Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches in the bathroom, blankly staring at the counter. Her mind was filled with questions of what to say, how to say it, what to do, what would happen next.
Twilight had been very specific: if the test wasn't positive by a certain date, it wasn't going to happen. The day had come and the last tester was there on the counter. Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed. Rarity was in the other room, waiting for the news.
The autumn sun peeking through the window did nothing to counteract the morning chill in the small room. The cold tile floor pressed against Rainbow's rump finally became uncomfortable, prompting her to stand. Delays never suited her, and there was only one thing that could really be done. She opened the door and walked out.
Rainbow's head hung low and her wings drooped by her sides. She didn't have to look at Rarity to know her reaction.
"Oh, no." Rainbow saw pristine white hooves on the carpeting.
"I-I'm sorry," she choked out.
"No no." Rarity's forelegs wrapped themselves around Rainbow's neck. "I must have messed up the spell, or perhaps Twilight mistimed your cycle. Athletes can be irregular—not that I'm blaming you or—"
"Ssh, it's okay, babe." Rainbow returned the hug.
"I'll brush up on the spell to make sure I do it right this time. We'll try again." Rarity got that determined tone in her voice that Rainbow always liked hearing.
Rainbow's own voice remained glum. "No. We can't."
"Y-you've changed your mind about carrying it? I understand. We'll..." Rarity's hoof stroked Rainbow's neck. She could hear the forced smile. "We'll think of something."
"No we won't." Rainbow tilted her head up and whispered into Rarity's ear, "I'm pregnant."
Rarity's gasp could have rivaled Pinkie Pie on a good day. "What?" she breathed.
Rainbow jumped back, landing with a wide stance and wings unfurled. "I'M PREGNANT!" she shouted.
The wide-eyed expression on Rarity's face was soon replaced with one of unabashed glee. Closed eyes accompanied a giant smile on a pony giggling like a filly and prancing around the room. Rainbow couldn't help bouncing a little in place herself. She loved when Rarity got that way.
Rarity concluded her dancing with a hug around Rainbow's neck and several kisses along it. "The whole time I was away all I could think about was whether it would happen, but thank Celestia it did once I got home."
After a moment of hesitation and a glance to the side, Rainbow replied, "Actually, I found out on Wednesday."
"Wednesday?" Rarity let go and stuck herself in Rainbow's face. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Rainbow took a step backwards. "You were off in Manehattan with your fashion seminar, you know."
"You could have written!" Rarity stepped forward.
"Written? You know how the mail is between here and there. I didn't think it'd make it in time." Rainbow stepped back.
"You should have at least tried instead of keeping this a secret from me!"
"Sec—" Eyebrows lowering a little, Rainbow interrupted herself. "What do you want me to do, write the letter now?"
With a scoff, Rarity spun around, hitting Rainbow's shoulder with her hip as she turned. Caught off-guard, Rainbow toppled over, landing on her side with an "Ow!" She winced and looked up to see Rarity glaring down at her. Rarity snorted.
"And uh..." Rainbow swallowed, only half-certain that she wasn't about to be stepped on. "I thought it would be more romantic if I told you face to face instead of through a piece of paper? Because I love you and want to be with you during really big moments like these?" She tried to smile.
Rarity's face relaxed and she backed away. "Get up, dearie."
Slowly, Rainbow got to her feet. She rubbed her flank where her hip had hit the floor. "Geez, that smarts." A few shakes of her wing helped work its soreness out.
Eyes wide again, Rarity gasped. "You're pregnant!"
"Uh..." Rainbow wasn't sure what response wouldn't return her to the ground.
Rarity rushed to Rainbow's side. "Are you okay? Is the foal okay?" Pointing her hoof at a nearby couch, Rarity commanded, "Go lay down."
Afraid to argue any more, Rainbow obeyed, tucking her legs under herself.
Rarity followed her, kneeling at Rainbow's side. "I never realized how fragile it must be. If I did something to hurt it, I'll never forgive myself!"
Patting her side, Rainbow said, "Rarity, babe, most of this is still me. I'm sure it's fine. I mean, it's like, this big in there." She put her forehooves a short distance apart from each other. She had no idea how big the foal was, but she was sure it was still pretty small. "There's a lot of me for padding."
Rarity's ears went back. "I suppose, but I feel just awful. Is there anything I can do to help?"
For a few seconds, Rainbow mentally searched for things she could ask for without upsetting Rarity again. Then something struck her. "Actually, I'd kill somepony for some zucchini right now."
