Chapter Fifteen - Drop, Stop, Out Cold
“ARE YOU READY, SWEETIE?” Spike called behind him, offering up a claw after a minute or so of hovering. The wind at this elevation stole words away and left a cold bite.
Securing her saddlebag, Cotton hopped onto her father’s claw and stared down at all the students in the schoolyard. “READY, DAD!” she shouted back.
Spike gave Cotton a kiss on the cheek, grinned, then shouted, “HAVE A GOOD DAY! SEE YOU NEXT FALL!”
Cotton groaned, then returned the kiss and called back, “THANKS, DAD! AND I WILL!” Looking over the edge of her father’s claw, Cotton smiled, then jumped.
Ж
“What is that up there, Gem?” Jewel asked, shading her eyes.
“I can’t tell, Jewel. It’s too high up.”
A mob of students stood in the school courtyard. Only a few of them had seen the floating, winged blob high above the clouds.
“Sweet Celestia! That’s Cotton’s dad!” Flarechaser shouted. “Is she—Harmony, go get Featherhead!”
“Huh? Why?” Harmony Wishes asked.
“Cotton’s told me about this. She’s been practicing these awesome air drops with some of Princess Luna’s guards. She said she doesn’t usually do them in public, though.”
“Then why is she—”
“Harmony, go get Steadclaw!” Flarechaser cut her off.
“Oh! Duh!”
“Uh, yah!” Flarechaser let out an exasperated sigh as Harmony galloped into the school building. “Am I the only one that pays attention to this stuff? Sheesh!”
A minute later, Steadclaw came running out, Harmony and Daisy hot on his tail. “What’s the deal, Flare? What are you looking—What—?” They all caught sight of the hovering mass, when a small speck detached itself, and fell towards them like a lost anvil from a moving carriage.
“Good thing you’re out here, Featherhead. I bet she’s doing this just for you,” Flarechaser said with a grin.
“Wait a minute… is that Cotton?!” Steadclaw cried.
“You better believe it!” Flarechaser laughed.
Ж
Cotton shouted, “WOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!” as she belly flopped toward the ground. At the right time, she tilted herself into a downward angle, deciding to hold out for a few more seconds before she opened her wings and began circling the schoolyard's perimeter. Spiraling downward, she laid her eyes upon Flarechaser, Steadclaw, Harmony Wishes, and Daisy Withers all standing in a group. Shifting her trajectory a bit, she slammed into the ground next to them, earth erupting from all sides. When the dust cleared, she stood and brushed herself off, nonchalant.
“I am SO glad I got out here in time to see that!” Daisy cried. “Cotton, that was—”
“Totally awesome,” Cotton and Steadclaw both said in unison.
Cotton looked at Steadclaw and raised a brow. “Rainbow Dash was one of your Granny Gilda’s friends, wasn’t she?” Cotton asked.
“That she was.” Steadclaw smirked and pointed a talon at her. “You’re officially twenty percent cooler than you already were.”
Cotton smirked and took a little bow. “Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.”
“So what, now you’re trying to look all cool?” The group turned and found Gem and Jewel sauntering towards them. “Are you so desperate to find a date for the dance that you’re resorting to daredevil stunts?” Jewel asked.
Cotton started, “No, I just—”
“You know, if you’re that desperate, I bet I could find you a match,” Gem retorted.
Cotton glanced at Steadclaw, whose complexion darkened as his brows furrowed. She slowly walked over to him and replied, “Thanks for the offer, Gem…” Hooking her hoof around Steadclaw’s cheek, she pulled him toward her and gave him a deep kiss. Momentarily stunned, his eyes widened, then he fell in sync with her. After they parted, Cotton finished, “…but I’ve already found someone who sparks my fire.”
Gem and Jewel both recoiled at the interaction. “Wha—You… and him?” Gem sputtered.
“Got a problem with that?” Cotton asked. “Did that little display scar you for life? You know, I hear Blueblood the Third is still single. If you need a date, I bet he can be your sugar daddy. I’ll put in a good word for you, if you want.”
“Wha—This is—Gah!” Gem sputtered, before stomping off toward the school building. Jewel followed behind her, while looking back at Cotton.
Flarechaser, Harmony Wishes, Daisy, and Steadclaw all stared at Cotton in disbelief. “Damn, Cotton, that was bucking awesome!” Flarechaser said.
“What, me finally shutting Gem’s trap, or my sweet drop?” Cotton asked with a smirk.
