Princess Luna’s full moon shone brightly in the night sky over Equestria, watching over everypony as they slept peacefully. Surrounding the moon was a flurry of stars forming constellations aplenty. However, this beautiful sight was not visible in the town of Ponyville, as the nighttime sky was overcast with cirrostratus clouds. The moon was visible through the thin layer of sheet-like clouds, but it wasn’t as bright. Still, everyone there was getting a well-deserved good night’s rest, everyone except for one couple.
On the edge of downtown Ponyville, there stood a beautiful, circular white building, known by everypony as the Carousel Boutique. Inside, it was dark, and fabrics lay strewn across the floor. Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms, lay the owner of the establishment, Rarity, and her husband, a dragon whom she had known for the past 18 years, Spike. They were roughly the same in terms of size. Spike was slightly taller than his wife, but that was in no way bothersome.
The two of them lay in their bed in a loving embrace. They had just finished making love, which they did practically every night. However, in the silence of this particular night, Spike could hear muffled sobbing. He looked down at Rarity, who had a few tears streaming from her eyes and down her face. “Rarity,” he spoke, breaking the silence altogether, “Are you alright?”
The white unicorn sniffled slightly before replying. “I’ll be fine, Spike. I’m just, well, a little discouraged. That’s all.” Spike didn’t buy it. Rarity had steadily been becoming a little sadder every time they were in bed together, and he wanted to know what was troubling his wife.
“About what?” Spike replied. “You’ve been getting sadder and sadder every time we do this. Is it something I’m doing? Is something on your mind?”
“Well, Spike, you know I love you with all of my heart, and that our special times of romance at night are things that I will always cherish, but every time we do this, I’m constantly reminded of something that you and I can never do.”
“What’s that?” Spike asked.
“Have a child of our own…” The two of them knew even before they got married that their genes would never be compatible for successful mating, but that didn’t seem to deter either of them, not until now.
“Rarity,” Spike continued, “I’ve told you this before, we can always adopt.”
“It just wouldn’t be the same, Spike. No offense, but how do you think that foal would feel being the only young pony in Equestria who had a dragon for a father? It would probably feel out of place. It wouldn’t think it would be fair.”
“Well, you do have a point, but how else will we be able to raise a foal together?
“I don’t know, Spike,” Her tone was becoming slightly agitated, “Maybe you and I just weren’t meant to have children. Maybe all we were meant to do was to show that two completely different species could spend the rest of their lives together with no problems.”
“Rarity, no!” Spike raised his voice slightly, “You and I were meant for much greater things than that.”
“I’m sorry, Spike, I just want to go to sleep right now. We can finish talking about this in the morning.” With that, Rarity rolled to face away from Spike and quickly went to sleep.
Spike rolled to lie on his back. He stared up at the white canopy above their bed, thinking about what just happened. “There’s just no way this is possible if we don’t adopt. That’s our only hope of becoming parents,” he thought to himself. Spike suddenly felt a little parched, so he hopped to his feet and walked towards the bathroom. Upon entering, he turned on the light over the vanity and then grabbed a green cup on the countertop. He then turned on the faucet and the cold water started to fill the cup in his hand. Once it was full, Spike turned off the faucet and took a gulp, shivering slightly as the cold, refreshing liquid ran down his esophagus. He then walked over to the window and stared up at the moon, which was the only object visible through the thin layer of clouds. “I wish there was something I could do to make her happy,” he said softly to himself before drooping his head, “But the only thing that will make her happy is if we have our own child, one that’s not from somepony else.” Spike wasn’t the only one becoming discouraged in the boutique that night.
Spike glanced back up at the nighttime sky. He then caught a glimpse of a narrow break in the clouds, illuminated by the moonlight. And, just to the left of the moon, there was a bright, shining star now visible to anypony looking in that direction. Spike had never seen a star, other than the sun, shine so brightly. Upon noticing it, he had an idea. “Wait, no, that’d be silly and childish,” he said. He glanced at the star again. After about 10 seconds, Spike gave in. “(Sigh)… It’s worth a shot,” he said to himself. Spike took another gulp of water, then took a deep breath and said, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. Please star, all I want is for my wife, Rarity, to have the wish she’s been wishing for ever since we got married. I want her to be able to conceive a child of our own, even if we scientifically can’t. Please, I just want her to be happy. Please…” With that final word, the narrow gap of clouds closed, and the star was no longer visible. Spike stayed by the window, looking up at the moon as he finished his cup of water. After about 10 minutes, Spike finally placed his cup back on the counter and returned to his bedroom. He then climbed into bed next to Rarity and wrapped his right arm around her as he pressed his chest gently against her backside. A few more minutes passed and he, too, was asleep.
…
Spike walked slowly through the thick brambles and tall trees of the Everfree Forest. It was a little after 11:00 in the morning, but the trees blocking the sunlight made it feel like nighttime. It had been a few weeks since Rarity had finally told him what had been troubling her all this time and he had decided to take matters into his own hands. He couldn’t stand to see Rarity depressed and discouraged any longer. At their wedding, Spike had vowed to Rarity that he would do whatever he could to make her the happiest pony in all of Equestria, but he knew doing so in this situation would be a challenge. Still, he wasn’t one to break a promise.
Spike knocked on the wooden door of Zecora’s hut, and then took a couple of steps back. Within a few seconds, the exotic zebra opened her front door. “Hello, Zecora,” Spike spoke, “This isn’t a bad time, is it?”
“Not at all, Spike, my friend. Do you have a problem of which I may mend?” Zecora replied in her usual poetry.
“Well…uhhh…” Spike paused. He then took a long, deep breath before continuing. “Zecora, would it be possible for you to make some type of potion that would allow Rarity and I to conceive our own child? I know that we really can’t, but I feel like somehow, some way, it could actually work. This whole thing is causing Rarity a lot of emotional pain. She wants this more than I do, and all want to do is make her happy.”
