A sudden gasp roused Rainbow Dash from her slumber. Mumbling, she readjusted under the sheets, trying to get comfortable. It was still pitch black, she knew that without even opening her eyes. Ignoring the sound for a brief second, she was starting to drift back to sleep.

Another whimper from next to her caused Dash to cease with her attempts to return back to dreamland, and reluctantly opened her eyes. It took her a moment to get her bearings in the dark of their bedroom. She focused her eyes on the clock on her nightstand. In the darkness, she was just barely able to make out the time on its surface. It was still well before sunrise, and she couldn’t figure out why Twilight was making so much noise.

Suddenly, the gasp and whimper clicked. She felt a shift in the bed next to her with Twilight starting to sit up slowly.

After a pained groan, Dash quickly rolled onto her opposite side to see her fiance sitting up and breathing heavily. Twilight turned to her with a weak smile. “Dashie…” she said in a weak voice.

Dash’s eyes shot opened wide. “I-is it—”

Twilight nodded, something Dash only barely made out in the moonlight.

In an instant, Dash was up, forgetting about her sleep being cut short. She had thrown the blanket off of her and stumbled out of bed with a few loud clops, echoing into the otherwise quiet night. “What do I do?” Dash asked herself as she looked around herself for a brief moment.

As her eyes darted around the dark room, she tried to collect her thoughts. They had been through this scenario many times over already. She and Twilight—mostly Twilight—had spent time planning this because Twilight wouldn’t let them not plan it. Finally, the urgency of the situation had forced her brain to kick into high gear. Her eyes focused on a corner of the room and she bolted over to it. “Alright, I got the bag, what else—”

“Dashie…” Twilight said, between some slow, deep breaths.

“What?”

Twilight slowly stepped down from their bed. “Just calm down,” she said with a steady, soft voice. “I’m only going into labor, she’s not here yet…”

Once she was on all fours, she gently touched her belly, and rubbed her hoof along its surface. In the last few months she had really grown large, but soon, that would change. Twilight looked across the room, her horn lit up to give some extra light. “We just need the bag. Everything is in there. Let’s head to the hospital—”

“What’s going on?” Spike asked, groggily.

Dash’s eyes locked onto where his voice was coming from. “Spike!” She flew over to him in a blur. “Alright, listen—” she began. A purple cloud covered her mouth, cutting her off.

Twilight knew Dash would run everything by Spike too quickly for him to comprehend what was going on since he was barely awake. “Spike,” Twilight said calmly to get his attention. “Dashie and I need to go to the hospital. Everything’s fine, it’s just that the foal is almost here.”

She could see him blinking absently for a short while until everything registered. His eyes popped wide open. “Wait, she’s here?” Spike asked, starting to climb out of his basket.

Twilight used her magic to lift Spike into the air and set him back. She smiled. “I said almost here. Now, I need you to listen. There’s nothing you can do at the hospital—” Twilight groaned and paused for a moment as a sharp pain hit her lower abdomen.

“You’ll just be bored there, since me and Twi will be in a room with the doctor. So, instead of being bored and stressed in a room, you can either stay here and get some sleep, or you can head over to Rarity’s,” Dash finished for Twilight who gave her a small smile of gratitude.

“So, I can’t come with you?”

Dash shook her head apologetically. “Sorry, Spike. Get some sleep, and first thing in the morning, you can come visit us in the hospital.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but Twilight stopped him. “She’s right, Spike.” She took another deep breath, letting the pain subside just enough for her to finish. “If you come with us, you’ll just be sitting in the waiting room. There’s nothing to worry about. Stay here, try to get some sleep, and first thing in the morning, you can go to Rarity’s and she will bring you to the hospital, okay?”

He looked up at Twilight with pleading eyes for but a moment before he sighed. “Are you guys sure?”

Twilight frowned. “Don’t fret, Spike.”

“Trust me, big guy, you're not missing anything,” Dash muttered, fighting off a yawn. She looked over at Twilight who motioned her to go downstairs.

