A SciTwi Shimmer Christmasby pabrony83ChaptersPrologueHopeFaithJoyPeaceChristmasPrologue“Brrrr!” I shouted as I lugged a dozen bags worth of groceries into my and Sunny’s apartment. I made my way into the kitchen, still covered in snow from the raging snowstorm outside, and dropped my payload onto the tile floor. “Sunny, I'm home!” I shouted toward the bedroom as I took off my earmuffs, coat, and boots. The only response that I received was a dull moan. With a soft chuckle, I put away the cold items before heading to the bedroom to see my wife. Along the way, I paused to straighten our wedding photo. I stepped back and admired it for a minute or two as my mind wandered back to our big day. “You may now kiss the bride,” said the justice of the peace. Sunny lifted the veil covering my face, leaned in and planted the most passionate kiss ever on my lips. Time stood still as our lips remained locked. I didn't want to release the hold as we shared that intimate moment together. That is until Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Twily, just because this is a nude beach doesn't mean you have to get frisky, ” he whispered. My eyes shot open as I realized that I had ahold of one of Sunny's butt cheeks. “Couldn't wait until the honeymoon, babe?” Sunset whispered with a smirk. I felt my face light up from embarrassment as our friends and family cheered and whistled. I shook my head at the thought of how I made a fool of myself at the most anticipated time of my life. Now, three months later, I still couldn't believe that I had gotten married on a nude beach. Although it was definitely an interesting experience, I wouldn't have changed a thing. With a small smile on my face, I finally entered the bedroom and saw that a bucket had appeared next to the bed while I was grocery shopping. “You feeling any better, Sunny?” I asked as I sat down at the foot of the bed. “No.” “I bought out the ginger ale section of the store for you,” I said. A queasy look had begun making its way onto her face as she forced a few words out. “Oh, haha. You humans…” She paused so that she could grab the bucket and began dry heaving into it. After a moment or two, she continued, “You humans and your cold and flu season. This is the second time in two weeks that I've gotten sick.” I just looked at her with a blank stare as the words escaped my mind. “Twi, babe, can you do me a favor?” “Sure. What do you need?” I asked, rubbing the back of my hand on her feverish cheek. “When I die in a few days from this, can you donate my body to science?” “Oh Sunny, you're not going to die. It's just the stomach flu.” She furrowed her brow. “Yeah and I ruined our first Thanksgiving as a married couple when I just laid on the couch at your parents’ house.” “Sunny, my parents, Shining and Cadence understood you were feeling under the weather,” I reminded her. “None of them were mad about that.” “I just feel bad that while you and your family were laughing and having a good time, I was relegated to the den, curled up under a blanket.” Without a word, I got up and walked to the dresser. I opened one of the drawers and removed a set of fleece pajamas. After discarding my sweater and stretch pants, I donned the warm sleeping garments and strolled to my side of the bed. “What are you doing?” Sunny asked as I got under the covers with her. Still not saying anything, I slid closer and wrapped my left arm around her. “Twi, you don't have to do this,” she protested. “Yes I do,” I replied as I pulled her fiery body against me and buried my face into the back of her neck. As we laid there in silence, I noticed something a little off. Instead of taking my hand like normal, I felt her arm move toward her face. Just as her arm stopped moving, I heard her let out a small sniffle. “Sunny, are you crying?” “Mmhmm.” “Why?” I sat up slightly. “Is there something wrong?” “It’s just… well, Princess Celestia will do this with her students when they get really sick like I am now.” I then understood why she was crying. Although she and the princess had made up earlier this year, there were still things that she missed about her childhood experiences. As I laid my head back down I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I’m not sure why it happened, maybe it was my subconscious empathizing with her. The sniffling continued for a few more minutes after I pulled her as close as possible to my body. “Are… aren't you worried about getting sick?” “Sunny, I love you and if it means getting sick from you every now and then, I don't mind,” I told her softly. “It's part of being a couple. I've seen it happen with my parents and with Shining and Cadence.” She didn't say anything right away. Instead, she finally took hold of my hand and pulled it tightly against her as someone would with a blanket. “I love you too, babe,” she whispered softly. I felt my eyelids beginning to get heavy as we laid there in the dimly lit room. A soft whinny escaped Sunny’s lips as she fell asleep. I let out a small giggle shortly before falling asleep myself. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Sunny asked as the two of us stood with Princess Twilight in her library. “I’m certain,” I replied, although deep down I was slightly nervous. A bright pink aura then appeared around the Princess’s horn while simultaneously creating a magic bubble around me. “Remember, this spell only lasts three days and cannot be recast for thirty moons,” Princess Twilight said. “Well, I know for a fact that it will be worth it,” Sunny said with a smile. I rubbed my eyes after being awakened a little while later by a pulsing red glow from under the covers. I released my grip from Sunny's hand and pulled the blanket down slightly. I lifted my head slightly to investigate the source of the strange glow. What I saw not only surprised me but also left me extremely confused. Author's Note What's in store for Twilight and Sunset for the upcoming holidays? Stay tuned for weekly updates to the story. HopeA few days later, Sunny was lounging on the couch watching television after we ate breakfast. I strolled into the living room and flopped onto her lap. “Oof! Aren't we affectionate this morning,” she said as I nuzzled the top of my head against her chin. “Yeah, well, we haven't had much cuddle time the last few days with you being sick as a dog,” I replied. “I HEARD THAT!” Spike shouted from the other room, causing both of us to laugh at his response. “So what are you watching?” I asked as I pulled her arms around me. “Academy Of Rock,” she replied. “I thought it would help get me ready mentally for the concert tomorrow afternoon.” “Is it working?” “Eh, a little. Not much.” “Hey, since you brought it up, I wanted to ask if you're feeling up to playing in the concert,” I asked. “Of course. Why wouldn't I be?” she asked. “Well, you've had the stomach flu the last few days and I just don't want you to push yourself too hard,” I replied. For whatever reason, she began to giggle. “Have you ever known me to push myself too hard?” “Well, that one time when we used up all our tickets on that ring toss game-” “Oh yeah. That was so strenuous,” she interrupted mockingly. “You sent a ring through some kid's banana split that was over twenty feet away.” “Yeah but that was because Applejack scared the life out of me right when I was gonna throw it.” I was about to offer my rebuttal but stopped when she began shaking her head, which in turn shook the couch. Confused, I sat up and looked at her. “Are you sure your okay?” “Yeah. Why?” “That's the third time today you've just randomly shaken your head for no reason.” “It’s not random. My bangs need a trim and I'm just getting them out of my face,” she explained. “I was gonna ask Rarity to give them a quick trim tomorrow before the concert.” I laid back down on her torso and wrapped her arms back around myself. “How about when we pony up for the children? Are you going to have enough strength to hold that form for an hour?” “Twilight, I will be okay,” she replied, sounding slightly annoyed. “Don't push the issue. I'm fine.” She pulled her arms from my hands and shimmied out from underneath me. “Where are you going?” “I have to go to the bathroom, alright?” she snapped before leaving the room. I just sat there, hurt, after seeing her disappear down the hallway. What in the world is wrong with her? I wondered. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. It's nothing to get that upset about. I was shaken from my thoughts a few minutes later when Sunny sat down next to me and put her arm around me. “Babe, I’m sorry. I don't know what in the world came over me. You’re just looking out for my safety and I appreciate that. Do you forgive me?” A pair of tears ran down my cheeks as I turned and hugged her tightly. “Yes, Sunny. I love you and I'll always forgive you.” The next day, Sunny and I arrived at the children's hospital for the “Hope For The Holidays” charity concert. However, the area that was set aside for the concert was void of any electronic equipment and our fellow band members. “Um, where is everyone?” Sunny wondered aloud. “Better still, where is our equipment?” I responded. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and headed for the front desk to see if the receptionist knew anything. Along the way, we both got a text from Rainbow Dash. Staff changed locations on us. Meet in lobby “They could've told us ahead of time,” I grumbled as a growl escaped from Sunny's lips. We got up with Rainbow Dash and the others in the main lobby a few minutes later. They all shared the same look on their face as Sunny and I did. “Before you say anything, we just found out right before I texted you,” Rainbow said, putting her hands up in front of her. “What's with the hands?” Sunny asked. “The last time one of our concerts was moved to a different place, you lost your temper and chased me around for nearly ten minutes,” Rainbow reminded her. Sunny slumped her shoulders, let out a loud sigh and apologized. “So where are we being downsized to?” “Actually, they're putting us in a larger area,” Applejack interjected. “Larger?!” Sunny and I asked simultaneously. "Yep," Pinkie said, her eyes aglow. Here we go... I thought nervously. Following a deep breath, Pinkie began her explanation, "There's lotsa children that wanna see us play and where we were gonna play is too small because there's not enough room for all the children that wanna see us play so they had to move it somewhere bigger so that all the children could watch us play." We all had a laugh at the receptionist who shook her head after Pinkie finished up her spiel, lightening the mood slightly. That is until the event coordinator showed up. