//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: Cope 
// Story: About Last Night 
// by YourNeighborhoodAlicorn 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash awoke to the sound of a door closing; it was quiet—deliberately so—but it wasn’t quiet enough to let her sleep. She had been struggling to sleep all afternoon anyway. She must have woken up seven or eight times over the course of the evening.

Cracking open an eyelid, she gazed out into the room. A single moonbeam shone through the crack in the curtains, casting another silhouette amongst the shadows. Dash didn’t move as Fluttershy walked over to the bed and slipped in next to her. She considered saying something to let her friend know she was awake, but she ultimately decided it was best to enjoy the moment.

Fluttershy shuffled next to her, getting into a comfortable position. After a few seconds, the room fell silent. The only sound was the soft rustling of animals from downstairs. An itch in her foreleg, however, forced Rainbow to shift in order to scratch it.

“Did I wake you?” Fluttershy whispered.

Rainbow frowned. “Yeah, but I wasn’t sleeping so great anyway. What time is it?”

“It’s nine o’clock,” Fluttershy replied. “You’ve been asleep all day.”

Rainbow nodded as she turned over to face her friend. “I feel horrible,” she moaned. “You don’t have a drink, do you?”

She could just make out Fluttershy leaning over to pick up a glass from the bedside table in the low lighting. “I always keep one close by.” She blushed. “I’m still a light sleeper.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. I still haven’t gotten over that time we went camping when we were little. You know, the one where you kept us all awake. Why did you even need the flashlight?” She shifted onto her front and took the glass of water. Raising her glass to her lips, she took several large glugs.

Fluttershy frowned and looked away. “We were just foals…”

Rainbow lowered the empty glass from her lips, and sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just tired. I feel like I’ve just been run over by a stampede of buffalos.”

Fluttershy smiled sympathetically. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get this all sorted tomorrow.”

“Sorted?” Rainbow retorted. “How is this going to get sorted? This is a mess! I’ve no idea what I’m gonna do.”

Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably and placed a hoof on Rainbow’s fetlock. “Just trust us, Rainbow. We’re your friends, and we’ll always be here for you.”

Rainbow sighed and rolled over to lie on her back. She stared upwards, tracing patterns on the ceiling in her head. If today hadn’t been eventful enough, she knew tomorrow would be packed with plenty more drama and headaches.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said quietly. “I mean, I know I’ve got you guys and all, but this ruins everything.” She turned her neck to look at Fluttershy. “How am I going to be able to kick clouds or give Scoots flying lessons if I can’t even get off the ground?”

“You won’t be earthbound. We’ll help you and make sure you have time for flying,” she assured her.
  
Rainbow glanced at her in apprehension. “I hope so. I’m not sure what I would do if I couldn’t fly. This is all just so weird. I mean, none of you guys have had foals yet. When I decided to stay, I just wanted a normal life in Ponyville, but now it looks like it’s all spiraling out of control.”

Fluttershy gave her a sympathetic look. “I know you made the choice to stay here in Ponyville, Rainbow, and I know it was a hard choice to make, but this isn’t your fault. You shouldn't blame yourself.”

“I'm not blaming myself,” she answered, “I just don't get it.” The two of them locked gazes. “Do you think it's possible for a pony and a dragon to have a foal?”

“I don't know,” she replied. “I've never heard of a dragon getting along with a pony at all before. Spike really is one of a kind.”

“Well how come he's never gotten anypony else pregnant?” she demanded. “Why me?”

“I w-wouldn't really know," Fluttershy said with a blush. "M-maybe you should ask Spike?"

Rainbow sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. It still looked as blank in the darkness as it had before. “It still doesn't make any sense to me. A dragon and a pony? What would it even look like? What if it's a mean dragon?” Her breath caught in her throat. “What if it hurts me?”

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy said firmly, pulling Rainbow's gaze from the ceiling. “I know what you're thinking, and that won't happen. Not to you.”

“But what if it does?” she breathed.

“No.” she answered, shaking her head and holding Rainbow’s gaze. The understanding in her eyes was almost unbearable, and Rainbow bristled under the stare. “Stop thinking like that. You're a brave pony, Rainbow Dash. You'll get past this.”

