The Predicament

The Predicament

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A Week Later (Week 3)-

“What’s ‘fundal height’?” Gleaming scratched her head, staring at the open anatomy book before her. “This book has mentioned it a few times.”

“The distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus,” Cadance replied, her muzzle buried in a book of her own. “It’s how the doctor measures your tummy.”

The two of them were in their sitting room going over a small stack of pregnancy books. They’d asked Doctor Endo for recommendations on prenatal care, and he’d provided an impressive reading list. Twilight had also sent a few books their way, along with the instructions for the nausea spell.

Gleaming groaned. “Please don’t say ‘tummy.’ Just… don’t.”

Cadance giggled. “Why? It’s cute.”

“We’re gonna be drowning in baby talk as it is, Cady.” Gleaming turned the page, grimacing as she beheld a very detailed picture of a mare’s reproductive system. “We’re going to fall head over heels in love with this kid, and our whole lives are gonna be consumed for a while. I’d rather use adult words while I still can.”

Cadance stuck out her tongue. “You worry about the silliest things, sometimes.”

The two of them had been spending most of their free time like this—reading up on things, and trying to make preparations. They both knew it was still really early, but they just couldn’t contain their excitement.

Gleaming sighed and glanced down at her stomach. “So the little tyke’s just a ball of cells right now, eh?”

“Pretty much,” Cadance said. “The first few months are mostly just internal changes. Hormonal shifts, and the like. That’s where the nausea, heartburn, and other unpleasant stuff comes from.”

“Mmm.” Gleaming flipped through the book a bit more before picking up another. “So… when do you think I’ll, uh…” she gestured to her middle. “Y’know… start ‘showing’?”

Cadance chuckled. “Probably not until the fourth month or so. You’ve got some ways to go before that.”

Gleaming stretched her limbs with a small grunt. “Was pretty sure Doctor Endo had said something like that when he gave us the prenatal vitamins, but I wasn’t sure.”

She glanced over at the small white medicine bag on the table. It seemed innocuous enough, but it was just another reminder of how much, and how fast, things were changing.

Cadance looked up and saw Gleaming rolling her shoulders, the weak morning light shining through the eastern window, catching her just right. In that moment, she looked like she had a golden glow around her, the streak in her mane glinting with greenish-blue highlights.

Cadance’s voice dropped into a low, sultry purr. “Y’know, I was meaning to tell you this earlier, but a part of me is kind of hoping it’ll be earlier.”

Gleaming hesitated. She looked up at her wife, who was eyeing her like a piece of meat. “Eh?”

Cadance licked her lips, slowly, innocuously, getting to her hooves. “I’m actually looking forward to seeing you pregnant. All big and round, filled out nicely with ample curves, fertile and filled with life, your tummy swelling up more and more as your teats fill with milk…”

Gleaming’s heartbeat sped up. A hungry gaze of her own crept into her eyes now, her body becoming fluttery and warm. “Y-yeah?”

Cadance smirked. She put the book aside, taking a few steps forward. “I hope you don’t mind me finding that attractive. I was actually hoping you’d let me spoil you some during this, you know… let you experience some girly things. Trips to the spa for pampering, makeovers with my beauticians, maybe get you some nice maternity outfits…”

Gleaming bit her lip. A part of her was shrieking alarm at this, but a larger, more vocal part of her was taking note of the sincerity. She could fight it, yeah, but she was kinda already doing the most feminine thing imaginable. And in the entire week she’d been at work and around the city, nopony seemed to really give a shit. What was the harm in having some fun, and trying out some other things while she was at it?

It would certainly make Cadance happy, and a happy Cadance was conducive to a great many things.

I… I think I’d like that,” Gleaming admitted, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. She met Cadance’s eyes with a demure smile. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d find all of this sexy. You find almost everything sexy.”

Cadance closed the distance, softly kissing Gleaming on the lips. “I can’t have you feeling ugly when you most certainly are not… nor will you ever be. And you’re only half right—I don’t find everything sexy… I find everything about you sexy.”

Gleaming hummed and kissed her back. Their tongues met and caressed each other, probing each other’s mouths with a familiarity that bespoke their years together. Gleaming wrapped her hooves around Cadance and leaned back, the two of them collapsing onto the pillows as their kissing grew more fevered.

Cadance ground their dampening marehoods together with a growl. Her downy wings enveloped both of them in an embrace, their tails becoming entwined and periodically pulling on each other. Tiny sparks of magic flew from Gleaming’s horn, making the space between them glitter and glow.

Gleaming’s hoof trailed down to her wife’s waiting slit—

Knock, knock, knock.

They both jumped. Cadance broke their embrace in a flash, literally flying back to her spot and picking her book back up. Gleaming teleported over to the far side of the room in a flash, reappearing at her desk and picking up a few random papers.

After sharing a lusty look that screamed, ‘later,’ Cadance smoothed out her mane and turned to the door.

“Come in!”

In walked in a pegasus guard they both immediately recognized. They’d known this pony back in Canterlot, and was one of the few had that’d actually requested a transfer after Sombra had been defeated. Her curly coat was a dull gray, with a two-toned mane of black and violet. Her eyes were a muted shade of green, and her piercing gaze was impassive as she looked between the two royals.

