Denouement
One minute, Shining Armor was taking a bath. The next, Pinkie Pie was sitting across from him in the tub. Sensing his confusion, Pinkie Pie declared her intentions, “I’m here to save your marriage!”
Shining gulped. "This isn't what it looks like."
"Then what does it look like?" Pinkie asked.
"I wasn't talking to you," Shining said, looking past the pink earth pony's shoulder at the opened bathroom doorway behind her.
An aura of blue magic that was not Shining Armor's surrounded Pinkie Pie and lifted her up out of the bathtub. Dripping water as she was suspended in the air, Pinkie was turned around to face the other pink mare.
"There is a very short list of ponies allowed to be in the bath tub with my husband," Princess Cadance said. "And you are not on that list. You have two seconds to improve my mood."
"This isn't what it looks like?" Pinkie echoed.
"Then what does it look like?" Cadance asked.
“I’m here to save your marriage!” Pinkie repeated.
Cadance arched an eyebrow. "I... know the bar is set pretty high. But this methodology is strange. Even by your standards. Why then, do you presuppose that our marriage needs saving?"
"Twilight is pregnant!" Pinkie said.
"I know."
"Shining is the father!"
"Told you, did she?" Cadance asked. Pinkie nodded. "Yes, I'm aware."
"But that means that they've been... bumping their no-no places!"
"Is that your super adult way of referring to intercourse?" Cadance asked. Pinkie blushed. "Yes, Pinkie, I'm familiar with the foal-making process. And I know about the nature of Shining's relationship with Twilight. I knew about it before we even got married. If anything, I'm the other mare."
"But Twilight is pregnant now!" Pinkie said. "That means they've been carrying on even after he got married to you!"
"With my blessing," Cadance said. "I even take part, on occasion. Sometimes even without Shining involved."
"With my blessing, as well," Shining added from the tub.
"So by your rationale, Pinkie, I'm hardly blameless," Cadance said. "But all three of us are honest with each other. So there is no infidelity. No deceit or betrayal of trust." Her expression softened into a smile. "We are all quite happy with our relationships. Our marriage is stronger than it has ever been, and I assure you, it is in no need of saving."
Pinkie looked at Shining. He just nodded in agreement. She looked back at Cadance. There was still one more question on her mind. "Fine then. But what about the foal?" Pinkie asked.
"Do you want what's best for Twilight's daughter?" Cadance asked.
"Of course!" Pinkie said.
"Then we are allies." Cadance's magic set Pinkie down on the floor. "We didn't plan for this to happen, but we are both committed to help in any way we can. As I'm sure that you are."
Pinkie nodded. "I am."
In a flash of purple light, Twilight Sparkle appeared in the hallway behind Cadance. "Cadance! I teleported my way here as fast as I could! I came to warn you about-"
"We know," Cadance said. "And she knows. But we cleared everything up, didn't we?" Cadance asked. Pinkie nodded with a smile.
"Pinkie?" Twilight asked nervously. "Are you- I mean, are we... good?"
"Yes-sir-ree-dee!"
"So... you were only mad about their marriage being in trouble and not..." Twilight trailed off, not wanting to say the word. Even as she still loved her brother, the shame of the word still left a bad taste in her mouth. "And not the... incest?"
"Pssh." Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes and waved her hoof. "The heart wants what it wants, Twilight. I don't have to be the Princess of Love to know that."
"Well... I guess that's that," Twilight said. She looked over at Shining Armor, still in the tub. "All that's left is to go back to Canterlot to tell Mom and Dad, now that they are back home from their vacation."
Shining slowly climbed out of the tub. "Eww, my hooves are all wrinkly."
"Well duh, you've been sitting in that tub for like, seven years," Pinkie said.
"What?"
"Never mind."
P-tap p-tap... p-tap p-tap... p-tap p-tap... p-tap p-tap...
The clatter of the train wheels along the railroad were like a hypnotic metronome. Even when she was reading an engrossing book, Twilight found the rhythmic din was quite good at lulling her to sleep. But not this time. Looking out the window, the Crystal Empire was long out of view behind her. She wasn't even in the frozen north anymore. But Canterlot was still a long ways away.
"Are you nervous?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah," Shining replied, sitting beside her in the private royal caboose. "You?"
"Yeah."
"How do you think they're going to react?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Well, between the premarital sex and being pregnant out of wedlock, I'd say they're going to be pretty disappointed."
Shining snorted. "Now that, I would be interested in seeing."
"What?"
He looked at her and smirked. "Twilight, I've known you your whole life. If I had to count all the times they've been disappointed with you on one hoof, I would need zero hooves!"
"Oh, come on."
"Tell me I'm wrong, Twilight. Cite one example where either Mom or Dad said to you, 'Twilight, I'm disappointed in you'. I'll wait."
"..."
"..."
"Okay, fine. I guess this is making up for lost time then," she said. His smile vanished.
"Maybe. I don't know exactly how they're going to react. But I know I love you and nothing is ever going to change that. Even if they don't approve. It'll be tough but we'll find a way." He leaned over and hugged her. "And Mom and Dad will still love us, too."
"I know. But... I'm still scared."
"I know. Me too. But I promised you that you wouldn't have to do any of this alone. And I'm right here." He kissed her cheek and she turned to him, meeting his lips with hers. His hoof trailed down, wandering over her body. "You know... I think I know what would help with your anxiety..."
"Shiny..." she whined.
"I'm just saying.... We have this private caboose, and Canterlot is still a long ways off... It would be nice to have one last romp before Dad drags me off to the gelding clinic."
"He wouldn't."
He nibbled on the corner of her ear in just the way that he knew she loved. She melted in his hooves, laying back on the sleeper bed.
"Oh Shiny...!"
Standing outside the door of their foalhood home, Twilight checked her hair in her hoof mirror again.
"Your mane is fine," Shining said.
"Correction, it was fine until you messed it up," she muttered.
