//------------------------------// // Baby Cakes // Story: Shisno Chronicles: Friendship is Magic // by nightelf37 //------------------------------// (WCDDtEo) Baby Cakes Daytime, Ponyville Hospital… Twilight Sparkle and her friends were chattering excitedly while gathered outside the long window of the maternity ward. Well, one wasn't and was just watching quietly. Rainbow Dash was hovering above the others. "Can you believe the new baby is finally here?" said Applejack. There came a soft gasp from Twilight. "Cup Cake and Carrot Cake must be so proud!" "I wonder if it’s a filly or a colt," Rarity mused. "So that's what a pregnant mare looks like," commented Chronicle, who had been the silent one. "You mean you didn't know until now?" asked Fluttershy. "Unfortunately, of all the things I've seen prior to living in Ponyville, a pregnant mare wasn't one of them. I was, like, less than two years old when when my mom gave birth to my youngest brother." "What about cousins?" "By the time I was eight, I was being tutored my my parents to become who I am now. Didn't have time to see their births either. As for school, it was fairly normal. After all, have to be able to mingle properly with others." "Just how big is your family?" wondered the pony with a (known) big family herself. "Counting the branch families, perhaps as big as yours, Applejack. I don't know, I've yet to meet everybody." He flash-stepped over to her. "Honorary members are counted, and during the last reunion, I saw at least one griffon, one zebra, and even one or two dragons about Spike's age." "Whoa nelly! Seriously?" "Yes," sighed the stallion. "But we're not here to talk about my family, we're here to see the new addition—or additions—for theirs." He pointed through the glass window. At the far end of the window, Pinkie Pie was mashing her face excitedly against the pane as if trying to squeeze herself bodily through it. "I want to see the new baby pony! I want to see! Which one is it?" Inside the ward, there were lots of bassinets and Mr. Cake was standing over one of them. He bore all the hallmarks of a father-to-be who has put in plenty of time in the waiting room: bow tie loose, unkempt mane, cap askew, and a faceful of beard stubble, which still puzzle Chronicle to this day. "Meet our son…" Mr. Cake said softly as he pulled the blanket down. "…Pound Cake." The movement exposed a sleeping, off-white newborn colt dressed in hoofie pajamas, light blue, with a hood that had openings for ears. A tuft of brown mane peeked out from the hood’s edge. Newborn Pound yawned, a pair of tiny wings twitching out from his back to mark him as a pegasus. Everypony on the other side of the window save Chronicle (who just smiled) gave an "Aww". Mr. Cake turned to his other side at another bassinet. "And our daughter…" Again, he pulled the blanket down. "…Pumpkin Cake." The occupant was a light yellowish-tan unicorn filly in pink hoofie pajamas. The bit of mane under her hood was orange. She yawned and started sucking peacefully on a front hoof. Back at the ward side of the window, the mares were confused. Chronicle however was curious. "Two new foals for me to play with?" said Pinkie before gasping. "That’s two, two, two times the fun!" Her friends glanced her way, puzzled. "This is the greatest day ever!" She darted out and was inside the room an instant later, wearing a party hat and with a noisemaker clamped in her teeth. I'm not even gonna ask. "We need to celebrate your birthday, babies, ’cause you were just born today! Woo-hoo!" She sucked in a bushel of air, intending to let it go through the noisemaker, but Redheart arrived in a flash. "Shhh! The babies are trying to sleep," she said. The babies had been mildly disturbed and he was able to tell that Pound's eyes were brown and Pumpkin's were blue. "But I was just—" "Shhh!" Pinkie dropped the noisemaker. "But—" "Shhh!" "You better do what she says, Pinkie," Chronicle said from the other side as the party pony glanced in the departing nurse’s direction. "You don't want the other babies to wake up and cry, do you?" He was ignored as she slipped between the two newborns and started to sing quietly. Happy, happy birthday to you and you today♪ A threatening look from Redheart stopped her cold before she can get another line out. She then let off a deflated little moan before the nurse evicted her back to the hall. Applejack turned her attention to the twins. "Now how in thunderation is one of them twins a pegasus and the other one a unicorn?" "Easy," Mr. Cake answered. "My great-great-great-great-grandfather was a unicorn, and Cup Cake’s great-aunt’s second cousin twice removed was a pegasus. That makes sense, right?" "Kinda does," Chronicle commented. "My younger brother's a pegasus and my father's an earth pony." When he's not assuming alicorn form, that is. "That naturally makes me, my mother, my older brother, and my twin sister, whom you have met, unicorns." "Aw, yeah!" Rainbow said as she gave a laugh. "Just you wait." She pointed to her wings. "Once little Pound Cake there gets his wings going…" She zipped back and forth. "…he’ll be all over the place!" "And be careful around Pumpkin Cake," Twilight warned. "Baby unicorns get strange magic surges that come and go," Rarity added. Huh, that's news to me. As Mr. Cake leaned over Pound, Pinkie sprung up with a fully decorated chocolate cake and spoke softly. "Quick! Make a wish and blow out your candles—which is easy, ’cause there are zero candles! You are zero years old, after all!" Once again, Redheart leaned in. "Shhh!" The new father reacted to this intrusion with great consternation, and Redheart’s shushing caused her to twitch backward slightly and hit herself in the face with the cake. She ended up with an embarrassed smile framed by chocolate icing around her mouth and a beard/mustache of white from the cake’s trim. C—TS—A—RD—R—F—PP—NR—MCC—PCT A month later, morning, Mystic Shield's Self-Defense Academy for Unicorns… Chronicle was getting to know the new applicants that had signed up. Firelock, Firecracker Burst's younger sister. Ruby Pinch, who