Thread 45: Stories 61-75

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Eighteen looked up from her paperwork for the sixteenth time that day. She counted.

On a good day she could sneak in 23 15 second breaks before noon, any more and she'd fall behind.

Stamp stamp sign stamp file file stamp shuffle stamp file

The noise of her daily routine was unbearable to her, a constant reminder of her work issued forth in a droning cacophony.

It was only fitting she get the full experience however. This was her life, after all.

Every sense reminded her of that. Every waking moment was spent in this room. There was no respite from her endless toil.

She saw white paper, piled high before her.
She smelled only envelope glue.
She felt the cheap forms on her hooves.
She tasted nothing but ink in the air.
She heard the constant shuffling, ruffling, and scratching of paper on paper.

Every sense reminding her that this was her existence.

But it would be worth it, she told herself. Today's the day.

=Shiny, where are we going again?=

“I told you already, dear. We're going on a picnic with Two!”

=Ooohhh, ok. How come?=

“It's my birthday, remember? We always have a picnic on my birthday.”

Eighteen looked up from her desk for the seventeenth time at the sound of his voice.

“See? Picnic basket and everything. I got the chefs to pack us your favourite! We can eat it at the park where we had our first date.”

Shining Armor levitated a picnic basket beside him, wicker with the contents covered by a red and white checkered blanket.

=Is... Is that what that was?=

“Yeah, what else would it be, silly? It's lunch for you, me and Two.”

=Ooohhh. I threw that out, I was going to take Two to the beach today!=

Shining Armor takes the picnic blanket off of the basket, revealing no food inside.

Instead there are 2 scuba masks, 2 snorkels, 2 towels and sunscreen.

=I looked at your schedule and it said you'd be busy with something, so I only brought enough for Two and me.=

“It said I'd be busy celebrating my birthday. With my family.”

=Well how was I supposed to know that?! You never run anything by me anymore! I'm not psychic Shiny!=

“It's fine dear. Let's go enjoy the day together.”

=B-but how can we have a picnic? Theres-no-food-and-we-always-have-a-picnic-and-I-ruin-everything-andandand…=

The whimpering mare walks by Eighteen's office door. She looks up for the 18th time and takes her in. Sparkling violet eyes with sharp black eyeliner. A pink coat, three tone-mane, horn/wing combo and a shining crystal heart on her impossibly small flank. Eighteen looked the same when she used her disguise magic, though she could never get the flank QUITE that small.

Behind her was Eighteen's heart's desire. Shining Armor.

She could spend days describing him. Words could not do it justice in her mind.

But there he was in all his perfection, chuckling lightly at his beloved's panic attack.

“There there sweetie, all I need to have a great day is you at my side.”

>Happy Birthday Shining Armor!

Eighteen beamed with pride as she floated up her surprise. A picnic basket came out from under her desk, gently suspended in a magic aura. An exact duplicate of the one he had requested from the kitchen. Nearly exact anyway, save for the oversized pink silk bow. She didn't dare let the amateurish hooves of the kitchen staff touch it, she had made all the contents on her own. Sure, she lost 2.5 of the 3 hours of sleep she normally gets, but the way his face lit up was worth it.

“Eighteen! You're a life saver!”

The wave of warmth that flowed off him at that moment would have floored her if she weren't already sitting down. It took all she had to blush and reply.

>Anything for you, Shiny.

“Come with us? You could use a day out of there, Eighteen. Between here and the Wonderbolts office I hardly see you anymore.”

She feels a brief flicker of happiness, of light, of hope. She pictures a beautiful day together, green grass, blue sky, gentle yellow sun bathing them in its warm glow... Cadance pushes Two on the swings off in the distance, leaving them alone together. They talk and laugh and hold hooves... She has her perfect day with her perfect stallion.

The flicker fades out and reality sets in. She pictures the same beautiful day, the same grass and sun and sky, but instead Eighteen sits off to the side with Two helping her with math homework. Shining Armor and Cadance sit beneath a tree... He heaps praise and adoration upon her while she looks at her hooves, inspecting them for the slightest imperfection. He confesses his boundless love and infinite compassion, she checks her eyeliner. He feels with the intensity of a thousand ponies, she ponders which shade of lip gloss pops more. The image quickly kills her good mood. She couldn't bare to see that come to pass.

>Can't, too much work. Enjoy your picnic!

“If you change your mind, please join us. You're always welcome.”

>I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

“Oh, 18, almost forgot. Mind having a sleepover with Two tonight? I'm hoping Cadance and I can get some alone time”

=Oh, Shiny, dear. No. Ew. Just ew. Not tonight.=

Shining Armor's shoulders slump almost imperceptibly and he lets out a sigh so small and unnoticeable she doubts he even knew he did it. But it was her job to pick up on these things. All the paperwork in the world couldn't dull her honed infiltrator instincts. Her meticulous attention to detail is what let her do the forms so well, after all.

>Maybe I could be your Cadance tonight?

18 seductively flutters her eyelashes and wiggles her rump

>It IS your birthday, after all.

“Appreciate the thought 18, but I'll have to pass.”

=Shiiiny, let's go, I don't want to miss the ice-cream truck. It's only in the park until eleven!=

Cadance trots anxiously in place and begins to walk out the door.

“Thanks again 18, you're the best!”

Shining Armor begins to trot, eager to start a lovely day with his lovely wife.

She returns to her forms, watching them leave her office from the corner of her eye. What did Cadance have that she doesn't, she idly wonders...

She's kind, hard working, generous, loyal, honest, funny, devoted, and loving. She's even a physical double, completely indistinguishable from Cadance!

Completely.

Indistinguishable.

Her thoughts slow to a crawl as Cadance rounds the corner exiting her office.

No.

Not completely.

She gets one final glance at Cadance's tiny flat ass, like a 6 year old colt.

The one detail she never got right.

It doesn't matter though, all the shapeshift magic in the world couldn't make a difference. She was at her strongest in years thanks to Shiny's love, but she was no closer to getting the butt right...

Not that it would make a difference anyway.

Maybe she should just give up, find someone new…

She sighed inwardly. That would never work, Shining Armor is the only one for her.

CRAP! Having used all her allotted break time she returns to her forms at a feverish pace, cursing herself for letting a flight of fancy distract her.

It was going to be another long night.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They had been following their target for over a day now.

Since said target had left Fillydelphia, she had not stopped, had not rested. Kept moving every moment since that time. And they had been just as persevering, just as determined, willing ready to track until their quarry until at last they sought rest and at last they went down. They would not let their eyes leave for a second, and they would not give up, ever.

For something drove them, this pair. Something pushed them on. A new purpose.

In these last few days, worlds had been shaking, words spoken feeling uncertain, assurances no longer so solid, discoveries hidden, joy... giving way to regret.

But no more.

That's what the smaller of the pair told herself. No more. Never again.

She was going to find the truth now, this time, and she was going to hold it dear. She would not turn away, not this time, not cower, not give way to the will of others.

