Chapter 17: Promises & closure
Grass separated into individual blades as Celestia flew closer to the ground. Her husband’s weight pressed into her back, lowering her centre of gravity. It was alright at first, but the added bulk meant that each beat of her wing required effort, bringing her wing muscles to a simmering burn.
She couldn’t let him fall: that meant no mistakes. Feeling the wind’s contours over her body, she flicked up over a few metres off the ground. One beat, two beat, she drifted to the ground.
Her hooves sank into soft soil, stretching onto an unimpressive cave etched into the mountainside. The rocky mouth hid behind moss, ivy and overgrown trees. No hoofprints or discarded equipment lay against its walls, nor did any sound or smell emanate from within.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Celestia asked.
"It is," Gareth replied, shifting his weight atop Celestia’s back. Grunting, he dismounted, hitting the ground in an armoured chink.
"… Are you alright?"
"Nrgh." Gareth wrung several kinks out of his back before stooping down to rub his inner thighs. "Riding a horse with wings? Not as comfortable as it looks. I feel like I’ve been riding for months."
A few kinks burred into Celestia’s back as well, right where Gareth had sat. Shuddering herself, she gave him an unsympathetic look. "Oh, terribly sorry. Shall I install a seat?"
"Not a bad idea!" Gareth said, reaching over to stroke her neck. "You’re a good horsey. Somebody’s earnt themselves a brush!"
Celestia jerked back, giving him a sour expression. She wasn’t sure if she was annoyed at Gareth for suggesting it, or herself for finding the offer tempting. No, focus Celestia, look at the cave.
No light or obvious traps. Nothing gave it away as a hiding place. Armour chinked from Celestia’s side. Gareth slid into view, drawing his spear and approaching with caution.
Panic spiked Celestia’s heart. Oh no, not this time, she thought. Stepping in front of him, she warded him off with a wing. Golden light sheathed her horn. "I’m taking the lead," she stated.
Gareth blinked. He brushed her wing down, giving her a bemused look. "Well, if you want, Cecilia. I’ve got your back."
Thank goodness, she thought. Celestia crossed the threshold into the shadows, casting golden light into dark corners.
Her light slid over rocky walls, stone spikes, and dirt. The ground got harder as they moved on, crusty and rocky. Yet, hoof trails began to appear. A grunt of realization came from Gareth, crouching down to mull over them with a touch of his fingers. He smiled, saying, "They’re fresh, Cecilia."
Celestia frowned. Fresh tracks meant Gareth was right: Larms was here. She brushed the light up, hoping to spot them before they spotted her.
A crown of spikes lay within the cavern ahead. An outline of a grey unicorn stood in the middle, pressed up against the spines and lying inwards, watching, waiting. At once, the grey unicorn flinched, turning around and holding up a forehoof to shield away the light from his squinting blue eyes.
She’d seen those eyes, that unicorn before. Celestia saw him at court, sitting in the defendant’s chair. His name was Flash Bang and he tried to hurt Gareth and Gleaming. Were this any other occasion she’d consider talking, but this time, he wouldn’t get a second chance. Focusing the energy on the tip of her horn, she leveled it at Flash Bang’s widening eyes.
A hand patted Celestia’s neck.
Celestia’s focus, along with the energy, puffed into nothing. She shot a baffled look at Gareth.
"It’s alright, Cecilia. I think he’s here for the same reason," Gareth said.
Her confusion only grew. "Gareth, that’s Flash Bang! He’s one of the guards that attacked you! I oversaw his trial myself!"
Gareth nodded, turning to the wary traitor. "I know. And just a few hours ago, he saved my life."
Celestia couldn’t believe what she was hearing, turning her baffled glare on Flash Bang.
Lowering his forehoof, Flash Bang’s ears pricked up, squinting through the beam of light in Gareth’s direction. After a moment, recognition smoothed his features. The moment his squint turned to Celestia, his recognition turned to horror. Yelping in shock, he pressed back against the tiny prison he’d found himself in.
