Fluttershy and Big Macintosh have been happily married and now begin the joyful phase of parenthood. However raising their two children won't be easy.
Fluttershy and Big Macintosh have two beautiful children. Sunflower, an energetic earth filly and Applewood Jr., a shy little pegasus colt. Life couldn't seem more perfect for the children.
But their childhood won't be too easy. It will be filled with challenges, new friends, bullies, special someponies and finding their true purposes in life.
A blue jay flew it's way through the tangles of tree branches under the rays of Celestia's sun. It landed on the branch of a massive sycamore that extended over a small dirt country lane, a lane that the bird recognized. He remembered it led to the tree cottage of the most kind and friendly little yellow pegasus that he knew. As he remembered this, he spotted the very pegasus making her way towards the cottage down the lane. However, the blue jay noticed that something was different about the pegasus mare. She seemed to have gained a good deal of weight since the last time he had seen her, which had been when he had hurt his wing in a wind storm. Also, she was being accompanied by a tall red earth pony with a scruffy orange mane. This however was not what perplexed the blue jay the most, for he knew the young pegasus was very good at making friends when she wanted to. What confused the bird the most as he watched them pass on by, was that they appeared to be nuzzling each other.
Fluttershy giggled to herself as Big Macintosh ran his snout through her mane.
"Oh Big Mac, you know how funny that feels."
Big Mac looked down at the love of his life with the most gentle and loving smile Fluttershy loved to see. "Ah can't help it darlin'." He said, "Ah just love you too much."
"Oh you're too sweet" Fluttershy giggled. She and her husband had much to be happy about this day. It had been about eight months ago that she had told Big Mac that he was going to be a father. It had been a moment filled with many tears of joy and kisses. Up until now, they had refrained from having an ultrasound or any procedure done that would tell them what kind of child they would be having, or as Fluttershy had asked, "Could we...um.....maybe keep it.....um.....a surprise. If that's......um....okay with you."
However curiosity and much unnecessary fear for the health of the child got the better of them and Fluttershy submitted to it. Today had been the day of the ultrasound and they had gotten quite the joyous surprise. Fluttershy was not pregnant with one child, but two! A colt pegasus and an earth pony filly. The doctor and nurse in the room had to have their hearing checked due to the high levels of squees emitted from Fluttershy. Big Mac had not been able to stop smiling and had not stopped since they had left the hospital.
"When we get home, would you like me tah make you some tea dearest?" He asked as he leaned in to resume nuzzling his wife's mane.
"Well aren't you just the sweetest." Fluttershy giggled, "That actually sounds nice. Would you like to share it with me?"
"That sounds great."
Soon they were back at the cottage and sitting on the couch, sipping on the tea Big Mac had promised. Fluttershy however was just looking at the floor as she drank her tea uneasily.
"So what do you....um....think we should...um...you know..." She paused to take a sip from her cup.
"Should what?" Big Mac asked.
"You know....what do you think we should.....name our children?"
Big Mac paused mid sip when at this question. For a while he was silent, trying to come up with a decent answer. Fluttershy began to get worried from his silence. "Dear, what's wrong?"
Big Mac snapped back in. "What? Oh, nuthin's wrong honey." He replied, "Ah guess ah just hadn't thought about that. Ah had always assumed that we would decide that when they came."
"Oh." Fluttershy said, "Well I guess that.....um...makes sense." She looked shyly away as she took another sip of her tea, slightly disappointed with his answer. Big Mac saw this and immediately put his hoof under her chin and raised her head up to face him.
"Aww, now look here mah darlin', ah just thought that y'all was th' better choice to decide on that matter." He soothed.
Fluttershy blushed at the comment. "Oh Mac, you are such a sweetheart." She cooed.
"Not as much as y'all are mah sweetie pie." Big Mac cooed back, giving her a nose a boop with his hoof. They both shared a chuckle as the nuzzled each other. Both knew that no matter what, they would choose the right names and be the best parents they could be.
The silence of the hospital waiting room was deafening. Only the sounds of the wall clock and Big Macintosh's antsy pacing punctured the quiet. He was biting his lower lip as sweat ran down his face and neck. His sisters, Applejack and Applebloom, along with all five of Applejack's friends were watching him from their seats along the wall. Applejack went over to her big brother to try to calm him down. Cause at this rate he might just snap from pressure.
"Big Mac, she's gonna be fine. Y'all need to just settle down, sit down and take it easy alright?" She said.
"It's easy fer y'all to say that Applejack." Big Mac wheeled around. "It ain't your wife that's givin' birth to your children today."
