When Celestia stepped into the small, cosy dining room for breakfast, she was greeted by a strange sight and her ears were treated to the most wonderful sound. Luna was laughing—the great big belly laughs of long ago, back when Luna was still the bearer of the Element of Laughter. Hearing it froze Celestia in place, and she watched as the surreal, but funny moment unfolded.
Gosling was chasing Luna around the dining table, the pair of them moving with an almost geriatric slowness. Luna was limping along on three legs and even with her laughter, her eyes flashed with pain. Gosling moved with a slow, almost regal gait. He wobbled a bit, stumbled, but did not fall as it was Luna who was helping to hold him up. Blueblood and Raven both were reading day planners and schedules, ignoring the merry chase that encircled them.
“Away with thee, thou hast cooties! We hath been informed by an expert in such things!”
“Eh, you’re so getting cooties once I catch you!”
“Away! Away with thee, for thou art a moveable feast for unwelcome lice and mites! Thine ears art a whorse’s hallway for vermin!”
When Luna saw her sister standing in the doorway, she came to a halt, almost lost her balance, and very nearly fell over when Gosling bumped into her from behind, as he was unable to stop in time. The only thing that kept both of them from toppling over was Celestia, who held them as she studied them, trying to figure what was going on.
“Luna… have you regressed into foalhood again? Cooties? Really?” With no effort at all, Celestia lifted both Luna and Gosling into the air, sat them down, and scooted their chairs into the table. “And Gosling, should you be out of bed?”
“Doc says I’m cleared for a bit of walking, it will be good for me,” Gosling replied as Celestia sat herself down between him and Luna. “But I’m stuck eating bland food and I’m supposed to avoid stress for a while. So be gentle with me.”
“You know, Gosling, as far as wedding gifts go, there are better ones than the cooties.” Celestia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Day in and day out I deal with the plague of cooties in my school. I never understood the fear of cooties.”
Luna, her eyes merry, angled her head so that she might look up at her sister. A wide, somewhat sleepy looking grin was upon her face. She rested her front hooves upon the edge of the table, tapping one of them with a light touch, and the sound made Blueblood glance at her with a raised eyebrow.
Ignoring her sister, Celestia focused her gaze upon Gosling and her expression became one of utmost seriousness. “Gosling… we need to have a little discussion. Nothing stressful, mind you, but what is this I hear about you not wanting magical healing?”
Across the table, Raven put down her day planner and focused upon Gosling.
Licking his lips, put on the spot, Gosling stared down at his plate, which had no food yet. One ear twitched and after a moment, he looked up at Celestia. “Is magical healing available for everypony?”
Eyes narrowing, Celestia realised that a contest of wills was in order. “Gosling, the gift of magical healing is a rare one indeed. It exists, but those who can perform it are few and far in between. Equestria is filled with millions and millions of ponies. It is a physical impossibility for everypony to get magical healing.”
“But, because of my position, I can get it, am I hearing this right?” Gosling’s ears drooped down to the sides of his head and he took on a very submissive pose. “Because I’m going to be the future consort, I can get something that other ponies can’t.”
“Gosling, think of it this way,” Blueblood said, “much is expected of you. You need to be in peak physical condition to do your job and what is expected of you. This isn’t abusing the system, this is using the system to help yourself so you can continue to help others.”
“And that’s fine and all, but what about some poor, sick, single mom that has a house full of foals depending on her and she gets sick? Much is expected of her as well.” Gosling’s voice grew raspy and a faint wheeze could be heard within his barrel. “What help does she get?”
Raven let out a snort and grinned, but before she could say anything, she was cut off by Celestia, who said, “Don’t you dare encourage this, Raven! So help me, you stay out of this!” Admonished, the little mare slumped down in her seat and gave Celestia a petulant stare. It was upon her apprentice’s withers to defeat the commanding alicorn in a battle of wits.
“Gosling, it is physically impossible for everypony to have access to this resource. We use it strategically—when disease and contagion break out, we dispatch known healers to deal with it and contain the plague. The magic itself is very taxing and the healers take a long time to recover. There just are not enough of them to go around for everypony—”
“But by merit of who I am, it can be secured for me.” Gosling glanced over at Raven, who he knew had his back, and then saying nothing, he sat and looked disgusted. Reaching up with a foreleg, he began to rub his ear while flexing his lower jaw and making funny faces.
“Think of it as a reward for all of the hard work you will be doing. Gosling, you know how rough this life will be. This isn’t some cushy life of doing nothing and lounging about the castle. In time, you will feel as though you’ve earned this.” Blueblood’s brows furrowed and he glanced over at his aunt, then back at Gosling.
