Chapter Eight: Taking Care of Business
In the space of only a few months, it’s been estimated that tens of thousands of ponies have already visited Princess Twilight Sparkle’s newly built Castle of Friendship. Of course, given how massive it was, it was hard to blame visitors for wanting to come and see the ornate and beautiful structure in all its glory. Crystal walls of pink and purple gave the entire space a royal and powerful vibe for anyone who walked down its gigantic hallways. And inside the main dining hall of the castle, the many faces who were inside weren’t enough to make the room feel slightly understaffed.
The main table, which was usually covered with decorations provided by Rarity, was now flooded with various papers and lists. In the middle of it all, an impressive-looking diorama showed two different seating arrangements erected from cardboard and scrap-paper. One was for a wedding ceremony, of which was fully completed with all the seats promptly labeled and organized. The other depiction was for a reception, and a purple aura constantly swished around as notecards went towards each tiny table.
“Alright,” said Twilight Sparkle as she bit her lip in focus. She floated two notecards over towards a table by a piece of construction paper labeled the Stage Area. “This table can be the first one for your friends. Since each table seats four, I have this one for Peppermint, Gretchen, Froey, and Madeline.”
Canvas was standing next to Twilight as he scanned the notes with narrowed eyes. His lips were pouted out slightly, and it was clear that the artist was taking in every detail as diligently as he could. “Okay,” he said with an accepting nod. “I think that can work for the first one.”
Meanwhile, Troy was flipping through the rest of the notecards with an exasperated huff. “Man, I didn’t expect to have so many friends in this guestlist. And here we were wanting a small ceremony.”
“Hey, we still have a smaller list than Cranky and Matilda’s wedding,” replied Canvas with a smirk to his fiancè. As he looked back at the small tables that still had no names on them, he sighed before adding, “And honestly, we should be glad for that. I wouldn’t know what to do if we had to include Royalty into this!”
Twilight’s horn stopped glowing as she turned a raised brow towards the stallion. “Well, how about me?”
Canvas scoffed with a smile and a roll of his eyes. “Well, besides you!”
“Well, technically,” added Troy towards the stallion while motioning towards the nearby fireplace. “I’m pretty sure Twilight’s element friends are considered Royal Family too.”
Canvas raised his brows in quick realization before looking to the lounging area as well. “Oh yeah.”
Meanwhile, the rest of Troy’s family (barring Tenor, who was being watched by Lyra and Bon-Bon at their shop) were seated comfortably on the massive couches that were arranged around the immaculate crystal fireplace. The only Gryphon who was standing was Angela, while Rarity cheerfully got her measurements written down for her dress. Along with the unicorn, Fluttershy also showed up to the castle to catch up with Blade, which prompted Rainbow Dash to come along as well.
Magical green flames, courtesy of Spike, made the crystal logs crackle and give the space an enchanting warmth and amber glow. The triplets were all crammed on one of the couches, with Fluttershy seated at the very end beside Blade. Of course, despite how little space she had, the mare seemed quite comfortable while smiling with a light blush.
Because of the welcome heat from the fireplace, Angela had her feathers ruffled out with a pleased smile while standing upright for Rarity’s measuring tape. The unicorn carried a rather giddy smile of her own, mostly from still beaming about the Gryphoness’ earlier announcement. “Ohhhhh, my goodness!” squealed Rarity while carefully getting Angela’s midsection measured without any squeezing. “I’m so happy for you, Missus Clawston! Do you know when the due date is?”
Angela shrugged her shoulders as she guessed, “Well, most likely by the end of the fall season. But honestly, it’s hard to tell sometimes.” She smirked as she pointed a talon over at Lyle, who was on one of the loveseats next to Rainbow Dash. “Little Lyle there ended up coming out a month earlier than expected! It was actually during a huge board conference while I was giving a speech! All the CEOs were there, and they got a full view of me on my back while I was on the stage giving birth--”
“MOM!” shouted Lyle as he looked up from his sketchbook with a scowl. “Don’t tell them about that!”
Troy had a devilish grin of his own as he spoke up while looking back at the remaining lists. “Hey, if Mom can tell a Princess about that story of me in the hardware store, I think you’re fair game as well!”
“DUDE! Shut up!”
Rainbow Dash snickered a little as she asked Angela, “Wait, seriously?! Like, you laid an egg in front of everyone?!”
While Lyle groaned with his head sunken into his claws, Angela merely chuckled with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. “Unfortunately, yes,” she admitted as she looked back at the Pegasus. “To be fair though, if it didn’t happen then, Lyle probably wouldn’t have the name he has now.”
Jonas was sitting in one of the armchairs, and reading the newest issue of the Foal Free Press while listening to his wife’s words. Even though there was an interesting rumor exposè regarding Prince Blueblood with some Canterlot Socialite, he put down his paper to add to the discussion. “She’s not wrong,” he said while motioning towards his wife. “There was only one pony in that entire convention center, and it was pure dumb luck that she happened to be a medical student. She knew exactly what to do, which saved us a lot of worry since we were pretty far from any hospital.”
