Harbinger Rising

Twilight hurried into the large waiting room of Harmony's hospital. Several ponies took up seats here and there, most of them with drawn, tired expressions. At this time of the night if they were waiting for a friend or loved one it probably meant something serious. Normally Twilight would have been a bit more compassionate and a whole lot more curious, but she was on a mission. Her dark purple eyes swept to the back of the room and found three of her four best friends waving her down to where they waited.

“I got here as fast as I could,” she told them, trotting down to meet them. “I was up at Canterlot when I found out and wanted to go home first to tell Clover.”

“Good decision,” said Applejack. She set aside the magazine she'd been flipping through and glanced at the foal tucked into her Pony Bjorn to make sure he was still asleep. “Ain't no tellin' how long it could be.”

“I'm so excited!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing. “Another new baby! I LOVE new babies!”

Fluttershy sat and tucked her one wing in close to her body. “Why were you at Canterlot, Twilight? If you don't mind me asking, of course.”

“Princess Celestia wanted to talk to me.” Twilight glanced down the length of the waiting room and noticed Wild Hope for the first time. The young pegasus sat with her back to the group, her gaze out the window and into the dark. “If Hope is here and Soarin is with Dash, who's with Palette and Aero?”

Applejack grinned. “I told Pokey he could handle 'em.”

Twilight's eyes widened. “Good thing Lucky Star and Cortland are there.”

“Actually,” piped Pinkie, “they're not there. They're here. Well not HERE here, obviously or you'd be able to see them because they're not invisible. Unless!” She gasped and grabbed Twilight by her withers. “Has Lucky learned an invisibility spell? I want to be invisible!” Letting go of her friend, Pinkie turned in circles. “Lucky, I want to be invisible!”

Ignoring the excited pink mare, Twilight looked past her to Applejack. “Why are they here?”

“You know these kids,” smirked the earth pony. “One of 'em goes somewhere the rest have to go. Remind you of anypony?”

Fluttershy smiled softly. “That's what best friends do. Morning Glory wanted to be here for Hope as soon as she heard.”

“Which meant Dark Cloud wanted to be here,” added Applejack.

“Jubilee was still awake when I got the news.” Pinkie stopped sniffing around for invisible ponies and straightened. “Of course she wanted to come, too!”

“An' ran right to my house to tell Lucky an' Cortland which led to us findin' Hope an' me offerin' Pokey up as a foalsitter.”

Pinkie nodded. “Braeburn went over with Spice Drops to help.”

Unable to stop herself from chuckling quietly, Twilight shook her head. “Those poor stallions, having to watch three very energetic boys. Should I go back home and wake up Clover again? He could take Sweet Dreams over there and help. Where's Big Macintosh?”

“He worked too long of a day to be able to stay awake for much,” said Fluttershy quietly. “He's home with Solara and Bailey Sweet.”

Applejack waved a hoof. “Don't wake anypony up again, Twi, especially your little girl. They'll be fine.”

Nodding, Twilight sighed quietly and sat herself beside Fluttershy. Her eyes wandered, settling eventually on Fluttershy's side. Her coat had grown over the area where her wing had once been but there was a slight puckering to the skin underneath and the color was paler than the rest of her fur, like somepony had stuck a patch over the spot that had been damaged so deeply. It always made Twilight a little sad to see, though Fluttershy had adjusted better than anyone expected. Her mechanical wing helped, of course, though it couldn't have been an easy transition. But Fluttershy had handled it with her usual grace and quiet thankfulness.

“What's taking them so long?” Pinkie asked, blue eyes trained on the door and brow furrowed.

“Foals don't just pop out, Pinkie,” Twilight reminded. “You should know, you've had two!”

The pink mare giggled. “I don't mean Dashie and the baby. I mean the snacks!”

“Snacks?”

“Oh yes,” said Fluttershy, “the others went to the vending machines. Poor Hope is so nervous for her mother, they thought some snacks might help distract her.”

Twilight looked around her friends once more. Wild Hope was in the exact spot and in the same position she'd been since Twilight got there. Getting back to her hooves, she decided to go talk to the young mare herself instead of just talking about her and waiting for anypony else to try and help her feel better. Twilight curved her lips up into a smile as she drew close to the window and sat beside the pegasus. “How are you doing, Hope?”

The heavy-lidded pony turned rosy eyes to the unicorn and offered a strained smile in return. “I'm all right. How are you, Twilight?”

