Do you ever wonder what magic feels like?

Rumble laughed as he ran around the clouds that made up his back yard. All his cousins were running around frantically as they played tag in the sunshine. Their world was full of cheers and laughter. As they played, the grown-ups sat inside the cloud house comparing diaper bags or whatever it is parents do when alone.

His big brother suddenly jumped into the game, tackling Rumble, but things only escalated from there. Somehow this game of tag morphed into a wrestling match.

His brother pinned him to the cloud and demanded, in a stern voice, "Who's the best flyer ever?"

"Me!" Rumble squealed as he wiggled under his brother.

"And don't you forget it!" The teenage Pegasus smiled, ruffling his little brother's mane and letting him up, "Enjoying your birthday party little bro?"

"You bet Thunderlane!" Rumble grinned.

"I bet you can't guess what your present is?" Thunderlane teased.

"A guitar?!" Rumble jumped up eagerly.

Thunderlane huffed, "A guitar costs hundreds of bits. You think our parents can afford to spend that kind of money on a single present?"

The little colt deflated. It didn't help that he heard his cousins laughing at him. "Hey, what's so funny!?" the little colt demanded.

One of his cousins snickered, "He's hiding a guitar behind his back!"

"Bolt!" Thunderlane glared. "Way to go ruining the surprise!" He huffed before bringing out a miniature guitar from his wings. "Happy birthday,"

The tiny 3 year old stared in wonder at the toddler training guitar as if it were one of Vinyl Scratch's 5000 bit electrics. He balanced on his back hooves and gently took it. His face slowly morphing from one of awe to triumph. His hoof gently toyed with the strings. He stuck his tongue out in this adorable way as he concentrated. He used the magical static cling in his hooves to pluck at the strings, hearing the sounds rippling from each.

He could feel them, the vibration moved in him in a way no one else seemed to notice.

"Play us something Rumble!" Bolt begged.

Thunderlane chuckled, "Rumble hasn't even gone to his first lesson yet."

Rumble took that as a challenge. "Just watch me! I'll play the most hardcore song EVER!"

The little colt randomly plucked the strings, getting a feel for it. He shivered as they vibrations moved through him. He started playing, just following his instincts and the sensations the cords gave. He gasped has he felt the music and began directing it with more than his hooves.

His cousins cheered as they heard the music. Thunderlane walked behind him with a confused expression. The little colt was actually playing a complex guitar solo from a song he liked but he'd never had a single lesson. This was beyond natural talent. There was something almost... demonic with how the colt was playing.

You know, it’s usually something like this that happens to ruin a birthday party.

Rumble, so caught up in the feeling, slammed his hoof across the strings. A wave of sound erupted from the guitar. It was as if a tornado was unleashed from the cords, tearing their house apart. The devastation was utter and complete. The house was just gone. The ponies? They were gone too. Everypony except Thunderlane, who was still standing behind him, watching in horror.

The two stared at the train wreck for a moment--Each completely disbelieving of what had just happened. Thunderland approached where the house had been. There was just a hole in the clouds now. “Mom?” He flew a few steps toward the hole and peered in. “Dad?”

Rumble dropped the guitar. “What did I do?”

“I don’t know!”

“I didn’t mean it!”

The teenage pegasus sat down as the horror of what had just happened dawned on him. “They’re… All gone.”

Rumble cried. “Nooo! Where did mommy go?”

Thunderlane pulled his brother over and hugged him. “Don’t look. Just stay with me... I'll protect you..."

###

The days that followed were unpleasant at best for the now tiny family of two. The accident was blamed on a freak weather occurence in the police report, but that didn’t seem to make Rumble feel any less guilty for what he’d done. Suddenly the two found themselves in the adoption system of Cloudsdale, orphaned and homeless. Where would they go? Who would take care of them?

Thunderlane was not yet old enough to claim himself as a guardian for his little brother. The boy was only a few years from being an adult, but not yet legally culpable.

Thunderlane was only 13 and you had to be at least 20 before you could adopt someone yourself... which troubled the boy given you got kicked out of the orphanage at 16.