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience about the last-minute change of venue," he apologized as he shook our hands. "We did a head count of the patients and their families that would be attending and realized that the room we picked out was going to be too small." "It's no biggie," Rainbow said calmly. "NO BIGGIE?!" Sunny snapped. "Really, Dash?" I latched onto Sunny before she could make a fool of herself. "Easy, sweetheart. It's just a miscommunication. Nothing to get upset about." "How about we go get a quick practice run with the new set so we're not looking like a bunch of chickens with our-" "Please do not finish that thought, Applejack. This isn't the appropriate building to be quoting that particular cliché," Rarity interrupted. The rest of us not only agreed with Applejack's idea but also echoed Rarity's sentiment. The event coordinator then led us to the room that all our gear had been moved to. When finally arrived a few minutes later, Sunny lost it. "Are you kidding me?! My freaking webcam is gone!" she shouted. "Actually, we moved it to the side of the stage," the coordinator said. "We thought it would have a better angle to show your performance, Mrs. Shimmer." "The whole reason I wanted it opposite from the stage was so the whole band could be seen at once,” Sunny continued angrily. “Just because it’s being streamed on my Twitch channel doesn't mean I want the focus to be on me. This is a team effort and I promised my followers they would be seeing the whole band perform.” “Sunny, we can-” “No, Twilight. There’s not enough time to fix it before the concert starts,” she said, interrupting me. “The whole point of the webcam was to get more donations. This is a charity concert, you know.” The rest of us desperately tried to settle her down but the more we tried, the angrier she got. So we all backed off and gave her space to calm down. As she began calming down, I noticed the strange pulse from the other night began to appear from her geode. “Do you guys see that?” I whispered to the girls. “See what?” asked Applejack. “The pulsing glow from Sunny's geode.” “Um, Twilight, Sunset's geode isn't glowing,” Fluttershy said. I looked back and saw the glow from the necklace, plain as day. I am not going crazy, I thought. That gem is glowing and it has got to have something to do with her behavior. About two hours later, the patients began filing in. The children ranged from preschoolers to some of the freshman class from CHS. Some recovering from surgery to others wearing masks because they were being treated for some form of immunodeficiency disease. The girls and I donned masks and sterile gloves and made our way through the crowd of children and their families, shaking their hands and hugging some of them. Once we finished the pre-concert meet-and-greet, we removed the masks and gloves and took our places on the stage. Although we could be heard from the back row, we still had microphones so that we could be heard on Sunny's channel. The webcam wasn't in the best location, but it was improvised enough to capture all of us on camera. “Welcome everyone to the first annual Hope For The Holidays charity concert benefiting the Canterlot City Children's Hospital,” I said cheerfully. “We’re being broadcast on the local news station and around the world on Sunset Shimmer's Twitch channel. “We’ve got plenty in store. From songs to surprises; including a performance from a special guest singer. So without further ado, let's get this party started.” We began the concert by ponying-up and playing a special rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” We then moved onto “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Deck The Halls”. We took a small break to talk to the crowd for a few minutes and read off a few donations that the news channel had received and also from Sunny's Twitch channel. “Before we begin our next song, we’d like to invite a special guest onto the stage,” Applejack said, motioning toward the audience. A young girl about age seven was then wheeled to the stage by a nurse. “This here is Gentle Hayseed,” Applejack introduced. “With her parent’s permission, we’ve been allowed to tell y’all why she’s here. “Gentle has stage three leukemia and she’s got the voice of an angel. Because of folks from the Give-A-Miracle Foundation, she’s gonna be singing alongside Sunset Shimmer during the next song, Winter Wonderland.” When Sunny knelt down to hug the little girl, a smile so bright appeared on the girl’s face that it could've melted the snow outside. Sunny picked her up and I noticed that she was beginning to glow again. This time it wasn't her geode, but her entire body. What the heck is going on? I wondered as the glow began pulsing again. I discreetly shook the thoughts from my head as the next song began. The first verse went smoothly, Sunset's voice harmonizing with Gentle's angelic tone. Sunny set her guitar to the side to dance with the small girl. As the two of them danced, Sunny began to glow and levitate, making the small girl giggle with excitement and nearly lose her tone. But by the second verse, things changed in a flash. Her glow deteriorated quickly, as if it were being snuffed out from within. Her eyes drooped and her body sagged before she crashed back onto the stage so suddenly that Gentle let out a small, weak scream as Sunny held onto her. The rest of us immediately stopped playing and rushed to their aid. Applejack helped Gentle off of Sunny's chest and carried her to the wheelchair. “What’s happening to Sunset Shimmer?” Gentle asked as we tended to Sunny. “We don't know, sugarcube,” Applejack said, holding the younger girls hand. “But Ah promise that you’ll be the first to know.” “Sunny! Are you okay?” I asked frantically as I scooped her up in my arms. She nodded weakly as she fought to keep conscious. “I… I think I pushed… myself too… too hard.” I cried as I held her tight as she finally lost consciousness. Author's Note Don't worry. Sunset isn't dead Faith“Ugh! Why can’t they drop the subject?” Sunny groaned as she took the pillow from under her head and covered her face. I lifted the pillow slightly and smiled. “It’s because you're a celebrity. The populous around the nation thrives on knowing what their favorite actor or singer is doing.” “Do they have to constantly play the footage of me powering down and collapsing while I had ahold of Gentle Hayseed?” she asked. “It’s embarrassing enough that I passed out on national television. Then to make it worse, I let down a young girl that told me she wanted to be just like me when she got older.” I placed my left hand on her thigh. “Sunny-” “Twilight, what kind of message does that send?” I sat there on the edge of the bed, searching for the proper answer to a valid question. “I'll tell you what kind of message it sends,” she said, uncovering her face. “‘Don't look up to others because they're not as strong as you think.’ That's the message that's sent.” I slid closer to her torso, took her hands in my own and looked deep into her eyes. “I don't think that's the message it sends. Sunny, what happened to you could've happened to anyone,” I said reassuringly. “Let me ask you something. How would you feel if you were in my situation?” “Honestly, I would probably be feeling the same as you. Embarrassed and slightly guilt-ridden.” Before we could continue, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Sunny called before looking toward the visitor. “Hey, Doc.” Doctor Goodheart, the physician who was taking care of Sunny during her stay in the hospital, walked in with a clipboard. “How are you feeling, Mrs. Shimmer?” he asked, smiling. “Pretty good. I got dizzy a couple hours ago but after I laid down for a few minutes, I was fine,” she answered. “Did you tell the nurse?” I saw Sunny subtly roll her eyes before answering. “Of course. You told me to report anything out of the ordinary.” “Well, if that’s the worst that’s happened, you’ll be happy to know that all the tests have come back normal,” he said, still smiling from ear to ear. “The best news is that you’ll be getting out of here soon.” “Everything came back normal?” Sunny asked skeptically. “Yes, ma'am.” “Heart disease?” “Yes.” “Blood pressure?” “Normal.” “Diabetes?” “Negative for that.” I interrupted the inquisition by turning Sunny’s face toward mine. “Everything is fine. Why would he lie?” Sunny finally resigned herself to the fact that the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with her. Letting out a deep sigh, she asked, “So when do I finally get released from here?” “Probably about fifteen minutes. The nurse is getting your discharge papers together right now,” he said as he reached out to shake Sunny’s hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Shimmer.” “Likewise,” Sunny replied. After he left, Sunny asked if we could make a quick stop to take care of something before we went home. I immediately agreed because I had a pretty good idea for what she had in mind. About an hour later, Sunny and I knocked on the door of a hospital room. After receiving permission to enter, we pushed the door open slowly, causing it to squeak slightly. “Sunset Shimmer!” a small voice cried out with glee. “Hello, Gentle,” Sunny said as she was greeted by the young girl. Small tears slid down her cheeks as she held on tightly to Sunny’s waist. “I was so worried about you,” she said. Sunny squirmed out the hug so that she could give Gentle one of her own. As they embraced each other, I noticed a warm smile on each of Gentle's parents. “Hey, guess what?” Sunny enthusiastically told the small child. “I brought you some stuff.” Gentle's face lit up like the Christmas tree that was set up in the corner of her room. “Really? What kind of stuff?” she asked. I handed Sunny the backpack I was wearing which she set down on the floor in front of her. “Well, let's see…” Sunny reached into the bag. “...there’s a headband with pony ears and a matching tail,” she said as she put the items on Gentle. “Hmmm… maybe a Rainbooms t-shirt, signed by the entire band.” “You didn’t have to do this,” Gentle's mother told us. “Yes we did, ma'am,” Sunny told her. “I promised the Give-A-Miracle Foundation that I would bring a smile to your daughter. And I intend to keep that promise.” “What else did you bring?” Gentle asked excitedly. Sunny chuckled softly at the child's enthusiasm as she pulled the next item out. “A Rainbooms CD! Oh thank you, Sunset Shimmer,” she shouted as she gave Sunny another hug. “This isn’t just any CD, Gentle,” Sunny said as she opened the case. “It’s the first copy of the new album that won't be released until late next month. Here, read the note on the inside of the cover to your parents.” I saw her skim over it before reading it out loud. “To Gentle Hayseed. Always have faith that those who love you will never let you down. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.” I looked toward her parents and saw both of them wiping their faces as they cried happily. “You… you really mean it? You really want to be my friend?” “Absolutely. Your wonderful attitude during this rough part of your young life has inspired me to be more positive in mine,” Sunny said as Gentle latched onto her once more. “There is one more thing,” Sunny said as they pulled away from each other. She reached into the bag once more and pulled out a folder. “I need you to practice singing the song that is on the paper inside.” “Really? Why?” “Because when you get out of the hospital, we're going to record a bonus track for the new album. That bonus track is going to be sung as a duet with me… and you.” The bombshell that Sunny dropped had everyone, including me, speechless. She hadn't mentioned anything of the sort to any of the girls or even myself. “That… that’s so…” was the only thing Gentle could say. “It’s the least I could do since we didn't get to finish our song at the concert.” “Sunset Shimmer, can you do something else for me?” “What did you have in mind?” “I saw the video of you and your friends transforming into superheroes last year, and I was wondering if you would be able to do that for me,” Gentle requested. I subtly shook my head no when Sunny glanced at me. However, against my silent recommendation, she stood up and grasped her geode. Her body began putting off a bright red glow as her ears very slowly changed shape. I could tell something wasn't right when her ponytail didn't extend like it normally did. And then I was struck by déjà vu. Sunny began levitating once again and the aura surrounding her began pulsing once more. I then noticed Sunny’s breathing was becoming extremely labored as she attempted to hold her form. I quickly inserted myself into the exchange between the two of them. “Gentle, sweetheart, Sunny can't completely transform unless all of the Rainbooms are nearby,” I said. Sunny slowly set down on the floor, wobbling slightly as she powered down. She looked at me and mouthed “Thank you!” Her breathing still remained labored after regaining her the rest of her composure. “Gentle, I'm sorry… to say this… but it's time… for me… to leave,” Sunny said quietly. “But I want you… to know that… you'll always… be my friend.” She squatted down one last time to give the little girl a goodbye hug. Gentle's parents approached us and shook our hands and thanked us for taking time out over our lives to bring a smile to their daughter. We got outside the room into the hallway and Sunny just collapsed into my arms. “Twi… what's happening… to me?” she asked as I held onto her. “I get sick... twice in... as many weeks. I faint on… on national television. Then I nearly faint… again… in front of… a young child… suffering from a… a terrible illness.” “Sunny, I don't know what’s wrong but maybe it’s not a physical problem,” I said as I helped her back to her feet. “What do you mean?” “What if it's not a physical problem, but a magical problem?” I suggested. “Magical?” “Yes, magical.” She moaned slightly as I assisted