Earth Pony Prince

A Unicorn Walks into a Bar

It had been a fun week. Luna had persuaded her into attending a stargazing event at an observatory in Las Pegasus. The observatory had been out in the countryside ironically, far from the action in Las Pegasus, where the ponies could easily see the shining stars that Luna would raise up into the night when they both served in the Canterlot castle.

Celestia chuckled lightly and took another sip of her drink. She wasn't sure what it was; she had simply waltzed up to the bar and asked for something tasty. The bartender was more than happy to serve the retired princess, claiming it was on the house. Celestia had smiled and made a mental note to leave a large tip for the bartender at the end of her night.

A cacophony of laughter sounded behind the mare, who turned to look and saw representatives of the Crystal Empire all cheers-ing to some announcement that must have just been made. Celestia smiled. She was happy that Cadence was such a successful leader, bringing joy to the Crystal Ponies, especially since King Sombra had finally been beaten for a final time just last year. Flurry Heart was growing to be a powerful young Alicorn, and Sunburst was a wonderful mentor for her.

Speaking of Sunburst, Celestia had been so wrapped up in thinking about the past and the future, she'd hardly realized that in the present, the powerful orange Unicorn had made his way up to the bar and was taking a seat right next to the princess.

"Pomegranate fizz, please!" Sunburst chimed, sliding a few bits across the counter to the bartender, who smiled and began making the ordered drink. Jazz music played over the speakers as the ponies sat beside each other, the buzz of conversation behind them.

"What's the occasion?" Celestia turned to her former student, taking another sip of whatever drink she had been served. She was running low, though. She'd need to order another one in just a minute.

Sunburst grinned widely and looked back to the group he was currently away from. "Oh, some odd equation Starswirl had never figured out. The mathematicians and scientists at the empire and I all worked hard to figure it out, and we finally completed the equation!" The orange unicorn adjusted his glasses, picking up his finished drink with his magic, and swirling it before taking a sip. "Or I guess it counts as more of a spell, really. It was some variable we solved for; helped us realize the magic that carries down to birth an Alicorn."

Celestia's eyes widened. "You solved for why Flurry Heart was born as an Alicorn?"

Sunburst grinned ear to ear, taking another drink and nodding. "We did! Just about an hour ago. Cadence sent us all on a retreat, hence everyone being on vacation in Las Pegasus, and not within the Empire currently."

Celestia gestured to the bartender. "Could I get another one of these, please?" The bartender nodded and began pouring another glass, garnishing it with a cherry. "What was the, um, final result?"

Sunburst set his drink down and readjusted his glasses once more. He took a deep breath and began to explain his findings. "Do you remember the strange circumstance that was Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding?" Celestia nodded. "Well, Starswirl was trying to think that, if you or Luna had a child with someone, Pegasus or Unicorn, would the genetics transfer down the line, even though your wings and Luna's horn weren't natural? The answer was some undefined result every time he tried to work through the equation. When it comes to magic and children, however, scientists fail to include emotion in their research."

"Emotion?"

"Exactly. No one who things logically would consider anything apart from pure and precise science." Sunburst finished off his drink. "Halfway through what we thought the answer was, my associates and I saw a pair of ponies outside of the lab, sharing a meal at a diner across the street. One of us had been wearing a pair of goggles that allowed us to see small specks of magic that flow in the air at all times, even when spells aren't being cast.

"When one of the two ponies had made a joke and the other laughed, we recorded a spike of magical particles between the two."

Celestia laughed, baffled at the implication. "Love?" Sunburst nodded. "Love is what caused Flurry to be an Alicorn at birth?"

"Who else do you know that got married after saving their spouse with the power of love?" Sunburst insisted. "Cadence had her power, sure, but she loves Shining with everything inside her. I see it every day I'm in the castle tending to Flurry. We took into account the spike and the amount of magic present at their wedding, and likely at other, ahem, events the two are together during," Sunburst's face had reddened at the euphemism. "And we came to the conclusion that the trick to Alicorn children is simply an undeniable amount of love that comes from both parties.

Celestia let out a scoff, shocked at the discovery and how simple it turned out to be. If true love was the answer, why weren't regular ponies having Alicorn children left and right? No, no. Sunburst was right. Cadence and Shining's wedding was an exception to any event in Equestrian history. The mare slumped in her seat and finished off her drink, setting it down and shaking her head when the bartender offered her another.

"Seems like you've had quite the productive day then, Sunburst."

The stallion sensed a shift in the mood, and his brows furrowed. "Is everything alright, your majesty?"

Celestia laughed, dejected. "I'm not your princess anymore, Sunburst. But yes, I'm alright. Retirement is just a bit less exciting than being a princess was." Celestia thought back to her time in the castle. Signing off on bills every morning was a chore, but the balls she hosted, the talks with her students... she did miss it sometimes.

"Well, at least you didn't have to care for a child and work as a princess simultaneously," Sunburst remarked, making a face. "Cadence has her hands full every morning without fail. If Flurry Heart didn't keep her up all night, the stress about the next political controversy definitely did."

"You seem to really know your way around a princess, don't you Sunburst?" Celestia remarked. The stallion turned red, but he couldn't help but smile.

"I know my way around a castle, your majesty," Sunburst sat up straighter in his seat, looking up at Celestia with more confidence as the conversation took an unexpected turn. "But if you're open to the idea, I'd love to get to know my way around a princess, whether she's retired or not."

Not long after, the pair disappeared from the bar, leaving plenty of bits on the counter to cover ten times what their drinks had cost.

"You're home late," Luna shut the book she had been reading, looking up at her sister, a disheveled mess from the night before.

"I'm retired!" Celestia laughed. "I don't have a curfew."

Luna raised an eyebrow, suspicious now of her sister's late-night activities. "I thought you were going to get drinks downstairs and return here after you'd relaxed."

Celestia flushed. "I relaxed in a slightly different way, dear sister." Luna's eyes widened. "Sunburst was visiting," The mare added, "And we just had a very intriguing conversation. He took me back to his room so he could explain it more in-depth."

"Sister!" Luna scolded.

"Let me have fun!" Celestia dismissed, waltzing into the bathroom and turning on the shower. "Just because you're not looking for a stallion doesn't mean I have to close off all my options, too!"