For the Good of Equestria: Shadows

by brokenimage321

12: Flurry Heart

Cadance announces--privately, at first--that she's pregnant, and neither Luna nor Celestia knows how to react. Though Celestia knows, intellectually, what's about to happen, her heart can't admit that little Caydee is about to be a mother. Luna withdraws even further, and keeps her thoughts to herself.

As the day draws closer, Luna and Celestia receive word that Cadance has gone into labor, and both board the next train north. They say "Hi" to Twilight (who is anxiously waiting for her friends at the station, worried they'll get lost if she's not there to meet them), then head to the Crystal Palace. They arrive a few minutes before everyone else, and are able to have a private moment with Cadance.

As soon as Cadance sees them, she greets them joyfully as "Auntie!" and "Grandma!", implying that, whatever problems they've had in the past, they are, at least from her end of things, water under the bridge.

In her arms, Cadance holds baby Flurry Heart. Celestia has no idea what to say--but Luna gently steps forward and takes Flurry Heart in her arms. She begins to coo and babytalk, and soon, her old, bubbly personality begins to shine through again.

Cadance watches, pleased, as her mother bonds with her daughter, then makes some small talk. Eventually, Flurry Heart wakes and begins to cry, and, though Cadance is able to shush her, she asks Celestia and Luna for parenting tips. Luna begins to answer confidently, but quickly stalls out. After a long, uncomfortable moment, Celestia steps in, and begins to fill in the blanks. "You were a good baby, all things considered, but I found that I had to have you fed every three hours, or else..." [She may even suggest the magic-dampening spells, which she, herself, had to use]

Luna listens carefully, but, as Celestia watches her out of the corner of her eye, sees that she's deeply hurt. The fact that she can't even answer the most basic questions for her daughter--because she simply wasn't there to learn in the first place--cuts her deep.

They make some more small talk, until Luna begins to warm up again, and, once again, takes baby Flurry Heart. She begins to coo and be grandmotherly again, adding that "you have your Grandma's eyes!"

Cadance hears this and swallows, hard. "Does she have any of her grandfather in her?" she asks. [i.e., she's asking the identity of her own father, which she has never got a firm answer on]

Luna lets out a pained gasp, and Celestia looks away. Cadance looks back and forth between them, and, seeing their reluctance to answer, is able to finally put the pieces together. Her eyes grow wide, and she trembles.

At that moment, Twilight and her friends burst into the room. Luna quickly hands Flurry Heart back to Cadance, then steps back as they all swarm Cadance and the baby.

Twilight is the first to notice Flurry Heart's wings, and cries, aloud, that she didn't know that ponies could be born Alicorns--she thought they all had to be made. Neither Celestia nor Luna know what to say--but Cadance herself steps in, telling them that Flurry Heart is the first Alicorn to be born in Equestria.

Twilight accepts this without question, and goes on babbling about how cute she is. Over her head, Cadance gives both Celestia and Luna a look, communicating that she knows exactly what she's done. Cadance wants a family more than anything--but, by publicly disowning her parentage, she is doing what she needs to to protect their privacy--and, more importantly, to keep others from forcing Luna or Celestia to answer questions about their past that they would rather keep buried. Celestia gives her a low, grateful bow, and Cadance returns it, all without the others noticing.

Luna eventually sidles up to the others, and joins in the admiration of Flurry Heart, while Celestia hangs back. As she watches them, she has a strange, almost out-of-body experience--and realizes that, now matter how much she wishes it, she will never have an experience like this of her own. Though it's been a long, hard road for all of them, Luna and Cadance both have what they've always wanted--a family. But Celestia, burdened with a thousand years of ghosts, a thousand years of heartache, never will. She will always be on the outside, looking in. She will never be in Cadance's place, holding a newborn babe in her arms, nor in Luna's, watching her child discover the wonder of new life.

Celestia excuses herself, then goes out on a balcony and begins to weep. She admits to herself, for the first time in far too long, how lonely she is, how desperately she wants to be loved, and how often she has allowed life to pass her by.

Celestia eventually hears the door behind her click open, and an urgent, whispered "Here she is!" Celestia tries to clean herself up before turning around, with mixed results. Standing behind her are Flash and Twilight, standing close side-by-side. Twilight sees immediately that Celestia's been having a hard time, and asks, hesitantly, if they should come back later. Celestia, once again putting her people before herself, tells her that, no, this is fine.

Twilight, nervous, tells her that the two of them have some news and a favor to ask. Celestia nods, prompting them to continue, and, though Twilight begins to speak, she blushes, giggles, and goes quiet. Flash leans over, kisses her on the cheek, drapes a wing over her, then proudly tells Celestia that they are going to be married.

Celestia takes a moment to contemplate their phenomenally bad timing, then gives them half-hearted congratulations. Twilight, immensely pleased, giggles again, then tries to speak, but can't. Flash watches her, nudges her, and teasingly tells her to go on--he had to do the hard part, after all.

Twilight takes a deep breath, then looks up at Celestia and asks if she would help them plan their rehearsal dinner. Celestia, deeply confused, asks why. Twilight hesitates, then tells her, quietly, that she's been doing some reading, and it's traditional for the mother of the groom to plan the rehearsal dinner. However, Flash doesn't have anybody, and, well...

Celestia stares at them in silence for several seconds before something clicks. Twilight is, in so many words, asking if she can bring Celestia into the family that she is starting with Flash--that is, she's asking if they could "adopt" Celestia as unofficial family. Celestia is stunned beyond words, and begins to cry. She brings both of them in for a hug, and promises that she will plan the dinner--she'll do anything for the two of them.

And, for just a moment, Celestia is happy.

Author's Note:

Given that Flurry Heart doesn't almost snow-nuke the Crystal Empire in this story, I have no idea why she has the name she does.

Maybe--gasp--without the storm, etc., they actually name her "Skyla," after a famous Crystal Queen?