Rainbow didn't reply. She couldn’t. She looked past Fluttershy, focusing on nothing in particular. She knew she shouldn't let this get to her, but it still scared her. And Rainbow Dash wasn't a pony who was used to being scared.

“Do you think it will fly?” she asked quietly.

“I don't know what you mean,” Fluttershy said slowly.

“The foal,” Rainbow clarified. “I know both me and Spike can fly, but Spike couldn't when he was just a kid. Do you think this foal will be able to fly?”

“Maybe,” Fluttershy replied. “I don't think anypony knows for sure.”

Rainbow sighed. She wished Fluttershy could have a definite answer for something. Her life was suddenly full of so many uncertainties, and she wasn't used to it. She didn't like it at all.

“What should I do?” she asked.

“Whatever you want to do, Rainbow,” Fluttershy responded without missing a heartbeat.

Rainbow sighed. “What would you do, then?”

This time, Fluttershy hesitated before answering. “I would talk to Doctor Stables tomorrow. He scheduled your appointment for two o'clock after you ran out, since it was the only time he had available. He'll help you decide what to do.”

Decisions. Rainbow could feel the weight of each one crushing her. She took a deep breath, trying to shake them away, but she knew they weren’t going anywhere.

“Fluttershy…” Rainbow whispered. “I don’t want tomorrow to come.”

Fluttershy’s gaze saddened. “Oh, Rainbow Dash,” she said softly. She shuffled across to give Rainbow a hug, wrapping a hoof around her. “Don’t feel like that. I know that when tomorrow comes, the doctor will tell you all the options you have and you’ll feel much better.”

“I don’t think I’ll like those options,” she said, returning the hug. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed, burying her muzzle into Fluttershy’s mane. It smelled of flowery shampoo. She would  never openly admit it, but she treasured the moment.

“We’re here for you, Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered in her ear. “We’ll always be here for you.”

“I know,” Rainbow responded. “It’s just that…” She sighed and pulled away. “What does Twilight think? I mean, Spike’s been her little assistant since he was born—hatched, whatever—and even though she moved to Canterlot for a while and gave charge of the library to Spike, she still fusses over him like he’s a foal. She still calls him a baby dragon, even though he’s almost taller than her!”

“I think Twilight is a little taken aback because she’s always looked after Spike. I suppose she’s watching Spike grow up and she’s not used to it,” Fluttershy said slowly. “But I also think she wants to support you. You are her friend, too.”

“But what if she doesn’t like the decision I make?”

“As long as you talk to Spike about what you’re thinking, I’m sure she’ll understand,” Fluttershy said.”

“Talking to Spike. Right,” Rainbow mumbled. “I guess I hadn’t thought about that. What do you think Spike will say?”

“Didn’t he talk to you after you left the hospital?” Fluttershy inquired, tilting her head.

“Yeah he did, but…” Rainbow frowned, guilt tugging at her chest. “I didn’t really ask what he thought about this.”

“I think you should go and talk to him tomorrow,” Fluttershy said softly. “This is affecting Spike, too. He’ll be able to help you come to a decision.”

Rainbow looked away, returning her gaze to the familiar, comforting ceiling. Silently, she traced patterns along its surface: a dragon and a pony. She pushed them towards each other, but it still made no sense—the foal, the night itself, none of it.

“Hey, Fluttershy?”

“Yes?” Fluttershy answered.

“Do you think we could just do something… normal?”

Fluttershy titled her head again, giving Rainbow a curious look. “I… well, what do you mean?”

“Just something that two normal ponies do. What do you usually do?”

Fluttershy blinked a few times as she scrambled for an answer. “Well, I suppose me and Rarity used to braid each other’s manes when we had sleepovers,” she suggested.

Rainbow nodded. “Can we braid each other’s manes?”

Fluttershy raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, uh, sure. Do you know how to braid?”

Rainbow shook her head, a detached look in her eyes.

“I could show you if you like?” she offered, getting up to grab a brush from the nearby table.

“Sure,” Rainbow replied.

“I’ll do yours first,” Fluttershy said. “Could you turn around?”

Rainbow obliged, sitting up and shifting her back to her friend. Fluttershy sat down on the bed behind her and began gently running the brush across her hair. Rainbow let out a deep breath as the brush stroked her mane, smoothing the messy hairs and caressing her scalp. 

