28. - Baby Showers
“Are we almost there?”
Celestia chuckled over Trixie’s whining as the carriage banked to the left and began to descend into Salt Lick. “Yes, Miss Lulamoon. We should be arriving at the Bean family home in just a few moments.”
“Good. Trixie hates long flights.”
“It’s a good thing you won’t be coming to Trottingham with myself and Bean, then. The flight is quite lengthy, to say nothing of the train ride between Canterlot and Manehattan.”
“So why don’t you just teleport there?” Trixie asked. “You jumped clean to Ponyville once without even breaking a sweat, I’ve heard.”
“Even I have my limits,” Celestia kindly explained. “Besides, it is unwise to teleport long distances while pregnant. I would not make the same ‘jump’ to Ponyville now, and even then, I only did so because of the emergency situation.”
“Did they ever find that doll Sparkle enchanted?” Trixie asked. “Everypony refused to talk about it the last time I was there.”
“No,” Celestia said thoughtfully. “I should have Twilight look into that. I know I cancelled the spell and removed its effects from the local population, but I lost track of the doll while dealing with Twilight.” The Princess paused in thought for a moment, then shrugged and turned her attention to the rapidly approaching ground. “But we’ll worry about that later. I am most eager to see Bean’s childhood home.”
“I don’t get why,” said Trixie. “From what Trixie has heard, it’s nothing special.”
“Perhaps, but it is where he lived, and I regret that I haven’t had the time to visit before now. Besides, his mother is most eager to show off the nursery that she and Garbanzo created.”
Trixie shook her head and chuckled. “I will never understand why ponies put up with newborn foals. They’re messy, grubby little monsters that pull on your tail, throw up on your favorite cloaks, and stink. The smell is the worst part. By far.”
“So, we shouldn’t ask you to foalsit Nilla for us?” Celestia quipped.
“Since I will be leaving next week, yes. Don’t ask. Trixie does not do foalsitting.”
“Do you have everything you need to get back on the road?”
“Trixie is still working on that,” Trixie said. “My latest shipment of fireworks was impounded by the Royal Guard. Trixie tried to explain to Lieutenant Spear Point that the crates would be harmless, despite having dangerous-sounding names like ‘Furious Feet of Flame’ and ‘Nightmare’s Wrath’ printed on them, but he wouldn’t listen to me. At least I got to keep my smoke bombs,” she added with a small grin.
“I’ll speak with the Lieutenant about the matter,” Celestia said. “Is there anything else?”
“Provisions, but that’s easy enough. Trixie also needs some hammocks. There’s not much room in a wagon full of magic supplies, so a hammock works best. Even if it is murder on your back,” she said with a small wince. “But other than that, the Great and Powerful Trixie should have everything she needs.”
“Good. If you need anything else, please tell me. I do not want you to leave ill-prepared.”
“I will, Your Highness,” Trixie said with a soft smile. “And thank you.”
The carriage gently touched down, and Celestia turned her attention to the modest home before them. The abode was a simple, yet charming single-level structure with bright ethereal blue paint and a slate-grey roof, and the Princess loved how cozy and inviting it felt, even from the street.
“Oh, It’s lovely,” she said as she disembarked. “I especially like the canna lilies and the jackmanii vines on the south side.”
“Princess! You made it!” Lima called out as she exited the house. “Come in, come in! I know we don’t have a lot of time for a tour, but I can show you around really quick.”
“I’ll just wait here,” Trixie said. “I’ve got some forms to fill out for Wysteria.”
Celestia nodded to Trixie, then turned to her mother-in-law with a grin. “Hello, Lima. You have a very lovely home.”
“That’s very kind of you to say, but I can’t take all of the credit for this,” said Lima. “I hired a professional landscaping company to take care of the yard this year. With the increase in business, and Baked being gone, Garbanzo and I found that we just couldn’t keep up with the Zuerst and the chores here. You did drop him off at the restaurant, right?”
Celestia nodded. “I did. Garbanzo was pleased to see him and put him to work immediately.”
“Good. I worry that he doesn’t practice his cooking in the palace, since he’s so busy helping you.”
Celestia laughed as she ducked to enter Lima’s home. “I can safely say that Baked Bean is, in fact, pushing himself to the limit of his cooking abilities whenever the opportunity arises. The spinach and mint lasagna he made last night was absolutely heavenly.”
“At least he spoils you,” Lima said with a grin, and she gestured with a hoof to her front room. “Well, this is it. I hope it’s not too underwhelming.”
