Something to Remember [SAD]

>Luna levitated Celestia's... Hoof-thing off her hoof
>What are those called?
>Not that it really matters
>Her elder sister sighed, sinking into the bed
>This was the first time Luna joined Celestia on these massages
>She'd been getting them one a week, ever since she started showing signs of the pregnancy
>Said it helped her relax
>Luna needed that right now
>Ever since Anon left, Celestia hadn't trusted herself to run the country
>Doing her sister's job was stressful as hell
>Not that she could blame her, after what happened
>Luna's eyes drifted to her sister
>She was gazing at the opposite wall
>No doubt thinking of her
>She was very close to term now
>Not more than two weeks
>Luna lifted the other hoof-thing off her sister
>"They don't fit right anymore."
>"What?"
>"The pregnancy -- I have a bit of bloat. They don't fit correctly."
>Celestia's voice was serene, melodic
>A far cry from the screaming rage that still haunted her dreams sometimes
>She'd only seen her sister like that once
>Right after she became Nightmare Moon
>Luna smiled, trying to put on a cheerful face
>"Hm. I'll have to remember that, if I ever have foals."
>Celestia nodded, closing her eyes
>Luna's eyes kept drifting to her belly
>So many questions... Not just those that she had, those that everybody had
>All her citizens
>"Luna."
>"Yes?"
>"I want to apologize for my behavior the last few months."
>Luna shook her head
>"No need to."
>"No, there is. I should have been stronger."
>"Nobody can expect that kind of strength. Not with-- the hormones, and all."
>Luna was reminded of a filly she met a school once
>Trying so hard to hide all her anxiety at talking to the Princess...
>"Also my fault."
>Luna's eyebrows jerked upwards, slightly
>Celestia turned to her, tilting her neck backwards
>"You have wondered, no?"
>"Wondered-- What?"
>"When I conceived."
>"Yes. I have."
>Celestia shrugs
>"Some think it a bastard. Created as a result of whatever I was doing for those two weeks I disappeared."
>"What? No, of- That's silly."
>Luna forced a laugh
>Celestia's face remained stoic
>"Do not think I have not heard the rumors, even in solitude. They are wrong, of course. The child is his."
>Oh thank god
>Luna would never think her sister to be so... reckless, but...
>Well, she didn't talk about the baby much
>Almost avoided it
>She was beginning to get suspicious.
>This information gained, Luna felt her confidence start to rise
>She was bold enough to ask a question
>"How long after his departure did you realize?"
>"Well... I knew what was going to happen on the day he left."
>Celestia sighed, closing her eyes and turning her head to face the wall again
>Her eyes opened, avoiding the sight of her nocturnal sister
>"The minute those dreadful beasts demanded him as tribute... Well, I knew he didn't have very long. They were kind enough, at least, to give him one final wish."
>She re-adjusted her shoulders, trying to get comfortable in what suddenly felt more like a bed of rocks than one of foam and cotton
>"So, of course, he wanted to make love to me one final time. They seemed to like that. More emotion to feed on."
>Luna nodded
>"He was... Well, brave as always. I could see some fear, but he hid it well. He asked at the start for me to not try to change his mind. Not that I would think about it, knowing it was my last chance to feel him in my arms, his lips against mine, his-"
>Celestia closes her eyes for a second, re-gaining composure
>"Sorry. Well, normally, I would cast a spell on myself to remove fertility. He always wanted children, but neither of us thought we were ready. So, when the time came to do the deed, I light up my horn as always. But..."
>Celestia's eyes lose focus on the wall, her vision turning towards the past
>"I cast a fertility-increasing spell. I knew it was-- well, in all likelihood, the last time I would ever see him. And he had been so selfless, and-- I needed something to remember him by."
>Celestia turns to her sister, tears in her eyes
>"Which brings us to today. Me, carrying two of his foals in my womb, and him... God knows where."
>She sniffles, starting to cry in full
>Luna bites her lip
>She'd never seen her sister this upset
>From this close, anyway
>She had vague memories of tormenting a screaming Celestia in dreams on full moons, when her power was at its height
>That was all fuzzy now, of course
>What to do...
>Slowly, Luna extended a wing, wrapping it around her sister's upper body
>Celestia closed her eyes
>When she opened them, they had a distinct, practiced lack of emotion
>"I can only hope they are healthy. And that I might-- Be able to protect them better than I protected him."
>Luna wanted desperately to speak
>But no words reached her lips
>The masseuse entered the room a few minutes later
>As always, she relieved the tension in Celestia's joints
>Removed the knots in her muscles
>Pampered and cared for her in all the ways she could, but very few that she needed
>Luna left the room immediately after the massage, going off to royal business
>Celestia, however, remained still
>Laying on her bed, an arm on her belly
>They were going to be such beautiful foals
>Just like their father had been