Chapter 1
Soarin looked up to see Dr. Horse's face, his surgical mask lowered on his muzzle, holding a clipboard in his hooves. Since one hour he had been asked to get out of the delivery room, he hardly could keep himself together, only holding on for the sake of Fire Swift.
The adorable little filly of six years-old, with her baby blue coat and her red and orange mane, was playing a little farther with a ball he had bought for her at the clinic boutique, in order to keep her mind busy while her mother's fate seemed to be a little uncertain. If things couldn't get better - which he hoped not - he would feel obliged to also buy her the Wonderbolt costume for kids they'd seen a little earlier.
"So... How is it going, Dr.?" Soarin asked, trying to sound as calm and collected as possible.
"Your baby still doesn't seem to be coming. We think the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the neck. We might need to make her a ceasarean. Under general anesthetic."
Oh no. Rainbow Dash probably was furious right now. Well, he couldn't hear her yelling since she was too high on medication for that, but Soarin knew his wife, and knew she couldn't stand not being able to fight. She was and had always been a tough pony, as far as he could remember... And, most importantly, what probably had her out of her mind was the fact that, under general anesthetic, she could never be able to feel again this indiscribable sensation of feeling her baby coming to life.
But her life and her baby's were precisely what was at stake now, and whatever solution was the best to make sure they both would survive, it had to be done.
In order to do the ceasarean, Rainbow Dash needed to be transfered in another room. Soarin knew how much it would worry Fire Swift if she saw her mother in such a state, bleeding and suffering, conveyed somewhere else on a wheeled bed. So, he chose not to see it either and to go playing with his daughter instead, to comfort and protect her. He knew his wife wouldn't be upset that he did. She loved her little filly more than words could say.
Fire Swift was a bold foal, smart, determined and witty. She wasn't afraid to go against tougher and older ponies if it meant defending the weaker, and just like her mother, she was a sore loser. Family boad games were very lively, for sure...
When she saw her father blocking her vision, she immediately understood something was wrong, although through her childish eyes, she couldn't understand everything at a hundred percent, still very much naive about many things.
"Daddy... How's mommy, now? Is the foal here already?"
"No, honey. You'll have to wait a little. And mommy's fine, they only need more time because the baby is as stubborn as both mother and sister."
"Oh."
The disappointed sound of her voice caught Soarin off guard. It wasn't only disappointment... It was as if she could sense he had tried to be humorous to hide her something. And to be honest, that was exactly what he did. Because he also was very worried about what was going to happen in this room he couldn't go to, and which information he couldn't get, except pieces by pieces, when the doctors and nurses decided.
The way Fire Swift was looking at her ball, kicking it unenthusiastically, made him understand he had to find another way to reassure both of them. Why not by recalling the best of his memories with Rainbow Dash? Like, the most important days of their lives together...
"Was it the same when I was born?" the young filly asked, now staring at her father with hope.
"Well... Sort of. In fact, your mother kicked me with her hooves when I tried to comfort her pain and I was knocked over for most of the delivery."
Okay, he had always been a little dorky sometimes, and some things would never change. On that day, he had particularly made a fool of himself! The young mare was shrieking from pain, waiting for the medecines to work their magic, and he stepped closer, held her hoof, making her remember to breath the way she'd learned at her maternity lessons, but she was suffering so much, she couldn't stand the least of his touch, and so she hit his head from nervousness and ache. This memory wasn't really glorious, but at least, it was fun.
And wouldn't much help Fire Swift to feel better! He had to find something else... Oh, he knew!
"Do you want to know how we finally got together?"
The filly's eyes got filled with stars and she started to bounce on the spot.
"Oh yes! Yes! Mummy would never tell me about it!"
"Yeah, I'm not surprised."
When it came to sentimentalism, Rainbow Dash was too proud. She always said it was too sappy and embarrassing to tell, and postponed each time her daughter asked her to tell her this story. Not that she didn't like Daring Doo books and tales about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but in this story, she knew the protagonists very well. And she always wanted to uncover the mystery of her existence.
"Well... That happened right after the first Friendship Festival, which had been... quite restless."
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And restless it had been. The Wonderbolts were national heroes but they were only pegasi, not unicorns. Their power of action was in fact very limited, and confronted with the invasion, they'e been able to do nothing but waiting until Twilight's return. Chained up and enslaved like the rest of the population, they had no choice.
