Your Family and You

“Goodness, that’s certainly a stronger reaction than I was expecting,” Cadance hummed.

From my position on the ground, I could only answer with a pained groan, my head throbbing where it had struck the hardwood floor. I tried to rub at my bruised cranium, but I found that I couldn’t raise my arms. The trembling ball of lavender fur attached firmly to my chest saw to that.

Twilight had been pacing around the library and muttering to herself when we had returned, with matted streaks of fur clearly visible beneath her frantic, bloodshot eyes that had turned practically feral when she caught sight of me. Her horn flashed and she was in the middle of the room one second and was latched to my chest the next, sending both of us crashing to the floor in a pile of limbs.

I could feel her heart pounding away wildly against my chest, tiny little tremors shaking her body as she held on for dear life. She whimpered pitifully, mumbling inaudible words beneath her breath. With my arms trapped at my sides by her legs, all I could really do was stroke her barrel gently with my hands.

It seemed to help a little.

“Well, I’m glad the first part of this couples counseling session is going so well!” Cadance said lightheartedly as she walked past us. “Truth be told, given both of your past histories, I thought we’d take a little longer to get to this phase. I think we might be able to get to the next part sooner than I had anticipated!”

“And what’s the next part?” I asked.

“Communication!” Cadance singsonged. “No more assumptions! No more uncertainties! We’re all going to sit down, both of you are going to talk about what’s been bothering you, and then we’re going to make sure we’re all on the same page!”

“Aren’t we already there?” I asked. “Isn’t the same page just the fact that Twilight’s pregnant?”

“I’m sorry!” Twilight cried, her voice smothered by my shirt. “It’s all m-my fault!”

I patted her barrel and murmured softly. “Shhh, it’s okay.”

“I d-d-didn’t tell you I was p-pregnant when I first f-f-found out!”

“It’s okay. This isn’t something you need to be this stressed out about.”

“Her pregnancy isn’t the main issue,” Cadance hummed. “The knowledge of her pregnancy might have been the catalyst, but I believe her fear of your reaction—the same reason she waited so long to reveal her feelings towards you—was, and currently still is, the main issue. We’ll need to address that, as well as put her fears to rest.”

“Ah.” I stared up at the ceiling. “I see. Well, then… If that’s the case. Twilight, I’m not mad at you.”

“Yes, you are!” came the muffled reply.

“No, I’m not. I’m not mad.”

“B-but you have to be!” Twilight cried. “I’m pregnant, and I searched and searched and searched, and read all the books I could possibly find on the subject, yet I have no idea how a human and a pony can be compatible with one another, so that means that you have to think I cheated on you cause that’s the only way I could possibly be pregnant, and that means you’re going to be mad at me and leave me-e-e!” All of this was said in a rush of breath that would have made Pinkie Pie impressed.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “Okay, I’ll admit that it makes no sense to me either, but to be fair, a lot of things in this world don’t make sense to me.”

“See?! I told yo-o-ou!”

“Well then, I guess… I have to ask. Did you cheat on me?”

“No-ho-hooo!” Twilight sobbed into my chest, my damp shirt starting to get soaked again by her tears. “I would never! Never ever!”

“Then I’m not mad,” I said simply. “I trust you. Let’s be fair, I’ve seen some pretty odd stuff since I arrived in Equestria. I’ve changed species twice. You were a human at one point. I was blasted with the Elements of Harmony. Twice. I’ve swapped bodies with Celestia. Us somehow being compatible doesn’t seem too farfetched to me, even if we don’t know the hows or whys yet—”

I winced.

There was a flare of pain in my temples, and for a split second an afterimage of a tree made from crystals flashed before my eyes. Then it was gone, leaving me confused. There was a faint memory there, trying to work itself free from the deepest recesses of my mind; soft whispers and murmurs and songs, but I just couldn’t work it out. And just like that, it was gone.

A sniffle from below drew my attention. Twilight lifted her head, her tear-stained eyes searching my face for any signs of deception. When she saw none, she sniffed and rubbed her cheeks. “T-then… then why did you run a-away when you found out? Why d-did you run from me?” She sunk into my lap, allowing me to sit up.

