//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Introductions // Story: The Princess and the Foals // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Introductions _____________________________________________________________________ “Any o’ ya’ll know why Twilight asked us all ta come here this mornin'?” Applejack asked, looking around at her friends as they sat at a table in Sugarcube Corner. The other ponies shook their heads. “N-no, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, barely a whisper. “I don’t have any idea. All I know is I woke up this morning with a scroll from Twilight at the foot of my bed, asking me to come here.” “I must confess, the same thing happened to me,” Rarity said, nodding at the shy Pegasus. “Poor Opal had it fall on her head. The poor dear’s been in a bad mood all morning because of it.” “When isn’t that cat in a bad mood?” Rainbow whispered to Applejack from behind a hoof and the two chuckled, until they caught Rarity glaring at them. Rainbow gave a small cough. “We had the same thing. Fell right on top of our heads, right when we were—” Rainbow stopped and looked away, both her and Applejack getting blushes on their muzzles and didn’t meet anypony’s eyes, not even each others. “You we having FUN!” Pinkie Pie shouted, pouncing into the air and remaining there for several seconds before gravity started working on her again. Applejack coughed, her face burning. “Having fun. Uh, yeah. ” She coughed again. “You could say that.” “Um, why is Scootaloo here?” Fluttershy asked, then hid behind her pink mane. “Um, if you don’t mind my asking.” “Rainbow Dash has been helping me with my flying!” the purple maned Pegasus filly sitting on Rainbow’s right shouted, her wings buzzing in excitement. “I’m getting really good.” Rainbow chuckled. “Show ’em, squirt.” Scootaloo nodded, a determined grin on her face. Her wings started buzzing harder and she rose into the air. The ponies all watched as she went higher and higher, until she reached the ceiling. “Nice one, squirt,” Rainbow grinned up at her biggest fan and adopted little sister. “Um, I guess you also received a letter from Twilight. Right, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, having smiled at Scootaloo’s flying and turned to look at the pink mare. “Yep!” Pinkie said, a big closed-eye grin on her face. “So, nopony knows why we’re all here?” Applejack asked, looking annoyed. “I bet Twilight’s gonna come in with a foal that she’s taking care of that used to be somepony we know!” Pinkie bounced. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that, sugarcube. I don’t see Twilight settlin’ down and takin’ care o’ a foal.” “You don’t think she could take care of a foal?” Fluttershy got a stern look on her face, something none of her friends were common to see. Before Applejack could retort, a voice called from the door to Sugarcube Corner. “Hi, girls.” The five ponies all turned to see Twilight walking towards them... wearing a foal carrier. Four pairs of eyes turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie,” Rainbow asked, her mouth slightly agape, “how did you know that?” Pinkie cocked her head, a smile on her muzzle. “Know what?” “That Twilight had a foal with her,” Applejack shook her head. “Twilight has a foal with her?” Pinkie asked, then clapped her hooves happily. “Yippee! A new friend to play with!" They all shook their heads. Pinkie was just being Pinkie. Trying to understand further than that was psychological suicide. “Uh, did I miss something?” They all decided to turn their attention back to Twilight, who’d stopped next to the table and was looking at her friends with a raised eyebrow. Rarity shook her head. “Never mind, dear. What did you want to see us all for?” “An’ what’s the foal carrier for?” Rainbow asked, pointing at it. Twilight had it facing away from them, so they couldn’t see what was inside. “You foalsitting for somepony? Pinkie says you’re taking care of a foal. I mean, as if, right?” Twilight merely smiled and turned her head to the foal carrier. Her horn glowed and a small yellow-furred, red and yellow maned, green-eyed unicorn foal was lifted out and she took the foal, holding it in her right forelimb. “Everypony,” she smiled at her five friends and the filly she’d just noticed on the ceiling, “I’d like you to meet Sunset Shimmer. Say “hi”, Sunny.” “Hi,” Sunset said, waving a tiny hoof at the five open-jawed ponies. The only one without an open jaw was, of course, Pinkie Pie. _____________________________________________________________________ Sunset Shimmer smiled at the other ponies all staring at her with wide open mouths. She’d been a little nervous about meeting other ponies, she’d only really met three so far and a dragon, and one of those three had been a zebra, not a pony. But, Twilight’s friends seemed nice and she was curious to get to know them. Twilight had told her a little about her five friends on their way to Sugarcube Corner. When she’d first seen