Out of Cadance

by David Silver

33 - Birthday

Her rest was shallow during the days her children were, what, assembled? Born? Made?

Tempo did not know how to think of it. Their parts were fashioned and then put together. That involved many ponies working in the basement of the palace. She dropped by to thank them, sometimes with her husband, and other times alone. She paced about at night. This made Blueblood restless as well. He slept, but lightly, and often ended up in her hooves as she meandered around the palace grounds.

When the time came, Cadance summoned them back to the room. "She has something important to tell you."

The carver stepped forward. "I am about to finish. If this works as the book says, it felt wrong to do so unless you were both here and ready." She had both orbs sitting before her. "Your foals await life, once we're finished. It was hard work, but it is done." She held up the mind orbs and admired them. "You wanted to go with male and female symbols." She pointed at one. "Male." Then the other. "Female." She inclined her head. "Mind, they are what they want to be, in the end. I'm just giving a starting point."

Tempo strode up to them with a little smile. She could see the foal bodies, inert, so close to life. "Thank you. I am." She paused there, parsing her own feelings. "Scared. Excited. Please, finish it now."

Blueblood came up behind her and set a hoof on her shoulder. "Finish our children, carver." He shivered gently as he waited, his own nerves getting to him. "Tempo. With this, we will become parents. I will love them, and you. We will stand at their side, through the good, and the bad."

Tempo sniffled, welling up with emotions she didn't understand. "Yes. Husband, together, let us be parents." She looked over her shoulder towards Cadance. "Sister, when they are made, what will you do?"

Cadance laughed brightly at that. "What will I do? Host a party, for one. I will hug and kiss each of them as soon as they're ready, and I'll introduce them to Flurry Heart. She'll want to meet her new cousins. What will I do! Be happy for and with you, sister."

Tempo giggled and wiped her eyes dry. "Thank you. Sister dear. Husband." She reached out to Blueblood. "I am not alone." She watched with held breath as the carver connected the orbs into the foal shells.

The carver stepped back, wiping her brow with an arm. "Okay, I've done my part. Time for our proud parents to finish the ritual." She pointed to the instruction book. "If you'd prefer, I'll get out of your manes."

Blueblood shook his head. "I think not. I only wish the smiths had stuck around. You have assisted in creating these foals. The honor of being there to greet them is entirely deserved. If you wish it, ma'am."

Tempo bounced on her hooves. "Stay. All who can witness, should. Husband?" She watched Blueblood advance on the shells, lying still and waiting for life to be called to them. She stepped forward with him, both of their eyes scanning that last few pages of instructions. It was time to call that intelligence, one for each new golem, each precious doll. "Let us begin."

Blueblood touched Tempo's side gently, magic reaching up to her face. "Together." He cast his horn aglow as Tempo did the same, her tiara showing the spark of her power. They channeled that together, towards the minds-to-be, calling the spirits to possess them. Through the infinite expanse of nothing, they put out bright beacons, drawing from the line of bodiless thoughts, just as Tempo had once been summoned.

They welcomed them with open arms and kind smiles, not stern demand for action. This made the pull less insistent and powerful, but not at all weaker. Two intelligences felt it, drawn along that call. They could have resisted. It would have taken some effort, but possible. But these were foals, about to have lives, so why would they do such a thing?

The male foal opened their eyes first. "Where am I?"

The female was only moments behind, though she stared with wonder instead of saying anything.

Tempo hugged the male and Blueblood the female, welcoming them to life with gentle nuzzles and magic contact. "Hello. We are your parents." She reached for Cadance as well. "And this is your auntie Cadance."

Cadance practically pounced her metal niece and nephew, hugging both close. "Happy birthday." Her words were soft in each ear. "How do you feel?"

Blueblood pet his foal gently, noting their copper shell was quite smooth to the touch. He tickled their nose with his own. "Oh, delightful! Tell us how it feels to be alive."

The male inclined his head with soft precise ticks. "Different."

"Different, that's a good word." The female turned in place. "We were—"

"—Not alive." The male turned to face the female directly. "Now we are siblings? Hello, sister."

"Hello brother." They touched noses gently, adjusting themselves as if discovering their hooves for the first time.

Tempo's metal cheeks ached from her smile. "Yes, siblings, cousins and family." She sank to her haunches and raised her forehooves to clap with building joy. "We are here to help. As your mother, father, and aunt, if you have a question, or need something, speak it."

