Of Flame and Shadow

by Garuda IV


Chapter 53- A Clear Soul

Dark stirred as the sound of raindrops hitting the window reached his ears. It was a pleasant sound, one that he always found relaxing to listen to, and even better to help him fall asleep. However, in this case, it wasn't very helpful as he needed to wake up and get his day started. It was made even worse though with Twilight still peacefully sleeping right next to him.

Well this sucks, Dark mentally sighed. This would be the perfect morning to be lazy and sleep in with her.

As Dark continued to admire the beautiful mare sleeping next to him, he felt something moving against his chest. Lifting his wing and the blanket, he saw that during some time while they were asleep, Soul had clung to Dark's chest and had buried his smiling muzzle into his warm coat.

And I guess he would like to sleep in too, he thought, placing a claw on his head. As he did, he felt Soul's hug on him tighten slightly. Guess after spending all of that time sleeping in a cold cave, the warmth of my coat and my fire sac must feel like heaven to him.

Laying his head back down, Dark was hoping to get a little more sleep in before he had to get up and take Soul in for his appointment. As he began to relax again, a voice quietly spoke to him.

"Looks like he really likes you."

Opening his eyes, Dark saw Twilight looking tiredly at them. "Probably because of how warm I am."

"Maybe, but you did save him from a pack of timberwolves. Like I said last night, he probably feels safer with you, which would explain why he kept so close to you yesterday."

"I guess." Dark looked back down to see Soul still sound asleep. As he did, a thought came to mind that caused him to smile with a small chuckle.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"Heh, it's nothing really," Dark dismissed. "Just a thought."

"Care to tell me?"

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Dark blushed as he looked into her eyes. "It's... well..."

"Yes?"

Dark looked back down to Soul. "Well, seeing Soul asleep like this... it just made me wonder..."

"Go on."

Taking in a calming breath, Dark looked nervously at Twilight. "Would I be a good father?"

Twilight's face instantly lit up in a heated blush. "A-Are you asking if we... umm..."

"No, I'm not," Dark said with a headshake. "Granted that I've thought about it a few times, but I don't think that I'm quite ready to have foals of my own yet."

"Oh, okay," she said with a small sigh of relief. "Yeah, I don't think that I'm quite ready either. But what brought on your question if you'd be a good father?"

"Seeing Soul sleeping like this just made me wonder about it, and a few other things. Things like 'what would our foals look like?', 'would I be able to give them the love and attention they deserve?', 'can I handle being a father?', 'will I raise them right?', 'can I keep my family safe?'. You know, those kind of things."

Carefully scooting closer as to not squish Soul sleeping between them, Twilight kissed Dark reassuringly before nuzzling into his neck.

"I think that you would be a wonderful father," she told him. "You've told me before that you used to foalsit with your mom, and you've been good when handling Spike and the Crusaders whenever they come over. I know that you'll do whatever you can to keep us safe, just like I've seen you do with me. As for the other things? While that'll come with experience, I'm sure that you'll do great."

"You sure?" Dark asked, not quite sure of himself.

Wrapping her forelegs around him, Twilight hugged Dark as she nuzzled his cheek. "I am." A moment later, a similar thought came to her mind. "Um, Dark?"

"Yeah?"

"You're worried about being a good father, but what do you think of me? Do you think that I would be a good mother?"

Smiling softly, Dark wrapped an arm around Twilight and held her close. "I don't think that that's a question you'll ever have to ask yourself. If how Spike has turned out is of any indication, then I'd say that you'd make a great and loving mother, Twilight."

"Thank you," she smiled before another thought came to mind. "Hey, Dark?"

"Hmm?"

"Hypothetically speaking... if I was pregnant with your foal, what would you do?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Dark had to take a few seconds to collect himself. Once he did, he thought about it before answering Twilight.

"Well, first off, I'd try to convince your dad and brother not to try and kill me," he said with a small chuckle, earning him a small punch and frown from Twilight.

"Dark, I'm trying to be serious."

"Sorry, but that would honestly be one of the things that I would do. Other than that, though, I'd stay by your side during your pregnancy. And after that, we'd raise it together."

Smiling happily, Twilight sighed in relief and nestled her head beneath Dark's chin. "Thank you. You don't know how reassuring it is to hear you say that."

"You're welcome," he softly said, stroking her mane. A few moments later, Dark's eyes widened as a possible thought came to mind. "Umm, you're not actually pregnant, are you?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, sorry. It's just that when somepony is speaking hypothetically, it usually means that they aren't."

Twilight nodded. "I can see why you would believe that. I'll admit that it's happened to me a few times too." Twilight looked up at Dark with a teasing look. "You're not disappointed, are you?"

Dark shrugged. "Not really, but if you continue to tease me like that, I might start to think otherwise."

With a giggle, Twilight playfully bopped him on the nose. "Well that's too bad, since both of us just agreed that we aren't ready yet. That, and I don't think that Soul would appreciate us doing it with him in the same room."

"Yeah, I wouldn't."

Hearing his voice, Dark and Twilight both blushed and looked down at Soul. However, for some reason, Soul was still sound asleep.

"You heard that, right?" Dark asked Twilight, getting a small nod in return.

"I'm up here."

Looking up, Dark and Twilight saw Soul floating above them. However, unlike his usual self, Soul's body was translucent, his colors had turned to a pale-blue, and his normally spiky mane was flowing like it was under water. Also, another thing that they found unnatural about all of this was that as Soul floated, he did so without the use of his wings. Just as Dark was about to question him, a certain voice in his head interrupted him

Well, that's something you don't see every day, Nocturne commented.

Do you know what's going on with him? Dark mentally asked him with a hint of worry.

Calm down, he's fine. He just separated his soul from his body. I've seen this before, but only a few times.

And how many times would be a few for you?

If I had to guess, I'd say about three others.

So this is rare then.

Very rare. Plus, it looks like he knows about it. Perhaps you'd better ask him about it instead of me.

Yeah. Thanks.

Sure. Oh, and by the way. Dark could practically feel Nocturne grinning at him. You can expect to be teased by me in the future, daddy Dark.

