I walked through Ponyville and was amazed to see ponies everywhere with various magical items. Some of them were playing with color shifters, others had memory orbs some had Items I forgot to ask about. It was a wonderful sight. The entire walk to the school I couldn’t help but smile. I understood that there was a background effect with my helping the Mayor, but this? You SEE what you have done, these ponies lifted my spirits immensely and they didn’t even realize it.
I reached the school in a little under five minutes, it was actually between sweet apple acres and fluttershys cottage, I ended up having to ask directions, but it was alright. I knocked on the wooden door to hear a cheery voice from the other side.
“Come in!” As I entered I recognized her immediately.
“Cheerilee right?” She smiled as I said her name; she immediately recognized me in the wrong way and blushed. Causing her normal magenta coat to darken.
“Oh, uh...Eclipse right? Are you here because of the party a while back? I swear, I was going to replace it…” I laughed.
“Uh, no I’m not here about whatever happened at the party, there was alcohol involved, so whatever happened? Happened. No point crying over spilt milk, or booze, or whatever. No I’m actually here to sign Light up for schooling.” She looked at me a moment. Her green eyes were seriously disconcerting.
“You…Have a foal?” I wanted to say no, I really did!
“Kinda, Its complicated.” She just nodded and went back to…Whatever she was doing.
“Well, Okay, Just take a seat a moment, talk to me! Tell me all about how this foal came to be!” I laughed.
“Well, When a mommy pony loves a daddy pony,” She interrupted me with a laugh.
“You said it was complicated, not horrible!” OH BURN!
“Well Miss Cheerilee, Maybe I can go get a beverage and you can chisel some ice off of your heart to cool it.” We both laughed and I took a seat in front.
“So eclipse, you have a child or are you signing yourself up?” I shrugged.
“As I said, it’s kind of a long story, but I suppose you can say I adopted.” She smiled at me when I said that.
“Well good for you! It’s always nice to find a needy foal a good home.” Right….
“So, is there anything I need to fill out, or a day when I need to bring him in? What is today anyway...?”
“Saturday dear and when I’m done grading these papers I can give you the form to fill out. It’s really just a precaution, after that just drop him by whenever he is ready to start!” today is Saturday? Well I suppose that DOES explain the lack of children.
“You work on Saturdays? That seems a little…I don’t know, I guess your dedication to making these children’s lives easier gets to me a bit.” No manly tears here, just fact. She looked at me a smiled.
“Well thank you. It means a lot to hear somepony….Someone say that.” She looked back at her papers and blushed.
“Are…You sure you’re not mad about the party?” I laughed again and leaned back a little.
“Nope, don’t even know what you’re talking about. If you would care to tell me, I suppose I could get mad at you.” She looked at me a moment.
“You mean you really don’t remember me… Okay. Uhm. That’s okay.” Okay, that’s the end of that. Though now I’m really curious.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence until she said.
“And, I’m done.” I laughed.
“And I’m spent.” She looked at me like I was stupid a moment and then pushed me a piece of paper and a pencil.
“Just sign there.” WOW, that was it? I signed and she took it.
“All right! That’s all there is to it! Just bring the little guy over whenever you feel he’s ready to start! We are going to have to do a few quizzes here and there to see where he is, but its okay over all.”
I nodded and stood. “This took a lot less time than I thought it would. I was hoping to waste at least a few hours.” She laughed.
“Well, if you aren’t busy you could help me fix a few things around the school building. I also need somepony... Sorry, someone to help with cleaning.” I looked around. There were definitely some things that needed fixing.
“Just so you know hun, I’m okay with being called somepony. Correcting yourself like that just makes me feel bad. Also, yea, I can definitely help.”
I spent the next few hours chatting with her while repairing window shutters, walking back and forth to town and even replacing the back door to the playground. It was a lot of fun talking to her, even though most of the conversations were about her trying to find the “Right boy” Someone kind and strong and…Well, Shit I think she was just hitting on me. I liked her and all, but I’m good off dating my kid’s soon-to-be teacher. That would just needlessly complicate things. And I’ve got enough needlessly complicated in my life. After a quick walk back to town and a dinner break, she and I went our separate ways. Meaning we both started heading home. When I did arrive home I heard voices inside, so I tried getting in all stealthy. Only to find moon mist in my front room, talking to thorn.
“So he just allowed you to stay? Just like that? He hasn’t asked for anything? Or taken advantage?” Thorn shook her head
“Nope. Eclipse is a really nice guy. He doesn’t like to see ponies sad, so he has actually tried a lot of things to prevent his friends from getting hurt, when he was worried that him getting into a relationship with twilight or rainbow, he actually told them both to pretty much consider him off limits. He ends up hurting himself emotionally in order to help others. I think him helping repair your shop was the first time I’d seen him truly happy in a very long time.” Thorn, Seriously? I’m always happy. I just…Don’t show it.