“It will be fine. Try to get some sleep.” Twilight gave Spike a quick hug before coaxing him gently back onto his pillow.

Spike groaned. “Fine…”

“Don’t worry, Spike,” Twilight said as she started walking down the stairs. She could hear a faint sound of acknowledgement coming from behind her, to which she could only chuckle. ”He’ll thank me in the morning.”

Dash was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. She had the saddlebag heft over her back and was already starting to walk towards the door. “He's back in bed?”

“Reluctantly so, but yes.”

Dash nodded. “Good. Let’s get to the hospital, quick before she pops out on us.”

“I just went into labor, Dashie, she’s not going to ‘pop out’ right now.” A wince from another contraction didn’t seem to convince her partner.

Dash scrunched her face. “I’m allowed to be nervous, okay?” she said, defiantly.

“Well, it’s not necessary.” Twilight said with a strained breath as she walked passed her fiance. “We’ve gone through this a million times, so don’t be nervous. It’s just like the practice sessions, only this time, we’re actually going to the hospital,” she said when the pain subsided.

“And we’re actually having a foal…” Dash added, stepping next to Twilight.

“Yeah…”

------------------------------

Before long, they had made it to the hospital. The waiting room was completely empty, save for a bored looking nurse sitting behind the front desk. Suddenly her peaceful night was interrupted when Dash threw open the door, making the nurse jump. She shot a glare in Dash’s direction.

But before the nurse could scold her for the sudden scare, she noticed Dash stepping to the side and guiding Twilight inside. The nurse’s eyes went wide and she immediately rushed over to Twilight. After almost a year, just about everyone in Ponyville knew Twilight was pregnant, and being such a small hospital, the nurses were well aware that Twilight would be coming in soon. Just from the way Twilight was walking, she could tell she was in labor.

As the nurse rushed over, she quickly called for assistance from another and proceeded to help Twilight onto a rolling bed for transport. Once another nurse showed up, the first escorted Dash to the desk.

After a half hour since they got to the hospital, Dash finally walked into Twilight’s hospital room. “I thought it would never end…” she muttered as she walked up next to Twilight’s bed. Twilight greeted her with a weak smile. “Nurse Redheart had me fill out some papers to admit you and then yelled at me about being more quiet in the hospital…again.” Dash sighed and put on a smile for her fiance. “So, how are you holding up?” she asked, bending down to give Twilight a small nuzzle.

“The contractions are starting to get closer together… That means she’s getting closer.” Twilight’s face scrunched in pain for a moment. “The doctor is supposed to be in shortly, and I’m really hoping for some painkillers…”

Dash placed her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Hang in there just a bit longer, Twi.” Her hoof gently moved along Twilight’s shoulder and she gave a sincere smile. “I can’t believe it’s finally happening…” she said with a soft voice.

“Yeah…” Twilight returned Dash’s smile. “I didn’t expect a foal to change our lives so much.”

“There was more to it than just her, though.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said with a small laugh. “I’m just happy things have worked out.”

“And soon it’ll be over.”

Twilight shook her head softly. “No, soon it will be just beginning, Dashie.” She smiled.

“Yeah.” Dash laughed to herself. “You know what I meant.”

“The pregnancy will be, yes.” Twilight placed her hoof on Dash’s. “But we’ve got a bigger challenge ahead of us.”

Just as Dash started to speak, the door to the hospital room opened. In stepped a stallion dressed in a white lab coat, his muzzle adorned with a pair of glasses. He gave a warm smile to the pair as he approached the bed. “Princess Twilight, Ms. Dash, I am Doctor Blue Shield. It’ll be my honor to deliver your child.”

Twilight returned his smile, but Dash wasn’t as friendly. She focused on the horn sticking out of the doctor’s forehead and let out a low groan.

Twilight glanced over to see the look Dash was giving to the doctor. She pressed down on her hoof, grabbing Dash’s attention. The look in Twilight’s eyes told Dash to stop, but the pegasus just shook her head.

