//------------------------------// // Foal sitting // Story: Parenthood // by BubblePuff //------------------------------// Lyra rolled sat on the floor and rolled a ball between herself and Nightwing as Bon Bon read a book from a nearby chair. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the front door. “I’ll get it.” Lyra said. She got up and went to the door. When she opened it, she found two ponies wearing black suits along with sunglasses and ear pieces.  “Ma’am, is agent Sweetie Drops home?” One of the ponies asked.  Lyra turned and called out for Bon Bon. “Bon Bon, it’s for you!”  Bon Bon walked to the front door. She wasn’t surprised when she saw the pony agents. “What’s the mission?”  One of the agents handed Bon Bon a folder. It had the word “Classified” stamped on it and was sealed with wax that bore the royal seal of Canterlot.  “Be ready by 1800 hours.” One of the agents said. They both then took their leave.  Bon Bon opened up the folder and read the mission details. “So, what type of secret agent stuff are you up to this time?” Lyra asked.  “If I told you it wouldn’t be top secret, now would it?” Bon Bon replied with a smile. “Needless to say I’ll have to leave by tonight.”  “Tonight!? Bon Bon, tonight is my book club. You said you’d look after Nightwing while I was gone for the evening remember?”  Bon Bon sighed. “I’m sorry Lyra but duty calls. We’ll just have to get a foal sitter.”  “Where are we supposed to find a foal sitter so soon?” Lyra asked. “The Cakes are off on a family vacation and Pinkie Pie is busy with a party.”  Bon Bon tapped her chin as she thought. “Well, there is one option we could try.”  “Cutie Mark Crusaders foal sitters!” The three fillies shouted in unison as they each raised a hoof in the air.  Lyra held Nightwing as she leaned over to Bon Bon. “Are you sure these three are up to the task?” Lyra muttered.  “Don’t worry about it.” Bon Bon Muttered back. “They’ve managed to host a day camp for foals looking to get their cutie marks, and they are tutors at the school of friendship. Surely they can handle a newborn foal.”  Lyra gave Bon Bon a look of uncertainty. She then turned to the cutie mark crusaders. “Do you three have everything you need to look after Nightwing?”  “Don’t you worry Miss Lyra.” Applebloom said. “We have every bit of foal supplies you can think of. From foal food to diapers.”  Bon Bon then gave them a sheet of paper. “Here is Nightwing’s schedule for the night. Lyra and I should both be home by midnight.”  Lyra then set Nightwing down on the floor. She and Bon Bon both kissed him goodbye. “Goodnight Nightwing. Behave yourself for the foal sitters, okay?” Lyra and Bon Bon waved goodbye as they left.  Nightwing looked up at his three foal sitters. “Mamas?”  “Your mamas aren’t here Nightwing.” Said Sweetie Belle. “We’ll be looking after you tonight.”  Nightwing began to tear up. He then began screaming and crying. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo instantly covered their ears.  “Well, this is off to a good start.” Scootaloo said sarcastically.  Applebloom looked at the paper that Bon Bon had given her. “It says here that if Nightwing starts crying, we should give him his pacifier and Wonderbolt plushie.  Scootaloo reached over and grabbed the plushie. “Soarin? I would have gone with Rainbow Dash.”  Sweetie Belle grabbed the pacifier off of the coffee table. She and Scootaloo gave Nightwing his plushie and put the pacifier in his mouth. Nightwing hugged his plushie as he sucked on the pacifier. The three foal sitters all let out a sigh of relief.  “So what does the list say?” Sweetie Belle asked Applebloom.  “It says that first we should give Nightwing his dinner.” Applebloom said. Sweetie Belle picked up Nightwing and placed him on her back. The three fillies then walked into the kitchen where Sweetie Belle placed Nightwing in his high chair while Scootaloo and Applebloom brought out jars of foal food.  Applebloom opened a jar of mashed bananas and scooped some out with Nightwing’s rubber spoon. “Alright Nightwing, open wide for the Wonderbolt!” Applebloom made a whooshing sound and guided the spoon to Nightwing’s mouth. Nightwing chomped down on the spoon and gobbled up the food.  “At least he isn’t a fussy eater.” Sweetie Belle said.  Once Nightwing had finished the jar Applebloom looked at the list to see what was next. “The next thing on the list is Nightwing’s bath.”  “Good, because he really needs it.” Said Scootaloo as she pointed at Nightwing. His face was covered in mashed bananas. Nightwing giggled and clapped his hooves.  The CMC moved Nightwing to the bathroom. After filling the bathtub with warm water they removed Nightwing’s diaper and placed him in the tub. Nightwing played with a rubber ducky while Sweetie Belle lathered him up with foal shampoo.  As Sweetie Belle washed Nightwing’s wings, she turned to Applebloom and Scootaloo and asked “Do you think Nightwing knows how to fly yet?”  “I don’t know.” Said Applebloom. “It usually takes foals until at least their first birthday before they can fly. Then again, Pound Cake was flying after only a month and Flurry Heart was flying after only two weeks.”  At that moment Nightwing began flapping his wings. Soon he had lifted himself out of the tub and into the air. Nightwing then flew out of the bathroom and down the hall, laughing as he did.  Scootaloo faced hoofed herself. “You just had to ask if he could fly, didn’t you?”  Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all chased after Nightwing as he flew through the house. They chased him into the kitchen, the living room, and even the bedroom. After a while they stopped to catch their breath.  “Any pony got any ideas?” Applebloom asked.  “I’ve got an idea.” Scootaloo said. “We’re going to need a blanket and Nightwing’s Soarin plushie.”  Sweetie Belle held the blanket with her magic above a door frame. Scootaloo held up Nightwing’s Soarin plushie. “Oh Nightwing! I have your favorite plushie!” Scootaloo called out.  Applebloom looked around the corner and down the hallway. “Here he comes! Get ready Sweetie Belle!”  Nightwing came flying down the hallway. As soon as he flew through the door frame, Sweetie Belle dropped the blanket on him. She then used her magic to swaddle Nightwing in the blanket to make sure that he couldn’t fly out. Nightwing struggled a bit, but then Scootaloo gave him his plushie and he calmed down.  Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo put Nightwing in a new diaper. They then placed him in his crib and covered it with a blanket to make sure that he didn’t take off flying again. For the rest of the night they played with Nightwing while he was inside of his crib. Eventually Nightwing grew tired. He let out a big yawn and then layed down and fell asleep.  The CMC cleaned up the house and got everything ready for Lyra and Bon Bon’s return. At the stroke of midnight Bon Bon and Lyra returned home.  “We’re home!” Lyra called out. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom greeted them by the door.   “How was your night?” Applebloom asked.  “Well, things got very big pony with this month’s book Fifty grains of hay.” Lyra said.  “And how was your night Miss Bon Bon?” Asked Sweetie Belle.  “I am not at liberty to say.” Bon Bon replied. “Oh, I forgot to put on the list that Nightwing is starting to fly. That didn’t give you any trouble did it?”  “There was a small incident, but it wasn’t anything that we couldn’t handle.” Applebloom said.  “Yeah aside from that there were no real problems.” Said Scootaloo.  “Well I’m just glad everything went alright.” Lyra said. “Would you three be interested in looking after Nightwing the next time we need a foal sitter?”  The three fillies looked at each other, then at Lyra and Bon Bon with smiles on their faces. “We would be delighted to.” Sweetie Belle said.  Bon Bon and Lyra paid the CMC some bits for their work and wished them good night. They then went to check on Nightwing who was sound asleep.  “Only a couple of months old and already he is flying.” Lyra said. “Our little colt is growing up so fast.”  Bon Bon turned to face Lyra. “Don’t worry, we still have plenty of time to enjoy him as a foal. And besides we still have all the major milestones in his life to look forward to, like his first day of school and the day he gets his cutie mark.”  Lyra leaned against Bon Bon. “I know. I just wish that this moment would last forever.”