Trials of Starting a Family

Chapters

A Decision
A Chance
A Beginning
A Party
A Visit
A Fight
A Gift
A Storm
A Compromise
A Drift

A Decision

The knocking continued and Fluttershy had no choice but to answer it. She wanted some alone time to think about what she had agreed upon. Perhaps, it was just somepony trying to sell something. She sighed and swung the door half open.

"Fluttershy?" the pony called for her from behind the door.

She recognized Rarity's voice right away. Fluttershy opened the door and stood in the way of Rarity, hoping that the unicorn was going to be brief. Rarity was surprised by this little bold move.

"Oh.. hello, Rarity," Fluttershy weakly greeted. "Is there something you need?"

"Why yes! Don't you remember that we were going to have tea this late morning?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy scratched her head for a minute and then remembered. "Oh my goodness! I forgot! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude at all!" she rapidly apologized.

Rarity put a hoof over her mouth. "It's quite alright, dear. Is it fine if we a have a little chat and tea then? I won't stay long, I promise. I just wanted to get out after finishing my client's order," she explained.

Without hesitation, Fluttershy moved out of the way. Rarity walked past, closing the door for Fluttershy with her magic. She stopped when she saw Rainbow Dash sleeping on the couch. Fluttershy crouched over to her wife.

"Isn't she just adorable when she's asleep?" Fluttershy cooed.

Rarity rolled her eyes and gave a blank look at Rainbow Dash. "Sure.. she looks.. nice," she stuttered.

Fluttershy prepared a teapot while Rarity was left waiting at the table. She set it on her stove and then sat with Rarity for a little chat.

"So, what's new, Fluttershy?" I trust that things are going well between you and Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, unknowingly stirring up discomfort in the timid pegasus.

"Well.." Fluttershy began but hesitated. "Rainbow Dash and I are.. going to raise our own foal," she replied and hide behind her mane.

"Really?" Rarity asked out loud. Rainbow Dash made a grunting noise as she turned in her sleep. "That's wonderful, Fluttershy!" she said, now whispering after making such a disturbance.

"I guess it is.. I just wish.. I.. I wasn't the birthmother," she murmured.

"You're pregnant already?" Rarity asked with an incredulous look on her face.

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, not yet at least. Rainbow doesn't want to be it. She told me that she wasn't right for it and that basically, I would be a better mother," she explained. "But I don't think I can do it."

"You know that she was right," Rarity commented. "Although, she has had some pretty bad ideas.. this was probably the best one".

"How?"

"Well, I don't mean to insult your wife or anything, but she just wouldn't make a good as of a mother as you. However, I suppose I can see her as a pretty good father figure sort of to speak. I'm not trying to call-"

"I get it, Rarity," Fluttershy interrupted. "I hope this is going to be over quick," she said.

The teapot was steaming now so Rarity used her magic to move it for Fluttershy. Unknowingly to both ponies, Rainbow Dash had been woken up and was slowly stretching out her limbs.

"Don't worry, dear. Once it's all over, you'll eventually forget it and move on. Not to mention that you'll be holding an adorable filly in your arms with Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, trying to cheer up her friend.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, getting off of the couch. "What's Rarity doing here? How long have I been asleep?"

Fluttershy rushed over to the love of her life. "Sorry, Rainbow! I didn't want to disturb you!" she quickly apologized.

"Huh? Oh, it's alright. I didn't thank you for the awesome massage though.. so here you go!" Rainbow Dash said and planted a kiss on Fluttershy's lips.

Fluttershy kissed back, causing the other pegasus to keep kissing. It started to turn into a full on make out session while the couple forgot that Rarity was still in the room. A little moan escaped Fluttershy's mouth as she was lost in her love. Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through her soft pink mane, gently stroking it.

"Ahem," Rarity coughed.

Rainbow Dash stopped, peering over to glance at the unicorn. "Oh.. hello, Rarity," she said.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," Rarity cheerfully greeted.

"Um.. any reason what you're doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, scratching the back of her head.

Rarity brushed her mane and used her unicorn magic to pour tea in two little cups on the table. "I was just here for a little tea party". She stopped to take a careful sip from her cup. "I also heard that you and Fluttershy are planning on having a foal soon, am I right?"

"Yeah, of course. We were going to visit Twilight pretty soon," Rainbow Dash said.

"Don’t mind me, Rainbow Dash. I'll just finish my tea and be out of your way," Rarity said.

Fluttershy brought another chair and sat down back her seat. Rainbow Dash joined them in the conversation and sat next to her beloved wife. She put a hoof around her shoulder and leaned back a little.

The conversation with Rarity had proved to be quite pleasant. It only consisted of small talk about unimportant things but that didn't bother anypony. After finishing her beverage, she bid farewell and wished the best of luck to both ponies. They were ready to get some helpful advice from Twilight and hopefully, also the Cakes'. Rainbow Dash just needed to convince Fluttershy to agree with her plan on how to basically get her pregnant. The couple thought about bringing lunch with but quickly dismissed the idea and hoped that it wouldn't be too long of a visit.

On their way to Twilight's tree house, they came across a few ponies who greeted them with a warm smile and a friendly hello. The couple had been grateful that Ponyville was one of the friendliest villages towards their kind. They arrived at the giant tree house and knocked.

"Who is it this time, Spike?" Twilight yelled behind the door.

The door opened and Spike peered out. Instead of waiting to be let in, Rainbow Dash pushed past Spike and motioned with her hoof to Fluttershy to follow her. The librarian was busy sorting through a stack of books.

"Hey, Twilight! Do you have a minute?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight glanced over her shoulder and gave a warm smile to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "Oh, hey guys. You came to talk about something?" she asked, giving a quick wink.

"Yeah, Fluttershy and I need some advice," Rainbow Dash said, scratching her head.

"Um.. Twilight, could we borrow some helpful books on pregnancy?" Fluttershy asked, trying to hide under the protection of the wing that was laid down on her.

Twilight let out a giggle. "Of course! I have all sorts of useful guides on that subject!" she said and focused her magic on a particular section of a bookshelf. "Let's see.. there's The Right Diet: Pregnancy, Dealing with Pregnancy, and some others".

The Alicorn used her magic to levitate the books into a stack and set it in front of Fluttershy who eagerly went through them. She quickly picked out a few that she knew would prove useful. The Right Diet: Pregnancy seemed like it was going to be very handy. There were a few others that just were scientific and medical books which offered no helpful advice.

"Thanks so much, Twilight!" Fluttershy said and gave her a quick hug.

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Is that everything that you need?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded her head a little but Rainbow Dash shook her head and spoke up. "Now, what about that one thing we were talking about earlier? You know, the one about combining our DNA," she said.

"Did you even tell Fluttershy about it?" Twilight replied.

Fluttershy shook her head and gave a confused look at Rainbow Dash. "Heh, sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Fluttershy. I didn't want to bring this up.. after y'know.. the argument," she apologized.

"It's okay, Rainbow," Fluttershy reassured her. "But um.. what were you talking about?"

"I'll explain it to you," Twilight offered. "Basically, I had told Rainbow Dash that there was a way to combine the egg cells of two mares. Both mares would be the biological parents and the foal will share some of their traits. It's a rather expensive procedure though and the odds of it working out are not favorable," she explained.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof around Fluttershy as they sat together. "Doesn't that just sound like an awesome idea, Flutters?" she asked, getting excited over the idea.

Fluttershy smiled for a second but then let it fade away to a frown. "Rainbow, that sounds like a wonderful idea.. but you know we really don't have much because of the wedding and stuff. You still haven't fully paid off our wedding bands," she said in a sad tone.

The cyan pegasus lowered her head down as she remembered that the money which they saved up was used on those things. 'Why did I even bother? There's no way we can do this,' Rainbow Dash thought.

Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but feel sad for both ponies. Even though sperm donation seemed like the best option for Fluttershy, the idea was hard to resist. Fluttershy had her hooves wrapped around Rainbow Dash in an effort to console her for bursting her bubble.

"Don't give up just yet, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said in a confident tone. The pegasus only returned a frowned look. "I've looked into much of their research and methods. It wouldn't be impossible for a smart unicorn like me to replicate it but of course it'll be very difficult and without the proper equipment, the odds are like a flipping a bit," she explained, reigniting lost hope in the couple.

Rainbow Dash looked up with widened eyes. "Wait, really? You can do it?" she asked.

"Yes, I can try but I'm only doing this once," Twilight replied.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Twilight!" she thanked her.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Okay, but I only have time to do this either tomorrow morning or sometime next week," she said and turned back to sorting the books out.

"C'mon, Fluttershy. We'll get this over with tomorrow," she urged the timid pegaus.

Fluttershy gave a look of uncertainty because she wasn't exactly ready just yet. "Well, I um.. I guess.. we could do it tomorrow," she gave in.

"That's my girl!" Rainbow Dash said and scooped up Fluttershy in a tight embrace.

The couple had said their goodbyes and moved on with their agenda. Fluttershy borrowed one of Twilight's spare saddlebags so she could carry the books. She hoped that they would prove useful. They approached their next stop, Sugar Cube Corner. However, there was a closed sign hanging by the door. Rainbow Dash ignored it and knocked on the door.

"Pinkie Pie, are you there!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

Fluttershy tugged at her shoulder. "I think they're busy. Let's go home and try again tomorrow," she suggested to Rainbow Dash.

"No way! Let's do it now," Rainbow Dash replied.

The door finally creaked open and out came Pinkie Pie's head. "Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"We wanted to talk to you and the Cakes'," Rainbow Dash answered.

Pinkie Pie glanced back into the bakery. "I don't think now is the right time for that," she said.

"Whys that?"

"A little pegasus filly got sick and threw up. We can't let anypony in because we don't know if she had the feather flu or not. So, we're busy doing our best to clean up and disinfect the whole place," she explained.

Fluttershy panicked, taking several steps backward away from the place. Rainbow Dash backed up too in fear that catching the feather flu would land her in days of bed rest or worse--the hospital. Fluttershy was worried about the risk of catching it right before her pregnancy.

"Are you serious?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Fluttershy, get as far away as you possibly can! Pinkie Pie don't you even dare go near her!" she shouted, her breathing rapid and uneven.

Pinkie Pie frowned a little. "Whoa, Rainbow Dash! I didn't mean to startle you guys or something! You don't have to be so super-duper protective of Fluttershy to the point of being paranoid," she said, reaching out with a hoof.

"You don't understand. She's going to be carrying our foal and I don't want anything to happen to her," Rainbow Dash explained while trying to calm down.

The party pony's eyes widened in surprise as she jumped out of the doorway. "Oh my gosh! You're going to have a foal, Fluttershy? I can't believe it! When are you having it? It is soon?" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

"Well.. I'm not pregnant just yet.. but I will be tomorrow," Fluttershy answered.

"Oh.. is that why you wanted to talk to us?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Rainbow Dash kept her distance. "Yeah, we were looking for some helpful advice," she replied.

"I'm sure that the Cakes' would love to help with that but we really don't have time today. What if the we come over sometime later tomorrow?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash glanced at each other

"Um.. I guess that would be okay. What if you all came for dinner? I wouldn't mind cooking for more than just me and Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy offered.

"Okey-dokey-lokey! That's a great idea, Fluttershy! I'll tell the Cakes'! We'll be there!" Pinkie Pie replied and disappeared back into Sugarcube Corner.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and the couple moved on. There was nothing else that they had planned for the rest of the day. Both of them didn't expect Pinkie Pie to be so busy or a possible feather flu outbreak to happen. The couple retreated back to their cottage with the books they borrowed.

The rest of the day went by pretty quick. Though Rainbow Dash was pushing Fluttershy to overcome her fears of pregnancy and childbirth, she wasn't so sure about herself. She didn't even know if she liked foals enough to properly raise one with her wife. Yet, she still pushed Fluttershy to achieve her goal.

When it came to supper time, Rainbow Dash decided to secretly make up for it by having the evening as romantic as she could for her lover. She wouldn't tell Fluttershy the real reason for it except for the fact that she loves her. While Fluttershy was busy cooking the wheatloaf, Rainbow Dash had gotten out the candles and an old record player which had been handed down by Fluttershy's family.

"What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked when she saw the candles.

Rainbow Dash grinned. "I thought that you would love if we have a romantic evening. You know.. doing stuff like dancing, kissing, and just cuddling in front of the fireplace," she said with the sappiest look on her face.

Fluttershy blushed and moved over to nuzzle Rainbow Dash. "Aww.. you really know how to make a pegasus like me feel happy!" she said.

"I know how to make my snuggle bunny happy," Rainbow Dash said, nuzzling her back.

Fluttershy giggled and planted a sweet little kiss on her cheek. "You're my little lovebird," she cooed, causing Rainbow Dash to blush and smile widely.

The sound of a timer going off distracted Fluttershy. She hurried into their kitchen to use an oven mitt to pull the wheatloaf out of the oven. Rainbow Dash started licking her lips when the intoxicating aroma reached her nostrils. While, Fluttershy was setting the table, she lit all the red candles that she had placed around.

They took their seats at the table which was now lit up by a single candle. Fluttershy giggled in happiness at Rainbow Dash's work to make it a romantic dinner.

"This smells great, Fluttershy! You're always so good at cooking!" Rainbow Dash commented.

"Aww.. thanks, Rainbow!" Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her plate. There was a succulent piece of wheatloaf on it along with some mashed potatoes that looked fluffy like a cloud. She took a bite and savored the taste. Nothing else tasted as good as her wife's cooking. Applejack was an exception though. Her family had passed down many recipes and skills for cooking to her.

They continued to eat quietly, enjoying the company of the other. It never really bothered Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy was a mare of few words. She had known the pony for such a long time and was used to it. Still, she tried her best to get the shy pegasus to come out of her shell.

Fluttershy let out a little burp. "Oops! excuse me, Rainbow!" she apologized.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I don't mind. Are you done eating?"

"Yes," Fluttershy replied.

The couple got up and tried to clean off the table as fast as they could. Fluttershy was eager to spend the rest of her evening with Rainbow Dash. She loved every second that she spent with the love of her life. They finished washing the dishes together and were now ready to spend quality time with each other.

Rainbow Dash turned on the music and stood on her hind legs. Fluttershy joined her and rested her hooves on her wife's shoulders. She felt the other pony's hooves land on the sides of her waist. They swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music. It was the kind of dance that was done at flight school during prom.

They were lost in love. Fluttershy looked into Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes and leaned her head in for a kiss. Rainbow Dash saw her move and closed in with her lips. The couple met with a passionate kiss that melted their hearts. Fluttershy applied more pressure and felt Rainbow Dash's tongue gently touching her lips. She pushed her tongue past as she let the other in.

The kiss continued on and both ponies had to breath through their nostrils. Reluctantly, they broke away, both out of breath and trying to get air. The couple laid down in front of the blazing fireplace, taking a few deep breaths. Rainbow Dash waited for Fluttershy to steady her breathing.

Fluttershy's heart was pounding with love. She managed to get her uneven breathing under control and smiled at Rainbow Dash. The bold pegasus gave a cheesy grin.

"I love you, Fluttershy," she said, her eyes sparkling in the fire's glaze.

"I love you too, Rainbow."

Fluttershy reached her hooves out to be met by a cyan pair. She looked into the beautiful eyes that gazed back at her and the prismatic mane that glowed by the fire.

"Remember when we first danced?" she asked.

"How could I forget?" Rainbow Dash said in a soft tone.

Memories went through Fluttershy's mind as she remembered the night of prom in flight school. She had chosen to stay in her room because she was too afraid to go alone to the dance. Little did she know at the time that she had no romantic interest in stallions anyway. She had her family's old record player on and was crying in despair. Rainbow Dash had barged in at the wrong time and stumbled on her in a vulnerable state. The cyan pegasus tried to comfort her but this was the last dance and was her last chance for love.

Rainbow Dash then offered to dance with her just so that she could have the experience of it. Fluttershy reluctantly accepted, feeling unsure of whether or not she should be doing this with a mare. It started out awkward but both of them started getting into it, having strange feelings arise for the other pony. They shrugged them off and finally stopped dancing together. Fluttershy thanked Rainbow Dash for showing her a good time but never contemplated if there was something special between them for a long time.

"Hey, are you falling asleep?" Rainbow Dash asked?

Fluttershy suddenly jerked her shoulders and head. She hadn't been aware of her surroundings much while she was looking back on the past. They both were lying on their sides. Rainbow Dash was behind her with her hooves around, holding her close to her chest.

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" she apologized.

"I think it's time for sleepyhead here to go bed," Rainbow Dash said in her softest voice.

She helped Fluttershy up on her hooves and went around to put the candles out. The fire had died out and the last remaining embers were glowing a bright orange. Rainbow Dash draped a loving wing over Fluttershy as she walked her into their bedroom.

They both climbed into the bed and pulled their large comfy blanket over themselves. Fluttershy scooted herself closer to Rainbow Dash and they snuggled up, holding onto each other as they slowly drifted asleep.

A Chance

Fluttershy woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Her head was resting on Rainbow Dash's chest. She could feel the heartbeat and the steady breathing of the pegasus. She readjusted herself to get comfortable again. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and looked down at the pony who was partially resting on her chest. She ran a gentle hoof through Fluttershy's mane, carefully stroking it. Fluttershy let out a little giggle and nuzzled against her chest.

"Heh, how was I lucky enough to get a mare like you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy rubbed up and down Rainbow Dash‘s chest with a hoof. "Because.. you're cute! You're one of bravest, strongest, and most loyal ponies!" she said, causing the pegasus to blush.

"Cute? What about cool?" Rainbow Dash begged half-jokingly.

"Very cool.. but cute," Fluttershy said and nuzzled against her chest again.

Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle. "I guess I could settle with that," she decided.

They continued their little cuddle session, enjoying the comfort of each other's warm body. Fluttershy closed her eyes and for a minute it seemed like both ponies were going to doze off back to sleep. Rainbow Dash turned her head slightly to examine their alarm clock.

She nudged Fluttershy slightly on her shoulder. "Hey, it's about time we finally get this over with. Are you ready, Fluttershy?" she asked.

Reluctantly, Fluttershy lifted her head and opened her eyes at Rainbow Dash. "I-I don't know.. Rainbow. I guess that I'm ready for this?" she said, wording like a question.

"Do you.. want me to do it?" Rainbow Dash asked, with a confident look.

Fluttershy froze for a minute but then shook her head. "No, Rainbow Dash.. this was my dream to begin to with. You always told me that one day I would be brave. Well, maybe this is my chance to show you," she said.

"You don't have to do this to show me that you can be brave," Rainbow Dash said and stroked her mane again.

"No, I really need to be brave this time. I have to do this alone," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash touched her cheek with a gentle hoof. "Not alone. I will be there with you the whole time and forever," she said, smiling down.

Fluttershy leaned over and brought her lips close to Rainbow Dash's face. Their muzzles locked in a long passionate kiss. Rainbow Dash had her hooves around on her back, slowly rubbing up and down it. After a minute, they finally broke away and gazed into each other's eyes.

"I'm ready," Fluttershy declared.

The couple got of bed and hurried to prepare themselves. While Fluttershy was busy trying to get all the animals fed, Rainbow Dash was looking through her own little book shelf that consisted mostly of Daring Do books. She had no idea how long it would take and decided to bring one book just in case.

Rainbow Dash found Fluttershy waiting for her outside. She nodded at her and they both took off to the sky to get there faster. Little did Rainbow Dash know that this would probably be the last time she got to fly with Fluttershy until a long time. Within a minute or two, they arrived at their destination.

"Hey, are you sure you can do this?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, Rainbow," she answered.

Rainbow Dash started to knock but the door was suddenly engulfed by a light aura of magic. It swung wide open for them and they stepped in. Twilight used her magic to close it and led them downstairs into her basement. As they walked down, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice all the strange machines and contraptions that were there.

"Here," Twilight motioned to them. She used her magic to pull out two mats for the pegasi to lay on. "Just lay down and I'll tell you how this will work," she said.

Rainbow Dash dropped her book down and propped herself on the mat. She crossed her hooves behind her head as if she was outside laying in the sunlight. Fluttershy on the other hand took it like a filly who was going to visit a doctor for a shot. She quivered a little and laid back on her mat in an uncomfortable position.

Twilight noticed her discomfort. "Oh, there's no need to feel worried about this. All I am going to do is take a egg cell from you and Rainbow Dash, combine them while using the microscope, and just place it into back into you," she explained.

"So, it's not going to hurt?" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Of course it won't hurt!" Twilight reassured her.

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "Hey, could we move this along?" she asked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and her horn glowed with magic for a few seconds. She turned away with a small aura of magic floating over her shoulder. She went over to a counter that had an expensive looking microscope on it. She placed the tiny contents of the aura onto a slide.

"That was it?" Fluttershy asked. She had felt nothing and wondered if Twilight even did anything.

"Yep," Twilight replied. "Don't worry. I'm the one who gets stuck with the worst part: sitting at this microscope for about an hour or two, carefully combining your genetic material," she said in a dry tone.

Rainbow Dash got up. "So, can we go now?" she inquired.

"No, I would really prefer if you two stayed here," Twilight replied.

The bored pegasus looked around and her attention was caught on the book that she had brought. "Could I read my Daring Do book to Fluttershy then? I'll be quiet, I promise," she begged.

"That's perfectly fine, Rainbow Dash. Now, let me get to work," Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash moved her mat right next to Fluttershy and laid down with the book. Fluttershy leaned over, resting her head against her wife's shoulder. She flipped the cover open and started reading.

"Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet.."

The time went by fast as Rainbow Dash narrated the story for Fluttershy. She went through the story sounding like an excited filly. Fluttershy didn't mind it at all. She loved her wonderful voice--even if it did crack often. To her, it just sounded even more cute when she did. They only got halfway through the story when Twilight was finally finished.

"Okay!" the Alicorn said, wiping sweat off her face. "Finally.. done!" she announced.

Rainbow Dash put down the book. "Aww.. I was only half done," she said.

"We can always finish it later, Rainbow!" Fluttershy said.

Twilight approached Fluttershy with an aura of magic following her. A little light flashed and it was gone. She sat down on the floor, clearly tired and exhausted from standing at the microscope for so long. She also had been using her magic for most of the time and it had sapped most of her energy.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, her heart starting to beat fast.

"Yeah.. I just.. need to take.. a nap," Twilight yawned.

"So, that's it? Is she pregnant now?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

Twilight shook her head. "It could have.. worked.. or not. Depending on if.. I manage to put it.. together right, You're best bet is.. to give it some time and use.. one of those pregnancy testers from the drug store," she managed to coherently spill out.

"Thank you, Twilight," Fluttershy squeaked.

"You're welcome. Now.. there's no way I'm doing this again.. so, if it doesn't work out, you're obviously going to have to.. get a sperm donor.. or adopt. Whichever works for you," she explained.

The couple helped Twilight to her feet and walked her up the stairs and into her bedroom. She collapsed onto the bed, snoring already as she lay on the mattress. Fluttershy let out a giggle at the sight and they left without another word or sound. Outside of her house, they stopped to quietly chat for a moment.

"So.. you feel any different?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy lifted her hooves one-by-one and examined each one as if there were some tell-tale sign that told if she was pregnant or not. "I don't know. I don't feel any different," she said, shaking her head in worry.

"Well, I can go get one of those pregnancy testers and you can check tomorrow. I just really hope that this is going to work after all," Rainbow Dash said and lowered her head down.

"So do I," Fluttershy said. She extended her wing out and draped it over Rainbow Dash who gave a surprised look at the gesture.

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Alright, let's go back home," she decided.

They set off to return home to spend the remainder of the day in each other's company until of course Pinkie Pie and the Cakes' arrive for dinner. Fluttershy kept her wing on Rainbow Dash as they slowly walked back. Normally, Rainbow Dash would be uncomfortable showing her affection in public but she didn't seem to bothered by this romantic gesture. The couple came across Applejack along the way.

"Well howdy there, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy!" the cowpony cheerfully greeted.

"Hey, Applejack," they said in unison.

"Say, ah been hearing this rumor about ya two," Applejack said, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow Dash smirked, already knowing what it could be. "Really? What is that?" she asked.

"Ah heard that you an Fluttershy are trying to have a foal," Applejack answered.

"That's right! Flutters here is going to be carrying our future foal," Rainbow Dash announced.

Applejack readjusted her hat. "Well, that's just dandy! Ah started wondering if ya'll were ever going to consider having one or adopting." Her expression suddenly changed. "Oh shucks, ah best be going now. Pinkie Pie wanted me to help with the par- ah mean she wanted me to share a recipe! Goodbye!" she quickly said and ran off.

The couple stood there for a sec and then just shrugged it off. Neither did Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy catch what Applejack said about some favor for Pinkie Pie. It didn't matter at the moment. Both of them had their hopes high up for the possible foal and were a little anxious about dinner. They kept on walking together back home. Fluttershy still had her wing over Rainbow Dash in a loving matter.

When they got back home, both of them wanted to do nothing else but lounge around and cuddle for a bit. So, that's what they did. They hugged, kissed, and snuggled close together on their bed. It was pure bliss for both pegasi. Rainbow Dash made sandwiches for lunch. Fluttershy whipped up a pretty tasty salad as a snack. They crawled back into bed and took a quick nap before it was time to get ready for dinner.

Now having to prepare everything for their quests, they split up and tried to tackle the work by cutting it in half. Rainbow Dash agreed to tidy up the place while Fluttershy prepared the dinner that they were going to share with their quests.

Rainbow Dash tried to sweep but never had used a broom before. She clumsily brushed the floor by simply dragging the broom instead of taking sweeps. She then tried to dust all the furniture in the room but that didn't go well either. Instead of using a wet rag to wipe down the wooden furniture and drying it off with a clean one, she merely had used her own hooves just to push the dust off.

Fluttershy was too busy to notice the mediocre job that Rainbow Dash had done. She was pre-occupied with preparing a large meal of spaghetti and wheatballs for everypony. She also was fixing up some garlic bread to go with it. Reluctantly, she had brought out the wine for everypony else to enjoy except for herself.

"Hey, I finished cleaning around," Rainbow Dash announced, taking a slight bow.

Fluttershy walked out of the kitchen and took a minute to glance at the bold pegasus's work. "Oh my.. um.. Rainbow Dash?" she stuttered.

"Surprised? See, I can do a pretty good job for my snuggly wuggly!" Rainbow Dash cooed.

Unable to come up with words, Fluttershy stood with her mouth hung open. The floor looked even more dirty because Rainbow Dash had chosen to dust after she had tried to clean the floor. Fluttershy didn't have the heart to tell her that all the effort which she had put in was wasted. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her. Rainbow Dash was particularly sensitive to her words and needed her appraise.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Speechless! I knew it! I'm that awesome!" she said and eagerly awaited for a response. Finally she said, "Well, I'm going take a quick shower then," and left Fluttershy to the mess that she made worse.

Fluttershy sighed and went to get her cleaning supplies out. She hurried to clean up the place while Rainbow Dash was busy taking a shower. All the rest and comfort that the snuggling and kissing had brought was wearing off as she stressed to get Rainbow Dash's job done right. She was going to have to show Rainbow Dash how to clean, cook, and take care of the animals before her possible pregnancy starts to render her helpless in several months.

She finished cleaning and looked back at her work. The cottage was sparkling clean now. Though, it was going to be pretty obvious to Rainbow Dash that she didn't like her work at all. She went back into the kitchen to check on the food. The shower went off and she could hear Rainbow Dash drying herself off with a towel.

Rainbow Dash came out and walked into their living with a confused look on her face. Suddenly, she seemed a little hurt as she realized that Fluttershy really hadn't been admiring her work and ended up doing it for her. She turned into the kitchen with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I really did a pretty bad job, didn't I?" Rainbow Dash sniffled.

