Rarity's Foal

by Bronyxy

2 A Night to Remember

There was a knock at the door that shook Rarity from her reverie, and she looked around to see the lilac form of Twilight come into her workshop.
“Hi Rarity” she greeted, “How’s it going today?”
“Just awful, darling” she wailed pointing a forehoof at the crumpled pile of partially finished dress she had just thrown across the floor.

“You know” her visitor began, “You’re too close now. You’re going to have to stop.”
“But I can’t!” she wept sadly, “I have deadlines!”
“Yes, and the most pressing one is inside you.”
“But I can’t …” she repeated.
“Look Rarity, we all admire how well you’ve been keeping going, but you’re going to have to stop. You’re too close now and you mustn’t risk hurting your foal …”
“Oh, damn the foal and all the bad luck it’s brought me!” she exploded, “I was too trusting and got taken in by that unprincipled philanderer! I am too trusting, aren’t I Twilight …?”

“How many dresses do you have to finish before the foal’s due?” she asked sympathetically.
“Six” whispered Rarity sadly.
“How many days to go?”
“Five …”
“Come on” reasoned Twilight as gently as she could, “There’s nothing more you can do now.”
“But …” the meek protest died in Rarity’s throat and she allowed her friend to help her up from the sewing machine to go and recline her onto her fainting couch that had become increasingly covered in a mass of throw cushions over the last few months.
“One of us will be with you every hour of the day and night from now on, and we’re going to do two things” Twilight stated, filling the kettle, “One - we’re going to look after you, and two - we’re going to make sure you stay away from your sewing machine.”

Rarity knew she was beaten and didn’t put up a fight any more. She had been fighting for almost a year and it hadn’t made her happy, so she simply conceded. In truth, she had already appreciated the increasing hopelessness of her situation, but had not wanted to quit while she still felt there was a chance she could honour her commitments. It had taken a well-meaning friend to intercede for her own good and she acquiesced gracefully, smiling gratefully as Twilight gave her a loving hug.

A few nights later, Fluttershy was taking her turn at staying over in the Carousel Boutique having left Harry and Angel in charge of her cottage. Rarity had been restless throughout the evening and been uncomfortable no matter what position she got into, rubbing her tummy to ease the unusual sensations she could feel inside. She had put it down to something she had eaten and went to bed in the hope that she would feel better for a good night’s rest.

Fluttershy went outside briefly for some air and called to one of the owls she could hear hooting its mournful night-time vigil. It came to her and landed on her forehoof, listening intently as she asked it to go to Golden Oak library and pass on a message to Owlowiscious. She thanked him and gently tickled his breast feathers before letting him go and returning inside where she found some towels, a bowl of water and a flannel that she brought into the bedroom. She laid everything out in easy reach before plumping up the cushion on a chair, anticipating she would probably be needed as the night wore on.

Rarity remained unable to settle and the pains she felt only seemed to be getting worse, and then suddenly she gasped as a wave of cramp surged through her, taking her breath away.
“That … that can’t be normal” she fretted, vocalising her thoughts.
“Oh, I think it’s perfectly normal” said Fluttershy, coming over from her chair, “It means your foal’s coming.”
“What! Now?” cried Rarity, “It can’t be, it’s the middle of the night!”
“It probably picked a time when you were most settled” Fluttershy reassured her, “Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.”

The contraction eased and Rarity took a breath, one sweeter than she had ever remembered. It was like she had been winded and had suddenly been able to breathe again. A few minutes later, another came, but even though they were both expecting it, Rarity gasped at the intensity which seemed to grip her insides in a vice like grip for an eternity, but was in fact less than a minute, as she fought to control the pain.

Fluttershy pulled away the wet bedding that Rarity was clawing on to and looked down to see a hoof starting to emerge, wrapped in a white membrane.
“You’re doing really well” she comforted, dabbing her forehead with a wet flannel.
“It’s coming isn’t it?” she cried, her eyes wide and the fear evident in her voice.
“Yes it is” commented Fluttershy softly, “And it’s all going nicely.”
Another sharp contraction stole her breath away and she screamed as another forehoof emerged.
“Make it stop!” she sobbed between gasps, desperately trying to get herself comfortable and failing.
Fluttershy whispered soothing words and kept dabbing her muzzle down, appreciating how important such little things were, but knowing also that there was nothing more she could do as the miracle of a new life came into being.

The contractions continued as the hooves inched their way into the alien environment of Rarity’s bedroom, but then she felt something frightening.
“Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” she wailed in fear, “It’s stuck! What can I do?”
“Try to relax” she replied softly, “It’s just the head getting ready to come out.”
“The head?” she screamed, “That’s going to be massive! I … I’m not ready …I can’t …!”
Fluttershy daubed her muzzle once more with soft pats of cool refreshing water, still wearing her gentle smile.

The next contraction was the most severe yet and Rarity screamed as loud as she could. Fluttershy cast a quick look to confirm that her friend was dilating normally, and much to her relief saw that everything was alright. She whispered a reassuring Well Done, stroking her purple mane as she did so. Then another contraction hit, and Rarity twisted her back in pain as she felt something the size of a bowling ball start to push its way out of her.
“Make it stop! Make it stop!” she cried during the snatched breaths she could only take between bouts of pain that she could do nothing to control. One more push and the head could be seen to pop out accompanied by a bout of uncontrollable sobbing.