The moment their current focus stopped, the moment they sought rest, the very instant, she was going to find the truth. Even if she risked her job, even if she risked exile, even if she risked her very life, she was going to find the truth.

And she was going to tell it like it was, not how they wanted it to be.

Never again, how they wanted it to be.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Chitania
“??”
[???]
~~~~

It was a pity the future had so many ways of making a pony travel such a far distance so quickly.

She still had their scent, of course, but she could detect her targets had all scattered far, far away from her in various directions. Not knowing which was which, she merely picked one, and started walking. Of course, this meant there was no way she would catch up to them in time, and all too soon night fell.

It had not taken her long to set up a camp, and by camp she meant a hole in a tree she had punched and curled up into, not needing a fire to keep her warm. She had long since past a time when a little roughness bothered her. Even longer still since she feared being attacked in the night. If anything should want to try to take a piece of her, she welcomed it. Some sort of excitement to deal with the boring nights. But, as she lie her head down and closed her eyes, she had no such delusions. If there was ever a time when some beast of the night would attack her, that time has long since past.

As such, perhaps her senses had become ever so slightly dulled, she might concede. A single slip in a time when she had so little to fear. A mis-step in her abilities of infiltration and detection, if you would.

At least, that's what she would tell herself, sometime later, after a very peculiar event. Specifically, being awoken by two words.

“Excuse me?”

And finding, off all things, a tiny fuzzy ball on a stick shoved in her face.

“Hi there! Ace Reporter AJ10 here to get the scoop! I was wondering if you could spare a few words for the readers back home?”

It was at this moment pure instinct took over, and she tried to smash.

Were it not for the speedy reaction time of two shining hooves, the changeling in front of her would have been paste. Her roar of challenge afterwards was met by a gun to the face.

[ERROR! ERROR! HOSTILE ACTIONS! SUPRESSING!]

“BBB NO!”

Two black hooves shoved the Gatling gun that had suddenly appeared to the side letting the hail of bullets tear apart the ground beside her. Not that it would have mattered, since whatever stray shots actually did land felt more akin to raindrops, but it was the principal of the matter.

And the principal event of this matter was her smashing her hoof into the shiny ponies side, sending it down into the darkness of the forest around, and also letting out a... clang?

“BBB!... YOU OKAY!?”

[BZZT! AFFIRMITIVE! DAMAGE IS BELOW 20 PERCENT!... 25 PERCENT!... REBUFFERING!]

Confusion was the only thing keeping the Titan from finishing off the creature below her.

>Another golem...

“Okay! So! Bad start, probably startled, ya', sorry, sorry sorry sorry and I will throw in one more because you really deserve it, ya' know? Sorry. Sorrry... but I hope this didn't sour our relationship, because I gotta tell ya', you are one hot item, one big bright ticket, who everyone wants to know, trust me!”

Slowly, the massive Queen turned away from where her blow had sent the machine.

>Are you hitting on me?

“Huh? N-no! No no! I-”

>Because I got enough of that with the other Queens, thank you, I do not need more.

“...Filing that one away.... But no! I am just pointing out that you, yes, you are the one everyone wants to hear abo-GLK!”

Flames encircled the smaller changeling's neck, hefting her up to be face to face.

>Where are the others.

[BZZT! ERROR! THREAT DETECTED!]

A dozen different weapons poured out of the 'golem' she had cast aside, the massive new dent in him still visible even in the darkness.

“GL! BBGLK! BBB! S-STAND DOWN!”

[UNABLE TO COMPLY!]

“ST-HRKK-STAND D-DOWN PLEEEASE!?”

To her surprise, the weapons did lower.

>Well, that settled... tell whoever followed you to show themselves, the trap failed.

“I-IKKK-IT'S JUST ME! JUST ME!”

Flames licked across her vision as the titan's eyes grew hard.

>You cannot be serious.

“A-A-G-good reporter knows you have to keep important meetings solo!”

She paused, listening for any sound, any hint of a trace that she lied, any snapping of twig or rustle of dirt that would have spelled the changelings doom.

But there was nothing.

>So, you really are just this stupid.

Wordlessly, the reporter was dropped to the ground, and felt just a touch of relief.

A relief that did not last long.

>Still, I cannot have you reveal my location.

A massive hoof was hefted high, ready to smash her dead.

“W-Wait! Not necessary! Equestian Article three six two in the subsection filing of the press related lawbooks states that any reporter is not under any obligation to reveal the names, locations or whereabouts of those they meet if the patron in question would not speak under normal circumstances out of fear of their life or freedom!”

An eyebrow went up as the hoof lowered very slightly.

“I don't have to tell anybody anything, and they can't prosecute me for it.”

The hoof lowered just a bit more.

“Prosecute means arrest or coerce into talking.”

Finally, it went down.

>I do not trust you.

“N-no need for that, Ma'am! The Hive Gazette treats it's sources like family! You want to keep your location unknown, it stays unknown!”

The Queen mulled over the words. She recognized the paper, and couldn't think of anything that refuted her claims. She could probably let her live and not feel any grief for it, but there was something else...

>What do you want?

“I told you, to interview you! Everyone wants to know about you, everyone! You're HUGE!... Pardon the pun.”

>What's in it for me?

“Uh...”

She grew nervous, uncertain.

“I have bits, if you want, lots of-”

>I have no need for your money.

“Well, uh... you can get the word out about your side of the story?”

>I do not care what they think.

“...Someone to talk to? Help me out here. Help me help you help me help you.”

She mulled over this. Perhaps she would ask for that golem, such a creation would be marvelous to have and study. But the little one seemed attached, and it might be trackable. There wasn't really anything for her-

>Hrm.

Suddenly very uncertain looking, the reporter gestured for her to continue.

>I will make a deal.

“Uh...”

>If I answer a few of your questions, and you had best keep it brief, you answer for me a single one. No arguments, no denial, no lies, no nothing. I ask, you tell me whatever I want. One question in exchange for words with me, is that not fair?

“I... I guess that would be pretty even, if I can answer it. I can't promise I'll know what you want, but if I do I swear I'll tell it with 100 percent truthfulness!”

>No matter what I ask?

She gulped visibly, and nodded.

>Very good... well, what do you want to know? Be quick.

And just like that, the worry was gone, replaced with a bubbling, explosive excitement as she gestured her robotic companion over, and motioned for him to start rolling.

“Where do I start!? Why are you doing this, why'd you attack the city, are you going to keep threatening it, so much! If I just stuck it to questions I had, we'd be here forever. So, tell me about yourself, just you.”

>About me? What does that even mean?

“You're right, I'm being too vague. Being blunt... do you hate ponies?”

>Sure.

There was a pause as she waited for the titan to continue her nonchalant statement.

She didn't.

“...Sure!? What do you mean, sure? Hate's really strong, you know, you just really don't seem all that hateful towards them with that.”

She scoffed, dismissive.

>Then you give a better word. I don't like them, I would not care if I crushed every single one in a single, blind charge, I do not like them pestering me with their toys, and I do not want to talk with them. They're inane, stupid chatterboxes who go on about the most moronic things. What more do I have to do to qualify for hate?

