//------------------------------// // Chapter 77 - Forging Something New // Story: A Pony Displaced: Homeward // by NoLongerSober //------------------------------// On a pleasant snowy day, Snow Sweeper was travelling through a snow-laden park with his dear Iron Forge by his side. He let out a deep breath just so he could see it hanging in the cold air. “Have I ever said how much I love this time of year, Forge?” the pegasus asked as he watched his breath slowly fade away. After a moment, he turned to look at the cobalt unicorn. “Forge?” When he looked at his boyfriend, he saw that his eyes were focused on a pair of parents playing with their foals in a nearby spot of the park. “Oh, sorry. You were saying, Snow?” The stallion turned his gaze, refocusing on his companion. “Forge...” Snow took Forge’s hoof in his. “Is something on your mind?” “Oh… well...” Forge looked away, his eyes rapidly shifting. “You can tell me, Forge.” Snow tenderly squeezed the unicorn’s hoof. “Whatever it is, I’d like to help.” “It’s a bit of a long story…” “And we’ve both finished our day’s work, so we’ve got plenty of time on our hooves, Hot Stuff,” Snow said as reassuringly as possible. “Okay.” Forge took a deep breath before he continued. “I never told my parents I was gay before. Even when I was about to head off to the Crystal Empire, I promised my mother that I’d sire plenty of foals.” “Oh, is that it?” Snow replied before softly chuckling. “Forge, keeping your promise to your mom is easier than ever now. You could just become a sperm donor.” “Well, I know I could, but there are some concerns about that.” The unicorn was having trouble looking his love in the eye. “Like, what if the clinic were to turn me down?” “I’m pretty sure they’d accept you, Forge.” Snow let go of the unicorn’s hoof before gently placing it on his cheek. “You’d just need to get a check up and then you should be ready to go spend some time with Mr. Frog.” A chuckle then came from the pegasus. “Besides, I figure this is probably a better use for your sperm than filling my stomach or my—” “But…” Forge interjected. “What if the children I sire end up with bad parents?” “Oh…” The joking tone vanished from Snow’s voice before he let out a sigh. “I’ll admit, that is a possibility, but I think that the families that use this kind of service have to go through some sort of screening process.” “Maybe…” Forge turned back to look Snow in the eye. “But what if I want to be able to spend time with the foals I make?” “Well…” Snow took the foreleg from Forge’s cheek and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure. I think maybe that you’d have to chat with whoever you donate to, in order to make some sort of arrangement… But…” Forge’s brow rose, curious about where the pegasus was going. “Maybe… Maybe, mind you, some time down the line…” Snow gave a swallow. “If we’re still together in a few years or something, maybe I could talk my sister into acting as a surrogate mother if we choose to have foals together.” “Wait, really?” A glimmer of hope was in Forge’s tone as he grasped Snow’s hoof. “Like I said, maybe,” Snow said as he saw the twinkle in his eyes. “That would be a big step and we’ve only known each other for a few months.” “Ah. Very true.” Forge moved in close and gave the pegasus a nuzzle. “Still, no matter what, thanks.” “No sweat, Forge.” Snow returned the nuzzle before giving the unicorn a peck on the lips. “Say, do you know anyone who is a sperm donor already?” “Well, I think Barrier and Verdant might be sperm donors,” Forge said as he brought a hoof to his chin.  “In that case, it might be a good idea to ask them about this since they might have some insight that I don’t,” Snow said as he moved to Forge’s side before covering his back with a wing. “That does seem like a good idea,” Forge replied as he nodded. “So, where would you like to go for dinner?” “I don’t know about you, but I was thinking of getting some chili and toast from Pepper Belle’s.” Snow licked his lips at the thought of the hot food. “Would be a nice contrast to the cold weather.” “Sounds like a good plan,” Forge said before placing a kiss on the pegasus’ cheek. After that, maybe I’ll be thinking of my own plans. *** As Forge stepped into the manor, he covered his mouth with a hoof to suppress a belch. The food was quite tasty, but I’ll be having gas for hours. Heading towards the living room, he saw that Gem and Hatty were playing a game of Battleship.  “Evening,” Forge said as he entered the room. “Say, where’s everypony else?” “Swift should be on her way back from dropping Spearmint off at the train station soon,” Gem said as she picked up a red peg with her teeth. “Verdant’s upstairs, Fleet’s taking Windy to see a movie, and Barrier and Daring are out on the town. B-15.” A sigh came from Hatty before placing a peg on one of his ships. “Hit.” “Alright,” Forge said as he pulled an about face. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” A moment later, the cobalt stallion had arrived outside of Verdant’s room. With a swallow, he gave the door a knock. “Come in.” The shamrock stallion’s voice came from the other side before Forge opened the door. “Hey Forge, what’s up?” Verdant asked as he placed a bookmark in his manga and set it aside. “Well, I was hoping I could ask you some questions about being a sperm donor,” Forge said before sitting down on the bed near Verdant. “Well, hopefully I can help you,” Verdant said as he sat up. “I did a fair bit of reading before signing up for it, so fire away.” “Very well.” After a deep breath, Forge started to speak again. “Do those that want to use artificial insemination have to go through some sort of screening process?” “Oh yeah, they have to go through a whole lot of hoops,” Verdant replied. “I think I recall them mentioning inspecting their living space, background checks, income check and all sorts of stuff. Even couples that are using this process with their own cells have to go through a screening process, and this is rather pricey for them to go through.” “Hmm… I see.” Forge nodded along. “What about if you want to be in the lives you sire?” “Now, that’s a bit more complicated,” Verdant replied as he stretched out. “I personally chose to sign that anyone qualified can use my sperm without having to ask me for permission. Still, the clinic here does allow you to speak to the prospective parents and make arrangements for this.” “That does sound pretty good,” Forge said as he brought a chin to his hoof. “Might I ask why you were so willing to let anypony use your sperm?” “Sure thing, but it’s not just ponies I allow,” Verdant said as he started to lay back. “You can choose what species and tribes are allowed to use your sperm, including donkeys, zebras, griffins, etcetera. I chose to allow every compatible species to have my foals since I promised my mother I’d sire as many as possible. “As for why I chose to make it that they don’t need to contact me, I did so because I figure that the clinic’s screening process should help ensure the foals all go to good families.” “I guess that makes sense,” Forge said as he looked down on the laying pony. “Do you know how many ladies are carrying your foals right now?” “Yep.” A smile appeared on the stallion’s white muzzle. “Currently, it’s now five, including Strawberry Sundae. She and Summer went to the extra effort of contacting me and saying they’d like the foal I sire to know me.” Forge hummed as he contemplated Verdant’s words. “Well, thank you for the insight, Verdant,” He said as he slid off the bed. “By the way, how are you doing after that incident?” Verdant sighed as he stood back up. “I’m doing better. I’m a bit skittish over cooking something with oil or grease, but I figure I’ll recover from that soon enough.” “For what it’s worth, I do find you’re more handsome looking with your new look,” Forge said as he opened the bedroom door. “Thanks Forge.” Verdant smiled as the unicorn walked out the door. “Hope what I said helps.” “It certainly did, Verdant.” Forge said as headed towards his room. *** Forge had made his decision. The next day, he went to the doctor’s for an examination. Three days later, he found himself in the office once more. The clock seemed to tick ever so slowly as he awaited the doctor’s return. A moment later, the door creaked open and a bespectacled alabaster mare with an orange mane entered the room. “Good news, Mr. Forge. The test results and paperwork say you’re fully qualified to become a sperm donor.” “Thank you, Dr. Remedy.” Forge let out a sigh of relief as a clipboard and pen were levitated over to him in a dark aura.  “All you need to do is check the boxes and sign your name, then you’ll be all ready to donate your sample.” The mare cheerfully said as she adjusted her purple frames. “Very well,” Forge said as he looked over the wide assortment of boxes on the form. Unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies and thestrals? Check, check, check and check. Donkeys? … Hmm. I don’t think so. Mum probably would like grandchildren who could have their own children. Zebras? Check, though I wonder what they’d look like. Griffins… Forge paused as he stared intensely at the box.  After a long hard moment of consideration, Forge took the pen and checked the box. Mum would probably have a heart attack at the thought of a griffin having her grandchild, but if a griffin meets this place’s qualifications, they’ll probably be good parents, he thought to himself as he finished up the paperwork and gave it back to the doctor. “Alright,” she said as she quickly looked over it before pulling a small plastic container from one of the office drawers. “Everything seems to be in order. Now head over to room 104 and fill this cup with your sample. Then place it at the front desk.” “Thank you, Doctor,” Forge said as he slid off the examination table and out the door. “I shouldn’t be too long.” Forge wasted no time in making his way down the hall, soon finding himself in front of the proper room. Taking a quick breath, the stallion went inside. He saw there was a collection of magazines with some provocatively posed mares on the covers. Forge chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Oh well, they tried,” he said as he unscrewed the cap from the cup. The cobalt unicorn sighed before looking down between his forelegs. “Well lads, this is where we say farewell. I’m sure you’ll be going to some great parents.” *** After a hearty dinner that Snow Sweeper joined in on, Forge laid on his bed with his boyfriend cuddling up beside him. “So, how are you feeling, Forge?” Snow asked as he nuzzled Forge’s neck. “Pretty good,” the unicorn replied as he stretched out. “Just a bit weird to think that someone will have a foal that I’ve sired.” “I’m sure they’ll be in good hooves… or wombs in this case.” Snow’s words made the two stallions chuckle as they held each other close. “At any rate, I’m going to be heading back in about three days from now to give them another sample,” Forge stated. “Actually,” a sexy grin came across Snow’s face as he sat up. “I think you should wait four days instead.” “But Dr. Remedy said that I should wait every three days between...” It was then that Forge looked up to see the look on Snow’s face as he crawled atop of him. “Ooooh! Right. I see. That does sound like a good idea.” Forge