Today
"Today’s the day Dashie!” Pinkie chirped as Dash stirred awake beside her. It was good to be back. Not just with Pinkie, but in her own bed in Sugercube Corner. She’d been here for about three weeks now and woke up every morning to her smiling bride. They were engaged! A date wasn't set yet but Pinkie had asked Dash to marry her the moment she took a single step out of the hospital. Literally, a single step.
Dash’s physical therapy had gone amazingly fast! She’d made an almost full recovery in only five weeks. It was miraculously fast by any standard. Of course to Dash it had been slow and painful… it took a full five weeks! She could walk, run and was just able fly. She may’ve even been able to fly better than she could last time she was this far along in her pregnancy. But Dash didn’t remember it that way; all she knew was that she could barely fly.
“I just know it! Today’s the day you’re going to have that little foal of yours!”
“Pinkie… you’ve been saying that everyday for the last two weeks…” Dash groggily said as slowly slid out of bed and reached out, with her eyes still closed, to hug Pinkie like she did every morning. She always feared the hug wouldn’t come though. Not because of anything happening between Pinkie and Dash, but because Pinkie was on the other side of the bed when she woke up and if she didn’t somehow seem to teleport the way she does, Dash would’ve end up flat on her face.
“Well, I’m more likely to be right today than I was yesterday… that’s just basic maths or something!” Pinkie said, surprisingly quietly for her as she returned Dash’s hug. She had indeed been saying it for two weeks. Exactly two weeks today and that made this the tenth day late Dash was for her expected delivery date. Even though she wanted a natural home birth, again, they’d both agreed that if Dash was two weeks, fourteen days late, she would go into see the doctors and have it induced.
Naturally there had been fears for the child’s health due to Dash’s coma and heart condition but there wasn’t anything wrong with the baby. It just didn’t want to come out yet. There was however one problem that would be involved with the birth, and despite how calm Pinkie had been acting. It scared her… nothing scared her! But this did. The damage that had been done to Dash’s heart posed a serious threat to her life during the strain of child birth. When asked, Elliot had given Dash a 60% chance of surviving.
Pinkie couldn’t understand Dash’s mind set on this. Even though she knew the risks she still wanted to have the child at home. That was understandable though. Normally... but Dash didn’t want the child. Her parents had come to visit them during the week she had been expected to give birth but had left again a few days ago. They had only planned to stay so long after all. There had been a long discussion between Pinkie, Dash and her parents where she had told them she had decided that the child was going to be put up for adoption.
Her parents didn’t know about her heart though. Dash didn’t want to scare them. All they knew about the last year was that she and Pinkie had had issues but those where settled now. They would be back in a few weeks for a long weekend coming up when they would get to see their third gran-child once before Dash gave her away. If they weren’t so old themselves, they would’ve taken the child, but Dash’s mother was in her late 50’s and father early 60’s.
Pinkie hoped that that weekend they returned wouldn’t be Dash’s funeral. She cursed herself for thinking this but couldn’t help but hope that she would be at their funeral long before she was at Dash’s. It didn’t matter though. Today had just started and she was going to live it. Live it with her Dashie! It’s all she could do right now and was happy to do so.
~ ~
Dear Eli,
Yes.
Love Rarity.
The letter was simple and straight forward. No messing around. No what if or worry. Just a simple answer to a simple question.
Rarity hadn’t seen Elusive for a full month after he departed but eventually they ran into each other. Of course ‘ran into’ meant she specifically went out of her way to meet up with him that day. She was in Cantalot on business; one of her designs had been nominated for some award again. She was grateful of course but unless she actually won the award she rarely paid much mind to them. She had about fifty such awards at this point after all and tried to be able to name each one and the piece that had won it. It was getting hard to do so and as such she didn’t pay much heed to mere nominations.