the pastry shaped bakery Sunset had wondered if she was seeing things, then laughed at the design of the place. It had taken longer than Twilight said it would take to get to Sugarcube Corner, though, because other ponies kept stopping Twilight, asking about Sunset and D’aaawing at her. It was funny at first, but after the first twenty times, it got the littlest bit annoying, the exception being a mint-green coloured unicorn with a lyre on her flank who’d been with a cream-coloured earth pony with a bubblegum coloured mane who’d had three candies on her flank. The earth pony had even smelt like candies. “Oh, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” Fluttershy cooed, getting up, walking over and tickling Sunset’s chubby belly, causing her to giggle. “So, mind tellin’ us why and how in the hay Sunset Shimmer’s back in Equestria when thirdy moons ain’t passed and why in tarnation she’s a foal?” Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow at Twilight. “I bet the Sunset Shimmer from here cast a spell on herself right before she went to the other world,” Pinkie said, her eyes bright. “A spell that, when she made physical contact with her other self, it casued a solar eclipse so that she could throw her other self into the portal and nopony else would see it.” Everypony stared at Pinkie, but she continued. “But the eclipse messed with the portal’s dimensional energies, so that, when Sunset Shimmer arrived in Equestria, she not only didn’t appear on the other side of the mirror, but appeared in one of the more mysteriously magical areas in Equestria, the Everfree Forest and was arrived three years and nine months in the future from the time she last stood in her world.” There was silence as everypony just stared at Pinkie. “How... could you possibly know that?” Rainbow asked, shaking her head. “Just as hunch,” Pinkie chimed, then laughed. “I like the word "hunch". You ever noticed how it rhymes with so many things? Lunch, munch, bunch, crunch, brunch...” Rainbow simply face-hoofed. “Pinkie Pie... you are so random!” “Can you explain a bit easier, Twilight?” Applejack asked, turning to the alicorn holding the foal. So Twilight explained the events of the previous night to her friends, though Fluttershy didn’t seem to be paying attention. She was too busy tickling Sunset’s tummy, making her giggle over and over. When Twilight had finished explaining to her friends what had happened up until their arrival at Sugarcube Corner, her friends were all staring at her. Well, Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack were staring at her. Pinkie was frowning, her eyes closed, deep in thought and Fluttershy was still cooing at Sunset and prodding her belly. “You know, I think it’s kinda cool,” Scootaloo said, coming down from the ceiling and making them all jump. Having stayed up there so long without saying a word, everypony had almost forgotten she was there. “What do ya mean, squirt?” Rainbow asked, her brow furrowed. “Now me, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle can try something new to get our Cutie Marks!” And before anypony could ask her to explain further, the filly Pegasus was out the door and gone. _____________________________________________________________________ “So, um, Twilight, dear?” Rarity said, returning to her calm demeanor and smiling at her friend. “Are you really going to be caring for Sunset Shimmer, all on your own?” “She’s not all on her own,” Fluttershy said, turning to the white unicorn. “She has Spike and all of us to help her.” Rarity seemed to think about this for a minute. “Yes,” she said after a while. “I suppose you’re right, Fluttershy. But, Twilight? My I have a quick word?” Rarity asked, motioning for Twilight to follow her a little away from the table. “Um, okay,” Twilight shrugged. She hoofed Sunset over to Fluttershy, who went back to cooing at the small filly. Twilight followed Rarity til they could barely hear their friends anymore, meaning Rarity didn't want their friends to hear them either. Rarity turned around and faced Twilight. “How are you feeding her?” “Huh?” Twilight was taken aback. She hadn’t been expecting that. She’d been expecting Rarity to ask if Sunset would help her with a fashion line for little foals she told Twilight she was starting two days before. “How are you feeding her?” Rarity asked again, her expression serious. “Wh-why do you ask?” Twilight replied, trying to ignore the tiny blush that was starting to form on her muzzle, visible only to her eyes. Rarity sighed. “Twilight, I know, just from looking at her, that Sunset Shimmer is only about three months old.” Twilight’s mouth hung agape. How had Rarity spotted that? She never said anything about Sunset’s age. She knew Rarity had a keen eye, but she’d never have expected her to notice Sunset’s age that quickly. “Wh-what’s your point?” Twilight asked, knowing her blush was spreading very quickly now across her face. Rarity sighed. “You’re nursing her, aren’t