Lyra trotted home from school, excited to share what she had learned that day with her parents. She wound her way through the streets of Ponyville until she found her own home. She opened the door, took off her backpack, and found her mother and father sitting on the couch, giggling in happiness. Lyra opened her eyes wide in surprise. They normally weren't this happy when she came home from school.
"Why are you laughing?"
Lyra's mother, Belle, a beautiful unicorn with a light green coat and a blue mane, said, "Lyra, we have something to tell you."
Her father, Dent Heartstrings took a deep breath before continuing his wife's statement. "Lyra, your mother's pregnant. You're going to have a little sibling."
Lyra's mouth opened in a wide smile. She'd finally have somepony to play with every day! Oh, how much fun they'd have together, she'd teach it everything she learned from school each day, and her younger sibling would be the smartest pony in it's class!
"Really? I'm so excited!"
Lyra's parents pulled her in for a family hug, ruffling her green and white mane.
"Oh mommy, daddy, is it a colt or a filly?" Lyra smiled up at the two happy ponies.
"We don't know yet, we have to wait a little bit to be able to tell."
~
Lyra spent a few hours happily bouncing around her house, thinking about the new foal that would be brought into her life. Finally, her mother asked if she'd like to visit her teacher, Ms. Joyfill to tell her about the foal.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The family walked in the bright sun to Lyra's school. When they got there, Belle opened the door for her family. They all trotted inside and found Lyra's classroom. They entered to see Ms. Joyfill grading homework.
"Oh, hello, Belle, Dent, Lyra! What brings you here?"
Belle looked at her daughter, smiling. "Lyra has something to tell you."
Ms. Joyfill looked at Lyra expectantly.
"Ms. Joyfill, my mom's going to have a foal!"
The mare smiled and said, "That's wonderful news! Congratulations Belle!"
"Thanks," replied Belle, a huge smile on her face.
The adults had a long conversation while Lyra walked around the classroom, finding her seat and looking in her desk. When she was done with that, she found her classmates' seats and sat in them to see their perspective of the room and of Ms. Joyfill. They kept talking and talking, as adults do, so when Lyra was finished looking at the classroom, she trotted up to the adults and simply stood there, waiting for them to finish and take her home.
They eventually did and took a bouncing Lyra home and put her to bed.
"Goodnight, mommy." she said and looked at her mother's stomach, where her little sibling was. "And goodnight, little foal."
Belle's eyes scrunched up as the ends of her mouth turned up in a smile. "Goodnight, my little filly. I love you, Lyra."
Lyra looked at her mother with warm golden eyes. "I love you too, Mommy."
~
The next day, Lyra's parents walked with her to school and to Ms. Joyfill's classroom. But before they left, her parents said that they had to have a talk with Lyra.
"So Lyra, the little foal in my belly is only the size of a blueberry right now so you can't even tell that I'm pregnant. It takes eleven months for the little foal to be big enough to be born, so that means your little sibling won't be born until November."
Lyra nodded as she listened to her mother. She didn't care much that she'd have to wait eleven whole months. All that mattered to her was the foal -- her sibling. Her brother or sister.
They found their way to the school and Lyra brought her mommy and daddy in for a hug. They all smiled at each other and said goodbye.
"Have a great day, Lyra!" her father called.
"You too, Daddy! And you, Mommy!"
Lyra walked to her classroom and Daddy walked to work while Mommy walked home.
"Oh, Ms. Heartstrings!" said Ms. Joyfill as the door opened and in walked Lyra. Lyra trotted to the wonderful teacher's desk.
"Yes, Ms. Joyfill?"
"Do you know how far along your mother is?"
Lyra thought a moment before replying, "No, I don't But my mommy said that the little foal in her tummy is only the size of a blueberry right now."
"Oh, okay. She's not very far along then."
"Nope, I don't think so."
"Ah, it seems everypony is here. You'd better get to your desk then," Ms. Joyfill said.
Lyra walked to her desk, preparing for class to start. She opened the lid to reveal dozens of pencils, erasers, and all sorts of school supplies. She chose a blue flowered pencil and set it on her desk, just to show Ms. Joyfill that she would be a good big sister.
"Okay, everypony!" Ms. Joyfill walked to the front of the room, greeting the fillies and colts in the room. "Welcome to class."
