–

The next morning found Starlight in good spirits. She almost can't believe what happened last night! She was giddy when she woke up this morning to find Pharynx still in bed with her, confirming it wasn't just a dream.

The handsome Changeling prince returns her affection and she never thought it possible to feel this loved; this wanted.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, she's surprised to find Twilight there. Starlight was bright up and early, as she is most days, however usually most others would still be asleep.

Twilight for her part, didn't look too good. Her mane was unkempt and she looked a little ill. Starlight gives her an empathetic look.

“I'm guessing you still haven't told him?”

Twilight looks shy for a moment, letting go entirely of her regal posturing, and hangs her head. “Yeah.”

Starlight thinks its finally time for her to intervene a little and help her friends out. For all the times, Twilight has helped her, she's always happy to lend Twilight a hoof with anything.

However, just before she says anything, Twilight suddenly exclaims; “Oh! Good morning, Pharynx!”

Starlight almost jumps at suddenly finding Pharynx beside her, but this time, he's quick to put a hoof around her, catching her and holding her close to him.

“Good morning, Princess. Glimmer.” He nods to them both and Starlight can't help the smile and blush on her face.

Twilight looks between them both, then seemingly recovering from her previoys state, gets a glint in her eye.

“I see.” She sizes up her pupil and the Changeling prince, a mischevious look on her face. “Soooo? When did this happen?”

“Oh. Well! It's, uh, kind of a long and complicated--” “Just last night.”

Starlight is interrupted by Pharynx's blunt reply, and Twilight merely chuckles at the response.

“I'm so happy for you two! I guess Spike was actually right and is more observant than I give him credit for.”

“Well, I wouldn't tell Spike to celebrate just yet. After all, this only just happened.” Starlight says sheepishly despite the warm glee she feels at Twilights approval and support.

“Hm? Why shouldn't he celebrate? Is it not decided yet?” Pharynx looks between the two.

“No, Pharynx, of course! I do want to be with you—and we are! I was just teasing about Spike!” Starlight reasurres him.

"That is good. Because I want to be with you as well.” Pharynx tells her warmly.”

Then he turns to Twilight and declares; “Starlight shall be my mate and future mother of my broodlings!", proudly, putting a wing over Starlight's shoulders.

Starlight goes stiff as Twilight's face contorts into an expression of confusion.

"Wait. Would that be possible? A pony and a changeling?" Twi,ight's confusion is only betrayed by the hints of bubbling excitement in her voice.

"I don't see why not. Have you never wondered why Chrysallis looked so different from the rest of us Changelings?" Pharynx scoffed good naturedly.

Starlight wiggles out from under him as she and Twilight simultaneously let out a "No." The latter more curiously; The other alarmed.

"Back in the old days, it was quite common place for Changelings to venture out of the hive and live among ponies, posing as one of them.

They'd engage in relationships of all kinds with ponies to feed off their love.

It was said that there was one of us who let it go too far. He ended up marrying the Unicorn whose love he fed off and eventually sired a child.

In his panic at the impossibility of that... He ran away.

The Unicorn wept almost nightly at her lost love, and in her sadness, so too deprived her unborn child of the love she'd needed.

However, upon the child's birth, the mother was horrified at the sight. Not only was her child not a pony, but it was dark and emaciated from the lack of love.

She first tried to keep it a secret. But born with the powers of both a Changeling and a Unicorn, her own mother eventually deemed her too dangerous and cast her out.

This would be the beginning of Chrysalis' hatred for ponies. She would eventually find the hive, and with her enormous power, took control and rained vengeance upon her mother and her village.

After that, no Changeling was allowed outside of the hive anymore without her express permission, and so would we starve and grow grotesque like her." Pharynx finished proudly.

Noticing the stares from the two ponies he coughed and amended, "Which of course made her a disgrace of a ruler despite her mighty power."

"So. If you and I were to have a child... They would grow to be like Chrysalis?" Starlight asks bewildered, despite her mentor's starry look at having heard this tale of lost Changeling history.

"No, of course not." Pharynx replies simply.

