Applejack was working in the greenhouse on the farm the day that Thunderlane found the apples.
“Right on the outskirts of Appleloosa. Couldn’t believe it. We’ve gone over that ground before. But with the storms lately a lot of debris has shifted. The tree was unsalvageable, but I flipped it over and there they were.”
Everypony pressed close around the work table upon which he’d reverently presented two small but healthy looking gala apples. They all stared at AJ and she just stared at the apples. Once, they had been her life’s work. How long had it been? They were coming up on two years.
“AJ?” She gave a start when Shining Armor touched her shoulder. Looked around at everypony’s wondering eyes.
“Well, first things first. Let’s check out the seeds.” Very carefully she cut open each apple, nose twitching slightly at the sweet scent of the juice. When the seeds were exposed, looking wholesome and intact, she smiled. Everypony started shifting, chattering, smiling back, as a current of shared excitement coursed through them. Applejack separated the seeds into two portions and slid them into small envelopes. She put one aside for planting. The second one she handed to Shining.
“Those are for the yaks.”
Shining grinned as he pocketed the envelope. “You’re a helluva diplomat, AJ.”
She beamed fondly at the group of volunteers around her. “I can slice them thin enough that each one of you gets a piece. Including Equestria’s best little scavenger, here.” She slugged Thunderlane’s shoulder.
“No, no, Applejack,” he responded magnanimously. “You take my slice. You need it more than I do.” He reached out to rub AJ’s rounded belly fondly, as all the Wonderbolts had taken to doing since she started to show a couple months ago. It was good luck, Misty Fly had informed her. (To which Fleetfoot had added “You’re like our own walking fertility symbol!”) She rolled her eyes and grumbled good-naturedly but she understood. Few new foals were born nowadays. Hers and Soarin’s wasn’t the first, but as the foal of an Element Bearer and a Wonderbolt, it was understandably the source of a lot of hope and excitement.
She lingered around a while after the rest went home for the day. After a period of extreme fatigue early in her pregnancy her energy level had bounced back tremendously and she always looked for ways to take advantage while it lasted. She started moving some large planters back into the greenhouse, but had only been at it for a few minutes when Soarin arrived, still in his flight suit, having detoured on his way back to HQ.
“Howdy, Sugarcube.” AJ blew a loose tendril of her mane out of her eyes.
“Howdy yourself. What’s going on here?” Soarin kissed her nose while simultaneously rolling the planter away from her.
“I’m working, Sugarcube.” Her voice said ‘Sugarcube’ but her tone suggested otherwise.
“This can’t wait for somepony else? Never mind, I’m here now.” He cheerfully tugged the hood of the uniform down and started pushing the planter along into the greenhouse.
“I know my own limits, Soarin. And you heard Dr. Spring Flight himself say that it was fine if I.... overprotective much?” Soarin had produced a chair and was gently easing her toward it.
“C’mon, let me take care of it for you! You know I love to spoil you. And it’s not like I can whisk you off to Prance or anything like that.”
Applejack heaved a sigh. “Vanhoover.” She said after a moment.
“Vanhoover?” He paused and cocked his head at her.
“Eeyup. My Mama had a calendar once, all pictures of the woods up that way. Like something from a storybook. Always wanted to see that.”
“Huh. You know, I’ve been there a dozen times with the Wonderbolts? Never went to the woods, though. Well, that settles it - someday when this is all over I’m taking you to Vanhoover.”
“Taking us,” she reminded him, pointing at her bump.
“That’s right. We’re all three going to Vanhoover.” He leaned over to give her belly a big smooch.
After he finished moving and storing everything to her satisfaction, Applejack showed him her apple slice, which she’d saved for Scootaloo. “Can you believe it? I’m not a pony who believes in miracles but this sure is something. I’m going to be growing apples!”
“Do you think it’s from one of your cousin’s trees?”
She smiled wistfully. “Sure as shootin’.”
Soarin stroked her cheeks softly. “You look prettier than ever, you know that?”
“You look pretty cute yourself in that flight suit,” she responded with a predatory glint in her eye. “Have I ever told you there’s spots in here where no one can see in from the outside?”
“You haven’t. But I would very much like to see that.”
Applejack snapped her tail against Soarin’s flank as her helped her from her chair and she led him toward the back of the greenhouse. “I told you my energy’s back.”
“Believe me, I’ve noticed!” He trotted after her gleefully.
“Hope you didn’t wear yourself out moving those planters.”
“Not a chance, babe.”