Blueblood bounced about in his eagerness to spoil them with attention. "Ask us anything, do everything! Life is a learning experience, and yours will be especially good."

Tempo chuckled at her husband's enthusiasm. "Slowly, Blueblood. They just awoke. Let them explore life a little at a time. Husband?" She waved him close and bumped their heads together gently. "But I am happy too."

The sister pointed at herself. "What are we?"

Cadance perked at the question. "Besides our family, you are ponies. You are also golems, or dolls. But mostly, ponies. Ponies that happen to be metal, but ponies first and foremost."

The brother echoed his sister's gesture, pointing at himself. "Why are we?"

Tempo stiffened a moment. "There is no why." But she reconsidered that. "That's not true. You were created because I wanted to have children, and so we have foals, but do no feel that is your ongoing purpose. I made you, that task is done. Now you should live a happy life, and set your own goals. We are here to help you with that, if you like."

Blueblood swooped in around his wife to pet his foals. "Live however you wish, explore what interests you, ask us about things you don't know. Tempo and I are unicorns, skilled with magic." As if to demonstrate that, both lit their horns with soft magical glows. "You are both unicorns as well. When you feel up for it, we'll gladly teach you magic too."

Tempo could only beam with warmth at her foals. She advanced slowly, her metal hooves clacking gently on the floor. "Magic is in your horns, feel it there, like a line of fire through them." She paused. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. You are both new to life. Let's cover that."

Both foals felt at their horns, finding the material and shape was unique from the rest of themselves. "Fire?" The sister's horn sparked and crackled.

The brother perked with amazement. "We have magic," he got out with awe. Whatever he had been before, did not. "What is my name?"

The sister broke into a great smile. "Great question. What is my name?"

Tempo hugged both foals close, Blueblood joining her as Cadance swung around behind to pet them on the backs. Tempo hummed thoughtfully. "Names, yes. Husband, suggestions?"

Blueblood curled a hoof to his chin. "I feel like we have a Beat and Pulse. Which of you would prefer either? Hmm, how delightful. Foals aren't usually aware enough to have a hoof in their own naming. This is terribly exciting."

Tempo nudged the sister first. "Beat?"

The foal considered that, running the name through her mind a few times. "Yes."

Blueblood bounced and tickled the brother's nose with his own. "Pulse?"

The brother nodded. "That is a nice name. I am Pulse."

Tempo could only hug her foals tight, Blueblood joining her on either side. "Beat and Pulse, welcome to life. Husband?" She perked gently as her voice cracked. "Let's spoil them with love."

Blueblood rubbed his cheek against Beat's first. "Why Tempo, it sounds like you're crying. Metal does not weep." He rubbed at his eyes gently. "That is a lie, of course. I've seen you cry before." He sniffled. "And I think I will join you."

Beat and Pulse went to Cadance, examining her curiously, then wandering off to explore the basement. Each thing was worthy of looking at, including each other. They trotted in a circle, their parents watching with held breath as the foals talked softly. "Beat?" Pulse raised his sister's attention. "Thank you."

Beat squinted. "For what?"

Pulse pounced his sister. "For being my sister! I didn't have one of those before, I think. Now I do, and I like it. I hope you're a nice sister."

Beat pushed at Pulse, giggling. "I'm nice! Tempo? Blueblood? Am I a nice sister?"

Blueblood did nothing to stifle his weeping as he gazed fondly at his foals. "If you wish to be, little filly. You're both too young to judge that yet. What I can say, with certainty, is that you are both loved."

Tempo didn't hold her tears back either. "And cared for. Husband, foals! Our foals. Beat and Pulse." She advanced on them to shower them with attention and magic pets.

The foals returned the affection, and soon the laughter. It seemed both were delighted with being alive, and accepted their family with joyful kisses and hugs in return.

Beat was the first to trot around, exploring the basement, or perhaps inspecting the items therein. Her sibling followed her a few paces back. Beat advanced on the workbenches where Tempo had practiced her carving, sitting on her haunches to look over what had been made.

Pulse pointed to the metal working supplies. "Is that what made me?"

Beat considered those materials with a tilt of her head. "Maybe." She swung about and wiggled with curiosity. "Tempo? Blueblood? Made how?"

Blueblood swooped around behind his foals. "They were part of it, surely. But you aren't entirely metal."

