//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: New Parents // Story: MLP FiM: A New Generation & Other Stories // by ThatBronyWithTheClipOns //------------------------------// It had been over a week since Twilight had given birth to her twin foals, Lil' Macintosh and Shimmer...things weren't exactly what you would call peaceful... Besides the fact that babies weren't known to sleep at regular hours, neither seemed to sleep at the same time, leaving the purple unicorn and her number one assistant Spike taking shifts on who watched who. "Rock a bye, Shimmer, on the tree top," crooned Spike, eyes completely bloodshot. "When the wind blows, the cradle will...*SNORE*" "WAAAAHHHH!" cried Shimmer. "R-rock!" he jumped back into singing. Making matters a bit more complicated was the fact that Twilight still need to be woken up to feed either of the twins, as she'd been told it was best for newborns to feed from the "source." Spike often had to assist in this when Twilight was too tired to hold one or both depending on when they were awake. "I feel we've gotten way too comfortable around each other," quipped Spike, holding Lil' Macintosh and Shimmer at the "tap." "I had to clean up after you when you were still a newborn, you know," Twilight retorted. "I figured you'd bring that up," he rolled his eyes. Big Macintosh wanted to help out, but Twilight insisted he needed as much rest as he could so that he could work properly at Sweet Apple Acres. "But ah'm their father," argued Big Macintosh. "And one of the main workers of Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight argued back. "They need you at your best." Later at the farm, the eldest Apple sibling was in a funk. "What in tarnation is the matter with you?" asked Applejack. "Nothin," Big Macintosh lied. "Ya know ya can't lie to me, big bro," quipped Applejack. "Ain't the Apple way. Why don't we take a little break, so you can tell me your woes." "Ok," he sighed. The two sat in the living room with some warm apple cider. "So," began Applejack. "What's the matter?" "Twilight," Big Macintosh replied. "The little ones." "They ok?" she asked. "They're all perfectly healthy," he said. "Just that the little ones ain't always sleepin at the proper times. Twilight an' Spike are workin' themselves like crazy. Ah wanna help but they both say ah need mah rest to work on the farm." "Oh, ah see," Applejack said clear sympathy. "Got any ideas?" "Nope," Big Macintosh said solemnly. "You and ah are the only ones that work here. Granny's too old to work and Apple Bloom's got her job workin' for Hard Hat. Just gotta keep on doin' what ah always do." And so Big Macintosh solemnly went back to work. "Ah'm guessin' ya heard all that?" Applejack asked to her seemingly sleeping Granny Smith. "Ah know when yer sleepin' fer real or not." "Ah have no idea what yer talkin' 'bout," the elderly Apple replied with a sly smile. "But ah know what we can do." A few days later, the farm got a couple visitors. "Howdy, cousin!" exclaimed Braeburn. "Good to see ya again!" exclaimed Mal. Big Macintosh was surprised to see his cousin Braeburn Apple and childhood buddy Malady "Mal" Wesson back at Sweet Apple Acres. The two had gone back to Appleoosa a few days after Twilight had the twins. "What are ya'll doin' here?" asked Big Macintosh. "That any way to talk to yer new co-workers?" Braeburn jokingly asked. The red stallion simply looked at the two in confusion. "We're gonna be workin' here full time form now on, dummy," exclaimed Mal. "Wait, what!?" exclaimed Big Macintosh, not usually raising his voice. "But, why!? Ya'll got yer own things to deal with." "Plenty of family back in Appleoosa that can handle things," chimed in Braeburn. "Ah got nothin' better goin' on," quipped Mal. "Ya get a lot of downtime when yer part of the Wesson family. Plus, AJ's been dyin' to see me more often." "Ha! You wish!" exclaimed Applejack, walking up to meet her cousin and coltfriend (whom she still had trouble admitting was her coltfriend). Upon reaching Mal, she glared at her cousin and brother who immediately turned their heads so she could give Mal a peck on the cheek without anypony else seeing. "Ya know, everypony knows we're an item," said Mal. "Ah'm still gettin' used to this whole marefriend coltfriend thing," said Applejack. You bein' my first an' all." "Well, ah certainly have had mahself some experience in that..." began Mal, before realizing his mistake, seeing his marefriend scowl at him. "B-b-but, none of them compare to you!" The orange mare gave a hearty chuckle and elbowed her beau. "Ah still wanna know why ya'll are doin' this," asked Big Macintosh. "Cuz yer family," replied Braeburn. "Mah oldest and best friend," exclaimed Mal. "Plus yer a new daddy," continued Braeburn. "Ya want yer little ones to know ya as well as they know their mama." "But..." began Big Macintosh. "But nothin'!" exclaimed Braeburn and Mal. "Yer gonna start workin' part time at the farm from now on, Mac," said Applejack. "Yer gonna come in around lunchtime, get off around 5PM, and have all weekends off." "With me an' Mal workin' here, apple buckin' season will be way easier," said Braeburn with a warm smile. "Ah doubt Granny Smith will agree to this," said Big Macintosh. "It was mah idea!" shouted the elderly mare, slowly walking towards them with her walker. "But, work is important," exclaimed Big Macintosh. "Ah've been taught that mah entire life!" "Then ya should also know that family is important too," retorted Granny Smith. "In fact, ah'd argue it's even more important! Them little babies need to see their father as much as possible!" "But granny..." began Big Macintosh, before Granny Smith stuck her front hoof in his mouth. "But nothin!" she exclaimed. "Ya've been doin' enough fer everypony 'round here fer much of yer life. Bout time ya did somehin' fer yerself and yer new family." And so it was decided that Big Macintosh would only be working part time at Sweet Apple Acres. He wasn't super excited about it, having been a full time worker for as long as he could basically walk, but Twilight was glad to have him home more often, Spike too was greatly relieved to have another helping hoof. Since Macintosh was so used to waking up around dawn he had no problems having to be up with one or both of the foals at the crack of dawn. "This is gonna take some gettin' used to," he said to nopony in particular. The new father looked down at his newborn foals, both looking back up at him smiling big and making some gurgling noises. "But ah wouldn't wanna trade it for anything else in the whole world."