“Then... why did you walk away? From your recent attack on Fillydelphia, I mean.”

>I was bored. They stopped interesting me.

“So then, you don't hate them, you just don't like them.”

>I have to want them dead to qualify as hate now?

“Do you want them dead, or do you just not care if they are?”

She mulled over this, seeming honest in her thoughtfulness.

>...The latter, I guess? It's hardly worth my time to kill them unless they displease me.

“Then... why did you try to destroy Fillydelphia?”

>I didn't. If I had wished it destroyed, it would have been, end of story. I tried to kill that bitch with the rockets.

“Her in particular? Why?”

>She shot me in the back, that pissed me off.

“In the back? You didn't make the first move?”

>Oh yes, smart on paper of course. Kill the beast before she can react, but I was doubly insulted she thought that would kill me. At least the one with the golem made sense.

“Golem?”

>That giant metal pony.

“That's not a golem, it's called a mech. Like my reporter, BBB here!”

>Pfft, future has to rename everything to sound weird.

“So, if you didn't care about destroying Fillydelphia, why'd you destroy all those other cities?”

>They were in my way. I had a goal, they were between my goal and me.”

“That's... it? All those broken homes, shattered lives and damage, because they were in your way? To what?”

>The 'last hive' as you put it. I had words I wished to have with my sister. Words of death.

“Oh... so you were just after us?”

>Correct.

“Then why did you break the train?”

>Because that asshole shot me in the head. An explosive shot. That pissed me off.

“Asshole?”

>The little purple dragon.

“...Well, that was not in the press release... So, changing topics for time, what's your plan? What is your current goal?”

>I am currently on a quest. Do not trouble yourself with wondering what of, it wouldn't matter in the end at all.

“Well... okay! Next question! How do you feel about the changelings current living situation?”

She raised an eyebrow to the question, confused.

>What situation?

“You know, last hive, mostly locked up in a ballroom...”

>That was a ballroom? It had a ballpit. What kind of silly dances do these ponies do?

“No no, they were in a rec room when you arrived.”

>Weird time to be having fun. But, I suppose it's better to face your end with a dance, at least for a little bit.

“They weren't having fun, they were, uh...”

Realizing that implying they were locked up and left to die would probably not be the best thing to explain on a time crunch, she moved on.

“Nevermind. Anyway, currently the last hive is all stationed in a ballroom, and getting outside work or expansion prospects are not looking good. Some are worried we might really be the 'last' hive.”

>Oh.

“...Annny comment on the situation?”

>Nothing comes to mind.

The reporters eyes grew shifty.

“No quotes about their living condition, no comments on worry for their continued survival... not even a 'Wow, things have gotten bad'?”

>Nope, nothing like that.

Her blank words only served to make her more desperate.

“But we might be IT for the Changelings! All of it!”

>Huh.

One word, dolled out as casually as one would in response to the statement “The grass is green” made her finally break her smile.

“Don't you care your entire race might die!?”

In response, the Titan advanced on her, and 10 felt fear shoot through her with the realization she might well have just signed her own death warrant. Instead... came a low, deathly whisper.

>I spent a lot of time trying to keep them alive. I fought monsters, ponies, gryphons, all manner of creatures. I gave advice, dolled out love to keep them fed, everything I could. In the end, it was pointless. My race dwindled away despite my efforts, and when I was within the ice the various hives all died off, leaving only one to remain. What care could I have at this point? What more does it matter? Do you really think after all that I would still care if those idiots kill themselves? There is but one Queen besides myself still standing, be it through luck or divine nature, and I could not care less if she choked on a wad of lust and ended her lineage right this second. In fact, I might just enjoy that. Greatly.

She nodded, terrified, before croaking out another word.

“But... why?”

>Hm?

“Why? Why do you hate her? My Queen, I mean. She used to speak well of you, never anything bad, she-”

A barking laugh cut her off.

>HAH! It was her wretched kin who sealed me away in the first place!

“Because you tried to kill her!”

In a snap, that amusement had turned into hot, seething rage.

>SHE DESERVED IT!

She could barely stand under the gaze of those flaming, burning eyes, but nonetheless 10 persevered.

“What... what did she do?”

It was only after several calming breaths that she scoffed again, and waved a dismissive hoof.

>It doesn't matter anymore. That time has long... long since past. She is dead, I am happy she is dead, my only regret is that is was not I who made her dead, and that is all that is to be said. I have moved on.

“But don't you care about... us? What about us? The rest of the hive? We didn't do... whatever it is she did, right?”

There was something relieving when the smirk came back.

>You are merely pawns, why would I care about you? All you are is a tiny little thing to stand at her beck and call, like any other drone would.

“Technically I'm an infiltrator...”

>Whatever. It's all the same to me.

“Right, well, moving on... about your recent and previous attacks on Pony, gryphon, buffalo and various other cities, settlements and locations...”

>Yes?

“Could you... not?”

Never, in her whole life, had Chitania felt more confused.

>What?

“Could you just not smash cities? Stomp places? Work with them, not fight them?”

>Why would I do that?

“Well, I mean, I'm sure this would be pretty beneficial in the long run.”

>For them, it makes no difference to me.

“It can't be great being on the run like this forever.”

>Who said I was running from anything? I'm insulted you think I'm hiding from someone I very easily punched through a building.

“But I mean... you're really strong! You could save a whole lot of lives if you wanted, I bet they'd be really open to working with you and coming to an agreement if you'd just go and talk to them.”

Titanic eyes became almost... clouded, with pity. Like someone watching a dog try to open a tin can.

>Are you really that stupid...

“What?”

>If they should catch me, by their own means or my sudden moronic choices as suggested by you, there is only one way that would end. “Punishment” for my crimes, obviously.

“I, well, I mean, I guess they wouldn't just let you off the hook.”

>Obviously. The moment I surrender, my story would end. They cannot control me, or command me, clearly they would 'deal' with me.

“So that's just... it? You're just going to keep running around, breaking and smashing things forever?”

The amusement returned, and even a bit of wonder to accompany it.

>HAH! No, that would be stupid. No, I have a goal in mind, one that will be accomplished soon enough and render all of this pointless. Those idiots will not matter, in the end.

“Which idiots?”

>All of them. Pony, gryphon, chimera, dragon, even changeling, all the same in the end.

Terror gripped her heart at the implication.

“You're planning to kill... everyone?”

“And you cannot share this 'plan'?”

>I could share it just fine, I merely do not wish you to know it, not just yet. No, it will be much, much more fun to go off when there is no way any of you could stop it.

She knew she shouldn't have been that hopeful, but...

“Oh...”

>Do you have anything else? Make this your last question.

“Oh! Yes, one big one, what happened to your hive?”

>Dead.

“...That's it?”

>Fine, dead by ponies.

Horror, unspeakable horror, gripped her chest so tightly she nearly felt it crush.

“P-ponies killed your whole hive...”

>Every last one of them.

“W-why...”

>Because they were changelings.

She hoped, desperately hoped, that she would continue. But instead... she just waved her hoof.

>There's more to it, but that's all that's important. They died shortly before my imprisonment.