Pony adulthood was... weird. While legally adults at 16, all that meant was they were able to have sex, drink softer liquors, move out on their own, and work at a real job instead of just an apprenticeship or part time. They couldn't even vote or lick salt yet.

Ponies gain more and more "privileges" as they went through their late teens and 20s. However they didn't become "rights" until a pony was 30. "Privileges" could be dictated by a Parent, or guardian, or legally appointed mentors. 16 year olds were legally adults but still treated as children.

Thunderlane would have to move into a boarding house instead of an orphanage before he was old enough to adopt Rumble... they would undoubtedly become seperated for a few years regardless what they did... it was inevitable.

Thunderlane was too old a child for anypony to want to adopt... and it was hard enough to get anypony interested in adopting more then one foal at a time...

The two boys found themselves in a precarious situation. The one thing they knew was that they had to stay together... for as long as possible... After losing everything, all of their possessions and precious family members, they weren’t going to lose each other either.

Rumble didn’t keep that guitar. After such a traumatic experience, I doubt you would either. Music hurt. Life hurt. Where did mommy and daddy go and why had he done it? Why him? Why now? Why why why?

They ended up in an orphanage run by the city, crammed into a grey dormitory with fifteen other kids. Thunderlane was given the option to continue school, but after something like that he couldn’t concentrate anymore. I doubt you’d have the will to go on if your family suddenly disappeared too. Nothing would ever be the same ever again. The boy was ready to drop out and his legal grounding ended up being shaky. Some people take trauma well. Some don’t. For some it follows them for the rest of their lives. It was obvious that he’d likely become a drifter.

Rumble didn’t fare much better. With no guidance he became problematic. With no emotional connection to anyone he became negative. The boy turned sour and withdrew from reality as much as possible. It was settled in his mind that he was terrible and had caused this to happen. He was a monster so he became that monster in reality. The lad had no heart and no soul.

###

A few years slipped by.

Thunderlane was 15 now... in a few more months he would have to go to a boarding house instead of an orphanage... realistically that time was near a year away... but it was coming far too quickly... he was going to be parted from Rumble.

He considered running away, taking the boy and slipping into the underworld but... what kind of life would that be... begging on the streets, fearful of the day some good Samaritan would call the guards on them to get Rumble sent back to an orphanage and Thunderlane would be forced to a boarding house.

Thunderlane supposed he could get a job peddling his own body... Stallions always got good work in brothels or as black market baby factories... that wasn't very appealing either. With how few Stallions there were, getting paid to get a bunch of mares pregnant... well it paid really well... and was very illegal... he would have to find a pimp to protect him from legal trouble and...

Thunderlane shook his head... he shouldn't be thinking about that as if it was an actual option... especially since the pimp would probably want Rumble to get involved in that when he was older and that would be just unforgivable...

So here he laid, trying to come up with a plan for the brothers to stay together... without ruining their lives even further...

Rumble was curled up next to him, clearly awake as well. Rumble didn't really like the top bunk despite begging for it. The little colt like to cuddle up beside his big brother... unaware they would soon be parted.

They laid awake, staring out the window at the moon. The world outside was asleep and the wind was calm.

“Rumble?”

“What?”

“I hate this place.” Thunderlane sighed. “It never changes.”

“I hate everything.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No.” Rumble looked away from his brother. “We have to stick together, right?”

“That’s all we have in this world.” Thunderlane stared at the ceiling. “You’re all I’ve got.”

“I’m glad I have something.”

"Me too… You know by next year I can get a real job and... I'll figure something out…"

"You always say that." Rumble turned toward his brother. "Maybe we'll get adopted instead?"

"We've had so many other kids get adopted before us though… I know it’s hard to adopt out two kids but… We never seem to get lucky."

"You're right." He turned and stared back at the ceiling. "It's stupid to believe we'll have a home again."

Thunderlane turned to stare out the window. "It's not stupid to dream, Rumble…"

"Whatever." Rumble turned away. "Goodnight."

What do you say to someone like that? Thunderlane wasn't a parent. To see his brother just lose hope like that--Gosh, what a cruel world. Thunderlane sighed, turned away, and went to sleep as well.

