Thread 45: Stories 76-93

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>56
“???”
________

Rounding a corner at the same time, two bodies collided.

“MMPH!”

Well, one body collided with that of another smaller body and rebounded off.

There was confusion in 56’s eyes as he scratched at his chest, trying to figure out who this black and white stripped figure was sprawled out on the flo-

>ZECORA!

“Nngh… by these sharp pangs of pain, have I been struck by a train…?”

>Nope! Just me! What’re you doin’ lyin’ on the floor for? Lemme help ya up!

“Your thanks is most appreciated, though it is your fault the floor and I became acquainted. At any rate, before it is too late, with Princess Applejack I have a date. A meeting concerning my poison joke, which has disappeared as if by magicians smoke. I fear the cooks of this castle have grabbed wrong, and will only bring chaos with their tongs. So on my way with haste I was, until ramming into you gave me cause to pause.”

All the while she spoke, a dreamy smile had drifted onto 56’s face.

“…Why is it that you look as you do, is it funny, the thought of poison joke stew?”

>Uh-uh… I just love the way you rhyme. I couldn't do that to save my life, my messed up words would leave y’all filled with strife.

“…”

>But you do it so naturally, without even thinkin’. You’re so cool.

“R-really, is it that amazing, truly? It doesn’t come off sometimes as a bit… unruly?”

>You kiddin’? The flow could send off to some good dreams.

Zebra ears flattened themselves with a slight blush and Zecora rubbed at her leg with a hoof.

“Your words are far too kind, for I’d’ve thought you the first to surely mind….”

>What? Why?

“An earlier remark was said, about making a swift crack to my head, because my rhyming was a topic of scrutiny, though you were only trying to help me speak correctly….”

At first, there was confusion.

Then abject shock cracked 56’s face.

>Oh haaaaay no! That was just me bein’ curious! And I thought you were jokin’ about it! Zigs, no, I’d never wanna hear you talk straight. It’d prob’ly break the universe! Just… do you. BE you! And if anyone- ANYONE ever gives you guff ‘bout it? Come get me, I’ll set ‘em straight! Me, not-mom, applebutt, NTL, the whole crew’ll roll out!

Despite the sincerity of his words, watching as that little creature struck a defensive pose in front of her, facing away with his eyes narrowed, Zecora couldn’t help but giggle behind a hoof.

“I thank you for your words most dear, I will do my best to hold them near. But now I must be on my way to the princess, before this chaos begins to spread in excess.”

>Okay! Take care, Zigs!

After ruffling his flyaway mane, Zecora continued on her way… except with a noticeable bounce to her step.
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>Bat-Mom
"Dadling"
~~

"Aaaaand, check! Off you go, little paper!"

>Do you have to mail that every week?

"Yes!"

>...Why?

"So my Queen knows I'm alive. If I don't do it for a week, she'll think I was dead."

>...You know, most officials have a much more through way to do this besides "Check yes for alive".

"Oh? How would your Queen know if a random soldier was alive if they didn't work for her no more."

>One, Princess, two, uh...

"..."

>...I guess they wouldn't until someone, like reported them missing?

"What if they were a loner with no family?"

>...Wouldn't know until someone found the body?

"What if they got buried under rocks or something? How would they even know they were dead?"

>...Uh...

"See? At least mine would know when I disappeared."

>Just because she checks if you're alive doesn't mean she actually cares about you!

"..."

>...Awww, don't do that.

*Wibble*

>Don't do thaaaaat.

*Whimper*

>She probably... probably cares. Maybe.

"nnmmm..."

>You feel bad now don't you?

"Nmmm hmmm...*wibble*..."

>Ahhh, jeeze. I didn't mean to... was just getting defensive cause my princess is nice and... awwww...

*Sniffle*

>...Want me to make you feel better?

"...Mmm hmmm..."

>...If I find out this was just a way for you to get the 'special thing'...

"..."

>...Friggen, gonna need to get my mouthwash...

"YAY!"

>...

"...I mean, wibble."'
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Bliss

This instant summed up in a single word.

It had meant nothing before this very second. Her happiest memory was like a candle burning against the raging bonfire of this exact moment; A faint imitation of the radiance and joy she felt right now.

She had half a mind to commission a painting of this and legally change the definition of ‘bliss’ to a picture of that painting. No context whatsoever, just a pony cuddling a changeling.

Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire cuddling a changeling named after the Earth Pony Princess and a mane-style that copies his wife's.

She happily wiggled against him, relishing in his tight embrace.

She savoured the brush of his slightly rough coat against her smooth chitin and sh-

Wait. Something's not right.

Eighteen didn't feel the contact of coat on chitin. She felt the bristling of coat on coat.

She thought back to last night, she was a wreck. Her memories were an emotionally drained blur panning across her mind in fragmented bits and pieces.

^^^^^
"Everything is perfect my love"
"you're an Alicorn Princess"

She gently floated past her office, past the bare cot that was rightfully hers.

"Did you have another nightmare, Cadance?"
"I love you"

^^^^^

Carefully Eighteen opened her eyes, the room dimly lit by the golden light of an early morning.

She stared down at her hooves, hoping for smooth black plating marked with the occasional hole.

Instead there were pink plush forelegs, entirely intact. Her wings were not transparent and bug-like, but rather pink and feathered.

She looked like Cadance.

Her heart soared but her mind fell. She was torn between elation and despair.

How could she do this?

One half of her was ecstatic. This was all she had ever dreamed of. She used to fantasize about being a Changeling Princess when she was younger. She would find a rich, beautiful, charming stallion and woo him. They would fall deeply in love and have hundreds of children together. (She would also kill him and move on to continue their secrecy, but she left that part out of the fantasy)

Her silly foolish childhood dream had nearly come true. The perfect partner lay beside her, giving off waves of love and hope and trust and wa-

Trust.

The other half of her rushed to the surface.

She had breached his trust. The object of her obsession, her be-all-end-all, the person she treasured and worshipped and valued over all but Queen Chrysalis. He trusted her.

And she violated that trust. Would he act this way if he knew he lay with 18, not Cadance?

She was an infiltrator who had just completed an impossible mission and secured an endless food source.

But she was also a hopeless romantic that wouldn't hurt her heart's desire for anything in the world.

The monster deep within her urged her to strike, some subtle mind magic now and he would be hers forever.

