> A Birthday Wish
>  by Starswirl the Beardless
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Promise Made
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Truly, there is nothing better in the world than being a parent. The timeless journey of the parent is one of great turmoil and hardship yes, but it is also the path to such indescribably rapturous joy as to make even the most fearsome hurdles encountered along the way feel as insignificant as a passing breeze by comparison. So many incredible, heartwarming moments lie upon that path, moments more precious to those fortunate enough to experience them than all the treasures in the world. Looking upon the face of your child for the first time, hearing their first sputtering, infantile giggles, listening with awe as their unpracticed lips first call out to you, all memories to hold onto and cherish in one's heart for years and decades afterwards.  

Although, perhaps the ache in your lower back after laboriously cleaning up after your daughter's seventh birthday party was one memory that you could afford to let go of.  

So thought Bow Hothoof as the man carefully lowered his weary body down onto the plush seat of the little breakfast nook of his kitchen. The soft cloud within it felt heavenly on his hindquarters, eliciting a long, drawn-out sigh from him as he reclined against the back cushion. He slowly stretched out his legs under the kitchen table, leaned his head back against the wall behind him, and allowed his eyes to fall closed.  

"You alright over there, sweetie?" came the sound of a delightful, feminine voice.  

A soft chuckle made its way up and out of him as he raised his arms and rested them upon the back of the long, couch-like seat. "Never better," he said in his usual deep, easygoing tone.  

"Did you finish in there?" spoke the feminine voice.  

"Yep!" he said, his voice triumphant, yet weary. "Bow, one; living room, zero. Another victory for The Hothoof!" He punctuated this remark with the raise of a victorious fist.

Even with his eyes closed, he could still see her roll her eyes at the usage of his old football nickname. "My hero," she said, her smile clearly audible.

A moment later, he cracked his eyes, and allowed his head to roll to the side, letting him peer across the kitchen to where she stood. Windy Whistles was positioned before the kitchen sink, busily scrubbing bits of cake and ice cream from the pile of dirty plates beside her, one at a time. His eyes slowly wandered up and down her petite body, taking in her short, reddish-orange hair, her mustard yellow t-shirt, and the pair of blue-feathered wings folded neatly against her back. He especially paid attention to the worn jeans that snugly hugged her motherly hips, her perky little bottom, and those slender legs of hers. As he watched her, she began to sway slightly to the tune of a song she was humming, seemingly unaware of his eyes on her.  

As he had learned many times over the years, however, his wife was much more perceptive than she let on. So it was that, seemingly unprovoked, she slowly glanced back over her shoulder, locking eyes with him.  

"What are you looking at, Mr. Man?" said Windy, her teasing tone making it clear that she already knew the answer to her question.  

Bow opened his eyes fully, taking in her slender, feminine face, the smattering of freckles on her cheeks, and the flirtatious sparkle in those big, magenta eyes of hers.  

Despite having been caught in the act, Bow made no excuses for his wandering eyes. "I'm looking at my beautiful wife, that's what," he said confidently. 

Windy had been expecting such a response from him, but that didn't keep her heart from fluttering at the sound of those words. Momentarily dropping the act, she allowed her own eyes to go on a little sightseeing trip of their own, making their way down from Bow's golden-brown eyes and the messy, rainbow-colored hair atop his head, past the strong, masculine chin covered in stubble, down to the matching masculine body that lay beneath. She took in the broad torso covered by a mint green t-shirt with a sports logo, the two muscular arms, and the long, thick legs covered by a pair of worn sweatpants.  

Bow watched her, chuckling inwardly, letting her get a good look before interrupting. "Now, what are you looking at?" he said, smiling.  

Windy's eyes darted back up to his, giving him an unapologetic look. After the two exchanged knowing smiles, Windy turned and faced forward again.  

"I'm keeping an eye on our daughter," said Windy in a mock-indignant tone.  

As she resumed washing up, Windy did indeed glance out of the window above the sink, as she had been doing frequently for a while. On the other side of that window, out on the neatly trimmed lawn of cloud before their home, she saw two little girls playing together. One of these girls, a girl with soft pink hair and wearing a pretty yellow dress that matched her wings, ran along the lawn, trying to keep up with the other. The second girl, the one who received the vast majority of Windy's attention, wore shorts and a white t-shirt that bore the image of a rainbow. This girl's sneaker-clad feet repeatedly kicked off the cloud beneath her as she zipped along on a brand-new cloudboard, her long, rainbow-colored hair trailing behind her as she went.  

A loving smile appeared on Windy's lips as she watched her little Dashie go, silently remarking on how quickly her daughter had taken to her birthday present. She had heard that cloudboarding was easier to learn than the skateboarding that more earthbound people took part in, but she still found herself marveling at how effectively her daughter was maneuvering across the cloudy turf already. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised, she thought to herself; Rainbow Dash had always been good at sports and games.  

"And how is our little Dashie, then?" said Bow.

"Why, I think she's the best little cloudboarder in Cloudsdale!" said Windy proudly.  

Bow laughed heartily. "That's my girl!" he said. "Rainbow Dash: number one cloudboarder in Cloudsdale. No, no, wait...number one cloudboarder in Equestria!"

"She sure is," chuckled Windy.

Windy watched as Rainbow Dash zipped about their front yard, smiling gleefully as her little friend Fluttershy giggled and ran along behind her. Rainbow had offered to let Fluttershy take a turn on the board, of course, as she had with some of her now-departed party guests, but the timid girl had declined, seemingly preferring to merely watch. Windy shrugged inwardly. If Fluttershy was having fun, then the girl was more than welcome to chase after Rainbow Dash until her parents arrived to pick her up.

Tearing her eyes away from her precious little girl, Windy glanced westward, looking over at the sun, which was growing ever-closer to the horizon. It wouldn't be long before the princess would end the day and bring forth the night, she estimated. She just hoped Fluttershy's parents arrived to pick her up soon; she knew the poor girl was afraid of the dark.  

Thankfully, it was only a few minutes later that Windy saw the familiar couple making their way down the cloudy lane towards her house. She saw the scrawny little man with his little mustache and his little knitted sweater walking happily alongside his shorter, much plumper wife, the woman dressed in an adorable little shirt-and-skirt combo that Windy made a mental note to ask her about later. She also saw, being pushed along in a cute little stroller by his father, a toddler with beautiful, sunny-yellow hair.  

Windy's smile faltered as she looked upon that little boy, watching him gaze at the world around him curiously.  

Such a beautiful little boy. She's so lucky.

Her smile widened once more as she saw Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy catch sight of the approaching trio and run to meet them.

Not as lucky as me though. I already have the best child any mother could ask for.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy reached the couple and their son as they arrived at the end of the front yard. Windy watched as Rainbow greeted Fluttershy's parents enthusiastically, no doubt regaling them with tales of her birthday party. They were too far away for Windy to hear their conversation, but watching Rainbow's exuberant body language, she could easily imagine what her daughter was saying. Standing beside her, Fluttershy expressed her own satisfaction with the party, albeit in a much more reserved fashion.   

Not long into the exchange, Rainbow Dash's attention was drawn to Fluttershy's little brother, whom she leaned in towards to examine. Together, she and Fluttershy fawned over the child, which giggled and grabbed at their hands, seemingly adoring Rainbow Dash's attention. Likewise, Rainbow adored the little tyke, smiling as widely at his babyish antics as she had when she had been on her cloudboard, maybe even more so.

She looks so happy. 

Windy watched them, a bittersweet feeling coming over her as she gazed upon her daughter's smiling face. The feeling was momentarily forgotten when she saw Fluttershy's mother look up at the window, smile at her, and wave a hand in greeting. Windy smiled back at her warmly, returning the wave.  

Eventually, Fluttershy's parents put an end to the merriment, no doubt taking notice of the darkening of the evening sky. After the group had said their goodbyes, Fluttershy rejoined her family, and the four of them began their walk back home. Rainbow Dash watched them for a few moments, giving them a parting wave, then turned and jogged happily back across the lawn, clutching her cloudboard lovingly.  

A few moments later, the sound of the front door being opened and quickly shut again echoed through the house.  

"Mommy!" came the loud, excited cry of the young Rainbow Dash. There came the clatter of a cloudboard being haphazardly deposited onto the tiled floor of the entryway, then the patter of two little feet as they hurtled towards the kitchen. "Mommy, Mommy!" A moment later, Rainbow appeared in the entryway to the kitchen, rounding the corner and hurtling straight on in with a wide smile on her face.  

