8 Hot Moon 1008

What.

Star stumbled back, as if he’d been struck.

Flurry, bless her sweet little heart, immediately reached out to him. ‘’Are you alright, daddy?’’

Keep the panic for later, Star reprimanded himself, before nodding. ‘’I’m very surprised, that's all,’’ he said.

‘’Oh thank Celestia,’’ he heard Skystreak mutter.

‘’I…’’ Whatever he was going to say stopped in his throat as he saw the raw panic and fear in her eyes and stance. Celestia, she was terrified.

That, more than anything, convinced him that she truly believed it was his child. If she’d been lying to him, for whatever reason, she wouldn’t be so afraid. But it was, and she feared what he might do.

Not that he would do anything to her for something that was his fault.

‘’I’m- are you alright?’’ It was a stupid question, but it was the only thing he could think of.

Tentatively, Skystreak nodded. ‘’Y-yeah,’’ she said softly. ‘’Aside from some stomach aches, that is.’’

‘’And you’ve seen a doctor?’’ Star pressed on. Better to cover all your bets at once.

Again, Skystreak nodded. ‘’I did, and he confirmed it.’’

Star sighed. ‘’Okay.’’ Time to plan. And as always, first things first.

‘’Flurry,’’ he said, looking down at the filly, ‘’this is a conversation for us two. Why don’t you go play in your room?’’

‘’Okay daddy.’’ Flurry gave him a quick hug, before walking out of the room. However, she stopped in the doorway, and turned back around.

‘’So I’m getting a sibling?’’

Star couldn’t help but smile even as he tried to figure out the best answer to that. ‘’Yes,’’ he decided to say.

Flurry smiled brightly. ‘’Okay! Bye!’’

‘’Bye,’’ Star and Skystreak both replied.

As soon as Star estimated Flurry was upstairs, he cleared his throat. ‘’So…’’

‘’I want to keep the child,’’ Skystreak said immediately. ‘’And… I want to raise him or her together. Or try to, at least.’’

‘’That’s what I want to do too,’’ Star admitted. He was not going to run away from this.

Skystreak stepped closer to him. ‘’I haven’t told my parents, or anyone else,’’ she confessed. ‘’I just found out yesterday.’’

Star nodded. ‘’Okay.’’

‘’Are you sure you want to do this?’’ Skystreak asked. ‘’I mean, it seems like-’’

Star held up a hoof. ‘’Of course I want to be there for my child!’’

‘’But- but I tricked you!’’

Tricked me? Star tilted his head. ‘’I don’t follow.’’

‘’You don’t even like me!’’ Skystreak cried out. ‘’I just forced you to go on a date with me, and then we- and now I’m pregnant!’’ Tears were starting to leak out of her eyes.

Before Star could say anything to that, she wailed, ‘’It’s all my fault!’’ before turning and running away.

Star leapt to action after a split-second of indecisiveness, cutting off Skystreak ’s escape by teleporting in front of her. ‘’It’s not your fault,’’ he said.

Skystreak cursed under her breath, or at least it sounded like that. She attempted to get past him, but he wouldn’t let her run away from this. Not without talking about it first, at the least.

‘’Sit,’’ he commanded gently, before grabbing Skystreak ’s shoulder and pulling her down with him as he sat down on the floor. ‘’Breathe.’’

‘’O-okay.’’ Skystreak settled herself in front of him, leaning in close as she slowly took deep breaths.

Star leaned in as well, and Skystreak hesitantly rested herself against Star, her head craned around his neck. They sat in silence, broken only by their soft breaths.

‘’Thank you,’’ Skystreak said after a minute. ‘’I’m sorry for freaking out.’’

‘’It’s alright,’’ Star said. ‘’I don’t mind.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Skystreak said. Then, in a very surprising move, she leaned against Star fully, exhaling contently after a moment.

For once, Star had no idea what to do. The best thing he could think of was trying to comfort Skystreak , but how to do that? With Crystal, it had been easier: she trusted him no matter the situation, and he had always been able to help her. Star wasn’t sure how he could help with this.

‘’Do you want anything?’’ he asked eventually. ‘’Something to drink or eat?’’

‘’No, but thanks,’’ Skystreak replied a moment later. ‘’Can we… stay like this for a time?’’

‘’Sure,’’ Star agreed. Hesitantly, he put his forelegs around Skystreak ’s neck, giving her a very loose hug.

This was going to be a lot of chaos. A lot of chaos.

|-x-X-x-|

8 Hot Moon 1008

‘’Pregnant,’’ Emerald repeated for the sixth time in half as many minutes.

This was just terrific beyond all measure. Star, on his one-night stand, had gotten that mare pregnant.

Amore, give me strength, she prayed, because she was definitely going to need it.

Flurry, of course, was ecstatic at the news, and so was Magic when she’d been told. Daygleam, on the other hoof…

‘’Why didn’t he use protection?!’’ Daygleam asked angrily. ‘’It’s not that f- it’s not that hard, is it?’’

That was a very good question - one of several Daygleam had asked, if one listened closely to her rant - that Emerald wanted an answer about too.

