//------------------------------// // The New Arrival // Story: The Young Prince // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Not long after the Gold Chain/Silver Plate debacle, Dusk had noticed that they was something off about his parents recently. They were holding hushed discussions behind closed doors. One morning, he noticed Twilight about to leave the house. "Where are you going, mom?" Dusk asked. "Oh, just to the clinic." Twilight said shiftily. "Have to get my regular check-up from Dr. Stable. See you soon. Love you!" And with that Twilight dashed out, slamming the door behind her. "Okay..." Dusk shrugged. "Well, look at this." Flash smiled. "Just guys here today. Wanna go outside and play catch with me and Spike, kiddo?" "Would I!" Dusk chuckled. "I'll go fetch the ball." Spike offered. After a bracing session of fun, Dusk and the others went back indoors. Moments later, Twilight returned. "Flash?" She pointed toward the kitchen. "A word?" "Sure, honey." Flash nodded. The two went into the kitchen. There were hushed whispers, then a whoop of glee from Flash. He and Twilight came back into the main room, wearing large smiles. "Great news, buddy." Flash told Dusk. "What is it?" Dusk asked, stumped. "Your mom's having a foal!" Flash announced. "W-what?" Dusk stuttered. "You're going to have a new little brother or sister." Twilight beamed. "Isn't that great?" "Yeah, really great." Dusk said flatly. In truth, he didn't know how to feel about this news. The next day, Dusk announced the news to his friends. "Oh, how wonderful!" Dazzle gasped. "I hope it's a filly!" "Congrats, Dusky!" Purple shook Dusk's hoof wildly. "Too bad for you, pal." Crab grimaced. "What do you mean?" Dusk asked. "You gotta share a house with a whiny, stinky droolbag." Crab elaborated. "He's right." Thunder nodded. "Babies do stink." "And they whine a whole lot, too." Rainbow added. "And drool." "Come on, guys." Honeysuckle interjected. "Babies aren't all bad. They'e sweet and cute..." "And they can be lots of fun!" Purple giggled. "Bottom line: a new sibling isn't the end of the world." Dazzle summarised. "I hope you're right, Dazz." Dusk sighed. "I really do..." The next few months were a strange experience for Dusk; As he mother got gradually bigger, she became more and more emotional. He quickly learned not to argue with her when she was like that. Almost eleven months after hearing the news, Dusk returned to the library to find it devoid of his parents. "Where's mom and dad, uncle Spike?" He asked. "At the hospital." Spike told him. "Your mom's having the baby as we speak." "Really?" Dusk gasped. "Yep." Spike nodded. "The little mite started wanting out not long after lunch. My job was to wait until you got home, then bring you to the hospital, so let's go!" "Okay." Dusk nodded, as Spike led him back outside. By the time they got to the hospital, it was already over. An exhausted, dishevelled Twilight held a tiny foal in her arms. It was a filly alicorn. She had her father's coat, her mother's eyes, and a goldenrod mane. "Meet your new little sister, Dusk." Twilight smiled. Dusk stared at the bundle in Twilight's arms. She was so small, so quiet. "Hi." He whispered. "I'm Dusk, your big brother." "Have you decided on a name yet?" Spike asked. "Yep." Flash nodded. "Starlight Twinkle." "That's a pretty name." Spike noted. "It suits her." Twilight's friends arrived soon after, and the males found themselves unceremoniously removed from the room. They waited in the corridor, the sounds of cooing and gushing over the new arrival filtering through the closed door. "So, what do you think of the newest addition to our little family, pal?" Flash asked. "She's okay." Dusk shrugged. "Don't worry about things changing back home." Flash added. "It'll be just the same as it ever was. Only, y'know, with a new kid." "Whatever you say, dad." Dusk nodded, unconvinced. A couple of days, later, Twilight returned home with Starlight. That night, Dusk was awoken by the cries of his new little sister. As his parents tried to calm her, Dusk wrapped his pillow around his head, trying desperately to block out the noise so he could go to sleep. The next morning, Dusk staggered to school, heavy bags under his eyes. "Whoa, Dusk." Crab stared. "You look awful." "Gee, thanks." Dusk growled. "I couldn't sleep a wink last night." "Let me guess." Honeysuckle said sympathetically. "Starlight's