The Judgmentby Gabriel LaVedierChaptersThe Facts of the MatterJuror #1Juror #2Juror #4Juror #5Juror #6The VerdictJuror #3The Facts of the Matter“Thanks for coming girls. I know this was very short notice but I... well, it was important.” Twilight Sparkle stood by the door to the library as her friends entered. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy filed past in various states of confusion. Pinkie Pie was already there, setting out baked goods and hot cocoa. “It was very unusual, but a lady is always prepared for eventualities,” Rarity said with a casual flip of her mane. She looked around for a moment and then said, “Twilight, where has our little Spike gone? It's a bit late for him to be out. Oh my, has he located a mare to take him around?” Twilight laughed softly, a little of her tension dissolving. “No. I gave him a little free time. I sent him up to Canterlot with some petty cash and a list of nice places to go. Mostly he'll be settled in a high fourth terrace bed and breakfast feeling very mature because he's not just hanging around the palace. He'll probably wander around and stare at mares then head up to eat at Joe et Gustave's.” “Oh how pleasant. It'll be good for him to relax for a few days,” Fluttershy said, standing demurely beside Rarity. “Yea, never mind that, why did you call us here?” Rainbow Dash was already sitting at the main table with a cup of cocoa and a cupcake. Applejack gave Dash a quick whip with her tail and a scowl. “Rainbow Dash, have some manners! You are a guest in this house...” “It's a library, not a house, AJ,” Dash said, with a cheeky grin. “It is also Twilight's house, and part time house for Pinkie, not that ah'm sayin' anything about that,” AJ said, with a light blush. “But keep a civil tongue in yer head and thank Twilight fer invitin' us before ya go blabbing about demandin' answers.” “Sorry, AJ,” Dash said, looking contrite. “Thanks for having us over, Twilight. Now why did you invite us over here?” Applejack gave and exasperated sigh and hugged Dash tightly. “Dang it's a good thing yer cute, sugarcube.” “Everypony have a seat around here and get some snacks and cocoa,” Pinkie said, taking up her own glass and treat, a cupcake in Twilight's colors. “Twilight told me about this and it's really a doozy.” The mares all gathered around the table and sat down, taking a steaming cup and a sweet treat. Twilight looked around at all of them and licked her dry lips. She hadn't been so nervous since she had abdicated her alicornhood. “I just heard news from Princess Celestia. There is something... new. Something scientific.” “Leave it to the egghead,” Dash muttered into her cocoa. A tail flick from AJ made her look over with a grin, “Chillax, I mean it as a compliment.” “It is... being kept very quiet. There are some very good reasons for that. First of all, the research has been halted before anything big came out of it, mostly for standard reviews of everything that has happened so far. Secondly, the implications of it would be quite... far-reaching. And it opens up a lot of new possibilities. More than for anypony else... for us.” “Well don't jes keep us waitin', tell us what the big fuss is,” Applejack said, sipping on her cocoa and eating an apple fritter. “Yes, yes. This mystery is most unbecoming,” Rarity concurred. Twilight tapped nervously at the table, looking over the other five. “They have begun an effective program to take unfertilized ova from two mares and, using a thaumatomedical procedure similar to the natural process in parthenogenic creatures, combine them.” A sea of blank stares met her. “That sounds... nice,” Fluttershy said, with an encouraging smile that nonetheless spoke of not understanding. “Yea, sugarcube, that sounds like a ring-tailed tooter of a thing. Good for them there science folks in Canterlot,” Applejack added, toasting Twilight awkwardly. “'Parthenogenesis' literally means virgin birth. In a scientific sense it refers to giving birth without... sexual intercourse...” Twilight blushed a bit, as did Fluttershy. Rarity hid a smile behind a hoof, while Applejack, Dash and Pinkie Pie just grinned. “It is a kind of asexual reproduction, but... far more complex. I barely studied it myself, it's pure biology without much in the way of magical interference. It's found in some simple creatures, some insects, a few sharks, and a small number of lizards, including a rather well-studied desert lizard that has what can be called Filly Foolers, in a sense. So... scientists are working on... combining eggs. With science and magic. And making... children.” A silence descended on four of the mares. Pinkie was lightly humming to herself as she enjoyed her cupcake. She had already heard the news, after all. Surprisingly, Dash was the first one to speak. “Children? You mean... they can make foals... from two mares?” “The research suggest it is possible,” Twilight said. “The processes in natural parthenogenesis are complex; using magic to replicate them involves a lot of experimentation, and needs to be carefully managed to prevent any defects or other similar. But... they are on track.” Applejack, after coming out of her shock, asked, “So... if they ain't got it done... why are ya tellin' us about it? Jes get the word yerself an' y'all wanted ta share?” “Because... I was looking into the scientific journals, just as light reading, and I started thinking about the future... about me and Pinkie. Pinkie only has sisters, and my brother is no longer technically a citizen of Equestria. The laws of the Imperium are similar but there is no agreement about cross-border matters, especially with a member of royalty. Donation is always an option, it was always going to be the option. And then I talked about the research papers with Princess Celestia... she said there was something else. She and Luna have a power that can take eggs and magical essence and... with their powers over orderliness make two foals, one of each race of the mothers.” The silence returned, broken by Fluttershy who asked, “Have they done it a lot?” “Not a lot. But they have. Usually as some kind of secret reward for some great service. We have earned it. Or we could wait for this new technology. The question is complicated. Don't you see how this could change the world?” Twilight asked, looking seriously at the five. “No need for donation unless it is desired. The laws would be rendered obsolete. But on the other side, males would become less common, except for species with more even percentages.” “I can only imagine. Fewer males, a less diverse client list, fewer partners for pure Populators... perhaps even more negativity towards Colt Cuddlers! Scandalous!” Rarity gasped, summoning her fainting couch. As a more dramatic touch she grabbed Fluttershy, falling onto the couch with her. “There is something that could be done. There is a way to select spermatozoa to get a Y-chromosome-containing one. The male population could be increased to offset the female population climb. Or biological magic could be advanced to temporarily change mares into stallions. Another thing the princesses can do, to allow dams to be sires for each other. The options aren't important. What matters is that we, unlike the rest of the nation, have these options. And the princesses want to know if that's okay,” Twilight said, slowly taking a seat. “What's wrong with it?” Dash asked, casually shrugging her shoulders. “It's not like we're going to ruin the world or anything. We're responsible and stuff.” She ate her treats, ignoring the fall of crumbs all over. “Things will change, they always have. But there are two things to think about. First, if this kind of progress is good or should be quietly set aside and ignored. And secondly, maybe more importantly, if we should accept these options. We're not exactly hidden. It might be very apparent what has happened. Sure, we're just engaged, not married yet, but we will be. And after marriage comes birth. Would doing this be... wrong? It's not traditional, and might get too many questions or even make others think we're better than them. Would it be arrogant?” Twilight nibbled on her cupcake and stared deeply into her cup of cocoa. Soft chatter passed between the others, mostly of a confused tone. “Uh, Twi? If'n it is 'r ain't... don't got nothing ta do with us needin' ta gather. Jes one-a them there 'academic' questions ah hear mah brother's fiancee talk about, usually with Zecora. Ah swear them two get on like apples an' carrots. They're gonna bring a powerful lotta learnin' ta the family,” Applejack mused. She noted a glare drilling into the side of her head and gave a sheepish chuckle, “Not that ya ain't bringin' that too, sugarcube, but ya bring more... uh, radicalness! Ah think that's what ya say.” Dash leaned in and kissed Applejack on the cheek. “And awesomeness and coolness. And my big ol' brain too. Yea, I feel sorry for Smarty Pants and Zecora. I bring the whole package.” “Yea, ya bring a whole lotta stuff, Dash,” Applejack said with a playful eyeroll. “We're very important, and what we do matters more than most ponies. There's a lot riding on this. Does the impression outweigh it. Does it even matter at all? The old ways have worked fine. There's no shame in it. Princess Celestia actually asked me to ask you all this. To think about it. And vote on it. We'll go off and think, mark down a decision and then see,” Twilight levitated out six identical pieces of paper, distributing them evenly. She then passed out six stamp pads and twelve stamps. “Identical paper, ink colors and stamps. One says 'aye,' one says 'nay.' It has to be unanimous, and anonymous. If we do this... we're breaking a lot of traditions, and might spark curiosity for something... I don't even know what to think of it all. But for right now, this is just for and about us.” Once the materials were distributed all six mares moved on to different parts of the library, soundproofing fields going up to leave them alone with their thoughts. Juror #1Applejack trotted around in her little space, which was a tucked-away corner of the main library. The book spines looked down at her and offered nothing. She never really relied on books unless she absolutely had to. She led with her heart and her gut and came out right most of the time. “Zecora...” They had all been wrong. Twilight had warned them, until they all got to Twilight. They had followed their hearts and guts deep into the Everfree and came back with nothing but a tale of how wrong they could be. Plus her little sister had met the mare that would become an Apple someday. The heart won when the gut was wrong. But the head had been the rightest one of all. The choices they made could have all kinds of consequences, ones they never could even predict. Like she had never expected that wandering into the Everfree in pursuit of an evil enchantress would bring a new sister-in-law and give her little sister a brand new path in life. But they didn't always work out. She had followed her heart, her good intentions, to hide her shame and keep her promises, running away from Canterlot to Miss Jubilee. She had thought that only hard work and stoic acceptance of her fate would make things right. That was the family way. The traditional way. 