“I feel like a whale.” Sparks was on her back, craning her neck up to try and see over her enormous belly.

River just laughed and continued pressing her hooves along Sparks’ back legs. “You only have one month to go so of course your belly is gonna be big.”

Sparks groaned and collapsed back against the bed. “Has it only been 10 months? Feels like I’ve been pregnant forever.”

“Aw babygirl it’ll be over soon.” After a few more strokes with her hooves, River stood up and nudged Sparks. “Come on now. We gotta get to Twilight’s.”

Sparks eyed the calendar on the wall as River went to brush her teeth. It had been six months now since she had gone to visit Fluttershy. Catherine had had some trouble with her kittens so Fluttershy had kept them a few extra weeks to make sure everyone was healthy and safe. River was supposed to go over to the animal sanctuary after their visit to Twilight’s, and Sparks had stopped teaching martial arts months ago so she had the whole day off.

Fluttershy had seen her in town the other day and had let her know that she could come by to pick out a kitten whenever it worked for her.

“Do you need help getting up?”

Sparks jumped as River walked back in, rubbing a towel over her ears and eyeing her bed-ridden girlfriend skeptically. Sparks lifted her head and tried to sit up around her enormous belly. After a moment of straining, she gave up and rolled to her side and off the edge of the bed, falling heavily on her hooves.

“Nope!” She grinned and stood up triumphantly.

River snickered and rolled her eyes. “Come on now. Brush your teeth and let's get going. Twilight is expecting us.”

Sparks walked clumsily into the bathroom, her swollen belly swinging from side to side. “Oh!” Suddenly, she grabbed her side and sat down hard. “Oof.”

River looked at her worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Sparks laughed and guided River’s hoof to her side. Another swift kick followed, and Sparks winced as the little hoof pressed against her womb. River grinned and pressed her hoof against the foal’s feeling the outline of their baby’s excited movements.

“Don’t encourage him.” Sparks laughed. “He’s active enough as it is.”

“He?” River asked. “Did Twilight do the picturing spell on you?”

Sparks blushed. “No. I know we agreed to have it as a surprise. I just… have this feeling.”

River grinned. “I think it’s a girl. A little filly.”

“Seems we have two names to pick out then.” Sparks winced again and ran another hoof over her distended belly. “Calm down little one. You’re hurting mommy.”

River nuzzled her girlfriend as Sparks stood with great difficulty and went to brush her teeth. “I had some ideas for names.”

“Yeah?” Sparks mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste. “What are they?”

“I like Melody for a filly. Or Hickory for a colt.”

Sparks smiled. “Or maybe Chestnut or Brook.”

“Flicker.”

“Rapids”

They traded names back and forth while they walked through town towards the crystal castle. When they knocked on the door, Twilight opened up eagerly and beckoned them inside.

“Today we are going to take off the magic control spell and see how the foal’s abilities are progressing.”

Sparks immediately winced and rubbed her head. “Do we have to? I still have a bump from last time.”

Starlight, already standing in the library, gave her a skeptical look. “That was weeks ago. No way you still have the lump.”

“Still hurts.” Sparks grumbled and River snorted.

Twilight and Starlight once again touched horns and Sparks felt a slight weight lift off her body, like removing a blanket. Immediately, she was lifted in a golden magic aura and floated upside down over the table. She crossed her forelegs and looked down at the gaping mares.

“I told you so.”

River was tapping her hoof anxiously while Twilight stared up at Sparks’ belly, a slightly crazed look in her eyes.

“The magic has changed color.”

Sparks blinked and looked around the cloud of sparkles that enveloped her. “What?”

Starlight squinted and climbed up on the table to get a better look. “It has. Last time it was a soft orange-ish color. Now it’s gold. Like Celestia’s magic.”

“What does that mean?” River gazed worriedly up at her floating girlfriend.

“It means the foal’s magic is changing. Possibly that her abilities aren’t fully formed yet?” Starlight considered Sparks and reached up to wave her hoof through the magic.

“It’s possible that every foal’s magic changes color while in the womb. Or that their magic color and presentation isn’t fully formed until later in development.” Twilight was scribbling furiously on a scroll.

“Later in development??” Sparks said incredulously. “I’m so big I might pop! There is no later in development.” Her belly twisted painfully as the foal kicked two hooves up into her ribs. “Ow.”

Starlight took her into her own magic and pulled her down slightly, then let her go and reignited her horn, touching it gently to the golden aura. The magic immediately became a deep emerald green and Spark’s shot up towards the ceiling.

“WOAH WHAT THE FUCK??!!”

“That...was a mistake.” Starlight watched the pregnant mare as she was flown in circles high above the other ponies below.

“MISTAKE?!!?!” River shrieked as her girlfriend was whipped around in the air.