crying kept you up?" "Got it in one." Dusk nodded. "Cry, cry, cry, that's all she did, all night." "We told you, didn't we?" Rainbow smirked. "We so told him." Thunder agreed. "Foals can be a handful." Dazzle admitted. "But it won't be all crying and being kept up. You'll see." "I'd better." Dusk yawned. Over the next few weeks, Dusk watched as little Starlight seemed to take over his parent's lives. Their every waking moment seemed to be centered around her. Spike was also a victim of the new regime; He was constantly dashing around, preparing bottles of milk and fetching clean diapers. One afternoon, as Dusk came in from school, he found Twilight and Flash washing Starlight in a small plastic basin. "You like that, don't you?" Twilight cooed as she gently cleaned her daughter. "Who's daddy's clean little filly?" Flash tickled Starlight's belly. "You are!" "Hey, mom and dad!" Dusk beamed. "Guess what? I aced today's test! It was like, super-easy!" "That's nice, dear." Twilight replied, not even looking at Dusk. "Is it okay if I drop by Crab's later?" Dusk asked. "Of course, son." Flash answered, also focused on Starlight. "By the way, I'm joining a griffin gang." Dusk deadpanned. "We're gonna go tag the town hall and get dye jobs." "Sure, honey." Twilight said. "Just so long as you're back for dinner." Flash added. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" Dusk groaned. Starlight brought her hooves down into the water creating a splash that struck Dusk right in the face. "Hey!" Dusk gasped. "Oops!" Twilight chuckled. "Watch where you're splashing, little missy!" Starlight giggled. "Aww." Flash crooned. "How can you stay mad at that face?" Dusk left the room, shaking his head in disbelief. The next day, Dusk had just finished his breakfast and was about to head off to school. Starlight was sat in a highchair, refusing the spoonful of green mush Twilight was offering her. "Come on, Starlight." Twilight urged levitating the spoon closer to the filly's mouth. "Open up for mommy." "Nuh!" Starlight grunted. With a swing of her hooves, she knocked away the spoon, sending it (and it's contents) into Dusk's mane. "Ugh, gross!" Dusk cringed as he felt the mush drip down his head. "Better go wash that off." Twilight noted. "But I just washed my mane five minutes ago!" Dusk groaned. "Then you'll just have to wash it again." Twilight told him. As Dusk went over to the sink, Starlight giggled and clapped her hooves together. "What are you laughing at?" Dusk muttered as he switched on the tap. He scrubbed his mane clean. "There, all done." "Good." Twilight smiled, lifting up Starlight. "Now, how about you give your sister a kiss goodbye?" "Ba!" Starlight gurgled, waving a hoof at Dusk. "Fine." Dusk groaned. He leaned in and gave Starlight a kiss on the cheek. She returned the favor by grabbing his mane with her hooves. "Ow!" "No, no, Starlight." Twilight gently separated them. "No mane pulling." "I'm outta here." Dusk said as he tried to straighten out his mane. "My mane's suffered enough damage today..." Later, during recess, Dusk was bemoaning his current home life. "I just don't how much more of this I can take." He groaned. "I swear, it's like that filly's only here to make my life a misery." "Called it, didn't I?" Crab said smugly. "I told you a foal would be nothing but trouble." "Zip it, Crabby." Honeysuckle nudged him. "I know it isn't easy to cope with a new sibling. I should know; I've got three little sisters at home. Sure, they annoy me sometimes, but they're family, and family sticks together, no matter what." "Great advice there, Hon." Dusk pouted. "Thanks a lot." "Now who's being the baby?" Purple joked. Nopony laughed. "Too soon?" A few days later, Dusk's family was sat down for dinner. Spike was absent, having run down to the store to get some more milk and diapers. Starlight was battering her food with a spoon. Dusk sighed with irritation as a glob of the stuff landed on his own food. "Okay, missy." Flash chuckled. "Time for your nap." "Ee!" Starlight squealed as Flash lifted her out of the highchair. After the father and daughter left the room, Dusk turned to Twilight. "Hey, mom, can you take me to go and see miss Zecora tomorrow?" He asked. Dusk was deeply fascinated by Zecora's tribal ways. The shamanic zebra was like an honorary aunt to him, always happy to show off some neat trick or a special all-natural