Unexpected Changes

Lily quit the team as she promised. The reason she gave was a medical condition; that she wasn't allowed to do any strenuous exercise due to a mass found in her abdomen. Her coach believed her when he saw the protrusion, and even the lie that she was seeing a doctor about it. She expressed still wanting to take the team to victory, but could not participate until the protrusion was removed. As such, she was moved to refreshment; making sure that the team was always at their best.

Her coach was the only adult to see the "growth." The rest of them, she just told she was cold, which was why she was always covered in loose-fitting flannel clothing. That was Snapdragon's idea. The best way to hide her body would be to literally cover it up. And with the weather turning cold, and everypony thinking she was chilly, it didn't seem out of place. This sort of thing would be a lot harder to hide through the summer months.

After a few weeks, it became more difficult to move. Lily had a slumber party that weekend with her friends, and it was made clear why. She was very big, now.

"This thing grew so fast," she wheezed, leaning back against her stack of pillows. "It's huge!"

"It is," marvelled Glory. "Is all of that the baby?"

"Well, some of it's probably fat," conceded Lily. "No training, no hoofball practice, no hoofball..."

"You wouldn't turn fat that fast," promised Daisy. "Let's be honest, most of this is the baby."

"So," leaned in Snapdragon. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Lily shook her head. "My dad said not to go to the doctor unless it was an emergency. He said he's fixing something up so I can see a special doctor that'll just make sure that the baby and I are healthy without calling the guard to have us taken away. I don't know what it's going to be, but he promised that he'd have something by the end of the month."

"Do you have a name, yet?" asked Daisy.

"It's no use coming up with a name until we know the gender," scoffed Lily. "We can't give it a boy's name if it's a girl, or a girl's name if it's a boy."

The three other fillies looked at each other and nodded. "We've been talking," started Snapdragon, "about that..."

"We've decided that you can name your foal whatever you like," finished Daisy. "You don't have to name it after any of us."

"Especially if it's a colt!" chortled Glory. "Can you imagine, a colt named "Daisy?""

"Seriously, though," sighed Daisy, putting a hoof on Lily's shoulder. "Anything you want. Name it after somepony you like, name it after somepony famous, name it after your great-great-grandparents. It doesn't matter."

"...But it would tickle me pink if you named it after me."

"Glory!" snarled Snapdragon.

"It would!"

Lily chuckled at that. She hadn't had a good laugh in a few days. Not for lack of trying, more for carrying around all of the extra weight. The mood swings were pretty nasty, too. She'd done her best to keep them mild, but sometimes, she was just sad or angry for no reason at all.

"So, that bump is pretty big, now," noted Snapdragon. "Even with my skills, considerable as they are, we're not going to be able to hide that for much longer."

Lily ran her hoof over her swollen belly, feeling the baby shift to meet her hoof. "Do you girls remember when I told you what would happen if anypony ever found out?"

"I recall," answered Daisy. "As you said, the guards would throw your dad in a dungeon, then throw you in a different dungeon, then throw your baby in a third dungeon."

Lily shivered. The thought of ending up in a dungeon and being responsible for her father as well had terrified her. Now, she'd grown rather attached to the fetus, and what scared her more than anything was the thought that her baby would grow up without a mother. She had, and it was terrible. But at least she had a father. The baby would have nothing. Nopony. And she hated that idea more than anything.

Daisy grabbed her hoof and squeezed it tightly. "We're not going to let that happen," she promised. "If some guard tries to take away your baby, I'll kick him right in the balls. I hear that hurts."

"And if that guard is a mare," added Snapdragon, "I know how to bite."

"Just make sure you stretch out your teeth beforehoof," noted Glory.

Daisy raised her eyebrow. "How do you stretch your teeth?"

"I said "jaw.""

"You said "teeth,"" confirmed Lily.

Glory opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to stretch out her jaw and teeth. One of these goals would be successful.

Granny knocked on the door, and Lily rolled forward, covering up her belly with her clothes. "It's open!"

"Am headed home," said Granny. "Taking your friends with me?"

Lily tilted her head to the side. "Why would you take my friends with you?"

"Take them home," stated Granny. "Friends need go home; big talk. Not see me for long, long time."

"Why wouldn't I see you?" asked Lily. "You're not coming back?"

"Maybe for visit."

"So, then, who's going to watch me?"

"I am." The door opened a bit further, and there stood Cloverleaf. "I'm back, now, and I'll be taking care of you from now on."

Lily's eyes went wide. "Dad?!"

He nodded. "Girls, it's time to go home. I need to talk with my daughter, alone, for a bit. You can come see her again tomorrow afternoon. Granny, here, will escort you to your houses, if you wish."

They all looked to Lily, who nodded to them. "I'll be fine, girls."

"Left recipe book on kitchen counter," added Granny. "For good soup."

As everypony left, Cloverleaf watched to make sure they made it out okay. Once they were gone, he locked the door, then turned to Lily, who had already uncovered herself so he could see. "I swelled up like a watermelon," she said, lifting her belly so he could feel. "It's really big, now."

"So it is," he smiled, running his hoof over her. He could feel it kicking. "Very nice legs. Think it'll enjoy a friendly game of hoofball?"

"I certainly hope so..."