Chapter 2: Seven Months Ago
“Spike can I have some apple juice please?” Twilight said from her bedroom.
“But you just had a glass.” Spike called from the kitchen. It’s been a month since the shocking news of his surrogate sister’s pregnancy and like any normal child, or baby dragon in this case, he was excited to be an uncle.
“I know but can I PLEASE have some more?” Twilight asked sweetly. Sighing he brought up another jug of apple juice and filled her glass.
“Need anything else Twilight?” Spike asked handing the drink over.
“A hug would be nice.” She responded and gained her hug from her little brother.
“Oh right, Fluttershy’s going to be over soon to check up on you while I help Rarity around her shop. She’s got a really big order in this week.” Spike said after letting go.
Twilight nodded and gave him a gentle loving nuzzle before he left. “Okay Spike just let her know I’m upstairs.” Spike nodded as he closed the door. Twilight sighed as she sipped her delish apple juice. The foal must really like it according to the pamphlet. It stated that foals have certain tastes they like and dislike while in the womb and tells the mother its likes and dislikes by giving her cravings or an upset stomach. So far she found it liked anything Pinkie Pie made and anything from Applejack’s farm. It didn’t like the daisy sandwiches nor did it like the hay fries which she did like. Yet she had to eat a balanced enough diet to keep the foal healthy.
Sighing she looked to the clock and then the sun and took out a potion the hospital had for her that would give her the needed nutrients she couldn’t get with her current eating habits. Sighing she took the needed amount of potion and gagged. “Ugh, I’ll never get used to that taste.” Putting the bottle away she knew the foal wasn’t too happy about the potion as it started to upset her stomach. “You don’t like it either I know but ugh. It’s so you can grow up nice and strong.” Twilight rubbed her stomach as she wondered where all this came from. She was now four months pregnant with a foal she didn’t even know she had let alone wanted till she married. Sighing she returned her attention back to the pamphlets and her juice.
***
An hour later Fluttershy came to relieve Spike of his duties and take care of poor Twilight. “You sure you can handle Twilight on your own Fluttershy?” Spike asked before leaving.
“Oh we’ll be fine Spike. Though um is there any medicines she needs to be taking… if you don’t mind telling me.”
Spike nodded and lead her into the kitchen and the magically powered fridge. “She to take a nutrient potion ever four hours and get plenty of liquids and food into her other than apples though Twilight says its fine for the foal.”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded at this. “Oh yes, foals tell the mothers what they like and don’t like will still being in their mothers.”
Spike looked at her at this. “Really? Wow then that foal must really like apples. Twilight just can’t stop eating them.”
Fluttershy giggled at this and gently nudged Spike out of the kitchen. “If this is all then you better get going. You don’t want to keep Rarity waiting.”
Spike jumped at this. “Oh your right. Take care Fluttershy I’ll be back about dinner!” And with that Spike was gone.
Shaking her head Fluttershy gently flew up to Twilight’s bedroom and gently almost silently knocked on the door. “Um Twilight. Are you awake? If not I’ll come back later but I um need to know when you last took your potion.” Gently and very carefully Fluttershy pushed on the door finding it unlocked and looked inside. On the bed surrounded by parenting books of all kinds was Twilight with a book of foal names laying over her face, her mane and fur a mess and her lunch plate and goblet which had apple juice in it lying haphazardly on a side table. Sighing and smiling gently Fluttershy gently flew in and made Twilight more comfortable while also cleaning up the lunch mess. Carefully she left and soon returned to watch over her dear friend and wonder about the foal and more importantly how it was like to be a mother.
Sighing she watched her friend sleep as she thought about getting together with her dream mate and having a lovely foal who they would both love and raise together as a family should. Still she didn’t know why she hasn’t found her special somepony yet. Sure she never showed herself as looking and she was quite shy but… sighing she laid her head down between her front legs and admitted that not many Stallions or even Mares had caught her interest, except three. The first was Applejack’s big brother Big Macintosh. He was the biggest yet gentlest Stallion she had ever met; he was even well mannered if yet a bit of the silent type. Then there was Rarity, yes Rarity, the fashonista. She was so kind and graceful and just seemed so adamant when they had their spa dates. She was also one of the most beautiful Mares she’d ever seen yet… she was unsure as to how Rarity felt about other Mares. Lastly was one you won’t expect at all but she had the longest crush on. Rainbow Dash.
***
Rainbow Dash sneezed causing her to go through the cloud she was helping guide over Sweet Apple Acres with her weather team. Sighing she told everyone to keep going while she took a moment to rest her wings. Once her team was gone she sighed and flopped down on the cloud. “Oh man, I just can’t stop thinking about it. What’s wrong with me?!” Rainbow nearly yelled as she lay on the cloud. Pregnant. Twilight Sparkle, only twenty four hours after the ‘Welcome Back Princess Luna Party’ that her newest friend was pregnant. What was worse was how they all found out about it!
Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia were all present in the Ponyville Care Center for an important meeting with a Dr. First-aid. Rainbow was not pleased with this as she had not only waiting time to here instead of practicing for the Wonderbolts, she also had to take unwanted time off from the Weather Team and left Derpy Hooves in charge. Not that she didn’t like Derpy, oh no, Derpy was one of her small list of good friends, it was just well… she was a bit accident prone do to her head injury during Flight School that caused her to become wall eyed. She didn’t want something bad to happen to her and her young foal, Dinky.
Derpy didn’t talk about it but Rainbow and Derpy’s roommate and longtime earth pony friend Carrot became a big help to her. Rainbow even went far enough for Derpy to get her a second and much less dangerous job, mail delivery, and even tried numerous time to talk her into getting the magic surgery she needed to correct her eye but constantly answered her the same way. "My little muffin Dinky comes first Rainbow. My eye can wait, besides I’ve lived this long with it, what’s a few more years?" Rainbow sighed internally at this. She never said it out loud but… there were times where she wished she was a mother. Sure she’d never be like her mother, who ever she was, and just put the kid in an orphanage like she was, no, she’d raise the kid right and be there for them.
“Ahem.” Rainbow quickly looked up as the doctor finally trotted in. “Now that your all here I’d like to first thank you for your time. Now, the reason you are all here is because your all connected somehow, some way to a client of mine. This Patient’s name won’t be revieled until your all filled in with what has happened to her.” Dr. First-aid said to the group before he started pacing. Rainbow sighed as it seemed this was going to be a long day. “Now I don’t want any of you starting a thunderstorm before you heard all the fact. Do I have your word you will all remain calm till I’m finished and save your questions till the end?” Everyone nodded in agreement while Pinkie on the other hand did her famous Pinkie Promise which NO ONE EVER BROKE! “Very well. A few hours ago a patient came in with serious stomach pains and sickness. We did all the normal tests and found she was pregnant, according to her it was right after she had… defeated Nightmare Moon.” Luna flinched at this but Rainbow felt it was going to be that way for a while.
“Now this may not sound serious or in need of all of you here but I’m hoping I won’t have to tell you one of the issues we currently face.” The Doctor said looking at all of them. It didn’t take long till Pinkie Pie gasped and started bouncing in place while Rarity also gasped and nearly passed out. It was Princess Luna and Celestia that had the greatest reactions. Luna gasped loudly while Celestia’s eye went wide and her mouth hung open and was slowly closed by her sister soon after. Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other and shrugged. Just what so important about six… mares… and a… “WHAT?!” Both soon yelled at the same time.
“But Doc, must of us here aren’t unicorns. How this even possible?” Applejack said with wide scared eyes.
“Calm down Miss Apple. I’m getting to the question part, please wait.” The doctor answered calmly. Applejack just sat down on her hunches with a very scared look in her eyes that Rainbow just couldn’t place. Was it fear for the mare the doctor was taking care of or was it something else? “Now,” the doctor started up again, “as you just realized the second parent of the foal is in fact another mare. Now, as Princess Celestia and Luna can attest, this kind of family is quite normal however… it was not done through normal means.”
It was at this Celestia stepped forward. “Dr. First-aid, not to be rude but can you please explain why we are all here and also who this poor mare is?”
Dr. First-aid sighed and looked down. “Very well Princess. The Mare in question… is Twilight Sparkle.” This caused everyone including the Princesses to gasp!
Rainbow sighed as she carefully fell off and took to the air once again to catch up with her crew. She just hoped… Twilight was okay and that she… be there for the foal.
***
Rarity waved off her last customer for the day and quickly closed up shop. She really needed more time alone for… thoughts. Normally it be great for her thoughts to wonder when it counted for her next design but… not this time. All her thoughts were now on poor Twilight. To be a single mother, all alone without the one who helped grant the poor foal upon her. She sighed as she sat down with her normal cup of tea. Taking a sip she turned her mind back to that day they all found out about Twilight’s foal.
Rarity could not believe her ears. Twilight, the mare from Canterlot castle and her newest friend was with a foal. The poor filly would certainly need her friends and the second parent for all of this. “Doctor, if it wouldn’t be any trouble, do you know exactly who the second parent is of dear Twilight’s foal?” Rarity asked kindly.
“Well actually this is why you are all here. I need to take a sample from each of you to run next to Twilight’s to get any accurate results however I must have your consent to take such samples and I assure you that we will keep this privet if you wish.” The Doctor replied gently.
Rarity liked this doctor, he was kind and gentle like her dear Fluttershy but straight forward and honest like her dear Applejack. Fluttershy and Applejack… Rarity had to shake her head a bit and carefully smiled at the doctor. “Of, course you have my permission to take the sample from me Doctor. Anything to help poor Twilight.” The rest of the girls, including the princesses agreed soon after.
Once the samples were done the doctor soon cleared his throat again. “Now, each of you have signed a paper saying if you wish this information privet or open and also how you would like to be informed if you are the second parent. We’ll be sure to follow the directions precisely. Now, I regret to inform you that visiting hours are over and I must ask you all to leave for now. However you may visit her tomorrow during visiting hours.”
