Zestar Apple Flambe

Chapters

Author's Notes
Chapter 1: Ingredients
Chapter 2: My Little Dragon
Chapter 3: My Little Problem
Chapter 4: My Big Problem
Chapter 5: Rearranging
Chapter 6: My Big Fat Little Pony Wedding
Chapter 7: Snooping Scoop

Author's Notes

Shameless Self-Promotion: Go check out my other work at . None of it's pony-related (yet), but I do write other things.
Boring Author’s Notes:
This isn’t my first fanfic, but it is the first one I’ve ever even considered releasing for public scrutiny. Ponies make all kinds of impossible things happen, it seems.
This story was inspired by a series of pictures by deviant Banshee42ru, “My Little Dragon”, “My Little Problem”, “My Little Miracle” and “Dra…Pony?” (which is the cover image for this story.) Go look at them, they’re great.
I wanted to tell the story of this adorable little hybrid (designated Zestar Apple by the artist, and Apple Flambé by a commenter – I sort of like Flambé better, and it feels more “ponyish”, but out of respect for the artist I worked both the names in) and apparently some other folks wanted me to write it. So I did.
The story takes place a few years after the current point in the series (near end of Season 2). Exactly how long is intentionally undefined, because the ponies’ life cycle is still pretty ambiguous: it’s not clear at what age they become sexually mature or their typical lifespans, for instance. Naturally, a great deal of this is based on popular fanon, my personal “head-canon”, or is purely in-story canon that I don’t regard as otherwise “true”. Future episodes may of course render any or all of this impossible, and I may or may not edit to accommodate.
How long and how far this story will go depends on many factors. As of writing, I have plans for Flambé’s birth and childhood, as well as some of the controversy surrounding him.
This isn’t a clopfic but there are some sort of serious themes regarding unexpected pregnancy and the like.
I try to demand a very high quality of writing out of myself, and nothing you see has gone without being reread and examined multiple times. That said, I always welcome critiques.
Special thanks go out to:
Banshee42ru for the images which sparked this whole thing off. I may have written a story and character completely different from what you intended to convey, but I hope you’ll enjoy them anyway.
The Deviantart commenters aliadesa, writemaster93 and sieurin, who encouraged me to write this.
My friend ankyo for his extensive consultation.
And of course Lauren Faust and all the folks at Hasbro for creating this truly remarkable series and allowing its fanbase to develop like it has.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned and copyrighted by Hasbro. If you needed me to tell you that then you’re some kind of moron.

Chapter 1: Ingredients

Dear Princess Celestia,

You may recall some of my previous correspondence mentioning a filly named Apple Bloom, the younger sister of my good friend Applejack. It seems that this young subject of yours has become unexpectedly pregnant.

Even under normal circumstances, I would have mixed feelings about this event, given her young age and unmarried status, and the fact that she still has yet to obtain her Cutie Mark. However, there is an additional factor which I feel warrants your immediate attention and consultation.

It seems that the father is Spike.

Apple Bloom denies that there is any other possible father, and Spike agrees with her. He tells me that their relationship began late last autumn…

“Zecora? You in?” Spike rapped on the door of the zebra’s hut with a knuckle, hoping she’d let him in before he got any colder. The pegasi had started bringing in winter early this year and it was nearly cold enough to snow.

“She’s not here right now. Can I help you?” As the door opened, a familiar yellow head topped by a deep red mane poked through the entrance.

“Oh, hi Apple Bloom.” Spike smiled at the filly – no, a young mare now. “Can I come in?”

“’Course, Spike. What brings you here?” Apple Bloom opened the door wider, letting the adolescent dragon into the warm hut. He had to duck a little bit to get through the low doorframe: he’d been growing steadily over the past few years, and now stood taller than most of his pony friends.

“Twilight needs some herbs for an alchemy experiment. Where’d Zecora go?”

“Off finding stuff for this batch of potions. I’m just makin’ sure they keep boiling.” Apple Bloom picked up a chunk of firewood in her mouth and placed it in the fire. On a grill just above the flame were three small cauldrons, each with a differently colored liquid inside.

Spike sniffed at the trio of bubbling cauldrons. “What’s she making?” he asked, wrinkling his nose at the bizarre odors.

“Well, that one’s a baldness cure, and I think that one’s for hoof n’ mouth, and that one’s for couples tryin’ to have foals.” Apple Bloom stirred the last pot with a long wooden spoon, releasing a scent somewhere between raspberries and honeysuckle.

“Will she be gone long? Twilight’s eager to get started.”

“Can’t rightly say when she’ll be back. Sometimes she’s only gone for a minute, sometimes she’s gone half the night. Do you have a list? Maybe I can help.” Spike produced the parchment, and Apple Bloom looked it over. “Yeah, I know where all this stuff is. Give me a couple minutes to dig it out.”

Spike watched her as she rummaged around in Zecora’s storage room. She had grown into quite the lovely young mare, even if her legs still gangled a little. She still wore a bright pink bow in her mane, though it wasn’t quite as oversized on her as it had been when she was younger. For all her body had matured, however, her flank remained glaringly empty.

“Here ya go.” Apple Bloom passed him a bundle of herbs, neatly tied with twine. Spike jumped in surprise.

“Sorry, guess I zoned out there,” he said, embarrassed. “Er… how much do I owe you?”

“Aw, don’ worry about that. Let me keep the list and I’ll get Zecora to work it out. Stop by any time, Spike.”

Spike felt a little awkward as he left, as though there was something else he should’ve said or done. It was far too cold to stand outside and think about it, so he hurried home.

* * *

“Well, hey again, Spike.” Apple Bloom said, opening the door for the dragon for the second time in as many days.

“You’re here a lot, aren’t you?”

“Look who’s talkin’!” she snorted, then shook her head. “Naw, I know what’cha mean. Ain’t much to do on the farm since harvest season’s over, and Zecora said she could use the help. And…” Apple Bloom nudged her head towards her own blank flank. “I got nothin’ else to do. Sweetie Belle’s doin’ a concert in Manehattan and I’d just slow down Scootaloo, and everypony else I know’s got their marks and started workin'.” She sighed. “I’m the oldest one in Ponyville who ain’t got hers yet.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“Sis says it’s a little unusual for a pony my age to not have her mark, but it’s not unheard of.”

Spike didn’t know what to say, and a brief, awkward silence passed between them.

“So, what can I get for ya today?” Apple Bloom put her smile back on.

“Twilight used up all her tea and doesn’t want to leave her experiment long enough to get more. So here I am.”

Apple Bloom laughed. “Some things never change, huh? Let’s see, it’s the rose petal and orange zest mix, right?”

“Yeah. Could I get a bag of the mint too?”

"'Course."

Spike turned to go, and was nearly out the door when something compelled him to turn around. Apple Bloom had already returned her attention to today’s batch of potions, and something about the sight of her standing there, bare-flanked and without company, struck him as terribly sad.

“You okay here by yourself? I mean, I could stay and keep you company. Y’know, until Zecora comes back.”

Apple Bloom was surprised, though not entirely unpleased.

“It’s awful kind of you to offer, Spike, but I’m fine. I do this all the time. Din’t you say you need to get those to Twilight?”

“Oh, she’ll be wrapped up in her experiment for hours.” Spike shrugged. “She probably doesn’t even know I’m gone yet.”

“Well, if you wanna stick around, I won’t say no. Whaddya want to talk about?”

Spike racked his brain for a conversation topic. “Well… do you know how dragons get our wings? It’s really not that different from ponies and cutie marks”

“Really?”

“Actually, it was Zecora who told me. She knew about… you know, that time I started grabbing everything and growing so fast. So I figured she might know about when I’d get my wings. Let’s see…” Spike closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember Zecora’s words exactly. “ ‘A dragon’s heart is prone to greed, but every dragon has a special need. Gold or iron, respect or fear, each dragon has a thing he holds most dear. When the dragon’s need he knows for true, his wings will grow, his desire to pursue.’” Spike blushed; reciting the rhyme made him feel a little silly.

“So when you find out what it is you really like to collect, that’s when your wings grow? That’s really interestin’,” said Apple Bloom.

“I’m not sure what mine could be, though. I like gems and all, but just for snacks, and I don’t really care about stuff like gold. I guess it could be something like respect or fear, but I’d rather stay wingless forever than have to scare ponies to get them.”

“It’s gotta be somethin’ you really want, right? If you don’t want it, it can’t be the right thing, like with cutie marks.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I hope so, anyway.”

“Shucks, if we’d known you were in the same boat, we would’ve invited you Crusadin’ with us!” Apple Bloom said with a laugh. “We tried collectin’ just about every darn thing, not to mention all the stuff we wound up makin’.”
Spike smiled, a little wistfully. “If I’d known, I might’ve asked. I don’t know the normal age for getting them; maybe I’m still young for it.”

“Lucky you.” Apple Bloom said, with a little bit of a huff. Spike felt himself go red at putting his foot in his mouth again, and he could not have been happier that Zecora picked that moment to return, her saddlebags bulging with supplies.

“Yet again I wander in, later than I’d like,” she said as Apple Bloom rushed to help her unload. “And when we have a guest! Please excuse my lateness, Spike.”

“Don’t worry about it, Apple Bloom was able to get me what I needed.”

“You seem to grow larger in just a few days. Have you returned to greedy ways?” Zecora smiled to show she was joking.

“Nah, it’s all natural. Well, almost all.” Spike grinned. “Still working on the wings, though.”

Zecora gave him an approving look, then turned to Apple Bloom.

“I’m back for the night, Apple Bloom, so you don’t have to stay in this room. I've been hearing howls, so you shouldn’t be alone; let our friend Spike walk you home.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Oh, no, I’ll be all right. I can handle a couple timber wolves.”

“Let me; it’s not far out of the way.” And it’s the least I could do after embarrassing myself about the cutie mark thing, thought Spike.

“Well, if you want to… See you tomorrow, Zecora?”

“If you’ve no other plans, but I make no demands.” The zebra ushered them both out the door. They didn’t notice that she stood and watched them walk away for a full minute before turning and closing up her hut.

When they reached Sweet Apple Acres, Spike found himself swept inside and offered hot cider, and he spent a happy, warm hour with the Apples before realizing the time and remembering his errand.

“Thanks for lookin’ after my little sister, Spike.” Applejack told him as he left. “I’ve been hearin’ timber wolves all night. If we’re lucky we’ll get another Zap Apple harvest, but it sure makes me uneasy thinkin’ about AB all alone out there.”

“I’m sure she can handle herself.”

“Sure she could, but she’s still my little sister. I’m glad I can trust you to watch out for her.” Applejack gave him a nudge with her nose that make Spike blush with pride all the way home.

***

By the time Spike found himself at Zecora’s again, the frosty winter weather was in full swing.

“Got anything for horn cramp?” he asked, shaking snow from his scarf. He didn’t really need the scarf, but it had been a gift from Rarity and he liked wearing it.

“Twilight’s got horn cramp?” asked Apple Bloom in surprise. “Sweetie Belle used to get that all the time when she first started doing magic, but I’da thought Twilight would be past that.” Most unicorns Twilight’s age had a better grasp of their limits and were able to avoid magical over-stress syndrome, more popularly known as “horn cramp”. A misnomer, Twilight herself would be quick to point out, as there are no muscles to cramp in a horn, but the sensation was very similar and the cure much the same: let it rest until it healed.

“She would be if she knew when to take a break,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “She’s been crazy over this last experiment of hers; she’s been pushing herself for days trying to get results. This morning she just gave out. She’s won't be able to do magic at all for the rest of the day, but I thought maybe you’d have something to reduce the pain.”

Apple Bloom quickly glanced through the counters of potions. “Don’t look like we got anythin’ prepared. Give me a second and I’ll try to dig up a recipe; maybe it won’t be too complicated.”

“If you’ve got any sleeping potion, that’d do too. Knockout powder, or something so she can’t move her lips. Anything that keeps her from complaining works for me.” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never been around Twilight with horn cramp. She’s impossible.”

“I’m sure we got somethin’ that’ll help.” She pulled a book off a shelf, flipped through it briefly, put it back. Spike started scanning the spines of the books, but the mare knew where to look and found a promising recipe first.

“Here we go, some kinda ointment. It’ll take me a little bit to brew up, though.”

“I’ll wait,” said Spike. “Twilight’s going to be on the couch moping all day anyway. Anything I can do to help?”

“Nah, I got it.” Apple Bloom vanished into the pantry for a couple minutes. “What’s this experiment that’s got her so worked up anyhow?” she asked on emerging.

“She’s trying to figure out if Century Fruit’s good for anything. You’d think something that only grows once every hundred years would be magical or something, but nobody’s ever managed to find a use for it since it only stays good for about a week. By the Icehoof festival it’ll probably all be rotten.”

“Uh-oh. That’s just a few days. I bet Twilight’s pretty mad at herself.”

“Which is why I’m staying here until that ointment’s done.”

“Mind giving the fire a little boost?” She added a couple of logs to the fire, and Spike gave a quick huff of flame that made them catch and flare. “Thanks,” said Apple Bloom, adding some ingredients and stirring. “Speakin’ of, you got anythin’ planned for the Festival?”

“Not really,” said Spike. “They’ll probably ask me to vend the snacks again.”

“Wouldn’t you rather be playin’ with everypony else?” Come to think of it, she'd never seen Spike participate in the games, and had always been too busy herself to ask why.

“Well, I’m not really supposed to do any of the actual competitions. Unfair advantage or something.” Spike wiggled his fingers, so much better at rolling snowballs or carving ice than a pony’s hooves were. “Besides, don’t you remember what a disaster I had last year?”

“I missed it last year. I had the flu somethin’ awful.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Well, I’d just had a growth spurt, and I thought it would be fun to see what I could do. I tried out ice skating and… turns out I’m a better icebreaker than a skater.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but giggle at the image of poor Spike floundering in a frozen pond. “And when I tried to dry myself off I wound up damaging some of the ice sculptures, and… it wasn’t fun for anypony. Besides, I don’t really get cold the way ponies do; exercising to get warmer doesn’t have much point for me.”

“But don’cha miss out on the fun?”

Spike shrugged. “A little, but I still see everypony. Besides, I get a share of the snacks for myself.”

“You think you’ll have those spiced almonds again?”

“I’m sure, those are always a big hit.” Lots of ponies had tried extracting the secret recipe from Cardamom and Vanilla Bean, the local spice shop owners, but to no avail.

“They're the best! AJ forgot to save me any last year; I was so mad.”

“They sell out pretty fast. You need to get there early.” No matter how many bags they prepared, the almonds were always among the first snacks to sell out.

“Yeah, I know,” sighed Apple Bloom, “But it hardly ever seems to work out that way.”

“How about you? Going to enter any of the events?”

“I’ll probably try for the ice sculpture contest again.” She pumped the air with a determined hoof. “I’m gettin’ that blue ribbon this year!”

“You say that every year,” Spike said sardonically, and Apple Bloom gave him an evil look. “…and I’m sure it’ll come true this year,” he added nervously. “What’re you making?”

“Not sure yet. Somethin’ will come to me, always does. I gotta get in front of the ice block first, you know?” A fat bubble on the surface of the brewing ointment burst with a comical pop, releasing a nose-curling odor.

“Well, that’s ready,” said Apple Bloom, fetching a jar. “You just rub this stuff on her horn every few hours. It’ll make any magic she tries to do go wonky, but she don’t need to be doin’ it anyway.”

“Doesn’t it need to cool down, first?” asked Spike.

“Well, I guess it could…” Apple Bloom was practiced at putting piping-hot potions and poultices in their portable portions, but… well, better safe than sorry. Besides, they weren’t done chatting yet, were they? A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

When Spike finally left, jar of ointment in hand, it was starting to get dark. Where had the time gone, he wondered. He hadn’t been chatting with Apple Bloom that long, had he? It wasn’t his fault if she’d forgotten to take the pot off the fire and had to start again, was it? Twilight couldn’t blame him for being late under those circumstances, right?

***

Spike’s job at the Icehoof Festival was straightforward enough: ponies brought him their wares, he sold them from a large stall and delivered the money at the end of the day. In exchange, he got a little money and some of the leftovers. The event was on Sweet Apple Acres, as it required lots of empty field space, and the stall was placed strategically so ponies coming from every direction could see it. This also meant Spike could see what was going on all around him. To his left, a few foals were building snowponies and snow mountains. To his right, some adult ponies were arranging an obstacle course. Just behind him, he heard Twilight’s familiar voice, and turned to see her explaining the history of the festival to a small cluster of foals, who ignored her utterly as they rolled snowballs.

“When the air was too dry and the wind too intense to build a fire, early ponies needed a way to keep from freezing, so they would play games and hold competitions to get the blood flowing and stay warm and limber. It’s also when they would bring out the richest food they could, to give them the energy to-” Twilight’s lecture was suddenly halted as a unicorn filly dropped a levitated snowball on her head. “Oh, is THAT how it is!” she said indignantly once she recovered her wits. “Well, take THIS!” Countless tiny clusters of snow suddenly rose from the ground, surrounded in mystic purple, and shot out in all directions. Most of the foals were hit by two or three, some completely uninvolved ponies suffered a strike, and the guilty unicorn was thoroughly covered with snow.

“Heya Spike. What’d I miss?” Apple Bloom had come up behind him while he was turned to watch Twilight. A white hairband kept her mane out of her eyes, and she was wearing fluffy white legwarmers; she had just come from working on her entry for the sculpting contest.

“Twilight just showed a bunch of foals that you don’t mess with her in a snowball fight. Did you get your sculpture finished?”

“Just about. I wish I’d had a little more time, but that’s how it goes. They’ll be judging pretty soon, but I thought I’d pop over for a snack first. You’re probably all out of almonds, huh?”

“Hold on one second” said Spike, sticking his head under the booth. There was a little insulated box under there for preparing the snacks, and he breathed on a small platter of almonds for a few seconds. The scent of cooking almonds and spices filled the oven and wafted out, and Apple Bloom’s nostrils widened at the aroma.

“Spike, is that…?”

He pulled the tray out of the oven and poured the almonds into a paper bag before handing them to her.

“I saved you some. They’re best when they’re still warm, so I had to cook them real quick.”

“Thanks!” she exclaimed happily. “That’s so sweet of you, I really thought I’d miss out on them again this.” She nuzzled under his chin, and Spike nearly dropped the bag.

“N-no problem. Here you go.” He opened the bag and placed it on the counter where she could reach.

“Hey, Spike!” called Cloudchaser, walking over. “I thought you were all out of those. Did you find some more?”

“Sorry, CC. Just that last batch.”

“Aww, shucks,” the pegasus said, pouting.

“You can have a couple if you want,” offered Apple Bloom in a spray of almond chunks.

“Nah, that’s okay. If I eat one I’ll eat the whole bag. Thanks, though.” Cloudchaser nodded in their direction and flew off.

Apple Bloom swallowed her mouthful. “Did you have to turn away a bunch of other ponies from these?” she whispered.

“Just a few,” Spike said, scratching the back of his skull (eight was a few, right?) “But these were for you from the start. They weren’t for sale.”

“Spike… that’s really…” Apple Bloom wasn’t sure whether to be touched or annoyed. It wasn’t really fair to all the other ponies who wanted this treat, but she had a warm feeling in her chest that she was pretty sure didn’t come from the almonds. Before she could gather her thoughts, she heard her big sister’s voice announcing that the ice sculpture judging was about to start.

“Well, I’d better go. Wish me luck.”

“Hold on, I’ll come too.” Spike reached under the booth and produced a small ‘On Break’ sign. “That was the last bag of the popular stuff. I want to see your sculpture.”

On a platform of ice stood the rearing foal symbol of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, her cape rumpled realistically in an imaginary wind. From where her hind hooves touched the ice, a plethora of cutie marks sprouted: Spike recognized Scootaloo’s flaming wheel, Sweetie Belle’s silver bell, even Pipsqueak’s elaborate astrolabe, among others. A few of the symbols were unformed and not-quite-distinguishable, clearly in the process of growing from the ice. The platform was also adorned with a slightly-unfurled pair of dragon wings, ready to snap into the air.

“Whaddya think?” asked Apple Bloom.

“It’s awesome!” Spike said enthusiastically. “That’s blue ribbon material for sure.”

“I dunno,” said Apple Bloom, her mouth turning down. “I was kind of unhappy with the wings. I was thinkin’ about our chat and I figured even honorary Crusaders oughta be represented, you know?”

“You didn’t have to do that,” started the dragon, but Apple Bloom ignored him.

“I’ve got some pretty stiff competition. Look at Rime’s, and Crystal Clear’s.” She pointed at a couple of other sculptures. One was an icy hourglass, laced with spidery tracks of frost, and it was actually functional; water poured in the top kept reasonably good time. The other sculpture was an elaborate snowflake of breathtaking delicacy, perfectly symmetrical and fantastically organic.

Spike held his breath as the mayor came around, blue ribbon in her hoof… and placed it on the hourglass. A red ribbon followed, onto the snowflake. Apple Bloom got the yellow ribbon.

Spike groaned; Apple Bloom let out a sigh. “Well, that’s that,” she said.

“That’s too bad, though.”

“Well, it’s not-“ A gasp and a cheer from the rest of the audience cut off Apple Bloom. She looked up to see an ice-white unicorn colt standing in front of the hourglass sculpture, turning to look at his own flank. The image of a hammer and chisel had just appeared there. Rime had earned his cutie mark.

“Would you look at that,” said Spike. Apple Bloom said nothing until the colt suddenly ran over and wrapped his forelegs around hers, looking up at her with light blue eyes.

“Thank you so much, Apple Bloom!” He had a huge grin on his face and half-frozen tears on his cheeks.

“What for, Rime?” she asked, startled.

“For giving me those lessons, remember? I’ve been practicing ever since and I don’t think I would’ve got my cutie mark without your help and this is just the best day ever! THANK YOU!” Rime wrapped his forelegs around Apple Bloom’s neck as best he could, then ran off to show his new mark to another group of his friends.

“You gave sculpting lessons?” asked Spike.

“He was a Crusader. He was having a little trouble getting the chisel to do what he wanted with magic, so I taught him how to do it with his mouth.” Apple Bloom said quietly, staring after the younger pony.

“Well, you taught the pony who got first prize. Doesn’t that kinda make it your win too?” Apple Bloom just shrugged. Spike tried again, hoping for a smile. “And you helped a little colt get his cutie mark! That’s pretty awesome by itself!” Apple Bloom frowned, very slightly. “Third place isn’t bad at all, you know.”

Apple Bloom exploded. “It ain’t about the stupid contest! When am I gonna get my turn? I’m watchin’ every little filly an’ colt in town grow up an’ get theirs, and when is it time for ME?” Spike took a step back, hurt in his eyes. Apple Bloom stomped off towards the main house.

***

“Um… Apple Bloom?” Spike ventured quietly, opening the door to her room. It was starting to get dark; Spike had gone back to his post for a few hours to give Apple Bloom space to cool off. She hadn’t come out since and he wanted to make sure she was okay.

“Hey, Spike,” she said, looking up from her bed. The headband and legwarmers were discarded on the floor, and her mane hung loose without her usual pink ribbon. “You can come in.” He did, but stopped just inside the door, trying to gauge her mood. “I’m sorry I snapped at you before. I’m just… it’s so frustratin’, y’know? I’m happy for Rime, I really am, but I’ve lost count of how many foals I’ve seen get their cutie marks.” Apple Bloom took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know it shouldn’t get to me; everypony tells me that I ain’t near the oldest blank-flank ever an’ it’ll come in eventually, but it still hurts. What’m I doin’ wrong?”

Spike didn’t know how to answer that, so he just said “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I was trying to cheer you up and I guess I blew it.”

Apple Bloom sniffed and forced a smile. “I know you were just tryin’ to be nice. It was me who lost my temper.”

“Forget about it,” said Spike. “Still friends?”

“'Course.” Relieved, Spike sat down next to her. He looked at his hands for a moment, tapping his fingers nervously. Apple Bloom, sensing he was about to say something, kept quiet until he spoke.

“I know it's not the same thing, but... lately I’ve been having these dreams about flying. I’ve got these huge, strong wings, and I’m just flying over everything and looking down on the whole world, and it feels… good. It feels right. Then I wake up and I just feel… I dunno, empty or something, like something’s missing that should be there. Like walking into a room and somepony’s moved something but you don’t remember how it was before, you just know it’s wrong. Does that make sense?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “It really does. I feel sorta empty too if I think about my cutie mark too long. But I feel a little better knowin' there's somepony who knows how I feel."

"That's what friends are for, right?" said Spike, hopping off the bed. "Do you want to come out and see the bonfire? It should be starting any time now."

"Yeah. Can you help me out with my bow?"

As Spike tied the bow and helped her into her legwarmers, Apple Bloom asked. "Do you... um, do you have any plans for next weekend?”

“Not really. Why?”

“You’re not going to the Snowflake Dance?”

“Eh,” he shrugged. “I’ve never gone to that one. It’s more of a couples’ dance, isn’t it?”

“Only sorta. Lots of ponies just go as friends. Sweetie Belle’s going to sing, and I think Scootaloo wants to spend some time with Rumble, so I'm gonna be stuck by myself unless I can find somepony to go with...” She looked at him expectantly.

“You want to go with me?”

“Only if you wanna! It won’t hurt my feelin’s if you don’t wanna go,” Apple Bloom fibbed.

“Sure. Sure, I’ll go.” Spike said, a bit dazedly.

Apple Bloom smiled widely and pushed her head under his chin."Great! I'll be lookin' forward to it. Now c'mon, last one outside's a wormy apple!"

There was no way for Spike to win that race.

When Spike got home, Twilight was taking a hot bath after her long day in the cold. Spike slammed open the bathroom door, startling her.

“Twilight!” he said, nearly shouted, “Teach me to dance!”

Chapter 2: My Little Dragon

Winter was wrapped up, and spring was sprouting. The winter had been longer and colder than normal – Pegasus Weather Control insisted on such things periodically – but today’s breeze was very pleasant and the weather promised to be fine. This beautiful morning saw Spike meeting Apple Bloom at the old treehouse on top of the hill in one of the more secluded corners of Sweet Apple Acres.

“Howdy, Spike. ‘Fraid I don’t have any herbs on me, you’ll have to talk to Zecora by yourself.” The yellow mare had just finished setting up a sawhorse and put a plank of wood on top of it.

“I’m not looking for herbs,” chuckled Spike. “Twilight said she’s ‘reshelving’, and that usually means she wants to be alone, so I thought I’m come and see what you were up to. Big Mac said you’d probably be here.”

“Yup. Thought I’d take a little time today to do some repairs on the old clubhouse. The latest batch of Cutie Mark Crusaders really did a number on the place.”

“A number” was putting it mildly, Spike thought. He was pretty sure the treehouse was supposed to have four walls and more roof than that.

With remarkable dexterity, Apple Bloom maneuvered a short saw with her mouth, holding the plank of wood against the sawhorse with her front hooves.

“Here, let me help.” Spike steadied the plank with his hands. For all of Apple Bloom’s skill with her mouth and hooves, his claws and their opposable digits were superior for nearly every task. He would’ve taken the saw for her, but he wasn’t sure what she wanted done with it.

“Thankf.” Apple Bloom mumbled around the handle, then deftly sawed the plank in two.

“I think it’s pretty cool that the Crusaders are still going on,” said Spike, picking up another piece of wood for her.

Apple Bloom remembered the day they let Pipsqueak and Dinky join, and the younger foals had invited their own friends, so even as Scootaloo and then Sweetie Belle found their talents and “graduated” the ranks of the Cutie Mark Crusaders grew. Apple Bloom, though still blank, eventually stopped coming to the meetings. It belonged to the next generation of late bloomers now, and she felt more and more an outsider in their games. Even supervising them felt like an intrusion: she always wanted to warn them away from their more dangerous and ridiculous plans, but she knew that those were the most fun.

A couple hours later, they looked at their handiwork. The roof was repaired, the siding refinished, and the lightning rod, a fairly recent addition, straightened out.

“You’re such a talented carpenter, Apple Bloom. Are you sure that’s not your cutie mark?”

She shook her head, smiling. “I thought of that. I do like to build, but it doesn’t feel like my real talent, y’know? It’s like how Pinkie Pie is a great ice skater but that’s not her mark.”

Spike felt like an idiot, but Apple Bloom didn’t seem upset.

“Heeey guys!” Spike turned to see a golden yellow eye looking at him. There was another eye paired with it, but that one was looking up and away from him.

“Hi Der–er, Ditzy.” Though the gray pegasus who owned the eyes didn’t seem to mind the nickname, Spike was trying to get out of the habit of using it: Twilight always gave him an earful if she heard him say it.

“What’re you doin’ out in the rain?” Ditzy Doo asked, perfectly sincere even as the sun was reflecting off her bright yellow mane.

Apple Bloom looked up into the dazzling blue sky. “Derpy, it ain’t rainin’. There’s barely a cloud in the sky.”

“Not yet, but it’s gonna rain in a minute. There was some kinda mixup, and this area is in for a big storm any time now.”

