Thread 47: Stories 1-15

Thread 47 archive: https://archive.moe/mlp/thread/20365095
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 >Twilight
"32"
'77'
-High Roller-

>Right, and I think that's you all set up, how do you feel?

"Well..."

32 is standing in an observation cell, clear walls on every side with a medical station next to the bed.

"...I feel just a mite bit exposed, not sure why."

>Well we needed a bit of security here, you understand.

"Oh no, though I must say I'm disappointed."

>Excuse me?

"I was told there would be a tube."

>Oh, oh no right now we're just doing a basic examination of your condition and seeing where we need to go from there.

"So the promise of a tube in the future."

>...if you'd like to call it that.

'Brother, focus, we need to figure out what's causing this drain on you.'

"Oh come now, surely I'm allowed to ask questions about the procedures I'll be going through. Though something occurs to me, if dear Vekir is indeed an ambassador, she could come in here at any time, transforming would cause a drain on my already low love stores, what are-"

Twilight claps her hooves together, sheets of metal come up from the floor and cover the glass.

"-Ah. Good thinking."

Twilight turns to 77.

>Now, I'll be honest, with everything going on right now I may not be able to devote all my time to examining him, and we can't just leave him alone without supervision.

'I agree, we require a guard...'

Both look at High Roller.

-...welp.-

"Quick! Get my rock and my roach, we can play Uno!"
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NC

 >DT
"SS"
~~~~

"You know, for some odd reason... I really thought this part would've gotten left behind after what happened."

>That's what you get for thinking, you know I'm the one that thinks. You just follow.

"...I guess I deserved that."

>Not really, but you're gonna get a lot more of it until he's back. Just a fair warning.

"I can accept that."

>Like you had a choice to begin with.

"Wow, two jibes in the span of thirteen seconds. New record? I'm thinking new record."

>Hey, are you gonna gab all day or are you gonna keep a lookout like a good little helper?

There really wasn’t much Silver Spoon could say to that and so, with a sigh, she turned back to glancing through the small opening left in the door.

The day when Diamond Tiara spoke with her again she’d thought was long off… weeks, months, maybe even a year or two… so her surprise was palpable when the purple filly called upon her services for two reasons.

One, to help her sneak out of the hospital wing.

And two, to again help her sneak down into the archives room.

The purpose? It was Diamond Tiara. The purpose was for her to know and her only. And Silver Spoon was okay with that, because they were together again.

She could hear her short-tempered friend mumbling incessantly as she pulled out the dryer of a filing cabinet, one hoof sifting through folders, the other holding a flashlight aloft.

>No… no… uh-uh… no no no… c’mon, you stupid- what is with this filing system?!

Angrily, she pushed the drawer closed and snatched open another.

>No wonder Equestria was going to hell in a handbasket before Applesauce took over. Look at this mess! They didn’t even TRY to put these things in order- why is there an X where the S’s should be? And look at this! The labels for these are all upside down!

“Welcome to a princess’s life, Tiara. And keep it down before we get caught!”

>If we do, I’ll just say this was all your plan.

Course she would.

>Aha! Finally found you, come to mama!

At the victorious laugh, Silver Spoon turned around to see her friend holding a folder bound with ominous looking red tape and sealed with a thick staple.

“…”

The foreboding sense was lost to Diamond Tiara as she contently hopped down and closed the cabinet.

>I remember Daddy mentioning her in passing one day as this crazy business partner to Fawntaine. Supposedly, she’s a genius far ahead of her time. Pft, yeah, right. I’m the only genius around these parts. But… judging by these schematics… she’s definitely not stupid.

“Tiara, who… that folder doesn’t look right. It looks like a demon touched it. Who’s is that?”

>That’s none of your concern, Spoons. I’m the boss and the boss decides who she wants to contemplate bringing under her employment.

“Employment? What’s that supposed to mean?”

>It means there’s a brain out there I wouldn’t mind having under my command, like a new recruit of sorts.

And as Diamond tiara passed by on her way out the door, Silver Spoon caught a fleeting glance at the name scrawled in chicken scratch near the top of the folder.

Subject 017: Screwloose.
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 >Chrysalis
"Various Changelings"
[???]
{???}
~~~

>Okay, I'm going to say this again. These items, when they arrive, are not, I repeat, not a 'trial run', understood? Am I making this clear? You don't get one and if you set fire to it you just get another. If you set fire to these items, or eat them, or break them, they are gone. They are gone and you do not get a do-over, understood?