“Oh...”

>That was your last question

Nothing she could have said or done could crush her more, including actually crushing her.

“I... I suppose I have a lot already. So much more I want to ask, though.”

>Well, too bad. I have a lot to do, and you have wasted so much of my time. My patience for my half of the bargain is growing very, very thin.

“I guess it's only fair by now...”

Her grin grew feral, hungry.

>Good. Now, little... Ten, was it? I have a question for you, one you will answer for me, now, or I will crush you. What I want to know is-

She froze, nostrils suddenly flaring outward and eyes going wide.

Ten could only watch as she recoiled back, awestruck.

>You're... a female!?

“Uh... yes?”

She waited, but nothing else came.

“Was... was that it? It's not that big a deal.”

She might as well have said the moon wasn't THAT big.

>It's not that alone! You are not from her hive! I know your hive, and the risk was... You are from... but how!? How were you not put to death!? A drone being taken in, I could understand! But a female!? Especially an heir like yourself!?

“An... heir? She didn't care, My Queen's mother just picked me up.”

>My sister let you in!? But... but she had an heir! That damned Chrysalis! With you around, she risked her line being usurped! A drone, I could possibly understand, maybe in a pinch a soldier in hard times, but an Infiltrator!? An infiltrator HEIRESS!? This has to entail... why!?

Understanding a bit more, she nodded.

“Oh, uh, well, she kind of wasn't being all that picky late in the game. When the Queens started dropping, she knew that the old 'kill a Queen to replenish your hive' trick wasn't going to be viable for much longer. So she just started scrambling to get whoever was left over, and I was there, so she said 'do what I say or you die' and I did what she said and I didn't die, so here we are.”

The shock on her face bled away, replaced by a much more thoughtful look.

>So, she went with her plan after all. Interesting...

“Plan?”

She snapped out of her thoughts, glaring down at the insect.

>That little one, the one with the white pony with the shields.

“White pony... You mean Shining Armor?”

>Yes, the little one with him.

“Oh! Yes, that's Two! She's-”

>Is she the daughter of your Queen?

“...What?'

The look grew almost deadly.

>Is this... 'Two' the daughter of your Queen?

“...N-no, she's not.”

Her eyes widened again, near imperceptibly but so, and she turned that burning gaze away.

>Your questions are over.

Arguing would not have been smart, 10 realized.

“Oh, right, right. Well, thank you so much for this interview! If you ever want to speak to me again, you can send a letter to this address for another meet up. Don't worry, it's totally anonymous and your privacy will be respected! No locations shall be handed out at any point if requested, and no further solicitation on my end, I promise! The Hive Gazette is dedicated to telling it like it is, so nothing you say will be censored or blocked, I swear it from this point on!”

A giant hoof pointed off in a random direction, ignoring the business card set on the ground in front of her, and she gestured violently, still glaring all the while.

>Leave, now. You are bothering me.

“Yes Ma'am, and I want to thank you again for speaking with The Hive Gazette! Come on, BBB! We gotta get this to the printing press YESTERDAY!”

[BZZT! IMPOSSIBLE! SUCH AN ACTION CANNOT BE COMPLETED WITHOUT TIME TRAVEL, TO WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS!]

“HA HAAA! That guy, great sense of humor, I love it.”

>LEAVE!

She hopped on his back, giving one last, truly thankful smile.

“I'll tell them all of it, Queen Chitania, every word. I promise, no matter how they want it to be.”

>I SAID BE GONE!

A green fireball encouraged her to get moving, and it wasn't long before she was but a red speck in the distance.

It was only long, long after she had gone that a thought hit the Queen, and she smacked a hoof to her face.

>BLAST! I forgot to interrogate her on how that damned Chrysalis survived my attack! That was the one thing I wanted!... Curses, I might have to use this to lure her into a trap next time...

Grumbling, she picked up the card, and stored it away before heading off for rest.

Well, if nothing else, it was going to be amusing to watch them react when that paper got printed, she consoled herself. Tonight wasn't a total loss.

>...That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

In response, her hidden beloved popcorn maker said nothing.

Just as she liked it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The moon sits high in the Equestrian skies, radiating a pale blanket of soft light over the Crystal Castle

A beam of moonlight casts through a window, illuminating a cramped, cluttered room. It is simultaneously sparse and packed. As far as permanent fixtures go it contains little, just a desk, chair, cot and body-length mirror, but the stacks upon stacks upon of paper, files, folders, scrolls and envelopes clutter every surface and cast a stressful gloom over the makeshift office.

Standing in the corner, next to the cot and mirror, is an Alicorn Princess. The Princess of Love, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire. She stands fixated, staring at her own reflection, inspecting every strand of hair, every inch of coat, the exact shades of her own hooves and eyes.

In a flash of green flame, Applejack Eighteen appears where the Pretty Pony Princess stood but a moment ago, and slumps to the cot with an exhausted sigh.

"Why is this so hard? Why can't I just forget about him and be happy?"

The breath leaves her lungs in the form of another exasperated dramatic sigh. At this rate she'll be able to teach Rarity a thing or two.

Overcome with weariness and a sense of sick nostalgia she reminisces.

Not about better times, no. Not quite.

Different times.

Times when life was about movement, subterfuge, skill and cunning. When her job was to infiltrate, spy, sabotage and even kill if need be.

Times before...

Before -him-.

They were harder, no doubt. There was little room for luxury or leisure, even less room for failure. Movement was nearly constant, never in one place for more than a few weeks.

She was hungry, cold, scared and alone more often than she'd like.

She was not an individual, no-one was, they were all tools, extensions of the Queen's will... But a wise leader knows that tools are important, precious even, a means to an end. If the end is valuable, the tool is valuable; and the end, in this case, was survival.

It was not glorious, it was not fun. Days were long and stressful, nights cold and lonely. She needed to accomplish monumental tasks with scarce resources to secure the safety of her Queen and hivemates. No more thanks was given by her Queen than Eighteen gave her coffee pot. The thought nearly absurd, one does not thank an axe for cutting nor a fire for burning, and she was given no more regard.

Still, she found herself laying on this bare cot practically dripping with nostalgia...

Pining, yearning for those days back.

There she lay, black chitin illuminated by pale white light of a cloudless full moon.

Reminiscing of being cold, wet, hungry, afraid and a thousand other things.

She would rather feel that.

She would go back to it in a second, if it meant she could stop feeling -THIS-

Heartache, grief, desolation, dejection, sorrow, woe...

None of them did it justice.

The black hole deep within her chest.
The hunger that she would never be able to sate.
The void inside that pulsed with a burning need.

It nearly killed her, having to feel this way. Having to see the object of her desire so tantalizingly close, but so impossibly far away.

She lay on her cot, a tear slipping from her clenched eyelid, wishing for a brief respite from all this. A few hours of blissful oblivion. No dreams, no emotions, no looming paperwork.

Just a few hours of peace, a realm devoid of thought, substance, feelings... Dreamless non-existence.

Her scowl faded as sleep took her.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Chrysalis
"Fluttershy"
~~~

