Fortune Favors The Bold

by TheEquestrianWing

Genesis

Fortune Favors The Bold

Note: This first chapter takes place 25 years before the first episode.

In the land of Equestria, life was wonderful. For hundreds of years, the inhabitants had coexisted together in peace and harmony. Hardships such as war, pestilence, poverty, and famine were virtually nonexistent. Many visitors and travelers from other countries viewed Equestria as the closest thing to an genuine utopia.

The individual primarily responsible for the Equestrians' enduring prosperity was their ruler, Princess Celestia. She had been on the throne for nearly a millennium, and in all that time, no one had ever challenged her authority. Countless generations of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi had revered, praised, and loved her unconditionally. Many more generations would continue to do so, and this ubiquitous love and respect towards Celestia would last until the end of her reign, which would not be for at least several more centuries, since she was an Alicorn.

To most, this may have seemed like a delightful prospect. However, universal adoration came with a steep price to Celestia. From the moment she came to power, Celestia made it her personal goal to watch over all of her subjects. She observed them as they were born, as they grew up, as they created families of their own… and as they died. Celestia saw numerous advantages in the fact that she was immortal, but they were all hindered by the devastating knowledge that her subjects were not. She had made hundreds of friends during her reign, but none of them had been around long enough for her to get very close to them. Millions of equines had resided in Equestria over the course of her rule, and she had outlived all of them. This prospect devastated her, but she managed to cope with it by watching how her subjects mingled together. Seeing them exhibit such strong affection for each other set her conscience at ease. Still, she could not help but feel despairingly alone.

One would think that after nine centuries of this, Celestia would have given up on finding love of her own. After all, what would be the point of letting a stallion into her life for a short time if he would just ultimately depart from her and leave her alone forever? She could not imagine living with that kind of pain.

As far as she knew, there were no other Alicorns in Equestria. No male ones, at any rate. There had not been any for at least 600 years. As a result, Celestia had virtually abandoned any hope of ever having a husband. Despite this, she still had an omnipresent desire to take a mate. This wish was not based on lust or any other sexual nature. Instead, it was formed out of another wish she had always carried. Quite simply, Celestia wished to experience the joys of parenthood. As much as she dreaded the idea of remaining single and childless forever, Celestia had become convinced that she would never have a proper heir.

But fate decreed that she would indeed get one. Nine hundred and seventy-five years after Celestia became the sole ruler of Equestria, a foal came into her life. That is where our story begins.

…

Princess Celestia had a very high tolerance threshold for pain. She could raise and lower the Sun and the Moon every day without breaking a sweat. She could kick through a solid wall of concrete with her back hooves. She could impale a tree with her horn. She could even throw her weight against a diamond as large as a boulder and smash it to pieces without so much as flinching. Many of her subjects believed that there was nothing in the world that could make Celestia feel pain.

This was a quite inaccurate assessment. If there was anypony who knew this, it was Celestia's personal physician Purple Heart. The doctor and his assistant Grace Giver were currently with their leader, helping her with a most unusual matter. She was not suffering from any sort of disease or disability. Instead, they were helping her give birth. Unfortunately for all parties involved, it was hardly an easy delivery.

To say that Celestia was in pain would be an understatement. What she was experiencing was nothing short of pure agony. She had been in labor for over thirteen hours. Her contractions were erratic, and her breathing was irregular and difficult. She was frequently slipping in and out of focus. Her entire body was covered in sweat. Every now and then, she had released a bloodcurdling cry. Several times, the royal guards positioned outside the door had been tempted to rush in. But they were under strict orders not to enter until both Celestia and Dr. Purple Heart gave them permission. The Princess would not allow anything or anypony to interrupt the operation.

At one point, Celestia managed to stabilize her breathing long enough to speak coherently. She gazed over at Dr. Purple Heart and asked him weakly "How much longer, Doctor?"

"I'm afraid I cannot give you a proper estimate, Your Highness," the medical expert dismally informed her, pressing his hooves against the sides of her abdomen, "There is some good news, however. The foal has definitely shifted position and is nearing the border of your birth canal. I'd say you'll be able to see your child within another two or three hours. No less than an hour."

Celestia groaned in annoyance and muttered "You're sure it cannot happen any sooner than that?"

Grace Giver took a clean towel and wiped the perspiration off the Alicorn's face. Then she stated "I assure you we're doing everything we can, Your Majesty. The birth-giving process is different for all types of ponies. Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi births are simple, primarily because they occur every day. But an Alicorn has not given birth for centuries. Because of that, our knowledge on the subject is very limited."

"Don't worry about what we don't know, Grace," Purple Heart advised his assistant, "What really matters is what we do know already. I haven't come this far just to quit on account of lack of experience. As long as we keep the Princess comfortable and intently monitor the progress of her child, this process will have a successful conclusion."

