The New Normal

Cadance sat stiffly in her crystal throne, staring off into space for a time. She tilted back a bottle with her magic, letting the last bit of wine slide down her throat before hurling the vessel without concern. The distant shatter of glass reverberated through the empty cavern. Alone and hollow again. The cold seat beneath her was the only thing she could count on.

Why did she keep fighting this pointless battle? Her marriage, her family. She couldn't regain the sovereignty of her union with Shining Armor; she could only slow its recession. Psychologically, there was something profoundly wrong with Flurry and whatever it was, she wished to pass it on to her daughter.

Cadance could see… anyone else leaving a marriage like this, leaving it long long ago and taking the child. That was completely reasonable, completely responsible. She could see anyone else seeking comfort and pleasure in another stallion's bed. The wistful desire was never fully absent from her brain, even while under her husband amid a barrage of lackluster thrusts.

She couldn't quit. Quitting was an admission of failure. Anyone else would be justified in doing so but for the Princess of Love to throw in the towel in her own marriage felt like an abdication of duty. If she couldn't fix love in her own life, what could she fix? How could she dare govern in confidence after such a gross failure in her supposed special talent? She had to cling to that title because without it, who was she? What was her purpose?

Her brooding solitude snapped with a flash of magic in her peripheral vision. Then the grating callous bubbliness of her only daughter's voice assaulted her ears.

"Oh, here you are," began Flurry with bright-eyed zeal. "So, mom, I wanted to run this idea by you. It's my proposal for a new royal decree." She floated an open scroll in the air. "Okay, in short, are you ready for this? We make incest legal throughout the empire."

Cadance had yet to turn or acknowledge her presence but she could still see, very plainly in her mind's eye, the impish grin on her lips. She continued staring into the void, absently yanking the cork out of the next bottle as Flurry expounded animatedly.

"But under the provision that the participating foal is at least twelve years of age, that a participating filly has had her first heat and of course it's always consensual. The whole point is to remove the stigma and normalize things like curing estrus by insemination. Think of all the-"

"Think of all the exploitation of minors," she droned over her, muscles tightening in her neck. "Think of all the accidental underage pregnancies and spikes in congenital disorders. Think… at all… about anything… or anyone besides validating your selfish, perverse little fantasy world." She buried the bottleneck straight down her muzzle and began to chug.

Flurry's face fell. "Jeez, you're in a mood. C'mon. Just consider it. I seriously believe we have a real opportunity to strengthen the Crystal Heart and share the-"

Cadance flipped the bottle messily from her mouth and slammed her hoof on the arm of her throne with a booming echo. She finally turned to her with fury in her eyes. "All you do is take," she snarled. "You corrupt everything you touch! When's it going to be enough?"

Flurry breathed a long sigh through her nose and rolled up the scroll. Incorrigible as she was, she didn't have the balls for an unhinged one on one with mom who scared Tartarus itself when at full blast.

"Okay, I know you're an angry drunk so maybe this can wait till after you sober up."

Cadance choked on the last of her newest bottle and then chucked it. "You haven't seen angry drunk yet," she growled ominously. - - -

Shining's side of the bed was empty and cold. He'd be back, she hoped. She didn't like it when he slept elsewhere. He knew that. He didn't mean to do it; he just fell asleep in another bed sometimes and slept through the night.

The occasional sound she thought was a girl's muffled moans became louder and more impassioned. "Keep- keep going! I never want to stop! I want to change my research field to sex!"

The exclamation seemingly heralded the end of the tug of war for Remedy's soul. Though in a sense, her fate was sealed the moment she was born female.

His newest wife. They didn't dance around it like Flurry and him had done for the first couple of years. Remedy wasn't in heat anymore. She wasn't starved for attention. She just wanted more sex and he was going to give it to her barely twenty-four hours later. Cadance knew this would happen. Just as before, he'd opened a door that he'd never be willing to shut again. She rolled over as her granddaughter's frenzied cries became higher and louder and slapped a pillow over her head. By the sounds of it, Shining would be back soon, panting and smelling of Remedy if he didn't pass out from overreaching his waning stamina. - - -

The next day dragged on like the previous one had, with Cadance isolating from her duties and family for more time with her bottles. She migrated from one empty space to the next, stewing in despair and resentment and then suddenly it was time for dinner with the Sparkles. She'd completely forgotten about it but somehow began to look forward to it again.

