>It's been two weeks since you and Butterscotch first consummated your relationship
>Now the two of you find yourself in the bathroom, about to find out the consequences of that morning of passion, one way or the other
>You both stare intently at the moistened, plastic-framed stick in front of you, anxious for the results
>Two lines, and your life will never be the same
>You'll have a child to call your own, a massive responsibility
>Adventuring with your friends and saving Equestria might very well become things of the past with a baby to take care of at home
>And, if he's true to his word, Butterscotch won't see his friends for more than a year, maybe even longer
>One line, though, and everything goes back to normal
>You won't have a foal, Butterscotch will be free to return home to his friends
>And you'll be alone again
>Yes, you have your own circle of friends, Angel and your other animal companions
>But you and Butterscotch connect on a completely different level
>You wonder whether you'll ever feel the same way about another stallion once he's gone
>Whether maybe it would be better if you -were- pregnant, so that he could stay by your side a little longer
>After a moment, the implications of that thought hit you like a sack of hammers
>You wonder whether this is this who you are now
>A selfish pony who would wish to tear a stallion away from his whole world simply to arrest her own feelings of loneliness?
>Your lip quivers as shame begins to overwhelm you, tears rolling down your cheeks
"No..."
 
>"Fluttershy...?" Butterscotch turns to you, his eyes going wide as he sees your face
>You sniff sharply before letting a sob escape
"Butters, I..."
>The stallion before you reaches out with his hoof, gingerly wiping a tear from your eye. "It's okay," he assures you
"No, it's not!"
>Your sobs become more intense as you feel the waterworks intensifying
>Taking a second to recover from the shock of your outburst, Butterscotch silently throws a forelimb around your neck before drawing you in for a tender kiss
>He pulls away shortly afterward, his gaze filled with sincere concern. "What's wrong?"
"I... no. You'd hate me if..."
>Your voice trails off as you speak, unable to bear looking Butterscotch in the eye
>"I could never hate you," he answers, resolute. "Please... tell me."
>Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you nod
"Okay..."
>Overcoming your shame, you bring yourself to look up at your stallionfriend
"I... I thought something bad."
>Butterscotch cocks his head, bemused. "Something bad...?"
"A little part of me... wants to be pregnant."
>Unable to form a response, Butterscotch's jaw goes slack as he listens to your confession
>Continuing, your vision becomes clouded by tears
"I wanted you to stay... but... I know it's wrong."
>You hang your head in shame, unable to keep looking Butterscotch in the eye any longer
"You have friends back home... I mean, I'm glad you're willing to stay behind and help if I am, you know..."
>Your murmurs barely reach Butterscotch's ears as you ramble
"But... it shouldn't be something I actually want."
 
>For a moment, there is total silence as Butterscotch contemplates what you've said
>"Flutters..." Butterscotch sighs. "I... kind of thought the same thing."
>You blink a few times, trying to take in what he's saying
"...what do you mean?"
>"Well, um..." The stallion hesitates, unsure of his phrasing. "I... well... a bit of me..."
>He pauses for a moment, girding himself
>"...sort of hoped you're pregnant too. But," he continues, his voice unsteady, "having a foal's such a big thing, though... " Slowly, he shakes his head. "It's not something I should want just... just so I can stay back."
>The two of you avert your eyes, ashamed more of yourselves than one-another
>You take it upon yourself to break the silence
"I guess... we're both bad ponies, then.”
>"Maybe..." Butterscotch nuzzles you gently. "I think everypony has bad thoughts sometimes, though."
"Yeah. Maybe... maybe it's what we do with them that counts?”
>As the two of you think on this, you both look down at the pregnancy test on the sink
>Examining it carefully, you see the first line, clear as day
>You both stare long and hard to see whether a second line is visible
"Do you see anything, Butters?"
>He squints, then shakes his head. "No... I don't think so."
>You both heave deep sighs, born of a strange mix of relief and disappointment
"So... that's that, then."
>"Yep..."
>The two of you look at each-other before shifting your gazes uncomfortably
>It's Butterscotch who opts to speak up this time
>"So," he notes, “we have a few days left. Anything you wanted to do together before I...?"
 
