Mom rushed around the room, gathering up things to put in my diaper bag. It was impressive how she fluttered around the room and quickly found whatever it was that she was looking for. I had no idea what the rush was for, but apparently we were going out somewhere important. Once Mom had placed the last item in the bag, Dad walked in wearing his armor with his spear at his side.
“Are you nearly done getting everything ready?” Dad asked, fixing a strap on his breastplate. “I mean, we’re not going to be very long.”
“I packed the bag for a full day just in case,” Mom replied, slinging the bag onto her back. “Just in case we get delayed for some reason.” She trotted over to me and picked me up, cradling me close to her chest. “What about you? Did you figure out who’s in charge of the Midday Guard while you’re gone?”
Dad flashed her a prideful smile. “Heh, haven't even been formed for a week, and you've already taken to the name.” Remembering the question, he continued. “I'm thinking of LT. Night Fury.”
Mom nodded, walking over to the door. “Okay, that’s the strigoi mare, right?” Glancing down at me, Mom sighed. “I wish we didn't have to take Dusk.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t?” Dad replied, looking down at me. “I don’t think a prisoner transport is something we need him to see. We’ve got some time before our train arrives, why not see if we can find a sitter for him?”
“Starlight's out, I'm not sure about the rest of the girls.” Mom frowned, rubbing my back. “It is short notice after all.”
“The worst thing that’ll happen is that our plan goes unchanged,” Dad pointed out, adjusting his spear. “We’ll just keep Dusk out of sight.” Glancing at me, he frowns. “And hope Dusk doesn't decide to break his quiet streak.”
Mom nodded, placing me on her back. “You’re right, let’s go. We can start with Pinkie since she’s closest.”
‘Hanging out with actual babies could get a little weird,’ I comment, settling down between Mom’s shoulders. 'Though, playing with Skyla is really fun.’
Mom and Dad walked out of the castle, Dad saluting at his guards as we headed into town. As soon as his back was turned, a mare who I assume was Night Fury took that as her cue to order them to disperse and attend to their duties.
We step out of the castle, and proceed to visit each of my aunt's in turn. Unfortunately for my parents, all of them were busy. Rarity was working on her backlog, Pinkie was working, Fluttershy was visiting her parents, Dash was at practice and Applejack had a few deliveries to make. Just when they were about to give up, a yellow filly with a red mane and a pink bow popped up in front of us.
“Hey Twilight!” She greeted with a wide grin. “The girls and Ah could watch yer foal for ya!”
Two other fillies appeared besides her, reflecting the first filly’s smile. Mom and Dad shared a look, seeming to have an unspoken conversation between themselves. After a few seconds, Mom turned back to them.
“Okay, you can watch Dusk,” she told them, levitating my diaper bag over to them. “But be careful, a foal is a big responsibility, even for a day.” Setting me down, Mom gave me a warm hug. “Be a good colt, okay?”
I saluted, smiling at her as I gave her a goodbye kiss. ‘You don’t have to worry about that, Mom.’ That seemed to brighten her up, and I turned to the fillies. 'Greetings comrades, I am your future overlord.’
“Aww, look how cute he is!” the unicorn filly beamed, picking me up gently. She gave me a nuzzle and started to engage in baby talk. “Whose a cutie? You are! Yes you are!”
‘Niet!’ I threw my hooves up. ‘Your overlord is displeased with this form of worship!’ I giggle at my own antics, waving at Mom. 'Don’t let Dad do anything dumb!’
Dad smiled and tousled my mane. “Alright, Dusk, we’ll be back soon. Have fun and keep these three out of trouble, okay?”
'I’ll do my best.’ I salute again, grinning up at him.
“Aww, the little guy thinks he’s a guard,” the orange pegasus filly said, her wings buzzing on her back. “Maybe he can show us some of his moves!”
‘Da, I will teach you my secrets and together we will create a worker’s paradise!’ I threw my hooves up and started laughing maniacally. I know, I heavily overplayed the Soviet thing, but come on, I was having fun. Plus, I had to put that AP Euro History class to good use somehow. Anyway, once Mom and Dad were gone, the three fillies surrounded me and started listing off plans.
A small whimper escaped my lips, and I found myself staring off after my parents. Of course, I had been away from them before, but that was never really longer than an hour or two. Now I had to spend most of a day without them.
