Chapter Text
“...Pardon me?”
Dr. Gentlehoof offered a sympathetic look over her clipboard. “I’m sure this is quite a surprise — this early, it would’ve been impossible for you to tell on your own. However, our updated diagnostic spells are quite accurate these days; Princess Twilight helped research and implement them herself! So there’s no doubt about it.” The clipboard lowered to reveal an encouraging smile. “Congratulations?”
Fluttershy was slow to process the doctor’s words. This must have been expected, as the sandy-coated unicorn merely magicked pen to paper and began jotting down notes. Bland, inoffensive music filled the office with white noise as Fluttershy allowed this new reality to settle into place.
So she was… Really? But that wasn’t supposed to be possible! The yellow pony tilted her neck just enough to glance down at her stomach. It would explain her recent weariness and sensitivities. So much for it being “just a cold” as Rarity had suggested when Fluttershy explained why she hadn’t been able to attend their usual spa day. It had actually been Rarity’s idea to come to the clinic — Fluttershy’s habit was to stay home and tend to herself, reluctant to make a fuss and bother other ponies over something so small.
She’d have to make sure to thank Rarity, since her friend’s insistence on getting a check-up was the only reason this had been discovered.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” came the doctor’s voice, which drew Fluttershy’s attention.
“I’m so sorry, what did you say?”
“I was asking who the father was. I don’t mean to pry, it’s just that in a small town like Ponyville… Usually I already have some idea of my patients’ relationships, but I can’t recall hearing that you were seeing anypony.”
“O-oh! Um…” Fluttershy shifted, ear twitching at the sound of tissue paper crinkling beneath her long limbs. The examination table where she sat felt like an island, and Fluttershy's old life was the boat that crashed on unseen rocks, leaving her stranded. “I’m not… I mean, we…”
Goodness, she hadn’t felt this shy in ages. It was just hard to explain when Fluttershy herself felt so unsure of everything all of a sudden. She let her long bangs hide some of her face. “It’s not like that. I’m not in a relationship with anypony, really.”
“I see.” There was no judgement on Dr. Gentlehoof’s face or in her voice, which was a relief. When it came to having a “casual roll in the hay,” some folks in Ponyville possessed more… ‘traditional values’ than others. The unicorn’s pen scratched a new note. “So I can assume this wasn’t a planned pregnancy?”
“N-not really…”
Dr. Gentlehoof nodded. She released her pen and redirected her magic to fetch two sleek pamphlets from behind her desk, floating them over to Fluttershy. “In that case, you should look these over and come back within the next week so we can have a discussion about where to go from here. Like I said, we caught this fairly early, so you’ll have an easier time if you choose not to keep the foal.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy was looking down at the pamphlets, but her eyes weren’t seeing anything on them. She awkwardly slid off the crinkly table and shoved them into her satchel. Hopefully she’d remember how to read later. “That sounds… right. Okay.”
Dr. Gentlehoof walked around her desk to give Fluttershy a light pat on her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re feeling very overwhelmed right now. I recommend heading straight for home and taking it easy. Read the pamphlets when you’re ready, but don’t put it off, alright? I’ll have Nurse Sweetheart put you on my for schedule a follow-up appointment — does Thursday work for you?”
In something of a daze, Fluttershy nodded and followed along until she was out of the clinic. Sunshine beamed cheerily upon Ponyville. Outside the building, bland music was replaced with the cozy chatter of familiar ponies and birdsong. Fluffy white mountains of clouds framed the far horizon of an otherwise clear blue sky. Everything looked the same as it had always been.
Fluttershy’s thoughts stayed quiet as she made her way home. Honestly, the strangest thing about all this was how calm she felt. Just a year or two ago, she might have collapsed into a useless ball of anxiety over dealing with something this big, especially without any warning. But Fluttershy didn’t feel like panicking. She mostly felt tired, an increasingly familiar fatigue letting her know that her body didn’t appreciate all the walking around and stressful news.
As soon as she got home and gave Angel enough food and attention to satisfy him, she climbed up the wooden stairs to her room and quickly fell asleep.
Hours later, just as the sun was being coaxed to bed, Fluttershy woke up. Consciousness brought with it a flood of everything that had happened earlier in the day. For a moment, she simply lied there, letting a new reality wash over her again.
Eventually, Fluttershy sat up and stretched. She’d been so tired that she hadn’t even shrugged off her satchel before sleeping, so she slipped it off and looked over the pamphlets her doctor had given her.
The first was What To Expect When You’re Expecting! and detailed in broad strokes the sort of things Fluttershy already knew about pregnancy. Working with animals, she was familiar with the act of mating and its results; the topic didn’t make her squeamish at all, as more than most ponies, she’d borne witness to and had even assisted in multiple pregnancies and births. Yes, they could be very different from that of a pony, but for the most part it was all the same thing mechanically.
The second pamphlet was “I Don’t Think I’m Ready”: Knowing Your Options and was a fairly straightforward, clinical explanation of the spells or potions that could be used to terminate a pregnancy. It listed various reasons a mare might not want to give birth, some of which made Fluttershy frown, upset at the idea of anypony having to go through such things.
Reading the second pamphlet did make Fluttershy feel a bit better about everything, despite the fact she’d already come to understand she had no intention of doing anything like that herself.
Eventually hunger drew Fluttershy out of bed. She prepared dinner for herself and the critters currently residing with her and Angel. Over her bowl of lettuce and veggies, Fluttershy began to seriously consider everything that would have to be done now.
Most importantly…
What was she going to tell Discord?
This thought, at last, broke through Fluttershy’s oddly peaceful demeanor. She began to blush, squirming in her chair, feeling tempted to hide her face in her salad despite no one else being around to see her embarrassment. Her mind went back to Dr. Gentlehoof asking if Fluttershy was in a relationship; what could she have possibly said? No, I’m not seeing anypony, but sometimes my best friend — who, by the way, is Discord, Lord of Chaos — and I like to… to… mess around.
Fluttershy squeaked, dignity lost as she shoved her plate away and hid in her hooves. That was so not how she’d put it, and she could never say it like that to anypony, no way!
Fluttershy certainly wasn’t embarrassed at the idea of being in a relationship with Discord, not at all. If anything, she was just a bit shy at the prospect of others knowing her interest had never been sparked by other ponies. Feeling attraction towards different species wasn’t very common, as far as she knew. Discord hadn’t shared the sentiment, which had been a huge relief to learn and the main reason Fluttershy was able to find the courage to suggest the two of them do such things together.
That’s really all it was: the two of them doing something special together, because it was fun and interesting and they were friends who wanted to spend time together and… make each other feel good. Neither had said anything about it changing their relationship one way or the other. The arrangement felt perfectly natural, comfortable and intimate in a way Fluttershy had never experienced before, but greatly cherished.
And now this would complicate everything!
Fear finally began to creep in. For obvious reasons, this would change a great many things — everything, actually. Nothing about Fluttershy’s life would be the same if she was keeping the baby.
Did that mean her relationship with Discord would have to change, too?