This story is a sequel to The Perilous Romance of Swans
Winter. A quiet time, perfect for reflection, spending time with loves ones and family members. It is also the time of Equestria's recovery after the tumultuous events that took place during the autumn; Mister Mariner's insurrection, a season of chaos, and the fall of Queen Chrysalis.
Now, Princess Celestia struggles to hold it all together. Every day is a crisis, but Equestria is being rebuilt. The nation recovers from Mister Mariner's gambit. The nobles of Canterlot are more active and more useful then ever before. Princess Luna is getting better, recovering more and more of herself every day.
So, during the long, dark winter, when the sun is scarce, Princess Celestia wonders... is she the princess Equestria deserves? Is she the sister that Luna needs? Is she the wife that Gosling thinks she is?
An entry in the Weedverse.
Nurse's thoughts,'Flaming alicorns, always poking their horns in the way, wish they'd give me a wing up occasionally, Sheesh!'
We need a bit more of her.
yes. finally its out been waiting on the good stories
Tick, tick, tick goes that biological clock. Seeing her sister and Gosling curled up on opposite sides of that little filly like mommy, daddy, and baby...
(It's so quiet you can hear an egg drop. Or two.)
Knowing a part of what happens to Rose through The Mask Makes the Pony is casting a bit of a pall on this story for me. But hey, it can't be all bad right? As is, I am excited to see where this story goes.
Awww yeah. It's here!
8048119
Three eggs dropped, technically.
Ok, I had to stop and just LAUGH for a minute at the bit where Celestia sent off the letter. I never considered it that way.
A feat previously only believed possible from a certain pink pony.
that cover art is cool
Two words.
AAAAAWWWWW YEAAAAAHHHH!
Yes! It's finally here!
Celestia, you think too much sometimes.
Wooot!!!! Let the amazement renew!!
Thanks again Kudzuhaiku for your way wonderful weird worlds.... ya I'm outta w's.
Tracking, but NOT for the shipping.
I should be sleeping, instead I am awake and reading ponies. Just try and stop me
I am becoming convinced that Kudzuhaiku is no normal manner of man or beast.
I am sure that the conglomeration known as Kudzuhaiku is a bunch of highly literate monkeys and nocturnal lemurs in an elaborate trenchcoat.
How else can one explain how many words spill forth from this account!?
Also, yay more stories yay!
Okay, no reading yet. Let me just get settled first. Give me like five minutes to pick a good song.
Okay done reading.
And so the filly that can turn dreams into reality is back! And Luna...
Damn it, poor Luna!
8048324
The Kudzuhaiku is Legion. It bears the power of the Written Word. It is the Wordsmith.
It begiiiiiiiiiiiins~!
Poor Gosling, now the mug's mug will be even more of a mug. Hopefully Cadence can make him all better. After all, there is a lot of love in that room.
And Luna, Luna gets all the hugs.
Moon Rose gets all the ice cream.
Yes, that is how it should be.
8048324
Nah, that's SS&E. He's all about the lemurs.
While only having read a few of your stories, I think I've covered those most directly related to this one.
8048324 Curses, you have foiled there primatial plans!
So THAT'S what our pretty boy looks like, huh?
Yeah, he looks like trouble, alright.
Oh wow, Gosling just can't catch a break. The inner ear issue in Romance, this, any time he rides a train...
Thank whatever deity's listening for modern medicine and healing magic, I suppose.
uh wow okay
This was all sad and touching yes, but this line
Visualizing that (and acting it out a bit too) cracked me up for a good 10 seconds.
Also YAY~ more Prince Peacock!
Also ouch, poor Prince Peacock...
... you know for a peacock he has really dull colors... i only now noticed this...
Honk.
Somehow I pictured Gosling to be more silver than gray. But it wouldn't be the first time I didn't get a character's appearance right in my head.
Anyway, I haven't read A Darkness Softly Creeping yet, but surely my ignorance won't prevent me from enjoying the first chapter, right?
...
Dammit all to hell. I'll be back after I read that one.
Which...might take awhile, actually. I dunno, reading those snippets from The Mask Makes the Pony bummed me out something fierce. Thinking about the Weedverse at all makes me feel weighed down on the inside. Like life is just crushing, unending sorrow and horror, and any goodness found is just a temporary reprieve.
I think I really need a break from the Weedverse this time. For real this time. I'll probably read any oneshots following Scruples you put out, and I may or may not keep up with Skyreach, but otherwise, I'm out for awhile. I'll be back once my existential dread clears up. Look forward to this time away from me complaining about characters or ranting over nothing.
