Midnight pushed through the doorway with Sky hot on her tail. With a quick flick of her horn, the door shut behind them, and she turned to the crimson pegasus with a sultry smile on her face.

"So... You're in a good mood." Sky teased, grinning at the graphite mare as she slowly walked up to him.

Midnight brought her chest to his, brushing their fur against each other in the process, and kissed his neck, just below his jawline. He quietly gasped at the feeling before she kissed him again on his cheek, and then once more on his muzzle. Finally, the teasing mare brought her lips to his, and snaked her tongue out to meet his. Just like they did a thousand times before, Sky's tongue happily met hers halfway, and they slowly danced together in an increasingly heated display of passion.

Sky felt each contour of Midnight's soft, velvety tongue against his, and even though his eyes were rolling back in his head from the pleasure, he gently brought a hoof behind Midnight's neck to deepen the kiss just a tad. A soft moan escaped her maw into his mouth, prompting a sly grin to tug at the corners of Sky's lips, but again, he only kissed her harder.

Eventually, they pulled away from each other and breathed for the first time in nearly a minute. Midnight gave Sky a half lidded stare while she recovered from the kiss, before slowly turning around and heading for the bed. She maintained eye contact the whole time, and soon enough, she laid down on the bed, her hind legs spread wide, but her tail just barely covering her sex from Sky's view.

The pegasus in question stared at her with rapt attention, his own arousal slowly starting to peak out from the excitement, before Midnight finally spoke again.

"My estrus just hit this morning... I'm not gonna lie, it's been really hard to keep myself off of you today..." She said, biting her lip as her eyes fell down to Sky's half erect stallionhood.

"So... You're sure you wanna do this now?" Sky asked, hesitating slightly, "I mean... I'm one hundred percent down... but we're gonna be traveling to the island for the next few months... Won't that be hard if you're... you know..." He trailed off.

"Sky, come here." She ordered.

Like a moth to a flame, Sky followed her command and crawled onto the bed, finding his place right at her side. Before anything could be said, she lovingly planted her lips on his, and they shared another passionate kiss. Just like before, neither one of them broke the touch of their lips for almost a minute, and when they did, they both panted heavily.

"Pregnancy lasts... a year for ponies... it won't be a problem... until six to eight months in... and by that time, we'll be back in Ponpei... I can go into labor there for all I care." Midnight breathed. There was a hint of desperation in her eyes, as if she absolutely needed this, no matter the risks.

"If you're sure... then I'm sure. I love you." Sky replied, looking into her sapphire eyes with the warmest, gentlest of smiles, "Just make sure to tell me if there's any issues along the way. I won't risk you getting hurt. Ever."

Midnight's heart fluttered in her chest, and she quickly pressed her lips back to his in thanks. Sky's hooves instinctively found themselves drawn to her barrel and neck, and he gently pulled her ever closer, until their chest fluff intertwined again, and they could feel each other's beating hearts. Slowly but surely, Midnight felt her body leaning to the side, and eventually, she found her position resting on her side while Sky continued to kiss her, ever desperate for more.

Slow, soft strokes against her coat soon became needy, and long as Sky's desires grew to match the graphite mare now laying below him. Just as quickly, he grabbed her foreleg with his hoof and used his leverage to roll her fully onto her back, breaking the kiss. Midnight gasped at the sudden change, but her surprise quickly melted into a slow, soft moan as Sky brought his lips down to her neck and kissed her again. He softly nibbled at the small tufts of fur along her neck, trailing little kisses of pure love and devotion down to her collar, and slowly trailed back up with a long, deliberate lick up her jugular. Midnight gasped again as Sky repeated the action, focusing purely on the act of kissing her, and ignoring the strain on his painfully erect member.

Just as he reached her jawline for the third time, Midnight brought her teeth to his ear, and gently bit down, forcing an audible groan of pleasure to leave the pegasus's mouth as he tilted his head to the side. Midnight smiled at her work before Sky was on her again, only this time, he trailed his affection lower, to her belly. Soft, loving kisses trailed from her chest fluff, down to the bottom of her belly, just above her nipples. For just a pregnant moment, Sky hesitated with his lips just a micrometer from the soft, prickly flesh, but a whimper of pleading drew his eyes up to Midnight's sapphire orbs as she stared down at him.

