Chapter 2: Keeping it in (edited)
“Why isn't she panicking yet?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Twilight always panics."
She and Rarity were eating lunch at a cafe, their food undisturbed. The cafe had been chosen not for the food, but for the excellent view of the library it offered. The duo unashamedly watched Twilight walk across the town square and into her home. In fact, both ponies had been not-so-discreetly spying on their friend since the fateful test the week before.
In order to keep a better eye on the purple mare, the two ponies had tried to stay as close to the library as they could. Rainbow Dash took extra weather patrols over the town so she could have more frequent flyovers close to the library. Rarity, meanwhile, slowly racked up debt from all the extra shopping done at stores conveniently located within eyesight of Golden Oaks.
Much to their frustration, Twilight acted unnervingly normal since her pregnancy test. She stuck rigidly to her schedule the whole week, save for the last three mornings, which consisted of a daily trip to the post office to pick up an alarming number of book-shaped packages. They knew Twilight generally received new books for the library the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Rarity sipped from a cup of tea, and continued to absent-mindedly knit clothing under the table.
"Twilight only overreacts to things that are presented to her as beyond her control," Rarity stated, "like the whole Smartypants fiasco. That aside, she's actually the best of us in an emergency. Nightmare Moon, Discord, or Chrysalis and her changelings might not have have been defeated if it weren't for Twilight."
"It would just be so much easier if she just had one of her usual breakdowns," Rainbow Dash complained, slamming a forehoof on the table. "At least we know how to deal with those."
Rainbow's assault on the table knocked over one of Rarity's many bags. As the bag toppled and hit the ground, a pile of foal clothing, all various shades of pink, spilled out.
She stared at Rarity, nonplussed. "Really, Rarity? Really?"
"Just nervous energy." Rarity repacked the clothing. "Besides, it seems I'm not the only one who’s been going overboard. Fluttershy tells me the Everfree Forest has been unseasonably wet this past week. It's almost as if somepony has been kicking up storms. She's been dreadfully worried about a possible flooding, the poor dear."
"What if it's a boy?" Rainbow Dash attempted to turn the conversation off of herself and back onto Rarity.
“Shhh!" Rarity looked past Rainbow Dash and threw up an energetic wave. “Good morning, Big Macintosh!” Rainbow twisted in her chair to see the burly workhorse stride down the lane.
"Mornin'," Big Macintosh replied as he passed, pulling a wagon-load of barrels, each filled to the brim with apples. He continued on to the open air market in the center of the village. Various mares waved enthusiastically as Big Macintosh passed. He nodded politely before setting up shop on the edge of the marketplace, near the library.
"You know, it's kind of funny, Big Macintosh has been managing the stall all week. Applejack normally do most of the selling, doesn't she?" Rarity questioned.
"Maybe AJ just wanted a break from it or something, I dunno," Rainbow idly commented with a shrug.
"I'm sure there will be plenty of mares willing to buy from Big Macintosh without his sister around," Rarity quipped. "I mean, the only mare who would go after him would have to be somepony who hasn’t seen Protective Applejack in action.”
“HAH! Possessive is more like it."
The two ponies lapsed back into their silent vigil of the library. Rainbow Dash didn't see Rarity's eyes go wide in a sudden moment of clarity.
"OH, SWEET CELESTIA!"
Rainbow Dash and the ponies sitting at nearby tables jumped at the sudden outburst and stared at Rarity nervously.
The white unicorn giggled bashfully before taking a dainty sip of her cream of onion soup that had long gone cold. "My, this is an excellent dish. Excuse me ma'am, may I have this to go?" Rarity asked as a waitress passed.
"What was that about?" Rainbow Dash hissed once the waitress took their food away to be packaged up.
"Why, the excellent lunch of course." Rarity sighed as Rainbow just stared and expected an answer. “I'll tell you more later.”
*-----*-----*-----*-----*
Despite Rainbow's constant questions, Rarity remained tight-lipped until they returned to the boutique, declining to explain her outburst until they sat around her kitchen table, a cup of tea for her and a glass of water for Rainbow.
