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Description
The royal family had always been close to the Apple family, that much was true. Celestia in particular took great interest in the elderly grandmother (and now great-grandmother), Granny Smith, often going out of her way to visit the frail mare until the day the fiery yet weakening Apple passed away. This affected Celestia immensely, in some cases nearly unfathomably so. It was an odd circumstance and not one that Zodiac expected to find himself replicating.

Of course, things were different; he didn’t lose a close friend, but a sibling, his little sister Eventide, or more simply nicknamed Pearl. Much like his aunt had, he sought refuge in nature, disliking the company of his staff and family, instead finding solace in solitude. However, there seemed to be a slight issue.

He wasn’t the only one wandering the sunlit orchards. With the afternoon sun moving at a slow yet steady pace above the rustling trees, he expected that the area beneath this particular grove would be uninhabited by the owners, leaving him to his feelings. But it was obvious that he wasn’t the only one, the gentle sound of weeping breaking through the almost perfect, therapeutic sounds of wind through leaves.

At first, he couldn’t quite catch the source of the sound, until his eyes met a well-camouflaged pony, her soft coat a rich orange and yellow dapple, with stark white patches breaking the sunlight-coloured hues. Certainly a surprise. He also couldn’t find the issue that cause this pony to weep, until he noticed her belly was swollen with foal. Perhaps that was the issue?

Letting his pawsteps and hoofsteps be known by taking a few hesitant steps forward, he half expected the mare to startle. However, she didn’t; only casting her sorrowful gaze in his direction, opening her mouth to respond, only to find the words had decided to fail her.

“Are you alright?” He asked, setting his own emotions briefly aside. Something didn’t seem to fit with the heavenly landscape, and it was most definitely the sadness that presented itself through the mare’s tear-stained cheeks.

Once shock had worn off, and the mare realized he was no threat, she wiped her eyes and sighed. “It’s really nothing, perhaps hormones, I’m not sure…”

“Something else must have caused this,” Zodiac murmured, his wispy brows settling in a light frown. “I haven’t heard anypony weep like that for a long time.”

The stranger eyed him skeptically, almost as if waiting for a more malicious intent, but he didn’t give into that presumption. Instead, he settled down, sitting a distance away from the mare before tipping his head. He had almost forgotten briefly why he was here.

“This doesn’t happen to me often,” the mare blurted, as if she was worried he would assume so. “I swear. I just… I’m near delivery and I remembered… things.”

“Unpleasant things?” Zodiac prompted. If he was going to be a future ruler, he would have to make sure that he knew how to deal with citizens that were in distress.

The mare paused again, pursing her lips and glancing to the side. It was almost as if she was weighing her options. Would he spill secrets to anyone, or was her story safe with him? Only time could tell. “I suppose, though it’s… something that many would consider laughable.”

“There’s no such thing as laughable problems.”

Another moment of hesitation withheld the words the mare clearly wanted to say. She had to admit to herself, she knew who Zodiac was without formal introduction. After all, being a prince wasn’t all that discreet, especially if you’re the son of a chaos god and a demigoddess, both of which are rulers of the land they resided in.

At last, she heaved herself to her hooves, slightly unbalanced by her middle-heavy weight. He nearly went to help her before realizing just who she was, too. Zodiac wasn’t sure of her real name, but it didn’t take a genius to realize that she was the farm owner’s daughter.

“You’re awfully bold to come here and expect me to relay to you all my woes, Prince Zodiac,” she said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. That wasn’t something he could really deny.

“Your gate says open for guests,” he pointed out, crossing his front paws in a regal yet relaxed manner. “I simply took that invitation. Also, here, you don’t have to call me by my title. Simply Zodiac will do.”

“Okay, well, ‘Simply Zodiac’, I expect to be addressed by my own royal title. So that would be Lady Orchard Sunlight to you.”

Unaccustomed to the mare’s boldness, Zodiac could only nod, a bit confused. Until he remembered her father was Prince Blueblood, so she technically had a title.

“Alright, Lady Orchard Sunlight, what plagues your mind today?”

