Umbra woke up. That she did so wasn't the unusual part. Most ponies did that at least once a day if something wasn't wrong. The trick was that it wasn't the morning. It was deep at night, but the tension in her did not permit her to even think of returning to slumber. She slid from the bed, but a hoof found her shoulder.
"You alright?" It was Shining. "That feels odd."
Umbra wasn't wearing her tiara, so her feelings were being broadcast. That usually didn't matter for when they were sleeping. Shining and Cadance could feel everything her body felt, which included that strange, oh! It suddenly grew more intense and Umbra writhed, trying to figure... "Oh..."
"Oh?" Shining sat up, awake entirely. "You figured it out?"
Umbra laughed darkly, her usual laugh. "My child is coming. They decided to greet the world under cover of darkness, perhaps fitting."
Cadance suddenly sat up. "I'll get the nurse." She hopped to her hooves and strode away, radiating that she was entirely in business mode.
Umbra took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as the contractions started coming more frequently. This was it - after months of waiting and preparing, her foal was finally ready to make their entrance into the world.
Shining helped her up and they slowly made their way down the hall, stopping every few steps for Umbra to breathe through a contraction. "You've got this," he murmured encouragingly. "I know it hurts, but we're almost there."
They arrived at the prepared birthing room where Cadance and the nurses were waiting. Umbra settled onto the soft bed, gritting her teeth as the next contraction hit. Cadance stroked her mane soothingly. "I know it's not easy, but you're so strong," she said. "We're right here for you."
This was, in a way, a given. All three of them were feeling what the other was feeling. Umbra had felt Cadance giving birth. It was time for them to experience Umbra's. Umbra was, perhaps, strangely curious about the whole thing. She was not a human woman. She was experiencing it as a pony, and pony bodies were not humans, especially in such... intimate ways. To say nothing of the fact that, technically, she wasn't even a pony. An umbrum. Her portal to darkness was spreading wider and wider for the child within her, touched by darkness and light both.
The contractions were coming fast and furious then, Umbra's body working to push the foal out. She cried out, gripping Shining and Cadance's hooves tightly in her magic. "It's coming!" She could feel it, inside her, moving, descending. Birth was not a process done entirely by the mother. That was an easy lie, told by squeamish people.
The child within her wanted to come out as much as she wanted to push it out. They were working together, and they'd both get what they wanted. She was doing it. She was becoming a mother, truly and completely. She flagged her tail and shuddered as things moved within her. It was happening.
"Push!" the nurse instructed. Umbra bore down with all her strength, breathing hard.
"The head is out!" came the nurse's voice. "Just a little more!"
Shining went for a peek. "Aw... Almost out..." That he was smiling and looking a bit googly-eyed was a comfort to Umbra. Her child couldn't be entirely hideous from the way he was gazing fondly at them even as they came into being.
"You have this." Cadance nuzzled gently at Umbra's shoulder. "Keep breathing, let it happen..."
With a final cry, Umbra gave one last push. A moment later the sound of a newborn's cries filled the room. The cries were not normal. The child howled like the pits of hell itself had yawned open and the creature within was not happy.
"It's a colt!" the nurse announced, cleaning him off before placing him in Umbra's waiting hooves, trying so hard to hide the cringe on her face, and not entirely succeeding.
Umbra gazed at the squirming foal in awe, tears of joy filling her eyes. "Hello little one," she whispered. Though exhausted, her heart swelled with love for this new life she and her partners had created. Their family was now a little bit bigger. She willed a bottle into being and offered it to the newborn. "First of many. Let's get you grown."
The colt eagerly nuzzled the bottle nipple and was soon gorging themself on that lifegiving milk. The cries, at least, were silenced. He was happy and content, feeding from Umbra's bottle.
Cadance sat up with a little smile. "Half umbrum... I can imagine. They look entirely like a pony, but that cry..."
Umbra gazed tenderly at her newborn son, still in awe that she was now a mother. The umbrum blood in him was undeniable, evidenced by his chilling cry. Yet as she held him close, his fuzzy warmth and need for comfort were pony-like. He was a bridge between their two peoples.
Cadance and Shining peered over her shoulders, admiring the foal. "He's perfect," Cadance murmured.
"Half-pony, half-umbrum, and all ours," Shining said, nuzzling Umbra.
Exhausted but filled with joy, Umbra knew their family would face challenges raising a child of two worlds. But with love and patience, she had faith he would find belonging.
"We'll guide you every step of the way," she whispered to him as he drifted to sleep, tiny belly full of milk. For now, he was content, safe in her embrace. And Umbra knew she would move heaven and earth to nurture this precious foal who then held her heart.
She chuckled suddenly, holding the child in her magic towards Cadance. "Congratulations, father...."
Cadance colored. "Technically correct... But I don't plan on assuming the male mantle again anytime soon. That was... a one time thing."
Umbra swatted tiredly at Cadance. "Stud. It only took you one time to knock me sky high."
Cadance's blush only grew worse. "I could argue that says as much about your fertility as mine. Making a foal is a team effort. I... am glad we were both ready to make this little one." She touched noses to the sleeping foal's cheek. "Did you hear his name?"
