CHAPTER ONE

A day began perfectly in Ponyville during a month of Spring. At the Carousel Boutique, the whole place was under tight work. The unicorn Rarity was busy making orders for new outfits for Sapphire Shores, and they had to be ready before her next concert performance. She was at the knitting machine, working on her next outfit for the dancers. Luckily for her, she didn't have to do it alone. Hobbes was there with her, giving her an extra hand. Rarity finishes one outfit and turns to Hobbes.

"Hobbes, dear. Do you mind handing me another fabric please?".

"Coming right up, miss", Hobbes winked and fetches another fabric for her. The unicorn uses her magic to take measurements and began cutting out pieces to be knitted together. The tiger can see that she was exhausted. Her coiffure mane-style was a mess, she was a bit sweaty, and her eyes were slowly drooping. She NEVER had a break since she started. And Hobbes could only help so much.

"Rarity, I know this order was very important. But they're not due until next week. You need a break once in a while", Hobbes said.

Rarity removes her glasses, and gives him an assuring smile, "Hobbes, dear. I am very aware of the due date. But I like to finish things faster so that way, I can spend more time with my friends".

She puts the materials aside for a bit and looks back at Hobbes.

"And besides, Princess Lexi is pregnant once again, and is due to give birth anytime now. Shouldn't you be with Tyler when it happens?".

"I know, but I heard you had a tight order, so I thought I should stop by and give you a hand".

"Oh, Hobbes". Rarity placed a hoof on his shoulder, "I really appreciate your kindness in helping me with this".

"Well, you never usually have a gentleman, or uh, gentlecolts once in a while", Hobbes gently smiled.

"And that is what I LOVED about you...", Rarity smiled back. Hobbes blushes deeply. Little did she know that since the tiger laid eyes on her, he was smitten by her. He had never met a beautiful mare outside from his world where he originally came from. The only issue is that he was worried that Rarity might not like him back, since he is a living stuffed animal. But after hearing those words from her mouth...Hobbes decides to take his chance.

"Hey, Rarity, I know we have been friends for a long time, and I know how much we felt for each other...".

"Of course, but what are you trying to say, dear?", Rarity asked.

"Well...um", Hobbes blushed, starting to choke a little, being nervous to tell her.

"Well..?", Rarity smiled.

"Rarity...I-".

Before Hobbes says anything else, silence was disrupted when Pinkie Pie bursts into the room, screaming happily at the top of her lungs.

"IT'S...HAPPENING!"

Then she starts hopping around the room in joy, cheering loudly. Hobbes sighs deeply, disappointed that he lost a chance to tell Rarity how he feels.

"What in Celestia's name is going on, Pinkie? What IS happening?", Rarity asked.

"The BABY! Lexi is about to have a BABY!", Pinkie cheered happily.

"Wait, it's happening just NOW?", Hobbes exclaimed.

"YES! Twilight just got a message from Tyler, and he wants us to come over RIGHT AWAY!", Pinkie smiled.

"Goodness! We've better get going quick, Hobbes! Good thing I have made a blankie for this special day!", Rarity smiled, pulling out a blankie she made for the baby.

"How long have you been waiting for this moment?", Hobbes asked, scratching his head.

"Quite longer, I assure you", Rarity winked.

At the hospital, the Mane Six were waiting alongside the knights for the news on the baby. Hobbes was sitting far from Rarity, right next to Garrus. The turian sees that Hobbes hasn't kept his eyes off her since they arrived here. He leans in and whispers to him.

"So...did you spill the beans?", Garrus whispered. He is aware that Hobbes has feelings for Rarity, but the tiger was too nervous to tell her. The turian told him to wait for the right moment to tell her when he went to visit her today.

Hobbes only sighs, "I was gonna tell her, until Pinkie Pie burst in, screaming out the news...".

"Well, you know Pinkie. She loves making surprises", Garrus chuckled. He sees Hobbes hanging his head low. Garrus pats him on the back.

"Hey, don't worry about it. There's always next time".

"I guess so... thanks Garrus", Hobbes smiled a little.

"Anytime".

Then they began to feel a little rumble around them. They immediately knows what is about to happen next.

"Uh oh...", Rainbow Dash said.

"Oh, not this again!", Heart exclaimed. They quickly covered their ears tightly and Lexi's powerful scream of birth labor echoes throughout the hallways. Lexi is a tough mare, but the pain of childbirth are UNBEARABLE to her. Being an alicorn, her screams becomes as loud as Princess Luna's "royal canterlot voice". By the time it ended, some of the doctors and patients were a little deaf by the scream.

The knights and the Mane Six uncovered their ears.

