Twilight stood before her friends, they were just wrapping up a belated baby shower for her colt, Polaris, “I just wanted to thank everypony for coming out to this… Well, even if it is only the five of us, Polaris, and Princess Celestia. Really, you girls are the best… I-I never thought-…”
“Twilight, ya know we’re always here fer ya, no matter what!" Applejack interrupted. "Ah can understand why ya needed ta hide the young’un, but you still shoulda trusted us with this. We’re yer friends! And nuthin’, Ah mean nuthin’ is ever gonna change that, sugarcube.” AJ winked at her. The rest of the mares chimed in with their own exclaimations of approval.
“Thank you, Applejack… and I’m sorry, girls. I’ll-... I'll try to stick to that next time.”
“So does that mean we get to play with little Poly, now!?”
Twilight giggled, “Yes, Pinkie, but don’t scare him now~”
Pinkie jumped up and immediately appeared next to Polaris, “Heya Poly! I’m your Auntie Pinkie Pie!”
“Oh, brother…” Twilight turned as she giggled.
“Twilight, when you have a moment?” The regal Princess stepped towards her.
“Yes, Princess?”
“How are you feeling?”
Twilight looked back to Polaris and her friends, he seemed to be enjoying himself this time, a big change from what had happened just the day before, “To tell you the truth, Princess… relieved. I never expected them to take this so well.”
Celestia looked her deep in the eyes, “But they are your friends, are they not?”
“Well…” She scratched the back of her head, “Yea, of course!”
“Wasn’t one of your lessons you wrote in your letters to me about putting faith in your friends? No matter what it was?”
Twilight thought for a moment, “Oh…. Yea… It was, wasn’t it?”
Celestia ran a hoof through her mane and smiled, “Then I daresay you have chosen your friends well.”
She chuckled, “Ya, I guess I did, didn’t I?”
“Would you need a moment to enjoy the gifts that you and your foal have received?”
“Why do you ask, Princess?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, Twilight… I would like to take a few minutes to ask you a couple of questions.” She sat down.
She looked over at her friends, of which Rarity was busy embarrassing Polaris with a little sailor’s outfit, to which each of them were going “D’awwww!~” and the look of disgust on Polaris’ face was frankly hilarious to his mother, “Go ahead, Princess… I think he’s preoccupied for the moment.” She sat in front of her.
“In that case…” She magicked up a platter with a teapot and two cups on it, “Tea, my faithful student?”
“Sure!” Twilight took a cup with her magic as Celestia used hers to pour the tea.
Celestia took a sip then began, “I wanted to know more of why you kept him hidden for the past two years. A young colt or filly needs to be socialized fairly early after they’re old enough to at least talk a bit.”
Twilight looked back at her foal, now playing with AJ’s rope, and sighed. Turning back to the Princess, she started, “It’s… slightly complicated, Princess… I was… trying to protect him… ultimately I dunno if I regret that decision or appreciated the fact I did it…”
“What do you mean?” Her left eyebrow raised as she took another sip.
“I mean… I know he was supposed to be socialized but… Look at him… He’s not a normal colt…”
“Ah… Is the fact that he is indeed an alicorn the reason you did it?”
“To an extent… I mean… When’s the last time an alicorn was born?”
Celestia racked her brain for an answer, “To be truthful it’s been a very, very long time… Definitely not within the last 1000 years or so. Not even Cadence was born one, and you know the story behind that.”
“But you do see where I’m coming from? The second it gets out that a pony gave birth to an alicorn…”
“…The media would immediately latch onto it and start tearing it apart. Yes, I can see where you’re going with that. But still, jeopardizing your son's being by keeping him sheltered…”
“…The Thing is I was so young when I found out… And you know… he was a part of the royal family…”
“You thought that would affect the Royal Family? How so?”
“Like I said yesterday when you reverted me back to normal… Scandals!" Twilight almost shouted, before looking back over at her party guests to make sure they hadn't noticed. "What if it had gotten out that your nephew knocked up a young student! There would be investigations, inquiries, I’d have to appear in court… the Royal Family could be forever blotched with a rape charge!” She was breathing quickly as she ranted.
Celestia suddenly hugged the ranting unicorn, “Calm down my little pony…” She let go and looked into her watering eyes, “Twilight Sparkle… that may have been the case, but I can assure you I’ve dealt with far worse scandals in the last 1000 years. And we always make a comeback. And no, before you start, I would never, ever think of you any different than the small filly who turned her parents into potted plants on her entrance exam to my school~” She giggled.