"Don't pretend like you didn't enjoy it," he whispered. Twilight continued to comb the one same spot. "Seriously, it's fine."
"Alright, alright." She put her comb and mirror back into her bag. "Ready?"
"As ready as we can be."
"So... no?"
"Of course not."
"I already sent a letter ahead of us to let them know that we were coming. It's too late to cancel now."
"I know."
"So... ready?"
"Are we ever really going to be?" he asked.
"No." They looked at each other and took a deep breath. "But here we go." She knocked on the door. A moment later, Twilight Velvet opened the door.
"Hey kids!" she greeted, stepping out onto the stoop to embrace them both in a big hug.
"Hi Mom," they replied as they hugged her back.
"I haven't seen you two in so long! I'm so glad you decided to come by and visit!" Velvet said.
"Are they here already?" Night Light's voice came from inside the house. "I'll be right there!"
"He's tending to the stove in the kitchen," Velvet explained. "I hope you'll be able to stay for dinner."
"Me too," Twilight said. Velvet looked confused. "I mean, yes, we plan to," she corrected.
"Great! Because we cooked a lot," Velvet said with a smile. "We weren't sure if you were going to have Spike with you, so we made extra. I hope you're ready to eat for two."
Shining and Twilight exchanged nervous glances.
Velvet was about to turn around to lead them inside to the living room. Twilight stepped just inside the doorway to stop her with her hoof.
"Actually, Mom, there was something important I needed to talk to you and Dad about before dinner."
"Okay, sure. There's still quite a bit of time left for the casserole," Velvet said as she looked past her at Shining still stuck outside on the porch behind her. "Aren't you going to let your brother come inside?"
Twilight blushed.
Velvet headed to the kitchen. "Let me get you something to drink while you two get settled in the living room." Twilight and Shining took a seat on the couch. "The tea isn't ready yet, but we actually just got a vintage Canterlot wine that I know you like," she said, walking back in with two glasses.
"No wine for me. Water is fine," Twilight said.
"I'll take those," Shining said.
"Both of them?" Velvet asked.
"Yeah." Shining took the two glasses and gulped the first one down.
"Married life already that stressful?" Night Light asked as he walked in with one for Velvet and himself.
"You could say that."
"Well, if you're going to go overboard like that I hope you're not planning on travelling tonight," Velvet chided, getting Twilight a glass of water. "Twilight, you can have your old room. We turned it into a guest room with a queen-size bed. Shining, your old room got turned into a study. So I hope you don't mind using the pull-out tonight."
Shining blanched. "Sorry, I didn't catch that last part."
"The pull-out," Velvet said. "Sometimes I make your father use it."
"I don't care for using it, myself," Night said. "When I'm snug and warm I just want to stay in. But sometimes she insists."
Their children looked like deer in headlights.
"When I snore. She makes me use the pull-out bed. From the couch you're sitting on."
"Rightrightright." Shining continued sipping his drink. Twilight was visibly sweating, turning a deeper shade of red.
"Twilight, what's wrong? You look like you're about to burst," Velvet said.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Night said, "But yeah, you look like you've gotten a head start putting on your winter weight."
"Dear!"
"I'm not equating being fat to being ugly!" he defended.
"What I meant was that you look upset," Velvet said. "You said there was something important that you needed to talk to us about. So what's this big news you've got bottled up inside you?" Twilight turned a darker shade of crimson. "You know it's not good for you to be keeping secrets."
"His influence, I'm sure," Night Light said, looking at Shining. "You two were such partners in crime when you were little. Recruiting your little sister to raid the cookie jar and get into all kinds of mischief."
"Mhmm," Velvet agreed, looking at her daughter. "I was always worried that you'd end up with too much of your brother in you."
Shining finished his second glass of wine quickly.
"So what is it?" Velvet asked. "What is it that you need to tell us?"
"I'm..." Twilight took a deep breath, "... pregnant."
"..."
"Yeah. Obviously," Night Light said.
"Dear!" Velvet chided. She looked at Shining's absence of reaction. "I take it you know already?" Shining nodded. She looked back at Twilight and sighed. "Twilight, I have to say I am a bit disappointed that you didn't invite us to your wedding."
"Wedding?" Twilight asked.
"I presume you eloped with your husband?" Velvet asked.
"I didn't get married."
"Having a foal out of wedlock? Twilight!" her mother scolded.
"It was an accident!"
"That doesn't make it better," Night said.
"I know."
"What about the father?" Velvet asked.
"He... is married."
"Twilight, I know you have this idea from your mother that it's okay to have sex with a married stallion," her father said. "But she's the one I'm married to. That's the difference."
"Dad!"
"What about the stallion's wife?" Velvet asked. "Have you considered her?"
"She knows," Twilight said. "She actually supports it."
"Oh." Velvet's mood lightened. "Well, that does change things. Does he plan to do right by you and marry you as well? Is she okay with taking you as a sister wife?"
"Yes," Twilight answered. "And I have been considering it."
"But?"
"It's complicated."
"Do you love him?"
"Yes."
"Does he love you?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all that matters. Everything else is just details," Velvet said.
"Even so," Night Light said with an edge of anger, "I'd still like to know who knocked up my unwed daughter."
"The father is..." Twilight gulped.
This was it. The moment of truth.
"Shining."
"..."
"..."
"..."
For a moment, nopony spoke. Twilight wasn't sure if she had actually said it, of if she just thought she said it. Maybe she just thought it really loudly in her head. But there was no sound. Not even that sound of anypony breathing. But then Night Light's face started to turn a different color. Like he was holding his breath too long, but turning red instead of blue. Then Twilight heard it. A hiss, like steam coming out of his ears. It grew louder and louder until it reached the fever pitch of a screeching train whistle.
"Son of a... BITCH!" Night Light jumped up and flipped over the coffee table, sending the plate of crumpets and wine glasses flying. Shining threw a magic shield up instantly, bracing for the assault.
