//------------------------------// // Fluttershy's Labor // Story: Fluttershy's Labor // by MIKEANTHONY321 //------------------------------// I am stronger than one might think. In some cases, I am even cleverer than one might think. Often, I am sympathized, looked down upon, or even pitied. I am the pony that everyone else tries to be careful around, for fear of hurting my feelings. I am the timid one of the bunch, and am often unable to make a solid point without being interrupted. I am also the quiet one, which gives me the ability to avoid direct attention in almost any given situation. So, when mixed, how did my timidity and cleverness keep me away from questioning? How did they keep my invisibility cloak powered when the toughest of times came around? How about when my physical stature began to draw unwanted attention to me? Hello. My name is Fluttershy. I am a shy young pegasus mare, and also the bearer of the Element of Kindness. And, unknown to others, I am a fairly good writer. My shyness does not show on paper, as you can probably see. I am sitting here right now with my new foals, Butterscotch and Rosebud. They are nursing right now, but that is beside the point. I’m here to tell you the story about how they came into the world. An awkward, yet comedic story about the time when my deception could go no further in a time of panic and desperation. Sit down, because if you’re still reading this, you’re going to want to read through to the very end. Here is my story, starting on the afternoon of Easter Sunday, just hours before we were to head to Canterlot for a formal dinner. ………………………………………………… That afternoon, shortly before we were ready to leave for Canterlot, I was scurrying around in frenzy, trying to get ready a bit late. Twilight Sparkle had mentioned earlier that morning to everyone that we were to meet at the train station at precisely four PM. It was three-thirty, and I wasn’t even dressed yet. “Oh Angel, do you remember where I put my new dress?” I asked hastily. … Rarity had made new dresses for all of us to wear to the formal event. They were also to be used for the upcoming Gala, if they still fit by then. I was not worried at all about mine, since it had been fit to match my rather round abdomen. That may sound strange, but it has a good explanation. Right around that time, I was estimated to be about eight months pregnant. Long before my belly started to expand, I received the news in quite a bit of shock. It’s amazing what one loving night can do to a mare! Anyway, the announcement came to me at a rather bad time. Twilight had recently become an alicorn, and we were all starting to go through some major changes. Additionally, the father of my unborn foals had left me just weeks prior, so I really didn’t want to discuss it with anypony. I didn’t want my friends to worry about me or anything, so I kept the whole thing a secret. That, however, started to become a major problem as my symptoms started to show. I was sick a lot at that time, and was also getting hostile toward some of my friends. When asked what was wrong, I would just shrug it off and suggest that it was a bad day. By four months or so, I started to gain a bit of…girth. Surely my friends were beginning to wonder about me at that point. Unfortunately, with nopony having noticed for so long, it was a little too late for me to suddenly spill the beans to them. So…I improvised, saying that it was just excessive weight gain from a bit of depression. It was actually really difficult to keep that act going. Luckily, they began to get used to it by five or six months. Though they would still give me a few stares at times. I always remembered getting hounded by Rainbow Dash for “slacking off”, when I should’ve been out there and flying around to burn off some of the extra weight. … Oh my…it seems I’m getting off track again. Where was I? Oh yeah, I was talking about my procrastination to getting ready for the dinner. Like I was saying, I was running around in a frazzled state, trying to find my attire. This was obviously a difficult task, since my large waist was making my movements awkward. Carrying twins can really take a lot out of a small pegasus. Anyway, I had found my dress sitting in the washing room on top of the dryer. I hastily picked it up, and rushed over to the bathroom to change into it. I remember seeing Angel rolling his eyes as I sprinted by. In the bathroom, I proceeded to wrestle my dress on as fast as I could. I had an increasingly hard time getting my shoes on, as well as wrapping the dress around myself. The bulge that was my belly was constantly getting in the way. At that moment, I smiled lightly as I thought about how frustrated my little foals probably were in there. It was most likely pretty uncomfortable with all the shuffling and struggling. By the time I was done, my dress looked all messed up, and my mane was in shambles. I didn’t even bother to apply the little butterfly clips to the ragged strands. I picked them off the counter, and stuffed them in a side pocket. Exiting the bathroom, I stopped for a moment to recall if I forgot anything. After a