At 8 months pregnant, Twilight Sparkle found pregnancy to be a little difficult. The weight threw off her balance so she had to be careful in how she moved and her lower back ached constantly.
Rick was able to help out with the lower back ache by giving her the occasional gentle massage but this was not always possible and sometimes it didn't work. She did find however that her pony body was a lot better equipped to deal with this than her human form and so, she spent a lot of time in Equestria spending time with her books or sitting in the cafe with an equally gravid Fluttershy and / or Applejack. Rarity would join them often, her estrus having passed without trying to get pregnant. Perhaps she just enjoyed the attention that Spike gave her during those times or maybe she just needed to find the right stallion to sire her foal.
There were times however that in crossing the portal between Earth and Equestria that were painful for Twilight. Her guts felt all twisted around and the last time it felt like she had been bucked in the stomach. Up until then she just assumed the baby was changing form along with her. But then maybe it wasn't and her change in size was causing some damage. The pain did go away rather quickly so they weren't too concerned although Fluttershy did confirm that everything was okay and proceeding normally.
Eventually it was decided that she shouldn't be crossing the portal in her condition just in case and for the duration she should pick one side of the portal and simply stay there. As she was already there and it was easier to handle in her pony body, Twilight choose Equestria which meant that Rick spent a week bringing things for Twilight back and forth from Earth to Equestria just so she could have the best of both worlds. Needless to say there were a lot of extension cords running through the portal.
A small HDTV and Blu-Ray player as well as her old laptop were set up in the living area of the library and a selection of DVDs were brought in. Needless to say, this room became the place for the fillies to meet. It wasn't long before they were organising movie nights based on a certain genre.
Late one night, after having watched "The Fellowship of the Ring" and all the fillies had gone home, Rick lay in bed and cradled his very pregnant wife in his hooves.
Twilight felt heavy and bloated but took Rick's attention and the small things he did as proof that he still loved her. But even then, there were times she simply didn't feel attractive anymore.
"Babe, you need to stop thinking like that, " Rick said as he gently stroked her mane. "I still find you attractive, exciting, beautiful, desirable, and all those good things that a stallion is supposed to feel towards his mare." He punctuated each adjective with a kiss and finished it off with a passionate kiss full on the lips.
"I know, " she sighed, "but I still can't help feeling you'd rather be with a younger and thinner filly than me."
Rick chuckled a bit a this but without malice. "Twi, do you honestly think I'd bother doing all this for you if I wanted another filly? Besides, you're the one that didn't want to go through the bonding spell when I brought it up at the wedding."
She sighed, the stroking of her mane felt really good and it was making her sleepy but she needed to say this before falling asleep. "What about us getting intimate? I haven't felt very sexy lately and I know it's been a while for you."
"Twi. Your body is going through a lot of changes, you're hormonal, you feel up then you feel down so I don't blame you. Once the baby is born, you'll start to feel normal again but don't think for a moment that you're unattractive to me. I look in your eyes, I look at your face and I see the same filly that I fell in love with."
Twilight snuggled in closer to her husband and sighed. "I'm so lucky to have you. I hesitate to think what could have happened if we never got together."
"Babe, if anything I'm lucky to have you. Every morning when I wake up and I see your face, I thank my lucky stars that you're there. And every evening when I go to sleep, I'm just happy that you're the last face I see before closing my eyes." He kissed her gently, trying to put all his feelings into that one kiss.
Gently he lay her down, then getting behind her he held her until she fell asleep.
The days that followed were pretty much routine. Rick would go back and forth to Earth, do what needed to be done there, take care of Twilight and in the evenings when she was getting tired, gently hold her until she slept. Right now she needed his presence especially when going to sleep. Rick felt like she was drawing some kind of strength or something from him directly. There were a few times that she did want to get frisky with him, the doctor had said it was okay provided there was no pain and that no stress was placed on Twilight. So they took it slowly, taking their time and enjoying the closeness that the act brought to them.
When the day finally came, they were in the middle of breakfast when Twilight went a little grey and gave a started, "ouch".