“Uh oh, he looks like he’s about to cry,” the unicorn filly said, looking between the other two. “Should we try to make him feel better with a toy or something?” She lit her horn up, levitating a rattle over to me. She shook it for me, offering me a smile. “Here you go, Dusk. It’s okay.”
I continued to whimper, turning away from the rattle with a pout. ‘Rattles aren’t my thing, squeaky voiced pre-teen.’
“Ah don’t think that’s gonna work,” the earth pony commented, frowning at me. She gently picked me up and rocked me. “There, there, little fella,” she cooed, continuing to rock me. “We’re gonna take good care o’ ya.”
I relax, holding onto her. ‘Alright, that's better.’ I nuzzle her neck, looking up at her.
She smiled and scratched behind one of my ears. “That’s a good boy. Gotta be a tough colt like yer pa, right?” Turning to the others, she gestured to me. “See? Ain’t that hard.”
“Wow! You’re a natural, Apple Bloom!” the orange filly praised, beaming at her friend. She then smirked and nudged Apple Bloom’s side with an elbow. “I bet you’ll make a great mom someday.”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Very funny, Scootaloo. Les just worry about foalsittin’ fer now.”
“Okay!” the white squeaker chimed in. “How about we take Dusk here to the clubhouse? That’s way more comfortable than the middle of the field.” The other girls voiced their agreement, taking me into the apple orchard. We eventually came to a treehouse that had a ramp leading up to it. The inside was pretty small but there was some basic furniture in there that made it seem comfy.
Applebloom set me down, patting my head. “Well, what do ya think?” She swept her arms out, putting the whole room on display. “This is our club house! We help ponies find their cutie marks here.”
‘It’s simple, but it’s alright I guess,’ I told her, waving a hoof around the room. ‘Maybe put in a roundtable for meetings though? Actually, it might not be big enough for that.’
Apple Bloom sat down and placed the diaper bag Mom left her on the floor. “Alright, Ah think we should take turns on diaper duty. How are we gonna decide who does it first?” Looking up, she frowned as both her friends decided to look away and whistle. “Oh no, y’all ain’t gettin’ out of this.” She trotted over to a table and found some popsicle sticks and a red marker. After some quick work she held out the sticks to the other two. “Whoever gets the marked stick changes Dusk first,” she said firmly. “Now pick.”
‘Geez, I had no idea ponies would draw straws over me.’ I watched with interest, giggling at this strange turn of events. ‘Am I really that special?’
The two gulped, hesitantly reaching out and taking one of the popsicle sticks. Apple Bloom opened her hoof, revealing that her stick lacked a mark. The unicorn was the next to open her hoof, her stick bare as well.
“Oh come on!” Scootaloo huffed, opening her hoof to see that her stick was marked. “That’s not cool!”
“You got the first diaper duty fair and square,” the unicorn told her. “And if it makes you feel better, you can choose who goes next.” Turning to the diaper bag, she opened it, taking stock of it’s contents. “Oh hey, Twilight left instructions!”
“Well don’t leave us hanging, tell us what they say!” the pegasus chirped, buzzing her wings.
The unicorn scrutinized the list, rubbing her chin. “Well, it says that Dusk’s naps usually last an hour, if he gets fussy give him Smarty Pants the second, please don’t discourage him from babbling.” she listed off a few more things, going down the list. “Oh! This looks important! His bandages can come off today!”
“That’s great news!” The pegasus beamed. “I bet he’s hated having his wing restricted like that.” She turned to Apple Bloom with a grin. “Let me hold him so I can unwrap his bandages, I know how to be careful with a wing.”
‘Uh... I don’t like the look of that grin,’ I muttered, glancing at my pinned wing. I fidget, whining a little. After what felt like forever, I just wanted it off. After having a taste of flight, I was itching to get back to it.
Apple Bloom handed me over to the pegasus who cradled me and gripped the edge of the bandages. She carefully started unweaving it, freeing my feathers to the air. “There!” Scootaloo smiled, buzzing her wings. “You’re finally free!”
I flexed my wing, feeling a grin spread on my face. I reacquainted myself with my flight muscles before flapping my wings and took to the air. Buzzing around the room, I giggled and cooed, enjoying the feeling of wind through my feathers.
“Wow, look at him go!” the unicorn cheered, giggling as she watched me fly in circles. “He’s a natural!”
I giggled at the praise, doing a quick loop in response. ‘Oh yeah! I missed this so much!’ hovering in the air, I take stock of the fillies. I tilt my head, noting the jealous looks Scootaloo gave me. Descending to her level, I hug her neck. ‘Hey, um sorry if I did something wrong.’
