The day after returning to Japan from North America.
As if by prior arrangement, the farm welcomed two new arrivals that night.
Of course, they were not the two youngsters purchased at the auction.
First was Dazzling Move, who was giving birth again after a year.
Her due date had been February 8, but when she showed signs of labor that day, everyone at the farm quickly began preparing for an early delivery.
Despite her imposing, powerful build, M-chan was usually gentle by nature, a true and proper tender mother.
Though sometimes, she was a little too gentle.
Perhaps because she had given birth once before, M-chan's delivery went remarkably smoothly this time.
However, just as they were busy assisting with the birth here and celebrating with cries of, "Her water broke—," a response came from Sakuya's stall next door. "Ours is breaking too!"
The scene quickly became as lively and noisy as a festival. It was the first time the farm had felt like this since the earthquake.
Even though neither delivery encountered anything that could truly be called difficult, both sides were filled with deafening shouts like, "The front hooves are out!" "The foal's breaking free!" "How are the legs?" and "She's standing!"
Even Anna and Luna were too disturbed to sleep. They had no choice but to poke their tired-looking heads over the rails, wearing expressions of protest that seemed to say, "Huh? Wasn't this supposed to be over already?"
Of course, afterward, the few who had made the most noise seriously apologized to the other mothers they had disturbed, carrots in hand.
"So, both of them were girls."
Once both births had concluded, Zepp—who had done nothing but add to the atmosphere throughout, aside from checking the hooves, and could even be said to have been