> The Journal of Modern Equestrian History
>  by MelancholicMisanthrope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Brief History of Homosexuality in Pre-Modern Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The royal sisters were on their way to breakfast when Luna spotted them. Two mares, each wearing a coloured sash to designate which department of the castle they worked it (Luna was still working to remember which one meant what), walking closely together so that their tails brushed against each others.

She couldn't help but overhear their conversation;

"And remember, today it's your turn to pick up your daughter from day care."

"Ah, so when she's likely to be exhausted and crabby, she's my daughter? But when it's playtime, she's your daughter?"

"Yup. Don't blame me, it's just the rules, I don't make them."

Luna blinked several times, trying to process all this. But she still couldn't quite believe it, and so she turned to her sister. "Celestia. Explain. Now."

In the middle of talking with her aide, Celestia looked over to her sister, puzzled. She followed her line of sight to the couple, but it still took her several seconds to figure out what was going on. When she figured it out, a warm smile slowly replaced her previous expression. Celestia turned back to her assistant. "Raven, please reschedule all our morning appointments. Also, please ask the chef to prepare the.... hmmm... the Thursday teatime spread, in the Sunset sitting room."

Her aide only briefly hesitated, before dipping her head in a nod. "Right away, m'am." Scribbling furiously on her clipboard, she trotted off.

"Tia," Luna started, watching mournfully as the couple continued down the corridor and disappeared from view. "What...?"

Gently steering her sister in a different direction, Celestia took her on a long and winding route through the castle. All the while, she kept up an inane stream of commentary about the architectural details of each room, completely overriding Luna whenever she tried to interrupt.

Twenty or so odd minutes later, they arrived at the Sunset room, so named for the stained glass domed ceiling which gave the illusion of a setting sun. Set out on the low table was a dizzying array of pastries, still warm from the oven, along with a tea tray and a coffee set.

Falling silent, Celestia pushed Luna until her sister was sitting on one of the over-sized pillows. With that accomplished, Celestia took a seat across from her. She made up a cup of tea, and selected some treats to put onto her plate.

Luna didn't partake in any of the refreshments, glaring at her sister with laser focus. "Celestia," She said, once more through gritted teeth. "Please, explain to me what I just saw." Behind the anger was a plea, tinged with confusion and tentative hope.

Reading all this in her sister's voice, Celestia let out a soft sigh, finally nodding. "It's a bit of a story, but I promise, I'll explain it all." She quirked an eyebrow, signalling to Luna that she should get comfortable. Rolling her eyes, Luna settled herself back, and then gestured for her to continue.

Celestia took another sip of tea, before setting the cup down. "As you know, after your... exile, I left our castle in Everfree behind. I eventually came to this area, and the locals helped me build a castle. A town sprung up around it, and that was the beginning of Canterlot.

"A few centuries later, ponies had separated themselves into classes. Nobles, minor nobles, merchants, craftsponies, farmers, and so on. One day, I was approached by two mares, each from a minor noble family. They had an unusual request for me.

"They were in love, and wished to be married. While their parents tolerated their relationship as an affair, it was expected that the mares would separate and each marry a stallion, so as to further the reputations of their families.

"They hoped that by appealing to me, I could override their parents' wishes and legitimize their marriage." Celestia took a deep breath in, and then released it. She had managed not to stumble while mentioning their old castle, but this part was even more difficult to relay. Still, she owed her sister the truth. 

"I was puzzled by their request. Their parents' arrangement was perfectly reasonable, after all. But... Then I took another look at them. And in them, I could see you, and one of your beloved shield maidens. I realized that if you had come to me with that request, I would've agreed without any hesitation.

"And so, I granted their request. I went one step farther, and officiated their marriage. The mares were right; their parents could order them around, but they wouldn't dare to challenge my authority. Not at the time, anyway.

"Of course, the conservative element kicked up a fuss. They later tried to argue that since marriage had always been between a mare and a stallion, it couldn't be between two mares. Unfortunately for them, the law regarding marriage at the time made no mention of sex, and so their case was thrown out.

