Secrets of the Everfree

by PaisleyPerson

Chapter 41: Charcoal Stormwood

“Now?! This can’t be happening now!”
“Somepony call an ambulance!” Cadance instantly ordered.
“Oh gosh, oh gosh, what do we do?” Wild Flower nervously played with her mane.
“I thought the baby wasn’t due until November!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Yeah, well Charcoal has other ideas,” I gritted my teeth. Blaze clung to me, sensing my fear.
“Just keep breathing,” Mom soothed, trying to keep me calm.
“Here, let me,” Cadance lit her horn. I remembered our first encounter in Canterlot when she’d cast a mild sedation spell to calm me down, and could only assume she intended to implement a similar one.
“NO!” All my friends exclaimed before she could channel any magic.
“No magic exposure, doctor’s orders,” Twilight could only give a very condensed explanation in her frantic state.
“Because the embryo is purebred thestral,” Essence correctly assumed. Torch could only nod affirmation.
An ambulance had already been on standby in case of an accident during the games, so it arrived promptly. I was eased onto the stretcher by many pairs of hooves to avoid levitation.
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Rarity promised.
“But which hospital?” Fluttershy anxiously wondered.
“I’ll take you to the closest one,” Cadance volunteered. “This way!”
“Goodbye, Princess!” Twilight nearly forgot to bid her mentor farewell. The high princesses formally waved, smiling from ear to ear.
“Torch?” I reached out, searching for my husband, but the pegasi supporting the stretcher took off. “Torch?” I more frantically called.
“I’m right here,” he took hold of my hoof as he glided alongside us. I was in an unfamiliar landscape about to go see unfamiliar doctors. Though the rest of my world was in flux, I was thankful for this one constant face.
At the hospital, Torch broke off for just a moment to consult with the doctor, but that moment was enough for me to begin to panic.
“Just breathe,” one of the crystal nurses advised. “Everything will be alright.” A clamour of hoofsteps attracted my attention from the other side of the room, and I looked over to spot my arriving friends. When I saw their faces, I knew she spoke truth, and even managed a smile. They were all waving, or in Pinkie’s case, flailing wildly as though she were still rooting on one of the teams at the games. I weakly waved back just before the gurney was transferred to the delivery room.
Torch kept dancing around the doctor as he tried to get close enough to hold my hoof while staying out of their way. Because of the magic contact ban, I was given a high dosage of painkillers in place of a fast-working numbing spell. I can’t say that it had time to go into effect before the doctor told me to push.

“Guys?” The door squeaked open, and the red tips of of Blaze’s spines poked through.
“We’re here,” Torchwood quietly answered from his seat beside my hospital bed. The door swung completely open, allowing more light into the dim room. I looked over my shoulder to see the whole troop file in, our immediate family before the rest of our friends. Blaze timidly climbed up onto Torchwood’s back so he could peer into the crib.
“Blaze, meet your new baby brother,” I smiled. Blaze gently tugged the blankets away to get a clear look at the sleeping foal’s face. He radiated with pride upon uncovering his new brother.
“Welcome to the world, little guy.” Charcoal sighed heavily in response. “Hey, he looks like you, Wild Flower.”
“Really? I wanna see,” she whined, pushing through to the crib. Blaze transferred to her back as Torch pulled away to make more room. Indeed, our foal looked more like my sister than either of us. He had a dark forest green coat, a similar hue to Wild Flower’s teal color, and shared her chocolate mane. Still, I saw traces of the boy’s father in him, such as the small ears and squared muzzle. Gradually, Charcoal Stormwood blinked open beautiful amber eyes.
Wild Flower seemed entranced by the moving, living form presented before her, and leaned in closer. Charcoal giggled and reached up to poke her nose. She snorted and jerked back, brought to reality. Charcoal seemed rather offended by the reaction, but didn’t cry. Instead, he just sort of looked at her as though expecting an apology. This roused laughter from her and all who had witnessed the event. Reluctantly, she moved aside so our parents could meet their grandson. Again, Blaze transferred to Dad’s back so he could linger a little longer.
