Familial Resolutions
A pin rolled off the counter next to the sewing machine and fell to the carpet with an audible sound.
The door opened, and a fiery-maned pegasus poked her head in. “Hey Threadbare, I was just-” she paused, taking in the scene in front of her. A changeling, Threadbare, Gale Force, Warden, and a little pegacorn filly chewing on an ice cream cone in the corner, nopony speaking, all staring at one another. “-Leaving,” she finished, instantly turning around and walking back out.
Warden covered his face with his hooves, shaking his head slowly. “Kuno, I love you... but... really?”
“You think I’m going to lie to them?” Kuno asked bluntly, perking an ear in his direction.
Warden mulled that over for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Well... actually... yes!”
Kuno snorted once, rolling her eyes. “They would have figured it out, eventually.”
“Not all at once!” Warden protested, rubbing a hoof against his forehead, wincing.
Gale Force stared at Kuno, brow furrowing deeply, before he punched his hoof with the other, frowning.
“This isn’t a dream,” Kuno said with a long sigh.
Gale Force harrumphed. “I... was kinda hoping. So... you’re a changeling?”
“Evidently,” Kuno quipped.
Gale Force looked back and forth between Kuno and Warden, his wings giving an irritated flick and flutter. “I...”
“What are you doing to my son?” Threadbare asked suddenly, snatching a large knitting needle off the counter in front of her and brandishing it like a dagger.
Kuno rolled her eyes, completely unperturbed. “I’m not doing anything to him, at the moment.”
Threadbare gave a low growl of suppressed anger. “I don’t believe you!”
Gale Force extended a hoof to halt his wife. “They’ve been together together long enough to have a foal, which must have been a trial in and of itself. I doubt you’re going to get anywhere with a knitting needle.”
“She’s a changeling!” Threadbare protested.
“I noticed,” Gale Force said dryly, plucking the needle out of her grasp. “Remember how you’re more emotional than I am? Let calmer heads prevail. No doubt she’d kill us if you attacked her.”
“Maybe,” Kuno said with a bright smile.
“Not helping,” Warden chimed in.
“Look, we’re not going to get anywhere like this,” Gale Force said, rubbing a hoof against his temple. He then pointed at Warden. “You, with me. We’re leaving.”
“W-what?!” Threadbare spluttered.
“You and Kuno are going to sit here and talk about mare stuff,” Gale Force said with an idle wave of a hoof. “Just talk about pink lace and double-layer drapes and you two will get along fine.”
“You understand that you’re leaving your wife with a changeling?” Kuno pointed out with a slow raising eyebrow.
“The thought had crossed my mind,” Gale Force said with a faint shudder. “But I sure as tartarus aren’t staying in the same room as you.”
“And you want me to?!” Threadbare exclaimed, flailing a hoof at her husband.
Gale Force turned to face his wife, holding up a hoof placatingly, before slowly, carefully enunciating, “Pink frilly lace,” and then turning to push Warden. “C’mon, me and you are going to go get a drink.”
“I don’t drink,” Warden said with a faint shudder.
“Well you’re going to start, wimp,” Gale Force said, pushing harder.
Warden gave a long, weary sigh, and allowed himself to be marched towards the door. He looked back over his shoulder with a forlorn grimace. “Kuno, try not to weird my mom out too much, yeah?”
Kuno sketched a salute in his direction with a sly grin. “I’ll make sure I do.”
Warden winced again, and then was pushed bodily out the door, before it slammed shut, leaving Kuno, Threadbare, and Swarm alone in the room.
“Well, this is... awkward,” Threadbare said, rubbing a hoof against her neck helplessly.
Kuno perked an ear upwards, stretching slowly. “Feels good to get out of that pegasus form, though!”
Threadbare grimaced slightly, one of her hooves twitching towards another knitting needle.
“You don’t... really like pink frilly lace?” Kuno asked bluntly.
Threadbare paused at that, giving a slightly strained smile. “Ahhh... no. But Gale Force was spending too much time at home moping so I covered the place in them because I know he hates them.”
