//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: The Mane Six Chronicles Book 5: The Long Vacation 
// by KorvasTerindar 
//------------------------------//

Spike sat at the kitchen table enjoying his breakfast. It wasn't often that he got to have gems for a meal but today was special. It had been two weeks since the Millennial Shower and he and Twilight seemed to have gotten into an unspoken competition about who could surprise the other best and today Twilight had won. She had given him a large breakfast of gemstones and one particularly large diamond, easily half her size. He had refused to eat this one, he had other ideas in mind for it. 

The competition for surprises had been pretty competitive in the beginning, mostly centered around things that were sure to excite, but as the days went by, ideas were getting a little thin. Earlier this week Spike had surprised her with a full set of Arcane tomes, to replace her old ones, and a book on the ancient dragon language. It didn't surprise him when she started walking around speaking in draconic a few days later. He reclined a little in his chair while the sound of the bath upstairs reached his ears. He smiled as he remembered this morning, the sight of Twilight standing there next to Rarity, who had helped, covered head to toe in mud had been rather amusing.

He had thanked both the ponies for the gift but he held more regard for Twilight's efforts than Rarity's. He was grateful that she had gone through so much trouble for a breakfast that would only last today. He popped a few more gems in his mouth when a knock sounded on the door. He swallowed the mostly whole gems and gasped, "Come in."
His eyes where watering as the door opened and Applejack walked in. She frowned at Spike as he clutched his throat and gasped, "Yes, Applejack?"

AJ moved next to him and asked, "Are you okay?"
Spike nodded, unable to speak and AJ looked around the kitchen before asking, "Is Twilight here?"
Spike finally managed to find his voice again and said, "Yes she's upstairs bathing. Your welcome to wait here if you want, she shouldn't be much longer."

Applejack nodded and sat at the table across from Spike, watching as he resumed eating his meal. She watched as he picked up a diamond and tossed into his mouth, wincing as she heard the precious Gem shatter as he bit it. She had always wondered how on earth he could do that but had never asked, well, now seemed as good a time as any. "Hey Spike, how can you eat gems?"

Spike swallowed his mouthful of Gem fragments and picked an emerald off the table. He visualized eating the Gem and opened his mouth, allowing some of his saliva to fall on the stone. There was a light hiss as it made contact, the Gem beginning to dissolve in the area it had made contact. He looked up at AJ and wasn't surprised to see that she had backed about 4 feet away from the table. He smiled and said, "My species eats gems as a delicacy, our teeth are harder than diamond and our mouths produce acid when we eat them. But don't worry it's only when I eat a gem that this happens."

With that he threw the mostly dissolved gem into his mouth and continued to eat. AJ eventually managed to get over her shock and moved back to the table. It wasn't long before Twilight came back downstairs from her bath, her mane and coat were sleek and smooth, the scent of lavender wafting from her as she smiled at AJ and asked, "Applejack, what a lovely surprise. What can I do for you?"
Spike didn't know why, but for some reason he seemed to be holding his breath. Twilight seemed so radiant, so lovely, Spike couldn't seem to find words to describe but why was he thinking this all of a sudden?

Twilight moved on the other side of the table after offering to make some tea for them, putting the kettle on when Applejack agreed. After she was seated she stared over at Applejack, who seemed to be nervous about something, rocking side to side a little as she stared fixedly at the table. Twilight had rarely known AJ to be this silent and every time that had happened had been before, during, or after something dramatic or devastating. The last time had been when the apple orchard's produce had been destroyed by insects. Twilight immediately began worrying for Big Macintosh and her husband as she hesitantly asked, "Applejack, what's happened?"
Applejack's response was slow and broken, as if she was afraid to utter every word, "Twilight...I...I think that...that I'm...pregnant."

Twilight's reaction was a mix of intense joy and utter confusion. Even as she about bowled AJ over with squeals of delight, she couldn't help but wonder why this most joyous of news would be cause for worry. When Twilight finally calmed down she asked, "Applejack, what's wrong? I'd thought you'd be happy to be a mother."

Applejack looked even more depressed as she turned her head away from her best friend and said, "I haven't even told Big Mac."
Twilight was now seriously worried. Whatever it was that was bothering AJ about this pregnancy, it had to be extraordinary for her to not even tell her brother. Spike had stopped eating entirely to give his fullest attention to this conversation as he asked, "AJ, What's wrong with your being pregnant?"
Applejack looked close to tears as she choked, and then began sobbing freely. She looked up at Twilight and said through her tears, "My mothers family has a history of miscarrying." 

Finally, it all made sense and Twilight couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat as she looked at her brokenhearted friend. She'd never known this darkest of family secrets and she was sure that no one else did either. Applejack was afraid of a mothers worst nightmare, losing a child. Spike had no Idea what to say or do as both of his friends began weeping, comforting each other as only two friends could. He felt so out of place in this situation but knew all too well what the a history of miscarrying meant. If AJ's family had a history of miscarriages, there was a high likely hood that she could lose her first child. 

Finally after a full 10 minutes the two mares had calmed sufficiently for Twilight to ask, "Is the child alright?"
AJ nodded and answered, "So far, its doing fine, I'm about a month along but I can't help but be worried, My grandma said that Ma was blessed to have three children and have never experienced the heartbreak of losin' one."