“Wait, really?” A pony like Rainbow Dash might’ve told them that as a prank, but Ditzy didn’t have a deceitful bone in her body.

“Yep, really. Look, here’s the weather team now!”

Above, they saw angry dark stormclouds speeding across the sky, propelled by tiny dots.

Spike looked at Apple Bloom “Do we have time to get back to the main house?”

“Doesn’t look like it.” The pegasi were amazingly fast: already the sky was almost completely black with clouds.

“I’d get under cover if I were you,” suggested Derpy cheerfully, then flew off into the sky as lightning cracked and the rain began to fall. Apple Bloom and Spike made a mad dash into the treehouse and shut the door.

“Now I’m really glad we fixed that lightning rod,” said Apple Bloom, shaking drops off her coat.

“Here, let me.” Spike breathed out gently: not proper fire, but warm, dry breath that ruffled her fur and dried it in moments. When they were both dry, they turned to look out the window.

“Wow. It’s really pouring.”

“Guess there’s nothing to do but wait for it to stop.”

She leaned on him as they watched the storm, pleased as always at how warm he was. And he smelled good after a soaking. It was a complicated smell, rich and powerful. He leaned against her in turn, feeling the softness of her freshly dried coat.

The watched the rain for a few minutes, then at once broke the silence between them.

“You know…” she started

“I’ve really…” he began.

They stopped, looked at each other, laughed.

“You first,” she said.

“I just wanted to say that I’ve really had fun hanging out with you lately.”

“Me too, Spike. You’re pretty special, you know?”

“Thanks, AB. You’re special to me too.”

She gently nuzzled the side of his head: a casual sign of affection, nothing more. As she inhaled more of his scent, though, she noticed a sudden tightness in her belly, and a slow, spreading feeling of warmth from somewhere else in her body.

Spike’s nostrils widened. Through the dampness, he picked up a new smell, and he felt her whole body go rigid against him.

“What’s wrong?”

She felt the warmth grow stronger: it was in her hind legs now, moving all through her like a hungry fever. Apple Bloom knew this feeling: it had happened to her a few times before. But never like this, so strong, and so close to a mature male. He might be scaly, and a different species altogether, but still a male, able to give her body what it desired, what it needed. A tiny part of her mind told her to fight, to ignore it, but her body spoke much louder.

Apple Bloom leaned against Spike a little more urgently, nearly knocking him down. That new smell was getting stronger, and Spike noticed a sensation in his own body, a tingling feeling at the base of his tail.

“AB… you’re in season, aren’t you?” The young dragon stood up and tried to back away from her.

“What if I am?” she said, stepping closer without realizing she was doing so.

“I… I should go, then. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” To say nothing of his own discomfort.

“It’s still pouring out there!” Which was true, but she would’ve said anything to make him stay.

“I’ll be okay. I just…” He tried to break for the door but with a startling burst of speed, she positioned herself between him and the exit.

“Wait. Don’t go. Please.”

“Twilight’s told me about this. You’re not thinking straight, you don’t know what you’re doing-“

“I know what I’m doin’, Spike, an’ I know what I want.” Her eyes told him exactly what that was.

Her smell was intoxicating: that feeling at the base of his tail was overpowering. Spike had been around mares in heat before, though it was only recently that he’d really started to notice, and they’d never affected him this strongly before. He vaguely remembered Twilight mentioning, during a long-winded lecture on the subject, that a mare’s earlier seasons were her most intense, when her feelings and signals were at their most irresistible and her techniques of control the least developed.

But it wasn’t just physical. This was somepony he cared for deeply. Somepony he wanted to be closer to, and to give happiness to. Spike wanted to be with her, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her. He didn’t want her to be hurt, to feel like she’d been used, nor did he want her to feel rejected. And his body had its own desires, and it began to put its own plans into action while his mind debated. He knew if he didn’t leave right now, he wouldn’t be able to. And if he didn’t leave…

“I want you too, but-“

“But nothin'.” She moved closer and put her face to his, and he was lost.

They lay together afterwards, steam rising from their bodies, gasping and warm and sated.

“That was… wow.” Spike breathed when he could speak again.

“Mmm.” Apple Bloom cuddled against him, feeling more comfortable and relaxed than she could ever remember being.

“I never knew I could feel this way.”

“I never knew someone could make me feel this way. You really are special.”

Embracing each other, they fell asleep.

When they woke up, the rain had stopped and night had fallen. The pegasi had gathered up the remnants of the stormclouds for recycling, and the moon was shining cold and hard on the trees. Spike disentangled himself from Apple Bloom’s legs, trying not to wake her, but the moonlight in her eyes told him she was already awake.

“What time is it?” he asked

“Way past time for us to get home, I’m sure.” Even so, she was reluctant to get back on her hooves, not wanting to move from this warm, comfortable spot.

“Umm… Apple Bloom?”

“Yes?” She stirred to look at him, and saw the worry filling his eyes.

“I couldn’t… I mean, there’s no chance you could get pregnant from that, right?

“Ah… Naw. No way. Right? I mean, we’re so different.” She nodded confidently.

Reassured by her certainty, Spike grinned and said “Not SO different,” gently running a hand down her back. Apple Bloom giggled and kicked at him, deliberately missing.

“Go on home, Spike. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

***

Spike gently opened and shut the library door, hoping to get to his room without Twilight waking up. Alas, he heard the door to Twilight’s room creak as soon as he’d opened his own.

“Spike? Where’ve you been?”

He couldn’t bring himself to turn and look at her.

“Er… me and Apple Bloom-“

“Apple Bloom and I” corrected Twilight groggily.

“Right – we were working on the old Crusader treehouse and got caught in the rain.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her lately, haven’t you?” Spike felt the blood drain from his face. “That’s good,” said Twilight. “I’m sure she’s lonely without Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle around.”

“Yeah…”

“She’s not still worried about the cutie mark, is she? If she is, be sure to tell her that plenty of ponies her age still don’t have them. It’s a little unusual, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Sure thing, Twilight. I’m, er, not feeling so great after being out in the rain. I’m gonna go to bed.”

“Okay. ‘Night Spike.”

***

Alone in her room, Apple Bloom sighed. She knew that she’d done something very foalish, in more than one sense. If it had been a stallion she was with, she could very well have had a foal by this time next year. Hadn’t her sister warned her, over and over again? Hadn’t she heard enough stories of young, unprepared mares suddenly saddled with the incredible responsibility of a new life?

Still, Apple Bloom couldn’t bring herself to regret what had happened. Sure, looking back on it now she could see that the experience had been awkward and urgent and had taken place in a wholly inappropriate environment, but she couldn’t deny having enjoyed it immensely. She was still tingling a bit. And besides, she thought, there was no way she could get pregnant from Spike. A dragon and a pony? Impossible. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought that, imagining a possible future together – but no. For right now, that was best.

Apple Bloom insists that she began taking fertility suppressants shortly after, mixing them herself at Zecora’s hut. She claims this mainly stemmed from doubts of her own self-control, rather than doubts of her and Spike’s incompatibility. The two had only a few encounters after that, both being busy with other responsibilities. It wasn’t until late summer that she found out their first time was all it took.

Chapter 3: My Little Problem

Chapter 3: My Little Problem

“It’s been a while since you were in here, Apple Bloom. What seems to be the trouble?” Nurse Redheart asked, leading the younger mare into a quiet examination room.

“I’ve been feelin’ weak and achy, lately. I’m hungry all the time and not sleepin’ so good.” There were bags under Apple Bloom’s eyes, and her belly was slightly distended from three or four helpings at every meal.

“I see.” The white mare leaned in, examining Apple Bloom closely; listening to her heart, her belly; investigating her hindquarters. “And how long has this been going on?”

“Week an’ a half, two weeks I think. I thought it was just a cold, but it’s not gettin’ better.”

“Mm-hmm,” Nurse Redheart muttered, looking under Apple Bloom’s tail. After a second, she stepped back. “When was your last heat?”

“Um… well, I’ve been takin’, you know, those potions. Don’ they make your heats stop?”

“They make them weaker. When was the last heat you really remember?

She screwed up her eyes and thought. That day in the clubhouse. “About… almost four months ago. Yeah, I think that’s right.” A frightening thought leaped in her mind. “Is somethin’ wrong with my… y’know, my heats?”

“Not exactly. You’re pregnant.”

Apple Bloom’s mind went blank as it tried to process the word. Pregnant. Carrying. With foal. On the nest. Going to have a-

“I CAN’T be pregnant!” The words burst from her mouth before she thought about them.

“Oh, you definitely are. Almost four months along, I’d say.”

“No! It’s not possible!”

Nurse Redheart looked at her wearily. “Why? Did you think that just because you don’t have a cutie mark yet, you can’t get pregnant?”

“No… I knew about that, but…” She did know: Applejack had made a special point of warning her little sister about myths like that. “But the potions!”

“If you conceived before you started taking them, they won’t do much; they’re designed that way. Not that they’re completely effective in the first place.”

Apple Bloom had known that too; the recipe she’d been using had been very clear on that point, and she said so.

“So you knew all that, but still don’t see how you can be pregnant?” Redheart didn’t enjoy grilling her young patient like this, but she knew that the sooner Apple Bloom accepted her situation, the better off she’d be.

“It’s… it’s complicated.” Actually it was terribly simple, but explaining the identity – and species – of the father was something Apple Bloom simply wasn’t prepared to handle. She had no idea how the nurse might react, or how anypony else might react. Anypony like her siblings. Just coming to them with the news that she carried their niece or nephew would be bad enough, but… Panic and fear like she’d never known before welled up inside her, and she crumpled to the floor, sobbing. Nurse Redheart calmly and quietly approached Apple Bloom, put a leg around her, and held her as she wept.

Once the younger pony had calmed down a bit, Redheart took a more relaxed position, sitting beside her and gently touching her shoulder.

“Listen, Apple Bloom. Believe it or not, I’ve been right where you are now. I was just a little younger than you. I didn’t have my mark yet either, and I thought – like a lot of fillies do – that kept me safe. I was so scared, when I found out, and I felt completely alone.”

“What’d you do?” Nurse Redheart rarely talked about her past: she’d moved to Ponyville from Manehattan before Apple Bloom was born, and rumor had it that she’d grown up in one of the less reputable parts of the metropolis. She wasn’t looking at Apple Bloom any more, her eyes focused on another time and place.

“It was a complicated pregnancy. I was in and out of the hospital the whole time. But I made it through, and so did she – the baby, I mean. I knew I couldn’t raise her like she deserved, though. I was too young, and I still didn’t have my mark, and her father wasn’t any better prepared than I was. So I gave her to a couple I knew who couldn’t have children.”

A long pause, as Apple Bloom digested that idea. She knew a few adopted ponies: most often, a child of a different race than its parents would be given to a matching family. This was rare in Ponyville, as ponies of all races lived together and earth ponies, pegasi, or unicorns could all be tutored in their natural abilities by others of their kind. In less integrated communities, pegasus cloud-cities in particular, there were greater difficulties, and it was considered best for the child to be raised by parents similar to itself.

But in this case, there would be no parents similar to itself.

“I don’t know if I could do that. Give her up, I mean.” Apple Bloom had no idea if it was a ‘her’ or not; she just said the first word that came to mind. Nurse Redheart nodded, understanding her reluctance.

“It’s a big decision, but you’ve got at least seven months to think about it. The first thing you need to do is tell your family. You’re not going to be able to hide this much longer anyway, so it’s best to get the shock and crying part over with. And you need to tell the father, of course.”

They sat together for a while, the older mare telling the younger some things she could expect to happen to her body in the coming months, advising her on matters of health and nutrition. Again and again, Apple Bloom thought about mentioning the species of the father, but she was afraid of what the nurse might say or do. Besides, she knew the doctors didn’t know anything about dragons, nevermind dragon/pony hybrids. Twilight would be the wisest choice. If she didn’t know, nopony would.

Finally, the nurse stood up. “Are you ready to go, Apple Bloom? I have other patients to see, but you can wait in my office if you need more time to collect yourself.”

“No thanks, Nurse Redheart. I’m gonna go… let ‘em know. All of ‘em.”

The white mare gave Apple Bloom another hug. “I won’t tell you that everything will be all right, or that things will go back to normal for you, but I want you to know I’m here. This will change your life no matter what you choose to do, in ways you don’t expect. Being in the hospital so often, trying to understand what was happening to me, wanting to help other mares who might be going through the same thing – it’s what made me decide to become a nurse, and how I got this.” Redheart lifted a hind leg to display her cutie mark. That reminded Apple Bloom of one more question.

“Do you know where she is now? Your baby?”

The nurse pony smiled. “Last I heard, she was going to medical school in Fillydelphia. I couldn’t be prouder of her. ”

Apple Bloom steeled herself, took a deep breath, and walked out the hospital door. The tears were over, for now at least. Time to do what had to be done.

As Apple Bloom walked through Ponyville, heading towards the library, every laugh, whisper, and passing glance seemed to be directed at her. They knew, she thought, somehow they knew. Part of her realized that wasn’t possible, but she still felt ready to burst by the time she reached her destination. She saw Spike as soon as she entered the library, dusting the bookshelves.

“Spike? I gotta talk to you, right now.”

“Er… okay.” The urgency in her tone confused him. “Twilight’s out, so…” Apple Bloom turned and locked the library door.

“What is it? You don’t look so good.” He reached out a claw, felt her trembling.

“Spike… I went to see Nurse Redheart, an’… she told me I’m pregnant.”

Spike just stared at her. The silence stretched so long that Apple Bloom thought she might snap.

“Din’t you hear me? I said I’m - “

“Did… what? How? When? You said we couldn’t-?”

“I didn’t think we could, but there’s no other way. I’ve never been with anypony – anyone – else.”

Spike slumped to the ground. Denial, panic, fear, anger, uncertainty and even a bit of joy all fought for dominance in his mind. Excuses, exclamations, accusations lodged in his throat. “You told me we couldn’t!” was one, “Are you sure there’s nopony else?” another. But Apple Bloom’s face, full of fear and apprehension, stopped any recriminations. Didn’t he trust her? Hadn’t they spent all those days, weeks, months together, getting to know each other better? Though they hadn’t been able to see each other often since winter had ended – since that day – in their few encounters she had never given any sign that she might’ve found another, never been anything but honest and open and loving.

In the end, all that came out of his mouth was a single, numb question:

“What’re we going to do?”

“I gotta tell my family. I was gonna head straight there after I told you.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Spike, standing up.

Apple Bloom’s expression contorted into one of sheer terror.

“No! No! Big Mac’ll kill you! And then Applejack’ll kill you worse! Let me talk to ‘em first.”

Spike shuddered at the thought of the two older Apples enraged at him. He wasn’t sure even a fully-grown dragon could survive that.

“I’ll… should I tell Twilight?”

“Yeah, I think you should. See if she knows what this – what our baby might be like. I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”

She turned to go, and Spike gently grasped her tail, making her turn.

“It’s gonna be okay, Apple Bloom.” Spike wasn’t sure he believed that himself, but he felt like he needed to say something, anything, to reassure her. “We’ll make this work, whatever it takes. I love you.” He reached his arms around her, and she turned into his hug, nuzzling him. It wasn’t the first time he’d said it, nor the first time he’d meant it, but it was the first time he’d meant it quite like this.

***

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom found her sister weedeating around some of the newer trees.

“Heya AB. What’d the doc say?” she asked through a mouthful of dandelions.

The younger Apple shuffled her hooves, thought of lying, changed her mind for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes.

“S-she told me I’m… pregnant.”

Applejack paused in mid-chew, swallowed, and slowly turned to look at her little sister. Apple Bloom started trying to explain, but Applejack slammed her front hooves into the ground and began yelling:

“Ohh-! What the hay is the matter with you?! Didn’t I tell ya? Over and over agin, I told ya! You can’t just give in to season, ya gotta keep yer head! You just couldn’t wait, could ya? You had to have it now, just like the cutie mark!” Apple Bloom stared at the ground and let her sister’s anger wash over her. She’d been through Applejack’s tirades before, and she’d known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “It’s a good thing Granny Smith passed when she did, ‘cause this’d put her in the ground for sure! We thought you had more good sense than that! What were you thinking, letting some stallion-“

Minutes later, Applejack’s anger was spent. Neither spoke for a moment as Applejack caught her breath, then she said:

“Do ya love him, at least?”

“Who?” Apple Bloom started at the sudden shift in her sister’s tone: no longer angry, but resigned.

“The daddy. Do ya love him? It wasn’t just any ol’ stallion who happened by?”

“I think... I think I do. Love him. We haven’t been together all that long, but we’ve known each other for ages. ”

Applejack nodded, reluctant but accepting. “Ain’t much to that, but it’ll do. All my lecturin’ won’t do a bit of good now. Who’s the lucky colt then?”

Apple Bloom pawed at the ground nervously. “…wunnit a colt,” she mumbled.

“So what, a filly? A unicorn?” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Sweeti-“

“It was Spike.”

Applejack’s ears flattened and her eyebrows raised incredulously. “Come again?”

“Spike! Spike! Twilight’s friend! Him and me have been spendin’ so much time togedder lately, an there was this rainstorm, an’ we hid out an’… an’ I was in season… an’ I din’t think he could…”

Applejack stared at her little sister for a long moment. Then she turned and slowly walked away, towards town.

“Applejack!” She had expected shock, more anger, hysterical crying. This was worse.

“Apple Bloom, I gotta go work through this in my head right now.” Applejack’s voice was flat and tight. “You stay right here ‘til I get back. “

***

It took Twilight the better part of an hour to finish her errands, and she immediately noticed something was wrong. Spike was pacing around the library, scratching at himself nervously; fallen scales littered the floor.

“I’m ba- oh my gosh, Spike, are you okay?” Spike jumped, startled. He’d been rehearsing what to say since Apple Bloom left, but he still wasn’t sure if he could get it out.

“Twilight, I have to tell you something. It’s really important, and it’s really personal, and it’s really, really, really hard to say.” He gulped and wrung his hands together.

“You know you can tell me anything, Spike.”

"I think… I think I got Apple Bloom pregnant.” The words were out. The second before she reacted was the longest of Spike’s life.

“…What?” Surely he was joking. This was some sort of ill-conceived prank. Rainbow Dash, she probably put him up to this.

“We… well, we went through the motions of… m-mating, anyway... we didn’t think there was any way she could get… but now she is, and I don’t know what to do!” He was on the verge of tears. This was no joke.

“Spike!” Twilight’s horn glowed as she grabbed a book from the shelf, a thin tome from decades ago entitled What We Know of Dragons . Spike recognized it as one he had tried to read some time back but never finished, as it was mostly made up of obvious facts (dragons are scaly) and wild inaccuracies (dragons cannot speak). Twilight flipped through the book, scanning for a vaguely remembered passage, and began to read aloud:

“It is believed that a dragon’s innately magical nature allows to successfully hybridize with nearly any other living thing.”

Spike’s jaw dropped. “You never told me that!”

“I didn’t think it would come up!” cried Twilight defensively. “ Besides, half the stuff in this book is wrong!”

“You didn’t think it would come up? What about that crush I had on Rarity? And Moondancer?”

“I thought they were just crushes, I didn’t think they’d LEAD anywhere! I figured when you were ready, you’d find a female dragon!”

“Why would you think that? I’ve only ever been around ponies!”

That stumped Twilight, and for a long moment her mouth just opened and closed as retorts came and died in her throat. At last, she said:

“You’re right, Spike. I should’ve mentioned it. I should have warned you. That part’s my fault, and I’m sorry.” Spike opened his mouth to speak; Twilight raised a hoof to hush him. “But sitting here feeling guilty isn’t going to help. We need to deal with this calmly and logically, one step at a time. Where’s Apple Bloom now?”

“Sweet Apple Acres. She said she was going to tell her family.”

“Okay, let’s go meet her there. I’ll come along to back you up in case the Apples don’t take it so well. Once things are settled here, I’ll go dig through the Royal Archive. If there’s any information at all on dragon/pony hybrids, it’ll be there.”

A sudden knock at the library door made both of them jump. Before they could react, it swung open and a twitching, nervous Applejack entered. She started talking even before she saw who was in the room.

“Twilight? It’s Applejack, and I really gotta talk to – YOU!”

***

When Applejack saw Spike, everything she’d been thinking was suddenly drowned in rage. She leaped onto Spike, knocking him to the floor, and began to pummel him with her front hooves, screaming curses. She called him a monster, a foal-fooler, a heat-seeker, every filthy thing that emerged from the fog of hurt and anger and betrayal clouding her mind.

Suddenly she felt a lurching in her stomach and the extremely disturbing sensation of not having her hooves on the ground.

She could barely hear anything through the blood roaring in her ears; she could just make out Twilight yelling at her to stop.

“You put me down this second, Twilight!” shouted the enraged earth pony, twisting and writing in midair. “Do you know what he did to my little sister?”

“Yes, he just told me! But stomping him to death won’t help!”

Spike shook his head and opened his eyes. Applejack was strong, but he was a dragon, blessed with supernatural toughness. Instead of standing up, though, he drew in his arms and legs, making himself smaller.

“I’m sorry Applejack, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it could happen, I swear I didn’t.” He was crying openly now, his words barely audible through his sobs. “I want – I want to make this right. I’ll do anything.”

“Too late!” spat Applejack.

“AJ, he’s promising to take responsibility. What else can he do?”

Applejack didn’t want to hear it, just wanted Twilight to put her down so she could get back to beating that filthy lizard’s head in, but something in Twilight’s calm reason reached her. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out, letting her rage and hurt flow out with it. When she opened her eyes, she saw Spike kneeling on the floor, Twilight with her horn glowing, grimacing with the effort of holding Applejack up for so long. A little bit of guilt ran through her, just beneath the rage.

“You swear you’ll help Apple Bloom? You’re gonna do the right thing, gonna stay with her and get married and raise this kid together?”

Spike could only nod. Applejack took another deep breath. Twilight made sense, as usual. Spike couldn’t undo what he’d done, and even if Applejack could hurt him it would only make matters worse.

“All right Twi, you can put me down now. I won’t try to hurt him anymore. Apple’s honor.” The unicorn did so, but watched her friend warily, ready to suspend her again if necessary. Spike stood up, slowly, and he and Applejack stared at each other. For a moment, Spike was afraid that even honest Applejack might break her word, but she finally spoke, turning her head away from him.

“You gotta… you gotta go talk to Big Macintosh. He’s head of the family, now, and if we’re gonna do this… this weddin’ thing proper you need his permission. I can’t promise he won’t buck you through a barn, though.”

“Applejack, if I’d known this could happen, I never would’ve… I care about Apple Bloom too much for that.” Spike wished he could open himself up and show her how sincere he was.

“Sorry don’ make it so, Spike. But if you’re gonna do the right thing, then I have to respect that.”

Spike nodded again, wiping his eyes. “Whatever it takes. I’ll go talk to Big Macintosh right now.”

“Hold on, we’re coming with you-“ started Twilight.

“Wait, Twilight. I wanna talk to you for a sec. Go wait for us outside, Spike.”

Spike went outside. He considered eavesdropping but decided that he probably didn’t really want to hear what they were talking about. Five minutes later, he was tired of waiting, and started towards Sweet Apple Acres.

***

Before her friend could speak, Twilight had a confession to make.

“Applejack, I have to take some responsibility for this. I read that dragons might be able to interbreed with ponies, but I never mentioned it to Spike. I didn’t think it was true, or that it would be an issue, and I guess I was wrong both times.”

For a brief second, AJ’s eyes took on the same enraged look as before, then she shook her head. “I can’t blame ya for that. None of ya. I wouldn’ a thought it possible myself.” She sighed. “An’ it ain’t like Apple Bloom din’t have a say. All while she was growin’ up, I warned her about season, an’ to watch out for heat-seekin’ stallions, an’ it ain’t nopony’s fault but hers for not listenin’.”

Twilight frowned. “You know Spike’s not like that. He wouldn’t just take advantage of any mare he found.”

“Yeah, I know.” Though her anger was still raw, she was beginning to realize just how badly she had acted. If Spike had been a pony, he could’ve been seriously hurt, or worse, and she hadn’t even let him try to explain. Hadn’t he earned more than that, over all these years? Even though she would later apologize, and Spike would forgive her easily and sincerely, she would count her actions a few moments ago among the greatest regrets of her life.

Right now, though, there was something else on her mind.

“Listen, Twi, there’s somethin’ else I wanted to talk about. I’ve heard that sometimes unicorns can… help a filly who’s in trouble the way Apple Bloom’s in trouble. That it’s the safest way, if she can’t handle a foal.”

Twilight’s head snapped quickly around, her mouth agape .

“Applejack! I can’t believe you’d even suggest that!”

Applejack raised a hoof defensively. “It’s only ‘cause she’s so young! And who knows what this foal’s gonna be like – if she can even carry it safely?”

Twilight shook her head. What AJ was proposing was a rumor, nothing more: she’d never known a pony to actually do it or have it done. It was certainly possible, with the right magic, but the very thought of trying it made Twilight’s stomach churn.

“No, Applejack! I can’t possibly do that! It’s still a life!”

“What about Apple Bloom’s life? How’s she gonna carry on with… with a thing like this?” Applejack wasn’t entirely fond of her own suggestion, but worry for her sister won out.

“What does she think about this idea?”

“I… I ain’t mentioned it yet. But she don’t know what she’s doin’! She’s scared and confused an’ I’m scared and confused an’ if it were a normal foal it’d be one thing but it ain’t!” Now it was Applejack’s turn to cry. Twilight moved forward to let the earth pony rest her head on her shoulder. “She’s just a filly!” wailed Applejack, her tears soaking Twilight’s coat.

“No, she isn’t. Like it or not, she’s a grown mare now, and she needs the support of her family and friends. “ Twilight stroked the earth pony’s mane gently. “It’s going to be all right, Applejack. We’ll find a way to make this work. We’ve made it through everything else, haven’t we?”

A few minutes later, Applejack lifted her head and sniffed.

“All right, Twi, I think I’m okay now. Let’s go get this over with.”

As they walked to the door, Twilight said, “Listen, I’m going to do some research on this. If it turns out that this foal’s really a risk to her, and she wants me to… I might think about it. Maybe. But she has to be the one to ask me, understand?”

Applejack nodded and pushed the library door open.

“Hey, where’s Spike?”

***

“Spike, what’re you doing here?!” Apple Bloom whispered frantically, her eyes nervously darting towards Big Macintosh standing in front of the house. She’d been staring at the road, waiting for Applejack’s return, but ran to meet Spike as soon as she saw him. “Applejack went into town a while ago, she looked really upset! You shouldn’t be here when she gets back!”

Spike put on a grin. He had no idea what he was doing. His brain felt like it had slipped off the tracks: he was barely thinking, just moving forward.

“It’s okay! I talked to her, and she said I needed to ask Big Mac for permission to get married.”

“Married?!” With everything else going on, Apple Bloom had completely forgotten. Of course they’d be expected to marry. Newlyweds whose first foal was a season “too early” might be met with a few knowing smirks and nods, but that was all. Unwed parents were another matter entirely.

“That’s what you’re supposed to do, right?”

“Spike, wait-“ Apple Bloom tried to get in front of him, but he moved to avoid her.

“I’m gonna lose my nerve if I wait.” He was already walking up the path towards the house.

“Please, I don’t think-“

“Big Mac? I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”

The eldest Apple turned and gave a faint nod. Apple Bloom stopped a few feet away, cringing.

“I need your permission to marry Apple Bloom.”

The red stallion blinked slowly. “Why?”

Spike swallowed, unable to meet Big Macintosh’s gaze. His confidence from a moment ago was fading quickly. “Because she’s carrying our child.”

Big Mac turned his head towards Apple Bloom, asking the question with a look. She nodded. Her brother turned back to Spike, and the dragon nearly had to step back: the scarlet pony’s glare was like a physical wall. Apple Bloom broke out in a cold sweat. “Big Mac, please, it’s not just his fault-“

“Nope.” Apple Bloom knew her brother well enough to recognize the faint and dangerous tone of anger in his quiet voice. Spike did not.

“Look, it was an accident, and she’s – she’s taking responsibility. Trying to.” said Spike, stammering under the stallion’s angry stare. “We both are. That’s why I’m here. ”

Big Macintosh just stared at him. Spike shut up, stared at the ground and felt those intense green eyes drilling into his skull.

“Nope.” The big stallion turned away from him and started walking back towards the house.

“Please, Big Macintosh, just listen! I know you’re angry-“ Spike moved to follow him, and the crimson pony’s hind legs suddenly lashed out, knocking Spike straight backwards and into a tree.

“NO!” screamed Apple Bloom, running to where Spike had fallen. “Big Mac, don’t!”

Big Macintosh snorted angrily, went in the house and shut the door. Apple Bloom knelt next to Spike, who was already stirring. Even a powerful stallion like Big Macintosh couldn’t do more than stun him, but it still hurt. Just as he had stood up, a crackling flash of magenta light and a sudden rush of air nearly knocked him down again. When the light faded, Twilight and Applejack were standing there, the latter looking slightly queasy.

