//------------------------------// // 11: The Godfather // Story: A Whole New Responsibility // by Flanagan //------------------------------// “Excuse me?” I asked, before Celestia grabbed my forearm and started pulling. “I said we’ll be selecting your baby’s godfather,” Celestia repeated, giving my arm another hard tug, “now hurry up. As I said before, the candidates have been waiting for close to two hours.” “How about I slow it down?” I answered, twisting my arm out of her grasp. “I’m not really sure how things work around here, but back where I come from, it’s the couple’s job to select that particular person, and in this case pony.” “Aedan,” Celestia said, looking to me with a somewhat blank expression, “it’s been over four months; most couples would’ve already picked a stallion and mare by now.” “Well did it ever come across your mind that maybe we want to hold off on picking one?” Granted neither of us even talked about it. Hell, I didn’t even know that ponies had godparents. “Aedan, I’m just trying to help out,” Celestia replied, sticking her lower lip out as she donned puppy eyes that rivaled Luna’s in sheer adorableness. “In that respect, you can admit that I’ve been sorely lacking.” “Yeah, I suppose so,” I admitted, averting my head in an attempt to avoid her sudden cuteness, “but going so far as to set up potential godfathers?” “You know that when I do something I do it big,” Celestia answered, dropping her cutesy act for her usual sultry self. “Have you learned nothing? Or must I teach you again?” A devilish grin came to Celestia’s face as she began to raise her hand into the air, setting her fingers up for a quick snap. I reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and throwing it up into the air, ensuring that her fingers couldn’t reach her thumb. I looked her square in the eyes with a rather victorious smile, thinking I had won the day, but her sinfully seductive grin remained. I wondered why she still looked like she had something up her sleeve, but then I remembered that there was a crucial piece of human anatomy that in my haste to stop her I had forgotten about; the other arm. I looked past her nearly bursting out of her dress chest to see her other arm was twisted around her back. My pupils dilated. I had no idea how long it had been back there, but in any instant I could’ve been once again inches away from a completely naked woman. Granted, in many other situations, especially in my past, I wouldn’t have minded at all, but this was now and I really didn’t feel like having blue balls today. I shot my other hand behind her back, feeling her middle finger brush across her thumb as my hand enveloped hers and closed shut around it. That faintest gleam of light temporarily blinded me, but I knew that the amount of magic she had used wasn’t enough for her to become completely naked. Another victorious grunt came from deep in my throat as I looked to her squarely in the eyes. I’d won, or so I thought. Celestia’s expression had barely changed; the only differences I saw were in her brow, cocked nearly to her hairline, and her lower lip, held softly in her teeth. “You’re getting faster,” she whispered, her eyelids sinking into a half closed position. “I hope that isn’t affecting you elsewhere.” “I can assure you it hasn’t,” I replied with a grunt. “Now, if you’re done, can you…” My thought trailed off when I noticed that Celestia was using her head to point downward, since I had currently rendered her incapable of using her hands. Against my better judgment, I let my eyes travel south, so to speak, only to see a body that would put Aphrodite to shame. She was clad in the finest - and most revealing - silken dress I had ever seen on a woman. The thing was even more revealing than usual, her bosom pressing gently against my chest, her generous breasts coming dangerously close to presenting themselves to the woefully unprepared world. With nothing more than two straps, each barely an inch and a half in width, doing the job of covering her top up. Her stomach was exposed, as per the usual, and the slit in the lower half of her dress came just inches away from revealing to the living just how magnificent her royal posterior really was. My eyes shot right back to her face, my expression growing more panicked when I realized I’d pinned her to the nearby wall. I froze, sweat beginning to bead on my forehead as she began to laugh. Much as she’d done a month ago, she threw her leg around my waist, going further this time as she pulled me fully into her embrace. I had to tell myself that she wasn’t pressing her bare skin against me, but with so little fabric to her dress there wasn’t much of a distinction. “You can be so easy sometimes,” she moaned softly into my ear, squeezing her chest against mine to further the game of brinkmanship she played with the top half of her dress. “It’s a wonder you can still walk.” “I