//------------------------------// // Spoilers // Story: The Dawn of a bright, new life. // by Hallowedsoul //------------------------------// CAUTION! If you do not wish to know what the future holds for Leon and Twilight just yet, I suggest you exit out of the story now. Ye hath been warned. Spoilers “Keep It Secret. Keep It Safe” Something wasn't right... my mind was trying to sleep but my body was busy producing chemicals and giving me the sense that I should, in fact, be up or at least be prepared to be up but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why my body was preparing to be up because my mind was not being a productive part of the team. Me, I just wanted to sleep; it was nice and warm and quiet and I really, really, really wanted to go back to... wait a minute... Quiet? Why the hell was it quiet? This was the time of night when all manner of racket began. It had been so regular that Spike had begun sleeping with earplugs. Something was wrong and with that thought my mind quickly got on board and I sat up in bed, first looking towards the other end of the room where a crib lay... a crib that as of now lay empty. Now on full alert, I reached behind the bed, just behind the bedpost where my head traditionally laid, and pulled out my old Berretta. I got out of bed, making sure to tread softly as I made towards the door which was open just a crack. I glanced out briefly, then opened it and move quietly through the hall and down the stairs. The door to the main hallway was open just a crack and I could see a faint light spilling in. I pushed it open soundlessly, stepped into the main hallway and walked down it towards the living room where the light was coming from, along with the low drone of some television program, a music one if I had to guess. I paused at the end, braced myself, then spun around the corner, my gun raising a bit. Twilight sat in the recliner, a cloth draped over her shoulders as she cradled something within. What she held in the cloth made soft mewling and sucking sounds. I released the breath I was holding and her ear swiveled at the sound just before her head did; she looked exhausted, heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes, but she smiled gently at me as I set the Berretta aside. "I was trying not to wake you, Leon..." She said softly and I smiled, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "You didn't, at least, not directly." I replied just as softly, gesturing towards what was hidden in her cloth "I woke up because it was quiet and she was gone. I thought something had happened to her." Twilight quirked an eyebrow at me "And you didn't notice I was gone too? That's surprising, considering how hard it was to slip out of your embrace." I coughed and blushed; okay, so... apparently, when I sleep I... kind of, sort of... latch on to the nearest living thing and... maybe, kind of... cuddle... with them... yes, it appears I'm a cuddler. "Yes, well... I guess I got some slight tunnel vision after seeing the empty crib..." "I guess you did." Twilight replied with a giggle, then she yawned "Well, we're both fine. You should go back to bed, Leon, we're going to be here a little while longer. You know she likes to spend a while eating, then she'll need to be burped and then I'll need to spend at least an hour rocking in this chair before she goes back to sleep again." Considering I've done the whole process myself the last month, give or take, so that Twilight could get extra sleep, I was intimately aware of how long she was going to be down here. Frankly, Twilight hates that I'm always getting up to tend to our future, but I don't want us to devolve into one of those couples that argues each night about turns while the cause of their argument wails miserably. The mere thought frightens and pains me so I choose, without question, to get up in the middle of the night and start each day tired. That's not to say, however, that Twilight hasn't gotten up herself. "Please, Leon..." Twilight said, her voice breaking me of my thoughts "You're exhausted and everypony can see it. Go back to bed, I'll handle her tonight. In fact, I'll take care of her the next few nights, both so you can get more sleep and so that I can bond with her a little more... I feel like I'm missing so much of it." I sighed in defeat "Alright... don't stay up too late, okay?" "I won't." I bent down and kissed her on the top of her head again, then she lifted her muzzle and we kissed each other on the lips, then I crouched down and lifted the cloth away from the lump within and kissed the top of the small head within, covered in fluffy peach-colored fur and topped by a lilac mane. The little foal gave a small moan and continued suckling as Twilight covered her up once again. "Good night, Twilight. I love you." "I love you too, Leon. Good night."