I finally broke down and started an actual nextgen au. I have a whole cast of nextgens I bought from Cojinxleafbelle ages ago but I didn’t have motivation or inspiration to do anything with, but always wanted to. Finally, FINALLY I do and even have time to do it! I’m just switching some of their parents to pairings I really ship. I’ve starting working on it with the Twilight nextgen, now a FlashLight kid.
 
Foster Sheath, (daughter), and Glistening Dagger, (son), are the firstborn twins of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry. All of Equestria doted on the royal newborns, whom everyone assumed would one day inherit the throne as Twilight herself had. Twilight didn’t want to push anything on her children, but of course schooled them herself in everything she knew. They were brilliant children and became well versed in of course friendship, but also Equestrian history, culture, politics and magic (moreso Foster in the latter department as a unicorn, but even Dagger learned a thing or two). Their father too, roughhoused with them in the courtyards and told them stories of his days in the Royal Guard. Dagger was enthralled with his father’s military history, and Flash was more than happy to teach him combat techniques. Twilight wasn’t thrilled about her son using weapons, but despite her worries the bright young pegasus had learned to wield a small blade by the time he could fly. Meanwhile, Foster’s proficiency in magic had progressed well above Twilight’s expectations, and she was already making arrangements for her daughter to attend Celestia’s School of Magic. (By this time, Celestia had retired from not only the throne but managing her school. Starswirl the Bearded had taken over, but kept the name.)
 
Around this time was a prearranged, week-long routine visit from the delegates of Saddle Arabia. Twilight had received word that the delegates would be bringing their late daughter for the first time, Badia. Thrilled, she asked her own children to attend with her to meet the delegates’ daughter, and make her feel welcome. The children were happy to oblige along with the rest of their friends, (mostly the other children of the mane six). Over the week they spent together, Badia and the Equestrian kids became fast friends. At the end of the delegate’s visit was a festival, a gesture of goodwill between their countries. There, the delegates dropped quite a bombshell on Twilight. They were opening a prestigious school of their own, and wanted to propose a transfer program with Twilight’s school of Friendship. Twilight was thrilled… until their second half of the proposition. As a sign of goodwill, they wished for their daughter Badia to be the first transfer to Twilight’s school, and her children, Foster and Dagger, to transfer to Saddle Arabia.
 
The delegate’s stay was lengthened while Twilight and Flash debated. Twilight had been so set on sending Foster Sheath to Starswirl’s school. She wondered if perhaps she could send just Dagger, which Flash immediately shot down, claiming she was playing favorites. And, admittedly she was. Foster’s connection to magic had been something they could bond over, while Dagger and Flash physically trained. She didn’t really want to send either child away. Ultimately, she left the decision up to her children. Dagger himself offered to go in Foster’s stead so she could attend magic school, but Foster wouldn’t let him. “We go together, or not at all,” she claimed. Foster would never admit it to her mother, but she frankly didn’t really want to go to magic school. She was good at it yes, but magic wasn’t something she felt she could dedicate her whole life to. To her, magic was just a tool to increase her efficiency at tasks. She had always seen her brother accomplish everything she could without the help of magic. It didn’t make her powerful or unique, or define who she was, it just made her life easier, just as Dagger’s wings did for him. Besides her own desires, both siblings felt the weight of Equestria looking on them to someday take over the kingdom. They both agreed they had a duty to strengthen Equestria’s bonds with all their allies. Together, they decided to go. Just for a year, they were assured, and they could come back home.
 
