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// Chapter Six 
// Story: The Nature of Nurture 
// by lola2901 
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	“I guess we have to give it a name,” Twilight says, using her magic to pull a book from the shelf of the castle library, pulling it down to her and flipping it to a page. “What were you thinking of calling it?”
I shrug, adjusting my one hoofed hold on the little guy. He wobbles slightly, looking at me as his sucks on the tip of his hoof innocently. “I was thinking maybe Oceans or something? I dunno, I’ve never had to name anybody before.”
She looks down at the book, pointing at something with her hoof. “It says here that sirens usually gave their children names relating to musical terminology. How about Crescendo Lights?” Twi asks, looking over her shoulder at us.
I hesitate, giving her a forced smile. “That’s a might pretty name, sugar, but I don’t know if it’s the best name for a colt.”
Her face flushes pink, and her eyes flick from me to the little siren. “Oh, it’s a he-ah, ah, ahahah, of course.” She turns back to the book, flipping through a couple of pages with her magic. “Mmmm, ah, maybe Brio Vesper?”
“What do you think little feller, Brio?” I ask, turning my head to look at the little blue colt. He hesitates, then taking his hoof from his mouth, paws at me, wriggling. “Hah, I’ll take that as a yes,” I chuckle, nuzzling him.
“Spike?” Twilight says, glancing over to the corner where Spike is reading a book that looks like sheet music.
He glances up, blinking. “Huh? What do you need, Twilight?”
“Could you send letters to the girls? Let them know that the egg has hatched, and they should come over right away,” she explains, lifting her hoof.
Spike pauses, cocking his head to the side. “Twilight, I can't send letters to anyone except the princess.”
Twilight blinks, straightening up. “What? You can’t?”
“You never asked about me sending letters to anyone when we lived in Canterlot, and you never really bothered in Ponyville either, so I figured it didn’t matter,” he says, getting to his feet. “But I guess I could take the news around anyway. I think I’ll go see Rarity first!” he says with a grin, hurrying out the door.
I glance at Twilight, hesitate, then cough. “You uh, wouldn’t happen to have anywhere we can sit, would you sugar cube? Brio’s getting mighty heavy.”
She pauses, jolting out of her reverie. “Huh? Oh, of course! And, uh, by the way? You might want to get him a diaper.”
Now I pause, glancing at the little colt. “Diaper?”
Twilight laughs slightly, her cute snorting donkey laugh. “Well he is a baby, isn’t he? What did you expect, he’d be hatched completely potty trained? Just cause sirens are monsters doesn’t mean they aren’t similar to ponies-at least, in some ways,” she says, growing serious again.
“I should probably go buy him some,” I say, running my hooves along the ridge down his spine. “I’ll be back in a minute, Twi.”
She pauses, tipping her head to the side. “Would it be easier if I took care of it while you went out?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine. But do you think you could lend me a couple bits?” I ask, ears pricked.
Twilight smiles, nodding. “No problem!” Focusing, she summons some money from somewhere in the castle, using her magic to drop it in my saddle bags. “Are you sure you don’t need me to take care of him?”
“I told you, we’ll be fine! See you in a jiffy!” I say cheerfully to her as I turn and start out of the library at a steady trot.
Heading out into town, I walk until I find a store that advertises baby supplies in the window. I push the door open, and a little bell hanging over it rings cheerfully as I step inside. “Howdy there,” I say, smiling at the pony behind the counter. She’s not paying me much attention distracted with dusting the shelves. “I’ll be buying three diapers, if you please,” I say, dropping the bits on the counter.
“Sure, just give me a moment to grab them,” she says tiredly, setting down her duster. As she turns to grab the diapers, she looks at Brio, the lunges back, cringing. “What the hay is wrong with that baby?” she screeches, disgust lining her expression.
I pull him close defensively, lifting my chin. “Nothing’s wrong with him, he’s perfectly fine,” I say.
