Dawn started to break as the purring of Luu Luu's Gronckle can be heard in the catacombs. Luu Luu let out a big yawn, smacking her lips as she carefully sat up in her bed. She blinked her eyes open as she climbed off the bed, and onto all two legs. She walked over to the bricked floor to grab her hat, and put it on.
She walked out of her room, and down to the hallway to Grave's room. She saw the door slightly opened, and decided to walk inside pushing it open with a hand. She saw Grave in his bed over onto his side with his back facing her, and decided to carefully walk up to his bed. She reached a hand up, and gently nudged at his friend with her hand. "Hey, Grave, are you awake?"
The old knight turned onto his side to face Luu Luu blinking his eyes tiredly, and letting out a yawn. "Yeah, I'm up, I'm up." He stirred in his bed stretching his arms, and legs. "What is the big deal Luu Luu? It's too early to do any training." He climbed of bed, and onto the floor.
Luu Luu shook her head. "I know Grave. I'm going to go get Toby, and bring him to the Rainbooms' house." She said giving her friend a wink.
Grave smiled brightly. "Well, that is nice of you Luu Luu. I'll head to the house, and help out anything that Applejack or Applebloom will need help with, until you get here."
"Thanks Grave. If they ask, just tell them I'll be here in a little bit, alright?"
"I will Luu Luu, don't worry. The little guy is just going to love the house Luu Luu."
"I know. Now get to the house, and I'll see you soon." Luu Luu waved to the knight, and walked out of his room down the hallway, and down to the staircase.
Bigjaw came flying down from the ceiling down to her owner, and licking at Luu Luu's face playfully. "Haha.. hey Bigjaw." She rubbed at the top of the Gronckle's head with a hand. Bigjaw chirped happily, and sat down on his haunches. "Are you hungry boy? I'll feed you before I go get Toby alright?" Bigjaw nodded, and chirped following his owner into the kitchen.
Luu Luu filled the trough up with fish, and water. She gently stroke along the top of his head down his back with a hand. "Now you be a good boy while I go get Toby, alright Bigjaw?" She leaned her head down, and nuzzled at his cheek. Bigjaw chirped, and went to eating at his food. Luu Luu smiled at her dragon then walked outside of the kitchen door.
She took a deep breath of the morning air. 'I think it's gonna be a wonderful day today. The little guy is going to enjoy his day at the Rainbooms' house.' She thought to herself as she walked along the stone path starting her wait for Toby.
Toby was starting to stir in Prim's big soft bed as he let out a soft yawn, stretched his arms, and legs, and slowly opened his eyes. He reached up with his hands to rub his eyes, and reached over to the nightstand table to get his glasses, and put them on. He carefully climbed out of the bed putting his bedroom slippers on, and walked toward the stairs to descend them.
He saw all of the dragons waiting down in the living room as he looked over to see Prim just starting to wake up. She let out a yawn as she blinked her eyes opened to watch her little boy coming down the stairs into the living room. She smiled softly, and carefully climbed off the sofa. She stood up on all two legs as the small child walked up to her wrapping his little arms around her waist, and laying his head against her stomach.
"Good morning Auntie Prim." He sighed happily as he tilted his head back to look up at her.
She smiled down at him, and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Good morning sweetie. My, you are up early this morning." She giggled as she softly nuzzled at his cheek.
He giggled, and blushed at the nuzzle. "I know Auntie Prim." He looked up at her with a curious expression. "Could I maybe help you feed the dragons this morning?" He asked with a hopeful smile. "I know I am young, but I would like to help you more, and not let you do all of the work." He lowered his head again, and laid against her chest sighing softly.
She felt her heart melt as she leaned her head down, and nuzzled at the top of his head giving it a tender kiss. "Aww.. that is sweet of you Toby. Of course you can help me feed the dragons." She reached up to rub up, and down his back gently with a hand.
He sighed happily as she tubbed his back, and he very gently broke the hug looking up at her with a bright smile. "Thank you Auntie Prim." As he turned his attention to all the dragons. "Is it okay if I help Auntie Prim feed you all?" They all smiled giving him chirps, and growls of happiness.
Prim squealed as her dragon friends decided to let Toby help her feed them. "Let's go into the kitchen first sweetie and I will show you how to fix Flame and Smoke's special salmon that I sometimes fix them on occasion.." She walked carefully into the kitchen with the little boy following behind her.
She looked down at her little boy as she grabbed a bowl out of the top cabinet. It was a light blue porcelain bowl with a yellow rim. She set the bowl on the counter while she walked over to the refrigerator to get the ingredients which consisted of fresh lettuce leaves, salmon, tuna slices, slices of fresh cucumber, and nuts.
