//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - A Princess of a Princess // Story: The Birth of a Magical Unicorn // by SweetSunnyBuns //------------------------------// The little lost soul drifted through the space between, heading toward the light in the ephemeral distance.  As she grew closer, she saw a beautiful creature, a majestic horse with a flowing mane, horn, and wings.  As she approached the creature called out to her. “Come, my little soul.  I have called you out of time and the natural order, as I do not deem it fit you pass from the mortal realm at this time. You have a destiny, and it is your place to follow it.” The soul shared her thoughts, “Does that mean I will get to go back to my sister?  Will I get to see her again?” She asked hopefully. “In the fullness of time, I do believe it will be so.  But not at your beginning.  You will have a new beginning now. A new purpose and path to fulfill your destiny.  Come, dear soul, and be seated in your new home,” answered the creature. She led her through the realm of dreams and into the realm of possibilities.  There she brought her to a distraught mare who pined for a foal of her own. She pressed her into the mare’s essence. The tiny soul found herself once again united with a growing group of cells heading to the life giving cradle. The soul happily thanked the creature in her thoughts, settling into the new cradle and starting her journey of development anew, though with a lingering sadness, missing her sister soul. Celestia was in shock.  Two days ago she found herself feeling ill while enjoying one of her favorite cakes, chocolate strawberry with real fruit and chocolate chips and whipped cream frosting.  Thinking perhaps there was something wrong with the cake, she moved on to a creamed vanilla with blueberry frosting that had caught her eye earlier, only to have to excuse herself in a hurry as she literally popped into her bedroom toilet. She rushed to the oversized bowl only to lose everything she had eaten in several violent heaves.  “Sweet Harmony above, whatever is wrong with me?” She winced, struggling as the heaving continued despite there being nothing left to lose.  Deciding to soldier through the rest of her day, she avoided eating altogether, focusing solely on her duties. Climbing into her bed that night, she decided she must just have had a stomach bug and gave the matter little mind as she fell asleep. The next morning she had an informal breakfast with the Earl of Dartmouth to discuss tariffs and trade agreements between his and some of his neighboring Dutchies.  To her absolute horror they had barely begun discussions as the food was served, to her pancakes and him to his eggs and rashers. Three bites into her breakfast she excused herself again abruptly to his frustrated protestrations. Ignoring his angered calls, she teleported again to her royal chambers once again rushing to her toilet only to repeat yesterday’s performance.  “This is not just a stomach bug,” she groaned, waiting for the heaving to subside.  Once it did she stood, crossing over to her bath to wash off any signs of infirmity.  ‘That was no stomach bug,’ she groaned to herself as she finished cleaning, resolving to schedule an appointment with the royal physician in the afternoon. Clean, she returned to the Earl, listening to his complaints as she gingerly nursed her unsweetened tea.  Following her last morning meeting, she skipped her private lunch and headed over to the offices of the royal physician. Entering the office with a knock she sat down in front of her physician’s desk.  “Princess! Well this is a surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?” He smiled looking up from his paperwork. The plate on his desk read Doctor Currie, Royal Physician.  “No pleasure at all, Pierre. None whatsoever. Anytime I try to eat a bite of food everything comes back up. The only thing I can tolerate is sipping plain tea. “Plain tea, Pierre. That’s it. I thought for certain it was just a stomach bug, but it’s gone on for more than a day now,” she finished her complaint.  Pierre smiled. “Any other pony I’d suggest just giving it time. But considering your constitution, I’d suspect something… more specific,” he grinned. Celestia grimaced. “I’m sorry, I don’t get the joke,” she grumbled.  “Don’t worry. If my hunch is right, you will,” he smiled. “Let’s run some tests.” “Let’s,” agreed Celestia in frustration, rising to follow him. Several scans and a few dozen pokes and prods later, including a consultation with his Doctor wife and co-chair Marie, he disappeared into his study and returned with a scroll he smugly delivered to the princess to read.  She scanned quickly through it, stopping at the end in surprise only to sharply knicker. “No!” She breathed softly, rereading the scroll more slowly. Coming again to the end, she quickly lit her horn up and performed a diagnostic scan on herself, dropping the scroll in shock when she completed it. She turned to her friend completely aghast as he grinned at her.  “Anyone I know?” He asked with a smile.  Princess Celestia shook her head in disbelief, then looked down at the fallen scroll.  Princess Celestia, Sol Invictus, Regent Equestria and Defender of Realms… … was for the first time in her long living memory, pregnant. Celestia walked down the hall with her seneschal Raven who was sporting a wicked grin. “So, anypony I know?” “No!” Celestia hissed. “Raven, please keep this to yourself. And for Harmony’s sake, please don’t discuss this anywhere but in my room with me.” “So do you know who he is?” Grinned Raven. Stopping with a sigh, Celestia turned to Raven who was still wearing that stupid grin. “Fine,” she grumbled. They both disappeared in an amber flash.  Appearing in her room with her still smirking seneschal, her horn glowed as her door locked, balcony doors shut and locked, and walls suffused with an amber glow as the sounds of the castle faded.  She turned to the still grinning Raven. “I don’t see what you think is so funny,” she groused.  “Oh trust me, that just makes it even more rich,” agreed her longtime friend and confidant.  “I can’t be pregnant!” Celestia exclaimed.  “Kind of seems like your foal missed that memo,” Raven smirked.  “No, Raven, you don’t get it. I can’t be pregnant. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time for anything like that. I haven’t been with a… never mind. Let’s just say there’s no way I can be pregnant unless there’s some secret spell I’ve never heard of that makes things start years later. Which there is not. I checked! So this can’t be happening!” Celestia insisted with just a hint of panic. Still grinning, Raven bent over and addressed her friend’s abdomen. “Don’t listen to your mommy right now little one. She’s just having one of her frequent existential crises. She knows your really there and really loves you!” She giggled.  “Raven!” Celestia stomped her forehoof in frustration.  “Are we done now?” Asked her friend in a perfect deadpan.  Celestia sighed. “Yes.” “Good. Celestia, my dearest friend. Congratulations! You’re a mother. Move on from how. What do you propose to do about that?” Asked her friend.  “What do you mean by that?” Asked Celestia guardedly.  “Clearly not whatever you’re thinking. You’ve talked repeatedly about how much you always wanted a foal but it’s never the right time. Or you haven’t met the right stallion,” replied Raven. Celestia nodded.  “Well guess what? It looks like Harmony got as sick of your whining as I did, and did something about it,” Raven smirked.  “I do not whine,” insisted Celestia. Raven raised an eyebrow.  “Much,” amnended Celestia with a wince.  Ravens eyebrow returned to its usual place as she grinned. “Regardless, you need a plan. How are you going to raise your child?  Shall we ready the announcement now? Forgetting even the issue of who your child’s father is, are you ready to go public and acknowledge them?  Do you want to wait until they are older?  What’s your plan?” Continued Raven.  Celestia sat quietly lost in thought. After a few moments her friend facehooved.  “Oh sweet Harmony, please tell me you are not thinking of never acknowledging her!” Exclaimed Raven indignantly.  “No,” stated Celestia quietly. Ravens eyebrow returned to its elevated position.  “Don’t give me that look!” Exclaimed Celestia in frustration. “I was just thinking about how this is going to undo much of the groundwork I’ve done with the aristocracy, and how best to broach the existence of my heir,” insisted Celestia.  “Simple. Honestly. And as soon as possible. You can’t hide this! Too many ponies know already. You need to get ahead of this and not let some conniving gentried peer try and turn this blessed event into something crass for their own gain. Get in front of this, and do it now. I’d release a statement today if I were in your hooves,” advised her friend.  “I… I need to come up with a plan. Tomorrow. We’ll announce it tomorrow. I promise,” assured Celestia.  “I still think any delay is a mistake. But fine. Tomorrow. I’ll start working on a draft and we’ll go from there,” accepted her friend. “So about your afternoon appointments…” began Raven.  “Cancel them. I need time to think,” replied Celestia as she headed into her bathroom and started drawing a warm bath.  “A bath?” Asked Raven, surprised.  “It’s where I do my best thinking, " replied Celestia, already removing her Petral and golden shoes.  Smiling, Raven nodded and left, shutting the large double doors behind her in her magic already thinking of the best spin for the announcement tomorrow.  The following morning, Celestia was tiredly sipping her strongest tea having been up most the night thinking through her plans to announce her new heir.  Raven stormed into the royal dining room, the doors slamming shut in her magic as she stomped over before the Princess with a folded paper levitating beside her. Stopping before her friend, she slammed the paper down in front of the Princess.  “We should have announced it yesterday!  I knew this was a mistake. I knew this wouldn’t stay buried. Now we have to get ahead of this!” She stormed, glaring at her friend as she pointed at the paper.  Celestia blearily glanced over at the paper, then did a double take, her eyes widening on seeing the picture and headline. Scooping the paper up in her magic she examined the picture in more detail then read the story becoming more alert and angry with each passing moment.  There, plastered on the front page of the Canterlot Blog, was the blaring headline “Holy Celestia Claims Virgin Birth!”  What followed was a full half page doctored photo of Celestia dressed as one of the temple virgins from the Harmonic Temple, her abdomen and flanks swollen, bulging out past her virginal robes with foal, while several of her royal guards dressed as temple priests tried to surreptitiously get close to her plot to take a sniff.  Steam rose from Celestia’s horn, now glowing incandescent as she continued to read the article below the outrageous doctored photo.  “They are dead!” she hissed as she continued reading.  Concerned, Raven tried to take the paper back. But Celestia blocked her with a shield, an almost feral growl escaping her clenched teeth.  “Hold on! Just hold on! Not the reaction I was looking for or expecting! Now isn’t the time to be going all Day Breaker,” placated her friend.  “Isn’t it?” Replied Celestia, the smoke rising higher as the intensity of her horn started to singe the edges of the paper.  Raven reached over and swatted the paper out of Celestia’s grasp. It landed smoldering on the floor only to burst completely into flames moments later.  “Isn’t it!?” Growled Celestia again, turning to her friend.  “No. It’s not,” Raven stated evenly, stepping up to her friend and getting right into her face now framed in burning magic. Her friend and Princess’s amber eyes locked onto hers, glowering with arcane power. “I have a better idea,” Raven replied.  “I’m all ears,” steamed Daybreaker.  Raven laid out her plan.