For several long moments Applejack and Doug merely sink down, both leaning on the other for support, eyes closed and taking deep, steady breaths. Every once in a while there is a sharp intake of breath from one or the other, immediately followed by a reassuring pat of a hoof or stroke of a hand. And then it is the other’s turn.

After Rarity backed off her muzzle keeps a professional neutralness; she’s been giving good (or bad) news for the last hour, and knows there is more to come. Yet despite having had a number of her acquaintances come by to get scanned - mares she’s grown up with in Ponyville, who’ve known each other their whole lives; mares she has helped with a cooler or who have purchased particular items that she is certain have been used - none have hit her as hard as this. Perhaps it is because the common reaction to discovering one is not pregnant ranges from at worst a resigned acceptance, to a muted giddiness that they have dodged a bolt. And it’s the odd mare that reacts poorly to the opposite news; after all, what did one expect from a poorly timed dalliance with a stallion this close to March?

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, can’t seem to make up her mind about whether or not she should join the two. It’s obvious she wants to from the way she keeps pushing her muzzle towards the crook of Doug’s arm, the largest opening between his and Applejack’s body. But then she stops, roughly paws at the ground, and backs off. Only to push forward again a moment later.

The trickle of mares waiting to use the hospital’s service has grown to a small gathering, the few whispers immediately shushed - at least, until the mares in question are out of earshot. Only one mare approaches, an orange unicorn with a purple mane.

Rarity spots her, allowing a smile to cross her muzzle. “Afternoon, Nurse Purpleheart,” she greets cordially, still trying to be respectful of Applejack’s loss.

“Afternoon, Rarity,” Nurse Purpleheart returns. “Thanks for covering for me.” Her chipper attitude fades to something more somber. “Bad news?”

Doug glances up at the noise; if he noticed Rainbow Dash’s wavering before he acknowledges it now, a sorely missed hand reaching over and dragging the pegasus to their side. His arm clamps around her neck, lovingly holding her in place, and she stretches a wing around his back.

Rarity nods. “I’m afraid so.” She walks over to the three, nuzzling each in turn. “Unfortunately, I do need to return to the Boutique,” she says apologetically, starting to walk to the south, glancing back to see if they are following.

“Yeah, me too,” Rainbow Dash adds as they get up. Doug and Applejack follow Rarity to the south as Rainbow Dash takes off. “I’ll be working over Sweet Apple Acres. So, um, see you soon!”

The three wave as Rainbow Dash pauses, takes a single breath, then blasts off to the west, leaving a rainbow contrail hanging in midair.

Rarity stops to turn her head. “Oh, and Doug?”

“Yeah?” Doug returns, glancing at his side. Applejack is especially reluctant to let him get away from her, withers pressing against his flank as she keeps pace. The other ponies waiting quickly file forward as Nurse Purpleheart’s horn lights a deep purple.

“If you can stop by the Boutique after dinner, we can discuss an upcoming expedition I’m planning for Genday. Payment, that sort of thing.” Rarity titters slightly at his pensive look. “That will be four days from now.”

“Hey, I was getting there!” Doug says with a good-natured pout. “Um, yeah, I think that’ll work.” Doug scratches Applejack behind her mostly concealed ear. “You okay with that, too?”

“Yes, darling,” Rarity quickly adds, a hesitant glance to the many ponies traversing Ponyville. None are paying them much attention, especially compared to the previous days. “I was hoping to get your… permission as well.” The unicorn stops outside the door to Carousel Boutique, hiding her eagerness as she waits for Applejack’s response.

Doug raises an eyebrow at the odd emphasis, especially as Applejack carefully considers it like it’s quite a serious request.

After a moment Applejack leans over, not looking happy about it, and exchanges a quick kiss with Rarity. “Ah’m okay with it,” Applejack says to both of them, though her words are tinged with sorrow. Rarity smiles, if a bit ruefully, before slipping inside the Boutique. Applejack turns back to Doug, walking with him back to Sweet Apple Acres. “And, speakin’ of payment, Ah got somethin’ for you.”

