(This chapter written by special guest author divinearcadia and edited by Mythril Moth.)
"Well...this is...awkward," Celestia said with no small amount of hurt confusion.
"What is it, Tia?" her sister Luna asked, peering curiously at her.
"This," Celestia replied, passing the letter to Luna. The latter quickly scanned the letter, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Oh, Tia! This is wonderful news!" Luna said happily. "We should hold a baby shower for her!"
"Maybe..." Celestia hedged, disheartened. Luna picked up on her sister's mood immediately and went into prying sibling mode.
"Tia..." Luna said, with that long-suffering sternness that only family members can produce.
"What?" Celestia asked defensively, turning slightly away to avoid making eye contact with her sister. Luna shifted around to get a good look at her sister, and immediately wished she hadn't. Celestia's face showed open pain and sorrow that Luna never could have imagined. Luna's heart immediately went out to her sister; she closed the gap between them and hugged her tightly.
"What's the matter, Tia?" Luna asked softly, gently rocking her sister back and forth in a soothing manner. "You can tell me anything. You know I'll do anything to help you, dear sister."
Celestia didn't cry; it seemed as though she was withdrawing into herself. Only the faintest trace of stiffness in her frame revealed her inner turmoil. They remained like that for a few minutes before Celestia finally relaxed a bit and gently pushed her sister away with a hoof.
"Thank you, dear sister," she said softly.
"Now, will you tell me what has you so upset?" Luna asked before her sister could armor herself with a peytral of silence.
"It's not something I would have you shoulder," Celestia replied with a distant expression and a small shrug.
"Tia," Luna said, leaning forward to poke her sister sharply in the chest. "You will tell me. Not because I want to know, but because I want to help you. You can't shoulder your own burdens and those of a kingdom all the time. Not with your sister by your side."
"As you wish, Luna," Celestia replied with a tired sigh. "I have been a part of Twilight Sparkle's life since she was a very young filly. I have watched her grow, sharing in her triumphs and comforting her in her defeats. Before I knew it, Twilight had become like a daughter to me. One I could have by my side instead of watching her from afar, only knowing of me as an aunt. She is all I could hope for and more. However, it appears as though despite all my hopes, she has never seen me as more than a teacher and mentor. I knew nothing of her intentions to become a mother until I received this letter. This damnably cordial, perfunctory letter!" Celestia looked down, every year of her life showing in her weary, pain-filled eyes. "I guess I still see her as the little filly who would tell me anything and even sneak into my chambers at night when she had a bad dream."
"Oh...Tia..." Luna said softly, pulling her into another tight embrace. "It's alright, dearest sister. But you must be happy for her. After all, your little Twilight has grown into a fine mare and will make a wonderful mother. You sent her out into the world, and she has proven herself to be everything you could hope for and more."
"I guess that's why I'm so upset. I miss her, Sister. I knew sending her to Ponyville was what would be best for her, but..." She hugged Luna just a little tighter as she trailed off.
"It'll be okay, Tia," Luna said soothingly. Unbeknownst to Celestia, the complex gears of Luna's mind began to turn with surprising speed, a plan so devious in its simplicity that it required little more than to point out something embarrassingly obvious. That, and a trip to the Ponyville branch of the Family Planning Center.
* * * * *
Luna and Celestia's estrus cycles were attuned to the Winter and Summer Solstices, respectively. Fortunately, Luna was away often enough to avoid all the pomp and circumstance of her "special day", but now, she had to complete phase one of her plan as quickly as possible, because the Summer Solstice was but a week away. Phase one? To show Celestia that all was not entirely as it seemed.
It was just after sundown as Luna made her way to her sister's chambers, a spring in her step and a giddy smile gracing her face. After only the barest of knocks, she opened the doors to see Celestia looking out at the moon through the tall windows. Her good mood not diminished by the forlorn sight, knowing that she would be the catalyst for her sister's happiness, Luna sidled up to her sister and bumped her shoulder, with a quick nuzzle for comfort.
"Ti~a~" Luna lilted softly. "I know how to make you feel bet~ter~~"
"I'm okay, Luna." Celestia replied softly. "It's no harder than when I had to give Blueblood up to one of the great noble houses."
"If it hurt you so much, why did you do it in the first place?" Luna countered.
"Because he deserved to live as a normal pony, though he was spoiled incessantly by his adoptive family as they tried to garner ever more favor from me. It pains me to say it, but I think I made a mistake. I should have kept him and raised him myself despite the dangers, both social and literal," Celestia said sadly.
