“Soarin, wake up.” Rainbow Dash shook the stallion on the bed who was not moving.
“Come on, we gotta get to practice.” The clock on the nightstand read 5:00, which meant only one thing, it was time for them to go to practice. Celestia had yet to raise her sun on all of Equestria, as Luna’s moon was ending its cycle.
The mare looked down at the stallion, watching him pull the blankets over his head. He didn’t even have the will to move. Soarin had gotten to bed not too long ago, having been kept up all night by his crying son. Rainbow Dash had to get back to practice in the morning so he was left mostly on his own for the entire night. Everything he had tried seemingly didn’t work, he had offered the young foal food, but that didn’t go so well. The light blue pegasus changed his diaper, but that didn’t do anything either. It was like his son was crying just for the sake of crying.
Older ponies will always say that these early few years in a ponies life are the ones that parents yearn for when their children grow up. But at that moment, Soarin thought all those ponies who said that were crazy. Screaming, crying, puking, yelling, night after night of barely having any time to yourself. The stress of taking care of a young foal who couldn’t do anything for themselves was difficult, but what could he do? Rainbow Blitz was only a couple of weeks old.
The stallion loved his son more than anything in the world, that small blue ball of fur with her mother’s mane was his child. Blitz’s eyes were the exact same color as his father’s were, along with his coat. Both father and son wearing almost the same hairstyle as well. Rainbow Dash thought it was funny if they were styled the same, and she loved that. It was just everything that went along with having a foal which was the downside.
Blitz never seemed to want to sleep, but instead stay up all night and play. At early hours in the morning he would cry and beg for attention from either his mother or father, whoever was on call for that night. They had read the parenting books and gotten advice from others, but nothing seemed to work. As much as one held him and tried to read him to sleep, it wouldn’t work. After his late night and early morning fits, he would crash like his mother and father. Not being able to be woken by seemingly anything, Blitzy just kept sleeping peacefully through almost anything. Those were times where Dash and Soarin could be together and enjoy each other’s company like the old days before being parents of a young foal.
The days where they could talk, drink wine, and do whatever their hearts desired. Those were the days, the ones that both of them dreamed they could have again. But having a foal together was awesome, a choice neither of them would ever regret. It came with its fair share of challenges and problems, but the rewards were ever so sweet. Looking down into a crib at the end of a sleepless night and seeing this creation of theirs was amazing, almost surreal.
They had the life, both of them apart of the best fliers in all of Equestria, the one and only Wonderbolts. Soarin had invited Rainbow Dash to come move in with him a couple months back, and now they shared almost everything like they were married almost. They had a son together, something nopony could ever take away from them. Everything looked on the up and up, life could only get better.
There had been good times as well as bad times in the past like in any relationship, but they were quickly and easily overcome. Rainbow Dash couldn’t do everything by herself because she was pregnant; solution, get her to move in with him. Some issues worse than others, like being 5 months with foal and being a Wonderbolt. When you sign onto the team, one is giving themselves to a cause. A team with rules and regulations which when not upheld, lead to being kicked off the team. One of those rules being that you must show up to practices and meetings held by the captain of the Wonderbolts. But when you are pregnant that makes training a whole lot harder.
It was weird at first getting used to the idea that something was growing inside her body. Especially the fact that they were soon to become parents, Rainbow Dash a mother and still considered a young adult. When most young fillies grow up they dream of having families and foals of their own, most own dolls or toys of babies. The idea seemed absurd to her, she would rather play with action figures or fly about at break neck speeds, a family was never something that she dreamt off.
Soarin was the first to know, he was taken back as well as her. But never for a second did he hesitate or panic by Rainbow’s side. It was surreal, his best friend, lover, and teammate was having his son, their son. Spitfire was next to know, she was after all the pony who decided the fate of all the members on the team. It was decided to keep the pregnancy for the most part under wraps, only some members of the team knowing in an attempt to keep the story out of the media.
The next pony to get the news was quite possibly one of the hardest to break it to. Rainbow Dash insisted that Soarin himself tell her father that he was going to have a grandson. It was something he would never forget, the whole time he was just preparing himself to be punched in the face, beaten, or thrown out. Surprisingly nothing major went down, except Soarin was told that if he ever did anything to endanger his grandson or daughter that he would personally make his life a living hell. And that if he ever cheated on Dash, then he would make sure that he could never do it to any other mare.
But after a couple weeks he had settled down, and life began to rhythm. Rainbow moved into Soarin’s place, while they continued to train. It got to the point that Dash could no longer practice at all with the team, her baby bump growing larger and larger each day. Soarin approached Spitfire to fill her in on the details, she was onboard for some reason. He had almost expected her to kick the both of them off the team for fooling around, and the fact that both of them would be late or not attending practice in the future. But she was okay with that, and granted Rainbow a leave of absence under an ‘injury’, as she called it. Trying to keep the matter private and inside the team, away from the press. The team eventually caught wind and promised to keep the secret to themselves, not telling anypony.
