Rainbow's stomach grew hollow as her wings touched the wall behind her that she crashed into. Untying her blindfold, she let it descend to the ground with the group of papers. She watched Twilight pick up a pamphlet titled 'The Progression of Foal Growth'.

"Rainbow Dash, what's the meaning of this?" Rarity questioned while leaning over Twilight's shoulder, "Why were you hiding these from us?"

"'At three months, the foal now has detectable facial features'," Twilight read out loud, "Where were you before you got here?"

"Are you collecting pamphlets now?" Pinkie chirped, spitting cupcake crumbs towards the stunned Pegasus, "I love collecting things! Like rocks and bottle caps and Gummy's old scales-"

"Pinkie, why would she collect foal information pamphlets?" Rarity inquired, "Or pamphlets in general?"

"Are you planning to adopt?" Fluttershy asked, looking at a packet with a list of adoption agencies.

"Are you planning on getting pregnant?" Rarity spat out, snatching the pamphlet from Twilight, "Oh honey, that's not how you do it. I highly suggest that you should get to know a stallion first, and I may have the perfect colt for you…"

"Wait you're planning to what now or what now?" Twilight exclaimed. The chatter of the four ponies grew higher in volume and more rapid causing Rainbow to squeeze her eyes shut in frustration. Without realizing it, the blue Pegasus shot up as she flapped her wings till her back hit the ceiling. From the top of her lungs, she yelled the command for them to quiet down which did little to ease her frustration.

"I'm not adopting or planning to get pregnant," she announced, still hovering over them. They all blew out sighs of relief and let out nervous chuckles. "I am pregnant." The equestrians all gasped as their sight followed the lowering winged pony. Opening her eyes, she inspected each one of her friend's expressions. Their visages varied from confusions, disappointment, shock, and what appeared to be pity. Even Pinkie, who Rainbow wasn't convinced she knew the seriousness of the situation, had a look of concern for her distressed companion.

"I'm pregnant, OK?" she repeated heatedly, storming down the hallways, "Sorry I ruined the party."

………………………..

Burying her face into the pillow, Rainbow stretched her limbs to the edges of the bed. She figured the house guests were still in the other room since she didn't hear the front door close shut and cursed herself as a hostess. Suddenly, she heard what sounded like faint whispering and lifted her head up for a better listen. It sounded far away, the end of the hallway she guessed, and it and they seemed to belong to Fluttershy. There was nobody at the doorway of her bedroom but she could still make out the commentary from the others.

"C'mon Tank, it's OK," Fluttershy cooed.

"This is going to take forever," Rarity whined, "Twilight, why are we doing this?"

"In ancient times, ponies tied notes to the feet of pigeons as messengers. I thought it would cheer Rainbow up if we did the same thing with Tank."

"Do you think she's going to eat the sweets in the other room?" Pinkie interrupted, "Too late, I'm on it!"

"He's trying his hardest. Please, be patient with him. I-if you don't mind."

"Oh this is ridiculous. There's at least ten feet ahead of him. Twilight, sweetie, he walks slowly. He's a turtle."

Tortoise, Rainbow corrected mentally.

"Oh for Pete's sake, Rarity." Rainbow peered at the doorway as Tank levitated till he reached the threshold. Waiting for the fuchsia aurora to vanish, she rolled out of her bed and reached for the paper attached to his back. It read only four words: 'May we come in?'.

"Are you OK, Rainbow?" Twilight probed after they were motioned to come in, "That was a big bomb you dropped on us back there."

"I've had better days," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders and dropping her head.

"Have you told anypony else yet?" Rarity asked, "When did you find out?"

"I found out, like, literally twenty minutes ago. I saw the doctor last week because I haven't been feeling myself for a while now and my follow-up appointment was today. You guys are the first to know." The mares guardedly exchanged glances and turned back to her.

"Well, don't ever feel like you're alone," Twilight informed, wrapping a hoof around her, "We're your friends and we'll always be here. Whether it's to lend an ear to listen-"

"Or spend time at the spa and masseuse parlors to tend to those dreadful pregnancy pains and relax-"

"Or baby-sit your foal and play peek-a-boo Pinkie Pie style-"

"And watch it grow, we'll be there throughout all your steps of motherhood," Fluttershy concluded. Rainbow thanked them and bit her lip hard. Perhaps with was the hormones, but their words had touched her almost to the point of tears.

"I love kids!" Pinkie exclaimed, "Are you wondering what'll be like? D'ya think it'll be a fast flyer like you? Or timid? Or confident? Or funny? Or smart? Or-"

"It's up for the other family that's going to adopt it to found out," Rainbow cut in, snapping her head up. Before the ponies began to question her, she began to explain herself. "I can't have this foal and raise it. You guys should know, these past two years since joining the Wonderbolts, my life has been busier than ever. My priorities have changed. I barely have time for you all and I feel bad enough about that." Her voice cracked and she blinked vigorously. "No, I'm just taking the maternal break, work out and go back to the Wonderbolts as if nothing happened. I'm not meant to be a mother. I'm an athlete. I've worked too hard for this just to give it up." A silence swelled in the room. The air grew heavy which made her throat go dry.

"Rainbow?" Twilight finally spoke, "If you feel comfortable answering this: who's the father?"