"Hm?" Rarity's ears perked again. "Oh, yes, you're eating for two now. I suppose cravings are to be expected. I'll be right back with it." She trotted out of the room.
"I guess?" Rainbow called after her.
In the following silence, Rainbow lay on the couch, unsure if she was allowed to leave it yet. She rolled onto her side and gave her belly a few experimental prods. Nothing hurt except her hip bone, her wing, and a few of her ribs. Rainbow supposed that was a good sign. Crossing her forelegs, she set her head down with a sigh.
"And here I thought I was supposed to get the mood swings," she quietly said to herself. With a glance back at her body, she added, "Wasn't my fault I got knocked over. Hope she isn't too upset about it. The foal's gonna be fine." She paused. "Where's that zucchini?"
Her question was soon answered by her wife returning with a plate heaped with the sliced vegetable. Rainbow's head popped up and her mouth watered at the sight.
Hovering the plate to her, Rarity asked, "Is this enough? I didn't know how much you needed."
Rainbow chose to chow down as her answer, enjoying the juice flowing across her tongue.
Glancing between the culinary massacre and its perpetrator, Rarity asked, "Is there anything else that'll help? I can get a blanket if you're too cold, or open the window if you're too hot."
"Nah, I'm good," Rainbow answered through a full mouth.
A few bites later, Rarity asked, "Perhaps a pillow?"
"Rarity, I'm fine," Rainbow grumbled.
She soon finished the plate, and Rarity took it away, saying, "I'm only trying to make it up to you and the foal."
Looking over, Rainbow said, "You know this means I've been pregnant for the last three months. I get it, you're trying to help, but I can take care of myself just fine."
Rarity stepped forward. "If there's anything I can do—"
"Actually, I just got another craving." Rainbow rolled off of the couch and stood back on her hooves.
"Anything you need, dearie."
Rainbow stretched herself out. Working her wing joints through their full range, she said, "I'm craving some open air right about now."
Fidgeting a little, Rarity said, "Oh. Yes, of course."
Rainbow straightened herself up. "Hm? You need something?"
"No no, just... I'm awfully sorry."
After kissing Rarity's cheek, Rainbow opened the window. "It's fine. Love ya, babe."
She flew out and into the cool air, slowly at first. A few vigorous wingbeats launched her through the clouds. High above Ponyville, Rainbow rolled onto her back and let herself glide in wide arcs.
"I'm pregnant," she quietly told the sky. "Rarity was right. This is actually happening. I'm going to be a mother. Or a father, if Rarity's going to be the mom." She glanced at her belly, which was as flat as it had ever been. "Something like that."
Returning her attention to the sky, she added, "I still wish it was Rarity carrying it, though. Then she'd be the one scarfing down that zucchini." She chuckled at the mental image. "Which would make me... oh." She paused. "Dearie, can you get me more cucumber? Can you get me a blanket? Can you open a window? Can you file my horn? I'm too pregnant to do anything myself, you know."
A few lazy wing flaps brought Rainbow to a cloud. She let herself gently drop onto it, back-first. "I dodged a bullet there, didn't I?" She prodded her belly, feeling only the resistance of her abs. "If you're going to make Rarity wait on me nose and hoof, I sure don't mind. We're going to have a pretty easy pregnancy, aren't we?"
She sat up and stared into the distance. "Wait. Am I a 'we'?"
---
"Mares and stallions, colts and fillies, let's hear it one last time for the Wonderbolts!" The sound echoed below Rainbow. The cheers of the audience roared ahead of her. She and her wingmates flew low over the crowd and into the open sky, leaving the noise behind.
The Wonderbolts touched down just outside the locker room. Captain Spitfire walked out in front and nodded. "Great flying out there today, everypony. Go hit the showers."
Moments later, Rainbow was stuffing her uniform into the trunk she'd brought it in. Normally she'd fold it neatly, but it was going to be her turn to wash it when she got home.
She was the first out of her uniform and into the shower, turning the handle to wash the show's sweat away. As much as Rainbow Dash did things fast, running soothing hot water over an aching body was always worth taking slow. Before long, the entire rest of the team had joined her.
"Hey, Crash," Soarin said, walking up to her. "Nice moves today."
Taking a break from the warm water, Rainbow replied, "You too."
"Nah, I noticed all those flourishes you added. Special occasion? Or just felt like showing off to your wife?" He flicked his wet mane out of his face.
