Chapter 10
++ Twilight ++
For two days, I have done little but listen intently and bask in the attentions of my loved ones. Everyone I adore most in the world has come to quietly reconnect with me, voices hushed and eyes wet with tears. Apple Cider kissed my forelock as warmly as my own father and even old Granny Smith had a nuzzle and a cuddle for me. The other Elements of Harmony and Spike are always close, sometimes the seven of us, sometimes in twos and threes. The Princesses, one or the other and often both, are with me constantly.
Applejack has only left my side when forced to get some exercise by family and friends. Everyone has a piece of the story of our insane adventure, our souls torn away to sacrifice for our very realm. I absorb every word, my intellect calming my animal brain, putting the horrific experience in as much perspective as I can.
The foal feels impossibly strange and heavy inside me. I have lost so much time with this new, mysterious life and that upsets me as much as what I have experienced at the arena. Restless and alive with magic, the baby shifts and sparks sorcerous power almost constantly now, readying itself to come into the world. Astonishingly, Applejack's foal feels the same, despite her being an earth pony, supposedly without inherent magics of her own. Personally, I have my doubts about that! I think the princesses are more fascinated by the baby mystery than any of us.
My attention focused on my coming child allows me some breathing room from the memories that hound me like timber wolves. It is somewhat karmic that the nightmares that woke me screaming that first natural sleep have been mostly held at bay by the Princess of the Moon. She explains that she did the same for each of my friends when they returned, helping them each to heal. My heartfelt gratitude pleases her enormously, and that makes me glad.
On the third day, I wake with the sunset, disturbed from my sleep by the royal sisters switching places in the bed. I love that they have watched over Applejack and me during all of this, coddling us like invalids. But it is time to step past what we have been through and start healing.
With that in mind, I do my best to roll to my swollen belly and stretch like a cat. A soft chuckle makes me smile at my teacher, the expression willingly returned. "I look forward to being able to do that properly. Would you take a walk with me?"
"I would be delighted."
My awe of the magnificent Princess of the Sun has been worn away by my dark adventure in the arena and I can see more of what makes her an individual, no matter how different she and her sister are from all other ponies. I suspect that she and Luna both enjoy the small normalcy. "I feel stronger today." I breathe into the chill of the deepening night as I sit on the balcony where I have so many times with my teacher.
"A blessing," Celestia agrees.
"Thank you for taking care of all of us."
"Caring for you, your friends, and your coming children kept my sanity. Those cursed games have never hit so close to home before." The pain in her tone warms me that she cares enough to be so upset. Her gaze drops to mine and her tone becomes more conversational. "Did you know that you very well may have broken the curse?"
"What?" I blurt out, startled.
"It's true. The portal, weak as it is when closed, was always there, at the edge of my perceptions. A dark reminder, if you will. Neither myself or Luna can sense it any longer. Your rage at watching Applejack fall seems to have been enough to close it, hopefully forever."
"Wow."
"Haven't I always told you how powerful you are?"
The words are a painfully familiar jolt. Someone in that hellish place told me that once. Shrugging off the wrenching sensation, I return my attention to the conversation. "Part of me would like to stay here. The familiarity is soothing."
"But it is no longer home."
Her soft voice is warm and yet regretful and I look up into the familiar eyes and nod. "My home is among the apples now. The clan as well as the trees. Would you be willing to take the whole gang of us home?"
"It would be my pleasure."
Once back in the safety of Ponyville, we have all recovered nicely, the horror of the gladiatorial games fading to hazy memories. Oh, we have all been changed forever, a sobriety clinging to we six that I suspect will never go away. Perhaps, in some small way, it is for the best. Only time will tell.
Despite the cold of winter still thick in the air and on the ground, Applejack and I spend most of our time at the library rather than Sweet Apple Acres. Spring will be here soon and neither of us will be away from the farm much then! In the meantime, as swollen with pregnancy as we both are, we're sticking close to town where our friends are. In fact, as Winter Wrap Up once more draws closer and closer, at least one of them is pretty much on hand day and night. Luckily, no one is stupid enough to keep us from participating in cleaning up winter, even if we can only supervise! In the Town Hall, I coordinate with the Mayor, assisted by the lovely Mrs Cake, who is only half as pregnant as I. Applejack fitfully paces the huge room, wanting so badly to be out there doing something instead of being trapped here. But it's too cold out there for the foal and she knows it. Members of the plant team come and go to speak with her, but Carrot Top seems to be handling AJ's usual position adequately.
Both of us are antsy and restless with the year-long pregnancy, long even with half of it lost to our experience at the arena. We're more than ready for the children, but they are stubbornly holding to their own time-line, whatever that might be. But I know the doctor will be taking measures to hurry them along if they don't make an appearance within the next few days.
"Honey? Are you okay?"
Yanking my attention back to the here and now, I'm struck by how oddly Mrs. Cake is looking at me. That's overshadowed by the weird sensation stealing over me, reminding me far too closely of being abducted away to those bloody games.
"I'm... I'm not sure," I hesitate, not having the words to explain how odd and disjointed I feel right now. There's a deep, wrenching sensation deep in my body and soul that I have never felt before.
I'm shocked out of my rising panic by a bellow from Applejack.
"Ow! Dang it!"
Even as I struggle to stand, I note that she sounds more annoyed than anything else. But any effort to rush to my lover is cut short by another wrenching sensation. Blowing out a hard breath, I let my eyes focus again and euphoria replaces the pain.
"The equinox is tonight isn't it?"
