Chapter 13
“—and that is everything that happened,” Gosling said, explaining why he was late to Raven as he stood at attention. “There is an opportunity to cultivate an ally in the press. I have been paying attention in my communications courses. I now have the means to control the flow of information flowing out.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed and she took a step forwards, getting so close that her nose bumped into Gosling’s. “Let me get this straight, Private Gosling, you wish to take Seville Orange here as your personal press correspondent?”
“Mister Orange is an earth pony. He can’t fly or use magic. Allowing him to be my personal press correspondent would give him the advantage he needs to succeed in his work. I am certain that Mister Orange will be most grateful for a golden opportunity and would never do anything to jeapordise his standing as an official castle correspondent. It is a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties.”
Raven backed away from Gosling and approached Seville Orange. She eyed him, leaning over and staring up at his blackened, swollen eye. She walked in a circle around him, going over every inch of him with a critical eye. She paused when she saw his cutie mark. Not one muscle on Raven’s face betrayed her as she stared.
“Is that an orange press?” Raven asked.
“Yes it is,” Seville replied.
“That is an orange press, for making juice.” Raven’s ears stood up. “A juice press.”
“I decided that I didn’t want to press oranges, I wanted to join the press.”
Raven cleared her throat. “How old are you, Seville?”
“Seventeen, Ma’am.” A bead of sweat rolled down Seville’s brow.
“And you just left the farm one day and came to Canterlot to be a reporter?”
“Yes Ma’am, I did.” Seville gulped.
“Am I to understand that you have tried to re-interpret your cutie mark?” Raven asked in a low voice as she took a step closer to Seville and began to apply pressure. She was going to squeeze this orange, that was for certain.
“I haven’t tried to do anything.” Seville stared straight ahead as more sweat trickled down his face. “I am my own pony. I make my own destiny. I make my own luck. I believe that hard work gets rewarded and that your cutie mark has nothing to do with your success in life. I am an earth pony. I might not have magic, and I can’t fly, but I can do hard work.”
“Do you understand the opportunity you are being offered?” Raven asked in a low, gritty voice, her lips now just inches away from Seville’s twitching ear.
“Yes I do.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed and she raised her left hoof, drawing it up to her barrel and standing on three legs. “And Mister Orange, do you understand what will happen if you betray the trust that Private Gosling is offering you?”
“I understand that I am being offered a once in a lifetime opportunity and this opportunity will give me a career as a reporter.” A rivulet of sweat rolled down Seville’s cheek. The earth pony took a deep breath and gave Raven a sidelong glance, but he did not dare to turn his head to look at her. “I know that I am a nopony fresh off of the farm and I know that castle correspondents are usually seasoned reporters with many years under their hats.”
“You’ve had no schooling,” Raven said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“No I haven’t,” Seville replied in a quavering voice.
“We cannot have a credentialed correspondent that has no formal education—”
Seville let out a whimper and his ears drooped.
“—so if you wish to have this position, you must go to school. If you need assistance, I can make arrangements. I look after my friends. Do you want to be my friend, Mister Orange?” Raven glanced over at Gosling, then her eyes glanced back to Seville. She looked up at Seville’s ears, which were now standing back up in an almost hopeful manner. “But a smart pony such as yourself doesn’t need school to realise that you work for us and not for whatever paper has you in their stable of reporters.”
Seville nodded, his head bobbing up and down with great enthusiasm as his ears flapped.
“I think we can find a mutually beneficial arrangement of friendship, Mister Orange. One of my assistants will be returning your camera shortly. I am positive that he can fix it, and if he can’t, well, I think we have a camera around here somewhere. Be on your best behaviour today, Mister Orange.”
Seville let out a whimper of relief as Raven stepped away from him. The orange had been squeezed, and sweat fell like juice droplets. He sucked in a deep breath, held it, and let it out in a slow huff of relief.
“Private Gosling, do not be late ever again, or I will have you disciplined. Harshly.” Raven’s brows furrowed as she invaded Gosling’s space once more. Again she stood muzzle to muzzle with the colt. Raven breathed on Gosling, who stood stock still at attention, ignoring her tickling breath upon him. “Private Gosling, I have a batch of official dispatches that need to be delivered within the hour. Please see to them at once.”
Raven stepped away, paused, and then turned her steely gaze upon the colt standing at attention. “I am pleased with how this has worked out. You have done well, Private Gosling. I will be informing Princess Celestia of your serendipitous actions this morning. She will be pleased.” Raven nodded. “That is all, you are dismissed, Private Gosling.”
Turning, Raven faced Seville Orange once more. “You however, I wish to continue to talk to you, so that I might know more about you, Mister Orange… friends must get to know one another...”
