CHAPTER ONE: SURPRISE!
"This process isn't a guarantee for either of you. It's something I want to try because you're my best friends."
Twilight Sparkle leaned backward, closing the massive text sitting on her desk. She was propped up on an overstuffed pillow, reading glasses laying next to her on the antique desk given to her by Princess Luna for their 2nd Anniversary. Sitting across from her were Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, worried expressions on their faces.
Rainbow Dash sighed, scrunching her muzzle before speaking. "What do you mean not a guarantee? It's magic, you just say a few words, think real hard and make it happen."
"Yeah, Twi," Applejack spoke up, "Ah've seen ya handle all kinds o' magic before. Powerful magic. Remember when ya saved Ponyville from the Ursa Minor all those years ago? An' what about that there time ya reversed gravity just so's ya could run down, er, up stairs faster, back when we was in the Crystal Empire? Shoot, Twi, ya jus' became an Alicorn Princess! Ya gotta give yerself some credit, ya know."
Twilight sighed as she became aware of her wings, and ruffled them slightly in irritation, settling back into her pillow. "You don't quite understand. Alicorn or not, the type of magic I would need to use is very arcane, very fragile, and nearly impossible to handle. I'm not even certain I can pull it off. Are you absolutely certain this is something you want to do? You know, having foals is a huge responsibility, and as parents, you will be tasked with them every hour of every day. They require great amounts of attention, lots of love and care, and if you can't give them that, it could regress their development; at least, that's what I've read anyway." A light blush appeared on her cheeks, and she looked away for a moment. Clearing her throat, she turned back toward her friends, her expression resolving itself into a visage that brooked no indecisiveness.
"If you really want to do this," she said, "I'll help you, but you have to be certain. Once it happens, once that magical seed has embedded itself, and once your body has taken over, there's nothing that will stop it. The magic will take on a life of its own, and the end results will be yours to deal with, so be sure, because if we go through with this, there's no turning back."
Rainbow Dash looked to her wife, who returned her gaze. They sat there for a moment, in silence, seeking only the closeness of one another, that intimacy that only those who truly love each other can experience. After a few moments had passed, Applejack let a small smile appear, and Rainbow Dash's muzzle broke out into a grin.
She turned her head to look at Twilight. "Absolutely, Twi." Turning her head back to Applejack, she continued. "Before AJ came along, I woulda never thought about being married, or having foals, but I know this is what I want to do." She planted a soft kiss on Applejack's muzzle.
Twilight's eyebrows shot up. "You're going to carry the foals, Dash?" She asked, her voice raising half an octave in the process.
Dash beamed. "Yep! Applejack and I decided that I should be the one to carry the foals."
"Why? I mean, what made you decide?" Twilight asked, confusion on her face. "I mean, no offense, Dash, but I never really saw you as the wholesome, motherly type."
"Hey!" Dash said, a tinge of hurt in her voice. "I may not look like a lovey dovey type of mare's filly, but I can be wholesome." She looked at Applejack, "Wholesome's another word for mega awesome, right?"
Applejack's expression turned deadpan. "Sure, sugarcube. It means mega awesome."
Rainbow Dash smirked at Twilight.
"Well, then, pardon me," Twilight said, letting the obvious gaffe pass in an effort to restore the calm that had existed before her observation. "I didn't mean to imply you couldn't be motherly, but how did you two decide on who would have the foal?"
Applejack spoke in turn. "Ya see, Twi, Rainbow and Ah sat down one night, and worked it all out. Ya see, Ah'm the only one o' the two of us who can move the harvest real fast. Don't get me wrong, mah sugarcube works hard, but Ah'm the one who can buck the fastest and the hardest."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yep, and while I won't be able to practice for a while, I can still manage the weather team until it gets close enough to where I won't be able to fly as fast or work as hard."
Applejack took up the rest of the explanation. "Yessir, and while we can go without Rainbow's weather pay for a while, payin' the farmhands without bringin' in harvest income would make it real hard on us."
