Never Ending Happiness

"What miracle?"

Applejack didn't answer her husband for a long time, leaving the poor dragon in a state of desperation. He placed his hands under her chin and gazed deeply into her eyes as if he was trying to seek the answer through them. Finally, he gave up and sat down on the floor grumpily.

"Hey, if you don't want to say, that's fine." Spike snorted a few green flames in irritation and refused to look at his wife. Applejack chuckled and walked in front of him.

"Ah've been sick fer three months."

Spike's head shot up in alarm.

"How is that a miracle?!"

Spike quickly stood up and stomped a few feet away from her.

"If you're going to tell me that you have cancer..." A tear slid down his face. "Then I don't want to hear it!"

"Good gravy, no, Spike!"

Spike nearly collapsed onto the ground in relief and walked over to Applejack, embracing her tightly.

"Why would Ah say that having cancer is a miracle?"

Spike thought about this for a moment and then merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I get over excited about things."

"No kiddin'." Applejack smiled. Then a playful grin started to form on her lips. "Well, this miracle will really get ya excited!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then what is it?!"

"It's somethin' that 7 months will cure."

"Wait! Let me think really quickly." Spike sat on the ground. "Sick for three months... 7 more months will make it go away... all in all that's 10 months... WHAT TAKES 10 MONTHS?!"

He paused.

He thought.

He knew.

His heart pounded.

He looked over to Applejack who was blushing and smiling with utter joy. He slowly walked towards her, extending his claw towards her side. Applejack sighed with pleasure when his claws brushed over her slightly rounded stomach and then she cried. Spike cried, too, and he embraced Applejack once more (gently this time).

"That doctor is stupid!" Spike shouted above his tears. "It's NOT impossible!"

"No, it ain't!"

"What is it?! Is it a boy or a girl?!"

"Ah don't know. An' frankly, Ah don't want to know! Ah want it ta be a surprise!"

Suddenly, Applejack started to walk off.

"Where are you going?"

"To apologize to mah friends," A huge wave of guilt suddenly swept over her. "Especially Fluttershy."

"Are you going to tell them, too?"

"Ah course, Ah am!"

Then, giving her husband a playful punch on the shoulder, Applejack trotted as quickly as she could towards Fluttershy's cottage. It felt like an eternity before she got there and when she stood by the door, she hesitated to knock. Tears started to form in her eyes at the harsh words she had spoken to Fluttershy. Dear, sweet, caring Fluttershy! And she had been right all along!

Applejack then nodded and readied her hoof for the knock. Then, without warning, Fluttershy opened it and stared in shock upon seeing Applejack.

"Applejack!" She exclaimed.

"Fluttershy!"

"I haven't seen you in months!"

"Ah know! Ah've been a real jerk!" She sat on the ground and started to sob. "Every day Ah think 'bout how Ah treated ya! What kind of a friend am Ah?!"

"Oh, no!" Fluttershy cried out, embracing Applejack. "What kind of a friend am I? How dare I raise your hopes like that! It wasn't right and I'm sorry!"

"No! Ah'm sorry!" Applejack pulled away from Fluttershy and wiped her runny nose with her hoof. "Ah shouldn't have been so pessimistic."

Applejack stood and helped Fluttershy to her hooves. That was when Fluttershy noticed Applejack's leg.

"You're all better!" She said with a smile.

"Yeah, Ah'm all better." Applejack replied warmly. "And mah leg ain't the only thing new an' excitin'!"

"What else is there?"

Applejack turned her head towards her slightly rounded stomach and caressed it gently with her nose. Fluttershy looked confused for only a moment before covering her mouth with her hoof, sustaining an utter cry of joy.

"So... you are?"

"Yeah, Fluttershy, Ah'm gonna be a mama."

The two friends hugged each other tightly, continuing to mumble 'I'm sorry' every once in a while. Tears stained their fur and they shuddered with sobs, but now they were together again.

Faithful and Strong. Sharing Kindness.

"Yeah, give me a second, AJ! Still workin' on those apples I bought from Spike!"

Applejack rolled her eyes in amusement as she watched Rainbow Dash pop another roasted apple into her mouth. She chewed on it contently for a good solid minute before swallowing and flying down to the ground. She rubbed her stomach in pleasure and licked her lips, trying to find any morsel that could still be there.

"Spike really has a gift, doesn't he?" She mumbled.

"He sure does." Applejack replied.

Rainbow Dash let out a satisfied burp (which Applejack soon applauded) and then sat down on the ground.