They all went silent with terror.

"So... if we accidentally drop fires on our sleepy bags-"

>Then you do not get another one.

"..."

"AHHHHHH!"

"OH FUCK! OH FUCK! PUT IT OUT! PUT EVERYTHING OUT!"

"THE FIRES ARE EVERYWHEEEERE!"

"OH SWEET HIVEMIND WE'RE DOOMED!"

"DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO STOP A FIRE!?"

"WE'RE CHANGELINGS! WE USE FIRE TO COVER OUR TRACKS! *WHY WOULD WE KNOW HOW TO STOP IT!?*"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

[Uh...]

As one, everyone turned to the stallion sitting in the corner.

Wordlessly, he threw some dirt over one such fire, and out it went.

"..."

"..."

"...OH THANK THE SWEET QUEEN IN THE HIVEMIND!"

"Now do that, but for ALL of them!"

[Uh... okay?]

"YAAYYYYY!"

"SO glad I didn't kill you in your sleep!"

[W-wha?]

{He tried. I had to bite him.}

[...Thanks?]

>NO KILLING PONIES IN THEIR SLEEP! I mean... what the fuck!?

"He lives here though!"

>And!?

"...I... I don't even know."

>Okay, we clear? When this stuff gets here, you get one shot. ONE. SHOT. Make it count.

As one, they chanted.

"THANK YOU! OUR QUEEN!"

>Thank me indeed.

She left, head held high and power in every step. That right there? Felt good.

As soon as she left, they all turned to the stallion again.

[...Uh-]

"PUT OUT THE FIRES!"

[Right, right...]
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 >Gwen
"??"
~~~

Rage.

Rage.

...Raaaaage.

That pretty much summed up the mind of the Gryphon Queen as she looked at the newspaper before her. Her hospital bed shook, the rattle of metal echoing through the empty room. She knew her doctor would have a coronary himself if he knew what she was doing to her heart, but that didn't matter, nothing got through to her. Nothing but blind, pure rage.

How.

How the fuck did 10 manage to-

SLAM!

"Mama! How are ya? Doing good? You look like you're doing good."

The urge to pick up the nearest sharp object and chuck it right at the smug face of her youngest son was great, she admitted.

"Ooooo~, found that article, eh? I dunno, I thought it was cool! Used to think those ponies were a bunch of sissies, but HO boy, killing off that things hive? Thumbs up, last thing we want is more of them running around, amiright? Gold star!"

He flopped down playfully onto his chest at the end of her massive hospital bed, which in all honesty was more 'giant king sized bed with railing and white sheets. His hind legs childishly kicked back and forth as they hung off the side, his mirthful cheeks held up by his claws while he rested his elbows upon the bed.

"What'cha thinking about, eh?"

It was impossible to grind teeth she didn't have, but damned if she wasn't going to try.

"Cause you know what I was thinking? With all the growling, I thought I was going to come in and find you cheating on papa. Seriously, if he hadn't sent me here, I would have thought it was him! Now, I knooow what you're thinking. Well, why come in at all? Being honest here, truth time, I wanted revenge for the last... what, three times you walked in on me and one of my 'loves of my life'? Ha ha! Comedy gold. But you're just raging at paper, so it's not as funny."

Urge to commit filicide, RISING.

"So, we good? We talked? Can we just pretend that's it, we had a good old heart to heart and yadda yadda yadda? Cause honestly, just here cause dad chucked me in here. Would not even have bothered, but apparently big bro would not come in till after I did. Ugh, that guy. Dunno why, he's just going to bring Hilda in with him, it's not like the placement matters."

He rolled over, flopping onto his back and kicking into the air.

"Seriously! Him and sis are joined at the hip, I swear! Have to crowbar them apart at this rate. I have no idea how that guy is ever going to get laid. She's going to have to stand over him, chanting out "No! Kings don't act like this, you gotta do her like that! Yeah, right there, do that, but kingly! More regal! Pull a regal O face!"

He devolved into childish laughter at his own jokes, wings flapping with every rock of his chest.

"Ohhh...That guy's a dick... not that it matters, right? Gonna have to bow to him eventually. But hey, at least I don't have to worry about pressure. I mean, hell, Daddy's brother doesn't do anything but sit in Cawstorm and eat his ass fat. Dad doesn't even invite him to come celebrate anymore."

Bored of her lack of speech, he flopped down from the bed, rustling his feathers a bit as he did so.

"Whelp, been fun, but I think this is long enough to placate the whiner pack. Later, got to, heh, 'get a late birthday present' if you know what I'm saying, right? Right, you get it. BOOM! See ya!"

He swankily walked out, humming to himself all the way. She never stopped glaring at him, even after he was long gone.

>...This is because I drank while pregnant, isn't it? One little bottle of Skyfall wine, and I have to suffer for the rest of my life... or was it the East Hawkend lager?... Maybe the Dark Malt blend... or the...

She tapped a claw to her chin.

>...Nevermind, it has to be Idris's fault. Clearly this came from his side of the family.
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 >29
'29's thoughts'
"???"
~~~