"True." Tempo sat at Blueblood's side. "Metal, glass, clay. So many little things came together to make you." She pointed at herself as they had done. "And me, longer ago. When you are ready, one day, we'll make larger shells for you, but only when you want one."

Beat poked at her copper shell with a hoof. "Why? This is nice." She trotted about to touch at Tempo's face. "Mother? Metal is good?"

Pulse perked and giggled. "Metal is new." He felt over his own face curiously. "I don't think I was metal before. It's harder."

Tempo sat up curiously. "Pulse, what do you remember? Before you woke up in front of us."

Pulse pawed at the floor, considering that question. "Dark. Voices. Lines. Numbers. Nothingness. Beat, sister, what about you?"

Beat tipped her head. "Nothing?" She frowned with thought. "No. I remember that line. I remember being sad. I remember having something else before the line, and I was sad it was gone. I can't remember what it was. But I like this." She rubbed sidelong against her father. "I like this family. Oh! Will we go to school? Children go to school, don't they?"

Blueblood scooped Beat up in his hooves, Tempo reaching over to pet Pulse's face. "School? Indeed. Yes. Once you are comfortable with life, yes, you will go to school."

Both cheered at the idea. Tempo laughed at that excitement. "Help each other. We won't be at school with you. We'll be at home, for you to return to."

Beat's ears sank gently. "Home? School is away?" She reached for her sibling, hugging him close. "Pulse, we're apart?"

Tempo scooted in around her foals. "Not you two. You will both go to school together. It's just mommy and daddy will not be there. Let's put that aside. Right now, we will be close together, and you can get used to being just happy little foals."

Blueblood bundled Beat in one arm and Pulse in the other. "School is a big change, from nothingness to places to learn. Tempo? Should we host some tutors at the castle?"

Tempo waved that away. "No. I want them to learn with other foals, and to learn how to be around other foals. School was very helpful to me. Cadance, sister, do you remember our time at school?"

Cadance perked gently. "School was fantastic for us. Beat, Pulse, listen. When you're ready, which might be soon if you're curious already, school is a big building where a lot of foals gather. They play, and they learn. There'll be a teacher there, which is like a mini-mom or dad, and they'll be showing you new, wonderful, things."

Beat and Pulse wriggled in Blueblood's grasp, both excited about life in general.

Their family had formed, and had so much growing to do.

Author's Note:

That just felt nice. Say hello to Beat and Pulse, fitting names for the children of Tempo, I dare say.

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Comments

[Chibalt]

There's all sorts of silly jokes that can be made about the creation of these children for sure, I hope to see some pop up here and there as amusing little points of humor now and then~

[Night Spinner]

I'm curious if we will get any insight into what they were before their 'rebirth'

[Luckyfanisaac]

This chapter was surprisingly posted early. Is there a reason for that?

[David Silver]

11938164
I felt like it, and failed at reading calendars.

[EternalLink]

So, i noticed a theme starting, Tempo, Beat, Pulse, all names that have to do with music, I like it.

[David Silver]

11938179
Cadance.

[Luckyfanisaac]

Cadance practically pounced her metal niece and nephew, hugging both close. "Happy birthday." Her words were soft in each ear. "How do you feel?"

The brother perked with amazement. "We have magic," he got out with awe. Whatever he had been before, did not. "What is my name?"

The sister broke into a great smile. "Great question. What is my name?"

1:29

Blueblood did nothing to stifle his weeping as he gazed fondly at his foals. "If you wish to be, little filly. You're both too young to judge that yet. What I can say, with certainty, is that you are both loved."

0:36

I hope the next chapter Beat and Pulse go through an obstacle course to get to know how durable they are and then their birthday party.

[Luckyfanisaac]

11938172
Is there still going to be a chapter on Saturday then?

[David Silver]

11938648
Nope, it's early, not extra.

[LEGION55]

Tempo and I are unicorns,

Isn't Tempo An Alicorn? Also I'd Like Them To Meet The Other Golem's Someday.

[David Silver]

11939251
Why complicate a newborn foal like that? The child will ask about why only one of them has wings eventually.

[LEGION55]

11939268
And The Other Part Of The Comment?

[David Silver]

11939395
Possible! Unlikely immediately.

[tsaukpaetra]

Welcome to existence!
Most parents might be chided for not planning ahead, but they can hardly be blamed when they've skipped many years of the process.