"Your words," Shining said. Perhaps his last words.
"DEAR!" Velvet tried to calm him. Her magic pulled the screaming tea kettle off of the heat in the kitchen, and then pushed Night back down into his seat. For a long minute he just sat there and fumed. After he calmed a bit, Velvet just held out her hoof and smiled.
Night Light begrudgingly reached into his bag, pulled out a sizable sack of bits, and put it into his wife's hoof.
"What... just happened?" Twilight asked.
"Your father just lost a bet," Velvet said.
"Wait, what bet!?"
"That this would happen," Velvet said, motioning to Twilight belly. "Exactly this. I even gave him ten-to-one odds."
Night Light crossed his hooves and huffed.
Twilight blanched. "What!? How did you think this was going to happen?"
"Oh please, Twilight, don't act so surprised." Velvet said. "Just like a filly with her hoof caught in the cookie jar. You kids always thought you were so careful, so sneaky. As if your father and I were never teenagers ourselves. We knew all your little tricks before you even thought you invented them."
"So you knew all along?"
"It wasn't hard," Velvet explained. "I'll give you credit, you did your best. But your father's snoring can only drown out so much noise at night. And while you probably took it as a sign that we were asleep, all it did was keep me awake to hear you two... getting into trouble."
Twilight and Shining both blushed.
"And then you and Shining just both suddenly love making your beds and washing the linen regularly!" Velvet said dramatically. "But that didn't get the smell of sex out of the bedroom air. Maybe you couldn't notice it, but we could. For pony's sake, can you even smell yourselves right now?" she asked. "You could have at least taken a shower before you visited us."
"I told you!" Twilight slugged Shining in the shoulder.
"There wasn't a shower on the train," he said.
"On the train?" she asked.
"In the private royal caboose," he said.
"Maybe if you actually did it 'in the caboose' you wouldn't have gotten your sister pregnant," Night Light grumbled.
"Dad!"
"You hardly ever complained about your estrus, growing up," Velvet said. "Despite you hardly ever taking your Beat The Heat medicine. So yeah. All in all, it was pretty obvious what was happening. To say nothing of the fact you two have been holding hooves ever since you sat down."
Shining and Twilight looked down at their entwined hooves, only just now realizing that indeed, they had been.
"Wait, so if you knew, why didn't you do anything about it?" Twilight asked.
Night Light scoffed.
"You think we didn't!?" Velvet asked. "We tried everything!"
"You never said anything to me. Or Shining. Right?" Twilight looked at her brother. He shook his head.
"At the very least, we made sure to teach you about safe sex as soon as possible, to avoid this from happening any sooner." Velvet asked. "If I told you two to stop having sex, what good would that have done? Would you have even listened? I told you not to steal cookies from the cookie jar but you did anyway."
"You could have explained how bad it was," Twilight said.
"Those cookies will ruin your dinner," Velvet said.
"You'll rot your teeth," Night Light said.
"Too much sugar is bad for you."
"You'll make yourself fat."
"You'll make yourself sick."
"You'll keep yourself up all night."
"Sound familiar? Shall we go on?" Velvet asked. "What good did it do?"
"..."
"You know how bad incest is now, and yet?" Night said, motioning to them.
"Wait, so what did you do?" Shining asked.
"Nothing so obvious," Night said. "We had to be subtle. We had to make it seem like it was your choice to stop, yourselves."
"I got you enrolled in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns," Velvet said to Twilight.
"And I enlisted you in the Junior Royal Guard Academy," Night Light said to his son. "To separate you two."
"And also the reason why I pulled some strings with Celestia to get Equestria's most eligible young bachelorette to foalsit for Twilight," Velvet added.
"Wait! Celestia knew!?" Twilight gasped.
"No! Of course I didn't tell her the reason," Velvet said. "I know how much you value her approval, and so did I. I was her former protégé, and it was a personal favor to me to have Cadance foalsit for you."
"And I honestly, thought it had actually worked," Night Light said to Shining. "After all, you did marry her. And yet..." He sighed.
"And yet..." Velvet also sighed. She looked back and forth between her two children. She loved them unconditionally. And they clearly loved each other. That was what mattered. She hadn't minced words when she said as much earlier. The rest was details. But the devil therein lays. "So, what now?" Velvet asked.
"Dinner?" Shining asked.
"You know very well what I mean," Velvet said, looking at Twilight. "By the look of you I'd say that you're well into your second trimester. And I presume that the fact that you are telling us about it at all means you intend to keep it?"
"Her," Twilight corrected. "And yes. And before you ask, the doctors said everything is normal with her."
"Well that is of some comfort. And then what? Do you intend to try to marry the father of your foal?" Velvet asked, nodding at Shining.
"I'm quite confident that I could if I chose to," Twilight said. "And after thinking about it, I really do want to."
"Well, I hope you're ready for a lot of dirty looks," Night Light said.
"Dear."
"I meant from other ponies," Night clarified.
"I wouldn't care," Twilight said. She looked down at her belly and rubbed it with her hoof. "But... that wouldn't be fair to our daughter. I know how cruel other ponies can be in school. I can't imagine how awful it would be if everypony knew her parents were siblings."
"So you're going to raise her alone?" Velvet asked.
"No," Twilight said, quite confidently. "I'll have the help of my friends, Celestia, and Cadance."
"Speaking of Cadance, you said she knows about you two. I assume she knows about this?" Velvet asked. Twilight nodded. "Who else?"
"My doctor, my close friends in Ponyville. And Spike."
"You told Spike?" Shining asked.
"He... sort of figured it out."
"Wow. I guess we really did suck at being discreet."
"And I told Celestia that I was pregnant, but I haven't told her who the father is. But she, along with everypony else said that she was ready to help however she can." She looked at her mom and dad. "And I hope I'll have the help of my parents."