Wonderful, Celestia grumbled, the whole cave probably heard Flash Bang’s squealing. She unfurled her wings and trotted forward. "Hello Flash Bang," she said, addressing him in Equestrian. "What are you doing here?"
The fear in Flash Bang’s eyes became defiant. "For Larms. He’s a monster, worse than you." He looked to Gareth. "He ordered us to execute Grey Spear."
"And you refused?"
"Of course we refused!" Flash Bang snapped. "We’re not the bad guys, we’re the Royal Guard! But… but I knew what our rebellion had become. Larms’ order, well, it was the last nail in the coffin. That’s why I’m going to bring him to justice… even if it has to be by my own hoof." He stamped onto the ground for emphasis. Seconds went by, and his stamp turned into mindless dirt pawing. "Or… I would have, until you showed up."
The urge to blast him ebbing away, Celestia allowed the golden light on the tip of her horn to fade. Her scowling features softened. "How many are here?"
Flash Bang clicked his tongue, glancing back into the cave. "Just a hoofful too stupid to leave."
Celestia pursed her lips. "And Grey Spear told me you saved him. Did you?"
Flash Bang shot Gareth a look, then shook his head. "No. He saved himself."
"I see." Celestia turned to her husband. "Did you catch any of that?"
Gareth twitched to attention. "Uh, no? W-was I meant to?"
"No, it’s—" The anger in Celestia’s heart flickered out. She stepped aside. "You can go, Flash Bang."
Flash Bang glared between them. With a begrudging scowl, he walked past. A few steps past he stopped, turning, as if to say something to Gareth. Words dying on his lips, he sighed and walked away.
Celestia never did see him again.
The cave system stretched on. The tracks in the dirt increased in number and density. Some old, most new. Gareth’s chinking armour and Celestia’s clopping hooves echoed off musty walls. Her golden beam became their only source of light.
Try as she might to focus, Celestia found her attention split between the path ahead and her husband behind. She kept her pace slow, hoping he’d keep close by. She looked back.
Gareth stepped through the gloom, sweeping the cave with a grim focus despite the thick bags under his eyes. His torn armour hung in tatters, fabrics peeling off in strips, metal plates lay bent. She’d never seen him so run down, so exhausted, yet so refusing to leave. His eyes swept up, noticing Celestia’s gaze. Flashing a smile and a wink, he returned to searching.
A flutter danced in Celestia’s chest. She turned back to the cave, smiling to—
Whirring hums accompanied pinpricks of light that grew in the dark. "NOW!" A unicorn cried.
"CECILIA!" Gareth yelled, rushing to throw himself in front of her.
Calm instincts directed Celestia’s response: first, a shield. She funneled the already-gathered energy in her horn and cut out a sheet of pure light, sliding it in front of her husband.
The hum turned to a whine. Rainbow colours exploded off the surface of the shield. The faces of their would-be assassins glowed in the dark, their anger waning with their beams.
Celestia allowed herself a smirk. Reaching over the top of her shield, she plucked them from the shadows. Whips of light lacing between their limbs, she pulled three unicorns into an undignified heap at their feet.
Gareth blinked, lowering his arms. "Uh…"
"Are you okay, love?"
"Sorry, I… I keep forgetting you’re magic," he admitted.
She gave him a sympathetic look. "Don’t worry Gareth, you looked very heroic."
"Would you fook’n stand DOWN already?" Larms’s growling voice echoed from within the cavern. "It’s over! Stop trying to shoot the fook’n demi-goddess!"
It’s him, Celestia thought. She glanced to her husband, gesturing forward. Gareth ought to still have that ‘notice me not’ effect to Larms, right?
Gareth nodded, stooping down and leading the way. He crept to the edge of a turn and gestured Celestia to follow.
She nodded back, approaching and gathering up her internal stores for whatever lay in ambush.
