Chapter 27: A True Blessing

Twilight woke up the next morning feeling quite ill. She lay in her bed, rubbing her stomach in confusion, unsure of what was going on. She decided that she needed to get up and try to power through it, but when she rose from the bed she felt an overwhelming dizziness that nearly sent her collapsing to the floor. Twilight stumbled towards the stairs, but her stomach felt more and more nauseous with every step she took. Deciding that perhaps the bathroom was a better place to go, she staggered over to the door to her bathroom and opened it. When she did, she felt an overpowering reflex take hold. Knowing what was coming, she rushed over to the toilet and raised the seat. As soon as she did that, Twilight keeled over and vomited into the toilet. She could taste the vile bile leaving her body and collecting in a pool of brown in the toilet. Twilight felt some vomit start to leak out of her nostrils, so she reached over to the toilet paper so she could blow her nose. The stench was overpowering, and almost made Twilight begin to puke again. Spike, having heard the commotion, went upstairs and found Twilight leaning over the toilet.

“Are you all right?” Spike asked her. Twilight flushed the toilet and went over to the sink to wash her face.

“No, Spike, I’m not. I just vomited in the toilet!”

“I thought that’s what I heard,” Spike said. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes, call the doctor. I think I need to see him today.”

“What if he doesn’t have any openings?” Spike asked.

“He knows who I am. I shouldn’t have any trouble getting in, or I might just tell Princess Celestia about his neglect.”

“Oh, you’re playing it that way, huh?” Spike asked. “Okay, I’ll see if I can get you an appointment.”

“Thanks Spike,” Twilight said, beaming at her dragon. Spike gave a friendly salute and left the bathroom, headed for the phone. Twilight stared at herself in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes, as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep. But I slept just fine last night, she thought.

Her stomach, thankfully, was giving her no more trouble, so she went downstairs and saw that Spike was still on the phone, apparently scheduling her meeting.

“Oh, okay…so she can come in at twelve o’clock? Right…sounds great! She’ll see you then! Thanks a lot. Bye.” Spike hung up the phone.

“Hey, Twilight, did you hear that?”

“Twelve o’clock? That sounds great. Thanks Spike.”

“No problem. Can I make you something for breakfast?”

“I don’t think breakfast is the greatest idea right now. I don’t want to end up back over the toilet.”

“Oh, right…well, is there anything else I can do?”

“You’ve done quite enough already, Spike,” Twilight said. “I mean, I’m glad you’re in such a helpful mood, but I really don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Yes it is. You’re sick, Twilight, and I want to help out.”

“Okay, maybe you could fetch me a glass of water,” Twilight said, more in an attempt to humor Spike than out of any thirst she might have had. Spike went to the sink and poured Twilight some water. She lifted it up with her magic, but doing so caused her head to spin, so she held the cup with her hoof instead.

“What happened?” Spike asked. “Why are you holding the cup with your hoof?”

“Magic just makes me dizzy right now, Spike,” Twilight said. “There’s nothing to be worried about.”

“Okay then…” Spike said. Twilight sat down in the couch and sipped some of her water. It helped to get that noxious taste out of her mouth. She groaned; vomiting was never a fun experience.

“What should I do about opening the library?” Spike asked.

“Oh, right, I have to run the library…actually, could you handle it today, Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Well, to be honest, that’s kind of a lot to ask for. Are you sure you want me to run the library? Maybe you just want to keep it closed for today…”

“Spike, I don’t want to rob ponies of the opportunity to read and learn. It’s too important.”

“Twilight, barely anypony comes to the library anymore,” Spike said. “I mean, I know you don’t want to admit it, but that’s the truth.”

“Still, Spike, I haven’t closed the library in a long time. Let’s not start now, okay?”

“All right, but if I have trouble and you’re around, can I ask you for help?”

“Sure, Spike, whatever you need,” Twilight said.

“Thanks, Twilight. That makes me feel a lot better.”

