Not the time for masks
(Ponyville, present)
"Oooh~" Aloe's skilled magic touch extracted little moans from the mare, the Windswept Questant. "I had already forgiven. This is icing. Cake. Sooo goood~."
On the next table over, a white pegasus stallion groaned his agreement as Lotus gently rotated his wing. The Windborne Kenner had paid for his own treatment, though it felt so relaxing that there was no time to catch up with his partner.
"It's strange seeing a stallion with a mud mask." Rainbow said; she had woken up sore all over from flying all around town looking for the unicorn, and had been cornered into accepting, at the very least, a massage. After all, even Spitfire and Soarin' made appointments for those.
So long as they kept their hooves away from her own, there would be no problem.
"I operate under similar principles to the minotaurs' Beef-vana." He said, just as a quick jerk from Lotus made his spine creak. "Ahh~... See, it's like this: You are so secure of yourself, that you don't have to prove anything, to anypony, ever. They consider it proof that they are macho to be able to do 'girly' things while still feeling macho about it. Ohh~... Not that hard, since they have arms thicker than watermelons."
"What do you have going for you, then?"
"Rainbow, in case you weren't listening, I just said I don't have to answer that question."
This would be a memory treasured by the original.
And then Aloe started massaging around the horn to relieve stress.
If she didn't know otherwise, WQ would have been worried about the relaxation making her melt back down into the ink that composed her body. Her body was too well made for that, however, and she could only mumble indistinct 'words' of gratitude for the foresight, as it allowed her to experience such a heavenly touch.
Hmm... perhaps she could get a little extra...
*****
(Canterlot, later)
Silver Lining and his wife, Cloud Bank, were being escorted to the throne room.
They thought they were going to (finally) get their audience, which had been canceled due to that 'Typhon' guy.
They, although leaning somewhat farther than normal on the 'selfish' side (for ponies), understood, in that snooty, elitist way so common among nobles, that it was quite the dilemma. The words 'adept at breaking things' had, by the time the day was done, been used so many times to describe him that it was understandable that the princess(es) were looking for ways to stop him.
After all, it would not do for their valuable estates to be damaged by a ruffian with wind powers.
Snooty.
Of course, they might have had entirely different thoughts had they known that said 'ruffian' was contemplating making his own country, or that, through some aspects of the construct that gave him his powers, he was technically a prince twice over; he could easily break the whole gamut of classical curses that so prominently figured in fairy tales because of that. In addition, he was also preparing his own secret base, and wondering where and how would he get a forge, but that was for some other time.
They were... pretending to be calm. Usually, they would be. After all, they were important; as a part of Canterlot's aristocracy, they were a cut above the rest, and had to be respected (and treated) as such...
News of what had happened to prince Blueblood had reached their ears, though.
Apparently, princess Celestia had been increasingly frustrated with him, and decided to send him off to search for that stray meteor that landed up north as a test to keep his position.
It had caused - not an uproar, since it was part of the rumor that Blueblood had done something - a great deal of worry. Blueblood was, among the elite, the very example of a noble, unmatched in grace and style, whose nobility was an example for all!
In reality... well, it was still true, but that image was part of his cultivated reputation. And a really good thing, too, since he had managed to steer away some others away from... dark paths - surprising how much weight the words 'that is like stealing, and unbecoming of nobleponies such as ourselves' had, or how often he had said them. It helped that herd instinct kept them from being too detached from the common pony, conceding the point that, if something bad happened to the base - no matter how much they wished to be kept separate -, the rest of the pyramid would be in trouble (since most of them thought of society as a stratified pyramid).
It still did not prevent the occasional short-sighted request from being made, however; the disputes over land and certain resources being the most common of the sort.
They were in the presence of the princess of the sun; her eyes were closed and her posture... stiff? Tense? She resembled a guard during duty more than she did her usual self, and there was something odd in the air.
And then Celestia opened her eyes.
