This day is a bowl filled with headaches, and I'm so deep in it I can see my brain painfully pulsating. I would think of more and better metaphors to emphasize my point, but I was never good at Literature or writing. Everything that I've ever written was pretty plain and uninspiring. In any case, all I wanted to do was go to the class, sit down, and spend my time studying... something. Math, Commonlang, Equestrian Literature, Griffon Cuisine, anything that wasn't about me. However, someone decided to approach me before I could do that, and now they were looking at me as if I stole their cookies and now refuse to admit it.

"You're an alicorn, aren't you?" one of the students stepped in my way. I seriously don't want to deal with it right now, especially since my musical instruments were almost stolen by a bunch of thiefs for the second time in a pretty short while. Celestia did promise to make the security better, but I'm having a few ideas of my own. If only I wasn't pestered about my nature, I could maybe think about it more.

"No, I'm not," I rolled my eyes in an attempt to look like the very thought of me being an alicorn was ridiculous in itself, "Anyway-"

"Let me guess, this necklace hides your wings," he interrupted, gesturing at Luna's gift around my neck. Sure, he's right on the money, but that doesn't mean I will admit it. Who I am and what I do is no one's business but mine, and I'm not hurting anyone, so they can all buzz right off.

"That's a gift from a friend," I replied somewhat forcefully, showing that I don't really want to continue the discussion.

"That's the symbol of Princess Luna," he continued. Ugh, this is becoming awkward and annoying... "You can't possibly be her friend!"

Oh wow. 'Can't possibly be her friend', dang. I can't possibly be Luna's friend despite being one for almost a year now. To be honest, I think she's somewhat lonely. But does that mean she can't have friends? Does that mean I or someone else can't be her friend? This colt talking shit is a fucking asshole. I'd flip a bird but I don't have fingers anymore. So, I'm going to use something else, a more direct approach.

"Go fuck yourself," I growled at him and shoved him aside, "Get out of my sight."

I half-expected a fight to occur, but the colt quickly retreated, and his friends urged him to do just that. Well, I am at least a head taller than him, so I guess this made him consider retreating. And even if he did fight me, I'd gladly retaliate. Some people just don't stop with their shit until they're hit in the face a couple of times, and I bet being hit with a hoof hurts.

Anyway, the crowd around me and my friends thinned after this little confrontation. While I still got occasional glances from ponies around me, no one else approached me to ask about me being an alicorn. How did this rumor get out so quickly anyway? If I believed in conspiracies, I'd say Celestia did it in order to make me recognized as an alicorn. It doesn't make much sense, but hey, I've seen and heard worse. All in all, these rumors are an inside job, duh.

Thankfully, I was soon able to divert my mind and thoughts elsewhere. As mundane as this day was supposed to be before thiefs came into picture, there was something quite interesting to it – the first class was cancelled throughout the whole school, replaced by something new. Summer was coming, and so would come estrus in mares. Thus, everyone can and should attend a lecture and discussion about possible parentage and the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Well, I could've used that last lesson, but at least I can learn how to be a parent so that my future foal won't be ashamed of having a dad like me. Sure, I still have around a year before the foal is born, but the time is ticking, and it's only going forward. I should be responsible and not procrastinate when it comes to learning how to be a father. Plus I need to know how to handle Moonshine's advances as her estrus would come this year as well. I don't want to end up with another pregnancy, definitely not now.

We entered the auditorium and settled in the back, putting our saddlebags beside us. Celestia herself would be leading this lecture, and she was already there, preparing for it as students assembled. She greeted us, we returned the greeting, and nothing else was exchanged. The princess didn't pay much mind to us as she arranged the papers and a few... I'd say pretty colorful pictures. At a glance, I could swear I saw a picture about how to put on a condom. Well, I will definitely put on all the protection I can next time I have sex with someone in heat. Not going to take my chances with just magic anymore. As it's said, once bitten, twice shy. I have no plans to become celibate, but I definitely will think more than twice before putting my thing into anything that even remotely resembles a vagina in function.

And I should never, I must never trust powerful beings to do anything to me no matter how good it seems at first. I'm never going to fall for that again.

"Good morning, everyone," Celestia spoke once the bell rang, beginning the lecture, "As many of you already know, the estrus season is coming. This means that many of our mares will be able to get pregnant, and I thought it would be wise for everyone to know how to prevent unwanted pregnancies or what to do if one does happen."