Spitfire had liked Soarin in the past, almost to the point of asking him out. But their relationship was special enough to go past being friends. They had gone through the Wonderbolt Academy together, and joined the elite team at relatively the same time. They had quickly became friends with their time together, Soarin became Spitfire’s wing pony during the exercises. Both of them complimented each other’s flying personality perfectly. He was her best friend and had been ever since, almost like they were brother and sister. She never wanted to ruin that.
She had personally worked hard to put Rainbow Dash on the team in the first place, the cyan pegasus’ skill level being off the charts. Quickly, Soarin and the newest mare on the team grew close, not like Spitfire’s relationship with him, but a loving one. And she was happy for them, happy that her flying brother had found a pony to love. Sure it wasn’t her, but she didn’t really want that.
When he broke the news that Rainbow Dash was pregnant she was not surprised at all. The captain knew it was only a matter of time, the way they acted together, anypony on the team could have guessed it. Whenever they had a spare moment, the two spent all the time they could together, talking. The couple had become the two love birds of the Wonderbolts, everypony on the team and off the team knew it. The press couldn’t let go of them, they had become Equestria’s couple. Everywhere they went hit the media with force, every movement they made was watched by somepony somewhere with a camera. It got annoying but when you’re with somepony you love, the world around you crumbles.
So Spitfire let Rainbow Dash on leave until her child was born, it made Soarin happy and what made him happy, made her feel good. The cyan pegasus stayed mostly at home during her leave, while Soarin still had to go to practice. Twilight and the rest of the mane six visited often to cheer her up on days where she thought that she couldn’t stand being in the house anymore. When Blitz was finally born it was such a relief to her, now Dash could finally go back to practice and live her dream, not that she wasn’t already. Having a family with a fellow Wonderbolt, and being on the same team was fantastic.
The cyan mare had been away from practice for so long that she began yearning for it. Three days after he was born, Rainbow went back to the training facility. She was met with a couple congratulations from some ponies on the team who knew about it, but that was for the most part it. They had kept the whole pregnancy mostly secret somehow, the press just accepted the report Spitfire sent out that said she was on the disabled list. Both Soarin and her wanted to wait for the right time to bring their son out into the world. On the days Dash went to practice, Soarin would stay home or Rainbow’s father would come and babysit. Life began a new schedule for the Wonderbolt couple.
Every night it was a switch between the two of them over who had to go get Blitz when he cried. And the night before had been Soarin’s, and he had no intentions of going to practice after a sleepless night, the stallion had other plans in mind. Something he had been planning for a while now, everything was ready but it was a matter of timing. And today was the big day, he couldn’t let Rainbow know just yet.
“Uh, I don’t wanna move,” Soarin groaned pulling the sheets over his head. “Blitzy was up all night, I got off practice today anyway.”
The cyan mare walked away and began filling the saddle bag which sat upon her back. Preparing for the day, she grabbed her uniform and some other necessities.
“Okay, I hope you survive until tonight.” Rainbow Dash trotted to Soarin’s side of the bed and ripped the sheets off his face, revealing a bed maned and bloodshot eyed stallion, snuggling down into his pillow.
“Uh, I hope so too. Have fun today and give me my covers back.” The light blue pegasus pulled the sheet again over his mangy face. Once again she pulled the covers away, frustrating Soarin even more.
“Give Blitzy a kiss for me. See you tonight.” Dash positioned herself over Soarin, placing a wet kiss on the side of his face. The embrace was short lived and the mare pulled away, going on and grabbing a couple more things. The pillows were so inviting to the stallion’s tired head, like they were an oasis and he was in the desert. He longed to finally go to sleep and catch up on some needed rest, but there was a plan that needed to be done, things that had to be started.
The Wonderbolt fidgeted on the bed a couple more times, pulling the sheets up. Down below he could hear his special somepony stirring about, most likely preparing something for Blitz to eat and maybe, if Soarin was lucky, something for him as well. Her steps eventually lead her to the door, and with a loud squeak it was open. A few moments later it was followed with another one, meaning Rainbow had left.
Soarin waited a couple moments before quickly slipping out of bed. The stallion ran toward the window, and with what light remained from the moon saw Rainbow Dash take off into the sky. His operation was a go. Under the bed was a black saddle bag along with a black hoodie that belonged to him. They were hoisted up onto the bed, spilling out their contents onto it. The light blue pegasus moved for the bedside lamp, turning it on. Everything he had put in there the night before was on the bed, spread out. Diapers, baby powder, a couple of large note cards, a blanket, a bottle of milk formula, and the black hoodie. Nothing had been moved or touched by anypony it seemed.
