History Fanfic / ThePerilousGestationOfSwans

* DistractedByTheSexy: While navigating between dreams with [[HelloNurse Gosling]], Luna initially doesn't manage to access the hall of doors because of this trope. PlayedForLaughs and heavily {{Lampshaded}} by Gosling.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Celestia's plot to raise money for the Weeping Sister Hospital by selling tickets for one minute's private dance and (if requested) a kiss with [[HelloNurse Gosling]][[note]]And he has to wear a ridiculous sweater[[/note]]. It sells out. All 300 tickets. Despite that being suggested as a far-too-high number[[note]]Celestia was expecting Kibitz to make his usual adjustments[[/note]]. Also, she did this without consulting Gosling.

* HelloNurse: Gosling somehow makes Luna's [[HomeMadeSweaterFromHell Home Made Sweaters From Hell]] look good.

* LaughThemselvesSick: When Celestia needs cheering up, Gosling is called in. Even under pressure, he succeeds.

* TheDividual: Beans and Toast.

* HealItWithBooze: While under the effects of a regenerative potion, Celestia offers him cherry cordial, mixed with poppy tincture. When he complains that he doesn't like poppy juice, she says he should really be worried about the 96-proof liquor. He takes it, and then [[INeedAFreakingDrink she pours herself a glass]].

* DeathByChildbirth: [[spoiler:Both Celestia and Luna have done so in the past, their Resurrective Immortality meaning they had to grow up amongst their own foals, and one of the reasons Celestia hasn't had foals for a millenium is that she couldn't risk dying with Luna to take over while she matured]]. Fortunately, modern medicine makes it far safer.

* DrivenToSuicide: Tarnish's alternate hanged himself due to bullying. The corpse was discovered by Maud Pie.

* [[ToServeMan To Serve Pony]]: [[UnreliableNarrator Princess Celestia]] tells of how the animosity between ponies and dragons started. Apparently, a smart dragon convinced a dumb pony that they could get a shiny and sleek coat by slathering themselves in butter. This was true, so it got copied and butter farmers became rather rich...until the dragon shows up to dine on some hot buttered pony. Apparently Celestia has told this story before, Blueblood mentions that she forgot the bit about convincing the ponies to eat bread and apples so they'd be pre-stuffed, and Raven mentions that colts had trouble catching the buttered fillies.

* BigSisterBully: [[spoiler:Celestia was one to Luna, calling her "Stain" in reference to the black spots of her cutie mark]]. It's why [[spoiler:she's so willing to give in to Luna's whims now. Her guilt is overwhelming her.

* CallForward: Twilight and Seville bond over their mutual love of inks, [[spoiler:a significant factor in their finally getting together]] in FanFic/FoalsittingFollies. More importantly, Celestia has a conversation in Chapter 44 with her advisors about whether they should act on Dire Dark's treason and risk angering the Darks. As readers know from Dark Desire's complaining in FanFic/{{Eignegrau}}, Dire Dark is indeed arrested. In the same conversation, Inspector Le Feu[[note]][[Fanfic/TheCommandersCompromise Chartreuse']] father[[/note]] providing some insight as to why his activities are ClassifiedInformation even to Shining Armor.

* DiedInChildbirth: [[spoiler:Both Celestia and Luna have done so in the past, their Resurrective Immortality meaning they had to grow up amongst their own foals, and one of the reasons Celestia hasn't had foals for a millenium is that she couldn't risk dying with Luna to take over while she matured]]. Fortunately, modern medicine makes it far safer.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Celestia's plot to raise money for the Weeping Sister Hospital by selling tickets for one minute's private dance and (if requested) a kiss with [[MrFanservice Gosling]][[note]]And he has to wear a ridiculous sweater[[/note]]. It sells out. All 300 tickets. Despite that being suggested as a far-too-high number[[note]]Celestia was expecting Kibitz to make his usual adjustments[[/note]]. Also, she did this without consulting Gosling.

* LieByOmission: Luna attempts to justify the secret as not a lie, just a witholding of information. Gosling has none of it.

* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Chrysalis has been forced into an immature body, and acts much as a small foal would]]. Luna has similar problems when wearing a foalish illusion, unexpectedly requesting "Upsies"[[note]]Apparently a fondness of Twilight's when she was young, and she provided the dreams that power the illusion[[/note]]. Sharply shown when the narration jumps into her head during the Gala, and she's struggling to keep the foalish impulses down, as doing otherwise risks LossOfIdentity.