“What happened?” asked Twilight, looking around.

“Big Mac didn’t take the news so well,’ said Apple Bloom, steadying her lover with her muzzle.

Twilight made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “That’s what I was afraid of! That’s why you were supposed to wait for us, Spike!”

Spike touched the back of his head and winced. “It’s just a little bump. What took you two so long anyway?”

Twilight and Applejack exchanged a glance. “We can talk about that later. Where’d Big Mac go?”

“Inside,” said Apple Bloom. “He sounded really mad, sis.”

Applejack sighed. “Look, y’all. When my big brother gets like this, ain’t nopony can talk to him. You need to let ‘im sleep it off, an’ we can try to get through to him in the mornin’.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Twilight. “This has been a huge day for everypony. I think it will do us all some good if we sleep on this. It’s not like the baby’s going to be born tomorrow.”

Spike and Apple Bloom looked at each other, reluctant to part. Both felt a quiet fear that if they separated, they might not be allowed to see each other again.

“I’ll be back first thing in the morning” said Spike, as much to himself as to his mate.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, no matter what Big Mac says,” stated Apple Bloom firmly. After one more embrace, he turned and joined Twilight on the road home.

Once they were out of sight of Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight stopped and confronted Spike.

“Why didn’t you wait for us?! You could’ve really been hurt!”

Spike shrugged. In hindsight, he wasn’t sure what he’d been thinking. “I don’t know, I think I just felt like I needed to handle this on my own. I mean, if I’m going to be a, a father, I have to be willing to stand up for my family, right? I can’t just rely on somepony else to do it.”

Twilight shook her head. “Well, that’s very noble of you, but you took a real risk. Just because you can stand on your own doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let us help.”

“I know, Twilight. I’m sorry.”

The unicorn sighed and let it go. She couldn’t blame Spike for not thinking clearly at a time like this. “I’m going to have to write a letter to the Princess about this, you know. Why don’t you tell me how this whole thing got started in the first place?”

“Umm…” Spike blushed and scratched his head nervously. “Well, you know, she was in season, and-“

“I meant when did you two start seeing each other?” snapped Twilight. Then she chuckled, and Spike chuckled, and it was like a dam broke inside them and they exploded into laughter. They drew a number of odd looks as they walked down the road, sobbing with mirth, but they didn’t care: after today, they really just needed to laugh.

***

The next morning, Spike woke up full of nervous energy. He’d have skipped breakfast if Twilight hadn’t forced him to sit and eat; all he could think about was Big Macintosh, whether he’d calmed down, considered Spike’s request. As soon as she let him go, Spike hurried to Sweet Apple Acres. He first tried the door to the main house, but found it locked, which was very unusual. So he began to look around for any members of the family, and finally found Applejack selecting tools from the toolshed.

“Um… Morning, Applejack?” he called softly. Spike had no idea what to expect from her, and was relieved when she gave him a faint smile – not pleased to see him, exactly, but not angry at least. She looked like she hadn’t had much sleep.

“G’mornin’ Spike. “

“Where’s Apple Bloom?”

“In her room. She ain’t feelin’ so good; yesterday took a lot outta her.”

Panic leaped in Spike’s chest. “What? Is she okay?”

“Calm down, she’s just tired. Can’t say I blame her. I’d tell you to go see for yourself, but it’d just make things worse with Big Mac. This is the first time that door’s been locked in years. ”

“So you couldn’t convince him?” asked Spike, crestfallen.

“I tried havin’ a word with him, but I don’ think he’s ready to listen. He’s givin’ everypony the silent treatment.” Spike’s heart sank. Nopony gave the silent treatment like Big Macintosh.

“Do you think there’s any chance?”

Applejack sighed. “I just dunno. My brother’s stubborn as all getout, but he knows it’d be trouble for Apple Bloom if he din’t let her marry.”

“Where is he?” Spike clenched a fist at his side, preparing to go face down Big Macintosh again if necessary. Applejack raised a warning eyebrow.

“Don’ try to talk to him, Spike. This is just his way of workin’ through things. When he’s ready, me an’ AB will get through to him.” She grabbed a mouth-axe from a nearby rack and hooked in onto her saddle. “Now scoot. I gotta lot of work to do, what with Big Macintosh lockin’ himself and Apple Bloom in the house.”

Spike felt even guiltier, something he wouldn’t have thought possible yesterday. He’d never heard of Big Macintosh ever skipping work without being hurt or sick before. Sweet Apple Acres was almost too big for the three Apples to manage, even with occasional help from other ponies. Even once Big Macintosh got back to work, Apple Bloom would be unable to do any heavy work for at least half a year. Spike wasn’t sure how they’d make it through the season.

“Is there something I can do to help?

Applejack looked a little surprised, and then a certain knowing smile appeared on her face, as though a brilliant idea had occurred to her.

“Well, since you offered, could ya grab that saw an’ meet me ‘round the south orchard? We found waterblight on some of the trees and we need to get ‘em down before it spreads.”

The work was hard: as soon as Spike had knocked out some trees, Applejack put him to removing the roots and plowing the ground for new planting. For all his strength and vitality, by the end of the day he was sore and tired and the fine scales on his hands had been rubbed off. Still, the next day, he came back early and worked until dusk again. Applejack worked alongside and supervised him constantly. When Big Macintosh came out of the house, she made a point of keeping Spike far away from her brother, but the dragon and the stallion would see each other from a distance. At first Big Mac would always give a loud snort and turn away, but Spike caught him looking back once or twice, watching when he thought Spike couldn’t see.

On the third morning, Spike couldn’t find Applejack. Instead, Big Macintosh was waiting for him. He didn’t say a word, just stood next to his cart, and once he knew Spike had seen him he motioned at the harness with his head. Spike stared for a moment. Did he want help putting it on? Instead, Spike grabbed the harness with both hands and began trying to pull the cart himself. He’d only managed to pull it a few feet when the scarlet stallion nudged Spike’s shoulder with his nose, shaking his head. Mac again took up a position to be harnessed, and Spike complied this time, though he was still confused. Once the harness was firmly attached, the stallion started walking. In silence, Spike followed.

Today’s task was again in the south orchard, loading the trees Spike and Applejack had previously felled into the cart to be disposed of far from the main farm. Eager to impress, Spike started grabbing up and loading logs as fast as he could. Big Macintosh kept his usual slow and steady pace, and still didn’t speak at all until after they’d loaded as many logs as he could carry and were heading back.

“Spike.”

Spike was so surprised to hear Big Macintosh speak that he actually looked around for Applejack at first. “Yes?”

“D’ya love her?”

“Yes, absolutely, I do.” Big Mac had stopped walking, and Spike got in front of him. This time, he met the red pony’s eyes.

“You’re willin’ to stay with her forever?” His tone didn’t shift at all and gave away nothing of his emotions.

“Of course.”

“You’ll support an’ protect your family no matter what?”

“No matter what.” The words “even from you” ran through Spike’s mind.

Silence fell between them as Spike and Big Macintosh stared at each other, the dragon trying to determine what Big Mac was thinking, the stallion examining Spike for any sign of hesitation or deceit. Finally, the eldest Apple spoke again:

“Then you got my permission.”

Spike almost didn’t dare to believe it. “Really?”

“Yup.” Big Macintosh wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t look angry. “I know you’re not a bad person, Spike. You did somethin’ stupid, but if you’re gonna own up to it and do the right thing, then I got no right to stand in your way.”

Tearfully, cautiously, Spike put his arms around his future brother-in-law’s neck.

“Thank you, Big Macintosh. I swear I won’t let you down.”

“Promise Apple Bloom, not me,” said Big Mac. It was hard to see through his red coat, but he was starting to flush. “Go an’ see her. We’ll work out the weddin’ details later.”

Applejack opened the door to the main house as Spike approached, winked at him, and nudged him towards the stairs, whispering something. Spike wasn’t listening: he took the stairs three at a time, only stopping himself at the door to her room.

“Apple Bloom?” Spike slowly peered around the door, hoping not to wake her if she was sleeping. The yellow mare was in bed, but wide awake and flipping idly through a book.

“Spike!” his mate said cheerfully, carelessly dropping the book to the floor. She didn’t sound too ill: perhaps her breathing was a bit heavy, but that was all. “Sorry I couldn’t meet ya like I said. Stupid Big Mac kept lockin’ the door an’ I just din’t feel up to breakin’ it down.”

“Shh, don’t worry about that. Just worry about yourself and the baby.”

“Ah, I’ll be all right. Just got too worked up the other day. I’ll be up and around in no time.”

He kissed her, brushed a hand through her mane. “I got permission from your brother. We can have the wedding as soon as you feel up to it.”

“I know. I heard him an’ AJ talkin’ last night. He’s been plannin’ to give it to ya for a couple days now; he just had to find the words.”

Words. Spike suddenly remembered something, an important step he’d forgotten up until now.

“Apple Bloom,” he said, bending one knee and taking her front hoof in both hands. “This isn’t the way or the time or the place I wanted to do this, and I’m sure it’s not how you wanted it to be either, but I guess it better be now. Will you marry me?”

She smiled, tears shining in her eyes. It certainly wasn’t the way she’d dreamed her proposal would be; but somehow, right now, it felt all right.

“’Course I will, Spike.”

***

As Twilight watched Spike go that morning, she decided that she’d waited as long as she could. She laid out a scroll and began to write:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Chapter 4: My Big Problem

Quick author's note: artist Rannva volunteered an amazing piece as the cover image for this chapter on Deviantart. You can see it here.
Also, if you give the story a thumbs-down, I'd really appreciate it if you tell me why. Even if you just don't like it and can't put your finger on a reason, that's fine, I just like to know. Specific constructive criticism is even better (that goes for those of you who like the story too!)

Chapter 4: My Big Problem

… As you’d suspect, the Ponyville library lacks any information on the subject of dragon/pony hybridization. Once the situation here has settled, I will be heading to Canterlot to research in the Royal Library in the hopes that some useful information may be held there.

This is a very difficult situation for all concerned, and though I of course wish to help my friends in any way possible, none of my studies to date have quite prepared me for this. Please, any wisdom or guidance you can give is dearly needed.

I have given you as complete a report as I can, and I hope you will respond swiftly.

Always your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle looked over her letter, rolled it up and made herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves. As much as she acted the part of reason, this whole situation made her extremely anxious. To the best of her knowledge, a dragon/pony hybrid had never occurred before in Equestrian history. The scientist in her couldn’t help but be excited at the prospect of examining an entirely new life form. What would its capabilities be, she wondered. Could it breathe fire, or eat gemstones? Would its lifespan be closer to a dragon’s or an earth pony’s? Would it manifest a cutie mark? Would it be able to mate with ponies or dragons or even other creatures?

Twilight shook her head, trying to dislodge those questions. “Shame on you for even thinking that way,” she thought to herself. “This isn’t some kind of experiment. Experiments are contained, controlled, and no matter what happens it’s a success if you’ve learned something. Even if Apple Bloom doesn’t have any problems with the pregnancy, how is the town going to react when a half-dragon foal suddenly shows up? “

“They didn’t have much of an issue with Spike,” said the other part of her mind.

“That’s because he’s a full dragon.” Twilight countered herself. “ They saw him more like a pet. If this foal looks at all like a pony, they’re going to see him as a freak.”

This internal debate went on for some time, and it kept Twilight occupied until Spike returned, rather earlier than expected, and practically leaped into the library.

“He said yes! She said yes! They said yes!”

“Big Macintosh?”

“He said yes!” Spike exclaimed again, catching up Twilight’s front hooves and swinging her around in a brief and happy dance. “And I asked Apple Bloom and she said yes, and then they sent me home because I was too, what’s the word, euphoric, to get any work done.”

“That’s great, Spike! I’m really happy for you.” Though that was true, Twilight realized how odd it was even as she said it. Ideally, they wouldn’t even be getting married, at least not yet, and certainly not for this reason. Still, given the circumstances, Big Macintosh coming around was about the best possible thing. Once Spike let her go, she got back to business, levitating her rolled-up letter over to him.

“What’s this?” he asked, plucking it out of the air.

“My report to the Princess. Do you want to read it? I tried not to write anything too… explicit.”

Spike shook his head, leaving the scroll curled. “Twilight, I don’t even care right now, I’m so happy. Want me to go ahead and send it?”

“I guess so. It always feels kinda weird asking you to send her a letter when it’s about you.”

Spike shrugged, still smiling. With practiced ease, he took a deep breath and blew out just so, the green flames incinerating the letter and carrying it to the Princess.

Not ten minutes later, Spike belched forth a reply. Twilight was bothered by the letters before she actually read the words: they were cramped and shaky compared to the Princess’s normal script, and the characters were a bit too close together. This had been hurried, and that made her uneasy.

Twilight,

I received your news with more than a little surprise and concern. I have many questions to ask, and we must discuss a course of action – I am sure you recognize the upset and controversy this event may bring. As soon as you are prepared, send word to me and I will arrange for your immediate transport to Canterlot. I would request that you bring Apple Bloom, but I do not want to add the stress of travel to her already difficult situation. I also suggest that Spike remain behind: as the father, his place is at her side. While the support of Apple Bloom’s closest friends – and yours – is vital in this time, I strongly advise against telling anypony else who is not directly involved.

I look forward to seeing you soon.”

“Do you really think this is going to cause ‘upset and controversy’?” asked Spike, reading over Twilight’s shoulder.

“It might. There’re bound to be some ponies who’ll think it’s wrong or unnatural or something.” She rolled up the scroll and put it in her saddlebag, which she then levitated onto her own back. “I’ve got a couple errands to run before I tell the Princess I’m ready, but I may as well leave tonight. Do you think you can manage without me for a few days?”

“Sure. I don’t plan to do much except help at the farm anyway. I’ll fire off a letter if something comes up.”

***

“How’re you doing, Applejack?” asked Twilight, finding her farming friend still hard at work even though the sky was beginning to dim.

“Just a lotta work is all,” said the earth pony, shaking sweat from her brow. “I sent Spike home a long time ago. He ain’t got there yet?”

Twilight shook her head, realizing her friend’s mistake. “I spoke to him already. I just exchanged letters with the Princess, and I’m planning to go to Canterlot to see if there’s anything in the Archive about dragon/pony hybrids. Do you think everything here’s okay? Big Mac’s really alright?

“Yeah, he’s fine. I’m a mite worried about Apple Bloom, though. She’s still feelin’ poorly. Actually,” Applejack dropped her voice, glancing around for her brother, “I think she’s feelin’ worse. She won’t say so but I think she is. She’s sleepin’ more an’ more, and she’s havin’ a hard time gettin’ around.”

“Well, it’s not unusual for ponies to have odd symptoms during pregnancy. Make sure she gets a balanced diet and plenty of fluids.” Twilight nodded sagely, glad that her voracious reading had included some medical textbooks.

Applejack gave a hollow chuckle. “No fear of that. I reckon she’d eat the house if it weren’t for the nails in it. It’s just … well, Ma never had trouble like that. She was up an’ around the whole time when she was carryin’ AB.”

“Every mare’s different. Still, if you get really worried, take her to the hospital. Have you thought about telling our other friends yet?”

“Already on it, actually. I told Pinkie to round everypony up tonight. Not sure if Rainbow’ll be able to make it what with Wonderbolts training and all, but I’m sure all the rest will show up.”

Twilight nodded approvingly. “Good. The Princess said we should try to keep this quiet for now, but we’ll definitely need our friends’ help.”

“She’s gonna start showin’ for real before long. Folks’ll start askin’ questions, and I know a few gossips who’ll make somethin’ up if they don’t get a story.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, you could tell them the father’s from out of town, which is true, and that he’s afraid to announce himself yet, which is sort of true, and that you just want to have a quiet family wedding and move on, which – well, you tell me if that’s true.”

AJ smiled. “Oh, that’s very true.” She chewed over the story for a moment, looking for holes. “Yeah, that’s pretty good. Thanks, Twi. See you when you get back.”

***

Standing outside the library, Twilight wrote a simple line on a scrap of parchment for Spike to send:

I’m ready now.

A message came back promptly:

Stay there.

In a matter of minutes a sudden flow of air flattened Twilight’s mane. Was that a shooting star? No, it was just the opposite – a single point of inky blackness barely visible against the darkening sky, not falling towards the horizon but heading right for her. It grew as it descended, and Twilight could see that it wasn’t just a dark orb. It had a definite outline and some delicate extensions, like some kind of intricate tree. It was a carriage, she realized. Without ponies drawing it, it must have been moved entirely by magic, and all made of some sheer black material that was difficult to look at. As it came to rest, floating just a few centimeters off the ground, part of its side seemed to melt away, revealing just enough space for two ponies, half of which was taken up by a familiar figure.

“Princess Luna!”

“Twilight Sparkle. It is always good to see you again,” the Princess of the Night said somberly. “Shall we be away?”

Twilight climbed into the carriage, and before she could turn and give Spike a final goodbye wave, the door had risen and the vehicle took off like a bolt of dark lightning, vanishing at once into the night sky.

***

“Thanks for comin’, y’all, and I’m sorry for draggin’ you out here on such short notice.” Applejack said to her four friends, who had gathered on the small hill where they still sometimes played or picnicked. It wasn’t well-visited on most days, and at this time in the evening there was little chance they would be overheard. “‘Specially you, Rainbow, I know how tough the Wonderbolt’s practice schedule is.”

The pegasus made a light, sweeping gesture. “No sweat. If I keep track of how fast I get there, I can go pretty much wherever and call it field training.”

“Where’s Twilight?” asked Pinkie Pie, placing a small picnic basket for the ponies to snack from. “I thought you said she already knew?”

“She had t’ go to Canterlot. It’s part of what I needed to talk to y’all about.” Applejack cleared her throat. “Everypony, I got somethin’ to tell y’all. It’s not easy fer me t’say, but I’m gonna need your help.” All of her friends leaned in, wide-eyed and anxious. “My little sister is… on th’ nest.”

Like some wondrous flower, Pinkie Pie’s face blossomed into an expression of pure joy. “Oh, that’s so wonderful!” she squealed, throwing her front legs around Applejack’s neck. “You’re gonna be an auntie! Can I be her auntie too?”

Another pony’s reaction was not so positive. “Pinkie!” Rarity scolded. “This is not a jovial matter! A mare of Apple Bloom’s age is barely ready to carry a foal, nevermind raise one.”

“What’s the big deal?” said Rainbow Dash. “I know some ponies her age with foals, and they’re all doing okay. Heck, my parents weren’t much older when they had me.”

“But they’re pegasi,” explained Rarity. “You know earth ponies take a little longer to develop, and since she still doesn’t have her cutie mark, well, how does she intend to support a child?” She shook her head dismissively. “I expect you’ll, ahem, have to ‘convince’ the father to do the right thing?”

“I kinda thought so too at first, but he’s steppin’ up to the plate on his own,” said Applejack. “But really, I’d expect nothin’ less from Spike.”

“What’s Spike got to-“ A brief moment of silence and then a murmur of surprise rustled through the assembled ponies, though none reacted so strongly as Rarity. Her mouth fell open; she looked as though she might faint. “Sweet Celestia, are you serious?!”

“ ‘Fraid so. I mean, even if she was lyin’ about the father, it’d make no sense to pin it on Spike.”

“How...” Rarity was at a loss for words. “Dreadful! The very idea! Oh, Applejack, you must feel horrid-”

“Hey, I thought you liked Spike!” interrupted Rainbow Dash.

“Eugh, but not in that way! The idea of doing something physical with him is simply… “ Rarity shuddered.

“Yeah, I ain’t tryin’ to think about that part too hard.” Applejack muttered to herself.

“And their offspring!” continued the unicorn. “I can’t begin to imagine what a…. a…. cross like that would look like! Some sort of scaly… mule, no doubt.”

“What’s wrong with mules?” asked Pinkie, catching the tone of disgust. It wasn’t common for a donkey and a pony to have children, but Pinkie found her few mule friends no less delightful than her other friends.

“It’s not that I have anything against them, dear, I know they can’t help how they’re born. It’s just that… ponies should be with ponies, and donkeys with donkeys. And dragons with dragons, for that matter. It’s only natural.” Rarity nodded firmly.

“I don’t agree,” said a quiet but firm voice. Everypony looked at Fluttershy in amazement. The yellow Pegasus seemed startled by their sudden attention, or perhaps by the words coming out of her own mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry Rarity, but I just don’t agree with that. I think if they’re really in love, they should be together, and if they’re going to have a baby, well… ” she stopped, already feeling like she’d said too much.

“What she said!” snapped Dash, fluttering angrily.

Rarity looked around at her gathered friends, trying to find support. Pinkie’s expression was very concerned, as though she’d very much like to change the subject but didn’t know how. Rainbow Dash looked surprisingly angry, while Applejack’s face was a mask of conflicting emotions, not able to completely disagree with Rarity but feeling obliged to stand for her sister. Fluttershy seemed more frightened than anything: mortified that she might have said something she shouldn’t have.

“Well, I can see that I’m alone in this matter. So be it,” Rarity huffed. “I suppose it doesn’t make any difference at this stage. The deed, so to speak, is done.”

Applejack grimaced at her choice of words, but Pinkie took the opportunity to redirect the conversation.

“How can we help?”

“I dunno yet. Twilight’s gone to see if there’s any info to be had in Canterlot. And we’re gonna try to keep this quiet as long’s we can – AB don’t need everypony pokin’ and proddin’ and bein’ judgmental.” Here she glared at Rarity, who pointedly looked elsewhere. “But I wanted y’all to be in the loop.”

Pinkie Pie made some elaborate motion of zipping, padlocking and welding shut her lips, Fluttershy nodded quietly, Dash agreed to keep the secret eagerly, and Rarity sniffed: “Well, I certainly won’t be mentioning it to anypony,”

“Yeah, because your precious reputation couldn’t handle it,” sneered Rainbow Dash. The seamstress opened her mouth to retaliate, but Applejack interrupted, both to bring up another topic she’d wanted to discuss and to prevent the meeting from degenerating into a full-on fight.

“One more thing. We gotta have a weddin’ before the baby shows up, don’t we?”

Pinkie’s face erupted into her familiar smile.

“Ooh, ooh, can I help plan it? CanIcanIcanI?”

“You’ll have to talk to Apple Bloom about that. It’s her day.” Despite herself, Applejack felt the corners of her mouth pull up a bit at Pinkie’s unflappable enthusiasm.

“I suppose you’ll expect me to make a dress?” snorted Rarity.

“Er… Actually, we got our ma’s old one we were plannin’ to use… but I’d be mighty obliged if you’d adjust it for her.” AJ gave the seamstress a hopeful look. Everypony looked at Rarity expectantly as the white unicorn chewed her lower lip.

“What, afraid you can’t make it so a pregnant bride will look great in it?” teased Dash, a hint of anger still in her voice.

Rarity scowled. “I see what you’re doing there, Rainbow Dash, and I have to say I don’t appreciate the taunting. My personal feelings aside, you have no idea what even the appearance of support for such a thing would do to my business, especially among the nobility.”

“Then the nobility can chew my old dock brush!” shouted Dash, and Rarity shuddered.

“There’s no need to be vulgar.”

“Rares, if it’d be too much trouble on you, I’ll find somepony else,” said Applejack, interrupting Dash again.

Rarity fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments. Finally, she said:

“I’ll do it, Applejack, as a favor to you,” she said with a defeated sigh. “Just… have her come in the back door. After hours, if you would. And mum’s the word on who did it for her.

Applejack wasn’t entirely pleased by Rarity’s tone and conditions, but (she thought) at least the unicorn was willing to compromise this much. “Thanks, Rares. I really appreciate it.”

“I still don’t approve, mind you, but I suppose it’s better for them to marry than otherwise. Still, I can’t believe that scaly little devil…”

Their business concluded, the ponies began to depart, though Fluttershy lingered behind.

“Umm… Applejack? If it’s okay, could I maybe come help Apple Bloom sometimes? You know, if she needs anything or has any trouble?”

“You’re welcome anytime Fluttershy, you know that.”

“Oh, thank you!” gushed the yellow pony, more emphatically than Applejack expected. “I’ve wanted to – um, nevermind. Thanks.” Blushing furiously, Fluttershy flew away, leaving a slightly perplexed Applejack behind.

***

“Apple Bloom? Time for lunch.” Applejack called, starting up the stairs to her sister’s room. AB had missed breakfast, and Applejack understood that she needed her rest, but a pregnant mother really had no business missing two meals. When she got no response, Applejack climbed the stairs, called again, knocked on the door. Still no answer. Concerned now, she opened the door to see Apple Bloom laying half out of bed, resting on her front knees. It took her just a little too long to lift her head and look at Applejack.

“Oh. Hey sis. I can’t move. How come I can’t move?” There wasn’t any alarm in her voice; she sounded sleepy and distracted, almost bored. She tried to lift herself up on her legs but couldn’t seem to find the strength.

Applejack ran to the window and screamed:

“SPIKE! BIG MACINTOSH! GET IN HERE NOW!”

***

“How is she?” Applejack rubbed her forelegs together nervously, nearly chafing the fur off.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d call this malnutrition,” said Nurse Redheart. As the most experienced obstetrician in Ponyville, Apple Bloom’s care primarily fell to her. “We’ve examined some blood samples and she’s low on everything. Vitamins, minerals, protein, everything. She’s badly anemic and I think she’s lost some bone density. We’re giving her nutrients intravenously, but it’ll be a while before we know if it’s enough.”

“Why is this happening?” asked Spike nervously, gripping his own wrists so tightly his hands tingled.

“I can’t be completely certain, but I’d say her fetus is absorbing more nutrients than normal. I’ve seen a few cases like this before, but this the most severe. I had assumed that her symptoms when she first came to see me were normal pregnancy complaints for her, but this excessive drain has clearly been going on for some time.”

“Is she gonna be okay?” asked Applejack. Big Macintosh had also helped them bring the youngest Apple to the hospital, but he tended to stress when speaking to doctors and was pacing a groove in the waiting room floor.

“Well, like I said, we’ll know in a few hours if those extra nutrients will help. If they do, she’ll probably just need to get them periodically until the baby comes to term. If not…” Redheart’s brow furrowed as she tried to think of the most delicate way to put it. “There are risks.”

“Do you think maybe we oughta… put a stop to it?” Spike looked at Applejack in surprise. Twilight hadn’t told him what she and Applejack had discussed for so long on that day, and the thought hadn’t really crossed his mind before.

The nurse practitioner frowned. “At this point, she’s got a fair chance of losing the baby anyway. Still, if she doesn’t, and the supplements don’t help, it’s an option we may have to consider. I would very much like to speak to the father if that’s at all possible. If this kind of issue runs in his family, perhaps he can offer some insight. Do you know who he is?”

“You mean she didn’t tell you?”

Redheart shook her head. “I didn’t ask. I’d hoped she’d tell you at least, Applejack.”

“She did, but…” Applejack and Spike looked at each other, both seeking direction that the other couldn’t give.

“I understand if you’re trying to keep it quiet, but this really isn’t the time,” said Redheart, a bit impatiently. “I promise we’ll find a way to talk to him discreetly.”

Spike gritted his teeth and pointed at himself. “It’s me. I’m the father.”

“…Oh.”

That was all Redheart could say at first as turned her head back and forth between him and Applejack, who nodded slightly to affirm. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. There’s no other way.” Doubt tried to edge into Spike’s mind again, but he pushed it aside.

“Apple Bloom said it was complicated, but I had no idea…”

“Listen, you can think what you want about us, but right now Apple Bloom needs our help and I really wish I knew more but I just don’t.”

The white mare waved a hoof emphatically. “I’m not judging you, I’m just surprised. I didn’t think a pony and a dragon could have babies.”

“Neither did we. If we had I never would have… or maybe not never, but I-“ Redheart briefly put a hoof on Spike’s mouth to stop his nervous chattering.

“This explains everything, probably. Maybe baby dragons just need more nutrition… or maybe something a dragon eats but a pony doesn’t?”

“Like what, meat? Gemstones?”

The nurse’s face suddenly lit up.

“Gemstones! That makes sense. Her metals and minerals are what’s really low, so the baby probably needs a lot of those, and there would be certain substances that aren’t normally in her body. If we can get her to ingest some… maybe not in her IV, but powdered and mixed with something nutritious…

“Could that hurt her?” asked Applejack

“Not in small doses, and if the fetus is taking everything out of her system so quickly I doubt it could do any real damage. Now, who would have gemstones on hand?”

“Rarity.” Said Spike, and he was out the door and running down the street before either Redheart or Applejack could say anything.

***

“Welcome to Carousel Bou- oh.” Rarity’s customer-greeting voice immediately dipped into a disapproving grumble as she saw who had entered. “What do you want?”

“Rarity - Apple Bloom…the hospital... gemstones.” Spike gasped, panting, bent on all fours.

