It was the hottest day of the year.
Being the hottest season, summer's immense heat was no surprise to anypony. But even this day seemed unnatural for summertime. The heat wave had continued for nearly a week and finally reached its peak today. Ponies continued their daily routine as they always did, struggling to avoid falling to the intense sun. Some drank directly from the river to stay hydrated while others prayed for rainfall for themselves and their crops. Other simply cursed the sun beneath their breath and did their best to ignore it.
However, for one pony, it would be remembered as one of the best days of her life.
Lying in a modest cot, surrounded by her husband and a team of midwives, was a very tired alicorn mare. And she was about to give birth.
The pregnancy had been planned, though it still occurred earlier than expected. She was fortunate that it'd been a mostly normal one, with the typical sickness, aches, and strange cravings. However, in the final month, it'd become more difficult on her, to the point she couldn't get adequate sleep due to the pain, which became continuous. She was relieved the pregnancy was soon to be over, and excited to meet her foal, but also scared. Her husband held her hoof, offering silent support while trying to put on a brave face for her. Neither knew what the gender of their foal would be nor did they have any particular hope. They did know this foal would be their only one. They were happy they'd finally be parents, but they had no intention of having a second foal. Mostly because just an ordinary pregnancy was awful.
She felt another strong contraction and instinctively held her husband's hoof tighter. At the command of one of the midwives, she began to push, pacing herself as best she could. Unpleasant would be a minor word to describe it, but the upside was the birth was proving to be fairly simple. A few strong pushes at a time, one final one with all her strength, and their foal slipped out in a few minutes. Her cry almost immediately filled the room, and the midwives dried and wrapped the newborn in a blanket. The new mother rested her head on her pillow, but she didn't sleep just yet. She wanted to hold her baby first.
Carefully, the midwife who'd taken the foal passed her to her mother. As if she knew she was in her mother's hooves, the foal quieted. Like her parents, she was also an alicorn. Her coat was a bright white color, matching her mother's shade, but her mane and tail were a bright pink shade rather than her mother's scarlet red. She opened her eyes halfway for a second, but it was long enough for her parents to see they were a deeper pink shade, again in contrast to her mother's red irises that matched her own mane and tail. Of course, her appearance didn't matter. The couple loved their new child instantly and without thought.
"Hello, Celestia, our sweet baby girl."