After a moment, her look softened and she patted my head. “You’re welcome little guy. Does your wing hurt at all?”
‘Nope!’ I pull away, fluttering out of the clubhouse. ‘I can touch the sky!’ I exclaimed, though I didn’t risk going higher than the club house. I wasn’t that good of a flier, and I didn’t want to end up in the hospital again.
“Hey little guy, come down now!” Sweetie Belle called out, holding up Smarty Pants the second in her hooves. She offers a smile, using her magic to move Smarty’s limbs. “Smarty can’t fly, and he could really use a hug!”
‘Oh please, there’s no way that’ll work.’ As I said this I drifted down towards the doll. ‘Okay, so maybe it did.’ I looked at her while hugging Smarty. I dropped onto my hooves, holding the doll close. ‘Happy now?’
Sweetie smiled and patted my head. “You’re so well behaved, Dusk. Why can’t you be this behaved for my sister?” She boops my nose. “She’s always telling me about how you won’t sit still for measurements.”
‘She always makes the tape too tight on me,’ I retorted, bouncing Smarty a little. ‘And I’m pretty sure she wants to play dress up with me.’ I transferred the doll onto my back, getting a few daws from the trio.
“If this keeps up then our first time babysittin’s gonna be a huge success!” Apple Bloom cheered, holding her hoof up.
The other fillies put their hooves to hers and the free of them chanted. “Cutie Mark Crusaders foalsitters!” the three of them shared a good long laugh, all smiles. Even then, I could tell it was some old ritual between them. Too bad all the shouting made my ears hurt.
I whimpered, my ears flattening against my head and tears welling up in my eyes. I sniffled, doing my best not to burst into tears.
Apple Bloom reacted in an instant and cradled me. She rocked me gently and cooed softly in my ear. “We’re sorry, Dusk, we’ll keep it down from now on.” She leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Promise.”
“Oh! I got an idea!” Scootaloo bounced up and down. “Let’s try to figure out what Dusk’s cutie mark will be!”
“How are we supposed to do that?” Apple Bloom asked, giving Scootaloo a pointed look and indicating for her to keep it down. “He’s a baby, his talents right now are nappin’ and bein’ cute.” Setting me down, she replaced Smarty on my back. “Sides’, he barely understands what's happenin’ around him.”
‘Oi! Don’t go insulting my intelligence like that!’ I barked, shaking a hoof at her. ‘Just because I can’t talk yet doesn’t mean anything!’
Sweetie Belle seemed to ignore my ranting, tapping her chin with a hoof. “Well, Twilight’s cutie mark is for magic, and Flash is a guard, so maybe Dusk’s talent will be in combat magic?”
Apple Bloom frowned, pulling me close to her. “We’re not teachin’ a foal how to fight. Especially one that just got a bandage off.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head, a horrified look on her face. “Of course not! I was just speculating, that’s all.”
“Good.” Apple Bloom nodded, loosening her grip on me. “Anyway, Ah’m sure the three of us can think of a few things to keep a foal occupied!” Brightening up, she nudged me forward. “Ah know! We can give him a tour of Sweet Apple Acres!”
“That’s a great idea!” Sweetie agreed. “I bet Granny Smith would love to give him a special treat at the end of the tour!”
With our path set, the girls lead me through the orchard. I had to hand it to them, they made sure to keep me occupied. They even made sure I couldn’t wander off, with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at my sides, and Sweetie Belle behind me. Not that I wanted to wander off, but certain things did catch the attention of my baby instincts. The orchard itself was beautiful and obviously well taken care of.
Apple Bloom was all chatter at this point, telling me about the history of her farm. ‘Ever get tired of Apples?’ I asked, looking up at her. ‘I am the crystal palace is starting to get stale.’
“Sorry, if Ah seem t’be ramblin’,” Apple Bloom told me, patting my head. “Ah just take a lot o’ pride in mah family”
‘I don’t mind. I like history. It was my best subject.’ I lean into her hoof, nuzzling it.
Apple Bloom smiled and continued with the tour, detailing anything that popped in her head. “And here’s the house!” she proclaimed, gesturing to a rather nice looking, southern style home. “Pretty nice huh?”
