Fluttershy lay in bed contemplating the life growing in her belly. Discord was coiled around her, her head resting on his shaggy side, his long body conforming to her every contour as it provided a place for her to rest upon.
It was a quiet tender moment between the two.
Fluttershy contemplated everything that was happening, and everything that had happened. And Ivy had been in the middle of so much of it. Just as she had once been, long ago, going on adventures with her friends.
She was now a homebody.
She felt a tail rub in lazy circles against her rounded belly. She stretched and sprawled out further, kicking out her legs and yawning. She felt Discord shift slightly, adjusting to catch her delicate form, cradling every inch of her.
He said nothing.
Rarity was gone. Fluttershy felt a pang of sadness and reflected upon her friend. Twilight was crushed, inconsolable, secured away in the Crystal Empire with Cadance and her brother Shining Armor. She wished she could see Twilight, but now was not a good time to be traveling. Rainbow Dash had been by every few days, almost like clockwork, becoming close again. Rainbow Dash was forming a militia for Ponyville in memory of her fallen friend. It brought comfort and made the townsponies feel secure. Pinkie Pie had been by almost daily, bringing fresh baked goods, and rubbing Fluttershy’s growing belly for good luck with her own.
And then there was Applejack, who kept them all together. She felt a warm sense of gratitude for her friend.
She felt a fuzzy lion’s leg wrap around her barrel, squeezing her. She felt secure. Safe. She felt a rumbling heat in Discord’s belly. It was soothing to her aching back. Discord no longer had magic, but he had means to keep her safe. She pressed her body against his, relishing the warmth.
Discord still had fire, common to all draconic entities. With his magic, he had no need for fire, and had ignored it for a very long time. Now, he stoked his fiery gift daily, gaining practice and restoring his skill. If something came for those he loved, he would be ready.
He also made a fantastic heating pad.
Fluttershy reveled in the warmth.
She missed Ivy. But Ivy had work to do. Important work. Growing up. Becoming everything that Fluttershy hoped that she could be. Ivy had to prove herself. Ivy had been proving herself. Ivy had friends now. Fluttershy hoped that she and Discord and had done everything possible for whatever lied ahead.
Fluttershy knew that whatever lied ahead, Ivy would be in the thick of it somehow. It scared her. Ivy was a magnet for chaos. Fluttershy knew this, and it worried her, the strain of not knowing what might happen next. She felt the long familiar chill of panic begin to rise in her chest and a faint cry tremored in her throat. The lion paw paused over her heart, pressing gently, and she felt the panic flee.
Draconic entities were great for restoring one’s confidence and removing fear.
Fluttershy sighed contentedly and sprawled out even more, rolling her belly upward towards the sunlight streaming through the window. She closed her eyes, feeling warmth on both sides of her body.
Even in these troubled times, she felt a sense of peace. She yawned.
“If anything saw us through the window, they’d die from your adorableness.” Discord commented, finally saying something. “You’re so delightfully pudgy!” He squeezed Fluttershy, causing her to gasp. “The way you yawn!” He shook his head.
Fluttershy looked into the standing mirror in the corner of the room, actually liking what she saw, admiring her own reflection. It was something new for her. She saw her belly, large, rounded, protruding out past her delicate ribs. She saw Discord wrapped around her. The way she sprawled, which is not at all feminine at the moment. But she felt feminine. She felt good about herself. About her body. Her life. Her accomplishments, the greatest of which was family. She remembered for a moment how she used to be. Frightened of every little thing. Of life. She still was, deep inside, and she knew this, but she had a protector. She had her friends. She had her family, which was about to grow.
She finally understood what it meant to be a pegasus and feel invincible. She no longer feared the storms as they came rolling in.
“Discord,” she said, her tone sultry, “I need to feel like a mare again. If you don’t mind. If that would be OK. If it isn’t too much trouble. If you could find the time…”
Discord smiled. She always knew just what to say.
“But you just felt like a mare not a half an hour ago.” Discord cackled, giving Fluttershy a goose with his tail that caused her to squeal.
There was a knock upon the door downstairs.
“Whatever it is that controls our lives keeps making that happen!” Discord said, annoyed. “What is it with doors and ponies knocking upon them?”
He uncoiled himself from Fluttershy and slunk off down the stairs to answer the door, hissing as he went.
Fluttershy rolled over and made herself presentable, trying to rid the flush from her cheeks.
Rainbow Dash burst through the bedroom door, hovering. Her face was panicked.
Fluttershy felt her heart leap up into her throat.
“Gala’s sick!” Rainbow Dash cried. “Real bad! We gotta go right now! Applejack needs us!”