"The father," she absently repeated, her eyes then growing large, "Applejack!" She flew out of the room and stopped in front of a hall closet.

"Applejack's the father? Silly filly, mares can't be fathers," Pinkie declared, turning to Twilight, "Can they?"

"Her train hasn't left yet, right?" Rainbow shouted from the opposite side of the house for them to hear. She entered into her room again while tying a scarf around her neck, "Right?"

"You might be able to catch her," Twilight notified, her eyes tracing the darting horse.

"Good, I might make it." The winged pony tugged on her scarf then unwrapped it, "Boy, it's hot today!"

"Rainbow, why do you-" Rarity's question was cut short by the resonance of the front door being shut. "Well, I guess she's gone off to the train station."

"We better get out of here," Twilight spoke, snapping out of her thoughts, "Pinkie, where did you tie down the hot air balloon?"

"I was supposed to tie down the hot air balloon?"

……………………………

It was ironic how the Wonderbolt initially refused to go on the last train ride months ago that Applejack invited her to. The country pony guaranteed that it would be a 'grand ol' time' and a 'life changing experience'. Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave a sarcastic 'yeah right', ensuring that it would be another dull moment in her life that she didn't need. What would she do with herself while the Apple family observed the different types of apples at the fruit convention nearby Appleloosa? But, with the help of the persuasion from her group of friends, she reluctantly gave in. Twilight engrossed herself in books about the caring of apples. Rarity thought of elaborate plans to avoid getting dust on her coat. Fluttershy entertained herself with the nearby wildlife while Pinkie and Spike ran their own contest on who could eat the most throughout the day by stopping at every bakery visible. If only Rainbow had a stronger figurative spine and never stepped hoof on the train that day. If only she had more self-control and used her mind, her common sense. If only-

Oh crabapples.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked, falling into a pile of hay. Rainbow Crash was at it again. Shooting her head up for oxygen, she shook the hay out of her hair and searched for the orange horse. She spotted a familiar pink-mane filly and hurried over to her. Tapping her on the shoulder, she got a bright smile from the young pony.

"Hey Rainbow Dash, I wasn't 'spectin' ya here!" Applebloom proclaimed. As if it was on cue, Applejack poked herself out from the back of the train and waved.

"Howdy RD!" she shrieked over the starting engine, "Hey, congrats on the two year anniversary with the Wonderbolts! I hope ya can understand why Ah couldn't make it. These family reunions are uh big deal here in the Apple family."

"Yeah, yeah I can," she replied, "Listen, can I…" Glancing from Applebloom to Applejack and the train behind her, she took a deep breath and blew the mane from her eyes, "I just wanted to, uh…invite myself, I guess, to your train ride." Applejack drew back slightly and tilted her head. Rainbow stiffened as she watched her western counterpart squint her eyes.

"Uh, sure," Applejack reacted uneasily. "Ya know that it's a family reunion, right?"

"I heard. I promise I won't be a bother. I…I just want to spend time with my friend. Because I know I haven't been there for you lately and we haven't spent much time together."

"I'd really appreciate that," Applejack answered after a heartbeat, giving a warm grin.

"Thanks, AJ," Rainbow gratefully added, crouching closer to Applebloom, "You don't mind, d'ya kiddo?"

"Are ya kiddin'?" she peeped, "This trip just got forty percent cooler!"

"You're not gonna get trainsick on us, are ya?" Applejack teased.

Shoot.

"Nope," Rainbow spat out through a tight lipped smile.

………………………………......

"Rainbow!"

"Huh, what?" The cyan pony unraveled herself from her thoughts and landed back into the present time. Glaring around the room, she was reminded that she was followed Applejack into the kitchen. She was mentioned to her that she wanted to speak to her about something she learned earlier today. To talk about what again? Oh… right.

"My goodness, sugarcube, your mind certainly has been someplace else today. Are ya OK?"

"I'm fine," she lied, waving her hoof in front of her face.

"Really, RD, you're mah best friend. What's wrong?" When she told the four friends back at her home, she felt cornered and forced to come clean. But here was the perfect opportunity for her to make up a false story and escape the nerves that overwhelmed her body. Of course, Applejack would eventually find out, but why know now? She didn't look any bigger or was acting too unusual. However, she knew that she couldn't fib to her friend. But she couldn't find herself to say the word.

It was a funny sounding word now that she replayed it over and over again in her mind. Pregnant. Puh-regnant. Puh-ray-gah-net.

"RAINBOW!

"Pregnant!" Rainbow spurted out, "I'm pregnant!" Quickly, she covered her mouth with her hooves as her eyes bored into Applejack's skull. It was as if she wanted to burn a hole into her head to see what she was thinking.

"W-what?"

"I can't…I don't…I, uh, I…I'm pregnant. That's what I w-wanted to tell you. That's the news I got this afternoon. I'm having a… f-foal." Am I really saying this? Applejack blinked as she took off her hat slowly to place it on the table ahead of them.

"My word. Ah…don't even know what to say or how to react." Rainbow gave an apprehensive laugh.

"That's not all," she commented, tapping her hoof on the counter. She stared at the yellow flower in the clear vase ahead of her and wondered how it could survive with only a little bit of water and no dirt. "Braeburn's the father."