In the middle of the neighborhood of Canterlot Meadows, in a two-story building, lived Sunset Shimmer, who prepares an annual gathering for her closest friends. A tradition kept back in their high school days, it was one of their ways of catching up and keeping in touch with each other, with a different host every time, and it was Sunset's turn to host.
She makes a few final touches, albeit by laying down on her velvety maroon sofa. Alright, let me see if I got everything. She pulls out her phone and finds her notepad app, enlisting everything she needs for the event. Okay, "snacks,” check. "Drinks,” check. “Entertainment that I don’t normally have,” check. And finally, "pizza." Okay, I think I'm good.
A sudden and familiar sensation spurs within. She sighs. “Not now, kid." She says as she sits back up and gently rubs her baby bump. “You’ll have to wait for the food until your aunties arrive.” As usual, her large stomach says nothing.
Looking at the kitchen counter, the redhead notices three pizza boxes stacked with sweet and savory snacks. The aroma of the cheesy Italian cuisine is captivating as she admires the golden crust, tomato sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, and various toppings. Her mouth begins to water as she stands up from her sofa. She pauses.
Despite her intense craving, she couldn't help but think this was the worst possible time. Well, I did get everything done for the sleepover. So I could have a couple of slices as a reward. She shakes her head again. No, no. The whole purpose of pizza is to be shared at a party or any event. She looks back at the pizza boxes and puts her fist in her mouth. But I don't think the girls would mind if I took a few slices. No, I will not give in!
Sunset keeps glancing at the pizza boxes and the front door near the couch, praying for her friends to arrive as soon as possible.
—xx—
A bright red truck arrives near the house and parks near the curb. The left side of the truck slams open as Pinke Pie, spins as she gets out of the vehicle and sings, “~Slumber party, slumber party, never gonna miss it, fat chance!~”
Behind Pinkie was Rainbow Dash, who groans, “Ugh, enough with the song, Pinkie!”
To which Pinkie replied, "Never!" Rainbow rolls her eyes at this.
Rarity then emerges from the front seat on the left and approaches her colorful friend."Oh, don't be so harsh, Rainbow Dash," Rarity says. "It is a rather catchy tune."
Applejack, the farmgirl, scoffs, “Easy for ya to say,” She grunts as she opens the trunk and gathers all four of their bags. “It was getting catchy 'til she kept singing that bit for 10–maybe 20 minutes during the trip!”
“Technically," Pinkie Pie pipes in next to the farm girl. "It was 32 minutes, but who’s counting?” She snatches her bag from Applejack, who shakes her head with a bemused grin.
A light shines from behind them. As the light grows closer, they see a minivan with bright headlights. The vehicle comes to a stop, and its lights slowly dim. Two passengers emerge from the car: Fluttershy and the bespectacled Twilight Sparkle.
A pink blur immediately bolts over to their arriving friends and wraps her arms around them in a tight hug.
“P-Pinkie?!” Fluttershy gasps.
“Air! We need air!” Twilight wheezes, attempting to free herself from the embrace.
Pinke immediately loosens her grip, resulting in her friends breathing easily.“Sorry, it’s just...It's been a while since we hung out together like this!”
“Pinkie," Twilight says in a monotone. "The last time we all hung out together was during Sunset’s baby shower. Which was two months ago.”
Pinkie finally lets go of the embrace. She sighs, “I know, but it felt like it's been so long!”
Her two friends roll their eyes in response. Pinkie suddenly steps forward with a solemn expression. "Hey, living with a toddler can make you lose track of time," she explains. Twilight sheepishly scratches her head as she remembers her experiences with her little one.
As Applejack struggles with her luggage, she exclaims, "Alright, alright! Let's hold off on the reunion until we reach the sleepover." She then gives Rainbow and Rarity's belongings before leading the group toward the house. Pinkie immediately catches up.
Fluttershy yells, "Okay! Just give us a moment to gather our belongings!" before she and Twilight head back to the van. Fluttershy goes to the left side, while Twilight goes to the right.
She gently nudges her slumbering dog, Spike, and whispers, "Hey, we're here."
Spike, a fully grown canine, slowly opens his eyes and lets out a big yawn. "Really? That was quick," he remarks. He then jumps out of the van with his owner's bag in his mouth. Although Twilight had familiarized herself with the dog's ability to talk, she was still getting used to his adult voice.
Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie now arrive at the front of the house. As they wait, Applejack knocks on the door. But after a few seconds, there is no response. The girls exchange confused glances, and Applejack shrugs before hitting again. In doing so, they hear a muffled and frantic shout, “DON’T COME IN, DON'T COME IN!!”