###

A short time later they found themselves in the orphanage. They were doing chores on a weekend together. Thunderlane seemed to be doing a much better job of pushing clouds on the floor than Rumble was. That was okay though.

Rumble sighed. “This is hard.”

“Its okay bro. We gotta do this or they’ll get mad at us.”

“I hope we can finish soon…”

Just then another boy came barrelling down the hall. It looked like he’d run into the pile of clouds at the end of the hall. Thunderlane called, “Hey! Don’t come this way!!!” The boy ended up pushing all of the clouds back into place though. "Oh noo.”

He stopped afterward. He didn’t seem particularly apologetic. “Oops sorry.”

Thunderlane sighed and facehoofed. Rumble wasn’t standing for it though. He tackled the boy and began pummeling him. Thunderlane noticed a second later. It was all going so fast. “Rumble! Stop!”

It was too late though. The boy ended up with a black eye and several bruises. Who should notice but a nearby adult who came to break up the fight. Thunderlane pulled one boy away and the other adult got Rumble.

The adult looked completely unhappy. “You two, come with me.”

Thunderlane and Rumble looked at each other as they felt gravity come over them. They followed the mare down the hall towards the director’s office. Soon enough they found themselves in a grey office on the other side of an intimidatingly large desk. The director was an older mare with a giant purple pair of glasses. The other mare stood nearby.

“Thunderlane, your brother is not doing well here.”

“I… Guess not. Sorry.” Thunderlane looked sidelong at Rumble who sort of looked dully at the floor uncaringly. Thunderlane himself didn’t know what to say really either.

“He keeps getting into fights like this and--” The director continued to berate them for a few minutes with a list of the things Rumble had done wrong and should be sorry for. They both couldn’t really keep themselves together while it occured and looked away. “What do you have to say about that?”

“I dunno…”

The director sighed. “I think it might be a good idea to send Rumble to the orphanage in Ponyville.”

Thunderlane was aghast. “What? You’re separating us?”

“Ponyville might be better for your brother.”

Thunderlane looked like he could cry. “Please don’t. We can’t take that!”

The director was about to berate them again, but the other mare in the room spoke up. “Miss director? Can I speak to you alone? I feel I have a better idea.”

The director sighed. “You are dismissed.”

Thunderlane and Rumble shuffled out of the room.

###

They ended up down the hall. Thunderlane sighed and banged his head against the wall. He was just so destroyed. How could the adults even suggest that? “Rumble how could you do that?”

“That kid screwed us over. He deserved it.”

“Well now we’re going to get separated. Did you see that coming?”

“I don’t know.”

“You never know. You never think ahead.”

“I’m five.”

“Whatever.” Thunderlane turned his back on his brother. He was so stressed and frustrated. “Maybe it would be better if you transferred away.”

“No!” Rumble cried. “You’re all I have.”

“I…” Thunderlane sighed. “Nevermind.” He turned back. “Maybe we’ll get a better deal?”

Rumble whined. “I hope so.”

Thunderlane held his head for a moment. Did it really matter when they got seperated... it was going to happen anyway... and the Queen of Friendship lived in Ponyville... it might actually be better for Rumble... a life... without his big brother...

“Well…” Thunderlane looked back down the hall at the unfinished job they had left behind. “I can’t do that right now. Come on Rumble, let’s just go.”

They went outside into the open air. The sun was shining brightly that day. That didn’t do much for their gloomy attitude. They went to the play yard in the back and laid in the tubes. Thunderlane wasn’t sure how it would all go. Were they screwed? Was it all over?

“What are we gonna do, Rumble?”

“I dunno.”

“Nobody cares about us… Why are we even alive?”

“I dunno.” Rumble sighed. “Mom and dad cared about us… I did this to us.”

“Don’t blame yourself Rumble. It must have been a cursed instrument or something." Meaning all this was likely Thunderlane's fault... "Nobody could have seen this coming.”

“Whatever.”

Thunderlane sighed. He really believed that, but Rumble didn’t seem to. What a miserable life. “Relax, Rumble.”