Windy had a mere fraction of a second to prepare herself before that little rainbow-haired lightning bolt  flapped her wings, sprang into the air, and leapt right into her mother's arms. Fortunately, Windy was used to being on the receiving end of such enthusiastic displays of affection, and so was successfully able to catch her daughter, staggering only slightly from the impact.  

"Did you see me?" cried Rainbow, hugging her mother with both her arms and legs. "Did you see me on my board? Did ya? Did ya?"

Recovering quickly, Windy smiled and returned the embrace, squeezing just as firmly. "I did see you," she chuckled. "I did see you, my little Dashie. You were so amazing out there. The best little cloudboarder in Cloudsdale. Isn't that right, Bow?"

"In Equestria!" Bow corrected.

At the sound of her father's voice, Rainbow's attention instantly shifted, the girl seemingly just realizing that he was in the room. Rainbow quickly released her mother, who allowed the girl to drop down onto her feet again. Her shoes had hardly touched the floor before Rainbow turned, zeroed in on her father, and ran towards him, performing yet another fluttering leap that sent her hurtling towards the broad expanse of his torso.  

Unfortunately, Bow was not quite as quick on the draw as his wife, and so could do nothing to prepare himself before Rainbow's loving tackle hit home. He grunted as the collision forced the air from his lungs, but quickly recovered, smiling and chuckling as he listened to his daughter.

"Daddy, Daddy!" cried Rainbow as she wrapped her little arms around her father's thick neck. "Did you see me? Did you see how fast I was?"  

"I sure did," he said, hugging her back. "You were amazing! Ha! They oughta let you join the Wonderbolts right now!" He had, of course, borne witness to his daughter's first ride on a cloudboard, taking an entire album's worth of pictures and shedding more than his fair share of liquid pride before begrudgingly departing to see to his parental duties.  

Rainbow gasped, pulling back to look her father in the eye. "You mean it?" she said. "You really mean it?"

"Sure I do!" he said. "You're the fastest little filly in Cloudsdale!"

"In Equestria," Windy smugly corrected as she fixed a refreshing glass of water for her husband.

Bow shot his wife a look before Rainbow once again hugged him tightly, nuzzling him lovingly.  

"Oh, it was so, so fun!" said Rainbow. "I'm gonna...I'm gonna do it every day! And I'll get really, really good! And then...and then the Wonderbolts will see me...and then...and then..." She trailed off, the girl's tongue unable to keep up with the myriad of fantasies no doubt running through her head.  

Windy chuckled as she strode across the room towards her two favorite people in the world. "Take it easy, sweetie!" she said, reaching out and caressing her daughter's head. "You have a long time to practice for the Wonderbolts. Don't push yourself too hard now." She set the glass of water down on the table, within Bow's reach.  

"Bah, she'll be fine!" said Bow, grasping the glass and raising it to his lips. He took a quick sip, then spoke again. "Besides, she probably used her birthday wish on that. They have to let her in now!"  

Rainbow Dash suddenly pulled back, sitting up straight atop one of Bow's thighs. "Silly Daddy!" she said. "I didn't wish for that!"

Bow was taken aback. His daughter, the girl who wanted to fly with the Wonderbolts more than anything in the world, hadn't used her birthday wish on that? He quickly glanced over at Windy, whose perplexed expression mirrored the one on his own face.  

"You...didn't wish to be a Wonderbolt?" asked Windy.  

"Nope!" said Rainbow, shaking her head.  

"Well then...what did you wish for when you blew out your candles?" ventured Bow.

Rainbow looked at Bow as if he had said something stupid. "Daddy," she said, "I can't tell you! It won't come true if I tell!"

Bow, however, was a persistent man, and so did not simply drop the subject. "Oh, come on!" he said, giving her a friendly smile. "You can tell us! We're your parents! It doesn't count if you tell your parents. Right, honey?"  

"That's right!" said Windy, clearly just as interested in hearing her daughter's wish as Bow. "And we promise we won't tell anyone else. Isn't that right?"

"Right!" said Bow.  

Rainbow looked back and forth between her parents, considering their words carefully. "You...You won't tell anybody?" she said.

"We won't," said Windy.

"Cross our hearts," said Bow.  

"And...I'll still get it?" said Rainbow, visibly concerned at the potential consequences of revealing her secret desire.  

"Dashie," said Bow firmly, "whatever you wished for, if Daddy can make it happen, then you'll get it! That's a Hothoof guarantee!" He flashed her a smile as he raised his glass to his lips once more.  

Rainbow mulled over the proposal, her little face reflecting the deep thought she put into it. Eventually though, her lips stretched into a smile, and she looked up at her father as he drank deeply from his glass.  

"Okay!" she said cheerfully. "I want...I want a little brother!"

The room was immediately filled with the sounds of violent hacking and sputtering as water simultaneously made its way both down and up Bow's throat. Meanwhile, Windy stood as still as a statue, a smile frozen on her lips, and her unseeing eyes staring off into nothingness. The sounds of her husband's distress quickly roused her, however, and Windy sprang into action, leaning Bow forward and planting a hearty smack on his back. Bow reflexively swallowed, clearing his airway, then took several heavy, gasping breaths. He slowly leaned back again, looking back to his daughter as he gradually caught his breath. Rainbow smiled back at him from where she sat on his lap, seemingly oblivious to the effect her words had had on her parents.  

"D-Dashie," said Bow, "I...I don't think I heard you right."

"No," said Windy in an uncharacteristic monotone, "you heard her right."

Bow looked up at his wife, seeing the far-off look in her eyes, then back at Rainbow.  

"You...You want a...little brother?" said Bow.

"Yep!" said Rainbow. "Just like Fluttershy has!"  

A thousand and one questions raced through Bow's mind at hurricane speeds, chief among them being...

"Why?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Because having a little brother would be so fun!" said Rainbow. "We could play together, and fly together...and we could ride our cloudboards together! Oh, oh! We could join the Wonderbolts together too!" Her expression suddenly grew serious. "But it has to be a little brother, not a little sister! If I had a sister, she'd want to do dress-up and dollies, and I don't want to do that, so it has to be a little brother. Okay, Daddy?"

Bow listened intently to Rainbow, but her words seemed to him to be muffled and far-off, as if his ears were filled with cotton. Eventually, his flustered brain managed to produce a response, and his limp tongue slowly pushed it out of his mouth. "Uh...s-sweetie, a....a little brother is...well, that's quite an ask!" he said, throwing in a chuckle, although he did not know who or what it was directed at.  

"Dashie," said Windy, visibly struggling to come up with a more helpful response to her daughter's request, "are you...are you sure that's what you...really want?"

"Uh-huh!" said Rainbow, looking up at her mother and nodding vigorously.  

Windy pursed her lips, seeing clearly the conviction in her daughter's eyes. "Well...a little brother is...well, it's a...it's a difficult thing to...to get, sweetie. We might not be able to...I mean..." She trailed off, then sighed heavily. "Maybe you could...wish for something else?"

"No! I can't do that!" said Rainbow. "That's against the rules; you can't change your wish!" She looked back to Bow, her smile returning. "But that's okay! Daddy said he'd get it for me, and Daddy can do anything! Right, Daddy?"

Bow sat there, petrified by the sight of that little face, that face with the big, sparkling eyes and the wide, toothy smile brimming with the pure hope of a child. He sat there, unable to move or to speak, as the silent seconds awkwardly dragged on. He sat there, watching as the shadow of doubt slowly stretched across that face, and that beautiful little smile began to fade.

"You...You can do it...can't you?" said Rainbow.

If Bow had been a different sort of man, perhaps he would have given his daughter a very different sort of reply than he did. Perhaps he would have explained to his daughter, as best he could, why one could not simply conjure up a baby boy as easily as one could blow out a septet of birthday candles. Perhaps, if he had felt that his daughter was capable of understanding, he would have even explained why he and his wife had not already given her that which she desired a long time ago.  

For better or worse, Bow was not a different sort of man. He was Bow Hothoof. He was the high school football champion of Cloudsdale. He was the husband to the most beautiful woman in the entire world. Most important of all, he was the father to the most amazing, the most incredible, and the most perfect little girl in the entire universe, a girl who meant more to him than his own life, and a girl whose smile he would have climbed the highest mountains or battled the fiercest monsters to protect.  

Bow's gaping mouth set into a hard line, then curled into a smile. "Yes," he said quietly, yet firmly. "Yes, I can."

