//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Welcome To The World // by Sweet Tale //------------------------------// The world surrounding the three beings seemed to stop as my exclamation echoed throughout the house. Celestia's jaw hung open as she looked back and forth between my eyes and Sarah's bulge. "Labour? You mean she's..." The gears finally clicked and her grin turned to one that could match Pinkie Pie's. "I'm so happy for you!" the Sun Goddess happily exclaimed, wrapping me up in her forelegs. "This is truly a wond--" "AAAAARGH!" Sarah's agonised scream caught Celestia's attention and she quickly released my body and crouched down at Sarah's side. "Oh my dear, I'm sorry." The alicorn looked up at me again with a confused look. "Haven't you tried to get help?" "Did you not read my letter?!" I retorted. "I mean, look out there." I pointed to his window to which Celestia gave a look. The sky was dancing with forks of power with nature's drum providing a follow-up. "This storm has knocked out our telephone line. My mobile phone is broken and I...I didn't know what to do." I knelt down next to my suffering wife. "No-one lives near us...and I couldn't make her walk in the storm...not really." "OH! You tell me that now!" came his wife's angered reply. "Well I'm sorry but I couldn't leave you in pain! I needed to do something!" I retorted with a pang of anger. "So you would have made me walk in the storm?! Some plan!" "EXCUSE ME FOR--" "SILENCE!" Both of us held onto our ears as Celestia's royal voice boomed through the house. "Stop arguing. This is a time where calm is needed." "IT HURTS!" Celestia soothed Sarah by draping a wing over her hunched form. "I know...please hold on for me. Can you do that?" Sarah continued clutching her stomach. "Sarah...please answer me." Celestia demanded. "I...I can." came here struggled reply. "So can you help her, Princess?" I asked with hope. "I wish I could but...I cannot." "What? WHY?!" Sarah screamed back at her. "You're over a thousand years old! Surely you must have seen at least one birth in your lifetime." I added. "That is true. I have seen countless pony births in my lifetime. But NOT a human's." Celestia sighed heavily. "What happens in your event of birth could differ greatly from a pony birth." "You're the only one who can help us now!" I desperately pleaded with her. "Please Celestia...I can't see my wife in pain like this. And this...child. This bundle of joy we've been waiting for...for so long now...please Princess, please help her." I literally begged her, tears forming in my eyes. Celestia knew she couldn't do it herself and she daren't cause harm to her two human friends. She couldn't leave them like this - she had to help one way or another. "I'll do what I can." Her words were met by the me clutching her forelegs and squeezing them tight. "Thank you..." Smiling, I let go of the white plushness and continued to look over my wife. "So what are you going to do? Are you going to deliver it?" "Me?!" Celestia exclaimed with a chuckle. "Goodness no. Maybe...maybe I can take you to the nearest hospital." "That sounds...wait...how would you get us there?" I asked. "Flying. I would teleport but I do not know the layout of your local area very well." "In this storm?! No way...I am not risking it. We could fall or be struck by lightning. Not gonna happen." "Do not fear. My magic will keep you safe at all times. A protective shield will be placed around all of us to prevent anyone from harm." she explained. "That...won't work..." came Sarah's voice. "It won't?" I replied but then I noticed the lack of screaming. "Did it stop?" "For...now. It still hurts but...the contractions are becoming less frequent..." Sarah looked up at the alicorn with bloodshot eyes. "What if someone sees you? Even in this storm, surely you can't get around without being spotted." "Hmm..." Celestia held a hoof to her chin. "You do make a fair point. My existence should be kept secret after all." "So...what then?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. A million things were rushing through Celestia's mind at that moment. What can I do? Will this idea work? What about her child? "I...I'm not..." She scanned the room for anything that could provide an idea. A buzzword. Something that would trigger an idea. There was the television, the sofa, the table, the candlesticks... "Wait a second..." Celestia stared intently at the candles. They were half used and the wick was running low. "Wick...WICK! OF COURSE!" "What is it?" Sarah asked. "I know what to do! I must return to Canterlot!" Celestia started charging her horn. "Wait! What do we do now?" I asked, placing a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Sarah. Please try and sit upright and remain calm. I will return shortly." With that, the alicorn vanished in a flash of light. Back in Canterlot, Grid Iron and Summer Breeze were nearing the end of their wedding ceremony. Princess Luna had taken over the proceedings as Celestia was called away for reasons unknown. The yellow maned unicorn with the joystick Cutie Mark had never been happier. Oh sure, her wedding was interrupted by royal duties but they are the Princesses after all. Looking over at her Pegasus groom, she smiled greatly as Luna was about to read those immortal words. "By the power vested in me and the Royal Family, I now pronounce you hus--" *FLASH* "LUNA! COME WITH ME!" shouted a clearly ecstatic Celestia before they both disappeared with another flash of light. Summer Breeze was speechless. Was it over? "Are we married?" She turned to the crowd behind her. "Anypony?!" The families of the bride and groom all shrugged. And it was that moment that the whole of Canterlot heard a strange sound - like a mare screaming. "When is she