The Inner Beauty

    Days later, a wonderful wedding ceremony took place and Fluttershy was wed to her fiancé.  Princess Celestia presided over the ceremony and gave her gifts publicly to the new couple.  Her first gift was a foal care kit courtesy of herself and Fluttershy’s other friends.  Then she had presented her second gift, a few words of advice.  “This is a truly beautiful day,” she had said to them, “always remember what happened here, and what happened in the days that led up to this event.  Yes, I know there will be some times where it may seem difficult and like there is no path out but the path that is filled with negativity, deceit, and depression, but when that day comes you will be prepared.  I know it to be so in my heart, and I know that you do as well.  Remember the tears of joy that you shed,” she took her hoof and gently dried Fluttershy’s eyes, “and remember the excitement that you felt when you turned the page that lead to the next chapter in your life.  It is this which will save you from yourselves.”  And then she had taken part in the festivities with the rest of them and then departed, leaving them to think long and hard about what she had told them.

    And then as if that wasn’t enough excitement and joy for one month, a few days later Fluttershy went into labor in the same place where it was all discovered.  Upon having a little get together at the library where they all, Fluttershy, Bass, and all the rest, conversed and merely enjoyed each other’s presence her water had broken.  That was a day which none of them would ever forget.  The hospital was too far away to get them there in time so it was deemed that the delivery must take place at the library.  Fluttershy and Bass were rushed up to Twilight’s bedroom as Rainbow Dash soared off with the task of getting the doctor there as soon as possible.  Rarity offered to do the delivery.  “These hooves and this horn can work some very intricately,” she had said.  She winked at Spike which prompted the dragon to pass out right there on the spot.  “Good,” she had said as she rushed into the bedroom, “now that way my little Spikey Wikey won’t be offering to help… or… scar himself for life.  Heh, heh,” she chuckled nervously.  The thought that she was about to deliver a foal had her on edge, for she knew that she would have to go off of guess work and Twilight’s expertise.

    Applejack provided the fresh, cool water that was occasionally dabbed on Fluttershy’s forehead and Pinkie Pie and Bass worked together as a pep squad.  Each stood on either side of the bed and held the shy little mare’s hooves tightly, for they could see deep in her eyes that she was scared and in pain.  When Twilight had begun to bark orders to Rarity, and Rarity had begun to work her magic, the two of them tightened their grip on her hooves and told her to “Push!  Push!  Come on girl, you’ve got it!”

    “I…I can’t do it…” Fluttershy said through a weak breath as she tried and tried to push her hardest.  It hurt so much and yet she couldn’t muster up the energy to cry.  She just felt so weak.

`    “No!” they had all shouted almost simultaneously, “you can do this!”  They tried their hardest to keep her spirits up and her consciousness there.

    “Come on Fluttershy, hang in there.  We’re almost done!” Twilight said to her.

    “That’s right darling, keep push- Wah!” Rarity exclaimed, “No!  It’s in my mane and all over my hoo- I mean that’s right, you’re coming along fine dear,” Rarity quickly corrected herself upon seeing the glare from Twilight.

    As the stressful, hurried, and confusing minutes ticked on, Fluttershy pushed, Twilight instructed, Rarity pulled, Applejack tended, and Bass and Pinkie cheered.  Finally, right at what seemed to be the climax of it all, the point in which it seemed like it would never end, Fluttershy successfully delivered her new, baby colt.  Twilight and Rarity gently took the newborn and wrapped it in some old blankets that used to be Spike’s and then gave him to Fluttershy.  Though she was tired and was literally on the brink of collapse, she couldn’t have been happier to have her new son placed in her arms.  Bass too couldn’t get enough of his son.

    The little colt was the spitting image of his parents, though he took mostly after his mother.  He possessed a yellow coat that went from head to hoof, beautiful aquamarine eyes, slightly tinted red wings, and a stub of a red mane with a single pink streak in it.  He was truly beautiful.

    It was in that moment too that it finally seemed to hit the both of them.  They weren’t just two ponies dating anymore, they weren’t just “more than friends”, they weren’t anything like that anymore.  No, seeing this little bundle of life that was a result of both of them, it showed and proved to them that they were a family now.

    There was to be no more loneliness and recession for Fluttershy.  Though she was still quite the shy, quiet, and naïve little mare that she had always been, inside she felt normal.  She felt just like anypony else and finally realized her potential to do things just as they did, unobstructed by personality if she just put her mind to it.

    Bass too had learned from his experiences.  He knew it was time, at least for now, for him to leave the wild party scene.  There were more important things in his life now.  He looked down into the crib at the sleeping foal and then smiled at Fluttershy.  She smiled back and the two of them cuddled their heads together.  “I love you,” Bass said quietly as he stared at the baby.

    “I love you too,” Fluttershy replied just as quietly as she too looked at her new son.

    And so there she had it.  On that day she discovered that she had discovered two types of inner beauty.  One was inside of her, and it always would be, deep in her soul, that begged to be shown to the world but pleaded not to be changed.  So she was a shy pony, there was nothing wrong with that.  She had been beautiful inside the whole time!  But then there was the second part of her inner beauty.  It wasn’t inside of her, it wasn’t in her soul, it wasn’t in her heart, no, it was right there, asleep in the crib.  The inner beauty she had here was the love for her foal and knowledge of the love that he would have for her.  Fluttershy had always known it, but somehow she always doubted it, and now she knew it to be true.  “Inside, we’re all beautiful in our own special way.”