"You okay?"
"I don't know, I just felt a... Rick I think we need to get to the hospital. I think the foal is coming."
Adrenaline rushed through Rick's system at those words, he jumped up, full of nervous energy and asked as calmly as he could, "it's time? Are you sure?"
Twilight just nodded her head. Rick ran upstairs to grab the saddle bags they had prepared weeks ago just for this event. Gently helped her to her feet and they slowly made their way to the hospital.
When they arrived they were surprised to see that Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash were already there. It seems that Applejack and Fluttershy had already gone into labour as well.
Twilight Sparkle was taken into one of the examination rooms, Rick stood there by her side as she gripped his hoof. Part of him was glad she wasn't human at the moment because her grip might have broken his hand based on how she was gripping his hoof. Her contractions were coming more and more rapidly but the doctor was nowhere to be seen. Rick wanted to run out to find one, but Twilight wouldn't let go of his hoof.
The doctor finally showed up, took one look at her and said, "okay, you're ready, " he turned to Rick and said, "you'll have to wait outside." Rick was going to argue but the doctor cut him off saying, "there's not enough room here for you, me, the patient, the nurse and everything else I'm going to need to deliver your foal. Now move!"
Rick wandered out of the room, back to the waiting room to wait along with Big Mac and Rainbow Dash.
"So, been here long?"
"Eeyup."
"Yeah."
"Great, " Rick said sitting down only to stand back up again. He knew everything was going to be alright. Twilight read all the books she could on being pregnant and followed their advice to the letter. She ate only what she was supposed to eat, exercised like she was supposed to and did whatever else that was on her list. And yet, he still worried and wanted something to do.
A nurse came in, "Big Macintosh?"
The three looked up expectantly, eager to hear what had happened.
"It's a colt, " she said with a smile. "If you'd care to follow me."
Big Macintosh stood up, a look of wonder on his face as he stepped out to Fluttershy's room to see his son. Rick and Rainbow Dash were hot on his heels.
When they got there, Fluttershy was holding him in her hooves. She looked tired but had an air of serenity on her face. The colt was a sturdy little orange earth pony, his coat a little darker than his aunt Applejack. Big Macintosh, stoic as ever couldn't help but shed a few tears of joy at seeing his son for the first time. He stepped over to nuzzle his wife and to greet his son first hand. Rainbow Dash and Rick stepped into the room to also great the youngest of the Apple family.
"He's beautiful, " Rainbow Dash said to both parents. "Have you thought of a name?"
"Nnnnope." Big Mac said with his usual concise manner.
"I am guessing that 'apple' will be part of his name?" Rick asked.
"Oh definitely, " Fluttershy said.
They admired the young colt for a little while longer when the nurse came in. "There you are Rainbow Dash, just to inform you that you have a filly."
Rainbow Dash took after her namesake and blew out of the room as quickly as her wings could take her to Applejack's room to meet her daughter. Everypony could see the desire in Big Mac's eyes to also get a look at his niece but he couldn't leave his wife and newborn son.
"Don't worry Big Mac, I'm sure your niece will be fine. If you want I can go take a look and give you both a status update?"
Both ponies agreed and Rick made his way to Applejack's room where she was cradling a filly in her hooves while Rainbow Dash hovered above to get a better view. She was a beige coloured pegasus with an orange mane.
"Yes! A pegasus! My girl is a pegasus! Booyah!" Rainbow Dash cheered emphasising it with a hoof pump as she did victory laps around the room.
"Congratulations you two, " Rick said.
"Hey there Stretch. Sorry I cain't get up to greet ya', " Applejack said.
"That's okay AJ, perfectly understandable. By the way, did Rainbow Dash tell you you've got a nephew?"
"Fluttershy had her foal as well? That is good news. So where's yer better half?"
"I'm guessing Rainbow Dash didn't tell you that either. She's currently in labour, we showed up and you and Fluttershy had already been admitted."
"Well ain't that a buck in the head. Three of us git knocked up the same night and give birth the same day. That's a mighty big co-incidence. But that don't matter none. Say hello to my daughter. We haven't given her a name yet."
