//------------------------------//
// 32. Once In a Blue Moon, Part Two: Responsibility's a B!tch 
// Story: Raising Rainbow 
// by Pizzema Forte 
//------------------------------//

     "Whaaaaa!"
Mrs. Skies jolted awake from her short sleep. The shrill, irritating noise pieced through her eardrums and forced her hooves up to her ears, flattening them in a weak attempt to muffle the sound. She grunted and felt tears gloss over her eyes. She looked across the room to her digital alarm clock placed atop her counter.
Five in the morning? Really...? Ugh, I'm going to need to be at the factory soon. The mare rubbed her aching head and sighed. Might as well just get up. Besides, if I even try to fall asleep that little foal might just wake me up again... Ugh.
With that, the mare wearily tossed her sheet aside as the sound of crying continued to ring in her ears. She crawled out of her comforting bed and trotted to the other side of the room, where the foal rested noisily in his crib.
Mrs. Skies at first wondered if it would be a smart decision to put Blue Moon's crib in her bedroom. She'd debated on giving him his own room by making space in the guest's room. However, she chose her own chamber because it was more convenient. She'd be closer to him if he started crying in the night, and the poor thing could get freaked out if he was left alone too long.
The crib itself was a very nice crib. A shop owner sold it to her for a low price of forty bits. It was white, wooden, and had a dangling set of toys to keep the little one's mind and hooves occupied. The bedding in the crib had a soft, white mattress and built-in pillow. She found her own personal foal-blanket in her closet, and decided to let him use it. It was a light shade of pink with red hearts scattered all over it. Luckily, the foal was far too young to feel embarrassed over any girly stereotypes.
Gently, Mrs. Skies wrapped her hooves around her crying foal and hoisted him up near her shoulder. Almost immediately, she felt his bubbly snot and tears leak onto her coat. She tried to ignore it and instead gently pat her foal's back.
"It'll be okay..." the mare reassured Blue Moon in the most motherly tone she could force. He, however, continued wailing. The mare frowned and started asking a series of questions. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Need a change?" Her only response was the continuation of loud shrieks and gurgled whines.
With a sigh, the mare carried her foal carefully out of the room. Those days, Sunny typically left her door cracked at night so she could leave easily with the newborn in her hooves, and so a ray of light would seep in and make the young one less afraid of the dark. Because of that, she also kept her hall light on. It was something she'd learned to do within the first few days of parenthood. Unfortunately, when she came out of her room in the morning or at night, it'd nearly blind her and cause the foal to whine.
Wearily, the mare took Blue Moon down the bright hallway, downstairs, across the living room, only to make a right into her dark kitchen. She used her wing to flip on her light switch and the room illuminated instantly. The mare sighed as she looked around the room. She still hadn't done the dishes from last night, being a bit too busy with her child. Even then, she felt it was more important to get her son to stop crying than to get chores done. She grumbled as she tiredly set the crying foal down in his highchair, which had been generously given to her by a friend whose kids had just outgrown it. She set him in it gently. At that point, he was still sobbing miserably, but had quieted down a little bit since his mother took him into her comforting hooves.
Mrs. Skies went to the fridge after setting her foal down. As she opened the door, a cold chill went down her spine and flooded the area around her. She grumbled a bit as she took out a gallon of her own milk from the fridge. She had a couple other gallons in the back she'd saved to give to Moonstruck when he took over. She was at a point where she preferred giving her baby milk from a bottle instead of her body. She didn't like the way his tongue tickled her or his excessive amounts of slobber. Blue Moon, on the other hoof, enjoyed sucking it from her fresh. At some points when his mom played with him, he'd even make attempts to go for her milk-making gems, only to be stopped and fed by an artificial sucker.
The mare placed the milk on the table and turned back around to retrieve a bottle. When the little foal laid eyes on the sweet milk, his crying died down a bit more, but he was still sniffling and whining a bit.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting it," the mare muttered as she pulled his bottle down from the cabinet. She gently closed it and made her way back to the table. She set the bottle on the wooden surface and unscrewed the lid. She then proceeded to unscrew the lid of the milk gallon and pour a good serving of it into the foal's cup. She screwed his lid back on and looked at her son. He was extremely happy at the sight and started gurgling and whining, trying to reach for the delicious meal. What he wanted, his mom delivered. She gently pressed the tip of the bottle to Blue Moon's lips and he started suckling. As soon as the foal tasted the milk, he made a face, but continued sucking anyway.