Dash looked back at the doctor to see a puzzled look on his face. “You’re not going to try anything, are you?” she asked, skeptically.

“Try anything?” He looked over at Twilight who was rolling her eyes.

“Dashie, stop. He’s a doctor.”

“He might be a doctor, Twi, but that doesn’t mean he might not be upset over our foal…” she said in a low voice, as though she was trying to keep it a secret.

“Ms. Dash, I’m a doctor first. My own personal feelings on the issue of the taboo isn’t factoring in here.” He gave a small laugh. “But to make my personal feelings clear, I don’t believe it’s my place to say whom you can or can't have a child with. My only responsibility is to make sure the foal comes into this world safely.”

Dash kept her eyes on him for a moment longer before letting out a sigh. “Alright, but if anything happens—”

“Nothing will happen,” Twilight interrupted. “There is such thing as the hippocratic oath.”

Dash raised an eyebrow at Twilight. “The what?”

“It means I don’t purposefully harm a patient—any patient. Regardless of my views.”

Dash glanced from the doctor to Twilight. She saw her fiance giving her a scolding look. Finally Dash rolled her eyes. “Alright, he can deliver…”

“Not that we have much choice…” Twilight muttered, glancing up at the clock. It was still early in the morning—too early for even the sun to be up. It wasn’t as though the hospital had any other doctors on standby either. When Twilight looked back at the doctor, she put on a smile. “So, what’s the plan, doctor?”

“We’re going to start you on some medication to ease the pain, Princess. After that, the nurses will prep you for the delivery.”

Twilight’s jaw clenched for a moment as another contraction hit. “Medication sounds great…” She took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Could we get a rush order on that?”

“Of course.” The doctor nodded, giving a small bow and took his leave.

As soon as he was out of the room, Twilight glared at Dash. “Why did you have to be so rude?”

“I’m just trying to watch out for you,” she muttered.

Twilight shook her head. “I trust the ponies of Ponyville. They’ve known for a lot longer than anypony else, so they’re not as upset as, say, the ones in Canterlot.” She started to chuckle, but was cut off by another shot of pain. Twilight tried to breathe and relax to make the pain subside, but unlike before, it wasn’t helping. Her let out a cry and pushed her head back into the pillow. “Oh no…” she muttered.

“What?” Dash placed both hooves on the bed. She leaned down, a terrified look in her eyes.

“Go get the doctor…I don’t think she’s going to wait until he gets back…” Twilight said with a pained voice.

Suddenly, Dash’s eyes shot wide. She pushed off the bed and barreled out of the room as fast as her hooves would carry her. Once the door slammed behind her, Twilight’s could hear the sound of frenzied clops echoing down the hall and her fiance’s voice calling for help. “She means well, but… I’m sure there’s ponies sleeping on this floor…” Twilight thought.

After a few moments, two nurses and the doctor came into the room. One of the nurses was pushing a cart with various medical supplies while another was holding a needle and a vial in a cloud of magic. Without exchanging words, the doctor calmly directed the nurses where to go with a simple gesture of his head. The years of practice on all their parts were clearly showing as the nurses began to administer the analgesic drug and ready everything for the doctor.

Dash filed in behind them, looking admittedly more nervous. As soon as the nurse stepped back from Twilight’s bed, she took her place next to her fiance. “Remember, just breathe.”

Twilight could already feel the pain starting to dull. “I know…“

“You can do this, Twi.”

“Dashie…” Twilight looked up at her with a less than amused expression. “Relax.”

The pegasus was taken back for a moment. When she saw Twilight relax in the bed and begin breathing slow, deep breathes, she sighed. “I guess I’m just getting a little nervous…”

“It will be fine.” Twilight tried to force a smile. “Thanks for the support though,” she said, mustering a sweet voice.

“We’re ready to begin,” the doctor said, pulling a mask over his face.

For Rainbow Dash, the next hour was a blur of agony and stress. The nurses rushed around, coaching Twilight as she struggled through the pain of pushing another life out of her. The doctor stayed at the foot of the bed, monitoring the process. The room was filled with strained cries and Dash could only stand there, watching the love of her life go through one of the most painful experiences any mare would ever face. She felt helpless. Yet, for Twilight, her just being there was enough.

