The soft sound of distant music reached Celestia’s ears as she stood looking at her date for the first time and her heart joined in with the music as it began to beat double time. Gosling was a pegasus and ooooh… what a pegasus. He was a little short, but Celestia wasn’t going to complain about that. Everypony was a little bit short compared to her. He was black or almost black down near his hooves, and his pelt became a lighter shade of grey further up, until he was the soft, sooty grey of a stormcloud along his back, his neck, and his head. His mane and tail appeared to be made of real silver in the soft light of the bright, colourful paper lanterns that hung around the garden.
His vivid grey eyes were locked upon her and he stood at attention. He hadn’t bowed, or fallen down and prostrated himself, he just stood there, staring, and Celestia took this as a hopeful sign. Or maybe it was just his guard training.
“Well, certain things now make a lot more sense,” Gosling said in a strained voice, his own natural voice. “Nevertheless, I am undeterred. Now, I am all the more determined to woo you.”
“Woo me?” Celestia blinked in surprise. “Do ponies even woo anymore?”
“This one does,” Gosling replied.
Celestia could hear both Shining Armor and Cadance giggling. She felt a hot flush creeping up her neck. Embarrassment? Desire? Giddiness? She couldn’t tell and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She just wanted to keep looking at Gosling because he was easy on the eyes. Celestia was almost certain that the bold little colt had an impressive wingspan.
“Gosling… forgive me for asking, but I must know—”
“Yes?” The colt focused upon Celestia and something almost resembling a grin spread over his muzzle.
“I am positive that there is an interesting story involving your name and I have a powerful need to find out what it is,” Celestia said to her date. She stood, waiting, her heart thudding, wondering how this night would end. She saw Gosling take a deep breath and Celestia waited with growing anticipation.
“Funny story actually,” Gosling replied with only the faintest youthful squeak present in his voice. “I come from a long line of white or almost white pegasi. From what I understand, my father was also as white as the freshly fallen snow. My mother was quite surprised when she had me and her sister, my aunt, she jokingly referred to me as the ugly duckling. My mother was quite taken with this”—Gosling fell quiet for a moment and his soft grey cheeks darkened like stormclouds that threatened rain—“she named me Gosling because she loved her ugly little duckling. It was a fitting name too… she couldn’t keep me out of the water or out of the puddles. If it was wet, I had to jump into it. I still do, if I think I can get away with it. My sergeant gets upset and lectures me though.”
“Oh dear.” Celestia, feeling a little impish, had to swallow her smile and she focused her best stern, matronly stare upon the colt. “If you track mud through my castle, I shall have to banish you to the dungeon.”
“That might not be so bad.” Gosling sat back down in the grass and looked up at Celestia with wide, adoring eyes.
“Might not be so bad?” Celestia’s impishness was now accompanied by curiousity.
“Well, it depends, really… are you down in the dungeon with me, and if so, what are we doing?” Gosling arched one eyebrow and there was a mischievous gleam in his eye as he spoke.
A fire spread through Celestia’s belly. Gosling seemed to be a natural shameless flirt, but he had done so without being crass. He had left any implication of kink entirely upon her end. He was clever, he was bold, and he liked jumping in mud puddles. Celestia glanced out of the corner of her eye at Cadance, who stood a short distance away. She returned her gaze to Gosling. He was young, but he stood on the very brink of maturity. He was old enough to wear the armor and big enough to fill it out quite well.
The guards called younger members ‘clankers’ as they grew into their armor, but Celestia suspected that Gosling’s armor did not clank. A part of her wanted to see him in his armor. Another part of her wanted to see him in his armor and help him take it off. She bit her lip—it was far too early to be thinking about that, but she couldn’t help it. She liked ponies in armor. It was the quiet, unspoken reason why so many of the guard around the castle were male. It was nice to have a pleasant looking distraction. She knew Cadance had an armor fetish as well, there was a reason why Cadance had fallen so madly in love with Shining Armor.
“Madam, I am unsure how you would prefer for me to address you,” Gosling said.
Ears perking, Celestia noted that he had not called her ‘Majesty.’ In truth, in secret, she loathed that title. “I do have a name. So few call me by it. I would like it if you and I could address one another by our names.” Celestia saw Gosling bow his head, a low dip, not a real bow, but more of an acknowledgement.
