Applebloom was a fairly heavy sleeper, and it took a lot to stir her from a fitful slumber. However, whatever was making that thumping noise was driving her crazy, and she was not about to be robbed of a good night’s sleep just because somepony was fixing something this late at night. While she had every respect for home improvement, there was a time and a place. Near midnight is not that time. However, as she drew closer to the source of the noise, she stopped right outside Big Macintosh’s room as comprehension kicked in.

“Ah can’t believe him, after givin’ Applejack so much grief,” she muttered, pulling a face at the mutual moans sounding from the other side. “Dangit, Big Mac, make yer babies more quiet like, ah’m tryin’ t’ sleep!” There was an immediate lull in the activity as the couple froze, followed by a somewhat breathless voice belonging to her brother.

“Am ah really bein’ that loud, Applebloom?”

“Nnnope, ah just wanted t’ listen, cause ah’m really Freefall bein’ pervy outside yer door. Yes, yer bein’ that loud!” she shouted, slamming a hoof into the door before receding back to her room, muttering as she went. Crimson couldn’t help but giggle a little at her stallion’s expression of guilt, though it quickly receded as he met her gaze.

“What’s so funny? Ah said gentler, not quieter. Now, then...” Applebloom had just laid down when the noises began again. They were softer, yes, but still very much audible. Had she not learned from Fluttershy where foals came from, she likely could have excused the sounds of passion, but what the pillow held over her head muffled, her mind amplified. After an honest effort of ten gruelling minutes, she threw the pillow to the floor and marched out to give her inconsiderate brother a dressing down he wouldn’t soon forget.

Applejack had noticed the telltale vibrations in the floor upon her arrival, and wasted no time ascertaining the truth of the impossibility swirling in her mind. It just wasn’t conceivable that her brother would cave that easily, was it? She spied Applebloom stomping towards her brother’s door from down the hall and they both stopped, staring at the door.

“Please tell me he ain’t...”

“Sis, ah think he is. What else could that be?”

“An’ how would you know anythin’ ‘bout that?”

“Miss Fluttershy explained it to us.”

Wait, she ain’t fibbin’? “What in... why would she tell you somethin’ like that?”

"Well... me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo may have forced it outta Fluttershy. We were wonderin’ why a pegasus’ wings shot out sometimes fer no reason, an we got a little more information than we needed."

“Are ya glad you asked?”

“Do ah look happy t’ you? Ah just want t’ sleep, sis! Make ‘im stop!”

“All right, just calm down. This is complicated.” Applebloom rolled her eyes as Applejack hesitated with a hoof raised aloft.

“Ugh, do ah ‘ave t’ do everythin’ mahself?” Turning around and preparing to give the door as mighty a buck as she could muster, she reared but failed to complete the motion as both of the ponies on the other side of the door reach a climax, thus increasing the volume by about twice as much. A very stunned Applebloom fell face down on the floor as her forelegs buckled from the cries of elation shaking the house, and her ears were instantly covered by a very stricken looking Applejack, who could only stare in disbelief.

“Ah skipped out on a shower with Silver just t’ come home t’ this? Pa, it ain’t fair.”

“Well, now, it looks like Big Mac may bring me some grand babies after all! I thought for sure it’d be you, Applejack,” Granny Smith chuckled, walking up and knocking on the door as the sounds quieted. “Listen up in there! Thank ye kindly fer gettin’ busy, Big Mac! You make your grandmother proud!” Without another word on the matter, she slowly made her way back towards her favorite rocking chair that she prefered over her bed and fell fast asleep.

“Applebloom, are you gonna be ok?”

“Ah dunno, sis. Mah ears ‘re still ringin’.”

“Come on, Applebloom, ah think the worst of it’s over.”

“O’ course it is, it can’t get any worse,” she muttered, trotting back to bed and flopping down face first. She regretted the action due the similar greeting she had given the floor, but felt little desire to right herself until Applejack gently lifted her head and slid her cast aside pillow underneath. “Sis, why is it so excitin’ havin’ a special somepony?”

“Ask me in the mornin’, Applebloom.”

“An’ why are you all muddy?” Having not bothered toweling herself off in her haste to excuse herself from what she now viewed as a missed opportunity, the dust coating her damp hooves had turned to mud, which she had unknowingly tracked into the house.

Mah sister needs t’ stop bein’ so darn perceptive. “Ah took a shower at Silver’s but ah had t’ leave in a hurry, now go t’ sleep.”