'Tradition.' That was a big word. It was the biggest word in her family. It was the most vital thing. She had violated it before, to her chagrin. The Family Reunion had been a disaster, all because she broke tradition when it made perfect sense. She had been wrong the whole time and had to learn the hard way by seeing the price of her failure. That had been terrible, but instructive. But the price of being wrong on this idea, if Twilight and Rarity were to be believed, would harm the entire nation, if not, perhaps, destroy it eventually. That was a high price to pay for an experiment that threw off tradition. Things had always worked out well. Filly Foolers and Populators making foals by the methods they always had. That was the way. Filly Foolers. Populators. Colt Cuddlers. They existed too. Tradition looked down on them, but that wasn't right. She didn't really know any, of course, not personally. She knew that nice Mister Pierce to say 'howdy' to, and knew that his beau seemed like a nice fellow. There were traditions about Roa, and now Missus Cheerilee was one, and was a perfectly good and kind mare, as ever. No matter what Granny had said against Toola the first day she was in town, they were good folks. Her family was more than ponies and zebras, but that wasn't tradition. Granny broke and accepted a buffalo into the family, and Little Strongheart's talents made them all look good. Then her brother came home with that lovely Miss Smarty Pants, smart, sweet, and so in love with Big Macintosh. Donkeys were not traditionally loved, buffalo neither. Not in the Apple family. There were no other non-ponies in the family. But even if there was a griffin, or Changeling or Diamond Dog in the future on some branch, the new tradition would be followed, rather than the old. Traditions could change. They sure weren't always right. They could be, they could start out right. But they could also start out wrong and stay wrong. That was the way of the heart and guts. Brains could think about what a tradition said. And while it could feel disrespectful to question some traditions, it couldn't hurt to ask questions about things that could hurt ponies, or buffalo or donkeys. The nation ran on love and togetherness, not division. But the very specific new thing could divide the nation. More mares, fewer stallions. Maybe more mares with non-ponies, which would be fine, but the face of the whole nation would change so much... Applejack looked at her sheet of paper and her stamps. It wasn't just an abstract future she was voting on. She was voting on her own future foals. Her foals with Dash. That made a real difference. All the thinking in the world wouldn't change that fact. Her heart and her gut had to join her head to make sure she didn't make a mistake... but in the end, it was about foals and her future, and Dash. She inked one stamp and thumped it down solidly on the paper. Head, heart, gut. Decided. Juror #2Rainbow Dash had taken her place in Twilight's basement laboratory, which was a nice, tucked-away space that could be counted on as a decent reading room. She was surrounded by egghead stuff, but that didn't really matter. It didn't distract her. She laid the paper out on the table, set the stamp pad down and prepared to make her decision. She thought fast, she acted fast, she finished fast. She was so ready to stamp the paper. Her stamp was in her hoof, inked and hovering over the page. But no matter how much she wanted to indulge her usual mad speed she knew she couldn't. It was too important a decision to just go without a thought. Her thoughtlessness had already hurt AJ once. And this was something that affected AJ personally. Thinking was not really her forte. She was an action mare, and always had been. She acted on instinct and passion, zooming through life with force and might. It had worked out well for her. The brute-force approach had gotten her to an awesome place! An awesome place... through a relationship with Gilda that had been mostly puke, bullying and angry sex. Through pointless relationships that hadn't even gotten to the angry sex. Through hurting AJ. Hurting. AJ. That ignored all the physical hurts of her head-down slamming though her life. Her injured wings, her wind burn, her road-rash, cuts, gigantic bruises... cost of doing business, being the best. But some days... The physical harm got her to the good places, the Sonic Rainbooms, the trophies, the prestige, the Wonderbolts induction. It worked out. The emotional harm was what caused all the problems. Zipping through without thought, taking the most expedient path without regard to the consequences had nearly ruined everything. Hay, she wouldn't have Tank either, on further reflection. The matter before them needed an egghead's careful consideration. And she could do that too. She liked reading, that was an egghead thing to do. True it was mostly Daring Do but still, it was reading. Daring Do had had many offers of making a dam out of her, from many exotic species, including one-off magical creatures and even a creepy, creepy offer from Ahuizotl. She was firmly in the Herpy Do camp, which did not help at all. There were all kinds of weird magical powers that could have put a child in her belly using any of the potential females. Had she been leaning that way she would have taken the opportunity in a heartbeat. No hesitation, no consideration, just having a foal via the magic available. That was certainly a good way to do it. But Daring wasn't real. She could do it and be the only one. It could remain her and only her. In the real world, with the six of them others would see it and might want it for themselves. And though the details were fuzzy, there was something about fewer and fewer males, which was unfair to the mares that liked them. And also something about more hate for Colt Cuddlers which was way wrong. Colt Cuddlers could be cool dudes and they always made lots of donations, so they really helped Filly Foolers a lot. She had been fine with doing things the usual way. But she had actually thought about the identity of the donor. She wasn't thinking about the anonymous donors at the banks. She was seriously thinking about an Apple as a donor. It wasn't supposed to matter. Legally and socially it sure didn't. But she had no doubt that it would be so much better to have an Apple foal with donation from an Apple. The new process, however all the egghead stuff worked, would make the sire of her foal AJ. A dream come true. Having AJ be the sire, and being sire of AJ's foal... that idea was immediately appealing. Thoughtlessness reigned in that case. There wasn't anything wrong with being thoughtless now and again. It could work, when it didn't involve something to hurt somepony else. She wasn't out to hurt the world. She just wanted a foal and wanted AJ to have a foal. With her mind resolved to the decision she picked up the stamp, inked it, and slammed it down with the passionate force she had intended to at the very start of her consideration. Juror #4Fluttershy nervously paced back and forth in the odd space that was the library's second floor. It was a mostly-open space that seemed to be used as a staging area for the small upper loft, Twilight's bedroom area, which was the real focus of the place. The second floor had hardly any reason to be there, it could have just been a straight shot to the bedroom, or that could have been larger. With a squeak and start Fluttershy realized she was intentionally thinking about trivialities rather than focusing on the real issue. She could do that. She was the world champion. That and 'Shh' were her fortes. Not seeing the important and not making a sound, that was her thing. A quiet creature that wanted almost nothing to do with anything that could be considered vital. She wasn't just a doormat, she was practically a cipher. It wasn't her place to judge an important matter, something which could impact the future of the nation and all the citizens therein. Her place was caring for woodland creatures and trying to keep Angel from destroying her home. That was... another way of avoiding the real problem. Angel could be good and kind, and often was, but he still had his moods and moments of mischief. The real solution would be to teach him how to be a good bunny, at all times. But she merely went around, cleaning up his messes and making excuses for his moments of weakness. It was her weakness in the end. She wasn't to blame for the things that happened, but she still had some share of the fault. Not dealing with things head-on created problems. It was like King Minos had tried to teach her. 'Maybes are for babies.' 'If somepony tries to block, show them you rock.' She could change any situation if she faced it. She could... if she thought it would be worth it. Somewhere within her she was very aware of the fact. She wouldn't like a perfect, cleanly-mannered Angel. He wouldn't be Angel, he'd be some bunny she didn't recognize. He didn't mean to hurt anything, she knew. He was just a rambunctious buck who could be good and bad. It wasn't anything wrong with him. He only needed the kind of guidance she offered him at all times. Love and understanding. The question before her needed love and understanding, in some sense. She couldn't cuddle the question and give it a spank on the tushie when it was misbehaving, but she could look on the whole thing with her usual care and concern. It was about what it meant for the nation and ponies. Mares were happy with how things worked. Filly foolers, the law, the others around accepted donor births, accepted the parentage technicalities. Mothers were mothers, however the genetics worked out. There were cards and kisses aplenty, no matter what. All her life she had considered the question of what kind of mother she would make, by birth or marriage, or both depending on how many foals were involved. The question of sire, on any level, had never mattered. She considered, however, the option had never existed, or been a consideration that had any relevance. It was impossible to consider the question of concepts that simply didn't exist. Now that there was some question it really made her consider. A foal, a little filly, that would be a mix of herself and Rarity, the only mare she had ever latched onto romantically, the core of her adoration. It was a wonderful thought. They could hold a little filly who was half her and half Rarity. They could have foals the usual way, they could keep them close and love them and it would be wonderful. A filly or a colt could come of that, one of the bigger considerations she had been avoiding. Having foals didn't just impact her, it impacted the land. She didn't want there to be fewer stallions. She liked the ones she knew. Big Macintosh was very nice and polite, Mister Davenport had such a funny way about him when trying to sell her quills or a sofa, Mister Breezy was quite nice about adding extra wires to keep small critters out of the fans he sold her. She would hate to see the number decline because of something she did. She wasn't supposed to be a doormat, but she had learned about moderation from King Minos as well. She couldn't just force her way on the rest of the world. That would hardly be in keeping with her way. Like trying to change Angel would be bad, trying to change herself too much would simply put a stranger in her skin. She had to get what she really wanted, but likewise not beat the rest of the ponies in the world with what she chose. There were moderate solutions. Fluttershy timidly opened the stamp pad and vacillated between her two options for a moment. She had her decision, yet didn't quite have it. She knew what would be right, but wasn't sure she could really make that