Thread 21: Stories 121-134

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>Applejack
"Spike"

Enter Spike left into bedroom

>Howdy Spike, you feelin' alright pardner?

"Yeah Jackie....just feelin' real tired out..."

>No surprises there, you've had quite a few days from what Rar's been telling me, how many creppy-crawlies did our little hero peg between the eyes, Hmm?

"I dunno <Yaaaawn> Plenny I guess.....I just need a lie down...can I use your bed? It's stupidly comfy"

>Oh sure thing, use it as loooong as ya need, I may just have mahself a nap too....

"Man those are some crisp sheets, well....g'night..."

>How about ah make good on mah promis-..GOOD NIGHT? But it's the middle of the day!

"AJ, I'm pooped out...my body clocks a mess... and there's another pile of stuff I'll need to do with the spider changeling thing when I wake up..."

>But ah made a promise to give you a good time when y'all got back-

"Can I just....have a day off? No offense but I really miss being able to nap constantly back with Twi"

>Oh fine, I guess. Oh please don't snuggle into mah bed like that... it only makes me wanna hop in there too

A snoring is heard

>Awww, lil spikey-wikey *mwah* You rest up now, yer gonna need it soon enough~

"Hrmmm...Rarity....Snrrrkkk"

>...

*POP*

>Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtop it


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'Arana'
"AJ56"
---
Today was a most wondrous day indeed! The sun shined, the birds sang, the castle was almost rebuilt, and the plot was thick. AJ56 snuggled butts everywhere and today was no exception. Why, he'd come across a most fat-plotted mare with a lovely curve to her physique! And in he snuggled.

It wasn't until later that day, did he see a small spider-like mare, he noticed with a hint of upset, that she was cast glances of disdain wherever she went. To the normal ponies she probably seemed off or different.

But AJ56 wasn't your average pony. He was a Changeling! And he was friendly, to say the least.

"Hi there!"

'AHH!'

"AHH!"

'AHHHHHH!'

"Woah. Scared me there. Sorry iffin' I scared ya as well!"

'...'

"Ya alright?"

'...I-I um...'

"Yeah?"

'I don't think... I should be s-speaking to you...'

"...Huh? Why not?"

'W-well, I um, y-your Queen, she...'

"Oh, bug-butt?"

'I... wait- Who?'

"Chryssy? Bug-butt? The Queen."

'Um...'

"I call her that."

'Yeah...'

"So... you don't talk much."

'No...'

56 embraces her in a hug.

"Don't be worrying about all these ponies staring. They're just worried 'cos a big bug lady came an' ran through the city is all. And you just look different, not that it's bad!"

'R-really?'

"Yeah! Lookit me!"

'I guess so...'

"C'mon, Imma take ya to this place that sells awesome ice cream n' cookies!"

'O... O.K then!'

"By the way, what's yer name?"

'...Arana.'

"AJ56! Nice to meet ya!"

'The other one had a number...'

"Other one?"

'Another Changeling I s-saw, she was called a lower number...'

"Huh... 18? 42?"

'Um... one of them, maybe.'

"Yeah we got our names from the Princess 'cos we like her so much, ya know?"

'What did she do?'

"She saved us! We wasn't all good, an' she let us into the castle, an' gave us a home! And she smells like cinnamon an' apples, an' her butt's all cushy an' big an' warm an' soft an' plump!"

'...H-how do you know that!'

"Like this!"

56 proceeds to snuggle the nearest butt-endowed mare nearest to him.

"Ya got a lovely butt, Ma'am!"

'...I-I don't get that...'

"Don't worry, aint somethin' ya gotta understand. Oh hey! What about your plot, huh?"

'...Wha--'

56 spins her around and faceplants into her plot for several minutes while Arana, unsure of what to do in such a situation, stands there confused, heavily blushing. Eventually 56 releases her from his snuggle-hold.

"Ya got quite a nice butt there! Quite plump an' warm! If you keep going you'll have a butt like Moons!"

'...O-Okay.'

"Yeah... so, ice cream time!"

'...Alright...'

"You're more shy than Flutter-butt!"

'...Who?'

"Darn, ya don't know much of this place do ya...? Well, we gots stuff to talk about for when we get that ice cream!"
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>Rekulk
"Rarity"

>Aha! Princess of Shimmerstones, we meet again!

"Rekulk? It's still light out, darling you're going to-what in Celestia's Equestria is THAT!?"