was related to Berry Punch. Berryshine, who bore the same colors as the "resident drunkard". Tootsie Flute, adopted by Bon Bon or Lyra (living with both, at any rate). Snails was here, though his friend Snips isn't. And then there's Morpheus, whose special talent disturbs him a bit. According to Mystic, he's capable of disguising himself as other ponies, but without detailed knowledge of the target is laughably ineffective at doing it. "All right, newbies. Apparently, Master Shield has deemed you capable of taking his lessons. Let us begin the basics so you can be up to speed with the others, shall we?" "Yes, sir!" Snails saluted. Chronicle raised a hoof in motion to stop and Snails put down his hoof. "No need for formalities with me, Snails. But you shall address this academy's teacher as Master Shield or just Master. Are we clear?" The six new students nodded. "Good." Just then, Mystic Shield came out of his quarters, and was seen just tying up his ascot around his neck. He exercised his mouth, turned to Chronicle, and said, "I see the new students are here. Let's begin the orientation class." C—S—MS—RP—TF—F—B—M—C—S—MS—RP—TF—F—B—M A while later… "All right, class. Since we have foals present, and I will start with the spell that uses less magic; the shot spell. Now, can you swear not to use it outside classes? In the case of the foals, if I hear you have been using the spell outside classes, I would like to hear your explanation for why. What I will do after depends on the excuse and whether or not you are lying. Are we clear?" "Yes, Master Shield!" replied the students. "Let's get started. Everypony, form a line." They did so. "Good." He gestured to the targets propped up behind him. This time, "Firelock, you first." The young filly flared her horn and magic began to form, although with difficulty. Dinky's magical prowess must be quite…above normal for her age. Eventually, she fired at the target, hitting the edge…and leaving a tiny burn mark. "Good enough. A tip for all of you: before shooting, make sure to open your eyes. Right now, you aren't good enough yet to do so blindly. Your magic shot doesn't always go straight at wherever you point your horn at." He tapped his own in demonstration. "Not when you're thinking of trying to hit something. Now, it's your turn, Ruby." The pink filly stepped up, flared her horn, and managed three shots before seemingly sputtering out. Despite that, the target reacted as if it was still being hit, and Ruby was still concentrating. "All right, stop," Chronicle said. Ruby complied. "Now that's curious. For some reason, the shots disappeared. At least in the visible spectrum." "Indeed," agreed Mystic. "We'll talk later, Ruby. Snails, your turn." The sole colt in the class flared up his horn, but the sound from it reminded Chronicle of someone trying to start a car engine and not having much success. And then, he heard 'it' finally starting, after which Snails opened fire…missing the targets completely. He felt ashamed at his poor show of accuracy. "Don't worry, Snails. That's what this class is for; to help you improve. Tootsie Flute, you're up." The light-coated filly let off a small salvo before sputtering out. The few shots she managed to let out hit the targets. "Nice work. now it's time for the adults." Berryshine and Morpheus performed adequately, but neither of their magic shots had anything special in their appearances. Berryshine's seemed to be more round however. "Okay. We still have enough time before classes proper with the rest. Let's see you form a barrier. Imagine a wall forming in front of you, or a dome forming around yourself. For the foals, how strong doesn't matter for the moment. We'll be focusing on form." With this, the two were able to see the colors of their magic. Snails had a yellow aura, Ruby's, Firelock's, and Morpheus's were green, Tootsie's fuchsia, and Berryshine's purple. They all opted for a wall-type. "Chronicle, if you will." The mare-faced stallion fired at the barriers of Berryshine and Morpheus. Both were shattered quite easily. Mystic just shook his head and sighed. "You two have to focus more. That's the key to maintaining a good barrier. We're taking a break." A while later, the two teachers were in Mystic's quarters. "Okay, Chronicle. What's the status between you and…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "You know…" The blue unicorn got the message immediately. "We…we haven't started going out yet." Mystic seemed disappointed. "What? We all know that it's the stallion who should start. And you already did by confessing during that day. If not now, when?" "I don't know." "If you were not bragging, you faced plenty of dangerous foes. How's a simple date able to render you nervous?" "You'd be surprised how many storybook heroes and the like would rather confront a villainous dragon than ask their girlfriends out." "Actually, before I married, that's what I was. I get what you mean. But let me tell you that if you don't suck it up, it's only gonna get harder." He then smiled. "I heard that Fluttershy's going on a picnic with her bunny Angel." "Why are you telling me this?" "I just gave you a chance to go out on a date with her. As teacher of this academy, I order you to take a break. We all know what happens when you overwork yourself." Chronicle groaned, remembering just what he was implying. "I remember all too well. …All right." He cast a spell and summoned four magical clones. "But I still want to help you out in class." Knowing there was no way to convince him otherwise on this one, Mystic conceded. "Fine." "How did you know about the picnic, anyway?" "I ran into Fluttershy the other day. She told me about the picnic. I'm thinking she wanted me to know so I can tell you. That's just my theory, though." "All right. I best be going." With that, he made his way out. "Gotta warn you, I don't know where the picnic will be." "Don't worry. I have my ways of knowing." Chronicle did not plan on telling Mystic Shield about his Surveillance, or that he now has a camera on him too. Telling the six and Spike was bad enough