The sun shimmered off the water of the lake. It was hot for the end of spring, but school was still in session, so the area was mostly empty, which suited the nine occupants just fine. Pinkie Pie, yellow tube around her middle, swung from the sturdy vine and splashed into the center of the water. Rainbow Dash, who had been floating lazily, was capsized by the wave.
Twilight was in a heated debate with Starlight about a magical scroll they had found in the castle, while Spike and Trixie watched intently. Rarity had fallen asleep while sunbathing – Pinkie made a mental note to wake her up in seventeen minutes – while Fluttershy was writing on some parchment.
Rainbow’s head broke the surface just long enough to grab Pinkie, who gave a staged scream before being tugged under the water. Rainbow released her almost immediately, and they surfaced laughing. Then suddenly Pinkie’s face turned grim and she raced for the shore, running only a few steps before emptying her lunch onto the sand. She breathed for a moment and covered the sick with a thick layer of sand. Everyone stopped and looked toward the commotion.
“Whew,” Pinkie said. “My tummy isn’t feeling so good. I think I’m just going to walk home.”
The looks on the other ponies faces let Pinkie know that was not going to be what happened. Voices came at her all at once as her friends approached, and possibly for the first time in her life, she wished they didn’t care so much. She backed away a few paces, the grin still stretched across her face. “Honestly, girls, I’ve been a bit queasy all morning. Ask Mrs. Cake!”
Rarity stepped forward, pushing her purple mane to the side. “Are you certain, Pinkie? Perhaps one of us could go with you and –“
“Really, girls, I’m okay. I’ll just go take a nap and be better later. ” Though no one looked happy about the turn of events, the group relented.
Pinkie slowly walked down the path back to Ponyville. It was a short trip, but she had decided to take her time. She had paused on the path, holding a hoof to her stomach, when she heard flapping and a blue blur landed in front of her. Her strained smile was back in an instant. “Dashie! What are you doing here?”
Rainbow scowled. “Stop, Pinkie. There is something wrong, and I want to know what it is.”
A nervous giggle escaped Pinkie’s mouth. “You’re so silly, Dash—“
“Pinkie, I’m serious. You bailed on me after throwing up yesterday, too. I didn’t tell the others yet, but I want to know what’s wrong.”
Pinkie settled her expression, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m pregnant,” she said. “I’m going to have a foal.”
“WHAT?” Rainbow shouted, her wings pulling her into the air above Pinkie. “Are you sure?”
Pinkie just nodded. “I’m terrified.”
Rainbow flapped her wings, hovering just over Pinkie; neither pony knew what to say. With a deep sigh, Rainbow landed. “How did Tunderlane take the news that he’s a dad?”
Pinkie looked down and to the side. “He isn’t the dad. We’ve only been together a month, Dashie. I’m two months along.”
“Oh.” Rainbow pawed the ground, looking over at the trees. “Then who is it?”
Pinkie stood, starting toward town again. “I don’t know. It…It’s complicated.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and Rainbow stepped closer. “I’m so stupid and reckless. I can’t take care of a foal. Have you seen me with the Cake twins? I don’t know what I’m going to do!”
Rainbow, eyes wide, held up her hooves. “Okay, okay. Breathe. Okay. Who else knows?”
“Just you.” She shrugged. “How do I tell people? I want to have a party but…but is this…I just don’t know.”
“Hold off on the party.” Rainbow was silent for a moment. “I’m really not the person to talk to this about, Pinkie. I don’t know anything about this. I do know one thing, though.”
Pinkie looked up, hopeful. “What?”
“If there’s any way this will go right, it’ll be you who does it. Look at everything you’ve done! You do take care of the Cake twins by yourself, you brought Equestrian Friendship to the Yaks, you know so much about everyone in Ponyville because you want to make them happy. You aren’t going to let your foal down.”
“I’ve let everyone else down. I didn’t use the choosing stone for any of my partners, I’m letting Thunderlane down. And the Cakes! They really had high hopes for me, Dashie.” Again, her eyes were full of tears. “I’ve really messed up.”
“No you haven’t.” Ahead, Ponyville was starting to appear. “Everything is going to work out, Pinkie. You have me and the girls. The Cakes aren’t going to just abandon you.”
Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”
“Exactly. Your foal will have an awesome bunch of ponies around her. Now…about the dad, I have an idea.”
Her heart was beating rapidly. Dashie had a grin plastered to her face, and the others around the map table seemed equally as happy. For once, she wasn’t able to keep up with what was being said. Her ears were ringing a little. She felt her face muscles relax and a real smile split across her face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you girls sooner. I was so nervous.”
“I think it’s really great, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. “You’ll make a wonderful mother.”
“Thunderlane is a catch, too,” Applejack said.
Pinkie’s smile fell and she pressed her ears to her head. “Well…Thundie isn’t really the father. It’s…complicated. I was pregnant before I started dating him.” The room quieted. “I don’t know who it is.”
Trixie’s face scrunched into confusion. “How can you not know who it is?”
Pinkie swallowed. “You see, I was dating Double Diamond but then we broke up. I was sad, and I ran into Cheese Sandwich, and he’s always ready for a good time, so…that happened. Like a month later, I started dating Thunderlane.”
“You’re certain it can’t be his?” Rarity asked.
Pinkie nodded. “Thundie wants to wait until after we’re married. He knows I haven’t, but he’s okay with that.”
“I know a spell that can tell you,” Twilight said. She sat in her throne, looking at the table. “It’s complicated, though. I’ll need a week to prepare.” She looked up, her eyes meeting Pinkie’s. “All I need from you is some fur or something with your DNA, and the two of theirs.”
“Oh, you know what this means, don’t you?” Rarity said, her eyes glittering as she looked around the room. “Foal shower!”
“Yeah,” Pinkie said, perking up. “Party!”
The room was a flurry of commotion after that, whispers of present ideas, of genders and names, loud talk of cupcakes and punch. Taking just a second apart from it all, Pinkie felt a warmth in her chest. Her friends were here. They would always be here.
Was her throat going to constrict with every pony she told? She paced back and forth, waiting until it was exactly nine o’clock. She let out a relieved breath when the town clock started chiming and flipped the sign to closed before the other ponies in the bakery could blink.
“Have plans tonight?” Mr. Cake asked, rounding the doorway.
Pinkie shook her head. Then she stopped for a second and thought, and nodded instead. “I wanted to talk to you and Mrs. Cake about something important.” She looked over into the kitchen and Mr. Cake called for Mrs. Cake. A moment later, she came through the door.
“Keep it down. The twins are only just asleep now.” She walked over to where the other two ponies were standing and looked between Mr. Cake, with his concerned expression, and Pinkie, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “Oh, what’s happened?”
Pinkie found her words were gone. Telling her friends had been one thing – she knew they would be okay, even if she was nervous. This was entirely different. Mr. and Mrs. Cake was like a second set of parents, teaching her everything she knew about baking. She had lived with them since coming to Ponyville, for Celestia’s sake! She blinked back tears. They could come in a moment, but first, she needed to find her voice.
“I,” she said, almost surprised at the sound that came out. She cleared her throat. “I don’t really know how to start this. I’m pregnant.”
Mr. Cake sat on the floor, a hoof raised to his cheek. Mrs. Cake took a step forward. “Say that again, dearie.”
“I’m going to have a foal,” she said. Her eyes flicked rapidly between them. “I don’t even know who the dad is. It isn’t Thundie. I…I haven’t even told him, yet. These ghosties are hard to giggle at.” She gave a small laugh that died before it left her mouth.
“Oh, Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake stepped forward, wrapping a blue arm around Pinkie’s neck. “It’s going to be okay, puddin’. We’ll all get you through this, and we’ll deal with this father business.” Now Pinkie let the tears come, leaning into Mrs. Cake, and then both of them when Mr. Cake stood and walked over. “There, now,” Mrs. Cake said, pushing Pinkie away slightly. “No need for the tears. You want your foal, don’t you?”
With a smile, Pinkie nodded. Her pink hoof rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear away the wetness. “I do.”