The Wonderbolt stuffed all of things into one side of the large saddle bag except the blanket, which he carefully tucked and lined into the other pocket. This day he had planned out for months and rehearsed in his head multiple times. Today was finally the time for action, he had thought about it long enough and decided today was the day. Soarin loved Rainbow Dash more than anypony in the world, beside his son. Nopony would ever harm or take her away from him, and he planned to make sure of that, and today was that time.
His parents and family had been pressuring him to do it for a while now, but it was ultimately his decision in the end. The moment he saw his son was the time he knew that he was going to do it. That little foal was a piece of himself and Rainbow Dash, something forever binding them to each other, but Soarin wanted more than that.
The stallion threw on his black hoodie, pulling the fabric over his head to cover his face and mane. When going out into public this was one of the best methods of doing so, a black hoodie with a black saddle bag. They had once even gone on a date together at a public restaurant while the both of them wore dark hoodies. Ponies didn’t know you, it was like somehow you were putting on an invisibility cloak. If they didn’t recognize you on first glance then they never gave you a second thought and just went on with their business.
The saddle bag was tossed over his back and secured down by tightening the straps with his teeth. Now came the hardest part, the point that Soarin had dreaded ever since he dreamed up this little scheme of his. Moving Blitzy without waking him up, the stallion had only known his son for a couple of weeks now. But he had learned that he hated to be woken up during his naps, Rainbow Dash and Soarin would always tip toe around the house while he was sleeping.
The light blue pegasus headed for his door, carefully cracking it open to the hallway before him. A little light came in from a window at the end of the hall, courtesy of Luna herself. Each hoof step was deliberate and calculated, making sure he wouldn’t make too much noise. One wrong move and his perfect plan would be ruined and he would have to wait another day. A door near the end of the hallway was the stallion’s target. Luckily Rainbow Dash had most likely forgotten to close the door completely when she left, leaving him with the perfect opportunity.
With each second he was getting closer and closer to his goal, coming up the door about to make his final descent. It was picking Blitzy up without waking him, which was the problem, Soarin was sure he could walk carefully enough not to wake him. The door hissed and squealed as the pegasus’ light blue hoof pushed in on it. Once inside, he was met with something that looked like world war three. Toys were scattered about the room, diapers filled up in the trash can ready to be taken out, baby powder spilled a bit on the changing station, the room a complete mess.
Pictures of Rainbow Dash and Soarin hung throughout the small nursery. Twilight had said something about having a lot of pictures around of the foal’s parents, something about cognitive... something. She was usually right, so they went ahead and placed pictures from various occasions all over. Happy memories of the two going on dates to the bars, clubs, restaurants, and just about any other place imaginable. Pictures of the trips they had taken while being a part of the Wonderbolts from all over Equestria. One was lying on the floor, having most likely been knocked off during play time or clean up time.
The one that really stuck out was from the last show Dash had performed on, before her maternal leave. Both of them laughing together, getting amped up for the show. Little did Rainbow Dash know, but at the time the doctors guessed she was only three weeks pregnant. They always played around during the pre-show, everypony did, it was the only way to settle the nerves. They would prank each other on the team, laugh, and have a good time. Needless to say Rainbow was one of the best, always plotting the best ones.
Soarin studied the picture closer, seeing his mane was wet from water recently having been thrown on him. The liquid was dripping off his mane and body onto the smiling, laughing Dash. A couple of members from the team grabbed some buckets of water and waited for him to show up. When he finally trotted into the waiting room he was met with his demise, a storm of buckets of water flying toward him. The stallion was thoroughly drenched in water, head to tail, there was only one option, payback. He grabbed the mare in a giant hug, wrapping his wings over her smaller body, rubbing the liquid off. Fleetfoot had taken the picture shortly there after, it was those moments that really stuck out.
Delicately he placed the picture back up on the shelf on which it was supposed to stand, refocusing on the task at hoof. Every step was slow and carefully, avoiding the debris scattered below his hooves. Each step getting him one inch closer to the crib sitting in the corner. Noises of a small foal sleeping away filled the air in the small nursery. It was soothing knowing that his son was peacefully dreaming away, a parent thing he guessed.
Squeak
The Wonderbolt looked down toward his hooves, under his front left hoof sat a small firepony toy. Buck me, buck me, buck me. Soarin flinched, prepared for the worst. Blitz stopped snoring and paused, the stallion’s heart sank, he had to be waking up. Rustling came from inside the crib as he was kicking himself for making such a dumb mistake. It was all over, the plan, the operation, he had to now wait for another day.
To his surprise the foal resumed snoring, which could only mean one thing, the plan had been saved after all. The pegasus lowered his head grabbing the toy underneath with his teeth. It gave out a small noise as it was tossed back into the chest where it belonged. He was almost there, he could see the tips of Rainbow Blitz’s bright mane.
