Twilight Sparkle found herself at an impasse.
She knew what the word meant, she found it in a book and asked Princess Celestia, the wisest and most gargantuan pony she there was about it.
She also knew what gargantuan meant, and learned it the same way, but in the defense of the princess and her figure, when you are a little filly, most of anything seems gargantuan.
To break her predicament and acquire her desired information, Twilight went right to the best source.
The ancient alicorn sat on a blanket, reading and enjoying the sunshine. Many a pony would call the princess of the sun regal, majestic, or even swan-like.
Right now, the aptest word was content.
Spending precious time with her most faithful student in the castle gardens became the one moment in her busy schedule to relax. The presence of the little filly brought a much-needed spark back to her life and she found great enjoyment in answering all of Twilight's questions and sharing her knowledge, which the filly absorbed like a small adorable sponge.
So when the princess saw the inquisitive filly approach with squinted face and determined look, she thought she knew what to expect.
A mistake around one such as Twilight Sparkle.
"Princess?"
It didn't matter how many times she asked to be called Celestia in private, her student valiantly refused any of her attempts at informality.
At this point, Celestia found herself questioning if ponies simply thought that princess was her actual name. She bore the crown long enough that most rulers before her became only a brief mention in history lessons. And Cadence was far too young and inexperienced to be seen as the public face of the diarchy.
Thinking about it, giving Cadance the title only after formally adopting her might have fueled that particular fire…
"Yes, Twilight?"
“Can a pony find another mom?”
ah.
Oh.
Celestia collected her thoughts. Twilight probably heard something from a classmate and now got curious, as foals and especially her, tended to.
Rare as it was, orphanages were sadly still needed in Equestria. She did her best to ensure that they would find a suitable home for any young one in need.
“That depends, what constitutes a mother to you?”
“Constitutes?”
“To be, or be considered something.”
Twilight paused, eyes narrowing with focus, ”Mom is a pony who reads me bedtime stories and scares the bedbugs away, and makes me lunch and cuts the crust from my toast and makes me eat all the green yucky stuff and reminds me to eat dinner?”
“So a mother is one who cares for you and loves you?”
Twilight nodded.
“My most precious student, you seem to be very wise, for this is something many do not realise until far too late.”
A memory resurfaced from the depths of her ancient mind. Of a brave earth pony mare finding two scared fillies and taking them in, despite being not of her tribe or blood. Her name fell into legend, and so very few remembered her now.
What would Faust say here?
“Not all foals are so blessed to have their birth mother by their side Twilight. Some, unfortunately, have to find their family, and such a found family is a bond that can be just as strong, if not stronger, than the one we found ourselves with at our very beginning.
“Does that answer your question?”
Unsatisfied, Twilight pressed on.
“But, can a pony have more than one mom?”
"I don't see why not, love is a limitless thing, for better and worse, after all."
"And what about two moms and a dad? Can a pony have more than two parents?"
Herds, a tradition older than even her. Uncommon as they became in this day and age, there was nothing forbidding them. Why stick your muzzle into something that brings some of her subject happiness?
"Where there is will, there's a way. Imagine being so lucky, to find themself surrounded by so much love, when some struggle to find even one parent to call their own?”
"I guess," Twilight said, digging at the ground with her forehoof, still clearly upset about something.
Well, good thing she knew a recipe to fix that frown!
As gently as possible, she reached out one of her great alabaster wings and with one of her primaries, she administered the cure.
Boop.
Twilight's eyes went crossed as she focused on her muzzle, as Celestia gave her a cheeky smirk
"Tag! You are it!"
She jumped and dodged as Twilight started going after her, laughing the whole way.
Who said rulers cannot be silly every once in a while?
What followed was a wild chase, ending as all wild chases should, in a hug and ice cream, Twilights inquiry forgotten for a time being
It was later the same day when Celestia went to Twilight's room to tuck her into bed. Twilight's favorite storybook under her wing alongside a couple of sandwiches as she skipped dinner to read. Again. Dasiy, without the crust, the chef forgot to cut them, but that was nothing a quick spell couldn't fix.
When she opened the door, she had found her student already asleep. Sprawled next to some papers on the floor. Macarons, glue, and crayons scattered around, witnesses to the vicious battle between a foal's rich imagination and a reality not being buried in glitter.
Careful to not wake the peacefully snoozing foal, she placed Twilight into the entirely oversized bed and under the covers, placing her smartypants doll next to her.
Now to clean a bit.
A flourish of her horn and done. Only leaving Twilight unfinished creations, a simple card with a picture of a happy stick pony she recognized as macaroni Twilight Velvet, the picture included a big red heart, was glistening with copious amounts of glitter, sticky with glue, and had a message written using every color of crayon, it was all made, if not with skill, then at least with boundless enthusiasm.
To the best mom, it read.
A true treasure to cherish.
But there was another card under it, waiting, beckoning. Curious, she moved the first and-
For a brief moment, she felt like her heart stopped.
She saw her own portrait thousands of times, nearly all of the great pony painters tried to capture her in their art. A more cynical pony would call this particular piece one of the more “abstract” attempts. To her, it was perfect, more valuable than any Ponycasso could ever hope to be.
“Oh, Twilight,” tears of joy swelled in her eyes.
A white stick figure made out of macaroni, with shaky lines representing rainbow hair and a yellow circle on the flank, a smaller purple stick figure under the larger figure macaroni wing.
To the greatest Princess mom ever.
Author's Note
Something little I wrote. Why? Because Momlestia is best Tia