"No teasing this time... Please... I... Really need this right now." She said, her soft, bashful voice hit Sky like a freight train, and he quickly lifted himself off of her.

"You got it, Mid. No teasing. Promise." He smiled, before leaning down and kissing the graphite mare one more time.

Upon breaking the kiss, Midnight managed a shaky nod, before Sky leaned back some and lined himself up with her marehood. He took a cursory glance down to insure he was properly aligned, and in doing so, the soft, supple folds of her sex greeted him. Her tail and dock were already soaked in her natural lubrication, having left a trail of droplets in the sheets next to her. In the momentary span of time since he glanced down, her clit winked out at him over and over, practically begging for his member to come and play.

Sky smiled at the sight, and gave himself a tiny little shake before leaning forward and bringing his head to her lips. Just like a thousand times before, her soft, velveteen vulva gently parted, allowing his length to press into her labia, and with a quick thrust, he was inside. Midnight instantly moaned, singing her praises with each inch further as Sky pressed forward. Soon enough, his medial ring was at her labia, and she gasped again as is pressed against her clit in just the right way.

Being on a hair trigger as she was, Midnight felt her muscles go rigid, and for just a moment, all she could see was white as she came all over Sky's legs and her own tail. Still, Sky pressed on, determined to fill her to the brim before they were done, and before she could even come down from her high, his flat head pressed against her cervix. Midnight's vision returned just in time for her to lose it again as Sky pulled out, his medial ring rubbing against her clit in just the right way once more. Quick enough, he found a rhythm, pumping into her just as she came down from her last orgasm, only to send her spiraling down into another one. Marecum flowed out of Midnight's sex as she helplessly moaned and gasped for breath. With each passing second, she felt a kaleidoscope of sensory information dart out from her nethers to every corner of her body, just for them to be redirected back and implode into a cacophony of unbridled ecstasy that filled her mind and left her trembling. Her legs shot out and held rigid while her muscles tensed over and over, firmly planting her into the bed, like a statue made out of pleasure.

Sky smiled victoriously down at the love-drunk mare below him, and kissed her neck over and over while he thrust into her like his life depended on it. Her inner walls squeezed and tensed around his member for all they were worth, but again he pressed on, undeterred by the vice grip now holding him and trying its hardest to milk him dry. Even with his resolve, Sky knew he could only last so long, and decided to up the ante. He leaned forward again, and brought his tongue to the base of Midnight's horn, drawing a long, slow lick to the tip, and igniting a fire in her mind.

"GAAAAHHH!!!!" She screamed, her back arching, and her marehood convulsing around Sky's length.

Midnight's entire body shook like lightning, and her eyes rolled about helplessly in her head. Sky was quick to act, and bit down on her exposed jugular, like a hungry predator. Once more, Midnight shrieked, and she came for what could have been the thirteenth time. Sky brought his hooves around her barrel and hugged her close while planting reassuring kisses on her neck. The bite was only superficial, but it had the desired effect, and once more, Midnight was putty in his hooves.

Sky started his rhythm again, pounding into the barely conscious graphite mare for all he was worth. Whether it was the combined effort of the whole affair, or simply the way she looked at that moment, Sky felt his time was quickly nearing its end. His member flared hard, and he knew he only had a few moments before he would lose control and finish. With his time up and his options out, Sky did the one thing he knew would always work to get her to cum with him. He held her close with one hoof, while bringing the other behind her neck and bringing her eyes to his. Without another thought, he leaned in and kissed her one more time. With her last bit of strength, Midnight returned the kiss, and her tongue quickly met his in the same display of passion and love they'd come to know for years.

It was like a fire spread between them, connecting them from their sexes, and Sky's member finally shot its load deep into Midnight's warm, soft folds. Shot after shot of cum filled her cervix until there was simply no more room to spare, and the white hot payload soon seeped out of her labia, and into her tail. All throughout the kiss, Midnight's body shook with the finality of her last orgasm, and the prickly dots of white fire that danced about in her vision finally cleared. Sky finally broke the kiss and panted for breath, with Midnight doing much the same under him. Together they fought for breath as the past few minutes finally began to register.

