Luna Eclipse

by Teeemu

Chapter II: Immaculate Conception

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"An ironic choice of words, wouldn't you say?"

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She could see nothing, she could hear nothing. Fear began to pulse through her in the black silence she had found herself in. Alouette tried to move her hooves, yet found that they were no longer there. She tried to scream, but felt her lungs unable to inflate.

Relax. Do not struggle.

"I can't breathe!" Alouette yelled, hearing herself for the first time.

You can... This is only a dream.

Alouette kept her eyes closed. This was impossible. No pony could ever truly be aware that they were dreaming when they were dreaming. She would have woken by now drenched in her horrible cold sweats. No, this was anything but dreaming.

You know my voice.

It was as if her entire body had returned to her in one single moment. She could breathe again, she could hear again, and most of all, she could feel again.

The welcoming sensation of something warm and gentle caressed her fur. Alouette opened her eyes, half expecting to see her bedroom ceiling, and gasped at the sight before her. Endless plains of tall grass basking in the glow of the moonlight stretched out and beyond her. Alouette could barely contain the awestruck expression on her face as she gazed above her and towards the heavens. The moon engulfed the night's sky and blocked out the light of the stars beyond. Somehow, Alouette had felt safer here than anywhere she had ever been before.

With the innocent grin of an explorative filly, Alouette began to trot slowly through the swaying grass of these Elysian-like fields. She felt it brush against her coat and its seeds collecting in her tail as she went. Never in her life had Alouette truly been able to experience the joy of a free spirited youth. She felt her cares abandon her and the concept of time become meaningless. The longer Alouette had played in the fields, the more freedom she had felt. It was not until she had reached the top of a particularly tall hill did she finally feel as though she was not the only presence here.

She stopped suddenly, brushing her raising forehoof along one of the tall blades of grass in front of her. The seeds from the top began to fall loose and blow away in the wind which rustled through the fields.

It was only when Alouette turned her head that she finally had seen it.

The shadowy outline of the alicorn princess stood silently behind her, its hoof once more raised up as if to beckon her forward. She bowed her head as a gesture of respect.

"No dear, Alouette," the alicorn responded. "I am no deity... I wish not to be addressed as such."

Alouette raised her head. "It's still an honor to meet you."

The alicorn raised her wings and stretched them out before folding them neatly back at her sides. "You followed the path that we had set out for you, and you have done it well. I have been waiting to meet you for a very long time, gentle mare."

Alouette lifted her head. "Have you been watching me?"

Indeed," said the alicorn. "I've been watching you for longer than you know."

"Why?" Alouette asked. "Why me? What makes me so special?

"Because, dear Alouette, you are worthy."

Alouette felt a pang of annoyance. "But worthy of what? I keep hearing that phrase and nopony ever explains it to me." She felt herself glaring at the shadowy figure. "And why can't you just reveal your face? I already know it's you I'm addressing, Princess Celestia."

"Celestia?" the alicorn responded, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Why would you assume my name is thus?"

Alouette was confused. "But all the signs... The prayer I was meant to say... The fact that you're the 'bringer of life'. Who else would you be?"

The alicorn remained silent. For a while, all Alouette could hear was the rustling of the wind against the grass. Eventually the creature took a step forward, her dark purple coat and stunning turquoise eyes revealed at last. "My name is Princess Luna. Celestia knows nothing of you or your importance."

Alouette had to double take. "B-but... I had thought that... that you were going to help bring life to my world. That you were going to help me. Who but Celestia could do that?"

Luna's expression remained neutral. "And what makes you believe that I was not here to help you?"

"I- I apologize, Your... Highness," Alouette simpered. "I didn't mean to assume you couldn't. Or to be so short with you."

"I am just as capable of giving the gift of life as my sister is," Luna continued. "However, the toll exacted upon me is... higher."

Alouette had no idea what this meant and wasn't inclined to ask. "My dreams," she began, taking the conversation forward. "You watched me through my dreams?"

Luna nodded. "And I have seen what ails you the most. You are not ready to be a mother."

Alouette hung her head. "Not that I'll ever be."

Luna nodded. "You will never be able to conceive your own foal, this is true."

Alouette sighed, hunched her hind hooves and sat down in the grass. She curled her tail into her hooves and began to stroke it. It was something she had always done when her heart had felt this heavy. She felt the seeds embedded in her tail and imagined how much brushing she would have to do just to get them out.