“Keep your voice down!” hissed Rarity, looking anxiously at the few customers idly browsing the selection, who of course turned their heads to the sudden noise. “Just a moment, everypony, I have to help this, er, person.” With a brusque jerk of her head, she lead Spike behind the counter and into a private room.

“Now tell me – clearly – what it is you’re doing here.”

“Apple Bloom’s sick. It’s the baby, it’s draining everything out of her- ”

“And whose fault is that?” Rarity snapped.

Spike blinked, not prepared for the acid in her voice. Applejack had told him Rarity hadn’t taken the news well, but he wasn’t expecting this level of vitriol.

“Your infantile crush on me was one thing. It was cute, at the time, but taking advantage of poor Apple Bloom like that is simply unconscionable. ”

“Taking adv- it wasn’t like that!”

“And what were you thinking, doing that with a pony in the first place? It’s just not natural, and you shouldn’t be surprised that there are consequences.”

Spike was too shocked to speak, which was fine: Rarity wasn’t done.

“And you didn’t think for a moment how this would affect the rest of us, did you? Do you know how hard it is for a pony even remotely related to this kind of scandal to make any kind of headway in the noble market? I could lose years of marketing and connecting in a matter of weeks, and even if you don’t care about my sales you SHOULD care about the Apples’ business at least. Even if local ponies don’t mind – which they will – a lot of their bits come from ponies of status who simply won’t stand for this sort of thing.”

“So you’re just going to let Apple Bloom die because you’re afraid for your reputation, and you talk down to me like I’m the monster?!” shouted Spike.

Rarity’s ears flicked forward at one particular word. “Die? What are you-“

“Listen to me! She’s sick, Rarity; really, really sick and you don’t have to tell me it’s my fault because I know it is! But I will do anything – anything – to help her now because I DO love her, no matter what you think!” Spike didn’t notice, but visible waves of heat were beginning to emerge from his body. “So you can shout and lecture me all you want and I don’t even care; I’ll even come back and let you do it some more but right now Apple Bloom needs those gemstones, and I thought you were generous enough to give them to somepony who really needs them.”

Rarity stared at him in shock and not a little fear: with his spines raised and nostrils smoking and heat haze shimmering around him, he was an intimidating sight. If she hadn’t known Spike, she would have feared for her life. But what moved her more than that were the thin trails of steam rising from the corners of his eyes, where his tears met his hot scales and evaporated. He was angry with her, but more than that he was worried and scared for Apple Bloom.

“Is her condition really that serious?” she asked,

“Yes!”

With a quick flash of her horn, she swung open the door to her storeroom, trying her best to keep her face carefully neutral.

“Fine, then. Take whatever you need.”

Spike didn’t waste time figuring out how to react; he ran right into the room and started to grab handfuls of every kind of gem he could find. Under any other circumstances his mouth would be watering at the proximity of these tasty snacks, but concern for Apple Bloom drove those concerns from his mind. Rarity brought him a wicker basket to carry the precious cargo.

“Thank you,” he mumbled reluctantly, turning to leave with the basket in both hands.

“Don’t. This is for Apple Bloom, not you. I still think – never mind. Hurry and go.”

He almost didn’t turn around when she called his name again. Almost. Even if his infatuation had long faded, even if his eyes and heart belonged to Apple Bloom now and he was furious with Rarity, she still had some little sway over him, enough to make him turn for a moment.

“Spike… if there is another emergency, a real emergency… please, just come in the back door next time.”

Once he had left, Rarity stared at her hooves for a few minutes, then announced to the customers that a situation had arisen and the shop needed to close early.

***

“Well, her vitals have improved quite a bit since we gave her the gems,” said Redheart. “They’re still fluctuating more than I’d like, and she’s definitely not out of danger yet, but I’m hoping she’ll regain consciousness soon.”

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. The other two Apples, knowing that the work couldn’t wait, had reluctantly returned to the farm only after extracting solemn oaths from Spike and Redheart that they would be informed at once if there was any change.

“I’ll send somepony to Sweet Apple Acres. You should try to be there when she wakes up, Spike. She might not remember coming here and she’ll probably be startled.” Spike nodded. “And if she seems like she’s up for it, you need to ask her if she still wants to have the baby. She’s too weak to risk an herbal induction; we would have to ask Dr. Stable to… perform the procedure. He never has before, but I think he would be willing to try simply due to the severity of her condition.”

“Do you think that’s what we should do?”

Redheart sighed. “That’s completely up to her, Spike. I hope the gems will be all she needs, but I don’ t have any way of knowing for sure. The truth is, there are risks either way, and we know so little about her condition that I really can’t tell you what the safest option is. What I’d really like to do is wait and see if Twilight finds any useful information, but without knowing how long she will be… well, at the very least, you need to discuss it.”

***

Spike looked down at his mate. He hated seeing her like this, so weak and vulnerable, and the IV line running into her neck was disturbing to look at. It made him think of some bizarre parasite invading her body, even though he knew it was helping her, perhaps even keeping her alive. He put a hand on her forehead and was bothered by how cool she was.

“Spike?” she mumbled, stirring a little at his touch, opening her eyes. Everything was fuzzy: her vision, her hearing, her head. With some effort, she sat up.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked, supporting her, trying to help her get comfortable.

“I don’t… where am I?” she asked weakly, looking around.

“You’re in the hospital.” Spike couldn’t think of a more soothing way to say it.

“Why?” She looked at her own body, and reacted with obvious alarm to the tube in her neck, which was actually a good sign: she was quickly becoming more lucid.

“It’s… you’re sick. It’s taking all the nutrients out of you.” Even through the fog in her head, she knew what “it” was.

“Is she okay?” she asked, cradling her belly with a foreleg.

“You’re the one I’m worried about. You’ve been out for more than a day. We’ve got you on some stuff that’s helped a little, but…” Spike swallowed. There was no easy way to bring up the subject.

“What is it?”

“Redheart wanted me to ask you something. She wants to know if you’d consider, maybe… not having the baby.”

Apple Bloom’s mouth slowly gaped. “What?”

“It’s made you so sick already, and we don’t know if it’ll get worse. Twilight’s in Canterlot trying to find out more, but we don’t know how long she’ll be gone and we… we might not have time.” Spike felt his throat knotting up at those words.

Apple Bloom cringed, drawing her legs protectively over herself. “Don’t let her, please…”

Spike took her foreleg in both hands, doing his best to look right into her eyes. “Just listen for a second, okay? I mean, I’ve been thinking about this, and maybe… We can still get married if you want, or wait, and we can try again when we’re really ready and next time we’ll know what to expect…” Spike’s half-planned speech jumbled in his mouth.

“Is… is that what you want?” Tears sprang to her eyes; she couldn’t help it.

Spike let out a noise between a sigh and a sob, “I don’t know. I just really don’t know. I’m scared, I’m so scared and all I know is I might lose you and it’s my… It’d be like I…” He couldn’t say it, couldn’t get the words out; he wanted to reach out and hold her close so he did, slowly, to see if she’d welcome the gesture. She did, but as she felt his weight against the slight, hard bulge in her abdomen, she thought she felt something give a tiny squirm or kick in response, and she knew then that she couldn’t do what her mate had suggested.

“I… I was thinking… if it’s a filly… Almata. “ she whispered to him.

“What? He pulled back from her just a little, just enough to see her face.

“It’s kinda unusual, but they’re such pretty apples on the inside, and even if she looks strange I want her to be beautiful on the inside. But it sounds too girly for a colt’s name; I wanted to see if you could think of a better one… and I was trying to guess what her cutie mark might be, if she gets one.” She was talking faster and faster, not letting Spike interrupt. “And if she’ll make friends at school and if she’ll get along with the rest of the family and if she might get married and have children one day and-“

“AB, I-“

“Feel!” She grabbed his hand between two hooves and put it on her belly. Was it his imagination, or did he feel a tiny flutter of movement under the skin? “See? She’s there, she’s mine, she’s part of me, and I can’t… I can’t give up on her, even if there’s only a little chance…”

“But-”

“Please, Spike, let’s wait for Twilight. I want… I need to know. If she says there’s no way, I’ll…” her voice kept rising in pitch as she squirmed on the hospital bed, unable to voice the last few words, her tears streaming now. Spike, alarmed, instantly dropped the issue.

“Shh, okay, okay. If that’s what you want, it’s what we’ll do.” He stroked her mane, wiped her eyes. “I just want you safe. That’s all. That’s all I care about now.” Was he relieved at her choice, or disappointed? Apple Bloom couldn’t tell, and Spike himself wasn’t sure. But pushing the question would only make her more upset, and that couldn’t be good for her. Redheart had said there were no risk-free options; that even ending the pregnancy could be dangerous in her condition. So he would trust his beloved’s judgment, and hold her close until her tears stopped and they could talk easily for a while.

That evening, Spike hastily scratched a note. His hands were shaking so hard he had to rewrite it three times before it was legible enough to bother sending:

Apple Bloom’s in the hospital. Hurry.

***

“Twilight’s back!” called Nurse Redheart, opening the door for her.

Spike ran to greet his oldest friend, but stopped when he saw her. The violet unicorn’s eyes were red and haunted. She’d only been gone a couple of days, but she looked as though she hadn’t slept in a week. She certainly hadn’t brushed her mane properly this morning.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I will be,” she said, forcing a smile. Her voice was shaky and ragged. “How’s Apple Bloom?”

“She goes back and forth. Sometimes she’s very lucid, other times she doesn’t respond at all.” Redheart explained as she led Twilight to Apple Bloom’s room.

“Because the baby needs a lot more minerals and nutrients than a normal pony. It’s trying to take things from her system that she just doesn’t have.”

“We know. She only started showing real improvement after we added ground gemstones to her nutrient regimen.”

Twilight blinked, impressed. “That was really good thinking. That’s definitely part of what she needs. I was able to find a recipe for a potion that’s worked for this sort of thing in the past. I got the royal alchemists to whip up a few doses, and I’m sure Zecora can make more. She’s going to need this stuff until the baby’s born, and probably in smaller doses while she’s nursing.” Twilight nodded towards her saddlebag as they entered the patient’s room. “Unfortunately, it’s pretty volatile; it only stays good for a couple of days. I’m pretty sure it tastes terrible too.”

“Hey, AB! Twilight’s here!” said Spike, gently shaking her awake.

“Hi, Apple Bloom. How are you feeling?” asked the unicorn, trying her best to smile and not let her fatigue show.

“Fine. I’m fine.” Apple Bloom’s expression clearly said otherwise. Today had not been a good day for her.

“Here, this should help you feel better.” From her saddlebag, Twilight produced a small vial of some sickly brown liquid.

“What is it?” asked Apple Bloom, eying the vial suspiciously. The substance inside was moving strangely as the vial floated in the air: more like mud than something drinkable.

“Nutrients the baby needs. That both of you need. It shouldn’t hurt either of you, but don’t ask what’s in it.” Twilight popped the lid of the vial, and Apple Bloom grabbed it in her mouth and took a cautious swig. If Twilight hadn’t noticed her cheeks bulging and closed her lips with magic, the ailing mare would have sprayed the stuff all over the room. She was only able to swallow it because the other choice was keeping it in her mouth.

“BLECH! What’s IN this?!”

Twilight shook her head. “You don’t want to know. I’m afraid you’re going to be drinking a lot of it over the next few months, though. You need to try to finish that vial today. Also, I learned a spell for monitoring the baby, something a little more advanced than usual.” Doctor Stable had done something similar countless times over the past few days, and Apple Bloom didn’t mind the faint tickling as Twilight moved her glowing horn slowly back and forth over her belly. When she’d finished, Twilight scribbled down some numbers on a scroll. “For scientific interest, mostly. It’s not much good for telling us if she’s healthy or not, because we don’t really know what healthy looks like for her. If she were a normal pony, the temperature would be a few degrees too high and the pulse and heart rate too low, but that might be completely fine. I can tell you that her overall vitality is quite strong.” Stronger than Apple Bloom’s at the moment, but Twilight decided against mentioning that.

“Do you know if it’s a filly or a colt?” asked Applejack.

“No, I can only sense things like temperature and pulse; I can’t actually see. I could use a stronger spell, but too much magic might not be good for her. Or him.”

“So… we’ll be okay?” asked Apple Bloom, not quite daring to hope.

Twilight nodded. “With the right help, you should be able to carry the baby to term.”

Apple Bloom had expected relief to crash over her like a great wave, but it didn’t: she was so tense and anxious that it would take days for her to fully recover, the anxiety building inside her without notice until she suddenly remembered there was no longer a reason for it.

“Now once she’s born, we’re back to unknowns. The…” Twilight stopped, shook her head. “Never mind.” She tried and failed to hold back a yawn.

“You look like you need an early bed,” commented Redheart, ever the vigilant nurse.

“No, I-" protested Twilight, but Redheart shushed her.

“Shh. Leave the potions with me and I’ll make sure she takes them. You clearly didn’t sleep properly in Canterlot and you won’t be any good to anypony falling down with fatigue. Spike, will you make sure she gets home without collapsing?”

“I’m fine, stay with Apple Bloom,” insisted Twilight.

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere," said Apple Bloom. "Take her home, Spike.”

***

Back at the library, Spike insisted Twilight have a wash and a snack and go straight to bed, which caused them both to muse on the reversal of their usual roles.

“So… what exactly did you read in Canterlot? Was there another pony-dragon baby?” he asked, sitting beside her on her bed.

Twilight’s entire body went stiff, and her mouth contorted into a very uncomfortable shape.

“Spike… I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Never ask me that again.” It was a plea, not a reprimand, and the dragon was stunned. Usually Twilight was so happy to share any knowledge she’d come across.

“What? Why not?”

Twilight let out a sigh of dread: she’d known he would ask this and had not been looking forward to it. “Spike, you know I would never keep a secret from you if it was something you really needed to know, right?” He nodded. “I’ve told you everything I can, everything you really need to know, and if something else turns out to be relevant, I’ll tell you that too. But some parts of what I learned that I’m just never going to be able to talk about, to anypony.”

“Is… was it something bad about the baby?”

“No. Absolutely not. Don’t ever think that. No matter what else he or she is, it’s still a foal. It’s just… I found out some things that most ponies are better off not knowing. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s true. Don’t apologize!” she said when he opened his mouth. “I don’t blame you and I don’t regret it. The Princess said it was something she always meant for me to learn one day. This just made it a little sooner.” She forced a wan smile onto her face. “Try not to worry about me, okay? I just need a little time. You’ve got a fiancée to look out for, right?”

Spike nodded his understanding, and resolved to never mention this to Apple Bloom. They had a little more idle chatter, and then he sat with Twilight as she went to sleep. Before he knew it he was asleep himself, curled beside her while she pressed against his gentle warmth in her sleep, just like when he was small.

Chapter 5: Rearranging

Zestar Apple Flambé

Chapter 5: Rearranging

Twilight woke up to the sunlight streaming through her window. She felt… better. Not well, yet; images of what she learned in Canterlot still spilled through her mind and nearly made her shudder, but certainly better than she’d felt yesterday. Spike was still asleep, curled against her, and she spent a long moment seriously considering just going back to sleep, warm and secure and comfortable. Her conscience wouldn’t let her, though. There was just too much to do today.

“Hey sleepyhead,” she said, gently shaking the dragon. “Don’t you have some farm chores to do?”

Spike started awake, saw the angle of the sunbeams and realized that he was late. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your bed.” he said, getting up hurriedly.

“Don’t apologize,” she said gently. “It was nice. I can’t remember the last time you played pillow for me. Guess you’re somepony else’s pillow now, huh?” Twilight winked, and Spike blushed.

“It’s not… quite the same.”

“I know it’s not, silly.” Twilight got up and made a valiant effort to pat Spike on the head, but he was a little too tall for that now and she settled for a nudge on the shoulder. “It’s still kind of strange for me, knowing that you and Apple Bloom have that kind of relationship. I guess part of me still thought of you as a baby dragon.”

“Really? You really think this is a baby dragon?” Spike stretched himself out to his full height, nearly a head taller than Twilight.

“No matter how big you get, you’ll always be that same little dragon to me. My number-one assistant.”

Spike had to swallow a lump in his throat. “To tell you the truth, part of me still thinks of me as a baby dragon.” He lowered his head and clasped his hands, looking at them worriedly. “Twilight… do you think I’m in over my head with this? I mean, are me and Apple Bloom too young? Did we make a mistake?”

“Yes, you did. There’s no point in worrying about that now. Even I can’t lecture you hard enough to turn back time.” Twilight nudged Spike again, getting a tiny smile at her joke. “As for being too young, well, it’s not about age, it’s about maturity. You’ll probably have to do some quick growing up, but if you’re willing to do that, and I know you are, then we’re all going to help and support you. And a good start would be not being late for your chores.”

Spike startled, looked at the sunbeams again, and dashed out the door. Five seconds later, he ran back inside, gave Twilight a hug and a “Thanks”, and sped down the road towards the farm.

Twilight once again felt the siren’s call of her bed, but settled for enjoying a leisurely breakfast before setting off toward Zecora’s.

***

“Twilight, my dear, it is most good to see you here,” said Zecora as she opened her door for the unicorn. “You often send Spike, and while that is fine, I enjoy chatting with your beautiful mind.”

Twilight rubbed her mane with a hoof. “Sorry I haven’t been around. I’ve been pretty busy with, you know, experiments and stuff.” She opened her saddlebag and pulled out the recipe for Apple Bloom’s supplement potions. “I’d love to chat, but I’ve got some business first. Over the next six or seven months I’m going to need a steady supply of this.” Twilight passed the scroll to her zebra friend, who carefully examined it like a chef inspecting a new recipe, trying to estimate its intended result.

“This is not a tricky chore, but I must ask, what is it for? This potion has little magic that I can tell, and drinking too much could make a pony unwell.”

“It’s… experimental,” said Twilight, mostly truthfully.

Zecora raised an eyebrow. “An experiment to achieve what end? Seven months is a long time, my friend. ”

“Have you heard about Apple Bloom?” To Twilight’s mild surprise, Zecora shook her head. Apparently nopony had gotten around to informing her. “She’s… well, she’s pregnant.”

“So her potions did not succeed? This is distressing news indeed. But of what use is this recipe? There is something you’re not telling me.” There was no accusation in Zecora’s voice, only concern.

“Wait a second, you knew she was making fertility suppressants? You knew she was active?”

“I know all the herbs I have in store, and what all of them are for,” Zecora said nonchalantly. “Once I saw certain things were gone, guessing why did not take long.”

“And you didn’t say anything to her?”

Zecora smiled knowingly. “We zebras are not so different from you, and I was once a young mare too. She was already taking care, so I pretended I was not aware. If strength of will is not enough, is it not better to use that stuff?”

Twilight couldn’t really argue with that. “So do you know who the father is?”

“I admit I have a guess or two, but I would like to hear the truth from you.”

Twilight hesitated. Zecora had always been a good mentor to Apple Bloom, and Twilight knew she might have valuable insight. Still, the circle of secrecy was getting too large; every pony (or zebra) who knew was another potential leak. Scenes of Apple Bloom being harassed, hounded by reporters and the media and judgmental townsfolk flashed through the unicorn’s mind. But Apple Bloom would probably want her friend to know, and Zecora really didn’t deserve to be lied to.

"Zecora, please understand that this has to stay a secret for as long as possible. It could make Apple Bloom's life very difficult if the wrong ponies found out who the father is. Her health is fragile right now and she doesn’t need more stress."

“I, spill a secret? Do not be absurd. For Apple Bloom’s sake, I will gladly give my word.”

"She's carrying Spike's baby."

Zecora’s brow furrowed in confusion. Twilight couldn’t blame her, it must be an awful lot to absorb.

"I do not understand, are things so different in your land? Where I am from this would be cause for glee, to have a half-dragon in the family."

Now it was Twilight’s turn to be confused. “This has happened where you’re from?”

“Not since many years ago, but there are stories that all zebras know. Of equine fathers and dragon mothers, there came creatures like no others. Some were heroes, kind and brave, some were villains most depraved. Their stories are many though their numbers were few; if you have time I will tell them to you.”

Twilight settled on one of Zecora’s cushions. This would certainly be worth hearing.

***

As gross as they were, Twilight’s potions rapidly restored Apple Bloom’s strength, and in a few days Nurse Redheart declared her well enough to be discharged from the hospital, with conditions.

“Be very careful,” the nurse told her. “You might feel better, but it’s going to take time for your body to regain everything it’s lost. Try to get fresh air and light exercise every day, but absolutely no heavy lifting or farm work under any circumstances. If you start to feel bad or strange or even if you just think something’s wrong but don’t know what it is, I want you to come back to the hospital right away. You are still a little on the young side for foalbearing, which could create complications on its own, so I want you to come in regularly for checkups even if you feel fine.”

Apple Bloom couldn’t remember ever being so glad to see familiar old Sweet Apple Acres. The walk back from the hospital wasn’t terribly long, but she found herself feeling a bit fatigued and was eager to rest in her own bed again. Spike opened the door for her as she entered the house, and she immediately noticed a few cardboard boxes stacked just inside.

“What’re those boxes?” she asked.

“Oh, that’s some of my stuff. I’m moving in.”

“Oh..” Apple Bloom felt her stomach swim a little bit. Spike, actually moving in, actually living with her… it was sudden and exciting and a little bit scary.

“Are you okay?” he said, seeing her balance waver slightly.

“I’m fine. Just a little surprised is all. It feels like everything’s happening so fast.”

“I kind of thought so too, but it really makes more sense than me having to run back and forth from the library every day.” Spike gave her a little push to help her up the stairs, which she didn’t really need, but he was trying; she appreciated that.

“And Big Mac is really okay with this?”

“Twilight had a talk with him. He wants me to sleep in the guest room until we’re officially married, though.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Oh, come on. It’s not like it makes any difference now.”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s just a little while, right? It’s worth keeping him happy.” Spike gave her a quick kiss and helped her into bed. “We’ve got plenty of time. All the time we could want.”

***

The next morning at breakfast, Applejack asked Apple Bloom, “You started thinkin’ about your weddin’ plans yet?”

“A little,” her sister replied. “I wrote to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo while I was in the hospital, and I’m just waitin’ to hear back from ‘em about when they can come. They gotta be my bridesmaids.”

Applejack swallowed a mouthful of pancake. “Remember to keep it small. I know you’ve always had your heart set on a traditional Apple weddin’, but it just ain’t a smart move right now.”

“No, you’re right,” said the youngest Apple, rather glumly. She remembered some of her cousins’ weddings, nearly a week of celebrating and feasting with relatives from all over Equestria, all coming to meet and inspect and welcome the newest member of the clan. She’d always expected her wedding to be like that.

“It’s a family reunion, really. Goes on for days.” explained Big Macintosh, seeing that Spike didn’t quite understand.

“It’d be too much excitement for an expectin’ mare, and there’d be no way to keep it secret after. Plus we got some relatives who might not be too keen on adding a dragon to the family,” chimed in Applejack. “Just a couple, mind. I think most will be okay once the surprise wears off.”

“Well, what if we just had a little ceremony for right now, and a big one later once the baby’s born and everypony’s used to the idea?” said Spike, hoping to perk up his fiancée.

Applejack nodded. “Maybe. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. AB, if you need a little help, Pinkie Pie really wanted to be part of the planning, though I don’t blame ya if you don’t want your weddin’ to be her kind of party.”

“What a goes on at an earth pony wedding, anyway?” asked Spike. “I’ve only ever been to unicorn and royal ones.”

“Well, it ain’t so fancy as all that,” said Applejack. “Really, the ceremony itself is kept pretty short n’ simple. The reception, though – that’s where stuff really happens. That’s where the friends and family who ain’t had a chance yet meet you. I guess at the little ceremony there won’t be anypony like that, but if we have a big one, you’re in for a LOT of dancin’. And there’s a special dinner arrangement. ‘Somethin’ sweet, somethin’ sour, a bitter herb, a pretty flower.’ It’s an old earth pony tradition. You gotta eat all of it, even the sour and bitter stuff, like a marriage.”

“But it’s your weddin’ too,” added Apple Bloom. “Is there something you’d really like?”

“Er… not really. Honestly I never really thought about it until recently.”

“Boys” muttered Applejack, rolling her eyes. “Don’t dragons have any wedding traditions?”

“As far as I know, they don’t usually have weddings at all,” explained Spike. “I’m not really sure, but I don’t think they’re really into ceremony and stuff like that.” He shrugged. “I’m happy with whatever you decide to do, Apple Bloom.”

Big Macintosh nodded, looked out the window and stood up.

“You think on that, AB. We’d better get to work, there’s a storm a-comin’. Spike, go get the big shovels.””

***In Manehattan: ***

“Onstage in twenty, Miss Belle. Here’s a new letter for you.”

Sweetie Belle sat and let Powder Puff get to work on everything behind her head, while Sweetie tended to the blush and false eyelashes and everything else needed to shine on stage. It had become so automatic for her that she’d made a ritual of it: while prepping for a show, Sweetie would read a letter from home, a new one if she had it, an old one if not. It calmed her nerves to hear from those who still knew her as just regular Sweetie Belle, not some “rising star of the musical world”; to remember that no matter how tonight’s show went, she had a family and friends who loved her. She knew the letter was from Apple Bloom even before she opened it: the Apples kept their stationary in the cellar, so their letters always had a faint scent like old cider.

Dear Sweetie Belle,

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to write to you for a while; a lot of things have happened over the past couple of weeks. It looks like I won’t be able to join you for the Northwest portion of your tour. I really appreciate the offer, but something’s come up here and I’m not going to be able to leave for… well, for a long time.

When can you make it back to Ponyville? It’s urgent: I’m going to be getting married soon, and the wedding just wouldn’t be perfect without you and Scootaloo as my bridesmaids.

I know it’s short notice and you’re probably confused, but I promise I will explain everything when we talk face-to-face.

Love,

Apple Bloom

Sweetie Belle reread the letter several times, the false eyelash she’d been applying forgotten.

“Sweetie? Is something wrong?” asked Powder Puff.

“Cancel the show,” Sweetie said flatly.

“What? We can’t do that, it’s a full house.”

“LOOK!” Sweetie shoved the letter under Puff’s nose, getting a light spray of white dust on it. “I just found out my friend’s about to get married! How am I supposed to focus on the show at a time like this?”

“It’s called being a professional, Sweetie,” said Powder, calmly but firmly. “The show must go on. Your friend’s not going anywhere, and we’re only in Manehattan for a few more days, can’t you at least finish out this city?”

“But… oh, fine,” grumbled Sweetie. “But it’s not MY fault if I can’t hit the high notes tonight.”

***Somewhere near Baltimare***

“Here’s today’s deliveries. Oh, and a letter for you, Scootaloo.” The postmaster hefted the bag of packages onto Scootaloo’s scooter and passed her the envelope.

“Hey, one for me? Awesome!” Scootaloo said as she secured the parcels. She had long ago gotten the hang of flying, but her speed and skill on the vehicle made her perfect for a difficult and essential role: high-speed non-flying delivery, what was sometimes called the Earth Pony Express. On any given day, some portion of Equestria’s skies would be too dangerous to fly; it was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of maintaining a stable weather system. The mail still had to go through, though, and it was up to a special team of earth ponies, and the occasional oddball like Scootaloo, to make sure it happened. Scootaloo didn’t want to be a mailmare forever, but (as she often reminded herself) even Rainbow Dash was a weather-pony before becoming a Wonderbolt. Scootaloo didn’t think she really wanted to be a Wonderbolt herself, but this was a good way to earn some bits and hone her skills while she figured out a way to make the best use of her talent. Besides, sometimes it was pretty fun. As she described it: “My job is dodging hail, catching gales, and riding tornados to deliver your mails.”

Finished with the parcels, she turned to her own letter. She recognized Apple Bloom’s mouthwriting as soon as she opened the envelope:

Dear Scootaloo,

How are things going? I hope they’re not still making you go through tornado territory; that sounded like the worst.

When are you getting back to Ponyville? I know you said you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I really, really need to talk to you about something. See, I’m going to be getting married soon, and I really need to know when you can make it, because I want you and Sweetie Belle as my bridesmaids.

I know you’re probably upset with me for not telling you about this sooner, and if you’re still reading, I promise I’ll explain everything when we meet up.

Hope to see you soon,

Love,

Apple Bloom

The next thing anypony knew, Scootaloo was gone, out the door in a blur of buzzing wings and hot rubber.

***

“Comin’, I’m comin’!” Apple Bloom called, hurrying to make it to the door. She opened it to a sudden pink blur that nearly bowled her over, barely stopping itself in the nick of time.

“I heard! I heard!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “I wanted to throw you a welcome-home party but Applejack said not to get you too excited but I don’t know how you could be any less excited than me and I’m sooooo excited! A dragon and a pony, I mean, that’s got to be a first EVER! We have to celebrate! Which shower do you want first?”

“Shower?”

“Baby or bridal? Or both at once? Oooh, a baby-ridal shower!”

“Pinkie, I dunno about all that. We’re tryin’ to keep it a secret, right?” Apple Bloom was feeling much better, but she wasn’t sure she could handle one of Pinkie’s all-out parties.

