05 - Old Woes

"One fact still eludes me." Princess Celestia said. Princess Luna was in the middle of cutting into her breakfast, a steaming pile of waffles doused in only the most luxurious of syrup straight from Caneighda. Her fork and knife, grasped in her midnight blue magic, halted mid-slice as she directed her attention back at her sister, sitting across from her at the other end of the grand dining table. Princess Celestia herself was enjoying a pristine daffodil soup for her dinner. Although, the soup hasn't seen much action since she sat down, her thoughts drifting needlessly through fictitious scenarios only devised to cause her anxiety.

"Pray tell us?" Princess Luna asked. "Art thou speaking of the fabled 'humans' once more?"

"Indeed, sister." Princess Celestia levitated a spoon in her golden magic, idly stirring the orange slushy surface. "I worry for them."

"What is said 'elusive fact?'" She asked.

"There were four humans." Princess Celestia responded, delving across her conscious and racking her brain for any information. "I do not know why such a spell would target four humans. Why not target three humans instead? Why does said humans have to be friends? Why not gather three humans from across the planet?" She looked deeply into the soup. It was not reflective enough to properly reveal her face, but if it was, it would see a pony graced with the deepest of anxiety.

"One doth phrase these questions like thee know said answer already."

"...Maybe." Princess Celestia looked up at her sister, than out the colossal stained-glass windows to her left, looking at the setting sun. In a few minutes, she would have to get up and properly set the sun. But right now, she was still worried. "You know about soul-magic, correct?" Princess Luna, in response, dropped her fork and knife unexpectedly, giving her sister a blank stare.

"Magic in which is highly illegal and banned?" She said, dumbfounded. "Magic in which must never, ever be used under any circumstance, since it bounds the dimension we resides in and the very ponies inhabiting said dimension? Thee mean that magic?"

"Indeed."

"You don't mean..."

"I do mean." Princess Celestia cast her gaze once more out the windows. "I do believe the spell used soul-magic. It feeds off of death. It might've reached out and... murdered those humans in order to harvest their soul-magic." She explained. "When it backfired, the human souls were not devoured, and instead resided in the now-lifeless vessels of Mr. Blazer and his family."

"Do you mean to suggest the fourth human has merged with one of the human souls?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Even if I studied the spell for a thousand years, I would not be able to predict what could happen when it backfires. Nonetheless, I want to speak with the three humans. Do some soul-searching."

"Was that a pun, dear sister?"

"No." She shook her head.

"Sister..?"

"Yes." She nodded sheepishly. "But feeding off of human's soul-magic still doesn't make complete sense."

"How so?"

"The spell was designed to feed off of the caster's own blood by modifying the timeline. Setup their off-spring or family in a way that they would die during the casting whether it be due to a disease, murder, hunger, exhaustion... falling, nopony would be none-the-wiser to their unexpected death. So, once again, why target the four humans? They aren't related to Mr. Blazer or each other, trust me, I've checked."

"Perchance thine spell backfired such it broke it's own rules." Princess Luna bargained. "Perchance thine targeted the four humans simply for it wasn't strong enough to target three separated humans. Perchance the four humans simply died at the time the spell was looking for souls to leech." Princess Celestia seemed to dwell on these words for a moment, flipping her spoon in the air and staring at it's metallic finish.

"Maybe." She finally said. "Maybe not. I don't know. I still want to talk to the three humans."

"Then so it be." Princess Luna picked up her fork and finally started devouring her meal.

Princess Celestia still had a hole in her stomach. It's not that the humans were inherently bad ponies, it was more of the fact she felt as if she was missing something. Maybe this was a task for her student... No, she can't keep pushing off the things she can't fix herself to her student. One day or another, she would get sick of it.

"Then so it be." Princess Celestia parroted her sister, forcing herself to sip off the soup.

Cake would be so much better right now.

"You're not my DAD!"

"In this body I am!"

"You're making it weird!"

Abigail was sitting at the dinner table, head on hoof eating a salad, (Which tasted surprisingly good,) listening to her two friends half-argue half-joke about their current situation. Their new-found lives had been developing slowly. The princesses didn't know exactly what to do, so they gave the trio a pent-house suite in the castle for the time-being. It was spacious, luxurious, and most importantly, durable.

The three had more than their fair share of face-planting table-breaking moments whilst they re-learned how to walk with four legs instead of two. Against all odds, they evolved to their situation quite well. They were happy to be together, at least. At least they had each other to keep from going mentally insane.

