My Little Pony XXIV: Now About 200% Longer Than Firefly

[Kris Strife]

So, a bit belatedly, I watched - well, it's yesterday's episode now!

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Bugger that. We've got enough "redeemable" villains already in this show, let's have at least one who is out-and-out villainous - about as Chaotic Evil as you're going to get in this sort of program...) I mean, for crying out loud, people are trying to redeem Blueblood and Gilda!

s2

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I never implied redeemability, I just said I'd prefer it if Discord hadn't been a 100% pure for the EVULZ villain. I would have liked to have seen him be a little sad at broken Twilight, for the same reason Q would have been sad if Picard had just quit.

Have him accept his defeat, be a good sport about it, strike a funny pose, etc.

*Throws out a packet of (magical) bacon*

More of that to anyone who defects!

*sues for Copyright Infringement*

Blarg. Having to resume such an odd shift is tiring. Kris, I know I still owe you a RP post, you'll get it tomorrow. As for now, everypony have a new Excerpt, if the grammar is a little bad, it's because I'm damn exhausted.

How To Care For A Newborn Foal

Excerpt 1

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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 newborn 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 an 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 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 coat, and saw that her skin was bright red. 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.

Excerpt 2:

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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 broke 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 filly 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.

Excerpt 3:

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Luna was aware of the irony of her situation.

Things had changed in the thousand years that Luna had been away. The main time that petitioners came to the court to request judgement on their grievances was now in the evening, the time when day and night met, while both sisters were awake. Even in this late hour, Luna was not alone. She had a horde of servants, cooks, guards, and handmaidens ready to attend to her every need. She had even slowly begun to notice that ponies were staying up later than she recalled a thousand years ago, and that they used the night for play and revelry.

That wasn't even getting into the hundreds, if not thousands of works of art, story, and song that had been made about the grace and beauty of the night.

In other words, Luna and the night had the love, companionship, and respect that she had so jealously craved as Nightmare Moon. How funny it seemed that she didn't want any of that now. How much of a burden it was now.

Finally having a moment to herself, she strode on to her balcony and looked out on Equestria. Her gaze focused in the same direction that it had last night, the night before it, and for the past few weeks. She looked far past Canterlot to the small country town in the distance. Such an insignificant little town in all respects.

Save her heart was there.

She entertained a brief fantasy. Descending down on that small town, and spiriting away those three in the night. She would bring them back to the castle, to Canterlot, and make a home there. Twilight would resume her studies in Canterlot, and Trixie would have an even grander audience to perform to. Together, the three would raise their child, the filly that had stolen her heart from her. They would live and laugh together, as a family...

But no. She could not do that.

Ponyville was home to Twilight and Trixie, and they had fought hard to make it their home. She could not take them away from the place they loved most in the world, away from the friends and life they had forged and tempered so painstakingly. It was more than that, though. Her daughter deserved a chance to have a normal life. That she was the only child thus far from the Princesses would ensure that would never happen, could never happen if she were to grow up in the court of Canterlot and be surrounded by it's chaos. She would be seen as a pawn to be used by nobles jockeying for position and favor, and that thought terrified Luna. No, it would be better for her this way. Better for the three of them.

Even if it felt like Luna's heart was torn from it's chest.
Oh yes, Luna was well aware of the irony of her situati-

”Princess?” interrupted one of her handmaidens. “We have lunch prepared for you in the dining room.”

Her thoughts now jumbled by the words of the servant, she nodded and said, “Very well, I will be there in a moment.”

Luna was about to follow, when her keen eyes spotted something. The magical green ashes of a letter inbound.

That was unusual. Even with Trixie's letters to her, she usually woke up to them. Why would they be writing to her-or Celestia, she supposed-at this time of night? She swiftly unrolled the scroll once it manifested.

Luna,
Midnight's sick, come quickly!
-Twilight

Luna felt her throat constrict. Her duty and position meant nothing at that moment. Already she was weaving a spell she hadn't used since she was the Nightmare. Her body dissolved into stars and mist, and she swept away from the palace, shooting towards the important little town at speeds that could rival the fastest pegasus pony.