her out of the building. “The only way to see if… if that's what's causing my problems… is to go to Equestria,” she said. “Isn't it Hearts Warming over there?” “Hearth's Warming,” she corrected. “And yes it is. I guess we could use that as a ruse to get checked out by one of the Ponyville doctors.” I helped her into the passenger seat, closed the door and then got in the driver's seat. “I guess we're going home to pack,” I said with a smile. JoyAfter about a minute of screaming as our bodies were stretched and contorted into an equine shape, Sunny and I emerged in Princess Twilight's library. We looked around and saw that I was surprisingly empty. “Where is everypony?” Sunny asked. “Maybe they're decorating for Christmas, I mean, Hearth's Warming,” I replied figuring that to be the most logical answer. “Maybe… oof.” Sunny said as she hit the floor, face first. “Let me be,” she instructed me when I tried helping her off the floor. “What happened?” I asked, stepping back. Shaking her head, she replied, “I got dizzy from spiraling through the portal. Nothing major.” “Sunny, you've never gotten dizzy from the portal.” She shakily stood up and stumbled forward a few steps before sitting back down and shaking her head once more. “Do I need to get someone to help you?” I asked as she laid down on the floor. She nodded slightly in response. So I gave her a kiss and headed out the library door. I stood in the hallway and scratched my head with my hoof, trying to remember which direction the throne room was. There were large doors on either end of the hallway which didn't help me. But since I had a 50/50 chance of being correct, I decided to go right. It turned out to be the proper choice as I took hold of the door handle with my magic and pushed it open. “Hello? Is anypony in here?” I asked as I peeked inside. “That didn't take long,” I heard somepony say. “It usually takes you a couple hours just to get-” Starlight -- the pony that was talking -- stopped when she saw me. “You're not the pony Twilight.” “Hehe. Not exactly,” I affirmed. “Well, this was definitely unexpected.” She then realized that I was standing there alone. “Uh, where's your wife?” “Laying on the floor of the library,” I said. “What's she doing there?” “Sunny got lightheaded and nearly passed out after we emerged from the portal, so she laid down while I sought help for her.” The next thing I knew, I was back in the library standing next to Sunny. This time, however, I was joined by Starlight. “Hi, Sunset,” Starlight said, causing Sunny to lift her head. “Heya, Starlight. Holding down the fort, I assume?” Sunny said before shaking her head. “Yeah, the other girls are doing their Hearth's Warming shopping. I'm here because Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart are due to arrive soon and Twilight doesn't want them showing up to an empty castle.” Starlight explained. Sunny gave a weak smile, seemingly knowing what was about to be said next. “But I guess I'm going to have to leave the castle barren after all so that I can help you to the hospital.” Starlight said, feigning disappointment. “Can't you just teleport us like you did a few minutes ago?” “It's not recommended if the pony being teleported is in a weakened state,” Sunny told me. “The reason is that the magic between ponies being teleported has to be equal them. Which means the stronger pony will have magic transferred to the weaker pony.” “And if one of the ponies are too weak, it could cause harm to the stronger one when the spell is cast,” Starlight finished. “Does that make sense to you?” “Actually it does,” I replied. “Well, can you stand, Sunset?” Starlight asked. Sunny pushed herself up and stood unsteadily once more. However, it lasted about a minute before she fell back on her haunches again. “Yeah…” Starlight said as her horn began to light. “I'll be back.” “Where are you going?” Sunny asked. “To get the medical wagon, of course, ” Starlight answered. That's when Sunny's stubborn side showed up. “No. The whole town doesn't need to see an ambulance leaving from the castle,” she said. “Well, how else do you expect to get to the hospital?” asked Starlight. “Doesn't Twilight have some coaches?” Sunny asked. “No, she doesn't.” Starlight deadpanned. “So how are we going to get Sunny to the doctor?” I asked. Starlight thought a moment before teleporting somewhere. Sunny stood up once more, albeit wobbly, and slowly began making her way to the library door. “Sunny, what is going on? I've never seen you this unsteady since I met you,” I said. “And you can't say that it's because you're not used to being on four legs.” “I don't know, babe. I feel like I did during the concert and after the visit with Gentle Hayseed,” she said as her strides became increasingly shorter. “It feels like the portal sucked some of the magic from me.” I leaned up against Sunny to help steady her. “It will be okay. Starlight should be back with the medical wagon shortly.” I assured her. Almost on cue, Starlight reappeared in the library. “The ride is on its way, Sunset,” she said. “I told you no ambulances,” Sunny snapped at her. “I didn't get an ambulance, whatever that is. I know you wanted something inconspicuous so I asked someone that's here a lot if we could use her wagon,” Starlight said with a mischievous grin. “You're not referring to-” “Yes, Trixie is going to take us to the hospital,” said Starlight. “Gross,” Sunny groaned. “Gross?” I asked. “Why is it gross?” “I heard rumors about stuff Trixie and Starlight have done in that thing,” Sunny said. “There is no truth to those rumors. Okay?” Starlight denied. “Besides, Trixie always makes sure to clean it whenever I'm on the road with… I mean, uh, I've never seen the inside of her wagon.” “Uh-huh,” Sunny muttered in disgust. “Let's just go.” After an interesting trip to the hospital, a nearly hour-long wait in the waiting room and the usual “the doctor will be in shortly” bit, Sunny was admitted to the hospital for observation. That, of course, went over like a lead balloon. “Is this really necessary?” Sunny asked Dr. Flank. “Considering the circumstances, yes,” he replied. “So how long are you keeping me imprisoned in this bed?” Sunny asked. “More than likely just overnight. If you've gotten enough of your strength back, I'll probably discharge you tomorrow,” he answered, much to Sunny's dismay. “Do you have any other questions?” “Am I just gonna be laying in the bed or will you be doing tests on me?” “Mainly observation but I would like to do a horn scraping,” he told her. “What's a horn scraping?” I asked. “I don't recall having one.” “It's basically when they take a thin layer of your horn to check your magic potential,” Sunny said. “They're normally only done a couple days after you're born. That's why you don't remember yours. Isn't that right, Doc?” “Most times, yes,” he answered. “Although in rare instances, such as your wife's, when a unicorn is losing his or her magic we will do one.” “How long does it typically take for the results to come back?” I asked. “Depending on which tests get run, usually three to five days,” replied Dr. Flank. We continued to talk about the procedure for a couple more minutes before Nurse Redheart entered pushing a cart with some medical utensils on it. I sat down in the chair in the corner of the room so that I could watch how they performed the test. However, I never got the chance to see it. “Mrs. Shimmer, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the room for a few minutes,” Dr. Flank said. I tilted my head in confusion, asking why. “It's a, uh, intimate procedure, babe. Kind of like when you get your lady parts examined,” Sunny explained. “Make sense?” “Oh. Okay,” I said, hopping out of the chair and exiting the room. I was sitting on my haunches outside the door when I heard some familiar voices near the nursing station. It was two grown ponies and a filly who, may I add, was voicing her displeasure with being at the hospital on Hearth's Warming Eve. I craned my neck to see who was down the hall and sure enough, Sunny’s parents and sister were standing at the desk waiting on Nurse Redheart to return. I decided to talk to them while I waited for the doctor to finish with my wife. Just before I got to the desk, however, I was tackled by bright yellow blur. “Twi-Twi!” shouted Breaking Dawn as we rolled along the floor. “Hey… Dawnie,” I managed to say after getting the wind knocked out of me. “Dawn, let your sister-in-law up.” Sunny's father, Sunfire, said. “Sorry, Twi-Twi.” Misty Dawn, Sunny's mother, asked me how she was doing as I got up and straightened my mane. I told her parents about how something was draining Sunny's magic and that she was having a horn scraping as we talked. “Mrs. Shimmer, you can go back in now.” Nurse Redheart said as she returned the cart to the desk. The four of us returned to Sunny's room as Dr. Flank was leaving. I introduced him to Sunny's parents so that they could get the full story on condition. While they talked, I took Dawnie into the room. Upon seeing Sunny, who had her horn completely wrapped in gauze, Dawnie shot forward like Pinkie Pie and wrapped both forelegs around her older sister. “Shimmy!” she said as she held on tight to Sunny's neck. “Are you okay? Did you get your horn hurt? Are you gonna be in the hospital for Hearth's Warming?” Sunny chuckled. “No, Dawnie, I didn't hurt my horn. The doctor had to do a test on it. That's all.” “But why is it wrapped up?” “The test made it bleed a little bit so they put some bandages on it,” Sunny explained. Sunny's parents entered the room a few minutes later with uneasy smiles on their faces. They both hugged Sunny after levitating Dawnie off the bed. “Mom! Dad! How did you guys find out I was here?” Sunny asked them. “You have Princess Twilight to thank for that,” Misty said. “She sent Princess Celestia a message that you were here,” Sunfire explained. “We were in the middle of prepping everything for tomorrow's Hearth's Warming dinner when-” “We got to ride in the royal coach, Shimmy!” Dawnie said with joy. “Yes, we did,” Misty said as Sunny let out a giggle. “Anyway, we got a surprise when the doorbell rang and saw one of the royal guards standing at the door.” “Must've been quite the shock,” I said. “It was. We didn't know what was happening because all he told us was that we needed to leave for Ponyville immediately,” Sunfire said. “Leave it to Princess Celestia to overdo things,” Sunny said with a laugh. Dawnie hopped back on the bed and laid down next to Sunny. “Mommy? Can I stay in here with Shimmy until she can leave?” PeaceFor the first time in months, woke up in an empty bed as Sunny was still in the hospital. I went through my usual routine; bathing, brushing my hair and teeth, etc. However, I was still concerned about how she was doing. I had not seen her that weak the entire time we've known each other. I tripped over my own hooves while descending the stairs, tumbling down nearly half of them and landing square on my butt. I trotted into the main hall to where Twilight had the Christmas, I mean, Hearth's Warming tree and saw a bright yellow filly digging through the gifts underneath it. I giggled softly as I watched her squeal with glee. Sunfire and Misty Dawn were watching her, making sure she didn't open anypony else's gifts. “It was so kind of your cousin to offer to put us up in the castle,” Misty Dawn said with a smile. “It's kept Dawn's mind off of Sunny's condition since leaving the hospital last night.” “We've actually decided to take Sunny's gifts and a few of ours to the hospital when we leave in a little bit,” Sunfire told me. “That sounds like a good idea. It'll definitely boost her spirits.” “I agree,” said Misty. “You could see the disappointment in her eyes when we had to leave for the night.” “Twi-Twi, this one's for you,” Dawnie said, bringing me a gift wrapped in purple and pink paper. I double checked the tag to verify that was, in fact, for me before thanking her. “Aren't you going to open it?” she asked as I set it to the side. “I will when we go to the hospital,” I said, giving her a hug. “I'd like to open all my gifts at the same time as your sister.” “Even the ones that Princess Twilight and her friends got for you?” Dawnie asked. “Yes, even those ones,” I replied. Dawnie went back to sorting gifts when Sunfire and