//------------------------------// // Arrival // Story: Strongest Heart // by Nailah //------------------------------// Everything moved by in a blink of an eye. The walls blew past her in a blur. Sterile, white walls zooming past weren’t exactly the thing she wants to be looking at right now. She couldn’t help but smile though, rubbing her very pregnant belly. The butterflies filling her stomach with anxiety and stress. She heard the rattling of wheels of the stretcher she was on, as they rushed her into one of the birthing rooms. Melody Heart looked up and  immediately felt blinded by the bright light above her. Relax, this is just like a performance in Canterlot. “Sweetheart, can you hear me?” asked a panicked voice from beside her. She heard the shuffling of ponies around her, and yet couldn’t place a single one but his.  She barely registered the voice of her husband Train Tracks, she could see him right there, always by her side. Seemed like every time she was in trouble, he was always there for her.  “Train…” Melody managed to mutter. She flinched, eyes lidding tightly shut as a surge of pain swept all throughout her body. Their foal was ready to greet the world, and here she was having anxiety, and being a bundle of nerves. “Ssshhh” Train whispered to her, leaning over her side, and nuzzling her cheek. “You’re gonna do great, just breathe.” Melody beamed with pride, her lips curling upwards into a soft serene smile, her green eyes looking up into his violet gaze. He stood there by her side, ready to comfort her at a moment’s notice. He was always there, and he was her rock through everything. She felt her heart fluttering all over again, full of memories of all the love they shared with each other. “You just breathe, and let me do the talking.” Train Tracks insisted, as he took a hold of her hoof into his, and squeezed it tightly. “Just do this if you need too, okay?” “Okay…” Melody whimpered, and then another jolt shot up her back. She gasped for breath, biting her lips to not scream. As she felt her baby inside of her, wanting to greet the world. Their baby. She lidded her eyes, and basked for just a moment in the memories of how far Train and herself had come. Through all the ups and the downs, Train was always the one thing that kept her believing. And now, she was going to have a foal, one they’d raise together. Side by side, and they’d teach their foal all about the friendship of magic. The nurse entered the room. Melody could tell she was experienced by the calm, and collected smile upon her lips, as she trotted over to her other side, and immediately checked her forehead to get a feel for how she was feeling, before speaking up. “Hello there, my name is Nurse Red Heart and I’ll be handling the delivery. Now tell me, how are you feeling?” asked Red Heart as she looked over at her husband for just a brief moment, acknowledging him there, before returning her attention to her. “I feel like I’m ready,” Melody panted heavily. She visibly flinched, her eyes clasping shut hard and fast as she felt a tremor of pain running all throughout her body. If she wasn’t ready, it wouldn’t matter, their foal was coming.  “Alright, dear, Just need to check a few things and we’ll get started,” Nurse Red Heart instructed her, while briskly walking to the end of the bed, Melody was placed upon. Gently, she helped the pregnant mare to spread out her hindlegs to be in an upright, bent at the knee position. A comfortable and more effective way for the birthing process. Melody Heart had waited for this moment for twelve long months for this very day. This special event where she’d finally meet her foal, the one she was carrying in her belly. Melody felt it, she could feel her foal pushing towards her exit.  Nurse Red Heart washed her hooves, and put on surgical gloves, as well as offering a pair to the stallion present. “Here, you might need these,” Red Heart explained, calmly. She knelt by Melody’s hindquarters, able to just barely see the head of the foal popping out. There was an immediate shriek by Melody, as she bucked up in agony, and pain. Red Heart focused on both the mother and the foal. “Breathe. Take a big deep breath, and then push with all your might. Let’s get this foal out quickly,” Red Heart instructed. Melody heard her, as the shrill of pain lingered throughout her body. However, no matter how much she had to endure, she would for the sake of the foal. Their baby. She took a deep breath in. It was like in that very moment, the whole world was still around her. She thought of the stage in this instance, and how much she had loved to sing. And this was just another performance. Deep breathe in. Hold it. Push. Melody Heart quaked and trembled, as she felt the tremors of shock surging through her as her baby’s head popped out into the open world. She could instantly hear the foal crying. She couldn’t see the foal yet, but just hearing that faint cry, gave her all the strength she’d ever need. She pushed with all her might. Aiming to get her foal out into the world fully, and