Author's Note

I honestly did not think I was going to finish this chapter tonight, but lo and behold, I was wrong.

I really adored writing this. Y'all know I adore my baby Shiny, but now we got Baby Twily and little Spikey-Wikey to join in the fun! This was a fun little thing to do. I enjoyed it.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

1. Twilight's Family

An internal alarm, one as familiar as the beat of her heart, woke Twilight Velvet the following morning. She looked at her alarm clock blearily. Six thirty in the morning. She sighed. It was another sleepless night, thanks to her writing career. She’d spent much of the night tossing and turning in bed, as worries about her story translated into fear-fueled nightmares. Mercifully, they’d ended shortly after Princess Luna had arrived to help discuss her frustration and get her a better outlet for them. Now, she stretched, yawning, and saw her husband still asleep. Thank goodness it was a Saturday. Poor Night Light never slept well on weekdays. She didn’t plan to wake him, either. Unless, of course, their children did that for him.

I’d better go wake and change the babies. Velvet thought to herself with a smile.

She moved down the hall to Shining Armor’s nursery, unaware that yesterday, it had simply been a bedroom that a young Stallion had left behind. Now, Baby Blue walls hosted painted clouds, and a ceiling full of stars. The wall closest to the door held a white changing table stocked full of diapers, powder, wipes, and pacifiers. Next to the changing table came the crib, bearing a mobile of small animals. Over the crib, a poem she’d painstakingly wrote in several fonts hung. Nestled in the corner, a blue high chair stood tall, waiting for him to sit in it and eat a meal. On the next wall there was a white toy chest painted with teddy bears, open and overflowing with toys of all kinds from his childhood. Above it was a picture of a tree. Next to it, a bookshelf filled with every story he had loved as a child sat waiting to be opened. A white rocking chair was in the next corner, with a blanket that was his “Bink Bink” from childhood draped over the back of it. The wall next to it held a white, yet colorful exersaucer, a wardrobe and dresser, both white in keeping with the theme, and the wardrobe was open to show many dress up costumes- including a plastic version of a royal guard’s armor. The dresser- though it hadn’t been looked in yet today- was full of onesies and hoofie pajamas.The wall to his right, adjacent to the door, held a rocking sheep that looked quite comfy, with a picture of a bluebird hanging not far above it. And at the center of the room was a blue rug, on top of which set a playpen with a plush toy in every corner.

In the crib, Shining Armor slept unaware of how much his life had altered in one night. There was no sign of tenseness in him that indicated that he felt uncomfortable or in unfamiliar territory. He simply slept soundly. Though a rightful parent himself, Shining Armor was simply too close to Twilight Sparkle of the Element bearers in Grogar’s eyes. He was a variable that had to be taken care of. Grogar had made a particular choice with how the mist would affect those close to The Element bearers. It would arrange the memories of those ponies to suit his needs. Thusly, Cadence’s memory had been altered to believe that Flurry was the result of a drunken encounter, and that she Ruled the Crystal Empire alone, While Shining Armor was back in his parent’s home alongside his sister, unaware that he was grown, let alone a father. Not only that, but the mist had enhanced the strength of Velvet, and the other parents too, in order to care for their children as well as possible. As Velvet approached the crib, she carefully lowered the side, and leaned down to kiss her son awake.

“Shiny-Winey, time to wake up, sweetie.” She cooed, rubbing his back to gently wake him.

Shining Armor’s eyes fluttered open, and for no more than a quarter of a second, the sense that something was off nagged at him. But then, it ceased once he caught sight of his mother.

“Mama.” Came the sleepy, childish reply.

Velvet smiled. “Good morning, baby boy.” She cooed, and gave him a kiss. He reached up to her, and she picked him up. It was then that she noticed his diaper was gone. “Did you take your diapee off, sweetie pie? Is it almost time to start potty training?” She crooned, carrying him to the changing table. Shining gave a noncommittal groan, and Velvet laid him down to get him in a new diaper. She began humming as Shining battled his way to wakefulness- a difficult battle to win indeed. He suckled his hoof in the meantime, and Velvet had to purse her lips to keep from speaking on it. She and Night Light had had this conversation a million times. If it went on until the age of four, then they’d crack down on it so that his teeth wouldn’t grow in crooked. Velvet had wanted to crack down on it, but her husband- lackadaisical in this area, had assured her he’d grow out of it. She had to make an effort not to undermine him now as she finished changing him, picking him up as he suckled his hoof and kicked his legs slightly.

