>”I’m so excited you were able to get everything worked out before we left!”
>Cadance is beaming at you and Celestia, on the boarding platform.
Shining Armor, carrying Flurry in a floating magical bubble, looks like he’s in a good mood too.
>But his wife is absolutely radiant.
>You can’t tell if the emotions you’re feeling are your own mirrored back at you, or Cadance’s joy that you and her aunt and her sister-in-law all came together in a single happy herd.
>”Thank you for your help, your visits are always wonderful,” Celestia says, with a little bow of her head.
“Maybe someday you’ll tell us how much you helped, exactly.”
>Cadance laughs. “I didn’t contribute anything that wasn’t already there, Anon. Only cleared the air. This was all the four of you, promise. My aunt taught me the wisdom in a light touch.”
>It’s Celestia’s turn to beam at her. “And you’ve learned well.”
“Twilight sends her apologies, especially to you, Shining. She wanted to see you all off, but something came up.”
>Shining’s expression becomes utterly unreadable.
>But like flipping a switch, Cadance’s smile becomes a terrifyingly feral grin.
>Just for the briefest of moments, then it’s gone.
>“That’s fine, Anon. I hope it works out for her. Good luck!”
“Good luck?”
>The family turns to board. “Oh yes,” Cadance says, over her shoulder. “You’ll be needing it.”
>The two of you stay on the platform to watch the train depart, but not a moment longer.
“You know, there’s still some weird cultural elements we gotta work through, with displays of affection.”
>Celestia turns with you, and you two start heading back through the city to the palace. It’s a short walk, but it’s enough that you two wanted to see your guests off at the station instead of the palace gates. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I’ve gotten used to the touching noses thing, that’s like kissing back home. Some Earth cultures had similar practices. But I’m still gonna probably end up actually kissing you mares at some point and that might get awkward. I’ve been keeping it to the coat because I don’t know how you’d react. Also, Twilight keeps licking me. Especially this morning. Fucking tons. Like I woke up to it.”
>”What’s wrong with that?”
“Back home, at least where I was from, licking people was rare. And, uh, bedroom behavior, I guess.”
>Celestia adopts that wide-eyed puckered look like she’s holding back laughter at a joke only she understands. “I see.”
“And there’s a couple other things. I’m not used to, uh, carrying a sign of affection around. The scent thing will take some getting used to. Though I gotta say, whatever you and Luna do to your body chemistry to make yourselves smell as pleasant as you do, I can’t wait until Twilight figures out how. You smell like a meadow in full bloom, and your sister smells like a spice-laden campfire, what the actual fuck. I thought your manes were the only outlandishly impressive things you two did with your bodies.”
>She chuckles. “Anon, that’s only to impress you, but I’m glad you enjoy it.”
“What?”
>”Effort may not be the right word, but it takes more effort to do that than to just not have any scent at all, as we had before the herd. But, as you have learned, a side effect of affectionate behavior is marking each other with our scents. We decided to make it something pleasant.”
“Well shit, I appreciate it. I was wondering why Twilight’s was so much more muted. Or why I could never smell other ponies, but honestly, a human’s sense of smell is kinda garbage. You three are the only ones I’ve gotten close enough to.”
>You make your way back to the palace, trading differences in physiology and culture. Instead of going around for the back, as you would have, the two of you enter instead.
>The four of you made a snap decision last night to relocate to the royal suites. A door joined Celestia and Luna’s quarters, allowing you a sense of continuity, but it was still a bit strange. Eventually you’ll all get relocated to the workshop for some renovations of that area of the palace to a proper arrangement, but until then, you’re making do.
>As you enter the suites, you’re confronted with Luna, a look of mock panic barely hiding a smile on her face.
>“Celestia, it is terrible! Our companion mare is delirious! Without her noble guidance, our herd is stricken! Oh, however shall we carry on?”
>From the far end of the string of rooms comes Twilight’s voice.
>”By the grace of your sister will you shut up already?!”
>The alicorn sisters snicker at each other as you slip inside.
>”It’s appropriate she gets him first, no?” Celestia cranes her neck to look through the doorway into the adjacent rooms.
>”I am content to wait my turn, sister.”
>”Then we can show him some proper, thoughtful love, together.”
>”Are you suggesting we approach the situation like old times?”
>”I don’t see why not.”
“What the fuck are you saying?”
>Twilight appears in the doorway, then. “Don’t think I don’t hear you two… scheming!”
