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Decisions1,729 words
The Truth2,014 words
Gala Preparations 2,777 words
The Gala3,373 words
Rumble at the Gala2,395 words
Imprisonment1,835 words
Direction1,430 words
Eclipsed3,227 words
The Story of a Broken Heart4,074 words
Revelations2,574 words
Time Lapse2,971 words
The Birth of a Blazing Dawn2,100 words
The Challenge2,754 words
The Race3,043 words
Heartache2,851 words
The Sweetest Goodbye5,172 words

Time Lapse

Chapter 33: Time Lapse

Roughly a month following the hospital event, Dan had since moved his stuff from Twilight Sparkle's basement to Rainbow Dash's cloud so Dan could be there for her whenever she needed him during the months of her pregnancy with their alicorn child. Dash had grown a little plump in the tummy area over the past month as well.

"I never thought I'd be worried about looking fat." Rainbow Dash sighed, as she looked into a mirror in her room, walking around in a circle to get views of herself from all angles.

Dan chuckled as he walked up behind her, "I don't care how you look, Dashie." He wrapped his front hooves around her stomach and cuddled her from behind, looking at her in the mirror, "I think pregnancy gives you a certain...glow, Dashie..."

"Knock it off!" She swatted him away, laughing, "Don't patronize me!"

"Oh please..." Dan chuckled back, gesturing at the mirror, "I still see the same Rainbow Dash in that mirror! You have nothing to worry about."

She turned her attention back to the mirror for a moment, then turned back to him, "Really, Dan?"

"Of course!" He cocked an eye. "She's just a little bigger than-"

"Crossing a line there, lover-colt!" She flew up to him and kissed him on the cheek before flying out of the room, "Now c'mon! We said we'd meet the girls for lunch at Sugarcube Corner!"

"Gimme a sec!" Dan called after her, "Well, this isn't so bad..." Dan thought aloud as he trotted out of the room after her. "I thought pregnancy would be much worse...maybe that's just for humans..."

This was just the beginning, however.

The next morning found Dan and Dash cuddling in Dash's cloud bed. As the first ray of sunlight beamed through Dash's window, Dan sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Ugh..." He smiled, looking down at his sleeping lover. "Hey there, gorgeous."

She tiredly smiled and blinked up at him, "Hey..."

"How'd you sleep, Dashie?" Dan stroked her cheek.

"Well, to be honest..." Dash stopped talking and looked down at her stomach.

"W-what?" Dan asked, alarmed. "Is everything okay?"

She turned her head to look at him, and then smiled awkwardly. "Yeeeah...gimme a minute..."

All at once, she rolled over to the side of the bed, grabbed her cloud garbage can, and vomited.

Dan gasped, his mouth hanging open, slowly edging away from Rainbow Dash. Not only was she basically throwing up her entire internal organs, it was colored like a rainbow.

"Oh wow..." Dan put a hoof up to his mouth. "Pony morning sickness is...worse than I thought...oh Celestia...now I don't feel good..."

"That..." He pointed at the can as Dash wiped her mouth off and looked over at him sickly. "Is the most colorful vomit I've ever seen..."

"Yeah..." Dash blushed. "Sorry you had to see that..." She looked down at the can. "Pony morning sickness isn't exactly something I'd expect a human to understand or..." She chuckled. "Expect."

Dan nodded slowly, "Uh huh..." He held up a hoof and rolled out of bed. "I'll be right back..."

"Okay..." Rainbow Dash groaned and held her stomach. "Watcha doin', Ace?"

"I said hang on!" Dan yelled from outside.

"What are you doing outside?" Dash called to him.

There was no reply, but then she heard a very audible vomiting noise from Dan.

"Oh my gosh!" Dash leaped out of bed. "Dan! Are you okay!"

"Yeah!" Dan called back. "I'm fine!"

"Are you sure?" Dash couldn't help but smile and chuckle a little as she called out to Dan.

"Yeah! Positive!" Dan's voice called back. "There roof of your cloud ain't so good!"

"It'll blend in with the rainbows, don't worry!" Dash called back.

"That's your opinion..." Dan walked back, frowning.

"Ew..." Dash stuck out her tongue. "Are all humans this gross?"

"I could ask you the same thing regarding ponies..." Dan walked up to her, frowning sarcastically.