The two had gone out to lunch the day she’d arrived. It wasn’t really a date but they did talk about a possible future. Rarity was in a much clearer state of mind then she had been during that entire wedding fiasco, but she had still told him that she just wasn’t quite ready to see him or anypony in that manor quite yet. That dreary talk was quickly put aside though and they both had a good time with one another afterwards. All in all, it wasn’t a bad day by any standards and Rarity enjoyed herself.
She departed from Cantalot two days later and had wished she’d spent another day with Elusive, thinking that she wouldn’t see him again for a while. When she arrived back at her boutique she found something that she hadn’t expected. What seemed like so long ago now but was only a few months, this would’ve been one of the most dreaded things she could’ve found. But now… it had to be one of the most joyous. Well, maybe that over sold it a little but she was happy none the less to see that he had sent her a letter.
She immediately replied and soon got another just two days later. They continued to send and receive letters on a daily basis, though it took one day for the other pony to receive a letter and another day for the response to arrive. Four weeks had passed until the final letter had arrived. It worried Rarity and she thought about it for much longer than she had anything else he had sent her in years. She’d sent him a letter every second day but it had been nearly a week since she had received his latest and knew she had to reply soon, lest she worry him inturn. Whatever the answer was, he at least should know.
Dearest Rarity,
I know it’s only been a month.
I know we’ve only spoken in letters to one another but I feel that we’ve become closer than you realise.
I know you’ve said that you wouldn’t see anypony until you thought the time was right for you.
I know you. That’s why I’m asking if you would like to go to out to dinner with me.
If it’s still too soon, I understand but I only ask because I feel the time is right.
Love always, Elusive.
And so she sent her letter. Two days later she had received his response. Naturally he had been over-joyed and it was somewhat translated in his writing. Elusive had said he’d be coming down to Ponyville on Friday to meet up and that she should dress in attire for a high-class establishment. While the idea of one of the premiere restaurants in Ponyville was enticing to her, she wrote him a letter back, which she hoped would arrive in all due time, saying that while she appreciated the gesture, he didn’t need to take her to such an extravagant locals to show her how he felt. She knew already and requested instead just a simple dinner at her boutique, so long as he brought a good bottle of wine, she would take care of the rest.
It was Thursday now and he was to arrive tomorrow. She wasn’t exactly sure what time, other than before dark, he would be arrving. What dress to wear? To wear a dress at all? What to prepare for their meal? Perfume? Sleep with him? Did he want that? Of course he did, but should he want that? She had no idea what this date really meant between them and had so much running through her mind. Perhaps she should just go with the flow and see where the night took her.
“Oh yes… because just going with the flow ALWAYS ends up working out for me…” Rarity sighed to herself with a small laugh. “Still, I’m sure he’s just as nervous as I am, if not more so.” Rarity paused and though to herself for a moment before adding “I wish Opal was still around. At least then I wouldn’t be completely crazy for talking to myself…”
There wasn’t too much time to worry. Her usual spa date with Fluttershy was today and it couldn’t have been needed more than right now. Expect maybe tomorrow. The tradition of the two going to the spa on a weekly basis was so old and long established that neither could remember a time that they hadn’t. Neither could remember how or why it had slowly become a fortnightly basis and eventually a monthly basis. But neither really minded as even though it got further apart they rarely, if ever, missed one.
After that though, she had to get back to her work at the boutique. Rarity was ahead of her usual work, the award season had just ended, business usually dropped around that time. The models all feared that any new outfits, no matter how glorious and magnific would be long forgotten by the end of the year when awards would start anew. Rarity was well enough off that it wouldn’t even affect her financially for months, but it also gave her idol hooves and a bit too much time to simply think.
She did however have one VERY special order to fill. The dress for Scootaloo. Rarity was quite astonished given that Scootaloo tended to dress in style as rarely as Rainbow Dash. She hadn't told Rarity what occasion it was for, though she had some ideas seems one of her old coltfriends from Cloudsdale had visited a few days ago. Rarity wasn’t quite sure seems she hadn’t met him directly herself, but Sweetie Belle had said his name was Orion Comet but everypony just called him O.C. for short.