29, despite himself, was feeling quite good today.

While recent events such as his cousin's unseemly antics had raised his ire quite a bit, he nonetheless had managed to move past it, reign the little spawn in, and find himself feeling, cheeky as it may sound, 'light'. For you see, today alone he had brought his tally up to five sent away alone. Five lost souls sent off to a better, happier place. Peace, for them at least, had been achieved. As such, he felt he deserved to share his newfound enlightenment with one who so desperately needed it.

Though he knew that in all likelyhood he would be sent off angered because the one his visits just cannot keep from slipping into his gutter minded, crude ways, nonetheless he did enjoy the time until he finally broke out with the crass speech. The books on his back bounced slightly with his step, filled with many a possible topic to discuss.

'Oh, what shall I debate him on today? Perhaps a stirring yon bout concerning the intricacies of the struggles penned in Kingdom Bereft? Oh! Perhaps we can further discuss the madness that consumed Ponet before his unfortunate suicide, that was a brilliant theory he had. Or maybe even...'

So caught up in his thoughts of fanciful and intellectual talk, it was only when he came to a stop at the bars that he noticed something was missing.

Shortly, the most important part was missing from that dungeon cell.

>Where...

"You looking for the prisoner?"

He jumped, ever so slightly and foppishly, at the unrecognized voice beside him. A new guard, it seems, had replaced that annoying one. Nervously, the books in chitinous hooves fidgeted a bit.

>Uh... perhaps?

"Well, he's gone."

'Gone...'

>What... what do you mean?

"Guy was sick or something, kept blinking out. He collapsed, I think. Now he's gone."

He could never put it into words, that feeling he felt as he looked back to the empty cell. How could he, really?

He felt confusion, of course.

'He was sick? How was he sick? Was he hurt and would not speak of it? Did the guards mistreat him? Did someone hurt him? Was this a cover up of some kind? A final act of vengeance by his Queen?'

He felt realization.

'This is why he was so drained! No wonder he nearly starved in a mere three days, such should have been utterly impossible! No wonder he required so much, so frequently!'

He felt anger.

'Why didn't he tell me? Did he think I would do nothing to help? Does he not know of Zecora's amazing, beautiful head bursting with medical knowledge, or Marey's influence? Or even, dare I say, Trixie's magic?'

He felt crushed.

'He was just waiting for it to finish him, wasn't he? Just waiting to die in this cell, thinking he would never taste freedom. Better to be the candle that burns out quickly, alone in this cell. Not even the courtesy to write a note of goodbye.'

And finally... he felt that last, indescribable feeling.

'I was too late...'

"You okay?"

Dark eyelids fluttered rapidly as he tore his gaze from the cell, looking away from the guard, into the darkness of the dungeon.

>He's gone?

"Uh, yeah, he is."

>Did they do anything with the body?

He knew normal procedure for one without relatives or those to take vagrants in was 'throw it into a giant incinerator', but the thought of that pained him. Perhaps, at least, he could-

"Oh! Uh, shit, sorry, I made that sound like he died, didn't I? Oh wow! Wow, uh, yeah. Whoops? He just got brought somewhere to get treated."

'.......'

Even his brain couldn't process how pissed off he felt right there.

His cheeks burned red hot at the embarrassment he felt, ashamed at himself he had let himself be swept up so foolishly. But still, a part of him felt no end to relief that his brother yet lived, so that was something. Now, he just had to-

"He got sent up with Princess... Twilight, I think? The one with the lab."

>..