"Yeah, yeah, it's not warm. Please don't throw a fit over it." The little colt made a whiny noise through his bottle, and Mrs. Skies gently took it away from his lips so he could catch a breath. "I'm just happy you're dad's going to see you the next few days... I mean, it's nothing personal, you're just a lot of hard work. Especially as a single parent." She smiled a bit as her son sucked down milk. "I hope you like your daddy and he knows how to care for you... I mean, I barely know how, and well..." The mare frowned and looked at her son. The thought of anything bad happening to him due to improper parenting made her almost want to not even give Moonstruck the chance to see him.
Mrs. Skies steadied the bottle as the foal continued to drink. He was quite the heavy eater, and usually went through six or seven servings of milk a day. By that rate, she'd probably have to drop off more gallons of her milk after only a few days.
"You know..." The mare started the one-sided conversation with her foal again. At that point his milk was almost half way gone. "I never really considered having a foal... Well, I mean, I did when I was married, but recently, I completely got rid of the idea. To tell you the truth, I didn't think it'd be so much hard work..." The mare smiled and removed the bottle from Blue Moon's hungry mouth, hoping he'd had enough. Unfortunately, he only whined, begging for more. Mrs. Skies complied. "You're a heavy eater, aren't you? You probably get that from me." She blushed and chuckled. "Yeah... I probably need to cut down on the sweets here soon. I have been gaining quite a few pounds."
The mare took the bottle from Blue's mouth again. He gurgled and put on a little smile.
"Think you've had enough, Buddy?"
The mare lifted the bottle to her eye-level and examined it. There couldn't have been but a couple ounces left in it. Shrugging, she set it down and lifted her foal up. up into her hooves. Mrs. Skies then proceeded to give his back a few gentle pats until he let out a soft burp. The mare giggled a bit and nuzzled her son.
"That's a good boy. Now, how about you let Mommy get ready for a bit? She still has to figure out how she's going to carry you, two gallons of milk, and myself all the way down to Manehattan."
Her son merely gurgled in response. Mrs. Skies hoped that was a yes and kept her foal supported near her shoulders. She flew back up the stairs, down the brightly lit hallway, and back to her room. At that point, Celestia's sun was just starting to rise above the cloud layer and shine hot rays onto the thick, puffy cumulous. The mare frowned as she gently placed her son back into his crib and placed the blanket over him. As much as she hoped he'd fall asleep, his sparkling, blue eyes were still shining with excitement for the new day.
"Please go to sleep, Sweetheart. Mommy needs some time to get ready."
The foal did nothing but look up at his mom and smile widely. She smiled a bit, leaned down, and gently landed a peck on his forehead. He giggled and his mother turned around, hoping the message would sink in that she wanted him asleep. She went to the back of the room and opened the curtains and let the light bleed in. Mrs. Skies smiled in satisfactory and made her way to the exit of the room.
"Sweet dreams..." she whispered before quietly closing her bedroom door and looking into the hallway. She took a moment to flick off the irritating hallway light.
Well, now that Blue Moon's been taken care of, I think I can get some time to shower, do the dishes, maybe even put my mane in a bun... Heck, if the little guy falls asleep, I could even make breakfast for myself, catch up on the news. Maybe if I get ready really fast, I could even read a bit, relax, do something to take my mind off things... Man, that sounds- It was then, the mare was cut off by a shrill, loud screeching coming from her room. She felt her hopes abandon her and her hooves move up to her ears. Like it's not going to happen...

Darkness. There was nothing but pure, black darkness. The stallion wasn't surrounded. He wasn't there. It was simply darkness, with an odd trace of echoing lingering within the void. Soon, the echoing turned to voices... familiar voices. And various set of them, too. Voices that continued to haunt them even to that day.
"Ponies like you deserve to be locked up!"
"You make me sick!"
"Begging won't get you anywhere. You're only making yourself look pathetic!"
"At this rate you'll never leave this place!"
"Outside?" The masculine voice scoffed. "Ponies like you don't get to go outside!"
"Increase his dose... This one's going to need it."
"Normal? Ha! A pony with as many problems as you could never be normal!"
"What? This one? Oh, he may act sane, but he's as much of a disgusting waste of life as everypony else in this joint is!"
"You're what's wrong with Equestria! If ponies like you didn't exist, the whole world would be better off!"
"Another chance? Ha! You had a twenty-one year chance and you blew it!"
The darkness then subsided, only to reveal a white-coated stallion angrily bucking the door to his room.
"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!"
The stallion then saw himself scrunched up on his firm, uncomfortable bed.
"I can't take this anymore! I can't, I just can't!" He took in heavy breaths. "I need to go home!" His eyes began to water. "I-I'm loosing any sanity I h-had left!"
