> A Slice of Life: Journey
>  by Scarheart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Slice of Life: A New Dawn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia felt something was amiss in her home. The day had ended, beginning Luna’s longest night of the year. Her younger sister had grand plans for this evening: her stars would shine and twinkle. Some would fall from the sky in spectacular fashion as Hearth’s Warming ended, ending the old year and ushering in the new. It was a joyous time in Equestria, for this was one of her oldest traditions. With the new year came new hopes and aspirations. Dreams were given life and determination was given a course.

        Yet, there was a small bit of melancholy which hovered over the palace. The grand spires of the castle overlooking Canterlot as the great city hung from the side of the Canterhorn felt just a tad pensive. A sad heart hung, mostly unnoticed by the ponies who worked within the walls home to two of the most powerful and immortal beings in all the world.

        In all her years, Celestia had come to know many forms of sadness. Now, she was typically a happy pony, even though some of her beloved subjects did try her infinite patience. Her love radiated from her being and all those she touched, she felt a certain amount of responsibility for. She took her duties very seriously. The mother figure she had carefully crafted over the centuries had been based on her true self. She was a nurturer and had concerns for the well beings of those near and dear to her heart, even if they could be confusing creatures.

        There was one such source of mystery living beneath her roof. He had been as frightened as a helpless kitten (albeit a very large, dangerous, and maybe a tad leaning towards the realms of a not-so-helpless kitten) when he had first come under the watchful eye of the princess. He was intriguing to say the least. The strange creature could not speak their language, but Luna had taken a shine to him (only because he spent many nights staring up at her starry skies in foal-like wonderment).

        He had been found while a patrol had stumbled across a changeling hive. It was a small hive. The numbers of captured changelings had measured less than a hundred. Thankfully, the changelings quickly surrendered with minor injuries done to both sides. The strange male with the changelings had fought alongside them. He had protected the entrance to the egg chamber. A dozen little hatchlings were discovered within. It was, by all accounts, a very healthy hive and posed no threat to Celestia’s ponies. After a few days of discussions, the queen was released, along with her brood. Given protected status, she was grateful when the Crown paid full reparations for damages done to her home.

        He knew more changeling words than pony, which was not saying much. Through their understanding of emotions, the language barrier between the biped and changelings was circumvented through the taste of his wants and needs through his emotional output. The discovery of such an unusual structure to aid in communicating had set the scientific community into a tizzy. Though suspicious (and rightfully so, Celestia ruefully admitted), the changeling queen agreed to form a trade agreement between her hive and Equestria. If anything, a better understanding of the mysterious bug-like ponies would benefit both parties in the long run by putting aside fears and laying the foundations for a future friendship.

        The changeling queen known as Chrysalis was still at large.

        Surprisingly enough, the creature had come under the queen’s care because it had been Chrysalis herself who had come to possess the biped. The reasons for her leaving the male behind was unknown, as the queen he had been left with had been told to take good care of him “or else”. How he had managed to survive three years under the iron hoof of that horrible bug mare was unbelievable as it was.

        That had been eleven months ago since he came under Equestrian care. The biped was carefully studied and examined (with all consideration given towards his needs). His voice was warm, despite the harsh language he spoke. It was his native tongue. He babbled to anypony who would listen. Translations spells of many varieties were attempted, modified, reapplied, only to fail miserably. There was no base from which to give the magic something to work with. As there was no known record of his language, the basic understandings of his writing and language had to be done the old fashioned way, which delighted Twilight Sparkle to no end.

        It took two months to learn his name. The way he spoke was confined by the shape of his mouth and tongue, limiting him the same way ponies were limited. However, he could be trained to use his tongue properly. It was, as one linguistic professor had noted, “like teaching a deaf and dumb foal how to understand sounds and proper enunciations”.

        The next months that followed were trying times for the new creature. It was understood eventually his species were identified as humans. Despite the many frustrations brought on by mental roadblocks, the ‘hairless ape’ managed to grasp the fundamentals of the language and there was even the beginnings of a translation book in the form of notebooks constantly kept in a satchel the human kept with him at all times. Though learning the language was a slog through a lot of missteps and misunderstandings (some were quite embarrassing), the human was speaking broken sentences seven months later.

        So much progress, yet Celestia felt she really did not know the human. His name was unpronounceable in Equestrian. It was suggested by a noble to simply call him Anonymous, but that was firmly and politely rejected. To do so would suggest the human was not worth to know as an individual. Leave it to the snobs to lead with a snub. Perhaps Celestia had taken the suggestion as a personal affront, but she let the matter pass without incident. For now, the human was simply called Friend, until he chose a pony name for himself.

        Friend, as helpful and friendly as he was, did keep to himself. He was uncomfortable around ponies, as they were prone to stare. Canterlot streets came to a standstill when he went to explore the city (and always accompanied by guards and one of either Celestia’s or Luna’s seneschals). It became a point of embarrassment for Friend until somepony had the bright idea to transform the human into a pony via magic.

Friend was none too keen on the idea of being ponified and reacted accordingly. That had set relations back quite a bit and his trust had to be earned all over again. The unicorn who had cast the spell without permission had been dismissed.

        As she worked her way through the halls of her home for the past eight centuries, Celestia did reflect the past year concerning Friend. He was quiet most of the time. He listened, though he could not hope to understand most of the words in any given conversation. Celestia knew he was trying to understand pony body language and did his best to emulate them. His fingers were precision instruments, capable of handling fine, delicate little things. The human could also boast an iron grip when he used his hands for lifting. The versatility of an opposable thumb was not lost on the princess: the minotaurs were very adept. However, they had thick, clawed digits that could not hope to match the nimbleness of Friend.

        The princess strode towards the source of the melancholy, her mind already deducing from whom it was emanating from. Her brow creased with worry. Though she could never hope to be as skillful at feeling emotions like her niece, Cadence—nor even come close to being as sensitive as the emotivores, the changelings—Celestia could still sense when things were amiss.

        She hated not having a happy home. Her instincts told her to seek out the sadness permeating her home and love it away. 

        She came across an odd sound from the private study of her sister. Words of frustration could be heard as Luna had not put up a muffling spell on the walls or the door. This meant anypony could walk in, so long as they knocked first. Celestia paused at the door and was about to do just that, when she heard her sister cry out.

        “Confounded bipedal locomotion!”

        Unable to help herself, her curiosity took the better of her sensibilities and Celestia slowly opened the door partially and peeked in.

        Luna was in human form and doing a poor imitation of walking like Friend.

        “Troubles, sister?” Celestia inquired with a smirk. She let herself in as Luna glared at her. Unlike Friend, the lunar princess was sans clothing.

        The alicorn-turned-human was leaning heavily on her desk, her legs beneath her in positions suggesting they were uncooperative with whatever she needed them to do. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of the desk.

        “These things are impossible!” she barked at Celestia, daring to loosen a hand from its death-like grip from the table and flailing it accusingly at her rebellious limbs beneath her.

        Her elder sister quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you declared his form unconventional and unsuitable,” Celestia remarked as she slid over and offered her wing to help support the humanized pony.

        “I merely wish to understand what it is to be a human,” Luna replied with a huff. She readily accepted her sister’s wing. “You did offer the spell so I might try it. It is a quiet night and nothing is expected in court this eve. I thought I would indulge the curiosity I denied myself.” Her admission came with a blush and downcast eyes.

        “Are you finding the ankles to be an issue?”

        “They possess no hocks! What sensible creature walks about without hocks?” demanded Luna indignantly.

        “Luna,” Celestia offered delicately, “you might also wish to consider clothing. If Friend were to walk in and see you in a state of undress, it might be a sort of cultural taboo. You know how he cannot go a moment without some article upon him.”

        Wobbling on rebellious legs, Luna huffed, “I do not see the issue. Nakedness is what we do on a daily basis. He should know by now clothing is optional and even deemed frivolous in the more common homes.”

        Celestia began to giggle as she eyed her sister up and down. The mirth was not shared by Luna. “Oh, I am not laughing at—” The glare intensified. “Oh, very well, yes. Yes, I am laughing at you.”

        “Have you tried it?” Luna asked pointedly.

        “Tried what?”

        “Do not play the coy mare with me, sister.” Luna tugged on her sister’s feathers, offering her first smile along with the nudge of an elbow. “You gave me the spell. You helped Twilight Sparkle craft it. Surely you must have tried it out.” She looked down at her chest. “What am I to do with these?” The question was asked as if the princess was seeing them for the first time. “Teats do not belong on the chest! How does one nurse a foal with their teats up here?” She cupped them as she made a sour face. “This is most unsettling!”

        “I have tried it and don’t do that,” Celestia tugged her sister’s hands from her chest with her telekinesis. “Just give yourself time to become familiar with the form. I should assume human females hold their foals while feeding them. Perhaps it helps in the bonding between mother and child. I find it endearing. Take also into consideration human males most likely find them attractive.”

