This story is a sequel to Diplomacy by Other Means
Laminia and Pumpernickel are both quite happy with their jobs serving the Princess of the Night in their busy and occasionally dangerous jobs, until an opportunity to bring a new life into the world turns their lives upside-down. It is a long hard road from the Canterlot castle to the maternity room of the hospital, and there is always the fear of their road to parenthood winding up with nothing but an empty crib.
Dedicated to all parents out there who know the agony and tension of the long, slow road to childbirth.
Thank you to Talon and Thorn for assisting with the last minute editing.
Chapters (1)
Author Notes:
Yes, you can breastfeed after a C-section. Check this article from Kellymom
Laminia with Laminitis is not a typo. It’s a very serious ailment in pregnant hooved ungulates.
I attempted to make a cute little picture of Stargazer with Gimp and Inkscape from this template. You don’t want to see the result. Really. But if anybody else wants to try, I’ll link it in.
Ooh, WHEW. Thank goodness for the ending being as it was.
For sale: baby shoes, never worn.
7 views, 6 thumbs up? I methinks there will soon be a new featured.
best of luck, comrade.
Eyes fic with suspicion.
Reads
Oh thank goodness. Was worried there for a second. This fic needs fan-art, immediately!
.
I was not worried as a previous blog of your's said it would have a happy ending... even knowing that, the tension was still palpable in places that made me second guess you. Kudos on that.
The part where Lumpy got everything and was rushing off to the hospital after Laminia's water broke BUT without her in tow was something that my father did as well. At least their baby wasn't a big'un like I was (was 10 lbs 6 ounces and the length of an average 3 month old).
I enjoyed the story, now I go back to waiting on your other stories.
Good job Laminia and Pumpernickel. You guys deserve it.
Though I've got to say Georg, you scared me a bit there in the beginning.
Incredible atmosphere (if that's the right word to use here) that really made the tension palpable in this fic. Btw, I love this bat pony pair so much. I hope we continue to see them often. Lovely story. :)
Tangentially related, my dad almost didn't make it to my birth because of a basketball game lol
3696895 And I thought our boys were big. 9+ pounds each. Our twin girls averaged 8 pounds each, though. That was an... interesting time.
3697324 My older brother was born in a car. My parents were smarter with me. When the doctor told them to go home, they just drove around town for an hour and came back.
3696823 Volunteering?
3696567 Thanks. It has some substantial competition. GoH just published Orbiter Dicta, which is *awesome*.
3696525 That sounds familiar, like from English class assigned reading.
3696479 I like to stress my readers by using cliffhangers. (If you haven't guessed) However, I have a very tender soul with my writing. I've only killed off three characters in Diplomacy by Other Means, two who really deserved it, and one who didn't. (but she got a whole story out of it in memory. This one, as a matter of fact)
3697564
I would, if I could draw worth a damn.
3696525
I was thinking the same thing.
But
, the ending was happier than that!
3697564
You are correct.
Love the name choice.
Looks like we're off to a good start.
So, just to cover me totally missing the point, the crying was tears of happiness from Lumpy? Since the foal was napping away when Luna moved his wings to give someone else a chance for snuggles.
Love the story, and can't wait to see the finale of "Diplomacy by Other Means."
*wink wink nudge nudge*
Yay. and Daww.
Fantastic one-shot. Wonderful characterization, an emotional roller coaster, and a happy ending. What more could I ask for?
You really had me going there, you bastard. The absence of a sad tag was not enough logic to calm me after the first scene. Well done.
A pretty accurate telling of the stresses and worries of pregnancy, especially for families where the husband is in the armed forces.
I think... I think that the name is appropriate for that was a pony whose loyalty should be remembered forever. The Nocturne are the sort of ponies who would do that.
3732218 Right? The nerve
Yeah. That was a nice story. I liked it. I can't wait to see if there will be a sequel with Stargazer becoming a guard.
Very sweet ending, I would love to see more adventures of Stargazer as she grows up. I can totally see her treating Luna and Celestia as aunties and making Pumpernickel go into fits with her antics.
I love this series. In fact, I went back through and read it from beginning to (what I believe is currently the) end, because I didn't entirely recall what had happened before Diplomacy by Other Means, and I hadn't read that yet.
Here's hoping for a continuation of Pumpernickle, Laminia, and Stargazer's story!
Mother of Luna... that was so beautifully done. As a father, myself, you captured the experience of parenthood masterfully.
aww, also this story was great
You know that title and intro ruin all those little jokes you put into this chapter, right?
...wait... you gave a [sad] tag to Diplomacy, but not to this... This is a caesarean and pre-term birth complications, isn't it? You sly bastard
Aaand yup. Though I had expected the foal to at least be in an incubator or something, after all that drama in the intro about the crib being empty
"No shit, Sherlock."
Laminia and Lumpy are used to having her around by now.
D'aww. A fitting tribute to a pony they never had the chance to know.
And looks like Laminia was right about the gender, lol.
Remarks and corrections:
> “Among the nocturnal pegasi race.”
Either say "pegasus" or leave off the "race".
> “So. Have either of you have been through this?”
Double "have"
Well done getting scarred and scared right next to each other there.
----
I think you mean "part".
6554295 Fixed.
5950045 And fixed (finally)
Well played you evil bastard.... well played. I was so drawn into the story I was sure the baby didn't make it till the end.
Every story in this universe keeps being an amazing read.
That was one of the worst cliffhangers I ever had to endure. :(
Then again. I only have myself to blame for not paying attention to the tags and being unaware of the blog post about his story.
As always: great story! :)
6789788 And you made me fix a typo too. Thanks!
6790282 I ... did? Well, I'm happy to help.
6790282 I ... did? Well, I'm happy to be of assistance.
haven't read it 'just' yet, but the summary makes it almost sad. 'empty crib' implying things.
That really should be Vanhoover. It's a pon on Vancouver, after all. Yes, pony puns should be shortened to pons. I'm hungry and insomniac; it makes my mind work in strange ways.
I really should have read the tags. I was all, "No, no, you are not that evil, oh, no, you weren't, okay, good."
I need to ask this question? Are you a "Galaxy Quest" fan?
The reason why I'm asking is because of what Laminia said when she was upside down.
"Never give up, Never surrender".
I just wanted to know if that was intentional, or just a coincidence?