//------------------------------// // Settling In // Story: Royal Rebirth: The Life and Times of Prince Dusk Star // by Grey Ghost //------------------------------// I was finally able to walk around. A little at least, I still fell over every once in awhile. It was way better than nothing. Time still meant nothing to me. The worst part was that I had spotted a calendar one day, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of the writing on it. With an extra set of legs, you’d think it would be hard for a former biped to adapt, but it’s a lot more automatic than walking as a human. That didn’t mean I could just not pay attention, I just didn’t have to pay as much attention. With my new found locomotion, mom had baby gated most doors in the castle. I looked up at Spike, my babysitter for the afternoon. Little guy puts a lot of work in, always doing chores around the place. He’s that cool uncle everyone wishes they’d had growing up. Except this one can breathe fire and eats gems. He was currently trying to get me to play nicely with blocks. I on the other hand decided I wanted to play Godzilla and knock down every tower he makes. A sigh escaped his lips, and he patted my head. “Dusk, you’re a weird kid, you know that? You barely cry, and yet you always want to play as loud as possible.” ‘What’s weird about being a grown man trapped inside a baby pony?’ I ask him, an idea striking me. I grab a few blocks, trying to make a little city with them. ‘But, if you want me to play blocks, I can do that.’ Once my city is perfect, I threw my hooves out towards it. ‘‘I dub you, Dusktopia!’ Smiling, I looked up at Spike, seeking his approval. He smiled and patted my head. “That’s a good looking city, Dusk.” He chuckled for a second and looked it over. “Though your mom would’ve criticized you for not using the same colored blocks in a single building.” ‘It’s fine,’ I replied, leaning into his hand. I learned very quickly that ear scratches felt really nice. Which is another reason why Spike was always my favorite babysitter. ‘I just hope I don’t develope her OCD. I don’t really need that.’ Spike chuckled and pulled his hand away. “So, are you gonna smash the city you made?” ‘Heck ya!’ I gave a play roar, knocking the blocks over. ‘I am the lord of the harvest!!!’ Spike shrugged, giving a roar of his own as he joins me in toppling the city. When the last block fell, he threw his head back and blew a small flame out while roaring. “Don’t tell your mom I did that. She’d kill me if she could out I was breathing fire this close to you.” I saluted, a smile on my face. ‘Seeing as I can’t talk, your secret’s safe with me, Uncle Spike.’ He chuckled at my salute, crossing his arms. “You’ve been hanging out with your dad too much.” Spike lifted me up, carrying me over to my playpen. “Now, you stay in here. It’s almost lunch time, so, I’m gonna get you a bottle.” ‘Oh come on, I don’t need to be put in baby prison.’ I frowned up at him. ‘I’m not gonna hurt myself.’ Spike placed me down, giving me a bright yellow ball. “Go ahead and play, I’ll be just a minute.” Spike hurried over to the small fridge in the corner, grabbing a bottle. Holding it up, he blew a small jet of flame over it. ‘Breathing fire must be fun.’ I watched Spike as I bounced the ball off the wall of my playpen. ‘Though magic’s probably more versatile.’ Testing the temperature, Spike walked back over to me. “Here ya go!” He placed the bottle next to me. “I know you prefer to get it from the source but, your mom’s out shopping.” ‘I can handle having a bottle instead.’ I grabbed the offered bottle with my hooves, latching onto the nipple of it and gulping down the warm milk. Of course, mom went the extra step and used a breast pump. Though, I suppose it’d be a teat pump here. “I’m really glad you’re not a fussy eater,” Spike commented, watching me eat. You’re a pretty awesome kid, Dusk.” He grabbed a comic off the lamp table, walking over the playpen. “You know, the latest issue of the Power Ponies came out!” ‘Aw hell yeah!’ I cheered, throwing my hooves up. If there was one thing ponies did right, it was their comics. ‘The last one ended on a cliffhanger.’ Even if he didn’t think I understood, he still took the time out to read them to me. Spike sat down and pulled me in his lap, holding the comic out so we could both see the pictures. He then started to read it aloud, giving each of the characters a unique voice. I relaxed in his presence, always enjoying the warmth he gave off. Yet another reason I liked spending time with him. He was a living heating pad. I glanced towards the door, shifting slightly. I hated to admit it, but I always got a little anxious whenever mom was away for too long. I still can’t tell if that's a pony thing, or just babies in general. I chalked it up to a combination of both to avoid dwelling on it too long and tried to focus on the comic. It was a good issue and the art was outstanding. Mane-iac has to be the most entertaining of villains. Like a more insane version of the Joker. Plus, her colors are great. Constructicons colors. Well almost, her green isn’t neon. That was a small detail though. I smiled as the comic came to an end. As expected, the Power Ponies won and the Mane-iac escaped arrest through insane methods. “And that concludes this month's thrilling adventure of the Power Ponies!” Spike concludes dramatically, closing the comic. “Pretty great huh?” Setting me on the floor, he rose up, placing his comic back on the table. “And Twilight wants me to read those boring learning books to you.” ‘Hell yeah!’ I beamed up at him and clapped my hooves together. ‘I can’t wait for the next issue!’ I then processed the second part of that statement and deflated. ‘Ugh, not the learning books. They’re all so patronizing.’ Of course, I did need to retrain my brain for speech, on top needing to learn magic and flight. I just wish the methods were better. Spike pulled one of the books off the shelf and sat back down with me. “Welp, better get started. I don’t want to see the freak out your mom will have if we don’t get your education start.” Pulling me back into his lap, he started to go over the first page with me. Twilight stood outside of Starlight’s room, psyching themselves up for the upcoming conversation. Something was bothering her apprentice. Ever since Dusk had come into the castle, Starlight had made herself more and more scarce. It was getting to the point where she’d disappear for the whole day, and only came back after Dusk was put to bed. She steeled herself, knocking at the door. “Starlight, can I talk to you for a second?” Twilight asked. It took a minute for the door to open, revealing Starlight, a slightly strained smile on her face. “Of course, Twilight. Come in.” Stepping aside, she allowed Twilight into the room. “Is something going on?” Twilight sat on her haunches, giving Starlight an easy smile. “I just wanted to ask you, why do you seem to be avoiding Dusk like the plague? I tried being subtle last time, but that didn’t seem to work. So I’m not going to leave until I get a straight answer out of you.” Starlight’s smile feel and she shut the door. She didn’t speak, trotting over to the window. Dusk Star. Even just thinking his name filled her with too many emotions to count. Ears splayed back, she hung her head. Twilight trotted over to her student and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Starlight, you know you can tell me anything, right? I’m your teacher, it’s my job to support you.” “I was going to do it,” Starlight spoke, feeling the familiar sense of self-loathing descend upon her. “That speech you gave wasn’t going to do it. I was going to tear that spell a part and trap you in whatever miserable place it created.” Twilight blinked tilting her head. “This is about that? Starlight, I’ve forgiven you for that. Everypony has! You’re not the same pony that tried to mess with time.” Starlight didn’t reply, shaking her head vigorously. A single moment replayed over and over in her mind. The singular moment when she realized what she had become. “Save your speeches, I’ve had enough of this nonsense!” Starlight snarled, glaring down at the so called princess of friendship. “You took everything from me, and I’ll take everything from you!” She increased her magic, tearing at the ever weakening scroll. Twilight’s look of desperation filled her with a perverted sense of glee. Finally, she had beaten the princess. Broken her just like she had been broken by Sunburst’s departure. Nothing else mattered, only her desire for vengeance. Watching the last few inches of parchment shrinking, Twilight blurted out the words that brought that mindset crashing down. “I’m pregnant!!” That simple utterance was so out of left field, Starlight paused in her spell tearing. “What?” Was the only response she could muster. Twilight started to shake, tears streaming down her place. “I-I found out earlier this week. I haven’t told anypony else yet.” She did the unexpected, prostrating herself at Starlight’s hooves. “Please! You can do whatever you want to me, just don’t punish my foal! I’ll do anything you ask!” The revelation hit Starlight like a charging minotaur. There was a life growing inside Twilight Sparkle. One that had done nothing to her. One that she had unknowingly been destroying with every alteration to the past. Dropping the scroll, she staggered backward, the full horror of the implication dawning on her. She