“A strong little tyke, isn’t he?”
“He’s beautiful,” Mom agreed, softly running a hoof across the side of his face. Char squirmed with delight.
“A grandson? Am I that old?” Meteor shook his head in disbelief, while his wife laughed. Mom sidestepped to give Rose Petal a look, and Meteor Strike worked his way in as well.
“I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again,” Rose’s eyes filled with tears of joy. “But then I laid eyes on this one here.”
“Ooh! Ooh! I wanna see!” Pinkie pushed through before Blaze had a chance to switch again, leaving the hatchling to pout before realizing he had learned to fly, and then began to hover with some difficulty. “Aww!”
“Pinkie, we talked about this. Family first,” Twilight tried to pull her back.
“It’s alright, let her look,” Torchwood permitted. “You all still qualify as family, after all.”
“Can I see?” I noticed for the first time that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had accompanied their siblings. Glitter also popped up, and I spotted Trixie lingering at the back.
“Sure, girls.” I scooted over and patted the free space on the bed, gesturing for them to climb up. Twilight gave them a boost, but soon they were all peering into the crib.
“Aww!”
“He’s so pretty!”
“Hi, Charcoal,” Glitter sheepishly waved. He laughed and wiggled in response. Realizing how many ponies still wanted to get a look at the baby, I ever-so-gently lifted him from the crib, cradling my beloved baby.
“Ooooh!” Rarity excitedly shrieked. “I do hope the baby clothes fit well.”
“He’s so precious!” Fluttershy cooed, hovering to clear floor space.
“Ya must be prouder n’ a bull,” Applejack boasted, looking as spirited as she’d just described with her chest puffed out as it was.
“Congrats, Blaze,” Nova had joined the other hatchling in the air. “I bet Garble will be thrilled!”
“Maybe,” Spike agreed with a shrug. “He’s sure not the same dragon I first met. But I’m still not sure how he’ll react to a cutie like this.” Spike had made his way onto the bed, and gently pinched the baby’s cheek. Charcoal didn’t take to that very well, and actually attempted nipping Spike! The dragon retracted his claw instantly.
“Sure is feisty!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Yep. He’ll hold his own against those other dragons,” Nova winked.
“Can I... hold him?” Blaze shyly asked. I smiled, and beckoned him down. He swiftly fluttered down to the sheets, where all the other children scattered to make room. He lightly touched down, and cautiously took the precious bundle. Charcoal gargled with pleasure upon looking into his elder brother’s eyes. Blaze smiled and touched noses, gently rocking the baby to and fro.
“No signs of trouble from those first spells?” Twilight inquired.
“None,” Torch happily replied.
“Phew,” she sighed in relief.
“Thank goodness!”
“That’s a relief.”
“Congratulations,” Trixie edged a little closer, and gazed upon the child with great admiration.
“Thank you.”
“Cadance said she was sorry she couldn’t stay, but she sent her congratulations, too,” Twilight relayed.
“Yeah, she didn’t get the chance to tell Shining Armor where she went, and by the time she got back she had to start getting everything organized for the closing cermony tonight.”
“Hang on, aren’t you supposed to be lighting fireworks for that?” I looked to Spike.
“Yeah, but we all really wanted to meet the baby. Besides, we’ve still got time.”
“Not really. It starts in half an hour,” Rainbow pointed out.
“Is it already that late?” The hands of the clock indicated that it was nearly 10:00.
“Do we really have to go?” Pinkie pouted.
“Visiting hours are nearly up anyway,” Twilight sighed. “We’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”
“You better,” I teased.
“I’m afraid we won’t be seeing each other again for a while,” Trixie regretfully informed. “Glitter and I have to leave first thing in the morning.”
“Aww, Miss Trixie, do we really have to go?” Glitter tried her pouting face.