Celestia’s smile grew, and she took several moments to properly appreciate the décor of the room. The soft grey carpet matched well with the white walls and velvet drapes, and the princess liked how the colorful throw rug under the coffee table added a pop of color to the overall appearance. Several family photos hung on the walls, and Celestia was charmed by the two small bookcases—topped with a few trinkets from past family vacations and stuffed with various cooking books—that flanked a quaint-looking fireplace.
“Actually, I think this is quite cozy and charming, Lima. Though I must admit, the vaulted ceilings are my favorite thing about the room.”
Lima chuckled. “It’s always nice to be able to stand up straight, isn’t it? I never thought about how much of a problem that must be for you.”
“Thankfully, most interiors can accommodate me,” Celestia said, her hoof running along the edge of the lavender-colored sofa in the middle of the room. “It’s just doorways that I need to be careful with.”
“And to think I once said you weren’t tall enough,” Lima said with a snort of amusement. “Well, what’s done is done. The kitchen is just back here, and the dining room over there. Since we’re short on time, I’ll skip those for now and we’ll jump right to what I really wanted to show you.”
“Please,” Celestia said eagerly.
“We converted Baked’s old room into the nursery,” Lima said as she led the Princess down a short hallway. “And then we thought it was too small, so we knocked down a wall and took out the guest room. We didn’t need it anymore anyway since all of the Beans live in Salt Lick now.”
“How is Soy doing, by the way?” Celestia asked.
“Overall, he’s actually doing pretty good,” Lima said. “He still misses Mom, but selling the buffet in Las Pegasus was the right call. He stays busy and active with us at the Zuerst now, but sometimes, we loan him out to help out the other Beans. If I’m not careful, Cannellini might steal him for her restaurant one of these days.”
“I’m glad to hear he has the support he needs. If he has the time, maybe I could have him come to the palace and cook for us.”
“I’m sure he’d love that.” Lima pushed open a door and smiled. “Just in here, Princess.”
“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Celestia said. “You are family, after all. Celly is just fine.”
Celestia then moved to enter the room, but her horn smacked the top of the door frame with a solid clonk. The Princess retreated, grumbled under her breath as she rubbed the base of her horn, then ducked to properly enter.
She instantly forgot her height-induced headache and gasped in delight when she saw what Lima and Garbanzo had created. A bright pink room welcomed her with what felt like enthusiastic glee, with pictures of bright spring flowers and the Canterlot side of Mount Canter hanging proudly on the walls. A plush and comfortable looking white crib sat next to a large dresser that had a changing table on the top of it, and a rocking chair large enough for a Princess waited by a large window, ready and willing to offer its services to whatever parent—or grandparent—needed it.
“Oh, Lima! It’s just perfect!” Celestia gushed, and she quickly moved to look over the selection of picture books that awaited in the bookcases by the rocking chair. “I’m actually a little bit jealous! It looks exactly like something from a nursery rhyme. Nilla will love this.”
“We have some toys in the closet as well.” Lima pointed with a hoof and a proud grin. “We left this area back here open so she’ll have plenty of room to play. We tried to pick things that would encourage motor skills and magic manipulation, but we have the classic building blocks and wooden trains, too.”
“And a toy stove, I’m sure,” said Celestia.
“Naturally. Garbanzo was able to find one with a full pan set, utensils, and a deep depth oven, just like the ones we use in the restaurant. When Nilla is ready to start cooking with us next year, she’ll already be acclimated to the equipment we use.”
Celestia turned and pulled Lima into a hug. “It’s all so wonderful. Thank you, Lima.”
“Well, when the mother of your grandchild is the Princess of Equestria, you do try to give your best for both of them,” Lima scoffed. “But I’m glad you like it. I was worried that our meager efforts here wouldn’t be up to your standards.”
“Oh, I hope you don’t truly feel that way,” said Celestia, and she pulled back to look Lima in the eyes. “What you have done—and what you have to give—will always far exceed my wildest expectations. The gilded gold of the palace was created to impress. This,” she swept a hoof to indicate the room, “was created out of love. Nothing can ever be better than that.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” Lima said with a grin. “But I do have one question. Do you have any spells that can protect against newborn magic discharges? I’ve heard that is an issue with unicorns, and if Nilla is an alicorn, well…”
“I do know several such spells, and they are easy to cast,” Celestia said. “I will make sure everything here is protected.”
“Thank you. But I suppose we should get going. Princess Cadence was pretty insistent on my punctuality when she stopped by and gave me the invitation.”
“We probably should,” Celestia replied. “But if we are late, just blame me and my overactive bladder.”