Firelight flickered off the walls, thin smoke hung in the air. Larms sat in the middle of a campsite, tending to a fire. He tapped a spoon on the side of a battered billy cup hanging over the flames, noxious brew bubbling within. A half dozen bottles lay at Larms feet, all empty.
The urge to blast him right then yelled in Celestia’s ears. She wanted to, and it’d certainly be the smart thing to do, but something stayed her hoof. It wasn’t mercy. Subduing him would be justice. No, it was something else. Celestia whispered to Gareth to keep low and then stepped out of the shadows.
Larms spared her a glance, then went back to the brew. Smiling ruefully, he let out a few humourless chuckles. "Ah guess Styre told you, aye?"
She approached, eyeing the viscous muck in the billy cup.
"Care for a drink?" Larms waved away a strange wisp rising off the top. It reeked of tar, garlic and wolfsbane.
"No thank you, I don’t drink poison."
"Suit yourself," Larms shrugged, lifting the concoction off the fire and pouring it into a mug. "Guess’ it’s a cup for one, then."
The surreal nature of the conversation hypnotized her. Celestia shook her head, self-checking for mental influence but finding nothing. She could count on Gareth to watch her back, but that little voice needed to know what Larms was trying to accomplish. Perhaps he wasn’t trying anything. Perhaps he just wanted a drink. Either way, there was only one way she could find out. Checking the dirt below her, Celestia sighed and sat down.
Larms swirled the cup, his piercing yellow eyes stared at her.
"You were right about me, Larms."
He twitched in shock, the cup nearly flinging itself out of his hooves. Re-composing himself, he stared and waited.
Celestia took another breath. "You’re right, I wasn’t ready to rule. I’d lost too much of who I was and I’m not even sure if it’s even possible to get back there. But-" She injected steel into her voice "-I haven’t changed my mind. Until then, I’m going to be there for them. How they want my help is for them to decide, not you."
Firelight flicked across Larms’ face. He looked down, considering the cup. "If that’s what you got from this, then ya haven’t learnt nothin’. What they want is somepony to do all the thinkin’ for ‘em. Given their choice, you’re going to be that pony, because they don’t know any better. That’s why Princess Celestia left. That’s why I agreed to help her." Bulging yellow eyes flicked up. "But you aren’t her. You are unstable; ‘been lying to everypony and everything since you got here. Even yourself. Especially yourself."
The anguished expressions of the Canterlot nobility surfaced in Celestia’s mind. Cold rage surged upwards. Larms had threatened their lives, their families! "And I would have agreed with your point… until the blackmail and attempted murder!"
He gave another hollow laugh. "Don’t get me wrong; I ain’t no saint, and I deserve whatever punishment you dish out. I may be a shitty leader, ‘Cecilia’, but you’re worse. I can be replaced, but you can’t. That’s my point. My children’s children deserve better."
‘Punishment’, ‘leader’, ‘children’, those words couldn’t have been coincidence. Celestia bit her lip. Larms just spilt something important. Just what was— that’s it. "You were waiting," Celestia said. "You were waiting for somepony to stop you."
Larms blinked and scoffed. "What, from myself? You think I’m some weak-willed sop actin’ out cause I couldn’t find some floozy to make doe-eyes at me? The Nobility were weak and needed to get a right kick up the—"
Celestia ignored him, trying to mash the pieces together. ‘Children’, ‘replaced’… Styre is Larms’s son, right? He should have been trying to protect him, yet he stayed aloof. After the rebellion, Styre climbed the ranks, avoiding the fallout. In the midst of the coup, Styre was kept away from the initial fighting, accompanied by the rest of the loyalist guards. His position gave Styre a means and position to fight back; that’s it. "You were waiting, Larms," she accused, "And you were waiting for Styre."
Larms froze.