Misty approached me. “When do you plan to visit Sunny?” Sunfire asked. “After breakfast, because I was planning to take some of Pinkie Pie's holiday cinnamon rolls to her,” I answered. “We were planning to leave as soon as Dawn finished opening her gifts,” Misty told me. While I questioned their decision in my mind, I knew it was their choice and I had no right to try changing their mind. So we talked a little more before I headed to the dining room for Pinkie's breakfast. An hour later, I walked into Sunny's room where I was pleased to see her sitting in one of the chairs talking to her parents. Upon seeing me though, she hopped down and slowly trotted over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “What took you so long?” she asked. “I had to wait until Pinkie was done baking these,” I said, producing a box containing cinnamon rolls with red and green glaze. Her eyes grew wide with excitement as she surrounded the box with a red aura. “Remind me to thank Pinkie for these,” she said before stuffing one in her mouth. I giggled as I watch a few crumbs come flying from her mouth. “So how are you feeling, sweetheart?” I asked. She swallowed the roll in one large gulp before answering. “I'm feeling great. I woke up this morning feeling like I could take over the world. Uh, don't tell Celestia I said that.” “Don't worry. It'll be our secret,” I chuckled. “I was telling mom and dad that I have a good feeling about today,” she said. “How so?” “Shimmy said she’s gonna sneak out if they don't let her go home,” Dawnie said as she paused momentarily from playing with her new dolls. Sunny's face turned crimson with embarrassment when I asked her if it was true. I facehoofed and shook my head. “What am I going to do with you?” I groaned. “Get me a double bacon cheeseburger when we get home,” she whispered in my ear. I couldn't believe what I heard. Did she really ask for a hamburger? I thought. “You okay, Twi?” Sunny asked, tilting her head in confusion. “You literally just whinnied.” I stared blankly at Sunny for another minute before backing away from her and asking if I heard her correctly. “Yeah, why?” “It's just…you…asking for a cheeseburger?” “Mommy, is a cheeseburger the same thing as a hayburger?” Dawnie asked. Misty, in an attempt to preserve her daughter's naivety, smiled weakly and nodded. “Sounds gross,” Dawnie said. “They are,” I lied. “I honestly don't see how humans can eat them.” I then turned to Sunny, whose cheeks were puffed out due to her mouth being filled with more cinnamon rolls, and asked, “What are we doing if you get discharged today?” She held up a hoof before swallowing to answer. “I was hoping to spend a little time with Twilight and her friends before we headed home.” “That sounds-” I was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Well, looks like Pony Claus made a stop here in your room, Mrs. Shimmer,” said Dr. Flank as he entered. “Hehe. Yeah, I guess he did,” Sunny chuckled. “How's everyone doing this morning?” he asked the rest of us; to which we replied fine. “It's good to see you up and about, Mrs. Shimmer. Have you tried using your magic?” Sunny grabbed the nearly empty box that housed the cinnamon rolls with her magic and offered the doctor one the pastries. “Well, since you're up, moving about without any trouble and using your magic with no difficulty, I'll be signing your discharge papers in a little bit,” Dr. Flank said. “However, regarding your test from yesterday, I've got good news and bad news.” [Three days later] “I never realized how hard it is to shop for the girls now that we're out of school,” I said as I helped Sunny load the shopping bags into the trunk of the car. “Yeah, things definitely change when you're not buying ‘nerd gifts’,” Sunny said, giving me nudge with her elbow. “Hey, I resent that,” I giggled as I returned the favor. We barely managed to fit everything in the trunk before having to get our new tree to fit in the back seat. A couple minutes of shifting the seats forward and some fancy finagling of the box, we finally got it in the car so that we could close the car doors. I tossed the car keys to her over the roof of the car before we both got in. Sunny cranked it up and we left the parking lot for home. A couple minutes later, I noticed a pink glow coming from under the tree box. “Uh, Sunny? Did you bring the journal along?” “Yes, I did. I wanted to have it with me the instant Twilight got my results back from the hospital. Why?” “It's glowing under the box.” “Are you able to reach it?” she asked, trying to stay focused on the road. “Yeah, I think so,” I replied. I temporarily unhooked my seatbelt so that I could reach the book. “Got it.” “What's it say?” “Hold on. I have to get my seatbelt refastened,” I fussed. I opened the journal and skimmed over the message. “Well?” Sunny asked as my eyes remained glued to the paper. I quickly shut the journal as my heart began to race. “Um, it wasn't anything, uh, too important. Just, well… do you remember when your last period was?” ChristmasWe sat in the car in silence for nearly ten minutes after pulling up to Applejack's house. While I didn't know for sure, I could only assume that she was as nervous as I was. We squeezed each other's hand for a couple seconds and finally exited the car. Trudging through the snow that had been accumulating since the day prior, Sunny broke the silence between us. “How do you want to do this?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly. “One of them is bound to ask how you're doing and if we found out what's causing your health issues,” I said before ringing the doorbell. “I say we just keep it on the down-low until they bring up the subject.” “Sounds good.” Sunny agreed as she shook the snow from her hair. The sound of the doorknob turning shifted our attention to the house. “Hey there, Sunset, Twilight.” Applejack said. “We were wondering when y'all were planning on joining the fun.” “We had a few things to discuss before coming in,” I said. “Y'all weren't havin’ a lovers’ quarrel before the party, were you?” “Nah. We were debating on whether or not to spend the night at Twi's parents’ house tomorrow night,” Sunny lied. “Shoot, it's Christmas. It ought to be a no-brainer,” Applejack said. “We came to the same conclusion,” I said. It was about the same a mistletoe attached to a pink hand suddenly appeared between Sunny and me. I poked Sunny in the arm to draw her attention to the small plant. She shrugged her shoulders and planted a sloppy kiss square on my lips. “Happy now, Pinkie?” Sunny asked. “How did you know it was me?” Pinkie replied. “Um, you're the only one of us with pink skin,” I said. “Huh?” Pinkie paused and looked at her hands. “Oh yeah.” Sunny, Applejack and I all chuckled as she skipped off, giggling. “So, how was your visit to Equestria?” Applejack asked. “Pretty good. We visited with Princess Twilight and her friends before going to Canterlot to stay with my parents,” Sunny said. “The usual stuff.” “Sounds like y'all had a good time,” said Applejack. We got to the den where the rest of the girls were hanging out and added our jackets to the pile on one of the end tables. Along with our fellow band members and their siblings, we were also joined by a few others that had hung out with us in the past; Midnight Rainbow, Smallfoot, Brian Dragnov, Wallflower Blush and Juniper Montage. “I, uh, I guess there's a few extra people that are going to find out what's been ailing you,” I whispered. “I guess so,” she whispered back. Pinkie ambushed us once again, wrapping her arms around both of us and offering Sunny the spot where she was sitting. “I know you're going to need it for your announcement,” she whispered. “What's with all the whispering? Is there something going on that we shouldn't know about?” Rainbow asked, her speech slightly slurred. “Yes, darlings, whatever are you hiding?” Rarity pressed. “I know but I'm not telling,” Pinkie beamed. Everyone stared at us in an awkward silence. “You told Pinkie Pie already?” Fluttershy asked. “No. We haven't told anyone yet,” Sunny said. “So how does she already know?” Rainbow said, tripping over her own feet on her way to the snack table. Sunny and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders in confusion. “I'll explain in a minute.” Pinkie said, still grinning. “Well… we were going to wait until later in the night but since everyone is asking about it now, I guess we'll break the news now,” I said. “Hey y'all, listen up!” Applejack shouted. “Sunset and Twilight have an announcement. Go ahead gals.” “Well, it took a trip to Equestria but we finally found out why Sunny has been fainting and acting odd,” I said. “And the reason is…” Out of nowhere Pinkie produced a drum and began a drumroll. “I'm pregnant!” Sunny said cheerfully. Somehow the cliché of the music stopping with the sound of a needle scratching against a record filled the air. The silence was so deadly that a pin drop could've killed anyone. “You're… pregnant?” Rainbow said, breaking the silence. “The cider isn't affecting my hearing is it?” “Yep! That's what she said!” Pinkie shouted, tackling Sunny and I. Applejack moved the center of the room and made a “T” with her hands. “Hold the phone. Three questions,” she said. “First, when did it happen? Second, how did it happen? And finally, how in the hay did Pinkie find out before any of the rest of us?” “Ooo! Ooo! I'll answer my question first. It's the shortest answer,” Pinkie said, waving her arms above her head. “Here it comes,” I heard Rarity moan. “It was easy. There were letters in the last four chapters that spelled out ‘baby’. Anyone who paid attention would've known,” she explained. “Chapters?” asked Sunny. “Are we in some sort of story?” “Um, Pinkie, darling, I do believe you're ‘Pinkie Sense’ has gone insane,” Rarity said. “Lemme check. Hmmm… nope. Working just fine.” “Can we get back to the subject at hand, please?” Applejack interrupted. “How and when did this happen?” “Well, you see, me and Twi went to Equestria before our honeymoon to Hayvana because Princess Twilight wanted to give us a special gift,” Sunny explained. “What we didn't know was this gift would change our lives,” I added. “What was the gift?” Fluttershy asked. “It was a gender-swapping spell,” Sunny answered. “Gender-swapping?” Wallflower asked. “Like a sex-change operation?” “Sort of,” I said. “It turned my womb and ovaries into a, ahem, you know.” “She assured us that the spell wouldn't have reproductive effects.” Sunny added. “But with Equestrian magic being unpredictable in this world-” “The effects of the spell didn't hold true and Twilight knocked you up,” Applejack finished. “That's about the size of it,” I said. Another awkward silence descended upon the room as everyone processed the information that we set out before them. I honestly couldn't blame them. When I read the message from my alternate counterpart, my jaw nearly fell through the floor of the car. Well, maybe not literally but it sure felt that way. Rarity was the one to finally break the silence after what seemed like an eternity. “That is the most wonderful news ever! Congratulations to both of you,” she said just before a shocked look appeared on her face. “Oh dear. I just realized something.” “What's that?” Juniper asked. “I've got no experience in making baby clothes,” Rarity answered. The entire room burst out in laughter as Rarity began spiraling into a fashion meltdown. Her knees buckled as she pulled on her hair and frantically babbled in a nonsensical manner. “Well, that's one way to turn a party on its head.” Sweetie Belle commented as she tried calming her sister. “How far along are you?” Fluttershy asked. “We have an appointment this Friday to find out the exact due date but my estimate puts Sunny at around nine weeks,” I said. “Well, here's my congrats present for you Sunset,” Rainbow said. “Uh, thanks, Dash. But I can't drink any alcohol until after the delivery,” Sunny said, passing the bottle of cider to me. From out of nowhere, a shower of streamers and confetti came raining down on us. “I don't know about everyone else but I'm really to crank this party up to an eleven,” shouted Pinkie. She turned to face the archway leading into the room and began waving her hand to no one. “Good night, everybody! Merry Christmas!” Author's Note Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everypony!