>It is an invention! Since my suit was zapped by the merciful master of the Sky Demon, Rekulk has made a new one!

"Darling...you strapped a bunch of umbrellas to a saddle."

>PORTABLE SHADE! I am protected completely AND can talk! Truly a great advance for my people!

"That's great, darling, but..."

>Yes?

"This contraption...how do you get through doors?"

>....uh...actually, Princess of Shimmerstones, funny you should ask...

"Yes?"

>I'm stuck.

Rekulk wiggles a bit as he and his invention are wedged quite thoroughly in the doorway to Rarity's room.

"Oh, hang on, darling."

With a great creaking and scratching, Rekulk is dislodged and stumbles into the room, his invention broken in the process.

>Phooey.

"If it's any consolation, you can wait here for nightfall."

>Thank you, I shall try to think of a new plan in that time!

Nonchalantly, Rekulk marches into Rarity's closet, disappearing into darkness.

"Hmm...sun-resistant clothing..."
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>Rekulk
"Rarity"

>Curious! These limbs remind me of the stone carvings made around the dragon-lands

"OFF! NOW! OUT!"

*ssssssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSST*

>Uh oh

"ACH! BACK IN! BUT NO TOUCH!"
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>SA
"Chrysalis"
~~~~

>...

"...Go ahead, ask."

>Just curious, Sciderella was the scariest one, right? Who was runner up?

"Titania. Because giant fucking corpse monster."

>Oh. PHEW! Guess that makes that one... special place... stabber queen third, right?

"Uh..."

>...Uh?

"Well, I mean, she wasn't SCARY, she was actually pretty pleasant to be around. But..."

>...Buuuutt...

"Well, Oestridae was known by another name. 'The Hiveless'."

>Because she had no hive?

"How'd you guess? But anyway, she was a mind-control whiz, and eventually found a way to, say, amplify the signal. She had these little... barbs, I guess you could call them. Filled with.. you know what? I'll save that for the end. Anyway, she could fling these barbs into you, the 'stuff' would come out, and it would dissolve portions of ponies brains and make it super easy to take over. Even without a hive, she lasted pretty long."

>D-... dissolved their brains?

"Yep. Just ate it away."

>Sounds... scary.

"She wasn't! Really! She used to tell stories and chat it up with everyone, she was super pleasant to be around. She even baked us cookies once. No joke, baked us COOKIES."

>What happened to her?

"Weeeellll... that 'stuff' in her barbs? That made it so easy to permanently mind control anyone? Turns out when you dissolve stuff you need to... put something back in there."

>...Nooooo...

"Tiny piece of her brain every single time. Eventually... yeah. Walked right over a cliff, and forgot how to fly."

"I don't know if I should feel bad..."

>I guess not, none of the other queens did. They laughed. Well, okay, MOM didn't laugh, but everyone else did. Chitania probably would have laughed too, but she had a terminal case of the frozen."

>...Can you-

"No."

>...She's still lower than the crotch-stabber.

"Pfft. Males. Always the same."

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>Sombra
"SA"
'Chryssy'
-Cheese Sandwich-
~Pinkie~

"You know I just realized something."

'What?'

"Why didn't anyone think to take Sombra down into the spooky death cave? He's a ghost, he floats, he'd make a perfect scout."

'Oh yeah...hey, fog boy, where were you when all of this was going on?'

Sombra looks up from where he's poring over a copy of 'Resurrection Spells for Dummies'.

>Hm? Oh, right, well...

Cut to the latest site of Partyland a few days earlier, where Cheese Sandwich and Sombra are observing progress, or lack thereof.

>So you want me to perform an exorcism?

-No no no, we just want you to explain to these Buffalo spirits that we had no idea we were building on top of their burial ground...and maaaaaybe that having an amusement park above them would do wonders for their morale.-

>Yes but why am I doing this?

-Well...you're a ghosts, they're ghosts...-

>I'm certain that is one kind of 'ism' or another.

-Look I'm gonna level with you, Pinkie and I are mostly hedging our bets on getting some more screentime here.-

>What?

~Cheesy! Ix-nay on the eentime-scray!~

-What? Why?-

Pinkie holds up a DVD, her expression grim, Cheese's eyes widen in fear, Sombra arches an eyebrow in confusion.

>What is a Pluto Nash?

-NEVERMIND WHAT I SAID! This completely relevant task that is not interfering with anything else will get you and Two season passes to Partyland for a decade!-

>Oho, now we're talking. Fine, I shall try to negotiate with these ancient spirits.

Cut back to the Crystal Empire.

"So what happened?"

>I failed...horrendously. Partyland lies in shambles, needing reconstruction somewhere else, an eternal stampede occurs where it once stood, and I didn't get those damned season passes.

'I dunno what those two were talking about, I liked Pluto Nash...'
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>42
"Chrysalis"
~~~~

>...So, just to recap, THAT is the horrifying monster that I should be avoiding, and if it should attack I am to "Kill until it is paste."