Rumble stared at the clouds as some ponies shooed them away. They sat there and dozed off, shirking off all responsibility and any classes they were supposed to be at. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. That night they slept uneasy. Nothing mattered anymore.

###

The next morning, a faceless chaperone greeted them. Thunderlane whined. “We’re getting separated now, aren’t we?”

“No. I have someone I’d like you to meet.” The chaperone stepped aside to reveal an older Stallion. To no ponies surprise, as it was kinda a given here in Cloudsdale, this mystery Stallion was a Pegasus. He had a pale grayish brown coat and a dark brown mane. His eyes were a light cobalt blue. His cutie mark was a bunny peeking out of a magician's hat, with a wand in it's mouth. If Thunderlane had to guess, the boy would say the Stallion was middle aged, in his early 300s.

The man looked at Thunderlane and Rumble and waved a hoof. “Howdy, the name’s Crescent Moon--You must be Thunderlane and Rumble. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Thunderlane was cordial. “It’s--It’s nice to--”

"Is that a wand!" Rumble awed, seeing a wooden stick strapped to the Stallion's right foreleg.

Crescent Moon looked down at the stick, "It would appear so, wouldn't it?" He gave a cheeky grin.

“But you aren’t a unicorn?” Rumble tilted his head with unintended tribalist words.

Still Crescent Moon just smiled. "That doesn’t mean I can’t do magic. Actually, wands are meant to let any magical creature use their own internal energies for spell casting. They're a focus for those who don't have a built in one. Besides haven’t you ever met a magician before?” he put his hooves together. As he pulled one away, a candy bar unsheathed out of the other hoof. While real magic was all well and good, he had started out as a stage magician, using more slight of hoof Illusions then magical ones. He now enjoyed a combination of both.

Crescent Moon handed the candy over to Rumble. “Maybe if you’re good, I’ll teach you how to make real magic--Like a unicorn could only dream of.”

Rumble’s eyes went wide. That candy bar came right out of nowhere! It looked yummy too! “Wow!!!”

“We’re going to be hanging out together today as part of the big brothers project. That cool with you two?” Crescent Moon continued to smile affectionately.

Thunderlane nodded. “That sounds wonderful!”

The Stallion bounced, “We’re going to be going to bubble park. Have you two ever been?”

Rumble betrayed a smile. “My parents used to take us there.”

“Well c’mon kids, let’s fly!”

They walked right out the front door out into the world. Off they went into the sky. The brothers could have gone at any time but never had. After their parents died they pretty much just moped inside for a few years. How much time is that to lose? Feeling the fresh air on their wings again--It was lovely.

###

They arrived at the park in the late morning. This park was special because a single cloud above the park did nothing but rain bubbles. It had been an experiment gone wrong, but the city had turned it into a lovely place to play and be out in the sunshine. It had one of the nicest play structures in all of Cloudsdale. Rumble couldn’t help but run up to the structure to play. Thunderlane went running to keep an eye on his brother too. Crescent Moon made sure to stay close, to catch the foal as he came down the slide or push him on the swing. That was the first time in years that anyone had done that for Rumble.

After playing for most of the morning, they flopped back on the clouds laughing at the bubbles as they fell. Rumble laughed. “Wow that was fun!”

Thunderlane smiled. “I haven’t seen you smile in years, Rumble.”

“I haven’t been to the park in years!!”

Crescent Moon smirked. “You guys are too much.”

“Thanks Crescent Moon.”

Rumble sat up. “Got any other magic for us?”

Crescent Moon quickly rose himself, “Alright, since you asked.” Crescent Moon waved his hooves in front of him--Round in circles really slow. With a wave to the left--Then a wave to the right. Suddenly he reached high into the sky. A fountain of bubbles came out of his hoof and fell all around them. Even more pretty rainbow bubbles for them to play with!

Rumble laughed and got up to run in the bubbles. Thunderlane laughed. “You’re amazing, Crescent Moon!”

Crescent Moon smiled at Thunderlane. “That’s magic, but that’s not the magic I’m best at. Real magic happens in your heart, kid.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, here’s the deal. You keep allowing me to see you and I’ll teach you what magic really feels like.”

Thunderlane grinned. “Sure. Can’t wait!”