call it fortitude,” I replied, releasing her hands and forcing my way out of her python-like grip. “Now, if you could show a little professionalism.” “Oh fine,” Celestia sighed, rolling her eyes as she snapped her fingers, making her dress only slightly less revealing around the upper regions of her body, while still keeping her stomach and most of her mile long legs easily available to the wondering eye. “You can be such a buzz kill.” “Well, I’m not really in what you would call ‘the mood’ for this kind of stuff,” I replied dryly, folding my arms across my chest. “Now, can we please get this done so I can get back to Luna?” “Of course,” she nodded, adjusting her dress so everything was snug once more, “it would be best to no longer keep them waiting.” Without another word the two of us made our way to the throne room, where I assumed I’d be introduced to a multitude of individuals Celestia believed wouldn’t be complete jackwads. Of course, she may also have decided to have some fun with it and picked out some of the nobles she’d dealt with in the past just so she could get a kick out of me beating the living hell out of them. Granted, I probably would’ve enjoyed that too, but I had the unfortunate burden to at least try to make myself look something more akin to a civilized type in spite of the fact that these horses were the ones pushing the asshole factor to new heights. It didn’t take long for us to make it to the throne room, and aside from the usual stares that I’d grown accustomed to from the maids when I walked around nothing of note happened. The guards at the door greeted Celestia as they always did, bowing before the designated unicorn slowly pulled the door open. As the door opened, Celestia turned back and shot me a warm, almost motherly smile while the two guards readjusted their positions. “Are you ready to make a selection?” she asked, presenting her arm like an escort. “About as ready as I can be given the situation.” I smiled back, taking her arm and letting her lead me in. The moment we entered the throne room we were met with the eyes of three ponies. All stallions, to be specific. There was only one pony among them I knew, mainly because I saw him on a seemingly two day schedule. That, and I also recognized his hairstyle, but that’s nitpicking. “We’re here,” Celestia announced, though they were all looking at us in the first place, “I do apologize about the delay.” “No need to apologize, my dear,” the unicorn with a dapper moustache said before humbly bowing. “I’m sure the good man was in the middle of important business.” “At least what he considered important, Fancy,” Celestia remarked, sending a sly grin in my direction before stopping me just a few steps in front of the candidates she had selected. “Aedan,” she began waving her arm through the air like someone in an infomercial. “I humbly present to you Sir Fancy Pants, Equestrian elite and owner of the Equestrian Tribune, Prince Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire and former captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard, and finally, Prince Blueblood… my nephew.” I could feel my eyebrow fighting it’s way up my face before my gaze met Celestia’s. “That’s seriously all the introduction he’s going to get?” I whispered, not bothering to hide my chuckles. “He wanted to at least be considered,” Celestia whispered back, driving a quick fist into my arm. “Now play nice. Unlike the other nobles, he hasn’t done anything that would cause you or Luna any grief.” “Only because he flat-out ignores my existence,” I replied, giving Blueblood a quick look up and down. “It’s better than how most nobles take your presence,” she countered, looking to her nephew, “so could you at least do him the courtesy?” “Yeah, yeah, sure,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I focused solely on the proudly standing unicorn. “Hey Blueblood.” “Yes?” “Thanks for stopping by,” I said, pointing behind myself, “maybe next time.” Blueblood’s mouth unhinged and Celestia looked at me like I had just kicked a puppy, causing a brief, quiet, yet still audible laugh to pass my lips. “Wh-what?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion. “I said there’s the door,” I replied, my blunt tone coming out a bit harsher this time. “I know you’re only here for more attention, and I don’t want that for my kid, so get out.” “Why the nerve!” Blueblood shouted, throwing his nose in the air as he walked by me. “To think why I even considered being your foal’s godfather is beyond me now. As if I wished to affiliate myself with you in the first place!” “You never do that anyway,” I replied, slightly shaking my head as my arms came across my chest. “See you around, Blueblood.” I could hear Blueblood mumble something under his breath, but he was too far away and I honestly didn’t care. The door opened and closed in a matter of seconds, leaving only