Unbirthusiast - The Lesson of a Lifetime

Post#:
22803010

"So, how are you settling into the new castle?" Celestia asked with a smile, between bites of pasta.
Twilight poked at her own food with a fork held in her telekinetic aura. "We've been trying to make it feel like home, but it's still this big, empty building made of harsh crystals."
Celestia nodded, twirling her own fork. "Yes, that is to be expected whenever anypony moves, especially if most of her old belongings have to be replaced."
Twilight sighed, shifting her weight as she felt the back of the chair press her wing bones awkwardly into her spine. "Maybe, but an emptier building means fewer distractions, and more time alone with my thoughts."
Celestia set her fork down and smiled, looking directly at Twilight. "It does seem as though something is on your mind. It's been so long since we've both had enough time away from our royal duties to have a chat like this; I'd love to go into more detail on your musings."
Twilight took a sip of her cider. "I've been wondering…" She shook her head. "Never mind."
Celestia sighed. "Okay, now I know it's something important. You're almost never this evasive."
Twilight set her glass down and took a deep breath. "It's just… I've been thinking about this whole 'princess' thing, and… I'm not sure I want to do it anymore."
Celestia's fork clattered onto her plate, but her face kept its composure. "Why do you say that, Twilight?"
Twilight shrugged, wincing as her feathers got caught between the slats of the chair. "I looked over my schedule, and the time I have available to study has gone down by twenty to forty percent, taken up by all sorts of state dinners and public appearances that I frankly don't care about."
Celestia sighed. "Of course, some parts of the job are tedious, but that's no reason to give up entirely."
Twilight poked at her food some more. "I just find it hard to believe that you gave me this job, and didn't have something in mind for me to do other than stand there and look pretty.
Celestia shook her head. "We went over this before; I told you you'd find your place, and you did." She smiled, but it seemed only partly genuine.
Twilight raised her eyebrow. "That's completely backwards. You don't hire someone and then hope a job comes up!" She should her head. "It's been very rewarding to apply what I've learned to the real world and spread the magic of friendship across Equestria and beyond, but if my friends have taught me anything along the way, it's that you don't need a princess to do that job."
Celestia stood up and pushed her plate towards the center of the table. "Twilight, could you follow me? I'd rather continue this conversation somewhere more private."
Twilight pauses for a moment before nodding. "Okay, if you think that's best." She stood up and followed Celestia into the hallway, where they sat on a bench.
"I'm sorry for interrupting our meal, but you seemed to be getting agitated, and I didn't want to cause a scene."
Twilight nodded. "It's just… sometimes it feels like I can't go anywhere without my mere presence being treated like some sort of event.
"Of course. That is to be expected from a royal visit."
Twilight groaned. "That's just the point! They don't see *me*; they see the wings. They don't care about who I am or what I've done, just the title."
Celestia shook her head. "The title is not meaningless; you earned your status when you completed your studies of friendship."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "You and I both know I was playing catch-up. The lessons I wrote you about were things I would've learned in kindergarten if I hadn't been such a shut-in. If you want somepony who truly understands friendship, go to Fluttershy; she knew how to use it to reform Discord, and all I did was mock her and stand in her way, while I tried to fix things with magic like I always do!"
Celestia looked around, but fortunately nopony else was in earshot. "That's partially true, but nopony is perfect. You also created new magic. That was what let me know you were ready."
Twilight raised a hoof. "So did the author of every single spell I've studied."
Celestia nodded, impatience starting to show through her façade. "Of course not every author of a spell ends up ascending. Starswirl's spell was special."
Twilight realized her voice was rising and made a conscious effort to lower it. "Was it? I only wrote half of the spell, and it wasn't a major breakthrough."
Celestia shook her head. "That's where you're wrong. Completing that spell showed me that you'd finally come to truly understand the magic of friendship. Even Starswirl himself could not do that."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Because you set me up, Celestia. The only reason I'm the one who solved that spell is because you sent it to me as a test. The magic of friendship is what Equestria is founded on; it's not like nopony else could've done what I did if given the opportunity."
Celestia shook her head again. "Don't be so modest, Twilight. What you did was an impressive achievement, and a worthwhile contribution to the knowledge of ponykind."
Twilight nodded. "Okay, even if the spell is as impressive as you say, and I'm not even impressed it's *useful*, since when are scientific discoveries rewarded with godhood?"
Celestia groaned. "We're *not* gods. You of all ponies should've figured that out by now."
Twilight's ears flattened. "Okay, fine, political power, then. My friends are my subjects now, and I'm really not comfortable with that."
Celestia nodded. "Do you treat them like your subjects? Do you look down on them now that you've moved up in life?"
Twilight shook her head. "Of course not, but–"
"Then that's all that matters." Celestia interrupted."
Twilight groaned. "That doesn't change the reality of the situation! Even if I don't treat them any differently, I *could*! It's not like it's perfectly fine to hold your knife to somepony's throat as long as you don't actually make the cut."
Celestia nodded. "I see what you're saying. Have any of your friends expressed this thought to you. Have they given any indications of jealousy or resentment?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, they haven't. They couldn't be happier for me. What kind of friends would they be if they weren't? What kind of subjects would express that thought to royalty?"
Celestia sighed. "You seem to be projecting your own insecurities onto your friends; you have no reason to suspect they secretly envy you. You mentioned Fluttershy as somepony who understands friendship better than you do. Do you think she'd *want* to be a princess? You said yourself how difficult it is. Your friends have lives of their own; they likely wouldn't *want* to be princesses."
This set Twilight off. "Don't you psychoanalyze me!" She looked Celestia straight in the eyes. Oh, they wouldn't, would they? Well, guess what. I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! You're so sure that you know what's best for anypony that you never thought to ask me what I wanted, or even warn me beforehoof!"
Celestia nodded. "Things worked out in the end, however. If you had not ascended, we would not have anywhere to hide our alicorn magic from Tirek."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't try to pretend like you planned that; I wasn't exactly kept a secret. You just expect everything to just work out on its own; I still haven't forgiven you for laughing at me when I asked for books to help me with the transition, as if I'm supposed to figure things out by instinct!"
Celestia's ears went back. "That's what you thought…? No, I was just happy to see you hadn't changed."
Twilight's eyes went wide. "Was that a possibility?"
Celestia continued, not responding to Twilight's question. "I didn't 'force' you to do anything. The magic that transformed you came from inside yourself; I was merely a guide."
Twilight stood up. "But did you tell me what that spell would do? No, you didn't! That's not informed consent, is it?"
Celestia shook her head. "Sit down, Twilight, and lower your voice. We're still in public."
Twilight forced herself to sit back into the bench.
"I didn't force you to do anything, Twilight. I simply allowed you to fulfill your destiny."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "If I learned anything from the incident with Starswirl's spell, it's that destiny isn't set in stone, and you'll never be happy with a destiny that is simply thrust upon you." She took a deep breath. "This isn't an argument; this is my resignation. I'm stepping down, and I want you to turn me back to normal."
Celestia shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
Twilight's eyes went wide. "What? Why not?"
There was a pause before Celestia answered. "The transformation cannot be undone. If you wish to step down to focus on your studies, I don't have the authority to force you not to, but you can't go back to the way you were."
Twilight shook her head. "I know that's not true. The only transformation that cannot be undone is death itself, and even that is an open question at this point. I do have a spell that can alter 'destiny', maybe if I–"
"N-No!" Celestia interjected. She shook her head, quickly regaining her composure. "That would be… I'll advised, casting the incomplete version of a spell after it caused so much heartache the last time." She paused again. "No, come back tomorrow morning; I'll do some thinking, and maybe some research, and see what I can come up with. Just don't do anything… reckless."
Twilight sighed. "Okay, fine. I guess it can't hurt to wait another day."
Celestia smiled, clearly partially lost in thought. "Good, I'm glad that's been taken care of. Now, let's not let our food get too cold."
Twilight nodded, following Celestia back to the table.