coming back..." Sarah asked through teary eyes. "Soon...I promise." I replied, kissing her on the forehead. *FLASH* "See, told you." I added smirking. Before me stood not one, but two alicorns. Celestia had brought Luna along with her. "Princess Luna!" I exclaimed. "SISTER! I was in the middle of something! That couple were just about to be married!" Luna berated her older sibling. "I apologise sister of mine but you are needed for something of astronomical importance." She pointed her hoof at the two humans - one of which was sat in a chair, panting. The other was knelt by her side. "Sarah is soon to give birth and I need to fetch something from Canterlot. I leave you to take care of them." Luna immediately felt a sudden feeling of responsibility. "You have my word Celestia. I will watch over them." Once she said that, the older Alicorn disappeared once again, leaving the Lunar Princess to soothe the humans. "I would ask you how you both are but..." "Yeah...probably quite obvious isn't it?" I joked. "Indeed." Luna crouched down next to Sarah and placed one of her wings around her shoulder. "How are you feeling right now?" Sarah sighed heavily and gave an unexpected smile. "The pains come and go...but I couldn't be happier. We've been waiting for this for so long and..." Her eyes started to tear up. "I'll have my little baby soon..." she said, sniffling quietly. "Birth is a wondrous event in your life. Believe me when I say this - you're lives will only get better and better." Luna looked down at the bulge and smiled. "Do you know what sex it is?" "We don't. We thought it'd be best to just find out when it happens. Whatever it'll be..." I rubbed my wife's stomach. "I'll be the happiest man alive." *FLASH* Celestia reappeared with a new pony in tow. A brown unicorn with a black mane. His Cutie Mark was of a syringe on a red cross. "Doctor Haywick, these are the one I was referring to." The doctor looked over at us and his eyes bulged out immediately. "Do forgive me Princess but when you said you needed some medical help with a foreign species...I was not expecting this. What exactly do you call this species?" he asked, not looking away from me and Sarah. "This is Jason." she said, pointing at me. "And this is Sarah." she added. "They are known as Humans and are a very advanced race." "Hi. Doctor Haywick was it?" I said. The pony gasped for breath. "They...they talk Equestrian?" "We prefer English but I think our languages are the same." I replied, smiling." The doctor cleared his throat a couple of times before turning to the Princess. "Princess, I have to ask. This place you have taken me to...where exactly am I?" He looked around our home, staring intently at most of our possessions. "I'm sorry but I do not recognise any of this equipment." "Doctor Haywick, I am afraid I cannot tell you. This place is an utmost secret location that only myself and Princess Luna know about." She leant her head down to his eye level. "Even though you do not know the name of this location, I must ask you to never speak of it. Am I clear?" "C-crystal. You have my word Princess." Haywick replied. Celestia then led him over to Sarah who was still panting. "This is what I need you to help me with. This human female is in labour and is about to give birth to her child. Due to the storm outside, we are unable to take Sarah to the hospital at risk of injury." Haywick caught on quick. "You want ME to deliver a foreign species' child?!" he exclaimed, looking extremely shocked. "Please Mr Haywick." said Sarah quietly. Said pony stared curiously at my wife and approached slowly. "You're the only one who can help. I'm..." She clutched her stomach in pain. "Ow...I'm certain Celestia chose you because she trusts you." "And trust you I do." Haywick turned back to see Celestia smiling at him. "You are the best medical practitioner I have seen in so many years. I have seen you perform the most complex of operations and watched you save ponies from the brink of death. If anypony can help now, it's you." Haywick looked visibly stunned by the Princess' moving words. Clearing his throat, he stood up straight and smiled. "Then I will do my very best." Smiles adorned all of our faces as he agreed to help. "But...I will need much equipment to be brought here." Celestia groaned as she realised he was right. "The time it would take to bring all of that over here..." She paced back and forth searching for a solution before stopping dead in her tracks. She turned to us both and knelt down near us. "Jason. Sarah. The only way I can see this working is if we perform this procedure in a medical environment." "But we already said we're not risking it here." I replied. "I know. Which is why I want to take you both to Canterlot. Haywick and his team will be more able there." she explained. She turned to Luna and nodded, to which she did the same. Luna grabbed Haywick with her hoof and teleported them away. "Are you ready?" "Wait." I stood up and focused on Celestia. "I want you to promise me something." "Of course." "Promise me that no harm will come to Sarah or our baby by using strong magic." "Jason I--" "PROMISE ME!" I held my hand over my mouth, surprised at my outburst. "I'm sorry but...I cannot risk harm to them both. What if magic causes something to go wrong? What if the teleport takes us somewhere else? Somewhere dangerous? I can't allow them to be hurt." I put my arms around my wife who was still in pain. "Please Celestia. Please promise me." I felt two large wings wrap around us both as Celestia approached. "Jason. You have my word. No harm will come to you, your wife or your child. I promise." "Thank you." Our house was illuminated for a final time as Celestia teleported us both to Canterlot - the birth place of our first child.