-Valentino Brugato – Private Record-

She couldn't even give me one good god damned day to laze around before she wanted to abuse me with some magic crap.

Ugh.

The ponies are sweet... but they could stand to be a little less enthusiastic. I almost wish they were all cats.

The morning after we got back Twilight literally dragged me out of bed. I wasn't even fully awake when I noticed I was stood up in the middle of the library, sloppily dressed and Twilight was once again reviewing notes with Spike.

Spike had the luxury of pet sitting while we were all gone. Surprisingly just about every pony had one pet or another. Some were more interesting than others. None of them talked, that was kind of a relief.

So I think Twilight was trying to perform whatever magical nonsense got interrupted with the Steel Spark thing. Why it had to be early in the morning after we just returned from our big trip? Well I'll chalk it up to maybe embarrassing her in front of Celestia with all the butt talk. Maybe I'll talk about Twilight's butt next time. Who knows what will happen.

"Is this... necessary?" I vaguely remember grumbling out, rubbing my eyes and trying to make sense of anything through the haze of extended sleep.

I don't really remember what Twilight said in response. What I do recall was an insistence on the importance of whatever she was doing. In fact I think she was saying that it held the key to... something. Probably about me.

I remember her confirming something with Spike and looking at me with a lot of determination. Then there was a purple glow and things got... well... really swirly. I felt sort of like I was falling backwards really slowly. Gently almost. Things get really hazy after that, vague thoughts and impulses based of something I just can't quite remember.

Hm.

-Twilight Sparkle – Private Record-

It worked! It worked! It worked! It worked!

I mean yes, in theory, it was supposed to work, but I still can't believe it did! I was expecting something to go wrong. I wasn't very confident in my ability to even cast the spell. Or maybe there was something I didn't know about his human physiology that I hadn't accounted for or his relationship with magic that I didn't understand. That was partly true actually, there's still plenty that I don't understand about his magic. But it didn't go wrong, it actually went right!

His magic, I still can't even believe it, it's like it was working with me. I was expecting the age spell to take so much longer to complete. I was expecting to hit barrier after barrier even though I was prepared for so many variables. But his magic spread out like a wave, paving the way for my spell to do its work. Then it would swirl around into my magic and push it in all the right directions.

Princess Celestia and I had already theorized about his magic and knew it was helping to adapt his body to magic in general but this was... phenomenal. I can't even begin to speak of the potential this has. I can't wait to study it further.

But first there's Valentino!

I had not only managed to revert Valentino back to an earlier part of his physical development but also rewound his mental state to match his physical one. That was probably my biggest concern about this whole experiment, though I suppose I didn't need to be so concerned about it after all.

Oh and little Valentino is just so cute! He is little, he's even shorter than me now. Well just a little bit shorter than me but it's such a massive difference! He must have had an incredibly growth spurt! Or perhaps humans all go through such a drastic change. His mane is a bit longer. His face is rounder and chubbier. Oh and his nose, he has just an adorable little nose! Everything about him just became wonderfully tiny.

Before he woke up I used my magic to shrink some of his clothes to fit his smaller body. I know through just his insistence on wearing them that he has personal desire to be clothed most of the time. He will discard most of them for the sake of comfort when he sleeps though. With no coat of his own I imagine that his smooth skin is fairly sensitive, so I understand that as well. It also appears to have cultural implications as well, though I can't say what for certain since he refuses to tell me and what he does say I can't be sure is truthful given the usual context. I know he doesn't mean anything by it but it can be frustrating at times.

Regardless, when he woke up it would be an all new experience all over again. This time I was prepared, I definitely wouldn't be making the same mistakes all over again. I left him with just his pants, the smaller tighter shorts he wore under those for some reason and the white shirt he wore under his other shirt. I took the rest away and put it in his drawer.

By the time I got back he was stirring, I had Spike go upstairs. I had a plan to explain things to him in a way he would understand if he was as naive as I assumed a human colt would be.

When his eyes first opened he didn't act at all like anything was amiss, then he slowly got to his feet and rubbed his eyes sleepily. I maintained a warm smile while I studied his actions, making mental notes of his size and appearance. He looked around with lazy eyes until the settled on me. His eyes were a deep emerald green, I think they were a little paler in his adulthood. His skin I think is a bit paler in his adulthood as well.

He cutely cocked his head to the side as he stared at me with his sleepy gaze. Then his eyes seemed to snap open and he hurriedly looked around the room again.