        “Says the mare who found playing Philomena upon poor Fluttershy ‘endearing’,” remarked Luna with a roll of her eyes. “I am beginning to think this is but another one of your jokes, dear sister.”

        “Oh, I think not. I would love to stay and help, but I have felt an unease in our home. I seek it out. Have you felt anything?”

        Luna became concerned. “Is it troublesome? I have felt something amiss myself, but I thought it as something akin to what somepony far from home might feel.”

        Celestia gave her sister a speculative look, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “Perhaps you are right. I think I know the source and the reason why.”

        Luna staggered to a chair and flopped upon it in a rather unladylike manner. “Is it Friend?” she queried worriedly. “Should I help you find him? He should be in his chambers. Perhaps I should speak to him along with you?”

        Celestia looked at her naked sister. “Not like that you’re not.”

        Luna looked down at herself. “It is a scrawny form, the human female, is it not?”

        “I do not think he would think it so,” Celestia noted dryly. “I should imagine he has been without female companionship for quite a while.”

        “Oh. Oh! Oh, my gracious, you are most correct!” Luna gave Celestia a look that was partially horrified and also pitying. She had one of her hands to her chest while the other covered her mouth. Her luminous blue eyes were round. “I had not thought of this. Wait. Has he not bedded one of the maids?”

        Celestia gave her a neutral stare. “Of course not. What ever would give you that impression, Luna?”

        Her sister shrugged. She then noticed the movement and shrugged again, looking at first one shoulder, then the other as she did so. “Most peculiar,” she murmured in a distracted way. “Well, shall we go and find Friend and see what is the matter?”

        “Go as yourself, Luna. You don’t quite have your human legs yet. We want to be there as his friend, not confuse him with female human bodies.”

        “I was not planning on doing such a thing,” retorted her sister. She stuck her tongue out at Celestia. “Stupid, confounded, ridiculous form!” Luna’s eyes flashed white briefly and her form shimmered in starlight. Her limbs morphed and wings sprouted. Her familiar coat reappeared and her ethereal mane and tail of clear night skies exploded into being like a supernova. Now in her true form, she let out a happy wicker, trotting in place on the tips of her hooves.

        “Come, sister!” she proclaimed to Celestia in the manner of a princess conducting the work of the Crown, “Let us sally forth and attend to the needs of our charge!”

        With that, the two sisters made a beeline through the castle towards a secluded room just off from the servant’s quarters. Friend had originally been given one of the state rooms reserved for dignitaries, but it was soon discovered he had an aversion to pomp and lavish living and had found this forgotten little room that had not seen a tenant in ages.

        It was more of a small cottage attached to the castle, a leftover from back when the castle’s foundations had first been laid down. It had been the foreman’s shack. The last resident had been the castle’s Royal Mason, but that had been generations ago. The title and position had fallen before the changing times. There was now a team of engineers with their own union hall just outside the gates of the castle who oversaw the upkeep of the castle. Largely forgotten, it had fallen into disuse and disrepair. Friend saw it and knew it was ‘something to do’ as he was terribly bored most when not taking his lessons or being poked and prodded by the scientific community.

        Everything within was rebuilt or constructed from scratch with his own hooves, er, hands. Though his methods were far below the skill of a master carpenter, Celestia and Luna had sent such ponies well practiced in the skill to aid the human as he made for himself a home.

        The one wonderful thing about the ‘cottage’ was it had been built into the side of the mountain itself, with its large and singular window set in place to allow for a full view of the rising sun each morning, no matter the time of year. The balcony had been carved from the very face of the mountain itself, with room enough for a large drafting table. A clever mason had once carved the legs of the table from the same rock. Everything was from the mountain and still of the mountain. The only wood was the tabletop itself and the metal fittings allowing for it to be adjusted to the user’s taste.

        There was a single, large room where the mason had once lived, made supper, and slept. There was even a polished stone tub in one corner of the room, next to the large fireplace. Hot and cold running water was available, the enchantments still as strong today as they had been so long ago when the room was crafted.

        It was still a marvel, this simple little home in the side of the mountain. Friend had turned it into his home and his crude but serviceable furnishings were made less crude with the careful guidance of his pony instructors.

        Functionality and comfort had somehow combined forces to make a very simple and welcoming home. It had been built with a family in mind, as masons in days of yore had often taken their families with them to work. There were still holes in the wall where boards for bunk beds had once been placed.

        Friend had made this place home. He was happy here. He was away from the ponies when they annoyed him and he needed a place for privacy. Ponies were forbidden from intruding on his home without express permission from either Celestia or Luna.

        Now, it was a place of sadness, melancholy and a sense of loss.

        As Celestia had felt before, it did not take a changeling to feel something was wrong.

        “Sister,” Luna whispered worriedly at her side.

        “I know.”

        The two mares walked slowly, gliding on silent hooves over the threshold of Friend’s home. There was no door. Strings of wooden beads covered the entrance, along with a thick bit of cloth to keep the heat in.

        There was the silence to greet them.

        “Friend?” Celestia called out. She shared a concerned look with Luna. Her sister nodded into the room. The two sisters cautiously proceeded. Both alicorns had their ears perked forward. They swiveled this way and that, listening for something of their friend.

        A soft sound greeted them, associated with uneven breathing. Quickly the two moved forward, forging a path straight through the room and towards the balcony.

        There was a chair facing the night sky. Upon that chair was a bundle of blankets wrapped around a seated figure. It clutched the blankets to its body with one hand while the other was up to its face, covering glistening eyes.

        Friend was crying.

        Celestia felt her heart go out to the human. “Oh, oh, oh! Luna! His pain!” She let out a soft nicker and was at his side in moments, her sister taking up his other shoulder. Both mares nuzzled him, whispering into his ears.

        His arms reached out, gently wrapping around their necks as he simply exploded with an outpouring of heartbreaking cries. Alabaster and indigo feathers encircled him, wrapping the human in wings of love.

        “Home gone. Wife gone. Foals gone.” His words were broken as he tried to force out his Equestrian. His native language followed, punctuated with his sobbing. He managed to switch back to the language of the ponies. “Never go home. Never see home. Gone. All gone.”

        “I sorry,” Celestia said soothingly in his language. “Hard to miss family. Hard to not have heart near you. Hard to not hold wife. You family here. My sister and my—I here. We family for you. No hurt.”

        Luna added softly, “Share your hurts, Friend. We know hurts of all kinds. We have strong liking of you. Friend is friend of ponies. Friend is loved by ponies. Home here for as long as you want.”

        Speaking his tongue was difficult, but both sisters felt he needed to hear his own language. Oddly, Friend had never spoken of having a family before. Then again, he kept a lot of things about his past private. There was very little of his home life before his arrival in Equestria to suggest he had even had a family of his own once. There had been efforts to find his lands, but the world was vast and there were so many unknowns beyond the borders of the known races. Friend had suggested this was not his world, that he had come from another planet. It was hard to believe, but there were no other creatures quite like him.

        Friend had a wife? Children? It made sense. Why would it not?

        “We help you. We help Friend,” Luna promised him.

        It started with a hug from two alicorns.

        “Begin new. Search new. Find your family. Find your home,” Celestia added. Her muzzle lightly touched his cheek. A stirring began deep within her, one she had not felt in a long time.

The sisters remained with their friend until the time came for Luna to ignite the night sky with her magic. As she did so, the colors of the full spectrum flashed in the full glory intended, chasing away the remnants of the past and ushering in a new beginning. Friend looked upon the glory of Luna's works and was awed. He was glad for Luna and Celestia and held them a little closer, murmuring his thanks.

No thanks were needed, nor would they ever be.

> A Slice of Life: Good Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia lay in the bed of her chambers, breathing heavily as she lay on her side. The sun shone through her open windows brightly, an early autumn breeze swirling through the room. It felt nice, she decided as she inhaled deeply. There was a hint of rain in the air. A late afternoon shower had been scheduled for Canterlot and the foothills surrounding Mt. Canterhorn. Despite how her currently felt, the pain was nothing compared to the excitement she felt for what was to come today.

        The doctor had been sent for. Her guards were quick and efficient. It had been not seven minutes ago a message had been forwarded. The reply was a request for her to simply get in bed and wait for the royal physician to arrive.

        Luna had gone off to fetch her brother-in-law, giddy with excitement. The whole castle was by now abuzz with the news. Hundreds of citizens were gathering at the castle gates. There was even a board up taking bets on the sex of the royal foal. The odds were in favor of a filly.

        The princess regretted it a little. Every student she had taken under her wing had become like the foal she had never had. Celestia loved all of her students and had done what she could to avoid replacing their parents. There had been a lot of trial and error. For the most part, the lessons from the past had been taken to heart.

        The princess sighed as a contraction struck. She winced through the pain and it passed. Where was that doctor? The pain would pass. She was not worried. Nature would do its thing and soon there would be a little colt or filly for her to hold and cuddle and love.

        A part of her worried Twilight would be jealous of the foal. It was an irrational thought: Twilight had actually pronked for joy when she was told the news months ago. The Princess of Friendship was among the first to know, once the father had been informed. Celestia knew her husband and her former student were actually good friends, if the pranking was any indication.