“I never realized how small it could be until I was pregnant with Baked,” Lima said knowingly. “And Cadence will see for herself here in the near future, it sounds like.”
“Indeed. It’s a good thing the Crystal Palace has a lot of restrooms,” Celestia said with a laugh.
“It’ll be nice for Nilla to have somepony close to her age to play with,” Lima said as they made their way to the door. “And then there will be Wysteria’s twins, as well. Oh! Good gravy!” Lima suddenly turned to her right and made a beeline to a sliding door. “I hope I didn’t just see what I thought I saw.”
“What is that?” Celestia asked.
“We’ve had a problem with gophers in the yard as of late,” Lima said. “I thought I just saw one. You wouldn’t happen to know how to get rid of the little pests, would you?”
“I’m afraid not,” Celestia said.
“Well, why don’t you come yell at them or something. Maybe they’ll get scared and leave.”
“I’m not sure that would work, but I suppose I could try,” Celestia said. She remembered to duck through the back door, but once she picked her head up, she inadvertently let out a small whinny of alarm.
“Surprise!”
Celestia gasped, then smiled and laughed. “Cadence! You brought everypony here? I thought you said we were going to have the party at the palace!”
“I did,” Cadence said with a mischievous grin. “But as soon as I saw Bean’s house, I knew we had to have the party here.”
“Hello, everypony!” Celestia greeted her in-laws, her sister, and the Element Bearers with a pleased grin. “It’s so good to see you all here! Sunset Shimmer!” The princess pulled her former student in with more laughter and a few tears. “You made it! I was worried you wouldn't be able to come.”
“How could I miss something like this?” Sunset asked as the group moved to surround the solar princess in a large group hug. “I knew I had to come as soon as I saw your invitation in my book.”
“Yeah!” Fava added. “Plus, we get a day off work! There’s no way any of us would miss this.”
“Sieva, Rarity, Flageolet, so good to have you here,” Celestia said with another hug for them. “Lentil! How have things been at the Waffle Emporium?”
“Pretty good, Princess. Your pancake recipe is one of our best sellers now!”
“Wonderful! But what is all this?” Celestia moved to a large table that had been set up, and she licked her lips as she looked over the snacks that had been provided.
“Just a little something for all of us to enjoy while we party,” Adzuki said while Pinkie Pie bounded by and scattered some sprinkles over a tray of cupcakes. “All of your favorites, from what Luna has told us.”
“Oh, this is wonderful!” Celestia said, her heart swelling with joy. “Thank you, everypony!”
“Dig in, Princess!” Rainbow Dash called out. “Just be sure to leave some for us this time!”
“It won’t be easy, but I will try to restrain myself,” said Celestia with a laugh.
* * ✹ * *
“So, did all of you plan this together?” Celestia asked while sitting on the plush chair that had been provided for her.
“Actually, this was all the work of Cadence and Lima,” Cannellini replied, and the other Bean cousins nodded. “We each brought a treat to share, and Pinkie Pie provided the balloons, but everything else was all them.”
“It’s just perfect,” Celestia said with a grin. “I love this decorative canopy you have. I think we might need to borrow it when Cadence has her own baby shower a few months from now.”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Lima said with a knowing glance to Sieva. “When are you due, Princess Cadence?”
“In about ten months, give or take,” Cadence said with a grin. “Shining Armor and I just got the good news a few days ago.”
“Oh! Where is Trixie?” Celestia glanced around the group, then stood. “I left her in the carriage!”
“Behold! The Great and Powerful Tr-r-rixie!”
A blast of smoke erupted at the edge of the yard, and from within the pink cloud, Trixie and Wysteria both emerged with a grin. “Sorry we’re late,” Wysteria offered. “I can’t move very fast on these swollen fetlocks of mine.”
“Oh my goodness!” Rarity exclaimed. “Here, here. Sit down, darling, and get off those hooves.” The generous fashionista levitated a plush velvet fainting couch over to the rotund secretary, who promptly swooned onto it with a small wumph and a sigh of relief. “You look like you’re ready to pop!”
“I go in next week to get these little stinkers out of there,” Wysteria said. “And it’ll be nice to see my rear hooves again.”
“Will Quillpoint be there?” Luna asked.
“Quill will be there, yes. I insisted on it, actually.” Wysteria chuckled. “I want my twins to know their dad. He and I have actually had several wonderful conversations about them over the past few days. Whatever happens between us, he’ll still be there for them.”
Corporal Quillpoint regarded the Royal Guard secretary who was currently processing his leave paperwork, fidgeting from hoof to hoof and glancing around until he could not hold back.
