Chapter 18
There were a lot of ponies gathered around the table for lunch. It was an intimate setting, with quite a number of ponies and a rather small, short table. Well, the table was enormous, by Gosling’s standards, but there were larger tables in the castle, with more room to spread out. Everypony seemed to be present for lunch.
For the most part, everypony seemed happy, but there was always that one pony. Luna seemed a little sleepy—it was the daytime so that was expected—but she also seemed a little withdrawn and out of sorts. The change had been somewhat sudden, happening at some point between sitting together in the lounge and sitting down at the table.
For whatever reason, Gosling took exception to Luna becoming the Queen of the Mopes. A little ways down the table, Seville was having an animated conversation with Beans and Toast. Celestia and Raven were chatting amicably with one another, with much enthusiasm and head bobbing. Blueblood sat beside Raven, looking miffed that he wasn’t at the center of her attention, and Gosling could not help but wonder if she was punishing him, even now. The hurting never stopped.
Shining Armor and Hotspur were discussing something boring and exceedingly bland, something only the two of them would find interesting. Cadance was looking after Flurry, who kept blowing spit bubbles. Moon Rose was giggling at Flurry’s antics, while her parents, Hazy and Soprano held hooves together down at their end of the table. Sleet was doing her best not to laugh while Flurry exasperated her mother’s patience.
Gosling realised that nopony was paying any attention to Luna, and as usual, she was alone in a crowd. This would not do. He began to peruse all of his usual options, teasing her, distracting her, trying to strike up a conversation, and nothing in particular stood out. Luna was sighing while staring down at her empty plate, as lunch had not been served yet.
Luna had the blues and something had to be done. Gosling chose the deadliest weapon in his arsenal, song. He began to dig through the dusty corners of his mind, looking for something to serenade Luna with, and then his brain, in a helpful mood for once, offered up something beautiful. He wasn’t sure if he could remember all of the words, and he feared he would have to wing it.
It was a good thing he was a pegasus.
Leaning over, Gosling slipped a foreleg around Luna’s neck, which she resisted, and he drew in a deep breath. With half-closed eyes, he gave Luna his most intense look of affection, and in his most practiced baritone, he began to croon:
“Dark moon, way up high up in the sky… oh, tell me why, oh tell me why you've lost your splendour? Dark moon, what is the cause your light withdraws… is it because, is it because I've lost my love?”
“Gosling, cease thy wailing—”
With every eye present now focused on him, and the room having gone silent, Gosling, now sweating beneath his sweater, somehow continued, “Mortals have dreams of love's perfect schemes… but they don't realise, their love can sometimes bring—”
He sucked in a quick deep breath before he kept going: “A dark moon, way up high up in the sky… oh, tell me why, oh tell me why you've lost your splendour? Dark moon, what is the cause your light withdraws… is it because, is it because I've lost my love?”
Luna was trembling now and her eyes were glassy while she stared at the serenading pegasus that had one foreleg wrapped around her slender, graceful neck. She was frozen in place and her ears twitched with Gosling’s every crooned syllable. Flurry’s spit bubble popped, soaking her muzzle in drool, and the little pink filly blinked a few times in rapid succession, taken by the sound of Gosling’s voice.
“Mortals have dreams of love's perfect schemes,” Gosling sang, pouring his heart out to Luna… “But they don't realise, their love can sometimes bring a—”
“Dark moon,” Luna’s voice joined with Gosling, and her ears fell flat against her head. Together, they sang in delightful harmony, “Way up high up in the sky… oh, tell me why, oh tell me why you've lost your splendour? Dark moon, what is the cause your light withdraws… is it because, is it because I've lost my love?”
Somepony whistled—Gosling was not sure who—and then the sounds of applause became a roar around the table. He hardly noticed though, as he was looking into Luna’s eyes, searching for her vulnerable soul. There were all sorts of things he could do at this moment, brash things, romantic things, but everything he thought of felt meaningless, so he continued his soul-gazing into Luna’s eyes, his snoot mere inches from Luna’s own.
He failed to even notice that lunch was being served, so lost was he in Luna’s eyes.