“I thought of that! It’s a MYSTERY party with a baby-shower theme!” The pink pony seemed inordinately proud of herself for the idea. Apple Bloom was less impressed.

“I’m pretty sure nopony’s gonna fall for that.”

Pinkie deflated slightly. “Aww, but I got this funny mask all ready.” She produced an oversized baby bonnet attached to a giant pacifier with a mouthguard wide enough to cover her entire face, aside from two eyeholes, and Apple Bloom couldn’t help but snort with laughter. “See, I knew you’d like it!” Pinkie began to stot around the room, all four hooves leaving the ground at once. “You two make such adorrrrable couple! Ooh, will the baby have slit eyes? Claws or hooves? Will she get a cutie mark? I wish it didn’t take so long for baby ponies to be born!”

Apple Bloom nodded. “You an’ me both. Why anypony’d go through this more than once I got no idea.”

“Are you having trouble? Something I can help with?” asked Pinkie eagerly, coming to a halt.

“Nah, I don’t think so. But those potions I have to drink are about the nastiest things ever, and I’ve started getting these, I dunno, hot flashes.”

“Hot flashes?” Pinkie tilted her head.

“Every now and then I just feel really hot, but I feel like I’m not hot enough and I wanna lay in the sun and eat chili or something. Twilight says the baby probably wants to be warmer, something about dragons breathing fire on their eggs.”

Pinkie nodded sagely. “Ponies get all kinds of cravings. My mom used to mash up tomatoes and pickles in ice cream and let it melt before eating it.”

“Ew!” Apple Bloom made a face. “That still sounds better than Twilight’s potions, though.”

“Do you think it would help if you mixed them with ice cream or pickles?” the pink pony suggested cheerfully.

Apple Bloom shuddered. “No, Pinkie, I don’t think it would. Besides, I don’t know exactly how these potions work; that might mess them up.”

“Oh, okay. Well, we can still serve whatever spicy stuff you want at the wedding dinner; I’ve got all kinds of hot sauces if you want to do a taste test. And we need to work on a guest list, and decorations, and invitations!”

“I just want a little ceremony, nothin’ too fancy. I thought we might use the barn like we normally do, just hang some ribbons and stuff. We ain’t invitin’ that many folks, right? So there’s no need for invitations.”

“But this is such a big day!” protested Pinkie. “Shouldn’t we pull out all the stops?”

“We’re hopin’ to get a proper Apple Family weddin’ together after the baby’s born. We’ll pull out all the stops then.”

“Ooh!” Pinkie’s eyes widened. “That does sound super! But even if we don’t send out invitations, we still need to know how many ponies to expect. Do you know who’s coming?”

“Well… um, I guess just the ponies who already know about me an’ Spike, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, of course. So that’s Sis and Big Mac, Twilight and Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rar- Do you think Rarity would come?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” asked Pinkie in a tone of genuine bewilderment.

“Well, I kinda got the idea she wasn’t real happy about me an’ Spike bein’ together.”

Pinkie carelessly waved a hoof. “Rarity’s just being a sillyhead. She’ll come around, she always does.”

Apple Bloom had her doubts about that, but decided not to argue the point. She would extend the invitation, whether the unicorn accepted or not was out of her hooves. “What about Zecora? I wonder if she’s ever been to a pony wedding before…”

***

“Twilight, I’m so glad you wanted to talk.” Rarity said as she tentatively stuck her head through the library door. “Er, begging pardon, but Spike isn’t around, is he?”

“No, he’s helping at Sweet Apple Acres most of the time now. We’ve actually started to move some of his things there. We’ll probably be having the wedding pretty soon, just to make it official, but he may as well go ahead and move in so he doesn’t have to run back and forth all the time.”

Rarity’s frown showed that she wasn’t entirely fond of that idea, but she said “Well, I suppose that’s sensible, if not exactly customary.”

“He told me that you provided the gems for Apple Bloom. I really can’t thank you enough.”

Rarity sighed. “I may not agree with what he and Apple Bloom have done, but I could not live with myself if she had… perished, when I could have stopped it by giving away a few gems. I’m not a monster.”

“I know you’re not. Everypony else does too.” Twilight wasn’t sure to what to make of Rarity’s emphasis on ‘not’, and Rarity didn’t feel like explaining it to her: repeating her conversation with Spike was too painful.

“It seems like everypony else has been avoiding me since the other night, except for Pinkie of course. Fluttershy made our weekly meetup but I could tell she was uncomfortable, always changing the subject.” If anything, that was what Rarity actually felt the guiltiest about. Poor Fluttershy seemed to be taking their difference of opinion personally.

“Well, yes, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. When I spoke to Rainbow Dash earlier today she was still really upset, so I thought I’d better hear your side.” Twilight had actually been rather surprised at the level of Dash’s outrage. She suspected that there was something personal going on there that she didn’t know about yet.

Rarity nodded, glad to avoid the subject of her exchange with Spike. “I appreciate that, Twilight. I was hoping that you might understand, you’ve had more contact with high society than any of them.”

“You know I was always more concerned with my studies than society. Still, I really want to understand what happened to get everypony so upset.”

Rarity recounted the events of the night she had learned about Apple Bloom’s pregnancy, generally matching Rainbow Dash’s description, though with some rather more flowery language.

“I thought I made my feelings on the subject quite clear. I simply do not believe it is correct for a dragon and a pony to… to mate, and I have serious concerns that the inevitable social reaction will cause serious harm to the ponies involved and those associated with them. “

“I get that, and I understand that you’re concerned about your reputation,” Twilight said diplomatically. “I know you’ve been working hard for years and years to establish your business and standing and you’re scared to see that hard work threatened.”

“Honestly, you have no idea how serious this kind of thing can be. Rosey Quartz, the famous sculptor? Her sister married a donkey, and now poor Rosey hasn’t been in an exhibition for over a year. I’ve hardly seen mane nor tail of Jet Set or Upper Crust since it came out that Jet’s brother’s closest friend has a certain taste for griffons. The news of this kind of thing, it just causes ripples and there’s no way to escape it.” Rarity’s tail began to swish in agitation. The thought of being the target of such scorn was nearly too much to bear.

“I see why you’re worried about what they think,” Twilight said. “But I’m still trying to figure out why you seem so personally hung up about it.”

“Ponies should be with ponies. It’s tradition, and it’s nature.” Rarity said simply.

“Nowadays different pony types get married all the time. That used to be considered just outrageous, right?”

“Oh, but that’s not the same thing at all,” Rarity protested with a shake of her head. “We’re all still ponies, aren’t we? We just have different accessories. Take away wings and horns and we’d all be earth ponies.”

“Actually, there are several significant differences in internal anatomy as well.” Twilight’s eyes wandered, looking for a biology book to illustrate her point. “Pegasi have much lighter bones, and the unicorn nervous system is – ”

“You’re missing the point, Twilight. There’s a line in these things,” said Rarity, hastily cutting Twilight off before she could get into full lecture mode.

“Is there?” Twilight started to pace back and forth, feeling her frustration rising. “Look at it this way: if Spike were a pony, but exactly the same in every other way, would you have a problem?”

Rarity shook her head again, her mane a cascade of violet. “But he isn’t. He just isn’t, and no amount of wishing on his part will change that.” The white unicorn sighed. “I can’t help but feel partially responsible, you know. I should never have allowed him to entertain that silly crush he had on me for all those years. I thought it was a phase he was going through, and that he would invest his attractions in a dragon eventually. Perhaps if I had quashed it sooner we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“All he’s ever known is ponies,” retorted Twilight. “I don’t think that would change just because you snubbed him.”

“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better.”

“It’s not supposed to,” Twilight said icily, feeling her frustration nearly at its limit. “It’s just a fact. Spike and Apple Bloom didn’t plan for this to happen, but it did and we all have to deal with it.”

“But that’s not fair! Can’t you see how that’s not fair? I didn’t do anything, I wasn’t involved, but that’s not going to matter and everything I’ve worked for is going to fall to pieces!” Rarity was on the verge of tears. “I’ll be shunned because of something my friend’s family did, they already know how close we are, and I can’t… everything I’ve worked for…”

Twilight stamped her hoof, finally boiling over. “You’re not the only one being inconvenienced! Do you think I’m not upset with them? Do you think any of us won’t have to change our plans? Spike’s moving in with the Apples and I’ll have to find a new assistant! Do you have any idea how weird that is for me? And just think about the Apples’ business! Even if they keep all their customers, Apple Bloom can’t work in her condition and Spike’s doing his best, but there’s just no way he can replace her, she’s been doing farm work all her life and he’s never done it before.

“But you know what? I don’t feel half as sorry for them as I do for their foal, because she’s going to have to deal with ponies who have your attitude all her life, ponies who will treat her like she’s unnatural and wrong, and all she’ll have done was be born. THAT’S not fair.”

Rarity stared; nopony, least of all Twilight, had ever spoken to her that way before. It took a great deal of willpower for her to keep herself from bursting into tears. As a long moment of silence fell between them, Twilight’s irritation was soon replaced with horror.

“Rarity, I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have gone off on you like that. My research in Canterlot was very draining and I’m not feeling like myself. No, I shouldn’t make excuses: it was still wrong and I’m sorry.”

“How could you even think that of me? I may not agree with her parents’ choices but I would never mistreat a foal because of how it was born.” Rarity said, almost whispering.

“I know you wouldn’t mean to, but foals notice.”

“But is it wrong for me to want to look out for me, since nopony else is going to?”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to look shocked. “Rarity, how could you think that? Even the worst does happen, and you never get another society customer again – ” (a sudden gasping sob from Rarity made Twilight regret that choice of words) “ – Sorry. What I mean is, no matter what happens, we’ll still support you. You’re our friend and we love you.” Twilight gave her a hug, which Rarity returned, a bit awkwardly. “Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

“I don’t know if I can ever really be comfortable with this,” Rarity whispered after a moment. “I’m going to need time. But… I’ll try. Even if I still think… nevermind. I’ll try to keep it to myself. Is that fair?”

Twilight made a little smile, though Rarity couldn’t see it. “That’s fair.”

Apple Bloom was sitting in her room, reading a magazine Pinkie had given her on the subject of tasteful and affordable wedding decorations, when an urgent knock came at her door and a very familiar voice shouted “Open up!” Her heart leapt as she dropped her magazine and ran to the door, and there stood her two closest fillyhood friends.

“Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle!”

“You – stupid – blockhead!” shouted the pegasus, squeezing past Sweetie Belle and into Apple Bloom’s room, getting right up in her face. “I’d smack you if you weren’t pregnant!”

“But then you wouldn’t want to smack her for anything,” said Sweetie Belle, stepping inside a bit more delicately. Scootaloo frowned and bopped the unicorn on the head with a hoof. “Ow!”

“You aren’t pregnant.” The pegasus turned to Apple Bloom. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“How’d you find out?” asked Apple Bloom with some concern. She’d very deliberately avoided mentioning her condition in her letters.

“Oh, I don’t know, one of your friends suddenly says she’s getting married when she wasn’t even thinking about it before, what was I supposed to think?” Scootaloo snarled. “My route was going to take me near here next week anyway, but then I caught up with Rainbow Dash after a Wonderbolts show, and she mentioned it because she thought I already knew. She thought that our friend would bother telling us about little things like getting pregnant!” Unlike some pegasi, Scootaloo didn’t usually hover while speaking, but at this moment she couldn’t stop her wings from vibrating so quickly that they lifted her a few inches off the floor. “There was no way I was letting that slide for another few days.”

“She came and got me first, right before my next-to-last show in Manehattan.” said Sweetie Belle. “My manager was sooo angry, she thought it was a crazed fan breaking in.” Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but snicker at that. She and her manager didn’t always see eye-to-eye. “Scoots drove us back on her scooter, and I am NEVER riding with her through a hailstorm again!” This was said with a glare at the pegasus, who shrugged as if to say “Your loss.”

“I’m sorry for not goin’ into more detail in the letter. I just didn’t want somepony else to read over your shoulder or somethin’ and… Please don’t be angry, I’ll explain everything.” Apple Bloom bit her lip.

“We’re not really mad at you,” said Sweetie Belle gently, patting her yellow friend.

“I kind of am,” interrupted Scootaloo, earning another glare from Sweetie.

“We just want to know what happened.”

“You mean WHO happened!” Scootaloo corrected, with a slight, mischievous grin.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Well, yes. And we were worried about you, of course, because apparently Rainbow Dash said something about you being in the hospital.” The white pony turned to Scootaloo to continue the story.

“When she figured out I didn’t know what she was talking about, she said I should ask you myself. She made it sound pretty serious, though,” said Scootaloo.

“We got it all sorted out, don’t worry. Just a little problem with the baby. ” said Apple Bloom, mostly truthfully. No sense in worrying her friends about an issue that was hopefully solved.

“It didn’t sound like just a little problem. From the way Dash was talking –”

“ANYway, about ‘who happened’” Sweetie Belle interrupted, sensing that Apple Bloom might not want to continue on this topic. “Was this somepony you knew before, or did he just catch you at a bad time, or –”

“Was it Snips? PLEASE tell me it wasn’t Snips” begged Scootaloo suddenly.

“Shh! Dummy! What if it was?” hissed Sweetie Belle frantically.

“Why in the world would you guess him?” asked Apple Bloom, rather amazed.

“No reason,” said Scootaloo hastily. “On the way here we were trying to guess who it might be.”

“No, it weren’t Snips or Snails or anypony else from our class.” Apple Bloom pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, prompting her friends to ask further questions.

“Somepony older, then? Ooh, or somepony younger?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo’s eyes lit up. “Wait, wasn’t Pipsqueak crushing on you for the longest time?”

“Eww, you! That’s TOO much younger.” Sweetie Belle made a face of mock horror and shoved Scootaloo playfully.

“Naw, he’s over me,” said Apple Bloom lightly. That had been a rather awkward period for her, and she was glad he’d moved on. “Actually, I overheard his mom say she saw him and Dinky kissing the other day.”

“Oh, finally.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes in relief. “I was afraid somepony was gonna have to dig up the old love poison to get those two together. But no changing the subject! Is it somepony new in town?”

“Not exactly. Keep going,” Apple Bloom said, smiling. This was sort of fun. Both of her friends seemed to have forgotten any irritation with her and were caught up in trying to guess her mate’s identity.

“I can’t believe y’all ain’t guessed it yet. I hung out with him all the time. I even mentioned him in my letters.”

Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle. “Do you remember her going out with a stallion?”

“Not unless...” Sweetie’s eyes went wide. “You can’t mean… Spike? Is that even possible?”

“Well, if it ain’t, I don’t know where this came from.” Apple Bloom turned to show her side a bit more prominently. Now that she was getting proper nutrition, her pregnancy was becoming clearer by the day.

“That’s amazing,” breathed Scootaloo. “I had no idea.”

Sweetie’s face was pure concern “Who else knows about this? Does my sister know?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she does. I get the feelin’ she didn’t take the news too well.” In the past couple of days, Apple Bloom had noticed how Spike’s mouth formed a hard, tense line and Applejack changed the subject whenever Rarity’s name came up, and she hadn’t really wanted to ask for more details.

“Oh geez.” Sweetie Belle rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “I’m really sorry about that. My family, especially my sister, has kind of a thing about ponies hooking up with non-ponies.”

“Really?” Scootaloo looked confused. “Your folks always seemed pretty nice to me.”

“Well, yeah, but put the subject on mules and they get kinda touchy. I think one of our great-great-granduncles married a donkey and it caused the family some grief, or something like that. Rarity’s the worst, though. She’s so obsessed with what ‘high society’ thinks she’d probably swear she’s never even met a mule.”

“But you don’t have a problem, right?” asked Scootaloo, eyebrows raised.

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “That stuff with my granduncle is ancient history. I’m a performer; I see weird relationships all the time. I just didn’t think Spike could… you know.”

“Neither did we. If we had I woulda been more careful,” said Apple Bloom. At least she hoped she would’ve had that presence of mind, not that it mattered now.

“That’s not quite what I – oh, never mind,” said Sweetie Belle, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. “I guess the big question is, are you happy being with him? Are you okay going through with the whole ‘marriage’ thing with him?”

“Yeah, I am. This is just a lot sooner than I thought it would be.”

“What matters is if he treats you well and you’re happy being with him,” said Sweetie Belle, her eyes carefully examining Apple Bloom’s for a sign or regret or hesitation.

“Absolutely.” Scootaloo nodded emphatically and leaned in close to Apple Bloom’s face. “Now tell us exactly what happened between you two. I wanna know EVERYTHING.”

***

After Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had left to make lodging arrangments, Fluttershy showed up.

“Hi, Apple Bloom. Are you feeling okay today?”

“I’m fine, Fluttershy.” The pregnant yellow mare squirmed uncomfortably. True to her word, Fluttershy had started coming by the farm on most days, sometimes several times a day, flying back and forth to her cottage to tend to her animals. Apple Bloom didn’t mind the extra help with the little house chores, but she did begin to notice that Fluttershy took every chance she could to touch her belly, usually getting rather closer than necessary to ask questions or give her things.

“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?” asked the yellow pegasus eagerly.

“No, really, I’m fine. You don’t have to keep checking on me.” Apple Bloom tried to keep her tone light, but Fluttershy looked horrified.

“Oh, am I bothering you? I’m making you uncomfortable, aren’t I? I’ll go-“

“No, no! You can stay!” Apple Bloom said hurriedly, before Fluttershy could run for the door. “I’m sorry if I snapped. It’s just that… you seem awful interested in this baby thing.”

Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, I’m very interested! I’ve wondered what it feels like for a while now.”

“It feels like I’m carryin’ a bucket of hot coal in my belly that burns up everythin’ I eat.”

“Oh. But I’m sure it will be worth it once the baby is born, right?” the pegasus asked hopefully.

“Well, they say that.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “I’m stuck with it anyhow. What’re so interested for, anyway? You plannin’ on havin’ some?” Fluttershy looked at the ground and shuffled her hooves nervously, and Apple Bloom realized that her joke had hit close to home. The thought of Fluttershy having any interest in such a thing was strange to her. She’d always imagined the yellow pegasus as being disconnected from such common matters. Fluttershy was like a dreamy fairy stepsister: kind enough, but with different priorities from normal ponies. “Are you thinkin’ about havin’ foals?”

Fluttershy blushed, pink showing from under her coat. “Er… well, sort of. My animal friends are like my children, but I wonder sometimes what it would be like to have some real children of my own…” she trailed off, looking wistful.

“I’ve never seen you with any stallions.”

Fluttershy visibly shrank from the thought. “Eek, no, no. I don’t… I don’t know how to do all that. Dating and all.”

“Ain’t you ever had a special somepony?” asked Apple Bloom. Fluttershy shook her head sadly. “Ain’t you ever been in heat?” Apple Bloom tried and failed to not think about a young Fluttershy just starting her seasons, wild with urges she hadn’t mastered, seeking relief from anyone or anything able to give it.

“Well, yes, but it’s never bothered me that much. I just keep myself busy until it goes away.”

Apple Bloom stared at her in disbelief. Her own seasons had been impossible to ignore: burning, aching, clawing need twisting in her gut. Fluttershy had either incredible willpower or very weak seasons.

“So you’ve never had… never been?” Fluttershy shook her head again. She looked slightly miserable.

“One day, maybe. One day” she whispered.

Apple Bloom couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “I know it’s not the same, but do you want to help me with this little one, when she comes? Think of it as practice for when you get your own.”

Fluttershy smiled, though her eyes still glimmered sadly. “I would like that very much.”

“Good, I’m sure I’m gonna need the help. But you’ll find him for sure, your perfect stallion, and you’ll have some beautiful foals. In the meantime, wanna help me think of some good names? I was thinking Almata if it’s a filly, but I’m having trouble coming up with a good colt’s name.”

“Well,” said Fluttershy, settling down, “I’ve always been fond of Ribston Pippin apples, and the name is fun to say…”

***

“Whew! All right, that should be it,” Twilight said, gently lowering the last box of Spike’s possessions. Applejack nudged the box into place beside several others like it, alongside one of the guest room walls.

“Good thing too, I’m starved. Let’s go get some grub,” said Applejack, heading for the kitchen where her siblings, as well as Spike, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, were all preparing their plates.

“Spike, I can get my own plate, honestly,” came Apple Bloom’s slightly exasperated voice from the dining room.

“Oh, let him help.” Sweetie Belle’s voice floated in. “He’s just trying to be nice.”

Applejack paused at the dining room door to let Twilight past, then realized that the unicorn hadn’t followed her. Going back to the guest room, she saw that her friend was magically shifting the heavy boxes around, changing their positions along the wall and restacking them.

“No, no, the old toys are too fragile, they shouldn’t have anything on top of them. But the box is too heavy, none of these can support it. Could I put it on the books? No, I can’t do that. What if I put the outfits-“

“Er… Twi, what’re you doin?”

Twilight jumped; she’d been too absorbed in her reorganization to hear Applejack coming. “Oh, I just saw that these boxes were kind of out of order, shouldn’t the biggest one be on the bottom here? It’ll just take me a second to get them right.” Twilight’s voice was tense and high, and Applejack recognized that gleam in her eyes that meant something was about to give.

“Twi, they’re fine. C’mon, everypony’s waitin’.”

“Okay, okay, let me just-“ Twilight’s concentration wavered, and the box she was levitating suddenly dumped over, spilling a motley collection of knickknacks on the floor. “Oh my gosh, AJ, I’m so sorry!”

“Calm down, calm down, it’s no big deal.” Applejack turned and called out the door, “Y’all go ahead an’ eat. We’ll just be a second.” She gently shut the door. “Sugarcube, what’s really botherin’ you? Is it Spike movin’ out? I know it’s a hardship on ya, and if you don’t think you can handle it right now, I’ll understand.”

“I’ll be fine, Applejack. You need his help more than I do right now. Owlowiscious can pick up some of the slack, and I’ve been thinking about auditioning some of the local foals to be my new assistants. I think Dinky Doo could do a good job with a little training, or maybe Pumpkin Cake. But I’ll still miss having Spike around, helping, getting underhoof…” Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t get getting so worked up. It’s not like this is… goodbye or anything.”

Applejack put a foreleg over Twilight’s shoulder. “Movin’ his stuff makes it seem real, don’t it?” Twilight nodded, unsure if she could answer without the lump breaking loose. “I know what ya mean. When Ma an’ Pa passed, it didn’t really feel like they were gone until we had to move their things.”

“I didn’t mean to bring up something like that for you,” said Twilight guiltily.

The earth pony shook her head. “Don’t worry about that. What I meant was, it taught me that change ain’t ever easy, even when you know it’s gotta be done. I found out a secret for makin’ it a little easier, though, an’ it’s to remember the stuff that won’t change. You an’ Spike are still family, right? Forever an’ ever?” Twilight nodded again. “Then there ya go. You’ll still see him all the time, an’ when winter rolls around we won’t need quite so much of his time, so he can come help you out if’n he wants to.

Twilight blinked the tears out of her eyes and swallowed again, calming herself. Of course, she realized. Of course many things were changing, for better or for worse, but that didn’t mean that everything was. Some things couldn’t be changed that easily.

“You good?” asked Applejack after a few moments.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, AJ.”

“Any time. Now c’mon, I’m starvin’!” Applejack opened the door, and this time Twilight lead her out, head held high and feeling better than she had in days, comforted by the warmth of her friends.

(Author’s Note: I do plan to elaborate on Zecora’s story, but rhyming all the time is really hard and this took long enough to get out as it is. Sorry! Next chapter in the works!)

Chapter 6: My Big Fat Little Pony Wedding

“‘Rising Star Cancels Tour, Flees Manehattan,’” Rarity read aloud, turning the newspaper to face her sister. “Sweetie Belle, honestly–”

“What? I’ve met Rising Star maybe twice, it’s not like we’re friends. Besides, she’s always in the papers for something.” Rarity shoved the article a little closer to her sister. The younger unicorn’s face fell as she saw the picture: herself holding on tightly as Scootaloo propelled her scooter out of town at breakneck speed. “I did not cancel my tour, I postponed it,” she grumped. “I told them that. I’ll get back on the road as soon as we have the wedding and I know Spike and Apple Bloom are okay. They said the baby should be born sometime around Winter Wrap-Up, that’s plenty of time to finish the tour.”

Rarity snorted dismissively. “You really should pay a little more attention to your image, you know.”

“I do pay attention to my image, I just pay more attention to my friends. If my audience has a problem with it they don’t have to come.” Sweetie gave her sister a knowing glare.

“What does that look mean?” asked Rarity defensively.

“What look?” asked Sweetie, continuing to glare.

“You’re staring at me like you’re expecting me to say something ugly.”

“Are you?”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good.” Silence fell between the sisters as Rarity stirred her tea and Sweetie Belle took a swift bite of pancake.

“I really am trying to be reasonable about this, you know.” Rarity said at last.

“Then why are you acting like such a dockhead?” snapped her sister.

“Excuse me?” Rarity gasped, indignant.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Apple Bloom said you hadn’t gotten back with her about her dress or if you’re coming to the wedding or anything. You know the wedding’s in two days. Remember when Namby-Pamby got married? You wouldn’t shut up about that dress for the whole week before the wedding.”

“It’s not my fault she hasn’t brought it over.”

“She hasn’t brought it over because she’s nervous about talking to you! If you really want to be reasonable about this, go talk to her, like an adult!”

“I do not need a lecture in maturity from my little sister!” Rarity said angrily.

“You need one from somepony, and it’s not like Mom and Dad are going to give it to you,” responded Sweetie Belle with equal temper.

“Don’t you talk about our parents in that tone! They don’t know about this, and if you’re smart you’ll keep it that way.”

“Rarity, I love our parents too, but this is just stupid. Just because some distant relative who was dead before we were even born had some kind of issue, so what? It’s got nothing to do with us.”

“Nothing to do with us? That’s why our family had to relocate! It’s why they wound up in Ponyville! That’s why I never-”

“Why you never really fit in with those snobby Canterlot unicorns? Because you really do care more about your friends than your reputation, even though you wish you didn’t?

Rarity stomped her hoof in anger. Her mouth opened, closed, opened, and finally she dropped her teacup and left the house, flipping her mane defiantly. She didn’t start to cry until she was a block away.

***

“Let’s see…” said Twilight, examining her copy of “The Complete Guide to Elopement,” “Decorations, check. Dinner menu, check. Invitations, well, everypony we want to come knows about it, so… check. This isn’t really an elopement, so we can skip the getaway plans and the travel arrangements. I might have to write a ‘Complete Guide to Spur Weddings’ if we make too many more changes, though.”

“Anything we’re missin’?” asked Applejack, standing on her hind legs to pin a scarlet streamer to the wall.

“Well, besides the actual preparation, we still need somepony to officiate.”

“I kinda thought you’d do that,” said Apple Bloom, who was passing ribbons to her sister. She fiercely wanted to do more, but standing on her hind legs made her feel woozy and unbalanced.

“It’s not really appropriate for me to do it, as Best Mare,” Twilight explained. There hadn’t been any question of who would fill that role for Spike. “I could, I suppose, if there’s really nopony else. We don’t want to involve the Mayor, and the Princesses… well, you understand that they wouldn’t want to draw extra attention to this, right?”

“No, of course,” said Apple Bloom. Truthfully, she found the idea of a Princess officiating her wedding to be a bit terrifying. Suddenly, a crazy idea: “Zecora once told me she used to give weddin’s in her country. Do you think she could do one here?”

Twilight tilted her head thoughtfully. “Well, if she’s considered the proper kind of ‘official’, I don’t really see why not. I’m sure I’ve got a book on earth pony ceremony if she’d like to study it.”

“You sure that’s what you want, AB?” asked Applejack. “You know she’ll probably put it all in rhyme.”

“That’s okay. It’ll be interestin’.”

***

Rarity, distracted and upset, didn’t see the unicorn stallion until she’d bumped into him.

“My dear, we really must stop meeting like this.” Rarity looked up to see a pair of wide blue eyes looking back at her, one framed with a monocle.

“Fancy Pants!” gasped Rarity. “What are you doing here?”

“A little business, that’s all. I intended to say hello at the shop as soon as I could. Dear me, you look terribly upset.”

“Oh. It’s… I just had an argument with my sister,” Rarity sniffed and looked away, certain her eyes were red.

“Sweetie Belle is in town? I read that she’d suddenly halted her concert, but the paper didn’t say where she went. Is everything all right?”

“Yes...” Rarity said, so unconvincingly that even Derpy wouldn’t have fallen for it. “No. I just… I don’t know what to do!”

Fancy Pants looked around to ensure nopony was taking undue interest in Rarity’s distress. “Let’s retire to discuss this a bit more discretely, shall we?” For most stallions, going to a private hotel suite with a mare besides his wife would be cause for scandal, or at least snickering. Fancy Pants could play by his own rules. Besides, Fleur dis Lee was already there, playing with their foal, Spats de Lux. Spats and Rarity had met before, and the silver-white colt gave her an adorably polite little bow before he and his mother excused themselves.