you, dear?” Twilight’s head shot up and her wings flared. “H-how did you—?” “Twilight, I’ve had a very keen eye, ever since I was a filly,” Rarity said, stepping closer to her friend. “I watched my mother nurse Sweetie Bell when she was born and I know the look of a mare who’s been nursing.” Twilight was certain her whole face was red now. Rarity had figured that all out, just be looking at her? Rarity sighed again and her expression became concerned. “Twilight, I thought you should know that nursing is a very intimate experience between a foal and their mother.” “B-but I’m not—” Twilight stuttered. She hadn’t been this flustered since the tardy incident. “I know you’re not, dear,” Rarity said, putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m just warning you, if you’re not careful, you may grow too attached to Sunset Shimmer.” “Wh-what do you mean, “too attached”?” Twilight was genuinely worried now. Rarity had never spoken to her like this before. Rarity looked very worried. “Twilight, from what you told me about how Sunset became a foal, I fear there may be a nasty side effect to those berries she ate.” Twilight calmed down a little. “Yes, Zecora explained the side effects. Prolonged consumption of the berries can distort the mind, making it hard to remember more than a few days at a time." When Rarity continued to look worried she added, "But, she assured me, even though she ate a lot of the berries, because it was the first time Sunset had ever eaten them, she should be immune to those side effects. She mentioned Sunset’s being from the other world might also have given her immunity.” “I see,” Rarity still seemed a little unsure. “Don’t worry, Rarity,” Twilight smiled and gave her friend a reassuring nuzzle. “Everything’ll be fine. Sunset won’t have any more problems.” Rarity looked like she wanted to say something else, but simply sighed and nodded. “Very well, Twilight. Just, remember what I said about the nursing, alright? I would suggest bottle-feeding her instead.” “It would still be my milk,” Twilight reminded her. “That wouldn’t change. She’s still too young for formula yet.” “Yes, dear, I understand,” Rarity said, nodding. “Just... think about what I said, alright?” Twilight nodded and headed back towards the table, where the others were all cooing and fussing over Sunset, who seemed to be enjoying all the attention. _____________________________________________________________________ Sunset smiled up at all the ponies around her. She’d never expected them all to be so friendly to her. Twilight came back over with Rarity and Fluttershy hoofed Sunset back to her. “I’ve just had THE BEST IDEA EVER!” Pinkie cried, bouncing into the air. Her sudden cry made everypony in the bakery jump in fright. Sunset’s eyes widened as she watched Pinkie hang in mid-air for several seconds before coming back down. She glanced at Twilight with a looked that said, “How did she just do that?” Twilight chuckled. “I’ll explain later. At least, as best I can. When it comes to Pinkie , it’s hard to explain anything.” She turned to Pinkie. “What’s your idea, Pinkie?” “Since this is the first time Sunset Shimmer’s ever been to Ponyville I’ll throw her a Welcome to Ponyville Party!” the pink mare cried, reaching under the table and somehow pulling out a large array of balloons, streamers and a chocolate cake so high it almost touched the ceiling. “Huh?” was all Sunset could manage. “Too bad the Cakes are out of town for the day,” Pinkie said, putting a hoof to her chin. “We coulda planned a play date— Oh, wait a minute!” Pinkie cried, her eyes growing wide. “If Sunset’s gonna grow up again, then, technically, midnight was her re-birthday! I’ll throw a Happy Re-Birthday and Welcome to Ponyville Bash!” “Okay, Pinkie,” Twilight chuckled as the party pony bounced around the room. “Just remember she’s only a foal. Nothing too over the top, okay?” “Noooooo problem!” Pinkie said, waving a hoof. “I’m the premier party planner. I know what I’m doing.” “I get the feelin’ it’s still gonna be a big party,” Applejack muttered so only Twilight could hear. Twilight nodded ever so slightly. Then she frowned. "Pinkie, I never told you she turned exactly three months old at midnight. how did you—?" Pinkie gasped loudly, hanging in mid-air again. “I’d better get started right now!” And, before anypony could even blink, Pinkie seemed to just vanish into thin air. Twilight shook her head, placed Sunset back in the foal carrier, said goodbye to her friends and the the two left. As they walked out, Sunset glanced back behind them, expecting Pinkie to jump out of nowhere at any minute. “There they are!” Scootaloo’s voice called out. Sunset turned back to see Scootaloo and two other young fillies galloping towards them. One was an earth pony with a bright red mane and tail, the former with a bright pink bow at the top and yellow fur that was slightly lighter than hers. The other was a white-furred unicorn with a light-purple and white mixed mane and