I could've used this way earlier, that's for sure. Well, my fault I didn't use all the protection I could. When I was a human, I made sure I bought the best condoms on the market, and I always used them. I've never 'gone in raw' before becoming a pony. I relaxed too much, and it allowed an accident to happen, and it's definitely not a happy little accident.

"The first sign of estrus in mares is increased desire to mate," the princess continued, "The first physical sign is a certain sensation between the hind legs one can describe as heat." Not sure if it's too much information, but if I had to say... it is. "Stallions will smell the hormones emanating from the mares in estrus and will, in turn, have an increased desire to mate as well, releasing their own hormones in response."

A few minutes passed as Celestia explained the process of impregnation. I don't mean to say that she was speaking porn, but... I'd say it's, uh, a scientific version of porn? All in all, I've read about it plenty of times as a human, and it boils down to this: rub rub penis against vagina, cum, and bam, a child is on the way. Sure, it's not quite as simple as that, but that's the very basics.

"If you want to avoid pregnancy, there are a few things you can use," Celestia continued, "For males, using a condom is one of the easiest and most available choices. I will now give you the instructions on how to find the right size and put it on."

A stack of papers flew around the audiotrium, individual pages placing themselves in front of everyone, including me. Not sure why mares needed that, but maybe they will give it to their stallions or just put on the condoms on their dicks by themselves. Oh, and this pamphet contains a penis drawing. Pretty graphic instructions, but hey, at least they explain everything perfectly so that people don't end up putting the condoms on their heads. Yeah, sometimes, people are that dumb.

"There are certain herbs that can be mixed to prevent the sperm from entering the egg, but I wouldn't recommend it," Celestia said, "Instead, you'd all be better off buying contraception pills from authorised stores. They're well-tested and were wholly approved by the Equestrian Ministry of Health. Perfectly safe, and the dose is just right to cause no side effects. You will now receive a list of addresses where you can buy the pills, both male and female variants."

I think Night Breeze or White Light talked about using herbs as their means of contraception. I guess it worked so far, but yeah, taking pills makes more sense. Once a note flew over to me, I grabbed it and took a look. Hm, there's actually a shop right near the dormitory. I'll be sure to visit it pretty soon to buy both the pills and the condoms. If I were to give in to the irresistable smell of a mare in heat, I'd rather have some protection nearby.

"And, of course, there is a magical solution," Celestia continued her lecture, "However, I would advise against it. While it can bring down the chance of pregnancy to zero if cast correctly, it offers no protection if there is a mistake. Condoms and pills, meanwhile, can be used by anyone regardless of magical skills."

Very good. I don't want to end up with a broken magical condom, and this magic seems to be bypassable by entities like Discord. He can probably pierce regular condoms as well, but... let's not think about it for now.

"Now we must talk about the possibility of unwanted pregnancy," the princess cleared her throat, "If it does happen, the state will offer to help you deliver the foal successfully and would also offer financial support in order to make sure you have enough to buy everything your foal needs. There are also parentage courses you can attend for free, and here are the addresses of places that offer them. Unfortunately, I can't offer an extensive explanation of how to raise a foal, but the courses were approved by the state after extensive review that lasted a decade. It is a very serious topic, and I don't believe I can sufficiently cover it without hurting academic schedule of our school."

There is a Parenthood Preparation Center near the dormitory, right next to the condom shop. I mean, if one thing fails, sell the solution to the consequences. In any case, I'll make sure to visit that Center someday and learn how to be a good father. However, I'm certain a lot of it would only come from personal experience once my foal is born, but at least I'll be prepared for it to some degree. Hopefully...

For the rest of the class, Celestia told us how we shouldn't be afraid of pregnancy if it does happen, how we should immediately look for help, and how important it is for us not to delay it. Surprisingly, there was no mention of abortions – do they not exist in Equestria? Are they illegal? I'm not sure, and I'm not certain I should ask publicly. There was a mention of some pills that stop the pregnancy at the early stage, which is the two week period after the last sex, but that's it. That begs the question... Did Night Breeze use that? So, I decided to ask her just that, trying to be quiet.

"I did, but... that didn't work," she told me with an apologetic expression, "You know... at least we had fun," she chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. And it's true that we had a good time fucking, it was less than a day, and we'll have to take care of our foal for many years. I wouldn't call it a fair trade. The worst deal in the history of the worst deals ever, that's for sure.