With her napkin, Celestia wiped away any traces of soup left on her muzzle. Lunch had been a simple affair, thick, hearty tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches—an ideal meal for winter, she felt. Eyes darting to and fro, Celestia pulled away her napkin and wolfed down another sandwich, lamenting that she had no tomato soup to dunk it in. Still, it was buttery, crunchy, and cheesy, a wonderful assault upon the senses. Up came the napkin again and with a few dainty dabs, she wiped away the evidence of her gluttony.
There were still some sandwiches left. If they were taken back to the kitchen, they would be gone forever. Alas, the soup tureen was empty. The scent of basil was still strong in Celestia’s nostrils, lingering from her lunch, triggering her appetites, both physical and sexual. Sex with a full belly was possible, but it had to be slow, lazy lovemaking, not so much a screw but a sort of stab-happy cuddle-snuggle.
Long, long ago, when Celestia was younger, ponies called it flapjacking, because laying around in a lazy pile atop one another was bound to create a sticky mess. Ah, times were different then and she missed the parlance of those olden days. Spreading butter over toast had a very different meaning, way back in the day.
Looking about the table, Celestia realised just how many ponies were present—there were quite a few gathered around to share a meal together. She had trouble remembering when there had been this many ponies around a table, together, as friends… as family. Things had changed, and Celestia turned her head to look at the reason why.
Gosling.
He was oblivious to her gaze and speaking to Raven. Smiling, enthusiastic, Gosling was the sort of irrepressible outgoing pony that Celestia prized. Cultured, diplomatic, but not stuffy or snobby. Her eyes darted around the table and she realised that Gosling had made friends, and friendship was easy for him. He didn’t have to struggle to make friends, as had her once-student Twilight Sparkle. For Gosling, it was an effortless act. You put him in a room and in seconds, he was chatting somepony up, or charming somepony, or showing off his wings, as pegasus ponies tended to do.
There was a terrible well-kept secret that Celestia had, and that was the fact that she was an introvert. Oh, she hid it well, she had to hide it, being a princess. She was an introvert that had to strain and struggle to pass herself off as an extrovert. Even while freaking out from being surrounded and overwhelmed, offering a serene smile while screaming on the inside, she had to deal with immense crowds, throngs, and multitudes.
But now, Gosling’s friends were her friends, and somehow, that made it easier, though she could not say why. There was a growing social circle around Gosling that Celestia did not feel pressured from having to be with. They were there. Gosling’s friends became her friends by extension. There was no sweating and fretting about breaking the ice, or thinking of something witty to say, or all of the second-guessing she suffered when trying to get to know somepony.
No.
None of that was a problem now. Gosling did all of the work, all of the heavy lifting, so to speak, and all she had to do was have the quality time that she craved, that she longed for. There was no need to navigate the social minefield, or try to win somepony over. It was the ideal situation for any introvert; a ready made social milieu with no pressure or performance anxiety.
Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Celestia began to understand why certain ponies that she knew kept extroverted friends, or mates. She thought of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch—two polar opposites, or so it would seem, but now she understood the practical aspects of their relationship. Maud Pie as well, as Tarnish was the outgoing one, though Celestia was not entirely certain that he was an extrovert.
Luna flip-flopped back and forth due to her bipolar disorder, going from extrovert to introvert, waxing and waning, always going back and forth. She was a difficult pony to be friends with, an even more difficult pony to be sisters with, and Celestia wondered what Gosling thought of her as a wife. The marriage had not been consummated and there was a great deal of worry on Celestia’s part about their relationship.
“You know, Gosling,” Celestia said to the pegasus beside her. “It occurs to me that you’ve made a great many friends. Our table is crowded with guests. It pleases me.” When he blinked, she knew that he was engaging his quick mind, trying to discern what was going on. She adored his quizzical expression, and his quick wit, these were parts of him that she found most endearing.
“I’ve actually been learning a lot about friendship,” Gosling replied. “Twilight and I send letters back and forth. She helps me with some of my realisations and she’s broadened my horizons.”
“How so?” Celestia asked.
“Well,” Gosling began, “there is a great big wide world of ponies out there, and not all of them are your own age.” Lifting a foreleg, he gestured in the direction of Moon Rose and Flurry Heart. “I like them both. They’re my friends. My life has been enriched by having known them.”
“I see.” Celestia beamed.
