Months later:
The evening breeze rushed through the trees scattering the dead leaves scattered on the ground. The path outside Ponyville was silent and vacant save for a lone earth pony stallion that walked the path at a slow pace. Clay was exhausted from his apple bucking earlier and right now all he wanted to do was get home to his wife Firefly. Her smile always made him feel better no matter how he felt previously. He hated leaving her alone as she was now 10 months pregnant and wanted to take care of her, but she was on maternity leave so he had to be the provider until she went back to the Wonderbolts. Being a farmer for his Aunt Applejack wasn’t as exciting or glamorous as a Wonderbolt, but it paid well enough. Clay looked up at the sky and breathed in the night air, and he was reminded of his colt years when his mother would fly him at night to help him fall asleep. His reminiscing was interrupted however when his ears picked up a noise. Clay stopped in his tracks and listened. At first all he could hear was the wind, but then…
“That sounds like…” He continued to listen and the sound of a heart wrenching cry could be heard on the winds “A baby!”
Clay took off with a burst of adrenaline as he feared for the foal’s safety.
Clay followed the sound of the infant and came to the edge of the everfree forest. For a moment he hesitated as fear began to fill him, but he soon heard the crying grow louder and his resolve was restored. Clay shook his head and charged into the forest following the cries as best he could. As he ran past the trees he came into a clearing that seemed to be illuminated by the moon. His eyes began to adjust and he saw what looked like a small bundle in the center of the clearing; Clay slowly approached the bundle and saw a small white filly unicorn with a silvery mane and striking red eyes crying for protection.
“It can’t be…” Clay muttered as he recognized the unicorn from his dream years ago.
Clay looked around for any sign of the filly’s parents, but he saw no trace of them. Clay approached the infant and as she saw him her crying began to grow quiet.
“How did you end up out here?” The baby simply stared at him as tears began to fall down her face. “You poor thing.” Clay said to the filly, being reminded of what his mother told him of when she discovered him. The baby started to whine as he approached.
“Shhh, it’s okay…I won’t hurt you.” He brought his face to the filly and began to nuzzle her affectionately, and the foal began to coo quietly.
Clay took one last look to see if he could find the filly’s parents, but they were still nowhere to be seen.
“Well I guess you’re coming with me then.” The filly reached her hooves towards him giggling as she did, and Clay smiled. He grabbed the bundle between his teeth and started to walk back to his home…with his new daughter.
Years Later:
Clay walked back to his home late at night and was greeted by his wife Firefly and his two children as he opened the door.
“Pops you’re back!” Said a red pegasus colt with dark blue hair and brown eyes.
“Yay Daddy’s back!” Cried a white unicorn filly with a silver mane and red eyes.
They ran up to their father and gave him a tight loving hug.
“Hey not so rough my joints are still tender from bucking!” Clay said as he looked down at them and kissed them on the heads.
“We missed you daddy!” Said the filly unicorn, as Clay smiled at them.
“I missed you guys too.” The two ponies released their father and backed away slightly. “Isn’t it past your bed time?” Clay said raising an eyebrow.
“We stayed up so we could see you when you got home!” The red Pegasus said eagerly.
“That’s very sweet, but you both should be in bed, so you can grow up big and healthy like me and mommy.” The two ponies looked at him glumly. “Hey how about I read you two a chapter from Dr. Whooves Volume 11 to help you guys sleep okay?” The pony’s faces lit up.
“Oh please read us another adventure about the Doctor, please daddy!” Clay chuckled as the filly gave him sad puppy eyes.
“How can I say no to that face?”
“Yay thanks Daddy!” The two ponies ran up to their room and Firefly shook her head.
“You spoil them do you know that?” Clay shrugged.
“I just want them to know that I love them that’s all.” Firefly smiled.
“They do know you love them Clay. You’ve been a good father and husband, and I couldn’t be happier.” She kissed him on the lips and he blushed.
“So how was your day?” Clay asked Firefly.
“Oh the usual. Do death defying stunts, the crowd cheers; I go home to two loving kids and a wonderful husband…then I stop off over here to check on you and the kids.”
“Ha, ha.” Clay muttered furrowing his brow.