Zecora just stood there motionless. She had never had a request this large before, but she knew in her heart that she could do nothing to help Spike and Rarity. The zebra lowered her head, closed her eyes, sighed, and then replied, “Spike, I understand your pain. And I know that having a child would be a great gain. But alas, your request is far too grand. Adoption is the only way for your family to expand.”
“But Rarity doesn’t want to adopt.” Spike was sounding nearly desperate. “She said it wouldn’t be the same. She also doesn’t think it would be fair for that foal to be the only pony in Equestria who has a dragon for a father. But, if there’s really nothing you can do, then I guess Rarity and I will never get by this impasse. Thanks anyway, Zecora.” With that, Spike turned around and walked away, his head slumped in utter discouragement. Zecora couldn’t help but feel terrible for Spike as she saw him walk back towards Ponyville.
Spike‘s head was flooded with thoughts and emotions. From this point on, all he could see was a troubled relationship between him and his wife. He even considered the possibility that Rarity may want to get a divorce. If he couldn’t give her what she wanted, then certainly a stallion, presumably Fancy Pants, could. Spike suddenly snapped back to reality when he looked up and saw the barely visible sun directly over him, telling him that it was high noon. He was to meet Twilight for lunch that day at the outdoor restaurant in the middle of town. With that in mind, the dragon started to run towards downtown Ponyville.
Spike soon arrived at the restaurant, panting heavily due to him running for a good 4 minutes straight. Twilight was already there, waiting at their table. She had already ordered food for the both of them, and the waiter had already brought out Spike’s usual apple cider and water. Still panting and supporting himself on the table with his left hand, Spike immediately grabbed his glass of water and gulped it down vigorously. Twilight then spoke. “Hey, Spike. Have you been working out?”
Spike sighed and shivered as he finished his glass of water. He then sat down across from Twilight. “Nope. I was in the Everfree Forest talking with Zecora and before I knew it, the sun was right over me, so I knew that I had to get here as fast as I could so you wouldn’t have to wait for me. So, what’s new?”
“Not much,” replied the princess, “I’m still in the process of building an addition to the castle so there’s more space in the library. How about you? Please tell me Rarity’s doing better.”
Spike sighed. “No, she’s not. I don’t know what to do, Twilight. I can’t give Rarity what she wants. In fact, the reason I went to see Zecora before I came here was to see if she had anything that would help, but that mission certainly failed. I know magic could be the only helpful thing in this case, but Rarity and I both agreed we would never resort to that when it came to conceiving.”
Just then, the waiter brought out Spike’s extra crispy hay fries and Twilight’s daffodil and daisy sandwich. As Twilight took her first bite, she noticed that Spike wasn’t vigorously munching away at his fries like he usually did. He was slowly eating them one by one. She knew then that Spike was more discouraged and depressed than she had thought. In fact, she hadn’t seen Spike this sad since right before he joined the Great Dragon Migration, and that was 18 years ago. Twilight then broke the silence. “Oh, Spike, I really wish I could help, but it doesn’t seem like you and Rarity have a comfortable way out of this. You guys need a miracle.”
“If only it were possible,” Spike replied, “I don’t really believe in miracles. Are you sure you can’t find some scientific way for Rarity’s and my genes to be compatible?”
“Spike, I’ve looked time and time again ever since you first told me how depressed Rarity was, and I can’t find any scientific evidence that’s proven successful mating between a dragon and a pony. I’m sorry.”
Spike crossed his arms on the table and laid his head on top of them. He then groaned loudly. He raised his head back up just as their waiter walked by. “Excuse me,” Spike began, “Can I get these to go, please?”
“Absolutely,” the waiter replied as he went to retrieve a paper bag.
“You’re not hungry anymore?” asked Twilight in a concerned tone.
“Not right now. This whole thing is really taking a toll on me. I just want to go home and figure out any possible way to get by this impasse.” A few seconds later, their waiter returned with a paper bag and Spike proceeded to load the rest of his fries into it. He then stood up and started to walk away. “See you later, Twilight,” he said, looking sad. Twilight was also looking sad as she watched him walk away.
Spike soon arrived back at the boutique. The whole main level was dark. After walking in and closing the door, Spike made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, where he placed his leftover fries in the refrigerator. He then walked back upstairs into the front room. “Rarity!” he called, “I’m home!” He waited for a response. “Rarity?” he called again. Still no response. Spike searched for his wife on the main floor, then in the basement, then on the upper level. He checked their room, the guest room, which was once Sweetie Belle’s room, every closet, but Rarity was nowhere to be found. He then walked over to the one placed he hadn’t checked, the bathroom. The door was closed, so Spike knocked on it. “Rarity?” he said, “Are you in there?” He heard nothing. Not wanting to barge in, he pressed his left ear against the door and ceased breathing for a few seconds. Through the wooden door, he heard an inhale followed by an exhale. Somepony had to be in there. Very carefully, Spike placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. He opened the door just a crack. “Hello?” he said softly. He peeked in. There she was. She was sitting on the toilet, but both the seat and the lid were down. She was just sitting on it as if it was a normal chair. Spike couldn’t see Rarity’s left hoof, as it was hidden behind the rest of her body. She was motionless, but she was smiling. “Rarity!” Spike said, relieved that he had found his wife. Rarity slowly turned her head to the right and looked at Spike. “Rarity, are you okay? I’ve been looking all over the boutique for you! What’s going on?”
“Spike…” Rarity said softly as she lifted her left hoof into view, “Look…” Spike then saw why Rarity was hiding her left hoof. In it was a pregnancy test. Spike took it in his hands to get a better look. There were two pink lines. Spike froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn’t been this shocked since he had seen Twilight become an alicorn.
“Wh-what?!?” Spike exclaimed, “Are you sure this is correct?!?”
“Spike, do you realize what this means?” Rarity said, her volume rising slightly while a tear of joy rolled down her face, “It happened! We’re actually going to be parents to our own child! You see? We didn’t need to adopt!”
“N-n-no! This can’t be right! Our genes aren’t compatible! You didn’t use magic, did you?”
“What?!?” Rarity replied in a surprised tone, “Of course not! Why would you think I used magic?!? Don’t you remember? We vowed never to use that in order to conceive!”