“That’s right,” added Angela while Rarity’s measuring tape floated away from her. “I was so grateful about her help, that I knew exactly what to name him when she told us her name: Lyla Peachcream.”
Rarity and Fluttershy both let out sappy “Dawwws” at Angela’s reveal at the end. “Oh, that’s so sweet!” said Fluttershy with a touched smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Lyle just hunched a little lower on his seat with his forelegs crossed together. His aggravated mood wasn’t helped when Rainbow Dash nudged him from the side. “Heh heh, they named you after a mare?”
Lyle just grumbled something inaudible under his breath.
“What?” asked Angela while the measuring tape floated away from her. “It’s only inspired by a mare. Lyle is clearly a boy’s name.”
“I know, I know,” assured Dash with a wave of her hoof before pointing it towards Jonas. “I’m just kinda surprised that your husband was okay with that.”
Jonas seemed perplexed by that point as he looked towards the mare with a skewed brow. “What’s there to be surprised about? That pony did more for us than any of those Gryphons that night! Plus, she had a cool head I haven’t seen outside of a battlefield! I was with Angela on the name!”
After a couple seconds, the Gryphon’s jagged beak skewed a little as he briefly added, “... Aaaaand it wouldn’t be like I had much of a choice anyway. I'm sorta banned from naming the kids.”
“You are?” asked Rarity after she made sure all the measurements in her notebook were accurate. “Whatever for?”
Angela’s expression turned deadpanned as she pointed a talon to the triplets on the couch. “That’s why.”
The unicorn’s brows raised as she nodded slowly. “Ah.” She then walked over to her supply bag while adding, “That’s a fair decision.”
“HEY!!” shouted the triplets in unison.
Jonas groaned as he rolled his eyes. “Angela, I already apologized for that over fifty times! Why are you still hung up about that?!”
“Because you named them while I was asleep!”
“Oh, are we seriously going to go over this again?! You were NOT asleep! You were unconscious! For TWO days! The doctors kept griping at me about needing names for them! What was I supposed to do?!”
Troy and Canvas both looked back at the lounging area, clearly worried that a fight was going to break out. Fortunately, Fluttershy was able to extinguish any conflict as she looked up at the Gryphons beside her. “I think their names are nice,” she said sincerely with a warm smile. “They fit the three really well.”
“HA! See, Mum?” Blade wrapped a wing around Fluttershy’s back with a smug grin, not seeming to notice how the mare made a tiny “Eep!” and blushed deeply. “This lass gets it!”
“Hey, lover-boy,” stated Rainbow Dash flatly with an unamused expression. “You mind not touching my friend like that?”
“What?” asked Blade with his claws raised. Even though he did pull his wing away from Fluttershy, he still stared back at the cyan Pegasus to ask, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a wing!”
“Yeah,” added Blane with a scoff. “What do you want him to do, wear a friggin full-body condom?”
“HEY!” snapped Twilight as she whipped her sights to the triplets angrily. “What have I told you guys about talking like that?”
Blaze tried to calm her down by saying, “Relax! Spike isn’t in the room right now!”
“But he could still overhear, so don’t assume he won’t!”
After the Princess huffed and returned to finishing the organization with Canvas, Troy looked back at his family to say, “How about we change the discussion to something else? You know, something appropriate for ponies?”
The triplets all groaned in annoyance while rolling their eyes. As Angela rested herself in the empty armchair next to Jonas’, Lyle remembered something which made his head perk up quickly. “Oh yeah!” He turned his attention to Rainbow Dash and asked, “Didn’t you visit Griffinstone a while back?”
“Huh? Oh yeah.” Dash rested herself against the edge of the couch and put her hooves behind her head. “Pinkie and I had to go there for a Friendship Quest thing, and I was a little iffy about going since I knew Gilda lived there. I mean, I was glad I did since I got to make friends with her again, but the place itself was kind of a dump.”
“Yeah, we know,” said Jonas while reading his paper once more. “We actually built our second shipment facility over there. The entire region was in horrible shape before we showed up.”
“But,” added Angela with a more optimistic smile on her beak, “we managed to get a lot of the community's financial and social issues improved drastically in the first month of the plant’s opening! And when I met one of the new employees we hired, it inspired me to make one of the best decisions for our company.”
Rarity involuntarily giggled and asked, “Are you talking about putting Twilight’s face on the company logo?”
She then pointed a hoof toward several boxes that were in stacked in the corner of the room next to Twilight. Each of the boxes boasted the new logo for Highmount United Quills, which was of the Princess’ smiling face and the statement “Tested and Approved by Princess Twilight Sparkle!” on the bottom. Fortunately, Twilight only groaned briefly when her friend brought attention towards them.
“Oh no, not that!” Angela said with a wave of her claw. “Although that did get us a lot more customers in Equestria, but that’s not what I’m talking about. While I was inspecting work conditions at the Griffinstone plant, I saw one of the workers getting harrassed by some of the other girls. I quickly put a stop to it, and those hens had the audacity to say they had every right to act that way because the girl was a lesbian!”