“I… both! And no offense, but what in Celestia’s name’s gotten into you?” Flarechaser asked.
Cotton smiled, then nuzzled Steadclaw’s plumage. “Guess.”
Steadclaw’s cheeks reddened. “S-seriously? After… only yesterday?”
“You’d be amazed what a single day can do. By the way, I meant every bit of what I said. It wasn’t—well, it wasn’t only for show,” Cotton added.
“Wait, you mean—and the dance?”
“I actually wasn’t planning on going until yesterday; if you’ll come with me—”
“Damn straight I will!” Steadclaw answered with a smile.
“Awesome.” Cotton turned to Harmony Wishes. “Looks like I’ll have a use for one of those dresses in my closet.” Harmony just grinned. Cotton gave Steadclaw a kiss on the cheek and simply said, “See you in class,” then trotted off towards the school building.
As he stared at Cotton’s retreating form, Steadclaw’s beak hung open for a moment. Looking around at Cotton’s friends, he asked, “What just happened?”
“Well, from what I can tell, you just got yourself a date for the dance and a fillyfriend in the span of twenty-four hours,” Flarechaser chuckled. “Nice going, Featherhead. Didn’t know you had it in ya.”
“Did you hear what else happened?” Daisy asked. “Cotton just used Gem and Jewel’s regular insults against them!”
“And totally burned them in the process!” Harmony laughed, then blushed. “Uh, excuse the expression.”
“Holy horseapples, you’re right!” Flarechaser replied. “Damn, Featherhead, you really made an impact on her!”
“You really think that was all me?” Steadclaw asked.
“Considering everything you said to her yesterday, I’d say it’s a pretty high likelihood,” Harmony said with a smirk.
“Oh… yeah… you three were all there… Well damn,” Steadclaw said, grinning. “Awesome.”
“Now don’t buck it up,” Flarechaser quipped.
“You can start by getting to class on time,” Daisy said. “The bell’s gonna ring in a few minutes, and Cotton’s big on punctuality.”
“Ahh, flying feather-molt,” Steadclaw answered as he ran towards the school building. “I’ve still gotta get my bag. See you girls later!”
After a moment of giggling at each other, Daisy turned to Flarechaser and Harmony and commented, “Wait a minute, we still need to get our own dates, don’t we?”
Flarechaser and Harmony looked at each other and face-hoofed in unison.
“Horseapples.”
Ж
“I still can’t believe you agreed to this so soon, Cotton. You sure you wanna meet my mom?”
“Hey, I told you, you’ve already met most of my family. I should meet yours, too,” Cotton told Steadclaw. “I sent a message to my dad at lunch and he knows I’ll be home late from school. Actually, I got a message back from him saying he was thrilled.”
“Is that what Mr. Longhorn told you when he came to the lunch table?”
“Yeah. That and some other things. Nothing to worry about.”
“If you say so. Here we are.” The two of them gently landed in front of a small house in one of the more crowded sections of Upper Canterlot. “It’s just my mom and me here; Dad’s back in Griffonstone taking care of my Granny Gilda. Lemme just warn you, my mom is a little… excitable.”
“Hey, I live with three princesses and a dragon. I’m sure I can handle it,” Cotton chuckled.
“Alright, I warned you. Just gimme a sec.” Steadclaw walked up the steps to his front door and unlocked it, then yelled through the doorway. “Ma! Hey, Ma! I brought some company!” Cotton heard a muffled response. “Don’t worry, she won’t care. Yes, I did say ‘she’. Come down and say hello!” Steadclaw turned back to Cotton and waved her in. “C’mon in, she’ll just be a sec.” Cotton followed Steadclaw into the two-story townhome.
Steadclaw guided her into the living room. A few sturdy pine chairs, a table with some scattered papers, and a worn couch with a blanket over the back made for a suitable family room. Given her frequent cleaning service, Cotton had nothing recent to compare it to, but based on her past experiences with Mother Matron, she would have considered it rather clean with a bit of organized chaos.
“Here, take a seat.” Steadclaw offered her the couch. “You want something to drink?”
“Actually, a glass of water would be great, if it’s not too much trouble,” Cotton answered, taking her saddlebag off and setting it beside the couch.
“Is tap okay?”
Cotton lifted her head with a flourish. “Nay, We only drink the finest waters of the Frozen North.”
Steadclaw shuffled. “Uhh, sorry, mom doesn’t have—”
“Tap’s fine,” she said with a giggle.