>She looks downright disheveled. Her mane’s a mess, her eyes are wild, and her stance is a bit wider, like she’s drunk and needs the extra stability.
>Then her eyes find you, and ‘wild’ is no longer a sufficiently intense descriptor.
>”Anonthanktheskiesyouareback canyoucomehereforamoment Ineedyouforsomething.”
“Uh, yeah.”
>You look back at the sisters.
>They’re still trying to keep a lid on their snickering.
>As you turn to follow Twilight, you hear Celestia do an imitation of Cadance from earlier.
>”Good luck!”
>Twilight practically slams the door behind you, once you’re in the same room as her.
>She’s looking over you with eyes that can’t seem to stay still.
>Her tail’s flicking erratically.
>She’s breathing really heavy.
>”A-anon… is there something wrong with me?”
“If I had to guess? You look like you’re in the middle of the worst hangover you’ve ever had.”
>”No! I mean physically. Is- is there a reason… I’m a different species. Do you find me attractive?”
“The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”
>”Sexually!”
>Ah.
>You’ve talked to Luna about this, before.
>Should have figured it was going to come up.
>You’d been steering clear of the subject usually, because ponies seemed to not really consider the idea as much as humans, but Luna told you when a mare’s ready, she’s ready.
>That explains the panting, at least.
>And this morning’s licking.
“Twilight, if you need something, I’m more than happy to provide. Like, whenever. That’s sorta how humans work.”
>You don’t have time to elaborate; she’s already stalking towards you, as you sit down on the bed.
>You’re pretty sure that’s aggression posture, for ponies.
>You cant tell if those are bedroom eyes or hungry eyes.
>”What I need. Is. You.”
“Shit, mare, you got me.”
>”I don’t know what it’ll be like. If we’re compatible or not. Just… do whatever you can. Please.”
>She props herself up with her forehooves on your knees.
>She can’t stop herself from glancing at your lap.
>”I’m begging you.”
“Twilight, seriously, just-”
>She’s already undoing your pants telekinetically.
>Why does she bother begging when she can simply take?
>Even as she’s sliding them off you, she’s climbing up onto the bed, forcing you onto your back, her hooves to either side of your body.
>She looks down at your face. Her expression is a lot more complex than you were expecting.
>Lust, for sure, but also the love you’re able to find in her eyes every time. Frustration. Some concern, and a bit of apology.
>She’s taking your shirt off telekinetically, and you move to let her.
>Then she collapses on top of you.
>There’s the licking again, all over your face and neck and upper body.
>Her hooves are wrapped around you in a tight hug.
>How she expects to get anything done when she’s way up here, and your business end is way down there, you have no idea.
>You’ll have to do some of this yourself.
>A little difficult, when her half-spread, arched wings are blocking your view of what her own body isn’t obstructing itself.
>She recalls herself when you’re bringing your arms around for some crucial repositioning, and stands up again, looking down at your now naked body between her legs.
>”I… I don’t know what I was expecting. But without your clothes… You look good, Anon.”
“I’d say the same to you, but I’ve only ever looked at you without clothes, Twi.”
>“Mmm. Enough looking. Time to feel.”
>She sits back hard on your hips.

* * *

>You’re pretty sure six rounds in one sitting is a new record, for you.
>You’d lost track of how many it was for her.
>Ponies have garbage stamina.
>At least you’ll never have to worry about satisfying your herd.
>You’d fucked her unconscious. Celestia and Luna looked in on you, and had to give you some brief advice about that.
>They’d looked impressed.
>And a little dejected, when you told them you couldn’t possibly do more at that time, so soon after exhausting yourself on – in – the purple alicorn.
>But you’d promised to make it up to them.
>They’d brightened up at that, and left you alone.
>Hopefully they wont be as crazed, when it’s their turn.
>On that note, when Twilight woke up again, you discovered you had literally fucked some sanity into her. She could think and speak coherently now.
>She’d felt guilty she’d been useless all day.
>So the two of you were trying to get some work done in the shop.
>The two of you got the generator out of the wings.
>You need that for something else.
>Twlight was so proud of herself that she managed to accomplish it that she never even asked why you wanted her to.
>Poor thing.
>Now you’re carrying it to the one storage room with a different lock from the rest, the one whose key isn’t on your usual chain.
>Key in lock, open lock. You step inside as quickly as possible and close the door behind you, using your phone for light.
