The wind blew through Twilight's sparkling mane, snow getting stuck to the long strands. She watched as the flurries spread across the town. The creatures that gathered had long since left. The fire crew and the castle service were treated to a big breakfast in Twilight’s Castle.

Twilight squinted into the same snowbank from the night before. The sun reflected off the snow and hurt her eyes, so she closed them. Pictures of the calming, warm glow of the fire caught her attention. It was a shame it had vanished. The warm embrace called to her, but she could no longer answer.

"Why?" she snarled. It sailed with the wind and into the sun. Shuddering from the cold, she stepped in small circles to warm up her hoof.

"What the Tartarus are you doing?" Sombra spoke, his eyes drooped, as did those of the Draconequus next to him.

"SOMBRA! You have to stop that. Seriously." Twilight snapped, her brows furrowing as she stared at him.

"You’re fine," Sombra said, rolling his eyes.

Discord couldn't help but start snickering, covering his muzzle with his paw and claw. which, while quiet, was still heard. Twilight shot him a glare that made him struggle more. His shoulders were shaking as he tried not to laugh.

Twilight sighed, ‘let it go,’ she thought. Centering herself as she continued. "I know, but you scared me, that isn’t the type of stuff friends do. "You should know that by now."

"Ok ok. I get it. I won’t do it again." Sombra said as he shifted his hooves. The cold, lonely ice plagued his mind. The complete nothing that was his imprisonment, no one, no sound He couldn't go back; he would not go back.

"Thank you... and I’m thinking about the fire. I just couldn't extinguish it." Twilight said as she turned her gaze back to the snowbank. She yearned to return to the wonderful flames. She wondered what kind of creature could cast magic that would make her feel like that.

"Why? That spell is as strong as you are." Sombra stated.

"Is everything OK?" Discord asked, tilting his head at Twilight.

"No, but thanks for the concern Discord, I appreciate it. It’s that I didn’t want to...I didn't want to hurt the fire. It gave me a sense of love. Like another's warm, kind love, and I... didn't want..."

"I felt indifferent toward it. Perhaps that's why my spell worked."

"It felt like a friend to me." Discord added that this is very strange. Something here is out of sorts. Something this powerful doesn’t just pop out of nowhere.

"So we all felt something different?" Twilight questioned.

"Who fits that description? The spell was cast by someone." Discord scratched his muzzle with three claws he conjured.

"I looked up to the fire like my own mother. If I were to take that literally, my mom doesn't have fire-based spells like that. She would never hurt her family in such a way."

"You are doing this wrong." Sombra interrupted. "Fire magic. That magic is only known to one creature. Celestia. "It's Celestia’s magic," he said. She would also fit how everyone felt. She was a mother figure to Twilight, a friend to Discord, and he was indifferent to her.

Twilight’s eyes widened. She always felt like Celestia was a second mother to her. "She would never do such a thing."

"Well, if she was kidnapped or if her magic had been drained."Then that would explain—"

Twilight left that instant, not giving Sombra a chance to finish his thought.

Discord whistled as he thought. Sombra was right. No other creature had fire magic, and Tirek was still in stone. So that was wrong. Something else was happening here. Perhaps that magic was learned? Copied? Then it came to him—in a stroke of pure genius, he knew who cast that spell. "Sombra, it's the baby!"

"What?"

"Cadence is related to Celestia. Babies are pure chaos, particularly if they are magical. Flurry is magical." Discord said. " She was born an alicorn, which isn't just magical." Think about it."

"Shit. She could tap into that power, being a blood relative. "We need to talk to Celestia and Cadence now."

"Yeah," Discord agreed. If it was indeed her, which is most likely the case, they were so boned. Discord picked Sombra up and put him under his arm. In a moment, they were back to Cadence.

Celestia was already there; Twilight clung to her. Celestia's back shook as Twilight's large wings engulfed her.

Discord frowned as much as he had to. He snapped his finger, quickly replacing Celestia with Rarity. He held the soon-to-be-retired monarch in his other arm. Quickly teleporting them to a secluded room in the burned castle.

"What the?!" Celestia explained before she stopped. Sombra and Discord looked grayer, almost older. "Oh no.." it was going to be bad, and she knew it. They still way they carried themselves; more importantly, the way Discord carried himself. Sombra always had an air of seriousness, Discord never did. "What?" She asked, her heart thudding in her chest, a small part of her wished she didn't have to know.

"Tia, we don’t think this was someone evil. We don't believe there was any malice. We think it's the baby. Magic can be passed through blood. That was fire magic. Cadence is your descendant, is she not?"

