Princess' Gambit
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Fishing at the lake was peaceful. Just letting my line out, the bobber floating in the relatively still waters, the sun overhead... And enough hard apple cider to keep me occupied and relaxed.
Yes, it was a good day for fishing. It would have been nice to have company, but Big Macintosh and the Doctor didn't eat meat, and Spike ate jewels. So none of them were very interested in coming along. I guess I couldn't fault them for that.
Not like I was catching much anyway. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, just letting all my strain fade away.
"Hello Andrew Shepherd," said a melodious voice quite near to my ear.
"HOLY FUCKING BALL SHIT PUS-!" I bellowed, trying to get up and grab a weapon and run away-All at the same time. Well, as anyone will tell you, multitasking in a panic is a fool's errand. I just ended up in a tangled mess, my folding chair atop my head as I laid over my cooler. I groaned, as I heard rather nervous but beautiful laughter behind me. A moment or two later, I saw a white face with beautiful eyes enter my vision, aurora-like hair billowing out from the back of her head.
"Oh dear, are you all right?" Princess Celestia asked.
Well, so much for my dignity. I sighed and stood up, carefully setting my chair back up. I then sat down in it, checking my fishing line, before I responded.
"I'm fine," I replied. I gave her an unamused expression, which just made her laugh again. "You planned that, didn't you Princess?"
"No, which is what makes it wonderful!" Celestia laughed. She beamed at me, and trotted over to my side. "Caught anything yet?"
"No," I sighed. "Not that that's the point."
"It isn't?" Celestia asked, tilting her head curiously. I nodded back.
"It isn't," I replied. It seems as though my brain finally caught up with my irritation and pointed out the obvious: I was speaking very informally to the ruler of this planet. Well, for all intents and purposes. I tensed up. "I mean, Your Highness-"
She held up a hoof, and rested the tip against my lips. She shook her head.
"None of that," she said gently. "I intruded upon you. You should act as you wish around me."
Her voice was as gentle as usual, but there was... A slight plea in her eyes? Or maybe I was seeing things. After all, she was over a thousand years old. She could have control over her facial expressions and voice I couldn't even dream of. And that's not even getting into magic-
Damnit stop it brain. You're relaxing. The princess is fine with you relaxing. Calm. Down.
I very slowly nodded. "As you wish," I said wryly. Celestia raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Is that a reference to something?" She asked. I scratched the back of my head.
Okay, perhaps my paranoia wasn't unwarranted. Perhaps she could read my mind, much like her sister. Perhaps-
No! No, stop that.
"Yes, actually," I replied. "It's a book and a movie from my world called The Princess Bride..."
I explained the basics of the plot, and the characters. As well as many of the jokes. Some she got (like the iocane powder gambit), some she struggled with ("Have fun storming da castle!") and one I needed to actually act out with her.
I had picked up my stick, and thrust with it at her.
"You are wonderful," I said, focusing to remember the scene. I pulled on my bandana, and stepped onto the other side, pointing back at where I had been as I focused on remembering Dread Pirate Robert's part.
"Thank you; I've worked hard to become so," I stated. I thrust and slashed with my invisible Inigo Montoya, before I pulled off the banana and switched back.
"I admit it, you are better than I am!"
Again, I switched.
"Then why are you smiling?"
I made sure I was smiling back at the princess, who watched raptly.
"Because I know something you don't know," Inigo said.
"And what is that?" Myself as Roberts asked.
"I am not left-handed!" I tossed the stick to my right hand, and furiously swung at the invisible Roberts. Who I made visible a moment later as I switched back to him.
"You are amazing!" Myself as Roberts complimented myself as Montoya.
"I ought to be, after 20 years!" Myself as Montoya replied.
"Oh, there's something I ought to tell you," myself as Roberts said.
"Tell me!" I cried as Montoya.
"I'm not left-handed either!" Myself as Roberts said, as I switched to the right hand and thrust violently. I pulled off the bandana, as the princess clopped her hooves happily.