rushed decision against it, I jogged to the front door. “Alright, Angel, I’ll be back late tonight, so I need you to look after the house!” I ordered. Angel Bunny nodded lazily in response. I stepped outside into the cool outdoors, and closed the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I started on my way to the train station to meet up with my friends. … The walk was demanding on my legs. By the time I had reached the station, my relief was unlike that of any other pony at any other time. Predictably, all of my friends were waiting impatiently for me. Once I came into view, they all gasped in surprise. “Fluttershy, there you are! We were all getting worried that you wouldn’t show up!” Twilight exclaimed. I was panting heavily. “Yeah…well…I wouldn’t want to miss Easter dinner with you guys!” I glanced over, and caught Rainbow Dash staring at my belly again. She sighed disappointedly, and turned off in a different direction. I assumed she was still annoyed about my “weight gain”. My thoughts were interrupted when Rarity gasped. I turned suddenly, and found her staring at me in shock. I tensed up, and prepared for the worst. “Fluttershy, darling, what happened to the dress I made you?! It looks like it was put on by a grizzly bear!” She stated in horror. “I, uh…” “And where are the adorable little butterfly hairclips I gave to you? Did you leave them at home?” “Um…no. They’re, uh…in my pocket…” I stuttered quietly. “Well, let good old Rarity fix them for you. I simply can’t let you arrive in Canterlot of all places looking like that.” She insisted. Rarity trotted over to me, and gestured her hoof. I reluctantly pulled the butterfly clips out of my pocket, and handed them to her. She took them, and began to position them in my mane. While doing so, she proceeded to straighten my hair out with both of her hooves. Then, she tried to straighten my dress up so that I looked better. Once she was done, she patted me on the shoulder. “There you go Flutters, now you look absolutely divine!” She leaned in toward my ear, and whispered, “Don’t you worry, Fluttershy. I think your extra weight makes you look simply adorable!” I remember my face becoming extremely hot right at that moment. “Y…you do?” “Of course! And if you ever want to cut down on any of it, I can help you with that as well!” She offered. To my surprise, my friends still didn’t suspect that I was expecting. To be honest, I really would’ve thought they’d have figured it out by then. I just smiled, and nodded in thanks. “Hey y’all, here comes the train! I can hear it whistlin’!” Applejack pointed out just then. We all stepped back, and waited patiently for the locomotive to arrive. As I glanced over, I noticed Rainbow Dash staring at me again. I was in a cold sweat by the time the train had arrived. Once the doors opened, the six of us stepped in, with me last. We all spread out to find our respective seats upon entering the car. I found a nice cozy spot right next to the front window, and sat myself down. Rainbow Dash willingly walked up to my booth, and sat down next to me. I kicked my back hooves up, and positioned my front hooves on top of my belly to get comfortable. Rainbow Dash stared at me suspiciously. “Hello, Dashie. Enjoying the spring weather?” I asked politely. Rainbow Dash took a second to respond. I began to get nervous as she stared me down, head-to-hoof. “Fluttershy, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something for the last couple of months.” She mentioned. I swallowed heavily, and tried everything in my power to stay cool. “…Ask me anything, Rainbow Dash. You know I don’t mind.” Just as Rainbow Dash was preparing to respond, the train started up slowly. Our heads were jerked backwards as the vehicle began on its way to Canterlot. The whistle of steam filled our ears as we began on our journey to the fanciest city in Equestria. Rainbow Dash began to ask her question as soon as we were reoriented. She turned back to me, took a quick breath, and asked, “Are you SURE you’re actually experiencing weight-gain?” “Of course. What would cause you to be so unsure?” I asked as my response. On the inside, I was applauding myself for staying so casual. “Well…you don’t exactly LOOK like anyone who is actually…fat. You just seem to pack it more in the waist. On top of that, you’ve been acting REALLY weird the last few months, and it’s making me a little concerned.” Rainbow Dash explained. I nodded my head slowly, and turned around to look out the window for a moment. My thoughts ran wild as I stared out on the moving horizon for a few seconds. I could tell that Rainbow Dash was giving me a suspicious glare at that moment. “You know, Dashie, I can’t really answer that. I don’t control how my body works, and I also know that I certainly wouldn’t lie to you. You believe me, right?” I stated, realizing later that that probably didn’t help my situation. Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. “Sure, Flutters. Anything you say.” “I knew you’d understand.” I finished. … The ride took all of about an hour. The whole time, the consoling sound of my friends chatting filled the locomotive car in which I rode. I was silent the whole time, thinking deeply about recent events while staring out the window. I felt rather uneasy with Rainbow Dash sitting right next to me. I still remember to this day what happened about halfway through that ride. While staring at the rolling hills outside the train window, I felt one of my foals kick. I gasped slightly, and put a hoof on my belly where it had happened. Glancing over nervously, I noticed Rainbow Dash snoring away against the back of the seat cushion. This was a relief to me, because if she had seen that, my cover would’ve been blown. It would’ve made that trip the most awkward one in all of Equestria. Unfortunately for me, that was only the tip of the iceberg for what was destined to come. … Once we had arrived at the station in Canterlot, Rainbow Dash was shaken awake by Pinkie Pie. I remember her looking quite annoyed after that had happened. I struggled to get up after her, and the group of us exited the train. “So, where are we all going, sugarcube?” Applejack asked Twilight. “I found a five-star place around here called the Riviera. I had finally saved up enough money, and got early reservations so all of us could go today. What better way to celebrate Easter Sunday?” Twilight replied. “That sounds delightful, Twilight! What a thoughtful way to spend your money!” Applejack finished. Small talk continued amongst our group as we walked along the streets of Canterlot. On a day like today, we were definitely not alone. Unicorns from many different backgrounds walked the roads with us in different directions. I certainly remember a large portion of them glancing over at me and smiling while we walked. I peeked at Rainbow Dash, hoping she didn’t notice the admiration of the strangers. … I could feel my hooves beginning to ache again. I let out a long sigh, trying to rid myself of the growing fatigue that was trying to prevent me from reaching the restaurant. This struggle continued for about ten minutes. To my slight annoyance, Twilight and the others decided to take the scenic route to the place, and not the route that would’ve gotten us there in half the time. Once again walking in the back of the group, I noticed Pinkie Pie to my right bouncing up and down the entire way there. Celestia only knows how that mare is able to keep that hype going for so long. Upon reaching the restaurant, the group of us walked in the front doors fashionably. Ponies that happened to be waiting around smiled as they saw us, impressed by our spectacular attire. Rainbow Dash ruined our grand entrance as she took a deep breath through her nose. Letting it out loudly, she grinned. “Ah, this place smells awesome! I’m getting hungry already!” “Shush, Rainbow Dash! Remember, this restaurant is one of the BEST in all of Equestria!” Rarity snapped. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. I stepped backwards timidly, trying as much as possible to remain unnoticed. All I needed was some polite pony to approach me and ask about gender, and my secret would be cooked. From the back of the group, I could hear Twilight setting the reservation with the pony at the front desk. After only a few seconds, we were being gestured over to our seats by a gorgeous young stallion waiter. We were taken through the depths of the restaurant, getting a nice view of the divine decorations and the atmosphere. Soft orchestra music serenaded the entire place, which was very soothing for me and my friends. The waiter led us to a table in the back near the kitchen, and prepared to distribute our menus. The six of us stood awkwardly for a moment or two, determining where each of us would sit. “Hmm…Fluttershy, why don’t you sit on the far end here by the wall? I think I’ll sit next to you, followed by Rarity.” Twilight planned. I reluctantly did as Twilight told me. As I stepped up to receive my menu and sit down, the waiter who gave it to me smiled. I smiled back while chuckling nervously. Apparently my condition was more obvious to strangers than I had anticipated. The fact that my friends were still oblivious confused me. Twilight slid into the booth next to me, followed by Rarity. Rainbow Dash sat in the other booth right across from me. After her, Applejack sat in the middle across from Twilight, and then Pinkie Pie had the edge across from Rarity. “I’ll give you ladies a moment to decide what to drink.” The waiter announced politely. All of us picked up our menus, and began to browse through our options. Immediately, Rainbow Dash and Applejack could be heard across from me discussing what they were going to get. I could tell that those two agreed on food choices more than anyone else in Ponyville and Canterlot combined. Small discussion arose amongst my friends as they debated what they were going to order. I sat quietly against the wall, listening absent-mindedly as they talked. Suddenly, one of my foals kicked again. I gasped for the second time. Putting my hoof on my belly, I applied a small amount of pressure to try and keep them quiet. To my surprise, Twilight turned around to look at me. “How about you, Fluttershy? What