"Of course you were, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before! The only pony you trusted to do the right thing was the one you pushed away the most. Keeping him at arm’s length, you even attacked him in your kidnapping attempts to deflect suspicion. Nothing lethal, of course, but bad enough to look convincing. You even sent a non-lethal specialist after him. This, all a part of your plan to keep him looking perfect. But that wasn’t enough, was it? You weakened the Nobility through blackmail, and you put Noble Era into a coma. You attempted to assassinate Gareth, and then tried to publicly execute me through a mind wipe! You would have weakened all of Equestria, but in the process, you would have gained more enemies than stars in the sky. Yet… that second part didn’t matter, did it? Nopony would have cared that Styre was your son, not when he’d taken control of the now-leaderless Royal Guard. He’d have led the charge against his father and incarcerated him, right before their eyes. In a single night, Styre would be the strongest candidate for the throne. All of Equestria would be tripping over themselves to clap a crown on his head." She levelled a dark glare at him. "In the end, you were doing the same thing to Equestria as I was."
He didn’t meet her gaze, not at first. Larms swirled the cup, sniffing the brim. "This is a magically active mind-wipe potion. A Zebra shaman taught me—"
A fiery rebuke burnt up from Celestia’s chest. "Answer me, Larms!" She roared.
Cup clattering in his now-shaking hooves, Larms continued in a croakier voice, "—I-it’s meant to be enchanted beforehand to target specific mental trauma. A typical dosage is a teaspoon. Larger dosages can cause severe long-term memory loss. And a cup?"
‘Meant to be enchanted’. The words bounced around in Celestia’s head.
Larms worked his jaw, giving her a sad look. "Princess Celestia swigged it right before she went into the portal, didn’t she? You have to… Princess, you have to believe me when I say that I didn’t know that there weren’t no magic on the other side. It’s amazing the potion didn't lobotomise you." He chuckled, staring down the cup like the barrel of a cannon. "Not that I'll have that problem."
That’s his plan. A sickening-sweet sensation turned Celestia’s guts. She stood up and stared him down.
His lower lip trembled. The cup moved closer, pulled on a final course. "I’ve… I’ve done a lot of bad things, Celes—" He stopped, eyes refocusing on the mare in front of him. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. "I-It’s better this way. You’ll be a hero, and I’ll be gone."
Celestia didn’t move. "I won’t stop you."
The light died in Larms’ eyes. He nodded, lifting the cup to his lips with a pair of shaving hooves.
"But-"
Larms looked up, staring, pleading.
"Styre will miss you."
Liquid sloshed in the trembling cup. Larms bit into his lip, hard enough to draw blood. With a final gasp, Larms flipped the cup to the ground, sending a gushing spray of black liquid into the dirt. He hung his head, squeezing both eyes shut.
"Larms?"
"You win." Larms looked up, eyes hollow, devoid of courage or deviance. "I surrender."
That image would forever burn into Celestia’s mind.
A shout echoed from the entrance of the cave. Hooves galloped closer. Gareth approached, ready to spring an ambush. He retreated upon seeing Styre’s distinct silhouette. Within minutes, Styre placed his father under arrest.
Larms’ coup had failed.
The road to Canterlot lay ahead, barren for that time of morning. A few travellers approached the city, and those that did spared odd glances at the Princess and Prince-consort. They walked in silence, sharing only the crunch of sandy cobblestone underneath Gareth’s boots and the clopping of Cecilia’s hooves.
Each step got harder for Gareth to take, restricted by his shin-guards. The events of the past day were catching up with a vengeance. His aching gauntlet hand shook, lifting to block out the mid-morning sun. Muscles in his back seized up, aggravated by the jangling chain of his hauberk digging into his shoulders. Oh, and he dared not try to take a whiff of himself: he may not survive the attempt.
Heavy hooves clopped up from behind. Cecilia’s face poked into view, giving him an appraising look. "You look tired. Why don’t you take off your armour? I can carry it for you."
Gareth forced a smile. "I’ll be fine," he rasped.
