A.K. Yearling returned home to find the walls blackened and melting. Splotches of shiny black ink slid slowly downwards, peeling the wallpaper off with them.

She dropped the newspaper on the floor, and was at a loss for words.

From down the hall came the clinking of glass on glass, and then came Ibis himself, galloping into the foyer, a pouch of ink wells tied behind his back. He had a look of determination on his face, not even hindered by the three paintbrushes stuck in his teeth, or the fact that he looked like a cow.

"Ibis?"

After some prolonged eye contact with his mother, the boy turned to a surviving portion of wallpaper and slashed at it with his paintbrushes.

With trembling legs, A.K. approached with caution, like the boy was one of Ahuizotl's tigers. "Ibis… Dear," she soothed, or at least tried to. "Let's… put down the—"

Ibis interrupted her with a hair flick. His mane had always shone like ink, but now it sprayed like it too.

A.K. wiped her glasses on her poncho. She exhaled anger and inhaled serenity. Now was not the time to be cross. After all, the only thing that made her feel worse than yelling at her son was being laughed at immediately afterwards.

No, today was a day for a new strategy.

"So… Are you… an octopus?"

"No."

"Oh. Then…?"

"I [i]was[/i] an octopus. Now I'm a painter." He shot her a glare before returning to his work. "[i]Obviously[/i]."

After plucking the implements out of the boy's mouth, A.K. pulled him inwards, ignoring his struggle. "That's funny… I could really [i]use[/i] a painter right now. How about you and I paint all the walls today? Something nice, and bright, and… not black as pitch."

"I don't want to be a painter anymore," Ibis replied, paradoxically reaching for the paintbrushes with his teeth.

"Oh? And what do you want to be?"

Breaking free from his mother's wrestler-like embrace, he threw his cape-pouch on the ground and fished through it. 

He withdrew a bat. A bat that A.K. had never, ever purchased for him.

"I wanna be a baseball player."

"I'd like to convince you otherwise."

But he was already off. He giggled and ran up the stairs, while his mother could only holler and give chase. The bat – sticking out the side of his mouth – dented every post in the railing.

"Come back here!" A.K. yelled, hobbling up the stairs. "Where are you go—[i]NO![/i]"

Ibis stood in front of a door that was padlocked shut. He held his bat triumphantly above his head. Staring directly into his mother's eyes, he struck, smashing the lock open, and tumbling into the darkness.

"Close your eyes!" A.K. shouted. "Back out of there slowly!"

But it was too late. When she caught up with him, he was already on his hooves, twirling in place, taking stock with his jaw fully unhinged. Surrounding him were shelves upon shelves of idols, masks, amulets – priceless gold coins and cheap gift shop trinkets. There was even a key to the city, though A.K. had long forgotten which city it was for.

Ibis turned to his mother. 

And Daring Do knew this conversation had to come eventually.

"Ibis… There's something that Mommy needs to tell you."

"You're a Daring Do [i]superfan[/i]!"

A.K. blinked. "What did you just call me?"

But Ibis was already doing an inventory of the room. He ran to her adventuring gear, ironed keenly and resting on a mannequin. It posed in mid-flight. 

"Cosplay!"

He gathered up the masks and the amulets and threw them across the room.

"Collectibles!"

He bumped into the desk, and a stack of abandoned rough drafts fell on him. He threw some pages back in the air like they were water from a fountain. 

"[i]Fanfiction[/i]!"

Of all the false accusations, that one cut the deepest.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me? This is so cool!"

There were many reasons Daring Do hadn't told her son about this part of her life yet, but not any she could confess. 

She plucked her hat off the mannequin with her teeth and flipped it over her head. Still a perfect fit.

"I didn't tell you because… I needed a baseball playing sidekick!"

Ibis raised his bat and grinned. A.K. Yearling wondered what in Equestria she had just said.

But he was already off.

"I mean—! A wallpaper repair sidekick! A napping sidekick? A sidekick whose special talent is [i]being well-behaved[/i]!"

They ran.