31. Once in a Blue Moon, Part One: Under the Full Moon
Spring had at long last returned after a hard, colt winter. Although Rainbow found joy in rolling around the snow and making snowponies with Fluttershy, she still hated the cold. Most days, she was required to wear clothing, which was often times itchy and uncomfortable. Flying was a bit more complicated at times. Some nights Rainbolt didn't even make it to work due to a heavy, snowy blizzard. Dreamscape and Dewdrop even reported being snowed in on certain occasions. Although the weather was chaotic, the ponies still had control over it. Rainbolt still divided out clouds, while weather ponies still went through with the orders. The only good thing that came from the weather were the several days Dash was let off school because of it. After that winter, she even went as far as to claim it was her favorite season. Her father, however, knew by that summer, the answer would be different.
As the seasons changed, however, so did other things. One thing Rainbolt was proud to say changed was Blueshift. That New Year's, his biggest resolution was to cut the pill dosage. Both ponies were more than pleased with his decision, and even happier when he went through with it. Him and Rainbolt had continued keeping in touch, which allowed the concerned stallion to check his friend's progress.
The other significant change was Rainbolt's job. Nothing too major happened, except he started leaving earlier. Mrs. Skies allowed him to leave work at six in the morning instead of seven. With that schedule, he had far more time in the morning to get ready and go back to sleep. That change wasn't so good to Dash, who hated having to get up earlier, just so she could get ready earlier. The only thing she personally liked about it was the fact she had far more time to get ready. Also, on weekends and days off, she had more time to sleep in her wonderful, soft, cozy bed.
That night, however, she didn't get to sleep in her cozy bed. She and her father had to go to work, as per usual.
Rainbolt sighed as he opened his office door along side his little filly. Same office, same job, same tasks, different day. Although the stallion was aware it could be worse, he still didn't take pleasure in doing the same job every single night. Dash was up his alley, only she hated sleeping there almost every single night. Some days, she felt as if she'd do almost anything to just stay home and pass out in her own bed. Some nights, she begged. Others, she tried to bargain. Of course, her father was always strict about her going with him, because if she stayed home alone for five minutes, somepony would surely break in and kidnap her.
"Here we are again..." the stallion said with very little enthusiasm in his tone.
"Thanks captain obvious." Rainbow snarled.
Rainbolt sighed and rolled his eyes. Dash wasn't usually rude to him, but she could have her days when she was really pissed about something or another. Her most common excuse was having to go to work, while others usually revolved about having to do something she hated or being angry about something at school.
"Sorry I made you come, Dash, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving you home alone. If something bad were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
Rainbow sighed.
"I know... I just... I'm just irritated by the whole thing."
"I know, Rainbow... Maybe one of these days I'll ask Surprise if you can sleep over at her house. It'd probably be during the summer, though."
Rainbow grunted and made her way over to her sleeping bag. She frowned as she started to unhook the straps around it, letting it naturally unfurl onto the cloud floor.
"Yeah..." Rainbow finally responded. "Because all foals my age get foalsat."
"Rainbow, you're eleven... In my opinion, you're too young to be left home alone with no supervision. I'd be far too nervous. Maybe when you're older..."
The filly growled under her breath, but wordlessly sunk into her sleeping bag. Her father proceeded to make his way to his desk and open the drawer where his assignment was usually placed in. In it, however, was nothing but a solid, wooden drawer bottom.
Hmmm... Maybe Mrs. Skies accidently put it in a different drawer this time...
The stallion opened the drawer beneath it. It was filled with with some old scrap papers, pencils, pens, erasers, and a highlighter. He cocked his head, and then turned to the left side of his desk. Surely, she wouldn't have put them in the left-hand side. She never had, but it was worth checking anyway.
As Rainbolt opened the drawer, his accusation was confirmed to be true. In there was nothing but old papers, a few wrappers, and a loose bit or two. He closed it with a bit of aggression.
"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked, tucked under the sheets of her portable bed.
"Mrs. Skies didn't give me my assignment yet..." The stallion paused and took a moment to glance at the clock. It was going on 10:30 at night. Usually she'd have it in there by ten.
"Want me to go ask her for it?" Dash suggested.
"No..." The stallion sighed. As if he hadn't put up with enough of her bad attitude, yelling, and mood shifts, now she was just being neglectful and irritating. "I'll go ask her for the assignment. You stay here and try to get some rest. Alright, Dashie?"
Rainbow blushed at the cute nickname, but quickly nodded affirmatively. She rotated to the opposite side and began staring at a wall. Her father, on the other hoof, made his way to the office door and opened it. Large rays of artificial light leaked through the large crack and onto the filly's body. She grunted and turned around, stuffing her face into her pillow, only for the light to flee a few seconds later.
The stallion flew from his office, across the machine-cluttered factory room, and landed in front of his boss' door. He folded his wings and almost instantly heard an odd sound; moaning. Unpleasant, pained, and loud moaning. The stallion didn't knock, but did press his ear to the cool, wooden surface. The moaning became more audible, and was definitely Mrs. Skies.
Feeling concerned for his aching boss, Rainbolt raised a hoof to the door and gave it a few soft taps.
"You okay in there?" the stallion asked.
The only response the stallion received was a long, pained moan. He removed his head from the wooden door and look at it in a concerned manner. By the sounds of what was behind the door, he wouldn't have been shocked if his boss were dying. Quickly, he wrapped his hoof around the doorknob and opened swung opened the slate of wood. Looking in the room, he saw his boss scrunched up on the floor with her hooves cradling her stomach.
"M-ma'am..." Rainbolt closed the door gently and gaped at her position. "A-are you okay?"
