Dating isn't just for mortals...

Celestia sat in her bedroom, quickly brushing her coat and mane before her date. Court had been tough that day, and she was looking forwards to her evening with Discord...it was certainly going to be a different experience for her.

The crystal ball on her dressing table started to glow, causing the pony to smile. She cast a spell to charge up the ball and a voice floated out “Hello Celestia”

“Hello Cadence, it’s good to hear from you” Celestia spoke back into the communication crystal. It was a clever spell Twilight had created to allow Canterlot and the Crystal Empire to talk via linked crystals. Celestia didn’t really understand why Twilight hadn’t made a pair for them but she suspected the young mare wanted to make sure Spike still had a vital job. Either that, or Twilight enjoyed still sending parchments the way she did growing up.

Celestia smiled at the thought “So, what do I owe the pleasure of your call for niece?” she asked with a slightly laugh, knowing exactly why the Princess of Love was calling.

“Aunty, are you sure you don’t need any advice for tonight? You know I’m a little more experienced than you with this sort of thing?”

“Maybe Cadence, but I’m not exactly wet behind the ears, plus I have done plenty of research.”

“You sound just like Twilight! You can’t learn everything from books, some things only come from experience.” Cadence slightly admonished her elder.

“Maybe, but there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure everything will be fine”

“I’m sure you know what you are doing Auntie. Well, if you don’t need my advice, I’ll leave you to get ready. Take care!”

“You too cady!” Celestia replied. She cut off the supply of magic and the crystal returned to it’s darken state. It was nice for Cadence to be worried about her, and she hoped it was completely in vain.

Celestia landed in Ponyville, having flown all the way from Canterlot. Getting out flying like a pegasus was something she hadn’t done for centuries, but her relationship with Discord had changed everything. On top of her niece getting married, Twilight’s ascension, and her sisters return, being in a public relationship opened up new options. Not only did she feel a lot happier, both her and Luna felt a little more freedom to be more natural and pony like than at anytime since the death of Starswirl the Bearded.

She spotted Discord sat on the bench, holding a nice bouquet of flowers for Celestia to eat later, and walked over to him. After a quick hello, the pair were joined by Pinkie Pie and the trio made their way towards Sugarcube Corner. As they walked into the warm bakery, Celestia took a deep breath to steady herself, as well as taking in the delightful smells of the baked goods.

“Hello Mrs Cake, Mr Cake, we're here!” Pinkie called out.

“Just a minute deary” Mrs Cake replied, and after a few moments Mr and Mrs entered the room, each having a foal sat on their back.

“Thanks for babysitting tonight Pink-cess?” Mrs Cake finally noticed the alicorn in the room “What are you doing here?” the mare slightly panicked.

Mr Cake remained a little more composed “Princess, I think my wife meant we are honoured by your presence! How can we assist you?”

“Hello Mr and Mrs Cake, nice to see you again.” Celestia replied as softly as possible “I’m, er, here to foalsit?”

“Huh?” the two parents replied in unison, the two foals looking at the scene with some unknown amusement.

Pinkie slid up next to her two “I told you I got somepony else to foalsit tonight!”

“Foalsit? Princess Celestia? Oh, no no no…” Mrs Cake shuffled on her hooves with worry.

“No? I think she’s a reliable babysitter...she did rule the country alone for a thousand years!” Pinkie replied with a hoof on her chin.

Everypony, and draconequus, in the room facehoofed. Mrs Cake let out a calming breath “It’s not that Pinkie, we can’t expect the Princess to foalsit for us!”

“Cup, can I call you Cup?” Discord asked, a confirming nod from the mare “I understand your concern, but this was my idea. Celestia and I want to have traditional set of dates, and foalsitting is a common dating trope in films and TV shows.”

“Erm, okay then” Carrot shrugged off the weird reference, only Pinkie Pie understanding everything Discord said.

Celestia approached the parents “Carrot, Cup. My niece Cadence foalsat when she was growing up, and she found it a very rewarding experience. Please would you let me have the same?” and the alicorn put on her soft begging sort of eyes she learnt from her younger sister growing up.