Kuno gave a soft giggle at that, shaking her head. “I’ve got Warden so whipped that I just threaten to put the collar on him if he doesn’t behave.”
“You’re talking about my son,” Threadbare scowled.
“And?” Kuno asked with a slight shrug of her shoulder. “Everypony is somepony’s son. Why should your feelings be any more or less than some other mother’s?”
Threadbare frowned at that, her ears splaying back. “I... don’t know.”
“Admitting it is the first step,” Kuno said with a faint giggle.
Threadbare rubbed at her neck with a hoof, casting her gaze left and then right, as though looking for an escape. “So... how much... of what you said, how much of that was true?”
“All of it,” Kuno said with a slight shrug.
“A-all of it?” Threadbare asked weakly.
“Well, what bit did you have issue with?” Kuno asked simply, sitting down on her rump and stretching slowly.
Swarm wandered over to Kuno, curling up between her forelegs and yawning, licking her hooves clean of cone crumbs and then laying her head on her hooves, closing her eyes.
“Pretty much just... the err... well the bit where you... yeah, all of it,” Threadbare said, rubbing a hoof through her mane helplessly.
Kuno gave a long sigh, chewing on her bottom lip. “Well... I was blown out of Canterlot by that thing Princess Cadance did. That kinda hurt. I woke up in the fields somewhere, with Warden standing over me.
Warden knocked me out and dragged me back to his cottage. He kept me dosed up on these erm... magic suppressant pills that knocked me right on my ass with every single dose. He put a collar around my neck, locked it in place with a padlock, and then used a tether to keep me contained when he fed me meals. He really liked soup.”
Threadbare gave a faint groan at that. “That was all he ate at home. He could grow a thousand plants, but he couldn’t even boil water properly.”
Kuno gave a wry smile at that. “I’ve since taught him to cook ramen noodles and make stir frys.”
“Impressive,” Threadbare said, nodding.
“Well, either way, after all of that, he was still a complete idiot,” Kuno said with a wave of a hoof. “Let me break his alarm clock and I stole one of the springs from inside it. Bent it all out, made some lockpicks out of them, and used them to unlock my collar and get the upper hoof over him.”
“With a spring... out of a clock?” Threadbare asked incredulously.
“You’d be surprised what can be used. I was thinking I’d have to try and splinter a piece of my chitin to use...” Kuno shuddered faintly, wings giving an irritated buzz. “Not something I wanted to do.”
“So you didn’t murder him?” Threadbare asked carefully.
“I considered it for a little while,” Kuno admitted, nodding once, and then shrugging. “But something about him intrigued me. He liked me. Not a whole lot, but a little. Enough for me to get my hearing back.”
“Your hearing was gone?” Threadbare asked blankly.
“Oh, right!” Kuno said, facehoofing. “I was pretty injured from the magic blast thing that Cadance and Shining Armor did. I was completely deaf for a few days there. But anyway! After I got him down, I used some of my magic on him to make him spill all his secrets to me.”
“You can... do that?” Threadbare asked weakly.
Kuno nodded simply. “Very useful, really. And while I was making him tell me everything, I hit him with a very special love spell my true Queen taught me before she died.”
“True Queen?” Threadbare asked, rubbing her temple with a hoof.
“From across the sea. Chrysalis is not my queen, and is actually in the Canterlot dungeons as a direct result of Warden and I’s choices,” Kuno explained, waving a hoof airily. “But really, stuff happened, and we fell in love.”
“Because you used a spell on him!” Threadbare exclaimed.
“Sure,” Kuno said with a shrug, her wings buzzing again. “But that’s neither here nor there at this point. I disappeared for a year or so after his spat with Daggertail. You know, that unicorn I murdered.”
“And you’re a murderer,” Threadbare said weakly.
“Daggertail was a vile, vile creature. He was forcing your son to grow aurora. Either way, I wandered off for a year, started to miss Warden, and then came back for him. Yadda yadda yadda emotional crap, we got married, and then Chrysalis broke my cover and Warden found out about the magic I was using on him. Sooo, he hated me for a little while. A few hours at least. Beat the absolute crap out of me, too,” Kuno said with a frown, rubbing her cheek in remembrance. “Kinda easy to forget that we’re supposed to be mortal enemies when we’d been together so long.”