But Star had sent Flurry to tell Emerald and Daygleam of this revelation, and also to tell them to keep away from the mansion for a while, while he and his… whatever they were, talked.

Emerald didn’t agree, per se, but she did appreciate his request for privacy, at least for now. Emerald would like privacy too, in this situation.

‘’Mommy,’’ Magic asked, ‘’why are you so angry? Isn’t it nice that Flurry is getting another sibling?’’

The wonders of a child’s mind.

‘’I’m not angry about that, sweetheart,’’ Daygleam said with the most intense tonal switch Emerald had heard in a while. ‘’I’m angry about how it happened.’’

Magic and Flurry both frowned. ‘’I don’t get it,’’ Magic said after a moment.

‘’Yeah, me neither,’’ Flurry added.

‘’Well, come here and I’ll try to explain, sweethearts,’’ Daygleam said, and Emerald took the cue to make space for the two foals, who laid themselves between the two older mares.

‘’So, let me explain why I’m angry.’’ Daygleam cleared her throat. ‘’There’s lots of things you don’t need to know until you’re older, and how foals are made is one of them. For now, let’s just say foals are made when a mare and stallion love each other very much.’’

Magic nodded understandingly and Flurry said, ‘’Okay.’’

‘’But, they don’t have to keep loving each other,’’ Daygleam continued. ‘’It just has to happen for a short while, and then there’s going to be a foal.’’

‘’So Dad and Skystreak don’t love each other?’’ Flurry asked.

Emerald jumped in. ‘’That’s what they’re talking about now, Flurry. Having a foal is a big thing for both parents.’’

‘’But Dad knows how to take care of foals!’’ Flurry protested. ‘’He’s taking care of me, and he took care of his sister!’’

‘’That’s true,’’ Emerald agreed, ‘’but he wasn’t there for the pregnancy of either his sister or you. It’s different.’’

‘’Oh, okay.’’ Flurry snuggled up against Emerald’s side. ‘’But I still don’t get why Daygleam is angry.’’

Daygleam sighed, and reached out with her hoof to pat Flurry’s head. ‘’It’s because I’ve seen lots of foals and parents get into bad situations because of things like this,’’ she explained, ‘’and I don’t want that to happen here.’’

Flurry and Magic both looked thoughtful, and then Magic nodded. ‘’Thanks for explaining, mommy.’’

Daygleam bent her head down and nuzzled Magic. Not to be left behind, Flurry looked up at Emerald, and who was she to resist such an invitation?

|-x-X-x-|

8 Hot Moon 1008

‘’So.’’ Star cleared his throat, and looked around the room.

Skystreak was sitting next to him, while Daygleam and Emerald sat on the other side of the table, and Flurry and Magic next to them.

‘’Everyone,’’ he began, ‘’I’d like you to meet someone.’’

That, of course, was Skystreak’s cue. ‘’I’m Skystreak,’’ she introduced herself. ‘’I work at the Manebourne Weather Bureau, and I am twenty-four years old.’’ She glanced at Star, and he squeezed her hoof as he looked back reassuringly.

They’d agreed on what to say, of course. This conversation was likely to dissolve into an incoherent mess otherwise.

‘’I am pregnant with Star’s foal.’’

There. She’d said it. Now the cat was out of the bag, and Star could only hope all went well.

‘’Flurry told us as much,’’ Emerald remarked calmly. ‘’What is your plan?’’

And this, this was the deal-breaker. ‘’We’re keeping the foal.’’

Emerald exhaled. Daygleam’s brow twitched. ‘’And?’’ she asked.

‘’And…’’ Star picked up the thread Skystreak had left dangling. ‘’We’re going to try and make this relationship work.’’

Decidedly not easy.

‘’Okay,’’ Emerald said after a few seconds. ‘’Okay. Good.’’

The most awkward moment in Star’s life passed by in silence. Then, Flurry spoke up. ‘’So, I’m getting a sibling?’’

‘’Yes,’’ Star said immediately. ‘’You are.’’

He was becoming a father. The prospect was no less terrifying now than when he’d held Crystal for the first time.

‘’Yay!’’ Flurry cheered, and that was, of course, adorable.

‘’I am going to stay in my apartment in Manebourne for the time being,’’ Skystreak continued. ‘’At least, for the coming months.’’

They’d agreed to this too, of course. Skystreak still had a job, and while Star’s funds were more than sufficient for paying for all of them, it would still be a strain he’d rather not have.

‘’And you’ll come around regularly?’’ Daygleam asked politely.

‘’Of course,’’ Skystreak replied. ‘’There’s no reason not to.’’

Daygleam nodded. ‘’Well, congratulations, both of you. This is a life-changing thing.’’

‘’It is,’’ Emerald agreed. ‘’So indeed, congratulations.’’

‘’Congrats, daddy!’’ Flurry chirped.

‘’Congrats, Star,’’ Magic added a little more softly.

‘’Thank you, all of you,’’ Star said after a moment. ‘’Truly, I’m grateful.’’

Author's Note

As I said in the previous chapter, chapters will be shorter, because I don't have the time to write 3-4K words for one chapter anymore.

Now, the cliffhanger has been settled, and we move on to wrapping up before the end of summer, and of Act 1.