Twilight knocked on the doors to Celestia's bedchambers, having been told by a guard that she would find the day princess in her private room.
Sure enough, the door was quickly enveloped in a golden aura and swung open to reveal Celestia, who sat up on her large cloud bed and rolled off the bed and onto her feet. "Ah, Twilight, I'm glad you could make it." She gestures to a stack of papers on her nightstand. "I've filled out the paperwork for your abdication; I just need your signature to make it official."
Twilight grinned and hurried over to the papers, looking around them for a quill.
Celestia levitated a quill and inkpot in front of her. "You're sure I can't talk you out of this?"
Twilight nodded, taking hold of the items in her own aura and dipping the quill into the ink. "I'm sorry for getting so heated yesterday, and I hope you don't hate me for turning you down."
Celestia shook her head. "To be honest, I'm a little proud of you."
"Proud?" Twilight asked incredulously, her eyes skimming over the paperwork.
Celestia nodded, smiling. "You caught me off guard at dinner, but I've given some thought to it since then, and occurred to me that a student can't truly be considered to have graduated if she has to be told what to think. I think the last time you did something remotely similar was when you sent back your Gala tickets."
Twilight smiled, flipping through the pages.
Celestia nodded. "Since you had the courage to stand up to me and make yourself heard, I know you've grown as a pony."
Twilight placed the paperwork on the hard surface of the nightstand and put pen to parchment.
"I've been thinking of stepping down as headmistress of the School for Gifted Unicorns for some time. Now, I won't force anything on you, but…"