"Splendid!" She cried. She was smiling in a way that seemed more natural-Her eyes were crinkled, there were dimples on her furry cheeks, and she was showing off her teeth. "Splendid!"
I gave a cheesy little bow.
"Thank you, Princess," I said with a gallant flourish, "but I'm really nothing compared to the actual actors." I sighed as I walked back over to my chair, and sat down. I grabbed a hard cider and drank it down, feeling parched. Celestia lifted one, and sipped it as well. I looked up at her with a curious smile.
"So Princess, if you don't mind me asking," I said, "what brings you here?"
"Hm," Celestia considered. "I suppose I wanted to see you."
I blinked. "Er... What for?"
Celestia laughed. "Do I need a reason?" She asked softly. I shrugged.
"I suppose not," I said. "It's your country, you can do what you want."
Celestia's eyes flickered back to the lake, and she let out a soft sigh.
"I suppose so," she said. We fell into silence, and my mind raced. Which I have to admit, it does when I'm not fearing for my life or engaging in battle. Or trying desperately hard to avoid being molested by a horny mare.
No, it was not Fluttershy. It was Berry Punch after one too many.
"If you're concerned about Luna, or Twilight, or anyone else," I said, "they're doing good. I mean, I think Luna was doing well. We had fun when she visited my dreams last night."
"Yes. She told me," Celestia said softly. I held up my hands.
"We didn't do anything inappropriate!" I immediately said. "I mean, if you're here to give me the shotgun speech! I know she's your sister and you love her and I care very deeply but we just danced! In a dream!" I blinked. "Which sounds perfectly ordinary to me, which is the weird part. And I haven't done anything inappropriate with Twilight!"
"Such as?" Celestia asked, looking quietly amused. I coughed.
"... I imagine she has a very long list, now," I managed to joke. Celestia laughed, like the tinkling of happy bells from a church. She shook her head, and gave me a warm smile.
"Andrew Shepherd," she said gently, "I have no doubt you are being a perfect gentlestallion. Now that you're actually taking their romantic overtures seriously."
I scratched the back of my head.
"It's just," I tried. I stopped, and sighed. "Well... I'm not sure you can understand-"
"Hm? Understand what?" Celestia asked, "how difficult it is to find romance when you are one of only a hooful of your kind? Or you are in a position where romance is very difficult due to the potential consequences? Or even that you may feel afraid of doing so, due to the heartbreak and loss you have suffered before?"
She said all this in her neutral princess tone: One I'd become very familiar with during the weeks I'd spent at the castle. It was the kind of tone she used on nobles or doctors who had suggested dissecting me or putting me in a zoo.
I grimaced, and gave her an apologetic smile and bow.
"Sorry. I suppose you would understand perfectly well," I said.
Celestia sighed softly, and looked down at the lake. She looked intently into her reflection in the gently stirred water. At last, she spoke.
"What are immortals like in your fiction, Andrew Shepherd?" She asked. I blinked, and thought hard.
"It's varied," I admitted. "There are the type who feed off of other humans to survive. They see us as prey, or temporary things at best. Then there are immortals just trying to survive, hiding in plain sight. A very lonely existence, as they have to watch their loved ones perish. They tend to be miserable, even nihilistic." I hummed as I thought of my favorite. "Then there's the type who goes on, and on, and uses their immortality to go and see everything. Travel the universe. And take humans along because they can offer a whole new perspective on things he's seen so many times before."
"... Which of those do you suppose I am?" Celestia asked. I blinked. I was immediately wondering why she would ask me this... But when I saw her look at me, her eyes almost pleading, I found the words. Despite the stupid parts of my brain getting in the way.
"I think... You're a gardener," I said. "With a bit of the third type. Or maybe a mother. Basically, you want your ponies to grow up big and strong, and to solve their own problems. You do love them, despite everything, and want them to do better." I leaned back and shrugged. "Presumably so one day you can retire and hunt hot stallions on the beach for the rest of time."
