Chapters Delicacy knew she had to leave. Soon. Marcus filled out the papers and such and they left. As Delicacy walked out, she clutched her baby close, keeping his back hidden. They soon arrived at her home. "I'll take care of Fighter," Marcus told her. They decided that it would be better if she hired the nanny.
After a long flight she came to the small building labeled: SAFTEY IN MAGIC: PRETTY LEGAL FOAL CARE RUN BY UNICORNS. She entered and was surprised. Instead of an earth room with a floor and walls, it was all made out of cloud. Delicacy had never seen the cloud walking spell in person, and it was marvelous. Unicorns were everywhere answering calls, talking to pegasi, even rocking unicorn babies to sleep. To her right was a row of cloud six cradles. About a foot next to them were unicorns casting the cloud walking spell onto babies sitting on sodden tables. In the next row, there were six changing stations.
To her left, was a wall. The wall and pictures of all their clients, their mothers, and the unicorn who took care of them. On the edge of the frame, the babies name, date of birth, and when they mastered the cloud walking spell. Only 1 0hotos showed an earth pony. It was old and faded, and had a "release date". Delicacy shuddered. A release date was the day a pony was thrown off the edge. It was 3 months after birth. It was the only photo with such date.
She walked up the desk trying to look calm, but she was sure her eyes gave her away.g As she waited a purple pegasus with a red mane turned to her.
"Oh you had yourself a unicorn didja? Oh well these gals are da best don'tcha know?" She chuckled. Her sloppy bun loosened even more. "I got myself three little trouble makers at da house. Da mister don't know what to do with them! I'm here for my fourth. She's a unicorn too." Delicacy stuttered an indifferent response. Just then the mare was called to the back behind a curtain.
A yellow mare greeted her and asked her about her foal. When the question about race came up she shook her head.
"An earth pony?" She whispered. Delicacy nodded. She nodded back and disappered. A bright purple unicorn with an electric blue mane and matching eyes came up.
"Hello! I'm Skywalker! Don't worry. You will be fine." Her reassuring eyes showed pure sincerity. Her cutie mark was a hoof on top of a cloud.
Delicacy and SkyWalker hurried to the cloudy home. The pegasus mare was terrified that her baby had been taken. Thrown of the edge of the city. Cut up and turned into rainbows...Delicacy shook her head. THAT was ridiculous. There was no way even a brutal city like Cloudsdale would ever to that. Fear was making her crazy.
The light blue pony burst open the door and flew in. Marcus was rocking the baby in an attempt to calm the crying foal. It was strange it seemed, that a doctor who specialized in delivery and care of goals would be so clueless on how to calm them.
Out of pure instinct she snatched her son from his arms and nursed him. After a few minutes she realized that Marcus and SkyWalker were watching her. She blushed profusely, embarrassed at this was the first thing that head when their new nanny visited.
To her surprise, SkyWalker smiled.
"Oh don't worry. It's completely natural. I'm impressed with your instincts. I know you'll be a perfect mother." Her reassuring tone soothed Delicacy and her frazzled nerves. She rocked her foal gently emerald eyes looking into emerald eyes. Soon, the foals eyes closed. SkyWalker looked impressed.
"Perfect, now, all you need is the spell." Her horn glowed and so did Fighter. Miraculously, the colt stayed asleep. SkyWalker looked at her. " Do you have a cradle?" When Delicacy nodded she followed up with, "An earth one?" Delicacy shook her head and blushed. Marcus then piped up,
"I'll get it! From the foal care center! 8 bits right?" And dashed off. Delicacy was staring at her hooves blushing profusely. SkyWalker help Delicacy's head up with her hoof.
"Is he the real father?"
"N-n-o. No. He's not. H-h-he was a unicorn." SkyWalker gave her another reassuring smile, steering he toward the kitchen. She held Fighter in one hoof, cooked with the other, and used her horn. Soon she had a delicious sandwich ready for the pegasus mare. She asked to here her story.
