Crystals Grow on Rainbows

"Dash Dash Dash! Tell me tell me tell meeeeeee!" Rainbow Dash was almost run into the ground by Pinkie Pie towering over her. If there was one time in particular that she went into hyperactive mode, it was this time. And nothing could stop the Pinkster when she was in her own hyperactive mode, as Dash herself always said. Today however was beyond hyperactive, impossible as the concept was. It had taken the magic of both Twilight and Trixie to keep her from bursting through the doors and interrupting for most of the day.

"She's fine okay? Just relax, she'll be up to having visitors soon enough. But only if you calm down." Dash walked past to sit down with Fluttershy and Twilight. It was hard to believe, but it had just happened. Twilight patted the mare's shoulder in a reassuring fashion to try and calm her down. Even now, she was still trembling in nervousness. Fluttershy held the other hoof, to comfort both herself and her friend.

"Sorry I'm late. Oh, you're out again Dash, how's Rarity doing?" Dash rolled her eyes for a moment, not at Applejack but the irony of the situation. Rarity, the one pony who they all expected to scream her lungs out more than any other pony, managed to remain really calm and quiet throughout. Full of contradictions as Twilight would say. All that meant for her was not needing the earplugs she took in with her.

"She's fine as I just said, they're doing all those check-ups, and then everypony can visit her, quietly!" Pinkie didn't taken too well to Dash's emphasis on the quiet, but if it was a rule she'd enforce then there wasn't really much choice. In comparison, Trixie remained the quietest of the group. Six months in Ponyville had taught her a lot, including respecting the wishes of others.

At long last, the doors opened to one of the unicorn doctors from Canterlot. Eyes turned towards Pinkie Pie, who was biting down heavily on her lips against the urge to shout whatever came to mind. After a few seconds, she settled back down into a somewhat normal state for her, enough that Dash nodded in approval. "If you'll follow me, she's ready to see you all now. The room is designed to dampen magic, so please refrain from trying to use it."

Dash led the ponies behind the doctor as he made his way through the hall. Spike was perched on Twilight's back as per usual; it had taken quite a bit of convincing for him to be allowed in on the first visit. Just about everypony was still nervous, having not seen Rarity for the past few days was a worrying experience. And now that they finally could, there was the hesitation of what lay ahead.

The white hospital gown was almost indistinguishable from Rarity's own colour, though it did highlight her locks of purple hair as they hung around her shoulders. Rainbow Dash settled down beside her on the bed gently to rub her shoulder. "Hey girls, and Spike, guess my mane looks like a total mess huh?" Pinkie giggled briefly before stuffing her hoof in her mouth to prevent an unwanted outburst.

Once the group had settled down around the bed, which Rarity found rather appropriate, she carefully rested the small alicorn foal down on her chest. Ice blue, her mane was coloured a deep azure, with the spiking edges splayed out in points of every colour. Gasps of awe spread around the group at the sight of the new foal. Rarity and Rainbow Dash's foal. And partly Celestia's of course, without her magic it wouldn't have been possible.

"Opal Flame, took a while to decide, but we both like it." Rainbow Dash carefully took hold of Opal as Rarity passed her over; each of the ponies took their turn to greet the new arrival. In complete contrast to her usual active and energetic self, Dash was taking the utmost care with her daughter. "It'll be a few days before she's home in Ponyville, Celestia's still tailoring some magical dampening spells for her. Opal came a few days earlier than we expected of course."

Twilight was the first to meet her, adoring the resemblance that she had of both parents. When she moved around to talk with Rarity at long last, Spike presented Opal with one of his treasured gems. Almost immediately, the foal began sucking on it, barely able to fit it in her mouth at all. "Well well well, I think Flame is an appropriate name, she might turn out to be a dragon after all."

Rarity's laugh was soft from her tired state, but she still managed to make it sound sincere. "My little Spikey-Wikey has a cousin to play with." Giggling to herself as she turned back to Twilight, the smile that she received from her was too warm to bear. "Oh Twilight, must you look at me like that? I only had a foal, it's nothing huge."

"I'd beg to differ Rarity; you took a pretty brave step. I don't know if any of us would have handled it so well." Rarity blushed again at her; everypony was so kind to her. It definitely made her feel more confident in herself. "So, are you two moving in together full time now?" The parents in question glanced at each other briefly, before Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Kinda hard to let go of her now that she's here." Dash nuzzled her little foal with that, looking up as Fluttershy approached at last. She had hidden at the back of the group for fear of disturbing Rarity and Opal. Now that she was actually there, the worry melted away into the pure affection she had for all small beings.

"She's so cute, and her mane and tail are beautiful." Suddenly finding Opal in her hold made her sigh with wonder. For the most part, she had been the unfortunate one when things got rough; being eaten by two different plants hadn't helped her confidence at all. Being trusted to hold the newborn rebuilt that for her. Such a big gesture of trust. "Thank you Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. I feel so lucky that I have friends like you. You've been an inspiration for everypony."

Pinkie Pie and Trixie had chosen to let others go first, both for different reasons. Trixie felt strongly that she was still a newcomer to their group, and didn't want to appear presumptuous in any way. Pinkie on the other hand knew quite well that she probably wouldn't be able to control the urge to begin singing loudly, and wanted to save that instead for when it would be more appropriate.

As Fluttershy passed Opal back to her mother, Rarity looked at all the others with a soft happiness she had rarely experienced before. "You're all wonderful ponies. And nothing will change my mind about that, ever." Pinkie Pie found herself beginning to cry, not in her melodramatic fashion like usual, but genuine tears of happiness.

"I love you Rarity, we all do." From there it became one big group hug, leading to farewell hugs for the new parents. Pinkie's touching expression of emotion was too much for Rainbow Dash to doubt now, Rarity letting her stroke Opal's mane before she too departed for the rest of the day. "Stay safe Rarity, none of us would want anything to happen to you, ever."

End of Part Four.