“I’m glad it does,” Twilight said. Spike stroked her back and headed off to start preparing the library to open. Twilight sighed and continued to sip her water, thankful it wasn’t upsetting her stomach to do so. I’m really lucky to have him, she thought.

***

When it was 11:30, Twilight decided it was best to head out for the doctor’s office. When she arrived, she checked in with the receptionist and took a seat. It was awkward to sit in the waiting room with nothing to do. Twilight had no interest in the magazines; most of them resembled the smut the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been printing in the Foal Free Press, and she wasn’t interested in that kind of reading anymore. So she twiddled her hooves until 12:05, when the doctor called her name.

“Nice to see you again, Twilight Sparkle,” he said as he led her to one of the rooms so they could measure her height and weight.

“Nice to see you, too, Stethoscope,” Twilight said, calling the doctor by his name. Once they took down her measurements, Twilight went into a different room and sat on the table.

“You seem to know the drill by heart,” Stethoscope said. “Now, what seems to be troubling you? I didn’t get much from my receptionist other than your urgent desire to see me today.”

“Well, I woke up feeling nauseous,” Twilight explained, “and when I tried to step out of bed, I felt really dizzy.” The doctor took some notes as Twilight talked. “Anyway, I ended up going to the bathroom and vomiting in the toilet. After that I wasn’t nauseous anymore. Then Spike got me a glass of water, and when I tried to levitate it with magic I got really dizzy again.”

“I see,” Stethoscope said, and he put down his clipboard and pen. “Twilight, I apologize if this is a bit personal, but have you been sexually active within the last couple of weeks?”

“What?” Twilight asked. “Why would you ask that?”

“You don’t know much about your symptoms, do you?” Stethoscope asked, unfazed by Twilight’s galvanized reaction.

“What about my symptoms?” Twilight asked, frustrated that she didn’t have the answers to these questions herself.

“Well, Twilight, I have to tell you that all of the symptoms you described to me match up with a mare who recently conceived. Especially the dizziness when using magic, that’s a telltale sign that a unicorn is pregnant.”

“Pregnant? I can’t be pregnant!” Twilight yelled, and she was starting to get dizzy again as she did so. She held her head and took a deep breath.

“How can we be sure?” she asked.

“Well, the test is simple. All I need to do is a bit of a magical ultrasound, so to speak. At this early stage, I’m only looking to isolate a few small cells, but I have been trained and I do know what to look for. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Well, I guess I’d rather know than not know,” Twilight said.

“Very well. Just give me a moment. Try to lie still, and don’t move too much or it’ll be harder for me to isolate the cells.” Twilight did as she was told. The doctor swept his horn across her stomach, looking to isolate the cells that would confirm if Twilight was pregnant. Twilight wanted to see what was going on, but she didn’t want to move and make Stethoscope’s work any more difficult. So she waited patiently until the doctor said something.

“Ah, I see. It looks as though you have conceived, Twilight Sparkle. You’re pregnant.”

“I’m…I’m what?” Twilight asked, starting to feel lightheaded.

“In about eleven months, you’re going to be a mother, if all goes well,” Stethoscope said. “Congratulations.”

“Um…thanks,” Twilight said.

“Oh, forgive me, but you don’t seem all too thrilled with the news. I take it you weren’t exactly planning on this, am I right?”

“Yes, you’re right,” Twilight said. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Well, these things happen, Twilight, but I don’t see the reason to be so glum. This is a true blessing, and between you and me, I think you’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

“Thanks Stethoscope,” Twilight said. “I just hope the father sees it that way…”

***

“How’d it go, Twilight?” Spike asked when Twilight returned to the library. Twilight looked around and noticed that nopony else was in the library.

“Have we had nopony else in the library today?” Twilight asked.

“We had a few ponies come in while you were gone, but it’s been pretty quiet,” Spike said. “Anyway, what did the doctor say?”

“Well, I suppose I’d better tell you now, as it’s going to become obvious later…”

“Huh?” Spike asked.