Rarity and Fluttershy seemed rather shocked at that last detail, and Rainbow Dash winced uncomfortably. “Ooh… Gilda mentioned that sort of thing happens a lot over there.”
“Exactly,” said Angela in a disapproving tone of voice. “And after what happened with Troy, I didn’t want to see other Gryphons get harassed for that sort of thing! Heck, it was a pain to just get those three girls suspended because there was no protection of that sort of abuse! So, I managed to convince Jonas to help me pass a new regulation that would include orientation and gender identity in non-discrimination ordinances.”
“Which I am really proud to hear about,” said Twilight with an honored smile towards Angela and Jonas. “If my face is going to be used for a company, I’d rather it be one that’s able to make progress in the Gryphon Kingdom.”
While Angela sat proudly while beaming at Twilight’s praise, Jonas squirmed in his seat a little. “Yeah, but it also almost got both of us fired!”
“What?!” While many of the ponies seemed shocked, Canvas was the most vocal as he finally pulled away from the remaining planning details to ask, “How could they fire you guys?! Aren’t you the heads of the company?”
“Yes,” answered Jonas bluntly, “but we also have a board of directors for all company decisions. They were already upset about the logo change, so Angela suggesting us being the first company to implement that sort of change made them all try to remove us by petition and unanimous vote.”
Rarity was the next to speak in an outraged tone. “But how could that be?! Why would anyone try to remove you two for doing that?!”
“Because it’s the Gryphon Kingdom,” said Lyle with a scowl. “Most of the heads in charge of things are as stubborn and nasty as Dad used to be.”
Jonas didn’t say anything to that, but he still stared at Lyle with a strong glare in his eyes. Blane looked over at Jonas to say, “You know he’s not wrong, Dad.”
That just made Jonas groan and look away again, “I know,” he grumbled bitterly, “but that’s still a cheap shot.”
“Anyway,” interrupted Angela as she attempted to bring the discussion back on track. “Yes, our board members did try to have us removed. But even though they did everything by the book so we couldn’t sue, they didn’t count on one little thing…”
Angela then grew a wide, treacherous grin that Jonas recognized immediately. Knowing that his wife was going to tell them what happened, he just sat back with a chuckle while the Gryphoness finished her statement. “... Those Gryphons were messing with me.”
“THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!”
Jonas slammed a claw against the mahogany table hard enough to make part of the framing underneath it crack loudly. Meanwhile, Angela just stared in shock at the two rows of stoic Gryphons that filled the dozen seats along both sides of it. The Gryphoness blinked several times, seemingly trying to register what they just informed her and her husband. After shaking her head, she breathed out in almost a gasp as she asked, “I’m sorry, but are you guys serious right now?”
A gangly brown and orange Gryphon of a tremendously skinny build was seated closest to the standing couple. He silently slid a clipboard towards them with a thin, fragile-looking talon. On it was a sheet of paper filled with signatures. “The petition has already been signed,” he said before sliding his thick glasses up to the top of his beak. “Due to the actions you two have proposed in recent months, we have no choice but to remove you both.”
“YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS?!” screamed Jonas with a rage made Angela’s feathers ride up along her back. With the way he was leaned in at the front of the table with murderous eyes, it looked like he was going to paint the walls of the boardroom with everyone’s blood. “WE WERE THE ONES WHO BUILT THIS COMPANY!!! WE WERE THE ONES THAT GAVE ALL OF YOU THESE JOBS!!!”
“Mister Clawston,” said one of the Gryphons at the right side of the table, who had a muscular build and black feathers which contrasted with his light grey suit. “I know this news might be upsetting to both of you, but it’s already been done. If you’re not willing to accept this respectfully, then we’re more than willing to bring security in here!”
Even though the Gryphon made that statement in a surprisingly confident and condescending tone, it was nothing short of a miracle that he didn’t even twitch when Jonas’ claws dug deep into the immaculate wood. “I swear,” growled the General in a tone venomous enough to make fresh produce rot, “If you think security will help you in time-”
“Jonas, please!” said another Gryphon from the other side of the table. This one wasn’t as large, and was much older as his tan feathers started to turn grey at the tips. “This isn’t pleasant for anyone,” he said with narrowed eyes, “but we have no choice! The logo was one thing, but trying to undermine this company’s morals is not something we can tolerate!”
“He’s right,” added a purple Gryphoness who was sitting beside him. “None of us feel that the measure you two are suggesting will do any good for the heart of this company. If we seriously allow this kind of addition to our rules, then we’re risking workers getting away with whatever they want without even proving they have a reason to be discriminated!”
“What do you mean, ‘Getting away with whatever they want?’” Asked Angela in a baffled tone.
Another Gryphoness, this one with grey and green feathers, cleared her throat before explaining. “Well, how can we prove if a Gryphon is a homosexual? Or better yet, how can we prove a Gryphon isn’t just lying about it in order to get special privileges? All this measure will do is encourage loopholes in our company, and cause a lot of heartache when perverts and liars clog up the system!”