Either way, the dress should be finished and picked up by this afternoon. If Rarity was going to ask, she’d ask then, but right now, she was out the door to meet Fluttershy.
~ ~
“Y'all just remember ya gotta be back here in time ta set up Applebloom’s welcome back/going away party.” Applejack called to Fluttershy as she took off towards the town. Pinkie, as always, was using any excuse to throw a party and seems AJ hadn’t really wanted full party to welcome her sister back or one for her going to live with Jade Dagger, or JD as Pinkie called him, though she actually called him 'Jade-ie' like she did 'Dash-ie' but everypony just took it as her calling him by his initials, why not take two half-parties and make them into a whole party? Pinkie logic… just roll with it.
Applejack had been exhausted lately, working twice as much as usual on the farm since Big Mac’s injury. When they’d first returned to Ponyville from Cantalot and found out about him, naturally AJ went straight away to see him. In retrospect, Fluttershy found it funny and most likely AJ did too, but AJ had been horrified when they’d arrived. Being only told that he had a severe injury, then to be told by the nurse on staff that they’d lost him. She completely lost herself and broke down crying on the floor. Then however, the nurse told her that the meant that he should’ve been in his room but wasn’t. They’d literally lost him.
As guilty as Fluttershy felt about going to the spa without AJ, even though her wife needed pampering far more than she did, there was still very obvious tension between AJ and Rarity. Fluttershy had finally built up the courage to ask AJ about it a few weeks ago and was surprised to find out there was more to it than just what Rarity had said at Ace and Ven’s party. It went further back. It had been Rarity’s idea for Fluttershy and Big Mac to bare a child and even though AJ wouldn’t admit it, Fluttershy could tell there was something more as well.
She knew there was; because AJ was lying convincingly to her. AJ could never lie unless it was something that REALLY needed hiding. Fluttershy could only barely tell but she knew AJ more than anypony else. But if AJ felt it was bad enough that she would lie about it, even to her, then Fluttershy didn’t think she wanted to know what it was.
Eventually she arrived at the spa, early as always, and waited for a short while until Rarity arrived. They ordered the usual, which had changed ever so slightly and slowly over the years that it was now something completely different to what it once meant. Hooficures, tail curling for Rarity and straightening for Fluttershy. Eye brow plucking to remove Rarity’s slight mono-brow and bleaching for Fluttershy's moustache. Eventually, they ended with the hot spring as always, still to this day, mud mask en-toe, hair wrapped and cucumber slices over Rarity’s eyes but not Fluttershy’s.
“… and we absolutely must visit that restaurant opening on mane street. The décor looks simply stunning.” Rarity continued on making plans for herself and Fluttershy that they would never keep. “But enough of tomorrow, today’s big too, is it not? Applebloom’s welcome back party.”
“Yes. Oh, welcome back/going away party. She isn’t staying very long.”
“No, I suppose not. What was his name? J-D something?” Rarity ask, knowing full well the name of Applebloom’s baby daddy and fiancé. Fluttershy had only told Rarity. Of course Twilight knew as well, being told by Big Mac but Pinkie, Dash, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo didn’t know anything about it and would be thoroughly surprised. “I was wondering if I should bring a gift. I have a few, hmm, ‘pregy teddies’ as Rainbow Dash called them that I made for her a few months back. She declined them all of course but I’m sure they’d fit Applebloom.”
“Oh yes. I’m sure she’d appreciate them very much.” Fluttershy said as she began to make her way out of the pool. They’d been in there for nearly half an hour now and as nice as it felt, it was getting quite warm and quite wrinkly. “Um, would you like to come with us to the station this afternoon to meet her? And Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon too.”
“No dear, I’m afraid I’m busy. I have a dress to make for Scootaloo. She’s coming over to supervise the final touches… not that she’d know much about the process. You know how big of an occasion it must be for her to wear a dress so I absolutely must make it flawless.”
“Oh, she is? I, I thought she was coming to see them arrive as well. Even Twilight is going to be there to welcome her… I mean them, back.”