“Hey, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked.

“Hm?”

“How come you’re not with somepony?”

“W-what?” Fluttershy gasped.

“You know, like in a relationship,” Rainbow pressed, rolling her eyes a little.

Even though she couldn’t see her, she knew Fluttershy was blushing. “I—er, I suppose I don’t really think about it much. I’m just so busy looking after all these animals and running my animal shelter. Besides, I still have Angel.”

"That pest is still breathing?” Rainbow grumbled.

“Oh, Angel’s been doing so well lately. He wasn’t feeling so good last week, but now he’s as energetic as when he was a newborn bunny!”

Impulsively, Rainbow touched a hoof to her stomach. She took a deep breath and swallowed. It had suddenly occurred to her that she had a living thing growing inside of her, and it made her feel a little ill. She didn’t even want to think about it, and yet she couldn’t think of anything else.

Fluttershy seemed to have noticed as she stopped brushing her mane. “I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine,” Rainbow said quickly. “I was just a little distracted, that’s all.”

“O-okay,” Fluttershy said uncertainly. She continued to run the brush over Rainbow’s mane, gently undoing the knots. The pair lapsed into a calm silence once again as Fluttershy began to gather the hair at the roots, dividing it into three sections. 

“You have a really nice mane, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said softly. “You should do this more often.”

“You know I’ve never really been bothered about my mane,” Rainbow complained. “Styling it just isn’t my style, you know?”

Fluttershy giggled quietly and began folding the strands over each other. “Maybe you should consider it sometime? You know it’s really not that bad once you give it a try.”

“I have better things to do than sit around, braiding my mane all day,” Rainbow snorted.

“I think you’d like it if you gave it a chance,” Fluttershy replied.

She toyed with the idea. The brushing was surprisingly relaxing, but then again, almost anything she did with Fluttershy calmed her nerves. Fluttershy was her source of calm.

“Hey, ‘Shy?” she asked.

“Yes, Rainbow?”

“Thanks for this.” Rainbow said quietly. “I kinda needed it.”

“You know you can talk to me at any time, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied gently. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Yeah.” Rainbow breathed absentmindedly. It was strange to have somepony playing with her mane. She never normally allowed anypony anywhere near it, but today was hardly a normal day.

“There,” Fluttershy said as she tied a hairband into Dash’s mane, securing the large braid, and laid it down over her shoulder. Curiously, Rainbow inspected the braid. The only time she’d ever had her hair tied up like this at all was when she had gone to the Grand Galloping Gala. It kind of looked like Applejack's had.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy let out a loud yawn and glanced at the clock. “My, it’s getting pretty late.”

“Yeah, I guess, but I’m not that tired.” She looked back at Fluttershy, expecting a quick agreement until she saw just how tired her friend was. She grinned guiltily. “Heh, I guess we should go to bed, though.”

“As long as it’s not a bother…” Fluttershy started.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Rainbow Dash said, a slight smirk forming on her lips.

“Okay. You know, I have a spare bed lying around if you want it. I was taking care of Basil a few months ago and he wouldn’t sleep unless I gave him the bed. So later on I had to go out and buy another one.”

“A bear in a bed, huh?” Rainbow said, chuckling as she imagined what that scene would have looked like.

“Yes. The bed’s in the back if you want me to go get it.”

Rainbow hesitated. “Hey, ‘Shy? Do you think it’d be okay if I could sleep with you in your bed?”

Surprise flashed on Fluttershy’s face, but it was quickly replaced with a warm smile. “Of course, Rainbow.”

Fluttershy nodded and got into the bed. Rainbow followed her, pulling the duvet over them as she found a more comfortable position.

“Good night,” Fluttershy whispered.

“‘Night,” Rainbow murmured in response.

Gradually, the room fell into silence, every so often interrupted by the scurrying feet of a mouse of the flapping of bird’s wings. Rainbow took a deep breath and tried to get comfortable. It was difficult when she’d slept all day; every position felt uncomfortable. The ambient noises didn’t help either, but Fluttershy seemed accustomed to them, and she soon could hear the soft sounds of Fluttershy’s breathing. 