"...Uh, you okay-"

>AHDUNWANNAGOBAAAAACCCCCKKKK!"
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 >SA
"Cadence"
~~~~

Breakfast, even with just the two of them, could not be more awkward.

>So, you're really okay with this? I mean, well-

"Yes."

She was chipper sounding, seeming to be totally carefree and unbothered.

This, far, far more than anything else, worried him.

Well, that and the fact her spoon kept bending.

>Because, well, I would understand if-

"Shiny, I already said okay."

>I know you said it, but I also know that sometimes you don't say everything.

"Well, this time I did. So... have you... thought about it?"

His own magic faltered a little bit, the fork holding his meager bite of pancake fluttering in the air.

>Well, I mean, I don't want to rush into anything. This is pretty big, you know? And like, a million questions are still running though my head.

"Expected."

>I think I need to digest this some more, take it slow and... well, I don't know, should we go on dates or something?

Though her face remained unmoved, he swore the room felt like it tilted ever so slightly. Must be his lack of sleep, he decided.

"That would be fine."

Ah, he thought. Apparently my wife has been replaced by a robot.

Now is probably a good time to make an escape.

>Well... I've got a lot I need to do today, it'll give me some air to think about it.

"Good idea. Have fun, Shiny! Love you!"

Those last words were as warm, caring and full of life as he had come to expect. If nothing else, he felt much, much more relieved.

>Love you too, honey.

She remained seated after he left, idly sipping on some teà with a blank, smiling face. Sitting there, she was the picture of serenity, and calm.

"...I think I'll go pay Auntie Celestia a visit, it's been too long."

With that, she stood up from the table, turned around...

And walked right through the wall separating her kitchen from the world beyond, taking flight immediately, almost instinctual.

Within half a second, there was a pink rocket soaring through the air, flying full tilt towards Canterlot.

"It'll be fun."
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 NC
>2
~~

>HEY CADDY! I MADE A MARCHMALLEY SNOWMAN-

*SMASH!*
*ZOOM!*

>...I'll... uh... I'll show ya' later....
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 >13
"Random Changelings"
~~~

>THIS IS REALLY UNNECESSARY!

The changelings she was screaming at all paused, the massive group of them looking at each other with a thoughtful gaze.

>I mean, yeah, she said we only get one and if it's broke it's broke, but... uh...

...

>I mean, I might not...

...

>...Proceed.

"Thank you."

They nodded, and then continued to consume her in bubble wrap.

>...This is kind of tight.

"DEAL WITH IT!"
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 For anyone interested, I put the 18 subplot into a google doc.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vlyt4UA8Q2LrYs-r1zuAhtJohfxFJLRXtSKVuhtD9_8/edit

I figure it could be handy in case anyone's interested in re-reading it or searching for a specific detail.

It's 95 pages long

26,805 words

148,698 individual characters.

That would take a minimum of 74 posts, but it took way more because I didn't cap every post at 2k characters, went in smaller chunks that flowed better.