Twilight eagerly signed her name on the last page of the form. "I'm flattered, and I'll definitely give that some serious consideration, but first things first. What have you found out about the transformation? Or… detransformation, I guess."
Celestia nodded, motioning for Twilight to sit down on the bed. "I have learned that it is very difficult, but not impossible."
Twilight grinned. "See? I told you so."
Celestia nodded. "However, it will not be as easy as simply casting a spell. This kind of thing change requires extended short-range exposure to a very powerful source of magic."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "It only took a few seconds the first time!"
Celestia nodded. "Is it easier to shatter a vase or to glue it back together? Transformations are not always symmetrical."
Twilight sighed and nodded. "Okay, fine, what do I have to do?"
Celestia took a deep breath. "The answer is going to sound unusual, but I promise you it is the only way."
Twilight nodded. "Okay, let's hear it."
Celestia smiled. "I am the only source of magic I am aware of strong enough to accomplish what you're asking. However, like I said, I can't just zap the wings away; it would need to be a sustained effort."
Twilight smiled. "That shouldn't be a problem; I can clear some space in my schedule and hang out here until you're don't."
Celestia sighed. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple, Twilight. Even if I carried you around on my back, you wouldn't be close enough for the magic to take effect."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I wouldn't?"
Celestia shook her head. "You would have to be… well, inside of me."
Twilight's eyes went wide. "I–Inside you? Is that… safe?"
Celestia nodded. "Fortunately, as a mare, my body is quite capable of sustaining the life of another pony."
Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Because you're a mare?" She blushed. "You mean you'd be carrying me in you… in your…?"

Celestia smiled. "In my womb, yes. You will be held near the core of my magical field for long enough for the transformation to take place and solidify yourself, and then you can you can return to your normal life."
Twilight nodded. "And how long would this take?"
Celestia bit her lip. "I'd say at least 36 hours, but no more than 72."
Twilight sighed. "And you're sure there's no other way?"
Celestia nodded solemnly. "My research was very extensive. I won't force you to do this, Twilight; you can still back out."
Twilight shook her head. "No, let's just get this over with so things can get back to normal."
Celestia smiled, lying back on her bed.
Twilight climbed back onto the bed, and she saw Celestia was holding a small ring. "What's that?" she asked.
Celestia levitated the ring over to Twilight. "This will allow us to stay in communication telepathically, since there will be no air available for you to speak."
Twilight sat up and noticed Celestia was wearing a similar ring on her horn. She nodded and slipped her ring onto her own horn. <Testing, testing. One, two, three.>
Celestia chuckled, and her ring sparkled slightly. <Copy that, Twilight. I read you loud and clear.>
Twilight grinned. "That's cool! Now, you want me in your uterus?" She lit her horn.
Celestia shook her head. "Whoa there, you can't just teleport in! Your arrival would be too much of a shock to my muscles; they need time to adjust."
Twilight blushed. "You mean I'll have to enter…"
Celestia spread her legs apart. "Through my vagina, yes. It will be a tight squeeze, but the size difference between the two of us is still great enough that neither of us will be injured in the process."
Twilight sat between Celestia's hind legs and looked at her alabaster marehood, already shiny with lubricant.
Celestia ran a forehoof through Twilight's mane. "Fortunately, I happen to be in heat, so your entry will be made that much easier. Now, I'll need to prepare you before we begin."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, of course. Let's get started."
Celestia lit her horn and pointed it at Twilight. "I've just increased your lung capacity, so you won't suffocate before you get deep enough for me to attach you. Take a deep breath and hold it in; use the ring to communicate from now on."
Twilight cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She inhaled, and then inhaled some more, and even more. It felt odd breathing in without feeling any resistance from her lungs getting full, but after a minute or so she closed her breath and nodded. <Okay, I'm ready.>
Celestia smiled, spreading her legs farther apart. "The rest should be self-explanatory. I'll connect you to my womb once you've fully entered, and then I'll start the transformation."
Twilight nodded, timidly inserting a hoof into Celestia's marehood. There was some resistance, but it slipped inside without too much effort, closely followed by the other hoof.
Celestia took a deep breath and allowed Twilight to pull her labia apart, exposing the inside of her moist pink tunnel.
Twilight's nose wrinkled from the scent of her mentor's estrus as she took another breath in and quickly slid her head between Celestia's plump netherlips.
Celestia moaned, fighting the urge to tighten her muscles around her former student. "Nngh, you're doing great. Push yourself in with your hind legs."
Twilight did as she was told and quickly found herself slipping deeper into the quivering maw of Celestia's marehood. <I can see something glowing up ahead.>
Celestia smiled, lightly running a hoof over the bulge forming in her abdomen. <I am connected with the sun, so that is not unexpected. Hopefully that means your eyes will have an easier time adjusting once we're done.>
Twilight wriggled deeper, feeling the soft caress of Celestia's flesh envelop her shoulders. <Don't worry; it's nothing I can't get used to.>

