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// 25 - Growing Families 
// Story: A Change in Darkness 
// by David Silver 
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The foals grew up quickly, their bodies reaching maturity almost faster than their minds could keep up. Still, they were foals, and their antics had to be endured.

Sure Arrow took off through the garden with Night Wind hot on her tail, their chase ending at the top of a fountain. They touched down on the lip of the pool, dripping wet.

"You're getting slow!" Sure Arrow laughed. She looked down at the shimmering surface of the pool and leaned over, staring at the distorted image of her snout. She grinned at the sight and swiped the water with a wing, splashing Night Wind with it. "How're you gonna be a good soldier if you can't go faster?"

"I don't wanna be one of those." Night Wind stuck out his tongue as his sister. "And I dun' gotta be." He coughed a few times, trying again. "Why do you wanna be a soldier so badly?"

Sure hopped down, going over Night Wind gracefully to land on the other side. "I want to be a great soldier, like mom. I want to protect ponies, so they don't have to fight."

Night Wind inclined his head left and right, considering that. "Protect me?"

Sure went up to touch noses with her brother, annoying as he was at times. "If you won't be a soldier, yeah, I'd be protecting you, and I won't let a single bad pony or creature bother you!"

Night Wind fell into the pond with a yelp. Sure Arrow made sure he wasn't in danger of drowning before giggling softly at him. She helped him up with a nudge of her snout.

He clambered up and out, leaning on her. "No fair, you surprised me." The two were giggling though, laughing at the mishap. "Um, I hope you get to be a super great soldier."

She hugged him from the front, nuzzling into his shoulder. "Thanks. So if I'm doing that, what do you plan to do? Not a soldier, you said that."

"Mh." Night Wind dipped his fingers into the water, sloshing them gently. "I want to do more, I guess."

Sure perked, grinning at her brother. "Really? A soldier already does a lot. What can be more than that?"

Night Wind tapped his hooves gently. "I want to be like mom too."

Sure's eyes flashed. "You'll be a soldier then?!"

"No!" He nipped at her with a laugh. "I want to be more like mom when she's not a soldier. I want to be a caring and loving pony."

Sure Arrow sank back with surprise. "Really?" She leaned on him gently. "I don't think anyone could do that better than you. You're a great bat pony!"

He wrapped his wings around her gently. "You do so much that I don't. That's the beauty of our two different things."

He spread the wings out on either side. "But I don't know how being a bat helps with this. Anypony can be a caring pony, just most don't." He clapped his hooves suddenly. "You'll have to be twice the bat."

She nudged him back, bouncing a bit in place. "Yeah! That sounds cool. I'll be the best bat in the world." She slapped him on the back with a wing. "You'll see."

He laughed, willing to cede his portion of 'bat' to her. "I was thinking, um, foalsitter, or teacher! Yeah, teacher. I could help little ponies learn things and grow up to be great ponies."

She hummed softly, swaying back and forth. "That is a neat idea."

"See? You already love it." He poked her gently. "Teaching foals things is fun, and I don't know many ponies that don't like being around little ponies." His face soured briefly. "Well, okay, not everypony is patient enough, but I am! I just want to hug them and help them."

Sure bounded away suddenly. "It's time," she cried, racing away and aborting the conversation.

Night Wind pouted at that. "Oh, come on, Sure! Come back, it was just getting good. I wanted to know your dream." He groaned as Sure kept running without hesitation. He broke into a swift gallop to catch up to where she had parked herself. "What did you gallop off like that for?"

"There." She pointed with a wing as soldiers came into view below. There was their mother, or father at the moment, racing along. They were with other soldiers, all galloping firmly. "They're training. Aw, I wish I could be with them." She leaned against her brother. "Can we train?"

"Um, maybe later? Let's go see if we can get a peek." Night Wind dragged Sure with him to a high perch overlooking the field. The ponies were practicing their moves one after the other, diligently working to be prepared for whatever being a soldier meant. "They sure are busy."

"The best kind of busy." Sure flopped into place, watching them with a smile. "One day, I'll be down there." Her eyes fixed on their father. "You know he's a changeling, right?"

"Yeah?" Night inclined his head at that. "Why? I thought everypony knows that."

"If he's a changeling." She pointed at him, then herself. "Why aren't we changelings?"

Night poked at himself as if hidden changeling features would pop out. "I don't know, we just aren't." He wiggles his big bat wings. "But I like being a bat pony. Even dad likes being a bat pony. He's a bat pony almost all the time."

Sure chuckled at the clarification. "I guess, but... would being a changeling be cooler? He's pretty and stuff, but, you know."

"Changelings have to eat love." Night Wind put a wing over her. "Can't be a bat pony without love. No love means no food, no life for them." He burst into giggles. "But I love them a lot, so that has to help."

"I love daddy too," she whined out. "Don't count me out. I wanna join them and do soldier stuff. That's even biggerer love!"

