Life in the royal family was difficult, for weeks Toren has been doing his best to help both his mother, his wife, while trying to occupy his daughter, while doing his duties as King with the help of Luna who was always willing to assist him, the only one willing. Unfortunately after the fight with his father Toren has gotten the cold shoulder by both of the pregnant mares, and was lucky to even get a word of them without confrontation by their hormones, and random mood swings, it was rough.

Exhausted the stallion walked down the halls while reading one of the scrolls for his meeting he had to run with the leaders of all of the five kingdoms for a yearly plan for peace, yawning he read through it talking to himself "Greetings everypony, thank you all for coming, as all of you may know we have much to", unable to finish he passed out snoring to himself with the scroll over his head on the ground.

In the corner both Celestia and Starlight were laughing with Cadence as they discussed future baby activities for family reunions, once the turned to the side they saw the stallion sleeping in the middle of the hallway, Starlight yells "Oh no..Toren!"

Quickly they teleport next to him, Starlight grabbed his face "Honey?"

Slowly the stallion made a noise before barely opening his eyes "Hi..", he says tired as he strugggled to keep them open.

"Daddy what happened?", Cadence asks as she sat down beside him.

Unable to move his head by three days of not sleeping he used his tail to point at the pregnant mare "Them, being mean by meaness", he says trying to talk as he closed his eyes having no more energy.

Concerned the mares looked at eachother, Celestia sighs "Oh he can't do the meeting like this, I'll have to step in and do it for him. Starlight take Toren to your room, while we attend the board meeting"

She nods "Okay", with magic she teleports the stallion to the bed with her laying next to him worried, with magic she summons a bowl of cold water and uses a towel to gently rub his warm head.

Without warning Athena poofs infront of her "Hi daddy you awake?"

Quickly the filly goes to him trying to have fun with by tapping his nose before leaning her head against his arm to listen "Athena don't honey daddy is sick, and I'm trying to help him", she says softly while kissing her cheek "And he needs to sleep okay?"

She sighs "Okay", in defeat she lays by her chest watching her mother "Mommy? Is daddy dying?"

"No, daddy was silly and forgot to sleep again", she say before glaring at him hope he was listening "And refused to ask mommy to help him when he wasn't okay, because he a meaner"

"Why?", she asks curious.

Gently she looked at her "Because daddy hurt grandpa and that hurt mommy, and grandma"

"Oh, that's why grandpa gave me that note?", she asks trying to understand.

Starlight looks at her "What note?"

"This one", with magic to summons the envelope "See"

"Can you read it to me"

"Sure", she says as she opened it "Dear Chaos, this is for you and your sister, I'm going to your Auntie Fluttershy's for awhile but don't tell your parents or they will try to to find me, and grandpa needs to help your Auntie Fluttershy with her cottage, and the animals new home because it got destroyed. So I'll be gone for a little bit but I'll be back soon I promise, take care of your mother, your sister, and your father, but most important take care of grandma she'll need your help, and needs you chaos to keep her happy until I get back to see her. I love you my bundle of chaos, love grandpa"

Starlight sighs as she tried to keep her husband's fever down "Did you hear that honey?", she asks softly but held a glare.

"Mommy you're doing that mean voice again", she giggles "But you only do it to dad when he's in trouble"

"That's because he is"

"But why daddy has been working to help grandma sleep, and is sick now. How can he be in trouble?"

She sighs "Because your daddy said something very mean to grandpa so he went to see your Aunt so he could try to feel better and away from his family because it made him very sad". she says as she pulled his ear while stroking his head.

Annoyed he made a noise before looking at her "Honey don't", he groans to himself moving his head to the pillow away from her exhausted.

Gently Athena went to his face "Daddy is it true that you hurt grandpa?"

Slowly opening his eyes looking at her "Yes, and he's very sorry, especially to your mother", gently he smiled at his wife while saying sorry with his lips, then shifted his eyes back to his daughter "And once I'm better he will make grandpa okay again so he can come home and see you, and family we'll be all better again", he says with a small smile.

Giggling she touched his nose "You sound funny"

Toren chuckles "Yeah because daddy forgot to sleep because he's been busy with silly king rules", he says as he stuck his tongue at her exhausted.

"It's okay daddy you can sleep now, and mommy will help you", she before looking at her "Oh and Atara will to, and me"

Hearing her comment made them both smile with quiet laughs, Toren lifts his head "Yeah? Well good daddy is glad he'll have three helpers to make him better again", he says kissing his wife's cheek, then kisses his daughter's face.

"Dad that tickles, stop it", she says laughing to herself when he peach fuzz brushed against her cheeks.

He smiles "Why is that?", he says as he poked her tiny nose.