She lightly pecked him on the cheek and said, "Touche..."

She then turned around and threw up in her can again.

Dan looked away this time, saving himself the trauma of having to vomit again.

"Oi..." Dan thought, putting a hoof up to his mouth again. "I jinxed myself yesterday, didn't I?"

This was only the first in a long line of tribulations Dan had to go through during Dash's pregnancy. In addition to the morning sickness, there was also a lot of mood swings and strange cravings, often yelling at Dan to go get her a literal mud pie, and then started crying and saying she didn't mean it when he came back covered in mud, scowling.

However, not all the times were bad.

Three months later, the mares decided to throw Rainbow Dash an early foal-shower at Sugarcube Corner while Dan was off training with a martial arts master Pegasus named Delta, as Celestia had insisted he learn to defend himself and the alicorn foal without the need of his element weapons and armor.

Rainbow Dash had grown bigger around the middle, and this had basically grounded her, much to her dismay. Dr. Carousel insisted that she not fly whenever it's not necessary, which was a habit of hers to do anyway. She had to taken maternity leave as Captain of the weather team, leaving Lightning Flash in charge temporarily.

An estimated seventy-five percent of Ponyville's mares showed up at the Sugarcube Corner for the party with gifts for the unborn alicorn colt. The only stallion there was Mr. Cake, and he felt out of place as it was. Pinkie Pie herself set up the shin-dig, with balloons and streamers galore in the cafe. A banner hung above the party on the wall that read: "Congrats on the colt, RD!"

"Congratulations again Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said, levitating a wrapped box out of her saddle-bag and onto the pile of presents next to Rainbow, "That's an adorable little outfit for the baby! It has the element of love etched onto both sides!"

Rainbow Dash smiled and gave her friend and quick little hug, "Thanks, Rarity. I'm sure Ace will like it too."

"Speaking of which, are you sure Ace was okay with this whole thing?" Rarity asked Rainbow Dash, cocking an eye, "It seems recently he's been obsessed with sticking next to you, like he's your bodyguard."

Rainbow Dash chuckled and smiled, "First, he is my bodyguard right now. Second, he's not just my bodyguard..." She patted her stomach.

"I see..." Rarity looked at her stomach, then back up at her. "He does love you, Dash."

"Why would you go and say something like that?" Rainbow said suddenly, narrowing her eyes.

Applejack walked up, frowning. "Even ah can see ya'll have got a doubt in yer mind about Ace staying with ya'..."

"Well..." She sighed. "Well yeah. He has family back on Earth, guys." Her voice fell to a whisper when she remembered there were others in the room who didn't know Dan's secret. "He'll have to leave eventually."

"But he'll come back, darling!" Rarity closed her eyes and smiled. "He loves you."

"Darn-tootin'!" AJ smiled and patted the pregnant mare on the back.

Rainbow Dash smiled and looked out the window, exhaling slightly, "I hope so..."

Meanwhile...

"HIYAH!"

Dan's hoof crashed into a punching bag at the Ponyville gym, with a black Pegasus stallion with a lime green stripe down the middle of his back and silver eyes and the Greek Delta symbol as a cutie mark standing on the other side, holding the bag while Dan continued to pummel it with his front two hooves.

"C'mon, Ace!" The stallion barked into Dan's ear as he continued to slam his hooves into the bag, "Is that all you got, kid? Rainbow Dash is depending on YOU! Your foal is depending on YOU!"

Dan growled and pummeled the back with even more ferocity than before. Standing off to the side were Lunar Eclipse, Big Macintosh, and Shadow Breeze. They all watched Dan intently, as if half-expecting the bag to snap off of it's chains and fall down.

"He's good..." Shadow Breeze muttered.

"Eeeyup..." Big Mac said, chewing on a wheat tare as he watched. "He's one tough pony, ah know."

The alicorn nodded. "I'm glad Delta offered him training free of charge. He will need this training when the alicorn is born. Many will try to take advantage of the newborn's powers..."

"Oh yeah, them's having a kid...ah forgot..." Big Mac leaned against the wall. "Good fer Ace. Though AJ came home right teed off when she got back from yer little desert excursion..."

"You think she still has feelings for Ace, Big Mac?" Shadow looked up at the farmer.