Dark's brow furrowed in annoyance. I hate you, Nocturne.

I hate you too.

With his mental chat with Nocturne over with, Dark turned his attention back to the Soul floating above him.

"So, how'd you do this, Soul?" he curiously asked.

"How'd he- Dark! He shouldn't be like that! How can he be translucently floating right there when he's still asleep right here?! And why are you so calm about it?!"

"Nocturne told me that Soul detached his soul from his own body. And before you say anything, Soul is fine. This happens to be something that Nocturne has seen before. But I am curious, though, as to how you managed to do this, Soul, and how you learned it."

Floating down, Soul landed his hooves on the bed without a sound. "I don't know how I learned how to do it, I just do. As for how I can use it, it happens when there's a strong emotional source nearby, like how you two were just a few minutes ago."

"So what are you then?" Twilight asked curiously.

Soul shrugged. "I guess you could say that I'm a ghost while I'm like this."

"Neat. Can you turn invisible?" Dark wondered.

"Yeah, I can." After answering, Soul shuffled a hoof around nervously. "Also, I should apologize to you two."

"It's alright, Soul," Twilight said. "Granted that this is a bit of a surprise, but it's not that bad. Although, would it be alright if I could run some tests on you? This ability of yours is rather interesting."

"Umm, I guess? But that's not what I wanted to apologized to you for."

"Oh? What is it then?"

Soul looked up to them with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry for ruining your picnic."

"What do you mean?"

"The pie that was dropped on Dark's head during Hearts and Hooves Day? That was me."

"Wait. You're the one who pied all of those ponies?" Dark questioned, getting a small nod from Soul. "Why?"

Soul shifted around nervously. "I like to play pranks on other ponies, and with all of the love I was feeling from Hearts and Hooves Day, I... couldn't really help myself."

Dark shook his head. A prankster who can turn invisible. Better not tell Pinkie about this or else those two will have a field day.

"Well, while it was a bit of a surprise, you didn't actually ruin our picnic," Twilight spoke, earning a surprised look from Soul. "Yes, it was nice and romantic at first, but thanks to you, it became funny and even more memorable."

"So you're not mad?" Soul asked cautiously.

"Meh, not really," Dark shrugged. "Now that we know it was you who did it, and that it was done as a playful and harmless prank, we'll no longer have to find out who was responsible for it." Dark paused and gave Soul a stern look. "However, even though it was a harmless prank, you should apologize to everypony you pranked, especially Discord. Everypony thought that it was him who did that to us, so he'll be the first you'll apologize to today."

While he was happy that he wasn't in too much trouble, Soul still hung his head down. "Yes, Dark."

"Good. Now then, why don't you return back to your body and go get yourself washed up. We'll have breakfast ready for you when you're done before going off to your appointment."

Giving him a nod, Soul walked over and dove back into his body. A few seconds later, his eyes fluttered open before stretching out with a yawn and getting up. Then, after thanking them for letting him sleep with them during the thunderstorm last night, Soul opened the door and made his way towards the bathroom.

With Soul gone, Dark flopped his head back down on his pillow with a groan. As he did, he heard Twilight giggling at him, causing him to crack an eye open to see her smiling down at him.

"That was kinda cute and funny, you know?" Twilight said, leaning down and snuggling up with him.

"What was?" Dark asked confusingly.

"How you handled scolding him like that. For a moment there, you sounded like an actual father."

Blushing in embarrassment, Dark laid there while Twilight giggled again and gave him a loving kiss. "You know, Soul is technically an orphan."

Twilight sadly sighed. "Yeah."

"So... if we were to let him live here with us, wouldn't that make us his legal guardians?"

With her eyes slowly widening at what Dark was getting at, Twilight leaned up off of him and met his gaze.

"I guess that we would," she slowly said. "Dark?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we even ready for this?"

"My dad told me once that nopony is ever truly ready for parenthood... but," Dark wrapped his arms and wings around Twilight in an assuring embrace, "I'm sure that we'll be fine. And if we need any help or advice, I'm sure that your parents, Princess Celestia, and our friends will be able to help us."

Feeling a little more at ease about it, Twilight sighed and let herself relax in Dark's embrace. "I guess your right."

After laying there and enjoying each other's company for another minute, Dark and Twilight finally decided to get up and get their day started. Getting themselves ready, they both made their way to the kitchen and began making breakfast for them and the others. Not long after they were finished and had everyone's places set, Spike and Pyre walked in with Soul following shortly after. Making quick work of their breakfast, they each helped with the dishes before Dark, Twilight, and Soul made their way to the castle doors. But before they could get to them, the doors burst open with Applejack and Pinkie running towards them.

"Applejack? Pinkie? What's going on?" Twilight asked.

"It's the map," Applejack answered, turning to the side to show her cutie mark glowing.

"Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed, noticing Soul standing between Dark and Twilight and pointing to him. "Who's that? I think I might've seen him before."

"This is Clear Soul," Twilight introduced. "He's going to be staying here with us."

"Ah think Ah remember Apple Bloom sayin' somethin' about him," Applejack mused. "Somethin' about him prankin' one of their classmates in school a year or so ago."

"She deserved it," Soul pouted. "Diamond Tiara wouldn't stop making fun of me, so I pranked her."

Dark looked down at him. "Soul, what did you do to her?"

Soul looked up to Twilight for help, only to get a curious look from her. "I... you know that prank where you crack a door open and put a bucket of water on top it, so that when it opens up it'll spill water all over the pony who opens it?"

Pinkie snorted. "Oh yeah, that's always a good one."

"Well, I didn't exactly use water."

"What did you use then?"

"... green paint."

While Pinkie was laughing at the prank and Applejack snickered, Dark and Twilight remained silent... at least, not on the outside as Dark and Nocturne were laughing on the inside.

"Did you apologize to her after you did it?" Twilight asked in a scolding tone.

"Yes," he sighed. "I did and served detention for it."

"Good. So then, will you be pranking her again?"

"She's gotten better thanks to the Crusaders at school, so if I do, it won't be as payback."