“Couldn't be better.” Twilight looked outside as well and found the source of distraction. While they were all apparently supposed to be getting snacks, there were five ponies outside doing rather amusing and silly things. Morning Glory and Dark Cloud were forming the night clouds into different shapes before making them dance through the sky. Down below was a peach colored earth pony with a blonde and pink mane, a cutie mark of a bitten into apple on her flank. She and another earth pony, a lanky handsome stallion with a coat the color of creamy coffee and a wavy mane and tail of blonde and silver, a cutie mark of an apple and an apple slice on his flank, took turns grabbing apples from a bucket and chucking them into the air.

“Why are Jubilee and Cortland-” Twilight's unfinished question was answered in the form of an explosion. Apple chunks and sparks flew through the sky and every pony outside laughed, cheered, and applauded for more.

“Lucky,” Twilight muttered.

Sure enough her son was out there. He stood off to the side with a grin on his face and concentration in his blueish purple eyes. His gray-lavender coat and his spiky black and blue mane and tail were covered in sticky bits of apple, so much so that it was hard to see all the stars of his cutie mark, even the biggest, most prominent one. His horn glowed with a blue aura of magic and another apple exploded above them. With a wide smile on his face, he turned to look in at Wild Hope. Seeing his mother sitting there next to her, a look of deep disapproval on her face, his grin immediately faded. The others noticed his change and turned as well. Just like Lucky, they came down from their silly high just catching Twilight's raised brow.

“Don't be mad them,” Hope begged quietly. “They were just trying to take my mind off of things.”

Twilight's lips were pursed and she sighed through her nose. “Inside,” she mouthed. “After you clean yourselves up.” She didn't have to be able to hear them through the thick glass or even have to read their lips to know they were all grumbling as they headed out of sight. Twilight turned her head to look at Wild Hope and noticed, perhaps for the first time ever, there was worry behind the usually serene

expression. “Everything's going to be fine, Hope. Your mom's been through this before. She's knows what she's doing.” The pegasus nodded mutely and Twilight's brow furrowed. “Is there something else bothering you?”

Hope shook her head and forced a small smile but her lack of an actual answer only made Twilight press harder. “We're all here for you. You know that, don't you? We're all family and family helps each other when help is needed. If you need somepony to talk to I've been told I'm a very good listener.” Hope glanced at her and Twilight rolled her eyes. “Okay, nopony's ever actually told me that. In fact I've been told I don't listen well enough, especially when something else is on my mind. But when you're trying to understand text and spells that are over a hundred years old you need every bit of concentration. Some ponies are just rude and impatient, and...” Another look from Hope had Twilight catching herself. Her ears dropped and an embarrassed smile crept over her lips. “Okay, so maybe I haven't always been the best listener. But I can try now.”

Taking a breath in, Hope turned to fully face the unicorn. “She's an alicorn, isn't she? The new baby, I mean.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “What do you...I mean, it doesn't have to be a girl. Before Celestia and Luna it was a male and a female alicorn, but that's beside the point. Why would you think that?”

“I saw you teleport to the castle tonight. Please don't be angry. I was up in the mountains with Glory and Cloud, and before I left I saw your magic. And then I went home and Mom was in so much pain...”

“Oh, Hope.” Twilight shook her head and touched a hoof to Hope's cheek. “No, sweetheart, I'm not mad. The princess asked to talk to me about something completely different. My reason for being there had nothing to do with your mother. You have my word on that.”

Relief washed over the younger mare's face. “Really?”

“Really. Having a foal is painful, trust me. But I know she'll be okay and everything is going to be fine. Pretty soon you'll have a brand new baby sister or brother and all of this worry will be something you look back on and laugh.”

Hope hugged Twilight. “Thank you. I was really worried. I know it's important that another alicorn is found and that the princesses are tired, but I wouldn't wish that kind of life on anypony, let alone my own sibling.”

Twilight pulled back and nodded sadly. “To live beyond the years of your family and your closest friends wouldn't be easy for anypony.” She glanced behind them to where Fluttershy sat talking quietly with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “If Solara decides to study under the princess and chooses to be her successor it won't be easy on anypony, especially Fluttershy and Big Macintosh. Fluttershy's already lost so much.”

“Morning Glory pretends she's happy for Solara and supports her but she doesn't really want her to become the next Sun Princess.”

“Of course she doesn't.” Twilight gave a sad smile. “But somepony will have to take her place eventually, and no matter who it ends up being there will be heartbreak.” She took a cleansing breath. “Let's not talk about that now though. This is a night to celebrate, not to be sad!” She wrinkled her brow and looked toward the doorway. “Now where is my sticky son and the rest of the troublemakers?”