Rainbow smirked. "Sort of, but mostly I wanted to go out in style. Last center formation for a while, you know."
Eyebrows raising, he asked, "What?"
She turned to present her side to him. "Yup. Standard safety rules. Not allowed to take untrained flyers into risky formations." A pat on the flank by her wing accentuated the line.
"You're pregnant?"
Rainbow suddenly became keenly aware that all other conversation in the room had ceased. She felt a herd's worth of eyes on her. Only the sound of running water reached her ears.
"Uh, yeah." She glanced between her teammates. "I found out last week. I'm pregnant."
With speed and coordination only achievable by the Wonderbolts, the entire team converged on her. Rainbow instantly found herself bombarded with questions.
"When's it due?"
"Is it a filly or a colt?"
"Do you fly different now?"
"Is it going to be a pegasus?"
"Have you decided on a name?"
"Can I feel it?"
"My sister-in-law has a colt and he is just the cutest thing!"
Rainbow stood tall, hardly noticing the water running down her sides anymore. "Going to have this bundle of awesome in eight more months. We know it's going to be a filly." She briefly scowled and looked away. "Thanks, Twilight. Anyways, we're keeping her race a surprise, so we'll decide her name once she's born.
"As for this..." She extended one of her hind legs to show off her flank. "I don't feel any different. Rarity did this weird unicorn spell to make me pregnant, the test says I'm pregnant, so I'm pregnant. Though thinking about it—" The memories of several meals wafted across her consciousness. "—I've had a craving or two, I guess."
"All right, that's enough fawning." Captain Spitfire hovered above the crowd. "Finish your showers and pack up." Rainbow could have sworn that she had been part of the questioning crowd. "And Crash? Congratulations."
With a nod, Rainbow replied, "Thank you, ma'am."
Returning to her shower, she silently mused. First Rarity, then her team acted so differently all over a single word.
---
Rainbow strolled out of the locker room and into the hallway, luggage in tow. Just outside, she spotted Rarity, whose mane sat disheveled across her neck. Forgetting her suitcase, Rainbow shot to her side.
"Rarity? What's wrong? What happened?" She put her chin under Rarity's head.
"Oh, it's nothing much." A blue aura brought Rainbow's suitcase across the hallway. "I was just—" Rarity forced a smile. "—watching you perform out there."
After a pause, Rainbow asked, "And?"
Rarity moved away enough to look Rainbow in the eye. "I was thinking about your flying up there. How you were going so quickly past all those other ponies." She wrapped a bit of her mane around her hoof. "And how there was another pony, one who never asked to be up there, being part of all those dangerous stunts, too." She wound a few more strands up, further messing up her mane.
Sitting down, Rainbow replied, "Oh, is that what this is all about? I'm the best flyer in Equestria; the foal's going to be just fine."
"I know, I know." Rarity shook her head. "But then I close my eyes and I see you crashing or hitting your gut against a tree branch and then..." She trailed off.
Rainbow sat next to her. "Come on, when's the last time I had a nasty crash like that?" She draped her wing over Rarity's back. That always calmed her down.
Moving to meet the wing, Rarity answered, "Two months ago, during practice."
The wing stiffened. "Okay, first of all, that wasn't my fault. Misty was the one who flubbed the spin. I don't care what she says. Secondly, I'm three months along now, so I was pregnant then, and the foal's still fine."
"But what if it isn't? What if the next time's worse? I know you can take a crash, but she's just a baby." She felt a hoof against her stomach. "Not even a baby yet."
Rainbow sat in silence for a moment. "Hey." Leaning into Rarity, she said, "That was my last show in the middle anyways. I'm flying on the outside for the next, like, four months. After that I'll be stuck on my butt until she's born and I wait out that dumb maternity leave stuff."
"Hmm." She could feel the vibration of Rarity's body against hers. "Are those the ones that fly distressingly low over the buildings and the audience?"
With a roll of her eyes, Rainbow said, "I can fly in a straight line, babe." She stood up and shook out her wings. "Tell you what, if I start going down, I'll try to land on my hard head." Rainbow leaned down and tapped her temple for effect.
Rarity snorted. "Breaking your neck won't do the foal any favors, either."
Prancing backwards down the hall, Rainbow said, "You know what will? A watermelon. A big one. I've been wanting some all day." She smirked. "I mean, we've been wanting some all day." Turning away and flicking her tail, she added, "Come on, babe, don't let the foal down!"