"Why don't you try again, Tia?" Luna said boldly. "You have the opportunity to become a mother again in less than a week."
"What are you talking about, Luna?" Celestia chided gently. "I couldn't."
"Why not?" Luna asked. Celestia was silent for a long time, but spoke before Luna could say anything else.
"Because I couldn't bear to give my foal up again," Celestia whispered. "Not to some family who would raise my child in the same manner as Blueblood, caring more for the mother than the foal bequeathed to them."
"Twilight Sparkle is going to be a mother soon. If you become pregnant upon the Solstice, the foals would be days apart in age," Luna pointed out, drawing her sister's gaze. "You wouldn't have to give your child to some overly-entitled family trying to entice royal favor. You could share the responsibilities of motherhood with Twilight Sparkle, her own mother, and even myself. Your foals would grow up together, side by side. The children would be extraordinarily blessed, sister. They would not be starved for attention, nor would you have to bear the burden alone. They would have the four of us. To each a mother, to both a host of adoring aunts. They would be like siblings."
Celestia sat there, her expression seemingly frozen. At length, a single tear rolled from her eye, tracing a silvery path in the moonlight. She lowered her head, and Luna immediately embraced her tightly, nuzzling and supporting her sister.
"You really think...this could work?" Celestia said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Could it truly be so simple...?"
"I believe it with all my heart, sister. I'm right here with you, and I know they will be as well." Celestia said nothing else for the rest of the night as gentle sobs wracked her frame, a welter of powerful emotions riding her, scouring her heart clean of all sadness, replacing it with hope and pure joy. Celestia eventually fell asleep in Luna's embrace, the gentle rise and fall of her chest telling the toll that was extracted from her heart and soul. *That went better than I could have possibly hoped,* Luna thought with a smile as she wrapped her sister in the gentle embrace of her magic, taking her to her bed and making sure that she was comfortable. *Oh, Tia. If anypony deserves such happiness, it's you most of all.*
* * * * *
Luna sat in the solarium, waiting for Celestia to arrive for breakfast. She hadn't started eating yet, much to her rumbling stomach's annoyance, but that was the way of things. Eventually, Celestia walked in, to Luna's evident delight. However, noticing her sister's mood, Luna sighed and leaned back a bit to favor her sister with a stern look. "Tia... What troubles you this morning?" she asked patiently.
"I thought I would write to Twilight Sparkle this morning, but I couldn't." Celestia replied dejectedly. "I sat there for half an hour with nothing to show for it."
"It will be fine, Tia. I think I can work something out for you within the next two days," Luna said with a sly smile. "Plus, I think it will be better for the two of you in the long run."
"You're not thinking of having her come here, are you?" Celestia asked, looking at Luna askance. Luna just stared calmly back with a small, secretive smile. "Luna! Honestly...how could you even consider that?"
"Because it's something that needs to be handled in person, Tia," Luna replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Wouldn't you rather speak with her face-to-face? Such special news shouldn't be delivered from a distance to those you hold dear. Besides, I was going to invite Twilight Velvet as well, since she would be the godmother of your child. Do you not think this joyous news should be shared with all the parties involved at once?"
"You're right," Celestia said with a rueful sigh. "How is it you can get to the heart of the matter at hoof and achieve an answer that is so elegant?"
"Simple, Tia." Luna said with a smile. "I follow my heart and listen to what it tells me to do."
"Dearest sister, you have no idea how much I love you," Celestia said, trotting over to nuzzle her sibling. "I can always trust in you, can't I?"
"Of course, Tia. What kind of sister would I be if I couldn't help you and those important to you?" Luna replies warmly.
* * * * *
Two days later, the alicorn sisters sat in Celestia's private rooms, awaiting the arrival of their guests for a very important brunch. Luna watched Celestia pace restlessly back and forth, as she had done for the past two hours. It was as though she wished to wear a channel into the solid marble floor. Luna sighed at her sister's nervousness, knowing that nothing could be done to assuage it. Fifteen minutes before the appointed time, Luna herded her anxious sister out the door. They soon discovered that Twilight Sparkle and her mother had arrived ahead of schedule as well; the royal sisters encountered them almost immediately upon leaving Celestia's suite.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! It's so good to see you two again," Twilight Sparkle said brightly, though her expression became somewhat inquisitive as she picked up on Celestia's nervous state. "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle," Luna replied in her stead. "Everything is fine, and will continue to be fine as long as Our sister goes willingly through that door." Twilight looked between the two alicorns with a confused expression before turning to walk through the door alongside her mother. "Tia, this is no time to get cold hooves. You need this, Sister."
