Chapter 17
“He has returned,” a guard said as he stuck his head into the situation room where Celestia and the others were waiting. The guard bowed his head, causing the overhead light to glint off of his armor. There were no windows in this room, just fortified stone. “The future consort appears to be okay.” Saying nothing else, the guard withdrew.
Sighing with relief, Celestia was still not satisfied with this answer. She rose from where she had been sitting, arched her back, let out a most unladylike grunt, and then went over to stand near the door. She waited, chewing upon her lip, her wings fidgeting against her sides, the corners of her eyes crinkled with worry.
Raven had resumed her outward appearance of calm and waiting with stoic patience. Beside her, Twilight Sparkle was reading over a thick field report. Twilight’s brows had deep furrows. Shining Armor was sitting beside her and reading over her shoulder. Cadance almost appeared sleepy; her eyes were almost closed and she was taking deep, regular breaths. Luna appeared to be wide awake and was chugging down oily brown coffee by the quart.
When the door opened and Gosling appeared, Celestia moved with terrifying, almost supernatural speed. She lifted him up in her telekinesis, pulled off his helmet, and then began peeling away the rest of his armor, looking him over, her eyes going over every inch, looking for wounds that she hoped weren’t there.
Gosling was at first shocked by this, but recovered, and dangling in the air, he reached out and touched Celestia’s cheek. “I’m fine, but we were followed by a group of strange pegasi for a while.”
A low, guttural growl could be heard in the base of Celestia’s throat as she set Gosling down upon the floor and tossed aside his armor into the corner. Unable to restrain herself, she slammed into him, pinning him against the wall, and she remained pressed against him, needing to feel him, needing to feel him breathing. She rubbed herself up against Gosling in an almost cat-like way, a look of relief visible upon her face.
“Everything has gone white,” Gosling said in a strained voice as he was smooshed. “White out conditions confirmed!”
Raven, who had come over, pulled a scroll tube out of the compartment on Gosling’s armor, which now lay in a heap on the floor. Raven wasted no time, she broke the wax seal, yanked the scroll inside out, and began reading. The wooden scroll tube clattered to the floor.
“What does it say?” Shining Armor asked.
Raven did not reply right away, still reading the report. Her ears drooped and an expression of relief was visible upon her face as she let heave a massive sigh, her barrel expanding as big as it could go before it began to contract again. Looking up from the dispatch, Raven cleared her throat.
“No deaths reported, but the damage is extensive. The passengers of the train were very, very brave and they made sure that not one life was lost.” Raven rolled up the scroll and carried it with her as she went over and sat down at the table.
“What just happened?” Gosling asked.
Turning her head, Raven started to say something in reply, but was cut off by Shining Armor, who held his head high and said, “A train trestle was blown up as the train was passing over it. From what little we know from the initial report, which was sent via unsecured means, most of the train was already across the trestle. Two passenger cars and a caboose dangled over the edge when the bridge went. The report mentions that some very brave ponies made a rescue of those ponies left in the cars that were hanging.”
Raven nodded. “The dangling cars were dragging the train backwards into the gorge. The engineer had to keep the engine at full throttle just to keep it from going over. After every pony was pulled free, the decision was made to cut the two passenger cars and the caboose free.” Raven slumped over in her chair and her head fell backwards against the rest. “Nopony was killed. Thank goodness.”
“You made remarkable time in reaching the guardpost,” Celestia said to Gosling as she sat down beside him on the floor. Without warning, she glomped him, almost crushing him in a most unprincessly manner. “Those wings of yours are for more than show.” Unable to restrain her affections, Celestia pressed her muzzle against Gosling’s cheek, kissing him, glad to have him alive and breathing. She didn’t seem bothered by the fact that she was squeezing the life out of him, and she ignored his squirming, his struggling, and his wide, bulging eyes.
“I think we all know who is responsible for this,” Shining Armor said.
“We don’t know that for certain,” Raven replied, holding up one hoof.
“Things haven’t been right since Starlight Glimmer’s attempt to disrupt the timeline—”
“Shining Armor, do not attack my pupil.” Twilight’s voice was cold and hard as she spoke to her brother, and her eyes held a stern warning. She leaned forwards over the table and her ears pitched forwards over her eyes.
“I’m not attacking your pupil, just what she did. She’s left us weakened with an exposed gap in our armor.” Shining Armor returned his sister’s hard, unyielding gaze. “Too many hold her up as a martyr lost to their cause. Her very name has become a rallying cry for the equalist movement. Far too many now want our Monarchy to end and our entire way of life to be toppled. Like it or not Twilight, she did this to us, this plague upon both our society and our safety.”
