• Year 807, of the Celestial Age.
"I hate the gala," Blue Blood muttered to himself. The 18 year old had been attending these ridiculous parties since he was in secondary school.
His parents always expected him to cater to the mares that approached him. Though thankfully, this year, he was able to convince his parents to let Fancy Pants' bodyguard watch them both.
Although it wasn't because of how the young Prince felt for his... friend... No his parents only caved, because of the mare's other charge.
Prince Clockwork, was flirting merrily with any creature that stopped by to greet them... things like species, or even gender, hardly seemed to matter to him.
Minuette sighed, looking away from her conversation with Lady Fleur de Lis, Fancy Pants' bodyguard / babysitter.
"Honestly Clockwork," Minuette chastised her apprentice. "I know it's difficult, but please TRY to contain yourself." Then she groaned, as the prince check between his own legs. As if to prove he was... "Contained".
As de Lis snickered, Minuette explained to her. "The first hundred years, of adulthood, are difficult for Time Ponies. We experience what we call a 'heat'. Where we are compelled to... procreate. It last a full century, but then we become uninterested in the act, for about a millennia. We can't even reproduce during that time. Then undergo another heat, that usually only last for a few months. With the pattern continuing from there."
Clockwork looked at her, "So there is a reason I'm so horny all the time?"
de Lis blushed, but gave a playful shake of her head. She was a lot more laid back, then Blue Blood's normal escorts.
While Lady Minuette sighed. "Yes Clockwork, however, there is no call for you to be so vulgar. So unless you Wish to attend this party with switch marks across your flanks, you will kindly tone it down."
The prince blushed at the idea, and the party continued with minimal flirting.
Blue Blood watched in fascination, as Clockwork took to the Dance floor, with a truly stunning Griffin.
All griffins are a mix of a bird and a large cat. With this Griffin looking like a Hummingbird, with a lion back end.
Blue Blood realized he recognized the Griffin. It was George, eldest son to one of the Griffin Lords. With the most shocking thing about that, being the Griffin was MALE. Yet few among the pony nobility, gave them a passing glance.
de Lis seemed a tad uneasy, believing Princess Celestia would blame her for the scandal, but Minuette explained, "Time Pony males can get pregnant."
Blue Blood's head snapped in her direction, as did Fancy's own.
Minuette just shrugged, "And our children are nearly always pure blooded Time Ponies. With rare chance of a hybrid.
"As a result, Time Ponies are usually pan sexual. Not really caring about their partner's gender or species, so long as it is Sapient.
"With Celestia's efforts to educate her ponies, about Subponies, most of the nobility is aware of this. And likely understands a Griffin and Time Pony union, usually will result in pure Pony foals.
"It might cause a bit of gossip, but it's not truly scandalous." Minuette looked over at Blue Blood, "I'm surprised you don't already know this."
Blue Blood blushed. "I just started college, this year. My 'Species of Equus' professor, hasn't gotten to Time Ponies yet. I do know Griffins are similar in biology, with males able to get pregnant, but it's frowned on for ponies to couple with them. As the child is almost always a subspecies of Hippogriff."
de Lis sighed, "You need to get out more. Most ponies don't give a buck about hybrids. It's just the nobility that's inbred. Tartarus, the working class doesn't even have a problem with gay Stallions... if anything, they like them a bit too much. Stallion on Stallion relationships is a big turn on for the peasants. Even though the mares know they usually can't get involved. That small minority of bi ponies, is a major turn on."
Blue Blood gaped, not knowing what life was like, outside the nobility... that almost made him wish he was born a peasant.
Fancy finally spoke up, "Your parents were probably hoping you could convince Prince Clockwork, to form a herd with us."
Blue Blood blushed. He quickly looked around, making sure no pony was in earshot of them. Then nuzzled his colt friend. Realizing what Bluey's parents ACTUALLY wanted, was likely replacing Fancy with a stallion that could give them grand foals. "That will never happen. I don't want to share you with anyone."
Fancy smiled, resisting the urge to kiss his colt friend. That would create quite the scandal.
To the nobles, Gay Stallions were thought of as selfish deviants. Where Lesbian mares were seen as a matter of course.
There were far fewer Stallions then mares, so mares usually joined herds, and shared a single Stallion between them... Not all Stallions went for it. But enough did that their species was preserved...