Celestia sighed, tension visibly draining from her body, before walking through to join their guests, Luna trailing behind her with a proud smile. They sat around the table, making pleasant conversation, though quite subdued on the part of the Sun Princess. The food arrived, and they ate the modest meal in companionable silence. As they sat around the table enjoying a brief lull in the conversation, the atmosphere began to grow somewhat heavier, mostly because of Celestia's palpable anxiety.
"So, Twilight Sparkle, Our sister tells Us thou hast chosen to bear a foal," Luna began, causing Twilight Sparkle to brighten visibly and smile broadly.
"Yes," Twilight Sparkle said happily. "After talking with my mother about it for some time, I felt that this is something I truly want."
"A very heartfelt sentiment, felt by many a mother," Luna said warmly. "Congratulations are in order, but first, Our sister has something very important to tell thee." She nudged Celestia's shoulder perhaps a bit more sharply than strictly necessary.
"Oh! Yes...yes I do..." Celestia began lamely. Luna rolled her eyes, but remained silent, trusting her sister to see her task through. Celestia cleared her throat slightly before continuing, her gaze focused not on her audience, but on something inside herself, allowing her to speak from her heart. "Twilight Velvet, you have a truly special daughter. When she came under my wing for instruction, I felt as though something in my life that was missing had been found. It took some time for her to truly open up to me, but when that day finally came, words do not exist to describe my joy. It was as though Twilight Sparkle had become the daughter I could never have. When she sent me a letter a couple of days ago to tell me of her impending motherhood, I was torn and heartbroken, though I knew not why until my sister helped me truly see. It was as though my daughter didn't see me as I saw her.
"However, my clever sister came up with a wonderful idea that depends upon the two of you as much as it does the two of us. I wish to have a child as well, my faithful student. One that I can raise as a true mother should, though that will be a difficult task due to my station. That's where the two of you come in. I wish for my child to be raised by all four of us. The two of us," she said with a pointed look at Twilight Sparkle, "sharing in the responsibilities of motherhood, caring for two wonderful foals and watching them grow together. I brought you here as well, Twilight Velvet, because you are my beloved student's true mother, and I would have you and your husband involved as well in the life of my child. Of course, Cadance and Shining Armor would wish to be a part as well, and I would gladly welcome their assistance. I've shared so much of your life with you, Twilight Sparkle, and I wish to be a part of this as well...if you will have me." Celestia finally finished speaking, seeming to deflate as the weighty words left her breast. Luna rubbed her sister's shoulder affectionately as she looked over to their guests, whose cheeks were wet with tears. Twilight Sparkle appeared thunderstruck by the revelation of how important she truly was to her mentor, and horrified at the realization that she had never picked up on Celestia's secret feelings.
"Princess Celestia..." Twilight began, but her voice gave out, trailing into a choked sob. Unable to speak, she walked slowly around the table to embrace Celestia as tightly as possible. A few muffled sobs escaped her, but her muffled voice carried through for all to hear. "C-Celestia, I w-would want n-nothing less. Of c-course I would sh-share this with...with you. Why d-didn't you s-say anyth-thing before n-now?"
"Because I didn't want you to think I wished to take your mother's place," Celestia replied, her voice strained by raw, unrestrained emotion. "Because you were the daughter I could never have...I would never dare try to take the place of your mother."
"Your Highness?" Twilight Velvet chimed in with a gentle smile, causing Celestia to look to her with a worried expression. "I think I know where you're coming from. I thank you for these past years of helping my daughter, and I would love to be a part of your foal's life." Twilight Sparkle calmed down a little and looked up to Celestia, a fragile smile on her face.
"So would I, and I would love for you to be a part of my foal's life too, Princess," she said in a trembling voice.
"See, Tia?" Luna chimed in warmly as she pulled her sister into a gentle embrace. "I told you everything would be fine."
They spent the next two hours talking, their strained and choked voices returning to something approaching normal. The tears and emotions that hung heavy like fog in the room did nothing to dampen the joy the four mares felt. It was not unlike the warmth and comfort of the golden sunlight after an unexpected summer storm.