"You're right, Doctor," Celestia remarked in agreement, sitting up a bit, "If I must go through this for another few hours, so be it. The pain is overwhelming, but for my sake and my child's sake, I will tolerate it."

Purple Heart grinned and said "That's the spirit, Your Highness. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that it will not be long before you'll be carrying your child in your hooves instead of your womb. Just listen to my instructions, and everything will turn out fine for you and your foal."

Purple Heart was true to his word. A little more than two hours later, Celestia gave birth to a son. He was an average-sized foal with a gold coat, a maroon mane, and silver eyes. He also had a small horn on his forehead and a tiny pair of wings on his back. To Celestia's delight, he was an Alicorn just like her.

Celestia had been lying flat on her stomach to give birth, and she had been stuck in that position for almost two-thirds of the day. Grace Giver helped her get into a much more comfortable position on her bed while Purple Heart gave her foal a quick health exam. When he was done, he informed Celestia that her son was perfectly healthy. Then he wrapped the newborn in a blanket and gave him to his mother.

Celestia had seen plenty of babies throughout her lifetime, but she had never given them much thought. Words could not even begin to describe the sudden love she felt for the one in her hooves. She had not even known him for a half-hour, and he already meant so much to her.

"Congratulations, Your Highness," Purple Heart said to his ruler.

"Thank you, Doctor," Celestia declared, her gaze still fixed on her newborn son, "This would not have been possible without you and Grace."

"It was our pleasure, Princess," Grace Giver assured her, "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Not yet," she responded, "I must admit; I have not really given it much thought. I wanted to wait until the foal was born so I would know the gender."

"Makes sense," Grace Giver commented, "Whenever you've decided, be sure to let us know. Otherwise we won't be able to write out his birth certificate properly. After all, what good would it be without a name?"

"I suppose I cannot dispute that point," Celestia remarked. There was a brief period of silence in the room. Then she told the physicians "Unless there's anything else, I would like to be alone with my child for a little while."

"Certainly, Your Highness," Purple Heart assured her. He and Grace Giver began gathering up their equipment, and then he stated "If you or your son need anything, you may summon us at any time. We'll be on reserve for you in the medical wing."

"Very well," Celestia acknowledged.

Purple Heart and Grace Giver moved away from the bed and approached the entrance of the room. Grace Giver pushed open the door and stepped outside first. She held the door open for her boss. However, he did not pass through the doorframe. He told her "You go on ahead, Grace. There's something I wish to discuss with Her Majesty in private."

"Alright, Doctor," the Nurse complied, "In that case, I'll see you in the medical wing."

Purple Heart nodded his head and closed the door. Then he turned back to his ruler and walked back over to her. Celestia noted a bit of concern in his eyes and asked him "Is there something on your mind, Doctor?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness," he implored her, "I know that you are under no obligation to hear my questions, and that you have every right to refuse to answer them, but there is something that I would like to know."

"What might that be?" Celestia asked curiously.

Purple Heart did not respond straightaway. He spent some time contemplating how to present his inquiry. Part of him was impelled to be discreet, but he ultimately decided it would be best if he was straightforward. For a moment, he casually gazed off to the side. Then he took a deep breath, returned his attention to Celestia, and inquired "Who's the father?"

Celestia was expecting him to ask this question. Out of courtesy for her, Purple Heart had avoided asking it during the course of her pregnancy. Still, she knew that she would inevitably have to discuss this topic was somepony else. Now that her foal was born, Purple Heart figured there was no need for her to remain silent about it.

All the same, Celestia hesitated. From her perspective, she had every reason to do so. She looked down at her son, and gazed lovingly into his silver irises. Then she turned back to Purple Heart and told him directly "You would not believe me if I told you."

Purple Heart raised an eyebrow in interest, and then he observed "That's a most peculiar response, Your Highness. I was expecting you to either tell me the father's name or insist that it was none of my business."

"It's still the truth," Celestia informed him, "I can assure you that this was not an instance of asexual reproduction, Doctor. My child does indeed have a father, but I am not certain it would be wise to reveal his identity just yet."

"Well, the choice to do so is yours entirely, Princess," Purple Heart reminded her, "If you do not wish to tell me, I understand. All the same, my job requires that I inquire about the colt's father. I can assure you that I respect doctor-patient confidentiality as much as I respect you. If you do tell me, you have my solemn vow that I will never pass that information on to another soul for as long as I live."

"I believe you, Doctor," stated Celestia, "So believe me when I say that I trust you with my life. However, there are certain elements surrounding this matter that you are unaware of. I must take these elements into consideration before I can open up on it to anyone. Let me be alone with my son until tomorrow morning. By the time I've chosen a name for him, I will have decided whether or not I will tell you who fathered him."