“Hey, Knotty. You’ve been here since I started, right? And we’re friends, right?”
Knotted Pine gave Quill a dry look from over her glasses while the pen on her desk continued filling out his leave request.
“Well, I need to ask somepony and I really don’t know who and you’re a mother because I remember when we got together to send you a card,” continued Quill in one long breath. “Do you think I should wear my armor into the delivery room? You know. In case Wysteria... gets violent during labor.”
“No,” said Knotted flatly. “Twins.”
“But—” started Quill.
“No!” Knotted gave him a sharp frown that made Quillpoint worry about having taken an extra cookie from the jar for some reason. “She’ll hurt her hooves on the metal. Take it like a stallion, like my husband. You’re going to be in a hospital anyway.” She flipped over another sheet. “Might as well get your sick leave request in now. Wys has a mean left hook.”
“Hopefully, he’ll remember to take some time off after the birth, too,” Wysteria added. “Or I’m going to slug him.”
“I doubt that will be a problem,” Luna said with a smile, and Wysteria nodded.
“Probably. But enough about me; we’re here for Celestia and Nilla.”
“This is still just so… so weird,” Sunset said. “I never thought, in a million years, that you would find a husband and start a family, Princess. You always seemed so content with the life you had when I was your student.”
“Oh, I was content,” Celestia admitted. “And I would still be content if Bean and I had never met. But I’m grateful beyond words that we managed to find each other. I never realized how—” the princess paused, and her hoof began to rub her belly “—how lonely I was during Luna’s banishment. I’ve had many friends over the centuries, of course, but it just wasn’t quite the same. I don’t think I could ever express how overjoyed I am to have all of you as my family and friends. I no longer stand alone, and I have all of you to thank for that.”
A collective “aww!” broke out as Celestia pulled Sunset into a hug with her wing, and for a few moments, there was a cheerful mass of chatter as everyone offered their thanks for the kind and sincere words.
“Tell me, Sunset, how have things been going for you in the other dimension?” Celestia as the partygoers began to chat with each other.
“They’ve been going well, Your Highness. We’re just about to start midterm testing, and Twilight’s counterpart has been helping me and my friends to study. I feel more prepared this year than ever before.”
“Good. What of the sirens? Do you know what happened to them?”
Sunset shook her head. “Nobody knows where they went, but then, nobody has cared to look. Twilight—Princess Twilight, I mean—figured that they would be harmless without their charm necklaces, so we decided it wasn’t worth it to hunt them down.”
“I would hope they have learned something in their defeat,” said Celestia, “and that they will choose their actions a little more wisely in the future.”
“That’s because you see the good in everybody. Er, everypony,” Sunset said.
“I try to. I saw much good in you, after all,” Celestia replied with a chuckle.
“I don’t know how you could, but I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.”
Celestia hummed a happy note and smiled. “How is my counterpart doing? We have shared some messages back and forth, but those notes can only tell me so much.”
“Principal Celestia is doing pretty good,” Sunset said thoughtfully, and then she snickered. “And you’ll be happy to know that she and the human Bean are getting pretty close. Rarity pointed out the other day that the two of them are rarely seen apart anymore around school.”
“I have gotten that impression from her in our shared messages,” Celestia said with a grin.
“We all figure Bean will propose, but probably not until spring or summer of next year,” Sunset went on. “He’s one of those chivalry gentleman types that holds doors open for women and all that, so he’s going slow and being gentle. They’ll be a cute couple together, once they finally take the plunge.”
“I’m sure they will be, and I hope she finds the same happiness that I have.”
“So what is your Bean up to right now? Is he running Equestria all by himself?” Sunset asked with a smirk.
Celestia chuckled. “Not quite…”
“Oakwood, where are you taking me?” Sego Lily asked with a laugh. “I think you’re lost.”
“I don’t blame you for thinking that, but I actually do know where I am going for a change,” Oakwood said with a grin. “It’s just around the corner. I hope.”
Sego Lily laughed again, and her wing gave him a playful nudge. “Next time, leave the directions to me, you goofball. Though I like walking with you.”
“See? All part of my master plan.” Oakwood bobbed his eyebrows, but then his eyes went to something down the street. “Ah! There it is. The finest restaurant in Salt Lick.”
“The Zuerst?” Sego Lily asked as they approached the slate-grey building.
“Yeah! All of the travel brochures said this was the best place to get a bite to eat, no question. It’s so popular, you have to have a reservation to even get in. Unfortunately, the only times they had open were at lunch,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.
