Nearly three years had passed since the birth of the little Shining Armor, Night Light and Velvet's little baby colt, and he had passed from a baby foal to a very restless colt. He was always ready to play and only stopped to eat or sleep. His father thought he was charming, commenting that he reminded him of himself when he was a colt, but his mother, who had gone to work at home to be able to take care of Shining Armor, said he could be quieter.
One day in the late afternoon, Night Light returned from work and entered in home saying:
"I'm home!"
Then he heard the sound of hoofsteps hurrying to arrive and then the little Shining Armor appeared all happy to drive up to his father at great speed to call:
"Daddy!"
He jumped and Night Light caught him, hugging him and then saying:
"Oh, hello, champ. How is my favorite colt?
"Very good, I played all day" he replied cheerfully.
"Really?" Night Light asked. "And where is mommy?"
Velvet entered into the hall at that time. She was looking completely exhausted with her mane a little misaligned.
"Wow, you look terrible" he commented, putting Shining on the ground, making him head to the living room at full speed.
"No, seriously, Night?" she asked, cynically, sighing after that. "We have to talk."
"Okay" he said.
They then went to the living room where Shining was trying to reach a lot of sheets of paper stacked carefully and placed on top of a cabinet where the young colt could not reach. Frustrated, he concentrated and then his horn began to glow with a light rose glow. Some papers glowed with the same glow and then they levitated toward Shining, falling like rain drops upon him, while he laughed and grabbed in some of them with his small hooves and he began tearing them.
"Shining, no!" Velvet exclaimed, using her own magic to take the papers which are on the ground and the ones which are in Shining's hooves, repairing the ones which are ripped, and put them again in their place. "How many times have I told you to not play with mommy's papers?"
But Shining merely give his baby laughs and then headed toward his blocks to play.
"Have you finished your new book?" Night Light asked, noticing the pile of sheets of paper.
"Yes" Velvet sighed. "Fortunately, the time between the publishing house work, the domestic works and Shining Armor was very productive. The best part is that since I'm the owner of a publishing house, I can always edit my books as soon as possible."
"It's nice the Daring Do books became so famous" Night Light said. "So you can become a famous writer. This has always been your dream, right?"
"Yes, of course, but Night, we have to talk about a serious subject."
"And what is it?"
She sat on the couch with her husband and then said:
"We have to find a foalsitter to Shining."
"What? But where did this came from?"
"Night Light, I can't consiliar the work with the house and our son. Since I returned to work, I barely have time to sleep. We need help."
"And do you think hiring a foalsitter is a good idea?" Night Light asked.
"It's the only one I have" Velvet replied. "Why, don't you think it is a good idea?"
"No, it's not that I don't like it, my love, but..." Night Light began, looking at his son. "Shining only sees me in the early morning and in the evening. If he also stops seeing you, don't you think he can feel himself... I dunno, abandoned?"
"Honey, I won't work as many hours as I used to" she replied. "I'll dvance work there and then I come back home for the afternoon. It's just so I don't get so overwhelmed."
Night Light thought for a while. Indeed, Velvet has been very tired with all the work she has had. Of course he always tried to find time to be able to help her, but with Princess Celestia needing his help, that time had begun to get increasingly smaller. They really needed help to take care of that little colt full of energy that was their son.
They then began searching for a pony that could foalsitter Shining. However, for some reason, they were not able to find somepony up to the task or who wanted to foalsitter the little colt. They had placed an ad in the newspapers and have asked their friends who also had foals. Some candidates appeared, almost all mares: some teenagers, who had the problem of being inexperienced, and others were older who, despite having much experience, when they saw how energetic and tweaked Shining was, resigned on the first day. The two parents started getting desperate.
"It's the fifth foalsitter resigning" Velvet said one night, sitting on the couch with Night Light and with her head lying on his shoulder, at a time when Shining was already asleep. "What are we gonna to do, Nighty? We don't have anypony to stay with Shining."
"There has to be somepony, my love" he said, stroking Velvet's mane.
"Yes, but who? Where will we find somepony with experience, that we can trust and doesn't run after spending an hour with our son?"
Night Light then thought for a moment, despite knowing that question of Velvet was pure rhetoric. Then, suddenly, he had an epiphany. He had discovered the perfect pony. How could he had not thought of her before?
"Honey, I think I know who the ideal pony is" he said.
In the nex day, in the dining room, the family was all together taking breakfast with Velvet and Night Light now ready to go to work. Night Light, while he was reading the paper while eating his bowl of oatmeal and drinking his cup of coffee, Velvet was feeding Shining Armor, who was sitting in his highchair.
"Come on, honey, open that little mouth to mommy" Velvet asked, making a spoonful of green moss levitate.
But Shining simply turned his head and shooked his head, saying:
"Food is bwaaac."
"Come on, Shining Armor, mommy does not have time for this" Velvet said.