What should have been a perfect day turned into one nightmare that went beyond imagination. In fact, Soarin couldn't even describe the truth of it to his daughter and chose to sugarcoat things a little bit.
Especially as he regarded it as mere context for the understanding of everything. The real story was taking place once all this turmoil was over and nothing but the joy and magic of friendship resided. There was a concert and an amazing firework and at this moment only Soarin had been able to finally see Rainbow Dash, who had previously gone with Twilight and her friends, trying to seek help.
Truth is, he wished she would have run to him right after being back at Canterlot, dashing towards the Wonderbolts' tent, flying right into his hooves. But this just wasn't Rainbow Dash at all. In fact, until the moment he sat by her side among the crowd, he always thought he was the only one with a crush.
That mare sure was something! Real Wonderbolt material : brash, over self-confident, boasting about being the best - while being obviously very, very good. With her character and looks, she immediately caught his eyes, and soon his heart, since she happened to also be big-hearted and loyal. In fact, everything he had ever wanted in a partner.
Although she seemed to appreciate his company, Soarin couldn't tell whether or not he stood a chance. Spitfire always ranted about how coward he was when it came to show Rainbow Dash what she really meant to him. For example, when her parents had showed up at the Wonderbolt's base for the first time, he hadn't even told them a word. As if he didn't care... And each time her and her friends saved the day, instead of making the most of the situation to tell her what was in his heart, he congratulated her with a pat of the shoulders, as if she were nothing to him but a cool flying buddy.
But on that night... Was it because of the atmosphere, of the fireworks? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that he finally found the guts to come and speak to her. About how he felt.
That started out very simply: the famous popstar Songbird Serenade was singing her gorgeous song, and, softly, still staring at the stage, he told her:
"You know, the lyrics of this song always makes me think about you. Seems like they're the reflection of what I think about you."
Rainbow Dash looked at him with eyes wide opened, utterly shocked by the confession. This seemed to be coming from out of the blue, and she even looked around to see whether he wasn't making a mistake or talking to someone else. But he was not. And she blushed furiously, hating him for embarrassing her so much.
Minutes passed, and they said nothing else, nothing more. Soarin's heart was pounding so much in his chest he thought he would pass out. There were too possibilities: either she hated him for embarrassing her this way and would hardly speak to him again, either it was so silly she would burst out laughing at his face.
"I'm tired. Fly me home", were her only words.
"Al--Alright..."
And so, he did. She said her friends goodnight, and together they flew from the Festival, far from being over, towards Rainbow Dash's house in the clouds.
What happened when they landed on her fluffy frontdoor was another surprise. She was the one who took a step in his direction, rose up her head and planted a kiss on his mouth. Just like this. Without other explanation than this:
"You know, I like you too."
When she entered her house, Soarin stayed for a while in front of the door, trying to understand what had just happened. He hadn't really told her about his feelings, he had just talked about this song... How could she know he wanted to tell her that he was in love with her? Was he that obvious?
Next thing he knew, on the day after, she invited him on a date, which consisted of races in Ponyville's sky, pranking Pinkie Pie who also pranked Rainbow Dash in return and eating popcorn while looking at sunset. And just like this... They became a couple.
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Fire Swift raised an eyebrow and just laughed. Alright, he wanted to soothe his daughter's stress and it seemed like he had been successful. Of course, he knew their story had nothing really romantic, nothing really epic and that he had acted a bit like a fool, but... All the same, he had hoped for another kind of reaction.
"Alright, then, you nasty little filly... If this makes you laugh, let's see what you'll think of this story. Very exlcusive. Mommy and Daddy's wedding day."
"Really? You would tell me that too? Awesome! Mommy would kill you if she knew... But I just can't wait to hear it!"
Of course, she would kill him. Not just because she didn't really like sentimentalism. But also because she was a bit... how could he say it? Ashamed of some of the details.
It wasn't as if they had news from the doctor, anyway. They might as well be waiting with a distraction than waiting, stressing out that something could go really wrong.
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Some of the events he knew about had been told to him by one of the girls, whether that was Twilight, Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy... Some even by Rainbow Dash herself. Maybe if there hadn't been a blunder, he would have never know and everything that had happened ever since would have been completely different.
