Stelline gives birth

“What? I thought you said it would still take a while!” Regina said surprised.
“I know, my queen… I’m afraid we were wrong. The baby will be born today.” Tsuyo answered, surprise also showing in her voice.
“I got to go then… Will you come, Twinkle Star?” Regina asked her daughter.
“I will… I got to fetch Câlin first, though. She’s playing outside Stelline’s window, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Twinkle Star replied, and Regina agreed. Twinkle Star saw her mother quickly follow Tsuyo to Stelline’s room before she left the throne room herself.

“Wow…. So soon already.” Twinkle Star said to herself. She knew Stelline was about to give birth, but she had thought it would still take about a week, like the others. Yet, she was glad Stelline was soon to be relieved of her pregnancy. There was little left of the beautiful unicorn she once was, anyway. She hoped her strength would be restored after the baby was born. Maybe she could help with the birth… Aline should, but she was still in the new region. But her first concern was to get Câlin away from that window. It wouldn’t be right for a little girl like her to be so close to a birth. Especially not Câlin…

She left the castle and noticed Câlin was of course still at her garden. She wasn’t doing anything, Twinkle Star noticed. She was just observing the purple flowers. “Hello, Câlin.”
“Is something wrong?” Câlin asked. Twinkle Star shook her head, while she realised she could hear the ponies talking through the closed window.
“Nothing is wrong. You know Stelline, right?”
“The one with multiple souls  inside.” Câlin confirmed. Twinkle Star smiled at Câlins special way of explaining things.
“Yes… well, as you know she is carrying a baby. But right now, the baby will leave her, as it is able to live on it’s own.”
“Ooh…” Câlin looked impressed.

Twinkle Star suddenly wasn’t really sure what to do with Câlin. She couldn’t let her witness the birth; it wouldn’t be good for a girl her age to see such a thing, and she’d probably only be in the way. Yet, she couldn’t exactly leave Câlin alone either. Who knows how long it would take for the baby to be born.
“Listen, Câlin… I have to be there, to support Stelline… She’s my sister, after all. But I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for you to be there, too. It’s going to take a long time, and it’s not going to be nice to watch.”
“Can’t I see the baby?”
Twinkle Star smiled. “Of course you can. I just think it’s not such a good idea for you to see the baby being born. But once it’s born and cleaned, you can see her.”

“Then what am I going to do now?” Once again, Câlin stared at her with her big eyes. No wonder children were spoiled, Twinkle Star realised. She furiously hoped Stelline’s child wouldn’t have large round eyes like that.
“That’s what I came here to talk about with you. Tsuyo can’t look after you now; she’ll have to assist Stelline as well. What do you want to do? Will you be able to enjoy yourself?”
“Can’t I wait outside?”
“Well, yes, of course… but won’t that be boring for you?” Câlin furiously shook her head.

“Well, okay then… you can wait outside the door. Fleur and Ivy will probably be there too, anyway. I promise I’ll check on you every once in a while.” Twinkle Star promised. Câlin didn’t respond, but Twinkle Star knew the little girl agreed. After Câlin had stored her little items in the little storage house, the two of them went back into the castle. Twinkle Star led Câlin to Stelline’s door, where Fleur was already standing outside, obviously not sure whether to enter or not.

“Hey there, Fleur. You heard the news as well?” Twinkle Star asked.
“Yes… Ivy came to tell me. She’s inside right now… Should I go in, too?” Fleur asked unsure.
“I don’t know… It’s best that it’s not too crowded in there. Mother already asked my help, and I know Tsuyo and the other two maids are in there as well.”
“Then I better wait out here…” Twinkle Star wasn’t sure whether Fleur was disappointed or relieved.
“I should go in now… Fleur, could you watch Câlin for me? She wanted to wait out here, too.”
Fleur smiled. “Sure, no problem.”
“Thanks.” Twinkle Star smiled gratefully at her sister and said goodbye to Câlin, promising once again to check on her several times. Then, she opened the door and entered Stelline’s room.

Twinkle Star immediately thought it was way too crowded in the room already. Seven ponies were in there already, and there was about to be one more. Stelline lay on her bed, already on her side, covered by a thin blanket. Twinkle Star was shocked to see her sister so decayed. Hr coat had almost turned yellow, compared to the snowy white of the walls. Twinkle Star remembered once Stelline’s coat was even whiter than those walls would ever be. And even her horn seemed smaller somehow.

Right after Twinkle Star entered, ivy left the room without saying a word. Regina was standing next to her daughters head, while the maids were preparing clean towels and Tsuyo ordered one of them to get a new, fresh bucket of water. When she had left, too Twinkle Star finally got the idea she was allowed to breath in the cramped room, too.
“How is everything here?”
“Good,” Tsuyo replied, “Although everything is going awfully fast. It won’t take long, I promise you that. It’ll be over in a few hours.”

“Aaah…” Stelline moaned.
“Another one?” Her mother asked, and Stelline nodded slightly.
“She’s having contractions already, right?” Twinkle Star asked, and Tsuyo nodded. “Yes… It looks like her body wants to deliver this child as soon as possible, even though it’s purely it’s own creation.” Yes, Twinkle Star realised, that was right. This child was a unicorn’s child, created solely by Stelline’s body. There was no father… Because unicorns had been so rare over the last five hundred years, nobody had any real knowledge about how this all worked, but Twinkle Star knew her mother knew a great deal more about it than she had told Twinkle Star, and probably Stelline knew more, too. Not that it really concerned her, the birth wouldn’t be too different from a normal birth anyway. Not that she had ever witnessed a normal birth, anyhow.