Thanks for the good times, and I hope I haven't been too much of a problem commenter. 'Til next time.
Well, I've read the Swan stories and before this the dark elemental one. That'll have to do though. Bit too many words in all the weed stories, plus some tags I generally avoid. Enjoyed this first chapter just fine.
Best nurse ever.
8049584
That's a shame, because this story is going to be chock full of holiday fluffiness.
8049584 I you want something with more fluff, go read "Background Pony" and "The Night is Passing".
(No one tells him anything)
There is only one rule in my family. "NOT IN THE FACE!!!!!"
Mista' Goose done broke it...
I'm glad that Hazy Breeze and Soprano Summer are making another appearance and I hope that they'll somehow be able to continue raising Moon Rose despite her problematic magic. It would be tragic for her to go from being rescued to having to live in some kind of strictly monitored isolation.
Thank you for continuing the swan stories, can't wait for the next chapter!
Nice chapter not to see how things work out for Gosling and company. Luna is being extremely stubborn
Noice.
Feels good to read this. The sisterly interaction between Luna and Celestia.. it gives me hope that the moon goddess is healing.
So Geerg is now one of your editors?
Georg is helping you out? Well, the Weedverse is about to get twice as awesome! Now we just gotta keep an eye out for a certain grass-colored tutor making an appearance...
I wonder if being pregnant actually gives her strength, as she is a symbol of life and so bringing life into the world would somehow make her stronger?
I can't help but imagine Celestia waddling into battle, days away from her due date, ready to smite the wicked.
"Sister?" Luna craned her head to get a glance at where Celestia was curled around a bowl of something that smelled of chocolate and...something else. "What is that?"
"Chocolate-covered coffee beans," she muttered through packed cheeks.
"Oh." Luna sniffed the air. "Are there any left?"
She did not get an immediate response, only a low growl that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
"Well, how many have you had so far?" she asked instead.
"Five," snarled Celestia.
"Oh." Luna looked around the room. "Bowls or beans?"
"Fifty pound bags," admitted Celestia. "Be a dear and see if there's a new shipment yet."
8050385
Celestia is stronger because of enshrinement.
Luna is getting better, and is being restored to her rightful place of worship. Celestia's strength is dependent upon Luna's strength. This will be made clearer in time.
Celestia engineered a new tea plant to get more caffeine. Now that is a good use of internal life.
8050415 I remember an idea like that being brought up in Perilous Romance, but I didn't think it was actually real. That's quite interesting.
I don't remember if we got confirmation about what Gosling's cutie mark means?
Perhaps 'tis a mark of splendid Japery?
So, I recently re-read TW and VI, and the following makes me wonder:
If I remember correctly (not to mention understood what I read), the formation of Mt. Maud was caused by bad magic in the ground being allowed to build up (since all the Poison Joke in the area was destroyed). But I also remember (hopefully correctly) that a current theory is rocks are acting (along with Poison Joke) in some way to cleanse the magic passing through them.
So, I wonder: How far down did Celestia have to go to get access to the good magic? Is there a danger that the bad magic at surface level could seep far enough down to affect the pool from which Celestia pulls?
A related question is, if Celestia has to reach down deep, what would happen if she had to raise the Sun while standing next to Mt. Maud? Would that day's sun-raising be tainted, if her magic had to reach down through the surface-level badness to get access to the deep magic?
Or maybe I'm over-thinking this?!?!?!?!?
8050409
Fifty pound bags
Best reply
8050451
Gosling's specific magical talent is making others happy. That's it. No more, no less. His rubber duckie is a symbol of happiness.
Some ponies have cutie marks that lead them to become the ultimate archmage, or the world's fastest pegasus, or some brilliant fashionista with the ultimate in business sense.
Gosling just wants to make others happy, and does.
8050453
In this instance, she is connecting with Terra Firma directly, but she doesn't know this. She is getting magic that has not yet been corrupted by Grogar's influence. It's like reaching into the astral realm, or other realms outside of common realm she lives in.
8050467
Hmmmmmm.
One side-effect of all the problem going on: If everything was peaceful, Twilight would eventually wonder how Celestia's sun-raising works, and would have to start the extreme science to figure it out.
8050477
Celestia's sun raising works by using gravity to slingshot it around. Once a day, she gives it a big nudge to keep it in motion, followed by little blips to keep it on course, because the sun is a silly celestial body. The moon works the same way.