Zany, Apple Shield, and Starling's Births
Rainbow called down to the group, "We're almost there! I can see the castle towers!"
Twilight called back, "Good work!"
Applejack came up to the princess, "Think we'll make it in time?"
Fluttershy came up as well, "Oh, please!"
Twilight responded, "We will make it, and nothing bad will have happened to them. I hope…"
"Our kids are tough cookies, especially our youngest ones…"
Twilight and Fluttershy smiled.
The alicorn mentioned, "Remember how shocked we were when we found out we were all pregnant again?"
AJ chuckled, "Well, I think RD was more shocked to realize that Fluttershy was pregnant for the third time."
Fluttershy gestured, "Not as surprised as Discord was when I told him I wanted yet another foal."
The three mares giggled.
"Well, Flash and I had always talked about having another child after Fire was a little older."
"And I was always telling Spike how much I wanted a big family."
Twilight pointed, "I guess we were just thinking of the same thing at the same time…"
Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy gathered around the cutie mark map as they were now close to their due dates.
"So it's agreed, then?" Twilight addressed them. "If I go into labor first, then Applejack can take care of Fire Spark."
AJ nodded and turned her head, "And if I go into labor first, then Fluttershy can take care of Apple Jewel."
Fluttershy nodded as well and turned toward the alicorn, "And if I go into labor first, then Twilight can watch Screwy and Perplexity."
"It's the best plan we have. With my nursemaids on vacation…"
"And with Big Mac, Cheerilee, and Apple Sprout in Appleloosa and Apple Bloom and Pip on their honeymoon, Spike and I needed to find a sitter pronto."
Fluttershy said, "Oh, yes, I was worried about that, too. Pinkie and Cheese are out of town with a big party to plan and Rarity and Fancy are in Canterlot. With Rainbow and Soarin' working overtime, I couldn't ask them to take in two fillies for a couple of days."
The other two nodded.
Twilight mentioned, "Which makes me glad we came up with this arrangement."
"I reckon' it'll work like a charm." said AJ.
All three of them smiled.
That night in their own households, the girls were tugging in their children while their husbands watched on with content.
Fluttershy sung her lullaby to her daughters, who were sharing a room together.
Twilight read Fire a story.
Applejack gave Jewel a glass of warm apple cider.
Once the kids were fast asleep, the parents went to their own rooms and started settling in for the night.
As the night wore on, something strange began to happen. At the same exact moment, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight woke up in pain and begin to fret.
Fluttershy nudged at her husband, "Discord… Discord… DISCORD!"
The draconequus woke up with a start and ended up crashing in the ceiling.
"Ow!" he rubbed his head and looked at his wife, who said:
"It's time."
"Time? TIME?! It's time?!" he threw the covers off and started racing around the room.
Applejack saw her husband snoring and knew what she had to do. She took the pillow away from him and he woke up.
"What is it?! What's wrong?!"
"It's time, sugar cube."
Spike gasped and ran out the room.
Twilight hated to do this, but it was the only way to get her husband on his feet. With one quick shove, Flash fell to the floor and woke up, feeling startled.
"It's an attack!" he started running around. "Man the boundaries!"
"Flash, calm down! We are not under attack! The baby's almost here!"
"Oh. Ohhh!" he started worrying. "Don't worry, honey! I got this!" He went around the room gathering things.
"Done!" Discord exclaimed. "Now to get Twilight." He ran out.
Spike set down a large bag, "There! I'll go get Fluttershy!" He dashed on.
Flash proclaimed, "I'll get Applejack!" He rushed out.
All three of them were heading for the town square until they ended up colliding into each other. They groaned as they slowly looked up to see each other.
"Flash?" Discord said.
"Discord?" Spike said.
"Spike?" Flash said.
"I was just coming to get you!" all three said. "Wait… you mean…" They had a look of dread on their faces.
Discord held his hand up, "Okay, let's not try to panic here… My wife's in labor, your wife is labor, and so is your wife… And we have no one to watch the kids so we can get to the hospital…" He paused until he said, "Okay, panic."
Flash declared, "Come on guys, think. Who do we know we can get on short notice…?"
Spike then said, "There is someone…"
Discord and Flash glanced at him.
Minutes later, Discord was holding his sleeping daughters in his arms while Spike was holding a sleeping Apple Jewel and Flash had a sleeping Fire on his back.
Flash was explaining to the mare, "…So you see, with the rest of our regular sitters either too busy or out of town, we would really appreciate it if you could watch our kids for us until our wives get out the hospital with our new babies."