"Right!"

>That thing.

"Yes."

>The thing in the picture.

"Is something about this not clear?"

>The thing that is holding up little booties. This is the creature that haunts you.

"I AM NOT HAUNTED! I am properly conscious of a terrible, terrible threat! Seriously, why is everyone fighting me on this? SHE CAN MELT SKIN! Her hive used to peel other changelings like oranges! OTHER CHANGELINGS. Not ponies, though of course she did it to those too, CHANGELINGS! That's just breaking so many code of ethics! We're mostly honorless monsters, and even WE thought that was some bullshit!"

>Okay, well, Shining Armor has informed me I am not to kill her without due cause...

"..."

>...But you are my Queen obviously so you take precedent over Shining Armor in this case. Should I disappear her?

"...Her?"

>Ah, yes. He informs me the creature is a female.

"...No... fucking... way..."

>My Queen?

"T-that would means she's Sciderella's... which means Sciderella had... had..."

>Are you... your face is scrunching up, and-ooooohhh my, okay, it's imploding. Your face is straight up imploding inward and I am afraid and there is no shield please don't-

"BLLLAAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHHH!"

>....Oh, hey, you missed! Thank goodness-

{ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?}

"...Sorry, Shiny.
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>Spike
"Celestia"
'Twilight'
~~~
'Like, I dunno WHAWT you see in Applejack, Spike. Imean sure she's curvy as hell but girl's got no sense of style!'

>So... this is that problem, huh?

'But Rarity is totally way fabulous, yanno whawt I mean?'

"Very much a problem."

'I mean, she's like- almost a girl Flash Sentry. I would totally still sleep with a girl Flash Sentry even though I'm totally not gay. So it's like, I dunno, whado guys say? Like 'no homo' or whatever?'

>Urge to shoot... rising.

"I will not stop you here... But I'm still open to other suggestions."

'Hey, Spike, 're you my little brother or my son? I don't think any boy will want me if they think I'm used goods, yanno? So mind keepin' the 'son' thing on the DL? Actually, I don' even know if a lotta boys would like my hangin' around a lizard. I mean yer still my friend but, can it please be not in front of any cute boys?'

Spike suddenly looks like he's been shot

'Spike? Like, hellooooooo! Earth ta Spike?'

>... Sure, Twilight... Our relationship is confidential.

Spike turns to Celestia

>I... don't think I can help. Excuse me.

"Spike- Wait!"

He's gone

'Oh, mah gawd...'

Celestia turns back to see Twilight crying, despite her smile and empty expression

'My mascara is totally running for some reason. Princess, can you like, explain this to me? Please... Please explain this? It won't stop runnin'.'

A darker side of Celestia felt some relief

Twilight was still in there


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>77
"Spike"
~~~~

>I am glad to see you all had a much more, let's say, causality free time than I did, Spike. I was worried.

"77... I have to say, I feel for you so much more now. We were armed with enough ammo to take on a military, we had benefits like flame breath and magic users, we had a guide telling us exactly what it was we needed to avoid, and we had a clear and easy way out and a way to send for an extraction... and I was still terrified every single second I was down there. Everything looked like it was trying to kill us, and several things nearly did. You guys..."

>...Well, that is the one upside to my tale, isn't it? I at least served as a warning to those who would come next.

"77, I didn't mean it like that..."

>No, I know... It's funny, we thought we were doing it to make the invasion into Canterlot so much easier, but it turns out we were only serving as a warning for what would come if any tried that path. My Queen may have only intended for us to have a fright, but we ended up being the thing that freighted others. Still, I am happier now than I was before, I think. I know now that any horror, no matter how great they may seem, can be conquered. I survived that hellhole. I survived those monsters. And now I know... others can as well.

