An Afternoon Out

If there was one word that a pony would use to describe this day, it would be "glorious". The pegasi had done good work today, clearing the skies so not a cloud could be seen. Princess Celestia's sun was shining brightly amongst the vast blue, and the birds were all singing their beautiful songs. It was a day where every stallion, mare and foal was out and about, enjoying the sunny weather and just having an all around pleasant day. But there was one family enjoying this afternoon that would undoubtedly seem out of place.

For lying beneath the shade of an old oak tree, was a dragon. A young male, though one that had passed into adulthood for some time now. Purple and wingless, this was a figure known to all in Ponyville. Spike, born in Canterlot, but had been living here in this little village most of his life. Like the rest of the town, he too was enjoying this lovely day, but he was far from alone. Sitting peacefully beside him, flanking him left and right, were two mares. A yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, and an orange earth pony, Applejack. Two of Spike's many friends, who barely a year ago became far more.

They became his mates.

They, along with their four other friends, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and the Princess of Friendship herself, Twilight Sparkle, had been through an admittedly difficult time when Spike became an adult. But now, they were all "one big happy family", as Pinkie was want to say. And family was an apt term, for it was not only them enjoying this peaceful moment. Barely a few metres away from them was a pair of foals. But these were no mere ponies, but the offspring of both Spike and his mare mates.

One was his eldest child, a colt. Like his mother, Fluttershy, he possessed a bright yellow coat of fur and a pink mane on his head. But what marked him as the child of a dragon was not only his bat-like wings and tiny fangs, but a line of green spines, running all the way down his back. The foal beside him was a filly, Spike's daughter, and child of Applejack. Much like the colt, this child greatly resembled it's mother, with a blonde mane and orange coat. Though also like it's sibling, she too had fangs and spines down her back.

As the children played with each other, the three parents watched, smiling as they looked upon them. As they watched however, Fluttershy called out.

"Be careful, Posey! You don't want to get hurt!"

The colt, Posey, merely gurgled with laughter at his mother's words, leading to a slight chuckle from Applejack, causing Fluttershy to look in her direction before she spoke.

"Don't y'all worry, Sugar, him an Appleseed will be just fine."

Fluttershy seemed hesitant at this, but one glance up at Spike, who gave her both a smile and a silent nod, seemed to calm her down somewhat. After giving her mate a small smile, she and the others turned their attention back to the little ones, both of whom were giggling happily. It was a sight that brought a warm feeling to all three of the parents, and Applejack let out a contented sigh before speaking.

"Sure is a good day. Shame the rest of us couldn't make it."

Fluttershy nodded at that before turning to Spike.

"Why aren't the others here today?"

Spike shifted a little before replying.

"Twilight needed to go to Canterlot to visit her folks. They haven't seen her in a while and with her schedule free for the next few days, she figured now's the time. As for Pinkie, she wanted to take the twins and show them to her family for the first time. They couldn't make it to their birth, remember?"

Fluttershy considered that before nodding again. Afterwards, it was Applejack's turn to speak up.

"What about Rarity and Rainbow?"

It was here that Spike started to look more than a little uncomfortable as he started shifting again, though this time in a manner that looked far more awkward. Fluttershy and Applejack exchanged glances at each other before hearing him speak up again.

"Rarity...isn't happy with me right now. She's almost nine months along now and...well...she's finding it hard to hide her figure."

That led to a pair of "ah's" from both Fluttershy and Applejack, having now completely understood what he was talking about. rarity had always prided herself on her well-kept appearance after all, and a reaction like this was something Spike was undoubtedly preparing himself for a long time. Looking at the way he was hanging his head low, it was clear that he'd been on the receiving end of one of Rarity's over-dramatic moments. Seeing this, Fluttershy lifted a hoof and gently placed it on his side, gaining his attention.

"Don't worry, Spike. I'm sure it can't have been that bad."

Spike looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"She brought out her "feinting couch" for the occasion."

There was a brief pause as Fluttershy considered that before replying.

"Okay, I take it back. It is that bad."

In that moment, all three of them afforded themselves a rather loud chuckle, which was followed by Applejack speaking up.

"Ah don't blame her. Remember how I was when I was carryin Appleseed?"

Spike looked at her with a rather annoyed look.

"How could I forget? Mac still hasn't managed to move that broken tree yet."

Applejack blushed slightly at that before Spike spoke yet again.

"I guess some mares just handle pregnancy better than others. Remember when Pinkie gave birth? We didn't call our son "Bouncer" for nothing. He literally bounced out of his mother! With the sound effect and everything!"

Fluttershy giggled a little before speaking up.

"I guess you should be thankful his sister didn't come out the same way."

Spike chuckled a little before answering.

"Yeah, Surprise is such a good girl. So much calmer than her mother...at least for now."

Fluttershy and Applejack smiled at each other after that, and the three of them looked over to their children once more. Every once in a while, a pony, or a group of them, would pass by and give them a glance. The idea of a dragon becoming a partner to a pony was, to say the least, an unusual one, much less seeing such a drake get together with SIX. But, after so much time, the residents of Ponyville had, by and large, accepted this. And Spike and the other six mares couldn't have been more grateful for this welcoming attitude that their neighbours had shown them.

However, a look of curiosity soon crossed Fluttershy's face, and she broke the silence.

"What about Rainbow?"

Spike opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped from doing so by Applejack, who now spoke with a rather mischievous look on her face.

"Have you forgotten, sugarcube? It's THAT time of year for her."