Just as the sun rose and the first light of the new day shone into the room, a sound broke the monotony of strained grunts and encouragement. A high-pitched cry rang out in the room, causing Dash’s head to snap to the source. She looked back at Twilight and smiled. “Come on, Twi, push!” she said, rubbing Twilight’s shoulder.

With one final push, Twilight felt the squirming mass that had been splitting her apart slip free. She fell limp on the bed, crying and panting.

“Congratulations, Princess, it’s a filly.” The doctor laughed to himself, having just realized what he said. “Of course, you already knew that.” He passed the foal off to a nurse who took a wet washcloth and began to clean the screaming foal with some warm water.

Dash nuzzled up against Twilight’s cheek. “It’s over. You did great,” she whispered.

Twilight nodded, exhaustedly. “Can I see her?” Twilight and Dash both looked to the nurse who had just finished wrapping the foal tightly in a pink blanket. She turned to Twilight and levitated the crying filly to her mother. Twilight didn’t use her magic, but instead reached out with her hooves. Once the foal was in her forelegs, she cradled her gently.

Once pressed against Twilight’s body, the newborn fell silent. She lifted her nose to the air, as if sniffing before relaxing in Twilight’s embrace. “There, there…” Twilight cooed.

Once the foal was in her mother’s forelegs, the doctor and nurses gathered the supplies they had brought. “Congratulations,” the doctor said with a smile. Twilight and Dash both glanced up to see the doctor and nurses leaving.

“We’ll leave you three alone for a while,” one of the nurses said, closing the door softly.

Once alone, Dash and Twilight looked down at their new bundle of joy. Silence fell over the room for a few moments.

“Wow…” Dash finally whispered, without even realizing she had said anything. She was simply amazed by her. After eleven whole months she was finally able to meet her—a foal she had fought tooth and nail to ensure would have a fair chance at life. “She…”

Twilight looked up at her with a tear in her eye and a content smile on her face. “She looks just like her father.”

“Yeah…There’s no denying she’s mine…” Dash said, her voice shaking a bit as she watched the newborn.

She had a messy tuft of rainbow-colored mane—though admittedly not as vibrant as Dash’s. The colors were darker and a little more dull than Dash’s, perhaps closer to Dash’s dad’s in hue, but the darker colors may have come from Twilight as well. Her mane wasn’t all the foal had inherited from her father, though. The filly’s coat color was a perfect match for Dash’s, a light cyan. Yet, as Dash looked over her, there was something very clearly not from her on the foal’s forehead. Poking out from her mane was a little spiral nub.

“I can’t get over how much she looks like me…” Dash remarked as she leaned in closer. A small smirk appeared on her face once she realized the foal was fast asleep. “She got quiet as soon as you got ahold of her.” She glanced up at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. “Is she going to be a mama’s girl?” Dash teased.

Twilight rolled her eyes, playfully. “Newborn foals have a very acute sense for identifying magical auras.” Twilight explained, keeping her eyes glued on the sleeping foal in her forelegs. “She can tell my aura is familiar and that puts her at ease.” Twilight chuckled a bit. “Then again, she was surrounded by my magical aura for eleven months. It’s practically all she knows.”

“So, she can tell you’re her mom?”

Twilight nodded. “She’ll lose it in about a month as she starts to rely on other senses, but for now, she can tell I’m familiar.”

Dash tilted her head to the side. “That’s…interesting?”

“It is,” Twilight laughed. “At least, I thought it was.” A small frown formed on her face as she continued to cradle the foal. “She’s got my horn…” she muttered, disappointed.

“What’s wrong with your horn?”

“It has fat ridges…” She furrowed her brow. “It runs on my mom’s side of the family and I was really hoping she would take after my dad’…”

Dash let out a snicker. “That’s so minor, Twi.”

