//------------------------------// // Goodbye Dad, Hello Daddy // Story: Welcome, My Little One // by Delta 727 //------------------------------// Welcome, My Little One: Goodbye Dad, Hello Daddy Six months after the adoption of Evergreen... Another hard time was affecting the family of Twilight Sparkle. Flash Sentry, after years of service in the Royal Guard, and years of devotion to his beloved family, had passed away. He was given an honorary funeral, set up free of charge by the Royal Guard, and his whole family was in attendance, including Poppy. Even Spike had flown out for the occasion. It was hard on Spike. It was hard on Poppy. It was even harder on Northern Lights. But it was the hardest on Twilight. Twilight had spent about an hour by herself to cry before she promised herself that she would take care of her family in their time of mourning. She had already spent the miscarriage of Northern Lights and Poppy's foal crying by herself, and she agreed that from now on, no matter what, she would be there for her family when times were harsh. About a week after the funeral, Twilight grew concerned when she had visited their home, only to find that Northern Lights and Poppy took Evergreen out for a while. While it just seemed like a normal family outing, Twilight knew they wouldn't be leaving for fun a week after such a traumatic time. They left because they were taking some time to clear their minds. When Twilight found them in the park, she saw them sitting on a park bench, Northern Lights holding a sleeping Evergreen in his hooves. Poppy was with him, a straw sunhat shading her from the heat of the late-summer day. When they noticed Twilight approaching, Poppy welcomed her with a smile, but Northern Lights was a little more reserved. "Hey there, you three," Twilight said as she approached. "Well if it ain't miss Twilight herself," Poppy replied. "What brings ya here?" "Oh, nothing much, Poppy." Twilight looked around at the scenery around her. The fountain flowing in the middle of the park, the many ponies strolling down the cobblestone paths, the trees growing green all around. "Just out for a little stroll." "Well, what a coincidence," Poppy said. "So're we! Guess i's jus' the real nice day." "Yeah," Twilight said almost obliviously. She found herself staring at Northern Lights, who was staring down at his adopted foal. "How're you holding up, Northy?" "Huh?" Northern Lights looked up at Twilight, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Oh, um, I'm doing alright, I guess." Twilight was not convinced. In fact, she felt a pang of pity in her gut. "Poppy, could you give us a moment?" she asked. "Ah sure can!" Normally, Poppy would be a little more hesitant about going off on her own away from Northern Lights when they were out together. But she knew that her husband and his mother needed a moment to talk, and she was happy to comply. Northern Lights barely reacted as his wife strolled off towards the fountain, and his mother took her place. "Hey, Northy," Twilight said. "Hey," Northern Lights replied very nonchalantly. "How's this little bundle been?" Twilight gently pushed a strand of Evergreen's mane out of her face. She yawned as Twilight did so, and Twilight and Northern Lights couldn't help but smile a little. "She's been alright," Northern Lights said. "You know, you lied to me a while back." "What?" Twilight's blood ran cold. "You said I wouldn't be sleeping for a few nights after I had a foal." He looked up at his mother. "You didn't tell me the whole truth. I'm not sleeping during the day either." He smiled, and his mother couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that." She looked away toward the ground, and smiled. Almost instinctively, she looked up toward the fountain, where Poppy was resting on the concrete edge of the structure. "What about Poppy? Was she telling the truth?" "I guess so," Northern Lights replied. "She was pretty worried about me after Dad passed, but now she's starting to perk up a bit. For me and Evergreen, I imagine." "I know it was hard, Northy." Twilight placed a hoof on her son's shoulder. "But I bet he's watching you right now, and do you know what I think he would say if he was here right now?" "I can think of a few things," Northern Lights said, smiling at the thoughts. "But what do you think?" "He would say, 'If you miss me so much, then you better make sure that little filly's first word is 'Daddy'. And then, I want you to remember everything I taught you every time she says that word.'." Northern Lights looked up at his mother, tears in his eyes, but a smile on his face. "And I bet he would say, 'Tell your mother I'll still be handsome when she sees me again.'