It all started in the best of way. The Weather Team of Ponyville, where the ceremony happened, had cleared the sky completely, to make sure it would be a bright, warm sunny day. The whole town was decorated for the occasion. Mayor Mare was rehearsing her speech in the City Hall and his family had arrived straight from Cloudsdale, excited to see the eldest of the family tying the knot.
Since Ponyville wasn't the place he lived in, but the place where he would move in after their honeymoon - Rainbow Dash didn't want to leave her friends and her duty as a bearer of one of the Elements of Harmony - a room had been arranged for him at Sweet Apple Acres, where the ceremony was going to take place.
His suit was made of a shirt, a black tie and his Second-in-Command jacket for official ceremonies, with all his Stripes of Honor. He was proud of displaying his successes and accomplishments on this very special day, and knew Rainbow Dash would like the demonstration.
However, once ready, wandering through the waves of guests still arriving, he had no idea of what was happening meters away from here, in the same town, at the Carousel Boutique.
That was where Rainbow Dash was supposed to be at that moment, getting prepared as well for the big day. Rarity had created a wedding dress especially for her, something soft and ethereal, made of immaculate feathers and of a train of thin muslin. In the designer's own opinion, it was a marvel.
A marvel still hanging at its foam dummy. With no Rarity. And no Rainbow Dash. Instead, inside the boutique, there was four of the six mares pacing up and down, on the verge of cracking.
The door swung open, and all the eyes conveyed towards the spot, full of hope and nervousness.
"So? Did you find her?" asked Twilight.
"No. I've searched all over town, and she's nowhere to be found!"
A gasp of terror crossed the room. When Twilight had gone to Rainbow Dash's cloud mansion, and hadn't found her here, she had thought that, maybe, she had departured for the Carousel Boutique already, impatient to slip herself into her dress. Only when she stopped by Rarity's, did she discover that the bride-to-be wasn't there, neither. She had asked each of the girls, but none had seen her.
It was a disaster. The ceremony was supposed to start in one hour and a half, and if Rainbow Dash didn't appear until then, then it was a safe bet that everything would be cancelled.
Naturally, they all were scared that something had happened to her. She could have been foalnapped by a fan or by an unreformed Changeling, and maybe she was in danger and had to be saved. The problem was that there were no clues pointing in that direction and the most likely scenario was that, for some reason, she had fled.
"We have to find her before Soarin knows!" cried Rarity.
"Or even before anypony knows, especially not her parents", Twilight went on. "And it's going to take all of us. Fluttershy, try to see if any flying animals could have seen her, Rarity, wait here in case she would come back, but don't let anyone in so nopony would know what's happening. Pinkie Pie, find Applejack and Starlight Glimmer, and make them help us as well. I'll look in the Everfree Forrest, just in case... Maybe Zecora knows something..."
They nodded, and immediately started to investigate.
Until this moment, Soarin had no idea of the drama that was going on there. All he could think about was the moment when he would see her in her wedding gown, pampered like on a Gala Day. She would be the prettiest bride ever, of that he was sure. And she would once again call him sappy when he would tell her - because he knew he wouldn't be able to help himself and not to tell her.
He was on his way back to his room where he wanted to rehearse his vows one last time, smiling and thanking guests as he trotted, when he had a glimpse at Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Starlight Glimmer having a restless conversation. Curious, he stepped closer and tried to hear what was their exchange.
Of course, since they didn't want him to know what was happening, they tried their best to hide the truth, acting as if everything was perfectly okay. Unfortunately, he had learned to know Rainbow Dash's friends and knew that Applejack was a terrible liar.
That hadn't been easy for him to make them spit it out, even with the young farmer mare, but Pinkie Pie eventually gave in, with her very little ability to bear that kind of pressure.
"Rainbow Dash has disappeared and we don't know where she's gone!"
It would be a lie to say that he wasn't at least a bit shocked. He would never had thought she could do something like this. He thought, that, like him, she was really looking forward to spend the rest of her life with him, as she hadn't hesitated at all to say "yes" when he'd asked her to marry him.
But, because he also knew her rather well now, he quickly got together. There was no need to panic. It wouldn't be any help to start running around, completely stressed out, with everybody wondering why he was acting that weird. He couldn't let his parents nor Rainbow Dash's parents know... And he couldn't stay here, waiting for the others to find where his girlfriend had gone.
"Where have you looked?" he asked the three mares.
