It was a normal weekend in Bonbon’s Candy Emporium. The air was thick with sugar and fudge. Every inch of the store was brightly and tastefully lit. The wooden stands and tables had been polished to a shining hue. All throughout the store, candies of all sizes, shapes, and flavors. Many of these sweet, delicious treats had been made either that day or the day before, and while neither Bonbon or Jonathan considered themselves candy presenters, everything had been set up in a way that caught the eye.

As usual, the store was packed with ponies. There were ponies that either had just gotten off work or were on their break and wanted something sweet to nibble on. Haggard parents were chasing after their bright-eyed child or—lord help them—children, trying to make sure that they didn’t break anything too expensive. The die-hard candy addicts were also there, eyeing the store’s continuously running ovens in the hope that their favorites were nearly done.

The laughter of children, the chatter of ponies, the happy groan as some mare or stallion popped a candy in their mouths and Bonbon’s immediate bark of “No free samples!” was thick in the air.

It was a hectic time. What with the taffy and all of the customers and everything else, both Jon and Bonbon had been running ragged.

They had been running around every which way in the store. Both of their aprons were filthy, covered in sugar and cream and a million other things. Twice Bonbon had been forced to throw ponies out because of fighting over candy. Jon had accidentally burned himself with boiling sugar, something which had amused the kids that had been watching him so much that they had all fallen over laughing.

Neither had gotten a break, and it was doubtful that either would get more than a five-minute break. And the two couldn’t be happier about it.

“Get a move on, Jon. You said that you could do this.”

“I said that I could do as much as you, Bonnie. This is twice as much.”

“Hey now, don’t you go and start complaining! You were the one that wanted to be a big stallion today. So suck it up and work that taffy.”

Jon, covered in flour and sugar and peppermint, rolled his eyes.

For the last half an hour he had been pulling taffy on a metal hook that Bonbon had at the back of the store and boy could he feel it. His forearms were screaming in protest and he could barely lift his arms. He was also breathing hard as sweat dripped from his face.

Usually, taffy pulling only took ten minutes at the most, but, because Bonbon always made way too much of the stuff on the weekends, he was handling so much at the moment that he’d probably be working it for another twenty minutes. This was a problem because every few minutes he was forced to put the taffy back into the heating table so that it wouldn’t become hard and useless, which only served to make the whole process even longer.

“Oh, I’ll suck it up alright,” he grumbled, tossing the taffy onto the hook and pulling on the ends with all of his might. “Hey, can I put the bubble gum extract on this stuff yet?”

Bonbon—wearing her usual apron and white cap—poked her head up from underneath the counter. Looking over at him, she frowned. “Not yet,” she grumbled, producing a tray of fudge and tossing it onto a cooling rack. “You need to keep pulling it until it’s soft.”

“It’s taffy, Bonnie. It’s not going to get any softer than this.”

“Hey, who’s the candy maker here?” she demanded, her trademark scowl on her face.

“Some chubby little earth pony that sucks on saltlicks when she thinks that ponies aren’t looking,” Jon smartly fired, folding the taffy onto itself before pulling on it again.

Bonbon’s eyes narrowed, her tongue poking at her cheek. “…You watch yourself, mister.”

The human couldn’t help but smile. “I love you too, ‘Bon.”

“Mister Jon! Mister Jon!”

Jon, still pulling on the taffy with all of his might, looked over the glass-covered counter that separated their workplace from the shop floor. A group of foals, the oldest being no more than ten years old, were all propped up against the counter, their muzzles smooshed against the glass as they watched him work. He knew each of the children by sight. Every single weekend they would come into the store, poke around at all of the candy, and beg for free treats.

“Hey munchkins, get your snoozles off that glass,” he told them. “Ponies have been rubbing their dirty hooves over it all morning and I don’t want any of you getting sick.”

The foals—three fillies and a colt—did as he asked, though they continued to prop themselves up against the counter.

“Mister Jon! Mister Jon! Are you making taffy?” a pink earth pony with pretty golden braided hair chirped. “Can we try some?”

Bonbon, who was taking bits from a portly unicorn, frowned. “No free samples!” she barked from halfway across the room.