"Don't worry," I said, "I'll take care of you and the foal, I promise. We had our fun, but I guess it's time we accept responsibility for it, too. Especially me..."

I noticed Iridia looking at us, a somewhat sad expression on her face. Does... does she want to be a part of the family? I told her she's welcome, but until now, I wasn't sure she wanted it. After all, I didn't really want to be a father. But... I think I can understand her. She caught my look, and I gestured for her to nudge closer to me and Night Breeze. I turned to my other side and looked at Moonshine, who was also listening to our conversation.

"I might make you a mom someday as well, Moony," I promised her, "But when we're ready. I know I repeated that, but... I hope you understand. I love you, and nothing is going to change that."

That sounded cheesy, but I felt like it was the right thing to say. Moonshine might not look like she's jealous, but... I don't know how it must feel to have your special someone be a father of a foal that's not your own. Sure, she gave me a go-ahead to have fun with Night Breeze, but really, none of us thought it would result in me becoming a father. I hope the future loveless marriage – if marriage is necessary for this, that is – won't negatively influence my son or daughter, because that would suck for all of us.

"But don't make me a mom," Iridia chimed in, letting out a quiet laugh, "That'd be weird."

"I can imagine."

After all the classes were done, I prepared to head out of the school with all my friends. A walk through the city would probably ease my mind, and I'd also have time to talk about things with, well, everyone. Iridia and I exchanged some words during a break, and we might just go and practice a few songs that we want to bring to Equestria. The whole band thing has been on my mind for so long, but problems just kept and kept popping up like acne on my teenage face. I almost felt like I lost my purpose and my goals, especially now that I impregnated a girl. Yeaaah... This life proved to be much more eventful than I anticipated.

In any case, I remembered I needed to visit Celestia. My friends decided to wait outside her main office. Well, here I go...

"Enter," Celestia said when I knocked on the door. With a quiet sigh, I opened the door and walked into the office. The princess was sitting at her desk writing something, "Oh, hello Flame Metal. Good thing you've come – I believe we must discuss... the truth about you."

"Yeah..." I said, sitting down in front of her, "I didn't think it'd get out anytime soon."

"But it did, and the suspicion grows," she replied, putting down her pen, "I heard of your denial, and... it only breeds further suspicion. Alicorns, unfortunately, have visible features going beyond having both a horn and a pair of wings. A slender, tall figure is one of them. Ponies your height are usually more burly, and their features more square. Most ponies don't take it into account usually, but now, they are suspecting there is a connection between our looks and the fact that we're alicorns."

"But that doesn't prove I'm an alicorn... in their eyes, at least."

"It doesn't," she agreed, "But the suspicions will continue, and one day, someone else will see your wings. I believe you'll have to come out as an alicorn sooner or later."

"I don't know..." I said nervously, "I... don't want to be seen as a celebrity of some sort."

"I heard you wanted to start a musical group," she raised a brow. Is she omniscient?

"I'm going to perform in makeup and clothes," I replied, "Other than my height and my horn, nothing will tell anyone that it's, well, me. My image will be famous, but not me. I won't be going public about it."

"I suppose that makes sense," she nodded in understanding, "I understand why you don't want to come out. As an alicorn myself, I too often receive attention I don't like. It makes it difficult to make connections with ponies..." she trailed off for a moment, "Very well, I suppose you don't necessarily have to come out now. But someday, ponies will find out, and I believe it would be better for you to be clear about who you are. I wish you good luck, and feel free to come to me or my sister if you do decide to come out."

I nodded and stood up.

"And don't forget we're here to help," Celestia added, "Luna told me about your peculiar... situation with a certain mare. Your foal might just be an alicorn, and then you won't be able to hide anymore. At the very least, does the mare in question know who you are?"

"She does," I nodded, "And... I don't want to think about my foal being an alicorn."

"I understand, but it is a very real possibility. You should take it very seriously," she warned me, "If your foal is born an alicorn, you'll have a giant responsibility on yourself to make sure they grow up well and loved, as well as disciplined. You, too, should remember that being an alicorn is a huge responsibility in itself."

I nodded yet again, and now Celestia gestured for me to go, a gentle expression on her face. I can tell she cares, but... I just don't know. This is probably the most difficult situation of my life, even more difficult than when my parents found out I don't believe in God and oppose their views. That was a difficult time, but I bet this whole situation is much, much worse. I might not be in danger of being kicked out of anywhere, but...

If my foal does turn out to be an alicorn, then how do I deal with that?