Twilight nodded. "So it was a purely economic decision?"
Rainbow Dash waved her foreleg, as if wiping away the statement. "No, Twilight. See, not many ponies know this," and at this point she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial level, as if afraid everypony would learn of this admission, "I've kind of always wanted to have a foal of my own."
Twilight gasped and sat back, her face an expression of surprise. "You?! You?! Rainbow Dash?! Equestria's fastest flyer?! The mare who practiced 16 hours a day to become the greatest aerial acrobat in the world? Rainbow Danger Dash?!"
"Okay, okay, okay, Twi, geez, we get it, you're shocked, now lower your voice!" Dash hissed.
Twilight had the good grace to blush. "Sorry," she said as a look of contrite embarrassment spread across her face. "It's just hard for me to believe. I've always seen Applejack as the family mare, and you as more of an independent free spirit. I didn't know you harbored such feelings for motherhood."
"I do, so what?" Dash replied, this time earning her own blush in return.
Twilight smiled. "Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I have no doubt you would be a terrific mother, Dash, but I figured you had too many career plans to slow down long enough for motherhood."
Dash huffed, a smirk appearing on her face. "Slow down? Twilight, taking care of a foal is going to be the most awesome, busy job I could possibly have. There won't be any slowing down, and what's even cooler is that my foal is going to grow up to be just as awesome an athlete as me." She finished her words with pride in her voice. Applejack leaned over and affectionately nuzzled her neck.
Twilight grinned as the two focused on one another. "Well," she said with a sigh, "I can't say the two of you aren't committed to this. So here's what we'll do," she continued, rising from her pillow and trotting over to a large bookshelf, "I'll spend the next week or so preparing for the spell. We'll have to do it in two sessions, in order to better reinforce the magic that will end up binding itself to you."
She grabbed a large tome with her magic, and returned to the desk. As she began reading the text, she grabbed a piece of parchment and her writing quill, and began scribbling furiously, her eyes never leaving the pages of the large text on the desk.
"Here are some instructions for you, Rainbow Dash. This is a list of foods you'll need to eat to aid in the development of the foal, along with the daily exercise requirements. It would be best if you started on these today. The more we can prepare, the better the results."
She floated the finished parchment over to Applejack, who placed it under her hat. "I'll see you two in a week," Twilight said with a smile, and turned to place the book back in its place on the bookshelf.
Rainbow Dash glanced to her left to see Applejack staring right at her. As she turned her head to ask AJ what was wrong, she was caught off guard by the sudden, crushing embrace of her lover.
"Yer gonna make the best mother, sugarcube," she heard a voice purr into her ear with that sweet, southern twang. "Ah love you."
Rainbow Dash, having collected her wits, returned the embrace, whispering in the orange mare's ear, so low that only the farm pony could hear, "I love you too, AJ, and I always will."
Sunlight danced on her eyelids as she wondered where she was. Only a moment ago, she was in the sweet embrace of her wife, but now all she could see was black. Slowly, the blackness, and the fog of confusion began to lift, as she opened her eyes. She was in a room; the furniture was worn down from use, but otherwise well cared for. On the walls, she saw several paintings, one or two of them were of ponies she knew, others were ponies she had heard about, but had never met. She noticed that in her position, she could see the ceiling quite clearly, with its overhead bulb swaying slightly in the breeze generated by the open window nearby. It was morning.
She realized that she was in bed.
It took her only a moment to realize she had been dreaming. This brought on a moment of slight distress, as she suddenly became concerned that all of it had just been a dream, that the past year hadn't actually happened. The very thought made her heart jump, her breathing becoming more rapid, and intense. A tingling shard of ice began to make its way down the nape of her neck, sweat breaking out on her forehead. As she was about sit up, a foreleg fell across her chest.