myself, Celestia, and the other two remaining ponies in the room. “Alright,” I said clapping my hands together, “so, who’s next?” There was nothing but silence, all eyes aimed at me as I waited for my answer. Finally after what seemed like a minute, Celestia finally decided to speak up. “Aedan,” she began, looking back to the door as she placed a hand on my shoulder, “wasn’t that a bit… harsh?” “We both knew that he was only here for his own personal gains,” I reiterated. “Even if he doesn’t like me, he’d still flaunt the godfather to Luna’s baby title like no one’s business.” “I can’t argue that,” Celestia nodded, letting out a deep sigh, “but if you’re going to do that again, may I ask you to be a bit more mindful and stay polite about it?” “You’ve got my word,” I nodded, walking over to the stallion that stood next to Celestia. “You must be Shining Armor.” “I am,” he nodded, extending his hoof with an unsure smile. “My wife told me a few things about you.” “Did she now?” I said as I shook his hoof, to which he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I hope she left out the bad parts.” “I think she did a good job,” Shining laughed, placing his hoof back on the ground. “A foal, huh? I gotta say I wasn’t expecting that from you two.” “Well, it’s a baby,” I corrected with a smile, “and what do you mean by that?” “Well, you two are so…” His thought trailed off as he tried to find the right word. “Different. That, and back when I was Captain of the Guard she seemed like she’d never really find that one. You know?” “You know, your sister said something like that when she found out. After she fainted, of course.” I laughed before the second half of his statement, “Captain of the Guard, eh?” “Yes sir,” Shining replied with the proper amount of pride, “I protected the Princess for nearly ten years before I married Cadence.” “Really now?” I said, looking back to Celestia with a grin. “Did he do a good job?” “Oh, he did wonderfully,” Celestia said, walking up to the stallion with predatory eyes. Before either of us could react she knelt down, allowing her gracious cleavage to rest just inches away from Shining’s face. “No matter what you always made sure I was safe. Especially during the night shift.” The stallion’s face went from pale white to flushed with red. “I- uh, j-just doing my duty, Your Highness,” he managed to fumble out. “And I appreciate that service oh so very much,” Celestia hummed in a sultry voice as her hand slid down Shining’s jawline, “I wish there was some reward I could offer for all those years~” “I-it’s fine…” Shining’s voice cracked as he took a deep gulp of air, “I-I was just… just happy to serve.” “Of course,” Celestia giggled, rising to her feet once more and walking over to the next candidate, “Come along Aedan, you’ve still got one more.” “In a minute,” I said as her voice trailed off in my mind. I was still focused on Shining Armor, his face still burning hot as he wiped off the sweat from his brow. “You too, eh?” Shining looked to me with an awkward smile as his blush finally began to subside. “Yeah,” he admitted, letting out a deep sigh. “She was always a pony when she did it to me, but still…” “I know the feeling,” I said, shooting a quick glance over to the solar vixen. “Was it always that bad?” “Man, that wasn’t even in the top twenty,” Shining chuckled, shaking his head slowly. “After this, I can get you a beer and we can talk about our experiences with her.” “Deal,” I said, shaking his hoof before taking to Celestia’s side once more. “I hope this guy’s got something good up his sleeve,” I said, nudging her shoulder, “because I really like contestant number two.” “Oh, I’m sure Fancy will deliver,” Celestia assured, looking to the stallion with a dapper moustache, “Isn’t that right?” “I’m certain I can attract some of Lord Aedan’s attention, Princess.” His accent and stature were a lot like the regular noble snobs I dealt with, but I could tell they both lacked the same edge I was used to. It was kinda like they were just a part of who he was, rather than the whole thing. Fancy adjusted his monocle with his magic as his hoof rose in greeting. “I can only hope that said attention is meant in a manner different than is oft leveled at my colleagues.” “I wouldn’t worry a great deal about that, Fancy.” Celestia nodded and accepted the hoof, giving it a quick shake. After he turned towards me so we could repeat the procedure, Celestia threw one arm over my shoulder, pressing her titanic chest into my other arm. “I’m sure you recognize Aedan?” “Of course I do,” he said, looking me up and down. “It’s hard not to recognize such a unique individual.” “I suppose I stick out like a sore thumb a bit,” I shrugged, only to be answered with a slightly confused look from Fancy Pants. “Or hoof…” “Ah, yes.” Fancy Pants let a chuckle pass through his lips. “I can assure you, you are quite the singular being.” “So, Fancy,” I