Twilight sighed. “I know…”

A brief moment of silence fell as they both stared at their newborn. “She’s got your cheeks too,” Dash added.

Twilight laughed. “And your muzzle.”

Dash laughed as well. “Are we just going to keep listing off what she has from who?”

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “Only if you want to.”

“I’ll think I’ll pass.” Dash sat down on the floor next to the bed, “There’s something more important, anyway.”

Twilight nodded silently. “You’re right. Now that she’s here, she needs a name…”

Dash nodded. “We really haven’t talked about it, have we…” After a short moment, a small half frown appeared on her face. “Got any ideas?”

Twilight paused to contemplate. “Well, I know we said we would wait, but I have been thinking of a few.”

“I figured you would think up at least a few.” Dash chuckled to herself.

“Well, a few dozen,” Twilight corrected. “Though I’m not sure what you’ll think about them.”

“Let’s hear ‘em before you say they’re bad.”

“Well, since she’s a unicorn…” Twilight stared down at her, lost in thought for a moment. As she gazed into the newborn’s content face, all she could see was the resemblance to her father. “And since she looks like you so much, that narrows my list quite a bit. I think we could go with Rainbow Gleam or Prism Flare…”

Dash shook her head. “Please, no. Don’t try and work the rainbow-mane into her name.”

“Why not? You and your dad both have rainbow in your names.” Twilight tilted her head to the side in thought.

“Yeah, but that’s because my dad wanted a son to name Junior…” Dash rolled her eyes. “I got saddled with the name because of my mane. My mom thought it fit, too, I guess.”

“Well, she has a rainbow mane as well…” Twilight mentioned.

Dash shook her head again. “I’d rather we end that tradition with me…”

“So, you’re opposed to using anything relating to rainbows in her name?”

Dash nodded. “She’s her own pony, so let’s give her her own name, okay?”

Twilight furrowed her brow after both her names had been vetoed. “I thought they were good,” she muttered to herself, disappointed. She glanced down and noticed the light shimmer off the foal’s mane. As she stared down, she remembered what had happened as she was born. The light caught Twilight’s eye just as the foal was handed to her. “Morning…” she said softly.

Dash leaned in. “What?”

“What do you think of Morning Light?” She turned back to her fiance.

Dash blinked absently for a moment as the name settled. “Morning Light, huh…” She thought about it for a bit longer. “You just come up with that?”

Twilight nodded, pleased with the sound of the name. “We can call her Light for short.”

“I guess that could work…” Dash placed her hoof to her chin, mentally repeating the name as she looked at the foal’s face.

“If you don’t like it, we can come up with another.”

“No, it’s a good name.” Dash shook her head. “Morning Light, it’s got a nice ring to it.” She smiled at Twilight, and down at the foal.

“So, you like it?”

“Yeah.” Dash gave a confident nod. “I actually like it.”

“Good.” Twilight looked down at her foal. “So, it’s decided. Your name is Morning Light.” The small foal shifted slightly, cuddling closer to her mother as Twilight spoke to her. Twilight smiled before looking back to Dash. “I think she likes it as well.”

“I don’t think she cares,” Dash corrected with a little laugh. She leaned over onto the bed, watching her child in amazement. Just staring at her as she slept made Dash’s heart flutter.

Twilight watched Dash fawn over their daughter. With a content sigh, she grabbed her attention. “Did you want to hold her?”

Dash’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course, she’s your daughter as well.” She cautiously stretched her forelegs out and passed the sleeping foal to Dash.

Gingerly, Dash took her and cradled the sleeping child close to her chest. It was strange. As soon as she held the foal—her daughter—Dash could feel those odd feelings culminating into something more. Joy, concern, and even pride—it all melded into love, that vague emotion Dash didn’t really understand until she was with Twilight. This little foal, defenseless, but trusting, instantly had her unconditional love.

Little Light raised her snout again, as if scanning her surroundings and a troubled look appeared on her face. Dash watched as the foal seemed confused for a moment and then the troubled expression grew. An aching feeling pulled down at Dash’s heart. She had just gotten the chance to hold her and now Light was going to cry.