"Works for me," Dark said, earning him a look from Twilight. "What?"

"Are you trying to encourage him to prank his classmates?"

"Not really, but as far as we know, pranks could very well be what his cutie mark will be. He seems to be good at it."

"Oh! That would be so super amazing!" Pinkie said with a bounce, causing Dark to mentally facepalm at what he just said. "Just think of the pranking spree we could go on! Ooh! And we could also invite Discord too!"

"As interestin' as that would be, sugarcube," Applejack began, "we still have a cutie map call ta answer."

"Oh, right. What's going on with your cutie marks now?" Dark wondered.

"Follow me and I'll explain," Twilight said, turning around to lead them to the throne room.

Along the way, Twilight explained to Dark and Soul about the cutie map, and how it would summon her and her friends whenever a friendship problem arose. Of course, the parings would be specific to the problem, but they never knew who would go, or what it would be about until they arrived. Once they arrived at the throne room, they approached the table as it began to show an projection of Equestria on it. And with a quick glance, they saw Applejack's and Pinkie's cutie marks.

"Looks like the map is calling you two to Appleloosa," Twilight observed.

"Isn't this great, Applejack?!" Pinkie excitingly asked. "We get to see your family and Braeburn again. Maybe we'll even get to see Little Strongheart."

"Ah just hope that everypony is alright," Applejack said. "Let's get goin', Pinkie. Ah wanna get our tickets and catch the next train ta Appleloosa."

"Already taken care of," Pinkie said, holding a pair of train tickets in her hooves.

Deciding not to start questioning her, Applejack lead Pinkie towards the throne room doors and waved goodbye as they left.

Once they were gone, Soul looked curiously up to Dark and Twilight. "Is that pink pony always like that?"

"More or less," Twilight said with a shrug. However, upon hearing the clock chime, she looked up to it, causing her expression to turn to one of panic. "Souls appointment! We're going to be late!"

In a act of panic, Twilight lit up her horn to cast a teleportation spell. As she did, she one again forgot about Dark, and before she could be reminded of it, they were gone in a flash for Ponyville Hospital.


Nurse Redheart was sitting behind her desk, reading a magazine and enjoying the slow hours that were Sundays. That was, until a flash of light briefly blinded her. Blinking the blind spots out of her eyes, she looked over to the center of the lobby to see Twilight and a colt looking down at Dark, who was laying on the floor groaning. At first she thought that he was wounded like the last time Twilight teleported him in, but with a second glance, she noticed the lack of blood.

"Alright, Twilight, what happened to him this time?" she sighed, facehoofing and shaking her head in disbelief. Really, I shouldn't be surprised by this anymore.

"Sorry," Twilight apologized. "Dark gets teleportation sickness."

"Then why did you teleport him here with you?"

Twilight meekly rubbed the back of her head. "I saw that we were going to be late for Soul's appointment, so in a moment of panic, I kinda teleported us here without thinking."

Nurse Redheart shook her head again. "Well, at least it isn't like that night you teleported him in here after he was attacked by those alpha timberwolves. You know that it took the janitors all night and part of the morning to clean up all of that blood he left behind?"

Twilight cringed. "Don't remind me."

"Right. Sorry about that," she apologized before looking at Soul with a welcoming smile. "And you must be Clear Soul, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Soul answered, "but you can just call me Soul if you want."

"Okay, Soul. It's nice to meet you. I am Nurse Redheart." She paused as she walked out from behind the counter. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go and let the doctor know that you're here."

Twilight and Soul watched as Nurse Redheart trotted down one of the hallways. Once she was out of sight, their attention was brought back by the sound of Dark groaning.

"Is he going to be okay?" Soul asked, poking Dark with a hoof.

"He'll be fine," Twilight answered, lighting her horn and placing it against Dark's forehead. A few seconds later, she stepped away and watched as Dark opened his eyes again. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Dark groggily answered. "Really wish there was a way I could get over that."

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine," he said, getting back up on all fours with a little help from Twilight.

Just as they got Dark back up and standing steadily, Nurse Redheart came back with an assistant and a gurney. Upon seeing Dark back up, however, she rolled her eyes and dismissed her assistant with the gurney. Once he began making his way back to return the gurney, Nurse Redheart gave Dark a teasing smirk.

"I thought you said that you wouldn't come back sick, Dark?" she playfully teased.

"With a cold," Dark corrected. "Teleportation sickness is completely different."

"You were still sick, though." Nurse Redheart laughed when Dark looked away, muttering to himself. "Anyway, the doctor will see you now. This way please."

Heeding her, Dark, Twilight, and Soul followed behind Nurse Redheart. After a few minutes of traversing through the hallways and a flight of stairs, she stopped in front of a single door and opened it for them to enter. Once inside, Twilight and Dark took a seat on a pair of chairs sitting up against the wall while Soul sat on the clinic table. After about five minutes of waiting, a familiar doctor walked in.

"Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it, Sir Dark?" he asked, causing Dark to give him a small smile.

"If I remember correctly, the last time I saw you was when I came to help heal everypony who got hurt during the invasion last fall," Dark said.

"True, but I was actually referring to when Princess Twilight brought you here half-dead."

Looking back on that, I don't think that I was actually that close to death, considering that I technically am Death, Dark darkly thought with a chuckle.

"If it's alright, could we please not talk about that night?" Twilight asked, cringing as memories of that night came back. "I'd rather not have to think about it."

"Of course, sorry, Princess," the doctor apologized with a small bow. "Now then, you're Clear Soul, correct?"

"Yes, sir," he answered, patiently sitting and waiting.

"Good. Now then, I understand that you're here for a checkup. But before I begin, I have to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Is what Dark said to Nurse Redheart about you living in the Everfree Forest true?"

Soul's gaze fell. "Yes, sir."

The doctor nodded. "Alright then. In that case, I'll need to take a blood sample from you."

"W-Why?"

"Because I want to check your blood for infections." He paused and turned to Dark and Twilight. "That is, if it's alright with you two."

"It wouldn't hurt to be safe," Twilight voiced.

