The Bubbly Mare

3, 10
"Mirror"

Derpy stood at attention, waiting... watching the door. Every second seemed like it was taking forever, but she stayed silent, even as the knob turned and the door slowly opened.

The moment the door opened she wanted to shout Mommy! ...but the first thing she saw was Amethyst's rump. The young mare struggled a bit as she pulled the stroller through the door, backwards. This was not unusual, but Derpy seldom saw it from this side. Her attention was focused past the stroller... there was only one pony she really wanted to see, and the rest could wait a while longer.

When the stroller got pulled to the side Derpy saw an umbrella, behind it her mommy standing a few steps from the doorway. She collapsed the umbrella, and Derpy saw she was wearing a green raincoat. The two looked at each other and, as the mare put the tip of the umbrella on the ground, she walked forward with it like a cane.

The filly couldn't stand it any longer:

"Mommy!" she exclaimed, wiggling about and stamping her hooves as the mare walked through the door. "You're home! You're home! You're home!"

Once her mommy crossed the threshold Derpy moved forward quickly. She was stopped dead in her tracks before she even knew what had happened.

"Hold it!" two loud voices said in unison, causing Derpy to freeze where she was, uncomfortably.

The filly looked at her mommy to realize she was holding the umbrella, curved handle end out... almost like she was going to hit her. She then felt a hoof touch her flank, and, only then did she jump, looking back at the young mare behind her and her mommy in front.

"Wh-... what's going on?" She asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

Amethyst sighed, shaking her head.

"You didn't do anything, kid. That's why we stopped you."

"Mommy's not mad at you, sweetie," Mommy assured her, stepping inside. "But you can't hug me like you used to for a good while... it could hurt me very badly. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Still frozen, Derpy looked at Mommy.

"It's okay, sweetie," the mare said again. "I promise! I'll show you why soon. Please just let Mommy in without having to worry... it would make her very happy."

Derpy felt her muscles relax a little bit. Her fore hoof, which had been raised when both had shouted, finally touched the floor.

"O- okee."

Following Mommy closely with both her eyes Derpy noticed she was walking differently than she usually did. Slowly, almost like a wind-up toy. Derpy wasn't sure whether to call it stiff or loose. There were big motions in how she moved. She let Mommy go by, watching her take off the new coat and put it in the closet near the door, then go right for her chair without even turning around. When she finally sat down Derpy approached very slowly.

"You really should keep that wrapped up," Amethyst said. "Remember what Doctor Stable told you -- at least for a few days."

Mommy responded with a warm smile.

"It's itchy... the air helps. A lot."

"Okay." Amethyst turned away, Derpy could only guess, towards the stroller.

Derpy was only a few steps away from the mare she wanted to see for so long, but she noticed black lines across her mommy's tummy that looked a bit like the stitching on a doll. The mare looked up and smiled.

"It's okay, Sweetie. Come! ...but please don't touch. It's very sore."

Derpy looked into her mommy's smiling face, then down at the lines.

"That's where they took the foal out. They stitched me up after."

Derpy looked up again... she couldn't help smiling, glad to see her mommy, but a question popped into her mind:

"Did it hurt?"

"It hurts a little now," Mommy said. "That's part of being a mommy, though, and being a grown-up... sometimes we have to get things done that can hurt for our babies. It didn't hurt at all when they did it. The doctors gave me a shot that made everything really numb." Mommy held her forelegs open wide. "If you promise to be very gentle, I can give you a hug."

Pausing for a moment, Derpy moved forward until she was very close to Mommy. The two looked at each other, then Derpy felt both forelegs go gently around her shoulders.

"Don't squeeze," Mommy said, patting her back. She felt a kiss on her neck. "Oh, I missed you so much."

Derpy felt the grip release and pulled back.

"I missed you, too, Mommy. A whole lot!"

"I know. It's good to be home." She patted on the arm of her chair. "Please sit... near me. I want to talk to you." Derpy looked at her. "It's okay."

Instead of sitting on the arm, which looked a bit weird and hard to her, Derpy planted her rump on the floor.

"That works." Mommy shook her head and smiled. "What I have to tell you is really important... I wanted to tell you myself, which is why I didn't want Amethyst telling you earlier when I was still at the hospital."

Derpy just looked up. Again, she couldn't help smiling, she was just happy to see Mommy again. Mommy smiled back.

"Oh, I really missed you, sweetie!" Derpy giggled, then Mommy spoke some more. "I know you're excited to see me. I didn't notice if you had a look inside the stroller Amethyst has with her yet. It's okay if you didn't."