“But, why’d you...” she started before Applejack slammed the door behind her, sighing and trotting passed Big Mac’s room and onwards to her own. As much as she’d have liked to give him the third degree, she knew that if she had just experienced what he had, she wouldn’t want any visitors for a time. Her mind, working in collaboration with her body, drove away her dear friend sleep, and thus she was left to deal with the rabble rouser known as desire with nowhere to hide. Having to shower so as to clean herself didn’t help, as her memory joined in with the others and prompted a deep blush far before she stepped into the flow. The sudden heat was uncomfortable, and thus she opted for cold water.

“Hah, take that. Ah swear, mah mind ain’t my own tonight,” she muttered as the sudden chill temporarily held her fictitious tormentors at bay. Finishing up, she washed the last traces of dirt down the drain and toweled off, eagerly climbing under the covers to warm up. After a hasty meeting, her mind and body called a truce, allowing a very nervous sleep to shakily make his way back in, and soon she felt the relief of unconsciousness.

A warm embrace eased Applejack back into wakefulness. It was pleasant, and she recognized the scent of her stallion as he drew her close.

“Sorry for what Ruby did, sweetheart. I didn’t know she was that devious.”

“Don’t be. She’s a sweet little filly, an’ after what ah put ‘er through, ah reckon some soda in my mane ain’t nearly what ah deserve.” Rolling over so she could face him, she again noticed the burns on his horn, reaching up and placing a hoof gently on the tip. “Does it hurt?”

“A little. It looks worse than it is, and should heal in a few days.” He stared as she seemed to drift into deep thought, before she extracted herself and disappeared into the bathroom. She returned a short while later with a jar, climbing back onto the bed and bidding him sit upright. “If I may ask, what’s that?”

“It’s a cream to soothe the burns and help ‘em heal proper. I ain’t got no problems with yer scars, but that don’t mean ah want t’ see you with more. Now, let me see,” she said gently, dipping in a hoof and scooping out a generous portion. He obeyed, quietly lowering his head and waiting patiently. Now, not having had any kind of stimulating interaction with mares prior, he didn’t quite expect the sudden rush of excitement that traced through his horn and into his chest, spreading as she gently began massaging the compound onto his horn. It stung for just a moment before drifting into a mint-like cooling sensation, something that only stimulated the senses more. Applejack, being an earth pony, had no idea what she was doing until his horn began glowing brightly, at which point she became curious. “You all right, sugarcube?”

“Do you even... know what that feels like?” The combination of his shortness of breath, mixed with the sudden recollection of the tea party several months prior, resulted in a very embarrassed Applejack yanking her hooves away and blushing for the umpteenth time that night.

“Ah’m sorry, ah didn’t mean... ah ain’t a unicorn, ah didn’t think ‘bout that.”

“It’s fine, just... hurry up and finish.” By the time the last of the cream had been rubbed in, the room was awash with a silver light. She put her hooves around a trembling Silver, curious as to what was on his mind, and wondered if it came close to the less than appropriate thoughts that were filling hers. They said nothing, and soon his soft snores signaled that nothing would be said that night. Perhaps it was for the better, as the type of language floating through her mind was blush-worthy in its own right.

“What do you mean, ‘Why does anypony need somepony special?’ I’d expect to hear that from Scootaloo, but not you, Applebloom.” Applebloom pried her face from the table long enough to give Sweetie Belle an exasperated sigh before answering the inquiry.

“Exactly what ah said. It just seems like a right pain in the flank t’ me. Ah mean, think about it! Twilight nearly blew up mah house, Applejack an’ Silver ‘ave hit more bumps than a wagon going into that stupid ravine, an’ Dash and Storm... well, ah’m sure they’ve had fights too.”

“Are you sure you’re not just cranky from not getting enough sleep?” Scootaloo asked, cringing as the frustrated filly brought her voice to shouting status.

“No, ah ain’t cranky, ah’m confused, dang it! An’ ah’m gonna get to the bottom o’ this, with or without yer help!”

“Well, how do you propose we go about that?”

“Let’s just ask each of the couples we know why they ‘ave a special somepony, ah guess. Let’s see, there’s Cerulean an’ Twilight, Rainbow Dash an’ Storm, Applejack an’ Silver... anypony else?”

“You could ask my parents. They’re plenty lovey dovey,” Scootaloo added, faking nausea.

“All right, that should be plenty. We’ll start right after school.”

Rarity sat motionless in front of her sewing machine, the bolt of fabric forgotten as her tormented mind devoured any lingering traces of motivation to accomplish any progress on her work. Too deep in thought was she to hear the knock on the door, let alone respond. Catching the entrance of Cerulean and Twilight in her peripherals, she blinked a few times and removed her glasses, rubbing her eyes and standing. Perhaps the biggest indicator that Rarity wasn’t feeling well was that she hadn’t given her mane the time of day, and its usual perfectly styled curls were notably absent, hanging limply to one side.