The mare growled at her employee and looked up at him. Her dark blue mane was a wreck and her eyes were bloodshot.
"Do I look okay to you?" she screeched.
"N-no, ma'am! You look r-really bad I just..." He blushed and shut up, realizing he probably said the wrong thing.
"Thanks!" the mare replied sarcastically.
"Do you need any help?" the stallion asked in an unsure tone.
"Um, no!" The mare cringed as sever pain rocketed through her body. She let out a pained moan as her ears flopped back. "Just go do your job and leave me alone!
"Well, I mean, you didn't exactly give me an assignment or anything..."
"Do you expect me to do-" Mrs. Skies paused, only to let out an unpony-like screech as pain consumed her stomach. "Everything around here?!"
"No ma'am... I-I just... wh-where'd you put it?"
Mrs. Skies growled and let out a huff. She felt her insides swirling and her body trembling. Tears were quickly invading her eyes as she felt more cramps than she had in her entire life.
"I..I feel like my belly's going to burst..."
"M-ma'am, I think I should go get a nurse or something... Seriously." The stallion trotted over to his boss and calmly spoke to her in an almost motherly tone. "I know you usually hate it when I try to help you, but I think this is really serious..."
Sunny Skies took in a breath and looked up at the stallion. Her eyes were desperate and bloodshot as her pain grew more and more severe.
"I-I just don't know what to do, I..." She took in a sharp gasp. "I've never felt pain this bad before!" she cried out.
At that point, Rainbolt was very unsure and panicked, not knowing exactly what to do. He could try to get a medic, but that would require leaving Mrs. Skies alone with no help. He could stay by her side, but if the pain worsened, he'd immediately have to get somepony, and that could take ten to fifteen minutes. Unsurely, he put his hoof on the mare's back and gently rubbed, relaxing her body and trying to sooth her. To his surprise, the mare didn't deny his comfort.
"Try to take in some breaths... calm down..." Mrs. Skies tried hard to comply, taking quick breaths in and out as quickly as she could. "Now... do you think you need a nurse?"
"I...I... I don't know... I just started feeling real achy and then it got worse and I don't know what to do."
"It's okay, it's okay. It's going to be alright..." The stallion gently patted her back. His words didn't take away her worries, but in a way, it did relax in her in the moment. "I can get somepony to come here and help. Would you like me to get Dash to stay by your side?"
Weakly, the mare nodded affirmatively. The stallion tossed her a sincere smile and removed his hoof from her back.
"Alright... I promise I'll be back in ten to-" The stallion paused as the mare sharply gasped. Her blue eyes shrunk and her mouth went agape. "Wh-what happened?" he asked nervously, placing his hoof back on shoulder for comfort. Slowly, the mare's green hoof slid down to her thighs and reached between them. She dragged her hoof back up and examined it. Both her and the stallion took in a gasp. Her hoof was wet. The clear fluids glistened off the hoof under the silver rays of the full moon. It had no color in it, so it surely wasn't urine, and it wasn't nearly thick enough to be anything produced by arousal. The stallion blushed and felt his heart skip a beat in realization.
"Y-y-your water broke!"
"What? N-no! You're crazy!" The mare blushed and clenched her hind legs as she suddenly felt a weight of pressure on her lower region. "I-I-I c-couldn't be p-pregnant!"
Rainbolt felt his heart ache as swarms of memories flew threw his mind.
"I-it's okay, it's okay..." the stallion reassured in the more stoic tone he could force. Gently, he grasped her hoof. She squeezed back as if it were a stress ball. "Mrs. Skies, listen... I-it's going to hurt, b-but it'll only last ten minutes, twenty tops..."
"No! No! No! No! Th-this can't be happening!"
"Shh..." The stallion, like he did in his last birth delivery, gently comforted the panicked pony. He kept his hoof around hers and his other hoof trailing up her spine. "The sooner you relax and accept it, the sooner it'll be over... I promise."
From those words, the mare tried to shoo away her worries and actually listened. She could already feel the foal trying to escape, and there was no turning back at that point. She grasped onto the hoof as if her life depended on it. She laid back and shakily spread her hind legs. Her breathing calmed down a bit as she started to relax a little.
"Good... Now, push."
Mrs. Skies glared at her employee for giving the obvious command. She did, however, listen without an argument. The mare deeply inhaled before sitting upright and forcing pressure onto her lower section. She let out a long moan as she felt the child slowly pushing out of her.
"Hurts..." she whimpered with tears rolling down her face.
"I know, I know... You're doing good..."
The mare quickly pushed herself upwards and bit her lip as pain shot through her body. Her breathing started to speed up again as she heaved in and out. She closed her eyes tightly as sweat dripped down her reddened face. Rainbolt gasped and tried not to smile as he saw a gunk-coated hoof starting to poke out of her.
"Th-this foal's gonna tear me opened!" she cried out. "I-I... It hurts!"
To that, the comforter got on a more personal level and wrapped both hooves around the mare, hugging her and repeating little words of encouragement softly into her ear. The mare pushed harder and harder, desperate for the pain to go away. She felt like somepony had shot bullets into her uterus while simultaneously trying to rip her opened.
Suddenly, the mare felt the stallion unwrap his hooves from her torso. At first, she was a bit upset. Until, of course, she heard the loud cries of a newborn. She gasped and opened her eyes. The foal, although still halfway inside her, had its front hooves and head out of her. Despite all the awful pain she was in, she couldn't help by smile a bit.
"Alright..." Rainbolt started, examining the situation. "The foal's out for the most part. You just need to push out its hindquarters and back legs."