Both ponies couldn't suppress the shivers that coursed their spines from tail to ears. The rose eyes of princess Celestia were sharp and calculating, and they both felt like she was looking past their appearance, past the postures, right into something more fundamental. She was looking at something... else, and broke focus only slightly - yet very, very noticeably.
'Princess Celestia.' The unicorn bowed very slightly, wobbling on three legs, as one was incomplete halfway of the cannon below. 'The rou-rogue dragon hass- has been taken care of.'
'Silver Tongue, you fool, get medical attention first!' And so, he was whisked away by her guards, careful not to aggravate the deep cuts that marred his sides, or his injured leg.
The medical attention of the southern country was said to be the best ever seen; she would send for one of their healers once Silver was stable.
The princess's gaze was back on them, and a mild twitch told them that, whatever it had been that she was looking at inside of them, she had found... unsatisfactory.
Both of them gulped.
"Silver Lining, Cloud Bank." She said, neutrally, calmly, and nonetheless very worrying. "Do you know why are you here?"
She took a few steps towards them as they weakly shook their heads.
Once she got close, they could feel the charge of magic in the air. The princess was flooding the air with magic, and she wasn't even trying. Cloud pressed herself against Silver, who shifted himself so that he would be a little further in front of her, both of them trembling.
"I desire to know. Tell me, why do you hate me so?" She asked, and the couple almost forgot about the magic in their shock.
"Buh-"
"I have reviewed your petitions." Celestia continued, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, and making them shrink on themselves; the jewels adorning her appeared to shine like candles. "Do you have any idea of what it was that you were requesting? Did you not think that the outrageous demands would affect other ponies?"
Sliver and Cloud lowered their heads as much as they could without breaking eye contact.
They hadn't.
A few more steps. Her gaze relented - only a touch.
"The very founding of Equestria was centered around equality. The Fair and Just treatment of all, be they young or old, rich or poor, pony or not." Paradoxically, the feeling of magic made them shiver all the same as it made them uncomfortably warm.
They hugged one another.
"I have been taking care of Equestria for centuries, embracing it's principles as best as I could; it is often said that I am both the head and the heart of Equestria, given my sister's absence... as such, things that would harm any of the residents - and I do mean any of the residents - of this country harm me."
She was virtually on top of them, towering over the couple with her coat glowing with an orange tint in her anger, rather than her usual motherly pink.
Cloud wrapped her wings around her husband, trying to seek comfort or reprieve of the harsh truth.
"Are you aware of how destructive your petitions were? Of how much work would have to be done just to stabilize the cities' economy? Of how it would affect them and, by association, me?" She frowned again, and they stuttered trying to find the answer; she leaned closer and closer. "Your requests for land would have impacted negatively on the lives of many ponies, ponies that make less in a year than you do in a month - would that be fair? They work for their bits, as did your ancestors, even at risk to themselves for their sake and mine, while you just loaf about your estates and reach with your hooves - I ask, is that fair? I have given you more opportunities to correct your behavior and accept your responsibilities than most parents give their schoolchildren, and you respond by wasting my time with your excuses, while that time could have been spent helping several ponies and preventing some next great disaster - do you think that is fair?"
Cloud and Silver were so scared they did not dare move. The air was so thick with the princess's leaked emotions, and so hot from the same, that it was getting hard to breathe. The worst part being that she was right.
"N-n-... no?" Silver ventured, whispering. He remembered; that part of him that listened to the princess despite all others being paralyzed remembered. The painting of Silver Tongue, displaying a fake hoof that nonetheless acted like the real thing, a fantastical bonding of golem-crafting and medical magic...
Necessary due to injuries sustained when he defeated a dragon.
Alone.
The guard had their hooves full with the creatures disturbed by the dragon's rage... Silver Tongue risked everything, only prevailing due to his quick wits, a stray spear stuck on the ground, and the sacrifice of his hoof in a brave, stupid, and above all desperate last strike.
"What was that? I am afraid I did not hear you." The princess said, far less harshly and - Cloud would swear - with genuine curiosity. She, however, was but inches away from their faces.
