Nothing felt right as Gosling began his ascent out of the depths of the slumbering realms. He was warm and in a soft bed. His mother was beside him, he could feel her large, warm, soft body against him, and tucked between his forelegs was his very best friend. A drowsy smile spread over his face as he cuddled the stuffed toy closer.
But something was wrong in Gosling’s perfect world. A rush of memories flowed through his mind, memories of adulthood, of falling in love, of being hurt, of having his heart broken. His very best friend had lost her stuffing and she had vanished long ago. A fresh memory bobbed to the surface, a terrible memory, of a small, bloody foal being carried away.
His whole body jerking, Gosling forced his eyes open. He looked down and sure enough, he held a velveteen princess in his embrace. She was smaller than he remembered, or maybe he was larger, it was hard to think in his current state. He blinked, feeling confused, bewildered, but somehow glad to see his beloved toy. She was new, white, and still had her mane. Shiny pink beads served as eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out what she was doing there.
It was not his mother beside him, but Celestia. Everything felt weird. He was holding a small stuffed version of the alicorn beside him. He let out a confused whimper and lifted his head. The memories of his foalhood were still fresh in his mind. He remembered every detail, everything was so vivid, but most of all, he remembered every promise. He had loved her then, and he loved her now. A rosy warmth spread over his cheeks as the fond memories played through his mind.
“How?” he asked of the small stuffed alicorn in his embrace.
“I thought it would be most amusing for you to see your old friend again.”
Lifting his head, Gosling saw Luna. She stood near the balcony door, staring at him, smiling. A million questions filled his mind, all of them rushing to his mouth to be said, and he began to worry about Skyfire as well. Overwhelmed, he began to feel afraid, but some strange force overwhelmed him and he felt himself calming down. He let out another whimper, but could not form words, as there was just too much to say.
“You have questions, that’s normal, and I have answers.” Luna drew in a deep breath and cleared her throat. “Skyfire is fine. She is recovering and in good health. She delivered a colt, an earth pony, and while he is quite tiny, he is expected to be just fine.”
Gosling let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Luna’s words.
“Cadance had a surge,” Luna began in a low voice, “she attempted to use healing magic, powered by her empathy and her ability to draw strength from love. She’s fine, but she will be out of commission for a few days. We’re down another alicorn, it seems. First my sister, and now Cadance. We are left with the most peculiar situation of Prince Blueblood being left in charge. How droll. I do hope that he brings back public executions, or at least the stocks.”
Needing comfort, Gosling squeezed the stuffed Celestia to his heart and pressed his nose against the top of her head. He could feel the stiff felt horn against his snoot and the soft, somewhat fuzzy yarn that made up her mane.
“As for me, I am here trying to determine what happened to you. The doctors were baffled, but I was able to puzzle it out. It took my extensive knowledge of magic.”
Looking up from his fuzzy stuffed friend, Gosling noticed that Luna seemed to be attentive and in top form. She didn’t seem to be suffering from her usual slip-ups with lapsing back into Ye Olden Speech. He could see the worry upon her face, the concern. And something else, but he couldn’t make out what it was.
“Cadance’s surge and her healing magic got out of control,” Luna said in a low voice as she began her explanation. “From what I was able to gather from her, she concentrated on staunching the blood flow from Skyfire. But she lost control. She had far too much power available to her. The ponies present, doctors, nurses, you, were all caught up in her influence. One of the doctors no longer needs eyeglasses to be able to see. Skyfire’s hemorrhaging slowed down considerably, but she still needed to be sewn up.”
“And me?” Gosling’s voice sounded strange in his own ears. He was a lot less raspy.
“Thou art a curious pony indeed.” Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Cadance’s magic latched on to you. It was you, after all, that she was drawing her power from. Your love. Your dedication. Her magic returned to the source and ascension was very nearly triggered, by accident. Had Cadance not burned herself out, you would have a horn right now. The ascension magic found you worthy. It healed you, trying to undo the damage done, and tried to remake you. The alchemical concoctions in your system, the painkillers, it saw them as poison and purged them, or tried to, as it attempted to rebirth you.” Luna blinked and took a step closer to the bed. “The gash in your shoulder closed, but not completely. As I am sure you have noticed, you have your voice back. You weren’t healed completely, but there was much restoration. There were other side effects, as I am sure you will soon notice.”
“How did you know about her?” Gosling asked as he looked down at the stuffed princess cradled in his forelegs.
“I have been in your mind for hours, trying to determine what took place, and trying to see if you were okay,” Luna replied. She took another step closer to the bed, her eyes narrowed, and her ears leaned forwards. “You’ve become a very curious little pony indeed, Gosling. I was surprised at the ease at which I entered your mind. I was even more surprised to find that you have a connection to the sun and the moon.”