“That’s just…Amazing, Is he really that nice or is he just crazy?” Thorn laughed at that.
“I, to be honest think it may be both. He’s crazy whenever he isn’t doing something nice. It’s just how he is.” Moon mist looked at the floor for a few moments.
“Is… Oh I can’t believe I’m asking this. Do you know if he has interest in mares?” Seriously? Bit straight forward. I coughed loudly and shut the door causing them both to turn. Mist immediately turned red and faced forward on the couch while Thorn smiled and waved. (How do they do that!?)
“Good before-night girls. How’s everything hanging, and has light come home?” Thorn tapped her chin a few times.
“Um, my tail is fine, and light is in your room playing with your Luna doll.” I nodded and walked over, a quick hug to thorn which she gladly returned and a quick mane scratch to Misty I was heading up to my room. I opened it to find Light sitting on my bed with little Luna, having her balance on one hoof.
“Have fun light?” He laughed.
“I can’t believe you made me spend time with those girls. I feel as if my IQ has dropped enough for me to get away with saying ‘stupider’ and meaning it.” I laughed at that and sat next to him. He quickly sat up and jumped onto my lap.
“So that would mean you had fun then?”
“Yea. They are fun to play with. Good news too. My body stabilized earlier.” Uh...
“How do you know that?” He laughed.
“Because my hair color reversed.” Oh… WOW, how did I not notice his hair is now silver with Black stripes, so hard to miss!
“Right and your certain it means you’ve stabilized?” He nodded.
“Yup. That means tomorrow I’m gonna pop.” Shit…
“Oh.”
“Yea... How you gonna take being my dad?”
“Well, I already signed you up for school.”
“Cool! That’s alright then, at least it means you’re serious about keeping me.” I laid down on the bed and he crawled onto my chest.
“Light, You know I’m serious when I say I’m going to take care of you right?” He nodded and curled up.
“Yea… I just… I sorta feel like I don’t want to burden you with me.” I laughed.
“Burden me with what? A reason to wake up in the mornings? Oh no.” He smiled and laid on my chest as little Luna laid on his back. Pyramid of affection. It was interesting.
“Thanks eclipse.”
“Anytime, now go to bed.” He just held the smile and closed his eyes. I looked outside. It was almost six, but he was young. So, I’m sure I can get away with using him as an excuse to sleep. I closed my eyes.
I woke to find a very happy light looking at me with his huge blue eyes. The moment he saw me wake up a huge smile spread across his face. I couldn’t take it, I hugged him and he just laughed.
“Morning!” he called after I released him. Jumping to the floor he let me sit up and stretch
“You seem to be in an awfully good mood today.” He nodded and started trotting to the door.
“Yea! I don’t know what it is, I’m just really happy right now!” I stood and yawned, heading out the door with him.
“So your just, happy go lucky and you have no clue why?” He laughed and agreed as I picked him up. His tiny legs couldn’t out pace me! We walked downstairs into the kitchen and I started preparing breakfast.
“Nope! No clue! I mean, sure my minds most likely going to collapse today, but I may as well enjoy it!” Wow, Now I feel sad.
“Well that’s definitely a good way to look at it I guess. What would you like to do today?” he thought for a moment as I placed his food in front of him.
“I kinda want to play with the girls again, I figure if I do pop, at least it would be them I see first, might calm me down, you know.” Nope. Not really.
“Actually, I never really thought about all of that. I sorta just assumed you would have it all figured out. Which you do seem to have done.” He smiled as I sat across from him.
“Yea, I had a lot of time to think, and I mean, don’t get me wrong Eclipse, it’s going to hard core suck when I do pop. But, I figure I should be happy when it does happen, and I shouldn’t be all too different then I am now. I’ll just be….Younger, mentally and physically.” Seriously depressing.
“So, you’re still going to be you? Just won’t remember it?” He nodded and ate in silence.
“So… Okay. I don’t know…It still kinda feels like your dying. Not to throw some sad around or anything.”
He swallowed and looked at me. “You sound almost sad.” I looked at him. I knew that face. That ‘I’m determined to make this as easy as possible no matter what’ face. I got it whenever I did something I shouldn’t.
“I am sad to be honest. I mean, shit just the past few days with you have been… Fun, to say the least. And if your entire personality is going to change it’s gonna be like you’re going to be a whole other person.” He smiled.
“I shouldn’t change too much. And I’m glad you had fun with me as well. It was pretty… Fun…Fun is a good word for it.” We ate the rest of our food in silence. It was pretty enjoyable. I didn’t realize how much I actually had started to care for light. He was my own little daily mystery. Everything he did was just… I don’t know. Just being with him made me proud. I know he was pretty much just a mini-pony-me. But still. Good kid.
After eating we both cleaned up together and then headed into town. Today I was going to check one more time if moon mist was okay, and then the CMC were going to be able to play with light.