choice. Stamping the paper meant she had actually chosen to do something, and not just look aside and be quiet. However, it was the right thing to do and nothing would stop her from that. She inked her chosen stamp and carefully pressed it to the paper. Juror #5Pinkie Pie had chosen the perfect spot for her consideration. The kitchen. She had spiced up Twilight's small, utilitarian kitchen with more appropriate contents, including a larger refrigerator and freezer, more shelf and cupboard space, a mixer, a larger oven, a larger utensil set and a much, much bigger supply of ready ingredients. She didn't mean to subtly take over Twilight's home in that way, but Twilight was nice about it, and actually appreciated the change. Plus, Pinkie had added the large private bathroom to Sugarcube Corner for their private use. Her paper and stamps were all but forgotten, set aside for the much more important task of mixing up batter for a cake. Just a small cake, of course. Three layers, nothing too crazy. Just a 'We made a decision!' cake, or possibly a 'We didn't make a decision!' cake. She had everything covered, she could write really, really fast, right before bringing the cake out. All she needed was the right frosting plus something that stood out for the letters. A tiny, little thought started tickling at the back of her mind. It was different from the little tickles that became Pinkie Sense twitches. This was her own brain reminding her she had a serious thing to remember. Not cake recipes, not frosting recipes, not cake construction, not adhesion capability, or calculations of structural stress and material strength. She had to remember the question that had sent her into seclusion with the somewhat-forgotten paper and stamps. While the whisk whipped through the batter Pinkie had to struggle to understand what was being asked. She always did her best to hide it behind comedy and distractions but she was not very well-educated. She was raised in the Cannonite community and was not very focused on what education she had gotten. Even getting her liberty she had never needed much education. She had a certain practical knowledge that she used in her job, but not the kind of deep and sophisticated knowledge that Twilight had. She wasn't stupid, and Twilight had worked hard to make her even smarter. A night of making love almost seemed like a day in a classroom. The little whispers that Twilight made as they were intimate were very educational, to say nothing of the actual lessons that Twilight gave now and then. It was good all that had happened. According to Twilight an educated voting population was the backbone of a successful nation. She had to cast a vote and needed all the intelligence she could get. If she voted 'yes' to having Twilight's babies things could be bad. But if she voted 'no' to having Twilight's babies it might make her sad, and Pinkie would surely be sad too. She had been raised to know that the sire was the father, like her own father. She knew that the law and society looked at the other mother as the sire, and she accepted it, like with some of the mares that came into Sugarcube Corner. She did too. Dinky's sire was Carrot Top, Pinchy's sire was Colgate. But she had a chance to make it more than just something everypony understood. Twilight and her, combined into one. But... only fillies. No colts. She had always thought about having one of each, or even more. She only had sisters, and always wondered what it would have been like to have had a brother. She'd want her own children to have siblings of different genders. But... she'd really love to have a baby with Twilight. A baby that was part Twilight and part her. They deserved to have a mix of the two of them. The combination would be wonderful. There were other concerns, about stallions, and colt cuddlers being treated badly. She had missed most of it. But she didn't want that! Gustave LeGrand and Donut Joe were both colt cuddlers. They made the most adorable couple and made really good food together. She did want them to get hurt by anything, even on accident. And she liked having stallions around, it meant she could throw different kinds of parties. She put all of the focus she could muster into the consideration of what she could understand from all the long speeches and explanations that Twilight had given her. She had to distill the points down to shorter and easier thoughts but she was really considering them. No colts, but she could have Twilight's foal, and Twilight could have hers. If the rest of the Principality really, really wanted to do it it might make there be fewer stallions and make things bad for colt cuddlers. Pinkie did her usual multitasking, pouring the cake batter out and sliding the cake pans into the oven, measuring out the powdered sugar for the frosting and looking over her piece of paper. She picked up a stamp, sifted together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, inked the stamp, chopped the butter and stamped her ballot. Juror #6Twilight lounged around on her bed, looking out of the window at the lovely moon, and the sparkling stars. Her mind grew slower as she watched the peaceful scene. Normally she prided herself on a mile-a-minute mind and complex, interacting thoughts that traced a hundred paths between different elements. It had served her well in academia, letting her write large dissertations or to connect distantly related elements in ways that sparked thought and hearty discussion. However, there was a different consideration in play for the new question. She didn't need a fast decision, she needed a careful one. Thought could, in theory, be both fast and cautious, but only as an average of the speed and care taken. She didn't want to sacrifice any care at all, not when it colored the future for so many that extended so far beyond herself. She had been thinking on the question since Princess Celestia had posed the notion to her, and given her the responsibility to check the reactions of the other Element-bearers. They needed to be informed voters, making sensible decisions based on rational evidence. She had given them all the data she could have, along with all the possibilities. It seemed confusing but the truly important matters were seldom very simple. The complex interactions of society and biology had many implications. The idea had been suggested to downplay the option, and promote the traditional donation system, as well as perform spermatozoa selection to increase male birthrates. That felt dishonest. It had been floated as the most desperate option, and undertaken with more transparency, with the encouragements announced with earnestness and the good of all asked for consideration. In some ways it was very like what she was asking of the other girls, without the need for absolute unanimity. 'The other girls...' Twilight thought, rolling onto her back. She thought she was being big-hearted and equal, by asking them for their opinions and asking for a unanimous decision. She never even considered that one might have wanted it while the other didn't. She could have been inviting conflicts. Given their need for unity it was hardly wise to invite chaos into their interactions. She couldn't have simply let them remain ignorant, especially after she had been instructed to get the opinions of the others and find if they wanted to use the traditional method or a new one. She also had to let them know about the potential future cases of filly fooler reproduction that could be a less-magical version of what was being offered to them. They had the capacity to understand what everything meant, at least on some level, and that was what mattered most. The considerations of state, the pressures of history, the eyes of the multitude... they all paled in comparison to the thought of her sweet little cookbook. She had to try and guess what Pinkie was thinking, even if the vote was anonymous she did not want to be voting against what her sweetheart wanted. “Emotionalism... I was once smitten with mares who paid attention to me because I was so inexperienced and just wanted that closeness. I closed myself off after I became focused on more important matters. Now, with Pinkie, I could never think of anything but her heart and feelings,” Twilight said to herself, staring at her ceiling. There was a photograph of herself and Pinkie blown up to poster size and placed there. There was also a lingering flour mark near it, that curved in the shape of... Pinkie's flank. The slight extra size identified it, not that she was far behind. Twilight blushed as she thought of it. From chaste but shallow fixations, to complete asexuality to a burning passion infused with pure love. That passionate love was driving the thought of having children someday. From the first instant that Pinkie had brought up the subject Twilight's response had only ever been 'yes.' An enthusiastic 'yes.' She had considered and dismissed her brother as a donor, for political reasons, which was a general tradition among those that had brothers. She had then started compiling an ideal list of traits that would be required of donors, for both of their purposes. She had barely begun before she stopped. It was just plain wrong to even consider it. That was entirely opposite to the way things were meant to work. Donors were generally anonymous, in every respect, including race and age. Some exceptions were made, such as pegasi being the only option in cloud cities, but otherwise the process was intended to maintain the sociolegal tradition of the non-dam mare as the sire of the foal. Other information was sometimes available but it was generally frowned upon. In the wake of the Vault's Vale incident the OCFG had looked into rumors of 'designer foals' being desired by Randomoids. Reproduction was a complicated subject, and would get more so with the lack of a need for males. Medically-trained unicorns would monopolize things, if no thaumatomechanical means were developed. Hybrids would retain males, however, as would non-ponies, allowing for some hope for stabilization while the tech techniques and technology were sorted out. Government campaigns would likely make the option even more attractive and open the idea to a wider audience, not that there was much in the way of resistance. “I just want to play 'Catacombs and Creatures' with Pinkie, write my papers, pad my CV and get grants,” Twilight lamented, rubbing her hooves over her eyes. She had abdicated her honor throne because of Pinkie and a discomfort with political headaches. Just one more stood in her way, and it was, as Pinkie would say, a doozy. No matter what, she could get back to the life, and mare, she loved with one mark. Still covering her eyes, and still only half-sure, he reached out with her magic, felt out the right stamp and firmly pressed it to the ink pad. She held open her paper, heaved a sigh and brought down the inked stamp with the hard force of a judge's gavel. The Verdict“So... here we are again,” Twilight said, with an air of heavy gravity. She was back down in the main area of the library, the other girls arranged around her, all of them looking seriously at a blue vase, into which they had just put their stamped slips of paper. “This is it. A very august and critical-” “Cake!” Pinkie interrupted, wheeling out a decently-sized cake, a two-layer step-type cake covered in pink and purple buttercream frosting. “Pinkie...” Twilight glared at Pinkie for a moment, her expression softening on