“Then…then there’s only one possible way you could be pregnant,” Spike said, growing a bit suspicious.
“Whatever do you…”
“Did you sleep with a stallion?!?”
Rarity’s eyes shot open wide. She was silent for a good 5 seconds. Tears started welling up in her eyes. “S-spike! H-how could you?!? How could you accuse me of such an act?!?”
“Twilight said there’s no recorded incidence of a dragon and pony successfully conceiving! And if you didn’t use magic, then there’s no other possible explanation for what’s happening!”
“Spike, you are the only creature I have slept with since we got married! I vowed to be completely faithful to you! And here you are accusing me of breaking that promise! You know I love you and would never cheat on you!”
“I’m sorry, Rarity, but the evidence is clear.”
“What evidence?!?”
“You’re pregnant, for crying out loud! And there’s no possible way I can be the father! If you were that desperate for a foal, why didn’t you just run off with a stallion 8 years ago and marry him?!? Then you would have gotten what you wanted! I can’t believe you’d lie to me like this, Rarity! You’ve obviously cheated on me! Go ahead and admit it!”
Tears mixed with eye makeup were cascading down Rarity’s face. She was crushed. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Go…” she said softly and angrily, “Just go…”
“Oh, so now you’re kicking me out?!? Who’s the pony who broke a promise she made 8 years ago?!?"
“But who’s the pony who’s owned this establishment for more than 20 years?!?” Rarity raised her voice and looked Spike dead in the eyes, “I’m telling you the absolute truth, Spike! But if you’re not going to trust me, then just leave! Leave and don’t come back until you’ve convinced yourself that I’m being honest with you!”
Spike stayed silent for a moment. He then spoke in a very angry tone, “Fine. Then I guess I can never come back. Goodbye, Rarity.” He turned around, walked out of the bathroom, and slammed the door shut. The force of the slam caused everything in the bathroom to rattle, even Rarity. Spike just stood there, facing away from the entrance to the bathroom after slamming the door. After a few seconds, he could hear Rarity crying like he had never heard her cry before. Still, he was convinced she was lying to him. He walked into their bedroom and started packing. He never wore any clothes, so he packed what little he had and soon walked out the front door, closing it behind him for the last time.
…
“Spike?” Twilight asked after opening her front door and noticing Spike at the entrance to her castle with two full suitcases, “What’s going on?”
“I’m moving back in, Twilight,” Spike said, drained of any happiness and joy that he once had, “I hope that’s okay with you. Rarity kicked me out…”
Twilight was flabbergasted. She couldn’t think of any reason as to why Rarity would kick Spike out. “Come in, Spike. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Can it be somewhere where we can’t hear any of the construction going on?” Spike asked, hearing the construction in the library loud and clear.
“Sure,” Twilight replied in a comforting tone, a smile returning to her face. The two of them eventually arrived on the upper level and settled into Twilight’s bedroom, which she shared with her own husband, Flash Sentry, who was currently at a royal guards meeting in Canterlot. Twilight broke the silence after she and Spike settled on her bed. “Tell me what happened, Spike. I’m sure there’s some way you can resolve this.”
“There’s no chance, Twilight,” Spike replied in a distraught tone, “No chance whatsoever.”
“Just tell me, Spike.”
Spike paused for a good 10 seconds before saying, “Rarity’s pregnant.”
Twilight’s eyes widened slightly. “She is?”
“Yeah. She said she didn’t use any magic, but that leaves only one possibility, and I’m sure you know what that is…”
Twilight didn’t want to believe it, but having found no scientific evidence beforehand, she knew that she had to agree with Spike. “Oh, Spike, I’m so sorry. I wish I didn’t believe you, but you’re right. Chances are she probably did sleep with a stallion. You can stay here as long as you need to.”
“That may be forever. Rarity said not to come back until I’m convinced she’s telling the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Spike. I’m so sorry…” Twilight said as she drew Spike into a hug.
Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. “Princess?” said a masculine voice that most certainly had to be from one of the construction workers, “I think you have another visitor. There’s somepony knocking on the front door.”
Twilight went and opened the door. “Thanks,” she replied before heading downstairs. At that moment, Spike grabbed his bags and went over to one of Twilight’s many guest rooms.
Twilight opened her front door. Standing in front of her was a very forlorn-looking Rarity. She had eye makeup in long strands all over her cheeks, a distinct result of her excessive crying. Her mane was disheveled with split ends everywhere. “Twilight,” she said, sniffling a few times, “Do you know where Spike is? I can’t find him anywhere.”
Twilight gave Rarity a slightly displeased look. “First of all, he’s upstairs. Second of all, how could you, Rarity? Why would you do such a thing to Spike?”
“Twilight, please!” Rarity grabbed Twilight desperately around her neck. “I know I told Spike to leave, but that was because I was furious at him for not believing me. Now I really want him back home! I swear I didn’t cheat on him! I understand why you would think I did, but I’m really telling the truth! Give me a lie detector test if you have to! Please! I want Spike to know that I’m being honest!” She then continued to cry as Twilight gathered her thoughts.
“Alright, follow me to the basement,” the purple mare replied in a calmer tone.
When they reached the bottom level of the castle, Twilight instructed Rarity to sit down in the chair next to all her machines. She then started hooking up the lie detector to Rarity. Once she was finished, she turned it on. “Okay, Rarity,” Twilight spoke, “I’m going to ask you four questions. Be completely honest with me, okay?”
“Yes, Twilight,” Rarity replied.
“Okay. Question one. Did you sleep with a stallion in the past month?”
“No, absolutely not.”
Twilight looked at the slowly moving paper and the metal styluses. They weren’t showing any evidence of Rarity lying. “Okay, question two. Have you ever cheated on Spike during your relationship?”
“No. Never.”
Twilight looked at the paper again. Nothing. “Question three. Did you go to a sperm bank and get infused with a stallion’s seed without Spike knowing?”
“No. I wouldn’t even dare enter a sperm bank.”
Again, Twilight looked at the paper. Still nothing. “Alright, fourth and final question. Did you use any type of magic to help the two of you conceive a child?”