Alouette laughed. "It's all just a dream."

Luna stepped towards her, the alicorn's slender figure moving through the grass like a phantom. Alouette found herself mesmerized by the ethereal glow of the princess' mane. How it floated behind her like silk through the wind.

Luna stopped directly in front of her. The young unicorn could feel the presence of something old and magical gleam in the creature's eyes as her form towered over her. Yet the imposing nature of her figure became offset as she laid a hoof upon Alouette's shoulder and gently brought it up to her chin.

"You may never conceive your own foal," Luna repeated carefully, gently lifting Alouette's chin back up. "But you will conceive mine.

Alouette couldn't find the words to respond.

"Tomorrow morning, you will awaken with the seed of my grace in your womb," Luna continued, dropping her hoof to the floor. "You will raise this foal as if she was your own. You will care for her as if she was your own. She will be born to the light of the moon and she will bear its mark upon her visage."

"I..." Alouette felt herself at great odds. True, a foal was the answer to her marehood woes and it was the one thing her beloved Quicklight desired above all else. Yet something about sharing motherhood with a goddess seemed... fear inducing. Alouette knew that this foal would never be an ordinary filly. How could she? She would be the daughter of an alicorn. The supposed pinnacle of ponykind.

"She will be the mare of the moon," Luna said as if reading her thoughts.

"What if I refuse?" Alouette asked curiously.

"Refuse?" Luna inquired. "My dear Alouette, the grace of my child has already found you." She lowered her eyes to the tiny seeds imbedded in her tail and fur. "These are no ordinary seeds. They contain the key to the life that has already begun to grow inside you."

Alouette let go of her tail and stood up quickly. "I thought I had a choice in the matter!" She tried to shake the seeds off, but found that they had begun to slowly embed themselves inside her. "What's happening!?" she demanded.

"Choice?" Luna whispered, watching Alouette's outburst. "Where was there ever a choice that was better than this? When had you ever experienced true choice in the life you have lead? Worse, What sort of consequences will you face when your husband finds out that you are barren?"

Alouette felt hurt by Luna's words. "I am NOT barren!" she shouted, finally abating from the struggle against the seeds. "I am no less a mare than any other mother in this godforsaken land."

"An ironic choice of words, wouldn't you say?" Luna said with a smile.

"You tricked me! How am I supposed to raise your demigod foal?"

Luna's smile faded. "You could not comprehend the lengths I have gone to make this possible," she said with an icy tone. "Do you even realize how important this life you carry is? And you dare scoff at the gift I have given you?"

Alouette bit her lip. It was true that no other outcome had a better ending than this. She would raise the child that her husband had always wanted. It would make him happy and in turn: make her happy.

Luna’s smile returned. “Do you not see? You have so much to gain should you choose to raise my foal. Why would the alternative of losing everything you hold dear to you exist in the capacity of a choice? You have already decided to mother this foal. You would not be here otherwise.”

“Where even is here?” Alouette asked. “Is any of this even real?”

“This is a place beyond the constraints of realm and time.” Luna replied. “However, irrelevant to the matter at hoof.”

Alouette considered the role she would soon be playing. The mother of a child that was neither her’s nor her husband’s. Yet even as she considered this, nothing was quite as bizarre as the prospect of carrying, birthing and caring for a child that was not of her blood. Then again, the seed had been sowed.

She looked up at Luna. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, my dear princess. I'm just… confused. I feel as though my whole life has just been a tragic parody of a proper existence. I have failed in every aspect of marehood. How am I worthy to fit the task that you have given? What will this foal become one day?”

Luna sat beside her. “The foal you will bare contains everything in me that represents harmony. My sister, the diarch all have grown to love, has never truly experienced the loneliness that comes from being the second born. From being the younger one that maintains harmony in the coldest hours of the night. This foal will be my saving grace.” She shifted her wing and wrapped it soothingly over Alouette. “As for you? I chose you because you suit this task better than any other mare of the land you live in. Your heart is true and your mind still open. That is enough for you. It is enough for me.”

Alouette felt comforted by the princess’ embrace, yet was still not entirely sure of her answer. “My happiness in exchange for caring for your child? Will I at least be able to raise her as my own?”

Luna retracted her wing and stood up. “You may raise her as if she was your own.” She began to trot slowly back towards the edge of the hill, her color fading back to darkness. “But remember, Alouette. She shall always be my filly. She will always be The Mare of the Moon.”