Threadbare frowned deeply at that. “But now you’re back together?”
“Warden realised he actually did love me,” Kuno said matter-of-factly.
Threadbare’s eyes narrowed slowly. “Let me guess, you used magic to help him along to that point?”
Kuno shook her head slowly. “Nope. Not that time. Look... I love your son,” Kuno stated, holding the mare’s gaze confidently. “I love him more than I thought it would be possible. I spent more than nine months as a pegasus so that we could have a child together. I turned into a dragon for him. I murdered for him. And he is the sole reason that we’re having this conversation face-to-face and I’m not magically implanting the suggestion in your head that a changeling is a great thing to have as a daughter-in-law.”
Threadbare frowned at that, her ears splaying back. “That is hardly reassuring.”
Kuno gave a shrug of her shoulders. “Well, look at this way. I’m a changeling. I have five years of love energy just stored up inside me like a bomb waiting to go off, except probably a lot safer... probably! And I’m in love with your son. And he loves me. And we’re married. You can accept it, or you can fight it. Either way, I’m going to win.”
Threadbare pursed her lips, going quiet as she idly began to rifle through the various squares of materials she had on hoof. “So... what are Swarm’s measurements? I’ll need them if I’m to make her a good uniform for dress occasions.”
Warden sighed as he was pushed into the bar area of the Wonderbolt’s headquarters. A long, polished oak bar stood against one wall, with a series of bottles set up neatly behind it and upside-down glasses lined up on the bar itself. It was the place for the Wonderbolts to unwind after training sessions, and right now, it was deserted.
Gale Force leaned over the bar, snatching up a bottle of Cloudsdale Cloud Cider. It was specially made in a cloud fermentation process from the finest of apples specially selected from Sweet Apple Acres.
Gale Force picked up a pair of glasses, thudding them down on a table and then taking the chairs off of the table, and setting them down, sliding one across to Warden. “Sit.”
Warden sat down in the chair, ears splaying back. “What are we doing?”
Gale Force poured out two different glasses of liquid, and then slid one of them across the table to Warden. “Drink.”
Frowning, Warden picked up the glass of liquid, and sniffed it gently, nose wrinkling.
“Drink,” Gale Force stated again, picking up his own glass and taking a long gulp.
Warden frowned again, grimacing, and then taking a large gulp of liquid. He breathed out heavily, making a face and then squirming helplessly. “Argh, burning!”
“Get over it, ya pussy,” Gale Force said, downing the rest of his glass without hesitation, and then refilling it. “So... a changeling, huh?”
Warden nodded slowly. “A changeling.”
“You... knew she was a changeling all along, right?” Gale Force asked bluntly.
“Aye. Kinda gave it away when I found her unconscious in the field,” Warden admitted frowning and taking another gulp of the cider, wrinkling his nose at the burning sensation.
Gale Force frowned at that, sipping his drink again. “And... you didn’t turn her into the guard?”
“They would have executed her!” Warden said defensively.
Gale Force slowly raised a brow. “Do you really believe that? That Princess Celestia would execute somepony? Even a changeling?”
“W-well I... I couldn’t take the chance,” Warden admitted, looking away. “I wasn’t going to be responsible for her death.”
“You are such a pansy,” Gale Force said with a slow shake of his head, sighing and taking another deep gulp of the alcohol.
“You might wanna slow down on that, Gale, you’re going to get drunk really, really fast,” Warden cautioned with a frown.
“Why don’t you ever call me ‘dad’?” Gale Force asked bluntly, his words starting to slur slightly, even as he refilled his glass.
“Because you’ve never really... been a father to me,” Warden admitted, frowning down into his mostly-empty glass, swirling the golden liquid slowly. “You demeaned me, treated me like crap, made fun of my life choices... I was nothing but a disappointment to you and you made sure I knew it.”
