Lightning Dust sat on the table, waiting nervously as she kicked her hooves back and forth. Both Shade and Redstreak were waiting in the corner looking just as concerned. For the past two weeks, she had been sick to her stomach to the point where she couldn’t take part in missions anymore. She was throwing up a lot, plus her eating habits were going crazy. On some days, she didn’t want to eat anything but bread and water, while the next she was asking the cooks in the mansion to make enough food to feed six ponies.
Shade finally convinced Lighting Dust to go see a doctor despite her hatred of hospitals and such. Her father came for emotional support as well, feeling just as concerned for her well being. Lighting Dust tried to think of what it was that had been making her feel so... weird. She wasn’t poisoned in any of her missions, or at least what the toxic detecting spells told them. Had a wound she took begun to hurt her internally? Or was it some disease she gained without knowing it? She didn’t know her family's medical history, for obvious reasons, and it made her worry if something in her family genes was affecting her.
Thankfully, all her worries soon left her when the Doctor walked in with a smile on his face. At least it’s not that bad, thought Lighting Dust in her head.
“Well, Lighting Dust, we’ve determined what’s wrong. Congratulations, you are pregnant,” replied the pegasus doctor with a smile.
The room went silent for a while before Lighting Dust replied, “I’m... with... foal?”
“Yup. Everything points to it. Looks like in a few months you are your husband are going to be parents,” replied the doctor.
“That’s wonderful!” shouted Redstreak with his misted eyes. He rushed over to his adopted like daughter and hugged the stunned mare. “I’m so proud of you, Lightning.” He then walked over a stunned Shade. “You too, son!”
“I’m going to be a father?” said Shade. Blinking a few times, he then grew a goofy smile. “I’m going to be a father! I’m going to have a son or daughter! Oh my Celestia, I can’t wait to tell everyone!” He rushed over and kissed Lighting who was still unable to do anything but stare with wide eyes. “Honey, this is... this great... I know we never talked about it, but aren’t you excited?!”
Lightning didn’t know what to say. Oh, she was very excited. And scared. Nervous. Happy. Terrified. Joyful. And ready to burst into tears. However, upon seeing that shining light in the love of her life’s eyes, Lighting Dust couldn’t help but soon smile with tears in her eyes.
“I’m going to be a mommy...” whispered Lighting Dust as she hugged her husband, tears streaming down her face. One of her hooves slowly rubbed her stomach, where the miracle she held inside was slowly growing. She then vowed, right then and there, to be the best parent possible. To never act like her parents did and to love the child regardless of what they did with their lives.
Be it a winner or a loser, I will always love my foal, vowed Lighting Dust.
***
Naturally, everyone in the Shadowbolts were happy for Lighting Dust and Shade. Princess Luna even congratulated them personally while promising maternity leave for Lightning while also throwing a celebration party at HQ. That was nothing, however, compared to the party Redstreak threw at the mansion when they returned. All his servants, cooks, old friends, and neighbors were invited to celebrate Lightning Dust’s joyful achievement. Even Spitfire and Princess Celestia were invited to attend, although the former could only make it as the latter was still dealing with fall out of the cult’s destruction.
However, through all the gift givings, celebrations, and well wishes, Lighting Dust thought about something she hadn’t thought about for a while: her future. For a long time, all she wanted was just some kind of purpose in her life. Something to replace the dream her parents had forced upon her after her sister’s death. Now? Looking back she had achieved so much. She had a new life, new friends, a new family, and a husband she loved with all her heart.
Become a mother was going to be a bigger step then all that she accomplished. Maybe even the biggest thing she could accomplish in her life. Lightning thought about her own mother, whose kindness she couldn't remember that well due to it being replaced with many stern looks and harsh demands after her sister died. There was no doubt that her mother had been a kind mare before, but that was then and this is now.
Lightning Dust sat in her bed, rubbing her stomach as she thought about all the choices she made in life and realized she had to make an even bigger one. One that was not as glamours or glory filled as being a top notch flier or part of a black ops organization, but one that was more important right now then all of them.
