Chapter One: Single Pink Cross
Chapter One: A Single Pink Cross
I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!, nor do I claim ownership for it's characters, ideas or merchandise. The thoughts displayed in this story do not represent the company (Hasbro's) views and should be not thought as such.
Dedicated to my maternal grandparents, some of the first people to encourage me to follow my dreams.
My Unexpected Gift - Chapter One
A Single Pink Cross
Rainbow Dash looked down at the little white stick in utter disbelief. At the end of the piece of plastic was the worst thing she could imagine at the moment, a single pink cross. She was pregnant.
It wasn't that she didn't want to be a mom. She couldn't be a mom, or at least not right now. She was a Wonderbolt, a celebrity. If there was one thing Rarity was right about when it came to celebrities, it was that they had to keep up their image.
But that wasn't her main concern. No it was that she didn't want to bring a kid into the world so the paparazzi could hound the foal the moment after he/she took their first breath. Nopony deserved that. Nopony.
'Well, I guess it's too late for that now.' Rainbow silently sighed, self-hatred boiling inside of her.
How could she be so stupid? She hadn't had a colt friend in over ten months and, until about a moment ago, she was sure she was a virgin. The only reason she even bought the damn test was to put her fears at rest, to prove to herself that she didn't do it. That it was something else that made sure she had her head deep in the toilet whenever she got a whiff of something and miss the red by as much as she was. Though, looking back on it, it should have been no question. She'd never heard of any ailment that made it's host stick his or her head in the great porcelain throne just by smelling something, and that wouldn't explain Aunt Flow's absense.
Still, this tandem of thought didn't answer who her baby daddy was or how they ended up in bed together.
Think. Think. Think.
Rainbow thought back the weeks prior, trying to remember anything that might lead her in thr right direction.
Practice. Practice. Paperwork. Practice. Hanging out with the girls. Practice.
Nope, no time for date nights in her busy schedule unless... oh no she couldn't have!
What would happen when word of this got out to the media? What would happen to her career? The Wonderbolts would be greatly troubled if their star performer couldn't perform for a year, even under the circumstances of a maternity leave. Would she be forced to resign? She pushed those questions to the back of her mind in favor of a much more pressing one: how would her friends react? What about her brother? How would he react?
'There's only one way to find out.' Rainbow tried to reassure herself, though failing miserably.
The flight down to the Ponyville library was the longest one she ever took. Not by distance, of course, as she could see Books & Branches Library from her bedroom window. No, rather emotional exhaustion and brain numbing anxiety over the conversation she was just about to have with her egg head friend.
With her mind preoccupied, she didn't notice where she was going. That is until her head collided with the library tree, the surprise temporarily stunning her and causing her to plummet to base of the tree.
"Ow..." Rainbow moaned as she rubbed the place where the bark met her face, a bump already forming.
"Rainbow, are you ok?" Twilight asked as she ran over to her pegasus friend and helped Rainbow up, immediately taking note of the most recent crash wound, "Let's get some ice for that bump."
"So, any particular reason you crashed into my library today?" Twilight asked, trying to make some light conversation.
The two mares were sitting across from each other in the library's foyer. Rainbow Dash was holding an ice pack to her head while Twilight drank her tea.
"Yeah but it's about hay fries." Rainbow started, using the code word for "keep the foals out of earshot".
"Don't worry, Spike is at Sweet Apple Acres to play with the crusaders." Twilight assured her friend.
"Okay, that's good. I don't want this out yet." Rainbow replied, a little bit more relaxed.
"Does it have anything to do with those nausea spells you were telling me about the other day?" the librarian inquired, recalling a conversation they had a few days prior.
"Y-yeah" the cyan mare stuttered, her anxiety returning in an instant.
"What's wrong?" the studious mare questioned, her concern for her rainbow-maned friend growing by the second.
Tears were beginning to prick at the edges of Rainbow Dash's eyes. What if Twilight never wanted to speak to her again? No, she couldn't do it.
"Rainbow..." Twilight asked, caution and concern palliating in her voice.
"I'm pregnant." Rainbow said at a voice barely above a whisper but just loud enough to reach the princess' ear.
If it weren't for her mouth being open, Twilight's jaw would have hit the floor. She stared her friend in the eye, looking for any sign of doubt, none of which she could find. Instead, they were full of fear and something else, though she wasn't quite sure what it was.
After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Twilight asked the inevitable: "Who's the dad?"
Rainbow looked down at her hooves trying to hide herself as to not look her friend in the eye. That other something was now definite in Twilight's mind. It was shame.
"Rainbow," the former element of magic asked a little sterner than before, "Who's the dad?"
"I don't know. I had too many and brought a stallion back to my hotel room." the small pegasus admitted fearfully.