The newcomer spoke in a flat, bored tone. “I interrupted something, didn’t I.”

Both Cadance and Gleaming chuckled nervously.

“Don’t worry about it, Rex,” Cadance said, relaxing visibly. “What do you need?”

Rex yawned and inspected her shinguard. “I figured you’d want to know that an emissary from Equestria just arrived. I believe they’re here on behalf of Princess Luna.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Rex turned to her, her expression never changing. “I think you can guess.”

Cadance blinked. She thought that over for a moment, but then the realization came to her. She glanced over at Gleaming, who’d apparently come to the same conclusion, as she was now getting ready to go.

“Thestral?” Cadance asked.

Rex nodded. “Thestral.”

Cadance sighed. “I can probably guess what Auntie Luna wants.”

“You probably can,” Rex replied. “Although I wouldn’t keep this messenger waiting. She’s rather cranky.”

“Great,” Cadance muttered. She got up and magically summoned up her crown and regalia. “A moody, tired batpony who’s probably been up all day. Just what I was hoping for on my Saturday.”

“I’m sure the Princess of Love will manage to find a way,” Rex said, emphasizing the title with a sarcastic lilt. “Maybe you can soothe her moodiness with your boundless charm and charisma! I have faith, Your Highness, you can stay the wrath of the Big Bad Messenger.”

Cadance threw a pillow at her.

“Go tell them we’ll be down, Rex,” Gleaming said, snickering. “We just need a minute.”

Rex said nothing more. She simply bowed and walked out the door.

Cadance turned to Gleaming. “You don’t have to come down if you don’t want.”

“It’ll look better if we’re both there,” Gleaming replied. “And you know how certain ponies get about these kinds of things.”

“All too well,” Cadance said with a grin. “If only they knew we’d already agreed to Auntie’s proposal.”

“Appearances are important, Cady,” Gleaming said. “Gotta make it official, and all that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cadance grumbled. “Being a Princess is such a pain sometimes.”

Gleaming smiled. “Oh, I don’t know… I’m kinda getting used to it.”

The castle was quiet and mostly empty on weekends. The throne room was no exception to this, and the only ponies usually present there were a small contingent of guards. The custodians had already come and gone to clean the place, and only a skeleton crew was on staff to take care of things. Usually, it would remain sleepy and silent until Monday, but in rare cases, such as now, a visitor or event would bring about some activity.

A short, navy pegasus with leathery wings and cat-like eyes stood before the throne room, tapping her hoof and flicking her fuzzy ears. She was clad in light, silver armor emblazoned with a crescent moon, and the saddlebags at her sides were peppered with flecks of snow. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she yawned every minute or so as she waited for her audience. Standing beside her was Rex, who stood as she always did, still as a statue.

Cadance and Gleaming walked in side by side from the door beside the throne room. They immediately saw their visitor, and made their way to them.

“Hello, there!” Cadance said, putting on a genuine smile. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire. Who might you be?”

“Apogee,” the mare said in a rough, tired voice. “Let’s not waste time with pleasantries, shall we? I’m here on behalf of my mistress. She’s given me the… honor, of travelling here to deliver a message to you.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow. She noted the pause, but decided not to comment. “Go ahead.”

Apogee reached into her saddlebags and produced a scroll of midnight blue stamped with an ornate seal. Her eyes lingered on Gleaming for a moment, some unreadable thought flashing by before she gave it to Cadance.

Cadance opened the seal and looked over the message. Gleaming stood on her tippy-hooves and read over her shoulder.

“I see,” Cadance said after a few moments. She passed the message to Gleaming to finish reading. “So Luna has taken it upon herself to participate in her little program, as well. That’s quite the surprise! I didn’t know the situation was that dire.”

“There are less than a thousand thestrals left, Highness,” Apogee said. She crossed her hooves with a bitter scowl. “It’s to the point that the elders don’t want any of us to leave the capitol, for fear of something happening to us. It took a royal order before they let me come here.”

Cadance shook her head in dismay. “Why in the world have you all waited so long? Something could’ve been done about this long before now.”

“We haven’t had any reason to live until now,” Apogee replied. She stood up tall, a fierce look in her eyes. She was a small, wiry thing, barely even coming up to Cadance’s shoulders, but the passion in her voice made her larger than life. “The Mother of Dreams was gone. GONE! And our purpose in Equestria disappeared with her! We became forgotten by history, Princess, and all these long years, we’ve had to choose between fighting to maintain our existence, or fade silently into oblivion.”

Apogee hung her head. “We… we are guardians, Highness. Sentinels of dreams, safeguards of the sleeping mind. There are no warriors among us, nor have there ever been. We only fight when there’s something worthwhile to protect.”

Gleaming put Luna’s letter down. She turned to Apogee with a deep, searching look, contemplating the fervor of her words. She said nothing, but her eyes never left Apogee’s.

“And when the ponies of Equestria neither wanted, nor needed us…” Apogee’s ears drooped. “We just… gave up. Despair spread through us like a disease. None of us cared about anything anymore, and we all started to waste away. If the Mistress hadn’t returned, we…”

“But she’s back now,” Gleaming said. “And she’s helped you all find purpose again. Yes?”