The scene quickly whirled away to reveal a foggy memory of the stallion gazing dead into the eyes of his parents. He felt hot, boiled anger rising to his cranium.
"Help me? Are you serious? You thought locking me up would help me?" The volume in the stallion's voice rose with each word. "You didn't help me at all! You've turned my life into a living Tartarus! I was a grown-ass stallion and I could have took care of myself!" The mare and stallion nervously huddled into each other's hooves at their son's rage. "You could have done me a favor by minding your own business and leaving me be!" 
Shakily, the mother was the first to speak up. 
"M-Moonstruck, Honey, we didn't mean for things to get this hectic, we promise! It's just, when your siblings told us how you used to act, we thought-" 
"I don't give a damn what you thought! You ruined my entire life without even asking for consent to help me!"
With that, the angry stallion threw his hooves onto the table, sending a loud echo throughout his small room. His parents flinched, and with a jolt, his eyes opened. Moonstruck's eyes darted around the white walls of his bedroom. Sweat was running down his forehead, stomach, and neck. As soon as he realized his location, he let out a sigh of relief, happy he'd been transported from his awful memories. He did, however, still feel a hot pit of anger boiling within him. Every time he thought back to his days at the Home for the Criminally Insane, he became angrier than he was when he was still living there. Waking up with such pique was the worst possible way to start the morning. 
Filled to the brim with aggravation, the stallion aggressively tossed his thin sheet aside and rose from his sweat-drenched bed. His red mane was a complete wreck and his white feathers were ruffled from the hard night's sleep. A dreary head was the least of his concern, however. The quotes from ponies he'd known so long ago lingered within his mind. Most of them came from a police that helped monitor the place. He had to help whenever there was a fight, argument, emotional breakdown, or somepony who was simply loosing all control. Although some ponies were far more off-the-wall than others, he treated them all like filthy animals who were a disgrace to the pony race. Moonstruck had many encounters with him, and didn't like him one bit. He was sane enough to realize when he was being talked down to. 
"Damn bastard!" the stallion grumbled to himself as he made his way from his room. "I'd love to stab him in the bucking eye with a knife! That'll show him who's criminally insane." 
With all the anger built up within him, the stallion rose onto his front two hooves and bucked the door closed with a loud slam. Although the kick allowed him to let off a load of steam, he still felt irritated from the dream. The fact a picture fell from the wall and shattered didn't exactly help, either. He looked down at it with disdain. The light blue, wooden frame faced the floor and the little shards of glass scattered around it. He was already steamed, so the fact that he'd broken his own property didn't help. 
Angrily, Moonstruck marched down the hallway, letting his hooves pound against the wooden floorboards. Even if he seemed a tad bit like a pouty foal when he stomped, it still helped him personally to release some of the rage within him. 
Only a mere three feet away from his bedroom was Moonstruck's bathroom. Like almost all mornings, the stallion started his day in his restroom. He entered the shabby latrine and flicked on the light with the edge of his wing. The dull room illuminated to reveal a messy bathroom with a few towels, red hair, and feathers all littering the floor. Almost instantly, a roach scattered across the floor and under a used towel in fear of the pony. The stallion kicked the bathroom door closed and looked at the light green rag with distaste. He then placed his hoof at it and kicked it aside. Two terrified roaches scattered across the tile floor, terrified of the angry monster. The white pegasus quickly lifted his hoof and stomped on one of the pests. It died with a disgusting-sounding squish. Moonstruck smiled sadistically as he lifted his hoof from the floor, only to see the squashed remains of his home intruder. 
"Ha! That'll teach the little pest to interlope on my property!" 
The stallion then looked around, trying to see where the little intruder's friend had scurried off to. Unfortunately, he was no where to be seen.
"Oh, well..." The stallion sighed and picked his head up, looking into the mirror. His aubergine eyes were bordered with crustie and drooping with bags. His red mane was an absolute mess and stuck out in every which direction. He frowned a bit, observing his reflection. 
"You'll never be normal..."
The stallion shook his head as familiar voices echoed within his mind. Killing the bug had made him feel loads better. The last thing he wanted was for the anger to return. 
"Come on, Moonstruck!  You're better than your enemies." he encouraged himself in an unconfident tone. 
