Luna stared down at the test that lay flat on the bathroom counter. A little pink plus sign stared back at her. Her hooves shook as she tried to process the news. She wanted to squeal with excitement, to dance happily, but she wasn’t sure how her new husband would react; after all, they had just returned to Canterlot from their honeymoon a week earlier. Married life was still so wonderfully new to both of them. Is now the right time? she thought nervously.
“Phoebus, honey?” she called as she brought the pregnancy test into their bedroom. Phoebus peered up from the book he was reading in bed. When he saw the test Luna was levitating, he quickly put the book on his nightstand and looked at his wife inquisitively.
“I’m pregnant.” The words felt new and beautiful as they passed Luna’s lips for the first time. Her anxiety was immediately calmed when she saw the pure, uninhibited joy on Phoebus’ face. He leapt from the bed and grabbed Luna, twirling her in the air as she laughed. After he set her down, he kissed her tenderly.
“I love you so much, my angel of the night,” he whispered, holding her close. “You are going to be the most wonderful mother in the world.” Luna’s eyes filled with tears of relief and joy, and she cuddled into Phoebus’ chest. She had always wanted to start a family, and it was finally happening. She gently moved her hooves down to her belly, and though her stomach was still flat, she swore she could feel a tiny life stirring within her.
The steady, comforting sound of a foal’s heartbeat filled the exam room of the royal gynecologist’s office. Luna heaved a sigh of relief and kept her eyes on the screen of the ultrasound as a tiny, foal-shaped dot appeared, squirming.
“Everything looks good,” the doctor said. “The foal looks healthy, it’s growing normally, measurements are perfectly normal, heartbeat is strong. It looks like you’re around eight weeks along, Your Majesty.” Luna exchanged an excited smile with Phoebus, then gazed intently at the screen.
Luna was jolted awake by a sudden, overwhelming wave of nausea. She galloped into the bathroom and vomited uncontrollably into the toilet. She had to stay in the bathroom for two hours. Finally, when she couldn’t keep any water down, Phoebus insisted on taking Luna to the hospital, and Luna relented.
“Hyperemisis gravidarum,” the doctor told Luna. “Severe morning sickness. You’re extremely dehydrated, Your Majesty. You will need to stay in the hospital for at least another day or two so we can start an IV and get some fluids in you.”
“What about the foal? Is the foal all right?” Luna demanded. The room seemed to spin around her, and dizziness threatened to send her into darkness.
“Yes, Ma’am, the foal is fine,” the doctor assured her. “Morning sickness is quite natural. Most expectant mothers who have your condition deliver perfectly healthy foals. We can do another ultrasound to ease your mind, if you like.” Luna nodded immediately.
“Make sure the press doesn’t find out about this until well after the end of my first trimester,” Luna told her private secretary, Silk Ribbon, who stood by the door of the exam room. “The last thing we need is for the tabloids to announce the pregnancy before our family knows.” The lavender mare nodded and left the hospital hastily. Unfortunately, cameras had already shown up when news had begun to spread that Luna was in the hospital. When a frantic Celestia came to the hospital with her husband Sombra and one-year old daughter, Summer, to visit her sister, the deafening clicking of cameras alerted Luna and Phoebus of their arrival.
“Are you all right, sister?” Celestia huffed as she trotted into the hospital room and plopped down into a chair.
“Just jealous of your seamless pregnancy, Tia,” Luna joked, reaching out to lovingly tickle Summer. “It will be so fun to watch our foals grow up together.”
“How are you feeling?” Celestia asked, her eyes bright with concern. Luna took a small sip of the ginger ale that a nurse had just given her and lay back on her pillow.
“Well, I can finally drink some form of liquid without throwing up everywhere, so that is quite an improvement,” Luna said with a small smile. “You’re so lucky, Tia. You hardly had any morning sickness at all. I greatly envy you.”
“Wait until you’re eight months pregnant,” Celestia groaned. “You’ll have to constantly ask your foal to stop kicking your ribcage—ow, Summer, stop pulling my mane!” Luna laughed in spite of herself and reached out to tickle her niece, this time speaking to the filly.
“Come to Auntie Luna and give your mommy a break,” she cooed. Summer giggled as Luna lifted her and tossed her into the air.
“Well, congratulations, little sister,” Celestia told Luna, kissing the blue alicorn’s forehead. “I’ll make sure to have you babysit Summer all the time. Better start learning how to change a diaper!”