“Spike, I’m…” Twilight said, “I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Spike asked, his face the picture of shock.

“I’m pregnant, Spike,” Twilight said with a smile on her face. She supposed that’s what she had looked like when Stethoscope had told her.

“That’s…that’s crazy,” Spike said. “Um…how does that work?”

“You don’t know?” Twilight asked.

“I’m a baby dragon, remember?” Spike asked. “Nopony tells me these things.”

“Well, let me try to explain it then,” Twilight said. “See, when a mare and a stallion love each other very much…”

“Oh, is that it?” Spike asked. “Gross.”

“You really figured it out from just that?” Twilight asked.

“I guess I knew more than I thought,” Spike said. “Wait a minute, does that mean me and Rarity…?”

“No, Spike. You two aren’t of the same species. It’s impossible for her to conceive with you as the donor,” Twilight said.

“Good. I’m not ready to be a father!” Spike said. Twilight turned away sadly, and Spike got the sense that he had touched a nerve.

“Twilight, it’s okay,” Spike said. “You’re going to be a great mother, I just know it.”

“That’s what Stethoscope said, but I didn’t really believe him, either,” Twilight said.

“What? That’s just nonsense,” Spike said. “Anypony that thinks you wouldn’t be a great mom is crazy, and that includes you. I mean, what will your friends think when they find out and they hear you say that? They’ll think you’re off your rocker.”

“Spike, I don’t really want my friends to know about this,” Twilight said.

“Well, it’s going to be hard to hide it from them for very long. Aren’t you going to get really fat after a few months?” Spike asked.

“Yes, and maybe I can deal with it then. I just don’t want them making a big deal out of this.”

“But Twilight, it is a big deal,” Spike said. “Hold on, you’re going to tell Big Mac, right?”

Twilight felt a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. “I got into a fight with him last night, Spike. What a thing to go to him now and tell him he’s going to be a father…”

“Yeah, that might be a lot to hit him with,” Spike said. “But he deserves to know as much as you do.”

“Oh, what am I going to do, Spike? I don’t think I want to marry Big Mac.”

“Whoa, who said anything about marriage?”

“You know how his family is, Spike. Granny Smith’s going to be angry that we were…well, you know…and she’ll want us to tie the knot for sure. I just don’t know how I’m going to break the news to him.”

“I say you take him on a great date and then tell him at the end, when you’re both feeling like you’re having a good time,” Spike said.

“That’s…not a bad idea, Spike. I could go over and tell him I want to apologize by taking him out to dinner.”

“That’s the spirit, Twilight! See, I knew you could figure this out.”

“Yeah, we’ll see if I have this figured out or not,” Twilight said.

***

Fluttershy was at the market doing her grocery shopping on what had turned out to be one of the nicest days in a while. She figured the weather team had been excited about preparing this one, as there was not a single cloud in the sky. While Fluttershy let her thoughts wander, she looked at the various ponies at the market when her eye suddenly spotted Doctor Shrink passing through.

Fluttershy felt her stomach flutter with nerves, and the prospect of running into him did not appeal to her at the moment. Still, he was headed right towards her, and even though he did not see her yet, he soon would. Fluttershy panicked, trying to think of a way out of this predicament she found herself in, but just as she was about to make her move the doctor spotted her in the crowd. He trotted over to her in a friendly manner.

“How are you, Fluttershy,” he said. “So strange to see you outside the office.”

“Yes, um…strange,” Fluttershy said softly.

“How are things? Doing some shopping, I see,” Doctor Shrink said, trying his best to be friendly. Fluttershy hated to admit it, but her nerves were starting to calm down.

“Yes, Saturday is my grocery shopping day,” she said.

“Splendid. I’m not doing any shopping myself, you see, I just like to come and browse when the weather is nice. Truth be told, I didn’t even bring any bits to spend!”

“Oh, that’s, um…unusual,” Fluttershy said. Doctor Shrink looked at her confusedly but continued.