Prologue“Brrrr!” I shouted as I lugged a dozen bags worth of groceries into my and Sunny’s apartment. I made my way into the kitchen, still covered in snow from the raging snowstorm outside, and dropped my payload onto the tile floor. “Sunny, I'm home!” I shouted toward the bedroom as I took off my earmuffs, coat, and boots. The only response that I received was a dull moan. With a soft chuckle, I put away the cold items before heading to the bedroom to see my wife. Along the way, I paused to straighten our wedding photo. I stepped back and admired it for a minute or two as my mind wandered back to our big day. “You may now kiss the bride,” said the justice of the peace. Sunny lifted the veil covering my face, leaned in and planted the most passionate kiss ever on my lips. Time stood still as our lips remained locked. I didn't want to release the hold as we shared that intimate moment together. That is until Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Twily, just because this is a nude beach doesn't mean you have to get frisky, ” he whispered. My eyes shot open as I realized that I had ahold of one of Sunny's butt cheeks. “Couldn't wait until the honeymoon, babe?” Sunset whispered with a smirk. I felt my face light up from embarrassment as our friends and family cheered and whistled. I shook my head at the thought of how I made a fool of myself at the most anticipated time of my life. Now, three months later, I still couldn't believe that I had gotten married on a nude beach. Although it was definitely an interesting experience, I wouldn't have changed a thing. With a small smile on my face, I finally entered the bedroom and saw that a bucket had appeared next to the bed while I was grocery shopping. “You feeling any better, Sunny?” I asked as I sat down at the foot of the bed. “No.” “I bought out the ginger ale section of the store for you,” I said. A queasy look had begun making its way onto her face as she forced a few words out. “Oh, haha. You humans…” She paused so that she could grab the bucket and began dry heaving into it. After a moment or two, she continued, “You humans and your cold and flu season. This is the second time in two weeks that I've gotten sick.” I just looked at her with a blank stare as the words escaped my mind. “Twi, babe, can you do me a favor?” “Sure. What do you need?” I asked, rubbing the back of my hand on her feverish cheek. “When I die in a few days from this, can you donate my body to science?” “Oh Sunny, you're not going to die. It's just the stomach flu.” She furrowed her brow. “Yeah and I ruined our first Thanksgiving as a married couple when I just laid on the couch at your parents’ house.” “Sunny, my parents, Shining and Cadence understood you were feeling under the weather,” I reminded her. “None of them were mad about that.” “I just feel bad that while you and your family were laughing and having a good time, I was relegated to the den, curled up under a blanket.” Without a word, I got up and walked to the dresser. I opened one of the drawers and removed a set of fleece pajamas. After discarding my sweater and stretch pants, I donned the warm sleeping garments and strolled to my side of the bed. “What are you doing?” Sunny asked as I got under the covers with her. Still not saying anything, I slid closer and wrapped my left arm around her. “Twi, you don't have to do this,” she protested. “Yes I do,” I replied as I pulled her fiery body against me and buried my face into the back of her neck. As we laid there in silence, I noticed something a little off. Instead of taking my hand like normal, I felt her arm move toward her face. Just as her arm stopped moving, I heard her let out a small sniffle. “Sunny, are you crying?” “Mmhmm.” “Why?” I sat up slightly. “Is there something wrong?” “It’s just… well, Princess Celestia will do this with her students when they get really sick like I am now.” I then understood why she was crying. Although she and the princess had made up earlier this year, there were still things that she missed about her childhood experiences. As I laid my head back down I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I’m not sure why it happened, maybe it was my subconscious empathizing with her. The sniffling continued for a few more minutes after I pulled her as close as possible to my body. “Are… aren't you worried about getting sick?” “Sunny, I love you and if it means getting sick from you every now and then, I don't mind,” I told her softly. “It's part of being a couple. I've seen it happen with my parents and with Shining and Cadence.” She didn't say anything right away. Instead, she finally took hold of my hand and pulled it tightly against her as someone would with a blanket. “I love you too, babe,” she whispered softly. I felt my eyelids beginning to get heavy as we laid there in the dimly lit room. A soft whinny escaped Sunny’s lips as she fell asleep. I let out a small giggle shortly before falling asleep myself. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Sunny asked as the two of us stood with Princess Twilight in her library. “I’m certain,” I replied, although deep down I was slightly nervous. A bright pink aura then appeared around the Princess’s horn while simultaneously creating a magic bubble around me. “Remember, this spell only lasts three days and cannot be recast for thirty moons,” Princess Twilight said. “Well, I know for a fact that it will be worth it,” Sunny said with a smile. I rubbed my eyes after being awakened a little while later by a pulsing red glow from under the covers. I released my grip from Sunny's hand and pulled the blanket down slightly. I lifted my head slightly to investigate the source of the strange glow. What I saw not only surprised me but also left me extremely confused. Author's Note What's in store for Twilight and Sunset for the upcoming holidays? Stay tuned for weekly updates to the story.
HopeA few days later, Sunny was lounging on the couch watching television after we ate breakfast. I strolled into the living room and flopped onto her lap. “Oof! Aren't we affectionate this morning,” she said as I nuzzled the top of my head against her chin. “Yeah, well, we haven't had much cuddle time the last few days with you being sick as a dog,” I replied. “I HEARD THAT!” Spike shouted from the other room, causing both of us to laugh at his response. “So what are you watching?” I asked as I pulled her arms around me. “Academy Of Rock,” she replied. “I thought it would help get me ready mentally for the concert tomorrow afternoon.” “Is it working?” “Eh, a little. Not much.” “Hey, since you brought it up, I wanted to ask if you're feeling up to playing in the concert,” I asked. “Of course. Why wouldn't I be?” she asked. “Well, you've had the stomach flu the last few days and I just don't want you to push yourself too hard,” I replied. For whatever reason, she began to giggle. “Have you ever known me to push myself too hard?” “Well, that one time when we used up all our tickets on that ring toss game-” “Oh yeah. That was so strenuous,” she interrupted mockingly. “You sent a ring through some kid's banana split that was over twenty feet away.” “Yeah but that was because Applejack scared the life out of me right when I was gonna throw it.” I was about to offer my rebuttal but stopped when she began shaking her head, which in turn shook the couch. Confused, I sat up and looked at her. “Are you sure your okay?” “Yeah. Why?” “That's the third time today you've just randomly shaken your head for no reason.” “It’s not random. My bangs need a trim and I'm just getting them out of my face,” she explained. “I was gonna ask Rarity to give them a quick trim tomorrow before the concert.” I laid back down on her torso and wrapped her arms back around myself. “How about when we pony up for the children? Are you going to have enough strength to hold that form for an hour?” “Twilight, I will be okay,” she replied, sounding slightly annoyed. “Don't push the issue. I'm fine.” She pulled her arms from my hands and shimmied out from underneath me. “Where are you going?” “I have to go to the bathroom, alright?” she snapped before leaving the room. I just sat there, hurt, after seeing her disappear down the hallway. What in the world is wrong with her? I wondered. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. It's nothing to get that upset about. I was shaken from my thoughts a few minutes later when Sunny sat down next to me and put her arm around me. “Babe, I’m sorry. I don't know what in the world came over me. You’re just looking out for my safety and I appreciate that. Do you forgive me?” A pair of tears ran down my cheeks as I turned and hugged her tightly. “Yes, Sunny. I love you and I'll always forgive you.” The next day, Sunny and I arrived at the children's hospital for the “Hope For The Holidays” charity concert. However, the area that was set aside for the concert was void of any electronic equipment and our fellow band members. “Um, where is everyone?” Sunny wondered aloud. “Better still, where is our equipment?” I responded. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and headed for the front desk to see if the receptionist knew anything. Along the way, we both got a text from Rainbow Dash. Staff changed locations on us. Meet in lobby “They could've told us ahead of time,” I grumbled as a growl escaped from Sunny's lips. We got up with Rainbow Dash and the others in the main lobby a few minutes later. They all shared the same look on their face as Sunny and I did. “Before you say anything, we just found out right before I texted you,” Rainbow said, putting her hands up in front of her. “What's with the hands?” Sunny asked. “The last time one of our concerts was moved to a different place, you lost your temper and chased me around for nearly ten minutes,” Rainbow reminded her. Sunny slumped her shoulders, let out a loud sigh and apologized. “So where are we being downsized to?” “Actually, they're putting us in a larger area,” Applejack interjected. “Larger?!” Sunny and I asked simultaneously. "Yep," Pinkie said, her eyes aglow. Here we go... I thought nervously. Following a deep breath, Pinkie began her explanation, "There's lotsa children that wanna see us play and where we were gonna play is too small because there's not enough room for all the children that wanna see us play so they had to move it somewhere bigger so that all the children could watch us play." We all had a laugh at the receptionist who shook her head after Pinkie finished up her spiel, lightening the mood slightly. That is until the event coordinator showed up. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience about the last-minute change of venue," he apologized as he shook our hands. "We did a head count of the patients and their families that would be attending and realized that the room we picked out was going to be too small." "It's no biggie," Rainbow said calmly. "NO BIGGIE?!" Sunny snapped. "Really, Dash?" I latched onto Sunny before she could make a fool of herself. "Easy, sweetheart. It's just a miscommunication. Nothing to get upset about." "How about we go get a quick practice run with the new set so we're not looking like a bunch of chickens with our-" "Please do not finish that thought, Applejack. This isn't the appropriate building to be quoting that particular cliché," Rarity interrupted. The rest of us not only agreed with Applejack's idea but also echoed Rarity's sentiment. The event coordinator then led us to the room that all our gear had been moved to. When finally arrived a few minutes later, Sunny lost it. "Are you kidding me?! My freaking webcam is gone!" she shouted. "Actually, we moved it to the side of the stage," the coordinator said. "We thought it would have a better angle to show your performance, Mrs. Shimmer." "The whole reason I wanted it opposite from the stage was so the whole band could be seen at once,” Sunny continued angrily. “Just because it’s being streamed on my Twitch channel doesn't mean I want the focus to be on me. This is a team effort and I promised my followers they would be seeing the whole band perform.” “Sunny, we can-” “No, Twilight. There’s not enough time to fix it before the concert starts,” she said, interrupting me. “The whole point of the webcam was to get more donations. This is a charity concert, you know.” The rest of us desperately tried to settle her down but the more we tried, the angrier she got. So we all backed off and gave her space to calm down. As she began calming down, I noticed the strange pulse from the other night began to appear from her geode. “Do you guys see that?” I whispered to the girls. “See what?” asked Applejack. “The pulsing glow from Sunny's geode.” “Um, Twilight, Sunset's geode isn't glowing,” Fluttershy said. I looked back and saw the glow from the necklace, plain as day. I am not going crazy, I thought. That gem is glowing and it has got to have something to do with her behavior. About two hours later, the patients began filing in. The children ranged from preschoolers to some of the freshman class from CHS. Some recovering from surgery to others wearing masks because they were being treated for some form of immunodeficiency disease. The girls and I donned masks and sterile gloves and made our way through the crowd of children and their families, shaking their hands and hugging some of them. Once we finished the pre-concert meet-and-greet, we removed the masks and gloves and took our places on the stage. Although we could be heard from the back row, we still had microphones so that we could be heard on Sunny's channel. The webcam wasn't in the best location, but it was improvised enough to capture all of us on camera. “Welcome everyone to the first annual Hope For The Holidays charity concert benefiting the Canterlot City Children's Hospital,” I said cheerfully. “We’re being broadcast on the local news station and around the world on Sunset Shimmer's Twitch channel. “We’ve got plenty in store. From songs to surprises; including a performance from a special guest singer. So without further ado, let's get this party started.” We began the concert by ponying-up and playing a special rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” We then moved onto “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Deck The Halls”. We took a small break to talk to the crowd for a few minutes and read off a few donations that the news channel had received and also from Sunny's Twitch channel. “Before we begin our next song, we’d like to invite a special guest onto the stage,” Applejack said, motioning toward the audience. A young girl about age seven was then wheeled to the stage by a nurse. “This here is Gentle Hayseed,” Applejack introduced. “With her parent’s permission, we’ve been allowed to tell y’all why she’s here. “Gentle has stage three leukemia and she’s got the voice of an angel. Because of folks from the Give-A-Miracle Foundation, she’s gonna be singing alongside Sunset Shimmer during the next song, Winter Wonderland.” When Sunny knelt down to hug the little girl, a smile so bright appeared on the girl’s face that it could've melted the snow outside. Sunny picked her up and I noticed that she was beginning to glow again. This time it wasn't her geode, but her entire body. What the heck is going on? I wondered as the glow began pulsing again. I discreetly shook the thoughts from my head as the next song began. The first verse went smoothly, Sunset's voice harmonizing with Gentle's angelic tone. Sunny set her guitar to the side to dance with the small girl. As the two of them danced, Sunny began to glow and levitate, making the small girl giggle with excitement and nearly lose her tone. But by the second verse, things changed in a flash. Her glow deteriorated quickly, as if it were being snuffed out from within. Her eyes drooped and her body sagged before she crashed back onto the stage so suddenly that Gentle let out a small, weak scream as Sunny held onto her. The rest of us immediately stopped playing and rushed to their aid. Applejack helped Gentle off of Sunny's chest and carried her to the wheelchair. “What’s happening to Sunset Shimmer?” Gentle asked as we tended to Sunny. “We don't know, sugarcube,” Applejack said, holding the younger girls hand. “But Ah promise that you’ll be the first to know.” “Sunny! Are you okay?” I asked frantically as I scooped her up in my arms. She nodded weakly as she fought to keep conscious. “I… I think I pushed… myself too… too hard.” I cried as I held her tight as she finally lost consciousness. Author's Note Don't worry. Sunset isn't dead
Faith“Ugh! Why can’t they drop the subject?” Sunny groaned as she took the pillow from under her head and covered her face. I lifted the pillow slightly and smiled. “It’s because you're a celebrity. The populous around the nation thrives on knowing what their favorite actor or singer is doing.” “Do they have to constantly play the footage of me powering down and collapsing while I had ahold of Gentle Hayseed?” she asked. “It’s embarrassing enough that I passed out on national television. Then to make it worse, I let down a young girl that told me she wanted to be just like me when she got older.” I placed my left hand on her thigh. “Sunny-” “Twilight, what kind of message does that send?” I sat there on the edge of the bed, searching for the proper answer to a valid question. “I'll tell you what kind of message it sends,” she said, uncovering her face. “‘Don't look up to others because they're not as strong as you think.’ That's the message that's sent.” I slid closer to her torso, took her hands in my own and looked deep into her eyes. “I don't think that's the message it sends. Sunny, what happened to you could've happened to anyone,” I said reassuringly. “Let me ask you something. How would you feel if you were in my situation?” “Honestly, I would probably be feeling the same as you. Embarrassed and slightly guilt-ridden.” Before we could continue, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Sunny called before looking toward the visitor. “Hey, Doc.” Doctor Goodheart, the physician who was taking care of Sunny during her stay in the hospital, walked in with a clipboard. “How are you feeling, Mrs. Shimmer?” he asked, smiling. “Pretty good. I got dizzy a couple hours ago but after I laid down for a few minutes, I was fine,” she answered. “Did you tell the nurse?” I saw Sunny subtly roll her eyes before answering. “Of course. You told me to report anything out of the ordinary.” “Well, if that’s the worst that’s happened, you’ll be happy to know that all the tests have come back normal,” he said, still smiling from ear to ear. “The best news is that you’ll be getting out of here soon.” “Everything came back normal?” Sunny asked skeptically. “Yes, ma'am.” “Heart disease?” “Yes.” “Blood pressure?” “Normal.” “Diabetes?” “Negative for that.” I interrupted the inquisition by turning Sunny’s face toward mine. “Everything is fine. Why would he lie?” Sunny finally resigned herself to the fact that the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with her. Letting out a deep sigh, she asked, “So when do I finally get released from here?” “Probably about fifteen minutes. The nurse is getting your discharge papers together right now,” he said as he reached out to shake Sunny’s hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Shimmer.” “Likewise,” Sunny replied. After he left, Sunny asked if we could make a quick stop to take care of something before we went home. I immediately agreed because I had a pretty good idea for what she had in mind. About an hour later, Sunny and I knocked on the door of a hospital room. After receiving permission to enter, we pushed the door open slowly, causing it to squeak slightly. “Sunset Shimmer!” a small voice cried out with glee. “Hello, Gentle,” Sunny said as she was greeted by the young girl. Small tears slid down her cheeks as she held on tightly to Sunny’s waist. “I was so worried about you,” she said. Sunny squirmed out the hug so that she could give Gentle one of her own. As they embraced each other, I noticed a warm smile on each of Gentle's parents. “Hey, guess what?” Sunny enthusiastically told the small child. “I brought you some stuff.” Gentle's face lit up like the Christmas tree that was set up in the corner of her room. “Really? What kind of stuff?” she asked. I handed Sunny the backpack I was wearing which she set down on the floor in front of her. “Well, let's see…” Sunny reached into the bag. “...there’s a headband with pony ears and a matching tail,” she said as she put the items on Gentle. “Hmmm… maybe a Rainbooms t-shirt, signed by the entire band.” “You didn’t have to do this,” Gentle's mother told us. “Yes we did, ma'am,” Sunny told her. “I promised the Give-A-Miracle Foundation that I would bring a smile to your daughter. And I intend to keep that promise.” “What else did you bring?” Gentle asked excitedly. Sunny chuckled softly at the child's enthusiasm as she pulled the next item out. “A Rainbooms CD! Oh thank you, Sunset Shimmer,” she shouted as she gave Sunny another hug. “This isn’t just any CD, Gentle,” Sunny said as she opened the case. “It’s the first copy of the new album that won't be released until late next month. Here, read the note on the inside of the cover to your parents.” I saw her skim over it before reading it out loud. “To Gentle Hayseed. Always have faith that those who love you will never let you down. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.” I looked toward her parents and saw both of them wiping their faces as they cried happily. “You… you really mean it? You really want to be my friend?” “Absolutely. Your wonderful attitude during this rough part of your young life has inspired me to be more positive in mine,” Sunny said as Gentle latched onto her once more. “There is one more thing,” Sunny said as they pulled away from each other. She reached into the bag once more and pulled out a folder. “I need you to practice singing the song that is on the paper inside.” “Really? Why?” “Because when you get out of the hospital, we're going to record a bonus track for the new album. That bonus track is going to be sung as a duet with me… and you.” The bombshell that Sunny dropped had everyone, including me, speechless. She hadn't mentioned anything of the sort to any of the girls or even myself. “That… that’s so…” was the only thing Gentle could say. “It’s the least I could do since we didn't get to finish our song at the concert.” “Sunset Shimmer, can you do something else for me?” “What did you have in mind?” “I saw the video of you and your friends transforming into superheroes last year, and I was wondering if you would be able to do that for me,” Gentle requested. I subtly shook my head no when Sunny glanced at me. However, against my silent recommendation, she stood up and grasped her geode. Her body began putting off a bright red glow as her ears very slowly changed shape. I could tell something wasn't right when her ponytail didn't extend like it normally did. And then I was struck by déjà vu. Sunny began levitating once again and the aura surrounding her began pulsing once more. I then noticed Sunny’s breathing was becoming extremely labored as she attempted to hold her form. I quickly inserted myself into the exchange between the two of them. “Gentle, sweetheart, Sunny can't completely transform unless all of the Rainbooms are nearby,” I said. Sunny slowly set down on the floor, wobbling slightly as she powered down. She looked at me and mouthed “Thank you!” Her breathing still remained labored after regaining her the rest of her composure. “Gentle, I'm sorry… to say this… but it's time… for me… to leave,” Sunny said quietly. “But I want you… to know that… you'll always… be my friend.” She squatted down one last time to give the little girl a goodbye hug. Gentle's parents approached us and shook our hands and thanked us for taking time out over our lives to bring a smile to their daughter. We got outside the room into the hallway and Sunny just collapsed into my arms. “Twi… what's happening… to me?” she asked as I held onto her. “I get sick... twice in... as many weeks. I faint on… on national television. Then I nearly faint… again… in front of… a young child… suffering from a… a terrible illness.” “Sunny, I don't know what’s wrong but maybe it’s not a physical problem,” I said as I helped her back to her feet. “What do you mean?” “What if it's not a physical problem, but a magical problem?” I suggested. “Magical?” “Yes, magical.” She moaned slightly as I assisted her out of the building. “The only way to see if… if that's what's causing my problems… is to go to Equestria,” she said. “Isn't it Hearts Warming over there?” “Hearth's Warming,” she corrected. “And yes it is. I guess we could use that as a ruse to get checked out by one of the Ponyville doctors.” I helped her into the passenger seat, closed the door and then got in the driver's seat. “I guess we're going home to pack,” I said with a smile.