The effect was immediate. Rainbow Dash's smile returned, wider than ever, and her eyes sparkled like the brightest of stars. He had only a moment to savor the indescribable joy that smile gave him before the one it belonged to launched herself at him yet again, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.  

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" squealed Rainbow, her body trembling from excitement.  

Rainbow's infectious joy quickly spread to Bow, who wrapped his arms around her and chuckled softly. He planted a kiss on his daughter's neck as she began babbling about all of the hundreds of things she would do with her little brother once he arrived. He listened for a few moments, caring not so much for the words as for the happy little heart that inspired them. Eventually, he looked up at Windy, and found the beauty of that moment suddenly forgotten.

He had never seen such a look on his wife's face before, not in all of the years they had been married, not even in the many years they had known each other before then. He had seen her angry. He had seen her sad. He had seen her afraid. He had seen her disappointed. He had seen all of those on her face before, just as he saw them then, them and a dozen other emotions he could not have begun to put words to. That face struck him to the core, shocking him from his joyous stupor like a plunge into a frozen lake.  

"Rainbow Dash," said Bow, still looking at Windy. "I think...it's time we get ready for bed."

Rainbow paused in her fantasizing, leaning back to look Bow in the face. "Aww...really?" she groaned.  

"Yes, Rainbow," said Bow, looking back at her.  

"But I'm not even..." began Rainbow, trailing off as a great yawn forced her mouth wide for a few moments. "I'm not sleepy."  

"Rainbow Dash," said Windy, her voice soft, but tinged with an unmistakable tone of authority. "Bedtime."

Both father and daughter looked up at her, seeing the neutral expression on her face; only the father, however, saw through that mask.  

"Aww...okay," said Rainbow. She wriggled her way off of Bow's lap and back down onto the kitchen floor.

"Go get your jammies on," said Windy. "We'll be right up."

"Okay," said Rainbow as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen, rubbing her tired eyes.  

They watched her go, and when the last strand of multicolored hair had disappeared around the corner, Bow looked back up at Windy. She did not meet his gaze.  

"Windy, I..." Bow began.

Windy opened her mouth as if to speak, her trembling lips forming the beginnings of words, but only silence flowed from them. Finally, she closed her mouth again, clamped her eyes shut, then swiftly walked out of the kitchen.
> A Promise Kept
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bow made his way down the second-floor hallway of his home, his footfalls slow, deliberate, and measured. His sock-clad feet made no noise upon the carpeted floor, and yet he still found himself wincing at every imagined sound. The reason for his unusual caution was unknown even to him, although he was very much aware of the foolishness of it.  

Come on, Bow. What are you doing? What are you so afraid of? 

A reasonable question. After all, he was in his own home, located in the safest suburb of one of the safest cities in the safest country in the world. There were no monsters or villains lurking behind the nearby doors, waiting to spring out and attack him. There wasn't even anyone else in the house with him, not counting, of course, his daughter and his...

He froze as he heard the sound of a familiar, feminine voice drifting through the crack of the bedroom door at the far end of the hall. He strained to hear the words that voice spoke, simultaneously hopeful and afraid of what he might hear. When he could not make them out, he silently cursed himself for his cowardice, then resumed walking, forcing his legs to move at something resembling a casual gait.  

It was only a few moments more before he stood before that door, looking at the rainbow stickers that decorated its surface. The voice emanating from the room beyond was louder now, and he could hear the soft, gentle tone in which it spoke. He felt his anxiety washed away as it caressed his ears, recalling in his mind over seven years of warm, happy memories. He allowed himself a few moments to listen, then took a deep breath, and slowly pushed the door open.  

"And then Rainbow Dash looked up at the big, scary dragon and saw its great big eyes and its sharp teeth," came the voice.  

Dragons tonight, huh?

Bow looked in on the bedroom, taking in the cloud-pattern wallpaper, the toys scattered across the floor, and the little bed with the rainbow-colored blankets. Tucked snugly beneath those blankets, he saw his little Dashie struggling to keep her drooping eyes open as she listened. Sitting on the bed, facing their daughter, he saw his wife, his beautiful Windy, her lips stretched into a smile.  

"And the dragon said to her," said Windy, "'I'm going to gobble you up, little girl!'"

A smile came to Bow's own lips as he stepped into the room and slowly made his way to the bedside.  

"But Rainbow Dash wasn't scared," Windy continued. "Rainbow was a Wonderbolt, and Wonderbolts aren't scared of anything, so Rainbow flew right up to that big ol' dragon and gave him a good kick right in the nose! And that big meanie was so scared of Rainbow that he turned tail and flew away as fast as he could, and he never bothered anyone else ever again!"

The real Rainbow Dash smiled a tired smile at her fictional victory, then let loose an adorable little yawn. Meanwhile, Bow raised a hand and tentatively placed it on Windy's shoulder, squeezing gently. For a moment, Windy didn't react, but then slowly reached up and placed a hand on his, giving it an equally gentle squeeze. She turned her head and looked up at him, letting him see the smile on her lips and the love in her eyes. He felt the warmth of that look in his heart, and smiled right back at her.  

"And then what happened?" said Rainbow Dash, her voice small and weary.  

Windy and Bow looked back at their daughter, and Windy spoke again. "And then?" she said. "Well...then Rainbow Dash flew back home to her mother and told her about how she saved Equestria from the dragon. And her mother was so happy, she gave Rainbow a great big kiss –" she leaned down and did just that, pressing her lips to Rainbow's cheek "– and she told her how much she loved her, and how proud she was of her, and how happy she was to have a daughter like her."

"And so did her dad," said Bow, quickly leaning down and planting a kiss on Rainbow's other cheek.  

"And then they all lived happily ever after," said Windy.

"Yay..." Rainbow said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyelids began to flutter closed, and even her smile began to relax.  

Windy chuckled softly. "Goodnight," she whispered, "my little Dashie."

"Goodnight," whispered Bow.  

"Goodnight Mommy," said Rainbow as her eyes finally fell closed. "Goodnight...Daddy." Rainbow's head rolled slightly to one side, and she spoke no more.  

Windy and Bow remained for a few moments, listening to her soft breaths and watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. While they would have gladly remained there all night, they eventually managed to tear themselves away from their daughter's bedside, Windy carefully standing and silently following Bow back out of the room. They flicked the light switch by the door on their way out, plunging the room into a darkness broken only by the light of a nightlight which threw up twinkling stars onto the ceiling. After sneaking one last peek at their little girl, they slowly pulled the door closed.

They stood in silence for a moment, their smiles still on their faces, then Bow turned to look at Windy. He reached out and put a protective arm around her; Windy reflexively leaned against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. Bow raised his other hand to her face, gently turning it towards him. The two smiled at one another, although Bow's smile was tinged with lingering traces of worry.  

"You okay?" he whispered.

Windy closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked up at Bow once again. "Yeah," she whispered. "I'm okay." She saw that her words did not completely dispel his concerns. "Really."

Bow was still not fully convinced, but he forced his concerns out of his mind, rather than press her further. He smiled as genuine a smile as he could manage, then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She returned his kiss, a quick smooch that did much for how little it was. When they pulled apart, they met each other's eyes once again.

"You wanna hit the hay?" said Bow. "You must be tired."

"You're one to talk," Windy chuckled.

Bow chuckled as well, and together, the two made their way back down the hallway.  

"Let me just finish up downstairs," said Windy, recalling the dishes she had left unwashed.

"Already took care of it," Bow said proudly.  

Windy was momentarily surprised, then realized she shouldn't have been. She put an arm around her husband and chuckled softly. "My hero," she said.





Windy sat upright on her side of the bed, her back resting against her pillow and her legs tucked beneath the thick, warm blankets. The lamp sitting on her bedside table cast its gentle light upon the pages of the photo album that sat in her lap, illuminating the cherished memories contained within. Windy's eyes wandered to and fro, drinking in those memories, smiling all the while.  

She saw her daughter upon those pages, her sweet, precious Rainbow Dash. She saw her growing up before her very eyes, that little girl becoming less little with every new page she turned to. She saw her sitting upon her father's shoulders, staring awestruck at the Wonderbolts flying over her head. She saw her standing with her little friend Fluttershy, ice cream cones in their hands, and more than a little of that cream on their faces. She saw her lying still, her daughter's sleeping head resting upon her mother's lap after a long day of play.

There were so many of them, she thought, so many precious memories of her parenthood, so many things that she would never again get to experience. Her smile faded, and she stared unmoving at the pictures before her, even as she heard the sound of a toilet flushing nearby.  

