Bookends 2 or Making Dreams Come True

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A.I. or I.V.F.

Twilight and Cheerilee’s guests had a wonderful dinner.  There were Shining Armor, Cadence, Applejack and Rarity.  They had moved into the main part of the library where the hostesses has set the sofas and chairs in a circle with a table in the middle.  On the table were wine glasses and some of Celestia’s best wine,

Everypony were becoming suspicious of being buttered up for something.

“Okay Twily,” said Shining , “you said it was important.  And I don’t think that dinner was what you were talking about.”

“You’re right,” said Twilight, “Cheeri and I need to ask a huge favor of all of you.”

“How big of a favor?” asked Cadence.

“We want help in having foals.” Said Cheerilee.

Dead silence.

“I’m afraid to ask,” said Applejack, “but what help are ya needing?”

“It’s like this,” started Twilight, “there are two procedures.  The first is tried before the second which can be more invasive for us.

It is Artificial Insemination and In Vitro Fertilization.  Or AI and IVF.

We could do this and use anonymous sperm donors, which gives us very little knowledge or control of what the foal could be.  Or we can use volunteer donors.”

“Twilight and I talked, and please know that anything said here will stay here.” Said Cheerilee, “we thought long and hard about what ponies would be a good choice.

Shining Armor, you were my first choice.  I know that you and Cadence can’t have children.  And I wanted to have Twilight’s foal, but that’s impossible.  So we thought we’d ask you.  You’re a Sparkle and as close as we could come to being a substitute for Twilight.”

“So incase ya ain’t noticed, Rarity and I are in the same predicament as you.  Ain’t got the equipment.”

“I know that!” said Twilight chuckling, “but as we talked, Cheri and I came to the conclusion that the father for my foal should be an earth pony, like her.  And the best earth ponies I know are the Apple Family.  I would’ve asked Big Mac, but it’s too soon after his and Rainbow’s wedding.  And It would be unfair to have his foal before Rainbow.  So we wanted to know if you would have a suggestion of which of the Apple’s might want to help.”

“Twi and I’ll leave the room and let you talk,” said Cheerilee, “and if the answer is no, know that we’ll not be hurt or upset.  We know that this is a lot to ask of you, even if you’re family and close friends.”

Twilight and Cheerilee got up and went up the stairs.  Cheerilee saw that Twilight was quite nervous.

“It’ll be okay sweetheart,”  said Cheerilee nuzzling Twilight. “If they don’t want to help, well there are plenty of other ponies out there.”

“I know Darling,” said Twilight. “I’m getting so excited about this and I just don’t want anything to go wrong.”

After several minutes there was a voice that called up the stair;

“Twily, Cheeri,” said Shining, “ can you come down here.”

The two mares kissed for luck and went back down.

Cheerilee and Twilight sat back down and held hooves.

“We’ve some questions,” said Shining, “what, if any, would be our responsibilities after the foal is born?  Would this be a secret, would there be any legal issues?”

“What my husband is saying is,” said Cadence, “will we be able to see the foal, will it know it’s true father, and would you expect any support?

I want you to know that I myself am all for it.”

“We’ve looked into all of this and a contract was suggested,” said Twilight, “everything would be spelled out.  Unless the biological father requests it, the foal will know who the father is.  There would be reasonable visitation allowed and encouraged.  The cost of the procedure and the cost of bring up the children would be ours alone.  As far as Twilight’s foal, the foal will be a Sparkle, not Apple.  There’s one proviso, should we die, we would like the father or their family to step up and finish raising the foal.

“Cheeri, Twily, we would be happy to help.” Said Shining.  “Just be careful, the first time Cadence or mom holds either foal, you might not get it back!”

All the ponies laughed.

“Twi, Darling,” said Rarity, “Applejack and I agree that Big Mac would be perfect but too soon.  But there’s a cousin that we think would be a good choice.  And we are pretty sure that he’d agree.  You do remember Braeburn Apple, don’t you?”

“I know Braeburn, he’d be a perfect choice, if he agrees.  Should I approach him or would you?” asked Twilight.

“I’ll talk to him and his marefriend,” said Applejack.

“Good,” said Twilight.  “We have pamphlets that explain the procedures, about the collection process and what to do or not do before the collection process.  Applejack please give one to Braeburn if he agrees.  Then let us know what he says so we can make an appointment.”

Braeburn was happy to help, he knew Twilight from when they helped the Appleloosens and the Buffalo settle their differences.  He considered it would be an honor to have a child through so important of pony.  His marefriend was more than happy to help with the collection process.

Basically either the stallion would collect the sample by ‘manual manipulation’, or with a natural collection process with use of a special condom without lubricant or spermicide.

Meanwhile, Cheerilee and Twilight had to take medications to make them more fertile.   As it happened, both mares cycles were almost exactly the same, within days, so that they could go through the procedure at the same time.

It was a couple of weeks until the procedure.  Both Cheerilee and Twilight thought that they would burst.  It was most of their talk when they were together and on their minds when they were apart.

The weeks passed and Twilight and Cheerilee did survive the anticipation.

On the day of the procedure, Braeburn and his marefriend, Cactus Flower, and Shining and Cadence were taken back to private rooms for the collection process.  When they were finished, they came out and wished the couple luck.  They departed to leave Twilight and Cheerilee to go through the procedure.

“Mrs. and Mrs. Sparkle?” said a voice.

“Yes,” replied both mares.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“Follow me, I’ll be you doctor for this procedure.  Just a quick question, are you wanting to do this in private or with each other?”

“My wife an I would like to do this together.” Said Twilight.

“Wife?” said the doctor, “I’m sorry, I assumed you to be sisters or sister-in-laws.  But this will be no problem.  We do have a room ready.”