“Don’t cry,” Dash cooed softly, hoping to sway the foal before she could burst into tears. But just then, Light slowly opened her eyes, much to Dash’s surprise. She stared quizzically at the larger pony for a moment, taking in the new face. After a few seconds of staring, a smile broke on Dash’s face. “H-hey,” she said, shakily. “I’m your dad…”

Light’s eyes drifted closed again, and she relaxed. Dash could feel her heart swell with sheer joy as the filly cuddled closer to her before drifting off to sleep once more. “Oh my…” Dash muttered. She looked up at Twilight. “I thought she was going to cry at me for taking her.”

“It seems she recognized your magic too, Dashie. She knows you’re her dad.” Twilight let out a small laugh.

“She does?”

“Roughly, I’d say. That’s probably why she wasn’t sure right away. It makes sense though. You’ve been around me for the past eleven months, so she knows what your magic feels like.”

Dash looked back down at her daughter, cradling her gently. “She has your eyes, Twi…”

“She opened them?” Twilight leaned over.

Dash nodded. “For a bit.”

“I missed it…” A tinge of disappointment could be heard in Twilight’s voice.

“She’ll open them plenty, don’t get too upset.” Dash rocked Light gently as she looked back up at Twilight. “She’s so tiny.”

Twilight nodded softly. “Still, I wished I could have seen them…”

“I guess we can just rest up until everypony else shows up, right?”

“Yes, though if you could, can you check to see when they’re discharging me?”

“You just gave birth, Twi. I doubt they’ll—”

Suddenly, Dash felt the filly stir. She glanced down to see a pained expression on Light’s face. “What?” she asked her in a soft tone. The foal began to cry before Dash could even think what she would want.

“She might be hungry.” Twilight rolled onto her side and pulled the blanket off of her. “It’s either that, or she might just be uncomfortable.”

“Should I get the doctor?” Dash glanced up at Twilight who only laughed a bit.

“No, just set her down by my teats. If she’s hungry, she’ll latch on.”

Dash did as Twilight instructed. She placed Light down by Twilight’s teats with the filly’s muzzle close to the nipple. Twilight shuddered a bit when she felt Light latch onto her. “That’s an odd feeling,” she remarked.

“Better get used to it. This’ll be what she’s eating for a while.”

Twilight smirked. “Well, there’s a wet nurse spell that I stumbled upon, in case you ever want to give this a try, Dashie.”

“I think I’ll pass…”

------------------------------

After Light was fed, Twilight had rolled onto her stomach and nestled the sleeping foal under her wing. She could feel her cuddling into her fur for warmth, which only made Twilight smile. Once little Light was comfortable, she quickly fell asleep, and with her newborn asleep next to her, Twilight decided to take a nap herself after the long ordeal she had been through.

As the morning went on, Twilight found herself awoken by a soft knock on the door. She opened her eyes to see Dash had also fell asleep in a chair. She looked at the door and muttered, “Come in.”

The door opened, and in walked a nurse followed by Twilight's and Dash's friends. Twilight sat up a bit, careful not to disturb the sleeping filly next to her. She gave a smile as her friends entered the room.

“Hey, girls,” Twilight said, softly.

“How ya holdin’ up, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, with a smile.

“Where is she?” asked Pinkie, bouncing from behind Applejack.

“Yes, when Spike came over and told me, I could barely contain my excitement,” Rarity said and stepped forward.

“She’s been sleeping a lot, so keep it down,” Dash said with a yawn and a stretch. She climbed up off the chair and stood next to the bed.

“Y’all should wait yer turn. Someone else is ahead of y’all.” Applejack glanced behind her and motioned for whom she was speaking to move forward. After a moment, Spike poked his head out from between the ponies.

“Go ahead, Spike,” Fluttershy said, motioning for him to continue with her hoof.

He cautiously walked forward until he stood in front of Dash.

“Hey, little guy.” Dash smiled down and took a step closer to him. “Ready to meet your little sister?” she asked with a gentle tone.