"Alright then." Heading on over to the cabinets, the doctor opened one of them with his magic before taking out a needle with a syringe and uncapping it. Walking back over to Soul, he took one of his hooves and was about to insert the needle into his foreleg before Soul jerked his hoof away in fear. "Soul, I'm going to have to poke you with this needle and take some of your blood. It won't hurt much, just a little prick."

"But I don't like needles," Soul complained.

Sighing sympathetically, Dark walked over to Soul's other side and held his claw out to him.

"You wanna know a little trick my dad taught me to help me get over being poked by needles?" he asked.

"What?"

"He would hold my hoof and have me look away from where they were sticking it. And if it hurt, I would squeeze his hoof. Do you wanna try it?"

Giving him a nervous nod, Soul held Dark's claw in his hoof.

Taking that as his cue, the doctor retook Soul's free forehoof into his own and began to insert the needle into his foreleg. As he did, Soul winced and, like Dark had suggested, he squeezed Dark's claw with his hoof. After ten seconds had passed, the doctor removed the needle and placed a bandage over the spot.

"There, all done," he announced, eliciting a sigh of relief from Soul.

Setting the blood-filled syringe on a tray, the doctor washed his hooves before reaching into one of his pockets with his magic and levitating Soul a cherry-flavored lollipop. Seeing him happily sucking on it, the doctor chuckled before taking the tray out of the room, leaving the three alone again.

"See, now was that really so bad?" Dark smiled.

"I... guess not," Soul mumbled before going back at his lollipop. "How long will this take?"

"You mean the bloodwork?" Twilight asked, getting a nod from Soul. "Nopony can say for sure. It usually depends on the type of equipment they're using, plus whether or not the blood has contaminates in it."

"So we might be here for a while then?"

"Maybe. We'll just have to wait and find out."

As the minutes rolled by, Soul asked for some stories to help pass the time. And while Dark and Twilight did agree with the thought, they kept silent on what they knew about the failed Canterlot invasion. With several stories gone, they looked back up at the clock to see that almost forty-five minutes have passed, causing Soul to give a bored huff.

"How much longer is this going to take?" he whined.

"These things take time, Soul," Twilight told him. "We'll just have to be patient and wait."

As if on cue, the doorknob turned before the doctor walked in with a clipboard floating in front of him. Once inside, he closed the door shut while still looking at the test results with a confused and uneasy look on his face.

"So, how'd the test results turn out?" Dark wondered.

Looking up from his clipboard, the doctor looked between Dark, Twilight, and Soul. "Well... there's no sign of infection if that's what you're asking. There are a few things, however. Firstly is that he's slightly malnourished, which as I understand it, Princess Twilight has already told you about, which you then told Nurse Redheart."

"Yep."

"Alright. Now comes the real problem." He paused as he tried to figure out how to best say it. However, thinking of no better way to say it, he decided to throw caution out the window and just come out with it. "Something went wrong with the tests. I ran the blood three times over, but each came back with the same result."

"May I see it?" Twilight asked.

"That depends. As I understand it, Soul is an orphan. So, would that mean that you will be his legal guardian?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Dark and I talked about it last night and decided to adopt him. We'll go talk to the mayor tomorrow about the paperwork."

"Really?" Soul asked, getting a pat on the head from Dark.

"Yep. That is, if you'll let us," he answered, earning a smile from Soul before he leapt off of the clinic table and clung to Dark.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," the doctor said, levitating the clipboard over to Twilight for her to look at. "Now, I don't know what's going on, but from what I could tell, his blood is pony... but..."

Twilight arched an eyebrow. "But?"

"But at the same time, it's not. To be honest, the only kind of blood that I can recall seeing that's remotely similar to Soul's is Sir Dark's."

Returning to the test results, Twilight began looking over them intently. No space on those sheets of paper were safe from her observative gaze. As she continued to read, though, one detail caught her attention and forced her to read it over to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. When she did, her eyes widened slightly as she looked up from the papers and over to Soul.

"Princess?" the doctor spoke up. "Did you find something?"

Twilight slowly nodded. "I did." She returned the test results back to the doctor and walked over to Dark and Soul. "Soul. Is there something that you'd like to tell us?"

Sensing the change in her mood, Soul let go of Dark and hid behind him. "I-I don't know what you're talking-"

"Soul, please don't lie to me," Twilight interrupted with a soft yet firm tone. "I know what you are."

"Twilight?" Dark said confusingly. "What are you talking about?"

Twilight glanced over to Dark. "Like the doctor said, his blood is more closer to yours than anypony else's. As for why," She looked back down to Soul, "it's because he's only half-pony."

"But he looks just fine to me, so he can't be a kirin."

Twilight shook her head. "He's not. Unlike you being half-dragon, Soul is half-changeling. That's why there were problems with the blood tests."

While the doctor's knees began to shake a little at the news that there was even a half-changeling in the room with him, Dark was a bit more relaxed about the situation.

Well... that explains a few things, he thought.

Feeling Soul tug on his wing and use it to hide himself, Dark turned his head to look down at him. "Is it true, Soul?"

"Y-Yes," he shakily answered. "It's because I'm part changeling that the Headmistress of the orphanage called the guards on me."

"Who were your parents then?" Twilight asked, subtly casting mental wards on herself, Dark, and the doctor.

"My mom was a changeling who ran away from the Hive around my age. She didn't like how Queen Chrysalis referred to ponies as being just a food and power source, and didn't want any part in it. That's why the queen had mom hunted. Ten years later, my dad who was a pegasus, found her in her changeling form, but he didn't cower away like most other ponies would. Instead, he approached her and let her stay with him. As time passed, they grew closer and eventually got married without anypony knowing what my mom was. Of course, one of the queen's spies had found out and had started hunting them all over again."

Twilight sighed. "Alright, I understand. Now, about your ability to separate your soul from your body. I take it that it's because of you being half-changeling?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"How did you first come across it?"

Soul's gaze fell as he began to whimper. "W-When I saw m-mom and d-dad..."

Using his wing already draped around him, Dark pulled Soul into a comforting and supportive hug.