Fluttershy stopped what she was doing and pulled her wife in tight hug. "It's okay, Rainbow. I should have showed you how to get it done. I'm really sorry!" she said, engulfing Rainbow Dash with her wings closing around.

Rainbow Dash said nothing but whimpered in her embrace. She let a few tears slide down her cheeks as she buried her face in Fluttershy's soft mane. They stayed like for a while until Fluttershy brought her wings back to her side and pulled away a little. Their faces were now inches away.

Before Rainbow Dash could let out a word, Fluttershy brought her lips on her own, kissing her with much passion as she tried to bring her out of this vulnerable state. She was stunned for a few seconds by this bold move but then found herself kissing back. It lasted for half a minute when Fluttershy broke away to catch her breath.

"I love you, Flutters," Rainbow Dash said with a lovey-dovey look in her eyes.

Fluttershy almost had her breathing under control. "I.. love you too.. Rainbow! But, you.. didn't have to.. get all upset over the.. cleaning," she said.

"I just wanted to help you out. I let you down," Rainbow Dash explained.

"It's okay. You didn't know. Would you like to help make the garlic bread?" Fluttershy suggested.

Rainbow Dash grinned. "I'd love to!"

The couple went to work in the kitchen. Fluttershy gave her the simple instructions and had gotten all the ingredients out. Rainbow Dash did it all on her own and managed to not somehow mess it up. Garlic bread was one of the simplest things to make but nevertheless, Fluttershy was still proud of her.

There wasn't much time before Pinkie Pie and the Cakes' arrive. Fluttershy left to take a quick shower, leaving Rainbow Dash in the kitchen to watch over the food. Instead of trying to take over, she didn't dare to touch anything in fear of ruining it all. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Rainbow Dash opened the door to be greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Cake. She let them in and waited for Pinkie Pie to drag an entire cake inside. Oddly enough, they didn't bring the twins with them.

"Uh.. good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" she greeted them.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash," Mrs. Cake cheerfully greeted back. "Where's Fluttershy?" she asked.

Fluttershy came out just in time to hear Mrs. Cake say her name. "Oh my! I'm sorry if I made you wait. I tried to take a really quick shower," she apologized.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy! We just got here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and jumped into a recliner chair.

"Hey, where's the twins?" Rainbow Dash asked with a curious look.

"Oh, we didn't want to bring them because they still play with their food," Mr. Cake explained.

"Who's watching them then?" Fluttershy asked with a worried look.

"Pinkie Pie asked Applejack and Rarity to take care of them together," Mrs. Cake said.

Rainbow Dash left to get two seats so that everypony could sit down in the living room and talk. The food wasn't ready yet and this was the right time to ask their important questions. Fluttershy needed some answers and wanted to hear what Mrs. Cake might say about her own previous pregnancy and about having the twins.

"So, Fluttershy, you wanted to ask us about having foals?" Mr. Cake said.

"Yes, please! I really use some helpful advice and um.. if you wouldn't mind.. if you could share some of the experiences of pregnancy and um.. foalbirth," Fluttershy said, lowering her tone as she spoke.

"Well, it wasn't too bad really. Mr. Cake was able to tend to my needs while Pinkie Pie ran the shop. Though, there were some moments that I wasn't my finest but I got over them. It's not as scary as you would think it would be," Mrs. Cake explained.

Rainbow Dash came back with two folding chairs that she pulled out from their small basement. It was a new addition they made about two weeks after they got married. It was mostly used for storage. She set them down and sat with Fluttershy.

"What about.. foalbirth? Is it really that painful?" Fluttershy asked.

Mrs. Cake looked up for a moment as if she were trying to think. "Well, it was very painful," she said causing Fluttershy to cringe. "But, I honestly don't have much memory of it. I do remember being in pain but all of a sudden most it went away and I was holding two beautiful foals in my hooves."

"But, it does hurt?" Fluttershy asked.

"Fluttershy, you have to push past that. Don't let something like that get in the way. Of course, it's going to be uncomfortable and hurt. But, once it's over, you'll be forgetting all the bad parts like me," Mrs. Cake explained.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof around her shoulder. "Yeah, don't worry, Fluttershy. Besides, you know that you'll have me by your side the entire time," she said, trying to comfort her.

Fluttershy smiled a little and planted a little kiss on her cheek. Pinkie Pie let out a long, "Awww," and then preceded to asking when the food was ready.

"Oops! I think it is ready!" she said and hurried to the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash followed her and helped set the table. Within a matter of minutes, they have a great feast awaiting themselves and their quests. Pinkie Pie sat in the godfather chair while the Cakes' sat across from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Mmm.. this spaghetti tastes wonderful," Mr. Cake commented.

"Thank you!" Fluttershy said.

Mrs. Cake put down her garlic bread. "Yes, and the garlic bread is very good," she added.

Rainbow Dash took great pride in herself. "Yup, I made the garlic bread and you bet it's awesome!" she said, spreading her wings out.

Pinkie Pie giggled at the end of the table. "So, Fluttershy.. are you pregnant yet?" she asked.

"Well, I think so. I'm not so sure. We only did this thing this morning and I haven’t used a pregnancy tester yet to make sure," she explained to Pinkie Pie.

"Oh, you already tried sperm donation? How does that work? Do you get to choose who specifically?" Mrs. Cake eagerly asked.

Rainbow Dash winked. "Well, it was more like egg donation," she said with a sly smile.

Mr. Cake furrowed his brows in confusion. "So, she's carrying your foal?" he asked.

"Our foal," Rainbow Dash tried to correct him.

The Cakes' shrugged at each other and stopped asking about it. Everypony was enjoying the delicious food that Fluttershy prepared with some help from Rainbow Dash. They weren't so sure why Pinkie Pie came along because she seemed to have no input whatsoever on their upcoming challenge.

"I forgot to thank you guys!" Pinkie Pie said at random, causing Rainbow Dash to roll her eyes. "So, thanks for letting me eat dinner with you guys and for the food of course!"

"Aww.. you're most welcome, Pinkie Pie!" Fluttershy said.

"I never had gotten invited for dinner before but now I have and I love it!" Pinkie Pie stated.

"Maybe we should do this again with our other friends," Rainbow Dash suggested.

Pinkie Pie gasped. "That's a great idea! I'll have to keep that in mind," she said.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her empty plate and rubbed her belly. "Phew. I'm so stuffed. I'm not sure that I have any room for dessert," she said and slouched down a little.

"Me either," Fluttershy added.

Mrs. Cake let a long yawn and stretched her hooves out in the air followed by Pinkie Pie who let out a louder, more exaggerated yawn. "I don't think we can either. It's been such a long day for us. I feel so tired," she said.

"Aw, I was hoping that we could have dessert. That's okay! We could just cut the cake in half and leave a half for you guys!" Pinkie Pie suggested.

"That would be great," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm feeling pretty tired as well."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy got up to quickly clean off the table. While they grabbed all the plates and cups, Pinkie Pie cut the cake and stowed away the couple's half in their refrigerator. The Cakes' waited near the door so that they could give a proper goodbye before they left with Pinkie Pie. The couple finished clearing the table and were ready to say their goodbyes.

"Thanks so much for treating us to dinner. You didn't have to do that if you just wanted some advice," Mrs. Cake said with a warm smile.

"Oh no! It was nice having you here to chat. Thanks by the way for your help," Fluttershy said.

"Goodbye!" Pinkie Pie said before they left.

They stood looking at each other in the eyes. Both of them could see that the other was clearly tired and wanted some rest. Without saying another word, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash retired to bed early. Both of them were exhausted from the day and needed a good night's sleep for the next day. Just like always, the couple snuggled up under the blanket and fell asleep holding onto each other.

In Fluttershy's dream, she was holding up a yellow filly that had the same coat as her. It's mane was a display of six colors--exactly like her wife's own mane. Rainbow Dash dreamed of lying down in a cloud with Fluttershy. Between them was a little filly. However, it was cyan blue and had a pink mane that was cut just like her own mane. The couple continued to enjoy themselves in their dreams, silently hoping for an answer the next day.

A Beginning

It was yet again, another perfect day in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash woke up feeling well rested but had no desire at all to leave her bed so soon. She kept her eyes closed and continued to lay in bed. It was so comfortable and easy on her back that she never had any problems adjusting when she moved in with her wife. Right then, she felt out of place as if something were missing. She rolled over, trying to get over this strange feeling. Finally, she gave up and opened her eyes.

Immediately, she realized what was missing. It was really who was missing that had been making her feel so weird this morning. Fluttershy was no longer there in bed next to her. Rainbow Dash tried to think to back to the other day when they went to bed early. All the little details were missing and it was starting to confuse her. She only had a glass of wine but even that didn't make her tipsy.

Now that she was thinking about the wine, she remembered that Fluttershy was the one who didn't have any at all and instead had a cup of milk. It was odd. Nopony else seemed to notice or pointed it out. Suddenly, it hit her and she sprang out of bed. Today they were going to get a pregnancy tester from a nearby drugstore and see if Fluttershy were pregnant or not.

Unsure if Fluttershy already had left, Rainbow Dash walked into their bathroom to brush her teeth. Fluttershy was sitting on the floor, holding a pregnancy tester in her hooves. Her eyes were fixed on the answer that it gave her. Rainbow Dash stood, awaiting for a response from Fluttershy. She was anxious to hear whether or not "it" had worked out. They had gone through a lot of trouble just to make it possible and it had been their only shot. Twilight had so generously offered this chance and now it was time to hear if it was wasted or not.

"Are you okay, Flutters? What does it say?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy nodded and managed to squeak out, "Yes."

"Yes?" Rainbow Dash asked. Her heart was starting to pound. "Yes, what? Did it work?" she pressed further from the timid pegasus.

"It did," Fluttershy replied.

Rainbow Dash let out an excited squeal and lifted her forelegs in the air. Fluttershy just meekly smiled at the sight of her wife getting so happy. She tried to push all her fears away but now she was starting to get a headache for reasons that she did know of. It was too late now to reconsider their options anyway. She was going to have this foal and they weren't going to back down anytime soon.

"This is so awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed and gave her a hug.

Fluttershy dropped the pregnancy tester on the ground and hugged back. "Yes, it's.. wonderful, Rainbow," she weakly said without much effort.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Rainbow Dash asked with concern in her voice.

"Well.. not really.. my head is hurting now," Fluttershy complained.

Rainbow Dash pulled away. "Oh.. is there something that I can do then? I know we're out of medicine for that but maybe I can buy some more," she offered.

"Could you? I don't want to bother you too much though," Fluttershy replied.

"It's okay, I don't mind at all," Rainbow Dash said.

She got up and left to get her saddlebag and some bits for the medicine. As happy as Rainbow Dash was, now knowing that she was also the biological parent, Fluttershy was in distress. It was her job now to comfort her and tend to whatever needs that she had. She came back to the bathroom and helped Fluttershy get onto their couch to rest her head during her absence.

"Are you going to be fine alone?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

"Yes.. thank you for helping me up," Fluttershy said and tried to get comfortable.

Rainbow Dash left in a hurry. She flew relatively close to the ground, trying to find the drugstore which sold the over-the-counter medicine that her wife needed. Only Fluttershy had gone there and she probably had also gotten the pregnancy tester from there too. A familiar voice called her name and she stopped to turn around. It was none other than Twilight Sparkle and Zecora.

"Twilight? What do you want? I'm kind of in a hurry here?" Rainbow Dash stated.

The unicorn scratched her head. "What's wrong? Oh! Did it work then, by the way?" she asked.

"Yeah, Fluttershy is pregnant now but she's having this terrible headache. So, being the awesome wife here, I decided to go out and fetch some medicine for her," Rainbow Dash quickly explained.

"What a lovely thing to do! However, I can do a favor for you!" Zecora offered.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her brows. "What's that?" she asked.

"I've been gathering some ingredients with the help of Twilight. If we were thorough enough, there's no need for Fluttershy to try to be tough," Zecora explained and dug through her own saddlebag. She pulled out a yellow flower and some kind of green herb with a minty fragrance. "Have her eat this with food and she'll be back in a better mood."

"Thank you so much, Zecora!" Rainbow Dash said and scooped up the plants.

"It won't take much effect on an empty stomach, I..."

Rainbow looked at Zecora with a puzzled expression. "Yes?"

"Um, uhh... " Panic began to spread through her, desperately searching her mind for any word at all. This only seemed to earn more puzzled looks from Rainbow Dash and Twilight.

"Are you sure you're okay, Zecora? You're looking kinda pale," Rainbow Dash commented.

"...so have her eat it with food and it only take a sec. Yes, I did it!" With a solid thrust of her hoof in the air, Zecora walked off with a satisfied grin on her face. "That was close to chaos, for I could not find the proper... oh no."

Rainbow Dash and Twilight glanced at Zecora as she walked away. Shrugging off the strange outburst from the zebra, they turned and looked at each other.

"Well, I better go then," Rainbow Dash said and spread her wings.

"Tell Fluttershy that I said hello and congrats," Twilight requested.

Rainbow Dash nodded at Twilight before taking off. She was very grateful that Zecora had given her own herbs to help out her wife with the headache. Quickly, she deviated from her path and sought to clear all the clouds while she was outside. It only took half of a minute to get it done. The sky was now clear and she could spend the whole morning with Fluttershy.

When she got back, Fluttershy was sprawled on the couch with a hoof on her forehead. Rainbow Dash hurried into their kitchen to whip up something quick to go with the medicine stuff. She pulled out some bread, daisies, and lettuce leaves and quickly put together a sandwich. An idea came into her head and she put the flower and the herb into the sandwich as well. She came back to the side of her wife and offered the food.

"I.. I'm not hungry," Fluttershy whimpered. "Where's the medicine?" she asked.

"Look, it's right in here. Zecora gave me this stuff and said it would be help if you ate it with food. All you have to do is eat this sandwich," Rainbow Dash explained.

"Just forget it. I can't eat. I don't feel like it," Fluttershy complained.

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Just take a bite! You're not going to feel any better unless you eat this," she said, getting irritated.

"I feel really sick. I don't think that would be a good idea," Fluttershy whimpered. "I'll wait it out and let it pass over."

"Not even a nibble?" Rainbow Dash pleaded.

Fluttershy sighed loudly and looked into Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes. She could see the worry and concern in her eyes. The headache was getting even worse. She nodded her head and allowed Rainbow Dash to bring the sandwich close to her mouth. Tentatively, she took one of the smallest nibbles out of it.

"Just a little more," Rainbow Dash encouraged her.

Trying to fight the overwhelming headache and sickness, she quickly opened her jaws wide and took a large bite out of the sandwich. Rainbow Dash patted her on the shoulder and waited for her to swallow. It was tough for Fluttershy to do that because the sickness made her try to resist. She swallowed it down and tried to take another bite. This time it was a little easier and didn't require so much willpower.

"Do you feel it working yet?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy leaned up from laying on the couch and sat up on it. "A little," she said and took the sandwich from Rainbow Dash's hooves.

Rainbow Dash sat up on the crouch next to her. "Take your time. I guess I shouldn't rush you or you might throw up," she said, moving her foreleg out to rest on her wife's shoulder.

"It's okay. I don't really feel sick but the headache is still there," Fluttershy said and took another bite.

After a minute, she had finished her sandwich but still had a little headache. Rainbow Dash let Fluttershy rest her head and forelegs on her lap as she gently stroked her pink mane. Neither of them had another word to say but this was the perfect time for a moment of peace. Rainbow Dash shifted to get herself into a more comfortable position and rested her head against the back of the couch. Even though she had ample sleep last night, Rainbow Dash started to doze off with Fluttershy and closed her eyes.

A knocking at the door almost surprised Rainbow Dash enough to disturb Fluttershy in her peaceful sleep. She looked around in confusion and then back down at her beloved. Unwilling to move the snoozing pegasus off of her, Rainbow Dash ignored it and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. The knocking continued, forcing her to take action. Carefully, she moved Fluttershy's head off her lap and gingerly set it down on the couch.

Rainbow Dash hurried to the door, annoyed that somepony was ruining their pleasant nap. "What do you want?" she hissed as she opened the door slightly.

"Hi there," Pinkie Pie said with Applejack standing nearby. "Are you busy?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah I am," Rainbow Dash said flatly.

Applejack leaned over to talk through the small space. "Well, we kinda heard from Twilight that Fluttershy wasn't feeling herself and.. heh.. uh-" she tried to say.

Pinkie Pie cut her off. "It's alright. You can tell her the truth," she said.

"Ah was going to say.. me and Pinkie here.. well.. we kinda had been organizing this congratulations party for ya'll and it was going to be a surprise but Twilight said today we shouldn't cause she wasn't doing so well," Applejack explained, scratching the back of her neck.

"So, we came to see if she was feeling well enough now for the party!" Pinkie Pie said, spreading her forelegs out in the air.

"Well, I'm sorry but she's not and I'm not in the mood really to celebrate," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Shoot! We'll have to reschedule.. but then it won't be a surprise! Oh well. There's always next week, I guess," Pinkie Pie said and shrugged.

An idea came over Rainbow Dash's head as she tried to get them to leave. "Say, instead of it being like a surprise party, why not have a "dinner" party?" she suggested. "You said the other day that you wanted to do something like that with all of us. Would that make up for party pooping?"

"Oh my gosh! What a great idea! You don't have to make up for that but okay! I would love to set that up! AJ, do you have the food covered? Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down.

Applejack sighed. "Ah suppose ah could prepare a feast.. again," she muttered.

"Great! Hey, Rainbow, can I come in and say hello to Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"No! Look, we were taking a nap together and I would like to get back to it--in peace, not with somepony to bother us. Okay? Also, FYI: she's pregnant now. So, leave her alone for now," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Oh.. I'm sorry, Rainbow. We'll leave you alone then," Pinkie Pie whispered.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "I don't mean to be rude but now just isn't the time," she explained.

"It's okay, sugarcube. We understand. Don't worry about this. You can go back to your little nap. We're going now," Applejack said and slowly closed the door for Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy had woken up and was stretching her hooves out on the couch. The headache was mostly gone and the sickness was no longer there but in their place was drowsiness now. She let out a quiet yawn and curled up. Rainbow Dash eagerly joined her back on the couch. She wasn't hungry and could wait to eat later. She curled up too with Fluttershy and rested her head on her smooth back.

This was only the beginning for both of them. Ahead of them were numerous bumps in the road. Many challenges awaited to test the couple's strength, hearts, and courage. Fluttershy knew things will get uneasy eventually and she would have to face one of her greatest fears. Rainbow Dash was certain that she would have to overcome her own doubts about herself down the path too. For now, they simply rested and prepared themselves for the challenges ahead.

Author's Note

This short chapter marks where the other chapters ahead stop following each other day-by-day and instead be weeks, days, or even months apart. Also, thanks to the-master for lending a hoof (hand).

A Party

A week into pregnancy...

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Birds were chirping in a pleasant chorus and the sky was clear, save for a lone cloud that carried two pegasi on top. They were curled up together, napping on the soft surface and basking in the warm sunlight. One of them got up and tried nudging the other awake.

"Rainbow, I think it's time for us to go," Fluttershy pressed, shaking her wife's shoulder.

"We can spend a few more minutes," Rainbow Dash groaned.

Fluttershy laid down next to her. "I don't want to be late. Besides, I really shouldn't be up here anymore. One of the books recommends that pregnant pegasi get used to being grounded and not using their wings at all," she said in worry.

Rainbow Dash sat up a little and leaned towards Fluttershy. "Aww.. come on. That's for when your belly gets big! It seems like I'm going to have to use your weakness against you," she said and made a move.

Using her teeth to gently close down, she nibbled on her wife's right ear, causing her to giggle. Grinning, she kept nibbling on the ear while little fits of laughter escaped the muzzle of the pegasus. She chuckled and rolled Fluttershy over on her back. Using her hooves, she pinned her in place and leaned close.

"You know, I should have gotten revenge for that one day," Rainbow Dash warned.

"Wha-" Fluttershy tried to say.

Before the shy pegasus could finish, Rainbow Dash pressed her muzzle down and blew a raspberry on Fluttershy's soft tummy, causing her to squeal and laugh. She applied more pressure, tickling her even more. Fluttershy tried to escape but there was little hope for her. All she could was do was laugh and squirm. The cyan hooves that held her in place were too strong.

"Rainbow, stop! You win! Five more minutes, okay?" Fluttershy pleaded through fits of giggles.

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash said. She let go of Fluttershy and allowed her to get in a more comfortable position before cuddling up with her.

Fluttershy let out a little sigh of content. "I guess it wouldn't hurt if we snuggled for a little while longer," she said.

"Now, you're thinking right, Flutters. You just need to take it easy," Rainbow Dash said.

"This wouldn't have been possible without your support, Rainbow. I really appreciate what you've done for me. I feel so much stronger with you by my side," Fluttershy said, thanking her.

Rainbow Dash gripped Fluttershy in a tight hug. "Heh, you're welcome of course. I remember how shy and afraid you were when we first met," she replied.

"I remember those times but now I've gotten much better. I mean, I'm not such a weak flier anymore or afraid of the other ponies here in Ponyville. You taught me how to do a single flip in the air, helped me gain weight so I wasn't so scrawny, and you gave me something that nopony else would give me--love," Fluttershy said as she looked back on her own life.

"Hey, I guess I really did help you improve but you also helped me out too, Flutters. I probably wouldn't have been such a loyal pony if I never ran into you. You showed me kindness and I'll never forget it. You're worth everything in the world to me. If I never had gotten together with you, I don't know who else could've made me feel whole," Rainbow Dash explained while she rubbed Fluttershy's back.

Fluttershy stood up and grinned down at Rainbow Dash. Carefully, she place a hoof down on her chest and leaned close to her head. "You can be so sappy sometimes and I love it when you are," she said, looking down at the bold pegasus.

"How 'bout a kiss then?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

They both moved in closer to each other's face. Blushing a little, they closed their eyes before their lips touched. Hearts pumping with love, their muzzles interlocked and they were filled with a tingling sensation. This wasn't a feeling which they were new to. Ever since they had become marefriends, there had been plenty of kisses and snuggles along the way.

Pulling away, Rainbow Dash looked up to see Fluttershy smiling with her eyes open too. "Are you always this beautiful?" she asked, sounding cheesy as ever.

"I could ask you the same thing," Fluttershy replied, giggling at her wife.

Chuckling, Rainbow Dash said, "You're the best, Fluttershy!"

After another minute of cuddling, the couple finally decided to get ready for the 'dinner party' that was only about a half hour away now. Rainbow Dash took a quick, cold shower and hurried to get herself dressed in her gala outfit. Fluttershy couldn't stand taking cold showers but she had to hurry too. There was no time to wait for the water to get warm or to take a bath.

From what they were told, this was going to be a more like a special occasion rather than just a casual get-together. So, they decided to wear their wedding bands also. Both of their bands were very similar in style. They had yellow and cyan encrusted diamonds. On the inside was the other's cutie mark and a special message from the other.

Fluttershy came back from the shower, shivering a little from the uncomfortable, cold water. With the help of Rainbow Dash, she got her dress on in only few seconds. They took a quick minute to style each other's manes and to put on a light cover of makeup. Before leaving, they slipped their wedding bands on the right hoof.

Arriving on time, Fluttershy let out a little sigh of relief when they met Rarity arriving at the same time. Their other friends were inside, waiting for them. As they walked in together with their bands on, all attention was focused on them. Everypony else was also wearing their gala outfits.

"Hey, you guys! I'm so glad that you made it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, coming forth from the kitchen.

Rarity joined the others who seemed eager. "So, I heard that you have news," she said, trying to contain her excitement for the couple.

"We sure do!" Rainbow Dash said and took a quick glance at all her friends. "Fluttershy is pregnant!" she announced.

A large gasp escaped Rarity's mouth. Their friends turned their heads towards each other to share a quick few words about this new development. Surprisingly, Pinke Pie was more quiet than the others. It was mostly because she had known the news a week ago. Though, it was really only Rarity who didn't know the news before the party.

"This is unbelievable! I'm so happy that you two decided to make this step!" Rarity commented. "I can't wait to see what handsome colt or beautiful filly you'll have!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie agreed. "Do you know if it's going to be a colt or a filly?" she asked, standing by the counter with Twilight.

Fluttershy leaned against Rainbow Dash, slightly embarrassed by the attention that they were getting. "I don't know. It's too early for us to find out. This book said we have to get something called an 'ultrasound' when the foal develops," she explained.

"Oh, you don't have to go through all that trouble. I can tell you right now it's going to be a filly no matter what," Twilight said in her as-matter-of-fact tone.

"How do you know already?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Well, if you ever took a Biology class in flight school or whatever, you should know that ponies have two chromosomes which determine gender. Namely, there's an 'X' and an 'Y' chromosome," she explained.

Rainbow Dash interrupted her by saying, "Yeah, I'm not dumb, Twilight. I remember all of that. I still don't get how this makes you know it's a filly."

"How do you not understand then? Mares have two 'X' chromosomes. It couldn't be a colt if there's no chance of an 'Y' being passed down," Twilight said, getting slightly frustrated.

Fluttershy nudged her wife. "I get what she's saying, Rainbow."

"Yeah, now I do," Rainbow Dash said with a facehoof.

The couple joined their friends over by the counter to get closer to have a conversation. Their friends seemed eager to ask questions about the pregnancy and their future. However, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice that Applejack seemed to be trying to avoid looking at Rarity when she talked.

"So, Twilight explained to us a few days earlier about how you two combined.. your DNA somehow with her magic. How did that even work?" Rarity asked.

"It was a replication of some experiment which some very smart unicorn scientists had discovered in Canterlot. I would try to explain all the details but that would be too complicated for you guys," Twilight explained.

Rainbow Dash yawned and rudely changed the subject. "Yep. So, I heard that Applejack made the dinner that we're going to have tonight," she said, earning an unhappy look from Twilight.

"That's right. Ah darn hope that it will be good too. Ah spent a lot of time preparing it," Applejack said, standing near on the left of Rainbow Dash.

"Ooh! That's reminds me, the food should be done soon!" Pinkie Pie said.

Applejack tapped Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. "Say, could ya come in the kitchen with me for a quick moment and help with something?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Sure," she said and left the circle with Applejack.

They walked past the double doors which led to the kitchen. Inside was all the food that Applejack and Pinkie Pie were preparing for dinner. It seemed unlikely that she needed her help with the food. Rainbow Dash got the feeling that Applejack had something on her mind because she seemed a little nervous and uneasy.

"Is everything alright, AJ? Why do I get this feeling that you didn't really need my help with anything?" Rainbow Dash asked, feeling concerned for her friend.

Applejack shushed her. "Ah do need yer help. It's about Rarity," she whispered.

"Rarity? What about her?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Shh.. ah don't want her to hear us," Applejack hissed.

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head. "Well, what about her?" she asked.

"She said that she liked me," Applejack said and took an uneasy breath.

"I don't get it. What's the big deal then? All she said was that-" Rainbow said and stopped herself. "Oh.. you mean as in like-like?"

Applejack lowered her head. "Yes," she simply replied.

"What's wrong then? Do you not like her back or something?"

"Ah just don't understand why," Applejack admitted.

Confused, Rainbow Dash asked, "What don't you understand?"

"Ah don't get why she likes me! We're almost the complete opposite! Ah don't understand how a stunning unicorn like that would want an earth pony such as myself. Ahm not even good enough for a pony like that," Applejack said in a sad tone, lowering her head down.

Rainbow Dash pulled her head up. "Seriously, don't put yourself down like that. I'm sure that Rarity had her reasons why she liked you," she said.

Applejack shook her head. "Maybe but no, even if she did like me, ahm not even sure we can get along. There's so little that we have in common," she complained.