Purple Heart was content with this arrangement. "As you wish, Your Majesty. As I said, it is your decision."

Celestia nodded in acknowledgment and told her physician "You may go now."

Purple Heart bowed his head in respect and departed from the chamber without another word spoken.

…

Later that night, Princess Celestia was still on her bed. Now she was lying on her back, staring upwards at the canopy. She had risen the moon a few hours earlier; the vast majority of her subjects were already asleep or in bed. However, Celestia doubted that she would be getting very much sleep herself that night. While she was still aching and exhausted from her elongated labor, she was too preoccupied with other affairs to worry about something as mundane as sleep. All she could do was ponder and reflect.

One might think that the whole of Equestria would be celebrating the birth of her son. They probably would be… if his birth was public knowledge. In actuality, almost no one in the entire country even knew of his existence. Celestia had no husband, no mate, no lover; not even a consort. Her child had been the product of a free union. To avoid creating a scandal, Celestia had taken steps to ensure that as few ponies as possible were aware of her pregnancy. This would have been difficult enough if she had been an ordinary mare. But as the undisputed ruler of Equestria, covering up her condition was nearly impossible.

The average gestation period in a mare of any race was between 330 and 345 days. Unicorns tended to give birth earlier, as the magic in their blood slightly sped up the rate of development. Pegasi normally gave birth later, as they need more time to grow their wings. Earth Ponies typically foaled in the middle of this interval, which was one of the reasons why they were the strongest of the three major races. However, there are some equine pregnancies that last almost an entire year. Celestia's was one such case. Another week and her son would have been born on the same day he had been conceived.

During the first four months of her pregnancy, Celestia managed to conceal the bump on her own. From the fifth month onward, it gradually became more conspicuous. To get around this, she wore long, loose dresses whenever she was in the company of her subjects. She had a few close calls with some of the more "casual" members of the Canterlot elite, but this ploy worked until the middle of the eighth month. By then, not even her most spacious gown could hide her bump. Fortunately, she had another solution at her disposal; she was a master of illusion spells. Every time she went outside the castle, she cast one on her abdomen to make it appear as smooth as it had been before. No one ever found out.

Hiding the bump was actually the easiest part. The other symptoms of pregnancy were a touch more difficult to deal with. Often she became disoriented or nauseous, sometimes whilst in public. She was more liable to become agitated or provoked, which posed a serious problem whenever she got into a heated discussion with the officers or bureaucrats. The most notable difference was her change in appetite, primarily her fondness for cake. She had always had a weakness for cake, but during her pregnancy, she acquired an unnatural craving for the delicacy. This desire was so extreme that she had her chefs serve nothing but the confectionary at the Grand Galloping Gala. Most of the cooks were confused by this unusual request, but the head chef, Haute Cuisine, made certain that his subordinates obeyed her wish.

Haute Cuisine was amongst the top five chefs in Equestria, and he was one of the few ponies that Celestia had entrusted with the secret of her pregnancy. He had organized a long-term meal plan for her so that both she and her foal would receive proper nutrition until the latter was born. She had followed the eating schedule to the best of her ability, but she still slipped in an extra piece of cake every now and then.

Near the start of her gravidity, she had the finest carpenter in Canterlot construct a special crib that could accommodate a baby Alicorn. This carpenter, a stallion named Wood Reaper, was another person that was aware of Celestia's condition. He had installed the crib in her room a couple months earlier. It was positioned about a meter to the left of the front of her bed.

She shifted her body ninety degrees counterclockwise and rested on her side so that she was directly facing the crib. Right now, her son was sound asleep in it. He looked so peaceful. So calm. So innocent. So gorgeous. When she first discovered she was carrying him, Purple Heart had indirectly proposed an "alternative" to going ahead with the pregnancy. Celestia had immediately shot down this option; she refused to even acknowledge that Purple Heart had suggested. However, several times throughout the course of her pregnancy, she was somewhat compelled to question the plausibility of her decision. Now that she had brought him into the world, she felt no regrets. In fact, despite how many mixed feelings she had about the whole situation, she found herself looking forward to what the future would hold for her and her child. She could imagine parenthood would not be easy. Then again, neither was leading a kingdom.

Of course, there were still two things that had to be resolved. Firstly, she needed to decide on a name for her son. This was relatively simple to accomplish. In the time since Purple Heart had left her room, Celestia had considered several ideal names for her son. She was not going to select one until she addressed the second matter as well. However, this item of business was quite a bit more complex than the first one, and unlike the first one, she could not solve it on her own.

In the midst of the silence, her son slowly woke up. He started wailing softly. Celestia reacted immediately. She sat up, scooted closer to the crib, raised her right hoof, and delicately stroked her son's forehead. She cooed gently "Shhhh… it's alright, my dear. It's alright. Mother is here for you."