A few moments later, the door to the adjacent master bathroom swung open, allowing bright light to stream through into the dimly lit bedroom. That light was suddenly flicked off, and Bow stepped into the room, lazily pulling the door closed behind him. He let loose a mighty yawn as he made his way over to the bed. Clad only in boxers and a loose tank top as he was, he eagerly slipped beneath the blankets, sighing as he felt their comforting softness upon his skin.  

He leaned back against his pillow, taking a moment to observe his wife sitting beside him. He smiled as he took in the sight of her beautiful, slender figure covered only by the soft fabric of her modest white nightgown. His eyes wandered from her face down to her bare shoulders, then along the length of her soft, feminine arms, finally arriving at her gentle hands that still caressed the pages of the album in her lap.  

"You're gonna need to start another album," said Bow.  

"Yep," said Windy. "Another year...come and gone." She sat silently for a moment, then spoke again. "We're getting old."

Bow looked down at the photos of his daughter, then back up at his wife. "No," he said. "I'm getting old. You?" He leaned in and placed a quick peck on Windy's cheek. "You're just as perfect as the day I met you."

Windy couldn't help but crack a smile at his comment. She looked over at him, staring into his half-lidded eyes. "You old charmer, you," she whispered as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Bow happily returned the kiss, closing his eyes and savoring the sensation of her soft body pressed against his own. Windy soon pulled back, parting their lips, but Bow's lips seemingly had not had enough. Immediately, he leaned back in, planting another kiss on her cheek. This kiss was quickly followed by another, and another still, each one longer and deeper than the last.  

Windy was surprised at his loving assault, but was certainly not upset about feeling his soft lips slowly kissing their way across her face towards her neck. She closed her eyes, chuckling softly at the delightful tickle of his touches. She instinctively snuggled up to him, and he responded in kind, slipping an arm around her and grasping her arms with those big, strong hands of his. His lips soon made their way around to the back of her neck where, emblazoned upon her skin, there lay the image of the little puff of cloud being blown in the breeze. His hungry lips zeroed in on that mark, planting a long, deep, passionate kiss right on top of it.  

The pleasurable shiver that ran along Windy's spine snapped her out of the trance she hadn't even realized she had fallen into. Her eyes whipped open, and she was suddenly aware of her husband, her lover, her mate, in a way she hadn't been a moment before. She could hear the low, gentle growls brewing in his throat. She could smell his distinctive, masculine scent. She could feel his hands wandering downwards, caressing her body in a notably non-platonic fashion.   

A smile crept onto her lips, the sort of smile that only he ever got to see, and only at times such as that. "Bow," she whispered, setting her half-lidded eyes on him.

He ceased his assault, pulling back slightly and opening his eyes to look upon her face. Her familiar features, brimming with wholesome beauty, had formed an expression that could not have been called "wholesome" by any stretch of the imagination, yet was undeniably alluring, the sight of which made his heart pound and stoked the rapidly growing fire within him.  

"What are you up to?" whispered Windy in an appropriately invigorating tone.  

Bow growled hungrily. "What am I up to?" he said, flashing that winning smile of his. "Well...I'm thinkin'...I'm gonna grant my daughter's birthday wish."

Bow closed his eyes and leaned back in, his lips aimed straight at the pair of soft, feminine ones before them. He did not, however, feel the touch of that familiar flesh upon his own. Rather, Bow felt something else meet his lips, something that was most definitely not a set of lips. Confused, he opened his eyes again, taking in the sight before them.  

Immediately, he saw the fingers of his wife's hand gently pressed against his lips, holding them back. Looking past them, he saw her face, devoid of any trace of passion that it had boasted moments earlier. Her head was bowed, her eyes were closed, and her lips were gently pursed.  

Slowly, Bow sobered. He pulled back, and Windy lowered her hand. He sighed, closed his eyes, then turned away. "You're still mad at me," he said.

Windy sighed, then opened her eyes. "Bow," she said. "I'm not. I'm really not." She raised a hand and turned his face back towards her, looking into his eyes. "I...I was. I was mad at you...but...I get it. I know why you...said what you said. I couldn't have said no to her either. I don't blame you for that...but you and I both know that...we can't...actually..." Her gaze lowered, and she fell silent.  

"Can't what?" said Bow, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he had intended. "Try?"

Windy took a deep breath, then released it slowly. "It's been seven years," she said.  

"Well...seven's...a lucky number," said Bow, only half-joking. "Maybe—"

"Dammit, Bow!" snapped Windy, slamming a fist down onto her lap. She fixed her eyes on him, and he saw the anger flaring within them. That anger vanished as quickly as it had arrived, Windy's expression softening once again. She hung her head and sighed. "You know what the doctors said."

Bow reached down and took one of Windy's hands in his own, squeezing it firmly. "Yeah, I do know what they said," he said, "and they never said it was impossible."

"You're still hoping for a miracle?" said Windy. "After all this time?"

"Of course I am," said Bow. "I've waited seven whole years and...I'll wait seven more years if I have to.  Heck, I'll wait seventy more years if that's what it takes."

Windy sighed. "Why?" she said. "Isn't one enough? Isn't one beautiful, perfect little daughter enough for you?"

"No," said Bow. "No, it's not. And I know it's not enough for you either. What was it you said to me once? You wanted to have a whole soccer team's worth?"

Windy smiled a bittersweet smile. "I said a lot of things back then," she said. "I wanted a lot of things...but we can't always have what we want...no matter how much we want it. Sometimes...you just have to admit defeat. You just have to..."

"Just have to what?" said Bow. "Give up?" Bow took her silence an an affirmation. "No...that's not you. That's not the woman I married. That not my Windy."

He put a hand under her chin and raised it upward, forcing her to look him in the eye. "When we were at the championship...fourth quarter, five seconds left and one touchdown from victory...and I was playing through a busted ankle...I thought we were dead meat. I thought there was no way we'd be able to pull through...not a chance. I couldn't even face the other team. I looked away...looked over at the stands...and you know what I saw there?"

Windy couldn't help but smile, even as her big, purple eyes grew misty.

"I saw the most beautiful little redhead in the world," Bow continued. "I saw her standing there in her little cheerleader uniform, waving her little pom-poms around with a big ol' smile on her face. She looked right back at me with those sparkling purple eyes of hers...and she told me to do it. She told me to win. She told me I could do it...no matter how bad things seemed...I could do it...and I believed her. I believed her...and she was right. I dragged that ball through a metric ton of meatheads because she believed in me...and 'cause I wanted to see that beautiful smile again once we won. I hardly even look at that old trophy gathering dust downstairs...but I get to see that smile...every day of my life. I couldn't have asked for anything more precious than that."

The crumbling dam holding back Windy's tears finally gave way. She pressed her face against her husband's chest, nuzzling his soft shirt, even as her tears drenched it. Soft sobs flowed past her trembling lips, filling the quiet room. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, and he returned her embrace, petting her head and running his fingers through the downy feathers of her wings.  

"Bow," Windy sobbed. "Bow."

"Shh..." Bow shushed. "It's alright." He kissed the top of her head. "It's alright."

"No," said Windy, her voice trembling as much as the rest of her. "It's...It's not alright." She took a few shuddering breaths before speaking again. "You...You're so good to me. You're too good to me. All these years...you've been taking care of me. You've been the perfect husband...but I can't be your perfect wife. I...I can't give you what you want. I can't give my daughter what she wants. You...You both deserve...better than me."

"Don't you say that!" said Bow. "Don't you ever say that."

"But it's true," said Windy. "It's my fault. It's my fault we..."

"No, it's not," said Bow, not waiting for her to finish. "It is not your fault. It is not your fault."  

He pushed her back slightly and raised her head so he could look upon her face. She forced her sopping eyes open as he raised a hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.  

"Nobody wants this more than you do," Bow said. "Nobody. No woman in the world has ever wanted it more than you...and no woman has ever deserved it more than you. You are the best wife...any man could ever ask for. And you gave me my daughter...my beautiful little Dashie...the best daughter any man could ask for. You've made me so...so happy. I want to make you happy too. I've always wanted to make you happy. I want to give you what you want...no matter what it takes...and if you believe in me...then I know I can do it."

Windy stared into his watery eyes, seeing the burning conviction that lay behind them. "Bow," she said. "I...I do believe in you. I do love you...more than any woman's ever loved her husband...but...this isn't some football game. This is real life. We can try as hard as we can, but...a million to one is...still a million to one. It's...never gonna happen." Windy bowed her head and closed her eyes.

