Salad and Vignette

Twilight sighed in contentment; a wonderful meal with engaging conversation. Eating at Celestia’s private table was the biggest perk of her new status. She’d only been an Alicorn for a week: she couldn’t call herself an equal, but she was no longer an outsider.

With a curious eye, she watched as Celestia turned from the table and levitated a little wooden chest. Taking it in hoof, she sat it besides her dinner plate and floated out two iridescent-blue vials. Uncorking one, Celestia consumed its contents as she passed the other to Luna; who did the same.

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“It is our foul-tasting salvation,” Luna said, before taking a sip of her tea to wash the taste down.

“It’s a zebra potion for birth control,” Celestia said, setting her cup down. “You’ll want to get some too. I would have given you some of our stock, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with details that were not immediately relevant to you.”

Twilight’s face twisted in confusion. “But, alicorns are sterile?”

Luna stifled a laugh that threatened to maker her spit tea. Swallowing with effort, she let a warm laugh roll. “No dear Twilight, quite the opposite. We have no heats, because we are always in season.”

“B-but there is no record of you ever having foals: ever!”

Celestia patted the little chest with a smile. “Thanks to our good relations with the zebras, we haven’t in a very long time.”

Luna nodded. “We had quite a few before then, but the records have been lost. But don’t worry, the potions are here for you when you need them.”

“I know how much the idea of getting pregnant scares you, Twilight. But I trust these potions, so you need not fear,” Celestia said placing the chest back on the shelf. Poor Twilight had a crippling fear of pregnancy. Celestia guessed she was the only virgin among her friends. Any other pony she would have handed the potions to immediately.

Turning back to the table, Celestia realized Twilight had turned rather pale, and seemed to be struggling to stay upright.

“Are you alright?” Luna asked before Celestia could get the words out.

“I thought alicorns were sterile,” Twilight said to the floor.

Luna eased up from her seat, and walked around the table to Twilight. “It’s a common misconception, keeps the nobles for trying to bolster their bloodlines.”

“I’ve had sex seven time in the last three days... ”

Luna jolted. That was a bit impressive.

“How did you not get a bladder infection?” Celestia asked.

Twilight cradled her head in her hooves. “I’m pregnant, I just know it.”

“It’s okay Twilight,” Luna said, placing a wing over her. “Lets go down and visit Doc Frost Hooves.”

“You’re pregnant,” the doctor said, casting his blue magic over the vile of blood.

Twilight giggled, threw up in the bucket she was clutching, then giggled some more.

“In other good news, your swab came back clean. No urinary tract infections,” the doctor continued.

“Wash before and after, drink lots of cranberry juice,” Twilight mumbled.

Frost Hooves nodded in agreement to Twilight’s words. “I’ll have some prenatal vitamins waiting for you at the desk,” he said before leaving the room.

With a nervous giggle, Twilight pulled the bucket closer to her chest. Staring into the void between Celestia and Luna, she worked her jaw several times before speaking. “I wanted to for so long, I was afraid. Then poof, one day I was sterile. Let’s celebrate, I thought,”

Celestia rested a wing over Twilight back. “It’s not that bad. The first nine months are kinda fun, the last three can be a bit uncomfortable. Plenty of mares your age have foals, and you’re not going to have to worry about it slowing down you carer.”

Twilight shrugged, that was a small concession. She was a princess now, having a foal would affect that little. Still the thought of the rapidly dividing zygote in her womb disturbed her.

“My I ask who the father is?” Luna asked

Setting the bucket down, Twilight slid to her hooves. “Ponyville’s watchmaker. He’s a really sweet guy, good at math. We’ve flirted since I moved to Ponyville. Finally got brave enough to ask him out at Pinkie’s post-coronation party, party. Needless to say I pushed things a bit fast.”

Walking out of the room, Twilight picked up the little bottle of vitamins waiting for her on the recopenist’s desk. Reading the label, she frowned till making the effort to smile at the poor receptionist sitting in front of her. “Thank you,” she told the mare, brofer tucking the bottle away.

“Ponies will have to be told, and decisions will have to be made,” Celestia said, using her magic to hold the door open for the three. “They can wait for now though. Take a week to let the idea settle in. Gather your friends and family around you.”

“Do not hesitate to count us among those friends and family,” Luna added.

Twilight smiled at Luna’s words. “I think right now, I’d just like to go back to Ponyville. I owe it to Time Turner to tell him first.”

Stepping off the train, Twilight sighed. This was going to be a long day. The guards had tried to take her home by chariot, but she needed time to think. The long droning trip in the train had been a little piece of normal that she need.

She needed a bath before anything else. Hot water to sooth her tension, and washout the smell of vomit from her coat. Collecting her magic around her, Twilight winked out of existence, appearing in front of her library. She reached for the door, but paused. There was a little note pinned to it. Pulling out the pin, she floated the note closer to read.

r = a(1-cos θ)
Time Turner

“Aww... ” Twilight cooed.