Giggling the little toddler points at him "Because you have black stuff on face", she says touching his black peach fuzz.

Amused by her words he pretends to not know as he spoke looking around "Wait where? What's on my face?", he asks pretending to be frightened "Is it bad and mean?"

She shakes his head "No"

"It is scary?", he asks shocked.

Smiling Starlight nods "Oh yes if you look very close"

Right when she said Toren looked at her narrowing his eyes "Oh really scary huh?", he growls softly before grabbing her and puts her back sideways against his left arm as he tickled her sides with his other arm with his claw-hoof while rubbing his face against her neck with small hidden kisses in between.

Laughing by the experience the mare blushes trying to escape "Toren quit it!", she says still laughing.

"Hold on mommy I help!", trying to be a hero the filly climbs on his back and bites his ear "Daddy stop!"

Feeling her sharp teeth made the stallion growl chuckling "Ow Athena let go of daddy's ear!"

Glaring with a smirk the stallion grabbed her with his claw-hoof and wrapped her in his tail "There now mommy is all mine now!", he says as he quickly began to tickle his pregnant wife while kissing her a couple of times to be a tease.

Not wanting to have her mother get hurt the filly tries to move around "Dad no you'll hurt mommy!', she says trying to escape then remembered biting his ear that gave her an idea and bites his tail hard.

Toren yelped snapping "Ow no Athena!", growling he glares at her annoyed as yells "Athena stop!"

Frightened she teleports to the ground almost in tears with her tail curled next to head, she begins to cry to herself that made the stallion realize that he snapped at his daughter when she was just trying to help Starlight and the baby. Carefully Toren sighs before using magic to pick her up but to his surprise she teleports hiding in the closet, and closed the door. Feeling terrible he lets go of his wife before quietly making his way to the closet to apologize to his young daughter so she wouldn't be sad anymore, or be afraid of him so she not think of him as a mean monster.

Gently he knocked the door "Athena.."

"Go away!", she yells in tears while crying.

Hearing the sound of her voice broke Toren's heart an inch that his chest began to ache knowing that his daughter was upset, afraid, and want to see him, slowly he opened the door as Starlight watched on the bed as he laid his body halfway in the closet, he moved some boxes to the other side of the wall that revealed his daughter crying in the corner. Understanding her sensitive side the stallion allowed her to turn away with a small glare in tears not wanting to talk, or see him, slowly he moved his arms and laid his head over them in a deep stare giving Athena the time to calm down as he watched her sitting in the corner it reminded him of he once was, a lost hybrid that was full of confusion, and wanted to find happiness, his purpose, and where he belonged in the world, and he learned that because of her, his little miracle who saved him.

Toren lets out a sigh with a small smile "Hey chaos, you okay?", he waits for an answer but nothing happened so he kept talking to her softly with compassion "Look daddy is really sorry for being mean, it's just Daddy's tail is silly and makes him mad sometimes, and his ear does it to because they are mean like Daddy when you were just trying to help mommy and the baby not get hurt. And I'm so glad you were so brave by trying to save them, like you saved me when Daddy was sad"

Curious the filly turned her head "I did, how?". she looked at him "How did me save?"

Softly he smiles "Well a long time ago before you were born Daddy was all alone and sad then I got hurt, here I'll show you"

When he backed up she followed him curious as the stallion sat down "So before Daddy met your mother I got hurt by a mean stallion", he moved his wing that showed a scar on his left side near his ribs "This happnened when I was in war helping others, Daddy got hurt so grandma made me all better by making me immortal, and that means that Daddy can't go away"

Confused she tilts her head "Why can't you leave? Auntie Applejack's family can, so why can't you?', she asks curious.

Trying to find a way to help her understand the stallion looked around then grabbed a book that was by the dresser, then poofed a pen and began to draw a picture, softly he blew on the drawing. Out of nowhere it came to life and walked on the ground that looked like Toren, but smaller with black lines that was silent, confused the picture looked at Athena, then at Starlight who had her body at the end of the bed with her arm under her head smiling, yet held slight confusion.

Quietly the mare looked over watching her husband drawing another picture, and then other ones with magic to speed up the process that remained in the book until he allowed them to enter the story when they were used, with a snap the drawing of himself went to the book when he closed it with a smirk, he looks at his daughter who giggled by his stupid smile.

Finally getting into the mindset the stallion clears his throat before opening the book again then flipped a page "Now you ready for daddy to tell the story on how you saved me and why he is immortal?", he asks her in full confidence.

She smiles "Yeah, can mommy listen to?"

"Sure, here", with magic he poofed her to the bed with Starlight with some popcorn for his wife and applejuice.