‘Seems pretty cozy,’ I replied. I adjusted Smarty on my back and flew up just over the trio’s heads to get a better look. A bit of movement caught my eye, and I saw a large, red stallion stepping out of the barn, pulling a cart behind him. I decided to fly over to him, hover in front of his face and wave. ‘Hi there. I didn’t know ponies came in your size aside from Princess Celestia.’
He gave me an appraising look, then glanced over at Bloom. “This Twilight’s foal?”
“Yup, say hello to Dusk Star!” Bloom beamed and waved a hoof over to me. “He’s really well behaved. Dusk, this is Applejack and I’s brother, Big Mac!” Smirking, she looked between the two. “Dusk’s a real chatter box, like you used to be.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at his name. ‘Big Mac? Funny, you don’t look like a cheeseburger to me. Do you have a twin brother named Whopper?’ Landing on his head, I make myself comfy. ‘Hope you don’t mind, I didn’t think this seat was taken.’
“Yer right, he sure does talk a lot.” Big Mac glanced up at me. “Comfy?” He chuckles at my smile. “Boy sure likes to make himself at home.”
“He sure does,” Apple Bloom agreed, giggling. “He eats up attention too!”
‘I guess I did get my dad’s ego.’ I puffed my chest out, trying to imitate the blustering behavior I had seen Dad display.
This earned a giggle and a series of d’awws from the trio of fillies. “Look at him go.” Scootaloo gestures up at me.
“If this keeps up he might have an ego that could rival Rainbow Dash’s,” Apple Bloom pointed out.
“Nah, he’s just acting like his dad,” Scootaloo spoke, looking up at me. “Pegasus males tend to display more often. Usually when they want to show off or be tough, Flash Sentry does it a lot, if you pay attention. Dusk is just trying to be like him.”
“Ah guess there are worse ponies to imitate than a guard captain,” Apple Bloom commented. “Ah guess the sayin’, like father, like son is gonna apply t’Dusk in spades.”
That only served to egg me on. I puffed my chest out, extended my wings, and got comfy on Mac’s head. ‘Big Mac, you have the best head to perch on.’
Sweetie tilted her head, putting a hoof to her chin. “If Dusk is gonna be like his dad, does that mean he’ll be a guard?” She scratched her chin. “Can prince’s even join the guard?”
“Sweetie Belle, I said he was copying his dad’s behavior, not his career choice.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Foals pick up a lot of tribal habits from their parents. It’s why Pumpkin and Pound act like earth ponies.”
“Since when are ya so knowledgeable about all this?” Apple Bloom questioned. “Aren’t ya barely awake in Miss Cheerilee’s class most days?”
Scootaloo blushed, suddenly rather shy. “Well, my Auntie Lofty is a behavioral expert. I thought, given our talents, that that kinda thing would be useful.” Sneaking a furtive glance at her friends, she pressed on. “I actually kinda like it.”
Sweetie Belle beamed. “Good thinking, Scootaloo! Understanding our clients’ behavior is a great way to help their issues.” Tilting her head, Sweetie eyed Scootaloo quizzically. “You know, I’ve never seen you with any pony from your family before.”
Scootaloo chuckled weakly and rubbed her neck. “You haven’t? That’s so weird. Guess we’ve never bumped into each other while I’m out with her.”
Apple Bloom frowned, moving to stand with Sweetie Belle. “Scoots, have ya been hiding yer family from us?”
Scootaloo flinched before gaping at them. “What? How can you think that? I mean, you’ve been in my house before.” She put on a smile that I’m guessing she thought looked natural.
Sweetie stepped closer, putting a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Scoots, you can tell us. I promise we won’t judge you. Crusaders forever, remember?” Offering a kind smile, she motioned for Apple Bloom to do the same.
Scootaloo turned her head down for a few moments before letting out a sigh. “Alright, alright. I’ll talk.” Fluffing her wings, Scootaloo’s ears flicked back. “My parents aren’t around all that much, so I stay with my aunt and her wife.”
Sweetie and Apple Bloom put hooves around her back and offered her a smile. “There ain’t no shame in that,” Apple Bloom told Scootaloo. Her look then hardened and she poked Scootaloo’s chest. “But ya gotta introduce us to yer aunty, she sounds nice.”
“I uh... okay.” Scootaloo nodded her head, quickly sharing Apple Bloom’s smile. “Why don’t we head there after Dusk meets Granny?”
“Sounds like a plan to me!” Sweetie chimed, hopping into the air for a brief moment. “Come on, I bet Granny will love Dusk.” Levitating me off Mac’s head and onto her back, Sweetie galloped into the home.
