Time Traveling Kids of the Mane Six! Ch. 30

Chapter 30: Mother’s Intuition   (first draft)

A strange feeling came across Andromeda as she stood among the past versions of her friends’ parents. Though she was present in the large, spread-out family reunion, something felt different than usual. Walking around, she saw each mother meet her children from the future. Seeing Pinkie Pie “reunite” with her twin daughter was the first highlight as the crazy pink mares bounced around excitedly.

“I’m so happy I can’t even take it!” Pinkie giggled with glee. “My kids are amazing!!!”

Others reacted differently. As Radiance approached her own mother, Andromeda could see Rarity laughing. The unicorn fashionista was never a stick in the mud kind of pony, but Andromeda had to admit that it had been a while since she saw her so thrilled. The way she approached her daughter was like seeing an old friend after years away from home. There was a sense of a nostalgic bond to it.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around this,” Rarity exclaimed. “To think that I was talking to my little girl this whole time!”

“I wanted to say something so much!” Radiance said. “Keeping it quiet was just killing me!”

Fluttershy’s reunion, on the other hoof, was much softer. As soon as she had the chance, Peach Cobbler ran straight to her and squeezed her tightly, soon followed by Flora. In that moment, more than any other time she had seen them together, Andromeda could see just how close they really were. Not because she had never seen this much love or seen them hug, but because that though they were from different worlds and nearly complete strangers in this time period, Fluttershy held onto her daughters as only a loving mother could.

As Andromeda continued to walk around, she spotted Rainbow Dash and Tempest off to the side. Their expressions and conversation seemed to be consisted of awkward pauses. More than the rest, Rainbow seemed to have a hard time believing that she was looking at her son. Andromeda listened as she walked by.

“I’ve just known who you were for a while now, you know?” she told him, repeating her words.  “But I still can’t believe it.”

“Yeah,” Tempest chuckled. “Pretty crazy, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Silence. Tempest let out a deep breath while Rainbow Dash kicked at the ground a bit with the tip of her hoof.

“Look,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m… I’m glad you’re not dead. I was worried about you.”

Andromeda smiled and backed away. For now, it was going to have to be the closest thing there was to an “I love you, son.” Rainbow Dash didn’t realize it yet, but the connection she would one day have with her child would become more natural to her than she could even imagine at this point in her life.

And with one last check, she saw Bismarck and Bucky meet up with their mother again. Of all the families together, none were as close as the Apples. There was a strange entity, an aura around each and every one of them that had a friendship and deep connection like no other family she had seen before. It came as no surprise to Andromeda when she saw Applejack embrace her sons with sincere love, but as she drew closer, a shimmer could be seen from Applejack’s eyes. As Andromeda tried to figure out why she was crying, Twilight appeared next to her with Orion on her back.

“They give her hope,” she said, keeping her attention on Applejack.

“Hope of what?” Andromeda asked.

Twilight turned her head to face her, her amethyst eyes shimmering softly.

“Love."

Andromeda glanced back at Applejack, who was rubbing noses with an excited Bucky. She looked so happy. All the moms did.

“If I learned anything in my time traveling,” Twilight said, “it’s that we all want to know what our future holds.

‘When will I get my cutie mark? What will I do when I grow up? Where will I go? When will I find love, get married, and have kids?’”

“Is that a bad thing?” Orion asked.

Twilight smiled.

“Only when we let our questions take over everything else and when we get so caught up in the future that we… I… forget what’s important to me.”

She brought in Andromeda for a hug, surprising her daughter.

“Like you two,” Twilight continued, holding her tight. “Despite everything that’s happened with this time travel fiasco, I’m glad that I can be with you.”

Andromeda didn’t say a word. She couldn’t, and little by little Twilight began to fade away from her grasp into the dark void.

Andromeda eyes shot open to see the arching roof of the barn tower over her in terrifyingly large scale. As she leaned up, she could see the sleeping bodies of her friends in the various hay piles around her and above in the loft. Some slept with inaudible breathing while others snored with loud grunts and snorts. With a deep sigh, Andromeda removed her blanket, stood up, and stepped outside. The air had a mild chill, but the fresh breeze helped clear her mind that had been racing earlier.

“You couldn’t sleep either?” a voice asked.

Andromeda turned to see Flora looking up at the sky as she lay on the ground not far from the barn entrance. The pegasus mare looked even more tired than she sounded from the looks of her tangled hair.

“Barely a wink,” Andromeda muttered. “Sometimes I wonder if I have insomnia.”

“Who else has been able to get any real sleep these days?” Flora asked as Andromeda laid down next to her friend. “It seems like none of us have gotten to have a night of actual peace since we got here. Between waking up injured, worrying if my sister was safe, and finding out that Tempest nearly died, it’s been rough.”

“Yeah,” Andromeda sighed. “A lot has been happening lately.”

The chirps of crickets from the orchards took over the night, singing their soft melodies until the twinkling of starlight. It reminded Flora of the times she used to fly to the top of the barn and look up at the moon and stars for hours. Even after all this time, they looked just as majestic as ever.

“Andi,” she said, “can I ask you a question?”