With a sigh, the stallion grabbed the edge of his mirror and opened it wide, revealing his medicine cabinet. Inside were some pain relievers, bandages, itch cream, cold relief, and two bottles of pills that greeted him every morning; his risperidone and lithium. He felt his heart ache a bit as he glanced at the familiar bottles. Shaking off the awkward emotion brewing within him, he proceeded to do what he did most mornings; grabbing his half-way full bottle of lithium. He took the large, green-tinted bottle and unscrewed the cap and set it aside. Inside was a decent amount of big, white pills. He sighed and tilted the bottle until one dropped into his hoof. He set down the bottle, popped the pill into his mouth, and then proceeded to turn on his sink, keeping the pill secure under his tongue. He tilted his head and brought his lips to the running water, letting the liquid fill in his mouth. When enough gathered up,he swallowed the water with his medicine. The stallion took in a short breath after the swallow. 
Alright, you got the worst of the two over with... Moonstruck picked up the lid and screwed it back onto the bottle. He set it back into the medicine cabinet and picked up the bottle that usually rested right next to his lithium. This one was clear, and much smaller in size. He unscrewed the cap and peered inside the bottle to check the amount. Inside were a whole bunch of little, red tablets that greeted him every morning. The stallion frowned as he let a couple of the pills drop into his hoof. 
"What do you mean it didn't work?" A frustrated, female voice echoed within the stallion's mind. "You know what? Whatever! He's been in our home eight years now! Increase his dose, and if he doesn't get better soon, send him off to an asylum! We need more room, and he can't stay here forever! Maybe we'll ship him off to that one in southern Equestria. I heard they still use shock therapy!" 
Moonstruck felt tears glisten over his eyes as he looked at the two pills before him. He sighed and popped his medicine into his mouth. He leaned his head down, turned on the sink, and took a few gulps from the running, cool tap. The two pills easily slid down his throat and into his system. They were small enough to go down without much of a fight, but still made him want to gag as the slid past his uvula. He took in a gasped and turned off the running water. Repeating the process, the stallion put the lid back on the bottle and placed it right next to his other morning medicine. He frowned and gently closed the cabinet. The mirror soon came back into his view and he let out a long, unhappy sigh. His mouth had water running down the edges and his eyes were glistening. He blinked a few times, shooing back the tears. He took in a breath, trying to compose himself. 
Come on! Don't give in to it! Your stronger than that! You know you are! Had they seen the same things you had, they wouldn't hesitate to have made the same decision. Yet they judge you and call you murderous... How can they label me when the only damn pony I killed didn't exist in the first place! Just... just calm down. The doctors said it was a dream. All ponies dream. You're normal. You are normal... Just a bit sadistic. You're perfectly fine.
The stallion bit his lip a bit. The tears slowly started to flee, and he forced a little smile. He'd usually hate himself upon staring at his reflection, but that day, he felt a bit of pride. He was a father, a fighter, and nothing more. He knew he was sadistic, but that didn't mean he was insane. Sure, his past was filled with some rather odd hallucinations, but some ponies took drugs to experience the same trips he did. He knew that. Sometimes, he simply assumed his body was producing some form of drug to help him, but surely, he wasn't insane. Besides, even if he was, he'd been growing more and more normal over the years! A little bit of hope sprung into his heart as he tried his hardest to think positive. 
"Maybe one day I'll be considered normal without the aid of medicine..." 
It was then, the stallion felt something odd in his chest. His ears flopped a bit and his eyes narrowed. Something didn't feel right...He looked out his bathroom door and thought for a moment. He then sighed and rolled his eyes. 
"A visiter." the unamused stallion muttered to himself. "Just what I need at this time of-" He cut himself off, and then thought a moment. What day was it? Monday? His eyes widened and his memories kicked in. "The foal..." 
With that set in his mind, the pegasus flew right out of his bathroom, leaving the door wide opened. He flew past his doorway, across the hall, and into the kitchen. He did notice he'd completely abandoned a good sink-load of dishes, but at the time, he had more important things to attend to. Ignoring his minor responsibilities, the stallion flew from the kitchen, all the way to his front door. He sighed and put his hoof to the doorknob. Quickly, he opened it. He smirked a little to himself when he met eyes with his foal's mother. She was a bit shocked from his sudden answer. Her blue eyes went wide and she put her hoof down. She had her other hoof securing Blue Moon and a saddle bag on her back. Both pockets of the bag were sagging with milk gallons. Her mane was a wreck and her eyes were bloodshot from little sleep. 
"Well, you're looking quite lovely, aren't you, Sunny?" he asked in a sarcastic manner. The stallion stepped to the side and held the door opened for the mare, who walked in with a roll of the eyes. 
"Shut it..." the mare growled angrily as Moonstruck closed the front door. "Just... Do you have the supplies needed to take care of him?"
"But of course!" the stallion said with a smile. 