After what seemed like hours, Dash gave up the fight, gazing up at the ceiling pensively. As she had before, she drew shapes onto the smooth, wooden surface. This time she decided to trace her friends. First she imagined Fluttershy, bashfully sitting with her mane covering her eyes. Next came Rarity and Applejack, total opposites in almost every way. They were followed by Pinkie, who wouldn’t keep still, and next to her, the ever-studious Twilight Sparkle. She grinned as she traced each shape. Pinkie was particularly difficult. But Pinkie was always difficult. She had a habit of being difficult. The images floated around in the darkness, silent but comforting all the same.

She was content with those pictures for a while, but a sense of discontent slowly crept up on her. Something was missing, she realized, and she knew what it was. Spike. Would it be so strange to include him? She mused over the idea. In some ways he didn’t fit, but in others he did. He wasn’t an Element of Harmony, and yet she saw him just as much as the rest. After a pause, she drew the missing piece.

“Bleh,” she sighed quietly under her breath. She wasn’t sure how much more of Spike she wanted to see. She was fine with being friends with him, but now it seemed like she was being forced to be friends with him. And Rainbow Dash did not like being forced to do anything. It all felt so out of her control and beyond her will.

Grunting, Dash rolled over onto her side, her legs lying off the bed. She’d been asleep all day, and now she didn’t feel like sleeping. That didn’t mean she wasn’t tired, though, but it was a different kind of exhaustion, one she felt more in her brain than anywhere else. It reminded her of the problem at hoof, the one slowly growing inside of her. She couldn’t help but twitch at the thought. What was it going to be? If it was Spike’s kid, was it a dragon? Or some sort of dragon-pony?

She moaned and covered her ears with her hooves, as if she could block out her own thoughts. She tried her best to keep her mind occupied by counting sheep and listing all the aerial maneuvers she knew, but the former did little to put her to sleep, and the latter only reminded her of her situation.

Instead, she lay there, counting down the seconds until tomorrow came. And she wasn't looking forward to it.





Sunlight pooled through the gap in the curtains. Rainbow blinked a few times as she became aware that her eyes had been absently staring up at the sunbeams. She was lying on her back, staring up at the blank ceiling with a hoof on her forehead. There were no imaginary shapes to greet her now that she could see the ceiling in the daylight. 

She couldn’t tell whether she had a headache or whether she just felt miserable due to other causes. The sun rays in her face weren’t helping at all. She hadn’t gotten to sleep for several hours the night before. She had been counting sheep almost endlessly, desperately trying to drown out her thoughts. And now she felt horrible. Worse than if a stampede of buffalos had hit her. More like she’d jumped in front of the Friendship Express.

She realized she was sprawled across the entire bed. She wasn’t exactly sure how she had ended up dominating the whole thing, but her body always seemed to have a mind of its own when she slept. She figured Fluttershy had been pushed off the bed, or something like that.

Before she could think anything more of it, what sounded like a bell and whistling interrupted her thoughts. She sprang into action; she saw a cuckoo clock on the wall performing its regular functions.

“Eurgh!” she complained. “Stupid clock, leave me alone!” 

She flung the nearby lamp sitting on the nightstand at it. The clock was silenced with a satisfying crash. She sighed and lay back down on her bed, returning her gaze to the ceiling. After a few seconds of calm breathing, she managed to slow her heartbeat down to a reasonable level. She was probably going to have to pay Fluttershy for that clock. She moaned and rolled over to see what time it was.

“Two o’clock!?” she yelped, her mind jumping into overdrive. She needed to be at the Hospital right now.

She leapt out of bed and immediately rushed into the nearby bathroom. She looked in the mirror and saw she still had the braid in her hair, although her tossing and turning had allowed strands of hair to escape the braid. With no toothbrush or time to shower, she gargled some water and ran downstairs.

Most her bandages fell off while she was tossing and turning in bed, and she shook off the remaining few mid-gallop. Her pastern was still stiff, but otherwise the only pain left was in her wing. She made sure not to put too much pressure on her hoof as she burst out of the front door and galloped with a slight limp down the path to Ponyville.

As she slowed down to a canter along the path, she realized that she didn’t really know much about this appointment; she hadn’t asked about it in any detail the day before. Were they going to ask her to have more tests? Was she going to have to go on prescription? She didn’t have that kind of money lying around.

Rainbow shuddered. She hoped none of those tests involved needles. 