Mac waved goodbye as the other two joined her inside. Sweetie slid to a stop into the kitchen where an elderly pony was washing some pots. “Hi, Granny Smith!” Sweetie greeted, smiling up at her.
Granny turned, a smile on her face as she used the hoof holding a washcloth to wave. “Well howdy there dearies.” Her eyes then lit up when she noticed me. “Well look what we have here, wasn’t expectin’ t’have royalty visit today.”
“We’re foalsitin’ fer Twilight!” Bloom explained, gesturing to me. “We’re showin’ Dusk here ‘round the farm. Ah thought you’d like ta meet him.”
“‘Course I would!” Granny enthused, reaching over and patting my head. “Hey there, little fella, would Equestria’s favorite prince like t’try some o’ my apple treats?” Humming to herself, she gently prodded my mouth. “Ah well, jus cuz ya don’t have any chompers yet, don’t mean ya can’t have anything. Bloom, could ya get some applesauce from the fridge?”
“Can do!” Apple Bloom trotted over to the fridge and rooted around in it. After a few moments, she pulled out a large bowl of applesauce and trotted to the cupboards. Once it was in a smaller bowl she turned to me with a spoonful in her hoof. “There ya go, Dusk, have some tasty sauce.”
I don’t fuss, eagerly opening my mouth. A coo of delight passed over my lips as I swallow the first spoonful down. Sweet Apple Acres really has the best apples anywhere, even other Apple family farms. I eagerly opened my mouth again, allowing Bloom to feed me with no complaint.
“And another happy pony that likes mah cookin’!” Granny beamed and slung the washcloth over her shoulder.
I nodded enthusiastically, patting my stomach. ‘Oh yeah, that’s amazing.’ I burped as soon as the last spoonful hit my stomach. My hoof found its way into my mouth, and I watched as Scootaloo passed Granny Smith a bottle of milk.
“”Little guy probably needs lunch about now,” the filly explained, Mom’s instructions in her hoof. “Plus, it says here to give him a bottle after foal food.”
“Gotta listen t’Momma,” Granny said, filling a pot with some water and setting it on the stove. Flicking the burner on, she placed the bottle in the pot. “Ya’ll just wait a few minutes now, Dusk. You’ll get yer drink in a bit.”
‘I can wait,’ I assured her, waving my hoof. ‘I’m a little full thanks to your sauce.’ I settled down and listened to the older ponies talked, most of it was gushing over me. It felt really nice, no one had really given me this attention in my other life. Then again, I don’t exactly remember my first time as a baby, maybe there was gushing then too.
Once the bottle was ready Granny Smith scooped me up, holding it for me. I latched onto it without complaint and started to drink. I sighed happily, closing my eyes as I drained the bottle. Things were simple then, even if I couldn’t enjoy the advantages of being an adult there were still a lot of things to enjoy. Like being able to say anything I wanted with no real consequences. That never ceased to be a source of amusement for me, as has been made abundantly clear.
At some point during my meal, I fell asleep in Granny’s arms. Luckily, this nap didn’t have any nightmares; only a strange dream about Mom as a stack of pancakes. When I came to, I found myself in a living room, having been tucked in on a couch. I looked around, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
‘What’d I miss?’ I asked, yawning. No one else was around me, but I heard murmurs coming from another room. ‘Hello?’ Taking to the air, I followed the voices to their source.
I came to a kitchen with the girls and two mares I didn’t recognize sitting at a table. One was a blue pegasus with a scarf around her neck and a purple mane and tail, The other was a pink earth pony mare with a necklace and a two toned brown mane.
‘Um, hi.’ I buzzed over to the table, hugging Smarty close. ‘Are you Scootaloo’s aunts?’
“Well look who’s up,” the pink mare said with a smile. She reached over and scratched behind my ear. “Was the couch comfy for you, sweetie?” Gently guiding me over, she got me settled into her lap. “Has our Scoots been taking good care of you?”
“Of course I have,” Scootaloo said proudly, thumping a hoof to her chest. “I’ve been following the directions Princess Twilight gave us to a T.” Turning to the other girls, she puffed her chest up. “Ain’t that right girls?”
The two giggled and rolled their eyes. “We’ve all been workin’ hard, Ms. Holiday,” Apple Bloom answered.
“That’s good to hear,” Holiday nodded, rubbing my head. “Maybe if you keep this up, Princess Twilight will make you Dusk’s regular foalsitters?”
