• Luna's Moon,

3 Cycles into the Space Age.

Standing in the Maternity ward, of The best lunar hospital on the moon, a newly made father... Who was hesitant to call it a day. Stared down at newborn foals... through a wall of glass.

All three of his children were pegasi. Although they wouldn't be for long. Not if the elders had their way.

Not that all his foals were present. One of the colts had a compromised immune system, and was rushed to emergency care.

Stealthy Intellect, just stared at his remaining children... feeling numb to the world. This should have been a happy day. He had three beautiful children. He was finally a father, with a chance to do things right, unlike his own... but his wife... had not survived the birthing... much like his own mother.

Stealth's Wife had been a mysterious race of Fox Pony, called a "Vulpony". None knew what land they came from. Although it was rumored they evolved from Fox Demons, taking Pony lovers. It was said, their demon blood may be diluted, after a few thousand years of breeding with ponies, but they maintained their fox features, and their Illusion powers.

Stealth wanted to activate the Vulpony gene, in at least one of his children. Instead of guiding them into a Thestral. Although the elders may take issue with that.

They might not be obsessed with blood purity... but they still wanted as many Thestrals as possible. To increase their numbers.

However, as far as Stealth was concerned, both races had longevity, so he didn't have to worry about losing them. Plus, it be a good way to honor his wife... even if some would argue she didn't deserve such respect.

"They art gorgeous." spoke the Princess of the Night, as she approached him.

The Thestral spared his grandmother a glance, before looking back to his foals.

"The Doctors think... I might lose the middle child... as I lost my wife." Stealth refused to cry.

He may be a Stallion, whom were known for being the more emotional of the sexes... but he was also a member of Luna's guard. He must remain strong. Better to be numb, cold, detached, then another weepy Stallion.

Luna gently laid a wing on said Stallion, and gently guided him to her. Pressing him against her side, and nuzzling him close. "Thou must not lose hope."

But he already had.

About an hour later, neither Stealth, nor Luna, had moved from their spot by the nursery.

Not until another Thestral arrived. This one wearing a white doctor's coat.

"Mister Smart," The healer got their attention.

Stealthy Intellect may be his name, but he was of the Smart Colony. Ponies didn't have family names, so much as "Family Themes". With the Smarts choosing names to show off their intellect and skill... and more often then not, their traditional Thestral attitude problems.

The Smart Clan was descended from one of the newer consort lines. With Stealth being raised by Luna, after his mother died in Childbirth... his father couldn't handle looking at the colt. Which Luna reprimanded him for.

Stealth grew up a pampered Prince, on Luna's moon. Choosing to join the guard, when he came of age... and taking a Vulpony for his wife.

It wasn't like in the old days. When Luna would have to have the foal in secret, whenever she took a "Bat Pony" consort. As to not cause her sister to bind the foal's Thestral nature... as The Sun princess had with Luna's first consort, and Prince Blue Blood's distant ancestor.

Stealth, and in fact that whole side of his family, lived in luxury. As the Consort they were descended from did. Although Stealth imagined it helped they lived on Luna's moon... away from Celestia.

Supposedly, Celestia felt guilty over her own bigotry... but Subponies were always seen as lesser then the original three tribes. They were bound to-

Stealth shook his head. He mustn't let his mind wander. He will not be so stoic, he thinks of trivial things well he hears this news... he will show his fallen child with the love and respect he deserves.

"I..." The Doctor hesitated, not a good sign. "Your son may just be the luckiest child, ever to exist."

That... broke him...

"He's..." Stealth forced the words out. "He's alive?"

The Doctor nodded, "And completely stable."

Stealth sunk to the floor, Luna allowing herself to go with him. He felt such overwhelming relief... it could only come out in the form of tears.

Luna continued to nuzzle him, still pressing him tightly to her side.

Once the Stallion calmed down, Stealth was allowed to see his son. The little colt was still being kept in some kind of plastic box, but the Doctor assured that was just a precaution.

"We thought we lost him there," Explained the Doctor. "and for a few moments, we had. But that triggered a magical surge. Restoring his health and transforming him into... this..." The Doctor gestured at the box. At the strange little creature inside.

The colt had Thestral wings, strong hooves for backlegs, and a pony body type. But that was where the similarities ended.

His head was fox like, although with far larger eyes. Then he had paws, instead of front hooves. And a fluffy fox tail.

He even had more fox like coloring. What with his bright orange body, a cream white underbelly, and black lower legs.

He had a few blue squiggly lines, above his knees, where the orange met the black fur.

As well as quite the colorful tail. With thick blue squiggles, in between the orange and white. As well as between the orange and black tip. Then there was a blue squiggle, going down from the back of his neck, over his shoulders, down his spine, and even down the top of his tail.

Then his mane matched the blue squiggles. While his eyes were two tones of red and green... looking much like a mango.

Luna took a long look at the child. "It is rare," she acknowledged. "But sometimes, magical surges can cause both Subpony genes to fuse. Creating a new species."

Leaving out the fact the amount of internal magic, needed to trigger such a fusion... this child was, at the very least, a Planet Buster. At least he didn't have horns, so his bouts of accidental magic would be more manageable.