Silence hung over the bedroom for several long moments.  

"Never gonna happen, huh?" said Bow.  

Windy looked up at him, seeing the strikingly stern expression on his face.  

"Is that what you want to teach our daughter?" said Bow.  

Windy's mouth moved, as if to speak, but no words flowed from her lips.  

Bow did not wait. "Is that what you want to tell her...the next time she says she wants to fly with the Wonderbolts?" he said. "'Sorry, Dashie. Odds are you'll never fly with the Wonderbolts, so you shouldn't get your hopes up. In fact, you shouldn't even try.' Is that it?"

Windy saw the anger on his face, even as tears ran down his cheeks.  

Bow slowly shook his head. "Maybe the odds are against her," he said. "Maybe it is a million to one she'll be a Wonderbolt someday...but you know why I tell her she can do it? Because I know deep down...that she's gonna be that one, not the million. I know it! I'm not lying when I tell her that. Are you?"

Windy slowly raised a hand to his face and wiped away his tears with a loving caress. As he felt that touch, felt that soft, warm skin upon his own, his defenses finally crumbled. He clamped his eyes shut to hold back his tears, even as sobs forced their way past his trembling lips. Windy grasped his head with both hands and gently brought it to her own, pressing her forehead against his. She lovingly stroked his cheeks, his neck, and his hair as he cried, his tears eliciting a fresh stream from her own eyes as well.  

"No, Bow," Windy whispered. "It's not a lie. I...I know it."

Bow opened his eyes, looking into hers.  

"I know she's gonna do great things someday," said Windy, a trembling smile on her lips. "I know it in my heart. She's...She's so strong...so confident...so determined."

As Bow's sobs diminished, he smiled back at her. "She takes after her mother," he said.

Windy half-chuckled, half-sobbed at that. Bow quickly followed suit, and in moments, the two were locked in a tight embrace, nuzzling their damp faces together as they laughed. A smattering of loving smooches had been placed on both of their cheeks by the time their mirth subsided.  

Windy looked into Bow's eyes, and her smile faltered. "She wouldn't want this," she said. "She wouldn't want to hear me...talking like this."

Bow's expression grew serious, but not grim. "No," he said. "No, she wouldn't."

"I...I just...want to be a good mother to her," said Windy, lowering her gaze. "I want to be the best mother in the world...for the best daughter in the world...but I...I just can't..."

"Windy," said Bow, "you are the best mother in the world...hands down. I know that...and she knows that too. She loves you, Windy...and she always will...no matter what happens. I will too. But you know who she won't love? She won't love the woman who gives up. She won't love the woman who throws in the towel just 'cause things are looking bleak. She won't love the woman who...sits there and says she's not good enough for her family...because that's not you!

"She knows you. She knows who you really are. That's why she loves you so damn much! Heck, she even wants to be you! She wants to be that strong, brave, fun, caring woman we both know you are...but...she wouldn't want to be you right now. If she were here...she'd tell you what you always tell her. She'd tell you to never give up, no matter how bad things get. She'd tell you that...if you put your mind to it...and you give it everything you've got in you...then you can do anything! You just gotta have faith in yourself...and let other people have faith in you too."

Windy sat there in silence as his words slowly seeped into her heart. Her lips stretched into a small smile, even as a tear ran down her cheek. "Never give up," she said. "I taught her that...but she knows it better than me." She closed her eyes, and slowly shook her head. "How could I be so stupid? How could I forget that? How could I forget...who I am?"

Bow caressed her cheek, and she reflexively nuzzled his hand. "If you're stupid," he said, "then I'm stupid every single day...because I'd be lost without you. Having you in my life...getting to see your beautiful, smiling face every day...that's what I need to keep going. That's what I need to stay on track. You...You help me remember...what my life is all about. You help me remember who I am...and what I want. And you know what I want right now? I want to give my beautiful wife the thing she's been waiting for all these years. I want to see that smile on your face...when you get to be a mother...all over again."

Windy's eyes fluttered open. "I...I want that too," she breathed. "I want that so much. I...I want you to make it happen...and I want to cheer you on while you do...just like the good old days."

They stared into each other's eyes as their lips stretched into smiles.  

"You want it that bad?" said Bow, his voice tinged with a hint of passion.

Windy's reply conveyed more than just a hint of her desires, and was accompanied by an appropriately sultry look. "Yes, sweetie," she said, grasping his head. "I want it bad."

She pulled his head towards herself, diving right into a deep kiss dripping with passion both loving and lustful. Not missing a beat, Bow pressed his lips firmly against hers and joined in the kiss, matching her burning fervor. Their mouths opened, and their tongues came together between them, those two partners eagerly sliding into their familiar dance. Windy quickly closed the album on her lap and set it aside, then snaked her slender arms around his neck and locked his head in a tight embrace, letting him know that he wouldn't be going anywhere. At the same time, his thick, muscular arms wrapped around her middle and held her firmly against himself, letting her know that he had no intention of doing so, not then, not ever.  

The bedroom was filled with the sounds of soft moans, both masculine and feminine, as their kiss grew increasingly heated. Their tongues swirled and twirled together in an intense, yet loving duel, one which neither of them particularly cared about winning. Their antsy hands, spurred on by their pounding hearts, boldly explored each other's flesh, their fingers running through hair, caressing bare skin on neck and shoulders, and stroking the long, downy feathers of wings. Those powerful avian appendages, deceptively compact as they sat folded against their backs, immediately responded to the gentle touches they felt, slowly unfurling themselves to their full extents.  

As soon as those great wings had been loosed, both pairs quickly moved forward, wrapping around the lovers in a gentle wing-hug. A pleasurable shiver ran through both of them as their sensitive feathers rubbed together, and they moaned loudly into each other's mouths. A few seconds later, the two were enveloped in a blanket of soft, warm flesh and fluffy feathers that covered their entire torsos.  

The minutes passed slowly, both man and woman savoring every scrumptious second of their love as if it were a sweet dessert. Their lips eventually parted, moving across each other's faces and necks, leaving trails of kisses as they went. Gradually, they shifted from their upright positions, scooting down the bed a bit and lying back upon it. Bow, with his strong arms, carefully maneuvered his wife's smaller body beneath him, her head coming to rest on the plush pillows. Windy felt the great weight of his muscled body lowered down onto her, gently pressing her into the mattress.  

"Oh, Bow," said Windy in a breathy moan. "Bow!"

Bow nibbled on her ear, pausing for a moment to whisper softly into it. "Windy," he said.

Windy clamped her eyes shut and savored the tickle of his lips and tongue upon her skin. Bow was more than willing to continue those titillating touches, both with his lips, and with his hands, which slowly moved downwards, following the curve of her womanly waist down to her hips. While the slender Windy had historically not had the most overtly feminine physique, her pregnancy had widened her hips considerably, a change that neither of them had been displeased with. Bow squeezed the soft flesh that covered them, as eager as his wife to see those babymaking hips put to work once again.  

Not stopping there, Bow's hands slowly made their way down Windy's thighs, squeezing them gently and caressing her silken skin. Eventually, his hands found the hem of her nightgown, which sat about halfway up her thighs, and quickly slipped beneath it. Windy let loose a shuddering moan as she felt those strong hands moving back up her legs. When Bow felt the fabric of her modest cotton panties beneath his fingertips, he followed it around her hips towards her round, perky bottom. He wasted no time in taking one of those sexy little cheeks in each hand and giving them both a firm, deep squeeze.  

"Oh!" Windy gasped as she felt his strong grip. "Bow! Bow, I...I...I want it. I want it."

"You want it?" said Bow, staring into her half-lidded eyes.  

"I want it!" said Windy.

"What do you want, huh?" said Bow, planting quick kisses on her lips. "What do you want?"

"I...I want...I want you to put a baby in me!" said Windy, squirming restlessly beneath him.  

"You want a baby, Windy?" said Bow, locking lips with her and sharing a brief, yet passionate kiss with her. "I'll give you a baby. I'll give you a baby, alright."

Releasing his wife's pinchable cheeks, Bow quickly reached back up and took hold of the top of her nightgown. Sensing his intentions, Windy released her hold on him, allowing him to yank the straps down her arms. It took several frantic moments for the two to work the nightgown all the way down her body, but after a fair bit of wriggling on both their parts, it was soon wrapped around Windy's ankles. One final flick of her little feet was all it took to send that unwanted obstruction sailing through the air and down onto the floor nearby.  