“Well, I should probably be on my way. You look like you’re busy, so I won’t take up any more of your time.” Fluttershy watched him start to trot away before she realized just why she had been so nervous.

“Wait,” she said, and Doctor Shrink stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Do you…um…want to come over for lunch?” Fluttershy felt the nerves settle in again as she made what she thought was a most unusual request. Doctor Shrink stared at her for a moment, gears spinning in his head as he tried to discern what exactly she wanted from him. He had a feeling she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.

“I don’t normally visit the homes of my patients, Fluttershy,” he said, and Fluttershy looked crestfallen. Even more confused now, he trotted over to Fluttershy and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“What are you really asking for, Fluttershy?” he asked in a low voice, so as not to be overheard by the crowd. Fluttershy started to shake, and she could barely stand, especially with the contact at her shoulder.

“Um, I was wondering if you could bring the…whip,” she finally admitted, tears starting to form at how humiliated she felt. Do I have to beg? she asked herself.

“Oh, I see…” Doctor Shrink said. “Well, it goes against everything I was taught in school, but I promised it for the next session. It won’t do any more harm to get it in a little early…” Secretly, Doctor Shrink was incredibly aroused and desperate to say yes to his patient, but he didn’t want to seem overly eager, as he thought it would scare her.

“I’ll be over at one,” he finally said. “You’ll have to give me directions to where you live though.”

“Oh, I’m right near the entrance to the Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy said.

Really? How can such a timid pony live there? He decided it best not to question it. Knowing where the Everfree Forest was (just so he knew how to avoid it), he needed no further direction.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon, Fluttershy,” Doctor Shrink said before trotting away and blending in with the bustling crowd. Fluttershy could barely contain her excitement as she continued her grocery shopping.

***

Crack! went the whip as it lashed at Fluttershy’s rump. Doctor Shrink had arrived just on time, and he and Fluttershy had wasted no time entering her bedroom and getting started. They had been at it for a good fifteen minutes, and Doctor Shrink was surprised at how resilient Fluttershy was to all the pain he had been causing her. Fluttershy had long been reduced to tears, but that didn’t stop her from pleading for more.

The whip lashed out again, and Fluttershy squealed as it hit her. She also had noticed a new sensation when Doctor Shrink had started with the whip, and that sensation was a burning heat in her loins. Fluttershy had to admit to herself that she was aroused by the pain he was dealing her, just as she had been with Pinkie Pie. She hoped, however, that Doctor Shrink didn’t notice her arousal, as she wasn’t sure what he would think about it. Before he raised his hoof to crack the whip again, he took a quick sniff of the air.

“I know that smell…” he said. “Fluttershy, can you turn over for a second?”

Oh no, he’s going to find out, Fluttershy thought. Still, she was afraid to disobey her doctor, so she turned over. She flushed red when she noticed the wet stain on her sheets. Doctor Shrink smiled, which terrified Fluttershy, but he also explained.

“I thought I was the only one getting turned on by this,” he said. Fluttershy almost couldn’t fathom what those words meant, they seemed so unreal. He likes this, too? she thought.

“Um, I’m sorry…” Fluttershy said meekly.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Fluttershy,” Doctor Shrink said. “A lot of my patients have masochistic tendencies like this. I’ve just never seen them in practice.”

“Are you sure it’s all right?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m positive,” Doctor Shrink said. “Now that I know you’re enjoying this, I’d like to propose an experiment…” Fluttershy’s nerves flared up again.

“What kind of experiment…?” she asked tentatively. Now Doctor Shrink could feel his nerves beginning to jump. To behave sadistically towards his patient was one thing; what he was proposing was quite something else.

“I want to have sex with you…” Doctor Shrink said, and Fluttershy was shocked to hear this proposal. She immediately started to think about how wrong it was and how she shouldn’t consent to such an outrageous request, but she could feel her loins telling her that this was exactly what she wanted.

“Um…okay…” Fluttershy squeaked, and Doctor Shrink couldn’t believe it.

“You want to go through with this?” he asked. Fluttershy nodded.