." Twilight smiled, rolling her eyes. "Stop it, you," she said. "You know that's not true." "Is that why you're blushing?" As Northern Lights said that, the pink on Twilight's face grew brighter as she placed a hoof on one cheek. "Okay, maybe your'e right." She put her hoof down as the brightness, but not the smile, faded from her face. "But especially remember what I said. Every time she calls you that, you remember all the times you called him that. And then you'll know that love and pride he felt every single day for you. It's gonna be hard not having him around for a while, but soon you'll start to feel a little more comfortable knowing that even though you don't see him, he sees you. And I want your daughter to know the same thing when your time comes. But for right now," Twilight looked down at the foal in Northern Lights' hooves, gently petting her mane as she slept, "I want you to make sure this little one can remember you when she has a little one of her own. And when she does, you'll put it up as one of the top moments of your life." Northern Lights listened to the whole talk with tears in his eyes and an evergrowing smile. "Stop it, Mom," he said. "You're gonna make me cry all over my child." "I can take her for a second, if you need me to," Twilight offered. "Is it because I'm crying in public and it's not very stallion-like to be holding a foal while I'm crying in front of my mother?" Northern Lights asked with a hint of humor in his voice. "Or is it because you're a sucker for foals?" Twilight gave her son a look that said, "What do you think?" Northern Lights just rolled his eyes as he gently placed his sleeping foal into his mother's hooves. "Thanks, Northy." As she looked down at the little foal, Twilight's smile softened, the way only a mother's instinct could make her smile. "I remember when you were this tiny. You used to squirm when you slept. I wish you were as peaceful as this one is." "Enjoy it," Northern Lights said. "The only time I can get her to sit still is when she's asleep. I dunno how much you'd like her when she's awake." "Makes you wounder how they can keep you up so late, doesn't it?" Twilight asked. "I got a theory together already," Northern Lights replied. "They're like energy vampires." He started moving his front hooves in a scooping motion toward his body. "They just sap your energy from you a little at a time, so they have all the energy you have to offer, but they leave you absolutely drained, hour after hour. Kids are so easy to figure out." "Well, look at you, the expert," Twilight replied. "Now you just need to figure out how they can eat so much." "Shhh." Northern Lights placed a hoof against Twilight's muzzle. "That's my secret personal project." The two of them shared one last giggle before they got back onto the subject at hand. "I just wish Dad could've at least been here for her first birthday." "Did you find out when her first birthday is?" Twilight asked. "I wish," Northern Lights replied. "The adoption center didn't have any records of anything. She was left on their doorstep without even anything to keep her warm. She didn't even have a name when Poppy adopted her. In fact, Poppy named her as soon as she signed the dotted line. I'm glad she did. The mom should get to name the foal, right?" "Well, not always," Twilight replied. "Usually the parents agree, but I think she made a good choice." "Me too," Northern Lights said. "Now for her birthday, we just decided to make it the day we adopted her." "That's perfect, Northy," Twilight said. "If you think about it, it kinda is her birthday. Ponies are first held by their parents on their birthday. So that works out perfectly." The tiny foal in Twilight's hooves started to squirm, and its eyes started to open. "Oh. Good morning, little one. Did you sleep well?" The foal looked confused for a second, looking over at her father, who gave her a compassionate look. She looked back up at Twilight again, and smiled, holding her hooves up toward Twilight as she started to giggle. Twilight did too as she started to nuzzle the little pony, who giggled even more. "Aww, look," Northern Lights said. "She likes you!" "Not as much as I like her," Twilight replied, lifting her muzzle and looking down at the little pony. "Isn't that right, honey?" The foal's front hooves shot up toward Twilight, and it let out a high-pitched squeal of happiness, only widening the other two ponies' smiles. "Well, look at that," Poppy said as she returned to her family. "Y'all look like yer havin' a nice time." "Evergreen woke up to her nap to meet a nice new friend," Twilight said. "Is that so?" Poppy asked, stroking the little pony's cheek. "Are ya havin' fun with Miss Twilight, Evergreen?" The pony just squealed again, reaching for its mother. Poppy looked at Twilight, who smiled as she gently hoofed the little pony back to its mother. "Well, ah'm glad y'all had a good time. Ah think we'd all love it if ya stopped by ta see her once in a while." "I'd love to," Twilight said. "And I'm sure Flash will be right at my side the whole way there. He wouldn't want to miss a moment with Grandpa's little filly." "Just make sure he holds the door for you when you come over," Northern Lights said. "I don't want him to forget everything he taught me." "I'll make sure I kick him a bit to remind him." Twilight giggled. "You guys have fun." She held a hoof over her forehead. "I gotta get out of this heat. You don't mind if I hug you in public, do you Northy?" Northern Lights just smiled, and leaned over to hug his mother. Twilight gratefully returned it, quickly gave another hug to Poppy and Evergreen, and waved as she flew away to leave the couple to relax. It was growing into the evening as Twilight reached her residence in Canterlot. She sighed to herself, feeling her spirit already returning. She opened the door with her magic, and stepped inside. She looked at the open door. "Thanks, Flashy," Twilight said as she stepped inside. And without any more influence from Twilight, the door gently closed behind her, leaving her in the twilight-lit home, safely tucked away for the night.