“Oh I’m only teasing Clay lighten up!” She gave him a playful shove.
“Oh you’re hysterical.” He said rolling his eyes as she drew closer to him and gave him a loving gaze.
“Seriously though Clay. I love you and the kids, and it makes me happy to see you feel like you finally got that family you wanted for so long.”
“I did have a family, and she was the best mother ever…” He gave her a light kiss on her pink lips. “But you are the best wife ever.” Firefly and Clay smiled at each other their snouts almost touching.
“Come on Dad what’s taking so long!” The colt whined.
“Sounds like you better get up there.” Firefly whispered as Clay pulled away and headed up the stairs.
“Daaaad!” The colt whined again.
“I’m coming Bolt jeez!” Clay sighed as he walked up the steps.
The Doctor and several royal guards stood shoulder to shoulder as the weeping pegasi drew closer and closer with each blink they took. The Doctor remained quiet as he began to work up a plan on how to stop their stone assassin’s.
“Doctor…what do we do?” Asked one of the guards.
“Just remain calm, and try not to blink.”
“Why can’t we blink?” Another guard asked fearfully.
“Because as long as something is physically watching them they can’t move, but if you blink they can, and when they reach you they will send you back in time and absorb your destiny.” The Doctor continued to stare at the weeping pegasi statue in front of him.
“Absorb our destiny?” A guard asked sounding terrified.
“Yes. Everything you were supposed to do will never happen and they will feed on that energy source, so unless you want to live in the dark ages while a stone Pegasus devours your destiny I suggest you keep those eyes open until I come up with a plan.” The Doctor remained silent as the statue glared at him.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Just one, but I need the three of you to do exactly what I say.”
“Why should we listen to you?”
“Because I’m the only thing standing between you and a bizarre, yet painless death.”
“Do what he says” Replied the higher ranking guard. The others nodded in agreement.
“Alright now on the count of three I need you three to blink.” The guards became confused and scared.
“But you told us not to.”
“Well now I’m telling you to blink so do it!” The Doctor hissed.
“But we’ll die!”
“Trust me if this works nopony is going to die.” Again the guards nodded.
“Alright get ready. One…two…three.” The three guards blinked, and prayed.
“So what happened? Did the Doctor make it?” The unicorn asked excitedly.
“Sorry, but that’s going to have to wait for another day.” Clay closed the book.
“But why?” Asked Fire Bolt.
“Because I’m tired and its way past your bedtime, and besides you have your first day of school tomorrow.”
“Awww, but daddy!” The filly whined.
“No, buts! You two need to get some sleep so you can get up for school.”
Bolt and his sister huffed, but they got under their covers and rested their heads as Clay walked up to them.
“Goodnight Fire Bolt. He kissed him on the head.
“Goodnight dad.” Fire Bolt shut his eyes and turned over in his bed.
“Goodnight Evening Star.” He kissed her on the head.
“Goodnight daddy.” Clay started to leave, but stopped when Star spoke.
“Daddy.”
“Yes sweet heart?”
“When are we going to get our cutie marks?” Clay smiled getting a sense of deja vu.
“You’ll get them soon enough.”
“But…what if I never get mine…what if I don’t have a special talent?” Star frowned.
“Of course you’ll get your cutie mark. I did and I didn’t get mine until I was thirteen.” Clay turned to show his cutie mark to Star.
“That’s when grandma Dash and grandpa Comet decided to live together right?”
“Yes it was…but you know she doesn’t like to be called grandma Dash right?”
“I know daddy.” Clay smiled at his daughter.
“Good, now go to sleep okay.”
“Okay.” Star yawned and began to shut her eyes.
Clay walked over turning off the lights and headed for the door, but before he could reach it he was once again stopped by his daughter’s voice.
“Goodnight daddy. I love you.”
Clay stood frozen in place as the words reached his ears. His mind flashed to when he had told his mother the same thing. Clay turned back to Star and smiled.
“I love you too Star.” Star smiled back and turned over in her bed.
Clay walked out of the room and gave one last look at his two children smiling at them while they began to dream, and as he slowly shut the door a single tear ran down his face.
THE END