“Well if you really want me there, I’ll see what I can do. But I can’t make any promises, I refuse to rush a project and half-mule it.”
“Thank you Rarity. I’m sure it will mean a lot to Applebloom.” Fluttershy said, but her real motives where to get Rarity and Applejack together.
The spa treatment and pamper over, the two mares parted ways once more. As Fluttershy returned to Sweet Apple Acres she could just hear the music blaring all the way from the edge of the property. Pinkie was pulling out all the stops on this party and she was sure Applejack wouldn’t be overly thrilled about that. The closer she got to the farmstead, the louder the music got. When she got to the house itself, there wasn’t a single sign of what was going on inside. Knowing Pinkie, this meant it was going to be a surprise party for Applebloom.
“Welcome!” yelled Pinkie as Fluttershy walked around the back. While not visible from the front, the back had been strung up with lights and speakers and tables: the works. Pinkie was still hanging decorations and adjusting things ever so slightly but so fast to the point where if you looked at the area for five minutes straight you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference but if you took one look and then another five minutes it would look completely different.
“Hey Fluttershy.” Dash said as she sat across from Applejack at one of the tables while Pinkie was setting up. Though she shouldn’t be doing anything in her condition, Fluttershy could tell Dash had been helping Pinkie by how exhausted she looked, even though she was trying to hide how deep her breathes where. “The usual?” ask Dash with a smirk.
“Oh, yes please. If that’s ok with you.” Fluttershy replied as she approached Dash who moved a bit and lean up against the table. Her large stomach now exposed so Fluttershy could feel the foal kicking if it started to. Fluttershy loved doing this and had done so mostly every day since Dash had returned from Cantalot. As she placed one hoof on her stomach she couldn’t feel any kicks today, she rarely could, though they were very strong when she did. She felt a beating today. Dash’s heart beat hard and loudly from exerting herself earlier and it made Fluttershy wonder.
“Um, Rainbow Dash, could I, um, listen the foal's heart beat?”
“Uh… sure, I guess. Knock yourself out.” Dash replied coolly, though she was a little nervous at the request. She didn’t let anypony but Fluttershy touch her stomach more than once or for more than a few seconds. Well other than Pinkie Pie of course. But this felt a little weirder than she liked. Fluttershy moved closer and turned her head belay laying it on her baby bump. She then moved a hoof up to cup around her ear. Fluttershy stayed there for a moment before Dash finally asked “So can you hear it?”
Fluttershy didn’t answer at first and it made Dash worry. Applejack stood up and went over to the other side of the table and saw Fluttershy’s face. Her eyes where closed and there was a small but very happy smile on her face. “How is it Sug?”
Again Fluttershy didn’t answer until AJ put her hoof onto her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked right into AJ’s. “It’s beautiful…” she said as she felt a tear run down her face. It was the most wondrous thing there was right now. The unborn foal was the purest of all natural things to Fluttershy. Applejack returned the smile; she felt almost the same, only her pride at the matter was towards her daughter’s child. They didn’t know what Applebloom was going to do with the foal, but they would all love the child, not matter what she chose.
If only Dash felt the same way about her own…
~ ~
She arrived at boutique and read the sign on the door ‘be back at 1’. It was 2 now so Scootaloo just waited… and waited... and waited………. Eventually it had been a FULL five minutes and she’d had enough. She had to be at the train station by 4 to welcome the girls back. She wasn’t too fond of Diamond Tiara or Silverspoom but she had to admit, they weren’t the bitchy little brats they once were.
Normally she didn’t mind waiting but seems this was the third time she’d been here today, it was getting annoying. First at midday, then an hour ago when the sign had said she’d be back and then now. Where the hay was Rarity at that was a taking so long? Scootaloo needed this dress by tomorrow.
Eventually Rarity returned from the spa after getting a second treatment as she occasionally did, to find a very agitated Scootaloo awaiting her. She stared at Rarity then at the sign on the door, then back to Rarity… who took the hint. “Oh, I bed your pardon dear, I simply lost track of time. I’m truly sorry. Now, about you’re dress, I’m mostly finished, just wanted your exact build on a few of the finer details. It should be ready within an hour or so.”