not just her head. It took more than a few. It took a good few hours, but eventually, their child was out of her womb, and into the forelegs of Nurse Red Heart, and taken to be cleaned and sterilized. “Congratulations, it’s a beautiful, and healthy unicorn mare,” Nurse Red Heart announced as she hurried to put a diaper onto the little one, and handed her to her mother, so she could see her for the first time. The unicorn’s mane was a pure snow white, her fur a deep ocean blue  with deep violet hues, just like her father. “She has your eyes, my love,” Melody cooed softly towards Train, giving him a light nuzzle against his snout, before encouraging him to hold his little filly. Train Tracks beamed wildly, letting out an excited neigh. He immediately reached for the small bundle in his wife’s forelegs, being very careful as he lifted her up. Noticing those big wide violet eyes, they really were just like his. His daughter. He grinned, proud to call her theirs, but realizing quickly, she needed a name. “Love, we should give our baby a name. We can’t just call her baby after all.” Train chuckled, and rolled his eyes, at the mere thought of such a thing. “What are we going to call her?” asked Train, gently hoofing her back to Melody. As much as he would’ve loved to hold her forever, it was important for her to be with her mom in these first beginning moments. Though he’d be right there. Like he always was, as the rock that had always held them together. “Hmm…” Melody pondered aloud. She tilted her head to the side, ever so slightly, as she heard the filly coo, and reach out her forelegs towards her. She looked to her pure white mane. “She’s as pure as snow. Snow!” Melody called out. “We’ll call her Snow.” “Just Snow? We should add something. Something...like heart. Yeah Snow Heart. Do you like it, my love?” “It’s perfect. Snow Heart. Our little unicorn. She’s so beautiful.” “Just like you.” Train retorted playfully, leaning in and kissing his wife, before leaning in to kiss the top of their filly’s mane. Snow Heart was just a foal, she made gurgly noises, and looked at him, seemingly interested in what he was doing, before trying to grab at his snout with her small forelegs. “She already acts like you too.” Train teased his beloved wife, before nuzzling Snow Heart once more.  “I’ll let the two of you be, Celestia knows you don’t need me here right now.” Nurse Redheart said, smiling, as she left the room to give the family time to bond with their little one. After all, a moment like this didn’t happen everyday. There was a lot to do to get ready for Snow Heart’s arrival back to their home in Ponyville, but right now, Melody and Train both nuzzled their little one. At this  moment, time almost felt frozen. The love that radiated from both of them, made Snow giggle, and try to reach out more. She was so small, yet already trying to show what she wanted. She wanted to be close to her daddy, Train Tracks, and Melody couldn’t blame her. Train was the most amazing stallion she had ever known. To think of all those years ago, she had been fleeing from that accident at the tavern, to meeting the love of her life.  Now a new part of their lives was starting, raising their daughter. Teaching her the values and lessons they had learnt over the years. Of course it wouldn’t be easy, but nothing in life ever truly was easy.  “She’s so beautiful.” Train Tracks said, leaning against his wife, and nuzzling her. “She’s just like her mother.” Melody blushed, and tilted her head to the side. She felt a tremor of pain through her body, and gasped for breath, as she squeezed Snow every so gently, clinging to her. She knew her body would need time to recover. She had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl.  Snow Heart stared back at her mother, her big wide eyes lighting up, as she made noises, and continued to reach up towards Train.  Melody reluctantly hoofed her over, she needed to rest. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breathe in, and then slowly exhaled. She repeated the same gesture, a few more times. Just so she could help soothe herself, as she laid there on the stretcher. It had been a long wait for Snow to be born, and she was glad everything had gone well. She knew not all were so lucky, but she felt utterly blessed by the divine beings of Celestia and Luna for gracing her with not only a husband, but a baby too.  The two took Snow Heart home the next day, allowing Melody Heart the rest of the evening to recover from giving birth to their foal. Melody Heart had Snow wrapped in a purple blanket rather than a pink one, as it reminded her of Train, and she cooed at how Train and Snow shared the same eyes. In a way, Snow’s fur was similar to her own, just Snow’s was of a darker shade, like a combination of both of them, into a little bundle of joy. One that would grow up to be a bright mare someday. Melody already knew the moment she saw Snow Heart, that she would accomplish great things, because she had the best parents to show her all she needed to know, in life.