With his wife's torso bared, Bow immediately dove right into the two beautiful teardrops that hung from it, eagerly nuzzling and kissing those beloved breasts. Windy gasped as she felt the pleasure of his touch upon her sensitive flesh, her body quivering in delight. A steady stream of moans flowed from her lips as Bow continued his ministrations, gently kneading those breasts with his big, strong hands while simultaneously covering them in kisses.  

When it came to her breasts, Windy had always been on the smaller side, a fact that had bothered her when she had been younger. Even with the noticeable boost in size that had come with pregnancy, they still remained a bit below average, although were as perky as the rest of her and perfectly shaped. Bow, on the other hand, had never cared what letters or numbers others might have used to describe those beautiful breasts. In his mind, they were the hottest, most heart-poundingly sexy pair of boobs in all of Equestria, a belief which he demonstrated by taking their pretty pink nipples into his mouth and eagerly suckling them. While the licks of his strong tongue elicited a slew of erotic noises from his wife, they failed to tease any milk from those long-dry taps. As his tongue swirled around those nubs, however, he realized that, if he did his job well that night, he would soon get to taste that creamy goodness yet again.

Meanwhile, Windy laid back and enjoyed the licks and gentle nibbles of her ravenous husband, allowing the pleasure to wash over her like the water of a hot, steamy shower. She bit her lip, but that did not stifle the symphony of whimpers and moans he coaxed from her. Her arms were once again wrapped around his head, holding him closely to her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair. There they remained for a good, long while, until the raging inferno between her legs demanded that the two lovers move on from their appetizer to the main course.  

Releasing Bow's head, Windy grabbed the straps of his tank top and slid them over his shoulders. Without removing his face from those intoxicating tits, Bow reached up and helped her slide his tank top down his torso to his waist. As he pushed it down over his hips, he strategically hooked his thumbs into his boxers as well, taking them along for the ride. It took a bit of squirming, but in no time at all, Bow had worked his clothes down and off of his legs, grabbing them and throwing them down onto the floor to join Windy's nightgown.  

As Bow repositioned himself, getting on his hands and knees above her, Windy was afforded a good, long look at the body of her mate. Even after seven years of marriage, the sight of all of that rippling muscle still made her quiver like a blushing bride. Her eyes eagerly jumped from his huge pectorals to his thick arms to his tree-trunk legs and back again, drinking in the sight of him. His many years of athletic training during his youth had unquestionably had their effect, but so too had his many years of comfortable married life. Windy sometimes worried she was being too good of a housewife to her husband when she saw the noticeable layer of softness that had gradually replaced the hard lines of his abs. He had never been particularly upset about the change though, and neither had she; she had developed a strong appreciation for his dad bod over the years.  

All of this was quickly forgotten, however, as Windy felt a huge, hefty weight flop down onto her belly. Her eyes moved downward slowly, as if afraid to see what was responsible, despite her knowing full well what she would find there. To her non-surprise, she saw, jutting from between her husband's legs like the trunk of an immense tree, a long, thick manhood as unabashedly masculine as every other bit of him. She gulped as she looked upon it, taking in every imposing inch of veiny manmeat that lay upon her soft, vulnerable tummy. Even half-hard, that absolute beast of a cock was almost frighteningly huge, greater in length and girth than any other she had ever seen. Granted, she had never shared a bed with any man but her beloved Bow, so such a comparison might have been meaningless, but she could not imagine that there were that many three-legged men in the world.  

Complementing that fleshy artillery piece was an equally mouthwatering pair of big, heavy cannonballs which rested boldly atop the damp cloth of her panties. She could feel their weight resting on her sensitive flesh, feel the subtle pumping of blood through the thin fabric. She even imagined that she could hear the low churning of liquid as those two reservoirs prepared a big batch of hot, sticky baby batter just for her; she licked her lips at the thought.  

"Windy," spoke a familiar deep voice.

Tearing her eyes away from his impressive package, Windy looked back up into those of her lover. They spoke no words as they gazed into each other's smoldering eyes, but they didn't need to; they could read each other's thoughts as clearly as if they were written upon their faces. They could feel the pounding of each other's hearts and the all-consuming, mind-numbing desire coursing through each other's veins as surely as they felt their own. They knew what they wanted, and they wanted it bad.

"Bow," whispered Windy.

The words had hardly left her lips before her Bow, her husband, her prized stud of a man was on her again, pouncing upon her like the hungry predator that he was. His lips found hers, commencing a wild, sloppy kiss that soon had her moaning in ecstasy. That kiss didn't last long, however, as his lips soon began to move downwards, slowly kissing their way over her chin, down her neck, and down her torso. He paused his descent briefly to place two more deep kisses upon her breasts, one on each nipple, then continued onward, crossing her tummy and making sure to leave a particularly wet kiss upon her belly button as he passed it.  

Before long, he had reached his destination, his lips making contact with soft, white cotton. He looked up at her, allowing her to see the primal, animalistic lust burning in his eyes as he carefully took those panties between his teeth and slowly drew them down. Windy moaned softly as she watched him pull the now-sopping undergarment over her hips and down the length of her slender thighs. Her legs came together as the panties made their way down them, but as soon as that obstructing cloth had slipped over her feet, her legs eagerly parted once more, giving her mate full and complete access to her eager body.  

With a swift jerk of his head, Bow tossed the panties down onto the floor, then turned his attention to the tantalizing flesh they had concealed. His mouth watered as he gazed upon the plump, juicy lips of her womanhood, as well as the delicate little petals that peeked out from between them, leaking their sweet nectar onto her skin. Framing that perfect little pussy was a patch of reddish-orange hair, the same color as that on her head, which had been neatly trimmed into a thin carpet of downy fuzz.  

Letting loose a hungry snarl, Bow dove between Windy's legs, his strong hands spreading them as wide as they could comfortably go. While he may have had the lust of a wild beast fueling him, that raw intensity was tempered by the care and attentiveness of the most loving of husbands, and so, when his lips met hers, they did so like the falling of a mallet upon a great drum: forcefully, but with a controlled, practiced rhythm intended to fill the air with beautiful music.  

That bedroom was indeed filled with sweet, sensual tones as Bow put his lips and tongue to work on his wife's tender flesh, preheating her oven in preparation for the bun he intended to put in it. Long, shuddering moans and little whimpers emanated from Windy's lips, even as she tried in vain to contain them. Her concerns were needless, however; the little girl down the hall slept soundly, and would not wake that night, despite Bow's strong tongue teasing louder and lustier vocalizations from his wife.  

Windy reached down and grasped Bow's head with both hands, pressing him more firmly against herself. Bow needed no additional encouragement, however; he knew what he was doing. After seven long years of marriage, he knew exactly how to tend to his wife's needs, his tongue lapping at her dripping folds and teasing her clit just how he knew she liked. Windy's hips bucked reflexively when she felt that tongue slip between her lips and into her tight, velvety love tunnel, paying just as much attention to her insides as it had to her outsides.  

The two were oblivious to the passage of time as they lay like that, their minds increasingly focused solely on the pleasure they gave and received. While they would have gladly stayed like that for hours, savoring the touch of each other's skin and the sound of each other's moans, their bodies were not so patient. Before long, Bow's tongue attracted the envy of a certain other part of his body, a girthy appendage that grew long and stiff as it yearned to feel Windy's inner walls for itself. Meanwhile, Windy's hips bucked ever more forcefully against Bow's face, her body desperately seeking greater stimulation than even his skillful tongue could provide.  

Eventually, the aching of their loins grew too great to ignore. At some unspoken signal, Bow drew back his head, his moist lips parting from those of his wife with a loud, wet pop. He looked up at her, and she looked down at him, a single silent moment passing between them, like the calm before a storm. That moment soon passed, and the storm of lust that had been gradually building within them finally broke, with predictable results.  

With a growl on his lips and a fire in his eyes, Bow pounced on his mate, throwing himself down on top of her once again. Windy eagerly welcomed the weight of his body, moaning as she felt his hard chest squish against her much softer one. As their hips came together, the turgid shaft of Bow's throbbing, aching cock came to rest on Windy's slick lower lips, and was pressed firmly against that tender flesh by his substantial weight. Pleasurable shivers ran up their spines as they felt their most sensitive spots come together, so close, and yet so far away. They reflexively embraced one another with every available limb, throwing their arms, their wings, and, in Windy's case, their legs around each other, squeezing tightly. With their bodies locked together, and their heads nuzzling each other's necks, it was finally time for Bow to make good on his promise.  