With those last words, Luna’s form slowly faded into the wind. Alouette stood up, instantly feeling the sensation of a dream sequence beginning to take form. The blades of tall grass began to wither, the moon began to dim and soon she had found herself surrounded by constricting darkness once more.

***

Alouette’s eyes felt heavy and a slight chill lingered in the air. The smell of leather greeted her as she rolled to the side and discovered she had been sleeping on her grand old chesterfield sofa. Slowly, she peeked her head over its arm and peeked through the window of her lounge. It was dark out. How long had she been asleep for? She could barely even remember how she had ended up on her sofa in the first place.

She wiped her eyes and sat up. “Hello?” she whispered groggily. “Quicklight, are you home?”

“Finally awake, I see?” a voice whispered from behind the sofa. “Imagine my surprise when I found you snuggled up on the couch when I came home.”

Alouette turned her head and found Quicklight standing behind the sofa with a cheeky grin on his face. “Oh?” she teased. “Should I have been in the kitchen?”

He chuckled. “Slaving over a tasty risotto? How could I resist such a charming image?”

Alouette laughed as consciousness slowly returned to her. Yet her joy was short lived as the memory of the day’s events began to filter back in. She remembered the clinic, the mare with the pegasus foal and the awful news that had led her to passing out on the sofa in the first place.

“Quicklight…” she said seriously. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

The charcoal colored stallion stepped around the couch and towards her. “Anything, my love.”

She opened her mouth but stopped. The events of that most peculiar dream came flooding back to her. She remembered all of it. Luna, the grass, the seeds and…

Alouette’s grin returned once more. “I’m ready.”

Quicklight stopped in front of her. “Ready?”

Alouette nodded, lifting her hoof and stroking his cheek. “I’m ready to give you the one thing you’ve wanted for years. A foal.”

He stepped closer. “Are you sure? I mean… The last time we tried you-“

“Shhh…” She leant closer, touching her lips to his. “Kiss me.”

Quicklight did as he was told, caressing her neck with his hoof and breathing in the aroma of her strawberry-like perfume. She always knew exactly what he liked and how to please him.

“Come…” she whispered, breaking the kiss and taking his hoof into hers. “Follow me…”

Alouette guided her husband away from the sofa and towards the stairwell that lead towards their bedroom. Once again Quicklight obeyed, following her lead like a young colt hoping to get a reward for behaving.

Entering the room, she could see the hope in his eyes and felt a pang of guilt. Once again Alouette was about to repay her husband’s kindness with deception. Yet she knew deep down that this was the only way he would ever believe that the life that was already growing inside her was truly his.

She fell backwards upon her bed, dragging the amorous stallion down with her. Once again they began to kiss, his hoof slowly making its way to her flank. Regardless of his ignorance, Quicklight was an excellent and passionate lover. Never once had he failed to pleasure her in the way she desired. For a pony of simple origins, she was in no way easy to please.

He paused just to stare at her. Her long black mane spread out across the sheet and her eyes glistening at the sight of him. “I love you. You know that, right?”

She giggled, pulling him closer to her. “I love you, too.”

***

The soft sheets felt like silk entwined between their bodies and the residue of dried sweat lingered in the air. Alouette had felt safe, cradled in the hooves of her husband and lover. Her passionate lover. In many ways, her safety had come from the knowledge that she had properly sold the lie. She had coupled with her husband and would carry “his” foul. Who would ever know?

“That was different …” he chimed, leaning in to kiss the side of her muzzle. “Completely irresistible as ever… but... different.”

Alouette rolled over to face him, a cheeky grin lingering on her face. “Different? Hmm, I knew you would like it…”

He chuckled, kissing her again and pulling her closer. “You’ve always known just how to make me happy. Even when things seem at their bleakest.”

Alouette’s grin faded. “Bleakest?” she asked with concern. “Why? What’s been worrying you?”

“Well I…” he began. “I really don't think now is the best time to talk about it."

“I’ll tell you a secret if you tell me why you’re feeling the way you do,” she offered.

He lay still, considering what she had to say. "Keeping secrets from me now? Okay, I'll bite. But I need you to know that none of this affects the way I think about you. Okay?"

"Okay," she responded, now genuinely concerned.

Quicklight rolled onto his back with a sigh. "In many ways it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm still not a father. I hate to admit it but... it's had an effect on the way the other stallions view me."