as it is if Blue Diary's chewing out on him and his sister was any indication. Speaking of which, his world was still in stasis. Worse, even with the portal mirrors back in working order, their father has reported other 'holes' that lead to other time periods opening. He and the rumored 'high creator' of the Equestrias, the Almighty Faust (whom he had once swore on but not by name; he had no idea she was actually real), are at work in finding a way to intercept anything that goes through. C—S—MS—RP—TF—F—B—M—C—S—MS—RP—TF—F—B—M In the marketplace… After pinpointing Fluttershy's whereabouts (she was still at home), Chronicle decided to go buy her a gift. …But he wasn't sure what she would like. Decisions, decisions. Having a girlfriend sure is difficult. I should seriously ask my mom for tips. And hope none of it is embarrassing. Just then, something caught his eye. Huh? What is that? At one stall was a jar filled with delicious…jam. Curious, he walked up to it and saw exactly what it was. "The Heart Warmer Jam. Magical delicacy for all species!" he read the label, then the 'letter' next to it. "There are about 100 kinds of known magic food in Equestria, but none can compare with this one. It is not only extremely nutritious, but also will warm you up from the very bottom of your heart. Signed, Nectar Seeker, Chairpony of the Magic Food Corporation." He then checked the price tag. "Two hundred ninety-nine bits." In a rare moment of sensitivity, he began to swoon and daydream. "Given how oh-so-good it is (having tasted it only once before), I can understand the high price. Lucky for me, I have enough bits to buy it." C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Meanwhile, back in the Academy… Mystic Shield was busy teaching double-casting when a knock came in the door. It promptly opened to reveal Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the latter with a pair of baby carriers on her back, which had the Cake twins in tow. "Hello, Mr. Carrot Cake, Mrs. Cup Cake," he greeted. "I'm afraid Pumpkin Cake is way too young for me to even think of taking her in as a student as of yet." When he saw the two of them balk in horror, he said, "Just kidding. What can I do for you?" "Well, Mystic Shield, I heard that you were once a married stallion," Mr. Cake answered. "We were hoping you could babysit the twins for us, given that you probably have had experience." "You're right on both regards, but as you can see…" He gestured to his entire class, who were all looking at the cakes with varied expressions, some awed at the sight of the babies, and others irked at yet another interruption. One could always count on at least one of these incidents happening every day. "Oh," gasped Mrs. Cake. "we're sorry to have bothered you." "What made you decide to ask me? Surely you know how busy I am during these hours. Who have you asked already?" "You are somepony who's well-acquainted with Pinkie Pie." Said pony was cradling Dinky and had put a diaper on her, calling out to them to pick her. "We needed someone we can trust. Fluttershy's on a picnic with her pet Angel, Twilight Sparkle is busy with her reports, Applejack is busy on the farm, Rainbow Dash is off to see a Wonderbolts air show, and we see Amethyst Star's here." (Amethyst Star, or Sparkler as she wishes to be called, has taken up foalsitting while staying in Ponyville. She was presently getting Pinkie to let go of her sister and take off the diaper.) "Have you asked Cheerilee?" Mystic asked. "She's still conducting classes." "Derpy? For all her clumsiness, she's a very caring mother." "We already asked, but her shift isn't over yet," said Mr. Cake. "And we need to get going as soon as possible. We have a catering order to finish." "I see. Sorry I can't help." "What about Chronicle? Can't he babysit for us?" "Sorry, but he's out on that picnic you mentioned. And these magical clones he left behind here are too…fragile to take you up on the task. Besides, he told me that handling the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been very difficult. I personally think the baby twins would be much harder for him." "I see. I guess we'll have to ask Miss Rarity, then." "I doubt you'll get her to babysit either. The few times Sweetie Belle was here, she caused a lot of trouble even without the other Crusaders. I pity Rarity for having to tolerate such a trouble magnet. I can't even begin to imagine the mess your babies might make and how much of a toll it would be. And that's not taking into account all the 'loose items' in the dressmaker's place, if you get what I'm saying." "Oh. …We're sorry to have bothered you." And with that, the Cake parents left the academy, Pinkie bouncing after them. Dinky was already relieved of her diaper and was back with the rest of the class. "All right, class," Mystic said. "Let's resume double-casting." MS—MCC—MCC—PCT—MS—MCC—MCC—PCT—MS—MCC—MCC—PCT At the flower shop… "Have you made up your mind yet?" "Not yet. Picking the perfect flower is hard." Chronicle was deciding just what flower/s to get and Daisy was losing patience. He was here for nearly an hour already. "You got a marefriend, sir?" At this question, he visibly tensed. The revelation that happened two weeks before Twilight's last required weekly friendship report had been kept secret. And any who asked what happened that day were told that Chronicle and his friends had a disagreement, things went a bit too far, and a scuffle happened. And that was all they would say about it. "Would that be the only reason I'd take long to buy a flower?" he snarked. "If you're buying for a lost loved one to leave at a gravestone, you should be ashamed for not knowing. If it's for your mother or something, same deal. A marefriend however—or coltfriend for all I care—is an understandable case." "What about for eating?" "You mentioned 'picking the perfect flower'. Nopony would normally say that if they're going to eat it. They aren't known for being very flavorful on their own, though there are a couple of exceptions. Don't worry, I'm not gonna ask who it is. I do need a basic