“Okay. Is this your first time?” he asked.

“With a stallion, yes,” Fluttershy admitted. “I’ve already had my hymen broken by a…dildo…” Doctor Shrink decided it was better not to ask how that had occurred.

“Then this shouldn’t hurt a bit…” he said. He climbed up next to Fluttershy in her bed and planted a soft, delicate kiss on her lips as a way to test the waters. Fluttershy returned the kiss with passion, mirroring her incredible arousal. She forced her tongue into Doctor Shrink’s mouth, and he, flustered, did his best to return her passions with his own tongue. As the kiss grew heavy, Doctor Shrink turned Fluttershy onto her stomach and loomed over her. From this position, he could see her vagina glistening wet, quite ready to accept his penis.

“You really are excited about this, aren’t you?” he asked.

“You have no idea,” Fluttershy gasped, her excitement making it difficult for her to breathe.

“Then I won’t keep you waiting…” Doctor Shrink said. He positioned his member at her hole and maneuvered it inside of her. Fluttershy gasped as she felt her cavern fill up and she reared back, urging him to start thrusting. He did so, and Fluttershy let out squeals of delight as he worked inside of her. Doctor Shrink spanked her raw rump, and Fluttershy delighted in the sensation of being hit.

“Do that again…” she pleaded. Doctor Shrink spanked her and Fluttershy cried in ecstasy. Doctor Shrink continued to spank her as his thrusting grew faster. Soon he felt pressure start to build in his loins, and it wasn’t long after that before he released his load. Fluttershy came to orgasm when she felt his fluids stream into her body. Her nerves felt electrified as she felt spasms of pleasure course through her veins. When she finally came down from the high, Doctor Shrink left her body and some of his semen leaked onto the sheets.

“How was that?” he asked, gasping for breath.

“Wonderful,” Fluttershy said, no longer feeling any shame.

***

“Hello there, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said. She had just knocked on the door of Applejack’s old house and was delighted to see the filly answer the door.

“Howdy, Twilight!” Apple Bloom said. “Whatcha doin’ here?”

“I was hoping to see Big Mac and talk to him about something.”

“Oh, is this all mushy-gushy stuff?” Apple Bloom asked. Twilight laughed.

“I guess you could call it that,” Twilight said.

“Okay. Big Mac! Twilight’s here and she wants to talk about mushy-gushy stuff with you!” Twilight laughed again as Apple Bloom walked away from the door. Big Mac soon came to the door and looked at Twilight with an indifferent expression on his face.

“I’m really sorry about what happened last night,” Twilight said. “I know this whole thing with Applejack is really confusing, and I know you did your best to try to deal with it.”

“Is that the only reason why you came over here?” Big Mac asked.

“I wanted to make it up to you by taking you out to dinner,” Twilight said. Big Mac considered this for a moment.

“All right. Granny Smith, I’m going out to dinner with Twilight!”

“Okay!” Granny Smith called out from somewhere inside the house. Twilight and Big Mac left and started walking up the road leading to Ponyville.

“You look exhausted,” Twilight said, noting the bags under Big Mac’s eyes.

“Ah’m doin’ ’bout twice the work now that Applejack’s gone,” Big Mac said. “’Tain’t been easy.”

“I imagine not,” Twilight said. “Do you miss her?”

“Course I miss her,” Big Mac said, “but Granny Smith was clear she didn’t want her in the house.”

“Doesn’t Granny Smith miss her, too?”

“Yeah, she does, but she ain’t gonna admit it,” Big Mac said. “Stubborn as a mule, that Granny Smith.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said sadly. “Where did you want to go to eat?”

“Ah don’t really care either way. You pick.”

Twilight ended up picking a café where they could eat outside in the warm summer evening. The two of them ordered sandwiches with daisies and daffodils in them, Big Mac copying Twilight’s order. They ate in relative silence, Twilight’s nerves getting to her so that she wasn’t speaking much, Big Mac being his normal quiet self. When they were done, Twilight insisted on paying the bill and they started to walk through Ponyville. Twilight led Big Mac over to the fields on the outskirts of the village, where nopony would be able to overhear them.