Swallowing an angry retort, Twilight said nothing. She turned away from her brother and stared at some nonexistent point of interest upon the wall. Shining Armor’s hardened gaze became apologetic, but Twilight didn’t see it. Shining Armor slumped in his chair and sighed.
“We face many threats,” Luna grumbled, “these ponies who seek equality but attack the very ponies they claim they wish to protect. The organised crime families in Manehattan that we can do very little about. To bring about their end would be to plunge the city into chaos. It sickens me that we have to allow their continued existence just to keep order.”
“Equestria has grown quite large while you were gone, dearest Luna,” Cadance said. “This is no longer a collection of fiefdoms that can be kept under control by an army of guards and knights. Shining Armor absolutely abhors the crime families of Manehattan and wishes to dismantle them, but we’ve already seen what happens when you disturb the careful illusion of order in that city. It is not something we can afford to do again.”
“It feels like the more our population grows, the less influence and power my sister and I have,” Luna remarked, her eyes narrowing as she tapped upon the edge of the table with her hoof.
“Manehattan is a savage city,” Gosling said, tossing his opinion in as Celestia continued to cuddle him without mercy. “I grew up there. I remember a few years back the wave of arson that we had. Ma was always worried that our apartment building would get torched. That earth pony, whatshername, she went to war against the fires in the city.”
“Mmm, my future prince is a savage come from savage lands,” Celestia said in a low murmur. “I think we need a Manehattanite in the castle. A little savagery might do us good.”
“So, uh, if you don’t mind me asking,” Gosling said as he twisted around so he could get a better look at Celestia. “What happened with the headlines this morning?”
“Ugh, I have no desire to talk about that,” Celestia replied in disgust.
“Okay.” Wiggling a hoof free, Gosling pressed it against Celestia’s lips to silence her. “You don’t get to talk about it. Who wants to fill me in about what is going on?”
As Celestia’s eyes went wide and then blinked a few times in shock at being silenced, it was Cadance who provided an answer. “Skyfire Flash made some rather horrific statements about you, including the claim that you coerced her into unwanted sex.”
“What?” Gosling squirmed in Celestia’s grip, but the big white mare doubled down, refusing to let go. “The whole school called me queer because I refused to bang that broad! She started that rumour!” In Gosling’s anger, his Manehattanite accent thickened. His ears stood up in anger and the corner of his eye began twitching. He thrashed against Celestia’s embrace, but she was far stronger.
“She has a very elaborate story that she told the papers.” Cadance held silent hopes that Celestia could keep a good grip on Gosling. The colt looked murderous and his anger frightened Cadance just a little. The good natured colt that she knew and loved was gone. “She said that she made up the story of your separation so she could protect her reputation.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Twilight snorted in disgust and rolled her eyes.
“Twilight, after having read her ‘interview,’ I can say that she doesn’t strike me as being particularly bright.” Cadance blinked, then turned to look at Gosling. “What did you see in her, anyway?”
“Fu—”
Gosling’s reply was silenced by Celestia kissing him on the lips just long enough to smother the word escaping his mouth.
“—if I know,” Gosling finished when Celestia pulled away.
“She claims that she had to make up an elaborate break up story in order to keep her reputation intact. She claims to be a good girl, a daddy’s girl, and that she didn’t want her father’s heart broken, so she made up everything to protect herself and protect him. She contradicts herself several times in her own interview. She claims that you raped her, and when she begged you to stop so she wouldn’t be a pregnant teenage mother, you beat her, punching her in the face repeatedly, then sodomised her and left her unable to attend school for two weeks.”
Gosling once again thrashed against Celestia’s embrace. “That dumb broad fell down and busted her dock while we was ice skating at the Clopperfeller Center! She also broke a tooth and split her lip open! That’s why she was out of school for two weeks… that lying, conniving bi—”
Once more, Celestia applied the kiss of censorship, a swift gentle peck that stifled the unsavoury word that Gosling had uttered. After she pulled away, she pressed her lips against Gosling’s ear and whispered the words, “Mind your temper, Gosling. Vulgarity does not become you.”
“Pregnant teenage mother…” Shining Armor let out a disgusted wicker and shook his head. “I wonder if she was coached by the reporter on what to say.” The unicorn leaned over, tapped his sister with his hoof, and said, “I’m sorry, Twily.”
Turning to look at her brother, Twilight replied, “I’m not angry… not with you, anyway.”
“The press are still gathered.” Raven’s face became a professional mask. “We should prepare a statement about what happened with the train. How do we present this? Terrorism? Do we dismiss this as random disaster and say that the bridge just gave way because it was old and the wood was rotten? How do we spin this?”