>Butterscotch's voice fades as he speaks, though you catch his meaning regardless
>You scratch your chin in contemplation, your mind drifting away from those darker thoughts for now
"Well... When I was at Rarity's earlier, she mentioned this new restaurant at Canterlot. She wanted to go herself, but, it's... couples only."
>"Couples...?"
>You nod
"And, it's just, well, I've never been on a proper dinner date before..."
>"Neither have I," Butterscotch answers. "But, er... Canterlot's kind of, you know... loud. Big. Crowded."
>You give Butters a quick kiss on the cheek to reassure him
"Maybe, but it'll be fine if we're together."
>Smiling, he nuzzles you. "Okay then. Canterlot it is. But, what's the restaurant called?"
>Thinking for a moment, you try to remember what your friend told you
"I think it was... L'Etalion Noir? Rarity said they do Prench food, mostly."
>Butterscotch's face lights up. "Prench? That sounds nice."
>You nod in agreement
"Yeah. So..."
>You start to move towards the bathroom door, back out into the hall
"I'll, um, go make the reservations, then. If that's okay, I mean."
 
===
 
>Several days later, you and Butterscotch find yourselves at the front desk of L'Etalion Noir
>Your old gala dress still looks as beautiful on you as ever
>Butterscotch looks quite handsome himself, donning an ensemble to match yours
>His crisp white dress shirt hides beneath his pastel-green waistcoat and aquamarine cummerbund
>A custom-made aqua butterfly bow-tie completes the look
>A veritable colossus of an earth pony with a cream coat, blue mane and red bowtie stands behind the desk
>From what you remember of restaurant etiquette, you figure this fellow is the maître d', or 'host'
>He sizes the two of you up, maintaining a poker face. "Greetings," he chimes, his melodic voice a massive contrast to his imposing stature. "Did you two have a reservation?"
"Oh. Um... yes."
>You clear your throat, trying to gather your thoughts
"Fluttershy. It should be under Fluttershy."
>The maître d' furrows his brow as he peruses the reservations log
>Eventually, he pauses, cracking a slight smile
>"Ah. Here we are. You're on the list," he confirms. "Reservation for two, table twelve." He turns his head behind his shoulder. "Velvet?"
>"Yes, sir?" A sharply-dressed grey unicorn mare emerges, bowing politely
>"Could you show this lovely couple to their table?"
>"Of course, sir," she answers. Her attention now turns to you. "Please, follow me."
>Escorted by the staffer, the two of you move past the front desk and towards your table
>You find it right next to the western windows, well away from the centre of the room
>Perfect
>Butterscotch, attempting to be something of a gentlecolt, offers you your seat first
>You wonder whether Rarity had offered him advice on etiquette while fitting his suit
>Regardless, you blush, smiling softly at him
"Oh... thank you."
>You take your seat graciously
>As Butterscotch does likewise, the staffer silently slips a pair of menus onto your table
 
>Your partner takes a quick glance at the menus before looking back up at the staff mare. "Thank you, um... Velvet, was it?"
>Velvet freezes for a moment, surprised. "...yes. You're welcome."
>She bows ever so slightly towards Butterscotch and yourself before turning to leave, perhaps a bit too quickly
>Before you have much time to think about her reaction, though, another staff member, a moustached blue unicorn wearing a steel-grey bow-tie, walks up to the pair of you
>"Hello," he says in a thick Canterlot accent. "I'll be your waiter for this evening. Can I get you two any drinks to start with?"
>You quickly pick up the menu, scanning the options
>Butterscotch does likewise, furrowing his brow
"I think I'll, um, have the apple and blackcurrant juice? If that's okay?"
>The waiter smiles. "A fine choice, madam. And for you, sir?"
>"A pint of apple cider, please."
>"Very good." Levitating a pencil, he jots down your drink orders before slipping away
>"Oh wow," Butterscotch murmurs, looking back through his menu. "I don't think I can even say half of these things."
"Yeah..."
>Just then, your eye catches an interesting item on the list
>Something by the name of 'seitan steak-frites'
>You don't know what frites are, but you think you remember reading about seitan once
>As you continue to look at the menu, a glass of dark red fluid levitates down onto the coaster in front of you
>"Your drink, madam," he says, slipping a straw into the glass as he speaks
"Oh, thank you."
>Nodding once, he turns his attention to Butterscotch next
>A dimple-mug, filled to the brim, floats towards your lover
>Gently, it lands upon his coaster. "And your cider, sir," the waiter adds
>"Thanks." Butterscotch looks at the glass mug carefully, slipping his hoof through the oversized handle before slowly raising it to his lips for a sip
>You lean forward, sipping a bit of your own juice through the straw in response
 