The girls jump as they share a look of shock before Rarity talks to their host. “Sunset? Is everything okay in there?”
“No! I-I... I ruined the party!!"
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike approach the door, now with worried and concerned expressions. The farm girl appears to have a turn with Sunset. "Why's that sugarcube?" she asks.
“THESE STUPID PREGNANCY CRAVINGS!" she screams. "The kid wanted the food for the party, and I couldn't stop them!” Sunset’s voice starts to crack. “There are two pizza boxes left, and it's not enough for all of us.”
As Rainbow Dash strides towards the door, she addresses their host. "Do you seriously believe the party's ruined just because you got a little hungry?"
For a moment, there is silence from beyond the door. Then, a faint sniffle and a timid voice respond with a simple "No, I don't think so."
“Exactly. This is a chance for us to have fun and be kids again before your baby arrives. It'll take more than pregnancy hormones to ruin our night.”
The group exchanged a bewildered look towards the athlete, as they had never witnessed such a composed demeanor from her before.
Rainbow turns to the group and exclaims, "What? I've matured!" She quickly glances at her girlfriend, Fluttershy, raising an eyebrow. Rainbow shifts her gaze away in embarrassment before admitting,"...Mostly."
Silence is heard once again behind the door before the sound of a lock unlatches. Rainbow looks back at the group with a thumbs up and a big grin. Sunset Shimmer finally appears from the door with vomit on her chin, causing the group to react with disgust and step back in horror. The redheaded girl nervously chuckles and admits, "I guess that's what happens when you eat eight slices of pizza."
—xx—
Much to Sunset’s relief, the night goes according to plan. The slumber party started the night with the crew catching up after their last hang-out and by playing video game tournaments courtesy of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, heartwarming family movies that brought Sunset and others to tears, and delicious snacks and pizza served in the living room.
The girls and Spike have now changed into comfortable sweats and pajamas and settled in the host's bedroom. The room features six sleeping bags spread out around a full-sized bed, with Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike occupying the right side, while Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie are on the left, and Sunset sits on her bed.
“Now, remind me again, when is your little one due?” Rarity asks the expectant mother.
Sunset habitually strokes her baby bump. "About two weeks from now." She chuckles to herself. "It's hard to believe my first baby will be here soon.
"I know, right?" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "It feels like only yesterday when you were scared out of your wits when learning about your pregnancy!" However, the other girls, except Sunset, gave Pinkie disapproving glances, causing her to retreat into her sleeping bag. "Sorry."
"Don't worry, girls," Sunset reassures her friends. “Pinkie’s right. I was terrified when I was going to be a mom. I still am. But thanks to you guys, I’ve gotten more confident that I could raise this kid by myself.”
“Now, who said ya had to do it alone?" Applejack interjects. "We’ve told ya countless times we’re willing to help ya in any way we can.”
“Well," Rainbow chuckles nervously as she rubs her neck, acknowledging that she may not be as experienced with kids as her other friends. "Most of us are," she confesses.
The group bursts into laughter, but Sunset interrupts with a yawn. "I think now’s a good time to hit the hay." Pinkie and Rainbow share a quiet snicker, leaving Sunset to give them a stern look. “Don’t even think about it.”
"Great," Spike said, yawning near Twilight's sleeping bag. "I was waiting for you to join in on the fun."
The girls burst into another fit of laughter before Pinkie Pie says, "I'll go get the lights," and dashes turns off the light switch near the bedroom door while Sunset switches off her lamp. Afterward, Pinkie snuggles into her bag with the others following.
Sunset shouts, "Good night, guys!" The others reciprocate the words, which signal their slumber. She then lies down on her mattress and rolls to the left. But before she nods off, Sunset massages her growing stomach. She warmly smiles and gently whispers, "Night, sunshine."
Another frequent habit she's done during most of her pregnancy. When she learned unborn babies hear the outside of the womb, the concept had weirded her out for a long while. It wasn't until her ultrasound appointment that she cemented her excitement about their arrival.
The unborn infant responds by kicking against Sunset's hand. She faintly chuckles. She then nestles into her pillows, closes her eyes, and begins to nod off.
Before she has a sudden craving. “Uh, can someone get the pickles from the fridge?” Her request leaves everybody in the room groaning.
—xx—
On a bedside cabinet on the right of the bed, an alarm clock reads 4:15 a.m. The chilly night is only seen on the left side of the room through a window. Various snores fill Sunset's bedroom as the group is oblivious to the night in their peaceful sleep.
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie springs up as one of her well-known Pinkie Senses is triggered unexpectedly. Her right foot taps three times, her hand twitches, and her ears wiggle. This usually meant a delivery was about to arrive. Either the traditional packaged delivery or the stork was about to land.