* MrFanservice: Gosling somehow makes Luna's [[HomeMadeSweaterFromHell Home Made Sweaters From Hell]] look good.

* ResurrectiveImmortality: Celestia and Luna have TrueImmortality, taking this form. [[spoiler:It brings them back as a foal, meaning that Luna is still a foal, following her disintegration at the beginning of WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic]].
* TheReveal: The secret being kept from is that [[spoiler:Luna is not an adult. When she was purified in the first episode of Friendship Is Magic, she was killed and returned as a filly due to her True Immortality resorting to Resurrective Immortality if pushed too far, and she's not yet grown]].

* SummonBiggerFish: During an argument, Cadance calls the aid of the Immortal Solars. Twilight calls her teacher. [[SubvertedTrope Celestia is displeased]] by the unwanted call.

* WhatTheHellHero: Celestia is vicious when Cadance and Twilight attempt settling an argument via application of guards or herself. Gosling descends into a snarling fury when the truth finally comes out, due to the secret [[spoiler:potentially having resulted in him unknowingly having sex with a child. Fortunately, it hadn't. Cadance calls out Celestia for allowing Luna, who is known to be emotionally compromised, sway her into making a bad decision]].

Winter is often a time for quiet reflection, and for Equestria, it is a time for recovery from the tumultuous events of the summer. At its centre, Princess Celestia fights to hold it together.

* AdultsDressedAsChildren: Luna and the Wardens attend the school ball disguised as foals. {{Justified}} by the presence of magic that can alter appearances to such a degree to make this viable as a disguise.

* BigSisterBully: [[spoiler:Celestia was one to Luna, calling her "Stain" in reference to the black spots of her cutie mark]].

* CallForward: Twilight and Seville bond over their mutual love of inks, [[spoiler:a significant factor in their finally getting together]] in FanFic/FoalsittingFollies.

* DistractedByTheSexy: While navigating between dreams with [[MrFanservice Gosling]], Luna initially doesn't manage to access the hall of doors because of this trope. PlayedForLaughs and heavily {{Lampshaded}} by Gosling.

* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Celestia invoking this to interrupt Luna's question of whether she has resorted to pimping suggests that certain [[OhNoNotAgain other]] [[NoodleIncident tropes]] apply.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Purple Party has one after being called out by Gosling for failing to support Luna as he should be, and he seeks Gosling for atonement.

* TakeOverTheWorld: Briefly discussed as a potential solution to various other nations refusing to take Grogar seriously as a threat, but Celestia, as with the Mr Mariner incident, is unwilling to engage in tyranny, even with the best of intentions.

* VolleyingInsults: The scientists studying beneath Canterlot Castle descend into this when discussing Discord's hex on Chrysalis.

* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: Even with all the opening up she's done to Gosling, Celestia still hides a lot of herself, [[spoiler:including the fact she's actually an introvert, and that she'd really rather not have everyone looking at her]].

* ThatCameOutWrong: Seville, while tired, accidentally makes Twilight go from [[ThroughAFaceFullOfFur purple to red]].
* ThroughAFaceFullOfFur: As in the source material. Twilight spends the latter half of chapter 28 discovering new shades of purple, heading for red after Seville gets a case of [[ThatCameOutWrong hoof-in-mouth syndrome]].

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Celestia [[DiscussedTrope Discusses]] her distress with the war in chapter 34, and similar concerns form part of Luna's DreamingOfThingsToCome.

* CrushingHandshake: Celestia suffers several during the Gala, and is a little annoyed that she can't return the favour, due to the lack of survivors should she do so.

* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Chrysalis has been forced into an immature body, and acts much as a small foal would]]. Luna has similar problems when wearing a foalish illusion, unexpectedly requesting "Upsies"[[note]]Apparently a fondness of Twilight's when she was young, and she provided the dreams that power the illusion[[/note]].

* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Chrysalis has been forced into an immature body, and acts much as a small foal would]].

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Celestia and Luna are capable of altering their forms to appear as different ponies, including young fillies. Luna's the more skilled at such magic.

* WackyRaces: When brainstorming ways of improving efficiency in the castle, Gosling proposes indoor chariots. A couple of chapters later, a delivery of racing chariots is taken. Next chapter, Twilight and Celestia are having a conversation about defensive plans. [[MoodWhiplash Then Luna and Gosling race past]], with Beans and Toast wielding padded bats against each other.