“Oh no…no…”
Rainbow held her stomach as she leaned over the sink in the bathroom of her cloud home. She tried to take deep breaths but that only seemed to be delaying the inevitable. It was coming whether she wanted it or not. Rainbow only hoped she could keep quiet, lest she disturb her coltfriend Soarin’, who was sleeping in the other room.
The pegasus looked up in the mirror, but as soon as she did so, she wretched in the sink, no longer able to stop. The burning, acrid taste numbed her lips and she thought the worst was over until she vomited again.
“Please…” she moaned. “What did I eat?”
Rainbow thought on that question, tracing back her steps.
“Was it the Chinese?” she mused aloud.
She knew that such restaurants often did not have a reputation for being the most sanitary places, but then another thought occurred to her.
“No…”
The color drained away from Rainbow’s cerulean cheeks as she rummaged through her medicine cabinet and pulled out a small cardboard box.
“Please, Celestia, don’t let this be happening…”
She fumbled with the slide until she retrieved the plastic device inside.
“I was so careful though!” Rainbow whined as she went through the routine of what the test demanded and then waited for the resulted.
The minutes seemed to drag by like eternities as Rainbow sat in a state of suspended anxiety.
“Come on little buddy,” she said, holding it her hoofs. “Can you go a little faster!”
She groaned, impatient with the progress until, to her horror, the result appeared: It was a plus.
Rainbow’s heart sank and what little color she had left soon drained away, leaving her cheeks ashen. “No, no…this can’t be right! Yeah, it’s just a fluke! I can’t be…”
Before she had time to finish, she vomited into the sink once more.
“…pregnant.”
The word caused a cold chill to run down the length of Rainbow’s spine.
She cautiously peered out of the cracked door into the other room: Soarin was still sound asleep, his wonderbolt uniform hanging close by.
Dash sighed.
She loved Soarin’, truly she did. If there was any other pony who appreciated her for uniqueness and talent in all of Equestria, it was him. They had been close, he being her superior in the Wonderbolt’s gave them that proximity, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that things started getting serious.
But there had always been a fear, a lingering doubt, in Rainbow’s mind. She wanted to believe that he was the one, that they were meant together, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Soarin’ wanted such a commitment. Whenever she had asked him about it in their conversations, he always seemed to dodge the question. Not that Rainbow could blame him, raising fillies is not exactly everypony’s dream, but she still wondered if their relationship would survive this likelihood, ever since they had started getting intimate with each other.
Rainbow shut the door as quietly as she could, sitting on the toilet, her head cradled on her legs as she wondered what to do.
“Think Rainbow, think…Oh! I wish I were like Twilight right now! She’d know what to do. Hey! That’s it! I’ll go and ask Twilight.”
~
The next day, Rainbow got an early start. She fixed a breakfast of oats and some hay bacon strips for Soarin’ who was still asleep. She laid the tray of food next to him on the counter with a note and kissed him on the forehead.
“Have a good day, champ,” she whispered and was on her way.
When she arrived at Twilight’s castle, she found the place in a state of chaos. Books, which for some reason had grown legs, were running in all direction, and Twilight and Spike were desperately trying to catch them.
“Woah, what the hay is going on!?” Rainbow asked bewildered.
“Oh Rainbow,” Twilight said distractedly, blasting one with her magic, causing it to return to normal. “Nothing much, just seem to have a small case of – look out!”
A book had managed to unscrew one of the pins holding the chandelier in place. Rainbow swiftly darted in the other direction before it crashed in the place she had been standing.
“What are these things!?” Rainbow asked
“Gremlins,” Twilight replied, trying to zap as many as she could. “Book gremlins.”
“Why would you want to summon gremlins!?” Rainbow asked, dodging a broom that was headed in her direction.
“Long story,” Twilight said. “But I didn’t realize they’d be so volatile. Right now though, can you try to funnel them in here? They’re easier to blast in groups.”
“Sure thing Twi!”
Rainbow sped off into the other room where set about creating a whirlwind with her nimble flying, throwing the books into confusion and then ‘guiding’ them to the other room, where Twilight was waiting with her magic.
About ten minutes of this routine and all of the books had been returned to normal, though they still lay scattered all over the floor.
“Thank you, Dash,” Twilight said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well, I am pretty awesome,” Rainbow said, flexing her wings.
Twilight rolled her eyes.
“So what can I do for you, Rainbow?”
Dash suddenly came back from her vainglory, remembering the purpose of her visit.
“Yeah, that…hey Twi, you mind if we get some tea? So we can discuss something?”
Twilight raised any eyebrow. Dash had never been one for formalities like that.
“Something serious?” Twilight queried.
“Sorta,” Rainbow replied. “Nothing too serious though…hopefully. Just wanted your advice is all.”
“Ah well…”
Twilight was always flattered when she could help her friends. So she decided to oblige Rainbow and did her best to accommodate her, brewing a fresh batch of herbal tea that they shared between them.
“How can I help, Dash?” she asked, pouring the kettle.
“Thank you,” Rainbow replied, squeezing a lemon in her own cup. “There’s no really easy way to put this…”
“Uh-huh,” Twilight said, nodding.
“Well, say if, oh I don’t know, somepony you knew was…pregnant and…”
“You know somepony whose pregnant?”
“…yes?”
Twilight’s eyes lit up.