“Then it’s going to all work out. Now, let’s get you into the kitchen. We’ve got a few other things to talk about. After all, I don’t think that little loft room will be big enough for you and a foal.” She pushed the door to the kitchen open, holding it for Pinkie. “Mr. Cake and I have actually been discussing this recently, and, well, we believe it is the right decision. There is a little cottage we’ve been looking at for ourselves in the outskirts of town.”
“O-oh?”
“The thing is,” Mr. Cake said, pulling a chair out to sit at the table, “we’re going to need somepony here to watch after the shop.”
Mrs. Cake pulled out two more, gesturing for Pinkie to take one. “Initially, we had planned on you coming with us, but with a family of your own starting, perhaps you would like to live here? Then you wouldn’t need to worry and you could have space.”
Pinkie felt tears falling down her face again. “I love that idea,” she said. “Thank you!” She grinned again, her hoof drifting to her stomach. “You guys are the best.”
Pinkie Pie loved Thinking Hill. That wasn’t the real name, of course, since she was the only person to call it that, but still, she loved it. It was the hill where she and everypony else came to think about life and potentially solve problems. It was probably the best hill in all of Ponyville – all of Equestria! Right now, it was the hill where she lay, watching the clouds lazily drift past.
A heavy landing behind her caught her attention, and she sat up, ears straight up and eyes wide, as Thunderlane walked the rest of the way. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yepporooni! Why wouldn’t I be?” Pinkie cocked her head to the side.
Thunderlane fell into the soft grass, still breathing heavily. “Rainbow Dash. She said there was a weather emergency at the park and that you needed me, and I’d better take the next couple days off to make sure everything was okay.” He looked up at her for a moment. “That’s some mean prank. I flew here as quickly as I could.”
Pinkie shifted on her front feet. “Dashie, you say? Did she say anything else?” When Thunderlane shook his head, Pinkie sighed. “I told her to wait, but I guess…now is good, too. We need to talk.”
Thunderlane clumsily pushed himself up into a sitting position. “What?”
“We need to talk.” Pinkie walked over and settled beside him, her lip between her teeth. She looked right at his face, wanting to know exactly what he thought when she said it. “Something has happened. Or, I guess it already happened a while ago, but I’m just now finding out that it did? Is that the –“
A dark hoof on her shoulder stopped her. “Pinkie, please, what’s going on?”
“I’m having a foal.” She watched him closely as he blinked, as his hoof slowly fell away, and as his brow wrinkled in confusion. “You heard me right, Thundie. I’m pregnant. Two months.”
“What? But how? I don’t under – we never even…we’ve only been together for a month. Two months?” His hoof messed with his mane. His wings fell around him. “Pregnant?”
“Yeah.”
He straightened up, looking away from her. “I guess that means you’ll want to get back with the dad?”
“No really.” She stood and watched as he looked back at her. “I don’t even know who it is yet. Two months ago was a really rough week for me.”
“Oh.”
He looked up at the clouds. She looked at him. It was silent between them. “I guess that means you aren’t breaking up with me, at least.”
“Of course not,” Pinkie said, stepping closer. “I don’t want to. But this isn’t what you wanted. Remember when we talked last week. It was just before I found out, but you were saying how you wanted a family of your own. Our own. And this isn’t…this isn’t that.” She took a deep breath. “Besides, I thought you would be angry.”
“I adore you, Pinkie Pie.” He brought his hoof to her cheek. “I completely, utterly adore you. And I don’t want to lose you.” His hoof moved to her chin, causing her to look up into his eyes. “Maybe the foal isn’t exactly what I envisioned, but you are. If…if I had met you with a foal three years from now, I wouldn’t think about it, so I’m not going right now. If you want me and you to still be us, then I do, too.”
Pinkie launched herself off the ground, wrapping her hooves around Thunderlane. They began to fall backwards, but he flapped his wings quickly, saving them. He laughed, pressing his forehead to hers. “Well, I have the next couple of days off. Paid, even. What’s say we go do something?”
Pinkie grinned. “Okay! I actually have to tell my parents. You can come with me, though.”
“Okay. ” He smiled, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “I look forward to meeting your parents.”
“Until then, we can just watch clouds.” Pinkie laid back, looking up. A second later, Thunderlane was next to her, pointing at a cupcake shaped cloud.
The overnight train rarely filled with passengers, perhaps because it took longer to get to where ponies were going, perhaps because the sleeper cars increased the bit cost by ten, but getting Thunderlane a ticket just before loading hadn’t been a problem, nor had Pinkie had any problems falling asleep. So far, everyone was overjoyed upon hearing the news. She had no worries about the celebration that would surely follow, either, since she had brought more than enough supplies.
Marble answered the door when she knocked, her lips turning up in a small smile. Then she spotted Thunderlane. Her eyes widened in alarm and she squeaked, opening the door more. “Marble!” Pinkie rushed in, wrapping her twin in a bone-crushing hug. “I’m so happy to see you! Are Mom and Dad around? Or Limestone?”
Marble nodded and pointed to the kitchen. Pinkie couldn’t contain the grin that was spreading across her face. “I have some wonderful news, Marble! Come on, you don’t want to miss it!” With that, she grabbed both Marble and Thunderlane and dashed into the kitchen, depositing both of them in seats. Thunderlane blinked a few times, but none of the other ponies flinched.
“Nice of you to join us, Pinkamena.” Cloudy Quartz was taking two more bowls out of a cabinet. “Forewarning of a friend would have served well.”
Limestone huffed, glaring at Thunderlane. “Last time Pinkie brought friends, they almost ruined Hearth’s Warming. Do touch my things.”
Thunderlane held his hooves up in surrender and looked to Pinkie for what to do next. “Oh, is this rock soup? I love rock soup!” She hurriedly ladled herself and Thunderlane some into the bowls her mother sat before them. “I came with Thundie because I wanted to tell you all something.” All eyes around the table were trained on her. She felt her grin growing, and then she couldn’t contain the news any longer. “I’m having a foal!”
The silence that fell – despite there not being much noise before – was tense. A spoon fell with a thunk onto the wooden table. “What was that?” Igneous Rock was asking Pinkie, but his eyes were trained on Thunderlane.
Pinkie’s smile fell as she looked around. Confusion, mixed with a large helping of hurt, was apparent on her face. “I’m pregnant?” She did her best to sound cheerful, but there was a waver in her voice as she repeated herself.
The screeching of a chair moving back was the only noise made. His eyes never left Thunderlane as he moved toward him. Thunderlane was quaking in his chair beside Pinkie, but he did not move. “What did she say, colt?”
Pinkie wanted to stand up, to stand between them, to do something. She didn’t want her family hating Thunderlane. She didn’t want to mess up again, like she had the one Hearth’s Warming, but then, things had worked out that day. They would today, too, wouldn’t they? It was all she could do to keep from yelling at everypony to stop.
Thunderlane took a few deep breaths and stood, still visibly shaking, and stared Igneous in the eyes. “She said, sir, that she is going to have a foal. In approximately seven months, there will be a small pony in all of our lives.” He closed his eyes briefly when Igneous snorted. “Pinkie doesn’t need your anger, sir. I don’t either. What we need – Actually, no we don’t need it. What we want though, is your support. She was so…” He turned and smiled at her. “She was so afraid at first, of what ponies would think, and now I really understand why.” Then he looked back at Igneous. “If I can accept my fillyfriend having a child that isn’t mine, I think you can accept your first grandchild.”
Again silence reigned as the two stallions held each other’s gaze. After a moment, Igneous looked away and to Pinkie. “This is what you have chosen?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Thundie is like the sprinkles on my cupcake.”
Igneous sighed and looked to Cloudy. “Bring the stone, please.” She stood and walked out of the room.
Now that the confrontation was over, Thunderlane could feel himself squirming under the steady glare of Limestone. He offered a small, tense smile. She huffed and crossed her arms. Then he jumped. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you guys, this is my coltfriend, Thunderlane.” She beamed at the three ponies in the room.