Her son was not hungry, cold, or uncomfortable. He was just scared. Of what, it would be hard to say. Fortunately, his mother's caresses and words had a soothing effect on him. He continued crying for about twenty seconds, but after that, he gradually eased down. Celestia continued to rub his forehead even after he stopped, just to ensure that he was nice and relaxed.

A minute later, Celestia thought she felt a gust of wind pass through the room. It was indeed wind, but it was not an actual breeze. Naturally produced wind would have felt cool and it would have flown in at a steady pace. The wind that struck her back was dry and only lasted for a few seconds. It was the type of airwave that is produced when something or someone lands on the ground. Without even turning around, Celestia could tell that something – or rather, somepony – had in fact landed on the balcony to her room.

Keeping her gaze focused on the crib, she uttered over her shoulder "I was beginning to think you would not show."

"My apologies for being so late," a deep voice responded from behind, "I thought it best to wait until the last patrol passed through before I approached you."

Celestia lightly scoffed and remarked "Fortunately for you, I'm a very patient mare."

"I know you are," stated the deep voice, "Fortunately for you, I'm even more patient. If I had to wait any longer for those patrols to leave, I probably would have come here anyway, regardless of whether or not they were still in the vicinity."

"That would have been very foolish of you," she pointed out, "The night patrols are very by-the-book. They view any unauthorized flyers as trespassers, and they treat them as such. If just one of my guards spotted you, it would have only taken about five seconds for at least twenty of them to surround you."

"It would have been worth it, as long as I got to see you," he insisted.

Celestia lightly chuckled at this blunt statement. Then she rose to her feet and turned to the wall that faced the right side of her bed. Standing right there on the balcony was a stallion immersed in shadow. He was slightly taller than her, he had a long horn on his forehead which emanated a slight mauve aura, and he had a massive pair of wings which had cumulative wingspan of more than two meters. He was a male Alicorn. Because of his stance relative to the moonlight in the background, all Celestia could make out from her position was his silhouette. But she could plainly see that he was smiling at her.

She smiled as well and trotted over to him. She wrapped both her front legs around his shoulders. He wrapped his own front legs around her shoulders as well, and the two of them embraced warmly. They remained in that position for about fifteen seconds.

When they pulled apart, Celestia looked up into the stallion's mauve irises. She told him "Even though you managed to avoid detection, you still took a dangerous risk coming here."

"You're worth more than a few risks, my Princess," the male Alicorn contended as he retracted his wings, "Nothing could have kept me away from you. Nothing. Especially on tonight of all nights."

"That's one thing I love about you," Celestia told him, "You're so persistent."

"Is that the only thing?" he asked cheekily.

"What do you think?" she retorted in an equally cheeky fashion.

"In my opinion, I must have some other admirable qualities," he declared, "And even if I didn't, I'm certain I've given you something else that you can appreciate."

"Indeed you have," she confirmed. She gestured over to her bed and offered the male Alicorn "Come; let me show him to you."

He grinned eagerly and told her "That's why I came here; to see him."

"Oh, I thought you came here to see me," she wittily remarked.

"I'm here to see both of you," he clarified.

Celestia led her companion over to the crib. When they arrived in front of it, they saw that the foal's eyes were closed, but he was breathing regularly, so he was still awake. The male Alicorn studied the newborn colt closely. He remained grinning and perceived "He's beautiful… almost as beautiful as you."

"Thank you, but I hope you're concentrating on more than just his appearance," Celestia stated.

"Oh, I am," he guaranteed her, "He seems to be quite healthy. That's rather fortunate, considering how long it's taken you to have a child. After 975 years of ruling this land by yourself, you have finally started a suitable line of succession. Even better is the fact that he has both wings and a horn. He must be the first Alicorn born in… how long?"

"Well, it hasn't been that long since a female Alicorn was born," Celestia announced, "However, I'd say he's the first male Alicorn born in well over a millennium. Our son is like a bronze star in a sky full of dim ones."

The shadowy stallion scoffed at that last statement. She turned to him and asked curiously "Is there something amusing?"

"I like the way you say that; 'our son,'" he enlightened her, "It has a lovely ring to it."

"You know, if you really do enjoy it that much, it could stay that way," Celestia proposed.

Up until this point, the stallion had retained a very upbeat expression on his face. But after that last statement, his grin faltered and in its place he bore a much more stern countenance. He gradually directed his head towards Celestia and muttered austerely, "We've been over this, and we agreed that that is not a viable option."

Celestia turned to him with a bit of an annoyed appearance on her own face. She stated "I know you've resisted this idea since the first time I suggested it, but I still think it deserves some more discussion. Tell me again, why are you so opposed to going public with your role in this matter?"