What he didn’t notice when she turned around was a single tear slipping down her cheek. After a long, silent moment, the only sound being the rustling of leaves and the birdsong from the cerulean sky, she sighed. “I’m a surrogate for many mares who have trouble carrying their own foals, but I myself am a barren mare. I can carry but I can’t biologically have my own… I feel as though I’m a bit of an imposter. I love children, but… I’ve lost something in myself I can’t fix.”

Zodiac stood, knitting his brow. “Lady Orchard Sunlight, I had no idea. I apologize for putting pressure on you to speak what’s on your mind.”

“It’s alright,” she sniffled, taking a few steps towards the direction of the homestead before pausing. “Why are you out here? Usually it’s your cousin that roams these lands.”

He shuffled his paws. “Promise you won’t tell anyone? It’s not been announced yet, but… my sister… she’s gone.”

Sunlight’s eyes widened, turning quickly to the large draconequus. “Your sister? Eventide…?”

“Yes. Assassinated.” His voice wavered slightly, head down. He struggled to hold the emotion in, even when Sunlight approached, her own brow furrowed with pity.

“Oh, Prince Zodiac… I had no idea either…” She murmured, patting his paw gently. “You’re welcome to stay. I might stay out here as well, actually… I have time.”

His red eyes were full of sorrow, but there was a hint of relief in them. Maybe solitude wasn’t the answer he sought, but someone to just relax with. Perhaps someone who had lost something precious too... even if not the same.

---

Orchard Sunlight has a talent in surrogate mothering (you can't see her cutiemark here, I'm thinking of making it a bun in an oven) but she herself is barren and can't have biological children, however she is able to carry foals for others. It always makes her a bit sad when she's nearing full term knowing that the child isn't hers. It sometimes feels like she lost a child after the child is born, but she wouldn't change her job for the world knowing that she's bringing joy to many other families.

Enter Zodiac, who just lost his sister who was very dear to him. He actually likes children a lot but when he sees them now, he can't help but remember that he lost his sister.

Both of them, while not losing their own children or anything, slowly start to develop a bond over this empty feeling. Canonically to Catverse, they do end up being very close, but it's up to you if it turns romantic in nature

Enjoy!

Description
The royal family had always been close to the Apple family, that much was true. Celestia in particular took great interest in the elderly grandmother (and now great-grandmother), Granny Smith, often going out of her way to visit the frail mare until the day the fiery yet weakening Apple passed away. This affected Celestia immensely, in some cases nearly unfathomably so. It was an odd circumstance and not one that Zodiac expected to find himself replicating.

Of course, things were different; he didn’t lose a close friend, but a sibling, his little sister Eventide, or more simply nicknamed Pearl. Much like his aunt had, he sought refuge in nature, disliking the company of his staff and family, instead finding solace in solitude. However, there seemed to be a slight issue.

He wasn’t the only one wandering the sunlit orchards. With the afternoon sun moving at a slow yet steady pace above the rustling trees, he expected that the area beneath this particular grove would be uninhabited by the owners, leaving him to his feelings. But it was obvious that he wasn’t the only one, the gentle sound of weeping breaking through the almost perfect, therapeutic sounds of wind through leaves.

At first, he couldn’t quite catch the source of the sound, until his eyes met a well-camouflaged pony, her soft coat a rich orange and yellow dapple, with stark white patches breaking the sunlight-coloured hues. Certainly a surprise. He also couldn’t find the issue that cause this pony to weep, until he noticed her belly was swollen with foal. Perhaps that was the issue?

Letting his pawsteps and hoofsteps be known by taking a few hesitant steps forward, he half expected the mare to startle. However, she didn’t; only casting her sorrowful gaze in his direction, opening her mouth to respond, only to find the words had decided to fail her.

“Are you alright?” He asked, setting his own emotions briefly aside. Something didn’t seem to fit with the heavenly landscape, and it was most definitely the sadness that presented itself through the mare’s tear-stained cheeks.

Once shock had worn off, and the mare realized he was no threat, she wiped her eyes and sighed. “It’s really nothing, perhaps hormones, I’m not sure…”

“Something else must have caused this,” Zodiac murmured, his wispy brows settling in a light frown. “I haven’t heard anypony weep like that for a long time.”