“Besides,” added the black Gryphon with a scoff, “it’s not like our company will get much respect if we allow deviancy to go unpunished. I’d rather lose both of you as opposed to my own dignity.”
“YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SH--”
“Jonas!”
At the very end of the other side of the table, an elderly Gryphon with light blue feathers and an immaculate white suit finally spoke. Despite his near-boiling rage, Jonas stopped talking when he heard the colleague’s brash tone of voice. “This decision is unanimous,” he said in a cold tone of voice. “It’s clear that you two are going in a direction the rest of us refuse to go. And no matter how many times you try to use buzzwords like ‘progress’ or ‘change,’ all that you’re doing is jeopardizing the very values that all of us abide by. I know that your trip to Equestria gave you both a lot of ideas, but we every right to refuse using them.”
The Gryphon’s tone was completely professional as he spoke, almost making his words sound like they weren’t spoken with the clear bile that both Clawstons knew was lingering below the surface. When Jonas’ talons came off of the table and left very deep marks in the mahogany, the seething look of disappointment and fury in his eyes looked like they could easily burn out of his skull. However, Jonas wasn’t able to open his beak before his wife:
“Very well.”
“WHAT?!” shouted Jonas as he turned to Angela wide-eyed. The Gryphoness paid absolutely no attention towards her husband, and kept her pose surprisingly elegant while standing in a professional light.
“I will admit,” began Angela with a shrug of her shoulders so small that it didn’t even crease her magenta business jacket, “I certainly didn’t expect all of you to be so strongly against a simple measure that I suggested.”
She then reached into her purse, and pulled out the ordinance which she had printed out earlier that day. “Nevertheless, if this one little addition to our anti-discrimination ordinance is the only thing which would make all of you break ties with me and my husband, then we won’t try to argue against it. You all made your points in professional manners, so I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t do the same.”
Jonas had his beak agape in stunned silence. He knew his wife usually wasn’t confrontational, but this was something he never would’ve expected her to take lying down. Angela picked up the petition listing as well, and sighed before beginning to slowly walk around the table. “It really is a shame though. Despite my husband’s tone, he really is right. We did help bring this company up from nothing, and I really felt that I developed deep bonds with each and every one of you.”
The purple Gryphoness sighed deeply with a hint of slight regret. “I know this is hard. The last thing we wanted was to lose you. But-”
“I know, I know,” interrupted Angela with a light smile on her beak. “Believe me, I completely understand. All of you are sticking your ground due to your morals, which I can respect.”
She continued to walk around the side of the room behind one of the rows of Gryphons. “I’m just upset because of all the memories Jonas and I made around here. And in all the years we spent in this company, I was present for so many of your accomplishments.”
She looked towards the purple Gryphoness to say, “Like when I showed up to the birth of your first child.” That statement made the hen cringe and look away from Angela with a skewed beak.
Angela then turned to the greying Gryphon beside her. “Or when I helped give your son his first job here as a security guard.” Again, an upset look swept across the Gryphon’s face as he tried not to wince at her.
By now, it seemed that the smile on Angela’s face was from nostalgia, or a similar feeling at recalling those moments with her former colleagues. She then turned her attention up to the blue Gryphon at the head of the table. Her smile remained as warm as before, but her eyes narrowed slightly on him before she opened her beak.
“Or when I walked in on you injecting Aurora into your bloodstream last year on company grounds.”
Due to her innocent tone, it took a few seconds before most of the Gryphons caught what she said. Jonas had his eyes strained in confusion for a moment, not knowing what the buck his wife was doing. However, the Gryphon in context was already staring at her wide-eyed before anyone could be heard gasping. His beak trembled a little when he tried to speak without sounding worried. “Wh… what?”
“Aurora,” repeated Angela as she kept smiling. “You know, the highly illegal drug which you keep in your desk? I know I should have said something about it, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to risk putting you in prison before you could witness the birth of your great grandchildren.” Her eyes narrowed on him even more, and her smile was now starting to look more sickly sweet. “Plus, I figured secrets like that shouldn’t be exposed between coworkers. But now that I’m no longer one…”
The blue Gryphon’s feathers seemed to slick down to the point where he looked like a terrified and soaking wet owl. Jonas widened his eyes, instantly realizing what his wife was getting at. Even though he wanted to smile, he was more concerned with how the rest of the board members would take that sort of threat.
“W-Wait a minute!” The purple Gryphoness quickly turned her seat around to face Angela directly. “I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do, but this is not appropriate behavior!”
“For who? For employees?” Angela’s smile pointed right at her now, the grin now looking as sharp and menacing as a poison dagger. “But I thought Jonas and I were no longer employees. Which means neither of us have to act civil for the sake of the company anymore.”
Angela’s gaze also went towards the greying Gryphon beside the seated Gryphoness when she added, “Which, I must say, I think we’ve done much better than either of you. I can’t say Jonas or I ever committed adultery by sleeping with each other in the utility closets.”