Starlight almost releases a sigh of relief--

"They'd be better! Think of it; A prime example among Changelings and a Unicorn of no small might... Born full of love; they'd be more powerful than Chrysalis ever was!"

Starlight winces and Twilight finally notices her student's discomfort.

"...And with Thorax having no desire to have children, they'd be named heir apparent and would usher in a new more glorious era for the Changelings!" Pharynx finishes.

Twilight looks like she's about to say something but is instead interrupted by a snark at her side

"So that's it, huh!?" Starlight bellows. "I'm just gonna be a means for your future plans for your hive!?"

Pharynx is visibly taken aback and Twilight thinks she's never seen the proud Changeling shrink before.

"Well, no. I mean, sort of. I truly do wish to make you my mate--"

"Yeeaah. No thanks. Find some other 'Unicorn of no small might'to create your little 'broodlings'!” Starlight huffs and turns on her heels.

"Starlight!" Twilight looks between the two, end eventually decides to follow after her friend; "Wait!"

–

“Starlight, what's wrong? That reaction was kind of unlike you, and if I may, a bit extreme.” Twilight slows to a walk to sit beside her friend who was sat at the window of her room. “Are you okay?”

“I-I'm sorry, Twilight. You're right. I just... Just got overwhelmed.” Starlight brifely glances at Twilight, looking apologetic.

“Well, I mean, he all but practically proposed after you two just got together,” Noticing Starlight shrink into herself more, Twilight adds a bit more tenderly; “It's completely understandable.”

Starlight however shakes her head.

“It's... It's the not the thought of being with Pharynx and one day starting a family with him that scares me. I mean, yeah, it is a bit early for that... Not that I haven't imagined it myself...” She adds a bit lamely. “But more of... If I were to have a child that would be more powerful than Chrysalis; How am I to be sure that she doesn't end up worse than her too?”

Twilight takes some time to think of her next words carefully. Soon she decides to just ask; “Why would you think that?”

“Because!” This time Starlight finally turns to her fully. “I'm—me!What if it turns out I'm no good as a parent? That she ends up being like I was having done bad things! With that much power she could--!”

“They--” Twilight corrects as she lays a hoof on Starlight's back. “Won't ever turn out that way. Because she's not going to be raised by the version of who you were; but the version of you who grew and learned from her experiences. And maybe we can never be sure exactly how our children will grow up and who they'd want to be; But I know with you and Pharynx there by their side, they could never grow to be anything like Chrysalis.”

Starlight meets Twilight's eyes and finally surrenders to a hug with her.

“You're right. I guess... I owe Pharynx an apology and explanation, huh?” Starlight bemuses.

“You're not the only one.” Twilight says looking down.

When she notices the Unicorn's confusion, she reaches for her hoof and holds it tenderly against her belly.

Starlights confused expression swiftly changes from shock to ecstatic and she couldn't help but hug the Alicorn tightly a second time.

–

The dinner that night was absolutely filled with cheer.

With loud, excited chatter and Pinkie's confetti canons going off every few seconds, Starlight can't help but think how long she's gonna be sweeping confetti out of this hall after everyone leaves.

Still, this night was about her two friends, Twilight and Sunburst, who finally announced that they are expecting. She could not be happier for them if she tried.

Sunburst all but practically fainted when Twilight finally told him, with Starlight and Spike there with her as support.

Despite his dramatic reaction though, he could not have been more happy or more in love with Twilight as he swept her into his arms with tears of joy in his eyes.

Even when the dinner finally started, Sunburst had still been a mess of nerves, glee, and tears, and it was almost comical to watch Twilight trying to break the news to the rest of her friends while he stuttered and failed to keep his composure.

More tears, happiness, and excitement ensued with everyone congratulating the couple. (Rarity and Fluttershy being some of the ones contributing the most tears.)

Starlight herself could feel a tear streak down her cheek she clapped along to everyone singing their congratulations.

The excitement eventually slows down with most enjoying their food and their drinks, and/or just catching up with one another and barraging Twilight, and by extension, Sunburst about their future plans. Starlight could swear she could hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash giving poor Sunburst the shovel talk even after all this time.

