... is but an earlier Heaven - George Bernard Shaw
She's never been so darn nervous in her life. Not a single rodeo, not a single new pony or new place ever made her feel this gosh danged tense.
“It'll be fine, AJ. Quite pacing like that.”
“'Quit pacing'!? Pacing is the only thing keeping me sane!” Applejack retorts and Rainbow Dash leans away from her, eyes wide.
“Yeah? Well, I don't think it's working,” She says bluntly and Applejack falters then huffs at her and returns to her restless walking back and forth. “AJ... Calm down...”
“Ah can't, Dash. Ah can't do anythin' but think of everythin' that could go wrong...” Applejack replies, voice shaky from the anxiety and her ears droop and her pupils dilate. “Oh Celestia, what if there's complications!? What if- Aw, no- what if Rarity- what if our foal-?!”
THWACK!
Applejack blinks then rubs her sore cheek in stunned wonder. Rainbow Dash lowers her raised hoof. Applejack looks to her, brow furrowed with confusion and hurt.
“Ya' hit me!” She declares accusingly.
“You were flipping out. I didn't have much choice.”
Applejack stares at Rainbow Dash then shrugs and looks away, conceding to it.
“That smarted, RD...”
“Sorry but... y'know. It's my job. I'm your best friend. If I didn't slap you when you were being crazy then nopony else would,” Rainbow returns quite unapologetically and Applejack rubs her cheek again. It's actually throbbing, she was hit that dang hard.
“... Ah'm scared, Rainbow,” She admits and she looks back to her friend and finds a small smile there on the Pegasus' face.
“Yeah?... Well, I kind of am to...” Rainbow says then her smile widens. “... even if there is absolutely nothing to worry about at all. I mean, this is Rarity. She might be a prissy unicorn but she married you so she must have a pretty good pain tolerance.”
Applejack nods then catches herself and frowns.
“Hey, wait a second. What was that about-?!”
“APPLEJACK APPLE! IF I BUCKING SEE YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN, I AM GOING TO ABSOLUTELY DESTROY IT, YOU INCONSIDERATE HILLBILLY!!!”
Applejack stares, wide eyed, at the doors opposite her then swallows hard as her heart pounds frantically. She can't even bring herself to be annoyed at the term 'hillbilly' passing through her love's mouth when she is clearly very ticked off and wanting to murder her. The fear's just too powerful at the moment.
“Wow... She's miffed,” Rainbow points out.
“Ya' think?!”
“Heheh... Oh colt, did I ever tell you guys what a nice couple you make because... you do, y'know? You seriously make my day,” Rainbow Dash says through her sniggering and Applejack scowls at her.
“Why don't ya' go crash into a tree or something?!” She grumbles.
“Because it's more fun here!”
“WHERE IS SHE?! BRING HER HERE, RIGHT NOW SO THAT I CAN STRANGLE HER WITH YOUR STETHOSCOPE!!”
Applejack pales, scooting away from the door.
“Ha! And you thought it was better for Rarity to carry the foal!” Rainbow laughs and she drops into her chair. “Haha! I should be taking pictures!”
As it later turned out, it wasn't necessary. Pinkie Pie had been crouched behind a nearby plant pot and taken photographs of the whole thing.
It was highly amusing for Rarity after Applejack grew the courage to join her and Pinkie had proudly showed her work. It had 'almost made the pain worth it', though of course, what really did was the stunningly beautiful little filly that they got out of all those months of torment.
Rarity cried, everypony cried tears of relief and joy but perhaps strangest was how calm Applejack was at first, even as the foal was carefully placed in her arms and she sat down beside Rarity on the bed and kissed her temple. Then she looks down at Honeycrisp and there was only the barest wobble of her lip before she broke down into happy sobs, dropping her face into Rarity's neck and being the generous mare that she was, even after all the time in labour, she smiled and held her wife to her gently. Rainbow Dash thought it was hilarious.
“Ah ain't cryin'! It's just- Quit laughin' at me, Dash!”
Honeycrisp was perfect... more perfect than either Applejack or Rarity could have imagined. The tears were kind of inevitable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Mama... It's cold.”
Applejack looks down to the filly at her side. She is white, the purest kind of white that's too pure to blend with the snow. Her eyes are Applejack's eyes, though they shine like emeralds with the boundless life of foalhood. Her mane is Applejack's too, similiarly difficult to tame and a bane of Rarity's existence to get just right.... She's a little bundle of perfect.
A shivering little bundle of perfect.
“Sorry, Honey. Ah jus' forget with bein' an earth pony an' all,” Applejack says apologetically, pulling herself out her thoughts and she brushes away some snow then sits down on the damp earth and pulls the young pony into a warm embrace, lifting her clean off the ground. Honeycrisp buries her face in her ma's chest and snuggles into her. “That better?”
“Yes...” The filly says with a smile that thought Applejack can't see, she doesn't doubt is there. She's got this small and elegant smile; a Rarity kind of smile. “How come when mummy gets cold you carry her?”
Applejack blinks.
“Whattaya mean?” She questions.
“Mummy says she's cold... and you roll your eyes big and then you carry her.”
“Oh...” Applejack says then she smiles. “That's 'cuz mummy can sure whine.”
“Mummy's silly,” Honeycrisp says with a giggle.
“Glad we can agree on that, sugar cube,” Applejack replies. “Would ya' like sit on mah back the rest o' the way?” She adds and Honeycrisp pauses.
“I like snow... I just wish it weren't so cold.”
Applejack chuckles at the notion, shaking her head lightly.
“It's frozen. That's why,” She explains and Honeycrisp wiggles out her embrace then turns to face the whiteness and peers up at the sky as flakes fall, leaning back into Applejack's front so as to not lose the warmth.
“Do they mind?”
“Huh?”
“Do they mind being frozen?” Honeycrisp quips and she goes cross eyed watching a snowflake settle on the tip on her nose then melt away. Applejack watches the filly's nose wrinkles then she smiles gently. Honeycrisp does ask the strangest things.
“Ah don't think so... It's like... their talent, y'know? Bein' frozen and then bein' pretty whilst bein' frozen,” Applejack says softly and it's quiet. The road is empty and the orchards are silent. Rarity will have a pot of steaming broth bubbling on the stove and will be waiting for the pair to return. She's got a lot better at cooking since Honeycrisp was born.
“Mummy said they're all different.”
“Eeyup. They certainly are,” Applejack confirms.
“Are they like ponies then?” Honeycrisp asks, tilting her head back to meet Applejack's gaze. Applejack thinks for a moment, not just about the question but also about the deep insight the little filly has. She must get it from Rarity.
“Maybe... but Ah think that's something ya' ought to ask Aunty Twi. Y'know she's so clever an' all,” Applejac returns and her filly beams at her, a wide and silly grin.
“That's 'cuz she's a princess and the princesses are clever!”
“She was clever before she was a princess too,” Applejack states and she gently taps Honeycrisp's nose.
“Tell me about Uncle Discord!” Honeycrisp says as she rises to her hooves.
“Which story?”
“All of them, mama! He's funny,” Honeycrisp replies as if that's reason enough for anything and maybe it is. Applejack rolls her eyes with a fond smile.
“Alright then. The first time we met him he was kinda mean...” She begins and the pair head on through the snow towards food and warmth though without a rush to get there...