Flash burst into his home at lightning speed, and turned toward the living room. Sure enough, he observed a scene similar to the one almost nine years ago. Except Blaze and Starlight were present.
There was a mess of water down in the hallway, and Rainbow Dash lied on the couch, crying out in pain while Blaze attempted to comfort her.
“Blaze, did you call 911?!” Flash called to him.
Blaze looked up, and nodded furiously. “They said they were on their way!” He responded.
Flash quickly walked over to the kitchen, and picked up the phone. He dialed Soarin’s number, and waited impatiently for the reply.
“This is Soarin, from the Wonderbolts.” Flash heard.
“Soarin? Okay, great! Rainbow Dash is having your foal right now, so if you could meet us in front of the hospital, that would be great!” He exclaimed.
Soarin gasped. “Alright, I’ll see you there!”
And with that, he hung up.
Flash put the phone down, and walked over to Starlight, who was peeking in the room from the corner of the hallway.
“Star, tell me exactly what happened while I was gone.” He ordered.
Quivering, Starlight did as she was told.
“Well…everything was quiet and normal like it usually is, until we heard a splashing noise not far from our rooms. Not long after that, we heard mom screaming, almost as if she was being stabbed or something. We both ran out to see what it was, and saw her leaning up against the wall, grimacing in pain. Blaze led her over to the couch to where she is now, and ran for the phone to call you.”
Flash had a hoof up to his chin, and nodded slowly.
“So what do we do?” She asked.
“There’s nothing we can do until the paramedics arrive.” He answered.
Just then, Blaze called to them from the living room. “Hey guys, they’re here! The EMTs have arrived!”
Flash looked up at him. “Then there’s not a second to lose. Let’s get to the hospital!”
……………………………………
Soarin stood just outside the entrance to the hospital, waiting for Rainbow and Flash to arrive. He wore a saddlebag with words embroidered on it, saying, “Please don’t approach me; I’m here for a reason.”
Soarin looked up, and saw the ambulance roll up in front of the door. The back doors opened, and Flash and Rainbow slowly stepped out. Rainbow was still wincing, trying not to scream again.
Soarin jogged up to the back of the ambulance. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked.
Flash nodded. “Yeah, can you get that wheelchair out from the back?”
“Sure.” He responded as he stepped into the back, and pulled the wheelchair out onto the road.
Flash carefully sat Rainbow down in the chair, and the paramedics came around to wheel her into the building.
……………………………………
The library door creaked open, and Twilight walked inside, showing no emotion at all.
Spike turned around from the couch, and saw her come in.
“Hey Twi, how’d it go?” He asked.
“……I don’t know…” She replied blankly.
Spike looked confused. “Why do you sound like a robot?”
Twilight didn’t reply for a few seconds. Suddenly, she shook her head a couple times to shake off the daze.
“Sorry, it’s just that I took in a lot of information on that trip… Some things I probably shouldn’t have known about.”
Spike raised a brow. “Really, like what?”
“Well, you know that foal I told you Flash and Rainbow were having?”
Spike nodded.
“Well first of all, it’s not Flash’s. It’s Soarin’s.” She said.
Spike’s jaw dropped. “Rainbow Dash would do that?”
Twilight looked off to the side. “Well no, Flash told me she was drunk when she…you know…went with Soarin.”
Spike was still incredibly young, and didn’t exactly know what she meant by that. He gave her a confused look, and mouthed the word ‘What?’
Twilight sighed, then walked over to a corner shelf. She used her magic to levitate a book off the shelf. The book cover read, “Sexual Intercourse 101”.
Twilight walked over to Spike, and showed him the book cover.
“Ooooohhhhh……”
After Twilight walked back over to the shelf and put the book away, Spike spoke.
“Wouldn’t you think being the Element of Loyalty, alcohol wouldn’t be enough to make her cheat on Flash?” He asked.
“I know; that’s exactly what I said! I don’t think her story is the truth, for some reason.” Twilight replied.
Spike shrugged. “You know, we could always be wrong.”
Twilight also shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right.”
……………………………………
An hour later, things weren’t looking good. For some reason, Rainbow Dash was having an extremely difficult time delivering this one.
Flash gripped Rainbow’s hoof with one hoof, and gnawed on the other. It was emotionally driving in negative ways to see her in this condition.
Memories boiled to the surface of his mind about that morning several years ago, when she was found in a similar condition. Blaze and Starlight’s birth was far easier, though.
Soarin stood on the other side of the bed, gripping Rainbow’s other hoof. He was also worried for her.
However, both stallions knew in their hearts that she would be okay. This would all be over soon, and the only problem would be to think of a name.
Blaze and Starlight watched from a little further back. Blaze appeared to be highly uncomfortable, and Starlight was on the verge to pieces. Blaze was ready in case she broke down crying in his arms.
Rainbow’s panting was accelerating, and she screamed again. Starlight flinched at the agonizing sound of her mother’s suffering.
Blaze looked over at her. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. Just think, in about an hour we’re going to have an awesome little brother to hang out with!”
Starlight smiled a little bit, but you could tell she was still in an emotional fix.
“Mom had to go through the same thing with us, and there’s two of us! She’ll be fine, I just know it.”
Starlight wrapped her arms around Blaze, and he comforted her for the remainder of Rainbow’s labor.
A few minutes later, the doctor announced that Rainbow was about halfway done. The rest of the delivery would go easily.
Flash and Soarin breathed a sigh of relief.
Starlight looked up at Blaze. “What’d he say?”
Blaze responded. “He said that mom’s almost done.”
Starlight smiled. “Thank goodness.”
Flash spoke to Rainbow in a hushed, comforting voice. “You’re doing great, just a little more and you’ll be done!”
Flash knew Rainbow heard him, but there was no facial reaction.
……………………………….
About ten more minutes later, the doctor had announced the delivery complete. Rainbow Dash was covered in sweat, and seemed to be very light-headed.
The doctor handed Flash the foal with care.
Flash looked down at the foal. The foal stared back up at him. He started to giggle and flail his hooves around, trying to touch his father.
Or…technically his father.
The foal was cyan, with a greenish tint. His hair was striped with streaks of blue and red. And his horn was barely visible as a tiny stub. A stub which would grow over time.
Flash sighed with admiration. “This is the best déjà-vu I’ll ever receive.”
He started to hand the foal to Rainbow Dash, but found her completely passed out. Flash gently set the foal in Rainbow's hooves. Soarin, Blaze and Starlight crowded around to gaze at Equestria’s newest member.
The doctor pulled Flash aside, and explained that Rainbow will need just a few stitches before she departs. Flash nodded in understanding.
He walked over to the audience huddled around Rainbow Dash.
“Alright, I have some things to say. Rainbow’s going to need to stay here for a little bit longer, so I’m going to stay with her. Soarin, could you take Blaze and Starlight home and babysit them for a while?”
“It would be my pleasure.” He replied happily.
Soarin rounded up the two siblings, and took them home.
“I’m going to teach that little dude SO much about how gunpowder works!” Blaze whispered to Starlight.
Starlight giggled in response.
To be Continued…
Author Notes:
Ta-da! There you have it folks. Comments are intensely encouraged!