//------------------------------//
// 2 Family Planning 
// Story: Alternate Beginnings: Year Three 
// by Doug Graves 
//------------------------------//

January 15th, 995

Doug sighs as he sets down his pencil. Another day of work complete; for most pegasi, crafting a weather schedule is tedious work that hurts their brain, with too many variables and things to consider. Too many pieces interacting with each other, and too many requests to change one of those variables with no consideration to how it will affect the rest of the system. Doug, however, thrives on the complexity; he doesn't really care for the last minute requests, but still tries to accommodate the farmponies. It's part of the reason that so many of the towns hired his 'Cold Digger' persona to create their weather schedules for them, leaving the weather ponies in those towns or cities to work the weather, their true love.

Doug doesn't mind, and the pay is good, but it does take him away from his family. At least he can work from home, and set his own hours. He looks out of his office; Applejack and Pinkie Pie are happily playing with Apple Bloom, bouncing a ball between the three. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are playing some card game; it looks to be the memorization or recall game he taught them, based on how closely Rainbow and Scootaloo are staring at the cards. Fluttershy is in the kitchen, cleaning up dinner now that everypony has eaten. Many of her animals are hibernating or have flown south, and the remainder are welcome to stay in the farmhouse when the pegasus stays here instead of her cottage.

Doug sighs as he goes back to the papers in front of him. Might as well get a head start on tomorrow's work; many are reports from the surrounding areas, letting him know how well the schedules he crafts are working. There are far fewer hiccups this year than last winter, his first winter as scheduler. Other letters are complaints, generally from Manehatten, or compliments, from most other areas; these letters, while nice, are generally less informative than the reports, but still appreciated.

A nuzzle near Doug's elbow draws his attention away from the papers; he smiles as he turns, lifting his arm and allowing Rainbow to poke her head next to him and take a look at the papers on the desk. She rolls her head as he scratches her ears, smiling up at him. Doug says, "Did I ever thank you for helping me out with all this? And finding this job in the first place?"

Rainbow pushes her head against his hand, "Only every time you get me in here. Speaking of, some of the rest of the herd wants to talk this evening." She coos as he begins rubbing behind one ear, though she grunts when his hand briefly leaves her head.

Doug picks up the next letter, opening it as he asks, "Right now or just tonight?"

Rainbow turns her head, looking outside the room. "Um, I think soon. Sounds like they're giving the foals a bath right now, so after that." She turns, hopping into Doug's lap and cuddling up next to him as he continues making notes and opening letters.

Several minutes later, Fluttershy sticks her head in the doorway, "Um, Rainbow and Doug? You busy?" Rainbow gives a quiet whine as Doug shifts his body, though smiles as his arms grip her, squeezing her barrel before giving her a soft push. She hops off his lap as Applejack and Pinkie Pie walk into the room.

Applejack starts, "Doug, this may come as no surprise to you, but Pinkie Pie wants to have a foal this year."

Doug nods, "Yup, figured that would happen." He turns, looking at Pinkie Pie, "I'm curious, I could have sworn you were interested in having a foal last year, before your heat started. Why didn't you want to join the herd early enough then?"

Pinkie Pie shrugs, "Oh, Spoiled Rich didn't want me to join to see if you just wanted me to join because you wanted more mares to have foals with, or if you liked me for me."

Doug stares at Pinkie Pie for a moment before a flat, "Really," escapes his lips.

Rainbow Dash puts a hoof on her forehead, "Um, Pinkie, I don't think you were supposed to tell him that."

Pinkie Pie brings her hooves up to her shoulders, "What? But he passed, he was fine with it." She starts counting on her hooves, "It's not a surprise that I'm spoiling, and she didn't ask me to keep it a secret." Pinkie Pie throws her hooves into the air, looking around at the other mares in the room, "She just didn't want me to tell him during the test, and he passed!" 

Doug shakes his head, "Man, I thought we were done with all of that nonsense."

Rainbow looks from side to side, "Well, it might kinda sorta be my fault on that. I might have agreed to it back when I went to her mansion last year." Rainbow moves over, a sad look in her eyes, as she raises her hooves. Doug smiles at Rainbow, raising his arms and inviting her over with his head. Rainbow smiles, moving over and embracing Doug. As she settles against him, she breathes out, saying, "Oh pony, it feels good to let that out. I hate having to keep secrets from you."

Doug scratches her head, saying, "I believe that. Any other secrets I should know about?"

Rainbow pushes back enough to put a hoof on her chin, "Hmm. Can't think of anything. You girls?"