Big Mac nodded, "Eeeyup...though she won't admit it ta' anypony, ah've seen her eyeballin' him ever since..."

"That worries me..." Lunar Eclipse said, eyes still locked on Dan's fighting. "Applejack, though honest, still maintains untapped feelings for Ace." He looked down. "I just hope that she won't do anything drastic, like at the Gala."

"Ah know mah sister..." Big Mac chuckled. "She's learned her lesson...fer now, anyway..."

"AAAAARGH!"

They watched in awe as Dan took to the air, whirled around, and round-house power kicked the bag, snapping the chains and sending it crashing to the ground. Delta had to jump out of the way.

Big Mac whistled in amazement, while Lunar Eclipse and Shadow Breeze just stared in awe.

"Good work there, son." Delta grasped hooves with Ace, who wiped the sweat off his brow with his other hoof. "Tomorrow, I'll spar against you, and see how you do."

"Thanks again, Delta." Dan smiled and nodded. "I appreciate you are willing to teach me for free."

"Anything for the pony that saved Equestria." He winked then turned around and started walking away. "Take five, then we start your strength training..."

Dan nodded and walked over to his friends who were watching. "How'd I do?"

"How'd you do?" Big Mac looked exasperated. "How'd you do?! Ace, ya'll destroyed the buckin' thing!"

"Yeah, um...nice work, Ace..." Shadow Breeze pawed the floor.

"Thanks guys." Dan looked up at the prince of Death. "How's Ponyville, Lunar?"

"The residents here are very friendly and accepting, although some find it hard to believe that another alicorn exists, let alone a male." He sighed. "The mares can't seem to leave me alone whenever i step outside."

"That's how I felt when I first arrived..." Dan smiled and patted his shoulder. "Pick a mare and have some fun while you're here, Lunar!"

"Eeyup!" Big Mac pointed a hoof at him. "Take advantage of yer harem and enjoy yerself!"

"I wish I could..." Lunar Eclipse sighed. "But my heart belongs to another..."

The friends were silent for a moment before Dan nodded in understanding. "Deep." He playfully shoved the alicorn. "It's your decision, brony."

He turned towards Shadow Breeze. "Ah! Speaking of mares, how're you are Fluttershy getting along?"

He blushed and looked down and off to the side. "Well, she's...she's kinda my marefriend..."

Dan's and Big Mac's mouths hung open in shock. "Nah uh!" Big Mac's wheat tare fell out of his mouth as he spoke. "You got the world's sexiest secluded pony to go out with you?!"

Shadow Breeze nodded timidly, smiling. "I did..."

"How!?" Big Mac barked, but Dan pushed the farmer aside, laughing.

"How's not important, Big Mac." He patted the shy stallion's back. "Congrats, brony. I'm proud of you. You are no longer my padawan in the ways of the mare arts." Dan closed his eyes and did a mock martial arts bow to Shadow Breeze.

Shadow chuckled and bowed back, "Thank you, master."

"He got a sense a' humor too?" Big Mac looked dumb-struck. "Ah think ima gonna go home an' take an aspirin we somethin'...the universe is creepin' me out..."

"And I said I would pick up Fluttershy from Rainbow's shower..." Shadow Breeze said.

"See you guys later!" Dan waved as his two friends left the gym.

He looked up the silent alicorn. "You got somewhere to be?"

"My task is to watch over you and the foal. Since showers are traditionally only for females, I will remain here." The alicorn remained stone-faced.

"Lunar..." Dan was about to convince him to go socialize or something when Delta's voice rang across the gym.

"Ace! Weight training! Let's go!"

Dan sighed and galloped across to some bar-bells Delta was standing next to.

As Lunar watched Dan train, he sighed as he thought back to a message he had received from Canterlot the other day regarding Dan. "This training might be useful, but those who will try to do harm to him are out of his league. Well, Discord was out of his league, but... I just don't know..."

He watched the human-turned-stallion bench press a good amount of weights and slightly smiled.

"We'll see how things turn out..."

"Dash!" Dan called, flying into the cloud dwelling and touching, "I'm home!"

"Heya, Ace..." A very pregnant Rainbow Dash said, walking into the entryway and kissing Ace on the cheek, "You get those apples from Applejack?"

