Chapter 4: Where We Began (2)

***Part 1: The Darkest Hour***

The still and silent evening was abruptly shattered by the cries of Sunset Shimmer. Sunset howled in pain as Big Mac and Applejack hurriedly carried her away from the dining table and into the nearest bed room, and they set her down on the bed.

"What do we do?! What do we do?!" Applebloom asked.

Luckily, Granny Smith was there to take charge. She pointed her boney finger at Applebloom.

"Go heat up some water in the largest bowl we have." She instructed.

Applebloom nodded her head and took off. Granny Smith then pointed at Applejack.

"Ya' gotta get that princess over here." Granny Smith told her. "If this baby is really what  ya' told me she's gonna be, then we need someone from her world to help deliver her."

Applejack couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What? No! I gotta stay with her!" She objected strongly. "I won't leave her."

"Ya' have to." Granny Smith said calmly. "If we are gonna deliver this baby safely, we'll need Princess Twilight's help.

Sunset let out an ear-shattering scream. Tears swelled in Applejack's eyes. She took Sunset's hand in her own, and she kissed it softly. Sunset looked up at her. Pain, fear, and rage filled her eyes. Unable to speak, Sunset mouthed the word 'go'. Applejack nodded her head.

"I'll get Princess Twilight, and I'll bring her back, I promise." Applejack vowed.

Then, the cowgirl took off.

"Alright..." Granny Smith said with a heaving sight. "Big Mac, try to keep her as still as possible."

Applebloom returned moments later with the bowl of warm water, just as Granny Smith requested.

"Good, Applebloom. Now, go find my kit, and bring me me as many wash cloths and towels as you can."

Without a word, Applebloom left in search of the requested 'kit' and any towels she could find. The kit Granny Smith referred to was a large box containing the tools she used when foals and other creatures were being born in the spring.

"B-B-Big M-Mac..." Sunset groaned. "C-Can I h-have your h-h-hand...?"

Big Mac hesitated for a short moment, but he reluctantly extended his hand towards Sunset. Sunset grabbed his hand in her own with a steel grip. Big Mac bit his lip to keep himself from yelling as Sunset began to break all of the little bones in his fingers.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Sunset wailed as another contraction hit her.

***Part 2: Ride Like The Wind***

Applejack could hear the painful screams of her lover all the way down the dirt path. With every step she took away from the homestead, her feet grew heavier. Applejack pulled out her phone to call a cab, but there was no service.

"No!" Applejack shouted.

There was no service and no late night busses, and there would be no way for her to make it to the portal at Canterlot High by foot. Applejack growled with frustration as she kicked a rock to the other side of the road.

Then, she saw Chief. The stallion was standing on his hind legs with his two front hooves resting on the fence. His attention was directed towards the source of the screaming. He looked as though he was about to jump over the fence. At that moment, Applejack got an idea.

"Hey, Chief!" She yelled as she ran towards the fence. "Chief, bud, I need ya' to do somethin' for me..."

The stallion looked away from the homestead at and Applejack.

"Listen, Chief..." Applejack said. "Sunset is gonna have your baby, but she needs help. I'm not gonna be able to get her help on my own..."

Amazingly, Chief understood her. The stallion leaped over the fence and trotted to the end of the dirt path. He stopped just before he reached the road. With a loud whinny, he signaled for Applejack to get on. There was no time to grab a saddle, but that didn't stop Applejack from climbing onto the stallion's back.

"Alright, ya' big stud, let's get to Canterlot High." Applejack muttered to him.

With a yell and swift kick from Applejack, Chief took off down the road. Applejack felt extremely uncomfortable riding a stallion at full speed with no saddle, but she didn't care.

"Go, Chief!" She yelled. "For Sunset Shimmer!"

The small, country road quickly opened up into a larger highway. Cars honked aggressively and swerved out of the way to avoid the horse and the girl riding him.

"Look out!" Applejack warned him as truck raced by them.