"It's Big Macintosh," Rarity explained.
"Er, Big Macintosh is what?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The father, obviously!" Rarity answered. "That's why he’s been around town all week." She gave a wistful sigh. "It's kind of romantic if you think about it. Waiting for glances to see the love of his life, trying to get the briefest moment of conversation."
"Pssh. Whatever, Rarity," Rainbow Dash replied, brushing off Rarity's guess.
"Well, who else could it be, darling? Our dear Twilight Sparkle doesn't really know any other stallions in Ponyville."
"Why does it have to be Big Mac?" Rainbow asked. "Maybe it's somepony from Canterlot or something."
Rarity waved away the pegasus' accusation. "No, it can't be. She hasn't been to Canterlot for months and Twilight simply isn't a one night stand kind of mare."
"Er, w-well then, what abo-" Rainbow began before getting abruptly cut off by the gushing unicorn.
"Oh, I can imagine how it started." A breathless Rarity could not contain the emotional gleam in her eyes. "That day we emerged from the Everfree forest after saving Equestria from eternal night. Their eyes met across a town of crowded ponies, not realizing what was blossoming between them even then." She squealed excitedly. "It's just like in all my romance novels!"
Rainbow Dash struggled with herself for a moment. Rarity had guessed though, and it seemed to be the only logical conclusion.
"Ugh, fine...you're probably right," Rainbow groaned, "but you have to promise to keep it to yourself!"
"Well, of course, Rainbow!" she said indignantly. "What sort of friend do you think I am?"
"Well you do have a bit of a reputation for being a gossip," Rainbow said carefully.
"Not about my friends! Especially when it's something as monumental as this," Rarity snapped.
"Okay, okay, calm down. I was just saying. Geez." Rainbow backed away from the offended-looking unicorn.
Rarity looked slightly mollified, but still wore a grumpy expression.
"We just can't risk AJ finding out about this. Remember what she did to Daisy?" Rainbow asked worriedly.
"Oh, I remember. She decided to give herself as a birthday present to Big Macintosh the year before Twilight came. Who could forget that fiasco." Rarity grimaced and facehoofed. "Daisy still has a slight limp."
"She did go a little overboard in her attempts on Big Macintosh.”
"Applejack still took it too far."
They sat silently for a few minutes, sipping their drinks and thinking about what Applejack might do to Twilight.
"We should really talk to Twi about this. Big Macintosh changes everything," Rainbow said at length.
"I agree. We did say we would give her some time, but I don't think this can wait."
*-----*-----*-----*-----*
The mares entered the library to discover Spike manning the front desk. “Spike, dear, where is Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“She’s been hold up in her bedroom with some private project,” Spike answered. “She’s been in there for days for hours on end, and won’t tell me what is going on.”
“Actually we're here to help,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Really? What for?”
“Uhh...” Rainbow tried to come up with a lie.
Rarity lied for her. “The project is still private, Spike. I’m sure she’ll be glad to tell you all about it when she is done. Could you be a dear and help me? While I am helping Twilight I am going to need someone to run my store for a few hours. I’ll give you a bag of volcanic stone if you do a good job.”
Spike’s stomach growled at the prospect of the stone, and helping the love of his life. “Sounds great! I’ll see you guys later.”
Rarity and Rainbow ascended the stairs to the library’s second floor and knocked on the door to Twilight's room. Nopony answered. After the third knock, Rainbow simply walked in.
"So, you've been freaking out in private then?" Rainbow asked upon seeing the state of the room. Rarity followed her in.
Around her sat sheets, charts, and easels covered with mathematical equations related to Equestria's future economy. Further details revealed Twilight was considering the economic future of raising anywhere from one to two point five foals as both a single mother and with a partner. Another note revealed she was in the process of considering extended family financial involvement. There were piles of books on foal psychology, milestones, rearing philosophies, preparing your children for kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and college. Twilight even obtained a self help book that would prepare the parents when their children left home. There were books on depression: prepartum, postpartum, for fathers, grandparents, and more distant relatives. It appeared that Twilight Sparkle was attempting to plan for all possible outcomes of the next fifty years of her life.