seeing the cheery smile on Pinkie's face. “At least wait until we have some kind of answer. Then your party will make more sense.” “Oooh! Yea, that makes sense!” Pinkie chirped, hopping over to the assembly and taking a seat. “Come on, let's get this over with!” Dash clopped her hoof on the desk, wings repeatedly flexing in agitation. “Calm yer jet stream, sugarcube,” Applejack chided, lightly nudging Dash's side. “Ah'm about as worked up as a one-legged hare in an alligator pond, but ah can wait it out.” “Oh that poor hare...” Fluttershy said softly, snuggling in against Rarity. “I know I'd sure be nervous about that. I know I'm always nervous, but this is even more nerve-wracking.” “There, there, darling, do no fret,” Rarity said, nuzzling against Fluttershy's ear. “All Twilight need do is read off our votes and then we may enjoy one of Pinkie's delightful soirees.” “Right...” Twilight levitated the vase over to her and took a deep breath. “Remember... it has to be unanimous. Even a tie is a 'no.' It all comes down to this.” “Then do it already!” Dash cried. “The suspense is killing me!” One paper slowly lifted out of the vase and unfolded, visible to all of them. Six heads crowded in and Twilight read the word printed out loud. “'Aye.'” The paper sped away into the fireplace, quickly consumed by the blaze within. “What was that for?” Dash asked, her wings twitching all the faster. “We can't let them remain, not if some forensic trace or other indications could reveal who cast it,” Twilight replied, lifting out another slip and opening it up. “'Aye.'” The fire consumed the second slip and Applejack pushed down Dash's wings. “Y'all got yerself all worked up. This ain't no big thing.” “Then why is your hoof twitching?” Dash retorted. “Because yer makin' me nervous, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. Twilight had already removed the next slip. “'Aye.'” Rarity fell back onto her fainting couch as the paper burned, in the most melodramatic pose she could muster. “Goodness, the suspense! What are the odds we would draw such a sequence?” “Does it look like mah sister-ta-be 'r mah brother 're here?” Applejack grumped, seeming to be failing in her mission to keep Dash's wings still. “I was only asking a simple question,” Rarity said, with a bounce of her mane. “'Aye,'” Twilight said, ignoring the bickering and going on with her reading. She sent the paper into the fireplace and wiped her brow. “T-twilight, do you need me to get you something to drink?” Fluttershy asked, nervously stepping from hoof to hoof, barely showing half of an eye from behind her mane. “It's almost over. Almost over...” Twilight said, lifting out the fifth paper. “'Aye.'” “Looks like I know what kind of cake we need to have,” Pinkie said cheerfully, whipping a few pastry bags from seemingly nowhere and starting to write out positive messages on the surface of the cake. Twilight burned the fifth paper and lifted out the last one. “You never know. The odds are vanishingly small that this will be negative. But improbable things happen all the time.” “Like the banana incident?” Pinkie asked. “Err... yes... like the banana incident,” Twilight responded, a huge blush coloring her cheeks. “The... 'banana incident?'” Applejack asked, eyes quickly passing from the smiling Pinkie to the blushing Twilight. “That's not important right now!” Twilight asserted, trying to speak with a normal tone, but with far more volume than was necessary. “Ahem... I mean, that strays from the point. We need to resolve... this.” She unfolded the last paper and showed it off. “'Aye.'” The six mares stared as the last paper was consumed by the fire. The die was cast. Serious looks rested on five faces. Pinkie was her usual unperturbed self. She was putting the finishing touches on her celebratory cake. She had embellished the top tier with, of all things, marzipan figurines of her and her friends. All of them were dressed in carved marzipan wedding gowns, and snuggled up together in proper couples. “Don't look so sad! This is a party! We all agreed on this!” Twilight slid over to Pinkie's side, looking at the figure of herself and Pinkie. They were quite lifelike, and painted nicely in food coloring. Marriage and babies, coming soon. A very exciting and delightful proposition. A smile grew on her face. Pinkie, as ever, had that mysterious and wonderful power over all ponies. “Pinkie's right. This is a party. We should all smile!” Rarity rose off of her couch and softly nudged Fluttershy. “Twilight is correct. Come, darling, we should get a slice of that delicious cake. We have made a decision. And however it may come out, we must never be afraid of decisions that we have made and cannot undo. We would only be filled with fear.” “I already have enough of that,” Fluttershy said quietly, pressing into Rarity's side, sheltering herself in her marefriend's confidence. “I know that whatever happens, we have each other. That's enough for me.” “They're all right. We sweated it out long enough making the decision. Now we get to relax and enjoy it,” Dash said. “We need some tunes in here. Hey Twilight, can you still get DJ Pon-3 or did you lose that ability when you stopped being a princess?” Applejack whacked Dash across the flanks with her hat and shook her head with an exasperated expression. “Sugarcube... what am ah gonna do with ya? Can't ya ever be civil, fer once in yer whole life?” “You love it and you know it,” Dash teased, slipping in for a kiss. “Ah love it, but ah ain't gonna like it,” Applejack said, pecking Dash on the lips. She then pushed Dash away with a grin. “Now ya go put some music on. Ya wants it, ya does it. That's how we do on the farm, and yer sure gonna learn how it works before ya join up with the Apples.” “Right, right, I know..." Dash said with a slight scowl, mirth twinkling in her eyes. While the impromptu party began behind her, Twilight took up a quill and a scroll, scribbling out a letter to be sent in the morning. Dear Princess Celestia, Summary of findings on the question of non-standard Filly Fooler reproduction: The vote was 'Aye.' The decision reached was unanimous and not contentious. The decision was reached independently with private considerations and no pressure form any side. After marriage and some period of time we will be needing some kind of combination. I thank you for letting us be aware of this, and for offering the opportunity. We will all be looking forward to this chance. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Giving the matter some consideration, and with the party atmosphere putting a smile on her face she finished off the letter by adding, -Pie. Juror #3Rarity looked out over the edge of the balcony in which she had been sequestered, watching the Ponyville night through the subtle protective haze of the magical bubble that stopped unwanted entry and obtrusive sounds, letting all judge the question in security and relative silence. It seemed such a basic question that she had been tempted to simply mark her ballot in the first instant then wait for all the rest to come to the sensible conclusion. There was a certain propriety to life, a general flow that informed all the ways and works of ponies. But as her magic held her stamp over the paper, her mind stopped her and made her consider. She knew the legal, social and psychological reality of how things worked. But some twinge, from somewhere deep within, thought about the potential of having a child that was hers, actually hers. Not merely hers by rights of issuing from Fluttershy after marriage. Such a selfish idea. But... if the child was hers, hers by reasons of actual genetics, born of her own womb, the child would not be Fluttershy's, by the same token and for the same reason. Selfishness and selflessness were at war, without being truly rancorous. But the confusion it stirred in her made her sit down hard. She was no base and avaricious Randomoid. She repudiated their reprehensible and covetous ideology with all due vehemence and passion. As she sometimes ran in the circles that could be corrupted by such foolishness she ever kept her eyes open to make note of any genuine and unmistakable hint of such, having resolved to report any such thing to an Officer of the Cult-Finder General without hesitation. But her socialist leaning, natural for every pony, could not ignore the idea that it might be good to have a child that was the full genetic mix of herself and Fluttershy. She knew, deep inside, she would never love any foal less than completely, of her womb or no. But she wondered what it would be like, to see both mixed together, a daughter of two mothers and from their line without need of legalities saying it was so. She caught herself again. She had never thought like that before. She had also never been offered an option before. The fact that the thoughts disturbed her buoyed her spirit and made her feel secure in her sanity and proper socialization. It was just curiosity. And care. Care for Fluttershy. Surely Fluttershy would also love a child of both of them. Excuses. She was trying to basely push her thoughts onto her own marefriend. She almost wanted to turn herself into the OCFG for doing such a thing. The thoughts were natural but felt so wrong. There was nothing wrong with the system as it was, and it ensured gender diversity besides. They could not just rely on cross-breeders to make males. It wasn't her responsibility to do so alone. But she was part of the community, and as was well known the community relied on the interactions of all members within. Her actions had effects. She could not be selfish, but she was not expected to never do anything for herself. All sensible ponies knew the lesson, forgotten by Randomoids, that decisions had to be considered carefully and rationally, to balance the interests of self and others. It was well known that some selfish or at least self-considering decision could help others. To rise as others were raised. Like a Changeling nurturing love and community so they could feed, self-serving and community-serving, and well-respected by the whole of the principality. It all came down to the effect of the decision she might make. Would either decision help or hurt anypony besides helping or hurting her? If she chose one side would she always wonder about the other? That could happen in any choice. She could not live her life looking backwards at every choice. Her curiosity was strong, her love of nation was strong. She wanted to do the right thing, to do what she liked, with a mind to her responsibility to the community that surrounded, scaffolded and supported her every step. She was not afraid of her thoughts, because they were the usual thoughts of duty and consequence, but made starker, on a subject more emotional and immediate than most. Rarity stared at her blank sheet of paper and the two stamps for a long, long time, trying to read the future in the empty page, while the stamps each acted like totems of their potential impact. She could mark the very future of the nation, and she would not think she could hide behind the decisions of the others. She bore a not-insignificant share of responsibility. An equal portion. Her magic flared, hesitantly raising one of the stamps. She gingerly inked it and very lightly impressed it onto the paper. She hoped that the future would be kind to her for her choice, and that she had done what was right for herself and for all that stood around making the world which she adored.