“Wow…. Thank you, Princess…”
“Just be thankful of something….”
“What would that be?”
“It wasn’t Blueblood.”
Twilight burst out laughing and nuzzled her mentor, “Thank you, I really mean it.”
“I’m always here for you, Twilight. But there is something else that bothers me…”
“What would that be?”
“How come your own family doesn’t know?”
“Well, if Shining found out I had a foal before him…”
They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Twilight stopped and looked up at the Princess before hearing a, “Howdy, Rainbow Dash… nice ta see ya finally show up!” The unicorn's ears perked up and she glanced over at the front door.
“Go, Twilight. Comfort your friend; I’m sure she’d like to apologize for just taking off on you.”
“Right… Thanks for the talk, Princess!”
“Anytime, my faithful student.” She sat back and continued on her tea.
Twilight trotted back into the living room; Rainbow Dash, upon spotting her friend,
immediately drooped her head, “Umm… Hey, Twilight…”
“Rainbow, you ok?” Twilight stroked her friend’s mane.
“Nope… I feel… dumb. I didn’t mean to storm out like that, Twilight. I’m actually happy for you. I mean, your son really looks like he’d be a great flier. Just…”
“You wanted to help me learn to fly…”
“Yes, that’s EXACTLY what I wanted to do! I was SOOOO looking forward to it! I could finally teach YOU something instead of you teaching me something!...” She flopped back on the couch.
“Oh, Rainbow, don’t be sorry. I know you were just… unaccepting… at first.”
“But... I AM sorry… I shouldn’t run out on my friends like that…” she looked at her, “Friends still?”
Twilight giggled, “Rainbow, we never STOPPED being friends, ok? And I accept your apology.” She went over and gave her a big hug.
Rainbow Dash hugged her back, “Thanks, egghead.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and they both shared a friendly laugh.
“OH! I almost forgot…” She pulled out a box, “I got this for the little squirt.”
“Oh? What is it?” Twilight took it and started to open it.
“It’s, uh, my old pair of flight goggles. I’ve had them since I was just a young filly in Cloudsdale. I figured the squirt could use them when I get to train him!” She smiled wide.
“Rainbow, I-… Thanks, he’ll love these… and I’m sure he’ll love having the greatest flier in Equestria as his guide!”
“Heh, no problem. Now where is the little squirt?”
“He’s over there playing with Pinkie Pie.”
“Right… I need to get to know the little guy better… HEY POLARIS!”
Twilight laughed, then calmed back down, smiling.
“Twilight, somethin’ botherin’ ya?” AJ approached her.
Twilight was staring at the ceiling with her eyes closed and smiling, “I’m fine, Applejack… Just… happy. Really happy. They say that friendship is magic… And now I know why. With the magic of friendship comes happiness, and with happiness comes a blessed life… I’m so blessed to have such good friends like you, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the rest… Even now, with this new revelation… I feel like we can get through anything.”
“Wow… Twilight… That’s some deep thinkin’ there.” AJ chuckled, “But yea… I understand.” She looked over to Rainbow showing Polaris some basic wing exercises, “Looks like yer son has takin’ a likin’ to Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight looked over to the pair and giggled at Polaris trying to use his small wings to copy Rainbow Dash.
“ Yeah, just like that! Hey, you’re not bad at this!” Rainbow smiled, seeing the young colt copy her almost move-for-move, “Keep this up and you MIGHT… and I mean MIGHT… be able to challenge me one day!” She laughed and winked at him. Polaris smiled at her, a signal saying he understood.
“Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow called to her, “How about we take a girls night out?!”
“Oh, darling… that sounds wonderful!" Rarity chimed in. "We could finally get to catch up on the past 2 years we’ve missed of this adorable colt’s life!” The white unicorn seemed to be excited.
“Oooooh… Like a PARTY?!” Pinkie popped up behind Twilight.
“Well… Ah reckon Mac’ll not mind if ah skip mah chores fer one day… specially fer this.” AJ chuckled.
“Oh, Twilight… That would be… incredible. I mean if you don’t mind…” Fluttershy squeaked.
Twilight thought it over for a moment, her smile making it clear she already had her answer. “Sure, why not?”
The girls showed their approval by letting out a loud “YES!”
“And I know just the place!” Rainbow chimed in.
“And where would this be, deary?” Rarity seemed to be suspicious of the tomboyish-pegasus.
“How about… we go to…”
Fluttershy seemed to be bitting her hooves.
“…a BAR! I know of one just outside Ponyville…”
“WHAT?!”