"Um..." he mumbled, his voice was a considerably higher pitch than before. He was looking very nervous.

"It's alright Valentino," I said soothingly, trying to keep him from flying into a panic. He stared at me again for a few moments.

"Um... uh..." he stammered for a little while, completely unable to find the words he wanted. "W-where's my mom and dad?" he finally ended up asking.

It actually worked! He had really regressed mentally! I would be able to study a human colt from every angle, not just physical! It was everything I could have hoped for and would give me insight into Valentino's different behaviors.

He also had a cute little lisp when he spoke. As he talked I noticed he had two of his front teeth missing which was likely the cause.

"Your parents are the ones who sent you here Valentino, they are just off on a little vacation. Truthfully your parents and I are very good friends. We've been sending a lot of letters back and forth but I've been desperate to meet a real human," I began with my prepared speech. He was watching me with wide eyes, hanging on every word. I couldn't see any disbelief in his expression which was a relief. "Your parents told me that they were going to go on this trip and needed someone to look after you. So we planned that I would look after you while they were gone. I would get to meet you, a human, and they could go on their trip with no worries," I finished.

He looked at the floor and thought about what I said for a good few moments before he looked back up at me. There was clear worry on his face, expressiveness that was uncommon with adult Valentino. "W-what about Bruno?" he asked.

"Bruno?" I said back.

"My... my brother..." He said, looking back down at the ground.

"Oh your brother!" I exclaimed as if I even knew he had a brother. "Well he went on the trip with your parents. I'm sorry you didn't get to go with them but they thought you would have more fun here with me!" I said, still looking at him with a smile. Internally I was starting to worry about whether or not he would believe me.

"Figures..." he mumbled. Then he just stared down at the floor with a sad look on his face for a little bit.

I felt a little relief at that, he seemed to accept what I had said so far.

Eventually he started glancing up at at me. He would stare a little then his eyes would shoot back to the floor. He repeated this several times in silence and I had to fight back a giggle.

"Um... what... what's your name?" he eventually asked.

I felt my smile grow while I watched him act so shyly. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and it's wonderful to finally meet you Valentino," I said.

The little Valentino looked at me with his big green eyes and he started to take a few steps towards me. "You're... hm..." he said and then stopped in his tracks, his eyes shooting back down to the floor. He was biting his lip a little.

"What is it Valentino?" I asked, a little surprised by his very sudden hesitation.

He glanced up at me a couple of times but still seemed reluctant to speak.

"It's alright Valentino, you can say whatever is on your mind," I said softly in an attempt to coax him to speak.

"You're... really pretty," he finally said after another few moments of silence.

I could feel my face start to heat up. I can't say I wasn't shocked to hear that but I was probably more surprised by how sincere he sounded. Adult Valentino rarely spoke with much inflection to his tone so it was hard to gauge his sincerity. Couple that with how he was shyly he was acting it certainly had me speechless for a moment.

"You don't need to be so nervous, that's very sweet of you to say," I said, managing to shake myself out of my surprise and take a couple of steps closer to him.

His eyes went wide and he started to stare at me intently after I tried to reassure him. I smiled a little wider at him and he returned it with a big goofy smile of his own were I could clearly see his missing teeth.

Growing bolder he started to energetically walk around me in circles, looking at me from all angles. "You have wings and everything! Can you fly?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course!" I spread my wings a little for the curious human colt and he looked even more amazed.

"And you know Mama and Papa?" he asked, stopping right in front of me.

"Yes of course, in fact they were the first humans I ever got in contact with since I became a princess," I lied. He was as inquisitive as I probably should have expected.

He stared at me for a few moments with no real expression on his face. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he shouted, "you're a princess!?"

I was relieved and amazed that me being a princess was what he picked up on. "Yes I am," I affirmed.

"That's amazing!" He said with a big excited smile on his face. But in a split second that smile was gone and he was looking at the ground with a confused look. "But... how did I get here? Where is... here?" he asked. His mind was certainly all over the place.

"Well, this is a very special place called Equestria. The only way to get here is using some very special magic," I said, pushing some magic through my horn and allowing it to glow softly.

Valentino's eyes went wider than I had ever seen. "Wow..." he said in amazement. I couldn't help but giggle.

"I know it may be a little different than what you're used to and that your family isn't here but I hope you'll have a good time with me," I said. "And I was hoping you wouldn't mind helping me understand humans a little better," I quickly added. I was becoming so wrapped up in little Valentino that I almost forgot why I used the age spell on him in the first place.

