It had been several weeks since Tirek had been condemned to the Lake of Fire for eternal punishment, and there was still major repairs to be done. It was such a massive attack on Equestria for many moons, so it was still going to be a long time before anything would return to normal. As for Apple Bloom and her husband, everything was really putting on smiles, well, two of them at least. She had already mentioned to Twilight and Spike about the best news ever, she was told by her clinic that she was pregnant, she had also told all the others, but she was willing to wait until the time was right to tell her husband the good news. And this day would be the day, she was standing in the hallway of Canterlot Castle hidden in the shadows by a pillar.
She was waiting for the guards to return with Twilight from a long meeting in place, this meeting was a reprise one. It was with the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, the one they were supposed to have the day they were attacked. But now that it was officially done with, it was time for Twilight to be brought back to Canterlot. The stun silence was soon interrupted by the sound of the doors entering into the castle pry open.
There at the foot of the doorway stood Princess Twilight with Nathan on her left, Zodiac on her right, and a massive guard escort. She was greeted by one of the head guards who leaned a hoof and bowed to her in respect.
"Princess Twilight, are you all right?" he asked.
"Yes, thanks to our best allies, they reformed Chrysalis and Thunder Clash. But, Lord Tirek was unable to accept anything once again." said Twilight.
"Lord Tirek was a runner and a monster as he always was, he was a coward."
"But with him being condemned to eternal punishment, his reign of terror will be passed on. And I assure you the Equestrian senate will vote to continue to protect us all, as long as his evilness is alive."
"Then the Equestrian Council will make the prevention of the spread of his evilness our highest priority."
Then they were escorted into the castle with Nathan and Zodiac beside Spike now.
"The Equestrian Council cannot thank your world enough." said a senator who was walking with them.
"Thank you senator Whistles." said Nathan, "But the fighting and protection shall resume until Tirek's spread of tyranny has melted like snow."
"That is why we must be on our guard." said Zodiac.
"Who knows what other creature could inherit it."
"Well, I will do everything I can in the senate." said senator Whistles.
As they walked, Apple Bloom stood in the shadows waiting and watching them from there. Nathan could soon sense that she was there beside them.
"Excuse me." he said
"Yes sir." said Whistles and Zodiac as they went on, Nathan then ran over to Apple Bloom and embraced her, then they kissed on the lips.
"Oh Nathan." she said with a sigh of relief to see her husband okay, then they gave each other another embrace.
"Ah've missed you Bloomy." he said.
"There were whispers that you've been killed."
"Ah'm all right." Nathan said with a smile, "It feels like we've been apart for a lifetime. And Ah' might've been if Aunt Twilight hadn't been murdered, Ah' don't think that would've ever brought us back from the Badland sieges."
Just as Nate was about to bring her into another loving embrace, Apple Bloom took a quick step back.
"Wait here?"
"Yes here." Nathan answered, "Ah'm tired of all this deception, Ah' don't want any aggressive creature knowing we're married. What with Tirek's spread of tyranny......"
"Nathan, don't say things like that." Apple Bloom said, then they shared another embrace, Nathan then felt her shake.
"Are you all right, you're tremblin', what's goin' on?"
Apple Bloom looked up right into his face and gave a warm smile.
"Somethin' wonderful has happened, Nathan, Ah'm pregnant."
Nathan was never quick enough to fully understand what his wife had just said. His smile soon changed to a frown of fear, he had never would've known a day like this would happen.
"Um.....that's......." Nathan was now trembling himself.
"That's......."
"That's w....that's wonderful." he said finishing his sentence in an apprehensive way.
"What are we gonna do?" Apple Bloom asked.
"We ain't gonna worry about anything right now, all right?"
"This is a happy moment, the happiest moment of mah' life."
Then they embraced one more time and shared another kiss on the lips.
....Later that evening....
At the Cadenza household, Nathan and Apple Bloom were standing on the balcony of their top floor condo. Nate stood by the edge of the wall that led out into it, he kept a small smile on his face as he watched Apple Bloom. She stood right on the edge of the balcony gently combing her undone mane with a brush, she was in a gorgeous nightgown. She was faced away from him though, as she stroked and watched the ponies from below walking towards their homes.
"Nathan, Ah' wanna have our baby back home in Ponyville." she said as she kept brushing her mane, "We can go to the side country where nopony will know, where we can be safe."
She then turned to face him, "Ah' can go early and fix up the baby's room, Ah' know the perfect spot. Sweet Apple Acres, right by the orchards."
"You're so....beautiful." said Nate.
"It's only because Ah'm still in love."
"No, it's because Ah'm still in love with you."
"So love has blinded ya'?"
"No." Nathan said with a chuckle, "That's not what Ah' meant."
"But it's probably true."
....NATHAN'S DREAM....
The sound of the baby crying as it was being born overwhelmed Apple Bloom as she screamed in pain, dying from the effects."
"NATHAN, HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Nathan had woken up, drenched in sweat, he looked over at Apple Bloom who was still asleep. Nate undid himself from the bed covers and buried his face in his hooves, putting on a robe and slippers and walking out of the bedroom. Apple Bloom woke up to see him walking out into their living room. She then got out and followed him to see what all it was with him.