Twilight stood, gaping, watching as the magic changed color constantly, sliding between blue and green and orange and gold. She flew up to Sparks and tried to capture her in her own magenta magic, but the foal protested once again. The magic became jetblack, then spluttered, sparked, and faded. Seeking Sparks and her unborn foal plummeted to the floor.

Starlight caught her in her teal magic just before she hit the ground. Sparks was panting, wide eyed and wild haired. River rushed over and threw her forelegs around her, gasping and heart racing.

“Oh my Celestia! Sparks are you okay??” River pulled back and made desperate eye contact with her girlfriend.

Sparks looked around the room, getting her bearings back. When she looked back, Twilight, Starlight, and River were all looking at her worriedly. Sparks snorted, then giggled, then fell on her side laughing. The three other mares looked at each other, confused and concerned. After a moment, Sparks got her breath back and sat up, only occasionally breaking out into a quick giggle or two.

“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe that just happened.” Sparks wiped a tear from her eye and grinned. “I’m laughing so hard I’m crying!”

Twilight just mumbled under her breath and scribbled something on her scroll before tossing it onto a pile and grabbing a new one. River placed a hoof on her forehead and one on her neck.

“Fucking hell Sparks you nearly gave me a stroke.”

The pegasus laughed and pulled her girlfriend into a hug. “I’m okay baby. And you have to admit, that was wild.”

“Wild yes. Funny no.” River grumbled and hugged Sparks tighter. She had never been the one who was good in a crisis. Sparks, though, had always found the humor in any situation and was definitely the one who took charge in emergencies at camp.

“Not a very go with the flow moment hm?” Sparks nudged her girlfriend and grinned.

River closed her eyes and tried to bite back the ghost of a smile on her lips. It had been an inside joke of theirs for a long time. That Sparks, true to her name, was wild and hot headed and quick as a whip. And that River, like the water, was patient and persistent and flexible. But her name, Running River, belied her anxious tendencies. She wasn’t a very “go with the flow” type of pony.

Finally, the blue mare rolled her eyes and smiled at her girlfriend. “Only you Sparks.”

The pegasus gave her a cocky smile as she maneuvered her bulging belly off the ground. “You love me.”

River helped her to her hooves. “Yes I do.”

Starlight and Twilight had been talking over by one of the tables, and the two mares walked over to join them.

“Goodness Twilight you have enough notes here for a book.” Sparks rubbed an absent minded hoof over her belly while looking at all the scrolls on the table.

“That’s the idea!” Twilight’s eyes were shining with excitement as she continued writing down notes about the color changing magic.

“Oh! Cool!” Sparks grinned and put her hooves up on the table, looking around at all the papers.

River surveyed the scrolls. “With these magic fluctuations, are you expecting anything different for the birth?”

Twilight tilted her head and considered the question. “No, I don’t think so. We’ll put the Fledgling’s Forbearance back on and that should quell the foal’s magic. The birth should be completely normal, but just to be safe you should come here as soon as you feel contractions. We will do a quick check on the magic and then get you to the hospital.”

Twilight and Starlight put the spell back on Sparks’ belly and she felt the settling feeling return. “Could the foal break through the spell?”

Starlight gestured for Sparks to lie back as she scanned over her with her horn. “It’s possible. Though extremely unlikely. Do you want to know the sex?”

Both mares shook their heads. Sparks stood up for her usual measurements then Starlight and Twilight deemed her good to go. River hurried to her job at the animal sanctuary, and Sparks headed for Fluttershy’s cottage.

oOo

Sparks let Fluttershy fuss over her bulging belly while she pet Catharine and met all the kittens. She didn’t have to make a choice as Catherine nudged a little black kitten towards her and meowed at Fluttershy.

“She says his name is Pouncer and that he’s the one you should take home.”

The black kitten purred and rubbed the side of his face on Sparks’ wing. “He’s perfect.” She smiled and leaned down to nuzzle the kitten.

Fluttershy set her up with some care instructions, toys, bedding, and food. Sparks made sure to let Catherine know she could come by and visit any time and that she would bring Pouncer to visit sometimes too. Sparks settled the kitten on her back and waved goodbye to Fluttershy as she walked heavily back home. Fluttershy had lent her a set of saddlebags and they bulged with supplies for Pouncer. Her belly wasn’t making anything easier either.

When she finally managed to trudge through the door, she shrugged off the saddle bags and let Pouncer leap to the floor. Sitting with a heavy sigh, she rested her aching hooves and slumped back against the wall. The kitten rubbed his face along her leg again before running off to explore the house.

“Alright then. Just gotta make something for dinner.”