“A boy’s gotta be tough to make it alone in the world,” Gale Force stated bluntly, waving a hoof and then moving to refill his glass.
Warden placed a hoof on the bottle, frowning deeply. “There is a difference between ‘tough love’ and simply treating someone like shit and hoping that they’ll get ‘tough’ from it.”
Gale Force scowled, snatching the bottle away and cradling it against his chest, before taking a large gulp from it, ignoring his empty glass. “You’re the stallion you are today because of what I did.”
Warden narrowed his eyes slowly. “I am the stallion I am today because I decided to leave the damn house and get away from you before I was really ready to leave. You forced me to move to Ponyville, and forced me to quit flight school to go and grow my ‘pansy little plants’, so yeah, what I am now is on you.”
Gale Force stared at Warden at that, taking another long gulp of the cider, completely nonplussed. “I guess it is my fault how you turned out, huh?”
Frowning, Warden looked away, chewing on his bottom lip. “You... you couldn’t have known that forcing me out of the house would end up with me... growing things.”
Gale Fore’s eyes narrowed, and he scowled. “It was abundantly clear that you weren’t a strong flier, and when you showed more interest in vines than with flying, it became pretty obvious that your wings were just for decoration, so yeah, I forced you out of the house. I made it completely unbearable for you to live with us so that you’d piss off and go live with the earth ponies, where I’d be happy you were gone.”
Warden frowned deeply at that, scratching at the edge of the table with a hoof. “You... you weren’t happy I left, were you?”
“I figured you’d either get good at flying, or leave. You left,” Gale Force said with a shrug. “That was your choice, not mine.”
“Well thanks for being so supportive,” Warden said sarcastically.
“Do you love her?” Gale Force slurred suddenly.
“Of course I love her!” Warden snapped. “I wouldn’t be married to her if I didn’t.”
“She isn’t forcing you? Using you?” Gale Force pressed.
Warden rolled his eyes. “Yes, she wears the collar because she’s the dominant one in our relationship.”
“That’s kinda weird,” Gale Force said solemnly.
“And you are now drunk,” Warden said bluntly.
“I should hope so,” Gale Force admitted, swishing the bottle around. It sounded half empty. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to discuss your family sober.”
“We’re not really discussing anything, Gale,” Warden said coldly. “You’re just questioning my choices. Again.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Gale Force asked flatly. “If nopony ever questions your actions, then you’ll make all the wrong decisions.”
“Oh, like not helping me get the herb that would have saved Swarm?” Warden asked suddenly, rising to his hooves, his eyes narrowing. “Who questioned you on that?”
“That was... a mistake,” Gale Force said solemnly. “I’ll admit it freely. I should have helped you. I should have gone along and tried to get it myself when you failed.”
Warden glowered at his father for several long moments, slowly shaking his head. “Are you that stubborn? Mom told me that you went after the herb, and that you got injured in the process and lost your entire career because of it. Is it so hard to just say it?! ‘Oh, hey son, I gave up my career for you. Wanna be friends?’. Is that so difficult? Don’t you even care if your own son likes you?”
Gale Force stared up at him for several long moment, pursing his lips and wrinkling his nose. “I’m not here to be your friend, boy. I’m here to be your father.”
“It doesn’t bother you in the least that I hate you?” Warden asked flatly, holding his father’s gaze intently.
A soft laugh left the older pegasus. “You know? Sometimes, it does a little bit,” Gale Force admitted, taking another long drink of the bottle of cider and swaying slightly. “And sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if I was one of those touchy-feely fathers who never questions their children’s actions, who always supports them no matter what.” He frowned at that, grimacing slightly and then shaking his head, as though he had a sour taste in his mouth. He looked Warden up and down, and then gave a soft snort. “But then I look at you, and how far you’ve come, and I’m fine with it.” He waved a hoof idly. “Now get out of my face, you’re messing with my high.”
Warden scowled at that, sidestepping around the table and then giving his father a long, long stare. “I don’t believe for a moment that you did this for me.”