said, my tone becoming a little serious to try and throw him off his game, “Shining has a good case because of a shared sense of camaraderie. What do you have?” “I can assure you the Prince has much more than that to offer,” he began, offering a quick nod to the pony in question that was returned with a genuine smile. Looks like this guy might not be all bullshit. “However, I’m sure I can convince you my character, at least, is equal to his. Princess Celestia has mentioned I am the head of the Equestrian Tribune, a news organization that I have strived to build as a reliable and unbiased source of information for everyone. I would like to offer an opportunity to share your story with the general public.” “So, you want to make me a tabloid cash cow?” I asked, furrowing my brow. “Heavens no!” Fancy quickly said, waving his hoof passively. “That isn’t the point. If it were, Princess Celestia wouldn’t have summoned me here to meet you.” “So what did you mean?” “Well, I’ve read nearly every article that has involved you, Princess Luna, or the both of you,” Fancy Pants explained, “I believe it safe to say that you know of their content as well?” “Yeah,” I managed to growl out. “Most of them aren’t too nice either.” “Exactly,” Fancy said, pointing his monocle at me with his magic, “I, unlike my many peers, recognize that the power so callously wielded by the upper class can’t solely exist for the purpose of further elevating ourselves. Tabloids like that are a disgrace to the media, spouting atrocious lies and performing character assassination in no way deserved by its targets. As such, I want the public to know the real Aedan Ryan, not some fabricated lie that smears your good name for that sake of ratings while destroying the integrity of the government and hurting its capacity to serve the Equestrian ponies!” Fancy was breathing a little heavy by this point, causing a little fog to show up on his monocle as it wavered in front of him. He seemed just as stubborn as every other noblepony I’d met, but at least his beliefs were kinda in the right place. “And what if I didn’t choose you?” “Oh, I’d still ask for an interview,” Fancy laughed. “Honestly, the matter of being godfather to your child is separate from that. I just couldn’t ask that you elect me without knowing a bit about me. “His smile faded as his voice dropped to a more level tone. “However, if you have any concerns about the nobility accepting your relationship with Princess Luna or the child, having me as the godfather would quiet many of them. I am a powerful pony, Lord Aedan, and directly connected to many of their industries.” He gave me a soft smile, though it was by no means friendly. “There would be… ‘problems’ if anyone were to publicly attack anyone directly associated with me.” I tried my best to remain unconvinced. “And if they don’t?” “Then I’ll still be the godfather of a beautiful baby,” Fancy Pants answered, without a moment’s hesitation. “I see no downsides to any situation that could come of it.” I could feel the smile on my face grow. This guy who I never met was willing to stick his neck out for me and this was only the first time we’d met. Granted, I would still be despised by the rest of the elite in this country, but it’s nice to know that my kid would be shielded from all that. I turned my attention back to Celestia, who was silently nodding in approval. “Well, Celestia,” I said with a smile, looking between my two choices, “I guess I-“ “Now wait just a minute!” A voice echoed across the throne room. “First you leave me out of the loop when Princess Luna’s baking a bun, and now you leave me out of the selection process for the Godfather?” Celestia’s smile went blank as the other three of us tried to find the origin of the voice. Seconds later a finger snap echoed through the room and the room was plunged into darkness. Almost simultaneously a spotlight came on from… somewhere, and shone on a lone figure over to our right. It was an oddly tall, misshapen creature with various animal body parts for limbs. It was dressed in an expensive Italian suit, with a popped up collar supported by a bowtie and a single rose stuck in… The fucker, whoever he was, was dressed like the Godfather. I didn’t know whether to be impressed or confused by what I was seeing. I suddenly felt a claw clasp on my shoulder. I spun around to see what was behind me, and he was standing there now. A pair of yellow eyes with mismatched red pupils were less than an inch from my own. “I’m going to make you an offe-” A bright flash went off next to me, blinding me temporarily and incidentally saving me from the creature’s godawful Italian accent. By the time my vision cleared up, everything was back to the way it was before, only now with several ponies looking at the new figure - sans clothing - that had arrived in the room with varying degrees of horror and resignation. I