"Fluttershy and I didn't have much in common either at first. Yet, we still managed to get along. Want to know why? Because we hung out and spent a lot of time with each other. We tried different things out and talked to each other. Every day, we laid in the clouds or in the grass and just talked about anything. Eventually, we found a lot of similar interests. All we did was spent time with each other and it worked out," Rainbow Dash explained.

"Are ya really serious? That's how it worked out?" Applejack asked with surprised eyes.

Rainbow Dash patted her on the back. "Yeah, but there was a little more to it than that. We liked each other's personalities. It wasn't just that we found each other attractive," she said. "So, this kinda brings up two questions: do you even like her personality and do you find her attractive?"

"Yes, ah really do like her personality and for the record--she's one of the most beautiful unicorns in Equestria. Do you really think this is worth a shot? Our friendship would be ruined if it doesn't work out," Applejack replied.

"Trust me," Rainbow Dash said. "If you take it slow with her like we did and spent a lot time together, it'll work out for sure for you two," she explained.

Applejack moved close and gave her a quick hug. "Thank ya so much, Rainbow!" she said.

"No problem. Uh.. you promise not to tell anypony that I was sappy like this?" Rainbow Dash requested, returning the hug.

"Ah promise that ah won't tell a single pony. Now, maybe you can help me with something else," she said and glanced at all the food.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was busy chatting with Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie. Nopony seemed to notice that Rainbow Dash and Applejack haven’t come back. They were sitting at the dinner table, waiting patiently for the food to be done. Fluttershy made sure that there was an empty next to her for Rainbow Dash. For reasons unknown to anypony sitting at the table, Rarity had done the same thing.

"How are things going so far, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

"Everything has been good, Twilight," Fluttershy replied with a warm smile.

Rarity brushed her mane with a hoof. "Is everything going alright with Rainbow Dash? We haven’t really asked you how things were with her since before she moved in with you," she said and took a sip of punch.

"Oh, it's just wonderful! I was so glad when she moved in. At first, she was really sad that she had to find a way to get rid of her cloud house," Fluttershy explained.

"But, it's still there," Twilight argued.

"Sorry, I didn't get to finish," Fluttershy apologized even though the blame was not on her. "I was going to also say that in the end, she just designated it to be her 'weather management office' so she didn't have to get rid of it."

A loud rumble came from Pinkie Pie's stomach and interrupted them. They all turned their attention to the pink pony who was obviously very hungry. She looked anxious there, sitting in her seat and waiting. Everypony else was starting to lose their patience.

"Ooh, my tummy is making noises! You know what that means, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked with an incredulous look on her face.

"You're hungry?" Twilight suggested in a dry tone.

"No, the food is ready!" Pinkie Pie said and dashed into the kitchen.

Fluttershy giggled. "Isn't she so silly sometimes! I'm glad the food is done. I was getting hungry," she said, fixing her mane up.

"I agree. I'm also quite hungry too," Rarity said.

Several minutes passed before Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie eventually came back from the kitchen, carrying plates of steaming food. They returned into the kitchen and brought back empty plates for each pony. When they finished setting the table, Applejack whispered something into Rarity's ear that caused a slight change of expression on her face. They left the table and walked into the kitchen together.

Fluttershy couldn't figure out why they had left or why Rainbow Dash didn't seem to notice.

"Wow," Twilight said. "You weren’t kidding when you said we were going to have a feast!"

On the table lay several large plates in the middle stacked with food. There was spaghetti, apple pie, macaroni noodles, salad, wheatballs, and much more to eat. With the help of Twilight's magic, Everypony was able to get a little serving of everything and start eating right away.

Rainbow Dash happily dug in, getting tomato sauce on her muzzle. Even Fluttershy couldn't fully contain herself. The food tasted great and they all had been very hungry. Applejack and Rarity returned, walking next to each other with a small smile on their face. They sat down next to each other across from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"This is great food! You really did a good job, Applejack," Rainbow Dash commented.

"Thank ya kindly, Rainbow! Ahm glad that it turned out so good," Applejack replied.

Rarity stood up and looked around at her friends. "Everypony, I believe that Applejack and I have our own little announcement to make," she said and nudged the cowpony.

"Oh right!" Applejack said and stood with Rarity. All around the table, everypony had stopped eating and was looking at them.

"We are officially in a relationship," she announced and shared a quick look with Applejack.

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy said, smiling at them. "That's great news!"

Twilight laughed a little. "Wow, that was a little unexpected! I guess I should of seen this coming. After all, you two always seemed to be close together since that one sleepover.." she said.

"Yes, I suppose we have," Rarity said and sat down again with Applejack.

"Hey, maybe you two will have foals sometime in the future!" Pinkie Pie joked.

Everypony shared a laugh together. Rainbow Dash reached over and rested her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. She received a little kiss on the cheek in return. The couple smiled with their friends at the new pair of marefriends. They all were very happy for Rarity and Applejack.

By now, everypony was finished eating. Twilight and Pinkie Pie set out to clear off the table and move all the dishes into the kitchen. Applejack and Rarity left to sit in the main room for a peaceful moment to themselves. It was only Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy that remained at the large dinning table. Fluttershy leaned her head against Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

"Feeling a little sleepy there?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Just a little," Fluttershy replied and nuzzled her cheek.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Don't worry. We'll go home early if you want to," she reassured her.

"I'll be good for a little while longer," Fluttershy said, letting out a cute yawn.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty tired there, Flutters," Rainbow Dash said in concern for her wife. It was clear to her that she was almost struggling to stay awake.

"Yes, I'd like to stay and chat for just a little while longer," Fluttershy requested.

Twilight returned from the kitchen and sat down with them. "Do you guys find it a little odd that Rarity and Applejack fell in love? I never knew that they also were.. well, that they liked mares too," She whispered in an uneasy voice.

"Well, I never thought that Applejack did either but Rarity mentioned once that she went both ways. Why does it bother you anyway? It shouldn't be that big of a deal," Rainbow Dash said in a low tone.

"It just seemed a little sudden," Twilight replied.

"Why does it matter? They both like each other. We should just be happy for them, Twilight," Fluttershy said

"Sorry, I should be happy for them. It‘s just a little weird how they fell for each other,” Twilight said. “You know what they say? Opposites attract, I guess.”

Fluttershy giggled. “I know that’s true,” she said, sharing a lovey-dovey look with Rainbow Dash.

"I suppose so! However, weren’t you two really close before you moved into Ponyville? I distinctly remember having a conversation similar to this months ago,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, we were pretty close back then. Fluttershy and I were good pals since our fillyhood,” she answered.

“But we got separated at some point, remember?” Fluttershy reminded her.

“Right. Well, after we moved on from basic flight school, we have to move in dorms for the last level of school for pegasi. I ended up sharing a room with Gilda instead of Fluttershy. We never really talked much until our senior year. That was when we got back together as friends,” Rainbow said, explaining their story.

Twlight smiled. “That’s sweet,” she commented.

Pinkie Pie returned, holding a large metal tray with a cake on it. She skipped to the table, somehow not ruining the cake in the process and set it down in the middle. It was covered with a white frosting that was most likely vanilla flavored. In red dye was the message, Congrats Fluttershy! on top of the cake.

“Hey, where’s Applejack and Rarity? We’re supposed to have dessert now!” Pinkie Pie complained. “Rarity! Applejack! Stop kissing over there and have some cake with us!” she called out.

Rarity emerged from the other room with Applejack. “Fine, but I’m going to bed after. A lady does need her beauty sleep,” she said.

“Yeah, same here guys,” Rainbow Dash said and let out a loud yawn.

Rarity and Applejack sat down and waited with everypony else for Pinkie Pie to cut the cake into slices. She cut across it several times until there were eight equal slices. Using a cake spatula, she moved a slice on a plate for each pony sitting at the table and gave herself an extra slice.

“I made sure to use vanilla icing, Fluttershy. I know how much you love vanilla,” Pinkie Pie said, batting her eyes in a silly manner.

“I do love vanilla!” Fluttershy said and took a considerably large bite.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Easy there. You’re starting to eat like me!” she said.

Everyone else giggled as Fluttershy got icing on her muzzle and face. What made it even more funny was that she didn’t seem to care or notice. When she finished, Rainbow Dash grabbed a napkin and wiped her face and muzzle for her.

“Jeez, Fluttershy. You were like a hungry timber wolf there,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Sorry, I don’t know what’s with me,” Fluttershy apologized.

Rainbow Dash yawned and looked down at her empty plate. “I think I’m done. Sorry, Pinkie, but I just can’t stay awake any longer,” she said and got up.

"You're right. I think it's time that we all went to bed," Twilight said, slowly getting up.

"C'mon, Fluttershy. Let's say goodbye to everypony so we can go home," Rainbow Dash said.

Fluttershy got up and stretched her weary limbs out. She let out a little yawn, flaring her wings. Rainbow Dash extended her own wing out and draped it over her. The couple said their goodbyes and were grabbed by Pinkie Pie. The party pony extended her hooves out and squeezed them in a tight hug before letting them leave. They walked through the chilly night and shivered a little when a cool breeze came.

They came back home and dragged themselves into bed. Before they passed out in each other’s hooves like usual, both pegasi took a second to think about their future. Fluttershy was going to have to be strong and Rainbow Dash was going to have to overcome her self-doubts. As they drifted into sleep, more dreams of their unborn foal filled their heads.

A Visit

About a month into pregnancy...

Today was going to go down exactly like Rainbow Dash had planned. Ever since the day that she and her wife came to an agreement over who carries the foal, she had been doubting her own ability to be a good 'father figure' and was unsure if she would even like having a foal to take care of. A few days ago, she came up a plan that to her, was a harmless and sound test to clear up some of the doubts in her head.

It was very straight-forward. She had asked the Cakes' for the days when Pinkie Pie would be too busy taking care of the twins. Thursday was the closest time. The plan was to pretend that she had been wanting to hang out at some place with Pinkie Pie. When Rainbow Dash gets turned down like expected, she will instead offer to hang out at her place and help take care of the twins. Not only would she learn a few things about taking care of a foal, she would be able to find out if she really was meant to raise a foal with Fluttershy.

The idea of lying to one of her close friends about her intentions seemed unreasonable. However, Rainbow Dash didn't want Fluttershy to hear anything about her self doubts. Normally, she was able to talk to her understanding wife about almost anything at all. This was something that she couldn't bring up. The last thing that Fluttershy would want to hear was that she didn't like foals--at least that's what Rainbow Dash had thought.

Only one problem stood in the way of her practical idea: Fluttershy was starting to feel exhausted and there was no way in Equestria that she was leaving her alone. One the books had suggested that in order to deal to with fatigue, Fluttershy was to get as much rest as she could and take short walks on a daily basis. Rainbow Dash was going to have to stay home to tend to her wife.

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. She put her down book and got out of a chair which she had moved upstairs into their bedroom. She had been reading another book from her favorite series out loud to Fluttershy. Now the timid pegasus was sleeping peacefully and it was time for Rainbow Dash to get both of their daily chores done.

She walked downstairs into their living room and picked up a piece of paper that was lying on their table. On it was a list of the animals with a brief instruction on what to feed them and how much. Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash grabbed bags of feed and slowly dragged them out of the cottage one-by-one. For the several animals that lounged around in the cottage, she poured out a generous amount of green pellets in the middle of the room.

As Rainbow Dash approached the animals and fed them, they showed some approval of their temporary care-giver but gave no affection at all. She made her way around the outside of the cottage, switching between feeds for the large variety of animals. After ten grueling minutes of checking the list and feeding each animal, she was certain that her job was done.

Wiping some sweat off her forehead, she said, "Phew! I'm glad that's all over!" out loud to herself and released a long sigh of relief.

"Rainbow Dash!" a familiar voice called out.

Off in the distance was a purple unicorn heading towards her. For a second, she thought that Twilight was coming to yell at her again for something that she did wrong. A few days ago, Twilight found out that Fluttershy never had scheduled an appointment with her doctor for a prenatal visit.

Yesterday was the day that Fluttershy finally saw her doctor. It wasn't a good time for Rainbow Dash because she had to wait with her wife in her least favorite room, the waiting room. When they did see the doctor, he went on and gave the same advice that the books offered. He concluded that Fluttershy was indeed a healthy pony and that there were no signs of any problems so far.

"Twilight? What do you want?" Rainbow Dash asked as the Alicorn approached her.

"Oh, I just wanted to say hello. I saw you feeding the animals earlier and decided to not bother you while you were busy," Twilight said in a warm and friendly voice. "Is Fluttershy okay?" she asked with some concern in her voice.

Rainbow Dash took a quick glance behind herself. "She's just feeling really tired and sore right now. I tucked in her bed not so long ago," she replied.

Before Twilight could talk, the creaking sound of a door slowly opening distracted her. Both of them turned around to see that Fluttershy was in the doorway. To their surprise, she looked quite lively instead of exhausted. There was that small, warm smile on her face which told them that she was in a pretty good mood.

"Fluttershy, what are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping the whole time I was feeding the animals," Rainbow Dash said, raising a curious eyebrow.

The shy pegasus hurried to her wife and gave her a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Rainbow! I don't know what's going on with me. I woke up after you left and took a hot shower. It felt so soothing and then after a while, my muscles weren't aching or anything," she quickly said.

"It's cool, Flutters," Rainbow Dash simply said. An idea popped into her head. “Hey, I gotta run some uh.. errands to run. Maybe you can take a walk with Twilight while I’m gone,” she suggested.

“Oh, I wouldn't mind going on a brisk walk,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy awkwardly rubbed her foreleg. “Are you sure, Rainbow Dash? You usually want me to wait for you before I go on my walks,” she said.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Okay then,” Fluttershy said and turned to look at Twilight. “Let me get a little something to eat. Would you also like a snack,” she offered.

“I suppose so,” Twilight replied.

Rainbow Dash waited for them to disappear back into the cottage before taking off to the sky. Before she went to Sugarcube Corner, she needed to get the sky clear of clouds like usual. Unlike taking care of the animals, this was the one job which she enjoyed the most. Flying was her way of dealing with stress, anger, or unhappiness. It was also something that gave her much joy in her life.

She sped through the sky, bucking the clouds in a zigzag path. Her mane shook wildly in the wind as she turned or stopped. After there were no clouds left to remain, she decided to do a few flips in the air before softly landing down in front of Sugarcube Corner.

"I don't think I've ever liked foals to begin with. They've always seemed to be annoying and stuff. I've heard ponies complaining before how much of a hassle it is to care for a newborn foal," Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she knocked on the door.

The swung wide open to reveal an excited Pinkie Pie. "Rainbow Dash! Whatcha doing here?" she asked, bouncing up and down in the middle of the doorway.

"Um.. nothing," Rainbow Dash lied. "Wanna hang out?" she quickly added.

"Sure thing!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in confusion and worry. "Wait.. no.. I thought that you were busy. I mean, I thought that you meant here. I had no idea about this. Y'know the twins and that. I.. we can hang out here, right?" she rapidly rambled.

Pinkie Pie stuck a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth. "What are you talking about you silly pegasus? I didn't understand anything you said!" she told her.

The confused pegasus let out a sigh. "Look, I really should just tell you the truth. I came here because.. I wanted to help you out with the twins today," she said.

"Help?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I don't see why you'd think that I need help. I've gotten quite used to this. I know the routine and I'm trained in a number of stuff. There's first aid, CPR, cleaning, snack-ology, lullabies, dancing.."

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shouted, interrupting her.

Now Pinkie Pie was the one who was confused. "What?" she innocently asked.

"I needed help," Rainbow Dash admitted.

"What?" Pinkie Pie asked again. She sounded even more confused.

Rainbow Dash hesitated and looked around to see several ponies behind her, going on with their normal lives. "Can you just let me in so I can explain?" she asked.

Pinkie Pie moved out of the way. "Sure thing, Rainbow Dash," she replied.

As Rainbow Dash hurried inside and made herself at home, Pinkie Pie closed the door behind them. The twins were sitting right in the middle of the room, playing with a few stuffed animals. Keeping her distance, Rainbow Dash sat down and watched them play. Pinkie Pie sat down with her and gave a curious look.

"Do you think that I was meant to raise a filly with Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked.

Pinkie Pie put a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, I couldn't say it was like prophesied but I think that you and Fluttershy would do a great job raising one," she said in a much calmer tone.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not exactly that fond of foals. They look cute but there's so many downsides to them," she explained.

"Hm.. well, there's always going to be a downside. I'm guessing that you don't really know any of the upsides, do you?" Pinkie Pie asked.

A few minutes of silence followed as Pinkie Pie gave Rainbow Dash time to try to think. They watched Pound Cake roll over on the floor and tackle his teddy bear. It seemed to amuse them a little. Pumpkin Cake on the other hoof, was just sitting there and staring at the two ponies who watched over.

"Not really," Rainbow Dash said, giving up.

Pinkie Pie jumped up as an idea came into her head. "Well, there's one way that you could find out!" she said and nudged Rainbow Dash to get up on her hooves.

"Help out?" Rainbow Dash guessed.

"Yes, indeedy!" Pinkie Pie replied.

Pinkie Pie brought out a table and laid out many supplies on it. She intended on not only convincing Rainbow Dash to gain faith in herself and Fluttershy, but to also teach her how to care for a foal. It was inevitable that they were going to have a foal, so she figured that it wouldn't hurt to learn some things ahead of time.

"So, what's the first thing that you want me to learn?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Feeding. Luckily for you, the twins are still taking milk by bottle," Pinkie Pie answered.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Easy enough," she said.

"Okay, fill up these bottles," Pinkie Pie said, pointing to the empty bottles on the table.

Leisurely, Rainbow Dash opened a milk gallon and grabbed it in her mouth. She poured the milk until the bottles were almost full. Fortunately, she managed to not spill at all. Using her hooves instead of her mouth, she picked up the tops and placed them on.

"Done," she announced.

Pinkie Pie stopped her. "Wait, make sure the lids are on tight," she requested.

Sure enough, the lids felt loose and needed to be adjusted. Rainbow Dash made the necessary changes by pushing down with more force and twisting the top on. She checked again to make sure it was properly on. This time, they were secure enough to handle the punishment of a young foal.

"That looks good enough. Let me give them the bottles," Pinkie Pie said.

Rainbow Dash watched as Pinkie Pie approached the twins with the bottles. She gave each one a bottle and held them up in her hooves. They rested there with their milk bottles, making soft suckling noises. When it seemed like they were finished, Pinkie Pie lowered them down to the ground.

"Oh, by the way, you also have to remember to burp to your filly. Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake here are old enough and don't need it anymore," Pinkie Pie said.

"Burp? I have to make it burp?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah, you have to pat her on the back until she burps," Pinkie Pie replied.

Rainbow Dash laughed. "It feels so weird talking about this when the filly isn't even ready to be born yet," she said and laid down on the floor.

Something started to poke her right wing. She turned and saw that Pound Cake was examining her rather large wing compared to himself. She nervously shuddered at the contact and tried to move away. He persisted to touch her soft feathers with curiosity in his eyes.

"Heh, um.. what are you doing?" she tried to ask him.

Pinkie Pie cooed. "Aww.. I think he likes you Rainbow! It must be 'cause you're a pegasus. He's really interested in your wing," she said, giggling at her.

"Bleh!" Rainbow Dash said, sticking her tongue out. "I don't need somepony getting all mushy or touchy," she said and tried to gently nudge the foal away by opening her wing.

"What about when I saw you and Fluttershy snuggling by the pony-made pond?" Pinkie Pie innocently asked, batting her eyes.

"You were spying on us?" Rainbow Dash asked and sat up. "Do you ever keep your nose out of other ponies' business and leave them alone?"

"Hey, I did nothing wrong," Pinkie Pie defended herself. "Also, that was when I going for a quick jump in the water to cool off from the heat. I saw you guys there already and decided to let you have some peace," she explained.

Pound Cake tugged at Rainbow Dash's hoof, causing the pegasus to look down. She looked at the little colt in a funny way and tried to picture the filly from her dream in his place. If she had to choose what it looked like, it would have a light blue coat just like hers. Her mane would be pink and cut in a similar style. Also, she hoped that it would have beautiful teal eyes.

She snapped back to reality and gazed back at the little foal. "What do you want?" she softly asked.

The foal babbled something that sounded like 'blue' but probably had meant something else. It was most likely that he didn't understand what Rainbow Dash was asking. She tousled his mane for a second and gave a little smile. Pinkie Pie held Pumpkin Cake and sat next to her.

"See, what's so bad? Who wouldn't want to have their very own foal?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded her head. "I guess that they're not that bad. I can see why Fluttershy was so eager for me to have one," she said.

"What?" Pinkie Pie asked incredulously. "I didn't know that she wanted you to have it in the first place. How did she end up being the one to carry the filly?"

"It's 'cause we agreed that she would make a better birth mother. I'm too careless and I can't stand being grounded. She was healthy enough anyway to do it," Rainbow Dash explained.

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes in a silly matter. "Oh.. that makes sense!" she said.

"Yeah, um.. what's the next thing that you wanted me to learn?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, I guess there wasn't a lot of things that I had to teach you. I kind of want to do something with you. Maybe we can play a board game or something. I'll show you some other things later," Pinkie Pie offered.

Rainbow Dash had no objection to this. "Sure," she replied.

They pulled out a few board game boxes and other some other stuff. Pinkie Pie laid them out on a clear table in one of the booths. Rainbow Dash tried to make up her mind and choose. It was between Sorry! and Battlecloud. Both sounded like quite a bit of fun to play. In the end, she choose Battlecloud to play. So, they engaged in a tense battle but made sure to keep a watchful eye out for the twins.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was still walking with Twilight. They had a pleasant time so far, talking about different things like their favorite season, food they really enjoyed, some phobias that they had, and other things. The Fall weather usually felt nice on a day like this. Even though the Running of the Leaves was over a few days ago, it still was nice walking on the path.

"Don't you just love the pretty colors of the leaves?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah," Twilight agreed. "It looks very nice." she said, looking around.

Fluttershy stopped trotting. "I can't help but wonder what Rainbow Dash is doing. We had no errands that we planned together for today. She seemed so eager to leave without giving a clear answer," she complained.

Twilight slowed down a little too. "Well, she might have seemed to be acting a little differently but I'm sure that it's nothing to be worried about," she reassured her.

"Well.. I probably should tell you something," Fluttershy said, hesitating.

"What?" asked a concerned Twilight.

Fluttershy sat down in the middle of the path. "I think that she's been feeling.. well.. I think that she doesn't believe in me," she shamefully admitted.

Twilight hurried over and offered her a comforting hug. "Don't think like that! We both know that Rainbow Dash believes so much in you," she said, trying to convince the distraught pegasus otherwise.

"No, she doesn't!" Fluttershy cried, accepting the hug. "She's been treating me like fragile pottery all these weeks! I'm not weak and useless!" she said and sobbed.

"Fluttershy, why are you acting like this? I'm sure that whatever she's done for you is out of courtesy, affection, or care. Pregnancy isn't something to be taken so lightly. Pegasi are more vulnerable than any other pony when they're pregnant," Twilight tried to explain.

Suddenly, Fluttershy angrily pushed her away. The unsuspecting Alicorn toppled over and gasped at this outburst. She looked up to see the pegasus curled up a little in the grass by the side. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Twilight tried to draw reasons why she was acting so abnormal. Only one reason made sense. She was being 'hormonal' and wasn't quite used to the changes that were happening inside her.

Curled up in the grass and her mind filled with confusing feelings and emotions, Fluttershy sobbed as Twilight kept her distance and waited for her to calm down. After a minute, the unicorn finally approached her with caution to not only her safety but her own as well. She looked up at the pony who seemed to tower over her and cowered.

Twilight did her best to put on a warm smile. "Just listen to me, Fluttershy. You need to calm down. I know you're probably not used to all these changes that are going around in your body," she said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I don't like this. Why is this happening?" Fluttershy quickly said back.

"Just try to relax. It's normal, Fluttershy," Twilight reassured her. "I think that's enough walking for today," she murmured to herself.

After another minute, Fluttershy was breathing in a steadier pace. She was at a loss of words but wanted to retreat back to her cottage for comfort and privacy with Rainbow Dash. Standing up with shaky hooves, she nodded at Twilight and the unicorn hurried over to help her get back home.

"I'm sorry, Twilight" she apologized, putting a hoof on her shoulder for support.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Let's get you back home," Twilight said.

They trekked back to the cottage. Upon arriving, Fluttershy plopped herself on the couch to rest. Instead of deciding to look around for Rainbow Dash, Twilight decided to take it upon herself to give the shy pegasus some company. She couldn't leave her behind to go on some chase for her wife. Until Fluttershy falls asleep, she won't bother to check with her other friends about her wife's whereabouts.

Back at Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash was having a good time. She beat Pinkie Pie two times in a row without a single loss. Unlike her, the pink pony had showed no regret over losing and instead found it funny when she lost. Rainbow Dash for looking to spend a little more time there so she could pick up some more helpful advice other than just simply putting a milk bottle together and feeding. However, the Cake's had returned rather early.

"Well, this kinda stinks. I was hoping to learn more from you," Rainbow Dash said as she got up.

Pinkie Pie cheerfully smiled. "You really don't need to know this stuff until after she has the filly. Don't you know that? Besides, I think you're great with foals. You probably were just misinformed," she carefully explained.

"Yeah, I guess that you're right but uh.. thanks for the help, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash graciously thanked her before making her way out.

"No problem! Next time I'll be sure to beat you in Battlecloud for once!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she opened the door and disappeared into the bright sunlight.

Rainbow Dash felt slightly dissatisfied that she learned little about actually caring for a foal. Though, she was able to take comfort in knowing that disliking foals was no longer an issue. Nothing really had happened at Sugarcube Corner but that was probably the point. She had nothing against foals and that was all she needed to find out.

Upon returning home, she opened the door and stumbled upon Twilight and Fluttershy. Her wife seemed to be tired and sore again just like much earlier. Twilight was sitting down in a chair, chatting to her while she lay on the couch. Worry was the one feeling that was starting to fill her body.

"Is everything okay?" Rainbow Dash asked and quickly crouched over her wife.

Twilight stood up and approached her. "She's fine, Rainbow," she answered for her.

"I don't get it. Did something happen?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The Alicorn pulled her away to whisper something in her ear. "She got pretty hormonal when we were talking and lost control of herself, sort of to speak. She got really upset over nothing," she whispered.

Rainbow Dash merely nodded her head in silence.

"Look, I'll leave you two alone then. We'll talk later under better conditions," Twilight said, excusing herself from their cottage to give them some much needed privacy.

Now alone with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy spoke up and said, "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I never meant to say those things when we were walking."

Without a clue what Fluttershy was talking about, Rainbow Dash brushed her wife's mane with hoof. "Just hang in there, pal. I'm here for you. I'll always be there for you," she told her.

Fluttershy said nothing and tried to fall asleep. One of the books had said that the first trimester was more difficult than the second to get through and it seemed to be already true. As Rainbow Dash tried to make her as comfortable as possible, she wondered if it was worth putting her own wife through the trouble instead of herself.

A Fight

About three months into pregnancy...

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were already missing the warm weather. Even though the Summer was hot, it seemed a whole lot better than shivering in the cold. The Fall was almost perfect weather. The days started out cool but the afternoons were nice and warm. It wasn't like they hated Winter but given the current conditions and situation, they had good reasons to spend most of it inside cuddled up in front of the fireplace.

The couple were laying down together on a soft fuzzy rug in front of a blazing fire. Rainbow Dash was resting her head comfortably on Fluttershy's back. They both had been outside not long ago, making sure the animals had left to their shelters to hibernate. A few of the animals were taken inside because they either had nowhere to go or they weren't meant for the cold weather.