"Auntie Twilight," cried Remedy. She skidded to a stop in front of Princess Twilight Sparkle and assumed the position.

"Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

The two of them hugged.

"How's my little clone?" asked Twilight, tousling her grandniece's pigtails.

Cadance smiled faintly at their routine.

Great Grandpa Night Light came in behind them, supporting Twilight Velvet with one hoof and Spike bringing up the rear.

The group stood for a time in the middle of the grand foyer engaging in laughter and jovial discourse. Cadance hugged everyone but otherwise gave a muted welcome. Then Shining called for them to move the party to the dinner table.

The group retreated to the smaller banquet hall for an intimate gathering. They sat by their respective name holders around a table already decked out buffet style. The servants simply removed the platter covers and let them be. Spike got a whole end to himself and a bench to accommodate his large frame.

Flurry side-eyed her mother as she commandeered an entire bottle of red wine, filled her own glass to the brim and proceeded to guzzle half of it in one sip.

"Nice to see we're at least putting it in a glass tonight, mom," she quipped cattily.

Cadance returned the sneer of an angry dog with red stained teeth that sent chills down her daughter's spine.

Twilight and Remedy prattled on about her science project while Spike and Shining talked about Power Ponies. Cadance refilled her glass and picked at her pasta salad, still stuck in her own head.

"So, Cadance, what have you been up to?" asked Twilight Velvet. The conversation had settled and most had noticed the princess' standoffishness.

Cadance licked the bitter berry residue from her lips and set her glass down momentarily. Her eyes darted frenetically around the table as she smiled goofily at everyone.

"What have I been doing?" she giggled. "Well… let's see. I'm organizing a charity ball to help disabled ponies; that's happening in the fall. I just finished this amazing book called the Burnt Key but I don't want to, you know, monopolize the whole dinner getting into that. Twilight, I'll tell you about it later though." Cadance rubbed her chin in pretend thought. "Um…Oh, yeah, and I'm still doing this thing where I try to get my husband to stop fornicating with his kids."

Night Light choked on his drink as the whole table froze in astounded silence.

Velvet's face fell. "Uh, I'm sorry. My hearing's going; I think I misheard you."

"No, you didn't." Cadance shook her head. "Go ahead and ask me how that's going." she laughed.

"Um, I think Cadance has had a little too much wine," Shining laughed nervously.

"Well, guilty as charged," she agreed, sloshing her glass in the air. "But that doesn't mean you haven't spent the last thirteen years sticking your dick in our daughter."

"Yeah but I wanted it," blurted Flurry defensively.

Spike was now the only guest showing any signs of life as he chewed his food inordinately slow with wide eyes.

Cadance threw up her hooves. "Oh, you wanted it, so that makes it okay?"

"He's a good dad who loves me and wants me to be happy. That's how love works."

"Oh, yes, please explain to the Princess of Love how love works, because I don't know." Cadance cackled derisively. "Disregard the fact that he's married to me; you already do that so it should be easy. There are seven different types of love and on the venn diagram of a healthy love life, storge and eros do not overlap… ever."

"Why can't you just be happy for us and let us have what we have?" cried Flurry Heart, rattling her plate.

Cadance swallowed more wine. "Because what you have is a parasite on my marriage."

"Ugh," she gasped in disgust.

"My, that's a lot of indignation to have for someone who'd do anything to their daughter but tell her who her real dad is. Maybe I should just tell her for you so we can end this charade."

Flurry immediately teleported Remedy and herself from the room but it wasn't long before Remedy blinked back into her chair, followed by her upset mother.

"Remedy, come on," she commanded.

"I want to hear grandma."

"It shouldn't be much of a mystery anymore," shrugged Cadance. "You've already been calling him 'dad' this whole time."

"Grandpa is actually my biological father?"

"Yep," she grunted flippantly.

"That means… my mom is also my sister."

"Yep. Sorry about that."

Remedy went quiet at her plate as she tried to piece together what this all meant. This possibility had crossed her mind a couple of nights ago but hearing it was still hard to digest.

"Is that true?" she asked her mother.

"Yes," she replied flatly. "You were conceived accidentally when he calmed my first heat. I'm sorry.

"We were just trying to protect you," added Shining.