As always, the children paid her no mind, focusing their efforts on the human.

“Yeah, can we try some taffy please?” another asked as her tongue wiggled around in the gap of her two front teeth. “We really wanna try some taffy!”

“Yeah! Taffy’s good!”

“I like taffy!”

Jon, chuckling to himself, pulled the taffy from the hook and carried it over to one of the store’s many heating tables. The children, their tails wagging back and forth in excitement, followed him with their eyes.

“You want taffy?” he asked, already wise to the foal’s tricks. “What the heck do you guys want taffy for? That’s a big pony candy.”

As he knew they would, the children puffed up.

“Hey! We’re big ponies!” One of the fillies said, her voice cracking.

“Yeah!” another shouted, playing with her pigtail. “We all got our cutiemarks and everything!”

“Come on, Mister Jon,” the little colt said, sticking out a lower lip. “Let us have some. Please.”

Jon chuckled again as he dropped the taffy onto the table with a thud. “Are you sure that you want some?” he teasingly asked. “You don’t even know what flavor it’s going to be.”

“We do to!” one of the fillies squeaked. “We heard you talking with Bonbon!”

“Yeah! She said you were making bubble gum taffy!”

“We wanna try some!”

“Yeah! I like bubble gum!”

“Let us have a bit, Mister Jon!”

“Jon! I swear to Celestia if I catch you giving out free samples again I’m going to dock your pay!” Bonbon threatened, staring at him with a scrunched-up muzzle.

Reaching under the counter, Jon pulled out a small vial of bubble gum extract. “You will not!” he called back.

“Don’t you try me, colt. And don’t you put that extract on the taffy yet! You still need to pull it for a while longer!”

Rudely gesturing to his boss—something which, thankfully, went over the kids’ heads— he opened the vial and poured a dash of the concentrated bubble gum flavor onto the taffy. “It’ll be fine,” he assured. “It doesn’t need to be on that stupid hook for half the day, candy butt.”

Bonbon snorted, hoofing a mare an extra-large lollipop. “If you mess up that taffy its absolutely coming out of your pay, Jon.”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear ya,” the human answered, picking up the taffy. Before he made his way over to the hook, he looked over at the kids and winked. “Give me a couple of minutes, munchkins. After I’m done with this I’ll make sure each of you get a little something.”

As he walked away the children quietly cheered, as they always did when they managed to “trick” him into giving them free candy.

Walking over to the hook, he placed the big, sticky glob of taffy right onto it. “Alright you big bitch,” he muttered, taking a moment to take out his sore hands and tired shoulders. “Just a little more and you’re done.”

Though tired, Jonathan took to the task ahead of him like a man possessed, pulling and twisting the taffy. While he might have been just about done, he had to be careful.

This was the most important step in making taffy. If he didn’t make sure that the extract was put evenly throughout the mass of starch and sugar it wouldn’t be fit to sell.

As he worked, the bell on the door jingled, signaling that someone had just entered the store, though he didn’t pay it much mind.

With each pull the room seemed to grow quieter and quieter. The laughing, the chattering, Bonbon’s yelling and thinly veiled threats, all of it—oddly enough—seemed to disappear until a quiet hush had come over the entire store.

As busy as he was, Jon didn’t notice until he pulled the now pink taffy from the hook and carried it over to a cooling rack, where it would be cut up and packaged.

“Hey Bonbon! Do you know if we have any of those cookie sheet bag thingies? I know that you want to use the plastic ones but…”

He trailed off as he finally noticed the eerie silence. Letting the taffy drop to the table and wiping his dirty hands on his apron, he looked out onto the floor.

Every single pony, from mare to stallion to foal, had their heads bowed low. The entire store seemed brighter, as if the sun itself were purposefully bathing the big room in its sunlight.

A mare was standing in the middle of the store. This mare towered over every single pony. Her mane and tail floated through the air as if caught up in some unfelt breeze. A crown adorned her head, and her horseshoes were forged from the finest gold. Her head was held up high and there was a smile on her face. On either side of her stood two guards, their spears at the ready and their eyes warily scanning the crowd.