Fluttershy gently nudged her wife's shoulder. "Rainbow? Are you getting hungry too?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh! Do you want something to eat?" Rainbow Dash said.

"Yes please. I mean, if you-" Fluttershy tried to say.

Rainbow Dash interrupted her by saying, "Hey, you have every right to do that. It's my job to do these things for you. I really don't mind doing this for you, Flutters," she said in a soft tone.

Fluttershy ran a hoof through her mane. "I just don't want to be too needy for you," she explained.

"You're not too needy. I don't want this to be a miserable experience for you," Rainbow Dash said as she gently brought a hoof to her face.

"It hasn't been. Not with you around here," Fluttershy stated.

Rainbow Dash gave her wife a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up to leave to the kitchen. She pondered over what to make for Fluttershy and herself. Over the short time which they had been married, she had cooked for her own wife a few times. Granted she wasn't a skilled cook but she managed to make decent meals or snacks. It was mostly the experience of trial and error when she lived by herself that taught her how to cook.

None of the leftovers looked appetizing for lunch. The wheatloaf had been there for too long and there was no way that she was going to have sauerkraut again. She checked through their fridge again for ideas. They did have a lot of slices of cheese and bags of salad. An idea came into her head. She could make grilled cheese sandwiches with a bowl of salad on the side.

She pulled out the necessary ingredients for a scrumptious lunch. To humor herself, she put on a white apron and an old chef hat that hadn't been worn for a long time. She looked like one of the chefs from the local family restaurant nearby in town. With her basic set of cooking skills, she went to work. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was petting one of her animals that lived inside their cottage during the winter.

"Hello, Mr. Jay. I'm sorry that you couldn't leave with your friends. Your wing needs more time to heal before you can fly again. Don't worry, they'll be back before you know it!" Fluttershy said in a sympathetic voice.

The little blue bird glanced at the white cast which was over his injuried wing. He clearly didn't look happy from his caretaker's point of view. With a hoof so gentle, she rubbed the top of his head carefully. After five minutes of consoling the poor bird, Fluttershy was surprised when Rainbow Dash came out from the kitchen holding a large tray with their food and drinks on it and was oddly dressed up as a chef.

"Rainbow, why are you wearing that?" Fluttershy asked as she started giggling.

"I dunno, 'cause I always dress in style?" Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk. She laid out the food and drinks next to the rug. "You're going to love this awesome lunch that I whipped up for us!" she said, puffing out her chest.

With a curious look on her face, Fluttershy examined the lunch that was so thoughtfully prepared. "Oh my goodness! What a tasty looking lunch!" she complimented.

"Yup, aren't I a pretty decent chef or what?" Rainbow Dash said as she took off the apron and hat.

Fluttershy picked up a grilled cheese sandwich. "There's only one way to find out!" she said and took a bite. "Mhmm..." was her immediate response.

Rainbow Dash laughed. "I knew you would like it," she chuckled.

The cyan pegasus laid down next to her beloved wife and sorted out the contents. There were grilled cheese sandwiches, bowls of salad, and containers of apple juice. She eagerly helped herself to a grilled cheese sandwich and took a large bite out of it.

"Thank you so much, Rainbow! It was so sweet of you to do this!" Fluttershy said, giving her life partner a grateful look in the eyes.

"Of course! I know you like it. A nice filling lunch to eat in front of the warm and toasty fireplace... and your number one sappiest pegasus!" Rainbow Dash replied with a hint of embarrassment for making fun of herself.

Fluttershy put down her sandwich. "What would I do without my sappy, beautiful, future Wonderbolt pegasus?" she playfully teased, batting her eyes in a silly manner.

"I don't know," said Rainbow Dash as she rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't have an awesome pony to snuggle up with," she answered.

"That's true. I just hope that certain awesome pony would be interested in a snuggle session and perhaps a nap after our delicious lunch," Fluttershy suggested, rubbing her cheek against Rainbow Dash's.

Blushing, Rainbow Dash said, "Huh... a snuggle session you say? And a nap? Well, I was hoping that we could get some more fresh air but I guess we can go outside again tomorrow," she said and returned the gesture. "I really don't mind spending the rest of today getting all cozy in front of the fireplace."

"It really would feel nice to just spend the rest of this cold, chilly day inside today," She said and chomped on her sandwich.

"Sheesh! You really are hungry, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash chuckled.

Both pegasi continued to eat their scrumptious meal. Only Rainbow Dash was aware at the moment that Fluttershy was just having one of her food cravings again. Though, it seemed to be unnecessary to bring it up. When they finished eating, Rainbow Dash simply moved the large messy tray onto their dinning table out of laziness and rejoined Fluttershy.

"Snuggle time?" Fluttershy asked, trying to put the cutest look on her face.

"You bet," Rainbow Dash replied and laid down on the rug.

Being wary of the slight bulge below her stomach, Fluttershy inched herself closer before wrapping her hooves around Rainbow Dash. A set of cyan closed around her and they were both snugly pressed against each other. She let out a little giggle as a gentle hoof reach out and brushed her mane. It always surprised her how the athlete turned into such a loving, caring, and determined pony when around her. Then again, Rarity had told her once that love sometimes does strange and wonderful things to some ponies.

As they both closed their eyes to try to drift asleep, there was a sudden knocking noise.

Rainbow Dash groaned, clearly annoyed that somepony would have the nerve to interrupt this intimate and peaceful moment with her wife.

"Who is it?" Fluttershy asked as her ears perked up.

"I don't know... why can't we ever get some peace?" Rainbow Dash said, drawing a hoof to her face.

Fluttershy lifted her head up. "Are you going to answer it?" she asked.

Disappointed, Rainbow Dash very reluctantly let go of her wife and helped herself up on her hooves. She mumbled something incoherent before approaching the door and cautiously opening it a peak. To her surprise, it was only Pinkie Pie standing out there with a simple solid pink scarf on that seemed to blend in with her coat a little.

"Rainbow Dash, wanna play?" she quickly asked with a huge grin.

"What?" was the only response from the cyan pegasus.

"Everypony is playing in the snow! Twilight, Applejack, and even Rarity are out there by the frozen pond. You and Fluttershy should totally join us!" Pinkie Pie said without taking a breath.

Scratching the back head, Rainbow Dash replied, "Uhh... yeah... well, we're a little busy right now. What if we all hang out some other time like tomorrow?"

"We can't hang out tomorrow," Pinkie Pie said, slightly less happy. "Why are you guys so busy? What are you doing?" she curiously asked.

Fluttershy had joined in the conversion and decided to answer for Rainbow Dash. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Pinkie! But Rainbow Dash and I had planned to have our little snuggle session today and we were very eager to spend the rest of today inside our cozy cottage," she quickly answered.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash turned a very bright red in embarrassment. She had expected Fluttershy to have some dignity but she was a little too honest about their intentions. Laughter escaped the mouth of Pinkie Pie and she was rendered only able to stutter as it became clear to her wife what she just caused.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dashie! I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just thought it would be better if told the truth," Fluttershy apologized and placed a little kiss on her cheek.

With her cheeks still showing red, Rainbow Dash finally said, "Yeah... you didn't have to... whatever."

"Oh c'mon! You lovebirds can wait until later. We haven't seen you two that much anyway. Why would you want to spend the whole Winter cooped up in your little cottage?" Pinkie Pie asked as she let herself in.

"I didn't know that everypony missed us that much. Rainbow, maybe we should spend some time with our friends," Fluttershy said.

Shrugging, Rainbow Dash replied, "I suppose so."

Pinkie Pie jumped up in the air and yelled, "Alright!"

After taking a minute to get their scarves and hats on, they followed Pinkie Pie to meet up with their friends. Rainbow Dash had chosen her light green wool hat and her lucky red scarf. Fluttershy was wearing her favorite pink hat that was almost the same shade as her mane. The soft and comfortable scarf around her neck was also pink but it was made by Rarity as a sweet little gift.

"Uhh... so what are we even doing?" Rainbow Dash asked as they were walking.

"We're going to have a snowball fight!" Pinkie Pie quickly replied.

Rainbow Dash grinned while a look of panic overcame her wife. "Really? That's awesome! We never did something like this last year. I almost thought you guys wanted us to just hang out and make some dumb snow pony," she said in excited voice.

"A snowball fight?" Fluttershy nervously asked.

Unaware of her wife's feelings, Rainbow Dash put a hoof around her and replied, "Heck yeah, pal! We'll team up against everypony and take them all down!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Fluttershy stated.

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well... since I'm pregnant... wouldn't it be a bad idea to do this kind of stuff?" Fluttershy replied, wording it like a question.

Rainbow Dash hesitated and paused to think for a minute. "It's only your first trimester and it's just a snowball fight. No pony has ever gotten hurt from soft snow being thrown at them," she explained.

Sighing, Fluttershy softly answered, "Okay," and kept walking with her eyes fixed on the ground.

The frozen pond was right up ahead and all their friends could be seen in the distance. The icy surface was covered in circular lines that were probably from their friends ice-skating. There was a trail in the deep layers of snow that seemed to lead right to them.

"Look, I don't know if you're scared of this or just worried but if you really don't want to... you don't have to play on my side. You can just build a snow pony off to side and cheer me on, I guess," Rainbow Dash said as she tried comfort her wife by lightly rubbing their cheeks.

Fluttershy tried to give an answer but she only found herself sighing again. Only she seemed to remember the times when they did something similar to this in Flight School. When she was a filly, Dodge ball was the scariest thing in her life. All the rude colts liked to aim for her first and get her out within the first minute of a round. Sometimes when nopony was looking, she would just simply sit out to avoid having to be hit.

Pinkie Pie turned her head to look back. "There's nothing to worried about, you silly filly! We're only throwing snow at each other!" she added.

Finally, they approached their other friends who were also dressed for the season. All of them had their scarves and hats on too. It seemed that Pinkie Pie was the only one who didn't want to wear a hat. Rarity and Applejack were standing under a tree--probably flirting with each other like usual. Twilight Sparkle was busy drawing lines in the snow for no reason in particular it looked like.

"Hey, Twilight, whatcha doing over there in the snow?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight looked up as if she were dazed. "What? Oh nothing really. I was just bored waiting for Pinkie Pie to come back," she explained.

"Hello, Twilight," Fluttershy softly greeted.

"Oh hello there, Fluttershy! How are you?" Twilight asked.

"I'm just fine but um... I wanted to ask you something about this snowball fight. Are you sure that nopony will get hurt in this?" she replied.

Twilight shook her head. "Of course not!" she answered with a cheerful laugh and smile.

Rainbow Dash griped her wife's shoulder with a hoof. "Hey, If you don't want to do this, it's fine. You know I won't hold anything against you," she whispered in her ear.

Fluttershy jerked her head and spoke softly, "I can't just leave you. I'll... do this then. We'll be a team," she replied back and gave a little warm smile.

"Aww... how cute!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "Applejack! Rarity! Stop making out under the tree and come over here. I think we're all ready!" she shouted with little concern for manners.

"Do you mind?" Rarity asked as she approached them along with Applejack at her side.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Okay, let me go over the rules quick," she said and waited for everypony's attention. "Okay, no magic or flying, we all have thirty minutes to build our forts, and we're playing in teams of two. So, what are teams?"

"Uhm... you do know that it's pretty obvious, do ya?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"I'm with Fluttershy and I'm pretty sure Applejack is going to want to be with Rarity," Rainbow Dash swiftly answered. "That's means you're stuck with Pinkie Pie," she added.

"Hooray!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and jumped up in the air.

The only word that left Twilight's mouth was, "Oh."

Rarity turned to look at her marefriend. "Applejack, I do hope that Rainbow Dash is right. We are a team right?" she asked for reasurrence.

"Does this answer yer question, Rarity?" Applejack said and kissed her on the cheek.

Before Rarity could respond, Pinkie Pie decided to speak up. "Aww... you kissed her like Dashie does sometimes to Fluttershy. Speaking of which... I heard that they were going to snug-"

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shouted, drawing everypony's attention. With her cheeks a little red from embarrassment, she added, "Okay, egghead already said the rules and the teams are decided. What are we waiting for?"

As Rainbow Dash stood in the stood in snow, Fluttershy tried to nuzzle the anger out of her. Rarity rolled her eyes and strode off with Applejack. Twilight and Pinkie left with smug grins as they went off to claim a territory. A yellow hoof reached over Rainbow Dash's back.

"It's okay, Rainbow. There's no need to get upset. She was just being silly. You know she only means well and can't help it," Fluttershy whispered.

The cyan pegasus let out a sigh. "I just wish that she had some respect for privacy," she explained.

Fluttershy nodded and without another word they trudged over to their own area away from the others. The spot they choose was close to the frozen pond. They immediately noticed that their friends had made a sort of even triangle. Rarity and Applejack were on their left. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were on the right. It seemed like everypony was a equal distance away from each other.

Now in their own little territory, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy set out to build their fort. Rainbow Dash tried to spread her wings out and use them like a shovel but they were too sensitive to the cold and quickly started to sting and numb with the contact. It seemed that they would have to use their hooves like everypony else.

Fluttershy gently nudged Rainbow Dash. “Um.. Rainbow Dash?” she asked.

“What is it, pal?” Rainbow Dash asked back as she started pushing the snow.

“It’s just that… I don’t know if I can do this. I want to do this. I want to have fun with you… but I just wish I wasn’t such a scaredy pony,” Fluttershy tried to explain.

Rainbow Dash stopped herself to rest a warm area of her foreleg on her wife’s back. “Hey, I don’t think you’re a scaredy pony. You just need somepony to help you out a little,” she said trying to comfort her.

“But how?” Fluttershy simply asked.

Rainbow Dash sat and pondered it over. “Hey, I got a great idea! What if you just play pretend like we used to when we were fillies?” she suggested.

“Pretend?” Fluttershy said, feeling confused.

“Yeah! You know like… when we acted as if we were soldiers from the founding of Equestria,” she said with some embarrassment behind her voice.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “Are you trying to suggest that we role play?” she asked with a silly little smile.

Trying to hide her obvious embarrassment, Rainbow Dash replied, "Maybe..."

"Well, how does it go?" Fluttershy questioned her.

Rainbow Dash gave a sly smile. "Oh you know... we're both two soldiers fighting. Both of us are secretly in love with each other..." she explained.

Fluttershy giggled."Oh, I see! Are you the commanding officer then?" she asked with a wink.

"Yup and you're a Private First Class. Now to get work soldier!" Rainbow Dash half-shouted.

"Yes, ma'm! What do you want me to do?" Fluttershy asked, saluting her officer.

Taking a minute to mentally plan out the fort, Rainbow Dash carefully thought it over. "Make the walls facing our adversaries, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle high and thick," she ordered.

"Right away!" Fluttershy replied, getting to work.

Rainbow Dash smirked. Now if only I could get her to be this calm and willful during the battle, she thought as she watched Fluttershy push the snow.

As Fluttershy built up the walls on the right side, Rainbow Dash set to work on the other side, making sure there it would be good enough to defend attacks from Rarity and Applejack. The weather started to wear them down a bit as Fluttershy started to shiver with each chilling wind. Everypony else around seemed to be doing just fine except for Rarity who sounded like she was complaining about something.

"Fifteen minutes left!" Twilight called out.

Rainbow Dash started to panic. "Hurry up, Private Fluttershy! Smoothen out the outside of the walls!" she ordered.

"Um.. right away ma'm!" Fluttershy nervously responded.

Fluttershy looked around at her other friends who were also rushing to get their forts done. Twilight and Pinkie Pie had managed to make a very sloppy looking fort with a space in between the walls facing outward. Yet, it looked like they weren't bothered at all by its quality. Rarity and Applejack on the other hand had a very smooth and even looking snow fort.

"What do you mean that I'm going to have to throw them? Why would I want to get hit? I don't need my mane or my coat getting all ruined," Rarity argued from behind their fort.

"Gosh darn it, Rarity! It's all just for good fun. Why do ya have to care so much about it? If you really do get messy, you can just always fix yerself up after it's all over," Applejack argued back.

The creamy pegasus let a few giggles escape her muzzle as the two marefriends continued to bicker. They argued with each other like a couple might, not unlike they used to before they had gotten together. Though, it always seemed like in the end of an arguement, they would make up for it and move on as if nothing happened.

Fluttershy placed both hoofs on the uneven surface of the fort. With a circular motion, she moved her hoofs around like sandpaper on wood, smoothening out the rough bumps. Thoughts about her own relationship started to fill her mind as she went to work. They never had fought much or argued. On rare occasion, she had to raise her voice or get physical but it was only for the better. There was definitely a strong feeling of love between them but sometimes she felt like it was so strong, she herself was made stronger.

"Only five minutes left!" Twilight yelled out.

Rainbow Dash came around the corner and nudged Fluttershy on the shoulder. "C'mon, get to cover soldier!" she barked, causing the timid pegasus to let out a meep.

"Uhh... yes ma'm," Fluttershy replied as she hurried behind the walls.

Upon seeing her wife still clearly nervous, Rainbow Dash groaned. "Look, I don't think this working out for you. You're not supposed to be getting all stressed out. For pony's sake, why are you even doing this?" she demanded.

Taken aback, Fluttershy could only murmur, "I just wanted to help... or just be with you... I'm sorry, Rainbow"

Hesitating, Rainbow Dash put her hooves around her in a light hug. "I didn't mean to raise my voice to you. After all, you are the pony who means the most in my life," she said in quiet voice.

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash. I'll just stay out of the way," Fluttershy said back, trying to squirm out of the hooves which gently gripped her.

"Wait, you don't have to leave me. How 'bout you just lie low and make snowballs for me? We can still be a team," Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Times up!" Twilight called out.

Fluttershy squeaked and ducked down even lower. "Okay," she simply answered.

Rainbow Dash leaned down and gently nuzzled her nose against Fluttershy's. "C'mon, Private. Are you going to help me out here?" she asked with sly grin.

Looking into the magenta eyes, Fluttershy could see the passion behind them. "Yes... um ma'm! Snowballs coming up!" she replied in a much more eager voice.

Grinning, Rainbow Dash peered up from the wall to see what her enemies up to. A snowball flew over her head, missing her by an inch. She quickly glanced at Fluttershy who was already holding up a completed snowball in her hoof. She took it and threw it as hard she could only to just miss Pinkie Pie. Suddenly, a snowball from the left hit her directly in the face.

"Thanks for standing still, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack teased from the safety of her fort.

Rainbow Dash ducked down and wiped her face. "Private, I've just taken a hit! Double-time with those snowballs!" she ordered in a playful voice.

"Yes, Ma'm!" Fluttershy said and hurried her pacing. She quickly gathered some snow between her hooves and only put in a few seconds to try to shape it before giving it to her comrade. "Here you go," she offered.

The bold pegasus grabbed the snowball and stood up to see over the wall. Waiting for somepony to foolishly stick her head out, she kept her hoof at the ready. Right as Rarity's mane came into view, she hurled the snowball at the unicorn. It hit her face and split between her horn. Not only did it do that but it also knocked her hat off and messed up her mane.

Chuckling, Rainbow Dash teased, "Hah, it looks your flag took a hit there, Rarity!"

"You did not!" Rarity yelled and tried to rapidly throw snowballs back in revenge.

Rainbow Dash ducked down with a grin before anything could hit her.

"Nice hit, Ma'm! Um... you didn't hurt her did you?" Fluttershy commented.

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash replied, "No, I just kind of took her hat off and her mane got all frizzy."

"Oh, okay then," Fluttershy said as she let out a little sigh of relief. "I made some more for you over here," she said and pointed at a small pile of snowballs.

"Good work, Private! I really use some these for the next attack," Rainbow Dash praised her.

Fluttershy nodded her head and giggled at the fact which they were still role playing a little. She had been hoping that Rainbow Dash would have made it a bit more romantic instead of just plain silly. An idea of being somewhat suggestive came over her mind and tempted her. Not only did the barrier of snow made her feel well protected but having Rainbow Dash act pretty much as her own little personal guard made her feel even safer. In fact, it helped ease her mind a little.

"Uh... Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked as she tapped the other pegasus on the shoulder.

A little surprised that her wife had dropped the act, Rainbow Dash turned with a curious look. "Huh? What is it," she asked.

"Well, I was under the impression this whole thing of role playing would be a little more... um... romantic. I don't mean that I don't like-"

Cutting Fluttershy off, Rainbow Dash said, "Before you even try to apologize, it's fine. I meant to be pretty sappy but I kind of got caught up in the fun, I guess."

Fluttershy giggled and with a deft movement, she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's side. "Maybe you should be sappy now," she suggested as she batted her eyes in a silly manner.

No longer concerned with the battle going on between her friends, Rainbow Dash brought her own hoof up to carefully brush her lover's cheek. "You know I always am around you..." she whispered.

Leaning her face closer in, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up. Rather than acting on impulse, she waited for the cyan pegasus to meet her lips--and that's what happened. Rainbow Dash closed in the space between them and kissed her right there. She let her hoof slowly slide over to side of Fluttershy's head.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash stumbled from leaning too much on her left side and reached at the wall of snow for support. She clumsily knocked over a large section of the wall, leaving them exposed to their enemies. A few seconds later, a hail of snowballs flew at them, causing Fluttershy to squeak in terror before being grabbed. Wiling to take a few hits, Rainbow Dash swiftly moved her over to the section of wall that was still standing up and then rolled over to cover.

"Wow! You sure made a boo-boo to your fort there, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie Pie commented.

"I say this would be the perfect time to get revenge. I call for a very brief truce with you, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash has made the mistake of ruining my mane and I see fit to do the same." Rarity said, from the protection of her own fort.

Rainbow Dash glanced out from the wall. "Are you kidding? Don't tell me you're gonna team up with them, egghead," she called out, addressing Twilight.

"Considering that you call me egghead again, yes, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied in an annoyed voice.

A snowball flew by and took a bit of the wall with it.

Rainbow Dash ducked down again. "I can't believe this! I knew we tried too hard to smooth out the walls. We probably made the walls too thin, Flutters," she complained.

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy apologized as she leaned against her lover.

"You did nothing wrong. It's just bad luck, I suppose," Rainbow Dash explained. She rested her head a little on Fluttershy's as more snowballs whizzed by, making soft sounds as they damaged the only cover they had left. Sighing in defeat, she said, "Well, I suppose we should prepare to get really cold and raise the white flag."

Taken aback by the sudden lack of confidence in the very pony she believed in the most, Fluttershy felt helpless. "How can you just give up like that?" she asked.

"Do you think we stand a chance against four ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked back.

"Well... yes, I think you could do it. No, we can do it!" a more confident Fluttershy answered.

Seeing this sudden change in attitude, Rainbow Dash acted on her impulses and passionately kissed the timid pegasus. It was quickly returned with the same passion. Their muzzles locked and their hearts beat rapidly. After what seemed like a minute but really lasted only a few seconds, Rainbow Dash pulled her lips away and hugged the other pegasus.

"How are we going to do this?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well... what if one of us runs out and distracts them while the other takes them out," Fluttershy suggested.

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head. "But that would leave you to be the one throwing the snowballs. You can't really do much physical activity with that belly there," she pointed out.

Fluttershy pulled away from the hug and looked deep into her lover's eyes. As she stared, she saw that passion behind her eyes. She longer feared getting hit from a harmless snowball or that she would fail her very special somepony. Finally, she answered, "I can do the throwing if I concentrate enough. You're the most agile pony I know. You can easily distract them and avoid getting hit."

After taking a second to consider Fluttershy's plan, Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. "Okay, just tell me when to run out. I'm ready," she told her.

Deciding against taking a moment, Fluttershy gave the word. "Go" was all that she had to whisper before Rainbow Dash rolled out and darted through the cold snow. Her friends mistakenly stood up, not knowing that the shy pegasus was prepared to fight them. They threw their snowballs at the speed demon who was doing her best to distract them and avoid getting hit.

With six well shaped snowballs, Fluttershy was ready for the first throw. She peered over and focused on Applejack and Rarity. With a snowball in her hoof and another ready to be quickly grabbed, she flung the current one in her hoof at Applejack. Upon seeing it hit her target, she grinned and threw another one, this time aimed at Rarity. It was another direct hit.

The duo turned their attention to Fluttershy in surprise as she chucked another one at Applejack. This time it was dodged but she managed to get Pinkie Pie and Twilight's attention as well. Without sparing a moment, she hurled a large snowball that nailed Pinkie Pie right in the face, knocking her over. Before Twilight could counter with her own snowball, Rainbow Dash had stopped and thrown one at her.

More snowballs flew back and forth but eventually it came to an end. Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie were in defeat. Their coats were wet and cold from the bits of snow that hung on. Rainbow Dash was panting and trying to recover from all the running and rolling around. Fluttershy on the other hoof, was calm but now she was worried about her friends who seemed to have given up.

"Oh my goodness! I sure hope we didn't hurt anypony, Rainbow Dash," she said, hurrying to the pegasus's side.

"Fluttershy, they're all fine," Rainbow Dash reassured her. "But... what was that? I've never seen you like this before. I mean, sure we were taking this a little too serious but for a minute it seemed like winning was the only thing that mattered to you. I know I care about winning sometimes but seeing you like was something different," she explained.

Stuttering a bit, Fluttershy answered, "I really don't know. I-I probably just saw something in you but I really don't know. You just really made me feel so much better about myself and so much more confident... and brave."

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I think somepony is falling in love all over again," she joked.

Fluttershy giggled as she nuzzled her wife. "I've always been in love with you," she cooed.

"Well, I'm very proud of my little soldier here," Rainbow Dash said as she returned the gesture.

Not knowing that their friends already recovered and were quietly watching them, they continued to enjoy the other's close company.

"Twilight, how did they manage to beat us?" Pinkie Pie complained.

Shaking her head, Twilight replied, "I don't know, Pinkie, but all I do know is I would be down for some hot chocolate right now.

"I think Fluttershy and I could go for some too," Rainbow Dash commented after overhearing her friends.

"Hey, that gives me a great idea. What if you guys stop by my place for a while to warm up for bit and just... you know just hang out with each other," Twilight suggested.

"Boy, ah sure would be down for that," Applejack said, "Ah bet Rarity sure would like to also."

Rarity didn't look like she agreed at all. However, her friends didn't seem to notice and probably were too eager to get themselves warmed up. They all had nodded in agreement and were already leaving to get some nice hot chocolate. She stopped Applejack to have a few words with her marefriend.

Draping her wing over Fluttershy in a loving and caring manner, Rainbow Dash proudly walked off with the timid pegasus at her side. She could feel her shaking from the cold and she herself was shivering too. The prospect of getting hot chocolate and something to eat with their good friends was just too tempting to pass up on. Even though she originally intended to go back home to spend quality time in peace with Fluttershy, she had to admit that snuggling was better when the day was winding down to an end.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rainbow Dash could swear that she saw Rarity striding off in anger. Daring to take a quick glance behind, she saw Applejack standing still in the snow and looking away at her marefriend's direction. She wanted to stop to say something but it seemed better to just wait until they got to their destination. Assuming that Applejack would follow them, she returned her gaze to the creamy mare who walked besides her.

Upon arriving at Twilight's house, everypony hurried inside to get themselves warmed up. Their manes and coats were wet from the snowball fight. After everypony piled in, Twilight Sparkle quickly closed the door. Spike, who had been tending to the warm fireplace, looked up in surprise at the ponies who took off their wet scarves and hats. As the hats came off, the tangles of hair that are a mess of mane were exposed. They proceeded to crowd the area in front of the fireplace and make themselves comfortable.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat close together while Pinkie Pie did her best to invade Spike's personal space. Applejack however, sat by herself with a frown on her face. As Twilight approached them to offer them with making something tasty to eat, she suddenly realized that somepony was missing.

"Uhh... Applejack?" Twilight asked. "I thought Rarity was walking with you the whole time on our way here."