looked down at Twilight, tears unknowingly coming to her eyes. “I’m sorry.” The words escaped her lips before she could even fully process everything, the floodgates opening as she started to cry. “I-I can’t believe what I’ve done.” “Starlight, you can’t beat yourself up over your actions for the rest of your life. I know for a fact that Dusk would love to meet you.” She smiled brightly. “I mean, how could he not want to meet the pony that saved the life of his mother from Queen Chrysalis?” “I almost killed him!” Starlight shouted, loud enough to send Twilight reeling. Unable to hold herself together any longer, she collapsed to the floor, sobbing her eyes out. “ Don’t you understand!? I almost snuffed out his existence before he was even born!” Twilight laid down, putting a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder again. “You didn’t know I was pregnant until I told you. And the instant I did you broke down and stopped creating alternate timelines.” Pulling Starlight into a hug, Twilight gently stroked her back. “It’s alright.” “How? How can you forgive me so easily for this?” Starlight asked, unable to bring herself to look at her teacher. “I would’ve prevented Dusk from ever drawing his first breath. From you getting to see your own son’s face!” “But you didn’t do those things.” Twilight pulled her closer. “You did the right thing, Starlight. You didn’t let the need for vengeance consume you.” The two stayed like that for awhile, until Starlight physically couldn’t cry anymore. Starlight sniffled, her body still shaking. “I’m a monster, Twilight. I almost killed a foal. There’s no going back from that.” “You didn’t kill a foal, Starlight,” Twilight reminded, giving the other mare a squeeze. “He’s playing with Spike as we speak. He’s healthy and happy. You’re not a monster. You’ve saved all of Equestria. You don’t need to beat yourself up for your mistakes forever.” “How can I not?” Starlight whispered, staring at the floor. “By reminding yourself just how far you’ve come,” Twilight answered. “Think about all the friends you’ve made and how different you are from the pony that you were before.” Lifting Starlight’s head, she gave her the best smile she could. “You’re a good pony, Starlight.” Starlight returned the smile shakily. “I think I’ve still got a little ways to go before I’ll agree with you there. Maybe if you let yourself get kidnapped a few more times so I have to be the one saving Equestria?” “I’ll think about it.” Twilight conjured up a tissue box, passing it to her. “Really Starlight. I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am that you saved us from Chrsyalis. i-I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if I had given birth in her custody.” “Well, she didn’t do anything to Flurry Heart,” Starlight offered, blowing her nose loudly in one of the tissues. “Though I’m glad we won’t have to find out what would’ve happened either. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about this sooner. I just... whenever I see him, I see you, on your knees, begging for his life.” “I should’ve talked to you sooner too,” Twilight said. “Just because I’m a mother now doesn’t mean I can neglect my duties as your teacher. I’m sorry I didn’t have this talk sooner.” Standing up, she offered Starlight her hoof. “Come on, let’s go see if he’s finally decided to start some trouble.” Starlight took the offered hoof, gulping. “I guess now’s as good as time as any to try and get over my anxiety over this.” “You’ll be fine.” Twilight walked to the door, pulling it open. “Dusk is a well behaved foal, I know you’ll warm up to each other in no time!” Starlight chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head as Twilight led her into the halls. “At least there’s that.” She could do this. Dusk was just a foal, far too young to judge her for anything. She continued to psyche herself up, beating her anxiety down with everything she had. The two of them found Dusk pouncing on Spike, the little colt fluttering his wings excitedly. Twilight instantly ‘d’awwed’, scooping up Dusk in her hooves while he was mid-pounce. “Hello, Dusky! Did you miss your mommy?” she cooed, nuzzling him. Dusk babbled a greeting, settling into her arms. “I missed you too,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Dusky, there’s somepony that finally wants to get to know you. Give her a big smile.” She turned so Dusk was looking at Starlight. Dusk tilted his head, eyes locking onto Starlight. Waving his hoof around, he babbled away, much to Twilight’s amusement. Conflicting emotions shot through Starlight in that moment. Part of her wanted to smile at Dusk’s display, but the other tried to remind her of her guilt. She all but locked up, when Dusk reached out for her. She had to fight her body telling her to run while inching closer to the foal. “H-hi, Dusk. I’m Starlight Glimmer, your mom’s friendship student.” Dusk babbled again, reaching out to Starlight with a smile. Starlight had to admit it, he was sort of cute. He also seemed smart for an infant, but she chalked that up to taking after his mother. “Here, why don’t you hold him for a while?” Twilight smiled, holding Dusk out to her. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Starlight said, taking a step back as Twilight ignored her. “I mean, I’m a total butterhooves, the last thing I’d want to do is drop him.” “Nonsense.” Taking Starlight’s hooves in her magic, she got them in the proper foal holding position, placing Dusk in her awaiting hooves. “There! See? It’s not that hard to hold a foal.” Stepping back, she let Starlight hold Dusk without magic. On the inside Starlight was screaming, though she put on the best smile she could as Dusk stared up at her. Dusk babbled softly, snuggling into her chest. He smiled, a happy coo passing his lips. At that moment, Starlight’s heart melted and her smile became less forced. She petted his head, scratching behind his ears every once in awhile. “Awo!” Dusk babbled, leaning his head against Starlight’s hoof. Kicking his legs, he wriggled a bit, getting comfy in her hold. “Habba rok!” Starlight smiled brightly and continued to stroke his head gently. ’So precious,’ she thought idly. “You know,” Twilight began, a large grin on her face. “Flash and I have been discussing who we want Dusk’s godparents to be.” Starlight snapped out of her slight trance and looked over at Twilight. “Well, I’m sure you’re going to pick Spike or Shining Armor. I mean, they’re your brothers.” “They’re already family.” Twilight shook her head, stepping over and placing a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “I was thinking of somepony else. Somepony good at magic, maybe somepony who's apprenticed to a certain princess?” Starlight blanched, shaking her head. “Y-you really can’t be serious. I don’t think I deserve an honor like that.” “Starlight, you’re a wonderful mare, and a great friend.” Looking into her eyes, Twilight continued. “I trust you with my life, Starlight. If anything happens to me and Flash, I want you to look after Dusk.” Starlight looked between Dusk and Twilight as a fresh wave of anxiety crashed over her. A part of her wanted to outright refuse the offer, but she couldn’t get the words out. In the end, she looked up to Twilight and said, “Okay, I’ll do it.” “Excellent!” Twilight pulled Starlight into a hug, wrapping her wings around her. “Thank you so much, Starlight! There’s nopony else I’d trust for this.” “Don’t you have six other friends you trust with your life?” Starlight asked cheekily, returning the hug as best she could. “Wouldn’t one of them have been a better choice?” Twilight swatted her with a wing gently. “Look at the way Dusk has taken to you.” A smirk wormed its way onto her face. “And you seem to have a soft spot for him too.” Starlight turned her gaze down to Dusk, who was busy rubbing his hoof against her chest. ‘He’s so precious. Just look at him, everything is new to him. I almost denied the world this life.’ Spike smiled as he watched Dusk and Starlight. “Wow Starlight, you’re a natural with Dusk. I bet you’d make a great mom one day.” Nodding absentmindedly, Starlight gently booped Dusk’s nose. ‘I can’t let anypony take this precious pony away. Not as long as I live.’Turning back to Twilight, she rocked Dusk slowly. “Thank you, Twilight. For giving this to me.” Twilight pulled her closer with her wings. “You earned it, Starlight.” She giggled, pulling away. “Though I’m hoping you won’t have to fulfill your duties.” Leaning down, she placed a kiss on Dusk’s head. “He’s the best thing that's ever happened to me.” Spike walked over to Twilight with a cheeky grin and nudged her in the side with his elbow. “Good thing Flash isn’t here, otherwise he might get jealous. He might even do the courtship dance again.” Twilight giggled at the the thought, holding a hoof to her mouth. “He was pretty cute when he did it last time, but I think I’ll avoid making my husband jealous.” A mischievous smile grew on Spike’s face, an idea coming to him. “You know, when Flash first got assigned as Twilight’s guard, she was still getting used to her wings.” Extending one of Twilight’s wings, he ran his fingers through her feathers. “You should have seen all the little changes in her behavior.” Starlight’s expression shifted to match Spike’s and adjusted her grip on Dusk. “Oh really? I think Dusky and I need to hear this story.” “Well, whenever she got incensed or insulted, her