Author's Notes:

Edited update. It's now safe to read.

Strongbuck trotted along the stream with a basket swinging in his mouth. The new spring grasses now covered the land, filling the air with their fresh earthy scents. The trees were alive with bird-song as they happily prepared their nests. Passing by a squirrel, it chattered at him as it warned him away from its stash of nuts.

His work on the fields was tiring. However, three of the largest fields had been planted with oats, and already they could see shoots starting to emerge. The two smaller fields had been used to plant radishes while a new field they had just opened up had been planted with the new potato crop.

For the first time, other ponies had started to venture out and start their own fields. This was something that Dark and Meadowlark's been advocating for ponies to do. It had been a growing problem where ponies who didn't work were expecting the same food as those who did. Letting ponies keep what they grew was a good way to encourage them to be more self-supportive and productive. For his work on the fields during the planting, Strongbuck was going to receive a small percentage of the harvest.

Already, about a half dozen small fields had been started just to the south of the settlement. Far Treader, with the help of his four mares, was going to try growing a strange, orange root the Pegasi had given him, called a carrot. Grass Stem planned to grow grass-hay and the much needed straw that was so useful to their everyday life. Steady Gait, the stallion they had rescued from Mirage's old herd, was going to start growing lettuce. Milkweed, Green Hoof's younger sister, was experimenting with something called maize, an odd-looking plant that nopony thought was useful, but she felt the plant deserved to be explored.

Today, he had been working on their small garden around their hut, something that had become very popular throughout the settlement, when Dove and Bell sent him a message to meet them at a spot along the stream to the east, telling him to bring along a basket of food they had prepared earlier. It was a fair walk away and Strongbuck was worried about Bell traveling out that far. Her belly was so large it nearly touched the ground, while her walk was now closer to that of a waddle. Though, he had to admit to himself, he did enjoy watching her rump when she moved. It had a certain jiggle that sent his heart racing.

Coming around a curve in the stream, he caught sight of Dove waiting for him just ahead. Seeing him, she called out and waved her hoof. She lead him over to Bell, who was resting in the shade of a blossoming apple tree with Aurora scampering around, chasing ladybugs in the grass, while Sentry and Chase lay napping nearby in the sun.

Bell had her legs tucked under her with her massive belly splayed out around her. "Oh good! Perfect timing. I'm starving."

Setting the basket down, Strongbuck quickly greeted Bell and nuzzled on her cheek. "Why did you want to come all the way out here to eat? It would have been easier to eat back home."

"I got tired of being cooped up all day," Bell said, moving the basket closer to look inside. "I wanted to stretch my hooves a bit and breathe the fresh air." She reached into the basket and pulled out a slice of dried apple, quickly munching it down with a pleased moan. "Isn't it beautiful out here?"

Strongbuck quickly agreed. It certainly was beautiful out there. The land stretched away into gentle rolling hills with scattered patches of trees rustling in the breeze. The scent of new grown grass and apple blossoms filled his senses as the gentle sounds of a nearby stream tickled his ears. He understood why she choose this spot; it was perfect.

Reaching into the basket, Strongbuck took a mouthful of hay, and sat back to chew as Dove settled down next to him, picking out a tiny radish to eat.

Aurora went romping by and Strongbuck quickly reached out and nabbed her. "What do we have here!?" he asked, setting her on her back between his legs so he could examine her. "Looks like a yummy little snack!" Reaching his muzzle down, he began playfully nomming into her belly as he ate her."

Aurora chortled wildly and squirmed to escape from being eaten.

"Oh, no," Strongbuck said dramatically. "There’s no escaping from me, the great and monstrous daddy! I will gobble you up!" He renewed his nomming with greater vigor.

Little Aurora's wild chortling rose to a high giggling shriek as she kicked and squirmed wildly in his grasp. Her horn started to crackle.

Dove saw this and a look of alarm flashed across her face. "Ah, Strongbuck! You need to stop before-"

A loud snap suddenly split the air as Strongbuck exclaimed in pain. Quickly regaining her hooves, Aurora dashed to her mother to hide behind her leg.

"Ow!" Strongbuck exclaimed, rubbing the end of his muzzle. "That really hurt!"

Slowly, Aurora stepped out, looking at her papa in concern. Moving over to him, she stopped and held her hoof up to him.

Blinking down at her, Strongbuck lowered his head down, curious about what she wanted. When he was close enough, she leaned up and kissed the end of his muzzle, then lightly tapped it with her hoof. Finished, she smiled up at him.