"Of course, Twilight," Velvet said. "Just because we didn't approve of your relationship doesn't mean we won't still support you and your foal. We love you, both of you, and nothing will change that. I just..."
"We're your parents," Night Light said. "We worry about you all the time. It's our job. We just wish you hadn't made things so challenging for yourself. Even with help. It would have just been easier if you could marry the father of your foal, without it causing more problems. Every foal need a father figure in their life."
"I'll still be involved in her life," Shining said. "Even if it has to be as Uncle Shining. I can live with that."
"And even if not in name, I know you're going to be a great father!" Velvet said with pride.
"Really!? How?" Shining asked. Even after Twilight and Cadance had told him the same, there was still a lingering self-doubt in his mind, gnawing at him. His mother just gave him a reassuring smile.
"I know because when Night Light flipped over the table, you didn't shield yourself with your magic. You shielded Twilight and your daughter."
Shining smiled.
The timer in the kitchen rang.
"Dinner's ready."
~~~
Dinner was a quiet affair. Ordinarily, that meant that the food was good, and everypony was too busy eating to talk. Or at least, polite enough to not talk with their mouth full.
Ordinarily.
But these were... extraordinary times.
Night and Velvet sat close together, eating dinner and looking across the table at Shining and Twilight, sitting closer together. Aside from that, years of practice had them well trained to abstain from obvious public displays of affection. But their behavior together, subtle as it was, was obvious enough to the trained eyes of their parents. They needn't look under the table to know that they were assuredly playing hoofsies under the table. Twilight took a bite with her fork, but got a bit of food on her chin. Shining levitated a napkin over to wipe it without a word.
Revelations of their foalhood aside, Twilight felt that things had gone just about as well as she could have hoped for with her parents. Even better, in some ways. They didn't really approve of them. She didn't expect them to. But they didn't disapprove nearly as badly as she had feared. And they still loved them. That really was all that mattered. Of everything, Twilight had been the most afraid to lose her parents' love.
As unlikely as it was for that to happen, as unconditional as a parent's love is said to be, a small part of her was really afraid that she would have to choose between her parents and her daughter. And really, it wasn't a choice at all. Her daughter was everything to her. Nothing could change that. Twilight understood the concept of unconditional love. But now she really understood what it meant. She felt it. Even if her parents didn't approve of their relationship, even if they didn't like it, they would always love them.
For his part, Shining was just happy to still be a stallion, and that his father didn't drag him off to the gelding clinic. Not that he would have blamed him for trying to do so.
He was the first to finish eating. His military training in the fast-paced chow hall was a tough habit to break. "The food was delicious. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Velvet replied between bites.
Twilight continued to eat for two at an alarming speed.
Velvet scolded her, "Twilight, dear, slow down. You'll choke."
"No she won't." Shining said, without thinking, immediately regretting the words. He shrank into his seat as everypony glared at him.
Twilight finished eating until she felt as stuffed as she looked. With her plate emptied, she let out a yawn. After a day of traveling, and the emotionally exhausting exchange with her parents, she was ready for sleep. Shining helped clear the table and picked up his sister's plate for her. He joined his mother at the sink to help with the dishes, letting out a yawn himself as he helped to rinse and dry.
"You look tired," Velvet said. He looked back at the table where his dad and Twilight were still sitting. She looked like she was about ready to pass out.
"It has been a stressful..." He tried to think of how long it had been. Evening, day, week, life? "... while."
"I can get the rest of these tomorrow morning," Velvet said. "Why don't you two get some sleep?"
Twilight nodded and got up from her chair. Shining walked with her through the living room. She started going upstairs but Shining waited at the bottom before going over to settle on the couch. She looked back and then came back down. She looked through the archway into the kitchen. "Hey Mom?" she asked. "I know it's your house, your rules, but can Shiny...?"
Night Light purse his lips with a stern expression. Velvet sighed.
"Okay, go ahead," Velvet resigned. "But that bed is for sleeping!" Twilight smiled and took her brother by his hoof, trotting upstairs. Night Light grumbled. Velvet put her hoof on his shoulder. "Let them be happy for tonight. Goodness knows how hard it's going to be for them in the future."
~~~
Upstairs, Shining helped Twilight into bed. Not that he needed to. Not yet. But it was a nice gesture. He climbed in beside her and snuggled up close behind her, holding her in his hooves. She could feel his warm breath as he pressed his face into the nape of her neck, enjoying her scent.
"This is nice," he said.
"It is," she agreed.
"It could be. Every night."
"I know. But-"
"I know. It wouldn't be fair to little Cadance. Pretty soon everypony is going to know that you're pregnant. What are you going to tell the rest of the ponies who ask about the father?"
"I'll tell them it's none of their damn business."
"Is there anypony else you're going to tell the truth?" he asked.
"Just one more..." she answered. "I was planning on telling Celestia the rest of the truth. About you. About us."
"And you want me to come with you," he said.
It wasn't a question.
"I wasn't going to ask that of you," she said. "I know you need to head back to the Crystal Empire."
"You don't have to ask. I'll go with you. I love you, Twilie."
"I love you too, Shiny. Thank you."
For all her worries about what had happened and what was yet to come, she found sleep easily in her brother's warm embrace.
Their parents walked by the guest room doorway on their way to their own bedroom. The taboo relationship was nothing new to them. Even if they never completely approved of it, it seemed that it was something they were just going to have to get used to. The guestroom door was politely ajar in good faith. By the dim light in the hallway, they could see their son and daughter cuddled close together. It was clearly evident that they were very much in love. And they were happy.
And really, that was enough.
Breakfast was a bit more cordial, if brief. After a night's rest, everypony present was becoming a bit more used to the idea of them. But the general mood was positive. Shining and Twilight left feeling in good spirits as they headed across town to Canterlot Castle.