Both of them gasped and nearly fell out of their chairs. The Gryphoness was shaking when she struggled to open her beak to stammer out a statement. “Y-you… you d-don’t have any--”
“Proof?” finished Angela with a smirk as her head tilted even further. “You mean like security footage which pointed right at those doors you two went into? Or still images from those tapes which show you two making out in various spots around the building?” She chuckled faintly when she saw both of them squirm while bug-eyed. “Oh, isn’t it interesting? I know so much about both of you, but it seemed like both of you forgot I used to be head of security around here! Oh, and speaking of security, I think I still have the contact information of BOTH of your spouses!”
“YOU WOULDN’T DARE!” screamed the Gryphoness as she tried to get out of her seat. Luckily, her colleague and now exposed secret lover was able to hold out a foreleg to keep her from touching Angela.
“I wouldn’t dare what? Show both your spouse's what you two have been doing for years? Oh, no, of course not.” Angela’s smile slowly dropped, and her eyes narrowed on the two with the intensity of a lioness eyeing her kill. “I’ll tell your children.”
With the way the Gryphoness’ jaw dropped underneath her welling eyes, it looked like Angela admitted to murdering them. The muscular black Gryphon stood up and leaned in from the other side of the table with a nasty glare on her. “ANGELA CLAWSTON! If you think that committing blackmail will keep you or your husband’s jobs, you have another thing com--”
Angela stared up at him with the same venomous smile she had before. “You better sit your ass back down, diaper boy.”
The Gryphon did just that, with his black feathers now turning a ghastly pale white to accompany his petrified face. Angela merely chuckled in slight amusement at how quickly that shut him up. “Oh, you didn’t expect me to know about your adult hatchling fetish? Well, I do! In fact, I know a lot more than that, including who your ‘Mommy’ is. But does your wife know about her?”
The Gryphon was frozen, but his chest came in and out quickly as he struggled to breathe. Meanwhile, Jonas just stood back in astonishment and watched his wife continue to go around the room.
“Oh, what am I saying? Of course she has no idea about that!” Her gaze turned towards the grey and green Gryphoness as she continued with a growing grin. “Just like how your husband has no idea that four of his seven kids aren’t even his!”
The Gryphoness’ claws shot up over her beak as she gasped in horror.
“Oh, and before you ask how I know that, you should really make sure that the paper shredder is on when you decide to put your test results in it. Of course, you should be glad that I was the one to find them and take those out. I mean, what if someone else got a hold of those and tried to use that information against you? Wouldn’t that be horrible?”
The hen trembled, looking like she was about to throw up. But that didn’t seem to keep Angela from continuing to speak while walking. “But don’t worry. At least you’re not the only one having an affair in this room! In fact, I have proof that over HALF of you are! As well as records of drug use, money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, misuse of company funds. I can go on all day.”
Angela stopped for a second to peer at an especially small, green Gryphon who was seated at one of the corners of the table and shaking in fear. “Wouldn’t you agree, Changeling?”
The Gryphon gasped and tried to sputter out a defensive statement. “N-NO!!! She… SHE’S LYING!!!”
“Oh, am I?” Angela looked around at the others with a smile. “Anyone else want to accuse me of lying about their secrets?”
None of them said a thing. Instead, they all just sat completely still like they were avoiding being seen and singled out in the nightmare that Angela created. By now, she was looking quite pleased with herself by the time she walked to the other side of the boardroom table.
“I know a lot, and I mean a LOT of things, ladies and gentlemen. Both from my security work, and just by being at the right place at the right time. I’ve learned a lot of interesting facts about each and every one of you in the years that we’ve worked here. And due to all the friendships I made in that time, I wouldn’t have even fathomed using any of those things to my advantage. But…”
Angela made a full circle around the table as she spoke. During that time, not a single Gryphon made a peep, but it was clear that all of them were beyond worried. By the time she returned to her original place at the vacant end of the table, the white Gryphoness had a fairly content smile on her beak as she finished her speech.
“Given recent circumstances, I just want to clarify what my husband and I are capable of doing. If you really feel that the two of us aren’t suited for the company we helped found, then so be it. We’ll leave the company we helped built for the sake of your guy’s idea of ‘morality.’” She pointed a talon to the door behind her as she kept her professional tone. “As soon as Jonas and I walk out of that door, we will no longer be connected to this company. And we’ll leave with no hesitation, no ill will towards any of you, and no obligation to keep any of your secrets hidden from your loved ones.”
Even with every Gryphon staring at her wide-eyed, not a single pupil was able to be seen among the countless seas of white. Keeping her smirk, Angela held up the clipboard holding the signed petition. “And lucky for you guys, I even have a LIST of names! So nobody will be forgotten! Isn’t that convenient for us?”