>There is a good number of parts in here now. Besides the half-assembled head and its attendant box of waiting pieces, you have four legs, minus hooves, and the basic shell of a body, though the smithy hasn’t completed your pieces for the inner framework yet.
>You’re almost at your limit for how far you can get without Twilight’s help, but you’ve yet to figure out a way to get what you need from her without revealing the surprise.
>It got close, when she asked why you’d designed the generator for the test article wings so powerful.
>It wasn’t a generator for wings at all.
>It was a new pony’s heart.
>Though the wings were coming here too, eventually.
>You place the still-spinning generator next to the body shell, then pick up the master design sheet, illuminating it with your phone’s flashlight.
>The mounting brackets for the generator should be ready in four days, according to how you’ve been spacing orders out to avoid suspicion.
>That should give you enough time to finish the head’s internals, minus the brain.
>All three pieces of which you needed Twilight for.
>This is getting difficult.
>You hear a pop, experience a moment of disorientation, and realize everything is a lot brighter now.
>”You’re taking too long, Anon.”
>Oh fuck.
>Twilight, perched on top of one of the workbenches, looks over to where she teleported you. “Oh, what’s that?”
>Your design sheet starts glowing magenta, and is gently yet firmly removed from your grasp.
>As Twilight looks over it, her eyes widen.
>First in confusion.
>Then in anger.
>”What is this supposed to be?”
>You sigh, face in palm, trying to figure out how you’re going to get through this.
“It’s a pony, Twilight.”
>”What, is three of us not enough? You need to build something to screw?”
“No, Twilight. You’re literally looking at the design, you can see there’s no, uh, hardware for that.”
>This just sends her from angry to worried. “Are… are we failing you in some other way? Some-”
“Twilight, stop. Your heat’s getting to you again.”
>”Buck the heat! Is this why you’ve been so curious about the failure state of the come-to-life spell, recently? If you seriously think I’m going to-”
“Let me explain!”
>You only realize you shouted it in the ensuing silence.
“Just… let me explain. Look past the body for a sec, because that’s not a mare.”
>”I don’t see how you expect me to believe that.”
“Okay, uh, from the top. You told me when the come-to-life spell gets screwed up, it creates an awareness based on what the caster intended the object to be. If the object is complicated enough, that new awareness needs to learn the body it now animates. This thing is preposterously complex. Hell I have two copies of my cellphone’s motherboard in there, to handle sensory processing, and they’re probably the most complex physical objects on this world. I have no idea if it’ll even work the way I intend it to. But it’s going to take a long time for her to learn how she’s supposed to be, especially with what you’re going to be keying her identity to. And she’s going to need guidance. Like… like a child, Twilight. The body’s just full-sized because it can’t grow. Not a mare. A filly.”
>Her expression has been shifting to awe slowly through your whole explanation, eyes wide and jaw loose.
>Maybe the heat’s good for something; it could be making her receptive to arguments of motherhood, no matter how strange the subject in question.
“Don’t you see? That sex we just had to clear your head, that sure is satisfying, but it’s not- it’s not productive. With this we can make a product of our minds where our bodies can’t cooperate. A foal. We could have a foal after all. See, something this complicated, we’re going to fail the casting intentionally. And when you’re casting the spell, Twilight, think about a daughter.”
>Twilight looks back and forth between you and the plans, and the latter slowly floats to the tabletop beside her. “Anon, how… how long have you been planning this?”
”I started these plans on Raven’s indirect suggestion awhile ago, to give you immortals a companion. But then we got all tangled up in each other, and as I learned more about the spell, I learned about its obstacles. So this became something more.”
>You laugh and shake your head.
“I wanted to make it a surprise; I was going to tell the three of you after I worked out all the kinks in the design. But I’ve been running into more and more snags, more things that… that I needed you for. So it’s been dragged out.”
>You look back up at her.
>Her eyes are starting to well up.
>Ah hell don’t do that, it’ll set you off too.
“I know you said you never really thought of foals, and I’m sorry for keeping this a secret from you, but… can we try? You said the failure modes of this spell are unexplored territory. So at the very least, it’s worth it just for that experience. But it has the chance to be so much more, Twilight. A family we didn’t think possible. A lasting labor of love I can leave to you all.”
>Does the heat make her more emotional?
>Because she’s crying now, but she’s smiling.