"It's fine!" he almost shouted and then drew back a little at his own outburst. "I mean... um... I want to help..." he muttered meekly.

"Wonderful! Then we can start by–"

"Uh, Twilight?" interrupted Spike, peeking down from the top of the stairs. At the sound of another voice little Valentino rushed to my side, his hand pressed lightly against my shoulder.

"What is it Spike?" I asked, keeping a light tone for little Valentino's sake. I hoped Spike had a good reason for showing up before we planned.

"It's a letter, I think it's important," he responded, holding up the letter in his claw.

With a small sigh I levitated the letter out of Spike's hand and brought it over to me. Spike retreated back into the bedroom.

That letter...

It was from Princess Celestia, requesting that I come to Canterlot immediately to welcome representatives from the Griffon Kingdom. Of all the absolute worst timing! And as if they even need me!

But... It's my duty. I have to remind myself even as I sit here on the carriage Princess Celestia sent for me that she she wouldn't have done so if it wasn't important. Even if it doesn't feel like it.

It didn't take me that long to think of what to do with little Valentino though. In fact there was probably nopony better to observe him and take notes! I just wish I could have done it myself.

"What is it?" asked little Valentino, still at my side and his little hand still pressed gently against me.

"Royal business," I said with a sigh. "It looks like I may have to go away for a little while," I said.

"Huh!?" Valentino said fearfully.

"Now don't worry, I shouldn't be gone that long and you'll get to meet one of my very good friends," I said reassuringly.

--

As we walked through Ponyville, little Valentino regarded the other ponies with wide eyed amazement. He didn't leave my side however, keeping at least one hand pressed against me as we walked and never straying out of reach. Humans perhaps had a predisposition towards physical contact. It showed in Valentino's need for another physical presence at night and little Valentino's need for a constant connection.

What also stood out was his exceptional shyness. If another pony came too close to us he would press up against me and warily stare at them from under his shaggy mane until we got past. I don't think I would ever describe adult Valentino as shy. Was it a trait of young humans or something particular to little Valentino? He seemed plenty fascinated by ponies at a distance.

Another similarly odd behavior was when we walked past Sugarcube Corner. He didn't look so amazed since I mentioned I was a princess. He moved towards it in a daze but was stopped by his own arm. Even then, perhaps subconsciously, he refused to disconnect from me. We didn't really have time to stop and who knows how things would go with Pinkie Pie. But he looked like he wanted to go in so much that I couldn't help but give him the choice.

However, when I asked him if he wanted to go inside he got really shy and pushed up against me again. He would just shake his head even after I reassured him it was alright. Very odd, I only wish I had time to study the behavior more.

He got a little bolder and more talkative once we got more into the outskirts of Ponyville. He mostly asked about me and magic surprisingly. Adult Valentino regarded magic with some reluctance but little Valentino regarded it with utter fascination. What was even more surprising to learn was that apparently magic featured prominently in human literature, or 'made up stories' as little Valentino said.

Even if it was fictional, that there was even the concept of magic present in human society perhaps meant that his world was not as devoid of it as he let on. It possibly could have explained his rough adaptation I only wish I could have asked little Valentino more but we were quickly approaching Fluttershy's cottage.

I couldn't think of anypony better suited to taking care of little Valentino and if I knew Fluttershy she would be more than happy to. Though I did have quite a bit of explaining to do... that I couldn't do in front of Valentino. Luckily I prepared a thorough list of instructions after I finished packing my bags for the trip to Canterlot.

I stopped while we were still a fair distance from her front door and turned to Valentino. "Do you think you could wait here while I explain everything to my friend?" I asked as nicely as I could.

"Um... Okay..." he said sadly, his gaze going to the ground. When he reluctantly pulled his small hand away from me my heart just about broke. I tried to give him the biggest smile I could muster. "Don't worry, I'll only be a minute. You're going to love my friend, I promise!" I said, trying my best to reassure the little human colt. All he did was nod his head slightly.

I quickly made my way up to Fluttershy's door and rapped on it gently. After a few moments the door opened a crack with Fluttershy peering cautiously through. Once she saw it was me she pulled the door open fully and greeted me with a smile. "Oh, good morning Twilight. What brings you here?" she softly asked.

"Good morning, listen I'm kind of in a rush. I've been called back to Canterlot for a little while and I was hoping you could look after Valentino," I said quickly.