Feeling guilty for causing him to cry, Twilight walked over and joined them. "I'm sorry, Soul. I didn't mean to make you so sad."

"I-I know," he mumbled.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to escape the changeling?"

"A m-manticore nearby ate him."

Standing off to the side observing, the doctor went over to the cabinets and took out a notebook. Skimming through a few of the papers, he came found the one he was looking for. Writing a copy of it down with his magic, he brought it with him as he walked over to Dark and Twilight.

"If you are willing, I have a suggestion for you," he told them, getting both of their attention before handing the piece of paper over to them. "Perhaps it would be best to bring him to a psychiatrist. The emotional and psychological damage from Soul witnessing his parents die is bad enough, but we also have to consider how young he was when it happened too. I would offer to do it myself, but this is out of my range of expertise."

"Thank you," Twilight thanked. "I'm sure it'll help him." At least, I hope it will.

"Very well then. In that case, shall I find her and have an appointment set for him?"

"That would be very helpful. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Princess," the doctor said with a small bow. With his examination on Soul done, he watched as they were about to leave. However, before they left, he placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Excuse me, Princess, but would you mind staying for just a moment?"

"Oh... alright."

"We'll be waiting in the lobby," Dark said. "Take your time."

"Thank you, Sir Dark," the doctor thanked.

"You're welcome, but please just Dark. I really don't get why you keep calling me 'Sir'."

"It's because of you courting Princess-"

Dark raised a claw, cutting him off. "That has nothing to do with who I am. I'm dating Twilight because I love her, not because of her title as Princess."

"It's true," Soul surprisingly spoke. "I can feel that his love for her is just that. There isn't a hint of deceit in it." He sighed a breath of relief. "It feels so nice to talk about that stuff out loud again."

"Just be sure to not do it in public," the doctor told him. "While I'm sure that Princess Twilight and... Dark, wouldn't tell anypony outright, and I'm bound by patient confidentiality, it would still be a good idea to keep you being a half-changeling a secret."

"He's right," Twilight agreed. "The ponies here in Ponyville do tend to overreact at times."

"Okay, Twilight," Soul answered before walking out with Dark.

Once they were gone, Twilight shut the door and looked back to the doctor. "Alright, what was it you wanted to talk about now?"

"It's about Soul," he answered. "Tell me, have you noticed anything unusual in his behavior?"

Twilight tapped her chin in thought. "I can't say. I mean, we just met him yesterday afternoon."

"Fair enough, but still, do you find anything unusual?"

"Not really. He does tend to keep close to Dark, but considering that he save him from a pack of timberwolves yesterday, I shouldn't be surprised."

The doctor hummed with a nod. "Yes, I would think so too. However, there might be another reason."

"Like what?"

"Now this is just a theory, but perhaps it's because he's found a connection with Dark."

"Why? Because they're both half-pony?"

"Exactly. I believe that Soul is clinging to Dark, not because he's half-changeling and is feeding off of his emotions, but because he's found somepony who can relate to him somewhat."

"Again, because they're both half-pony," she said, more of an observation then a question.

"Yes."

Twilight nodded. "Aright. Thank you for bringing that to my attention."

"You're welcome, Princess."

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Thank you, but no."

"Alright then. In that case, thank you for helping us today."

"You are most welcome," he said, opening the door for Twilight with a bow.

Making her way back down the hallway, Twilight came back to the lobby where Dark and Soul waited. Smiling at the sight of Soul munching on a lollipop that he got from Nurse Redheart, Twilight, Dark, and Soul walked out of the hospital and made their way down the road.

"Guess the rain stopped," Twilight observed. "So, where off to now?"

Dark looked back to Soul, who was sitting on his back, enjoying his lollipop. "Maybe some lunch at Sugarcube Corner?" he suggested. "You know, something to help lift our moods a little. That, and I'm starting to get hungry." Soon after he said that, Dark heard a stomach rumble from on top of him. "And so is he, apparently."


Their time at Sugarcube Corner was quiet at the start, but after their order arrived, things were a little better. Though they didn't talk much due to the fact that they were all too busy eating, they still enjoyed their time there as it helped improve their moods. After they were finished, they paid for the food and thanked the Cakes before beginning their walk over to Fluttershy's cottage to see her and Discord.

"Umm... Twilight," Soul softly called.

"Yes?"

"... do you hate me?"

"Of course I don't," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Why would you think that?"

"Because when you found out about me, I could feel that you were angry and scared."

With a sad sigh, Twilight leaned down and nuzzled Soul reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Soul. That was very rude of me. It's not your fault that I feel that way about changelings."

"Why then?"

Twilight hesitated, thinking of a way to tell him but without revealing anything too specific. "Let's just say that I had an unpleasant run-in with Queen Chrysalis that almost ruined my life, and that of my brother and sister-in-law."

"Oh... okay."

Seeing how sour the mood and turned, Dark thought of a topic to try and lighten it. "So, Soul. Since you're part changeling, does that mean that can you shapeshift?"

Walking alongside him, Soul looked up to him sadly. "I can, but I can't seem to control it."

"Why not?" Twilight wondered.

"Mom thought that it was because I'm half-pony, and that it's somehow messing with my changeling side. My eyes seem to be the things that will change the most."

"So you could change at any given moment?"

"Yes."

"Is that how the other orphans at the orphanage found out that you were part changeling?"

Soul frowned in remembrance. "It is. I think that I accidentally shapeshifted when I was asleep, since it was their shouting that woke me up."

"So we have a half-pony, half-changeling, who can't control their transformation," Dark summed up. "Well then, this'll be interesting."

Twilight was about to comment on that when she felt wood beneath her hooves instead of dirt. Looking back in front of her, she saw that they'd already made it to Fluttershy's cottage.

"Well, we're here," she said, causing Soul to nervously fall back behind them. "It's alright. I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"But that ugly creature guy said that he would turn me into doll for fillies if he found me," Soul protested.

"I'm sure he was just exaggerating," Dark dismissed before knocking on the door. A few moments later, Fluttershy opened the door. "Hey, Fluttershy."

