Author's Note

Here it is ^^ I'm out of the hospital and taking me meds as needed. No more hospital in years for this happy writer! I hope you all enjoy it, and as always; comment what you think, helps make it better for everypony who reads.

Goodnight... My Son

"We might want to follow him, dear." Galaxia told her husband in mock fear. "He did run toward-"

"My China!" The king exclaimed, eyes wide as he gallopped after the small boy. Leaving the queen with her daughters, they each let out a deep sigh as they followed them.

"Mother, I thought you told father to get rid of those plates..." Celestia said, ashamed.

"I did... Those are all new ones, he got them three days ago!" She said with a darkened expression.

Going white, Luna told her mother in a whining tone, "But mooooootheeeerer. Star shine always makes fun of me because he's so girly..." Pouting, Luna stopped and tapped her hooves. "She says daddie's not fit to rule..."

"Oh Luna, my silly minded daughter." The queen turned and placed a hoof on her cheek, "She's only teasing you. Besides. You know just how strong your father can be when he wants to."

Turning and walking once more, Luna quipped, "He could show it a little more..." As she began to follow .

A twinkle shone ever so slightly in the queens eye as an idea came to her. With a smirk she thought, Oh yes... this will be most pleasant for them all.

"I can't believe father got more of them..." The strawberry maned filly said as the trio rounded the corner to find the noble (using this word lightly) king Eternia and Lyric screaming as well crying at eachother.

"I-I'm so s-sorry!" Lyric yelled at the king, "It w-was an a-a-accident." He said as he wiped his arm along his sniffling nose.

"How could you?!" Eternia screamed back through tears, mimicking his son's motions. "So many memories... Gone." He said, sniffling.

Scrambling on his hands and knees quickly over the broken shelves and thousands of pieces of plates, Lyric grabbed the one intact plate he could find and stood in front of Eternia's graveling.

Looking up at the boy, he wiped his tears away, "Yes..?" He said pathetically in sorrow.

Holding the plate in front of his hung head Lyric said, "I-I'm really sorry for breaking them... T-there's still this one."

Looking at the small boy; so terrified and unsure of what he would say or do... The king couldn't help but notice that he was frightened to his core.

"It's... It's alright, Lyric." He said, beginning to calm down. "I. I think one plate is good enough."

"R-really? Are you sure?"

"Y-yes..." He managed to get out.

Expression changing immediately, Lyric smiled. "Great! 'Cause it was super fun smashing them, hahaha." Looking to the doorway, he noticed the facehoofing family members. "Oh. Hey guys."

Slipping her hoof down her face, Galaxia sighed. "All I had to do was break those infernal things?!" Covering her muzzle quickly, she blushed from her outburst.

"What do you mea-"

"HOW ABOUT WE ALL GO TO DINNER EARLY AND I GIVE YOU AN EXTRA DESSERT?" She said rapidly as she shot her forelegs into the air.

"Two desserts?!" Celestia, Luna and Eternia cried out.

As the others ran out of the room and formed a huddle outside the door, they nodded and yelled, "Deal," trotting regally down the hall.

Lyric just stood in the room for a moment, letting Galaxia break the silence. "Mhmpf. I suppose you agree with their ruling?" She asked, curious.

"Well... Can I clean my mess first, Galaxia?" He asked, holding his hands together with a solemn look.

"I... You do know we have maids and the like, my child?" She told him suspiciously.

"I know... But I really want to lend a hand, I did this sorta on purpose..."

Placing a hoof over her mouth, she asked, "You did?"

"You think I'd run into a room full of breakable and expensive plates by accident?" He asked, ashamed of his actions.

"But Lyric, you clearly know better!" She chastised the young boy. "Why would you ever do such a thing?"

"I kinda..." He walked up to her slowly and whispered, "Not hard to hear down a hallway and see this place, your highness..." Smirking the faintest devious smile, he walked back to his place in the room and started putting them in a pile.

Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Galaxia seemed perplexed. He couldn't have possibly heard that with all the noise in here-... That little thestral!

"You need help." She finally said as Lyric was walking to his pile with arm-fulls of debris and plates.

"Thanks, but I like to fix my own problems. You have a promise to keep to every...pony? Else." He told her.

With a small pop and gleam, a broom and several bags made their way in front of him, along with a smiling Galaxia holding her own broom in her magic. "I believe they wouldn't like me showing up without the newest member to our family. Besides, I can't leave this all to you. Am I wrong?"

