//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: A Special Surprise // Story: Violet Hill // by TorontoFCBrony //------------------------------// The next few weeks went by very quietly. It was now nearly two months since Rainbow and Soarin parted, with one month to go until he came back from war. Dash was able to enjoy many fun times with her friends in Ponyville. It was like she never left in the first place. The couple sent letters to each other every few days. Soarin’s main job in Saddle Arabia was to deliver weapons and goods to the ponies fighting in the trenches and on the battlefield. Because that was his job, Rainbow felt comfortable waiting for him. However, her health seemed to be worse in Ponyville than in Cloudsdale, and the reason to her was unknown. She suffered headaches, nausea, and dizziness, and this led her to have mood swings due to not feeling good most of the time. But a few other symptoms pointed in the direction of her not being sick at all. She had unusual cravings and appeared to have gained some weight; if those two symptoms were related was unknown. On this early autumn day, the leaves were just starting to change colour. The light breeze was pleasant compared to the scorching hot sun that reigned over the whole summer. Rainbow was still staying at Twilight’s house, and she was about to use the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she noticed that she was looking chubbier than usual. She let out a light sigh at looking at her image and remembering what she used to look like just a little while ago. Was she really just letting herself go? She went up to Twilight, who was reading the newspaper while sitting and drinking a coffee at the table. “Hey Twi, am I getting fatter?” Rainbow asked the unicorn. Twilight blushed because she didn’t want to answer that question truthfully. “I don’t know, Rainbow. Do you feel like you’ve gotten fatter?” “Well, yeah,” the pegasus answered. “I’ve had weird cravings and I’ve just given in to them.” Something then hit Twilight, not literally, of course. Twilight remembered all of the symptoms that Rainbow had been showing and it finally became clear to her what was going on. “I think we should bring you to the doctor,” Twilight suggested. “Why? They won’t help me lose weight,” Rainbow remarked. “They’ll just tell me I’m fat, I’ll be sad, and I’ll come back to eat chocolate to cure my sadness. Then Soarin will come back and see the new me, and he’ll be turned off and leave.” “Rainbow! Don’t think like that,” Twilight responded. “We can just take you to the doctors to do a few tests. It couldn’t hurt to find out.” Rainbow Dash agreed to go for some tests. She had no idea what Twilight had in mind, but Twilight knew exactly what she was doing. They arrived at the Ponyville Hospital, and after a long wait, they were finally able to see the doctor. The doctor came in. Rainbow Dash recognised him to be the same stallion who cared for her when she broke her wing; back in the days before she knew of the wonders of Daring Do. “Hello, Rainbow Dash,” the doctor said while looking at a clipboard. “It looks like your wing has healed greatly. What seems to be the problem?” Rainbow was about to open her mouth, but Twilight interrupted, saying, “Rainbow has been feeling self-conscious about her weight, so I brought her here to do a few tests.” Twilight winked at the doctor, who understood completely what they were here for. Rainbow was still unaware what was going on. “Okay, Miss Dash, we’ll you into a different room and preform a few tests. That may tell us about your increase in weight,” the doctor said while leading her into a room. After the tests were done, Rainbow waited on the stool in the doctor’s office for the results. Twilight was certain that her inklings were right. The doctor came back, and he informed her, “Well, Rainbow, it appears that we know why you have gained weight.” “Yeah, it’s because I’m a fatty-fat-fat who can’t control her eating,” she replied while looking down. “Not at all,” the doctor answered. “Then what is it?” Rainbow asked in reply. She was now quite intrigued to hear the answer. “You’re pregnant.” -------------------------------------- “…Rainbow? Are you okay?” Twilight asked as Rainbow slowly opened her eyes. She fainted and fell off the stool and on her back on the floor. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she answered. “I just had a weird dream that I was at the doctors and I was told that I was pregnant.” “That wasn’t a dream,” the doctor informed her. “Mother of Celestia,” Rainbow replied. “That would explain your symptoms of feeling ill as well as your unusual cravings and weight gain. So you need not worry! You aren’t fat; you just have a bundle of joy on the way,” the doctor explained. Rainbow and Twilight thanked the doctor of his help. Rainbow was not disappointed at the news; she was just more shocked than anything else. As the two of them returned to the treehouse library, Twilight asked her newly pregnant friend, “So, are you going to tell Soarin? You usually tell him everything!” “I don’t know if I should yet,” she replied. “What? Why would you not tell him?” Twilight asked in confusion. “A few reasons, actually,” Rainbow answered. “We never actually talked about having any foals; it never came up. I don’t even know if we are ready as a couple to deal with this. I also don’t want to tell him just in case he really doesn’t want to have any foals yet. I don’t want to write a letter to him telling him, and then he dumps me and I never see him again. I feel that waiting until he comes back is the best way of telling him.” Twilight shrugged. “Well, if you say so. If you think that’s the best way, I won’t argue it.” The next step, however, was telling their four other friends about the special surprise. They called Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy over to the library for the announcement. “What is the special occasion?” Applejack asked. “Lately every time we are invited here Rainbow has a big announcement or something to show us.” “Darling… have you gained weight?” Rarity asked in the nicest way possible. “That’s actually why you ladies are here tonight,” Rainbow said while pacing around the main room. She stopped in place and looked at the four other friends. “I’m pregnant.” The other mares had mixed replies due to being unsure of how Rainbow herself felt about the matter. Pinkie Pie was the only one who was really excited. “Oh I’m so happy Dashie,” she yelled while coming over to hug the pegasus. “I’m going to be an auntie! Or will I be an uncle? I guess I’ll have to wait and find out if it’s a filly or a colt to know.” The other mares chuckled at Pinkie Pie’s adorable ignorance. Rarity corrected the pink pony, “Sweetheart, you will be an aunt no matter what the foal is.” “That means it’s going to be a filly?” Pinkie asked. “No!” Rainbow yelled out and then laughed. “We don’t know yet! But you’re a mare, therefore you’ll be an aunt. That’s how it works.” Rainbow didn’t care that Pinkie wasn’t biologically related to her. They were all like sisters anyway. “Soarin is going to be so excited,” Fluttershy said. “Yeah, Rainbow, shouldn’t you write a letter to him?” Twilight asked hintingly. When Rainbow didn’t quite answer in return, Rarity said, “Darling, you simply must tell him!” “I reckon that he would love to know what he’d be coming home to,” Applejack added. “Ugh! Okay, fine,” Rainbow said after her friends wore her down. “Spike, grab a letter.” “Yes ma’am,” Spike said while grabbing a pen and paper.” “Okay, ladies, what do I write?” Rainbow asked. “Anything that’s in your heart,” Rarity answered. “Okay, then,” Rainbow replied. “‘Dear, Soarin. I am afraid to tell you something important, because it will change our lives forever.’ Ugh, what now?” “That’s fine so far, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Try to make it sweet and get the point across.” “All right. ‘It’s really hard for me to tell this to you, because I am not sure how you will take the news: I’m pregnant. Just in case you are wondering: yes, you are the father. You would be the only one. I’m sorry that I am telling you through letter, but my friends told me that you needed to know as soon as possible; and they were right. Please write back as soon as you can. I miss you. I love you. Rainbow Dash.’ How was that?” “That was perfect,” Fluttershy responded. Twilight added, “Yes, that was fine. It got the point across in a nice and simple way. Now to just await his reply.” The mares waited and waited for his reply that night. They played games to stall time, they tried to recall funny stories from their pasts, and Rainbow told a scary story about the Slendermane. However, they waited and waited and waited, but no reply ever came…