JoyAfter about a minute of screaming as our bodies were stretched and contorted into an equine shape, Sunny and I emerged in Princess Twilight's library. We looked around and saw that I was surprisingly empty. “Where is everypony?” Sunny asked. “Maybe they're decorating for Christmas, I mean, Hearth's Warming,” I replied figuring that to be the most logical answer. “Maybe… oof.” Sunny said as she hit the floor, face first. “Let me be,” she instructed me when I tried helping her off the floor. “What happened?” I asked, stepping back. Shaking her head, she replied, “I got dizzy from spiraling through the portal. Nothing major.” “Sunny, you've never gotten dizzy from the portal.” She shakily stood up and stumbled forward a few steps before sitting back down and shaking her head once more. “Do I need to get someone to help you?” I asked as she laid down on the floor. She nodded slightly in response. So I gave her a kiss and headed out the library door. I stood in the hallway and scratched my head with my hoof, trying to remember which direction the throne room was. There were large doors on either end of the hallway which didn't help me. But since I had a 50/50 chance of being correct, I decided to go right. It turned out to be the proper choice as I took hold of the door handle with my magic and pushed it open. “Hello? Is anypony in here?” I asked as I peeked inside. “That didn't take long,” I heard somepony say. “It usually takes you a couple hours just to get-” Starlight -- the pony that was talking -- stopped when she saw me. “You're not the pony Twilight.” “Hehe. Not exactly,” I affirmed. “Well, this was definitely unexpected.” She then realized that I was standing there alone. “Uh, where's your wife?” “Laying on the floor of the library,” I said. “What's she doing there?” “Sunny got lightheaded and nearly passed out after we emerged from the portal, so she laid down while I sought help for her.” The next thing I knew, I was back in the library standing next to Sunny. This time, however, I was joined by Starlight. “Hi, Sunset,” Starlight said, causing Sunny to lift her head. “Heya, Starlight. Holding down the fort, I assume?” Sunny said before shaking her head. “Yeah, the other girls are doing their Hearth's Warming shopping. I'm here because Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart are due to arrive soon and Twilight doesn't want them showing up to an empty castle.” Starlight explained. Sunny gave a weak smile, seemingly knowing what was about to be said next. “But I guess I'm going to have to leave the castle barren after all so that I can help you to the hospital.” Starlight said, feigning disappointment. “Can't you just teleport us like you did a few minutes ago?” “It's not recommended if the pony being teleported is in a weakened state,” Sunny told me. “The reason is that the magic between ponies being teleported has to be equal them. Which means the stronger pony will have magic transferred to the weaker pony.” “And if one of the ponies are too weak, it could cause harm to the stronger one when the spell is cast,” Starlight finished. “Does that make sense to you?” “Actually it does,” I replied. “Well, can you stand, Sunset?” Starlight asked. Sunny pushed herself up and stood unsteadily once more. However, it lasted about a minute before she fell back on her haunches again. “Yeah…” Starlight said as her horn began to light. “I'll be back.” “Where are you going?” Sunny asked. “To get the medical wagon, of course, ” Starlight answered. That's when Sunny's stubborn side showed up. “No. The whole town doesn't need to see an ambulance leaving from the castle,” she said. “Well, how else do you expect to get to the hospital?” asked Starlight. “Doesn't Twilight have some coaches?” Sunny asked. “No, she doesn't.” Starlight deadpanned. “So how are we going to get Sunny to the doctor?” I asked. Starlight thought a moment before teleporting somewhere. Sunny stood up once more, albeit wobbly, and slowly began making her way to the library door. “Sunny, what is going on? I've never seen you this unsteady since I met you,” I said. “And you can't say that it's because you're not used to being on four legs.” “I don't know, babe. I feel like I did during the concert and after the visit with Gentle Hayseed,” she said as her strides became increasingly shorter. “It feels like the portal sucked some of the magic from me.” I leaned up against Sunny to help steady her. “It will be okay. Starlight should be back with the medical wagon shortly.” I assured her. Almost on cue, Starlight reappeared in the library. “The ride is on its way, Sunset,” she said. “I told you no ambulances,” Sunny snapped at her. “I didn't get an ambulance, whatever that is. I know you wanted something inconspicuous so I asked someone that's here a lot if we could use her wagon,” Starlight said with a mischievous grin. “You're not referring to-” “Yes, Trixie is going to take us to the hospital,” said Starlight. “Gross,” Sunny groaned. “Gross?” I asked. “Why is it gross?” “I heard rumors about stuff Trixie and Starlight have done in that thing,” Sunny said. “There is no truth to those rumors. Okay?” Starlight denied. “Besides, Trixie always makes sure to clean it whenever I'm on the road with… I mean, uh, I've never seen the inside of her wagon.” “Uh-huh,” Sunny muttered in disgust. “Let's just go.” After an interesting trip to the hospital, a nearly hour-long wait in the waiting room and the usual “the doctor will be in shortly” bit, Sunny was admitted to the hospital for observation. That, of course, went over like a lead balloon. “Is this really necessary?” Sunny asked Dr. Flank. “Considering the circumstances, yes,” he replied. “So how long are you keeping me imprisoned in this bed?” Sunny asked. “More than likely just overnight. If you've gotten enough of your strength back, I'll probably discharge you tomorrow,” he answered, much to Sunny's dismay. “Do you have any other questions?” “Am I just gonna be laying in the bed or will you be doing tests on me?” “Mainly observation but I would like to do a horn scraping,” he told her. “What's a horn scraping?” I asked. “I don't recall having one.” “It's basically when they take a thin layer of your horn to check your magic potential,” Sunny said. “They're normally only done a couple days after you're born. That's why you don't remember yours. Isn't that right, Doc?” “Most times, yes,” he answered. “Although in rare instances, such as your wife's, when a unicorn is losing his or her magic we will do one.” “How long does it typically take for the results to come back?” I asked. “Depending on which tests get run, usually three to five days,” replied Dr. Flank. We continued to talk about the procedure for a couple more minutes before Nurse Redheart entered pushing a cart with some medical utensils on it. I sat down in the chair in the corner of the room so that I could watch how they performed the test. However, I never got the chance to see it. “Mrs. Shimmer, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the room for a few minutes,” Dr. Flank said. I tilted my head in confusion, asking why. “It's a, uh, intimate procedure, babe. Kind of like when you get your lady parts examined,” Sunny explained. “Make sense?” “Oh. Okay,” I said, hopping out of the chair and exiting the room. I was sitting on my haunches outside the door when I heard some familiar voices near the nursing station. It was two grown ponies and a filly who, may I add, was voicing her displeasure with being at the hospital on Hearth's Warming Eve. I craned my neck to see who was down the hall and sure enough, Sunny’s parents and sister were standing at the desk waiting on Nurse Redheart to return. I decided to talk to them while I waited for the doctor to finish with my wife. Just before I got to the desk, however, I was tackled by bright yellow blur. “Twi-Twi!” shouted Breaking Dawn as we rolled along the floor. “Hey… Dawnie,” I managed to say after getting the wind knocked out of me. “Dawn, let your sister-in-law up.” Sunny's father, Sunfire, said. “Sorry, Twi-Twi.” Misty Dawn, Sunny's mother, asked me how she was doing as I got up and straightened my mane. I told her parents about how something was draining Sunny's magic and that she was having a horn scraping as we talked. “Mrs. Shimmer, you can go back in now.” Nurse Redheart said as she returned the cart to the desk. The four of us returned to Sunny's room as Dr. Flank was leaving. I introduced him to Sunny's parents so that they could get the full story on condition. While they talked, I took Dawnie into the room. Upon seeing Sunny, who had her horn completely wrapped in gauze, Dawnie shot forward like Pinkie Pie and wrapped both forelegs around her older sister. “Shimmy!” she said as she held on tight to Sunny's neck. “Are you okay? Did you get your horn hurt? Are you gonna be in the hospital for Hearth's Warming?” Sunny chuckled. “No, Dawnie, I didn't hurt my horn. The doctor had to do a test on it. That's all.” “But why is it wrapped up?” “The test made it bleed a little bit so they put some bandages on it,” Sunny explained. Sunny's parents entered the room a few minutes later with uneasy smiles on their faces. They both hugged Sunny after levitating Dawnie off the bed. “Mom! Dad! How did you guys find out I was here?” Sunny asked them. “You have Princess Twilight to thank for that,” Misty said. “She sent Princess Celestia a message that you were here,” Sunfire explained. “We were in the middle of prepping everything for tomorrow's Hearth's Warming dinner when-” “We got to ride in the royal coach, Shimmy!” Dawnie said with joy. “Yes, we did,” Misty said as Sunny let out a giggle. “Anyway, we got a surprise when the doorbell rang and saw one of the royal guards standing at the door.” “Must've been quite the shock,” I said. “It was. We didn't know what was happening because all he told us was that we needed to leave for Ponyville immediately,” Sunfire said. “Leave it to Princess Celestia to overdo things,” Sunny said with a laugh. Dawnie hopped back on the bed and laid down next to Sunny. “Mommy? Can I stay in here with Shimmy until she can leave?”