Applejack held onto the stallion's mane as though her life depended on it. The rushing wind blew Applejack's hair in every direction possible, severely limiting her field of vision. Unfortunately, her lack of sight was the least of their worries. The sirens of a police car sounded behind them. Applejack looked over her shoulder, and a wave of fear crashed over her body. Red and blue lights flashed and the siren shook her ear drums. The police car was ordering her to pull over.

"N-No..." Applejack muttered. "I... I can't, not now."

She turned back around and gave Chief a swift kick, pushing him to go faster. The police car sounded its siren again. The chase was on. Applejack and Chief dodged through the traffic until the got to the median of the highway.

"Go, Chief! Go!" Applejack yelled as the police car bared down on them.

Chief understood, and he leaped over the median, straight into oncoming traffic. The police car's tires screeched as it swerved to find a way around the concrete median. Applejack grinned wildly. One problem had been solved. Unfortunately, a thousand more had been created. Chief ducked left and right to avoid the dozens of cars speeding towards them.

"We gotta get off this highway!" Applejack yells to Chief. "There's our exit!"

Chief followed her finger to the ramp leading down from the highway. Chief charged down the ramp. They were almost at their destination. Canterlot High was nearly within sight. Only a few city blocks now separated them from the portal. Chief gave it everything he had. At last, Applejack and Chief made it to the statue outside of Canterlot High. Applejack jumps off of the stallion's back. Despite her shaking legs, Applejack ran the rest of the way towards the portal.

"Alright..." She said, panting heavily. "Now, how does this thing work?"

Applejack gently placed her palm on the glass, and the surface that should have been hard felt... like it wasn't there. Applejack gasped as her hand fell into the base of the statue, and her body promptly followed.

***Part 3: The Pony In Me***

Applejack groaned as she opened her eyes. Her entire body felt... hot, as though she had just been inside an oven. Her skin burned... No, not skin... Applejack gasped as she observed her form. Her tan skin was gone. Instead, a bright, orange coat of fur covered her body. Applejack tried to stand upright, only to fall forward in her new hooves.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack gasped.

"Applejack?" A voice female asked. "What are you doing here?"

Applejack looked up at the speaker. It was Twilight, the Equestrian princess.

"T-Twilight!" Applejack shouted as the princess helped her to her hooves. "Ya' gotta come with me! Sunset's havin' her baby!"

"Now?!" Twilight gasped. "The baby wasn't supposed to arrive for another week!"

At that moment, the portal began to shimmer. Someone else was coming through. Both Applejack and Twilight watched as a human hand appeared through the glass. The hand was followed by an entire human body. The human collapsed on the ground, just as Applejack had.

"Um... Hello..." Twilight said uneasily.

"Chief...?" Applejack asked cautiously as she approached the human.

The boy lifted his chin at the sound of his name, and he grinned at Applejack. Applejack chuckled as she ruffled the Chief's hair.

"This is Chief?" Twilight asked. "This is the stallion that got Sunset pregnant?"

The boy smiled proudly. Though he couldn't speak English, he understood their words just fine.

"Uh... Chief is how I got here." Applejack explained.

"Interesting... Horses in the other world become humans in this world..." Twilight said. "I'll have to look into this further-"

She was cut short by Applejack, who pushed her and Chief towards the portal.

"Yeah, we can do that another time. Now, we gotta get to Sunset!"

***Part 4: Sacrifice***

The three of them fell through the portal. Applejack instantly felt relieved as she stood up on her own two feet again. Chief also preferred to be a stallion. He let out an obvious snort as she shook his mane. Twilight is helped back onto her feet by Applejack.

"Where is she?" Twilight asked.

"She's at Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack replied. "Quickly, let's get goin' before-"

The sound of the cocking of a gun startles her.

"FREEZE!" A police officer ordered. "Stand down!"

There were five of them. All of them stood in front of their police cars with their side arms cocked and loaded. Princess Twilight and Applejack looked away to avoid the blinding lights, and Chief stomped his hoof nervously.