"So, what do you want to tell me?"

Applejack, honestly, didn't know how to tell Rainbow Dash. She had thought about taking it slow, but Rainbow doesn't like slow. Then she thought about giving her a riddle, but Rainbow hates having to think hard unless it's important.

Just tell it to her straightforward.

"You're gonna be an aunt."

Rainbow Dash froze where she sat.

"An 'ant'? You mean like a bug?"

Applejack groaned.

"Rainbow, even you ain't that stupid!"

"Hey! I'm not stupid to begin with!"

"Then ya wouldn't have asked me that question!"

Rainbow paused to think about that, but then got back to the matter at hoof.

"So, I'm going to be an aunt, huh?"

Applejack nodded.

"Who's the one havin' a baby?"

"Ah am."

"You are?"

"Yeeup."

"Really?"

"Yeeup."

"This isn't a prank or something?"

"Nope."

"Did Pinkie Pie put you up to this?"

"Nope. Ah haven't even told her yet."

Rainbow Dash rubbed her head as she processed the information. She didn't seem to believe her. Then, she opened her mouth.

"That... is..."

"Awesome?" Applejack muttered under her breath.

"AWESOME!"

"Called it."

Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack and then smacked her playfully on the back. Applejack grunted under the blow and glared at Rainbow. The pegasus blushed in embarrassment and then quickly flew off.

"Wait! Rainbow! Don't tell anypony else! RAINBOW!"

Too late.

"Oh, congratulations, darling!" Rarity squealed when Applejack walked into Sugar Cube Corner. Everypony else was there and they were all smiling and hugging Applejack.

"I am SOOOOOO happy for you!" Pinkie screamed.

Twilight was sobbing with joy and couldn't say anything.

Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack again.

Fluttershy was busy bringing out a large cake that read, "Congratulations to the Soon-to-be-mama!" spelled out in sapphires.

Everypony was happy.

Everypony was smiling.

Applejack could breathe for the first time in months.

"What may I get for you today, madam?"

Applejack smiled up at the waiter and glanced over the menu once more.

"Don't bother asking for precious gems, honey," Spike warned. "They don't have 'em here." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the waiter.

"On the contrary, sir, since you started coming here, we've made preparations to add gems to the menu." The waiter turned a few pages in Applejack's menu and pointed out the brand new page. "Viola!"

Applejack's mouth drooled when she saw the detailed pictures of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and even pearls! Spike did the same and laughed upon seeing Applejack gawking.

"The baby's certainly doing a number on your mind, isn't he?" Spike teased.

"Spike, how many times must Ah tell ya that it might be a 'she'?" Applejack lectured. She looked up at the waiter and smiled apologetically. "Ah'll have the whole order of... emeralds, please."

The waiter nodded and turned to Spike.

"I'll have a half order of the rubies, please." Spike said.

The waiter then walked away, leaving the couple alone. Applejack caressed her swollen belly, which was now at around eight months, and sighed.

"What's wrong, honey?" Spike asked.

"Oh, nothin', Spike. Ah'm just so happy,"

Spike walked over to Applejack and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Her entire body grew warmer every second that he touched her and she almost whined when he pulled away.

"Me too, AJ."

AJ smiled and watched as Spike returned to his seat. She giggled to herself when she felt the baby within her move around, but this time felt different from the others. It felt a little uncomfortable, but Applejack payed no attention. Spike's eyes widened and he ran back over to her side.

"Is he-"

"She!"

"Whatever," Spike laughed. "Moving?"

Applejack nodded and groaned a little as the baby moved again.

"May I feel?" Spike asked. He tenderly placed his claw on her stomach and his face lit up when he felt the baby move. He let a single tear escape from his eye and fall to the ground.

"Spike? You OK?" Applejack asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He hugged Applejack tightly and sighed.

Suddenly, AJ cried out, clutching her belly tightly and grimacing in pain. The baby just kept moving.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Spike pulled away and laid a claw on her shoulder.

"Ah don't know..." She gasped. She cried out again and fell onto the ground, groaning and inhaling sharply through her teeth. Spike panicked, quickly picking her up and opening his wings. He took off with impressive speed, aiming himself towards the hospital. Applejack groaned again and shifted in his arms, grasping tightly to her stomach.

"Hold on, AJ! Hold on! You're going to be OK!"

"Spike..." she muttered.

"Hold on!"

Applejack cried out again before hearing the confused exclamations of all the ponies in the hospital.