Mrs. Skies nodded weakly and pushed as hard as she could. Slowly, the foal's back-end slid out of her. The innocent newborn started waving around its front legs in desperation. Rainbolt gently put his hooves underneath those of the foal, guiding it from its mother's womb. Just like Dashie when she first arrived, this foal came in a protective, transparent bubble. The material it was composed of was slimy and thin. The stallion tried not to think of it as germy or gross.
With one final push, the little foal completely came out of its mother, crying and messy from her afterbirth. She let out a long sigh of relief and went limp. Gently, the stallion popped the placenta bubble with his hooves and peeled it away from the newborn foal. Even without the sac, it was still covered in gunk and smelly fluids.
"I..." The mare weakly lifted her head, trying to get a look at the foal. "Wh-what's it look like?" she asked with a quivering tone.
Rainbolt smiled a bit and gently wrapped his hooves around the crying infant before carefully taking it to the exhausted mother. She felt herself smile as the foal ended up in her hooves. It was definitely a cutie. The foal had a white coat and light blue mane with a lighter blue highlight running down the middle. Due to both parents being pegasi, it was too. The eyes, however, were still glued shut by the mare's birth-ooze.
Gently, the mare rubbed the foal's back. Rainbolt couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two. The mother was smiling, as well. Her eyes were glossed with tears and her heart was returning to its naturally pace.
"You're so beautiful..." Sunny muttered under her breath. She looked up at Rainbolt with a smile. "I love it..." she cooed.
"I'm glad." The stallion smiled to see his boss in genuine happiness. "I think he likes you, too. Or she... Didn't really check."
The foal had stopped making whiny noises, and at that point was simply relaxing in its mother's hooves. She smiled a bit and looked at her child with pride. She never thought she'd be a mother, but at that moment, she felt absolutely no objections.
"I don't really care what it is... I'm just so happy I finally have somepony worth living for..."
Mrs. Skies felt herself tearing up as she looked at her child. Little, salty droplets rolled down her cheeks and onto the foal bellow. It responded with a muzzle scrunch. After a short minute, Rainbolt cleared his throat. The mare looked up with tears welling over her bottom eyelids.
"Could you... I know it doesn't really matter, but I'm just curious as to what the gender is."
The mare smiled and nodded. She gently tilted the foal backwards to get a glimpse of its lower regions.
"Looks like... it's a colt."
"Awe, sweet!" Rainbolt smiled and looked at his nephew. He was still messy as could be. "Don't you think we should get him washed off?"
"Oh... right." Mrs. Skies felt herself blush. "Do you think you could maybe wash him off? I need to do something real quick."
"Oh, uh... Sure!" Rainbolt gently wrapped his hooves around the little colt and scooped him up. He whined a bit when being detached from his mom, but quickly grew used to the soft coat of his uncle. "Would you mind getting the door for me?"
"Sure thing!"
Wearily, the mare rose from her position and made her way over to the door, only to open it a few seconds later. The stallion carefully made his way out of the room, cradling the child. He flew around the corner, down the hallway, and to the closest door on the right. Thankfully, it was cracked, and all the stallion had to do was press his back against it to open it all the way. The bathroom was cold, damp, and dark when he first entered. Quickly, he used his shoulder to flip on the light. The foal wined a bit from the sudden burst of light.
"Shh... It's okay. Just a little light."
Rainbolt made his way over to the sink and turned on the cold water. He hiked the foal up to his shoulder and kept him supported with one hoof, while using the other to feel the water temperature. When it reached to about room temperature, the stallion plugged up the sink and waited for it to fill a little. When there was a few inches of water in the sink, he gently set the messy newborn in. He let out a long whine in protest, furiously swinging around his front hooves in an attempt to escape. Rainbolt chuckled a bit and gently rubbed the foal's back to calm him down.
"It's okay... Just a little water. Nothing to be afraid of."
Although the foal continued to squirm as he was getting used to the water, he did calm down a bit. The stallion smiled and gently splashed some water to the foal's face. The water wiped away very little gunk. Rainbolt thought for a moment, before feeling like a complete idiot and going for a paper towel. He dipped the towel in some water and gently pressed it to the colt's face. He trailed it down, wiping away a good stream of afterbirth from his eyes, forehead, and cheek. He then folded the paper towel and wiped it down the opposite side of the foal's face. Rainbolt wadded up the used rag and tossed it in the garbage nearly five feet away. When he turned back around, he noticed the foal had opened his eyes. They were scanning the room in curiosity. The pretty orbs were bright, blue, and looked just like his mother's. Rainbolt smiled.
"Awe... You have such beautiful eyes."
The colt gurgled as he turned his attention back to his uncle.
"Alright, cutie. We have a little more to wipe off you, then we'll head back to see your mommy, okay?"
The foal didn't respond, only continued to look around the room as his uncle wetted a new paper towel and gently wiped his chin, ears, neck, and chest. Before he could move on to the rest of his body, he had to get another rag.
"You know... Your mother's a very nice mare." the stallion informed the newborn as he wiped his shoulders off. "I mean, she was pretty nice before she got divorced.... I just think she'll brighten up a bit now that she has you in her life. I mean, the way she smiled at you... I've never seen her smile like that before." The foal giggled as the stallion wiped off his belly and sides. In return, Rainbolt smiled. "Ticklish, eh? Dash was the same when she was a foal..." He sighed. "Man, you kids grow up so fast. Before you know it, you'll be a full grown stallion running this factory." He chuckled. At that point, the foal wasn't even looking at him. "That's a weird thought... I mean, tonight I helped deliver you as a foal, but twenty or so years from now I could be taking orders from you! If your mom makes you the heir of the factory, that is. I mean, I don't see why she wouldn't. The factory's been in her blood for generations! Then again, you could always make your own road in life. I'm sure Mrs. Skies would rather see you happy than see her business be carried down to a new generation." The stallion threw another paper towel away and examined the foal. "Hmm... Looks like you're all clean. Better get you back to your mommy."