She set all of the ingredients out on the counter, and looked down at Toby. She frowned a little as he barely came up to the edge of the counter, so she brought over a chair for him to stand on. "Here you go sweetheart, this ought to be better for you." She gave him a soft smile as he looked up returning it as he climbed up in the chair.
He smiled brightly as he looked at all the fresh food. "That all looks good Auntie Prim. What do we do first?" Asking curiously as he looked over at her as he came eye level to her standing on the chair.
She smiled at his anxiousness. "Well, sweetie, first we place a layer of lettuce leaves in the bottom of the bowl." She reached for a couple of lush leaves with her hands, and placed them in the bowl one on top of the other creating a thin bottom layer. "Just like that. Now, you just add a layer of tuna slices. Would you like to do that sweetie?" He nodded, and Prim took a step back to let him.
He reached for three tuna slices with his hands, and placed them side by side on the layer of lettuce. He turned to look at Prim with a hopeful smile. "Did I do it right Auntie Prim?"
She nodded letting out a soft giggle, and bright smile. "Yes you did my precious little one, very good job." She leaned her head over to him, and gave him a nuzzle on the cheek. Next she reached over to the cucumber slices. "Next we will place the cucumber on top of the tuna slices." She placed the slices on top of the first layer of tuna slices.
He giggled. "No wonder why this is a special salmon to Flame and Smoke Auntie Prim, it looks so good. Also, these are like all my favorite fruits, and vegetables." He smiled happily at her, and looked on the counter at the other lettuce leaves that were left out. "Do these go on next Auntie Prim?" Pointing at them with a finger.
She looked at the direction of his finger to see the other lettuce leaves. She nodded with a big smile. "That is right sweetheart. Would you like to put the other layer of lettuce leaves on?" He nodded as she gave him a tender kiss on the forehead.
He reached over to grab at the remaining lettuce leaves, and carefully placed them on top of the cucumber slices, creating a second, and final thin layer of lettuce. "Is that good Auntie Prim?" He looked over at her with a hopeful smile.
She nodded, and smiled brightly. "Yes sweetie, that is very good." She gave him a playful nuzzle on the nose. "Now, can you guess what goes next Toby?" Asking sweetly as she watched him look at the rest of the ingredients.
He carefully reached out for a single tuna slice and picked it up in his hand and looked over at Prim. "Is this it Auntie Prim?" He giggled and smiled hopefully.
She squealed, and nodded. "Yes my sweet little boy, that goes on next." She smiled brightly as she watched him carefully place it on to the second layer of lettuce leaves. She clapped her hands together proudly. "Very good sweetie." She gave him a nuzzle.
He blushed at the nuzzle, and looked back at the remaining ingredients. He reached for the nuts, and looked over at her. "Do these go last Auntie Prim?"
She nodded. "Yes sweetie, the nuts goes on last." She gave him a bright smile, and he sprinkled the nuts all over the salad.
Prim beamed with pride as Toby made Flame and Smoke their special salad. "Oh sweetheart, you did a wonderful job. I know Flame and Smoke is going to love it." She nuzzled at his cheek, and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
She watched him carefully climb off the chair, and she reached up to grab the bowl with her hands to give it to Toby to take into the living room to Flame and Smoke. She placed the chair back under the kitchen table as she followed him behind.
They walked into the living room, and Toby walked up to Flame and Smoke placing the bowl down on the floor in front of them. "Here you go Flame and Smoke. I hope I did a good job helping Auntie Prim make it." He put his hands together, and looked at the Zippleback with a hopeful smile.
Flame and Smoke looked intently at the salad as they let their tongues slide out of their jaws dripping with saliva and licked their lips. They looked up at the child, and nodded vigorously as they stuck out a talon gently grabbing at one of Toby's hands, and shaking it. They let go of the hand, pulled out their big forks, and started to chow down on the salad.
Prim, and Toby giggled. She looked down at her little boy gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think Flame and Smoke loves it sweetheart. Auntie Prim is very proud of you." She leaned her head down, and kissed him on the top of his head. "Now let me show you what I feed all my other dragon friends, okay Toby?" He nodded as she took him around inside feeding all the other dragons their favorite foods before taking him outside.
Luu Luu was jogging the dirt path, and over the bridge just before going down the hill to the sewer tunnel. 'I hope I'm not too early. I wouldn't want to wake the little guy up if he is still asleep.' She thought as she jogged to the sewer tunnel. As she was about to enter the tunnel she could hear some laughter out at the top.