Applejack's reassuring face quickly turned into an irritated frown. "First off, don't you talk to me in that tone of voice," she said sternly, which made Big Mac shrink back in fear, "secondly, there ain't no need to be nervous. Fluttershy is gonna be just fine. Dr. Moniter is the best doctor fer th' job and Fluttershy can be surprisingly strong fer a mare like herself."
"Don't overload Pinkie." Twilight had put her hoof over the pink party pony's mouth before she short circuited everyone's brains with her endless rant.
Twilight looked over to Big Mac. "I think we're all trying to say that."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash had hovered over. "Fluttershy can be pretty tough for.....well her."
Rarity glanced at Rainbow, then back to Big Macintosh. "Yes, don't worry darling. The little dear will be just fine."
At that moment, a magic aura surrounded the doors to the delivery ward and soon opened, revealing a calm and collected Dr. Moniter. Big Mac immediately ran over to him until his nose was only three inches away from the doctor's
"How is she doc?!" He asked.
"I assume you are mister Macintosh?"
Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup."
Dr. Moniter smiled. "Well your wife is doing just fine, and so are your new children. So you all may come in now as long as you are extra quiet."
Turning around, he gestured for them to follow and, with Big Mac leading the way, all the friends and family of the new mother shuffled their way into the delivery room.
When they finally got in, they were treated to a sight that would make anyponies heart melt. There on the bed was Fluttershy, her pink mane a little messy and her face adorned with the most motherly smile anyone had ever seen. Cradled left foreleg was a tiny mahogany coated pegasus colt with a light brown mane and tail. In her right foreleg was a little earth pony filly with an orange-yellow coat and bright maroon mane and tail. As Big Mac walked over to the bed, Fluttershy began to shed a few tears.
Big Mac was startled by this and leaned in closer. "Sugar pie, what's wrong?" He whispered
Fluttershy looked up at her husband, tears still bordering her eyes. "Oh nothing's wrong dear," she sniffed. "I'm just so happy."
Everyone in the room let out a quiet "aww" in response.
"That's just how I was when I had my little baby colt." Rarity sniffed as memories of her son's birth came rushing back.
"Alright now," Dr. Monitor piped up "Everyone else will have to wait outside as I show the new parents how to feed their children."
"Aw man," Pinkie Pie whined. "I wanted to help with the bottles!"
"Sshhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"
Pinkie smiled sheepishly and followed the rest of the mane six and company out into the waiting area.
"Now I'll be right back in a minute," Dr. Monitor made his way to the door. "I just have to check on some other patients." Soon, the happy parents found themselves alone. For a minute they remained silent until at last Big Mac asked the important question.
"So have y'all given any thought to their names?"
Fluttershy smile. "I was thinking of naming our little filly Sunflower." She said looking down at her new daughter. "Because her fur is as bright as the sun and her mane reminds me of the red roses that grow in our garden."
Big Mac grinned at the sound of this name and it's context. "Ah think that's perfect." He whispered. "What about our little colt here?"
Fluttershy suddenly began to look worried and sad. "I don't know." She whimpered. "I haven't been able to think of a good one."
Big Mac put his hoof to her cheek reassuringly. He then looked down at his newborn son. Looking at him he was struck by how similar he looked to somepony he once knew. In fact, minus the tiny wings, he was that pony's spitting image. Realizing this, he became inspired.
"How about Applewood?" He smiled.
Fluttershy looked over to Big Mac with a big smile. "That'd a wonderful name. Where did you come up with that name?"
Big Mac smiled. "It was mah Papa's name. I just think our son looks just like him." Big Mac's own big green eyes began to water with the tears of memories. Fluttershy began to tear up as well. "Oh Mac, that is the sweetest thing I have ever heard." She sniffed.
Big Mac looked deep into his wife and fellow parent's eyes. "Then let's welcome our children, Applewood Jr. and Sunflower to the world." He whispered as he looked down at his children.
Fluttershy squeezed them closer and nuzzled to tops of their heads. "Welcome to the world little ones."
From inside the kitchen of Fluttershy's cottage, came the clatter of a spoon making contact with the floor. This was followed by the distinct and shrill sound of a little filly crying.
"Oh dear! It's ok sweetie, mommy's coming!" Fluttershy rushed over to her daughter Sunflower, who was sitting in her high chair with a bowl of food in front of her. She had just accidentaly knocked her spoon off the chair when her mom had gone to get her bottle of milk. Fluttershy sighed. This was just another little incident since they had brought the children back home from the hospital about 17 months ago.