"Besides my participation in the ceremony, I granted that first couple another gift." For the first time during the telling of this story, Celestia looked sheepish.

Luna eyed her, warily. "Sister... What did you do?" Her tone needled at Celestia, the way that only siblings can bother one another with innocuous words.

Sitting up slightly straighter, Celestia tried not to sound too defensive. "It would've happened sooner or later! ...I just gave it a little nudge, to help. You see, sometime after the ceremony, one of the mares found out that she was pregnant. She hadn't lain with anyone besides her wife in some time, a fact which thankfully her wife accepted. For months, rumors hounded the poor couple, until the foal was born. The child was undeniably a mix of her two mothers' colouring, and so ponies were left trying to figure out how two mares had produced a child."

"You-you-you--" Sputtering, Luna tried to wrap her mind around this reveal. "You created a new universal concept? You meddled with the laws of reality, to allow for homosexual reproduction?"

"It wasn't reality warping! Not... exactly, anyway." Celestia protested. "You know the laws of this world's magic, how it's fueled by emotions. I helped allow the potential for it to happen, but it was the love between the couple which created the child. Though... this did have an unintended side effect..."

Feeling a headache coming on, Luna made herself a cup of coffee. Sipping at it sullenly, she fixed her sister with a disapproving glare. "Do go on, sister."

She took a moment to fortify herself with some tiny cakes, and a bit more tea, before Celestia was able to relay the next statement. "As of this year, the population of Equestria is such that for every six mares born, one stallion is born. The concept wishes to ensure its continued existence, and so it tips the odds in its favour."

"...What." Luna set her cup down, not wishing to drop it or spit-take. 

"School foals are raised to keep their hearts open to finding a very special somepony -- a gender neutral term, as whether they end up with the own sex or the opposite is seen as irrelevant. Technically, most of the population of Equestria is bisexual, but functionally, most mares end up with other mares. Of course, there's some mares who are only interested in stallions, and there are stallions who aren't interested in mares." Celestia shrugged. "But two mares are the most common couple to see."

Silence fell, except for the sound of Luna's ragged uneven breathing. She gaped at her sister, eyes wide and shiny with tears. Suddenly, she leaped, clearing the table and wrapping Celestia in a hug. Her words failed, and all Luna could do was cling to her older sister.

Celestia nuzzled Luna, smiling down at her tenderly. It flickered and morphed into seriousness. "Luna... I'm so sorry. My actions were long overdue. Because... When those mares approached me, and I realized I saw you in them... I was ashamed of myself. I was ashamed that I let my views become warped by the ponies around us. We're supposed to know better, but I never questioned what they told us. I never thought what it was like for you to be told that your relationships were meaningless, that your feelings weren't real because you loved other mares. And I hoped... That if I helped changed things, helped prevent any foal from feeling that pain, that I would redeem myself."

"Thank you," Luna breathed into her sister's coat, tears streaking down her cheeks. Celestia tucked her sister closer, letting out a shuddering sigh and shedding a few tears of her own.

The moment was interrupted some minutes later by a knock at the door. "Your Highnesses?" The sisters drew apart, wiping away tears, each resuming a proper sitting position, before Celestia called that the aide was allowed to enter.

"I'm terribly sorry for interrupting, m'am," With her typical stoic expression, it was difficult to tell if Raven was speaking truthfully. "But I'm afraid there's some matters that require your attention. Additionally, one of the royal tutors is demanding to know where his student is."

The princesses exchanged rueful smiles before both rose. "I'm going to need more coffee if I'm going to get through another one of his lessons," Luna groused, grabbing her coffee with her magic and holding it possessively close.

"Of course, I'll be sure to send more to the library." Celestia allowed herself a quiet sigh, before she set her shoulders back and mentally tucked away everything that had just happened. "I'll see you at lunch?" She said to Luna, who nodded, before disappearing in a flash of teleportation.

Asking her aide to catch her up, Celestia left the room, shutting the door behind her.