Marble glanced his way and the went back to staring at her soup. Limestone, however, groaned. “Yeah, Pinkie, we got that when he said ‘my fillyfriend’ but thanks for the clarification.”
“You’re welcome!” The she gasped. “Oh my gosh, I just realized! I’ve never watched a choosening. Have you?”
Igneous shook his head. “Nay, Pinkie. The Choosing Stone is only used when a pony is ready to know. You have made that decision. Without consulting the family, we did not have time to prepare a proper ceremony.”
“What’s going on?” Thunderlane whispered, leaning over to Pinkie. She widened her eyes and held a hoof to her mouth, signaling him to be quiet.
Cloudy Quartz had walked in with a large, pink stone. Reverantly, she sat it before Pinkie. Then she kissed her daughter on the cheek. “Tis only once a pony may gaze into the stone,” she said. “Tis only once for a pony to know. Look in, look deep, keep what is shone, for true love is what this stone will show.”
Pinkie looked at the stone, deep into it’ depths. Much in the way she had the mirror pool, she tried to delve into the deepest corners, trying to see what it would show. Then she blinked, and blinked again. There, on the corner, was Thunderlane’s reflection. Pensive, wings clamped tightly to his side, but still there with her. She grinned, looking up at her family. “I see Thunderlane of Cloudsdale.” A sigh of relief passed from both her parents. Marble looked up and smiled.
Limestone narrowed her eyes. “That isn’t how you’re supposed to use it, Pinkie,” she grumbled, but Pinkie didn’t hear. She was talking about the celebration cake she would be baking immediately.
“That went better than expected,” Thunderlane said. They were back on the evening express to Ponyville, cuddled in silence after leaving Pinkie's family. Pinkie nodded, smiling up at him. She didn’t agree with him, not really. She hadn’t thought anyone would be as upset as they were. She hadn’t thought much at all about her worries after how excited the rest of her family and friends had been. At least they had been okay, in the end.
Thunderlane brushed her mane and she smiled, snuggling closer to him. “You’re tired, aren’t you?” he asked, a playful lit to his voice. “I guess today was pretty taxing.”
She thought again of the confrontation that had happened at breakfast. She didn’t focus on her parents words. She knew she should have expected it. She had, even, before her guard fell. No, the words that echoed through her mind were spoken by Thunderlane.
She swallowed, her eyes trained on the floor. Her chest felt tight and constricting. She was afraid, but she knew she had to ask. “Are you sure you’re okay with the baby?” She turned to him, blue eyes searching his.
His mouth pressed into a line for a moment before he spoke. “Pinkie. I – It was hard, you know, hearing you say that. I felt like…like you had taken the wind from beneath me.” He sighed, pulling away and looking at her. “I sat and I though. You remember that? It took me some time. I can’t say I was overjoyed to hear it, Pinkie, but I decided it was something I could accept.” He reached for yet hoof, leaning forward. “I meant what I said. I adore you. Your smile, your hyperactive nature, and the way you want to bring joy to everyone. I’ve liked you for so long and I’m not going to throw away what might be the best thing to ever happen to me because something happened before we were together.” He took a deep breath and smiled. “Don’t worry about the foal and me right now. Worry about taking the best care of it that you can.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother, and I plan to be there by your side, for the both of you.”
Warmth spread through Pinkie's chest, bursting out through the grin on her face. She grabbed Thunderlane in a tight hug, fitting her head into the space between his neck and shoulder. He wrapped his hooves around her, turning his face to burry his nose in her hair. She sighed and shifted slightly, so that instead of hugging, they were now cuddling pressed close together. “I love you, so much.” Pinkie stroked the soft fur on his fetlock.
She felt him tense for just a second before he held her tighter. She found his hoof and held it. Her other hoof lay gently on her stomach. There, holding the two ponies she hoped, more than any other, would be with her forever, she fell asleep.
Pinkie grinned at the bell above the door chimed. She watched as Amethyst Star made her way to the counter. “Hi!” Pinkie greeted, her voice filled with cheer. “How are you today? How’s Dinky and Bubbles?”
A tight smile flitted across her face. “Fine. How are you?” She seemed to stretch her neck over the counter. Pinkie stepped to the side, bringing her face into view again. Amethyst looked up with a full, fake smile. “So.” She glanced to around the empty shop. “I hear you’re going to be a mother?”
That caught Pinkie off guard. Sure, during the last week she had told ponies. She wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. Still, to have Amethyst, who she had known forever, to come in and ask like this…it gave her a bad feeling in her stomach. Her left hoof shook to the right and back to center. She knew what that twitch meant, and it made her sad.
“Yeah, totally!” She beamed. “Twilight is almost finished researching some things for me. In fact, Thundie and I are going to her castle today to talk about stuff.”
“Yeah. He’s a real keeper, isn’t he? Especially since he’s willing to father a kid he didn’t create.” Amethyst walked over to the shelf, inspecting the cookies. “It’s good he stepped up like that. Not a lot of stallions would.”
The bad feeling in Pinkie’s stomach grew. Still, she kept her smile. Maybe she was reading the situation wrong. What did she know about Amethyst? She worked in Town Hall as an advisor to Mayor Mare. She was friends with Lyra and BonBon. She loved lemon cheesecake. Her favorite hobby was gossiping with the flower sisters, though she was always the one to delve into the negative. She hated Pinkie’s parties, even though she always wanted to be invited. She…she couldn’t think of a reason Amethyst would be acting like this.
“We have some lemon cheesecake, if you’d like I’ll box you a slice.” Pinkie backed away a couple paces from the counter, but Amethyst wasn’t answering. “Amy?”
The mare groaned. “Yes, please. I thought I might try something else, but I’ve changed my mind. I’m loyal like that.” The way she said the word loyal made Pinkie’s breath catch, but she turned, smile on her face, and fetched the cake, boxed it, and hoofed it over to Amethyst as quickly as she could. Which was pretty quick, even if it wasn’t as fast as Dashie. She allowed herself a smile at the funny image of Rainbow Dash trying to work in Sugarcube Corner.
Amethyst apparently didn’t like that. “You just better treat him right, Pinkie. I won’t have anyone hurting my cousin, do you hear me? I already told him this was a mistake and you’re more interested in newness and excitement, but he wouldn’t listen. He even defended you, the dunce.” She dropped her bits on the counter and turned, speaking as she went. “Just know, I’m watching you. One hair out of line and I’ll make sure you’re gone from his life.”
The door slammed shut. Pinkie felt her chin wobbling and her face scrunching up. Amethyst was her friend. Amethyst loved her jokes. She always asked Pinkie, not the Cakes, to cater the desserts to Town Hall functions. From what Thunderlane said, she had even encouraged him to ask her on that first date! Why would she be doing this now? She took a few deep breaths and composed herself. Everything would be okay.
Everything was not okay. Today was when she found out who the father of the baby was. She kept glancing at Thunderlane as they walked from Sugarcube Corner to Friendship Castle. He didn’t seem aware of what had happened earlier between Amethyst and herself, but his laid back ears let her know he also heard the whispers as they walked along.
This wasn’t the Ponyville Pinkie knew and loved. No, not everypony was stealing glances and whispering, not even most of them were, but the ones who did were noticeable. It hurt, really. She thought she knew these ponies. She had cared about them, helped them smile when they were down. She had always encouraged them. And now…now she wondered if she even knew anyone. The releasing of the Friendship Journal had been bad enough, but this brought out something else she never expected. The ponies surrounding her now weren’t visitors. They had lived here with her for years.
When the door to the castle shut, Pinkie had never been happier to put a barrier between herself and the towns ponies of Ponyville.
The sickly looking yellow potion levitated in front of Pinkie’s face. “All you have to do is drink this and stand in the middle of the diagram here.” Twilight stomped her hoof on the floor, indicated Pinkie should come take her place. “Then I’ll cast a spell and the two DNA components that are present in the child will levitate and glow.” They traded places, Pinkie moving into the rune-covered triangle, and Twilight moving out.
Pinkie reached out a hoof and grabbed the potion, but paused just before it touched her lips. “I have to be more careful now,” she said, lowering the potion. She looked at Twilight. “This is safe for the foal, isn’t it?”
