It was a cold winter's evening, near Hearth's Warming. It was during the biggest blizzard I’d ever seen, I should know I was trotting through it from my boutique to my home.
“Mommy, you're back!” Diamond said giving me a huge hug.
“Hello baby, how are you?”
“Great, I got to make Hearth’s Warming cookies with Mama!”
“Sounds like fun, where's your sister and mama?”
“Brownie is helping auntie Apple Bloom getting the ornaments for the tree up stairs, and Mama’s checking the animals.You missed dinner Mommy, but we left you some.”
“Thank you sweetie!” I said kissing her on the check. I headed towards the kitchen and open the old fridge.
Both our dog and cat follow me as usual
“Haven't you been fed already?”
“Wooh, that is some of the worst snow I've seen.” Applejack said as she opened the kitchen door. She notices me. ”Oh sorry hon, I thought you were Apple Bloom, thank Celestia you made it back alive, I was starting to worry you were frozen out there.” She said giving me a kiss.
“I was about too, It seems as if it's the blizzard of Hearth’s Warming itself!” I joked. Applejack set some food down on the table for me.
”Sorry, it might be a bit cold, the power went out awhile ago.”
“No problem.” I looked down at the food Applejack had set down for me. “Leftover cream of carrot soup again I see.”
“Yah I was busy preparing for the storm and keeping the youngins entertained.”
“It’s fine, I love your Mother's old soup recipes.” I lied.
She had sat down across from me, with a cup of hot coco. ”So, how was your day sugar cube?”
“Oh, it's the holiday season meaning it means a few more customers. I did get this one funny customer wanting a vest for her son though!”
“What's so funny about that?”
“Oh, she wanted the colors to be crape and bronze!” I laughed but Applejack had just stared at me blankly. “Those don't go well together sweetie!”
“Oh.” She said still confused but being the supportive wife she is she had given me a fake snicker.
“Speaking of Colts.”
I had given her a suspicious look
“I was talking to Ditzy the other day, and she said that Crackle, had given her the sweetest late Mother's Day card!”
“How did he forget it?”
“He didn't, he just felt like giving it to her on a random day!”
“Your point?”
“I don't know Rares, it's been three years, and I want another foal just to do the traditional Apple family three.”
I moved my soup aside, as my voice got stern. ”Applejack, I've told you before I’m fine with two fillies, we do not need another one, nor do we need a colt.”
“But don't you think the fillies need some male influences in their lives?”
“From a Little brother?” I had shakily asked.
“Okay, be stubborn about it!” Applejack said sighing. “As progressive as I am, at my core I’m still an old fashioned mare. I want to have a filly and a colt. And both my Mom, Granny, and her parents did. I know it's silly, but that’s how I fee. It’s the honest truth darling..”
I stared at her for a bit, trying to think of what to say. Then Apple Bloom had walked in throwing off my train of thought.
“Hey Rarity, hey sis, the fillies are eager to decorate the tree, you coming? ” Apple Bloom asked both of us.
“Yes,just give us a second!” I had replied.
“Okay!” She had said as she left the kitchen.
I turned back to Applejack with a melancholy expression. “I’m sorry Jakie, I’m not ready for another foal.”
“Do you think they will cancel school tomorrow?” Brownie asked excitedly as I had tucked her in for the night.
“I don’t know hon, they rarely do anymore”
“Why is there so much snow again Mamma?”
“I think I read somewhere that the weather ponies made to much snow this year and there wind machine broke.” Applejacks stated.
“Oh”
Applebloom came in then. “I tried warming up the barn some more but it's just so cold and blizzardy, I couldn't make it.”
“That's fine, just in time to say goodnight to your nieces.”
“Auntie Apple Bloom when will the presents be under tree?” Diamond asked her.
“Not till it's closer to Hearth's warming scout.”
“I like presents!” She stated.
“We all do sweetheart, why don’t you have a nice dream about all the presents you’ll get on Hearth’s Warming.” I said kissing her on the forehead.
“Okay!”
The three of us kissed the fillies goodnight.
“Night sugar cubes.” Applejack said. ” We love you!”
“Night Mama!” They had replied in unison.
Bedtime with your wife is not as fun as you would think. After a long day we tend to not do anything “romantic” aside from holding hooves while reading books. But, I felt bad for some reason about what I had said about the foal earlier that evening. So after my shower I thought I’d make it up to her.
Applejack was reading the Farmers weekly on the bed I snuck up behind her.
“Hello Jakie!” I said in a flirtatious tone.
“Hi Rares.” She said still reading the paper.
I glared at her and tried again. ”Hello Jakie.” This time I laid on her stomach.
“Whats going on?”
I threw away the magazine, and sat on her lap. ” I was thinking we could have some fun, if you know what i mean?”
“Rarity aren't we getting too old for that?!” She said before yawning. “Besides I’m much too tired for it.” She said rolling over, knocking me off the bed.