"Good..." The mare let out a sigh of relief and turned the foal to the side a bit, giving Moonstruck a clear view of his face. His royal blue eyes shone brightly and his mouth was instantly in a smile. "This is Blue Moon..." she informed him. 
"Tacky name..." Moonstruck commented. He looked at his son. In a way, he almost found the spitty, unintelligent creature to be adorable. "But I suppose it suites him."  
"Thanks, I guess..." The mare looked at the stallion awkwardly. Simply knowing they'd had sex wasn't a reassuring thought to her. "So, do you have a place to put the little guy?" 
"Of course." The stallion smiled and gestured her with his hoof. "Follow me."
Naturally, Mrs. Skies followed without question. She did, however, move at a rather slow pace. After being exhausted from flying around with a foal and two heavy sacs of milk. Next time she knew she'd be getting help. At the rate she'd been going, she'd probably make it to work a little late. Her back, wings, and hooves were sore at that point, and all she wanted to do was lay down and relax. 
"You know..." The mare huffed out. "You could be a gentlecolt and help me with my things." 
"You know, I think you're the last pony that should lecture others on being polite." 
"What?" 
"Oh, you know, I just thought how polite it was of you to tell me about your pregnancy before you gave birth to the damn thing! You know, most stallions appreciate a little notice!" 
"Hey!" the mare snapped. "I didn't know either! I mean, it's not like I expected it!" 
"Oh, sure, sure... And how in Equestria did you not notice? Were you sleeping during your entire pregnancy?" 
"Well, no, I mean... I just didn't notice, alright?" 
"Ah, yes. It's not like you didn't have signs or anything." 
"Well, I... I..." The mare blushed a bit and looked away. "I just didn't... I thought I was in menopause and my eating habits were caused by depression, and, well... I'd already had a bunch of mood swings." 
"Oh, right! I suppose coincidences just align like the stars, don't they?" 
The mare huffed a bit to herself and continued to follow the stallion. Only shortly after their brief conversation had ended, the two were in the stallion's living room. He had one long, soft couch with pillows and a blanket along with a recliner. Behind the couch was a clear, sliding glass door that lead onto his porch. In the center of the room was a little, red rug with a crib on top of it. The crib was a light shade of pink and had been donated to him by his brother. In the crib was a dark blue blanket with yellow stars on it. The bedding was light pink, and the pillow was light blue. It was a bigger crib, and looked like it could hold a two or three year old foal, not just a one week old one. Mrs. Skies was satisfied enough with the crib, but did have quite a few questions. 
"Why are you making him sleep in the living room?" she asked. 
"Well, you see, my room is far too dangerous and small to be comfortable. If I want to keep an eye on him at night, I think the easiest way would be to sleep in the living room with him." 
"Ah, okay... Can I please set him down for a moment?" 
"I won't stop you." 
"Thank you..." Gently, the mare carried her foal over to the crib. She gently lowered him into the bedding, setting him right on the blanket. He looked up at her with large, blue eyes. 
"Agooo!" He whined, flailing his front hooves up to his mommy, hoping she'd pick him back up. 
"Sorry, Sweetheart. Mommy needs a break." With a sigh, the mare turned to the stallion and frowned. "Listen..." she started. "I'm really sorry I didn't give you a fair warning about this whole thing."
"Yeah... You'd think somepony would have the courage to tell you how much weight you were putting on." 
"Hey!" the mare snapped. "I'm just trying to apologize! There's no need to be such an ass about it!" 
"What? I'm simply stating the facts; anypony with eyes could tell you've added on pounds!" 
Mrs. Skies growled a bit and scrunched up her face. Wrinkles formed around her eyes and nose and heat rose to her cheeks. 
"So?" she replied at last. "At least I told you the night of! I could have waited and have everything more last minute!" 
"Actually, Rainbolt was the one to deliver the news!"
"Well, I mean, I sent him! Excuse me for having to feed the foal so it could survive!" 
"Oh whatever!" The stallion's voice raised in volume. "I still shouldn't have been rushed into all this simply because you were too stupid to tell you were pregnant!" 
"I'm not stupid!" the mare yelled back. 
At that point in the argument, Blue Moon was swelling up with tears. His little hooves desperately swung at his ears, trying to  cover them. His mom rarely ever raised her voice in front of him, but when she did, it was usually at an employee. 
"Well, you certainly aren't intelligent. Seriously, what didn't you notice? The weight gain? Your lost menstrual cycle? The kicking? Pain? Food cravings? Heck, somewhere within the past few weeks I'm sure you noticed swelling in your-" 
"Okay, okay may not have been too bright, but..." The mare glared, narrowing her blue eyes on Moonstruck. "... there's still no reason to be such a son of a bitch about it." 