might’ve been one of them if his overall appearance didn’t seem more cartoonish than anything else. “Discord.” Celestia gave an exasperated sigh, resting her arms firmly on her hips. “What are you doing here?” “Oh my, dear Celestia, no need to be so grim,” Discord smiled, patting her head wi- where did her black robe come from? And why is she holding a scyt… goddammit. “It ages you quicker that way.” On cue, several clocks both digital and analog appeared floating in the air, numbers flipping by too fast to see. “You still haven’t answered my question,” Celestia said sternly, slapping away Discord’s paw and caused the clocks to vanish. “Why are you here?” “I thought I made it crystal clear the first time.” Discord answered, turning into a giant topaz with a face and tophat attached to it. “I’d like to throw my hat in for this little dance.” His hat tipped off his… head, and tumbled into a tiny wrestling ring where tiny ponies creatures startled grappling it while shouting incoherent phrases. I looked to Celestia, her face exuding well-worn frustration towards the mismatched body parts that made up the creature that was now apparently taking bets from a crowd of small things that had gathered around the arena. "You've had sex with him... haven't you?" I asked, not really sure I wanted an answer. Celestia bolted upright like I’d just hit her with a taser in the back. Blinking a few times, she turned her head towards me. "I beg your pardon?" "You heard me the first time," I answered, folding my arms across my chest, "so have you?" The thousand yard stare I was given made me wonder if I hadn’t blown a circuit in her brain somewhere. I didn’t even know that was possible until now. When she finally moved again, it was simply to say, “Even I have standards, Aedan.” I blinked erratically, not believing what I had just heard. "Standards? You?" I asked, shaking my head. "Really?" "Of course I have standards, Mr. Ryan." Celestia replied, placing her hands on her hips as she apparently decided she wasn’t going to let this get to her. "Do you really think that low of me?" "What? No," I said, raising my hands defensively, "I just- uh, you know..." "Well, Aedan, you mustn't jump to conclusions like that," Celestia said during my pause, wagging a finger at me. We both stopped a moment, realizing her finger had turned into a balloon. I was about to look over to the wrestling ring when a loud pop drew my attention back to Celestia. Apparently she decided she didn’t like her new finger, and carried on like nothing had happened. "In my many years, I've done a lot of things, Aedan. And I do mean a lot. But I never did him, and I ne-” Celestia paused suddenly, as though something were just occurring to her. I wasn’t exactly sure what had her worried, I did a quick check around and saw no one nearby. The ring had disappeared, too, along with whatever had been there. “What’s wro-” “WHERE ARE THE OTHERS, DISCORD?” I have to say, Luna might have a hell of a Royal Canterlot Voice, but even she wasn’t loud enough to make my vision go fuzzy, too. After taking some time to recover, I managed to catch the tail end of a conversation. “-re’s no way I’ll ever get them back on.” I turned towards the sound. Discord was floating in front of an absolutely livid Celestia, holding his ears in his hands. They apparently… detached themselves from his head and were curled up into balls, like they were in the fetal position. Lovely. Remembering what Celestia said, I asked, “What happened to the others?” “Oh, don’t worry.” Celestia had opened her mouth to respond, but Discord beat her to it. “I just sent them home. After all, you have ME now! Quite the step up, I must say.” Celestia cut in the moment she was composed enough to do so. “Shining Armor still had business to take care of here in Equestria, and it was-” “Terribly dull,” Discord retorted, bringing in a sofa that he proceeded to faint on in an exaggerated fashion. “Taking tea with dignitaries is hardly all there is to life Celestia. Besides, I’m sure Cadence is going to enjoy all that extra time she has with him.” The sofa morphed into a heart-shaped bed with curtains before my very eyes, and a pair of songbirds appeared that flew over Discord’s head and kissed to a backdrop of little hearts flying all over. I was a bit tired of being left out of the conversation by now, so I decided to make myself known once more. “Okay, Discord. Why the hell would you want to be the kid’s godfather?” Discord, now in heavy make-up, was waving a paper fan in front of his face. “Oh dear, such dreadful language.” He tossed the fan aside, where it vanished after causing a small explosion that left the floor undamaged. “Am I the only one to consider what your kid is going to be like grown up? I mean, when am I supposed to be the forward thinker of the group?” “I don’t like what suggesting, Discord,” I said through gritted teeth. “Fine, let