"I've given you three very valid reasons why, my dear," the male Alicorn elucidated, "For one, we have radically different social standings. You are the solemn ruler of Equestria. Aside from you, no one else even knows that I'm alive. Imagine how that would look to the common folk: a complete stranger appears out of nowhere, and inseminates their princess. They would burn me at the stake for that."

"As long as I vouched for you, no one would dare lay a hoof on you," Celestia swore to him.

"I have no doubt of that, but there are two more factors we must account for," the male Alicorn went on, "Secondly, how would you plan on breaking the news of our involvement to the public? Especially after hiding your… condition from everypony for this long?"

"I've written a speech that tells our whole story," Celestia apprised him, "It covers everything. How we first met, how we became affiliated, how I sought you out for counsel, how our relationship became more than professional, and how… this little colt was the result of it. I'll also include our reasons for keeping all of this a secret."

"When would you present this speech?" asked the male Alicorn.

"Ideally, as soon as possible," Celestia decreed, "Tomorrow, perhaps. Now that our child has been born, we have no reason to keep this quiet for any longer."

"Not everypony may be so willing to discover the truth," he theorized, "In the long run, it would probably be better for all of us if the nature of our relationship – as well as its existence – remained a secret between the two of us. Aside from that, our son's relative well-being should remain our primary concern here. It is highly likely that our coming forward could somehow pose a threat to him."

"I realize that," she admitted, "However, I'm confident that it would be much better if we came forth with the story ourselves, rather than let somepony else discover it on their own accord. Without us to properly illustrate the events as they happened, anypony who stumbled upon it by themselves might get a terribly wrong impression and present the story in the wrong image to the public. If that was to happen, we'd have a massive scandal on our hooves that effected every level of our culture."

"Trust me, a scandal is the last thing I'd want to create," he insisted, "However, if we may have one on our hooves either way. Have you been listening to your subjects' friendly banter?"

"No, I have not," Celestia replied, "Unless their conversations include information vital to local or national security, I do not make it my business to pick up on gossip. Why do you ask?"

"There have been rumors spreading all throughout the land," he informed her.

"Rumors?" she repeated in confusion.

"Yes, rumors," he confirmed, "They began about seven months ago. While you may have successfully hidden your pregnancy from everypony, the changes in your behavior and mannerisms did not go unnoticed. They've become quite a source for gossip."

"How bad are these… rumors?" she uneasily enquired.

"Most of them revolve around the theory that you are ill or fatigued," he responded, "Some have hypothesized that you are seeing someone, but as far as I can tell, they have no clue that it's me. A couple others have even suggested that you are dying."

"Dying?" she remarked. "That's about as far away from the truth as they could get. Not only am I very much alive, but I've also created a new life."

"Still, you could have fooled them," he told her candidly, "Although I did not approach the castle until a few minutes ago, I arrived on the outskirts of Canterlot very early this morning and I waited there for most of the day. Even from that distance, I thought I could hear your screams during the birth-giving process. There was so much… anguish in them. Occasionally, it sounded as though you were actually dying."

"Well, I was trying to give birth to a fifteen-pound colt over a period of as many hours," Celestia sarcastically disclosed, "Did you think he would just teleport out of me or something?"

"Of course not," he assured her, "I was not expecting it to be an easy birth, anyway. But that's not the point; let's not get off-topic."

"I don't think we are," she debated, "Now that the pregnancy has run its course, there is no need for any more rumors to be generated. The rumors that are already out there are very much controllable. I say we take advantage of that and clear up all the ambiguities while we can."

"If our only problems were our social standings and that, I would be more than willing to go along with your speech," he assured her, "However there is still one more issue that we must account for. This third one is the most critical, and I am quite certain there is very little anypony can do about it. That includes you and me."

Celestia sighed in annoyance and thought aloud "Are we seriously having this conversation again?"

"Yes, we are," he flatly remarked, "I know we've had it several times over, but I feel we should have it once more."

"There's literally nothing we can say about this topic that hasn't already been said," Celestia argued.

"Then apparently, I haven't emphasized the severity of it enough," the male Alicorn proclaimed, "Princess, earlier on, I referred to myself as a 'complete stranger' to Equestria. This whole mess probably would have been far less complicated if I really was a complete stranger to this land. Unfortunately for both of us, I'm not."

Celestia stepped up to her companion, looked up into his eyes, and asked him somewhat irately "Why do you insist on reflecting on the past?"

"Because I would be a monster if I just forgot all about what I did," he forthrightly declared.

"Everything you 'did,' you did centuries ago," Celestia disputed, "Nopony who's alive today was around when that happened. Not even me. Don't you think you have punished yourself for those actions long enough?"