"Goodness, Lexi's really got to control the volume of her voice", Krystal said.

"So...I take the lil' fella's now born?", Applejack said.

"Seems likely", Greeghan said.

"YIPPIE! We have a baby!", Pinkie jumped into the air, cheering.

Minutes went on by, and Tyler as not come out of the room where Lexi is. Some of the knights began to pace around, waiting for the news. Pinkie Pie has passed out from joy, and was snoring loudly. Annoyed by her loud snores, Drago uses his tail to lift up her jaw, and closed her mouth shut. Heart was bored, and is was twirling his claws around his claws so many times. Rarity began reading fashion magazines.

Garrus motions for Hobbes to move over to her. The tiger nods and moves over. He sits next to her while she is reading. Hobbes just looks around, tapping his fingers on his legs as he comes up with something to say.

"Boy...it sure is taking a long time for us to see the baby. I wonder what's keeping them?", Hobbes finally speaks.

Rarity looks over to him, "I agree. I hope nothing bad happened to the baby".

"I'm sure he's fine, or she's fine, whatever the gender is", Hobbes assured her.

"You sure know how to keep me from worrying, Hobbes", Rarity smiled. Then she remembers something from eariler.

"Oh yes, back at the Boutique, was there something you wanted to tell me before?".

Hobbes began to choke again. It is becoming more difficult to tell her now. He starts trying, but finds it hard to do so.

"Well, what I was gonna say...was...uh-", Hobbes choked, blushing.

"Well, whenever you are ready to tell me, I am never far away", the unicorn smiled. Hobbes sighs in relief. He finally figures that he wasn't ready to tell her yet. In the mean time, he will just have to build up enough courage to spill the news to her. Rarity spots something in the magazine that gains her interest.

"Oh, look at this one, Hobbes! This mare looks so astounding in that lavender dress with blue diamonds. Doesn't she look so amazing?", Rarity smiled. Hobbes leans over to take a look, but notices a problem.

"Um, Rarity, I think that's the same dress you made months ago", Hobbes pointed out. Rarity looks again, and realizes.

"Oh, dear me. I often forget about my own works", Rarity giggled, blushing. Then, Tyler finally appeared down the hallway towards them.

"Hey guys".

The knights and the Mane Six got up and approached him.

"Hey, big bro! Congrats on having a baby!", Twilight smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Tell us. Is it a boy, or a girl?", Fluttershy.

"It is a girl. Thanks, everyone. She is ready, if you all want to see her", Tyler smiled.

"Oh absolutely!", Marianna said.

Tyler starts leading them down the hallway towards the room where Lexi and the newborn is. While going down the hall, some of the others noticed that Tyler is a little pale on the face. This raises some concern, especially to Twilight.

"Hey, Tyler? Are you alright? You look...pale. It's not about the baby, is it?", Twilight asked.

"Oh, don't worry, she's fine. Healthy as a flower", Tyler assured.

"But it took a lot longer than before. What happened in there?", Hobbes asked.

"Guys, I PROMISE you, the baby is fine. It's just...", Tyler looked back at them.

"Just WHAT?...", Garrus. By the time they reached the door to the room, Tyler stops and turns to them. He sighs deeply, and explains.

"You guys remember going to the Crystal Empire to see Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's new baby, and how shocked we are when we first saw her?".

"Oh, we sure remember that all right. She was a pure-born alicorn", Twilight said.

"But where are you getting at here?", Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"Well, just promise that you all won't be too alarmed when you see her. The baby...she's... MUCH different from Flurry Heart than you think...", Tyler said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, come on, ol' pal. I'm sure she's not more shocking than Flurry Heart", Hobbes smiled as they entered the room. In the room is Nightmare Moon and Nurse Redheart. Princess Lexi is on the medical bed, holding a bundle of cloth in her arms, which is the newborn.

"Hey guys...", Lexi smiled, a little weak after giving birth.

"Hey princess", Twilight replied, smiling. They gathered around the bed, waiting to see the baby. Lexi holds the baby out, and removes the cloth around it.

When she removes for everyone and everypony to have a better look... they were COMPLETELY ALARMED by the baby's appearance. They gasped in shock.

The baby girl was a dragon, but she was black as the night. With dark blue markings around her eyes and a purple underbelly. Her eyes were a moderate cyan, and resemble dragon eyes. At the tip of her tail, is a flowing tuft of mane, in a color of brilliant phthalo blue.

The newborn coos at them, happily. But they remained speechless.

"Okay, I stand corrected at that...", Hobbes said.

"I'm at a loss for words...", Garrus said.

"She looks an awful lot like...", Rarity began to say.

"NIGHTMARE MOON...", Heart said.