"Hey." Abigail said, swallowing a chunk of lettuce. The two ponies, one being taller and broader, the other being shorter and tooth-pick like, were standing in the living room on the white rug. They both turned to look at her. "You guys don't have it so bad." She said.

"Oh, it's a competition now?" Leo yelled. Since inhabiting his new body, Leo's accent changed from Italian to an almost European accent. His coat was a light-gray, his hair a darker green.

"No. Think of it this way." Abigail dropped the fork, turning in her dining room chair to face the two ponies. "You're his son, right?"

"No." Leo immediately responded with no hesitation.

"Your body is his son's, right?"

"Yes."

"Where did the son come from?" There was an uncomfortable silence as the two ponies looked at each other. Finally, Charles opened his mouth and formed an 'O' in understanding.

"What? I still don't get it."

"You adolescent child..." Abigail smiled sweetly, her old face contorting into an expression the previous inhabitant didn't wear much. "In this body, I was mounted by him." She pointed a hoof at Charles, who shrunk nervously.

"God DAMN!" Leo yelled, backing up and falling on his flank in the process. "Way to put it bluntly."

"I don't think you're understanding yet." Abigail smirked. "I had to of been mounted by him, then eleven months later, you came out of my horse vagina."

"FUCKING STOP!" Leo suddenly yelled, standing up and backing up even farther. "Oh Jesus, I get it now! I get it now!" He rubbed his eyes with his hoof. "That's fucking- why would you even say that? Oh Jesus, why would you say that?"

Abigail, however, laughed wholeheartedly and turned back to her meal with a new smile on her face as the two ponies withered in disgust in the background. She was happy in this new situation. Yes, she missed her family. Yes, she missed her old body. Yes, she missed being... young. But being a unicorn in a pony world would be every young girl's dream. It was fantastical and whimsical in every sense of the word.

To be fair, being old does suck. Nobody- or rather pony, had a birth-date for anyone else besides Leo. Mr. Blazer and Fiero both appeared to have been born outside of Equestria, or at least smuggled under the law. Princess Luna gauged that Mr. Blazer had to of been around sixty years old and Fiero around fifty-five. Waking up every morning with pains in the shoulders- or rather withers had been excruciating. She couldn't see as far, run as long, or hear as well. She also missed being thin, this body having a noticeable layer of chub around her mid-section.

All in all, being old sucked.

On the other hand- hoof, Leo was apparently fourteen years old. Which always put a smile on the other two's faces. Legally, he was their child, even if Charles and Abigail had no romantic interest in each other. For now, it was more like a union. And Abigail was surprised how much their bodies had affected their mental state.

Leo spoke English better- or rather, Equestrian better. He acted more like an edgy teen rather than his usual reserved and anxious self. He shouted more, became more energetic, and had a horrific sweet tooth. Abigail hadn't noticed any change in herself... but that might be because she was living with herself. She wouldn't notice herself changing.

Charles had become a little more rude. Whether that was due to residing in Mr. Blazer's body, or having to wake up everyday with more strange pains because he slept two degrees to the left when he should've slept four to the right. As if he knew that.

"God, fuck you! Fuck all you!" Leo shouted. "Being a child sucks!"

"Language." Abigail mindlessly said, putting a piece of salad in her mouth and chewing.

...

Abigail noticed the lack of sound coming from the two arguing ponies. Slowly, she turned her head to observe the two. They were staring at her like she had a second head.

"...What?" She asked.

"Did you just- tell him off for swearing?" Charles asked, looking between the two.

"Uhh- I guess I did? I dunno. Felt natural."

"Aw' c'mon!" Leo complained, pouting adorably. "Don't tell me your maternal instincts are kicking in!"

"I'm not your mother!" Abigail shouted, suddenly flustered.

"Then why did you tell him off?" Charles asked. To that, Abigail looked even more flustered.

"I- honestly don't know. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, Leo. I should've-"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Leo asked, suddenly on edge. "Apologizing? You? For something so small- We out'a get our minds checked out by the princess. I think you're goin' fuckin' crazy." Abigail's eye unexpectedly twitched when he swore. Leo picked up on it, and suddenly donned an even more concerned expression.

"I think you're right." Charles said. "I think we should-"

Knock knock.

The three ponies turned their attention to the set of double doors leading into their suite.

"Did you order anything?" Charles asked, looking at Leo.

"No. You?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did, moron." Charles stepped forwards, weaving around the sofa until he came face-to-face with the doors. He opened them. "Oh, it's just the princess."