It took a few moments, but Fluttershy's eyes soon widened with realisation, and she began to blush slightly, having clearly figured out that, as Applejack so tactfully put, Rainbow was in her heat period this week. As per usual, as she and Spike had arranged, either she or he would leave Ponyville and go elsewhere during that period. With her not wanting children right now, she always avoided him like the plague while she was like this, lest the two of them be unable to control themselves while near each other. Spike though was unconcerned by this.

"It's no problem. The timing actually worked out well for us. She was invited to do a flying demonstration up at Cloudsdale. And at a time like this, she's got more than enough energy to spare."

There was a slight smirk on Spike's face as he said that, which Applejack responded to with her own, all while Fluttershy was continuing to look rather embarrassed. Their attention was then diverted to the children in front of them as Posey had begun to flap his wings hard, trying his best to lift himself up into the sky. Spike and Fluttershy glanced at each other, smiling affectionately at one another. Less than a year old and already he was starting to want to fly. It was a pleasant sight, to be sure. However, Spike then looked away from his son as Applejack spoke again.

"It's nice, that much is sure. Seein yer young grow like that. I can't wait to teach Appleseed how to buck like her old Ma. That, and..."

She then looked up at Spike before finishing.

"...then introducing her to her little brother or sister."

Spike smiled at that before casing his eyes over Applejack's midsection, which, sure enough, was beginning to show a slight bulge. He smiled at her before bringing his head towards her, nuzzling her slightly. Fluttershy looked at the two of them with a look of surprise. Not surprise at Applejack being with foal, but because it was so soon after her first child, which she was sure to voice.

"You're okay with having another foal so soon?"

Applejack chuckled slightly before responding to that.

"Something you gotta know about us Apples, hun. There's a REASON we're the biggest family in Equestria."

Letting that statement sink in a little, Fluttershy looked away with a blush again, leading to Spike looking towards Applejack with a smile.

"Regardless, whether colt or filly, we'll love the kid all the same."

Applejack smiled affectionately at Spike before speaking.

"Yeah. I gotta say though, I do love it when y'all get cuddly like that."

Spike just let out a low grow slightly as he spoke.

"I just can't help it. I never tell you guys this, but...you do smell...wonderful when you're...pregnant."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the frequent pauses in his words, and so looked at him as he continued growling, moving his nuzzling over to her belly. Giving a somewhat sly smirk, she gently nudged his head away, snapping him out of this near trance-like state before talking to him.

"Woah there, loverboy! Y'all don't want to get TOO frisky with me carrying yer yung'un an all."

Spike shook his head slightly, regaining his senses.

"Sorry. Twilight told me about it. Mares carrying foals. Pheromones in the air and stuff. Makes the fathers protective. Sorry about that."

Applejack looked at her rather sheepish-looking mate before letting out a short laugh.

"Think nothin of it, Spike. Truth be told, I rather like it. Just be careful next time."

Spike smiled at that and the two lovers moved their heads towards each other in an affectionate manner yet again. However, that rather peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of laboured breathing, causing all three of them to snap their heads around to look at the children. Posey was standing still, and was looking as though he was struggling to breathe. Instinctively, Spike leapt onto all fours, ready to run forward and tend to his son. But before he could, he noticed the raised hoof of Fluttershy bar his path. As he looked down at her, she spoke.

"It's alright. I'll go to him."

Spike looked at her with some uncertainty on his face, but after a brief pause, he conceded this point and nodded to her. Smiling back, Fluttershy ran forward and, within moments, Posey was being cradled by his mother, his breathing still sounding weak. As he looked on at this, Spike began to sit down yet again, his face one of absolute worry, which Applejack was quick to pick up on.

"How has he been, really?"

The young dragon looked down at the ground before answering.

"He's not as bad as he used to be. Now these moments only come every few days. Doctors say it'll take a few years for his lungs to strengthen, but..."

He looked up, towards his son, who had finally stopped going through that ordeal and sounded like he was breathing normally. It was only here, as Spike let out an audible sight of relief, that he continued.

"...it's hard. I know Twilight warned me about this, crossbreeds suffering from health problems. But...I guess I just never expected it to be this difficult to watch."

Applejack remained silent for the time being, looking over at her own child, as the young filly looked up with curiosity at the way Fluttershy was holding her half-brother. So, still watching them, Applejack spoke.

"Ah can't say ah know the feeling mahself. Appleseed has been as fit as a fiddle since she was born. Ah can't imagine how hard this is for you and her."

She turned to face him, her expression become one of sympathy as she gently placed a hoof upon him, gaining his attention.

"It'll be hard fer a long time, Spike. It won't be easy, seein yer young like that. But you're not going through this alone. Y'all have Fluttershy, an me, an all the rest of us."

There was a brief pause between the two of them as Spike let her words sink in. But, after a moment where Applejack was unsure of how he'd react, she smiled once she saw his look of worry begin to lift. Leaning forward, she rested her head against his chest in a loving manner, which was a gesture he very much appreciated at this time. Thus moment did not last however, as the two soon parted as they heard the unmistakeable sound of Fluttershy's wings approaching. Looking towards her, they saw her gently place Posey down on the ground, just as Appleseed was crawling behind them.

Spike's eldest moved slowly over to his father, where the little one flapped his wings a little before smiling towards him.

"D...Da! Da!

The dragon looked on with an expression of great happiness, as he then lowered his head and nuzzled his child.

"I know. I love you too...son."