Under royal orders to do so, a messenger immediately ran to inform Princess Celestia upon their arrival; much to the protests of Twilight not wanting to make a fuss about herself. She was ushered to the entrance of Celestia's royal office. Prince Shining Armor might as well have been invisible as he followed after. They were led inside the large space of her office. Celestia's personal guards flanked the entrance on both the outside and inside. There was a large desk for her to tend to official matters, as well as a very large meeting table for entertaining dignitaries. On the opposite side of the room was the entrance to Celestia's personal chambers. Celestia permitted only a select group of ponies to even dare approach the door, a far smaller number to enter the space.
Less than half a minute after they arrived, the doors behind them opened again and the princess strode briskly inside.
"Is everything okay?" Celestia asked at once.
"Yes, yes, everything is fine," Twilight assured her. Celestia was visibly relieved. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
"I know," Celestia said.
"Am I?" she asked.
"If you were, it would not be your concern," Celestia reminded her. A fresh wave of guilt drowned the young unicorn, having deliberately sought her out and imposing on her precious time – and she knew it was an imposition, no matter how much Celestia might deny it.
"Now then, was there something you wished to discuss?" Celestia asked. Twilight's worried eyes glanced at the guards by the door interior. "Privately?" Twilight nodded. Celestia directed her to the door of her personal chambers, letting her inside and then obstructing the doorway, looking back at the prince. "How privately?" Celestia asked her.
Twilight waved for him to join them. "He's with me," she said. Celestia let him in and then closed the door behind him. Once closed, the intricate warding inlaid into the door and walls reactivated, soundproofing the room. With a flash of her magic, the fireplace ignited. Gently playful flames of red and orange danced in the near-total silence.
"Please," Celestia directed the pregnant mare to the large, luxuriously-soft, silken floor cushion in front of the fireplace that served as the diarchy’s ultimate retreat from the expectations and responsibilities of rule. Celestia was only too happy to be seated on the floor beside her. Shining Armor remained standing, privileged it seemed, to be in the room at all.
"Now then," Celestia prompted. "What shall we talk about?"
Twilight took a deep breath. "Last time I was here, you asked me about..." The paused to reword it. "I wanted to talk about the father of my foal."
"Certainly," Celestia encouraged her. "As I have said before, I had hoped that you would have learned that you can tell me anything."
"I know."
"I recall, you said that it was 'complicated'. From your reluctance to reveal his identity, I assumed that the stallion in question was either unwilling or unable to assist you with caring for a child."
“Unable,” Twilight declared, a little hesitantly.
Shining bristled.
“He's willing,” Twilight elucidated. “But I don’t think it’s possible. I have to do it by myself.”
"You don't think it's possible..." Celestia mused.
"..."
"I see." Celestia stood up and walked over to her window, looking out over the city of Canterlot, and in the distance below, Ponyville. She walked over to her hutch and poured some water from her drinking pitcher into her tea pot. With another flash of her magic it was instantly steaming. "Jasmine?" she asked, knowing it was Twilight's favorite. Twilight smiled and nodded. Celestia took a couple minutes to prepare her tea, pouring her pupil's cup first, and then her own. The princess settled down on the floor again. They waited a moment for it to cool before they each took a sip.
"He's willing... but you don't think it's possible..." Celestia said again wistfully. "Would you care to elaborate as to the reason why?"
"There are several reasons," Twilight said. "For one, he lives very far away from me."
"As I now do," Celestia said. "Does that preclude me from helping you? Need I move Canterlot closer to you?" she asked.
"Princess, you can't-"
"Can't I?" Celestia asked. "Do you believe that I could not- nay, would not move mountains for you?"
"That's not even the biggest problem," Twilight said. Celestia waited. "There is also the fact that he is married."
"Ah." Celestia nodded in contemplation. "Well, that does complicate things a bit, doesn't it?" she asked rhetorically. "Were you aware of this when you..." she trailed off, making a small, implying motion with her hoof.
Twilight became visibly flustered at the implication.
"To be clear, Twilight, I am not judging you. I am only asking for the sake of the facts on the matter."
"It's complicated," Twilight said.
"As you have repeatedly told me."
"The short answer is, yes."
"And the long answer?"
"IT'S COM-" Twilight bit her tongue, keeping herself from raising her voice in frustration. She looked at Celestia. Celestia just looked back at her with the same calm expression of a mare with infinite patience. Twilight took a deep breath and composed herself. "It's complicated.... He and I started our relationship before he got married. But I got pregnant afterwards."
"I see. And does his... spouse know?" she asked, keen to try to keep her questions as simple as possible
"Yes. His wife knows."
"Is that part of the problem?" she asked.
"No. Actually she's quite supportive," Twilight said, herself, able to hear the optimistic shift in the tone of her voice. Celestia tapped her hoof thoughtfully.
"If it is of any help, polygamy, is legal," Celestia said.
"I'm aware," Twilight said. "It's not that we don't want to..."
"Is there another party that would object to your union then?" Celestia asked.
Twilight felt her face flush. How about all of society? "Yeah. A lot of ponies, actually," she said.
"Those close to you? Your family? Friends?" Celestia asked.
Twilight opened her mouth to respond 'yes' automatically, but after a moment realized it was, "No."
Celestia leaned closer.
"The heart wants what it wants, Twilight. When it comes to who you choose to love? The ponies that matter, won't mind. And the ones that do mind? They don't matter. And I'd like to think that I'm a pony that matters to you."
Twilight looked up at her. Twilight saw it. For the briefest instant, the corner of Celestia's mouth twitched just the slightest bit. Twilight Sparkle knew Princess Celestia about as well as a mortal pony could. She realized what it meant. She had hurt Celestia's feelings. She had told her friends before she told the pony that hoped to be trusted by her the most.
"You do," Twilight said. "I mean, you are."