Scootaloo huffed as Rarity walked beside her and unlocked the door. “Well I’m in a bit of a hurry so just do what ya gotta do to finish it, ok?” Scootaloo commented as she followed Rarity inside.
“Now, I won’t rush this dress. I’m sure you wouldn’t want it in anything less than perfect for your… I’m sorry, what was it for again?”
“Nice try Rare.” Scootaloo replied. She had her privacy and as much as Rarity may want to know, it just wasn’t going to happen. Rarity went over to her work bench and showed Scootaloo what she had prepared thus far. As far as Scootaloo was concerned it was perfect. Or at least good enough. The top half looked almost like a jacket but the lower half was a sweeping violet-purple gown. Rarity insisted on adding the bells and whistles to it… hopefully not literally Scootaloo thought.
A few stiches and the lines of detail where added and removed from various spots as Scootaloo model her own dress while Rarity made adjustments. It was beautiful Rarity thought and even Scootaloo agreed. Then there was one more piece that Rarity hadn’t even thought about. Scootaloo saw a roll of fabric, she had absolutely no idea what it was called but it was a very fine, near transparent orange. Not the orange of her coat but orange of fire. “Are you sure dear? That’s a very expensive material.”
“Yeah but, c’mon. A blaze shape over the back of this thing: awesome! Doesn’t matter how pricy it is.”
“Yes, I suppose it will look ‘awesome’. Very well.” Rarity said as she levitated the fabric over to her. She’d had her ideas about what this dress was for, but for Scootaloo to say price wasn’t an issue, now she simply had to know who it was for. After she cut the sheet to fit and form with the rest of the dress she took one final look at her work and had to admit, Scootaloo was diffidently correct. The ‘blaze’ truly made the outfit.
“Damn… this is amazing! Thanks Rarity.” Scootaloo said as she hopped of the podium she’d been standing on. “Mind helping me get this thing off? I gotta get to the station in a bit.”
“Oh yes of course. I’m heading there myself to greet the three. Uh, there is of course the matter of…”
“Oh yeah. How much do I owe ya for this?” Scootaloo asked as she got the dress off and unceremoniously dropped it on the ground. Rarity’s magic encircled it and lifted it back up to her work desk where she promptly folded it neatly and placed it inside a box all while working out exactly how much to charge, pulling an abacus out of a desk.
“Given time and materials…” she flicked a few beads before sending the packed dress over to scootaloo and placing it on her back. “Well, how about this. You tell me who this is for and I’ll halve the price of this work.”
“Forget it… I’m not telling you ok. Would you just drop it already?”
“If you insist. Now, that comes to a totally of seven hundred and twenty bits…”
“So uh… three-sixty bits for my dress for Gilda huh?” Scootaloo said instantly back peddling at the price… how much did that last piece cost exactly? As it was half price seemed extravagant! To think she’d gotten that old ‘atrocity’ Rarity designed for Rainbow Dash in that fashion show years ago for free. She may even still have that in one of the boxes of her old stuff at her father’s place.
“Oh isn’t this precious. I knew it was for somepony but I never expected her. Give her my regards when you see her ok?” Rarity said as the implications instantly started running threw her head. A first date… or a first real date from what she’d heard a few months back. “In all truth, I had assumed it was for the coltfriend of yours that had come to visit.”
“O.C.? Na. but it’s nothing special, really. I’m just going up there to meet her brother. You know, wanted to look good for it.”
“My, meeting the family? I didn’t know you where that serious.”
“What? We’re not. I’m just meeting him is all. I mean me and her've seen each other for a while but we’ve never been serious. I mean, she’s like ten years older than me.”