Suddenly Derpy remembered... there was going to be a new foal in there. Without a word she began to get up, focusing on the black stroller.

"Your brother's not in there. Just Dinky." Derpy turned back, frozen. "This is why I wanted you to sit with me." Slowly, Derpy sat back down. "He's still in the hospital. He has got a lot of health problems I knew about, many of them you two share, but he also has problems with breathing and his immune system."

"Um... Immune system?"

"It's all the good germs in your body," Amethyst said. Derpy looked back to see her taking Dinky out of the stroller. "If they don't work right, sometimes they can't fight the things that make you sick or they can even get confused and hurt you."

"That's right," Mommy said, tapping her hoof against the arm of the chair. Derpy turned back. "Please listen very carefully, sweetie... he's in something called an incubation chamber. It's like a warm, white plastic crib. The doctors are doing everything they can to make sure he comes home healthy and happy. Tomorrow you, me, and Amethyst are going to go see him. I wanted to answer all your questions before. Do you want to ask me anything?"

Derpy felt Mommy's eyes on her... she looked away, back at Amethyst, who was also looking at her, cradling Dinky. She found herself more comfortable looking at the floor.

"This is why your mommy didn't want you to see him today," Amethyst said.

"It could've scared you, sweetie. You don't have to ask me questions right now, but if you think of them later tonight they might have to wait until tomorrow. I need to rest soon. Having a baby takes a lot out of you."

"Um..." Derpy smiled. "Can you be up maybe a little bit more?"

"Of course I can! I'll be up for a few hours, but I'm going to mostly be sitting. We can still talk, though. Is that okay?"

"Sure!"

Mommy smiled.

"Good."

* * *

Derpy and Mommy talked a bit, about little things... from school to Applejack, to the rain and town, to Derpy's swing. All these things made her happy, and they were stuff Mommy usually asked about. While they spoke, questions came into Derpy's mind, which she knew she could just ask:

"Um, what's an incubation chamber like?"

"Is he going to get sick a lot when he comes home? Are the good germs hurting him?"

"What's his name?"

All these things Mommy could answer well enough:

"I don't know Derpy. It's just a special, clear-plastic place for him to rest that's warm and will help him get stronger. Nothing more."

"I really don't know, sweetie, that's why he's in the hospital. He's safe there, just like you were."

"I haven't decided yet... but I'm trying to think of something both hard and soft-sounding. I really like Crackle, but I think his name needs more."

Other small questions came, and Mommy answered them one-by-one. Derpy got closer and closer to Mommy, as they talked and answered each other. She even touched her mommy's hind leg, eventually resting her head on it. That was okay. They continued on with this pattern for a while. It was broken after everything in the house went quiet for a while and Amethyst called out from another room:

"Derpy, please come here! I have something I want to show ya."

Derpy was pulled from her trance and off Mommy's leg. Amethyst's voice was coming from the laundry room.

"Go on, sweetie," Mommy said. "I'll be here when you get back. Promise."

Rising from the floor, Derpy trotted off to the laundry room.

First thing she saw was Dinky facing away, playing off to the side of the washer and dryer. In front of the washer she saw Amethyst. It was open, and the young mare stood with scowling eyes. She entered without speaking.

"Close the door, kid," Amethyst said, quietly. Derpy turned around, reached for the knob and pulled it towards herself. "Hey!" the voice whispered behind her. "Very slowly. Don't slam it, now. Okay?"

Slowly, Derpy did as she was told.

She turned back around.

"Derpy," Amethyst said, still almost whispering. "Why're your All-in-Ones in the washer?"

"Um... I put them in there and washed them."

The younger mare put a hoof to her face.

"You really, well... you shouldn't have done that, kid." She held out the rubber-coated garment. "Touch this, but be very careful not to press on it. You'll know why right away."

Again, Derpy did as she was told. She felt heat before she touched it, and when she did touch it she had one thing to say:

"It's really hot."

"It is." She turned the garment upside down and inside out. "Dangerously hot. You know why this is bad, right?"

"Um... no." Derpy blinked. "I'm sorry, Amethyst."

"I know, but just... just try to read this, okay?"

The young mare held out the inside of the All-in-One, and there was a little tag just above the padding.

Squinting, Derpy lowered her head... reading tiny letters was hard, but she could do it. She read aloud:

"Do not Beach. Cold water only. Dilacate. Tumbled dry on low setting."