“Believe what you want,” Gale Force said, waving his hoof dismissively. “Go grow your plants and raise your daughter. You’ve already said all you need to say to me.”
Frowning, Warden made his way to the door, pushing it open and then peering back towards the drunk pegasus, chewing the inside of his cheek, before sketching a fake, sarcastic salute in Gale Force’s direction. “It’s been really nice seeing you, dad.”
Gale Force perked an ear back as he heard the door close, and he nodded solemnly to himself, quietly taking another swig from the cider bottle.
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Another good chapter. Keep them coming!
Yeah, I'm sorry, but there's limits to even 'Love and Tolerance.' Gale can go buck himself.
As always, amazing!
This story is weird. All your stories are weird. Really good weird though.
I love how brutally honest Kuno is when it comes to her past.
Even alcoholic cider doesn't burn. You wanna know what burns, vodka. That's fermented gasoline in a bottle, bout as expensive as well.
That conversation with the father.. How positive!
3054562
But it is good fermented gasoline.
imageshack.us/a/img33/5764/likethischapter.jpg
3054562 In Russia it's still cheaper than water
3054626
The idea of charging people for water still baffles me.
3054636
As far as I know, moonshine isn't legal. Sooooooo, yeah, never tried it.
3054562 vodka is nice but fireball whiskey is better.
3054632 Same here, and I'm perfectly willing to pay it at work
3054646
I prefer a nice glass of win or maybe some black crown and coke.
I guess alls well that ends well......... well sorta.
In a strange way I get the sense that were Kuno not a changeling his parents would really like her. The Mom because they have a similar sense of torturing their husbands and the father because he'd see her as the daughter he never had. That plus they'd both see Kuno as a good balancing to his timid demeanor.
With her now revealed as a changeling they both are at an impasse mentally seeing as she is still the same "person" as they first saw; however they fear Kuno might be using their son for some strange plan. The mother though would have a slightly more hopeful view solely for the fact they birthed a child together thus meaning she must at least have some feelings for him.
The only thing I would like to see by the end of this arc is Threadbare asking Kuno about this whole illegitimate child her son has so she can scold him.
This chapter... hurt to read.
Oh boi...
well....at least its progress! XD
lol
I can see something bad happening to Gale soon, and Warden getting hit with a bus load of regret.
Yeah he's still a shitty father. Great chapter tho!
Sorry for not commenting on these for a while. I kinda got lazy on that.
That's all well and good, but usually people don't talk smack about sons when the mother is right there.
I do hope that Warden at least mentions to Kuno that there are more than one way to say things. Yes, the truth needed to be said, but being blunt isn't the only way to go. Bad diction and bad communication can be very costly.
Warden's father needs to realize that there's more than two methods to being a father. I'm guessing he sees almost anything in black and white.
It might be best for you to omit some details when the teacher asks you why your parents let you had the day off from school, Swarm.
(By the way, I'm not pointing out these character flaws because I think they're bad. I just like pointing out their flaws. A character not being perfect is one of the basics of writing after all.
)
3054850 Except Kuno.
Kuno is pretty damn perfect.
Sweet crispy Jesus, Gale needs to be punched in the face.
3054636 Moonshine is for pansies. Napalm on the other hoof
i.imgur.com/fIQQJ.jpg
Anyway. Please do continue.
huh, that was beyond interesting
I think everyone is being too harsh on Gale. Sure, he's an asshole, but he's an asshole with the best intentions. Gale was trying to help his son, he simply didn't really know the best way to do it. He tried to raise him to a strong and independent stallion, and succeeded. He just did so in one of the worst ways. He didn't know how to approach raising a foal the right way. Not everyone can be a stellar parent.
But what everyone really seems to forget is that Gale was honestly trying, and actually does love warden. While I agree there is a difference between "Tough love" and "Being an asshole," Gale was trying to give "Tough love," and simply didn't know where to draw the line.
Gale seems to work in only extremes. It is one of his flaws. Everyone has flaws, and that makes all these characters Good quality characters. His flaw is one that he needs to fix, but it's not one he should be condemned for. Granted, he wasn't the best parent, some people just aren't meant to be. But, he was legitimately trying to be one. That is something that should not be frowned upon.