With conversation now split between different groups or pairs, Starlight looks over to where Pharynx is. He's standing by his brother who is in conversation with Trixie.

She makes her way over to the group; Trixie is the first to notice her.

“Starlight! There you are. I was just telling Thorax and Pharynx here about my new idea for my next big show--”

“Sorry, Trixie. I'd love to hear it later, but if it's alright, could I borrow Pharynx here for a bit?”

Trixie looks like she was about to protest, but Thorax beats her to the punch. “Sure thing, Starlight!” And ushers himself and Trixie away, winking to Starlight as he goes.

Starlight returns it with a smile, then turns to Pharynx.

Pharynx for his part looks uncomfortable, and Starlight offers for them to speak elsewhere. They move to tha patio, away from the hubbub of the dinner-turned-party, and are met with the quiet tranquil of the night air.

The silence between them continues and Starlight tries to fight her nerves to finally say something.

“It's quite a nice night tonight, isn't it?” She tries a sheepish smile.

“It's not that different from last night.” Catching himself, Pharynx coughs a little and blush blooms on his cheeks. “I mean not that this night is exactly the same as last night or--”

She smiles at Pharynx, then let's it fall as she finally gets the courage to say what she wanted to.

“Look, Pharynx. I'm sorry about how I reacted. I freaked out and I lashed out because of it. I didn't mean what I said.” Starlight is ashamed of herself.

“No. I understand. I spoke to my brother about it earlier, and I get it. It was a lot to declare all of a sudden after we'd just got together.”

Pharynx looked like he had more to say, so Starlight puts a reasurring hoof on his arm, urging him to continue.

“In the older days of the hive during queen Chrysalis' rule, partnering up with someone was purely for the longevity of the hive. The whole point of it was to make our people plenty. We weren't allowed just fall in love and decide to have a family. We were told love was something to be taken, and to be with someone was just to create progeny.

I know that Chrysalis was wrong now. But I guess I sometimes still have things from the old days I need to unlearn.

For you, this coupling between us does not immdiately mean that we would reproduce. And I'm sorry to put that on you.” Pharynx turns to Starlight fully and tries to convey with his whole body his sincerity.

Starlight smiles warmly, then takes a more casual smile on.

“Well, it was very sudden to declare.” She side eyes him, then goes back to looking more sheepish. “But starngely enough, that wasn't what drove me off. I know we just 'got together' last night, but with all the time we'd spent together it almost feels like we've been dating for a while now. So much so that the idea of being your mate actually makes me feel kind of giddy.” She blushes.

“But what I don't feel am prepared for is to become a mother. I'm worried that I'd be so bad at it that our child would end up even worse than Chrysalis and more powerful. That scares me more than anything.” Tears now stream down Starlight's face. “I don't deserve to be the mother of your children, Pharynx.”

A hoof comes up and wipes her tears, and Starlight doesn't fight when she is pulled into Pharynx's arms.

“I think anyone who knows you would tell you that you would be a wonderful mother, and I could not be more lucky if you gave me the honor of being the father of your children, Glimmer.” He strokes her mane, the turns her face up to look at him. “But let's think of it no longer. No matter what the future holds, what I know, here and now, is that I want you with me.”

Starlight sniffs and wipes her face, and smiles.

“Can-can we just start over then?”

“Hmm. Depends, does that mean I can do what I did last night again? Seeing as it technically didn't happen since we're starting over.” Pharynx teases with half lidded eyes.

Starlight's blush spreads from ear to ear, but the smile on her face betrays her embarrassment.

“Sure! Why not?”

And she pulls him down for a deep kiss as the moon shines behind them.s

–

–

Author's Note

Some headcanons: Luster Dawn is Twilight's and Sunburst's daughter. Pharynx and Starlight's eventual daughter they'd name Iris; a name which they'd both compromised on. (Maybe I'd want to draw her sometime and add it here, but who knows.)
Maybe I'd write more. Maybe I'll disappear again for years. Who knows. Let's see.