//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine // Story: Bearers of Harmony // by PurpleFire135 //------------------------------// “Rarity! Just calm down for a second! This isn’t something we can’t figure out!” Twilight said, exasperated. Rarity sniffed through the mascara running down her face. She was an absolute mess. It was as if, once she had heard what had really happened, it had all become real. She just didn’t know what to do. The shame and outrage the Canterlot elite would rain down on her would be unimaginable, especially since she would be a single mother, a totally frowned upon lifestyle unless the father was dead. She wouldn’t even be able to tell anyone who it was, since “Well it’s actually my friend Twilight, through use of the magic of friendship!” wouldn’t fool anyone. “Rarity, ya know, if we need to, any one of us could take the baby off your hooves once you have it.” Applejack offered. “It’s not like any a’ us would mind even a little.” Rarity frowned, thinking that over as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy came back into the main part of the room, both of them teary, but looking better for it. It just wasn’t fair, Rarity figured. Each of the other girls had somebody to help them, somebody to lean on. She didn’t have anybody to help her with this...and giving up her baby? She glanced down at the bulge in her stomach. She wasn’t sure she could do that. It was her flesh and blood, and even if she wasn’t a family fanatic like Applejack... family was still important. Rainbow Dash went up to Twilight and wrapped a hoof around her. “So how does it feel to know you got six mares pregnant in one night? I know plenty of stallions and more than a few mares that would be jealous to hear that!” She joked. “Wait. Since you got yourself pregnant, won’t your baby just be a copy of your genes?” Fluttershy asked, thinking about what Rainbow had just said, since it would make sense that Twilight would technically be the ‘father’ of all the babies. “Actually, no.” Twilight answered. “The spell matrix was designed to combine and randomize all the incoming gene patterns to give any baby created an equal and healthy chance at life. So, technically, we’re all the ‘fathers’, as in the genegiving only parent, to each of the other five babies, other than our own. We are the ‘mother’, as in the incubating parent only to our own babies.” She explained. “So, each of the babies is a combination of all six of us?!” Fluttershy gasped. Twilight was glad somepony was getting this stuff and Fluttershy was probably the only one that even partially understood genes and anatomy, thanks to her caring so often for animals. “Well, yes!” Twilight responded. “With a preference towards the mother’s genes. So each baby will be most like it’s mother with a little of the remaining five of us mixed in. Does that make sense?” Fluttershy and the others nodded. Rarity thought about that for a second. So, if she gave the baby to one of the other girls...it wouldn’t be giving the child up to someone who wasn’t family. Technically each of the babies was a blood child of each of them. She sniffed. "Applejack…” She began softly. Applejack looked over at her. Nopony else seemed to notice their conversation as Rainbow continued to tease Twilight. “That’s...That’s the sweetest, nicest thing you could have said...and...and…” Rarity sniveled and sobbed harder, unable to get the words out. Applejack sat down and hugged her. “It’ll be okay, sugarcube. Let it out.” Applejack comforted her. “I I just! I’m just...not sure, what to do!” She choked out. “I can’t take care of a baby….but… I just can’t give it up either! I I just don’t know!” She cried. “Sugarcube, ya don’t have ta decide right now. You’ve got near nine months to figure out what ya want ta do.” Applejack reassured her, as she ran a hoof up and down her back. Twilight grimaced as she overheard Applejack talking to Rarity. “That….might not be exactly true….” She said slowly. Rarity’s eyes snapped up to meet Twilight’s “What do you mean by that?” She snapped. Twilight frowned, apparently all was not forgiven where she and Rarity were concerned. She brushed it off. “Well, I added a time element to the spell…” She began. “So? What exactly does that mean?” Rarity interrupted her. “Why do that?” “Well, if you’d let me finish!” Twilight snapped back, her temper getting the better of her. She took a deep breath. “It was to make sure the embryo would be accepted by the mother, a common problem during In Vitro fertilization, and this is very similar. I wanted to make sure the mother’s body would have no choice but to accept the fetus, so I made the spell add about a month in one night and since so many things went differently than I had planned...Well there may be other effects… such as a speedup in the length of the pregnancies.” She explained. "Of course, it could also go to the regular term, minus one month, like I intended." She