Everypony diverted their attention to the downtrodden cowpony.

"Yeah, I thought I saw her walking away with this really angry look on her face. What's going on, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash pressed.

Applejack sighed loudly and rubbed her forehead. "It's not important. She's just mad at me again," she said.

"Why is she mad at you? I thought we all had a good time," Fluttershy curiously asked.

"Yeah, we all had a good time getting clobbered by Fluttershy. What's there to be mad about?" Pinkie Pie agreed in an unusually cheerful voice.

"Look, we just had a little disagreement over coming here. Rarity wanted to come back to her boutique 'an fix herself up. Ah told her it didn't matter but she just kept refusing," she sadly explained.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "So, why did you just leave her?" she demanded.

Trying to fight back tears, Applejack replied, "Because she told me to leave her alone! Of course ah wanted to comfort her and try to talk sense into her but she refused to let me!"

"I'm so sorry, Applejack," Twilight said in sympathetic voice. She sat next to the earth pony and patted her on back. "But it seems like for now you should just let her calm down on her own."

"Yeah, just forget about it for now. You know she'll simmer down and things will work out," Rainbow Dash suggested, trying to comfort her friend.

Twilight stood up and rested a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "Hey, why don't I make the hot chocolate and fix something for everypony to eat?" she offered.

"That sounds wonderful, Twilight! I really could use a nice, warm drink and a little snack," Fluttershy commented.

Nodding her head, Twilight disappeared into the kitchen while she left her friends to get themselves cozy in the heat of the fire. Pinkie Pie moved over to sit with Applejack to try to cheer her up while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy tried to talk to her about other things to forget about what recently happened. Nopony had expected such a turn of events for the day.

By the time Twilight came back with the beverages and some chocolate chip cookies, her friends were just eager to get back home and let the rest of the day wind down. Still, they stayed to have their drinks and snack but nopony wanted to stay after. They had a nice little chat but it consisted only of small talk about the weather and the coming Spring.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt exhausted and just wanted to relax in the comfort and privacy of their home. Applejack was just eager to see marefriend and make things between them. It had been almost a hour since they've seen each other and she was convinced that Rarity had cooled down and was ready to talk. No long able to wait, everypony thanked Twilight for the drinks and food before making their way back home.

As they left back to the cold world outside, they said their own goodbyes to each other before splitting off. Pinkie Pie seemed to be the only one who wasn't as tired. As it turned out, she had a bunch of baking to do with the Cake's today. Applejack ran off in the direction of Carousal Boutique and it was just Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy left to wander back home.

Rainbow Dash draped her wing again over Fluttershy and nuzzled her cheek. "So... how 'bout we have that snuggle session now that nopony is going to bother us," she whispered into her ear.

Yawning, Fluttershy said, "I think it's more like nap time."

"Yeah, I hear you, pal," Rainbow Dash said as they got close to the other side of town.

When they got back home, they couldn't have felt any more tired than they already were. After a hastily made dinner and a quick shower, they were more than ready to call it a day. It was starting to get dark out and Rainbow Dash was surprised that so much time had gone by during the day. They dragged themselves up the stairs and into their bedroom to slide under the thick, warm blankets of their bed.

Fluttershy laid sideways and gazed into the eyes that were looking back. "So much for a little nap," she teased in a drained voice.

"Heh, I guess so. Good night, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied and leaned over to kiss Fluttershy on the head.

Too tired to reciprocate the gesture, Fluttershy merely whispered, "I love you too," before letting her eyes close and mind drift away.

Now left to her thoughts, Rainbow Dash wondered about their future. She didn't even have a name in mind for their filly yet. However, most couples wait until the foal is born before they try to name it together. With the way things were going, she was going to have to spend even more time and effort caring for Fluttershy until her pregnancy was finally over. Sometimes she wished she knew how much of a commitment this was before making such a big decision with her lover.

Author's Note

I apologize for the long time it took for this chapter to be done but I had writer's block all last month and got so little done during that time. To clarify things, each chapter has its own significance to the story line.

A Gift

About nine months into pregnancy...

Deep in sleep, Fluttershy woke up from something warm and fuzzy hugging her back. She murmured something incoherent and shifted more on her side. It wasn't until a minute later when a hoof went over her back and slowly rubbed against her chest that she recognized what is was behind her. Rather, it was a matter of who it was behind her. Of course, it was Rainbow Dash whose chest was pressed up against Fluttershy's back.

Fluttershy sighed and rested her hoof on Rainbow Dash's before muttering her name.

"Well, good morning, beautiful," the bold pegasus whispered from behind.

Another sigh escaped the muzzle of the timid pony as Rainbow Dash continued to lightly massage her soft underside. Even though it was unusual that Rainbow Dash was trying to her wake up rather than letting her get her sleep, this certainly was no rude awakening. The feeling of having the strong athlete snuggled up against her back was too good to make Fluttershy question why she disturbed her sleep.

"Good morning," Fluttershy whispered back with a long yawn.

Rainbow Dash cuddled up even closer and whispered in the ear of her lover, "Happy anniversary, Fluttershy."

Right then did Fluttershy's eyes open wider as she suddenly realized that today was that special day she had been waiting for. After all, she had spent about two weeks hiding something from Rainbow Dash until this very day came. With some help, she rolled over onto her other side she she could face her beloved. Her hooves wrapped around the cyan pegasus as she let the upper part of her body make close contact with her.

Making sure not to apply too much force to Fluttershy's lower body due to the large bulge, Rainbow Dash hugged back with equal passion. They both relished in the relief and comfort that this embrace brought to them despite that it couldn't really be as intimate as they wanted it to be. When it did end, Rainbow Dash leaned in for a quick kiss that was eagerly returned.

After Fluttershy parted her lips, she rested her head down on a pillow to look at Rainbow Dash's face. "Oh, happy anniversary, Rainbow!" she said in her giddy voice.

Rainbow Dash reached over with a hoof and ran it through Fluttershy's silky mane. "Excited for today?" she asked with a wide grin on her muzzle.

"Of course! I can't wait to spend the whole day with you... just doing all sorts of romantic things... and having a nice time together," Fluttershy replied with a little smile while the cyan pegasus caressed her cheek.

"Yup!" Rainbow Dash quickly agreed. "But, do you think that you could get up now? I kinda worked my flank off making breakfast for us," she added.

"Aw, you didn't have to do that," Fluttershy cooed. "Well, I suppose I can then. I am feeling a little hungry," she replied and slowly pulled herself up.

With some help from her loving spouse, Fluttershy climbed off their bed and stretched out with a cute, long yawn. Although she had originally planned to surprise Rainbow Dash very soon after they woke up, she decided that it could wait a little while longer. Since breakfast was supposedly already fixed, it seemed much better to wait until after. Still, it didn't change the fact that she was so eager to see Rainbow Dash's reaction when she receives her special gift.

While Fluttershy was preoccupied with her thinking, she didn't notice that Rainbow Dash was going through their closet for something.

"Wait... just one minute," Rainbow Dash interrupted her thoughts. "I've got something for you."

Fluttershy turned around to see the bold pegasus pull out a pink ball cap from the closet. The first that caught attention was the alluring color. After all, pink was one of her favorite colors and not to mention, she always liked how Rainbow Dash looked wearing her own ball cap. This one however, had a more feminine design to it.

"Here, this is for you, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash stated as she offered the hat. "It's just a little anniversary gift that I thought you would like to wear."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in gratitude. "Awww... that's very thoughtful of you. Could you um... put it on?" she commented and leaned down on her front hooves.

"Of course!" Rainbow Dash replied. She gently placed the pink ball cap on top of the timid mare's head and felt around it to make it fit snugly on her head. "I have to say.." she said as she put on a thoughtful look. "It looks pretty good on you."

"Thank you so much, Rainbow!" Fluttershy thanked her with a quick hug.

Blushing a little, Rainbow Dash sat and awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Heh, it's just a hat, Fluttershy," she dismissed it.

"Well, it's the meaning behind it that makes it such a precious gift," Fluttershy tried to explain.

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement at the honest words that came from the heart of her lover. However, she had went through a lot of work to make breakfast and wanted it be eaten as soon as possible after it was made. "I get what you mean. I guess anything could be priceless depending on that sort of thing." she pointed out. "But, can we eat now?"

Fluttershy's stomach made an odd gurgling noise that only added to her agreement. "I suppose so!" she giggled.

The smell of a sumptuous meal had filled the first floor with an alluring aroma. Fluttershy found her mouth watering before she even reached the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes widened at the sight of a set up dinner table. Next to each plate of hash browns, pancakes, toast, and even hay bacon; was a tall glass of orange juice. The sight was almost enough to make Fluttershy lose all care for lady-like behaviors and dig in.

Her hunger was duly noted by Rainbow Dash who found some amusement out of it. "Heh, you look like a hungry timber wolf there," she joked while she followed behind.

Fluttershy giggled at her teasing before sitting herself down at the table. "It was very sweet of you to do this, Rainbow," she commented as she looked down at her appetizing meal.

"Well, you're very welcome," Rainbow Dash said while she made her way to other side of the table to sit down. "I hope you're not gonna wait on me to dig in," she pointed out as she started eating her hay bacon.

Upon hearing and seeing the other mare's satisfaction of her own cooking, Fluttershy decided to no waste no more time and feed her hungry tummy. It didn't take long for her to see why Rainbow Dash was so happy with her cooking. Despite that she actually did pretty decent with her cooking, she wasn't always content with everything that she made. It was usually that she only compared her cooking to Fluttershy's and saw that she could never be as good as her.

"The hash browns are so good!" Fluttershy complimented as she took in another mouthful.

Rainbow Dash stopped munching on her toast for a minute. "Yeah, Applejack taught me this really awesome recipe the other day," she explained.

"That was very nice of her," Fluttershy commented before a long sip of the cold, refreshing orange juice.

She watched the other pegasus eat while it soon became unusually quiet at the table. The only sounds were of them eating. It had been only a short time since they started eating and already they were about half done. It wasn't an unwelcome silence as the couple took it to simply give each other lovey dovey looks and giggle at the other.

After about five minutes, Fluttershy decided to speak up. "So, um... what do you have in mind that we'll do today?" she innocently asked.

"Well..." Rainbow Dash began, "We could for a picnic, I guess we can go on walk too, and um... heh... well, actually, I was just gonna wait until after the picnic so we can decide what to do," she said in an uneasy voice.

Unexpectedly, Fluttershy looked very unhappy and uncomfortable at the idea of spending time outside doing things. "W-what? We're going outside for this?" she nervously squeaked.

"Do you really think that we're going to spend it cooped up here?" Rainbow Dash snapped back, suddenly irritated at the mare she gave loving glances at.

"I can't go outside like this!" Fluttershy motioned to herself.

Rainbow Dash had gotten out of her seat and was at her side. "C'mon, you need to stop saying that. There's nothing wrong with the way you look. You're just pregnant and everypony understands that," she tried to calm the nervous wreck.

Fluttershy shook her head. "That's the point! I don't like it when ponies look at me! I stick out like a sore hoof to every pony in town!" she complained.

"Who cares what they think? Just ignore them. It's that easy!" Rainbow Dash retorted.

The nervous mare just couldn't stand her argument. She got out of her chair and turned her back on the pony she loved. "Yeah, well... what if you were the one pregnant? How would you like to have this giant tummy get in the way when you're trying to sleep, sitting down, or even getting intimate with the pony you love? Would you like everypony to look at you because your glands are so swollen? Or, what about having to go pee every ten minutes? Would you even put up with it?" she vented, her face hidden from the other pegasus.

Taken aback, Rainbow Dash could only stutter. "I-I guess... I wouldn't like that. I-I'm sorry... o-okay?" she attempted to apologize.

Fluttershy could only sigh and lower her head down, unhappy that she already had started something between them on their anniversary. Though, she was still firm on not going out into town but she was conflicted by several different feelings. After a minute of silence, she felt Rainbow Dash hoof make it's way around her shoulder. She made no resistance, however no pony was talking at this point.

Finally, she gave in by turning towards the other mare and hugging her very lightly. "I'm sorry, Rainbow," she cried into the prismatic mane.

"Shh," Rainbow Dash cooed as she hugged back the distraught pony. "It's okay. Just calm down. It's not your fault." she tried to cool the upset pony down.

"No! I-" Fluttershy tried to say but was cut off.

Rainbow Dash held a hoof over Fluttershy's muzzle. "No, you're right. I wouldn't feel so great if I was in your place," she explained and paused for a minute. "You have every right to call me out on that but you didn't understand what I meant."

To this, Fluttershy let out a curious "Huh?" before she was politely hushed.

"I never said anything about going into town and being around large crowds of ponies. When I said that we could have a picnic, walk, and do some other stuff; I was talking about doing it someplace where it would just be us," Rainbow Dash elaborated and moved the hoof over Fluttershy's muzzle towards her cheek to caress it.

Again, Fluttershy tried to apologize but Rainbow Dash stopped her and broke the hug. She backed away so she could see the face of the other mare and attacked her muzzle with a barrage of sweet little kisses. All of the strange feelings that were plaguing Fluttershy had melted away and she found herself enjoying all the loving pecks on her face.

Once Rainbow Dash stopped, Fluttershy took it upon herself to make the next move by slightly tilting her head and moving in to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. Almost right away was it met with equal passion and with some surprise by the cyan pegasus. Everything around them disappeared as there was nothing else that mattered in the world at the moment. While they made out with each other, neither of them noticed the angry bunny who was tapping his foot besides them.

With her hoof still caressing Fluttershy's cheek, Rainbow Dash decided to add more passion to the kiss and gently poked the creamy mare's bottom lip with her tongue. It was eagerly granted access to the other mare's mouth as she found herself in a familiar territory. She felt something slip past her tongue and into her own mouth as well.

They could taste their recent breakfast in the other's mouth as their tongues intertwined. Rainbow Dash felt slightly turned on as she slowly was losing herself in this intimate kiss. Despite that she promised they wouldn't go all the way, it was starting to feel hard to resist certain urges. It wasn't until a certain bunny interrupted their make-up make-out session that it was finally ended.

"Wow..." Rainbow Dash trailed off, trying to catch her breath. "That must have been one of the most awesome times we've made out," she declared.

Fluttershy, clearly out breath, looked at the little bunny who had kicked her foreleg. "Oh my... it was certainly was one of the best kisses." she agreed and examined her pet. "Well... it looks like my friend here is hungry. Rainbow Dash, did you feed the animals yet?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash's ears drooped down as she remembered. "Shoot, I forgot to," she complained.

"It's okay," Fluttershy reassured her before moving to the front door. "Could you just clean up the table for me?" she asked while she stood in the doorway.

"Of course," Rainbow Dash obediently answered.

Upon hearing her wife's cheerful answer, Fluttershy slipped outside to tend to her critters. At least she still felt comfortable in the land around their cottage. While she started to feed her animal friends, Rainbow Dash began to move dirty dishes from the table to their kitchen sink.

There was still a considerable amount of food left, so she decided to put away most of the leftovers in their fridge. After a few rounds of carrying plates, she came back with a rag in her mouth and dropped it on the table. Even though several months ago she knew very little about simple cleaning, she had learned from the mare who lived with her. After all, it was embarrassing to admit that she had somepony tidy up her cloud house for her and that she lacked such basic skills.

After finishing her household chores, Rainbow Dash went back into the kitchen to prepare some sandwiches for an upcoming picnic. Of course, it was too early but she figured it would be better to be ahead of schedule while she waited for Fluttershy to finish feeding the animals. Before she could begin to pull out ingredients, it turned out that Fluttershy was done with chores as well, as evidenced by the noise of the door closing.

"Rainbow?" she called out from the living room.

Deciding to stop what she was about to do, Rainbow Dash followed the voice out of the kitchen. "Hey, Fluttershy. What's up?" she nonchalantly asked.

"Could you go upstairs with me? I have to show you something," Fluttershy asked out of the blue.

Rainbow Dash tried to carefully examine her facial expression but got nothing out of it. "Sure, I guess," she gave in without an argument.

Fluttershy nodded and the lead way upstairs. In her current physical condition, it took a little extra effort to work her way up them but Rainbow Dash seemed to be able to hold her patience well. When they did reach the second floor of their cozy home, the timid pegasus wandered into the bedroom and reached out under the bed. She pulled out a saddlebag which one the bags on the side was tightly packed and picked it up with mouth.

"What is that?" Rainbow Dash asked with a curious look as she stood in front of their bed.

"I don't know..." Fluttershy teased with a poorly hidden smirk on her face. "Maybe you should come up here," she suggested, motioning to the bed.

She helped herself up on the bed and held the saddlebag close to her legs. It was her turn to give a surprise- one she knew would definitely make her lover's day. Rainbow Dash wasted no time to eagerly climb up on the bed as well and join her.

Clearing her throat a little, Fluttershy spoke up, "Okay..." she trailed off. "This is something for a very important pony in my life. In thanks for everything she has done for me during these difficult months, for making me feel like the luckiest mare in Equestria, and for gentle and tender with me all this time we've been together..." she paused and let a tear streak down her cheek. "This is for you, Rainbow Dash," she announced and pushed the bag away from herself.

"Heh, you didn't have to get me something," Rainbow Dash commented as she grabbed the bag.

Deciding to not wait, she opened up the bag and felt the contents with her hooves. Unexpectedly, it was a material that felt very different than what a dress would be made out of. In fact, it was like it was made out of a rubbery material instead. With a very intrigued look on her face, she pulled out it and examined it. The color of it was a solid blue, a shade darker than her own coat. Flipping it over, she found a silver, metal zipper. Almost immediately did her heart rate start jumping as she started to realize what this was that Fluttershy just gave her.

"No! Is t-this really?" Rainbow Dash stuttered as she stared back at the gift giver, wide eyed.

Fluttershy laid down on her side with a little smirk on her face. "Yes, it is what you think is. It's even insulated to keep you warm in the cold and it protects you from lightning," she answered.

Hugging it close to her chest, Rainbow Dash was the happiest mare alive. "You know that I've been dying to get a really decent flight suit!" she pointed out.

Smiling at the happiness she brought to her spouse, Fluttershy batted her eyes at her in a silly manner. "I knew that you'd love to have one of your own finally," she commented.

"Enough sappiness! Hug time!" Rainbow Dash declared as she rushed the other pegasus with open hooves.

"Ooof! Be careful, Rainbow," Fluttershy gently warned so she wouldn't be crushed.

Rainbow Dash did listen and forced herself to hug with a softer grip despite that she could barely contain her excitement and affection. "Thanks so much, Fluttershy!" she thanked her, with seriousness in her voice. "This is the best gift ever!" she proclaimed.

"You're very welcome," Fluttershy simply replied and returned the hug.

The couple continued to cuddle with each other, one them with a huge grin on her muzzle and the other still wearing a pink ball cap on her head. Both of which were very much enjoying this close contact and the sense of security it brought between them. When they did reluctantly pull away, Rainbow Dash smooched Fluttershy's forehead in gratitude for the awesome gift and rested her hoof on her yellow shoulder.

"Today is going to be the best day ever!" Rainbow Dash announced with a hoof up in the air.

After some more snuggling, they decided it was time to pack up for the picnic and think of ideas for other things to also do. While Rainbow Dash focused on preparing some tasty sandwiches and a salad to go along with, Fluttershy occupied herself with choosing a few refreshing drinks to go with their lunch. It was now the late morning but they still had plenty of time for a walk together before eating lunch.

They planned to walk on the same path that was used for the Running of the Leaves. Since nopony really walked there during the summer days, it was perfect for the two pegasi to enjoy each other's company in peace and privacy. It would also be good exercise for Fluttershy to keep up her good health. Though, it wasn't that great of a place to show off flying tricks and moves.

As Rainbow Dash finished packing a saddlebag full of food and drinks for the day ahead, she wondered if her gift even amounted to the one she had been given earlier. "Heh, are you still wearing it?" she asked Fluttershy, who had been helping her stuff the saddlebag full of things.

"Of course! I really like it, Rainbow," Fluttershy replied as she motioned to her new hat. "But... are you sure that you can handle all of that weight?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"Well... I am that awesome and strong... so, of course, I can! But really, I'm comfortable with wearing it," Rainbow Dash waved off her worries.

"Oh, okay then," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash stretched out one more time before she nudged her partner and gestured to leave. Upon seeing her nod of approval, she lifted her left wing and let it settle on the shy mare's back. Leaving the cottage as a close couple, they waved goodbye to some of the animals that were standing along the way.

On the way there, Fluttershy looked a lot less uneasy than Rainbow Dash expected. To her, it must have just been a nervous breakdown earlier during breakfast. It made her feel bad though, to see her in such a vulnerable state. However, Rainbow Dash still had one more surprise for her, another that she'll appreciate so much. They passed by Applejack, who almost seemed to expect to bump into them on their way. Hellos were exchanged but Rainbow Dash gave a wink instead as if were some sort of secret signal.

Fluttershy noticed the strangeness in Rainbow Dash's gesture but shook it off. It didn't matter to her because she couldn't help but notice how nice it was outside. Either it was a coincidence or it was all set up by her lover whose wing was affectionately draped over her .

"Enjoying the awesome weather?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk as they left the outskirts of town.

"Yes, it's so nice out!" Fluttershy replied with a nuzzle.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash agreed. "They had a storm planned for today but I convinced the big boss to move it for another day," she explained.

Smiling, Fluttershy nuzzled her cheek again. "Aw, you didn't have to go through that trouble," she cooed.

"C'mon, 'Shy... do you really think I'd let a storm ruin this day for us?" Rainbow Dash complained and stopped to look around. "Oh, shoot! I went the wrong way!"

Looking around and wondering what the bold pegasus meant, Fluttershy realized that they were headed right for the meadows. She had forgotten too that it was the path adjacent to the one that they had took. "Um.. well, that's okay. We could just walk to the meadows then. I don't mind," she squeaked.

Rainbow Dash stood with her and tried to make up her mind. "Okay," she gave in. "But, you have to watch these cool tricks that I learned," she added.

"You don't have to ask me for that. I would love to watch your awesome moves and your amazing tricks!," she affectionately nuzzled the mare again.

"Heh, well, thanks then. But really, it means a lot to me to have somepony watch and cheer me on," Rainbow Dash thanked in her most honest tone.

They walked for a good time past the vast field of grassland with flowers scattered all around. The smells of the flowers they walked past and the wonderful sight all around them only served to make their mood even better. Fluttershy stooped to grab a red flower in her mouth and was allowed to slide it in Rainbow Dash's mane. Even though she was a tomboyish pegasus, she mostly displayed her feminine side to Fluttershy only.

Fluttershy stopped Rainbow Dash once they reached a relatively soft area in the middle of the field where the grass was short. "Here's a good spot for us to set up," she claimed.

With a grunt, Rainbow Dash brought her wing back to her side and let the bag slide off to the ground with a slight thud. "Phew, I'm almost ready to eat again," she said as she wiped her face.

"Is that all you think about?" Fluttershy teased.

"Hey, there's nothing like the feeling of having a full tummy," Rainbow Dash argued before she turned her attention to the saddlebag.

With her mouth, she opened one side and pulled out their picnic blanket and the new, blue flight suit that she had been given. Fluttershy picked up the blanket and waved up in the air before letting it settle down. Rainbow Dash was more interested in getting her suit to see how well it fit her. It took some effort but she managed to squeeze her hooves in and the rest was a matter of fitting her upper body in.

"How'd you know this would fit me?" A bewildered Rainbow Dash asked as she zipped up her suit.

Fluttershy giggled and smirked. "Well, remember when I made you go to Rarity's to get your measurements done for a dress? Ever wonder why you never got it?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash laughed. "Aren't you a sneaky one?”

Fluttershy giggled and watched Rainbow Dash as she grabbed the picnic basket and began to unpack its contents. Sandwiches, apple juice, and two plastic containers of salad cluttered the area in front of her. It took some effort but they managed to sort everything out so they both had an even amount of food and drink.

Picking up a sandwich, Rainbow Dash chomped away at it until there was nothing left, surprising Fluttershy who giggled at the sight. Other than that, the only sounds were of the birds chirping, the cool breeze that soothed their skin, and the occasional munching and sipping sounds from the two pegasi.

Fluttershy was on her second sandwich when she found herself staring into Rainbow Dash’s eyes, admiring her face and mane. A deep blush came over her lover’s face as she noticed that Fluttershy was staring with that dreamy and lovey-dovey look.

“Uh,” Rainbow Dash attempted to say but failed to find the words.

“Oh sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Fluttershy apologized. “I just was admiring the way you looked,” she explained with a little laugh. “But, you really are beautiful, Rainbow.”

“Heh, thanks… but don’t sweat it. You weren’t making me uncomfortable. After all, I think you’re one of the cutest mares in Equestria,” Rainbow Dash flirted back, batting her eyes to playfully mimic her.

Catching onto the game, Fluttershy batted her eyes back. “Is that so? Well, I think you’re one of the prettiest mares, even if you’re so athletic, and… you have the most beautiful and vibrant feathers,” she flirted.

Rainbow Dash took in the rest of her sandwich and grinned. “Yeah, look at you trying to flirt with the pony you married. You always were such a flatterer,” she teased.

“Oh, but I mean every word,” said a honest and loving Fluttershy.

“I know… I do too…” Rainbow Dash trailed off. Her gaze met with her spouse and then slowly moved to her bowl of which she tentatively tasted. Fluttershy mirrored her actions and began her salad too. A peaceful silence fell over them, letting the other sounds be heard once again.

Looks were exchanged but no more words were said. Instead, they continued to munch on their tasty, nutritious salads. Hearing the birds chirping in the background and feeling that cool breeze was all that was needed for a quiet moment. However, it was only a short time before the couple was already done with their delicious and refreshing lunch.

“So, are you ready to see some of my moves?” Rainbow Dash asked, no longer having an empty tummy.

“Of course! I would love to see them!”

"Alright," Rainbow Dash said with a laugh. "Now, let me put on a show for you!" she exclaimed, jumping into action.

She buffed out her chest in a heroic pose and gave her best signature grin to try to impress the already impressed Fluttershy. Without further ado, she took off to the skies and rounded up some clouds. Using her hooves, she expertly shaped them into a line of columns and set them apart from each other. Looking down, Rainbow Dash could see that Fluttershy's eyes were fixed on her with an excited look on her face.

Rainbow Dash flew a distance away from her obstacles before adjusting her position. With a powerful thrust of her wings, she sped up with force at the columns of clouds. Right as she approached the first pillar, she spread her wings out and used them to quickly dodge it. With that same technique, she weaved in and out of the line, avoiding contact with the clouds.

Fluttershy's voice couldn't be heard but the expression on her face was good enough for Rainbow Dash press on with her new routine. With an incredible confidence, she started to fly in a circle. This caused the grass and flowers around the creamy pegasus to thrash about wildly. Yet, Fluttershy remained calm and ignored that her part of her mane was flowing in the wind.

Pulling out of the small vortex of wind she was making, Rainbow Dash soared up and corkscrewed through the air before performing an elaborate series of twists and turns. Making her last move, she performed a series of flips and turns and then landed with a wild and heroic pose right in front of Fluttershy.

“So how was that for a little show?” Rainbow Dash asked as she grinned with pride.

Rising to her hooves, Fluttershy decided to answer with a soft hug. “It was amazing, Rainbow!” she squeaked through the hug. “You really do look good in that,” she complimented her.

“Thanks! I bet it won’t be long before I’m good enough for the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash hoped.

Before Fluttershy could further compliment her, a foul odor started to emit from the pony she was currently hugging. “What is that smell?” she wondered out loud.

Suddenly embarrassed, Rainbow Dash pulled away from the other pegasus. “Heh… uhh yeah… I might be a little sweaty!” she sheepishly explained while awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.