“Would you care for some refreshments?” asked Fancy Pants. “There’s hot water for tea, and this hotel’s cucumber sandwiches are quite good.”

Rarity had just eaten, but the little cucumber sandwiches did look tasty, and she was stressed. She popped one into her mouth and crunched morosely.

“I’m not sure how much I can say. It’s… I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

“I understand completely, and I certainly won’t ask you to violate a trust,” said Fancy Pants with a somber nod. “Of course, nothing you say will leave this room, but I understand if you’re still uncertain.”

“That’s the thing, though,” Rarity said, grabbing another sandwich. “It will leave this room. That is, there’s no way for it to not get out. And I promised I would try to… to be accepting, and I am trying, but I’m still so afraid…”

Fancy Pants didn’t fully understand her rambling, of course, but he’d had some experience in these matters and made some swift deductions.

“Is your sister involved in some kind of scandal?”

“My sist- well, indirectly.”

“And you are afraid that when the news gets out, your association will cause the scandal to rub off on you?”

“Yes, exactly!” Rarity said, letting out a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how glad I am that you understand.”

“I understand very well,” said Fancy Pants sternly, raising his unmonocled eyebrow, “but frankly, my dear, I am surprised at you. I would have thought that you of all ponies would have figured it out by now.”

“Figured out what?”

He leaned in closer to her, and Rarity felt her heart give a little flutter. Though he had made it quite clear that he was spoken for and any deeper relationship between them was simply out of the question, she couldn’t help but find him extremely attractive.

“High society is stupid.”

If Fancy Pants had suddenly revealed himself to be a changeling, Rarity would not have been more surprised.

“Not all of the ponies making it up, of course. But haven’t you noticed how simple-minded they are, how easy it is to manipulate them with a few words? They hang on my every utterance, and what have I done to earn such respect? Perhaps my family has a bit of fortune which I have managed to increase, but there are many ponies who have done far more with far less.”

Rarity sat there, mouth agape, as Fancy Pants expounded on the fallibilities and the hypocrisy of Canterlot’s elite.

“In all our discussions, haven’t you realized that even as the nobles condemn the ‘uncouth’ behavior of the lower classes, very few would not leap at the chance to shed the shackles of propriety and engage in such behavior themselves? Many do, behind closed doors. Those who ridicule them for it do so all the more because they are envious of their freedom.”

“Why do you think I’m telling you this?” he said at last.

Rarity shook her head, speechless.

“Because I’ve long suspected that you had the potential to overcome the trappings of the elite. You can rise above the influence of the masses and become the mover, rather than the moved. I have an eye for these things,” he waggled his monocle deftly. “Of course, you wouldn’t get there all at once. You would need a helping hoof to get you there, and somepony to guide you through those first few years of glamour. I myself was lost for a time, in the great game of gossip and scandal and power. I heard myself described as ‘ruthless’ on more than one occasion, and I’m not proud to say that the label fit. My moment of truth came when I was forced to choose between my status and Fleur. She is not from the most glamorous of backgrounds, and when word got out that my favored assistant had something of a checkered past, well, the pressure was on to be rid of her.” Fancy Pants took a sip of tea and looked out the window, watching his wife and son pass by. “I considered it, but I ultimately refused. I had not realized the true depth of our affections at that time, but I saw no reason that her past should have anything to do with our present. I will not pretend that the choice was easy, but I knew that I could not live with myself if I exposed her to further shame or hardship.”

“What happened?” asked Rarity timidly.

“I had to pull a few strings, and call in a few favors. My reputation waned considerably, and I feared, more than once, that I would be out of the game altogether. Soon enough, however, high society became distracted with the next bit of inane gossip and left me be. Within a few years, it was like it never happened. After all, had you ever heard of that particular scandal before?”

“But…but… but what if what they did was wrong?”

“Was it wrong? Did they hurt someone, or commit a crime?”

“There’s not a law about it, exactly,” Rarity’s mouth twisted as she tried to think of a way to explain without giving away too much.

“And nopony was harmed?”

“Not directly, but…”

“Every action has consequences we don’t see. Don’t blame your sister’s friends for that.”

Rarity sat for a moment in abashed silence. Fancy Pants said gently, “Don’t you remember the garden party, shortly after we met for the first time, when you risked looking a fool in front of the elite for the sake of your friends? You showed me then what kind of pony you truly are, and I have faith that you will make the right choice again. You may of course count on my support.”

“You don’t know what you’re promising…” Rarity said, almost whispering.

“Perhaps. But this is, how do they say it, not my first rodeo. I have full confidence that you will come out on the side of right.”

“Thank you, Fancy Pants. I need to take care of something now.” Rarity stood, grabbing another sandwich for the road. “Actually, I’m going to be busy for another day or two.”

The unicorn stallion stood up and walked her to the door. “I must return to Canterlot tomorrow evening, but I’m glad we had this talk. Do write to me, won’t you?”

“Of course.” The two shared a brief, friendly hug before Rarity set off for Sweet Apple Acres.

***

“Applejack?” Rarity called, nearly startling the earth pony off the roof of the barn. “Oh, I’m so sorry, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I was done up here anyway,” Applejack said, coming down the ladder. “What can I do ya for?”

“I’m actually looking for your sister. Is she around?”

“Nah, she an’ Spike went to run a couple errands. What’s up?”

“Oh. Is… is that a good idea? In her condition, I mean.” The first thought that had flickered through her mind was what they might get up to, alone together, and she tried to squash it. Not your business, Rarity.

“She’s fine, she ain’t goin’ far, an’ Spike’s there to keep an eye on her. I appreciate you askin’, though.” Applejack wasn’t quite sure what was going on in Rarity’s head, but she could tell that the unicorn was carefully choosing her words.

“I just wanted to remind her that she really should bring her dress in this evening, so I can get started on fitting it for her.”

“I’ll remind her when she gets back. Thanks, Rares.” Applejack gave her friend an understanding smile.

Rarity smiled back, feeling a great sense of relief. That had gone more easily than she’d feared.

“Are you doin’ okay? You look kinda tired.” asked Applejack.

“It’s been quite a morning. But I think I’m seeing things more clearly now. One of my Canterlot friends – Fancy Pants, you remember him? – is in town and he helped me put some things in perspective.”

“You didn’t-”

“No, of course I didn’t tell him anything specific. He knows that Sweetie Belle is somehow connected and I promise that’s all I told him.” Even if he’d come to some accurate conclusions, Rarity sincerely doubted he’d ever guess the details.

“Well… all right,” Applejack said uncomfortably.

“Even if he knew, I trust him. He’ll be a good support for us, you wait and see.”

***

“Ah, Apple Bloom, what a lovely surprise!” said Zecora as she opened the door of her hut. Apple Bloom was there alone; Spike had, with some reluctance, gone on to the market without her. “You are always a sight for sore eyes. Is it an errand which brings you by, or did you stop to just say hi?”

“Well, I’ve actually got somethin’ to talk to you about-” Apple Bloom started to come inside, but Zecora stepped in front of her.

“I will join you in the fresher air,” said the zebra, coming out. “Too many potion fumes in there. For your precious cargo we cannot risk; my brews are far less important than this.”

Apple Bloom hadn’t really considered that before, that potion fumes might not be good for her baby. She was still getting used to this whole pregnancy thing. She felt a sudden panic: had she worked at Zecora’s since she’d conceived? She hadn’t had much time to spare since spring started, but she’d managed to slip down once or twice a month, to fix up the potions that (she’d thought) would keep her from the situation she was in now. Surely those couldn’t…

“I didn’t wish to frighten you,” said Zecora, sensing her visitor’s tension. “Just make you aware. Perhaps I am taking needless care. Still, better safe than sorry, they say. What brings you to my hut today?”

Well, what was done was done. Zecora didn’t seem too concerned, so Apple Bloom would try not to be either. “I was wonderin’ if… maybe you’d want to marry me an’ Spike. I mean, say the words an’ stuff. If it’s not too much trouble.”

Zecora looked at her strangely for a long moment. Then she lowered her head in a dignified bow. “You do me great honor, more than you know. Are you sure this is how your wedding should go?”

“Well, Twilight can’t do it ‘cause she’s Spike’s Best Mare, an’ we don’t really want to get the Mayor involved, an’ askin’ the Princesses… that ain’t gonna happen. But you told me you’d done some weddin’s back in your country, and I thought maybe, if you want to… I brought a book about earth pony traditions, it sounds about right to me.” Apple Bloom produced it from her saddlebag, and Zecora took it gently.

“Though my people use different rites, I shall study it with all my might. It would be no trouble, but my great joy to marry you and your beloved boy.”

“Thanks, Zecora.” Apple Bloom gave her a hug. There were many things she wanted to say to her mentor and friend of so many years, but somehow she was confident that Zecora understood them all through that hug.

“Twilight told me there’d been couples like me an’ Spike in your country. Is there… anythin’ you can tell me about what I might expect? You know, about the birth an’ all?”

“There are ancient tales of children like yours, tales of love and tales of war. One was a healer, sweet and wise, anothera warlord, to this day despised,” Zecora sighed apologetically. “But for advice about their birth, the stories hold little of worth.” She looked her young friend directly in the eye. “I will not lie: in some stories, the mothers die. But in others, they live, so do not despair. I am certain your chances are more than fair.”

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth and nodded. That was something she’d been trying very hard not to think about.

“What about… after? You know, raising her?”

It took Zecora a moment to respond, and Apple Bloom half-thought she might not do so at all. “A half-dragon’s strength is great indeed, though they can sometimes share a dragon’s greed. Their lives are often very long; they can do much to be remembered in story and song. But she will be a person, like you or me, and none can predict her destiny. Raise your child to be kind and true: the rest is up to her, not you.” She put a gentle hoof on her young friend’s shoulder. “Don’t place burdens of the past on the shoulders of this lad or lass.”

Apple Bloom nodded again. It seemed like sound advice.

***

That evening, Apple Bloom worked her way around to the back door of Carousel Boutique, her mother’s carefully wrapped wedding dress slung over her back. She’d nearly forgotten about the dress – or perhaps she’d wanted to forget, rather than deal with whatever Rarity’s problem was. But it needed to be done, and Applejack had told her that the unicorn seemed to be coming around. Apple Bloom took a deep breath and knocked. At once, the seamstress opened the door and peered at her guest over the top of her sewing glasses.

“Here for your measurements, then?” asked Rarity. Perhaps it was Apple Bloom’s imagination, but it sounded like a tone used for customers she didn’t dare to offend but didn’t especially like.

“Er… yes?”

“Well, don’t just stand there. Come in already.” The earth pony did so, nervously. What was going on in Rarity’s head?

“Hmm,” went the unicorn, levitating the dress and carefully unwrapping it, looking over every inch with a critical eye. It was a rather plain, egg-white dress with a pink band across the saddle area and only a few carefully placed frills and accents. “Well, I suppose its simplicity is part of its charm, and there was obviously more than a little care put into the stitching. Here, let’s slip it on you and see how it goes.”

The dress was, unsurprisingly, rather tight around the middle, but it draped nicely across Apple Bloom’s hindquarters and the shoulders needed only a little tightening. Rarity worked in silence, measuring and marking with pins.

“Um… Rarity, are you – Ow!”Apple Bloom yelped as Rarity accidentally poked her.

“Shh! Focusing!” hissed the unicorn.

Apple Bloom kept her mouth shut until Rarity spoke again.

“Excellent. I’ve made some marks and should have it done by tomorrow evening. Do try not to grow any wider in the meantime, all right?” Rarity helped her take off the dress and placed it on a sewing table.

“Is that all?”

“About the dress, yes.” Apple Bloom tilted her head and stared at Rarity, who seemed to have a question caught in her throat. Finally, after a bit of coughing and hemming and hawing, she got it out. “Is he good to you?”

“Huh?”

“Is Spike good to you? Does he treat you like a lady?”

Apple Bloom couldn’t help but smile. “More’n I’d like sometimes, I ain’t really the lady type. But he’s good to me. I could see us gettin’ hitched one day even if it weren’t for, y’know.” She nodded towards her own belly.

“Good. That’s… good,” said Rarity stiffly.

“Rarity, I know you don’t like me an’ Spike bein’ together, but... well, it is what it is. We’re tryin’ to do right by each other an’ the family an’ our baby.”

“I know you are,” Rarity said. “I know you’re trying to do the right thing, and I do respect you for it. And I… I want to do the right thing too.” She swallowed, trying to gather her courage. “The truth is, I still have my… my reservations about all this. Has Sweetie Belle told you our… family history with this sort of thing?”

“Kinda. She said somethin’ about an old relative of yours marryin’ a donkey, and it made life so miserable for your family that they had to get outta Canterlot. ”

Rarity grimaced. Trust Sweetie Belle to tell such a cut-down version of the story. “Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but I suppose it covers the important parts. Of course, it was a long time ago, and… well, we do what we can with what we’re given. I want to be a good friend to you and to Spike and everypony else. That’s more important, more important than anything. So if I must swallow my pride and endure some gossip… well, so be it.”

“Does this mean you’ll come to the wedding?” asked Apple Bloom hopefully.

“Well… I suppose you must have somepony around who can make last-minute adjustments to your ensemble, and help keep Pinkie Pie from turning it all into a – ” Apple Bloom’s sudden hug cut her off.

“Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it,” gasped the unicorn under the pregnant mare’s weight. “But… won’t you extend my apologies to Spike? Tell him I’m sorry for the things I said, and if...if he wants to go back to being friends, I would like that very much.”

“Tell him yourself. It’ll be the best weddin’ present you could give him.”

That night, Rarity had a more restful sleep than she’d had in days.

***

The next morning Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle arrived at Sweet Apple Acres with Pinkie Pie in tow. “Hey, Apple Bloom!” called Scootaloo. “Pinkie says the Cakes are taking the twins to visit some relatives in Baltimare.”

“So I’ve got Sugarcube Corner all to myself! We can have your babridal party after all!” exclaimed Pinkie, springing past Scootaloo.

“I dunno about that, guys,” Apple Bloom said, rubbing her forelegs together. “I was gonna try an’ hit the hay early tonight.”

“Aw, come on Apple Bloom, it’ll be fun!” urged Sweetie Belle.

“I’m too nervous for fun.”

“Too nervous for fun? There’s no such thing!” Pinkie chortled. Apple Bloom looked towards her sister for help.

“I think that’s a swell idea,” said Applejack. Apple Bloom’s mouth turned down. “No use in you mopin’ around here gettin’ worked up all evenin’.

“Exactly!” said Pinkie enthusiastically.

Apple Bloom sighed. “Fine. I wanna do some stuff around here first, though.”

“Of course! C’mon girls, let’s go get ready!” Pinkie threw a hug around Apple Bloom. Then around Applejack. Then around Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and a very surprised Big Macintosh, determined not to leave anypony out.

***

“There you are!” Spike called. Despite the importance of tomorrow, there was still farm-work to do, and he hadn’t had much chance to talk to his bride-to-be.

“Been lookin’ for me?” his fiancée replied, standing up and shaking a little dirt out of her coat. She’d been lying on the ground in front of a slender young oak tree.

“I wanted to tell you that I’ll be at Twilight’s overnight.”

“What for?”

“Applejack said Big Macintosh was worried that seeing each other before the wedding might be bad luck or something.”

Apple Bloom cocked her head. “I’ve never heard that before. Besides, I’m gonna be at Sugarcube Corner tonight.”

“Well, there’s no point in arguing about it, right? Just one more night.” He put a hand on her back and looked around. “You know, I’ve never been out to this part of the farm.”

“Well, it’s a sorta private spot. This is our burial garden.”

“Oh, I know about those. I didn’t realize you had one, though.”

Apple Bloom had a wan smile as she looked over the plot of land. “It just don’t seem right for farmers like us to have a dead old piece of rock over us forever. Ma an’ Pa are buried right here, under this little oak, an’ Granny Smith is under that elm over there, next to her husband. I like to come out and talk to ‘em sometimes. I figured they’d wanna know that I’m… I’m gettin’ married tomorrow.” She looked to Spike, then rapidly back to the tree, and back to Spike. “Oh my gosh, I just realized that you never met my parents! We’re gettin’ married an’ you never met ‘em!” She got behind Spike and pushed him forward with her head. “Go on, introduce yerself!”

“Er… hi there, Mr. and Mrs. Apple Bloom’s Parents,” said Spike. (What was he doing? This was ridiculous.) “I, um… I’m sorry I never, uh, got to meet you before all this.” (Why was he suddenly nervous?) “But if you’ll, uh, give us your support, I’d… I’d appreciate it.”

“Nope, you blew it.” Apple Bloom said with a smirk. “Bad first impression, they’ll never approve of you now.”

“So, what, do I need to fight your mom so I can marry you or something?”

His fiancée barked with laughter. “I think Pa could talk her down.” She sighed, suddenly serious. “Or maybe it was the other way around. I wish I could remember what they were like together.”

Spike didn’t know what to say to that. He just put a claw on her shoulder and leaned his head against hers.

“We’ll do them one better.”

***

Spike tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the word “wedding” pounding in his head like a drum. Wedding wedding wedding wedding wedding… He almost thought he’d imagined it when he heard the gentle knocking at the library’s front door. His ear-frills perked up at the sound of Twilight’s hooves, and the very faint tinkling sound of magic.

“Rarity?” Twilight’s voice was muffled, but clear enough to understand. “What’re you doing here this late?”

“I don’t want to disturb you, but… I brought something. For Spike.” Another faint tinkling, and a rustle of… cloth? “I do hope they fit,” came Rarity’s voice again. “I had to eyeball the measurements, and I didn’t have much time after wrapping up Apple Bloom’s dress.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. They probably fit better than what we were planning for him to wear.”

“I can make any minor adjustments before the wedding tomorrow. Um… speaking of, are they using the traditional earth pony ceremony, or the modern version?”

“We’re mixing the traditional with the unicorn ceremony. She’ll give him a ring, I managed to dig up my great-grandmother’s sun hat. Why?”

“Oh… if he already has something, then never mind.”

“What is it? He only got the hat because my family doesn’t have many good heirloom clothes.”

“I noticed that Apple Bloom was having some swelling in her ankles, and I found a pattern for these.” Another whisper of magic. “They’re supposed to help, and I tried to make them so they’d breathe and not get her legs too sweaty. I can just gift them to her, it’s not important.”

“No, Rarity, they’re absolutely lovely. It doesn’t have to be something heirloom, especially if it’s practical and attractive. I’ll show them to him tomorrow and let him decide, all right?”

“I suppose that’ll do.”

“You’re coming to the ceremony, aren’t you?”

“I did promise Apple Bloom I would come, but… do you think Spike wants me there?” Spike tensed a bit.

“Of course he does!” Twilight sounded shocked at the very thought.

“I said some… some awful things to him.”

“You know Spike doesn’t hold grudges like that. He’ll forgive you, I’m positive.”

Spike had heard all he needed to. A single warm tear ran down his cheek. Something inside him wanted to stay angry at her for the things she’d said, but he just couldn’t. Of course he forgave her. Of course.

In the morning, he finally got to try on Rarity’s gift: a fine silk shirt, just barely off-white, and a brown satin vest, both considerably nicer than any of the outfits he had. They even fit pretty well. The other present, the possible wedding token, was a pair of fine horseshoes attached to long, firm lace socks. Spike immediately decided on them to give his bride: certainly better than that tacky old sun hat.

“You look great!” said Twilight enthusiastically. Spike gulped. He thought he looked pretty good, but remembering what the outfit was for… it felt like his heart was churning and his stomach was pounding.

“I feel terrible.”

“You just need a good breakfast. Take those off and let’s go have something nice, my treat.” Twilight said, helping him hang them neatly.

“I don’t think I could hold anything down.”

“You need to eat something or you won’t make it to tonight. Come on, get-”

Spike threw up.

***

Scootaloo woke up to a nasty retching sound coming from the restroom.

“AB, you okay in there?” she called. She was almost disappointed at how refreshed she felt for the early hour: last night’s ‘party’ hadn’t been very energetic nor lasted very long. Not that she begrudged her friend for needing her rest, of course, but still.

“No,” came the miserable reply.

“Morning sickness?”

“Cold hooves,” Sweetie Belle answered for her friend, sticking her head out from around a corner, levitating a tray of cinnamon buns.

“I can’t,” came Apple Bloom’s voice through the restroom door. “I can’t go through with it. I’m not ready, I’m so not ready, I can’t get hitched. I ain’t even got my cutie mark, I’m still tryin’ to get my life figured out an’ now it’s all fallin’ apart!”

“It’s not that bad, AB.” Scootaloo said soothingly. “I mean, when you think about it, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“Me an’ Spike could wind up hatin’ each other an’ being stuck together for years ‘cause we’ve got a kid who don’t fit in anywhere an’ I never get my cutie mark ‘cause I’m too busy takin’ care of her an’ I wind up takin’ it out on her an’ she grows up with the worst parents in Equestria an’ turns into some kinda criminal.”

The subsequent silence was so thick that even the crowing of a distant rooster seemed muffled by it.

“Ooookaaaay,” said Scootaloo. “That was the wrong question.” She looked to Sweetie Belle.

“What she meant was, haven’t you told us about what a great guy Spike is?” Sweetie Belle ventured.

“Yeah, but it’s different when you’re livin’ with him!”

“Is he bad when you’re living with him?” Scootaloo’s voice took on a suspicious tone.

“He snores an’ ... an’ he cleans up and puts stuff away where I can’t find it!”

“So he snores and he tries to be helpful?” replied Sweetie Belle incredulously. “Apple Bloom, if those are the worst things you can think of, you are the luckiest mare on the planet and you need to snap him up now.”

“We’ve got cinnamon buns out here,” announced Scootaloo, taking one for herself. “They’re better fresh but they’re still pretty good.”

They heard the sound of the sink for a few moments before Apple Bloom stuck her head out, looking groggy and bed-maned and thoroughly unhappy. “Where’s Pinkie?” she asked, taking a bun.

“She left early to get started on ‘a surprise’,” Scootaloo said, shrugging.

Apple Bloom let out a sigh and bit into the cinnamon bun. It was good, and she might have noticed if she hadn’t been feeling so awful. “It’s just not the wedding I’d imagined. Apple weddings are supposed to have the whole family. I wish Babs was here at least.”

“Is she still studying in Saddle Arabia?” asked Sweetie.

“Yeah… even if we got a letter to her, she’d never make it back in time.”

“She’s gonna be maaaaad when she finds out,” said Scootaloo.

“I know.” Apple Bloom gulped, only partly to keep from retching again. “But I know if she heard she’d drop everything and come running. I can’t wreck this chance for her after she’s worked so hard for it.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” said Scootaloo. “She’d never have taken the opportunity if you hadn’t pushed her. She probably wouldn’t even have her cutie mark at all if not for you.”

“None of us would,” asserted Sweetie Belle. “It’s really not fair that you’re the last of us to get it.”

“An’ now I’m probably never goin’ to.” Apple Bloom felt like crying. The morning of her wedding wasn’t supposed to start this miserably.

“Oh, don’t think like that,” said Scootaloo, patting her on the back. “If you look at it the right way, this actually opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Well, we never did try being Cutie Mark Crusaders Baby Makers.”

Apple Bloom threw up.

***

“Apple Bloom?” Rarity called through the door of the room where the bride-to-be was getting ready. “I just wanted to see if you needed any last-minute adjustments.”

“Come in!” came the reply, followed by an “Ow!” and what sounded like Sweetie Belle grunting in frustration. Alarmed, Rarity pushed the door open.

“What in the world is going on in here?”

“I can’f geh if righf,” Sweetie Belle muttered around the curling iron in her mouth, her horn glowing erratically as she tried to coax Apple Bloom’s mane into shape. Scootaloo was staring at a pair of scissors in her hooves, as though she were terrified of what might happen if she tried to use them. Apple Bloom had tears in her eyes, mostly from having her hair pulled in so many different directions.

“Out! Both of you, out!” Rarity ordered loudly, hurrying the two bridesmaids from the room and shutting the door. “Honestly, dear, I know my sister means well but she’s simply got no head for mane-styling. That’s why performers have people do it for them.” She started untangling Apple Bloom’s mane with a combination of brushing and direct magical manipulation, straightening and braiding it into a single long knot.

“I know,” replied the bride nervously. “But you already went out of your way for the dress, I didn’t wanna… overstep it.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. No customer of mine is going to be less than fabulous on her wedding day, and my friends get a free upgrade from ‘fabulous’ to ‘amazing’. You are going to sparkle out there.”

“Even if there’s only like a dozen ponies to see it?”

“Especially because only your closest friends and family are seeing it.”

“Have you seen Spike yet?” asked the bride tentatively.

“I have.” Rarity said primly. “I think you’ll be rather pleased with how well he cleans up.”

“So everythin’ is okay with… I mean, between you two?”

“We’re fine.” Rarity let out a sigh, not wanting to say it, but knowing she should. “The truth is, I think part of me was… jealous.”

“Of me? For Spike?” Apple Bloom asked in amazement.

“Not physically, mind you,” Rarity added hastily. “I’ve never thought about him that way at all. But I liked the attention he gave me. Then that dried up, and he started giving it to you. I felt… betrayed, I suppose. I know it’s silly, but there it is.”

“No, I think I get it,” said Apple Bloom, not quite sure how to feel about this. “But why are you tellin’ me?”

“I just wanted to be honest with you. The things with my family, and high society's views... those are where most of my attitude came from, I think. But as I thought about it, I found that something was still bothering me, and that I still had this… this resentment. I wanted to get it out and clear the air. I want to do the right thing, by all of you.”

“I know you do.” When Rarity had finished fixing her hair, Apple Bloom gave her a quick nuzzle on the side of her neck. “You’re really tryin’, an’ I promise I’ll try not to make life any harder for you.”

“I’m grateful for the thought, but don’t let that stop you from asking me for help if you need it, all right?” Apple Bloom nodded her agreement. “Now, come on, let’s see if we can track down those bridesmaids of yours.”

***

Twilight looked over the gathering ponies, checking attendees off in her head: Herself and her five friends, obviously. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Big Macintosh. Nurse Redheart. Zecora. Adding Spike and Apple Bloom, that made thirteen all told. She did another head count: one, two, three, four… wait a moment, who were they? Twilight felt her heart leap to somewhere in her throat. A strange unicorn and pegasus were standing in the middle of the barn, around where the wedding guests would assemble to watch.

“Excuse me,” she asked the eggshell-colored pegasus on the right. “Do you have an invitation? This is a private event.”

“Not exactly, Twilight Sparkle,” answered the mare in a very familiar voice. “But surely you don’t mind us crashing the party, do you?”

“Princess Celestia?”

“Who else?”

“And I,” came Luna’s voice from the azure-coated unicorn

Twilight glanced around nervously. “Does anypony know you’re here?”

“Well, we’ve had to explain ourselves to a few of the other guests. I’m surprised none of them got around to telling you yet, actually,” Celestia said casually. “No, we winked out from our private chambers. We do not expect anypony to come looking for us.”

“Cadance extends her sincerest apologies,” said Luna. “The distance would be too difficult for her to traverse in such a short time.”

“I understand completely,” said Twilight, well aware of the difficulties in long-range teleportation. “But why…I mean, not that you shouldn’t be here if you want to be, but…”

“This is a historic first for Equestria. The marriage of a dragon and a pony, and a spur wedding at that. Of course we should be here.”

“This is… rather fun,” Luna admitted. “It’s different being a guest at a clandestine wedding. Ordinarily I am asked to officiate them.”

“I hope I didn’t offend you by not asking. After what we talked about in Canterlot –“ Twilight shuddered; it was still a raw memory – “I didn’t think you’d want to. I’m sure Zecora wouldn’t mind if you wanted to take over.”

Luna waved a hoof nonchalantly. “No offense taken, Twilight Sparkle. As I said, I’m enjoying the experience of being a guest for a change. Besides, it would not be right for me to take this from your zebra friend after she’s worked so hard to prepare. I’m rather looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.”

***

“Spike, it’s time,” Twilight said. “Think you’re ready?”

“Guess I’d better be.” Spike replied, taking a deep breath and running a hand over his frills. They sprang up again immediately, stiff and tense.

“Getting cold feet?”

“I’m nervous. I’m really nervous. No – I’m straight-up scared. But I won’t back out. I won’t.”

Twilight put her cheek to his. “I know you won’t. Apple Bloom could do a lot worse for a husband.”

“She could do a lot better, too.”

“She’d be an old maid by the time she found him.” Twilight opened the door for Spike and went ahead, letting him join his soon-to-be wife at the end of the barn.

While not as well-read as Twilight, he’d skimmed enough romance stories to get the impression that a bride on her wedding day was supposed to be unusually stunning. And Apple Bloom did look splendid, there was no denying that. Her carefully braided mane formed a perfect line down her neck, a single blossom of Heart’s Desire sat behind her ear, and her usual pink bow had been moved to the bottom of the braid, elegantly topping the arrangement. But there was also no denying that she looked uncomfortable and a little queasy.