Reality pressed down upon her with a thousand tons of force. She was overwhelmed with shame and self-loathing. How could she betray her friend like that? Would she be able to look in a mirror ever again without being disgusted by what she sees?

She was a friend and a traitor, a liar and a saint, a wolf and a shepard...

Shining Armor began to stir, interrupting her introspective tirade.

"Good morning Wifehorse."

He nuzzled into her and she froze. She had only a second to act. Now was the time.

Two polar opposites screamed their solutions in her mind, confess to being 18 all along and beg for forgiveness, or attack while his guard was down and enslave his mind.

As conflict raged inside her, she could only squeak out a barely audible whimper

>Shiny?

"Yes, Cadance?"

>Don... Don't mention this to anypony, even me. I'm embarrassed, I'm a big pony and I shouldn't get scared like that. Can we just forget this happened?

"If you say so. If it ever happens again, just remember I'm right beside you."

Oh, oh if only that were true, she mused to herself.

>I know you are, but sometimes it feels so real. I try to run or hide or find you and I can't. I get scared that you're alone or hurt or worse. I never want to lose you, Shiny. I-woke-up-and-you-weren't-there-but-you're-always-there-so-I-thought-cause-you-weren't-there-that-something-awful-happened-and-I'd-never-see-you-and-and-and...

"Shhhh, just try to relax dear."

Oh thank love he bought it.

He pulls her close again, the steady pressure against her back with every breath encouraging her to slow her breathing. For a few minutes they just lay in one another's company, inhaling and exhaling in sync.

The moment was beautiful, beyond words, beyond understanding. She basked in such raw intimacy. It was a few minutes of pure love, unadulterated by any other emotion. There wasn't a hint of lust or lewdness or carnal desire. He was simply content to lay there and support his wife.

After a few agonizingly short minutes he stirred and crawled out from beneath the covers, leaving her alone in the center of the massive bed.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

>That sounds lovely, but I need to get back to the Spa before the others notice I'm gone. I'll see you later today.

"Sounds great. Have a good time with Celestia! I love you."

Her heart soared at his declaration, he said it with such feeling, such clarity. The words dripped with power and honesty.

>I love you too.

And she meant it.

She meant it more than she had ever meant anything.

With that, Shining Armor departs the bedroom, leaving 18 still under the sheets.

Frantically 18 tiptoes to the doorway, peeking out into the halls. Finding the path clear she sprints back to her office and lays in her cot. Heart beating like a hummingbird, her mind races.

>Ok, ok, just gotta play it cool. He won't say anything, I won't say anything, everything is fine. Just gonna fwoosh back into good ole' changeling form and go about my business.

>That's not suspicious, right? He won't ask why I'm in changeling form, will he?

>You're overthinking things 18, time's of the essence! Gotta get out there and act NORMAL.

18 is engulfed by a flash of green fire, her wings resuming their transparent sheen, her soft coat turning to smooth chitin, her horn shortening and becoming jagged and she shrinks down from her larger alicorn stature to the size of a normal pony.

>Think normal. Act normal. BE normal.

18 sizes herself up in her mirror.

>You can do this, you're an infiltrator. One of the best. Pokerface!

Her face goes completely neutral, unreadable by even the world's leading body language experts.

With a constructed air of pure uninterested normalcy Applejack 18 walks out the door of her office to go to the kitchen.

After all that's happened, she could use some coffee.

The second she leaves the frame of her office, her attention slips for the smallest instant and she subconsciously shifts back into Cadance.

>Gonna drink some coffee, good-ole-coffee, wish it gave me super powers but it just keeps me awake!

18 sings to herself under her breath as she meanders to the kitchen, giving a whole new meaning to the word 'casual'.

"Hey 18"

>Hey Shining Armor.

"Coffee?"

>You know it.

"Want to stay a few minutes, have some breakfast?

>No can do, that paperwork won't sign itself.

"Fair enough. How're things?"

>Not bad. More paperwork, but it's coming along. Should be done in a little while longer. Won't be free this weekend, but probably the next one.

"Good to hear, we should do something."

>Yeah, we should. How about you? Cadance still at the Spa?

"Yep. I miss her but I'm a big boy. I'll last until she gets back this afternoon."

>Tell her I said hi.

"Can do."

18 drains her mug and walks away, towards the portal.

Walking the halls of the Crystal Palace she thinks to herself.

That went well. Really well. I don't think he suspects a thing.

A twinge of guilt went through her gut.

Of COURSE he doesn't suspect anything. He trusts you. He's not expecting any kind of subterfuge or trickery or betrayal or deceit or fraud or two-facedness or dishonesty or deception or-

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I get it. I know a lot of words for the same thing, sheesh.

As she continues through the prismatic corridors she catches a glimpse of a reflection and stops. Cadance? Back already? That can't be good. She's not supposed to be back until this afternoon he said.

18 hones in on the reflection of Cadance and looks around the halls, wondering which odd angle it's reflecting from.

Shit! She's looking right at me! Which way is she?!

>Cadance? Hi, how're things?

The mouth on the reflection moves in sync with her own.

B-but that's impossible!

Looking down 18 checks her own hooves, again expecting black chitin but finding pink fur.

That can't be right though, she purposely shifted back to changeling form. Didn't she?

>What the FUCK is going on?!
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Applejack 18 paces the halls of the Crystal Palace, continuing to rack her brain for info. There must be a detail she's overlooking. Something she doesn't understand or something she doesn't think is significant. There has to be an explanation.

At night he thought she was Cadance, flank and all.

In the morning he thought she was Cadance.

FIVE MINUTES later he *knows* it's 18.

She continues to pace, her brain rapid-firing the same possibilities over and over.

-Terrible night vision?
Unlikely, she would have noticed before now

-Flank actually was that small?
Impossible, he would have thought she was Cadance in the kitchen.

-Able to subconsciously shrink her flank when she’s not thinking about it?
Possible but nearly impossible to monitor or reliably duplicate.

-Shining Armor is lying. He never thought she was Cadance and did it all to humor her. He feigns ignorance to spare her feelings.
Possible, maybe even likely, but terribly horribly incredibly depressing.

-Flank WAS that small, but magically grew during the night?
Flank shrinking when sad/emotionally distressed is basically the same as being able to shrink it subconsciously. Possible but not feasible to replicate, not worth pursuing.