Rainbolt picked up the dripping wet foal and pressed him to his chest. He then unplugged the sink and let all the water drain out. The stallion flicked off the bathroom light, left the door opened, and made his way back to the new mother's office, all while securely carrying the foal. Instead of knocking, however, he simply spoke to get his boss' attention.
"Mrs. Skies!" he called. "Can you get the door again?"
The stallion received no verbal response, but was greeted not too long afterwards by the mare. Over the short time he was gone, she'd combed her mane and put on a happier face. When she saw her son, her smile only got wider.
"Oh my gosh! His eyes eyes are so pretty!" she cooed. Gently, she took her baby boy back. He smiled as he wound up in her hooves again. He placed his head against her chest and looked up at her sweetly. "Awe... So cute!"
The mare looked up at Rainbolt. Her eyes flickered with joy and pride.
"Thank you so, so much!"
"It's no problem, really! I've done it before!"
"I-I know, but still... This is such a miracle. Come here."
The mare smiled as she slowly made her way back to her desk. Rainbolt curiously followed as the mare sat in her swivel chair. She kept her foal held in her hooves as she picked up a white slip of rectangular paper. She smiled to her employee and handed it to him.
"What is this...?"
The stallion reached out for the paper and soon realized what it was; a check. On the front of it was the amount, Mrs. Skies lovely signature, and Rainbolt's name. He gasped as he read over it and looked at his boss.
"One hundred bits...? What for?"
"You helped deliver my foal." She said with a smile. "Any hospital would have charged me a lot more to do that."
"B-but, ma'am, you're a new mother! You're going to need the bits for foal supplies; food, blankets, furniture, diapers, shampoo! Ma'am, it's really expensive to care for a foal!"
"I know, I know... But you deserve it, honestly. I'm a decently wealthy mare! Besides, you don't think I'm going to be getting support from Moonstruck?"
"Moonstruck!" Rainbolt gasped under his breath. "You need to talk to him about all this..."
"I know! I was just about to now!" She smiled. "Think you could watch after Bluey for me?"
"I..." Rainbolt paused. "Bluey?"
"Well, I mean, I named him Blue Moon."
"When?"
"Just now." The mare smiled and looked at her son. "I mean, to start, he was born under a blue moon, and he kind of reminds me of one. His mane reminds me of moonbeams..." The mare gently stroked the foal's light blue, highlighted mane. "And his coat is the color of the moon!" Mrs. Skies playfully poked the foals belly, causing him to gurgle. "Blue Moon. I think the name suits him well."
"Oh..." Rainbolt smiled. "It does suit him..."
"I know! So, yeah... Would you mind watching him for me?"
"Well, ma'am... I don't think that'd be a good idea. Foals usually eat within the hour they're born, and I can't exactly... lactate."
"Oh! Right!" Mrs. Skies blushed heavily and chuckled. "I'm not really used to the whole 'mom' thing... You're right, though. I need to stay with him to make sure he's okay and everything."
"Good. Oh, and, remember; when a foal's hungry, you can usually tell because they'll start crying or acting really uncomfortable. He might not be able to find your, uh... milk-makers right away, but when he should be able to suckle naturally. It's just instinct."
"Okay. Thanks again... So, do you think maybe you could at least go see Moonstruck for me?"
"I... but ma'am, who's going to plan the weather?"
"Oh, don't worry about it! I'll have it under control!" The mare tossed her employee a reassuring smile. "Just go get the word out to him. Tell him he can either watch the foal half the time, or pay child support. It's his option."
"Alright. I suppose I can do that..." Rainbolt made his way to the office door and opened it, ready to leave. "Oh, and if Dash wakes up, please explain everything to her, and tell her I'll be back in the morning!"
"Will do. Oh, and Rainbolt?"
"Yes ma'am?"
The mare smirked a bit.
"Tell Moonstruck that if he isn't willing to come to an agreement, I'll be more than happy to take him to court."
Rainbolt swallowed nervously as he approached the door of his brother's house. Agreeing to the task was easy. Actually performing it, however, was a whole new challenge. He didn't know how upset his brother would be, and if he were upset, if he'd take it out on Rainbolt or not. He was afraid of being hit, stabbed, screamed at, or anything else his brother would do out of sheer anger. The scariest part, however, was knowing there were no witnesses. Since Moonstruck had been rehabilitated, Rainbolt had never been alone in a house with him before. A room, yes, but not an entire house.
Maybe you can just turn around while you're ahead. Rainbolt thought to himself before knocking on his brother's door. Maybe you can just tell Mrs. Skies he wasn't home, or that he was asleep and didn't answer. But if he was asleep, how would you know without intruding? Whatever. I just really, really don't want to be the one to tell him such news. But then again, if Skies tried to tell him, she'd be far more unaware of his impulses. He'd be more likely to lash out on her, considering she's the reason for this news... It's probably a lot safer to simply tell him yourself. I mean, come on, there's no reason to be a baby! He's been rehabilitated with his meds and stuff... I just hope he can control his anger...
Unsurely and a bit shakily, the stallion lifted his hoof to the wooden door.
Okay... Three.... Two.... One!