tail. Those must be Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, Sunset thought, remembering what Scootaloo had shouted right before leaving Sugarcube Corner. The three fillies stopped in front of the carrier and the two Sunset hadn’t met awwwwed at her. “Are you really going to be taking care of her, Twilight?” The unicorn asked, looking up from Sunset to Twilight. Twilight smiled. “Yes, I am. Sunset, these are Scootaloo’s friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Say hello.” “Hewwo,” Sunset said, suppressing the urge to moan at her own speech slur. But this just made the Cutie Mark Crusaders D’aaaww at her even more. “So, what can I help you girls with?” Twilight asked, looking at each filly in turn. The three stopped what they were doing and took a deep breath. “Oh boy,” Twilight muttered, making Sunset turn her head, raising an eyebrow. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: BABY CARE ASSISTANTS!” the three fillies screamed, making Sunset nearly jump out of her straps. When the ringing in her ears had stopped, Sunset turned back to Twilight. “You said we were gowing to see evwypony in town,” she said, giving a small smile. “Dey couwd come wif us.” She was curious to know more about these fillies. She noticed none of them had marks on their flanks and, assuming Cutie Marks was the name for the marks on pony's flanks, that gave a small insight into why the fillies called themselves Cutie Mark Crusaders and she wanted to know just how they crusaded for their marks. As if following a cue the three fillies all looked to Twilight with big puppy dog eyes that were so funny, Sunset struggled to keep herself from bursting into laughter. Twilight sighed. “Okay, girls. You can come with us.” The three fillies cheering was suddenly drowned out by a loud male voice shouting, “You fillies stop right there!” “Uh oh,” Applebloom said, her ears dropping. They all looked to see a large red stallion slowly making his way towards them, with a large sack filled with something on his back. “Just a sec,” the yellow filly said, then shot towards the older pony. Sunset glanced at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, an eyebrow raised. “That’s Apple Bloom’s big brother, Big Macintosh,” Scootalo explained, scratching her neck sheepishly. “I kinda got Apple Bloom to hurry after me when she was helping him carry that sack. Apparently it’s Mac’s turn to sell apples at the Apple Family stall today.” Sunset would have asked her to explain that further, but decided not to. She could learn later. She had all day. “I’ll help,” Twilight said, and they all headed towards Big Mac, who was showing signs of strain. He looked strong, but even he had to have his limits. So the next few minutes were spent with Twilight using her magic to help Big Mac set up an apple stall. Once it was finished, Big Mac thanked her and she and Sunset went on their way, the three fillies eagerly following them. _____________________________________________________________________ Twilight took them to Ponyville park. Here, she watched the CMC play around and coo at Sunset whenever she did something cute. As they played, several animals came to play with them. Sunset couldn’t help but cuddle a baby rabbit that came up to her and sniffed her muzzle. She watched Sunset playing with the young fillies and animals, smiling and giggled when a group of squirrels that had started running circles around her. She was glad Sunset was so happy. She’d been worried she might not be able to adjust to the way she was now and had thought she’d refuse to play with anypony. She was very glad to see she’d been wrong and how much fun Sunset was having. “Twilight Sparkle? Is that really you?” Twilight looked away from Sunset’s playing to see two ponies walking towards her, an earth pony and a unicorn. “Octiva?” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “I must say, I never expected to meet you today,” the grey coated earth pony smiled, walking up to Twilight and nuzzling her. “I haven’t seen you since... well...” “Since that disaster that was the Grand Galloping Gala?” Twilight asked and the two chuckled. _____________________________________________________________________ Sunset heard laughter from Twilight’s direction and turned to see two ponies talking with her. One was a unicorn and the other an earth pony. Putting down the bunny she’d just been letting tickle her hoof, Sunset crawled over to Twilight and pulled at her leg. “Twiwight?” she asked and all three mares looked down. “Who awe dey?” “Oh, isn’t she just the cutest?” the earth pony said in a very English sounding accent to Sunset’s ears. “Are you foalsitting for somepony, Twi?” Twilight sat on her haunches and lifted Sunset into her forehooves and held her. “Actually, I’m taking care of her full time.” “Wait, so you’re her mother?” the unicorn asked in a very New Yorken, and both Twilight and Sunset unanimously blushed. “Oh, it’s not like