Midnight leaned her head back and sighed while Sky slowly pulled his member out of her sex, pouring more of their mixed fluids out in the process. The crimson stallion slowly brought his muzzle to hers and drew slow, sensual licks up her cheek, to the soft fur of her ear. For a few minutes, he simply traced loving licks across his mare's face. She drunkenly smiled up to him from the affection and ended the affair with a long, pleasureful kiss.

With Midnight lying completely satisfied below him, Sky leaned back up to properly look down at her. His eyes slowly trailed down from her face, to her soft belly, and finally to the mess between her legs, and he raised eyebrow at the sight.

"You... want me to clean you up? Or do you got it?" He asked, already well aware of the answer.

"I'm... too tired... Can you please?" She asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Anything for you." Sky replied, hopping off the bed and making his way into the bathroom.

A moment later, the sound of running water filled the air, and Midnight tiredly glanced to the bathroom. For a few moments, there was only the sound of running water to keep her company, but quickly enough, the faucet was turned off, and Sky reentered the room with a warm towel on one wing.

"What took so long?" Midnight teased as he stepped onto the bed.

"Had to wait for the water to heat up. Didn't want to clean you off with cold water." Sky stuck his tongue out at her.

Midnight's heart melted at his words, and she felt a blush creep onto her face as he settled down between her legs and brought the towel forward. Soft, scrubbing motions filled her inner thighs and just outside her sex, but he was always gentle, and never scrubbed to harshly. A pleasant warmth soaked into her coat as the sticky sensation of their mixed fluids was washed away, and a serene smile found its way onto her face while the crimson pegasus worked away.

Soon enough, she was cleaned up, and Sky threw the towel into the hamper from across the room. He grinned at her before climbing back onto the bed and settling down next to her. Midnight held her forelegs out invitingly, and Sky quickly accepted her offer, burying his muzzle into her chest fluff as her hooves held him tightly against her.

"Thank you for that. I... Don't think I have the energy to even cast the clean up spell right now." Midnight said, her hoof already stroking Sky's mane.

"Don't worry about it. I'd do it for you even if you did have the magic right now." Sky lovingly replied.

"How did you... my horn... I think I died for a few seconds there." Midnight continued, her eyes darting up to the appendage in question.

"I've been reading lately. Figured since my wings are my weak spots, you must have at least one, and hey, I was right!" Sky proudly exclaimed before nuzzling his cheek into her chest fluff just a little more.

"Wow... and here I didn't even know about that..." Midnight shook her head and placed a gentle kiss on Sky's forehead.

"Hehe, what can I say? I just couldn't get enough of you..." He trailed off for a few seconds before looking up into Midnight's eyes, "So... do you think that did it?" He asked.

Midnight pursed her lips in thought for a moment before smiling down at the large crimson pegasus.

"You know what... I think it did." She smiled.

Sky's eyes widened and a smile found its way onto his face. He squeezed her tighter and brought his lips to hers, planting a gentle, albeit needy kiss on her soft lips. Soon enough, the kiss broke, and they quickly fell asleep. Still wrapped in each others forelegs, and with their hearts beating in sync, the loving couple slept the night away in peace.

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Jason awoke with a start to a low alarm buzzing over on the nightstand next to his bed. His eyes shot open and flicked back and forth as his heart hammered in his chest so loudly that for a moment, it drowned out the alarm. Several seconds passed before he finally relaxed, and looked to his hands to see that his knuckles had turned white from gripping the sheets so tightly. With a tired groan, he slowly glanced over at the device to find the time reading '6:00 AM', and sighed before tapping the top with his hand. The alarm immediately silenced, and he rolled out of bed. The satin silk sheets slipped away from his skin, and the calm warmth he'd become accustomed to over the night swiftly left him, leaving a slight chill over his body as he rose to his feet.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and walked over to the sink to find his beard had already grown to nearly half an inch, and he frowned at his slightly scruffier appearance. He glanced down at the sink to find all the common toiletries one would expect to find at a five star hotel. A toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, mouthwash, and even scissors were present, but what caught his eye was the apparently electric razor just next to the hand towel. He shrugged and grabbed it.

A large black button on the back greeted his thumb, and without any hesitation, he pressed the button. A loud, buzzing sound quickly raked at his ears, and Jason pursed his lips.