finished with a sigh. Applejack came up to her and put a hoof around her back. Twilight took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry girls, I never meant for this to happen. It's my fault and I take full responsiblity. There are a lot of factors to consider and we'll just have to see how it all works out. I don't have the full details right now, but I do know one thing. All six babies are healthy. That is what is important. We can work out anything else." Applejack nodded. So did Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Rarity frowned. Pinkie Pie didn't say anything either. There was a moment of silence. It was broken by Rarity. "Well, girls, as enlightening and fun as this has been I need to go. I need to rent a room at the Ponyville Inn, as it appears I will be staying here for the time being and I'd rather not have the shame of staying at my parent's house." She got up and began to gather her things. "Ya can stay here if ya want, we have a spare bedroom in the basement." Applejack offered, naively. Rarity shot a particularily nasty glare at Twilight. "Thank you for the offer, Applejack, but I think we both know why that is an extremely bad idea." "You could stay with us." Fluttershy offered quietly. "We have a full spare bedroom too... At least it would save you the money of having to pay for a room." Rarity sighed. She'd have much rather stayed by herself, but at least until a temporary apartment could be found... Fluttershy made a good point. The money saved would be worth it, the businessmare inside could not say no to that offer. "Thank you Fluttershy, I'd be much obliged to stay with you. Do you mind if we get going? All this excitement has completely worn me out." "Absolutely. I feel the same way." Fluttershy agreed and with that, the three of them turned to leave. "Goodbye, girls! See ya soon!" Applejack called, attempting to lighten the mood. Rarity scowled and turned to leave. Rainbow Dash turned around and waved, only at Applejack. She carefully avoided eye contact with Twilight. Fluttershy sighed. "Goodbye, Applejack, Twilight, and you too Pinkie." She said softly, before turning to leave. Twilight noticed Pinkie Pie was still sitting down in the corner, a sad look on her face. "Pinkie Pie? Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet." Twlight asked. Pinkie looked up, her eyes widening in surprise, like Twilight had startled her. "Oh! Yes! I'm okie-dokie-lokie!" She smiled, thought Twilight could see it wasn't her fully, sincere smile she usually had on her face. Pinkie looked around, as if noticing that the other girls were gone for the first time. "Uh... I think I'm going to head home too. Talk to you girls later!" She bounced up and out the front door of the library. Twilight pulled the door shut behind Pinkie, who had left it open as she left. She sighed and put her head to the wood of the door. She sniffed as tears began to run down her face. Applejack was across the room and next to her faster than she could blink. Applejack pulled her into a hug. "Everyone hates me." She whispered quietly. "Nah. They're just upset. That happens sometimes." Applejack soothed, running a hoof through Twilight's mane. "I really screwed up. Bad." Twilight said, her face scrunching as more tears ran tracks down her fur. "Rarity definitely hates me, Rainbow Dash probably too. I don't know what's wrong with Pinkie, but it's something. The only ones who I haven't completely screwed over are you and Fluttershy, who is too nice to say anything even if I did upset her." Twilight sobbed. "I'm supposed to be the Princess of Friendship for buck's sake! This isn't supposed to happen!" She cried. "Twilight, now that's just stupid and ya know it." Twilight looked up, and sniffed. Her fur was sticking up in weird places, her eyes hurt and her mane probably looked like a whole bird colony had nested in it. She felt awful. "Friends fight. Even princesses make mistakes. Yer still a pony at the end of the day, even if ya are an Alicorn. Yer gonna make mistakes, and it's okay. They're all upset right now, and rightly so. But they'll get over it. Ya didn't mean to, you had nothin' but good intentions. They'll understand. Ah promise." Twilight sniffed again, her tears slowing. Applejack was right. She smiled a little through her tears and messy face, reaching up to kiss Applejack on the nose. "Okay." She said softly. Applejack smiled back at her. "Besides, it's not like it can get much worse, right?" There was a crack of brilliant white light that lit up the entire library. Applejack squinted as it dissapated. "What the hay...?" She murmered. "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" A loud, and familiar voice boomed angrily. Twilight decided that now was a very good time to curl up in a ball and die, as she stared up into the very big, very angry, pink eyes of a certain pure white Alicorn deity. "Hello, Princess Celestia!" She squeaked.