Target in sight, the little ball of light blue fur snored away inside his little rainbow blanket covering. At the hospital where Rainbow Dash gave birth, it was a custom to give the foal a small cloth to keep them warm. The pony who had grabbed the blanket must have known who was having a child, because Blizy had gotten a rainbow blanket. And ever since then he wouldn’t sleep without it being present in the crib or with him, they were inseparable. The bright colors matched his mane, making them blend together in an array of light.
Carefully Soarin lowered his head into the crib, grabbing Blitz’s mane gently in his teeth. Not too much to hurt or wake him, but just enough to lift him off the soft mattress below. It was like performing open heart surgery, one wrong move and everything goes bad. The tiny being began to slowly come out from its cage like bed. His nostrils filled with his son’s scent, he smelled exactly like his mother. A smell that couldn’t be described by normal words, only that it put his mind at ease.
With surgeon like skills, Soarin lowered Blitzy into the waiting saddle bag pocket. He looked once more to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything that he would need to take care of his foal for the next couple hours, and indeed he had. Laying on the floor of the crib was that rainbow blanket that he loved so. Soarin picked it up and laid it gently against his son, who immediately grabbed onto it in his sleep.
Everything was set, it was time to act and a couple of minutes later they were off. With one final close of the door, the mission was a go.
***
The streets of Cloudsdale were relatively abandoned at this hour. But it was always good to take precaution, upon leaving the house Soarin popped his hood covering his face and mane. To anypony on the streets he was just another stallion walking around early in the morning, nothing special to see.
Celestia’s sun began to show itself, the early signs of a new day coming on the horizon. Living in the clouds was something special, a thing only pegasi can understand. Out of the weather and away from the dirt of the ground. Ask any pegasus and they will tell you, the air seems a whole lot fresher up in the sky. Sunsets and sunrises are spectacular to see above the clouds without any obstruction.
Beams of light struck the clouds coating early Cloudsdale in a deep orange. It was going to be a good day for everypony. His destination, an old friend’s place of work, a pony he had known since foalhood. He owned his own store and awoke early to set the place up everyday of the week, no other employees were ever present this early, and that was the reason why he chose now.
Ponies passed occasionally next to him, not even giving a glance of acknowledgement, when a pony was up this early they never truly were awake. With each passing Soarin was extra cautious to favor the side with Blitzy in it, making sure he was not awoken by anypony. He could feel him snoring away inside the saddlebag, putting him at ease.
The stallion turned one last corner heading directly for a certain building, one that he had visited many times in the past couple of months. The hooded pegasus approached the store, its glass show cases sparkling in the early morning light along with its contents. Each window slightly frosted over from the cool night air, the sign on the front door still read closed, but a couple lights could be seen on the inside.
A figure was in the back of the store working with some case, cleaning it off with what seemed to wet rag. He was the only pony around he could see, just like he had planned. Soarin tried to open the door only to find that its lock still functioned. With a couple soft knocks on the entrance the stallion in the back turned his head toward the visitor, immediately knowing who it was.
The rag was tossed to the side while the pony ran for the door, fumbling with the locks placed upon it. A couple of moments later, followed by a ding from the wooden frame, they were standing face to face. Old friends who had both been consumed by their busy lifestyles, Soarin with the Wonderbolts, and his friend with the family jewelry shop. In the time they had away from their lives, which were few and far between, they stayed in touch. The friendship from foalhood still there and living on, a dimmed flame but not extinguished.
“Hey, Soarin great to see you, come inside before somepony sees you,” the white pegasus said, shuffling him in. The door was abruptly shut behind him as the pegasus locked the door once again, and without hesitation shut the blinds on the store windows leading to the street. The sunlight glowing against the blinds, trying to come into the store.
“Man it’s nice to see you, been a couple of weeks, Soar.”
“Yeah,” the Wonderbolt whispered in response.
“Why are we whispering?”
Soarin looked at his friend, Radiant Gem, nodding him on with his head. Without hesitation the white pegasus began trotting toward the back of the store, the hooded pony following close behind. Jewels in cases sparkled in the early morning light as they passed, each one catching his eye. Hundreds of perfectly cut diamonds, polished to perfection awaiting the day for somepony to buy them. Necklaces, rings, brooches, earrings, and all other imaginable things were seemingly covered in expensive out fittings. A pony could spend hundreds of thousands of bits at this store if they bought everything they liked.
He stopped and watched his friend move around the counter at the last booth of the store, the one farthest back and away from almost everything. Radiant Gem tossed open a small drawer at the bottom of the counter and started to look through it for a specific item.
“I was starting to think that you would never pick it up.”
“Well, you know things change,” Soarin whispered, watching the stallion carefully look for a specific lock box.
“So I am guessing things are going good for you and Dash lately now that you pick this up, am I right?”