“No. Spike and I vowed never to use magic when it came to conceiving.”
Again, the machine determined that Rarity was not lying. Twilight looked at the long string of paper as she turned the machine off. Rarity was clearly telling the truth. However, Twilight’s vast scientific knowledge left her with more questions than answers. “Well, Rarity,” Twilight spoke, “I’m not sure what to say. You passed the entire test, but I still can’t find any reason for you to be pregnant.”
“Can’t I at least show these results to Spike? I want him to know I’m being honest with him. Please?”
Twilight wasn’t sure if now was a good time, but she decided to let Rarity talk with Spike. The two of them were soon on the upper level and walking towards Twilight’s bedroom. When they looked inside, no one was in there. Twilight looked a bit further down the hall and saw one door slightly ajar, and she hadn’t remembered it being that way. The two of them trotted over to the door and Twilight took a quick peek inside. Upon noticing Spike, she knocked on the door. “Spike?” she asked.
“Come in,” he replied. Twilight entered first, levitating the lie detector results in her telekinesis. Rarity followed her inside, but Spike immediately looked away upon noticing her. “What’s this about?” he asked angrily.
“Spike, please!” Rarity begged, “I’ll do anything to prove I’m being honest with you! Twilight gave me a lie detector test! Look at these results! You see? I’ve never cheated on you! Now do you believe me?”
Spike looked over the results. Clearly there had been no dishonesty in the basement. He then glanced at Twilight. He seemed puzzled. The purple alicorn looked into the dragon’s eyes and knew that he was as confused as she was. “I don’t know, Spike,” she said, “I just don’t know.”
“Well, now you know that I didn’t cheat on you, Spike,” Rarity spoke, “Won’t you please come home?”
“Rarity, I still don’t feel like I know the exact truth. I don’t know whether to believe the lie detector results or science itself. I need some time to get my head straight. I think it’s better if you just go home.” With that, Rarity stood there motionless, looking at her husband. Her eyes started welling up with tears once again. She couldn’t believe that even after seeing the results, Spike was still having doubts. She closed her eyes, lowered her head, turned around, and walked out the door, crying as she walked further away. Twilight was soon to follow. Spike then lay down on his bed, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened over the past few hours. It was excruciatingly stressful.
…
Spike knocked on the wooden door of what was once the house owned by Rarity’s parents, but was now owned by Sweetie Belle. She and Rarity had recently helped them move to Baltimare, and they let Sweetie Belle keep the house. Rarity’s younger sister had found a career as a singer/songwriter, and was often out of town to go to a recording studio in Manehattan, and other times to perform at other gigs.
Spike didn’t need to knock a second time. Within about 5 seconds, the door opened. There stood his sister-in-law, about the same age as he was, and the exact same size as Rarity. “Hey, Spike,” Sweetie Belle said, happy to see her brother-in-law dropping by.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle,” Spike replied, “Looks like you’re not angry to see me. Phew…” It had been nearly a week since Spike had the argument with Rarity. Even though he had never returned home, none of his friends seemed to get bothered with him. They were all as confused as he was. Were the lie detector results proving scientific research wrong? Nopony knew. Still, Spike loved Rarity very much, and he missed her. At this point, he himself was starting to have a little bit of doubt that Rarity actually cheated on him, but he needed to talk with his friends about it. “May I come in?” Spike asked Sweetie Belle, “I want to ask you a question.”
“Sure, Spike,” Sweetie Belle replied, “Come on in.” The white unicorn stepped aside to let the dragon in. Once he was inside, Spike looked around and admired how the place looked. There was new furniture, but that was the only new thing. Everything else looked exactly the same as he remembered from long ago. “Can I get you something to drink?” Sweetie Belle asked her brother-in-law, “I can get you water, or I also have some apple cider.”
“Cider sounds great. Thanks.” Spike replied. Sweetie Belle smiled and retreated to the kitchen to fetch their beverages. Spike then lay down on Sweetie Belle’s new leather sofa. It was quite comfortable. However, he noticed Sweetie Belle was returning, so he quickly sat up as to not look awkward to her.
“Here you go, Spike,” Sweetie Belle said as she levitated Spike his glass of apple cider. She was also levitating a glass of water for herself. She then sat down on her new love seat, which was the same color leather as her sofa. “So, what on your mind?”
Spike took a drink of his cider before beginning. “Well, we’ve all had a week to think about what’s been going on between Rarity and I, and I want to know what your opinion is. What do you believe?”
Sweetie Belle took a moment to get her thoughts straight. She had obviously known Rarity longer than Spike had, and she knew Spike would be delighted with even the slightest answer. “Honestly,” Sweetie Belle spoke, “I believe Rarity. I think you should wait and see what her first ultrasound looks like. That may be the only thing that can resolve this conundrum.”
“But Rarity’s barely a month along, I think. The first ultrasound won’t happen for another month if that’s true.”
“Spike, I think it’s worth the wait. Rarity’s never lied on a scale like this in her life. I’m confident she’s telling you the absolute truth, and I can only imagine how much she misses you. I imagine you miss her, too.”
“A whole lot.” Spike paused for a moment. “You’re right, Sweetie Belle. Maybe I shouldn’t focus too much on the future. Right now, Rarity needs me, and I need her.” With that, Spike quickly finished his cider and got up to leave. “Thank you so much, Sweetie Belle. I knew I could count on you for advice.”
“Anytime, Spike,” The white mare replied, “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
…
Spike looked through the front window of the Carousel Boutique. Rarity was stitching a dress together, but very slowly. Spike didn’t want to wait any longer. He went over to the front door and knocked on it. Several seconds later, it opened. The two of them stared at each other in silence for a little while, and then Spike spoke. “Rarity, before you get angry with me, I just want to say I’m sorry I left you for such a long time. I knew you wanted me to come home, and I wanted to as well, but I could never decide what to believe, the results or science. Right now, I think it’s best we wait until your first ultrasound. Maybe it will give us a definitive answer. In the meantime, I just want to come home. I don’t want this to draw us any further apart than it already has. In fact,” Spike paused for a few seconds to gather his thoughts and emotions, “I actually believe you. I mean, who cares about science? I think it only matters that you were being honest with me, and I should have realized that long ago. So, can I come back home? Please?”
