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“TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!!”
Twilight groaned, and covered her head with her pillow. Trixie had only gotten up a couple of minutes ago, damn it! It was her turn anyways! One thing that the books had never warned her about was how often a parent would need to get up to tend to a newborne foal. Perhaps they didn’t mention it because the authors were afraid that nopony would ever become a parent knowing that. Sleep was becoming a luxury, and other, more enjoyable, nocturnal activites were rapidly becoming the dream of a previous life.
If she didn’t know better, she would have believed that Luna had done something to their daughter to ensure that Midnight would be a night pony. Perhaps they shouldn’t have named her after a time of night, too...
That brought them to tonight. MIdnight had been especially fussy, and both of them had been forced to be up with her multiple times already. Finally, finally, it seemed like she had settled down for a couple of hours, only for the peace of the house to be broken by weak crying. But it was Trixie’s turn this time, and she wasn’t going to get up! She was probably only messing up the diaper again anyways. Twilight couldn’t figure out how somepony who was so good with knots, was so terrible with tying up a diaper.
Of course, Twilight had to admit she was jealous on how easily Trixie was able to get Midnight to eat. She supposed that she had a edge in that department anyways.
No, she would just roll over, and pretend to be asl-
“TWILIGHT, SHE’S SICK!”
It was amazing how quickly she could move. She was halfway to the nursery before she knew it. She threw open the door, any trace of sleepiness gone. She nearly tripped over Spike, who, of course, was still asleep. It was truly amazing how deep that dragon could sleep.
For a moment, she thought it was Trixie who was the one who was sick. Trixie was paler than Twilight had ever seen her, save for the day of the reunion. The only thing breaking up that pallid look were her red-rimmed eyes. She looked frantically at Twilight, clutching the tiny bundle tightly against her protectively.
“S-she’s b-burning up...” Trixie choaked. Twilight swallowed down her own rising panic, and gently pushed in to check on her daughter. The fact that she wasn’t crying worried her...
She was shivering gently, and Midnight’s normally bright and vivid eyes were dulled with pain. Trembling, Twilight checked beneath her pelt, seeing that her skin was bright red, and her tiny horn was glowing, the occasional spark shooting forth from it. Midnight was letting out small little whimpers, her breathing was shallow, but stubborn. Twilight pressed a hoof gently against her forehead, and nearly recoiled. Trixie was right, Midnight was burning up, and it was a higher fever than she had been anticipating.
Those eyes looked up at her, already believing, knowing with all of her tiny heart, that her parents would be able to help her. To make the pain go away.
“W-What’s wrong with her? What do we do?” Trixie immediatly deferred to Twilight. This was not the time for pride, earned or not. Of the two of them, Twilight was most likely to know what to do, know how to help their weeks-old child...
“I...I...” Where was all the knowledge that she had prided herself in? Trixie and her daughter, they needed her, they were looking up at her, secure in the fact that she would think of something. Twilight Sparkle, most knowledagble pony in all of Equestria.
Nothing was coming to mind.
“I...don’t know...”
She never felt so helpless.
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It wasn't what Trixie wanted to hear.
"You don't know? You're telling me Princess Celestia's favorite student can beat an Ursa Minor, but she doesn't know what's wrong with her daughter?!" Trixie's voice raised, as she clutched Midnight tightly. She stared at Twilight accusingly, who flinched.
"I-I don't recognize the symptoms, Trixie! I mean, it's not that, I don't recognize this combination of symptoms! She's feverish, but not sweating! She's in pain, but I don't see where! I don't know why she's breathing so shallowly, there's nothing wrong with her chest, and I don't even know why her horn is glowing! A unicorn's horn shouldn't be glowing at all yet!" Twilight babbled out a defense, her own voice belying her panic. Why was she bringing up old wounds that hadn't been touched now of all times? It had been months since...
"You think you're Great and Powerful, but you can't do anything to help her!" Trixie yelled.
That was why.
Twilight rose up, and embraced Trixie. At the touch of her wife, Trixie immediately break down, sobbing against Twilight's chest. She kept a tight hold of Midnight, as if sheer contact could heal the pain their daughter was suffering.
"We have to help her...I can't lose her already..." Trixie whispered, and Twilight nuzzled at her comfortingly.
They were going to need help. But who? Ponyville didn't have a hospital, they had a clinic, and she doubted Nurse Redheart would be able to help much, she was an expert in Earth Pony health. Zecora was out, it was too dangerous to go through the Everfree Forest during the night, especially with a sick newborn in tow. Was there nopony else in Ponyville that could help them at this time of night?
Wait...how could she be so foalish? The answer had always been there.
"The Princesses!" Quill and scroll were already in the air. "Celestia will be asleep, but Luna..."
"Luna?" Trixie said uncertainly, when Twilight trailed off. Twilight had been reminded of a certain event that had happened only weeks ago.
It was still odd to them, Luna's heartfelt, almost desperate, request to be Midnight's parent, her 'third mother'. But then, they had accepted, hadn't they? That made her that third parent. That made this not just a matter of getting a Princesses help. She deserved to know that her daughter was sick, too.
Luna,
Midnight's sick, come quickly!
-Twilight
Not her most eloquent letter, but perhaps her most to-the-point.
"SPIKE!" The small dragon began to stir his his basket. He wearily lifted a head, sleepy eyes blinking.
"Twilight? Why are you-MMPHH!" His eyes widened, as the scroll was stuffed into his mouth. Reflexively, that green flame licked out of his mouth, burning the scroll into magical ashes, which floated out the window, to it's destination. Spike glared at Twilight. "What was that for? Couldn't you have asked like a normal pony?"
"Spike, Midnight's sick, we need Luna as quickly as possible." Twilight quickly explained, and Spike craned his neck, looking at the tiny bundle in Trixie's hooves.
"Oh, geez, the kid's sick? What's wrong with her?" Twilight bit her lip at Spike's question.
"That's what we're trying to figure out." She replied, turning back to her daughter.
Just in time to see Midnight's horn to catch on fire.
Trixie yelped, as green flames licked out from Midnight's forehead, the frightened newborn letting out a tiny little cry. Immediately the showmare's own horn flared, her magic creating a tiny raincloud, which rained down on mother and daughter. It did nothing to staunch the magical green flames.
Twilight rushed forwards, intent to do something, anything to help. Just inches away from them, her hoof outstretched, her magic at the ready, the fire flared brilliantly and consumed their daughter in an instant.
The magical ashes drifted out the window.
Originally Posted by EsperDerek
How To Care For A Newborn Foal
Re: My Little Pony XXIV: Now About 200% Longer Than Firefly
Hooooo boy. Did I pick a lousy time to get ninja'd or what?
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