me spell it out for you.” A chalkboard helpfully appeared beside him, blocking Celestia’s view of us. “You are a human.” He looked over wire-rimmed glasses at the chalkboard, and helpfully pointed out a simple chalk outline of a person with a pointer stick. “Luna is a pony, if not right now.” He brought the stick to point over at another chalk figure, this time of a horse and human with an arrow running between them. Celestia settled in next to me, muttering something under her breath. “Now, such a unique combination has never happened in Equestria before.” The outline this time, I guessed, looked kinda like a centaur. I didn’t really want to ask him about it, though. “So really, none of us can be sure what sort of powers your chid is going to manifest as it gets older.” The figure he pointed to was a small person growing into a big one, and wavy lines coming off of him. “And you know what they say about watching over dangerous, unpredictable, and chaotic bundles of energy?” No one moved for a moment, before Discord put on a pair of shades. “Who you gonna call?” “ME!” Cannons exploded confetti and streamers all around, mixing in with the fruit punch bowls and demolishing most of the cake. I blew on a party favor. Celestia knocked off her party hat. We were both just about done with this shit. “So whaddya say? I can teach them how to swim, and paint with all the colors of the wind, and how to calculate the flight-” “Thanks for the offer, Discord, but I think I’ll pass.” I didn’t have enough time on this world to explain exactly why I didn’t want to pick him, so I left it at that. “Luna and I can take care of our kid, and whatever… weird magic bullshit you think might happen.” Discord smiled, before floating in the air and twisting himself into a spring. “No need to get so wound up, Aedan.” His body suddenly started spinning, releasing all the tension he’d built up as his body blurred due to the speed it went at. “Besides, you’re hardly the best role model, you know.” That got next to me. “And what does that mean?” I growled. “Oh, isn’t that obvious? You get so worked over everything!” He put a paw out, with a little person that turned red before exploding in a mushroom cloud. “You know, your attitude is just as much the reason the nobles hate you as the sticks up their flanks.” He pulled a brown-covered stick out from behind him and waved it under my nose. “Think of all the stress you’re helping put on your beloved Luna’s shoulders. And it’ll only get worse after your kid-” My fist didn’t let him finish his thought. It decided to cut him off by slamming directly between his eyes, seemingly caving it in before he fell to the ground. As he rose to to his feet, everything he had summoned disappeared, save for his wire rimmed glasses. I shook my fist a few times - hitting fangs hurts - Discord brought his hands up to his face to cover his nose, which had just a tiny bit of blood leaking out. “You… you hit me!” “No shit,” I hissed out, walking over to him as Celestia looked on, frozen in shock. “Now if you ever say anything like that about myself, Luna, or our baby…” My voice trailed off as my finger stopped inches away from his face. “Let’s just say don’t even think about crossing that line again.” Discord put on a frown as he waved off our reactions with a paw. “Yes, I suppose I should have seen that coming.” Celestia came up and put a hand on my shoulder. Maybe she didn’t want me to try that again, but he wasn’t getting away with speaking like that about me and Luna. He folded his arms, all levity gone from his voice. “However, you’ve forgotten something, Mister Ryan.” “Wha-” My question was cut off by the sound of a finger snap, and the world coming to a halt. The soft chatter of voices that bled through the walls stopped. I couldn’t move my body, and my heartbeat was gone, even in the unnatural silence. Celestia’s hand, still resting on my shoulder, didn’t move, but it’s warmth felt a world away as my senses seemed to detach themselves from me. In a world of perfect stillness, only he moved, bringing his claw up to pull the glasses off his face. “Not everyone forgives as easily as I do, Aedan.” A simple shrug of his shoulders, and I realized I couldn’t even follow the movement since my eyes were frozen in their current position. “Some can’t forget their grudges, letting their wounds fester in the heart until it defiles something pure. Others are burdened by their own standards, trying to live up to an ideal they know is beyond them. Some just think they’re untouchable, and don’t take kindly to reminders otherwise. Regardless,” he tossed the glasses aside, as they vanished into the air, “you need to step more carefully. Just because everyone else isn’t an avatar of chaos doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you.” With a soft pop, the world started up again. Celestia didn’t comment seem to acknowledge anything