“Shining Armor and I are just going to take a little walk over there.” Cadance let out a low giggle and brushed up against her husband as she spoke. She began her retreat, a wide grin upon her face, and Shining Armor followed at her side, behaving as the dutiful husband that he was.
Celestia watched them go, her ears perking as she heard giggles. She felt a little guilty for taking them away from their vacation, but also felt good about the fact that they were getting a chance to be together. Little Flurry Heart made many demands upon her parents; no doubt, Shining Armor and Cadance could use a little time away so they could spend time with one another.
“I don’t know what happens next,” Gosling said as Cadance and Shining vanished behind a tall hedge.
“What happens next?” Celestia asked.
“The rules… the protocol… whatever happens next. I am smart enough to understand that our dating will be complicated. I understand that things are going to be difficult if we choose to go forward. I know that the press will hound my mother and my fellow guards are going to harangue me and… and I just know that things are going to be tough.”
Looking at Gosling’s face, Celestia saw understanding, a bit of fear, but she also saw a determination that she admired. She was impressed with how canny he was, how smart he was, he had cottoned on quick. “Are you sure you are willing to endure all of this?”
Gosling’s reply was not what Celestia expected when she heard him say, “Are you?”
She bit her lip and began to chew, a nervous habit that she had never been able to break, even with prompting from close friends, like her assistant Raven. She rose, standing up with only the faintest unsteady wobble, and began to pace a little, just a little side to side, aware that Gosling’s eyes were following her every move.
As she paced, she looked at Gosling, and her eyes were snared by a glimpse of yellow. Craning her head, she looked at Gosling, trying to see what the yellow was, but trying to do it in such a way that she did not appear to be staring. She failed. Wide eyed, she focused upon his backside, her ears pitching forwards as she said—
“That’s a rubber ducky.”
“Uh, that’s an embarrassing story.” Gosling’s voice had a bit more of a squeak to it.
“A rubber ducky cutie mark...”
“Yes.”
“A rubber ducky cutie mark… that’s adorable!”
“Oh no, not you too.” Gosling shook his head. “Do you know how impossible it is to be intimidating as a guard with a rubber ducky cutie mark? My cutie mark’s only saving grace is the fact that it is one of those nebulous cutie marks that allows me to do whatever I’d like as an adult.” As Gosling spoke, he chuckled.
Stepping forwards, Celestia had to have a better look. She dropped her head a bit lower and peered at the rubber ducky through somewhat narrowed eyes. For a brief moment, she wondered if Gosling would quack if she squeezed him. She was sorely tempted. She lifted her head high and straightened her long, swanlike neck. It was considered poor behaviour to randomly pick up little ponies and squeeze them, and finding them adorable was no excuse. Upon her return, Luna had to learn about new concepts like personal space and still had trouble dealing with being social. If rumours were to be believed, Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, was a known squeaker.
Celestia sat down beside Gosling, close enough to touch, but she kept to herself. She sat without worry of grass stains, content and happy to be herself. She was both tense and relaxed at the same time. Gosling was rather handsome, rubber duck cutie mark or no, and she found herself enjoying his company. She wondered if he was as conflicted on the inside as she was.
“I must confess, I find myself attracted to you,” Celestia admitted in a low voice. “I find myself curious about you and I want to get to know you better. Things are going to be very difficult though. I am sure that you realise that certain things will be expected of you if you choose to continue to court me.”
“I understand that getting back into school will be important,” Gosling said, making a smooth interjection when he had his chance, “and that I will have to endure constant self improvement. I shall have to make myself worthy of you. I’m not too worried about that, but there is something that does scare me.”
“And that is?” Celestia asked.
“My mother,” Gosling replied, “and her privacy. Once word of this gets out, she is going to be harassed. I am a very patient pony and I am not a violent sort as I have told you, but I am very, very protective of my mother.”
“That is an admirable quality.” Celestia looked at Gosling and saw his wings fidgeting. She guessed that he was every bit as nervous as she was on the inside. A part of her wanted to comfort him, a deep maternal part, but she ignored it. As a potential suitor, this was one pony that she could not mother. She would have to be careful and guarded, as she did not want to hurt his feelings or diminish him.