Fluttershy brought the bottle of milk she had been preparing over to her daughter and held it in front of he face. "Open wide for the train. Choo Choo." She cooed.
Sunflower's crying was soon replaced by her sweet little laugh as her mother performed one of her favorite games. She took hold of the bottle and was soon sucking away the milk inside noisily. Fluttershy sighed in relief. One thing had become clear to both her and Big Mac when they had returned home from the hospital; their daughter Sunflower was the loudest of their two children. Applewood Jr., or as Big Mac had started calling him, Junior, had turned out to be the most quiet and docile of the duo, in comparison to his quite rowdy and noisy sister. In fact at that moment as Fluttershy was trying to feed Sunflower, Applewood was sitting in the living room quietly as he tinkered with some wooden blocks his father had played with as a child. Fluttershy giggled as she watched him struggled to get one of the blocks on top of a tower he had been building. She sighed. "He is so much like his father." She whispered to herself. "A stallion of few words."
As if on que, Big Mac walked through the door, sweat running down his muscular neck from a hard days work at Sweet Apple Acres. As he passed through the living room, he made a quick detour to stop and nuzzle his son.
"How's my little champ?" He laughed. Applewood giggled quietly at his father's nuzzling and stretched out his front legs. This was a message that Big Mac had learned after three months that meant "carry me please." Smiling, he grabbed his son with his teeth by the scruff and hoisted him onto the back of his neck. Applewood giggled some more and clung to his father's neck for the ride. Big Mac then made his way into the kitchen where Fluttershy, who had watched everything with a smile, was still feeding Sunflower.
"Hello honey." She said. "How was your day?"
Big Mac gave her a light kiss on the cheek as he entered. "Oh just fine dearest." He answered. "Th' spring harvest is coming in nicely. Should have plenty of apples for this years cider season."
"Oh, Rainbow Dash will definitely like that." Fluttershy remembered when Rainbow Dash had woken her up way too early in the morning to rush to the front of the line.
"Need any help fer tonights dinner?" Big Mac asked.
Fluttershy thought for a minute. "Oh...um...actually, if you wouldn't mind, I need a few more tomatoes for this soup I had planned...if....um..that's okay with you?" She said timidly.
Big Mac smiled. "Of course ah can." He replied as he gave her another kiss on the cheek.
Fluttershy giggled. "Thank you honey."
Big Mac then remembered his son still clinging to his neck and got an idea. "Maybe Junior can come along with me?" He asked.
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment. "Well um are you sure he'll be okay?" She questioned.
"Sure he will. Ah'll never let him out of mah sight." Big Mac reassured.
"Well then....alright he can go." Fluttershy finally said.
"Great." Big Mac said cheerfully turning towards the doors. "We'll be back soon. Probably in about thirty minutes."
"Be safe." Fluttershy called.
And with that, Fluttershy turned her attention back to the squirming Sunflower.
Big Mac made his way down to Ponyville's market district, eyes scanning for the produce store. On the back of his neck, his son still clung quietly to his neck. He was looking around at all the other ponies who glanced his way and waved. He tried to hide his face in the back of Big Mac's yoke, as he was somewhat shy and had never been to Ponyville before. Big Mac noticed this and chuckled to himself.
"It's a pretty big place, ain't it son?" He said. He had been the same way when he was just a colt. Soon he spotted the produce store; Carrot Top's garden, and entered through the green front door. As soon as he did, a mare with a pale goldenrod coat, carrot orange mane and tail and a cutie mark made up of three carrots walked up to the counter.
"Oh hello Big Mac." She said. "Come for some fresh produce today?"
"Hello Golden Harvest." Big Mac replied. "And yes, ah'd like about five tomatoes please."
"Coming right up sir." Golden Harvest said. "Be right back. I won't keep you or your little one waiting too long." And with that she disappeared to the back of the store. As Big Mac began to stare around the store as he started waiting, he heard the sound of the front door opening behind him. Turning around, he saw his sister Applejack standing in the doorway, looking as surprised as he was.
"Well howdy there big bro." She said with her usual enthusiasm. "And howdy little Applewood." She moved in to nuzzle her nephew, causing him to commence giggling.
"He's doin' just fine." Big Mac said. "He's just helping' his papa out with the grocery shopping for his mama."
"Well ain't that sweet." Applejack hooped Applewood on the nose, sparking another quiet set of giggles."Ah'm here to get some carrots and beans fed Granny Smith's vegetable soup t'night." She paused for a moment to look for Golden Harvest. "Where is Golden anyway?"