Slowly, Bow's hips drew backward, dragging the length of his cock along with them. Windy whimpered as she felt the firm caress of that stiff flesh on her aching pussy, wordlessly celebrating when she finally felt the large, rounded tip of it glide past her clit and gently press against her lower lips. The meeting of that flesh, the silky-soft and the diamond-hard, made the two quiver in delight and moan softly into each other's ears. They took a moment to catch their breath, then Windy whispered into Bow's ear, her voice as soft and ethereal as a cloud drifting in a gentle breeze.

"Do it," she commanded, and he obeyed, forcing his tip between her lips and through her waiting entrance in one smooth motion.  

The sudden jolts of pleasure that ran though their bodies elicited animalistic grunts from the two, which continued unabated as Bow plunged ever deeper into Windy's depths. He moved slowly, his great battering ram forcing its way through the iron grip of her slick, silken walls one inch at a time. Windy trembled and whimpered beneath him, savoring the incredible sensation of that thick, girthy invader spreading her wide as it moved ever closer to her inner sanctum. It seemed to her to go on forever, that massive tool, and she might have been afraid to take its full length within herself, had she not already done so on countless occasions.  

Bow, too, was conscious of the powerful weapon he was bringing to bear on his beloved's most vulnerable spot. While the clenching of her walls around him filled him with a constant stream of carnal delight, quickly wearing away his self-control, he managed to restrain himself from ramming every inch of his big breeding-stick into her at once. He grunted and moaned like a wild beast as he plunged deeper and deeper, hugging his mate just as needily as she hugged him. It was not until he felt the final inch welcomed into her dripping depths, and felt his hips press firmly against hers, that he was able to let his guard down.

The two lay like that for a few moments, catching their breath and savoring the meeting of lock and key. With their great wings, they hugged each other more tightly, wrapping themselves in a cocoon of warm, fluffy feathers. At the same time, Windy's legs tightened their already-firm hold on Bow's hips. He knew from experience just how strong those deceptively slender legs were, and knew that, locked in their embrace as he was, he would not be pulling out unless she allowed him to, not that he had any intention of doing so.

Windy gulped, then pressed her lips against Bow's ear. "Bow," she whispered. "Bow. G-Give it to me. Give it to me now!"

His body responded automatically to the command of his mate. With a low growl, Bow slowly pulled back his hips, fighting her tight grip as he drew his weapon from its sheath. The rubbing of skin against skin was just as pleasurable for both of them on the way out as it had been on the way in, and coaxed even more deep moans from the two. Their moans died off momentarily when Bow had withdrawn roughly half of his length, then stopped moving, his hips hovering just a few inches above hers. They both took a deep breath, held each other tight, then Bow, with a great thrust, plunged every inch of himself back into Windy's aching pussy in one swift motion.  

The room was immediately filled with a symphony of sounds, the sounds of moans, of grunts, of whimpers, and of whispered obscenities. The electric jolt of that forceful hilting danced across their skin, reaching all the way down to their toes and all the way up to the crowns of their heads. The pleasure was intense, but not nearly enough to satisfy those lustful lovers who, even before it had subsided, were already seeking out more.  

Again, Bow's hips drew back, slowly enough to let the emptiness he left behind ache her heart. That ache was soon replaced by rapturous joy as he reversed course and again slammed himself back inside of her, filling up every inch of her depths. Again and again, they repeated this cycle. Again and again, they felt the pure carnal ecstasy course through them, making their muscles clench and quiver. Again and again, their pleasure flowed from their mouths in the form of lewd vocalizations that only further stoked the fires burning within them.  

They savored the seconds as they slowly ticked by, each one bringing with it new sensation and new pleasure that gradually washed away everything else. Their fears were soon forgotten, as was their sadness, and their insecurities; their minds were wiped clean by a roiling tide of burning lust and intense, unconditional love. They allowed themselves to be swept away, just two souls drowning together in a torrent of their own creation. So too did they surrender their bodies, which clashed together with greater speed and greater ferocity with every climactic thrust.  

"Bow!" moaned Windy as she ran her fingers through his hair. "B-Bow! My...My Bow!"

Bow sloppily kissed her neck as he pounded her pussy, pausing once in a while to return her call. "Windy!" he grunted. "My little...little Windy!"

He moved like a machine, putting the strength of his powerful muscles into every last thrust. He might not have been as young as he once was, middle age creeping up on him at a worrying pace, but he still had enough fire in his belly to keep his beautiful wife squealing with delight. That fire fueled the rapid thrust of his hips, the firm squeezes of his hands on her breasts, and the nibbling of her ear.  

Windy welcomed it, of course; she welcomed anything and everything he threw at her. It satisfied her on a deep, primal level to know that her little body was still capable of inciting such a potent rut-lust in her big, handsome stud. She welcomed it with her bucking hips, her tight squeezes, and, as she had said she would, her voice.  

"Bow!" she moaned loudly. "F-Faster! Give it to me...faster!"

Bow wordlessly obeyed, merely grunting as he accelerated to an even greater pace.  

Windy let out a long, squealing moan, and quivered from head to toe. "Bow!" she said. "Bow, Bow, Bow! Harder! Harder!"

Bow growled long and low as he pushed his body into overdrive, pounding her so hard into their plush cloud-mattress that she almost sank right into it.  

Windy threw back her head and howled like a she-wolf. "Yes!" she moaned. "Yes, Bow! Give it to me! Give it to me!"

The rhythmic slapping of flesh against flesh was thunderous in its intensity.  

Windy dug her (thankfully) short nails into Bow's broad, muscular back. "Give it to me, Bow!" she said. "Give me...Give me a baby! Give me a baby!"

The heady scent of sweat and sex filled their lungs with every heavy breath they took.  

"I'll...I'll give you a baby," Bow growled, pinching one of her nipples between the tips of his large fingers. "I'll give you a baby, alright!"

The waves of pleasure battering Windy's mind grew so frequent and so intense that there was hardly a noticeable ebb and flow to them, just a single, continuous river of ecstasy quickly wearing away the last of her endurance and willpower.  

"Do it, Bow!" Windy cried, her words barely intelligible through her lustful moans. "Do it! Make me...Make me a mommy!"

Her words touched the most primal parts of his psyche, the parts that compelled him to fulfill his duties a man and breed his woman like the broodmother she so desperately wanted to be.  

"I'll make you a mommy!" he growled, embracing her tightly, cleaving to her flesh as dearly as if it were his own.  

So confidently were those words spoken that Windy believed them unquestioningly. She reveled in the thought, knowing that soon, very soon, he would make good on that promise. Soon, he would put her empty womb to work once again. Soon, she would get to feel the heartbeat of another little life growing inside of her. Soon, she would be able to give her husband what he wanted, give her daughter what she wanted, and most importantly, get what she herself wanted more than anything else. She couldn't wait. She couldn't wait one more minute.

"Oh, yes!" Windy moaned, her voice growing louder with every word. "Yes, yes, yes, Bow! Yes! Knock me up, Bow! Knock me up, knock me up, knock me up!"

A thunderous roar of masculine dominance filled the room as Bow, summoning every bit of strength he had left in his overworked body, drew himself back, pulling almost the entire length of his cock out of Windy, and then, with one last herculean thrust, plunged back into her at lightning speed, forcing himself so deeply within her that his tip nearly kissed the entrance to her womb.  

After pushing himself to the limit out of the single-minded desire to breed his needy mate, that final thrust proved to be the straw the broke the camel's back. Bow's will broke like the crumbling of a great dam, and like a dam, it let loose a torrent of climactic proportions. His muscles clenched, his wings quivered, and the two big storage tanks hanging between his legs finally released their precious cargo. He felt it rocketing up his length, and he felt it spew from his tip like a geyser, flooding Windy's little pussy with an ungodly amount of potent, virile seed.  

Windy came as soon as she felt the first drop splatter against her womb. She squeezed him like a vice, both with her arms, her wings, her legs, and the quivering, clenching walls of her pussy. Her toes curled, her eyes clamped shut, and she let out a wail of pure ecstasy that mixed with that of her mate, creating a beautiful harmony of lustful tones.  

The two writhed together as they weathered the mind-blowing pleasure of their long-awaited climax. Bow let loose deep, masculine growls and grunts as he shot burst after sticky burst of his baby batter into his wife, reaching deep and tapping into seemingly inexhaustible reserves that he hadn't even known he had. At the same time, Windy's voice rose and fell in long, wailing moans, each wave of spunk that slammed against her womb bringing with it a wave of pleasure that quickly reduced her a drooling mess.  