Twilight Sparkle turned from her research to her friend. "I thought you were going to wait?"
"Darling, we need to talk," Rarity said gently.
"There's so much to do, so much to plan," Twilight fretted. "I don't have time to talk!"
"Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity's use of the unicorn's full name seemed to snap Twilight out of her racing thoughts. Tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes.
"I don't know what to do Rarity. I don't know what I need!" Twilight started to sob.
Rarity took the crying Twilight into her embrace and gently rubbed her shoulders. She spoke quiet reassurances to Twilight until the sobs turned to dry heaves, and eventually stopped.
"Thank you," Twilight managed as she dabbed her eyes with a magically levitated hoofkerchief.
"It's quite all right, Twilight. I can't imagine what you are going through, but you know I will always be there for you," Rarity reassured her.
"And you know I'm here for you too Twi," Rainbow added.
She shuffled her wings uncomfortably and looked at the floor. "I know this isn't the best time, but Rarity knows about Big Mac. She figured it out."
"What?!" Twilight shrieked. "How could you possibly have figured it out?!" The unicorn collapsed into a quivering mass on the floor. "What were the signs? How did you figure it out? Does anypony else know?" The questions poured out of Twilight so fast they were barely comprehensible.
"Don't worry, Twilight dear," Rarity said soothingly as she sat down next to her, "I don't think anypony else could possibly figure it out. They would have to know you were pregnant first, and of the ponies who know, three of them are in this room. And I'm sure Zecora won't tell a soul. She would never break your confidence."
Twilight recovered enough to pull herself up into a sitting position.
"What about Spike?" She asked suddenly, a fearful expression crossing her face, "Surely he can hear us."
"Oh, I simply asked the dashing young dragon if he could look after the boutique for me for a few hours. He was only too happy to oblige, so we have our privacy," Rarity explained.
The lavender unicorn seemed to relax still further, taking a few deep breaths and closing her eyes.
"I have to ask though, have you considered your wants, darling?"
"Huh?" Twilight mumbled as she opened her eyes to look at Rarity.
"You said before that you didn't know what you needed. What about what you want?"
"What do I want?" Twilight looked a little confused, and seemed to be mulling the question over in her head.
"What do you actually want to do, my dear? I know this is hard for you, but you have to think of your emotions and well-being first. The answers you seek will follow logically once you know that," Rarity explained as she led Twilight out of her bedroom and into the main room of the library. She sat Twilight down at a table once they reached their destination. Rarity went into the kitchen to make some tea, Rainbow Dash following close behind. The two were quiet as Rarity put the kettle on the stove.
"Will you be okay for a bit, Rarity? I'm going to go talk to somepony who might be able to help, see if I can get them to come talk to Twilight," Rainbow explained.
Rarity nodded slowly. "She needs all the help she can get at the moment. Remember though, nopony can know about the father, and as few ponies as possible should know she's even pregnant."
"Don't worry, I know. She's trustworthy," Rainbow assured her.
"Very well. I'll take care of things here." Rarity opened the wide kitchen window with a flash of magic.
Dash took the hint and leapt gracefully out into the open air as the kettle started to whistle. Rarity finished preparing the tea and poured some into two mugs. Levitating them in her magic, she returned to her friend, taking a seat and setting the mugs down in front of them.
"My wants…" Twilight whispered to herself.
She looked up as Rarity sat down and gratefully took up the tea in her own magical aura. Seeing that she had calmed down significantly, Rarity felt she could ask a question that Twilight needed to answer. It was a harsh question, loaded with significance and implication, but it needed to be asked.
"Twilight," Rarity began after a deep breath, "do you even want a foal right now?"
*-----*-----*-----*-----*
Rainbow Dash flew over the streets of Ponyville, narrowing her eyes as the setting summer sun caused the shadows to lengthen. The heat resulted in a slight haze surrounding everything in her line of sight that did not dissipate until she landed next to a small house.
The house was unassuming, save for the black and white landing pad that jutted out of the roof. It was two stories, with a well-maintained lawn and a sandbox situated under the yard's single tree. Two small vegetable patches, one containing carrots and the other containing a variety of other vegetables, encircled the house and the inside of the yard's fence.