Today of all days I oversleep and it bites me in the flank…

She’d assumed Fluttershy would wake her up in the morning, but somehow she had managed to leave Rainbow fast asleep when she had gotten up.

“She was probably just trying to be nice by letting me sleep in,” Dash reasoned. She wished Fluttershy had been assertive and kicked her out of the bed, but she knew that that wasn’t in her friend’s nature.

Stupid crash. Why does it have to be today of all days that I can’t fly?

It was normally more than a twenty minute walk from Fluttershy’s cottage to Ponyville. Rainbow wrinkled her snout, calculating how long it would take her if she kept up this pace.

Seven or eight minutes, maybe five if I don’t stop.

She focused on keeping her breathing even as she fought the cramp growing in her lungs. Her legs, unaccustomed to being used for much more than a short sprint, grew more sore with each step. The pain gave her temporary distraction from her thoughts, but even with the aches in her body, she couldn’t help but think about Spike. Specifically, she thought about what he had said the previous afternoon.

“The Rainbow Dash I know wouldn’t run away.”

She sighed and gave into her leg pain, stopping to walk for a while. It was maddening, being stopped by her legs when she wasn’t even tired yet. To make matters worse, she wasn’t even half way to Ponyville.

“I’m going… to the doctor’s,” she huffed to herself. “That’s not running away.”

Spike had it all wrong. He thought he knew her, but he was wrong. Rainbow Dash did not run from trouble. She had plenty of responsibilities to deal with; she cleared clouds, organized a weather team, and at the end of the week she rushed through a bit of weather paperwork.

But a foal is a lot different than kicking clouds. 

She chewed her lip and conceded to her own thoughts. Was she really cut out to be a mother? The idea was unrealistic—laughable, even—but Rainbow didn’t feel like laughing.

She took a deep breath, and resumed her trot into town, her legs feeling marginally better with the short rest she’d given them. The scenery flew by in a blur, leaving the countryside and her thoughts behind her in the dust. Ponyville was fast approaching, and she turned her mind to more concerning issues.

Will Doctor Stables be mad that I’m late?

Doctor Stables had been Ponyville’s resident doctor for as long as Dash could remember. He’d patched her up after her many… accidents since moving to Ponyville, and that had to have been over ten years ago by now. In all that time, however, she hadn't made any appointments that she hadn’t been able to keep.

In another blink of her eye, the hospital rushed into view. It was lucky that the hospital was on this side of town. She burst in through the doors, startling the inattentive receptionist and earning looks from the few ponies waiting to be seen by a doctor. She blushed in embarrassment, her ears folding back as she made her way up to the reception desk. The nurse gave her a look of annoyance, rolling her hoof, gesturing for Dash to say what she wanted. 

“I’m, uh, here to see Doctor Stables? I’m kind of late for my appointment, but you see—”

“Take a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly.” The receptionist droned out the answer as if she’d rather be anywhere but work.

Nodding, Rainbow Dash trotted as quickly as she could to an empty seat and sat down. She tried to ignore the gazes of the other ponies that burned into her hide. She swung her legs idly, gazing around the room and trying to act aloof as she waited for the doctor. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too long.

A few minutes passed and she was beginning to get a bit impatient. With nothing else to do but look around, and she had already memorized every inch of the room, she was beginning to feel the terrible sense of boredom settling over her. By this time, the other ponies had grown equally bored of her, and she was glad to be free of their piercing stares. 

Her eyes fell on a stack of out-of-date magazines, haphazardly thrown onto a nearby table. Most were either about nature or were those trashy gossip tabloids that made a huge fuss over a pony eating a piece of cake or something equally inane. One in particular caught her eye ‘Mothers Monthly - everything you need to know about pregnancy’. 

She hesitated, trying to look away but her gaze kept flickering back. She wouldn’t deny she was interested, but it would be the death of her if anypony caught her reading ‘Mothers Monthly’. Looking around to check if anypony was watching her, she confirmed that there wasn’t any and she reached across the table. Checking again to see who was watching, she placed the magazine inside a nearby Power Ponies comic book, concealing the front cover.

By the time she was halfway through the second article, the content of the magazine left Dash’s face a new shade of red. Most of the pictures depicted was the average mother treating to their foals; changing their diapers, step-by-step guides on how to shower them, nursing—

“Miss Dash, the Doctor will see you now.”