With great care the latch on his saddle bag was undone, again with surgeon like skill he reached down into the pocket for his son. Grabbing him gently on the mane and hoisting him out with his small rainbow blanket in tow. Radiant Gem found what he was looking for and grabbed a small box labeled ‘Soar’. A small blue container with a gold hinge on the back, dust particles rested gently on the surface of the blue velvet.
He placed the package on the table, only then seeing what Soarin was holding between his teeth. A small sleeping foal clutching a tiny piece of fabric, happily dreaming away. It was a dead give away over who the mother was, there was only one mare in all of Equestria who had that mane. Making the world believe it was Dash’s child was easy, all the colors of the rainbow on display. The white pony’s eyes immediately widened upon comprehension and soon followed a huge smile.
“You and... had a... foal?”
Soarin let the sleeping foal back down into the saddlebag, sealing it off once again from the rest of the outside world.
“Yeah, he is only a couple of weeks old. Like I said, things change and it’s about time I do this.”
“Now I get why you are whispering, sorry.” Radiant Gem immediately lowered his voice again back to Soarin’s level. “I am so happy for you too, man I can’t believe you’re a dad, man. It only seems like yesterday we were playing on swings or out pranking ponies. Congrats, I think you officially made every stallion in all of Equestria jealous, taking her off the dating market. Soar a dad, I can’t believe this.”
The Wonderbolt lifted the small box gently into the pocket opposite of Blitzy. “Yeah, I can’t believe it either, it just kinda happened. Everything changed.”
The unicorn closed the lockbox from where the tiny package had sat and left the small booth heading for his long time friend. Without saying any words, he gently wrapped his hooves around Soarin in a brotherly hug.
“I will stop wasting your time, go get her!”
“I will, I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
Soarin turned and headed for the exit, passing all the expensive jewelry in his wake. He was on a mission, it was now or never. Noises outside the building began to grow as the day progressed, more pegasi began filling the streets. The light beaming through the front store window shining much brighter than before. The white pegasus came running toward the door, right past his side, quickly unlocking the door for his friend.
“You don’t have to, good luck.”
With that it was time to leave, Soarin gave one last goodbye look to this friend before leaving into the world beyond. He checked his side pouch to make sure it was secure, as Rainbow Blitz peacefully snored away. His tiny body giving off heat that could be felt even through the fabric of the bag. It was comforting to know his son was safe and happy, a comfort never felt before. And Rainbow Dash had given it to him, they had done something amazing, something ponies for centuries pondered about, life.
With Celestia’s sun shining down upon him, he headed out for the Wonderbolt training academy. A small velvet box, some large notecards, a tiny newborn foal, a rainbow blanket, and baby supplies on his back.
The walk was short, but it made for a great time to think. The life he had once known was gone, replaced by one much better than the old one. His girlfriend, the pony he had a child with, was ahead of him. She was the best mare he had ever known, something really special, she deserved this more than anything in the world.
Gates from the stadium were intimidating, Cloudsdale spending most of its income on the team. Huge pillars that stood high up in the clouds that thousands of fans shuffled through each season to see their very own team. This was his place of work, most walked into small cubicles and office spaces, while he walked into a grand arena.
A couple of guard ponies were scattered about the grounds, walking their predetermined path. There was a small door on the side where the team would enter from, and the two usual ponies were sitting there. Each one had to have done the same job for over 30 years now, the Wonderbolts Soarin looked up to remembered these two guards. It was as if they had become part of the Wonderbolt family by just being there.
He was greeted with a smile and wave as he entered through the door. Inside laid a cluster of a maze like hallways filled with the teams staff. They were relatively quiet at the moment, not too many ponies mingling about. It was still early and most of the staff didn’t have to wake up as early as the team had to. Still the few ponies that had woken up early gave Soarin a little a smile and wave but not much else.
His path was predetermined, toward an office of an old friend. She didn’t have to wake up early, but she chose to anyway. If her team had to do it, then so did she. Hallway after hallway Soarin turned right and left, to the average pony it seemed like he was going in circles, but years of experience always helped.
Blitzy and his father made one last left turn leading directly to a door. Labeled in large red letters was the word ‘Captain’, the office home of the one and only Spitfire. A long time friend and great teammate. Soarin propped open the door without even knocking and entered, he knew her so well that knocking was just a formality now. Inside behind a large oak type desk sat the mare herself, working away at some papers. She didn't even have to look up to know who it was, but instead Spitfire kept working.
“Hey, I cleared your day off, you’re good to go home.”
“I know.”
Spitfire looked up, pushing the papers off the desk looking at her old friend.
“Then why are you here?”
Soarin walked over the desk while unlatching his saddle bag. Blitzy was waking up, he could feel his son slowly fighting inside the warmth of the pouch. A couple of noises escaped the foal while he worked his head into the bag only gaining more of Spitfire’s attention.