"Huh? Must be powered by magic... God... I can't believe I just said that." He sighed, before bringing the razor to his cheek and shaving away the excess hair.

Quick enough, he had a well trimmed five o'clock shadow on his face, and he stepped into the shower. He dialed the knob to a warm setting, and within a few seconds, hot water sprayed out of the generously sized shower head. Jason felt the warm water soak into his skin, and wash away the tiredness of the early morning. He grabbed the nearby bottle of shampoo and squirted some into his hand. The smell of apricots immediately filled his nose, and he smiled a little as he rubbed his hands together and washed his hair.

Much sooner than he'd like, Jason stepped out of the shower and into the room, finding his clothes and gear already situated on the floor next to his bed. He wiped the last of the moisture out of his hair and began dressing himself. Just as he had done so many times before, he slipped into his body suit and tied on his boots. His calf armor and thigh armor were donned next, immediately followed by his chest piece and shoulder guards. After a moment of tweaking, he slipped the forearm armor over his wrists, and locked them both in place. Lastly, he donned his gloves, and shouldered his pack.

With one last look over the room for any missing gear, or personal items, he grabbed his rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped out the door and into the crystal hallway without another thought.

Only a few moments passed before Mike and Eddie stepped out of their own rooms, finding Jason waiting patiently in the hallway for them. They both walked over to him just as Tempest stepped out of her room wearing her black bodysuit, armor, and saddlebags. She glanced down the hallway and quickly followed suit.

"Well, that's three down, three to go..." Jason crossed his arms as he waited for the remaining ponies and human.

"We told them to be outside by six thirty, right?" Eddie asked, looking at a watch he acquired the previous night.

"I know Sky and Midnight are aware of our timeline... But as for Rebecca... I'm not so sure... I thought you told her." Tempest said, glancing at Jason.

"I did..." Jason sighed, "Ed, can you please go bang on her door and get her out here. We have to leave in five minutes if we want to make this train and get out of the Empire today."

"On it." Eddie replied.

He quickly made his way down the hallway to Rebecca's room and pounded on the door. A few moments passed before a sleepy Rebecca opened the door and stepped outside, dragging her pack behind her. She tried to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes for a few moments before she found herself in front of Jason and the rest of the group.

"Chief, you alright?" Jason asked.

"No... No coffee..." She mumbled, her crusty eyes barely opening to acknowledge him.

"Right... I'm sure we can get some on the way out," Jason replied before looking over her shoulder and calling to Eddie, "Hey Ed! Can you bang on Sky and Midnight's door too!?"

"Yeah!" Eddie called back before knocking much more politely on Sky and Midnight's door.

Not a moment later, Sky pulled the door open and stepped outside with Midnight following close behind.

"Sorry about that. We kinda overslept a bit." Sky apologized.

"Don't worry about it. We're still on time. You both good?" Jason asked, turning to leave.

"We're good. Although, is there a way we could speak to you later, Jason?" Midnight asked.

"Of course. We can talk on the train. Right now, let's get going before we miss whatever breakfast they have for us here." Jason replied.

The group headed out through the hallway and into the main foyer of the castle. There waiting for them, was Shining Armor and Cadence, both with equally tired smiles on their faces.

"Good morning." Cadence said.

"How are you all doing?" Shining added.

"We're doing alright. Just got some tired people, but they'll be fine. We can sleep a little more on the train if it's that bad." Jason coolly replied.

"Good, good. Let's get something to eat before you head out for the day." Shining said, turning and heading toward a large doorway on the opposite side of the foyer.

Cadence quickly followed behind with the rest of the group following after her as Shining opened the doors to reveal a massive dining room with a long, glass table. Just as with their last breakfast, there were foods of every shape, color, and variety present. Pancakes, cinnamon rolls, bananas, strawberries, and even what appeared to be bacon, although, upon closer inspection was actually just hay, littered the table all the way to the end.

Mike, Eddie, Jason, and Rebecca felt their mouths water at the sight, and before long, everyone took their seats at the table to dig into the literal mountain of food.

Jason stepped onto the platform of the train station and glanced back at the group behind him. Mike and Eddie were the first to step up behind him, immediately followed by Rebecca, Sky, Midnight, and finally, Tempest. At his gaze, she hesitantly gave him a small smile, to which he promptly returned. Tempest felt an immediate warmth fill her chest, and she continued onto the platform before Cadence and Shining Armor filed in behind her.