“We tell the truth,” Celestia said, relaxing her grip upon Gosling. “We tell them that the bridge was sabotaged, but we don’t know by who. We then brand whomever is responsible as cowards, gutless cowards that brazenly attack defenseless, unarmed civilians.”
“I’ll do it,” Shining Armor offered. “I can do the elder statespony thing to draw in much needed public sympathy. I can be the calm, quiet voice of reason that our nation needs in our time of national crisis.”
“Thou art very good at it,” Luna said, offering Shining Armor a compliment. She appeared distracted and upset. “We dost find Ourselves in most vexing times…” She shook her head and said nothing else, her words fading.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia closed her eyes and her ears went limp against her temples. “I’m sorry, but I want some time alone with Gosling. Make up or say whatever needs to be said to excuse my absence.”
“Sure thing, Auntie,” Shining Armor replied as everypony made ready leave.
Now alone, Celestia patted the cushion she had sprawled out upon, inviting Gosling to come and sit beside her. He seemed troubled, she had seen and heard a side of him that was new to her. His projection of confidence had slipped away and she had seen an angry, troubled colt. It made her love him all the more.
He appeared to be anxious when he came over and sat down beside her. It was obvious that he was out of sorts, she could see the hurt in his eyes. He began preening his wings, not as a perverse sexual display, but out of nervous worry. His movements were jerky, clumsy, and she wondered if he felt self conscious somehow preening in front of her.
“Gosling…”
The colt did not reply, but gave a hard tug on one of his mussed primaries. She heard him yelp deep down in his throat. She sat there, frozen with indecision, not quite sure what to do. He was so much like her in some of his mannerisms. She too, was sometimes a little too rough when she preened during tense moments.
She didn’t want to see him start plucking himself.
Feeling very much like a scared school filly, Celestia slid herself over the cushion and got closer to Gosling. She took a deep breath, licked her lips, and then she did what was perhaps the most intimate thing that two pegasi could do with one another. She took his wing in her magic, pulled it from his body, and she began preening him. He went rigid as her tender touch fell upon him. She went to work, smoothing out his primaries, they were in quite a state after all of the flying he had done this day. She could feel her heart thudding in her throat. She was terrified that he might pull away, that he might resist her advances. Her own tension increased to the point where she worried that she might start crying.
But he did not pull away. He sat there, frozen, his eyes wide, almost as if he couldn’t believe this was happening. Celestia eyed him as she worked. She could taste the salty sweat encrusted in his wings, the dust, dirt, and grime left her tongue feeling gritty. This was an odd moment and Celestia was confused. Was this maternal? Pegasi preened their young until they were old enough to do it themselves, then the practice stopped. It was a very intimate act, preening others. She hoped that she wasn’t mothering him, he got enough mothering from Sleet. She wanted to give him something else. She scooted a little closer so that she could do a better job.
She could hear the sounds of his breathing in her ears, each breath going in and out was a ragged gasp. She could feel his whole body trembling. She worked to smooth out his ruffled, neglected feathers and felt something between them, some spark, some connection. She sniffed and the unmistakable scent of musky male arousal lingered in her nostrils.
Lifting her head, Celestia gave Gosling the most smouldering, inviting stare that she could muster. She gazed into his eyes, trying to see past them, trying to peer into his soul. He was shaking and she knew even without looking down that he was trying to hide himself from her, a part of him had spilled out. The scent of his eagerness teased her senses.
“Gosling, if your princess bade you to take her, would you?” Celestia asked in a low whisper.
“No, my princess, I would not,” Gosling replied in a raspy, squeaky voice.
“If I were to offer myself up to you right now, you would refuse me?”
“Yes I would.” Gosling swallowed and Celestia watched the lump travel down his slender neck.
“We both know how this will end. We shall be together… I have a need, I can tell that you have a need… and Cadance even says that a couple should see how things work before they marry.” Celestia felt a growing warmth in her belly as she advanced upon Gosling. He would have all the eagerness of youth. She bit her lip for a moment, thinking of how things might be. Her mind filled with feverish images of clumsy, but affectionate grappling, in her ears she could hear heavy breathing, and her heart thudded against her ribs.
“Heart’s Dearest,” Gosling said in a low, strained voice as he struggled to control himself, “you fell in love with me because of how I am. If I changed who I was, I would not be the pony you fell in love with. If I changed who I was just to satisfy you, I would be betraying you, and you would be betraying me, because the two of us would be bedding a stranger.”