"Really?" She cocked a brow, turning to Canterlot. "Because I give you until the castle gates before I’m carrying you AND your armour. I’d prefer to just carry the armour."
A sour expression scrunched Gareth’s face. His pride plundered the depths of his wit for a response to that. Traitor that he was, ‘wit’ decided she had a point.
"Gareth." Cecilia jabbed a forehoof to the shade of a nearby tree. "Armour. Off."
Several choice words grumbled under Gareth’s breath. He stormed off to the tree, finding himself there in seconds. First came the gauntlet, tearing at the buckles and straps, scowling at the sudden chore.
The metal overlay came off with the padded glove underneath, revealing blue and yellow bruises along his flesh. A fresh breeze wind rolled across his stinking, sweltering skin.
Oh… oh, wow. Goosepimples sprang up along Gareth’s body, unconscious shivers rocking through him in a shockwave of relief. He released the gauntlet, letting it fall to the grass.
Magic shimmered in the air. Golden light encased the gauntlet and flickered away. Again, it shimmered and glowed, again it died. Cecilia gave a sigh. "This magical resistance is proving to be an enduring annoyance, Gareth."
Gareth chuckled, turning. "Really? Well, it’s also the reason why I’m still alive." He unbuckled his outer belt, leather pouches rattling as it fell away.
Cecilia’s horn hooked up underneath his belt, plopping it onto her back. She looked over, reaching a forehoof out to the buckles on his spaulders. After fumbling with the latch for a few moments, she went for the shin-guards, which were also buckled on. Left eye twitching, she nipped onto the tip of his hauberk tugged up… only to find that they were pinned in place by the straps on his spaulders.
Gareth blinked.
Cecilia froze. Big pink eyes stared.
"Ya done?" He deadpanned.
Heavy red coloured her cheeks. She mumbled through the chain links, "Uh, re-und meh, wash ‘omes off nesht?"
"...What?"
She squeaked, releasing the chain links with a smack of her lips. "Uh, remind me, which one comes off next?"
"Oh." Gareth gave a wry smile. Leaning down, his fingers worked the delicate clasps.
Clip after clip, buckle after buckle, Gareth’s armour fell away. Cecilia tugged away each freed piece, depositing them on her back. With every disappearing weight, a sigh of relief expelled from Gareth’s lungs. Before long, a small, dirty armoury piled up onto Cecilia’s back; she carried all with an effortless dignity and strength.
By the end, Gareth stood in nothing but his Equestrian-given clothes. A pair of leather boots, trim, tailored pants, and a silvery tunic. Sweat soaked his entire body; through his hair, his beard, between his toes, and armpits. Soaked through, the pleasant shade of the tree wasn’t so pleasant anymore. Freezing, more like. He crawled out into the blessed warmth of the sun, laying over on the field of grass, and staring out to the horizon.
Equestria’s valleys and hills lay before him. Rolling greens and forests. The thundering waterfall that fell from Canterlot journeyed into a river, disappearing in the distance. Clouds brushed the sky in streaks, accenting, not blocking, the enormous blue sky.
Aches nagged Gareth’s muscles. A good ache, he decided.
Heavy hooves followed behind. Cecilia breathed in to say something, but she cut herself off. Her ears flicked once. Armour jingled as she reclined beside him.
He smiled to her, mindlessly tugging at the fresh blades of grass.
Silence filled the air. A distant flight of Pegasai passed overhead, soaring out from one of the larger clouds.
"So… what now?" Gareth asked.
"Bath, breakfast, bed," Cecilia sighed. "In that order."
Sounded good, but not what he meant. Gareth worked a crick out of his neck. "I meant 'long term’."
"... I see."
He looked up. "Any thoughts?"
She pursed her lips, gazing out to the horizon. "I’ve been thinking about what you said in the tower. About my ruling Equestria."