"Oh! Hello, Dark, Twilight," she greeted before seeing Soul hiding behind Dark. "Umm, if you don't mind my asking, who's that?"

Using his tail, Dark slid Soul out from behind him and presented him to Fluttershy. "This is Clear Soul, and he has something that he'd like to say to you and Discord."

"Really?" she questioned. "Why?"

"Trust us, Fluttershy," Twilight said with a small smile, "it'll make sense soon enough."

"Alright. One moment please."

Turing around back into her cottage, Fluttershy called out for Discord, who appeared in a flash of light soon after she called for him.

"Yes, Fluttershy?" Discord asked before noticing their guests she was pointing towards. "Ahh, well hello there. So, what brings you two- three? Well now, who do we have here?"

Floating through the door and over to them, Discord circled above them, causing Soul to nervously back up and take shelter beneath Dark. Seeing how scared he was making him, Discord floated away and back over by Fluttershy's side before she could scold him.

"So, who's the kid?" he asked, smirking at Dark. "Don't tell me it's yours, Dark?"

Dark didn't answer him. Instead, he just gave him a deadpan stare that said "Are you serious?".

"Well..." Twilight meekly began, pawing at the ground with a hoof. "Not biologically, but we did decide that we're going to adopt him."

Fluttershy's eyes widened at the news, and before anyone knew it, she'd enveloped Twilight in a hug.

"This is so amazing!" Fluttershy squeed before pulling in Dark and Soul. "You two are going to make such wonderful parents."

"Umm... thank you, Fluttershy," Twilight said with a blush.

Letting Dark and Twilight go, Fluttershy focused her attention on Soul as she continued to hug him. But, despite him feeling apprehensive at first, the love and kindness he was feeling from Fluttershy was enough for him to relax and melt into her embrace.

"So? What made you two decide to adopt him?" Fluttershy asked.

Dark sighed. "I found him yesterday being chased by a pack of timberwolves in the Everfree Forest."

Fluttershy gasped. "Why would they do that? I thought that I talked to them about it?"

"I think that they might've been new around here, since one of them tried to attack me."

"You said 'tried'," Discord noticed. "I take it that they didn't get very far?"

Dark shook his head. "Barely got off the ground before I turned it to splinters. The other three left right after that without any fuss."

"And what about his parents?" Fluttershy asked, getting gloom looks from both Twilight and Dark. Figuring out what happened to them, Fluttershy tightened her hold on Soul. "Ohh, you poor thing. Would you like to come inside and have some milk and fresh cookies?"

Feeling Soul nodding against her coat, Fluttershy led Dark and Twilight in while carrying Soul. Sitting him down on the couch, Fluttershy made her way into the kitchen and returned a minute later with a tray of steaming cooking and a glass of cold milk. Setting them down on the coffee table, Fluttershy took a seat beside Discord on the other couch while Dark and Twilight sat on either side of Soul.

"So anyway, you said that Soul had something that he needed to tell us?" Fluttershy said, returning to the subject that brought them there to see them.

Eating the last bite of his cookie, Soul downed it with some milk before looking nervously at Fluttershy and Discord.

"Y-Yes, Miss Fluttershy," he answered.

"You can just call me Fluttershy if you want," she warmly said.

"Okay."

"So, kid, what is it you wanted to say?" Discord asked, his patience starting to shorten.

Soul gulped nervously. "That I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" Fluttershy asked.

"For splattering him with those two pies," he said, pointing to Discord, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, that pie thing was your doing then?" Discord asked, getting a nod from Soul.

"When he told us about it, we decided to bring him around Ponyville so that he could apologize for it," Twilight spoke.

"Well now," Fluttershy began, "as good of an idea as that is for him to do, I wouldn't say that what he did was bad exactly."

"Really?" Soul asked.

"Yes. I'll admit that it was kinda funny, and the pie was still good afterwards."

"Wait, what?" Twilight questioned.

"It's true," Discord said, rubbing the side of his neck as he recalled what happened. "Fluttershy didn't seem to mind the pie covering my face and dripping down my neck, so she went on ahead and ate it. Although, the fangs weren't all that great."

"I said I was sorry," Fluttershy said with a small pout. "I didn't mean to bite your neck. I just couldn't help myself."

"Why would you want to eat pie off of him?" Soul asked curiously.

Fluttershy blushed. "Umm... well, you see..."

"Perhaps when you're older we'll tell you," Twilight suddenly said before looking intently at Dark.

Catching the look she was giving him, Dark's eyes widened as he figured out what Twilight was subtly asking him to do... again.

"Ohhh no! Nope! Nope! Nope! We already agreed that it would be your turn since I already talked to Spike about it!" he protested.

"But wouldn't it make more sense for you to do it since you're a stallion and I'm a mare?" Twilight questioned. "Besides, I'm sure that Soul would feel more comfortable if you did it instead of me."

"But we already agreed on it."

"Please?" she asked, now giving him a small pout with puppy-dog eyes.

Feeling his walls instantly crumbling at the sight of it, Dark sighed in defeat and gave her a nod. "Alright, I'll do it."

With a bright smile, Twilight leaned over and gave Dark a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. And don't you worry." Twilight leaned up to Dark's ear and lowered her voice. "I'll be sure to make it up to you."

"Oh... my."

Unfortunately, Twilight wasn't as quiet as she thought she was as the others heard. Remembering where they were, Dark and Twilight looked back over to see that Fluttershy's face had turned red while Discord smirked, sitting on a theater chair with a bag of popcorn.

"Oh, don't mind us," he said, tossing another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

Doing their best to keep their growing blushes down, Dark and Twilight both hopped down from the couch.

"S-Sorry about that, Fluttershy," Twilight apologized.

"It's... um... alright I guess," she replied.

"Anyway, we came so that Soul could apologize for his prank. Now that that's done, we can go onto the next pony. Come along, Soul."

"Yes, Twilight," Soul said, hopping down from the couch before looking up over to Fluttershy. "Thank you for the milk and cookies, Fluttershy."

"Y-You're welcome," Fluttershy stammered, trying and failing to keep her face from heating up.

