• Published 16th Dec 2018
  • 1,471 Views, 16 Comments

A Daughter and her Dragon Side Stories: Gone, But Not Forgotten - Level Dasher



Cotton Candy has a large family, but there were some members that she never got to meet.

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The Miracle of Life

Fluttershy lay alternating between panting and cringing in the middle of her sanctuary, all of her animal friends surrounding her. After eleven months of waiting, they were all ready to see the miracle, however unexpected it may have been.

“Breathe, Fluttershy, breathe. Deeeeep breaths,” Twilight soothed. “The sac is coming. Just push.”

Fluttershy nodded, but halfway through, she had to relax and just lay there breathing.

Discord hovered above them both doing figure-eights. “Oooohoohoohoo! It’s got my legs!” he said with glee, spotting the small, respective lizard and goat legs poking out of the sac. When he saw a third, wiggling appendage, he added, “And my tail!”

“That’s not surprising,” Twilight said to him. “It is half draconequus, after all.” Focusing on Fluttershy, who still lay on the ground panting, Twilight asked her, “Fluttershy, you’re clearly exhausted. Would you like me to pull? It is a natural part of the birthing process.”

Fluttershy lightly nodded. “Yes please,” she replied.

Discord began, “You know, I could have that child out with but the cli—”

No, Discord!” Fluttershy cried. “I told you I wanted this to be a natural birth!”

“Oh, fine,” Discord responded, crossing his arms. “Can I at least help pull?”

Fluttershy gave a weak nod.

“Oh, goody!”

As Discord floated down to the ground, Twilight stepped aside with a small smile. “Well, Dad, go ahead. But if you do anything funny, I’m taking over,” she said. “Remember, Fluttershy isn’t exactly in her thirties anymore.”

“I could fix that, too.”

Not in the middle of the birth. It could kill both Fluttershy and the baby,” Twilight responded with a hard stare.

Cracking the knuckles on his paw and claw, Discord suddenly pursed his lips as he said with complete seriousness, “Very well.”

“Start gently, then increase your strength as necessary. You want to be careful in case it has large wings like Flurry Heart did,” Twilight told him. “Or wings at all, for that matter.”

“Yes, Doctor Sparkle,” Discord said with just the slightest of huffs. Grasping the mismatched legs firmly, he slowly pulled as Twilight talked Fluttershy through her breathing.

When Fluttershy closed her eyes and began clenching her teeth between ragged breaths, Twilight turned to Discord. “Harder, Discord. We need to relieve more pressure.”

Stretching his ear like taffy, Discord wiggled it around and placed it on Fluttershy’s chest. Hearing her heartbeat slowing, he flipped his tail up to his forehead in a salute, then pulled harder. As he pulled, the baby’s legs slipped slowly, and he saw the beginning of a butter-yellow coat and the tips of pegasus wings emerge.

A smile gracing his face, Discord looked up at Twilight. “There are wings; the tips are out.”

“Then the chance of harming them is almost nil now. Pull!

With a nod, Discord pulled as hard as he could. As Fluttershy let out a wail, the baby slipped free smoothly, the sac falling away with ease. Discord flew backward onto his rear, expanding his torso to the size of a picnic blanket and catching the baby. He cradled it back and forth slowly before picking it up in his claw and paw, holding it properly as his torso returned to normal. When the baby’s chest began to rise and fall at a steady rhythm, Discord smiled, allowing a tear to fall down his cheek.

“Fluttershy, she’s beautiful.” Discord glowed like a lightbulb. Literally.

“Sh-she?” Fluttershy asked between her ragged breathing.

Discord hovered over to Fluttershy’s head and lowered his arms to her. “Yes, Sweetie, it’s a girl. She looks just like you. Well, from the hip up, at least,” he finished with a chuckle.

Twilight’s eyebrows rose as she walked up and took a look at the newborn. Had the legs not given it away, she could have sworn Fluttershy had given birth to a clone.

Fluttershy smiled as she opened her eyes, then shakily reached a hoof out and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “Oh, she’s wonderful,” she said. The baby continued breathing silently as a smile grew on her tiny muzzle. “And she’s so calm.”

Discord smirked as he settled on the ground with his legs crossed. “That won’t last, trust me,” he whispered, somehow managing to restrain his laughter.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle. “I’d imagine not.”

Twilight smiled as she looked up at Discord and said, “Good job. And congratulations. Both of you.”

“Thank you, Twilight.” Discord’s smile was honest and sincere.

Fluttershy let out a sigh as she placed her hoof in her husband’s lap. “Let’s go home, Honey. I’m…”

“You must be exhausted,” Discord finished for her, shifting the baby into his paw as he grasped Fluttershy’s hoof in his claw.

Fluttershy nodded as she closed her eyes again.

Then her hoof went limp.

When Discord felt the weight leave Fluttershy’s hoof, he wiggled it for a moment as he looked over her. There was no movement. No rhythm on her chest to match her daughter’s.

“…Fluttershy?”

Author's Note:

“I’m sorry, Discord. It happens sometimes. No, don’t try to bring her back.”

— Twilight Sparkle