“And then there are somewhat older ponies,” Gosling continued, “like Blueblood and Raven. No offense—”
“None taken,” Raven interjected, and she began to titter.
“Now, I’m still a stupid teenager, and most ponies my age wouldn’t give ponies like Blueblood or Raven a second thought. They’re a little older, and ponies my age, well, we tend to think that adults like those two aren’t so awesome, if you know what I mean.”
“Do go on,” Celestia said to Gosling, trying to encourage him. She was enjoying his dialogue, his wit, and embrace of friendship.
Licking his lips, Gosling smiled. “And then there are the elderly ponies. They get real lonesome and I’ve discovered that they have all of the same needs, wants, and desires that somepony my age has.”
It occurred to Celestia that Gosling was staring right at her while he spoke.
“Some of those elderly ponies—”
“Gosling!” Sleet shrieked in a shrill voice.
“—are stupefyingly hot—”
Oh, Celestia thought to herself, my little pegasus is brazen, I’ll give him that.
“—and they need loving too.” Gosling paused while the ponies around him laughed, and took a deep breath so that he might continue.
For a second, Celestia had a dire worry for her sister, Luna, and she feared her sibling would pull an eye muscle from all that eye rolling. Luna was in peril, grave danger, and Gosling showed no signs of stopping. He was on a roll and Luna was already straining her ocular muscles. Ocular sprains were no laughing matter. As a filly, Twilight had somehow done this to herself and she had been bedridden for two weeks, stricken with eyes that focused in two different directions. And then there was that one mother pegasus in Ponyville that had rolled her eyes one time too many times. It was a risk, a danger, and Celestia wondered if perhaps a public service announcement might be in order. As a mother to her nation, Celestia had an obligation to warn her foals, ‘You’ll roll your eye out.’
“Plus, you have to admit, I found me some good looking old ladies to hang out with.” Gosling grinned, wide and reckless, and his ears twitched like little fuzzy metronomes each time Cadance snorted. “All I had to do was lead them out of the pasture and clean out the cobwebs.”
Unable to stop herself, Celestia too, snorted. Led out of the pasture? Had she put herself out to pasture? Perhaps she had. She was going to have to punish him for the cobweb remark though, and maybe, just maybe, she might have to turn to Raven for a few pointers. It sounded as though Cadance was about to die, and little Flurry was looking up at her mother in alarm.
Just as Celestia was about to say something witty, bringing to bear her centuries of experience and intellect, Luna shouted, “Mine eye!” And then she clutched her face with both front hooves while letting out a pitiful whimper.
It was just as Celestia had feared, and the worst had come to pass.
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Hmm...
Luna as bipolar, huh? First time I've encountered it. Is it Type 1 or Type 2?
Place your bets, folks. How long will Luna Have The Derp Effect?
I liked this chapter. Another!
8119893
Not the first time it's been mentioned.
I remember that song about the moon. I learned it at my mother's knee. This was very nostalgic for me.
Seems like the chapter waxes and wanes in the same way as Luna, in terms of the moods it presents. Rather appropriate for growing Gosling and Luna's relationship.
This chapter was both beautiful and hilarious.
8119893
Also, it is neither type 1 or type 2.
It is a thaumaturgical malady directly linked to the active phase of the moon and a number of other factors.
8119925 Noted. Can you give us a breakdown on Moon Moods? (By which I mean, Phase = Emotional state.) Or is it essentially randomized? Or none of the above?
Gosling has an eye for wit.
Good thing Luna just rolls with it.
8119934
When the moon is waxing, Luna is more manic, though not always. Probability is higher for her to be cheerful and outgoing.
When the moon is waning, Luna goes in a slump. She tends to be more depressed, though not always. Sometimes, she'll become moody, broody, and hyper-aggressive when the moon goes dark.
8119945 Got it. Thanks for laying it all out.
Eye-yi-yi! Eye see what you did there.
Brilliant chapter. Bit of an emotional rollercoaster as it were. Verily, I too desirest another.
8119945
Does anything special happen to Luna's mood when there's a celestial event, like an eclipse?
I'm also wondering how long it'll be before Gosling comes up with a "sun spot" joke, and Celestia ends up having to destroy him.