She puts her hand on her chin. I don’t think any packages are coming this late at night. And Sunset’s baby isn’t coming in another two weeks. Unless...
As she turns towards the bed, Sunset begins to toss and turn restlessly. Clutching her bedsheets tightly, she continues until her eyes flutter. Eventually, she throws off the covers and sits upright on the bed.
Pinkie rushes to her friend. “Sunny, you okay?” she whispers.
Sunset breathes heavily as she massages her rounded stomach. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just the baby messing around.” She then winces.
Pinkie raises her eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Sunset narrows her eyes. "Yes, I'm—" She winces again, now gripping her shirt. She gazes at Pinkie's concerned expression and sighs heavily. "Okay, fine. My lower back and stomach are hurting, and I think I’m getting period cramps."
"Period cramps?" Pinkie mutters. Her eyes then widened.
Sunset notices this and has the same look. "What? What is it?"
Pinkie Pie takes a moment to compose herself by taking a deep breath. After she finishes, she inhales and screams, “SUNSET, YOU’RE ABOUT TO HAVE THE BABY!!”
The group springs up from their bags, resulting in distressed shrieks and squawks.
“Pinkie,” Rainbow groans as she rubs her eyes. “What the heck?”
“No time to explain!” she hastily responds. She grabs Applejack by her arm and yanks her out of her sleeping bag. “AJ, Sunny needs you!”
The blonde farmer yawns. “Whatever the hay for?”
“Um, Pinkie?” Sunset peeps after taking a glance at the mattress. “I think my water just broke.”
The room is suddenly eerily silent as the group gazes back at their expecting friend. The atmosphere makes Sunset tense and uneasy. She attempts to speak.
“SOMEBODY GET A BOWL OF WATER!”
“I'LL GET THE TOWELS!”
“IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S HAPPENING!”
—xx—
At first, her contractions were the equivalent of a pinch on the shoulder. But as two and a half hours passed, Sunset couldn't take it. Even with the amount of pain relief, they didn't make up for the excruciating process she was going through. Her contractions were getting stronger by the minute, and she wanted nothing more than that baby out of her.
With another contraction, she screeches in agony as more salty tears fall on her face. She tightly grasps Pinke and Twilight’s hands on opposite sides of the bed. The rest of her friends motivate the expecting mother, with Rainbow and Spike near Twilight. While Rarity was near Pinkie Pie, holding powder white towels in preparation for the newborn. Fluttershy and Applejack are at the forefront of the delivery at the end of the mattress, having the most experience in these situations (with medical equipment, courtesy of Fluttershy).
Fluttershy attempts to motivate her friend.“You’re doing great, Sunset! Just a few more pushes!” Sunset doesn’t answer. Instead, she whimpers, surprising everyone in the room.
Rainbow looks at Sunset sympathetically as she pants heavily. She hated seeing her friend like this and not doing enough to help her. She gives an annoyed brow at the farm girl. "Can't this kid come any faster?!"
“This isn't the time, Rainbow!” Applejack huffs. “Like Shy said, we need a few more pushes before—” She stops. “Hey, Ah got something!”
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Really? Let me see!” She then moves to the front of the mattress.
Fluttershy gives a worried glance. “Uh, Rainbow? I wouldn’t do that.”
The athlete doesn't take her friend's word, witnessing the process herself, and faints in horror. Applejack shakes her head disapprovingly at the situation before refocusing on the delivery.
Sunset clenches her teeth as she squeezes her friends' hands and whimpers, "I can't do this."
“Sunset, don’t say that,” Twilight scolds. “You’ve already come this far. You can't give up now!"
The redhead winces as she experiences an umpteenth contraction. "It hurts..." she whines.
"Sunny, please listen to me." Sunset turned to Pinkie and was surprised to see a determined expression on her face. "Me and Twilight know you're in a lot of pain right now. It's like you're trapped in an endless room full of things that could hurt you." She then flashed her signature warm smile. "But we also know you're strong enough to get through this. You've been through so much already and each experience has made you stronger and more courageous."
“Pinkie’s right!” Rarity chimes in. “You were also willing to take a chance that some people wouldn’t dream of doing. You have to be one of the bravest people to—"
"As much as this motivational speech seems to be helping Sunset, can we please continue with the delivery?" Fluttershy says in a desperate tone.
Applejack grunts. "Yeah, the kid's getting close to coming here, so ya better work with us, Sunset."
After hearing her friend's advice, the redhead takes a moment to reflect. Though motherhood wasn't originally in her plans, she doesn't want her future child to feel the same loneliness she has experienced. She desires to be actively involved in their life and support them in their growth. Despite the natural challenges of motherhood, she knows she can adapt to this new role.