>Looking up from your glass as you drink, your eyes meet Butterscotch's as he does the same
>The both of you can't help but titter at the coincidental eye contact
>Suddenly, a firm clearing of the throat interrupts the two of you
>You look up to see the waiter, his face betraying the slightest hint of irritation. "Are you two ready to order?"
"Oh! Sorry. Yes. I will have the... Sye-ten steak-fritts?"
>Your waiter jots down your order on his pad. "Very well then. The seitan steak-frites for the lady."
"Yes... Those."
>Blushing, you shrink in your chair, embarrassed by your poor pronunciation
>He turns to face Butterscotch. "And you, sir?"
>He puts down his mug, looking up at the waiter with a reddened face. "The, um, how do you say..."
>Nervously, Butterscotch half-extends his wing, using it to point at a menu item
>The waiter leans in, squinting
>His expression lightens up as he sees what Butterscotch is pointing at
>"Ah," he says. "The ratatouille niçoise. Excellent." Dutifully, he makes another note. "We'll get started on those right away."
 
>As the waiter turns to leave, the two of you return to sipping your drinks
>"So, um... what's seitan?" Butterscotch looks at you quizzically. "I think I remember about it a while back, but I can't quite remember..."
"I think it's made out of, um, wheat, but it's supposed to, well..."
>You hesitate, unsure of what Butterscotch might think
"I read it tastes like meat."
>Butterscotch blinks. "Oh. I didn't know they had -that- kind of stuff here." He shoots you a strange smirk. "You should have mentioned it earlier..."
>You breathe a sigh of relief at Butterscotch's reaction
"So, um... you're curious about meat too?"
>He nods, blushing slightly. "Yeah, a little..." He looks up into the air at nothing in particular, reminiscing. "I mean, I've fed it to the gators and wolves before, and I kind of always wondered what it was like, but I could never bring myself to, you know..."
>He trails off into an inaudible mutter as he speaks
>You give Butterscotch a calm, knowing look
"I understand."
>"Oh, okay," Butterscotch responds. "Well, um, anyway, I might have gotten the seitan too, if I didn't see the ratatouille first."
"Um, Butters?"
>"Yes, Fluttershy?"
"Well, uh... what is ratatouille?"
>Butterscotch scratches his chin before looking back down at his menu. "I'm not sure, either," he answers. "But it says here it's, well, kind of like vegetable stew."
"Vegetable stew? What kind?"
>Butterscotch's choice doesn't exactly seem adventurous to you, but it still sounds tasty
>He takes another look at the menu. "It says here, bell peppers, onion, eggplant..."
"Eggplant?"
>Without realising at first, you lick your lips at the mention of the vegetable
"I love eggplant!"
>Butterscotch's face lights up. "Me too! Have you ever had eggplant pasta bake?"
"...no, actually. But that does sound nice."
>"Weird," Butterscotch remarks, nonplussed. "Are you sure?"
>You nod gently
"Yeah, I'm sure. Have you ever had eggplant lasagna?"
>After a moment of silence, Butterscotch shakes his head
 