>”Typical stallions… always thinking of foals.”
>The two of you share a chuckle.
>”Yeah, Anon. I think it’s worth a shot. And I’d love nothing more than for it to work, even if it’s your most whimsical idea yet.”
>You quickly walk to where she sits on the workbench and wrap her in a big hug.
>”If you insist on being so physical, we’re going to have to take another break to get me straightened out again.”
“Ah, shit. Sorry.”
>”It’s fine. Get whatever you have so far, and we can look at these snags you’ve hit, redesign for them. Quickly, while I’m still capable of thought.”

* * *

>You feel bad for Luna, still awake as she was.
>She hadn’t gone to bed at her usual time, and now it’s early afternoon.
>She needed to make sure everything that was about to happen was properly prepared.
>To her credit, she’s still walking at your side just fine.
>In fact, she’s the epitome of solemn severity
>But you know that humorlessness goes deeper than just appearances
>She doesn’t take missing out on sleep well.
>Celestia’s on the other side of you, and similarly looks cheerless, though in her case she’s as calm and collected as ever.
>It was her plan that Luna’s preparations supported.
>It had taken a little over a week to figure it out and set it up, but that time had flown by, with how much the four of you had been enjoying each other’s company.
>But after her… issue… had cleared, Twilight had to go to Ponyville.
>None of you let it bother you during what you guessed amounted to an at-home honeymoon, but with her gone, now was the time to eliminate the last threat to your herd.
>The three of you enter the council room.
>Unlike the usual seating arrangements, Blueblood sits at the far end, where Luna normally would.
>Raven and the Royal Guard commander stand on either side of him.
>Celestia and Luna both take seats at Celestia’s end of the table.
>You move to stand between and behind them, arms behind your back.
>Blueblood looks miserable.
>Specifically, like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a week. At least since Celestia’s little scent stunt.
>You know he’d been progressively isolated from even his own subordinates, as the week went on. Celestia cut them loose to work independently of him, or had put them under Raven temporarily.
>Raven looked no worse for the wear, though you hadn’t gotten a chance to meet her since the herd was formed. That mare must be a machine. Almost as much as the actual machine body you were in the process of building for a mare-to-be.
>The commander looked smug as fuck. He’d turned out to be a real master of intrigue, himself, and you were starting to see how Celestia used the guard’s rumor mill as a source of information. He’d kept Celestia apprised of Blueblood’s every movement, and every pony he had talked to, this week or regularly before. Frankly, it terrified you, knowing this stallion had likely been watching you in that much detail through his guards’ eyes since you’d arrived.
>Between the two of them, Blueblood had been shut out of his network of contacts, as well as his professional connections.
>You’re really glad you didn’t let yourself get sucked into courtly intrigues.
>As soon as the princesses are settled, Blueblood speaks, panic evident in his voice. “Please, I can explain-”
>”We have already heard your explanations.” Celestia intones, voice low and harsh with gravitas. “From you, through my sister’s guard, and from the pony you roped into this scheme of yours, through my own guards.”
>He falls back against the chair, as if slapped.
>The commander manages to look even more smug.
>”Further, we had quite generously granted you a week to come to us with your concerns, after the incident. You failed to take advantage of this opportunity.”
>Blueblood slumps.
>Lack of sleep may have sapped his will to fight before he’d even begun.
>”We assumed you left the matter to our wisdom to resolve.”
>”Wise of thee, thyself,” Luna said, gravelly yet clear.
>”And so we come to our… resolution.”
>Several documents appear in front of Celestia in a flash colored the same as Raven’s magic.
>Celestia picks the first one up and looks it over.
>”Prince Blueblood, the nature of your crime is truly a confluence of unique circumstances. The conspiracy you ran from your position in this very palace was alarming. Malign from the outset, though not so far removed from decency as to warrant intervention, and within the realm of your responsibility.”
>Judging by his expression, this admission does little to hearten him.
>Celestia continues, “Its recent and blessedly final escalation, however, wasn’t just an attack against Anonymous, whose current status I need not remind you.”
>Behind Celestia as you are, you couldn’t see her expression, but whatever Blueblood saw at that moment, he didn’t like.
>”Through his position, and by his nature, your incident created a diplomatic crisis for all Equestria. An attack on a foreign nation, should it have gone off, would have been disastrous.
>”But we have no contact with-”
>”Do you know how Anonymous got here?”
>Blueblood fell silent.