that,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I’m caring for Sunset because... well... She’s not exactly a normal foal. Oh, Sunset, these are Octiva Melody and her wife, Vinyl Scratch. Octiva and I once collaborated on a project, back in high school.” Sunset didn’t hear her. Her mind had stopped listening after Twilight said the word wife. Sunset knew these ponies. Thanks to Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle telling her about musical artists in Equestria, she knew that Vinyl went by the stage name, DJ-PON3 and was a great DJ and Octiva was a brilliant cellist. From what she’d been told Sunset couldn’t believe the two were married. She didn’t understand how two ponies that loved such opposite types of music could possibly be fall for one another. Then again, there was the old saying that opposites attract. The two then explained that they’d come back to Ponyville for a with the intention of a small vacation, their jobs having become a tiny bit too stressful. Twilight asked if they’d like to stay and while Octiva said that would be lovely, she and Vinyl had lunch reservations at the Golden Horse Shoe, Ponyville’s most pristine restaurant. Twilight looked disappointed, but bid the two farewell and Sunset watched until they were both out of sight. “Hey, was that DJ-PON3?” Scootaloo asked as she and the other CMC members ran over and looked up at Twilight. Twilight nodded. “Aw, rats!” Scootaloo stomped a hoof. “I coulda gotten her autograph.” “Don’t worry, Scootaloo,” Twilight smiled. “I’m sure you’ll get another chance. She and Octavia and staying in Ponyville for a while.” “She is?” Scootaloo’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. At that moment, Sunset stomach rumbled. She blushed as Twilight asked, “Is somepony hungry?” Sunset nodded and squirmed a little. She hoped Twilight wasn’t going to nurse her so openly in public, and not in front of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. To Sunset’s relief, Twilight levitated a bottle of milk out from underneath the foal carrier with her magic. Soon as it was close enough, Sunset clamped her mouth on the nibble and started drinking. It was Twilight’s milk, she could taste it. She knew she was too young for formula yet, so Twilight must’ve put some of her milk into a bottle. She was thankful the CMC didn’t know about this and vowed she’d never speak a word of it. Not at the cost of her life. When the bottle was empty Twilight put Sunset over her shoulder and patted her a few times before Sunset belched. Through her feeding the CMC had remained quiet, but when Sunset belched they D’aaawwed so much Sunset blushed more than she had all day. They stayed in the park for another two hours (the first of which Sunset slept through after having her milk). During the second hour, Sunset played with the CMC and learned they did things she’d have never thought possible to be what their cutie marks would be. When she mentioned this, they admitted that, to date, none of their crusades had ended with a Cutie Mark for any of them, which she knew already, their blank flanks being proof. While they played, Sunset saw many ponies walking through the park, several stopping to watch her and the others play, then moving on. Sunset found it strange how so many of the ponies seemed to vaguely remind her of people from her own street, back in the human world. Half an hour later, Twilight rounded the girls up and they left the park. As they were moving through the town square, Pinkie Pie appeared out nowhere screaming “Happy Re-Birthday and Welcome to Ponyville Sunset Shimmer!” and began Sunset’s Happy Re-Birthday and Welcome to Ponyville Bash. The party was huge; Applejack had been right about that. Sunset was sure she’d never seen a party this big back in the human world before. She now knew why Pinkie was called the premier party pony. The party went on for ages. It had games like Pin the Tail on the Pony, which made Sunset chuckle at what it was ponifying and many other fun things, though most Sunset couldn’t be part of, since she was just a foal. Pinkie had been thinking a little too much on making it fun for everypony, while forgetting not every pony was old enough for some of those games. Sunset stayed with Twilight for most of the party, only joining in games like Limbo (which she won) and other games she was glad Pinkie had thought of that even foals could play. When the day was coming to an end and the sun was almost beyond the horizon, Twilight and Sunset returned home, Sunset doing her best to stay awake. The party had been really fun and she was really tired. There had been one downside to the party though. Sunset was a mess. While Twilight had been talking to a Pegasus named Raindrops after Sunset won the Limbo game, two unicorn colts by the names of Snips and Snails had knocked the table her carrier had been sitting next to and a punch bowl had fallen on top of her, soaking her in punch. Now that the punch was almost all dry, Sunset was sticky all