“Well, maybe we should go back so you can shower off,” Fluttershy suggested.

An idea popped into Rainbow Dash’s head as she realized that Applejack must be already done with the favor she was tasked with. This could be the opportunity to show her last gift and surprise. “Yeah, why don’t we head back?” she agreed.

The idea of going back so soon seemed a little silly to Rainbow Dash but she really was eager to give the last gift. The flight suit was comfortable to wear but she had been foolish to use when was a rather hot afternoon. Being so sweaty ended up making it uncomfortable, so she decided to pack it away in her saddlebag along with the rest of the picnic necessities.

As they walked back, she kept a little space between herself and Fluttershy in fear that she would get sweat on her and force her to take a shower too.

“So…” Rainbow Dash mused as they approached their cottage. “What if I told I had one more surprise waiting for you inside?” she asked with a sly grin.

“Another surprise?” Fluttershy asked, curiously tilting her head.

“Well, I kind of want to take a shower first. But, as soon as I’m done, I’ll show you the last surprise that I got for you,” Rainbow Dash explained as they stepped back into their cottage. “Just uhh… don’t go upstairs yet,” she added, letting the saddlebag fall off her back.

Fluttershy nodded her head to show that she could be trusted. “Of course, I promise not to go upstairs then,” she agreed.

“Just wait a little while. I won’t take long this time,” Rainbow Dash bid her as she hurried into their bathroom.

Not wanting to waste any of her lover’s time, Rainbow Dash hopped into the shower and immediately turned the water on cold. Sighs of relief escaped her muzzle as the cold water cooled off her body and washed the sweat away. It was the most blissful experience to feel her sore wings go numb with the refreshing water.

Without warning, the shower door was opened by Fluttershy. “Uh, Rainbow? Would you mind if I join too? I could use a shower too.” she asked, shyly playing with her mane. “I mean, if you don’t mind of course.”

“Well, duh you can! There’s room for one more,” Rainbow Dash laughed.

Fluttershy blushed a little but stopped when she felt the water. “Could you also turn it down a bit?” she pleaded.

“Oh, yeah… heh, sorry,” Rainbow Dash replied as she turned the dial with her mouth. “Come on in,” she beckoned with goofy expression on her face.

As Fluttershy stepped in, she shivered at first from the contact of the water before getting the rest of her body in and closing the door. There was enough room for both ponies but not enough space for them to wash themselves. It would be much easier--and more romantic if they washed the other.

“Rainbow, would you mind if I do your mane?” Fluttershy asked as she reached up at the shelf of body soaps and shampoos.

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash answered, “No, I would be cool with that. Actually, it would be a whole lot easier if you know… we washed each other.”

Fluttershy blushed again but nodded nonetheless happy that she could share something that felt so special. With her hoof, she grabbed the watermelon scented shampoo that Rainbow Dash loved using on occasions like this. She squeezed some out on a hoof and took a quick sniff of it before using both hooves to spread it out through the chromatic mane of her lover.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and let Fluttershy do her work. It felt pretty good to have somepony washing her mane; even more considering who was doing it. In fact, she even was humming a sweet tune while she was doing it.

“Okay, Rainbow, I’m done,” Fluttershy announced.

“Alright, now it’s my turn,” Rainbow Dash said as she opened her eyes and reached for Fluttershy’s shampoo. “Close your eyes now,” she warned.

Fluttershy did as she was told and shut her eyes closed. “Go ahead,” she nodded.

Right after she spoke, she felt Rainbow Dash’s hooves gently run through her long and silky mane. The sweet fragrance of peaches filled her nose with its pleasant aroma. It was almost like heaven for her, having her special somepony doing this for her.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Fluttershy carefully and slowly opened her eyes, afraid that a drop of soap would trickle down into her eyes. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You did a great job,” she humbly thanked her.

“No problem,” Rainbow Dash replied and kissed her on the cheek.

Kissing back on the cyan cheek, Fluttershy got the idea to do something else for her lover. She put back the two bottles of shampoo and pulled out the body that they shared. Taking a generous amount on a hoof, she used her other to rub Rainbow Dash’s wing to coax it to open. There wasn’t a whole lot of room for a pegasus to completely spread out her wings, so Fluttershy had to make sure that she was in the middle.

With a delicate hoof, she ran her hoof over the underside of the right wing. Making sure to not to go the wrong way, she brushed with the feathers, cleaning them a little. Similar to preening, it was also to massage them but this was a little less sensual. Still, it was a deep romantic gesture.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she let herself get lost in the overwhelming senses. Her eyes closed, heightening her other senses and amplifying the sounds of the endless cooling waters that fell down upon them. The only thing that she could feel was the soothing water and the romantic massage being done on her wing.

As Fluttershy moved on to the other wing, Rainbow Dash found herself truly lost in a state of peace. Her mouth was left partially open, which started collecting several drops of water from the showerhead. It didn’t end there with her wings because Fluttershy sought to get her all cleaned by quickly moving to her chest and her back to rid the last of the foul odors which lingered.

“Wow… that felt really good,” Rainbow Dash complimented her.

Fluttershy giggled, “I’m glad that you liked it then.”

“Uh huh,” Rainbow Dash mumbled. “Now, let’s get you finished so I can show you the last surprise, huh?”

Mirroring her spouse’s actions, she grabbed the body soap and squeezed out some on her hooves before spreading it out on the creamy pegasus. However, she decided that it would better to preen her wings some other day rather than spending the time to carefully wash it. Her sensitive wings needed to be done right and Rainbow Dash just didn’t have the patience for that today.

Still, she took the time to essentially massage the rest of Fluttershy’s soft body. Soft moans and sighs escaped her muzzle from the expert hooves being used on her sore muscles and joints. Rainbow Dash’s hooves trekked from her ears down to the bulge under her stomach.

It was tempting to make things steamy since it was their anniversary and that their bedroom love life had been put on hold for quite some time but Rainbow Dash managed to keep her promise. She wanted to share that special bond once again, not just out of lust but out of love and affection. Waiting for something like that took her a lot of patience and willpower especially on a day like this.

Rainbow Dash stopped after a few minutes and just let the cool water wash away the rest of the soap on their bodies. “I think you’re clean enough now,” she decided.

Turning off the shower, Fluttershy slide the door open and stepped out to get some towels. She offered one to Rainbow Dash and started drying herself off. It was a good thing that they had invested in getting a decently sized shower room like this because the space was well used.

“I think that you’re really gonna like this surprise. After all, I had to get some help to move it in while we had some fun outside,” Rainbow Dash said as she rubbed her legs with the towel.

“Just how big is this surprise?” A very curious Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash laughed. “You’ll see. C’mon, let’s go upstairs,” she urged her.

"Okay then," Fluttershy agreed.

With a grin on her muzzle, Rainbow Dash led the way to their bedroom. Even though their manes were still damp, she couldn't wait anymore to give the last gift. That is, not to mention that it would lead to the next thing that they would be doing on this romantic day. There wasn't a better time for this than now.

"Alright..." Rainbow Dash mused as they reached the bedroom, "Tell me what's so different about our room," she teased with a quick peck on the check.

Fluttershy took several glances around but failed to see anything different with the room. "I-I don't know. What do you mean, Rainbow?" she asked with a confused look.

Rainbow Dash smirked and pointed to the bed. "I dunno... maybe you should try the bed," she suggested.

"What?"

"Just lay on the bed and tell me if something feels different, okay?"

Unsure of what Rainbow Dash meant, Fluttershy decided to find out what she really meant. Approaching the bed with a curious look, she climbed on it and laid on her side. Almost immediately did she notice that something was off. Normally, she would feel a lump in the mattress when she tries to lay down into a comfortable spot on their bad. However, this felt nothing like the old, lumpy mattress she had owned for the longest time.

Rainbow Dash climbed onto the bed too and wrapped the pegasus from behind with her hooves. "So, I take it that you like the new mattress I got for us," she softly whispered in her ear.

"Oh, I love it!" Fluttershy replied as she felt around with a hoof. "It's so soft and comfortable."

"Mmhmm," Rainbow Dash agreed. "It's also perfect for two ponies to snuggle on," she added and lightly gripped Fluttershy's ear with her mouth.

Fluttershy giggled while her lover began to nibble her ear. "Stop, that tickles!" she laughed.

"I don't think so," Rainbow Dash teased.

The onslaught continued as the bold pegasus refused to stop toying with the ear between her wet lips. Hearing all the giggles was enough to amuse her to keep up with this silly affection. It came to an end though when Fluttershy loosened the grip the cyan hooves held on her. Taking action, she slowly turned herself around and kissed Rainbow Dash on the snout.

Rainbow Dash smiled from the gesture and leaned in close to her face for a quick kiss on the lips. As soon as their lips met, their hearts started to melt. It was only short and sweet but they pulled away to gaze into the other's eyes before coming together for a much more passionate kiss.

Heads tilting slightly in the opposite way, their lips met again. Applying more pressure, Rainbow Dash deepened the kiss. Using her hoof, she ran it through the other mare's mane despite that it wasn't completely dried. Fluttershy moaned through the kiss and used her hoof to gently caress her lover's cheek. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash feel turned on as she didn't even realize that she was snaking her other hoof over to Fluttershy's side.

Things started to get heated up when Fluttershy did the same thing with her hoof except that it rested even closer to her cutie mark. Before they realized it, their mouths had parted and their tongues went past each other. It seemed sudden but Rainbow Dash didn't even notice that things were escalating. The sensation felt so natural and so right that she lost herself with her special somepony.

Their breathing became uneven and Rainbow Dash too began to let out soft little sighs and moans through the passionate kiss. Her left wing rose up in excitement while the other felt uncomfortable since she was laying on her side. Without warning, they broke apart with Rainbow Dash letting out a more throaty moan.

There they were, panting and giving the other confused looks as realization hit them. It had been such a while since such intimacy occurred between them that they were suddenly moments before sharing that special bond with each other. The feeling was distantly familiar like the several other times after when their relationship got serious up to the point when they decided to hold off on the love making.

Rainbow Dash was unsure of what to say. She wanted that intimacy once again, to truly show Fluttershy her love and affection. After all, this was their special day together and it only felt right that this would happen. However, it could potentially cause the premature birth of their foal and that was what they had so carefully sought to prevent during her pregnancy.

"Aw, shoot... I didn't mean that to happen, Flutters," Rainbow Dash tried to apologize admist catching her breath. "I really thought I could back down when we get carried away... with these things."

Fluttershy shook her head sympathetically. "Oh no, it's not your fault anyway. Really, I-I d-don't blame you at all. I really would have wanted this... to share this with you... but I just can't do it. It's already been so long since I've been pregnant... and I"m afraid that something might happen," she explained and drooped her face down. "I'm sorry... but I really love you... but I just can't risk have it happen right in the middle of... it."

Unwilling to let her feel down on their anniversary, Rainbow Dash lifted Fluttershy's chin with her hoof so they could see eye-to-eye. "Hey, it's okay, anyway. I didn't really plan for this to happen in the first place. I know I sometimes comes across to you as impatient but I've done pretty well waiting for you... and... I guess I don't mind waiting a little longer," she cooed to the uncomfortable pegasus.

"So, you wouldn't mind just snuggling instead?" Fluttershy hoped.

"Of course! You know that I'm down for that," Rainbow Dash replied. "Besides, we can save this for another time... and make it really special... and romantic," she added.

Blushing, but yet happy with this decision, Fluttershy nodded her head and brought Rainbow Dash into a light hug. "Thank you for understanding, Rainbow... and thanks so much for the new mattress," she praised her.

"You're always welcome, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied as she hugged back with a warming embrace.

With that said and done, the cuddling began with the two pegasi holding close to each other and their hooves massaging the other's back until they both slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

Slowly, Fluttershy stirred on the bed, awakening from a much refreshing nap. Her eyes peered half open at her surroundings. Next to her was the pony she loved the most with her head resting on her chest and her left foreleg around and over on Fluttershy’s right side. The faint sound of light snoring could be heard escaping Rainbow Dash’s cyan muzzle.

A little smile formed on Fluttershy’s face as she looked at the snoozing pony’s content expression. There was something about her face that somehow made Fluttershy unable to suppress a giggle and just smile. Though, it wouldn’t be the first that this happened. Many mornings and after-naps would start like this if she woke up before Rainbow Dash.

The giggling caused the snoozer to stir in her sleep and mumble incoherent words. This made Fluttershy stop to observe the waking of the sleepy creature. With a very gentle hoof, she stroked the chromatic mane of her life companion. Slowly but surely, Rainbow Dash’s eyelids eased open to reveal her magenta coloured eyes looking back into Fluttershy’s.

“Why, hello there,” whispered a silly looking Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash shifted her head slightly and settled it down again on the soft, fuzzy chest. Rather than saying something back, she let out a long but happy sigh of content as she nuzzled against Fluttershy. The affection was enough to melt her heart. Here they were, close and intimate, relishing in the comforting touch and feel of the other.

“I love you, Fluttershy… so much,” Rainbow Dash breathed out.

“Love you too, Rainbow,” Fluttershy replied.

Again, Rainbow Dash nuzzled against her. “You know, snuggling with you like this,” she began and paused with a sigh, “is special enough for today. I mean, we do it all the time… but there’s something about it that I can’t explain.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Fluttershy said as she ran her hoof through the rainbow mane. “Just being able to feel each other and share our warmth is something special we share,” she explained.

“Mmhm,” Rainbow Dash agreed and nuzzled once again.

Fluttershy smiled and blushed at the strong affection. It might have been rare while they were dating for Rainbow Dash to show such a thing but now there was over a year of trust, intimacy, and love between them. It was easy now for her to give in to romance and display her affections for the pony she was so emotionally attached to.

No more words were needed to be said beyond this point. There was still more relaxing time that needed to be spent despite that they had slept for a few hours during a most refreshing afternoon nap. Both pegasi already were becoming aware of their hungry stomachs but they could hold off for a few more minutes to cuddle with each other.

After those few more minutes, Rainbow Dash decided to speak up for her own rumbling belly. “Hey, so uhh… do you wanna go anywhere for dinner?” she asked while she looked up at Fluttershy’s serene face.

“Well… I actually had something else in mind. I thought you would really like to have some of my famous, cheesy pasta,” she quietly answered.

The sentence alone was enough to make Rainbow Dash salivate and lick her chops in anticipation of one the best meals that could be made by her caring spouse. “You know how much I would love that? I mean, you make the best pasta ever!” she said after rolling over onto her back.

“You love everything that I make,” Fluttershy giggled. Deciding that they had spent an ample amount of time on their new mattress, she carefully turned toward the other side of the bed and slowly climbed off the bed. “I hope my lazy pegasus gets out of bed soon, though. I’ll be making dinner very soon!” she teased as she slowly walked out.

Still lying on the bed, Rainbow Dash’s eyes followed Fluttershy as she left the room before she jolted up after a minute of deciding. “Hey, wait!” she called as she hurried down the stairs.

Upon reaching their dining table, the bold and sappy pegasus could hear the sweet humming of the kind animal caretaker. Deciding that making dinner was up to other pegasus alone, she took it upon herself to tidy up the place and prepare for a romantic evening meal. A quick inspection of the living room and the dining room showed that there was very little to clean up.

Instead of cleaning, Rainbow Dash pulled out two red candles that give off a pleasant fragrance from a cabinet in their dinner room. Inside that cabinet was also some matches which she used to light the candles after setting them on the table. These candles had been rarely used since they were only for special occasion. Both pegasi were quite fond of these candles though Rainbow Dash barely admitted that.

With nothing else to do, she had to sit tight on the couch and wait patiently. Fortunately, it easy for her do so because her favorite tortoise happened to be resting there. After what felt like a half hour of petting and quietly cooing at her pet, Rainbow Dash could smell the aroma of what she knew to be one the best meals to come. The noise of plates being set down on the table caught her attention and drew her to hop off the couch and rush for her dinner.

There was Fluttershy at the table, spooning out generous helpings of her famous pasta onto their plates. “Oh, there’s my hungry pegasus!” she teased at the sight of a lip licking Rainbow Dash who looked at the food with a tongue sticking out.

“Yup, and I can’t wait to dig in!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she seated herself.

Fluttershy disappeared into the kitchen and came out holding a bottle with her wing pressed against her side and two wine glasses in the other. “I have us something special to go with,” she said and laid out the items on the table.

“Wait! You’re not supposed to drinking!” Rainbow Dash stopped her as she noticed the wine bottle.

Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment and awkwardly brushed her mane. “Well, actually it’s kind of a imitation wine,” she explained. “Rarity gave it to me about two weeks ago, so I decided to save it for today.”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash simply nodded and examined the bottle. Sure enough, there was the little words “Non-alcoholic” under the fancy label near the bottom. “Heh… sorry,” she sheepishly apologized.

“No, it’s fine,” Fluttershy reassured her. “You were just looking out for me. Here, let me pour you some,” she offered.

Rainbow Dash nodded and let her fill her glass up before taking a sip. “Hey, it’s pretty good actually. It’s like a mix between green apples and watermelon,” she commented.

“Well, don’t wait on me to start eating,” Fluttershy joked while she went around to sit across the table. Upon seeing the special red candles that she wasn’t aware of earlier, she looked at Rainbow Dash with curious eyes. “Oh, Rainbow… you brought out my favorite candles.”

“Yeah, I knew you would like them,” Rainbow Dash said back in a flirty voice. “Now, if you don’t mind…” she trailed off as she looked at her white plate of cheesy and saucy pasta noodles.

Before letting her dive in, Fluttershy gave a slightly stern look to remind Rainbow Dash not to eat like a fierce timberwolf but changed it to a little smile. She was well aware that they would get sauce on their muzzles which was the reason they also had napkins. Though, Rainbow Dash wasn’t exactly the most graceful eater, even considering that pegasi couldn’t use utensils like the unicorns. Fluttershy watched her dig into the delicious pasta before she too took in a mouthful of her great cooking.

With bellies full of delicious pasta, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had no intention of going far to spend the remainder of their day. It was rather unusually chilly this evening and that was enough to dissuade the couple from watching the sunset. Instead, they decided to spend that remainder of time close together before the hearth of their fireplace. Since their living was clear of animals which by now were tucked away in their nests, it would be a perfect moment to have to themselves.

The fire brought a comforting warmth upon the two pegasi. Something about the way the flames flickered over the burning wood captivated their attention. It was quiet except for the crackling sound in the bright fire. As they watched, different memories played through their minds of the past.

Feeling the need to talk, Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Hey, do you remember the day when we first got married?” she asked.

“Why, of course! How could I not?”

“I’ll never forget it either,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Every time I think about it, I can’t help but notice how much it changed my life.”

Fluttershy leaned and rested her head on her lover’s shoulder. “Oh, is my future Wonderbolt feeling sappy now?” she playfully teased.

“ Hey, you’re sappy all the time!” Rainbow Dash pointed out with a grin. Flaring her wings, she extended the right wing out to pull Fluttershy even closer in the most romantic gesture of her affection. This elicited a sigh from the creamy pegasus as she cuddled within the embrace. However, Rainbow Dash continued, “But, uhh… really, Fluttershy… I can’t begin to describe how much you changed my life. It’s weird to think that over a year ago, we were best friends and now we’re so much closer on all these different levels.”

With a quick peck on the cheek, Fluttershy agreed, “I know, Rainbow. It’s a little strange to think like that. I never would have seen this coming when we first met. Who knew that this would happen?” she shrugged.

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash trailed off.

Silence fell and their gazes focused on the flames once again. More memories passed over their minds as they nuzzled closer to the other. Nothing in the world could break the bonds that were holding these two mares together.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash spoke up again. “Hey, Fluttershy?” she asked.

Stirring under the cyan wing, Fluttershy replied, “What is it?”

“I kind of want to tell you something,” she quietly answered.

“Of course! Go ahead.”

“Look, I know I sometimes had trouble in the past trying to tell you how I feel about you… but I just want to thank you for everything. You gave me something that means a lot,” she tried to explain and paused. “I know I’ve complained about this whole pregnancy deal and doing all this stuff for you… but I really don’t mind doing it for you. You were the best marefriend to me and always welcomed me to your home… and your heart. I’m really happy that we could be so close like this.”

Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled once more against Rainbow Dash’s cheek. “Oh, Rainbow, I can’t begin to say the same for you. I appreciate the cool hat you gave me and not to mention, the new mattress! You might have complained a bit but you really did so much for me. You gave me your heart… and that was the best gift you ever gave me.”

Blushing, Rainbow Dash returned the gesture. “You’re always welcome, Fluttershy.”

“Just promise me something,” Fluttershy began. “You’ve already done so much and cared for me during all this time. I want to do the same for you. It… won’t be very long until it’s time for to show the Wonderbolts just how great of a flier you are. I want you to let me be there for you, to cheer for you, and… I want to be the one to preen your feathers for you,” she finished with a slight blush on her muzzle.

“You know, that would mean the world to me,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Fluttershy giggled before turning to gaze into her eyes. It didn’t take Rainbow Dash any time to take the hint and lean to kiss her on the lips. Just like that, they were joined in a passionate kiss. It didn’t last very long but it was still much enjoyed by both ponies. Again, their gazes slowly turned to the fire but they watched close together, held by a hug that could only be given by a special somepony.

Author's Note

It's been long since this has finally been finished. A lot of things happened between now and the previous, and a lot of rewriting was done during that lapse of this chapter. Thanks are owed to hawthornbunny for looking over a large portion of this. Many thanks also to FlutterDash7 for her feedback and looking it all over.

As always, any feedback is appreciated.

A Storm

About ten months into pregnancy...

In the darkness of the early morning, Rainbow Dash woke up from an unusual disturbance from the other side of the bed. First, she glanced at the clock that rested on the nightstand of her side of the bed which indicated that it was about 5:20. It took her a minute to comprehend what was going on. With her eyelids drooping down, she turned around to the disturbance that woke her up.

A low sound started coming from the figure next to her. She could barely feel the blanket shaking but right away did she know that something was not right. The noise sounded just like a pony crying and there was no doubt that it wasn't. Panic and alarm almost took control of her actions but she decided to be subtle about it.

With a gentle hoof, she carefully touched the shoulder of her lover. "Hey, what's going on over there?" she whispered in concern for her.

Unexpectedly, the mare shook off the hoof and shifted under the covers. "Leave me alone," she muttered.

"C'mon, don't be like that," Rainbow Dash begged. "Just tell me... please."

To her surprise, Fluttershy turned around, bursting into tears. She was quickly brought into a close and comforting hug as the sappy pegasus tried to make her feel better.

Confused, worried, and tired, Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around the sobbing pegasus and began to slowly rub her back. It was cold to the touch but she sought to massage it to make it warmer. After all, this early morning was unusually chilly but she hoped that her smooth touches would calm down Fluttershy.

In a slow movement, Rainbow Dash rubbed up and down on the contours of Fluttershy’s back. Deftly, she moved her hooves away toward her soft sides. This elicited a soft sigh from the distraught Fluttershy. Feeling confident that progress was being made, Rainbow Dash made an even more careful move of her hooves. Remembering to be gentle with her sensitive wings, she slid a hoof under each wing and began to rub very slowly.

It did seem to work well though because the crying was replaced with more soft, light sighs from the muzzle of the creamy pegasus. Rainbow Dash had to admire herself for being an expert with her gentle touches and caresses. Still, it didn't change the fact that she was tired and just wanted to get this sorted out as soon as she could.

Finally, Rainbow Dash tried again to get an answer. "Look, what's wrong, Flutters? You know that you could tell me anything in the world," she cooed in a weary voice.

"I'm scared..." Fluttershy squeaked through the rainbow mane.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked back in confusion. Oh no, she's probably freaking out about it again, she worried to herself.

"I can sometimes feel it moving," Fluttershy whimpered. "I'm tired of living like this," she complained.

"Does it like, hurt?" Rainbow Dash whispered, no longer having the strength or will to talk louder.

"No, but it just... feels so strange," Fluttershy replied and wiped some tears away.

Rainbow Dash breathed out a sigh. "I know that you're still worried about giving birth and I wish I was the one who could take that pain for you..." she paused for a moment and sighed again. "But, you're going have to be strong. I promised that I'll be there with you the whole entire time."

"I know..." Fluttershy sighed. "I'm very thankful of you for that. It's just that thinking about it makes me more and more and worried about it," she explained.

"Yeah, I know it's scary when you don't know when to expect it, Fluttershy. I really do... but you really need to go to sleep," Rainbow Dash whispered, getting even quieter.

With a sigh, Fluttershy gave in and turned her body around. She said nothing but welcomed the hoof that slowly wrapped over her side. Rainbow Dash pulled up the blanket and pressed her chest against Fluttershy's back to help her keep it warm. She was the first one to fall asleep while the creamy pegasus relished in the comfort until she too disappeared into the dream world.

The morning couldn't have felt any more stranger for Rainbow Dash. Waking up, she found that her hooves were longer wrapped around a certain pegasus. She paused on the cushy mattress for a few seconds before reluctantly opening her weary eyes. What stood out in her temporarily blurred vision was that the clock that showed it was ten-something. A sigh of frustration escaped her muzzle as she realized that she was late for her weather duties. What was more bothering was that Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen in the room. Considering the previous event, it was somewhat worrisome too.

Knowing that her very special somepony might not be okay was enough to convince Rainbow Dash to get up on her hooves. Letting out a frustrated moan, she remembered that a storm was scheduled for this already gloomy day. It was sad to think that the day had been going downhill.

Hurrying downstairs, Rainbow Dash stopped to see that her worries were confirmed. There was a figure slightly leaned over on the couch, holding something flat between her hooves. No doubt, there also was the sound of quiet crying to prove that something was not right here. It pained Rainbow Dash to stumble on such a scene, especially with little time to resolve a problem.

Slowly, Fluttershy turned her head towards the pony who had made quite a bit of noise on the way down. "Rainbow..." she attempted to speak but everything after her mane became jumbled up. It was clear though, that something was definitely bothering her very much.

"What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked in a hushed tone. Looking at what Fluttershy was holding only made her more confused. From where she stood behind the couch, she could see that it was a letter she was holding. This was a more recent letter from the captain of the Wonderbolts describing the available position in the ranks. "What are you doing with this?" she asked with a curious look.

"Don't you understand?" Fluttershy sniffled.

Resting a comforting hoof on the distraught pegasus, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I don't get it. This is like the best news I've gotten. Why would you be upset over this?"

This however, made Fluttershy feel even worse. "I-I'm sorry, Rainbow... I should have told you..." she trailed off.

"Wait..." Rainbow Dash started, now thinking back to the past. "I thought we talked about this a long time ago. We were engaged, and about to get married," she said, sounding a bit more serious.

"How could you think I would be over this?" Fluttershy suddenly accused. Her tone was now a mixture of anger and despair. "It's not that simple, Rainbow," she cried.

Unsure of either being annoyed by this or guilty, Rainbow Dash was taken back. "What? But I need this! This is pretty much what I've always dreamed of. If I make this, I get to be part of the team that does shows for Canterlot and Cloudsdale. I even could get the chance to go somewhere like Baltimare or Manehatten! Why are you so upset about this?" she demanded.

Leaning against the sidearm of the chair, Fluttershy shook her head. "Everything's going to change so much. Soon, you'll be training and before I know it, you're off with the Wonderbolts and I'm alone, worrying that after all those dangerous tricks you might not come back home," she sobbed.

"I thought you knew things were going to change a little. You seemed pretty eager to have children. Look at us now!" Rainbow Dash shot back, letting her temper get the best of her.

Just as things were getting heated, it was Fluttershy's turn to lash out. "How can you say that?!?" she yelled. Before the bold pegasus could retort back, she stopped her. "Just leave me alone," she quietly muttered before turning away.

