The birth of Meran

Twinkle Star knew it before she actually knew it. She sensed it. Her baby… wanted to get out. She had sensed it, but she had not made the connection yet until this morning, when she woke up with pain in her belly.
“Kiyoi… Kiyoi, wake up.” She softly whispered.
“What is it?” Kiyoi said, grumpy.
“The baby… I think she is going to be born today.”

“What?!” Kiyoi said, wide awake now. He instantly jumped out of the bed.
“You can’t be serious! It is way too early! You’re barely eight months pregnant!” He exclaimed.
“I know, but the baby wants out. My body agrees. I cannot help it, Kiyoi… She will be born today.”
“But we’re not even married yet!” He exclaimed, almost panicking.
It was true, they were not. Their wedding was scheduled within two weeks.

“Yes, well, I can’t really keep her in for the next two weeks.” She sighed.
“No?” He asked. Twinkle Star sighed some more.
“Could you please be so kind to get the nurse from the village?”
“Yes, oh, yes… the nurse. Right.” Dazed, Kiyoi left the room. When he was gone, Twinkle Star noticed Câlin sneaking in.
“She wants out, doesn’t she?” Câlin asked.
“Yep, she does. She’s tired of being inside me, I think.”
“She’s a quick one.” Câlin commented.
“Yes… she really is. She should enjoy it in there a little longer, but I guess I cannot make her to. Don’t worry, Câlin. She will be fine.” She ensured her daughter. “
I know. She is strong.” Câlin replied.
Her daughter’s words ensured Twinkle Star. She knew Câlin was right. Whatever it was, Câlin and her unborn girl had a strong bond.

Twinkle Star moved to lie down more comfortably.
“You do realize you are leaking?” Câlin asked. Twinkle Star could not help but laugh.
“I know. It’s natural. Don’t worry about it. Now, Câlin, could you please get me some water from downstairs?” Câlin left the room without saying anything else. It was time… her baby would be born. So much sooner than she had expected, but she would be alright. She knew her baby would be.

It did not take long for Câlin to return, and not too much later Kiyoi rushed in with the nurse on his tail. Twinkle Star could hardly imagine how fast Kiyoi had run. The poor nurse looked exhausted, too. And she was already old…
“I came immediately. Kiyoi told me your baby is coming?” The nurse said, obviously also shocked.
“Yes… I’m afraid she is. Don’t worry, though. She will be okay.” Twinkle Star ensured the woman. It was strange, she thought, that she had to be the one assuring all the others.

“Well, if you say so… you seem to have a very strong connection with your baby. Let me feel your belly, to see how the baby lies right now.” The nurse said.
Her gray hairs spoke words of wisdom, and Twinkle Star trusted the woman completely. The woman touched her belly, and after some inspecting, the woman looked relieved.
“Well, your baby does look more grown than babies usually do in this stage of pregnancy. And she is in the correct position. I think you’re right; your baby will be fine.”

Even though it was not something Twinkle Star had doubted, it was still nice to hear from the nurse that everything felt the way it should be.
“How do you feel, Twinkle Star?” The nurse asked.
“I feel fine, I guess… I’m not yet in much pain or anything. I can feel that my body is preparing itself, but otherwise, I feel just fine.”
“That’s good. Judging on how I feel everything, the birth should proceed without any complications. It might still take a while, though. You just rest and try to relax as best as you can. Let your fiancée run for you today, dear Twinkle Star.”

The next few hours Twinkle Star would always remember as anxious and boring. Slowly, the contractions became stronger, but for hours there was nothing Twinkle Star could do but wait until the nurse said it was time for her to give birth. Kiyoi was running around in the meantime, doing everything he could to make her comfortable but also panicking. At some point he even proposed to get married right there and now so that at least they were married the moment their child would be born. Of course, Twinkle Star said no to that.

Câlin was doing everything she could to help out her parents. She was excited about her new sister, but also unsure on how to help her mother out best. In the end she settled on giving her mother a new hot water bottle every five minutes. Twinkle Star couldn’t help but laugh quietly at her little girl’s sweet attempts.

When evening drew closer, Twinkle Star could feel the time was almost there. Her contractions were following each other closely, and the nurse came to inspect her.
“Is it time?” Twinkle Star asked anxiously.
“Yes… I think it is. Your daughter is ready to be born. I think it is time for you to start pushing.” When the nurse said her words Twinkle Star could see the anxiety build up in her husband’s face.
“It will be all right, love.” She said, and she started pushing.

Twinkle Star had no idea it would feel like this. It wasn’t as painful in her body as she had thought it might be, but the act of separating her mind from that of the girl who had lived in her for all these months was more painful than anything she had ever felt before. The little girl who she had been able to protect for so long was now going into this world alone. Their bond would not break, but it would change forevermore. A part of her would now live on as an individual being, and that was the most painful thing of all.

Twinkle Star did not know how long it took the little girl to leave her body. It may have been a minute, it may have been an hour. But when she was out, Twinkle Star felt the pain disappear as snow melts in the first spring sun. She could hear her girl’s cries, and the gasps of both Câlin and Kiyoi.
“Well, I suppose we don’t have to worry about who this girl’s sister is.” The nurse said while she cleaned the little girl.