Andromeda shifted her weight to lay on her side so she could see Flora.

“Of course.”

“Did I make the wrong decision by leaving the hut to protect my mom?” Flora asked solemnly. “I keep replaying what I did and I can’t seem to be able to get it off my mind.”

“What’s past is past. There’s nothing more that we can do.”

Flora looked her in the eyes, her gaze unwavering.

“That’s not a real answer and you know it,” she said sternly. “Be truthful with me. Did I hammer the last nail in the coffin or not?”

“I don’t know! Maybe?” Andromeda groaned. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to know if talking to our moms continue will change history! We can’t avoid them anymore! They know who we are and they probably have a lot of questions.”

“If I knew, I’d be able to do something about this or fix things, but I can’t,” Andromeda answered. “My mom never went far enough in the past to see how much time travel can affect it, so as far as I know, we’re all flying blind. All I can guess is that, at this point, we can talk to our mothers as long as we don’t give any key information about the future.”

Flora sat up.

“So if my mom asks me what my favorite color is, I can tell her?”

Her face was serious, but Andromeda knew she was messing with her and smiled.

“You’re such a smart aleck,” she laughed. “Yes, you can tell Fluttershy what your favorite color is. Just don’t be telling her how your parents met and all that.”

“Thanks,” Flora replied, laying back down. “For everything. I know you never asked to be the leader here and I know you think you’ll never live up to your mom’s legacy, but…”

Andromeda shuffled a bit as she said that.

“I don’t think tha…”

“Hold on,” Flora said, interrupting Andromeda’s interruption. “Let me finish.”

Andromeda let out a deep breath through her nose impatiently.

“I just want you to know that you have more leadership qualities than you give yourself credit for,” Flora continued.

“You may not see it or maybe you choose not to like it, but we’re following your lead and we all know you’ll get us out of this.”

She stood herself up and turned towards the barn, glancing back at her friend.

“Even if you don’t.”

For a second time, Andromeda said nothing. Both Twilight and her friends had comforted some of her deeper conflicts within the same day, and yet she still felt wrong. Even worse, she couldn’t explain how or why. Instead, she continued to lie on the ground, looking up at the sky.

“Goodnight, Andi,” Flora said, making her way back inside. “I hope you have sweet dreams.”

“Yeah,” Andromeda replied. “You too.”

As Flora closed the barn door behind her, Andromeda slowly began to get up, still looking up at the moon’s silver beams.

“I really wish I could,” she mumbled before following her friend inside.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


When Radiance’s heavy eyelids opened and she sat upright, she saw that her legs had become the pillows of Bucky, Orion, and Peach Cobbler. Glancing around, she saw Cherry standing nearby, motioning to stay quiet.

“Shhhh,” she whispered gleefully. “They’re still asleep.”

Radiance nodded and, as slowly as she could, slipped her body from underneath them, holding them up gently before laying them down in the hay pile. They looked so cute and serene when they were asleep. It made her wish she had a little brother or sister of her own. Taking her blanket that had been given to her by Applejack, she placed it over them and slowly made her way to Cherry.

“Morning sleepyhead,” Cherry said, walking towards the front door. “Did you get a good sleep?”

“I did, actually,” Radiance yawned, rubbing her weary eyes. “How long was I out?”

“A long time. It’s late morning right now.”

“Dang it,” Radiance said. “I don’t know why I was so tired. I guess maybe it’s because last night felt like the first good rest I’ve gotten since before we went back in time. How about you?”

“It was okay, I guess. No nightmares or night terrors this night, so that’s good. Berry said he had some vivid dreams, though, and so did Flora.”

“I’m sorry to hear…” Radiance began before stopping herself.

When Cherry opened the door, Radiance fully remembered what was going on when she saw Applejack, and Rarity working with her friends. Though the sun initially blinded her, Radiance’s sapphire eyes adjusted to focus on what they were doing. Bismarck could be seen in a far-off field apple bucking with his mother while Berry helped carry supplies and blankets for Rarity. Tempest stood on the roof, looking for anything that might need fixing while keeping an eye for any unexpected visitors.

“Ah, you’re up!” Rarity exclaimed, spotting Radiance immediately. “Good morning, darling! You had a lovely rest, I suppose?”

A powerful sense of déjà vu overcame Radiance as her mother spoke. The voice was familiar, with its inflection and sophisticated vocabulary, but it was the face that threw her off. Seeing Rarity so young and beautiful was still a difficult thing to get over, even after meeting up with her for a third time.

“Yeah, it was great,” she said, not fully paying attention to the question. “What’s going on here?”

“Why, we’re getting you all set up here, of course,” Rarity answered. “There’s no way in Ponyville I’m going to let my own daughter sleep night after cold night on nothing but a cold barn floor and hay! Just because you can’t be with Sweetie Belle and me doesn’t mean you can’t have the comfort of home while you’re here.”

Forget the altered face. This was definitely the Rarity she knew.

“Thanks mom,” Radiance grinned, remembering how natural it was to say that.

Rarity’s eyes grew bright when she said that.