"She fixed your boo-boo," Dove said, smiling.

"Aww, that's so adorable!" Bell gushed.

Strongbuck felt an ache in his chest. "Oh, come here, Sweetie." He reached out and scooped the filly up to give her a big kiss.

Dove took the filly from him. "Okay, that's enough play for now. Time for your lunch." Rolling onto her side, she set Aurora to her rounded udders to nurse.

"You're lucky to have that phoenix feather to protect you," Strongbuck said, glancing up at the brilliant crimson feather tied into Dove's mane, just next to her ear.

"Starless examined it the other day," Dove said, absently reaching up to touch her feather. "The enchantment on it mystifies her. She tried wearing it, and it didn't work for her. She thinks that the feather will only work for me."

"Really?" Bell murmured, eating a dried slice of pear from the basket.

"She thinks it’s to protect me from any surges and tantrums she might have," Dove explained. "It does make sense. It allows me to safely care for her as her mother."

"Oh! Earlier today, just before I left, Starless told Dark and Meadowlark that she was no longer going to be a Caster," Strongbuck said, nabbing some of the hay from the basket before Bell could eat it. "She's calling herself an Enchantress now."

"An Enchantress?" Bell repeated, pausing from rooting through the basket for any more fruit. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure," Strongbuck answered with a shrug. "She seemed pretty adamant about it."

"I like it," Dove said, smiling. "It has a nice sound to it. Strong, yet, mysterious. Starless the Enchantress."

"I wonder why she's doing that?" Strongbuck mused out loud, chewing on his hay.

"It's so she can protect herself," Dove answered. "She's creating a new part of herself she can fight back with. As a Caster, she was still beholden to the Unicorns, but as an Enchantress, she's now free to be who she wants to be."

"Strongbuck. My back hurts," Bell said, stretching herself forward. "Would you please rub it for me?"

"Of course." Strongbuck quickly got up and moved around to set his hooves onto her back. Being careful not to push too hard, Strongbuck began to firmly knead his way slowly up her back. Bell let out pleased moans as he worked, murmuring requests to focus on certain spots as he passed over them.

There was something about rubbing his hooves over her body that excited him. Feeling her warm, supple body under his hooves along with her strong, feminine scent filling his senses, his heart started to race in his chest. Bell was a beautiful mare, but now, looking at her as she glowed in the prime of her pregnancy, she was ravishing. Strongbuck couldn't help himself. Leaning over her, he drew in more of her scent and let out a soft nicker of desire.

Bell cracked her eyes open as she felt Strongbuck softly nuzzle her along her neck, giving her teasing nips as his heavy breath puffed out. Turning her head, she encouraged his advances as she took his lips into hers. Dove watched the two from where she lay. Strongbuck's stallionhood started to ready itself, dropping down and throbbing under him with its need to assert his claim over his mare.

Bell's body began to shiver under Strongbuck's fervent attention. Her marehood started to throb with her own awakening desire as it dripped with her feminine juices. Lifting her head high, she nickered her willingness to her stallion as he lavished her throat with his loft lips.

Shifting her pregnant bulk below him, Bell raised her tail in readiness to be claimed by her stallion. Climbing over her back, Strongbuck set his hooves on the ground along each side of her swollen belly as he positioned himself to her entrance. Bell let out a pleased moan when he pushed into her. With his head alongside hers, Strongbuck rocked his hips as he delved deeper into her burning marehood, until at last his pelvis pressed up snugly into her well rounded rump.

Dove nibbled at her lips as she watched the pair before her. Aurora had fallen asleep and was only lightly gumming her teat as she blissfully slept with a full belly. She knew she would need to burp her, but decided to wait until after the unenviable conclusion to the current event.

A light sweat moistened their coats as Strongbuck rocked his hips, diving himself repeatedly into her depths. Bell felt a pleasant tingling rising up deep within her as her stallion took her. She was surprised at how quickly the tingling grew until quite suddenly it blossomed into rippling waves of pleasure. Opening her mouth wide, Bell let out a long moan as the pleasure rolled through her body. Then quite suddenly, it faded, leaving Bell perplexed until she felt the tingling growing once again as it built on itself. Strongbuck was grunting in her ear as he thrusted himself into her. Gasping for breath, a new wave of pleasure suddenly surged through her body even more intensely than her previous one.

