One

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Equestria, in a humble little town on the edge of the mystical Bridlewoods, lived a humble earth pony. This earth pony loved music, and practised his flute everyday. His music carried sweetly through his humble little hometown, and all his neighbours enjoyed listening in the mornings as they began their morning routine. After he practised his flute, he would go for a walk through the town and greet all of his neighbours, stopping to smell their flowers or buy some of the local harvest. Everyday at noon, he could be found enjoying a meal by the edge of the forest, meditating after he ate and listening to the many beautiful and magical animals in the magical Bridlewoods. He would spend his evenings reading and cleaning his small cottage.

Everypony in the town knew him, and though his cutie mark was a Yin and Yang symbol for balance, they called him Splinter. This was because his afternoons were spent practising a form of combat passed to him from his father, an ancient art of self-defence taught by their very ancestors. Only his family knew and practised this art, as peace had been in Equestria for centuries now thanks to the good and powerful Princess Celestia, and all of the other citizens of Equestria had lost the need to fight.

Now, Splinter's life seemed peaceful and happy, and everypony who greeted him saw a warm smile upon his face, but Splinter was not happy. As days went by, he grew to wish for foals, somebody to teach his father's art to, somebody to raise and care for. For though the humble and wise earth pony had many good friends and wonderful neighbours, he felt more and more lonely in his small cottage as time passed.

Then, one morning, as Splinter finished practising his flute, there was a knock on his door. "Splinter? It's Doctor Heart Hoof."

Splinter welcomed the doctor into his cottage. The other pony carried a basket behind him with his unicorn magic. "Good morning, Doctor. To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

Doctor Heart Hoof looked sad, and gently set down his large basket. "I wish it was some happier news. As you know, Lotus Blossom has been very unwell lately. As her condition has worsened, she begged me to ask a favour of you."

Splinter nodded, making the doctor some tea as he spoke. "Oh dear. Lotus Blossom has always been a joy to see at the markets, and her flowers were the prettiest in Equestria."

Doctor Heart Hoof took the tea, nodding. "She has always thought highly of you. That's why she wanted nopony else." The unicorn's magic pulled the blanket back on the basket he was carrying. "She won't be able to be here much longer for her colts, and she trusted nopony more than you."

Splinter's heart broke as he saw the four sleeping foals. Yes, he had wanted to be a father for a very long time now, but to lose a dear friend was not how he had wished that to go. "Please assure Lotus Blossom that no honour would be greater than to care for these young ones."

"Thank you, Splinter. She will be very happy to hear this. I must return to my patients soon, but I wanted to ask you this personally on Lotus Blossom's behalf." Doctor Heart Hoof finished his tea. "I have their paperwork here for you. Thank you again, I know what this will mean to her."

As the doctor left, Splinter turned to the four colts. Each of them had the green coat of their mother, but they had four different mane colours. The two unicorns were blue and purple, and the two pegasi were red and orange.

Splinter shifted through their paperwork to their birth certificates. The eldest was Katana Blade, bright blue eyes and cyan streaks in his mane and tail. The second was Red Rage, with green eyes that matched his coat, and a scowl on his sleepy snout. The third was Gears, who was thinner than his brothers but had longer legs. His eyes were reddish brown, just like his mother's. The youngest colt was Pizza Slice, who had the same blue eyes as Katana Blade, and freckles. He was the tiniest colt.

Splinter smiled to himself as the foals slept, quietly preparing some things in the cottage for when they woke up. It wouldn't be easy, raising four colts on his own, but Splinter owed that much at least to sweet Lotus Blossom, who had been his closest neighbour for as long as she had been in their humble little town.

As the colts grew, Splinter grew to love them more and more each day, proudly calling them his sons, no matter that they were adopted. They did disrupt his routine, but in the best ways, and Splinter would have wanted nothing else.

The colts enjoyed his flute playing so much that they only fell asleep after he played it for them. They liked walking through town so much that Splinter often had trouble keeping them all out of trouble, especially the two lively pegasi. They especially liked watching Splinter train, and started copying him, until he decided to pass his martial arts knowledge and skills to them.

Splinter was proud of his sons. Though he missed his friend Lotus Blossom very much, the colts were still the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Until the next best thing to ever happen to him happened.