“I’m down for a fancy lunch.” Sego Lily giggled when Oakwood brushed up against her side, and her wing went over his back to pull him into a hug. “So long as this isn’t one of those froo-froo places that gives you two ounces of cat food on a plate with some sprig leaves.”
“Shouldn’t be. All of the reviews mentioned that the portion sizes were very generous. If anything, we should be so full that we won’t be able to eat dinner.”
“Is it expensive?” Sego Lily asked. “I don’t want to spend all of our money in one place.”
“It’s a bit pricey, but not outrageously bad, and we should get our money’s worth.” Oakwood jogged ahead, pulled the door open, and motioned with his other hoof to the interior. “After you, my fair maiden.”
“Why thank you, good sir!” Sego giggled. Once inside, she took a moment to admire the bright lighting and the polished wood of the interior, but once Oakwood was by her side again, they both turned to face the maître d’.
“Good afternoon.” A white unicorn, dressed in a sharply pressed tuxedo greeted them with a broad smile. “Welcome to the Zuerst. My name is Shining Armor, and it will be my pleasure to assist you today. Do you have a reservation?”
Sego Lily and Oakwood both took a step back. “Wait a minute. Shining Armor?” Oakwood asked. “As in Prince Shining Armor, Emperor of the Crystal Empire and Captain of the Royal Guard?”
“Not quite,” Shining Armor replied. “Emperor has too many negative connotations in the Empire, so I’m only a prince normally. But for today, I am simply your humble maître d’, so no formalities are needed. Now then, do you have a reservation?”
It took a minute for the pair to remember how to talk. “Uh… yeah. We have a reservation. Should be under ‘Oakwood.’”
Shining Armor glanced down to a list on the podium in front of him, then back to them. “Ah, yes. Right this way, please. We have a table ready just for you.”
The dumbfounded couple followed the Hero of the Crystal Ponies to their table, and once he had seated them, he produced two large menus. “The house special today is the prime butternut squash, a la provincial. Stuffed with chestnuts and basted in Chardonnay, it is one of the newest, most popular, and most succulent meals on the menu. The house is also pleased to offer a full and extensive selection of fine wines, by the glass or by the bottle. May I suggest an appetizer to get you started?”
Sego glanced between Oakwood and the unexpected host. “Um, no. I think we’ll be fine.”
Shining Armor nodded with a smile. “Your waiter will be with you momentarily. Please, enjoy your meal.”
Neither pony said anything as Shining Armor moved back to the front of the restaurant, but once they thought he was out of earshot, the surprised couple shared a laugh between them.
“You didn’t tell me Shining Armor would be here!” Sego said.
“I had no idea he’d be here, either!” Oakwood said with another glance back to the front. “Makes me wonder why on earth he’s working here.”
“Maybe he lost a bet with somepony, and now he has to do a commoner’s job for a day,” Sego offered.
“Makes as much sense as any other explanation. Still, that was a nice surprise, wasn’t it?”
Sego Lily leaned back and gave Oakwood a sly grin. “Yes it was. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to take credit for the fact that he’s here.”
“I wish I could, but it’s all just one big coincidence, I guess. This’ll make for an awesome story later, won't it? I wonder if we could get a picture with him.”
“Maybe you could run back to the hotel and get the camera,” Sego offered.
“Well, let’s eat first. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“Me too.” Sego took a few moments to glance over the selections, but then she drew in a long breath. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to pick one! All of these dishes sound so delicious!”
Oakwood nodded. “I think we’ll need to ask the waiter for some suggestions. I told you this place would be amazing.”
“That you did,” she said as hoofsteps approached behind her. “I’ll never question you again.”
“Oh no. Please, question me, by all means,” he replied just as the waiter stopped at their table.
“Good afternoon, everypony! Welcome to the Zuerst. My name is Baked Bean, and… Sego Lily?!”
“Baked Bean?!” Sego yelped and shot out of her chair. “Holy Celestia, what are you doing here?!”
“This is my family’s restaurant,” he said with a laugh to the hovering mare. “Remember? I told you they owned one.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me it was this one!” she shot back. “Shouldn’t you be in Canterlot or something?”
“Normally I would be, but Celestia is having her baby shower today, so my dad needed me to step in for my mom,” Bean replied as Sego Lily slowly dropped out of the rafters and back into her chair. “It’s good to see you again, though! How’s everything been for you?”
“You two know each other?” Oakwood asked.
“We ran into each other in Canterlot once,” said Sego. “And I mean literally ran into each other. The prince bought me lunch as an apology, and we spent the day touring the city together.”
“This was before I was married to Celestia,” Bean added. “May I ask who you are?”