Intrigued, Mrs. Cake nods where she's helping me back to shaky hooves. "Yes, it is. The teams will be especially busy tonight."
"So will Applejack and I!"
Laughing giddily, I toddle across the room even as Mrs. Cake hollers for the Mayor to send a runner for the doctor. My ruddy-hued lover is standing near the door, looking stiff-legged and uncomfortable. "Seems the muffins are a comin' right at the year mark, huh, Sugar?"
We're both grinning idiotically and I kiss her soundly as Derpy Hooves whizzes past our heads with her important message for the doctor. Soon our friends and family will gather for the momentous event in a big blur of noise and love. "Happy anniversary."
Hours later, it doesn't seem nearly as sweet and humorous. It feels as though, once again, something bigger and more powerful then myself has taken over my body and I'm helpless to do anything about it. When I whine that sentiment pathetically at my hovering mother, she chuckles and tells me I have it just about right. She has been in town for several weeks now, my father commuting back and forth as often as he can to be with us. I think she likes it here more than she thought she would. Pink Lady had arrived at a dead gallop only minutes behind Mom and she smiles at me where she sits with her straining daughter.
The time is close now, there is a different urgency to the straining in my exhausted body as I struggle to complete this birthing task. Grunting and wet with sweat, I gather my sanity and scoot over to press my nose into Applejack's neck. Immediately, she does the same and we are once again bound together in the magic that produced these children in the first place.
And it seems that is all they needed.
With one, last, great effort, our straining bodies in sync, there is a final climax of pain, euphoria and sorcery. Utterly spent, I can only collapse, dimly noting I can once more sprawl on my stomach, and pant into my love's blonde mane.
A collective gasp of shock somehow does not surprise me. "Bet there's something unusual about our children," I murmur into Applejack's mane, basking in her loving chuckle.
"Bet yer right, Sugar."
Looking down the sturdy, orange body, I watch as Pink Lady gathers up the squirmy bundle that is her grandfoal. "Ah-mazin'," she breathes in wonder, cradling the infant close. "Applejack, darlin'? Ah do b'lieve that all this magic has resulted in a miracle."
"Two of them," Mother adds.
Held in the cradle of Pink Lady's forelimbs, is a foal the likes of which I have never seen before. A little colt, his fur all the shades of the Elements of Harmony, the nub of a horn on his head... a fluttery little wings.
"Wow," Applejack comments and I can't help but laugh. Bet my youngster is at least as startling. Right on cue, the royal sisters arrive in an exhausted, disarrayed tizzy, scattering the hospital staff like frightened chickens. Before they can speak, their eyes fall on the babes, even as I roll over to meet my newborn child.
"They're alicorns," Luna squeaks out in complete shock and I hold out eager hooves, noting that the match to Applejack's foal is a little girl with the same striking coloring. And she too has both wings and horn. Leaning heavily on one another, ignoring everypony around us, Applejack and I cuddle our foals and soak in the moment. Warm towels are draped around the whole family of us, but the others give us a moment to bond.
"They're jus' perfect," Applejack breathes reverently, touching both of them gently, nuzzling them and me lovingly.
"I agree. See, we were right that they were going to be special."
"They ain't gotta be alicorns for that."
We chuckle together and admire the babes for a bit longer before reluctantly handing them off to the medical staff to be checked over. It makes me feel better that the fascinated royal sisters are overseeing the whole operation. It's not like anyone in Equestria knows how to deal with an alicorn but those two!
Quickly, everypony is cleaned up and we're cuddled into a big nest of blankets and towels with the sleepy new foals, who have cleared their check up with flying colors and have suckled with no problems and now sleep with infant abandon. Dash arrives first, no surprise, still cold and wet with her efforts with the Weather Team, an incoherently excited Pinkie clinging to her back.
"Wow! They totally look like twins!" Dash is right of course, they really do look remarkably similar, particularly since their coloring is so wild. "Oh clouds and stars, is it gonna be awesome fun to teach you two to fly!"
Pinkie is silently fascinated, visibly quivering with the effort of behaving herself and staying quiet. It's adorable and I hug her tightly. "Pretty soon, they'll be having all sorts of fun with you too."
She smiles in that hugely luminous way only Pinkie seems to be able to do.
They don't stay long, still needed outdoors to finish bringing in spring. Fluttershy arrives next, cooing over the babies and curling up beside us to watch over them so that we can nap. Neither Applejack nor I have spoken much, too caught up in the visceral experience of magic and love and new life.
When we wake, our mothers have left and Rarity is speaking quietly with the princesses. In an oversized basket, swaddled up warmly, the babes still sleep, but they will wake soon, hungry. I don't know how I know this, but I do.
"Well, Twilight and Applejack, it seems that you will be seeing much more of myself and Luna," Celestia teases warmly as she grins at us and the babies. Luna nods emphatically.
"There is much they will need to know from us."
"Ah course," Applejack agrees readily, kissing me quickly before getting to wobbly legs. "That is some hard work like ah ain't never done before!" She leans down to snuffle over the foals and they stir with small, hungry noises. "Y'know, Twi, we said we wouldn't worry 'bout names till they were born. I have an idea."
"I'm all ears, My Love."
Stretching away some of the soreness, I join her, gathering up the closer of the babes, the little boy. We cradle them close, our bodies pressed even closer, and stare in wonderment at the little miracles. Then Applejack grins mischievously at the princesses. "Since y'all are sun and moon, I think these new alicorns should be Dusk and Dawn."
"Oh, that's wonderful, AJ! Inspired even. Welcome to Equestria, Dusk and Dawn."