Quite some time passed in which nothing really happened. Regina kept talking to Stelline, encouraging her, even though Twinkle Star got the impression Stelline wasn’t registering any of it. Her contractions got worse and according to Tsuyo her body was preparing itself with an incredible speed for the birth, but Twinkle Star had plenty of time to visit Câlin in the meantime. After a few hours, Twinkle Star realised dusk had already come, and she was asked by her mother to go to the kitchen and get some food for them.

Once she left the room, Câlin, who was sitting next to Fleur, hopefully jumped up. “No, Câlin… nothing yet. It might still be a while.” Câlin sat down again, a little disappointed.
“Any progress? Is Stelline doing okay?” Fleur asked.
“Not much… won’t take too long now, but I was send to get some food for mother and the others. Stelline is doing fine, I guess… She’s not talking much. Tsuyo says everything is going fine.”
 “That’s good… Isn’t she…” Fleur was interrupted by a heavy scream coming from inside Stelline’s room, and of course Twinkle star recognised her sister’s voice.
“That doesn’t sound like it’s going fine…” Câlin remarked, and Twinkle Star agreed.

She rushed back inside, to see her sister in pain, and Tsuyo looking shocked while she removed the blanket.
“What’s going on?” Regina asked, while holding her daughter.
“I don’t believe it… The baby is being born right now!”
“What? So soon? You just said…” “I know what I said my queen, but I know the baby is coming out right now. Twinkle Star, hold this.” Tsuyo gave Twinkle Star a wet towel, and she went back to Stelline.
“It’s going to be okay, dear… It’ll be over soon now.” Regina hushed to her daughter, but Twinkle Star had already seen the panic in Stelline’s eyes.

“No, mother… I can’t… do this, I can’t…” She sighed, but the pain stopped her from saying more, and she screamed out again. Twinkle Star silently wondered if it was supposed to be this painful. Stelline looked thoroughly exhausted.
“We’re here for you, we’ll help you, don’t you worry dear.” Regina tried to comfort her daughter, but Twinkle Star didn’t miss the concern in her eyes. Her mother had given birth to six children, so she had to know what was normal and what was not… and somehow Twinkle Star got the idea her mother was sure something was different from her own births.

Stelline screamed again, but Twinkle Star noticed there wasn’t much else Stelline was able to do. She was in so much pain, Twinkle Star realised, as if someone was tearing a part of her body off. In a way, maybe, that was the case, Twinkle Star realised. This child was solely a part of her, created by her own body, and now it was on it’s way to stand on it’s own hoofs. Maybe that was why it hurt her so?

"It’s coming, Stelline! Just a little longer!” Tsuyo encouraged her, and Twinkle Star now could see the baby’s hooves appearing, covered in a slimy jacket. Everything that day was said to go fast, but the birth itself was extremely slow, Twinkle Star thought. Stelline was screaming constantly, though her cries got weaker every time, but it appeared Stelline didn’t have the strength to push the baby out. A little nose was appearing now, too. As soon as the baby’s head had appeared completely, Tsuyo was able to help by pulling the baby gently.

The baby was moving itself now, too, inside the slime.
“It’s doing okay, Stelline! Almost there, the baby is doing great and so are you!” Tsuyo encouraged the tired unicorn, but Stelline didn’t respond. She had her eyes closed now, breathing only softly. Is she even going to make this? Twinkle Star wondered. She had heardo f more than one pony dying in childbirth. But surely not her sister, right?

“Twinkle Star! The towel!” Tsuyo told her, and she moved towards the baby quickly, that had now completely left Stelline’s body Twinkle Star began to take the slimy coat off the baby. The baby was moving softly now, and as far as Twinkle Star could see, it was in perfect health.
“Isn’t it beautiful…” Regina whispered from Stelline’s side. Twinkle Star had some problems with seeing this little slimy mess as beautiful, but it was definitely… magical.

As Twinkle Star took the slime off, she could see the baby’s coat was white. Her mane where light pink, but on her tail Twinkle Star could see some small traces of light green. Father’s mane where that color, Twinkle Star realised, something he hadn’t passed on to any of his children…

“It’s a girl!” Tsuyo exclaimed, something that didn’t surprise Twinkle Star at all.
“Joyeux… Her name… Joyeux…” Stelline whispered, still having her eyes closed.
“Joyeux…” Regina repeated. Twinkle Star heard the emotion in her mother’s voice as she looked at the little girl lying on the bed. Of course, this little baby… was Regina’s first grandchild. Something that hadn’t occurred to Twinkle Star before now presented itself in her mind in full force; this baby will some day be queen.

But as Twinkle Star was cleaning the little baby, who was moving even more now, even though she was still dazzled, Stelline screamed out again. They all looked up in horror; it was all over now, right? Or was the afterbirth hurting her, too?
“Oh my…” Tsuyo whispered, and Twinkle Star and Regina stared at her.
“What is it, Tsuyo?”
The color had already left Tsuyo’s face when she stared at her queen.
“My… the princess… Another one is coming. She’s going to have twins.”
Twinkle Star’s heart was beating in her head now. That couldn’t be. She couldn’t remember any princess in history ever having twins. But as she looked at her mother’s face, another horrible thought entered her mind.
She can’t do this again. Stelline wasn’t strong enough anymore. There was no strength left in the unicorn.
She’s not going to be able to do this…