“You brought him, I haven’t seen him since the hospital?” The golden mare stood up, trying to get a better look inside the bag. Soarin tried grunting ‘yes’ while his teeth carefully bit down on Blitzy’s mane. Once again the stallion lifted the tiny cyan ball of fur out of its warm domain and into the world. Still clutching his rainbow blanket, he sent the foal down on the desk.
Anypony in the room could’ve seen Spitfire’s eyes light up with excitement. Motherly instincts of her own kicking in, no mare could resist Blitzy. Soarin liked to think it were his good looks, but Rainbow Dash insisted it was because of hers, and he sort of believed it.
“He’s getting so big!” The golden pegasus hoisted the foal in her arms as
Blitzy’s eyes began to open to the sight of an unusual mare he had never seen before. For some reason her mane was so warm and inviting almost like home, which made him smile.
“He is beautiful, he looks so much like you too. And you’re the little guy that kept my best flier sidelined for almost six months.” Spitfire giggled poking Blitzy’s light blue nose. She was great with foals and fillies, like something he had never seen before. It just seemed to come natural for her, even though she had none to call her own.
“So what is the occasion? Or are you showing this little guy off to the world today?”
“Um, well that’s the thing.” Soarin reached around to the other pocket on the bag, while Spitfire continued playing with his son. The notecards and the velvet box were placed onto the pile of Spitfire’s paperwork. Her eyes lit up yet again with surprise at seeing the tiny blue case, holding a special item inside.
“Soarin... I don’t know what to say... congratulations again. I am so happy for you, the both of you. It had been quite some time that two Wonderbolts have hooked up, glad to see you finally did it. Wait, how many weeks has been since he was born, I forgot?”
“Um, three or four, I don’t really remember, why?”
Spitfire pushed the large notecards and box out of the way looking for something under the pile of paperwork. Upon finding it, a smile lit up on her face like she had just won the lottery.
“I won, I won the bet. Some of the mares who knew about Dash being pregnant on the team all took a bet to see how long it would take for you to propose, and I won with four weeks.”
“You were betting on me?” Soarin looked confused and slightly angered, but in the scheme of things it didn’t matter. The day’s events were special, the kind of days that you look back on when you’re older.
“Ponies do it all the time in races, but anyway congratulations! Rainbow Dash and the others are in the weight room, if you want me to call them out to the meeting room, I can do that.” Spitfire stroked the tiny foal’s bright rainbow mane, done up to look like Soarin himself. She was holding the son of her best friend, words could not describe the feeling. The tiny heartbeat and breathing followed by the slight warmth given off.
The stallion paused for a moment, he was going to fill her in on the plan but there were more pressing matters at hoof. Something he needed to ask Spitfire, something very important. Both him and Dash thought it best to ask her over any other mare, she could be trusted with anything, especially the greatest gift of their lives, Rainbow Blitz.
“That can wait a minute, um, you know I am terrible with words but. Would you like to be Rainbow Blitz’s godmother?”
A tear came to her eyes at the words.
“Yes, yes, I would.” In that moment, Spitfire no longer didn’t have children, she had a godson. The foal of her best friend, lying in her arms smiling. The mare laid the foal down on the desk and moved around the table to Soarin. Opening her wings and embracing Soarin in a giant hug.
“Here, let’s go call the team in.” The mare walked back toward the desk picking the foal up, and resting him on the back of her head.
“Wait, I have a plan.”
***
Sweat dripped off Dash’s brow, one more lap to go. She was leading the group in a 500 lap sprint, a Wonderbolt exercise of choice. Rainbow’s heart rate was elevated, lungs gasping for any and all air. Wings putting out as much thrust as possible, the other members pushed for their final laps as well. Ever since having Rainbow Blitz, she felt as if she had something to prove after almost six months of not being able to fly. There was nopony on the team who was going to outperform her.
The ponies ahead of her quickly came into sight as she was about to lap them yet again, nearing the final stretch of the track. Only a couple more seconds and she would be there, muscles were starting to cramp from overstrain. Never had finishing a lap felt so rewarding when she flew by the white line marked in the cloud.
Her wings started to wobble, the final push having done its toll. Dash immediately landed jumping and skipping a bit. Rainbow’s lungs felt as if they were alight with fire, water stations were situated all around the finish line, waiting for members to be done. She couldn’t get to the water fast enough, the cold, chilled liquid tingling down her throat. Sweat dripping off her nose onto the ground while she drank. She had finished ahead of everypony on the team and now had the enjoyment of watching the others struggle toward the finish line.
The cyan mare sat down against the hard cloud wall as a couple others finished the marathon of a race. Normally her mind would be focused on just her workout for the day, what more she could improve on, how she could do better and work harder. But ever since Blitzy was born things had changed, instead of race results she would rather focus on him. Always worrying about where he was and what he was doing, who was taking care of him, what Soarin was doing wrong. It was a never ending stream of thoughts that seemed to cloud her mind.