"Well I don't mind but... I think Valentino is capable of taking care of himself don't you think?" she returned gently.

"Well, normally I would agree but I sort of used an age spell on him so I could study human development," I admitted.

"An age spell...?" Fluttershy considered it for a moment before she gave me a dubious look. "And he was alright with that?" she asked.

"Well yes! Sort of! It would have been difficult to explain to him! I just told him I was running an important magical experiment on him! He agreed!" I nervously explained.

"Twilight I don't think–"

"It's fine! Trust me Fluttershy. I just need you to look after him for a little while. Oh and take notes while I'm gone! Just for as long as he's young!" I pleaded.

"Young?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Yes, he's completely regressed back into a little human colt. His memory is relative to that point of his life. Oh! I managed to convince him that I was friends with his parents, that they left on a trip and left him here with me!" I explained.

"R-really?" she softly asked.

"Yes, look, it's all in these instructions I wrote for you. Please would you look after him while I'm gone?" I begged.

"W-well I suppose–"

"Great! Here's the instructions," I said and magically thrust the written instructions into Fluttershy's hooves. "I'll go get little Valentino!" I said before turning and quickly walking over to were I had left little Valentino.

He was waiting right where I had asked him to and was looking a little gloomy until he saw me approach.

"Now then! Are you ready to meet my friend?" I asked happily. He just nodded meekly. "Great! Let's go then," I said, turning back towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Valentino walked right up next to me and put his hand on my shoulder again. As we got closer and closer to Fluttershy who was looking intently at my notes Valentino pushed himself closer to me.

When Fluttershy looked up from the instructions I gave her and saw little Valentino she froze with a soft gasp. Then her eyes went wide as they took in the sight of him.

"I-is..." Fluttershy stammered.

"Yes, Valentino, this is my very good friend Fluttershy. Fluttershy, this little guy is Valentino," I introduced.

Valentino was shyly glancing up at Fluttershy. He managed to pull away from me a little, so that was a good sign.

Fluttershy cautiously got a little closer to him, a rapidly growing smile on her face. "It's wonderful to meet you Valentino," she said gently.

At the sound of her voice I could see Valentino visibly relax. "Um..." he muttered, staring straight at her. After a moment of hesitation he reached up and lightly tugged on my mane while still staring at Fluttershy.

"What is it Valentino?" I asked, lowering my head a little.

Valentino managed to stand up on his toes and while hiding his mouth with his hand he softly whispered into my ear.

I was a little surprised by what he said, though I probably shouldn't have been. "You know, you should probably tell her that," I said. Valentino quickly shook his head, letting his shaggy mane fly everywhere. It was all just too adorable and I couldn't really hold myself back.

"He thinks you're very pretty," I said. Valentino let out a little squeak of surprise while Fluttershy's face just got a hint of pink to it. More than that her smile grew wider and her eyes were just sparkling.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you to say," Fluttershy cooed. Valentino was trying to hide his embarrassed face in my coat.

As cute as it all was and as much as I wanted to watch their relationship develop while I observed Valentino's behaviors. That carriage was waiting for me and I had to pull myself away.

I used my magic to pluck Valentino up off the ground. At the new sensation he struggled a little, but I calmly set him on top of Fluttershy. A little scared and unsure of his balance little Valentino leaned forward and desperately clung to Fluttershy's neck. Fluttershy however seemed happier than ever.

"I really need to get going now, you two have a wonderful time!" I said, turning to leave.

"We will, don't worry I'll take great care of Valentino," Fluttershy said. Likely more to reassure the nervous little colt on her back than me.

I'm positive they are having a lot of fun.

-Fluttershy – Little Valentino Log-

Valentino is very... cautious.

It took him some time and a quite a bit of consideration before he settled on a way to get off of my back once we got inside. I didn't want him to hurt himself by rushing so I made sure I let him know that he had plenty of time. He still stumbled a little but he managed to catch himself. He was very proud that he didn't fall and he gave me a big smile.

I saw that two of his teeth were missing when he grinned at me. He was probably just shedding his milk teeth but I still asked about it. He seemed to get very excited about it.

"I lost this one a couple weeks ago! It took forever to come out too!" he said, pointing to the missing tooth on his right.

"What about the other one?" I asked.

"Oh.. um..." he mumbled. All the excitement drained out of his face. He started looking at the ground and fidgeting with his hands.

"What is it?" I asked. I was getting very concerned.