Rarity stood there in silence for a good while. She couldn’t believe that Spike had just said all that to her. Her shimmering blue eyes slowly started to well up in tears. Then, without warning, she threw her front legs around Spike’s neck and kissed him on the lips. She was elated that her husband was coming home, and that their relationship looked as if it had taken a wondrous turn. Spike returned the kiss, closing his eyes as he pressed his lips back against Rarity’s. After about a minute, the two of them drew away, and Rarity let Spike in. She was happy knowing that she wouldn’t be alone tonight.
…
Rarity shivered as the cold, clear gel was squeezed onto her abdomen from the bottle as she lay on the examining table. She then felt the ultrasound probe touch her abdomen and start to move around. Her doctor, Dr. Hoofington, was moving it around with his magic. It was then that Spike and Rarity got their first look at their baby. They couldn’t see much, as Rarity was about 2 months along. As Dr. Hoofington looked at the image, he was quite intrigued. “Well, well, well,” he spoke, “This is a first for me, at least.” He had never seen anything like it. The embryo seemed to have the body of a pony, but there were definitely some other features. The baby seemed to already be growing a tail, resembling Spike’s. Also, Dr. Hoofington noticed what looked to be a row of scales along the baby’s back and down its tail. He could even see tiny growths on the end of each of the baby’s legs, which were most likely little claw buds. He figured they would grow into something resembling a cat or dog’s paws. “Well,” Dr. Hoofington spoke up again, “I don’t know how this happened, but congratulations! It looks like we have a dragon-foal on the way! This is the first of its kind!”
Dr. Hoofington then levitated a towel onto Rarity’s abdomen so she could clean up all the excess gel. He then left the room, leaving the couple with some of the images. They both looked at the pictures, and then Spike broke the silence. “Rarity, I…I can’t believe this! You and I actually conceived!”
Rarity was equally as happy and excited as Spike. “I know! This is so wonderful! But, even I’m starting to wonder how we actually pulled this off.”
The two of them were silent for a good minute as they kept looking at the pictures. Then, Spike remembered a distinct event that, at this point, may be the only explanation for his wife’s pregnancy. “Rarity,” he spoke, turning his head to look Rarity in the eyes, “This may sound a little obnoxious, but I think I may know why we were able to conceive.”
“What’s that, Spike?”
“Well, when you first told me how much you wanted us to have a child of our own, I remember you getting a little annoyed with me and then going right to sleep. After that, I went into the bathroom to get a drink of water, and then I looked out the window and saw a bright star shining through a break in the clouds. I then told myself not to do what I was about to do, but I figured it was worth a shot. So, I made a wish on the star, wishing you would get what you’d been wishing for all this time. Now, I have to believe that star has something to do with this.”
Rarity’s eyes once again welled up in tears, and she sniffled a few times. “Spike, you did that for me?”
“Yes, Rarity. I did it for you. All I want is for you to be happy.”
Spike then leaned in and kissed Rarity on the lips. They kissed for about 30 seconds before pulling away, Rarity being the first to speak afterwards. “Spike, do you think we should ask Twilight if there’s anything unique about the star you wished on?”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Rarity. Let’s go!”
…
Twilight looked through her maps of stars, trying to pinpoint which star Spike had wished upon, as Spike himself couldn’t remember exactly where it was in the sky. She did a few calculations, looked at one particular map, and then placed her hoof on one specific spot. “There,” she said, “This must have been the star you saw, Spike.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it, Twilight,” Spike said before chuckling slightly, knowing he had basically zero knowledge of what the princess was talking about. “Is there anything special or unique about it?”
“There sure is. This star is known as Solar Desire. The reason it seemed so bright to you was that it was giving off a solar flare. And, for some unknown reason, if somepony makes a wish on that star while it gives off a solar flare, that wish is almost guaranteed to come true. These flares occur about once every month, and we think there’s some type of special magic that’s given off during each one. Still, we don’t know much about Solar Desire, and not many ponies have even heard of it. Anyway, does all that answer your question?”
All Spike could do was stand there in utter amazement. He had no idea how lucky he and Rarity were. At the same time, however, he was slightly disappointed knowing that magic had been involved in this conception, something he and Rarity swore never to use in this case. Spike turned to face his wife. “Rarity, are you upset at me in any way? It looks like magic was involved…” Spike trailed off in volume and looked away from Rarity as he ended his sentence.
Rarity herself was a bit saddened knowing that magic had been used, but she felt there was no reason to be upset at her husband. “No, Spike,” Rarity replied soothingly, placing her left hoof on Spike’s right shoulder, “I’m not upset at you at all. There was no way you could have known that magic had been involved. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think magic may have been the only way to go all along. Vowing to never use it was getting us nowhere. Now, I don’t even care how we conceived. I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Same here, Rarity,” said Spike as the two of them drew each other into a hug. They kissed briefly. Spike then turned to face Twilight. “Anyway, to answer your question, Twilight, yes. That answers everything. Thank you.”
“Yes, Twilight dear,” Rarity spoke, “Thank you.”
“It was nothing you guys,” said Twilight. The three of them then engaged in a group hug.
…
“Come on, Rarity! You can do this!” Spike said as he tried to boost Rarity’s confidence, but it was futile, as Rarity was in unbearable pain.
“Aaah! S-spike! I-I can’t…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” Rarity screamed as another contraction struck her by surprise. Her water had already broken, and she was progressing.
Just then, Dr. Hoofington came back into their room, dressed in the usual attire required for delivering a foal. He was followed by Nurse Redheart and Rarity’s midwife. “Alright, let’s see how we’re doing here,” he said as he prepared to see how close Rarity was to delivery.
“Aaah! It’s coming!” Rarity shouted as she felt immense pressure down below.