This is much worse than I thought. Rarity wouldn’t be caught dead looking like this... “Rarity? Applejack asked us to come speak with you, do you have a moment?” Rarity met Twilight’s inquiry with a listless stare before shaking her head, pausing, and finally nodding.

“Yes, I suppose... I’m not making any progress, as you can see,” she replied, the fatigue in her voice painfully evident. She led them away from the front and into her room, pulling over her couch and offering them both equally lavish chairs. The couple waited for her to speak, but after several minutes of silence, Twilight took the initiative.

“Rarity, I don’t know if I’ve ever properly apologized. I let my hormones get the better of me more often than not while I was pregnant, and much of what I did to you wasn’t very fair, so for that, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“I already have, Twilight.”

Well that blows my hypothesis out of the water. “Rarity, I’m not trying to be rude, but I want to help you. Can you tell us what’s going on?”

“Well, for starters, I’m jealous, hopeless, and vexingly horny. How’s that?”

“Horny... Rarity?” Were it not for the gravity of the situation, hearing Rarity mention the last item on the list would have tipped Twilight over the edge any other time. However, her stallion’s ever present need to turn anything into a joke rendered her efforts not to burst into laughter effectively null.

“Yes, Twilight, ‘horny.’ I’m sure you’re more than familiar with the term.”

“Rarity, that’s only natural. You are a unicorn, after all.”

“Cerulean, not helping,” Twilight hissed, before giving Rarity a surprised look as she let out a small giggle.

“Really, I should have expected that from you, Cerulean. It seems perversity flows in your blood.” Her words lacked their usual sting, and the faint smile playing at the corner of her lips showed there was no anger veiled within the statement. “I miss our friendship, Twilight. Ever since Cerulean came in, it just feels like you’ve been pulled further and further away. And yet,” she paused, falling deep into thought before continuing, “I also know that it’s my fault, loathe as I am to admit it. I’ve been pushing you away. And you, Cerulean... you’re a perfect match for Twilight, and it drives me absolutely insane.”

“Rarity, this is about finding your prince charming, isn’t it.”

“There’s more to it than that, Twilight. Being as... active, as you are, and as freely as you gave in, I highly doubt you can appreciate my position, but I... want that. To know a lover’s embrace, to let the passion burn hotter than the sun! I have longed to find somepony to fulfill that role, fulfill my dream of being swept off my hooves... tis foalish, isn’t it...”

“No... it’s noble, Rarity. To keep yourself pure in anticipation of finding the perfect somepony? That’s something... I failed to do.” Cerulean met Rarity’s gaze, with no traces frivolous mirth. “The path you’re trying to walk is among the most difficult, Rarity, but one that I highly respect. It was my intention to walk the same path, until... Bangles threw me off.” He paused as Twilight’s hoof descended on his shoulder before continuing. “Rarity, you’ve come this far... if you give up now, and do something... you won’t be able to take it back.” To see a mare often thought fickle and shallow reveal such a deep and wounded side of herself, releasing tears of pain devoid of drama, tore both of them to the core. Rarity made no effort to escape as they both drew up beside her, holding her as she yielded to the pain.

“I’m tired... of chasing something that likely doesn’t exist...”

“I will speak for my species when I say that, no, there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ stallion. But you yourself said I am perfect for Twilight, and that’s where the difference lies.”

“And Rarity?” Twilight continued, speaking softly. “Beneath all your fashion and upper class pomp, acted or not, lies a beautiful heart. You’ll find somepony, someday.”

Was the solution really this infuriatingly simple? Did I really just need to talk to somepony? All this bawling is terribly uncouth... But, if letting this be seen restores a friendship... and gives me hope, then I must say this; screw etiquette! Friendship is more important. “Twilight, Cerulean, thank you both. If nothing else... I’ll hold out hope for a little longer.” Oh, what a bother. I still want sex.

“Um, Rarity? Your, uh, horn is...”

“A traitor, yes. I told you I was... feeling amorous. You have no idea how hard the expo in Canterlot was, Cerulean. Or Twilight, rather. Whatever it was.”

“No, but I certainly remember putting on a show,” Cerulean chuckled, letting go so as to give the mare some space.

“Yes, it was really something, I must say.” Having a mare as reserved and chaste as Rarity comment on such a thing brought no small blush to his cheeks, and to Twilight’s as well as she also released her friend who was grinning widely through the tears.