Night hugged her firmly, nuzzling into her. "We both love him. It isn't a contest."

"It is is I say it is." She hopped back, giggling, and almost tossing herself off the perch.

Night caught her with both hooves and wings, dragging her back upright. "Careful." He turned to look over the field, his mind on something. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

"Uh, sure?" She shrugged. "But only if I can ask you a weird one too."

Night Wind squirmed a bit. "Okay." He swallowed nervously. "Would you... if I asked you out, would you say yes?"

Her response was an instant punch in the gut, leaving him gasping and hunching over. "Why would you ask that? I'm your sister."

He flopped over to his side, wheezing. "But you're the only other bat pony ever."

She stuck out her tongue. "So get a girlfriend who's not a bat pony then. You think I have tons of bat ponies to choose from? I want a strong and handsome stallion that'll fight alongside me." She sighed with the dreams of future romance. "It's not you."

"Ow, sorry." He pushed back up, trying to regain the breath she knocked out. "I guess I should have thought a little before I blurted it out." He rubbed at his cheek with a hoof. "You mad?"

But she wasn't even paying attention, caught between watching their father train and thoughts of some future soldier that'd salute so perfectly her heart would be won over. "Mad? Hah. I'll forget it by breakfast, and so will you."

"Promise?" She held up a hoof. He touched it with a nervous smile. "Thanks." He took a few steps away from the overpass. "C'mon, let's play something besides watching dad."

***

Skyline marched through the dim hallways, the scent of lavender teasing his nose. He rubbed at it a moment. "Ugh, I hate lavender. Luna goes overboard sometimes." He snorted the last of it out as the source of it, the dining area, came into view.

Inside, Luna was waiting for him with her eyes on him the moment he came into view. "Skyline. Have a seat." She gestured with a wing at a chair across from her. "I wish to talk. And apologize."

"Apologize?" Skyline approached with a cock of his head. "Whatever for? You've treated me wonderfully since I arrived."

Luna was quiet for a moment. "I am asking much of you." She let out her breath with a woosh. "You have born two wonderful children, and raised them towards being fine ponies, but we can't call this done with only two. Skyline, allow me to get to the point, we need more of them, and you're the only source we have."

Skyline paused, thinking it over. "More children? Well, that's going to complicate things." He rubbed at himself with a hoof, squirming in his seat. "Giving, um, birth. It was work. I don't regret it, not one bit. It was amazing in many ways." He chuckled softly. "I was just getting pretty comfy back in my male side. Your highness, you request so much from me."

Luna grimaced, nodding at that. "I fear that is the truth. You will have to carry these eggs to term, as the mare." She pointed at him. "But I shall not demand it of you. This act, it is not one that should be forced. You are loved, are you not? You have the fuel to do this It is your choice alone."

Skyline rested his head on the table. "They're beautiful creatures. They should not be denied the world simply because I am a selfish changeling." He grumbled softly. "This is going to drag me off the squad again. I don't want to just laze around."

"And you will not." Luna sat up at that with a smile. "Now that we've seen how you react, we know you can participate in most things until the final moon, and then you can relax, a little while, to prepare for the big event. Your family will grow, and we'll all be here to support it."

Skyline fidgeted in place. "I think I'd prefer being female fulltime, if it's just for breeding. I don't mind being a mare. I can endure it."

Luna raised a brow. "Endure hardly sounds comfortable. I remind, this is your body. None other can claim control over who you are." She put out a wing, reaching to gently touch his hoof. "I care deeply about the comfort of you, and of the two you have given this world already."

He blushed at her kind touch. "O...kay. Okay." He took a quick breath. "Okay." He laughed suddenly. "My little ones are going to get a younger brother, or sister? Maybe both? We can't know." He smiled brightly, looking down at his own tummy. "We should invite my parents."

Luna cocked her head. "Skyline. You told me you don't talk to them."

He took a deep breath. "True." Inviting random changelings to the castle had very little odds of working out. "I wish we could. I miss them sometimes, even if they were pains. They were still my parents." He shook the thought away. "I'll get on it, Princess."

"I have complete faith in you." She waved over the food. "But I did not get this for display. Eat. A growing mother needs their nutrition."

They ate together in a gentle sort of companionable silence, only the tinks of silverware as they savored the delicious food that had been set out for them by diligent servants. When they were done, Luna cleared her throat. "Remember, there is no pressure on you."

Skyline nodded at that. "I understand, but I want to. I can't really explain it." He flicked back a tufted ear. "If it means bat ponies can be real, and happy, I want to help with that. I don't want my foals being alone."

Luna smiled at that. "You're a good mother. Or, both, really." She looked up. "Skyline, if you do not mind, I need to meet with some ponies." She slid to her hooves. "Royal duties take few breaks. But, I was most delighted to speak with you, and I expect we'll converse more as things progress. My door remains open to you."