"There are some crimes that can never be forgiven by the passage of time," he countered, "And some that cannot be atoned for by any means. You must believe me when I say it would be for the best if I remained in hiding."

"I know that your actions generated a great deal of fear and controversy, but I have no reservations about your past deeds," she affirmed, "It was an impossible decision, and while it might not have been the moral thing to do, it was still the ethical thing to do."

"Tell that to the descendants of the victims," he snapped back. "It would be bad enough if they knew I was still living. You cannot even begin to comprehend how disastrous it would be if they discovered a… monster was courting their leader."

"You are not a monster!" Celestia asserted, "You are a benevolent and honorable stallion. Now listen to me; if you continue living in isolation, I am absolutely certain that you will go mad. You may have lasted this long, but I know for a fact that you will lose your mind eventually. I've seen it happen before."

"I know you have, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone," the Alicorn revealed, "However, Princess, you must understand something. I don't care what happens to me. As of right now, my only concern is for the well-being of you and our son."

"If you honestly love him, why would you just leave him?" Celestia demanded.

"To protect him, and to protect you," he responded, "You must realize that not everypony is as forgiving as you. If you vouch for me and give that speech, you may be able to win many of your subjects over. But there is no way you'd be able to convince all of them. Some will definitely see me as the same horror I once was. Worse yet, they may even be led to think that you betrayed them. I'm sorry, but I cannot risk setting any of the fallout on you."

Celestia absorbed his words. As much as she wanted to persuade him that he was needlessly worried, she could not deny the authenticity in his argument. Earlier on, she had told him that she admired his persistence. This was one situation when she actually dreaded it. Once he made a decision, there was very little she could do to sway his mind.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled steadily. Then she stated "If you honestly believe this is for the best, then I understand. It's just… well…"

Celestia stared at the far wall for about thirty seconds, but the male Alicorn kept his focus on her face. He noticed a single tear came to her eye. He took a step closer to her, rubbed the tear away, and queried "What is it?"

Celestia sniffed once, and then spoke her thoughts to him with a note of sadness in her voice "How do you suppose this would look? I conceived a child out of wedlock, went to incredible lengths to keep his existence a secret, and I cannot even reveal the identity of his father to anyone. The people will think I'm some type of harlot."

"Do not ever say that!" the Alicorn snapped, placing his right front hoof on her shoulder, "You are a wonderful mare. You've governed this land for centuries. You've been pivotal in averting countless crises. To call you a harlot… that would be an abomination."

"Then what must I do?" she inquired, another tear coming to her eye, "If you have a better idea, I'll consider it."

"I actually do have a few potential solutions," he explicated.

"Such as?" she inquired.

There was a brief moment of quietness, and then the male Alicorn asked "How many people were even aware of your pregnancy?"

Celestia answered straightaway "Haute Cuisine, Wood Reaper, Purple Heart, Grace Giver, and a dozen of the Royal Guard."

"Anypony else?" he asked

"No, just them," Celestia avowed, "They're all honest mares and stallions; they wouldn't tell anypony else without my consent."

"Perhaps you could keep this matter limited to those sixteen ponies," he proposed, "After all, this is a big castle; more than enough room to privately raise a foal in."

"It isn't that big," Celestia contradicted him, "If you're suggesting that I keep our son hidden in here, you can forget about that idea. I cannot hold anyone prisoner in this castle, especially not my own child. Even if I tried, somepony outside of my inner circle would most certainly catch on sooner or later."

"In that case, you could claim you decided to adopt a foal," he proposed "After all, after centuries of being by yourself with no one to personally care for, nopony could blame you."

"That might work if he was an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, or a Pegasus," she irately remarked, "But how many people would believe that any orphanage in Equestria had a baby Alicorn in its care?"

"Didn't you use an illusion spell to hide your bump?" he pointed out, "You could use another one to conceal his wings or his horn. Or both."

"Out of the question," she firmly declared, "I have nothing against the other types of ponies, but if I did that to our son, I would be taking away something that makes him unique. He's the only male Alicorn to be born in over a thousand years. Aside from that, we'd just be creating another secret, another lie. I'm done with all these secrets and lies."

The Alicorn sighed in frustration and uttered "Then we only have two other options available. I could take him from here and raise him on my own."

"I'm sure we can both agree that that idea would never work," Celestia proclaimed, "For one thing, Purple Heart and the others would demand to know what happened to him. There's nothing that suggests they would all believe me. It would also be yet one more secret and one more lie we could do without. Plus, I did not carry him in my womb for almost a year just to abandon him. He's Canterlot Royalty, not something to be given away or cast out."