"No?" Silver repeated himself, gulping.
Princess Celestia frowned, much more deeply than before; the oppressive feeling in the air had grown to such point that they feared that a single twitch of the princess's will would send them flying clear out of the city - if the unforgiving, solid walls of the castle were not there to... stop them.
The pair broke away from those eyes, so full of anger and disappointment, closing their own, and pressed against each other like never before. Silver cradled his wife's head, covering it with his as well, as if to guard her, while Cloud's wings and hooves embraced him the tightest she had ever done, as if to cram as much affection as possible to compensate for all of the moments she hadn't given it due to their strict adherence to appearances... and to compensate for all of the moments she wouldn't be able to give it now. They muttered apologies to one another.
"Am I a bad ruler?"
The pair gasped, looking at princess Celestia in shock. They heard that despite the adrenaline from the scare making their ears buzz, although they did miss that the feeling of magic had been but a single second long... now the air was cold and somber, the lights dimmer; her coat lost its luminosity, and it was clear that her voice wavered.
"Puh-princess?" They stammered, but did not release their grasp on the other.
"It's my fault." She said, expression downcast, and the pair worked their jaws but could not make a sound. "If I were a good ruler, you wouldn't be attacking me."
They flinched.
"If I were a good ruler, Equestrian society would not be so divided, so antagonistic to each other." As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.
"If I were a good ruler, my officers would reflect my wishes for the betterment of the country." She sat down, looking away from them.
"N-no, that is not it at all!" Silver blurted out - bad enough that the princess was disappointed in them, her taking the blame just rubbed salt in the wound.
"Y-yes! I mean, we haven't been exactly thoughtful..." Cloud added. "We'll be more careful?"
Despite the slight squeaking, and it sounding more like a question, Celestia gave them a relieved smile. She scooped them up in a hug, both with her wings and her hooves, so fast they both yelped - quietly.
"You do not know how happy I am to hear that." She whispered into their ears, nuzzling them both tenderly, chuckling in relief.
... It was nice.
It was warm, and nice, and it was even better than what they were used to receive from her - such things included her kind words, motherly smile, and her full attention no matter how they had behaved, so that was saying something. She nuzzled their cheeks and necks, and her heartbeat was so soothing, and even the metal she wore was warm with love.
They liked it.
It was nice.
It was hardly proper, but propriety could take a hike. The princess's coat and wings felt like the sun during their honeymoon in Acapulcolt, and the nuzzles brought forth memories - memories they had buried under the thousand masks of protocol and high society.
Why the buck did they even listen to those? Some where understandable, but the princess's affection - and their love for each other - made them feel better than... well, anything material they could name.
"Care to schedule some time to meet and take some tea?" Celestia said, squeezing around their barrels just a little bit more. "We can take care of all of the details some other time."
"Ye-yes, sure."
Behind the curtains of the throne, Glimmer Silk - alias BQ or Fleur de Lis - quietly pumped a hoof in victory. Her horn, as well her sister's and Flitter's, were glowing with a little (well, not-so-little) spell that allowed others to feel the emotions of others - reduced, though, to just a smidgen, to just a tiny bit of emotional feedback. Just a little, enough to tell the trio the sincerity of their emotions, not enough to overwhelm... not that Celestia's Stare needed a boost, but everything else?
The Slenders wouldn't have to haunt this couple... although with all of the work they were already getting, Slendermare wouldn't have to worry one bit about the new addition to their family.
And, once more, Typhon's methods helped. First; keeping them unbalanced, not giving them a chance to decide they have figured one out, all so that they would not be able to hide behind their masks, all so that they would show themselves more honestly. Second; ponies, no matter how much they hid behind the pretense of being too cultured for it, were highly physical creatures; the empathy of the magic of friendship made something as simple as a hug an incredibly potent resource, one that should not be reserved or spared and, in fact, should be applied more in the higher circles.
One of Equestria's neighbors certainly did.
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...ok
typhon is very fucking smart
4436559
He has been looking after ponies for a really freaking long time, and has Changeling-support.