She looks at me as if I’m an idiot, shaking her head. “That thing is disgusting!” she says, wrinkling her nose as she turns to pull out the cloth diapers.
“Now that sort of rudeness ain’t called for,” I say, pushing my hat back on my head.
“Oh I’m sorry sweet heart, it’s not your fault,” the mare behind the counter says, setting the diapers on the counter. “But Celestia above! Someone should do that thing a mercy and put it out of it’s misery!”
“You nasty little varmint, I’ll put you out of your misery!” I snap. I want to smash the walls of her pretty little shop, knock over the jars of baby powder, and rip the hide from this measly excuse for a pony. “I’m never spending a bit in this consarned shop again!” I snap, turning tail and storming out. It occurs to me I left Twilight’s bits on the counter, but at this point I don’t really care.
Sighing, I figure I may as well head back to Twilight’s for now. When Rarity gets there, I’ll ask her if she has anything I can use. As I start down the street, I pause as a warm trickle starts streaming slowly down my shoulder. I close my eyes and groan. “Oh Brio, why now?” His only response is a single senseless baby burble. “Come on, let’s get going.”
“Hey AJ, there you are!” Rainbow zooms over, landing by me. She pauses, taking a step back when she sees the little siren. “Oh, woah! So it hatched early?”
“I guess Spike hasn’t got to you yet-yeah, Brio here’s a bit of an early bird,” I say, letting out a deep breath. “Anyhow, Twilight wants us meeting at the castle about it.”
Rainbow grins, then pauses, her nose wrinkling, her grin disappearing. “Uh, Apple Jack? You smell gross.”
Groaning, I adjust my hold on Brio. “Yes, I need a shower. You know Rainbow, if I smell that bad, why don’t you just fly ahead?”
“Woah! What’s got you in a bad mood? Oh, uh, never mind-baby pee, right,” she says, laughing. She doesn’t know the half of it, really.
Finally we reach the castle, and head inside. The girls are waiting for us in the lobby. Pinkie, is unsurprisingly, the first one to say anything, which is almost immediately. “Oh my gosh he’s the most adorablest onliest siren baby I’ve ever seen! Oh, and AJ? You have some lemonade spilled on you silly!” giggle Pinkie, zipping over. “Hey baby Brio, I’m your aunty Pinkie-Winkie, yes I am, yes I am! When he’s a bit bigger, maybe he can have playdates with the baby Cakes, huh? Huh? And they can be like, bestest friends forever!”
“I just can’t believe I made so many baby dresses and he’s a boy,” moan Rarity. “At least he can still wear the cute little orange jumper I made, then. In fact, I think it’ll go rather nicely with his complexion, don’t you?” She pauses, sniffing. “AJ, darling? Ah, why don’t you go wash up?” she says with a wincing smile. “I’ll go get you some diaper fabric from Carousel Boutique.”
“Thanks, Rarity,” I say, nodding in relief. “That would be might helpful of you.”
She smiles, giving her dark violet mane a toss. “Not a problem, Apple Jack dear. While I’m there I’ll pick up that jumper I made and we’ll see if it fits!” she says brightly, galloping out.
“So, uh, how does he like, walk and stuff?” Rainbow points out, flying over, bending down to look at him. “You know, since he’s only got two legs.”
“Well he’s not old enough to be walking yet, so I wouldn’t know-Twi?” I ask, glancing up at the purple alicorn who’s talking animatedly to Spike, having him take down notes.
She looks to me, ears perking in surprise. “Mm? Oh, yes! Adult sirens swim through the air like it’s water when they’re on land,” she explains, glancing back to Spike. “It’s really quite fascinating, actually, I’m curious to see it first hand,” she admits with a small smile.
Finally, I relax. Of course my friends understand. They won’t judge little Brio on who he is. “Twilight, you mind holding him? I think I’m gonna duck in the bathroom and wash the baby pee from my fur,” I say with a chuckle. Everything’s going to be okay.