The Life and Times of Skullkin

Chapter 1: Birth

Clan Maker paced about the outside of the home. He could hear the yells and screams of his mare. “What a painful thing childbirth must be.” He said to himself, a quiet monologue sprung from worry. The unicorn Clan Maker had earned his name through the fact that he had sired no more than 46 other children, but today his chosen would be born.  A chosen was a child, or children, a pony decided to raise. In the times before Celestia and Luna it was common practice for a stallion or mare to sire or bare, respectively, a child and not care for it for any longer than to get it to an orphanage. In Clan Maker’s case, it was his talent in life. But even he had to continue his line and in such age as his if he did not stop and raise this child now he would be too frail to show it the skills it needed in life.

These thoughts, the thoughts of the skills of life, passed through Clan Makers mind as he paced back and forth just outside his home.

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Inside; Mournings Water, Clan Maker’s mate and mare, screamed in incomparable pain as her whole reproductive system vied to bring into this world her chosen. And do it as painfully as ponily possible. She was surrounded by three makeshift midwives, the other mothers of the small town of Hooften, and the town shaman. Shamans were usually ponies that had some degree of medical knowledge, whether it was on a true professional level or not depended entirely on the pony themselves. However, zebras from the far land of Africolt were commonly revered as shamans, as many who came to Equestria were such things.

For many hours she had been screaming and convulsing, still the baby seemed no closer to crowning. The shaman waited patiently, looking for the signs of the child’s coming. The midwives consoled the pain filled pony with stories of their own children’s births and the pain they all went through as well. Mournings tried to focus on other things, but all she could think of was the pain from the convulsions.

“Please master shaman,...when...will I have my child...in my hooves?” She eked out in-between pants and screams. He had no answer for her. These things took time. It could be soon and it might not be for days at most.

“I can not tell you. It is different for every pony.”

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The moon rose over Clan Maker, asleep against the side of the small shack of a house. Star Light, one of the mothers who were with Mournings, shook him awake.

“Your son is here.” Clan Maker shot awake. After so many minutes and hours of waiting, the time had finally arrived to grasp in his eyes and hooves his chosen.

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        Star Light led him over to Mournings, who weakly moved her head towards him.

        “Look. He’s just like his father.” Mournings pulled back a blanket that had been draped around the child, to reveal his protruding horn. Their son was healthy, and a unicorn, everything his father wanted in a son.