        She winced as she adjusted herself, knowing life would find a way. Celestia was excited in her own way, but focused her thoughts on other things to numb the pains of birth.

        The Bearers. The mares who had become Twilight’s friends and an integral part of the restoration of Princess Luna, the reformation of Discord, as well as many, many other adventures together knew her husband in passing. He did not live in Ponyville, therefore he only saw them whenever they did one of their rare visits to Canterlot. Of all the girls other than Twilight, Rarity was the only one who had something resembling a friendship with the human.

        There was a tap at her chamber doors, a rap, rap, tapping. They opened and in trotted her physician, his horn aglow as he carried his black bag with his telekinesis. He was a chocolate brown unicorn with a black mane. His blue eyes were focused solely on the princess, a professional smile adorning his muzzle.

        “Ah, there you are, your Highness. How are we feeling?” he asked, smiling through his greyed and immaculately kept beard.

        “Quite well, all things considering,” Celestia replied amicably. Her ears caught something happening outside. The alicorn lifted her head and craned her neck in the direction of her open windows. “Is..is that singing I hear?” A smile graced her lips.

        The doctor nodded with a grin of his own. “I do believe so. A catchy tune. So much excitement and anticipation of the coming foal! I would imagine your husband still has not gotten used to songs erupting seemingly out of nowhere.”

        Celestia cocked her head, wanting to hear the music and the voices. She did so love to hear her beloved ponies sing. After a moment listening, she blinked. She could clearly hear her sister singing. Luna had such a wonderful singing voice. But there was something else…

        She caught herself and began to grin broadly, giggling despite herself.

        “My little human is singing,” the mare commented proudly.

        Her doctor swiveled his ears to listen. His tail flicked. “Why, so he is, Princess. I always thought he shied from such things. The Harmony of Music was usually something he avoided or was not as affected as us ponies,” he noted curiously. “I think the moment has finally struck him to add his own voice to the magic.”

        “He used to sing to me when the mood struck him,” Celestia went on dreamily. “He has a wonderful voice. Not perfect, but I like it. A little trouble with the high notes.” A giggle chased her words.

        Her physician nodded and smiled. “Let’s see how you are doing, shall we?” The unicorn stallion then went about conducting his profession, quite pleased to soon add to his resume the first pony to lay a hoof on Celestia’s foal. There was no record of her ever having foaled before and she had never volunteered to offer much about her very long past. As he looked down to where the foal would eventually say hello to the world, he commented mildly, “I still wish you had let me do a sonogram, Princess.”

        “There are some things about alicorns I wish to keep a mystery,” replied Celestia, laughing through a contraction. It ended with an ‘oof!’. “A girl does need her secrets,” she added mysteriously.

        “Of course. Well, your dilation looks good. This foal is coming and coming quickly, if my expertise serves me well.” He looked over her belly and smiled, patting her round stomach with a hoof. “I am curious and concerned for your well being and the well being of your foal. It is a hybrid. A hybrid between an alicorn and a human is unique. The foal should be studied. I wish you had allowed me to study your foal while it was in the womb, Princess.”

        “Absolutely not,” chided Celestia as she wagged a hoof at the doctor. “My foal will have as normal an upbringing as possible and will not be subject to scientific studies. She will not be denied any chances at a normal life.” Her voice was even and kind, but there was a hint of steel in her calm and steady gaze.

        He splayed his ears and lowered his head in shame. “Of course! I meant no disrespect. It is my curiosity, I fear. It tends to get the better of me. Of course I will do all that I can to ensure the foal is happy and healthy.”

        The alicorn smiled warmly. “That is all I ask of you.”

        “Very well. Please roll onto your back, Celestia. We are not primitive ponies that simply drop our foals to the earth.”

        The alicorn did so without a word.

        The two ponies could hear the song coming to an end, its participants having drawn nearer and nearer. It had made its way into the halls of Canterlot, echoing into the courtyard. The air hummed with joy and anticipation. Then, it abruptly stopped, followed by a very loud exclamation of, “I’M GOING TO BE A DADDY, MOONBUTT!”

        Instead of her normal outrage whenever the human used that insufferable nickname in public, the dark alicorn hollered back, “MAYHAP MATURITY WILL AFFLICT YOU!”

        “NEVER!” he bellowed.

        Both laughed uproariously.

        Both alicorn and human burst through the door, the former beaming proudly while the other was panting hard from exertion.

        “Glad you could make it,” Celestia deadpanned. She winced, then smiled as the human’s face went from exhaustion to worried wonderment. Her husband moved quickly over to her, on the balls of his feet. His hands went to her belly, feeling for movement. He bent over and gave her a kiss.

        “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized as she nibbled on his nose.

        She pulled back slightly. “Well, you’re here. What were you doing, anyway?”

        Her husband began wiping his nose free of pony slobber. Her sister smirked before assuming a stern countenance. “He was trying to convince your nephew to not make any silly proclamations while you were in labor.” Luna snorted. “The silly ass thought to assume control if for a day by virtue of his very distant blood relation to you. The foal did not think I was competent as my way of thinking is ‘too barbaric for a modern Equestria’, as he put it.”

        “He wasn’t being serious about it,” reminded the human, coming to the noble’s defense. “Since your return, Luna, the nobility has been trying to redo its pecking order. It’s become more than just taking a step back in line. The whole ascension thing has got the more prominent families getting into really stupid squabbles with other powerful houses. He was making light of the whole thing. Luna just takes him too seriously. A lot of ponies take him too seriously. He’s a playboy and really doesn’t want anything even remotely resembling responsibility anywhere near him. He’s harmless.”

        Luna, meanwhile, had trotted over to her sister and nuzzled her in greeting. The icy glare she fixed on her sister’s husband would have frozen a coctrice. “Nary a difference! He sullied my good standing and stomped upon the image I have tried so hard to rebuild since my return.”

        “Might I remind all parties in this room there is a mother expecting a foal at any moment?” asked the physician dryly.

        “Luna, there is nothing wrong with your image. Your standing with your ponies is perfectly fine. Nobody takes Blueblood seriously, especially when he’s in a drunken stupor.” The human nodded his head towards the miracle of birth happening before their eyes. Or the miracle to come. The next contraction made Celestia begin her breathing exercises as recommended to her.

        “Perhaps not,” the pregnant mare hissed. “Blueblood is an insufferable cad, but he does his best to protect the interests of the royal family. He makes a good foil. Now, can we please concentrate on getting this blessing out of me?”

        The human rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. “What do you want me to do? Hold your hoof?”

        “Hold her head,” instructed the doctor, nodding towards Celestia. "Let her use your lap. She needs to feel you near her. It will help make her feel more comfortable. Talk to her. Let her know how pretty she is. And for her sake, do whatever she tells you! Believe it or not, the mare is in charge when she’s delivering a foal. You do not want to upset her in any way.”

        With a shrug and a sheepish grin, the man did as he was told, kicking off his slippers and sliding into bed with his wife. She smiled at him as he propped her up against his legs and chest, wrapping his arms around her neck and barrel. His fingers stroked her mane and scratched behind her ears. She sighed happily.

        “Ooh, you’re so good to me,” she cooed.

        Luna looked on with a strange and wistful expression. She sighed and sat on her haunches. A haunted look appeared in her eyes. Her heart held a need. It was a need she had been unable to fill. No stallion had been able to spark her interest enough and her reintegration into a nation that had become a stranger to her had been a difficult enough journey to think of having what she wanted. Equestria came first. Her duties took precedence. Her sister had everything going for her. Unfortunately, what she had, Luna wanted. There was nothing wrong with what she wanted; Celestia had listened to her sister many a times as the two discussed herd marriages and how much they could gain from having a family together.

        Luna wanted a foal, but she wanted a foal only after marrying the stallion she intended to spend the rest of her life with. As much as Celestia was all for having her sister be a part of the herd she had started, there was just one major problem. An additional mare to any herd required all members of that herd to agree unanimously to include her. Luna knew her brother-in-law loved her, but he had peculiar ideas about marriage. It broke her heart when he had told her shortly after his marriage to Celestia he did not believe in polygamy.

        That had been ten years ago.

        Luna and her human friend had known each other longer than that. She was the first pony he had come in contact with when she spent many a night trying to understand this strange dreamer she was completely flummoxed with. For three years, the human had been a ‘guest’ of one Queen Chrysalis. To Luna’s horror, her excursions into the human’s dreams revealed the changeling queen was siphoning love from the man.

        Long story short, the alicorn personally freed the human from Chrysalis, leaving the changeling bitterly weeping in her throne room. The sapient biped was quite upset at Luna. It was not until later, when he learned Equestrian, she understood she had made a mistake. Chrysalis had been saved by the human (inadvertently) from another queen while she was trying to get back to her hive after the botched invasion. Chrysalis had no idea what to do with him other than put him in the nursery with her larvae. The details of their relationship was murky, but the human insisted Chrysalis had never done any harm to him.