>”Neither do we, and therein lies the problem. I have seen a glimpse of what they’re capable of. We all have, thanks to Anonymous. If more humans appear here, what would they think if they discovered we had torched the space we set aside for them, and murdered their emissary?”
>”Murdered? I didn’t-”
>”You don’t know what can harm him, and with this attempt foiled, where would you have gone? There’s a reason we removed the kitchen staff from your authority.”
>That shut him up.
>”Furthermore, the attempted attack’s timing compounds matters. Princess Twilight Sparkle mediates Ponyville; she’s one of the few ponies with a higher station than you, and she also was threatened by your actions. We downplay the nobility, nowadays, but laws related to its hierarchy are still on the books, should we choose to use them.”
>He shakes his head side to side slightly, rapidly. You’re not sure what he’s objecting to.
>”However...” Celestia shuffles to another document before continuing, “Your loyalty to Equestria cannot be questioned. Indeed, in a twisted way, it is one of the motivations for your crime. You have been a truly faithful servant of ours from the beginning, as your family has been for generations.”
>She looks up from the paper to him, then.
>”Thus the nature of your punishment shall have greater meaning.”
>She magically rolls up the third of the three documents, and floats it over to him.
>“Blueblood, you are hereby exiled from Equestria to the Crystal Empire. A nation you considered an other. Our niece Princess Cadance will teach you the meaning of family, one who you thought our competition despite being as close to us as the heirs you wished to see from Twilight. Shining Armor will teach you the meaning of nobility, one who was common-born and rose to his position by merit alone. You are placed into their care, for them to use you as they wish. Your inherited title and possessions are stripped from you, and will be transferred to your next of kin entitled to them.”
>Blueblood is silent for a long time, his gaze flicking from the tabletop in front of him to the two princesses and back again. When he finally speaks, it’s barely a hoarse whisper. “When do I leave?”
>”Immediately,” Luna grinds out.
>Then the two sisters’ horns glow, and Blueblood vanishes from his seat, along with Celestia’s scroll near him.
>You can hear, from both sisters, a forced exhalation of exertion. 
>Raven and the Commander nod to each other, then the Princesses, and file out.
>As soon as the doors close behind them, Luna’s head unceremoniously thumps to the table, startling you from the stance you’d held through the whole sentencing.
“Oh shit, is she okay?”
>Celestia laughs, but it’s weak. “And so the decorum is shattered. She’s fine, Anon. Teleporting a pony to another country entirely is quite a feat, even for two old alicorns. Twilight’s twice-daily teleporting to Ponyville and back for you, when she still did, was a labor I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to fully appreciate.”
>You look to Celestia, then. Her expression is visible now, as she’s looking back at you, and at her sister.
>Her expression is troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
>”Exile is a very serious punishment, more serious than his crime deserved. We were harsh. However…” Her expression regains a bit of her usual calm. “…I believe firmly that ponies can be redeemed, and I modify my punishments accordingly. Sometimes this makes them less severe. Other times, like this one, it makes them moreso, but only conditionally. Should he learn the two lessons I set for him, and should he serve Cadance and Shining as well as he served us, his life in the Crystal Empire will be comfortable. Should he refuse those lessons, and refuse to serve, he will feel the full weight of his sentence, and it will crush him. Those two are aware of the circumstances of his crime; we discussed all this beforehand. They’ll ensure he’s handled properly. However, the core of his sentence remains the fact he is never welcome back into the country he loves, forever distant from the sovereigns he served his whole life.”
>Luna finally stirs.
>”Don’t sleep yet, sister, we still must make it back. We were going to watch Anon work today, remember?”
>Ah, yes.
>Today’s the day you must tell them what you and Twilight have planned.

* * *

“Damn if this camera isn’t shit.”
>You reach up and flip a switch on your blindfold.
>The world goes dark.
>You shove the blindfold – festooned with jury-rigged wiring – up to sit on your forehead and open your natural eyes.
>Sometimes you have to admit biology’s got you beat.
>Or has whatever Asian country your phone came from beat.
>You’re amazed the thing works as well as it does, but you still notice all those fun ways eyes beat cameras.
>You swear you can still see the faint color-static noise you’d occasionally noticed, if you squeeze your eyes closed hard enough
>Having to turn your head for every little thing instead of just moving your eyes was a lot more irritating than you’d expected.