“Yes well… wait, exactly how old where you when you did meet her anyway? As I recall you said it was nearly five years ago. You’re only Sweetie Belle’s age and I’d hate to think of somepony, or gryphon as a…”
“Don’t even start Rarity… yeah I was sixteen when I met her and she was… twenty-seven? Whatever five years less than thirty-three is.”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Right well, she didn’t know how old I was. I met her in a bar so I guess she thought I was older. You shoulda seen the look on her face when she saw me leaving school one day. Priceless! But, we’re not that close.”
“Really? Because it sounds to me like you are. You even have a how we met story, that’s quite romantic if I do say so.” Rarity said as she stared at the clearly in denial pegasus before her. “Meeting her family? And you want to look nice for them. Tell me, did she ask you to dress nicely?”
Scootaloo hadn’t thought about it… they’d never been serious for the last five years. But, five years… they’d been dating when she left Cloudsdale and she hadn’t been seeing another mare as Scootaloo thought she had been. That mare had turned out to be Rainbow Dash even. How she’d never mentioned Rainbow Dash around Gilda was miraculous… did she… not want to bring up an old crush to her… new crush. Oh crap…
“We’re not serious! I don’t… we’ve been… oh my Celestia… we’re serious… we’re seriously serious! This is serious. I mean; stop saying serious! Ugh!” Scootaloo yelled as she started to panic. She hadn’t told Rarity about it because of that stuff she’d said months back when she and Gilda had started seeing each other again.
“Calm down deary. This isn’t bad news and I don’t see why you didn’t tell me sooner.” Rarity said, trying to sound reassuring but just coming off as condescending. “Tell me, has Gilda met your family?”
“Yeah, she’s met my dad a few times. Hasn’t met my mum though. And my mum kinda doesn’t know I’m… yeah, you get the idea. I’m not ashamed or anything, you know, just never came up between us, we don’t really talk much. But, but this is totally different. Isn’t it? I mean… ugh… thanks Rarity! If you hadn’t said anything I would’ve just gone to Cloudsdale tomorrow and been completely fine meeting him. Now this.”
“I’m dreadfully sorry. Is there anything I can do to…”
“Knock another hundred off the dress?”
“Afraid not dear. I’m only just making a few bits on it as it is. I told you that material you requested was expensive.”
“Yeah… but it was worth it. I think I need it to look perfect tomorrow now.” Scootaloo said. She may’ve been scared to hay about what tomorrow actually meant now, but at least she would look good for Gilda. “Yeah: worth it.”
~ ~
She could see them on the platform as her train pulled up. More than just Applejack and Fluttershy. Applebloom expected Big Mac and maybe Twilight to be there too, but so was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Scootaloo. She was planning on going to go straight to Die and Sil’s place to help them settle back in. It was the least she could do seems they’d come with her for almost half a year, which was pretty good at first, prize money from the fights more than covered paying them as ‘assistants’ even though they were pretty much just hanging out together.
But once she started losing her matches, they wound up nearly flat broke by the end of it and Die’s father ended up bailing them out with some money. Die said it wasn’t a loan, it was a gift, but Applebloom was going to pay him back anyway. She didn’t feel like being indebted to the Filthy Rich creep. It wasn’t a large amount by any means, just a few weeks worth of food. She hadn’t told her sister yet but she’d lost almost every fight for a month straight now. She was battered, bruised and even had a few cracked bones. And yet miraculously, the baby was fine after all that.
But the baby was also the cause of all that. She’d fought just as hard as ever in her matches but she was getting bigger, and slower, and it was taking away a lot of her energy. And there was always the fear that she would have a miscarriage due to all of it. But... there was always the hope that she’d have a miscarriage due to all of it and not have to go through this. For better or worse, that never happened though.
Applebloom hoped she could slide off the train without any of them seeing her but of course the train stopped right near of where they had been standing. It made sense seems she’d been writing to them and they’d been writing back to her too. She wasn’t sure but Applebloom thought she may have told them what cart she would be in and they had just stood where it was going to arrive. Die and Sil could tell Applebloom wasn’t in the mood to see them.