They described him all the places the other ones were searching through, and after one minute of reflection, some idea came to his mind. She probably was hiding some place where she felt secure. Somewhere a bit far which no one would think about immediately.
The problem was that he couldn't get there right on time, even by flying really fast. He needed somepony to "send" him there... magically, if possible.
"Where do you want me to send you?" asked Starlight Glimmer.
"Cloudsdale. Dashie's childhood house."
How none of them could have thought about this? Of course. She knew her parents would be absent, for they were here, in Ponyville, waiting to attend her wedding. She probably had flown here as soon as she was sure she would find no one in the house.
All they needed to do was to find some place concealed from prying eyes, and for Pinkie Pie to warn Rarity to get ready, while Applejack kept the guests entertained with drinks and food. It was very important that, as soon as he would have convinced Rainbow Dash to come back, which he really hoped he would, she could get prepared right away, in order to make sure nopony would notice there had almost been an "accident" - if not a complete disaster.
Never again had Soarin been teleported anywhere and the sensation felt so funny he even was a bit dizzy once his hooves touched the floor back. Starlight had the very good idea to let him inside the house while staying outside, so she would teleport them both when they'd be ready, without interfering.
"Oh please, let her be ready somehow", thought Soarin as he trotted towards Rainbow Dash's room, where he was sure he would find her.
And he did find her there. She had her back on him, looking at pictures hanging on the wall, and even though he couldn't see her face, he could easily guess her eyes might be displaying a lot of nostalgia and fear. Awesome as she was, she had many anxieties and time had learned Soarin how to recognize the sign, such as her lowered shoulders and ears.
She probably had heard him, since she sighed, and spoke to him before he could open his mouth.
"I was sure you would find me..."
"Dashie... What's happening? What's wrong? Don't you want to get married anymore?"
She sighed again, looking up at a poster of her as a Wonderbolt that her parents had pinned on a door. They were so proud of her, for who she was and for what she had become... and she would disappoint them if they happened to know she had tried to desert them and everyone she loved on the day of her wedding, just because she was scared as hell.
But also because she was Rainbow Dash, admitting her fears was a difficult task. If she had to confess, she needed to stay with her back turned on him, or else she might do nonsense like cancelling this wedding and fly away to Yakyakhistan, or some other place where no one would ever be able to find her.
"Well, I... I do want to be with you forever, but I... I don't want marriage to change me, or to change the way the others would see me. I've never been the romantic type, and you know it, so I know nopony would thought I would ever want to get married, whether it is with you or with anyone else. What if everyone think that I'm no longer awesome anymore? I don't want ponies to call me Mrs. Skies, as if my birth name had never existed, like they do with the Cakes."
"I won't let them do that, if that's the only problem..."
"That's not! I... I'm pregnant."
Something burst inside of Soarin's chest, making him want to jump all around like the goofball he sometimes was, screaming out loud that it was fantastic, and that he couldn't wait to be a dad. Yet, he had to keep it inside. This seemed to be very unsettling for Rainbow Dash, as annoying as it seemed and he was here to try to comfort her. He had to be gentle with her, he had not to rush her. Their guests could surely wait a little...
"You know, usually ponies think it's a good news."
"These ponies aren't athletes! Do you know what pregnancy does to a body? I'll be the one obliged to stop flying after some time, and who would look after the baby? I don't want to be stuck home, while you'll keep on doing everything you want, the way you want. And most importantly, I want to stay myself."
"Dashie..." said Soarin, stepping closer. "You'll always be yourself, no matter if you're married or a mom. It's your essence, it's who you are deep inside, an awesome competitor and flyer. A very good friend, whose loyalty is undisputably renown. And you know I'll never oblige you to be stuck home. We got parents and friends! I'm sure they'll be more than happy to look after the foal while we're working. Don't worry, I'll always give everything I have to make sure that you're happy, because you being happy is what's the most important to me. This is why I'm willing to take those vows."
She knew he was right. Soarin would never expect from her to become someone she wasn't just because they were married and soon parents. If it was true that things like marriage and having children brought their loads of changes, it didn't mean she was going to become a whole different pony, just like this, from out of nowhere.
Also, Rainbow Dash knew that she had said yes to Soarin because he was the one, the pony she had always been waiting for, and she loved him deeply and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She also wanted to make sure he was happy. And in reality, she was happy she was going to have a foal with him, although a lot of things about the fact of becoming a mom scared her deeply. It wasn't as if she were on her own, after all. Soarin would not let her manage everything, he would help her and he would love this foal with all his heart.