After peering down at the names listed, her brows raised in amusement. She turned her head to the first Gryphon, whose brown feathers were now a deathly white. His glasses were teetering at the very tip of his beak, and they fell off just as Angela bent in beside his ear. “Hmmm, how interesting,” she said in almost a whisper as her tone turned more deadly. “It shows that YOU were the first one who signed this. I would’ve thought that you would be the most loyal to me, especially considering I never told Jonas about what you did at last year’s Hearth’s Warming Eve Party--”
The Gryphon shot out of his chair and screamed out, “ALL IN FAVOR OF REPEALING ANGELA AND JONAS’ TERMINATIONS SAY AYE!!!”
“AYE!!!” roared the rest of the room without a millisecond of hesitation.
Angela then slammed slammed her ordinance down on the table hard enough to make the floor shake. “Sign it!”
As the anti-discrimination ordinance was passed around the room at a lightning pace, with each board member hastily signing it like it was the only thing keeping them alive, Jonas just stared at the spectacle with a gaping beak. When he looked back to his wife, he saw Angela clear her throat before regaining her professional voice. “Well, I think this has been a very productive meeting, don’t all of you? You all get to bring real progress and change to this company, and none of your lives will be ruined! I think that’s a win-win right there!”
She held up the petition still in her claw and added, “Oh, and don’t worry about losing this. I’ll be sure to keep this little shitlist for future reference. That way, if even one of you ever tries to cross me or my husband again, all of you will burn.”
Her eyes widened at that last part for real emphasis, and the ordinance was slid back at her with every signature on board. After picking it up and giving it a quick inspection, Angela smiled in satisfaction. “Well, it looks like everything is in order!” She looked back at her terrified coworkers and nodded thankfully. “Thank you all so much for changing your minds! Now if you excuse us, Jonas and I need to talk with finance about this year’s bonuses. Ta-ta!”
Angela lead the way back to the door, and Jonas couldn’t help carrying the biggest shit-eating grin as he followed her. With her claw on the knob, Angela paused for a second to look back at the table and say with a smile:
“Have a wonderful day.”
With that, she was out, leaving the board room completely silent and unbelievably tense. As the married couple walked down the empty hallway towards the elevator, Jonas just stared at his wife like she sprouted a horn on her forehead. It wasn’t until Angela pressed the button that Jonas decided to say something.
“A-Angela,” he said as he struggled to get himself to speak normally again. He looked ahead at the closed elevator door instead of his wife. “Before I say anything else, I just want to point out that what you did was absolutely insane and wrong on so many levels.”
“I know,” stated Angela with a smirk as she watched the door as well.
Jonas then sighed briefly and added without hesitation, “And thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome, honey.”
The elevator door opened, and the two walked inside with the shared relief that it was empty. However, while Jonas was mostly happy to not deal with anyone else after that spectacle, Angela was relieved for a completely different reason. The sounds of gears turning and the elevator dinging were quickly forgotten when Angela turned to her husband. “Jonas?”
“Yes?” he asked while still looking ahead.
“... Are you as turned on as I am right now?”
“...”
Jonas didn’t say a word, and just slammed the emergency stop button with a clenched claw. In less than ten seconds, both of them had their suits off, and were on the floor of the elevator like primal beasts.
“GAH!!!” All of the Clawston sons tried to cover their ears in a poor attempt to forget that last detail of their Mom’s story. “MOM!” shouted Troy with a disgusted sneer. “We did NOT need to hear that!”
Even with how uncomfortable the rest of the Gryphons looked, the ponies in the room all giggled alongside Troy’s parents. “Well, that was what happened,” said Angela with a prideful smile before patting her stomach. “And that’s also how this came along.”
“That’s still nasty!” griped Blaze loudly. He then shuddered violently and looked like he was going to vomit. “Ugh, I’m gonna think of that next time I see an elevator!”
“HEY!” shouted Blade and Blane. Both of them smacked Blaze over the head. “Thanks a lot, ya chode!” said Blade angrily. “Now I’m gonna be picturin’ that!”
Fluttershy decided to slip out of the couch and avoid any more awkwardness. “Ummm… I’m going to see if Spike needs any help with that coffee.”
The yellow mare hastily scampered toward the door, but paused for a second as her muzzle skewed. She turned back to Angela and asked with a raised brow. “So… did you really have a Changeling in your company?”
“Hm? Oh!” Angela quickly shook her head as she answered honestly. “No, no, of course not! At least, I don’t think Gerald is a Changeling. I just said that because he was the only one I didn’t have any dirt on.”
“Yeah,” said Jonas with a brief sigh of relief. “Believe me, we’re a bit more effective in tracking Changelings than you ponies.”
"And what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Twilight with a disapproving stare at the General.
Jonas just returned the stare and asked bluntly, “Well, whose country got invaded and had a major Changeling infiltration during a time of high alert?”
Twilight wanted to make a snappy retort, but only paused for a second before huffing and returning to her work. “Touchè, General.”
Jonas sat in his seat with a cocky grin, but it was immediately extinguished by a single stern glance from his wife. Fluttershy was happy enough with the answer she received to find Spike, but not before looking to Angela with a smile, “And congratulations, Missus Clawston. I’m really glad that things worked out for you two.”