"It's... nothing..." he whispered. I could see tears starting to form in his eyes!

"You can talk to me Valentino, I want to help if I can," I said, lowering my head and trying to catch his eyes. His gaze met mine and I gave him a reassuring smile.

He sniffled and rubbed away the tears that were about to fall. "It's just... some older kid at school," he said.

"Older kid?" I asked. I wasn't sure what an older human had to do with a lost tooth.

"I have a class with him... cause I'm good at math, he doesn't like that I'm in his class," he said.

"But what does he have to do with your missing tooth?" I asked.

"Well, he stopped me on my way home and... started making fun of me... so I..." his tears were lightly falling from his eyes as he spoke. It was just breaking my heart watching him like that but he still tried finish his explanation. "I got mad and I told him he was a big dumb jerk! And! And that he should just leave me alone... Then he got mad at me and knocked my tooth out," he finished, nearly sobbing.

I was appalled. "He hit you!?" I very nearly shouted. I knew how awful bullying could be but for it to escalate like that so quickly... I couldn't help but think that maybe it was in the nature of humans. Valentino might be a little mischievous but is generally very passive from what I've seen though.

The tears were silently streaming down his face faster than he could rub them away as he slowly nodded his head. I wanted to ask him when it happened, but... thinking about the question a little harder got kind of confusing.

The only other thing I could think to do was pull poor little Valentino into a hug and nuzzle his mane. "It's okay, you won't have to worry about any of that here," I said softly.

Valentino quickly clung to me and buried his face into my chest. We stayed like that for a little while. At least until he calmed down.

"Bruno helped me out," he said quietly as he pulled away from me.

"Bruno?"

"My big brother! He usually meets me after school and then we walk home. Sometimes he'll buy me a chocolate muffin from the store on the way!" Valentino seemed to brighten up immediately when talking about his brother.

"You sound close," I said. I preferred to see him smiling like he was, full of energy. Very unlike his adult self.

"Yeah! He's four years older than I am but Papa says I'm five years smarter than Bruno is. That's why we get along!" he said. It seemed kind of silly so I couldn't help but laugh a little.

I wanted to ask more about his brother and his family. I wanted to see more of his happy little face while he lisped through his missing teeth. But it hit me so suddenly. I remembered what you told me Twilight. He was still recovering from his injuries when we first found him and you were trying to explain your theories... but all I remember was...

"He can't go back."

Young or old he wouldn't be able to see his family that he clearly loved so much ever again. I just couldn't bear how sad that was.

Little Valentino must have noticed the change in my mood. I didn't even notice him close the distance between us. His little arms reached up to wrap around my neck while he pressed and rubbed his cheek against my coat. He tried to comfort me like I had just done for him. He was so sweet that I could feel my sadness falling away.

--

The most important things I can think of when it comes to young human care is patience and lots of affection.

His desire for physical contact, that you mentioned in your instructions, seemed to lessen as he grew more comfortable with his surroundings. It gave him a sense of security in unfamiliar surroundings. But he got used to the new environment just as quickly as he warmed up to me. He was soon happily exploring all on his own while I was getting ready for feeding time.

For as cautious as he is he can become a little too focused on one thing. For example when he was just exploring my house he was a little too focused on where his feet were going and ended up going headfirst into the door frame. He rarely moves very fast so it only really hurt his mood. His soured mood was easily treated with a kiss to the forehead.

He certainly had a lot of energy that he would burn through rather quickly. I once heard him softly snoring and found him asleep while propped up against a wall. I went to move him but he wound up clinging to me tightly in his sleep. Your instructions also mentioned humans being social sleepers and that appeared to be true as he was very reluctant to let go... so... Well I just put him on my back and let him snuggle and cling to me.

He only slept for about half an hour. I could feel him shift a little and try to snuggle harder into me before he finally hopped down. He spent much less time considering it. When I looked over to him his mane was even messier than normal and he was giving me a big smile.

--

As much I've been talking about how sweet Valentino is. And he is very sweet! I don't mean that he's not! But he can be... well, mischievous. He's just being playful! But...

It first happened around lunch time. I had just finished giving a Angel his meal. Valentino was right behind me but had vanished when I turned back around! Not a noise or anything! I walked around calling for him but there wasn't any sign of him.

I was starting to get worried and I frantically started searching everywhere for him. When I still couldn't find him I nearly went into a panic. What if he had gotten outside? What if he had wandered into the forest!?