Celestia waited patiently for Twilight to make her way deeper still. <Once you get deep enough, I'll start to help pull you in with my vaginal muscles, so don't be alarmed if I start constricting around you.>
Twilight pushed off the floor and lodged herself further into Celestia's canal, sliding herself in up to the first joint on her forelegs. <Thanks, that'll be a big help.>
Celestia stifled a yelp as she felt something poke her cervix. <Twilight, tilt your head up a little.>
Twilight lifted her head slightly and felt a tight ring of flesh envelop the tip of her horn. <Is this your cervix?>
Celestia bit her lip, the magic of the ring sending a tingling sensation through her core. <Yes, it is. Give me a moment to dilate enough to allow you in.>
Twilight felt the pressure on her front half increase as Celestia's muscles began trying to squeeze her in like toothpaste in a tube.
<I'm sorry, Twilight; my muscles have started pulling on their own. Sit tight for a moment while I let you in.>
Twilight rolled her eyes, the wet heat of Celestia's tunnel rippling around her and forcing her forehead against the end of Celestia's vagina. <Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere.>
Celestia started to chuckle, which quickly turned into a moan as the telepathy ring pressed into her cervix, sending tingles shooting up her spine. <I'm sorry for the delay, but voluntarily dilating my cervix is a difficult task.>
Twilight smiled, trying to calm herself down to conserve the oxygen she had stored up. <Don't worry about it; just relax. Would you like me to help?>
Celestia moaned, feeling her cervix loosen slightly. <I'm afraid I'm the only one who can do this. I almost have it.>
Twilight felt Celestia's cervix widen, and as a result the amount of light increased. Her mane was flattened to her head as she finally began to slide into Celestia's womb.

Celestia panted as she felt Twilight's ears flatten, the top of her head being forced inside by the powerful vaginal muscles. <Okay, there we go! I'm open for business now; there shouldn't be any more delays.>
Celestia's cervix slid over Twilight's eyes, forcing them shut. <Thank you for helping with this; I know I'll be a burden while you have to carry me around.>
Celestia arched her back, Twilight's muzzle slipping into her womb. <I've lived for millennia; a couple days is nothing. Consider it my apology for presuming you would want to follow in my hoofsteps.>
Twilight felt Celestia's cervix close around her neck, though it wasn't tight enough to be uncomfortable. She experimentally opened her eyes, and saw that there was indeed a faint glow, about as bright as the sky right before sunrise, seeming to come from nowhere in particular.
Celestia took a sharp breath and grit her teeth as her cervix was forced to stretch even wider to accommodate Twilight's shoulders. <Hold in there, Twilight; this will be the hardest part. I probably should've had you enter with your legs in front.>
Twilight winced as her forelegs were pinned to her side, but she was soon able to pull them through, Celestia's loosened cervix resting around her chest. <I have my legs inside; would you like me to help pull myself in?>
Celestia looked in wonder as her belly stretched wider to contain her protégé. <Yes, but don't overexert yourself.>
Twilight used her hooves to push against the rear of Celestia's womb, pulling her belly into Celestia's marehood and leaving only her tail and rear legs hanging outside, hooves dangling above the floor.
Celestia used her own hooves to massage her massive belly, allowing it to relax enough to fit the rest of Twilight.

Twilight continued to pull herself deeper into the warm embrace of Celestia's womb her teats disappeared inside the mare, followed by her hips disappearing inside, and her belly button passing through the royal cervix. <My navel is inside now; you can connect me if you want.>
Celestia arched her back. <Are you running out of oxygen?>
Twilight shook her head before remembering Celestia couldn't see her. <No, I don't think so. It's lasting longer than I expected.>
Celestia smiled, taking a deep breath as Twilight's hips were forced into her womb, leaving only her hooves and the tip of her tail poking out of her marehood. <Then we can wait until you're all the way inside. This is the home stretch, so it won't be long now.>
Twilight's entry sped up as her hooves disappeared into Celestia, leaving nothing visible from the outside but a few wisps of purple hair and a gigantic bulge in her abdomen.
Celestia's muscles started to have difficulty getting a good grip on Twilight's hind legs, but that wasn't a problem now that most of Twilight was safely in her womb and Twilight was able to do most of the work.
Twilight's pulled until her hindlegs slipped inside, and then it was easy to simply curl up and pull them through. The position she was curled into and the mysterious glow of Celestia's womb gave her an unobstructed view of Celestia's cervix as it closed behind her.
Celestia wrapped her hooves around her belly as it reshaped itself to redistribute Twilight's weight to a more comfortable position. "Can you hear me, Twilight?" she asked out loud, hoping her voice would carry through.
<Well enough.> answered Twilight.
"Good, that'll save some energy on my end. Now, I'm about to connect you to my womb."
<Copy that.> Twilight felt a warm tingling sensation in and around her navel, which was quickly followed by the appearance of a small bud of an umbilical cord.