-Shining Armor was tired and didn’t notice. He didn’t re-check her flank in the morning when he was well rested.
Most plausible action so far, but Shining Armor is generally alert and thorough.

-He was put off guard by his wife in distress?
Possible. Useful as a short term tactic or for occasional sessions, not viable as a long term solution as it would require nearly constant distress, crying and sorrow to avoid detection.

It all whirled in her head, a big circle of unlikely answers to hypotheses that couldn’t, or shouldn’t, be tested.

>Ok, just *what* in the hivemind is happening? It doesn't make any SENSE!

>Either I'm crazy or he is, it's not logical!

Taking a deep breath 18 collects herself.

>I jus… I just need more info. There are too many variables!

>Alright, infiltrator 101 here. Information gathering: Isolate the target, ask non-leading questions and let him fill in the blanks. I can do this, I can do this.

Steeled with new resolve and a concrete objective, 18 returns to the kitchen to find Shining Armor at work over a hot skillet.

>Hi again!

"Hey there. Reconsider?"

>Yep! I figure I should see what's so cool about this 'food' stuff you ponies are always going on about.

"Yeah, I should really look into that 'love' concept you seem to enjoy so much."

>Hey, I can spare ten minutes. Let's give it a shot!

She waggles her rump at him.

"Ok ok, I walked right into that one."

>Sure did. But you can walk right into this one too, any time you like.

She punctuates her statement with another waggle.

>Seriously though. Is everything alright? I was asleep last night in my office and I thought I heard someone crying. I was pretty tired but it sounded like Cadance. Is she ok?

Shining Armor lets out a deep sigh.

"I promised I wouldn't say anything, but… I trust you, and I don’t want you to worry. You’re dealing with enough stress as it is."

Another involuntary twinge runs through her gut.

"Cadance is staying overnight at a spa in Canterlot but she had a bad dream. She came home so I could hold her tight and tell her it'd be okay."

A wave of relief washes over 18 for a split second, she's in the clear, but how should she react? Concern? Laughter? Just go d'aawww? Derisive mocking?

>Pftahahahahah! That is friggin adorable! It's a shame you swore me to silence, the Queen would absolutely lose it!

"I'm serious 18."

>So am I Shiny, she'd stop rolling on the floor laughing right around the time your grandchildren died of old age!

Shining Armor furrows his brows in annoyance.

>Don’t worry, I won't tell anyone. I swear.

"Good. I just don't want you worrying. You have enough on your plate with all the paperwork.”

Ok, that's some solid info. Every infiltrator instinct told her to cut and run, ditch with the assets, bolt now that the intel was gained. Excuse yourself from the conversation and go about your business.

Every emotion inside her said otherwise. To pry for more information, how did he mistake me for her that one time? What was different? Maybe it was vanity, or her meticulous side or she was being careful.

Or maybe it was entirely selfish. Maybe she wanted to know how to make last night happen again. How to feel such intense love directed at her once more. How to finally live her dream.

>How did you know it was her?

"Hmm?"

SHIT SHIT SHIT YOU DUN FUCKED UP 18 YOU DUN FUCKED UP BIG TIME

ABORT ABORT ABORT

>How did you know it was Cadance? Not me? I'm almost always disguised like her. Aren't you worried you could mix us up?

"Nope. As hard as you try I'd know her flank anywhere. Yours is too big and plump. Head to hoof you're a perfect copy except for that. You know all this, I told you months ago."

>Heheh, yeah, I guess. I'm still working though!

"No closer to the mark I'm afraid. Not that I prefer small flanks over large ones, it's just a distinguishing factor."

>I'm glad Cadance is ok. I'd hate if anything bad ever happened to her.

"You don’t know the half of it. I’d be completely lost without her..."

Phase two: Success.

Now just play it cool. Make small talk, chit-chat a bit. Kill time. Talk about other topics and hope he accidentally reveals more info.

Just mingle a bit, act casual.

After a few more minutes their plates have been set, served and cleared. Shining Armor stands up and moves towards the door.

"It was nice talking to you, but I've gotta run. The guard won't drill themselves!"

>Yeah, it's about that time. Rainbow Dash still needs a hoof with her papers.

"Don't work yourself too hard, I don't want you to be exhausted for next weekend. You promised, I wrote it on my calendar and everything. No weaseling out!"

>It's a date!

"Nope, it's a fun outing between good friends.

Dejected, 18 looks down at the table and lets out a small sigh.

>Oh... It's that then.

He begins to walk through the door.

>That’s a lot less fun to say.

"I guess so... Take care 18."

>You too Shiny.
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Frustration builds and failure looms. Why can't she process basic information? She can review a hundred forms for a dozen different topics, all within 3 minutes, what can't she figure out the motivations of one SINGLE PONY?!

Rage grew inside her and she felt the need to lash out. The emotional outburst last night was helpful, but it wasn’t a long term solution. She needed actual change in her life, real progress at SOMETHING. She barely even cared what, just a day that wasn’t portals and papers stamping and signing until caffeine couldn’t keep her going anymore.

She could not find an answer this way, trying would only build her frustration, feed her anger. She needed to vent. She needed an outlet for her energy.

She strode into her office with a confident aura around her.

Deep down she knew nothing would change. The papers would be back tomorrow. But she didn’t care, she was full of greenspit and rage. It would be like telling a boxer that the speedbag is just going to bounce back. It’s not about the bag.

It was about taking the hate that lives deep down and letting it surface. Embracing your inner darkness, letting it see daylight and breathe fresh air.

If only for a moment.

To let that ever suppressed part of you run free in a semi-contained environment. It was liberating and exhilarating and a little bit frightening when she saw exactly what she was capable of.

She did not enjoy it, no. That would not properly convey what happened to that room. It wasn’t strictly possible to ‘enjoy’ that much negative emotion all at once, nor the immense expenditure of time, energy and love for her body to keep pace with her spirit.

But it was a sight to behold.

Countless hours later her frenzied work had begun to slow, the stacks were short, the files were thin, the quills were nubs, the inkwells held but drops. Her eyes were unfocused, her lids heavy, her horn ached, her magic fields flickered and faded when she tried to manifest them.

