Author's Note

Precious Moments

Harmonic felt a sense of pressure creep up his side. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He looked over his shoulder. His eldest daughter, Melodic, was smiling down at him.

"Good morning, daddy!" she said in a bubbly tone.

"Morning, sweetheart. How ya doin'?"

"Good!"

"That's good. I'm glad."

Melodic's mother, Atmospheric, awoke with the child's pounce between her and her spouse. The older mare stroked her daughter's mane.

"Morning, sweetie." she spoke gently.

"Morning, mommy."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. I'll start breakfast in a few minutes."

Harmonic playfully tackled Melodic, pulling her close to his side.

"You're so adorable, I could just eat you up. Nomnomnomnom!"

"Stop, daddy! That tickles!"

Atmospheric nuzzled the child and kissed her forehead before getting up. She put on her jacket before leaving the room to prepare their meal.

"What do you want to do today?" Harmonic asked his daughter.

"I wanna draw."

"Yeah?"

Melodic nodded.

"We'll spend some time together after breakfast."

"Okay."

"Go help mommy in the kitchen. I'll go get your brother and sister."

Like Atmospheric, Harmonic kissed his daughter before releasing her from his grasp. She bounded to the kitchen where her mother was waiting. Harmonic yawned and stretched his limbs, cracking his vertebrae before sliding off the bed. He got ready for the day and left to check on the rest of his children.

On the other side of the children's door, Harmonic heard a sniffle. It was the gurgling kind that could only be associated with one of two things: sadness or illness, and he doubted it was the latter. He opened the door. His suspicions were confirmed.

"You okay, bud?" he asked his son in a gentle tone.

Hard Core shook his head, face turned away from his father. Harmonic approached the other side of his son's bed. The pillow was drenched in emotion. It was the first time the stallion had ever seen his son cry. Not even at birth did the child shed a tear. The stallion sat next to the boy's side, wishing with all his heart to cure what ailed him.

"What's wrong?" Harmonic asked with concern.

"I'm scared, daddy!" Hard Core practically yelled. It was clear he was struggling to suppress his desperation.

"Why?" his father inquired.

"Why am I here!?"

Behind his mane, blue electricity flashed across Harmonic's eyes. Most parents would've been utterly confused by the question, taken aback by the force, but he knew exactly what it meant. His son was searching for the meaning behind his own existence. It was something he suspected had been a long time coming. On a complex level, he realized he didn't have a satisfying answer. He did have one, though. He stroked his son's mane.

"You're here because mommy and I wanted you here, silly." he said with a weak smile.

"Really...?"

Hard Core sniffled again.

"I asked her if she wanted you myself, and you know what she said?"

"Yeah?"

"Exactly."

"Is that how grandma got you?"

"Yep, but there's a small difference. You know what it is?"

"Uh-uh."

"I know a few things your grams didn't at the time."

"Like what?"

"Like...How fast the world could change for example."

"Does it change fast?"

"Sometimes, but the more things change, the more they stay the same."

"How?"

"It's hard to explain. It's not something I can really put into words. You're just gonna have to trust me on that. Can you do that?"

"I guess so."

"There's one thing I can promise you will never change."

"What?"

"How much I love you. I'll always be here for you, even if you can't see how."

"I love you too, daddy."

Harmonic wrapped his son in a tight hug.

"I've been hurt a lot in life, even by people I love. I'll never make the same mistakes with you guys. I've seen the road that leads down before."

Hard Core released the last of his tears into his father's coat. Harmonic carried him over to his baby sister's crib. The infant was sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.

"Remember when Shadow was born," the older stallion reminded, "You held her all the way home."

"I remember."

"The three of you are closer than I ever was with your aunts or uncle. Your mommy and I wanted to give you something important we missed out on when we were little."

"What?"

"I'm not sure, but what I do know is, having her around made you stronger. You learned a lot. We did too. Your mind and heart are your strongest weapons. With them, you can forge your own path, even when you're sad or scared."