* * * * *
Being an associate of the Family Planning Center was not exactly a job the unicorn known as Rock Solid would have ever expected to have, but it was a job that not only paid well, but gave others happiness. His special talent was to make customers as happy as possible, which he discovered while working part time in Vanhoover. After graduating from high school, he moved to Ponyville shortly before the Summer Solstice, hoping to find fulfilling work in a quiet town. It was hard getting used to a new town, but Pinkie Pie had thrown him a welcome party and helped make the transition a little smoother. After working a few different jobs that never quite suited him, he'd applied for a position at the Family Planning Center a week after he arrived. He wasn't really sure why he'd done it in the first place, and he had almost chickened out, knowing what working at the Family Planning Center entailed from his friends in Vanhoover. His face was a furnace of heat and his voice came out in choking syllables from how tense he was as he submitted his application, but he'd done it anyway because he couldn't afford not to.
Much to his surprise, he received a letter in the mail the next day for an interview. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He walked in and was greeted by the same honey-brown maned mare that had taken his application. She smiled at him, leading him to a well-lit office behind the counter. She asked him the same questions most of his previous employers had asked, which he answered to her satisfaction. She then asked him some questions about his personality: how adept he was meeting with new mares, questions about past relationships, and so forth. She seemed satisfied with his responses as she jotted down notes on his application.
"Now, if you would follow me, we will move on to the performance aspect of your interview," she said as she got to her hooves, motioning for him to follow. She lead him into a quiet, sterile room.
"Performance?" He asked blankly. Her words finally sank in as he walked through the door.
"Of course," she replied. "I must be satisfied that you can maintain a properly clinical attitude in this very personal profession. I will go through the steps from greeting a client to the form and the service itself. If I am properly satisfied, your employment will begin immediately."
"Um...okay," he said with an audible gulp.
Fifteen minutes later, he walked out of the room with a slightly dazed expression on his face.
"Welcome to the Family Planning Center, Rock Solid." the interviewer said with a smile. "My name is Fertile Plot, and I will be your employer from now on." Shaking his head slightly, he cleared his throat before he replied.
"Th-thank you, glad to be here."
"Now, about some of the health care benefits you'll be receiving here..."
* * * * *
The day of the Summer Sun Celebration arrived. After watching the ceremonies at the Town Hall, Rock Solid hurried back to the Center. Associates were allowed to have the day off if they had put in overtime ahead of the festival, seeing as the Solstice was not a terribly busy day for the Center, but being new, he had to work at least a half day. The past few days had passed with little incident, with only a few clients assigned to him in order to ease him into his new job. He signed in on his duty sheet, then returned to his assigned service room for the day and pulled out a book to occupy his time until a client arrived. He found himself lost in the story, but jolted back to awareness at the sounds coming from the waiting area. Only three Associates were on duty, so he was almost guaranteed to receive a client. He took a steadying breath and put on a pleasant smile, waiting for his first client of the day to walk in. The smile quickly fell from his face when the door opened.
*Sweet Celestia, why me?!* was the ironic thought that ran through his mind at seeing Princess Celestia herself walk through the door. Glancing at some frantic movement behind Celestia, he noticed Fertile Plot encouraging him wordlessly before the door closed. He couldn't help but notice that she looked almost half as flustered as he felt. Then the door clicked shut with a cold finality, and the only thing he could look at was the radiant princess in front of him.
"Good morning, my little pony," Celestia said with a chuckle and a warm smile. "I won't make any pretenses as to why I am here, as I am sure you are well aware of the reason, but I won't force you to assist me in this if you feel you're not...able."
"P-princess Celestia!" Rock Solid said shrilly, moving off of his seat and into a bow. "W-welcome to the F-f-family P-planning Center!"
"Why thank you," she said pleasantly. "Now, please, there is no need for you to be so nervous. Right now, I'm not the Princess of Equestria." At her words he looked up with confusion plainly on his face. "Here, in this room, I am simply a mare desiring to become a mother, much the same as any other." Her words cut through the panic and nervousness eating away at his very essence, replacing them with a warmth that made him smile pleasantly at the princess.
"Umm...p-pardon me, m-ma'am, but there's this paper that needs to be signed before we can...continue," he said with slight chagrin. She just smiled and signed the line he indicated before arranging herself on the padded bench. Once he completed his task and bid the Sun Princess good day, he settled back into his seat. As with most of his clients, he found the look they wore upon leaving, that radiant expression of looming motherhood, to be the most fulfilling part of his job. That was the look Princess Celestia wore as she cantered out of the impregnation room: pure happiness that could be seen on any mare who knew she was going to become a mother.
*The Princess is going to be a mother,* he thought with a sense of deep fulfillment stirring in his breast. Not because he had just sired the Royal Heir, but because he had made yet another mare happy.
Precisely ten seconds later, he fainted.