//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Fluttershy's Foal? // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 8 ___________________________________________________________ Twilight couldn’t help but glance around as she bobbed up and down in the foal carrier as Braeburn trotted through Appleloosa’s streets. He was greeted by ponies he passed, many of home daa’wed when they saw Twilight, which caused her to blush, which only elected more daa’ws. The Earth Pony frowned, looking around at the top of some of the buildings. Twilight followed his gaze and caught a few glimpses of sunlight flickering on armour. The stallion snorted. “Well, Speed might be okay, but Ah don’t like how all these guards’re hidin’ around town the way they are. It’s down right unnervin’.” Twilight had to agree that, aside from Speed Strike, the other guards were taking this way too seriously. Sure, she was a princess and protecting her was their duty, but what kind of danger could she possibly run into out here in Appleloosa? The most dangerous thing they’d dealt with, aside from when Tirek attacked and took their Earth Pony magic, was that misunderstanding between the town and the buffalo tribe, which was long settled. Trying his best to ignore the guards that thought they were staying out of sight, thus out of mind, though he could see them no problem, Braeburn showed Twilight the Apple tree fields, which she had to admit were very impressive. She giggled as she saw several buffalos running through the open path left within the trees. Braeburn smiled down at Twilight as she giggled. “It sure does look great, don’ it? Only orchard to shame us is yer cousins’.” Twilight assumed he was talking about Sweet Apple Acres, though he could easily have been talking about another of the Apple family farms throughout Equestria. Braeburn showed Twilight where he, the sheriff and Chief Thunderhooves normally hung out; talking about the things the town and buffalo tribe were doing to continue working together in peace, occasionally sharing a few mugs of cider between each other. Twilight was fascinated as she saw the recent additions to the town, like the cultural school, in which fillies and colts got to learn more about the buffalo tribe, their past, their beliefs and their connection to the land, a connection that even Earth Ponies didn’t understand unless they took the time to do as the buffalo do. After a few hours, she and Braeburn started heading back towards his house. Twilight yawned, she was ready for a nice nap. As they neared the house, however, they noticed Scootaloo standing outside, glancing around worriedly. As soon as the filly spotted them, she hurried over. The anxiousness in her eyes caused Twilight’s heart to skip a beat. Something was wrong. “What’s up, Scootaloo?” Braeburn asked as the Pegasus stopped in front of him. “It’s Fluttershy!” Scootaloo said loudly, moving from hoof to hoof. “She’s sick!” Twilight blood froze. Fluttershy was sick? She tried to get out of the foal carrier, she had to find out what had happened to her friend/mother. However, Braeburn beat her to it, bolting inside, fearing for his daughter’s mother’s well being. He passed by Speed Strike, who shouted something as the Earth Pony hurtled upstairs, but neither he nor Twilight were able to catch it as they neared Fluttershy and Twilight’s room. Just as they were about to reach the door, however, Strong Heart walked out, closing it behind her and held up a hoof. Braeburn skidded to a stop, his muzzle gently pressed against the outstretch hoof. “Is it true?” he asked, glancing at Twilight, who had tears welling in her eyes. “Shh, it’s okay, Twi.” Strong Heart sighed. “It is. Fluttershy has the Feather Flu.” Braeburn frowned, confusion overriding her worries in an instant. “What in the hay is that?” Strong Heart sighed. “I had a similar reaction. Scootaloo and her father explained it to me. It’s a type of flu only those with wings, such as pegasi like Fluttershy, can catch. It lasts a few days, but isn’t too harmful. As long as we take good care of her and she gets plenty of rest, she should be fine a day or two before they head home.” Braeburn sighed with relief; only to tense as Twilight started to quietly cry, though not so quietly that they didn’t hear it. He leaned down, picking Twilight up and holding her in his forehooves. “What’s wrong, Twi? Yer ma’s gunna be just fine. A few days and she’ll be as chipper as a dunebug in the morin’.” Twilight only continued to cry and buried her muzzle into his fur. He looked to Strong Heart, who looked very upset. She glanced back at the door, then at Braeburn. “Those with wings can catch the Feather Flu.” Braeburn frowned, confused. “But, Twi ain’t a Pegasus, she’s an alicorn. How would she...?” He blinked, then looked down at Twilight’s wings, before looking back to Strong Heart, his eyes wide. She nodded. “Twilight may not be a Pegasus, but she does have wings, which means she could catch the Feather Flu