chest would puff out, and she’d fluff her wings. She did it more than Dash or Fluttershy!” Spike snickered, recalling the image. “Poor Flash, I think she kept giving him weird signals.” “I couldn’t help it!” Twilight protested, her chest puffing slightly. “Becoming an alicorn comes with new instincts. Applejack told me I was exhibiting earth pony behaviors as well.” “Oh yeah, that too.” Spike leaned on Twilight’s leg. “She whinnies way more than she used to! Paws at the ground more too. I have to keep the floors polished, or she’ll mark it up.” “Bee ha, bala hala ba ba!” Dusk declared, clearly amused by his mothers antics. Twilight sighed, leaning down to look into Dusk’s eyes. “You’re going to tease me as much as these two when you’re older, aren’t you?” she asked, tickling his chin with a wingtip. Dusk giggled, batting his hooves at Twilight’s wing. Spike grinned, looking at Dusk. “Don’t worry little guy, I’ll teach you all the best ways to get under your mommy’s skin.” “Yes Spike, I want you to teach Equestria’s first alicorn colt the ability to torment his poor mother.” Twilight rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Besides, I think he’s too nice for that kinda thing.” “Beh dah!” Dusk beamed, throwing his hooves up. “Ewo kaosi!” Twilight chuckled, patting his head. “I have no idea if you agreed with me or not, but I do like your enthusiasm. “Has he eaten?” Twilight asked, glancing down at Spike. Spike gave her a thumbs up. “Yup, just gave him a full bottle. Kid’s been quiet all day, like always. Well, besides all the babble I mean.” “And we don’t want to discourage that,” Twilight said, kissing Dusk’s forehead. “If we do, it could impact his ability to learn language.” Placing a hoof on his belly, she rubbed it gently. “And we don't want that, now do we?” Dusk giggled and grabbed at her hoof with two of his. “Hala da!” He brought her hoof up to his mouth, gumming on the edge. Twilight gently pulled her hoof away, bringing him a teething ring with her magic. “Don’t teeth on my hooves, Dusky, you can get sick doing that.” Dusk took the teething ring, happily chewing on it. “There, see? Much better than mommy’s hoof.” Dusk didn’t babble back a response, too busy with his toy. Assured that Dusk was happy, Twilight took a step back. “How about we go out to the park? I bet Dusk would love to run around.” She squeed, clapping her hooves. “He could even make some friends!” “I’ll go grab the stroller,” Spike offered, walking out of the room. “He really is a quiet kid,” Starlight spoke, setting Dusk back on his hooves. “I never heard him cry at night. Is that normal?” Twilight shrugged. “Every foal is different. On average foals cry more through the night but it’s not unheard of for a newborn to rarely cry.” Twilight beamed, putting a hoof to her chest. “I read several books on the subject to prepare myself for any statistical possibility.” “Kmabi?” Dusk looked up at Twilight, tilting his head to the side. Twilight giggled, looking back down at Dusk. “I wanted to make sure I could be the best parent for you I possibly could be!” she told him, her wings twitching on her back. “Of course, Flash thinks I went a bit overboard, but, you can never be too careful!” “O Dee!” Dusk cried with a giggle. “Mo O Dee!” he repeated, pointing a hoof at her. Twilight blinked for a moment, glancing at Starlight. “Uh, Starlight? Is it just me or was Dusk insinuating that I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?” Starlight leaned down, scrutinizing Dusk’s face. “I don’t really see how, he’s only just learned to walk.” She waved her hoof dismissively. “It’s just a coincidence.” Twilight giggled, nodding at Starlight. “You’re right, there’s no way Dusk could know that term. I mean, nopony’s ever said it around him.” Turning to the door, she watched Spike return, pushing the stroller. “Alright you.” She scooped Dusk up, placing him in the stroller. Dusk settled into the stroller, giggling with a mischievous look on his face. The trio paid that no mind however as they strode out the door. His demeanor changed once they stepped outside. In the presence of so many ponies, he squirmed, apparently out of his comfort zone. He shrank slightly in the stroller, keeping his attention away from the eyes on him. Frowning, Spike poked Twilight’s side. “I don’t think he’s enjoying all these ponies around him.” Twilight frowned, looking down at her son. “Aww, do you not like crowds?” she asked, reaching into the stroller and stroked the side of his face. “I guess you haven’t exactly had to deal with this sort of thing before. They’re not going to hurt you, sweetie, mommy’s here for you.” Lighting her horn, she pulled down the strollers hood, shielding him from most