"So Rarity is gonna be a mom?" Sweetie Belle asked. Rarity had invited her over today to share some big new favor about something. It was supposed to be something about a sugar coat for Miss Bon Bon and the filly had been excited to see how her sister would decorate clothing with candy. But instead of some new fantastic design, the grown-ups had told her Rarity was going to have a baby.
"Not quite Sweetie." Rarity said calmly. "Bon Bon is going to be a mom. I'm just going to carry it for her."
"Oh, because she helped carry me home the other day." Sweetie Belle remarked. "But wait then why did you say you were having the baby?"
Bon Bon couldn't suppress the giggle the filly's innocence brought out.
"Okay, let's try this again." Rarity said a little exasperated. "Bon Bon wants to have a foal because she wants to be a mother." She looked to see if was still following. Sweetie Belle nodded to confirm she was still listening. "I'm going to be her surrogate."
"That's not a coat made of candy is it?" Sweetie Belle interrupted. Rarity could make clothes but she was pretty sure you couldn't be clothing. It sounded less like sugar coat now that Rarity was going slow."
"A surrogate is like a substitute." Bon Bon explained.
"We had a substitute teacher when Miss Cheerilee got sick," Sweetie exclaimed excitedly. She wasn't happy her teacher had been sick but she was glad she understood what a surrogate meant. "So you're going to run the candy store for Miss Bon Bon while she has her baby."
Rarity brought a hoof to her face closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Sweetie Belle, how much do you know about where babies come from?" The older unicorn asked
"I know it happens when special two special someponies love each other very much." Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in shock at her latest revelation. "You and Miss Bon Bon are each other's special somepony." She said with an enormous grin.
"No Sweetie Belle." Rarity said her face had become ever so slightly pink. "When mare decides she wants to have a baby, usually with her special somepony but not always, she takes certain steps to become pregnant. Pregnant is when you have a baby growing in your tummy."
"Oh yeah. I knew that." The filly said matter of factly. "Twilight taught us that in health class when she subbed for Miss Cheerilee."
"Then why didn't you say that when I asked?" Rarity was growing more frustrated by the moment.
"I forgot." Sweetie Belle said oblivious of her sister's straining patience.
"Bon Bon is...." Rarity began trying to find the best words. "Sick."
"She's sick and you're going to substitute for her." Sweetie Belle said with a nod.
"Sweetie Belle." Rarity said flatly.
"Let me try and explain." Bon Bon chimed in. "I'm not sick exactly. I have a special injury that makes it where if I got pregnant the baby wouldn't be able to grow. Your sister is doing a very generous favor for me and she's going to be pregnant in my place. The doctor will take the part of me that would become a baby and put it in her where it can grow properly."
"Okay, I think I get it." Sweetie Belle said still trying to put everything together. "Rarity will carry the baby inside her so it can grow. So you two are having a baby together."
"In a way yes." Bon Bon said with a nod. The filly at least had a general understanding of the process and that seemed like it would be enough for right now.
"Will this make me a niece?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Rarity and Bon Bon exchanged an awkward look. It was an innocent question but the true answer to the question had a deeper meaning.
"If I were having my own baby it would make you an aunt, not a niece.' Rarity corrected the filly. "But after the baby is born Bon Bon will be its mother, not me."
"Oh." Sweetie Belle said with a hint of disappointment. "I think it would be fun to be an ant."
"Rarity will need lots of extra help and attention while pregnant. If you do a good job of helping out you can be the baby's honorary aunt."
"You mean how like Rainbow Dash is Scootaloo's big sister even though they're not actually related?" The filly asked perking up again.
"Yes, something like that." Bon Bon affirmed. "So will you help look after your sister for me so she doesn't hurt herself or the baby while she's pregnant?"
"Yes, Miss Bon Bon." Sweetie Belle agreed. "Is it all right if I tell my friends. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo will flip when I tell them I'm going to be an aunt.
"Not just yet." Rarity answered. "We still have a few things to do before the process can begin properly, talks with some doctors and tests to make sure everypony will be safe. For now, it's a secret just between us. If you go around telling everypony Bon Bon might not think your responsible enough to be an aunt." She looked at the earth mare to make sure she hadn't overstepped by saying that and received an affirmative nod. "You can tell your friends as soon as the time is right. We will let you know."
"Okay." Sweetie Belle agreed full of excitement. "Can I at least go play with my friends? Apple Bloom came up with a bunch of new ideas so we can try and get our cutie marks."
"You can go out and play but don't be gone too long and don't do anything dangerous." Rarity said but Sweetie Belle was already on her way out of the boutique.
"I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but I don't think that was it." Bon Bon said with a laugh.
"You're okay, right? I imagine that must have been difficult for you." Rarity said empathetically. The earth mare seemed happy but she knew how much her friend had done to bury certain emotions for so long that needed to be certain.
"I'm a little exhausted at worst." Bon Bon reassured her. "You helped me confront those emotions and move past the worst of it. I'll always feel a mix of sadness when I see her but now have a chance to have a different kind of relationship with her and that makes me happy. I hope I didn't overstep by saying she could be an aunty." Bon Bon was suddenly afraid he may have done something wrong.
"Know I think it's a great thing, really. She was so excited when you told her." Rarity beamed. "The only thing you could do to overstep would be to tell her the full truth."
"I would never." Bon Bon said a little defensively.
"Oh, I know. I wasn't trying to imply anything." Rarity apologized. "I just meant that Sweetie Belle isn't ready to handle that information. I think it would hurt her and that's the one thing I couldn't forgive."
"Of course." Bon Bon agreed. "I couldn't forgive myself for that either.
"Then we're on the same page and there's nothing to worry about darling."