As her marehood clamped and rippled across the length of Strongbuck's swiftly thrusting member, a painful tightness grew in her depths. For a moment, it became so intense, she nearly cried out, but then it quickly diminished as another wave of pleasure suddenly built in its place. Strongbuck's steady pace was growing more frenzied and wild as he began to slam his hips into her rump with a wet slap. With a final strained grunt, Strongbuck drove himself as deeply as he could into her and held himself there as his stallionhood flared wide. Through the haze of pleasure she felt his stallionhood throb as surges of his warm seed filled her welcoming depths.

Strongbuck’s hips jerked rhythmically into her with each surge that traveled through his stallionhood. As quickly as it came, the waves of pleasure that rolled through Bell's body tightened once again into a painful knot that gripped her insides. With a last few twitches, Strongbuck sagged down above her in satisfied relief.

The tightness that gripped her slowly faded as Strongbuck affectionately kissed and nuzzled her neck. With a firm tug, Strongbuck pulled himself out of her. Keeping her tail lifted, Bell tried her best to keep it out of the mating fluids that momentarily cascaded out of her marehood. "That was... that was... wow!" Bell said breathlessly, shifting herself to a fresh of patch grass.

"I'll say!" Dove added.

Strongbuck grinned stupidly as he settled himself down next to Bell, his coat glossy from his exertion.

Taking the sleeping Aurora up to her shoulder, Dove patted her back in her usual pattern. pat-pat pause, pat-pat pause, until she heard a wet burp and something warm splashed onto her shoulder. Dove sighed in resignation; she knew she shouldn't have waited. Pulling the basket over, Dove went to lay Aurora into the remaining hay that was left in the bottom.

"Wait!" Strongbuck exclaimed. "I wasn't finished eat..." he paused when Dove lifted an eyebrow at him. "Never mind. It's nothing," he said, quickly relenting.

Laying the filly into the basket, Dove frowned at the spit-up on her shoulder. "I'm going to go take a dip in the stream and wash this out before it starts to sour." Standing, Dove paused next to Strongbuck to flick her tail at him. "How about you come along? I have a sudden itch that you'll be best suited to help me scratch."

Some time later, a wet and very pleased looking Dove returned. Bell stopped humming to Aurora as Dove sat down with her. "Did you have a good time?"

Dove let out a pleased sigh and smiled.

Bell glanced back towards the steam. "Where's Strongbuck? Did he get lost?"

"He said he wanted to look at something," Dove answered, checking on Aurora. "He told me he'd be right back."

"He probably just wants to go pee without us watching him," Bell surmised.

"What are you talking about? He pees in front of us all the time!" Dove scoffed. "I miss those days when he was so embarrassed, he would hold it until he got crossed legged. He was so adorable back then."

Bell let out a irritated sigh. "Great. Now I need to pee!" Climbing laboriously up to her hooves, Bell groaned and rubbed the side of her belly. "Stupid cramp,” she complained.

"Are you okay?" Dove asked, looking at her in concern.

"Yeah, it's nothing." Bell assured her, waving her hoof. "It just a cramp. I get them all the time." Moving a short distance away, she let out a relieved sigh as she drained her bladder into some flowers.

Trotting over the hill, Strongbuck made his way over to them.

"You done looking around?" Dove asked, shooing a bee away from Aurora.

"Ah good, you're back. Did you by chance see Sentry or Chase?" Bell asked. "They wandered off somewhere."

Strongbuck shook his head. "No, I didn't." Stopping, he gazed around, looking lost in thought.

Dove curiously watched him as he slowly spun himself around. "What are you looking at?"

Strongbuck pointed out at a spot near the trees, "What do you two think of building our home right there?"

Bell awkwardly walked over, her belly swaying with her steps. "What are you getting at?"

"You know how ponies are starting to keep their own lands to live on and grow their own crops? How about we do that too?" Strongbuck pointed to another spot. "Over there, our foals can play in the field." Turning, he pointed again. "And there, Dove can grow her medicinal herbs and just behind there we can build a pen so Bell can raise her pups. You told me yourself that ponies have been asking you for wolf pups to help. I'm not sure how we're going to get a dam to breed to, but we can figure that out later."

Bell's ears perked up with interest as she looked out at where he was pointing.

"And what would you do out here?" Dove asked, looking at Strongbuck questionably. "This land is poor for growing crops; it's got too many hills."

Smiling, Strongbuck walked over to the apple tree and set his hoof to its trunk. "I will grow these!"