hint, though." "Animal empath. Tender heart." Despite these, Daisy's face turned into a wide and knowing grin. "Oh, I think I know just who the lucky mare is. Luckily for you, I know just the flower." She led him to one flower bed. "Buttercups. They taste great on sandwiches." "…How much?" C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Later… "Thank you for your patronage." After buying the buttercups and 'packing' them in a bouquet, he also went to the marketplace to buy carrots (as a 'peace offering' to Angel), then to the bookstore to buy a card before deciding that was going too far. Right now, he was just leaving a shop owned by an earth pony (filly) whose name was Racket Lemongrass (who knew she could be such a good haggler?). After ascertaining that nobody was looking, he went to an alley, then took out Surveillance to check on his friends. Twilight Sparkle and Spike were in the library, the former fixing up her reports and the latter being slaved around. He's gonna smack her later for such abusive treatment. Applejack was harvesting fast as an army of caterpillars continued to close in on the crop. A race against them. Rarity is busy finishing some dresses for some tall order. Luckily for her, Sweetie Belle was being foalsat by Skyla along with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. On an unrelated note, Rarity's parents were such impossibly terrible cooks he was considering obtaining the results of their cooking as useful poisons to utilize. He'd have to find out how long they last before they expire into ordinary spoiled food before getting some though. Rainbow Dash was watching a Wonderbolts show. Maybe in Solaris Equestria, Timerity is doing the same with Blitz by her side, he thought. Her feelings for him were more prevalent than his for Fluttershy's. Speaking of Fluttershy, she was at the park with Angel, looking for a place to set up. Oh good. I can still make it. He then decided to check on Pinkie Pie…and what he saw made him wince; she was assigned as babysitter for the Cake twins, and her first few seconds made him think she should've asked for overtime pay, given their incessant crying. Oh dear. C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Eyecatch (picture-type) - Chronicle with a back background behind him. Two 'choices' are shown. The show's logo is seen on the upper center. C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Chronicle was torn between two choices; skip out on the chance of a date with Fluttershy to help with Pinkie Pie in taking care of the Cake twins, or go on the date but have the guilt of not helping a friend in need weigh down on his conscience. And then he remembered he had a magical clone spell; he could just send a few to assess the situation at Sugarcube Corner and help as needed. Silly me for forgetting. With that, he summoned two clones to go assist in babysitting. "Now that that's taken care of…" He went on his way to the park. C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Back in the Self-Defense Academy… The foals had pulled off the Recoveroll smoothly, although Snails needed a little more work due to his gangly frame. Everypony's performance was passable in the sidestep exercise. Even Written Script was improving. And there was no flirting, thankfully; he hadn't put a rule against that. Right now, they were sparring with one another. Minuette still has a one-sided with Firecracker Burst, who continues to talk to her casually and cheerfully, seemingly ignorant as they exchanged shots and shielded against them. Amethyst Star was sparring with her little sister, under Mystic's advice. The clones Chronicle left behind were performing well. Everything was going swimmingly. And this time, for once, there would be no interruptions for the rest of the day. At least that's what Mystic Shield had hoped would happen. For the Cutie Mark Crusaders had struck once more. They crashed through the roof (again), riding a makeshift rocket that instantly fell apart after landing (unfortunately, on Snails and Written). The trio were wearing lab coats. And the resulting debris it kicked up hit the Chronicle clone and dissipated him. "I don't think Cutie Mark Crusaders Rocket Scientists was a good idea," said Sweetie Belle to her companions, who were unconscious from the crash, before falling unconscious herself. And then Skyla flew in through the hole. Apparently, she was supposed to be taking care of them (again). "I'm so sorry, Mystic Shield!" she said. "They're just too rambunctious. But I won't give up! The Wonderbolts never do!" She then realized that statement could either blow her cover as a Wonderbolt, or make her look like a pony who aspires to be one. The unicorn teacher sighed in exasperation as Skyla went to pick up the three. Why can't life ever be easy? "Let me help you." He then turned to the door to his quarters. "I need another one out here. Take over for the time being." And another Chronicle clone entered the dojo area. He and the other two remaining had been listening in throughout the session so that they can be up to speed. "Oh, and somepony see to Snails and Written Script. Who knows what injuries that might've sustained?" With that taken care of, Mystic exited his Academy, accompanying Skyla and with the unconscious Cutie Mark Crusaders in tow. M—AB—AS—D—S—MS—FB—WS—S—SB—S The two clones Chronicle had dispatched earlier to see to Pinkie Pie finally approached Sugarcube Corner. Upon entering, they saw that the bakery was empty. And then they heard laughing. The two went over to the source to see the Cake twins laughing at Pinkie as they sat on their high chairs, who was completely covered in flour. Huh. A blond mane and tail, a different-colored cutie mark, and pegasus wings and she'll look like Surprise from the Equestria my mother's assigned to, one of the clones thought. "Uhh, do we even want to know what's going on?" the other clone asked. "Just taking care of the Cake twins, that's all!" she answered cheerily. Which had nothing to do with a certain schoolteacher who bears the same Element of Harmony as her in another