//------------------------------//
// The Lack of Attack 
// Story: The Haven 
// by Original Usermane 
//------------------------------//

	“Is that… a fetus!?” Rarity exclaimed, turning an even paler white. Twilight was so shocked that she dropped the spell, and Fluttershy dazed dazedly at where the image had been a moment before.
“I’m… pregnant?” she whispered coarsely. She hadn’t even considered the possibility… she and Discord weren’t even the same species… this was so wonderful! She started tearing up in joy, covering her face with her hooves. Her friends misinterpreted the emotion.
“Oh my Celestia, Fluttershy, were you attacked!?” Twilight asked in horror, galloping over and putting a supporting hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped you through it!”
“Who did this to you!?” Rainbow raged. “I swear he won’t live to see another day after I’m through with him!”
“That would be terrible!” Fluttershy gasped, looked up in shock. None of her friends heard her.
“What kind of no-good despicable pony would do that to Fluttershy!?” Applejack demanded, angry tears streaming down her face.
“Yay, baby! Babies are sooo cute! I remember when the cake twins were still really little, and they were just the cutest things ever!” Pinkie said gleefully, not grasping the emotion in the room.
“Not now, Pinkie!” Twilight snapped. “Fluttershy, who did this to you!?”
“No, wait!” Fluttershy said quickly, waving her hooves in distress. “Calm down everypony! I… I wasn’t attacked.” Unfortunately, with all the hubbub in the room, only Twilight, who was right next to her, heard her words.
“I swear, if I get my hooves on whatever rotten stallion-”
“Wait, girls! She says that she wasn’t attacked!” Twilight cut off loudly. All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who turned scarlet. Applejack spoke up.
“Sugarcube,” she said sternly to Fluttershy. “Is what she’s sayin’ the truth? Look me in the eyes and tell me that nopony touched you in any way you weren’t wantin’ to be touched.” Fluttershy flushed miserably. Of all the horrible ways for the truth to be forced out into the open, this had to be the most awkward and unpleasant.
“Um… Nopony touched me in any way that I didn’t, um, want to be… touched,” Fluttershy forced out, blushing horribly and hiding her face in her mane a bit.
“Well, she certainly seems to be tellin’ the truth,” Applejack said with a confused and worried frown.
“So then… Fluttershy, you… have a special somepony?” Rainbow asked awkwardly. Fluttershy buried her face in her hooves and nodded.
“Look, I know you all have lots of questions, and I promise you that I’ll answer them later, but I really think that I should, um, tell the father before this gets any further,” Fluttershy said, cutting off any further questioning.
“Oh, um, right,” Twilight agreed for the group, the whole atmosphere suddenly very uncomfortable.
“Why don’t you girls… come over for dinner tonight?” Fluttershy invited with a sigh. Looked like the whole cat was out of the bag, so to speak. Not that she’d ever put a cat into a bag! That was animal cruelty, and she would never do that to one of her animal friends… “I promise I’ll explain everything then.”
“Well… if you’re sure, dear. We won’t force you to say anything you’re not comfortable with,” Rarity said with a frown on her face that suggested she expected every detail no matter what she said.
“Uh, right. I’ll see you all later. Um, Twilight, would it be alright if I borrowed Spike?”
“Me?” Spike asked, surprised.
“Why do you need him?” Twilight asked suspiciously.
“Well, you see… the father… he works in Canterlot, but Celestia should be able to get a hold of him,” Fluttershy said, trying to skirt the truth for now. She wanted Discord there with her when they finally told the whole truth.
“Celestia knows about this!?” Rainbow demanded.
“Well, um, sort of? I told you, I’ll explain later. Can I please use Spike to send a letter?”
“Of course,” Twilight agreed. Fluttershy quickly borrowed some paper and wrote out a short note, then rolled it up and handed it to Spike to send off before anypony could try and read it over her shoulder. In a burst of green fire, her message was sent, and she headed home to relax, celebrate privately, and prepare for that evening.
Meanwhile, Celestia was sitting regally on her throne, as usual. The Gala was already set up thanks to Discord’s help, so she’d sent Discord off on a job- some of the suburbs of Seaddle were having mudslides, and it was his job to clean up and erect walls to keep them out and away from the towns. To combat the chaos problem, he’d been given full creative control over the design of the walls.
A scroll appeared in a furl of green fire in front of her.
“A letter from Twilight?” she said happily. It had been awhile, since Twilight was busy with her new duties. She unfurled it and was surprised to see that it was from Fluttershy.
Dear Princess Celestia, it said. If you wouldn’t mind, would you please send Discord home early today?
Princess Celestia was confused and worried. Fluttershy didn’t often ask for Discord to come home, usually only when Ponyville was having troubles. She read on to see if this was the case. It wasn’t.
I’ve found out something wonderful and thought he should know. I’m having a baby!
If Princess Celestia had been drinking, she would have done an extremely undignified spit-take at this. Fluttershy was pregnant!? It hadn’t even crossed Celestia’s mind that the two could have children.
I think that the time has come for us to tell everypony else, since I can’t hide this for much longer. I want Discord here, not only to celebrate, but to help me explain. So, if you could let him know, that would be lovely.
Thank you, Fluttershy.
Celestia took a moment to let the shock settle before moving on to being happy for them. She knew that Discord needed to be told right away, so she used her magic to summon him there. He blinked, surprised, and turned to Celestia.
“I wasn’t done yet,” he huffed.
“I know,” Celestia said. “They can finish without you, and you’ll have to find some other way to let the chaos out. You need to get home.”
“Why? Is something wrong!? Did something happen to Fluttershy!?” he asked, switching immediately into worried mode.
“Calm down,” Celestia said immediately. “Nothing is wrong. Fluttershy sent a letter saying she needs you home.” She was trying to avoid saying it out loud so that Fluttershy could tell him herself, but Discord wasn’t having it.
“Letter?” he asked. He saw and grabbed the letter before Celestia could stop him. His eyes widened slowly as he read until they eventually rolled up into his skull and he passed out cold. Celestia chuckled slightly. She thought about sending him home like this, but decided it would be better just to send a response to Fluttershy saying he’d be home when he woke up.
Knowing it would go through Spike first, she purposefully left it vague, just in case.
Dear Fluttershy, he read your letter. I’ll send him home when he wakes up. He passed out. I don’t think he could quite believe it.
Congratulations, Celestia.