A toddling, blonde-maned pegasus foal with a light brown coat played in the sandbox, piling up sand in an attempt to create a castle without a bucket, shovel, or water. The colt smiled as Rainbow Dash surveyed the yard, forgetting the sand in favor of running towards Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash scooped the excited foal into her forelimbs and threw him into the air. His wings stretched at the highest point of the throw, and he descended slowly into Rainbow Dash's waiting grasp. "Hey Diddly, where are your parents?"
"Da's cleanin' Dinky," the foal responded, "Ma’s still workin'."
Rainbow Dash entered the house to find an Earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie mark cleaning a purplish gray unicorn foal in the kitchen sink. The filly looked miserable as the stallion scrubbed her thoroughly. The water was murky with soap and paints of various colors.
"Rainbow Dash!" Dinky called excitedly, splashing the stallion in her excitement to get to the pegasus. The stallion dropped his sponge and snagged the foal's mane before she could exit the sink.
"Dry off first before you get the house dirty again," the stallion admonished the foal gently as he passed her a towel.
He turned to Rainbow and smiled widely as he saw her. He opened his mouth to greet her when he suddenly looked at the colt now perched on her back. Diddly was in the process of clambering to his feet in preparation to jump down to the floor.
"Don't you dare track all that sand in here, young colt," he said sternly, "Wash your hooves first."
Diddly stopped at this and, before the stallion could stop him, leapt into the sink. Water splashed everywhere, and the stallion gave a low groan of resignation. Dinky giggled at her brother’s antics as she dried her coat.
"Why don't you both try being helpful for a change and go set the table for dinner," the stallion suggested and the children ran for a nearby cupboard.
"Will you be staying for dinner, Rainbow Dash?"
"Is that Prench onion cauliflower stew?" Dash asked as she inhaled the delicious aroma coming from a pot on the stove.
"Seasoned with rosemary," the stallion replied with a proud smile.
"Sorry Kingston, maybe some other time," she replied with a frown, "I'm on a mission at the moment, I actually came to talk to Ditzy if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Kingston responded.
Something thumped hard against the roof of the house.
"That's her now."
"Thanks," Rainbow Dash said and flew out of the open doorway to the landing pad upon the roof.
Atop the roof, a yellow-maned mare shook off her crash landing. Crossed golden eyes attempted to focus on Rainbow Dash. Ditzy Doo blinked once, then twice before her eyes straightened themselves.
"Good job. You actually hit the landing pad this time!"
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," Ditzy replied. "You staying for dinner?"
"I'd like to, but I'm currently in the middle of a crisis," Rainbow Dash explained. "One of my friends is in a similar situation you were in. I was wondering if you could, maybe, help? You did always say it would have helped you to have talked to someone with experience when you had Dinky."
"I don't know..." Ditzy said warily, her voice trailing off.
"Please, Ditzy. It would mean a lot to me and her. She just needs to talk to someone who’s been through it all," Rainbow Dash insisted.
"Okay then, if you really think it will help," Ditzy replied with a kind-hearted smile, "meet me in the park at 7:00, and I'll talk with your friend."
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The next chapter will come out when the next chapter comes out. I promise that it won't be twenty days past forever, but it depends on the schedules of my editors after I actually finsh the first draft.
YAY UPDATE!
You have no idea how happy I am right now! 
I love you, and I love this chapter, and don't even think about Twilight having an abortion! SHE'S NOT THAT KIND OF MARE!!!!!
this is a good one. i just KNEW it was Ditzy...but WHO is kingston?
938721
Kingston is my headcanon Doctor Whooves/Hooves.
Love it!
Oh dear, poor Daisy. I hope Twilight doesn't end up like her
Oh my god, I laughed so hard I nearly cried.
938721the ponification of Kingsley shaklebolt
My only problem with this chapter was the earth pony's name. Couldn't you have called him time tuner at the least? Kingston threw me for a loop.
YES! Ditzy and Whooves!