Tears had at this point began to openly flow down the athlete's face. The alicorn was stunned. Her loyal friend crying was as rare as her successfully performing a sonic rainboom, a feat she had managed only a hoof full of times before. She had to do something, anything, to comfort her.
"Rainbow..." Twilight sighed, stroking her friend's rainbow mane sympathetically, "You're a strong, independent mare. I'm positive you'll be a great mom, whether or not your foal has a dad."
"That's just it, Twi," the pregnant mare cried softly, finally beginning to calm down, "I don't think I can mother a child. I feel crummy just because I barely get to see you guys anymore. You guys can make do without me for a few months, though. A foal... it needs... I don't know... but being a mother is a full time job in itself! Oh Twilight, what should I do?"
Twi thought for a second before responding.
"You could put it up for adoption," the pink highlighted mare suggested, "But if that's the only reason, you do realize you could always leave your foal with us while you're on tour or even take it with you?"
The colorful pegasus wanted to point out the other reasons but the bump was starting to make her head truly pound so she opted to giving a nod, This, unfortunately, made her head even throb more than anticipated and caused a painful wince to follow.
"Well, it's not like the baby's coming tomorrow." Twilight reminded her, "You have time to think over your options."
"Yeah, I guess I do." the sky blue pegasus calmed.
"Have you told the others yet?" the purple mage asked casually as she got up to pour another cup of tea for herself and replace Rainbow's now watery ice pack.
"No, you were the first one I came to." the rainbow maned pony admitted.
"Well, I would prefer if you would stay for a few more minutes." the purple pony expressed her concerns as she magically switched the old not-so-cold pack with a fresh one, "That was quite the blow you took to the head."
Rainbow didn't respond with more than a mere nod as she began to ponder her options. What was she going to do?
Chapter Two: Rarity and Pinkie
Chapter Two: Suddenly, a Baby Shower
My Unexpected Gift - Chapter Two
Suddenly, a Baby Shower
Rainbow Dash trembled as she approached her next stop on the list of ponies she needed to see. Though slightly calmer than she was on the way to the library, the anxiety from who she was about to have this discussion with made up for it. It wasn't that she disliked Rarity, far from it really, but the white unicorn had a tendency to be rather... judgmental.
Rainbow took a deep breath before opening the door to the boutique and sounding the shop bell.
"I'll be with you in a moment, darling!" the fashionista called out in a sing song voice from the back room.
After a few minutes, she appeared from behind the workroom door. Her lenses were on, meaning that she had just been working on a design.
"Hello darling, welcome to Carousel Boutique. How can I-" the designer started her generic custom greeting only to realize it was her celebrity athlete friend, "Oh my stars, Rainbow! I wasn't expecting you to come home from spring training this early!"
"Yeah," Rainbow replied with an anxious chuckle, rubbing the back of her head with her fore hoof, "Neither was I. That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."
Rarity placed her glasses on the counter and looked at Rainbow intently. The brash pegasus knew she had to get it over with, like Twilight told as she was leaving, she would need her friends in the coming months.
"You gotta Pinkie Pie promise me that you won't blab to anypony about this and we'll still be friends after I tell you." Rainbow pleaded.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rarity chanted while doing the various movements.
She would have normally been more reserved about agreeing to her pink friend's name given promise but something in Rainbow's voice told her that this was really important to her.
"Rarity," Rainbow took a deep inhale and let it out in an attempt to calm her rattling nerves, "I'm pregnant."
Rarity looked rather bewildered for a moment but elated the next.
"Oh that's wonderful, Rainbow! I have so many outfits for newborns that I know you'll just love! Who's the father?" the stylist enthused.
Rainbow took a sigh of relief only to be cut short upon processing her friend's last statement. This was the moment she was dreading. Breathing deeply, she answered.
"I don't know." the Wonderbolt admitted, rather ashamed of the events that lead to this.
What her cyan friend said caught Rarity off guard. How could she not know the identity of her offspring's sire? It wasn't like with the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Rarity whined, though she would have insisted it was complaining.
"Got wasted," Rainbow exhaled slowly, "And I took a stallion back with me."
Rarity looked dumbfounded at her rainbow maned friend. She slept with a stallion she didn't even know! And she was intoxicated on top of that!
"Rainbow..." the white unicorn exhaled, "I won't cease to be your friend because of one inebriated mistake."
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief.
"But that doesn't mean I agree with your scandalous behavior! Maybe you should have stayed near your brother. He would never let some drunk off his hide stallion sleep with you, whether or not he himself was sober." Rarity chastised.
"I know, Rare, I know." Rainbow muttered quietly.
Overall, Rainbow was pleased with her friends' reaction to the news. It made Rainbow feel a beam of confidence about her next destination, Sugar Cube Corner. The only worry she had was that Pinkie would already somehow know and have a surprise party waiting for her.