are you going to order?” She asked. I broke out in a sweat again. “Um…I haven’t really decided yet…” “Okay, that’s fine! I’m sure they wouldn’t rush us, anyway.” My foals were kicking a lot at this point. If anypony were to turn around and look at me, I’m sure they would quickly realize my secret. I took a deep breath, and tried my absolute hardest to stay calm. … A few minutes later, the waiter came back around, and took our order for drinks. He started with Rainbow Dash, and went around the table to me. When he turned to me to take my beverage order, I began to stutter for a couple seconds. “Um…just some water, p…please.” I answered softly. The waiter smiled again, and jotted down the order on his notepad. I turned back to the table, and found Rainbow Dash staring at me for the third time. My shyness left me for a small second. “Rainbow Dash, do you need something? Your stares are very unnerving to me.” I stated boldly. Rainbow Dash continued to stare at me for just another second, then turned back to Applejack to resume her conversation. I sighed. Rarity leaned forward to see me from her side of the table. “Are you alright, darling? You seem just a bit off today.” She asked in concern. “I’m f…fine. No need to worry about me.” I replied casually. Reluctantly, she sat back in her booth upon hearing my response. The normal process of conversation resumed at my table. … After only a mere couple minutes, the waiter had arrived with our drinks. After setting them down on the table in front of us one by one, he prepared to take our dinner orders. Once again, he started at Rainbow Dash, and moved around to me. “I’ll just have the, um…pasta primavera, if that’s alright.” I timidly requested. The waiter jotted everyone’s order down on his notepad once again, and trotted off towards the kitchen. Once again, we were left for petty conversation. This was when it happened. This was the moment that I will never forget as long as I live. It was the moment that tested my abilities to their worst, and caused a trauma amongst us all for as long as we will know each other. It was a moment that still affects me today, and always will. Shortly after the waiter left, I shifted myself around in my seat to get comfortable. As I did so, I noticed that my seat had become rather wet and slippery. Confused, I looked down at the cushion to see that it was literally shining with moisture. Likewise, the back of my dress was drenched with the same substance. I looked up at the table to see if my glass of water had spilled. The glass sat perfectly atop the placemat, undisturbed by anypony’s movement. Right as I realized what had happened, a powerful contraction racked my body. My face suddenly tensed up, and I grunted into my teeth. The sudden pain was enough to drive anyone crazy. Immediately, I stole the attention of all of my friends and a few strangers sitting across the aisle. “My my, darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked. I nodded hastily. My teeth were still clenched, and my hooves were curled up in tight fists. I breathed quickly through my nose. This was impossible. My foals were not supposed to be due for at least another three weeks. All of these thoughts were pushed from my mind, however. They were replaced by sheer panic as I went into labor in the middle of a fancy restaurant, miles away from home. Rarity sat back again, but kept her eyes trained on me just in case something else happened. By looking at Rainbow Dash, I could tell she knew exactly what was happening. It took all of my strength not to scream at her for not doing anything to help me. This thought was interrupted, though, as another contraction struck me like an F5 tornado. I could feel myself beginning to dilate as I leaked all over the floor beneath the table. My face tensed up again. I screeched lightly, unable to congest my reaction from the pain I was receiving. I gripped the table with both of my hooves, crying out as I pushed through a third contraction. Tears began forming in my eyes. At this point, a third of the restaurant was looking at our table. All of my friends looked at me with frightened concern. Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder. “Fluttershy, are you alright? Do you need to use the bathroom?” “Something tells me that’s not the problem, sugarcube.” Applejack added with wide eyes. Sweat poured down my face. My heart was racing as fast as it ever could. I took short, rapid breaths as the pain filled my body. I put my hooves over my belly, and gripped it tightly as more contractions ripped through my muscles. “Sweet Celestia, Twilight, look at her! What do you THINK is happening to her right now?!” Rainbow Dash snarled. “Omigosh, is Fluttershy having a foal?” Pinkie Pie asked in her usual peppy voice. I grunted and groaned a few more seconds before replying through clenched teeth, “Y…yes, okay?! I need you to help me, n…now!” Everyone who was watching us in the restaurant gasped in surprise. Shocked murmurs could be heard left and right from ponies who observed with fright. Everyone at my table spoke in a rapid mist, obviously lost in what was going on and unable to think clearly. I screamed again, loudly enough to get the entire restaurant’s attention. Everyone who sat in the place had gotten up, and wandered over to our table to see what the heck was going on. Some of the waiters and chefs from the kitchen even stepped out to assess the situation. At certain times, my body jerked in a manner similar to that of a seizure. More contractions struck frequently through my figure, seemingly tearing it to pieces. The pain in my lower body was absolutely immeasurable. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both looked under the table simultaneously. Frightened gasps could be heard. “What in tarnation? It looks like a swamp down here!” Applejack mentioned. “Oh my loving Celestia…” Rainbow Dash stuttered. Upon looking back up from under the table, Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked totally horrified. “What is it?!” Rarity asked loudly. “It’s ridiculous, Rarity! The head’s already showing!” Rainbow Dash reported. “Well, why are we just sitting here? We need to get Fluttershy to a hospital!” Twilight demanded. Without question, the group began to slide out from their booths. As Twilight was exiting her seat, she grabbed me by my shoulders, and pulled me out with her. On our way out of the restaurant, we were earning the concerned stares of every last soul in the building. I held a hoof on my belly as I staggered out of the restaurant in great pain. … And so began the agonizing trip to Canterlot Mercy Hospital. The entire way there, we earned stares and gasps from every pony that passed by us within thirty feet. As we walked, I was practically dripping with sweat. At this point, instead of pushing, I was trying to the best of my ability to hold the foals in. The last thing I needed was for them to be born out in the middle of the street. Rainbow Dash was getting impatient. “Damn it, Fluttershy, if you had just told us about this before, we wouldn’t have taken you to dinner with us when you were this far into pregnancy!” Twilight snapped back at Rainbow Dash. “Hey, don’t talk to her like that! You have no idea what she’s going through right now, and I’m sure you would not like to find out!” Arguing broke out between the two of them. Our pace quickened after Applejack and Rarity stepped in to shut them up. All I really remember at this point was that the pain in my body was giving me a hard time walking. … Eventually, after fifteen minutes in hell (pardon me for the language), we made it to the hospital. There really was no need for us to speak to the front desk, because at this point, Butterscotch was pretty much crowning. We were hastily directed to one of the delivery rooms, where doctors stepped in to help me give birth. My friends all stayed outside so they wouldn’t have to see anything disturbing. Almost immediately after laying me down on the bed, the doctors administered an IV. They hooked various needles and tubes up into my left arm, which were supposed to help me in some way I didn't understand. I was screaming a lot at that point, but the doctors and nurses didn't seem to pay any mind to it. ... Due to the heat of the moment, as well as the unbearable pain that was in my body, I can't recall much of what happened during my labor. I remember being told by the doctors that I was in labor for about an hour, added to the time I was in the restaurant. They told me it was a relatively quick birth, considering my strength and my stature. When the pain finally subsided, I slowly opened my eyes. Breathing quickly and heavily, I glanced up curiously. There, standing between my splayed legs at the foot of the bed, was the lead doctor, holding my two newborn foals. The damp, frightened little angels were crying up a storm when I first laid eyes on them. I smiled widely, overcome by joy at the sight of my son and daughter. The doctor smiled back. "Congratulations, Ms. Fluttershy. These are the healthiest foals I've seen in my entire career. You did a remarkable job." I laugh nowadays at the thought of what I did then. After the doctor had given his little statement, I craned forward, and held my arms out as a gesture. I wanted more than anything to hold my precious foals for the first time. ……………………………………………… And thus, Butterscotch and Rosebud were born. Their birth date was April 20, 2014. I suppose it was the generous will of Celestia to give me the gift of motherhood on Easter Sunday. Although it wasn’t the prettiest birth known to pony, it was still pretty touching when they entered the world. I remember tears falling from the faces of Rarity and Twilight once they were allowed to enter the room. Well, that’s my story. For someone like me, it took a lot of courage to write such an embarrassing experience down. But, hopefully, these pages will make it into the hooves of somepony special so that they may learn of how miraculous the Circle of Life can be in even the silliest of situations. My foals have fallen asleep now, so I shall now go to lay them down for a rest. It’s getting kind of late, so I’d best be heading to bed myself. I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.