Alouette felt that pang of guilt resurface once more. "View you? But I had thought that... I mean with all the work that you do and the... family name."

"Alouette, sweetie, you don't understand the expectations that have been placed upon me. I'm the son of one of the province's most influential ponies. A great deal of pressure lies in my ability to... show my worth as a stallion."

"Show your worth?" She asked in a surprised tone. This was the first she was ever hearing about this. "You mean..."

"I mean that five years married and... I still haven't been able to produce an heir. These things, they... well they matter to my family. They matter to the ponies whom hold my respect and most of all it... Well, it matters to me."

Alouette's ears went flat. "I can't help what happened in the past," she answered slowly. "We were just unlucky. We could never have planned for it to take so long."

Quicklight neither confirmed nor denied her statement.

"You do know that, right?" she spoke again, lifting herself up slightly to look at him seriously.

He remained silent still, unable to figure out how best to say what was on his mind without making her feel too guilty. Alouette on the other hand, began to feel slightly worried. Were all those efforts to snub his advances not as subtle as she had hoped?

"Alouette, I..." he stammered, struggling with his words. "I sometimes had the feeling that you weren't always as honest with me about things as you should have been."

There it was. The last phrase in the world she ever wanted hear. "What would make you think that?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Quicklight turned his head back to face her, his expression slightly hard. "You said you had a secret to tell me?"

"Oh," she stammered. "Well it was just... something innocuous really. After that bombshell I doubt anything I could say would compete."

Quicklight could sense the icy tone in her voice and sighed once more. "I'd still like to hear it, nonetheless."

Alouette nudged herself closer to him. "I was going to tell you that Doctor Esteril believes that I'm now as ready as I'll ever be to have a foal. Your foal."

A smile formed on Quicklight's muzzle once more. "You went to the clinic again?"

She nodded.

Lie upon lie. It was beginning to get harder for her to keep track of them all.

"I guess that explains your very sudden desire to... you know..." he winked at her, bringing back the pleasant tone of the conversation.

She nodded once more, kissing his cheek and resting her head on his chest. "I just want you to be happy."

At least that was the truth.

The blissful feeling that accompanied their pillow talk had once again lingered in the atmosphere as they lay together quietly. The playful silence must have lasted for at least a few minutes before Quicklight spoke again.

"Alouette?" he said in a whisper.

"Yes, my love?"

"It's important that we remain honest with each other. You'd never lie to me, would you?"

It had sounded more like a rhetorical question than anything else. Alouette remained silent for a while as she listened to the low thumping of his heart and the steady rise and decline of his chest with each breath.

"I've never lied to you," she responded without thinking too hard about it. Was it that easy to do the very opposite?

"Good. Because if there's one thing I require from you above all else, it's honesty and commitment. It's all I've ever wanted."

It was the first time she had ever heard him talk to her like this. In some ways it had scared her.

***

The weeks that followed Alouette's curious dream had been the longest of her life. The desire to find out whether or not she was truly pregnant had been amplified by the fact that deep down she knew that this was craziness. How could she possibly be with foal after her doctor's own diagnosis? That she was basing her most elaborate lie on the promise of an ethereal being that had visited her in her sleep.

Her anxiety had increased and her mood had suffered for it. Much of her time was spent in the town library reading up on how long it would take for a mare to properly show. If she wasn't there she was at home, snapping at Quicklight for arbitrary concerns and only feeling bad about it afterwards. She considered paying Esteril another visit but knew that it was simply too soon to tell. All in all, her only solace lay in the strangeness of the sudden departure of her dreams and night sweats.

It was not until the her fourth week did Alouette finally pencil in another appointment with a rather surprised-looking Esteril. As was her custom, Alouette apologized for her rude behavior during her previous visit and went on to request for a full maternity test.

"A what?" Esteril asked, looking slightly taken aback.

"That's right," Alouette responded casually, taking a seat opposite him. "I want to check if I'm pregnant."

"You do recall the way our last appointment rounded off, I assume?" he asked.

"I'm sterile."

A slight pause. "Yes..."

Alouette smiled. "What if I told you that I believe I am indeed with foal?"

"I would say that it is and always was entirely possible but..." his expression became soft. "This diagnosis was... extremely accurate. I don't see how it could be challenged without some sort of experimental treatment that, quite frankly, doesn't yet exist."

"Did you not say there were other avenues I could look into?" she asked with mild interest.