from her mother. She’ll have to stay away from Fluttershy until we can be sure she’s better and the flu’s completely gone.” “Can’t she even just go in an’ see ’er fer a li’le?” he asked, not liking to see his little filly so upset. Strong Heart shook her head. “Feather Flu is very contagious. It’s why I’ve moved Scootaloo and her father’s things to the downstairs guest rooms. Since they're pegasi, they could catch it too if we're not careful.” “But, what about Twi?” Braeburn asked, looking down at his crying daughter. “How’ll we feed ’er? Where’s she gunna sleep, if not with her ma?” Strong Heart blushed a little and scuffed a hoof on the polished wooden floor. “She’ll be staying with us in our room. I've already disinfected her crib after taking it out of the room. As for feeding her, Fluttershy strictly told me that she doesn’t want Twilight having formula.” The stallion frowned. “Then how in the hay is she gunna eat? Ah know she c’n eat foal food, but what about her milk? Ah don’ think nun o’ the mares in town are gunna feel like feeding a foal that ain’t theirs, princess or not. We ain’t got that far yet.” Strong Heart’s blushed grew deeper. “Well, actually, I decided I’d feed her, until Fluttershy gets better.” Twilight stopped her crying and turned to look at Strong Heart, her mouth hanging open, just like her father’s. After a few minutes, Braeburn managed to close his mouth as he stared at the buffalo. “Is... is that safe? Can pony foals drink milk from buffalos?” Strong Heart frowned, thinking. “I don’t see why not. Breast milk is breast milk, no matter what race it comes from. It should be okay.” “And if it doesn’t work and Twi can’ keep it down?” Braeburn asked, cocking an eyebrow. Strong Heart shuffled a little. “Well, I know a few mares who’d be willing to act as nurse mares for a few days. They’ve been lookin’ fer work in that area, since their own jobs are slowin’ down a bit lately.” Braeburn nodded. “Okay. If’n Twi can’t keep down yer milk, we’ll ask one ’r more o’ those mares fer help.” As if on cue, Twilight’s stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, causing her to blush and the two adults to chuckle and giggle respectively. “Guess we’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” Strong Heart asked, taking Twilight, putting her on her back and heading downstairs to the living room. ___________________________________________________________ Twilight was set down on a cushion in the living room and Strong Heart lay down in front of her, putting a blanket over the foal to give her some privacy. Twilight covered her eyes with her hooves, feeling embarrassed and like she was doing something wrong as she caught sight of Strong Heart’s teats. In truth, she hadn’t breast-fed from Fluttershy, at least not in her memory, anyway. Maybe the foal her of this reality had, but she didn’t remember if that was the case. Whenever she’d drunk Fluttershy’s milk it had been from a bottle. Strong Heart laughed lightly at Twilight’s reaction, then gently pressed Twilight closer to her teats. The movement caught Twilight off-guard, and she looked up, not knowing how close she was and the teat slipped into her mouth without resistance. As soon as her mouth covered the teat, the tiny amount of pressure caused a squirt of warm milk to go into Twilight’s mouth. Her foal instincts kicking in, Twilight started suckle, despite telling herself not to. After a few moments though, and feeling the warm milk entering her hungry stomach, Twilight settled down and fell into a steady rhythm as she nursed. Strong Heart’s milk tasted very different from Fluttershy’s. The Pegasus’ milk was light and fluffy, almost like tasting a cloud that was filled with sugar-water. Strong Heart’s, on the other hoof, tasted strong, with a slight musk that reminded her of the feeling of the dirt beneath her hooves the first time she’d touch the ground as an alicorn, but different. Stronger, somehow. Five minutes later Twilight was full and burped, followed by her blushing, which only caused Strong Heart to smile and nuzzle her. Twilight spent the rest of the day in the living room with Scootaloo, with Rainbow and Strike watching them, both smiling warmly. Twilight tried to show Scootaloo how to fly. Scootaloo didn’t seem pleased that a foal was trying to teach her to fly (her ego had already taken a beating, what with Twilight having larger wings despite only being a foal), but she didn’t give Twilight any spit. She’s a foal, after all. When it was dinner time, Twilight was sat in a high chair next to Scootaloo and a bib tied around her neck. Dinner looked amazing. Apple fritters, apple bread, corn, some daisy sandwichs; her mouth was watering. However, she deflated when a bowl of apple sauce and a bottle of milk were placed on her high chair’s tray. She sighed. Being a foal, she still had a long ways to go before she could enjoy the foods she highly enjoyed. Not paying attention to Strong Heart reaching for the spoon to feed