It has been a few weeks since Nightmare Night was over and done with and within that time frame Applejack had showed up ready to buck me through the roof of my homestead with Rarity right beside her. They didn't do anything physical, but they did give me an earful.
“An’ she ain't slept in three days!” boomed Applejack.
“And my little sister Sweetie Belle says that she can taste sound!” Rarity screams out from my side. “Sound!” She repeats before placing a hoof over her eyes and falling backward on a conveniently placed couch, a couch I was pretty sure was not there before.
I was told that if I ever did something like this again that they would bring all three of the foals to my home and leave them there until the trouble had passed. I think one of them said something about forcefully adopting Scootaloo, but you really can't adopt a pony that already has a family, can you?
…
Oh God, what have I done?
It was later that day after watching the pegasi and random griffin fly in to bathe and eat respectively. I had just walked in through the back door when a knock came from the front door, I went to answer it only to have my vision filled with orange. I leaned back looking down at a twitching and jittery looking Scootaloo being held in the air by purple hooves. I gently leaned to the right spotting Miss Cheerilee. “May I?”
“She's your problem now.” Cheerilee spoke sternly.
“Nope... “ I quickly closed the door. There was banging on the door almost before it had closed all the way. I decided to wait until it stopped before opening it back up and looking at her. “I am a single man, I cannot be adopting fillies,” I stated firmly
“Adoption? What?” Cheerilee said before shaking her head at me. “Oh no, that's not the problem. You see I was trying to grade tests, but my sister was literally walking on the ceiling and zooming around like Rainbow Dash.”
Cheerilee give me a devious smile. “And considering that it is your fault for all of this, I’m making you watch her until I’m done with grading!” She stated it in a tone that said there would be no compromise.
I let out a sigh, in both regret and relief as I was totally not a man to raise children; no I’m normally the uncle that fattens the little ones up on sweets and sends them home to their parents. I leaned forward and took the jittery ball of orange and purple fluff in my hands causing her to squeak lightly but doing nothing more; aside for twitch that is. “I suppose it's only fair.”
“Great!” Cheerilee spoke before turning and trotting away leaving me with a ball of energized filly.
I took Scootaloo back inside sitting her down on the couch where she shook and looked around jerkily, and then she was off! “What have I done?” I heard breaking from somewhere in the house and then seen the orange blur which I stepped in the way of taking a filly to the chest and wrapping my arms around her. I then stood there a moment to catch my breath. “Alright, I know just what to do with you.”
After a short walk in which I held scootaloo the whole way. she was saying things, but I had no idea what they were. We ended up at the Park where I then released her from my arms. A scream of cheer and she was gone like a rocket. I went over to a nearby bench and sit down trying to keep an eye on scootaloo while also watching the other fillies and colts play.
It was somewhere between ten and thirty minutes when scootaloo reappeared from the clouds and shoot back down to the ground the safe way shooting across the playground before abruptly coming to a stop on her forelegs her wings shaking and then she dropped like a stone taking deep slow breaths.
“Run 'em till they drop; works most of the time.” I stated aloud walking over and taking the filly up in my arms and walking over to the honing stones; sure she was not a unicorn, but it was a nice relaxing location.
I sit down with her laying her gently down in my lap, gently run my fingers through her mane.”I guess they aren't so bad.” I yawned out as my eyes began to close. The small orange filly twitched in her sleep, her ear flicking and her little forelegs doing a little kick as if she was running.
===============
“Mister Shepherd?”
I wake slowly my eyes fluttering open as I look up at the gray stones around me, I blink the sleep from my eyes and look down, scootaloo was still gently snoozing along with another little filly curled up next to me. I look over to the sound of hooves to see Miss Cheerilee standing nearby with a small smile on her lips.
“Good evening mister shepherd.” she says with a hint of amusement in her voice.
I stretch my arms giving a groan. “Hey, you here for scootaloo? She's a bit tuckered out.” I say
She lets out a chuckle and nods. “You are good with children mister shepherd, perhaps you should--”
“Nope, I don’t do little ones.” I shake my head as she takes up scootaloo by the scruff of the neck and places her softly upon her back.
“Well, it’s something to think about,” she winks at me as I feel two little limbs wrap around my forearm causing me to look down at the little pony latched to me. I let out a sigh.
“Come on kid, time to get up, you need to head on home.” The little filly groans fluttering open her large blue eyes blinking and letting out a cute squeaky yawn before laying her head back on my lap.