“I’m sorry, Glitter, but I promised your parents to have you back,” the unicorn apologized, apparently immune to her begging face. The thestral filly pouted when she realized it wouldn’t work.
“Say goodbye, Sweetie,” Rarity prompted. On cue, all three girls tackled their friend in a hug.
“Bye, Glitter!”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Scootaloo let her up in hopes of a hoof-bump.
“You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?”
“Of course! If I send them to you, could you deliver the message, Blaze?”
“Sure thing,” Blaze was going to hug her goodbye, but realizing he was still holding Charcoal, switched tactics. “Say goodbye, Char!”
“Ga!” the baby gurgled.
“Goodbye, Trixie.” I attempted to sit up, letting her know that I needed a goodbye hug before she could go anywhere. She humored me, and even repeated the ritual with any who would accept (some were still a bit touchy from her first two visits). Once they had all exchanged farewells, Trixie led her young apprentice away.
“I’d stay, but I need to see if I can extend our reservations,” Torchwood sagged, reluctant to leave his growing family.
“I think we’ll last until morning,” I gently smiled, kissing him farewell.
“I bet the hotel will have plenty of rooms free, now that the games are over,” Twilight reasoned. “It might be a good idea for everyone to stay over, just another night or two.”
“Uh-huh,” our friends all nodded.
“Thanks, everypony.”
“See you tomorrow, Charcoal. Be good for Mommy, okay?” Blaze carefully handed him back. Char blew a raspberry in response. Torch kissed his forehead one last time before finally pulling himself away.
“Say bye-bye, sweetie,” I bounced the baby to imply that he was waving.
“Ba!” he squealed rather loudly. I fondly nuzzled him one last time before returning him to the crib. The lights were out in the room, so I rocked the cradle to try and coax him to sleep.
“You’ll like Ponyville, Charcoal,” I hummed, the rhythmic motion of the rocking crib relaxing me even more than the baby. “There’s lots of nice ponies there- even some about your age. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had their kids not too long ago. I’m sure you’ll get along well. And you’ve already met your aunts, biological and honorary. They’re wonderful.” He yawned, and the glow of his golden eyes flickered to black when his eyelids fluttered close.
“Then there’s Heckley,” I went on, talking more to myself than him now. “He’s our pet. We built a special room just for you, but Heckley thinks it’s his. Actually, Blaze has been sleeping in there, too. But I’m sure you all can share.” I yawned, the stress of the day catching up to me. My eyelids felt like lead, and I let them droop shut, but my mouth kept rambling.
“Your grandparents are going to be moving soon, to their new homes in the White Tail Woods Settlement. I know your papaw might be a little tough on you at first, but don’t take it personally. He thinks life is a competition, and he’s just trying to make you a champ. Your mamey should protect you, though. She’s so gentle and loving... I should know. She raised yours truly. And your daddy’s parents are great, too. Meteor can be so funny, and Rose is so thoughtful! But don’t worry; I’m sure they’ll have plenty of time to spoil you before they leave.
“Come to think of it, your Aunt Rarity will probably be worst of all. She is the Element of Generosity, after all. Ever since she found out you were on the way, she’s been hounding your daddy and I to pick out a name, just so she could prepare some customized baby toys, but mostly clothes. Isn’t she thoughtful?
“Aunt Fluttershy just loves babies. She tends to hundreds of animals every day, using all her time and energy to house them, feed them, and hopefully even place them in a good home. She definitely lives up to the title ‘Element of Kindness.’ I’d trust her to babysit any day. She’ll take good care of you.
“Auntie Pinkie babysits for the Cakes all the time, but she has a hard time distinguishing between work and partying. That’s not to say she’s irresponsible; she’s a great, reliable friend. That just means she makes the perfect Element of Laughter. And she almost never gets angry or frustrated. You’ll have fun so long as she’s around.
“Your Aunt Rainbow, though... she’s something special. No matter what, she’ll always be there for you. You can always rely on her. Through thick and thin, rain or shine, she’ll never leave you. That’s why she’s called the Element of Loyalty.