She's then interrupted by another painful contraction. With a determined look, she turns to Applejack. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get this thing over with!”
Applejack nods. "Okay, on the count of three, push with all yer might, Sunset.” She nods. “Alright, one, two, three, push!” Sunset grunts and grits her teeth as she pushes. She lets out a small shriek.
“You’re almost there! Keep going!” Fluttershy motivates her friend. Sunset continues to push and screams bloody murder.
Applejack hollers, "Here they come!" Then in a matter of moments, the long-awaited newborn takes its first breath, filling the bedroom with a screeching sound.
"You did it, Sunset!" Fluttershy's voice is heard through the wails. "It's a girl!"
Sunset leans back on her bed, panting heavily as Rarity rushes over to Applejack and Fluttershy with the towels. It had happened. She had given birth to her baby, albeit a little earlier than expected.
“YES! We did it!” Pinkie Pie shouts and jumps joyfully as Spike howls in jubilation, while Twilight suddenly hugs Sunset by the waist, tearing up. Pinkie joins in the embrace and says, "I knew you could do it, Sunny!"
Sunset wearily chuckles. "Well, I couldn't have done this without you guys."
“Of course." Twilight gently bumps her forehead to her exhausted friend. Sunset leans into it. "We said you don’t have to be alone for this.”
“Yeah," Spike assures as he puts his paw on Sunset's hand. "We’ll be here to support you any way we can." Sunset's eyes fill with tears. After a moment of tranquility, Rainbow Dash groans and stands up, holding her head.
"Oh, you're awake," Pinkie remarks in an upbeat tone.
Rainbow groans again. "What happened?"
Sunset snickers. "You kinda passed out after seeing the process of birth."
Rainbow takes a moment where she thought she heard right before a look of realization hits her. "Oh, man." She facepalms. "I have no idea why I did that."
"Yeah, that had ta be the second dumbest thing I've seen ya do." Applejack quips, now carrying a squirming towel.
Sunset's heart stops when she spots the towel. She nearly tears up as she stammers, "I-is that..."
"Eeyup. She's all cleaned up and ready to see ya."
As both of her friends release from their embrace, the redhead gulps. This was it. She was about to see her child for the first time. If she remembered correctly, Fluttershy said she had... a girl. She had been hoping for a daughter. Having a daughter had always appealed to her, but she would have been equally happy with a son. Nonetheless, raising a daughter would be a truly unforgettable experience for her.
Before she thinks further, Applejack hands the towel to Sunset and carefully cradles the little bundle in her arms. As she peeks inside, she notices the baby girl with light gold skin and navy blue hair with hints of rose red streaks. The newborn's eyes are closed and cries in discomfort in this unfamiliar environment.
"Oh, she's beautiful!" Rarity compliments the new mother. "It seems like she's inherited your looks, Sunset."
"You did amazing, Sunset!" Twilight congratulates.
"Hey there, little dudette!" Rainbow Dash greets the newborn. Pinkie only squeals with excitement.
As the rest of Sunset's friends admire the newborn baby, cooing and awwing at the sight of her, the world seems to slow down for Sunset. Their chatter became background noise, as she could only focus on her daughter. She felt an overwhelming sense of love and protectiveness towards her little one. Her heart swelled with pride as she gazed at her precious and perfect little one.
Sunset remained silent, lost in the moment, which left her friends concerned and unsure how to help. They exchanged worried glances, not wanting to disturb Sunset's trance but also wanting to make sure she was alright.
“Uh, sugarcube?” Applejack calls out. “Ya alright?”
Sunset remained silent until a sniffle and a shaky smile caused her tears to overflow. She starts chuckling, moving the towel to her face and playfully bumping her infant's head. The newborn's cries become whimpers as she hears this familiar sound. Sunset's laughter grows into a whole-hearted expression of joy as she beams at her daughter and lovingly greets her with the words, "Hello there, sunshine." Finally, she gently kisses the baby's forehead.
“Guess ya have much more to say than we thought,” Applejack smirks.
Sunset lets out a small laugh as she wipes away her tears. “Yeah, I guess so.” She notices her baby daughter wriggling around in the towel and opens her eyes, revealing her irises as pacific blue. The little one gazes up at Sunset in pure curiosity.
Pinkie Pie gasps, “Oh my gosh, she’s looking at you!”
Twilight giggles. “I think she recognized her mommy.” The infant gazes at the gathering, accustomed to the various noises but intrigued by the unfamiliar faces.