“Yeah… I’ve been noticing… I can tell when the sun is about to rise or if it is night… it’s about two hours away from the dawn right now.” Gosling’s brow furrowed. “How do I know that?”
“Love is a strange and many splendored thing.” Luna’s stern face broke into a smile. “Cadance says that when two ponies are truly in love, a special sort of love, they become as one. She and Shining Armor share a strange bond that I myself have studied… they share dreams, Gosling, and though I do not yet understand how it works, I am convinced that the bond exists.”
Rolling over onto his back, Gosling turned his head to look at Celestia, who slumbered beside him. One ear twitched with each breath she took. He loved her. She was the big version of his beloved foalhood toy. He had loved her then, and he loved her now. A peculiar feeling overcame him as he watched her breathing. His body shifted beneath the blankets and he felt his wings twitch against his sides. His stomach didn’t hurt, didn’t ache, his muscles didn’t feel as tense or tight.
“Your dedication and devotion to a toy stayed with you, Gosling, buried in your subconscious. That tiny spark ignited within you at a young age and stayed with you, grew with you, developed with you, and you did your best to keep your promises. Vows and promises are their own special form of magic, Gosling, and strange things can happen when a pony takes an oath and backs it with fervent dedication. Not all magic is understood.”
“I want to see Skyfire,” Gosling said as he rolled over onto his side once more and kicked his legs over so he could get out of the bed. He wiggled, slipping between the mattress and the blankets. He placed his stuffed princess upon his pillow, hung his legs over the side of the bed, and then got onto his hooves.
He wobbled a bit and felt some dizziness. The cause of said dizziness was more than just his ears though, he blinked in startled astonishment. The ground was too far away. He staggered, but before he could fall, Luna caught him.
“I told you were different,” Luna whispered. “Go slowly. Take time to adjust to your new body. Thou art very different, Gosling.”
Looking down, Gosling was frightened by how tall he was. He was bigger, taller, he had filled out more, it was like he had grown in his sleep. He looked up at Luna and found that he was almost at eye level with her. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
“The ascension magic found you worthy, Gosling,” Luna said in a low voice as she took a step closer. “It tried to rebirth you. To recreate you. It purged the chemicals in your blood. It tried to fix your ear problems. It almost fixed your breathing. And it did much to restore your body, which was ravaged by malnourishment. You are now almost what you were meant to be.”
Gosling spread his wings, which were longer now, better formed, and he could feel the itch of many new sheaths growing. New feathers were growing in. His wings felt heavier and he held them out as he marveled at them. Blinking, he turned his head to look at Luna. He was taller now, much taller, and while still not as big as Luna, he was now at least as big if not bigger than many of his fellow soldiers. His legs were still slender, but they had filled out and were longer. He wobbled a bit, but from shock or dizziness, he could not tell.
“My sister is going to be very surprised.” Luna extended her wing, reached out, and touched the place where Gosling had seven stitches. The gash was almost gone now, all that was left was a small, puckered sore.
Turning his head, Gosling looked where Luna was touching him and stared. He didn’t understand how this was possible and he was far too stunned to ask questions. He took a moment to compose himself, gave himself a shake, and then surprised Luna with a kiss upon her cheek.
“Thank you,” he said to her as he pulled away. “I have work to do. I wonder if Skyfire is awake.” Turning his head, Gosling looked down at the stuffed Celestia. Reaching out a wing, he picked up the toy and then held it beneath his wing, secure against his body.
“She is awake.” Luna moved to stand in front of Gosling. “I am uncertain of my feelings about you and her. They are complex and conflicting. Perhaps you and I shall talk later, when there is time.”
“Perhaps.” Gosling gave Luna a polite bow of his head. Then, on a whim, he kissed her again, this time on the lips. He threw his weight forwards and put some emotion behind it. This kiss surprised Luna, and when he pulled away, he saw confusion and shock in her eyes. It pleased him to see her in such a state.
“Thou art too bold,” Luna said as she backed away. She pressed her lips together and glared at Gosling through narrowed eyes that flashed with many emotions.
“We’ll talk about that, too, I’m sure.” Holding his stuffed princess beneath his wing, Gosling took off at a cautious trot. He could still feel a lingering dizziness, a lightheadedness, but the waves of nausea were absent. He decided that he could manage. “I gotta go and be a prince.”
“Should thou take liberties with mine body ever again, thou shalt not live long enough to wear a crown,” Luna said as Gosling headed for the door. She lifted her foreleg, then rubbed her lips and her muzzle. “Thou art a fish lipped scallywag!” Luna’s cheeks had a distinct purple-pinkish hue and she seethed through clenched teeth as Gosling departed, her breath coming out in great snorts.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Gosling replied to the flustered, blushing mare as he trotted away.
