By morning, Luna was a complete contrast to the infant she was upon birth. She was alive, animated, and, as her cry couldn't make more obvious, loud. The medical team deemed her a healthy foal, and the family was permitted to return home. At Astraios's insistence, Eos rested for the following week to fully recover from the birth while he took charge of caring for Luna. Celestia "took charge" of caring for her mother, snuggling at her side to take naps and tell stories like she did before her mother gave birth. Eos, of course, didn't enjoy feeling unwell, but she was happy for the one-on-one time with Celestia, hoping it would sway any potential feelings of jealousy about the baby getting more attention. That, and it made things easier on Astraios since he didn't have to look after a newborn and chase a free-spirited filly.
"Mother," Celestia said one evening after telling Eos another daring tale she spun up with her own imagination.
"Yes?"
"I like Luna, but... can I not have any more siblings?"
Eos had to hide a laugh. "What makes you ask?"
"She's too loud."
"That's what all babies are like. Luna isn't old enough to talk like you can." Eos smirked at her. "And I don't think learning to talk swayed you from crying."
Celestia was too embarrassed to respond to that, so she abandoned the subject for another. "When will you be all better?"
"I'm just fine, dear, but your father would prefer me to rest for a while. He likes to make sure we're all taken care of. Besides, I hear you've been his little helper too."
"Sometimes," Celestia said with a shy smile.
Rather than tease, Eos spoke seriously. "Celestia, it's okay to change your mind. Not loving her at first doesn't mean you can't love her now."
"Do you and Father ever change your mind?" Celestia asked.
"About a lot of things," Eos answered honestly. "But not everything."
"What don't you change your mind about?"
Eos pulled her in closer. "How much we love each other, and how much we love you, our firstborn."
"Do you love me more than Luna?"
"We love you as much as Luna," Eos corrected. "No more, no less. And don't you ever think otherwise."
Astraios was giving Luna a bath. Or trying to. He quickly figured out his one-week-old daughter didn't like baths. She wiggled and kicked all around, whimpering and splashing water on everything within reach. Just lathering her small body with soap was work in itself, let alone giving her a whole bath. No matter how gentle he was, Luna was having none of it.
Only when Astraios finished her bath was he able to soothe her. He wrapped her in a towel and she was almost instantly quiet, like she'd never been fussing in the first place. He dried her off and diapered her without her making so much as a whimper. Astraios shook his head. "All that fussing for nothing," he muttered softly, amused. "Taking after your big sister already, are you, Luna?"
Luna yawned and stretched herself out. Her big, blue eyes began to close, but remained fluttering instead of fully closing. Astraios smiled to himself as it dawned on him why she'd been so fussy during the bath. He was preventing her from sleeping. Celestia would simply fall asleep during a bath if she was so tired, but it seemed Luna wasn't such a heavy sleeper. He carried her back to his and his wife's bedroom, where they kept her bassinet next to their bed as they'd done when Celestia was an infant. Since they hadn't expected another foal, they discarded the one they used for Celestia after she outgrew it, so they had to get another for Luna. Astraios gently laid her down and her eyes stopped fluttering the moment her body made contact with the bassinet's cot. Her last sight before her eyes fully closed was Astraios covering her with a small blanket.
"Where's Celestia?" Astraios whispered as he climbed in bed next to Eos.
"Sleeping in her room," Eos replied. "Would you believe it? All these of years of fighting with her about going to bed and it's Luna who gets her to bed when she needs to."
"Oh?"
"In her words, Luna's too loud," Eos explained.
"Our dear Celestia complains her sister is too loud? Should we tell her?"
"I'm not sure she's old enough to make the connection. Or it would stop her anyway."
It shouldn't have been as funny to them as it was, but for that moment, they were grateful Celestia wasn't in the room and they could laugh in secret over the irony. As soon as Eos was well again and out of bed regularly, they were expecting Celestia to go back to her usual hyper self. They'd always been grateful Celestia learned early on how to entertain herself, but it would be no surprise if she suddenly lost that skill. Sure, she warmed up to Luna, but she was still a child herself. They knew they weren't getting off that easy.