The Facts of the Matter“Thanks for coming girls. I know this was very short notice but I... well, it was important.” Twilight Sparkle stood by the door to the library as her friends entered. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy filed past in various states of confusion. Pinkie Pie was already there, setting out baked goods and hot cocoa. “It was very unusual, but a lady is always prepared for eventualities,” Rarity said with a casual flip of her mane. She looked around for a moment and then said, “Twilight, where has our little Spike gone? It's a bit late for him to be out. Oh my, has he located a mare to take him around?” Twilight laughed softly, a little of her tension dissolving. “No. I gave him a little free time. I sent him up to Canterlot with some petty cash and a list of nice places to go. Mostly he'll be settled in a high fourth terrace bed and breakfast feeling very mature because he's not just hanging around the palace. He'll probably wander around and stare at mares then head up to eat at Joe et Gustave's.” “Oh how pleasant. It'll be good for him to relax for a few days,” Fluttershy said, standing demurely beside Rarity. “Yea, never mind that, why did you call us here?” Rainbow Dash was already sitting at the main table with a cup of cocoa and a cupcake. Applejack gave Dash a quick whip with her tail and a scowl. “Rainbow Dash, have some manners! You are a guest in this house...” “It's a library, not a house, AJ,” Dash said, with a cheeky grin. “It is also Twilight's house, and part time house for Pinkie, not that ah'm sayin' anything about that,” AJ said, with a light blush. “But keep a civil tongue in yer head and thank Twilight fer invitin' us before ya go blabbing about demandin' answers.” “Sorry, AJ,” Dash said, looking contrite. “Thanks for having us over, Twilight. Now why did you invite us over here?” Applejack gave and exasperated sigh and hugged Dash tightly. “Dang it's a good thing yer cute, sugarcube.” “Everypony have a seat around here and get some snacks and cocoa,” Pinkie said, taking up her own glass and treat, a cupcake in Twilight's colors. “Twilight told me about this and it's really a doozy.” The mares all gathered around the table and sat down, taking a steaming cup and a sweet treat. Twilight looked around at all of them and licked her dry lips. She hadn't been so nervous since she had abdicated her alicornhood. “I just heard news from Princess Celestia. There is something... new. Something scientific.” “Leave it to the egghead,” Dash muttered into her cocoa. A tail flick from AJ made her look over with a grin, “Chillax, I mean it as a compliment.” “It is... being kept very quiet. There are some very good reasons for that. First of all, the research has been halted before anything big came out of it, mostly for standard reviews of everything that has happened so far. Secondly, the implications of it would be quite... far-reaching. And it opens up a lot of new possibilities. More than for anypony else... for us.” “Well don't jes keep us waitin', tell us what the big fuss is,” Applejack said, sipping on her cocoa and eating an apple fritter. “Yes, yes. This mystery is most unbecoming,” Rarity concurred. Twilight tapped nervously at the table, looking over the other five. “They have begun an effective program to take unfertilized ova from two mares and, using a thaumatomedical procedure similar to the natural process in parthenogenic creatures, combine them.” A sea of blank stares met her. “That sounds... nice,” Fluttershy said, with an encouraging smile that nonetheless spoke of not understanding. “Yea, sugarcube, that sounds like a ring-tailed tooter of a thing. Good for them there science folks in Canterlot,” Applejack added, toasting Twilight awkwardly. “'Parthenogenesis' literally means virgin birth. In a scientific sense it refers to giving birth without... sexual intercourse...” Twilight blushed a bit, as did Fluttershy. Rarity hid a smile behind a hoof, while Applejack, Dash and Pinkie Pie just grinned. “It is a kind of asexual reproduction, but... far more complex. I barely studied it myself, it's pure biology without much in the way of magical interference. It's found in some simple creatures, some insects, a few sharks, and a small number of lizards, including a rather well-studied desert lizard that has what can be called Filly Foolers, in a sense. So... scientists are working on... combining eggs. With science and magic. And making... children.” A silence descended on four of the mares. Pinkie was lightly humming to herself as she enjoyed her cupcake. She had already heard the news, after all. Surprisingly, Dash was the first one to speak. “Children? You mean... they can make foals... from two mares?” “The research suggest it is possible,” Twilight said. “The processes in natural parthenogenesis are complex; using magic to replicate them involves a lot of experimentation, and needs to be carefully managed to prevent any defects or other similar. But... they are on track.” Applejack, after coming out of her shock, asked, “So... if they ain't got it done... why are ya tellin' us about it? Jes get the word yerself an' y'all wanted ta share?” “Because... I was looking into the scientific journals, just as light reading, and I started thinking about the future... about me and Pinkie. Pinkie only has sisters, and my brother is no longer technically a citizen of Equestria. The laws of the Imperium are similar but there is no agreement about cross-border matters, especially with a member of royalty. Donation is always an option, it was always going to be the option. And then I talked about the research papers with Princess Celestia... she said there was something else. She and Luna have a power that can take eggs and magical essence and... with their powers over orderliness make two foals, one of each race of the mothers.” The silence returned, broken by Fluttershy who asked, “Have they done it a lot?” “Not a lot. But they have. Usually as some kind of secret reward for some great service. We have earned it. Or we could wait for this new technology. The question is complicated. Don't you see how this could change the world?” Twilight asked, looking seriously at the five. “No need for donation unless it is desired. The laws would be rendered obsolete. But on the other side, males would become less common, except for species with more even percentages.” “I can only imagine. Fewer males, a less diverse client list, fewer partners for pure Populators... perhaps even more negativity towards Colt Cuddlers! Scandalous!” Rarity gasped, summoning her fainting couch. As a more dramatic touch she grabbed Fluttershy, falling onto the couch with her. “There is something that could be done. There is a way to select spermatozoa to get a Y-chromosome-containing one. The male population could be increased to offset the female population climb. Or biological magic could be advanced to temporarily change mares into stallions. Another thing the princesses can do, to allow dams to be sires for each other. The options aren't important. What matters is that we, unlike the rest of the nation, have these options. And the princesses want to know if that's okay,” Twilight said, slowly taking a seat. “What's wrong with it?” Dash asked, casually shrugging her shoulders. “It's not like we're going to ruin the world or anything. We're responsible and stuff.” She ate her treats, ignoring the fall of crumbs all over. “Things will change, they always have. But there are two things to think about. First, if this kind of progress is good or should be quietly set aside and ignored. And secondly, maybe more importantly, if we should accept these options. We're not exactly hidden. It might be very apparent what has happened. Sure, we're just engaged, not married yet, but we will be. And after marriage comes birth. Would doing this be... wrong? It's not traditional, and might get too many questions or even make others think we're better than them. Would it be arrogant?” Twilight nibbled on her cupcake and stared deeply into her cup of cocoa. Soft chatter passed between the others, mostly of a confused tone. “Uh, Twi? If'n it is 'r ain't... don't got nothing ta do with us needin' ta gather. Jes one-a them there 'academic' questions ah hear mah brother's fiancee talk about, usually with Zecora. Ah swear them two get on like apples an' carrots. They're gonna bring a powerful lotta learnin' ta the family,” Applejack mused. She noted a glare drilling into the side of her head and gave a sheepish chuckle, “Not that ya ain't bringin' that too, sugarcube, but ya bring more... uh, radicalness! Ah think that's what ya say.” Dash leaned in and kissed Applejack on the cheek. “And awesomeness and coolness. And my big ol' brain too. Yea, I feel sorry for Smarty Pants and Zecora. I bring the whole package.” “Yea, ya bring a whole lotta stuff, Dash,” Applejack said with a playful eyeroll. “We're very important, and what we do matters more than most ponies. There's a lot riding on this. Does the impression outweigh it. Does it even matter at all? The old ways have worked fine. There's no shame in it. Princess Celestia actually asked me to ask you all this. To think about it. And vote on it. We'll go off and think, mark down a decision and then see,” Twilight levitated out six identical pieces of paper, distributing them evenly. She then passed out six stamp pads and twelve stamps. “Identical paper, ink colors and stamps. One says 'aye,' one says 'nay.' It has to be unanimous, and anonymous. If we do this... we're breaking a lot of traditions, and might spark curiosity for something... I don't even know what to think of it all. But for right now, this is just for and about us.” Once the materials were distributed all six mares moved on to different parts of the library, soundproofing fields going up to leave them alone with their thoughts.