"77..."

>There is darkness in this world, Spike. Your life is bright and colorful, so you do not see it all the time. But it is there, beneath the surface. Darkness is a part of our lives... but it is not absolute. It is not an inevitable force. We can defeat it. It will not be easy all the time, sometimes it will even seem impossible, but it can be defeated, overcome. I know that now... I know that now.

"...Well, if you ever need a claw in the fight, you know who to call."

>...Yes... Shining Armor. Have you seen that guy? What a badass.

"OHHHHH! OUCH! Felt that one."

The laugh that came from the old soldier was lighter than Spike had ever heard it.

>You know I kid, I am thankful to have a friend like you. But Spike... I think that is my purpose, not yours. I overcame those things in the dark before, and protected my hive from a terrible fate. Maybe... maybe that's what I was always meant to do. Maybe that's what I was meant to do until the end.

"I wouldn't worry so much about that, 77. Whole lot of life out there, lots of time still left to live. Might be more than you think."

>Maybe...

The doors to the bathroom had long since been closed off, renovations taking place to repair the damage that had been done by Celestia's attack.

>Or maybe... I have just enough.
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>Trenderhooves
"AJ10"
~~~
Trenderhooves sits nervously in front of a desk, doing his best not to show his nerves, but he was dealing with a real rising star. If he could work as a columnist for this guy, it would do miracles for his career

>So, as you can see by my resume, I am highly qualified to cover more than just travel stories, but also report on disasters, bring people of distant places close to Equestrians... I mean I'm more than just a critic, I am a fully qualified journalist with a degree as well, plus a degree in Equideaology! I think that I can bring major contributions to this newspaper.

After several moments, the resume and application was set down on the humble desk and AJ10 nodded

"Congratulations, Trenderhooves, welcome to the Hive Gazette. Before you celebrate, I need you to investigate the situation in Stalliongrad. This will be your real interview: a trial by fire, because the people need to know what's going on behind the Iron Curtain."
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>Sombra

~~~~~~~

Late at night, in a large candle lit room filled with pile upon pile books, Sombra hovered, many ancient tomes created in the last few centuries layed before him as he searched.

>...

*flip*

>...

*flipflipflip*

>...

*flip flip flip... BACKFLIP*

>I-I... I don't believe it... could it be?

Sombra's eyes danced across the page drinking in the ancient text before him.

>A runic circle drawn upon the place of birth...A new vessel... created to look like ones choice image... An opal infused with so much magic that it shines like a star... A piece of one's former body... An incantation and... and a...

Sombra's eyes widened as he continued reading.

>... A test. After the ritual is complete, the caster must then face a test. A test of merit. If successful the caster's body will become whole and permanent. If failed, however, the caster will be lost... forever.

A candle flickered and suddenly went outl.
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>Chrysalis
-18-
"Various Changelings"

"So then Glittering Shield takes his murder-axe, and--"

"Oh c'mon, murder-axe? Why don't they ever use his Demon Blood Sword anymore?"

"It's outplayed, can you imagine them just using the same deus ex machina every time? It would get boring and trite."

"Then why give him inferior weapons? At least make the new ones better!"

>Holy acidic greenspit, I thought Celestia ordered the castle rebuilt, what is this buffalo dung? Racism, is what it is.

-Er... she did have it rebuilt.-

>Maybe you just can't see it from that angle, here. Step over... no... there we go. Now, see the ballroom? How it's kinda shambles-y? That's not how a rebuilt ballroom looks.

-Right, and it looked very pretty for the three hours after the masons were done. Then their handiwork met with... er... 61's taste for drywall?-

"I'm 60, actually!"

-60's taste for drywall. And 44's uncanny knowledge of plumbing lines. And 78's fascination with power tools.-

"Hey, she remembered us!"

"Not by the right numbers..."

"It's the thought that counts!"

>Ugh. It's a good thing Shiny's such a love powerhouse, I don't know how I'd keep these twits fed otherwise.

-Amen to that, my Queen.-

>Alright, well, have fun with this. I've got a bed to get snuggled into and some royal butter to churn. Just gotta grab my pillow first.

-...Huh? The closest farmstead is-- oh. OH, sorry, took me a second on that one.-

"Hey 18, read us a story!"

"Yeah, we ran out of good Power Pony comics last week!"

-No! Go to sleep!-

"Easy for you to say!"