Princess Celestia, First of Her Name, Princess of Equestria, Lady of the Sun, took a deep breath. “My, my, everything looks and smells wonderful,” she said, cutting through the silence like the sun cut through darkness. “It feels as though I am… well, a filly in a candy store, and a very nice one at that.”

Celestia’s steps were smooth and graceful as she made her way over to Bonbon, who was bowing like all of the rest. Stopping a few feet in front of her, she politely coughed.

"Please, my little ponies, there is no need for formality,” she insisted, looking around the room. “You need not bow on my account. Please, please, rise. All of you.”

Slowly but surely, every pony in the store rose, looking upon the alicorn in both warmth and wonder. Celestia smiled at each and every one of them before turning her attention back toward the candy mare.

“I had heard that you opened up a candy shop, Sweetie Drops,” she said. “But I did not expect it to be as opulent and successful as this. You’ve seem to have done very well for yourself, my little pony.”

Oddly enough, Bonbon looked uncomfortable from the praise. “I, um, thank you very much, your highness,” she said, her eyes nervously scanning the room as she dipped her head respectfully. “And it’s Bonbon, your grace. Bonbon”

The princess looked confused for a few moments, before her eyes widened. “Oh, my apologizes, Bonbon,” she said with a wink. “An old mare like myself never can remember names.”

To the confusion of the crowd, Bonbon began to sweat. “I-It’s not a problem, your majesty,” she said, bowing again.

Celestia inclined her head in turn. “Would Jon happen to be working today?” she asked. “I stopped at his house but he wasn’t there, so I assumed—”

“Celestia?” Jon called from across the store.

The second that his voice carried to her ears, a change overcame the princess. She perked up, her eyes widened. The smile on her face grew three sizes. Her massive, beautiful white wings extended slightly. Behind her, the sun seemed to glow brighter.

“My little human,” she said, with a warmth that made the whole room smile. “It has been far too long. I’ve missed you.”

“You saw me not that long ago,” Jon teased.

Celestia took a step toward him. “A day without seeing you feels like a lifetime, my lord,” she said with absolute sincerity. “The castle has been a dark, lonely place without your radiance to brighten it.”

The human chuckled, reddening slightly. “Easy there with the Shakespeare, hon,” he said. “Like I told you, I just need to wait until Bonnie here finds someone to fill my position. I’ll be up in that big ol’ castle with you before you know it.”

“I will count the days until your light brightens up the darkness of the castle halls,” the princess proclaimed bowing her head. She then looked back over at Bonbon. “Ms. Swee—Bonbon, would it be alright if I borrowed your worker for a few moments? I have something very important to tell him.”

Bonbon, still eyeing every single mare and stallion in the room, nodded. “Yes, of course your highness, he’s due for a break anyway.”

“Thank you very much,” Celestia said with an inclination of the head. “Jonathan? Could you please come over here?”

The room was silent as the two looked at each other. Nothing was said, but if you would have looked into the two’s eyes, you would have known that no words needed to be said.

Hopping over the counter, Jon made his way over to the princess. Celestia, clearly restraining herself, made her way toward him. The two met in the middle of the store, between a table full of cookies and a stand that housed dozens of chocolate figures.

Jon leaned down while the princess leaned up. Hooves and arms intertwined. The human’s face found its place against the alicorn’s chest. Humming, Celestia rested her head on top of his and extended her wings, wrapping them around him. The two sighed, holding each other close and enjoying the closeness, their mingling scents, and the warmth that only came from hugging the one that you cared about.

Minutes ticked by as the two just stood there and held each other. Bonbon, the shop’s patrons, even the guards were completely silent, just watching the two.

There had been rumors about what had happened between the human and the alicorn, whispers of last hopes and the desire for children, but many had just waved it off as gossip. It seemed, however, that it might have been a good deal more than that.

Jon was the one to break this silence. “So… Twilight told me the other day that you had an appointment with a doctor.”

The princess nodded, her grip on him tightening. “That’s right,” she murmured.

Jon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She smelled exactly the same as when he had left her. Her warmth was just as he remembered. Even her wings had that same perfect softness to them.

Humming, he nuzzled his face against her chest. “Did they say anything?” he whispered.