As Gosling drew near, he saw that the door was open. Skyfire was in a different room now, a better room, a more comfortable room. The nurse had mentioned that she was no longer on a suicide watch, which put him at ease. As he approached, he heard low voices. He paused, waiting outside of the field of view, and listened. He heard the sound of both his mother and Skyfire’s voices.
Moving with caution, he crept a little closer, not certain what he was feeling at the moment, and then decided to just be direct. He stuck his head in the door and looked around. His mother was sitting in a chair beside Skyfire’s bed. She looked tired, weary, but also happy. Skyfire was laying in bed, covered by a blanket, and she was reclining on her back. Cradled in her forelegs was a blanket wrapped bundle. Both of them were staring at him.
“Gosling,” they both said together.
“In the flesh,” he replied with a grin. For whatever reason, he felt marvelous. He pushed his way through the door and stepped inside. He strode over to the bed, his head low, aware of the fact that both his mother and Skyfire were staring at him with wide eyes.
“So tall,” his mother breathed, “what did Princess Cadance’s magic do to you?”
“That’s not important right now,” Gosling replied. He lifted his head a bit, tilted it off to one side, and looked down at the blanket wrapped bundle held in Skyfire’s forelegs. Holding on to the Princess Celestia stuffy, he extended his wing, and with great care, he set the stuffed toy down on the bed beside Skyfire. He heard a gasp from his mother.
“He’s gonna need a role model… his mother is a trouble maker. Having Princess Celestia around to keep an eye on him should keep him on the straight and narrow. It worked for me.” Gosling lifted his head high and drew himself up to his full height. He took a deep breath and his barrel, now broadened, expanded.
“Gosling, I want to keep him… I want to do the right thing… I’ll serve…” Skyfire looked down at the tiny foal she held. “I love him so much… I don’t care if Cadance’s magic had something to do with it, but I feel so much love right now… or maybe it didn’t and this is just how a mother feels… but I want to do the right thing. Your mother and I have been talking.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Gosling said. He was surprised at how much deeper his voice was. He blinked a few times, then reaching out with his wing, he touched the princess plushie. He gazed at it, remembering fond memories, and then his eyes met with Skyfire’s.
“I’m sorry, Gosling, I really am.” Skyfire looked up at Gosling with pleading eyes. “My mind is different. I don’t know what happened to me. I haven’t been the same since Princess Cadance’s spell.”
“Like I said, one year of service, then we’ll talk. I will come to his birthday party. I’ll bring a cake. And you and I will talk.” Gosling bowed his head and then took a step backwards.
“You’d do that for him?” Skyfire asked as her eyes flooded with tears.
“I’d do that for both of you,” Gosling replied. He was feeling different too. He wondered just what Cadance’s magic had done to him. He found it very difficult to be angry with Skyfire. He found that he didn’t want to be angry with Skyfire. It felt better to forgive. He paused, reflecting upon his thoughts, then took a step forwards again. He lowered his head down, moving with care, and pressed his snoot against the newborn colt that Skyfire held.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered into one tiny velvet ear, which twitched against his lips.
Smiling, he lifted his head, looked into Skyfire’s eyes once more for a moment, then lifted his head as Skyfire lay there, sobbing while clutching her foal. He stepped away again, then turned to look at his mother. She too, was crying, blubbering while wiping her nose on her foreleg.
“I’m gonna go get me some breakfast. I’m starving. And it’s not gonna be no cracked wheat.” Gosling let out a snort and shook his head. “I’d rather eat the cardboard box it comes in. That stuff is nasty.”
“I’d like to come with you, Gosling, but I made a promise,” Sleet said to her son as she wept. She sniffled, she snorted, and then she coughed. “I promised I’d get her through this, and I will.” Sleet closed her eyes, her body trembled, and then she added, “I wish that somepony had been there for me… it’s rough, Gosling, and I know it’s complicated, but I can’t walk away.”
“I don’t want you walking away,” Gosling said to his mother. “You just do what you’re doing. I think I’ve made some peace with this, but Skyfire is still gonna wait a year before I’m willing to listen to her apology.”
“Gossy, you’re terrible.” Sleet, still crying, gave her son a weak, quavering smile.
“I gotta go… I’m dyin’ of starvation over here. You have no idea how empty I feel… we’ll talk later, Ma, I promise. You don’t gotta wait no year.”
“Get outta here, Gossy, and don’t talk like a hoodlum!” Sleet gave her son a dismissive wave with her hoof.
“Oh, and before I go,” Gosling said to Skyfire, “welcome to the guard, Private Flash. Better get used to the jokes you’re going to hear because of your name now, ‘cause they’re gonna be never ending.”
And with that, Gosling was gone. He slipped out the door and as he walked down the hallway, off to find himself some breakfast, he whistled a warbling song.