Student Once More

>”To Princess Twilight Sparkle: I realize that you are busy, but I must request your audience. I will be awaiting your company at the Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville this evening. The situation is not dire, but I do believe that there is a situation that must be discussed between the two of us. Sincerely, Celestia.” Twilight read out, rolling up the scroll and putting it away. “Spike, I’m going to be a little late tonight. I hope that you and Owlowiscious can keep the library tidy!” Twilight called out to her assistants, putting on her saddlebags and walking over to the main room, checking up on her boys. Spike waved Twilight off, working on dusting off the fiction section while Owlowiscious kept an eye out for out-of-place books. Twilight gave a faint smile as she couldn’t believe that at one point the two of them were on uneasy terms.

>“Don’t worry about us.” Spike assured Twilight. “Owly and I need to be up early to work on a project.” Spike walked with Twilight to the door and closed it behind her as they parted ways. She shifted her weight to her front hooves, flapping her wings as she makes a path for Sugarcube Corner. She was anxious about the potential meeting with Celestia, her mind racing as she thought through all of the worst scenarios, her steps getting shorter as she got deeper and deeper into thought. As she stepped into the cozy café, she bit her lip as she saw her radiant former teacher in plain view, the table already set up with what Twilight coined as “the talk” spread: lavender chips, honeycrisp apple slices, and soothing mint tea. Twilight thanked the cakes whom were behind the counter, preparing dough for the next morning’s bakery rush.

>“Please, sit down Twilight.” Celestia requested, her gentle coaxing snapping Twilight out of her feed loop and finally, albeit embarrassedly, sitting down opposite of the regal mare.  “I…”Twilight started, the words getting choked up in an unusual fashion. Celestia shook her head and smiled to Twilight. “You are not here because of punishment.” Celestia assured her, pushing towards her a cup of tea. “I wanted to discuss…us.”

>Twilight gulped down her first sip, her wings covering the lower half of her face. “What about us?” Twilight questions, gazing up to her mentor. Celestia closed her eyes and partook of the lavender chips, munching quietly. “While you are the princess of friendship, I do believe that there is still much you can learn about love.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked upon Celestia, unsure of what to say. “Oh, Twilight, you do not have to hide your true feelings from me!” Celestia hushed Twilight’s wordless objections, the familiar words insinuating that the sun princess was a voyeur to that dark day.

>Twilight’s lips tremble as she realized that her attempts to cover up her swooning was unsuccessful. “So here’s my bargain, Princess Sparkle,” Celestia leaned forward, causing Twilight to lean back in her seat. “I want you to become my….student of sorts.” Twilight’s face lit up, a warm glow creeping over her cheeks and nose. “And I’ll teach you about love and all of the nuances.” Celestia leaned even closer, pecking Twilight’s lips and giving a mischievous smile as the Cakes looked on with awe.

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>Twilight, sighed contently as she finished that memory, putting away the elixir that she procured from Zecora, coming back from her flashback as she heard clopping from the distance, her attention turned to the stairwell. She felt a sensation from her middle, her hoof gliding down her maternal form. “I can’t believe that you’re going to be our third one.” She muttered, her attention less on the foal inside of her and more on the foals that were galloping towards her. “Ma!” They cried out, heading to Twilight and stopping right in front of her, nuzzling her cheeks as she outstretched her neck to greet them. The calm clopping coming from the stair well preceding the reserved princess. Celestia pressed her form against Twilight’s own.

>”And how are you, my love?” Celestia asked, her normally subtle gestures magnified by her unusually unreserved mood. She pressed a hoof to twilight’s wide side, passing her magnificent hoof along slowly. Twilight looked up to her Celestia, pressing her cheek to the other alicorn, their foal moving with the stimulation.

>“We’re doing just fine, Tia.” Twilight pulled back so that she could gaze at the other princess. She giggled, Celestia’s emotions going wild whenever Twilight was heavy with child. “Pinkie and I are going on an outing today. Can you watch over Lumina and Umbra?” Celestia nodded, picking up Twilight’s saddlebags and settling them on Twilight’s back. “Thank you, ‘tia.” Twilight looked to the guards, having them flank her as she heads out to the Ponyville’s town center.
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>Pinkie showered Twilight with confetti, hugging her friend as close as she could. “How’s life in Canterlot been?”Pinkie pulled back, giving a look over to her mare friend. Twilight grabbed her bag and sits in the lobby. “A bit tiring, if I may say so.” Twilight admitted, rubbing her swell.

>Pinkie put Twilight’s saddle on her back and looked back at Twilight. “It seems like every year, I have to throw another baby shower. Are you like keeping your foals in your tummy?” She poked and prodded, Twilight giggling at Pinkie’s naïveté.

>“I’ve been having foals the last three years. Celestia says that the alicorn line must be bolstered.” Twilight started, looking down with a mixture of admiration and anxiety. “Tia likes me foalbound…and to be honest, I’ve grown fond of being a mother.” She started, biting her lip as she brought her hoof to her chest and breathed in, pushing it away as she breathed out, and trusting her best friend. “Pinkie Promise that you won’t say this to anyone else.”