“Oh!” Sego stretched out a hoof and patted Oakwood’s. “Your Highness, this is Oakwood. We met about six months ago in Fillydelphia and we just got married three days ago. We’re on our honeymoon now.”
“Really?!” Bean slightly squealed in delight. “Congratulations! That’s wonderful, Sego. I’m glad you found your special somepony.”
“Me too,” Sego said with a giggle and a shared smile with her new husband.
“I tell you what. In honor of the occasion, your meal is on the house. No, no!” Bean held up a hoof to block the protests. “I insist! Please, order whatever you like, and I will personally see to it that you receive our absolute finest. I can say that since I’m not the one cooking,” he added with a wink. “Now, what can I get started for you? Would you like some recommendations?”
“Wait. Is this all why Prince Shining Armor is here, too?” Oakwood asked, and Bean nodded.
“Officially, Princess Celestia asked him to keep an eye on me, so I wouldn’t burn down the restaurant. I’ve nearly managed it a time or two,” Bean quipped. “Unofficially, he’s getting some ideas for a romantic dinner he wants to have for Princess Cadence’s birthday in a few weeks. Now! What can I get going for you? The house special is quite delectable, if I may say, but I would also like to direct your attention to the ricotta gnudi with wild mushroom and truffle sauce. I think you’ll find the pecorino romano cheese infuses the whole dish a pleasantly sharp and salty taste. If you pair that with a classic pinot blanc, your tastebuds will never be the same.”
* * ✹ * *
“Let’s see. This next one is from Fava.” Celestia grinned, and her magic fairly shredded the wrapping paper as she pulled it off the present. The princess removed the lid from the thin box once it was fully exposed, and she gasped as her magic pulled out a light green onesie. “Oh, I love it! Look at the little ducks on the front! Thank you so much!”
“Told you she’d like it,” Fava said with a knowing grin to her mother.
“Yes, yes,” Adzuki rolled her eyes and let out a huff with an annoyed smile. “You win.”
“Luna?” Celestia held up a box that was wrapped in a starry blue paper and topped with an intricate bow. “You didn’t have to get me a present. You’ve already done so much at the palace for Nilla and myself.”
Luna nodded. “I should confess that my present is not really a present, I suppose. But you will understand once you open it.”
Celestia gave her sister a confused look as she unwrapped and opened the box, but when she saw what was inside, a large smile overtook her face. “Ah! I see what you mean. I’m glad you brought it here; I totally forgot to bring it.”
“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.
Celestia’s magic pulled a plush green crocheted baby blanket from the box, and all of Bean’s family gasped once they realized what—and more specifically, where—this blanket had come from.
“You finished Mom’s blanket!” Sieva said through a sob of delight.
“Just yesterday, in fact. What do you think?” Celestia passed the blanket over to Sieva and Lima for a thorough inspection.
“It’s just as good as she would have done,” Seiva said after a moment with a pleased smile.
“I fully intend on swaddling her as much as possible with it,” said Celestia. “And I will make sure Nilla knows just how deeply her Great-Grandma Pole loved her.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Lima offered. “Would you mind if we showed this to Dad? He’d love to see how it turned out.”
“Of course,” Celestia said with a nod. “Well, it looks like there’s just one present left! This one is from Cadence, and I bet I can guess what it is.”
Unlike the other presents, Cadence had not wrapped the thin silver case, but she had tied a golden ribbon and bow around it. Celestia giggled a little as she removed the ribbon, and when she opened the case, she turned it so the assembled guests could see what was inside.
“What are those?” Chowder asked. “They look like crystals.”
“Not just any crystals,” Cadence said. “These are Nilla’s Crystalling Crystals. Uncle Bean and Aunt Celly will pick one of these, and it will be used in conjunction with the crystal heart to officially accept and herald in Epiphany Vanilla Bean as the newest citizen of the Crystal Empire, and thus as an official Crystal Pony. Every newborn foal in the Empire is given this honor, as is every foal born to the Royal Couple of Equestria.”
Applejack gave a low whistle of approval as the party guests admired the selection. “They sure are pretty. Does it matter which one they pick?”
“Ideally, it should be the crystal with the sharpest cut, the purest color, and the clearest clarity.”
“Shoot, Ah’m glad it’s y’all that’ll be pickin’, then.” Applejack blinked a few times and pulled back in an apparent attempt to get a better look. “They all look exactly the same to me.”
“That’s what Shining Armor said, too,” said Cadence with a giggle. “But I’m sure Nilla’s parents will find the perfect one.”
