//------------------------------// // Foalsitting Follies // Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders Royale // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// One morning, Hurricane prepared to go to the castle to resume her and the others' quests to earn their cutie mark. "Mom, I'm going to hang out with Miracle and the others today." Hurricane walked to the door. "Hold on, dear." Her mother, Daring Do, stopped her. She was carrying a young three year old Unicorn foal. He was Hurricane's little brother, Michael 'Wait For It' Napoleon. He had his father's brown coat and black mane, though he had a bit of Daring's grayscale mane color as well. He had green eyes, albeit lighter ones than Caboose. "Hurri, I need you to look after Michael today." Daring declared. "I have to go into town to discuss the publishing of my memoirs." "But mom, me and my friends have a full day's crusading planned!" Hurricane protested. "Can't dad look after Mikey?" "Your father has to stand guard over some important royal meeting today." Daring told her. "Aww..." Hurricane groaned. "You can take Michael to the castle with you, if you want." Daring smiled. "Just don't let him out of your sight." "Really?" Hurricane brightened. "Okay, mom! You can count on me!" "I know I can." Daring gave Michael to Hurricane. "Your big sister's going to be looking after you today, okay, honey?" "Yay!" Michael wrapped his hooves around Hurricane's neck. "Hurri! Hurri!" "Easy there, Mikey." Hurricane gagged. "Can't... breathe..." Hurricane took Michael with her to the castle, carrying the rambunctious youngster in a side pouch. Once she arrived in the royal lounge, she explained the situation to the others. "...So, I have to look after him today." She finished. "Great." Vito scowled. "We're stuck with a snot-nosed brat all day." "V!" Pureblood elbowed him. "That's our cousin you badmouthing there!" "Oh, like we weren't all thinking it!" Vito said defensively. "I wasn't." Miracle tickled Michael under the chin. "Hi, Michael. Remember me? I'm Miracle." "Hi!" Michael giggled. "You won't be any trouble, will you?" Miracle cooed. "Nuh-uh!" Michael shook his head. "We'll need to keep a close eye on him, though." Hurricane declared. "He's a real little explorer. Takes after mom..." "I think we can handle it." Pureblood smiled. "Now, onto our Cutie Marks..." As the Crusaders talked about possible quests, Michael grew bored, and wandered off when Hurricane's back was turned. "I don't know." Hurricane shrugged. "Ziplining seems so... yesterday." "You may be right." Miracle agreed. "We- hey, where's Michael"? "Oh, no!" Hurricane cringed. "He must have wandered off!" "Well, he can't have gone too far." Vito shrugged. "Let's go find the little rugrat." For once, Vito was right. Michael was in the library. "There you are!" Hurricane sighed with relief. "I was so worried!" "What those?" Michael pointed to the books. "Those are books, Michael." Miracle smiled. "I can read you one, if you like!" "Yay!" Michael cheered, his horn beginning to glow. "Uh-oh." Hurricane gulped. "Uh-oh?" Pureblood grimaced. "Why uh-oh?" Suddenly, all the books in the case were lifted out by Michael's magic, and rained down on the Crusaders, Michael giggling happily. "Did I forget to mention Michael has really powerful magic surges?" Hurricane said sheepishly. "No, I think I'd remember you mentioning something so important." Vito glared at her. "How does a little foal possess so much magic?" Miracle asked, stupefied. "I mean, not even Alicorn foals have this powerful a surge!" "Well, according to dad, he has inherited his strong innate magic." Hurricane explained. "Meaning?" Vito growled. "I have no idea." Hurricane frowned. "Wait, where's he gone now?" Pureblood asked. A giggling sound emanated from the doorway on the left. "That way!" Miracle pointed. "Follow the laughter!" As they raced towards the source, they all realized with horror where it was coming from: the kitchen. As they entered, they saw that Michael had entered into another magic surge, and was flinging all the foodstuffs and utensils around, much to the terror of the kitchen staff. "Make it stop!" One yelped. "Make it stop!" "Michael!" Hurricane gasped. "What are you doing?" "Me hungee!" Michael yelled. "Want snack!" "I'll make you one!" Hurricane offered. "Just put everything down!" "...Okay." Michael nodded. His horn stopped glowing, and everything dropped down. "Okay, trouble." Hurricane sighed. "C'mere. We'll get you a nice oat and daisy sandwich. Your favorite." "Yay!" Michael cheered. "So sorry, everypony, go about your business as usual!" Miracle bowed in apology. While the entire kitchen staff worked to clean the kitchen, Hurricane made Michael his sandwich, and he happily devoured it. "Finally, the situation's under control." Vito declared. "We should've thought of food in the first place." "Now, while Michael's safely occupied, we can get back to work." Pureblood declared. "Right." Miracle smiled. "What quest should we try next?" "Well, maybe we should-" Hurricane stopped in mid-sentence to glance at Michael... only to find he had vanished. "Michael's gone!" "Again?" Vito groaned. "Somepony needs to put a bell on that kid!" As they raced outside the room, Pureblood spotted Michael on the stairs. "That way!" He pointed. The Crusaders chased after Michael all over the castle, eventually finding themselves in the rafters of the meeting room. "Where is he?" Hurricane asked. "Shh!" Miracle pointed below, where there was a meeting ongoing. Shine and Celestia were talking things over with Twilight about royal matters. Caboose was in the room with them, standing guard... or rather sleeping. "There he is!" Vito pointed to the other end of the rafters, where Michael resided. "Michael, get over here!" Hurricane hissed. Michael wasn't listening, having just spotted his father. "Daddy!" He cheered, using magic to levitate his