//------------------------------//
// Month#10: Packing up 
// Story: Running While Preggers 
// by Tiaa OwO 
//------------------------------//

     I woke up feeling rather sad for a couple of days. I had begun to realize that Wakonda had become somewhat of a home to me. I actually had a hard time imagining life outside the small village. The Crystal Empire was familiar, sure, but a few days there was nothing compared to the months living there. There really wasn't any reason to leave regarding friends for me. My girlfriend was there, my ever-so-motherly Twilight, our friends, our friends' friends, all the Wakondan friends we've made, and soon my little youngsters would be there too. I knew some ponies had already left for other places and some were heading in our direction but many were staying there in Wakonda as well. At least I knew George and Eclipse were coming.
While I wouldn't admit it to anypony, I really hoped Jasmine went into labor either before or on her due date (which escapes my mind at the moment. Don't judge.) for the sake of her sanity. She now spent her days on the bed rubbing her swollen stomach. She gave me dirty looks every time she had back pains or her feet were achy. I could feel her glad in the back of my head every time I looked away to get her some ice. She ate, slept, and glared at me while in pain.While I could make her laugh, there were times she was just so tired and achy that she would stare at the wall and ask for some tea from Zecora. It was on one of these days that I saw Eclipse walking down a road alone.
She had a stuffed saddlebag weighing down her back and a book floating in her magic. She was reading too intently to see me rush up beside her.
"Hey Eclipse!" I said. She literally jumped three feet into the air and dropped her book. I stifled a laugh and picked her book. She blushed and took the book from me.
"Oh, hello, Spike."
"What are you reading?"
"Oh nothing. Just a love story."
"Seems interesting." she turned to look at me.
"What makes you say that?"
"I came up right next to you and you didn't see me. All because of that book."
"You wouldn't find this interesting."
"Really?"
"I know how you teens are." I tilted my head to the side. There was Applebloom talking to Night Flower and Shy Heart. The teenage filly trotted over to us.
"Hi, you guys." she greeted.
"Hey, Bloom." I smiled. For some odd reason, she blushed. I must've embarrassed her by using her nickname in front of somepony.
"Hey..." Eclipse said in that careful 'mom voice' that I'd learned to recognize from Twilight.
"Uh... What are you two doing?"
"Talking about that book Eclipse was so engrossed in." Eclipse rolled her eyes with a smile.
"It's about a little filly by the name of Samantha who's mother has a foal. So far in the story, I've read that the father comes out the room without the baby and young Samantha asks him where it is. Then he says, "There's no baby, Sammy." Ooh! I hope he doesn't mean what I think he means!" Eclipse squealed.
"That sounds really interesting. What's the book called?" Applebloom asked.
"'Slowly Freaking Out'."
"I might read that." I stated.
"Really? I never took you as the reading type." Applebloom said to me.
"I love reading."
"I never knew."
I gave her a lopsided grin, "There's a lot of things you don't know about me." She blushed again. She looked up at me with half-lidded eyes and smiled.
She said, "Well, I can learn, can't I?" In a tone that I couldn't believe was coming out of her mouth towards me. I quickly took a step back. This obviously sent some signals to her and she stared at the ground.
"So, I have to go... gotta get herbs from Zecora, you know...?"
"Yup."
"Yea, I hear that, Spike." Eclipse steered Applebloom off with an invite to talk. I went on my way.
It wasn't too long before I finally reached Zecora's hut. Big Mac was pulling out weeds in the yard where some of her herbs grew. He dipped his head in greeting when I said hello. Zecora opened her door and met me halfway up the path.
"Greetings my dear, it's not surprising you're here."
"Yea I guess not. I kinda need herbs to put in Jazz's tea."
"Herbs for tea? Come with me." I watched as Zecora picked up a few weird smelling leafy plants and she led me to a table. She put the plants into a bowl and gave me the blunt rock. "Ground this fine, while attend a friend of mine." I turned around to see George walking up to us looking like he'd bathed in poison ivy. Even Big Mac stopped to give him a curious look.
"Umm... Zecora?" he said. "I think I'm having an allergic reaction or something."
"Let me give you a poke." Zecora poked the rashes on his foreleg. "Ah ah! It is poison joke!"
"What?" I patted George on the back.
"It's a blue flower that plays jokes on ponies." Seeing him squirm uncomfortably, I realized I needed to distract him. "Say, I hear you're referencing books to ponies."
"Oh. Yea."
"Twilight would be proud." George smiled goofily.
"Yea." he frowned. "She's the one who tried experimenting and then... this happened."
"Hey." I laughed really hard. "That's Twi. C'mon, let's see if Zecora's finished your bath."
"I need a bath for this?"
"Yea. After, you want to head to the Inn to give Jasmine her tea?" George nodded.
"Then we have to finish packing. All of us." I nodded in agreement and sighed unhappily.
"Yea..."