“You okay? You’re shaking,” Spike whispered to her out of the corner of his mouth, gently placing a claw on her side.

“So are you,” she whispered back.

“I’m just a little nervous.” Understatement of his lifetime, there.

“Just a little? I feel like I’m about to wet my dress.”

Spike could hardly contain his laughter, amplified by nerves. “Let’s hope Zecora keeps it short, then.” Together they started moving towards the front of the barn where the zebra was waiting for them, wearing a headdress that was clearly exotic but not ostentatious. Spike nodded to Twilight as he passed, and Apple Bloom to her family – she idly noticed that Big Macintosh was staring straight ahead towards Zecora. Probably trying not to cry, the big softie.

“To the friends and family dear, I thank you all for gathering here,” began Zecora when they were in place. “While we come in secret, and with haste, let us not put this time to waste. A wedding should be a happy day, and though this is not the perfect way for these two to make a marriage seal, we have all seen that their affection is real.” Zecora looked towards the gathered audience, a few of whom nodded agreement. “The wedding will start with bride and groom speaking from the heart.”

Spike swallowed. He’d been dreading this part. It was against etiquette to write down or memorize a speech for this, though it was basically impossible not to at least try and plan out some points beforehand. For all the good that had done him, since he couldn't seem to remember any of it now.

“Everything’s happened so fast,” he started hesitantly, “and I… I won’t pretend I’m not scared. But I’m going to do right by you, I swear. I feel… I feel right, when I’m with you, and I feel like I belong. So no matter what comes, I want to be with you, and belong to you, every step of the way.”

Apple Bloom’s blush turned her yellow cheeks pink. It took her a moment to compose herself for her speech.

“I, uh… wow.” She swallowed, flustered. “I mean, you’re… you’re the sweetest guy I ever met, an’… I wish we coulda taken our time too. But I think… it’s gonna be okay. ‘Cause I feel right when I’m with you, too. You’re like a piece of me I didn’t know was missin’, an’ if you’ll have me, I’ll stick with you forever.”

Zecora nodded. “Your words ring true, and were well said. Do you have the gifts, to show all that you are wed?”

Spike reached into his vest and pulled out the horseshoes and stockings. With some fussing and fumbling, he helped Apple Bloom get them on.

Apple Bloom reached into a hidden fold of her dress and pulled out a ring box. The silver ring inside had originally been meant for a unicorn’s horn, and it lacked any sort of gem or even a setting for a stone. She looked a little bashful as she delicately picked it up in her mouth and slipped it onto Spike’s finger.

“With your gifts exchanged, and with great pride, I announce you joined. You may kiss the bride.”

Neither Spike nor Apple Bloom was ever really sure who started the kiss: somehow, it just happened, and they were only faintly aware of the tremendous cheer and the sound of a small cannon somewhere near them.

Dinner began promptly: something sweet, something sour, a bitter herb, a pretty flower. Apple Bloom liked the sweet wedding cake (Pinkie's "surprise" from that morning: double-layered in red and purple, ringed with gems, a few of which were genuine and the rest were clever candy counterfeits;) and even the sugarless lemon sorbet had a face-puckering charm to it. The bitter herbs (endive and horseradish) she didn’t like, though she reckoned that she wasn’t supposed to. But the pretty flowers she couldn’t get enough of. She supposed it must have been a pregnancy craving: they were rather bland despite being very pretty, yet she couldn’t seem to stop eating them. Everyone in attendance took at least single blossom from her bouquet as part of the dinner, but the bride ate the majority: at the end of the meal there was merely a heart-shaped mass of stems and leaves. That’s what she held for the photograph her sister took, nuzzling Spike against the setting sun.

As soon as the ponies had eaten their fill, the crowd cleared the floor to make room for dancing. The bride found dancing a little difficult with the unaccustomed weight in her middle, and she still tired out more easily than she used to. Still, she and Spike managed to get through a couple of tunes from Pinkie’s gramophone. Somewhat higher-pitched and faster-paced than she’d expected for her wedding music, but really not that bad. Even when she had to sit down for a while, it was fun watching her friends and family enjoy themselves. She noted that Big Macintosh seemed to get an awful lot of requests to dance. Perhaps it made sense, him being the only stallion in attendance, but it was still pretty funny watching her shy big brother being asked by Nurse Redheart and Pinkie Pie and even Zecora. He seemed to trip over his own hooves an awful lot when dancing with Zecora.

Once the gramophone had been played out, Sweetie Belle got up for a solo performance. It was something Apple Bloom had never heard before, and she suspected that Sweetie had written it just for this occasion.

As she wrapped up her song, a faint rumble could be heard from outside the barn, like quiet thunder.

“I didn’t think we had a storm planned for today,” said Twilight, looking around.

“We don’t,” Rainbow Dash said, frowning.

Sweetie Belle, closest to the doors, cracked one open and peered outside.

“Sweetie Belle! Miss Belle!”

She hastily slammed the door shut again.

“What’s going on? Who are all those ponies outside?” asked Spike, having caught a glimpse of them through the door.

“Reporters,” said Sweetie in a cold sweat, “Paparazzi. Why are they here?”

Apple Bloom felt her limbs go cold. “Are they looking for us? How’d they find out about the wedding?”

“Didn’t you hear them?” said Rarity. “They’re looking for Sweetie Belle.”

“How’d they know I was here?” gasped Sweetie, close to tears.

“It probably wasn’t hard to guess, with a little asking around. You haven’t exactly bothered to keep a low profile,” Rarity replied matter-of-factly.

“Better question,” said Applejack, “is what do we do about ‘em?”

All eyes instantly turned to the princesses, who shook their heads simultaneously.

“Finding out we were here would only encourage them to pry further.”

“Let me handle them,” said Rarity. She shook herself, cleared her throat, and stepped outside gracefully.

“My darlings, I am so flattered you would come out for this little showing, particularly when I tried so hard to keep it secret,” she said in a tone of perfect sincerity, “but I’m afraid the new designs simply aren’t ready for a public reveal yet.”

“What’re you talking about?” called one of the paparazzi. It was a pretty substantial crowd; she couldn't quite tell who had said it.

“I know it’s disappointing,” Rarity continued nonchalantly, “I’m quite frustrated myself, but the way the stitching crumples when it moves, ugh, no, it just won’t do. But I’d never have seen that if I hadn’t done this little practice run.”

“We want to interview Sweetie Belle!” “We know she’s in there!”

“She can’t come out in that dress, haven’t you been listening? Not to worry, Rarity fans, your favorite fashionista has merely hit a snag. A minor bump on the way to bigger and better things!” She flipped her mane playfully towards the sky, selling it for everything it was worth.

While Rarity kept the crowd distracted, the flying ponies in attendance helped the newlyweds out the barn window.

“My sister is changing,” they heard Rarity say in a scandalized tone. “There’s no way I’d ask her to come out half-dressed, especially after she was such a sport to run down here. I was running so terribly behind schedule and I desperately needed a model.”

“She left mid-tour to model dresses?”

“Oh, I asked her not to, but she insisted. She’s such a wonderful sister, even if we don’t always see eye-to-eye. She’ll be getting back on the road quite soon, never fear!”

That was all the newlyweds heard before they managed to slip into the back door of the main house. They looked at each other for a long, tense moment.

“Do you think anypony saw us?” asked Spike.

“I don’t think so. I saw a couple camera flashes but I’m sure they were just takin’ pictures of Rarity.”

They held each others’ gaze just a second longer before bursting into peals of nervous laughter.

“That was… that was… I can’t believe that happened,” Spike gasped.

“I can’t believe I somehow managed not to wet my dress.” Apple Bloom wiped tears from her eyes. “Speakin’ of…” Spike started helping his wife (his wife!) out of her dress. “That was crazy,” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. “That wedding was crazy. This… this whole day has been crazy.” Spike looked at her, suddenly unsure if the tears were just from laughter.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I just… I don’t really know what to feel right now. Everything’s just kinda…” she made a vague motion with her hooves and let out a deep breath. “Crazy.”

“I know it wasn’t kind of the wedding you really wanted…”

“It was fine, honestly it was. I’m still hopin’ on the big one after the baby’s born.” She let out another deep breath. “Maybe by then I can afford you a proper ring.” Apple Bloom shuffled her hooves, embarrassed. The farm wasn’t suffering, but an expensive ring would be, well, expensive. Spike put an arm around her shoulders.

“It’s absolutely perfect. I can’t accidentally eat a stone that’s not there, can I? That was really smart.”

His wife smiled, reassured.

“I tried to add a little somethin’ though. Look on the inside.”

Spike pulled the ring off his finger and examined the reverse side. Looping around the silver band in fine, tiny letters were the words “No Matter What.”

“Well, that was a heckuva show,” said Applejack as she came in a few minutes later. “Rarity finally convinced ‘em to leave.”

“Do you think they’ll come back?” asked Apple Bloom nervously.

“I doubt it. I’ve never heard such smooth talkin’ in my life. She nearly got me believin’ this whole thing really was just a setup to model dresses. Sweetie Belle said she’ll probably take off tomorrow, to get ‘em outta your hair. She asked me to tell you sorry for not stickin’ around. The Princesses offered to wink everypony back home in case some reporter’s still lingerin’ round.”

“That was really nice of ‘em,” said Apple Bloom.

“They also left you these.” Applejack said, producing a rolled paper scroll. “Apparently, they’re weddin’ papers with a royal seal. It’s proof positive you ain’t an unwed mother, at least legally speakin’. That does mean comin’ out as married to Spike, but you got the Princesses’ support at least.”

“Well, it’s good to have if we need it,” said Apple Bloom, then she yawned.

“Sounds like somepony needs to turn in,” said Applejack.

“I’m o –” Another yawn. “-ookay, you’re right.” It was still late evening, not quite full night, but it had been a big day. She turned toward the stairs, and Applejack gave Spike a nod and a motion of her hoof, telling him to follow. Not that he needed the encouragement. He followed Apple Bloom upstairs to her room, opened the door, and -

“Where’s my stuff?” she cried.

Her room was entirely bare. The bed had no sheets, the bookshelves were empty, and there was nothing in any of the drawers or closets. Alarmed, Spike ran to the guest room and found it similarly gutted.

“Applejack?” he called down the stairs, “I think we’ve been robbed!”

Applejack’s laughter floated up the staircase. “No, we ain’t been robbed. Come back down here.” Spike and his bride went downstairs, and Applejack pointed them towards a room Spike hadn’t been in yet. This was clearly the master bedroom, nearly twice the size of any other in the house. Spike and Apple Bloom’s things had been neatly relocated inside. The bed – a full Princess-sized canopy bed – was made and some of the streamers from the wedding were hanging from its beams.

“We… we get Ma an’ Pa’s old room?” asked Apple Bloom, her voice catching.

“Makes sense for the married couple to have the biggest room, don’t it?” Applejack said with a smile. “That’s the real reason why we wanted you two outta the house last night. Big Mac an’ I’ll get outta your hair for tonight, so you got the house all to yerselves.”

The two older ponies said their goodbyes – Applejack wished them a goodnight with a wink, and Big Macintosh simply nodded, blushed and looked away. He’d been acting sort of funny since the ceremony, Spike thought. Maybe he was still flustered from Zecora asking him to dance. That had been a sight.

“How’re you feeling?” asked Spike, getting into the bed beside his new wife. It felt strange being in such a large and unfamiliar bed

“Tired,” she said truthfully. “I’m still kinda in a daze.”

“Me too. Shining Armor told me it took him months to get used to the idea that he was really married.”

Apple Bloom smiled to the bedspread while Spike helped take the bow out of her mane.

“Do you wanna…” she started quietly, almost nervously.

“What?”

“Well, my brother an’ sister did give us some space for a reason…”

“Are you sure you can?” Spike’s voice showed only concern.

“I can try. I wanna do it. I wanna do this right.” She rolled over to kiss him, and he responded gently, then with growing fervor.

Spike woke up some time later. Apple Bloom was resting easily beside him, one hoof draped across his chest. He was glad to see her so much calmer. She’d been so upset just a little while ago, when she hadn’t been able to perform, unable to get her body to respond the way she wanted it to. The desires and responses that came without thought or effort during heat could sometimes be brought forward consciously, with practice, but tonight it just hadn’t worked. Spike had felt some frustration, of course, but no anger. It had been a long day, she was tired, and who knew what the pregnancy was doing to her. A hot bath and a soothing joint massage (Spike had gotten quite good at those) had gone a long way towards calming her down, but her disappointment at not having her ideal wedding night was clear.

Spike felt for her, but for himself, he had no regrets. Not even physical ones. Spike brushed a hand gently across her cheek, knocking off a tiny piece of frosting from their wedding cake. He blushed, remembering, and saw the little smile turning up the corner of her mouth. Whatever she was dreaming, he hoped he could make her reality just as sweet.

“I love you,” he whispered. “Keep smiling like that. I want you to keep smiling like that forever.” He put an arm protectively around her, feeling sleep start to overtake him again. No matter what, he thought to himself, I want her to smile. Just for her to be happy…

***

Hot Scoop gently unpinned a just-developed photograph from its drying line. The Sweetie Belle story looked like a bust. There wasn’t a forbidden lover or a blackmail scheme or some wrenching family trial, just a misguided attempt to help her sister.

Or so it appeared. The whole thing sounded rather fishy to Scoop, but he’d heard of celebrities doing crazier things. But he’d noticed something out of the corner of his eye as Rarity had yammered on, and hastily snapped a photograph. Now perhaps he could get a better look. He brought the photograph out of the darkroom.

A pony and a dragon, the former clearly in a bridal dress, the latter dressed rather fancily. Scoop knew about the dragon living in Ponyville, of course. Years-old news. But their expressions were nervous, furtive, and there was something about the way they’d moved in the brief moment he’d seen them…

Hot Scoop wasn’t quite sure what to make of this. What were these two doing sneaking around? Did somepony actually get married in that barn? Then who was the groom? The dragon? Hot Scoop almost laughed out loud as he thought of it. Why in the world would a dragon marry a pony? What would that even be like?

But something was going on here, and Hot Scoop would find out what.

Author's Note

Here, at long, long, LONG last, is chapter 6! Whoooooohoooo! Hope it's at least halfway worth the wait!
As always, if you want to see another fantastic cover portrait by Rannva, go here: http://rannva.deviantart.com/art/Spikebloom-wedding-portrait-359813601

This took me waaaaaaaay too long, even by my own standards. I'll spare you the excuses and the gory details. Life happened, and procrastination happened, and the degree to which these two things are responsible for each other is a matter for philosophers.
I can't promise next chapter will be any faster - I'll try.
The only thing I can promise is that I will never, ever give you less than my best. Hopefully what my best is will improve over time, but for right now, this is what I've got.
Special thanks to ankyo, thedsm, and Rannva, and every watcher and reader who was patient with me.

Chapter 7: Snooping Scoop

Apple Bloom woke up, memories of yesterday rushing immediately back into her mind. This was her bed now. This was her room now. This was her husband now. Husband. Huzz-band.
It was going to take her a long time to get used to that word, she thought.
But waking up beside him like this, with one strong arm draped protectively over her; the smooth, warm scutes of his belly moving gently against her coat and his breath tickling her mane? That was something she could get used to. She snuggled against him, feeling the bulge in her tummy resist, but the baby was just going to have to deal with it. Right now was Mommy’s time.

It wasn’t long before his big green eyes flicked open.

“Good morning,” he said sleepily.

“Good mornin’ yerself.”

“How’re you feeling?

“Like I wanna stay right here like this all day.” She gave a little wriggle, eliciting a ticklish laugh.

“What do you think this is, our honeymoon?”

“Don’t I wish.” As much as they both would’ve liked to, there simply wasn’t time for both of them to go away and simply be together. “After the baby’s born, let’s have us a real honeymoon. Las Pegasus, or maybe the Crystal Empire. We’ll let somepony else take care of the baby and it’ll be just you an’ me an’ no worries about nothin’. ”

Spike smiled. “That sounds fantastic.”

“I’m gonna hold you to it, then.” They lay together for a while, not saying anything, just luxuriating in each others’ warmth and company.

“I had a really amazing dream,” Spike said. Apple Bloom adjusted her head on his shoulder.
“Tell me about it.”
“I was flying really high, over the whole world. I was looking for… it was this egg, made of ruby. It was really, really important. I found it and I picked it up and gave it to Twilight, and she was so happy. Then I found Rarity and gave it to her.”
“Twilight didn’t want it?”
“I just had another one. Only it was the same one. Dream, remember? And then I gave it to… I think Rarity, and Applejack, and a bunch of other ponies I don’t even remember. But every time I gave it to somepony it got… better, somehow. I don’t know. Shinier or more valuable or something. And then when it was so shiny it was like the sun, I gave it to you.”
“So I was yer last choice?” Apple Bloom smirked.

“I think it was just saving the best for last.” He kissed her, just under her ear.
She rolled her eyes, blushing despite herself. “We’ve got plenty of cheese in the pantry, we don’t need any more.”

Spike chuckled. “That sounds like breakfast to me.” He climbed out of bed, stood up and promptly fell down. “Ow!”

“What happened?” Apple Bloom stretched over to look at him. Her mouth silently dropped open.

“My back hurts. I guess I slept on it funny.” He stood up and wobbled on his feet. “That’s weird. I can’t-“he plopped down again. “I can’t keep my balance.”

“You… you prolly wanna check the mirror.” Apple Bloom said weakly.

“What? What is it?” On all fours, Spike crawled to the bathroom and craned his neck to look at his reflection. “I don’t…”
***

Applejack woke up at her accustomed early-morning hour. Oh, she thought, remembering why she was at Twilight’s. Right. The wedding. They’d left Spike and Apple Bloom alone to…

Applejack sighed inwardly, exasperated with herself. Don’t be such a prude, AJ. This ain’t no different from any other couple. Ain’t no different from what /you/ would be doin’ if things were right.

Then how come my stomach turns somersaults every time it crosses my mind?

Don’t matter. It is what it is, an’ yer gonna have to just get over it. Quit it crossin’ yer mind. Long as they’re both happy an’ safe, it ain’t yer business.

Applejack had a fair amount of time to sit and think before Twilight woke up.

‘Mornin’, Twi,” she said once she saw her friend stirring.

“Good morning,” Twilight yawned and stretched. “Sleep well?”

“Can’t complain,”

“You can stay for some breakfast, can’t you?”

“Sure. We got work to do, but I don’t wanna go back too early. Let the newlyweds have a morning in.” Twilight got out the ingredients, but by unspoken agreement it was Applejack who did the cooking. While she could follow a recipe, Twilight didn’t really have a chef’s touch.

“Does it feel strange, now that everything’s ‘official’?” Twilight asked, watching her cook and taking mental notes.

“Kinda. But I’d better just get used to it. What else am I gonna do, throw ‘em out in the cold?”

“It’s still summer.”

“You know what I mean. There ain’t nothin’ for it but suck it up.” They moved to the table and ate in silence for a while. When they were about halfway done, Applejack brought up something that had been on her mind all morning.

“But y’know, this whole thing kinda got me thinkin’.”

“What about?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Have ya ever noticed that none of us’re married?”

Twilight looked a bit surprised at this topic, but she nodded thoughtfully. “Well, we’re all busy with other things.”

“That’s what I kept tellin’ myself; that I was just too busy to think much about that, but I always kinda figgered I’d be a mom someday. Never imagined my lil’ sis would beat me to it. Makes me wonder if maybe I’ve been draggin’ my hooves on it for too long.”

“AJ, it’s not a race. There’s nothing wrong with any of us for wanting to take care of other things in our lives first.”
Applejack waved a hoof as though brushing aside the idea. “Oh, I know. Believe me, I got no intent of just hurryin’ out an’ gettin’ hitched. I know this stuff can’t be rushed, an’ helpin’ AB with her foal will probably be enough baby stuff for a while. But maybe once things settle down an’ we get ourselves a routine back… well, I’m gonna think about it some more.”

“That’s always smart.” Twilight smiled languidly and leaned a bit closer to her friend. “So… did you have a lucky stallion in mind?”

“I don’t-” AJ started, but a wisp of green flame suddenly burst over the table, startling them both. Twilight immediately grabbed the scroll it left behind and read it.

“It just says ‘Come quick’. Let’s go.”
Grabbing her remaining pancake in her mouth, Applejack moved next to Twilight and they vanished in a burst of purple light.

***

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique.” Rarity looked up from her work to see a fiery orange pegasus pony calmly saunter through the door.

“Good morning. Hot Scoop, freelance reporter.” The pegasus said, “I wanted to ask you a few questions about the event last night.”

“Of course,” Rarity said graciously, “Hot Scoop? I’ve heard of you. Though I must say, you’re a bit late to the party. If you’re curious about what Sweetie Belle was up to, she left hours ago.”

“I’m actually more interested in the event itself,” Scoop said, getting out pen and paper. “You said it was a mock wedding?”

“Oh, I just wanted an excuse to look at my projects under some different lighting and see how they move. The rest of the decorations and whatnot were just for fun. Really, all the fuss with Sweetie Belle showing up, it got a bit out of control.” Rarity kept her tone as light and flippant as possible. “Poor dear, she simply doesn’t know how to handle fame very well.”

“So somepony wore your dresses?”

“That’s the idea. There’s a whole element of motion that a poniquin simply can’t capture.”

“And you actually acted out a wedding?”

“Just the walk down the aisle, and of course we needed refreshments afterward. And some dancing. A wedding dress must continue to look good in a dance.”

“Hm.” Scoop frowned skeptically, and Rarity pretended not to notice or be worried.

“Would you mind telling me who played the bride and groom?”

Rarity paused for just a moment. “Oh for goodness’ sake, as if anypony cares about that! It was just a silly little thing we threw together, I can’t imagine that sort of detail being relevant.”

“Just for the sake of completeness, you know. I like to get all the information I can.”

Rarity’s head worked furiously. Why, oh why hadn’t they agreed on a cover story ahead of time? She decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. “Well… if it’s that important to you, my friend Applejack’s little sister Apple Bloom played the bride. She’s been feeling a bit down lately, the poor dear. I was hoping this would give her a boost of confidence. She still doesn’t have a cutie mark, and at her age it’s just wearing on her. ”

“And the groom?”
Rarity sucked in her breath. If only he’d somehow forgotten about this.

“Another dear friend of mine, named Spike.”

“… the dragon?” Scoop had heard of Spike before, obviously.

Rarity nodded and looked at something else, trying to seem bored.

“You were testing a clothing design for a dragon?”

Rarity felt sweat collecting under her mane. “An artist enjoys a challenge from time to time. Besides, it’s an untapped market. A risky market, true, but if there ever were a demand for such things, well, look who’s prepared.”

Hot Scoop stared at her for a long moment.

“And Apple Bloom agreed to this?”

“Oh, they’ve known each other since they were little; they’re good friends. Besides, what’s the harm in just walking down the middle of a barn together?”

Scoop frowned, remembering the photo he’d taken. Those two didn’t look like they’d just been in some game of pretend. They looked scared. He briefly considered confronting Rarity with it… but no, it wasn’t the right time. If there was something going on, it wouldn’t do to tip his hoof this early.

“Hm. Nothing, I suppose. What about Sweetie Belle breaking off her tour to model dresses? Doesn’t that seem just the tiniest bit odd to you?”
Rarity’s relief at the change of subject was clear. “Oh, don’t be too hard on Sweetie Belle. I think the touring was just getting to her, she wanted to come home and see some friendly faces. I’ve never had quite so intense a touring schedule, you know, but I’ve done my fair share of traveling and I know how rough it can be. And Sweetie was never that fond of the spotlight; she’d have been perfectly happy to stay right here and sing her heart out at home. What a waste that would be!”

“Hmm. Did she know the bride and groom as well?”

“There wasn’t really a ‘bride and groom’, it was all just going through the motions,” Rarity said, trying to sound uninterested. “But yes, practically everypony knows everypony here in Ponyville, it would be difficult for her not to know them. Now, not to be rude, but are you about done? I should be getting back to work.”

“Of course. That’s it for now, I think. Thank you for your time, Madame Rarity.”

“Any time.”

As Hot Scoop was leaving, Rarity made her way over to her fainting couch. As soon as the door closed behind him, she collapsed onto it.

***

To the utter astonishment of both Twilight and Applejack, Pinkie Pie was already at the farm, bouncing up and down excitedly as she spoke to a very dismayed-looking Apple Bloom. Spike was sitting on the floor, mostly obstructed from their view by her body. Not sitting – lying, on his belly.

“What’s goin’ on, is everything okay?” asked Applejack at once.

“Oooh, I don’t wanna spoil the surprise! You need to see for yourself!” Pinkie squeaked and nudged Apple Bloom to move her aside and give them an unimpeded look at the dragon.

A pair of wrinkled, slightly undersized wings had sprouted from Spike’s back.

Twilight and Applejacks’ mouths dropped open.

“Hey guys,” Spike said weakly. “I think they’ve been getting bigger.”

“They’ve definitely gotten bigger since I got here,” Pinkie announced happily. “Just a teensy-weensy little bit, but I’m totally positive they have.”

Applejack sat back on her haunches and threw both of her front hooves in the air in a gesture of surrender. “Well, ain’t never a dull moment with you two, is there?”

“Isn’t it great! This calls for a wings-getting party!” Pinkie announced gleefully.

“Pinkie, I think we’re all partied out,” chided Twilight. “We had a wedding yesterday, for goodness’ sake.” Pinkie stared at her like she’d suddenly sprouted an extra horn. “What were you even doing here in the first place?”

“Pinkie Sense, of course!”

“You have one for dragons getting wings?”

“Well, I’ve never felt that one before, but I used the process of elimination-“ (she seemed very proud of that) “and it was either that or Granny Smith was going to rise from her grave and create an undead army to overrun Equestria, and that didn’t seem like something she would do.”

Everypony decided that not responding to that was probably the best choice.

“Are they supposed to hurt this much?” Spike asked, wincing.

“Well, maybe,” Twilight said, examining them closely. “I’d thought they would just pop in magically like cutie marks do, but it could be they just grow in gradually like that.”

“Why would Spike suddenly get wings anyway?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, did we never tell you?” Twilight looked up. “Zecora said the dragons get their wings when they find out the one special thing they really love to hoard the most.”

“I thought dragons hoarded… y’know, everythin’.”

“Well, they do, but there’s usually something they’re especially fond of. Sometimes it’s not even a physical thing they collect; it can be something like spreading fear or setting fire to things. I’m sure Spike’s is nothing nasty like that though.” Twilight turned expectantly to her scaly friend. Spike blushed.

“It… it sounds really silly.”

“No it doesn’t,” Apple Bloom said, nudging him with her muzzle. “It’s really sweet.” Spike grasped his tail in his front claws, hesitant. “If you don’t tell ‘em I will.”

“Well… last night I was watching Apple Bloom sleep and… I just thought, I want her to be happy, no matter what. I promised myself I would do whatever I could.” He turned to her, and she blushed and looked away as he repeated the dream he’d had. “And then when I woke up…” Spike shrugged his shoulders, making his new wings rustle wetly.

“So your hoard is… makin’ Apple Bloom happy?” Applejack’s face twisted in confusion.
“It’s making everypony happy!” Twilight exclaimed, rearing gleefully. “That makes perfect sense!”

“It does?” Spike asked.

“You’ve always been such a great helper, to me and to everypony else! And when you really dedicated yourself to making Apple Bloom happy, that was the trigger!”

“Your dream gem sure made me happy!” Pinkie exclaimed, hugging him. “Thanks so much! And congratulations!”

“Yes, congratulations!” Twilight moved closer to nuzzle him on the cheek. “I’m really happy for you. You finally found your special something. You’re a real dragon now!” Even as she said it, her eyes landed on Apple Bloom, and she saw the younger pony’s expression tighten just slightly.

“’Scuse me,” Apple bloom said softly, and walked out of the room. Spike watched her anxiously for a moment before glaring at Twilight.

“I… I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking; you know I didn’t mean that she wasn’t...” Spike looked like he was going to shout at her, but he took a deep breath and followed his wife.

Apple Bloom had gone to the toilet, and Spike waited patiently for her to come out.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she finally did.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

“Twilight wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, she just wasn’t thinking and she put her hoof in her mouth.”

“I know,” she replied, “An’ I wasn’t that mad, I really did have to go.” She gave him a hug. “Don’t sweat it.”
“It really doesn’t feel fair. You wanted it so much more than I did – your cutie mark, I mean.”

“If wantin’ were all it took, I’d have got it a long time ago.” She let out a sigh, but put on a smile. “Don’t worry about me. You’d better ask somepony to help you break those in, though.” Spike winced at her choice of words. “Sorry, I meant like build ‘em up. I bet Rainbow Dash knows some good exercises. Now that you’ve got ‘em, you might as well make the most of ‘em.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” Spike took her hoof in his claw and squeezed gently. “When I’m good enough at flying, I’ll take you for a ride. Anytime you want, wherever you wanna go.”

Apple Bloom’s smile quickly turned to a sly grin. “Hmm. It ain’t so much where I wanna go, as what I wanna do.”