“Still up?” asked Shade, rising from his sheets as he nuzzled his wife’s cheek. “Too much cake?”
“No, I’ve been thinking,” replied Lighting with a sigh as she turned to her husband. “I think I’m going... to hand in my resignation tomorrow to Princess Luna.”
“You’re going to quit the Shadowbolts? Why?” asked Shade, tilting his head.
“Because I want to be there for our child,” replied Lighting Dust, looking at her slowly growing stomach. “My mom... she wasn’t there for me after my sister... died... I want to make sure I don’t follow in her hoofsteps.”
“You’re nothing like your mother, Lightning,” replied Shade, kissing her cheek. “You’ll be a great mother. I know you will.”
“I know... but,” she sighed, “I think this is what I really want. I’ve already done enough to make me happy... and I enjoy being with the bolts, I do.” She then turned to him and smiled. “But I think I’ll be even happier raising our foal at home. I want to be there for when he or she makes their first flight. Their first word. Their first meal. Everything they do I want to be a part of them and encourage them to do whatever they want to do. I need to do this. I have to do this. Because this is how I’m going to prove once and for all that I’m not my parents. No, that I’m better than them.”
“... do you want me to quit too?” asked Shade, putting his hoof on her shoulder. “I don’t mind getting a job at the weather factory or something to be with you two.”
“No, you love the Shadowbolts even more than I do. Plus, I think our child would love having a hero to look up to when he or she grows up,” replied Lightning Dust, kissing him on the lips. “Just promise to always come home to us.”
“I won’t leave you. Nothing, not even death, can do that to me,” replied Shade as he slowly hugged her closer and dragged her down for a deep kiss. However, before they could go further, their door was slammed open, making the two yelp as Butter Blue rushed in. The married couple yelped as they covered themselves with their sheets.
“Butter Blue?! What the hay?!” shouted Lightning Dust.
“Lighting, I’m sorry, but it’s the master! He’s not breathing right!” shouted Butter Blue with terror in her eyes.
“W-what?! What do you mean?!” asked Lighting Dust.
“I mean he’s having problems breathing. We’ve already sent for a doctor, but he’s coughing like he can barely get any air,” replied Butter Blue.
Lightning Dust was already out of bed and flying down the halls towards her father’s room. The other maids were crowded, but quickly made room for Lighting Dust as she pushed them aside. She nearly froze in place upon seeing her father, gasping for air as some of the maids tried to hold him still on his bed. He was slowly turning blue and looked ready to pass out. The worst of it, however, was the small trickle of blood that she saw pouring out of his lips.
“Dad!” shouted Lighting Dust as she rushed to his side, rubbing his back as he tried to say something, but only coughed and hacked in return. “Just hold on! Get the doctor here now!”
***
“Tuberculosis...” Lightning repeated what the doctor said. She almost fell on her side if not for Shade holding her shoulders. She felt like the entire world just suddenly went gray as her father’s personal Doctor nodded his head.
“It’s been developing for years. Once you get it, you always have it,” claimed the Doctor. “We’ve tried treatments, but it's gotten worse over the years and it looks like his age has finally caught up with him. He doesn’t have long. Maybe two or so years at most before his body can’t handle it anymore.”
That was just a nicer way of saying her father was going to die and she couldn’t do anything about it.
“Why didn’t he tell me?” asked Lighting Dust, feeling some anger but soon it dispersed with despair.
“My guess is he didn’t want you to worry,” replied the doctor before turning to the door where her father was sleeping with an air breather. “I’ll stay here for the night to make sure he’s okay, but tomorrow we need to take him to my office to get him checked.”
“I’ll show you to your room,” replied one of the maids as he followed her.
Shade slowly turned Lighting’s head to face him as he asked softly, “You okay?”
Lighting Dust closed her eyes and finally allowed the tears she had been holding in to fall. Falling into her husband’s chest, she wept.