“I don’t wanna talk about this,” Gosling said, his accent thickening a bit. “I just had a tea party with some little filly that is probably going to die from cancer and she can’t be healed but my messed up ears have become a national priority.”
“A balance has to be struck,” Luna said in a low voice, her smile gone. “A very difficult balance. If we removed all disease, if we removed all danger, if we battled against death, we would soon be overrun. Our population would grow at a rate that we could not support. As it is, our nation strains against the resources available and there is not enough to go around.”
“This is what we do, Gosling,” Celestia said in a soft voice. “We make the hard choices and decisions. This is our job. In time, you will see how tricky it is to balance the scales. But it is important for you to not be prideful… it will hold you back from serving others.” As Celestia spoke, she could not help but feel just a teensy weensy bit hypocritical as she thought about some of her own actions.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, Gosling turned his head and looked at Celestia. “Cadance said there was another way. She said that not everypony does big showy heroics. Some serve, and with service, there comes rewards. She said that Blueblood will likely become an alicorn someday for his civil service.”
Celestia’s eyes turned towards Blueblood as she tried to think about what to say. Blueblood had earned his title of prince for his tireless efforts and service to the Empire. Elevating him to an alicorn had never even been discussed. Celestia realised that Cadance was still playing a most dangerous game, and Cadance had full control over the board.
“She said that not everypony is cut out to be like her and Twilight Sparkle, but that doesn’t mean that somepony can’t have big dreams. She said that faithful service can be rewarded and that anypony, in theory, could be elevated to alicorn status. She said that it was important to show the nation that any pony could attain this dream with enough hard work. If we show that it is possible, then more ponies will strive towards something greater.”
Blinking her eyes, Celestia realised that she was no longer in control of the game. Not at all. At some point, Cadance had kicked up the stakes. Celestia had never even considered allowing Blueblood to ascend and gain wings. Not everypony was cut out to do battle with ponies like Prismia or figure out where Star Swirl had made a mistake. Celestia’s mouth went dry.
“Ascension rebirths the body and makes it new,” Raven said in a low voice. “I don’t even pretend to understand it, but I do know that Twilight had earth pony and pegasus parts grafted into her.”
Feeling somewhat panicked because she had been outmaneuvered, Celestia wondered if Cadance was still here in Canterlot. A talk needed to be had. A long talk. A long, calm, reasonable chat, done over tea, with the hopes that Cadance would explain the dangerous new game she was playing… and perhaps Cadance would explain the new rules that she had added.
“I never thought of ascension for myself,” Blueblood said to Raven in a low whisper.
“Just wondering, how did Blueblood earn his title of prince?” Gosling asked.
“You’ll be getting yours through marriage,” Blueblood replied, “which can be a valuable service on its own. Somepony needs to look after Auntie’s needs. Her loneliness has become a grave concern.”
“That isn’t an answer,” Raven said to Blueblood. She turned her gaze upon Gosling and she blinked. She sat silent for a moment, thinking, with deep creases in her brow. “Blueblood prevented a trade war which would have likely turned into an actual war. There was a dispute over resources between Maretonia and Saddle Arabia. It grew very tense, with each country piling up troops along their borders. Each nation felt cheated by the other.”
“It became a very tense situation.” Celestia looked over at her nephew and then allowed Raven to continue.
“Blueblood, still a colt at this time, about your age, or thereabouts, Gosling, went and sought audience with both nations. With careful words, he pulled them both back from the brink, promised that Equestria would act as a neutral third party mediator in future trade agreements, and he hammered out a trade and mutual assistance pact that both nations thought were generous and fair. With a few strokes of a pen, Blueblood saved hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of lives.” Raven looked over at Blueblood and smiled. “Celestia’s student came home in triumph and was given the title of Prince, along with a large holding of land.”
Thoughtful, Celestia asked herself, Why should Blueblood’s accomplishments mean any less than Cadance’s or Twilight Sparkle’s? A growing heaviness settled upon her heart. Surely not every pony was meant to achieve greatness through battling foul sorceresses and feats of impossible magic. She gave a sidelong glance to Gosling, who, even in his weakened condition, had conducted statecraft from his bed. Gosling was dedicated to his future.
She felt her ears droop.
“Art thou troubled, dear sister?” Luna asked.
“It’s nothing,” Celestia replied, shaking her head. A thought crossed through Celestia’s mind that gave her pause; Cadance was far more rooted in modern thinking. Celestia had a moment of clarity. Long ago, the big threats were monsters and out of control magic. Celestia still saw them as the big threats. But trade disputes, the economy, all of the modern problems that plagued a nation as large as Equestria… those who did battle with the unseen monsters, why should they be treated any different than those who did battle with the monsters that one could see?