She looked at Stealth, with the Stallion standing on his hind legs, while his front legs were through the plastic sleeves of the container. As he gently pet his child.

"Sassy little guy," Stealth smiled. As the colt kit's back legs continued to kick. While his front legs tried to keep hold of the hoof.

The little guy was screaming out, making various Equine and fox noises. All the while purring like there was no tomorrow. The tiny babe was having quite a lot of fun, while his father continued to gently pet him.

"He seems to really love to talk back," Stealth smiled. His eyes welling up with tears again. "Don't you? My little Smart Mouth?"

The Smart Clan, a wealthy family of Thestrals, which held a special relationship with both Technology and Magic.

Many in their clan inherited the rare goat-like horns, of the high borns. As well as the monkey tail, ending in an arrow head. Both traits ran strong in their family. Although they didn't always manifest.

Thanks to their many clan members, with horns, they were able to pass down family magics. Such as spells, to control and manipulate technology. They even used this knowledge, to assist Princess Twilight in the manufacturing of the Clockworks.

They held a special talent for building computer based devices... perfecting computers, into the first Android-type phones. Which they, ironically, called "Smart phones", after their family theme.

They even created the magical Wi-Fi network, which stretched across their island. Later, after ponies started exploring the stars, and the other races moved onto less high maintenance planets. Celestia extended the Wi-Fi spell, to cover their entire Sector of Space, allowing everypony free access to the Internet no matter where they were.

They later joined forces with the Gamer Clan, Button Mash's family. Who had created the first Equus videogame console, and were looking to rule the market, between space fairing civilizations. They wanted to create a handheld console, specifically designed for long term space travel.

So, with the joint forces between the Smart and Gamer clans, they created the JoyBoy Galaxy.

Like the Gamer's other JoyBoy models, it could magically link itself to projectors, through a type of magical bluetooth. So ponies could play games on bigger screens.

The JoyBoy had always been an all purpose console, which used techno magics to push it to the edge of technological engineering.

This new console used purely digital Media, and so had a techno magic hard drive, worth several trillion Yottabytes. With the ability to transfer media, from the Smart Phone, to the JoyBoy. Even use the JoyBoy as a phone.

The JoyBoy looked like a bulkier Smart Phone, with buttons on the sides. So it was easy to hold and use with hooves. There was another model, for creatures with hands to more easily operate, but it used the same game mechanics.

The Smart Clan put a lot of effort, into making the JoyBoy a sturdy little thing. To the point it could survive a dip into Celestia's Plasma Volcanoes.

It had a magic battery, which automaticlly recharged itself, due to being powered by a rare gem. The battery even lasted 30 hours, and took a measly 1 hour of rest, to fully recharge.

Although the JoyBoy was designed for one player, it could connect to other JoyBoys, to play in groups.

Though what the ponies loved most about the JoyBoy, was it worked like an Enchanted Comic Book. With an option to be pulled into the game, and play through it as the main character. With a few trillion safeguard enchantments, to insure no permanent injuries or death.

Such as the player is able to look out of the console, at what is going on around them. As well being able to "Save and Exit" at will. With Death just causing the Player to respawn, in the game.

It also refused to expell the player, if the JoyBoy was in a dangerous situation. Then acting as a protective stasis device, until the player could be safely extracted. Which was why so much effort was done to make the JoyBoy indestructible.

The Smart Clan, wanted the JoyBoy to double as escape pods, while on starships. Even installing homing Beacons, the player could activate while inside the game.

While in the JoyBoy, time progressed faster, and the battery was designed to feed off the excess magic of the player, to run indefinitely. Players could even return to the main menu. In order to access other games, or their entire media collection.

Although they couldn't insert themselves into most media, they could still: watch, listen, or read it. Even communicate with the outside world, via Social Messaging. Which had an "I'm trapped, come save me" connection to The Ponies rescue division of Starfleet.

Theoretically, although this has yet to be tested, individuals could live forever, inside their JoyBoy. Even if they were seconds away from death, in the real world. Even leaving the JoyBoy, fully healed. Again, this was theoretical, but it was possible for any magical lifeform, to escape even dying of old age, thanks to the JoyBoy.

The reason this interested Luna... was because of her newest consort. It been so long since she had one... but as always, she fell for a wealthy bat pony noble... that rebelled against his nobility.

Street Smart... was beautiful. He had a blood red coat, a shaggy mop of a grey mane, two curved back horns... and that gorgeous arrow head tail.

He dressed in a white ruffled shirt, a navy blue suit coat, and a neckerchief that matched his coat. His white wings had obvious red bones showing through...

Just GORGEOUS, yet that wasn't all their was to him. He was also sweet, caring, and kind.

And he was Luna's consort, unlike any of the others. Each was unique, and each she cherished. With her determined to remember them all. She enjoyed this moment with her consort... knowing... she would one day lose him.

None of her other consorts, despite their longevity, had lived very long lives. And so she was determined to cherish their time together... and not panic over the future. The former element of Honesty, lied to herself, insisting this time... wouldn't end in her tears.