They clung to that incredible, spine-tingling moment for as long as it lasted, riding it out together as husband and wife, man and woman, father and mother. Every second seemed to pass as slowly as an hour, every moment packed with precious sensations too numerous and varied to list. They savored every one of those feelings, clinging to them as tightly as they clung to each other, until at last the moment finally slipped through their fingers and was lost to them.

Bow's aching cock, having valiantly pumped Windy full of enough seed to have impregnated her a dozen times over, finally threw in the towel, letting loose one last little spurt before collapsing into the tender embrace of her inner walls. Likewise, Windy's powerful pussy, having milked Bow of every drop he had in him, joined its counterpart in its post-coital relaxation, moving only to quiver reflexively in response to his occasional twitches.  

The two of them laid limply upon the bed, their muscles reduced to jelly and their skin coated in sweat. They listened to the sound of each other's heavy breathing as they enjoyed the fleeting pleasure of their afterglow, savoring its hazy warmth. As their lust-addled minds gradually cleared, and the strength slowly returned to their bodies, they began to gently nuzzle each other's heads. They placed the tiniest of kisses upon each other's cheeks, kisses which trailed across their faces, eventually bringing their lips together once again. Their smooch was lacking in energy, but was brimming with sweet, tender love.  

Their eyes fluttered open, and they stared long at each other, seeing the sparks of happiness, of fulfillment, and of hope that they had kindled within themselves. Their weary lips stretched into gentle smiles, then came together for yet another round of soft smooches. When they had the strength, they unwrapped their arms from each other and reached up to each other's faces, each caressing the other's cheeks as gently as they would the baby they hoped was now growing within Windy's womb.  

After a few blissful minutes of this, they began to feel drowsiness overtake them. It was now late, and the two were weary, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They had done their job; it was now time for them to drift off to sleep together, and dream of what their beautiful baby would look like.  

Bracing his arms against the bed, Bow attempted to push himself up and off of Windy, slowly withdrawing himself from her depths. He had freed about an inch of his length from her grasp when he felt Windy's noodle-like legs, still wrapped weakly around his hips, suddenly stiffen, locking him in place.  

"No!" she whispered, her eyes pleading. "No. Stay."

Bow smiled, then slowly lowered himself back down onto her. An aftershock of pleasure made them shudder as Bow re-hilted himself within her, plugging her up to ensure not a single drop would leak out. He lay on top of Windy, pressing his forehead to hers and staring into her half-lidded eyes. With one hand, he reached up and took one of hers, squeezing it lovingly; with the other, he reached out towards Windy's bedside table, groping for her lamp. His fingers eventually found the switch and flicked it off, plunging the room into darkness.  

They snuggled together, him on top and her below, still wrapped in the warm blanket of their wings. They clasped each other's hands, shared one last smooch, then closed their eyes, flying off to dreamland together.
> A Promise Fulfilled
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bow sat on the edge of his bed, his feet planted firmly on the floor beneath him. He was hunched forward, his arms resting on his thighs and his hands clasped before him, nervously fidgeting. The normally comfortable jeans and t-shirt that covered his body felt to him as tight and restrictive as a straightjacket. His wings, folded against his back, quivered sporadically. His eyes were clamped shut, and his breaths were shallow.  

Suddenly, he raised his head and opened his eyes, looking forward towards the bathroom door. The door was shut tight, letting only a thin sliver of light through the crack at the bottom. He watched that big hunk of dead wood intently, as if expecting it to suddenly spring off its hinges and gallop across the room. When several uneventful moments had passed, he let out a frustrated sigh, then lowered his head again.  

Come on. Come on. Come on.

When he could bear it no longer, he again looked back up at the door, finding it as still and silent as before. Grunting softly, he looked away.  

Come on. She wants this. She needs this. 

His hands clasped one another, his palms pressing together and his fingers threading so tightly that his knuckles turned white.  

Please. Please. She needs this. Please. 

Suddenly, a sound reached his ears which, despite being muffled by the bathroom door, was clearly identifiable as that of a shaky gasp. Bow bolted upright, sitting as still as a statue upon the bed, his wide eyes boring a hole into the door. He dared not move; he dared not think. He barely dared to breathe. The seconds slowly ticked by, each one as long as a lifetime.  

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the door's handle turn, accompanied by a soft click. The door slowly swung inward, one inch at a time, revealing the one who stood behind it.  

He saw her familiar, slender form. He saw the modest shorts and soft shirt that clothed her. He saw her hands hanging at her sides, one of them tightly clutching a small plastic stick about the length of a toothbrush. He saw her bowed head. He saw her trembling lips. He saw her clamped-shut eyes. He saw the tears running down her cheeks.  

The next moment, he was on his feet, and the moment after that, he was standing before her, holding her shoulders firmly.  

"Windy!" he said, his voice trembling. "Windy, I...Y-You...We..."

He stood dumbfounded, staring helplessly down at her weepy face. He wanted to do something; he wanted to say something, but could not conjure even a single sentence. His silence was not helped by the sudden trembling of his lips and the rapid moistening of his eyes.  

He raged silently. He raged at his failures. He raged at his inability to give her what she wanted. He raged at his inability to fulfill his promises. Most of all, he raged at his inability to even comfort her in her time of need.  

He stood there stewing until he could bear it no longer. In one swift motion, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly.  

"Windy," he whispered, fighting through the beginnings of sobs. "Windy." He nuzzled her head, feeling her soft hair upon his skin. "It...It'll be alright. It'll be alright." He didn't know whether those words for her or for himself.  

"Bow," said Windy, her voice soft, yet firm. "Bow."

She leaned back her head to look up at him, and he slowly looked down at her, blinking through his tears. He looked upon her lips, her damp cheeks, and as her eyelids fluttered open, he looked into her eyes, fully expecting to see within them a cold emptiness, something he had seen within them far too many times before.  

The sight of those eyes shook him, therefore, as he saw within those deep wells of purple a bright, burning spark that seemed to cast a warm light upon his face. He had seen that spark before. He had seen it the day she had cheered him on to championship victory. He had seen it the day he had put a ring on her finger. He had seen it the day she had looked upon the face of her daughter for the very first time.  

It was hope, clear, pure, and untainted.  

He was transfixed by her gaze, mesmerized as if by some magic spell. It was not until he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the motion of something beneath her chin that he finally tore his eyes away. He looked down, down at the thing she held up between them, angled so that he could see its surface. Even with his eyes clouded with tears, he could still see the stick she held in her trembling fingers, and see, as clear as the crystal, the two distinct colorful lines that decorated it.  

While his eyes immediately showed him the truth, it took much longer for that truth to sink through his thick skull and into his brain. He looked back up at Windy, then back down at the stick, moving back and forth between them. The two lines upon the stick remained unchanged, no matter how many times he gazed upon them, but every time he looked back at the face of his beloved, beautiful wife, he saw that spark within her eyes grow brighter, and saw her trembling lips stretch wider.

"W...Windy," Bow said.

"Bow," Windy replied, tears streaming down her cheeks.  

"Windy," said Bow, his lips slowly stretching into a smile.  

"Bow!" cried Windy triumphantly.  

Windy leapt up high and threw both her arms and legs around Bow in a full-body hug. He reflexively caught her in his strong arms, holding her up, even as the force of her impact sent him staggering backwards. He did not fall, his stagger instead leading to a spin, which he then continued intentionally. The two of them nuzzled each other as tears ran down the faces and sobs filled the room, sobs mixed with the sound of steadily rising laughter. With every spin, that laughter grew louder and heartier, those two grown adults soon giggling and cackling like a couple of wild schoolchildren.  

They laughed and cried and spun together until they dizzily fell back onto their bed, Bow landing harmlessly on his back with Windy lying on his chest. Their laughter slowly died off as they nuzzled and kissed each other.

They laid like that for a long time, just savoring each other, savoring that moment, and savoring the thought of every moment that would come after. They had been through so much, the two of them, and they would go through much more; they both knew that well. They would face the same troubles and hardships they had faced many times over the years, but they would do so gladly, knowing that they would also get to relive all of those beautiful moments they had thought they would never again get to experience. And best of all, they would get to share those moments with their favorite person in the world, letting her make memories of her own, and seeing the countless smiles on the face of that soon-to-be big sister.  

Truly, there is nothing better in the world than being a parent.