And has read tons of fanfics... would that be considered 'metagaming'?
4436567 i would say he is still scary smart case using something you know is very different from using it well
Answer: Yes!
Always happy to see a homestuck crossover. Let's read this!
(Congrats for featured, by the way).
To the last question. Yes. Yes I would.
Yaaaaaaaaaay, hugs DO make everything better!
......Also, Celestia pulled off the "Kicked Puppy".
Wow. That would probably turn Discord good in a second. Noone wants to see someone that strong or wise look like a kicked puppy.
4436879
I meant it as "it is", not the possessive, but I can see why would one think that.
more please!
and yes, I think we would like the back story about Dinky and the bogeymane defence mastery
I'm gonna stop reading this, cannot make heads or tails of any kind of plot anymore. Goes back an forth between different ponies, kinda got to where I see names of characters that have some kind of significance, but for what or where they came from... No idea.
It's obviously a popular story and hope it keeps up for ya. Just somewhere in the story my brain took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Lol
Edit: Probably doesn't help I know nothing of Homestuck. That's probably half my problem there. Lol
4436913
Would it be absolutely monstrous of me to raise my hand?
I think it'd be rather amusing, actually. Such power so as to be able to lift the sun, brought low by the thoughtlessness of those she protects...
... why are you staring at me like that, Celestia? Stop it. Stopit...
4440403
That was a bit of an underhanded manipulation; Celestia does feel bad, but obviously she can bear it, it's just unhealthy to take that much workload - both for her and for them, after all, you say 'spoiled rotten' for a reason.
Blueblood and her made the overall plans, and a list of which nobles could be guilt-tripped, which had to be strong-armed, and which were simply spoiled children in the body of grown-ups, their stories, and such.
The others were just extras, to help refine the process.
After all, the artists managed to weaponify cuteness and shame. Yes, I meant weaponify, not weaponize. Go look for a picture of Fluttershy making a 'why would you do that' face and see what I'm talking about.
4447349 Everyone makes Derpy a muffin obsessed freak, it's just overused
As a guy who has raised horses, the barrel is the belly and is a bit hard to hug... did you perhaps mean the shoulder/withers(neck)? 'Cause that works wonders.
Also, Trollestia is a troll
4448223
Well, these ponies are rather on the short side - comparatively speaking. Celestia towers over them in any case. Perhaps the example I heard was on foals?
4448219
Rest assured that Dizty's muffin thing is going to stay in the level of someone who happens to like muffins and not on the level of Naruto's ramen or... wow, there are a lot of examples... do not worry, there won't be any "Celestia's fat flank should cut on the cake" jokes either (except by Luna, because that's what siblings do).
4448330 That seems plausible enough. Didn't raise any foals so I can't say for sure, but logic dictates that it should.
4448461
I seem to recall that it wasn't hugging hugging, but pressure on both sides or something, because - as you said - completely encircling a horse by the middle would require you to be Mr. Fantastic. Or something to that effect.
Still, grooming and petting equines is supposed to be therapeutic for both parties, so that's what I'm drawing from. Plus, I picture Celly as the kind that can be more emotional than they let on, with feelings that are bruised more easily than what it appears. Not to say that she is without steel, 'cus the term 'Mama Bear' exists for a dang good reason...
4448510 figured you meant as much when you said hugging. Still, it's just the wait to see what all Blueblood finds in the meteor.
-kudos to you for making a 'good' Blueblood.
4448556
The meteor is the excuse used to leave the castle - the preparations for the journey, on the other hand...
Also, if I can write a Nice!Blueblood worth peanuts, it's because of all the others that came before me. I thank all of those that wrote so many interesting ones - be they good or not, his path from one side to the other and then back, possible motivations and inspirations... and so many little details, like a fear here, a bad memory there, being called out by whoever it is this time...
This story just made me go "aww there's going to be a little slendermane." Why am I happy that there is going to be more?
4842555 They arn't monsters, so I would be happy as well.