"Speed Runner! Her name is Speed Runner!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Now sugarcube, I thought we went over this. We wasn't goin' to be giving names for at least a week until we can see what kind of pony she is."
"She's going to be the best, fastest and most skilled flyer in all of Equestria! That's who my girl is going to be!"
Applejack just sighed, she was in no condition to argue the point right now. Rick greeted the newest little pony. "Hello there, whatever your name is. I'm your uncle Rick no relation by blood but that doesn't actually mean anything."
"She's beautiful, just like her dam, " Rick said to Applejack.
"You're such a sweet talker. I can see why Twilight wanted to keep y'all to herself. Silver tongue of yours could easily turn a filly's head."
"Much obliged, but I'll leave you three now. Big Mac will want an update on his niece and I need to be available when our foal is born."
Rick walked out of the room back towards Fluttershy & Big Mac. When he got to the room, Fluttershy was sleeping and the colt had been taken to the nursery. He wandered over in that direction and saw Big Macintosh, his face pressed up against the glass just admiring his son.
"Hey Big Mac, just got back from AJ's room. You're an uncle to a beige pegasus with an orange mane. Rainbow Dash wants to call her 'Speed Runner' but your sister hasn't agreed to it yet."
Big Mac just smiled and nodded at that. Rick joined him at the window but soon got bored and his mind turned back to his wife who was currently giving birth. "Sorry, Big Macintosh, I'm gonna head back. I'll see you again when all this is over."
Big Macintosh just smiled and nodded then turned his head back to the window. Rick wandered back through to the waiting room and simply waited, and waited, and waited eventually falling asleep. An unknown amount of time later, he was woken up by a nurse who was shaking him and calling his name.
"Wha?" he said as he woke up only to focus on the nurse that was shaking him awake. He came awake immediately after and got to his hooves waiting for the news.
"Congratulations, it's a filly."
To this day, Rick said he did not know how he actually made it to the room as he was shaking so much but he made it. Twilight was there, her mane all mussed up and her face streaked with sweat yet she looked radiant. She smiled tiredly at him and said, "come and meet your filly."
With trembling steps, a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes he walked over to see his newborn daughter. She was a violet unicorn with a black mane. She opened her eyes for a moment and Rick felt like she looked directly into his soul even though he knew a newborn can't really see anything but he felt his heart skip a beat and he just fell in love with her at that moment. This was really his daughter, a new life that depended on him for everything. He wiped away the tears and kissed his wife gently on the forehead. Then sitting down on the bed next to her just looked at and admired the new life in front of them.
"She's beautiful, just like her mother."
"She's got her father's mane, " Twilight said.
"Well, let's hope she gets your brain although my sense of humour would be a good thing."
"Don't push it mister. One of you is all I think I can take."
Rick chuckled and kissed her again. "And before I forget. Fluttershy had a colt, an earth pony and Applejack also had a filly but she's a pegasus. No names yet but Rainbow Dash wants to call her 'Speed Runner'."
Twilight giggled a bit at Rainbow Dash's name for her daughter. "That filly is going to have a lot to live up to, especially with a name like that." She looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to Rick and asking, "have you thought of a name?"
"There is one, although it might be a little different here than it is there. But I'm thinking 'Twyla'. It's from the old English for twilight or early evening and it's root is in the French word etoile which means 'star'. So Twyla who came from her mother Twilight and she's the star in my sky. I don't know if we can make a pony name from that, but I'm sure with some jigging we can make it work."
Twilight ran the name through her mind and said, "Twyla Sparkle. I like it, " she looked down at the tiny bundle in her hooves and said, "hello Twyla, welcome to the world." Twyla decided at that moment to yawn and stretch her little hooves as if in response. Both parents smiled at this monumental act.
Eventually the nurse came to put the filly in the bassinette and took her out to the nursery with the rest of the foals. Twilight's eyes slowly started to close and Rick allowed her to take a nap. He went back to the nursery where Big Mac was still admiring his son along with Rainbow Dash. They noticed Rick come over and he pointed out his daughter to them.