I'm not trying to whore attention, I promise. I'm fading back into anonymity startiiiiiing.... NOW
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 >42
“???”
~~~~

Monster…

Monster.

MONSTER.

MONST-

A searing pain ran the course of 42’s forehead when she cracked it off the sturdy trunk of a tree. And why a tree? Because she was currently trudging through the Everfree forest, far deeper within than she’d intended but it didn’t matter.

Very little scared 42.

Even less could actually hurt 42.

But at the moment, what scared 42 was being thought of as a monster, as a beast, an unfit animal. And what actually hurt… was her feelings.

She wasn’t a monster. Sure, she had fangs, no sharper than the average pony's, though, honest, and sure she possessed abnormal strength but… monsters, they had so much more monster-y appendages and committed terrible deeds….

Chitania. Now there was a monster. A behemoth in every sense of the word.

42 wasn’t like that, she knew she wasn’t… but that still didn’t make the insinuation any less painful to her heart.

Hoofs trampled dry leaves and crunched over brittle twigs as the fuzzy-headed Changeling suddenly came to a stop, ears lowered and shoulders slumped.

>…I’m in entirely no mood. Show yourself.

There was no life to her words, no real command or anything, just a simple nod of acknowledgment towards the creature shadowing her since she first stepped into the forest.

And still, it, whatever it was, continued to hide.

She glanced over her shoulder, eyes laden with a sorrow heavier than her soul could hold.

>You can either come out now… or in the next three seconds I can drag you out. Either works for me. In fact, I might just pick the latter for you.

The bushes trembled and a hulking something lumbering forth. Something thrice 42's height and width. Something vast and built. Something with scaly, eldritch wings and the massive tail of a scorpion that thrashed about almost proudly.

>…

A manticore.

Now HERE was a monster.

It only took a second for 42 to notice that it's neck was barren of the flower necklace that Fluttershy usually gifted the various creatures under her care.

Any without were, for all intents and purposes, fair game.

A smile suddenly split 42's face as that discovery slowly rounded home.

>You know... there's this little tradition of mine, and it's kind of silly....

She was absentmindedly taking strides towards the beast, which it matched almost as if coming to the same 'fair game' conclusion.

>But it was- well, still is- a great stress reliever, perfect for a punch obsessed bug like me....

The distance was closing, slowly but surely, yet there was no sense of urgency coming from either 42 or the manticore. They might as well have been having a stroll in the park

>I'll admit, though... I haven't done it in quite a while, but seeing you reminds me of all the good it did, of all the... tension it helped get off my chest.

Thick strands of some sort of purple nectar dripped from the stinger on the manticores swaying tail, sizzling on contact the ground. Poison, quite obviously.

>Do you wish to know what my little stress-relieving tradition was...?

Her voice was steadily lowering, almost a whisper now. The manticore didn't answer, whether due to being unable to hear or being unable to physically answer, 42 couldn't tell. But it didn't really matter.

She was going to say it anyway.

>Every Friday, down in the coliseum of Canterlot, I'd put a leash on one of your brethren and drag them out onto the field while they kicked and roared. Then we'd battle, and I'd beat them. Easily. I'd beat them until they no longer moved, until they lost consciousness... until they knew who their master was.

Oddly, the manticore froze. Even it’s tail paused mid-sway.

>Yes. I made an entire race of your brethren my bitch.

Her words, however untruthful, seemed to strike a nerve within the beast that she wasn't sure existed and the resulting gale from the manticores roar could be likened to a small thunderstorm for all its boom and force.

It roared, and continued to roar, bellowing not at 42, but at the sky. Birds of all shapes took flight at the enraged sound; leaves rained down from above.

At this point, it was clear to 42 that this manticore was not of the normal breed. Nevermind the size, but the howls currently blasting from its throat seemed in direct response to her words, not just some random territorial ritual.

So she stared at it, before reaching up to grasp her Helmet of Helmets. It wasn't going to do her a lick of good, as protection or a weapon. No, this beast was past simple 'wild animal' anger; it was actually enraged.

Enraged at her.

And that was good. It deserved to be, because regardless of the lies that peppered her retelling of that 'tradition', it was wholly true that she fought this things brethren and more often than not knocked them unconscious.

She set her precious helmet off to the side, idly wondering if she'd be able to pick it up again afterwards. ...It'd make a lovely grave marker, she figured. Maybe it'd read something like 'Here lies 42, the only Changeling stupid enough to fight a pissed off manticore while low on love'.

The manticore had ceased its howling now. It was scrapping at the ground with a single forepaw, talons extended and ripping up the loam, tearing through thick tree roots with ease.

There was nothing but death resonating from those feral eyes, and 42 met it with quirky grin. This right here... this was probably going to be the biggest stress-reliever she'd ever faced and by the crown on her Queen's head, she was going to enjoy it.

She spread her legs shoulder-width apart, inhaling... then exhaling.

>Come. Monster.

~~~~

The sun was falling.

That mild, enjoyable breeze from before had all but morphed into something colder, more biting.

Yeah, typical Everfree Forest clima-

>I'M ALIVE! AHAHAHAHA I'M STILL ALIVE!

She hadn't meant to shout that, not with that much enthusiasm at least, but really, there was so much joy to be had for 42 when she suddenly realized that yes, her heart still beat, and yes, she was still on her hooves. Hooves that ached and screamed for rest but still!

A wrongly timed strike with its scorpion tail sent the upper half of a tree sailing when 42 ducked, nearly blown over by the violent rush of wind that followed.

That didn't stop her from immediately springing up to uppercut the towering manticore upside the jaw. The crippling crack that followed came from her hoof, not the creature. A few hair-thin fissures ran from the point of impact yet she forced a barking laugh.

>HA! ANOTHER ONE FOR ME!

That would bring her total of successful strikes to four, whereas the manticore had a steady lead somewhere in the mid-forties.