“You’re right, Rarity!” Dr. Hoofington said excitedly as he finished checking Rarity, “You’re fully dilated! We’re ready to have a baby right now!” Both Spike and Rarity were a bit shocked. They knew Rarity was progressing, but they didn’t expect her to progress this quickly. Nevertheless, it was time. This was the moment the two of them had been waiting for. The midwife placed a towel over Rarity’s abdomen as Dr. Hoofington said, “Alright, Rarity. Are you ready?”
Rarity was in so much pain that she wasn’t even sure if she was ever ready. “Come on, Rarity. I know you can do this. Just be strong,” Spike said to his wife.
Hearing those words from her husband was all the encouragement she needed. “I’m ready,” Rarity spoke before another contraction hit her hard.
“Alright then, push!” Dr. Hoofington commanded as Rarity start pushing with every muscle in her body. She had never been in this much pain before, but she pulled through, knowing this would all be over in a matter of minutes.
After about 5 minutes of pushing, the baby’s head was out, and Dr. Hoofington left Rarity to relax while he cleared the baby’s mouth and nose of amniotic fluid. Just then, Rarity had another massive contraction, but Dr. Hoofington didn’t want her to continue until she had regained her strength. Rarity screamed as the contraction overtook her, and she was starting to doubt herself again due to the shear amount of pain coursing through her body.
“Aaah! Spike, I can’t do this! I just can’t! I can’t handle this pain anymore!”
Spike looked Rarity dead in the eyes. “Rarity, think about how much you’ve wanted this to happen. Isn’t this all you ever wanted after we got married?” He paused for a moment to let Rarity take his words in. “Don’t lose faith. Don’t lose hope. You can do this. Trust me.”
With that, Rarity closed her eyes and convinced herself that she could do this. “I’m ready whenever you are…AAAAAAHHHHHH!”
“Push, Rarity! Push!” Dr. Hoofington commanded Rarity again. She was nearing the end.
“Come on, Rarity! You’re almost there!” Spike said, hoping his words were encouraging to his wife.
Another contraction came over Rarity as she pushed with all her might. She screamed at the top of her lungs. “Aaah! AAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”
And in a split second, Rarity’s screams were replaced by a lone cry.
…
“It’s a girl!” exclaimed Dr. Hoofington as he lifted up Spike and Rarity’s new daughter. He quickly placed the baby on the towel on Rarity’s abdomen before Nurse Redheart started to clean her up initially. Spike and Rarity stared in amazement at their new daughter. They were absolutely awestruck.
“S-spike! Look!” Rarity exclaimed in a soft and shivery voice.
“I know!” Spike replied in a similar tone, “I don’t believe it! This is the best day of my life!” The two of them had a nice view of their new daughter. Just like Dr. Hoofington had said, she was a perfect mix of pony and dragon. She was covered in a coat whose color was a perfect mix of Rarity’s alabaster fur and Spike’s amethyst skin, and her tiny horn shared the same color. Her face looked exactly like a regular foal’s. She had a mane that was the same color as Rarity’s, and there was another feature of hers that had that same color, the row of scales on her back. They ended at the tip of her tail, which itself was the exact same shape as Spike’s. She also had tiny claws at the end of each of her legs that, like Dr. Hoofington had also predicted, looked like paws. She definitely wasn’t anything like Spike or Rarity had ever seen before, but that didn’t matter in the slightest. All that mattered was that she was here, and she was all theirs.
Spike leaned over and kissed Rarity passionately. After a few seconds, Spike broke away as he was handed a pair of surgical scissors, which he used to cut the baby’s umbilical cord. The baby was then whisked away to finished being cleaned and for her belly button to be tied up. During that time, Rarity delivered the placenta.
Once all that was finished, Spike stared lovingly back at Rarity. There were no words, just wonderful emotions. Spike immediately dove in to kiss Rarity again. Not only were there tears streaming down Rarity’s face, but down Spike’s as well. They kissed for a good 3 minutes before Dr. Hoofington came back over to them. He then placed the little dragon-foal in Rarity’s front legs. “Congratulations, you two,” he said to the new parents.
“Thanks,” Spike and Rarity said in unison before their doctor left the room, followed by Nurse Redheart and Rarity’s midwife.
Spike and Rarity were then all alone in their room. Spike climbed onto the bed and lay next to Rarity. He wrapped his left arm around her neck and shoulder as she cradled their new baby, who was sleeping soundly. Words could not describe how they felt at that moment. “Spike,” Rarity broke the silence in a soft tone, “Thank you. Thank you for making that wish. I didn’t realize wishes like this could actually come true.”
“Neither did I,” Spike replied. The two of them remained silent for another several seconds before Spike spoke up again. “So, what should we name her?”
“Well, I told myself early in life that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her after some type of gem. I was thinking maybe Crystal?”
Spike loved the name, but he had something else in mind. “Well, that sounds great, but I was thinking we should include ‘Star’ in her name, all because we know for sure that she’s here because of Solar Desire. Why don’t we name her Crystal Star?”
Rarity looked down at her daughter, smiling. “Crystal Star... It’s perfect, Spike. Let’s name her that, shall we?”
“Definitely,” Spike said as Crystal Star opened her eyes for the first time. They were a glorious, glistening green.
“She has your eyes, Spike.” Rarity said in a calm tone, followed by a light chuckle.
“Yeah,” Spike replied. He looked down at his daughter. “Hi, Crystal Star. Welcome to the world,” he said softly as he stroked one of his fingers under her chin, “You’re going to have a wonderful time here. Mommy and daddy love you very much. You’re a very special baby.” Spike looked over at Rarity. They kissed again as Crystal Star went back to sleep. “So, should I go get the others?”
“Hmmm… I don’t they’ll mind waiting a bit longer, Spikey Wikey,” Rarity replied in a soft, but comical tone.
“I think you’re right,” Spike said. Rarity then leaned her head against Spike’s neck, still in their embrace as they lay there with their new daughter, whose name symbolized the reason why she was here. That one star.