I felt something press into my flank and it made me jump.

There was Valentino, right behind me, giggling. "Gotcha Miss Fluttershy!" he said with pride.

"V-Valentino? Where did you–? But I looked everywhere!" I said, very much in shock.

"I'm really good at hiding!" he said, still very proud of himself. I realized that he was just playing and managed to calm myself down.

"You should have told me," I softly scolded.

"But it's not as fun if you know it's coming!" he said with a big grin.

He would go into hiding like this several more times throughout the day. I was never able to find him and he managed to scare me each time. He didn't always appear to poke my flank, one time he actually seemed to leap out of nowhere and tackled me. I was startled but Valentino was laughing the whole time. It was a little tiring.

--

Later that afternoon there was a knock at the door. I wasn't expecting any visitors so I carefully went to check who was at the door. Little Valentino was following right behind me. I peeked outside to see Rainbow Dash waiting outside. She looked concerned about something. I opened up the door and greeted her with a smile.

"Hey Fluttershy have you seen Twi–" she began but was halted when her eyes fell on little Valentino who was standing beside me, staring up at Rainbow Dash with wide eyes.

Rainbow Dash struggled to hold back laughter and snorted a little through her nose. "What hap–"

"Um!" I squeaked and rushed Rainbow away from the door. Then I turned back and ran over to Valentino. "O-one second," I said, trying to put on a reassuring smile before shutting the door behind me. Your instructions said not to let Valentino know that he was under the effects of the age spell under any circumstances. I don't know what I would have done if Rainbow Dash let it slip.

I let out a little breath of relief as I walked back over to Rainbow Dash, who was letting out all the laughter she had held back. "Fluttershy!" she called when she noticed me walking back over. "What's up with Val!? Why is he so tiny?" she asked.

"He's not... um... he's just younger," I said. I hadn't really settled on the best way to explain.

"Younger?" Rainbow Dash repeated, tilting her head a little.

"Twilight used an age spell to make him younger. He thinks that he's just a little human colt who got teleported here while his family is away on a trip," I explained.

Rainbow''s face lit up. "That's awesome! Oh my gosh! I have to go talk to him!" Rainbow Dash started back towards the door.

"Wait!" I very nearly shouted while I ran after her. "Twilight said we can't let him know he's just been made this way by her spell! He doesn't know you so you have to pretend like you're just meeting him!" I explained as I chased after Rainbow Dash.

"Duh," Rainbow Dash said, still making her way back to the house. I stopped and let out a little sigh before I followed after her again.

Rainbow Dash was stopped in front of the door which she had just opened. Valentino was staring up at her and shyly fidgeting with his hands. Rainbow Dash was staring back at him with a blank look on her face. I don't really know what caused her to stop like that.

"So, Rainbow Dash, this is Valentino. Valentino, this is my good friend Rainbow Dash," I said, squeezing past Rainbow Dash and walking over to Valentino.

"Yeah, hey there Val," said Rainbow Dash.

"Val?" Valentino returned, narrowing his eyes at Rainbow Dash.

"Uh, yeah, it's faster to say don't you think?" Rainbow Dash explained.

Valentino's eyes went wide. "That's just like what Bruno says!" he shouted.

"Bruno?" Rainbow Dash said, surprised by Valentino's sudden outburst.

"My big brother!" Valentino said, a smile growing on his face.

"Oh, well he sounds cool. What's Bruno like?" she asked, returning his smile.

"He's big and tough like Papa! He likes to do martial arts and sports and stuff," Valentino explained.

"Cool, I do some martial arts myself you know," Rainbow Dash bragged.

"Wow! You're just like Bruno!" Valentino said, his smile growing even bigger. "I'm going to start taking martial arts lessons next year," he said proudly.

"Hey that's great... but why don't you start now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Valentino's joyful expression drained away and his gaze fell to the floor. "Mama won't let me..." he said quietly.

Rainbow dash reached over and nudged his shoulder softly with her hoof. Valentino looked up and Rainbow Dash gave him a sympathetic look. "Well you only have to wait a little while right?" she said with a reassuring smile.

Valentino returned the smile and nodded. It was nice to see them getting along so quickly. We moved into the living room while the two of them kept on chatting. I was content to just watch and listen.

"So what do you like to do Val?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Nap!" he said eagerly. Rainbow Dash giggled.

"That's pretty fun, what else?"

"Papa's been teaching me how to cook!"

"Is your dad a good cook?"