PeaceFor the first time in months, woke up in an empty bed as Sunny was still in the hospital. I went through my usual routine; bathing, brushing my hair and teeth, etc. However, I was still concerned about how she was doing. I had not seen her that weak the entire time we've known each other. I tripped over my own hooves while descending the stairs, tumbling down nearly half of them and landing square on my butt. I trotted into the main hall to where Twilight had the Christmas, I mean, Hearth's Warming tree and saw a bright yellow filly digging through the gifts underneath it. I giggled softly as I watched her squeal with glee. Sunfire and Misty Dawn were watching her, making sure she didn't open anypony else's gifts. “It was so kind of your cousin to offer to put us up in the castle,” Misty Dawn said with a smile. “It's kept Dawn's mind off of Sunny's condition since leaving the hospital last night.” “We've actually decided to take Sunny's gifts and a few of ours to the hospital when we leave in a little bit,” Sunfire told me. “That sounds like a good idea. It'll definitely boost her spirits.” “I agree,” said Misty. “You could see the disappointment in her eyes when we had to leave for the night.” “Twi-Twi, this one's for you,” Dawnie said, bringing me a gift wrapped in purple and pink paper. I double checked the tag to verify that was, in fact, for me before thanking her. “Aren't you going to open it?” she asked as I set it to the side. “I will when we go to the hospital,” I said, giving her a hug. “I'd like to open all my gifts at the same time as your sister.” “Even the ones that Princess Twilight and her friends got for you?” Dawnie asked. “Yes, even those ones,” I replied. Dawnie went back to sorting gifts when Sunfire and Misty approached me. “When do you plan to visit Sunny?” Sunfire asked. “After breakfast, because I was planning to take some of Pinkie Pie's holiday cinnamon rolls to her,” I answered. “We were planning to leave as soon as Dawn finished opening her gifts,” Misty told me. While I questioned their decision in my mind, I knew it was their choice and I had no right to try changing their mind. So we talked a little more before I headed to the dining room for Pinkie's breakfast. An hour later, I walked into Sunny's room where I was pleased to see her sitting in one of the chairs talking to her parents. Upon seeing me though, she hopped down and slowly trotted over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “What took you so long?” she asked. “I had to wait until Pinkie was done baking these,” I said, producing a box containing cinnamon rolls with red and green glaze. Her eyes grew wide with excitement as she surrounded the box with a red aura. “Remind me to thank Pinkie for these,” she said before stuffing one in her mouth. I giggled as I watch a few crumbs come flying from her mouth. “So how are you feeling, sweetheart?” I asked. She swallowed the roll in one large gulp before answering. “I'm feeling great. I woke up this morning feeling like I could take over the world. Uh, don't tell Celestia I said that.” “Don't worry. It'll be our secret,” I chuckled. “I was telling mom and dad that I have a good feeling about today,” she said. “How so?” “Shimmy said she’s gonna sneak out if they don't let her go home,” Dawnie said as she paused momentarily from playing with her new dolls. Sunny's face turned crimson with embarrassment when I asked her if it was true. I facehoofed and shook my head. “What am I going to do with you?” I groaned. “Get me a double bacon cheeseburger when we get home,” she whispered in my ear. I couldn't believe what I heard. Did she really ask for a hamburger? I thought. “You okay, Twi?” Sunny asked, tilting her head in confusion. “You literally just whinnied.” I stared blankly at Sunny for another minute before backing away from her and asking if I heard her correctly. “Yeah, why?” “It's just…you…asking for a cheeseburger?” “Mommy, is a cheeseburger the same thing as a hayburger?” Dawnie asked. Misty, in an attempt to preserve her daughter's naivety, smiled weakly and nodded. “Sounds gross,” Dawnie said. “They are,” I lied. “I honestly don't see how humans can eat them.” I then turned to Sunny, whose cheeks were puffed out due to her mouth being filled with more cinnamon rolls, and asked, “What are we doing if you get discharged today?” She held up a hoof before swallowing to answer. “I was hoping to spend a little time with Twilight and her friends before we headed home.” “That sounds-” I was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Well, looks like Pony Claus made a stop here in your room, Mrs. Shimmer,” said Dr. Flank as he entered. “Hehe. Yeah, I guess he did,” Sunny chuckled. “How's everyone doing this morning?” he asked the rest of us; to which we replied fine. “It's good to see you up and about, Mrs. Shimmer. Have you tried using your magic?” Sunny grabbed the nearly empty box that housed the cinnamon rolls with her magic and offered the doctor one the pastries. “Well, since you're up, moving about without any trouble and using your magic with no difficulty, I'll be signing your discharge papers in a little bit,” Dr. Flank said. “However, regarding your test from yesterday, I've got good news and bad news.” [Three days later] “I never realized how hard it is to shop for the girls now that we're out of school,” I said as I helped Sunny load the shopping bags into the trunk of the car. “Yeah, things definitely change when you're not buying ‘nerd gifts’,” Sunny said, giving me nudge with her elbow. “Hey, I resent that,” I giggled as I returned the favor. We barely managed to fit everything in the trunk before having to get our new tree to fit in the back seat. A couple minutes of shifting the seats forward and some fancy finagling of the box, we finally got it in the car so that we could close the car doors. I tossed the car keys to her over the roof of the car before we both got in. Sunny cranked it up and we left the parking lot for home. A couple minutes later, I noticed a pink glow coming from under the tree box. “Uh, Sunny? Did you bring the journal along?” “Yes, I did. I wanted to have it with me the instant Twilight got my results back from the hospital. Why?” “It's glowing under the box.” “Are you able to reach it?” she asked, trying to stay focused on the road. “Yeah, I think so,” I replied. I temporarily unhooked my seatbelt so that I could reach the book. “Got it.” “What's it say?” “Hold on. I have to get my seatbelt refastened,” I fussed. I opened the journal and skimmed over the message. “Well?” Sunny asked as my eyes remained glued to the paper. I quickly shut the journal as my heart began to race. “Um, it wasn't anything, uh, too important. Just, well… do you remember when your last period was?”
ChristmasWe sat in the car in silence for nearly ten minutes after pulling up to Applejack's house. While I didn't know for sure, I could only assume that she was as nervous as I was. We squeezed each other's hand for a couple seconds and finally exited the car. Trudging through the snow that had been accumulating since the day prior, Sunny broke the silence between us. “How do you want to do this?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly. “One of them is bound to ask how you're doing and if we found out what's causing your health issues,” I said before ringing the doorbell. “I say we just keep it on the down-low until they bring up the subject.” “Sounds good.” Sunny agreed as she shook the snow from her hair. The sound of the doorknob turning shifted our attention to the house. “Hey there, Sunset, Twilight.” Applejack said. “We were wondering when y'all were planning on joining the fun.” “We had a few things to discuss before coming in,” I said. “Y'all weren't havin’ a lovers’ quarrel before the party, were you?” “Nah. We were debating on whether or not to spend the night at Twi's parents’ house tomorrow night,” Sunny lied. “Shoot, it's Christmas. It ought to be a no-brainer,” Applejack said. “We came to the same conclusion,” I said. It was about the same a mistletoe attached to a pink hand suddenly appeared between Sunny and me. I poked Sunny in the arm to draw her attention to the small plant. She shrugged her shoulders and planted a sloppy kiss square on my lips. “Happy now, Pinkie?” Sunny asked. “How did you know it was me?” Pinkie replied. “Um, you're the only one of us with pink skin,” I said. “Huh?” Pinkie paused and looked at her hands. “Oh yeah.” Sunny, Applejack and I all chuckled as she skipped off, giggling. “So, how was your visit to Equestria?” Applejack asked. “Pretty good. We visited with Princess Twilight and her friends before going to Canterlot to stay with my parents,” Sunny said. “The usual stuff.” “Sounds like y'all had a good time,” said Applejack. We got to the den where the rest of the girls were hanging out and added our jackets to the pile on one of the end tables. Along with our fellow band members and their siblings, we were also joined by a few others that had hung out with us in the past; Midnight Rainbow, Smallfoot, Brian Dragnov, Wallflower Blush and Juniper Montage. “I, uh, I guess there's a few extra people that are going to find out what's been ailing you,” I whispered. “I guess so,” she whispered back. Pinkie ambushed us once again, wrapping her arms around both of us and offering Sunny the spot where she was sitting. “I know you're going to need it for your announcement,” she whispered. “What's with all the whispering? Is there something going on that we shouldn't know about?” Rainbow asked, her speech slightly slurred. “Yes, darlings, whatever are you hiding?” Rarity pressed. “I know but I'm not telling,” Pinkie beamed. Everyone stared at us in an awkward silence. “You told Pinkie Pie already?” Fluttershy asked. “No. We haven't told anyone yet,” Sunny said. “So how does she already know?” Rainbow said, tripping over her own feet on her way to the snack table. Sunny and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders in confusion. “I'll explain in a minute.” Pinkie said, still grinning. “Well… we were going to wait until later in the night but since everyone is asking about it now, I guess we'll break the news now,” I said. “Hey y'all, listen up!” Applejack shouted. “Sunset and Twilight have an announcement. Go ahead gals.” “Well, it took a trip to Equestria but we finally found out why Sunny has been fainting and acting odd,” I said. “And the reason is…” Out of nowhere Pinkie produced a drum and began a drumroll. “I'm pregnant!” Sunny said cheerfully. Somehow the cliché of the music stopping with the sound of a needle scratching against a record filled the air. The silence was so deadly that a pin drop could've killed anyone. “You're… pregnant?” Rainbow said, breaking the silence. “The cider isn't affecting my hearing is it?” “Yep! That's what she said!” Pinkie shouted, tackling Sunny and I. Applejack moved the center of the room and made a “T” with her hands. “Hold the phone. Three questions,” she said. “First, when did it happen? Second, how did it happen? And finally, how in the hay did Pinkie find out before any of the rest of us?” “Ooo! Ooo! I'll answer my question first. It's the shortest answer,” Pinkie said, waving her arms above her head. “Here it comes,” I heard Rarity moan. “It was easy. There were letters in the last four chapters that spelled out ‘baby’. Anyone who paid attention would've known,” she explained. “Chapters?” asked Sunny. “Are we in some sort of story?” “Um, Pinkie, darling, I do believe you're ‘Pinkie Sense’ has gone insane,” Rarity said. “Lemme check. Hmmm… nope. Working just fine.” “Can we get back to the subject at hand, please?” Applejack interrupted. “How and when did this happen?” “Well, you see, me and Twi went to Equestria before our honeymoon to Hayvana because Princess Twilight wanted to give us a special gift,” Sunny explained. “What we didn't know was this gift would change our lives,” I added. “What was the gift?” Fluttershy asked. “It was a gender-swapping spell,” Sunny answered. “Gender-swapping?” Wallflower asked. “Like a sex-change operation?” “Sort of,” I said. “It turned my womb and ovaries into a, ahem, you know.” “She assured us that the spell wouldn't have reproductive effects.” Sunny added. “But with Equestrian magic being unpredictable in this world-” “The effects of the spell didn't hold true and Twilight knocked you up,” Applejack finished. “That's about the size of it,” I said. Another awkward silence descended upon the room as everyone processed the information that we set out before them. I honestly couldn't blame them. When I read the message from my alternate counterpart, my jaw nearly fell through the floor of the car. Well, maybe not literally but it sure felt that way. Rarity was the one to finally break the silence after what seemed like an eternity. “That is the most wonderful news ever! Congratulations to both of you,” she said just before a shocked look appeared on her face. “Oh dear. I just realized something.” “What's that?” Juniper asked. “I've got no experience in making baby clothes,” Rarity answered. The entire room burst out in laughter as Rarity began spiraling into a fashion meltdown. Her knees buckled as she pulled on her hair and frantically babbled in a nonsensical manner. “Well, that's one way to turn a party on its head.” Sweetie Belle commented as she tried calming her sister. “How far along are you?” Fluttershy asked. “We have an appointment this Friday to find out the exact due date but my estimate puts Sunny at around nine weeks,” I said. “Well, here's my congrats present for you Sunset,” Rainbow said. “Uh, thanks, Dash. But I can't drink any alcohol until after the delivery,” Sunny said, passing the bottle of cider to me. From out of nowhere, a shower of streamers and confetti came raining down on us. “I don't know about everyone else but I'm really to crank this party up to an eleven,” shouted Pinkie. She turned to face the archway leading into the room and began waving her hand to no one. “Good night, everybody! Merry Christmas!” Author's Note Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everypony!