"What did Larms say?" Gareth growled. He knew he should have taken the chance to stab that dickless manipulator.
Cecilia sighed. "Only that Equestria would fall in behind me again. And if I put even the slightest effort towards it, they will." She met his gaze, adamant. "Gareth, they need me right now. Maybe not in the long term, but they do right now, even if it’s just to clean up the mess made by my return."
Alright then, Gareth thought to himself, shrugging. "How does that explain ‘long term’? Because, mistake me if I’m wrong, but ‘fix things’ still isn’t an actual plan."
She nodded. "You’re right. This won’t be easy, and I’m going to keep making mistakes for a while yet. But history teaches us to at least make different mistakes." Her eyes turned to the horizon. "That’s why I'm going to expand Equestria's borders."
What? Gareth frowned. "Didn't the Pegasai have a problem with that, regarding protecting the peasantry or something?"
"They did, and so did I. Gareth, I tried to protect everypony, and in the process, I've protected nopony."
"So… your answer is to NOT try?"
Cecilia chuckled, saying, "Of course I'm going to try! But ponies need to protect themselves. You taught me that, Styre taught me that, and yes, even Larms taught me that."
A clump of grass tore away in Gareth’s tightened fist. He stared down at it, unwinding his hand and letting the blades float away. "So what will you do when ponies die?"
Emotion streaked across Cecilia’s face. She stared to the horizon, eyes filled with equal parts hope and dread.
Gareth turned, placing a hand on her neck.
The vibrations of her rasping sigh ran through Gareth’s palm. "I… I can’t stop that, nopony can. All I can do is prepare." Metal jangled as her neck pulled away. Cecilia stood and looked to the detachment of Pegasai landing at Canterlot castle. "We all need to prepare. Equestria started as a treaty between three tribes of ponies. They sought friendship for one and all, a beautiful dream, and one that I am little more than a caretaker of. Equestria’s promise must not be trapped in the shadow of my fear."
Gareth grinned.
Cecilia turned back with a self-effacing smile. "Convincing enough?"
He snorted, standing and dusting clumps of soil from his thighs. "Talk more about friendship: they’ll eat it up."
"Gareth!" Cecilia chided, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.
"So, what’s my job in all this? Besides being the royal masseur?"
Cecilia tilted her head. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Well, it’s funny you mention that."
"Hmm?"
"Gareth," she turned to him, smiling. "How do you feel about having your old job back?"
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Awesome chapter! The story isn't even over yet yet i'm hoping for a sequel. Yeah i'm awful.
I like the rating but I must know before I go in.......will the human turn into a pony? (I don't read "human pony" stories)
EEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
6726344 No.
6726344 That seems remarkably shallow. Surely your judgement should rest on the quality of the execution, rather than the premise alone?
6726363 No.
I have a very extreme hatred towards human turned pony stories.
10/10 good job on new chapter
6726382
Err...that isn't really an argument.
Why do you hate that type of story in particular? Five bits on it being residual trauma from The Conversion Bureau
Do you believe that something intrinsic to that type of fic prevents it from being good? Something else?
I want to see how Equestria remembers Gareth in the era of the MLP show.
And if it was not recorded that Celestia had married Gareth, then I want to see Luna, the Mane 6 , and Cadence's reaction to the fact that she had gone through the mirror and was a simple human housewife with a loving husband for a time.
Cadence would love the Tale of Celestia and Gareth, as it a story about the devotion between two lovers.
Updaaaaaaaaate!
6726412 It's enough.
I find it defeats the point of a human in Equestria.......although TCB does factor in.
Answer above.
6726440
Eh, fair enough. Not like I have any right stop you judging things, in any case
Tried to protect, I think.
Also, yeah, hoping for reactions from future ponies. Also the really awkward conversation where Cele explains to Luna that she accidentally erased all her memories of her...
6726320
We'll... see. I hope to wrap up everything with the final chapters and the epilogue.