“That’s not fair, who can say no to those eyes?” Cup Cake replied under the pressure of pleading eyes of the alicorn.

Celestia laughed a little “You better get used to it otherwise those two will have you wrapped around your hoof as they grow up!” and the parents looked back at their foals with that realisation coming to bear. As with always for the baking pair, a pink pony brought them back to earth.

“Mr and Mrs Cake, you’ll be late for you date if you don’t vacate from where you bake and erm...shoot, trying to think of more rhymes is hard!”

Cup Cake looked at a clock “Oh my, yes, we better get going. We’ve got the foals schedule up on the fridge, and the food is prepared.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve explained everything to Discord in advance and he can advise Princess Celestia all the rules!” Pinkie replied as she started her bouncy walk out of the shop.

“Rules? Oh no, we can’t expect Princess Celestia to do that!” Carrot looked over to Discord and Celestia.

“What is it?” Celestia asked in her usual motherly tone.

“Well...they try to encourage unicorns and pegasi not to use magic and flight around the twins.” Discord replied.

“Not that we aren’t going to make sure that the twins grow up in line with their race...” Mrs Cake added “...but whilst they are young we’re trying to organise controlled exposure to magic and flight, as we can’t protect them if they are being magical or in flight!”

“I understand” Celestia replied “and its a very good idea. I’m sure Fluttershy will be excellent teachers to pound!”

“How do you know we’re asking her?”

Celestia giggled “Not even Discord would be crazy enough to have a foal taught to fly by Rainbow Dash!”

“Hmmmm, maybe I would be...but unlikely!” Discord replied with a wink.

“And given you like all earth ponies have to change the foals with your hooves, I’m sure I can cope for one evening…” and with that Celestia slightly leaned in to the parents and whsipered “Or I'll just get Discord to do it!”

“I heard that!”

With Cup and Carrot Cake eventually leaving for their date night, the pair found themselves alone with the two foals which were happily playing with their toys. Keeping an eye on them, the pair started some idle chit chat about their week and before long it was time for dinner. Celestia went over and picked up Pumpkin with a hoof, scooping her onto her back, whilst discord picked up Pound and placed him on his head, the foal holding on to his horns.

Once in the kitchen the foals were placed into their highchairs and Celestia served them up there salad dinner. The foals started tucking into the pre cut vegetables watched over by Discord whilst Celestia prepared sandwiches for the adults to eat (having asked to use the food before the cakes had left of course). Once dinner was out of the way, the foals were let out to play in the playroom again.

Celestia lay down on the floor to watch over them as Discord sat down on the sofa, Within moments pound and pumpkin cake came over and looked at the large pony in the room.

“Why, hello there little ones!” Celestia spoke warmly to the foals studying her.

“Unacorn!” Pound declared, pointing to the large pony’s forehead.

“Pegasa!” Pumpkin replied back, pointing at Celestia’s wings

The pair then just stared at each other for a moment before they let loose. “Unacorn!”, “Pegasa!”, “Unacorn!”, “Pegasa!” the two foals shouted back to each other.

Celestia suppressed the giggle building and thought it best to stop the siblings “Now now, no need to argue!” she calmly spoke, causing the pair of foals to pay attention to her again. “You see I have both wings and a horn.” she explained slowly, indicating to the respective foal as she spoke. “I’m an alicorn”

The two foals ooh’d for second before suddenly Pumpkin squeaked, jumped up and run off to the corner of the room, returning with a book in her mouth. She placed it down, managed turned a few pages and pointed to a drawing the page. It was a picture the alicorn recognised from a much loved foals story book, a crude rendition of Celestia and Luna from before the Nightmare Moon incident.

“Yew?” Pumpkin asked softly

Celestia smiled internally for a second “Yes Pumpkin, thats me!”

“Yew….Pwincess?”

“Yes, that is me...Princess Celestia”

Pumpkin started giggling and running mad laps around Celestia in the way only young creatures do. It reminded the alicorn of a filly Twilight doing the same after getting her cutie mark, the pure expression of joy from a creature that had no better way of expressing it. After enough laps that would have made even Pinkie Pie dizzy, the unicorn foal shot off across the room to a pile of toys, before returning with a foam crown on her head, and dragging a larger one behind her.