had happened, and Discord himself gave no indication he was anything but a cheerful… thing right now. “Well,” he began, “I’m afraid I must be off. Teatime at Fluttershy’s in five, and I need to pick up azaleas for the sandwiches.” Reaching up with his paw, he grabbed a comically oversized zipper and pulled down, opening a hole in the air that led to a brick wall. “Think about what I said, okay?” With that, he stepped through the brick wall like it wasn’t there. Seconds later, a hand punched a hole in the brick wall, grabbed the zipper, and pulled up, closing the hole in the universe. No sign of Discord was left at this point. “Thank you, Aedan,” Celestia said, cutting the silence. “for not hitting him again, I mean. Discord can be… difficult, but for all his faults he’s a very powerful creature, and I wouldn’t want you to have any more problems than you already have.” She walked around in front of me, using a finger to brush a stray hair away from her face. “I know it’s a blatantly obvious distraction, but do you know who you want as the godfather?” After all the insanity that just happened… and Discord, it seemed like there was only one pony I could count on for the job. “Yeah,” I sighed, looking to her before turning to the throne room doors. “What are you-“ “Night Wing!” I yelled as loudly as I could, hoping the echo of my voice would carry far enough for him to hear. Silence fell on the throne room for a good minute before the golden doors flew open, revealing a large bat pony, clad in the finest moonsteel armor that Canterlot’s blacksmith’s could offer. The look on his face was impassive, but I knew him well enough to recognize the concern in his eyes. “Yes sir?” he asked, flying to my side. “Is there something-“ “Do you want to be my baby’s godfather?” I asked, looking down to him. His legs buckled as he stumbled around. I seriously thought I’d have to catch him because he looked like he was about to faint. Fortunately for his masculinity, he managed to steady himself after a few seconds and salvage the tattered remains of his dignity. “Lord Ry-Aedan.” He bowed with a huge smile plastered to his face. “I would be honored to-“ “Problem solved,” I said, turning back to Celestia. “Sorry I took so much time, Celestia.” She waved Night Wing back into the hallway before returning my look. “If anything, I should be apologizing to you. Dealing with Discord is a burden, and I should be keeping a better eye on him but...” She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, timed perfectly to hide the shudder that passed through my body as she mentioned him. “I’ll apologize to Shining and Fancy on your behalf since I’ll see them long before you do.” “Thanks, Celestia,” I replied. Shame about those beers I was promised, though. “Mind if I get back to Luna now? “Of course.” Celestia nodded, smiling at the change in subject. “I know you’d hate to keep her waiting.” I nodded, knowing that I didn’t have to add to a confirmation. Our little walk didn’t really seem to last that long, but I admit the lack of stimuli compared to when Discord is around probably had something to do with that. Even though the two of us remained quiet, there was still something nagging me in the back of my head, something that the two of us were talking about before Sid’s most messed up toy decided to interrupt us. "Hey Celestia." I asked, looking over to her as we kept walking. "Yes?" "What exactly are your standards?" "Oh Aedan please," She giggled, placing her hand on my chest, "a lady never divulges such secrets, but if you do need a hint I'd suggest you try looking into a mirror~." I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I rested my hands on my hips. I had just managed to get an inkling of the proper Celestia out with my assumption, but it was soon dashed by the sudden resurgence by the Celestia I had come to know in these past few months. “Will it ever end?” I asked, growing a small smile. “Only if you stop making it so fun for me.” Celestia smiled back, resting her head on my shoulder, batting her eyes playfully as she did so. We finally arrived at the door where the person in question was more than likely waiting patiently for me. I looked to Celestia, she looked back, we both nodded and I reached for the door. “Wait,” she suddenly said grabbing my hand. “Yes?” I asked, slightly confused, “what is-“ “What you did to Discord,” she began, “that was amazing.” “No one talks like that about my family,” I replied, clenching my free hand, “I don’t care who, or what, they are. You talk like that about the ones I love, you’re getting your face rearranged.” “You made that very evident,” she laughed, “and honestly I think he needed it, we’ve probably been a bit too lenient with him, so you’re little stunt probably reminded him about boundaries.” “Good to know,” I smiled before a seemingly pointless detail concerning the day’s events came to