The moment the stallion thought "One!" in his mind, the front door swung opened, not even giving him the chance to knock. Rainbolt was a bit shocked by his brother's timing, but soon closed his mouth and remembered who he was dealing with.
"Good evening, Rainbolt." Moonstruck greeted in his usual stoic tone.
"Umm... G-good evening."
"Come in." The pegasus moved to the side, allowing his brother room to enter his house. Rainbolt entered his brother's house. He could already feel sweat building at his forehead and his heart rate increasing. The house itself smelt very clean. He'd obviously done some decorating since he was last there. Photos of family and ponies he didn't know hung from the walls and odd collectables rested on tables and shelves. Rainbolt felt a shiver rush down his spine at the sound of the front door clicking closed. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Oh, I just... I just wanted to have a little talk with you." Rainbolt forced off his lips.
"A chit-chat? With me? Don't you have other friends you can bother at this time of night?"
"Well... I just wanted to talk to you personally about something specific..."
"Oh?" Moonstruck made his way to the other side of his brother, looking him in the eyes. "What's on your mind?"
"Well, I... y-you know..." Rainbolt swallowed. "Do you think we can maybe sit down for this?"
"I suppose so..." The stallion felt rather nervous at that point, which was an emotion he hardly ever felt. Never before had his brother flew all the way out to Manehattan simply to deliver news to him. Whatever it was must have been awfully important. "Come with me... You can tell me whatever it is in my living room."
Rainbolt nodded as his brother wordlessly. His insides swirled and his legs began to tremble. There was no more time to run away. He had to go through with it. The walk to the living room, which the nervous stallion was hoping would be much longer, only lasted around twenty seconds. His living room was still the same as the last time he saw it; decently spacious with two recliners and a sofa. There was also a book shelf off to the side and a large, glass door that lead onto the porch. Moonstruck didn't hesitate to sit on the couch. He gestured his guest over, who came hesitantly. Rainbolt awkwardly placed himself a little bit away from his brother.
"Comfortable?"
"Y-yeah I guess..." Rainbolt leaned back in the sofa and tried to enjoy the plus cushions while he could.
"So, what was it you needed to tell me?"
"Well... I-I... M-Moonstruck, listen. In life, we face a lot of ups and downs and challenges and whatnot, and sometimes life takes us by surprise and just kinda... you know, either ruins your life or makes it better."
Moonstruck sighed.
"Did you come all the way down here to give me a lecture I could easily hear in a third grade classroom?"
"N-no... Moonstruck, just let me tell continue, okay? I'm just trying to say, when life gives us new responsibilities, we can either chose to fulfill them or ignore them. Do you get where I'm coming from?" The white-coated stallion raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He didn't know where his brother was going, but it was certainly starting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Now, do you remember your date with Mrs. Skies nearly a year ago?"
"Oh, yes, yes! That bitch! Who could forget such a night?"
"Well, I mean... Since you remember, would you like to tell me what happened?"
"Oh, we just sort of ate dinner and slept together. I prepared a meal, gave her a bit of wine, we got drunk off our asses, then I woke up the next morning with no memory beyond that."
"Alright, good to know... Well, Mrs. Skies doesn't really remember either, but she thinks you two might have had sex..."
"Pssh! So do I! I couldn't even recognize half the fluids I woke up in that morning!" He chuckled. "But why does she suddenly have that realization now, instead of nearly a year ago?"
"Well, I mean..." The stallion gulped.
Come on, Rainbolt! Just say it! What's the worst that could happen? He might hit you or something, but I don't think he'll hurt you too severely. Besides, he has to find out one way or another. Might as well just tell the poor soul now...
"Moonstruck..." Rainbolt felt his body trembling as he looked into the intimidating eyes of his brother. "Tonight I didn't get my assignment at work, so I went into Mrs. Skies office to see if she had it. When I got there, she was in severe pain, and..." He took in a deep breath, making a failed attempt to calm his nerves. He instead felt as though his lunch was coming up. "She kind of sort of... h-had a f-f-foal and you're the dad..."
To that, his brother's purple eyes went wide and his heart skipped a beat.
"N-no, that c-can't be right! I can't be a dad! Rainbolt, I wasn't meant to be a dad! It must be some kind of mistake or misunderstanding or..." To Rainbolt's surprise, Moonstruck was quickly getting emotional over the fact. He'd never seen his brother act so nervous in his life. His chest was heaving as he tried to take in breaths. "Y-you're not serious, are you? I mean, does it look like me? D-did she sleep with any other stallions?"
"Not that I know of..." Rainbolt frowned as his brother freaked out. "And he does have your coat color and stuff..."
"Oh, so now it's a him?"
"Well, I mean, yeah... Foals usually have gender."
"Oh great...." The stallion was on the verge of tears. "I-I can't be a dad, Rainbolt! I c-can't be!"
For the first time in his adult life, Rainbolt actually felt sorry for his brother. He'd never once seen him cry, so seeing water glistening over his eyes was extremely weird, and a bit saddening.
"It's going to be okay... Calm down..."
"I...I don't... I..."
With all the pressure and stress built up inside him, the stallion sat up straight, looked at his brother, raised his hoof, and sent a hard smack to the side of his cheek. Rainbolt let out a cry from the unexpected smack, and almost instantly put a hoof up to his bruised face. He looked up at his brother with tears invading his eyes.
"Thanks." Moonstruck said stoically before his brother could even respond. "That helped... a lot."
"Umm... N-no problem." The younger brother forced a smile as a single tear trickled down his face. "Listen, Moonstruck, I know the thought can be scary, but you have two options with the whole thing..."
