//------------------------------//
// Georg and Darkstarling's Great New One (FoME's "Immodest Proposal") 
// Story: Never the Final Word (Vol. 2) 
// by FanOfMostEverything 
//------------------------------//

(Georg)

"Princess Celestia, we think..."  Twilight Sparkle considered her words and tried some new ones.  "Technically, Fluttershy's an alicorn.   You know, wings and horn.  Horns.  The tentacles are... new, I suppose.   As are the claws.  And antennae.  She's undeniably parts of all three kinds of pony, so I suppose we could just mark that down and be done with it."

Her Royal Highness (ret) nodded and sipped her tea, seeming perfectly comfortably at Princess (Jr. Probationary status) Twilight's crystal setting room.  There was a degree of ambivalence to her demeanor that bespoke of suppressed maniacal laughter, as well as a smug assurance that this whole thing was Not My Problem.

"Oh, thank the stars," gasped Twilight.  "I thought you would be upset.  And we have a few months to update any forms needed before the foals are born."

Princess Celestia's spray of tea reached the other wall.

(Darkstarling)

"Oooh!" Pinkie chirped up. "Maybe she's a SUPER alicorn!"

"What?"

"Welllll... alicorns are all types of pony at once."

"Of course, as a manifestation of harmony they symbolize the peace between—"

"Uh huh!" Pinkie interrupted, popping up beside Celestia in the space of a blink. "But there's more to ponies than just ponies now. We've got bug ponies and bat ponies and griffon ponies—"

"Griffon ponies?" Twilight cut in, feeling a bit faint.

"Oooh! Oooh! I know this one! When a griffon and a pony love each other very much—"

"Their children are hippogriffs, yes, thank you for reminding me," said Celestia, interrupting in turn and covering her face with her wings. She had really, truly hoped that the royal migraines would end with retirement. Alas, it was not to be.

"Uh huh! But there's more. Spike is Twilight's brother so he's kind of a pony, and we have griffons living in Canterlot and really at this point it'd be rude to say they aren't. And now Fluttershy has the antennae and the bat wing and the dragon claw and..."

"I take your point Pinkie," Celestia replied. "Twilight, Pinkie may be correct. You might do well to encourage other ponies to adopt her perspective rather than explain a new Chaos spirit. Discord, for all his improved demeanor, has done very little to reassure your little ponies." Celestia very carefully did not smirk at the expression on Twilight's face at that. An occasional sickening reminder of their responsibilities was good for a ruler.

"I will certainly take it under consideration, Celestia," Twilight replied. She was proud of herself that her voice only barely caught at not referring to Celestia as a superior. Under any other circumstances she would have to lie down, but as it was her weirdometer was already maxed out. Really, the timing was perfect. "I am a bit curious though, Pinkie. Under this theory of yours, just where did the tentacles come from?"

Pinkie paused, then frowned in deep thought. At this point no one was even surprised that she did this by pausing in mid-pronk. The tableau didn't last long, however, as Luna burst into the throne room and Pinkie fell on her rump with a squeak.

"Ah, Princess! Sister," she added, nodding to Celestia, "I have most urgent news. A strange flying craft has descended upon the royal gardens. They say them come in peace, and request to speak to our leader. My apologies but, as former Princess of  the Night, they were laboring under a misapprehension and sought me out first."

As Twilight's jaw dropped slack and the sound of flapping tentacles began to be heard up the corridor, Celestia couldn't help but break out in a wide grin. This was definitely not her problem.