"Can I have five more minutes? Just to think a little?" she asked.
"Do so. Just tell me when you're ready."
Soarin simply took a step back, making sure she wouldn't feel rushed and letting her necessary room to think things through one more time.
Yes, her life was at a turning point. Yes, many things would change. But was it for the worse? She was going to get married to the colt of her life, she would be able to keep her position in the Wonderbolts after the delivery - this she would make a point of - and she was going to be the first among her friends to have a foal, from said colt of her life, no less. A lot of ponies would find that satisfying.
Rainbow Dash took one more look at her childhood bedroom. She knew if things got too hard sometimes, she still could go back there for a short while, in order to sort things out or just to relax. She was no longer a child, she was a grown-up mare and grown-up mares confronted the things which scared them, they did not run away on their Wedding Day, hoping... Hoping what exactly? She wasn't even sure...
"OK, I'm ready! Let's do this thing!"
She heard Soarin sighing of relief, turned around, walked to him and nuzzled his neck, as if to say she was sorry she had him worried but that everything was alright now. They could get out of the house and let Starlight Glimmer teleport them three back to Ponyville.
Ponyville, where, as soon as she landed on the floor of Carousel Boutique, Rarity grabbed her and hurried to do her mane and makeup and to make her wear her dress. Everypony was waiting the the bride to arrive and the ceremony to begin.
And the ceremony had been as perfect as Soarin had always dreamed of. Rainbow Dash was gorgeous and embarrassed all along, which was the funny part of it all, Rarity had cried, because Rarity always cried during weddings, the choir of birds led by Fluttershy had sung beautifully during the whole time, and all their Wonderbolt teammate had embarrassed them even more with a speech.
This was a day they both would never forget.
What had reassured Rainbow Dash was, as she told Soarin while they were going to their honeymoon trip, that none of her friends asked her questions of why she had suddenly vanished away. She thought that was very thoughtful of them.
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Fire Swift looked at her father with stars in her eyes. Even the "escape from fear" part seemed to be a wonderful thing when reflected into her pearly orange eyes. It was especially the fact Rainbow Dash was expecting her at the very moment of their vows which fascinated her. In a way, it was as if she had witnessed that very special day as well.
"Mr. Soarin Skies..." a soft female voice resounded beside him.
When he turned around, he discovered a nurse, gently smiling at her.
"Your wife's delivery is over and she's now woken up. Mommy and baby are fine. Do you want to see the foal before we bring them back to their bedroom?"
"Of course, I want."
"Fine. Follow me, please."
Soarin took Fire Swift's neck between his teeth, gently as well, the way he used to do when she was a really young filly, and putting her on his back, trotted behind the nurse, excited to see their new baby. Each time he thought about the day Fire Swift was born and he had discovered her small body wrapped into a small blanket, tears filled up his eyes, and he was sure today would be the exact same.
When they entered the room, Rainbow Dash was lying on the bed, with wide bags under her eyes and her mane messy, but a soft, happy smile outlined on her face, the kind of smile she allowed herself to display only when she was alone with him, or with Fire Swift.
The young filly, still perched on her father's back, opened wide eyes in front of the new-born foal wich was snuggled between Rainbow Dash's forelegs. It was just a tiny, tiny foal, with big black eyes - the color would change in the days to come - and a very small mane, with strands of blue and purple, a furry white coat and the smallest wings she had ever witnessed.
"Say hello to Summer Rain... Your little brother."
"My little brother?" repeated Fire Swift, almost stunned by the news, before she started to jump on the spot, screaming on top of her lungs: "I got a little brother! I got a little brother! I got a little brother!"
For sure, she was her mother's daughter! As fun as it was, both Rainbow Dash and Soarin had to refrain her from expressing her happiness at having a younger brother - which would have been exactly the same provided she had a little sister - in order not to make too much noise.
"Hush, Swiftie, you're going to wake up the other babies. And the entire hospital..."
"Oh, sorry, Daddy and Mommy, but I'm sooooo happy to be a big sister."
"Yeah, but not everypony in town needs to know about it."
"Sorry, Mommy."
And, in a whisper, but still jumping on the spot, the little filly resumed her new favorite chant, saying that she had a little brother. And the most amazing parents ever.