Her mind kept going back to the day he was born, but she could only remember bits and pieces probably because of the pain. She made a mental note to get Soarin back for all the punishment she went through, but that could wait. Everything became real when she laid eyes on her son, that little rainbow mane and tail just like hers. His tiny little heart beat in sync with her own as she held Blitzy. Everything changed, priorities shifted.
A couple of other Wonderbolts were finishing their final laps, pushing themselves, for they were almost done. Rainbow sat back against the wall, still breathing hard from the workout, drinking water. Soon enough the last few team members began to trickle in, this was the point at which one of the coaches or Spitfire would come out and tell them of their next workout.
A white pegasus with a whistle walked over the crowd of sweaty pegasi, watching them drink and relax.
“Come on, it was just 500 laps. You’ve got a long day ahead of you, okay our next workout is-”
“Wait, coach!” a staff member shouted, running through the crowd toward his direction. It was one of messenger boys from the office, their job was to do anything their superiors told them to, no matter if it was their boss or a member of the crew. The smaller pegasus looked tiny compared to the strong bulky Wonderbolts around him.
“What is it?” The intern trotted over the coach and began whispering something into his ear, everyone's interest level immediately turned up. When a low level guy came in and whispered something to guy in charge, it was never a good thing. “Oh, alright, thanks.”
“Everypony take a break and head toward the auditorium, Spitfire has something to tell you all. Go on, I don’t want to see anypony trotting or they will be right back here doing another 500!”
The intern disappeared into the crowd of the ponies exiting the track, each of them doing a light jog to cool down as they headed toward the small meeting room that the staff members liked to call the ‘auditorium’. Hallway after hallway the team jogged down toward the place the coach had told them.
The small space filled up quickly with such a large amount of ponies filling it. Rainbow Dash was in the middle to the back of the group, looking onward toward a raised platform. Ponies were chattering about, talking about the workout and what this whole thing might be about. Spitfire liked to give speeches but giving them during a workout was almost unheard of. The temperature in the chamber quickly began to rise at all the warm bodies.
They didn’t have to wait too long before their fearless leader came marching through the door in the back. Rainbow Dash couldn’t really see but she could definitely hear something was happening. All the mares near the front were taken back by something, the stallions tried to help themselves but couldn’t help but join in. Ponies in the back tried to get a good view but were blocked by the low ceilings.
“Hi there everyone, I would like for you all to meet the newest member of the Wonderbolt team.”
Wait, everyone on the team already met the new guys, there can't be another one it’s past the deadline for acceptance, the cyan mare thought to herself.
“Rainbow Blitz.” Upon hearing the name, Dash’s eyes grew very wide, Spitfire had just said her son’s name. She had to see what was going on, and started pushing the ponies in front of her out of the way, trying to get a better view.
“Congratulations, Soarin and Rainbow Dash, on a healthy baby boy. Give them a big round of applause.” The pegasi near the stage pushed themselves apart, giving room for the mare to see what was going on up on stage. Spitfire stood alone on the stage with Blitzy sitting atop her mane, happily chewing away at her bright orange mane, laughing and giggling the whole time from the attention as if nothing were wrong. He was bright healthy and amused, what else could a mother ask for? The crowd erupted in applause, the mares and stallions around Dash giving her a pat on the back or a personal congratulations.
“Calm down everyone, that’s not all.” Underneath the orange pegasus’ wing stood a stack of large notecards, slightly crumpled from being transported. Spitfire set Rainbow Blitz on the ground next to them. Being only a couple of weeks he old he tried to chew on them. Dash continued making her way up to the stage toward her infant son, while the golden mare began turning them over.
‘Hey Mom, how’s practice going? Having fun?’ The crowd laughed a bit as Spitfire turned the cards for the young colt. Anypony could see it were Soarin’s hoof writing skills.
‘I am fine, just here checking out the stadium’
‘One day I am gonna be here’
‘Gonna be just like you someday’
‘That’s later on, but now I would like to say something’
‘You’re the best mom anypony could ask for’ Rainbow Dash looked forward at her tiny son, nibbling a bit on the previous cards. Ponies around her continued to congratulate her.
‘The one pony who can perform a Sonic Rainboom’
‘The one pony who can always make me laugh’
‘The one pony who always brightens my day’
‘Always there for my 2 a.m. diaper changes’ A smile cracked her face, it was true.
‘Always there to keep Dad in line’
‘We have only known each other for a short time’
‘But it’s not hard to tell that you love me’
‘And I love you, Mommy’
‘And so does Daddy’
Little to the knowledge of Rainbow Dash, a light blue pegasus slipped through the door in the back of the auditorium and began making his way through the crowd, trying not to alert anypony.