"Mornin' sugarcube," a sweet, honeyed, slightly slurred, southern drawl tickled her ears, and she looked over to see the most beautiful orange mare she had ever seen in her life staring back at her. Her deep, emerald eyes were dazzling, made moreso by the sunlight glinting off of them, highlighting the flecks of gold in her irises. Her soft muzzle was curled up in a tiny smile, and her mane was wild, her hairbands she used to tame it were lying on the table next to the bed. Dash watched her for a moment, as her chest rose and fell gently. She was the embodiment of everything Rainbow Dash held dear, and she was compelled to pull her tight to her, to keep her from the world, to hold her only for herself. The world didn't have a right to her. She did not belong to it, she belonged only to Dash.
She fought off the idea, realizing quickly how selfish it was, even if it was also well meaning, and motivated only by the love she had for her wife.
Applejack's smile grew a little wider as she said, "Cat got yer tongue, Dashie?"
The mention of her pet nickname made her spine tingle with delight. She could feel the warmth in her chest grow, and she wanted to take that mare in her arms and kiss her until the Sun went back down for the day. But, they had things to do today, so instead, she just smiled, and replied in that raspy voice, one occluded somewhat by the remaining vestiges of sleep that chose to hang on until the final second.
"Hey, AJ."
"Ya know, sugarcube, ya look darn cute there with your mane all ruffled and messy."
Dash snorted. "My mane's always ruffled and messy, silly."
"Ah know," Applejack replied, "but it's ruffled and messy right here, in our bed, and ya got the Sun shinin' on ya, and it makes ya look just so durn purty."
Applejack leaned over, kissing her wife on the lips. Rainbow Dash, needing no further provocation, leaned into the kiss. They lay there for many moments this way, enjoying one another's company, but alas, as was said before, there were things to do today, and their lips parted. As a final thought, Rainbow Dash took her hoof, and rubbed it gently on Applejack's belly. When she had first broken the news the night before, Applejack had told her the doctor figured she was a little over a month along. Dash thought about the road ahead, and for a moment, nothing was said, and they both lay there in silent communion of what was to come. Finally, the silence was broken.
"Hey, Dashie?"
"Yeah, AJ?"
"How would ya like some Apple crumb cake and lemongrass tea for breakfast?"
"Doesn't that take a while to bake?"
"Ah made some last night after ya went to bed."
"Best. Wife. Ever."
Twenty minutes later, having showered and made herself somewhat presentable for the day, Rainbow Dash trotted down the steps into the main living room of the Apple family farmhouse. Not much had changed over the past year that they had been married, though there were a few more homey touches that were personal to the pair.
Up on the fireplace mantel lay a clear display box, with two hoof bracelets nestled inside. They were intertwined, and the names of the couple were on each one, facing outward so that anypony who came to visit would see them, and perhaps share in their joy, even just a tiny bit.
The couch had finally been re-upholstered, as the old seat covers had been thrown out. It was inevitable, as all things age, and then there are the things that catch on fire because a certain somepony thought they could get their cutie mark by juggling fiery batons in the living room. All Dash remembered was that old sofa seat covers are very flammable, and that for several weeks, she missed having eyebrows.
A knock at the door brought Rainbow Dash out of her reverie. A voice from the kitchen called out, "Ya down here, Dash?"
Rainbow Dash called out as she began to walk toward the door. "Yeah, I'll get it!"
"Thanks, sugarcube!" came the response.
A few steps later, Dash was at the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to see who was standing there.
"Uh, can I help you?" she said, uncertainty in her voice as she took a moment to absorb the sight in front of her, because standing there, wings folded back, his barrel shod in brass and silver, holding his helmet in one hoof, and a pack on his side, was a member of the Royal Guard.
The stallion bowed his head slightly before speaking. "Good day to you, Madam. I am Sprint Signal, and I am looking for one Mrs. Applejack Apple."