8119945 that's new! Good to know as well. Rather interesting.
8120001
Not new. Not at all.
8120008 not the bipolorness itself, the cause is new to me. And if we covered this already, where? Cause i have no recolection if this.
8120011
I've hinted at it indirectly a number of times now.
This was a blatant statement this time.
8120008 I saw a similar thing in Love, although fundamentally different in quite a few ways.
I think it's quite the cool fan-canon, myself.
And now Goslin will get to make sexy pirate jokes about Luna as she seems to be on track for an eye patch.
Then again alicorn recovery so...
8120147 But only if it recovers into it's proper position. If it sets while one eye's paying attention and the other's stuck staring at the elephant in the room, she'll have to re-sprain it to set it right, and that's no fun for anyone.
Only because I actually know and like this song, can I tell you of this error in your lyrics:
Light, not life.
Also.
...Are you alright?
nice story. i needed this after reading a certian something earlier......
can stil taste the contrivence >_<
8120259
The old version of the song Jim Reeves uses the word light.
Wait, something went wrong.
Edit: I think my spellchucker left red underlines under the words, and I probably corrected them without thinking about it. Damnit.
That right there says a lot about the overall pegasi mindset.
Good song, Gosling, I think that went over quite well.
8120276
...Who gave you a thumbs down?
You get a thumbs up just to balance it out. <3
8120344
Oh, I have a number of cyber stalkers and right now I am getting a storm of harassment. It's not a big deal.
It's probably HolyCross9 or any number of supremely butthurt people that feel that they must simply make a point somehow.
It's terrible to hurt the eye in your moon.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1e/76/7c/1e767c7d382e084993220ed277bf8570.jpg
8120356
Harassment? Why lol?
First Gosling is lost in Luna's eyes, then she loses them herself. What a sight that must have been.
8120446 Oh...´cause the goodie oldie kudz don´t write the way they feel is the right way. Or something like that. It´s a loooooooooong story and it comes and go since his biggest one, The Chase wich, by the way, needs some love.
Yes, kudzu, I´m looking right to you now.
Hurt - Johnny Cash
8120831
Um. NO. Trent Reznor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_(Nine_Inch_Nails_song)
Sorry, but this just drives me crazy.
8120843 Ah, I was familiar with the cover by Cash, not the one by NiN.
Having listened to 'Hurt' by Nine-Inch-Nails now, I can say that it's weird and different. There are discordant tones, chords, and vocals and yet it seems to fit the subject matter.
8120874
The whole album, The Downward Spiral, is about a tragic downfall. Hurt is the final song, the realisation, the epiphany. It was never meant to be listened to alone, but with everything as one long experience.
Give it a listen! It's amazing.
8119993
Do eclipses even happen normally in Equestria? I mean, given that the solar cycle is regulated, outside of chaos lord takeovers or similar disasters, the sun and moon wouldn't usually share the sky at all, let alone cross paths.
8120892
When the Sisters wish to focus their magic in specific ways, they need the light of their celestial bodies shining down upon them. So yes, eclipses can and have happened.
"Mine eye!"
Poor Luna. She needs some eyes-cream.
the small things in your fics keep me going
8120843 Nine Inch Nails are good
Luna is the moon in many ways. Good thing that she has someone like Gosling to be a gravity anchor or buoy as needed.
8119893
Both.
I recall way back when how it was suggested that Gosling might want to try starting with sex with Luna, rather than working up to it. On that thought, I just imagined one of my characters holding up a book for Gosling.
"I stole this from Twilight's personal connection," he would proclaim with an ominous tone before slamming it to the table in front of the little pegasus. "Read it and weep." He would then turn and sternly leave the room.
Gosling, feeling as though death had just passed him over, would timidly reach out for the book to flip it over to the cover. There he would tremble in fear as he read 'BDSM and You.'
I genuinely don't know if you should feel ashamed or proud of these sorts of lines. I only know that, were they to cease, you might loose some readers.
Wow. Celestia being a closet introvert and working past it adds vast ocean trenches of depth to her character, especially compared to her cannon counterpart.
Ocular strains... I think I already said my piece on these lines.
Mine eye
NO MINE!
Rereading. Jeez, the Luna and Gosling duet made me tear up.