"Cadance?" The bedroom door opened with a soft, nearly inaudible creak. A stallion head peeked inside. The slim form on the large bed yawned and stretched. Shining Armor smiled. "Didn't mean to wake you, sweetie."
"It's fine, Shiny. I've been up for a while." The queen slowly raised her head, and the white pony trotted over and gingerly planted a kiss on his wife's waiting lips, remained there for a second, and released. Cadance gave her husband a nuzzle. "What did you want?"
Shining Armor turned his head back toward the door. "The guards and I are waiting for the town clock to strike twelve. Wanna join us?"
Cadance sighed. "I dunno, Shining Armor..."
The stallion suddenly blushed. "Oh! Right, I shouldn't have asked. I forgot about..." Shining gently kissed Cadance's swollen abdomen. The mare smiled as the pony lifted his head once again. "How is our little tyke doing in there?"
"Perfectly fine. Aren't we?" the queen spoke to her stomach, and a sharp movement answered her question. "Oh! I guess we are fine."
"Have the doctors determined..."
Cadance set her hoof on her husband's lips. "We're having a filly, Shiny."
Shining Armor brightened up with more light than Celestia's sun. "Cadance! That's amazing!" The stallion jumped up and down a couple times. "Woo-hoo! It's a filly! It's a filly!"
The queen just laughed to her heart's content, and then mused aloud. "Our first child. The future Crystal Princess. A beautiful thought." But then the pink pony grew somber. "But... what if I can't raise her the way I want to?"
"What do you mean, honey?" Shining Armor entered the bed and lay down next to his wife.
Cadance's shoulders slumped. "What if I can't raise her right? What if I make a mistake and mess up her childhood, her adulthood, her--" the mare's rant was stopped by a kiss on her anxious lips.
"Cadance," Shining nuzzled the pony. "You were my little sister's foalsitter. You basically raised her when my parents were busy. You watched her grow; you taught her to be a kind and virtuous mare. And look at her now! She's a princess. You contributed to that, my love." The stallion wrapped his foreleg around Cadance. "Whenever you doubt if you'll be a good mother, just think of Twilight. Trust me. You're gonna be the greatest mother ever, Cades. I know it."
The pink mare had tears in her eyes as she kissed her husband over and over again. "Thank you, Shining. Thank you so much..."
BONG! BONG! BONG!
"The clock!" Shining Armor gasped. Then he met Cadance's lips with a firm, long kiss. When they released, he smiled coyly. "Happy New Year, Candybutt."
Cadance's lips pursed, seemingly in displeasure. But then she shot a sly look and leapt for her husband.
A bright blue aura pushed the door shut as a night of joy ensued.