Closing her eyes, Celestia enjoyed a rare moment of being pampered. Twilight Velvet ran a curry comb over her pelt and the soft touch soothed Celestia’s aching, twitching muscles. The middle aged mare with young eyes sat beside Celestia, smiling, her eyes were bright and merry.
“Twilight will be here soon,” Twilight Velvet said as she ran the curry comb along Celestia’s spine. “She is a little frazzled. It has been a lot of work to prepare for the opening of her school. I hope today will not be stressful for her. She needs a little time to unwind.”
“I think we could all use a little time to unwind,” Celestia replied as she almost melted.
“My work is just beginning.” Twilight Velvet’s smile grew wider. “It is good work though, and I am glad to do it.” She ran the comb over the area just between Celestia’s wings, trying to smooth out the whorls of hair on Celestia’s pelt. “Ready for your big day?”
“You make it sound like I’m getting married,” Celestia said to Twilight Velvet. “It’s just a press conference, nothing more.”
“I’m starting to lose hope in my little Twily getting married any time soon.” Twilight Velvet’s smile became a frown and she heaved a maternal sigh. “She’s oblivious to the very idea it seems. Or maybe she’s just hiding a suitor away and doing such a fine job that none of us know about it. If that’s the case, I don’t see how she is fooling Cadance.”
Celestia opened her eyes and looked at the mare brushing her.
“A mother has wants and needs. Her foals grow up and the house feels empty.” Twilight Velvet heaved a sigh and shook her head. When Twilight Velvet spoke again, her voice was thick and gritty with emotion. “Having Flurry around makes it even harder. She’s there for a while and then gone again. They say that’s the best part of being a grandparent… you get to spoil your grandfoals and then send them home, no hard work involved. I don’t want to send little Flurry home.”
Blinking, Celestia watched as Twilight Velvet’s eyes misted over.
“Listen to me, carrying on.” The mare offered up a brave smile and then began to hum as she continued brushing.
As she started to say something, Celestia felt a catch in her throat. She let out a demure, polite cough, swallowed, and tried again. “Velvet, as I am sure you know, in the near future, I might become a mother”—Celestia’s own voice sounded strange to her, almost croaking, her own emotions at the moment were almost too much to bear—“perhaps I am putting the cart in front of the pony, but I think it is safe to assume that such a thing is inevitable.” Celestia swallowed again, trying to get the enormous lump out of her throat. “Velvet, what I am trying to say is, well, Gosling has his mother and she’ll make a fine grandmother, but one grandmother is never enough…”
It became far more difficult to speak when Celestia saw tears streaming down Twilight Velvet’s cheeks, but Celestia kept going, knowing there was no stopping now. “I would be honoured if you would stand in as the grandmother to my foals. I would be proud to have them recognise you as such.”
The only reply from Twilight Velvet was a gasp. The curry comb fell from her telekinetic field and the middle aged mare lunged for Celestia. She collided with a muffled, well padded whump! and wrapped her forelegs around Celestia’s neck. Squeezing her eyes shut, Twilight Velvet began sobbing.
Closing her eyes, Celestia allowed herself to be held, treasuring this precious moment.
Trotting beside Princess Celestia, Raven entered into the main hall. Princess Celestia’s coat had been brushed to an extraordinary finish, making her look almost pearlescent. It was almost as if she glowed with her own inner luminessence. She looked perfect, flawless, the princess looked magnificent. Raven looked frumpy, as she always looked frumpy, because a frumpy assistant made the princess look even better by comparison.
It was not a formal enough event for a gown—but more formal events would be coming later. Raven looked around the room, looking at the various members of the gathered press. Most were mooches, reporters here for the free food, the entertainment, and later, the open bar.
Blueblood was in his position and Raven felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so snide, so sarcastic, so perfect, just sitting there with his eyebrow arched, looking disgusted by everything around him. Shining Armor stood near a table loaded down with breakfast foods, talking to several reporters while munching on a pink frosted donut. Princess Cadance was examining the floral bouquets, taking time to stop and sniff the flowers, as the old saying went. There was no sign of Twilight. Raven felt the first faint pangs of real worry. She suspected that Celestia also noticed Twilight’s absence, as she heard a faint gasp from the white alicorn walking beside her.
No sign of Private Gosling, but he was accounted for. Raven knew his exact location due to his armor. He was doing his job and would return soon. When he returned, he would be properly disheveled, a bit sweaty, and run down—a working member of the guard who had duties, even on momentous days like this one.
Raven heard laughter and turned her head. Flurry Heart was out on the floor, standing near Night Light. The foal was giggling as her picture was being taken. Who had invited the little disaster? Raven felt a moment of real, genuine panic.
