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// Could Fate Be So Cruel? 
// Story: Foalhood Days 
// by KayeStar 
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As the new foal's arrival crept closer and closer, Eos's pregnancy sickness worsened. It had become more than feeling a bit sick and having to spend more time in bed. Unlike her pregnancy with Celestia, which was relatively average, she often became feverish and lacked an appetite. On occasion, she'd sleep through the night and through most of the day, too lethargic to do much more than walk from room to room. Soreness was to be expected, but at times, she felt she couldn't move at all. Even as the season fell deep into a breezy, cool autumn, Eos would express she felt overheated.

Celestia spent more of her time snuggling up in bed with her mother than much else, contrary to her wild spirit. Eos would try to assure Celestia she was okay, but the young filly wasn't young enough to be fooled with that. Her father attempted to hold a brave face, but he only succeeded in convincing Celestia he wasn't worried instead of she shouldn't be. It was becoming too obvious the pregnancy wasn't a normal one.

A medical visit near autumn's end confirmed the pregnancy was not only abnormal, but had become life-threatening. Were Eos to carry the foal to full-term, if she could, there was a chance neither she nor the foal would survive. With magic, a team of medically trained unicorns could induce an early birth, but there was no guarantee this would permit the foal to live. Eos refused to risk it. If the pregnancy was already dangerous, she would not take higher risk.

Astraios looked after his wife around the clock, doing anything he could to make her comfortable. To Celestia's relief, her parents had given up trying to pretend everything was okay, though they did not tell her the full truth of the situation. She was only told her mother needed "extra care". To Celestia, that meant continuing to keep her mother company. She would make up adventurous tales to make Eos smile, and even sing lullabies like Eos did when she didn't feel well. Of course, Celestia's "care" didn't do much beyond making her smile, but those smiles were still her small hope against her fear. The thought of leaving her husband and possibly two children behind terrified her like nothing else, but so long as the foal she carried lived, and so long as her children would be in good hooves, she would continue this pregnancy to its end, whatever fate decided its end would be.

Finally, in the early days of winter, Eos went into labor. The team of midwives that assisted her during Celestia's birth were there again to see her through this one. However, because of the danger, she was taken to a special facility to be looked after by not only the midwives, but the staff of unicorns who had suggested early induction. Should any complications arise with the birth, they could hopefully interfere and aid in the chances of her and the foal's survival. Eos was more afraid now than she could recall at any time in her life. But the sight of her husband next to her, holding her hoof, and the sight of Celestia's favorite toy, which Celestia had given her "so she won't be scared" gave her the fire she needed.

Celestia was kept in a room downstairs under the watch of one of the staff. She anxiously paced back and forth while the babysitter's attempts to calm her were continually unsuccessful. She kept asking questions, but she didn't pause long enough for them to be answered. On her own, she decided she wanted her mother more than a sibling. She would never love this sibling if she didn't get her mother back. Were it not for her anxious pacing, she'd pitch a fit over not being allowed in the room upstairs with her parents. The only explanation she got was her father's claim it was "safer" to wait downstairs with a sitter. Celestia did not like this at all. She wanted to go home. She wanted her mother to never become sick, to never have gotten that baby in her tummy, to have everything go back to how it once was.

Recognizing she was stressing far too much for a child to ever stress, the pony keeping an eye on her coaxed her into her hooves and held her close. Celestia didn't mind the sitter, but that hug failed to be reassuring. It did not fail to be comfortable, however, and Celestia let her head rest beneath the older pony's in silence.




The evening began to fade into night. Eos seemed to only fare worse. Even with the midwives' guidance, she hadn't been able to push the foal down. The unicorns began a spell for induction, certain it was the only way to have a chance at saving at least one of the two. Still not wanting to risk her foal's life, Eos pleaded with the unicorns to focus on saving her child if they truly felt this would be necessary. The unicorns felt uncertain about this, as they couldn't in good conscience disregard the mother's life, but if it was Eos's wish, they would abide by it.

Nighttime fully fell and the moon peaked over the horizon to begin its uprising, though its shine remained unnoticed by the frantic staff and critical patient. However, it was at this time, Eos released a sudden scream. She began breathing rapidly, moaning in pain in between her quick breaths. Astraios held her hoof close to his chest, utterly refusing to loosen his hold for so much as a second. Before the unicorns could finish their induction spell to perform on Eos, she paused them.

"No!" she cried, gasping for air. "No! The baby! The baby is coming!" A painful contraction and a sputtered shout was all it took to convince them. The midwives helped her settle down and try to pace herself, but the unicorns still held the spell for precaution.

The foal still did not slide down smoothly, and the birth was becoming increasingly difficult. Eos was truly fearing she may not survive. She held tightly to Astraios's hoof, and thought of her family. She'd been willing to endure any pain for the sake of this foal's survival, yet when she now felt she may be in the midst of it, she did not feel she could leave Astraios and Celestia behind. She was torn. If only one could survive, if matters really had to come down to life and death between her and her foal, was she really so selfish if she would prefer to stay here for her husband and the child she already had? But wasn't she also selfish if she willingly sacrificed a chance for her other foal's life? Would fate really force her to make this choice?

It was then she laid back, in immense pain, but letting her body act on its own. She wasn't sure she could do this. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Astraios let go of her hoof, only to hold her torso in a tight embrace, the only thing he could do. Eos returned the gesture, and for a split second, she felt only his warmth. However, that split second turned into several seconds, and she realized Astraios was dulling the pain with his own magic. That warmth. It was the same warmth she felt from him since they married. He was scared too, but he was going to see her through this to its end. When she remembered that, some of the fear faded out.

"Mama!" The shout caught everypony's attention. All eyes were on the pink-haired filly who rushed in, followed by the panicked staff pony who'd been looking after her, and jumped onto Eos's bed. "Mama!" Her eyes were full of tears.

"Celestia?" Eos's voice was unnaturally soft. Celestia grabbed her mother, clinging herself around her neck and cried.

"I apologize," the pony said. "She became impatient, she was worried, and I couldn't keep her calm. She dashed away from me before I could catch her."

Eos and Astraios heard the explanation, but didn't respond, their attention fully on their crying child. They pushed her into their embrace and the family stayed that way. The warmth of the stallion she married and the warmth of the first child she bore who brought a new joy into their lives re-lit that fire of strength she had. She soothed Celestia and let her hold her hoof while Astraios held the other again. She put her focus into the birth again and, with the guidance of the midwives and the watch of the unicorns, she pushed.

She pushed hard. She groaned, she gasped for breath, and she sweated. But she still pushed. She didn't know how long she did. But her foal slid down more and more until, finally, it took only one final push to end this struggle. She mustered up all the strength she had and used all of it for that last push until she fell back in exhaustion. At the same time, the moon had risen to its set place in the night sky.

Eos wearily opened her eyes to face her family. She did it. And as far as she could tell, she was still here. But was her baby?