Pausing, her muzzle now inches from his, Celestia gazed into his eyes. “Then I suppose there is only one thing we can do to remedy this situation, my dearest Gosling…”
- Wow, it's like a whole bunch of people all started screaming all at once.
The next story in this series will be called The Perilous Gestation of Swans.
Prepare for a bombshell. That's all I'm saying. Word to your moms, I came to drop bombs...
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So who wants some fire roasted bitch?
7168428
I got the BBQ sauce all ready for some smoked bitch.
Hanging quotation mark at the end. And oh, boy, the smell or burning feathers is gonna be in the air when they get a hold of Skyfire...
7168457
7168449
7168428
Spoiler alert!
Blueblood is going to offer to be her friend. He wants to help her.
Wow... she's pulling the rape card, really, after she already ruined his life once just because he wouldn't put out? How very classy of her. There's a saying, 'never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity,' but this is one of the few times that malice and stupidity go hand in hand.
The worst part? The papers win no matter what happens. Either Gosling is a 'rapist,' and they sell papers, the public is undecided and they play the fence... and sell papers, or Skyfire Flash is a liar, and they sell papers. So long as none of them where stupid enough to write libel, which they probably were.
7168457
I think you mean SkyPyre....
Kudzu, I very much approve of your smaller story arcs under different names in the Weed 'verse. It makes them easier to digest and keep track of. Thank you.
Another series to hold my rapt attention! Bravo al maximo!
So are Luna & Twilight going to get their own stallion?
7168590
I have no idea. For now, I am content to write on my current projects.
Don't be surprised if Kudzu jumps around.
Ah, the Emma Sulkowicz tactic. He wants to leave me? I will acuse him of rape!
So Holly declared war on the arsonists huh. I would love to hear more of this.
7168478 They did write libel, it just wasn't their libel.
Gorram you, Kudzu--I was reading this chapter to relax!!
How are you so goshdarn good? I'm seriously envious.
things go in an interesting direction to say the least
I wondered where Zecora was hiding, in the author's note she is abiding.
Oh dear, shit going down here. And another story! Christ's sake Kudz!
So... Are they marrying right then and there?
7168822 its already out. MFD. You'll find it in Weed World.
7168872
Yep read and favorited. Just trying to hint at the almighty Kudzuhiku that she needs a chapter update. Kudzu, where they out to late at the show?
7168880 Dmanit! I had a suspicion that would be the case!
7168880
Ugh, so much needs updating. My schedule fell into shit with the move and my life going into utter chaos.
7168475 :| You used the word 'Friend' .....I have suspicions you do not mean that word in the usual sense...
7168955
Hello, Friendo...
7168966 :C I'm scared.
Ugh, you are going to skip the sex scene, aren't you? Fine! You are lucky your writing is perfect! :D
Awesome work as always!
7168592 ok
7168511 wait, are you saying you don't like 3 million word fics strung out over 1000 chapters? You know who this author is, right?
(just kidding)
so... many... CROSS REFERENCES!
(I love it!)
7168872
Weed World! Weed World! Party time! Excellent!
7169119
Personally, I'm waiting for the dead-tree version of The Chase. I've already got a spare room set aside for the entire set.
Dangit, Celestia, you were a swan-pony, now you're a cat-pony? Pick a species!
Damn, so we're talking actually terrorism, with Starlight as the martyr figure?
Damn x2, apparently when it rains it hails.
Oh good, terrorism.
I'm hoping this doesn't become a recurring thing.
7168478 its not quite a situation the press likes either way is mostly a win. In the first they run the risk of annoying the crown especially as long as its Skyfire's word against Goslings, though his leaving school because of it would say that is an indication that he was guilty.
In the second there is likely backlash from those that refuse to accept the truth. Those that believe Celestia abuse her power to make the papers say the original story was a lie ot those that like with Starlight refuse to believe Skyfire wasn't coerced into saying she lied.
7168511 Well since kudzuhaiku used the plural which might be a teaser. Gosling could become a father with both Celestia and Luna at the same time. He could have children with one or the other though Luna at the moment seems a little more unlikely as they are only friends
I liked the censorship kisses.
And now I want to start an indie pop bajd called censorship kisses.
Has Shining Armor forgotten that Starlight Glimmer is absolutely repentant and remorseful of the actions she previously committed?!
7168592 fuckin better not m8 Twilights mine
jk
kinda
7450865
Did you read the chapter, friendo? Shining points out Starlight has changed, but the movement she started has only gotten stronger now that she's left it. The new leaders have used her as a rallying banner, saying their precious founder has been mind-wiped by the alicorns to be their obedient slave.
-I- may not like the Mary Sue but Shining clearly states it is her Equalists who are the problem, not her.