Being curious of what was going on she climbed to the stop of the sewer tunnel which was also Prim's dragon sanctuary. When she got up there she saw a very cute sight. Vault's dragon Scar had Toby in a gently bearhug as he was rubbing the top of his head between the horns.
"See sweetheart, I told you Scar was as gentle, and loving as all the other dragons." Prim giggled at the two as she rubbed at the Nightmare's head with a hand. "You are just a sweet, and cuddly Nightmare aren't you?" The dragon nodded, and made a happy murring sound. "Now time to put Toby down so you can eat Scar." The dragon obliged as he put Toby back down on the ground as Prim handed him a bowl of fish, and trout.
Luu Luu smiled at herself as she walked up to the two. "Hey guys. I see that I haven't come too early." They turned to see her, and gave her a smile in return.
Toby ran up to her, and gave her a big hug around her shoulders with his little arms. He looked up happily into her red eyes. "Good morning Luu Luu." He laid his head against her soft cloak, and sighed warmly.
She reached a hand up, and rubbed at his back with a hand nuzzling at the top of his head. "Well, good morning to you too kid." She looked up at the pink-haired princess. "I see he fed Scar over there Prim."
She nodded. "Yes. He wanted to help me feed all the dragons this morning, and he has done a very good job." She smiled down at the little boy, and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "Would you like to come in for a little bit Luu Luu?"
The halfling smiled. "Well, thank you for the offer Prim, but I wanted to come by, and see if it was okay if I could bring the little kid to the Rainbooms' house, and show him around?" She looked at the small child as he looked up at her with a bright smile.
"Really Luu Luu? I can come, and visit the Rainbooms?" He asked excitedly with a hopeful smile.
The two girls giggled at his anxiousness, and Luu Luu nodded. "Of course kid. It is up to your aunt though." She looked at Prim. "What do you say Prim? I promise I wil being him back before evening comes."
Toby turned around to look at Prim. "Please Auntie Prim, can I go to the Rainbooms' house?"
Prim smiled down at him, and nodded. "Of course sweetie, you can go to the Rainbooms' house." She gave him a kiss on the top of the head. "How about you go get dressed, while we wait outside, okay sweetheart?" He nodded, and carefully ran into the catacombs to go get dressed.
Prim returned her attention to Luu Luu. "He will love it at the house Luu Luu, I just know it." She squealed.
Luu Luu smiled, and nodded. "I know he will too, but also I want to introduce him to Applejack." She looked at Prim with a smile.
"Oh... my. Well, I am sure he will enjoy meeting Applejack, but I just hope he won't be afraid like he has been in the past." Giving a little frown, and lowering her head.
Luu Luu walked up to her, and reached a hand up to gently rub at her back. "Don't worry Prim, I know Applejack will be okay around him. She might be big, but she is like a big cuddle teddy bear just as long as you don't mess with her friends." She playfully nudged at Prim.
"Besides, I think Toby needs a father role model in his life. The poor kid's father treated him badly that it's as if he didn't have a father. I believe Vault could be that for him in a way."
"You are right Luu Luu. The poor little dear only had his mother, who really loved him, and now he has all of us Warriors, but not really a father to look up to." She gave Luu Luu a warm smile, and hugged her wrapping her arms around the halfling's shoulders. "Thank you Luu Luu. Toby is going to love being in the house, and I know he will love meeting Applejack."
Luu Luu reached up, and patted her on the back with a hand. "Nah, don't worry about it Prim. I love the little guy, and I think he deserves to have a father figure in his life." She gave her friend a sincere smile.
After a couple of minutes, Toby returned outside the cottage dressed in his all chocolate brown outfit with the green, orange, and red plaid shirt. He smiled up brightly at the two girls. "Okay Luu Luu, I am ready to go to the house, if you are ready." He walked up to Prim, and gave her a big hug around her waist with his little arms, and laid his head against her stomach sighing softly. "I love you Auntie Prim, and I will be back later." He looked up happily.
She smiled down at him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Auntie Prim loves you too sweetie. You have fun at the Rainbooms' house, and I will have dinner ready for you when you get back, okay sweetheart?" He nodded as he turned to se Luu Luu on top of Bigjaw.
"Hop on Toby, and hold on." She giggled as the small child climbed on. She grabbed onto the saddle. "See you later Prim, I'll bring him back in time for dinner." She turned to face the sky, and Bigjaw started flying.
Prim waved a hand at the two. "Bye Prim, bye sweetheart."
Toby turned, and waved a hand back at her. "Bye Auntie Prim." Giving her a big smile as he turned to the path again as him, Bigjaw, and Luu Luu made their journey to the Rainbooms' fraternity house.