//------------------------------// // Adoption Wrap Up Adoption Wrap Up // Story: Mail Order Orphan // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// Ivy dangled from a rafter, watching life happen below her, which was rapidly becoming her usual point of view. It was safe up here. Up here, her tail could not be stepped on. Tail trodding was not something Ivy appreciated. Below her was a barn floor crowded with ponies. Her mama was down there, pacing about, occasionally looking up to check on Ivy. Directly below her was the orange mare with the big belly. She cried occasionally, talked at other times, and laughed sometimes. Something was happening. Ivy wasn’t sure what. But the orange mare kept looking up at her and smiling. The barn was full of mares. It was noisy. Everypony was talking. The pink pony dashed around trying to talk to everypony all at once. Ivy felt a brief surge of joy when she saw one of her favourite ponies enter the door and shut it behind her. “Sparky!” Ivy exclaimed. Twilight Sparkle paused as she entered, hearing her name. At least the name that Ivy could pronounce. She looked up, as it was always the first place a pony should look when looking for Ivy. Ivy was dangling above Applejack, who was in the center of the barn on a bed of straw and blankets. “Twi’, get on over here!” Applejack drawled. Fluttershy was nervous. The barn was getting crowded. Her friends were here. Ivy was here. Some of Applejack’s family was here. The rest were just outside the barn door, the stallions gathering outside to wait. Also outside was Discord, resting comfortably in a wagon filled with pillows and cushions. Everypony was here now, with Twilight Sparkle finally arriving. Granny Smith was reclining in a pile of straw nearby. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were near her, talking, exchanging glances. Applebloom was next to Applejack, smiling at her sister. “Applebloom, there is something different about you.” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Durn tootin’ there is,” Applejack replied proudly, “She has a proper Apple family cutie mark.” On Applebloom’s backside was an apple blossom and a barrel. “She shouldn’t have been in the hard cider at her age, at least not just yet, but she did anyway and it finally showed up.” Applejack beamed at her sister. “My little sister has a good future ahead makin’ cider.” “Or just drinkin’ the cider.” Applebloom remarked, her smiling widening. “NO!” Granny Smith chided. “D’aw…” Applebloom responded, kicking some straw with her hoof. Applejack cried out suddenly, causing everypony in the room to jump a bit. “Daggum, that hurts.” Applejack cursed. “It’ll be over soon.” Applebloom comforted. “Shy, you and I are about to be in a special club.” Applejack grunted. “I know,” Fluttershy responded, “I just wish the others would join us.” “Oh heavens darling,” Rarity said, “why should I have foals when Applejack is going to have a foal to spare? I can spoil that one.” “No,” Applejack replied, “just no. You want a spoiled foal, you go and make your own.” “Applejack dear,” Rarity said in wounded tones, “if you have two of something, you should share with other ponies. You are setting a bad example.” “I might be joining you someday!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Pinkie?” Rarity said, turning her head. “I met somepony. His name is Cyclone. He makes my Pinkie sense go all crazy. And I like foals. I love foal sitting. And it might be time to settle down and get some buns in the oven.” Pinkie Pie bounced in place a few times. “Sappy!” Rainbow Dash spat. “All this talk of foals. No way.” “Dashie,” Applejack said in a low voice, “Go on over yonder to Appleloosa and sit on one of them there cactuses.” Rainbow Dash cringed. “No way!” “How horrible!” Rarity interjected. “Cactus sitting? Really Applejack. Uncouth.” “Rarity, I am about to squeeze out two watermelons out of a hole the size of a grape. I don’t wanna hear about ‘uncouth’ or how to be a lady right about now.” Applejack rolled her eyes as Rarity stood with her mouth agape. “Grape!” Ivy repeated. “Hello up there sugarbooger.” Applejack waved to Ivy, who waved back. “Sugarbooger?” Rarity repeated with disgust. “She’s my little sugarbooger.” Applejack answered. “Fluttershy, please tell me you don’t approve of this!” Rarity begged. “Ivy is Applejack’s little sugarbooger. Actually, I think we can all blame Discord. Wasn’t he the one who said it first?” Fluttershy replied. “Ayup.” Applejack nodded. She rubbed her belly with her forehooves. “I feel like I gotta fart or something.” “FART!” Ivy exclaimed, uttering her favourite word. “And Pinkie is to blame for that one.” “I’ll teach her better words later…” Pinkie giggled. “Wait till I teach her about colts!” “Pinkie!” Twilight scolded. Twilight moved near Applejack. “Doctor Daftwood, how is she doing?” Daftwood the unicorn shrugged. “Don’t know. Labour has been induced. I don’t have a lot of equipment here. I’ve never done a birth in a barn before. I hope there are no big complications.” “I can teleport Applejack to the hospital if there is.” Twilight reassured. “And you of course.” “Hospitals give ya the sick!” Granny Smith warned. “We know Granny!” Applebloom interjected, before Granny could pick up steam. Applejack let out a low moan followed by a loud cry. “NUTS AND GUM!” She swore. “Nuts.” Ivy nodded. “Applejack, I bet if I was having these foals, they’d be out by now.” Rainbow Dash teased. “If you want to compete, you gotta get pregnant first,” Applejack replied, “and then we’ll see who can squirt ‘em out the fastest. I’m already two up.” “Oh no way am I getting pregnant. Ruin my body? Destroy my career? Wreck my future as Equestria’s greatest flier? No way! I’m going down in the history books.” Five mares sighed collectively. “What gives?” Asked Rainbow Dash. “Apparently, not