Celestia closed her eyes and focused, carefully choosing her words. "I'm going to ask you a question, Twilight. It is a simple question. But do not- do NOT answer this next question quickly. Think about the answer to this next question. Think about it for a long long time before you answer it," she instructed. "In your heart of hearts. No matter how selfish or absurd. Ask yourself: What do you want, Twilight Sparkle? What is it that you really want?"
"..."
"Because what I want..." Celestia continued, "is to help you. If the identity of your foal's father is a problem, I want to help you. I want so much to help you, Twilight. But I can't do that if you don't trust me."
Twilight nodded. "The father of my foal is..." But her voice failed her. Twilight felt his hoof on her shoulder. She has planned on doing this herself. Everypony treated him like he was invisible. He had been so quiet, even she nearly forgot he was there. But Shining Armor was there. Just as he promised he always would be. And just like that, whatever fear had gripped her before had evaporated.
"The father of my foal is Shining Armor, my brother," Twilight Sparkle said.
Princess Celestia only blinked and stirred her tea with her spoon for a moment. "Okay." She responded as plainly and nonplussed as a pony told that the morning mail would be a few minutes late.
Twilight was confuse. "That's it!? Okay!?"
Celestia casually tapped the droplets of tea from off her spoon into her teacup. "Twilight, if you were going for shock value, then I'm sorry to disappoint you. But this is neither a shock nor a surprise. I have been around for a long, long time. I have seen it all. I've seen public sentiment swing to and fro from one extreme to another. And I know you are aware of the aristocratic line-breeding during the reneighssance. You merely read about it. Well, I lived through it. And believe me, the well of societal-deviance goes a lot deeper than that."
"But still... you're not surprised?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, please, give me some credit. When it was plainly obvious that you were pregnant, it was easy to narrow down who the father was, among all the stallions you've dated," Celestia said, sipping her tea.
"But I've never been on a date with another stallion," Twilight said. "The only one I've ever had any kind of real relationship with was-"
Celestia's eyes looked at her from behind her tea cup.
"Oh..."
"Was it that obvious?" Shining asked.
Celestia smirked.
"So if you knew, why didn't you say so?" Twilight asked.
Celestia set down her teacup. "Firstly, I didn't know for sure. I only strongly suspected it. And your reticence to tell me only made it seem more likely. But I didn't say anything because it wasn't my place to, nor to judge whom you choose to love. And because I respect your privacy." Celestia said. "But mostly, it was because I wanted you to feel like you could tell me yourself."
"..."
"..."
"Well... now you know." Twilight said. "So what now?"
"That depends entirely on you," Celestia said. "Both of you. What do you want?"
"I want what's best for my foal," Twilight said.
"I do, too," Shining said.
"Admirable, if a bit vague," Celestia said.
Shining turned to Twilight. "I want to marry you, Twilight."
"Shining-"
"I do. I want to be able to marry you. I don't want to have to be 'uncle Shining'. I want my daughter to be able to call me Daddy. I want her to not get picked on because of who we are. I want society to accept us. I want you, Twilight! I love you!"
"I love you too, Shining!" They kissed, scarcely remembering that Celestia was right there. Twilight broke the kiss and blushed.
Celestia smiled. "That is a big wish, Shining Armor. It would take a miracle."
"I know. "
"And what about you, Twilight?" Celestia asked. "Do you want to marry him as well?"
"I know it's impossible-"
Celestia held up her hoof to silence her. "Answer me. Do you want your daughter to be able to call him her father, rather than her uncle? For her to not get picked on because of who her parents are? For society to accept your union? Do you want to marry him?"
Twilight welled up. "I do."
Celestia stood up and walked over to her private desk hutch, taking out a paper and quill. After a few moments she signed it, dripped a bit of candle wax at the bottom, and stamped it with her seal of office. She gave it to Twilight Sparkle.
"What is this?" Twilight asked, wiping away her tears, barely able to read through her blurred vision.
"Your marriage certificate," Celestia said. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations."
"Wait- WHAT!?" Twilight yelped. "Doesn't there need to be a big ceremony and everything?"
"Officially? No." Celestia said. "But if you want to have a ceremony that is up to you. You can invite as many or as few ponies as you'd like. I'd preside over it myself if you'd have me. Otherwise nothing else needs to be done. That is a legal document. Nopony else needs to know about it. Unless of course the unforeseeable should happen. In which case it would aid in your foal's transition of custody."
Twilight began to cry. "This is all too much. This, my daughter, I - I want to be happy about all this and I want to tell everypony. But I can't! Like you said, it would take a miracle."
"Quite right," Celestia said. Twilight's mood did not improve. "In any case, thank you for telling me. As I said, I will do everything I can to help you. Both of you."
"Thank you, Princess," Twilight said as she hugged her.
~~~
At the Canterlot station, the train to the Crystal Empire pulled up to the platform. Twilight Sparkle looked at Prince Shining Armor. Her brother. Her husband. The father of her foal. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to be able to kiss him. She leaned in and hugged him.
"I'll visit as soon as possible."
And then he was on board and gone.
The Friendship Express pulled into the station a short while later, bound for Ponyville. Her home. Miles in the opposite direction. Sitting there on the train as it pulled away, she put her hoof to her chest. If home was where the heart is, she wasn't feeling it.
~~~
Celestia watched the train depart the city from her castle balcony. "Quite right, Twilight. It would take a miracle. But as luck would have it, miracles are my specialty."
A several days later, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor sat at their breakfast table in the Crystal Palace. Cadance received a scroll from Princess Celestia. Not terribly uncommon. Cadance levitated the scroll to herself and broke the seal to read it as she picked up her glass to sip her orange juice.
"What does it say?" Shining asked.
Her eyes scanned over it and grew to the size of dinner plates as she re-read it. Her hoof shook and she dropped her glass, shattering on the floor.
Shining rushed over and looked at the scroll from over her shoulder.
"Oh shit."
