The Star Childby JoeycrickChaptersChapter 1: Shooting StarChapter 2: "Yoshi!"Chapter 3: Mother of a StarChapter 4: Smell Apples, Eat ApplesChapter 5: Dino CrusadeChapter 6: Lucky EggsChapter 7: BOOM! Egg Shot!Chapter 8: Yoshi-Woshi and Auntie RarityChapter 1: Shooting StarPonyville. This small town in the land of Equestria was quiet tonight underneath the light of Princess Luna’s moon. The night sky was filled with bright stars, with the occasional shooting star flying by. One star in particular, however, was streaking towards the ground, in the direction of Golden Oaks Library. As it got nearer, the star began to slow down, as if controlled by another force. The intense glow began to slowly fade as the star gently floated down, landing softly on the library’s front step. As the glow died down, revealing a small basket, a gentle knocking could be heard against the library’s door… Princess Twilight Sparkle sat in her room, stacks of paper surrounding her desk. Despite no longer being the student of Princess Celestia, the lavender alicorn never stopped studying. And tonight was no different as she rummaged through her notes, comparing them to the books she was referencing. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as the gears in her head turned, waiting to be clicked into place by an epiphany. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Hmm…” Twilight muttered to herself, ignoring the knocking against the library’s door. “Star Swirl the Bearded banished those Sirens to another realm, we know that. The question is… where exactly did he send them?” Turning towards a textbook floating beside her, she began flipping through pages, stopping at a picture of a giant mirror. “This is what he used to banish them, but it doesn’t say anything about where it leads…” KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Spike! Can you get that?” Twilight called out. The bedroom door slowly creaked open, revealing a small baby dragon clutching a blanket and a small plushie of a white unicorn. “Ugh…” Spike groaned, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Can’t you get it?” “I’m kinda busy right now, Spike,” Twilight answered, floating up a few more books and flipping through them. “So was I,” Spike grumbled under his breath as he descended the stairs with a yawn. He approached the library’s front door, opening it. “I’m sorry, but we’re clo-” Spike cut himself short upon seeing that nopony was at the door. Frowning, he turned to Twilight. “You sure you heard someone?” “I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t,” Twilight answered, never taking her eyes off the books surrounding her. Clenching his teeth, Spike stuck his head out of the doorway. “You pranksters think this is funny, huh?!” he shouted, shaking his fist angrily. Just as he was about to slam the door, though, something caught his eye. “Huh? What’s this?” he muttered to himself as he crouched down, taking a closer look at the small basket sitting on the front step. Inside the basket sat a bundle of blankets, and it looked like there was something was underneath it. “Hey, Twilight!” Spike called out. “Come here, I think you need see this!” “Whatever it is, it can wait until later,” Twilight replied bluntly as she continued reading. “Uh… no, this really can’t wait,” Spike answered back, taking a step back as he noticed the basket wobble a bit. “Somepony left a basket on the doorstep… and it’s wobbling.” That caught the alicorn’s attention. “What?” she said, lowering the book she was reading. She looked towards the entrance and noticed the wobbling basket just outside her door. “What in Equestria…?” she muttered, placing the books aside on a massive stack next to her table. Jumping off her chair, she walked up to the front door towards the basket. “Who left this here?” Twilight wondered out loud, leaning out the doorway. But the streets of Ponyville were completely empty, and there wasn't the slightest sign of anypony leaving in a hurry. Turning her attention back to the basket on her doorstep, she suddenly noticed something stuck to the side. “Wait... there’s a note here,” she said, raising her eyebrow. “A note?” Spike asked curiously as Twilight lit up her horn, removing the note and inspecting it. After reading it to herself, however, she only ended up looking even more puzzled. “Um… well, this is strange.” “What? What does it say?” Spike asked, jumping up and trying to read the note. “Listen to this,” Twilight replied, lowering the note so Spike could read it. Dear Princess of Friendship, You may not know who we are, but we have heard so many great things about you, and you’re the only one we can trust. Our home in the Mushroom Kingdom is under attack against a dangerous enemy, Lord Koopa. We’ll do our very best to stop him, but until then, we’re leaving our Little Yoshi in your care. If anything should happen to us, and we don’t return… please take good care of our little dinosaur. We love him more than anything in the world, and we know he is destined for greatness. “Mushroom Kingdom? Lord Koopa? Yoshi?” Spike repeated, looking just as confused as Twilight. "What's this all about?" “I don't know, Spike,” Twilight said, now focusing her attention on the basket. “But it sounds like whoever wrote this left their child here. I'll take a look.” Very slowly, she lit up her horn, lifting the blanket off the bundle it was covering. “Whoa…” she muttered with a bewildered look on her face. “This is really bizarre, I’ve never seen anything like this.” “Hey! What’s the kid look like?” Spike asked, climbing onto Twilight’s back in order to get a better view. “It’s… an egg,” Twilight answered slowly. “But that’s not the strange part. It… it looks like it’s… asleep.” “Asleep?” Spike repeated with a scoff. “How can an egg be asleep?” Leaning out from behind Twilight’s head, he caught a glimpse inside the basket and got his answer. Sure enough, an egg lay inside, slightly larger than a typical dragon egg like the one Spike was hatched from. A white shell decorated with a few large, green polka-dots protected the creature inside. But somehow, there was a black outline surrounding the egg that would always be visible, no matter which angle Twilight and Spike looked at it from. What stood out the most, however, was the fact that the egg seemed to be alive. The egg inflated and deflated slightly with a very slow but steady rhythm, almost like it was breathing. And the way it was “breathing” certainly gave the impression that it was “sleeping.” “Okay… this is weird,” Spike said slowly, looking flabbergasted. “How is it doing that?” “I have no idea, Spike,” Twilight replied. “Let me try something.” Closing her eyes in concentration, the alicorn lit up her horn, focusing on the egg. She remained still for a few moments, her brow furrowed as she examined the egg. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she let out a gasp. “Whoa! What is it, Twi?” said Spike. “I… the egg…” Twilight murmured, glancing towards the egg with a curious expression. “Whatever this Yoshi is… there’s some incredibly powerful magic inside of him.” “What kind of magic?” “It’s definitely not from Equestria,” Twilight answered, never taking her eyes off the sleeping egg. “But I get the feeling that he has the potential to do great things.” “Pfft.” Spike rolled his eyes. “You're just repeating what the letter said." “I’m not just saying that, Spike. I’m being serious here,” Twilight replied sternly. “I can’t really explain why I feel that way about him, I just do.” “Uh huh,” Spike said as he jumped off Twilight’s back, clearly not convinced. “So… got any ideas?” “Hmm…” Twilight thought to herself for a few moments, until she lit up her horn. “I guess we’ll just have to look after him for the time being,” she said as she levitated the basket with great care. “Whoever his parents are, they must’ve left him with me for a reason. And we can’t just abandon him when he’s got nowhere else to go.” “And what if he hatches before they get back?” Spike wondered out loud, following Twilight into the library as she shut the door behind her. Twilight gently lowered the basket beside her as she began magically pulling books from shelves around the room. “That’s why I’m gonna try to look into what kind of creature this Yoshi is,” she answered as the books orbited around her and she began flipping through pages. “Hold up a second, Twilight,” Spike interrupted, holding up his hand. “Didn’t you say he’s not from Equestria? How do you expect to find anything about him?” “It doesn’t hurt to try,” Twilight replied as she began flipping through pages in another book. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll find something.” “Eh, suit yourself,” Spike replied with an eye roll as he gathered up his blanket and plushie. Climbing up the stairs to Twilight’s bedroom, he shut the door behind him. Twilight paused for a moment, looking down at the sleeping egg in the basket beside her. As strange as that is… she thought to herself, it’s kinda adorable. With a small smile, she pulled a small blanket over the egg, just like she did with Spike when she was a young filly. “Good night, Yoshi,” she whispered softly as she turned her attention back to the books surrounding her. Author's Note A small side project I'm working on with a friend of mine. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Sunset-Do-Well! Chapter 2: "Yoshi!""Hey! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called out as she stepped into the library. "We were supposed to start that picnic a half-hour ago! Where are you?" Closing the door behind her, the pegasus glanced around the room. Piles of books were stacked everywhere, and in the middle of the room, her head resting on top of an open book, was Twilight. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Of course the egghead's been studying all night," she muttered as she trotted up to the alicorn and began shaking her shoulder. "C'mon Twilight, wake up." "Ugh..." Twilight groaned as she slowly lifted her head from her makeshift pillow. Taking a moment to rub her eyes, she took a glance around her and spotted Rainbow Dash standing beside her. "Rainbow Dash...?" she mumbled, trying to resist the urge to fall back asleep. "What're you doin' here...?" "The picnic we had planned for today?" an unamused Rainbow Dash answered. "Don't tell me you forgot all about it!" Twilight blinked for a few moments, not responding until her eyes snapped wide open in realization. "Gah!" she blurted out as she flew out of her chair and began panicking. "Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about it!" "How in Equestria did you even forget?!" Rainbow Dash asked as he watched the alicorn zip around the room in a hurry. "Research!" "Yeah, I figured THAT out," the pegasus snapped. "What were you even researching?" "I was trying to find out about Yoshi-" The alicorn froze as another thought crossed her mind. "Wait... Yoshi! Where is he?" she barked as she flew down and checked the basket beside her chair. Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow. "Uh... what?" "Oh sweet Celestia, he's not here!" Twilight shouted worriedly after emptying the basket and finding nothing but blankets inside. Rainbow Dash groaned. "Hey egghead, you mind filling me in on what's going on, or am I gonna have to ask Pinkie Pie?" "Jeez, calm down, Twilight!" a voice interrupted. The two ponies turned towards the bedroom stairs where Spike was standing, looking at Twilight with an annoyed expression. And cradled in his arms, safe and sound asleep, was Yoshi's egg. "Uh... heh heh..." Twilight gave a nervous look at Rainbow Dash, who responded with a frown before pointing at the egg. "I'm assuming that's what you were having a meltdown over?" Rubbing the back of her head, Twilight sheepishly nodded. "Don't worry, Twilight," Spike reassured her as he approached her and lifted the egg up so she could get a look at it. "He's just been sleeping with me." "But I could've sworn he was-" Twilight began as she pointed to the overturned basket beside her. "The little guy must've had a nightmare, he was shaking so badly when he woke me up," Spike explained as he looked down at the egg with a small smile. "So I decided to let him sleep with me." "Um... Spike?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, pointing at the egg. "Last time I checked, eggs can't move on their own." At that moment, the egg moved on its own. It jumped out of Spike's hands onto the floor towards Rainbow Dash, who leapt back in surprise. "YIKES!!!" she shrieked as she fell over, backing away from the egg as it hopped eagerly towards her. "That egg! It's... it's...!" "Aww... I think he likes you, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said with a heartfelt smile while Spike fell over, trying to hold back his laughter. "Is this another one of your sick experiments, Twi?!" Rainbow snapped as she backed into a bookcase, the egg closing in on her. "Actually, we found him on the doorstep late last night," Twilight told her. "Someone left him with me to look after him. That's why I've been researching him. Or... tried to, at least." "'Tried to'?" Twilight levitated a book from the top of a stack beside her and began flipping through the pages. "I must've looked through the entire library, but I couldn't find a single thing about Yoshi," she explained before closing the book and setting it beside her. "But in retrospect, I should've expected this. He's not from Equestria, after all." "Well, that's TOTALLY reassuring, Twi!" Rainbow shouted sarcastically as the egg hopped onto her stomach and began happily bouncing in place. "Now how about we get this mutant egg off me?!" As she shouted, the egg suddenly stopped bouncing. It remained motionless for a few moments on top of Rainbow as Twilight and Spike approached. "I think you hurt his feelings," Spike said slowly as he crouched down beside the egg, looking a bit nervous. "Well, if it starts bawling, I'm outta here," Rainbow grumbled, giving an irritated look at the polka-dotted mass on her stomach. That's when it began to wobble. Everypony in the room froze, staring intently as the wobbling continued. "Uh... what's happening?" Rainbow asked, suddenly looking nervous. "I... I think it's hatching," Twilight murmured, her eyes wide in wonder as a small crack formed on the shell's surface. "Oh boy..." Rainbow muttered under her breath, bracing herself in case the creature breaking out of the egg tried to claw at her face. As small cracks continued to appear, one large, horizontal crack was widening, creeping along the surface of the egg. All three of the room's occupants held their breath, until the egg finally split into two halves. "Here it comes..." Twilight whispered excitedly. The top half of the eggshell slowly rose as the creature inside got his first glimpse of the outside world. He poked his head out, causing Twilight, Spike, and even Rainbow Dash to smile warmly at the sight of him. "Awww... he's adorable!" Twilight exclaimed. He looked almost like a baby dragon in appearance, despite the letter claiming he was a dinosaur. His skin was green, with a white belly and orange spikes running down the back of his head. His cheeks were white, with a large green nose taking up most of his head. Mounted on his back was what looked like an unusually small, red turtle shell. A pair of dark blue eyes looked out from just above and behind his nose. The thing about him that stood out the most, however, was an incredibly happy, unwavering smile. A smile to rival even Pinkie Pie's. And the sight of that smile was too much for the other occupants of the room to handle. Upon hearing the alicorn's remark, the creature turned his head towards her, grinning widely before opening his mouth. "Yoshi!" he squealed happily in a high-pitched, baby-sounding voice. "Whoa," Spike said, looking slightly amused. "That dragon can talk?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out in disbelief, trying her hardest not to succumb to the cuteness. "Actually, he's not a dragon," Spike pointed out with a smirk as Rainbow's jaw dropped. "He's a dinosaur." "And he said his own name!" Twilight cried out, clapping her forehooves together. "That's so cute!" Rainbow Dash frowned. "That's all fine and dandy... now how about getting him off me?!" she shouted. Surprisingly, Yoshi wasn't startled at all; he only smiled at the pegasus instead, who quickly turned away. "Oh, right!" Twilight replied apologetically as she lit up her horn. Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief as Yoshi, still in the remains of his egg, was levitated off her. "Ugh... finally," she muttered, getting to her hooves. "Yoshi!" the newborn exclaimed again as he touched down onto the library floor. And as he said that, a small glow appeared above his head, inciting wide-eyed looks of wonder from Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow. "Whoa..." Rainbow and Spike murmured at the same time. "What in Equestria...?" Twilight wondered out loud, trying to make out the object that was slowly forming above Yoshi's head. "What is that...?" "That, Princess Twilight Sparkle... is a Star." Everypony turned in surprise as a familiar voice spoke out from the library's doorway, where the two rulers of Equestria were now standing. "Princess Luna! Princess Celestia!" Twilight gasped as they entered the room. "What are you...?" "Last night, I sensed an incredible, powerful magic entering Equestria from another world," Princess Luna explained. "And it comes from the Star that this young one holds." She held up her forehoof, pointing towards the young hatchling in the middle of the room. "What?!" Twilight's jaw dropped as she turned towards Yoshi. He was smiling widely as Princess Celestia slowly approached him, but the thing that caught Twilight's attention was the glowing object that was now clearly visible above his head. Princess Celestia looked down at Yoshi with a warm smile. "Welcome to Equestria... ...Star Child." Chapter 3: Mother of a Star"Star Child?" "That is correct, Twilight," Princess Luna answered as she stepped up beside her older sister, the two alicorns looking down at the young hatchling. "You notice the Star floating above his head, do you not? That is the source of his power." "Whoa..." Twilight kept her eyes on the object floating just above Yoshi's head until it vanished, disappearing into his body. As it did so, the dinosaur giggled happily. "Wait..." Rainbow Dash took a step back, eyeing Yoshi with a worried look. "What kind of power are we talking, exactly?" "That, even I do not know, Rainbow Dash," Princess Celestia replied. "But what I can tell you is that is a special power, one that'll allow him to achieve amazing and great things." "Pfft..." Rainbow Dash scoffed, clearly not impressed with the Princess's answer. "That's reassuring. And if he's not from Equestria, then where'd he even come from?" "Wait... the letter!" With a flash, Twilight teleported to her desk and began rummaging through it. "Come on... here it is!" She levitated a scroll of parchment and ran over to Princess Celestia. "This was with his basket when he arrived." "Hmm..." Princess Celestia's brow furrowed as she took the letter and began reading it, with Princess Luna looking over her shoulder. "I see..." she muttered. "So his homeland is in danger, and he was sent here for protection..." She raised her eyebrows as a thought occured to her. "But this is curious." "What is?" Rainbow Dash asked, cocking her head to the side. "According to this letter, whoever sent the child to us knows about Princess Twilight's accomplishments," Princess Luna answered, placing her forehoof on her chin in thought. "But at the same time, Yoshi is clearly from a world completely different to ours. So how they know about Equestria is indeed a mystery." "You think Discord had anything to do with it?" Twilight asked. "I'll ask him the next time I see him," Princess Celestia answered firmly, rolling up the scroll and levitating it towards Twilight. "But for now, all we can do is honor the wishes of Yoshi's parents and take care of him until they return." "I'll watch over him," Twilight promptly declared, grabbing the scroll with a determined look on her face. "His parents entrusted him to me, after all." She then turned to Yoshi, grinning widely. "You hear that, Yoshi?" she exclaimed playfully. "You get to live with us in Ponyville! How does that sound?" "Yoshi!" the dinosaur cried out happily, jumping up and down excitedly before hopping out of his shell and sprinting towards Twilight with his arms outstreched. The Princesses smiled warmly as he hugged Twilight's foreleg, nuzzling it gently with his nose. "Aw... that's just adorable," Spike muttered, crossing his arms with a smug smile. "It's almost like he thinks you're his mother, Twilight." Twilight merely chuckled and lowered her head, allowing Yoshi to nuzzle her cheek. Rainbow Dash, however, was focused on something else. "He wears shoes?" she blurted out in disbelief. Sure enough, a pair of bright orange shoes were covering the hatchling's feet. Twilight lifted her head slightly and looked down. "Huh," she muttered upon seeing Yoshi's shoes. "That's a bit strange, I'll admit." "Princess Twilight?" Twilight raised her head as a piece of paper was levitated towards her, courtesy of Princess Celestia's magic. "This was inside his egg. It's... it's from his parents." As Yoshi continued to nuzzle Twilight's leg, the alicorn took the letter and quickly read its contents. "Yoshi the Dinosaur... We love you more than anything in the world. Make us proud." And right below the writing were a pair of what looked like pawprints, presumably from Yoshi's parents. "Yoshi the Dinosaur..." Twilight repeated, looking down at the hatchling with a sad smile. "We'll take care of him. We promise," she said as she gently brushed the back of Yoshi's head with her free hoof. Princess Celestia cleared her throat, catching everypony's attention. "My sister and I must be off now," she said as she approached the library door, Princess Luna right behind her. "I trust you'll let us know how everything is going with him, Twilight?" "Of course, Princess," Twilight answered with a nod. Satisfied, Princess Celestia turned to the dinosaur standing beside her, giving him a warm smile. "Farewell, Star Child," she said, catching his attention. Yoshi turned towards the doorway as the two elder alicorns spread their wings. "Yoshi!" he called out as they took off into the sky, rocketing towards Canterlot. Yoshi ran outside, coming to a stop as he looked up towards the sky at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, his tail wagging with excitement. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Alright, Yoshi," she said, catching the dinosaur's attention. "Come inside, we've got some things to take care of." "Hold it, Twi!" Rainbow Dash shot out, screeching to a halt in front of Twilight as she prepared to step inside. "Aren't you forgetting something?" "Huh?" Twilight raised her eyebrow in confusion, resulting in an impatient groan from Rainbow Dash. "The picnic! Our friends are at the park already!" she shouted, throwing her hooves up in exasperation. Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh right!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "I'm so sorry about-" "Yoshi!" The excited squeal caught the attention of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Spike, who all turned towards the source. Yoshi was still looking out at the town of Ponyville, his eyes sparkling with wonder as he spun around, taking in the sights around him. Watching him, Twilight suddenly got an idea. "Hey Yoshi! How about we introduce you to the rest of my friends?" "Yoshi!" Author's Note I'll explain what's going on with my two stories later in a blog post. But for now, here's Chapter 3 of "The Star Child"! Chapter 4: Smell Apples, Eat Apples"Come on..." Applejack grumbled underneath her breath as she took another glance around the park. "They should've been here by now! What's takin' 'em so long?" Rarity lifted her sunhat, glancing out from her resting spot at the base of a nearby tree. "Do be patient, Applejack," she replied as she levitated out a hoof filer. "I'm sure they'll be here soon." "But it's not like Twi to be this late to one of our get-togethers," Applejack pointed out as she gave up her search and returned to the picnic area. "I highly doubt she just forgot about it, and even if she did, she should've been rushin' up here by now after Rainbow reminded her." "I wonder what happened," Fluttershy murmured, scattering some seeds around for the nearby birds to feed on. Pinkie Pie suddenly zipped up to Fluttershy in a flash, causing the birds to scatter and Fluttershy to give her an annoyed look. "Maybe Twilight was visited last night by an extra-terrestrial!" Pinkie blurted out. Everypony in the vicinity simply stared at Pinkie Pie with blank looks on their faces. Rarity rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, darling," she sighed. "What even gave you that idea?" "Just a hunch," Pinkie simply answered, pointing her forehoof at the bridge across from her. Everypony else looked in that direction, and started grinning upon seeing two approaching figures. "Twilight! Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out, waving her forehoof. "Hey guys!" Twilight called out, trotting up to the picnic area with Rainbow Dash and Spike beside her, and saddlebags hanging from her sides. "Sorry we're late, I got a bit caught up in something." "Yeah... something BIG," Rainbow Dash added. "Is that so?" Applejack replied with a smug grin as she held up a basket. "Well then, how about you tell us about it over-" "Yoshi!" That sudden squeal resulted in a small yelp from Fluttershy, Applejack dropping her basket in surprise, and Rarity accidentally scuffing up her hoof with her filer, her eyes widening in horror. "What in tarnation was that?!" Applejack exclaimed. Twilight simply chuckled and tilted her head sideways, revealing the source of the noise: a small, green creature riding on her back. "Guys, meet Yoshi the Dinosaur," she said as the others slowly approached, looking on in awe. "Uh... Yoshi?" Applejack muttered with a puzzled look. "Is that thing wearing... shoes?" Rarity remarked, pointing at Yoshi's feet. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest!" Fluttershy zoomed up to Yoshi, grinning widely as she leaned in closely, petting the dinosaur's head. "I've never seen a creature as adorable as you before!" Yoshi giggled in delight as Twilight slowly levitated him off her back and onto the ground in front of Fluttershy. "Yoshi!" he squealed again. "Awww!!! And his voice!" Fluttershy giggled as she crouched down to eye level. "That's just precious!" "What kind of creature is that?" Applejack asked Twilight as the animal caretaker continued gushing over Yoshi. "Some sort of dragon or somethin'? Where'd he even come from?" "He's a dinosaur," Twilight explained. "He showed up at the library last night in an egg, and he just hatched a short while ago. As for where he came from... he's from a completely different world, actually." "I knew it," Pinkie muttered. "A different world?" Rarity repeated, her eyes widening. "But what's he doing in Equestria?" "His home world's under attack," Twilight told her. "His parents sent him here to protect him, since he carries an incredibly powerful magic inside of him. The Princesses already know about him, actually. They dropped by the library earlier." "Who's a cute dinosaur? Who's a cute dinosaur?" Fluttershy was playfully tickling Yoshi's belly as he lay on his back, laughing and waving his arms. "Well, ain't that just the sweetest thing," Applejack replied with a warm smile as she watched the two of them play. Then suddenly, Yoshi stopped squirming as he sat up straight and began looking around him, with a slightly puzzled look on his face. "Oh dear..." Fluttershy's playful expression turned into one of concern as she leaned in close. "Is something wrong, Yoshi?" "Yoshi," the dinosaur simply said as he continued looking around. "Do you know what's happening with him, Twilight?" Rarity asked nervously. Twilight shook her head. "I couldn't find anything at all about him," she said. "I don't know if it's a species-related thing, or if his power sensed something, or-" *grumble* Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, you're just hungry," she said gently, touching Yoshi's stomach and feeling the rumble underneath her forehoof. Yoshi's response was a nod of his head. Twilight slapped her forehead. "Oh right... you haven't eaten yet, have you?" "But what does he even eat?" Spike wondered out loud. "I don't think that letter said anything about that, did it?" "Ooh! How about some cupcakes?" Pinkie Pie was about to reach into the tree and grab a hidden stash, until Twilight pulled her back with a disapproving look. "Not until we learn more about his species' diet," she replied sternly. "You don't have anything on him, remember?" Rainbow Dash scoffed as she reached into Applejack's dropped basket. "How else are we supposed to figure out what he eats?" Yoshi's head suddenly snapped upwards, catching everyone's attention. "Okay, now what's he doing?" Rarity asked. "What is it, Yoshi?" Fluttershy said, looking at the dinosaur in concern. Yoshi remained motionless for a few more moments, until suddenly, his nose began to bulge slightly, accompanied by... "Ooh!" Fluttershy let out a grin as she suddenly realized what was happening. "I think he smells something!" Sure enough, Yoshi's giant nose was sniffing the air, having picked up a delicious scent. He began wandering around, following the smell as everypony watched. Suddenly, his head snapped in the direction of Rainbow Dash, and he slowly approached her, continuing to sniff. "Uh... what's he doing?" Rainbow Dash asked with a nervous look. Suddenly, Yoshi's nose stopped twitching, and his eyes widened. "Yoshi!" he squealed, pointing at Rainbow Dash... or more specifically, the apple she was holding in her forehoof. Rainbow gazed down at the object she was holding. "You mean this?" she said as she began moving her forehoof around. Yoshi's gaze was firmly locked onto the apple as it moved, his lips smacking and drool coming out of his mouth. "Of course," Applejack chuckled as she shook her head and reached into her basket. "Who doesn't love the freshly-picked goodness of Sweet Apple Acres? Hold on a sec while I get you-" *SLURP! CHOMP!* Everyone's jaws dropped as they began looking back and forth between Yoshi and Rainbow Dash's now-empty forehoof. The cyan pegasus's pupils shrank to the size of ants as she continued staring down at her hoof, still trying to process what just happened. "Did he just...?" Twilight muttered slowly. "Uh..." Applejack's hoof was still in her basket as she very slowly pulled it out, staring at Yoshi the entire time. Keeping her hoof steady, she held out an apple. Yoshi looked at it for a few seconds, then his mouth opened... ...and a long tongue snatched the apple right off Applejack's hoof and into his mouth, swallowing the entire thing in one gulp. Applejack quickly pulled her hoof back. "Whoa nelly..." "That's a LONG tongue..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she grabbed another apple from the basket. She raised it to her mouth... *SLURP! CHOMP!* ...and bit down on nothing. "What the...?!" she blurted out, turning towards Yoshi with a glare. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" she challenged as she grabbed another apple from the basket, only to have Yoshi snatch it up. "Pfft..." Twilight giggled as she pulled a notebook and quill out of her saddlebags and began jotting down notes. "'Loves... apples...'" she muttered, watching as Yoshi kept eating apples right out of Rainbow Dash's hooves. "'Has a... huge... appetite...'" "How'd ya like them apples?" Applejack teased as Rainbow lost yet another apple. Eyes narrowing, Rainbow Dash snatched up the basket and flew up to the tree branch above her. "Ha! Let's see you eat these now!" she taunted as she held out an apple, before taking a huge bite out of it and tossing the core aside. Puffing up his cheeks, Yoshi jumped as high as he could, but not high enough to reach the branch. He tried a few more times, but kept falling short. An annoyed Rarity crossed her arms. "Seriously, Rainbow Dash?" "Hold on a sec, Rare..." Applejack nudged the fashionista's shoulder and pointed to Yoshi, who was still trying to jump onto the branch. This time, though, he was waving his arms and legs wildly. And somehow, not only was he floating in the air, he was slowly rising. "Hey Twi... get a load of this," Applejack muttered, nudging the alicorn's shoulder. Twilight looked up from her notebook and her eyes widened. "Whoa... how's he doing that?" she gasped. "Keep it down, Twi," Applejack interrupted, a mischievous grin on her face. "Don't spoil it yet." Rainbow Dash, oblivious to what was going on, snickered as she threw aside another apple core, her eyes closed in satisfaction. *SLURP! CHOMP!* Rainbow Dash reached into the basket for another apple, but felt nothing. Her eyes snapped open as she picked up the container and found it completely empty. "How in the...?!" she yelled out. "Yoshi!" Rainbow's eyes widened as she slowly lowered the basket and found the culprit: a small, green dinosaur standing in front of her, smiling as he patted his stomach. "You've gotta be kidding me," Rainbow deadpanned. "Alright, that's enough," Twilight chuckled as her horn lit up and she gently levitated Yoshi onto the ground. "Well, we've learned a bit about you, little guy!" she said as she gestured to the notebook with a smile. *BELCH!* "Yoshi!" the dinosaur exclaimed, returning a smile of his own. Then suddenly, he let out a loud yawn. "Wow... poor guy must be tired," Fluttershy said as she watched Yoshi curl up on the ground, his eyes closing as he began drifting off to sleep. Twilight pulled a small blanket out of her saddlebag and gently draped it over Yoshi's body, taking care not to wake him up. As she stepped away, a giant bubble appeared at the edge of Yoshi's nose, pulsing with a steady rhythm as he slept, just like his egg did. "I have to admit..." Rarity murmured quietly. "The little fellow manages to look adorable even when he's asleep." "Yep, he sure does," Twilight answered, smiling as she gently kissed the dinosaur's head. "Sleep tight, little star." "Please tell me we still have more food left." "Don't worry, Rainbow Dash... Pinkie's got ya covered!" Chapter 5: Dino CrusadeTwo weeks later… "Alright, try to hold it as long as you can, Yoshi!" Twilight called out as she readied her quill and notebook. Yoshi stood in the center of the room, bracelets covering his arms and legs. Despite being only two weeks old, he was aging surprisingly quickly, already speaking in full sentences. Twilight was still trying to learn as much as she could about the green dinosaur, taking as many notes as she could whenever she noticed something new. And right now, Twilight was in the library's lab, attempting to unlock the secret behind Yoshi's ability to ascend during a jump by waving his arms and legs wildly. An ability that they decided to call the Flutter Jump. Yoshi gave a nod and took a massive leap upwards, trying to keep himself airborne as long as he could. Twilight quickly looked over the data she was getting from the bracelets Yoshi was wearing, only to frown and grumble under her breath. "This isn't making any sense," she muttered, tapping her quill against her chin. "How are you able to keep yourself airborne using just your arms and legs? From what I've observed, you don't have any appendages that would normally help a living creature remain airborne, and it doesn't look like your Star's doing anything to help with that, either." His face strained with effort, Yoshi stopped waving his limbs and dropped onto the ground, landing on his feet. "Whew..." he gasped, taking a deep breath before turning to Twilight. "I honestly don't know how I'm doing it, either," he replied. "I'm just able to for some reason." Twilight sighed and slammed her notebook shut. "I think it's best to just stop trying to figure this out," she said, rubbing her head. "I don't want a repeat of what happened when I tried to figure out how Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense worked." "Pinkie Sense?" Yoshi asked as he slid the bracelets off his arms and legs. "What's that? Is that something to do with Pinkie Pie?" "Well…" Twilight slowly began, trying to figure out a way to explain it. "Basically, it's a bit of a sixth sense that lets her predict the immediate future using sudden twitches that her body gets." Yoshi stared at Twilight, confusion on his face. "Really?" "Yep," Twilight answered with a nod. "If her tail twitches, something's about to fall. And if she gets an ear flop, followed by a knee twitch, then an eye flutter, there's gonna be a rainbow in the sky. Sounds ridiculous, I know," she added, seeing Yoshi's jaw drop in disbelief, "but it's something that just simply can't be explained." She then chuckled, remembering her attempts at figuring out the Pinkie Sense long ago, when she was still a unicorn. "Believe me, I've tried, and it did NOT go well." Yoshi giggled in amusement. "What happened?" A sheepish grin formed on Twilight's face as she led Yoshi to the stairway leading out of the lab. "Um... let's just say that I was on fire," she said, giving the dinosaur a wink as she turned off the lights and shut the door behind her. Yoshi followed Twilight up the stairs, his shoes creaking against the steps. Another riddle that Twilight tried in vain to piece together was how precisely he got them. Living beings aren't typically born wearing clothes, yet Yoshi hatched from his egg with a pair of loafers on his feet. Twilight eventually deduced that some otherworldly magic was responsible for the feat, since Yoshi's parents were also somehow able to leave a farewell letter to their son inside his unhatched egg. Speaking of which... Another question crossed Twilight's mind as she thought about Yoshi's parents. I wonder if they're alright... it's already been two weeks, and there hasn't been any word from them yet. I hope they're managing to hold out against whoever this Lord Koopa is. I'd hate for Yoshi to grow up without ever seeing his parents... "Twilight?" A voice snapped the alicorn out of her thoughts. "Huh?" she said in surprise, turning around and spotting a worried look on Yoshi's normally-happy face. "Is something wrong, Twilight?" he asked. "You've been standing at the doorway to the library for quite a few moments." Twilight bit her lip, contemplating on whether or not she should tell Yoshi about his parents. She then shook her head. "Nah, it's nothing," she answered with a small smile. No... there's no need to worry him about this yet. He's still young, after all. "Just thinking about what we should do now," she finished as she opened the door and stepped into the library. "I haven't quite planned ahead yet. Got any ideas?" Yoshi sat down at a chair, placing his hand on his chin in thought. "Well..." he began, "I'm actually kinda interested in those books you and Rainbow Dash keep going on about. Y'know, with that Do pony. What's it called again-?" "You want to read Daring Do?!" Twilight blurted out, flying right up close to Yoshi's face with a giddy smile and startling the dinosaur. "WAHHH!!!" Yoshi screamed, almost toppling over from his chair. "Ohmygosh!!!" Twilight squealed as she entered into full fangirl-mode. "Which one should we read first? The Marked Thief of Marapore? How about The Forbidden City of Clouds, that one's my favorite!" Yoshi just stared, watching Twilight bounce around the room like a rubber ball. "Um... whatever the first one is?" he said slowly with a nervous grin. Twilight screeched to a halt in midair and clapped her hooves together. "Of course! The Quest for the Sapphire Stone! That's perfect! Just let me get it from my bedroom!" And with a bright flash of her horn, Twilight vanished. Yoshi blinked for a few moments, still trying to process what just happened. "Okay... that was a bit awkward," he muttered as he sat in his chair, his legs dangling above the floor. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Yoshi's head snapped towards the direction of the front door. "Huh... wonder who that is?" he said to himself, standing up from his chair and trotting towards the door. With a twist of the doorknob, he opened the door and was greeted with the sight of three little fillies. "Hey Twilight, you think you could help...?" Apple Bloom's voice drifted off as she and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders caught a glimpse of Yoshi, who was roughly the same size as them. None of them said a word as the fillies stared at the strange creature. "Um... can I help you three?" Yoshi asked, not sure what to make of the three fillies. "It talks...?" Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom. "Why is it wearin' shoes?" Apple Bloom whispered back, pointing at the two loafers on the dinosaur's feet. "He's really adorable-looking, though," Sweetie Belle added. "Oh! Hello, Crusaders!" The four of them turned around, spotting Twilight coming down the stairs with a smile and a book levitating beside her. "Hi, Twilight!" Sweetie Belle called out as she waved. "Um... is this a bad time?" she added, casting an aside glance at Yoshi. Twilight simply chuckled. "Not at all," she replied, before placing a hoof on Yoshi's shoulder. "Girls, I'd like you to meet Yoshi the Dinosaur." Apple Bloom stepped forward and held out her hoof. "Nice to meet ya!" she said. "My name's Apple Bloom. I'm Applejack's little sis." Yoshi smiled as he shook the young filly's hoof. "Nice to meet you too, Apple Bloom." "I'm Scootaloo!" the small pegasus declared proudly, wearing a cocky grin. "Sweetie Belle, Rarity's younger sister," Sweetie Belle said as she offered her hoof, which Yoshi shook. Then the three fillies bunched up together, all smiling widely at Yoshi. "And we're..." Scootaloo announced dramatically. "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!" All three fillies jumped into the air, their hooves outstretched as they yelled out the name with pride. Twilight merely rolled her eyes in amusement while Yoshi looked on curiously. "Cutie Mark Crusaders?" he repeated, his eyebrow raised in confusion. Twilight nodded. "Have you ever noticed those special marks that ponies have?" she asked the dinosaur, gesturing to the six-pointed star that adorned her flank. "Those are what we call 'cutie marks.'" "We don't have ours yet, though," Apple Bloom added as she turned her head and looked behind her. "As Crusaders, our job is to help our fellow 'blank flanks' earn their cutie marks!" Scootaloo said, before her ears drooped in embarrassment. "Problem is, we're still having trouble trying to earn ours." "And how do you earn a cutie mark, exactly?" Yoshi asked. "It happens when a pony discovers something about them that makes them truly unique, be it a special talent or some other notable characteristic that they have," Twilight explained. "And a cutie mark is basically a reflection of that unique thing." "So we've been doing all kinds of stuff, hoping that one of them will earn us our cutie marks!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "That sounds really interesting!" Yoshi said with a grin. Twilight chuckled as she remembered all the trouble the three fillies had caused during their crusades. "You have no idea." The Crusaders circled around Yoshi, looking him over curiously. "You some kind of dragon or something?" Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow. "Where'd you come from?" "I'm a dinosaur, actually," Yoshi replied. "And I just showed up on Twilight's doorstep one night, still in my egg." "He's from another world," Twilight added with a small smile. "He's a Star Child, and he carries a powerful magic inside of him." The Crusaders' jaws dropped upon hearing that, and all three of them began crowding Yoshi, excitedly bombarding the flustered dinosaur with nonstop questions. "So you're some kind of alien?! That's so cool!" "Does that power of yours let you blow stuff up?!" "No wonder you're so adorable! Are there others like you out there?!" "WAHHHHH!!!" Yoshi squealed loudly as the Crusaders packed tightly around him, continuing to ask him questions. "Some personal space, please!" "Come on, girls," Twilight chuckled as she watched Yoshi waving his arms wildly, attempting to escape the Crusaders' grasp. "Give him some room." Her horn lit up, and she used her magic to separate the three fillies and Yoshi, who was trying to catch his breath. Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head, grinning sheepishly. "Heh... sorry 'bout that, Yoshi." Yoshi brushed some dirt off his legs and smiled. "It's no big deal," he assured them, waving his hand dismissively. "That Crusading stuff does sound really interesting, though!" "Really?" Scootaloo asked, looking confused. "No offense, but I'm not sure you'd be able to earn a cutie mark." "I'm actually talking about the 'helping others' part," Yoshi clarified. "Maybe I could help you out?" "Hmm..." Apple Bloom placed a hoof on her chin. "I don't see why not, honestly," she answered. "You want to be a Cutie Mark Crusader, Yoshi?" Yoshi smiled confidently and nodded his head. "Alright then," Scootaloo replied with a smile. "But we have a bit of a ceremony to go through before we can officially make you one. And we have some stuff to take care of first." "Oh right... what brings you three to the library?" Twilight asked the three fillies. "We were hoping you'd help us out with some schoolwork," Sweetie Belle replied. "We've got a test coming up on mixed fractions, and we haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet." Twilight grinned as she used her magic to grab a textbook from the shelf. "Well, I'll be glad to help you out with that!" she exclaimed happily. The Crusaders jumped up in joy. "Thanks, Twilight!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "No problem," Twilight answered, looking down at the three fillies and the dinosaur with a smile. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she got an idea. "Why don't you join us, Yoshi?" That question caught Yoshi completely off-guard, and he turned towards Twilight with a surprised look. "Whoa, really?" "I don't see why not," Twilight said with a shrug. "In fact, I'll try to see if we can enroll you in school." "School?" Yoshi repeated, his eyes widening. Twilight nodded. "It's possible for me to just home-school you myself, but I think enrolling you would be a better option," she explained. "That way, you can meet other children in your age group and try to make some friends yourself." "Yeah, like us!" Scootaloo added, playfully nudging Yoshi's arm. "And don't worry, Miss Cheerilee's really nice!" Apple Bloom grinned as she patted Yoshi's shoulder. "And the four of us can hang out together!" "Come on, it'll be a lot of fun!" Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Ahem..." Twilight cut in, opening her textbook with a smile. "Let's worry about that after we finish our lesson, alright?" Author's Note DISCLAIMER: I haven't actually read The Marked Thief of Marapore or The Forbidden City of Clouds yet. Chapter 6: Lucky Eggs"Don't get me wrong, I'd be very delighted to be his teacher, Princess." Cheerilee closed her gradebook and placed it on her desk before turning to Twilight. "But I'm just worried about how his classmates would react to him, since he'd be the only one in class who's not a pony," she explained. "Or even from Equestria, from what you've told me." "Still, I think a classroom environment would be better than homeschooling him," Twilight replied. "He'd be able to better develop his social skills by being with kids in his own age group. He's already close friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, actually." "Really?" Cheerilee asked, looking up in surprise. Twilight nodded with a smile. "Even as we speak, they're making him an official Cutie Mark Crusader. He may not be able to earn his own cutie mark, but he's willing to help others find theirs." Yoshi stood tall and proud inside the Crusaders' clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres. In front of him were Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, all of them wearing their Crusaders' capes. Sweetie Belle stood at the podium, reading off a scroll. "We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Yoshi the Dinosaur to join us as a sister, friend-" "Waitwaitwait..." Scootaloo interrupted, waving her hooves and shooting a bewildered look at Sweetie Belle. "'Sister'? Yoshi's not a girl!" "Hey, I'm just reading what you wrote!" Sweetie Belle replied, gesturing to the scroll. "Oh... right." Scootaloo nervously rubbed the back of her head as Sweetie Belle turned back towards Yoshi. "Alright... Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Yoshi to join us as a brother, friend, confidante, bosom buddy... hang on..." The young unicorn's voice drifted off, her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the rest of the speech. Apple Bloom sighed while Yoshi tried to keep smiling. "This is the same exact speech we gave Babs Seed!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, turning towards Scootaloo again with an annoyed look. "I thought you said you were gonna revise it!" "Who's Babs Seed?" Yoshi asked curiously. "My cousin, who lives in Manehattan," Apple Bloom answered as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle started bickering amongst themselves. "She's a Cutie Mark Crusader, just like we are!" "Heh, I'd really like to meet her!" Yoshi replied excitedly. "Well, we do have an Apple Family Reunion coming up soon that she'll be here for," said Apple Bloom. "How'd you like to join us?" Yoshi grinned. "Yeah, that sounds fun!" "Alright, I'll fix it when I get home!" Scootaloo exclaimed irritably as she snatched the scroll from Sweetie Belle's grasp and stuffed it underneath her cape. "Um..." The two Crusaders heard Apple Bloom and spun to face her. She was gesturing towards Yoshi with her hoof. The dinosaur was still trying to keep his face looking confident, but found it difficult under the current circumstances. "Oh... right." Flustered, Scootaloo handed the scroll back to an equally embarrassed Sweetie Belle. "Ahem..." The young unicorn cleared her throat and began hastily reading from the scroll, her eyes darting from side to side. "Crusaders, elect Yoshi to join us, blah blah blah... here we go... and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader!" Yoshi smiled as the three fillies clapped their hooves together, with Apple Bloom blowing on a noisemaker while Scootaloo whooped loudly. "Congratulations, Yoshi!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, tossing confetti in Yoshi's direction, followed by a bundle of red. Yoshi jumped up, grabbing the bundle with his tongue as he went. Spinning around, he unfurled his Crusader's cape, tying it around his neck in one smooth motion. The other Crusaders ran up to Yoshi as his feet hit the ground, cheering loudly as they hugged the dinosaur. "Yoshi!" he squealed in an excited, high-pitched voice before he could stop himself. The three fillies began giggling while a flustered Yoshi covered his mouth, his cheeks turning scarlet underneath his hands. "Whoa! You okay there, Yoshi?" Apple Bloom chuckled. "Yeah..." Yoshi replied as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure what came over me, I haven't sounded like that in a long time." "I think it's pretty cute!" Sweetie Belle replied with a reassuring smile. "Really?" Yoshi asked. Before Sweetie Belle could offer a response, Scootaloo grabbed Yoshi's arm and pulled him beside her. "So... got any ideas on how we should earn our cutie marks?" she asked, wearing a cocky grin on her face. "Uh..." Caught off guard by the sudden request, Yoshi scrambled to think of something. "Well..." he slowly began, placing a finger on his forehead and running some ideas through his brain. "I... um..." he stammered, his frown deepening with every word. "Hold on, now." Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Yoshi's shoulder and gave him a small smile. "No need to worry about that just yet. You're still new to this, after all." Yoshi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back. "Thanks, Apple Bloom." "Don't mention it," Apple Bloom replied. "So... anything you want to do to celebrate, Yoshi? It's our treat!" Yoshi opened his mouth, but before he could utter a single word, a loud grumble was heard coming from the dinosaur's stomach. As he looked down, the Crusaders covered their mouths, trying to stifle their giggles. Yoshi gave a small chuckle. "Um... you guys wouldn't happen to have any fruit on you, would you?" "Here you go!" Apple Bloom declared proudly, plopping a large basket on the picnic table outside the Crusaders' clubhouse. The sight of the fruit that filled the basket was enough to make Yoshi's mouth water. His tongue hung out of his mouth, and he was panting heavily like a dog. Sweetie Belle chuckled as she and the other Crusaders sat down at the table. "Go ahead, what are you waiting for?" she asked. Snapped out of his stupor, Yoshi's excited look turned into one of slight worry. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I'm a pretty big eater, and... well, I don't want to leave you guys without anything." "Don't worry about it," Scootaloo assured him, lifting up her hoof and revealing another picnic basket. "We're already set. You just focus on digging in." With a wide smile, Yoshi's tongue latched onto the melon at the top of his basket, and he swallowed it in one gulp. While the Crusaders started digging into the muffins they got from Sugar Cube Corner, Yoshi was busy devouring the fruit in front of him. Apple Bloom smiled as she watched Yoshi grab a handful of apples at once on his tongue and swallow them all. "Y'all really love apples, don't ya, Yoshi?" she said. "Applejack told me you practically emptied an entire basket of 'em when you first met her." Yoshi swallowed the apples before replying. "Y'know..." he said slowly. "I really love fruit, especially melons. They're my most favorite. Sometimes, though..." He took an apple in his hand and looked at it for a moment, his brow furrowed. "It's really strange." Scootaloo raised her eyebrow. "What is?" "I'm not sure why," Yoshi admitted, "but on some days, some fruits just taste really, really incredible. Like it's the absolute best thing I've ever eaten. Yet when I eat that same fruit on a different day... it just loses its flair for some reason. And whenever that happens, it's another fruit that tastes absolutely wonderful." "Huh," Apple Bloom said, eyeing the apple in Yoshi's hand. "And today it's apples?" "Eeyup," Yoshi answered as he tossed the fruit into the air and caught it on his tongue. "Yesterday it was grapes." On those words, he plucked some grapes out of the basket and shoved them into his mouth, swallowing them. Smacking his lips, he said, "Still tasty, just... not as tasty as they were yesterday." "Any guesses on what tomorrow's Lucky Fruit will be?" asked Sweetie Belle, chewing on her muffin. "Huh?" "Your Lucky Fruit," Sweetie Belle repeated, pointing to an apple. "The fruit that tastes the best when you eat it." Yoshi's mouth curled up into a small smile. "Lucky Fruit, eh?" he said, taking several different fruits out of his basket and weighing them in his hands. "Y'know... I'm hoping it's watermelons," he finally answered. "I absolutely love them." He shoved the entire thing into his mouth and gulped- *POP!* The sudden sound caused everyone to jump up in surprise. "What in tarnation was that?!" Apple Bloom blurted out. "I don't kn- WHOA!!!" As Yoshi took a step backwards, his foot caught on something and he fell backwards, landing on his back. "Oof! Ow..." he groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "Uh... where did that egg come from?" The dinosaur's eyes snapped open upon hearing Scootaloo's words. "Egg? What egg?" Looking down in front of him, he spotted it: a round, white egg with green spots and a black outline. And it was moving. "Okay, that's pretty freaky," Apple Bloom replied, staring at the egg with a bewildered look. "Aw, crud..." Yoshi muttered as he slowly backed away, hoping that this didn't mean what he thought it meant. As he moved, however, the egg started bouncing towards him on its own. "Uh... make that REALLY freaky," Scootaloo slowly said, watching as Yoshi tried in vain to put some distance between him and the egg. "Why's it following me?!" Yoshi yelled out as he scrambled to his feet and started running in circles around the picnic table, the egg bouncing along behind him. "Come on, I'm too young to be a father!" The Crusaders exchanged confused looks. "A father?" Sweetie Belle repeated. "Didn't he say he came out of an egg?" Apple Bloom pointed out. "Maybe that egg is his kid!" "But Twilight said he's only a few weeks old! How's he old enough to-?" *BOING! BOING! BOING!* "He's an alien, Sweetie Belle, remember? Maybe his species ages at a different rate than ponies do!" *BOING!* "Hi, Apple Bloom!" *BOING!* "Hi, Sweetie Belle!" *BOING!* "Hi, Scootaloo!" The three fillies looked up just in time to see a poofy pink mane bouncing past them. *BOING!* "Hi, Yoshi!" Pinkie Pie called out as the dinosaur sped past her, his arms outstretched and the egg on his heels. "Hi, bouncing egg!" *BOI-* The party pony froze mid-bounce, before zipping backwards into Yoshi's path. She held out her hoof, holding the still-running Yoshi in place as she gently moved him aside. "Hello... what do we have here?" Pinkie muttered, leaning forward to take a close look at the bouncing egg. "That thing just appeared out of nowhere and started followin' Yoshi around," Apple Bloom answered as she and the other Crusaders approached. "We dunno where it came from." "Hmm..." Pinkie Pie reached into her mane and pulled out an unusually large pair of goggles. Placing them over her eyes, she began walking around the egg, looking at it closely from every conceivable angle. "Very interesting..." "What is?" Scootaloo asked. Ignoring the young pegasus, Pinkie Pie grabbed Yoshi's fruit basket and plopped a watermelon in his hands. "Eat this," she said while continuing to examine the egg. Yoshi looked back and forth between the watermelon and the pink pony, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "Uh... say what?" "Hang on a minute," Apple Bloom said, raising her hoof and turning to the others. "That loud pop we heard came right after Yoshi gulped down a melon, didn't it? So maybe-" Scootaloo rolled her eyes and frowned. "Are you saying that eating FRUIT caused that egg to appear?" she scoffed. "Exactamundo," Pinkie Pie answered, never averting her gaze. "Pfft, don't be ridicu-" *POP!* The noise caught the attention of the three fillies, who began looking around wildly. Their eyes fell on Yoshi, who was no longer holding the watermelon. Instead, bouncing behind him was- "Another egg?!" Sweetie Belle blurted out in surprise. "Where'd that come from?!" "Um..." Yoshi twiddled his fingers nervously. "From that watermelon." "Aha!" Pinkie Pie lifted her goggles and clapped her hooves together, smiling smugly. "I knew it." Apple Bloom's jaw dropped. "Say what?" "I ate the watermelon, and that egg just... popped out of me," Yoshi explained, slowly turning his head towards the fruit basket. "Hmm... I wonder..." Opening his mouth, he grabbed an apple with his tongue and swallowed. As he gulped, a loud *POP!