Spitfire grounded Soarin a week before Applejack’s due date, but they didn’t have long to wait. Applejack went into labor early in the morning of the first day, refused, characteristically, to go to the clinic until she was good and ready, and delivered their foal just before Luna raised the moon.
Scootaloo cheered when Lyra smilingly announced “It’s a filly!” and used her magic to gently lift the little blue furred, blond maned Pegasus into Applejack’s hooves. Soarin gathered all four of them into a tight embrace with his wings as he kissed his wife and new daughter again and again and repeated “I love you, I love you,” in a voice thick with emotion.
Applejack had wondered if she might cry when the time came but found herself laughing with sheer elation. She cradled her small foal close, felt the quick beat of her heart, the tickle of her little feathers. She nuzzled her and inhaled the smell of her head. “Don’t cry, Sugarcube - Mama’s here! Oh , Soarin - she’s perfect!”
“Look at her sweet freckles!”
“She’s just like both of us!”
“I’m so proud of you, Jackie!”
When the Wonderbolts returned to base that night they were greeted by the sparkling “It’s a filly!” sign that Dr. Whooves had rigged up for them. The crisp evening air filled with whoops and cheers of excitement as most of them proceeded directly to the hospital without even bothering to remove their flight suits.
It had long been agreed upon that Rainbow Dash would have the honor of being the first to hold the new foal. The other bolts crowded inside the room beamed at her as she sat trembling at the side of AJ’s bed.
“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said as she placed her newborn daughter in her best friends hooves. “This is Harmony.”
Rainbow Dash promptly burst into tears, clutching the small bundle close. “Am... am I doing this right?”
“You’re doing fine, Sugarcube.”
“She’s so tiny! And, and so cute! Look at her little fur! Her little mouth! Her little nose! Is she an Earth pony or a Pegasus?”
“See for yourself, hun.”
Rainbow gently turned aside the blanket. “LOOK AT HER LITTLE WINGS! Oh my Celestia, I love her. I love her so much. AJ, Soarin, I love you both too. I’m so happeeeee....” she broke off into a torrent of fresh sobs.
“For Celestia’s sake, Crash!” Fleetfoot was fighting back her own tears. “You’re going to drown her if you keep crying on her like that.”
“Okay, I’ve waited long enough.” Spitfire patted Rainbow on the back in what, for her, passed as a soothing gesture. “Hand her over. Captain’s orders.”
Lyra had been watching the scene with a tired smile, her head resting against Misty Fly’s shoulder. She couldn’t say exactly what she was expecting when Rainbow Dash came up to her but it wasn’t the tight hug she received, and it took her a second to return the embrace.
“Thank you.” Rainbow whispered fiercely. “Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend.”
Though his services had not been needed, Dr. Spring Flight dropped by following his rounds, and his eyes grew wide as he squeezed into the packed room. “Good heavens, Lyra - did you let all these ponies in here?”
“It’s okay, Doctor.” Applejack reassured him in a voice grown tired but still happy. “This is family, they’re all family.”
Dr. Spring Flight peered over Blaze’s shoulder at the blinking foal. “Filly or colt?”
“A little filly.”
“Earth pony or Pegasus?”
“Pegasus.”
“Exquisite.” The doctor shook Soarin’s hoof and kissed Applejack on the forehead. “Well done, my dear. You are a remarkable mare and you will make an exceptional mother.”
“Thank you, Dr. Spring Flight. That really means the world to me.” Applejack whispered. Soarin rubbed her back and she leaned into him.
Once everypony had their chance to hold the baby Spitfire started to disperse the crowd. Thunderlane returned Harmony to Soarin and gave him one last hoof bump. Applejack gave Scootaloo a long squeeze.
“Thanks for being by my side, Sugarcube. You’re going to be the best Auntie ever.”
When the last pony left, AJ settled down with Harmony nursing peacefully. Soarin curled up beside them and rested his head next to Applejack’s. My family, he thought with a swell of pride. A little family of my very own. He laid his wing across them protectively. “You okay, Jackie?”
“I can’t believe she’s here.” Applejack said in wonderment. “I got so used to her being part of me and suddenly here she is, her own pony. I feel so excited and delighted and fierce and proud... but also I’m plum tuckered out.”
Soarin stroked her mane and smiled into her sleepy eyes. “I feel the same way. Most emotional day of my life! Get some rest, okay, babe? I’m sure she’ll have us up again before long.” But Applejack’s only response was a soft snore.
In her ersatz palace not far away, Luna slipped effortlessly into the new mother’s dreams with the beautiful vision of Pear Butter she had prepared for the occasion.