~~~
The next day, Twilight Sparkle walked downstairs in her home, the Ponyville Golden Oaks library. Her morning mail slipped in through the mail slot of the front door. Twilight picked it up and shuffled through the envelopes. Among them was a postcard style invitation. Twilight looked at it. Her eyes scanned over it once. Then twice. She turned it over in her hoof.
"This has to be fake, right?" She thought out loud. It even had the seal of office printed on it. "This... this can't be real." She stepped outside. The morning newspaper landed at her hooves. She picked it up. She didn't even have to open it to see the headlines. "This is a dream, right?"
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she ran over to her. "Did you see the paper!? Isn't it amazing! My wings are so stiff I can't even fly right now! I had to gallop here!"
"Twi, is this real?" Applejack asked, trotting from the opposite direction, newspaper and identical invitation in hoof. Up and down the roads of Ponyville, the other residents were all looking at each other in shock and surprise, unsure if the invitation was real or not. But according to the official newspaper, it was indeed authentic.
"You're going, right Twilight!?" Pinkie Pie asked as she popped in from the top of the TV screen.
"... I guess we are."
This can't be real, Twilight thought, as she read over the invitation again.
This can't be real, Twilight thought as she rode the packed train to Canterlot.
This can't be real, Twilight thought as she got into her dress.
This can't be real, Twilight thought as she walked into the massive ceremony hall, taking her place up at the front, beside the alter, opposite her brother, Prince Shining Armor, who likewise looked to be in as much disbelief. In the front row was their parents and her Ponyville friends. Behind them was her friends' families. Beyond that was general seating for whomever was able to make it inside first. Outside, the streets of Canterlot were filled with nearly everypony from all over Equestria for what seemed like was going to be the event of the millennium.
Princess Cadance walked out from stage left in her finest vestments and took her place at the altar.
"Cadance, this can't be real, can it?" Twilight asked. Cadance was as dazed as everypony else there, scarcely believing that it was happening, herself.
"As far as I know, Twilight, it's real," she said. The music started up and everypony took their places. The door in the back of the hall opened and Princess Luna walked down the aisle with an authoritative stride. Her dress suit was perfectly tailored and glimmered with rhinestones complimenting the stars of her twinkling mane. She stood in front of the altar and waited.
The music changed. Everypony rose to their hooves.
Twilight pulled the invitation out of her dress pocket and read it again. As if somehow the last hundred times she had read it she had been somehow mistaken. But it was the same as it ever was.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
does cordially invite you to
the Canterlot Castle Chapel Hall
in celebration for marriage of
Princess Celestia
&
Princess Luna
The doors opened again and Princess Celestia walked in. All eyes were on her, donned in her full wedding gown. The trite collection of letters that the poets deigned to call words would fail to describe it. Of all the times Princess Celestia was bestowed the title of Her Majesty, never before was it more appropriate than this moment. She was positively beautiful.
Celestia walked up the aisle to stand beside her sister at the altar. Princess Cadance was well-versed in the wedding ceremony. But the first words from her mouth were not 'dearly beloved.' She was given another matter to address first.
"Attention to orders!" Cadance announced, unfurling a parliamentary scroll. "In accordance to wit, under, and by Equestrian law, it is the inalienable right for any consenting, adult ponies to consummate their love for one another within, and without the bonds of matrimony, regardless of tribe, gender..." Princess Cadance looked at the crowd before continuing. "...or prior relation! This right shalt not be infringed upon by any individual, authority, or institution, under penalty of prosecution to the fullest extent of the law! Ratified under the parliament of the New Equestrian Federation! The freedom to love, penned and signed by our founding ponies, Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead."
Princess Cadance rolled up the scroll. She looked at Celestia and Luna, and then at the assembly. "Let me be clear. This... paltry piece of paper, penned by mortal ponies, does not make it legal for these sisters to wed. This... collection of mere words is a reminder to all of us, that the right of any two adult to love each other, the freedom to love, is an equine right granted to us all, by an authority greater than any society, nation, or ruler. And a condemnation of any love between consenting adults is an attack on all love."
Cadance placed the ancient scroll back in its protective box, and unfurled another, nearly as old. She looked back and forth between Celestia and Luna again. They smiled at her, knowingly. Cadance smiled back and addressed the assembly once again.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to celebrate the union of matrimony. This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two ponies."
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails."
"As was the love of their parents who made them in the beginning, by the love of their mother who nurtured them as foals, so too be it that by, and through love, that these two become one. Therefore what love has joined together, let no pony separate! Celestia, if you would?"
Celestia smiled wider. "I vow to keep you, Luna, for my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life, until the end of days. This is I solemnly vow."
"And you, Luna?"
"We vow to keep thee, Celestia, for thy lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this night forthwith, in boon or misfortune, in wealth or squalor, in good times and bad, in illness and vigor. We will love thee and honor thee all the nights of our life, to eternity. This be our solemn oath!"
Cadance looked to the audience a final time. "If there is anypony in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may freely speak now in amnesty, or forever hold your peace."
Cadance looked. Celestia and Luna looked. Everypony looked around at each other. Everypony could feel the tension in the air. The thoughts on the tips of every ponies' held tongues. But not a word was spoken. Not a hoof raised. Some even sat on their hooves. Cadance waited a good deal longer than normal before completing the ceremony.
"Then by the power vested in me by the Crystal Empire, the kingdom of Equestria, and in the name of Love; Celestia and Luna, I pronounce your marital vows... renewed! You may kiss."
Cadance presented the ancient scroll to the audience. A marriage certificate for Celestia and Luna older than the city they were standing in, they were, and always had been, married all along, a fact lost, conveniently in the annuls of history to the sands of time, buried in fear, under the pressure of an 'enlightened' society. But there were two ponies who never forgot. And they once more freely kissed each other in public for the first time in centuries.
The princess spouses turned to face the crowd. Twilight Velvet was the first to her hooves, clopping them against the marble floor in applause. The others quickly joined her, including Twilight Sparkle and her friends as the bridesmaids. But the music playing for the re-newly-weds to exit never came.
