Filly Guides Badge Hunting

6 Months Later

“Push darling. Almost there!”

Big Mac was holding his daughter’s hoof while being as supportive as he could. A large part of him regretted not being there for Guidance all those years ago now knowing that she had to do this alone.

Tag’s scream rocked the room. “I can’t! It hurts so bad.”

Guidance held her other forehoof. “No choice, Tag. Push… push now!”

With a grunt of effort, the doctor called out. “I can see the head. One more good push. One… two… PUSH!!!”

Holding onto both her parents’ hooves, Tag leaned forward and yelled what could only be a battle cry as her exhausted, spent body was struggling to push out a foal that was one-fifth her own size. She was too small to give birth, but she was in this predicament.

Statistically speaking, a mare had a 5% chance of dying during natural labor and the foal had a 4% to 44% chance of dying through normal labor, which was why it was so important to go to the hospital and not have the foal at home. By the same token, a caesarean section would normally be recommended for a filly as young as Tag, but mares had a 14% chance of dying and the mortality rate of foals rose to 53%, which was unacceptably high.

With that last push, the foal dropped into the doctor’s waiting hooves and with a little bit of light cleaning, the foal was slapped on the rear and started to scream.

It was music to Tag’s ears.

The doctor brought the foal over. “Congratulations, Tag-a-Long, it’s a colt.”

Looking at her colt, nestled on her stomach and already suckling, she cried.

“He’s so perfect…”

With a red coat exactly like Big Mac’s and an orange mane like her own, the colt was a perfect blend of both Mac’s and Tag’s colors.

Guidance cooed at the foal but asked her daughter a question. “What are you going to name him?”

Tag-a-Long considered it a moment while the foal suckled. “We are Apples now… I think a name paying homage to the Apple Family would be appropriate.”

Guidance nodded but also frowned. “Sure… but there aren’t a lot of Apple-based named left that aren’t being used. So, what do you name him?”

At that moment, the colt let out a loud belch. It was comically loud.

With a giggle, Tag kissed her son.

“Hard Cider.”

Mac grinned and Guidance frowned. “Hard Cider? Why not Apple Cider?”

Mac shook his head. “We already have a mare in the family named Apple Cider. And that belch would rival any heavy drinkers from any Cider House. I bet he’ll grow up ta make the best Hard Cider the Apple family has produced in generations.”

Guidance allowed herself a small smile. “Something to look forward to, then. He is a colt… I guess that means he’ll never be in the Filly Guides.”

Tag-a-Long smiled. “Actually… I was thinking that I want to create a ‘Colt Guides’ so we can teach colts how to be stallions similar to how the Filly Guides teaches fillies how to be mares. Big Mac would be a nice father figure to a lot of colts that don’t have fathers. The badges can be similar to the Filly Guides scout badges, but with male skillsets. We can use the existing Filly Guidebook to create a Colt Guidebook with daddy’s input. What do you think?”

Guidance kissed her daughter on the forehead. “I think that idea has earned you your Grandmother’s ‘Uncommon Wisdom’ badge. I believe that is the last one you needed to have them all… What a wonderful way to retire from the Filly Guides.”

Tag-a-Long nodded. “Well, I’m a married mare now… I can’t very well stay in the Filly Guides even if I wanted too… and you’re too young to retire as the Ponyville Scoutmaster and I don’t want to move to a different town to be the Scoutmaster anywhere else. At least creating the Colt Guides with Daddy’s help will allow me to continue to do something meaningful and still spend time with my son and stay on the farm. The farm chores will still get done.”

Mac kissed her on the forehead. “Of course, ah’ll help ya start up the new social group. Ah might be socially awkward but ah know how ta work and ah can teach that work ethic.”

Tag grinned. “I guess it’s settled then. We can convert our old house in town into a full-time Guide Lodge. Filly Guides and Colt Guides can meet on opposite weekends so both groups can use the lodge without getting into anypony else’s way. And we can hold a co-ed group activity once a year to foster colts and fillies working together.”

Guidance nodded enthusiastically at the idea. “And what activity would they work on together?”

Tag gave her mother a lustful grin.

“Animal Husbandry.”

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