brew. "Sorry, Dusk." Twilight shook her head. "I can't. I have to take Starlight to Dr. Stable for a check-up." "Typical." Dusk frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked sternly. "Ever since she came along, you and dad never have time for me." Dusk declared. "That's not true." Twilight countered. "It is!" Dusk finally let out his frustation. "It's always 'Starlight this, Starlight that!' You either push me aside, or flat out ignore me, in favor of her!" "What's going on?" Flash asked, having returned from putting Starlight down for her nap. "Dusk is... venting." Twilight said awkwardly. "He seems to think we like Starlight more then him." "What?" Flash gasped. "That's not true, son." "Yes. It. Is!" Dusk snarled. "You don't care about me anymore! Just Starlight! I wish that stinky, drooly foal had never been born!" "Dusk!" Twilight gasped. "You are out of line, mister!" Flash admonished his son. "Go to your room!" "Fine!" Dusk roared. Dusk left the table and stormed off upstairs. Spike returned just in time to see him leave. "Did I miss something?" He asked. Dusk sat down in the middle of his room and started sulking, his eyes glazing over with tears. How long he stayed like that, he didn't know. Eventually, Starlight cantered her way into the room, having awoken from her nap and used her wings to escape her cot. She trotted over to Dusk. "Ba?" She gurgled. "Oh, it's you." Dusk frowned. "Go away." Starlight stayed where she was. "You ruined everything." Dusk glared at her. "Mom and dad don't give a parasprite's wing about me anymore, all because of you." Dusk pointed his hoof at Starlight. She responded by wrapping her own around it, and nuzzling the appendage with her cheek. "Huh, that's quite a grip you've got there." Dusk said awkwardly. "Wait, what am I saying? Let go!" Dusk pulled his hoof free. Starlight gave him an innocent look, tilting her head slightly. "Don't even think about giving me the 'cute foal face'." Dusk hissed. "Mom and dad may buy into that, but it won't work on me." To emphasise his point, Dusk turned his back on his little sister. "D... Du..." Starlight stuttered. "Dusk!" "What did you say?!" Dusk snapped his head back around. "Dusk!" Starlight repeated. "You said my name." Dusk said quietly. "You know my name!" "Dusk!" Starlight squealed. "This is... wow!" Dusk yelped. Twilight, Flash and Spike came into the room. "What's all the commotion in here?" Twilight asked. "Starlight spoke!" Dusk told him. "She said my name. I'm her first word!" "Aww." Spike groaned. "I was hoping I'd be her first word." "Cheer up, little buddy." Flash grinned. "Maybe you'll be her second word. "Can you believe it, mom?" Dusk asked. "Actually, I can." Twilight smiled. "Starlight adores you, son." "She does?" Dusk asked. "Sure." Flash chuckled. "Why do you think she's always trying to get close to you?" "I just thought she just liked bugging me." Dusk admitted. "Guess I was wrong..." "Dusk!" Starlight chipped in, hugging her brother. "I'm sorry, sis." Dusk said solemnly. "I haven't been a very good big brother to you, have I?" Starlight looked at him, bewildered. "Well, I'm going to make it up to you." Dusk smiled. Using his magic, he lifted a stuffed manticore doll from out of his toybox. "This is Fuzzy. He was my favorite toy when I was little. You can have him, if you want." "Eeeee!" Starlight squeezed the plush toy tightly. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Dusk chuckled. Starlight yawned. "Time for bed, little miss." Twilight smiled. "Can I put her in her cot?" Dusk asked. "Sure you can." Flash smiled. Dusk carried Starlight to her room. He placed her in her cot, and tucked her in. "Goodnight, sis." Dusk kissed her on the forehead. "Dusk..." Starlight muttered, as she fell asleep. The family looked down on the little filly as she slumbered, one hoof holding Fuzzy, and another in her mouth. "You know, she's not such a bad little squirt, once you get to know her." Dusk smiled. "Maybe having a little sister won't be so awful after all." "That's the spirit, kiddo." Flash ruffled his son's mane. "If you ask me, Starlight's lucky to have a big brother like you." Twilight hugged Dusk tightly. "Thanks, mom." Dusk chuckled. As they left the room, Dusk turned to look at Starlight one last time. For the first time, he felt a surge of brotherly affection, and swore to live up to his new position, no matter what.