Equestria. "Do you require any assistance?" "After all, babies are such a huge responsibility," the first clone added. "I still remember the one time I went babysitting. It was worse than the time when Fluttershy and I foalsat the Crusaders." "Don't worry, Chronicles," Pinkie told them. "I can be responsible. Why, Responsibility is my middle name! Pinkie Responsibility Pie!" "I thought it was Diane," joked the second clone. "Well, yeah. It's actually Diane, but I prefer Responsibility." At this point, the babies finally calmed down and were doing their best to watch this conversation. "Are you sure? Would sound very unlike you if anybody were to know your middle name was really Responsibility, given who you are." For some reason, Pinkie immediately took offense to this and narrowed her eyes. "You think I can't be responsible?" "Never said you couldn't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be cleaning up any of your parties after they're done. And that's not meant to be an insult." Pinkie had an unimpressed expression, picked up a bag of flour, and then hurled it at one of the clones, dissipating him on impact as it went through. Both Pound and Pumpkin shared perplexed looks before they started laughing. "Watch it!" gasped the remaining clone as the flour landed on the other side. "Both of us are clones here." "Whoops!" apologized Pinkie. Unfortunately for the other clone, Pumpkin decided that this was the perfect time to practice her telekinesis. She 'picked up' the flower vase, then hurled it in a random direction. Unfortunately, this direction was at the clone's face, sending him away. C—PP—PCT—C—PP—PCT—C—PP—PCT—C—PP—PCT Meanwhile… "Roses are red, violets are blue, buttercups are yellow. Here's some for you. …No, no. Too cheesy. Too cliché. Too simple." Chronicle was currently hiding behind a tree in the park, trying to think of a good pickup line to say to Fluttershy, who was at the top of a nearby mini-hill and already setting up the blanket with Angel's assistance. The memories of the dissipated clones he had dispatched had come to him and it didn't help with his morale. "Rrrhhh. Why is love so hard?" he complained to himself before smacking himself in the face. "How did it come so easily for my sister?" He then let out a sigh as he slumped in defeat, his back against the tree. "What am I doing. This is hopeless. Why am I able to talk to her so normally at other times but still feel anxious now?" Suddenly, he felt something tap against his flank. Chronicle turned to see Angel tapping his foot and staring impatiently. "Oh, Angel. I was just…I don't know what you're thinking of me. Maybe you don't see me as worthy of your mistress, or you're just mistrusting to anybody who's tried to woo her in the past. But I promise you that I won't break her heart without good reason." The rabbit seemed to raise an eyebrow. "I can't vow not to ever break her heart. It's too cliché, and I want to be careful with my words. I lost someone because of that." The rabbit stood there, continuing to listen. "Perhaps I'm not ready for this. I thought I was, but I could easily be wrong. I guess it was just the spur of the moment when I confessed to her." He let off another sigh. "What should I do?" "Um…if it's all right with you, maybe we can just treat it like a picnic together as friends." He instantly started and realized that Fluttershy was talking to him from the other side of the tree. Chronicle's unsure expression slowly turned into a soft smile. "…Yeah. I think I can do that." C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F Back in Ponyville… Skyla and Mystic Shield were walking together through a stretch of the Sweet Apple Acres orchards. Scootaloo was on the former's back and the other two were on the latter's. Of course, the two had made sure that the three were okay and did not need medical attention. Good thing they ran into Nurse Redheart, who was just taking home a recovered victim of Discord's corruption. According to her, the fillies were fine, just asleep. And they continued to sleep thanks to a slumber spell Mystic Shield taught to him by Rarity after yet another CMC incident he didn't want to recall. He used that so they won't be such a bother for a while. Up ahead was a treehouse that had clearly seen better days and had no maintenance for quite some time. Broken windows, door hanging ajar, sagging roof and platform railings. A ramp led up from ground level to the door, but this also is on the verge of collapse. Oh wait. That was a long time ago. The treehouse ramp looked like it had a paint job and renovation less than a year ago, and the same went for the rest of the place. Well, that was what the Crusaders told Skyla when she asked them about the treehouse the first time she foalsat them. The two grown-ups walked up the ramp and entered the treehouse. The interior was spic-and-span, and there were various decorations on the walls; pictures with frames, a potted plant on a side table, and a crudely sketched map of Ponyville. After setting the fillies down on the floor, Mystic and Skyla sat down, a little tired from carrying them. "Whew!" said the white pegasus. "I didn't expect you to keep up with me given—" "Because I'm a unicorn?" Mystic finished. "Not all unicorns are such 'squishy spellcasters', you know. I train my students' stamina to specifically avert that. While they still won't be as tough as a pegasus, at least they can keep up and not tire easily when they have to run." "Wow. You must take your job very seriously." "Mm-hmm. I probably should be heading back now. Don't know how long those clones will last." Skyla was curious. "Why?" "For some reason, at least once a day, something's always guaranteed to interrupt my classes. And they always involve pain on either party. And Chronicle's magical clones can't take a hit." "I see." Mystic turned to leave, but before he could reach the door, she called out to him, "Wait. There's something else I'd like to ask you." He turned his head to face her. "What is it?" "Do you have a reason not to have enlisted in the Canterlot Royal