"I did," he replied rather guiltily. "But I confess it was merely said to grant you false hope. Again... A serious error in my judgment."

"And I'm grateful for you genuine concern, doc" she replied, leaning forward. "You've been one of my only sources of true compassion in this city. You don't know how much it's meant to me."

"It's just my job, dear," he replied with a hint of modesty. "I don't-"

"Doc, you need to listen to me," she interjected. "I am pregnant. There's no point arguing about it now and it sort of makes what I'm about to tell you even stranger."

Esteril sat back slowly. "I'm all ears, Alouette."

She bit her lip for a second before finally opening up to him about her dreams. She was careful to include every detail she could think of. Her well rehearsed monologue about her immaculate conception regaled in its entirety to a seemingly astounded Esteril. The hardest part about this story was describing how Princess Luna had somehow visited her in what could be best described as a fugue state. When she had finished, she realized that the entire time she had been holding onto her tail. A sign that in many ways she also questioned the validity of her story.

"Well..." Esteril began, standing up from behind his desk. "I can't say it is ethical for a medical practitioner to entertain a fantasy." He looked at her carefully, grinning at the slightly hurt expression on her face. "But I cannot help but feel honored that you would view me worthy enough to share such a personal story. If you believe it to be true, my dear, who am I to stand in the way of your pregnancy test?"

Alouette gazed hopefully up at him. "You mean to say you believe me?"

"I'm not sure what I believe anymore," he replied rather broadly. "What I do know is that you seem to believe it. That's all that matters. Now tell me, when was the date of conception?"

"About a month ago."

"Ahh..." he replied, stepping towards his examination table. "Very well. Why don't you hop on up here and lay down on your back?"

"Of course." Alouette stood up and climbed onto the table. "It's odd finally doing this," she said, feeling surreal.

"I imagine it would be," he responded, his horn now glowing. "Take care to remain still. Do not worry, this is a simple, non evasive procedure."

She lay as still as possible, watching him gaze curiously at her abdomen as his horn continued to glow. Alouette had always wondered how earth ponies and pegasi performed such a procedure without magic. Doctor Esteril's complex spell hadn't even been active for a minute before he had to stop himself with a slight gasp.

"I... I don't. This makes no sense," he stammered.

"Am I pregnant?" she asked, eager to finally have confirmation.

"Indeed... Indeed you are, Alouette." Esteril's spell remained active as he continued to examine her. "There... I can pick up a tiny heartbeat. My goodness... this is phenomenal."

Alouette felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Eh..." she battled with the words in throat, unable to hold back the tears. "This... It's all true..."

"Well I wouldn't go as far as to say it's an immaculate conception, but... It's still astounding." His horn's glow began to recede.

Alouette had more queries than she could process into words, eventually settling on one simple question. "Is it a filly or colt?"

"A bit early to tell right away, but..." he replied, noticing her tears and levitating a small handkerchief from his waistcoat towards her. "For what it's worth... Congratulations, my dear."

"T-thank you..." she choked, taking the small handkerchief. "I don't really know how to describe this feeling. It's just... magical."

"I am just as surprised as you," he said, helping her down from the table. "Although this is unorthodox, you are by all means an expecting mare. I believe we should pencil in monthly check ups during your year-long gestation period... If of course... you would have me as your doctor?"

Alouette chuckled, wiping away more tears. "And who else would I ask to hold my hoof through this long journey, doc?"

For the first time in her life, Alouette could see the reddish glow of a blush beginning to show upon the old doctor’s cheeks. For as long as she had lived here, she couldn't quite recall any other pony that she could truly call a friend. In fact, Esteril knew more about who she was than her own husband. A fact she was ashamed to admit.

"I shall do my utmost to make sure that your foal is born healthy," he said proudly.

***

It had taken Alouette all of six seconds to tell her husband the good news the moment she had gotten home. Quicklight’s reaction ranged from sudden shock to excitement. For the first time in her life, she had seen something in her stallion that proved just how important this was to him. It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to become swept up in the moment, their evening ending in the bedroom in each other’s hooves with blissful expressions on their faces.

The following day, Quicklight had closed his shop for the morning in order to spend more time with Alouette. Between breakfast and what could be best described as the laziest morning of her life, the two of them had discussed the prospect of their future as parents. In many ways she felt as though this had been the push their relationship needed in order to grow to the next level.