Sunset notices her daughter constantly glancing at her friends. She smiles and speaks softly. "These are your aunties, baby girl. They've been preparing me for the responsibility of being your mother and helped me bring you into this world. Honestly, we owe all of this to them, so we better think of ways to thank them later."
"Dude, you already thanked us for bringing in the new addition to the family," Rainbow Dash interjects, patting Sunset on the shoulder. "This is the least you could do for us."
"Wow," Twilight mutters. "You took the words right out of my mouth."
"Hey, I did say I've matured."
Fluttershy snickers and says, "Says the one who carelessly witnessed labor." This gets a cackle from the group, excluding the chromatic girl, who becomes embarrassed and covers her face with both hands.
"You guys aren't going to live this down, are you?" Rainbow mutters through her hands.
"Nope!" Spike replies with a smug grin.
Applejack wipes a tear from her eye. "Alright, alright. Let's take the heat off Rainbow and focus on something else." She focuses her attention on the Sunset. "What're we calling this little dumpling?"
After regaining her composure, Sunset takes a moment to think of a name for her newborn daughter. She gently caresses the baby's head, and the little one reaches out and grabs her finger. Sunset chuckles at this and says, "It took me a while to come up with a name for a girl or boy. But now that I have a daughter, I think Aurora Flare is the perfect name for her."
“Oh, that’s a wonderful name!” Fluttershy said, beaming.
“A perfect match for the little darling!” Rarity squeals.
Spike barks, “Welcome to the family, Aurora!”
Twilight was about to say something, but she noticed the time on the alarm clock on the bedside table. “Whoa, we’ve been at this for almost three hours. We should probably get some sleep.” Everyone groans at this. Twilight grins sympathetically. “Don’t worry, girls. We’ll see Aurora after we’ve all had our rest.”
“I hate to say it, but Twilight’s right.” Sunset continues. “We all need the rest after what just happened today.” She chuckles. “Especially me.”
“Especially you,” Twilight repeats, smirking. Everyone giggles at the statement. Twilight then asks the redhead, “You think you’re fine with Aurora in the nursery?”
Sunset unconsciously tightens her grip on the towel. She looks down at her daughter for a moment. “Maybe in a couple of minutes? Please?”
Twilight shrugs. “That’s fair.”
Applejack goes and grabs her sleeping bag and says, “We’ll be in the living room if ya need anything, Sunset.”
She nods. “Thank you, guys. For everything.”
Pinkie Pie wraps her arms around her again. The rest of the group follows, minding the infant. They stay in the embrace for a couple of minutes before they reluctantly dissipate and exit the bedroom, leaving the new mother with her child.
As Sunset contemplates recent events, she lets out a deep sigh. Her bundle of joy arrived unexpectedly, with labor lasting over two and a half hours. However, her newborn daughter is the most beautiful thing she has ever laid eyes on, and she has no regrets.
The room is filled with silence, except for the gentle cooing of a newborn. Sunset takes a moment to admire her child, Aurora, whom she finds truly precious. Her tiny face, small hands, and captivating eyes of Aurora leave her in awe. She then sees Aurora snuggling to her chest. Her heart swells with joy as she smiles warmly.
"Hey,” she speaks softly to the newborn. "I know you don't understand me yet, but there's something I would like to share with you." She takes a deep breath. "I never thought I'd be a part of this. I never even considered becoming a mother or raising children. So, it was a shock when I discovered I was carrying you." Her smile fades. "Deciding what to do was hard. I was afraid that I might fail you in some way. Given that I had a difficult childhood, I didn't want you to turn out like me." She sneers. "Cold, detached, resentful, and alone." Then she chuckles, "That was until your aunts stepped in. They are probably the most amazing aunts you will ever have.
"But despite everything, I still feel scared. I don't know how things will turn out, whether I'll be a good mother or if you'll be okay. But I want to make a promise to you." With another deep breath, she puts on a determined smile. "I'll be there for you every step of the way, no matter what. I'll pick you up even when you fall." As she gently strokes the newborn's cheek, she adds, "Most importantly, I can't wait to see the person you'll become and how you'll impact the world. Maybe you'll even change me."
Sunset wipes away her tears once more. "And I would never give up this new life for anything else," she says, planting another soft kiss on Aurora's forehead. The baby lets out a yawn, causing Sunset to do the same. "Yeah. We should get some sleep," she adds.
She leans onto the pillows, holding Aurora tightly. As she gazes at her sleeping daughter, she can't help but smile at the soft snores that escape her little mouth like a purr. "We'll be okay baby girl. I promise," she whispers reassuringly. She closes her eyes and settles into a peaceful rest, with hope for a bright future for them both.