Rumble laughed. “I’m getting hungry. Can we go eat?”

Crescent Moon stood up. “Sure can, kiddo. I think I smell apple pie around here somewhere.” They went down the street looking for places to eat.

Thunderlane suddenly gaped as he caught sight of Crescent Moon's flank, "You're cutie mark changed!!!" Now it was a crescent moon.

Crescent Moon gave a sly smile, "There a reason you staring at my rump kid?"

Thunderlane blushed and looked away, not even mentioning when the cutie mark changed to a rainbow when they got to the diner.

Just down the street was an apple pie shop and they stopped in to eat. The inside looked like a classic diner, just with more clouds. It was a pretty comfy place. They stood at one of the standing tables and Crescent Moon ordered. “Three apple pies, please.”

“Coming right up!”

It had been so long since Thunderlane or Rumble had been to a restaurant. They never had any money and Thunderlane was only just barely becoming old enough to work someplace. Thunderlane was in love with the smells. “This place smells so nice.”

“What do they have you eat at the orphanage?” Asked Crescent Moon.

Thunderlane seemed sheepish. “It’s...Okay…”

Rumble grumbled, “If you like eating sponges.” He made an ick face. “I hate it!” He whined. “I miss my mom’s cooking. Tomato sandwiches and soup. They were awesome!”

Crescent Moon laughed. “She sounds like she was a magical lady.”

Thunderlane sighed. “Both of our parents were.”

Rumble whined. “I miss them.”

Crescent Moon put up a hoof. “Easy kids. It’s easy to feel the pain if you dwell on it. Your parents were magical, but your future is amazing too. They would have wanted you to move on and be happy.”

Rumble sighed. “I guess.”

Thunderlane nodded. “The future doesn’t look so bright for us.”

Crescent Moon knew this was a place for some magic. “Here let me show you that the future can come.”

He waved his hands gently to and fro. A little this way. A little that way. Then he snapped his tail and pointed to the left of the table. All of a sudden the party looked up and their waitress had zipped up and arrived with all of their food. “Hey kids. Got your food for you!” She put it down on the table and zipped away.

“See. Things come.”

Thunderlane laughed. “That’s not magic!”

“I dunno.” Rumble bit into his pie. “I’m willing to accept it.”

Crescent Moon laughed. “That’s the spirit, kiddo.” Everybody laughed. Joy had been missing from their lives for so long. It was so nice for things to just work out for a little while. It was an amazing feeling.

###

The boys continued seeing Crescent Moon every four days. They would always go somewhere lovely. It was like having a parent again for a little while. It made them into better ponies in a lot of ways. Old habits do have a way of dying hard though…

Eventually they went to a bustling marketplace in the city. It was full of ponies and products and all kinds of interesting things. There was a musician playing on the corner that Rumble wanted to avoid--Still not quite over that.

Quite early into their trip they went up to a fruit stand. Rumble was so hungry. So he sneaked one of the apples into the crux of his arm. Eventually they moved on and he went to take a bite.

Crescent Moon noticed immediately. “Where’d ya get that, Rumble?”

“Oh...I got it from the fruit stand.” He thought the Stallion wouldn’t notice.

“Did you pay for it?”

“Um… The shopkeep gave it to me?”

“Uh, no. I know what the shopkeep said.” Crescent Moon grabbed Rumble by the hoof and led him straight back to the fruit stand.

“Hey! Let me go!”

“Now give that apple back and say you’re sorry!”

Rumble quietly and with a shaky hoof gave the apple back. “I’m...Sorry.”

“Uh oh.” The shopkeeper looked from the boy to the man. “So I take it I don’t really have to render justice here?”

“Oh no, he’s going to be taught a lesson.”

“Alright. You’re free to go. Make sure he gets what’s coming to him.”

Crescent Moon quietly tugged the boy down a quiet alleyway nearby. “Thunderlane, wait here.”

“Alright Crescent Moon. Don’t be too hard on him…”

Crescent Moon sat down next to a crate and gently tugged Rumble towards it. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Kiddo.” He was more stern looking than Rumble had ever seen him. “I’m going to do this because I care about you. I’m going to teach you that actions have consequences. This is what you get for doing what you did.” Crescent Moon straddled Rumble over the box and, with gentle taps, started spanking him.