"You're right," he concurred, "In addition to that, he shouldn't be forced to live the life of an outcast. As someone who has lived that life for centuries, I would know that it is far from glamorous or desirable. To tell you the truth, I didn't have a lot of faith in this idea to begin with. I just wanted to acknowledge it as a possibility, in case we couldn't decide on a better one."

"So what's your final scheme?" she asked in interest.

"You can rewrite your speech," he recommended, "Erase any mention of me from it, and keep the focus on you and our child. You can simply refuse to tell the public about the father's identity."

"What if the people won't accept that?" Celestia conjectured.

"They'll have to," he insisted, "You're the leader of this country. You do not have to answer to anypony. If you're so confident that they'll understand your reasons for hiding your pregnancy, then logically, they should also understand your reasons for hiding the name of the stallion responsible for it."

Celestia spent a few minutes thinking about his argument. So far, this idea sounded safer and more useful than any of the others. After all, her companion was correct in that she had the exclusive right to deny answers to any questions, regardless of who asked them. He had convinced her that it would be wise to keep his existence a secret, and she had convinced him that it would be a huge mistake if she kept quiet about their son's existence. It would appear they had finally found an ideal solution.

"Alright, I suppose this arrangement could work," Celestia thought aloud, "However, there is something I'd like to know. What would you do?"

"I would simply go back into hiding," he openly informed her, "Not indefinitely, but at least until we have everything resolved. It would be for the best if no one ever knew I'm the father. Not even our son."

Celestia glared at him, as if to say "Seriously?" Of course, she did not even have to ask that question to know the answer. She merely nodded her head and stated "Alright, we'll play it out like that. However, I cannot guarantee the long-term effectiveness of that idea. It may work for a while, but eventually, somepony is going to start investigating. For all we know, our son may be that 'somepony.'"

"I wouldn't be surprised of that," the male Alicorn admitted, "Especially if he inherited your sense of curiosity."

She smirked at him and commented "It was my sense of curiosity that led me to you in the first place."

"I know," he remarked, "If he does have your curiosity, as well as my so-called 'persistence,' he will inevitably start searching for the truth at some point."

"If that does happen, what should I do?" Celestia inquired.

"Just let him search," he advised her, "You can refuse to tell him, but it would be wrong to keep him from learning the truth on his own."

"Now that is something we can both agree on," Celestia perceived, "Until he actually does start looking, I presume you will want me to avoid mentioning you to him or anypony else?"

"That is correct," was all he said in response.

There was another interval of silence in the room. Finally, the male Alicorn gazed into Celestia's eyes and told her "I suppose I've lingered here long enough. I should be leaving now."

She nodded her head solemnly in understanding. Then she asked "When will I see you again?"

"I don't know," he confessed, "But I can promise you this is not good-bye. I give you my word."

"I believe you," she told him, "Just stay safe out there."

"Don't worry about me," he asserted, I'd successfully avoided detection for hundreds of years."

"Well, I found you," she reminded him.

"Yes, but I would have been a fool to think I could hide from you forever," he countered.

"That's why I know you'll come back," she added in, "Because otherwise, I'll just come to you."

The stallion remained smiling and he placed his front hooves on the regal mare's cheeks. He brought her face closer to his and kissed her passionately on the lips. They remained in that position for well over a minute, and both of them savored every second of that connection.

When they pulled apart, the stallion released Celestia. He then turned his attention to the crib. He stepped up to it, leaned down, and kissed his son on his forehead, just above his horn. The foal stirred a bit, but he did not make a sound. The Alicorn whispered softly, "I hope to someday speak to you face-to-face, my son. Until that day comes, be strong and do right by your mother. I love you both so much."

Then he regained his full height, walked around the bed, and stepped back onto the balcony. He expanded his wings, but just before he could take off, Celestia called out "Wait!"

He turned back to her and asked "What?"

"There's still one thing we did not discuss," she informed him, "His name."

"Oh, you're right," he agreed. He looked off to the side for a moment to think, and then he told her "I have one in mind. Earlier on, you referred to him as 'a bronze star in a sky full of dim ones.' Why not go with that?"

"'Bronze Star?'" she assumed.

He nodded his head in validation. "What do you think?"

Celestia grinned and replied with "I like it. It has a wondrous tone to it."

He nodded his head again. Then he uttered "Until next we met. I love you, my Princess."

"And I love you, my Lord," she replied.

The male Alicorn turned to his front and looked around at the sky. To his relief, the patrols were still away from this side of the castle. He began vigorously flapping his wings, and then he rose up from the balcony and flew off into the night. Celestia watched him as he faded into the distance. Then she turned around and headed back into her chamber.

Now she was left alone with her son once more. She approached her bed and laid down on it. It only took a few seconds for her to get comfortable. As she laid there, she thought about everything she had discussed with her clandestine paramour. There were still many issues that she had to deal with on her own. For starters, she would have to rewrite her speech and present it to the common people. Then she would have to confront the public's reaction.