“Coming right up,” Steadclaw chuckled. “Y’know, you’re pretty good at that. You should do that to Gem and Jewel and see what they say.” They both laughed before he walked into the kitchen through a doorway, then Cotton heard a pair of claws clicking on the hardwood stairs.
Just as the sound of rushing water began, a female griffon rounded the corner into the room. She could have served as Steadclaw’s female doppelganger in features, aside from the lack of gray on her beak and a few extra years. When she caught sight of Cotton, she let out a loud gasp and covered her beak with a claw. Cotton flinched, and when the sound of rushing water stopped, all that could be heard was silence.
Steadclaw walked back into the room carrying Cotton’s glass of water. “Here you go, Co—Oh, Mom! This is—”
“Steadclaw! Kitchen—now!”
Steadclaw’s eyes widened. He turned to Cotton and winced. Setting the glass on the table, he said, “Heh… here, Cotton. Sorry, just give us a sec.” He walked back into the kitchen, his mother trailing closely behind him.
When they were out of the room, Cotton let out a sigh. Ugh, looks like I didn’t make the best first impression… Maybe Steadclaw was right about this being too soon. I mean, it’s barely been a day… She figured she shouldn’t, but recalling a technique her Aunt Luna had taught her, Cotton decided against her moral judgement and took a deep breath, then focused all her senses to her ears.
“…in Equestria is a pony like that doing here?”
Cotton frowned and her ears drooped. Figures…
“Mom, she’s a friend from school!”
“That filly is from your school?”
“Yes! She—”
“How did you get her here?”
“She’s a pegasus! We flew, duh! I—wait, what? What does that—”
“That filly is the most stunning mare in Equestria! How in Grover’s name did you get her here?”
Cotton’s ears perked up and her face reddened. Okay, maybe not…
“MOM! That’s why you called me in here? Tell her that to her face! Hearing that from you would—”
“Oh please, I’m sure she knows she—”
“MOOoom! She’s a pony, not a griffon! You know they have messed-up values of beauty! You didn’t even introduce yourself, you just ran out of the room! She probably thinks you hate her, so tell her to her face! Just don’t be any weirder about it!”
“Good gracious, a girl like that in my home… She would be perfect for you! Is that why she’s here? Please, tell me that’s why she’s—”
“Mom! Please, don’t be weird…er. Go introduce yourself, and for Grover’s sake, don’t just blurt out that you think she’s pretty. We’ll get to it.”
Cotton heard the clearing of throats before Steadclaw walked back into the living room with his mother. Cotton relaxed, took herself out of her eavesdropping trance, and put on as innocent a smile as she could.
“I… I’m sorry for my reaction, dear. You just gave me a bit of a start,” Steadclaw’s mother said. “You’re the first friend Steadclaw’s brought home—I wasn’t expecting to see a pony such as yourself. Or a pony at all, for that matter.”
“Mom!” Steadclaw huffed at her. She grimaced. “Let’s start over. Cotton, this is my mom, Stella. Mom, this is Cotton Candy, my—” He stopped, realizing they hadn’t actually declared themselves as anything yet. Looking over at Cotton for a cue, he found her giggling. If the way she looked at him and batted her eyelashes was any indication, he had approval. Smiling, Steadclaw finished, “—my girlfriend.”
Stella gasped once again. “She is?”
“Mom! I told you not to—”
“Oh Grover, this is wonderful! My my, Steadclaw, how in Equestria did you find yourself a ten?”
Cotton’s and Steadclaw’s faces both burned bright red. Cotton covered her smile with a hoof, while Steadclaw smacked his face with an open claw. “Good Grover, Mom, can I finish?”
“There’s more?”
Steadclaw’s claw dropped like a dead weight. “I swear, I’m going back to Griffonstone and jumping into the Abysmal Abyss.” He turned to a giggling Cotton and sighed, “I’m just going to apologize in advance for whatever my mom may do or say from here on out.” Looking at his mother, Steadclaw continued, “Mom, Cotton knows Aunt Pinkie.”
“What? Dear me, talk about six degrees of separation! How do you know Pinkie Pie, dear?” Stella asked.
Cotton laughed internally at Stella’s hysterics. “We met at a family reunion a few years ago,” she answered.
“Family?”
Cotton laughed. “Well, to quote my dad, we’re kind of an eclectic family.”
Steadclaw interjected before his mother could respond. “She knows all the other living Element Bearers, too, Mom. The Apples are her cousins.”