Walking them over to the door, Fluttershy waved goodbye to them as she watched them cross the small bridge to her cottage. When she was sure that they weren't coming back, she slammed the door shut and locked it before flying over to Discord and knocking him over.

"Oof! Fluttershy, what was that-"

Discord was silenced as Fluttershy's lips suddenly occupied his own. Soon after, Discord found Fluttershy's tongue working its way into his mouth and dominating his own tongue. With a small moan, he allowed for her to continue with little resistance.

I may have to thank Dark later for this, Discord thought with a happy hum.

Suddenly feeling Fluttershy breaking their kiss, Discord looked up to see her panting while giving him a seductive, half-lidded gaze. As she did, she spoke in a husky voice, punctuating each word with a poke to his chest.

"You. Me. Bedroom. Now"


Dark, Twilight, and Soul were now on the dirt road leading through Sweet Apple Acres. During their walk, Dark and Twilight remained silent as they were still embarrassed about what they said in front of Fluttershy, Discord, and Soul. However, while they were being quiet, Soul kept asking why they were acting like this. Thankfully for Dark and Twilight, the Apple's house had just come into view, causing them to pick up the pace. Once they were in the yard, they looked around before walking up to the door and giving it a knock. A few seconds later, Granny Smith opened it for them.

"Now what are y'all knockin' on the door for?" she asked them. "Y'all are practically family. There's no need ta be so formal 'bout these kinda things."

"Sorry, Granny," Dark apologized. "It's more force of habit."

"Ah know, ah know. But enough of y'all jabberin', come on in already." Granny stepped aside to let them in. As she did, she noticed Soul walking in with them. "Who's the youngin'?"

"This is Clear Soul, or just Soul as he prefers to be called. And he's going to be living with us."

Humming to herself, Granny circled around the colt, occasionally poking at him. "He's barely got any meat on them bones," she said with a disapproving frown. "Well now, we'll just have ta fix that, won't we?"

"We plan on helping with that, Miss Smith," Twilight said.

"Sugarcube, ya know that y'all can call me Granny, right?" she asked. "No need for all of them proper and fancy names and whatnot. Besides, Ah doubt that Ah'll be around for too much longer anyway."

"I'm sure that with your lifestyle and diet that you'll be living for quite a while yet," Dark said, trying his best to not think about such a day. Especially with his position.

Granny shook her head. "Well, Ah guess we'll just have ta wait and find out. Oh, by the way, Dark." Granny walked up to him and slapped him upside the back of his head. "Why haven't ya come by ta visit your kin lately?" she scolded.

Wincing, Dark rubbed the sore spot with a claw. "I'm sorry, Granny, but I've been busy lately."

"Too busy ta pay us a quick visit?" she questioned, smacking him on the head again. "Even if it's only by adoption, you're still an Apple ta us."

"Yes, Granny," Dark surrendered, causing Granny to give a satisfied nod. That was, until she slapped him upside the head again. "Oww! What did I do to deserve that one?!"

"That, sonny, wasn't the slapping that ya deserved, but the one that ya needed. But, then again, it could also be because I just felt like it," she cackled, causing Dark to grumble beneath his breath. "So, what brings y'all over ta Sweet Apple Acres today?"

"Is Big Mac here?" Twilight asked.

"Eeyup."

Turning around, they saw Big Mac walk into the living room with Cheerilee following beside him.

"Cheerilee? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, she's just here ta tell us how long they've been together," Apple Bloom said, walking up from behind them with a smug look on her face.

Big Mac sighed. "She's been doin' that ever since she found out."

"How'd they find out?" Dark wondered.

"Turns out that Spike and the girls had planned on having their Hearts and Hooves Day picnic at the gazebo like we did," Cheerilee sighed before noticing Soul with them. "Oh, hello, Soul. What are you doing here? I barely see or hear of you outside of school."

"Umm... well, you see, Miss Cheerilee," Soul nervously began, only for his words to fail him.

Feeling a nudge from Twilight, Dark leaned over to her and raised a wing for them to whisper in private.

"Something up, Twilight?" he asked.

"It just occurred to me that Cheerilee probably doesn't know about Soul's living arrangements," she answered, causing Dark to peek up above his wing at Cheerilee.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I say that since both she and Big Mac are here, we can get two things done at the same time. You go with Soul so that he can apologize to Big Mac, and I'll talk with Cheerilee about Soul and how he's living with us."

"Alright, but what about him being a half-changeling?"

Twilight bit her lip. "While I'd rather not tell anypony outside of those we can trust unconditionally, I believe that Cheerilee would be one of those ponies. Besides, she should probably know about it."

Taking a moment to think about it, Dark gave Twilight an agreeing nod before folding his wing back down. With their plan set, Dark took Soul and Big Mac over back to the kitchen to talk while Twilight and Cheerilee sat down on one of the couches. Asking for a little privacy, Granny and Apple Bloom made their way over to the kitchen to hear what they guys had to talk about.

With them alone, Twilight began to explain to Cheerilee about the recent developments regarding Soul. As she explained it, she didn't leave anything out. Twilight went on to tell her about how Dark found Soul, that he's been an orphan for the last few years, how his parents died and how she was indirectly involved, and finally, their plans to adopt him.

By the time Twilight was finished, Cheerilee was softly weeping. Not just for what Soul's been through, but because of Dark and Twilight taking him in, and also for how she failed to have noticed it before.

"I should have known," she softly said, getting a comforting pat on the back from Twilight. "It makes all too much sense now. From how similar his parents' signature was to his own hoofwriting, to how I've never met his parents at any of the parent-teacher conferences."

"It's alright, Cheerilee," Twilight said, supporting. "You can't blame yourself for not knowing before."

"But I should have. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to see to it that my students are well educated and taken care of, and I failed."

Twilight placed her hooves on Cheerilee's shoulders and turned her to face her. "How are his grades doing?"

"They're good. Mostly A's and a B or two."

Twilight nodded with a smile. "You see? Your a good teacher who's taught her student very well."

"But Soul living alone-"

"Wasn't something that you knew of at the time. And without knowing, you couldn't rightfully do anything to help him, could you?"