Celestia hummed, tears forming in her eyes, as she nuzzled her lover. “I have heard that there is a wonderful restaurant that has just opened in Canterlot,” she told him. “From what I’ve been told, they make the finest curry in Equestria.”

A look of confusion and concern came to Jonathan’s face. “Oh?”

The princess nodded. “I was wonder if you’d like to accompany me to this establishment,” she asked, only the slightest quiver in her voice as the tears became fatter and fatter until they were making their way down her cheeks. “Sometime this week perhaps?”

“And what would we be going out for, my princess?” Jon asked, his brow furrowing.

Celestia just smiled, reaching down and touching her stomach. “A celebration of sorts,” she said, her eyes shining.

The world stood still. Not a single person in the store, human or pony, breathed. Outside the shop, ponies walking around the market slowed to a stop, their conversations ceasing. Birds flying through the air froze in mid flight. The world seemed to hold its breath.

Somewhere in the cosmos, Discord sneezed.

The human stiffened. “What?!” he shouted, his eyes wide. “You’re pregnant?!”

Tears of joy streaming down her face, Celestia leaned down and kissed him on the lips. “I’m afraid so,” she said happily. “The doctor conducted an ultrasound. A fetus is beginning to form inside of me.”

A bolt of terror and joy, unlike any that he had ever felt, shot through the human. He pulled himself out of the hug, holding the princess at arm’s length, and looked up at her.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked again in disbelief. “You’re really, definitely pregnant?”

“Yes,” she answered with a sniffle, unrestrained joy on her face. “I am with child.”

Ponies gasped at the princess’s announcement. They began whispering to each other. Many looked shocked, some looked excited, others looked confused. A chubby pegasus, not able to handle the news, slumped to the floor, out cold. But none were as shocked or floored as Jon.

He hadn’t expected it to work. Even though, at this point, there was no one else on earth that he would rather have a kid with, he didn’t think that his baby batter was going to work. It made no sense. A pony wasn’t supposed to be able to have children with a human, but here, Celestia—the mare that he cared for greatly—said that it was not only possible but they had done it.

He was so shocked that if he hadn’t been holding onto the princess he might have fallen over

“You’re going to be a mom?” he asked, dazed. “That means I’m going to be a dad?”

Sniffling again, the princess nodded. “Yes, you’re going to be a dad. The father of our child.”

A murmur swept through the room as she pulled him into a hug once more. Jon, frozen in place, promptly fell over the second that she put the tiniest amount of her weight onto him. The crowd gasped as the two fell over in a heap. A couple ponies took a few steps toward them to see if they were alright, but there was no need. The two had barely noticed the fall.

“…I’m going to be a dad,” Jon murmured stupidly, looking up at the alicorn looming over him. “I’m going to be a dad.”

He continued to mumble to himself, looking up at the ceiling. Celestia, nearly bouncing with joy, began to nuzzle his face.

“I’m going to be a dad…?”

“You’re going to be a dad!”

“I’m going to be a dad…?”

“You’re going to be a dad!”

Blinking, his gaze focused back on Celestia’s face. The light of her sun was bathing her in its golden rays. He sucked in a lungful of air, letting his gaze wander her beautiful, graceful, glowing body.

“I’m going to be a dad?” he muttered, his eyes widening. A smile began to form on his face. “I’m going to be a dad?”

Celestia, tears freely flowing down her face, nodded. “You’re going to be a dad,” she reassured, with just as much joy and happiness as when she had said it the first time.

Jon was quiet for a few moments. He stared into his lover, his princess’s eyes. The confusion on his face slowly began to drain from his face. His smile grew, and with it his excitement.

“I’m going to be a dad?” he asked one last time, reaching up and grabbing Celestia’s withers.

Yet again she nodded. “You’re going to be a dad.”

The soon-to-be father nodded, looking around the room. “I’m going to be a dad,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “I’m going to be a dad! I’m going to be a dad! I’m going to be a dad!”

He whooped and Celestia laughed. The two fell into a heap on the floor. Beside them, a baker’s dozen cookies fell to the floor as the ponies in the store began to whoop and cheer.

Author's Note

Alright, that's it. I hope you guys liked it.