"Oh she's in the back getting us some tomatoes."
"Oh okay then I can wait. So how's Fluttershy been doin'?"
"Oh you know, still working with her animals and Sunflower." Big Mac replied. "Ah feel bad that ah have to leave her alone with the children every day when ah go to work." he sighed.
"Aw don't worry about it big bro." Applejack said. "Ah'm sure she understands."
"Pawpaw."
Both ponies froze and turned their gazes towards little Applewood, who had been tugging on his father's yoke and was pointing towards the counter where Golden Harvest had reappeared with a bag.
"Pawpaw. Mama's tahmatose." He squeaked.
Big Mac could hardly believe his ears. Tears of joy began to well up in his eyes. His son was talking for the first time! Applejack broke the silence.
"Mah stars!" she exclaimed. "Mah little nephew just spoke his first words and ah'm here to hear them!"
Big Mac didn't say anything. All he could do was rub his face against his son's and smile.
"Now let's see here, where is my cooking pot?" Fluttershy wondered to herself. She had been setting up her kitchen to prepare the evenings soup, so that she could get started immediately when Big Mac got back. The one thing she hadn't been able to find yet was her cooking pot. She couldn't understand why it would be missing. Her answer came in the form of a pound clank that was followed by the shriek of a baby filly in distress. Fluttershy quickly forgot about the pot and ran from the kitchen to the living room where she found it next to a bawling Sunflower.
"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed. She ran over to Sunflower, scooped her up into her hooves, and began to rock her back and forth. "Shh shh. There there. Mommy's right here. It's okay." She soothed. Sunflower's bawling subsided after hearing her mother's loving words, but continued to whimper in her arms.
"That's right sweetie. It's all okay." Fluttershy held her little daughter out in front of her to check for any cuts, scrapes, or bruises. To her relief, there were none. "You had me worried for a minute."
Sunflower sniffed. "Sowwie Mama."
"That's okay sweetie. Mama's not ma......" Fluttershy paused when her brain registered what had just occurred. "Wha...what was that sweetie?" She asked.
"Sowwie Mama." Sunflower again sniffed.
Now it was Fluttershy who began to cry. But it was a happy cry of a mother hearing her child speak for the first time. She brought her daughter in for a big as the tears continued to run down her cheeks.
"It's alright sweetie. It's alright." she sniffed.
Ten minutes later, Big Mac returned home with his son and the tomatoes in tow and a look of joy on his face. He was greeted by an equally joyful Fluttershy who had tear stains on her face.
"Guess what happened a few minutes ago!" They both said at the same time. "What was it?" They both asked.
"Mama." Applewood said quietly.
"Papa!" Sunflower squeeled.
Both parents looked at each other in bewilderment.
"He's talking!" Fluttershy gasped.
"She's talking!" Big Mac gasped.
Both then just stared at each other until tears and smiles appeared on each others faces. They then pulled each other into a tight hug. Applewood and Sunflower just stared at their mother and father in confusion.
The large apple tree shook when Big Macintosh's hind hooves made contact. With one swift kick, he had knocked all the ripe, red apples from it's branches right into the awaiting barrels. These quickly filled to the brim, with one of them almost overflowing with the bountiful fruit.
Big Mac wiped the sweat from his brow and looked behind him. He could see AppleJack bucking more trees in another row with his youngest sister, little Applebloom right behind her sorting out the filled barrels. Meanwhile right behind Big Mac, trotted his wife Fluttershy, who was blissfully humming to herself as she helped to sort out the apples as well. Prancing alongside her were Applewood Jr and Sunflower, who were helping their mother in their task by running and grabbing apples that had fallen from their containers and returning them to the barrels. Big Mac chuckled to himself as little Applewood tumbled back when he tried to place a particularly large apple on the very top of the pile.
He turned back to face his task ahead of him. It was quite a large task but the rewards were enormous. This years harvest was turning out to be the best in recent Apple Family history. Very few trees were bearing any rotten fruit and, thanks to Fluttershy's idea to build a separate sanctuary, the vampire fruit bats had not been an issue. The large red pony smiled at this. Fluttershy's kindness and willingness to help others in need is one of the reasons he married the gentle mare.
Big Mac's thoughts were interrupted when he felt something prodding his leg. Looking down, he found himself staring into the sky blue eyes of his daughter Sunflower. Her teeth were gritted together in a smile that drew attention to her freckled cheeks. Latched between her teeth was the stem of a bright red apple that had apparently fallen out of one of the barrels.