She had just enough energy to hobble to her cot and collapse into a dreamless slumber.
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Applejack Eighteen began to stir, softly flopping about the cot in her office as consciousness slowly to set in. The first hint of it was a dull body-wide soreness and a pounding headache. She knew this headache all too well. Most nights she didn’t sleep long enough to fully eliminate the caffeine from her body, so she had been able to deny it for the longest time...

But the harsh reality is that caffeine dependency is a cruel mistress.

At least the solution was easy enough. After a trip down the hall and a quick brew she’d be feeling fresh as a daisy.

18 clumsily flopped out of bed, landing with a hard thud against the cold stone floors.

>*mumblefrumble* Stupid legs. Don’t mutiny on me just yet, if you keep me from getting to the kitchen you’ll never get your coffee.

She lay still for a moment to gather strength.

Positioning her hooves beneath her 18 let out a grunt of exertion as she raised to an unsteady stance, legs shaking with each step towards the door.

Slowly she left her office and proceeded down the hallway in a slow hobble, making heavy use of the rails along the walls

>Thank Celestia I passed that handicap accessibility act and had these installed.

Eventually she found the kitchen.

Leaning on the door frame she spied her prize.

That bitter black brew, the caffeinated concoction, the drink of her dreams, the enticing elixir, the…. the…

Shaking her head she stops trying to think of ‘f’ words to describe coffee. Her caffeinated mind would never wander this much! Just one more point of evidence in favor of grabbing a mug.

Her horn sparked lightly but nothing happened.

With a heavy sigh she sets out on a Journey Across The Kitchen.

May as well be hiking to Saddle Arabia for all the spare energy she had.

But still, she reached the pot all the same.

And thank goodness it was already full. Must have missed Shining Armor because she slept in.

>That stallion was a gift from on high. If he hasn’t made this pot I’d probably have to lay here until some staff found me.

One series of awkward shaky movements later 18 sat triumphant at the kitchen table, steaming mug of coffee between her hooves.

A few minutes pass. Cups are poured and drank.

Nothing. She doesn’t feel any better.

Eight more cups come and go, giving her the energy to brew another pot. Having run out of time for dilly-dallying she decides to take it to her office.

Her magic still didn’t work, she needed all four hooves for stability and she couldn’t hold the coffee pot in her mouth without spilling it. So she makes the long unsteady trek back to her office with a fresh pot of coffee on her back.

Balance is a problem, but the bigger issue is the rapidly building heat against her coat. For a quick jaunt she'd be fine, but at this slowed pace it’s becoming a real concern.

The warmth on her back grows from uncomfortable to unbearable as her pace quickens. Rounding the corner to her office she quickly tosses the pot to her desk and moves her hooves to her back, drawing away some of the considerable heat.

>Ooooohhhh ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!

Legs aching from their arduous journey to the kitchen and back, she rolls onto her cot, rubbing her warm back against the taut fabric in hope of relief. Her hooves flail as she rocks back and forth. She’s glad nobody else is around, she looks like a dog rolling in the grass.

As the heat fades tenderness sets in and the position quickly becomes uncomfortable. 18 takes it as her cue to move to her desk and chair and resume work.

She tried to manifest a magical field around some nearby folders to no effect. Her horn doesn’t even light up.

>Looks like we’re doing this the old fashioned way

Without magic to aid her the process is much slower, barely able to keep pace with the paperwork’s spontaneous growth. She feels the ache in her forelegs as she reaches for papers and inkwells and quills and whatever else she may need. The burn on her back leaves her constantly shifting position. The pot of coffee was drunk long ago to little effect.

The whole experience is utterly miserable.

>Maybe I’ll skip the Rainbolt paperwork today. Get some extra sleep, coffee’s just not having the same punch...

She muses to herself. True, she HAS been working hard, much harder than she probably should if her caffeine dependence is any indication, but she did it for a good reason.

She took care of the Empire because it made him happy. And him being happy made her happy. Sure, the actual task of sifting through forms and letters and other miscellaneous red tape for 20 hours a day was miserable, but the look on his face, the way he talked to her…

He made it all worthwhile.

And deep down she hoped that maybe, just maybe, if she kept working like this… If she kept showing her love for him, that someday he would show that same love back. Not just in appreciation but in affection. She wanted attraction and passion and lust and lewdness. Maybe someday. All she could do was try, and she tried in the only way she knew how.

Fighting the strain of her muscles, the blur in her eyes and the pounding in her head, 18 reached for another form. And another after that.

As long as there was paperwork to do, and a stallion like that to do it for, she’d never ever stop.

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>PD
"Flash"
'Fizzle
~~~~~

The world itself shook with her scream of rage.

>GRRAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

"I uh... I take it you are unhappy?"

>HOW! THE FUUUUUUCCCCK, DID A NO NOTHING DUMBASS TWEEDLY LITTLE SHIT LIKE THAT FUCKING BUG MONSTER FIND HER!?

'Uh... I don't kno-'

>NO! OF COURSE YOU DON'T! IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD BE THERE! FINDING ME MY TITAN SO I CAN DRAIN HER OF EVERY DROP OF BLOOD, SLAP IT INTO AN INFUSION AND STOMP MY ASS TO CANTERLOT! THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU WERE FUCKING COMPETENT!

"...I uh... we're normally very good, she just got luck-OW!"

That paperweight was way heavier than it should have been. Or maybe it was just the speed. Either or. Nonetheless, she dented the cyborg pretty badly.

>FIX THIS!

'H-how-'

The rage in her glare was far, far hotter than any lava infusions.

'RIGHT! ON IT! FIXING IT! WE ARE SO! SOOOOOOO FIXING IT! CONSIDER IT FIXED! FIXAROONY! SO FIXED YOU WON'T-'

"Dude just shut up and LET'S GET FIXING!"

They both turned tail and ran out of the office, terrified to be in there for one second longer.

>...Still pissed that little shit turned down working for my newspaper.

She slammed the "Hive Gazette" against her desk, balefully glaring down at the headline.

>On the positive side, my sales should upswing a bit...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>AJ
"10"
~~~~~

"The guards weren't needed, ya' know."

The changeling idly rubbed her shoulder as she said this, still smarting a bit from where she had been roughly grabbed and dragged.

Well, for about four seconds at least.

"And by the way? I am totally not making BBB apologize, those jerks deserved it... okay, they deserved the zapping, but I stopped the spinning blade before they did anything so they don't count! And I came to this office on my own and told BBB to stay outside for personal reasons totally unrelated to that event!"