Guard? Judging from the times I've crashed into your classes, you look like you could impress the captain with your skills." For some reason, Mystic's face immediately went dark with anger. "Is the name of that captain Shining Armor?" "I'm not sure. I don't go to Canterlot often. What do you have against this Shining Armor, anyway?" "I wanted my lessons to be available to the average civilian, just as my mentor had long ago. Captain Shining Armor would not let me achieve that dream in Canterlot, and tried to convince me to join the Royal Guard instead." "I see. But I don't get why you seem to hate him so." "I don't wanna talk about it. Please. …I have to go." And with that, Mystic Shield was out the door, returning to his Academy, and leaving a confused Skyla with the sleeping Cutie Mark Crusaders. MS—S—MS—S—MS—S—MS—S—MS—S—MS—S At the park… The not-date was going quite smoothly. The two settled down on the blanket, bringing out the food. In Fluttershy's basket were two loaves of bread already cut into even slices, and a large variety of other pony food, no hay thankfully. Fluttershy had accepted the buttercups with a sweet "thank you" and while Angel was still a bit mistrusting, he accepted the peace offering of carrots. Angel was about to apply some strawberry jam to a loaf of bread with a blunt knife, but Chronicle motioned for him to pause as he 'took out' the Heart Warmer Jam. This surprised him and Fluttershy and elicited a gasp from the latter. "I bought it in the marketplace. I think it was the last one in stock." Chronicle opened the jar, 'took' the knife from Angel, and dipped it into the jam. He then spread it onto one half of a piece of bread before folding it. As he proceeded with the next piece, Fluttershy already had another knife ready, holding it somehow with one hoof, which puzzled the unicorn to no end as she took some jam and made more sandwiches to eat. Memories from the dissipated clones he left in the Academy entered his mind, but practice made sure he didn't wince from the slight pain it always did on him. Most of the not-date would've gone on just making these and savoring the taste of the expensive jam in them had Chronicle not decided to ask something. "Hey, Fluttershy." "Hmm?" She paused in eating another sandwich and Angel seemed to stop to listen as well. "I've been meaning to ask you something." "Yes?" As she turned to look at him, she noticed his cheeks turn red, then shake his head vigorously. "I-I-I-I-I don't mean to say it like that! W-w-w-what I mean to say is that I know that under that gentle-hearted demeanor, you're a strong pony inside. I…" He put down the sandwich he was eating and locked eyes with her. "I want to bring more of that out. Not just for myself, but for your own good as well. And I want to do that, all without removing that gentleness you show every day. It's gonna be a difficult prospect for both of us, and I might have to be harsh on you, which is gonna pain me more than it will you. So I'm asking you right now. Do you want this? It will be wrong for me to force you. For this to work effectively, you have to want to change yourself." The two stared at each other, wearing different emotions. One was offering something that was difficult to accept, and the other knows it's good for them but is reluctant to take it up. He wants her to accept the offer but wants her to do so voluntarily. She wants to accept the offer, but seemed to be afraid to do so. She turned to look at Angel, who had a paw to his chin as if also deciding. Being her animal companion, he also had a right to decide. And his decision already has been made. C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F Eyecatch (picture-type) - Horizontal split screen. The top one shows Chronicle asking his question. The bottom has Skyla pondering on something while the Cutie Mark Crusaders lay around her asleep. The show's logo is seen on the center. C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F—C—F Back at the Cutie Mark Crusaders' treehouse… Skyla stood alone with the sleeping fillies, wondering what Mystic Shield had said. "I wonder what happened between him and that Shining Armor guy. What caused him to not like him so much? Why am I even trying to get involved into this? No, I should respect his problems; if he doesn't want to talk about it, then I have no right to insist." Any further pondering is interrupted when Applejack entered the treehouse. "Hey, Skyla," she greeted. "Hey, uh, Applejack. You done with the harvest?" "Finally am. And not an apple was lost to the caterpillars." "Sound like good news." "It is. How were the Crusaders?" The pegasus gave a sigh. "The usual. They still have lots of things to try to get their cutie marks and today they tried being rocket scientists, and to be frank I was quite surprised that Apple Bloom can make one in such a short time. That or they managed to get one ordered. I was busy chasing Scootaloo to see your sister in action. They crashed into Mystic Shield's Academy in the middle of class, again. Poor guy. Having to deal with interruptions every single day." "Yeah." "Still, I like them. Somepony needs to be able to handle these rambunctious fillies. Even so, I'm unfortunately not available at all times." "Why not? What else do you do aside from bein' a foalsitter?" "You first saw me at Cloudsdale, remember? I work part-time in the weather factory." She was obviously not going to tell about her position as an undercover Wonderbolt. "And I sometimes get other foals to foalsit." "I see. Allow me to relieve you of them. 