        “Sister?” Celestia’s voice drifted over her wandering thoughts. “Lulu? Please. I need you. I know that look. Come. Be a part of this moment. You are part of the reason this was possible. I want my foal to know her aunt. Please. Come join us.”

        Luna looked at her, feeling ashamed. “Sister, I—”

        “Moonbutt, get over here and be a part of this family before I put you over my knee and spank you.” Whatever self pity the princess had vanished as she found herself glaring at the human. He was hugging his wife’s head and neck while giving his sister-in-law a broad grin.

        She gave him a hard look, then saw something she had forgotten was always there.

        He had always been her friend. It was the one thing he had counted on to help him through his own dark times. The months after he discovered there would be no way home for him, he had become a shell of his former self. Luna had been there. It was she who had pulled him from the brink, pushing him towards Celestia. She had disregarded her own wants and desires because she wanted him happy.

        She should have known then as she was reminded at this very moment. He had always loved her. He never knew how to express it and he never wanted to hurt Celestia. Celestia was aware of it and let it be for now.

        Luna shifted her eyes to her elder sister and found those ancient eyes speaking nothing but truth to her. The love was just as strong and unbreakable as it always had been. She wanted her sister to be a part of her husband’s life. She had made a promise to Luna. The look in those eyes said one thing:

        Be patient.

        So, Luna joined her sister and her husband. The doctor peeked down one more time. His nursing staff arrived, bringing everything necessary to birth a foal, which really wasn’t too much. There was a machine that went Ping! and another one that went Beep!.

        The man muttered something under his breath, which brought up a chiding summoning of his name from his wife. He rolled his eyes, ruffling her mane and kissing her above an eye as an apology. “I’m sorry,” he said after the kiss. “This whole father thing has me both terrified and excited. I’m wondering what our baby is going to look like.”

        Celestia giggled, then had another contraction. “What do you hope our child looks like?” she asked, genuinely curious. “You never seemed to care before.”

        “Oh, I don’t. I just hope the kid doesn’t look like me. I’m not exactly something ponies are used to seeing even after all these years. The tabloids are pretty nasty sometimes.” Gently he rocked the alicorn, his eyes going to her swollen belly. A pained whine inadvertently issued from her lips. He looked very much like a frightened expectant father for a moment.

        Luna was there. Whickering softly, she nuzzled both expecting parents. “Nothing ill will happen. You will both have a happy, healthy foal and I will love that foal just as equally as you two will. The nightmares will never come to pass. I swear upon my life.”

        Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Lulu. That means everything.”

        “We are sisters. It is only natural.”

        “Lulu?”

        “Yes, sister?”

        “I hope you have a foal of your own one day. I’ll do everything I can to see to it.”

        Celestia groaned her husband’s name. “I just want you to know I don’t think we’ll be doing anything extracurricular for a good long while after this,” she told him through grit teeth and another spasm of pain. “I want you to think about what you did to me. The hormones. The strange food cravings. The shrinking of my bladder. All. Your. Fault.”

        “Yes, dear.”

        Luna snorted and began to chortle. 

        Celestia began to push.

        The human held his breath and just rubbed her neck and chest with his hands with great worry written over his chest.

        “Keep pushing, your Majesty,” said the doctor. “You are crowning!” He peered intently at the focus of his work. “Oh, this one is in a hurry to see the world.” His nurses went about doing nursing things, mostly smiling and doing whatever the doctor told them. They were quiet and efficient.

        The alicorn pushed, making it look as though it was no effort at all. She simply seemed to exhale slowly, closing her eyes and concentrating. Opening her eyes, she locked them with her husband and offered a reassuring smile.

        “You’re doing great,” he said with a crack in his voice. The man swallowed hard and was beginning to sweat.

        Luna almost felt sorry for him.

        Almost.

        “Push, Celestia!” commanded her physician. “One more big one! The head is almost free!”

        With fiery determination she pushed as she let her voice be heard in the form of a battle cry. She lifted her hind leg as she pushed. There was a wet sound. A tiny voice let fly with its tiny lungs. It was the most precious sound the new parents had ever said.

        “It’s a filly, you Majesty,” announced the doctor happily. The nurses darted in with towels, cleaning the newborn. “Would the father like to cut the chord?”

        The father peered in the direction of the birthing and saw the mess. He went pale, rolled his eyes back up into his skull, and fainted.

        “Dear?” Celestia asked when she felt him go limp and slump over.

        “He fainted,” reported Luna with great amusement.

        “Funny,” noted the doctor. “He really didn’t see anything. Oh, dear. I guess I’ll have to cut the chord.”

        “Lulu, you do it. He won’t mind. I promise.”

        Luna hesitated, looking at the tired mother smiling proudly as she leaned back into her fainted husband’s stomach and lap. She was chuckling softly, glancing up at his face and shaking her head.

        She went around the bed and looked at the tiny bundle wrapped in the blankets. The filly did indeed look like her father. Wisps of pink hair adorned her scalp. Huge magenta eyes looked brightly up at the blue alicorn as she saw her niece for the first time. Taking her up gently with her magic, she laid the newborn upon her mother’s stomach near her teats.

        “Cut it with me,” she begged Celestia.

        Her sister smiled and nodded. “Together.”

        When it was done, the doctor herded his nurses and their machinery out of the room, leaving the family alone. The father came to and found a tiny little pinkish girl and not a foal suckling. “What?” he asked intelligently, losing track of his thinking. He regained it and finished with, “Happened?”

        “You became a father. I’m afraid she takes after you,” commented Luna with a giggle. She levitated a glass of water to him. “Drink. You fainted. Most unbecoming.”

        “Can I hold her?” he asked, taking the glass.

        A swaddled baby was gently pushed into his arms. After a moment of absorbing the moment, he looked at his wife with tears in his eyes. “You did good, ‘Tia. She looks just like you.”

        Celestia found all sorts of things wrong in that statement, but let it pass. “I want to name her Sunshine.”

        He choked back a sob and smiled hugely, looking from his wife to his new daughter. “You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my Sunshine away.” Tears fell unashamed. “I love it, ‘Tia.”

> A Slice of Life: Cake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia had to follow the trail meandering before her through the palace. The great alicorn moved at a quick walk, not quite a trot. Her golden shoes and crown were gone and her torc was nowhere to be found. Those things were uncomfortable to begin with. Ahead of her echoed the giggles of her intended prey who thought escape was a viable option. The alicorn sighed, looking down at the floor, the  visible trail her intended target had left behind.

    This happened almost every time. It was a game of sorts, one that often tested the patience of the alicorn, even more so than when dealing with the yak ambassador! The nannies had tried to warn Celestia.

    “I am not running after you, young lady!” she declared half singing, half announcing. The trail was quite obvious in telling her where her quarry was trying to go. Under her breath, she muttered, “This is your father’s fault.”

    Well, it was, she reasoned to herself as she rounded a corner. Stoic guards remained in place between the ornate pillars. The trail took a curious turn, straight towards the one on the right. The stallion had been hugged. The water stains on his coat and droplets on his polished armor attested to this. The assault had been devastating, for the bearing of the poor sot was one of indignant outrage, but not for the hug. His partner across the hall in the other nook was fighting the peals of laughter threatening to break his own professionalism. Celestia knew her guards by name, mostly. The mare bore her smile, one that both pitied and preserved personal dignity. She could not bear to let her guards see the state she truly felt: frustration. One quirked eyebrow tossed casually at them had a pair of hooves rise and point in the direction Celestia was already going.

    “Go sort yourself out, Private Bubbles,” she told the partially wet stallion. “Your shift is almost over anyway.” She pressed on, her mission taking on more urgency now.

    Celestia had given her nannies the night off, with the belief she needed to spend more time with Sunshine. Celestia had heard stories from the same army of nannies (spared no expense!) she had at her disposal, but she had never before seen for herself the absolute chore it was in preparing her daughter for bed.

    Sunshine was three and she already had the castle staff on their collective knees.

    Luna had proclaimed she had for herself seen the antics of her niece, even as Celestia was bogged down in her paperwork in her office. As of late, the work had piled up and the meticulous mind of the ancient mare absolutely refused to let her sparse off some of the work to other ponies. Certain things, she felt, needed her touch. As a result, Celestia had to admit ashamedly she simply had little time for her daughter.

    Friend tried to be understanding, but Celestia knew her husband was beginning to show fraying patience. His choice of words the past three weeks wormed in the way only guilt could. Celestia knew she should have been spending more time with her family, but there were so many negotiations to be done! Trade agreements! Re-examinations of peace treaties to conform with new laws! Queen Chrysalis was angling for negotiations towards peace from the undeclared war turned mutual cease fire. Changelings were showing up in droves in Equestrian cities in peaceful groups and accepting internment from the local authorities. It was a throbbing headache to go with the missives from their ruler expressing the desire to bury the hatchet and move towards peaceful coexistence. Matters were not helped with how smug the changeling queen’s letters were upon reading them. She always was asking how the family was doing.

