700 years, after Luna ascended to the Throne .
Thestrals... were not uniform. Occasionally, there was one born with large, curved, horns. Usually 2, but they could have as many as 6 horns. Shaped similarly to goats.
Thestrals, with horns, came to be heralded... but originally, it was looked down on as a deformity. It was only after they proved their usefulness, to their colony, that they were accepted.
The same thing happened fir the Thestrals with long, fur-less, tails. As the arrowhead for a tip proved a valuable weapon. While the sheer control they had, over the tail, couldn't help but impress.
One, particular foal, was hoping something similar, would happen with him.
Deep before The Castle of Eternal Night, the Sun began to rise, looking as if it was muted by a night's fog.
Within it's lush walls, looking out a window of the royal family chambers. Was one colt, longing for the sun. The dim outline, in the night sky, was not enough for him.
Not caring, it would sting his slitted eyes... he looked out the window, and dreamed of playing in the sun.
If he was any other child, he would be waking up with the world, not being put to "bed". Although his version of "bed" didn't involve a real bed, So much as a dark, closet like, room to shut himself in. Where he would hang from the ceiling, and sleep... only problem was... this colt was scared to sleep upside down... So instead of resting, in the natural way all Bat Ponies do, he curled up on the floor... in a Basket.
Even by Thestral standards, he was an oddity.
Mouthy was of the Smart Colony. A respectable family of nocturnal business ponies. Respected for both the inventions they brought to the world... and the sheer level of money those luxuries allowed them. Respected as part of the Royal family, although the tabloids often spoke of Mouthy as the odd pony out.
But Smart Mouth, hardly had anything to do with that. He was only 7. Never having even seen beyond the castle walls...
Smart Mouth turned his slitted eyes from the window, and looked down at his front paws. They were definitely paws, not hooves like his Daddy had. The little colt had hooves on his back legs, but his front legs had paws, and weird looking digits called thumbs.
Real ponies could just hold things because of a type of magical static cling, but he had to use the short digits and thumbs. A fluffy fox tail, and head. Though a good deal more cartoony and cute, then a real world fox.
He was mostly orange, with an underbelly of cream white, as in extremely pale orange. Although his lower legs were black, with thick blue squigglies where it met the orange fur, above all four of his knees. Complemented by blue pads on the paws, and blue hooves.
Then his tail was orange, with the underside being the same cream white as his underbelly, with a black tip, plus thick blue squiggles between all the colors of the tail. His leathery wings were a bright white, with blue bones showing through the thin skin, and a thick black trim at the bottom of the wings.
His cheeks and lower jaw were the same cream white. While the rest of his face was orange. Well, except for the large number of black freckles around his green, anime style, eyes, with just a tinge of red.
At least the boy was allowed to style his mane how he liked. It was blue, cut in a short spiky boyish style that was popular with modern colts. His mane kinda naturally stood on end, so the adults didn't have to do anything to it. Just give it a quick brushing in the morning. Honestly, he kept his mane this way more out of laziness then style.
He looked weird. He had the classic pretty colt features, but with odd fox bits added on. It was obvious he wasn't a normal pony. Even so, he was not an abomination, just not the norm. That didn't stop other ponies from staring at him, though.
His father refused to let him leave the family wing, without his big brother. With anywhere passed the Castle Staff, being completely forbidden... and Mouthy, being a good colt, listened to his father's boundries. It helped, that his big brother always made sure to steer the little coltkit to the various fun things within the Castle.
What didn't help, were the funny looks, all the other Thestrals gave him.
Mouthy would want for nothing... except maybe friends...
There may be other kids here, his cousins, but they tended to stay away from him... they were frightened of him. He wasn't exactly bullied, but that was because of the Thestrals fear of him... they didn't yet realize, they had nothing to be scared of.
Smart Mouth was a special colt, with a destiny that stretched across time itself... One day, he would touch the stars... one day... he would be the salvation to a great many worlds... one day, entire Galaxies would sing of him... but that impending fate was far away. For now he was a little colt... that only knew he didn't belong.
The young colt kit let out a sigh, staring at the filtered Sun... longingly...
"Mouthy?"
The colt kit turned his eyes, to spy his older brother.
"What are you doing up?" asked Book Smarts.
Mouthy blushed, "Couldn't sleep." Admitted the tiny colt.
"You might find that a lot easier, if you went to your room and closed your eyes," Book shook his head.
Mouthy frowned... not wanting to admit he was scared of the dark. What kind of Batpony didn't like the dark?
"Did you at least wash your teeth?" The Stallion asked.
Mouthy gave another sigh, continuing to stare out the "window" of their playroom. Then the little boy gave a groan, as his brother gently picked him up. With Book using his muzzle, against the loose skin on the back of the Colt-kit's neck. Then began carrying, his tiny brother, out the room. Most likely towards the bathroom.