<You may start to feel faint, because it's taking energy and materials to grow, but those will be replaced once we're connected.>
Twilight used her forehooves to take a hold of the cord as it snaked farther out, directing it to the lower right side of Celestia's womb, on the opposite side from the cervix. <Yeah, and it's been pretty exhausting just getting in here. Once I'm connected, I think I'll take a nap.>
Celestia smiled, wrapping her legs around her belly, which now bulged out to the sides. "Sweet dreams, Twilight. I can take things from here."
Twilight watched as her umbilical cord attached to the endometrium, a placenta forming and spreading out into a thick pancake shape. Soon, her umbilical cord was pulsing and she felt slightly reinvigorated, but not enough that she wasn't still tired. <Good night, Celestia.> She rested her head on her newly formed placenta before drifting off to sleep.

Twilight yawned and stretched her legs, only to find she was not in Celestia's womb. She opened her eyes to discover that she was lying in her bed, sunlight streaming through her open window and illuminating what she quickly recognized to be the bedroom of her old library.
One of the first things she noticed, however, was an absence. There was a distinct lack of bony appendages stabbing her in the back as she slept.
She stood up and looked around, remaking her bed with her magic. A quick visit to her mirror confirmed to her that she was indeed back to her normal self.
She blinked a few times. "Was that all a dream?"
"No, this is the dream."
She moved her head to the side to reveal the reflection of Princess Luna. She turned around and smiled at the princess. "Oh, okay. So I'm still in Celestia's uterus?"
Luna nodded, sitting on Twilight's bed. "Indeed. Celestia has tasked us with making thy stay within her womb as comfortable as possible. As such, this dream world is a fully accurate representation of Equestria at large, except for some obvious changes that we felt would make thee more comfortable."
Twilight smiled, walking over and sitting next to Luna. "Thanks a lot, Luna!"
Luna nodded. "Thou art quite welcome, Twilight. As this is just a nap, however, our time here is limited. When nighttime comes, we shall allow thy friends to visit thee from their own dreams, so you can still see each other while thou art inside our sister."
Twilight smiled, getting up from the bed. "In that case, I think I'll make myself a sandwich. I suspect the taste of food is one of those things you don't truly appreciate until it's gone."
Luna nodded. "Thou must hurry, then. We will leave thee to that task."
She then seemed to fade away, gradually growing more transparent until she was no longer there.

Twilight rushed down the stairs, her muscle memory for the library's layout still strong in her mind despite the passage of time, and entered her kitchen. She found the icebox stocked just as it had been before the fight with Tirek, so she made herself a sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and hay.
Skipping the table, she simply stood at the kitchen counter and took a bite, tasting it thoroughly before swallowing.
In the middle of chewing her fourth bite, the sandwich began to dissolve away, along with the rest of the world. In a flash, she jerked awake, finding herself curled up in the fetal position inside the uterus of her idol and mentor.

The first thing Twilight noticed was a numbness in her wings, and a slight tingling, aching sensation where they met her back.
"Ah, Twilight, you're awake. How was your nap?"
Twilight blinked a few times. She tried to speak, but only ended up filling her lungs with amniotic fluid before remembering. The ring on her horn. <It was good; I feel better now. Luna paid me a visit and said I could visit my friends in my dreams. Like, actually them, not just dream versions.>
Celestia smiled, having rolled onto her side to get Twilight's weight off from on top of her. "That is indeed within her power, as long as they are sleeping as well. I'm glad she's willing to do that; I wouldn't want you to have to stay isolated while you're in there."
Twilight yawned, pulling more fluid into her lungs. It was a slightly unsettling sensation, but she figured it was ultimately a good idea to keep her lungs exercised so they wouldn't atrophy from disuse. <What about you? Aren't you worried about getting weird looks?>
Celestia chuckled. "I am very adept at illusion spells; you would likely be the only pony talented enough to see through them."
Twilight smiled, glad to hear that Celestia wouldn't have to explain her situation to anypony; it wasn't exactly something she wanted to become public knowledge. <Still, carrying such a large load must be cumbersome.>
"If I need to maneuver precisely or fit through small spaces, I can simply enchant my womb to become bigger on the inside, like the saddlebags I gave you once." She lit her horn and rolled onto her belly, which shrunk back to its normal size. "Your weight will remain the same, of course, but it is nothing compared to the sun."
Twilight smiled, shifting herself into a more comfortable position. <That's good; I wouldn't want to be too much of a burden.>