There was a clean clinical room with a procedure bed in the middle.  The doctor explained the procedure how the sample would be delivered and that it wouldn’t take long.

“I’ve some concerns,” said Twilight, “first, we need to be assured that I get the correct donation.  My wife’s is from my brother and it’d be awkward in the future to explain how I had my brother’s foal.  I love my brother, but the thought is creepy!”

“I can understand that,” chuckled the doctor.

“Second, can we have this done at the same time.

And third, can we apply the donation so that it’s we that impregnates the other.”

“We’d have it no other way.” Said the doctor with a smile.

A second bed was brought in and placed in the onsite direction.  Twilight and Cheerilee were instructed to get on the bed and put their hind legs in the stirrups.  Then there were moved so that their hips were across from each other, then the doctor took the loaded the delivery device after checking with Twilight to make sure they were using the correct samples.

The doctor inserted a tube into their marehoods, they could feel them manipulating the tube to go through the cervix.  When both were in place, the doctor handed the end with the syringe which would blow the sample into their wombs.

“Whenever you’re ready!” said the doctor, “I’ll be right outside the door.”

The doctor left the room, Twilight and Cheerilee looked into each other’s eyes.

“Now’s the time to back out, if you’re not sure.” Said Cheerilee.

“I want this more than almost anything!” said Twilight.  “Let’s do it at the same time.  On three?”

“No Darling,” said Cheerilee with a smile, “on ‘I love you’!”

Twilight smiled.

“Ready?” asked Twilight

“Ready,” said Cheerilee.

“I - Love - You!” they said together.

Then pushed in the plunger.  It was almost anti-climatic, they really didn’t feel anything.

But they could see in each other’s eyes an excitement of promise.

“Doctor!” called Cheerilee.

The doctor came in the room.

“All done?” asked the doctor, the two mares nodded.

“Good,” said the doctor, “I’ll remove the equipment and I’d like to have you two just lay there for a half an hour, to make it easier on the sperm.”

The doctor removed the tubes and then pushed Twilight’s bed around to be side by side with Cheerilee, then he left.

“It’s done, my love,” said Cheerilee

“I hope!  We won’t know for a few weeks.” Said Twilight.

“Let’s have faith,” said Cheerilee.

“In your dream, do you remember what the foals were?” asked Twilight.

“They were two fillies,” said Cheerilee, “I don’t think I remember if they were earth, unicorn or pegasus ponies.”

“That’s right!” said Twilight, “your parents are pegasi.”

“Do you think it’ll hurt the ‘samples’ if we were to kiss?” asked Cheerilee.

“I think we can risk it,” said Twilight.

They kissed and just lay there holding hooves.  They talked about names, what they were going to have to do to the library to make up a nursery.

The doctor came back in and told them that it was okay to do normal things.  They didn’t have to be too worried yet.  He did tell them, that if everything went well, that it was a good bet that they were now pregnant.

Twilight and Cheerilee both got a shiver of thrill at the word.

The following weeks went by too slow.  Cheerilee had school to distract her most of the time and Twilight tried to bury herself in her work.  But at night they lay in bed just talking about foals.

One morning about six weeks after the procedure, Twilight had gotten up early to make breakfast.  It was a light breakfast because she and Cheerilee were not that hungry in the mornings lately.

Cheerilee was finishing up in the bathroom brushing her teeth and was going back into the bed room when her stomach told her to turn around.  She made a bee line to the toilet and heaved her guts.

Twilight heard the noise and called up to her love to see what’s wrong.  She heard Cheerilee throwing up.  The sound set off something.  Twilight never had a queasy stomach and even took the time when both the cake’s foals spit up in her face without incident.

But this set off something, Twilight ran to the downstairs bathroom and found herself throwing up as well.

The realization hit both mares at the same time.  As soon as their stomach would allow they sought out the other.

“Did you just get sick?” asked Cheerilee.

“Yes, I heard you too!” said Twilight.

I’ll go get Blueberry to substitute for me today and meet you at the doctor’s office.

Cheerilee took off to find the sub while Twilight got Spike up and told him to gather their friends and to wait at the library.

The two mares sat in the doctor’s waiting room.  They were holding hooves, afraid to say anything about their suspicions.  Twilight and Cheerilee were too intelligent to be superstitious, but on something this important, they didn’t want to jinx it.

A nurse stuck her head out of a door.

“Mrs. Sparkle?”

“Yes,” both mares answered.

The nurse looked at the paperwork,  Lifted a page and saw another name.

“Okay, both of you come back, the doctor will see you now.”

Cheerilee and Twilight sat on the exam bed, legs dangling over the side,  they were holding hooves and could feel the other tremble.

The doctor came in and looked at the two and smiled.

“So how are you two this morning?” she asked.

“That depends on what you have to say.” Said Cheerilee.

“I can understand that, so I’ll just ‘cut to the chase’.

Cheerilee Sparkle, congratulations, you’re with foal!”

Cheerilee and Twilight grabbed each other had hugged.

“However, I‘m sorry to tell you, but the test was negative for you Storm Cloud.”

Twilight’s heart dropped but then it hit her!

“Wait a minute!  My name’s Twilight Sparkle!”

“Oh! In that case, congratulations Twilight Sparkle, you’re with foal as well.

I love pulling that joke!” said the doctor.

Cheerilee and Twilight walked home in shock.  The two walked into the library.

All their friends looked as nervous as they had been.

Every eye was on them.

“Well?” asked Rainbow Apple.

“WE’RE PREGNANT!” they shouted together.

There were cheers and hugs all around along with Rainbow kidding that they had to upstage her, but they reminded her that they got married before her.