“Bwutus?” He asked around his hoof.

“Of course, sweetie.” She cooed, and floated over his favored doll. He snuggled Brutus Force happily. “Wanna help me wake Twily this morning?”

He nodded. “I hewp, Mama!”

“Good! I’ll need my big boy helper today!” She smiled. “But you have to be very quiet like when you and Brutus play hide and seek, okay? We don’t want to scare your sissy.”

He nodded, determined to help. “I do it!”

“Good!” She grinned and kissed his cheek. Then, she carried him toward Twilight’s nursery. The furniture was arranged in the same way as Shining’s nursery, but hers was entirely done in pink paint, and the walls were purple. Twilight was in her crib, cuddled up with Spike rather than Smarty Pants. Velvet had to fight not squeal at the sight. Ever since Spikey-Wikey had come along, he and Twily had been inseparable. She went over to the crib and rubbed her daughter’s back, as Shining spoke rather than her this time.

“Twiwy! Pway time!” He chirped, a little too loudly.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open. An odd thing happened as she woke. Her fear amplified her instincts, and that feeling that something wasn’t right stayed with her longer than it did Shining. Unfortunately, her instincts, now attuned to those of a foal, made her begin to cry. Velvet immediately picked her up, cradling her and cuddling her close, as Shining began to sniffle in response to her tears and his own guilt as Velvet hushed them.

“There, There, sweethearts. Everything is okay now. Mommy’s here. Mommy’s right here.” She assured them.

Twilight quickly calmed from her mother’s comforting, but that sense of wrong didn’t quite leave her alone. Not, at least, until her mother kissed her. The sense of wrong evaporated as she giggled.

“That’s better!” Velvet cooed, and set Shining down. “Will you keep an eye on Spikey-Wikey for Mommy, Shiny? Mommy needs to give Twily her changie.” She said.

“I hewp!” Shining smiled, and toddled to his little brother of a dragon. Spike had remained curiously calm through Twilight’s wailing, Sucking the tip of his tail to soothe himself as Shining Came up to him, offering him a rattle to keep him entertained. Spike reached a claw out and banged it on the side of the crib as the jiggling of the beads made Shining giggle and clap for his little brother.

Meanwhile, Velvet moved to change Twilight, as she kicked her legs and wiggled around. “What a squirmy worm you are!” She cooed, making silly faces to distract her daughter. It worked, thankfully, and Twilight didn’t fuss through her change. When she was changed, she looked to Shining.

“Shiny?” She cooed. He looked away from Spike banging his rattle and to his mother.

“Mama?”

“Can you put Spikey-Wikey in his high chair for num num time?” She smiled. “Mama needs to give your sissy her Milkies first.”

“I do! I do!” He said eagerly, and helped put Spike in a small high chair as Velvet moved to sit in the rocker so she could nurse her daughter.

Twilight latched on immediately, and Velvet looked to Shining, who seemed to be occupied with an adventure involving Brutus running away. She couldn’t help but grin as her son waddled after his toy, and made sure Spike was comfortable in his chair, before focusing on her daughter. Twilight was quiet and still, the way she only was when she was eating or sleeping. Something about her always kept her moving just a little bit, and she worried that it might mean problems for her daughter in the future. But for now, she was content with the stillness that held them.

“Honey?”

Night Light’s voice caught her attention immediately, and she looked to him. Shining squealed at the sight of him.

“Daddy!” He grinned and waddled over quickly to give him a hug. Night Light wrapped his hooves around his son.

“I’m sorry, Dear. Did we wake you?” Velvet asked softly.

“No, not at all. I was awake before you got up this morning trying to figure out how to handle one of my accounts for Monday.” He said, Picking his son up as he babbled on about the adventure he and Brutus were on.

“Not going well, huh?”

“Nope.” Velvet gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Would you mind feeding Spike? I’ve got my hooves full with Twily right now.”