* sounded, and an egg was laid. The Crusaders stared wide-eyed at Yoshi and the three eggs bouncing behind him. "Whoa..." they all gasped. Faster than he could blink, the dinosaur found himself being mobbed again. "That's so cool, Yoshi!" "Eggs out of fruit?! Holy cow!" "Can I have one?!" "Yoshi!" Another voice called out, and everyone turned to see Twilight approaching them. "Hey, everypony! What's going..." Her voice drifted off as she spotted the eggs bouncing behind Yoshi. "Uh..." "Uh..." Yoshi glanced towards the eggs, sweat pouring down his face as he grinned nervously. Author's Note : *in Albert Wesker's voice* "YOU WILL GIVE ME AN EGG!" Chapter 7: BOOM! Egg Shot!"Huh… very interesting." Yoshi and the Crusaders had just finished recounting the events of their picnic while Twilight listened curiously, jotting down notes. "So you were laying eggs right after eating fruit?" she asked, her eyebrow raised. Yoshi gave a nod of his head. "That's strange…" the alicorn said as she placed her notebook and quill back into her saddlebag. "You've eaten enough fruit to fill up the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, but this is the first time this has happened- PINKIE PIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT EGG?!" Behind the four youngsters was Pinkie Pie, laying on her back as she juggled one of the eggs with her hooves. Rolling onto her hooves, she began bouncing the egg like a soccer ball against her back. Twilight's eyes widened as she snatched the egg mid-bounce with her magic. "What are you thinking, Pinkie Pie?!" she exclaimed loudly, waving her hooves wildly. "Why would you just juggle an egg around?! What if it breaks?!" Pinkie merely shrugged. "I just took a look at it, and I suddenly got this weird, sudden urge to just bounce it around, y'know?" "But what if it's a child?!" Twilight yelled. Her remark caused Yoshi to flinch nervously. He wasn't prepared to take on adult responsibilities just yet. "Nah, it's good," Pinkie Pie said with a wave of her hoof. "No egg babies here!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "And you know this, HOW, exactly?" "Hello?" Pinkie said, as if the answer was clearly obvious. She reached into her poofy mane and pulled out a pair of goggles with green lenses on them. "X-ray goggles!" "Pinkie, you got those from a cereal box, they don't actually- AHHHHH!!!" As Pinkie slipped the glasses over Twilight's eyes, the alicorn saw the x-ray glasses were, in fact, actual x-ray goggles. "Yeah, and the eggs don't have babies in them, just a whole bunch of glowy stuff!" Pinkie said as Twilight took a glance at the eggs. "Hang on... this looks a bit like... like magic," Twilight remarked, a look of surprise on her face. "But... how?" Yoshi took one of the eggs in his hands and looked at it, thinking for a moment. "You think it has something to do with my Star?" Twilight gave the goggles back to Pinkie and placed her hoof on her chin. "Probably. And honestly? This might sound crazy, but Pinkie might've been onto something." The Crusaders looked at Twilight with a dumbfounded expression. "Say what?" Apple Bloom replied. "What was she on about?" "Duh! She's talking about this!" With that, Pinkie grabbed an egg and casually lobbed it over her shoulder. What happened next, no one was expecting. The egg streaked through the air, slamming against the side of a tree. Instead of shattering upon impact, however, it ricocheted off into another direction with a loud *PEW!*, the green spots on the shell changing into a yellow color. "Wha...?" Twilight and the Crusaders watched with their jaws dropped as the egg shot in the direction of a fence. With another *PEW!*, it bounced off again towards another tree. "I don't believe this..." Scootaloo muttered, her eyes fixated on the projectile as it flew through the air, its spots now red. It slammed against the tree, exploding on impact with a loud *POP!*and stripping the target of its leaves. Yoshi and Twilight were incredibly dumbstruck, both of them watching the leaves fall from the branches, leaving them bare. "Uh... what just happened...?" Yoshi slowly said. "Did that egg just...?" Sweetie Belle murmured, now looking at the other eggs. Her curiosity piqued, Twilight began rummaging through her saddlebags for her notebook and quill. As she prepared to take more notes, she turned towards Yoshi. "Try giving one of those eggs a toss," she said, smiling eagerly like a schoolfilly. Yoshi hesitated at first. "Um... are you sure about this?" "There's something special about those eggs you laid," Twilight explained. "And you know how much I love an opportunity to learn more about you." Still skeptical, Yoshi nodded and took one of the eggs in his hand. As he held it, he felt something emanating from the egg. Something full of energy, almost like... Magic... is this what Twilight was talking about...? Hmm… Bouncing the egg in his hand to get a feel for it, Yoshi turned towards a series of bullseyes that Pinkie had pulled completely out of nowhere. His eyes narrowing, he took aim and threw the egg as hard as he could. The egg smashed against the first target, the spots turning yellow as it ricocheted towards the second one. Twilight was scribbling excitedly as the egg bounced off the second target and turned red. "This is incredible! I've never seen anything like this before!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders were just as awestruck as their eyes followed the egg. With a loud *POP!*, the egg smashed against the final target and exploded. “Did you just bank shot that egg?!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she turned towards Yoshi, who had his jaw hanging open in shock. “I wasn’t really trying to...” he murmured. “It just... happened.” The scratching of Twilight’s quill stopped for a brief moment as she looked up. “So that trick shot was unintentional, Yoshi?” she asked. “Interesting... you think it’s the egg’s magic that caused that, or perhaps it’s a natural ability that comes to you instinctively, without you really thinking about it?” "Who cares?!" Scootaloo exclaimed, earning an eye roll from Twillight. "That was so wicked! Let's see that again!" "Ooh!" Pinkie Pie squeaked as she grabbed the fruit basket and shoved it into Yoshi's hands. "I wanna see more explody bouncy eggs too!" Before Yoshi could respond, Twilight stepped up and took the basket with her magic. "Maybe later, okay?" she said. "I'm just as curious as you all are, but Yoshi and I need to take care of a few things first." Yoshi raised his eyebrow in confusion, as did the other Crusaders and Pinkie Pie. "What do you mean?" Twilight smiled at the Crusaders. "Let's just say… you girls just got a new classmate!" "Wait... you mean?!" Yoshi exclaimed excitedly, his mouth curling into a massive grin. Before he knew it, the Crusaders had tackled him in a group hug. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CLASSMATES, YAY!!!" the three fillies shouted. "That's right!" Twilight said with a smile, lighting up her horn and taking a scroll out of her saddlebags. "I talked to Miss Cheerilee, and she agreed to take you in as a student. You'll be starting next week!" "This is gonna be so awesome!" Scootaloo squealed. "The four of us, together in school! I can't wait!" "Congratulations, Yoshi!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, tossing confetti into the air. "This calls for a celebration!" Twilight raised her hoof. "Actually…" she said. "That can wait until later, okay Pinkie? Yoshi and I have some things to take care of first." Yoshi blinked. "We do?" Twilight nodded her head and unrolled the scroll she was holding. "We need to head into town and pick up your school supplies!" Yoshi's pupils shrank as the incredibly long list of supplies continued to unfurl. Sweetie Belle raised her eyebrow while Scootaloo looked over the list. "Uh…? Twilight? This seems a bit… excessive." "Note-taking notebook? Quiz-studying folder? POP QUIZ-TAKING QUILL?" Scootaloo read out loud, an incredulous look on her face. "I want to make sure he's prepared for anything," Twilight replied as she took the scroll in her magic. "Don't want to end up short-hoofed… er, handed!" Yoshi grinned nervously. This is gonna be a long afternoon… Author's Note Sorry for taking so long. I'll add more to this AN later when I'm not feeling so lazy. :P Chapter 8: Yoshi-Woshi and Auntie Rarity"Okay, is there anything else Yoshi needs?" Twilight asked as she strolled down the streets of Ponyville, checking a few items off her list. "Nah..." Spike replied with a strained voice. "I think he's set for the next five or so years of school." The dragon was carrying a comically large pile of shopping bags that wobbled with every step he took. All of the bags were stuffed full of various school supplies. Yoshi trotted alongside Twilight, also hauling a few bags on top of his saddle. "I think the only thing I need left is a saddlebag to carry my stuff in," the dinosaur told Twilight. "A saddlebag, hmmm?" Twilight answered back, bringing her hoof up to her chin in thought. "I think Rarity might be able to help with that. Clothes aren't the only things she designs, after all; she does accessories, too." "Hold up..." Spike interrupted as he came to a stop. "We're going to Carousel Boutique now?" "Yoshi and I will go," Twilight said as she rolled up her scroll. "Why don't you go drop everything off at the library? You can stop by the Boutique when you're done." "Ah..." Spike muttered as he buckled underneath the weight of the items he was carrying. "Alrighty then." Turning around, he began slowly trudging his way back to the library. Yoshi watched for a few seconds as Spike almost collided with a stallion who was rushing by. "Should we maybe give him a hand?" he wondered out loud. "He'll be fine," Twilight replied as she began leading the way to Carousel Boutique. "He's got pretty good arm strength for a baby dragon." I wonder how that happened... Yoshi thought to himself, a small amused grin on his face as he followed his mother. "Here we are!" Yoshi stared up at the building in front of them. "Carousel Boutique, huh?" he remarked. "I don't think I've ever been here before. This is where Rarity works?" "And lives," Twilight answered as the two of them approached the door. "She's an accomplished fashion designer, and she makes incredible outfits and accessories. She might be able to put together a great-looking saddlebag, made just for you." "Sounds pretty neat!" said Yoshi with a smile. "You think she might be able to come up with-?" *SLAM!* *CRASH!* "OOF!" "WAAAAHHHH!" Twilight gasped as the door swung open and a pony rushed outside, only to collide with Yoshi, knocking the both of them to the ground. "Omigosh, Yoshi!" she cried out as she rushed to the dinosaur and placed a hoof on his head. "Are you okay?" "Maamaaaa?" Yoshi babbled, his head and eyes rolling as stars circled around his head. "Agh..." the other pony muttered, rubbing her head. "Jeez, watch where you're going, dude!" Twilight narrowed her eyes. "The same could be said to you, Vinyl Scratch." "Yeah yeah..." the DJ answered as she levitated her signature sunglasses over her eyes. "Sorry about that, Spi-" But when she turned her head, she was greeted with the sight of Yoshi shaking his head. "Huh...?" Vinyl muttered, lifting her sunglasses and rubbing her eyes. "Jeez, what happened to you, Spike?" "Uh... what?" Yoshi said, raising his eyebrow in confusion as he held his head. "Vinyl, that's NOT Spike," Twilight answered with a frown as she helped Yoshi to his feet. "His name is Yoshi. And he's not a dragon, he's a dinosaur." Vinyl slowly got to her hooves and took a closer look at the young dinosaur. "Huh... ain't ever seen anything like him before. Especially with a schnoz that big. This dude some kinda alien?" "In a sense," said Twilight. "He's not from Equestria. He just showed up at my doorstep one night, so I decided to keep an eye on him." "Whoa. That's crazy." With a small grin, Vinyl approached Yoshi, extending her hoof to him. "Nice to meetcha, lil' alien dude. Name's Vinyl Scratch. Or DJ Pon-3, whichever you prefer." "Er... hi there, Vinyl," Yoshi slowly replied as he shook Vinyl's hoof. "What were you doing at Carousel Boutique anyways?" Twilight wondered out loud. Vinyl chuckled as she levitated her shopping bags. "Had to get some new duds for an upcoming show." "A show?" Yoshi repeated, his curiosity piqued. "Are you a performer?" Vinyl let out another chuckle as she adjusted her shades. "You're lookin' at the hottest DJ in all of Equestria, baby!" she declared loudly. "Nopony can drop sick beats and bass like DJ Pon-3 can!" Twilight smiled in amusement as she stepped up beside Yoshi. "Vinyl is an incredibly talented musician, mostly specializing in techno and pop. Though..." she added with a smirk, "she can get a bit carried away with it at times." Yoshi raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean, exactly?" Twilight rubbed Yoshi's head and simply replied, "Let's just say that anyone who lives with her will DEFINITELY need a pair of earplugs." Vinyl started rubbing the back of her head, laughing sheepishly. "Yeah... not everyone appreciates it when I crank the volume up all the way," she said before turning to Yoshi. "Anyways... why don't ya check out one of my gigs sometime down the line? Got an upcoming one in Ponyville a few weeks from now, if you're interested." Yoshi nodded his head eagerly. "Yeah, I'd like to see one!" Vinyl held out her hoof to Yoshi with a cocky grin. "Aw yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about! Er..." Her grin disappeared as Yoshi shook her hoof again. "Dude... what are you doing?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "Oh...!" Yoshi hurriedly let go of Vinyl's hoof, looking flustered. "I... er... um..." With a small chuckle, Twilight motioned to Yoshi. "Here, try this," she said, before turning to Vinyl and offering her a hoofbump. "Heh heh..." Yoshi chuckled nervously, before curling his hand into a fist and bumping Vinyl's hoof with it. "Sorry about that, Vinyl." "Eh, no biggie," Vinyl replied, adjusting her shades. "Anyways... gotta jet now. Stay cool, Yoshter." With a wave of her hoof, she grabbed her shopping bags. Levitating a pair of headphones out of one, she placed them over her ears and switched them on. Yoshi could easily make out the sound of an electric guitar screaming through them as Vinyl trotted away, singing "Just one guitar... slung way down low..." under her breath. "Well, that was interesting," Yoshi said as he watched the deejay. "And is it just me, or was that music she's listening to pretty loud?" Twilight let out a small chuckle as she led Yoshi towards the Boutique's entrance. "No music is too loud for her," she replied. "Let's just put it that way." The bell just above the door jingled as the two stepped into Carousel Boutique. Glancing around, Yoshi took notice of all the different outfits and accessories lining the sales floor and shelves, with the latest fashion trends prominently displayed at the center of the store. "This is where Rarity works?" Yoshi wondered out loud, his mouth agape at all the clothes around him. "And also where she lives," Twilight replied as she led Yoshi to the service desk. "If you need anything in the field of fashion, look no further than Rarity. Ooh... that looks cute," she added as she caught a glimpse of a nearby outfit. Yoshi couldn't help but giggle as Twilight took the outfit off the display and looked it over, before putting it back. "You have a fabulous day, dearie!" exclaimed Rarity as another satisfied customer left the service desk. Closing her eyes, she turned to the next guest in line. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique!" "Hello, Rarity," Twilight said. "Twilight! It's a pleasure to see you, darling!" said Rarity. "May I ask what brings you here on this fine day?" "Actually, we're here for Yoshi," Twilight explained as the small dinosaur hopped onto her back. "Yoshi!" Rarity squealed as she leaned over the counter to pat his head. "My... adorable as ever, I see!" "Thanks, Rarity," Yoshi said with a blush. Gesturing around him, he added, "This is the first time I've been here in Carousel Boutique... I'm pretty blown away." "Why, thank you, dear!" said Rarity with a proud look on her face. "This isn't the number one fashion boutique in Ponyville for nothing, after all! I poured my heart into this place, eager to help everypony look as fabulous as they possibly can! Now then..." She leaned over the counter with a grin. "May I ask what it is that brings you here today?" "Well... Twilight just enrolled me at Ponyville Elementary," Yoshi said. "I already got my supplies, I just need-" "Hold it!" Rarity interrupted, placing her hoof over Yoshi's mouth. "I know EXACTLY what you're looking for! Sappho!" A green earth pony with a long, black mane covering one of her eyes approached the counter. On her flank was a cutie mark of what looked like two heart-shaped crosses. "Yes, Rarity?" she said coolly. "Can you be a dear and cover for me while I head into the studio?" asked Rarity as she levitated Yoshi onto her back and patted his head. "I need to help little Yoshi-Woshi here get ready for his first day of school!" "Sure thing," Sappho replied. With a smooth grin and a mane flip, she stepped behind the counter and turned towards Yoshi, winking at him. "'Sup?" "Er... nothing much," Yoshi replied with a bewildered look on his face as Rarity led him towards the back. Raising her eyebrow in confusion, Twilight followed the giggling fashionista. "Uh... Rarity...? What are you-?" "Oh, this is going to be exciting!" Rarity exclaimed, stars in her eyes. "Mark my words, Yoshi... Auntie Rarity will make sure that you look abso-LUTE-ly MAG-NIF-IQUE for your first day of school! Everypony will be swooning over you, you will be the center of attention! I've never designed outfits for a creature like you before... I have so many wonderful ideas! It'll certainly be tricky, but what do I say? I say, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" "Wait, WHAT?!" both Twilight and Yoshi exclaimed, the latter's eyes shrinking to the size of ants. "Rarity, wait!" Twilight called out as she galloped up to the white unicorn. "We don't need outfits, we just need a saddlebag!" But Rarity was too lost in her excitement to notice. "Ooh! I just absolutely cannot WAIT!" she squealed as she opened the door to her studio and stepped inside. "I've got a bad feeling about this," Yoshi muttered to himself. "Oh dear..." With a look of worry on her face, Twilight followed the two into the back, the door closing behind her. The bell rang as the entrance to Carousel Boutique opened. Spike stepped inside, massaging his sore arms. "Jeez, Twilight," he grumbled. "You might as well have bought supplies for the entire class. Hopefully, I won't have to do more heavy lifting." He looked around the store for a sign of Yoshi, Twilight, and Rarity, pausing once he caught sight of Sappho sitting at the service desk. "Huh..." Spike approached the desk and tapped the bell with his claw. Her ears perking up, Sappho looked up from the comic book she was reading. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, how may I help you?" she asked. "You wouldn't happen to know where Rarity is, would you?" Spike wondered out loud. "She's in the back with a client," Sappho replied. "If you're here to flirt with her, please come back after business hours." "WHAT?!" Spike shouted, a flustered look on his face as his cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "I... er... well, I... that's not what I- HEY!" Sappho let out a small chuckle. "Just kiddin'. Don't get your tail in a twist." Spike crossed his arms with a frown and a huff. "This client wouldn't happen to be Twilight and a green dinosaur with a large nose, would it?" he grumbled. "Yep," Sappho answered, gesturing to the back before continuing to read her comic book. "You're welcome." Taking a moment to stick his tongue out at Sappho, Spike made his way towards the back of the store. As he approached Rarity's studio, he could make out a series of crashing sounds, accompanied by panicked yelling and a familiar "WAAAAHHHH!!!" "Aw crap," Spike muttered, his eyes widening as he bolted through the door. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Twilight asked with a nervous grin. Yoshi just let out a sigh as he followed Twilight back to the library. "That was a bit... much," he answered slowly. "At least we got my saddlebags, though." Sure enough, a pair of white saddlebags were draped over his back, each one decorated with green spots. "And it was really nice of Rarity to give it to you for free, along with all the outfits she made for you," Twilight continued as she gestured to one of the bags she was carrying. Sticking out from inside was a red cap decorated with a small Yoshi egg in the center above the brim. "Yeah... whatever," Spike grumbled. His arms buckled underneath the weight of the giant stack of bags he was carrying, all of them containing various outfits for Yoshi. With a small chuckle, Twilight levitated a several bags off the top of the stack. "Sorry about that, Spike," she said, offering a few of them to Yoshi to carry.