mind. “Celestia.” “Yes Aedan?” “I’m pretty sure that this is a stupid question, since you’re her sister and all, but has Luna selected a godmother yet?” I half expected to be laughed at when I asked her, but instead her face remained placid. “Celestia?” She shook her head, as if she had trouble hearing what I had said. “E-excuse me?” “Luna’s already chosen you to be the godmother,” I answered, raising a brow, “right?” “I haven’t been asked yet,” she answered, “Luna and I haven’t really been seeing each other as of late.” “What?” I asked, a little surprised at her response. “Why?” “Luna’s been isolating herself more and more as of late,” she explained. She had my surprise. Now she had my concern. “I assume it is because of the nobles causing her so much stress with the rumors and gossip they weave. She doesn’t realize it herself yet, but I’ve lost my sister once before, and I admit to a… heightened awareness to her feelings ever since she returned.” “So you’re telling me that you can see that she’s been lying to herself?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest, “If that’s the case why hasn’t she brought it up to you, or me, for that matter?” “As I said, I believe her to be lying to herself concerning the severity of her problems. Why would she bring it up? Besides, I thought you’d recognized it yourself.” She answered. “I… I haven’t,” I sighed, thinking back to all the times she’d actually talked to someone other than me. The last person I could recall was Cadence, and that was over a month ago. Hell, today was the first time in close to a week that we’d spent more than a few hours together. Celestia nodded, placing a hand on her hip as the other slowly slid through the air. “I’ve tried to set aside a day to bond, as we have in the past,” she continued, looking me square in the eyes, “but with her growing increasingly distant, the duties of governance fall more and more on my shoulders. I cannot set the realm aside for that amount of time with the current state of affairs.” I tried to express myself in words, but my mind was unable to construct a proper sentence. The only thing that kept running through my head was how stupid I was for not noticing it sooner. What kind of man am I if I am not able to notice that my child’s mother to be was going through these kind of changes? Before I could curse myself for being so stupid, Celestia gently placed her hands on my shoulders, gathering my attention once more. “Aedan, if you could, please spend more time with my sister. See what ails her, and what you can do to ease her troubles. When she is feeling more optimistic about the events surrounding her and your baby, I’m sure she’ll find time to ask me to become the godmother. Until then, we must focus on what is important.” “Yeah,” I agreed, nodding my head as I rubbed the back of my neck, “yeah, I’ll do that.” “Thank you, Aedan,” Celestia replied with a warm smile, bringing me into her embrace, “I’m sure you’ll be able to get to her far better than I.” “I’ll do my damndest,” I said, looking to the door once more. “I’ll see you around Celestia, ‘cause right now… I’ve got to get my priorities in line.” “You do that, Aedan,” Celestia smiled, releasing me from her grasp. “You do that.” I didn’t say anything else to her, I just ran inside our room, leaving Celestia to her own devices. Before I knew it I was at our bedside, eyes drifting over the women who had fallen asleep waiting for me. I felt slightly ashamed about that, especially after what Celestia had told me just moments prior. I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake in an effort to wake her. The low grumbles and faint twitching in response to my actions were answer enough, so I slid into bed with her. I didn’t give her a chance to squeak before I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in close, nuzzling the back of her head as I made myself comfortable in my new position. “What has come over you, Aedan?” Luna mumbled sleepily, twisting to face me and wrapping her hands around my waist. “Not that I’m complaining, of course, but you normally aren’t this… feely.” “I just want you to know I’m here for you,” I replied, pulling her in as close as her stomach would allow and giving her a quick peck on the forehead, “and that, no matter what, I’ll never leave your side.” “I’ll hold you to that,” she giggled, offering her own kiss. “Do you plan on going any further than our current embrace?” I could feel her hands traveling up and down my back, with her fingers digging into my shirt every few seconds. I smiled down to her and rolled onto my back, bringing her with me as I did so. Another excited squeak sounded throughout the room as I pressed my lips against hers and slid my hands to the small of her back. “Luna,” I whispered, wrapping my hand around the elastic of her panties, “no matter what, I want to to know I’ll always be here when you need me.”