The proud parents stood around admiring their offspring when an explosion seemed to go off in the nursery. There was a flash and there stood Pinkie Pie bouncing up and down like a frog on crack.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Lookatthelittlefoalsthey'resocute! Thisissocool!" she said looking from one foal to the next.
A nurse showed up to see what the commotion was about, recognised Pinkie Pie from the last time she did this and gently but firmly ushered her out.
"Hey Pinkie Pie, did you catch a glimpse of my daughter! She's the pegasus right there, " Rainbow Dash said pointing proudly at her filly on the other side of the glass.
"She's so cute I just want to hold her and squeeze her and just eat her up!" Pinkie Pie gushed making "nom nom nom" sounds. She also then gushed over the other two foals of her friends wanting to do the same thing.
"We need to have a party for this! Three new foals, and I'm an aunt three times today. This has to be a super duper extra special bestest party ever! We'll have cake and ice cream and party games and my super duper extra special party punch! Wheee!" Pinkie Pie continued to bounce around then stopped and asked, "so what are their names?"
"I want to call mine Speed Runner because she's gonna be the fastest pegasus ever. Even faster than me!" She paused a moment before adding, "but we might call her something different because AJ doesn't like that name."
"Ah'm thinking Porter. That's a type of apple like the colour of my son's coat, " Big Macintosh said.
"Twyla Sparkle. The source of the name comes from Twilight and the French word for star, " Rick said.
"Ooooh! Three cute little foals with three cute little names! Hee hee hee! I gotta go see the mothers, " and with those words she raced out to see the mothers.
"Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to go check on Twilight before Pinkie Pie traumatises her too much, " Rick said giving a hoofbump to Big Mac and Rainbow Dash.
He arrived at Twilight's room just in time to see Pinkie Pie rush out like a bat out of hell.
"So what was that all about?" he asked, sitting by the side of the bed.
"Oh, just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, " Twilight said as she lay back on the bed.
"So how you feeling? Can I get you anything?" Rick asked, gently taking her hoof in his.
"How about a cup of coffee? I think I can stomach it now."
"Coming right up, " he said before giving her a kiss and heading out of the hospital. Partway through her pregnancy, coffee was suddenly something Twilight couldn't drink anymore without feeling ill. Just the smell of it was enough to turn her stomach so she had to stop drinking it and in a feat of solidarity Rick did as well. It was the hardest time of his life and now his wife was asking for a cup which meant that he too could make some. Almost giddy with pleasure he made it back home to the farmhouse where he dusted off the coffee maker and proceeded to make enough to fill a small thermos. As it was brewing, he decided it was time to call his folks and give them the good news. After all, they'd want to know when their first Grandchild was born.
The phone on the other end rang a few times before his father answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Dad, it's Rick. Look, I've got some news."
"Did Twilight had the baby?
"Yes she did. It's a girl."
"That's great news Rick, " his father took the receiver away from his mouth and yelled at his wife. "Honey! Twilight just had the baby! It's a girl!"
Rick heard his mother shout in the background and the extension pick up.
"She had the baby? Oh that's great news! How big was she? What's her name?"
"Mum, you know we're at the commune right now and they don't do stuff like that here. Her name is 'Twyla' and she's looking forward to seeing her grandparents. Right now, Twilight is resting comfortably and we'll be here for a few more days before heading back home. We'll let you know when and you can come see her."
"But I don't understand why I can't see her now? Surely as the grandparents they'd let us in?"
"Mum, we discussed this. These hippies are really an insular sort, they don't take too kindly to strangers and they're not equipped to handle guests. They only tolerate me because I'm Twilight's husband and I helped them mend a fence. It's a 1 day drive just to get out here from where you are 'cause it's literally in the middle of nowhere. Now I can't talk much longer, this is costing me a lot of money to call you as it's the only phone the commune has and right now I've got a lineup behind me to use it. I'll call you when we get back."
"Alright, but you had better let us know the minute you walk through the door."