Chapter 1: Shooting StarPonyville. This small town in the land of Equestria was quiet tonight underneath the light of Princess Luna’s moon. The night sky was filled with bright stars, with the occasional shooting star flying by. One star in particular, however, was streaking towards the ground, in the direction of Golden Oaks Library. As it got nearer, the star began to slow down, as if controlled by another force. The intense glow began to slowly fade as the star gently floated down, landing softly on the library’s front step. As the glow died down, revealing a small basket, a gentle knocking could be heard against the library’s door… Princess Twilight Sparkle sat in her room, stacks of paper surrounding her desk. Despite no longer being the student of Princess Celestia, the lavender alicorn never stopped studying. And tonight was no different as she rummaged through her notes, comparing them to the books she was referencing. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as the gears in her head turned, waiting to be clicked into place by an epiphany. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Hmm…” Twilight muttered to herself, ignoring the knocking against the library’s door. “Star Swirl the Bearded banished those Sirens to another realm, we know that. The question is… where exactly did he send them?” Turning towards a textbook floating beside her, she began flipping through pages, stopping at a picture of a giant mirror. “This is what he used to banish them, but it doesn’t say anything about where it leads…” KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Spike! Can you get that?” Twilight called out. The bedroom door slowly creaked open, revealing a small baby dragon clutching a blanket and a small plushie of a white unicorn. “Ugh…” Spike groaned, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Can’t you get it?” “I’m kinda busy right now, Spike,” Twilight answered, floating up a few more books and flipping through them. “So was I,” Spike grumbled under his breath as he descended the stairs with a yawn. He approached the library’s front door, opening it. “I’m sorry, but we’re clo-” Spike cut himself short upon seeing that nopony was at the door. Frowning, he turned to Twilight. “You sure you heard someone?” “I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t,” Twilight answered, never taking her eyes off the books surrounding her. Clenching his teeth, Spike stuck his head out of the doorway. “You pranksters think this is funny, huh?!” he shouted, shaking his fist angrily. Just as he was about to slam the door, though, something caught his eye. “Huh? What’s this?” he muttered to himself as he crouched down, taking a closer look at the small basket sitting on the front step. Inside the basket sat a bundle of blankets, and it looked like there was something was underneath it. “Hey, Twilight!” Spike called out. “Come here, I think you need see this!” “Whatever it is, it can wait until later,” Twilight replied bluntly as she continued reading. “Uh… no, this really can’t wait,” Spike answered back, taking a step back as he noticed the basket wobble a bit. “Somepony left a basket on the doorstep… and it’s wobbling.” That caught the alicorn’s attention. “What?” she said, lowering the book she was reading. She looked towards the entrance and noticed the wobbling basket just outside her door. “What in Equestria…?” she muttered, placing the books aside on a massive stack next to her table. Jumping off her chair, she walked up to the front door towards the basket. “Who left this here?” Twilight wondered out loud, leaning out the doorway. But the streets of Ponyville were completely empty, and there wasn't the slightest sign of anypony leaving in a hurry. Turning her attention back to the basket on her doorstep, she suddenly noticed something stuck to the side. “Wait... there’s a note here,” she said, raising her eyebrow. “A note?” Spike asked curiously as Twilight lit up her horn, removing the note and inspecting it. After reading it to herself, however, she only ended up looking even more puzzled. “Um… well, this is strange.” “What? What does it say?” Spike asked, jumping up and trying to read the note. “Listen to this,” Twilight replied, lowering the note so Spike could read it. Dear Princess of Friendship, You may not know who we are, but we have heard so many great things about you, and you’re the only one we can trust. Our home in the Mushroom Kingdom is under attack against a dangerous enemy, Lord Koopa. We’ll do our very best to stop him, but until then, we’re leaving our Little Yoshi in your care. If anything should happen to us, and we don’t return… please take good care of our little dinosaur. We love him more than anything in the world, and we know he is destined for greatness. “Mushroom Kingdom? Lord Koopa? Yoshi?” Spike repeated, looking just as confused as Twilight. "What's this all about?" “I don't know, Spike,” Twilight said, now focusing her attention on the basket. “But it sounds like whoever wrote this left their child here. I'll take a look.” Very slowly, she lit up her horn, lifting the blanket off the bundle it was covering. “Whoa…” she muttered with a bewildered look on her face. “This is really bizarre, I’ve never seen anything like this.” “Hey! What’s the kid look like?” Spike asked, climbing onto Twilight’s back in order to get a better view. “It’s… an egg,” Twilight answered slowly. “But that’s not the strange part. It… it looks like it’s… asleep.” “Asleep?” Spike repeated with a scoff. “How can an egg be asleep?” Leaning out from behind Twilight’s head, he caught a glimpse inside the basket and got his answer. Sure enough, an egg lay inside, slightly larger than a typical dragon egg like the one Spike was hatched from. A white shell decorated with a few large, green polka-dots protected the creature inside. But somehow, there was a black outline surrounding the egg that would always be visible, no matter which angle Twilight and Spike looked at it from. What stood out the most, however, was the fact that the egg seemed to be alive. The egg inflated and deflated slightly with a very slow but steady rhythm, almost like it was breathing. And the way it was “breathing” certainly gave the impression that it was “sleeping.” “Okay… this is weird,” Spike said slowly, looking flabbergasted. “How is it doing that?” “I have no idea, Spike,” Twilight replied. “Let me try something.” Closing her eyes in concentration, the alicorn lit up her horn, focusing on the egg. She remained still for a few moments, her brow furrowed as she examined the egg. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she let out a gasp. “Whoa! What is it, Twi?” said Spike. “I… the egg…” Twilight murmured, glancing towards the egg with a curious expression. “Whatever this Yoshi is… there’s some incredibly powerful magic inside of him.” “What kind of magic?” “It’s definitely not from Equestria,” Twilight answered, never taking her eyes off the sleeping egg. “But I get the feeling that he has the potential to do great things.” “Pfft.” Spike rolled his eyes. “You're just repeating what the letter said." “I’m not just saying that, Spike. I’m being serious here,” Twilight replied sternly. “I can’t really explain why I feel that way about him, I just do.” “Uh huh,” Spike said as he jumped off Twilight’s back, clearly not convinced. “So… got any ideas?” “Hmm…” Twilight thought to herself for a few moments, until she lit up her horn. “I guess we’ll just have to look after him for the time being,” she said as she levitated the basket with great care. “Whoever his parents are, they must’ve left him with me for a reason. And we can’t just abandon him when he’s got nowhere else to go.” “And what if he hatches before they get back?” Spike wondered out loud, following Twilight into the library as she shut the door behind her. Twilight gently lowered the basket beside her as she began magically pulling books from shelves around the room. “That’s why I’m gonna try to look into what kind of creature this Yoshi is,” she answered as the books orbited around her and she began flipping through pages. “Hold up a second, Twilight,” Spike interrupted, holding up his hand. “Didn’t you say he’s not from Equestria? How do you expect to find anything about him?” “It doesn’t hurt to try,” Twilight replied as she began flipping through pages in another book. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll find something.” “Eh, suit yourself,” Spike replied with an eye roll as he gathered up his blanket and plushie. Climbing up the stairs to Twilight’s bedroom, he shut the door behind him. Twilight paused for a moment, looking down at the sleeping egg in the basket beside her. As strange as that is… she thought to herself, it’s kinda adorable. With a small smile, she pulled a small blanket over the egg, just like she did with Spike when she was a young filly. “Good night, Yoshi,” she whispered softly as she turned her attention back to the books surrounding her. Author's Note A small side project I'm working on with a friend of mine. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Sunset-Do-Well!
Chapter 2: "Yoshi!""Hey! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called out as she stepped into the library. "We were supposed to start that picnic a half-hour ago! Where are you?" Closing the door behind her, the pegasus glanced around the room. Piles of books were stacked everywhere, and in the middle of the room, her head resting on top of an open book, was Twilight. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Of course the egghead's been studying all night," she muttered as she trotted up to the alicorn and began shaking her shoulder. "C'mon Twilight, wake up." "Ugh..." Twilight groaned as she slowly lifted her head from her makeshift pillow. Taking a moment to rub her eyes, she took a glance around her and spotted Rainbow Dash standing beside her. "Rainbow Dash...?" she mumbled, trying to resist the urge to fall back asleep. "What're you doin' here...?" "The picnic we had planned for today?" an unamused Rainbow Dash answered. "Don't tell me you forgot all about it!" Twilight blinked for a few moments, not responding until her eyes snapped wide open in realization. "Gah!" she blurted out as she flew out of her chair and began panicking. "Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about it!" "How in Equestria did you even forget?!" Rainbow Dash asked as he watched the alicorn zip around the room in a hurry. "Research!" "Yeah, I figured THAT out," the pegasus snapped. "What were you even researching?" "I was trying to find out about Yoshi-" The alicorn froze as another thought crossed her mind. "Wait... Yoshi! Where is he?" she barked as she flew down and checked the basket beside her chair. Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow. "Uh... what?" "Oh sweet Celestia, he's not here!" Twilight shouted worriedly after emptying the basket and finding nothing but blankets inside. Rainbow Dash groaned. "Hey egghead, you mind filling me in on what's going on, or am I gonna have to ask Pinkie Pie?" "Jeez, calm down, Twilight!" a voice interrupted. The two ponies turned towards the bedroom stairs where Spike was standing, looking at Twilight with an annoyed expression. And cradled in his arms, safe and sound asleep, was Yoshi's egg. "Uh... heh heh..." Twilight gave a nervous look at Rainbow Dash, who responded with a frown before pointing at the egg. "I'm assuming that's what you were having a meltdown over?" Rubbing the back of her head, Twilight sheepishly nodded. "Don't worry, Twilight," Spike reassured her as he approached her and lifted the egg up so she could get a look at it. "He's just been sleeping with me." "But I could've sworn he was-" Twilight began as she pointed to the overturned basket beside her. "The little guy must've had a nightmare, he was shaking so badly when he woke me up," Spike explained as he looked down at the egg with a small smile. "So I decided to let him sleep with me." "Um... Spike?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, pointing at the egg. "Last time I checked, eggs can't move on their own." At that moment, the egg moved on its own. It jumped out of Spike's hands onto the floor towards Rainbow Dash, who leapt back in surprise. "YIKES!!!" she shrieked as she fell over, backing away from the egg as it hopped eagerly towards her. "That egg! It's... it's...!" "Aww... I think he likes you, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said with a heartfelt smile while Spike fell over, trying to hold back his laughter. "Is this another one of your sick experiments, Twi?!" Rainbow snapped as she backed into a bookcase, the egg closing in on her. "Actually, we found him on the doorstep late last night," Twilight told her. "Someone left him with me to look after him. That's why I've been researching him. Or... tried to, at least." "'Tried to'?" Twilight levitated a book from the top of a stack beside her and began flipping through the pages. "I must've looked through the entire library, but I couldn't find a single thing about Yoshi," she explained before closing the book and setting it beside her. "But in retrospect, I should've expected this. He's not from Equestria, after all." "Well, that's TOTALLY reassuring, Twi!" Rainbow shouted sarcastically as the egg hopped onto her stomach and began happily bouncing in place. "Now how about we get this mutant egg off me?!" As she shouted, the egg suddenly stopped bouncing. It remained motionless for a few moments on top of Rainbow as Twilight and Spike approached. "I think you hurt his feelings," Spike said slowly as he crouched down beside the egg, looking a bit nervous. "Well, if it starts bawling, I'm outta here," Rainbow grumbled, giving an irritated look at the polka-dotted mass on her stomach. That's when it began to wobble. Everypony in the room froze, staring intently as the wobbling continued. "Uh... what's happening?" Rainbow asked, suddenly looking nervous. "I... I think it's hatching," Twilight murmured, her eyes wide in wonder as a small crack formed on the shell's surface. "Oh boy..." Rainbow muttered under her breath, bracing herself in case the creature breaking out of the egg tried to claw at her face. As small cracks continued to appear, one large, horizontal crack was widening, creeping along the surface of the egg. All three of the room's occupants held their breath, until the egg finally split into two halves. "Here it comes..." Twilight whispered excitedly. The top half of the eggshell slowly rose as the creature inside got his first glimpse of the outside world. He poked his head out, causing Twilight, Spike, and even Rainbow Dash to smile warmly at the sight of him. "Awww... he's adorable!" Twilight exclaimed. He looked almost like a baby dragon in appearance, despite the letter claiming he was a dinosaur. His skin was green, with a white belly and orange spikes running down the back of his head. His cheeks were white, with a large green nose taking up most of his head. Mounted on his back was what looked like an unusually small, red turtle shell. A pair of dark blue eyes looked out from just above and behind his nose. The thing about him that stood out the most, however, was an incredibly happy, unwavering smile. A smile to rival even Pinkie Pie's. And the sight of that smile was too much for the other occupants of the room to handle. Upon hearing the alicorn's remark, the creature turned his head towards her, grinning widely before opening his mouth. "Yoshi!" he squealed happily in a high-pitched, baby-sounding voice. "Whoa," Spike said, looking slightly amused. "That dragon can talk?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out in disbelief, trying her hardest not to succumb to the cuteness. "Actually, he's not a dragon," Spike pointed out with a smirk as Rainbow's jaw dropped. "He's a dinosaur." "And he said his own name!" Twilight cried out, clapping her forehooves together. "That's so cute!" Rainbow Dash frowned. "That's all fine and dandy... now how about getting him off me?!" she shouted. Surprisingly, Yoshi wasn't startled at all; he only smiled at the pegasus instead, who quickly turned away. "Oh, right!" Twilight replied apologetically as she lit up her horn. Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief as Yoshi, still in the remains of his egg, was levitated off her. "Ugh... finally," she muttered, getting to her hooves. "Yoshi!" the newborn exclaimed again as he touched down onto the library floor. And as he said that, a small glow appeared above his head, inciting wide-eyed looks of wonder from Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow. "Whoa..." Rainbow and Spike murmured at the same time. "What in Equestria...?" Twilight wondered out loud, trying to make out the object that was slowly forming above Yoshi's head. "What is that...?" "That, Princess Twilight Sparkle... is a Star." Everypony turned in surprise as a familiar voice spoke out from the library's doorway, where the two rulers of Equestria were now standing. "Princess Luna! Princess Celestia!" Twilight gasped as they entered the room. "What are you...?" "Last night, I sensed an incredible, powerful magic entering Equestria from another world," Princess Luna explained. "And it comes from the Star that this young one holds." She held up her forehoof, pointing towards the young hatchling in the middle of the room. "What?!" Twilight's jaw dropped as she turned towards Yoshi. He was smiling widely as Princess Celestia slowly approached him, but the thing that caught Twilight's attention was the glowing object that was now clearly visible above his head. Princess Celestia looked down at Yoshi with a warm smile. "Welcome to Equestria... ...Star Child."
Chapter 3: Mother of a Star"Star Child?" "That is correct, Twilight," Princess Luna answered as she stepped up beside her older sister, the two alicorns looking down at the young hatchling. "You notice the Star floating above his head, do you not? That is the source of his power." "Whoa..." Twilight kept her eyes on the object floating just above Yoshi's head until it vanished, disappearing into his body. As it did so, the dinosaur giggled happily. "Wait..." Rainbow Dash took a step back, eyeing Yoshi with a worried look. "What kind of power are we talking, exactly?" "That, even I do not know, Rainbow Dash," Princess Celestia replied. "But what I can tell you is that is a special power, one that'll allow him to achieve amazing and great things." "Pfft..." Rainbow Dash scoffed, clearly not impressed with the Princess's answer. "That's reassuring. And if he's not from Equestria, then where'd he even come from?" "Wait... the letter!" With a flash, Twilight teleported to her desk and began rummaging through it. "Come on... here it is!" She levitated a scroll of parchment and ran over to Princess Celestia. "This was with his basket when he arrived." "Hmm..." Princess Celestia's brow furrowed as she took the letter and began reading it, with Princess Luna looking over her shoulder. "I see..." she muttered. "So his homeland is in danger, and he was sent here for protection..." She raised her eyebrows as a thought occured to her. "But this is curious." "What is?" Rainbow Dash asked, cocking her head to the side. "According to this letter, whoever sent the child to us knows about Princess Twilight's accomplishments," Princess Luna answered, placing her forehoof on her chin in thought. "But at the same time, Yoshi is clearly from a world completely different to ours. So how they know about Equestria is indeed a mystery." "You think Discord had anything to do with it?" Twilight asked. "I'll ask him the next time I see him," Princess Celestia answered firmly, rolling up the scroll and levitating it towards Twilight. "But for now, all we can do is honor the wishes of Yoshi's parents and take care of him until they return." "I'll watch over him," Twilight promptly declared, grabbing the scroll with a determined look on her face. "His parents entrusted him to me, after all." She then turned to Yoshi, grinning widely. "You hear that, Yoshi?" she exclaimed playfully. "You get to live with us in Ponyville! How does that sound?" "Yoshi!" the dinosaur cried out happily, jumping up and down excitedly before hopping out of his shell and sprinting towards Twilight with his arms outstreched. The Princesses smiled warmly as he hugged Twilight's foreleg, nuzzling it gently with his nose. "Aw... that's just adorable," Spike muttered, crossing his arms with a smug smile. "It's almost like he thinks you're his mother, Twilight." Twilight merely chuckled and lowered her head, allowing Yoshi to nuzzle her cheek. Rainbow Dash, however, was focused on something else. "He wears shoes?" she blurted out in disbelief. Sure enough, a pair of bright orange shoes were covering the hatchling's feet. Twilight lifted her head slightly and looked down. "Huh," she muttered upon seeing Yoshi's shoes. "That's a bit strange, I'll admit." "Princess Twilight?" Twilight raised her head as a piece of paper was levitated towards her, courtesy of Princess Celestia's magic. "This was inside his egg. It's... it's from his parents." As Yoshi continued to nuzzle Twilight's leg, the alicorn took the letter and quickly read its contents. "Yoshi the Dinosaur... We love you more than anything in the world. Make us proud." And right below the writing were a pair of what looked like pawprints, presumably from Yoshi's parents. "Yoshi the Dinosaur..." Twilight repeated, looking down at the hatchling with a sad smile. "We'll take care of him. We promise," she said as she gently brushed the back of Yoshi's head with her free hoof. Princess Celestia cleared her throat, catching everypony's attention. "My sister and I must be off now," she said as she approached the library door, Princess Luna right behind her. "I trust you'll let us know how everything is going with him, Twilight?" "Of course, Princess," Twilight answered with a nod. Satisfied, Princess Celestia turned to the dinosaur standing beside her, giving him a warm smile. "Farewell, Star Child," she said, catching his attention. Yoshi turned towards the doorway as the two elder alicorns spread their wings. "Yoshi!" he called out as they took off into the sky, rocketing towards Canterlot. Yoshi ran outside, coming to a stop as he looked up towards the sky at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, his tail wagging with excitement. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Alright, Yoshi," she said, catching the dinosaur's attention. "Come inside, we've got some things to take care of." "Hold it, Twi!" Rainbow Dash shot out, screeching to a halt in front of Twilight as she prepared to step inside. "Aren't you forgetting something?" "Huh?" Twilight raised her eyebrow in confusion, resulting in an impatient groan from Rainbow Dash. "The picnic! Our friends are at the park already!" she shouted, throwing her hooves up in exasperation. Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh right!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "I'm so sorry about-" "Yoshi!" The excited squeal caught the attention of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Spike, who all turned towards the source. Yoshi was still looking out at the town of Ponyville, his eyes sparkling with wonder as he spun around, taking in the sights around him. Watching him, Twilight suddenly got an idea. "Hey Yoshi! How about we introduce you to the rest of my friends?" "Yoshi!" Author's Note I'll explain what's going on with my two stories later in a blog post. But for now, here's Chapter 3 of "The Star Child"!
