It was at midnight, when the moon was at the highest peak in the sky, when Thunderlake screamed.

Sunspark jolted awake, confused and ready to buck any steed who was messing with her.

"Thunderlake? What's wrong?" He asked frantically, and his mate neighed.

"My stomach! Ack!" Thunderlake covered her yellow wings over her belly, which had swollen to the size of an oak's branches.

Hazelflame, the newborn, was writhing and neighing, wings fluttering.

Sunspark shielded his newborn son with his wings. "Go to Skyroot! Quickly! I'll take care of Hazelflame!"

Thunderlake nodded, throwing out her wings and galloping off towards the medicine mare's cave, her hooves thudding on the ground as loudly and desperately as Sunspark's heart thudding against his ribs.

Inside the dome of his wings, Hazelflame was calming down, equally as confused.

Sunspark exhaled, feeling his two moon-old colt settle down.

The palomino closed his eyes and crumpled to the grass, laying on his legs. He felt the wind in his fur, sweeping his mane in a wide arch over his face. He lay down, with his colt in his wings, breathing silently.

He looked up to the stars, which were glowing oddly.

Ancestors, he whinnied, please, protect my mate.

Suddenly, he heard a whinny.

"Sunspark?" The mellow voice of Skyroot soothed him. He saw the mare, lit by moonlight, tossing her mane over her neck. "Grab Hazelflame and come with me." Sunspark felt panic rising in his chest. Did Thunderlake...

He threw his wings on his back and urged Hazelflame to his hooves. The foal whined in protest, and fell down.

You really are my son, aren't you? Sunspark thought with a plume of affection as he remembered how he had always been clumsy.

He snapped back into reality. Now wasn't the time to reminisce.

He scooped his colt in the crook of his right wing and held him out as if holding water. He galloped to the healer's cave.

He stopped at the entrance. Skyroot was gazing at something behind her.

"Skyroot? Is something wrong?"

The mare shook her head. "Quite the opposite," she whispered. She stepped aside, and Sunspark felt his breath catch in his throat in the same way he had when Thunderlake had Hazelflame.

Thunderlake was gazing peacefully at a rich buckskin filly.

Sunspark stepped over to her, letting Hazelflame inspect his new sister.

The buckskin had dark points, and she was squirming on her back. She wriggled, then grumbled in protest when she got stuck.

Hazelflame nosed her side, and she squeaked, flapping her crimson wings frantically. When she saw it was her brother, she nipped playfully at him. The two foals went down squeaking and, in their minds, laughing.

Sunspark entwined his tail with Thunderlake's, and he leaned into her. Using his green and gold wing, he scooped the two foals closer to him and his mate. The foals were now sleeping peacefully, their wings hugging each other.

Sunspark glanced around, the wonder of it suddenly hitting him. He looked at his beautiful mate, so lucky to have her. He looked at his two foals. When Hazelflame had arrived into the world, he couldn't believe it. And just when he thought he couldn't get any luckier, Thunderlake had given him a daughter.

"What should we name her, Spark?" Thunderlake asked, voicing his thoughts. He smiled, noticing she used his nickname. The name only she could call him by.

"Hmm... since she has dark points, should it be dark something?" He asked thoughtfully. Thunderlake glanced at him. "That's clever. How about... Darkblaze? What do you think?"

Sunspark looked from his family to the wonderful map of constellations outside.

"I think," he whispered to his mate.

"It's perfect..."