The stranger eyed him skeptically, almost as if waiting for a more malicious intent, but he didn’t give into that presumption. Instead, he settled down, sitting a distance away from the mare before tipping his head. He had almost forgotten briefly why he was here.

“This doesn’t happen to me often,” the mare blurted, as if she was worried he would assume so. “I swear. I just… I’m near delivery and I remembered… things.”

“Unpleasant things?” Zodiac prompted. If he was going to be a future ruler, he would have to make sure that he knew how to deal with citizens that were in distress.

The mare paused again, pursing her lips and glancing to the side. It was almost as if she was weighing her options. Would he spill secrets to anyone, or was her story safe with him? Only time could tell. “I suppose, though it’s… something that many would consider laughable.”

“There’s no such thing as laughable problems.”

Another moment of hesitation withheld the words the mare clearly wanted to say. She had to admit to herself, she knew who Zodiac was without formal introduction. After all, being a prince wasn’t all that discreet, especially if you’re the son of a chaos god and a demigoddess, both of which are rulers of the land they resided in.

At last, she heaved herself to her hooves, slightly unbalanced by her middle-heavy weight. He nearly went to help her before realizing just who she was, too. Zodiac wasn’t sure of her real name, but it didn’t take a genius to realize that she was the farm owner’s daughter.

“You’re awfully bold to come here and expect me to relay to you all my woes, Prince Zodiac,” she said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. That wasn’t something he could really deny.

“Your gate says open for guests,” he pointed out, crossing his front paws in a regal yet relaxed manner. “I simply took that invitation. Also, here, you don’t have to call me by my title. Simply Zodiac will do.”

“Okay, well, ‘Simply Zodiac’, I expect to be addressed by my own royal title. So that would be Lady Orchard Sunlight to you.”

Unaccustomed to the mare’s boldness, Zodiac could only nod, a bit confused. Until he remembered her father was Prince Blueblood, so she technically had a title.

“Alright, Lady Orchard Sunlight, what plagues your mind today?”

What he didn’t notice when she turned around was a single tear slipping down her cheek. After a long, silent moment, the only sound being the rustling of leaves and the birdsong from the cerulean sky, she sighed. “I’m a surrogate for many mares who have trouble carrying their own foals, but I myself am a barren mare. I can carry but I can’t biologically have my own… I feel as though I’m a bit of an imposter. I love children, but… I’ve lost something in myself I can’t fix.”

Zodiac stood, knitting his brow. “Lady Orchard Sunlight, I had no idea. I apologize for putting pressure on you to speak what’s on your mind.”

“It’s alright,” she sniffled, taking a few steps towards the direction of the homestead before pausing. “Why are you out here? Usually it’s your cousin that roams these lands.”

He shuffled his paws. “Promise you won’t tell anyone? It’s not been announced yet, but… my sister… she’s gone.”

Sunlight’s eyes widened, turning quickly to the large draconequus. “Your sister? Eventide…?”

“Yes. Assassinated.” His voice wavered slightly, head down. He struggled to hold the emotion in, even when Sunlight approached, her own brow furrowed with pity.

“Oh, Prince Zodiac… I had no idea either…” She murmured, patting his paw gently. “You’re welcome to stay. I might stay out here as well, actually… I have time.”

His red eyes were full of sorrow, but there was a hint of relief in them. Maybe solitude wasn’t the answer he sought, but someone to just relax with. Perhaps someone who had lost something precious too... even if not the same.

---

Orchard Sunlight has a talent in surrogate mothering (you can't see her cutiemark here, I'm thinking of making it a bun in an oven) but she herself is barren and can't have biological children, however she is able to carry foals for others. It always makes her a bit sad when she's nearing full term knowing that the child isn't hers. It sometimes feels like she lost a child after the child is born, but she wouldn't change her job for the world knowing that she's bringing joy to many other families.

Enter Zodiac, who just lost his sister who was very dear to him. He actually likes children a lot but when he sees them now, he can't help but remember that he lost his sister.

Both of them, while not losing their own children or anything, slowly start to develop a bond over this empty feeling. Canonically to Catverse, they do end up being very close, but it's up to you if it turns romantic in nature

Enjoy!