“Oh?” Doug says as Applejack takes off her hat, pushing the rope aside to grab one of the twenty bit notes with her mouth. He frowns as she replaces her hat. “Applejack, you don’t need to do that.”

“Yesh, Ah do,” the farmpony counters. She holds out the note, expectantly waiting for Doug to take it. “Ah know it ain’t ‘uch, ‘ut itsh yurs. Y’earned it.”

Doug rolls his eyes as Applejack talks through the paper, snatching it from her. “What am I even supposed to do with this?” he asks as he folds it up, placing it in his backpack.

Applejack shrugs. “It’s your bits, you do what you want.” Her eyes flick back to the Boutique. “Buy somethin’ sweet at Sugarcube Corner. Could get Rarity a gift, somethin’ small that reminded you of her. Or you could…”

Doug frowns as Applejack trails off, definitely wanting to pursue that ‘gift for Rarity’ idea and why Applejack thought to mention it. But the other part is too worrisome. “I could what?”

“...Ya could save it,” Applejack whispers, staring at the dirt path as they leave Ponyville. Her body feels drained, lethargic, like some cruelpony tied weights to her hooves. “In case… in case it don’t work out.”

“Applejack,” Doug says quietly as the farmpony comes to a halt, feeling more than a little emotionally drained himself. He crouches down, his exasperated grunt taking a toll on both him and his mare.

“Nopony believes me,” Applejack ekes out, a hoof rubbing her belly. “Ah know she’s still in there.” She turns to Doug, a wetness in her eyes he can’t stand. “You believe me, right?”

Doug wraps his arms around Applejack’s barrel, tugging her close. “I want to,” he whispers, hating the hesitation he can hear in his voice. “I really, really do.”

“Ah can see it in Rarity’s eyes, in Rainbow’s,” Applejack continues, her voice distant. “They’re sorry for me, Ah know they are, but they’re also thinkin’ about what it means for them.” She grits her teeth. “At least Rarity asked permission.”

Doug frowns, especially as Applejack lightly pushes him as she gets back up. “What does it mean for them?” He touches his lips as he studies Applejack’s muzzle. “Does this have to do with that kiss?”

Applejack stomps a hoof on the ground as she snaps, “Of course it’s got to do with that kiss!”

“And the permission?” Doug says, an edge to his voice. “I thought that just had to do with going on this trip with her. Was there something else?”

Applejack huffs, mostly at herself but also at needing to explain, her words coming out sharp. “Ah’m sorry, Ah keep forgettin’ you ain’t a pony. Rarity asked if Ah’d agree to you studdin’ her, and Ah said yes. That’s what the kiss means.”

Doug folds his arms across his chest, a harsh glare at the farmpony. She bristles, her back arching, unconsciously puffing herself up. “I do not,” Doug growls out, “appreciate you doing that! At all! It might have sounded like I was joking when we were walking here, but I was serious! I’m not going to just go around f- bucking other mares, for money or otherwise!”

“Oh?” Applejack retorts, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if she snorted flames instead of just air. “Then what about Dash? You don’t seem to mind coolin’ her off, and it ain’t no different from that!” She slaps a hoof against her barrel with a meaty thunk - far enough back to demonstrate the point, but not enough to damage the foal were one growing there. She doesn’t even wince at the hard hit. “‘Cause you don’t believe me, either!”

“I!…” Doug exclaims, holding a hand to his head as he grits his teeth. He scans the nearby trees, half expecting to see the chromatic mane sticking out of one of them. To his surprise, he does; Rainbow Dash has her hoof halfway in one of the saddlebags at her side, her ears folded against her head. She looks a little worn out, like she just finished a set of sprints. He crumples down, folding against himself, a frustrated snort blowing against his chest. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I want to. I wish it were the case! It just goes against what I know about species and how sex works, and what the doctor said!”

Applejack fumes, biting her tongue to keep from lashing out.

Doug glares at Rainbow Dash as he roughly taps the spot next to him. “Get over here.”