On cue, five young ponies came trotting into the waiting room, all laughing quietly until they saw the adults. Lucky had a magical grip on a variety of junk food items and floated them over to where Hope and Twilight waited. Morning Glory nuzzled her best friend and Cortland hugged Wild Hope from the other side. Twilight took a few steps back as Lucky, Jubilee and Dark Cloud began divvying out their sugary booty. It was impossible to stay mad or even a little irritated at the group, watching them come together to cheer up a worried friend. They all cared for one another so deeply, it was obvious in the way they laughed, talked, even touched to offer comfort.

“Amazin' to watch, ain't it?”

Rejoining her friends, Twilight nodded. The four mares watched the children, all of them no longer foals but not quite adults. “I don't think I ever noticed before this moment how close they all are.”

“They would do anything for one another,” agreed Fluttershy. “Even Cloud and Glory.”

Pinkie Pie snickered. “Those two will get married someday. Just you watch.”

“So will Cort and Hope,” teased Twilight. This drew a frown from Applejack.

“Yeah, what about Jubilee an' Lucky?”

Twilight made a face. “Okay, let's not talk about that. Nopony is marrying anypony else for a long, long time.” She watched her son specifically for a moment. When he laughed his eyes crinkled at the edges, just like Clover's. He took a bite out of something chocolate and stuck his tongue out in disgust. Jubilee, right beside him, gobbled it up promptly and grinned wide and innocent. It only made the young stallion laugh. It was then that he turned, as if sensing eyes upon him. He met his mother's gaze and gave her a tentative smile, asking without words if she was upset with him. But Twilight's smile was warm in return and she gave a small shake of her head. Of course she wasn't. How could she be?

Suddenly the energy in the room changed. A collective gasp was drawn and all of the ponies at the front of the waiting room, sad or not, dropped themselves to the floor in a bow of respect. Princess Celestia dipped her head to them before moving closer to speak words of comfort. Luna all but ignored them and headed for the group at the back of the room.

“Luna!” exclaimed Pinkie, throwing her forelegs around her best friend.

Twilight's brow wrinkled. “Luna?”

“Hey, Mom.” Dark Cloud trotted over with a mouth full of chewing gum. “What are you doing here?”

“I knew it.” Wild Hope's voice was tremulous and soft, but it was hard to miss. From amid her group of friends she looked at the night princess with sad eyes.

“We cannot be certain until the foal is born,” Luna told her. “It is possible an alicorn is being born elsewhere as we speak.”

Hope's expression did not change. “Possible,” she repeated. “How likely?”

Luna glanced behind her to where Celestia was comforting a pegasus stallion. “Not very.”

“But it is possible,” Cortland pressed, rubbing Hope's withers.

Morning Glory smiled at Hope. “An' if it is an alicorn, you got me to talk to. Best friends, remember?”

As if finally realizing what was going on, a look of understanding crossed Dark Cloud's face and he rejoined his friends, leaving the adults in their own clump together. “Did you know when I was as the palace tonight?” Twilight asked, hurt.

“No. Well, not entirely. Perhaps a little bit.”

“How can you 'little bit' know something?” The unicorn scowled. “You either knew or you didn't.”

“It is not as simple as you would think, Twilight. It was not until after you left that I felt it.”

“Felt what?” Applejack asked.

“A shift in my magic. It was something like the breaking of my bond with the Elements of Harmony after Tia and I used them to capture Discord, and again when I was freed from the power of Nightmare Moon.”

Fluttershy's eyes were wide. “Like you lost some of your magic?”

“For lack of a better description, yes.” Luna frowned. “And a certain emptiness.”

The meaning of a new alicorn being born, even if it wasn't Rainbow and Soarin's foal, settled on all of them. Pinkie's tight hug around the neck of her best friend slowly loosened and she sagged into a sitting position beside the alicorn. Her blue eyes filled with tears, not the silly, over-dramatic kind she was famous for, but real tears that spoke volumes of her sorrow.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie.” Luna lowered her head and nuzzled Pinkie's wet pink cheek. “Please don't cry. This means nothing.”

“It means you're going to die!”

“Shhh.” Luna soothed as much to calm Pinkie as to try and keep the mare's voice lower. “Yes, I will pass on, as will Tia. But not for many years to come. It takes a great deal of time to train new rulers. There is a good chance that you will die before I do. The same can be said for my son.” Luna wrapped a hoof around Pinkie and pulled her into a tight hug, glancing over her head to take in the solemn expression on Dark Cloud's face. “Please stop crying, Pinkie Pie. You are the one pony I cannot bear to see sad.”