...
...
...
Wow, I just realized I posted an entire rant....
3054957 Not to mention that Gale is a Wonderbolt. He's a top athlete, basically. Or a high-ranking army person, for a good analogy. Reading between the lines, he still feels a little gipped by the fact that his entire career was ruined because his son couldn't man up enough to get the herb.
3054965
I can actually expand further on that point as well!
Gale was a Wonderbolt Captain. Not only as an athlete does he feel his career was ruined, but he raised Warden as he believed he would raise any Wonderbolt trainee. I've grown up in a military family. Thankfully, I got stuck with the ones that knew kids weren't recruits. But I can still see the aspects of the military that bleed into my uprising.
One of the reasons I theorize Gale was able to go as far as he did was because Threadbare had a more moderate military mind set, but could see the reason behind what he did, and thus allowed it to carry on. Being a Wonderbolt Captain and Trainer, it seems perfectly logical that he would try to raise is son in such a manner.
Spitfire's reaction to Kuno...
Gale still needs a slap. I think it should come from Threadbare
3054562>>3054626>>3054646>>3054636>>3054584 Flaming Sambuca, anyone?
farm9.staticflickr.com/8081/8325829533_a39b2714d9_z.jpg
3054755
That sounds like enough power to make a really big dragon for awhile... or just slap a new cutie mark sticker on her flank since it's pretty much true anyway.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Radiation_warning_symbol.svg/200px-Radiation_warning_symbol.svg.png
(Dr.Strangepony or How I Learned To Love The Changeling)
3055125 I like gale needs one of those... Just make sure you "forget" to put it out first. With a brightly lit room those flames would be near invisible
3054957
Almost every asshole has some way of rationalizing his behavior. I suspect most abusive parents tell themselves that it's "all for their children's good".
3054863
Except when her blunt nature gets her in trouble, but at least she's got Warden to help her out.
It helps she can take a hit too.
His dad is still a piece of shit.
Love it
3054863
But that's why we like her. 
Perfect? Nah, Kuno's a female dog at times.
3054863
She ain't perfect
But that's why she's so damn adorable
great chapter
damn shitty father though
now mother and changling might get along nicely
3054957
I wholeheartedly agree, except the part about Gale succeeding in how he raised Warden.
I pity Gale because he views himself as an utter failure. He knows he messed up his son and doesn't believe he can fix it, He failed in getting the medicine for his daughter in law and lost his career in that failure. Now, because he has nothing left but his macho upbringing, he doesn't even know how to apologize to his son and get him to stop hating him.
And now his son has been thralled by a changeling that flippantly talks about killing them.
When we first met gale, I was rooting for Kuno to beat him into a bloody pulp, now I hope that they can patch their relationship up. This is one of the reasons I love Affliction of the Heart
I think the Kuno needs to work on not threatening other ponies. It's just not good to go around like that. Oh, and Gale needs to go see a psychologist/psychiatrist, seems like he's got major issues up top.
Kuno: Subtle like a runaway Saturn V rocket. People skills like a flaming tire iron.
good
3054584 Only if it's good vodka, there's a lot of watery-sh*t out there and a lot of just plain sh*tty vodka out there... Actually replace "vodka" with "alcohol" and I think that statement's about right.
Also, I think ponies are lightweights. Assuming their glasses are proportional to our own, getting anything more than buzzed off of three-drinks worth of cider... Most fruity alcohol (Wine & hard-juices) don't exceed 15% alcohol, and only really select wines get into the low 20%'s. For some reason I'm thinking that the stuff they were drinking was well below that proof...
3056185 More like a sledgehammer to the face...
3056408 It was made with magical cloud fermentation to give it extra kick
Gale reminds me of my Grand-Dad. This is why I like him, not as a person I'd want to be like, mind you, but he's a character that reminds me a lot about my own father, and his father.
Gale, an explosion would be a better parent than you are right now.
3056137 If she stopped threatening ponies, she would not be Kuno