What dragons might Gosling slay if given the chance? What great evil might he deal with if properly prepared? Was not social injustice a form of evil? She glanced over at Blueblood, her mind racing, and she understood just how much she took her nephew for granted. Blueblood loathed Skyfire, but was working to save her. He was working to save the life of a filly that he couldn’t stand, a filly that repulsed him, a filly that he hated. That was dedication. Blueblood’s desire to see justice done took priority over his own feelings.
With all of this lurking in her mind, Celestia began to feel very insecure and out of sorts. It was going to be one of those sorts of days. As she sat in her chair, experiencing some self doubt and wondering about her own perceptions and perspectives, the staff arrived with breakfast. Lost in her own thoughts, she looked right through them as they set the table, put out tea, served coffee, and laid out the food.
She didn’t even hear the groan that came from Gosling when a large bowl of cracked wheat mush was set down before him, or Luna’s threat of pinning him down and making him eat it. She didn’t notice Blueblood and Raven’s laughter. She wasn’t even aware when the servers left the room. She stared down at the table, lost in her own thoughts, wondering if perhaps Cadance and Twilight were better suited for modern rule.
“Sister?”
Startled, Celestia felt a hoof poking her in the side. She blinked, turned her head, and looked over at Luna, who appeared to be worried. She saw Luna’s almost luminous teal coloured eyes looking up at her.
“I know what you are thinking,” Luna said in a low, reassuring voice.
“Do you?” Celestia asked.
“You are so obvious at times.” Luna rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sister, stop for one moment, before you begin brooding, and ask yourself this question.”
“And which question is that?” Celestia’s ears stood up as she waited for her sister’s reply.
“Who was it that trained Cadance, Twilight, and Blueblood to do the great works they have done? You should worry less and trust more in what you do best. Gosling will be a great new project for you. Raise him, elevate him, take him as a student as well as a husband and do what you have always done. Refinement.”
After considering her sister’s words, Celestia nodded, turned her head, and looked at Gosling, who had a bitter look of disappointment upon his face as he stared down into the hopeless grey-brown abyss that was cracked wheat mush. Still nodding her head, her ears bobbing, Celestia decided to take her sister’s advice.
He would do.
Never forgot the saucy innuendo! And i sense more Alicorns on the horizon...
Innuendo so Saucy the Apple Family is jealous they can't make their apple sauce that saucy
Awww. For a moment there his accent started to come out again. And with Luna in the room too!
HNNNNNNGGGG!
You know... I haven't seen BlueBlood turn into a Alicorn fic on here.
7216001 there are one or two but most of the time Blueblood is simply a pain in the rear. The personality he shows to the press isn't a mask but his personality in most stories
I can't wait for this encounter it could not come fast enough for me.
Good chapter btw.
Well this was a splendid way to open a chapter, especially this one. So many great moment's from Gosling's morals, Cadence's manuverings, discussion of Blueblood's worthiness to ascend.
Blueblood the alicron prince? What will Rarity say to that?...
This actually reminded me of an idea I had once regarding one of Apple Bloom's possible futures.
The basic concept is that Zecora can brew up potions that can rival the most powerful unicorn healing (or any other kind of) mages in ability and can even do things they can't. The catch is that the ingredients to make them are reliant on the wild magic of the Everfree Forest to grow and are nigh impossible to farm on a large scale. Drastically limiting how many sapients could realistically be treated with them even if Zecora were to train dozens of apprentices in her secrets.
However what was the Ponyville Apple Family's and Grannie Smith's original claim to fame? That's right, cracking the secret of growing a wild Everfree plant on a commercial scale. Enough Zap Apple Jam is produced every year to supply Barnyard Bargains stores all over Equestria.
Say isn't Apple Bloom an alchemist trained by Zecora who is also an heir to that tradition of growing an Everfree plant?
Of course Zap Apple Trees are just one plant. If Apple Bloom were to make Zecora's potions practical for mass use she would have to crack the growing secrets of presumably hundreds of plants. Easily the work of a lifetime if not several.
7216703 I'd argue that like their cider demands for Zap Apple Jam exceeds supply. Though a limited supply helps keep the price up compared to items that are more common
And there it is. The entirely stupid reasoning on equality that if everyone can't have something then nobody should have it. The logical conclusion of that line of reasoning is to starve to death , Gosling. Some pony somewhere is starving after all. Take the magic healing and be greatful that you can have it, then use your new found health to find ways to help those that cant have it, idiot. I hate that so called reasoning. cut off your wings while you are at it, why should you fly while others walk?