“I will confess, I have many questions, such as how do I approach you? Am I allowed to touch you? Am I allowed to be near you in public or do we have to hide our affection? I’m sure there are rules, but I don’t know them.” Gosling shook his head and his ears splayed out sideways as his mane tumbled down into his eyes.
In that moment, seeing his face, his expression, Celestia felt a tugging on her heart. She felt a tangible spark that made her insides jerk. Cadance had done her work a little too well. Seeing Gosling as he was, his mane spilling down, his ears out sideways, there was something attractive about him. As for his maturity, Celestia found her doubts falling away from her. He was approaching all of this with a level headedness and maturity that impressed her.
“I would like for the public to see you wooing me,” Celestia replied in a soft voice. “Well, the occasional peek I suppose. Like anypony else, I like my privacy. We shall have to sort this out. To be honest, I’m not sure how to proceed. I plan to ask Cadance for advice, as she has dealt with this and has experience.” As she spoke, she saw Gosling’s neck muscles twitch and seeing it caused her own body to react. A searing warmth radiated through her stomach and she felt sweat beading up along her navel.
Having such large wings was just as much of a disadvantage as it was an advantage. All of those feathers acted as powerful insulators and it was far too easy to overheat, which is why she walked around with her wings out. It wasn’t so she could look majestic, or intimidating, even though she was aware of how it looked, but just so she could get a cooling breeze along her sides.
She felt a twinge of nervousness—she didn’t want to be a sweaty, stinky pony, but at the same time, she didn’t want to spread her wings and give Gosling the wrong idea. The night air was cool, but it just wasn’t reaching enough of her. She gritted her teeth and thought about the many things a mare must endure.
“I take it that you want to have a family?” Gosling asked. “Like Cadance?”
“I think I would,” Celestia replied, now feeling even sweatier and more nervous. She felt self conscious, but also giddy, light headed, and strange. “I want the same things as anypony else. I might be the immortal alicorn of the sun, but I have the same needs, the same desires… I am still flesh and blood.”
“I know that you’ve been in love before me,” Gosling said in a low, quiet voice, “in fact, I would imagine that there have been quite a few before me. I understand that, but… and forgive me for being so direct, but when were you loved last? I mean loved… I’m not just talking about, well, you know, but everything that comes along with it.”
Celestia closed her eyes and she felt her stomach muscles clenching. A lump grew in her throat. She had the strange, unwelcome feeling of not knowing if she was going to giggle or throw up. She tried to force herself to calm and thought about Gosling’s words. She was startled by a warm, somewhat damp nose pressing into her neck. She jerked backwards, every muscle in her body seizing up in fear and surprise, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Gosling looking up at her with a wide, fearful stare. She hadn’t heard him creep up on her. He was close, so close, so close that she could smell him, and she was paralysed with the most unreasonable fear that she was smelly.
A gentle nosing, a common, simple exchange between two ponies, had almost caused her to come undone. Her breath caught in her dry, now parched throat. She looked down, unable to turn away, feeling almost as though she was unable to blink, fearful that if she did, he would take advantage of her moment of blindness and nose her again. She could see the concern in his grey eyes. The ground beneath her tilted and for one alarming moment, Celestia worried that she was going to fall into the two shimming grey pools that were Gosling’s eyes. Real panic gripped her, terrible panic, and Celestia worried that her fear would overcome her.
She struggled to breathe, but could not seem to get air in or out of her throat. She struggled to suck in some much needed air, her lungs burning, and she felt her unblinking eyes beginning to dry out. She could hear her own heart pounding in her ears, and she could feel it thumping in her throat, a large, pulsating lump that blocked her airway. Little squiggles of light swam in her vision. She was too hot, far too hot, and her wings felt far too heavy to lift. She should have done more to cool off, but now, it was too late.
With a gasp, she felt herself pitching over, her vision blurred, and the last thing she was aware of was the sensation of two forelegs gently encircling her neck. She slipped into blackness without a word, going into the velvet depths of the unknown, her last thought was of Gosling and what he must think of her.