She hated when Shining was making a tantrum by the breakfast. She then turned to Night Light and asked:
"Do you think she arrives on time?"
"Don't worry, dear, she always arrives in time" he said, lowering the newspaper.
And at that precise moment, they got to hear the sound of the door being knocked.
"Speaking about her..."
Night Light put down the newspaper, got up and went to the door. He opened it and then he saw an old unicorn mare. She had the same coat as Night Light's and a strong pink mane and her Cutie Mark was an opened book with three golden stars above.
"Mom!" Night Light exclaimed, huggig the mare. "It's so nice to see you."
"Me too, my son" Starlight Sparkle answered, Night Light's mother, Velvet's mother-in-law and Shining Armor's grandmother. "So, where's my little grandson?"
"In the dining room with Velvet" Night Light said, while his mother entered and he closed the door. "You're just in time."
"When you sent me that urgent letter asking me to take care of Shining, you don't know the joy you gave me" Starlight said, as she and Night headed to the dining room. "I couldn't possibly refuse."
They reached the dining room and Shining, when he saw his grandmother, exclaimed with joy:
"Granny!"
"Hello, my darling little grandson" she said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"You arrived just in time, Starlight" Velvet said, standing up and using her magic to bring her saddlebag as she positioned herself beside her husband. "But are you sure you can take care for Shining Armor?"
"Oh, my dear, it's obvious that there is no problem" she said, sitting in Velvet's chair, stroking the little colt's mane, while he was sucking his hoof. "I love my little Shining. He looks just like his grandfather. Besides that, I have nothing to do."
"Well, if you say so..." Velvet said, still uncertain.
"Come on, Shining Armor, open your little mouth to Granny" Starlight said, using her magic to levitate the spoon with the moss to the baby.
He, however, continued making tantrum.
"Shining, don't be mean to your granny" Velvet scolded.
"Never mind, my dear" Starlight said. "I dealt with two foals that were much worse."
"Mom!" Night Light exclaimed, blushing embarrassed.
"I'm just saying that you and your brother were not very easy when it came to the food" Starlight said. "But look... Shining, look to granny."
Shining Armor did so and then Starlight made pink sparks come out from her horn, as if she was creating small fireworks. That made Shining laugh, lifting his hooves for those beautiful little lights and Starlight took the chance to shove the moss into his mouth. Shining initially frowned, but then he swallowed it and then began to ask in an enthusiastic way:
"More, more, more!"
Velvet and Night Light got impressd with the ease she gave the food to Shining Armor.
"But how did you manage to do that?" Velvet asked. "I almost have to force him to open his mouth."
"The first scoop is always the hardest" she said, as she gave the moss to Shining. "The secret is to make him open his mouth gently."
Shining's parents exchanged a smile, realizing that they had made a great choice.
"Don't you have to go to work?" Starlight asked.
"Yes, of course we do" Night Light said, kissing his son. "Behave yourself, my son."
"Goodbye, my dear" Velvet said, giving a hug to Shining. "And do what granny tells you."
"Yes" the little foal said.
So Velvet and Night Light left home, now more relaxed.
But Velvet and Night Light were so worried about Shining that once finished their work, they rushed back home, eventually arriving at the same time.
"I see you had the same concern" Night Light remarked.
"Do you think he's okay?" Velvet asked.
"There's only one way to find out" Night Light replied.
They then advanced to the entrance and got in.
"Hello, is anypony home?" Velvet asked.
"We've arrived" Night Light said.
They then noticed that the house was very quiet. Too quiet... and clean.
"Are you sure we entered in the right house?" Velvet asked to Night Light, as he closed the door.
The two went to the living room and found Starlight sitting on the couch knitting.
"Oh, at home now?" she asked. "It's a little early, don't you think?"
"Let's just say we were a little concerned" Night Light replied.
"Where's Shining Armor?" Velvet asked.
"Sleeping" the old mare replied.
"Wait, he's sleeping... now?" Velvet asked, not wanting to believe.
"Yes."
"But how did you do such a miracle?" Velvet asked.
"My dear, Shining Armor just needed to spend that energy that he had" Starlight said, standing up and straightening her needles and wool and putting them in her saddlebags. "So, I let him play a lot in the garden and, after a while, he was so tired in the end that it was much easier to give him the food and put him to sleep. After that, I arranged the house. You were really needing it. Well, I'm going home now. See you tomorrow."
She began to head towards the exit and then Velvet asked:
"But was it hard?"
"Velvet, dear, Shining is an angel compared to some colt I know who spent his life taking down things" Starlight said, making Night Light blush a little. "Well, I'll leave you with your little one. Bye."
And she left.
Night Light and Velvet looked at each other and they gave a laugh. They then climbed the stairs, went to Shining's room, opened the door and peered inside. Lying in his bed, Shining was asleep, snoring lightly and with a smile on his face. His parents smiled tenderly. They really had made a great choice in choosing his foalsitter.