But Gay Stallions were looked down on. Celestia had long since passed laws, allowing them to marry, and to protect them from acts of violence... but the nobility didn't hold back, while voicing how selfish gay Stallions were. As they couldn't have foals of their own... yet "Refused" to give mares babies. As if all Stallions were good for, was getting mares pregnant.
... and yet, here was a Stallion, out and about in public, dancing with another boy...
Blue Blood never, in all his life, truly cared about what Celestia did to his ancestor... but on this night... seeing what he could have had... just because of a fluke of birth... Blue Blood could finally understand why Auntie was so regretful... because in that moment, just for a moment... Blue Blood found himself hating her...
Bat pony males, could become pregnant as well.. and if Celestia hadn't sealed the third chromosome chain, of Luna's first Thestral child... it be Blue Blood, dancing on the floor... with Fancy Pants.
Sometime later, Blue Blood found himself at the Buffet table... with the Time Pony colt.
Fancy had wanted to say "hi" to some of his college friends, so his body guard escorted him to them. While Minuette stood off in the distance. Her advanced Time Pony senses, allowing her to give Blue Blood and Clockwork some privacy, without actually giving them any.
Clockwork was still flirting away with George. Typically, talking with the Griffin, was one of the few things that made the Gala tolerable.
Blue Blood would even go so far as to say, he had been looking forward to swapping stories, about their first year of college.
But George was ignoring him. He hadn't even noticed him.
"I can't tell you how relieved I am, I met you," George smiled at Clockwork. "The Gala is usually such a bore. And Pop always gives me this lecture, about not dancing with the Stallions. Something about wanting to avoid a scandal with the ponies."
Clockwork tilted his head, "Scandal. From what?"
The Griffin shrugged, "I guess you wouldn't know, but male on male... encounters, are frowned on by pony nobility. It can be hard for Griffins, as we are mostly male, with only one in 3 griffs even being female.
"We aren't as bad as you ponies, with our gender ratios. And with how male griffs can get pregnant. Well gay relationships just never became taboo. In fact, most Griffs ARE gay, or at least bi.
"But when father saw you, he gave the okay to dance."
Clockwork's ears flatten, "So you only asked me to dance, cuz your father told you to?"
As the Griffin began to fluster, Blue Blood scoffed. "Of course he did! You think he would risk creating a scandal, at the biggest social event of the year. You're a Time Pony, there is no scandal. His father is probably just hoping that George will knock you up, so he can marry into the royal family."
George gaped, "That's not true!!!"
Clockwork's eyes teared up. He'd been having such a good time, but the griff was just under orders to get close to the "Time Pony".
Quickly fleeing from the ball room, George tried to stop him. Only to receive a buck. Thank goodness, Time Ponies didn't have an Earth pony's super strength.
As Clockwork ran off, George glared at the white unicorn. He'd known this jerk since they were children, both being dragged to this boring party from a young age... he had thought they were friends...
"What the Tartarus, Bluey!?" George snapped. "You know full well, the scandal of an unplanned birth, wouldn't be tolerated by the Griffin Lords! Why would you tell him such lies!?"
Blue Blood just calmly sipped his drink. An indifferent expression on his face... despite the guilt that ate at him. "I was merely exaggerating. I did not expect him to take my words at face value. His social skills could use some work."
George growled at the unicorn.
"You can't deny though," Blue Blood decided to defuse the situation, with cold hard facts. "Your father likely pointed you at Celestia's Ward, for a less then honorable reason." thinking of his own parents.
George growled deeper, as he realized his father likely did just that. But it's not like he discussed the matter with George. The young griff didn't even realize the Time Pony was a Prince. Not until Clockwork told him who his adoptive mother was, when they were sharing stories about their families.
George stood tall, "At worst, my father hoped we'd hit it off. Which you know what? WE DID! I like him, you ass! There isn't any plot to get closer to the Princess! And you know that full well! You just wish it was you and that boy toy of yours!" George snapped, before running off to find Clockwork.
Blue Blood flinched... all ponies knew about him and Fancy Pants... but it wasn't something one talked about in polite society...
Blue Blood sighed, realizing he should have just kept his mouth shut... Because George was right. He was exactly right. Blue Blood was just feeling petty... since he couldn't dance with his... with his Fancy...
Looking around, Blue Blood realized he was alone in a crowd... as he always was.