    Celestia sighed. Chrysalis did a marvelous job in testing the alicorn’s patience. That bug horse needed to mind her own business!

    Soapy suds dotted the polished floor here and there, a trail that was more or less straight. There was less water on the floor. Sunshine was drying herself off by depositing her bathwater everywhere. It was an obvious trail. The maids were already showing up to clean up the sudsy mess. They were used to this.

    “Here she goes again,” one muttered to another. They had their backs to the princess.

    “Excuse me, my little ponies,” called out Celestia. “Did you see my daughter come through here?” Both maids jumped with a start, whirling around to face their ruler before dropping into low bows. “Please rise.”

    “Yes, princess,” said the second maid. She paused in her mopping and pointed further down the corridor. “I do believe she was heading in the direction of the kitchens.”

    “Oh dear,” Celestia muttered as she picked up her pace. “Thank you, ladies!” She moved past them, her gilded hooves clip-clopping with more urgency. Her eyes might have been a tad wider. Was she going to have to do this all over again? Her mane trailed in front of her. One of these days, it would trail behind her when she moved forward!

    One day!

    Her motherly instincts had her in full worry mode. She had thought everything was under control! Not five minutes ago, she had her daughter in the tub, filled with bubbles, a rubber ducky, a loofa, and a plastic Twilight doll (with a seapony tail!). At that point, Sunshine had been happily splashing in the water and Celestia bathed her, wondering why the nannies had such a difficult time with the girl. The fact she was in all appearances human like her father in spite of her pony heritage.

    A distraction pulled her attention from the tub, a noise just outside the room. Celestia never knew what it was, but when she returned to the bath, there was no more Sunshine. The echoes of a mischievous giggle was all that was left….that and a huge puddle of bubbles and water on the bathroom floor. The trail indicated Sunshine had gone rogue, straight out the bathroom, across her room, past the mounds of neatly stacked toys and stuffed animals, and straight into the hallways and beyond.

    And of course she would neglect covering herself! Modesty and a three year old child did not a combination make. Especially in a society where clothing was optional to begin with.

    Celestia could have teleported to her daughter, but another part of her wanted to understand what it was that drove Sunshine to these antics. She suspected it was a game to the little girl. Toddlers had to roam free, Friend had once told her. In his past life, he had gone through this, raising children. Two of them, sharing the duties of parenthood with a loving wife. He had a wonderful life, as much as he could have possibly hoped for.

    Coming to Equestria had devastated him. Then the changelings found him. Chrysalis could have killed him. Friend had once recalled he felt his life could have ended at any moment once the queen’s curiosity of him had waned and she had grown bored with him.

    Still, events and circumstances eventually led Friend to the alicorn’s doorstep. In a way, she was grateful to Chrysalis. Sunshine was an indirect result of Chrysalis’ actions. Celestia was not quite sure what to make of this particular thought.

    The marks on the floor had by now been reduced to a few drops here and there, as the child had deposited most of her bubbles upon the guard. Celestia figured she was less than a minute behind Sunshine, for she could still hear laughter up ahead of her. It was the laugh of a child who knew she was being chased and loved every minute of it. It was the attention she sought, and Celestia had given it to her, much to the alicorn’s chagrin.

    Somewhere within the ancient mare, a tiny filly cheered. Celestia tried hard to be sensible, to be the sort of mother she felt she excelled at as a teacher over her countless students she had loved as though they had been her own. Raising a precocious child like Sunshine reminded her there was a serious lack of experience when it came to foals under the age of six.

    When was the last time she had foaled and raised a little one? It had been centuries. The business of running the country had left the alicorn little time to devote herself to motherhood. Back then, the father was anonymous, some unknown stallion the alicorn had dallied with for a week while in disguise. The town he had hailed from no longer existed. Celestia had left, found herself pregnant not long after, and raised a filly.

    She missed her daughter. Her family line had grown from that little filly and eventually Sunset Shimmer met and became the student of her great-great-great-great…

    Celestia shook her head as she really did not enjoy dwelling on the number of ‘greats’ that came before the word grandmother. As she continued her pursuit of Sunshine, she wondered if it was time to call Sunset home, or if a trip should be arranged to go through the mirror and show Sunset how the family had grown. The unicorn really needed to come home. Living on the other side of the world in a self-imposed exile had to end. Celestia had forgiven her and wanted Sunset to return. Family was important, even if it was a long and distant one.

    The mare was always planning, discarding plans, reworking plans. It was a part of how she had become. Being the sole immortal pony to lead a growing nation of mortal ponies had a lot to do with how she thought and how she approached certain problems.

    Right now, her focus shifted, going back to the task at hoof. There was a wet child running through Canterlot, making for the kitchen. Normally, Celestia would have teleported to her daughter, but Sunshine surged often with her magic, making the air around her magically unstable. Incoming magic reacted oddly. Twilight had once teleported into Sunshine’s room to deliver a book with which to read the little one to sleep. A surge happened as Sunshine felt her purple pony pal popping in. As uncontrolled magic flared from the excited child, all Twilight’s fur fell off of her body seconds after appearing in the room. There were feathers everywhere and the horrified scream of the Princess of Friendship had shattered more than a few windows.

    Friend could not stop laughing, no matter who much he tried to apologize and help the traumatized young alicorn.

    “Oh, Sunshiiiiiine!” she sang, now greatly amused at the memory of her poor former student. She loved Twilight as a daughter and the alicorn was included in all family events, but a bit of a phobia developed on Sunshine. Twilight never teleported near the child again and was still to this day trying to delve into the workings of the child’s magic. Losing her fur and feathers had opened the doors to a study of new magic. It was possible the magic field around Sunshine was a form of defensive mechanism. Twilight even suggested trying low level offensive spells around Sunshine, but Celestia had put her hoof down with that.

    By now, the halls had narrowed as the princess went to the places where the ponies who worked in the castle hustled and bustled, doing the real work that kept the palace running. The little ponies who did the work of making Celestia’s home look as perfect and pristine as possible.

    Luna’s moon cast its light through the narrow windows as it peeked through the thin layers of clouds. Rain would be coming in the morning. Celestia’s sister was no doubt preparing for her evening of an hour of court followed by her patrolling of dreams. As the thought of her sister came to the front of her thoughts, she sent a mental embrace to the Princess of the Night. It was reciprocated.

    Sunshine get away from you? teased Luna mildly.

    Celestia rolled her eyes as she came to the threshold leading into the kitchen. Blow it out your ear, dear sister mine, she retorted pleasantly.

    Luna’s laughter echoed in her mind. Call if you require assistance, sister. Night court is boring this eve. I should like to see my niece before you put her to bed.

    I will let you know, Lulu. If I can get my hooves on my husband’s daughter.

    I thought she was your daughter, Tia.

    Are you looking to adopt?

    I will await until Friend is mine to ravish appropriately. Have you contacted Cadence on the matter? She has yet to respond to my missive.

    It has only been a week. She is a busy mare. The Crystal Ponies need a lot of work, patience, and love. And there is Flurry Heart, Celestia reminded her wryly.

    We should get them together again.

    Celestia snorted as she scanned the kitchen. It did not take long to see Sunshine had left her mark everywhere. Something tugged at her brain to look up and she did so. There was molasses on the ceiling, as well as flower, as well as other various ingredients for making dishes the alicorn could not quite make out. There was the sound of clashing pots and pans to her right, drawing an ear to swivel. Her head followed, bringing the other ear to bear. The alicorn realized her jaw had started to hang and she blinked.

    “Sunny?” she called out, her eyes scanning over the prep tables and countertops, formerly clean and shining. Another magic surge had happened due to the girl’s excitement and the kitchen had exploded in the child’s excitement.

    Celestia adjusted her wings, ruffled her feathers. Her tail flicked as she knew her little bundle of joy had turned the kitchen into a scene of utter chaos. The kitchen staff would have a collective heart attack and her head chef would no doubt spontaneously combust. Hop Chop was prone to fits of righteous rage when it came to a dirty kitchen. The unicorn was renowned for his temper, which was almost as legendary as his cooking. He made a magnificent Prench onion soup and it had become a favorite of Celestia’s husband.

    Another giggle. “Mommy?”

    Slowly, Celestia worked her way around the tables, stepping through piles of flour spilled from broken bags. Containers of spices had exploded and there was a dusty haze here and there from where Sunshine’s magic had imploded anything that could contain something. Celestia’s brow creased in worry as she picked up her pace. There were shards of glass everywhere. Her horn flared and the shards rose from where they had fallen. Another surge of magic and a moment of concentration mated pieces up with each other, sealing breaks, and making what was once broken whole again. The alicorn’s magic sought out more broken glass as she poured more magic from her horn, encompassing the room. She also had to suppress her daughter’s magic by establishing a field around the child. It was an invisible bubble, and to this point the only one that could contain Sunshine’s uncontrollable magic.