Chapter 4: Smell Apples, Eat Apples"Come on..." Applejack grumbled underneath her breath as she took another glance around the park. "They should've been here by now! What's takin' 'em so long?" Rarity lifted her sunhat, glancing out from her resting spot at the base of a nearby tree. "Do be patient, Applejack," she replied as she levitated out a hoof filer. "I'm sure they'll be here soon." "But it's not like Twi to be this late to one of our get-togethers," Applejack pointed out as she gave up her search and returned to the picnic area. "I highly doubt she just forgot about it, and even if she did, she should've been rushin' up here by now after Rainbow reminded her." "I wonder what happened," Fluttershy murmured, scattering some seeds around for the nearby birds to feed on. Pinkie Pie suddenly zipped up to Fluttershy in a flash, causing the birds to scatter and Fluttershy to give her an annoyed look. "Maybe Twilight was visited last night by an extra-terrestrial!" Pinkie blurted out. Everypony in the vicinity simply stared at Pinkie Pie with blank looks on their faces. Rarity rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, darling," she sighed. "What even gave you that idea?" "Just a hunch," Pinkie simply answered, pointing her forehoof at the bridge across from her. Everypony else looked in that direction, and started grinning upon seeing two approaching figures. "Twilight! Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out, waving her forehoof. "Hey guys!" Twilight called out, trotting up to the picnic area with Rainbow Dash and Spike beside her, and saddlebags hanging from her sides. "Sorry we're late, I got a bit caught up in something." "Yeah... something BIG," Rainbow Dash added. "Is that so?" Applejack replied with a smug grin as she held up a basket. "Well then, how about you tell us about it over-" "Yoshi!" That sudden squeal resulted in a small yelp from Fluttershy, Applejack dropping her basket in surprise, and Rarity accidentally scuffing up her hoof with her filer, her eyes widening in horror. "What in tarnation was that?!" Applejack exclaimed. Twilight simply chuckled and tilted her head sideways, revealing the source of the noise: a small, green creature riding on her back. "Guys, meet Yoshi the Dinosaur," she said as the others slowly approached, looking on in awe. "Uh... Yoshi?" Applejack muttered with a puzzled look. "Is that thing wearing... shoes?" Rarity remarked, pointing at Yoshi's feet. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest!" Fluttershy zoomed up to Yoshi, grinning widely as she leaned in closely, petting the dinosaur's head. "I've never seen a creature as adorable as you before!" Yoshi giggled in delight as Twilight slowly levitated him off her back and onto the ground in front of Fluttershy. "Yoshi!" he squealed again. "Awww!!! And his voice!" Fluttershy giggled as she crouched down to eye level. "That's just precious!" "What kind of creature is that?" Applejack asked Twilight as the animal caretaker continued gushing over Yoshi. "Some sort of dragon or somethin'? Where'd he even come from?" "He's a dinosaur," Twilight explained. "He showed up at the library last night in an egg, and he just hatched a short while ago. As for where he came from... he's from a completely different world, actually." "I knew it," Pinkie muttered. "A different world?" Rarity repeated, her eyes widening. "But what's he doing in Equestria?" "His home world's under attack," Twilight told her. "His parents sent him here to protect him, since he carries an incredibly powerful magic inside of him. The Princesses already know about him, actually. They dropped by the library earlier." "Who's a cute dinosaur? Who's a cute dinosaur?" Fluttershy was playfully tickling Yoshi's belly as he lay on his back, laughing and waving his arms. "Well, ain't that just the sweetest thing," Applejack replied with a warm smile as she watched the two of them play. Then suddenly, Yoshi stopped squirming as he sat up straight and began looking around him, with a slightly puzzled look on his face. "Oh dear..." Fluttershy's playful expression turned into one of concern as she leaned in close. "Is something wrong, Yoshi?" "Yoshi," the dinosaur simply said as he continued looking around. "Do you know what's happening with him, Twilight?" Rarity asked nervously. Twilight shook her head. "I couldn't find anything at all about him," she said. "I don't know if it's a species-related thing, or if his power sensed something, or-" *grumble* Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, you're just hungry," she said gently, touching Yoshi's stomach and feeling the rumble underneath her forehoof. Yoshi's response was a nod of his head. Twilight slapped her forehead. "Oh right... you haven't eaten yet, have you?" "But what does he even eat?" Spike wondered out loud. "I don't think that letter said anything about that, did it?" "Ooh! How about some cupcakes?" Pinkie Pie was about to reach into the tree and grab a hidden stash, until Twilight pulled her back with a disapproving look. "Not until we learn more about his species' diet," she replied sternly. "You don't have anything on him, remember?" Rainbow Dash scoffed as she reached into Applejack's dropped basket. "How else are we supposed to figure out what he eats?" Yoshi's head suddenly snapped upwards, catching everyone's attention. "Okay, now what's he doing?" Rarity asked. "What is it, Yoshi?" Fluttershy said, looking at the dinosaur in concern. Yoshi remained motionless for a few more moments, until suddenly, his nose began to bulge slightly, accompanied by... "Ooh!" Fluttershy let out a grin as she suddenly realized what was happening. "I think he smells something!" Sure enough, Yoshi's giant nose was sniffing the air, having picked up a delicious scent. He began wandering around, following the smell as everypony watched. Suddenly, his head snapped in the direction of Rainbow Dash, and he slowly approached her, continuing to sniff. "Uh... what's he doing?" Rainbow Dash asked with a nervous look. Suddenly, Yoshi's nose stopped twitching, and his eyes widened. "Yoshi!" he squealed, pointing at Rainbow Dash... or more specifically, the apple she was holding in her forehoof. Rainbow gazed down at the object she was holding. "You mean this?" she said as she began moving her forehoof around. Yoshi's gaze was firmly locked onto the apple as it moved, his lips smacking and drool coming out of his mouth. "Of course," Applejack chuckled as she shook her head and reached into her basket. "Who doesn't love the freshly-picked goodness of Sweet Apple Acres? Hold on a sec while I get you-" *SLURP! CHOMP!* Everyone's jaws dropped as they began looking back and forth between Yoshi and Rainbow Dash's now-empty forehoof. The cyan pegasus's pupils shrank to the size of ants as she continued staring down at her hoof, still trying to process what just happened. "Did he just...?" Twilight muttered slowly. "Uh..." Applejack's hoof was still in her basket as she very slowly pulled it out, staring at Yoshi the entire time. Keeping her hoof steady, she held out an apple. Yoshi looked at it for a few seconds, then his mouth opened... ...and a long tongue snatched the apple right off Applejack's hoof and into his mouth, swallowing the entire thing in one gulp. Applejack quickly pulled her hoof back. "Whoa nelly..." "That's a LONG tongue..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she grabbed another apple from the basket. She raised it to her mouth... *SLURP! CHOMP!* ...and bit down on nothing. "What the...?!" she blurted out, turning towards Yoshi with a glare. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" she challenged as she grabbed another apple from the basket, only to have Yoshi snatch it up. "Pfft..." Twilight giggled as she pulled a notebook and quill out of her saddlebags and began jotting down notes. "'Loves... apples...'" she muttered, watching as Yoshi kept eating apples right out of Rainbow Dash's hooves. "'Has a... huge... appetite...'" "How'd ya like them apples?" Applejack teased as Rainbow lost yet another apple. Eyes narrowing, Rainbow Dash snatched up the basket and flew up to the tree branch above her. "Ha! Let's see you eat these now!" she taunted as she held out an apple, before taking a huge bite out of it and tossing the core aside. Puffing up his cheeks, Yoshi jumped as high as he could, but not high enough to reach the branch. He tried a few more times, but kept falling short. An annoyed Rarity crossed her arms. "Seriously, Rainbow Dash?" "Hold on a sec, Rare..." Applejack nudged the fashionista's shoulder and pointed to Yoshi, who was still trying to jump onto the branch. This time, though, he was waving his arms and legs wildly. And somehow, not only was he floating in the air, he was slowly rising. "Hey Twi... get a load of this," Applejack muttered, nudging the alicorn's shoulder. Twilight looked up from her notebook and her eyes widened. "Whoa... how's he doing that?" she gasped. "Keep it down, Twi," Applejack interrupted, a mischievous grin on her face. "Don't spoil it yet." Rainbow Dash, oblivious to what was going on, snickered as she threw aside another apple core, her eyes closed in satisfaction. *SLURP! CHOMP!* Rainbow Dash reached into the basket for another apple, but felt nothing. Her eyes snapped open as she picked up the container and found it completely empty. "How in the...?!" she yelled out. "Yoshi!" Rainbow's eyes widened as she slowly lowered the basket and found the culprit: a small, green dinosaur standing in front of her, smiling as he patted his stomach. "You've gotta be kidding me," Rainbow deadpanned. "Alright, that's enough," Twilight chuckled as her horn lit up and she gently levitated Yoshi onto the ground. "Well, we've learned a bit about you, little guy!" she said as she gestured to the notebook with a smile. *BELCH!* "Yoshi!" the dinosaur exclaimed, returning a smile of his own. Then suddenly, he let out a loud yawn. "Wow... poor guy must be tired," Fluttershy said as she watched Yoshi curl up on the ground, his eyes closing as he began drifting off to sleep. Twilight pulled a small blanket out of her saddlebag and gently draped it over Yoshi's body, taking care not to wake him up. As she stepped away, a giant bubble appeared at the edge of Yoshi's nose, pulsing with a steady rhythm as he slept, just like his egg did. "I have to admit..." Rarity murmured quietly. "The little fellow manages to look adorable even when he's asleep." "Yep, he sure does," Twilight answered, smiling as she gently kissed the dinosaur's head. "Sleep tight, little star." "Please tell me we still have more food left." "Don't worry, Rainbow Dash... Pinkie's got ya covered!"
Chapter 5: Dino CrusadeTwo weeks later… "Alright, try to hold it as long as you can, Yoshi!" Twilight called out as she readied her quill and notebook. Yoshi stood in the center of the room, bracelets covering his arms and legs. Despite being only two weeks old, he was aging surprisingly quickly, already speaking in full sentences. Twilight was still trying to learn as much as she could about the green dinosaur, taking as many notes as she could whenever she noticed something new. And right now, Twilight was in the library's lab, attempting to unlock the secret behind Yoshi's ability to ascend during a jump by waving his arms and legs wildly. An ability that they decided to call the Flutter Jump. Yoshi gave a nod and took a massive leap upwards, trying to keep himself airborne as long as he could. Twilight quickly looked over the data she was getting from the bracelets Yoshi was wearing, only to frown and grumble under her breath. "This isn't making any sense," she muttered, tapping her quill against her chin. "How are you able to keep yourself airborne using just your arms and legs? From what I've observed, you don't have any appendages that would normally help a living creature remain airborne, and it doesn't look like your Star's doing anything to help with that, either." His face strained with effort, Yoshi stopped waving his limbs and dropped onto the ground, landing on his feet. "Whew..." he gasped, taking a deep breath before turning to Twilight. "I honestly don't know how I'm doing it, either," he replied. "I'm just able to for some reason." Twilight sighed and slammed her notebook shut. "I think it's best to just stop trying to figure this out," she said, rubbing her head. "I don't want a repeat of what happened when I tried to figure out how Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense worked." "Pinkie Sense?" Yoshi asked as he slid the bracelets off his arms and legs. "What's that? Is that something to do with Pinkie Pie?" "Well…" Twilight slowly began, trying to figure out a way to explain it. "Basically, it's a bit of a sixth sense that lets her predict the immediate future using sudden twitches that her body gets." Yoshi stared at Twilight, confusion on his face. "Really?" "Yep," Twilight answered with a nod. "If her tail twitches, something's about to fall. And if she gets an ear flop, followed by a knee twitch, then an eye flutter, there's gonna be a rainbow in the sky. Sounds ridiculous, I know," she added, seeing Yoshi's jaw drop in disbelief, "but it's something that just simply can't be explained." She then chuckled, remembering her attempts at figuring out the Pinkie Sense long ago, when she was still a unicorn. "Believe me, I've tried, and it did NOT go well." Yoshi giggled in amusement. "What happened?" A sheepish grin formed on Twilight's face as she led Yoshi to the stairway leading out of the lab. "Um... let's just say that I was on fire," she said, giving the dinosaur a wink as she turned off the lights and shut the door behind her. Yoshi followed Twilight up the stairs, his shoes creaking against the steps. Another riddle that Twilight tried in vain to piece together was how precisely he got them. Living beings aren't typically born wearing clothes, yet Yoshi hatched from his egg with a pair of loafers on his feet. Twilight eventually deduced that some otherworldly magic was responsible for the feat, since Yoshi's parents were also somehow able to leave a farewell letter to their son inside his unhatched egg. Speaking of which... Another question crossed Twilight's mind as she thought about Yoshi's parents. I wonder if they're alright... it's already been two weeks, and there hasn't been any word from them yet. I hope they're managing to hold out against whoever this Lord Koopa is. I'd hate for Yoshi to grow up without ever seeing his parents... "Twilight?" A voice snapped the alicorn out of her thoughts. "Huh?" she said in surprise, turning around and spotting a worried look on Yoshi's normally-happy face. "Is something wrong, Twilight?" he asked. "You've been standing at the doorway to the library for quite a few moments." Twilight bit her lip, contemplating on whether or not she should tell Yoshi about his parents. She then shook her head. "Nah, it's nothing," she answered with a small smile. No... there's no need to worry him about this yet. He's still young, after all. "Just thinking about what we should do now," she finished as she opened the door and stepped into the library. "I haven't quite planned ahead yet. Got any ideas?" Yoshi sat down at a chair, placing his hand on his chin in thought. "Well..." he began, "I'm actually kinda interested in those books you and Rainbow Dash keep going on about. Y'know, with that Do pony. What's it called again-?" "You want to read Daring Do?!" Twilight blurted out, flying right up close to Yoshi's face with a giddy smile and startling the dinosaur. "WAHHH!!!" Yoshi screamed, almost toppling over from his chair. "Ohmygosh!!!" Twilight squealed as she entered into full fangirl-mode. "Which one should we read first? The Marked Thief of Marapore? How about The Forbidden City of Clouds, that one's my favorite!" Yoshi just stared, watching Twilight bounce around the room like a rubber ball. "Um... whatever the first one is?" he said slowly with a nervous grin. Twilight screeched to a halt in midair and clapped her hooves together. "Of course! The Quest for the Sapphire Stone! That's perfect! Just let me get it from my bedroom!" And with a bright flash of her horn, Twilight vanished. Yoshi blinked for a few moments, still trying to process what just happened. "Okay... that was a bit awkward," he muttered as he sat in his chair, his legs dangling above the floor. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Yoshi's head snapped towards the direction of the front door. "Huh... wonder who that is?" he said to himself, standing up from his chair and trotting towards the door. With a twist of the doorknob, he opened the door and was greeted with the sight of three little fillies. "Hey Twilight, you think you could help...?" Apple Bloom's voice drifted off as she and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders caught a glimpse of Yoshi, who was roughly the same size as them. None of them said a word as the fillies stared at the strange creature. "Um... can I help you three?" Yoshi asked, not sure what to make of the three fillies. "It talks...?" Scootaloo whispered to Apple Bloom. "Why is it wearin' shoes?" Apple Bloom whispered back, pointing at the two loafers on the dinosaur's feet. "He's really adorable-looking, though," Sweetie Belle added. "Oh! Hello, Crusaders!" The four of them turned around, spotting Twilight coming down the stairs with a smile and a book levitating beside her. "Hi, Twilight!" Sweetie Belle called out as she waved. "Um... is this a bad time?" she added, casting an aside glance at Yoshi. Twilight simply chuckled. "Not at all," she replied, before placing a hoof on Yoshi's shoulder. "Girls, I'd like you to meet Yoshi the Dinosaur." Apple Bloom stepped forward and held out her hoof. "Nice to meet ya!" she said. "My name's Apple Bloom. I'm Applejack's little sis." Yoshi smiled as he shook the young filly's hoof. "Nice to meet you too, Apple Bloom." "I'm Scootaloo!" the small pegasus declared proudly, wearing a cocky grin. "Sweetie Belle, Rarity's younger sister," Sweetie Belle said as she offered her hoof, which Yoshi shook. Then the three fillies bunched up together, all smiling widely at Yoshi. "And we're..." Scootaloo announced dramatically. "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!" All three fillies jumped into the air, their hooves outstretched as they yelled out the name with pride. Twilight merely rolled her eyes in amusement while Yoshi looked on curiously. "Cutie Mark Crusaders?" he repeated, his eyebrow raised in confusion. Twilight nodded. "Have you ever noticed those special marks that ponies have?" she asked the dinosaur, gesturing to the six-pointed star that adorned her flank. "Those are what we call 'cutie marks.'" "We don't have ours yet, though," Apple Bloom added as she turned her head and looked behind her. "As Crusaders, our job is to help our fellow 'blank flanks' earn their cutie marks!" Scootaloo said, before her ears drooped in embarrassment. "Problem is, we're still having trouble trying to earn ours." "And how do you earn a cutie mark, exactly?" Yoshi asked. "It happens when a pony discovers something about them that makes them truly unique, be it a special talent or some other notable characteristic that they have," Twilight explained. "And a cutie mark is basically a reflection of that unique thing." "So we've been doing all kinds of stuff, hoping that one of them will earn us our cutie marks!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "That sounds really interesting!" Yoshi said with a grin. Twilight chuckled as she remembered all the trouble the three fillies had caused during their crusades. "You have no idea." The Crusaders circled around Yoshi, looking him over curiously. "You some kind of dragon or something?" Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow. "Where'd you come from?" "I'm a dinosaur, actually," Yoshi replied. "And I just showed up on Twilight's doorstep one night, still in my egg." "He's from another world," Twilight added with a small smile. "He's a Star Child, and he carries a powerful magic inside of him." The Crusaders' jaws dropped upon hearing that, and all three of them began crowding Yoshi, excitedly bombarding the flustered dinosaur with nonstop questions. "So you're some kind of alien?! That's so cool!" "Does that power of yours let you blow stuff up?!" "No wonder you're so adorable! Are there others like you out there?!" "WAHHHHH!!!" Yoshi squealed loudly as the Crusaders packed tightly around him, continuing to ask him questions. "Some personal space, please!" "Come on, girls," Twilight chuckled as she watched Yoshi waving his arms wildly, attempting to escape the Crusaders' grasp. "Give him some room." Her horn lit up, and she used her magic to separate the three fillies and Yoshi, who was trying to catch his breath. Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head, grinning sheepishly. "Heh... sorry 'bout that, Yoshi." Yoshi brushed some dirt off his legs and smiled. "It's no big deal," he assured them, waving his hand dismissively. "That Crusading stuff does sound really interesting, though!" "Really?" Scootaloo asked, looking confused. "No offense, but I'm not sure you'd be able to earn a cutie mark." "I'm actually talking about the 'helping others' part," Yoshi clarified. "Maybe I could help you out?" "Hmm..." Apple Bloom placed a hoof on her chin. "I don't see why not, honestly," she answered. "You want to be a Cutie Mark Crusader, Yoshi?" Yoshi smiled confidently and nodded his head. "Alright then," Scootaloo replied with a smile. "But we have a bit of a ceremony to go through before we can officially make you one. And we have some stuff to take care of first." "Oh right... what brings you three to the library?" Twilight asked the three fillies. "We were hoping you'd help us out with some schoolwork," Sweetie Belle replied. "We've got a test coming up on mixed fractions, and we haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet." Twilight grinned as she used her magic to grab a textbook from the shelf. "Well, I'll be glad to help you out with that!" she exclaimed happily. The Crusaders jumped up in joy. "Thanks, Twilight!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "No problem," Twilight answered, looking down at the three fillies and the dinosaur with a smile. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she got an idea. "Why don't you join us, Yoshi?" That question caught Yoshi completely off-guard, and he turned towards Twilight with a surprised look. "Whoa, really?" "I don't see why not," Twilight said with a shrug. "In fact, I'll try to see if we can enroll you in school." "School?" Yoshi repeated, his eyes widening. Twilight nodded. "It's possible for me to just home-school you myself, but I think enrolling you would be a better option," she explained. "That way, you can meet other children in your age group and try to make some friends yourself." "Yeah, like us!" Scootaloo added, playfully nudging Yoshi's arm. "And don't worry, Miss Cheerilee's really nice!" Apple Bloom grinned as she patted Yoshi's shoulder. "And the four of us can hang out together!" "Come on, it'll be a lot of fun!" Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Ahem..." Twilight cut in, opening her textbook with a smile. "Let's worry about that after we finish our lesson, alright?" Author's Note DISCLAIMER: I haven't actually read The Marked Thief of Marapore or The Forbidden City of Clouds yet.