>"No," he answers. "I... haven't."
"Huh..."
>"Odd..."
>The both of you scratch your chins
>Given everything your two universes had in common, this seems like such a strange thing to not line up
>At least differences such as the whole carrot-versus-apple pie affair make sense, given your opposite genders
>This, not so much
>After a few more moments of contemplation, though, you both shrug your shoulders in unison
>Silently, you come to the agreement that it's just not worth worrying about too much
>"Well, um, anyway," Butterscotch suggests, "you really should try eggplant pasta bake sometime."
"Mm. Maybe we can have some togeth-"
>Realising what you're saying, you stop yourself
"Oh. Right. Nevermind..."
>You heave a defeated sigh
>Butterscotch, however, stretches his hoof across the table to gently stroke your cheek
>"It's okay, Fluttershy," he assures you. "Don't worry. Just, um... let's just make the best of the time we have now...?"
>Those awkward words normally wouldn't do much to reassure you
>Yet, through the filter of his soft, smooth voice, and with his hoof upon your cheek, you can't help but smile
>You raise your own hoof onto the table, humming gently as you stroke his forearm
>A comfortable silence hangs between you and Butterscotch as you sit like this, staring deeply into one-another's eyes
>For a little while, everything seems to fade away
>All that remains are you, your date, and the faint echoes of a jazz piano
 
>Eventually, however, the two of you snap back to reality, the dull roar of the other couples and the occasional clatter of dishes once again becoming clear in your ears
>Shifting your hoof away, you take a moment to look out the window
>Through the inky blackness, you can't exactly make out much in the fields and valleys far below
>One feature in particular does catch your eye, however
>You gesture to Butterscotch to get his attention before pointing out into the dark
"Is that... Twilight's castle?"
>He squints, taking a moment to locate the tower in the darkness
>"Yeah, it must be." Looking down in awe, he gives a quiet whistle. "Wow..."
>As the moon shifts in the night sky to just the right angle, the castle's faceted, crystalline structure catches its light from above
>Combined with the tiny lamplights of Ponyville nearby, the scene reminds you of a forest floor, of fireflies buzzing about a large glowshroom
"It looks so beautiful from up here."
>Butterscotch nods in agreement. "It really does..."
>Your eyes wander amongst the 'fireflies', looking around for other Ponyville landmarks
>It's not long before you find the brightest speck of all
>Not only is it bright, it seems to be flashing all sorts of colours, switching in time to some unheard beat
"That has to be Sugarcube Corner."
>"Mm-hmm." Butterscotch gazes wistfully at the little technicolour dot. "Berry must be throwing a pretty big pa-" He cuts himself short, clearing his throat. "Er... I mean, Pinkie. Yes."
>You look at your special somepony, your smile fading as you try to imagine what he must be feeling
"You really miss them, don't you?"
>Butterscotch's expression softens
"Your friends..."
>Butterscotch sighs longingly. "Yeah... "
>His eyes shift, looking down at Sugarcube Corner and Twilight's castle
>"It'll be nice to see them all again. Berry, Blitz, Applejack, Elusive..."
>Looking back to you, he raises his hooves defensively
 
>"Don't, um, get me wrong or anything," Butterscotch mutters. "It's not like I'm not going to miss you too when I go back, it's just..." He fumbles over his words, uncertain
>Delicately, you place a hoof to his lips, cutting his voiceless rambling short
"I think I understand. Don't worry."
>Withdrawing your hoof, you see Butterscotch pause, taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts
>"Thank you." He gives you a tender smile. "These few weeks with you have been... amazing," he admits. "The best of my life, even."
>Silently, you gasp
"Y-you really mean that, Butters?"
>"Yeah. I do," he responds, firm in his tone
>Your heart flutters at his words
>You feel as if you could just float away, even without your wings
"I... feel the same way."
>You think you can see Butterscotch's own heart visibly melting at your words
>Shortly after, however, he looks away for a bit. "I wish I could stay here just a little longer..." He looks back to you, morose. "Or see you whenever I wanted."
"Yeah..."
>You think you feel a tear building in the corner of your eye, but you do your best to hold it back
>The last thing you want to do right now is cause a scene
>"Well," Butterscotch reasons, "at least I might be able to, well, visit next year."
"...visit?"
 