    There was a connection between mother and daughter that allowed Celestia to handle Sunshine. Friend could also pick up his daughter and play with her with absolutely no ill effects. It was suspected but not yet confirmed the presence of either parent naturally rebuffed the chaos that was the child’s magic.

Luna to some extent enjoyed the same ability to keep Sunshine’s magical surges to a relative minor annoyance. Of course, one of the first displays of what was the child’s potential was revealed when Luna had raised the moon with her niece watching. Sunshine had been perched on her aunt’s back, watched the moon rise, and became excited. She surged, reached tiny hands towards the celestial object, and to Luna’s shock and surprise, grasped the moon with her magic. For the next five minutes, she joyfully bobbed the moon up and down in the sky near the horizon, sending a fit of panic across the world. Luna was able to wrest control back after picking her jaw up off the floor and finally getting over her laughter from the whole incident.

    Celestia had not been amused.

    Like Twilight, young Sunshine was exceptionally gifted with magic. Both were similar in raw potential. Celestia expected great things from her daughter. First, the kitchen had to survive, along with the rest of Canterlot the surges of a most unusual and special child.

    “Sunshine?” Celestia eased the repaired glass containers upon the countertop. The mare craned her neck around a corner, noting the mess had grown exponentially. Having just been bathed and cleaned, she was not at all surprised she came to view the fruit of her womb sitting in the middle of a once cake on the floor. Sunshine’s face was already smeared with frosting and crumbs, her cheeks bulging with cake.

    Celestia mourned the cake that was no more. It had ceased to be. It was a once cake. Her heart broke a little as she realized it was a marble cake. Her thoughts shifted to a mild case of horror as she realized there was caffeine in the cake. She was also saddened to discover she was denied the first slice, the first taste. Celestia had an unspoken love affair with cake. It had been her coping mechanism shortly after her sister’s banishment. It had grown and become a regular part of her habits. Indulging in cake was a joy unto itself. Sunshine had denied her dibs. Sunshine had denied her mother cake through the act of sitting in it, fresh from a bath, having hugged a guard, exploding the kitchen, and promptly sitting in the heart of a cake that no doubt would have been delicious and decadent.

    “Cake?” Sunshine offered without shame, holding up mushed cake in her hands as an offering to her near teary eyed mother. Sunshine knew better than to throw food. “Love you, mommy!”

    Celestia, the most patient mother in all the world, gazed down upon her daughter, then at the peace offering. She sighed, closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. When she opened her eyes, she smiled, chuckling to herself.

    “I love you too. You are so much my daughter.”

    Of course, there was going to be another bath....

    

    

    

    

    



> A Slice of Life: Good Evening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna was nervous. This was almost as bad— no it was worse than her first trip to Ponyville after the end of her banishment. The mare had done everything to make sure everything was perfect, consulting with her dearly beloved sister. There had been a great deal of painstaking attention to detail. Everything had been taken into account. All the years of work she had put in had led up to this moment.

        Celestia had helped. Even now, the white alicorn was in the back of the room, watching her sister pace back and forth on tippy hooves. No matter how much she reassured Luna everything was going to be all right, the smaller alicorn was a ball of nerves. The mother of Sunshine had worked just as hard as her little sister with guiding her husband to this point. The Alicorn of the Sun had done her part. Now it was up to the Alicorn of the Moon to do hers.

Seven years of chasing was more than long enough. From the moment Celestia had announced she was pregnant with her daughter, Luna wanted to join their herd. There was one glaring problem, though. Celestia’s husband was born from a culture of monogamous marriage. Polygamy was more or less frowned upon, even against the law. Such a cultural taboo was unheard of in modern equine society, but Luna had to admit limitations on marriage was part of the problem as documented by the Tribal Wars long before the founding of Equestria.

Herd marriages were still unusual, but accepted during these modern times. Luna remembered how the implementation had helped to bring Equestria about in the aftermath of the Unification.

Two thousand years was a long time to reflect back on pony society, especially when one had a sister who had witnessed every day since.

Luna overlooked her work: A small table. A single candlestick with a fresh candle in the center of it. Settings for two. Utensils in their proper places. Napkins folded into neat triangles. She had the royal chef cook up something special; grilled sea bass with brown rice and steamed vegetables. An aged bottle of Chardonnay chilled in an ice bucket set on a tray. A pair crystalline wine glasses were set nearby.

A small voice piped up, full of encouragement. “Auntie Luna, you’re so pretty tonight!” Sunshine was dressed in pink and white pajamas, ready for bed. She sat just behind Celestia’s withers, her legs bouncing up and down excitedly on her mother’s shoulders. The little girl was trying to fight the sleep monster stalking her. It was clearly a losing battle.

Luna looked down at herself. She had forgone her usual torque and crown. The alicorn chose a simple light blue dress hemmed with silver. It hugged her form, though she worried if it left too little to the imagination. A silver circlet adorned her head, simple and elegant. He was not a fan of heavy makeup. Simple tastes with a complex personality.

For seven years she had pined after the human. Despite his strange name, it rolled off her tongue as naturally as the sweet off a caramel. Celestia had courted him for five years before that. A decade before the romantic whirlwind which had divided the nobility as neat as you please, he had spent his time adjusting to this world, trying to fit in.

His old world could never be reclaimed. A stint through the mirror in the Crystal Empire had been a journey in heartbreak and disappointment.

Luna had been his friend since his first contact with equines. It had been a casual friendship and the two had learned of modern Equestria together. She had loved him then, but never realized it until her sister unwittingly fell in love with him and he in turn with her. The guilt haunted her eyes for not realizing she, too had fallen in love for the strange creature from a parallel world. For a while, the strain had threatened to tear her apart from her sister, as well as the human she held near and dear to her heart.

Love could be a terrible monster.

“Do you think so?” she asked her niece with a gentle smile. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she thought of what she must look like. She had primped and preened herself for an hour after putting on the dress, utilizing several of her sister’s ladies-in-waiting when they were offered. The tittering girls did their best and Luna was grateful her sister had done everything she could to help (within reason, of course).

“You look as beautiful as your night skies,” Celestia told her. She flared her wings partially, casting her magenta eyes over the room. “You have worked too hard for this. I only wish it could have come sooner.” The white alicorn strode forward, her daughter astride her back. Sunshine had her father’s humanoid form and could even pass for a human herself, if not for startling eyes exactly like her mother’s and natural pink hair.

Luna nearly broke into tears. “Thank you, ‘Tia, Sunshine. You both have been wonderful.” She focused on her niece. “And you, young one, have been a great help to me.” She nuzzled first Celestia, then her beloved niece, grateful to have such family to support her. “Sister, if you are certain…”

Celestia laughed. “I fully support and endorse your pursuit! I want you happy, Lulu. I want him happy. I want all of us happy. I think everyone has suffered enough. All this bluster and talk of taboos has worn thin. It is time to move on and embrace the things which could not be said or done publicly.” She returned the nuzzle affectionately. “I don’t want my daughter to cry because she thinks her aunt is always sad and mopey.”

“I have always thought my petty jealousies have held me back,” admitted Luna. “It has been so difficult learning new ways. Equestria has changed so much. The culture I once knew has been gone for so long, I felt for the longest time a stranger within my own borders. The Equestria that once was long ago slid into the mists of time. This new Equestria had frightened me… I have you to thank for being there for me.”

Her sister shook her head. “Luna. I love you. You had someone to share the same growing pains as you in the one we both have come to love and cherish. He has been as much your guide as I, at times better, I think.”

Luna smiled and went in for one more soft nuzzle. She leveled her gaze at Sunshine and saw sleepy eyes smiling back at her. “I think it is time for the other sun in your life to set and get her rest,” she noted quietly to Celestia.

“I’m not sleepy!” grumped the girl sleepily.

“I’ll visit you in your dreams,” promised Luna.

“M’kay,” sighed the little girl with smile. “Love you, Aunt Luna.” She managed to grasp the princess by the end of her muzzle with both her tiny hands and pulled the compliant alicorn in for a goodnight kiss.

“Good night, my little sunshine,” Luna whispered. She pulled back and felt Celestia’s hug. Instinctively she leaned into it and hummed happily. “Good night, ‘Tia.”

“Have fun, Lulu.” Celestia had a twinkle of mischief in her eye. “I’ll mind the moon in the morning, so you don’t have to worry about your duty in the morning. I imagine you’ll be quite exhausted.”

Luna gaped at her sister in shock. “Celestia! Young ears present!” 

Celestia noted her daughter was already fast asleep after a casual glance over her shoulder. “Oh, I said nothing scandalous. Now, you go and do something scandalous tonight!” She leaned in. “Don’t make me watch. You won’t like it if I have to watch and make sure you get him to say yes. Or make you pop the question. You have my permission! You have my blessing! Stop being a silly filly and just do hi-, er, it!”

Luna squeaked, her ears having laid flat against her skull.

The elder alicorn trotted off, chuckling as she disappeared from the room.