Juror #1Applejack trotted around in her little space, which was a tucked-away corner of the main library. The book spines looked down at her and offered nothing. She never really relied on books unless she absolutely had to. She led with her heart and her gut and came out right most of the time. “Zecora...” They had all been wrong. Twilight had warned them, until they all got to Twilight. They had followed their hearts and guts deep into the Everfree and came back with nothing but a tale of how wrong they could be. Plus her little sister had met the mare that would become an Apple someday. The heart won when the gut was wrong. But the head had been the rightest one of all. The choices they made could have all kinds of consequences, ones they never could even predict. Like she had never expected that wandering into the Everfree in pursuit of an evil enchantress would bring a new sister-in-law and give her little sister a brand new path in life. But they didn't always work out. She had followed her heart, her good intentions, to hide her shame and keep her promises, running away from Canterlot to Miss Jubilee. She had thought that only hard work and stoic acceptance of her fate would make things right. That was the family way. The traditional way. 'Tradition.' That was a big word. It was the biggest word in her family. It was the most vital thing. She had violated it before, to her chagrin. The Family Reunion had been a disaster, all because she broke tradition when it made perfect sense. She had been wrong the whole time and had to learn the hard way by seeing the price of her failure. That had been terrible, but instructive. But the price of being wrong on this idea, if Twilight and Rarity were to be believed, would harm the entire nation, if not, perhaps, destroy it eventually. That was a high price to pay for an experiment that threw off tradition. Things had always worked out well. Filly Foolers and Populators making foals by the methods they always had. That was the way. Filly Foolers. Populators. Colt Cuddlers. They existed too. Tradition looked down on them, but that wasn't right. She didn't really know any, of course, not personally. She knew that nice Mister Pierce to say 'howdy' to, and knew that his beau seemed like a nice fellow. There were traditions about Roa, and now Missus Cheerilee was one, and was a perfectly good and kind mare, as ever. No matter what Granny had said against Toola the first day she was in town, they were good folks. Her family was more than ponies and zebras, but that wasn't tradition. Granny broke and accepted a buffalo into the family, and Little Strongheart's talents made them all look good. Then her brother came home with that lovely Miss Smarty Pants, smart, sweet, and so in love with Big Macintosh. Donkeys were not traditionally loved, buffalo neither. Not in the Apple family. There were no other non-ponies in the family. But even if there was a griffin, or Changeling or Diamond Dog in the future on some branch, the new tradition would be followed, rather than the old. Traditions could change. They sure weren't always right. They could be, they could start out right. But they could also start out wrong and stay wrong. That was the way of the heart and guts. Brains could think about what a tradition said. And while it could feel disrespectful to question some traditions, it couldn't hurt to ask questions about things that could hurt ponies, or buffalo or donkeys. The nation ran on love and togetherness, not division. But the very specific new thing could divide the nation. More mares, fewer stallions. Maybe more mares with non-ponies, which would be fine, but the face of the whole nation would change so much... Applejack looked at her sheet of paper and her stamps. It wasn't just an abstract future she was voting on. She was voting on her own future foals. Her foals with Dash. That made a real difference. All the thinking in the world wouldn't change that fact. Her heart and her gut had to join her head to make sure she didn't make a mistake... but in the end, it was about foals and her future, and Dash. She inked one stamp and thumped it down solidly on the paper. Head, heart, gut. Decided.
Juror #2Rainbow Dash had taken her place in Twilight's basement laboratory, which was a nice, tucked-away space that could be counted on as a decent reading room. She was surrounded by egghead stuff, but that didn't really matter. It didn't distract her. She laid the paper out on the table, set the stamp pad down and prepared to make her decision. She thought fast, she acted fast, she finished fast. She was so ready to stamp the paper. Her stamp was in her hoof, inked and hovering over the page. But no matter how much she wanted to indulge her usual mad speed she knew she couldn't. It was too important a decision to just go without a thought. Her thoughtlessness had already hurt AJ once. And this was something that affected AJ personally. Thinking was not really her forte. She was an action mare, and always had been. She acted on instinct and passion, zooming through life with force and might. It had worked out well for her. The brute-force approach had gotten her to an awesome place! An awesome place... through a relationship with Gilda that had been mostly puke, bullying and angry sex. Through pointless relationships that hadn't even gotten to the angry sex. Through hurting AJ. Hurting. AJ. That ignored all the physical hurts of her head-down slamming though her life. Her injured wings, her wind burn, her road-rash, cuts, gigantic bruises... cost of doing business, being the best. But some days... The physical harm got her to the good places, the Sonic Rainbooms, the trophies, the prestige, the Wonderbolts induction. It worked out. The emotional harm was what caused all the problems. Zipping through without thought, taking the most expedient path without regard to the consequences had nearly ruined everything. Hay, she wouldn't have Tank either, on further reflection. The matter before them needed an egghead's careful consideration. And she could do that too. She liked reading, that was an egghead thing to do. True it was mostly Daring Do but still, it was reading. Daring Do had had many offers of making a dam out of her, from many exotic species, including one-off magical creatures and even a creepy, creepy offer from Ahuizotl. She was firmly in the Herpy Do camp, which did not help at all. There were all kinds of weird magical powers that could have put a child in her belly using any of the potential females. Had she been leaning that way she would have taken the opportunity in a heartbeat. No hesitation, no consideration, just having a foal via the magic available. That was certainly a good way to do it. But Daring wasn't real. She could do it and be the only one. It could remain her and only her. In the real world, with the six of them others would see it and might want it for themselves. And though the details were fuzzy, there was something about fewer and fewer males, which was unfair to the mares that liked them. And also something about more hate for Colt Cuddlers which was way wrong. Colt Cuddlers could be cool dudes and they always made lots of donations, so they really helped Filly Foolers a lot. She had been fine with doing things the usual way. But she had actually thought about the identity of the donor. She wasn't thinking about the anonymous donors at the banks. She was seriously thinking about an Apple as a donor. It wasn't supposed to matter. Legally and socially it sure didn't. But she had no doubt that it would be so much better to have an Apple foal with donation from an Apple. The new process, however all the egghead stuff worked, would make the sire of her foal AJ. A dream come true. Having AJ be the sire, and being sire of AJ's foal... that idea was immediately appealing. Thoughtlessness reigned in that case. There wasn't anything wrong with being thoughtless now and again. It could work, when it didn't involve something to hurt somepony else. She wasn't out to hurt the world. She just wanted a foal and wanted AJ to have a foal. With her mind resolved to the decision she picked up the stamp, inked it, and slammed it down with the passionate force she had intended to at the very start of her consideration.
Juror #4Fluttershy nervously paced back and forth in the odd space that was the library's second floor. It was a mostly-open space that seemed to be used as a staging area for the small upper loft, Twilight's bedroom area, which was the real focus of the place. The second floor had hardly any reason to be there, it could have just been a straight shot to the bedroom, or that could have been larger. With a squeak and start Fluttershy realized she was intentionally thinking about trivialities rather than focusing on the real issue. She could do that. She was the world champion. That and 'Shh' were her fortes. Not seeing the important and not making a sound, that was her thing. A quiet creature that wanted almost nothing to do with anything that could be considered vital. She wasn't just a doormat, she was practically a cipher. It wasn't her place to judge an important matter, something which could impact the future of the nation and all the citizens therein. Her place was caring for woodland creatures and trying to keep Angel from destroying her home. That was... another way of avoiding the real problem. Angel could be good and kind, and often was, but he still had his moods and moments of mischief. The real solution would be to teach him how to be a good bunny, at all times. But she merely went around, cleaning up his messes and making excuses for his moments of weakness. It was her weakness in the end. She wasn't to blame for the things that happened, but she still had some share of the fault. Not dealing with things head-on created problems. It was like King Minos had tried to teach her. 'Maybes are for babies.' 'If somepony tries to block, show them you rock.' She could change any situation if she faced it. She could... if she thought it would be worth it. Somewhere within her she was very aware of the fact. She wouldn't like a perfect, cleanly-mannered Angel. He wouldn't be Angel, he'd be some bunny she didn't recognize. He didn't mean to hurt anything, she knew. He was just a rambunctious buck who could be good and bad. It wasn't anything wrong with him. He only needed the kind of guidance she offered him at all times. Love and understanding. The question before her needed love and understanding, in some sense. She couldn't cuddle the question and give it a spank on the tushie when it was misbehaving, but she could look on the whole thing with her usual care and concern. It was about what it meant for the nation and ponies. Mares were happy with how things worked. Filly foolers, the law, the others around accepted donor births, accepted the parentage technicalities. Mothers were mothers, however the genetics worked out. There were cards and kisses aplenty, no matter what. All her life she had considered the question of what kind of mother she would make, by birth or marriage, or both depending on how many foals were involved. The question of sire, on any level, had never mattered. She considered, however, the option had never existed, or been a consideration that had any relevance. It was impossible to consider the question of concepts that simply didn't exist. Now that there was some question it really made her consider. A foal, a little filly, that would be a mix of herself and Rarity, the only mare she had ever latched onto romantically, the core of her adoration. It was a wonderful thought. They could hold a little filly who was half her and half Rarity. They could have foals the usual way, they could keep them close and love them and it would be wonderful. A filly or a colt could come of that, one of the bigger considerations she had been avoiding. Having foals didn't just impact her, it impacted the land. She didn't want there to be fewer stallions. She liked the ones she knew. Big Macintosh was very nice and polite, Mister Davenport had such a funny way about him when trying to sell her quills or a sofa, Mister Breezy was quite nice about adding extra wires to keep small critters out of the fans he sold her. She would hate to see the number decline because of something she did. She wasn't supposed to be a doormat, but she had learned about moderation from King Minos as well. She couldn't just force her way on the rest of the world. That would hardly be in keeping with her way. Like trying to change Angel would be bad, trying to change herself too much would simply put a stranger in her skin. She had to get what she really wanted, but likewise not beat the rest of the ponies in the world with what she chose. There were moderate solutions. Fluttershy timidly opened the stamp pad and vacillated between her two options for a moment. She had her decision, yet didn't quite have it. She knew what would be right, but wasn't sure she could really make that choice. Stamping the paper meant she had actually chosen to do something, and not just look aside and be quiet. However, it was the right thing to do and nothing would stop her from that. She inked her chosen stamp and carefully pressed it to the paper.