I was starting to get a bit perturbed but I had managed to keep my cool. ”Applejack darling, you know we're still young and sexy.” I said rolling back onto the bed. “Besides darling don’t you want some sugar?” I had said I as I started to stroke her mane.
Applejack rolled her eyes. ”Okay you win, but just some kisses and cuddling okay? I’m not in the mood for the hole shabang!”
“Very well!” I said using my magic to turn off the lights, and lock the door ,making sure we had time to move so the fillies wouldn’t see us.
Then I positioned myself on top of Applejack. Just when we were about to kiss a horrifying sound came from outside
“What was that?” Applejack had said concerned trying to get up.
“Must be the wind.” I said trying to get another kiss, but she pushed me off.
”No, it's not the wind it sound like somepony screaming. Someone young screaming”
“The wind can sound like that.” I said.
“Maybe you're right, it might just be the wind.” But right when she was about to touch the bed, an urgent knock had disturbed us.
Applejack had ran to the door as fast as she could. I grumbled at this.
“Applejack, I heard a noise!” Apple Bloom said barging in.
“We heard it too it's just the wind.” I had said rolling my eyes.
A different more distinct noise came after I had said that.
“Sounds like timber wolves. But they’re usually deconstructed this time of year.” Applejack had said worried.
“The first time I heard it I looked out the kitchen window, and I thought I saw timber wolves chasing a foal. But I thought the blizzard must of been playing tricks on my eyes.” Apple Bloom said moving to look out the bedroom window.
Hearing this had made me concerned. ”What would a foal be doing out this late at night in a blizzard?”
“I don’t know Rares. Apple Bloom, you and I are going out into that blizzard to get rid of those timberwolves. And save whatever pony or thing is out there. Rarity since you don't know much about timber wolves go check on the fillies and see if they are safe, and then prepare a nice warm blanket for who's ever out there.”
“Yes darling.” I said trying to calm my nerves.
“Let’s go before the timber wolves and save whomever may be out there.”
I than immediately ran to the nursery to check on the fillies, they were sound asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been worried it was one of them out in that blizzard.
I then ran down stairs, looking for the warmest blanket in the house. I had found the cat sleeping on it. I had gently shooed her off before grabbing it.
I started some tea on the stove for when Applejack and Apple Bloom came back in. I looked out the window I could barely see my wife trying to throw rocks at the wolves and Apple Bloom digging up something. She picked up what looked like a very small foal and started to dash towards the house.
Apple Bloom came crashing through the kitchen door. “Give me the blanket now!” She yelled.
I hoofed it to her. Trying to peek at the thing she was carrying in her arms. “Is it a foal?”
“Sadly he is.” She said wrapping the blanket tightly around him. ”He’s probably the worst looking foal i've ever seen.”
Before I had time to react and look at the foal .Applejack had come barging in.
“What have we got?” Applejack said putting her hoof on Apple Bloom’s shoulder.
“Donkey colt, looks to be 3 or 4!” Apple Bloom said letting Applejack see the colt.
“Sweet Celestia he looks terrible!” Applejack said her voice full of concern.
Well it is a donkey. I had thought to myself. No don’t say that! I thought to myself immediately after I had thought that terrible thing.
“Rarity, come over you need to see him” Applejack said waving me over. I trotted over, and looked down at the foal, I let out a gasp. What I had seen was horrifying. Something no Mother would wish on anyone. The foal was malnourished, shivering, and he had no color to his coat.
He looked like like he was dead.
I remember when Applejack first asked me if I wanted a foal. I thought she was kidding, as I never thought of myself as a mother. I didn’t know anything about raising children nor did I think I would do a good job. But after many many discussions she convinced me and we gave birth to our daughter, Apple Brown Betty(We call her Brownie for short) and she gave new meaning to my life, she opened me to the wonders of parenthood and so many emotions I never felt before, and it made me want another foal.
We did three years later, we named her Diamond Daisy, she and her three year old sister got me out of the honeymoon phase of parenting making sure I never wanted another foal. Two was enough. But Around this time my brother in law Big Mac had left to live with his wife Sugar Belle and start a farm in the village were she was from, leaving the farm to the 4 of us fillies and my sister in law Apple Bloom.
“Rarebaer, Ah know you just had a baby in all but are you at all interested in adopting a colt you know to have both a filly and colt?” Apple Bloom had asked me one day after Big Mac had left.
And I said. ”Why would we, arent we a fine family as it is, do you really want another mouth to feed?”
“I guess, It's just ah was reading about colts in adoptions houses there 20% unlikely to become adopted and male non ponies are 75% less likely, and It made me feel kind of bad.”
“Well, that is sad my dear, but I don't know anything about colts, and I don't want to be the stereotypical lesbian couple with a colt. ”
“Oh, okay just wondering.”
That was until three years later when Applejack and I met our son. And our lives haven’t been the same since.