>TURN INTO A SWORD!

"I... I don't have enough control to-"

>SWORD SWORD SWORD SWORD SWOOOORRRRRDDDD!

"...Have you ever noticed sword is spelled like s-word, instead of sôrd? If someone read it, it would look like you were saying-"

>GAH!... How the fuck did you do that!?

"Do what?"

>That thing when you said the word!

"Which one?"

>Sword! You did a thing when you said it different!

"When I said sôrd?"

>STOP THAT!

"Oh, sorry..."

>...

"..."

>...TURN INTO A GUN!

"I feel like you only like me because I can turn into weapons."

>CLICK CLICK BOOM!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A battle rages in the streets of Canterlot. Pegasi flee in every direction as fast as their wings can propel them, unicorns teleport away en-masse, earth ponies cower in fear and hold their loved ones close.

Among the crushing of rubble and the scraping of chitin on concrete, hushed whispers pierce the silence.

'Chitania.'

'The Titan has returned.'

'And she will be the doom of us all.'

A fruit cart is thrown aside to reveal a crying mare cradling her foal. She remains silent as The Titan's impossibly large hoof descends upon her... Too frightened to move, too terrified to even scream.

"Halt, fiend!"

Atop a nearby building stands Canterlot's Champion, Shining Armor. His gorgeous blue hair waves gently in the breeze, a crimson cloak billowing behind him. He stands with an impressive air of courage and strength.

Chitania spares the fruit vendor and begins to charge her newest target. With a vicious roar The Titan breaks into a full sprint.

Shining Armor leaps heroically at Chitania, fury in his eyes burning brightly. Too many have been harmed by her, too many live in fear of her wrath, too many are resting forever beneath the earth from her utter lack of decency and goodness.

He draws a silver rapier with his golden magical aura and in one swift movement decapitates the monster, putting her reign of terror to an end once and for all.

Her massive head flops down to the ground, tongue lolling from her oversized mouth in an idiotic expression.

>Shining Armor! My hero!"

Eighteen descends a spiral staircase, a long pink silk gown flowing behind her, a conical pink hat atop her head. She leaps into his awaiting embrace.

>You told me you could never rest until the world was safe, but you did it! You've saved us all!"

He pulls her into a passionate kiss, their reunion made all the sweeter by the time they spent apart. They kiss before a crowd of adoring onlookers, nearly losing themselves in lust before 18 pulls away.

>Does this mean we can finally get married?

Shining Armor looks deep into her eyes and opens his mouth to speak.

"BRAANANANANANANANANANANANANANANAA"

"What? Are you ok? Did she do something to you, a poison, a spell?"

"BRANANANANANANANANANANNANANANA"

Shining Armor stands there, a vacant expression on his face. His glazed eyes stare into the distance.

"BRANANANANANANANANANANAN"

"P-please, help! Someone, anyone!"

****

Eighteen rolls out of her cot and onto the floor, the tone continuing in this world as well.

Disoriented she surveys her office, amid piles of paper, scrolls and discarded quills sits the culprit.

BRANANANANANANANANANANANANAA

A quick laser bolt to the alarm clock buys her some much needed silence as her day begins anew.

Checking her secondary clock she notes the time. She had managed to sleep nearly three full hours, practically a luxury with her new heightened workload.

With a dutiful grunt 18 began her morning routine. She brushed her mane, grabbed a cup of morning coffee, stared adoringly at a picture of Shining Armor she kept concealed in one of her leg holes, sharpened her quills, smelled one of Shining Armor's shirts she said she would take to laundry but never did, refilled her inkwells, checked her inventory of stamps, scrolls and parchment, kissed the life-sized recruitment poster with Shining Armor on it hidden in a secret wall compartment, and made way for the Canterlot Teleporter.

'Helping' Rainbow Dash had massively increased her workload while simultaneously slashing any opportunities for leisure time. If you could call it helping anyway. Was Rainbow Dash even literate? She couldn't recall her so much as lifting a hoof to help 18 reform the paperwork and sort things out, she just sort of dumped it all and left...

Still, it's not her job to question what to do, or how much of it. She is a tool, after all. A quill does not complain, a quill simply writes. It writes and writes and writes until nothing is left to be written, and then it is put away until needed.

"Hey 18! Haven't seen much of you lately!"

>Shining Armor!

"You look terrible 18, why don't you take a day off? Two and I are going to the Zoo, want to come?"

>Can't-talk-gotta-paperwork-sorry!

She breaks into a quick canter towards the portal

'Maybe next time then?'

>Ok-sounds-good-I'll-put-it-on-my-calendar!

18 breathlessly dashes through the teleporter.

The disorienting rush of magic used to turn her stomach but after using it dozens, maybe hundreds of times she'd grown immune.

There was no time to dwell on trivial matters however, the looming threat of paperwork required nothing short of constant vigilance to keep at bay.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>JJ
"Actarius"
'Gambling changeling'
~Random Changelings~
~~~~

'HEY! You can't write on my whiteboard! I need that! That's like, the only markable surface in this entire room!'

"I need it for a minute."

'FOR WHAT!?'

"I need to make a spreadsheet."

'.... a what now?'

>I was confused too, but apparently it's this long sheet of paper with little blocks.

'...That's stupid!'

"No no, it totally words. See? I just fill the the little top brackets with the names of the changelings, fill the brackets on the side with the things they asked for, then I mark down the amount of how much they wanted of it right here! This way, I can add up that 49 wanted three rolls of toilet paper, 20 wanted six, 11 wanted four and 47 wanted fifteen at the end!"

'...'

"I think 47 has bowel problems."

~TELL THE WHOLE WORLD WHY DON'T YOU!?~

"But anywhoo, I just do the same for toothpaste, soap, cereal and so on and so forth, so when I go to your Queen I just have this one list full of what you wanted and how much total everyone wants, and when we dole them out I know who asked for how much!"

'...'

>...You can use this for gambling too, you know.

'FUCKING. BRILLIANT! Wait, does that mean-'

"Your request for poker chips are on the bottom."

'Oh, okay... 37 NO!'

~What, we not doing this?~

'CALLING IT OFF!'

~Jeez, make up your mind already!~

"..."

>...What was he going to do with that bat.

'NEVER YOU MIND!'

"Where did he get a bag of concrete-"

'NEVERMIND!'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>AJ
"???"
~~~

Morning.