"I will Mum. Talk to you later. Bye Dad."
"Goodbye son, we'll see you then."
He hung up, let out a heavy sigh and proceeded to fill the thermos with the freshly brewed coffee. Walking back to the portal, he put everything into the saddlebags and walked through. Trotting back to the hospital, Twilight greeted him with a smile as he pulled the thermos out of his bag.
A blast of magic from her horn and she poured herself a cup. Inhaling deeply from her cup he smiled and took a sip. "That's the stuff, " she said.
"I spoke to my folks, they're excited to meet their new granddaughter, " Rick said as he clumsily poured himself a cup as well. He was getting better at using his hooves for manipulating things but relied on Twilight for a lot. "But I told them we were still at the commune which is where you wanted to give birth and we'd be back in a few days." They had come up with the idea of using the "commune" as a quick and dirty way of explaining where they went when spending any time in Equestria. So when Twilight decided to spend the last few weeks of her pregnancy in Equestria, they had simply told his folks they'd be there for the duration as Twilight wanted to give birth naturally according to her hippie upbringing. They of course bought it hook, line a sinker.
"A few days? I should be out of here in a couple of hours at most."
"Yeah, I just wanted you to relax and get to know Twyla before having to deal with my mother. She's warmed up to you, especially now that you're the mother of my child but part of her still hasn't forgiven me or you for having a city hall wedding and not letting her make any of the arrangements."
Twilight giggled a bit at Rick's exasperation. She knew he loved his mother dearly, but even that didn't make up for the hell she sometimes put him through. "Good thinking on your part, " she was about to continue when the nurse showed up bringing Twyla with her. It was time for the little filly to nurse. She brought the tiny bundle to her mother, helped her sit up a little more and showed her how to cradle the filly as she nursed.
When finished, the nurse left the bassinette in the room and advised Twilight that once the doctor had given her a checkup, she was free to leave. Almost immediately after, Rarity and Spike showed up.
Rarity cooed and fawned over the little filly. Twyla looked at her with a grave expression as if asking, "what are you talking about?" Spike looked proudly at his niece. His family was growing by leaps and bounds and he never felt better about it than now. They chatted a little while longer but Rarity had the rounds to make and had to see the other foals.
When they were finally alone Twilight looked at Rick and asked, "do you want to hold her?"
He giggled a little nervously at that and said, "yeah, but I'm afraid I'd drop her or something. You know me, all thumbs... or hooves in this case... I can wait until we get to Earth and I'd have fingers then?"
"Nonsense, you're going to need to do this eventually. So come here, " she urged a slightly reluctant Rick to come forward to the bed where he sat down. "Now take her... gently... that's it... cradle her head... that's right... now support her on the other side... and there you go. Daddy's little filly."
Holding his newborn foal in his hooves was possibly one of the most spiritual moments of Rick's life. It was something he never thought he'd be ready for and yet here it was. He smiled at her and was unable to keep from smiling at his newborn daughter. "Oh this is bad, " Rick said.
"What? What's bad?" Twilight said with a momentary fear before seeing Rick was still smiling.
"Now that I picked her up, and I've held her. I don't know if I ever want to put her down."
But eventually he did. The doctor came by, checked on Twilight and said she was ready to go whenever she wanted. Rick got her in a wheelchair, placed Twyla in her lap and pushed her out to the reception desk so they could get signed out. Both Fluttershy and Applejack had already checked out so the two ponies figured they'd go see them over the next few days if for nothing else than for Twilight to see the new foals.
The paperwork done, Rick helped Twilight to her feet while holding his filly's blanket wrapped form in his teeth and they headed out slowly to the library.
Twilight took Twyla upstairs and placed her in her crib. She looked happily at the culmination of her and her husband's love as the filly slept.
Rick came up behind her and gave her a kiss saying, "you look a little tired. Want to take a nap? I'll make something for lunch and bring it back over here?"
Twilight smiled dreamily and said, "that would be nice. Thank you, " she kissed her husband before he left then got under the covers and almost immediately fell asleep.