"Oh please, Sunny! I think we know the only genuine son of a bitch here is the foal." 
Mrs. Skies frowned and let out a grunt. Her aggravation was boiling within her cranium and her eyes narrowed on the stallion  who once brought her such wonderful limerence. Angrily, she approached him. He, however, was far too stubborn to move inch away from the mare, even smirking a bit, taunting her to simply try to do something. She raised her left hoof and sent her hoof flying against the stallion's white cheek. He flinched, only to bring his hoof up to his lower eye and aid it from the sudden pain. He gaped at the mare, shocked that she had it in her to do such a thing. His eyes went wide, and his mouth curved into a grin. He was about to compliment her on her aggression, but she spoke up before he even had a chance. 
"Don't you even dare bring our son into your petty insults! You should be ashamed!" she yelled. 
"Jeesh!" the stallion said, still smirking a bit. "I was merely trying to-" 
It was then Moonstruck was cut off by a high-pitched shrieking noise. His hooves moved up to his ears to muffle the shrill sound. 
"Get used to it..." Sunny muttered under her breath before making her way over to her foal. Looking over the crib, she saw his white face glow red with tears. His hooves were flailing and his face was all scrunched up. The mare gently wrapped her hooves around her wailing foal and hoisted him up. He cried over her shoulder, sending rivers of snot and tears down her back. He did, however, start to calm down as she gently pat his back. 
"Shhhh... Shhh... Calm down, Sweetheart. Mommy's here... Mommy's sorry she got angry at your daddy. He's just being a jackass." The mare glared at the stallion to emphasize the word "jackass". 
"Whatever. With you as a mother, I can see why he's so miserable." 
"Shut your face!" she responded in an immature fashion. Her foal was slowly settling down, and at that point, he was merely sobbing quietly. "He's a sensitive little guy and needs a good amount of attention." 
"Yeah, whatever." 
"Don't you dare 'whatever' it, mister!" the mare snapped with anger in her tone. "This is your foal, too, and if I find out you did anything but provide him with every ounce of attention he needs, I'll be livid!" 
The stallion smirked a bit and chuckled. 
"Oh yes, your little threats just terrify me, Sunny." Moonstruck replied in a semi-sarcastic tone. To it, the mare did nothing but sigh and roll her eyes. 
"Listen, Moonstruck, I don't care if you hate me, don't take any of this seriously, or whatever the hay you think, but this foal's important." She took in a breath as she lovingly patted her son's back. At that point, he was reduced to merely gurgles and quite whines. "And I don't want to have to make you pay child support, but if I find out you're not taking your job as a father seriously, I'm going to get the law involved." 
"Oh, come on!" The stallion smiled confidently. "Of course I'm going to be a good father! I used to foalsit my younger siblings all the time when I was a younger colt. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." 
"I sure hope so..." The mare put her little foal back in his crib with a reassuring smile. He gurgled in her direction. The mother responded with a smile and returned her attention to her foal's daddy. "Listen, not that I don't have faith in you, but I made a bit of a list."
"A list?" Moostruck questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
"Yeah..." The mare reached back into a small pocket of her milk-filled saddle bags and pulled out a medium-sized, yellow spiral journal. She flipped it opened to the first paged and handed it over to the stallion before her. He took it into his hooves hesitantly and scanned over it, reading briefly through the notes. 
"It's basically just a little guide about his feeding schedule, how to prepare his food, how to change him, how to bathe him, how to play with him, his sleeping schedule, and maybe a few other things. It's just so you know about how to do everything incase you get confused..." 
For the longest moment, Moonstruck said nothing. He simply scanned over the page multiple times, trying to absorb all the information. 
"There's a second page, too..." Mrs. Skies informed. 
The stallion sighed as he flipped over the page to reveal a brand new one. He had to admit, some of the information was new and fresh to him. Some things he knew, though, and seemed almost insulting to even mention. 
"Well... I know most of this, but I suppose stuff that goes along the lines of his daily schedule are a bit important." 
"Good. Sorry if I made it too long, I just really don't want to see anything bad happen to my foal." 
"It's fine." The stallion set the notebook on a nearby coffee table. He'd be sure to refer to it later to make sure he didn't throw his son too far off schedule. 
"Thanks." The mare said for reasons not even she was quite sure of. "So, uhh... I also brought some milk for him to live off of..." 
The mare removed her saddle bag, letting it slide off her back and onto the wooden floor. The bags landed with a thud and the milk swished around inside their gallon-sized containers. Moonstruck frowned a bit, watching the two lactose-filled bottles swish around, tormenting him in a disgusting fashion. 