Of course it's morning.

Of course the sun would come up just when she was finally done with the legislation for extending the pensions of the sanitation workers and could clearly get some sleep now and...

Who was she kidding.

>Freakin' office. Freakin' sun. Freakin' day. Freakin' job. Freakin'-

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

>FREAKIN' JERKWADS BANGIN' AT MAH' DOOR LIKE AH' WANT IT! Who's it this time? Chrysalis? AH' SWEAR AH' WILL BEAT YER BUGGY-

"APPLEJAAAAACCKKKKK!"

She groaned loudly, shuffling towardsher door at a snails pace.

>Dash, Ah' swear this had better be good-

She got her answer when she flung the door open. That answer came in the form of a piece of paper being mashed against her face, and a stream of words dolled out almost as fast as the blue blur herself could fly.

"IwokeupearlytodaytogetsomeexcersizeinbecauseobviouslyI'mgettingalittleslowandIcan'tgoslowbutthenthiswasbeinghandedoutandofcourseIdidn'tcareaboutthenewsbutthentheysaidtherewasanarticleinthereandIsawtheyweren'tbullshittingandYOUARENOTGOINGTOBELIEVEITSWEETRAINBOOMSRAININGFRIMTHESKYYYYY!"

There was a soft silence that followed.

>Dash, iffin' ya' don't get this thing outta mah' face in two seconds, Ah'm gonna hurt you.

"STOP BEING GRUMPYJACK AND READ!"

>Ah' can't, it's IN MAH FACE!

Sheepishly, she pulled it back away from her snout, allowing blurry eyes to somewhat focus in on the paper.

>....Dash...

"Uh huh?"

>Iffin' there ain't a good reason yer' showin' me a sale fer freakin' stockings-

"WHOOPS!"

Embarrassed, she flipped it around.

>...Dash?

"Yep again."

>Does... does that say what I think it says?

"Probably."

>It can't, cause Ah'm readin' "Exclusive! Interview with Chitania herself! The real deal!"

"It says that."

>Huh.

"..."

>...

"...Uh, you okay-"

>WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>007
"Jetset"
~~~~~~

>...

"..."

>...

"..."

>...

"..."

>...So, uh... joint murder-suicide?

"Considering it..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18 isn't quite sure how long she had been in this room. How long she had been stamping and filing and mailing and signing forms for the Wonderbolts Reform Program, but she DID know she was done for the day.

You wouldn't know it looking through the room, forms, files, papers, and scrolls still heaped randomly all over the office's desk, chairs and floor...

But she had spent all the time she could for one day, any more and it would compromise her operation in the Crystal Empire, and there was no sense catching up in one area just to fall behind in another.

And such were her days, interchangeable for all intents and purposes.

BRANANANANANA - the loving chime of her alarm
Zap - her heartfelt response
Coffee - her one true saviour in these trying times
Portal - to Canterlot's Wonderbolt office
Papers - to reform the Wonderbolts into a respectable, efficient unit
Portal - back to the Crystal Empire
Papers - to keep her beloved Empire up and running
Sleep - Fitful bouts of rest, 3 hours if she was lucky, before starting it all over again

BRANANANANA
Zap
Coffee
Portal
Papers
Portal
Papers
Sleep

BRANANANANA
Zap
Coffee
Portal
Papers
Portal
Papers
Sleep

BRANANANANA
Zap
Coffee
Portal
Papers
Portal
Papers
Sleep

How many days had she been at it? Five? Seventeen? Twenty-nine?

Could she even tell anymore?

Did it even matter?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Celestia
"Chrysalis"
~~~~~

The alabaster princess had been counting down the seconds until her door finally flung open.

It was only slightly later than she expected it to happen that it finally did.

BLAM!

"SWEET LOVING FUCK!"

She tried to remain neutral as she regarded the changeling Queen. Tried to remain stoic.

>I take it you've seen today's paper?

"Yeah! I mean, FUCK! Fuck fuck FUCK!"

>Indeed, it is quite shocking that-

"Stockings for SEVENTY PERCENT OFF!? Madness! I have to normally talk circles around the salesponies to get a deal that big!"

Very, very slowly, the princesses mouth creaked open in a stunned gape.

"HAH! Just messing with you."

>Is... is this really an appropriate time?

"It's always a good time to discuss stockings."

>Be serious!

She laughed, flopping down on Celestia's couch without a single care.

"Take the stick out, Celly, you'll set off the smoke alarms."

>Aren't you in the least bit surprised that one of your own actually managed to find her, and yet will not reveal her location?

"She's doubtlessly moved on since then."

>But if we had her general location, searching could be so much easier!

"We had her general location, Fillydelphia, didn't fucking help."

>It helped your 'minion'.

"Hey, don't put this on me, I didn't order her to do that. I even told Seven to keep his distance. She could've gotten squashed, and it wouldn't have been on me."

>That's what I'm saying! She spoke to someone, actually spoke and had a conversation! This is unprecedented!

"Not true, she had a conversation with Twilight on the train as well."

>This is different!

The bug Queen sighed, dramatically raising a foreleg across her eyes.

"Why are you freaking out, really? We both knew all of this and much more. Come on, are you worried she's trying to drum up sympathy or something? She didn't even reveal that her hive was protecting those ponies when they were killed by said ponies."

The alabaster princess flinched as a pang went through her heart. Even after so long to adjust to the idea, she still had trouble wrapping her mind around the concept that they would...

>No, of course I'm not worried about that, but...

"But what?"

Her shoulders grew heavy.

>My laws prevent me from demanding it myself, but... If you... ordered her... would 10 reveal her location?

The black, chitinous hoof pulled away, and there was an unmistakeable glint in the eyes of the Queen that locked with the princesses.

"Do you really want to go down that road, Celestia?"

Her jaw tightened, the tone in her voice making it clear there was quite a lot more to it.

"If I ask her, and she refuses because of her...'Journalistic integrity', she will be betraying my command, and as such I will have to deal with it appropriately."

There was a subtle twitch in Celestia's cheek at the word.

>Would you have to banish her?

"No, Celestia. For a betrayal of that magnitude... I'd have to kill her, and rip the memories from her mind. Nothing less would be a worthy example for disobeying my orders. Perhaps if she had not made her reveal so public, I could keep it hidden. But if I go to her and she holds her ground, that ground will forever 'hold' her, if you catch my drift."

The alabaster alicorn's heart froze in her chest, no longer beating. There was not a hint of dishonesty in her words, not a single indication of hyperbole or lies. She spoke the truth.

Which is why it was all the more terrifying when she flopped back, a loud and explosive cackle coming from her lips.

HAH! But come on, who cares? Chitania moved on from that spot for sure, and like I said, I knew all of this. Nothing got revealed, and worst case scenario this is some kind of trap. Let that bitch think I'm dumb enough to bite the hook she just so coincidentally left. Tantalizing me with info I already know, HAH! Like I'm that fucking stupid."