“I shall have my Bean sniff it out as soon as we get home,” Celestia joked. “Thank you, Cadence.”
“You’re welcome, Aunt Celly.” Cadence gave Celestia a hug, but she grinned deeply when she pulled back. “Now, how about some games? I have one that everyone will love. Twilight, do you remember playing baby buggy bumpers?”
Twilight giggled. “I sure do! This is gonna be great!”
“Is this a game we can all play?” Celestia asked, and Cadence nodded as her magic produced a large bag of jumbo sized marshmallows.
“You bet, and you’re going to hate me by the time we get done,” Cadence said while sharing a giggle with Twilight. “The game is simple enough: each of us will put one marshmallow in our mouth, and then say the phrase ‘baby buggy bumpers.’ Then, you put another marshmallow in, and another, and another, until you can’t put anymore in, or if you spit one out while talking. The pony with the most marshmallows is the winner.”
“Then my sister has already won,” Luna said with a bob of her eyebrows. “She has the biggest mouth of all of us.”
“Yours is twice is large, I’m sure.” Celestia stuck out her tongue to Luna, then giggled with the rest of the group.
“Bet I can get more in than you can, Rarity!” Rainbow Dash called out.
“Oh, it is on!” Rarity replied with a determined grin and a snort.
* * ✹ * *
“Oh!” Sego Lily laughed as she slouched in her chair, and her hoof rubbed her swollen stomach. “I don’t think I could eat another bite! That was delicious!”
“So, you don’t want any dessert?” Oakwood asked with a sly grin.
“There’s always room for dessert,” Sego countered. “Should we get our own, or do you want to share?” she asked with a bob of her eyebrows.
“Hmm…” Oakwood made a show of tapping his chin and making loud, thoughtful noises. “I want to share everything with you, of course, but this is dessert we’re talking about here.”
“Did I hear somepony say dessert?” Baked Bean reappeared at the table with a chair in his hoof, and he placed it next to their table.
“We were thinking about it,” Sego said. “Got any recommendations?”
“Try the triple chocolate fudge cheesecake,” Bean said in a low whisper. “The recipe is a closely guarded family secret, and you’ll not find a more exquisite cheesecake anywhere else. Celestia herself nearly declared it to be the official dessert of Equestria when I first made it for her.”
“Cheesecake it is, then,” Sego announced.
“Of course,” Bean said with a nod. “I’ll get you both a slice. Trust me, you won’t want to share.”
The newlyweds chuckled as Bean retreated back to the kitchen, but then Oakwood turned his full attention to his bride. “You never told me you’d met Prince Bean.”
“Yeah.” Sego chuckled nervously. “I might have had a small crush on him, and I did some stupid stuff before we parted ways. You’re not mad, are you?”
“Not at all,” Oakwood said. “I’d like to hear the story sometime, if you don’t mind.”
“It’s actually a pretty fun story, all in all,” Bean said as he placed two gigantic slices of succulent cheesecake goodness in front of the pair. “But I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to, Sego Lily.”
“It’s okay. To be honest, I’d kinda forgotten about the whole thing.”
Bean chuckled. “I would say that’s a good thing. You moved on, and it led to something wonderful.”
“Yeah, it did,” Sego said with a deep smile.
“If you don’t mind, I’d also like to hear how you two met,” Bean said as he sat in the chair he’d brought over. “I bet it was super-romantic and full of sappy love songs.”
Oakwood snickered, and Sego Lily blushed. “Actually, when we first met, she threatened to throw me out a window. Thankfully, her brother stepped in and saved the day.”
“Oh, now I have to hear the tale now.” Bean scooched his chair closer to the table with an eager grin. “Tell me everything.”
* * ✹ * *
“Are you doing okay, Wysteria?” Celestia asked as she levitated a glass of water to her faithful secretary. “You swallowed a lot of marshmallows.”
“I’m just fine,” Wysteria replied. “But thanks for checking. I’ve stuffed far more food in my mouth during my frequent craving flares, trust me.”
Celestia sat down, then nodded to where Trixie was talking with Chowder. “Between you and me, I’m actually going to miss Trixie when she leaves. She’s really thrown herself into her work, and she’s carried on wonderfully while you’ve been out. She’s not quite as good as you are, but you taught her well.”
Wysteria nodded in agreement. “Gotta admit I’ll miss her, too. The extra help was greatly appreciated, and not just because of my pregnancy. It’s quite the juggling act to take care of everything for you, Luna, and Prince Bean, so having Trixie around took some of that pressure off.” There was a brief pause before Wysteria added “Do you think we could hire a replacement?”