father. "Michael, no!" Hurricane yelped. As Shine, Celestia, and Twilight were talking, Caboose's body began to levitate, still snoring. "And as for this year's horseshoe appreciation event-what in Equestria?!" Twilight stopped mid-sentence. Shine and Celestia glanced behind them, and see Caboose was now floating. "Caboose?!" Shine gasped. Caboose woke up instantly. "I ain't wearing hockey pads!" He yelped, before realizing where he was. "I mean... I'm awake!" "H-how... what..." Twilight stuttered. "Why is everypony staring at me like that?" Caboose asked. "And how did you all get to be smaller?" "Um, Mr. Napoleon..." Celestia gestured below him. Caboose looked down, and saw that he was floating. "What the-am I having that dream again where I'm Psycho Mantis?" He gasped. "Who?!" Twilight asked. "Psycho Mantis." Caboose repeated. "You know, that creepy dude with the gas mask who can read your mind, make your controller rumble, and demolish the fourth wall... like me!" "Caboose, I don't think-" Shine started. "Wait, let me try..." Caboose waved his fore hooves, strike a few poses. "Hmm... you seem to like cherry pies, don't you?" "Um, yeah... but you already knew that." Shine shrugged. "Oh... in that case..." Caboose started freaking out. "Why am I floating?!" Meanwhile, up in the rafters... "Come on, Michael, put daddy down..." Hurricane urged. Michael giggled as he waved his head. "There's must be a magical disturbance in the air..." Twilight mused. "Or maybe a disturbance in the Force-" Caboose was thrown into a wall. "OW!" "Caboose!" Celestia yelped. "Michael, put him down!" Hurricane demanded. Michael giggled more as he began waving his horn constantly. Caboose was then thrown back and forth across the room. "OW! EEE! OW! EEE!" Caboose groaned. The four went to grab Michael, but he moved out of the way, leaning over the edge, and laughing at his daddy. "Look ma, I'm a metronome!" Caboose chortled, a little dizzy. He hit the wall again. "Don't take me out, coach, I can still fight!" Caboose moaned in a daze. He hit the opposite wall. "Wise guy, eh? Nyuck, nyuck, nuck!" Caboose said woozily. He hit the first wall again. "You didn't get me down now." He mumbled. "You didn't get me down!" Then the opposite wall once more. "I came in like a wrecking ball!" Caboose sang dizzily. Michael's horn began to flicker, as Caboose's smacks began to slow down. After one last smack against the wall, he was above the table, and then he fell on it. "Oh... so this what agony feels like…" Caboose groaned and looked up, his vision a bit dazed. However, as his vision cleared up, he saw the shape of his little boy Michael, just before he was pulled in by Hurricane. Caboose then made a knowing grin. "Ah..." "Are you alright, Caboose?" Shine gasped. "Anything broken?" Celestia asked. "What was that?" Twilight asked. "Ah, it was nothing." Caboose shrugged, as he slowly got up, wincing a bit in pain. "Probably just some magic feedback. Happens when so much magic is in one room. "It does?!" Twilight asked, horrified. "Oh, totally. I'll be careful, princess. Being an Element of Magic could have very extreme consequences." Caboose explained, trying not to laugh at Twilight's frightened face. "Oh, dear Faust…" Twilight gasped. Meanwhile, Hurricane glared at Michael. "What do you have to say for yourself, little mister?" Hurricane asked. "Tired." Michael yawned. "Sleepy..." Michael fell asleep in her hooves. "Well, I don't think we have to worry about him wandering off..." Pureblood declared. "Finally." Vito huffed, "A whole day wasted because of this kid." "It's not so bad, V." Miracle shrugged, as she then cooed over Michael, "Aw, he's so cute when he's sleeping." "Yeah, he is." Hurricane gave a small smile, finding it impossible to be mad at such a cute sight. "It's getting late. I'd better go meet up with dad, so we can go home." "See you tomorrow, Hurri." Miracle told her. "Have a good night." Pureblood added. "Yeah, bye." Vito muttered. As usual, Caboose was waiting for Hurricane by the main doors. "So, how'd your first foalsitting gig go?" He asked. "As good as could be expected, I guess." Hurricane shrugged. "There's my little guy." Caboose took the sleeping Michael. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go home." "Right behind you, dad." Hurricane nodded. As Caboose and Hurricane were walking home… "By the way, sweetie, your secret is safe with me." Caboose declared. "What secret?" Hurricane asked. "You losing Michael, and him using me as a wrecking ball in the meeting room." Caboose smiled. "I saw him up there..." "Oh..." Hurricane sighed. "I'm so sorry, dad, he just got away from-" "It's alright, Hurri." Caboose said warmly. "Mikey does take after your mom in exploring stuff. Doesn't help that he has my endless curiosity." He gives a small chuckle. "But I should had been paying more attention." Hurricane admitted. "Hey, it was your first time foalsitting." Caboose shrugged. "Besides, when you were little, I lost you all the time." " ...What?" Hurricane gaped. "You were always disappearing on me." Caboose admitted. "I turn away for one second, and you are off exploring somewhere. One time, I lost you in the maze in the garden. I was so scared, that I was this close to calling upon the Expendables and the A-Team to find you... but in the end, all things turned out okay…though it took a while for all the hedges to grow back." "Okay..." Hurricane said awkwardly. "I don't know whether to be glad, or disturbed..." "Why not inbetween?" Caboose smiled, "That's what my bros always went with." Later, after dinner, Hurricane checked in on Michael, who had just been put to sleep right after his meal. "You really caused me a lot of trouble today, you know that." Hurricane whispered. "But you know something? A little trouble is worth having a little brother as sweet as you." Hurricane lightly stroked Michael's mane. The little colt smiled in his sleep.