"He's the best! He has his own restaurant and everything! It's always full of people! He's been teaching me and Bruno for a while," he bragged.

"How's Bruno's cooking?" Rainbow asked.

Valentino got a really big smile on his face. "He sucks!" Valentino said happily.

Rainbow Dash was caught off guard and started giggling.

"Oh he can't be that bad," I commented.

"No, Bruno is really bad. He keeps trying but everything he makes is really gross!" he said, still smiling.

"Well how good are you at it then Val?" Rainbow asked.

"Papa says I'm really good! And no one has thrown up from anything I've made!" Valentino said and Rainbow Dash started laughing again.

Valentino started asking all about Rainbow Dash and the two of them talked for a good while longer. Angel found me after a little bit and I had to take care of a few things for the animals. A couple hours passed before Rainbow rushed on her way.

"She's fun, I like her!" Valentino said.

--

Well, it's night now Twilight and you still aren't back yet. It must be something very important that you were called away for.

Valentino insisted on helping me prepare dinner. He also insisted on wearing an apron, but all I had was a little pink one. He didn't seem to mind and made it work. He spent a lot of time looking through my cupboards and gathering up ingredients.

After a little while he got really excited and said we were going to make something he called 'Gnocchi Di Ricotta'. Every time he said it he would use a silly sounding accent. When I asked he said that was just how his father spoke.

After draining some ricotta he used eggs and flour to make these cute little dumplings. While he did that I made a tomato based sauce. We cooked the sauce and boiled the dumplings.

I was surprised by how well it turned out. Valentino had a real talent for cooking even if he was a little messy. It must have been why he was so insistent on the apron.

After eating we got cleaned up and as it got later I decided that we would get ready for bed. For as affectionate as he was Valentino seemed hesitant to share the bed the bed with me. It didn't take a lot convincing before he climbed into bed but it was odd given his behavior and your clear instructions.

Once I pulled him close though he eagerly snuggled up to me and quickly fell asleep. His warmth and the sound of his soft, steady breathing quickly put me to sleep as well.

-Princess Luna – Dream Log-

It was a pleasant night.

The dreams I visited were calm and peaceful. Few needed tending to and I thought I would be able to enjoy the night thoroughly. However, something was lightly pulling at me as I traveled between dreams. The closer to it that I strayed the more urgently it pulled. It was panicked and filled with desperation. A nightmare.

I traveled far through the dreamscape just to find the source. When I eventually found what had been pulling me I hesitated. It was an unfamiliar presence that I had visited only once before in spite of my curiosity. The dream of the human called Valentino Brugato.

While my sister may have found the strange arrival of the strange creature delightful and fascinating, it worried me. It worried me further to see him involved with incident after incident. Perhaps that was unfair of me. Had he been found by any other group of ponies it was unlikely that I would have ever even known of him. But I could not easily dismiss my worry. No matter how... nicely he may have treated me in our brief interactions.

His dream was before me, filled with fear. His subconscious had proven difficult to navigate. Not a completely uncommon problem but one that made me hesitate to reach out to him again. I could not ignore his struggles and I stepped forward into his nightmare.

It was a simple matter, far more so than previously. To find out why was easy, the dream laid before me was filled with clues but the largest hint of them all was Valentino himself. He was but a small defenseless child, not just within the dream but wholly so. He was running for his life only to trip over his own feet.

I was but a shadow among many, choosing not to reveal myself until necessary. I could not interrupt until I saw the source of his fear.

It was a ghastly creature. Something few minds would dare to conceive of. Was it a human terror? I could not know then. It stood much like the human would. Its limbs stretched out like long, decayed branches sharpened to many fine points. It had cloth draped unceremoniously around its lengthy midsection. It had no lips, only sharpened teeth that all seemed to fight to fit into its open maw. Its eyes were black and hollow. The horror's mane flowed out and danced like lengthy streaks of flame, though had the coloring of dead leaves. It was a giant thing, as tall as a castle tower.

The child Valentino was struggling to his feet. Despite the tears streaking down his face he still found the determination to flee. But I would not bear his terror any longer. I let loose a flash of light that put me between the monstrosity and Valentino. The thing froze in place as the activity of the dream halted.

When I turned I saw the child Valentino staring at me with large eyes, tears still falling down his face.

"Do not w–" before I could offer reassurances he bolted into me, his arms holding onto me tightly. I was quite surprised by this sudden reaction. But it did make sense, I had stopped the terror and Valentino had no previous knowledge of me. To him I was simply a savior.