“Only if you Pinkie Promise to let me die first!”

The other three shared looks that said, 'Oh, Pinkie,' but Luna smirked. “I can't make that promise, Pinkie, but I will try my hardest to let you die first.”

Twilight looked at the children again and found Wild Hope doing her best to keep herself from crying. She and Dark Cloud sat closest together, both saddened over the news for different reasons. Their friends were all silent now, but all found a way to be touching them, as though their physical contact could somehow keep the two together if not make them feel better. For some reason it reminded her of the day she'd watched Spike and Rarity buried. She, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie had clung to one another and mourned together. They shared laughter and they shared the deepest pain. And looking at the group of young mares and stallions, something clicked into place.

She could see them as the next generation of the saviors of Equestria. Wild Hope, strong, caring, sympathetic. She would definitely be the Element of Kindness. Dark Cloud, not the brightest of the bunch but honest to the point of harshness at times, the Element of Truth. Morning Glory, who loved her family and friends with such a fierceness, would do absolutely anything for them, would be the Element of Loyalty. Loving Cortland often put the needs of others before his own and never complained, his joy coming from giving to others and making them happy would be the Element of Generosity. Jubilee was just like her mother in that she loved to make ponies smile and bring sheer to their lives. She was an obvious choice for the Element of Laughter. And then there was Lucky Star, her own son. Well he was all of those combined in Twilight's eyes. Was it fair that he should be the Element of Magic by default, because there was no other unicorn in the group? And his being the only unicorn made the group itself imbalanced.

“Twilight.”

The unicorn blinked and looked for her mentor, her voice breaking through Twilight's daydreaming. Locating her to the side of the waiting room, Twilight excused herself from the group of her friends and trotted over the where the sun princess waited. “Something tells me you have found those that would make your company in Stableside.”

Twilight turned her head toward the children again and nodded slowly, unaffected and used to the uncanny way Celestia just seemed to know things. “I think so. But it doesn't make sense. It's imbalanced. There's only one unicorn.”

“Imbalanced to you, perhaps. Part of having faith, dear Twilight, is trusting even when something doesn't make perfect sense to you.”

Looking up at Celestia, Twilight shook her head. “I don't think it's an issue of faith, Princess.”

“Don't you? Is is my experience that everything comes down to faith. Faith that there will be another day, another hour, another minute...another breath when I next breathe in.”

“They're not ready.”

Celestia's eyes twinkled. “Is that what your head tells you?”

“My head, my eyes. Look at them! They're barely out of their foalhood, all of them. If this situation in Stableside is as serious as some of the things my friends and I have faced...”

“And what does your heart tell you?”

This was always a question she hated answering. After the war when Twilight really began spending time with Celestia, becoming more her companion than a young student, it was a question the princess often presented to her when a big decision needed to be made. It required thinking with emotion rather than logic, and not a thing the cerebral unicorn was fond of doing.

“My heart tells me their bonds will never be stronger than they are at this very moment.” She tried to shut her brain off and simply feel. “Look at the way they all sort of move as one. They're comforting one another without words or anything. When one moves one way, another moves to compensate. For each weakness there is a strength in another pony and for every moment of doubt there is courage in one another.” Twilight felt her throat tighten. “They love each other dearly, better than I think even we, their parents, have ever really understood.”

“You have always had those same ties to your friends, Twilight. Do not discount that.” Celestia smiled patiently. “It was your friendship, those unbreakable bonds that first united you to defeat Nightmare Moon. It was your bonds that allowed you to overpower Discord and Queen Chrysalis. And without the strength of your friendships, the way you each moved and compensated, offered strength when there was weakness, showed courage when there was doubt, the Revenant would not have been slain.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Does that mean Lucky really is the Element of Magic by default? Because I don't think-”

“The Elements are no more, Twilight. This new world has no need of them.” The princess shook her head. “You're thinking too much.”

“But if there is a new enemy and we don't have the Elements or something comparable-”

“Faith.” Twilight's mouth opened slightly as things fell into place and Celestia nodded. “The Creator knows, Twilight. And has made all things to work for our good for those that would have faith and believe.”

Color seeped into the unicorn's cheeks and her ears folded back. “I guess in all the time I've spent studying I've forgotten the one thing I really should study over and over.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We'll leave first thing in the morning. But, Princess, can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Mind helping me convince their parents that I'm not drunk on cider when I ask to take their eldest children with me on a potentially dangerous mission in a town they've never seen before?”