Celestia sat up and climbed off the bed. Once she was on her hooves, she allowed her belly to expand back to its full size. "Oh, it's no burden at all. If I didn't feel you inside me, I might forget you were there altogether." She walked over to her vanity mirror to examine her maternal form. "It actually feels quite pleasant, and you fill out my form quite nicely."
Twilight chuckled, an odd sensation doing so with lungs full of liquid. <Well, don't get too used to it; I'll be leaving in a couple days.>
Celestia blushed and cleared her throat. "Y–Yes, of course, a couple days…"
For lack of anything better to do, Twilight began to get herself acquainted with her new home, which was made easier by the faint glow of Celestia's womb.
It was just as was indicated by her textbooks, but it was somewhat unusual seeing it from the inside. If she squinted, she could make out two small dots that marked the openings to the Fallopian tubes, and between her legs she saw the puckered ring of Celestia's cervix, sealed tightly behind her.
Surrounding her was the thin membrane of her amniotic sac, which had formed and filled with fluid in her sleep to keep her cushioned. The cord growing out of her navel pulsed with bloodflow, supplying her with oxygen and nutrients, and, just as importantly, removing waste and toxins from her bloodstream.
Satisfied that she had like at everything there was to see, she say up, or at least pulled herself into a more upright position. <So, you've started the transformation?>
Celestia grunted in the affirmative. "Mm-hmm. It's progressing without incident so far. I can't just dissolve your wings away; they have to be absorbed back into your body, and your body has to shrink back to its normal size. That takes time, especially since the extra mass has to be removed through your umbilical cord, but you should already be able to see some progress."

Twilight couldn't literally see her back, but she could feel that her wings were indeed smaller. <Yeah, I guess. Thanks again, Celestia.>
Celestia smiled, yawning and making her way to her bedroom door. "I'm about to head to the dining hall; I have a craving for some buttery pecan sweet rolls."
Twilight experimentally ran a hoof along Celestia's uterine wall, which caused her to shiver slightly. <Go ahead; you're eating for two now.>
Celestia chuckled and lit her horn, her large belly seeming to fade and ripple away. As she left the room and walked down the hallway, it swayed invisibly beneath her. Fortunately, the doors and walkways of the palace were incredibly wide, so she didn't have to shrink her womb to get around.
Twilight used her hooves to steady herself as she was shaken back and forth with each step, Celestia's heartbeat speeding up from the exercise.
Celestia stopped at the kitchen and gave the cooking staff her orders. One of them remarked on the lateness of her breakfast, and she made an offhand excuse about having stayed up late last night with Twilight.
This seemed to satisfy the baker, who left to start preparing the food.
Well accustomed to the routine, Celestia made her way to the dining hall and shrunk her belly to allow her to fit into the seat. <Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.>
Twilight smirked. <Well, a few hours for me. I have to wait for you to digest it all.>
Celestia smiled, rubbing her belly. <Yes, that's true. Don't take all of the nutrients for yourself; I still need some of it.>
Twilight kicked, causing Celestia to jump slightly. <Just make sure to eat enough and we won't have a problem.>
Celestia winced, patting her belly. <I don't mind eating generous portions. The food will be here soon; just hang tight.>
<Alright, will do.>
It was a couple more minutes before the food arrived, and Celestia started eagerly chowing down.

From inside her belly, the sounds of Celestia chewing and swallowing the pastries was loud and unregal. The slight burps were amplified by their proximity. This was in addition to the miscellaneous gurgles of her stomach, and the constant rhythms of her breathing and heartbeat, all of which made her womb anything but quiet. Twilight knew rhythmic sounds were calming to newborn foals, so she figured she just had to get used to her new environment.
Celestia licked her plate clean and burped, excusing herself more out of habit than out of politeness to Twilight. She stood up and pushed her chair in, allowing her belly to return to its actual size before returning her plate to the kitchen and paying her compliments to the chef.
Her belly full, both stomach and womb, she headed back to her bedroom and lay curled up on top of her bed. "That was a fairly heavy meal, and high in calories. That should be more than enough to give you what you need."
Twilight smiled, resting her head on her placenta. <Thank you for taking care of me. I think I'm finally starting to get used to being in here; this isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.>
Celestia shut and locked her bedroom door with her magic and removed the illusion spell from her belly. "I'm very glad to hear that. I'll try to make your stay as comfortable as possible."
Twilight settled down onto her side. <Just keep that transformation spell going so I can get out of her.>
Celestia frowned, but kept her voice level. "The spell is still active; you should be back to your old self before the week is over."
Twilight smiled. <Thank you; that means a lot to me.>
Celestia sighed. "You're welcome, Twilight."