6726440
Whenever someone asks this question, I'm temped to write an omake wherein Gareth really does turn into a pony.
It results in a mental breakdown.
6726414
Damn it, now I want to write that, too. I'll see what I can do.
6726450
It doesn't, in my opinion, but I hope the story is still interesting enough to follow through. I'm not blind to the hindsight that adding politics to this story bogged down the narrative.
Ah well, lessons for the future.
6726484
Fixed. Thanks, mate!
Think about it, Twilight sparkle returns from the mirror world, and tells the mane six and cadence about the magicless 'humans'. Then Celestia comes in, and Twilight asks her what experience she has has with the mirror. Then Celestia tells her story, and starts bringing out the old keepsakes from her marriage to show to the group. And Cadence has this grin that keeps getting wider and wider as she hears the story, while twilight is just frozen in place, shocked.
6726653
...
Remember this post. It's all I'm gonna say.
Great ending to Larms' rebellion, it's good to see him defeated on basically every level.
Eeeee, a new chapter! I'm glad; I missed this story.
Oh, hey! I forgot this story existed!
(I'm not even being facetious. I actually forgot it existed.)
So far so good.
6726992
If it wasn't for the fact that I was writing it, so would I.
6726344 I like those stories!
But I'm hoping he becomes an immortal Golem. Sadistic. I know.
He’d have lead the charge against his
1. Led.
Well, this is certainly going to take a much different turn now from set canon. How much is going to be seen. And you highlighting another post... Is almost teasing really.
6726440 My only real gripe with the whole 'human turns into pony' trope is when it's used as transparent wish fulfillment. But given what we've seen so far, Gareth would probably not enjoy the experience at all, but would try and struggle through it for Celestia's sake.
That could be interesting to watch play out.
Damn.. i just read through all that. I'm kinda glad i didn't have to wait long to get this far. Will be waiting for that final chapter
6726823
Xenophilia, not zoophilia. Xenophilia is sexual attraction to a separate (intelligent) species, while zoophilia is sexual attaction to animals. Sleeping with a Pegasus, Unicorn or Earth Pony is icky, while sleeping with a pony from earth is bestiality. The more you know!
6727571
And fixed. Much obliged.
6731103
6726823
You're both correct, actually. The problem lies in that Gareth saw it as Zoophillia, and his perspective needed to change to seeing it as Xenophillia.
It wasn't an easy switch.
Satisfying conclusion, except it isn't a conclusion. Have we an epilogue in store?
6737071
You infact have an extra chapter and an epilogue in store!
New chapter is awaiting a beta's eye.
Epilouge is in rough draft form. I'm still fiddling.
Which old job would that be? He's had a few.
This is a great human in equestria story. Very well done.
I love their twisted and oh so confusing relationship.
I feel like every story written in serial form that's over like 20,000 words should be required to have short chapter summaries in an appendix at the end for us to remember what's going on in each chapter. All I remembered after picking this up again was that larms was a bad guy not any of his specific actions .
I'm sorry.
I started reading this but it's a quarter past one and I just can't finish it right now.
I need to sleep.
I'll finish it tomorrow over breakfast.
Wonderful story.
This has honestly become one of my favorite stories. You had me entranced and caring about what happens between these two by the end of the second chapter. I have been happy, I have laughed a lot, and yet at the same time you've managed to throughout this story keep me tense, and keep me nervous and worried about what would happen next. I'm coming to the end of it now, and I feel I can safely say that this is one of the best stories on this site. Good fucking job soulpillar, good fucking job.
The writing has been perfect, the story is incredible, and the characters are realistic.
Preemptive 10/10
have a like, favorite, and a follow, good job dude.
O_o
8217938
I think it was mentioned earlier, or I'm reading to much and I'm getting confused, that there were leather trees?
Nvm I think that was another story but still.
8662500
Harry Dresden (from Dresden Fillies) once tricked Rarity into thinking leather grew on trees.