"Hello."

"Hey. Come on in. Make yourself comfortable." Charles stepped out of the way as the tall alicorn walked into the room. "Sorry we can't offer you anything. I still can't make drinks without spilling half the bottle over the counter."

"That's alright, Charles." She said, stopping around the head of the room. "This should be a quick visit. I have something I need to investigate." At her words, the three ponies suddenly looked a little unsure of their current situation. Princess Celestia was a kind ruler... but the things they had read in history books...

"What would that be, Princess?" Leo asked.

"Andrew." She stated. The three ponies ear's perked towards the princess. If they weren't paying attention earlier, now they were. "I have a theory on Andrew's where-a-bouts."

"Where?" Abigail asked, putting her fork down and sliding off the chair. "Where is he?"

"I have a theory..." Princess Celestia started pacing the room, almost like a predator circling their pray. "As you know, your souls were taken from your bodies back from your world. I theorize, because there were only three present forms to take in this world, that Andrew was squeezed into one of your minds."

"What do you mean?" Charles asked.

"Andrew may have been merged with one of your minds. He didn't appear alongside you because he's trapped in one of your minds."

"Get him the hell out of there then!" Abigail yelled, taking a few steps towards the princess. "Whatever you have to do, do it!"

"Again, this is just a theory." Princess Celestia stopped walking and lit her horn. "I am going to scan for any extra magic signatures. If Andrew was merged, then one of your magic signatures should either be corrupted, or have an entire separate signature residing alongside you."

"Do it." Charles said.

"Of course."

And so, she did. Along the line, she scanned each pony. Starting with Abigail, she found nothing but the residual signature left over by Fiero. It was much of the same story as she descended down the line. A variation here or there, residual signatures being picked up from the environment, but nothing earth-shattering. Nothing that stood out to her, nothing that made her cock her head to the side and take a deeper analysis.

She finished with Leo. The three ponies looked up to her, hopeful that their lost friend had been found. Unfortunately, her look was enough of a confirmation as her ears drooped, a sad frown gracing her lips as she looked almost ashamed.

"I... Am sorry." She said. "I could not find Andrew on any of you three."

"Dammit!" Leo suddenly yelled. The three other ponies flinched at his loud, squeaky volume. Princess Celestia in particular looking all the more guilty.

"I'm sorry-"

"No!" He stepped towards Princess Celestia in a sad attempt to look threatening. "You came in here and gave us hope! You don't do that! That's- That's like walking into a funeral and saying Grandma's still alive! When she isn't! Why couldn't you have just let us- I dunno- Deal with it?"

"Because the alternative is letting Andrew die." She stated bluntly. She hated her own tone, but it seemed she was dealing with a foal on her hooves, even if Leo was older in a previous life. "If Andrew was in your consciousness, he would've already been fading. The longer I waited, the harder it would've been to separate him, and the more likely he would've died." She said quickly.

"But- I- Ugh!" Leo stomped his hooves in a foalish display of anger. "I hate you all!" He shouted, suddenly turning heel and bolting in the other direction.

"Leo-" Abigail started, being abruptly cut off by the slamming of a bedroom door in anger. The remaining three ponies stood in awkward silence. Princess Celestia looked guilty. Abigail looked concerned. Charles looked like if he wanted to disappear into the floor, making a perfect impression of a wallflower.

The princess sank to her flank, sitting down on the white rug. Charles brushed his coat with a hoof, and Abigail paced nervously, like the floor was hot and burning her hooves.

The princess observed Abigail closely. What she was doing was all-too familiar for the thousands-years-old alicorn.

"I should go check on him." Abigail said suddenly and quickly. "Make sure he's alright." She turned around, about ready to follow Leo's hoof steps.

"No." Princess Celestia said. Abigail froze suddenly.

"What? Why not? He's angry and needs my-"

"Charles, how long has she been doing this?" Princess Celestia asked. Charles, who was currently picking at a piece of fur on his chest looked up quickly.

"Since around last week." He stated, putting all four hooves back on the ground. "Just earlier she yelled at Leo for swearing."

"Doing what? What have I been doing?" Abigail looked at the two ponies, judging their expressions as the ponies judged her right back.

"You're acting like his mother." Princess Celestia finally said after a moment of silence.

"What? No, I'm not!" Abigail said exhaustively. "I just wanted to go check on him! Is that a crime?"