Twilight offered Pinkie a gentle smile. “Of course.”
With a nod and a salute, Pinkie tipped her head back and drank the potion. “Hm.” She looked around, smacking her lips. “Tastes like math.”
Then the clump of her main, which she had provided Twilight with a week ago, began glowing the same sickly yellow as the potion. She looked around, looking for if the strands of brown curls or the silky white would levitate. Both glowed momentarily before the white levitated.
Then both the pink and the white split in two and converged.
Twilight’s mouth fell open and she ended the spell. She looked at the bits of mane now littering the castle floor and then up to Pinkie. “I guess we know who the father of your foals is now.”
Thunderlane cleared his throat. “F-foals?”
Twilight nodded, glancing from him back to Pinkie. “The manes split apart. Pinkie’s having twins.”
Pinkie placed a hoof on her protruding stomach. “Twins?” Then she swallowed. “And Double Diamond. That.” She licked her lips. “I’m afraid again.”
Without a glance to the dumbfounded Thunderlane, Twilight stepped forward and nuzzled Pinkie. “Don’t be.” She pulled away. “You will be a fantastic mother, Pinkie.” She booped Pinkie’s nose with a smile.
Pinkie did her best to smile. She stretched her lips out, but for the first time, she felt like she couldn’t do it. She felt tears forming in her eyes. “Everyone hates me now, Twilight.”
“Oh, Pinkie.” Twilight wrapped her arms around the sniffling mare. Then she looked over at Thunderlane, widening her eyes meaningfully.
He jumped up and trotted over. “Twilight is right. Your friends love you. Your family loves you.” He put a hoof under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. “No one hates you, Pinkie. Some people might be a little overbearing and protective. A lot of ponies are going to be surprised. But it’s going to be okay.”
Pinkie nodded. “I just don’t understand why ponies treat each other differently sometimes.” She moved away from Twilight and Thunderlane, pushing at some of the inert mane on the floor. “It’s like when we published our friendship journal all over again! Only this time, it’s only me.”
“It isn’t just you, Pinkie,” Twilight said softly. She wrapped one arm around Pinkie’s neck, pulling her close, and sang softly. “When our friendship was just starting, the sun would not come out. I had all of these fears, I was filled with doubt. Then I met a pony who taught me something smart, with friendship and laughter, nothing will tear you apart!” She grinned at Pinkie.
Pinkie nodded again. Only this time, she seemed more sure of herself. “You’re right. I have everything I need. For me and my foals.”
“That’s right. You aren’t in this alone.” Thunderlane sat on the other side of Pinkie. “Those who love you are right beside you. We always will be. And we’ll always be here to remind you when you forget.” He leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Telling Double Diamond would be the hardest part. A week later, Pinkie sat alone on the train to the village, staring out the window. She couldn’t imagine how he would react to the news. Oh, hi Double D, just thought you’d like to know that I’m pregnant with twins! And they’re your foals! Isn’t this fun? She put her head in her hooves and groaned. She really wished Thunderlane could have been with her, but between his actual job and being on the Wonderbolt reserves, he couldn’t just drop everything and travel.
The worry made the ride seem like both the longest and the shortest she had ever been on. Still, stepping off made her stomach churn. She still didn’t have a plan for how to tell him. Not that she usually had a plan, but if being friends with Twilight had taught her anything, it was that a plan was a good thing sometimes.
Like maybe she should have brought someone else, even if Thunderlane couldn’t have come. Starlight or Big Mac would have taken the ride with her. Maybe even other ponies. Why hadn’t she asked? She sighed and trotted off. If she remembered correctly – and she was certain she did -- Double Diamond would be at Sugar Belle’s for lunch right now.
The bakery was crowded. Or as crowded as the tiny village would allow. Still, Double Diamond was easy to spot, sipping his tea in his usual corner seat. She took a deep breath and made her way over to him. She turned on a huge smile and plopped into the seat across from him. “Heya!”
Double Diamond jumped, eyes wide. “Pinkie!” He groaned and then took a deep breath. “How many times have I said not to surprise me?”
“Well, you’re really going to hate what I came to talk to you about! Because it’s a doozy of a surprise!” Maybe talking to him wouldn’t be as bad as she had thought. The words seemed to come naturally. She relax a little. If what she had felt coming here is what Fluttershy felt all the time, she was going to buy the mare a lifetime supply of massages.
“Dear Celestia, what is it now? Do you want to get back together?”
Pinkie grinned and shook her head vigorously, her curls bouncing around. “Nope. But we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. I’m going to have twins.”
Double Diamond’s face went blank. He stared at Pinkie for a full minute before shaking his head. “No. This is one of those practical jokes. Right?”
Pressing her lips into a thin line, Pinkie shook her head again. “Nu-uh. You’re a father now.” She felt a twitch behind her left ear and an itch on her chest. “Oh, but your date is almost here! I’ll go away and we can talk later.” She was standing to leave when his hoof caught her arm.
“No, we need to talk now. This is important.” His hoof tapped the table as she sat. “If I’m going to be a dad, I’ve got to be part of their lives. How are we going to manage this? Should we get back together?”
Pinkie laughed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’d bet my coltfriend is against it, too.” Double Diamond shifted in his seat. “I think the best thing would be to come up with a plan. Your village is pretty far from Ponyville, but I’m not going to move here. It took me a long time to even get here. Of course, you could move to Ponyville, but I doubt you want to do that.” She paused for just a moment. Twilight said we have a couple options. One of us could keep the foals during the school year and the other could keep them during the summer or we could split them and each keep them for three or six months at a time.” Pinkie looked down, tapping her hooves on the table. “I don’t like any of those options.”
Double Diamond nodded his head. “I don’t like those either. We…we have a few months. We should think about it more. Talk about it. With my training schedule…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you in town long? Do you need somewhere to stay?”
“No, no, I’m okay. I’m staying with Party Favor tonight and going back to Ponyville tomorrow.” She paused. “Hey Double D?” He looked up at her. “I was really afraid when I first found out. My friends reminded me that there are so many ponies that love me and will love my foals, and that none of them are going to let us fall on our faces. So try not to worry too much, okay? It’s going to work out.”
He sighed. “Yeah, okay. You’re right.” He looked down into the cup of tea. “It’s going to be just peachy.”
Pinkie smiled. “That’s the spirit! I’m going to go say hi to everyone, so I’ll talk to you later. Have fun on your date!” She hopped off the chair and made her way out of the shop and into the sunlight streets.
The letter crumpled beneath Pinkie’s hooves. She threw it against the wall and glared, wishing she was a unicorn so she could set it on fire with her mind.
“What’s eating at you, dearie?” Mrs. Cake asked.
With a huff, Pinkie turned toward the older mare. “Double Diamond. He keeps talking about how the twins are going to mess up his skiing schedule if he has to keep them by himself.” Her angered expression melted as her ears fell flat. She looked up at Mrs. Cake, her brow wrinkled. “Do you think he doesn’t want to take care of them?”
“I can’t say what he wants.” She sat beside Pinkie, pulling her close. “I do know that sometimes, ponies are afraid of such a big change. Sometimes ponies don’t know what to do, so they want to ignore it. Give him some time, sweetheart. He wants to be in their lives. Maybe he’ll just come here and visit when he can.”
Pinkie nodded. “I guess. Four weeks ago he seemed so excited and now he isn’t. I don’t understand.”
A bell rang toward the front of the store, and Mrs. Cake stood. “Perhaps he needs to come here and spend some time so you two can talk face to face.”
“Maybe. I’ll ask him.”
“Ask me what?” A dark face grinned at her over the counter. “If I’m the best coltfriend in Equestria? Because that answer is yes.”
Pinkie stood as quickly as she could. “Thundie!” She grinned and pushed through the door to see him. “How was reserve training?”
His face turned serious for a moment. “Awful. We flew through the beautiful, luscious Rainbow Falls all week long. There was even enough down time to take pictures and enjoy the view.”