“Thank you!” said the Gryphoness gratefully before Fluttershy left the room.
“I must say, I’m with Fluttershy on that last part,” added Rarity in an honored tone of voice. Despite the fact that the only free seat was where Fluttershy previously was, the unicorn showed no aversion to sitting beside the triplets as she continued. “While I certainly wouldn’t approve of blackmail in most circumstances, I have to give you credit for going about a situation like that so eloquently.”
“I have to agree!” said Canvas with an stunned smile on his face. He was staring at the Gryphoness with the utmost respect as he tried to fathom what she told everybody. “Like, how were you able to keep your cool like that?! I probably wouldn’t have had half the self-control that you did!”
“Well, it wasn’t like I had much of a choice,” admitted Angela with a small shrug. “They did everything by the book, so I couldn’t really defend myself on their level. It was either go low and have the chance to win, or take the high road and have a guaranteed loss.”
She then added with a talon pointed right at the artist. “That’s just something to remember, young man. No matter what happens in your life, or what you have thrown at you, there’s always a way to win a fight without raising a single hoof.”
Troy and Canvas both stared at Angela briefly. While Troy seemed surprised that his Mom would give that sort of advice to his fiancè, Canvas just let her words sink in before nodding softly. “Thank you, Missus Clawston,” he said with a sincere tone of voice.
Rainbow Dash had an impressed smile pointed at Angela that looked as wide as when she talks to a Wonderbolt. “Okay, I gotta say it! You’re almost as badass as Spitfire!"
“Dash!” shouted Twilight with a disappointed expression towards the mare.
“What?! It’s true!” Rainbow then looked back at Angela and said, “Seriously, let me know when that kid pops out so I can buy you a beer.”
“Oh, you!” Angela blushed a little as she brushed aside Rainbow’s statement with a claw.
“Coffee’s ready!” yelled Spike from the doorway of the dining hall. Wearing his trademark pink apron, the cheerful dragon wheeled in a large cart that was packed inch-by-inch with steaming hot coffee pots. Fluttershy followed with a smaller cart which held all the various creams and sugars.
After handing Troy his pot (and a can of Red Manticore for Canvas since he disliked coffee), Spike rolled the cart over to the lounge area. “So, what’s everyone talking about?”
“Oh, nothing,” answered Angela honestly with a warm smile. She picked up the single pot of tea from the cart and motioned towards her husband. “We were just telling everyone how the baby came along.”
“Ugh.” The drake’s face scrunched in with disgust. “Don’t tell me about it, alright? I’d rather not hear that fru-fru romance stuff.”
“Oh, don’t be so crass,” jeered Rarity while floating several pots towards the triplets. “It really is a nice story, albeit a bit mature for your age.”
The unicorn snuck a glance back at Twilight, who nodded back at her in approval of her wording.
Jonas decided to add to the discussion while placing a claw over his wife’s. “Well, I don’t think the little details really matter. The important thing is that we still have our company, and we’re more than secure for our family.”
“That’s right,” responded Angela with a caring smile and a peck against Jonas’ cheek. She started rubbing her belly as she relaxed in her chair. “Mmmm… I really hope this one will be a girl.”
While Angela rested her claw on top of her stomach, which was just barely showing a hint of a small bump, Jonas gently placed his claw on top of it. “You’re really set on having a daughter, aren’t you?” he asked with a tiny smirk on his jagged beak.
“Well, of course!” Angela looked down at her belly and sighed deeply. “I mean… this’ll probably be our last one...”
Fluttershy’s ears drooped down a little while she finished placing the items from her cart on the coffee table. Rarity seemed a bit downtrotten as well, although she did manage to hide her expression from any of the Gryphons. Lyle, who was staying silent on his side of the couch, just watched his parents as his talons tapped against the armrest.
Jonas took some time to think Angela’s point over, clearly understanding her concern. But instead of dwelling on the idea, the Gryphon just gazed at his wife with a smile and said, “Well… if it does turn out to be our last, at least we know we can make it count, right?”
Angela looked back up at her husband as he added with a shrug, “I mean, we have a good streak going on with the first five, don’t we? I don’t think this one will be any different.”
“Well, probably not the hatchling,” admitted Angela as she tried to smile at her husband’s words. But she was quick to add with an insistent stare back at him. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t be different this time.”
Jonas nodded his head firmly. “Of course, of course,” he said with an honest sternness which made Troy turn his head around. Seeing the sincerity in his Dad’s expression, Troy couldn’t help smiling a little when he heard him say, “Things will be different this time. I promise.”
Angela smiled warmly before bending in to give Jonas a proper kiss on the beak, which was rewarded with several enamored “Awwws” from most of the mares in the room. However, Rainbow Dash, along with Spike and the triplets, all just looked away from the mushy affection with rolls of their eyes.
But when Rainbow Dash turned her head away from the couple, her expression changed to a more cautious observation when she looked over at Lyle. Since everyone else was either busy with wedding plans or getting their coffee ready, nobody but Dash was able to notice the brief, but very bitter scowl that Lyle carried on his face.