Apogee raised her head, her tired gaze shifting to Gleaming. “It was like a fog lifted from our eyes. We remembered who we were, and what we’re meant to do. Yes, Princess, the Dark Lady has returned, and through her rule, we hope to serve Equestria once more.”

Cadance bit her lip. She already knew most of this, of course, as she’d already discussed it with Luna. Gleaming knew, as well, but to hear it like this firsthoof? Well… it suddenly made more sense why Luna had sent Apogee.

“But you need some help,” Cadance said. ‘It’ll be many generations before your ponies are back to a healthy population otherwise.”

“And from the sound of the letter, Princess Luna wants to use a surrogate program to speed things along,” Gleaming finished. “Correct?”

Apogee bowed her head low. “I ask you on behalf of my race: Will you speak to your citizens of the mistress’ plan? I mean it when I say this—if only leads to one mare volunteering as a surrogate, it’ll be worth our while.”

It was all Cadance could do to not to hug Apogee. She could feel the turbulent emotions within her, but there was also a dark malaise; the dregs of a deep melancholy that’d once gripped her soul. Cadance couldn’t imagine a level of depression that would make a pony lose the will to live, but it was obvious that there were no falsehoods here.

“What do you think, Love?” Cadance said to Gleaming. “It seems that the thestrals are in a bit of a jam. Shall we give them a helping hoof?”

Gleaming pretended to think it over for a moment. “It couldn’t hurt to make an announcement. Gauge the interest, at least.”

Apogee perked up. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Although…” Gleaming continued. “If we get enough volunteers, this might be a larger project than we think. We might even need establish a branch of the program here in the Empire. Wouldn’t be very practical to have that many doctors travelling back and forth.”

Apogee’s eyes widened. “B-branch?”

“Well, it’s only logical,” Gleaming said, ignoring Apogee’s shocked face. “According to our last census, the Crystal Empire is home to a little over two hundred thousand ponies. About sixty percent of that number are mares, and a little over half that number are of the proper age to bear foals. That leaves us with sixty thousand possible volunteers, and even if, say, a sixth of those are already expecting, or are incompatible, that’s not much of a dent. Let’s say one percent of fifty thousand decides to enter the program. That’s five thousand ponies. More than enough of a demand to require a facility, I’d say.”

Apogee could hardly believe what she was hearing. “F-facility… five t-thousand...”

“And that’d just be the first round!” Cadance chimed in. “Can you imagine how many extras might filter in from the surrounding areas? We could wind up with twice as many for the next generation! We’d definitely need an organized system and establishment then! Maybe even a whole complex!”

The poor, tired batpony was reeling now. Apogee wobbled back and forth on shaky legs, muttering words and phrases to herself.

“Ooh! We could add a new wing of the Crystal Empire Central Hospital!” Gleaming said, clapping her hooves. “Just think, it’ll be completely dedicated to obstetrics, fertility treatments, everything you can think of! We could also go to the medical schools and let them know of the increased demand. I mean with that many new foals, we’re going to need a lot more doctors trained in—”

THUD.

Apogee fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Gleaming and Cadance stopped and looked over at their overwhelmed visitor. They both snickered quietly, watching as Rex came over and gently carried Apogee away.

“Put her in one of the nicer guest rooms,” Cadance called after Rex. “She deserves it.”

Gleaming nuzzled Cadance and put a hoof around her. “Think we overdid it?”

Cadance leaned into Gleaming’s embrace. “Nah. I think she needed a ray of hope.”

“Mmm.” Gleaming closed her eyes and rested her head on Cadance shoulder. “So Luna is pregnant, too? That’s a surprise.”

“I’ll say,” Cadance agreed. “Understandable why she’s doing it, but I still didn’t see it coming.”

“Think we’ll get a good number of volunteers when we make the announcement?” Gleaming asked.

“Hard to say,” Cadance said. “It’ll depend on how we present it.”

Gleaming took a deep breath, taking in the scent of Cadance’s mane. She was silent for a while, mulling things over, before she hesitantly spoke again. “Do you think it’s wrong that I’m more concerned about the wellbeing of our own foal than with the thestral problem? Does… does that make me a bad pony?”

Cadance turned in Gleaming’s embrace so she could look into her eyes, then slowly, carefully, she leaned in and touched her horn to Gleaming’s.

“No, Dear. I think it makes you a parent.”

Gleaming took a deep, sudden breath, the swell of emotion and sensation setting her desire aflame.

“Stars, I love you…” She kissed Cadance hard, her hooves running all over her lover’s toned, slender body. Cadance hummed and responded with equal fierceness, her hooves tracing circles along Gleaming’s stomach. They groped each other shamelessly in the empty throne room, the sounds of their gasps and grunts amplified in the vast chamber.

Cadance broke their kiss, a tendril of saliva still connecting them. The lust in her eyes was like fire, and her breathing was heated and ragged.

Gleaming flared her nostrils with a cheeky grin. “Resume?”

Cadance licked her lips. “Resume.”

They disappeared in a magenta flash.