Rainbow Dash fumbled with the magazine, almost dropping it to the floor and revealing the true nature of what she was reading. She peered over to the receptionist, who looked over at her with her ever-present bored expression. By her side stood Doctor Stables. She quickly placed the magazine flat down with the Power Ponies disguise on top of it and trotted over.

“This way, Miss Dash,” he said formally, turning down a corridor. She followed him from a distance, not looking forward to the conversation ahead of her. The facility wasn’t very large, so it didn’t take very long to reach the room. The Doctor held the door open for her, leaving her to stiffly make her way inside.

“Please take a seat,” he said, indicating to a plain plastic chair with his hoof, “There are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”

Nervously, Rainbow plopped herself down on the chair, shifting a bit to focus on the doctor.

“Alright, so where to begin,” he cleared his throat and sat down across from her before opening his mouth to speak again, “Given your unusual circumstance, I would still like to discuss what happens in a, umm—regular pregnancy, as well as what options are available to you.”

Rainbow nodded, as he walked over to the small table in front of him, presenting her with a few brochures which were all labeled with different titles, yet they all had the same intimidating word inscribed on each. Pregnancy.

“I would much appreciate it if you would take the time to look over these whenever you can; they may prove to be beneficial. Feel free to take them with you after we have finished our discussion.”

“Um… alright.”

Doctor Stables straightened up, clearly prepared to deliver the speech he had probably delivered to hundreds of other future mothers. "Okay, so first thing’s first: morning sickness. Have you experienced any abnormal nausea or vomiting in the last four weeks?"

Rainbow Dash blinked, casting her mind back. "Err, I don't think so."

The doctor nodded. "That is good. Morning sickness affects about four in every five pregnant mares in the first few months of their pregnancy. Drinking plenty of fluids and getting plenty of rest are good ways to reduce this. I know you have a well-balanced lifestyle, Miss Dash, so I hope this will be no problem for you. If it does become a serious problem then please don't hesitate to come and talk to me."

Rainbow nodded meekly. This didn't seem so bad.

“And as I said,” Doctor Stables continued, “I know you have a good diet. Nevertheless, make sure you’re taking in enough nutrients and don’t be alarmed by any weight gain. It’s completely natural.”

“Weight gain?” Rainbow asked with a frown. “How much we talking here, doc?”

The doctor cracked a smile, his professional facade faltering. “No more than about thirty pounds by the end, Rainbow. You will have a, er, newborn growing inside you, of course. You’ll still be able to fly around as you always do.”

Rainbow felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Ah, geez, you don’t know how much I wanted to hear that.”

Doctor Stables cleared his throat, his serious expression returning. “Although, don’t overdo it. I know what you’re like. I don’t want to see you coming in after another one of your crashes. I wouldn’t recommend that for a pregnant mare.”

A guilty smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Other symptoms you may experience include fatigue, weak bladder, constipation, light bleeding and tender teats,” he said.

“Huh,” Rainbow mumbled, shifting around her seat with discomfort, “that’s quite a lot of things…”

The doctor nodded, motioning to the pamphlets again. “These will go into a lot more detail than we’ll touch on today. Your body will be experiencing big hormonal changes, don't worry about it; it  is perfectly normal.”

Rainbow glanced back down at the pamphlets again. In each was a picture of an infant foal or a smiling mother. The lack of dragons, however, was starting to bother her.

"Doc," she said, clearing her throat, “Do you really think it's possible? For a pony and a dragon to have a kid?”

Doctor Stables scrunched his eyebrows thoughtfully for a few seconds before he spoke. "Well, I can't say for sure. But given that ponykind has never had a dragon among its ranks, I wouldn't rule it out entirely. We've seen Celestia perform greater miracles, after all."

Rainbow took a deep breath. He was right, and she hated it. Discord could make chocolate rain from literally nothing. A dragon foal wouldn't be the craziest thing in Equestria.

But it would be the craziest thing growing inside me.

She swallowed before asking her next question. It was the question that had been bothering for a while now, and not even Fluttershy's answer had comforted her. 

"Do you... Do you think it will... hurt me?" she asked.