Oddly, all of those blows were non-lethal, purposefully so, and mainly consisted of her being tossed about like a foal's kickball. She was tossed to the dirt, hurled over boulders and slammed through trees, ragdolling everywhere only to scramble back to her hooves.

It was toying with her. The reasoning was obvious. She couldn't be allowed to die by any quick means, no. To restore honor to the manticores that she so carelessly trampled over, her death had to drawn out and her blood had to be strewn over the ground of the Everfree Forest.

Which it already was.

It was as if someone had gotten careless with a vat of nuclear waste, sloppily spilling some here, some there, some everywhere. Green glowing splotches of Changeling blood painted a disturbing travel log of where 42 had been flung, only to be picked up and flung again....

Her head swam nauseatingly, her vision kept doubling up... she could feel warm rivulets of blood cascading down the side of her head, dripping down her neck....

That last toss had been tougher than the others. Right into a sturdy redwood, one that refused to give. So her chitin gave first.

>COME ON! WHAT'RE YOU GOING EASY FOR? I BRUTALIZED YOUR COMRADES! THEIR ROARS OF PAIN WERE THE COLISEUMS FAVORITE JINGLE! I DID THAT! ME! AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO FUCK AROUND?

Indignant, she swiveled her tongue around in the confines of her mouth, collecting a fair bit of the blood and saliva.

And then spat it in the manticores eye.

>FIGHT M-

Her world exploded in a shower of sparks when a stray paw from the thrashing manticore caught her squarely in the chest, lifting and sending her sailing.

She landed on her back, muzzle stretching open in a pitched scream as she felt more of her structure crack like a mirror. A strange warmth was oozing out from underneath her shivering form.

Ah.

Blood.

Even if she wanted to move, which was her first instinct after hearing the thudding steps of a monster coming to finish her off, 42 couldn't muster the energy. Every attempt to connect with her frayed limbs was met with a painful jolt that nearly caused her to bite her tongue off.

So she fell limp, head tilting to the side.

>...

There was her Helmet of Helmets in all it's notched glory, glistening in a patch of grass untouched by her blood, a testament to her valor.

She smiled, however painful, however weak, and tried to transport herself to a happier place… a place with Shiny maybe? Yeah… having a picnic with Shiny… that was nice….

The rumbling was getting closer, bringing with it a sinister growl.

Yes, the monster was coming. It was finished playing. It was ready to end their little game.

>...I g-guess it's time for P-Punchbug to punch out….

A yell that sounded as though dropped from the skies above broke through the air of carnage that clung to the forest with only four words.

"LIKE HELL IT IS!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Chrysalis
"Changelings"
~~

She had been sitting there for a full three minutes now.

And it was pissing her off.

>WELL!?

The massive hive flinched, every last one of them fidgeting nervously.

>This is the stuff you wanted, right!? The oh so important things you desired? Well, here they are! So what's the hold up!?

They all looked to one another, then the various items she had been forced to wheel in by the load full, then each other again.

Then they started screaming.

"I DUN WANNA TOUCH IIIIITTT!"

"IT'S! IT'S ALL! IT'S ALL SO BEAUTIFUUUULLHUHUHUHULLLLLL!"

"MENMEBREME!"

Ignoring that last odd gurgling noise, she pressed on.

>What?

"I-it's just... it's just... W-WE HAVE STUUUUHUHUUHFFFF!"

"WE HAVE STUFF NOW AND IT'S SO PRETTY!"

"I WANNA SLEEP ON IT! I'M NOT EVEN TIRED BUT I WANNA SLEEP ON IT!"

"CUPS! CUPS FOR DRINKS! REAL CUPS NOT PAPER ONES!"

"I WANNA HUG IT BUT I'LL BREAK IIIIIIT!"

And thus they continued on, clearly wishing to reach out and touch it, but too frightened to do so.

>...Are... are you serious? It's just... It's not really that... okay, fine, what's the hold up?

"WE'LL BREAK IIIT!"

>You won't... for the love of, you won't break it!

"YES WE WILL!"

>You won't if you are careful!

"WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!"

"WE SET FIRE TO EVERYTHIIIING!"

>In the name of... look, fine. You all know how to pretend to be ponies, right? Built into our very way of life, stuff like that? We've all pretended to be ponies at SOME point.

"Y-yeeeah?"