Stella’s mouth hung open. “And if you know all the living Elements, that means—”
“Princess Twilight, too, yes,” Cotton answered.
“What in the… By the moon and the stars, Cotton Candy, who are you? Not only are you gorgeous, but you’ve got the most amazing and extensive network I’ve ever heard of!” She turned to Steadclaw and asked, “How long have you two—”
“Just yesterday, actually,” Steadclaw answered with a blush to match Cotton’s.
“Where were you yesterday, Steadclaw? Winning the lottery?”
Steadclaw looked at Cotton and winked. “In a way.” Cotton hid her grin behind a hoof. “Actually, I was at Canterlot Castle.”
“Canterlot Ca—” Stella stopped and took a few deep breaths. “The castle? How in Grover’s name did you end up there? You weren’t in trouble with the Guard again, were you?”
“No, Mom,” Steadclaw responded with a huff, before motioning a talon in Cotton’s direction. “Cotton invited me. She lives there.”
“What? You…” Stella turned toward Cotton as she spoke, but just stopped mid-sentence.
“Do you know about Sir Spike of the Canterlot Archives?” Cotton asked. Stella managed a nod. “He’s, uh… he’s my dad. Princess Twilight’s my aunt, actually.”
Stella let out a squawk. “WHAT? Royalty? Steadclaw, you brought home royalty? How—”
In a moment, Stella fell to the floor. Steadclaw smacked his face once again, then looked over at a blushing Cotton. “I’m so sorry about this. I did say she was excitable.”
“It’s alright.” Cotton couldn’t help but chuckle. “At least she didn’t bow.”
Ж
Cotton stayed on the couch as Steadclaw hovered over his mother. When Stella came to, she mumbled, “Oh… my… what—”
Steadclaw planted his face in front of her to block her vision, then spoke clearly and slowly. “Okay, Mom, a few things. One, yes, that did just happen. Two, do not bow. She’s not actually royalty. And three, just relax. Cotton’s like any other pony. Just… way more awesome,” he finished with a smile, looking over toward the couch.
Stella lifted herself from the floor to stand up, Steadclaw giving her a claw. As she stood, she caught sight of Cotton on the couch again, waving at her with a smile and a tinge in her cheeks. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Stella let out a sigh. “Oh dear, Cotton, I’m so sorry about that. I… don’t really have an excuse for my behavior, but if I recall what I said correctly… I hope you know I have nothing but positive thoughts about you.”
Cotton chuckled. “Yeah, that was pretty clear. Thank you very much. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
“I can’t believe someone so beautiful is giving my clown of a son a chance!”
“MOooOOM!”
Stats
Page generated in 0.038 seconds
Total duration
1,023 users online
1,422,436 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Okay, that bit with Steadclaw's mother was hilarious! I guess by griffon beauty standards, Cotton's like a supermodel? And Steadclaw's now apparently 'the 4 who landed a 10' in his Mom's eyes?
Also, that bit at the beginning with Cotton socially trouncing the bullies was great! Especially that bit about 'Blueblood III'.
I am looking forward to more of this story, it is quite enjoyable.
7564466
Not just a supermodel. A Venezuelan Supermodel.
Before she gave her name, I half-expected his mother to be Gabby from last Saturday's episode. The two characters are very similar and Gabby is rather young in that episode, so it's possible. In any case, they have to at least be related; maybe Gabby's her big sister or something.
Awesome airmoves √
Beating bullies √
Get a boyfriend and meet his mother √
All in all a great chapter.
Btw what happend to Novamac and his posible fillyfriend Nightshade (from Chapter 6)
... This chapter was awesome. Love it!
Dear sir, I'm afraid to report that the like button is broken. It will not allow me to like this story more than once.
7564466 7564541
If we're looking solely at a scale of appearance... though I don't have any artwork for him (yet?), I think of Steadclaw as a 6–7. He's just a bit of a clown.
Putting Cotton on a griffon beauty scale? Well, let's take into account: (1) In this 'verse, scars are a mark of pride, strength, and beauty/handsomeness; (2) Cotton has quite a few scars in obvious places (artwork to come in the distant future, FYI); (3) since she's not my own OC, I can't say for sure, but I like to think that Cotton would've been a natural cutie anyway. So yeah, Steadclaw SCORED.