“OW!” Rumble started crying “Hey don’t do that!” Whap! “OW OW OW!”

“This is for stealing an apple.”

Whap! “OW! No I’m sorry!”

“This is for lying to me.”

Whap! Rumble cried out and whined. The spanks weren’t really enough to really leave a mark. Just cause some pain. “Pleasee I’m sorry!”

“This is for your own good.”

Whap! “OWwww.”

“Now.” Crescent Moon genty took Rumble off the crate and sat him in a corner. “Sit here for five minutes and think about what you’ve done.”

Rumble sat and sniffled. For a moment he actually did think about what he’d done. It wasn’t right. That fruit didn’t belong to him. More than that, Crescent Moon had actually stopped to correct him. He hated it, but for once in his life--It seemed like someone would do that to him. Just like his mother and father did. That feeling--Maybe he didn’t have to act out for things to feel normal again for a little while.

Eventually Rumble stopped sniffling. Crescent Moon let down his stern face. “Okay. You can come out now.”

Rumble sighed and stood back up. “I’m...I’m sorry.”

“I know you are, Rumble.” Rumble sighed and looked away feeling guilty. “Are you hungry, kid?”

“Yes…”

“C’mon. Let’s go get some food.”

So they went.

###

Rumble and Thunderlane developed over the year into model citizens. Thunderlane was getting better grades in school and Rumble was behaving for the matrons. However, the threat that they might be split up never really ended... next month... Thunderlane turned 16.

Still, they were lonely for the rest of the week when Crescent Moon wasn’t there. They hoped someday their number would come up and they’d be adopted like so many others had been before them. It was obviously harder to find a home for two boys, one of whom was much older than his brother.

One day though…

The matron came to get them and took them to the office in the front. The superintendent smiled at them. “Well, you two have certainly come a long way since you got here.”

Thunderlane nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Well, today is your happy day. You were just adopted by a single father.”

Thunderlane was so surprised. He thought it would never happen. “Oh my gosh!”

Rumble was too. “Really!?” He wondered. “Who is it?”

“You can go right out that door and see.”

Thunderlane and Rumble approached the door. “Alright Rumble, our happy family is out there waiting. You ready?”

“Yes!” They both took a breath and opened it.

What they found left them breathless. Down the path they saw their new father. Crescent Moon smiled at them quietly. They went running to him and they all hugged. There were tears in their eyes. As they hugged, the workers of the orphanage came out to see the new family. They all cheered happily from the sidelines.

That one moment. That one family.

Crescent Moon laughed. “I told you I’d teach you what magic feels like!”

They all laughed.

Life is good.

###

"What does your cutie mark REEEEEEEALLY look like?" Rumble dared ask a few moons after Thunderlane turned 16.

Thunderlane's birthday had been a blast, and Crescent Moon even got the boy an apprenticeship at the Junior Wonderbolts Flight Camp. Which he would start come the next school year in January.

You couldn't become even a reserve Wonderbolt until you were 30, it being a military organization and all, but Flight Camp was basically a school run by the Wonderbolts were they eventually recruit most of their members.

The Institute was pretty intense, as it was basically military school, but it taught a lot of advanced flying techniques and aerial combat... in addition to furthering their academic education.

Although Thunderlane would be starting college soon, he still lived with Crescent Moon... the Stallion really liked to spoil both of the colts but he always wasn't one to "Spare the rod" if the boys acted inappropriately. He was stern but fair... and made it very clear to Thunderlane he could live with him and Rumble until his dark coat turned white, if he wanted.

However, if there was one thing that made Crescent Moon uneasy... it was his cutie mark.

The Stallion looked at his boys and suddenly his Cutie Mark shimmered, turning into... an hourglass... that was kinda a let down.

Rumble pouted, "I thought it was going to show you were secretly a pirate or something!"

The Stallion smiled, "No little one, however this mark might mean more then you expect. I use concealment magic to hide it because... because there are very bad creatures that would do very bad things to me if they learned what I was."