prying eyes. Dusk settled down slightly, giving his mother a small smile. “Tak Mo!” Twilight returned his smile and gave him a kiss on the nose. “You’re welcome, Dusky. Now, let’s try to have a fun day at the park, okay?” Returning to her task of pushing the stroller, she didn’t process the implications of what he had tried to say. “So Twi,” Spike started, getting her attention. “Do you know about any foals around Dusk’s age, or are you actually winging something for once?” “Well, the Cake Twins are almost a year old, but I’m sure they’ll be open to playing with Dusk. They played with Flurry.” Spike shrugged. “I guess that should work out fine.” He glanced up at her. “Just as long as we actually keep an eye on them this time.” Spike leaned into the stroller, putting a hand to his mouth. “Your mom totally wasn’t a good babysitter.” Twilight shot a stern look down at the drake. “I learned my lesson not to juggle too many priorities when children are involved, didn’t I?” Grumbling under her breath, she stopped at a bench near the foal section of the park. “Here we are!” Dusk poked his head out from the stroller, taking in the scenery. Once he saw there wasn’t as much of a crowd, he let out a happy babble. “Owat!” he all but demanded, wriggling in his seat. “Up you go!” Twilight cheered, picking him up with her magic and setting him down in the sandbox. “You may need a bath later, but for now, play to your heart’s content!” Conjuring up a bucket and shovel, she set them down in front of him. Dusk let out a cheer, instantly grabbing the shovel and using it to put sand in the bucket. Twilight frowned, turning to Spike. “Did you teach him how to use a shovel?” “Not that I can remember,” Spike said, looking up at Twilight. “Did you?” scratching his cheek in thought, Spike turned his eyes towards Dusk. “Maybe Flash did?” Starlight shrugged. “That has to be it.” She smiled as she turned back to watch Dusk play. “He looks like he’s having a good time though.” “I’ll ask Flash later.” Laying down on the bench, Twilight watched Dusk with renewed interest. It didn’t take long for foals to learn how to walk. Some foals learned to talk sooner than others. What she knew foals couldn’t do, was look at something and know how to use it. She scratched her chin, her scientific curiosity piqued to say the least. Was there something abnormal about Dusk’s mind? A few darker possibilities came to the forefront. That her body had been harboring some leftover piece of Nightmare Moon or Sombra, and when offered a vessel in the form of a new conceived foal, had pounced on it. After a moment’s thought, the idea didn’t seem likely. Aside from the slightly abnormal behavior, Dusk showed no signs of dark magic use. However, she kept the hypothesis in mind if she could find any additional evidence. The most logical theory that came to Twilight’s mind, made the most sense. She and Starlight had been exposed to massive amounts of time magic. It was possible that the exposure had had an effect on Dusk. It could have easily accelerated his mental development. She’d have to devise non-invasive tests she could perform on Dusk to discover the cause. She’d also have to clear it with Flash, he did deserve a say in the decision after all. “Equestria to Twilight!” Spike called, waving a hand in front of her face. “You okay in there?” Twilight shook her head, turning to Spike. “I’m fine, I was just thinking about something.” Glancing back at Dusk, she found him dumping sand out of his little bucket. “Did you need anything, Spike?” “I was just making sure you weren’t spacing out,” Spike told her. “Seemed like you were overthinking stuff again.” “It’s nothing Spike.” Twilight ruffled the drake’s spines. “Why don’t you go play with Dusk? At least until some other foals join him.” “I can do that,” Spike said, going over to the sandbox. He smiled as he sat down in front of Dusk, helping the little colt pile more sand into his bucket. Dusk was more than happy to play with his uncle, the pair building a sand castle. Twilight smiled as she watched the pair, noticing some movement from the corner of her eye. She let her eyes drift to it, seeing a mare and stallion with a foal in a stroller between them. “Afternoon!” Twilight greeted, waving at them. “Hello Princess Twilight,” the mare greeted, a small smile on her face. “If it’s not too much trouble, could our little Skyla play in the sand box as well?” She gestured at the small pegasus foal in the stroller. “Please just call me Twilight.” Twilight gestured to the sandbox. “Of course she can. It’s not like I own the sandbox.” “Thank you, Twilight,” the stallion said, lifting his daughter up and putting her down near Dusk. “You play nice, Skyla,” he told her