To their surprise, Saddle Arabia was… amazing! Everyone they met was friendly, the food and culture were delightful, and they were introduced to a sense of freedom the likes of which they had never known. Of course Twilight and Flash wrote to them and visited on the very rare occasion, but for the most part their parents weren’t around, Equestria wasn’t watching their every move, and they could finally truly express themselves. It was so liberating. Of course, they were among Saddle Arabia’s high class; the country’s wealthy and powerful all sent their children to this prestigious school. Foster and Dagger, though enjoying their newfound freedom, hadn’t forgotten their obligation to Equestria, and participated in many social events for the sake of their country’s reputation. One community effort arose, a volunteer effort to the neighboring city’s less fortunate. Not thinking much of it, the twins both signed up. But what they found there changed their outlook forever. The ponies they found weren’t just “less fortunate,” they lived in absolute poverty, and right next to a province so wealthy! Very few volunteers had even showed up, which in itself was unsettling, but all that came shared a similar reaction. No pony seemed to have realized how bad the conditions there were. Disease, famine, overpopulation, not to mention crime all ran rampant here. Foster and Dagger, with only a glance, seemed to come to the mutual agreement that something had to be done.
 
They tried speaking to the school management, and some of the wealthy parents of their classmates. They signed up as regular volunteers to the relief effort program and helped host awareness campaigns. Sadly, none of the Saddle Arabian figures seemed interested in helping, dismissing the conditions as “the way things were.” Undeterred, the twins wrote to their parents asking for relief supplies. At reading their reports, they were equally aghast at what they heard and immediately delegated funding and supplies. Twilight herself even arranged a visit to one of their relief rallies, and was mortified by what she saw. So much so she demanded her children withdraw. It was an important effort she admitted, but with so much crime and disease she didn’t want her children risking their lives. They could help just as much from a safe distance providing supplies and their awareness rallies. It was there the twins put their hoof down. They couldn’t stand by and do nothing, like the arabian uppercrusts. Though he was anxious for them too, Flash agreed with their children. He’d put his own life on the line in Equestria’s military and understood their desire to help. The three of them, with a good amount of coaxing, finally talked Twilight into letting them stay the remainder of the year. With time, she came to support their decision. The rest of Equestria came to regard them as heroes upon hearing their efforts of good will. Until, that is, they decided to stay after the year was up. Again, it took some coaxing, and Foster had to have the talk with her mother about not wanting to study magic, but the twins still weren’t ready to go back home and abandon the Saddle Arabians in need. Then and there, the twins earned their matching cutie marks. At that point, Equestria’s media changed their tune from regarding them as “saints” to “deserters,” abandoning their country. Twilight and Flash were given a lot of grief about their children’s decision, but they supported their kids all the way.
 
Badia, on the other hoof, had returned to her home in Saddle Arabia after her year of transfer schooling was up. She’d casually kept pen-palling with the twins while she stayed away from home, but when she returned home, she personally sought them out to praise and thank them for their help to her country. She made up her own mind to join the cause as well, and assisted the twins in the volunteer efforts. Her parents however, were not as supportive as the twins’. Regardless, she stuck it out, leaving her home to do so. Her decision forfeited her schooling, and she wound up living in the same shelter they had been volunteering at. The twins, enraged, also withdrew from the school and lived with her. (Frankly, their education already far exceeded what the school was able to teach thanks to their mother.) Infuriated, Twilight tried to convince Badia’s parents to warm up to the idea, but when they wouldn’t, she personally funded a new shelter where she could be sure her children and Badia would have safe, permanent housing.
 
Entering adulthood, Badia, Dagger and Foster all inherited joint management of the facility. They vowed it would always remain a safe, free, volunteer-based sanctuary for those in need. Foster headed off an adjacent orphanage, caring for the young and ensuring they all received an education. Badia took charge of living accommodations, ensuring they were as comfortable and livable as possible. Dagger was elected head of security, as while they had achieved a favorable reputation, crime was still rampant. He ensured the safety of all that lived there. More-so though, he made sure that proper health care was freely available to their residents and the community as a whole. Years later, Badia’s parents also warmed up. Their intent had never been to disown her, but thought the scare tactic would bring her home. When it didn’t, pride kept them apart until the idea finally warmed up to them. Their foundation had grown considerably from the few scraggly volunteers they’d started with, and they had plenty of help. To ease the chiding their parents received for their alleged “desertion,” they did also serve as Equestrian diplomats when the need arose.