Her words were piercing and spiteful, and yet...

They were enough to take the ice from Celestia's chest, and let her breath flow once more.

>I see. How fortunate this does not require your attention.

"Meh, I might tell that idiot not to let herself lay such a dumb trap like that again, but other than that? Pfft. Who cares."

A gentle, almost understanding smile broke in.

>Well... such a pity she did not reveal her reasoning behind her hatred for your mother, isn't it?

"Pfft, probably something moronic like she forgot her title or something, I don't even care. She's a bitch."

Her words were sure, but almost a little bitter sounding.

>Of course... so, seventy percent off?

The Queen rolled onto her stomach, hooves dangling off the edge of the couch.

"I know that tone. Grab Shiny and see which color he likes best?"

>It's pink. He likes pink best. Because his wife loves wearing pink.

"...But she's already..."

>Do no even question it.

"HAH! Well, I'm going to see if I can tempt him to the dark side."

>Well, I can't let that stand, I must keep him on the side of light!

"BRING IT!"

They both charged, racing towards the door, light and almost playful as they did so.

Only one problem...

>HRK!

"Ahhh... fuck... we should not have tried to go through the door at the same time."

>GNK! HRRRKKK!... We're stuck?

"Totally stuck."

>...Damn.

"Okay, here's the plan, we lure Shiny here, tell him we need lube NOW, so if he could whip it out and let me-"

>No.

"Fine. So if he could whip it out and let US get him most of the way before he-"

>Just shapeshift smaller.

"...Spoilsport."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>007
"Jetset"

>...

"..."

>...

>"DIBS ON MURDER!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Luna
“56”
______

>…56?

“Yeah, Moons?”

>Lend us your ear for a few seconds, we wish to expunge some thoughts….

“Silly Moons, you plunge toilets, not thoughts!”

That simple-minded follow-up was ignored as Luna expertly cut herself a slice from the triple-layer meteorite cake 56 had brought her.

>Thou doth know we are still maintaining our diet, correct?

“Mmmmhm!”

>Truly?

“Of course, Moons! I know how hard you’re trying to commit the blasphemous act of thinnin’ down your plot!”

She nodded, easily ignoring the fact that he knew such a word like ‘blasphemous’ but not ‘expunge’. Fun fact about 56, she’d learned: he was extremely two-faced with his intelligence.

>Okay… so if thou knows of our less than fruitful battle with weight…

Happily nuzzling her jiggling flanks, 56 glanced up when Luna stabbed into the cake like it suddenly grew tentacles.

>THEN WHY ART THOU TRYING TO SABOTAGE US WITH THIS SUCCULENT CONFECTIONARY?

“…mwah!”

>Do not kiss our cutie mark! Answer us!

“Moons, trust me, I’d never try to stop you and your maniacal plan of a smaller butt. Honest!”

>Then explain this beast of a cake!

“Easy! I actually bought it for myself and figured, hey, with Moons on a diet, the safest place for it would be in her room! Y’know, with the mare least likely to eat it ‘cuzza her restraint and all! Guess I was wrong, eh?”

>…

Cheeks puffed out a foalish pout, Luna stared from the fork in her hoof to the half-eaten piece of cake before her.

“Go on and finish it, I won’t tell a soul!”

After few seconds silent contemplation, Luna lifted a forkful of that sweet, sweet cake to her muzzle and take a bite.

>…Somehow, we get this niggling feeling that thou aren’t for us succeeding with our diet.

Enjoying the way her tail fanned about the back of his neck, 56 smiled.

“Now why would you ever think that, Moons?”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NC

>Oh, woe is me, my life is filled with nothing but hardship and-
"HEY 18 CHRYSALIS GOT A CAKE AND I SAVED YOU A SLICE!"
>Oh... thanks!
~~~~~~~

>The paperwork! It never ends! My life is going to burn away in here and I shall die alo-
"HEY 18 I'M SETTING OFF FIREWORKS COME WATCH IT'S AWESOME!"
>Uh... I guess that'll be fun.
~~~~

>Oh, how tired I am, how much work I must do, my body will not-
"18 SERIOUSLY IT'S FOUR IN THE MORNING GO BACK TO BED!"
'REALLY! Come on now!'
(It's not that bad.)
[ZZzzzzzzz]
(See? Two's still asleep-)
{42 SHUT UP AND SLEEP!}
>Oh, right...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sun had not even thought of rising over the Crystal Empire but the tone signaling to 'rise and shine' rung out all the same.

BRANANANANANANA

Z---

BRANANANA

Eighteen sat upright and grunted.

Zzz---

zap

A small feeble laser issued forth, barely scorching the alarm's cheap body.

She groaned in annoyance

"Uuuugh, it's too early for this greenspit."

She blindly felt around for something heavy, finding a copy of Equestrian Commerce Law: Fruit Stands and Carts; 14th Edition quite suitable.

It landed with a heavy thud, quickly silencing the noise.

She laid down another blow, just to be sure.

And a third, because the first two just felt too satisfying to let it be.

Feeling triumphant for sparing her hearing (and her sanity) for one more day, she began her routine.

-Coffee

18 panicked as her pale green magical field flickered and died mid-levitation, dropping the precious black liquid toward the ground

Her morning cup of coffee fell, the vital caffeinated drink spilling all over the kitchen tiles.

She winced at the thought of losing her favourite mug, closing her eyes, unwilling to watch it shatter. Her cup tumbled downwards, the hoof-painted picture reading "#1 Infiltrator" with a crude pastel painting of 18 on it (a gift from Two), spinning end over end before being caught in a golden aura inches from shattering.

"Good morning, butter-hooves. I hardly see you any more."

>Thanks for the save, Shiny.

"Any time. Have a minute for some breakfast?"

>I should get going, I have a lot to do.

"Stay for a bit, you can barely manifest telekinesis. You at least need another coffee, help wake up a little.

>I'm running late, I'll be fin-

"For me?"

Her eyes were glazed over and dreamy as she breathily replied

>For you? Anything, Shiny. Absolutely anything.

With a gentle smile he went about making a fresh pot of coffee.

She watched him go through the process; throwing away grounds, pouring water, getting a filter, grinding fresh coffee beans...

The normally mundane process was artful, delicate, majestic in his kind, capable hooves.

All too quickly she was broken from her silent admiration and passed her favourite mug, filled with fresh steaming coffee.

He smiled at her and they talked. Not about anything deep or important, there was no hint of philosophy or politics, to be honest she couldn't remember just what they talked about.

Only that they talked.

And it was nice.

A few blissful minutes later 18 felt the familiar warmth of life-giving caffeine flowing through her veins(if she had veins, she wasn't 100% positive).

She tested her magic, gently washing her mug in the sink, holding the precious cup in her magical field. It held strong. Confident that she was fully awake, she excused herself and wished Shining Armor well.