Whether or not this was Fluttershy unable to handle her emotions or her true feelings of the situation, Rainbow Dash found herself in an even bigger problem. Not only had she failed to comfort her lover but she only had made it much worse. There was a silence in the cottage except for the continuous crying of the pregnant mare. Rainbow Dash almost said something back before making an important decision. She wasn't sure if anything said would help and instead decided it would be best to leave and tend to her duties. Hopefully, Fluttershy would calm down and be open for some honest talking after a few things were taken care of.

Even after completing her weather duty Rainbow Dash felt no less guilty for losing her cool. It would have been easy to keep it, had she not felt her lifelong dream being threatened. There was only less than a hour of time left before a member of her weather team started a storm that was scheduled for the day, but she was confident that it was enough. With that in mind, she was off to Sugarcube Corner to pick up something sweet and tasty for Fluttershy; preferably something that was vanilla flavoured.

Before Rainbow Dash could open the door, a voice called out for her name.

"Aha! Just the pony I was looking for!" said an unusually giddy Rarity.

"Uhh.. what?" Rainbow Dash asked as she turned around. Surprised, she stopped walking and stood waiting with her hoof scratching the back of the head since she had no idea what her close friend wanted nor was she in the mood for talking.

“Why, I was on my way to go talk to Pinkie Pie about the wedding arrangements and then I was going drop by for a visit,” Rarity explained, glancing around the bold pegasus. "Although, it would have been nice if Fluttershy were here with you."

“Oh yeah, I guess,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, feeling uncomfortable about mentioning the pony in question. “It’s too bad she’s sound asleep right now,” she lied. Hesitant, she sought to quickly move on with the conversation. So... you're getting married now? It took you guys long enough," she teased with a laugh. "Is the wedding like next month?"

"Hardly! These things take well over a month to plan you know," Rarity scoffed at her. "And to clarify things, we will be getting married the day before Hearth’s Warming Eve. It’s not like I didn’t already send invitations out."

"That's too bad we'll have to wait," Rainbow Dash teased. "So, uhh what did you want me for again?" she asked, confused but eager to find something to distract herself.

"Well, I needed to ask for a few favors from Pinkie but since it seems I’ve bumped into already. Why don’t you join us?" Rarity replied and offered a hoof towards the door.

"Sure," Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Although she had originally intended to go inside, Rainbow Dash felt uncertain. She didn’t expect to be stopped by Rarity to have a little chat but it wasn’t really a bad idea. After all, two of her closest friends were now engaged. It would be the perfect distraction Rainbow Dash needed to give herself time to be relaxed and loose.

Putting on a fake smile and brushing her mane with a hoof, Rainbow Dash nonchalantly strolled through the doors with her friend. As half-expected, there was nopony else around inside but their goofy kind-hearted friend, who was busy cleaning one of the round wooden tables. Just by look on Pinkie Pie’s face it seemed like she somehow was enjoying the rather dull task.

This of course, lasted only for a few seconds because the wild pink pony jumped in surprise at the sight of her friends and rushed to greet them.

“Oh my gosh! Dashie and Rare-bear!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a mouth wide open in surprise.

Rainbow Dash shared embarrassed looks with Rarity before she simply brushed it off and greeted back, “Oh hey, Pinks! What are you up to?”

“Oh just cleaning and listening to Mr. Cake snoring upstairs,” Pinkie Pie replied as she sat in front of her friends with an amused grin. “But what are you guys doing here? I wasn’t expecting that anyone would come right before a storm.” she asked.

Before Rainbow Dash could answer, Rarity approached Pinkie Pie and laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Sorry to intrude on you like this, Pinkie Pie, but I was hoping that I could discuss some of the wedding planning with you,” she apologized.

“Silly Rarity!” Pinkie Pie teased as she squeezed the unicorn in a fuzzy hug. “I just wanted to know what you and Rainbow were doing here. You don’t need to be sorry!”

Rainbow smirked at the sight and settled herself at a nearby table. “Oh you know… Miss Sappy-for-Applejack here apparently needs us to help with the wedding,” she teased.

Pinkie Pie gasped as she released Rarity from the hug. “You want me to help set up the wedding?” she asked, excited and eager.

“Well, of course I’d like my best friends to help out,” Rarity replied while she recovered. “I thought if I ran into Rainbow Dash, she would have at least been with Fluttershy--no doubt kissing her on the snout and calling her ‘my beautiful little butterfly’,” she added with smirk towards the rainbow mare’s direction.

“Uhh… no I didn’t,” Rainbow Dash weakly argued back as her cheeks turned pink.

“Hah,” said Rarity before she joined her at the table. “I take that as a ‘yes’ you’ve done that quite a few times in the past.”

Before Rainbow Dash could try to say something witty or come up with something to embarrass her romance loving friend, the bitter memory flashed in her mind. She still was angry with Fluttershy and guilty at the same time. It seemed only fair if she allowed her partner her dream of becoming a family, that she could continue on chasing her own dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. However, she had been slowly picking up that Fluttershy wasn’t as enthusiastic about that anymore. It was like she secretly wanted to hold her back.

A hoof was now resting on her shoulder and concerned eyes looking at her face. “Are you alright?” asked a worried Rarity. “I was merely teasing with you. It’s really not like we look down at you for how you show your affections.”

With a quick jolt back to reality, Rainbow Dash blurted out, “Huh?” before she realized the face that she was making. She had suddenly gone from a goofy grin and a lax attitude to a frown and a sorrowful stare at nothing. This would explain why her friends were now sitting at the table with concern in their eyes.

“Aw… it’s nothing to get yourself down about, Rainbow Dashie. Everypony understands how you feel and act around the one you love,” Pinkie Pie added in.

“It’s n-nothing!” Rainbow Dash stuttered as she tried to wave it off.

“Are you sure, dear?” Rarity asked. “You’ve really been giving us a lot of reasons to be worried about you. I mean this past month, I’ve been seeing you so in so much stress, it’s like you’ve really been working yourself up!”

“It’s nothing,” Rainbow Dash repeated with a shake of her head. “Look, I appreciate the concern but everything is fine… I just was looking to take my mind off things.”

“Like what?” asked the unicorn as she furrowed her brows

A sigh escaped Rainbow Dash’s lips as she hesitated to answer, “I… I kind of lost my cool this morning… so I left to come here for a while and maybe get something for Fluttershy.”

The room became as her two close friends nodded, mostly likely to show they understood what was going on. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash almost regret partially divulging what happened but she trusted them.

It was little obvious what had been happening and was happening again. Here she was, going through a rough patch again with the mare she loved. Now Rainbow Dash was the one who was starting to crack under the stress that was building up. She was prepared to embrace parenthood but obviously not Fluttershy attacking the dream that she carried throughout her whole life. It was the one dream which started when she was just a little filly, sitting on her father’s back watching Wonderbolts.

“So that’s why she didn’t come with you,” said Rarity in a soft voice.

“Yeah… I got mad at her all of a sudden so I took off,” Rainbow Dash admitted. One of her hooves was in her mane as she nervously scratched the back of her head. “I feel so stupid for doing that but I totally lost it! I didn’t get any sleep the night before and last night she woke me up crying so I was awake, rubbing her back until she fell back to sleep. I didn’t want to get mad at her.”

“I see,” Rarity simply said before nodding again with Pinkie Pie, who was quiet as well. “Didn’t we mention that you’ve been too stressed these days?” she added with a curious look.

“Yeah, you did,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

“Well, that’s what the problem is, dear! It’s never good to let so much stress build up. No wonder you snapped at the poor dear--and you could have told us sooner to help you!” Rarity exclaimed with both hooves on the table.

“Rarity is right, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie agreed. “You should’ve told us that you needed some relaxing. We would’ve treated you to whatever you wanted; a trip to a sauna, ice cream, a game of bowling, some of Applejack’s delicious baked goods--”

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash cut off her pink friend. “I get it… I should have talked to you guys and taken some time to relax,” she sighed.

“Hmm…” thought Pinkie Pie out loud, as she quickly put on a thoughtful face. “What if you stay here for a little while longer before you go back home? I could go get us some punch to drink!” she offered.

“Why yes,” Rarity nodded in agreement. “I haven’t even told you two the news about how you’ll be helping with the wedding!”

Outside Sugarcube Corner, it was a gloomy day. Dark gray clouds blocked the warm sunlight that brightened all the ponies. A drizzle of rain was coming down, slowly damping the ground. It was a slight downfall; the beginning of downpour that would soon drench the village with cold rain. Even the wind was starting to pick up as a signal that a greater storm was approaching. Today wasn't going to be as bright and sunny as the others.

Rainbow Dash knew it before the day started. The whole day was scheduled to be rainy, even through the night. It was a rather unusual arrangement but this had to made to make up for last week’s mix-up with the monthly schedule. Three rainstorms were missed and Rainbow Dash had taken the blame for it, despite that it wasn’t her mistake to begin with.

Besides a rainstorm to dullen the day, there was also the force of guilt raining down on Rainbow Dash’s day. However, she was distracted from all of that. Inside the little bakery the sounds of the rain and wind could not be heard. Here she was, chatting with two good friends and with a glass of refreshing punch. Scattered around the table were crumbs of the muffins and cupcakes they had eaten. Fluttershy had been forgotten because something new and more interesting had taken Rainbow Dash’s attention.

“C’mon, tell me already!” Rainbow Dash was practically begging to hear what her unicorn friend had to say for her. She was leaning on the table with her hooves, excited and curious. “Is it my signature sonic rainboom?”

“No way! You want Dashie to do her rainboom at your wedding! That’s totally awesome!” Pinkie Pie butted in.

“Well sort of,” Rarity replied. A sly grin formed on her face. “Actually, I would like her to help with the fireworks display--and perform her sonic rainboom at the end of it.”

Rainbow Dash lifted herself from her chair and hovered in the air above them with a strong sense of pride. “I knew it! The sonic rainboom is perfect for everything!” she boasted above her two friends. Though a thought brought her back down to hover slightly above her chair. “But I’ve never done anything with fireworks!” she realized out loud.

“That’s why I got special permission from the Wonderbolts-”

Before Rarity could continue to explain, she was interrupted by a sudden squeal from Rainbow Dash as the pegasus was overcome with excitement just by the name. With a vigorous flap of her wings, she sent herself higher and quickly spun in the air above, rolling with a new found energy.

“Darling, I haven’t finished telling you,” replied Rarity, who was still calm sitting down. She paused to wait for Rainbow Dash to contain herself enough to lower back to the ground. “I have their permission to let you join the training, and of course help with the fireworks display.”

Rainbow Dash was in the air again, this time holding her friend in a tight hug. “This is so awesome! Like, this best thing in my life ever!” she stated as she hugged Rarity in gratitude.

This reaction wasn't exactly expected by Rarity but she all could do was squeak a few words out in surprise and try to wiggle of out of Rainbow Dash’s grip. Being the goofy pony she was, Pinkie Pie leaped in the air with an unrealistic jump and hugged both of the ponies. Rainbow Dash was without a doubt, a very strong flier but two ponies was too much. The weight made them sink back into a mess of hooves.

Pinkie Pie emerged first from the wreckage. “Oh my gosh that was so fun!” she said as she bounced in place at Rainbow Dash and Rarity, who were both in confusion because of the collision.

Quick to recover, Rainbow Dash picked herself up and blushed in embarrassment. “Heh, sorry about that…” she weakly apologized to Rarity, who was still in confusion. Trying to make up for her total loss in composure, she offered a hoof to the white unicorn.

Rarity accepted the offer and with a groan, she was slowly helped up back on her hooves. “Dear, a simple hug would be appreciated next time,” she muttered as she was being pulled up.

“Yeah… sorry, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash apologized again with bright cheeks.

Without warning, a sudden flash of lightning brightened the world outside, immediately followed by a crack of thunder that took everypony by surprise. The three friends yelped and hurried to a window to look outside at the town. The sight was a buzzkill to Rainbow Dash’s excitement. It was pouring outside and leaves were being blown around with various bits of garbage left out in the streets.

As Rainbow Dash looked out with her friends, a sudden sense of despair overcame her. The rain reminded her of a memory she shared with her wife. It was a dreary day that they were having; the week before she moved her belongings in and settled with Fluttershy in the cottage. There was a terrible thunderstorm that she couldn’t forget. Fluttershy was scared senseless because of the loud thunder and Rainbow Dash had to spend that rainy day comforting and holding on to her. She could feel the timid mare’s heart racing as she cuddled her under the blankets of the bed.

Just looking back at that memory, Rainbow Dash was reminded of what was more important. She knew Fluttershy wasn't afraid of storms anymore like that but she was alone at the cottage. It didn’t matter if she still was unsure about returning so soon. This would be the best opportunity to patch things up and make up for what she did.

“I really should go.”

“What?” asked a surprised Rarity. “Darling, it’s pouring outside! You’ll get absolutely drenched in that rain!”

“I know…” Rainbow Dash sighed. “But I really need to get back home. Plus, I can’t just leave her alone like this.” With a grateful look, she turned to her friends. “Thanks though, but I’ll see you guys later.”

Goodbyes were quickly exchanged as Rainbow Dash hurried to ready her wings and make her way back home. She almost felt guilty for leaving her friends like this but there was some pony more special to her that she let down. Determined, she took off and flew through the rain and the wind. Whatever it would take, she was going to make things right again with her very special somepony.

Back at the cottage, Fluttershy was up in their bedroom staring out the only window in the room. She could only see the back of their yard with the chicken coop painted in a bright pink color and the Everfree Forest close by behind it all. The sight of the dark clouds and the trees starting to shake in the background were the sad warning to her that a storm was coming, one that Rainbow Dash didn't even warn her about.

She sighed and lowered her down, unwilling to look anymore out the bedroom window. “This is all my fault,” she told herself quietly. “It’s all my selfish fault she’s mad at me.”

A tear dripped down from her face as she moved herself away the window. She had been pacing about for some time, hoping she would catch glimpse of Rainbow Dash’s return. It had been almost an hour since she stormed off and left. Fluttershy wished she hadn't brought up the whole issue of leaving for tryouts and training but it was bound to surface soon enough. After all, she knew that Rainbow Dash relied mostly on her for emotional support to help succeed in her expert flying skills.

With an even longer sigh, she settled herself on the bed and laid out on her back. “Some Element of Kindness I turned out to be…” she muttered to herself.

In front of her sat the reminder of the promise they made long ago to each other. If Rainbow Dash agreed to become a parent and be there at her side along the way, she would do the same to support her to become a Wonderbolt. It was the greatest plan they came up with. As a Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash would be able to make enough bits so they could afford to rebuild their home to fit another bedroom. The downside was that she would be performing dangerous tricks and flights. Already she had a few accidents in the past while training, proof enough for Fluttershy to believe that something worse could happen.

Another sigh escaped her muzzle as reached down to her tummy. “I don’t want you to think that we’ve suffered,” she whispered as she rubbed the bulge below her stomach. “I know Rainbow Dash loves me very much and I love her too. I just wish that everything could work out like it used to between us.”

“Do I really believe in her?” she asked out loud to herself. With that thought, something sparked in her mind. It wasn’t a matter of simply worrying about Rainbow Dash getting hurt, it was trusting Rainbow Dash to do her best and succeed. It truly was believing in Rainbow Dash. She had been doing that for such a long time it seemed strange that she was questioning herself now.

“I know she’s one of the best fliers. She’s a great pony and the greatest friend I ever had. I thought somepony so wonderful like her would never fall in love with me. I thought I wasn’t good enough for anypony… but Rainbow said the exact opposite… She told me that I never was worthless, that I was the best thing that happened to her life.”

Within mere seconds of remembering that fond memory, Fluttershy burst into tears and curled up. “I love her so much!” she cried into a pink pillow. Even now she could remember the exact face and words Rainbow Dash made.

“You’re not worthless, Fluttershy.”

A few tears dripped down from her face as she looked up at her fillyfriend. Rainbow Dash wasn’t frowning or making a scary angry face. She was smiling. It wasn’t one of the big grins that she would sometimes give and it wasn’t one of the most serious faces she ever made. It was a simple smile, yet the most complex face. It was everything to Fluttershy: serious, comforting, warm, and honest.

“W-what?” Fluttershy sputtered out.

A hoof reached out and rested on her shoulder.

“Why do you think you’re worthless?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow. “Fluttershy, I never thought you were too weak or not good enough for me. I mean, it really doesn’t bother me that you can be really shy sometimes… but I want you to open up to me-I want to open up to you. I really trust you, Fluttershy and I know you would never take advantage of me. I wouldn’t either. So please… please don’t act like you’re worthless to me.”

Words failed Fluttershy and instead, she was reduced to tears out of surprise and relief. It didn’t stop Rainbow Dash from hugging her with both her hooves and her wings. In that moment, Fluttershy never felt so content or comfortable with her life. Her fillyfriend was there like she promised and that was all she needed to feel okay.

“I’m so stupid for not believing in her,” Fluttershy cried out. “I should have been stronger for her,” she declared as she rose up from the bed. “I have to talk to her again.”

A bright light filled the room as a flash of lightning passed in the distance, followed by the distant sound of thunder. It took Fluttershy by surprise a little but it wasn’t enough to send her under the blankets. All she could do was hope for Rainbow Dash to return home, and she believed she would.

Author's Note

After a very long time of hiatus, I've been able to continue this story and finish planning for the remaining chapters. It's been so long I wonder if I've regressed in writing or still have been slowly improving. The next chapter will come with some rewrites of the earlier chapters so I suggest you re-read chapters 1-4 when the next chapter comes out. Many thanks again to Frostfairy for pre-reading and helping brainstorm ideas.

If you can, comment and let me know what you think of how it's coming along.

A Compromise

It was another warm, bright, and delightful morning for all residents of Ponyville. It was like any other seemingly perfect day. The sunlight was warm and the air was cool. Ponies were out and about, going on with daily lives. In a cottage at the edge of town, two pegasi were enjoying their morning inside.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were laying in bed, their hooves wrapped around each other in a tight embrace. They both had smiles of content on their faces. Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh as she continued to cuddle up with her lover. The warmth of the other was soothing to both ponies in their blissful state.

After a minute of more snuggling, Fluttershy started to squirm, trying to get out of Rainbow Dash's grip.

"Come on.. don't tell me that you can't spend five more minutes snuggling up with the most awesome mare in equestria," Rainbow Dash said in a groggy voice.

Fluttershy continued to resist. "Please.. Rainbow. I need to feed the animals soon," she begged the rainbow maned pegasus.

The grip on Fluttershy was released and she recoiled a little. She lifted the blanket off of herself and Rainbow Dash. Her wife rolled over, letting her hooves dangle over the side of the bed. Fluttershy got off the bed and started to walk out of the room. Rainbow Dash still had her eyes closed and wasn't going to get up. Just then, an idea came over Fluttershy's head. A sly playful grin started to form on her face.

She crouched down like a sneaky predator and began to slowly prowl towards her unwary prey. A giggle escaped her muzzle as she came close to the prey.

"You shouldn't let down your defenses," Fluttershy said, standing above her.

"Huh? What do you me-"

Fluttershy assaulted the cyan pegasus, blowing a raspberry on her soft tummy. Rainbow Dash was caught off-guard like her wife had expected. She shook her legs around and started to giggle. This only encouraged Fluttershy to continue her attack.

"Ack- Fluttershy! Stop! No Fair!" Rainbow Dash shrieked, unable to stop laughing as Fluttershy tickled her with another raspberry.

"Are you going to get up?" Fluttershy asked, ceasing fire.

"Yes! Okay, you win this round" Rainbow Dash said, looking into her eyes.

She got up and stretched out her limbs a bit before giving Fluttershy a little peck on the cheek that earned her a gentle, tender, and loving nuzzle. They walked side-by-side down the stairs to see an angry Angel. It was clear that he had been waiting long enough for his food. He tapped his foot anxiously and gave a little glare as both ponies walked past him and ignored his needs.

"How bout some breakfast?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk.

"Feeling a little hungry?" Fluttershy asked back, giving her a warm smile.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied, Her stomach making a low rumbling sound.

Fluttershy pulled out a chair for Rainbow Dash sit at while she went to make breakfast for the two of them. She sat down and looked at the little angry bunny who was giving her a glare.

"I think Angel is hungry too," Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy said. "I'm falling behind!" she said, feeling a little worried.

Rainbow Dash got up. "Hey, why don't you just take care of them now?" she asked. "I'll just get my weather duties done now and then we can eat together," she suggested.

"Are you sure? You usually leave that for later," Fluttershy said, a little shocked.

"Yeah.. um.. well.. I might as well get it done. Don't worry! I'll be back in a flash!" Rainbow Dash said, leaving the cottage and taking off to the skies.

Rainbow Dash navigated through the sky, bucking all the stray white clouds. There was only a few in the sky this day but that was perfect for her. She needed to stop by to ask for some advice from one of her close friends. The day before, she had been in an argument with Fluttershy and they both felt bad about it. Fluttershy had suggested a cuddle session in the morning to make up for it.

She arrived at the tree house of Twilight Sparkle and her faithful companion. Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh and knocked on the door. Spike opened the door and peered out.

"Oh, what's up, Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

"Is Twilight there?" she asked. "I really need to talk to her about something important!"

Twilight came out of nowhere and walked in front of spike. "Need some marriage counseling, Rainbow Dash?" she asked, nodding her head.

"Practicing your teleport spell.. again?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, I am!" Twilight proudly said. "So, you finally need my services?" she asked in a playful tone.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No, it's not like that.. I just need your opinion on a certain matter," she said in a much lower tone.

Twilight moved Spike out of the doorway and gestured to Rainbow Dash to come inside. "What do you need my opinion on anyway then?" she asked as Rainbow Dash came inside.

"Well, Fluttershy and I had a little argument yesterday about something," she explained.

Twilight gave her a skeptical look. "So, you do need my services?" she asked.

"You're not some marriage counselor, Twilight. This is about something else," Rainbow Dash said.

"Just sit down then," Twilight told her as she sat on a reading chair.

Rainbow Dash sat down in a chair adjacent to Twilight. She stared off to into the distance, trying to correctly word what she had wanted to ask.

"Look, Rainbow. I'm only trying to help you out," Twilight said, showing concern for her friend.

"What do you think of foals?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked.

"They're cute but they can be annoying?" Twilight said, sounding it like she was asking a question back. "Why are you asking me about foals?"

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head. "Well.. Fluttershy wants to have them," she said.

"Is that what you two were arguing about?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah! It's not just that.. she wants me to be the one having them!" Rainbow Dash said, her voice getting louder.

"Okay.. so what are you really upset about? Do you not want foals or do you want her to be the birthmother?" Twilight asked, resting her head on a hoof.

"Both! I don't like foals! I don't want to give birth to them either! How can an awesome and athletic pony like me choose something like that? I might not know any of that medical mumbo jumbo but I do know that It'll have a major impact on my performance! How would they let me be a Wonderbolt? I guess I wouldn't mind one foal but nooo..." Rainbow Dash ranted, trying to catch her breath.

Twilight was out of her seat, patting Rainbow Dash on the back. "Just relax, Rainbow. Take a deep breath," she encouraged the worn out pegasus.

Rainbow Dash shook her head but proceeded anyway to inhale and exhale large breaths. After a minute, she finally got herself calmed down. Twilight rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"Rainbow, why don't you just make a compromise?" she suggested.

"What do you mean? How?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You said that you wouldn't mind having one foal, right? Just tell her that she has to be the birthmother and that you'll agree to have only one foal," Twilight said.

"Yeah.. I just won't be in any way related to the foal.. things will be pretty awkward when it grows up," Rainbow Dash admitted in a sad tone.

Twilight rubbed her shoulder a little. "Sorry, Rainbow. You're both mares after all.. nothing really would work. Even if you got a gender change, you wouldn't be fertile. There's no magic that advanced yet. There is a way around it but that's not a very good idea," she explained.

"When did you find out we were mares?" Rainbow Dash sarcastically asked, lowering her head down. "Also, I wouldn't be interested in being a stallion. I'm proud to be a mare.. even if I'm married to one," she said.

"I wasn't trying to imply that it was what you wanted. It's okay to accept yourself for who you are and just want to be yourself. If you really are getting upset over this.. I could recommend one thing," Twilight said, trying to comfort her.

"And what would that be?" Rainbow Dash asked, feeling curious.

Twilight cleared her throat. "There was a break through a month ago. Scientists have found an experimental way to combine the DNA of two mares like an egg and sperm. There's a lot of technical and biological stuff behind it. I'm sure that you wouldn't care about the details or understand them," she said, stopping to look at the blank expression on her face.

She continued. "Besides the fact that it requires quite the skill in magic and some of the most advanced technology; the whole thing would be rather costly and it only has a sixty percent chance of actually working," she explained and awaited a response.

"Alright, I would be willing to do whatever it takes," Rainbow Dash confidently said.

"Uh.. shouldn't you at least consult with Fluttershy first?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash sighed and sank into the chair. "I don't know if I should bring it up so soon. She was yelling at me yesterday! I never saw her get this mad!" she said.

"Just give her a little while and try to talk about it," Twilight said, sitting back done.

"Maybe I'll bring it up after breakfast," Rainbow Dash said and got out of the chair.

"Are you leaving now? Twilight asked.

"Yeah.. thanks for the help, Twilight," Rainbow Dash thanked her. She stopped for a minute before leaving the tree house. "I'll see if my snuggle bunny will hear me out," she said and walked out.

As soon as Twilight closed the door with her magic, she realized that she had called Fluttershy her 'snuggle bunny' and cringed at the thought. Rainbow Dash still didn't like telling her friends about her sappy feelings for Fluttershy. She spread out her wings and flapped them hard, leaving a slightly visible rainbow trail behind her as she sped off towards her home.

Rainbow Dash spotted Fluttershy walking back to the front door of their cottage. Making a sharp landing and sliding all way to her lover, she caused her to cringe a little in surprise. All of that was wiped away by the gentle nuzzle that Rainbow Dash gave her right there.

"Miss me?" Rainbow Dash asked, grinning.

Fluttershy gave her a little kiss on the cheek. "You came back just in time," she said.

Rainbow Dash followed her back inside their cozy little cottage. The table was already set with their breakfast and morning drinks. Fluttershy loved tea very much but Rainbow Dash never could like it. So, she settled for orange juice every morning. On their plates were two pieces of toast and some hay bacon strips. The sight of the food distracted Rainbow Dash from her current goal.

"Wow! You even made hay bacon strips! My favorite!" exclaimed a very hungry pegasus as she hurriedly settled herself down in a seat.

Fluttershy giggled as her wife went to town on her hay bacon strips. Rather than just eating all her food separately, Fluttershy placed her hay bacon strips between her slices of toast. The result was a tasty combination that was better than just eating it piece by piece.

Rainbow Dash slowed herself down. "You didn't have to go out of your way but thanks, pal!" she gratefully told the shy pegasus. "Wait," she said and narrowed her eyes. "Is this because of.. our argument yesterday?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy apologized. "I still feel so awful for yelling," she said with a sad and sorry look on her face.

"Don't be," she said back, in a serious tone. "I was a little afraid of such a big step. I'll argee to this idea of yours about starting a family.. only under two conditions," she said, her full attention fixed on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy gave her a curious look. "What conditions?" she asked.

"Uhh.. first, we will only have one foal, okay?"

"Okay, that's fine."

"Umm.. second, I.. can't do it.. I'm sorry but.. I don't want to be the birthmother," Rainbow Dash said and winced. She was very sure that Fluttershy wouldn't be happy to hear that.

"What?" Fluttershy asked, starting to panic.

"I can't do it! I'm really sorry! I wouldn't be able to practice my flying for like a year!" she replied. "Plus, if a spot opens up in the Wonderbolts, I wouldn't be able to join and somepony might jump on it!"