“If she does, be sure to bring him around here!” the blue mare chirped. “I would love to write a paper on the behaviors of an infant alicorn.”
“Now Lofty, I know you’re excited, but I still think you should talk to the princess first.” Holiday bounced me a bit. “He’s a foal, not a test subject.”
Lofty waved her hoof dismissively. “Oh, please, dear, Princess Twilight is a mare of science. I have no doubt in my mind that she’d approve of me observing Dusk’s behavior. It’s not like I’m asking to hook him up to machines. My work is non-intrusive.”
‘I mean, as long as you give me a cut of the profits that's all good.’ I wriggled out of Holiday’s grasp, hopping onto the table. Deciding to throw Lofty a bone, I puffed myself up, pushing my chest out.
Lofty grinned and clapped her hooves together. “Classic pegasus display, all this attention must make him want to show off.” Grabbing a pencil and a notepad, she began to scribble down notes.
Holiday chuckled and turned to Scootaloo. “And there she goes. Knew it wouldn’t take her long to geek out over studying Dusk.” Getting a bit serious, she took the instruction sheet from the girls. “Did the princess say when she’d be back?”
“No, she didn’t give us an exact timeframe,” Sweetie answered, shaking her head. “Must have slipped her mind.
“Let’s see if she put it in her note,” Scootaloo said. She was quiet for a while as her eyes roved over the page. “Okay, it says that she hopes to only be gone for a few hours but she did pack the bag for a full day in case she gets delayed for some reason.”
Holiday nodded, setting the note down. “Well you’ll need a place for him to sleep if she’s gone all day.” Glancing at Lofty, she stood up. “Would you mind letting Dusk sleep on one of your cloud pillows.? Just in case he needs another nap.”
Lofty looked up from her notepad with a smile. “Of course he can sleep on one of them. How could I say no to a cutie like this?” She reached over and scratched behind one of my ears. During my display, I lean into her hoof, cooing in approval.
Holiday smiled and propped up her chin on her hooves. “Yeah, Dusk is cute, but Scoots was a much cuter foal.” Her smile turned mischievous as she turned to Sweetie and Apple Bloom. “Would you care to see some baby pictures?”
“Aunt Holiday, no!” Scootaloo whined, buzzing her wings frantically. “You can’t show them those!”
“We’d love to!” Sweetie and Apple Bloom cheered in unison, throwing their hooves into the air and giggling up a storm. They shared a conspiratorial grin, rubbing their hooves together.
Holiday stood up, her grin growing. “Then I’ll be right back with some photo albums.” She turned and trotted towards the living room I had woken up in. Returning, she placed a thick book on the table. “Gather round girls!”
Scootaloo groaned and covered her face with her hooves while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle slid in close to Holiday’s sides. Holiday started with the earliest, and most embarrassing photos, much to Scootaloo’s dread. I didn’t even know you could fit so much frill on a single filly.
With all the attention no longer on me, I got a little jealous. Puffing myself up again, I started to strut around the table, fluffing my wings every so often. Lofty took notice of this and a squee escaped her lips.
“Oh my goodness, he’s displaying unicorn and pegasus behaviors in tandem!” She clapped her hooves together before grabbing her notepad again.
Her attention pleased me, and I let out a happy coo. 'Gee, I guess I am developing Dad’s ego. I've been spoiled with attention.’ I decided not to worry about it too much and soaked up all the attention.
“That's it!” Scootaloo got up, letting out a snort. “I'm not gonna take this!” She scooped me off the table, carrying me off into the house.
‘Hey! Easy with the manhandling there, Scoots!’ I barked, squirming in her grip. 'Come on!’ I whined, kicking my legs.
We eventually came to a bedroom where she sat me down on a bed. She then walked over to a dresser and rummaged through a box of some kind.
'Im not a toy ya know!’ I huff, stomping my hoof on the bed. ’You can't just toss me around!’
Scootaloo turned around, a creepy smile on her face and a tube of lipstick in her hoof. “Relax, Dusk, we’re just gonna play a little dress up together.”
'No way!’ I huff, flaring my wings out. 'I mean it, Scootaloo! Don't even try it!’
She looked at the tube in her hoof and then put it down. She then turned around. “What was I thinking? I can’t put lipstick on you.” She turned around again, a tiny, frilly, pink dress in her hooves. “You’d smudge up your dress!”