THE END
Dear Diary,
Tomorrow is my first day of school. Though I’m excited about seeing all my friends there, I’m really worried about something. How will all the fillies and colts who I don’t know react when they see me? I look so different. Will they want to be with me, or will they think I’m repulsive? I almost don’t wanna go tomorrow…
Crystal Star placed her diamond-shaped bookmark in her diary and closed it, setting the book in a drawer in her bedside table, and then closing it. It was true. The light pink dragon-filly was very worried about the next day. There had been multiple times throughout her life where she found herself being stared at, and she hated it. Every time a stranger glanced at her unusual form, it made her very depressed. She rarely talked about it with her parents, however, as she already knew that she was who she was, and that her appearance, no matter how different, could not be changed. She often tried to be proud of her unique self, but in the end, reality would always set in. She was different.
Crystal Star did have quite a few friends, however, the best of which were the sons and daughters of her parents’ long time friends. Four of them were fillies, including Apple Blossom, Robin, Confetti, and Cloud Dancer, all of whom were the daughters of Applejack & Caramel, Fluttershy & Big Macintosh, Pinkie Pie & Cheese Sandwich, and Rainbow Dash & Soarin, respectively. She also had four friends who were colts, consisting of Apple Cinnamon, Apple Blossom’s twin, Jonagold, Robin’s twin, Thunderhead, Cloud Dancer’s twin, and Prince Shooting Star, the son of Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry. All of her friends were within a year of each other in terms of age.
Her best friend, however, lived right at home, and was the only other dragon-pony in existence. Six years earlier, when Crystal Star was only four, her father had made another wish on Solar Desire, and eleven months later, Spike and Rarity welcomed their first-born son, and after a series of unusual, yet comical, fire-laden sneezes from the newborn dragon-foal, they fittingly named him Fireball. Today, he was five years old, and Crystal Star herself was ten.
Two of Crystal's friends had younger siblings, too. Confetti had a younger brother named Streamer, and Prince Shooting Star had a younger sister named Princess Lightburst. They were both Fireball’s age. Fireball himself was green like his father’s scales, but had the same color mane and back scales as his big sister. However, he did not have a horn like Crystal Star, and sometimes joked with her about being jealous.
The young dragon-filly was drawn out of her bed at the smell of freshly-baked vegetable quiche, one of her favorite dishes. She quickly ran down the stairs at the prospect of another delicious dinner, and once she stepped onto the main level, she almost crashed right into her mother, who was headed in her direction. They both stopped and looked at each other, smiling. “Oh, there you are, Crystal,” Rarity began, “I was just about to tell you that dinner was ready.”
“Thanks, mom,” Crystal Star replied, “But who can miss the smell of that quiche?”
Rarity chuckled. “Haha…right you are, darling. Come,” she finished, beckoning her daughter toward the kitchen with a hoof. Soon, they were both in there, and Spike and Fireball were already seating themselves, the big dragon already serving up slices of his culinary creation.
As the family began to eat, Crystal Star looked a bit sad, not eating as fast as she normally would when her father would cook this dish. Spike was the first to break the silence. “So, Crystal,” he began, “Are you excited about school tomorrow?” He hoped that she would be excited about school, and that her slight frown would go away.
Unfortunately, it didn’t, and the dragon-filly looked up at her parents and said, “Not really.”
“What?” Rarity said, slightly shocked, “How could you not be happy about going to school? I mean, yes, summer’s over, but what is there not to love about school?”
Crystal Star sighed before finally telling her parents her concern. “Well, I’m gonna go there and be the only dragon-filly. I’m so different from everypony else. I-I don’t wanna be bullied.”
“What makes you think you’ll get bullied?” Spike asked, “You’re very smart, you’re very kind, I don’t see why other ponies would want to bully you for being different.”
“Yeah, Crystal!” Fireball exclaimed, raising his front legs, “You rock!”
“Fireball!” Rarity said, sternly, giving her son a slightly displeased expression, “Do NOT scream at the dinner table.”
“Yes, mommy…” the dragon-colt replied, almost in a whisper, as he took another bite of quiche.
“Thank you, honey,” Rarity finished, “Now, where were we, Crystal?”
“I…I…I just don’t know,” Crystal Star continued, “Frankly, I’d rather stay home.”
“Well, darling, I can tell you that that’s not going to happen, I’m afraid,” Rarity replied. Crystal Star just sighed.
“May I be excused?” the dragon-filly asked just as she cleaned her plate.
Rarity and Spike glanced at each other, surprised that their daughter wanted to leave the table, which she had never done before. They gave each other a soft smile, then turned to Crystal Star as Spike said, “Yes you may, Crystal.”
“Thanks,” she replied, softly. She then slowly walked into the front room and slowly ascended the stairs.
…
Later that night, the pink dragon-filly was lying in her bed, wide awake. Before she was left alone for the night, she had spoken with her parents more about her fears, and it had taken very long, as she had almost never spoken with her parents about the topic. Even after many reassuring statements from Spike and Rarity, her worries still lingered. These worries had been with her most of her life, and she hated it. Thankfully, it was her friends that kept her going. They accepted her for WHO she was, rather than WHAT she was, and she desperately hoped all the new fillies and colts she would meet the following day would do the same.
Suddenly, Crystal Star’s bright green eyes went wide as she got an idea. She remembered one day that she had asked her parents where babies came from, and they told her that all they had to do was wish on a certain star, also explaining to her that that was how they had her brother. “All I have to do is make a wish on that star and then I won’t have to worry about being bullied tomorrow!” she thought to herself. She immediately got out of her bed and ran toward her window, looking up at the night sky. Unfortunately, the sky was completely overcast, and no stars were visible. “That’s okay,” she thought, “I can just sit here and wait for the clouds to clear up.” And that’s what she did. The dragon-filly continuously stared up at the clouds, which, to her, were almost invisible, given that there wasn’t a whole lot of light reflecting off of them.