over, leafs and sticks having stuck to her as if her fur was made of Velcro proving it. It was very uncomfortable. When they entered the library, Twilight took Sunset upstairs and bathed her. As Twilight scrubbed her mane, Sunset decided to ask something that had been nagging at her since the party, and even before that. Something Octavia had said when they were at the park. “Twiwight?” she asked, keeping her eyes closed so soap wouldn’t get into them. “Yes?” Twilight asked, humming a little as she levitated some water over Sunset and rinsed her mane. Sunset shifted a little in the tub. “Do you... see me as your dauwder?” Twilight paused. “Why do you ask that?” she asked, her tone revealing nothing. “Well...” Sunset started twiddling with her hooves. “Some fillies and colts at the party were asking me if my mommy is really nice.” She turned and looked up at Twilight. “Dey tought you were my mommy. And Octawi tought you were my mommy too.” Twilight said nothing for a few moments, then asked quietly, “And what do you think?” Sunset looked down. against her will, tears started forming in her eyes. “I... I...” She wailed, startling Twilight. “I wish you were my mommy!” She buried her face in her hooves and started sobbing. Twilight quickly picked Sunset up in her hooves and cradled her, cooing, trying to calm her down. “Sunset, why are you crying? Didn’t you have a mother, back in the other world?” Sunset just wailed even louder. “NO!” __________________________________________________________________________ Twilight gasped. She had temporarily forgotten about how the other world was a sort of mirror world of Equestria, only with humans instead of ponies. If the Sunset Shimmer from Equestria didn’t have any living relatives, then it was the same in the other world. “Who cared for you then?” Twilight asked as she patted Sunset’s back, still trying to calm the little foul down. Sunset's sobbing lessened to sniffles and she hiccuped. “M-m-my st-st-stewp p-p-p-parents took care o-o-of me,” she managed through small sobs, burying her muzzle deeper into Twilight’s shoulder. “Th-they were k-k-kind to m-m-m-me. B-b-b-but...” “They weren’t your parents,” Twilight murmured, knowing what she would say. Sunset pulled back and looked at Twilight’s face, sniffing. “Y-you’re the f-f-fiwst t-to e-ever be l-l-like a m-mowfer to m-me.” A small smile made its way across Twilight's face and she hugged the damp filly close. “If you want to think of me as your mother... you can.” Sunset sniffled, returning Twilight’s embrace. “Tank you,” she whispered. They stayed that way until Sunset let out a loud sneeze and Twilight remembered that she had yet to dry her. As soon as Sunset was all dry, her stomach made a loud growling noise. “I take it somepony’s hungry?” Twilight smiled and Sunset blushed. Twilight took Sunset up to her room, changed her diaper, then laid down on her bed and Sunset began suckling without hesitation. She remembered what Rarity had said, back at Sugarcube Corner, about suckling being a very intimate time between foals and their mothers. While Rarity had advised Twilight that she would do better to feed Sunset her milk from a bottle, so as not to form such a bound, after what Sunset had told her in the bathroom, Twilight thought a moment that made Sunset feel more like she was with her mother was a wiser move. And, as Sunset suckled her milk, Twilight realized she was enjoying the experience, as if she was a mother feeding her foal. That was when it dawned on her. Sunset saw Twilight like her mother... and Twilight saw Sunset like her daughter. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander into these new thoughts. She had decided to care for Sunset out of kindness, but, somehow, over a period of just a day, that had changed and she now wanted to care for her for an entirely different reason. She now had a daughter. When Sunset was finished her milk, Twilight sat up and smiled down at the filly. “Better?” Sunset yawned and rubbed an eye with a hoof. “Bedder,” she said sleepily. “I think it’s time a little filly went to bed,” Twilight said, taking Sunset in her hooves and floating towards the small crib next to her bed that she’d had spike build while they’d been out. “Um, Twiwight?” The small voice made the alicorn looked down at the foal in her arms. “Yes?” Sunset blushed a little. “Can I... sweep wif you agawn?” Twilight blinked. “How come?” Two bright green eyes looked up into her lavender ones. “I wike sweeping wif you.” Twilight was stunned for a moment, then she smiled warmly, nodded and carried Sunset back to the bed. The two lay down; Twilight wrapping her wings around the tiny foal and Sunset snuggled into Twilight’s chest, falling asleep almost at once. Twilight beamed at the sleeping foal. “Good night, my little filly.” Still asleep, Sunset yawned and murmured, “G'night... mommy.” Twilight felt her heart swell. She leaned closer, kissed Sunset’s mane and went to sleep, her daughter wrapped in her wings.