“Huh?” Apple Bloom leaned closer and whispered in his ear. Spike’s mouth went dry as his face went red. “I, uh, I think we can try that.”

***

The best thing about gossipy old mares, Hot Scoop thought, is that they know practically everything going on in town and are only too happy to share it.

“Miss Green, if I might return the topic to Sweet Apple Acres…” he ventured, trying to get the old mare back on track. He’d decided to do a bit more roundabout research about the Apple family and their reputation in Ponyville, and he’d figured an old mare sitting in the park was as good a place to start as any. Enter Marsh Green.

“Well, everypony in town knows the Apples. Family helped found Ponyville, y’know. Their Granny Smith passed on a few years back, but they’re a tough family, ain’t let nothin’ get ‘em down. But the youngest one, Apple Bloom? She still ain’t got her cutie mark yet. Cryin’ shame that is. When she was a little filly, she’d be zippin’ all over town with her little friends, tryin’ to figure it out. I think it’s gettin’ to her, I ain’t seen her around town as much, an’ she’s been puttin’ on some weight. You wanna know what I think, she was always just tryin’ too darn hard. Knew a colt like that when I was her age. He got it in the end, and she oughta do what he did. Quit worryin’ about it an’ just find herself a job. Heck, maybe find herself a special somepony. Just ‘cause she ain’t got a mark yet don’t mean she’s a baby. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you always find things when you don’t look for ‘em.” Marsh Green nodded sagely.

“Do you know anything about the event on their farm yesterday?”

“Eh? No, didn’t hear nothin’ about that. Last thing I heard about was a mud-wrasslin’ contest they had after the last big shower.”

“So nothing unusual out of Sweet Apple Acres lately?”

“Not to my knowledge. Though I hear that little dragon who always followed Twilight Sparkle around been spendin’ a lot of time down there.”

“Really? Any idea why?”

Marsh Green shrugged. “Nope. Between you an’ me, that little guy ain’t so little no more. If he’d moved to town today, don’t reckon we’d let him stay around. He’s a sweet thing, Spike is, but I get the heebie-jeebies if I see jest him out the corner of my eye.”

“Has he ever hurt anypony?”

“Not on purpose. Wrecked some houses years ago, accidentally knocks stuff over now an’ then. Ain’t too different from a stallion his age. Speaking of which, when Big Macintosh was younger…”

The worst thing about gossipy old mares, Hot Scoop thought, is that they know practically everything going on in town and are only too happy to share it.

By the time he’d made his excuses and left, it was getting dark. Well, there would be time tomorrow. He doubted they’d go anywhere.
***
“Afternoon!”

Applejack looked up, blinking at the bright sky. An unfamiliar pegasus stallion was casually descending towards her. Striking orange, an odd color for a Pegasus.

“Help ya with somethin’?” she called.

“I certainly hope so. My name is Hot Scoop; I’m a freelance reporter. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“Er… about what?”
“The event in your barn the other day, of course.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Weren’t ya here? Didn’t Rarity fill you in on whatever you wanted to know?”
“I thought perhaps as the hostess, you might be able to fill us in a little more. Why would Rarity use a barn for a fashion demo?”
She felt her teeth grinding. Perhaps if she just played along he’d go away. “It gets good natural light, an’ we use it for events all the time. It’s a good place to have a party.”
“Or a wedding?”
Applejack felt herself get cold. It’s just because he thinks it was a fashion show with a wedding theme, that’s all. “A few couples from town’ve gotten hitched in there. It ain’t a castle but it’s a nice enough settin’.”

“You really went all-out. I saw some lights and streamers through the door.”

“It was fun,” Applejack said flatly. “Look, you got a point with all this?”

“I’m just looking around for a new angle. If Sweetie Belle is so very fond of the place, there must be a reason, after all. I like to get to know the ponies I write about. Find their hidden depths.”

Applejack turned back towards her plow.

“Not much depth to find ‘round here. We’re simple farm ponies.”

“Don’t sell yourselves short,” Scoop flew around to the front of her. “ I’ve spoken to plenty of farm ponies with very interesting lives. You yourself have been involved in a quite a few adventures, haven’t you? Helped save Equestria a few times?”

“There’s public records of all that stuff, you can go look it up if it’s that big a deal to ya. I’ve really gotta be gettin’ back to work.”

“Just a few more questions; I’ll make them quick,” Scoop continued, “Regarding Sweetie Belle visiting the event, I find it rather curious that a young mare with such a bright future would run home over such a trivial matter as modeling a dress design, don’t you?”

Applejack shook her head dismissively. “Look, Mr. Scoop, me an’ Rarity are close, but there ain’t no sense in me tryin’ to explain their relationship to you. You talk to them about that.”

“I did already speak to Rarity, in fact. She mentioned something about your little sister being the one in the bride’s dress?”

Applejack tried to keep herself from going stiff. “Er… yeah, she was. Why?”

“Just curious.”

“Look, don’t you go botherin’ Apple Bloom, y’hear? She ain’t been feelin’ so well, she don’t need to be hassled by a lotta silly questions. Frankly, nopony here does. We all got work to do.”

“Is something wrong? You seem upset.”

“It ain’t none a yer business. Now shoo!”

As Scoop took off, he noticed Spike and a mare he recognized as the one from the picture walking along the trail back to the farm, and he hid behind a cloud to observe. He’d always wished he had a blue or white coat to blend in with the sky or clouds, it would have made his job much easier. As it was he had to surreptitiously maneuver a cloud into a better viewing position to use it as camouflage, and hope no weatherpony would find and yell at him.

Wait… was that Spike? It had to be, though he’d read that Spike was a wingless young dragon. That was very strange. But then it couldn’t exactly be anyone else, certainly a strange dragon wouldn’t have been so casually welcomed. He watched them chat with Applejack for a moment, then head inside; Spike resting one claw on Apple Bloom’s back the whole way. They went in together, and Spike came out a few minutes later and started assisting Applejack and her brother with their work.
The wings, he thought, would give him an excuse to talk to Spike. His opportunity came shortly when Applejack left the farm, leaving Spike pruning trees on his own.

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” Scoop asked. A cliché’d introduction, but he needed something.

“Er, yeah, I guess,” Spike answered, a little surprised. “Um, usually visitors come in at the front gate, even pegasi.” He gestured in that direction. “I guess you’re new in town.”

“Oh, I apologize for my intrusion. My name’s Hot Scoop, I came to town following the Sweetie Belle story and, well,” he shrugged, “now I’m looking for something else. And you’re Spike, of course, I know about you already. Or I thought I did at least.” He tilted his head towards Spike’s wings. “Those are new, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they just came in a couple days ago.” Spike flexed and stretched them in the morning sun; they seemed to be growing more flexible and less stiff by the hour.

“Are they functional?”

“I haven’t tried yet. I think so though.”

“That’s wonderful!” A warm smile spread across Scoop’s face. “ I remember when I flew properly for the first time; it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.” He pulled a notepad and pen from his saddlebag. “So, what brought them on? I mean, what spurs a dragon to grow wings? Puberty?”

“It’s a little like a dragon’s cutie mark, I guess. When we learn what it is we like to hoard the most, our wings come in so we can pursue it better. That’s how it was explained to me, anyway.”

“Oh? So, what’s your hoard then?”

‘The skins of nosy reporters’ and ‘randy young mares in heat’ were two quips Spike thought of saying but didn’t.

“Happiness.”

“Happiness?” Scoop echoed, a bit incredulous.

“Gratitude might be a better word. I like being helpful and making ponies happy.” He sort of blurted it out; it still felt somehow silly to say out loud.

“Huh.” Scoop eyed him for a long moment and scribbled a note. “So what brought you to the farm? You were assistant to one Twilight Sparkle before, correct?”

“Well… you know… I couldn’t do that forever, I wanted to try something new. And they could always use some extra help.”

“What about that event in the barn the other day?”
“That…that was just a thing for Rarity. I don’t know why everypony’s making such a big fuss about it.”

“Sweetie Belle’s a hot up-and-comer; she’s going to have paparazzi on her tail. And when she does something weird like stop mid-tour and come down to model wedding dresses… Well, you can understand why it would get attention.”

“I know some performers who do weirder stuff. Wasn’t there an actress who nearly got her audience killed in a buffalo stampede a couple years back?”

“You mean Rising Star? I actually interviewed her; her role in that whole mess was badly exaggerated. She was…” Scoop shook his head. “Sorry, getting sidetracked. About the event in the barn, did you play a role?”

“Er… only sort of.” Spike said, thinking of a lie. “I was just doing little stuff to help out. You know, with the food and… stuff.” Spike felt a rush of panic: was that a triumphant smile that flashed across Scoop’s face, for just a moment?

“Stuff. I see. And nothing of interest happened?”

“Until you reporters showed up.”

“Can’t blame ponies for trying to earn a living.”

“Oh, Applejack, I’ve been meaning to talk to you!” Rarity said; as luck would have it, they passed each other in the street. Applejack tossed her head towards a side road and Rarity followed to where the two could speak in private.

“I jest got out of a conversation with some reporter feller. Hot Sauce?”

“Hot Scoop is still around? That’s unfortunate, I thought perhaps I’d satisfied his curiosity.”

“You know him?”

“I know of him, he’s not what you’d call famous but it’s not hard to find an article with his name on it. He’s never really ‘broken out’; he tends to be a bit on the mild and balanced side, doesn’t really stand-“

“He said you’d mentioned having AB in the weddin’ dress,” Applejack interrupted. “Why would you give him that?”

“I just thought that sticking as close to the truth as possible will make us look better when the whole story does eventually come out. Honestly we should have worked on our cover story more.”

“Yeah, I guess yer right. We should get together an’ talk about that some more.” Applejack gritted her teeth. “I don’t like it. I don’t like not bein’ able to tell the whole truth, an’ I don’t like him pesterin’ us.”

“I understand completely, dear, but it’s important that you stay calm,” Rarity said. “Acting like you have something to hide will only encourage him. Simply show him that you’re not worth his attention – er, sorry, that came out wrong.”

Applejack gave a half-smile. “No, I got it. Just show him that we’re simple farmin’ folks with nothin’ to report on.” AJ sighed. “I wish we could just… be honest about all this.”

“I know, dear. I do too. What? I do.” Rarity added defensively, seeing Applejack’s skeptical look. “If we could be honest about it, maybe nopony would have an issue. Even If there are going to be consequences I’d rather just get them over and done with. But of course your sister’s health must come first. The wedding wasn’t too much out of her, I hope?

“Nah, she seems fine. Hopefully she’ll stay that way.”Applejack replied, knocking a hoof against a nearby tree.
“Good to hear. Well, if Scoop ever makes too much of a nuisance of himself, feel free to send him my way. I can always use more publicity.”

***

Idly spying on Spike an Apple Bloom over the next couple of days revealed little, but it was an incident at the market that got Scoop’s attention. He’d happened to spot them in Ponyville’s open-air market buying groceries. He saw Spike hoisting a bag of groceries on one shoulder, carrying a bag of flour under one arm. Applebloom carried nothing in her saddlebag, which seemed a little odd to Scoop. As he watched, trying to look only casually interested, he saw them buy some cabbage at a stand. Spike reached over to grab the bag and Apple Bloom did the same, resulting in him poking her in the nose with his claws.

“Ow, Spike!” she said, eyes watering. “Let me get this one.”

“No, I’ve got it,” said Spike, hefting the bag with a light grunt.
“C’mon, you can put something in my saddlebag.”

“It’s no big deal, I’ve got it. You just take it easy,” Spike said, patting her mane reassuringly.
“I. Want. To. Carry. Something,” said Apple Bloom firmly.
Spike lowered his voice and said something Scoop couldn’t hear, and she stamped her hoof.

“Darnit, Spike, I ain’t made outta glass!” she exclaimed, loudly enough that a couple other shoppers turned their heads. “Put those groceries in my saddlebag now!”
Startled, Spike did as he was told, and she slammed her bits on the counter and stormed off huffily, shoving another mare out of the way. Spike followed her, clearly confused and alarmed. When they were far enough down the road to be out of earshot of the market he tried talking to her.

“Apple Bloom-“

She turned and snapped at him: “Quit treatin’ me like a foal! I ain’t that fragile!”

Spike held up his hands defensively. “I’m trying to help you!”

“Maybe I don’t want help! Maybe I wanna do some stuff on my own!”
“But…but the doctor said –“
“ ‘The doctor, the doctor’ mimed Apple Bloom angrily, “Shut up for two seconds about the stupid doctor! If she’d thought I was that delicate she’d never have let me out!”
“But what happens if you go back to the hospital again?” cried Spike. “If you push yourself too hard, even a little bit, you might have to go back and maybe this time there won’t be a potion that can help you!”
“You’re bein’ ridiculous!”
“I just don’t want to risk it. I care about you too much to-“
Apple Bloom made a frustrated cry in the back of her throat and stomped down the road. Spike just stood for a moment before picking up the bags and following her.
Hot Scoop hovered for a long moment. What was that?

“Um… Applejack, I think I made Apple Bloom mad.”

“Already?” Applejack grunted as she yanked her plow. “I knew it’d happen eventually, but y’all ain’t been married but a few days.”
“I know, I know.” Spike drooped his shoulders miserably.
Applejack stopped pulling the plow and looked at her brother-in-law. “Look, Spike, I think you two need to work stuff out between yourselves, but I’ll give ya my opinion if ya really want it. Can’t promise you’ll like what I’ve got to say though.”
Spike told her about the incident at the market.
“I don’t really understand why she got so upset. I just don’t want her to strain herself.”
“You gotta look at it from her angle. Apple Bloom’s used to bein’ able to do stuff for herself. She’s never been outta shape this long before, an’ I don’t reckon the doctors’ll tell her she can go back to work until after the baby’s born. Most ponies don’t ever have this much trouble, y’know. I remember when Ma was carryin’ her she barely even slowed down; weren’t a chore she couldn’t do. But Apple Bloom’s lookin’ at another six months, at least, of not bein’ able to do what she used to, an’ that’s hard on her. She’s gotta feel like she’s still useful, you understand?”
“Yeah, I do.” Spike looked at his claws, feeling a bit embarrassed for not seeing it sooner.

“Add that to the fact she still ain’t got her cutie mark an she’s wonderin’ if she has a point at all, an’ I can understand why she’d feel kinda snappy.” Applejack nudged Spike’s cheek with her muzzle, trying to be encouraging. “Just use a little common sense. A couple heads of cabbage never broke nopony’s back. Now, if she comes out here wantin’ to pull the plow, that’s another story.”

“Right, I hear you. Thanks, Applejack.”

“Thank me by makin’ up to my sister. I hate eatin’ dinner when there’s bad air over the table.”

“I’ll go talk to her now.” Spike went inside, slowly approaching their room, listening for stomps or crying or any hint that he should give her some space. Nothing. He cautiously opened the door to their room, seeing her laying on her belly, head down on the bed.
“Hey,” Spike said, tentatively.

“Hey,” replied Apple Bloom, looking up from their bed. Had she been crying? Spike couldn’t quite tell.

“Can we talk?”

“Yeah, I think we better,” Apple Bloom looked around the empty room, then shrugged. No need to go anyplace else for privacy.

“Listen...” Spike began, sitting next to her. “I’m sorry I went overboard on the helping thing. I was so caught up in taking care of you that I didn’t realize I was hurting you more.”

“I wanna do stuff for myself, okay? I gotta feel like I’m still good for somethin’.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Spike, gently touching her mane. “But will you let me hang around so I can pitch in? Just a little, when you do need it?”

“Deal. An’ I’m sorry too. I gotta stop goin’ off on you like that in public.”

Spike nuzzled her, to say all was forgiven. “Yeah, ponies might think we’re an old married couple.”

To Spike’s relief, Apple Bloom laughed.

***

“Hello again, Spike.” Scoop hovered just a few feet off the ground, a bit nervous. He wasn’t sure this was at all a good idea, but he had to know.

“Hot Scoop, I told you we really expect visitors to use the entrance.”

“Just a quick question and I’ll be out of your frills. You and Apple Bloom are pretty close, correct?”

Spike felt his spines stiffen with anxiety.

“Er… Well, depends on what you mean by close…”

“Do you know if she’s seeing anypony?”

His spines stiffened even more. “Why do you care?

“Well, she is very attractive; I was considering asking her out sometime while I was still in the neighborhood,” Scoop said casually.

“No.” Spike’s voice was a barely audible rumble

“I’m sorry?”

“No. You leave her alone. Don’t you dare go near her.”

“I’m not going to attack her or anything,” Hot Scoop said defensively. “I simply wanted to ask her to lunch, maybe get some coffee. I’m not that much older than she is, we could –“

Spike was in his face, his huge green eyes distorted into one, startlingly warm breath wreathing around Hot Scoop’s neck.

“I said leave. her. alone.” Spike growled in a low, angry tone that Scoop could feel in his guts.

“Okay, okay, I won’t. I mean, I will. Leave her alone.” said Scoop hastily. Spike glared into his eyes for another moment before turning away with a snort. Scoop decided he’d overstayed his welcome. He didn’t really think Spike would hurt him, of course – but there was no sense in pushing his buttons any further. Besides, he’d gotten what he wanted.
***

“Spike, is somethin’ botherin’ you?” asked Apple Bloom as they got in bed that night.

“Did that Scoop guy talk to you today?”

“No, I’ve seen him around but he ain’t said a word to me. Why?”

“Doesn’t matter. As long as he’s not bothering you.” Spike rolled over, but Apple Bloom nudged his shoulder.

“Nu-uh. You’re gonna tell me what this is about, an’ you’re gonna tell me now.”

Spike didn’t really want to go into it, but he also didn’t want Apple Bloom upset with him again, so he explained how he’d warned Scoop away from her.

“Spike… you shouldn’t have done that,” she said when he’d finished telling her.

“Why not?!”

“’Cause now he knows you get jealous about me. You shoulda just passed him over to me an’ let me turn him down.” She looked at him. “You know I’d have turned him down, right?”

Spike looked at the covers, a little angry and a little ashamed.

“Yeah… I know. It’s not like I don’t trust you, I just… I’m sorry. I keep messing up.”

“I know you’re tryin’.” She kissed his cheek. “It ain’t like there’s a guidebook for all this. I mean, if there were, Twilight would’ve given it to us by now, right?”

Spike chuckled, for the release more than anything. “Yeah. That’s… that’s true.”

“Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

***

Hot Scoop’s head loudly banged against his desk. He was missing something; something in this story just didn’t make sense. It didn’t feel right; it tickled and tickled at the back of his brain, like he’d just solved a jigsaw puzzle but had no idea what the picture was supposed to be. He took a deep breath and started looking over his notes again.
The dragon and the young mare were enamored with each other, that much was obvious. Spike’s jealousy and Apple Bloom’s guarded manner were all the evidence he needed. Was that all there was to it? Had they simply fallen in love and married in secret to avoid trouble from their more conservative neighbors?
No, no, no. Even from his limited interaction with them, he could tell the Apples were an honest and straightforward bunch: guile was clearly not their strong point. If they felt that they were in the right, they wouldn’t hide it. Not unless they had a very good reason to.

Well, there was Apple Bloom’s “illness”, though she seemed fairly healthy to Scoop. They seemed to be treating her very delicately; perhaps they simply didn’t want to expose her to stress?

The timing of events still felt off, though. A strange illness, a dragon moving in, and a secret “wedding” all in the span of a couple weeks? Quite a coincidence.
It’s right there in front of you, you fool (his brain said.) You’re not seeing it because you don’t want to see it, but it’s so obvious you can’t get away from it. If this were a story only about ponies, you’d have guessed it days ago. If it had been two ponies, young and in love, and then suddenly they move in together and have a private wedding ceremony, what would you think? What would be your first guess?
No, he told himself. That’s impossible. That’s completely impossible.
Are you sure? Have you ever actually heard that it’s impossible?
Hot Scoop stared at his notes, suddenly realizing they weren’t what he needed right then. He headed towards the library.

“Twilight Sparkle? My name is Hot Scoop, I’m-“

“I know who you are,” Twilight said, her ears as flat as her voice. “Why are you still hanging around and bothering my friends?”

“Now, now, is that any way to talk to a library visitor?”
Twilight’s frown deepened. But then, she couldn’t really justify turning away somepony who was looking for a book.

“Can I help you find something, then?” she asked in her best grumpy librarian voice.

“Do you have anything about dragons?”
Twilight did her best to conceal her surprise. That was not a common topic. “I’m afraid the list of reliable books on dragons is very small.”

“What’s the most comprehensive tome you have?”

“Probably the one I’m still working on about my own experiences with Spike,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “Very few ponies have ever tried to do intensive research on dragons, and not all of those made it back with their findings. Even Spike doesn’t have much insight into dragon culture.”
“So you don’t have anything?”
“I don’t have anything reliable. There’s some old bestiaries and things like that, but they’re not very scientific. The parts that aren’t misunderstandings are usually complete fiction. Is there some specific topic you’re looking for?”
“Any information you have on dragons’ breeding habits.”
Twilight’s pupils went wide. “Then you’re totally out of luck. Where did that come from, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Just something I’ve gotten curious about. Tell me, do you think it would be possible for a dragon and another species to…conceive a child?”

He knows. Twilight thought her heart had stopped. She broke into what she hoped was a believable coughing fit while she tried to hastily think of a plan. “W-why would you even ask that?”

“Idle curiosity,” he replied in a tone that challenged her to question it.

“That… would be a very interesting idea, but I’m afraid without more research…” Twilight knew she was giving herself away with every word. “It MIGHT be, er, theoretically possible. In theory. Dragons are very magical. But there’s no real… research. Not here, at least.”

“Is that so.” Scoop seemed exactly as convinced as Twilight feared he would be: not at all. “Has Spike ever expressed any romantic interest in ponies?”

“That’s none of your business. Spike has the right to privacy just like everypony else.”
“What would you say if Spike did have a relationship with a pony?”

“If they had a healthy relationship and treated each other well, I would support them completely. IF that happened.”

“Even if that relationship came with children?”

“Especially then. Are you really trying to write an article out of silly questions like that?”
Scoop gave a little shrug. “Maybe.”
“Applejack’s told me how much you’ve been bothering her and her family and they’re very busy this time of year. Please, just leave them alone.”
“Don’t worry. I think I’m almost done here. I’ll be seeing you later.”

The library door had barely shut behind him before Twilight teleported away.

***

“I’ve got bad news. Hot Scoop knows.” Twilight said as soon as she got the Apple family together.

“Whaddya mean he knows?”

“I’m almost positive he knows about Apple Bloom and Spike’s baby.”

Applejack’s entire body went rigid. “HOW?”

“I don’t know how he figured it out, but he did.” Twilight quickly explained the exchange she’d just been part of.

“What should we do?” Spike asked worriedly

“What can we do?” Should we get the princesses involved?”

“I already know what they’ll say,” Twilight replied miserably. “They can’t censor the press, not even for something like this. It’d set a bad precedent.”

The ponies sat in silence for a while, trying to think of a solution.

“Well… maybe he won’t actually write anything that bad?” Applejack finally ventured hopefully.

“I was thinkin’ that maybe we should get ahead of the game and announce it ourselves.” Apple Bloom said.

“No!” Big Macintosh interjected forcefully, startling everypony.

“AB, I don’t think that’s a good idea, how’re the townsponies gonna react?”

“We’re all just assumin’ that they’re gonna react badly but don’t you think that’s unfair? I mean, these are our friends, they’ve known Spike an’ I forever. Outta y’all just Rarity had a problem an’ she’s over it now, or just about.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Twilight said quietly.

“Whaddya mean, Twi?”

“I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say more. Just… there might be bigger reasons than that. When the baby’s born we won’t have a choice but…” Twilight bit her lip. “

A knock at the door startled them. After a moment, Twilight opened it. There stood Scoop, and the air went thick with tension.

“I’m… sorry, am I interrupting something?” Scoop said, a bit taken aback by the feel in the air.

“Yes. Leave.” Applejack snapped immediately. Big Macintosh moved to get between him and the rest of the room.

“I wanted to talk with Spike and Apple Bloom. Privately.”

“Anything you wanna say to us you can say to everypony here,” Apple Bloom said firmly.

Scoop looked around the room, then shrugged.

“As you wish. I’ll just cut right to the chase. I know that wasn’t any fashion show. That was a real wedding, wasn’t it? It was a spur wedding. Because you’re pregnant. And you’re-“ he point to Spike “the father.”

There was no point in trying to deny it; their immediate expressions gave it all away.

“So you did figure it out.” Twilight said. “What tipped you off?”

“I snapped this picture.” Scoop took the photograph of the furtive, scared-looking newlyweds trying to keep out of sight. “Something seemed off, so I followed the clues. It’s my gift.”

“What do you want?” Twilight asked after a moment.

“Excuse me?”

“What do we have to give you to keep you from publishing this story? Apple Bloom’s health has been fragile from this pregnancy, she doesn’t need the kind of attention this will bring.”

“Listen, I think you have me all wrong,” said Scoop. “I’m not interested in writing a scandalous story to drag you both down. That kind of thing is bad press for me too; nopony would trust me with an interview again. But this is a major landmark in Equestrian history, and if I can be the pony to bring the news to the world…” Scoop made a little smile. “Well, there’s fame and profit to be had, for sure.” The smile vanished, and his tone got serious. “But there’s different kinds of fame and profit, and I want the good kind, the kind that means I’m remembered as a good pony, as well as a good reporter.”

“So you ain’t got a problem with Spike an’ I havin’ a baby?” Apple Bloom asked, almost not daring to believe him.

Scoop shook his head. “My personal feelings are irrelevant, I’m a professional. Besides, I’ve seen strange pairings before. I knew a coconut farmer and a seapony… never mind. I can see that your love for each other and your family is real. That much is very, very obvious. Equestria can always use more love in it, don’t you think?”

“I still don’t know about publishing this…” Spike said, “As soon as the word gets out, more reporters are gonna show up. Apple Bloom’s still…”

“Then how about this: I won’t publish the story yet. I’ll wait for her to be born. I can’t promise no other reporters will catch on in the meantime, but I’ll keep my ear to the wind and warn you if I think something will happen. In return, I get the first interview.”

Spike and Apple Bloom looked at each other.

“Is this okay with you?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so. I think this is the best idea. We’re gonna have to start explainin’ eventually, might as well be to him.”

“Okay, Scoop, you’ve got a deal. But if you go back on your word…” Spike bared his fangs, flexed his wings and blew a little whiff of smoke from his nostrils. “I will find you. No matter where you go. Understand?”
“Perfectly,” Scoop said, a little shaken but not too disturbed. He took a card from his saddlebag. “My address in Las Pegasus. Please feel free to contact me any time. And… Well, I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well.” He smiled, excused himself.
The door closed behind him and the room was tense for a solid minute.

“Is anypony else afraid some new mess is gonna come knockin’ any minute?” Applejack said at last. There were nods and murmurs of agreement.

“You know what," Apple Bloom said, "I ain’t waitin’ for it.” She went to the door and threw it open. There was nopony there. “I don’t care what’s comin’ next. I ain’t gonna let it stop me from doin’ what I wanna do.”

“And what is it you want to do?” Twilight asked gently.

“Right now? Go get some ice cream. An’ then later I wanna wear my weddin’ shoes in public and let everypony know I got hitched to someone wonderful. Better they think of me as bein’ married before they think of me as bein’ preggers.”

“I think both of those are good plans.” Twilight smiled. “We could all use a treat. Everypony coming?”

***

“You know Apple Bloom, right?” asked Roseluck as she sank into the spa’s mud bath.

“’Course I do,” Daisy responded, setting a hoof in the bath to join her.

“Well, did you hear about the thing in the market the other day?”

“I heard she got mad at Spike for something? It’s not like her to blow up like that…”

“Well, Bon Bon was there and she nearly got knocked over when Apple Bloom stormed off, and she said that she felt a rather distinctive bump in Apple Bloom’s belly.”

“NO!”

“Oh yes.” Roseluck nodded. “Look closely next time you see her, you can tell if you’re looking.”

“The poor thing. I wonder who the father is?

“I hope he’s going to be a real stallion about it, whoever he is.”

“Assuming it’s a he…” Daisy muttered conspiratorially.

“What are you implying? A hornfoal? That’s an urban legend.”

“No, no, it can really happen, it’s rare but it’s definitely possible. And she and Sweetie Belle are so close…”

“That’s ridiculous. You’ve been spending too much time at the Salty Spittoon.”

“Hm. Surely somepony else would have some ideas. We should ask.”

Author's Note

My apologies if the paragraph inserts are screwy; Microsoft Word started being belligerent.

Waaahahahaha! Thought I was dead, didn't you? Well, er... I'm not. I just... well, stuff got away from me.
Rest assured that I'm still continuing. Still working, still editing.
Special thanks to the usual crew: TheDSM, Ankyo, Rannva, and of course to each and every person who's kept watching all this time. I'm really, really, /really/ sorry and I hope it's worth the wait.