'I said no!’ I snorted, leveling my horn at her, desperately trying to make myself look bigger.
She held the dress out in front of her and stalked closer to me. “Relax, this’ll be fun.” She stopped in front of me, putting a hoof around my back as she lowered the dress towards my head.
'No!’ I shouted, feeling the strange tingle of magic building up in my horn.
Scootaloo let out a yelp as my aura surrounded her and she rose up to the ceiling, the dress falling from her hooves as she flailed her hooves wildly. “Dusk! Pumme down!!”
I snapped to attention, feeling the tingle in my horn die out. I winced as I watched Scootaloo fall to the floor in a heap. 'Sorry.’
Scootaloo rose up on shaky hooves, rubbing her head and letting out a quick groan. Glancing at me, she wilted a little. “I'm sorry, Dusk. I shouldn't have tried to treat you like a doll.”
I trotted to the edge of the bed and held a hoof out to her. ‘And I’m sorry for tossing you around with magic.’ I poked her arm, smiling. 'Friends?’
She smiled and pulled me into a gentle hug. “Thanks for being cool about it.” Giving me a noogie, she grinned. “You're a pretty smart baby.”
This caused me to puff up a little and I weakly tried to bat her hoof away. ‘I do have the advantage an adult mind after all.’ Buzzing my wings,I move on to her back. 'Come on! Let's go play! I need to burn off energy!’
Scootaloo took the hint and galloped out of the room and returned to her friends. “Alright girls, let’s play with Dusk!” She bounced me on her back for emphasis.
'Ya! Come on!’ I reared up on Scootaloo's back, kicking my legs out.
Apple Bloom bloom and Sweetie hopped up from their seats with excited grins. “Okay! Let’s play tag!” Sweetie cheered.
“Outside, of course,” Holiday added, gesturing towards the door. “I can't have you four breaking everything.”
“Y’all heard the mare!” Apple Bloom charged towards the front door. “Let’s take this outside!”
'Yes!’ I cheer, flaring my wings out. 'Your overlord is pleased!’
Once we were outside, Sweetie was declared “it” and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took off running from her. I galloped after them, giggling my head off. It had been a long time since I had just well, played. Either Scootaloo or Apple Bloom stuck close to my side, ensuring no adults stepped on me.
After a while of running, I slowed down and stifled a yawn.. As soon as they heard me yawn, the girls stopped in their tracks and Apple Bloom scooped me onto her back. Making myself comfy, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
It was evening by the time Twilight and Flash returned to Ponyville. Twilight yawned, holding a hoof to her mouth.
“Too much paperwork,” she said groggily. Stretching out, she sighed in relief as her joints popped. “I hope the Crusaders didn't do anything to crazy.”
Flash nodded, stretching his wings out. “Well, the town isn’t on fire, so that’s a good sign.” Turning down the main street, he led her towards Sweetie Belle’s house.
Twilight knocked on the door, leaning against Flash to keep herself upright. A moment later and Sweetie’s parents opened the door. “Are Sweetie Belle's and the girls here? It's pretty late, and I'd like to get Dusk to bed.”
Cookie nodded, a smile on her face. “Yes, they came in here a couple hours ago. He’s curled up on the couch, come on in.” She and her husband stepped aside, motioning for them to come inside.
Twilight stepped inside to see the Crusaders sitting at the living room table, going over some plans for their day camp. On the couch behind them was Dusk, snoozing away on a pillow.
“Sorry for taking so long,” Twilight said in a hushed tone, stepping up to the crusaders. “Did Dusk give you any trouble?”
“He was a real sweet heart,” Apple Bloom replied, giving Twilight a smile. She got up, grabbing the diaper bag. “We were hopin’ you'd let us foalsit him again.”
Twilight glanced over to Dusk, seeing that he was sleeping peacefully. She turned back with a smile. “Next time Flash and I need to do something, we hope you can watch him for us.”
The Crusaders all shared a grin, and high hoofed each other.
Flash smiled, gently scooping Dusk up and placing him on his back. “Good job you three.” Pausing to make sure Dusk was still asleep, he pulled a small bag of bits out from under his wing. “Here, you earned it.”
The trio, bounced in place, barely containing themselves. “We can use this for our cutie mark camp!” Scootaloo jumped into the air, buzzing her wings. Remembering there was a sleeping foal, she gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
Twilight giggled, trotting to her husband’s side. “No harm done. Good night, girls.” Giving a wave, she stepped into the night once more.