>You lean forward, curious
>"It's just... Twilight said that, with the portal spell, it..." He hesitates, trying to remember. "Well, it's easiest at midnight, but she thinks she can do it any time of a supermoon night."
>A flash of realisation hits you
"Oh! So, if they sent you back here at dusk..."
>"I could go back before dawn." He looks back out at Twilight's castle for a second before returning his eyes to you. "It'd only be for a few hours, but..."
>He trails off, though you get his meaning
>The idea that tomorrow isn't 'goodbye forever', that you might see Butterscotch again, is a massive load off of your mind
>Even the prospect of a single evening a year from now is enough
>A single evening...
>A smile creeps back onto your lips as an idea crosses your mind
"Maybe... we could have that eggplant pasta bake dinner? If that's okay with you, I mean."
>Butterscotch chuckles in response. "Yes, I'd... I'd like that. Very much."
>You look into one-another's eyes once more
>"No matter what happens, Fluttershy," Butterscotch says, placing a hoof across the table, "I love you."
>>You touch your hoof to his, smiling softly
"I love you too, Butters. And, um..."
>Shifting your gaze for a short moment, you feel your face redden
"...I'm glad you were my first."
>Shyly, Butterscotch smiles back at you. "Me too."
 
>A few seconds later, you catch the waiter from before approaching out of the corner of your eye
>Turning to look at him more clearly, you see him toting over a dozen platters at once with his magic
>Effortlessly, he levitates two of them towards your table
>"Hello again," he says, accent as thick as ever. He looks towards Butterscotch. "Now, was it you who ordered the ratatouille niçoise, sir?"
>"Oh, yes." The platter floats down towards him, landing perfectly between his knife and fork. "Thanks."
>The waiter nods once before sending another platter your way. "So," he asks, "that would mean the seitan steak-frites is for you, madam, yes?"
"Thank you..."
>"You're welcome. If you need anything at all," he adds, turning to leave, "just ask."
>With the waiter gone, you decide to take a look down at your plate
>You spy a medium-brown, neatly-sized chunk of what you can only guess is the seitan steak
>Though you've fed meat to your animals before, you've never seen what it looks like cooked
>It looks a bit unappetising to you, to say the least
>However, you do think the criss-cross pattern of scorch-marks is a nice touch
>To the side, you see a sauce-cup, a simple-yet-elegant salad, and quite possibly the fanciest pile of hay-fries you've ever seen
>Looking over at Butterscotch's plate, you set eyes on what can only be described as a juicy brown cylinder of slow-cooked vegetable chunks
>The meal is garnished with a basil leaf on top and a few trails of some kind of sauce or oil circling around the perimeter
>He looks at his dish with trepidation
>Using his wing, he carefully grabs his fork
>You do likewise, using your wings together to manipulate your own pair of utensils
>He scoops out a chunk of his ratatouille as you get a bite-size slice of seitan onto your fork
>Equally uncertain, the two of you hold the food to your mouths. "Er... Bon appetit?"
>You look down at your fork, then back up to your date
"Bon appetit... I think."
 
>You simultaneously pop the first bites of your meals into your mouths
>Fork still in your closed maw, you pause
>The steak begins to dissolve on your tongue as you're stunned by an explosion of flavour
>Pulling the fork out, you begin to chew
>The taste, the texture, the smell
>It's unlike anything you've ever had before
>Butterscotch, meanwhile, seems to be melting in his seat, a broad smile spreading across his face as he chews and swallows his first bite of the meal
>"Wow." He stares down at his plate, seemingly stunned for a second. "Just... wow."
>He scoops up another bit of ratatouille on his fork. "How's yours, Flutters?"
>You swallow hard before answering
"Well... I can't really describe it. But, it's good."
>You slice off another sliver of the seitan, combining it with a hay-fry on your fork
>Before you pop the next bite into your mouth, however, you have an idea
"Butters?"
>Your lover looks up at you, mouth still full with his second bite. "Hm?"
"Would you, um, like to try some of mine?"
>Swallowing, Butterscotch nods in agreement. "Sure," he replies. "Would you like some of mine...?"
"Okay."
>Placing your forks down on the plates, you and Butterscotch gently nudge them across the table, swapping meals for now
 