Luna raised a hoof to quite the crowd. The applause hushed, awaiting for her to speak.
Celestia looked back at Twilight and whispered, "You asked for a miracle..."
Luna addressed the room. "If there are any ponies here who wish to be wed this day, regardless of tribe, gender, or prior relation, let them present themselves now, and I will wed them myself with mine and Equestria's full blessings, and the laws prohibiting any pony's infringement upon their love!"
Twilight looked at her parents sitting in the front row. Her mother nodded to her. She could see her father's jaw tensed. Her mother put her hoof on his, and he sighed. He looked back at his daughter and gave her just the slightest, most subtle of nods.
Twilight looked across the altar, making eye contact with her brother, Shining Armor. He could see the thoughts behind her eyes and he somehow managed to turn a whiter shade of pale. It was so rare for her to see him genuinely afraid. The look didn't suit him. She raised her eyebrows insistently. He shook his head as subtly as he could. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but a movement of pink blurred between them, to the front of the altar out between the other alicorns.
"I do!" Cadance declared.
"Whomst would thee take as thine second spouse, Princess Cadenza?" Luna asked.
"Twilight Sparkle!" Cadance said, looking at Twilight, "...If she would have me."
"A spouse, you already have," Luna said. "By polygamous law, this decision to add another must be unanimous." Luna, and everypony else looked at Cadance's husband. "Prince Shining Armor, would thee take Twilight Sparkle, thine own sister, as thine second spouse?"
Shining Armor tried to say something, but the adrenalin-fueled fearful feeling of fight-or-flight gripped him. Every fiber of his being told him to run. His heart in his throat turned his voice into a dry squeak. The memory of his old Royal Guard drill sergeant echoed in his mind.
"There is no bravery in fearlessness. If you are fearless when you square off with a dragon, you're not brave; you're reckless and foolish! Being brave means being afraid, but doing it anyway! That is the mark of a hero!"
"Prince Armor?"
Shining coughed and cleared his throat. "Yes. I would!" He looked over at his sister. "If she would have me."
And now, all eyes were on Twilight.
"Twilight Sparkle? Doth thou accept this proposal to wed Princess Cadenza, and Prince Armor, thine own brother?"
"I do!" Twilight said with conviction, unsure herself where it came from.
"Then step forth, the three of you," Luna directed as she took Cadance's place at the altar podium with Celestia at her side.
Once the three of them were in place, Luna spoke. She needed no script. Her words came from the heart. “In the finest example of ancient tradition, oft and unjustly derided in these modern times, they have chosen to select their life mates not from the strangers of the world, but from those closest to them; from their family. Too often we ponies seek out joy by attempting to acquire more than we have...” Luna met her sister’s eyes meaningfully. “...instead of rightly treasuring that which we do. So, it is with great satisfaction that I stand here before you, ready to seal the souls of these ponies together, entwining their lives forever.”
“Princess Cadance,” Luna continued, “do you accept Twilight Sparkle into your marriage and into your life, do you swear to love and cherish her, through times good and ill, do you entrust to her all that you have and all that you are, and do you promise, in witness of this gathering, to share with her your joys, your sorrows, your heart, and your husband?”
Cadance didn’t hesitate. “I do.”
“Shining Armor, do you accept Twilight Sparkle – your sister – into your marriage, do you swear to love and cherish her, through times good and ill, do you entrust her with all that you have and all that you are, and do you promise, in witness of this gathering, to share with her your joys, your sorrows, your heart, and your wife?”
Liquid pooled in the stallion’s eyes. “I do.”
At last, the nocturnal alicorn faced Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, do you accept Shining Armor and Cadance into your life? Do you swear to love and cherish them both, through times good and bad? Do you trust them with all that you have, all that you are? Do you promise, in witness of this gathering, to share with them your joys, your sorrows, and all your heart?”
The young unicorn’s chest thudded, the pounding in her ears making it difficult to hear. She was terrified and ecstatic all at once, frightened beyond reason of what was to come but certain like never before that it was the best thing to ever happen to her. Other moments in her life – her first successful spellcast, her acceptance into Celestia’s School, her discovery of the magic of friendship – competed for significance, but all fell short of the mark. This moment, held together by two little words, would define both her past and her future like nothing else.
“I do.”
Luna beamed. “Then by my authority as Princess Co-Regnant of Equestria, I pronounce you wed. May friendship and joy be your eternal companions. May your nights and days in this world be numerous. May the stars guide you fortuitously down the path that lies before you. And may the strength of your union serve as inspiration and hope to those around you. Shining Armor, Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle, you may now seal your bond.”
Twilight and Cadance embraced and kissed first, to the whooping cheer of the crowd. Shining Armor was next, pressing his lips to his sister’s – for the very first time openly, brazenly, in public – drawing out further approval from the gathering. Finally, Cadance and Shining kissed each other, reaffirming their love.
Celestia was smiling. Luna was laughing outright. The crowd was whistling, hollering, and applauding as confetti and streamers flowed from above. Twilight’s friends were speaking their congratulations – Rainbow from the air, Pinkie between elated bounces, the rest from all around – and her parents were in each other’s forelimbs, weeping in joy.
Twilight felt her life fall into completion. She had passed a test; not of achievement or of effort, but of her very person. She had bared herself for judgement and been found worthy. Worthy of respect, worthy of friendship, worthy of love. Everypony that mattered to her was there with her, supporting her, accepting her, and the future could not be brighter. It was perfect.
In a few months time she would be a mother. Foaling would be hard. Being a mother would surely be the most difficult challenge of her whole life. Indeed there would be many challenges ahead that she would have to face.
But standing there, being hugged and kissed between her new wife & husband, surrounded by her family, friends, and cheered on by the citizens of a brave new Equestria...
Twilight smiled and took comfort in knowing that she would never have to face those challenges alone.