"No, it isn't." Princess Celestia looked to Charles for a moment, and then back to Abigail. "It's because you're inhabiting that body." She said, pointing a hoof at Abigail. "Firebird is Fiero's child in that body. It's giving you signals because you're genetically related. All those hormones going to your brain unrestricted. It's making you see Leo as your child, whether you like it or not."

"O-Oh." Abigail looked down. "I- guess that makes sense."

"I understand if you-"

"No, it's alright." She said, rubbing a hoof against her foreleg. "I just- I thought being a mother would come later in life. Like, much later in life. I was kind of thrust into this."

"You speak as if you are going to care for Leo like your own. It's like you've already made up your mind."

"I have. Of course I have... but it just sucks. Not Leo. I mean- this." She motioned to her body.

"I can agree with that." Charles quipped.

"I don't understand?" Princess Celestia looked back and forth between the two. "What's the problem?"

"Being old sucks." Abigail stated bluntly. "I'm over twice the age I was back on earth. I'm going to live for half as long, and even then not all those days will be enjoyable. I'm an old lady now." She sat down, poking the fat on her stomach. "I got old lady problems. This world is amazing. Magic, flying ponies... I wish I could enjoy it more."

Princess Celestia froze suddenly. She wasn't moving much before, but her breathing and blinking have seem to cease. Charles and Abigail looked up at her uncertainly. Ten-thousand years of age hid what she was thinking quite well, but the sudden change in movements made the two uneasy.

"Well..." She said, breaking the silence, but still staring at an indeterminate point in space. "I do have a solution to your problem." Abigail looked at Charles for a moment, eyebrow raised, before looking back at the Princess.

"What is it? Massages? Peti- I mean- Hooficures? Princess-approved weight-loss program?"

"Black magic."

"What?" Charles yelled suddenly. "B-Black magic? Like, the opposite of normal magic? The shit we hear in movies and TV-Shows all the time?" Abigail didn't say anything, but nodded her head along anyways.

"Indeed, the same one." Princess Celestia said. "I do not take this lightly. I only do this for I pity your current situation. And I do consider this dangerous." She stood up, continuing the pacing circle she was doing earlier when talking about Andrew. "Black magic is banned in all of Equestria. A few vile ponies have taken advantage of Black magic to make themselves more powerful. The reason it's so dangerous is due to the fact it has a mind of it's own. You don't control the magic, for the magic controls you."

"And you're going to, what?" Abigail asked. "Reverse our age?"

"Yes." She said simply. This earned shocked expressions and cold-hooves from the other two ponies. "The age-spell was developed during the founding of Equestria, a sort of way to defend against Discord pre-reformation. It's considered taboo due to the fact it doesn't quite like to listen to the caster." She explained. "It is very easy to accidentally turn a fifty-year-old into a five-year-old if the spell is in a bad mood that day."

"But can you- or the spell-" Charles shook his head. "Can it like- turn you into dust?"

"No." Princess Celestia said. "It only goes as far back as the month you were born. No further."

"Then I accept the risk!"

"And that's why- wait, what?" Princess Celestia took a double-take. "Excuse me?"

"I do too!" Abigail shouted. "I hate being old! I hate waking up with a bad neck! Get me out of this hellish-cycle!"

"Please!" Charles shouted. "This spell sounds awesome! Why doesn't everypony use this spell?"

"Because it involves Black magic?" Abigail said, slapping Charles across the head. "Were you even listening?"

"Ponies, calm yourselves." Princess Celestia catechized. "You do realize if I turn you both under the age of eighteen, you will be forced to live with somepony else? I can only get most ponies around the age they want. The spell, like I said, has a mind of it's own. In every sense, you will become a minor."

"Dunc care." Abigail shrugged. "Get me around eighteen, then."

"Turn me twenty-one so I can get drunk!" Charles shouted. Princess Celestia could only stare in awe as the two ponies were so actively eager to have Black magic performed on them. She regained her focus quickly, though.

"One of the many reasons why Black magic is dangerous is due to the fact it has no 'undo' button. If one messes up, there is no going back. Unicorn age-spells last, at most, a week. That's due to the spell holding the age together. With Black magic, it's an entirely physical transformation. Once the spell is done, it leaves the pony. If I mess up your age, it's over."

"Do it!" Abigail shouted. Princess Celestia scrunched her muzzle, almost disgusted at the blatant disregard for themselves. Then again, she wondered, she was the one to bring it up in the first place.

"Alright, fine." Her ears and head drooped in submission. "Just- stay still a moment. Abigail, you can go first."

"Hell yeah!"

