Mere weeks from giving birth, Rarity invites Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to stay with her while her husband is away on business. In the months since they last saw each other, Rainbow had only grown more bitter over Rarity's sudden leave from Ponyville. A few misplaced words were all it took for everything to fall apart at the worst possible moment, and nopony was quite prepared for what happened next.
** Set almost three years after Twilight's disappearance in A Decade Lost (or, just over seven years before Twilight's reappearance). Reading A Decade Lost beforehand is not necessary, but should clear up any questions you have.
Chapters (1)
Hmm, this fic does definitely have a feeling of being an excerpt from a larger story. Nothing is exactly confusing, but the obvious bits of missing context make it seem less like a stand-alone than I would have guessed from the synopsis. It's just hard to take as much from it as I might have, when I have only a vague idea of the conflicts and circumstances that came before this, like there's not much impact to their argument and any reconciliation when the story essentially jumps right into the middle of it.
Their interactions before all that were fine, though, with some amusing banter and such. And then the giving-birth portion of it worked for what it was, and Dash had some funny moments. I suppose it's just that the conflict aspect felt a bit out of nowhere. I might check out the main story, but I don't know... it sounds pretty gloomy.
So I wonder if those two stallions who brought them to the hospital are going to get their payment eventually, and perhaps get Rarity to clean up any mess she might have made.
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I really appreciate your comments, and it's helpful to get a viewpoint from somebody who hasn't read "A Decade Lost". You've sort of confirmed my fears that the argument scene would be a bit overwhelming for somebody who hasn't read the other fic first. You would probably have been better off if you'd read the A Decade Lost beforehand and therefore could understand most of the references, but to be fair there still might have too much information. I'm not sure - hopefully I can get some more feedback from those who have read the other fic. My intent with that scene was to make out their relationship to be very complicated, but I can see how that would interfere with the overall understanding and enjoyment of the story.
And thank you. ^^ I intended it to be a comedy, but I thought the argument scene detracted from that genre too much. So slice of life it is! And Rarity being Rarity will hopefully have a "...wait, did we even pay those ponies?" moment and everything will be okay.
Cleaning, though, I highly doubt. 
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I don't know, I don't think "overwhelming" is the word I would have used. If anything, the fight was underwhelming, because the conflict had no build-up for me. Same difference, perhaps, but the missing context meant I had no emotional investment in their fight. In a way, it's sorta like walking into a room right as you hear the punchline of a joke. It might have been a really funny joke, but when you didn't hear the setup, you just sorta go, "Well, okay then. Moving on. Oh hey look! Someone's giving birth over there! Let's go watch that instead!"
Although, now that I've read the main story, well... maybe it's sorta like I was in Twilight's position: dumped into the situation while it was already in progress, then figuring out what led up to it as I go along. So in an odd sort of way, it was actually kind of appropriate.
Oh! This was great, and a little less depressing than ADL, hehe. The madcap dash to the hospital cracked me up for sure. Good stuff!
Can't help but feel sorry for the chariot drivers.
But overall, great 'lil standalone, this was. Nice addition to the ADL-verse, and an interesting look at the more... well, NSFW side of childbirth in MLP. But I think that look may have been slightly obscured through the eyes of the more melodramatic member of the Mane 6.
Looks like fluttershy has a hunch :)
The more interesting one will be the second baby. Rarity's reactions to that would be quite different.
I do enjoy it when I find something to whet my Fancity appetite, this is certainly a good one.