"Apples?" Bell said in surprise.

Strongbuck gestured to the hill he had come over earlier. "I found six more apple trees even bigger than this one over there. I'm sure that if we searched around, we would find a few more," he said excitedly. "With a bit of work, I'm sure I can have these hills covered in apple trees in no time."

Gazing out, Dove pictured the scenes he had described. Her working knee deep in a field of herbs, humming a tune to herself as a dozen foals ran playing in the field. On the nearby hill, she saw Bell bringing Strongbuck a cool jug of water as he worked stacking full bins of freshly picked apples. The more she thought about it, the more she felt a thrill of excitement. This could be their home. A place to raise their young. "Let's do it!"

Bell shot her a surprised look. "Really!?

"Yes," Dove nodded. She then pointed her hoof to the center of the field. "Except, I think it would be better if we built our home right there, instead."

Coming to a stop, Starless held out a simple quartz crystal with her magic. Channeling a small trickle of her power into it, she directed it about, listening as it softly hummed. It remained steady for a time until it suddenly grew louder as it pointed to the south-east. Putting it into her pack, she continued on with Snap Dragon falling in beside her.

"How many more do you have to do?" Snap asked.

"With luck, hopefully this will be the last one." Starless answered wearily . "It's been interesting trekking around these hills all day, but I am really looking forward to cooling my hooves in the stream when we get back."

"Oh! I know just the perfect spot too," Snap replied. "When we get back, I'll show it to you! It's a pool just a short trip upstream from home. It has a wide waterfall that cascades down into a large pool. Set throughout it is smooth, round stones that are great for relaxing against while you soak in the water. I like to sit really close to the waterfall and let the bubbles tickle my coat. Along the shore, there is a thick bed of soft moss that feels like a cloud when you lay on it. I once fell asleep there and didn't wake until sunset. Mama wasn't very happy with me when I got back that night."

Starless smiled. Tiger Lily was an amazing mare. She had never seen a mare so fiercely loving of her family. Ground told her a story of a time when Tiger Lily had actually bitten a bear to protect him when he was just a little colt. Normally, Starless would have thought the story was told in silly jest, but after spending some time with her, she now knew the bear had probably gotten off lucky. A cruel part of her wanted to see Tiger Lily and her mother meet, so she could teach her what it means to be a real mother.

"Are you and big brother going to have foals?"

Starless nearly stumbled over her own hooves. With her face feeling like it was burning up, Starless whirled on Snap. "What?! We haven't even...!" She snapped her mouth shut when she realized what she was about to blurt out.

"I would like that," Snap said, sounding excited. "I know I've been acting quite silly when it comes to my big brother, but I don't mind so much anymore. I like you, and I don't mind sharing him with you."

Starless shook her head, "It's sweet of you to say that. Things between Ground and myself are a little complicated." Turning aside she continued walking.

"What kind of complicated?" Snap asked falling in beside her again. "Is that the reason you moved out to the cave?"

Starless nodded. "I need to keep myself hidden until Dark has a chance to change things with the Unicorns. That's also why we're out here."

"Yeah, that's right," Snap said, remembering a bit of what Starless had explained. "We're looking for the hay lines."

"They're called Ley Lines," Starless corrected. "I'm hoping that if I can synchronize with them, I can use them to help warn me if another Caster passes over them."

"It's amazing," Snap said in awe. "Magic that flows through the earth like a river."

Taking out her quartz crystal, Starless channeled a tiny bit of her magic into it. The quartz immediately began to hum. Slowly lowering the quartz towards the ground, she listened as its pitch climbed higher, until it became almost painful to listen to. "This is it!" she exclaimed.

"The nest-this thing?" Snap asked, looking down at what looked like ordinary ground.

"It's a Nexus," Starless corrected again. "It's where ley lines converge." Reaching into her pack, she lifted out a large, pinkish-hued quartz. Setting it onto the ground, Starless began casting a complex spell around it.

"What does the quartz do?"

"Quartz crystals have an interesting ability to vibrate," Starless explained. "I'm harmonizing this one to the same vibrations as the ley lines. When a Unicorn passes over one of them, their magic will slightly disrupt its normal vibration, causing it to momentarily go out of harmony with the quartz crystal, warning me that they are coming." Closing her eyes, Starless focused on her task as she finalized her spell. Finished, she released her magic and sat back. The quartz crystal was now synchronized to the ley lines. "Okay, I'm all done. We can go back now and you can show me that pool of yours."