Celestia was silent for a moment, looking down intently at the water as her shoulders shook. I wondered if I'd made a mistake. Oh God, would she start crying? Would she send me to the moon? Both?
She did neither: She threw her head back and let out a laugh. A great big, deep belly laugh, that she had never ever made before. Not around me, anyway.
And it was beautiful too. She got over her laughter, and treated me with a warm smile-The same one as before, so genuine.
"You're quite perceptive, when you stop overthinking everything," she said. I blushed and smiled at the compliment.
"Thanks, I-"
And then it hit me. Like a Tomahawk missile from out of the blue. My jaw dropped and I stared at Celestia in shock.
She stared back at me, her smile now a bit wan.
"... That's... Your plan for Twilight and the others, isn't it?" I asked. "Eventually-"
"Eventually? Yes," Celestia sighed softly. "If they want it." She looked at her hooves. "I'm old, Shepherd," she admitted. "I don't look it and I'm not it physically but... I'm old." She looked up at me, her smile still genuine but... Sad.
"Twilight especially is just... So precious to me," she admitted. "It's been so long since I saw that kind of potential. I've never... I've never met anypony quite like her. And I can't... I can't lose her." She looked intently into my eyes.
"It may be selfish," she admitted, "but I want them to try. To strive for it."
I was silent for a long time. I couldn't help it. Accepting that, processing it... My brain forced words out.
"And what if they can't take it?" I asked. "What if the loneliness gets to them?"
Celestia was just as silent for a time. Only the sound of the waves lapping against the rocks filled the air. She then let out a very long, quiet sigh.
"I can only pray we can deal with that, together," she whispered. She looked at me. "That is part of why I need you, Shepherd."
"To, what?" I asked, "convince them to become immortal?"
Celestia shook her head.
"No," she said, "not that at all. I want you to guard them, and help them. There is still so much for them to learn, Shepherd. And you have such a unique point of view. A unique strength. So fragile, and yet so strong. I need you to help them grow so that one day, they can decide to take that step. And keep the garden growing."
I was lucky I was already sitting down. I looked down at my hands, breathing in slowly. In. Out. In. Out.
"... One day I'll die too though," I said. It didn't come out sad or angry, just... Matter of factly.
"Perhaps," Celestia said. "Perhaps not. But you are the one who can help with this."
"I can't just tell them to strive for that," I stated. Celestia shook her head.
"Nor should you," she replied. "But you need to help them realize it. By being their guardian for the threats they can't face."
"... What if I fail?" I asked.
Celestia smiled back at me, and gave me a nuzzle.
"There is a saying... I believe it is from your world," she said, "but one that has helped me: 'Faith manages.' Without faith, what do we have?"
I sighed, and leaned back in my chair.
"Hell of a time to put all this on me," I muttered. Celestia pushed up next to me, and resumed her nuzzle. I held out a hand and stroked her neck.
"I know," she whispered. "I am sorry... I may have been holding this in for quite some time."
"I gathered," I said dryly. "And who better to tell than the space monkey?"
She said nothing at that. I let out a long sigh, and continued to stroke her mane.
"... I can't promise anything but to try," I stated.
Celestia hummed. "That is all anyone can ask of anyone."
We fell back into silence. The bobber had been underwater for five minutes.
Freaking Pony Princesses...
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"Wow. Rude."
"You say something, Sunset?"
"Shut up, Snails."
Quips aside, a wonderfully heartfelt chapter. A thousand years and change is a long time, and living forever doesn't mean you still have to deal with it one day at a time. We'll see how this pans out in the long run.
I loved this chapter!! Keep it up
Absolutely. This is amazing characterwork for both parties.
Possibly Coincidentally Uploaded Today....
You forgot the "True" Immortals. The ones who CAN'T die, or are incapable of staying dead, or the ones who simply cannot stop existing in a "live" state. The ones who no matter what they try will eventually be left alone, drifting in a dead universe that has experienced heat death. That is, unless they find a way to escape their universe.
Shepard: No, you don't. And you didn't answer the question.