“Not at all.” He smiled, and then tuned into Shining.

“Bwutus wun fast!” Shining said.

“Really? How fast did he go, champ?” Night Light asked as he got a jar of foal food for Spike. He enjoyed applesauce. Night Light used his magic to set down the jar, tied a bib around the baby dragon, and started feeding him as he spoke with Shining.

“Fast, Daddy! Fast!” Shining said, bouncing with excitement.

“You must have been faster than a go kart to catch him, huh?”

“Yeah! I fast, Daddy!”

Night Light chuckled. “I know you are, buddy.” He said, feeding Spike another bite.

Velvet meanwhile kept her eyes on Twilight now that she was sure her other babies were in good hooves. When her daughter was done nursing, she put a burp cloth on her shoulder, and moved Twilight’s head over it, patting her back to burp her. When Twilight burped, she cooed, and was moved back down as she cuddled into her mother.

Velvet moved to brush the mane from her eyes. “There’s my pretty princess! I couldn’t see your beautiful face under all that hair, baby girl!” She cooed. Twilight giggled at the intonation and started playing with a lock of Velvet’s mane. She was just about to put a strand in her mouth when Velvet popped a pacifier in. “No, No, Twily. Mommy’s mane isn’t for eating! Paci’s are there to chew on and suck on, not manes.” She crooned.

Twilight didn’t seem to care once her mother floated Smarty Pants to her. Then, she got fascinated with making her doll move.

Meanwhile, Shining squirmed in his father’s hold to be put down. Night Light obliged him as he wiped Spike’s face off with his bib. Shining waddled to his mother, pouting.

“Mama, I want!”

“What do you want, Shiny? Use your big boy words.” She said.

“Cuddwe?”

“Of course, sweetie.” She said, and repositioned Twilight so that he could come up too, earning a groan from the princess. Velvet soothed that with a kiss as Shining clambered up into her lap and snuggled into her.

Velvet closed her eyes, smiling. This was what living was all about. This was what joy meant. Holding and cuddling her babies.

She almost nodded off into sleep when Night Light’s voice shook her out of it.

“Babe?”

Velvet’s eyes snapped open, and she smiled. “Mmmm. I guess I almost fell asleep, huh?” She smiled.

“I guess so.” Night Light smiled down at her, and the babies in her arms. “I’ll help you if you want to go back to bed. I can watch them for a while.” He offered.

“No thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll take this while I can get it.”

“Remember when your mom’s best friend’s kids were little?” He asked.

“And now they’re having kids. They grow up so fast…”

“Oh they’ll go full teenager on you, there’s no stopping it.” He smiled.

She looked down at Shining and Twilight in her arms. “I wish I could just freeze them. Keep them like this forever. Just so they wouldn’t lose that innocence, you know?”

Night Light nodded. “Yeah. It’d be nice if they were potty trained, though.”

“I think Shiny might almost be ready to make the leap.” She said.

“Oh?”

“He took his diaper off this morning. But the books say that won’t be for another month or two.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. At least he’s on track.”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

When Spike was done eating, Night Light wiped his face and went to sit with his wife and other children.

“It’s gonna go by very quickly. I’m glad you’re stopping to smell the roses once in a while.”

“It’s easier, a little. At least Shiny can help out sometimes. I don’t feel like I’m drowning all the time anymore.”

“Good. You know if you ever need me you can just send a scroll.”

“I know, but you have to work. We can’t raise these kids on my last book royalty check.”

“I know. I wish I was home more.”

“Me too.”

A silent moment was shared between them, and they became so caught up in looking at each other that Velvet didn’t notice Shining moving so that he could nurse from her. It startled her, but she didn’t jerk, just turned to look at him.

When was the last time he did that?

The answer of a few months came to her quickly, but as she watched him nurse, it was forgotten.

She didn’t notice her mind forgetting that Shining had stopped nursing months ago as it rapidly adjusted to the idea that he was still doing it like he should. She didn’t notice that Twilight wasn’t able to coo as well now as she once had. She didn’t notice that Spike had stopped wriggling in her husband’s lap when he’d been active all morning.

And she didn’t notice herself getting more tired either- Almost like her life force was being drained away.