"Eighteen?"

>Yes Shiny?

"Can you take the day off? I miss spending time with you."

Her heart stopped and a blush crept across her face. She bashfully replied

>I miss you too, Shiny...

Obligations and the real world quickly brought her back however

>I can't miss today though, I have a meeting with some Griffon lawyers. They're claiming the drug test was racist, that some of the substances we test for are taken in Griffon religious ceremonies and that we should give Griffons a pass on them. It's been booked for 5 months, no way can I reschedule.

"Ok, I trust you. But soon though?"

>Soon. Real soon. I'll do everything I can, work even harder. I'll be done before you know it and things can get back to normal.

"Promise?"

A gentle smile came over him, she stared into his deep blue eyes and spoke with absolute honesty

>I promise.

Reluctantly she broke away and left for the portal.

-Portal

A quick stomach-wrenching BZORT later 18 is in Canterlot Castle, headed for the

Wonderbolts Main Office.

-Papers

The office was a storm of activity. Writing, stamping, embossing, sealing, all done with a zeal she hadn't had in ages. The fire inside her pushed the art of paperwork to new limits. A flurry of hooves and magic tore through the office faster than the eye could see. The meetings were negotiated at a feverish pace, she processed their arguments and formulated counters without looking away from her work, or even slowing down. She attacked the paperwork with renewed vigor.

She had a goal. Finish the paperwork for Rainbow Dash so she can see Shiny again. It was so clear, a tangible objective within her reach. It would just take a few more days of hard work and perseverance.

The time for her to depart came and left, too busy wrapped up in a forming-frenzy to look at a clock.

Deep into the night her magic failed her, clumsily dropping a carefully-arranged stack of files for Fleetfoot's disciplinary record.

>Hnnngg

18 concentrated and scrunched her face in exertion. A faded green glow formed around the scattered papers but quickly fizzled out of existence, scattering them further.She bent down to gather them by hoof, but her blurry eyes couldn't tell the sea of white apart.

With a sigh she resigned to her fate and decided that was enough Wonderbolt paperwork for one day. Another cup of coffee (or ten) and she'd dig into her Empire's forms.

It was when she left her office that she checked the clock. It was nearly one AM. She had spent the ENTIRE day doing Wonderbolts paperwork.

The rush of adrenaline sharpened her senses to a fine point, panic quickly setting in

>Ohno! Nononononono! I'm so friggin behind! For love’s sake! The Farmland reform act was due today I'm so Fausttdamn SCREWED!

In a mad dash for the portal she slipped on the smooth stone floors more than she'd care to admit. It didn’t slow her down much but it added to the stress of the moment, an indicator of her tired, reckless state of mind.

-Portal

Haphazardly 18 threw herself into the portal, speed taking precedence over everything else. She needed every single second she could get for the paperwork.

Tumbling out of the Empire side of the portal she realized her folly all too late.

Entirely too late to do anything about it.

She rolled forwards, head over hooves in an amateurish somersault.

It was nearly acrobatic.

She was *almost* enjoying herself.

But momentum is a harsh mistress.

Her face slammed into a crystal pillar in the room. Hard.

The blow landed just below her horn, a very sensitive area for magic-users.

She was a big changeling. Fully grown for quite some time. She was strong. She was smart.

Her eyes filled with water and her head pounded. They became glossy and shining as the dim moonlight cast over her face.

She was independant and cunning and skilled and a thousand other big adult things.

But none of those stopped her from bawling like a little filly.

>B-buh-buhhhh. Waaaaahh-haaaaa-hahahhaaaaa

Tears streamed down her face, her expression an image of heart wrenching sorrow. It was all too much for her. The stress, the work, the isolation, the pain, the massive pressure she was under…

She couldn't bear it. Not right this second.

In this second she just needed to let it all out, in the comfort and safety of the darkness where nobody would hear her.

And no-one would ever know.

Choking sobs filled the room as she rocked back and forth cradling her head.

>Ah HUH, ah HUH, ah HUH! UHHHHHHHHHHH!

Just when she didn't think it could get any worse, the exact moment she thought she was at the lowest point possible...

"Cadance?"

She stifled her moans and tried to hold back the tears. She couldn't be like this, not in front of him!

She failed, managing only to slow to a soft weeping.

>Eeeeeee-heh-heh-ehhehh

"Cadance!"

"Oh Celestia! Are you okay?"

She tried to speak, she really did, but only a high-pitched whine came as she tried to find words.

>Meerrrhhh. Hufferpa

"Shhhh, shhh. You're alright darling. I don't care what went wrong, I'll fix it. I'll fix it, I promise. Everything is perfect my love"

She went red with embarrassment. She thought of committing suicide to spare herself the shame and explanation for this ridiculous foalish breakdown. She was a big girl, not some weak useless child!

So why did she feel like one?

Overcome with grief she went limp, praying for the moment to end.

Her hooves left the ground, then her torso and finally her head. She was weightlessly suspended in Shining Armor's magical glow. The soft humming of his horn had a calming effect on her and his presence seemed to ease the throbbing pain in her forehead.

Having run out of tears she took to quiet whimpering as Shining Armor floated her back to her office cot.

"Did you have another nightmare, Cadance? You never need to worry about any of that happening. I'll protect you, I promise. I'll keep you safe, forever."

He floated her drooping form over and nuzzled her gently.

"I thought you were going to be at that Canterlot Spa overnight... But to be honest? I'm glad you're here. I couldn't sleep without you."

She gently bobbed by the door to her office, surprised when he didn't open it.

"I know it's silly, you're an Alicorn Princess, you can take care of yourself, but I still worry..."

The opulent doors of the Royal Bedroom opened before them. It had been so long since she slept here. There was just no time for it anymore.

"And that big ol' bed just feels so empty without you in it."

The massive bed was just like she remembered. Huge, spanning nearly half the room. It was littered with pillows and blankets, and could sleep a dozen comfortably. It was completely empty, they were alone in the room.

She had never been alone in here with Shining Armor before.

She would be excited, nervous, anxious and a dozen other emotions if she had the strength left to feel anything at all, but it was all she could do to keep her eyes open and continue processing information.

He gently laid her down in the middle of the bed, draped a blanket over her and cuddled close. He took the big spoon position and laid a front and back hoof over her, hugging her impossibly tight.

She cuddled in towards his embrace.

"Cadance, I just want you to know, I'm always here for you. Whatever happens in your dreams, I'll be right here when you wake up. Laying beside you, keeping you safe."

Eighteen let out an affirming grunt.

"I just wish I could protect you in there too..."

Shining Armor leaned in and kissed the back of her head.

An emotional wreck completely devoid of energy, practically lacking the ability to feel after such a draining catharsis, 18 managed to barely choke out.

>I love you

The last words she heard were a gently whispered.

"I love you too"

A dreamy smile washed over Eighteen's face as she drifted off to sleep.

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