>You needed to test this vision and hearing replacement system at length, but earmuffs didn’t block out all the sound you were trying to listen through the microphones, and you kept having to switch back to Eyeball Mk.1 to continue your work assembling these legs.
>At least they work.
“I feel bad for the ponies we’re going to stick with this garbage.”
>”It’ll be better than what they have now, Anon.”
>Celestia’s laying on a big pile of bedding she’d teleported into one corner of your workshop, to stay out of your way while she watched you work.
>Luna lays beside her, head and neck draped across her sister’s back, sleeping.
“Well, I can see and hear. I’m not going to give it any credit beyond the fact that yes, it achieves basic functionality.”
>”Is that a problem with the spell?”
“Hell no, the spell’s incredible. It’s like I’m actually looking at its screen in camera mode, but it’s piped directly to my mind. All the phone’s automatic adjustments and everything work as they should. Those functions are actually more responsive than I expected. It’s just a cellphone is a multipurpose device. It can do a lot, but it doesn’t do any of it particularly well. A proper camera even with half this one’s resolution is going to take images far better, just because it has better quality components; its chief concern is taking a good picture. The phone’s camera’s chief concern is being flat. I’ve worn headsets with better microphones than these, and unlike the camera, the microphone has a lot less ability to adjust to different noise levels. I expect the speakers to be strictly okay, and the spell for them is ready, but we haven’t tried testing it to replace voice yet.”
>As if explaining it resigns you to its use, you pull the blindfold back down and flip the camera on, feeling your closed eyes wince to no effect as the camera adjusts its sensitivity downward to the current light level, then adjusts its focus.
>Celestia cocks her head. “Who did all this spellcrafting, anyway? I don’t doubt the capabilities of my former student, but she only has so many hours in the day, and tends to obsess over details.”
”Nah, not just her. She worked with some unicorn named Starswirl on them, over the past several weeks.”
>“Ah! I was wondering when those two would get a chance to collaborate.”
>You turn your head towards Celestia.
>Differences in how the camera handles motion threatens a brief bout of mild dizziness.
“You’re familiar?”
>Celestia laughs. “Oh yes. Starswirl was our mentor, Anon. And, I might add, a childhood idol of Twilight’s.”
“Holy shit, is he immortal too?”
>”No, he was just trapped for a long time. He’s freed now, obviously.”
“You know, if I knew he was your mentor, I would have been more concerned about him jacking up my brain with magic. Y’know, in case he’s the protective type or something.”
>”Twilight wouldn’t let him harm you.”
“Is she stronger than him?”
>”Of course.”
“Good.”
>”Only by a little bit.”
“Okay you didn’t have to tell me that, I was enjoying my too-brief moment of relief.”
>You shake your head, then freeze when you risk disorienting yourself again.
“Just wish I had the means to make something better than this crap. Ponies are going to expect to be able to see and hear, when we tell them what we’ve done. This is a poor excuse for it.”
>Luna stirs in her sleep, but settles down against her sister once more. Celestia eyes the legs you’re working on.
>”I hope you’re not planning to test those on yourself, either.”
“Ah, no. This is for something else.”
>”Oh? This secret project you and Twilight have been working on?”
“What?”
>Celestia’s eyes gleam. “I’m quite observant, and both you and Twilight are bad at hiding things from me.”
>You sigh, then grab the rolled up plans next to you.
“Alright, fine. Can you wake your sister up? This is for both of you to hear.”
>She cranes her neck around to nuzzle her sister’s cheek
>Luna starts awake and looks around blearily, before returning the nuzzle.
“Hey there, sleepyhead.”
>”Mrph.”
“Yeah, you too. Here, I got something to show you.”
>You turn the camera off again, then remove the blindfold, placing it on the workbench.
>Luna perks up when you hop off your chair, and you point the rolled paper at her as you approach.
“Yes, you. And I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”
>You pull a couple pillows off the pile, sitting on them and crossing your legs.
“Okay, so, about a week ago, Twilight and I reworked a project I had been sitting on for awhile. We didn’t tell you right away, because we weren’t sure what the end result would be like, and then she left for Ponyville, partially to get some parts for this. But she told me I could fill you in, and I’m not going to keep it from you.”
>You unroll the updated plans, then turn it for them to see.
>Celestia’s eyes widen.
>Luna still looks half-dead, but by her ears you can tell you have her attention.