“Pinkie Pie! Rainbow Dash!” called out Silverspoon as she got off the train, carrying her two suitcases. “Where’s Ace and Ven? Uh oh…” she was immediately jumped on by the two foals who seemed to have been standing on top of the train. They hadn’t grown too much but they were bigger then they used to be when she would carry them on her back. She still coudl carry them but the falling didn’t help, along with carrying the bags as well, Sil collapsed onto the ground getting hugged by the little fillies.
“I missed you Silly Sil!” they both cried in unison before Ace added “I mean we missed you, it wasn’t just me.” she beamed with a smile so big that only her pink other-mother could replicate.
“My, that’s quite a sentence for a little foal. You’re growing up aren’t you?”
“I’m growing up too, not a foal anymore! I’m a mare!” yelled Ven, as rambunctious as her prismatic other-mother.
“Yes, you both are. You’re not little foals anymore. You’re cute little fillies now.” Sil said as she got what she expected from them both, a pout from Ven and a somehow even bigger smile from Ace. She pulled herself up and could just bear the weight as Ace and Ven, still on her back, picked up one of her bags each. Struggling slightly, she walked over to Pinkie and Dash. “It’s good to see you two. I’d be more than happy to take care of them if you need to… not have them when the time comes for this little guy.”
Dash shrank back a bit not wanting to tell Sil what they’d planned, seemed they hadn’t told anypony else they were giving the child up yet either, but luckily Sil didn’t have time to notice Dash’s reaction before Pinkie sprang in “Oh that would be super-di-duper! Once you’ve unpacked and stuff could you come over to Sweet Apple Acres to pick them up? Why not bring Diamie too?” Sil laughed at her not-so-subtle party invitation. On queue Diamond Tiara got off the train, carrying more bags than Sil had been. Not three or four, but six. She was a little ‘high maintenance’ after all.
“Hey everypony. You all here to see us?” Die asked as she walked over to the group. Most of them where likely here for Applebloom and Dash and Pinkie for Sil but it was nice all the same. She’d heard what had happened with Twilight and was little surprised she was allowed out of the hospital. Die had planned on visiting the hospital when she returned. She had some things to ask… something to relate to with somepony for once. She’d been where Twilight had been… she forced those thoughts aside and just enjoyed where she was now. With friends.
They all talked about for a while but eventually Applejack had to ask “So uh, where’s Applebloom anyway? She still on the train?”
“She’s a little sick. When the train started to slow down, it threw her a loop and she’s probably still in the bath room.” Replied Die.
“Ah see, do you mind getting her fer us? Oh and tell her ta expect a nice ol’ reaction from these four here. Haven’t told ‘em yet.” Applejack indicated to Rarity, Scootaloo, Dash and Pinkie.
“Haven’t told us about what?" asked Dash, trying to find a reason to get Sil to stop touching her stomach already…
“Oh, you’ll find out Rainbow, don’t chu worry none.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll go see what’s going on.” Die said back with a hint of nervousness to her tone as she looked at Sil who shared a similar expression on her face. She put her bags on the ground and went back into the train. Applejack just had a brief glance at the bag but she noticed something about them. Not all of them where Die’s. Half where Applebloom’s. She thought it was nice of Die to carry the bags for her. Celestia knows she shouldn’t be carrying them herself being with foal as she was.
A couple minutes passed and Die still hadn’t returned. Applejack was getting worried by this point and was about to excuse herself to follow into the train but just after she did, Die came back out. She looked much more agitated than she and Sil had before. “She wants you all to leave.” Die said so that all could hear before approaching Applejack and saying much quieter to her only “She doesn’t want anypony else to see her how she is. The less ponies that know the better. She’s fine, don’t worry. She’s just… a little upset right now. You understand don’t you?”
“Oh, uh… ah’m sure ah could…”
“No... just, just trust us ok? We’ll get her back to herself. She’s just…”
“Ah understand ya.” Applejack replied solemnly before turning to the others “We’re leaving y'all.” she could see there was a bit of confusion from the others but her stare made it clear that she meant it. Scootaloo wondered what she had been meant to find out and now why she was being forced away. It had to be something big.