Fluttershy put down her "sandwich" down. "I don't understand. You can just join after.. you know.. you have the foal. Why is it a problem for you?" she said, gazing into her eyes.

Rainbow Dash had been trying to avoid this situation. She had so desperately hoped that her wife wouldn't ask why she didn't want to give birth to their foal. Though there were few upsides, Rainbow Dash only knew the downsides of pregnancy. She wasn't to blame for it all. Her parents had given her all those downsides in fear that she was careless and didn't fully understand what a "real relationship" was. They didn't know that she was interested in mares until the wedding. It was pretty awkward at first for them but they quickly came to accepting her.

"Rainbow? Um.. are you ok?" Fluttershy asked, waving a hoof in her face.

She was lost deep in thought. From what she knew about pregnancy, it sounded like it required a huge commitment. In order to have a healthy foal, she was supposed to have a balanced diet and a bunch of other things. Also, she wasn't allowed to drink any alcohol whatsoever. To her misfortune, her parents had told her how uncomfortable pregnancy feels and how horrible giving birth to a foal is. They weren't intending on scarring her, only to educate her so she wouldn't make a mistake but they probably took it a little too far.

Fluttershy was out of her seat, giving her wife's shoulder a little shake. Rainbow Dash shook her head as if she coming out of a trance. She looked back into her lover's eyes.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Why can't you do it?" Fluttershy asked again.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "I'm not cut out for it. You know that I'm careless and stuff. Also, I would be pretty much grounded for a long time. I need the freedom. You don't care for it at all," she explained.

"But, Rainbow Dash! How can I possibly be fit to have a foal? I'm such a scrawny filly! I'm weak, young, and too delicate for something like that!" Fluttershy exclaimed, her breathing becoming rapid and irregular.

Rainbow Dash moved her hoof out and rested it on her shoulder. "You're not a scrawny little filly, Fluttershy," she said, looking at the slim figure. "You're a grown mare. Heck, you're even more mature then I am," she said with a warm smile.

Fluttershy took a few deep breathes. "Are you sure? Do you think that I can do this?" she asked.

Her hooves were pulled by a tender grip. Rainbow Dash gazed into her eyes as she did the same. Her magenta eyes glowed with her strong love for the shy pegasus.

"I know you can. You're not doing this alone. I will be there with you the whole time," Rainbow said in her confident voice. "This is will be our family," she said, already starting to feel a certain commitment toward her wife.

She got up and wrapped Fluttershy in a tight embrace. The creamy pegasus returned the hug and held onto her, resting her head on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

"You know Rainbow?" she said after a minute passed by. "I think I can do this. I mean, I guess that I had been looking at it as something scary that I went through alone but.. with you by my side.. I think I have the courage to do this," she explained.

Rainbow Dash stroked her mane with a gentle hoof. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Fluttershy closed her eyes. "Yes," she finally said, now confident.

They continued to hold on to each other, not wanting to end this peaceful moment. Fluttershy still felt a little unsure about herself but brushed it off and let a hoof slide through the cyan pegasus's mane. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of guilt. She almost felt like a coward. However, Fluttershy really was the best choice.

Rainbow Dash let go and slowly pulled away. "Where do we start?" she asked.

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves. "Well, I probably should schedule an appointment with my doctor.. and umm.. look for a uhh.. donor," she explained.

"Huh? Why do you need to make an appointment? " Rainbow Dash asked.

The shy pegasus slide her hoof back and forth on the floor. "I just want to make sure that I'm not sick or anything. Also, I could really use some helpful advice," she replied.

"Oh," Rainbow Dash said. "Wait, what was that about a donor?" she asked, scratching the back of her head with a hoof. She had no idea what her wife was talking about.

Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment and was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Um.. well.. you know.. I have to.. find one so.." she went on, her voice becoming inaudible to Rainbow Dash.

The daredevil rolled her eyes and waited for her to finish. "Yeah, um.. okay. I get you, Fluttershy," she lied and let a nervous chuckle.

Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief and nuzzled Rainbow Dash.

When they got back in their seats to finish breakfast, it was cold and just didn't taste the same. Fluttershy left some of her food behind while Rainbow Dash tried to finish off her own food all in one bite. She made a mess and apologized for it. As she helped Fluttershy clean up, worries started to pile up again.

"Do you think that we would make good parents?" she asked.

Fluttershy stopped wiping the table and brushed her mane with a hoof. "Of course, Rainbow! Why wouldn't you think so? Is this why you were worried?" she replied in her sweet voice.

"Well, we really don't know much and have no experience with foals," Rainbow Dash said.

Her lover giggled. "We can always look to our friends for help. Why don't we visit Pinkie Pie and the Cakes later today? We can even see if Twilight has some advice. She must have some books for us too!" she said, nuzzling Rainbow Dash to give her some comfort.

"You're right!" Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I suppose we can drop by in the afternoon," she suggested.

"That would be okay. Um.. would you like if I gave a back massage?" Fluttershy offered.

Rainbow Dash brushed her mane with a hoof. "Of course, I would love if you did that! You're like the expert on giving backrubs!" she said, nuzzling her wife.

Fluttershy nodded and Rainbow Dash climbed on the couch, and laid stomach down. She stretched out her limbs to loosen up a bit. Fluttershy went to work, slowly rubbing around her back. As she came to the base of the wings, Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh of content. She massaged the sore flight muscles and sent the pegasus into a blissful state.

As she continued the massage, she slowed down and switched her movement to a circular motion. Rainbow Dash was in perfect relaxation; her eyes were closed and breathing soft. Fluttershy kept at it until a familar noise started escaping the muzzle of her wife.

Fluttershy giggled, stopping the massage. "I guess that was too relaxing!" she thought to herself.

Rainbow Dash was asleep, softly snoring. Fluttershy threw a blanket over her and giggled a little about how adorable she looked while she was sleeping. Now alone with her thoughts, Fluttershy sat back in a chair, thinking about what was to come with this new life.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Author's Note

This was part of a chain of ideas that I decided to string together. Although, that was before I was knowledgeable of Twilight's change. So, sorry, I won't be taking the season finale in consideration in this story. Please leave some feedback as I'm trying to improve.

A Drift

About seven months into pregnancy...

Rainbow Dash woke up with a dull ache in her body. She felt like there was nothing compelling her to get up. This wasn't something she was new to. There had been other mornings in the past where she had to wake up like this. Here she was, sleeping on the couch while Fluttershy was upstairs with the whole bed to herself.

Like several other nights, the creamy pegasus was restless and had a hard time falling asleep. There was nothing that Rainbow Dash could do about it. She couldn't just put an arm around her or use her wing for it's comforting touch. Fluttershy would constantly be trying to shift positions to get comfortable. Sometimes she would be frequently getting out of bed to use the bathroom. In the end, Rainbow Dash would also be getting very little sleep some nights.

They both were very eager to have this filly but it seemed like the cost was so high. Many freedoms and pleasures had to be given up during this difficult time. Fluttershy no longer could get herself in a comfy position whenever it came to snuggling with her special somepony. Rainbow Dash had nopony to fly with and sometimes relied on Twilight Sparkle or somepony else from her weather time for company. Nothing seemed to be same like it was before.

Rainbow Dash's patience and commitment were really put to the test. She loved Fluttershy to death but was very disappointed that she had to keep the affection to a minimal. She couldn't be rough like she sometimes was when she would swoop down on the unsuspecting pegasus from the sky, grab her, and tackle her into a hug on the clouds. She knew it was temporary and after Fluttershy gives birth, the stress will finally be taken off of them.

Something was pushing against her side now. She peeked one eye open to see a familiar tortoise looking at her with what she could only guess was a sad expression. He looked like he could see her distress, the feelings of misery behind her magenta eyes.

"Hey, buddy. How are ya doing?" Rainbow Dash weakly asked.

Tank merely tilted his head a little in response.

Rainbow Dash could only guess what he might be getting at. "I wish I could be with her but the lady needs the whole upstairs to herself," she tried to explain. "I miss the old Fluttershy, pal. She's just not the same anymore. We were so much happier back then."

Her ears drooped down and a curving frown replaced the straight line of her lips. The tortoise sympathetically nuzzled his head against one of her hooves which was hanging over the couch. In response, she rubbed the reptile's head back with the same hoof.

"She's not as happy either. We've tried so hard to pull through."

The tortoise nodded his head.

"I wish there was somepony I could talk to about this. My parents were the best when it came to advice about relationships but I could never get a hold of them these days..." she complained. "Well, I suppose there's my friends if I really need some good advice."

Again, he brushed his head against her hoof. This time he did it with a little more pressure as if he were trying to urge his owner.

Rainbow Dash took the hint. "You really think I should go to them about this?" she asked. A sigh of hesitation escaped her muzzle. As much as she disliked showing any weakness, this was something very important. Months ago and even before that, she had been convinced that she was fully committed to her spouse. By now, it was only a year since they were married. She wished they had more time to bond even closer before this big, life changing decision was made.

It was too late now to back down. They wanted a filly so much that they never stopped to consider the emotional impact it would have on their relationship along the way. It required sacrificing some things during the process and staying true to each other.

Sighing again, Rainbow Dash gave in. "I know I should talk to Fluttershy about it to sort it out but I'm not even sure where to start or how to explain all of this right..." she admitted. However, she found herself suddenly changing her mind. "...but I can't just do that. I've relied on them enough already. It's up to me to try to tell her how I feel about things," she said with conviction.

With a grunt, she pulled herself up and leaned her back against the couch. Tank gave her an odd look and nodded his head as if he approved of her rather more mature decision. She started rubbing her eyes when a noise started coming from the top of the stairs. This was it. Now was her chance to explain her feelings and work things out.

"Oh good morning, Rainbow Dash! I thought I heard you talking to somepony but I guess it was just Tank.. but um... I wasn't really listening," Fluttershy innocently greeted with a sheepish grin as she slowly walked down the stairs. The bulge in her body was a sign that she was only a few months away from giving birth. If anything, she had about four or five months left to go.

Rainbow Dash froze for a second before greeting her back. "Morning, Fluttershy! Heh, I didn't expect you to be up so early," she said as she nervously rubbed the back of her head.

Fluttershy stood at the base of the stairs. "Well, actually, it's not quite that early as you think it is," she explained, noticing how weary her spouse looked. "I'm umm... sorry that you had to sleep down here again."

"Hey, it's alright... but.. uhh... Fluttershy? I think we need to talk," Rainbow Dash replied in an unsure voice.

The expression on the creamy pegasus's face quickly faded to something more serious and worried. All it took was those words, 'we need to talk' to make any lover or friend seriously concerned. The fact that her usual cheerfulness had been so quickly replaced by fear upset Rainbow Dash. She was trying to work this out as peacefully as she could with few tears.

"What is it, Rainbow?" Fluttershy cautiously asked.

"Could you sit down with me?" Rainbow Dash politely asked.

Fluttershy stuttered but complied nonetheless. "Well, um... okay," she said and joined Rainbow Dash on the couch. It took a few seconds for her to get into a comfortable spot before focusing all her attention on her beloved.

Rainbow Dash was unsure of how to start this but she had seen how Rarity and Applejack settled things so she did what they had done. With tender hooves, she pulled one of Fluttershy's hooves and very gingerly pressed it between them. The point wasn't to squeeze them but to maintain physical contact with her lover. Using the hoof on top, she lightly rubbed the yellow hoof to show that she meant well.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash... please tell me what's wrong," Fluttershy pleaded.

"Look, I really need you to hear me out. I'm not that good at explaining this mushy kind of stuff but it's really important. So, I really hope you don't take this the wrong way 'cause I'm not mad at you or anything," Rainbow Dash begged. She received a nod in return. "I don't know how to explain it but it's like we're drifting apart here. I mean, ever since Winter Wrap Up, things have been getting pretty dull between us."

"I-I don't-" Fluttershy tried to say.

"Just listen. Before we went through all this stuff and before you were pregnant, we were one of the happiest couples in Ponyville. We did almost everything together. I bet we cuddled each other to sleep almost night every night. It was great," Rainbow Dash explained, wiping a tear from her eyes. "But even after you were pregnant, we managed to stay together and do some stuff. Now, it's like: I wake up, make breakfast, eat with you, we talk a little, and that's it. There's nothing between us anymore. I really love you, Flutters, but there's like nothing we do as a couple anymore."

Rainbow Dash gulped and waited for a response.

With her free hoof, Fluttershy rested it on the hooves which held her other one. "I... I know what you mean, Rainbow. I'm really sorry that things haven't be so exciting between us. But honestly, I do feel the same way. I want to be close to you and stay that way but I've always been feeling so weird and even more awkward than usual--I just get lost with trying to deal with everything," she carefully explained.

"I mean, like we don't spend any meaningful time together. I don't remember the last time we even snuggled or did something special for lunch or dinner. In fact, I never had gotten a chance to show you my flying tricks. It's all those little things we did when were dating that I really miss," Rainbow Dash elaborated.

Fluttershy sighed. "I'm sorry... I really do miss doing those things though... but you're right. We really haven't spent that much time together. You're the last pony I want to drift away from," she apologized with a light nuzzle against Rainbow Dash's cheek.

Rainbow Dash wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy and brought her close. "It's okay, Fluttershy. It's not just your fault. I should have mentioned this earlier and tried to talk it out," she cooed.

"Is there anything we can do to fix this?" Fluttershy asked through the prismatic mane.

"Of course..." Rainbow Dash answered. "How 'bout we spend the whole day with each other?" she suggested.

Fluttershy pulled her head back so that she could see Rainbow Dash's face. "That would be wonderful!" she replied and pecked Rainbow Dash on the cheek.

"Heh, and I already have a few ideas on what we could do today." Rainbow Dash said.

"Really? Like what?"

Blushing a bit, Rainbow Dash reached over and slid a hoof down one of Fluttershy's open wings. The soothing feeling made her shudder. "Well, it would seem like somepony hasn't been preening lately... so, I think I should take care of that. Right now sounds like a pretty good time, doesn't it?" she half-whispered with a mischievous grin.

Caught off gaurd, Fluttershy blushed a bright red. "Oh my! Are y-you sure?" she stuttered in embarrassment. "Right now?"

Rainbow Dash replied, "Oh, I'm su-" before being interrupted by a rather loud rumbling sound from her stomach. The face that was so close to hers was now giggling with a bright smile. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Uhh... I guess not right now," her voice cracked.

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to tease. "Oh, I guess somepony forgot to make breakfast for herself," she giggled and gently poked Rainbow Dash in the stomach.

"Heh, I guess so!"

"Maybe I should make breakfast for my hungry pegasus." Fluttershy offered.

Rainbow Dash stopped her. "Wait, usually I make breakfast now," she argued.

"I think I can manage today. I really don't feel tired at all," Fluttershy stated.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Rainbow."

"Fine, but I get to make lunch," Rainbow Dash declared as she ran her hoof through Fluttershy's mane. She relished in the soft, silky, and pink mane before bringing her lips in for a kiss.

Fluttershy's mind went blank for a few seconds before she returned the kiss with equal pressure. She sat up on the couch and reached over with her hoof around Rainbow Dash's head. From there she was able to apply more pressure to kiss and turn it into something more passionate. She let her hoof run up and down the back of Rainbow Dash's head. It wasn't until a rumbling from her own stomach made her halt the make out session.

"It sounds like you could eat too," Rainbow Dash joked.

Fluttershy giggled. "I suppose so," she said with a little smile.

Rainbow Dash laid back on the couch while Fluttershy hopped off to go get their breakfast ready. Just as she leaned back and let her hoof dangle over the edge, she felt something nudging it. Unsurprising, it was her pet tortoise again. She realized that he had never left the room.

"You were here the whole time?" she asked with a curious look.

Tank nodded his head.

"Heh, I guess that wasn't so hard at all," she admitted. "I just don't know why I didn't have this little talk much earlier."

Fluttershy returned from the kitchen with two rather large muffins. Both were covered in chocolate chips and a light layer of frosting. The sight alone was enough to make Rainbow Dash almost drool.

"Remember these?" Fluttershy asked. "I almost forgot that we still had these in the fridge. I was going to make something but it just looked too good to pass up," she explained.

"Oh my gosh, those look awesome!" Rainbow Dash commented as she licked her lips.

Fluttershy laughed in her timid nature and sat down with her beloved.

They shared a quick breakfast as they sat next to each other on the couch. Both of them were eager to share the whole day together as the couple they were. After they finished eating, Rainbow Dash helped brush crumbs off the couch to maintain its cleanliness.

Willing to have her wings fixed up, Fluttershy quietly asked, "So, um... where we should do this? Could I lay on the couch?"

"Well, it would be a whole lot easier if we used our bed. I mean, I know we agreed that we wouldn't do... anything... at least until after this whole pregnancy thing is over for you," Rainbow Dash explained as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy reassured her. "I get what you're trying to say. As long as we're careful, I won't strain anything or get uncomfortable," she said and briefly nuzzled her lover.

"It's just that I can work on both of your wings without having to move you around if I did this on the bed," Rainbow Dash quickly explained.

Fluttershy giggled and nudged her. "I trust you, Rainbow Dash," she said sincerely before slowly trudging up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Rainbow Dash teased.

Fluttershy merely turned around to give a smirk before continuing to walk up the stairs. She was quickly followed by Rainbow Dash who was eager to give a proper preening. If done right, preening could also be one the best massages to give to a pegasus. However, since their wings are sensitive, it could make for a very discomforting time if done in a sloppy or hurried manner.

Upon entering their bedroom, Fluttershy approached the bed and carefully climbed up it. She slid herself towards the middle and laid on her back. Her wings were already splayed out, showing that she still trusted Rainbow Dash like she always had before.

Rainbow Dash grinned before climbing up on the bed to join her. "Well, it looks like somepony is eager to get their feathers cleaned," she teased.

"My wings have been aching for quite a while. I should have done this earlier but I was never in the mood and I umm... forgot to keep up with grooming them," Fluttershy complained.

"I can make them feel much better then," Rainbow Dash whispered as she approached Fluttershy's left wing.

She decided to do the job one wing at a time. First, she carefully brushed her muzzle against the feathers, feeling for any that were loose enough to be pulled out with no force. This elicited a light giggle from Fluttershy because of how ticklish it felt at the moment. Rainbow continued her search until she pulled out two more feathers which were damaged beyond repair.

Now that she was done with the slightly unpleasant part, it was time to realign the feathers. Rainbow Dash pushed the small pile of feathers off to the side and leaned in closer. Using her mouth, she straightened out a feather and aligned it into the right position. Fluttershy let out a little moan as Rainbow Dash did the same thing to the next feather.

"Am I doing a good job?" Rainbow Dash asked as she stopped for a brief moment.

"Oh, yes! It feels wonderful!" Fluttershy softly answered.

Pleased to hear that she was doing well, Rainbow Dash continued to preen. The dull ache in Fluttershy's left wing was soon replaced with a feeling of relief. After finishing up on the wing, she decided to tease a little by licking down from the top. It could only be described as a wonderful sensation to Fluttershy as she felt Rainbow Dash's tongue massage her wing.

Rainbow Dash stopped to look at her handiwork. Fluttershy's wing looked much better now. All the feathers looked decent and no longer were shifted into the wrong, uncomfortable position. She carefully stepped over Fluttershy and began the same procedure to her right wing.

She looked at the blissful expression on Fluttershy's face. "Are you having a good time over there?" she playfully asked.

"Yes... I feel great," Fluttershy whispered. "Thank you," she added sincerely.

"Heh, you're always welcome... but I'm not done yet," Rainbow Dash replied.

Like before, Rainbow Dash leaned in close and felt each feather with her mouth. She pulled out a few loose feathers and one that was too damaged. That out of the way, she used her mouth again to straighten out the feathers and realign them.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she felt the rest of the tension in her wing disappear, only to be replaced by a warm, tingling sensation. She missed this close intimacy which she was sharing with Rainbow Dash. It had been so long since any passion had been sparked between them.

Now finished with the preening, Rainbow Dash saw no harm in continuing to tease Fluttershy's feathers with her tongue. With her hoof, she reached over and rubbed the other wing while she nuzzled and licked. This elicited more soft, little moans from Fluttershy as she went into a state of euphoria.

After a couple of minutes of massaging Fluttershy's wings, Rainbow Dash finally decided that the job was done. "How was it?" she asked with a smirk.

"Oh... just wonderful! Thank you so much!" Fluttershy replied. She squinted her eyes open and reached out with her hooves for a hug.

Rainbow Dash gently moved Fluttershy's wing into its resting position on her side before accepting the hug. It was a close hug that became very intimate as Fluttershy started to move her hooves around to feel the familiar territory of her lover's body. She rubbed almost every inch of Rainbow Dash's body, relishing in her smooth, sleek, and tone body.

Fluttershy giggled to herself when Rainbow Dash failed to stifle a moan. It pleased her that she was making her spouse happy in return for such a romantic gesture of preening her wings. Part of her wished that she could make this much more passionate but she was already too far into pregnancy. For her own sake, it seemed wise to leave the lovemaking for after she recovered from giving birth.

"You haven't been this cuddly for such a long time," Rainbow Dash pointed out as she rolled over on her back.

Fluttershy leaned over so she could slowly rub Rainbow Dash's chest.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "What happened to us, Fluttershy?" she asked. "I mean, it's like we drifted apart."

Again, Fluttershy apologized, "I'm really sorry, Rainbow. I tried not to be so needy. I know I haven't been acting myself but ever since I became pregnant, things have felt so different for me."

"It's okay, Fluttershy. I know you're trying and it's not your fault," Rainbow Dash said.

Fluttershy moved her hoof over to massage Rainbow Dash's side in a circular motion. "I want you to know how much I appreciate you, how much I care for you, and just how much I love you," she explained.

"Oh... so that's why you're all touchy," Rainbow Dash whispered in a suggestive tone.

Fluttershy blushed. "I was just hoping that I could return the favor,” she whispered back.

“Well, you’re doing a pretty good job at it,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk.

Fluttershy moved her hooves over to Rainbow Dash’s back and started to rub around her wings which promptly opened up in full display. To Fluttershy, it was a beautiful thing to see such feathers in their excellent condition. It seemed that Rainbow Dash really did take proper care of her own wings.

She ran her hoof up one of the open wings, sending a tingling wave of pleasure down it. Rainbow Dash shuddered before slowly closing her eyes as she was sent into a state of bliss. From the position of laying on her side, Fluttershy was able to effectively massage while maintaining her own comfort. As she continued though, she did slowly tire out and her muzzle kept going lower and lower until it was resting on Rainbow Dash's chest.

A sudden realization came through Fluttershy's head as she just remembered something she had forgotten. "Oh my goodness!" she yelped with her ears perking up.

"What?" Rainbow Dash quickly asked.

"The animals! I can't believe we-I forgot about them," Fluttershy replied as she released the soft grip she held on her lover. "I can't believe I missed feeding time!" she said in a worried voice.

"They're fine," Rainbow Dash said while she tried to rub Fluttershy's shoulder to convince her to stay for a little while longer.

To Rainbow Dash's dismay, Fluttershy was more worried about her beloved animals than continuing their intimate snuggle session. Reluctantly, she pulled herself up to chase after the mare who was already making her way down the stairs.

She caught up to the worried pegasus who was stopped in the middle of the doorway. "Whoa, slow down, Fluttershy. I'll help you out. Just down calm down bit," Rainbow Dash cautioned her.

Fluttershy sighed and turned around. "I'm sorry but- oh dear! Excuse me for a minute!" she excused herself and hurried back inside to deal with her bladder.

Rainbow Dash sighed too before muttering, "I wish things were normal" before heading outside.

Deciding to wait for the animal expert, she flew over to the front of their property where their mailbox was located. They had moved it back to their little wooden bridge which crossed the stream that went through the land. Rainbow Dash opened it up and peered in to see that there was only one letter inside.

It had their address in pen and Rainbow Dash's name in the middle, though in a much sloppier writing. There was a return address but it was one which did not recognize at all. Guessing that it was probably just a letter from her parents or someone else, she opened it and began reading it out loud to herself.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

First, I want to apologize for ignoring the wedding invitations that you sent to me and my team. I know it probably meant a lot to have us there and even have a show put up for the fireworks but we had other pressing matters at the time. You might not have noticed but we've been hit with a lot financial trouble. We lost a good sponsor and in the end, the academy had to suffer our losses. So, that is truly why we could not attend the wedding or even have a show for you.

If it's not obvious, I'm writing this letter as myself and not a wonderbolt. I do want to make up for snubbing you so there is something important that I have to offer and tell you about. But, I do want to congratulate you on getting with that sweet little mare. I know it's a little late to say this but I hope the best for both you on your new life together.

Anyway, one of our members is going to retire in several months and his spot is going to be open. Normally, we would hold tryouts and training which isn't open to just any pegasi. For your case, passing the academy with such high marks makes you legible to attend the tryouts. Soarin tells me that you have a lot of potential and if that's the case, this is the only "favor" I can do for you.

If you really are serious about joining my team, I would suggest that you get all the practice and work outs that you need up until we hold our closed tryouts. I can't look the other the way for you or go easy but I can tell you ahead of time when it will take place. You'll have about six good months to get yourself up among some our elite flyers. At that time you will receive more specific information on the tryouts and training. I can agree with what my other team members have said, that you really have the potential to do this.

Very Sincerely,

-Spitfire

Upon finishing reading the unexepected letter, Rainbow Dash felt her heart beating faster than ever. Even though Fluttershy had ended things a little short, her hoof work had left her in a much better state. This was something to top off the day for her. A lifelong dream that was very close to becoming a reality, was now in sight. Seeing her idols honest words and intentions were enough to almost make her faint. It wasn't until she felt something tugging at her shoulder that she realized Fluttershy was right behind her.

"Oh my goodness! That's such great news, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy commented, now back in her cheerful mood.

Rainbow Dash turned to hug the most important pony in her life. "Are you kidding? This is like the best news ever! My dream is so close, Fluttershy!" she said through the pink mane. Her voice was shaking with excitement that could not be held for much longer.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash let go of the creamy pegasus and took to the skies. Fluttershy looked up in surprise as Rainbow Dash started to corkscrew through the air. Soon, she was making a stunt out of her neglected weather duties. Her amazing tricks made Fluttershy gasp with awe as she flipped and turned to buck each stray cloud in the sky. It wasn't long until she landed back down next to Fluttershy again who wore also shared the same excited look.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Fluttershy said as she put her best cheering face on.

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow Dash yelled out loud. "I'm so ready to become a Wonderbolt!"

A little taken back, Fluttershy fixed up her mane before speaking up again. "Well, I sure hope my future Wonderbolt would help me with the animals then or is she too cool to help out?" she joked.

Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest and made a heroic pose. "I suppose that I could help you out for the price of three kisses then," she answered back with a smirk.

Fluttershy faked a thoughtful face. "Hmm... I suppose that's a fair price. Could you bring the feed over here?" she asked.

After saluting for a quick second, Rainbow Dash hurried back inside to drag one of the large feed bags out. She was too excited and preoccupied to notice the change in Fluttershy's mood again. As she carried the rather large feed bag, she joined Fluttershy to feed each animal around. It was much more enjoyable to feed the animals when done as a team with Fluttershy.

They made their way around the cottage, feeding each critter while Fluttershy cooed at them as they munched on their food. Rainbow Dash couldn't feel any more successful. Besides finally resolving some issues and misunderstandings between her wife, she had been given a much needed shot at becoming a Wonderbolt. It seemed that all of their dreams were going to come true. Of course, there will definitely be more obstacles in the way. If their relationship was as strong as it seemed to be, both of them will be able to overcome those obstacles and grow even closer than imagined.

Author's Note

Took a while to get this out 'cause I decided to rewrite everything at the beginning of the month and other things were taking up a lot of my time.