Applejack put a hoof to her stomach and said, "I just hope that I am as blessed, sooner or later I'll have to tell Mac and..."
She abruptly stopped as her face went from its usual brown to pale in two seconds flat, her eyes fixed on the window behind Spike. He looked around and saw exactly what it was that caused it. There, outside of the window, was a tall, thick set stallion, his fur a deep mahogany with flecks of white. In his mane were several feathers, the largest of which was a gryphons, all tucked neatly into braids of his mane. His piercing eyes were fixed directly on Applejack and everyone at the table knew that he knew exactly what was being said. 

He moved to the door and it opened effortlessly as a gust of wind opened it and the stallion entered. He looked over at Applejack and said in a deep voice, "Apple, why do you try to hide this life from me?" 
This stallions name was Wind Chaser, an Indian mustang from a tribe up north. He had found the Apple orchard and had helped himself to the apples there, not realizing that they belonged to some one. Big Mac had found him but Applejack had prevented the fight. Shortly after beginning to help with the orchard to repay for the apples he had admitted to her that he thought she was, "As fair as the flowers, sweet as an apple and fiery as the sun." Despite his deep set love for her, at this moment he was angry. Applejack looked as if she were deeply ashamed as she confessed to him the truth, saying, "I'm sorry Wind, I didn't want to hurt you, my family has a history of miscarrying."

His appearance did not soften as he walked purposely across the room until he was eye level with her and said, "That matters not, our child will be strong, like the earth, and proud like the eagles. Do not doubt me when I tell you that all will be well."
Applejack looked up into the Stallions deep eyes, seeing her own reflected in them. She smiled and said, "Yes, your right, I am sorry I tried to hide this from you Wind." Wind Chaser nodded and nuzzled her gently, her cheeks tinting as she blushed at this. He turned to look at Twilight and Spike and said, "I thank you, for tending to Apple, I will take her home now."

Twilight nodded, she had always found the stallion to be a bit forward and slightly brusk but she knew it was because he was relatively unused to interaction with others outside of his Tribe. Applejack had had great understanding of him and had fallen in love with him almost as quickly as he did towards her. Twilight moved to take the tea kettle off the stove, steam hissing from it loudly having been completely forgotten in the depth of the conversation that had just been held. 

She hadn't had a chance to make tea for herself and Applejack, she might as well pour it out. Spike cleared his throat and she looked at him, "Twilight, I would like some tea if you don't mind." Twilight smiled and levitated two tea cups and tea bags to the table. She poured the hot water into the cups and sat back down at the table, watching as Spike gradually finished his meal.

She took a sip of her tea, chamomile, her favorite and thought idly to herself. She was still worried about Applejack, but there was nothing that she could do to help her beyond moral support. She was sure that Wind was right in saying that everything was going to be alright but still, she was still worried for her.
She took another sip of her tea as Spike crunched on the last of his gemstone meal, looking across the table at Twilight, his own mind filled with his own thoughts. Eventually he swallowed the last gem fragments and asked, "Do you think that Mac will let AJ work in the fall harvest today?" 

Twilight smiled and said, "Oh I highly doubt it, after all, she's pregnant now." Spike chuckled as he took a gulp of his tea, noticing as he did so that the door was open. He pointed this out to Twilight and she rolled her eyes as got up to close the door, she could have of course closed it with magic, as could Spike, but she didn't feel like doing it like that at the moment. She gently pushed the door shut and turned away from it. She took less than 2 steps when the door violently flew open as Big Mac flew through it. The door smacked hard against her rear, causing her to go face first into the hardwood floor. Twilight lay dazed as Big Mac ran over to Spike and exclaimed, "Have you heard?! Have you heard?! I'm gonna be an uncle!"

Spike gave Big Mac a rather weak smile as he rushed past him to the stunned Twilight, who lay on the floor in an undignified manner, her rear in the air with her face pressed against the floor, her sleek mane now lay in a mess on the floor around her head.

Spike worriedly shook Twilight asking, "Hey, are you all right?!" 
Twilight's muffled voice was relieve enough as she answered with obvious annoyance, "I just face planted the floor Spike, How do you think I'm feeling?!" 
Spike shook his head as he pulled her to her feet, her face a deeper shade of purple than normal as she looked at Mac and said, "Yes, we already know that she's pregnant. Despite your obvious excitement about it, could you please knock next time, the floor doesn't taste very good." 

Big Mac looked slightly ashamed of himself as he apologized to Twilight and promised not to come in without knocking. She nodded in acknowledgment to his apology and asked, "So, Wind or Applejack told you about the child?" Big Mac nodded, his pride seeming to radiate from him like a visible glow. He grinned broadly and said, "I can't wait to have the little tyke around, to think, my sister will have kids before I do."
Twilight grinned at Mac's obvious excitement and said, "Well, I'm happy for you and the family. Actually, Spike and I had a question. Will AJ be able to help with the fall harvest?"

Mac's face dropped a little as he answered, "I'm afraid not, she wants to, but I won't allow it. Not now."
Twilight thought, and apparently Spike agreed judging by the look on his face, that as Applejack was just over a month along in her pregnancy that there was very little to worry about in her helping. Big Mac shifted slightly from hoof to hoof and asked, "Hey Twilight, if it's not too much trouble, could you and Spike come out and help with the harvest this year?"
Twilight wasn't remotely surprised to be asked this and nodded, "Yeah, I figure we can help out, after all, this is for Applejack."

She giggled as Big Mac turned and opened the door saying, "Yeah, Just make sure to be out there to help, we'll need it."
With that he walked out the door, closing it carefully and leaving Twilight and Spike to prepare for the day ahead.