Spike nodded, shyly. “I’m a little nervous.”

Dash shook her head. “Don’t be. She’s just a little foal, Spike. And you don’t want her thinking her big brother’s a chicken, do you?” Spike shook his head and Dash scooped him up onto her back. She then let him hop onto the bed with Twilight.

The room fell silent as Spike stared at Twilight with anticipation. Twilight gave him a warm smile and beckoned him closer with a nod. “Spike, I want you to meet your little sister, Morning Light.” She pulled her wing back so that the sleeping foal’s head poked free. The rush of cool air seemed to disturb her slightly, but not enough to wake her.

Spike’s eyes went wide as he kneeled down next to her. “She looks just like Rainbow Dash…” he said softly.

Twilight and Dash both looked at each other and shared a smirk.

“Hi, I’m your big brother, Spike,” he added, placing his claw gently on the foal’s shoulder. The soft touch caused her to shift, shrugging off Spike’s hand. He frowned a bit.

“Don’t take it personally, Spike. She’s still a little tired from…” Twilight paused to look for the appropriate analogy until she finally decided upon, “the trip.”

Twilight’s attention was grabbed when she noticed the group of ponies leaning over the foot of the bed. She moved her wing down further so they could see the foal tucked underneath.

“Wow, she really does take after Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy remarked.

“I guess she really is yers, RD.” Applejack shot her a smirk.

“Did you think we made the whole thing up?” Dash asked with a deadpan look.

Applejack laughed slightly. “No, I’m just messin’ with ya.”

“So, she’s not a…” Rarity started to speak, but stopped herself short.

Twilight laughed and pulled her wing up for a moment. “She’s a unicorn.”

A small frown came across Rarity’s face. “I honestly thought that after you ascended, she might have been affected.”

“Princess Celestia assured me that wouldn’t happen. Alicorn ascensions are apparently not biological, but magical.” Twilight lowered her wing gently and watched as the uneasy expression on her foal’s face faded once it was wrapped in warmth again.

After a moment, Rarity nodded and smiled. “I suppose that’s for the best.”

“Yeah, could you imagine if she had wings and a horn! I know Mr. and Mrs. Cake have been having a ton of trouble with the twins. Imagine if there was just one that could cause all of that.” Pinkie paused to laugh. “Though, I bet she’d be pretty fun to play with too. Hide and seek would be a blast!”

“Only you would think that, Pinkie.” Twilight giggled. “Honestly, I’m quite happy she’s normal. If she had been an alicorn, growing up might have been rough for her.”

“So, how are you feeling, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“Fine, I suppose.” Twilight pinched her eyes closed for a moment and stretched her neck. “Tired mostly,” she added, fighting off a yawn.

“Foals don’t seem to wait for beauty sleep, do they,” Rarity said, holding back a laugh.

“Well, she didn’t, at least.” Twilight chuckled softly. “But, at that point, I was happy she was here.”

“I might not’ve liked getting up that early, but I’m happy she’s finally here too.” Dash stepped next to the bed and sat down on the floor.

“Maybe the next one will pick a better time, hm?” Rarity raised her eyebrows, suggestively. She looked to Applejack and they both glanced as Dash with the same expression.

Both Twilight and Dash glanced at one another with almost terrified looks. “I-I think we’ll wait a little while before we talk about that one…” Twilight said with a nervous laugh.

Dash let out a sigh of relief. “After the trouble we had with this one, I think we need a break…” When she looked back at her friends she saw Rarity and Applejack holding in a laugh. She shot them a small glare. “What’s so funny?”

Pinkie bounced between Applejack and Rarity. “I don’t hear a no,” she said with an almost tune in her voice and a huge grin.

Dash’s eyes went wide. “We haven’t talked about it yet…” Dash rubbed the back of her head. “I mean, can we get the one that just got here home first? Besides, Twi being pregnant again while we have a young foal would be a huge mess, and—”

“We’re teasing, darling.”