Luna then heard the voice of the human she had spent seemingly a lifetime pining for. He was greeting his wife, his voice a quiet murmur as he was mindful of his sleeping daughter. She spoke his name with all of her love and affection. Celestia wished him luck and giggled in the awkward silence following. Luna’s heart pounded in her chest, her wings going into a kerfluffle as if to make her inner conflict come out into the open. Quickly, she forced them down by shaking them out, straightening her dress and smoothing out imagined wrinkles. The room felt suddenly stuffy and warm!

Her horn lit up and the windows opened, letting in the nighttime breeze. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled as her ears perked towards the sound of padded feet stepping across the marbled floor. It could be very hard to make out his footsteps, as he was wont to wear footwear during warm weather months.

He was easily taller than Celestia, who in turn was a head taller than Luna. His rugged face was smooth; his aftershave was not overbearing. He had opted for a formal suit and tie, now a rage with business ponies. It was a dark blue, his tie red. The dress shirt was white and made of silk, like his tie. The apprehensive smile on his face told Luna he was just as nervous as she was about this dinner. He knew this was important to her, as Celestia had been dropping hints to him for the past month her sister was planning something big. His eyes were wide and exploring, his shoulders rolling as he set himself determinedly for whatever the night had for him. He saw her and stopped dead in his tracks.

The courtship had made Luna felt like a filly. The chase had been wonderful. Her sister had been wonderful. Her niece had been adorably supportive. He… he had nearly blown it several times, but each time recovered just as Luna had herself stumbled along the journey.

Both learned a great deal about each other in the years before the courtship. As he stood there, staring in slack-jawed awe at her, Luna understood everything had changed when their friendship had finally blossomed into a love Celestia enjoyed with him. Even more wonderfully was how the Princess of the Sun had gently (and quite firmly at times) pushed them together as if their relationship was a personal war she was determined to win.

“Oh, my God, Luna, you’re beautiful,” he said when he finally found his voice.

She caught her breath before smiling. “And you are as handsome as the day I met you. Please, come in. Have a seat. I have prepared a meal for us.” Approaching him, her neck stretched out and up as she nuzzled him affectionately. In response, he cupped her head in his hands, his fingers tracing gently along her jawline, bent down, and kissed her.

“This still feels weird,” he admitted when he pulled back.

“In a good way?” she asked.

“In a good way.” He released her from his loving grasp and allowed a wing to guide him to the table and his seat.

Slowly and deliberately, she moved towards the wine once her human was seated. Wordlessly the wine was poured, her horn aglow as her magic softly filled the air. The glasses moved effortlessly at her will, the bottle of Chardonnay responding to her command. Luna offered her love the first glass. He took it, considered it for a moment and waited until she had hers. Then, he leaned forward, having studied pony customs. This was an old one, which Luna had thought the nobility had let fall to the wayside like a forgotten fashion.

As he had no magic he wished to use, he instead offered his wineglass to her, his fingers grasping the crystal firmly while she offered him her own glass. Their eyes never left each other as the wine was tipped and lips tasted a fine vintage. After a moment, the glasses were set aside and the two closed for another kiss. It was a gentle, lingering kiss, as though the touch alone was enough for now. When they parted, they found they had both been holding their breaths.

The human smiled, his heart in his eyes. Luna imitated him and let out a small laugh.

“Sunshine set the table, in case you were wondering,” she said conversationally, indicating the table setting with a hoof. Her human chuckled warmly. Luna queried, “Are you hungry?” 

“What did you make? Celestia said you had something special.” 

“Sea bass!” she replied, hiding the nerves of her culinary expertise at bay. A hum escaped from her throat as she wondered if he would even like her cooking. The finest chefs in Canterlot had toiled for three months in teaching Princess Luna how to cook without burning water. It had been a war of attrition. Her horn flared and the plates appeared, the fish and side dishes arranged neatly. Hot steam rose. There was plenty to eat.

“Wow,” he said, eyeing dinner. “I didn’t know you could cook.” The mare moved, looking over her shoulder as she worriedly wondered what he would think of her presentation. “It smells great!”

“A romantically inclined and determined mare would be inclined to show her prospective stallion she can prepare a meal to his liking as proof of her dedication to his happiness,” she whispered into his ear. Her warm breath tickled. Luna felt him shiver. She smiled and withdrew, making her way deliberately towards her own seat, not needing to look to know the man’s eyes were fixated upon her. 

Luna seated herself, suddenly apprehensive. “Try it. I am anxious to see if you like it. Please.” It did smell appetizing.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man took up his fork and knife, gave her an assured smile, and dug in. The alicorn held her breath pensively as the first bite was cut and lifted to his mouth. As he chewed, her worry grew.

He swallowed, took a sip of wine, and said honestly, “It’s very good, Luna!” He filled his fork and scooted around the small table. The offering was made and the princess gladly took a bite of her own cooking. She was glad she had tasted her food during the cooking process. It was so much better when her stallion fed it to her! They held each other with their eyes, the merriment of the moment making them laugh. Then, he brought his plate around, pulling his chair next to hers and proceeded feed her.

Luna took the hint and took turns feeding him from her plate. After a moment of relishing the tenderness of the moment, both alicorn and human could not help but begin laughing for no apparent reason. They found they were eating at a slower and slower pace, giving each other shy pecking kisses at first between bites. The kisses became a bit more impassioned with each passing moment. Dinner was forgotten before they could get halfway through their meal.

“I love you,” she whispered. In the seven years she had uttered those three words to him, it never felt more important for her than tonight to do so.

“I’ve always loved you,” he replied, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Every bit as much as I love Celestia. You are just as important to me as she is.”

“It pleases me to hear you say that,” she said huskily. Luna pressed herself into his side, a wing drawing out and encircling him possessively. “I only regret I never acted sooner on my feelings. I was too afraid of our differences.”

“That makes two of us.” The man wrapped both arms around the mare.

The two kissed deeply, and Luna wept openly. When they parted, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

The Princess of the Night shook her head and smiled, full of nothing but love for her human. “Nothing. I... I want to give you what my sister has already given you. Tonight. Let me do for you what I have only dreamed of the past seven years.”

“Luna,” he began, only to be silenced by yet another kiss.

The night blue alicorn broke the kiss and nuzzled into his ear. “Please, beloved. No more words. Let our passion speak for us the rest of the night. Let us worship each other beneath the silver light of my moon. Dance with this mare, my love. Make her feel as though the world moves only for her. Love me. Love me for all that you are worth. Love me as I have always loved you. Marry me. Be my husband. Let me into your herd. Show me I belong.”

“Luna, I love you. I was a fool then. I won’t be a fool now. Be my wife. Join Celestia and Sunshine in making our family whole. Join my herd and make us complete. You have always belonged. I was simply too much the idiot to see it.”

Luna tapped her chin with a hoof. She regarded him thoughtfully.

“What?” he asked, confused.

The princess made a show of mulling it over. Finally, she answered, “I’ll think about it.”

He stared at her dumbfounded. She gave him a calm deadpan in return, managing to hold it for a few seconds before bursting out with laughter. Aggressively, she darted in, kissing him soundly while her horn lit up. Instantly, they teleported, taking the wine and the glasses with her. The destination?

Luna’s private chambers.

> A Slice of Life: Good Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He awoke in the aftermath of the rising sun, its rays playfully tugging at the sleep in his eyes until they fluttered open. Groaning, the former sleeper rubbed his eyes and blinked behind the shade provided by the palms of his hands. Blearily the just awakened creature yawned and gave his head a slight shake as if sleep was still clinging to his head and stubbornly would not let go. With his right hand, he felt at the empty spot next to him, patting futilely at the sheets and pillows, their occupant having long since risen before the crack of dawn.

        Slowly, almost in a fashion of slow torture, he swung his legs out from under the covers and draped them over the side of the bed. They slid down until his feet touched the carpeted floor. The thick therapeutic sensation of the soft fabric against the soles of his feet was nothing compared to the perfect comfort he was threatening to leave. His toes flexed, clawing bluntly at the carpet before relaxing. The rising beast leaned forward, his fingers and palms gripping at the edge of his bed as he groaned again.

Next to the bed was a nightstand. Upon the nightstand was a folded pair of glasses by the silent alarm clock. It was a memory of a time when he actually used them, before the wonders of magic had corrected his vision to near perfection. The alarm clock had been deliberately turned off. He knew who the culprit was.

        His bladder informed him of a swelling urgency. With a grunt and a push of his arms, he was upright, taking a moment to find his legs while he rubbed his eyes again. A tremendous yawn was accompanied by a stretch and the popping of the spine. Slowly he plodded towards the bathroom, heeding a call of nature that simply could not be ignored.

The human was taller than his wife, though her horn tip rose an inch or two above his noggin. He considered himself to be of average build, perhaps a little soft from living a comfortable life. Green-blue eyes blinked as he yawned again.