Juror #5Pinkie Pie had chosen the perfect spot for her consideration. The kitchen. She had spiced up Twilight's small, utilitarian kitchen with more appropriate contents, including a larger refrigerator and freezer, more shelf and cupboard space, a mixer, a larger oven, a larger utensil set and a much, much bigger supply of ready ingredients. She didn't mean to subtly take over Twilight's home in that way, but Twilight was nice about it, and actually appreciated the change. Plus, Pinkie had added the large private bathroom to Sugarcube Corner for their private use. Her paper and stamps were all but forgotten, set aside for the much more important task of mixing up batter for a cake. Just a small cake, of course. Three layers, nothing too crazy. Just a 'We made a decision!' cake, or possibly a 'We didn't make a decision!' cake. She had everything covered, she could write really, really fast, right before bringing the cake out. All she needed was the right frosting plus something that stood out for the letters. A tiny, little thought started tickling at the back of her mind. It was different from the little tickles that became Pinkie Sense twitches. This was her own brain reminding her she had a serious thing to remember. Not cake recipes, not frosting recipes, not cake construction, not adhesion capability, or calculations of structural stress and material strength. She had to remember the question that had sent her into seclusion with the somewhat-forgotten paper and stamps. While the whisk whipped through the batter Pinkie had to struggle to understand what was being asked. She always did her best to hide it behind comedy and distractions but she was not very well-educated. She was raised in the Cannonite community and was not very focused on what education she had gotten. Even getting her liberty she had never needed much education. She had a certain practical knowledge that she used in her job, but not the kind of deep and sophisticated knowledge that Twilight had. She wasn't stupid, and Twilight had worked hard to make her even smarter. A night of making love almost seemed like a day in a classroom. The little whispers that Twilight made as they were intimate were very educational, to say nothing of the actual lessons that Twilight gave now and then. It was good all that had happened. According to Twilight an educated voting population was the backbone of a successful nation. She had to cast a vote and needed all the intelligence she could get. If she voted 'yes' to having Twilight's babies things could be bad. But if she voted 'no' to having Twilight's babies it might make her sad, and Pinkie would surely be sad too. She had been raised to know that the sire was the father, like her own father. She knew that the law and society looked at the other mother as the sire, and she accepted it, like with some of the mares that came into Sugarcube Corner. She did too. Dinky's sire was Carrot Top, Pinchy's sire was Colgate. But she had a chance to make it more than just something everypony understood. Twilight and her, combined into one. But... only fillies. No colts. She had always thought about having one of each, or even more. She only had sisters, and always wondered what it would have been like to have had a brother. She'd want her own children to have siblings of different genders. But... she'd really love to have a baby with Twilight. A baby that was part Twilight and part her. They deserved to have a mix of the two of them. The combination would be wonderful. There were other concerns, about stallions, and colt cuddlers being treated badly. She had missed most of it. But she didn't want that! Gustave LeGrand and Donut Joe were both colt cuddlers. They made the most adorable couple and made really good food together. She did want them to get hurt by anything, even on accident. And she liked having stallions around, it meant she could throw different kinds of parties. She put all of the focus she could muster into the consideration of what she could understand from all the long speeches and explanations that Twilight had given her. She had to distill the points down to shorter and easier thoughts but she was really considering them. No colts, but she could have Twilight's foal, and Twilight could have hers. If the rest of the Principality really, really wanted to do it it might make there be fewer stallions and make things bad for colt cuddlers. Pinkie did her usual multitasking, pouring the cake batter out and sliding the cake pans into the oven, measuring out the powdered sugar for the frosting and looking over her piece of paper. She picked up a stamp, sifted together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, inked the stamp, chopped the butter and stamped her ballot.
Juror #6Twilight lounged around on her bed, looking out of the window at the lovely moon, and the sparkling stars. Her mind grew slower as she watched the peaceful scene. Normally she prided herself on a mile-a-minute mind and complex, interacting thoughts that traced a hundred paths between different elements. It had served her well in academia, letting her write large dissertations or to connect distantly related elements in ways that sparked thought and hearty discussion. However, there was a different consideration in play for the new question. She didn't need a fast decision, she needed a careful one. Thought could, in theory, be both fast and cautious, but only as an average of the speed and care taken. She didn't want to sacrifice any care at all, not when it colored the future for so many that extended so far beyond herself. She had been thinking on the question since Princess Celestia had posed the notion to her, and given her the responsibility to check the reactions of the other Element-bearers. They needed to be informed voters, making sensible decisions based on rational evidence. She had given them all the data she could have, along with all the possibilities. It seemed confusing but the truly important matters were seldom very simple. The complex interactions of society and biology had many implications. The idea had been suggested to downplay the option, and promote the traditional donation system, as well as perform spermatozoa selection to increase male birthrates. That felt dishonest. It had been floated as the most desperate option, and undertaken with more transparency, with the encouragements announced with earnestness and the good of all asked for consideration. In some ways it was very like what she was asking of the other girls, without the need for absolute unanimity. 'The other girls...' Twilight thought, rolling onto her back. She thought she was being big-hearted and equal, by asking them for their opinions and asking for a unanimous decision. She never even considered that one might have wanted it while the other didn't. She could have been inviting conflicts. Given their need for unity it was hardly wise to invite chaos into their interactions. She couldn't have simply let them remain ignorant, especially after she had been instructed to get the opinions of the others and find if they wanted to use the traditional method or a new one. She also had to let them know about the potential future cases of filly fooler reproduction that could be a less-magical version of what was being offered to them. They had the capacity to understand what everything meant, at least on some level, and that was what mattered most. The considerations of state, the pressures of history, the eyes of the multitude... they all paled in comparison to the thought of her sweet little cookbook. She had to try and guess what Pinkie was thinking, even if the vote was anonymous she did not want to be voting against what her sweetheart wanted. “Emotionalism... I was once smitten with mares who paid attention to me because I was so inexperienced and just wanted that closeness. I closed myself off after I became focused on more important matters. Now, with Pinkie, I could never think of anything but her heart and feelings,” Twilight said to herself, staring at her ceiling. There was a photograph of herself and Pinkie blown up to poster size and placed there. There was also a lingering flour mark near it, that curved in the shape of... Pinkie's flank. The slight extra size identified it, not that she was far behind. Twilight blushed as she thought of it. From chaste but shallow fixations, to complete asexuality to a burning passion infused with pure love. That passionate love was driving the thought of having children someday. From the first instant that Pinkie had brought up the subject Twilight's response had only ever been 'yes.' An enthusiastic 'yes.' She had considered and dismissed her brother as a donor, for political reasons, which was a general tradition among those that had brothers. She had then started compiling an ideal list of traits that would be required of donors, for both of their purposes. She had barely begun before she stopped. It was just plain wrong to even consider it. That was entirely opposite to the way things were meant to work. Donors were generally anonymous, in every respect, including race and age. Some exceptions were made, such as pegasi being the only option in cloud cities, but otherwise the process was intended to maintain the sociolegal tradition of the non-dam mare as the sire of the foal. Other information was sometimes available but it was generally frowned upon. In the wake of the Vault's Vale incident the OCFG had looked into rumors of 'designer foals' being desired by Randomoids. Reproduction was a complicated subject, and would get more so with the lack of a need for males. Medically-trained unicorns would monopolize things, if no thaumatomechanical means were developed. Hybrids would retain males, however, as would non-ponies, allowing for some hope for stabilization while the tech techniques and technology were sorted out. Government campaigns would likely make the option even more attractive and open the idea to a wider audience, not that there was much in the way of resistance. “I just want to play 'Catacombs and Creatures' with Pinkie, write my papers, pad my CV and get grants,” Twilight lamented, rubbing her hooves over her eyes. She had abdicated her honor throne because of Pinkie and a discomfort with political headaches. Just one more stood in her way, and it was, as Pinkie would say, a doozy. No matter what, she could get back to the life, and mare, she loved with one mark. Still covering her eyes, and still only half-sure, he reached out with her magic, felt out the right stamp and firmly pressed it to the ink pad. She held open her paper, heaved a sigh and brought down the inked stamp with the hard force of a judge's gavel.