"Alright, well, the train should be here any minute... Is there anything else we can do for you all before you go out there?" Cadence asked, her eyes darting between Jason and Tempest curiously.

"I think you've done more than we could have asked for already, Cadence. Thank you for you help and hospitality. We already owe the ponies of Equestria a lot for helping us so much, and this just adds to it." Jason humbly replied.

"It's our pleasure," Cadence smiled, but upon noticing a contemplative look on Jason's face, she dropped the smile and tilted her head to the side, "Are you sure there's nothing though? You seem a little unsure."

"Uh... It's... nothing." Jason lied.

"Jason, come over here for a moment." Cadence said, stepping to the far side of the platform, away from the now curious eyes of the rest of the group.

Jason hesitantly followed behind her until they were both just barely out of earshot from everyone else.

"Alright, spill it. What's got you troubled." Cadence said.

"Well... ugh... it's a weird issue. I mean... it's not really an issue, it's just that... I'm not sure how to feel about it." Jason admitted, before sitting down on the platform and letting his legs hang off the edge.

Cadence sat down beside him and fixed him with a curious look.

"Well, I'm sure you can talk to me about it... It does have something to do with Tempest, doesn't it?" She deduced.

Jason turned to her with a surprised look on his face.

"How... how did you know that?" He asked.

"I am the Princess of Love for a reason, Jason. Besides, you two look at each other with the kind of look Midnight and Sky used to give each other when he was human." She smugly explained.

Jason sighed, "Damn... it's that obvious, huh?"

"Only to a trained eye," Cadence smiled and gave a friendly wink, "So tell me. What's the issue between you two that has you so... contemplative."

"Well..." Jason turned around to look for prying ears, but found the rest of the group busy conversing with each other and Shining Armor. He slowly turned back to Cadence and twiddled his thumbs, "Last night... She told me that she has some feelings for me... and while I like her a lot... I can't say that I really... see you ponies in that way. I mean, I'm not gonna say that I'll never change my mind or anything... but it's hard to see another species as attractive when your whole life..." He trailed off.

"You've only found your own species as attractive?" Cadence finished for him.

"Yeah... that. I really do like her, and I don't want to hurt her or anything by telling her all that... but on the other side of the coin, I really like being around her. It's weird... I barely know her, but the few times that I've talked to her already, I've really enjoyed... and maybe that's reason enough to give her a chance." Jason shrugged, looking to Cadence for answers.

"Hmm... You know who you sound like right now?" Cadence asked.

"Who?"

"Sky, after he'd been here for a few months or so." She smiled.

"Really? I kinda thought that he just... was always okay with it." Jason tilted his head to the side.

"Not at all. For a little while Celestia, Twilight, and I, were trying everything in our power to get him to try dating a mare, but he kept using that excuse. 'Oh, I'm not too sure... I've only ever found my own kind as attractive'." Cadence replied, a grin forming on her face.

"Well... what changed?" Jason asked.

"Honestly, I think he just saw the value in Midnight. I know the thought of dating outside your species is strange and foreign to you humans, but I promise you, it's completely normal here. Besides, you're going to be out there with only Tempest and the rest of your team to provide company for the next five months or so. Your opinion just might change over that period of time, especially if you give Tempest a chance to win you over." Cadence explained, giving a friendly smile.

"You know, I think you just might be a tiny bit biased." Jason chuckled.

"Indeed I am. I'm the Princess of Love. It's not only my job, but my purpose in life to spread love and help ponies find their significant other. That even goes for strange creatures like you," Cadence playfully winked again, "Besides, from the way you two were looking at each other, and the conflicted feelings I can sense on you, I know you feel something for Tempest too."

"What? What do you mean?" Jason's brow furrowed.

"Trust me, I've been doing this for a long time, and I know when two creatures are meant for each other. Even if you're having a hard time admitting it, there's a base attraction there between you and her that you feel deep in your heart. I know for sure that it's there whether she's a pony or not, otherwise you wouldn't even be having these thoughts in your head in the first place. Besides, from what I gather, you care more about her personality and who she is, rather than what she is anyway." Cadence explained.

"And how do you know all that?"