The colts' eyes widened.

"See, I am what is known as a 'Time Pony'." Crescent Moon smiled, "We are descendants of a race called 'Time Lords'."

"TIME LORD!!!" Rumble yelped, "Like the Doctor Who Audio dramas!!! Those humanoid Phoenix things!!!"

"We are very similar to them, but we are technically a pony subspecies. And since ponies entered the space age Time Ponies have begun disappearing... you must keep it secret or whatever went after them may come after me."

###

Rumble and Thunderlane adjusted to their new home. Crescent Moon made a wonderful father. They started growing up just like other ponies did. Things were going well for them.

Eventually however, they got a knock on their door.

Thunderlane went over and answered it. There before them stood a god. The Doctor, in the flesh. “Oh gosh! It’s...Such an honor to meet you.”

The Doctor grinned his goofy grin. He looked a lot like Crescent Moon, only the Doctor had a much darker shade of brown coat and appeared to be an Earth Pony “Pleasure’s all mine. Oh is that soup I smell?" The giddy Stallion ran inside, without even asking if it was okay. The formality seeing to slip his mind.

“Um, Crescent Moon... the Doctor's here..." Not really sure what to say.

“Are you kidding me!?" Crescent Moon yelled. There was a clash of dishes and the Stallion came charging into the living room.

Thunderlane had never seen the Stallion this frantic. Crescent Moon looked like he was tempted to bow but caught himself, "It's an honor to have you, Doctor. Is... is there something you need of me?"

The Doctor was the god of the Time Ponies. They only existed as a side effect of one of the Stallion's Adventures with the fabled "Background 6"... he was quite literally their god.

Everypony pretended not to notice as Rumble came running in. Before the colt hid behind a couch to peek at the adults as they talked.

"Actually," The Doctor sat down and motioned for the other Stallions to do the same. “I’m here about your son Rumble.”

“Rumble?” Crescent Moon suddenly paled. He knew Rumble could be a rambunctious colt, but surely he wouldn't do anything to offend a god...

“No he’s not in trouble. He’s actually quite amazing.” The Doctor smiled. “I’m wondering, have you heard of the school I’m opening?”

Crescent Moon's eyes widened, “That school? Who doesn’t know about it!”

"Oh good," The Doctor bounced “That makes things easier. See I have some readings, been tracking their sources from all over the system, of atypical magical manifestations. I followed one here, to little Rumble. I would very much like to teach him control at my school."

“You would?” Crescent Moon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “You think he has, what was it, one of those class things?”

“Yes I do, I happen to know that he’s a bard. He has a special connection to sound waves and can manipulate them through singing or instruments. He can manipulate music for benevolent... or destructive, means."

Crescent Moon blinked. “I didn’t know that, I thought the kid hated music.”

“I do!” Rumble whined. “I don’t want to go to this school.”

Thunderlane sighed. “He… Has history with music, Doctor.”

“Obviously you’ve heard all about my school. It’s completely voluntary, but Rumble.” The Doctor faced him directly. “Don’t you ever want to pick up an instrument and play? You know intrinsically how to use one.”

“I do…” Rumble whined. “But I’ll do something terrible again!!!” He shook his head. “I don’t want to do that.”

The Doctor got up and walked over to the boy, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Rumble I can teach you how to use your power without hurting anyone.”

“Can you fix me?”

The Doctor hummed. “Well it’s not that you need to be fixed. You just need to be taught.”

“If you can fix me...Then I’ll give it a shot.”

The Doctor sighed. “You agree then?”

“Yes.” Rumble took a double take then. “Wait it won’t make me separate from Thunderlane, will it?”

“You will be elsewhere most of the week, but he, and Crescent Moon, will be able to visit you on Family Day."

“Well… I guess that’s okay then. Just as long as I get to see Thunderlane... and Crescent Moon of course."

Crescent Moon nodded. “Alright, that sounds like it settles things then.”

The Doctor and Crescent Moon settled paperwork and all other important details. Soon Rumble would be in a new school. They’d come so far from that fateful day. The future finally looked bright for Rumble.

Sometimes magic just happens, y’know?