Celestia yawned as she stood on the balcony, lowering the sun. Luna stood behind her, waiting for her turn to raise the moon.
As the sun sank below the horizon, Twilight noticed that the glow of Celestia's womb seemed to subside as well. She thought that this was an interesting phenomenon, one she would have to study further when given the chance.
Celestia nodded to Luna once she was done, and Luna began to raise the moon.
Twilight yawned, the change in brightness giving cues to her circadian rhythm that it was time to sleep.
Luna finished raising the moon and rested a hoof on the side of Celestia's belly. "Sleep, young one; we shall gather thy friends."
Celestia smiled and walked back inside, visiting the bathroom to wash up before bed.
Twilight, not having access to a toothbrush or washcloth, settled for a sanitization spell.
Celestia made her way back to her bedroom and climbed into bed, using her magic to lift the blankets and tuck herself in. "Good night, Twilight."
Twilight smiled, eager to get to see her friends again, if only in a dream. <Good night, Princess.> She rested her head on her makeshift flesh pillow and fell asleep soon after closing her eyes.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes and once again found herself lying on her bed, only this time she was surrounded by her friends, including Spike.
"Heya, Sugarcube. We were wonderin' where ya were."
Pinkie nodded. "Yeah, Luna brought us all here around your bed, and then *POOF*, you were there! And then Applejack said 'Heya, Sugarcube. We were wonderin' where ya were.', and I nodded and said 'Yeah, Lu—"
Twilight cleared her throat. "I was here for that part, Pinkie."
Pinkie blushed. "Sorry."
Twilight chuckled. "No biggie. Did Luna explain what's going on?"
They all nodded, and then Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Did you really climb up Celestia's hoohah?"
Fluttershy blushed at the course language.
Twilight chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I know, it's weird, but it was the only way I could get back to normal."
Rarity nodded. "I still can't believe you'd just quit like that. If somepony said I could be a princess, I'd jump at the chance!"
Twilight smiled. "Let's just say the crown looks more glamorous when it's on somepony else's head."
Applejack cleared her throat. "Uh huh, Ah hear ya. So how should we spend our time t'gether?"
Pinkie bounced up and down. "Ooh, ooh, the amusement park! This is a dream, so we can skip to the front of all the lines and do everything for free!"
Fluttershy smiled. "That does sound… nice. Let's do that."
The rest of the group agreed, and then, in the manner of a dream, they immediately found themselves standing at the gate of the park.
"Well, that was convenient." Rainbow Dash observed.
The rest of the group nodded in agreement and proceeded into the park to have as much fun together as they could before they woke up.

Twilight ran a hoof over her smooth back, closed her eyes in concentration, and kicked at Celestia's womb.
Celestia jerked to attention, her quill falling onto the parchment in front of her, staining the corner of the resolution with a splotch of black ink.
One of the legislators cleared his throat. "Are you alright, Your Highness?"
Celestia nodded, blushing. "Y–Yes, of course. I just have to… use the facilities."
She stood up from her seat, not bothering to push it back in, and made her way to the restroom, careful to close and lock the door behind her.
"Twilight!" she whispered, almost hissing, before she decided to communicate in a way that couldn't be overheard. <This is an important meeting; we need to get this loophole closed! Can't you wait until we're done to do your little exercises?>
Twilight sighed. <It's been over two days since my transformation finished. Can I come out yet?>
Celestia bit her lip. <I guess I was going to have to tell you sooner or later. I'm sorry, Twilight, but I'm afraid I can't let you out.>
There was a long pause before Twilight responded.
<What‽>
Celestia sighed, shaking her head. <I wasn't being entirely truthful when I said you could come out after a few days. Okay, it was an outright lie, but I have my reasons.>
There was a surge of magical energy in Celestia's womb, and then she found herself standing three feet to the left of where she had been.
Celestia chuckled. <Don't try teleporting out; you being attached inside of me means I'll just get pulled along with you.>
She lit her horn and Twilight's ring began to glow. <Oh, and that ring you're wearing also gives me veto power over all of your spells, so don't try that again.>
Twilight lit her horn again, but the spell fizzled out before she could cast it. She tried to pull the ring off with her hooves, but it was lodged firmly in place.
<I am sorry, Twilight, but this is for the greater good.>

