Octavia was dreaming that she and Vinyl Scratch and a little grey filly with a curly turquoise mane were playing in a field. The filly, which Octavia assumed was their own, Was levitating a rubber ball in a wobbly cloud of dark blue magic, and Vinyl Scratch was clapping her hooves and praising her talent.
Then, a large and oddly polka-dotted pegasus flew down and began poking Octavia in the ribs.
"Tavi?" It poked her again. "Tavi, Tavi, Tavi."
"Tavi, wake up," Vinyl Scratch said urgently. "You gotta wake up, I think the foal is coming."
Octavia's eyes snapped open. "Oh, it's you. I was having this dream..."
"Tav-- Ooh!-- I would love to hear about your dream, but we need to go to the hospital. Somepony wants to-- Oh, my Celestia-- get out." Vinyl's eyes were wide, she looked half panicked and half pained.
"Oh, my Celestia, I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Let's go!" Octavia was up in an instant, throwing on her coat and rushing out to hail a taxi before Vinyl could even get out of bed. A moment later she was back, helping Vinyl to into the hired carriage and then jumping in herself. "Canterlot General!" She said urgently. "And go as fast as you can."
The driver, an olive green earth pony with an orange and brown mane, nodded and set off at full gallop. In less then ten minutes, they'd reached the door of the maternity ward, and Octavia had ushered Vinyl in in a cloud of dust, almost forgetting to pay the taxi driver.
Octavia paced the little waiting room nervously, unable to stop worrying. She'd been there for hours now, and each second gave her more time to think up new reasons and ways for her filly to be in danger.
A light pink mare in a white nurse's uniform pushed open the door and Octavia jumped up.
The nurse smiled gently. "You're marefriend's in there right now, isn't she?"
Octavia nodded. "It's Vinyl Scratch. Do you know if everything's alright?"
"Oh, yes. The filly should be born any minute now." The nurse walked over to Octavia and patted her hoof gently. "I'll tell you what I just told Vinyl a second ago. I said, 'Don't you worry, little mama, everything's going to be just fine.' That's what I said, and I know it's true. Good luck, Ma'am."
Octavia was calmed slightly by the nurse's words, but she still paced the room nervously, pupils shrunk to the size of pinheads. "Oh, Celestia, if anything happens to either of them, I don't know what I'll do," Octavia muttered to herself, still pacing. She was well aware that she must look a dreadful mess, she hadn't had time to comb her mane before they left. But at this point leaving to use the restroom's mirror to fix it would probably mean that she would miss the filly's birth, so Octavia left it.
The nurse hurried out again, looking excited. "Dr. Surehoof says you can come in now. The foal should be out any second now!"
Octavia followed the nurse down the hallway, arriving at Vinyl's room just in time to see a tiny, light grey head with a bedraggled blue mane pop out. seconds later the rest of the filly flew out as well, and its weak, piercing shrieks filled the room. Tears sprang into Octavia's eyes as she rushed to the exhausted Vinyl Scratch's side.
Vinyl opened her eyes and focused on Octavia, a tiny smile on her damp face. "I did it," she said quietly. "I really did it."
Octavia kissed her cheek, still crying. "You did it, Sweetheart, and I'm terribly proud of you. She's absolutely beautiful."
Dr, Surehoof stood by, smiling. "You did absolutely marvelously, Vinyl. But I'm afraid you need your rest. Octavia, I'm afraid we have to keep her until tonight, but this evening you can all go home to celebrate. I promise."
Octavia kissed Vinyl one more time. "I'm sorry I have to go, Vinyl. I'll see you tonight, alright? I love you."
Vinyl looked ready to pass out. In fact, she barely managed to mutter, "Love you too," before sleep overtook her, leaving the nurse to gently pick up the little grey filly and smile to Dr. Surehoof.
"I'll never get over how wonderful it is to see all the new parents. They're always so happy, it just makes me smile." She observed quietly.
"Indeed, Silver Heart. This is an excellent job to have," Dr. Surehoof replied. She herself had never had foals, but she'd witnessed many being born, and each one moved her, despite the familiarity.
Octavia felt like jumping for joy. Or climbing onto the roof and shouting to the whole of Canterlot, "I'm a Mother! I have a filly!" Or something along those lines. Or perhaps calling everypony she'd ever met to tell them the good news.
But she didn't do any of those things. Instead, she went straight home to her cello and began to play the most beautiful peace she knew, making the very wood of the house she lived in resonate with her happiness.
True, most ponies had better ways to celebrate. But calling everypony to tell them seemed as though it would dim the glow of the moment, and Octavia wanted to relish it while she could. It seemed the right thing to do.
So she tried her best to put the warm glow she felt inside herself into the music, and she played all morning, stopping only to eat a quick bite of lunch, and well into the afternoon.
Then she decided that she'd had enough. It was time to pick up Vinyl and their filly. Goodness, they hadn't even thought of a name. Octavia vaguely remembered searching through a name book, but nothing seemed to stick and Vinyl seemed content with simply calling her 'filly', at least before she was born.
Octavia commuted to the Canterlot General Hospital by hoof this time. There really wasn't a rush, and this not-quite-winter weather was pleasant for walking.
Vinyl was sitting up this time, looking much more refreshed then the last time Octavia had seen her.
"Hey. Octy," She said casually, looking up from a magazine given her by the nurse. "You here to take me an' junior home?"
"Junior? Isn't that a colt's name?" Octavia asked, confused.
"Is it? I thought it was just sort of something you call foals. Like when you don't have a name for them yet."
"Oh, well. Can you walk, or shall we call a cab again?" Octavia looked concerned.
"Aw, I'm fine," Vinyl slid out of bed onto her hooves to prove it, then winced, looking sheepish. "Ooh! Hehe, maybe the cab is a good idea, after all."
"I thought so."
The two mares waited in silence while the nurse hurried off to fetch their filly. When she came back, Octavia was given the little bundle of fur in a pink blanket, which she took carefully before walking to the front desk with Vinyl to ask for a cab.
Soon enough they were home. Vinyl and Octavia stood looking at the filly, who was fast asleep in her crib, with awed looks on their faces.
"I can't believe we made that," Vinyl said finally, breaking the silence.
"Me either," Octavia answered, never taking her eyes off the sleeping filly. "What do you think we should name her?"
"How about 'The Most Amazing and Adorable Filly in Equestria'?" Vinyl asked thoughtfully.
"It suits her perfectly," Octavia agreed. "But, don't you think it's a bit long?"
"Nope."
"I love you, Vinyl." Octavia leaned her head into the crook of Vinyl's neck, closing her eyes.
"I love you too, Octy. You're gonna be the best mom ever."
"Heh. So're you."