7217513
He's young, he's stupid, and he's idealistic. Not every character can be perfect or reasonable.
7217519
Of course he is young and idealistic, but I am afraid I am forced into Blue Blood's role here as company ass and get down to the crux of it. This is stupid reasoning. I don't understand why Celestia would put up with it, much less her inner circle. When you get right down to it he is choosing to live as a cripple and his choice is helping no one. Leaving aside that he is crippled in the first place through his own self indulgent angst and pride, he is choosing a life of having others help him with his infirmities rather than take the healing. Someone needs to slap some sense into him.
7217590
I agree.
...And now you're making it seem like pardoning Skyfire is somehow 'the right thing to do', and that she's a completely innocent victim of circumstance. You can't just retcon an entire character, kudzu. I get the feeling that this is going to end up with her being pardoned, and whoever incited her to perform these actions never even being mentioned again, and I think it's safe to say that this would be the least enjoyable outcome, at least for most of the readers.
7217868
Retconned? Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. Nothing is being retconned and you are making snap judgments about something you know nothing about.
This is the sort of thing that pisses a writer off. Be patient, be calm, and allow the story to happen before you open up your mouth and blab about stuff. You have NO way of knowing what I'm doing, what I am planning, or how this will play out. You are dealing with an incomplete data set.
So chill out.
7217876 I am simply expressing my disapproval at how things are currently playing out, and what it seems to imply for the future of the story. I never said anything was definitely going to happen, and the fact that you seem to assume I haven't read the story so far makes it seem as if you are just trying to insult me. I am operating off of the assumption that this story was meant to be entertaining, and making statements about how that can best be achieved, at least in my case. If this is going to play out differently, then great! Go ahead! I was just saying that I wouldn't like it if my predictions were correct. There is no need for hostility here. And we may have different definitions of retcon, so just go ahead and ignore that part.
7217935
I'm not assuming that you haven't read it... how are you even reaching this conclusion? Am I being baited or something?
Nor am I trying to insult you.
I am however, pointing out that it is infuriating to most writers when the reader makes the assumption that they somehow know more about the story and it's outcome than the writer does, or when snap judgments are made. That kinda stuff gets on a writer's last nerve real fast and tends to make them persnickety.
7217963
Absolutely; and I'm not calling you out, nor am I being critical, but given the controversial nature of your writing, you can't honestly expect these things to NOT happen.
Your stories are opinionated and polarizing, not by anyone's fault but by the very nature of what they are and the subject matter that they entail (pun semi-intended).
I know exactly how you feel in this regard, but the only way to stop it would be to stop writing.
On the off chance I am not clear, I'm not faulting anyone, or implying anything of the sort.
It's precisely because we love your work, combined with the fact that we don't know everything about the story, that makes us want to "fill in the blanks".
In a strange way, it's a testament to your skill as a writer and author that your readers are so willing and passionate about your stories to post disagreement, congratulations, or even outrage over events/characters as they are or as they appear to be.
Yes, trolls will be trolls, and I can't speak for any possible PM's in that regard; but basically, this kind of thing is a compliment, as much as it may look otherwise.
Hope this helps, if not, then feel free to disregard/ignore this at your leisure.
7218038
- I just don't know what went wrong.
7218045
Well, I hope I did something right.
7217963 Looking back at the wording of the original reply, it seems that I took it the wrong way. However, I apologize if I worded my original comment in such a way that would imply that I was not simply advising you against a course of action that I felt strongly about.
I can honestly say I never expected things to go in THIS direction ... go Cadence.
Also nice.
Oh lordy. That does not count as the real tangible reason that I was looking for. If you are going to be involved in ruling a country, even just as the consort of the rulers, you have a responsibility to be healthy if that is an option. Celestia and Luna do not need to be distracted by a husband forever in need of nursing and careful handling.
Huh. Well that suddenly went left.
Interesting backstory for Blueblood, I like it.
disappointment?
If Blueblood is to become an Alicorn it should be as the direct result of an achievement he makes. I don't like the idea that Alicornification can be bestowed on somepony. Twilight earned when she succeeded where the pony who invented more spells than any other could not and Alicornification was the result. Celestia was preparing for this to happen since Twilight earned her Cutie Mark but it was still Twilight's achievent not a reward.
