked, Applejack nodding next to her, Twilight smiled.

"That'd be great! Uh, how do we do it normally?" an empty bottle was placed between them,

"Spin and whoever it lands on we ask truth or dare," Trade explained and they played it for thirty minutes before finishing the night with a pillow fight that Trade got ganged up on by the other three when she kept dodging and getting all three of them.

As they all settled for the night, Trade looked out at the tree outside where a branch removed by Zephyr and Gabby before the storm started was,

'At least that wasn't a problem' she'd rather not get covered in dirt and rain.