“I’m sure we could,” Celestia said, her eyes still on the vibrant showmare. “But I get the feeling that we may not have to. Whenever Trixie speaks of leaving, her voice drops and she takes on a forlorn expression. I would dare say that you and I have provided her with everything she ever wanted, in a way.”
“How so?”
“Well, we have given her the grandest stage to perform on and a captive audience. You know of the feints, tricks, and slights of hoof that have to be performed to cajole the nobility into action, and Trixie now performs to the most exclusive of patrons at the behest of a Princess and a Prince. She receives accolades and praise when her show excels, and she has a steady stream of bits coming into her coffers, to top it all off.
“Yes, I think she enjoys performing here,” Celestia went on with a thoughtful grin. “I could be wrong, but I think Trixie has found some sense of purpose with us, and with that, genuine joy and happiness. To leave all of that would be rather hard for anypony.
“But, I suppose time will tell. The call of the open road is a powerful one, and Trixie relishes crowds and attention. She has also put much preparation into her new show and into her new wagon, so…” Celestia trailed off as Wysteria flipped to her right side on Rarity’s couch, spread her rear legs, grunted, then flipped back to the left. “Are you all right?”
“I will be,” she snorted. “Horsenpfeffer told me I’d have issues with swollen udders when I got close to the due date.”
“Oh! Well, that sounds like a—” Celestia cleared her throat and turned her head to look at some distant cloud in the sky “—rather personal problem. I certainly don’t want to interfere.”
“You’ll have the same problem soon enough,” Wysteria said with a slightly wicked cackle. “Just you wait.”
* * ✹ * *
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Nice to see Sego buried the hatchet with Bean and is genuinely happy!
Now, I see that turning into Sego coming to Celestia for pregnancy advice as she becomes good friends with Celestia and Bean becomes good friends with Oakwood. Perhaps have a small scene next chapter where Oakwood obliterated both Shiny and Bean in fantasy hoofball by using an underdog team?
I hope Trixie decides to stay.
10591208
That or she comes back sooner than everypony expected, becuase she misses them and her work at the castle too much.
One, two princes may unnerve you, that's what I said now.
Princes, princes there to serve you, just go ahead now.
10591253
Or even better
She stays at the castle full time, but is added to Celestia and Bean's escort list. This way when they travel, she can do shows in the towns they go to.
Good chapter.
Happy to see things worked out well for Sego.
Now that I think about it, the largest mare in Equestria will also have the largest udders in Equestria (next to the cow population, anyway). She'll no doubt have a lot of extra milk after feeding little, normal-sized Nilla, and I'm sure she'll have to do a lot of pumping... Unless, of course, Bean is willing to help out as her loyal husband.
Great
this was a great chapter and were almost there. The arrival of nilla and of course wysteria twins.
The last chapter really surprise me on how pokey and chrisallis relationship grow from the first time they met and alot of development in their character. I cant wait to see what will happened to them hehe.
10591208
Maybe she ultimately will decide to stay, but I think having her absent for a few chapters will do the story good. Give her time to get the traveling impulse out of her system.
Seriously, the fact that you give such attention to minor characters like Sego Lilly is honestly amazing. Now I want a one-shot that tells the story of how she met Oakwood!
Also, the entire section of the Princes in the Zuerst is just a treat and a half.
It’s so amazing how many engaging storylines this Fic has, Celestia and Wysteria being pregnant, Bean dealing with becoming a father, Pokey and Chrysalis, Trixie, Luna and her new guy-friend, and this doesn’t even mention the side characters in Bean’s Family, Sego Lilly, etc.
This is like it’s own show that runs parallel to MLP and I love it.
This was an absolutely wonderful chapter to read,and just what I needed right now,so thank you dear author!
Trixie could be an ambassador of sorts. Her shows serving a secondary purpose in all the locations she performs in.
I saw a diagram of the stages of birth, and at the last month the poor woman's bladder is just about the size of a strawberry or smaller
Oh I dunno, if TwiMac gets confirmed...
I'm glad Sego Lilly found a way to be happy.
a grate chapter i love the detail.
Celestia with swollen udder's ok yes my mind just whit there.
I am sad now. I’m all caught up.
What am I gonna read now?
Great series regardless! I can’t wait to see where this goes!
sleights
Cant say if Pregnancy is a blessing or a curse...
Love the depth of Details
Quite educational what a pregnancy can bring...
Got to love one happy ending after another.
I doubt Chrysalis will be with 'Grogar, Cozy Glow & Tirek'.
Just empty the teets occational and that should help a little I guess?