What if Flurry had a surge and disintegrated somepony? That would be bad. That would be very bad. Raven looked around the room and noted the many members of the press. Okay, maybe not so bad. Maybe not bad at all. It might even be a good thing. Raven pushed the thoughts from her mind and made herself pay attention so she could do her job.
There was a collective gasp from most of the ponies present when Twilight Sparkle entered the room. Twilight looked more than a little frazzled. Her mane was a bit messy, her eyes were bloodshot, and she appeared to have been pulling an all nighter, the next day, and then the next night as well. Raven made a mental note to find an excuse to get Twilight out of the press conference and into a private room as soon as possible before something awful happened.
Twilight and the press didn’t get along very well and a sleep deprived Twilight Sparkle was a dangerous Twilight Sparkle. Raven watched as Twilight made a beeline for Flurry Heart and her father, making very silly faces as she approached her niece, trying to make her giggle. Several flashbulbs went off.
Twilight froze, mid step, and Raven felt a growing sense of alarm. Beside her, she heard Celestia gasp and Night Lights sharp inhalation could be heard through the entire room. Somepony had just invited disaster.
“Hey, you print that in the paper and make up some nonsense about me, and I will absolutely wreck you, just like I wrecked Tirek, you little piece of—”
It was too late, somepony had aroused the ire of Twilight Sparkle, Equestria’s friendliest princess... Raven sighed and prepared herself for cleanup.
Stepping through the doors, sweaty, disheveled, and wind battered, Gosling took a deep breath. A powerful headwind had challenged him the entire flight back from Ponyville. He suspected that Raven was responsible. Why he had to deliver an official dispatch to Bon Bon the candy maker was a mystery that he could no longer think about at the moment, as every eye in the room was now on him.
Gosling blinked as his picture was taken.
“Private Gosling, back from your rounds?” Raven’s voice carried through the room with practiced ease and she didn’t even need a microphone or magical amplification. A smile spread over her muzzle, a slow creeping smile, slow like jam over bread.
“No,” Gosling replied, keeping as straight faced as possible. “I never left… I was snooping in Prince Blueblood’s room this whole time, looking at his collection of lacy unmentionables. I didn’t know they made fishnet garters and a chastity crupper in his size.”
The room filled with stunned silence. Mouths hung open. The level of quiet was deafening. After a second, sound returned, the sounds of eyelids blinking, and that was the only sound to be heard.
Then there was a sarcastic laugh, followed by a slow clap. Blueblood sat on his haunches, clapping his front hooves together, his lip curled back in a vicious sneer. “Bravo, Private Gosling… bravo.” The slow clopping clap echoed through the room.
Some of the ponies in the room began snickering and chortling. One of those was Princess Celestia. Another was Raven. Gosling, feeling relieved, took a deep breath. Some of the press were laughing. It was, after all, Blueblood’s job to be disliked, so Gosling’s vicious jab was bound to be appreciated. Blueblood would probably congratulate him on it later.
“Private Gosling, do come over here,” Princess Celestia said in a warm, sweet voice. “I believe the press would like to have a picture of us together.”
Sweaty, windswept, and looking like he had just flown through a tornado, Gosling strutted over. There was no sense being shy about it. His tail probably looked like a total disaster. His feathers were all mussed. He squared his gaze upon Raven, and tried to give her a knowing glare. She had done this to him. This was her doing.
He stood before his princess and gave her a smile as he looked up. She was tall, regal, and majestic. She was slender in some places, curvy in others, tall, and something about her neck mashed all of the right buttons in Gosling’s brain. Celestia’s curving neck was spank bank material, that was for certain. He longed to rub his muzzle along her neck’s graceful curves, feeling the softness of her throat, the soft, warm throb of blood pulsing through her arteries. Maybe a little nibble down below her jaw, and then he could work his way up towards her ears. She had magnificent ears. He wondered what it would be like to whisper sweet nothings in her ears, his forelegs wrapped around her neck, as he draped his body over her back—
“Private Gosling, I have said your name three times now,” Princess Celestia said in a firm, commanding voice.
Gosling blinked. “I am sorry, but I was stricken by your exquisite beauty. I looked into your eyes and got lost.” He watched as Celestia’s face turned pink. “Do forgive your most humble servant, around you I cannot keep hold on my reason.” Celestia’s lower lip began to quiver and Gosling gave her a flirtatious wink.
“A perfect moment for a photo,” Blueblood suggested as he reached beneath the table with his left foreleg. He pulled out a stool and then laughed. He gave the stool a kick, sent it sliding over the floor, and his eyebrow rose when it came to a halt near Gosling. “Don’t worry Gosling, I’m having the finest highchair that money can buy crafted so you can see over the edge of the table at dinner time.”