When Twinkle Star lifted her head, she first thought she was looking at a miniature version of Câlin, and with that a small version of herself. Only at closer inspection did she see the differences. Instead of pure dark pink, she could see exactly one small lock of yellow hair at the beginning of the child’s mane. Her eyes were oceanic blue. Her daughter… the little pony who lay at the bottom of her bed was her girl, her own daughter.

“She’s beautiful…” Kiyoi whispered in tears.
“She really is. My sister…”  Câlin said, and Twinkle Star could hear she was crying, too. When the nurse was done cleaning the baby, she handed her to Twinkle Star.
“Here she is, your precious little girl…” The nurse said. Twinkle Star only realized how small the baby pony was when she actually held her. She was so much smaller than any other newborn ponies she had seen, but still she looked complete and healthy. The baby girl had ceased crying now.
“Our baby…” Twinkle Star whispered.

“Oh, Twinkle Star…” Kiyoi whispered, and he kissed her on the cheek, not taking his eyes off his newborn little girl.
“Come, Câlin… come say hello to your little sister.” Twinkle Star said to Câlin, who so far had not moved any closer. She slowly approached Twinkle Star and the baby.
“She looks like you, do you see?”
“From the outside, yes. From the inside, not so much.” Câlin whispered.
Once again, Twinkle Star was amazed at the bond Câlin and her baby were sharing, even before her girl was born. Sure enough, Twinkle Star knew Câlin was right. While Câlin was almost always calm and quiet, her girl could not stop moving and had accidentally kicked her a few times already.

“I think you were right, Twinkle Star?” Kiyoi whispered.
“About what?” Twinkle Star asked, confused about what her husband was talking about.
“The name. The name you mentioned a few days ago… I know I said I didn’t really like it back then, but I really do now. It’s here name, I just know it.” Kiyoi said.
Twinkle Star looked at her daughter, and she could see why Kiyoi would say so. She smiled.

“Can I ask what it is?” The nurse asked, while she continued to clean.
“Oh, of course. You don’t know yet either, do you Câlin?” Kiyoi asked. Câlin shook her head.
“Her name… is Meran.” Twinkle Star said, feeling tears come up in her eyes again. Meran… Her daughter was named Meran. Her daughter, her girl… Meran.

“Why, that’s beautiful. Does it mean anything?” The nurse asked, smiling.
“Yes… yes it does. In the ancient language of the country I come from, it means a little ray of sunlight.” Twinkle Star answered, while looking at the yellow lock of hair at the top of her daughter’s head.
“Well, that suits her perfectly.” The nurse said.
“It does, doesn’t it.” Kiyoi said.

The ancient language… Holding her daughter, she was reminded of her own mother. Once, she had been like this too, holding her as a newly born baby. Had she felt the way Twinkle Star felt now? She didn’t know. And she couldn’t ask. For the first time since she had left the Friendship Lands, did Twinkle Star miss her mother. She had wanted her to be here… not for support, as Kiyoi was well capable of supporting her, his panicking aside. She had just wanted to share this with her mother… the only woman in the world she wanted to share her baby with now. But she wasn’t here, and she would never be. As long as Câlin was banished from the Friendship Lands… Twinkle Star was sure she would never see her other granddaughter, either. But maybe… she would send that letter after all.

“Twinkle Star.” Twinkle Star awoke from her thoughts, looking at Câlin. Only after a short time did she realize the nurse had gone with some towels, most likely to clean them.
“Yes, Câlin?”
“Meran… she does not have wings.” Twinkle Star looked at her girl, and she too did not see any wings on her daughter.
“That doesn’t have to mean anything. I didn’t discover I had wings until I was like six years old. They can still come.”
She told her older daughter while she looked at her newborn girl moving. Where she got the energy to move this much, Twinkle Star had no idea.

“No… she will not get any wings.” Câlin said. Twinkle Star did not know how her older daughter knew, but she did not doubt it even for one moment. If Câlin said she had no wings, then her newborn had no wings. Twinkle Star was relieved.
“Well, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. She will never have anything to hide.”
“But I wanted to fly through the forest with her.” Câlin said.
 “I’m sure you two will one day find a way to do just that.” Twinkle Star assured her.

A silence filled the room, and only now Twinkle Star realized how tired she actually was. Her newborn apparently felt the same way because her movements slowed and she slowly closed her eyes. Twinkle Star had wanted to hold her girl for a bit more, but she decided to put her in the crib for now. While Câlin ran off to get yet another fresh hot water bottle, Kiyoi sat by her side.
“I’m so proud of you. I would never have been able to do it.”

“That’s why you were born male and not female.” Twinkle Star smiled.
“I guess so.” Kiyoi replied. He kissed her on the forehead.
“I love you, Kiyoi.” She whispered. She really did. She loved him, she loved Câlin, She loved Meran, and maybe more than anything, she loved the future the four of them would have.