Celestia’s heart dropped, it was like the air was compressed out of her lungs. "Yes. No one else would have that type of magic. not without coming after me. Oh, no, no, no."

"But that's not all," Sombra continued, "How was she born? When? When did Cadence get pregnant?" Sombra inquired, having picked up on what Discord was saying.

Cadence blushed, but she took a breath and answered. "Right after the wedding." Her voice trembled, and she shook staring into the charred wall of crystal.

"So you get pregnant on the wedding night with Flurry Heart. After a wedding packed with love, and after that huge love spell you cast," Discord continued.

Sombra soon interrupted, clarifying the situation. "We think the overkill of love is why she is an alicorn in the first place. She is a kind of magical being or part magical being. Similar to Discord or I. Her magic is so strong that it's not just something she casts, it's part of who she is." Sombra started leaving the room in complete silence.

Then it dawned on Celestia, she looked at Cadence with wide eyes. Her plan was ruined. "We won’t be able to put a magic collar on her to help control her powers. Not if they are a part of her, who knows what kind of side effect that would have. Discord tried to live without his magic, and he almost disappeared!" Celestia yelled, her heart pumping. How were they going to do this? What were they going to do?

"WAIT! NO! That was never in my plan. I would NEVER put that on her. Regardless of this knowledge, I was going to keep an eye on her. I am... or used to be powerful enough to be. I will not take a shortcut to make raising MY child easier." Cadence growled at Celestia.

Celestia frowned. "Well, NOW, who's going to do it? Twilight has no free time now that she is becoming queen. I have to switch my throne over to her. Back-to-back meetings, singing, and redoing contacts. Everything has to go smoothly. Luna is finding a replacement for when she retires. Rainbow is helping with her shifts, but she can't do it forever. Especially since Spitfire wants to leave, and Rainbow is engaged to Applejack!"

"Well, I refuse to stifle my daughter. Or lock her in some tower until she’s eighteen. I will not take away her freedom to become who she is, just because we are afraid. I’ll do it, I'll figure it out!" Candace growled, throwing her hooves into the table. It cracked in half, already charred. The harsh sound quieted the argument. This is her family, and she would do anything to protect it. Anything.

"You can’t do everything, Cadence. You already do so much, and so does Shining. You’ll run yourself into an early grave, or worse, drain yourself." Celestia yelled back, her voice croaky. Her lower jaw became heavy as she frowned.

"Watch me. I will not give my daughter anything but the best life I can provide. I love her. I will always love her. She is my child no matter what she’s made of, who she becomes, or who she loves when she’s grown. She’s my Flurry, and I will always support her."

"Tell everyone you tripped over a candle." Sombra interrupted the fight, thinking it was unnecessary for him to be around for family drama. Trying not to groan and teleport out at that very moment. "Until a plan is made, no one says anything to anyone."

Silence followed, one Discord took for an agreement and he snapped them all back.

Celestia rushed straight to Twilight, surrounded by her friends. She assumed Twilight had teleported them in for comfort.

Cadence just sat there and took it all in. How was she going to do this, she questioned, looking into the black space in front of her. How was she going to do this, and who was going to help her? What was that feeling? She questioned.

A sadness weighed her down. It made her head swirl further, was this an issue of love? Her surroundings turned a light pinkish color, and her heart weight increased. Tears threatened to form in her eyes; someone was lacking love. She could tell because it gave her a sinking, depressed feeling, and a pinkish perspective.

She hoped it wouldn't be a complex one, but one that could be solved quickly. She looked around the area. She had to cover her eyes as she looked at Twilight. The love they shared was so radiant that it gave her headaches. Even when they were apart, a massive pink light radiated from them.

She noticed it by turning her head. Her eyes widened as she looked at Discord and Sombra. They barely held any love at all, not a single type of love. They were friends with the elements, so this... shouldn't be happening to them. How were they lacking love from friends when they were surrounded by the elements?

She shook as she tried to hold back tears. How was she going to do this? This was going to be complex, especially with Flurry. Every powerful creature’s schedule was packed. How was she going to track down a powerful creature while also dealing with her love life? How was she...she could do both if. She could do BOTH! She asked Discord and Sombra to help her. She would get the help she needed, and they would get the help they needed. It was a win-win situation.

While everyone was busy, she grabbed Discord’s muzzle, everything is going to be ok. She looked into his uneven eyes, "Help me; help me keep my daughter free. Maybe you and Sombra...would like a job? I’m supposed to go to a meeting tomorrow night. Can you watch her, please? Please!?!" She begged him. There was a way to do it all, and she knew it should be possible. What could go wrong?

Author's Note

Thanks to Sleepless who double-checked this for me. Make sure my plot makes sense! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

grammar checked 11/27