"Yeah, you've got a belly fulla love all the time, what're we supposed to do? We've got nobody!"

-And whose fault is that?!-

"..."

-...Oof, sorry, that was kind of low.-

"Eh, it's true, though."

"We wish it weren't, but it is."

"Kinda sucks needing love to survive but not having anypony special to give it to you."

"Well, 'cept JuggleJack, she's smoochin' that one guard."

"HE'S NOT MY COLTFRIEND!"

-Well... no offense, but you guys really oughta get out more, then.-

She was met with a bunch of noncommittal grumbles at that, so the overworked changeling just pinched the bridge of her muzzle and sighed.

-Don't worry, guys. You'll find someone. Maybe. Eventually. I dunno, I guess. In the meantime, I've got to get back to the Crystal Empire, paperwork waits for no one.-

"What about our story?"

"Yeah, or just a song, even!"

"Anything?"

-Sorry boys!-

The group let out a collective grumble again, and Cadence's (more full-rumped) body double trotted off in the direction of the portal. The door was left ajar as they chattered back and forth, the entire room lit by a single candle and a section of floor that had been soaked in something flammable.

>Hey.

Every eye turned to the door as a long shadow in a crown stepped in front of it. Every bit of chatter ceased as their Queen, wearing a black-and-green nightcap with a pillow across her back, poked her head in.

>Go to sleep.

In perfect unison, every body curled up in the same position. Every blue eye snapped shut, every wing ceased buzzing. It was almost mechanical. But it was entirely obvious that the room was tense, waiting for her approval, not one changeling actually asleep.

>...she's right, you know. If 77 can find a sweetheart, there's hope for the lot of you. So, until then, you'll just have to get by with this.

As she moved between the rows of black bodies, her horn glowed a faint green, softer than her usual magic, as doses of love drifted to each individual she passed.

>Just say...
>"Goodnight, my someone, goodnight, my love... sleep tight, my someone, sleep tight, my love... A star is shining its brightest light, for goodnight, my love, for goodnight..."


Chryssy blew out the single candle as she passed, letting the moonlight from the windows inside act as a celestial night light.

>"Sweet dreams be yours, now, if dreams there be, sweet dreams to carry you close to me, I wish they may and I wish they might: Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight..."

A hoof stomped out the floor fire casually and snuffed it, the windows now the only source of light save for the thin crack under the door.

>True love can be whispered from heart to heart when lovers are parted, they say...

She bends down low and pours a little extra sustenance into the one who made a habit of playing with high-power magical tools.

>But you all must depend on a wish and star, as long as your hearts do not know who they are.

Looking much more tired, she stepped carefully between two drones who were huddled close together, her round of the ballroom completed.

>Sweet dreams be yours, dears, if dreams there be, sweet dreams to carry them close to thee... I wish they may and I wish they might...

The door glided open effortlessly and shut behind her silently, completely unnoticed by her hive of now-resting changelings.

>Now goodnight, little changelings, goodnight.

Tiptoeing away, she magicked up her blanket and made for the portal. That'd be enough for a day or two, at least.
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NON CANON
>Pinkie
"Sombra"
'Satsuki Yumizuka'
~~~
>I still don't get a lot of screentime...

"I understand your pain..."

'Welcome to my world. Wanna join my Back Alley Alliance?'

"What happened ot the old one?"

'Carnival Phantasm ended...'

>Isn't it-

'I swear on Gaia and a pact with Angra Mainyu, if you finish that sentence, I will depletion garden the cutie mark off your ass!'

>sadsacchin?

'RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

"I regret everything!"

'Totally worth it!'
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Further non-canon
>Pinkie
"Cheese Sandwich"
~~~
This is the real thing!

NEXT THREAD PREVIEW!

>PINKIE AND CHEESE'S~!

"PARTYLAND! Yahoo! So another successful thread, huh?"

>Yep, and one anon decided this was a great way to give us screen time!

"Well, we still don't have a lot of time before the next thread, so let's get on with the preview!"

Actually, you're out of time

>WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE OUT OF TIME?

"We just started!"

Don't you know how these work? You're not actually supposed to give a real preview beyond a title of one of the storylines that'll popup.

"Huh, wish we had known that."

>Yeah probably could have made a Boneless and condom mix-up joke.

"Next time on Princess Applejack:"

>"The Pinkie Myster Science Theatre!"

See ya there!
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