Sunset Shimmer clenched her fist over the test, and rested her knuckles against her forehead.

It was only supposed to take thirty seconds, right?

Such a painfully short amount of time in order to figure out just how screwed she was.

It shouldn’t have even been possible. She was a pony magically transformed into a human, for Celestia’s sake! Sunset shuddered as her thoughts drifted back to that night on Applejack’s farm last month. It had been a pretty great party, all things considered.

Flash Sentry wasn’t a bad guy, not really. A bit of an idiot, but genuine. When she’d first come through the portal, he’d treated her with kindness, and helped her find her feet in the human world. She’d repaid that kindness by becoming a High School Dictator, and later, by awkwardly avoiding him.

But at that party they’d somehow ended up sharing a few beers behind the barn, looking up at the stars. They talked for hours, and eventually, well…

Sunset’s cheeks burned, and she cursed her own stupidity. If she could jump back in time and dump a bucket of ice water on her past self, she’d do it in an instant.

If this test was… if she was pregnant, what did that mean, exactly? Would the baby be human? Pony? Some sort of horrible hybrid between the two? Would she be stuck here for the next nine month? She had no idea what kind of effects the portal would have on a pregnant creature, but it wasn’t exactly an experiment anyone would be willing to risk.

Not that she could ever face Twilight Sparkle like this anyway.

Just what the hell was she supposed to do? She was barely sure of what she wanted from life as it was. She’d been struggling over her place for awhile now, questioning whether she was really ready to return to Equestria, whether she should stay here with her human friends, what to do when she graduated from Canterlot High… but now, the idea of becoming a mom?

It admittedly, wasn’t the worst thing she could think of. Kids were cute, and she could imagine herself settling down. But that was an idea that belonged to a far future Sunset. One who had already found her purpose and achieved her goals and dreams and probably had a set of princess wings of her own.

Sunset rolled her eyes. It was a stupid thought. Even if she would settle down someday, it certainly wouldn’t be with Flash Sentry.

There were always… other options.

She felt bile rising up in her throat at the mere thought and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force it back down. Abortions were uncommon in Equestria. Wide scale access to contraception magic and comprehensive sex education made unwanted pregnancies a rarity, and when necessary it was a simple procedure performed by a unicorn doctor using teleportation magic.

But here in this world… Her thoughts drifted back to the health class she had taken, where they’d explained the revolting mechanical process. Horrific barely even began to describe it. She’d thrown up in class that day, and had later gone on a small bullying crusade, targeted against the girls she knew were sexually active.

What a joke. Sunset clenched her fist even tighter around the pregnancy test even tighter, and she felt the cheap plastic crack under her grip. Hot tears drifted down her cheeks.

Was this all some sort of karmic retribution? A cosmic punishment for her wicked ways, delayed to the point where it was poised to snatch her future away right as she felt on top again? Even though she had been forgiven, had she truly repented for the harm she had caused others?

What would Twilight, or worse, Princess Celestia think if they could see her right now, in this moment? Just a pathetic mess of a mare, unable to handle what the world deemed fit to throw at her.

And of course, they would help her. She’d hate it, hate asking for it, but they’d help her anyways. They all would. Because that was what friends were for.

Would her friends be able to solve her problem? No. But they’d at least give her whatever support she would need.

It had been far longer than thirty seconds. Sunset sniffed, wiping at her nose and eyes.

Sunset held her destiny in the palm of her hand. All she had to do was look.