"Ew..." The stallion muttered beneath his breath. The mare scolded him with her eyes.
"Shush!" she growled. "It's pony milk! Even if he is lactose intolerant, pony milk is different than cow milk. He was meant to digest it, and so far nothing bad's happened to him from drinking it." She narrowed her eyes at the disrespectful stallion. "Besides, you can't tell me you didn't drink your mother's milk when you were a little foal."       
"Yes, whatever. Forgive me..." Moonstruck muttered to a point it was almost inaudible. "I'll be sure to feed the kid whenever he's hungry and whatnot..." 
"Good!" Mrs. Skies took in a breath. "Well... I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome..." She tossed the stallion an awkward smile and started towards the door. "I'll be back to deliver some more milk in a couple days just to be on the safe side." 
"Alright. Have a safe flight." Moonstruck responded, yet not entirely sure why. 
"Umm... thanks." the mare replied hesitantly. The mare looked away awkwardly before glancing back up with an unsure smile. She unfurled her wing and waved to the stallion with her feather tips. She then aimed her attention back at the exit and walked away. Moonstruck simply watched as she made her way to the door. He felt a rather odd sensation growing within him as the mare opened the door and made her way out. Not limerence, of course. It was nothing even remotely similar. He simply came to realize the thought of her safety suddenly had significance to him. If she were to disappear, die, or become endangered in anyway, he'd be left raising a foal with no assistance. 
Taking in a breath and trying shake the dreadful thought from his mind, Moonstruck turned around and made his way over to the foal's crib. He peered over the bars of the bed and looked down at Blue Moon. He was idly gurgling, letting saliva drip down his chin and onto his chest below. His hooves were reaching skyward, trying to touch some of the dangly arrangement of toys above him. 
"You're quite the noisy foal. You know that, right?" 
To that statement, the colt disregarded his toys and looked at his daddy. He respond with a wide smile and short whine. Inevitably, the stallion felt himself smiling back. 
"Cute..." he commented with little emotion in his voice. "You know, you highly resemble the way I looked as an infant. I probably didn't produce half the sound you do, though. Probably get that from your mother." He chuckled, then found himself frowning. "I, uhh... I wonder what you got from me." He took in a short breath and sighed. "I've been wondering that a lot lately. I mean, to be honest, I never really imagined myself being a parent. And for good reasons, too..." Gently, the stallion lowered his hoof into the crib and let his foal grab at it. "If you were to pick up any of my sadistic traits I'd hate myself. I just... I wouldn't want to see any other living being have to go through what I did. Especially if I ever grow fond of you." Blue Moon simply replied by grabbing onto his father's hoof and trying hard to bring it down to suck on. "Looks like you're already fond of me." The stallion chuckled. "Chances are your first impression will differ from your last. I mean, I don't know if you'll like me or hate me, but I can cope either way." 
Moonstruck sighed as the little foal gently suckled on the edge of his dad's hoof. Whether the foal was hungry, trying to show affection, or simply partaking in one of his odd habits, the stallion wasn't quite sure. He was a tad bit grossed out, but he didn't think a foal's mouth could be that dirty. Besides, any bacteria he could simply wash off under a water pipe. 
"You know, just because your mother and I share mutual distaste for each other, she's still an awfully pretty mare, and can actually be rather nice when she grows fond of you." The stallion frowned at the foal. "Don't suppose you'll be throwing a hissy fit when you realize she's gone, will you? That's just an emotional mess waiting to happen." Moonstruck took in a breath. "But hopefully my damn brother will be here by the time it all sinks in."  
With that, the stallion removed his hoof from his foal's mouth. The foal gurgled in response, but in a rather playful manner. The stallion smiled and wiped away the thick residue from his hoof. Moonstruck had to admit, for the foal's age, he was extremely vocal and didn't hesitate to respond to anything. By the time he was a young colt, he'd probably be very talkative.
"So... Let's see what your mother's written for me, shall we?" 
Blue Moon smiled at his dad with flailing hooves. Moonstruck smiled back and made his way over to the table he'd set the little, yellow journal on. He flipped opened the spiral notebook and read the list over. 



Feeding:
Blue Moon usually has 5-7 bottles of milk a day. He'll usually eat when he first wakes up, brunch (around eight or nine), lunch (around noon or one, maybe two), a snack (three or four), dinner (in between five to seven), and before he goes to sleep (eight or nine). When you prepare the milk, make sure to put it over a burner on warm for a few minutes. Then, let it cool until it's just warm. Test it on your upper hoof. If he seems uncomfortable when you feed him, it's probably too hot or you have it at an angle he doesn't like. Make sure you remove the bottle from his mouth every so often so he can get a quick breath of air. When he's done eating, GENTLY pat his back until he lets out a burp. 