Spike questioned, "So will you do it?"
Derpy Hooves nodded and exclaimed, "Of course I will!"
"Great!" Discord said and in a flash, his daughters were in Derpy's hooves and Fire and Jewel were on her back. In another flash, he and guys disappeared and were in the hospital with their wives being admitted.
As the three of them were taken to separate delivery rooms, they wished each other luck.
Once in their room, Discord listed off the things they had, "Okay, we have the pillows, the hot water bottle, the tennis ball for back massage, and snacks for me. Hey! I didn't forget anything this time!" He started relaxing in a chair, "I guess after a couple of kids, this birthing stuff becomes kind of routine." He glanced over to his wife, who was panting and sweating.
"Easy… for you to say…"
In the next room over, Spike was fretting over his wife, "Can I do anything for you, honey?"
"No thanks."
"Do you want ice chips?"
"No."
"Do you want me to rub your back? Do you want me to rub your tummy? Do you want a hoof massage? Do you want to practice your breathing exercises? Do you want me to put some music on? Do you want something to focus on?"
AJ was shaking her head in frustration, "No, no, no, no, no, no!"
"Do you need-"
"Nurse! Get rid of this pain please!"
Nurse Redheart came in and grabbed Spike by the tail, "Come back in five minutes." He was out of the room.
Applejack sighed in relief, making herself comfortable before she winced in pain again.
In the room across, Flash was looking at a machine that was recording Twilight's contractions.
"You know, technology is rather fascinating these days. See this graph up here? The nurse said when it goes up like that, it means you're having a contraction. Hey! There it goes! Look! This says you're having one right now!" he looked back to his wife, who was glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
He gave a cheesy grin.
Discord questioned, "Think we'll have a girl again?"
"Would you rather we have a boy instead?"
"Which do you prefer?"
"Oh, it won't matter to me, just as long as it's healthy." She gave out a yelp.
The nurse and doctor rushed in.
"We're ready!" exclaimed Doctor Stable.
"Wait! I'm not ready!"
They looked to see Discord holding a camera, giving a goofy smile, "Forgot to take the lens caps off."
They gave exasperated sighs before getting back to business.
Both Twilight and Applejack were in their rooms breathing heavily when they heard Fluttershy's screams.
Spike pointed, "Sounds like Fluttershy just gave birth."
AJ raised her brow, "You think?"
"Did you know you get sarcastic when you're in labor?"
She rolled her eyes before starting up her breathing again.
Back in the room, the nurse held a bundle, saying, "Here he is, a healthy baby boy!"
"Boy?!" both Discord and Fluttershy gasped.
The bundle was given to Fluttershy as she lifted the blanket off for them to get a better look.
"Why… He looks like me!" Discord gaped.
"He does… except for having more of a pony shape. Oh, he is so handsome!"
"A son… we have a son…" He was on the verge of crying. He beamed down, "My boy… my boy…"
The doctor and nurse glanced at each other and Stable pointed, "We'll leave you to this moment while we check on our other patients."
But Discord and Fluttershy didn't hear a word he said as they were too busy looking at the little creation they brought into the world.
Applejack was panting heavily and Spike joined her, but he was starting to get dizzy.
Doctor Stable came in and asked, "And now how are you holding up this evening, Applejack?"
"Great… peachy… never better… HOW DO YOU THINK I'M HOLDING UP?!"
Spike whispered to the Doc, "She gets kind of sarcastic before giving birth…"
"Well, I'm pleased to say that won't be a problem anymore .We're just about ready!"
"Finally!" AJ yelled.
The nurse came and started doing instructions until she said, "Alright, now, push!"
Applejack's screams bounced around the room and out the hallway where her best friends heard her cries.
Twilight mentioned, "There goes Applejack."
Fluttershy cried in worry, "Oh, my! I hope she's alright!"
The screams stopped and Applejack was catching her breath.
"You all right?" Spike asked.
"I'm… fine…" she smiled before turning toward the nurse.
"Congratulations! It's a boy!" she held up an orange bundle.
"A boy?" the parents said. The bundle was given to them and they shouted happily this time, "A boy! Our boy!"
They got a closer look and Spike exclaimed, "He has your coat!"
AJ proclaimed, "He has your eyes!"
"He's amazing!" they both cried out.
The proud parents beamed at their little miracle.
"Well, I must say, Your Highness, everything is looking good so far. It shouldn't be long now." Stable looked at the charts in Twilight's room.
The nurse said giddily, "Oh, this is so exciting! We never had a member of royalty being born here!"