‘He told me so, and does everyday’
‘On and on about you, like it’ all he can talk about’
‘I don’t think he is a half bad guy’
‘I mean both of us have the good looks’
‘Well, more me than him’
The stallion kept working his way through the crowd, heading toward the one mare with a rainbow mane. It was really easy to locate in the crowd. The ponies around him sort of made an aisle toward her, once they figured out who he was. He kept trotting onward with a small blue velvet box in his mouth.
‘He said he never wants to leave you’
‘That he will stay by your side always’
‘Through thick and thin, whatever that means’
‘And he wants to show you’
‘Turn around’ Spitfire dropped the stack of cards and picked Rainbow Blitz off the floor, placing him atop her mane.
Rainbow Dash turned around to a sight that she would never forget, a kind of memory that is savored throughout life. Soarin, kneeling down on one knee with a tiny box that had a ring sticking out of it. The ring was nothing too special, just a normal cut and polished stone, Rarity would not be all that impressed. But to her it was perfect, it was simple and pretty.
“Rainbow Dash, will you... marry me?”
The team erupted in cheers and screaming, the stallions in the crowd cheering Soarin on. Ponies stomped the ground, creating a tremendous noise. All eyes in the room were focused around the two pegasi seemingly separate from everypony else. The mare was overwhelmed with emotions, it was early in the morning and her mind was already exhausted, first 500 laps then this. It was like a dream, it couldn’t be happening, not now and here. She was soaked mane to tail in her own sweat which had not yet evaporated into the air. Moisture on her skin combined with a new liquid forming in her eyes.
She couldn’t help but blush like a little school filly that had just been embarrassed. Ever since they officially started dating Rainbow had waited for this day, having the answer memorized. But never did she predict anything like this and all the pressure that went with it.
Screams from the crowd continued to pour into their ears while she looked at her special somepony down on one knee. He was giving her that smile, the one that nopony could resist, you just had to laugh and smile back like it was contagious. He had done the same thing on their first real date together. So innocent, it was hard to get mad at him when he did that.
Seconds ticked by while she tried to comprehend what was going on. The father of her child, the love of her life, her coach and instructor, her best friend, special somepony and lover, was waiting for an answer. The answer was as simple as it was to go out with him in the first place.
“Yes.”
Upon hearing the words, the noise in the room grew ten fold. Ponies were jumping up and down, the place was going crazy. Soarin stood up from his kneel, bringing Rainbow Dash to a warm embrace. Never had a hug felt so good as when it was from your fiancé. Some of the moisture on the mare transferred over to him, but it didn’t matter, he loved every square inch of her. The stallion raised a hoof sweeping the rainbow mane out of her face, revealing a smiling and teary eyed mare. She hated crying, it was a sign of weakness, but who really cared at this point?
Soarin pushed forward, connecting into Dash’s lips. There was a spark between them that they both could feel. A kiss only a true lover can create, Princess Cadence would be jealous if she knew. Rainbow let her weight go out from under her, letting the light blue pegasus support her while a set of cyan hooves wrapped into his navy mane and started working their way up and down as the ponies around them cheered.
It was as if in that moment they were alone and nopony else there to ruin it. Spitfire made her way up through the crowd, Blitzy atop her mane, chewing away at the funny orange object before him. She was happy for both Soarin and Rainbow Dash, he had finally manned up and done it. There was nothing more in the world the golden mare could wish upon them except happiness.
“Alright you two, we don’t want Rainbow Dash out for another 6 months again, save it for later.”
The two pegasi broke apart, both a little embarrassed and red in the face, they had lost themselves in the moment. The tiny colt’s eyes lit up upon seeing his mother’s face and mane. She caught her son’s gaze, immediately bringing a smile to her face.
“Here you go.”
Spitfire lifted the foal off her mane and handed him to Rainbow. Blitzy giggled with excitement, seeing both his parents. His mother’s mane was so warm and calming. The cyan mare held her tiny son in her sweaty arms, pulling him close to her body. His tiny heartbeat in sync with her own. Soarin laid his wing around the pair and looked down from Dash’s shoulder. A moment they would never forget.
Author's Note
Hey, hope you all liked the story. Like always thanks to TheShadow for editing and looking over the story. Please comment and tell me what you think. When I wrote the last line of this story I didn't feel like stopping, so I wrote another paragraph on just a whim, and well here it is.
It’s these moments that should be cherished throughout life. The times that overshadow all the pain and suffering that we endure through everyday life. It’s these moments that we hold near and dear because they are the ones we look upon. The few and shimmering parts of our lives that should be told, but never are. It’s these times that are overshadowed in the scheme of things, but hold an importance for themselves. Life gets rough, beats you down everyday, and still we must lift our heads and carry on. The few and in between moments we have like this take us out. This is what our lives are really made of, who we are, and what we want.