With that, the stallion turned his direction to the clock. According to the little, black hands of the clock, it was only 7:23. He still had a while to go before he had to be fed again. The stallion shrugged and went back to reading the list. 



Playing:
Bluey (My nickname for him) enjoys being played with a good portion of the day. Please don't forget to have fun with him. He does get bored of his crib, and loves being taken out of it to cuddle and be played with. When you play with him, keep in mind he's very young. Don't toss him like some parents do. Just lie him on the floor and let him crawl around. Have some toys for him to play with, but make sure you always keep an eye on him. If you want to get involved, blow raspberries on his belly or gently tickle him. He also likes being complimented and talked to in a cutesy-wootesy voice. It's also nice if you encourage him to play with toys, but don't let him put small objects in his mouth. Also, please foal-proof your house. 



Oh my goodness... There is no way I'm going to be talking to him a cutesy-wootesy voice. The stallion shuttered at the thought of being reduced to acting like a cheesy parent who shows their child no verbal respect. Ugh. Foals are a pain. Why'd I let myself have sex with the damn mare? Such a shame the bitch wasn't on the pill. The stallion clenched his hooves before taking in a deep breath. Come on, Moonstruck. You don't need to have anger attack in front of your infant. He doesn't need to hate you within the hour he meets you. Just, read the rest of what she's written... 



Changing:
Usually, you'll have to change Blue's diaper 8-10 times a day. Set him down on a smooth, flat surface and make sure he's extremely secure. Always keep a hoof on him so he doesn't roll off and hurt himself. Make sure you strap the diaper all the way up on his waist, so there's no gaps (You don't want pee to drip through the gaps and onto your floor. I learned that the hard way). Also, make sure you're very cautious when you go to change him. He may spray you if you're not careful. Make sure the diaper's not too tight when you put a fresh one on, and please put on foal powder (if you have any) when you're done. If you're low on any supplies and can't afford any more, just tell me and I'll get you some. 



Well, I suppose that's nice enough, but that's seriously disgusting as a whole. I know he's a mere foal and can't help it, but still. Whatever. If Rainbolt can power through parenthood, you have absolutely no excuse. Just read whatever she left you on the back page. The stallion sighed and flipped over the notebook paper. 



Sleep Schedule:
Blue Moon still hasn't fully been adjusted to a specific sleeping schedule. Just get him in bed by 9:30 at the latest. I'll be buying him pajamas when autumn comes along, so he'll have a nice pair to keep him warm in the winter. For now, though, tuck him in, maybe rock him in your hooves a bit. If your voice is pleasant, try singing softly to him. That always helps. He may wake up a couple times during the night if he wets himself, but other than that, he should sleep soundly. He'll probably wake up around five or six. Also, let him have a nap after lunch sometime. He likes naps. 



"Oh, well that just seems like loads of fun, now doesn't it?" Moonstruck grumbled to himself. "Because sleeping isn't already hard enough for me." With a frown and a sigh, the stallion continued reading on to the final paragraph. 



Bathing:
Blue Moon enjoys baths (He's a very happy foal, isn't he?). What you need to do is take him in a shallow bin and fill it with water. Make sure the water's lukewarm, and keep an eye on him. It's important he's supported at all times so he doesn't drown. When washing him, make sure you use a little bit of foal shampoo and massage it throughout his body. Clean his ears, coat, wings, mane, tail, and everything in between. When you're done getting him all sudsy, remember to gently pour the water over him to get the soap out. Don't get soap in his eyes, mouth, or ears. Afterwards, gently dry him off with a towel until he's completely dry. Put him back in a diaper, and set him in his crib. He may fall asleep or want to play afterwards. Whatever happens is up to him. 



With everything read, the stallion frowned and unenthusiastically looked the notes Mrs. Skies had sent him. His eyes grew as the sudden thought of all the responsibilities sunk in. With every little chore, he didn't see how he'd even manage to get any work done during the day. He still had to have a job to support himself and the foal, and he'd still need to find a way to get a foalsitter whenever he had work. If he were lucky, his brother would fill in. He did work at night, so it was a possibility. If he got off Rainbolt's good side for some reason, he'd be in a jam, though. The stallion scrunched his muzzle, suddenly realizing how much he'd be putting into the little accident. 
Maybe I should just pay child support...