"That says bleach, delicate and tumble dry, Derpy." Amethyst took a breath. "Ya washed almost all of them on the heaviest setting, with nothing else to absorb the heat. It gets hot enough in there to take skin off."

"Um...," Derpy knew this wasn't good, but she still had to ask, "Is that really bad?"

Amethyst turned the All-in-one over again, but this time showed Derpy the back, pointing with a hoof by just where her tail would come out.

"Look closely... I think this is the only one this happened to."

Again, leaning over, Derpy did as she was told.

At first it looked like nothing was wrong, but then Derpy moved her head around and noticed something by where the material crinkled all together and would get tight around her tail when fastened... in tiny places the rubber looked a little bit like melted cheese, and she could see bits of the white towel stuff inside.

"It's no good like this, kid. Completely ruined."

Derpy looked up at Amethyst. She could understand if she was mad, she looked like she might've been. In response the filly bit her lip.

"I'm really sorry, Amethyst."

"I know... ya already said that. It's my fault, really, for not bein' super clear. I'll try to salvage what I can... looks like the trash is gunna be a bit heavy this week, though."

Derpy took a sudden interest in her hooves.

"Um... is Mommy going to be mad?"

"She's not going to be happy," Amethyst replied, continuing to whisper, "but..." Derpy felt a hoof at her shoulder and looked up. "We're not going to tell her for a couple of days at least, all right?"

Derpy felt herself smiling.

"So she can be happy?"

Amethyst sighed.

"Yeah, and so she can rest. Your mommy... well, she's been through a lot, givin' birth to your brother. She needs to know, but not right now. Ya gettin' me?"

Derpy found herself nodding.

"Okay."

Again, she felt the young mare's hoof on her shoulder. The two looked at each other.

"Tonight'll be like any other night. You'll sleep with your mommy and be happy in the morning. Then we'll all go and see your baby brother."

"Even Dinky?"

"Yup, even Dinky. Don't worry about any of this. I'll take care of it... promise."

"Okee."

Amethyst smiled.

"Good! Now get back to your mom. She's missed you a lot. You'll have an All-in-One laid out tonight that'll work just fine. Don't worry."

Derpy turned around, opening the door. She smiled back:

"Okee. Thanks!"

"Sure thing."

Without another word Derpy then stepped back into the living room and towards Mommy, who smiled when she saw her coming. When she got close enough to touch her, the filly placed both fore legs on the arm of the chair and tried to pull herself up, but her back end felt too heavy.

"Oh, careful sweetie,"Mommy said, putting a foreleg in front of her tummy. "I don't want you to fall, forward or back."

Tensing all her muscles Derpy tried again, pulling herself up so she was hanging loosely off the arm. Knowing she could relax a little she lifted her left back leg and managed to pick herself up. She made it over the arm, and raised her head to see Mommy was looking directly at her.

"Feeling secure?"

Derpy nodded. "Uh-huh."

Mommy relaxed her foreleg.

"Good."

The two smiled and went back to talking as they had been before... though it seemed like replies were getting a bit slower to Derpy's questions. That was okay, though. Mommy was home.

* * *

A couple of hours later Amethyst made an early dinner they all enjoyed. It was still light out, but that was fine because Derpy got to eat with Mommy. They all enjoyed creamed corn, carrots, potatoes, hay on the side, with some coconut-topped muffins for dessert. Derpy found she didn't really like the coconut too much, and Mommy said she thought coconut was just okay, but she ate it like she really liked it. Her plate looked clean by the end of the meal, when everypony else's had bits of food left. Soon later Mommy went to bed. Derpy wanted to follow, but it seemed a bit early. She looked over at Amethyst.

"Let yer mom get into a deep sleep, kid," the young mare said, hoisting Dinky on her shoulder. "It'll be good for her. It's not raining anymore... maybe ya wanna be on your swing for a while, so ya can be alone to think about everything before bed? Big things're coming."

Derpy found herself smiling, preparing to trot off.

"Woah, quietly please! It's all I ask of you."

Derpy nodded.

"Okee."

Slowly, the filly made it outside, then ran to her swing at full speed. Once she got there she jumped up and found herself sitting perfectly in the seat without even having to think about it. Soon she was pumping her legs -- higher and higher. Amethyst had said it might be a good idea to think about everything, but Derpy already had. Things were like they always were again. Mommy was back, and that's all that mattered. Amethyst would make everything better about the All-in-Ones, and Derpy would be meeting her new baby brother in the morning. If anything she felt great.