"I didn't think they'd find me so fast..." Applejack cursed. "Twilight, ya' gotta go. Ya' gotta take Chief and get to Sweet Apple Arces."

Princess Twilight looked at her friend with disbelief in her eyes.

"What? Are you crazy?"

Applejack smiled, and she nodded her head.

"I am. I'm crazy in love with Sunset Shimmer, and I promised her I would see to it that you made it to her. Now, go. Take Chief and run."

Applejack took a deep breath. Then, she charged the police officers. She tackled the one in the middle, bringing the officer to his knees. Princess Twilight threw herself into Chief.

"Go!" Twilight cried.

The stallion took off down the road. Twilight looked back at the statue, just in time to see the police officers forcing Applejack to the ground. Twilight felt tears streaming down her cheeks, but the rushing wind blew them away instantly.

"I hope you know the way to Sweet Apple Acres." Twilight said to the horse.

The stallion whinnied loudly as she sprinted up the ramp leading to the highway. At the top of the ramp, Chief leaped over a passing car, using the hood as a jumping point. The car honked loudly, and the driver cursed aggressively at the new dents in the hood.

***Part 5: The Arrival***

Sweet Apple Acres was in sight. Chief sprinted down the dirt path, and he came to a sudden halt at the door of the homestead. Twilight ungraciously fell over the side of the horse, hitting the ground with a 'thud'. Every part of Princess Twilight's body felt extremely sore from the bare ride. Then, she heard screams of agony from within the homestead, followed by Sunset Shimmer's higher pitched screams. Twilight quickly collected herself off of the ground and rushed inside.

"I'm here!" Twilight shouted.

"In here, Twilight!" Applebloom yelled from the bed room.

Twilight followed the sound of her voice until she reached her destination. Sunset's eyes lit up when she saw Princess Twilight standing in the doorway.

"T-Twilight..." Sunset whimpered.

"The baby is stuck in there." Applebloom explained. "Granny Smith can't get her out."

Twilight immediately rushed to Granny Smith's side.

"She wants to come out, but somethin' is stoppin' her." The older woman said.

"I think I might know what it is..." Twilight said softly as she lowered herself to her knees.

Twilight cringed at the sight underneath the blanket covering Sunset's lower regions. It was a bloody mess. Twilight took a deep breath, and she inched her hand closer and closer. At last, Twilight's hand passes through the mouth of Sunset's vagina. She reached further inside until she found the baby.

"Aha!" Twilight said as she wrapped her fingers her finders around the base of something on the baby's forehead, a horn.

Twilight worked tenderly to dislodge the object from the inner walls of the womb. Twilight groaned as she pulled the object free.

"Alright..." Twilight said as she pulled her hand out. "You need to push, Sunset. Push, now!"

Sunset howled as forced the baby further out of her womb, squeezing her hand tighter and tighter around Big Mac's shattered fingers, who was crying as well.

"I see her!" Twilight shouted as the head began to appear.

Sunset growled as she pushed the baby. The top of the head arrived first. Twilight had to help get the horn out, but after that, the rest of the baby slid out. Suddenly, the baby began to cry, and everyone was dead silent. The silence is first broken by Applebloom.

"What... is that thing on her head?"

Twilight was shocked by what she saw.

"That's... a horn..." Princess Twilight said.

The baby had the body of a human, but she also had a small, yellow horn sprouting from her forehead. The baby wailed as Princess Twilight wrapped her in a towel.

"She's precious..." Granny Smith said, sniffling back a tear.

"I... I want... to see her..." Sunset said with a rough voice. "Give me my baby..."

Twilight slowly and carefully stood up and walked the crying infant over to her mother. Sunset smiled from ear to ear, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the 'foal'. Sunset cried, smiling as wide as ever as she looked at everyone around her,

"She's here..." Sunset sobbed. "My little baby is here..."

Then, it dawned on Sunset that someone was missing, someone very important.

"Where... Where is Applejack?"

***TO BE CONTINUED***