Biting his lip, Gosling swallowed his laughter and looked at the stool. He was only somewhat aware of the flashbulbs going off. He looked up at Celestia, then back down at the stool. He understood the purpose of the stool—Celestia was far taller than he was. Plus, there was Blueblood’s quip about his age. Gosling saw opportunity to rise above his public humiliation—an act of course. But Gosling could use this to his advantage.
He nudged the stool over to Princess Celestia and then sat down beside it. He looked up at the princess, his princess, and cleared his throat. “Heart’s Dearest, while this isn’t the pedestal that you deserve, it is the best I could come up with on short notice. Would you allow me the honour of placing you upon it, so that I might worship you and bask in your glorious, heart stopping radiance?”
There were gasps from all around the room, including from Celestia.
Gosling pulled his helmet off and placed it upon the floor beside him, allowing his messy, mussed up mane to come spilling down. He gazed up at Celestia, his attention once again drawn to her neck. As he sat there, gazing up at her in adoration, Celestia stepped onto the stool, balancing upon it with regal grace, making herself even taller.
Reaching out his right front hoof, he grasped Celestia’s left foreleg and give it a tender squeeze in his fetlock. He lifted her gilded hoof and she balanced on her three remaining legs. Bowing his neck, he kissed her gilded shoe, and then began working his way up, leaving a trail of kisses as he went, his lips lingering upon her velvet leg. Eyes closed, he did not notice the flashbulbs going off all around him as the press went into a frenzy.
This might slow down for a while. I have other things I must look after. 
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Uh.... color me confused. WTF is going? This is the weirdest press conference I've ever heard of. Wouldn't the end result of this be something along the lines of Celestia has as Boy Toy and is encouraging it/him? This seems really nuts.
However, I'm sure there's a good reason for all of this.
7156471
It is both a press con and a social mixer. A casual, relaxed atmosphere. A chance for the press to get to know the royals under casual circumstances.
Think of it as a meet and greet.
Six month hiatus begins....NOW!
7156491
I have a Chase chapter that I've been toying around and flirting with. Now I have blue balls. Been playing with it for too long with no release.
Slow down? So only one update a day then?
Sorry, that joke was practically a requirement. And we see the plan coming together.
exgirlfriendrecovery.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/plan-comes-together.jpg
No you tease there can be nothing more important then this.
just kidding, 
I will wait patiently for the next chapter. 
7156477
Ah, it's a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere than I thought originally.
Uh.... shouldn't there be one more alicorn in the mix; tall, blue, somehow related to Celestia. Something tells me she'll add some flavor to this already interesting mix should she show up.
7156660
If only somepony could wake her.
Don't worry, she shows in the next chapter. She makes a very sleepy appearance.
Pls no.
7156500
You gotta do what you gotta do--but thanks for your efforts! I've been loving the daily updates--and it's actually made me re-think how I want to do my own fics!
Wow, never have i seen someone fuck up so correctly before. And damn, Twilight, get some sleep before you kill someone! And Kudz, tell is what the press hath done to dear Twilight.
Oh great he's feeding the press with silliness
DAMN IT KUDZ I NEED LOST CHAPTERS!!! You're the only author of clip who's fucking readable
...
7157504
7156500 Don't you dare...
Unless you're going to update MFD or Maude and Tarnish...
7157516
Wat?
I'm not allowed to update the Chase?
7157530 Blargh sorry, I'm stressed. Didn't mean to come off that way. I just haven't read The Chase and been more a fan of the Weedverse :P so i said something without really thinking it. You got every right to update whatever the heck you want.
Again, sorry! 5000 word paper due tmrw :P.
7157539
7157542 Not funny. My main computer just decided to BSOD... thank god for Skydrives!!!!
7157616 that what happens when you don't read chase-verse
as for this fic... the little duckling has one hell of a pair... playing the game like a pro
7154167 Working on it. (good thing I read Really fast)
This poor dude is about to be juiced. There'll be nothing left but the pulp.
Possibly in another dimension?
Hey, massively disruptive foals will be foals.
Oh, oh my.
Wait, here's where I should have said "oh my".
"...What if Flurry had a surge and disintegrated somepony? That would be bad. That would be very bad. Raven looked around the room and noted the many members of the press. Okay, maybe not so bad. Maybe not bad at all. It might even be a good thing...."
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." --Mark Twain
7185079
Ah, the great Mark Twain, master of wit.
"Velvet, Night Light, we raised one amazing princess."
Also holy FUCK Gosling is a natural.
7157539 5000 words? Aka about half an hours chapter work for Kudz XD
Hmm...
It is both interesting and sad that this is the first fic I've read where Celestia and Velvet have a close relationship. Usually in fics, if they have any kind of relationship other than neutral, it's Velvet resenting Celestia for 'stealing' Twilight (and maybe Shining) from her. It's nice to see something like this for a change.