with a smile. Dusk paused in his playing, eyeing Skyla for a moment. Looking at Spike, he wore an unsure look. “Koba?” “Koba!” Skyla agreed, gesturing at the castle. “Looks like you got a new playmate.” Spike pat his head, wearing a smile. “Be nice, okay?” Dusk smiled, saluting at Spike before turning his attention to Skyla. He gestured at her, offering her the bucket. “Boma!” Skyla giggled, happily taking the bucket with a smile on her face. She turned it over, using it to scoop up sand. The two of them played happily, babbling back and forth excitedly. Twilight’s smile grew as she watched them before turning to Skyla’s parents. “I think it’s safe to say that these two are friends.” She held back a squee, a feeling of pride welling up in her chest. Her son had made her first friend! With a quick burst of magic, she had a camera in her hooves, snapping a few pictures of the playing foals. She sent the camera away and turned back to the two parents. “If you want, Skyla can come over for a playdate sometime soon.” “Really? You’d let us in the castle?” the mare asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Twilight giggled. “Of course, my castle does still act as the town’s library after all. Besides, Dusk and Skyla seem to get along. How could I not want to encourage that?” Twilight gestured to the foals. “Dusk hasn’t had a chance to socialize with other foals until now.” The stallion chuckled. “We’d love for Skyla to have a playdate with Dusk. She looks very happy playing with him.” He brought his hoof to his chest. “I’m Bronze Hammer, and this is my wife, Storm Wing.” Twilight nodded, chuckling nervously. “I’d introduce myself but you seem to already know my name. But, this is Spike, my assistant, Starlight Glimmer my student, and Dusk Star my son.” She pointed at the trio in the order she introduced them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Storm Wing gave a wave. “It’s nice to meet you all.“ Fluffing her wings, she gestured towards the sandbox. “I remember reading in the paper that you were expecting. I don’t think anyone expected an alicorn colt.” Spike returned the wave, getting out of the sandbox to give the two foals more room to play. Twilight smiled, looking at Dusk for a moment before turning back to the other mother. “With his cousin being an alicorn, I wasn’t too surprised that Dusk was born an alicorn.” She giggled. “Though him being the first male alicorn was a wonderful surprise. Like a surprise party as my friend, Pinkie, would say.” “I can tell ya it made Flash’s year,” Spike added, taking a seat next to Twilight. “I think he automatically assumed Dusk was gonna be a filly. You should have seen him when he found out Dusk was a boy.” Bronze nodded, putting a hoof around his wife’s barrel below her wings. “I can relate. Storm and I are hoping for a colt if we decide to have another one.” He glanced at his daughter. “We’re waiting to see how well we can handle Skyla at the moment.” “Flash and I are doing the same with Dusk, though, he’s actually been a very quiet foal.” Storm giggled, leaning against her husband. “According to old mare’s tales, that means your next one will be a little Tartarus-raiser.” “Oh Faust, I hope not.” Twilight giggled, shaking her head. Keeping an eye on Dusk, she chatted with the couple, with Spike and Starlight cutting in every now and then. It wasn’t until she noticed a yawn escaping Dusk’s lips, that she excused herself from the conversation. She got down to his level, patting his head. “Does a certain little prince need a nap?” she cooed. “Nado,” Dusk responded, giving another yawn. “Do you want to play just a little longer with your new friend?” Twilight asked, smiling warmly at him. “Alright, since you’ve been so good, we can put off nap time for a few more minutes.” Dusk let out a soft cheer, giving Twilight’s muzzle a quick hug before going back to making a castle with Skyla. After a few minutes, he was dozing off peacefully, having fal onto the castle, much to Skyla’s delight. Twilight giggled, gently lifting Dusk in her magic and placing him in the stroller. She turned to Bronze and Storm with a smile. “I think that’s my cue to put Dusk in his crib. It was wonderful meeting you two, do not hesitate to bring Skyla over for a playdate. I know my husband would love to meet you as well.” “We’ll take you up on that offer,” Storm agreed, returning Twilight’s smile. “I have a few days off coming up. I’ll make sure to set something up.” “And you’re invited to come over to our place,” Bronze offered. “We might not have a castle, but it’d be rude not to extend the same hospitality you’re showing us.” Saying their goodbyes, the trio made their way back to the castle, Dusk snoozing away in the