Celestia: Dammit.
10408481
Or end up drifting on a rock through space until they stop thinking. Not pleasant fates, generally.
10408590
I was thinking more along the line of immortality presented in MLP EG Forever where the immortal individual cannot be harmed in any way, physically OR mentally, and as such their mind can't break.
Damn that's why i hate immortality...
I love these kinds of portrayals of Celestia. Partially because upon reading them I just want to give her a hug.
A nice sentiment, Celestia, and it is nice to see how much faith you have in Twilight and her friends. But I do feel that you're missing a pretty crucial piece of this whole thing: whether or not they actually want this for themselves. Because it's not your, or anyone else's, place to impose this destiny on them if they don't want it and you shouldn't let your assumptions and desires dictate their paths.
Still, be interested to see where this little element of the story goes, in whatever capacity it does.
Say it with me now.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Anyhoo, most of your angst-y immortals are that way because they became immortal rather than being born one, as the latter would supposedly inherently have the sort of mental and emotional makeup to handle it.
10410572
I think people significantly overstate the mental tole from being long lived/immortal. We base the idea of looking at the elderly, but they're not world weary because of the years they've lived, it's from their body and minds physically breaking down.
It’s canon, it’s done.
Best Princess.
Boom, it's canon.
10410953
Sometimes the are, sometimes they're not. It depends on the psychology of the individual, and the longest a human has ever managed is a little over a century, and that's not enough to tell if they could handle multiple centuries.
Shepard seemed remarkably blase about Celestia suggesting that he might not die either.
10413077
I think his current view can be summed up by this particular meme:
Behold the field upon which I grow my fucks and see that it is barren.
10413077
Immortality can be both a Cherished Gift and a Unforgiving curse, From what I can take away from this is the fact he knows that.
There was a quote I read some time ago: “When you have stopped fearing Death, Immortality is within your grasp” I think Shepherd has stopped fearing Death and thus has the chance to gain immortality and Celestia knows this.
You might want to remember what "as you wish" really meant in that story before spouting it all willy-nilly
It wasn't a pill! It was iocaine powder, dissolved in drinks!
The pill was to revive Mostly Dead Westley.
Bored, nuts, cruel, and combinations thereof.
The Doctor falls under "nuts", if you wonder. And probably "bored" too; he's a bit of a thrill seeker
10415010
That kinda sounds like it's talking about two completely different ideas, though: once you stop fearing for your life and just go for it, you have the chance to do things others will read about in history books - that sort of 'immortality'.
Also, I feel immortality would be a curse mostly to the closed-minded and those that would rather sequester themselves than actually live... I'm not trying to insult anyone here, but considering how vast the world is, and that it'll probably change almost completely by the time your 'next incarnation' has to begin its 'life', I don't think you'd run out of things to amuse yourself with even if you tried. And yes, watching your loved ones die is never easy, but you get better, eventually - time heals all wounds, as they say. It'll be sore or stiff when it's about to rain, but otherwise...
A chapter that shows a very living aspect of Celestia? Definitely canon, please. This, this sort of baring-of-one's-spirit, is the kind of thing stories such as yours exist for. More, please and thank you.
10416023
I also remembered that immediately.
10408481
He was talking more about how the immortals are characterized than how the immortality itself works.
Seriously. At this point, I'd roll over, grab her, pull her close for snuggles, and offer the best sex I could offer. Why? Because Celestia needs some happiness. Deserves it. Even if its just in the arms of a weird alien ape. And hey, a few orgasms between friends...
10449965
"What are you all looking at? Old mares need love, too!"
Taking their romantic overtures qs serious itself seems to be the problem. He never wanted them or returned them, but now it seems that because they desire him that he must say yes and desire them back. He just feels forced, really.
I love to see it as canon of your story
Sooo... Horn scriches for Tia?
Celestia pulled ahead of Luna!
Quick Luna, go for some belly rubbing and petting before Celestia is snatching Shepard away
Sad we never get another chapter like this