"About that…" said Twilight, "Fire Spark was supposed to be born here, but… due to complications, he couldn't."
Flash pointed, "By the way, what about Fluttershy and Applejack giving birth?"
Stable gestured, "Well, I'm pleased to report that the two of them have both given birth to a healthy baby colt!"
"Awww!" Twily and Flash gushed.
"I'm so happy for them!" tears welled in Twilight's eyes.
Flash chuckled, "It won't be easy, though. We know first-hoof what it's like to raise a son."
Stable started heading for the door, "Well, as long as you're doing fine, I'll be back to check on you in a while." But he felt a tug around his neck to see purple aura holding his stethoscope, "Providing you let me go."
"Define 'a while'." Twilight glared.
Flash started soothing her, "Let the nice doctor go, honey. I'm sure he'll be back in time."
She released her magic, "Sorry, I guess I'm just anxious."
Stable nodded, "A perfectly natural reaction for pregnant mares."
Suddenly, the contraction machine started beeping rapidly and Twilight moaning in pain.
"And apparently, you were closer than we originally thought. Nurse!"
Once the nurse started giving the instructions, Twilight clung onto her husband. When the nurse gave the go-ahead, the princess screamed.
Fluttershy, Discord, Spike, and Applejack all heard that in their rooms.
When the screaming died down, Twilight had a small pink bundle in her arms, beaming down.
Flash had some liquid pride stuck in his eye as they gazed at their newborn daughter.
"She's… she's so beautiful…" he said.
"She is… our little girl…"
Flash noticed from the hospital window that Celestia was on the verge of raising the dawn and how there was still a single star out on Luna's night sky. Twilight saw this, too, and they both glanced at each other as if thinking the same thing.
"We will call her… Starling…" said Flash.
"Starling…" Twilight smiled.
The parents looked back down at their precious foal.
Later that day, the new fathers brought the kids over to see their mothers and new siblings. The kids were excited as they scanned the window overlooking the maternity ward.
"Which one is he, Daddy?" Apple Jewel asked.
"Right there." Spike pointed to the orange colt sleeping soundly with two other babies. "That's your brother, Apple Shield." he smiled.
"And your brother Zany is right next to him." Discord pointed to his six-year-old Screw Ball and his four-year-old Perplexity.
"Awww!" the girls gushed. "He's so cute!"
Zany, who was awake, gurgled toward the ponies who were watching him.
Flash said to Fire Spark, "And that's your new sister, Starling, right next to him."
"Daddy… she's so pretty!"
He chuckled and rubbed his son's head, "She is… isn't she?"
Fire pressed his face against the window and that made his little sister laugh.
The dads contently sighed, seeing how well the kids were adjusting to their new siblings. Meanwhile, their wives were sharing a room together, agreeing that since their new foals were born on the same day, they would make an everlasting friendship…
Zany was still playing with the keys attached to the Organ to the Outside while Dignity and Fire Spark were behind him.
Dignity declared to Fire, "Well, here goes nothing…" He stepped forward and raised his voice for the colt to hear, "If you think this whole mad scene ain't dope, I feel you, dude. I mean, I'm not trying to get up in your grill or raise your roof…"
Zany stopped playing as he kept hearing the rest of Dignity's speech with a confused look on his face.
"…But what I am screamin' is, yo… check out this kazing, thazing, bazaby! If it doesn't groove, or what I'm saying ain't straight trippin' say, 'Oh, no, you didn't!' You're getting on my last nerve and then I'll know it's… I'll know it's wack!" he gave a cheesy grin.
Zany turned around and spoke, "Are you trying to relate to me?"
"Well… um…" he rubbed his neck, "That is to say… yes?"
"Oh, in that case… Help! I'm trapped with a gentlecolt who's trying to mannerize me!"
He and Fire Spark were laughing away while Dignity was glaring.
But the laughing was short-lived when Zany got a funny twitch around his body.
"Zany, what is it?" Fire inquired.
His words were like a whisper, "No… Star… Perp!" He floated up and sped past the bewildered colts.
"But that would mean…" Fire gasped, "Jewel!" He galloped on, following after the chaotic offspring.
Dignity shortly joined him, "Let me get this straight: you're more worried about Apple Jewel than you are your own sister?!"
"Of course I'm worried for Star! But Jewel…" He had a hint of pink on his cheeks.
Dignity understood, "Ah, I get it… so when are you going to tell her?"
"I… I don't know!" he confessed. "But we need to focus on making sure the girls are okay!"
"Agreed." They kept on running.