you…” Pinkie muttered. “Pinkie pie! How could you!” Applejack cried out again. “Oh pony farts!” She swore. “Pony farts!” Ivy repeated. “My insides feel like they’re gonna burst!” Applejack exclaimed. “Well they are! Duh!” Pinkie responded. Pinkie ducked, expecting a scolding. None came. Fluttershy had kneeled on the floor by Applejack. The others were gathered around, close, but leaving room for the doctor and Fluttershy to work. “Something is happenin’ ain’t it?” Applejack asked, kicking her hind legs a bit. “I’m gonna applebuck Stumpy into next Tuesday for this!” She panted. Pinkie cradled Applejack’s head in her forelegs as she laid down upon the floor. “Oh for the love of grits!” Applejack swore, her eyes clenched shut, her ears folding back against her skull. She slammed a forehoof into the floor. Applebloom leaned her head close to Applejack’s ear as she scooted closer to Pinkie. “Come on big sis, you can do this.” “Shouldn’t she have some pain killers or something? This is barbaric!” Rarity shouted. “NO!” Applejack yelped. “Anything worth having is worth sufferin’ for!” Applejack shrieked loudly, causing Ivy to yowl in concern. She looked down with concerned eyes. “But these are BIG foals!” Rarity protested. “The Apple family takes pride is growin’ em big…” Granny Smith drawled. “The Apples don’t fall far from the tree because they’re too darn big to squirt too far!” She cackled. “I can’t stand to see you like this Applejack!” Rarity cried out in concern. Rarity covered her muzzle with a foreleg and began to whimper. Sweetie Belle scooched in by her sister’s side. “Both of you, remember to breathe!” Sweetie Belle said. “I wonder if I can get a foal delivery cutie mark.” Scootaloo thought out loud. “I can’t watch!” Rainbow Dash cried, covering her eyes. “My best friend’s filly bits are exploding.” “Oh shush.” Said Fluttershy, leaning close to Applejack and examining the situation. “We should see something in a moment,” Daftwood announced, “hopefully a head.” “OH POH-NEE FARTS!” Applejack cursed. “Just pull ‘em out!” In a moment, as the doctor had predicted, a ruddy red muzzle appeared with as gush of fluid. Applejack screamed wordlessly through gritted teeth. Pinkie continued to cradle Applejack’s head, with Applebloom whispering words of encouragement. “Push!” Fluttershy commanded. “No! I don’t wanna, I’ve changed my mind. I want the drugs. Make it stop!” “No!” Fluttershy growled. “PUSH!” Applejack strained, her coat frothing with sweat. Concerned whinnies and knickers came from the other side of the barn door. A wheat coloured mane was visible now. “DON’T STOP!” Fluttershy urged. Rainbow Dash held her eyes shut while she heard horrible squelching sounds. She felt faint. Rarity should be the one fainting, she thought to herself. “That’s a big foal!” Twilight exclaimed. Ivy watched everything below with total fascination. She didn’t understand what was going on, but that didn’t stop her from taking everything in. A foreleg was visible. A steady stream of profanity spilled from Applejack’s mouth. Rarity fainted dead away with a thump. Scootaloo’s vocabulary grew by leaps and bounds. Granny Smith hummed to herself, seemingly unconcerned. Rainbow Dash cowered on the floor, laying on her side, her eyes covered with her hooves, Twilight’s foreleg resting on her shoulder, with Twilight sitting by her side. The foal slid onto the blanket covered straw with a wet splat. Daftwood lifted the foal with her magic, clearing the airways with a well practiced spell. Fluttershy looked up. “A filly foal.” Fluttershy announced. Applejack let loose another steady stream of profanity in reply. “A hoof!” Twilight blurted. “I see a hoof! Bluish. Like Stumpy!” “Don’t stop now,” Fluttershy gently coaxed, “almost have another one.” The ruddy red filly foal was placed in front of Twilight in the straw. She gazed down in wide eyed wonder, her mouth open in a tiny ‘o’ of awe. She began cleaning the foal with a clean cloth using her magic. A muzzle poked out, followed by a head, followed by a tangle of red mane. “My mane colour!” Applebloom exclaimed. Applejack grunted and strained. The foal emerged after several minutes of struggle. The doctor lifted the foal and cleared the airways, and this foal began to squeal. “Another filly foal.” Fluttershy announced. “Yay!” “It’s over big sis.” Applebloom said. Applejack grunted. “Nope.” She said. “Probably just some afterbirth and whatnot. Keep pushing and everything will clean out.” Daftwood responded. Fluttershy let out a cry of alarm, her eyes going wide. The doctor looked down. Twilight looked up. “There’s another leg. It’s so tiny.” Fluttershy said in a small whisper. It kicked feebly. “Applejack, keep pushing!” Applejack strained and the foal squirted out in a single grunt. It lay in a puddle of afterbirth, hardly moving. The blue grey foal was laid down next to its sibling, the tiny foal picked up in the doctor’s magic. It was orange with a wheat coloured mane. “I can’t see!” Fluttershy said. “Colt,” said Daftwood, “and struggling to breathe. Hold on.” Her horn flared and tiny foal hacked. A cry was heard through the barn. “Those two are the largest foals I’ve ever seen delivered. And this one is the tiniest. Sounds good for being so small.” “Triplets?” Applejack protested. “Triplets?” Applejack wailed wordlessly. “You are the first pony I know to ever have triplets!” Pinkie exclaimed, holding Applejack’s head. “You should be happy. This is a great day! You had triplets!” “What’s wrong big sis?” Applejack took a deep breath. She rubbed her belly. Her eyes closed. Pain still wracked her body. “I ain’t got but two teats.” Applejack finally responded. Above, Ivy tried to understand what had just happened. Her mind whirled, raced, but no words formed to allow her to express what it was that she was thinking. Those words would have to come later. The end.