        A shower followed, then shaving. In fifteen minutes, the man felt human again. The steamed-up mirror reflected the face of early middle age, complete with streaks of gray in his short red hair. Though he would have liked to have grown some facial hair on his chin, he knew his wife would frown upon it. She liked him clean shaven, though on weekends he was allowed to forgo shaving.

        Unfortunately, it was only Tuesday.

        Back to the bedroom the man went, busying himself with dressing. Opting for semi-formal attire, he went with khakis and a white button down short-sleeved shirt with his initials over lone pocket over his left breast. He kept his feet bare. It was summertime, so his feet really did not need to be covered. The ponies never seemed to mind it, though his toes often did draw stares.

        The door creaked. It was a tall door, something the match the grandeur of the room. The alabaster wood was hewn from the forgotten and long passed nation, his wife had once told him. From the crack in the door was a small pair of hands holding it apart, yet not daring to allow the door to swing wider. Above those perfect little fingers were a pair of large magenta eyes brighter than the little expectant smile dancing with joy when she spied him. Her skin reminded him of her mother's, her devious little grin very much his. At six years old, the child was a delight to the man and brought joy and happiness it seemed wherever she went.

        “Daddy!” The door flung open and a little girl rushed towards him, her arms wide and her pinkish red hair flying carelessly behind her. He saw her coming and broke into a grin, bending his waist and knees. With one deft movement, the child was swept up and she began to cover her father with kisses with her little pink bow-shaped mouth.

        “Good morning, Sunshine,” he greeted her, weathering the storm of affection with the stoic face of an admiral riding his fleet through a typhoon and enjoying every minute of it. “Did you sleep well?”

        She nodded as he shifted her to his left arm, easily hefting her tiny frame. With his right hand, he brushed strands of his daughter’s hair from her face. At the touch of his fingers, they shimmered like refracted light, imitating her mother’s magnificent mane. “Uh-huh!” Sunshine nodded again, wrapping her arms around her father’s neck. “I had a good dream.”

        “Oh?” Daddy booped Daughter on the button at the end of her nose. “What kind of dream?” Out the bedroom he carried her and down the hall, in the direction of the dining room. “Was I in it?”

        “Yes!” she said happily. Sunshine buried her head into Daddy’s neck and shoulder. “Auntie was there. She said I’m getting lots better at walking.”

        “So, she’s teaching you already? You must be a very smart girl if your aunt is willing to show you important things like that. What else did she teach you?” They rounded the corner, passing by a maid dusting a large and very old vase. The man waved at her and smiled in greeting. Sunshine was more vocal about it. The mare smiled back and bowed slightly, tittering behind a hoof before going back to her duties.

        Sunshine was full of sunshine. “She taught me the names of her stars! Polaris is my favorite! She says it was Mommy’s star when she was little.”

        “Should I be jealous of Polaris?” asked Daddy, feigning shock and surprise. “Is he going to take my two most favorite girls from me?”

        The girl laughed. “No, Daddy! That’s silly! Polaris is a girl!”

        “I will protect my girls!” he declared manfully, puffing out his chest. It made his daughter laugh more, giggling as she hugged him. Sunshine loved giving hugs. She was a very affectionate little girl. “What was I doing in the dream?”

        “You were singing with Mommy! You were hugging each other and laughing. You danced! I didn’t think you were a good dancer. Mommy loved dancing with you and then she grabbed me and we were all dancing together! Auntie watched and played the music we danced to. She was very happy for all of us. She told me she would dance with us soon!”

        Father quirked an eyebrow at Daughter. “Oh? She did, did she?” He was blushing slightly. “How much of it did you understand?”

        A quizzical and adorable look adorned the girl’s face. “Um,” she said, scrunching her brows thoughtfully, “I might get a little brother or sister that I can play with?” Sunshine was not very sure as she blinked at her daddy. "Auntie said everything was going to be wonderful."

“Oh, really?” A worried frog chirped from his throat. “Would you like to have a little brother or sister to play with?”

If possible, she beamed brighter. “Daddy, I would love to have a brother or a sister!”

They arrived at the dining room. It was not the formal one they used to entertain important visitors, but the one set aside for family meals. Two mares, one as white as snow and the other the color of a moonlit night, were already at the table, chatting with each other and giggling as mares were oft doing. The alicorns looked up when they heard father and daughter enter.

“Mommy! I got Daddy, just like you asked!” Sunshine called out. Daddy put her down and she ran around the table, throwing her arms around the graceful neck of her mother.

“Well so you have!” she proclaimed with a laugh, wrapping a wing around the girl.

“I can’t deny my favorite girls.”

The man heard his name as Luna greeted him warmly. “Sit and eat. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

“Yes, dear,” came the glum reply. It was difficult to believe since the man was shuffling his feet and grinning slyly. He bent over and whispered into the princess’s ear, “What have you been telling my daughter in her dreams?” he asked before taking a light nibble at her ear. 

The princess puffed her feathers at the contact. “Why, the truth,” said the mare, grinning at her sister. “Celestia has been hounding at me for years to give in and marry you. You know I have only not interfered with your marriage because of that taboo of yours.” She in turn kissed the human lightly on the lips and hummed happily as she nuzzled his cheek.

The father and husband straightened himself up, giving a leering look at the larger princess. “It took fifteen years of her giving me those doleful eyes and quivering bottom lip before I caved.” He swept an arm grandly...almost accusingly at the white alicorn.

Celestia flicked her tail in mock indignation. “A wife must make sure her husband is happy,” she reminded him, lifting her nose to the air and sniffing. The human moved quickly, a hand trailing affectionately from Luna before the other reached out and trailed into Celestia's mane. She gave a happy sigh as his fingers worked their magic. There was a twinkle in her eye as he cozied up to her. The other arm casually draped itself over her withers and pulled her close. “Besides, it is not uncommon for a herd to consist of sisters and their stallion.”

"I'm a lucky guy, Celestia. I don't know what my life would be like without you, Sunshine, and Luna."

"Oh, I would imagine you would have sought out that horrid changeling queen..." Luna shivered.

"Chrysalis isn't that bad." Luna huffed her disagreement.

"Never mind that," she said, wanting to drop the subject. "Eat."

A chaste kiss to Celestia and a ruffling of Sunshine’s hair later, the human was at his seat and applying pepper to his scrambled eggs. There was the sounds of a happy family digging in to their food. It did not last long before the man cleared his throat and gave Luna a wry smile. "She still gets under your skin after all these years?"

The blue alicorn gave him a flat stare as she sipped her orange juice. She petulantly stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry.

“So,” he began as he sipped his coffee. “About that dance, Luna. Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us that you’ve already shared with Sunshine?” The devilish grin on his face only widened when Luna blushed furiously.

Celestia quirked an eyebrow as she sipped her own cup of coffee. “Oh?” she prompted.

“Ah, well,” Luna fidgeted, staring at her half empty plate. “You know how my sister put me up to proposing to you, yes? After courting you for the past seven years? Because she said you were worth it and more? After everything she—” The princess was mindful of Sunshine. "—told me in detail of your most attentive ministrations?"

“I don’t know about that,” murmured the man to himself, flushing as his smile faded.  He blinked, a speculative look drifting over him as he stared up at the chandelier hanging over the table. “Half the nobility could tell you exactly what they think I’m worth and it’s not exactly rating above a cesspool.”

“The other half thinks highly of you," reminded Celestia pointedly as she rolled her eyes. “Lulu, never you mind him. Go on, please.”

“Thank you, sister, I believe I will.” The Princess of the Night cleared her throat and regathered her thoughts. The man's self depreciation had thrown her off. “The night I proposed to you, you said yes and what we did afterwards. Do you remember that?”

Coughing uncomfortably, the human found himself slumping his shoulders as a moment of guilt overcame him. Guilt mixed with a happiness he was not sure he should be feeling. “I do,” he admitted, not breaking eye contact with the indigo mare. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Mindful of Sunshine, Luna turned to Celestia to support. Her sister smiled and gave her an encouraging nod, flinging out a wing to offer a gentle push towards the human. There was love here. Love between family.

“You’re pregnant?” squealed Sunshine, her eyes having gone round. She was a very perceptive little girl.

The adults stared at her. Then at each other. Luna was sheepish. The man was in a state of shock. Celestia was beaming her happiness.

“Yes. Yes I am,” admitted Luna demurely.

"Lulu! I'm so happy for you!" Celestia's joy washed over everyone as she immediately went over and nuzzled her sister.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the suddenly expectant father fell out of his seat with a thud.

“Daddy!”

“Oh, he’s fine, dear. He did that when he found out I was going to have you.”

“Did he have the same smile on his face?”

“Yes, I believe he did. Now finish your breakfast. We have an announcement to make. The nobles are going to have kittens.”

“I like kittens!”

“So do I, my little sunshine. So do I. Luna?”

“Yes, sister?”

“You might want to move up the wedding day to before you have the foal. Appearances, of course.” Both mares wore evil grins. There were noble stallions out there who were going to be gnashing their teeth and tearing at their manes.

“Of course! A most reasonable suggestion. I’ll let Pinkie Pie know.”