“And Auntie Applejack? She’s really close to her whole family, and that’s saying a lot, considering how many of those Apple folks there are. She’ll introduce you to a whole slew of new faces, probably plenty around your age, too, not to mention keep you full of apple-flavored treats. The best thing about AJ is that she’ll never lie to you. Always trust her.
“Aunt Twilight is a living dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia all combined into one. I’m sure she can help you with your homework, even when it gets too hard for me. She’s a princess now, too, maybe because she represents the Element of Magic. But don’t let that intimate you. She doesn’t even like ponies to call her ‘Princess.’ She’s very down-to-Equestria. She even has a young dragon friend named Spike. You remember him?
“Your Uncle Spike is very helpful. Twi calls him her Number One Assistant. I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of him. He’s your brother’s best friend. Blaze is a real sweetheart. He’s real fond of you, you know. I’m sure he’ll want to introduce you to your other brother Garble really soon. He’s a dragon, too, and he has lots of nice friends in the dragon craters, and one of them is a gryphon! But the dragons migrate every year, so you might not see him as often.
“You’ll probably get visits from Uncle Nova, too. He visits sometimes, when Auntie Wild Flower comes to town. She really is your Aunt. She’s been bringing her friend Cedar more and more. He’s a good guy, but I wish he’d ask Wild Flower to marry him already. They’re so cute together. He’s a dependable soul, even if he is a little shy. If you ever need anything, don’t be afraid to ask him. He likes helping his friends.
“See how many wonderful friends you already have looking out for you? And you’re only...” I rolled over to consult the clock, “three hours old! Does that make you feel good?” I recieved no response, and assumed he was already asleep. “Good idea. I could use some shut-eye, too. Good night, son.” Those words felt so foreign, yet delightful as they played off the tip of my tongue. “Sleep well.”
But I’d spoken too soon. No sooner had I closed my eyes than a loud BOOM exploded from overhead. I jolted awake, peering out the window for the source of the noise. Charcoal began wailing, frightened by the sound. “Shh, shh,” I soothed, set back to work rocking the crib. Color burst in radiant displays in the night sky through the curtains, and I finally realized what was going on. “It’s alright, baby. They’re just fireworks, see? Aren’t they pretty?” I picked him up again, hoping that if I showed him the pretty colors, they wouldn’t seem so scary. If anything, he was even more unsettled by the display.
“Hush, hush,” I cooed. “You know what your Aunt Pinkie Pie would do? She’d just laugh at whatever was scaring her, and she wouldn’t be afraid anymore. See? Ha ha!” But Char continued crying. “Okay...” I racked my mind for some other method. “What would Mom do?” I tried to remember times of distress in my own childhood, and how my mother had made all my worries disappear. I could only remember back to my adolescent years, though, when I would simply pour out my heart to her, and she’d rock me and tell me that everything would be alright. Charcoal wasn’t old enough to tell me how he was feeling, and rocking him wasn’t helping.
“I know! Fluttershy sings to her animals sometimes. How about a lullaby? Would that help?” By his continued wailings, I didn’t see how I had anything to lose. “Let’s see... what would Cascade do?” I suddenly wished I had my hippocampus friend’s talent for coming up with songs on the spot. I started humming to one of her tunes, but soon realized I didn’t remember the words. “Oh, what to do, what to do!” I was beginning to worry. Charcoal was being obnoxiously loud, and surely disrupting other patients who were trying to catch up on much-needed rest. I thought I’d surely been blessed with a miracle when I finally recalled the one song I could never forget; our wedding song. Torchwood had dubbed it ‘our song’ after that unforgettable dance, but I saw no reason why I couldn’t share it with our son. I hummed the gentle melody for lack of actual music.

A nurse had come in to check on us when Charcoal started crying, but she smiled when she found that the lullaby had worked, and moved on to the next patient. “Good night, Charcoal Stormwood. Sleep well.”