>After a quick tasting, you and Butterscotch swap the plates back, enjoying the rest of your meal together
>You also decide to get something a bit closer-to-home for dessert
>A small chocolate fudge and banana sundae to share between the two of you
>As you and Butterscotch finish off the last of the sundae, your spoons playfully clink against one-another in the bottom of the now-empty bowl
>Suppressing a snicker at the silliness you're engaging in, you spot your waiter over Butterscotch's shoulder, approaching once more
>You release your spoon, folding your wings back neatly before he arrives
>Butterscotch does likewise, just in time
>Your waiter saunters up to your table, levitating a single, silver platter
>As he expertly lowers it down onto your table, you spot a single piece of paper upon the plate. "Here is your bill," he states plainly. "We hope you enjoyed your meal."
"Oh, thank you."
>With a small bow, the waiter slips away, between the tables and back to the kitchen
>You and Butterscotch are left to examine the bill
>Butterscotch's eyes narrow to pinpricks as you feel your jaw slacken
>"Thirty bits for the drinks...?" His eye twitches in disbelief
"...straw surcharge?"
>You feel yourself about to faint
 
>Taking a few deep breaths to ease your nerves, you fetch your purse from inside your dress
>Butterscotch does likewise, drawing out his wallet
>You both carefully count out the cash you have on hand
"Um... I have 70 bits. You?"
>Your date quickly double-checks his coins and notes. "63, I think."
>Cross-checking with the total on the bill, you realise you have just enough to cover the meal itself
>You're suddenly glad you insisted on sharing the sundae
>However, you don't have nearly enough for a decent tip
>Holding the paper up to his face, Butterscotch grumbles. "Aw... This isn't even five percent."
"That nice waiter is going to be so disappointed..."
>You both sit back in your chairs for a moment to think, stewing in worry
 
===
 
>Several hours later, you and Butterscotch enter your cottage, barely able to contain your laughter
>You finally get yourself under control, taking a moment to catch your breath
"I still can't believe we got so worried about that tip."
>"Yeah," Butterscotch concurs. "I'm still not sure how we missed that no-tipping sign out front..."
>Still giggling slightly at the whole situation, you ascend the stairs together towards the bedroom
>You slide out of your dress, slipping it carefully back into your wardrobe
>Butterscotch gets out of his suit too, folding it neatly before placing it on the chest of drawers near the foot of the bed
>He gives a high-pitched, almost squeaky yawn, stretching himself before climbing under the covers. "Coming to bed, Flutters?"
"In a moment. I, um..."
>You give Butterscotch a sheepish look as you awkwardly cross your hindlegs
"I need to use the little filly's room."
>"Oh, okay," he says, affectionate as ever. "Be back soon..."
>Quickly, you trot off to the bathroom
>As you close the door behind you and get ready to do what need'st be done, you spot the pregnancy test from last week on the sink
>Not only that, you also see the second pregnancy test that came with it, still in its package
>Without really thinking, you grab the second test, pulling it out of its package as you sit down
 
>Relieving yourself, you manage to get a decent enough 'sample' on the stick in the process
>As you tug the toilet's pull-cord, you gaze intently at the results window
>The first line appears quickly enough
>Then, slowly but surely, the second line comes into view, clear as a bell
>You feel your heart skip a beat as you stare, your mouth suddenly going dry
>In shock, you drop the test where you stand
>It lands face-down amongst the sparse clutter already upon the bathroom floor
>For a moment, you do nothing but stand, frozen in place
>Eventually, however, you start to walk back to your bedroom in a mindless daze
>You return to see Butterscotch already snoozing, his soft snores evidencing as much
>Not wishing to wake him, you quietly slip into bed
>For an hour, you stare at the ceiling, confused and utterly terrified, until a restless sleep finally claims you