her, Twilight lit her horn, levitated the spoon, scoop up some of the sauce and popped it in her mouth. Despite her disappointment at not getting to enjoy the same foods those around her were, she couldn’t deny that the apple sauce was very tasty. She could just faintly detect a hint of cinnamon... and maybe a tiny bit of kiwi? The other ponies looked at her with slight surprise as she levitated another spoonful and ate without anypony’s aid, but all just smiled, said their blessings and began eating, Strong Heart briefly leaving to go give Fluttershy her dinner, a special soup made in her tribe, said to help recovery from illness easier. However, Twilight wasn’t giving up on the food spread out in front of her yet. She waited for the right moment, when everypony was occupied with dinner conversation as Strong Heart returned and, lighting her horn, levitated an apple fritter into the air and brought it to herself quickly. Before anypony or buffalo could do something, she popped the fritter in her mouth and started chewing. She was lucky she already had all her teeth, even if they were only her foal teeth. Each pony gasped, watching and waiting as Twilight finished the fritter and swallowed, a wide smile on her face. That had been good. For several moments, nopony moved, they all just remained still, watching Twilight, waiting. After about ten minutes, then all seemed to relax, then smiled. “Looks like Twilight can finally keep down big pony food,” Scootaloo grinned, then her grin faltered. “Pinkie’s gonna want to throw a party for this, right?” Rainbow nodded, then shook her head. “She’s also probably gonna want to throw a “Twilight Spoke Her First Word, Books, party” alongside the "Twilight Can Finally Eat Normal Food party”." She sighed. “We’d better enjoy the rest this trip gives us. She’s not gonna let us rest for a while once we get back.” Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at that thought. It would be just like Pinkie Pie to do that. Heck, she wouldn’t be surprised if the party pony suddenly was standing next to her like the pink mare that was— Twilight yelped, leaping from her seat and flying behind Scootaloo. Okay. So she was surprised. So sue me. “Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, her eyes wide. “What the hay’re you doing here?” Pinkie bounced over to Twilight and ruffled her mane. “When I heard Twilight said her first word and can eat big pony foods I came to congratulate her and give her these.” As she spoke, she procured a large box of cupcakes with yellow icing, like Fluttershy’s coat and Twilight’s Cutie Mark on top. “And don’t worry, Dashie. No ponies were harmed in the making of these cupcakes.” “Um... what?” the cyan mare asked, only to realise Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. The adults spent the next few minutes looking around the house, trying to find where the pink maned mare had gone, but she seemed to have just vanished. Once they’d decided that Pinkie wasn’t around anymore, though how that was possible or how she even got there in the first place they were all still puzzling over, they returned to the table and opened the box of cupcakes. There were enough for one each, even one for Fluttershy, with a note from Pinkie saying it was specifically meant to be given to her to make her feel better. When dinner was over, Twilight and Scootaloo had their bath, Twilight being bathed by Braeburn while Scootaloo bathed herself. With bath time finished ten minutes later, Twilight was diapered and put in the snuggy Fluttershy had brought for her from home. Despite Scootaloo’s insistence that she didn’t want to, she also was wearing a snuggy. It was yellow with patterns of Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark on it that apparently had been left by Pinkie, with a note saying, since her friends weren’t around, Scootaloo didn’t need to be embarrassed about liking to wear them. When she looked at the ground, her ears drooping, Dash told her that, back when she’d been a filly, she too had enjoyed wearing a snuggy. The brighten Scootaloo’s mood greatly and, though she still complained about going to bed, she did so. Twilight watched from in her crib as Scootaloo walked down the hall and out of sight. Soon, Braeburn walked in and nuzzled her. Twilight yawned as he pulled the covers over her and her eyes started to close. “G’night, Twi,” he whispered, turning the light off and quietly closing the door. “We’ll be quiet when we come ta bed ourselves. Sweet dreams, my li’le filly.” Twilight didn’t want to go to sleep, not without Fluttershy. In the months since they’d accepted this was now their reality, she’d grown fond of being close to the Pegasus when she was going to sleep and to not be with her now hurt and made her feel alone. However, after that last bottle of milk a few minutes ago, she couldn’t stay awake, no matter how hard she fought the urge to sleep. "G'night, Mommy." She yawned, closed her eyes and drifted off to the realm of dreams.