Pinkie giggled. “That sounds like a blast, silly. Not awful at all!”
“Not without you,” he said, tapping her nose. “I missed you.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I did bring out this.” He took out a package that had been tucked under his wing. Pinkie grabbed it and tore the paper off. “It’s a double rainbow statue. I thought it would look nice in the twin’s room.”
From the behind the counter, Mrs. Cake nodded. “It’s lovely.”
“It’ll be super-duper cute!” She grinned. “I missed you, too.” She let her head rest against his shoulder. Suddenly, she jerked away, her eyes going wide. “Oh!” Then she giggled. “They’re kicking!” She sat and exposed her round belly. She rubbed the top of it and a small lump appeared, quickly followed by another.
Both Thunderlane and Mrs. Cake crowded around Pinkie, hooves on her belly to feel. “That’s amazing,” Thunderlane whispered. “They’re really in there.”
Pinkie grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling.
After convincing Mrs. Cake to let Pinkie go early (which, in truth, had taken absolutely no effort) the two sat off into Ponyville. They wondered through the town, swapping stories of the week, laughing and groaning where appropriate. Thunderlane frowned whenhe learned Double Diamond would be asked to come to Ponyville, but said nothing, and soon their conversation went again to happy places. Then he smirked and suggested a picnic in the park. They gathered what they would need –basket and blanket included – and sat off.
“You know,” Thunderlane said, “I meant what I said earlier. I missed you a lot this week. I thought about you all the time. It made me realize just how much I care about you.”
Pinkie felt a queasy feeling in her stomach, but it was a happy sort of queasy. She swished her tail against him once, twice, and then they were intertwined.
He continued. “You make me so happy, Pinkie. There have been some really hard times since we got together, but the good times more than outweigh the bad.” He stopped and turned toward her. “There are so many amazing things about you, and I…I can’t even think of the speech I prepared. Celestia, I love you, Pinkamena Diane Pie. I love you.”
His hoof reached up and touched her cheek, gently, and smiled. “Will you marry me?”
The grin she had been wearing waned. “Marry? I love you, Thunderlane. But marry? Now?” She swallowed. “Thundie… We haven’t been dating all that long. I want to, yes, but I can’t say that I will. Not right now.”
The happiness that had surrounded them earlier was gone. “Oh.” He swallowed thickly. “Oh.”
“Th-thundie, I –“
“No, no. It’s okay. You don’t want to. Or, you won’t. You won’t marry me. It’s okay. We’ll just…I’ll just…” His bottom lip trembled and he looked up at the sky. “I need to check in with the weather team. I’ll talk to you later.” And with that, he jumped into the sky and blasted through some clouds, flying off, away from the weather station, away from Ponyville.
A week. It had been a week since the proposal. A week since the last time Pinkie saw Thunderlane. She laid on her bed, watching the occasional lump form on her stomach as the foals inside her moved. She had gotten a lot accomplished that week. She had gone to all her doctor appointments, alone. She had sent out the letter to Double Diamond. Sighing, she remembered he was due to arrive in an hour. She had even watched the Cake twins alone for half a day! She just wanted to go out and have some fun, talk to some ponies, maybe even bake a cake.
Instead, she was regulated to her bed because she had been exhausted and Mrs. Cake insisted she take a nap. Not that it hadn’t been a good idea. She felt much better now. She could probably even face Double Diamond without being angry – well, as angry. She still didn’t understand, but maybe she would have the patience to sit and listen.
Besides, Twilight had agreed to go with her. Originally, she wanted everypony there, but they thought it was a bad idea and Twilight had volunteered to mediate. “Try not to fall asleep this time,” she had said, but the joke had fallen flat.
The door to her room slowly swung open and a grinning, frosting covered face peeked in at her. “Pinkie,” Pumpkin whispered loudly. “Are you awake?”
She sat up and nodded. “You betcha!” She hopped down from the bed. “How could I be asleep when I have my favorite little filly all ready to play with me?” She picked Pumpkin up and together they plopped onto the bed. Pinkie leaned down, blowing raspberries onto the toddlers stomach. The peals of laughter drowned out the footsteps in the hallway.
“Oh, you two,” Mr. Cake said, smiling fondly at them. “Honestly, I sent you to get Pinkie, not play with her.” Pumpkin just grinned at her father. He scooped her onto his back before looking over at Pinkie. “Twilight is waiting on you downstairs.”
Pinkie took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Be down in a sec!”
He left, leaving the door open, and Pinkie fell back onto her bed. After a second of staring at the ceiling, she stood and went down to go with Twilight.
Twilight smiled at her when she arrived. “Hey! How are you feeling?”
“Better now. That nap was a super good idea.” She stretched. “Somehow just being pregnant makes you tired.”
Twilight giggled. “Yeah, the hormone changes and the stress your body is under takes a lot out of you. But something nice from the café we’re meeting at will probably help.” She pushed the door open, urging Pinkie through.
During the walk, Pinkie imagined two little foals following along behind her, chattering about their day. Foals running ahead, skipping and playing and calling out to friends. She smiled and glanced over at Twilight. She was mouthing something – nothing clear enough to read but her lips were moving. Twilight did that when she was deep in thought, so Pinkie turned back to the imagined foals.
Then she saw Double Diamond sitting on the outside patio of the café. “There he is!” she said, her pace quickening. “Come on.” She waved to him with a smile and received one back. The café was a nice one, full of color and character. It didn’t take long for the two to find seats with Double Diamond.
They had no more than sat down when Twilight leaned forward. “Okay.” She looked between them both and drew a quick breath. “So, what have the two of you discussed so far?”
Double Diamond spoke first. “We discussed school and break schedules, but neither of us liked that. We don’t want to split them up, either.”
Pinkie nodded. “Yeah. We both want to see them when we want to see them. We don’t hate each other, so mostly we’re having problems with a solution that isn’t just one of us moving.”
“I need to be in my village. We have a new ski season coming up, and the competition is good. Pinkie refuses to leave Ponyville, too, since this is where her life is. A move doesn’t work for either of us.”
Twilight sat in thought for a moment. “Well, what if one of you kept the twins full time, and the other came to visit whenever they could?” Pinkie raised her hoof. “Yes, Pinkie?”
“Well, I wouldn’t like that because I want to see them all the time! So I want to be the one to keep them.” Both Pinkie and Twilight looked to Double Diamond.
Double Diamond shrugged. “My life and my schedule, with training and the games coming up, is unpredictable right now. That’s probably the best solution.” He frowned. “It’s not my favorite – I’d still like to have my kids closer, you know? But right now, it’s probably the best choice we have.”
Pinkie put a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, you can come spend time with them whenever you want, okay?”
Twilight nodded. “Plus, this issue can always be revisited later. But for now, I think this is the best solution, too.”
Double Diamond tapped his hoof on the table. “Then I guess that settles it.”
Pinkie met his eyes when he looked at her and smiled. “Hey, if you send a copy of your schedule, we could come watch your games.” She glanced at Twilight, eyebrows raised. “I bet all the girls would come! We could be your loudest cheering squad!”
He grinned. “Really? You would do that?”
With a nod, Pinkie giggled. “Of course, silly.”
Without warning, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. Pinkie pushed back against him, eyes wide. At the same time, he was enveloped in magenta magic and pulled away. “What the hay?” Pinkie leveled a glare at him. “That’s not very nice. You can’t just kiss people out of nowhere!”
His nose wrinkled in confusion. “I used to do it all the time.”
“When we were dating. I have a coltfriend now. I know I told you.” Pinkie stood and shook her head. “That’s a breach of trust.”
Double Diamond scoffed. “Please, I’ve heard so much about this coltfriend of yours, but I’ve never seen him. You expect me to believe he actually exists? He was a ploy to get me jealous, and it worked. I’ll take you back.”
“What?” Pinkie leaned forward, teeth clenched. “Of all the egotisical things I’ve heard you say, that is the most ginormous one.”
Twilight placed a hoof on Pinkie. “We settled what we wanted to. Let’s go.”
Pinkie nodded. She followed Twilight out, not looking back at Double Diamond, ears clamped down against whatever it was he was saying.