>”Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie promised, ending with her sticking her hoof in her eye. Twilight looked about to check for onlookers and muttered, “I’m starting to feel a bit addicted to getting pregnant…I get a twinge whenever I check down and think ‘That’s Celestia and my foal’. It’s definitely enough to give me a small wingboner“, she flushed, Pinkie looking back with an amused look on her face. “You and Princess C are just made for each other for sure.”

>Twilight stepped off of the bench, swaying her hips as she kept up with Pinkie as best as she could. She stepped down into Pinkie’s confectionary shop, placed halfway across town from Sugar Cube Corner. She carried exotic treats from elsewhere in Equestria, being very careful not to carry too many treats that the Cakes had, since they were friends. The shop had very few customers, Applejack tending the counter. Her face lit up as she spotted her friend, padding over after she wrapped up the last customer’s order.

>Apple Jack hugged her close, holding it for a couple seconds before looking her up and down. “I see that you’ve been doing more than just officiating Equestria these days.” She admired. Twilight nodded, allowing Applejack to touch her belly. AJ feels the radiating heat, Twilight then taking a sharp breath. “Are you alright, honeyapple?”

>Twilight nodded, regaining her composure. “My little filly went and took the breath out of me.” She explained, rubbing her belly slowly.“Pinkie, where is your bathroom?” Twilight exasperatedly inquired as an audible gurgle could be heard from her massive middle. Pinkie bounced as she showed Twilight the way, opening the door and closing it behind the pregnant purple pony and she heard her friend wretch in the enclosed restroom.

>Twilight drug herself out of the porcelain sanctuary, recomposing herself and returning to her two gal pals. “Sorry.” She rubbed her mouth, making sure that there was nothing upon her lips. Aj and Pinkie smiled, flanking the pregnant mare. “Now, about that trip to the boutique…”
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>Celestia handed off her foals to the nannies, heading to the study and sighing. She looked through the books and while the outlook was getting better, Alicorns were a dying breed. It was down to the four princesses, no…three. Celestia looked into a mirror planted in the study for impromptu grooming. Nightmare Moon’s lasting spite to the goddess-like monarch, it was almost too much for her. Before Twilight’s ascension, she’s tried so hard to breed for the continuation of the alicorns, but alas, she was never able to carry to term. Twilight is her only hope.

>Luna waddled up to behind her sister, her presence well known to Celestia. She gingerly placed a hoof on Celestia’s side, her foal-fraught form a twisted complement of Celestia’s barren body. “Sis…I-“ Luna started, interrupted by her sister’s sudden movement.

>Celestia raised her wings, agitated by her sister’s insistence to apologize every time. “It’s not your fault…do not blame yourself, for I’ve found something much better than motherhood.” Luna looked to her sister with curious eyes. “…Fatherhood. And seeing my Twilight grow is much more exciting to me than seeing my own body transform.”

>Celestia turned her attention to the mirror, her tall and lean form overlapping her sisters, the alpha princess pained with the picture that the two of them made.  She tried to keep her emotions under control and almost succeeds, but a lone tear falls down her cheek. Luna wipes the tear, her feeble smile betrayed by her welling eyes. The two sisters hugged, the tears falling freely as the two consoled each other.

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>Cadence knit her eyebrows, her foal sleeping silently next to her. Earth pony…why an earth pony?” She hollowly asked as she hobbled over to the purple-coated colt. She rubbed her hips, still fresh from labor, but the whirlwind of emotions prevented her from resting. “I know that Shining will love him…” She passed a hoof through his hair, “And so will I…” She didn’t need to complete the thought. Celestia would not dare to hurt her son, but she’d be very disappointed in her niece.

>Cadence sighed, praying for her son to be destined to become an alicorn like her and her sister-in-law were. She hobbled to the window, watching Luna pass by as the evening came to the Crystal Empire. Her heart sank, filled with worry and doubt, her gaze turned back to her son again. “It’ll be alright….right?”

>Shining Armor came through the doorway, piping up with a “Cadence?” as he snaps her out of her deep introspection. He snuggled against his wife, assisting her walking over to the newborn. “He’s perfect.” He assured Cadence, picking up the mewling colt. He looked to Cadence, unbridled joy beaming across his face. “I know for sure that he’s going to be a key piece in the Running of the Leaves.” Shining Armor boasted, cuddling his son close. Cadence smiled, her doubts allayed, even if it was for a little while, by the sight of father and son. Cadence got in close, keeping intimate with her family, simply glad that this was their first step family as a royal family.

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>Twilight waved to her friends, satisfied with her shopping. She boarded the train, promising to meet them again after the birth of the new foal. After a long, uncomfortable train ride, she arrived in Canterlot, soon approached by her personal royal guard. After a quick escort back to the castle, Twilight was reunited with her mate, the two sharing joyful intimacies. ”So what did you learn, my faithful student?” Celestia asked, relishing the familiar line.

>”I learned that I have a lot to learn about being a wife and a mother, but I’m not doubting that I’ll be good. I just have to keep at it and adjust to what my family needs.” Twilight reported, but then gave a grimace, her leg twitching. “Twilight, what is the matter?” Celestia asked, her body moving without much thought from her.

>A small splash was heard by the duo, the two looking down and then at each other. “M-motherhood doesn’t wait, huh?” Twilight quipped nervously at Celestia

Fin