Staring hard at her from across her desk, the orange princess said nothing. Just continued to tap her hooves in front of her face and glare.

"And furthermore, I'm pretty sure that was super illegal! You can't just grab someone off the street and drag them to you like that, and you especially can't take their newspapers! By the way? Pointless, only places I haven't hit yet is a couple out of the way things, already hit the biggens! Too late now!"

>Why.

The world dolled out was cold, harsh as a frost bitten wind on an icy day. Even her recent meeting with Chitania couldn't match that.

"B-because I had the truth, and I had to-"

A hoof slammed hard against the desk, cutting her off.

>Lands sakes, 10! Don't ya' have any idea what this is gonna do!? Didn't ya' give a single thought in that foamy little head o' yours as ta' what kinda fallout Ah' gotta deal with now!? Why didn't ya' bring this ta' me first!?

The changeling shot forward, both hooves slamming against the desk.

"Why!? So you can hide that too!? Hide whatever you think is going to make ponies uncomfortable?"

Applejack met her actions, much more slowly but ten times as forceful.

>It ain't about that! Did yer head get hit since the last time Ah' saw you or somethin'!? Ya' know what this might do! Ponies might actually try ta' find her, talk ta' her, tick her off! And then what happens? They're gonna get squashed!

"No, you know what I realized? They're not that stupid! We kept treating them like they're some big old dummies who're just gonna run off and get hurt doing something stupid, but you know what? Probably not! Maybe one or two might, fine, but that's not worth hiding the truth! That's not worth it anymore! The not dumb ones need to see this so they can see it like it is!"

The princesses teeth ground together, a fierce growl bubbling up in her throat.

>Do ya' have any idea what'll happen when they find out-

"When they find out what!? HUH!? When they find out ponies MURDERED HER ENTIRE HIVE!?"

If it was the high pitched screech or the contents of the scream that caused Applejack to lean back just a bit, 10 would never know, but regardless it emboldened her, pushed her on, told her to keep going.

"Oh yeah, that'll make them real uncomfortable, won't it? You don't want to know that once upon a time she had a hive just like us in the ballroom, and now they're dead because of ponies! And worse, oh, and this is the part that's really going to freak them out, she's not even mad! Well, okay, she's mad, but she's not hunting ponies, not killing them. You don't like that because we're the big bad bug monsters, right? We're the evil love sucking monsters who kill in the night, we're the bad guys! But this doesn't fit. This doesn't fall into that little bubble. You just don't want to accept that maybe you guys can be just as bad as us!"

Rage.

That was the only word, however understated, that could describe what coursed through Applejack's veins.

>She could'a made the whole thing up, and yer' that sure the gad-danged giant rage monster is tellin' the truth!?

"What's the point of lying!? She doesn't want sympathy, doesn't want to work with you, you don't scare her, doesn't even want to be near you! Face it, you're just looking for excuses!"

>THAT AIN'T EVEN THE POINT!

She magically slammed the paper down, so hard that it nearly cracked the desk beneath it.

>We left out Spike's attack on the train fer' a reason! We didn't want ponies ta' live in fear knowing a freakin' COMPRESSION ROUND to the side of her head while she was in her normal size wouldn't be worth more than a dang firecracker! What're they supposed ta' do here!? What can they do ta' stop her like this!? She could be next ta' them on a train and not only would they not know, they couldn't scratch 'er if they tried! If the whole train tried! All ya' did is sew panic in them!

The black cheeks puffed out, pointedly poking the paper again.

"Don't lie like that! They knew something like that wouldn't work when they watched her explode by something that could wreck a building in the middle of Fillydelphia! ALSO normal sized, in case you forgot! You just don't want them to know he fired the first shot!"

The fury in her eyes was unmistakeable. Instinctive magic grabbed hold of the changeling by the head, dragging her chitinous face to furry orange face.

>Now you listen here you little bug monster, the last thing he needs right now is a whole bunch'a questionin' and feelin' like he's useless from a whole mess o' ponies who wouldn't have the balls ta' stand in the same city as that thing questionin' iffin' he's capable. Ya' made them distrust their protectors, that's all.

She did not wiggle.

She did not struggle.

She did nothing at all to get out of that grip.

She just narrowed her eyes, and crossed her hooves.

"Maybe you're not as trustworthy as you think."

And just like that, the magic left her, letting her fall back to her seat, down below the heated gaze that never once let up.

>Leave.

Instead, she brushed herself off, and got back up.

"Give me back my footage."

>Ah' said git.

"That footage was given to me, bought and paid for, and only loaned to you for investigative purposes. Those purposes have to have been fulfilled by this point, and I, a member of Equestria's news media, feel it is important information the public should be made aware of. I am formally requesting the return of my investigative material!"

The room itself grew chilled.

>Yer' a member of a populace in refugee status. Ya' are not mah' citizen, and thus ya' are not able ta' invoke our press laws. As a member of a foreign populace, ya' are forced ta' follow our laws while on our soil, but ya' ain't granted the rights our citizens are. Ya' ain't a member of Equestria's anythin', and any outside info like this is up ta' mah' discretion whether or not Ah' wanna hand it back or not. Ya' gave it ta' me ta' investigate, and this case is still open iffin' ya' didn't notice. If ya' were a citizen, ya' could sue for it, but ya' ain't. Ya' got no case, since this affects mah' kingdom and was given willingly.

The strong, taught ebony shoulders slumped massively at the words.

>Don't you try ta' out-do me on these friggen laws. Ah've had enough o' this drilled inta' mah head in the last months that Ah' see it in mah' sleep. Ya' ain't gonna win.

Bitterly, she looked away, knowing full well she lost.

With that, at last, Applejack's tense glare relaxed just a bit.

>And Ah'm keepin' this footage until Ah' can figure out just what it is she's plannin'. Ah' ain't doin' this ta' hurt you, Ah'm doin' it cause ya' got a whiff of a big story, and now yer' biting off more than ya' can handle. Yer' still new at this, and ya' just don't see the big picture yet. Maybe someday, but ya' ain't there yet. Ya' need more time.

No response, just more downward glances to the floor.

>Ah' realize Ah' can't force ya', but iffin' ya'd tell me where she was, iffin' she was caught, Ah'd consider the case closed and give it back.