“Me Pwincess!”

“Yes, you can be a princess too!” Celestia put on the golded foam crown presented to her and heard a giggle from Discord.

“You just can't get away from being a princess, can you!”

“Doesn’t seem that way!”

The pair shared a smile before noticing that Pound Cake was on the verge of tears. Discord slithered down to the pegasus foals level “What's wrong Pound?”

“Me?” the foal replied, pointing to the pair of princesses.

“Come with me” Discord patted Pound on the head and started towards the pile of toys, the foal following. Discord rummaged through the toys and found a foam helmet and placed it on the young males head “Well, you could be a prince or princess if you want, or you could be a member of the royal guard!”

Pound giggled and declared “Me gward!” as he ran over to his sister.

“Me Pwincess!” his sister giggled back as the two ran around each other.

“I’m a princess too!” Celestia added

“Me pwotect yo!” Pound proclaimed.

“And me evil villain after the Princesses crown!” Discord laughed and started chasing the trio. Celestia found herself laughing as hard as she had done for ages as the game of chase turned into a roleplaying adventure, the two foals imagination seemed to be endless despite the lack of vocabulary.

With bathtime out of the way, Celestia carried the two foals to the nursery with a smile on her face as the two children yawned on her back. She gently put them in their crib, and watched as the pair snuggled down in the blanket. Making sure Discord wasn’t around, she gently sang them a song that her mother had sung to her and Luna, a song unheard by mortal ears and the foals were soon sound asleep.

Celestia returned downstairs where she shared with Discord some of the days leftover muffins sat on the sofa. Noticing the evening was coming to a close and the cakes would return soon, the mare made her move. “It’s nice to have a normal conversation with you Discord, it’s been a wonderful evening” Celestia slid a bit closer to Discord, a move not going unnoticed by the draconequus.

“Yes, it’s been an interesting experience. I’ve been around the Cutie Mark Crusaders quite a bit but looking after young foals is even more tiring! But it was worth it to see you smile”

The pair looked at each other, are their eyes locked. Slowly, the two of them edges there heads towards each other, both anticipating their first kiss. As their lips approached Discord paused “Are you sure about this?”

Wordlessly, Celestia tilted her head, moved forwards and closed her eyes, her actions speaking a thousand words. Discord gently placed one claw on her muzzle and guided it to his. Their lips locked and after millennia of existence they found themselves having their first kiss.

After a few seconds, the pair pulled away and opened there eyes. Just at that moment, a foals cry rang out around the bakery. Celestia leaped into action and rushed up the stairs to tend to Pumpkin. She picked up the foal, sat on the rocking chair and gently cradled her in her hooves, singing a lullaby again. It took a while to settle the unicorn down, but eventually the young pony was asleep again.

Celestia went back downstairs where Discord was waiting patiently and Celestia sat down next to him again.

“Everything okay?” he asked

“Yes, she must have had a bad dream or something”

Discord let out a little chuckle “Nice timing!”

“Yes thats the way with young children isn’t it?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never spend any time with foals before.”

“You...you ever think about having children of your own?” Celestia asked. Discords eyes widened at the question, and Celestia realised her faux-pas “Sorry, is that too soon to ask?”

“Not at all. It’s just not something I thought I would hear you ask.”

“To be honest, although I’ve always been maternal, this evening has made me look at things at a very different way. I’ve always considered all the ponies of Equestria my...well, mine and Luna’s children. And I’ve always taken on a young personal student to help grow.”

Discord gently cupped the pony’s face, sensing this was a painful moment for his love “You are a very caring pony Celestia, I’ve always known that”

“Thanks. I’m not sure I would want a child of my own...or even if it’s possible...but I think I’ll want to find out someday. And given we’re both immortal, it means that if we continue this relationship it would have to be a decision agreed by the two of us.”

Discord paused for a moment “Wow, thats deep. I need to have a proper think about this before replying.” Celestia’s face fell for a moment “Not that I’m saying no...it’s just...I’m not sure that the god of chaos would be a good role model for a child…”

The pair saw the concern in each others eyes, and just snuggled up next to each other on the sofa, no words needed.