Scootaloo walked away but stopped to say a something to Sil before going. “ABS is ok right?”
“Yeah. She’ll be alright. She’s just uh, lost a few matches lately is all and’s a little under the weather.” Sil replied but Scootaloo caught Sil glancing at Dash a few times when she said it. She didn’t think anything of it but Sil clearly wasn’t telling the whole truth here. And there was ‘she’ll be alright’, meaning she wasn’t alright right now.
Pinkie came along and pulled the two little fillies off of Sil’s back and added once more “You make sure to come pick them up from Sweet Apple Acres later on. And bring Die too. And most importantly important of all: make sure Applebloom comes ok?”
Applejack was the last to leave, alongside Fluttershy and as they did she turned back to Applebloom’s two friends. “You make sure she comes home ya hear. I’ve missed her an awful lot. And tell her no matter what she chooses, I’m always ganna be proud of her.” she finished and walked off. Just as they were about to leave platform, she glanced back and saw Applebloom’s head sticking out from the carriage. They saw each other for a brief moment before Applebloom pulled back inside. “She knows ah love her, right Fluttershy?”
“Yes, she knows that. So do I.”
~ ~
Guests had started arriving about an hour ago and normally the party would be in full swing by now but Pinkie had told everypony to stay quiet until Applebloom arrived. No pony dared go against Pinkie, both out of respect and fear, but it was starting to get dark and without the party lights being turned on the back of the farmstead was getting quite eerie. It was not a small party by any standards and quite a number of ponies where here.
Applejack was still worried about what she’d seen when she arrived and was only starting to worry more now. “I’ll go check on her ok?” Scootaloo told her. “I’ll tell her you want to have a family dinner of something and get her right over.”
“No, don’t lie to her. Ah’m pretty sure ah know why she ain’t here yet and arriving ta find all these ponies here would be an awful shock. Sorry Pinkie but, tell her about the party. And tell her, that if she doesn’t come ah’m come over ta her. Ah gotta see her.” Applejack said as she prepared to defuse the Pinkie-bomb for ruining the surprise party but instead was surprised in turn by a explosion of confetti and an instant blare of lights.
“O.K. Let’s get this party started!" Pinkie yelled as a loud cheer come out from most everypony present and the music started pumping. Vinyl wasn't the DJ tonight so it was pumping; not dropping. The 'modern' stuff gets annoying after a while. But she'd never tell that to Vinyl of course. She wanted this to be one of the biggested and bestestestested parties she’d thrown in a long time.
Applejack, relieved, now turned back to Scootaloo. “Alright, you go off fast now and tell 'er what’s goin' on.” Scootaloo nodded and took off right away. She wasn’t the best flier by any means and usually walked around instead of flying whenever going somewhere but even her not so great speed when airborne was faster than any of them could run. Which made Applejack worry so much more when another hour passed and Scootaloo still hadn’t returned.
Fluttershy was out the front of the house, away from the rest of the ponies preparing to leave to go check on them and Applejack would be running as fast as she could behind her because there was diffidently something wrong now! But before that happened Scootaloo returned. Applejack calmed at that and thought that perhaps she was just over reacting but that hope sank when she saw the look on Scootaloo’s face. It was identical to what she’d seen on Sil and Die’s at the train station.
“She’s not coming. And she doesn’t want you to come either. She just wanted to get a good night’s sleep for once, then she’ll talk to you tomorrow. She’s going to be staying at Sil and Die’s place for a while. Living there I mean…” Scootaloo finished. “Sil didn’t even let me see her. Applejack. What was the surprise we were going to find out about? I’m really worried but I don’t know what I’m worried about. Please, tell me so I can help her.”
“Ma little foal… she’s having a foal o’ her own…” Applejack said straight up to Scootaloo who deserved to know what her friend was dealing with.
“Oh. Well… I, do you think she wants it?”
“No… I don’t think she does…”
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Finally I caught up with this story.