“Big Mac, I’m sorry,” Twilight said. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“What do ya mean?” Big Mac asked.

“I haven’t told you the real reason why I brought you to dinner,” Twilight said.

“What’s goin’ on, Twilight?” Big Mac asked.

“It’s…it’s really hard to explain,” Twilight said, her nerves getting the better of her again.

“Twilight, ah’m sure whatever it is you have to say is gonna be okay. Ah promise ah won’t react badly,” Big Mac said.

“Okay…” Twilight said, swallowing her fear. Okay, Twilight, off like a bandage. Twilight took a deep breath and said it.

“I’m pregnant.” Big Mac at first didn’t think he had heard her correctly.

“Come again?” he asked.

“Don’t make me say it again!” Twilight hissed.

“So you said yer pregnant? Oh, dear Celestia, you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. Three guesses who the father is,” Twilight said sarcastically. Big Mac started to hyperventilate, which disturbed Twilight greatly as the work horse was normally calmer than this.

“Big Mac, relax. It’s okay.”

“No, it ain’t okay. Ah ain’t ready to be a father. Why did ah let you seduce me like that? Oh, this is bad, real bad!”

“It’s not a bad thing! Trust me, I panicked when I found out at the doctor’s office, but Stethoscope said it was really a blessing. You just have to calm down and see all the good things about it.”

“Okay, okay, ah’m calm. Oh, but you don’t know how Granny Smith’s gonna react to all this. She’s gonna want us to marry.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Twilight asked with a lascivious smile on her face.

“No, ah guess not. Oh, Twilight, ah ain’t cut out fer this.” Big Mac started to cry, which thoroughly bewildered Twilight. She gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek, rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down. Eventually he stopped crying and looked at Twilight with love in his eyes.

“This is really happening, ain’t it?” he asked. Twilight nodded.

“Ah love you, Twilight,” he said. Twilight gave him another hug.

“I love you too, Big Mac,” she said.

***

“Discord, I’m hungry,” Pinkie Pie said. Discord looked at her incredulously and shook his head in shame.

“And what, pray tell, do you want me to do about it?” he asked.

“Feed me,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Feed you what?” Discord asked. “We don’t have any food out here.”

“Is that really how you treat a prisoner?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You starve them? What happens when I starve to death, Discord? Do you really want that on your conscience.”

“Do you even know what a conscience is?” Discord asked.

“Of course I know what a conscience is! It’s that little voice that tells you when you’re doing something wrong and tries to steer you in the right direction,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“Oh, you really do know what it is,” Discord said, surprised.

“So when are you going to feed me?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“All right, hold on,” Discord said, and he teleported away. With him gone, the magical restraints around Pinkie Pie vanished, and she fell to the cave floor. She now realized she was free to escape, but she had no idea where she was and no idea which way was the way home. Realizing how helpless her situation was, she started to cry. I miss all my friends, she thought to herself. I miss Sugarcube Corner and the Cakes and Pound and Pumpkin and all the ponies of Ponyville! When do I get to go home?

Another flash saw Discord returning to the cave with a dandelion sandwich and a garden salad. Pinkie Pie turned and saw the food, and Discord noticed that she had been crying.

“Well, here’s your food,” he said, not sure how to break the silence between them. Pinkie Pie trotted over and started to eat. Discord simply watched her, not bothering to cast restraints around her again, as she hadn’t tried to escape while he was gone.

“Where’d you get this stuff, anyway?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I made it,” Discord said.

“With what ingredients?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“What does it matter. It’s food, isn’t it?” Discord asked. Pinkie Pie shrugged and continued to eat. When she was done, Discord sent the dinnerware away with magic. He and Pinkie Pie sat in the cave in awkward silence.

“Discord?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“What is it now?” Discord asked.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Pinkie Pie said.