“Well, you see…” Trailing off, I glanced over at Cadance, who had taken up residence on our couch. Upon catching my eye, she gave me an encouraging smile and an eager nod. I steeled myself. Taking a deep breath, I wrapped my arms around Twilight and began to explain to her the same worries I had revealed to Cadance earlier. Several times Twilight opened her mouth to interrupt, but stopped when Cadance shushed her, which I was thankful for. It was hard enough exposing my fears like this, let alone having someone cut in.

Silence fell over the library when I finally finished talking.

From my lap, Twilight stared up at me with wide eyes, her mouth open slightly. The silence dragged on, to the point where I was starting to get worried. Cadance said she would understand, but what if she didn’t? What if it had been a mistake bringing this up? Would it have been better to not have said anything at all? Made up some other excuse? What if I…?

My spiraling thoughts of worry were immediately snuffed out when Twilight suddenly leaned forward and buried her face in my chest. She wrapped her wings around me and let out a weak laugh. “You dummy,” she mumbled into my shirt. “Did you honestly think that would matter to me? Did you honestly think I cared so little about you that this would change how I feel?” Her wings tightened against me. “I don’t want you to be perfect. I just want you to be yourself again.”

A sudden pressure welled up behind my eyes and my vision blurred. I blinked my eyes, trying to clear them, and I felt my cheeks dampen. Lifting my trembling arms, I pulled Twilight close, burying my face in her mane. Mentally, I promised myself I would never let go, no matter what happened.

From her position on the couch, Cadance squee’d, little hearts dancing in her eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

A small fire crackled away in the fireplace. Not a blazing inferno like we tried to make during the winter months, but a small thing that was more ember than flames. My soaked clothes hung on a drying rack in the front of the hearth, the material steaming slightly.

Sitting naked on the couch, I nursed a cup of tea, taking a sip every few minutes only to wince at the taste. I don’t like the taste of tea, but both Cadance and Twilight insisted I drink some after my extended stint in the storm. It was all I could do to convince them not to have Ebony come up from the basement to give me a physical.

Twilight sat beside me, sipping on her own cup of tea. She leaned up against me, her fur feeling oddly comforting against my bare skin. A wing draped over my lap preserved my modesty toward Cadance, yet Twilight’s feathers were bordering on teasing; a tantalizing distraction that threatened to become something more if she wasn’t careful. I don’t think she was even aware of what she was doing.

Across from us, Cadance lay across a chaise lounge she had conjured from somewhere. Having already finished her tea, she was using the flickering embers to boil another cup, the kettle held steadily in her magic. As she waited for it to whistle, she continued conversing with Twilight. “Honestly, when Auntie Luna sent me the letter asking for me to visit, I didn’t think too much of it. It isn’t unusual for one of them to ask for my presence every once in a while. We’ll talk a little politics, maybe sign some trade agreements, and then have a girl’s evening in or something. However, when I arrived in Canterlot and she immediately shipped me down here to Ponyville, I started to get a little suspicious.”

“And she didn’t explain anything at all to you?” Twilight asked. “She didn’t tell you what you were coming here for?”

Letting the two of them talk, I studied Cadance curiously. There was something off about her, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“Nope,” Cadance said with a shake of her head. “All she told me was that I was needed in Ponyville to help settle an agreement she made with you, Twilight. When I asked her to clarify what exactly that agreement was, she told me that she couldn’t say, but that I’d be able to figure it out on my own and then help you. She must have known you were pregnant?”

“She was there when I first found out,” Twilight sighed. “She and I didn’t necessarily see eye-to-eye when it came to how and when to reveal said information though. Apparently, she doesn’t like how long I’ve been taking.” Her cheeks darkened, and she puffed out her cheeks. “Can’t say I blame her though.”

Cadance tittered and raised a hoof to her lips. “Well, that would explain my sudden vacation to Ponyville.”

“And you just went along with it?” I asked, finally speaking. “Just like that? Luna tells you to come here for some unknown reason and you just go?”