Holding up Alicornification as a reward for the masses? Those who do achieve it become immortal demi/actual gods. For all Cadence knows they'd spend their mortal life being paragons and later will become a nigh-unstoppable evil because of the change in the times. Or they might choose to NOT change when they should and become an opponent, an opponent a lot of people who feel the same way can get behind, preventing good changes that benefit everyone. Seeing how much power she has, and she's still within the scope of her normal pegasus life, what would happen if there were even more like her who didn't think in congruous ways? Civil war would be a very real possibility.
Having immortality be a 'reward' is ludicrous for all but the most destined and legendary, having it be a public knowledge carrot on a stick will make people jealous of those who do achieve it and might give fuel to the fires of riot (why does HE deserve immortality when my child is dying), since the fear of death is strong in all sapient things. (If they can just give this out they should give it to everyone) etc.
Likewise refusing magical healing is very... very silly and obstinate. If you have ten-thousand panacea and ten million people who need it, you have to choose who to give it to. You don't give it to random sick people on the street or even hard-working single moms with the woobie and very valid sob story.
You give it to the movers and shakers who are committed to making the nation better for everyone. The few who are dedicated to helping the many. If those ones succumb to injury and malady, then who's going to bear the burden to help everyone else? If they aren't operating at their peak, doesn't everyone else suffer? You help a couple of individuals who were, at best, good for a family of people who'd never rise above with all the help in the world, or you help the people who bust their balls helping everyone get by and do better. Silly bird-horse.
Oh well, time to see if they can make it work anyway, but up to this chapter it seems like a very bad idea.
All hail the Saucycorn of innuendo
Chapter 34
45 years ago I got a middle ear infection & spent a week in a hospital. You move your head & you get dizzy enough to vomit. Ever try to vomit & not move your head? Vomiting with your head sandbagged into position is LOTS of fun! Gosling is lucky. They knew what was happening. They weren't sure with me, could have been a stroke. He got to sleep. Me, I got woken up every hour so they could shine a light in my eyes & watch my pupils contract. Ever try to get back to sleep after that? You usually manage just in time to be woken up again. ANOTHER fun party game!
When your stomach settles, you're starving. Guess what? You were checked in with vomiting, you can't eat or drink until a doctor checks you out. You see a doctor a LOT quicker if Celestia is taking an interest than you do if you're in a ward. I was checked in 7-8 at night (after the doctor went home). I missed breakfast & lunch. Well, not completely I did get to watch everyone else in the room eat their meal. About 3 o'clock I started throwing a hissy fit until I got to see a doctor.
Gosling is on a low sodium diet to reduce fluid retention. Yeah, that sucks. Try being on one while eating in a college cafeteria. You think THAT sucks? G, you are bed ridden, you're going to get constipated. You think the diet sucks, wait until you find out what they do to you for that.
Thank God we didn't have socialized medicine, you won't get quality care then.
The point is that if you can do away with all disease and danger YOU DO.
You remove suffering from the world.
What you do to AVOID THE OVERPOPULATION is giving a LOT of access to birth control.
And fart jokes; although that's in all your stories...
7755483
Where I live they would also give you a list of hospital equipment to buy at the local pharmacy because the hospital is underequipped. Guess where the mandatory healthcare tax goes?
Oooooh! I hope this'll go where it seems to be going and goosey boy gets his "wings" 'gets his horn' and 'gets his strength' don't have quite the same ring to it.
8048248
On paper, in theory, not so much. A world of nothing but Alicorns who ascended in one way or another would either overpopulate with unstoppable growth leading to schisms, conflict, and eventually war or stagnate with no growth or ambition. So Fallout Equestria or Starlight "equality Glimmer.
The long and short of it is, as much as it sucks, death and conflict are a part of harmony.
8973901
That is a false dichotomy. A fallacy. It's not a given that there would be no other options. And given immortality you get to do a LOT of things. Again contraception is the first one. After that you have space exploration to get as much space and resources as possible. The idea that it HAS to be bad is really annoying you know?
8973977
Intriguingly we can actually look to human counties for an answer here, in all the countries in the world excluding outside factors, there is a extremely well established pattern. Starting with stage on, large families but due to lack of medical care, lack of food, and/or a higher rate of violence. Most children die young and the population changes at a glacial rate. Then as a nation industrializes child mortality drops, dramatically increasing the number of children that survive creating a population boom (that probably just happened in this Equestria). And finally stage three, where people have less kids but they almost all survive creating an extremely slow growth again. This pattern means that humans at least self regulate how many children are born, and most likely this is happening with Equestria's population with most couples only having around two kids
My first semester in college, I had a middle ear infection & got stuck on a low sodium diet
You ever try to eat in a college cafeteria & avoid canned food? Especially 40+ years ago.