My head drops in dejection while cheerilee lets out a coo at the adorable sight.
“It looks like you have your paws full, we’ll just be on our way.” she says with a giggle as she makes her way back home with her sister.
I sigh and place my hand on the back of the little filly, she felt cold to the touch as I give her a little shake causing her to groan and smack her lips before yawning again and sitting up giving me a groggy look.
“It's time for you to head home, I’m sure your parents will be worried about you. would you like me to walk you home?” The little filly looked at me with slowly blinking eyes and after a moment she nodded her head.
“Alright,” I got to my feet and the little filly looked up at me lifting her arms into the air. “oh no I-” her eyes were so big and as she looked at me, I caved. “Okay just, tell me where to go.” I reach down and pick up the filly and she points in the same direction my home was sitting.
As we walked along the filly seemed to become more and more awake with every step I took. After we got to my back yard. “Well, I’m home,” I said.
The little filly looked up at me and in a soft sweet voice said. “Tank Ooo, addy.” The filly then kisses me on the cheek and leaped out of my arms landing on her hooves and dashing off into the growing darkness.
I stood there for a moment not entirely sure what just happened but I was far too tired to deal with it at the moment, it had been a long day. So I stepped into my home cleaned out my coffee maker for tomorrow and went to bed. That night was rather peaceful, the insects, or Changelings were singing, it was nice, the air was cool because of the time of year, but it still felt nice.
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A few days later I stepped out I had things to do, Twilight wanted to give me an update on some renovations she had made to the land, we had been walking for the last two hours but we made it the small wooded area, which was more like medium sized forest of trees, as we got closer to the forest I could see that a lot of the trees had large fruits upon them at closer inspection I found that they were mango trees. “What's this, an orchard?” I asked aloud
“Yes, and no,” Twilight said, “It's more of a sanctuary really.”
“A sanctuary for what?” I asked as I followed her into the trees.
“Well, I didn't think you would mind considering all the other creatures moving in, and with all the land you have I thought this would be a great to put in a place for some more friendly residence of Equestria.”
“Uh huh.” I stated as a sound from overhead caused me to look up as we neared a larger clearing. What I saw was bats, lots of bats, lots of really big bats. I involuntarily shivered. “So, a bat sanctuary?: I said
“Well yes, you see Applejack had an area on her farm dedicated to them and I built this area for them so she could have the secluded area of her farm back. and then other ponies moved in” Twilight clopped her hooves together happily.
“Other, ponies?” I asked her as we entered the clearing, I looked up into the morning glow to see bats, no, you see you don't understand, they were the size of ponies, in fact at second glance I found that they were ponies with large leathery wings.
I also saw a little foal running around playing in the grass of the clearing, it popped its head up out of the grass, its large slitted eyes looking in our direction, its long ears had tuffs on the ends of them and it let out a squeak as it sprinted over to us. The little one looked up at us with large eyes and just stood there.
I stared back at the foal for a long moment. “Hello?”
The foal cried out “The Shepherd!” And then leaped at me causing me to let out a very manly cry, yes it was manly dangit, I do not cry out in fear! Though from Twilights point of view it went like this.
“Not the neck!” And then I fell to the ground with a foal nuzzling into my cheek and latched to my head, as I passed out my face turned completely pale.
I woke up about thirty minutes later to the sound of groveling. “Oh, we are so sorry Princess Twilight our daughter didn't mean to hurt The Shepherd.”
“I’m sure he will be alright,” Said the voice of Twilight as I groaned and slowly sit up rubbing my face. When I sit up I looked over to the voices. “Good morning again Shepherd,” Twilight said with a smile.
“What happened?” I grumbled
“Oh, you were cuddled by an adorable little filly and passed out,” Twilight said matter-a-factly.
“Is that all? I had a nightmare that I was attacked by a large ba--” Finally regaining my bearings I looked over to see Twilight standing next to a thestral pony as another smaller filly thestral hid under her mother between her legs with a sad expression.
The blood left my face again, but I did not pass out this time. “H-hi.” I stuttered out
“Greetings The Shepherd.” The thestral, a mare I picked out from the tone of her voice. She bowed low to me along with the filly. “I am sorry my little filly has scared you so, I will take any punishments you decided is proper.”