Chapter 6: Lucky Eggs"Don't get me wrong, I'd be very delighted to be his teacher, Princess." Cheerilee closed her gradebook and placed it on her desk before turning to Twilight. "But I'm just worried about how his classmates would react to him, since he'd be the only one in class who's not a pony," she explained. "Or even from Equestria, from what you've told me." "Still, I think a classroom environment would be better than homeschooling him," Twilight replied. "He'd be able to better develop his social skills by being with kids in his own age group. He's already close friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, actually." "Really?" Cheerilee asked, looking up in surprise. Twilight nodded with a smile. "Even as we speak, they're making him an official Cutie Mark Crusader. He may not be able to earn his own cutie mark, but he's willing to help others find theirs." Yoshi stood tall and proud inside the Crusaders' clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres. In front of him were Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, all of them wearing their Crusaders' capes. Sweetie Belle stood at the podium, reading off a scroll. "We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Yoshi the Dinosaur to join us as a sister, friend-" "Waitwaitwait..." Scootaloo interrupted, waving her hooves and shooting a bewildered look at Sweetie Belle. "'Sister'? Yoshi's not a girl!" "Hey, I'm just reading what you wrote!" Sweetie Belle replied, gesturing to the scroll. "Oh... right." Scootaloo nervously rubbed the back of her head as Sweetie Belle turned back towards Yoshi. "Alright... Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Yoshi to join us as a brother, friend, confidante, bosom buddy... hang on..." The young unicorn's voice drifted off, her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the rest of the speech. Apple Bloom sighed while Yoshi tried to keep smiling. "This is the same exact speech we gave Babs Seed!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, turning towards Scootaloo again with an annoyed look. "I thought you said you were gonna revise it!" "Who's Babs Seed?" Yoshi asked curiously. "My cousin, who lives in Manehattan," Apple Bloom answered as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle started bickering amongst themselves. "She's a Cutie Mark Crusader, just like we are!" "Heh, I'd really like to meet her!" Yoshi replied excitedly. "Well, we do have an Apple Family Reunion coming up soon that she'll be here for," said Apple Bloom. "How'd you like to join us?" Yoshi grinned. "Yeah, that sounds fun!" "Alright, I'll fix it when I get home!" Scootaloo exclaimed irritably as she snatched the scroll from Sweetie Belle's grasp and stuffed it underneath her cape. "Um..." The two Crusaders heard Apple Bloom and spun to face her. She was gesturing towards Yoshi with her hoof. The dinosaur was still trying to keep his face looking confident, but found it difficult under the current circumstances. "Oh... right." Flustered, Scootaloo handed the scroll back to an equally embarrassed Sweetie Belle. "Ahem..." The young unicorn cleared her throat and began hastily reading from the scroll, her eyes darting from side to side. "Crusaders, elect Yoshi to join us, blah blah blah... here we go... and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader!" Yoshi smiled as the three fillies clapped their hooves together, with Apple Bloom blowing on a noisemaker while Scootaloo whooped loudly. "Congratulations, Yoshi!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, tossing confetti in Yoshi's direction, followed by a bundle of red. Yoshi jumped up, grabbing the bundle with his tongue as he went. Spinning around, he unfurled his Crusader's cape, tying it around his neck in one smooth motion. The other Crusaders ran up to Yoshi as his feet hit the ground, cheering loudly as they hugged the dinosaur. "Yoshi!" he squealed in an excited, high-pitched voice before he could stop himself. The three fillies began giggling while a flustered Yoshi covered his mouth, his cheeks turning scarlet underneath his hands. "Whoa! You okay there, Yoshi?" Apple Bloom chuckled. "Yeah..." Yoshi replied as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure what came over me, I haven't sounded like that in a long time." "I think it's pretty cute!" Sweetie Belle replied with a reassuring smile. "Really?" Yoshi asked. Before Sweetie Belle could offer a response, Scootaloo grabbed Yoshi's arm and pulled him beside her. "So... got any ideas on how we should earn our cutie marks?" she asked, wearing a cocky grin on her face. "Uh..." Caught off guard by the sudden request, Yoshi scrambled to think of something. "Well..." he slowly began, placing a finger on his forehead and running some ideas through his brain. "I... um..." he stammered, his frown deepening with every word. "Hold on, now." Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Yoshi's shoulder and gave him a small smile. "No need to worry about that just yet. You're still new to this, after all." Yoshi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back. "Thanks, Apple Bloom." "Don't mention it," Apple Bloom replied. "So... anything you want to do to celebrate, Yoshi? It's our treat!" Yoshi opened his mouth, but before he could utter a single word, a loud grumble was heard coming from the dinosaur's stomach. As he looked down, the Crusaders covered their mouths, trying to stifle their giggles. Yoshi gave a small chuckle. "Um... you guys wouldn't happen to have any fruit on you, would you?" "Here you go!" Apple Bloom declared proudly, plopping a large basket on the picnic table outside the Crusaders' clubhouse. The sight of the fruit that filled the basket was enough to make Yoshi's mouth water. His tongue hung out of his mouth, and he was panting heavily like a dog. Sweetie Belle chuckled as she and the other Crusaders sat down at the table. "Go ahead, what are you waiting for?" she asked. Snapped out of his stupor, Yoshi's excited look turned into one of slight worry. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I'm a pretty big eater, and... well, I don't want to leave you guys without anything." "Don't worry about it," Scootaloo assured him, lifting up her hoof and revealing another picnic basket. "We're already set. You just focus on digging in." With a wide smile, Yoshi's tongue latched onto the melon at the top of his basket, and he swallowed it in one gulp. While the Crusaders started digging into the muffins they got from Sugar Cube Corner, Yoshi was busy devouring the fruit in front of him. Apple Bloom smiled as she watched Yoshi grab a handful of apples at once on his tongue and swallow them all. "Y'all really love apples, don't ya, Yoshi?" she said. "Applejack told me you practically emptied an entire basket of 'em when you first met her." Yoshi swallowed the apples before replying. "Y'know..." he said slowly. "I really love fruit, especially melons. They're my most favorite. Sometimes, though..." He took an apple in his hand and looked at it for a moment, his brow furrowed. "It's really strange." Scootaloo raised her eyebrow. "What is?" "I'm not sure why," Yoshi admitted, "but on some days, some fruits just taste really, really incredible. Like it's the absolute best thing I've ever eaten. Yet when I eat that same fruit on a different day... it just loses its flair for some reason. And whenever that happens, it's another fruit that tastes absolutely wonderful." "Huh," Apple Bloom said, eyeing the apple in Yoshi's hand. "And today it's apples?" "Eeyup," Yoshi answered as he tossed the fruit into the air and caught it on his tongue. "Yesterday it was grapes." On those words, he plucked some grapes out of the basket and shoved them into his mouth, swallowing them. Smacking his lips, he said, "Still tasty, just... not as tasty as they were yesterday." "Any guesses on what tomorrow's Lucky Fruit will be?" asked Sweetie Belle, chewing on her muffin. "Huh?" "Your Lucky Fruit," Sweetie Belle repeated, pointing to an apple. "The fruit that tastes the best when you eat it." Yoshi's mouth curled up into a small smile. "Lucky Fruit, eh?" he said, taking several different fruits out of his basket and weighing them in his hands. "Y'know... I'm hoping it's watermelons," he finally answered. "I absolutely love them." He shoved the entire thing into his mouth and gulped- *POP!* The sudden sound caused everyone to jump up in surprise. "What in tarnation was that?!" Apple Bloom blurted out. "I don't kn- WHOA!!!" As Yoshi took a step backwards, his foot caught on something and he fell backwards, landing on his back. "Oof! Ow..." he groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "Uh... where did that egg come from?" The dinosaur's eyes snapped open upon hearing Scootaloo's words. "Egg? What egg?" Looking down in front of him, he spotted it: a round, white egg with green spots and a black outline. And it was moving. "Okay, that's pretty freaky," Apple Bloom replied, staring at the egg with a bewildered look. "Aw, crud..." Yoshi muttered as he slowly backed away, hoping that this didn't mean what he thought it meant. As he moved, however, the egg started bouncing towards him on its own. "Uh... make that REALLY freaky," Scootaloo slowly said, watching as Yoshi tried in vain to put some distance between him and the egg. "Why's it following me?!" Yoshi yelled out as he scrambled to his feet and started running in circles around the picnic table, the egg bouncing along behind him. "Come on, I'm too young to be a father!" The Crusaders exchanged confused looks. "A father?" Sweetie Belle repeated. "Didn't he say he came out of an egg?" Apple Bloom pointed out. "Maybe that egg is his kid!" "But Twilight said he's only a few weeks old! How's he old enough to-?" *BOING! BOING! BOING!* "He's an alien, Sweetie Belle, remember? Maybe his species ages at a different rate than ponies do!" *BOING!* "Hi, Apple Bloom!" *BOING!* "Hi, Sweetie Belle!" *BOING!* "Hi, Scootaloo!" The three fillies looked up just in time to see a poofy pink mane bouncing past them. *BOING!* "Hi, Yoshi!" Pinkie Pie called out as the dinosaur sped past her, his arms outstretched and the egg on his heels. "Hi, bouncing egg!" *BOI-* The party pony froze mid-bounce, before zipping backwards into Yoshi's path. She held out her hoof, holding the still-running Yoshi in place as she gently moved him aside. "Hello... what do we have here?" Pinkie muttered, leaning forward to take a close look at the bouncing egg. "That thing just appeared out of nowhere and started followin' Yoshi around," Apple Bloom answered as she and the other Crusaders approached. "We dunno where it came from." "Hmm..." Pinkie Pie reached into her mane and pulled out an unusually large pair of goggles. Placing them over her eyes, she began walking around the egg, looking at it closely from every conceivable angle. "Very interesting..." "What is?" Scootaloo asked. Ignoring the young pegasus, Pinkie Pie grabbed Yoshi's fruit basket and plopped a watermelon in his hands. "Eat this," she said while continuing to examine the egg. Yoshi looked back and forth between the watermelon and the pink pony, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "Uh... say what?" "Hang on a minute," Apple Bloom said, raising her hoof and turning to the others. "That loud pop we heard came right after Yoshi gulped down a melon, didn't it? So maybe-" Scootaloo rolled her eyes and frowned. "Are you saying that eating FRUIT caused that egg to appear?" she scoffed. "Exactamundo," Pinkie Pie answered, never averting her gaze. "Pfft, don't be ridicu-" *POP!* The noise caught the attention of the three fillies, who began looking around wildly. Their eyes fell on Yoshi, who was no longer holding the watermelon. Instead, bouncing behind him was- "Another egg?!" Sweetie Belle blurted out in surprise. "Where'd that come from?!" "Um..." Yoshi twiddled his fingers nervously. "From that watermelon." "Aha!" Pinkie Pie lifted her goggles and clapped her hooves together, smiling smugly. "I knew it." Apple Bloom's jaw dropped. "Say what?" "I ate the watermelon, and that egg just... popped out of me," Yoshi explained, slowly turning his head towards the fruit basket. "Hmm... I wonder..." Opening his mouth, he grabbed an apple with his tongue and swallowed. As he gulped, a loud *POP!* sounded, and an egg was laid. The Crusaders stared wide-eyed at Yoshi and the three eggs bouncing behind him. "Whoa..." they all gasped. Faster than he could blink, the dinosaur found himself being mobbed again. "That's so cool, Yoshi!" "Eggs out of fruit?! Holy cow!" "Can I have one?!" "Yoshi!" Another voice called out, and everyone turned to see Twilight approaching them. "Hey, everypony! What's going..." Her voice drifted off as she spotted the eggs bouncing behind Yoshi. "Uh..." "Uh..." Yoshi glanced towards the eggs, sweat pouring down his face as he grinned nervously. Author's Note : *in Albert Wesker's voice* "YOU WILL GIVE ME AN EGG!"