The reporter flinched, teeth gnashing together.

"No."

>...Fine, be like that. Ain't mah' call, and Ah' can't make ya'. It'd be the smart thing ta' do, the right thing, but it's yer' call. Ah' gotta let you make the wrong one.

She waved her hoof towards the door.

>Iffin' ya' get another story like this, Ah'd prefer ya' ran it by me, but Ah' guess yer' gonna be like this. So go on. Git. Go git yer' story, since that's obviously more important than someone;'s life.

She shoved off from the chair, never once looking back to the princess as she headed towards the door, and none too subtly slammed it shut.

Alone, Applejack let her head fall to the paper, banging her forehead softly against it over and over.

>Dang it... Ah' really liked that gal too...

Even when she was as close as this, she could still make out a few words she recognized. Easy enough, seeing how many times she had read the article.

>Just... what's the point' o' me gettin' all this power iffin't they won't let me help them? They just keep fightin' me on every dang choice Ah' make.

Again and again, her head went up... and slammed back down.

>Ah' jus' wanna help 'em... jus'... let me, dang it...

Oblivious to the self loathing in the room she had left, the changeling raced down the hallway at full speed. Right behind her was her ever present companion, one who had waited ever so patiently for her on the other side, not a single word of questioning on his robotic voice box. Maybe he was learning, or just did not have the processor to say. Regardless, he said nothing, and followed her.

"BBB? You still got that... you know what?"

He buzzed in affirmative, printing out a picture from his chest. It was blurry, a little out of focus and sort of hard to see, but...

"It'll do."

At last, they reached their destination. A closet attached to the ballroom, hidden from all of the other inhabitants. Within it, sat nothing but a chair, a plank of wood, and a tiny typewriter.

She felt a twinge of sorrow as she sat at the desk. She knew what she was about to do would have consequences, for her especially, big ones... maybe permanent ones.

But she had to do it.

She had to give the truth, even if they didn't want it. Even if they hated it. Even if it made them hate her. She had to give it.

She had to tell it like it was.

"...Not like I wish it could have been."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Waking up naturally is a wonderful feeling. Deep breaths of fresh morning air, glowing dawn sun streaking over her face, scattered by translucent curtains. The softness of the pillow, the warmth of the sheets, the slight give of the cot’s tight fabric.

The smell of the shirt hugged tightly to her chest.

Altogether this was very pleasant. She still felt weak and her head still throbbed from withdrawal but her theory was being caught up on sleep would let the caffeine have more of a boosting effect again. At least enough to get rid of the headaches.

Today started much like the day before it. Eighteen got out of bed and went to the kitchen for some coffee.

Rounding the kitchen doorway she spotted a fresh pot brewing, Shining Armor working at the stove a few steps away.

At the sound of clip-clopping hooves on stone floor he looked to the doorway as 18 entered for what was quickly becoming a morning ritual.

“Morning Cadance.”

18 froze mid step, heart stopped dead. Her gut twisted in anxiety and every neuron of her brain screamed at once: WHAT

She nearly screamed too. Her infiltrator instincts kicked in, refusing to let this situation go to waste. She managed to reply fast enough to avoid looking suspicious.

>Good morning Shiny!

He turned back to his work and her heart had the courtesy to restart.

It was trying to make up for lost time, however. Her pulse skyrocketed and adrenaline flooded into her bloodstream. Her senses were sharp and honed as she tried to process every bit of information, recall every detail for later analysis. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she couldn’t stand to lose the slightest bit of data.

“Did you want some breakfast? I’m making pancakes for Two and I, but I know you’re not the biggest fan. Want a bowl of Wacky-Tacky Fruity O’s, or some oatmeal with candy in it?

She fucking loved his pancakes. They were Faustdamn delicious. They were fluffy and light and perfectly cooked and absorbed the perfect amount of syrup. They practically glowed with love!

But maintaining cover was more important than eating perfect pancakes, no matter how her stomach grumbled in protest.

>Oatmeal with candy in it sounds delightful.

“Coming right up. And proper use of a new word. ‘Delightful’, good for you honey, I’m so proud.

SHITSHITSHIT

THIS IS AMATEUR STUFF 18, DON’T BLOW IT

SPEECH PATTERNS, BEHAVIOURS, BODY LANGUAGE, VOCABULARY, ACTIVITIES - KNOW YOUR TARGET!

>Thanks! I…. Learned it from Two?

“She’s so smart, isn’t she?”

>Smarter every day.

“Just like you get more beautiful every day. Come here”

18 walked over into his beckoning hooves. The quick peck he landed on her cheek had her blushing madly.

She fwooshed her face to a non-blushing version while his eyes were still closed.

Hang in there 18, she tells herself. Just get to the coffee. A little coffee and this infiltration will be so much smoother.

Walking to the coffee machine she grabs a cup and goes to fill it. NONO! She quickly places her #1 Infiltrator mug back into the cabinet and grabs a blank white one instead.

FOR FUCKS SAKE 18, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

18 took the cup and sat at the table.

“Honey? You don’t drink coffee.”

FAUSTDAMNIT!

Internally her heart freezes again and she’s torn between a flying rage and a tear-filled breakdown. This error-ridden infiltration attempt is the worst she’s ever performed. How could she fuck up such BASIC things? Are her emotions clouding her judgment? Has she been out of the game too long? If he wasn't so trusting of his wife he’d have called her out, this is embarrassing!

>I know I don’t! I poured it for you, silly!

She coyly pushes the mug in front of the seat next to her.

With a happy smile he levitates the cup to his lips.

“You’re the best, Wifehorse”

A few minutes pass, Shining Armor making pancakes in silence as 18 eats her oatmeal with candy in it. The oatmeal is sweetened but otherwise unflavoured, and Shining Armor sprinkled a hoof full of candy on top. It seems to be a mix of gummy bears, pop rocks, candy coated chocolate, skittles and the occasional gumball.

“Sweetie, can you go wake up Two? Tell her Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.

>Ok. See you later, dear.

Primly she stands up and walks for the door, all her strength focused on maintaining calm even strides. Any hint of weakness right now would raise concern, it would be disastrous.

Step by step and leaves the room, Shining Armor none the wiser.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>PD
"Marketing Exec"

Coffee, what she needed was coffee.

What she needed was coffee and for every print outlet in existence to spontaneously combust.