“She and I want to, uh… We want… We’re gonna give you – us – a kid. Er, a foal. A filly. Even if nature won’t let us.”
>Luna’s finally awakening to the idea, as Celestia looks back and forth between the plans and the legs you’d been assembling.
>“But she’s so big,” Celestia breathes.
“Yeah, well, metal can’t grow, and we’ve got some size constraints as it is. A weight-reduction spell means she’s not going to crush us, at least. No magic, either, so we’ve designed her as a pegasus rather than an alicorn. Uh, sorry.”
>Celestia smiles, but she’s craning her neck to the page, presumably to examine it in detail. “A shame, I like the little ones.”
“You seem to be taking this pretty calmly. Twilight started crying.”
>Celestia looks up at you, then, giving her sister’s nose a chance to smell the ink instead. “I’ve been helping raise fillies for a long time, Anon. My students always started young. I very much enjoyed it, and I’ll happily do so again, even if I won’t get to see her grow.” She looks back at the page. “It’ll be nice to call one my own, no matter how unusual. My… little princess.”
>Ah, there’s her eyes swimming.
>“Not ready to be a mother.”
>You and Celestia look at a slurring Luna.
>Then you look back to Celestia and tap the top of the page.
>It starts glowing with her magic, allowing you to let go and sit by Luna’s side.
>Luna’s nearer wing almost instinctively wraps around your back, as you hug her neck where it meets her body.
>Celestia looks over. ”You were the one more eager for the prospect, when we were younger, sister.”
>Luna buries her face in a nearby blanket. “And then we know what happened,” she mumbles into it.
>You stroke her ethereal mane with your free hand.
“Come on, you’ve got the rest of us helping you. I’m not sure I have what it takes to be a father, sure as hell not an Equestrian one, but I want to give you three this. Something to re-”
>Celestia gives you a flat look.
>Yeah, you don’t need to finish that sentence.
“We’ll do the best we can. And if, by the end, we think we could have done better, well, we can give her a sibling.”
>”Things are very different than they were, back then. You have more than just me to care for you, and I’ve learned my lesson from then too.”
>Luna just snorts into the blanket.
“Besides, Twilight and I designed her so she doesn’t need to sleep. She can stay up all night with you.”
>Luna pulls her head out from the blankets lightning quick, looking first to you, then to the page in Celestia’s telekinetic grip. “Truly?”
“Why would I lie to you? Twilight said we could stick a big enough gem in her head that it could act as a magic reservoir as well as the spell focus, that it’d be necessary so the spell doesn’t run down quickly and she, er, ceases to be. She thinks we can get a month of life in there, though we’d be topping it off regularly anyway. Big enough reserves she can be awake twenty four hours every day without us worrying. No organic body to maintain, after all.”
>Luna looks back to you, searching your expression for even the tiniest hint of dishonesty.
>You give her your warmest smile, and reach up to play with her ears.
“Your filly as much as ours.”
>”She… she won’t be able to dream.”
“We don’t know that. For all we know sleep is something she’ll still be capable of, even if unnecessary. We’re in uncharted waters, here. But that’s not going to keep her from you; she could always be at your side.”
>Luna stares at you for a little longer, and you catch a brief glimpse of a trembling smile before she shoves her face into your side, head twisted so she doesn’t gore you with her horn.
>You can feel her sobbing under your arm around her, and look at Celestia.
>She’s studying her sister with that warm smile you’ve come to associate with their love for each other. Not distant, but preoccupied, full of memories.
“Hey.”
>She switches her gaze to you, and her expression changes, though it’s no less caring.
“What do you think?”
>”I think you just made my sister the happiest mare in the world, Anon.”
>You pat Luna’s side, but remain looking at her sister.
“And you?”
>”How could I say no to that? And it’d be nice being… on the other side of the relationship, for a change. The one whose filly is being taught.” She chuckles. “But with a herd like ours, who needs mentors?”
“I think we’ll do just fine.”
>”Awhile back, Anon, I helped you with one of your projects. A simple task. You and Twilight have come a long way, since then. I don’t know how I’ll be able to, but I want to help again.”
“The wings and that sensory system over there, those were the most complicated bits. We’ve got everything figured out, it’s just getting it all together. For that, we’d love your help. Luna’s too, if she’s willing.”
>You can feel the blue alicorn nod into your side, breathing calmer now.
“Then she’ll have all four of us involved in her conception. What other herd can claim that?”