"Um, is she in trouble or something? Because, I, uh don't think she lives here. Yeah, she moved to Colton last spring. I don't even know her, in fact, you know, um, who is she?" Dash replied, her eyes darting back and forth as she spoke.
"Who is it, Dash?" came a voice from the hallway.
"Oh, um, nothing, Applej-, uh, Smith. Applesmith. You can go back in the kitchen."
The guard chuckled. "No, no, my dear. I'm a Royal Courier. I have a letter for Mrs. Applejack Apple, courtesy of Her Royal Highness Princess Cadance.
"Oh, I see, well-" Dash began, but stopped when Applejack sidled up next to her at the door.
"Howdy there, Mister. Mah name's Applejack Apple. You'll have ta excuse mah wife, she's a tad paranoid sometimes."
"Hey, I'm not paranoid. I don't even think that's a word!" Rainbow Dash replied indignantly.
"Check June 5th on your calendar, sugarcube. It's a word."
In response to this, Rainbow Dash scrunched her face, turned and cantered up to their bedroom.
"Ah'm sorry, Mister. Mah wife is bein' a bit odd this mornin'," Applejack said, chuckling.
"It's not an issue, Madam, and if it makes you feel any better," he said, leaning in just a bit to make his point, "I'm married to a rather temperamental pegasus myself." Applejack grinned as the courier reached into his pack and, a moment later, retrieved a scroll with his mouth. Applejack politely accepted it in her own.
"Well, Madam," he said, taking a second to place his shining brass helmet on his head, "I thank you, and shall be off. I have many rounds to make today." With that, the courier flew off into the morning sky.
Applejack stepped back into the house, shutting the door with a back hoof. She dropped it onto the coffee table, broke the official seal of Her Royal Highness Princess Cadance, and began to read. After a few minutes of silence, her brow furrowed.
"Ah ha!" she heard from behind her. She turned to see Rainbow Dash trotting down the stairs, with confidence written all over her face.
"What in tarnation are ya smilin' about? Ya look like the cat that swallowed the durn canary."
"Ew." Dash replied, her face scrunching up at the thought of such a thing. "Anyway," she continued, "I looked up that word, and you messed up."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Well, then, tell me where Ah messed up, smarty britches."
"I will, corn pone. You called me paranoid. Well, I looked it up, and it says that somepony who is paranoid thinks everypony is out to get her."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Yeah,... wait, what?"
"Yup."
A moment of silence passed, and then Dash replied. "Oh. Well in that case, yeah."
Applejack blinked a couple of times before shaking her head.
"So, AJ, is breakfast ready?" Dash asked, waving her foreleg in her wife's face.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, but first, Ah want to show ya the letter we got from Princess Cadance."
Dash nodded. "Okay, so what's it say?"
Applejack turned to the coffee table, and spread out the letter with her hoof, in order to give Dash a better chance of seeing it. "It pretty much says that the Princess is requestin' our help up in the Crystal Empire. Somethin' about findin' a new type o' apple seed, and they want mah help gettin' it inta the soil."
Dash's eyebrows shot up. "She wants you to go to the Crystal Empire?"
Applejack nodded. "Not just me, though, sugarcube, she's invitin' ya up as well. Says we can stay at a ski resort they just built, an' maybe have a little vacation all ta ourselves. Says down here we'd be there a week. So what do ya say?"
Rainbow Dash let out a shout, and jumped into the air, doing a double backflip without managing to hit the living room ceiling. "That is awesome! A week in the Crystal Empire, skiing, snowboarding, drinking hot cocoa, and I get to spend it with the best mare ever!"
A moment later, she floated back down to the ground. "So, when do we leave?"
Applejack consulted the letter once more. "She wants us on the Friendship Express by tomorrow mornin', 8 A.M. She says we'll have the tickets at the station."
Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof into the air, grabbed her wife and kissed her passionately on the lips, and broke away long enough to say, "Crystal Empire, here we come! Also, can we eat now? I'm starving!"
***