"Oh, yes!" Snap exclaimed happily. "I know you'll just love it!"

Turning back, the two walked beside each other across the windblown grass-topped hills. "Snap. There is something I've been curious about that you may be able to answer."

"What's that?" Snap looked at her curiously.

"Well, I was listening to Morning Sky tell the story to some of the younger foals, of how the herd was formed, and a part of it caught my attention. When the mares, lead by Meadowlark, rose up and bucked all the stallions out, they then only allowed the stallions they saw as worthy to come back in. What happened to Ground during this? If Tiger Lily was claiming Hoof Strike, what mare claimed Ground?"

Snap let out an amused laugh. "Worried that you might have some competition besides me?"

Starless flushed. "It's not that. I was just curious, that's all."

Snap smiled as she nodded, far from being convinced that she was being merely curious. "Despite how things turned out in the end, what happened could have turned out much more tragically. Meadowlark took a huge risk that day. Big Brother was one of the few stallions told in advance what was happening because they needed his help binging the pregnant and elderly mares up to the same cave you're living in now, to keep them safe with the foals in case things went badly. I wanted to be down with Mama when the confrontation with the stallions happened, but she wouldn't allow it, so I spent the whole day up there with big brother, waiting for any word on how things went."

Starless felt a pleasant warmth in her chest. Ground never told her about this. He was such a mountain of a stallion with a heart to match.

Rushing over the rise ahead of them, a group of young stallions suddenly appeared. Circling around them, they blocked their way. One of them, a brash looking colt, barely old enough to be called a stallion, leered at them. "Well, well. What have we caught?"

"Who are you!? What do you think you're doing!?" Snap Dragon demanded angrily.

The young, leering stallion with a silver coat walked up to Snap and used his hoof to lift her chin up. "I like this one. I'll take her as mine."

"Get your hoof off of me!" Snap Dragon snapped, swiping his hoof away.

Ignoring her, the young stallion turned to Starless and eyed her. "And what are you? You look like a pony, but you're so wispy.

Starless felt her anger flair up. Who were these whelps? She had never seen them before, and from the way Snap was acting, neither has she.

"What is with that thing on her head?" another stallion asked, pointing up at Starless's horn. "She's deformed or something."

Starless stepped protectively closer to Snap as she folded her ears back. "Step aside, and let us pass." Starless was tempted to use her magic, but held back. She was afraid of what would happen if she ever hurt a pony with her magic. Ground, of course, was excluded from this rule, but these irritating colts were getting close to learning what a Unicorn could do.

"Step aside?" The silvery coated young stallion scoffed. "Why would I let you go, when you walked right to us so willingly?"

Snap let out a startled yelp. Shying forward, she bucked out at a dirty blue stallion that had just sniffed her rump.

"I'm warning you!" Starless snarled coldly, her horn crackling. "Let us pass or I'll be forced..."

Just then, more ponies appeared trotting over the rise. In the lead was a stallion with a coat so dark it was nearly black. Trotting along besides him was a pair of welcoming faces, Dark and Hoof Strike.

"Wild Bolt, you're not bothering these mares are you?" the lead stallion asked, giving the young stallion a disapproving look as he stopped before him.

"Of course not, Pa." Wild Bolt answered with a slanted grin. "We were just being friendly, that's all."

The stallion didn't look all that convinced. Hoof Strike's gaze had grown flinty as he looked at the young stallion standing so near his daughter. Walking forward, the massive stallion stepped up to Wild Bolt and gazed down his muzzle at the much smaller pony. With a firm hoof, Hoof Strike reached out and moved Wild Bolt to the side, clearing a way for Snap and Starless to pass.

"Thank you, Papa," Snap said, shooting Wild Bolt a scowl as she moved past.

Starless gave Hoof Strike an appreciative smile as she followed after Snap. She and Snap walked along closely next to Hoof Strike as they made their way back to the settlement, accompanied by the group of mature stallions. Thankfully, the lead black coated stallion, named Tangled Burr, sent his son, as well as his obnoxious cohorts, back to their herd, telling them to stay out of trouble while they visited the settlement.

Strongbuck walked close to Bell's side as they slowly made their way back to their hut. Dove had been called away to assist Petal Blush, who had gone into labor. With Bell being so late into her pregnancy, Dove had left Aurora in Meadowlark’s care. The night was late and the full moon was just rising, casting its soft light across the settlement.