She pulled a worksheet off her desk and gave a piece of the stack to each pony at the front of every column of desks. They took one and passed it down, as they had done for years. When the stack reached Lyra, she pulled one sheet off the top and set it on her desk. She passed it to her best friend, Bon Bon, whispering, "Hey Bon Bon. Guess what?"
"Chicken butt?"
The two fillies snickered quietly until Lyra stopped, her mouth set in a serious grin.
"Nope. I'm gonna have a little sibling!"
"Really? I want one too! Can I play with it?"
"Of course, Bon Bon! You're my best friend," Lyra said and put her hoof the cream-colored filly's shoulder.
"You're my best friend too, Lyra," she replied with a smile.
"Now, girls, do the worksheet," Ms. Joyfill told Lyra and Bon Bon.
They nodded and did as they were told, but when Ms. Joyfill wasn't looking they exchanged a few words of excitement and anticipation.
A few months into her pregnancy, Lyra's mother had developed a round belly which was her little foal. Occasionally, Lyra's mother would get uncomfortable and went outside to breathe the fresh air, but her parents assured her that it was only because of the baby and there wasn't anything wrong with her.
Lyra went to school each day until June, when school ended and Summer was finally in Ponyville. Lyra ran around and played all day, everyday and when it was time for bed she fell soundly asleep.
Lyra's mother and father tucked her into the little bed and read her a story until she fell asleep. When she did, Lyra's mother planted a kiss on the green filly's forehead and said, "Goodnight, my little angel."
~
Lyra rubbed her big golden eyes and rolled out of bed. She opened the door of her bedroom and walked down the hall, into the living room to find her mother making pancakes in the kitchen just beyond the sofa and her father getting ready for work.
"Morning, Mommy."
"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?"
"Good," she said, following the gratifying scent of her mother's best pancakes.
"Have a nice day, honey," Lyra's mother called to her father as he walked out the door.
"Thanks, you too," he replied.
Lyra wandered into the kitchen and watched her mother flip the pancakes over, drinking in the warm scent they gave off. When the mare was finished with the first pancake, she slipped it onto a big plate, where she'd put the rest of the pancakes as well. Lyra found a smaller plate while her mother put two more pancakes on the larger one. She picked a delicious, sweet-smelling pancake and set it on the small plate she had chosen. Her mother handed her the syrup and Lyra devoured the pancake, leaving only a few crumbs around her mouth which she licked off quickly.
"What're we doing today, mama?"
"We're going to the store to get diapers."
"Oh!"
~
Lyra scanned the shelf in front of her, which was filled with endlessly with diapers. There was another mare looking at the diapers further down the shelf from Lyra and her mother. Lyra trotted over to her and studied the long, flowing mane that hung to her knees.
"Are you going to have a foal?"
The white mare blinked large blue eyes at the green filly staring expectantly up at her, waiting for her answer.
"Yes, I am. Is your mom going to have one too?"
"Yup. I'm going to be a big sister!"
"That'll be fun," the blue-eyed mare said and smiled.
"It will be a lot of responsibility though." said Lyra. "That's what my mommy said."
"Your mommy is one smart mare."
"Lyra, come here," her mother called.
Lyra obeyed and saw her mother struggling with two large packs of diapers. She pointed one hoof at a stack of baskets and told her to bring one to her. Lyra did so happily and helped her get the diapers into the basket.
Lyra said good bye to the mare she met and the mother and daughter made their way to the check out stand. Her mother payed for the diapers while Lyra took the plastic bags and waited for her mother. They walked home and Lyra's mother started immediately into making lunch for the two of them.
When she finished eating her lunch, she thanked her mommy.
"Lyra, you'd better go take a nap."
"Okay," she yawned.
She trotted down the hall, into her room, and flopped on the bed, quickly falling asleep.
~
Lyra woke up just before her daddy got home. She rolled out of bed and opened her toy chest. She chose a stuffed bear and began to act like it was real. She got out her other toys and tried to have a tea party, but she was missing the cups and plates. She left her room to find her father watching the news with his usual straight face.
"Hi daddy," she greeted him.
His face broke into a smile when he saw the green filly watching him.
"Hi Ly."
She watched the news with her father, often asking questions. They had dinner as a family and her parents tucked her into bed, each kissing her on the forehead.