Dan smiled warmly, "Yep. At the usual discounted prince, too."

"Good, go set them in the kitchen, will ya, Dan?" She brushed her tail up against his muzzle as she walked past him.

"Can do, sweetie!" He called back, trotting into the kitchen

It was about eight or so months into the pregnancy, and a lot had changed. Dan's job at the club was great, and he had gotten the opportunity to perform with several different musical ponies from around Equestria, including remixing a classic piece from Octavia while she played. Mic Bluez, Blazing Heartbeat, and DJ Skully came back to have that jam session they came to Ponyville in the first place for, and Frederic Horseshoepin and he played a duet at a royal garden party for Fancy Pants and his friends.

Music wasn't the only thing he did during this time. With Dr. Carousel insisting Dash remain off her feet with the fear of not knowing what giving birth to an alicorn was like, Dan had to take over as Captain of the sky team for the Winter Wrap Up. He read last years reports, and this time decided to send Lightning Flash (to his dismay) with Derpy, ensuring that she went in the right direction and received the right birds. Derpy still managed to get them caught in an avalanche, and so Lightning Flash swore revenge in a race one Rainbow Dash was good to fly again.

It was now fall, and things were beginning to look up. The foal was due any day now, and Dan was happy, despite the nine months of mood swings and morning sickness. His martial arts training had been a success for the most part, his unarmed skills now at greater levels than they were before. As a result, Dan had grown both in height and muscular build, and Dash kept joking it would've been hilarious if they were to have a girl, because he would have to carry around a pink diaper bag. Dan kept insisting that he wouldn't mind, but he thanked Celestia that it was a boy every time she joked about that.

"You know, Dash..." Dan said, taking the apples out of his saddlebag and dropping them on the floor in the corner. "I've noticed some changes in you..."

"Oh really?" Rainbow trotted in and sat down in a chair. "Like...?"

Dan turned and put a hoof up to his chin, "Well..." He trotted over and sat down across from her. "You've come a long way from the tomcolt who made fun of me after falling on my face all those months ago..."

"How?"

"Well, you're more respectful, friendly, and exuberant. I mean, you are still the same old Rainbow Dash, and i wouldn't trade her for anypony, but..." He smiled and leaned forward, "I've seen some building of your character, Dashie..."

She blushed and patted her stomach, "It's alllll thanks to you, lover-colt."

Dan laughed, "See, there she is."

"I've seen changes in you, too, Dan." She said, leaning back.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, like..." She stopped suddenly, a look of confusedness on her face. "Ew..." She started shifting uneasily in her seat.

Dan sat up straight, "What?"

"The cushion of this seat is all wet..."

"That's weir-oh no..." Dan's eyes widened in shock. "Okay, um... Dash, uh..." He quickly thought about how to put this. "Um Dash...how long has it been since we...you know?"

She put a hoof up to her chin, "Almost nine mo-oh Celestia!" She jumped up and tried to flap her wings in panic. "It's happening! Oh dear Celestia, it's happening!"

Dan leaped up and grabbed her shoulder, touching her back down onto the ground. "It's okay, Dashie. Breath. In through your nose, and out through your mouth!"

Dash obeyed his orders and breathed steadily. It was apparent, however, that she was feeling pain in her stomach.

"AAAAARGH!" She cried out suddenly in pain.

"Shhh, Dash! It'll be okay! C'mon, let's get you to the hospital. I'm here, Dashie!" Dan pulled her close as he was about to take off. In a puff of smoke, however, Lunar Eclipse appeared.

"I heard screaming..." He looked down at the water on the floor. "Oh my...is this...?"

"YES!" Dan barked, keeping his hoove around Rainbow Dash, keeping her breathing. "GET US TO THE HOSPITAL! NOW!"

The Prince of Death nodded furiously, "Right! Yes, of course!"

In a puff of black smoke, all three ponies were gone from Rainbow's cloud dwelling.

OCs:

Shadow Breeze (c) AnonJ31

Mic Bluez (c) Don'tDriveAngry7

Blazing Heartbeat (c) MilesProwerFan100

DJ Skully (c) Malfatto the Doctor

Lightning Flash (c) Lightning Flash (Yes, his name changed)

Delta (c) tranblitz1

Blaze Carousel (c) Le Critical Writer