Just then, the door opened and Fluttershy looked up to see Twilight standing in the doorway, a look of surprise and delight on her muzzle. The primrose pegasus smiled sweetly and nodded her greeting as she continued to tend to the gasping sweat soaked form of Rarity with her foal partway out. Twilight had never seen anything like this before and was transfixed, summoning a notebook and pen while a gentle cough behind her served as a reminder that the nurse was behind her waiting to get in.
“Oh, sorry, sorry” she said, stepping to one side as a pink maned earth pony with a white hat moved into the room carrying a bag.

Nurse Redheart gave the expectant mare a quick examination then exchanged a knowing smile with Fluttershy as she settled down to helping the delivery, while Twilight lay down on the floor and started scribbling furiously.
Rarity felt another contraction and screamed again. Her voice was now becoming hoarse and ragged, but she could feel something even bigger than the head lining up to come through now. Nurse Redheart and Fluttershy both knew what was coming and so too would Rarity had she the opportunity to think; even Twilight worked it out and commented in wonder “The shoulders …”

Twilight had read about such things but never for a moment thought that she would see it happen to one of her closest friends, the experience filling her with a mix of pride, fear and respect for the miracle of life. Rarity confronted the next contraction with another scream, her eyes rolling up as her foal’s shoulders pushed ever harder.
“No! No! No!” was all she could cry as she threw her head from side to side unable to satiate the pain in her loins, then the next contraction was upon her and the shoulders came through. Rarity let out a scream unlike any other she had ever made before and just sobbed loudly and uncontrollably as the sharpness of the pain began to subside, catching a few well-earned breaths.

“You’re doing well” comforted Fluttershy, dampening her patient down again, “We’re all very proud of you.”
Rarity, the lady known for her primness, let out a stream of words that nopony present thought she knew; indeed Twilight still didn’t know what some of them meant, but wrote them all down anyway so she could ask later. After a few minutes, Rarity looked up but instead of Fluttershy saw Nurse Redheart smiling back at her.
“It’s stopped” she said nervously, her voice edging towards panic, ”It’s stopped, but I know it isn’t out! What’s wrong?”
“You’re fine Rarity” she replied, “This is normal, just trust me, I’ve seen this many times before. You’re doing really well, just let nature take its course.”

Her respite was short lived, and the contractions started again forcing the trunk of the body out fraction at a time, making her scream with each inch of discomfort. With the foal now close to being delivered, Rarity felt that familiar blocked feeling inside once again.
“It … it’s the pelvis, isn’t it?” she cried.
“Yes” confirmed Nurse Redheart, “But it shouldn’t be as bad as the shoulders. Just relax and go with what your foal is telling you.”
“Relax?” she screamed, “RELAX? Have you any idea …!”
Her words were cut short as another contraction grabbed her, carrying away her words in another scream. She shouted, she cursed and she swore, shouting out the father’s name with such hatred and venom as would have killed him at fifty paces.
Fluttershy and Twilight looked at Nurse Redheart, whose eyebrow merely raised a fraction in recognition of the name. Their closely guarded secret was out!

They continued supporting Rarity as the foal’s hips popped out and the legs began to follow on behind. She was panting hard, gulping down air as if it were her final opportunity to savour the last of the valuable commodity left in Equestria, her contractions now much less severe as the hindlegs inched their way out. Then her body shuddered with a surge of tears that was like a dam bursting and the contractions resumed, pushing the legs out as the foal started to wriggle. The struggling foal ripped the membrane and its rear hooves quickly pulled free of its mother, Nurse Redheart moved in at once to check the mother and her pure white newborn, and once satisfied that everything was normal leaned in close to Rarity telling her she was safe to meet her offspring.

Fluttershy and Nurse Redheart got up to leave the room but Twilight was engrossed and continued writing her notes until the primrose pegasus tapped her gently on the shoulder.
“Twilight, this is the part where we leave mother and daughter to bond.”
“Daughter?” she gasped.
“Why, yes” she replied with a little giggle, ”Couldn’t you tell?”
Casting a lingering look back at the sweat stained white unicorn who had got off her bed and was now leaning over the wriggling foal on the floor, she wanted to share the moment. Rarity was making soft nickering sounds that she had never heard before and the foal seemed to be responding.
“Ahem” interrupted Fluttershy tactfully, “Now …”

Once the door was closed behind them, the three mares swapped notes on how successful the foaling had been, both friends eager to get the professional’s view on the prognosis for mother and filly.
“Um, Nurse Redheart” began Twilight awkwardly, ”If Rarity said anything, like, oh, I don’t know, mentioning a name or anything … that doesn’t mean that pony has any connection with her condition, if you get my meaning.”
“I understand” she replied, “Just a name conjured at random. How unconnected thoughts happen to flash through a pony’s mind at times like these escapes me.”
The friends relaxed a little, but equally knew that those party to Rarity’s little secret now had a new member.

Comments

[Comickook]

Loved how Twilight and the others are trying to help out Rarity here. And, yeah, I especially liked how Twilight convinced Redheart to keep her mouth shut for the time being. Even if HE might deserve the bad press, Rarity is under enough pressure right now without the media field day.

And, now, I'm on to the last chapter.

[ShimmeringSnow]

I don't know why but at the end of this chapter I imagined Rarity singing "Everything Changes" from Waitress the musical. Anyway good chapter, very descriptive.