Eventually, sleep was trying to get the better of her. Crystal Star tried keeping her eyes open wide, repeatedly shaking her head in an attempt to rid her body of the desire to sleep. However, the feeling was too much for her small body to fight off, and soon, her eyes slowly closed, head resting against the windowsill as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
…
A cardinal sitting next to the window woke the young dragon-filly with its beautiful, musical tweets. Crystal Star opened her eyes to see daylight, and she soon grew very worried. “Oh no,” she said to herself, “I-I fell asleep. Now things aren’t gonna go well at school.”
Just then, she heard her bedroom door opening. It was her mother. “Crystal, darling, it’s time for you to head to school!”
Crystal Star immediately considered faking an illness in order to avoid going, but she knew that had very little chance of working. Defeated, the dragon-filly walked toward her mother and said, “Okay…” She exited her room, and soon, after having a well-balanced breakfast cooked by her father, she gave her parents and brother a farewell, exchanging hugs and kisses with all three of them. She then began the seemingly long walk to school.
Once she got to Ponyville’s schoolhouse, she just stood there, looking up at the bright red building, hoping that somehow, some way, she didn’t have to go inside. “Crystal!” came a familiar voice. The dragon-filly turned to her right, and there was her friend, Confetti, eagerly bouncing toward her. The earth pony filly was just as rambunctious and excitable as her parents, clearly shown through her excitement of starting school. Confetti was a rather interesting filly, as her white coat sported random small patches of pink and yellow fur, somehow resembling…well, confetti. Her mane was poofy and curly like both her parents’, and it was a bright pink with an equally-as-pink bow near the top.
“Hey, Confetti!” Crystal Star said to her friend, happy to see her. She was then taken aback by a very strong hug implemented by the rowdy filly, who was squeezing her a bit too tight.
“Isn’t this exciting?” Confetti continued, releasing her friend, only to start bouncing on all fours again, “It’s our first day of school! Who knows what awesome things we’re gonna do?”
“Uhhh…I’m actually, well, not looking forward to this,” Crystal Star replied.
The earth pony stopped bouncing. “Why not?” she asked.
“Well, look at me. Look at how different I am. How do you think all the others we haven’t met yet will feel?”
“Oh, come on, Crystal!” the earth pony filly said in a tone that was meant to encourage, “I don’t see why they’d do that! I mean, look at ME! I’m also different!”
“Yeah, but you just have colorful and bright patches of fur. Your father’s not a dragon.”
“Well, you’re right about that, but you shouldn’t feel bad about how you look. Personally, I think it’s really cool that you’re half dragon, half pony!”
Crystal smiled. “Thanks. But like I said, what about the new fillies and colts?”
“I don’t think you have to worry, Crystal,” Confetti said as she wrapped a foreleg around her friend’s neck, “Even if you DO get a little down because of the new kids, you can always talk to me or the others about it,” she finished, trying to keep her friend optimistic, as Pinkie Pie always did.
Crystal let out a sigh before saying, “Okay.” The two friends then walked inside.
…
“Welcome to Ponyville Elementary, everyone!” Miss Cheerilee said to her new students. Though it had been more than thirty years since she had started teaching, the magenta earth pony knew that she would be doing this for the rest of her life, and she loved it. Plus, she didn’t look one bit old, despite being fifty. “I’m your teacher, Miss Cheerilee. Let’s begin by having each of you come up to the front one by one and telling us about yourselves! Would anyone like to volunteer?”
“I would! I would!” Confetti exclaimed, waving her hoof frantically.
“Okay, okay,” Cheerilee replied, chuckling, “Come on up here!”
As the others eventually went up and introduced themselves one by one, Crystal Star couldn’t help but grow more and more nervous. She knew she would have to go up there at some point, whether she wanted to or not. She was seated right next to all of her best friends, but this class was rather large, and the fillies and colts she didn’t know couldn’t help but glance at her from time to time. It reminded her of most of her life, being stared at by ponies who had never seen a dragon/pony hybrid before. She immediately assumed that she was going to be disliked and or bullied.
“You, right there in the back!” Miss Cheerilee said, pointing at Crystal Star. The dragon-filly tensed up, knowing that her moment of total humiliation was near. As she got down from her seat, she looked to her left and found all the unfamiliar students staring at her. It made her very uncomfortable. At the same time, she could see all her best friends to the right of her, all smiling at her.
Crystal Star soon made it to the front of the classroom, turning around to find everypony looking straight at her. She gulped, took a deep breath and said, “Ummm…Hi. I’m Crystal Star, and…well, as you’ve probably noticed, I’m…half dragon, half pony.” Her speech had a few slight gaps, all due to her immense anxiety. “I live at the Carousel Boutique…with my mom, dad, and little brother. I’m…really into fashion, just like my mom, and…that’s pretty much it.”
There wasn’t an immediate response, but the dragon-filly soon noticed a hoof being raised by a male classmate she did not know by name. “Yes?” she said to the colt.
“What’s it like being half dragon?” he asked.
“Ummm…I guess you could say it’s…well, interesting.” She then noticed an unfamiliar filly raising her hoof. “Yes?” she asked, motioning to her classmate.
“Can you breathe fire?” the filly asked.
This caused Crystal’s eyes to widen slightly. She hadn’t expected to be asked that question. She had figured all this time that she would be judged by how she looked, but what she was hearing was anything but that. “Actually, yes! I can!” She then took another deep breath, then blew a long stream of flames out of her mouth, but not long enough to reach the ceiling.
“Wow! Cool!” exclaimed another random colt. Crystal Star was then given a round of applause for her act. For the first time that day, she felt genuinely happy, smiling widely as she trotted back to her desk.
As she climbed back into her seat, the dragon-filly heard a whisper from her right. “See, I told you not to worry!” Confetti said, quietly. Crystal only smiled.
Throughout the rest of the day, especially at recess, everypony wanted to know more and more about Crystal Star, and she was happy to tell them all about her. With each word that left her mouth, a large amount of anxiety went out with it, and soon, she no longer felt that she had to worry about being judged or bullied about being different. She also realized that she didn’t even have to make a wish on Solar Desire the previous night. On this day, all she made was friends, not enemies. Crystal Star finally felt that a life of silent judgment was coming to an end, as her new classmates displayed their friendship in the best way they possibly could.
THE END