They had only walked down the street a few paces when Twilight stopped suddenly and, with a falsely cheerful smile on her face, blocked Pinkie’s view forward. “Actually, let’s go the other way. I need to buy some flowers!”
Pinkie lowered her eyebrows. “Roseluck’s is this way, Twi.”
“Oh, is it?” She gave a nervous giggle. “That’s right.”
“You’re being weird.” She leaned around Twilight, whose smile had turned to a grimace, saw Thunderlane talking to Sugar Grape. They were laughing about something. “Why didn’t you want me to see Thundie?” she asked. Sure, maybe she had told Twilight how he had been avoiding her after asked her to marry him, but after a week she really missed him. She trotted forward and called his name when she was close enough.
He turned, his smile vanishing. “Oh, hey, Pinkie.”
Sugar Grape looked between the two and then to Twilight. “Hi Pinkie, Twilight.”
Twilight gave a pained smile and waved.
Pinkie looked at Thunderlane. “Are you still mad at me?”
“Mad?” Thunderlane laughed. “I wasn’t mad at you. I was upset. It hurt, a lot. I flew for hours after you said no. I thought a lot this whole situation. You and me, the foals, Double Diamond. What kind of future we could even have together. Whether we are even any good together.” He paused and looked at the ground.
Pinkie felt her heart beating against her ribcage. She took a deep breath in through her nose and did her best to not let her fear show through. “And?” she asked, but it came out as a whisper.
“I thought of so many different ways this could go wrong. I thought of what your rejection could mean. Then I just thought about you.” He looked up, meeting her worried frown with a smile. “I love you, Pinkie Pie. I am willing to wait for you.”
“I love you!” Pinkie sprang forward, launching into a hug. Thunderlane tried to keep them upright, but failed, causing them to sprawl on the ground. Pinkie jumped up and rubbed her snout with a giggle. “Ouchie.”
Thunderlane giggled as he got to his hooves as well. “Anyway.” He glanced over to where Sugar Grape and Twilight were silently watching. He cleared his throat and straightened up. “Anyway,” he said again. “Sugar Grape, I hope that helped. Um, I’m going to go and get uh, lunch. So.” He glanced at Pinkie. “You’re up for lunch, right?”
“Yeah!” She nuzzled into his neck. “You guys should come!”
Sugar Grape and Twilight glanced at each other for just a second. “Actually, Princess, there was something I needed help with over at my stall. If you wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course! You can tell me about it on the way.”
Pinkie sighed. “Too bad. I’ll see you later, Twi-twi! Bye Sugar Grape!” Thunderlane wrapped a wing around Pinkie as they walked toward a hayburger place. “At least they’re still hanging out,” she said. “They’ll be totally cute together.”
An amused smile flicked across Thunderlane’s face. “What?”
“Twilight and Sugar Grape. They’ll make the cutiest couple.” Pinkie looked up at him. “Don’t you think?”
“Pinkie, they aren’t hang—“ He paused for fraction of a second, just long enough to be considered a pause. “Actually, yeah, they would make a cute couple.”
“Right? I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Pinkie bounced out from under the wing and ahead a few paces. “Come on! I’m hungry.”
With a laugh and a good natured eye roll, Thunderlane trotted along after her.
Pinkie wasn’t afraid of doctors. She really wasn’t. She just couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position to sit in the waiting room. Or stand. Or a good enough path to walk.
“Pinkie Pie.” Her head shot toward the voice. The nurse was looking down at a clipboard. “You can come back now.” She took a deep breath and looked to Thunderlane, who was now standing beside her.
They walked to the back and into a room with an uncomfortable looking bed. The nurse quickly checked Pinkie’s weight, heart rate, and blood pressure before telling her the doctor would be in soon. Which she was. The unicorn mare knocked before opening the door.
“Hello, Ms. Pie.” She smiled. “I’m Dr. Rosehoof.” She sat on a stool and pulled it over. “I’m just going to check a couple things before we get to the exciting part, okay?”
Pinkie swallowed and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Dr. Rosehoof put her stethoscope in her ears and stood. “When you’re ready, breathe deeply for me.” Pinkie did her best not to flinch at the cold touch of the metal as she took a deep breath. Dr. Rosehoof moved the stethoscope several times before sitting back down. “You sound fine and your chart looks good.” She smiled at Pinkie. “Now for the exciting part!”
Thunderlane grabbed Pinkie’s hoof, giving her an encouraging smile. “Hey, you’ve been talking about this for days,” he said.
“It’s just so real.” She took a deep breath and put a hoof on her belly. “My first time seeing them.” She gripped his hoof tighter.
“Are you ready?” Dr. Rosehoof asked. Pinkie nodded. “The gel is cold,” she warned.
It was. Then her horn glowed as she cast the spell. Pinkie stayed silent, though, gripping Thunderlane’s hoof, and watched the screen as a fuzzy grey and black image appeared. Two small ponylike shapes appeared and Pinkie heard Thunderlane groan as she squeezed his hoof. She gave him a sheepish smile and turned back to the screen. It was astounding.
“There we are,” Dr. Rosehood said. “Here you have a little colt. And here a filly. They’re both earth ponies. By now, we could see developing horns or wings if they were going to have them.” She left the image on the screen for a moment more before ending the spell and wiping the gel away from Pinkie’s stomach.
“A colt and a filly,” Pinkie whispered. She turned to Thunderlane. “They’re a colt and a filly.”
“Yeah, I heard,” he said. They stood, the doctor giving a few more orders and another appointment, and left. Pinkie felt lighter than she had since learning she was pregnant.
The next couple of months was spent in a dizzying flurry of commotion. Rarity took charge of planning the baby shower and wouldn’t let Pinkie touch a single part of it. The Cakes were busy moving into the cottage they had bought while Thunderlane fixed the upstairs for Pinkie and the two foals.
Pinkie was mostly left in charge of the store. She baked and she sold and she woke up early and she went to sleep late. Everyone seemed to be on the go and moving so fast that by the time she blinked, the Cakes were moved out, the twins room was set up, and she was alone in Sugarcube Corner.
She sat at a table in the lobby one night. The shop had closed and the Cakes had gone home. Thunderlane was gone to reserve training. She was looking through a list of names she had picked out. She wanted to announce their names at the baby shower next week.
A tapping on the window caught her attention. She looked up to see Amethyst Star with a pensive smile on her face. She gestured to the door indicating she wanted in.
Pinkie moved out of her chair and opened it, letting Amethyst in out of the cool Autumn air.
Amethyst took a deep breath and met Pinkie’s eyes. “Hi, Pinkie.”
“Hi.” They hadn’t moved out of the doorway. Pinkie was well aware of what happened the last time they had been alone in the shop together.
“You never told Thunderlane what I said.” She just stated it. It was obvious Amethyst knew it was true, but Pinkie nodded anyway. “Why?”
“There isn’t a point in making two ponies sad. He loves you and he values your opinion.” Pinkie again felt a weird feeling in her stomach. Almost like it was tightening. She shrugged it off, though. It didn’t seem like Amethyst was going to be mean this time.
“I told him. Recently. He was upset and I was surprised. I would have hold him.” She sighed. “I’m really sorry, Pinkie. You didn’t deserve me saying those things to you.”
“I didn’t understand why you did.” And there, the feeling was going away now.
Amethyst shrugged. “I don’t know. I was angry. I thought you had cheated on him and then made some crazy story about how it was before. I thought you would leave him for the dad. I don’t know. I’m sorry.” She sighed and pulled a small wrapped box out of her saddlebag. “I brought you something. It won’t make up for it, I know, but it’s a token.” She smiled.
And the feeling was back, but worse this time. Pinkie grimaced a little, her hoof on her stomach.
Amethyst’s hopeful expression turned to concern. “Are you okay?”
“My stomach just hurts a little. It’s coming and going.” She took a breath. “See, all better already.”
