//------------------------------//
// Takara 
// Story: Mission: Astro 
// by Robert Emerald Fountain 
//------------------------------//

After charting out Hyperborea, Flurry decided that the time had come for her and the Young Six to return home. They had been away from Equus for seven years and four months and needed a much-deserved rest. So they set the Alicorn on an automated course to Equus and went into stasis. 

**

Three and a half months later, the ship’s computer picked up an incoming video call and initiated the wake-up sequence to revive the crew. Upon reaching the bridge, they accepted the call and immediately saw Michael reading Taylor a storybook. 

“How are you guys doing? You look like you’re headed home.”, Michael inquired.

“You would be correct. We plan to return and see you again someday.”, answered Yona.

Suddenly, the crew noticed two additional sounds in the background. One sounded like squalling, or loud crying, and the other was quieter and sounded like hushing.

“Michael, why do we hear what sounds like a baby squalling? Taylor seems to be normal.”, asked Ocellus.

“I’M A BIG BROTHER.”, squealed Taylor excitedly as he pointed to himself.

“WAIT, WHAT?”, asked Flurry in an alarmed voice as everyone’s ears perked up.

“Taylor is right. He became a big brother two weeks ago.”, said Callie as she walked into view on the camera. 

Callie was carrying a bundle in her arms and she showed the crew what it was. They saw a newborn inkling girl wrapped snugly in an indigo-colored blanket. They were unable to see the little baby’s eyes because they were covered by gauze pads and wrapped in bandages.

“So cute. What’s her name?”, asked Silverstream.

“Her name’s Takara, which means treasure, or jewel. Just like Taylor is our little ruby, Takara is our little sapphire.”, said Callie softly.

Takara suddenly squalled again and started trying to squirm loose from the blanket. So much so, that the crew had to turn down the volume on their speakers. Callie stepped off the camera and started trying to hush her newborn daughter again as Michael explained what genes she had inherited.

“She has Callie’s eyes and ink color. Her eyelids were swollen when Callie gave birth to her, so the doctors had to prick her skin and relieve the pressure in order to see what color her eyes were. That’s why her eyes are bandaged.”, he said.

At the same time, Smolder happened to see Taylor gritting his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut, and covering his ears.

“Michael, what’s wrong with Taylor?”, she asked a moment later.

“Takara’s cries are so loud that the noise hurts his ears.”, Michael explained.

Three minutes later, Callie came back and explained why Takara had squalled twice and tried to squirm loose. She had inked herself and needed her diaper changed, but now she was sleeping soundly. 

“We hope you all have a safe trip home.”, she and Michael said warmly.

Taylor waved at them and they ended the call so the crew could go back into stasis and continue their trip back to Equus.