The Verdict“So... here we are again,” Twilight said, with an air of heavy gravity. She was back down in the main area of the library, the other girls arranged around her, all of them looking seriously at a blue vase, into which they had just put their stamped slips of paper. “This is it. A very august and critical-” “Cake!” Pinkie interrupted, wheeling out a decently-sized cake, a two-layer step-type cake covered in pink and purple buttercream frosting. “Pinkie...” Twilight glared at Pinkie for a moment, her expression softening on seeing the cheery smile on Pinkie's face. “At least wait until we have some kind of answer. Then your party will make more sense.” “Oooh! Yea, that makes sense!” Pinkie chirped, hopping over to the assembly and taking a seat. “Come on, let's get this over with!” Dash clopped her hoof on the desk, wings repeatedly flexing in agitation. “Calm yer jet stream, sugarcube,” Applejack chided, lightly nudging Dash's side. “Ah'm about as worked up as a one-legged hare in an alligator pond, but ah can wait it out.” “Oh that poor hare...” Fluttershy said softly, snuggling in against Rarity. “I know I'd sure be nervous about that. I know I'm always nervous, but this is even more nerve-wracking.” “There, there, darling, do no fret,” Rarity said, nuzzling against Fluttershy's ear. “All Twilight need do is read off our votes and then we may enjoy one of Pinkie's delightful soirees.” “Right...” Twilight levitated the vase over to her and took a deep breath. “Remember... it has to be unanimous. Even a tie is a 'no.' It all comes down to this.” “Then do it already!” Dash cried. “The suspense is killing me!” One paper slowly lifted out of the vase and unfolded, visible to all of them. Six heads crowded in and Twilight read the word printed out loud. “'Aye.'” The paper sped away into the fireplace, quickly consumed by the blaze within. “What was that for?” Dash asked, her wings twitching all the faster. “We can't let them remain, not if some forensic trace or other indications could reveal who cast it,” Twilight replied, lifting out another slip and opening it up. “'Aye.'” The fire consumed the second slip and Applejack pushed down Dash's wings. “Y'all got yerself all worked up. This ain't no big thing.” “Then why is your hoof twitching?” Dash retorted. “Because yer makin' me nervous, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. Twilight had already removed the next slip. “'Aye.'” Rarity fell back onto her fainting couch as the paper burned, in the most melodramatic pose she could muster. “Goodness, the suspense! What are the odds we would draw such a sequence?” “Does it look like mah sister-ta-be 'r mah brother 're here?” Applejack grumped, seeming to be failing in her mission to keep Dash's wings still. “I was only asking a simple question,” Rarity said, with a bounce of her mane. “'Aye,'” Twilight said, ignoring the bickering and going on with her reading. She sent the paper into the fireplace and wiped her brow. “T-twilight, do you need me to get you something to drink?” Fluttershy asked, nervously stepping from hoof to hoof, barely showing half of an eye from behind her mane. “It's almost over. Almost over...” Twilight said, lifting out the fifth paper. “'Aye.'” “Looks like I know what kind of cake we need to have,” Pinkie said cheerfully, whipping a few pastry bags from seemingly nowhere and starting to write out positive messages on the surface of the cake. Twilight burned the fifth paper and lifted out the last one. “You never know. The odds are vanishingly small that this will be negative. But improbable things happen all the time.” “Like the banana incident?” Pinkie asked. “Err... yes... like the banana incident,” Twilight responded, a huge blush coloring her cheeks. “The... 'banana incident?'” Applejack asked, eyes quickly passing from the smiling Pinkie to the blushing Twilight. “That's not important right now!” Twilight asserted, trying to speak with a normal tone, but with far more volume than was necessary. “Ahem... I mean, that strays from the point. We need to resolve... this.” She unfolded the last paper and showed it off. “'Aye.'” The six mares stared as the last paper was consumed by the fire. The die was cast. Serious looks rested on five faces. Pinkie was her usual unperturbed self. She was putting the finishing touches on her celebratory cake. She had embellished the top tier with, of all things, marzipan figurines of her and her friends. All of them were dressed in carved marzipan wedding gowns, and snuggled up together in proper couples. “Don't look so sad! This is a party! We all agreed on this!” Twilight slid over to Pinkie's side, looking at the figure of herself and Pinkie. They were quite lifelike, and painted nicely in food coloring. Marriage and babies, coming soon. A very exciting and delightful proposition. A smile grew on her face. Pinkie, as ever, had that mysterious and wonderful power over all ponies. “Pinkie's right. This is a party. We should all smile!” Rarity rose off of her couch and softly nudged Fluttershy. “Twilight is correct. Come, darling, we should get a slice of that delicious cake. We have made a decision. And however it may come out, we must never be afraid of decisions that we have made and cannot undo. We would only be filled with fear.” “I already have enough of that,” Fluttershy said quietly, pressing into Rarity's side, sheltering herself in her marefriend's confidence. “I know that whatever happens, we have each other. That's enough for me.” “They're all right. We sweated it out long enough making the decision. Now we get to relax and enjoy it,” Dash said. “We need some tunes in here. Hey Twilight, can you still get DJ Pon-3 or did you lose that ability when you stopped being a princess?” Applejack whacked Dash across the flanks with her hat and shook her head with an exasperated expression. “Sugarcube... what am ah gonna do with ya? Can't ya ever be civil, fer once in yer whole life?” “You love it and you know it,” Dash teased, slipping in for a kiss. “Ah love it, but ah ain't gonna like it,” Applejack said, pecking Dash on the lips. She then pushed Dash away with a grin. “Now ya go put some music on. Ya wants it, ya does it. That's how we do on the farm, and yer sure gonna learn how it works before ya join up with the Apples.” “Right, right, I know..." Dash said with a slight scowl, mirth twinkling in her eyes. While the impromptu party began behind her, Twilight took up a quill and a scroll, scribbling out a letter to be sent in the morning. Dear Princess Celestia, Summary of findings on the question of non-standard Filly Fooler reproduction: The vote was 'Aye.' The decision reached was unanimous and not contentious. The decision was reached independently with private considerations and no pressure form any side. After marriage and some period of time we will be needing some kind of combination. I thank you for letting us be aware of this, and for offering the opportunity. We will all be looking forward to this chance. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Giving the matter some consideration, and with the party atmosphere putting a smile on her face she finished off the letter by adding, -Pie.
Juror #3Rarity looked out over the edge of the balcony in which she had been sequestered, watching the Ponyville night through the subtle protective haze of the magical bubble that stopped unwanted entry and obtrusive sounds, letting all judge the question in security and relative silence. It seemed such a basic question that she had been tempted to simply mark her ballot in the first instant then wait for all the rest to come to the sensible conclusion. There was a certain propriety to life, a general flow that informed all the ways and works of ponies. But as her magic held her stamp over the paper, her mind stopped her and made her consider. She knew the legal, social and psychological reality of how things worked. But some twinge, from somewhere deep within, thought about the potential of having a child that was hers, actually hers. Not merely hers by rights of issuing from Fluttershy after marriage. Such a selfish idea. But... if the child was hers, hers by reasons of actual genetics, born of her own womb, the child would not be Fluttershy's, by the same token and for the same reason. Selfishness and selflessness were at war, without being truly rancorous. But the confusion it stirred in her made her sit down hard. She was no base and avaricious Randomoid. She repudiated their reprehensible and covetous ideology with all due vehemence and passion. As she sometimes ran in the circles that could be corrupted by such foolishness she ever kept her eyes open to make note of any genuine and unmistakable hint of such, having resolved to report any such thing to an Officer of the Cult-Finder General without hesitation. But her socialist leaning, natural for every pony, could not ignore the idea that it might be good to have a child that was the full genetic mix of herself and Fluttershy. She knew, deep inside, she would never love any foal less than completely, of her womb or no. But she wondered what it would be like, to see both mixed together, a daughter of two mothers and from their line without need of legalities saying it was so. She caught herself again. She had never thought like that before. She had also never been offered an option before. The fact that the thoughts disturbed her buoyed her spirit and made her feel secure in her sanity and proper socialization. It was just curiosity. And care. Care for Fluttershy. Surely Fluttershy would also love a child of both of them. Excuses. She was trying to basely push her thoughts onto her own marefriend. She almost wanted to turn herself into the OCFG for doing such a thing. The thoughts were natural but felt so wrong. There was nothing wrong with the system as it was, and it ensured gender diversity besides. They could not just rely on cross-breeders to make males. It wasn't her responsibility to do so alone. But she was part of the community, and as was well known the community relied on the interactions of all members within. Her actions had effects. She could not be selfish, but she was not expected to never do anything for herself. All sensible ponies knew the lesson, forgotten by Randomoids, that decisions had to be considered carefully and rationally, to balance the interests of self and others. It was well known that some selfish or at least self-considering decision could help others. To rise as others were raised. Like a Changeling nurturing love and community so they could feed, self-serving and community-serving, and well-respected by the whole of the principality. It all came down to the effect of the decision she might make. Would either decision help or hurt anypony besides helping or hurting her? If she chose one side would she always wonder about the other? That could happen in any choice. She could not live her life looking backwards at every choice. Her curiosity was strong, her love of nation was strong. She wanted to do the right thing, to do what she liked, with a mind to her responsibility to the community that surrounded, scaffolded and supported her every step. She was not afraid of her thoughts, because they were the usual thoughts of duty and consequence, but made starker, on a subject more emotional and immediate than most. Rarity stared at her blank sheet of paper and the two stamps for a long, long time, trying to read the future in the empty page, while the stamps each acted like totems of their potential impact. She could mark the very future of the nation, and she would not think she could hide behind the decisions of the others. She bore a not-insignificant share of responsibility. An equal portion. Her magic flared, hesitantly raising one of the stamps. She gingerly inked it and very lightly impressed it onto the paper. She hoped that the future would be kind to her for her choice, and that she had done what was right for herself and for all that stood around making the world which she adored.