It was then Celestia stepped forward once again. “How long will it take for the test results to come in?”
The Doctor turn to her and brought his hoof to his chin. “Well I could put it on rush but it could come back with mixed results. I’d rather this be accurate Princess. We don’t need to cause any confusion, hurt feelings, or anything like that. I rather let the medical team do their job right and be absolutely sure who the second parent is before I inform anyone.”
Celestia sighed and looked to the doctor. “How long?”
The doctor sighed and looked her right in the eye. “Normally it’ll take a week but who knows how the foal came to be. Now I didn’t tell Miss Sparkle that the second parent is a mare yet but you were the only ones there next to her that could be the second parent. I fully believe magic was involved as she claims to not have been with any stallion from the time of,” clears his throat, “fertilization to now. Now that could either help or hinder the results since we’re unsure which spell was used but I assure you my Princesses, we will get to the bottom of this.”
Rarity looked down at this and then to her gathered friends. What… could they do now when one of their friends, their newest friend, was about to become a mother? “Very well doctor. Do keep us all informed.” Was the last thing Rarity heard before she finally passed out.
Rarity was currently rubbing her head, and her horn, at the memory of the ungraceful fall to the floor. “Oh Twilight. I do hope we can help you through this.”
***
The sound of a tree falling over was not what Big Mac wanted to hear today. “Sis, go take a break.” Applejack hadn’t been the same since the day at the hospital.
She was holding something in and it wasn’t helping her nor was it helping the farm. “Ain’t no doing Mac. We got to get this field harvested before…”
Mac held up his hoof to his sister. “Before you buck all our trees over.” Applejack sighed and looked to the ground. “Something eaten at you sis and it ain’t helping nobody keepin’ it in. Now yah gonna talk about it or do I need to get Granny on yah?” Applejack sighed before… she bashed into him and just bawled. Mac just held his sister through it all. Honestly Mac knew exactly what had AJ in just a mood. Their own family.
It was a well-known secret in the Apple Family that… Ma and Pa Apple didn’t raise AJ, Mac, and Apple Bloom. They were all raise by Granny Smith. Ma Apple or Golden Delicious was not a down to earth pony who worked hard for a living, no, she was a mare on the move constantly. As was Pa Apple or Red Apple. There was times Mac wished he could find his Pa and buck him good for what they put the family through. Not many knew that old Big Mac had issues he needed to get off his chest but he did and spoke to a good doctor about it from time to time to keep his personal problems under control. Back when he was a colt he was a rambunctious and often angry foal. He’d buck trees, rocks, anything, and one time… he bucked Grandpa Smith. It was right then he started to get help.
Young Big Mac slowly walked into the psychologist’s office slowly looking down. He couldn’t believe his Ma and Pa. “Well hello Big Mac.” Bright Mind said as he spotted his young patient. Bright Mind was a kind hearted and well respected doctor in the field of mental therapy and Big Mac was one of many popular patients he attended to. “Your early this time around. Your next appointment wasn’t till next week.”
Big Mac slowly nodded. “Doc, can you and me talk?” Bright Mind nodded and guided Big Mac into his office. Bright Mind was well known for going the extra mile to help his patients with any issue they had and asked for very little bits in return.
“Now what seems to be the issue Mac?” Bright Mind said sitting down.
Mac sat down on a small couch made for foal’s his age and sighed. “They… left her.”
Bright Mind raised an eye brow at this. “Who left whom Mac?”
Mac looked down and then back to the doctor. “Ma and Pa left Granny and Gramps a foal. A filly.”
Bright Mind sighed at this. “Tell me more Mac, I feel you have a lot to say on this.”
Mac sat up at this. “You’re sure as cider I do! Who goes and leave a filly they just had to Gramps and Granny like that?! Don’t they even care about us?!” Bright Mind sat back and carefully listened to Mac’s tirade. “I don’t care who they are, they have a responsibility to the family and to her! What she going be like when Gramps passes? Or worse it just me to tend the farm! They don’t care, they don’t care one bit!” Bright Mind went over to the young foal and gently hugged him. Normally he didn’t do this but there was a time and place for such things and this was one of them. “Why they leave us? Aren’t we good enough?”
Bright Mind sighed and let go of Mac and looked his right in the eye. “Mac, I know this is going to be hard for you to understand but… I promise you will one day. Mac. Sometimes… parents just feel they can’t take care of a foal so they leave them with ponies that can. Your momma and papa felt that it be best that you and your new sister grow up being raised by your grandparents instead of them. For whatever the reason is, I assure you they did it because they cared about you both.” Mac sighed and nodded at this. “Now that’s a good colt. I think we’ll up your appointments a bit alright? Now, let say you and I go and have ourselves one of the Cake’s freshly baked cookie hmm?”
Mac sighed at the memory. Bright Mind sadly passed a year after Apple Bloom came into their family and Mac did miss him. He was always so kind to him and the family. Sadly he… was now gone. Flying Chariot crash. Sighing Mac looked down to his now sleeping sister. “Guess we both have some talking to do. Huh sis?”
To be continued