For a second they stood there, and then then pain hit again. Harder this time. Amethyst moved to Pinkie’s side. “Okay, no, Pinkie. I think you’re going into labor. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
False alarm was probably the sweetest words Pinkie could have heard at that moment. Practice contractions, before the big event. She was free to leave. Amethyst had vanished at some point, so Pinkie was left to make her way home alone.
The lights were on when she arrived. She walked in, tired and ready to sleep, to see all her friends. “Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yep! Just fine. A little tired.” She walked over and slouched into a chair.
Twilight levitated over a cupcake and some water. “We’re glad to hear it. Amethyst came and got us all. Then she ran off again.”
“Yeah, so weird. Said she had to make it up or something.” Dash shrugged. “Seriously, though, everything’s cool?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yeah. They said I still have a few weeks to go.” She took a bite of the cupcake.
“Ah, well, good. It wouldn’t do to have a shower after the foals are born.” She smiled.
Pinkie yawned and then giggled. “Why do they call it a shower anyway. Nothing is raining. Wait.” She turned to Fluttershy. “Can Discord make it rain chocolate milk again?”
“No!” Five voices shouted at once.
Pinkie held up her hooves. “Fine, fine.”
“Alright y’all.” Applejack stood from the booth she had been in. “I think it’s high time we let the mother-to-be be. Go on and get some sleep, sugarcube.”
Pinkie watched, smiling and waving, as her five best friends said their goodbyes. Then she sighed and made her way to her bedroom. She was just drifting off when she heard a knocking on her window. She sat up and squinted. Then her eyes widened. She scrambled out of the bed and threw the window open. “Thundie! What are you doing?”
“Ame told me you were having the foals!” he held up his hooves. “I don’t know. I went to the hospital and they said you went home.”
She smiled, biting her bottom lip. She moved out of the way and let him into the room. “Apparently my body has to practice. That’s all it was.”
“Well, I’m here now anyway.” He laughed. “Honestly, Spitfire nearly pushed me off the base when she heard. I have to go back tomorrow.”
“So…you want to spend the night?” Pinkie yawned. “I’m afraid I’m not up for much else right now.”
It took him a few moments to answer, but in the end, he nodded. “Yeah, that’ll be great.”
Pinkie climbed into the bed and held up the other side of the blanket for him. He took a deep breath and slid in. He carefully wrapped a hoof around Pinkie. She giggled and turned her back to him, pressing against his underside. She could feel his heart beating, fast and hard. She held his hoof in hers. “You’ve never slept a bed with someone, have you?” she asked. It was gentle and quiet.
“Does Rumble count?” She felt his breath on her mane.
“No.” She turned again to face him. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
Thunderlane licked his lips. “Yeah.” Then he leaned forward, planting a kiss on her lips. “I’m totally okay with this.”
“Okay.” She grinned and turned again. They lay for a few moments, neither moving or saying anything. “Will you hold me?” she asked.
She felt his hoof sneak around her middle as much as it could and he scooted closer. “I’ll never let go.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and they slowly drifted off.
Thunderlane started staying over after that. It was wonderful falling asleep in his hooves. Reserve training was finished after the weekend, and slowly, more and more of Thunderlane came to Sugarcube Corner. When he wasn’t on weather patrol, he was helping Pinkie and the Cakes. Mostly he watched the twins, but that allowed the three of them to efficiently run the shop.
As Hearth’s Warming approached, Pinkie felt herself getting more and more excited. Not only was this her favorite holiday, but her foals would be coming soon. During the last visit, Dr. Rosehoof had informed them that twins normally came earlier and to be ready at any time.
It was a bitterly cold winter day. The sun was shining and snow wasn’t planed for another two weeks. It was really the perfect winter day to stay inside by the fire and cuddle. Pinkie sighed, watching the clock on the wall tick away. Thunderlane would be home at any second, and then she could have him read to her while they sipped hot chocolate and ate popcorn.
The bell above the door chimed and she looked up to see him. She grinned at him, but he didn’t grin back. “You have a letter from Double Diamond.” He walked over and laid it on the counter.
She blinked at it. “He ignored the last three I sent him.”
“I guess not. Maybe he finally freed time on his busy schedule.” He tossed his coat onto a coat hanger and stuffed it in the closet. “Or, I don’t know, he realizes it’s time and he’s wanting to back out of being a father completely.”
“Thundie,” Pinkie said. She dropped the letter and moved over to him. “We talked about this.”
He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. He just makes me so angry. If I were him I’d…Celestia, I’d be over the moon. He hadn’t spoken to you in months. Is that how he’s going to treat his kids?”
Pinkie sighed. Maybe the fireplace cuddles would have to wait. “Let’s just open it, okay? We’ll see what it says and go from there.”
He took a deep breath and released it. “Okay.” They sat at a table and Pinkie put the letter between them. “I don’t like the way you say he treated you.”
“It’s not like I was the best.” She sighed. “We weren’t good together. It’s why we ended up breaking up. He isn’t a bad pony, Thundie.”
“Let’s just…see what he said.” He looked at the letter and then to Pinkie.
Pinkie picked it up. “Ready?” He nodded. She almost giggled, thinking about how it would have been so much less serious if she had been the one to get the mail that day. “Dear Pinkie,” she read aloud.
It’s nearly time for the foals to come, isn’t it? I wish I could be there to see them. The last few months have been surreal. There are a lot of things I want to say to you, to say to my foals.
Do you ever wish you could go back in time? To change one thing or stop yourself from making a mistake?
She looked up. “Actually, that’s a really bad idea. Did I ever tell you about when Twi and I broke into –“
“When you stole the time travel spell? You love that story.” He smiled. “So yeah.”
She looked back down to the letter.
I would have never broken up with you. I miss you. I tried, so hard, to get over you. The day I kissed you and you pushed me away I was crushed. I really thought we had a chance. That you were just saying you had a coltfriend.
I saw you with him. I followed you and Twilight. Weird, right? I’m a freaking stalker or something. You didn’t even know I was there. I heard what he said to you and what you said to him and I came back to my village.
I guess you’re happy, and I’m happy for you.
I want to be in my foals lives. I do. I’ll be sending them things and letters. However, I just signed a contract to go on an x-games tour over the next year. Hopefully that’ll be enough time for me to move on. We’ll see, I guess.
Let my kids know I love them. Ask Thunderlane to take good care of them. I know I can’t ask that of him, I have no right. I am anyway.
Please, don’t respond.
Pinkie laid the letter between them. She sniffed, wiping at the tears that fell down her face. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” Thunderlane moved seats to sit beside her and wrapped her in his wings.
“Hey, it’s okay. He obviously has some things to work through, and you have some things to work through. Pinkie, you’re having kids together.” She sniffed and buried her face in his neck. “It’s hard. Do you regret breaking up with him?”
He felt her sob shake and held her closer. “No,” she squeaked out. “I don’t.” He stroked her mane and they sat for few moments. After a time, she pulled away, wiping more at her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He held her face in his hooves. “No, no, don’t be sorry. You’ve done nothing wrong.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Come on. We’re both off tomorrow. Let’s enjoy the day, okay?”
She sniffed and nodded, following him up the stairs and to the living room. The settled down in the area Pinkie had already prepared in front of the empty fireplace. Thunderlane worked on making a fire while Pinkie watched. She knew she should get up and help or make the hot chocolate and popcorn, but she really didn’t feel like it. Instead she waited for him to finish the fire and curled into him. He covered her with his wings and then both of them with the blankets. Snuggled close, they fell asleep.
Time was more of a concept than a construct to Pinkie. It meant something. Of course it did. It counted the years she had spent with her friends and cradled the present to make memories in her mind. Still, it was something Pinkie didn’t really get at times. Why was waiting for cupcakes for twenty minutes agonizing while a weekend vacation with her friends blinked past? So when the doctor had said soon Pinkie had tucked the information away and held it, unsure of what to do. Because when was soon? How quickly would soon be here? Was it a vacation time passing speed or a waiting on cupcakes speed? Probably closer to the vacation one, but not nearly as fast because sometimes it felt like the cupcake one.