While the teenaged Gryphon sat with his forelegs crossed, and his beak tightly shut while pointed at the floor, Rainbow Dash nudged his side a little with a hoof. “Yo Lyle, you alright there?”
Lyle instantly shook his head clear, as though he were getting rid of his sullen look when his feathers became slightly ruffled. “O-oh, uh, yeah…” He then made a small stretch of his back and began to rub his feathers down with a claw. “I think I just need to walk around or something. I’d rather not get cooped up in this room all day.”
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed in him suspiciously. Troy pointed at Lyle and said, “That’s probably a good idea. Canvas and I still have a lot to do, so maybe you and Dad should talk with that tailor about your suits.”
“I’m okay with that,” said Jonas as he groaned and lifted himself out of his chair. “Is his shop nearby?”
Spike was pushing the now empty cart out of the way when he decided to answer. “Actually, I think he’s with his friends at the bowling alley. They have tournaments there a lot, so they basically live there sometimes.” While Lyle and Jonas both took their pots of coffee, which they drank down like most ponies would a cooled down coffee mug, the drake added with a shrug, “I can take you guys there if you want. I already finished all my chores, so it wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Oh, cool.” Lyle downed the last of his near boiling pot like it was nothing, and placed it back on the coffee table as he got up from the couch. “Thanks, Spike!”
“Ummm, Spike?” asked Twilight worriedly before her assistant could walk out the room with the two. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Don’t worry, Twi,” replied Spike with a wave of his claw as he already started to walk to the doorway. “I’ll just drop them off and come back. I won’t go near that guy with the hairnet, I promise.”
With Lyle and Jonas following in tow, the three made their quick goodbyes before leaving the room. Rainbow Dash bit her lip, and made a mental note to talk with Troy and Canvas about Lyle before their trip to Manehattan. Meanwhile, Blane looked over at Rarity and asked, “Uhhh… what’s that about the guy with the hairnet?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.033 seconds
Total duration
996 users online
275,097 hits today, 2,314,256 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.®
Just gonna say this ALL THE SAVAGE
*laughing hard* Oh, I know this may not be technically right-- but Angelea is a pregnant badass! I couldn't help but have a grin on my face the entire time when that flashback happen!
That was awesome. Pure genius. I do wonder what's up with lyle. He doesn't see happy. I wonder is he not looking forward to being the youngest, or is it something else?
Damn Angela, that was pretty bad ass. And you gotta love "morality" homosexuality, bad. Cheating, meh.
needs more diapers. also i have an idea whats up with lyle but its very far out there.
7211030 i.imgur.com/UjTpusS.gif
....I'm just picturing Jesus Pony from the Big Lebowski scene.
7211728
Pretty much, yep.
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/198/687/0ab.png
7211743 Wasn't Jesus a Pedo or something?
Oh that was great, exactly the kind of stuff you see IRL and totally SAVAGE!
We were on our monthly trip to "A Mare's Touch" when Gretchen's feathers stood on end. She froze.
I blinked at her, putting down a selection of beads. "Okay... What is it this time?"
She shivered. "I just... Did you just hear a cougar growl?"
I blinked. "Nooo... I just heard Granny Smith talking to Thunderlane about strapons."
The griffon sighed, leaning against a case of questionable DVDs. "Some day we'll get your kinky sense as tuned as mine. Some day."
"OY!" The shop's proprietor shouted. "No lying on the displays!"
Gretchen winced. "Sorry..."
Angela is best griffon oc.
Hey vclaw! I have a question! Now, in your verse, as of yet, the powers of stupid have not yet descended upon the whole of pony land, mostly because of the canny old girl up on the throne who thankfully has some horse sense, but tell me, how would our good clawstons and Canvas react to knowing that their perfection of craft and self expression was ultimately meaningless
7218344
Honestly, I considered having a scene in one of my stories where Canvas shared his own criticisms over "Modern art." Nothing that would go into huge detail or anything, but maybe the stallion coming home extremely upset after attending a big art show. Troy would massage Canvas' back while he laid in bed, and the pony would talk about how a painting he spent weeks on was overlooked by some guy who just glued a bunch of garbage to an oven and claimed it was "an allegory to the Changeling wars" or some bullcrap like that.
I don't think he'd be against all modern art, but I do think he would eventually have the same mindset as this guy.
Someone's an Affliction of the Heart fan.
7226894
Until volume 4, at least. But still, nice catch!
That kinda reminded me of the board room scene in Dogma.
Fucking awesome!
Why doesn't Twi want Spike near that pony?
7248454
It's referencing a background pony who was shown in the bowling alley in season one, who was clearly based off the character Jesus from The Big Lebowski.
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/198/687/0ab.png
She should have brought those bits of incrimination to the authorities and have it done with. Brought in new people of they type they wanted.
7219091
Kind of a foreshadowing of "Canvas's Movie Night"
YOOOO, Angela fuckin did that!
Also... I’m low-key happy that a Gryphon into ABDL was outed here, it just makes it more interesting.