There was a little cough after I stood there not speaking for too long, I looked over to Twilight, and took a breath, and then another deeper breath to calm myself as my brain begin catching up to the situation.”N-no it’s fine, just an old fear of mine, I’ll get over it.” I smiled half-heartedly
“Thank you The Shepherd.” The mare spoke and the filly repeated as they both stood from their bows and the mother took her filly under a wing. “Little filly it's time to get you to bed, it's far past time.,” The mother spoke causing the filly to wine. “Aww, but mom!”
Twilight nodded, as she turned to me. “I didn't know you were afraid of thestrals,” She spoke causing me to look at her.
“Thestrals no, bats yes, I had a bad experience with one once, it….. scared me,” I said with a half smile. “But I’ll be okay, it will just take some time to get used to it,” I then started walking through the clearing with Twilight hot on my heels.
“Several thestral families have moved into the area after it was grown, they are a subspecies of Pegasi and eat fruit exclusively,” Twilight said, I paused and turned to her.
“Don't say that,” I said
Twilight blinked at me. “But, several famil-”
“Not that. Don't call them a subspecies.” I said pointly, “I don't like like it, Just call them ponies”
“O-kay?” She spoke in a confused tone. “Can I ask why? It seems to have got you worked up.”
I looked away from her looking around the area. “Because it separates, and is demeaning.” I look to her, with a frown. “These ponies though different, and admittedly a bit scarey at first glance don't need to be told that they are below other ponies, once ponies start thinking that way it will keep going, and then instead of just fearing the thestral, for their looks they will start hunting them, hurting them for what they are.”
Twilight was taken aback. “Ponies wouldn't do that!” She rejected.
“Maybe Twilight, I sure hope they wouldn't, but on my world it did happen, whether it was from someone of power or normal citizens it started slow and then.” I shake my head. “Just, promise me that you won't classify them, or anyone as a subspecies ever again, they are ponies and deserve respect like any other.”
“Alright, I promise.” Twilight says to me nodding, but her face held a contemplative look on it as if she was rethinking her whole life at my words.
I nod back to her. “You are the Princess of Friendship Twilight, your words hold weight behind them,” I said as I stopped in the middle of the clearing. I did not see it at the time, but Twilight got large eyes when I said that, almost fearful and full of shock. “I think this is a good spot.” I turn back to Twilight snapping her out of her thoughts.
“For what?” She asked me still a little rattled.
“For a Belfry.” I state firmly with a nod and look back at Twilight.
“A Belfry? Why?” She looks at me with a confused gaze her thought completely switching over from horrified to quizzical.
“Because it would please me greatly.”
================
As Twilight and I was walking back to my home, she looked around before looking up at me. “You know, I think we’re being followed.”
“Yeah, we were followed out to the woods too, I think it is the little filly I saw the other day. She's been following me around relentlessly since then it seems” I spoke
“What makes you think that?” Twilight asks.
“Oh, well, I went to the market the other day and spotted her hiding in a bush, and then I seen her hiding under my back porch while I watered the flowers, and I’m pretty sure I saw her looking in through my window last night before bed, but I can't be sure.”
“That's a little creepy,” Twilight stated.
“You're telling me.” I nodded.
After that, we made it back to my house where twilight and I parted ways.
===========
After watching the earth ponies leave the garden for the night and watching the pegasi fly off from the bath, It was time for me to head back inside, I took up my mug walking in shutting the door and refreshing my coffee.
There was a knock at the door, not the front one this time but the back one. I sit my cup of freshly poured coffee on the counter and opened the door. My vision was filled with green. “Here, this is yours.”
I leaned back spotting the little filly that has been following me around for the last few days and then leaned over to look at the mare holding her in her magic, I look at the mares smiling face. “Nope.” I say plainly trying to shut the door the mare narrowed her eyes at me and stopped the door from shutting.
“Yes,” She stated firmly with a hiss her eyes glowing green.
“Nope!” I denied again still trying to shut the door but it was forced open and the filly in question was shoved into my chest. “I don't do kids! And I don't have any!”
“That's great! She's a Changeling and your daughter take care of her, I’ve got things to do and she’s been bounding around the tunnels like mad.”
“Chrysalis….” I state with a flat tone as the filly now changeling clutched to my arm, nuzzling me. “Wait, daughter? Wh- we did not!” I denied certain events that never happened.
“Ta-ta!” The changeling queen sings out as she vanishes back into the darkness.
I stand there on the back porch mouth open, the little nymph looking up at me with large purple eyes, before nuzzling my chest speaking softly. “Addy.” she spoke with an adorable squeak.
“What?!” I look towards the darkness where the queen made her exit. “Chrysalis!” I yelled.