However, she was now fairly confident that she could manage the situation. At the very least, she was much more confident than she had been an hour earlier. Tomorrow she could deal with her problems. For now, she just wanted to put aside her worries and rest.

When she was relaxed, Celestia turned to the crib, and she saw that her son had fallen back asleep. She softly uttered "Sleep well, my sweet Prince Bronze Star."

A little while later, she joined her child in a blissful slumber.

Comments

[blitz lightning]

Not to break your spirit but Most Alicorn stories will get eaten alive. trust me I've learned and I will change mine. by the looks your story won't end up that ok.

[nodamnbrakes]

4187922

om nom nom.

[Razor Of The Twilight]

Wow, this was a really captivating opening! I liked the mysterious tone it had all throughout the chapter, and I really liked the dialogue between Celestia and the male Alicorn. I hope we'll get to learn more of him in the future, and that it'll be explained why he was so against staying. Good job so far!

[Commissar Holt]

In the first chapter of this story, Princess Celestia gives birth to a son, an Alicorn whom she names Bronze Star.

Well, you should let me FUCKING READ IT before you PULL THAT SHIT! DON'T FUCK ME WITH THE DESCRIPTION, YOU'RE RUINING THE STORY!

[TheEquestrianWing]

4189884
Thanks for the information. I guess. I've modified the first sentence of the description to be less "overly informative."

[Flabbergast]

Hmmmm... I'm not really sure what to make of this first chapter. I'll admit it was very well-written, but some of the details are a bit vague and mysterious at times. I did like the part at the end where Celestia decided on her son's name. This looks like it could lead to something good.

[TheNextElement]

This opening was really long, but I loved the way it was written! I hope the following chapters have this much description. If they do, I won't even complain about their length anymore.

[FamousLastWords]

Celestia saw numerous advantages in the fact that she was immortal, but they were all hindered by the devastating knowledge that her subjects were not.

I applaud you for taking the direct route in approaching this matter. Its one many ignore.

Alright, as far as things you do well, your grammar and spelling are excellemt. So is the dialogue. It feels very natural. I can believe Celestia is talking. Also, I like your OC's. They're believable and they don't annoy me. This is an excellent fic!

Now, as far as things that could use some improvement, I honestly didn't notice much wrong. I mean, I'm not much into serious stories, but this is very well-written so far.

[The Infinity Doctor]

Neat, I'm already captivated by the story! You're a great writer- while most alicorn stories are generally disliked, I feel like this one gives them a break from that, if the upvotes are any indication. I look forward to possibly finding out who Bronze Star's father is, as well as his relation to the Mane Six.

[Slashwing]

So this story will clearly be s test of endurance on just trying to keep track of all the information at one time but that said let's talk about it, I do rarely see or read stories about Celestia or raising a foal so that alone is a good hook going over the actual birth reminds me a lot of fallout 3 (then again lots of things remind me of fallout) however there was one instance where I cringed but it's not your fault once the male alicorn appears my mind (thanks to most male alicorn stories) made him instantly connected to Celestia as a brother or or father only made worse with the talk that at the start of their conversation hints at the idea (once again thanks toother stories) that the child was the product of incest thankfully you didint take that road and open up the chance for s bigger arc later I'll read and review more of this as the week gose on but this was a great opening to what I can speculate might happen based on the time in the note

[Smaug the Golden]

Okay, here I am to review as requested.
First off, this story has an interesting premise. I find the male alicorn a surprisingly well done OC, as well as an interesting love interest for Celestia. The beggining is well done and the idea of pony births is clever. Your prose is well done and it flows smoothly.
There is one thing I recommend. You shouldn't list the plot in the first chapter. That is solely the purpose of the short and long descriptions. Anyway, look forward to reading the rest.

[Mr_Moon]

When I first saw this story I thought this is going to be great...

And I was correct this is awesome

Like, favorited and sub-wait no this is not youtube

[AceR0jas]

Excellent start to the story. Even as someone who tends towards comedy or dramedy, I quite enjoy this dramatic spin on a lighthearted series. You provided a very insightful perspective on Celestia and the life of an alicorn. I can tell you took the time to do your research and to flesh out your characters. I look forward to reading this fanfic, as well as to seeing what role the father plays in the storyline.

[Icy Creation]

"Because I would be a monster if I just forgot all about what I did," he forthrightly declared.

Does Sombra have wings?
I can't remember, I never watched it. I've only actually watched four or five episodes of the first season.
I know he has a horn, though. I think he was either an extremely powerful unicorn or was an alicorn.
I am also unsure exactly how powerful he was.

The reason I am asking is because if he did, this is Sombra. Probably.