Their visitors had been very impressed with what they had built here. So much so that Tangled Burr expressed an interest in doing the same and starting his own settlement. There was a low lake valley they had passed a day before to the south-east that he thought would be a good place to make their new home. Hearing this, Dark then offered to send ponies to help teach his herd farming and other crafts that would be needed.

Strongbuck felt excited. Things were certainly going to be busy this year. He was going to have to claim the land they had found to the east and start building a home there. He had already talked with several craft-ponies for advice on how to start. Approaching their hut, Strongbuck broke away to drag open the gate to the wolves’ pen to let Chase and Sentry in. Securing it shut, Strongbuck hurried back to Bell to help her through the door into their hut. Grunting with effort, Bell squeezed herself through and quickly settled herself into a thick bed of freshly laid hay he had put there just that morning.

Moving across the room, Strongbuck went to see to the fire. Digging into a small pile of sand, Strongbuck carefully extracted an ember he had placed in there earlier. Gathering some tinder into the fire-pit, Strongbuck gingerly set the ember into it and began to blow on it. Soon, the ember glowed as the tinder began to smolder around it. With a few more patient breaths, a tiny flame came to life.

Feeding more tender and branches into it, he worked it into a steady flame that warmed the room with its light. Bell let out a grunt and shifted herself on her bed as she let out a weary sigh.

"Are you okay?" Strongbuck asked in concern, moving over to her. "You didn't eat very much during the welcoming dinner."

"I'm fine," Bell assured him, waving her hoof at him. "It's hard to have a appetite when there's a foal kicking you in the stomach, that's all."

"You sure?" Strongbuck asked. "You've been unusually quiet since we got back."

"I've just been feeling really tired, so there's nothing to worry about." She gave him a smile and reached her hoof up to him. "Come here. I need a good snuggle, and you're just the pony I need."

Settling himself down next to her, Bell leaned herself into his side and let out a pleased sigh. Strongbuck stared off into the fire. "I wonder how long Dove is going to be."

"Well, it's Petal Plush's first foal, so it's hard to say." Bell answered. "Dove will probably want to stay a little longer to make sure mother and foal are doing okay before she comes back. That is, if another mare doesn't start foaling too. It is the time for it, after all."

"Grand Mesa is with her tonight." Strongbuck added. "She's been wanting to learn about foaling, so Dove's been letting her come."

"Well that's good," Bell said, smiling. "It would be a wonderful thing for Grand Mesa to learn. I just hope she'll be able to handle the times when the foaling doesn't end happily."

Strongbuck felt a chill run down his spine. "You mean…?"

Bell nodded and set her cheek against his neck. "It's unfortunate and tragic, but it happens."

Strongbuck stared silently into the fire for a long while, lost in thought. He worried for Bell. What if her foaling went bad? He couldn't imagine losing her. His heart would clench painfully when he thought about it. The soft breathing against his neck told him that Bell had fallen asleep.

Taking care not to wake her, Strongbuck bent his head around to nuzzle her softly by her ear. "I love you."

Bell murmured something sleepily back at him before snuggling her cheek into him a little more firmly.

Lowering his head down to the bed of hay, Strongbuck closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

A pain-filled groan suddenly jolted him awake. Looking quickly at Bell, he saw her panting for breath as her face twisted in agony, her coat was glistening with sweat. "Bell!? What's wrong!?"

"It's... it's happening... The foal is coming," Bell managed to gasp out, her body clenching as a wave of pain rolled through her.

"What!? Now!?" Strongbuck felt a surge of panic and worry rushed through him like a storm. What was he supposed to do!? His thoughts started to run wildly in every direction. Bell had rolled onto her side and was panting for breath. Her massive belly twitched and rippled as her muscles convulsed.

"It's... it's coming too fast," Bell panted out. "I need you to look... and tell me what you see."

Strongbuck felt his head buzzing as his knees wobbled. She wanted him to do what!? "I should get Dove. She'll know what to do!"

"Strongbuck, please!" Bell pleaded urgently. "It's happening now! Please don't leave me alone! I need you!"

Strongbuck's heart was hammering in his chest as Bell's words cut through his storm of panic. She needed him. A strange sense of control suddenly came over him as his thoughts seized onto her need for his help. His worry and fear were still there, but it was like it was pushed aside. Swallowing, Strongbuck nodded as he worked out what he needed to do. Light, he needed light. Going to the low fire, he piled wood onto it until it flared up brightly.