“Oh! Who is it? Is it somepony we know?”
“Yeah,” Dash replied. “You know her, alright.”
“Oh fun!” Twilight squealed. “Let me guess, is it Rarity?”
“What!?” Rainbow nearly snorted her tea as she took a sip.
“Yeah, you’re right; Rarity would probably want at least a proposal first. Is it Fluttershy?”
“Twi…”
“Or is it…”
Twilight’s face suddenly changed as she stared at Rainbow across the table with a dawning realization.
“Is it …you, Dash?”
Rainbow felt her cheeks burn as she looked down at the floor.
“Uh-huh,” was all she managed to get out.
“When did you-“
“Last night. I was having stomach cramps and thought maybe that’s when I was having indigestion or something, but then I took the test and…”
“That’s wonderful, Rainbow! I’m so happy for you!” Twilight beamed.
Dash looked back at her, a grim look on her face.
“Oh, I uh…”
“It’s okay,” Rainbow replied. “Normally I’d be really happy too, it’s just…I don’t know how I’m going to break this to Soarin’.”
“You haven’t told him yet?”
“No.”
“Are you going to?”
“That’s just it, Twi, I don’t know if I can. What if…what if he doesn’t want a foal?”
“Lots of ponies are initially reluctant, Rainbow. I know Soarin’. He is a good and honorable colt. I know he would support you, no matter what.”
“Y-you think so?”
“Rainbow, you’ve got to trust your heart. If nothing else, at least be honest with him.”
“Huh…” Rainbow said, drinking the last of her tea. “I guess I’m just afraid of being alone.”
Twilight laid her hoof on Dash’s.
“You’re never alone, Dash. You always have your friends, no matter what.”
Rainbow smiled at Twilight’s gesture and pulled her into an embrace.
“Thanks Twi.”
“No problem, Rainbow.”
~
Rainbow made her way back home, brimming with her old confidence. She basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun on her back as she flew up to the door. Just as she was about to step inside, however, she felt that same dread creeping up on her, but she remembered her friend’s advice.
“Remember Dash, just keep it cool. You got this.”
She entered and was surprised by the site of her beloved in the kitchen, decked in a chef hat and apron.
“Oh heya babe,” he greeted her warmly. “Got an early leave and thought I’d whip something up for us.”
Dash bit her lower, partially to stop herself from laughing and partially because she found it adorable to see Soarin’ in that outfit doing something so meaningful.
She trotted up and gave him a peck on the cheek as he measured out a cup of flour, which he returned.
“Get a lot done?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Rainbow replied, scratching her head. “Just went to go see Twilight.”
“And how is the fair Princess?”
“Haha, she’s good. Had some trouble with some books. I helped her out though.”
“Sounds like you two had quite a day.”
“Well you know, always willing to lend a hoof. Hey Soarin’ there’s something I wanted to tell you…”
“Sure thing.”
“Well, it’s kind about us…well you see, I’m…”
“Pregnant?”
Rainbow Dash felt her entire body freeze in shock, as if he had just been struck by lightning.
“How did you…?”
“Well, you left the test on the bathroom counter.”
Rainbow swore in her mind. Way to go, Rainbow, remembering her classmates’ expression. The pegasus looked down.
“Babe, why so sad?” Soarin’ asked with concern.
Rainbow looked up at him.
“I just…didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Well, I have to admit, I was surprised, but I suppose it was inevitable the way we go about things.”
Rainbow blushed.
“In any case,” he continued. “I wouldn’t mind a foal or two.”
The weight in Rainbow’s chest instantly seemed to have been lifted.
“Y-you wouldn’t?”
“No, and there’s something I wanted to ask you too,” he said, pressing his hoofs to hers. “I was going to wait a bit, but I suppose there’s not a better time than now but…” he sank down on his knees, producing a black box from his apron. “Rainbow Dash…”
He opened the box, revealing a small diamond ring.
“…would you marry me?”
Rainbow faltered, the strength of hoofs failing her and a burning mist forming in her eyes. She sank to the ground beside Soarin’ and held him close.
“Yes, I will.”
He returned her embrace and they held each other for a long time as Rainbow bawled.
“I thought…I thought you might leave me,” Rainbow said between sobs.
“Leave you?” Soarin’ asked. “I could never leave you, Rainbow. You’re funny and smart and…awesome!”
This elicited a chuckled from Rainbow, who had just started to wipe her eyes.
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?” she said, trying to recover her bravado.
“Rainbow, you mean the world to me. There’s no other mare I would rather share the rest of my life with than you. You’re everything to me. I…I love you.”
Dash smiled, looking into his eyes.
“I love you too…c’mere you big dork,” she said, holding him as close as she could.
There was a perfect contentment between them, cradled one to the other. Rainbow knew that there were many hard days ahead, but she had no more doubts. Those faded away, and for the first time, she had no worries. She knew there would be struggles ahead, but with Soarin’, she knew they could weather the worst together.
“What do you think we’ll name it?” Soarin’ asked, running his hoof over her stomach.
“Bit early for that, don’t you think? Rainbow giggled.
“Never too early to start thinking about it.”
He petted her with the affection of one whose child had already been born.
“Hey there,” he cooed. “It’s me…. It’s your dad.”
Rainbow smiled and kissed his forehead. And for a brief moment that seemed all too fleeting - everything was perfect.