Big Mac smiled. "Go ahead and put it back in the barrel then sugarcube." He said gently.
Sunflower nodded, then made her way over to a barrel that was quite full already. She could see that the apple wouldn't fit on the edges, so she tried to reach for the top of the pile. Big Mac chuckled lightly, then bent down to pick up his daughter by the scruff and lifted her up. Once he was sure she could reach the top, he waited until she had placed the fruit on the top of the pile, and then he gently set her down in front of him.
"Thank you Papa." Sunflower squeaked.
Big Macintosh smiled at his daughter. "Yer welcome sweetie." He said softly, "Thank you fer helpin' Mama and Papa out today."
"Your welcome Papa." Sunflower replied.
Big Mac's smile grew wider. He then looked at the next tree that awaited to be harvested. It was then that he got an idea. He looked back at his daughter. "Follow me sweetie." He gestured with his head towards the tree and made his way over to it, with Sunflower following close behind.
When they reached the tree, Sunflower look up at the top of the tree that seemed to tower over her like her family's house. The tree's branches were also laden with bright red apples that dangled delicately by their stems. Sunflower started to wonder why her Papa had brought her over specifically to this tree. She looked up at him with an excited smile. "Do you want me to help you buck this tree Papa?" She asked giddily.
Big Mac shook his head slightly, but held onto his smile. "No sweetie. Yer still a bit small fer that." Sunflower let out a defeated sigh and hung her head in disappointment. Big Mac lifted her chin up though for her to look at him. "But I want you to do somethin' fer yer Papa ok?" He asked. Sunflower nodded. "Go on up an' touch the tree as gentle as you can."
Sunflower looked a little confused, but she did what her Papa asked. She walked up to the tree and as gently as she could, placed her hoof on it's trunk. She gasped.
"I feel all tingly!" She exclaimed.
"That's because yer an earth pony like yer Papa." Big Mac explained. "Us earth ponies have a special kind of place in th' earth's heart." He continued in a soft whisper. He came up to the tree to stand next to Sunflower and placed his hoof right next to hers on the tree. "That tinglin' an' th' harvest we collect is th' tree's way of sayin' 'thank you fer takin' care of me'." Just then, a slight breeze blew through the orchard and whistled through the branches of the apple trees. To Big Mac, Sunflower, and the other earth ponies present, it sounded like the trees themselves were humming their thanks.
Sunflower smiled at her Papa. "When I'm older, I want to be a big strong farmer like you Papa." She latched onto his barrel in a big hug. "Maybe I can help out here at Sweet Apple Acres."
Big Macintosh smiled and brought his head down to nuzzle his daughter. Behind them both, Fluttershy stood with tears of joy in her eyes at the affectionate sight.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Two Days Later
Fluttershy hummed to herself as she trotted through her sanctuaries. It was a task of hers to feed all the animals of the area that flocked to her cottage at the beginning of spring. Humming and singing to herself made the task even more enjoyable, and the animals seemed to appreciate it as well.
She had just finished feed a family of jackelopes when she heard a string of giggles come from behind her. Glancing back, she saw a sight that made her heart melt.
Her son Applewood Jr. was crouching down near the pond a few yards away, and was playing with a group of goslings that had just arrived from hibernation in Southern Equestria. The goslings were chirping and splashing in glee at having someone new to play with, and Applewood Jr. seemed to be filled with joy.
Fluttershy slowly walked up to her son, who was still focused on his new friends and didn't notice her approach. Sidling up silently, she sat down beside Applewood and watched the family of geese play in the water.
"They adorable aren't they sweetie?" She said softly.
Applewood looked up suddenly to see his mother now sitting beside him, smiling one of her affectionate smiles. He always felt really calm whenever she was around, so he didn't mind her stepping into the situation. "They are nice Mama." He said in his own soft voice. While his sister Sunflower had inherited a strong voice from their Papa, Applewood's voice reflected his Mama's more than anything.
"Mama." He said looking up. "Do you like helping animals a lot?"
"Why yes honey." Fluttershy replied. "I always enjoy showing kindness to all creatures. Why do you ask sweetie?"
Applewood looked down at his hooves in slight embarrassment. "Well, I was wondering if I could help you uh with the rest of the families please?"
Fluttershy smile grew wider. "Of course you can honey." She said, nuzzling his face. "Come on you help me bring the food to the fox family right now."
And so the mother and son duo trotted off together side by side.