Bell groaned again as her body tightened. "It's coming! I can feel it!"

Rushing around, Strongbuck found Bell's tail matted with fluids and blood. Moving it out of the way, he nearly gagged at what he saw. More blood and birthing fluids covered her rump and soaked into the straw bedding below. Her normally tight marehood was now stretched wide as something poked out of it. "I see something!" he said, feeling his heart leap. It was thin and shaped like a stick. "It's a hoof!"

"What about a muzzle? Is the head coming out yet?" Bell asked, before letting out an agonized groan as her body stiffened. Fluids dribbled out of her marehood as he began to bear down. The tiny hoof slowly began to slip out as another one appeared.

"No." Strongbuck shook his head. “I only see a hoof with another one just starting to come out."

Bell's contractions were coming fast now, as they barely gave her a few moments of rest between each one. Bell groaned as she bared down. The two little hooves slipped out further, allowing Strongbuck to make out the dark brown fur along the foal's leg. With her next contraction, Bell's marehood started to widen as something bigger started to push out.

"Something is coming out!" Strongbuck exclaimed. "It's a... it's a butt!"

"Oh, that's bad." Bell moaned, rolling her head around. "The foal's breached. It's coming out backwards."

"What should I do?" Strongbuck asked, feeling his worry surging back up.

"It's too late to try flipping the foal around," Bell panted, as she rested. "You'll need to grab a leg and help pull."

"You want me to do what!?" Strongbuck exclaimed.

"Just do it!" Bell whimpered as another contraction seized her.

Strongbuck braced himself for what he had to do. Reaching out, he grasped one of the foal's legs. Ignoring the taste in his mouth, he began to gently pull. Bell cried out in agony, as the foal started to slide out. Slipping the hips out, Strongbuck's heart leapt up when he saw that it was a colt. A son! Continuing to pull, the colt's other leg twitched and bucked out, catching Strongbuck painfully on his cheek, causing him to let go.

Bell whimpered and panted for breath, as she laid her head down. "What's wrong? You stopped."

"Nothing," Strongbuck muttered, rubbing his stinging cheek. "He just bucked me in the face."

Bell let out a tired chuckle as she rolled her eyes. "He's been bucking me all winter. I think you'll survive."

The colt was out to his shoulders now. His hooves jerked and kicked as he started to struggle. Strongbuck noticed something slip out. "The birth cords torn!" he exclaimed, looking down at the severed end of the cord.

"He needs to come out quickly, before he suffocates!" Bell shouted urgently. Her voice filled with fear.

Grabbing the flailing hoof, Strongbuck pulled, but the colt’s shoulders were lodged against Bell's pelvis. Shifting his grip, Strongbuck pulled downward and the colts shoulder suddenly came free, quickly slipping the rest of the way out. Throwing his hooves out, Strongbuck quickly caught the colt before he fell.

Blinking in awed wonder, Strongbuck looked down at his son's face as the colt began to wail, his little chest heaving with each cry that pierced the air. Bell let out a relieved breath as she slumped down, exhausted. The colt had a rich brown coat with a honey colored mane and tail. Moving around, Strongbuck held the foal out for Bell to see. "Look at him. Isn't he just perfect!?"

"Yes. Of course he is." Bell agreed, smiling tiredly. Taking the colt from him, she deposited him between her forelegs so she could start cleaning him.

Strongbuck couldn't believe it. A son. He had a son!

"There's a mess that needs to be cleaned up," Bell said, not bothering to look up at him. "Why don't you fetch some water and take care of that? Also, bring back some fresh straw for the bedding while you're at it."

It was late when Dove finally returned. Stepping in, she immediately knew that something had happened. She could smell it in the air. Lying side by side, Bell was leaning against Strongbuck with her head resting against his shoulder as she slept. Strongbuck smiled at her, lifting his hoof to his lips to indicate that she keep quiet. Looking down, he then shifted his leg to the side to reveal a tiny form nestled between himself and Bell.

Dove gasped as tears of happiness came to her eyes. "Oh my stars! He came and I missed it!" she whispered, setting Aurora down in her basket. "Why didn't you get me!?"

"Because, apparently, he just couldn't wait," Bell answered, cracking her eyes open. "You know how colts can be."

"He's so adorable," Dove gushed, bending down close to the colt. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Yes I have," Bell answered, reaching down to softly nuzzle the colt. "Say hello to Applebuck."

Art by Gentlehoof