"Um, a-alright." The stallion lifted a hoof to his eye and wiped away a tear. Finally, he seemed as though he was starting to calm down. "What are they?"
"Well, you can either take the foal half the week, or pay child support."
"I... Oh, those both sound dreadful! I don't have enough bits to pay for child support! I have enough for me, my home, and food. That's it!" At that point, Moonstruck felt tears re-invading his eyes. "Listen, I... I need some time to prepare for this. I need to start investing in things for the foal... Oh, this is a nightmare!" Moonstruck rubbed his temples. "Listen, tell Sunny this for me; I'll split the time we take to parent, but I need at least a week to prepare for this. Can she at least have the decency to give me that much?"
"I..." Rainbolt thought for a moment. Mrs. Skies didn't act too urgent about the whole thing. "I think she can do that for you..."
"Good." Moonstruck tossed his brother an unsure look. He blushed a bit and nervously rubbed his neck. "Do you... you know..."
Come on, Moonstruck! Swallow your pride! You don't know a damn thing about caring for an infant. Your brother does... If you want that foal to survive a day in your care, you're going to need some outside assistance.
"Do you think there's a possibility you could maybe... help me with the foal?"
"Sure thing!" Rainbolt replied almost instantly. "I may even have some leftover stuff from when Dash was a foal!"
"Stuff? Stuff as in..?"
"Oh, you know; toys, bottles, blankets. I think I may even have her old crib stashed away in a box."
"R-really?" Rainbolt nodded affirmatively. To both brothers' shock, Moonstruck wrapped his hooves around his younger sibling and took him into a hug. "Oh, thank you so, so much Rainbolt! You're an amazing brother!"
Rainbolt awkwardly wrapped his hooves back around his brother. The only other time his brother hugged him was for forced family photos. Feeling real, genuine emotion in a hug was definitely something he wasn't used to.
"Alright." Moonstruck sighed as he broke away. "Enough with the gushy stuff. I'm going to be drinking deep tonight." The stallion removed himself from the couch. Rainbolt stood up not too long after. "Care to join me?" he asked.
"Well..." The younger brother playfully smiled. "Considering what happened last time somepony drank with you, I'm going to say no."
The stallion simply smiled and shrugged.
"Suit yourself. I'm going to brew up a nice Screwball. If you change your mind, I'd be happy to make us a few drinks."
"Eh.... I really need to go back to work. Besides, I have to take Dash to school in the morning. Flying with a hangover isn't the most pleasant experience."
The stallion smiled to his brother and started towards the hallway.
"Good luck, Moonstruck. You're going to need it."
With that, Rainbolt made his way down to the hallway. He opened the door, and closed it with a click, leaving Moonstruck to think about everything. The unexpected news had put quite a damper on his night, and all he needed to do was relax. Maybe a long night of drinking wasn't the healthiest solution, but it was a solution nonetheless. All Moonstruck knew is the moment he pressed his lips to the rim of an alcohol-filled glass, he wasn't going to stop.
"Moonstruck...?"
Rainbolt slowly opened the bedroom door with a loud, creaking noise. Moonstruck, who'd been peacefully sleeping in his bed, angrily flicked on a light. He glared angrily at his younger brother, who at the time was only around seven. His yellow eyes were glassed over with tears and his expression couldn't have been more pitiful. He was holding a pillow in his hooves and was wearing a set of blue pajamas.
"What in Equestria do you want?" the older brother growled behind gritted teeth. The little colt stepped back and frowned.
"M-Mommy and Daddy aren't home yet..."
"I know..." The older colt sighed. "They went out on a date. Sometimes they get drunk and don't come home until morning. It happens." Moonstruck clicked his bedside lamp off and stuffed his head back in his pillow. "Now go away and go back to bed!"
"But Moony! Mommy and Daddy aren't here and Prism already got mad at me, Sunshine's sick, and I need somepony to sleep with!"
The colt grumbled and flicked his light back on.
"No, Rainbolt, you don't. You want somepony to sleep with. The only thing you need to do is go away if you don't want me to hurt you!"
"Please?" the colt asked pitifully, trying his best to look as sad as possible. "I had a scary dream and I can't sleep.... I promise I won't be annoying and I'll be nice and really sweet and stuff."
Moonstruck growled and pounded his hooves into his pillow.
"Fine!"
Rainbolt's face lit up as he galloped over to his brother's bed. He hopped up onto it and cuddle himself against his brother. Moonstruck was still rather annoyed with his brother as he angrily flipped the light back off. He closed his eyes and tried hard to go back to sleep. He, however, didn't have his eyes closed for a moment before his little brother spoke up again.
"Hey Moonstruck."
"What?"
"Do you love me?"
The colt frowned and sighed.
"If it helps you sleep at night."
"Okay... Because, you know how Mommy says there are different kinds of love, and when she hits me sometimes, it's not because she's angry, but because she loves me?"
"Yes..."
"Well, I was thinking... Maybe that's why you hit me. Because you love me and you don't know how to show it."
Moonstruck growled and felt his anger building. He raised his hoof and blindly gave his brother a hard smack on his shoulder.
"Owe!" Rainbolt moved his hoof up to his shoulder and rubbed it. He then smiled and innocently wrapped his hooves around his brother. "I love you, too, Moony."
The colt looked away and grit his teeth.
"Whatever. Just, go to bed."
"I will when you tell me you love me."
"How about I punch you again?"
"No, say it with words. And put some emotion behind it."
Instead of giving in to his little brother's request, he simple got mad and pushed him to the floor. Rainbolt landed with a thud and whimpered.
"Sleep on the floor."