Umbra perked. "Hear it? Did he say it?"
"No." Cadance laughed at that. "It comes in a dream, for most mothers. Did you have a naming dream?"
Umbra thought back to the dreams she'd had, but dreams were wispy things at times. She was supposed to be paying attention?! Nobody had informed her, and she searched frantically through her memory.
Umbra's brow furrowed as she tried to recall any naming dream. The last few months had been a blur of preparations - setting up the foal's room, stockpiling diapers, debating names with Cadance and Shining. Sleep had come fitfully between bouts of insomnia and heartburn. Any dreams were forgotten come morning.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember a naming dream," Umbra admitted worriedly. Had she failed her child already by not paying close enough attention? "What should we do?"
Cadance gave her a reassuring nuzzle. "No need to fret. The name will come when the time is right." She smiled down at the sleeping foal. "For now, he looks like a little Storm Cloud to me, with that dark coat."
Shining chuckled. "With lungs like that, maybe Hurricane is more fitting."
The foal's eyes blinked open and he squirmed in Umbra's embrace, mouth rooting for more milk. Umbra gently prepared another bottle, her heart melting as his tiny hooves kneaded against her in his eagerness.
"Easy there, little shadow," she crooned. "Plenty of milk for you, my dark prince."
The endearment fell naturally from her lips. As the foal suckled noisily, Umbra knew in her heart his true name.
"Midnight," she whispered. For though he was born of both shadow and light, the deep umbrum part of him resonated most strongly. He was Midnight Shadowheart, a child of two worlds.
Umbra met Cadance and Shining's eyes. "His name is Midnight." Saying it aloud filled her with certainty. The long wait was over. Their son was here.
"Mother." One of her other children had arrived. "May I enter?"
Umbra turned an ear towards the door. "Come in and say hello to your little brother."
"That was the plan." Morning strode across the room with the little clip-clops of her small hooves. "Did everything proceed well, mother?"
"Very." Umbra grabbed Morning as soon as she could, lifting the filly and drawing her over to rest atop herself. "Not even a bit of trouble..."
"I'm glad to hear that." Morning sat up atop Umbra, eyes locked on the new one. "Hello. As the heir to the Shadowheart name, I welcome you to the family."
Shining burst into snickers at the little filly giving that formal welcoming. "His name's Midnight."
Morning's ears perked. "I like it." She nodded to Umbra beneath her. "Midnight, Umbra, Morning. Our family has a pleasing theme." She let out a suffering sigh. "We even have noon-time with Anik... Less directly named, but what other time of day would he represent?"
Morning's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her new baby brother. Though only a foal, she carried herself with an air of grave importance.
"I shall help educate him in the shadow arts, so he may one day serve the family with distinction," she declared.
Umbra hid a smile. "That's very thoughtful of you, but let's let Midnight enjoy his childhood first."
Morning blinked as if this never occurred to her. "Oh. Yes, of course. Childhood." Her face softened slightly as she watched the sleepy foal. "They are oddly...cute in this form. But worry not, I will teach him to be a proper umbrum when the time comes."
Cadance and Shining exchanged amused looks. "We have no doubt you'll set a fine example," Cadance said diplomatically.
"Can I hold him?" Morning asked. At Umbra's nod, she carefully took Midnight into her small hooves. Her touch was gentle, all her earlier sternness gone.
"Hello little brother," she murmured. "I've waited a long time to meet you."
Midnight yawned, unfurling a tiny hoof to wrap around Morning's leg. She made a small sound that on another pony would be called a coo.
"Yes, I shall teach you many things," she whispered to him. "But perhaps playtime shall come first."
Umbra's heart swelled watching them. However gruffly she acted, Morning would be a wonderful big sister.
"Welcome to the family, my little midnight colt," Umbra said softly. "We're so happy you're finally here. Speaking of that!" She looked to Cadance and Shining. "Give me a day to put things together, then this butt is going on that throne. My vacation is over."
Cadance set a hoof on Umbra, half to hold her there. "Easy... I know that high. Your child is here, you feel like you could wrestle the world if you had to, but you just finished a lot of work. They call it labor for a reason, to say nothing of the entire workup towards it. Your 'vacation' is not over just yet."
Shining smooched Umbra atop that pinned head. "We can hold things down a few more days. Spend them with Midnight, introduce them to everypony you want. You've both been through a lot." He raised an ear. "Is now an alright time for me to mention what I felt?"
Cadance sat back, hoof removed from Umbra. "Is it safe for little foal ears?" She inclined her head at Morning, playing with Midnight quietly. "Perhaps that should wait."
"Aw..." Shining pouted a little. He'd have to wait to tell his side of the story. "Um, but we're here for you, Umbra. You have two eager mates that'd bend over backwards to help you and Midnight. Don't ever forget that."
Umbra sighed, a noise of satisfaction, of relief. "Yes... Thank you, both of you." She kicked out a leg lightly. "I want to do so much right now... But it's late, um, early... Maybe we should all get back to bed..."
There would be time to greet the new family when the sun had risen.