"Wellllll. Okay. But, it's not pretty. My job is making snowflakes for the cities. WeP stopped in Hoofington to start winter. I went down to buy supplies and I ran into this stallion. He was obviously a soldier for the way he spoke, the way he held himself, how he helped me up, but.....I saw more in his emerald eyes. I saw loneliness and kindness and compassion. I saw love and need behind a loyal Equestrian solider. We started 'hanging out' as you might put it. Every moment we spent together made me more in love with him. When he told me he loved me, I wanted nothing more than to be with him forever. But I couldn't. I'm sure your familiar with Cloudsdales' laws. Even if I could ever afford the fine, I knew the would always stalk me. Sergeant, that was his name, told me they would hunt me down, kill me even. So, we 'hung out' one last time. For real. Not just milkshakes and walks like it always was. The next morning, I found out I was pregnant. When he found out, he made me swear, for me and the foal's safety, I never told. Guess I broke it, but I know I can trust you. This necklace that I always wear, was the last thing he gave me. The last time I ever saw him. That stallion, his name is Marcus by the way, was my best friend. I'm sure he always knew. But he never told me. He kept it a secret until today. It seems like so much has happened. But I guess I'M a fighter too." Delicacy finished her story, tears in her eyes. She felt so much better, telling the story she never told. SkyWalker brushed her tears away.
Just then Marcus came in holding the cradle. He saw Delicacy's silent tears and rushed over to her. Her brushed them away too, but not as delicately and SkyWalker had. He led her to bed and closed the door. SkyWalker had put the crib in small the nursery and was rocking the foal to sleep. Marcus sniffed and made himself a sandwich. He smiled. Delicacy's foal....no THEIR foal would be safe.
Delicacy, the light blue pegasus mare, was exhausted. She had just had a foal and the intense pain was fading into joy. She had just had a foal. A foal!! She was a mother now and she was determined to be the best. The doctor, one of her best friends walked in stone faced. Delicacy didn't notice. With closed eyes, she cuddled the foal close. But something wasn't quite right. She adjusted her hooves feeling the colt's back. Instead of the feathery down that were a newborns wings, there was nothing. Calm down, she told herself. Sergeant is a unicorn.
Sergeant was the foals father. Delicacy loved him with all her heart. But when he heard she was going go have his foal, he insisted on absolute denial. "You have to keep our child safe," he had told her. She was not allowed to marry him, because of Cloudsdales' laws.
She thought of looking down at her tiny, precious child. She knew a cloud-walking spell existed, maybe her precious child could master it.
She dared to look. What she saw filled her with a sickening feeling of dread. No horn....no wings. The words repeated over and over in her mind, each time making her feel closer and closer to breaking down No horn....no wings. The doctor looked at her calmly. She looked back, her eyes pleading him to tell her there was a mistake. That there was a switch. That her child was waiting for her. Her best friend, who helped her get over child birth, shook his head.
All the colts vitals were in perfect oreder, and his hearing and vision seemed to be perfect. Perfect health. It was a cruel laugh, taunting her.
Now that her shock had stopped, she saw him properly. His coat was an army green like his father's. His mane was a almost-blue-white like hers. He didn't have Delicacy's delicate curls, nor Sergeant's scruffy strait locks. On his head were hundreds of tiny curls scruffy and tossed.
Delicacy was once told that The Great Princess Celestia watched over and protected all her subjects of all races. Staring at her tiny son, she wanted to scream that it wasn't fair. And demand to know where she was then. HER son needed protection and love. Instead she got an earth pony foal.
There was a very good reason she was fearful for her foal. Cloudsdale's movement was almost independent of Celestia. With some exceptions.
And it was ruthless. They demanded that any foal who was not a pegasus be thrown of the edge. Some talented unicorns became foster foals after swearing undying loyalty. They later came back and walking on clouds. There was even a market for unicorn nannies. But Delicacy didn't know that. The thought of having an earth pony had never occurred to her.
She then realized why her room resembled an earth room. Why her bfriend had delivered the baby without assistance. And treated the baby. Why she never say an ultrasound. Without warning, she burst into tears.
The doctor put his hoof around her.
"GET OFF ME!!!" She cried angry and sad, "YOU...YOU NEVER TOLD ME!!! YOU....YOU.....YOU!!" She couldn't hold on much longer. She just couldn't keep on. All she wanted to do as cry. Cry until this was all over.
Her friend spoke lowly, "I can pretend to be the father......they will never know. And...there is a way to Dave him. They have a service for unicorn nannies. They can live with you and keep the baby safe. Trust me."
Delicacy couldn't believe her ears. A chance to save her son!? Of course! But she soon wilted as the realization hit her. "He will never be able to preform the spell," she sighed. There was hope. But first, she had to chose a name. "Fighter," she decided out loud. "His name is Fighter Rebound." Fighter, she chose because her would be a fighter like his father. And Rebound, because she knew he would always bounce back from his challenges. Even as an infant.