The days that followed had been extremely eventful. Firstly, Quicklight’s family had to be informed of her conception and that meant that a lot of her time was spent in the company of both her mother and sister in-law. There were apparently many things that an expecting mare had to learn, and Quicklight’s mother had taken upon herself to teach Alouette.

Despite the fact that she had lived in the city for five years, Alouette had still felt awkward around them. She could never understand why ponies of their standing would walk through town with their head and noses literally in the air. However, the fact that she was now carrying the heir to their family name had at least warmed them up to her.

It wasn’t until the first month had passed that she had finally begun to show. Even though she had all the evidence she needed to believe that this foal wasn’t just some elaborate hoax, she couldn’t help but feel as though seeing her belly grow was the final piece of the puzzle. In many ways, she had grown to appreciate the life that was growing inside her. Yet something about it, something she couldn’t explain, had made her feel disconnected from this foal.

She will be a Mare of the Moon.

The constant reminder of this fact had sometimes, not always, felt as though she was nothing but a surrogate. A vessel for somepony else’s will. A foal that for all intents and purposes was the filly of a godlike creature.

Yet Alouette no longer experienced the dreams or the night sweats she had before her conception. She wondered whether Luna’s strange absence in the maternal growth of her own child was anything to be concerned about. But in order to keep herself from worrying, she did her best to drive these thoughts from her mind and simply enjoy the exciting prospect of the future she had now guaranteed for herself.

And so the months had passed and her lifestyle had changed dramatically. The growing life inside of her checked regularly by Esteril, her newfound appreciation for leisurely days of simply doing nothing and the acceptance of her husband's family had lifted her spirits immeasurably. Never before could she truly say she had felt happiness on this level, and nopony knew this better than Quicklight.

Soon though, Alouette would realize that these few short months of happiness would be the last she would ever experience.

On the morning of the coldest day of the year, Alouette had awoken with a start and could feel dampness under her sheet. At first she had thought it was another one of her night sweats coming back to haunt her, but quickly realized that this was not the case. She lifted the sheet slowly, viewing a giant wet patch beneath her hind hooves but was stopped short by a sharp pain spreading through her lower stomach.

"Ergh!!" She cringed, pulling her legs up to her abdomen.

Quicklight stirred next to her, rolling over in his sleep.

Alouette glanced at him, moving her forehooves towards the dampness that seemed to originate from between her legs. This was way too damp to come from sweat, she thought. Slowly, she tried to crawl from her bed but was once again beset by another violent spasm.

"EEURGH!!" She curled into a fetal position, clutching at her stomach and clenching her teeth.

Quicklight had finally awoken, lifting himself up to look at her. "Alouette?" he said groggily. "What's the matter?"

"I dunno!" she whined. "Something's- ARGGGHHHHHH!!"

Quicklight immediately leapt from bed and hurried over to her side. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt? What-" he lifted the sheet to find her curled up in a pool of soggy clear liquid. Some of it had still not soaked through the covers. "Oh dear."

Alouette chanced a quick glance at the mess she had created. "No, no, no, no... It can't be! It's too soon!"

Quicklight was struck dumb by the sight of her before shaking off the shock and springing into action. "I... I'm gonna get Doctor Esteril..."

"Nooo!" she bellowed, lifting a hoof to him. "Don't leave me!"

Quicklight grabbed her hoof and leant down beside her. "Sweetie... I think your water’s broken. We need to get your doctor here as soon as possible."

"It's too soon!" she repeated, her eyes shut tight.

Quicklight stepped back. "You can't just lie here... I need to get help." Without a second glance he darted out of the room, leaving her quivering on the bed and mumbling incoherently.

So many crazy thoughts had pumped through her mind as she lay there. Something was definitely wrong with her foal, she knew it. All the dark thoughts that she had believed gone from her mind had immediately resurfaced.

Despite all this, Alouette tried to keep herself as calm as possible. She concentrated on the breathing and relaxation exercises Esteril had taught her. Yet each time she thought she had herself under control, another sharp contraction would pulse through her body.

The seconds had turned to minutes with the pain showing no sign of going away. Where was Quicklight? What was taking him so damn long? All she could think of doing was softly hum to herself as she gently caressed her belly.

"Shhhhh..." she soothed. "It's... OW! It's... going to be okay... You can do this."