Doctor Stables gave her a concerned look. "Hurt you? Do you mean the pregnancy or the... infant?"

"I mean could I die, Doc?" she said quietly. "Am I more likely to..."

The doctor's eyes widened a little in understanding. "Not like that, Miss Dash. Miscarriage will be much more probable. So far, this looks like a perfectly healthy pregnancy. As for the birth itself, I'm going to strongly recommend a C-section. A natural birth will significantly increase the chances of complications."

This time when she swallowed, the lump that had been growing in her throat refused to go away.

"But we can avoid that, right?"

"Of course. A C-section will minimize the risk."

"I'll go for that one, then."

"Do you want me to explain the C-section or Caesarian?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Pretty sure I've got a good idea of what you're gonna do."

Doctor Stables nodded, his signature smile returning once again. "It's a small operation with very low risk. You have nothing to fear, Miss Dash."

Doctor Stable's answer hadn't made her feel any better than Fluttershy's. The lump in her throat persisted.

"Do you think I'll lay an egg or something?"

"No," he replied. "The pony body isn't built for that. It is far more likely you will conceive a live dragon. Whether it survives is something I cannot predict."

"Okay," she said softly. "This is a lot to take in, huh."

Doctor Stables nodded with a mirthful grin and glanced at the ticking clock on the wall. "Yes, I think we're nearing the end of our appointment. You were a little late after all."

Rainbow grinned sheepishly, "Heh, sorry."

"Not to worry. Just read through those pamphlets. They have all the information you need. If you have any questions though, please don't hesitate to ask.

Rainbow nodded and stood up, taking a deep breath in relief. She hated sitting down for too long.

“Well, I think that concludes this meeting.” The doctor walked towards the door and opened it, ushering Rainbow Dash out with his hoof.

Dash thanked him as she hobbled out the door, her hoof still complaining if she put too much weight on it. The doctor gave her one last glance, which she couldn’t decipher, before nodding and closing the small office door. She passed by a few of the nurses she’d seen the previous day, many of whom gave her small friendly waves as she pushed open the doors of the hospital.

A rush of wind greeted her as she exited the building, ruffling her feathers. The sun had become even brighter in that short session, much to Rainbow’s discontent. Most other ponies managed to endure it, but to Rainbow, being in a dim place like a hospital and then suddenly having the sun shine down on you wasn’t comforting. She briefly contemplated sending a letter to Celestia and telling her to tone it down, but decided against it.

As Rainbow walked through town, she wished she could talk to someone about her talk with Doctor Stables.

Maybe I could find one of the girls?

AJ was the first to cross her mind. She was working the apple stand that day. But she could be a little too blunt sometimes. Rainbow recalled the previous day. Applejack didn't think having a dragon foal was that bad.

"Pff, like she could manage all that apple bucking while pregnant."

She chuckled at the thought. It was weird that she and her friends had gotten so much older but none of them had settled down and had foals. Most ponies did that sooner than them.

"Hey Rainbow, sorry to hear about your tumble the other day," a pony called as they passed by. Rainbow Dash mentally shook herself awake and looked around to see Cloudchaser trotting over.

"Tumble? Who told you that?" Rainbow grunted.

"Thunderlane, duh. You weren't at work earlier." She looked her up and down. "Although he made it sound like you'd broken more than just a few ribs. You look pretty fine to me."

"Yeah, I just sprained a wing. Knowing Thunderlane, I’d bet two bits he said I was in some death bed, right?”

Cloudchaser laughed. "Nail on the head. That's why I thought you'd just taken a little tumble." She winked at Rainbow. "Anyway I would chat more, but I promised Flitter I'd meet her at Pinkie's place. I'll catch you later!"

With that, Cloudchaser launched into the air and flew off.

Pinkie Pie, huh?

It hadn't been Rainbow's first idea, but she knew that Pinkie would know how to cheer her up. It just meant visiting her new shop.

Ugh… that place.

If Sugarcube Corner had been bad enough for temptation, then Pinkie's new shop took the cake. Literally.

Auntie Pinkie's Cupcake Emporium. Even the name had Rainbow licking her lips over the memory of Pinkie's legendary cupcakes. Mulling over her options once more, she locked the decision in her mind, hoping that it wasn’t the wrong one. 

I'll only buy one cupcake…