Book Smarts had always been awfully bossy, and way too overprotective... probably because dad relied a lot on him. Book had to help take care of the younger ones... he had a lot of responsibility forced on him... though not as much as your average stallion.
Stealth had his own relatives, to help the single father raise the foals.
Mouthy... was part of a litter of 3. However his siblings were all maturing at different ages. The Vulpony blood, which ran through Smart Mouth and his sister... caused them to age slower. They did, after all, had an activated demonic heritage.
Though not quite Hanyou, the Vulponies did have a demonic ancestry. Which they purposely controlled their breeding, for thousands of moons, to fuse their demonic aura, into a third chromosome chain.
It caused the Siblings to age at different rates.
For Example:
Book Smart had his Thestral genes activated. So he aged at the same rate as a pony. He had a normal, though attractive, blood red coat, with a white underbelly, with a grey mane, forelegs, and tail. He even inherited the twin horns, of high born Thestrals. Which gave him near unicorn reality bending...
Mouthy wished he had those cool horns...
Unlike Mouthy, Book was, in fact, an adult. Even by Thestral standards. While his sister was barely into apprenticehood. Mature enough for 'Legal Privileges", but not old enough for those to become "Rights".
Mouthy was still prepubescent... to the point he wasn't old enough to be told what that word actually meant. As far as he was aware, it was simply a synonym for "Little Kid".
Mouthy was hundreds of years old, and still not old enough to begin secondary school... and wouldn't be for hundreds more years. He aged like a proper demon, with every 100 years being the equivalent of 1.
Mouthy's mind stopped wandering, once they reached the bathroom.
Book deposited his "younger" brother on a stool, in front of the sink. Before fetching a vial out of the medicine cabinet.
Handing it to the smaller colt kit, the Stallion ordered, "Gurgle this, but don't swallow."
The little boy rolled his eyes, knowing perfectly well not to drink mouth wash potions.
The child's paw wrapped around the vial, that thumb really helping hold it.
Downing the potion. The Colt Kit swished it around, and occasionally gurgling it. It took an entire 10 seconds, for the potion to clean away the plaque, repair any damage done to the teeth, whiten them, and even sharpen them.
The Zebra made these potions, special for the Thestrals. After all, Subponies had to stick together.
Spitting out the potion. The little boy proceeded to rinse the residue out of his mouth. Not because it tasted bad, it actually tasted gently of mint, but it was best to get as much of the potion out as possible. Didn't want to accidentally swallow any.
Zebra had a special talent for brewing. They knew just what to do, in order to create a good taste, while not compromising the potion's effects.
Next... the prepubescent ColtKit blushed, as the teenager laid him down, on the counter... and started getting him into his "big boy pants", AKA, pullups... at least they weren't diapers anymore.
These were made of a mix of cloth, and plastic. They magically absorbed everything, and only took an hour to clean themselves. They were also designed to prevent leaks, even well sleeping upside down. They even grew with him.
These were rich foal pamps. As they could be re-used, forever. Constantly cleaning themselves.
Although Daddy wasn't particularly happy Smart Mouth wanted pink padding. Though the boy picked them out, more for the little Daleks, printed all over them... The Half demon loved the Doctor Who stories, the Yokai made. The books, audio dramas, videogames, comic books. They were just so cool!
Though Mouthy was supposed to take good care of them. Koto Sensei was adamant about that. This was stuff about the Doctor's real life. Based on Journals the Doctor's companions made. The Doctor was, after all, their god.
"What you thinking about?" Book asked, as he finished adjusting the padding.
"Doctor Who," Mouthy spoke honestly.
Book shook his head, "Of course." Before picking him back up, and putting him on the floor. "Now let's get you back to bed."
On their way back through the hall, they heard the sound of angry voices. They were coming from the living room.
"What's this I hear about you leaving the colony!" The first voice was too outraged to be really asking.
The second voice, belonged to daddy, and was just as angry. "Empress Luna is transfering me to Ponyville!"
The first voice scoffed. "Only because you requested it!!! Don't think I don't know about that!"
"I made a commitment to the guard!"
"Luna's Guard!"
"Twilight requested more night guards, and I volunteered. It's as simple as that," Daddy snapped at the first voice...
Who the colts now recognized as the Colony Elder. The one directly born of Luna. Who had later been turned into a bat pony. And kinda just assigned himself the role of 'Colony Leader'. Even if Daddy wasn't part of his line.
"But WHY!?" demanded Elder Blue Blood. The old Stallion still looked in his Prime, thanks to Thestral magicks. "You have a duty to Luna."
Stealthy raged, "You lot have been pawning me off as 'somepony else's problem' since I was born. You don't have the right to demand ANYTHING from me!!!"
Book quickly steered his little brother away. Not wanting the colt kit to hear grownups yelling at each other... a hard thing to do, given how curious the little boy was to hear more. He did love a healthy dose of drama. That is, so long as it was other ponies'.