Cheerilee reluctantly shook her head. "No. I suppose not."

Seeming satisfied, Twilight moved her hooves around and pulled Cheerilee into a hug, to which she happily accepted. After a moment or two, they broke apart with Cheerilee wiping her eyes.

"So," Twilight unsurely began, "what are your thoughts on him being half-changeling."

Cheerilee just smiled. "I don't care about what he is. Soul is still my student either way, and I am happy to have him attending my class." Cheerilee let out a small giggled. "Even if he does like to prank his classmates once in a while."

"We found out about it and talked to him about it a little bit."

"It's alright. Most of them are playful and harmless, so I don't get too upset with him. Depending on what it is, I'll sometimes find myself laughing along with the students."

"Alright, but if he crosses any line that you don't like, just let Dark or I know, okay?"

"Okay. And, Twilight?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for being such a good friend to me."

"You're welcome," she said with a giggle. "Besides, what kind of a Princess of Friendship would I be if I wasn't a good friend?"

Cheerilee gave a small laugh. "I suppose. So then, I'll be coming to you and Dark involving anything school-related with Soul then?"

"That would be correct."

"And if both of you are unavailable?"

"Spike should be there, so you can tell him. But if he's gone too, then Dark's brother, Pyre, will be there."

"Dark has a brother?" Cheerilee asked confusingly. "I thought that he died back in Dark's old village?"

"Yes, but as it turns out, when Dark was turned into a kirin, he became a sibling to five other dragons."

"... one of them wouldn't by chance be that red dragon that I've heard of walking around Ponyville, would it?"

"That's him. I'll admit that he can be a bit blunt, stubborn, and headstrong at times, but he's a nice guy when you get to know him."

They were about to continue their conversation before Dark, Soul, and the Apples came out of the kitchen.

"You girls all done?" Dark asked, watching as Twilight and Cheerilee got off of the couch and walked over to them.

"We are," Twilight answered.

Along side them, Cheerilee leaned down and gave Soul a sympathetic hug. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, Soul."

"Thank you, Miss Cheerilee," Soul said, hugging her back.

"I understand that you'll be staying with Twilight and Dark from now on, but just keep in mind that if there's anything that you ever feel like you need or want to talk about, just come to me, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee."

Giving him a quick squeeze, Cheerilee let go of Soul and let him return back to Dark and Twilight. "So then, Twilight, should I be expecting to see him at school tomorrow?"

"Yes you can," she answered. "But until then, we have a few more stops to make."

"In that case, y'all take care now, and be sure ta come back once in a while for a visit," Granny told them.

"Yes, Granny," Dark said with a chuckle. "Oh, by the way, will you be needing my help on the farm while Applejack is gone?"

"If'n we need y'all's help, we'll call for ya."

"Okay, Granny. Just remember that if you ever do need me that I'm there for you."

"Will do, sonny."

Bidding the Apple family farewell, Dark, Twilight, and Soul made their way back down the dirt path through the orchard.

"So, Soul," Dark began, "how many more do we have left?"

"Just three more," he answered.

"And who would they be?" Twilight asked.

Soul briefly hovered alongside them as he tapped a chin in thought. "I don't know their names, but one of them was that one scientist who likes to hang around with that mailmare with the mismatched eyes."

"Time Turner?"

"Yeah. That's him."

"Okay. Who else?"

"That unicorn who likes to sit weird and talks about hands and hoo-mans."

"That's Lyra."

"And lastly is that white unicorn with the purple shades."

"Purple shades?" Dark echoed, going through the names of Ponyville ponies until one came to mind. "Did she also have an electric-blue mane?"

"Yeah."

"You pied Vinyl Scratch?!"

"Who's she?"

"Perhaps you know her as DJ Pon-3?"

Soul's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh is right," Twilight said. "Thankfully, she and I are friends, so I'm sure that she'll go easy on you."


The rest of the day went by rather quickly with them traveling around Ponyville and tracking down everypony Soul pied. While Dark and Twilight were thankful that everypony had forgiven Soul, Octavia was still a little upset. Thankfully, she wasn't too upset about it, but did request that he never do it again... at least, if it somehow involved her.

Right now, though, after what felt like a long and exhausting day, everyone retired to their rooms to rest. And upon seeing the bed, Dark unceremoniously flopped on top of it.

"You think every day's going to be like today?" he asked.

"I can't say, Dark," Twilight replied. "But if it is, then we'll just have to accept it."

Dark sighed. "I suppose."

Twilight crawled into the bed. "You're not starting to regret this, are you?"

"No. I guess it's just going to take some getting used to is all." Dark crawled into bed with Twilight. "Guess I wasn't prepared for what was to come."

"Well, you did say that nopony is ready to become a parent, and it looks like we're one such example."

Chuckling, Dark pulled Twilight over to cuddle with. "I suppose so."

"Oh, by the way, we should tell the rest of our friends about Soul when Applejack and Pinkie return. I'm sure that they'll want to know about him being a half-changeling."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I just hope that they won't overreact to it too badly."

"I'm sure that they'll be okay with it. Not so sure how Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow will take it with Soul being in the same class as their sisters, but I trust them, regardless."

"And what about your family, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?"

Twilight sighed, knowing that this would eventually come up. "Shiny and Cadence may not be so welcoming to it, but I'm sure that they'll understand after we explain the circumstances leading up to this. Same with the princesses."

"And your parents?"

"I don't think that we'll have to worry about them too much, if at all."

"That's good," Dark yawned, snuggling down. "In that case, I'm off to sleep."

With a surprise yelp, Dark found himself rolled onto his back with Twilight straddling him. A second later, he watched as her horn glowed and the walls, floor, and ceiling all glowed briefly with her magic.

"Uhh, Twilight?"

She looked down to him with a hungry gaze. "You don't get to sleep just yet, Dark."

"Huh?"

One of her hooves began traveling south on Dark's stomach. "I told you at Fluttershy's place that I was going to make it up to you. So? What do you say?"

Feeling much more awake now, Dark returned Twilight's look with a fanged grin, figuring that he could put-off sleeping for an hour or so.