The sound of Quicklight's frantic voice followed by the smooth monotone of Esteril's greeted her ears after a few more minutes. How fortunate she was to have a doctor as devoted to her as him. Tears began to form as she heard their hooves clop quickly up the stairs and into the room.

"She's not supposed to have the foal for at least another six months!" Quicklight said seriously. "Please, doc. You have to help us."

Esteril glanced at Alouette's curled up form and slowly made his way to her bedside. "Alouette?" he began, placing his hoof gently upon her forehead. "Can you hear me?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes still closed.

"I'm going to have to ask you to lie on your back for me, my dear," he requested calmly, gently stroking her quivering hoof. "Can you do that for me?"

Alouette grunted in acknowledgement, slowly rolling over onto her back and wincing at the next contraction. She could feel his hoof upon her belly, slowly placing pressure in different places.

Quicklight had cautiously climbed onto the bed opposite her and held onto her hoof. "I'm here for you."

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him before turning her head to Esteril. His horn glowing as he observed her belly with a serious look on his tired face.

"She is indeed in labor," he announced. "Quicklight. I need you to help her into a better position."

"I... What?" he stammered, gasping at Esteril. "Yes... yes of course."

As Quicklight began to move pillows behind her head and back, Esteril slowly took her hoof and helped her into birthing position

"Alouette?" he said slowly. "I'm going to need you to concentrate on your breathing, okay?"

She nodded, her hoof clutching Esteril's. "Is the foal going to be okay, doc?"

Esteril didn't answer right away. Whether or not he believed his own words to be true she would never know. "For the most part, this seems to be a very fast-paced labor. Your foal seems to be... well... fully formed and ready to be born."

"But I thought pregnancies were meant to last over a year," Quicklight interjected. "It's been less than half that!"

"I am just as surprised as you are, Quicklight. However, we need to concentrate on birthing this foal as quickly as possible. there will be time for speculation later-"

"AAARGHHHHH!!" Alouette screamed, shaking both of them back into action.

"I need you to breathe, Alouette," Esteril soothed, getting himself into position to help the foal out.

"I am breathing!" she hissed venomously. "Just get my foal out!"

"Quicklight, I need some room," he said, pointing towards the back of the bedroom.

"I'm not leaving her side!"

"She needs-"

"HE'S NOT LEAVING MY SIDE!!"

"Very well..." With a sigh, Esteril's horn began to glow. "Now Alouette, I need you to push methodically and gently at first every time I give the word. When I see the head, I'll be able to help her out. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good... Are you ready? Push!"

Alouette clenched her teeth and did as she was told despite the fact that every fiber in her body was screaming painfully at her. The action of relaxing and pushing had become nauseatingly repetitive and she could feel her back starting to ache dreadfully with each contraction. The only form of solace she had was the tight squeezing of Quicklight's hoof upon hers. The action of giving birth had taken a heavy toll on her. The pain of labor and exhaustion she felt had built up so quickly that she was on the verge of passing out.

"Alright... I see the head," Esteril confirmed. "Alouette. I'm going to need you to give me one last giant push on my mark. Are you ready? Now... PUSH!"

Alouette seized every muscle in her body, heaving with all the strength she had left to give. She could feel something large squeezing through her and exiting her body. The sound of high-pitched crying following soon afterwards.

Gasping for air, her head fell back upon the her pillow. Her eyes closed and the throbbing in her stomach starting to abate slightly. In many ways she couldn't quite grasp just how painful and quick this process had been. Yet something about the air of the room had felt wrong. She could feel the grip of Quicklight's hoof begin to loosen until he had finally let go. The only sound in the room being the continuous cries of her newborn foal.

Alouette opened her eyes. "Somepony please say something..." she gasped, her eyes lingering on Quicklight. "What-"

Alouette felt a chill run down her spine the moment she could see the expression on her husband's face. Quicklight stood as still as a statue, his eyes glaring at the crying form below her. Something about the way he was staring at her foal felt incredibly... wrong. She glanced quickly to Esteril, propping herself up painfully as he did so.

"Could somepony please just-"

Alouette's eyes had fallen upon her newborn foal for the first time and felt her as though a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her. Never in her life had she seen anything quite like the tiny form that hung crying and suspended in Esteril's levitation spell. In an instant, she was overcome by the shocking silence that had befallen her stallion companions.

What in Luna's name have I given birth to?

Comments

[Grekoy]

Uh oh. This won't end well.

[sparky098]

This was a great story i rate it 8/8 mate