"No!" The little colt tried to hop onto Moonstruck's bed, only to be pushed off again. "You don't have to love me! Just let me sleep with you, please!"
"No."
"Please!"
"No!"
"Moony!"
The colt angrily grabbed his little brother's pillow and threw it in his face.
"I said leave!"
The young child removed the pillow from his face and started crying. Moonstruck frowned at the sound of his little brother sobbing. It earned Rainbolt no sympathy, and only made his brother more annoyed. He felt his anger build up, and he could no longer take it.
"I said go!" He yelled with a scrunched up muzzle. "I don't care how sad you are! You can just go cry your self a damn river! Just leave me be and go be irritating someplace else!"
With that, the little colt ran out of the room with tears streaming down his face. He abandoned his pillow and galloped back to his room, not knowing what else to do. Moonstruck, on the other hoof, tucked himself under his sheets and closed his eyes.
Then, in the very pits of his conscious mind, the stallion heard a sweet, happy, premature voice say, "I love you, Daddy..."
When Moonstruck awoke, his head ached severely along with his heart. That night, he had not a dream, but a memory come to him. That, along with the voice of his son. Before he even woke up, the stallion had tears running down his cheeks uncontrollably. He put a hoof up to his eyes and tried to rub away some of the streaming drops of water.
You'll never be a good parent.... Your son's going to hate you. Maybe you should just get a side job and pay for the damn thing. The stallion's face turned pinkish as tears continued to roll down his face. Never before had he felt so much for care for somepony he was yet to meet. His son, who he'd never seen claimed to already love him. His couldn't love him, though. He wasn't meant to be loved. He wasn't meant to have a foal. He certainly wasn't meant to be loved by a foal. Yet somehow, he felt the need to love him back. The moment he heard his voice say "I love you", he wanted to say it back. He almost felt excited to meet his son. He almost wanted to jump out of bed and fly to the Weather Factory with his aching hangover. He wanted to see his own flesh and blood that very second.
Don't do it...
Don't even try to be a parent.
If you really loved him you wouldn't...
Everypony you love you just end up hurting with your damn sadism...
Why would he be any different?
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Wow. I'm feeling sorry for Moonstruck now. Not sure whether to hope he manages to bring himself to be a father and grow as an individual or for him to just pay child support so as not to risk hurting the kid.
I can live with this.
Good for you on the research, Pizzy. Great chapter as always. However;
May not want to use same word twice in one sentence
anyway, can proofread it later if you want, and I can't wait to see what happens next
Oh, and broth argument, since Equestria 'ponies' arn't built like
earthour world ponies, how do we know for sure they follow the same pergencey stuff?I could kiss you. But I won't. Because that would just be awkward... Yeahbye
this is awesome!!
I liked the premises this chapter is based on, but I think you rushed them a lot. All was too fast; the birth, Ms. Skies acknowledge of her (until then ignored) foal and the visit to Moonstruck were glued together with almost no pause or reflection of the characters.
4738047 Uergh! I know! I do that a lot.... Well, not a lot, but it tends to happen every so often. After proofreading this, I took a moment to try and figure out how I could add more depth to the chapter to make the moments longer. I was personally bothered by the whole thing, and was constantly trying to figure out what I could change and extend. It my come as a surprise to you, but I actually did go back and add quite a bit of details. I still hate that the pacing is wonky. I wanted to start it out quickly, but then slow down as the chapter progressed. However, it looks like that kind of backfired. I admit, this chapter was paced poorly. It could have been worse, but it most certainly could have been better. I spent a while trying to figure out any additional scenes I could add, but I eventually agreed to just publish it as it was. I plan on making the next chapter longer with more details. I suppose I'm still happy with the chapter, though. I got everything I wanted to do done, so it's not like I left anything out. Sorry for the awkwardness.
I was twelve, thirteen maybe when my parents thought it appropriate to leave me home alone all day.
Good times.
After the birth, I think the first priority is getting mommy, son, and the office cleaned up. Just how much did Rainbow see? And how the living buck did she not know she was prego at all?
I recently reread the chapter XOXO Firefly, Rainbow herself did not like being put into the bath, or taken out of.
Yeeah,
you made that obvious. Again, not terribly subtle, but then again you weren't going for subtly were you?
This guy...he tells it like it is.
Pretend like you boys love each other.
Good call. Incest does not make it wincest. Win does.
For second I was afraid of alcohol poisoning.
*uck you and your tear inducing lines. Also this seemed relevant
This was a good chapter. I think he's going to turn out to be a descent father, ups and downs and such. Hopefully Blue Moon will be an easier baby to raise than Rainbow. And Moonstruck in the fanart looks a bit creepy. That could just be the abnormal thinness.
Did that foal just pop into existance that very minute or something?
Hm...
Moonstruck's personality will not help Anypony. His best course of action should be to do what he feels is right in his manner. Just pay child support.
How the fuck did no one realize she was prego?
"Tell Moonstruck that if he isn't willing to come to an agreement, I'll be more than happy to take him to court." (Snaps fingers) Biatch.
I'm not sure if I somehow managed to miss everything, but I felt like this came out of nowhere. I dont remember her being pregnant at all. When you adon't colt our filly, I thought you were taking about firefly (spreading of her, are we going to see more of her?) That being said, I did like the chapter, even if pacing seemed a little off.
OH HEEEELS YEAH ... A BOY
... I want to draw this newborn foal so badly ...
This is going to be a bit awkward if Moonstruck only likes her when she's bitchy but him being nice to her makes her not bitchy. I sense a bit of a never ending paradox here...
Either the child will bring them closer (yaaay)
Or they'll come to an agreement after a lot of rage...