“You’re going to give them a panic attack if you keep pushing it,” Fluttershy replied with a small frown. She looked back to Twilight. “Don’t feel pressured to have another one, okay?”

“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Twilight sighed.

Applejack glanced up at the clock. When she looked back, she tipped her hat back and smiled. “Well, we really just came to bring Spike and check on how y’all were doin’.”

“And congratulate her!” Pinkie narrowed her eyes at Applejack. “You can’t forget that.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “And congratulate ya.”

“You’re not staying?” Twilight asked in disapointed voice.

“You need your rest,” Fluttershy said, preemptively ushering Pinkie towards the door.

“We’re going to have such a party when you’re back home!” she called back while she was being pushed, waving her forelegs in the air wildly. Once she was at the door, she bounced up and hopped out of the room gleefully.

Fluttershy turned and gave a small wave before leaving as well. “Congratulations, both of you.”

Rarity took a step back. “Indeed, we came mostly to say congratulations. After all, it would be rude to interfere with your family’s bonding time.”

“We don’t feel that way,” Twilight replied in disappointing tone, but her friends were already by the door.

“Twi, they’re being polite,” Dash said as she waved goodbye.

She frowned. “They just got here, though…”

“We’ll see ya when ya get out, sugarcube.” Applejack said before leaving.

“You must bring little Morning Light to my boutique soon, Twilight. I can’t wait to design a cute little outfit for her.” Rarity smirked at Dash. “Perhaps she’ll sit still for me, unlike her father.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ve helped you before.”

“Anyway, congratulations again.” Rarity waved goodbye and closed the door behind her.

“That was a short visit,” Spike said, still staring at the door.

“They still have things to do today.”

“It was nice of them to stop by, but I wished they stayed longer…” Twilight glanced down under her wing to see a small scowl on Light’s face. “Was that too much commotion for you?” she asked with a gentle tone.

“She sure likes to sleep, huh?” Spike remarked as he peeked under Twilight’s wing.

“Like someone I know when they were younger.” She smirked at Spike, though he seemed more preoccupied watching Light sleep than Twilight’s teasing.

“I wonder what she’ll be like when she grows up…” he added, whimsically.

Twilight stared down at him for a moment, taken back by the depth of his remark. “Who knows. We’ll just have to see.”

Dash lowered her muzzle next to Twilight and placed a kiss on her cheek. “It’s hard to believe this all began as a mistake, you know?”

“A happy mistake, looking back on it.” Twilight moved her muzzle as Dash kissed so she was facing her.

“Not even looking back on it.” Dash moved in to kiss her on the lips. “And I've got no regrets,” she whispered into Twilight’s ear after they broke. She moved her hoof to Twilight’s shoulder and traced down her foreleg.

“Me either.”

Author's Notes:

So, it's finally here. This is the end of the story. No jokes, no food for thought, just an actual ending. Hopefully you'll allow me to get nostalgic for a bit. After almost two years of writing this, I honestly started to feel like this was a static thing in my life. No matter what, there always seemed to be a chapter of Rainbows in the Night Sky I should be writing. That's finally come to a close after this chapter.

This originally started off as a semi-return to writing for me. This was supposed to be a small idea I had for a show I was just getting into. I hadn't written anything before this story in--quite literally--years. It was also a leap into the unknown. I had never given writing non-human characters a shot before this story. So aside from bringing me back to writing, a passion I had a long time ago, it also opened me up to new possibilities.

On top of all that, it's also been evolving since I've started writing it. Hell, I never planned this story to be as long as it is. Over 100,000 words. That's insane. If you had asked me when I started writing how long this story would be, I probably would have told you about 25,000. Yeah, this thing has changed a lot...

Yet, I think what's the most amazing thing here was the reception I received. Everyone who gave me words of encouragement and criticism helped shape this story. The encouragement pushed me forward and the criticism made me strive to be better. If it wasn't for the comments I received, this story wouldn't be complete. If it wasn't for you fine people reading this story, I wouldn't have finished.

So, what I really want to say is thank you to those who read this story. And I hope you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have.