Twilight turned herself around inside Celestia's womb and started pawing ineffectually through the thin membrane of her amniotic sac at the tightly sealed cervix blocking her path to freedom.
Celestia smiled weakly and sat down on the edge of the toilet lid, her hooves on her seemingly normal-sized belly. <I told you when you entered that only I could dilate my cervix. You won't be able to force your way out.>
Twilight grumbled, looking around Celestia's womb, searching for another exit that she knew didn't exist. <Why are you doing this, Celestia‽>
Celestia sighed. <Can't we talk about this later? I'm in the middle of an important meeting!>
Twilight delivered a hard, sharp kick to Celestia's womb, causing her to wince in response. <I'll take that as a "no". Okay, fine, give me a moment.>
There was a spherical flash of white light, and Celestia was standing in the middle of her bedroom, her belly back to its full size. "Can you still hear me, Twilight?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. <Yes, now quit stalling. Why in Equestria are you holding me hostage in your womb‽>
Celestia winced. "I wouldn't put it that way. Look, Twilight, I'll try to explain this to you, but you'll have to be patient. Can you do that?"
Twilight kicked again.
"Okay, I'll try to get to the point. Now, when I first came across you as a filly, I remarked that I'd never seen a unicorn with your raw ability.
Twilight remembered this moment vividly, but she didn't see the connection to her present situation. <Flattery will get you nowhere. Get to the point.>
Celestia sighed. "I was getting there. Now, when I saw you, I recognized that you were gifted on a level I had never seen before, and, I assumed, may never see again. It occurred to me that such a pony could be an invaluable asset to Equestria if properly trained."
<Yeah, and I saved Equestria and the world multiple times, along with my friends. What's your point?>

Celestia growled, which echoed through her bones and into her womb. "Please stop interrupting me, Twilight."
Twilight rolled her eyes. <Okay, fine.>
Celestia nodded. "Okay, thank you. Anyway, it soon occurred to me that, for all your talent, you were still just a unicorn. I decided that your gift was too valuable to the world to allow it to simply be lost to the ravages of time. So I began to plan."
She started to pace back and forth by the foot of her bed, rocking Twilight like a foal in a cradle. "I saw how you looked up to me, so I did my best to reinforce that role model status, make sure I stayed somepony you'd want to emulate. Then I began grooming you to prepare you to ascend and become an alicorn. The whole 'princess' thing was just a cover; the real goal was to make you an alicorn, to make sure you'd still be around in the future, that your gift wouldn't be lost to the sands of time like so many others before you."
Twilight's eyes widened. <So that's why none of it made sense! I knew something was up!>
Celestia nodded, forgetting Twilight couldn't see her. "I tried my best to make things seem natural, but it was ultimately an artificial change, so there were bound to be some discrepancies, but for the longest time your loyalty to me, which is spent so many years crafting, molding, and reinforcing, prevented you from seriously questioning them."
Twilight blinked. <So, when I told you I wanted to quit…>
Celestia sighed and sat back on the edge of her bed. "I wasn't too concerned at first, obviously, because I didn't actually *need* you to be a *princess*."
She ran a hoof over her belly. "When you said you wanted to go back to being just a unicorn, I tried playing it off as impossible, but your understanding of magic was too clear for you to fall for that. Then, when you mentioned Starswirl's spell, I panicked. That spell actually *could* have returned you to normal, and quickly too."

<I knew it!> Vindicated, Twilight did a little hoof-pump, a proud grin on her face.
Celestia chuckled. "Anyway, I stalled for time by telling you I'd have something figured out by the next morning, and after we finished dinner I stayed up late into the night formulating a Plan B. I realized that if I could hold you inside of me, the same magic that keeps me young would also affect you."
She fell onto her side, allowing the mattress to support Twilight's weight. "The obvious choice, of course, was my womb, and I concocted an excuse to get you inside. Fortunately, you were so eager to get back to normal that you didn't ask too many questions. Once you were inside, I performed the transformation spell myself as slowly as possible, to keep up the act and allow you to adjust. And, I guess, to put off this conversation, but here we are."
Twilight blinked a few times, letting the information sink in. <Hold on. So I have to stay inside your womb… forever?>
Celestia sighed yet again, shaking her head. "Not 'forever', but yes, indefinitely." She glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. "Speaking of which, I shouldn't keep those busy ponies waiting for too much longer."
She got back onto her hooves and her belly shrunk back. With a flash of her horn, Celestia was standing back in the bathroom. Just in case, she flushed the toilet, ran some water in the sink, and lit her horn to fill the room with a foul stench.

When she opened the door, she saw a pony standing outside: one of the legislators, who had seemingly been waiting for a long time. He wrinkled his nose and cleared his throat.
Celestia groaned and put a hoof to her belly, roiling inside from Twilight's panicked, desperate, and indignant kicks. "Apologies, your honor, just a little disagreement in here." She almost started to smirk at her own joke, but she quickly turned it into a wince and patted her belly. "Let's get back to business, sir."
The stallion nodded and the two ponies walked back to the conference room, Celestia's sealed cervix safely securing Celestia's standout student.