She just shrugs. “It wasn’t like she was asking me to battle monsters or anything. It’s Twilight. The way I saw it, I haven’t had a chance to hang with her in a while. If Luna wanted me to visit my sister-in-law, who was I to deny her. Besides, it feels good to get out and stretch my wings again.” She wiggled a little on the couch, and suddenly it clicked.

I sat forward abruptly, almost knocking Twilight off the couch in the process, and pointed at the pink alicorn. “That’s it! I know what’s been bugging me! You’re a little less chonky than the last time we saw you!”

Twilight gave me a dirty look as she tried to steady her tea.

“Chonky?” Cadance asked.

“Yeah, you know!” I motioned down towards my own stomach. “Chonky. Your belly is rather thin, considering the last time we saw you it was practically touching the floor as you walked.” There was a sudden spray of tea beside me, followed by the sound of Twilight choking and sputtering.

She wheezed, her eyes bugging out as she flailed her forelegs at Cadance. “C-cadance, you… stomach… small… gak!” Coughing, she barely managed to get a few words out. I patted her on the back in an attempt to help her clear her airway. After a few seconds, she swallowed before trying again. “Cadance! Your stomach! The foal!”

Cadance’s concern rapidly shifted to realization. She gasped before a large grin split her muzzle, spreading ear-to-ear as she squee’d. “Oh my goodness! That’s right! With everything that’s been going on, I completely forgot! It’s just been so hectic lately, what with the human situation and the aftermath, as well as other stuff. I was going to write to everypony, but things kept popping up!” Squirming in her seat, she scooted forward to the edge. “I had twins!”

“Twins?!” Twilight practically shrieked.

“I have pictures~~~!” Cadance sang as her horn lit up. Her saddlebags flipped open and a large photo album flew into the air and landed right in her hooves. “Who wants to see~~~!”

Twilight was off the couch in an instant, jostling Cadance for space on her cushion. Letting out a groan, I forced myself up off the couch as well, my body protesting the entire way. As I shuffled around behind the love seat, Cadance cracked open the album. It was larger than I thought it should be, but my confusion was answered when she flipped through the first dozen or so pages, revealing pictures of her and Shining Armor at what appeared to be their wedding, honeymoon, and several major vacations.

It was a few more pages before suddenly—

“H’ohmygosh!” Twilight gasped, her eyes widening.

At the top of the page was a picture of Cadance lying in a crystalline hospital bed, looking exhausted and unkempt. Her mane was an absolute mess, the colors all twisted together, and there were dark bags under her eyes. Despite all that, she was still smiling widely, two small bundles held close to her chest. And just below that picture there were two more, each bearing one of two tiny little ponies.

The picture on the left showed a pink pegasus filly, fast asleep on a pillow. She was a chubby little thing, with wings that looked slightly too big for her body. Locks of two-tone blue mane hung down in front of her eyes like a curtain, and a matching tail was wrapped around herself like a blanket. A hoof was in her mouth, and she appeared to be sucking on it contentedly as she snoozed.

To the right was a picture of her sibling. A white unicorn filly glared up at the three of us, her pink eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion, like she was unsure what the pony taking the picture was doing. She was noticeably smaller than her sister, almost runt-size in comparison. A puffy pink mane hung about her head, accented with a thick stripe of purple.

“Is… is that…?” Twilight breathed.

“These are your nieces, Twilight,” Cadance said softly, touching the picture of the pink pegasus. “This is Aurora Skies.” She moved her hoof to the white unicorn next. “And this little bundle of attitude is Gleaming Shield. I delivered a few days after the whole Discord fiasco down here in Canterlot. Aurora first, with Gleaming a few minutes later.”

“Gleaming Shield?” Twilight studied the unicorn for a moment before laughing. “That was our great-grandmother’s name.”

Cadance giggled in turn. “I know. Shining was the one who named her.”

As the two of them tittered to each other, I went back to studying the two pictures. The two little fillies, each one bearing the clear signs of baby fat, as well as the distinct innocence that all newborns had. They weren’t even mine, yet I had the urge to pick them up and hold them and protect them from the world. As I continued to eye the pictures, one thought crossed my mind.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad being a parent after all.