What she needed was coffee, every print outlet in existence to spontaneously combust, and for every single one of her projects to be miraculously completed

What she got was a bad cup of tea and an extremely nervous marketing executive.

"M-Ms. Pennydrop?"

>Hm? I'm listening.

"Right, yes, well this latest cluster of occurrences may not be as...bad, as we thought?"

>My mech is wrecked, our changeling infusion making any form of progress relies on us abducting a lunatic from an insane asylum, and I have THIS-

Her hoof slammed down on a copy of the Hive Gazette.

>Touting Chitania as something other than what she-no, fucking IT, that's the proper pronoun-actually is, a force of destruction that has to die, yesterday. Boo hoo fucking hoo, ponies killed my hive. GOOD. They probably deserved it if they were half as bad as she was. Oh I only crushed those cities because they were in my way to Canterlot. Are we supposed to buy that!? The old warehouse was nowhere close to being between the Crystal Empire and Canterlot! What am I supposed to believe she's just shit at finding her way around? Give me a break.

"...uhm...on the upside the toy sales are up like way way high."

>...Okay, yes, that is good.

"And with the current state of fear and confusion we're expecting the sales of our infusions to be double our original projections. Then there's robot projects, the applied bio weapon research-making great headway with weaponizing that thing we got from Shetland last month-and-"

>Who are you, exactly?

"...ma'am?"

>Last I recalled marketing was run by a smarmy stallion by the name of Eddie Burneighs, you aren't him. Who are you and where's your boss?

"Oh uhm, yes, I'm Bottom Line, hi, we met at Partyland-"

>Met or 'Had orders barked at by'?

"...the latter. But Mr. Burneighs is-uhm-overseeing some 'transactions' in Stalliongrad. Things seem to be coming to a head there and he wants to make sure we're backing the right horse with our bots-"

>Droids. Remember the branding.

"Oh, right. Well uh, the Boarsheviks have reportedly been doing some very PR-unfriendly things with our droids and Mr. Burneighs is trying to ensure that the backlash doesn't fall back on us."

>Good, he's staying on top of things. If the Boarsheviks want to use our droids, they're not going to ruin our image doing it.

"Exactly, ma'am."

>Is that all?

"Uhm-oh the Palomino Family in Manehattan has come around on the guns, they're willing to pay full price if you send an operator to help train their men in their use."

>Those little dragon gang wars finally got them spooked, huh? Tell them they'll pay double for doubting us in the first place and handle the operator's salary.

"Of course ma'am. Right away, ma'am!"

Pennydrop stood, turning away towards the plate glass window of her office.

>...one more thing.

"Ma'am?"

>That group in the Gryphon Kingdoms, what were their names? The Blacksomethings?

"The Blackfeathers."

>Them. They attempted to buy guns off us a while ago, correct?

"Yes ma'am, you declined after Mr.Burneighs pointed out with their vendetta against the Queen's family, supplying them with superior weaponry would possible turn the country into a 'Backbiting unprofitable quagmire' compared to dealing with the nation directly."

>...tell them I changed my mind.

"M-ma'am?"

>Let's just say dealing with the whole of the nation has become something of a pipedream, and a quagmire is...preferable. Tell the Blackfeathers I'll gladly sell them their weapons and add an operator to train them in their use.

"I-uh-"

>And get me a damn coffee!

The sound of a door slamming behind let her know she was alone.

>I don't care if I sound like a supervillain, nobody fucking cuts in front of me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as 18 clears the kitchen door she breaks into a sprint, or the closest approximation of one she can do in her uncaffeinated state.

Bursting into her office her brain is running at a hundred miles a minute. What exactly happened there? Why did it work today when it failed a thousand times before?

She walks to her full length mirror and does a once over of her shifted form. After a visual inspection she begins to pace around, taking in what she saw.

Crown is normal.
Mane, eyes, horn and muzzle all check out.
Hooves are good.
Coat color is a match.
Cutie Mark is spot on.
Flank’s a bit small.
Tail’s good.
Voice is reg-


Waitwaitwaitwait, what was that one? The one about the flank?

S-s-s-s-small!? The flank is small?

A wave of elation washes over her, she did it! She really finally did it!

After all these months, all the time spent practicing her art, she’s perfected the tiny flank!

18 leaps across her office in joy, filled with emotion and hope at what this could mean for her, no, THEIR, future together!

She lands across her cramped office and feels a stapler underhoof as she descends upon it.

A sickening crunch issues forth and deep cracks run through her right foreleg. The illusion magic surrounding her body flickers and vanishes as she crumples to the ground, face locked in a silent scream.

She lays in a tangled heap, thick green ichor dripping from the deep cracks running along her chitinous appendage. The pain is blinding but the terror is twofold. She collapsed near her cot, in front of the mirror.

With her illusion magic gone she finds the sight in the mirror horrifying, revulsion and fear freezing her solid as she takes in her own visage.

Her eyes are sunken and black, much blacker than normal chitin. The area around them is wrinkled and spongy. The eyes themselves are lacking the normal vibrant green color, they are a milky white with a slight green tinge. Her cheeks are sharp and pronounced, her face incredibly gaunt.

Her ribs are all visible beneath her thin chitinous plates as they shift loosely over her chest. Vertebrae nearly protruding along her back, her abdomen is sickeningly small, practically clinging to her spine. Her limbs are thin and twig like, bony atrocities jutting forth from her torso. She can’t help but check her natural flanks. They are the size of Cadance’s.

It wasn’t her illusion magic at all, she hadn’t improved on the disguise. Instead she had altered her base self, entirely by accident...

As she looks herself over and introspects, the massive wound on her hoof continues to drip an alarming amount of her blood all over the floor.

Panic begins to set in. She is hurt, she is weak, she is probably more than half-starved. Help is just a few rooms away, but if Shining Armor knew what she was up to any further infiltrations would be impossible!

Frantically searching for options, 18 took a deep breath and focused. She squint her eyes and strained, trying to make a horn-call to 42. Her face flushed with effort as tunnel vision began to overtake her. She wasn’t able to manifest a magical field at all, much less try a new spell with it.

Out of options 18 gathers all her strength. With a deep groan and a heavy wince 18 lifts herself to standing.

I’m the Queen’s top infiltrator, I can’t give up this easily!