Leo laid on his bed in his luxurious bedroom. The floor and walls were made from expertly crafted marble, and sunlight poured through the blue-stained glass, illuminating the foal face-down in his pillows.

He wasn't crying, rather just laying there, hooves spread out in four directions. He was confused and frustrated. Confused on why he acted like an inconsolable child, and frustrated at himself for getting so angry at something so small and trivial.

He chuckled softly into his pillow as he had a realization.

He had just yelled at the ruler of Equestria. The monarch of the throne, the immortal alicorn Princess Celestia. The same ruler who had fought a bloody war against the Griffon Empire not-too long ago. The same ruler who was forced to banish her own sister to the moon for a fucking millennia. The same ruler who fought tooth and nail to freeze the literal embodiment of chaos... and won.

He had just shouted at her... and lived.

What a strange world he now lived in.

A knock sounded across the room as he stopped his chuckling. He buried his face deeper into the pillow.

He knew he was acting like a child, and he also knew that he should probably be concerned. But he didn't.

They knocked again.

"Fine. What do you want?" He muffled through his pillow. The click of a latch and the creaking of an old door opening signaled to Leo that the pony had entered the room.

"I just want to check on you."

Leo froze his breathing.

That didn't sound like pony-Abigail... That sounded almost exactly like human-Abigail.

Slowly, he raised his head off his pillow. A motion he found surprisingly comfortable to do, especially after getting neck pains from doing the same motion as a human. What stood in front of him confused him dearly. The Abigail he had seen mere moments ago had a faded gray coat and an even more faded gray mane. She was had bags under her eyes of age and a noticeable chub.

Now, however... The pony who once slouched stood tall. Very, very tall. She looked incredibly thin. Her gray coat was instead replaced by a snow-white that almost radiated warmth. her mane, which was previously scrunched up, now flowed freely. Instead of it's old, faded gray, it was replaced with an embarrassingly hot-pink that traveled down her neck and around her sides.

Still no cutiemark.

"What the?" Leo said, extra confused. Her eyes were a horrifying red, but still shone kindness down. She smiled dearly as she trotted towards him.

"Yes, it's me. Yes, I know I look good." She said with an ear-splitting smile. Leo noticed how absolutely thin she looked. There was barely any meat on her bones. She was tall. Super tall. She might've stood at the same height at Princess Luna, honestly.

"Uhh-" Leo said, swallowing his spit. "How's the weather up there?"

"Pretty humid." She said, looking around. "Nopony dusts their shelves, apparently." She looked down at Leo. "Mind if I sit?" If she wasn't biologically his mother, he would've said she looked hot.

"Uhh- Sure, go ahead." He sat up, scooting away. Despite looking thin, she apparently weighted a metric ton, judging about how much the bed sagged as she sat down.

"Very comfy. Now- I know- HEY!" She slapped a wandering hoof away from her pelvis. "What were you doing down there?"

"Well- I mean-" He peeked his head around her hooves. "You haven't- I mean- Uhh..."

"What? What is it?"

"I mean- it physically looks like you haven't had any children?"

"Do you mean my boobs?" She looked down herself. "Yeah, they look not-saggy."

"Yeah. That's weird."

"Please stop staring at my tits."

"Okay." Leo looked at the rest of her instead. "How did this happen?"

"Well- I told Princess Celestia how much I hated being old. She told me about an illegal spell that could revert our ages back to anything we wanted!" She spread her hooves wide. "Man, it feels amazing being not-old! So much energy!" She twisted her torso, cracking her back as she did so.

"How old are you now?" Leo asked.

"Well- I asked to be eighteen. She accidentally got me down to seventeen instead."

"Wait- you're a minor?"

"Yup."

"I just touched your tits."

"You're a minor, too."

"Oh, yeah. Right." He shook his head. "She can just do that, though? Revert your age?"

"Apparently?" She flicked her hair with her hoof, watching the unnatural color fall down. "Kinda scares me how much power she has. Lucky she didn't flatten you like a bug when she had the chance." She laughed kindly, half-shoving Leo.

"Yeah, lucky me..." He added his own laugh back, trying to push her as well. Instead, it was like pushing a brick wall. She looked thin, but oh man, was she heavy. "How did she 'accidentally' get you down to seventeen? Isn't that kinda hard to mess up?"

"The age-spell she used had a mind of it's own. She could only get me roughly around the age I wanted. Well- she turned me seventeen instead of eighteen. With the way she described it, makes it almost sound like a miracle I got so lucky. She's a scarily powerful alicorn, so I don't know how much of that was pure luck and how much of that was skill."