Sparks heaved herself to standing and hid the cat supplies in the martial arts closet, knowing River would have no reason to look in there. She took out the flour, sugar, vanilla, and eggs and set herself on a stool for a long afternoon of baking.

oOo

River walked tiredly into the house, mud caked on her mane and deer slobber all over her shoulder. She was met with the warm, inviting scent of vanilla and chocolate. Sparks was bent over in front of the oven, looking through the glass window. Her rump was up in the air, her tail swishing slightly and showing off the curve of her belly.

“Well hello there sexy.”

Sparks nearly leapt off her hooves, spinning wildly to face River. “Hi! Wow you’re a mess.”

River tossed her dirty mane. “Now is that any way to treat your girlfriend after a hard day of work?”

Sparks bit her lip and stifled a bout of laughter as River continued to sarcastically walk around the kitchen with her nose turned up and her tail high. “You’re right. Welcome home my princess. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Sparks bent down on one front leg and lifted her other hoof in the air, a mischievous gleam in her eye. River caught sight of her position and inhaled sharply.

“Ha! Looks more like you’re going to propose than like you’re a willing servant.”

Sparks just smiled and got to her hooves, pointing to the beautifully decorated cake on the counter and the cookies in the oven.

“Go ahead and clean up. I’ve got plans for us tonight.”

“Oh do you?”

“Yes! Now go shower!”

River climbed the stairs as Sparks packed up the picnic basket and brought out sandwich materials. Once River was out of sight, the pregnant mare lifted a small gift box from under the counter and nuzzled the little kitten inside. He meowed and curled up at the bottom, nestled on a warm water bottle and soft blanket. Sparks carefully packed the box, cake, sandwiches, warm cookies, and a few other snacks into the basket then settled herself on the couch to wait for River.

oOo

The mares were sitting at the end of the Camp Friendship dock, cuddled up with full and happy bellies. They watched as the sun set slowly, illuminating the camp, sky, and lake in blazing golden colors.

“I can’t believe camp season starts in just a few days.” River mused, looking back at the main camp. “Good thing we got everything ready before you were this...incapacitaed.”

Sparks shoved her lightly and glanced quickly at the picnic basket. “Hey! I’m not that useless. Just a little...over burdened.”

River chuckled and they sat in silence for a few more minutes before Sparks sat up and tapped her hooves nervously against the dock.

“It was right here where we had our first date. Sitting on the dock one evening after all the campers were in bed.”

River smiled warmly. “We were looking at the stars and I had no idea that it was a date until you asked if you could kiss me.”

“And we stood up and I kissed you and you were so nervous that you took a step back and fell in the lake!” Sparks laughed, feeling the memory warm her from the inside out and feeling her nervousness abate slightly.

“And you still haven’t let me live it down.” River smiled and looked out over the brilliant sunset.

Sparks lifted out the little gift basket and set it on the dock between them. River raised an eyebrow at her.

“What’s this?”

Sparks took a deep breath, trying to stave off the shudder in her voice. “Running River. You are the love of my life. My light, my home, my anchor. You keep my steady even on my worst days, and you make me smile even through tears. We have been best friends since I moved to Ponyville, and you have always been there for me.”

Sparks caught herself speeding up, so she took another steadying breath and tried again. “I have alway been hot headed, intense, and chaotic. I run hot and I am always thinking ahead to the next thing. But Rainbowdash told me once that when you’re moving faster than the speed of light, time slows down. That lightspeed makes everything slower, like it might as well be standing still. Well, you are my lightspeed. You make everything around me seem like it doesn’t matter. When I’m with you, I never worry about how much time has passed or what our next step might be. I just live in the moment with you.”

River’s eyes welled up with tears. Sparks took one last deep breath and forged ahead.

“I want you for the rest of my life. I want to wake up next to you every morning and raise this little colt or filly together. I want to support you in all your dreams, mistakes, best days, and worst days. I want to have a family with you.”

Sparks lifted the lid off the box and Pouncer leapt into River’s lap. The blue mare gasped and wrapped the cat in her forelegs.

“You always said that if I were to propose, I better do it with a kitten. So,” Sparks hoisted herself onto one knee and reached out her hoof.

“Running River, Will you marry me?”

The blue mare’s eyes welled with tears as she laughed and pressed her lips to Sparks’ Pouncer squirmed in her grip as she kissed her girlfriend for all she was worth. When they finally pulled apart, both mares were crying.

“Yes! Of course! Yes…” River nuzzled the kitten then leaned in and kissed Sparks again.

The two mares cuddled close and stayed on the dock for several hours, watching the rest of the sunset and then tracing the stars. And right where they had begun their journey many years ago, they now entered a new and wonderful chapter, soon to be joined by a wild and miraculous new life.

Author's Note

Next will be the birth!