7564586
One, this chapter was written MONTHS ago, before I even knew Gabby was going to be a thing. Two, the beginning of this story takes place 70 years after the end of season 3. The characters look like they've barely aged since then in season six, so I think that gap time still applies (or closely enough). That said, even if this story wasn't AltU, Gabby would probably be at least 80, if not older—too old to have a biological 16-y-o son, IMO. That doesn't mean she definitely won't be mentioned, though.
7564600 7528272
All in due time...
But isn't Blueblood already like Blueblood the 34'th or something? Or is that Fanon?
Honestly it's so hard to remember with him... (although I consider the comics to be 1 step up from fanfiction anyways)
Now I need a picture of Cotton as a Valkyrie
7564812
Yep. In Griffon terms she's the most sexiest mare alive. So yeah he's going to make some Griffs so jelly that he landed that adoracute young mare.
That dad joke reminded me of my old man...*picks up phone to call dad*
An odd thought that occurred to me earlier.
If Cotton's friends ever go do karaoke, I thought of perfect songs for Cotton and Steadclaw to sing.
For Cotton:
For Steadclaw:
7565286 Hmm... well, Bruno Mars for Steadclaw would definitely be perfect, but I don't know about that Papa Roach song for Cotton. I mean, I get what you're going for with the scars bits, but personally, I don't think the rest of the song really works.
I don't know if you read my other lengthy OC story, but I sometimes have a tendency to maneuver paraphrased song lyrics into my stories, so be on the lookout.
7565339
Yeah, I thought of that bit before actually listening to the lyrics...might have fit her back before Steadclaw first called her beautiful, though.
please have more stella! that was really funny XD
7564812 Okay, I missed where the time gap was mentioned. I wasn't sure. I'm still holding on to them being related, though.
7565658 if you want some perspective you can reread "This chapter is a blank flank (part one)" it's the start of the family reunion Cotton references in this chapter
The CMC are old enough to be grandparents and that is before the time skip to Cotton's sixteenth birthday party in the chapter "Party Time (part one)"
7566198 Keep reading, and many of your questions will be answered in due time. Some of them may require a little suspension of disbelief.
Edit: Shoot, forgot to go back to the right chapter again.
Steadclaw's family was the hindlight of this episode.
Just marathoned this. Super cute and funny.
The ball will be a bomb. It will lack a Yak but it'll manage like a home-made nuke.
Nice to see this story still getting stronger. Sorry for reading the last two chapters only rescently...
Well just finished cramming this story. Loved it all and looking forward to more, great feels and laughs aplenty from start to now.
One might argue that was the ultimate bow, surrendering even consciousness
I stumbled upon this story earlier today and couldn't read it fast enough! Simply amazing! Look forward to more in this story.
And I love reading this! Awesome! So awesome!
Job well done. Never been laugh so much reading any fanfiction
Huh. I do the exact oppo--
Wait, no i don't. I don't think I even have a standard.
Drat.
7573363
Either point is hilarious and as you say, the ambiguity adds to the fun
. Whether theatre, literature, or film my favorite jokes are the ones that leave room for interpretation. After all, it's nearly impossible to top the humor you get when every reader/audience member can fill in the blanks with their own twist
.
I feel sorry for Steadclaw's dad. If Gilda's anything like she was when she was younger, I doubt she feels she needs 'taken care of' at all.
Nice chapter
that reaction from stella
oh my word that was too good. I envy your writing. I only wish i could write a scene as funny as that.
Me honestly I saw it the other way around I think soo. But mostly want claw I just saw a claw...on mouth/beak. x3 But thanks for the precision. Also sorry for my English, it isn't my maternal language.
7987379 No worries about your English. I got what you meant.
Yeah, choosing how to make this distinction was annoying. I checked to see if there was a particular word for a digit, but came upon this:
That basically made the equivalents of "hand" and "finger"—both of them "claw"—interchangeable, and I couldn't have that. I chose the distinctions I did because "claw" can also be used as a verb ("claw your way out"), so I figured I would give that word the 'stronger' meaning—the whole hand.
It doesn't seem to be bothering anyone, though, so it looks like I'm in the clear.
As soon as I read the part where Steadclaw calls his Mum, I started reading his lines in Jacksepticeye's voice and gave his mother an Irish accent. Tell me I'm not the only one...
8106775 I got Button Mash's voice.
8106775
Dammit, now I can't hear anything else!
At the “What’s gotten into you” bit I was giggling “if you know what I mean...”
The reaction she gave didn’t put me off of that, either, haha.
I just love Stella's reaction.
Amazed awe (not overdone) is a favorite of mine when people react to finding out just who someone is.
I love Stella so much.