Toren looks at them "Alright now this story is a tale about how my daughter saved me from not being sad no more", he says making a sad face to make her laugh as the pregnant mare giggles along with her, smirking the stallion poofed on some black glasses that had no lenses to be more efficient.

Wanting to know the filly points sighing "Dad the story?"

"Alright", he says smiling "A long time ago I was all alone, sad, and wanted to be happy again but didn't know how after I was injured by the evil shadow king. However, it wasn't until I became a father to a little foal named Cadence who allowed me to see the good in the world by her kindness, her heart, and how loving so was to all she came to know in her life"

Athena points excited "Look mom it's my sister KK!", she comments as the picture flew around them.

"Yeah I know and she's with daddy to", she says as she ate some popcorn as the stallion continued.

Getting into the story the stallion kept going unaware that his mother, and his daughter were walking inside with Atara as he told them about how he saved his friends from a bugbear when they were in danger, then meeting the princesses and how nervous he was to be introduced after being gone for so long, and was worried they would not accept him after leaving them years ago, and his daughter Cadence because he was still sad, and wanted to find happiness again, but didn't know how to find it.

They sat down on the bed behind them watching as Toren continued "So as I went to see them the white one like grandma walked to me all sad to, and made me wonder if she was just like me, and turns out she was and held a secret that made her all sad"

Curious little Athena looks back "You were?", she asks wanting to know the truth.

"Yes I was, because I missed your daddy very much", she says smiling almost in tears by her hormones while remembering the day when she told her son that she was his mother that almost ruined her complete trust that they made together.

An hour has passed and Toren continued telling the story about the gala, and how he told Starlight about his curse, and how he wanted to be with her but was afraid that his sadness would ruin his chance "So this mare full of beauty took my hoof and wanted to be with me, but she was also sad, however it wasn't meant to be until I made her a deal that if we kept our happiness a secret then we'd be happy to, and no longer be sad anymore. So after we talked it over, she agreed"

"But what was the happiness?", Athena asks with wonder trying to figure it out.

Cadence smiles whispering "Hold on we'll have to wait and see what happens next", she says softly to her little half sister.

As he continued to tell more about his story he tells them about how his happiness allowed Starlight to fall in love with him, not only that but together their love made them stronger, and that she took his sadness away with kindness, she gave to him to help save their bundle of joy. Not wanting to make it so long he made it simple and fun at times, then discussed on how he got sick that the mare of his dreams had to help him feel better by taking their joy, and placed it in her heart where it was safe from harm, and from all the sad things that could destroy their happiness, forever, and for all eternity.

Smiling almost in tears Toren spoke softly "So as weeks passed their happiness continued to grow even more that one day the shadow king wanted to take it from them with a cruel, mean words to ruin the joy they cherished. So I didn't want that to happen so I used the light that was given to me by my friends, my family, and your mother and destroyed him, and his darkness, his sadness away for the better. Once I returned into the castle there it was...my happiness that I saw with my own eyes, it made me so happy that I cried tears of joy knowing that I was no longer sad, but the opposite, I was glad"

Athena looked at the picture closely, and saw herself in her mother's pictures arms with her dad, she looks at them, then it hit her that she knew what the happiness was, the filly points at her chest "Am I the happiness daddy?"

In tears he smiles as he put the book down so the three pictures could hover in front of them as he sat next to the bed "Yes, you are and always will be, because you were my happiness that daddy needed to be happy, so he wouldn't be sad", gently he held her close to his shoulder as tears fell down his face "You mean so much to me that I never want to be sad ever, because if you are then daddy is sad to, and daddy is really sorry for making you, mommy, and everypony else sad to"

Athena looked at his cheek "It's okay daddy don't be sad, it will be better soon, and we all be here again", she says as she wrapped her little arms halfway around his neck as he cried to himself, Cadence nuzzled her head against his to help him.

Carefully Starlight walked on the bed toward her husband to kiss her head "We're sorry to honey", she says in tears.

Slowly he lifts his head and held her cheek "Me to", he admits "And I will fix this, and bring him back home"

In tears Celestia placed her hoof on his shoulder "We know you will, but for now you need to rest and get better"

Nodding he tiredly climbed on the bed with his family, Celestia wrapped her wing around him as Athena snuggled against her chest between his arms with Atara, as his wife laid by his side with his wing that went over her like a blanket. Smiling Cadence teleports next to her grandmother right next to the stallion's cheek with a kiss before laying her head beside his, and together they all fell asleep as a family, that was almost perfect, so during the night Luna wrote a letter to Twilight to inform her if she saw Discord to let them know at once by letter.

Author's Note

Oh the struggles of family, and yet eventhough it can be hard there are moments where sadness, or fights enter with anger, and hurtful words that with happiness can be brought back by a simple page in a book to bring those around you together all in peace.