Closer to the town, her senses picked up something of interest. Apparently they had sent another letter, as a second patch of green mist and ash escaped from the library. Yet, this one was not headed for the castle. In fact, Luna could not figure out for the life of her why they had sent a letter in that direction.

After all, it was towards the Everfree Forest.

Excerpt 4:

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”MIDNIGHT! MIDNIGHT!” Trixie screamed, springing from her chair in hot pursuit of the magic mist that their daughter had become. She pushed past Twilight, who stumbled to the floor, so shocked at what had just happened that her mind freezed up. It was only until she realized that Trixie was about to spring from the window did her brain start working again. Trixie’s hooves were just at the windowsill when Twilight caught her in her magic, stopping her in her tracks.

“Trixie, stop!”

“T-Twilight? Let me go!” Trixie screamed at the betrayal, her legs kicking helplessly in the air, trying to find purchase to dig in. “Our daughter! Our daughter is out there! Let me go!”

“You’re going to leap out the top-floor window! You can’t help Midnight with four broken legs!” Twilight yelled. “Calm down, Trixie! I-I’m sure that if she copied the transit spell, that she’s with Luna right now!”

It was a logical thought, and it was one that Twilight was clinging to, to keep herself from panicing and leaping out the window in pursuit herself. Trixie let out a soft whimper, straining for a moment against Twilight’s magic, but she finally gave in, no longer trying to dash herself to the cold ground below.

“How did she do that anyways, Twilight?” Spike asked, his eyes wide. It was a question that Twilight was trying to puzzle out herself. How did she do that? She had no idea. Perhaps it was some sort of instinctual mimicry? Midnight couldn’t possibly know the complex imagry that the spell required. It must have been some fashion of mimicry, but she shouldn’t of had access to that level of magic to call upon! She was just a little foal! What was...what was....

No! There was no need for panic. There was no need for panic. They would wait for Luna, Midnight would almost certainly be with her, and they would all solve this together. She released Trixie, who pulled herself reluctantly from the window, just in time for a cloud of mist and stars to flow in after her. Twilight inhaled. Luna had responded quickly, no doubt because Midnight was with her. She wouldn’t want her fellow mothers to worry for too long. The stars and mist coalesced, the dark beauty of Princess Luna taking form.

Midnight didn’t.

“Where is she? What’s wrong with her?” Luna immediatly inquired, stepping forwards to meet with her two fellow parents. Her eyes widened as she beheld the mortified looks on Twilight and Trixie’s faces, as reality came crashing down upon them.

Midnight wasn’t with her.

Luna gasped as Trixie immediatly pulled away from them. She galloped down the stairs, crashed through the front doors, and shattered the peace of Ponyville’s night with her cries, as if their child could respond to her. Luna looked at Twilight, who was struggling to refrain from taking off after Trixie to help her. The Princess needed to know what was going on.

“P-Princess...”

“Twilight, what’s going on? Where is Midnight?”

“We thought...We thought she was with you!” She explained to Luna everything that had happened, how sick Midnight had been, and how she somehow mimiced the letter transit spell, only with her body. As Twilight explained, Luna’s face drained of color.

“Oh no...oh no...I saw her, Twilight! I saw the smoke headed into the Everfree Forest!” Luna said, and Twilight staggered. A terrible image exploded into her mind. One of her tiny daughter, sick and helpless, lost in the Everfree Forest. Laying on the cold ground, exposed to the elements, and surrounded by hydras, dragons, and cocaktrice. Easy prey.

Twilight heaved, her hoof going to her mouth, as she nearly lost the contents of her stomach. Luna moved to help her, but Twilight forced it down. She couldn’t afford to be sick.

“SPIKE!” She yelled, and the baby dragon leapt to her call, clearly eager to help in any way he could. “Go get the others, and tell them what happened! Get them to organize search parties, and catch up with us!”

“I’m on it, Twilight! But where are you going?”

“Where do you think? There’s no time to wait for them, we’re going to catch up with Trixie, and get our daughter back!”



Deep in the Everfree,
A tiny voice cried out in need,
The forest heeded the call.

I already told you don't worry about it too much. No rush on that post.

Also, loving these. Again, they still run into the Prequel issue for me, but I'd prefer that to some kind of twist ending.