"It's okay, Remedy," began Twilight, jumping to comfort her and defend her brother. "It's not really a big deal for an alicorn like you, and you know what? Your dad used to calm my estrus for me too a long time ago."

Cadance facehooved in disgust. "Ugh. I knew there was something weird going on with you two; I just didn't want to think it was really that."

Twilight glanced at her parents to gauge their reaction at this revelation and found a pair of ponies who looked like they had died in their seats. Cadance had dragged Shining's sexual degeneracy into the spotlight but perhaps if she unabashedly threw her weight behind him and they just openly talked about incest, without shame, it might help make the situation less shocking to those not onboard and less embarrassing for those who were.

"Um, uh… You know, when I was little, I used to study Shining's sperm cells. I knew they were special and you can see that for yourself because he only sires alicorns which is actually an unprecedented phenomenon that deserves more research. Not only that but I've actually been thinking recently about wanting an heir of my own but I'm not in a relationship and I just haven't found a candidate with better genetic stock."

Cadance rolled her eyes and sighed.

"So, Cadance, I haven't actually talked with him about this but I wanted to ask your permission if I could borrow Shining for just one night."

Cadance batted her eyes contemptuously at the audacious request. "You two aren't going to have sex, are you?"

Twilight laughed, shooting a fearful glance at her dead parents. "Well, that is kind of an integral part of the process for conception."

Cadance shrugged. "You guys don't actually need to do it for that. He can just jack off in a cup and give it to you."

"What's 'jack off?' asked Remedy, puzzled.

Spike sniggered.

"I'll tell you later," whispered Flurry.

"It's what your mom was doing in the closet while she watched you fuck your dad a couple nights ago," interrupted Cadance.

Flurry swallowed uncomfortably. "Well, it's called… 'jilling off' when it's a girl doing it."

Cadance nodded. "Right, because Jack and Jill. Get it? Important life lessons from mom."

Spike mouthed the words, "Holy shit," to no one in particular with an irreverent smirk on his face.

Twilight frowned in dismay, wanting to steer the conversation far away from… whatever the hell that was. She was still hung up on the hooves-off suggestion with Shining. "Well, technically yes, one can conceive that way but it really just works better if you allow the natural process to play out."

"Oh, blah blah blah. Honey, I've been playing this game for a while now. It's always eventually about the sex and everything else is an excuse. I understand it's been a long time since you had a taste of BBBFF and you're wringing your hooves in anticipation, so just-"

"No, that's not it. I- I really-"

"Twilight, I love you like a little sister. I'd give you my eggs. I'd be your surrogate in a heartbeat but come on. If you want a mare to let her husband out to stud, you need to be upfront about everything. Now if you're actually serious about this, I need you say to me right here, right now 'I really wanna fuck my big bro till he cums inside me,' or I'm just gonna scoop up whatever dribbles out of me next time the planets align and mail it to you."

Twilight gave a lengthy pause at the deathly silent gathering. She didn't want to check on her parents anymore. Her eyes fell to the table and she sighed in defeat. "I really wanna fuck my big bro till he cums inside me."

Spike's jaw was on the floor, a fork frozen in his claws. Velvet and Night were still cold, lifeless statues.

"See, that wasn't difficult. It feels good to be honest, doesn't it?" She turned to her husband. "Did it sound hot when she said that, Shining. That do anything for you downstairs just now?"

Shining said nothing. No one said anything. The only sound was Spike dishing up thirds as the only one with the constitution to continue eating as if watching a riveting dinner play. He wasn't betrayed. He didn't screw up. His secrets were safe and he wasn't in trouble.

Night Light finally pushed up his spectacles and spoke slowly but confidently. "Well… I just want to state for the record, Cadance, that we never participated in anything like that and… I'd like to apologize for any damage or distress that our clearly failed parenting has caused you and your family."

Wine bubbled around Cadance's lips as she sniggered cathartically into her glass while everyone else groaned in indignant protest.

"I think that's an overstatement," began Twilight. "If you go into it with an open mind there's nothing inherently wrong with a union between siblings or even…" She winced. "Parent and child as long as you're careful and it's mutually beneficial."

"Things are totally different for alicorns," argued Shining. "Not all relationships have to work the same."

Cadance fanned her face with one hoof. "Wooo! Shining, I think your dad just gave me the best orgasm I've had in a decade. Keep a close eye on that one, Velvet."