"It shows in your mannerisms, and the way you present yourself. You say what you mean and you keep a rational head on your shoulders. You're not the type to react emotionally and say something you don't mean as far as I can tell. So, by way of that, along with the fact that I can literally sense your feelings of attraction for her with my magic, I know for a fact that you want something with Tempest, even if you don't know it yet." Cadence gave him the smuggest, widest grin she possibly could.

"... You're scary." Jason shook his head.

"I'm only scary to my enemies, and you, Jason, are a friend. I'm just trying to help you." Cadence beamed.

"Well... I need to think about it some more... It's... not an easy decision to make just like that, you know?" Jason admitted.

"I fully understand. All I ask is that you don't push her away just because of her species. You might just find that there's more to her than meets the eye." Cadence replied.

"I'll... see where it goes. I can't promise anything, but... who knows? Maybe you're right? We'll have to see." Jason shrugged before getting to his feet.

"We will, and I look forward to seeing you when you return from your journey." Cadence smiled.

"Likewise."

With that, Jason and Cadence headed back over to the group as they continued to chat among themselves.

"Everything good?" Eddie asked upon noticing Jason's return.

"Yeah. Everything's good. Everyone good to go?" Jason replied.

"Yep. We're all here and ready to go. Just waiting on the train." Eddie nodded.

A few moments later, a train horn sounded, and the same abomination that drove the group to the Crystal Empire before, was back again.

"Okay, seriously, you guys need to update your trains or something. That thing is just hideous." Sky shook his head.

"Hehe, maybe one day." Cadence chuckled.

Soon enough, the train stopped at the station and the doors opened, allowing for everyone to enter.

"Alright, this is it. We both wish you all the best and hope to see you in a few months." Shining smiled.

"Please do be careful out there and return in one piece. We'll count the days down until your return." Cadence added.

"Thank you both again for everything you've done for us. We'll look forward to coming back here once we're all safe and sound." Jason replied before stepping onto the train.

Eddie, Mike, Rebecca, and Tempest quickly followed behind, leaving just Sky and Midnight on the platform with Cadence and Shining Armor.

"Before we go... Cadence, can you cast a quick spell for me?" Midnight asked, a sheepish smile on her face.

Cadence gave her a knowing grin, and her horn lit up in a pale blue aura. Immediately after, the aura formed around Midnight's midsection, and for a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, the blue aura flashed green, and Cadence dropped the spell.

"Yep. I'd say... Probably a boy." Cadence grinned.

Midnight's eyes widened, and she turned to Sky to already find him beaming. She quickly threw her hooves over his withers and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Ohmygosh... I can't believe it... We finally did it!" She whispered.

"I know... I just... I'm so happy... You're gonna be the best mom in the whole world." Sky replied, squeezing her just a little bit tighter in the process.

"Congratulations you two. I can't wait to see what he'll look like." Shining said.

"I'm hoping that he'll have his mom's eyes." Sky replied as he stroked his hoof through Midnight's mane.

"You're gonna be such a good dad..." Midnight whispered.

For a second, they pulled just far enough from each other to look into each other's eyes. In that moment, the sheer warmth and love radiating from their eyes alone was enough to bring a small tear to Cadence's eyes. Just as fast, the moment was over, and they parted from each other, both with a profound sense of warmth in their hearts.

"You be extra careful now. Pregnancy is no joke. Even if it takes sixish months for the symptoms to really start to show, you can't be running around and jumping off buildings or anything like that. I know you can't exactly guarantee anything, but try to take it a little easy while you're out there. You might have to stay in Ponpei until you go into labor if traveling becomes too difficult." Cadence instructed.

"I'll be careful. Thank you so much, Cadence. Just... thank you." Midnight smiled as she fought back tears.

Cadence took a step forward and wrapped her hooves around Midnight's withers. She pulled her into a gentle hug, one that the graphite mare was happy to reciprocate, before releasing her and wiping the beginnings of a tear away from her sapphire eyes.

"Now now, no tears. This is a happy occasion." Cadence chuckled.

"I know... I'm just so happy... I get a little teary eyed when I'm really happy." Midnight admitted, allowing a small laugh for herself.

"-And you," Cadence said, turning to Sky, "You make sure to take care of her." She ordered.

"I'll keep her out of trouble. Promise." Sky gave a cheesy smile.