'Sides, you already worked past the hours you allotted yerself." "I guess you're right. And I already received my pay from your friend Rarity." "I hope you'll stay available whenever possible. We tried the other foalsitters in Ponyville, but they all gave up after an hour." "They're that bad, huh?" "Yeah. Normally, I wouldn't trust anypony else who ain't my friend in foalsittin' them, but you've proven capable enough." "But it's too early to call me a friend, right?" Before the farmpony could answer, the undercover Wonderbolt raised a hoof to stop her. "Never mind. You don't have to answer. Bye." And with that, she took off and left the treehouse, leaving a confused Applejack. A—S—A—S—A—S—A—S—A—S—A—S At Mystic Shield's Self-Defense Academy for Unicorns… The teacher returned, and was a bit miffed to see the door to his quarters open, and only one clone of Chronicle's remained. And classes were over, leaving him, the clone, and the First Four. "Darn. Either I was out for longer than I thought, or classes were already coming to an end when I left." "It was the latter, Master," said Tricky Books. "Hnnh…all right. You're free to go." "Yes, Master." And with that, he, Chrono Cards, Bullseye, and Greatstone exited the Academy. The clone remained in case Mystic wanted to talk with him. "Is there anything you want me to know?" he asked. "No. You're free to go too," Mystic answered. "I trust classes went well enough?" "Yes." "Thank you." And with that, the clone dismissed itself by slamming into a wall, dissipating on impact. Just then, somepony familiar descended close by. "Mystic," she called. Immediately, the unicorn's mood darkened. "If this is about Shining Armor—" "No, no. It's not that at all. I just wanted to say that I appreciated you walking with me today. I was wondering if…we can do it again sometime." Mystic gave a sigh. "I guess so." He noticed her hopeful smile, which reminded him of an old memory he wished to forget. "But friends is as far as we can go." Her mood instantly dampened. "Why? Was it something I said? Something about me you don't like?" "It's not that. I haven't told anypony else, but…I'm divorced." "Oh! I'm so sorry. It's just that you look so young." "It was a mistake, but I was happy. Until that day." Skyla seemed to know what 'that day' meant; something that would've been pegged as a drama scene in stories. She decided she would not poke him further on 'that day'. "I understand. Well, I hope to see you tomorrow. When I'm not foalsitting the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "All right. See ya." And with that, Skyla took off again. Once she was gone, he closed the doors to his home, then went off to the marketplace to buy his non-Academy-related needs. C—MS—TB—S—C—MS—TB—S—C—MS—TB—S The rest of the not-date went pretty well. A small chat about today, the weather, things like that. And as for "the question", Fluttershy said she needed time to think and talk with Angel about it. Chronicle understood her hesitation and was a bit glad to see that the rabbit was a bit more trusting of him, probably from the realization that they share a common goal; help Fluttershy stand up for herself. Chronicle had then asked if they could have another outing like this some other time, and she said yes. The two of them have just returned to Ponyville proper and Sugarcube Corner was in their sights when they saw Twilight Sparkle being pushed out its door by Pinkie Pie. "Well, thanks for stopping by, Twilight. Sorry, I don’t have time to visit. I’m very, very busy with my responsibilities here." "I’m happy to help. It’s no trouble—" Any further words were cut off by the door being slammed into her face—close enough, in fact, to squash her nose a bit. "Hey, Twilight." She immediately turned to see the two (three if you count Angel) come over. "Hey, Chronicle! Hey, Fluttershy!" "I see your report sorting's already done," said the stallion as they approached one another…and then he quickly took out his paddle and smacked his charge with it. "And I know you weren't treating Spike well. I'd report your abuse if it weren't for the fact that both of you are my friends and that you're one of Equestria's heroes. That was why I went great lengths on finding both a defense attorney and a prosecutor to help in finding the truth behind the murder of that blackmailer of an athlete. Rainbow Dash just doesn't have that killer's will like I do, and I just hate it when I see you acting like jerks." While he was saying that, Twilight had been rubbing her cheek where she had been slapped. "Oww." "Twilight, what were you doing outside Sugarcube Corner?" Fluttershy asked her. "I was going to offer assistance in babysitting the Cakes with Pinkie Pie, but for some reason, she suddenly refused." "Perhaps it's from something you said. You and Pinkie are quite prone to saying condescending things or being insensitive to others. Or maybe that's just Pinkie for the latter." Chronicle then looked around to see if there were any peekers. He then 'pulled out' his Surveillance device as he said, "Let's go to the library." C—TS—F—C—TS—F—C—TS—F—C—TS—F In the Books and Branches Library… The three ponies gathered at the second floor (in case the library is going to have any patrons). Spike was there too, dusting the shelves. Once he made sure that nobody, invisible, shrunken, or otherwise is looking (he can do nothing for the ones who use long-range means), he took out the Surveillance device, tapped on Twilight's icon, and 'rolled back' up to the point where Twilight was just finished knocking on the bakery's door. "Hi!" she greeted as Pinkie Pie poked her head (which had a diaper on it)out. "I finished up the work I had to do, so I thought I’d stop by and see if you needed any help." She was promptly yanked in. "Whoa!" and the door was slammed closed before Twilight's 'camera' teleported in after its target and into the shop floor, where the four watching could see another diaper on Pinkie's rump, which has slid halfway down to her hooves. "I'll have to say that your Surveillance cameras' pursuit abilities kind of unnerve me," Twilight remarked. "Yeah, my organization really outdone themselves here," said Chronicle as he 'paused' the monitor. "They can keep up with their targets regardless of speed. Nothing short of a world-hop without this going too can cut me off." Spike was confused with the stallion's term. "World-hop?" he asked as he passed by. "You know, like the time the girls and I ended up in that gender-swapped world. That is what I call a world-hop." He then 'resumed' the 'playback'. "Oh." In the scene, Pinkie said as she kicked the diaper off, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming! I can’t begin to tell you what my day has been like! I mean, these babies just won’t listen to reason—and don’t even get me started on their taste in stand-up comedy!" For some reason, a rimshot played. "It’s okay, Pinkie. I figured you would need some help," the Twilight in the scene said as she crossed the floor. "That’s why I stopped by." Pinkie instantly took offense. "Excuse me?" she said as her friend levitated some scattered toys, placing them neatly on the floor. "Babies take a lot of work. And some ponies are just not cut out to handle the responsibility." Pinkie got into her face. "Is that so?!" Before the well-meaning unicorn knew it, the door was opened again and she being plowed out onto it by one angry earth pony. "Well, thanks for stopping by, Twilight. Sorry, I don’t have time to visit. I’m very, very busy with my responsibilities here." She then backed into the building, ready to slam the door. "I’m happy to help. It’s no trouble—" Any further words are cut off by the door being slammed into her face—close enough, in fact, to squash her nose a bit. And once that scene was finished, Chronicle put away Surveillance. "From what I can see here, you basically said that Pinkie Pie was incapable of handling the Cake twins. It may not have been blunt, but I can pick up the condescending way you said those words. I don't think I need to spell it out for you." Thanks to all the times he's had to set her straight, the consequences of her actions with Pinkie began to sink in. At least if the ears drooping were any indication. "Oh no. How could I have been—" Chronicle was quick to stop her. "I won't judge you. You're still learning. And I don't advise going over to apologize. She's gonna be very busy. And it may only make things worse." "But what if Pinkie needs help?" Fluttershy asked. "What if Pumpkin Cake's magical surges start up? What if Pound Cake starts flying around? I heard that some pegasus babies can sometimes carry full-grown ponies around while flying." The stallion raised an eyebrow. "That's a disturbing thought. I don't think I want to know Rainbow's parents handled her when she was a baby. In any case, I'll watch over Pinkie Pie and see if she'll need any help. For all we know, she'll probably successfully solve the problem herself and realize just what she needs to do." "You think she can do it?" "Ever since we beat Nightmare Moon, I've learned never to underestimate what you girls are capable of, you getting angry the first of many examples. And that's supposed to be a compliment." "Um, thanks?" "You're welcome. I'm sorry to have worried you girls with her problem. Leave Pinkie Pie to me." C—TS—F—C—TS—F—C—TS—F—C—TS—F Later that night, while Chronicle slept , a clone he summoned 'rolled back' to the point where Pinkie Pie was putting the twins to sleep, then watched from there. He saw them disappear and be found again, saw the twins' abilities go wild, and sympathized as Pinkie finally broke down only to be comforted in return by Pound and Pumpkin. And then it was smooth sailing from there onward; Pound and Pumpkin were much more cooperative. By the time the Cakes were home, all the damage the twins had made has been repaired. Once that was done, he dismissed himself. C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C Daytime… A few minutes before Chronicle would normally conduct classes with Mystic Shield (today was a break day), he, Twilight, and Spike were greeted by Pinkie Pie as she entered the library. "Pinkie Pie!" greeted Spike. "What brings you here?" "Do you remember what Princess Celestia said about all of us getting to report our findings on the magic of friendship when, and only when, we happen to discover them?" "Yes?" all three answered. "Well, I have one to send!" "That's good news!" said Twilight, then turned to her assistant. "Ready." Spike took out a quill and scroll. And Pinkie began to dictate. “Dear Princess Celestia: I’ve always had fun playing with little kids, and I thought babysitting meant just more playtime, right? Wro-ooong! Being a caregiver is way more responsibility than just being a playmate. And today I learned that sometimes, our desire for responsibility can outrun our actual ability to handle it.” Once the dragon was finished writing, he asked, "Done! Should I send it?" "Duh!" "All right." He blew his fire and the deed was done. "So, Pinkie Pie. Was your babysitting successful?" Twilight queried. She was answered with a nod. "Mm-hmm. I admit it was hard, and I did 'break down' once, but yeah, in the end, everything turned out all right." "Glad to hear it," said Chronicle. "You think you can handle another day with them? I think Skyla would do a better job." "It's okay. I got along with the twins now. I'm gonna be their permanent babysitter from this day forth!" "Heheh. You thought it would be easy as pie… but I think you've learned that babysitting is no piece of cake." This earned him a chuckle from the earth pony. "Hee-hee. That's pretty funny." "But in the end, it's all worth it, right?" asked Twilight. "That's right!" Chronicle grinned at that. "Glad I didn't have to bust in in your stead when you nearly broke down. Not just for your sake, but for the Cakes too. Wouldn't want them to sorely regret their decision and break any trust between you." "Yeah. Good thing." "So…is there anything else?" "Nope." Suddenly, a certain white rabbit ran inside the library, a small scroll strapped to his back by a piece of vine. "Angel! What are you doing here?" The coney just responded by standing straight, taking out the letter, and handing it to the blue unicorn, who 'took' it, then 'unrolled' it to read it. "Hmm… Fluttershy wants me to assist her in returning home some animals she's been taking care of." Pinkie lighted up immediately. "Go. Your marefriend is waiting!" He didn't bother with the stock phrase "she's not my marefriend" because, to be honest, she is. Instead he smiled, gave an informal salute, hinted at Angel to hop on his back, then set off for another day with his favorite pony.