"Hey, daddy...?"

"Hm?"

"When I grow up, I want to be like you."

"You're already on your way, bud. You're already on your way..."

Hard Core yawned.

"I'm still sleepy." he told his father.

"I'll tuck you in. We'll save your breakfast for later."

Harmonic placed his son back under the blankets.

"Sleep tight."

Harmonic left his son and youngest daughter to rest. He went to the kitchen. The smell of eggs pervaded his nostrils, but the concern for his son's well-being overrode any hunger he felt.

"Where's Hard Core?" Atmospheric asked.

"He had kind of a rough morning. I'm letting him and Shadow sleep a bit longer."

"What's wrong?"

Harmonic whispered into her ear.

"Oh, my poor baby..."

Harmonic and Atmospheric locked each other in a tight hug.

"Is Hard Core okay?" Melodic asked. Her parents gazed in her direction.

"Yeah," Harmonic assured his daughter, "He's just a little tired right now."

The stallion joined his daughter at the table.

"Hey, sweetheart, can mommy spend time with you today instead? I have to look after your brother. It's really important."

"Okay."

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I love you very much."

Melodic giggled.

Later that afternoon, Harmonic took Hard Core out for lunch. Afterwards, they went to the park. The stallion showed his son an athletic technique: how to backflip off solid surfaces. It was a skill he himself had picked up earlier in life. His father's guidance combined with the wings he inherited from his mother prevented Hard Core from sustaining any injuries. The two meditated together for a while. Harmonic showed his son how to create vivid worlds inside his mind.

"What are you seeing now?" the stallion asked his kin.

"Grass." the child responded.

"What else?"

"The sky."

"What's it look like?"

"There's lots of clouds."

"What kind?"

"They're really dark."

"Like rainclouds?"

"Yeah..."

"Is it hot or cold?"

"Cold."

"How do you feel when you're there?"

"Scared."

"Does it feel like something's going to hurt you?"

"Uh-uh."

"Are you scared because you're alone?"

"I don't know..."

"I want you to try moving around in that world. See what you can find."

"Okay..."

"What do you see now?"

"A road. There's lots of leaves."

"What else?"

"Mommy...?"

"Your mother's there?"

"She's hugging me."

"Is she doing anything else?"

"She's holding me. We're flying. I can see the blue colors in the sky."

"Is she talking to you?"

"Yeah."

"What's she saying?"

"'No more rainy days'."

"...Maybe we should go home, huh?"

"I wanna see mommy."

"Yeah."

Harmonic carried his son home. Atmospheric, Melodic, and Shadow were watching TV when they arrived.

"How are my two handsome men doing?" the older mare joked.

"Mommy...What are you...?" Hard Core asked curiously.

Atmospheric sat in silence, mouth agape. Her expression suddenly transformed into a smile. She carried Shadow to where Harmonic and Hard Core were standing. She placed a hoof over her mouth, as if to say "That's our little secret". She lifted one of her wings. For the first time, Harmonic noticed how peculiar they were. They were slightly larger than average Pegasus wings. The tips were sharp: pronounced. The mare uttered her next words out of her oldest daughter's earshot.

"Divinity flows through your veins, my son. A savior's spirit lies just below the surface of your skin."

"Are you an angel, like the ones in the stories?"

"Maybe," the child's mother said with a hint of smugness, "Unlike me, though, your time in this world is likely limited. You have to make every day count. Show the people around you how much they mean to you. One day, it might be too late. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

Atmospheric placed a hoof under her son's chin.

"Keep your head up high. Remember the future is yours to control, even when it doesn't seem like it. There's always a way to make a difference..."

Harmonic and Atmospheric squeezed their son in a tight embrace. For the rest of the day, Harmonic and Hard Core played video games and listened to music together. In the span of mere hours, both of their lives had been forever altered by God's grace. All it took was a modicum of awareness. They marveled at this new revelation, wondering what other secrets the world still held in store for them...