pulled Snow Sweeper down into a deep, passionate kiss. Snow’s wings started to rise as he felt Forge slowly start to push his tongue into the pegasus’ mouth. What would come next was glorious. *** Two days later, after spending the previous night over, Forge and Snow headed downstairs with the rest of the household as Verdant and Barrier were cooking up breakfast. “Hey Forge,” Verdant called out as he reached into his vest, pulling out a sealed envelope. “You’ve got some mail.” “Oh?” Forge lit his horn and floated the message in front of his face. “It’s from the clinic,” he said as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. “What’s it say, Forge?” Hatty asked as he tried to look over the unicorn’s shoulder. “Oh, just that a couple wishes to speak to me about my donation tomorrow afternoon,” Forge replied as he sat down at the table. “It shouldn’t be a big deal.” “Well, congrats, Forge,” Verdant said before putting some scrambled eggs on a plate. “Hey Snow, how would you like your eggs?” “Extra salt, please,” Snow answered as he sat beside Forge, placing a wing on his back. *** The next day, as Iron Forge arrived outside the clinic, his legs started to feel like lead while an upset rumbling was making a strong showing in the pit of his stomach. It’s okay, Forge. You can do this. The unicorn swallowed as he stepped inside. Whoever asked for your sperm are qualified based on the clinic’s screening process. They’ll be good parents. After getting directions from one of the staff, Forge stepped inside an office where Dr. Remedy was sitting behind a desk. Seated in front of her were a pegasus stallion with a blue coat and a grey mane, along with a familiar looking bluejay-like griffin. “Perfect timing, Mr. Forge. You arrived just after the prospective parents.” The doctor’s words made the couple look over their shoulders to Forge. “Say, I remember you!” the hen said as she hopped out of her seat. “You were stuck in that giant pizza with me!” “The what?” Dr. Remedy and pegasus looked at the hen in confusion.  “It was on that day when everything went crazy,” the griffin said with a chuckle before holding out her talons to Forge. “Still, it’s nice to see you again.” “Well, this is certainly a surprise,” Forge said as he placed his hoof in her talons and shook it. “Jaylin, was it?” “Yep, and this is my husband, Stormy Sea,” Jaylin said as she released Forge’s hoof only for it to be snatched up by the short haired pegasus. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Forge,” Stormy said before relinquishing Forge’s hoof and taking a seat beside his wife again. “So, I assume this is the couple that wishes to use my sperm, Doctor?” Forge asked as he sat down in the last chair. “Correct, Mr. Forge,” the doctor said before opening a file. “Rest assured, the two have both fully passed all of our screening tests with flying colors.” “That’s good,” Forge replied as he looked over the pair. “But might I ask why they require my sperm instead of using Mr. Stormy Sea’s?” “Yeah, about that,” Stormy Sea said as he looked down between his hindlegs. “Let’s just say that an old hoofball injury during high school has left me shooting blanks, if you catch drift.” “It’s okay, dear,” Jaylin softly said as she draped her wing over Storm’s back. She then looked over to Forge. “We wanted to try to find a stallion with a similar set of colors to Storm’s and then we read your profile. It seems you’re about as perfect as we could wish for.” “I see,” Forge brought a hoof to his chin. “I was wondering… Well, would it be alright if I could play some part in the child’s life? Like, perhaps babysit or something. Or at least have it that they’ll be able to contact me someday?” Stormy Sea hummed before he leaned over to Jaylin. The pair quickly shared a series of whispers to one another before they both looked at the cobalt stallion. “Sure thing, Mr. Forge.” Stormy happily nodded. “We’ll try to keep in contact with you and may call on you to babysit on occasion.” A wide smile graced Forge’s face as Dr. Remedy pulled out some papers. “Excellent. Now, all that’s left is to have you sign some paperwork and we’ll be all set to set up this procedure.” After a few minutes going over the papers, the three all signed their names and left the clinic together. Before Forge could pull away to head home, he found himself suddenly pulled into a very tight hug by Jaylin. “Thank you so much, Forge!” the hen happily said before loosening her grip. “Stormy and I’ve wanted to become parents for so long and thanks to you, we’re finally gonna be able to!” “You’re welcome, Mrs. Blauhäher,” Forge replied as Stormy gave his mate a nuzzle. “I’m glad to help and admittedly a bit nervous about this too.” “Can’t say I blame you, buddy,” Stormy said as he reached over and patted Jaylin on the stomach. “Still, Jay and I can’t wait to put a baby in her belly.” Huh. Hadn’t thought of that. My foal being inside of a griffin’s belly. Never thought that’d be a good thing before. Forge said as he started to walk away. “Well, best of luck, you two. I’m sure that you two will be fantastic parents.”  As he trotted, Forge kept looking over his shoulder to the couple as they continued to cheer at the thought of their coming bundle of joy.  When he arrived home some time later, he found Hatty in the kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee.  “Hey Forge,” the pegasus called out as he looked up from his drink. “How’d the meeting go?” “Swimmingly,” Forge cheerfully answered as he started to head upstairs. “Now my foal will be in a griffin’s belly.” “Cool,” Hatty replied as he took a sip of his drink. “Ahh, That’s good… Wait, what?”