"Good. Glad to hear it."

With that, Cadence stepped away from the couple and walked back over to Shining.

"We'll see you when you get back." Cadence said.

"We'll be counting down the days." Midnight replied.

Sky and Midnight stepped into the train, and the door quickly closed behind them. The train horn sounded a few seconds later, and once again, they were gone within a matter of minutes. Upon stepping into their train cart, Sky and Midnight found Jason sitting on his chair with Tempest to his immediate left, and the rest of the group sitting across from them.

"Jason," Sky called out, getting the man's attention, "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

Jason quickly stood up from his seat and walked over to the ponies at the end of the room.

"Can we talk privately?" Midnight asked.

"Sure. Over here." Jason replied, opening the door to the next cart and stepping inside.

Sky and Midnight quickly followed behind, to find the next cart over was completely empty. Once they were completely inside, Jason closed the door behind them and fixed them with a curious look.

"Alright, so what's up?" He asked.

"Okay... So, what we're about to tell you, you have to realize that it won't jeopardize this mission at all... but it's something that we've been planning for literally years now... and we couldn't really wait until the next time so..." Sky began to explain, awkwardly rubbing his foreleg with his hoof.

"You're pregnant." Jason said, staring right at Midnight.

"Uh... yeah... How'd you know?" Sky replied, looking at Midnight and Jason curiously.

"Tempest told me you were going into estrus last night. I had to ask her what that meant, but once she told me, I kinda put two and two together pretty quick," Jason crossed his arms, "So... how long do pony pregnancies last, anyways?"

"About a year... Jason, please understand that this won't harm the mission. You don't have to take any special precautions with me or anything since I won't start showing any symptoms or having any issues until around the six month mark, and if worse comes to worse, we can just stay in Ponpei while the rest of you go back to Equestria. We just... we've wanted a family for a long time now and..." Midnight explained, her eyes falling to the floor.

Jason sighed, "While... I wish you would have told me about this before just going ahead and doing it... I understand. You had plans, and we just kind of showed up one day. What I don't really understand, is why you're still coming with us. I mean... you're pregnant. That should take priority over helping us, don't you think?" He asked, turning to Sky.

"Believe me, I'd like to stay home and just take care of Midnight all day... but we told you we were going to help you with this, and we're going to do exactly that. Besides, you need a unicorn to cast the spell through the crystal once you get it, and as much as I love Tempest... she's can't really use her magic very well." Sky replied, an apologetic look plastered on his face.

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again.

"Fuck... I guess you have a good point there. Well... if you say it won't be a problem, then I believe you... but please, if you're having any issues at all during this mission, tell me. I won't risk you having complications for us, no matter how badly we need you." He said.

"Thank you, Jason... I promise, we'll do everything we can to help you... and... really, thank you for caring. I kinda expected you to be mad, to be honest." Midnight replied, giving a sheepish smile.

"How could I be mad at you? You guys had a plan, and we interrupted it. Just... please tell me if you're going to do something like that again, okay? What I don't like, is not knowing what's going on with my guys, and if you wake up one morning with morning sickness, or whatever, I'd hate to not know why until after the fact." Jason replied.

For a few moments, the graphite mare in front of him was stunned, but eventually, she found a shaky smile forming on her face.

"You're a good man, Jason." Midnight said, before taking a few steps forward and rearing back onto her hind legs.

She quickly wrapped her hooves around his back and pulled him into a tight hug, to which he slowly, and clumsily returned. Jason awkwardly patted her back and held her wither before she dropped back down to her hooves and stepped away.

"Sorry... I just really wanted to hug you." Midnight sheepishly said.

"Hehe, don't worry about it. Thanks." Jason chuckled.

"Do I get a hug?" Sky joked.

Jason sighed, "...Alright, come here."

Author's Note

https://youtu.be/RjnucF4fwPY

Hey everyone. So if you read Learning to Fly like I hope you have, then you probably saw this coming a mile away, but hey, we all knew Mid was gonna get pregnant eventually, right? Now, the question is "will this negatively impact the journey?". Well, we'll have to find out, won't we ;)

For those who want a piece of art depicting the nsfw scene at the beginning of this chapter, I have drawn something up here https://derpibooru.org/images/2495583