It all rests on whether skies is happy or not when they meet again.
Now I'm just waiting for a chapter full of D'awww...
Hehehe Rainbolt conceived a child when he lost his virginity. So did his brother. The stallions in this family are packing serious firepower. Just how fertile are Prism and Sunshine(?)? And Rainbow for that matter?
She could probably conceive a child with a stallion after his vasectomy.
I guess the next chapter is about Rainbolt teaching Moonstruck the basics about babycare. But it's not going to cover just a day will it? More like a whole week. And Rainbow will get to learn, giving her some experience for when the Cakes ask her to babysit the twins.
Wow, excellent job.
Previously 4715568
31 chapters and the author still doesent know how to put spaces between his paragraphs
Ding!
Last time I checked, those two lived in cloud haven, the city that makes clouds and weather. According to my Faust approved equestrian geography map (I really do have one btw) Cloudsdale lies above the cloud layer and wouldn't be subject to blizzards. Cold temps yes, blizzards no. Ding!
How old is she right now? Ding!
The messed up thing here is that, due to their track record, Dash is more likely to get kidnapped or lost in the factory, than if he had left her at home behind a locked door. Ding!
Pregnant mare doesn't know that she's pregnant. No wait, scratch that, no one in the entire factory notices that she was pregnant for the sake of the plot. Ding!
I'm not a doctor, but I do not believe that a mare, who's just given birth, could just get right back up and start walking around semi-normally. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Ding!
Without any forethought about who's it might be, Rainbolt instantly knows that it's Moonstruck's. If your going to tell me that it's because Dash calls her an aunt then I'm going to call the sin of convenient writing. Ding!
With parents names like Moon struck and Skies i would be surprised if it were anything else. Ding!
Rainbolt's concern for his daughter is very wishy washy. One minute he's adamant on her staying at work with him, by his side, where he could see her, the next he's leaving her alone in his office, then he's leaving her alone in an almost empty factory! Does the fact that she's asleep (Or believes that she is) make a difference, if so, then how is this any safer than being asleep at home? Ding!
That might work for Surprise, but there is no way that Moonstruck could have known that he was here unless he was standing right by the door, and/or looking out the window when Bolt landed, and if so, why did he wait so long to open it. Ding!
Slap to calm someone down cliche. Di-
Bionic Force: Look again
Spirit Shift: What? *Rereads* Oh...... Point for Forte, nice job
Gotcha this time, Newly made father immediately doubts himself. Cliche Also past memories regret cliche Ding!
Force: That's weak
Current Sin Count: 152
4740651 Well, he had Rainbow when he was almost 19, so it's very possible she could be 5.
That is the cutest foal I've ever read about on this site, and I've read about Dinky being born for gods sake!
I must go regain my manlyness by punching a wall or something.
To everyone who thinks there was bo warning about Skies being prenant and how she didn't notice it herself:
She was being a jerk for eleven freaking months. By that point, anyone who though he was putting on any weight at all for any reason would not have said anything, as they liked their jobs. Ad for Skies herself not noticing it, she was clearly in denial. She didn't expect to have a baby, she expected to be in menopause at her age. Her body provided the endorphines and emptions that caused her to think that as well and be all moody. So, in reality, it isn't too crazy of a thing.
Wow, that was a bit of a twist! I was kinda expecting Rainbolt to end up with Mrs. Skies, but now I'm not sure what to expect. Though I hope this softens up Moonstruck a bit. Judging by that nightmare, he has some regrets for how he treated Rainbolt when he was younger.
4740326 This story has had it's sins pointed out. Congrats! I humbly ask that you, Pizzema Forte, please add this story to this group Literary/Fiction Sins
4738098
andjust so you know this story has tuch my heart in so many waysi can not describe it I grew up only sei g my mom 4or8 times a year and I lived with my dad and this story has made me cry and made me gigle and it made me go
and this story is just amazing 
When is the next chapre going to be up I wont to know
Man I'm finally caught up.
4770911 It's from Billy and Mandy
I'm loving this story so much, can't wait for the next chapter. I thought for sure after that last chapter we would finally see the RainboltxSurprise ship sail, but sadly that wasn't the case. I really hope the two of them end up together, its too perfect not to be.
When I first heard of the description of Skies' foal, I almost instantly thought of the pegasus from herclues.
Anyone else with me?
I feel like I'm the only one but...since Rainbolt is so overprotective of Rainbow, I can't wait for her to be 13 and be in her "rebellious" mode. How would Rainbolt react if he saw her talking to a colt?
So that's what you meant :o omg plot twist! Amazing way to end a chapter, leaves so many cliff hangers! Great job writing :3
I really wanted Rainbolt to punch his brother in the face this time. That would have been more character building than him staying the bottom bitch to me.
4729141
i just think of this song all the time when i read this
>a hard, colt
Ohhhh mmmyyyyy.
media.tumblr.com/a27a33e1e3e0f7cc9e6040b2591cb02f/tumblr_inline_mgdg10vYis1qdmo6i.jpg
Hope the story continues soon!!!
4896374 it will. It is a pretty hefty chapter, and is currently over 10,000 words. I'm not sure when I'll have it out, but it'll be here eventually.
Cats?
4912814 Yeah. You know how you sent me a picture of your cat? Well, now all the pictures are like that.
4913202
should I resend them?
Did she really not know she was pregnant? I'm glad she's okay with it.
4942574
Some women don't actually know.
This is my favored chapter so far thanks for the great read pizz
Dashie now has a little cousin.
When I first read about Moonstruck way back in the old chapters, I never thought this outcome was even a possibility.
Bravo.