“Anytime,” she said cheerily. “By the way, if you’re hungry, Fluttershy and Flora are cooking breakfast for us all. They should be done soon enough.”

“What about Rainbow Dash?” Radiance asked. “And where’s Andromeda and Twilight?”

Rarity shrugged.

“I haven’t seen any of them since yesterday. Flora seems to know where Andromeda went, though. Maybe you should ask her.”

“Will do,” Radiance said, turning to head towards the kitchen. “Thanks.”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Radiance’s eyes darted left and right as Flora and Fluttershy seemed to sprint from one end of the kitchen to the other while they prepared the very large breakfast. Flora didn’t even look up from her work.

“Andi left for Twilight’s house before sunrise,” she said as she furiously mixed some kind of liquid in a bowl.

“She left a note saying that she’ll be gone all day and basically gave us all a set of ‘house rules’ while she’s away.”

“Really, now?” Radiance chuckled. “And what were these rules, exactly?”

“Mostly ‘don’t screw up the future’ stuff. You know, the typical spiel.”

“Fair enough. Do either of you need help preparing the food?”

Fluttershy handed her a set of plates.

“If you could set the table, that would be wonderful,” she said as sweetly as possible.

Radiance nodded as she watched the mother and daughter team work together to cook the meal. It felt like old times, or at least what felt like old times. There was no reason that pre-time travel was supposed to be nostalgic, but it felt like they had been stuck in the past for an eternity. Radiance shrugged it off as she set the table. Soon enough she could hear the breakfast bell ringing with a loud “come and get it” from Flora. Within a few minutes, all nine kids and three mothers were at the table, along with Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. Bucky wasted no time in sitting next to the great-grandmother that he barely got to meet in the future.

“Does Granny Smith know who we are?” Bismarck asked Applejack, whispering in her ear as they sat down together.  

“Nope,” AJ answered. “We told her yer all friends from Canterlot. Big Macintosh knows and Apple Bloom already knew, but Granny doesn’t need this kind of complication.”

“Do you think she’ll find out? Ah mean, y’all did.”

“Nah,” Applejack said. “She’s not really the curious type anymore. It would take a lot for her to catch on.”

They chuckled as Bucky looked up at Granny warmly. She didn’t seem to think anything of it and actually enjoyed his company.

“What a charming little colt,” she cooed. “Has yer mama ever told you how handsome you are?”

“All the time,” Bucky said, trying not to glance at Applejack immediately.

Beside him, Orion and Peach Cobbler talked excitedly with Apple Bloom, and like Bismarck, Flora and Radiance each sat next to their mothers. Though Pinkie Pie was not present, the twins found little issue in talking to Rarity and Fluttershy in the meantime. Tempest, on the other hoof, found himself awkwardly placed between Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. Though not upset, he prayed that the massive Big Macintosh didn’t eat with his elbows on the table. Applejack stood up slowly and raised a glass of juice, tapping it lightly to gather everyone’s attention. The large group of mares, stallions, colts, and fillies all looked up from what they were doing.

“First off,” she began, “ah’d like to thank Fluttershy and Flora here fer makin’ this fantastic meal. It looks delicious! Ah’d also like to give a toast…

Raising her glass, she looked at each kid with a loving smile.

“…to wonderful family and friends. Granny, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and ah are so happy to have you over as you stay on the farm! Just know that, no matter what, yer always welcome here!”

All around the table, glasses were lifted in the toast. For the first time in the nightmarish days they had been stuck in the past, each kid felt like they were at home again. With the toast finished and grace said, the quiet dining room grew loud once more as everyone passed the food around, laughed, and talked. Bismarck leaned over to Radiance, who sat next to him, and hinted at the large reunion.

“Welcome to the family,” he said as he handed her the next bowl of food, but in an instant, her vibrant eyes grew wide and her expression sank into a sickened one.

“Radiance?” he said, quickly turning his body to face her. “Are you okay?”

Radiance covered her mouth and nose with a hoof and pushed her seat back from the table, staring blankly at the bowl of food he gave her. Jumping to her feet, she left the table without a word and ran outside. Bismarck sped after her, followed by Applejack, who told the rest to not worry and to keep eating. Berry and Cherry looked at each other in surprise.

“What was that about?” Berry asked.

Outside, Radiance had barely made it past the door before she began to vomit forcibly. Bismarck and Applejack ran to her side and leaned down beside her.

“Radiance!” Bismarck exclaimed. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know!” she choked. “One minute I was fine, but the next I felt like I was going to throw up! It was the food! I got one whiff of it and my whole body felt nauseated! I’ve been feeling like this since we got here and I’ve thrown up several times already!”

Bismarck turned to Applejack, whose stare was just as shocked, if not more than his. She gawked at Radiance with mouth gaped open, her emerald eyes unblinking.

“Oh mah gosh,” she gasped. “Oh mah gosh, oh mah gosh, oh mah gosh!”

“What?!? What’s wrong with her?!?” he cried.

Applejack looked at Radiance with a dumbfounded look of disbelief.


“That's mornin' sickness if ah ever saw it,” she whispered. “Radiance is pregnant!”