stroller. I woke up to find myself back in my room. Nice and comfy, like always. I was about to get up, when my ears flicked. Pausing, I listened in hearing my parents voices out in the hallway. “He made a friend today!” my mother’s muffled voice said excitedly. “You should’ve seen him playing with this adorable little filly! It was absolutely perfect!” “I bet it was,” Dad’s voice replied, the sounds of their hooves getting closer. “I wish I could have seen it. But, one of us has to take their job seriously.” “Oh, as if, I’ve seen how you act while on the job,” Mom shot back. “Or were your eyelids just guarding your eyes?” “Wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?” Dad asks, opening the door to my room. “Something about Dusk?” My interest piqued, I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. It really wasn't that hard, I actually had a harder time staying awake. “Oh yes!” Mom gasped, the sound of feathers ruffling catching my attention. “Dusk seems to be exhibiting behavior that hints at him being far more developed than a foal his age should be. It might be nothing, but I do have a couple working hypotheses that could prove troubling. I was hoping to develop some non-invasive experiments to make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary.” “He’s not gonna end up being like five, with the body of an adult like that one disease, is he?” Dad asked, worry lacing his voice. “From what I can gather, I don’t think that’s the case,” Mom assured. “Though one of my hypotheses does hint at something similar to that.” “How similar?” Dad pressed, sounding more than a little agitated. “Dusk’s physical development seems stable, it’s just his mental faculties that seem to be growing quickly. So five year old mind in a baby body was what I was picturing,” Mom elaborated. “It might be due to all that time magic we were exposed to.” Dad was quiet for a moment. “Alright, you can run tests as long as they don’t hurt him. We’ve gotta make sure our foal is healthy after all.” Judging by the sounds of their hooves, I could tell they were at my crib. I breathed quietly, my heart racing in my ears. At that point, I hadn’t really thought about my at that point. Hell, I hadn’t even tried to hide my intelligence. I hadn’t even considered a need to hide it really. I mean, this was a world of magical, talking ponies. I assumed the extraordinary was just ordinary to them. I remember distinctly, this was the first time I ever really felt fear in this life. The fear of what they’d do if they discovered who I really was. I don’t know how much of it was childish emotions or just plain old paranoia. Either way, I had decided then and there to do my best to act like a normal baby. I did not want to find out what would happen if they uncovered my secret. As they chatted above me, another thought occurred to me. How did I end up here? What happened to the original Dusk Star? The idea that I had somehow replaced their foal was something that would plague me throughout my second childhood. It was obvious to me that I had died and was reincarnated in the body of a foal. I had never really believed in that sort of thing before my second childhood. But the fact I use the term second childhood adds credibility to the concept. It was all just too much for me at that moment. For the first time, I wailed. I wailed long and hard, and no matter how much my parents assured me, I didn’t stop until I wore myself out. “Do you think he had a nightmare?” Mom asked, swaying me gently and stroking my back. “I wonder what about?” Dad pet my head, a concerned look on his face. “He hasn’t seen anything ‘scary’ has he?” “I don’t think so, but since my name isn’t Luna I can’t tell you what his dream was,” Mom replied, holding me close and coaxing me back to sleep. “Not that I think he’d dream of anything really coherent. Maybe he should sleep with us?” “As if I’m going to say no to making sure my kid doesn’t wake up screaming,” Dad said with a soft smile, kissing my cheek. “Come on Dusk, you get to play chaperone.” Mom gave Dad a weak smile. “Well, the books did warn us that our intimacy would take a hit.” She started carrying me out of my room. “But Dusk’s emotional stability is more important.” “Don’t worry about it, Dusk comes first.” Mom smiled, giving Dad a kiss on the cheek. “Way to be a super dad.” Dad puffed up his chest, a strut to his step. “What can I say? I’m the best dad any foals ever had. Ain’t that right, Duskie?” I gave a quick babble in affirmation before returning to my existential crisis. As we settled in their bed, I curled up between my parents. As my exhaustion claimed me, I silently hoped that nothing would happen to change my standing in my new family.