I ran a hoof gently down his back to soothe the crying child. "It is only a dream, you are in no danger," I told him.

After a few moments his crying subsided and he pulled away. "Th-thank you," he said, his eyes cast downward.

I smiled at his gratitude. I turned my head back to the creature frozen within the dream and then looked again at Valentino. "What is this creature that torments you?" I asked.

"Oh... that..." he mumbled, looking up at the thing and then wincing. "That's just my mom..." he confessed, his voice barely audible.

I was taken aback! His mother was such a thing? But when I looked back again I saw no such monster. It was distinct from Valentino but it looked much more like what I imagined a human mother would. She had a long chestnut colored hair that feel down her back. Her arms were crossed over her hefty chest. She had brown eyes that were turned scornfully on the child Valentino. It was becoming all too clear.

"She doesn't like me very much..." he offered.

"She is your mother, I am certain she loves you," I argued.

"She's... she's my mom but she's not my mom," he admitted.

"I don't understand."

"She's been with Papa since I was really little, but she's not my real mom."

So this human did not bear Valentino but was in the position of raising him. This was the turmoil of Valentino's youth. From what little I saw within his adult dreams it did not seem to weigh on his mind. Though there was little to draw from there.

"She–"

"...is nothing," interrupted a voice. No it was many voices, coming from every direction. But it was a single presence I felt within the dream.

"They are all nothing..." came the voices, harmonized only in their words. Some whispered, some screamed and others sat in between.

I spun around, trying to find the source. But all I found were familiar and unfamiliar faces. Those I did not recognize were human, three of them. Those I did recognize were my sister, Princess Twilight, all of her friends, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and nearly every one of my night guards.

"...but bones," said the voices. I watched in horror as those I knew and those I did not decayed before me. Flesh swiftly fell away, leaving only hollow skeletons behind. They all stood as if they had not lost the very sinews that held them together.

Rising from the horizon was the largest collection of bones. A towering accumulation of ivory that dwarfed mountains. Many skulls spun around the the top of the thing, there was no consistency among them. The skulls came from many different creatures. The sockets of their eyes burned with an intense red light.

"Nothing but bones!" screamed the skulls, the vibrations of their voices vibrating the very ground of the dream. They reached out their many bony arms from the horizon towards us. The gaps and hollow parts of their structure blazing with that red light. Their presence was pouring not just into the dream but out of it. I could feel everything start to warp around me.

I had to act quickly, pouring everything I had into pulling Valentino and myself out of the dream. Had I acted a moment later I do not know what might have happened. As it stands I do not know quite how I managed to find myself where I was, holding tightly onto the young Valentino with Fluttershy staring at us in shock from across a darkened room.

Fluttershy was stunned speechless and finding my own voice was also proving difficult. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of young Valentino sniffing and sobbing into my chest. As much as I wanted to stay and comfort the scared little human. As much as I wanted to explain myself I felt that the matter of what had assaulted us within Valentino's dream required my immediate attention.

"I apologize for this intrusion," I said. I pulled Valentino from my and levitated him over to Fluttershy, setting him in her hooves. "Please take care of him," I said regretfully.

With that I teleported away, back towards Canterlot. Hoping that when I searched again I would not find that beast of bone in any other dream.

-Fluttershy – Little Valentino Log-

I'm not really sure what happened. I bright flash of light woke me up and there was... Princess Luna holding onto Valentino. Valentino was crying and... oh I don't know. Princess Luna apologized and gave lifted Valentino over to me before she teleported away.

Whatever happened really upset little Valentino. Even after he stopped crying he wouldn't fall back asleep for another hour. He clung to me desperately. When I asked him about what happened he just said "bad dream" and hugged me a little tighter. Eventually his exhaustion overtook him and he fell back asleep.

As it turns out I wouldn't have the chance to ask again. When I woke up in the morning I found myself wrapped up in Valentino's normal sized arms. The spell had worn off, his clothes were ripped and torn as he grew quickly out of them.

When he woke up he stared at me for a little while then looking back at himself and his clothes. He groaned and fell back into the bed.

"I guess I'm going to see Rarity today," he sighed.

Author's Note

Whew! That's another chapter done! Just in time for some kind of holiday! Wow!

I had lots of fun with this one. It's a fun little foray into some background stuff and different perspectives~

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I can't wait to get further along with the story!

As always, thanks for reading!