“Rarity! You were looking?”

“He was center stage, there was hardly a reason not to. Besides, I may have been a mite curious.” Rarity could tell that her sudden change in speech was causing the two no small amount of discomfort, though she found it slightly relieving to actually voice her thoughts aloud and extremely amusing at the same time. “Twilight, do not worry. I would not drop so easily into such perversity of speech. It’s just... good to let it out a little. Please, don’t look at me like that...” Relenting in light of her friend’s circumstances, Twilight let slip a small sigh and gave a weak smile.

“Well, considering what happened at the tea party, I suppose I have no room to speak.”

“Absolutely bloomin’ unbelievable! Scootaloo, ah ain’t tryin’ t’ be mean, but if you can even call what Rainbow Dash an’ Storm said an ‘answer,’ then ah’m even more confused than before.”

“I agree with you, Applebloom. That was just strange.”

“I feel like my ears have been tortured, but I can’t even say why...” Sweetie Belle muttered, trudging along. “Who should we try next?”

“Well, Scootaloo’s house is closest, suppose we go an’ talk t’ Grace? She can be mighty smart at times, even gave advice to Twilight.”

“Yeah, if you can get her to stop teasing you long enough to be serious,” Scootaloo added with a snort, breaking into a run and flying a short distance before landing again.

“You’re gettin’ better every day, Scootaloo. Soon you’re gonna be racin’ Rainbow Dash, ah bet!”

“I still have a lot of work to do, but with two wonderbolts teaching me, I’m sure I’ll be flying with the best of them in no time! Still, I hope I don’t have to wait until then to get my Cutie Mark...”

“Come on, chin up. Or else Sweetie Belle’s gonna burst into song or somethin’.”

“Hey, I thought you liked my songs?”

“Ah do!”

“Then why’d you make it sound like a threat?”

“Knock it off, you two, we’re here,” Scootaloo barked, bracing herself and letting her friends inside. “Mom? Can I talk to you?”

“Dear, I’m in the living room,” came the shouted response, and the three walked in to find Grace lying on the couch.

“Where’s dad?”

“In the kitchen, making me something tasty.”

“And by tasty, you mean inedible, right?”

“Just like your breakfast was, yes. You will understand someday, Scootaloo, though it better not be for at least another ten years. Now, I’m sure you all didn’t come to see somepony as pregnant as myself simply to tell me how much weight I’ve gained. What can I do for you girls?”

“It’s really simple, Ms. Grace. Ah just wanna know why everypony thinks it’s so amazin’ havin’ a special somepony. First Twilight, then Rainbow Dash, and now mah brother an’ sister are all goin’ crazy and makin’ babies! Ah just don’t get it!”

“That is a simple question, and I’m glad you asked. You see, the reason having a special somepony is so important is so you can,” she started, before pulling a face and cringing, “have a foal...”

“Mom, that’s just gross. I know you don’t want to move around a lot, but we have two bathrooms for a reason,” Scootaloo muttered as her mother’s water broke. What followed her statement was, perhaps, the most frantic, ungraceful tone Scootaloo had ever heard her mother use, making it very clear to all three fillies that her words were true, and thus the ensuing panic was justified.

“QUAKEHOOF! GET YOUR TAIL IN HERE, IT’S TIME!”

Applebloom told Silver, and Silver told Applejack, and all three of them arrived amongst the rest of their friends to witness the new life born into the world. Rainbow Dash and Storm were already there, having been told by a frantically flying Scootaloo what was transpiring, whereupon Dash got to watch her second birth, though true to her name, Grace handled it quite a bit better than Twilight had. Quakehoof was weeping stallionly tears at being able to witness the birth of his child, having been absent for the other two. She was an earth pony filly with a pale yellow coat and curly mane of a deep violet and orange, and together they deemed her Bright Hope, a symbol for the future of happiness at being reunited with each other and with their other two children. As the couple was showered with congratulations, Silver noticed a far away look in Applejack’s eyes as she stared at the filly.

“Sweetheart, why the long face? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothin’s wrong, ah just...”

“Storm, you and I have something we need to talk about, right now!” Dash exclaimed, grabbing her bewildered fiancé and dragging him out of the room.

“Something tells me they ain’t gonna be talkin’ much,” Applejack chuckled, watching them leave. “Don’t worry ‘bout me none, Silver. Ah’m alright.” Was that a lie? Ah don’t know, ah just know ah don’t want t’ wait much longer t’ be a mother. Ah want t’ give Granny Smith her wish, before it’s too late, and ah’m gonna be right peeved if Big Mac beats me to it.