Chapter 7: BOOM! Egg Shot!"Huh… very interesting." Yoshi and the Crusaders had just finished recounting the events of their picnic while Twilight listened curiously, jotting down notes. "So you were laying eggs right after eating fruit?" she asked, her eyebrow raised. Yoshi gave a nod of his head. "That's strange…" the alicorn said as she placed her notebook and quill back into her saddlebag. "You've eaten enough fruit to fill up the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, but this is the first time this has happened- PINKIE PIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT EGG?!" Behind the four youngsters was Pinkie Pie, laying on her back as she juggled one of the eggs with her hooves. Rolling onto her hooves, she began bouncing the egg like a soccer ball against her back. Twilight's eyes widened as she snatched the egg mid-bounce with her magic. "What are you thinking, Pinkie Pie?!" she exclaimed loudly, waving her hooves wildly. "Why would you just juggle an egg around?! What if it breaks?!" Pinkie merely shrugged. "I just took a look at it, and I suddenly got this weird, sudden urge to just bounce it around, y'know?" "But what if it's a child?!" Twilight yelled. Her remark caused Yoshi to flinch nervously. He wasn't prepared to take on adult responsibilities just yet. "Nah, it's good," Pinkie Pie said with a wave of her hoof. "No egg babies here!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "And you know this, HOW, exactly?" "Hello?" Pinkie said, as if the answer was clearly obvious. She reached into her poofy mane and pulled out a pair of goggles with green lenses on them. "X-ray goggles!" "Pinkie, you got those from a cereal box, they don't actually- AHHHHH!!!" As Pinkie slipped the glasses over Twilight's eyes, the alicorn saw the x-ray glasses were, in fact, actual x-ray goggles. "Yeah, and the eggs don't have babies in them, just a whole bunch of glowy stuff!" Pinkie said as Twilight took a glance at the eggs. "Hang on... this looks a bit like... like magic," Twilight remarked, a look of surprise on her face. "But... how?" Yoshi took one of the eggs in his hands and looked at it, thinking for a moment. "You think it has something to do with my Star?" Twilight gave the goggles back to Pinkie and placed her hoof on her chin. "Probably. And honestly? This might sound crazy, but Pinkie might've been onto something." The Crusaders looked at Twilight with a dumbfounded expression. "Say what?" Apple Bloom replied. "What was she on about?" "Duh! She's talking about this!" With that, Pinkie grabbed an egg and casually lobbed it over her shoulder. What happened next, no one was expecting. The egg streaked through the air, slamming against the side of a tree. Instead of shattering upon impact, however, it ricocheted off into another direction with a loud *PEW!*, the green spots on the shell changing into a yellow color. "Wha...?" Twilight and the Crusaders watched with their jaws dropped as the egg shot in the direction of a fence. With another *PEW!*, it bounced off again towards another tree. "I don't believe this..." Scootaloo muttered, her eyes fixated on the projectile as it flew through the air, its spots now red. It slammed against the tree, exploding on impact with a loud *POP!*and stripping the target of its leaves. Yoshi and Twilight were incredibly dumbstruck, both of them watching the leaves fall from the branches, leaving them bare. "Uh... what just happened...?" Yoshi slowly said. "Did that egg just...?" Sweetie Belle murmured, now looking at the other eggs. Her curiosity piqued, Twilight began rummaging through her saddlebags for her notebook and quill. As she prepared to take more notes, she turned towards Yoshi. "Try giving one of those eggs a toss," she said, smiling eagerly like a schoolfilly. Yoshi hesitated at first. "Um... are you sure about this?" "There's something special about those eggs you laid," Twilight explained. "And you know how much I love an opportunity to learn more about you." Still skeptical, Yoshi nodded and took one of the eggs in his hand. As he held it, he felt something emanating from the egg. Something full of energy, almost like... Magic... is this what Twilight was talking about...? Hmm… Bouncing the egg in his hand to get a feel for it, Yoshi turned towards a series of bullseyes that Pinkie had pulled completely out of nowhere. His eyes narrowing, he took aim and threw the egg as hard as he could. The egg smashed against the first target, the spots turning yellow as it ricocheted towards the second one. Twilight was scribbling excitedly as the egg bounced off the second target and turned red. "This is incredible! I've never seen anything like this before!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders were just as awestruck as their eyes followed the egg. With a loud *POP!*, the egg smashed against the final target and exploded. “Did you just bank shot that egg?!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she turned towards Yoshi, who had his jaw hanging open in shock. “I wasn’t really trying to...” he murmured. “It just... happened.” The scratching of Twilight’s quill stopped for a brief moment as she looked up. “So that trick shot was unintentional, Yoshi?” she asked. “Interesting... you think it’s the egg’s magic that caused that, or perhaps it’s a natural ability that comes to you instinctively, without you really thinking about it?” "Who cares?!" Scootaloo exclaimed, earning an eye roll from Twillight. "That was so wicked! Let's see that again!" "Ooh!" Pinkie Pie squeaked as she grabbed the fruit basket and shoved it into Yoshi's hands. "I wanna see more explody bouncy eggs too!" Before Yoshi could respond, Twilight stepped up and took the basket with her magic. "Maybe later, okay?" she said. "I'm just as curious as you all are, but Yoshi and I need to take care of a few things first." Yoshi raised his eyebrow in confusion, as did the other Crusaders and Pinkie Pie. "What do you mean?" Twilight smiled at the Crusaders. "Let's just say… you girls just got a new classmate!" "Wait... you mean?!" Yoshi exclaimed excitedly, his mouth curling into a massive grin. Before he knew it, the Crusaders had tackled him in a group hug. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CLASSMATES, YAY!!!" the three fillies shouted. "That's right!" Twilight said with a smile, lighting up her horn and taking a scroll out of her saddlebags. "I talked to Miss Cheerilee, and she agreed to take you in as a student. You'll be starting next week!" "This is gonna be so awesome!" Scootaloo squealed. "The four of us, together in school! I can't wait!" "Congratulations, Yoshi!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, tossing confetti into the air. "This calls for a celebration!" Twilight raised her hoof. "Actually…" she said. "That can wait until later, okay Pinkie? Yoshi and I have some things to take care of first." Yoshi blinked. "We do?" Twilight nodded her head and unrolled the scroll she was holding. "We need to head into town and pick up your school supplies!" Yoshi's pupils shrank as the incredibly long list of supplies continued to unfurl. Sweetie Belle raised her eyebrow while Scootaloo looked over the list. "Uh…? Twilight? This seems a bit… excessive." "Note-taking notebook? Quiz-studying folder? POP QUIZ-TAKING QUILL?" Scootaloo read out loud, an incredulous look on her face. "I want to make sure he's prepared for anything," Twilight replied as she took the scroll in her magic. "Don't want to end up short-hoofed… er, handed!" Yoshi grinned nervously. This is gonna be a long afternoon… Author's Note Sorry for taking so long. I'll add more to this AN later when I'm not feeling so lazy. :P
Chapter 8: Yoshi-Woshi and Auntie Rarity"Okay, is there anything else Yoshi needs?" Twilight asked as she strolled down the streets of Ponyville, checking a few items off her list. "Nah..." Spike replied with a strained voice. "I think he's set for the next five or so years of school." The dragon was carrying a comically large pile of shopping bags that wobbled with every step he took. All of the bags were stuffed full of various school supplies. Yoshi trotted alongside Twilight, also hauling a few bags on top of his saddle. "I think the only thing I need left is a saddlebag to carry my stuff in," the dinosaur told Twilight. "A saddlebag, hmmm?" Twilight answered back, bringing her hoof up to her chin in thought. "I think Rarity might be able to help with that. Clothes aren't the only things she designs, after all; she does accessories, too." "Hold up..." Spike interrupted as he came to a stop. "We're going to Carousel Boutique now?" "Yoshi and I will go," Twilight said as she rolled up her scroll. "Why don't you go drop everything off at the library? You can stop by the Boutique when you're done." "Ah..." Spike muttered as he buckled underneath the weight of the items he was carrying. "Alrighty then." Turning around, he began slowly trudging his way back to the library. Yoshi watched for a few seconds as Spike almost collided with a stallion who was rushing by. "Should we maybe give him a hand?" he wondered out loud. "He'll be fine," Twilight replied as she began leading the way to Carousel Boutique. "He's got pretty good arm strength for a baby dragon." I wonder how that happened... Yoshi thought to himself, a small amused grin on his face as he followed his mother. "Here we are!" Yoshi stared up at the building in front of them. "Carousel Boutique, huh?" he remarked. "I don't think I've ever been here before. This is where Rarity works?" "And lives," Twilight answered as the two of them approached the door. "She's an accomplished fashion designer, and she makes incredible outfits and accessories. She might be able to put together a great-looking saddlebag, made just for you." "Sounds pretty neat!" said Yoshi with a smile. "You think she might be able to come up with-?" *SLAM!* *CRASH!* "OOF!" "WAAAAHHHH!" Twilight gasped as the door swung open and a pony rushed outside, only to collide with Yoshi, knocking the both of them to the ground. "Omigosh, Yoshi!" she cried out as she rushed to the dinosaur and placed a hoof on his head. "Are you okay?" "Maamaaaa?" Yoshi babbled, his head and eyes rolling as stars circled around his head. "Agh..." the other pony muttered, rubbing her head. "Jeez, watch where you're going, dude!" Twilight narrowed her eyes. "The same could be said to you, Vinyl Scratch." "Yeah yeah..." the DJ answered as she levitated her signature sunglasses over her eyes. "Sorry about that, Spi-" But when she turned her head, she was greeted with the sight of Yoshi shaking his head. "Huh...?" Vinyl muttered, lifting her sunglasses and rubbing her eyes. "Jeez, what happened to you, Spike?" "Uh... what?" Yoshi said, raising his eyebrow in confusion as he held his head. "Vinyl, that's NOT Spike," Twilight answered with a frown as she helped Yoshi to his feet. "His name is Yoshi. And he's not a dragon, he's a dinosaur." Vinyl slowly got to her hooves and took a closer look at the young dinosaur. "Huh... ain't ever seen anything like him before. Especially with a schnoz that big. This dude some kinda alien?" "In a sense," said Twilight. "He's not from Equestria. He just showed up at my doorstep one night, so I decided to keep an eye on him." "Whoa. That's crazy." With a small grin, Vinyl approached Yoshi, extending her hoof to him. "Nice to meetcha, lil' alien dude. Name's Vinyl Scratch. Or DJ Pon-3, whichever you prefer." "Er... hi there, Vinyl," Yoshi slowly replied as he shook Vinyl's hoof. "What were you doing at Carousel Boutique anyways?" Twilight wondered out loud. Vinyl chuckled as she levitated her shopping bags. "Had to get some new duds for an upcoming show." "A show?" Yoshi repeated, his curiosity piqued. "Are you a performer?" Vinyl let out another chuckle as she adjusted her shades. "You're lookin' at the hottest DJ in all of Equestria, baby!" she declared loudly. "Nopony can drop sick beats and bass like DJ Pon-3 can!" Twilight smiled in amusement as she stepped up beside Yoshi. "Vinyl is an incredibly talented musician, mostly specializing in techno and pop. Though..." she added with a smirk, "she can get a bit carried away with it at times." Yoshi raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean, exactly?" Twilight rubbed Yoshi's head and simply replied, "Let's just say that anyone who lives with her will DEFINITELY need a pair of earplugs." Vinyl started rubbing the back of her head, laughing sheepishly. "Yeah... not everyone appreciates it when I crank the volume up all the way," she said before turning to Yoshi. "Anyways... why don't ya check out one of my gigs sometime down the line? Got an upcoming one in Ponyville a few weeks from now, if you're interested." Yoshi nodded his head eagerly. "Yeah, I'd like to see one!" Vinyl held out her hoof to Yoshi with a cocky grin. "Aw yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about! Er..." Her grin disappeared as Yoshi shook her hoof again. "Dude... what are you doing?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "Oh...!" Yoshi hurriedly let go of Vinyl's hoof, looking flustered. "I... er... um..." With a small chuckle, Twilight motioned to Yoshi. "Here, try this," she said, before turning to Vinyl and offering her a hoofbump. "Heh heh..." Yoshi chuckled nervously, before curling his hand into a fist and bumping Vinyl's hoof with it. "Sorry about that, Vinyl." "Eh, no biggie," Vinyl replied, adjusting her shades. "Anyways... gotta jet now. Stay cool, Yoshter." With a wave of her hoof, she grabbed her shopping bags. Levitating a pair of headphones out of one, she placed them over her ears and switched them on. Yoshi could easily make out the sound of an electric guitar screaming through them as Vinyl trotted away, singing "Just one guitar... slung way down low..." under her breath. "Well, that was interesting," Yoshi said as he watched the deejay. "And is it just me, or was that music she's listening to pretty loud?" Twilight let out a small chuckle as she led Yoshi towards the Boutique's entrance. "No music is too loud for her," she replied. "Let's just put it that way." The bell just above the door jingled as the two stepped into Carousel Boutique. Glancing around, Yoshi took notice of all the different outfits and accessories lining the sales floor and shelves, with the latest fashion trends prominently displayed at the center of the store. "This is where Rarity works?" Yoshi wondered out loud, his mouth agape at all the clothes around him. "And also where she lives," Twilight replied as she led Yoshi to the service desk. "If you need anything in the field of fashion, look no further than Rarity. Ooh... that looks cute," she added as she caught a glimpse of a nearby outfit. Yoshi couldn't help but giggle as Twilight took the outfit off the display and looked it over, before putting it back. "You have a fabulous day, dearie!" exclaimed Rarity as another satisfied customer left the service desk. Closing her eyes, she turned to the next guest in line. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique!" "Hello, Rarity," Twilight said. "Twilight! It's a pleasure to see you, darling!" said Rarity. "May I ask what brings you here on this fine day?" "Actually, we're here for Yoshi," Twilight explained as the small dinosaur hopped onto her back. "Yoshi!" Rarity squealed as she leaned over the counter to pat his head. "My... adorable as ever, I see!" "Thanks, Rarity," Yoshi said with a blush. Gesturing around him, he added, "This is the first time I've been here in Carousel Boutique... I'm pretty blown away." "Why, thank you, dear!" said Rarity with a proud look on her face. "This isn't the number one fashion boutique in Ponyville for nothing, after all! I poured my heart into this place, eager to help everypony look as fabulous as they possibly can! Now then..." She leaned over the counter with a grin. "May I ask what it is that brings you here today?" "Well... Twilight just enrolled me at Ponyville Elementary," Yoshi said. "I already got my supplies, I just need-" "Hold it!" Rarity interrupted, placing her hoof over Yoshi's mouth. "I know EXACTLY what you're looking for! Sappho!" A green earth pony with a long, black mane covering one of her eyes approached the counter. On her flank was a cutie mark of what looked like two heart-shaped crosses. "Yes, Rarity?" she said coolly. "Can you be a dear and cover for me while I head into the studio?" asked Rarity as she levitated Yoshi onto her back and patted his head. "I need to help little Yoshi-Woshi here get ready for his first day of school!" "Sure thing," Sappho replied. With a smooth grin and a mane flip, she stepped behind the counter and turned towards Yoshi, winking at him. "'Sup?" "Er... nothing much," Yoshi replied with a bewildered look on his face as Rarity led him towards the back. Raising her eyebrow in confusion, Twilight followed the giggling fashionista. "Uh... Rarity...? What are you-?" "Oh, this is going to be exciting!" Rarity exclaimed, stars in her eyes. "Mark my words, Yoshi... Auntie Rarity will make sure that you look abso-LUTE-ly MAG-NIF-IQUE for your first day of school! Everypony will be swooning over you, you will be the center of attention! I've never designed outfits for a creature like you before... I have so many wonderful ideas! It'll certainly be tricky, but what do I say? I say, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" "Wait, WHAT?!" both Twilight and Yoshi exclaimed, the latter's eyes shrinking to the size of ants. "Rarity, wait!" Twilight called out as she galloped up to the white unicorn. "We don't need outfits, we just need a saddlebag!" But Rarity was too lost in her excitement to notice. "Ooh! I just absolutely cannot WAIT!" she squealed as she opened the door to her studio and stepped inside. "I've got a bad feeling about this," Yoshi muttered to himself. "Oh dear..." With a look of worry on her face, Twilight followed the two into the back, the door closing behind her. The bell rang as the entrance to Carousel Boutique opened. Spike stepped inside, massaging his sore arms. "Jeez, Twilight," he grumbled. "You might as well have bought supplies for the entire class. Hopefully, I won't have to do more heavy lifting." He looked around the store for a sign of Yoshi, Twilight, and Rarity, pausing once he caught sight of Sappho sitting at the service desk. "Huh..." Spike approached the desk and tapped the bell with his claw. Her ears perking up, Sappho looked up from the comic book she was reading. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, how may I help you?" she asked. "You wouldn't happen to know where Rarity is, would you?" Spike wondered out loud. "She's in the back with a client," Sappho replied. "If you're here to flirt with her, please come back after business hours." "WHAT?!" Spike shouted, a flustered look on his face as his cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "I... er... well, I... that's not what I- HEY!" Sappho let out a small chuckle. "Just kiddin'. Don't get your tail in a twist." Spike crossed his arms with a frown and a huff. "This client wouldn't happen to be Twilight and a green dinosaur with a large nose, would it?" he grumbled. "Yep," Sappho answered, gesturing to the back before continuing to read her comic book. "You're welcome." Taking a moment to stick his tongue out at Sappho, Spike made his way towards the back of the store. As he approached Rarity's studio, he could make out a series of crashing sounds, accompanied by panicked yelling and a familiar "WAAAAHHHH!!!" "Aw crap," Spike muttered, his eyes widening as he bolted through the door. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Twilight asked with a nervous grin. Yoshi just let out a sigh as he followed Twilight back to the library. "That was a bit... much," he answered slowly. "At least we got my saddlebags, though." Sure enough, a pair of white saddlebags were draped over his back, each one decorated with green spots. "And it was really nice of Rarity to give it to you for free, along with all the outfits she made for you," Twilight continued as she gestured to one of the bags she was carrying. Sticking out from inside was a red cap decorated with a small Yoshi egg in the center above the brim. "Yeah... whatever," Spike grumbled. His arms buckled underneath the weight of the giant stack of bags he was carrying, all of them containing various outfits for Yoshi. With a small chuckle, Twilight levitated a several bags off the top of the stack. "Sorry about that, Spike," she said, offering a few of them to Yoshi to carry.