“I, um,” Rainbow Dash stammers, nervously looking around. She flies down to Doug, glancing at the cooler in her hoof as he irritably holds out his hand. “Is that true, Doug? That you don’t like cooling me off?”

Doug sighs, pulling his arm back. “I get a little… perturbed at how frequently you want it, but that’s…” Doug stalls as he takes a deep breath, letting out another snort. “That’s because I want to be the one inside you, not that stupid cooler.” He waves his arm at the two pony’s lack of reaction. “And you’re just so… so okay with this!”

“Well, yeah,” Rainbow Dash says with a cocky grin. “Lots of colts wish they could have a piece of the Dash." She shakes her flanks, though glares at Applejack when the farmpony snorts like it’s an absurdity. “What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong is that you’re treating sex like it’s some simple commodity!” Doug groans as the two pony’s eyes narrow. “The way sex is supposed to be, the way I see sex, is as the most intimate thing two people can do with each other. It’s supposed to only be done with one person, the one you’re closest to, your spouse. And not just for the sake of kids, but because the act of sex creates deep, emotional bonds between you and your partner. Bonds that are devastating when they break! And so you should only create those bonds with a person you’ve gotten to know deeply, that you’re committed to, that you’ve sworn to stay with through thick and thin.”

Doug idly kicks at the dirt, sighing. He glances up; Rainbow Dash is standing with her mouth open, wings inches from her sides and looking ready to flare out. Her legs are slightly hunched, like she’s waiting for a weight to be roughly dropped on her back. Applejack has lost a lot of her anger, looking ready to reconcile, like she did when he came back after leaving her the morning after their first time.

“Do ya still feel like we don’t know each other?” Applejack asks softly, taking a few hesitant steps towards Doug. “Or do ya think that we will stay with each other, through thick and thin?”

Doug feels the tears coming, hunching over and hiding his eyes behind his arm. “I want to say yes.” He peeks out at Applejack as she rests next to him, wiping a bit of the wetness away. “But I can’t help but think of the ‘what else’.” He rests a hand on Applejack’s mane. “I will say this, though. As long as I’m here, I’ll stay with you.”

“Thank you,” Applejack whispers back. “‘Cause bein’ in a herd is like that. Sure, there’s more of us, but it’s supposed to start out with good friends that want to grow together. Raise a family, share joys and sorrows. The stallion ain’t supposed to stray from his herd, just like the mares ain’t, but sometimes a mare catches a stallion’s eye and arrangements can be made.” She shrugs, sighing. “Maybe the bonds don’t seem as strong to you, because there’s more of ‘em. And maybe they ain’t. But Ma and Pa’s bond sure was unbreakable, even when Pa did his duty.”

She glances to Rainbow Dash. “And you, Dash? Do you believe me, that we can, that we are startin’ a family?”

“I, uh,” Rainbow Dash says, fumbling around in her saddlebag. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to let her friend down, and yet she shakes the canteen, liquid sloshing around inside. “I’m going to go get more! See ya!”

“Ah guess that answers that,” Applejack says wryly. She nuzzles Doug. “You’ll be okay?”

“Yeah,” Doug says, eyes following the fleeing pegasus as he scratches Applejack’s mane. “You doing okay, too?”

“Ah’ll be alright. Us Apple’s take more’n that to bring us down.” She stands, sighing. “Ah’ll be harvestin’, as always. Ah bet Granny’ll need help sortin’.” She smiles at Doug as she walks off, tail flicking from side to side.

Doug wipes the dirt off his sides as he gets ready to stand, only for a chromatic blur to land next to him. He rolls his eyes, remarking, “Wow, you’re in a hurry.”

“Doug?” Rainbow Dash asks hesitantly, ignoring his comment. “Did you mean what you said to Applejack?”

“Every word,” Doug says immediately.

“It really spoke to me.” Rainbow Dash sluffs the saddlebags off her sides, then turns around to present her backside to Doug. Her eyes never leave him. “Did you mean what you said about me?”

Next Chapter: Ch. 44 - The Stormheart* Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 10 Minutes