Limping to her desk she opens the very bottom drawer, dumps its contents out and flips it over. There, taped to the bottom, is a piece of paper. There is a note on it reading “FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY”

She carefully removes the piece of paper, one of Shining Armor’s love letters to Cadance. She gently folds it up, puts it in her mouth and begins to chew. The rush of love through her body is incredible, it’s not much in the grand scale, but it should stop her from bleeding to death for at least an hour.

After tapping into her emergency reserves 18 wraps her bleeding hoof in Shiny’s shirt and begins a 3 legged sprint through the halls.

Energy or no, she didn’t have time to spare and she was damned if she’d let this opportunity slip away!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NC
>Cadence
"18"
~~~

>BULLSHIT!

"Uh huh, uh huh, give it to me."

>BULL! SHIIIIT!

"Let it allllll out."

>YOU GOT AN ARC BEFORE ME!?

"....*SNIIIIFFFFFF*.... that's the sound of sexy."

>HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU SLEEP WITH MY HUSBAND TO PULL THIS OFF!?

"I never had to-Wait, was that on the table!?"

>What, you mean you hadn't heard? Pinkie, Dash, Fluttershy and Maud have been doing his sixteen ways from sunday in these omakes. But I made him stop because it was giving everyone else screentime except me and he said okay.

"..."

>...

"....FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NC Omake

'Gambling Changeling'
"Cadance"

'I've got three to one odds 18 tries to murder Cadance next thread, who's with me?'

"This isn't funny"

'Payout is 8-1 if Cadance forgets 18 is starving to death and tries to blast her with love magic, super charging her in the process!'

"Seriously, you're freaking me out!"

'We'll pay out a massive TWELVE to one if Cadance escapes from 18 by running down a flight of stairs and 18 trips and falls like ED-209 from Robocop!'

"Now you're just getting weird"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NComake
>AJ
"SA"
~~~~

>MAKE IT STOOOOOOPPPPP!

"You're over-reacting."

>AH' DUN WANNA BE THE STAR NO MORE! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT ALL BACK MAH' LIFE SUCKS!

"It's not that bad-"

>HOW COULD IT BE WORSE!? HOW!? HOW COULD IT BE WOOOORSE!? YOU DON'T KNOW!

"You could be completely unrespected by anyone, including your most loved one, hated by someone you once thought your best friend, completely useless and feeling almost forgotten while your loved one doesn't care if you literally go across a continent alone and mixes you up with a doll... oh, and you contemplate attempting suicide just so that someone, anyone, will pay attention to you."

>....

"..."

>...This thread was fuckin' dark at the start.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NC OMAKE!
>AJ
"18"
~~~

>...
"..."
>...
"..."
>...So, is this jus' "Make Applejack suffer" month, and the wires got crossed as ta' which Applejack?

"I don't know, but I'm totally winning in the suffering department."

>And that's... good?

"I'm winning!"

>...

"...Y-yaaaaay..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NComake

>Screwloose
“AJ12”
~~~~

“So I was wondering... do you really hate sweets, or is that just a random ‘haha’ thing?”

>…Every time you strut your perverted self in here from that second-rate doughnut hellhole smelling like glucose and fat, I just want to stick a syringe full of burning oil in both my eyes.

“…”

>…

“I get the feeling that’s your special way of saying yes.”

>I’ll let you think on it, perv.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NC OMAKE!
>29
"32"
~~

>You know, one of these days, 32, one of these days I'm going to take you up on those offers! I'm totally going to call your bluff!

"...Good."

>LIAR!

"No, really, good. When the hell else am I going to get that kind of contact? I'm in prison with nothing to do, a conjugal visit would be an amazing turn of events."

>Uh...

"Hell, you sticking it through the bars would be counted as a thrilling day for me. Just that contact alone."

>I get it.

"No, really, the flavor of just that would be such a change from the normal prison food I would-"

>I GET IT!

"And that's not even thinking about them actually letting you inside with me. Oh, the things I would do, just for a bit of a chance to say I did! My list would-"

>IGETITIGETITIGETIT! STOOOOOP!

"..."

>...

"... I'd seriously settle for watching you fuck the zebra."

>....ehhhhh...

"..."

>...nah.

"TEASE!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NCOMAKE!
>JJ
"Actarius"
'Random changeling'
~~~

'So, you're essentially santa now?'

"I guess?"

'And you're wearing green with little bells?'

>That is happening.

'...Always knew you were a twink.'

>What?

'NOTHING!'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NC Omake

>OO7
“Jetset”
'???'
______

>Word on the street says that you got the professionalism slapped into you by an orange, purple-vested cougar mare. That true?

“It’s true I’ll break my hoof off in your ass if this conversation doesn’t end retroactive to you speaking.”

>Right. So anyway, I have this picture. This her?

“…”

>Yeah, that's her. That twitch of yours made it look like you were going through a seizure.

“You’ve got until the count of zero to burn that photograph before I-”

>Really, though, I’m confused… she doesn’t look like much of anything. She’s old, Jet. Crow’s feet old. I did a background check on her and she doesn’t even possess a tenth of the power that even your castle’s A-team do. Why the fear again?

“Y-you… oh damned Changeling soul, you know not the horror her seasoned hooves and unyielding demeanor can bring.”

>You lost me at “damned Changeling soul”. Hurtful much?

“If you believe nothing else I ever say to you, believe this: if you ever meet her, I suggest you grow completely still and stay that way. Fear excites her but if you don’t move, she can’t see you.”

>Ooooookay, first of all, that applies to dinosaurs. Secondly, that theory was debunked quite awhile ago. And thirdly… did the temperature just drop…? I can see my breath fogging and… why do I hear the faint sound of chuckling? ...Jet? Jet? Jet, where’d you g-

'Well, well, well, looks like a certain bug is in need of a... professionals touch.'

>HOLY SH- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Pinkie
~~~~~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CoWplXbeUw

>Ponies have gone back home and Applejack has to deal with the fallout. Silver Spoon tries to work with Twilight to fix TBDRLIATU. 18 gets her own mini arc. Chrysalis makes innuendo jokes about Fluttershy's ballons. Rainbow Dash keeps trying to catch Fleetfoot on her drug selling ways. Celestia tries to get the liquid cake project working. Find out what happens next in thread 46: Cadence Time...and of course, late fan service!