Then of course, there were more soons once she made it to the hospital with a frantic Thunderlane and a swarm of her friends. She had waved to the nurses from Thunderlane’s back, cheerfully explaining that her water had broken. There was a flurry of activity and then she was in a room, nurses and doctors coming by to periodically say ‘soon’. Soon finally came.
She couldn’t help the warm swelling feeling in her chest. Two small tightly wrapped bundles lay sleeping in her hooves. Her smile was illuminating the whole room – or at least, that’s what she imagined. She wanted to cry and to jump and to giggle and be still and do so many other things at once. Instead, she just laid there in her bed, admiring the small foals as their tiny chests rose and fell with each breath.
Cotton Cloud was her son. She loved turning the phrase over and over in her head. Son. My son. His mane poked out of the yellow blanket he was swaddled in, a gentle, soft curly pink. Against his blue coat, it reminded her of cotton candy. Then she glanced at Cream Puff. The delicate little filly had a yellowish cream colored coat. Her main wasn’t as tightly curled as her mother’s, but it was wavy and the same shade of pink as her brother’s.
Pinkie looked over at Thunderlane. He hadn’t left the room since they had been brought back in. His eyes had never left them. He hadn’t even so much as spoken, but Pinkie could tell he was happy. He sat leaned forward, chair forgotten behind him. It had been an hour already that he stood there. “You can hold one of them,” Pinkie said. “They can’t bite yet.”
His eyes snapped up to hers and he nodded. She held Cream Puff up for him to take. He was gentle as he moved, slowly taking her out of Pinkie’s hooves and cradling her in his own. He wrapped his wings around her too. He softly stroked her face, seemingly mesmerized. “She’s so beautiful. And he’s so beautiful.” He looked back up to Pinkie, tears falling onto his face. “They’re so tiny and perfect.”
Pinkie looked down to her little boy and nodded. “Yeah, they are.”
The room was silent again. More time passed, not that Pinkie cared much about that. This was the best way she could think of to spend time right now. The rest of the evening, she and Thunderlane traded the twins back and forth, holding each of them.
After a while – Pinkie wasn’t sure how long, but enough time had passed that the babies had been fed twice and she and Thunderlane had been brought trays – she looked over at him. “Thundie, I’ve been thinking.”
He looked up from making faces as Cotton Cloud. “What about? Are you going to change their names?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No. About us.” She met his eyes with a smile. “If you ever wanted to ask me to marry you again, I would say yes.” She had thought before that Thunderlane’s smile couldn’t get bigger. She had been wrong. Somehow it stretched more.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
Eventually, a nurse came by and kicked him out and took the babies to the viewing area. As sad as Pinkie was to see the three of them go, she was tired and she knew that she would face an onslaught of her friends tomorrow. Not that she minded that, either. She just needed some sleep. She turned to her side and reached her hand out for Thunderlane.
Of course, he wasn’t there. Sigh sighed and curled into a ball, wondering if he missed her being there as she fell asleep.
Getting to go home with the twins felt great. Pinkie showed them their room and cribs, all their toys, and laid them down for naps. Getting into a routine hadn’t been all that difficult – mostly because Mrs. Cake helped set one up. Sleepless nights of getting up every hour to feed one or change or rock one turned into the twins starting to sleep more soundly. Four months, Pinkie realized, had whizzed by faster than Pinkie had ever seen time move.
She had just put Cream Puff to bed when Thunderlane walked in with Cotton Cloud. The babe was cuddled in a wing, sleeping soundly. “Never thought he’d go down. He wanted to chew on my mane.”
Pinkie grinned and leaned against him. He wrapped a wing around her, pulling her close. “I have a surprise for you. I arranged for a sitter tomorrow. We’re going out.”
“Where to?” Pinkie asked.
“It’s a secret. I Pinkie Promise you’ll love it.” He winked at her and, wing still wrapped around her, led her back to their room.
Pinkie was still giggle at Twilight as she and Thunderlane walked away from Sugarcube Corner. “Pinkie, I live my life by check lists, I think I can handle this,” she quoted, starting the giggling over again.
“It was nice of her to agree to watch them,” Thunderlane said. “I never imagined I’d be asking a Princess to foalsit my kids.”
Pinkie just stuck her tongue out at him. “Where are we going anyway? What kind of surprise is this? Does Twilight know when we’ll be back?
“Of course Twilight knows when we will get back.” Thunderlane looked over at Pinkie. “As for the other questions…you’ll see. Our stop is up ahead.”
Pinkie looked forward, eager eyes taking in everything. A couple market stalls, the hot air balloon, a small antique shop, and Filthy’s shop all stood close together. Thunderlane led her past the market stalls. He didn’t glance as the shops. So that left the hot air balloon.
Pinkie felt herself getting the inside trembling feeling of giddiness. It took a small conversation and then she was in the air with Thunderlane. They drifted through the sky, Thunderlane seeming to direct them this way and that until finally they were above Ponyville proper. All around them the town sprawled out, awash in the glow of the evening sun.
Thunderlane pulled out a picnic basket that had been tucked into a corner. He carefully pulled out the blanket and set the places. Drinks and plates and sandwiches and sides and…and a velvet covered box. Pinkie’s eyes locked onto it as she sat in her place.
Then she looked up at him, her eyes already wet. Thunderlane cleared his throat. “I know I’ve asked you this before, but neither of us were ready at the time. Now I think we are. I love you. I love your foals. I love our family and what we have together. I know you love Ponyville, and no one spot could ever do it justice so I wanted to do it in the air. With all of Ponyville in view. Because…because you deserve the world, Pinkie Pie. I want nothing more than to make you happy for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”
Pinkie swallowed and nodded. “Yes!”
Moving quicker than Pinkie could, Thunderlane leaned forward and kissed her. It started as a chaste peck on the lips. Then another. Soon, he had his wings wrapped around her. The rest of the balloon ride was spent locked together, the picnic forgotten.
The after party was in full swing. Everypony had punch and goofy smiles. Pinkie, in her poofy white dress, was dancing wilding next to Thunderlane. Her friends were all around her. Her foals were wobbling around with other children their age, getting into cake and making a general mess. Her family was mingling with her friends and her other family. It was the happiest Pinkie could ever remember being, ever.
The song ended and she breathed deeply. Needing some punch, she wondered over to the snack table. Thunderlane went to chase Cream Puff who giggled in delight. Cotton Cloud had a mouthful of Rainbow’s mane as she playfully wrestled with him.
Her mother and father were sitting with the Cakes, no doubt trading stories. Her sisters were laughing with her friends – or nearly all her friends. She blinked, once, then looked around again. Twilight had disappeared. She wondered through the party, stopping when she heard Twilight’s voice behind a pillar.
“-- for a while. I know you’re here in an official capacity, but while you’re on your break, would you like to dance?”
Pinkie froze.
“Da-Dance? Wi-With me?” The stallion sounded elated. “Of course!”
Not a moment later, Twilight trotted toward the dance floor with one of the Crystal Guards, Flash Sentry, in tow. She smiled, happy for her friends happiness.
That’s what weddings were about, after all.
Something slammed into her leg and she looked down, seeing a frosting covered Cream Puff smiling up at her. “Hey cutie.”
The foal babbled at her. Pinkie picked her up, wrinkling her nose in a smile. “Are you having fun sweetie?” She swung the foal around giggling. “Mommy and daddy are married now. Isn’t that so special?”
“It sure is.” Thunderlane’s voice came from behind her and she twirled around, stopping to grin at him. He was holding Cotton Cloud. “It’s so very special.”
They leaned in and kissed, resting their foreheads against each other for a moment. Then Cream Puff squealed and they broke apart, laughing.
Pinkie thought back to when she first learned she would have her foals. The fears that flashed through her mind, the doubts that clouded her judgements. She was glad she had the friends she did and the family she did. She was glad she had her foals and Thunderlane.
As she watched the foals both take Thunderlane down, her heart swelled. Double Diamond was sending letters and wanted to be involved. Limestone was angry because she hadnt really used the chosing stone. The foals themselves were a handful. Maybe everything wasn’t perfect, but Pinkie had never needed perfect.