Growing his own friendly smile, Lyric nodded happily and started sweeping into the trash bags.
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"Two bowls of icecream and hot fudge, I can't wait!" Luna said happily.

"I'm having my special cakes made up. Mother hasn't given me one since I last shot a solar flare into my canopy!" Celestia exclaimed, giddy.

Eternia sat there listening to his daughters decide and swap their favourite treats, but the nagging thought that his wife was taking a long time to get Lyric to the dining room was weighing on his mind.

"I wonder what's keeping those two..."

"Maybe mother wishes to speak with Lyric about something important, father? Perhaps the progenitors you were all speaking of." Celestia gave him as solace.

"I suppose." He said relieved, going back to his thoughts of dinner and after meal conversation that was obviously going to take place.

Midway through giving up on what to eat and thinking of the future relationship between the Zebrania tribes and Zebreca nation; each fighting to rule, the missing duo came in giggling and laughing with eachother.

"And you simply ate the paint without asking?" She asked, thoroughly enjoying his tale.

"Ahuh, haha. They never told me jelly looked so much like the paint they used to mark their tribesmen." He said, sticking his tongue out in remembrance.

"Oh by the light!" She cried out, laughing her royal form to its centre. "I can't believe you just scooped it up!" She bewilderedly bellowed.

"Not as bad as the yummy... Ugh, 'secret delicacy' they served. It's not a secret when it tastes like insects and you can see a scorpion leg in it..." He said, nausea taking hold.

"Haha, you might want to speak of better meals now, Lyric." Galaxia told him with a tip of her head.

Looking at the table he saw them all covering their mouths with an uneasy look.

"Uhm... Bon appetite?" He told them all nervously.

Throwing their napkins down over their empty plates, they all pushed off from their seats and grumbled.

Knowing very well where this was heading, the queen gave up on trying to rationalize the need for dinner, she simply gave a small, "Take the dessert to bed..."

A round of cheers and hollers were heard as they ran to the doors and politely told them what the desired.
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"You just haaaaad to get two full bowls didn't you?" Celestia nudged her little sister.

Happily nomming on her last bits of sundae, she licked the fudge off and smiled down to Celestia, "Not my fault thou eats cakes like father." She teased.

"Hey! They were special, and you know how much I love eron berries with sugar... Mother only has one branch that still grows." She pouted from her mother's barrel.

Each yawning and slumping onto their parents backs, the princesses gave a light snore.

Sighing happily as the day was over and they were finally able to rest, the king and queen slowly placed them each in their respective rooms and warm beds.

Closing the door on the solar princess, they turned to Lyric rubbing his eyes.

"We have a room made up for you as well, Lyric. I believe Quick Note added something to it you may like." Eternia stated as they walked another few meters to his room.

Nodding to him, Lyric opened the door and gasped in joy, "You really did this for me?!" He exclaimed. There, sleeping on a stone perch filled with coals and ashes was Philomena; sleeping peacefully as her feathers rustled.

He couldn't wait another moment and ran into his new room, jumping onto his springy and welcomingly soft bed. Letting out a moan of delight he opened his eyes and smiled as wide as he ever had.

"I take it, Quick did an alright job?" Eternia laughed softly.

"You bet!" Lyric said excited. "Can I see him and say thanks? Can I can I can, Galaxia?" He pleaded.

As he said this, his covers and blanket came to life and tucked him under them. Galaxia gave a sad 'hmpf' as she and her husband moved to the side of his bed.

"We've been calling you our son and brother, Lyric. You're part of the family now..." She said in a wavering tone. "We truly like you Lyric, you're the only one who's gotten Lunas attention other then her single playmate... We love you as our own, my child... We... W-we only want..." She trailed off, lightly crying; she did, from the time she heard him laugh with the others, love this small and obscure child.

Having his heart begin to heat up and his mind start to wonder, he thought, She's been calling me her son all day. I'm, I'm their son now... It had been years since he was last to feel this kind of love; never from his own original mother, not the zebra. He liked it, and this was a feeling he wasn't going to ever let go. "Please don't cry, mom..." Lyric said, sitting up and instinctively wrapping his arms around her neck. "I can't stand seeing anyone cry, especially you mom."

Catching in her throat, Galaxia gave a mixed smile of joy and sadness, feeling her heart beat deeply. Laying him back down she kissed his forehead and uttered, "Goodnight... My son."