Each mare shakes their head, Doug saying, "Well, know that you can tell me anything. Speaking of secrets, we probably want to tell Princess Celestia about this." Rarity walks into the room, placing curlers into her damp mane. Doug continues, "Do we know what exactly she is trying to figure out?"

The mares look at each other before Rarity adds, "Well, from what Princess Celestia explained to me, she is trying to figure out how you got us pregnant. What with being a different species, and having no magic. She's hoping that by researching and figuring that out she will be able to use those results to allow her, or more likely Princess Cadance, to have foals of their own. In the past, any union the Princesses attempted were... halted, and Princess Celestia suspects it has to do with their alicorn magic interacting with non-alicorn magic."

Doug nods, "Well, I can get behind that." He winks at Pinkie, who winks back at him. "Should we just write her a letter, or?"

Applejack coughs, "Well, we might need to tell her about one more."

Doug raises an eyebrow, "Oh?" as he looks between Applejack and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy shakes her head, hiding behind her mane as Applejack says, "Well, Ah wanted to have another foal." Doug watches pensively as she continues, "Ah just, Ah love you, Doug, and Ah want to show you that love. And Ah've seen how you take care of Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Ah think you make an excellent sire, and Ah'm glad to be going through this with you." She pauses before saying, slightly downcast, "And if Ah'm being completely honest here, Ah'm also doing it to spite Spoiled Rich, rub it in her face a little."

Doug laughs, saying, "Well, I can understand that. Applejack, you... well, you probably know how happy that makes me."

Applejack nods, moving forward. Rainbow moves to the side as Applejack steps up, sharing a kiss as Pinkie Pie walks behind her. Pinkie steps up next, sharing a kiss as well. Doug looks over at her, "Pinkie, I'm glad you are comfortable with this as well." Pinkie Pie nods as Fluttershy and Rarity sit next to each other, smiling at the three. Doug looks at Rainbow, saying, "Rainbow? You reconsidered yet?"

Rainbow shakes her head, "Still going to hold off. Maybe if Scootaloo was doing better, but I really want to get back to flying competitively. I think I'm going to stop taking on the extra shifts, too; it's cutting into my training too much, and we don't need the bits as much as before."

Rarity adds, "I agree; to be perfectly honest, I think we should stop the extra hospital visits for the foals. We haven't noticed any change, and they don't have any ideas for what we can do to make things better. It's just been us three coming up with training plans."

Doug considers, "Well, you three are the ones dealing with it more than me, I'm happy to take that recommendation. Rarity, you holding off this coming season as well?" Rarity nods and Doug turns to Fluttershy, "And you, 'Shy? How are you doing?"

Fluttershy comes out from behind her mane a little, "Oh, um, I... I don't know. I want to have a foal, but I think that three foals at a time is too many."

Doug smiles at each mare, "Well, three at once is a little much, I agree." He picks up a quill and parchment, speaking as he writes, 

'Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance, Applejack and Pinkie Pie are planning on having a foal this year. We estimate their heats will start in late February, so we are tentatively scheduling their conception on March 3rd. We will let you know if our plans change. Hope for the best, Doug and the Mares of Herd Apple'

He looks at the letter in his hands, "Hmm. Do you think I should include their full titles?"

Applejack shakes her head, "Ah think you should have put 'Mares of Herd Apple' first on the signature line."

Doug thrusts the paper and quill at Applejack, "Well, just put your mark above my name or something." He smirks as Applejack sighs, dabbing ink on her hoof and placing an ink horseshoe above and on top of Doug's name. 

Rarity giggles as Applejack looks around the room, waiting for somepony else to help take the ink off her hoof. The farmpony says, "What? What did Ah do? Ah just put my mark!"

Rainbow Dash smirks, "You signed the paper like a celebrity, doofus, right on top of the letter, the thing you are signing? That's for, like, the Wonderbolts and Princesses."

Rarity adds, "Or stuck up noble-ponies. Oh, dear Applejack, I never knew!" She swoons, a hoof going to her forehead as she looks up at the ceiling, "Think of all the dresses that we can make together, now that you've finally embraced the noble lifestyle of the nobles!"

Applejack quails, "No! Ah didn't mean it!" She swipes at the letter, Doug pulling it away just in time. She sets her hoof on the floor, chasing after Doug as he darts outside the room, a trail of single hoofprints leading towards the kitchen. Applejack can be heard yelling, "Give it here! Now! Ah said git!" as Rarity takes a towel and a bottle of ink remover, cleaning up the trail as sounds of wrestling can be heard from the kitchen.