"Couldn't she age you back up?"

"She said she'd rather not. Something about aging backwards is safer than aging forwards. More risk going forwards. Doesn't matter, though, because I am enjoying this new body!" She yelled stretching out on the bed. She let herself flop down, her pink belly exposed to the air above her. She kept stretching, hooves high above her head.

"Leo, stop touching my tits."

"-Sorry. They just look so- flat."

"They are still my boobs."

"Fine."

"That's not a conversation I wanted to walk in on." A regal voice spoke. Both Leo and Abigail shot up, looking at the doorway. Surely enough, a regal pony known as the 'scarily powerful alicorn' walked in. Leo's face was overtaken by a blush. As did Abigail's.

"P-Princess Celestia!" Abigail sputtered, suddenly playing with her mane. "How's- uhh- how's Charles? He good?"

"Mostly." She chuckled softly. "He did come out a bit- younger?" She cocked her head to the side, looking behind her. "Come on out."

"Do I have to?" A young voice spoke. Immediately, Leo shoved a hoof into his own mouth, biting down painfully as he forced himself not to laugh.

"Yes, come on." She catechized, using a wing to push the foal forwards. "Unfortunately, the spell was less kind to Charles. He asked for twenty-one. The spell instead chose- well... twelve."

"Holy shit!" Leo suddenly yelled, laughter taking over his soul as he clutched his stomach.

The foal standing in front of them was positively adorable. His coat was a very dark gray. Darker than when he was old. His mane was in a form of buzz-cut, taking the shade of a dark blue like the ocean. His eyes were a yellow, and they were currently directed squarely on the floor.

"Not funny!" He said, pawing at the floor. "Not funny."

"Bro, you are a child!"

"I'm like, the same age as you!"

"Nope, I'm fourteen! It's only two years, but why do you look so freakin' young?"

"Language!" Abigail yelled, thwacking Leo on the head softly. He yiped, rubbing the sore spot.

"I said freaking!"

"I have an answer." Princess Celestia said. The ponies turned expectantly towards the monarch. "Mr. Blazer was born short." And Leo started laughing yet again. Abigail, however, wore a look of deep concern.

"What's wrong?" Princess Celestia asked. Abigail's gaze flicked up momentarily before looking back at the floor.

"You mentioned if we were all under aged, we had to go live with somepony else."

"Indeed, that's true." Princess Celestia said. Now, Leo and Charles both stopped their bickering- or rather, one way bullying- and started focusing on the unraveling situation.

"Are we- going to the orphanage?" She asked, rubbing her hind legs with her forelegs.

"Heavens, no." Princess Celestia laughed. "I have faith in our foster-care system, but I'm not cold. No, I do have a better idea. You are all unicorns." Charles touched his head, feeling the protrusion. "And yet not one of you know a single spell yet. I know a certain somepony to solve that issue."

"Princess Celestia wants me to do WHAT?" Twilight Sparkle yelled, clutching the scroll in her hooves.

"Geez, take it easy, Twilight." Spike, her ever-so-faithful assistant said, rubbing the side of his head. "What's so bad about a letter from the princess?"

"Oh, nothing much, only to mother three children!" She shouted, turning the scroll around and showing Spike. Spike took it in his claws, reading it over.

"Well- it's not so bad. I mean, they all seem pretty independent." Spike rolled the scroll up, letting it dangle at his side uselessly. "Plus, I'd be nice to have some company every once in a while in the library."

"B-But, I'm not a mother!" She yelled, turning heel and trotting in a large circle around the library's main floor. "Mom is a mom! Not me! I can't do this!"

"Twilight, calm down! It seems like Princess Celestia wants you to just watch over them. You aren't actually their mom. Plus- did you even read the part about teaching them spells?"

"Teaching-what-now?" She turned her head 180 degrees in a borderline painful maneuver.

"Yeah." Spike unrolled the scroll again. "It looks like she wants you to teach them some basic spells like levitation."

"Oh- Well- That's not so bad, then." Twilight said, yet still pacing. "Just raise three foals. No problem."

"Twilight. One of them is seventeen. And here it says they're all siblings."

"Do they have names?"

"Yeah, hold on." He read it up and down. "Here. Bright Spark, Sunny Skies, and Mustang."

Author's Note

7/22/22 UPDATE

Suggestions from NanoMouse made me rewrite half the chapter. I think it makes more sense now. Thanks, NanoMouse.