Rainbow Dash opened the door to bakery to find that it was operating as normal, much to Rainbow's relief. Mrs. Cake was at the register finishing up with a customer and the pegasus started towards her.
"Thank you, Ditzy. Enjoy the muffins." the baker thanked her number one customer before turning to the next pony, "Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, how may I- oh Rainbow! You're home early! What can I help you with, sweetie?"
"Hi Mrs. Cake, I came to see Pinkie. She up in her room?" the pegasus greeted before motioning to the staircase.
"Yes, you can go head on up. She said something about a doozy happening today, though." Cup Cake confirmed before sending the daredevil up.
Rainbow went up the stairs and knocked on her pink friend's door.
"Come in~n!" the hyper mare sang in a sing song voice.
Rainbow cautioned herself and pushed the door open, part of her fearing what might be waiting for her. To her pleasure, it revealed Pinkie and pan of freshly frosted cupcakes. Her euphoria diminished slightly, however, when she realized the slight juddering acting on her friend's body.
"Rainbow!" Pinkie Pie started as she, despite her palpitating up and down, pulled Rainbow in to an impulsive bear hug, "I missed you sooooooooooo much!"
Rainbow gave her pranking partner an inquisitive look, "I was only gone two days."
"A very long two days." Pinkie implored.
'Okay, I might want to know... whatever this jittery thing means.' Rainbow pulled out of the surprise hug, 'Better before you kick the cumulonimbus cloud than after.'
"So, umm, nothing's going to fall on me?" she asked awkwardly.
"Nope, but there's going to be a doozy!" Pinkie giggle innocently, "A big one!"
'Well, I guess I should get it over with.' Rainbow braced herself for what was to come next.
"Pinkie, please stay calm. I have something to tell you but it needs to stay between you, me and the rest of the girls," Rainbow urged before taking a deep breath, "I'm... pregnant."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Pinkie's shaking stopped.
'Damn that sixth sense!' a silent cuss rang through her brain.
"Oh that was a big doozy! Would you like a cupcake? I remember when Mrs. Cake was pregnant with the twins, she ate a lot." Pinkie implored.
'Oh yeah' Rainbow noted to herself, 'Mrs. Cake has first hoof experience, maybe I could ask her for some tips or something.'
"Yeah, I'd love one." Rainbow replied as she plopped one into her mouth.
"How do you like it?" Pinkie inquired, not losing a beat of enthusiasm, "I used some ingredients that are supposed to make you really calm!”
Before Rainbow had a chance to respond, her stance began to wobble and she fell to the floor with a thump, unconscious.
When Dash regained consciousness, she found herself in a dark room. She struggled to move, but braces around her limbs glued her to a rack formed from a series of sturdy planks, which spread her legs wide apart. The only thing unrestrained were her wings, torso and neck, a fact she used to her advantage. She tossed her head violently back and forth as though trying to reach the restraints pinning down her limbs. Dash’s wings beat frenziedly whilst she struggled to escape. As she thrashed, Pinkie sprung abruptly into her panorama.
“Goodie, you’re awake. Now we can get started,” Pinkie stated gleefully.
“Pinkie, what’s going on? I can’t move!” Dash said urgently.
“Well duh, that’s because you’re tied down,” chided Pinkie. “That’s why you can’t move. I didn’t think you’d need to be told that.”
“But why? What’s happening? I thought you were giving me a cupcake, not taking me hostage.” the cyan mare asked fearfully.
“You aren't a hostage. You see, I didn't know how else to get you to come with me.” Pinkie explained cheerfully.
“What?” Dash asked, her brain now in full panic mode.
Suddenly the lights flipped on, temporarily blinding her.
"Surprise!" hollered a small room full of ponies, all of whom were on good bearings with the pregnant mare.
They were in the basement of Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie and, probably, the others present had decorated the store room with rattles, stuffed animals and other stereotypical infant things. Light pink and blue streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling. Rainbow Dash had to presume that Pinkie was so excited that she decided to throw a baby shower right away. If it was anything else, Rainbow would be clueless.
"Sorry I had to tie you up, Dashie," Pinkie apologized as she untied the pegasus from the wooden planks, "But you would have fallen and hurt the baby."
Rainbow's heart was still pounding loudly, but she was starting to calm down. Nausea was now harkening in Rainbow Dash's thoughts as uneasiness from her prior situation and morning sickness from her ongoing condition churned her stomach. As soon as the poofy maned pony undid the last restraint, Rainbow fell to her haunches, the nausea too much for her.
"Here, use this." the party mare urged as she slid a discarded bucket towards the queasy mare, which Rainbow promptly coughed up the cupcake she had been given earlier and her last meal into.
As she looked up for brief moment in between spews, she saw AJ and Fluttershy approaching her. The pegasus' face was one of concern while the other's was one of irritation.