>Well, when you're out there, you don't break stuff because that draws attention to you, right?

"Riiight?"

>And sometimes you have to hold babies, and not break them, because that's bad. Right?

"Right!"

>So... do that. Just do a whole lot of that. Pretend they're babies, and you won't break it.

"P-p-promise?"

Her hole laden hoof rammed right into her own snout.

>Yes. It will be fine.

They shared another long, uncertain glance, and then nodded in affirmative.

"O-okay, your Majesty."

>Good. Now, for the love of the pure hivemind, line up, give me your number, and someone wheel over that spreadsheet.

"..."

>...The gambling board full of numbers.

"Got it!"

So, with her helpful guide, one by one she gave them what they asked, watching as they cradled every item, treated every bit like it were made of fine porcelain. Every sleeping bag, pillow, mug and extra item they so wished treated as preciously as one would hold a baby.

And every time, they smiled. Every single item may as well have been made of solid gold wrapped around chocolate. They treasured them. All of it.

And with the last one handed out, she turned to leave.

"""""""""""""""THANK YOU, MAJESTY!"''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Their words were enough to give her pause.

But not for long.

>Hah! Better be.

Yeah, it felt good to be queen, she told herself.

That's why she was smiling.

Surely.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Somewhere, 32 just vomited.

He doesn't know why.

NC
>32
"High Roller"

"DUDE!"

>Ugh...I don't..what?

"That is so gross, man. How...how does that even work, did you just throw up love or..."

>Blegh...

"...I'm not cleaning that up."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >56
"29"
~~

>Cuz, I'm worried about you.

"Me? Nonsense, I am perfectly fine."

>Okay, normally? I'd be all for that. I'd say 'yeah, cuz is just being silly cause he's cuz, that's how he works. That's what he does. Talks funny and acts funny, he's a funny guy!

"HRMPH!"

>But ya' know, this one? This is a little more than I'm used to. Just a step too far, ya' know? Just a biiiiit weird.

"I have not an inkling to thine meaning within thine words, cousin."

>...You know what? Okay. I'm just going to sit right here, and then you're going to do your thing, and we'll go from there.

"While I have no idea what 'my thing' you speak of doth mean, the fact you have relented is celebration worthy enough."

>Good, cool, so... gonna come down from the ceiling now?

The changeling in question idly shuffled his books around a bit, nonchalantly looking across the castle ceiling he was currently stuck to.

"Well, I'll be, so I am. So caught up in mine own thoughts, I did not notice."

>Yeah, okay.

"But thou speaks truth! I have much to do, as such..."

He causally walked down, making a bee-line for the massive steel doors down the hall.

"I have a discussion I wish to have with the one within that room, Cousin, so if you do not mind-"

~BEEP!~IDENTIFY~BEEP!~

"AHDUNWANNAGOBAAAAACCCKKKKKKK!"

He spun on a dime, tearing off like a frightened animal.

"SAVEMEZECORAUSEYOURVOODOOMAREYHELPIDON'TWANNAGOBACKINTHETUUUUUBBBBBEEE-"

Still screeching like a banshee, he leapt through the nearest window, shattering it without a care, and flying off at top speed through the air, screeching all the way.

>...M'kay.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Celestia
“Cadence”
'Luna'
~~~~~

'We speak no lies, Sister! We have not had a single bite in weeks!'

“You have crumbs on your chin.”

'...Tis special diet cake!'

“Oh, really? What's the recipe, would love to try some of that.”

'Tis a secret.'

“Uh huh.”

>Auntie Celestia? Can I talk to you?

Both froze at the voice. It was perfectly calm, perfectly at ease, perfectly serene.

And yet something about it made them suddenly feel like their heads were in a guilotine.

'Cadence? What brings you to this place?'

She calmly walked to them, giving a slight nod to Luna.

>If you don't mind, this is personal.

'Hrpmh! We could be just as much a help as our sister.'

>Luna, leave?

'How dare thee! We were here first, why doesn't thou-'

She grabbed hold of Luna's tail, spinning around with a terrifying speed and lifting the lunar mare clear off her hooves. Her spin reached an apex, becoming a blurry twister of pink and screaming blue. At her peak, Cadence released the other princess, sending her soaring through the wall and clear across Canterlot in the blink of an eye.

Stunned, Celestia could only look into that far, far too calm face before her that even now stared with total serenity at the gaping hole in the wall, and wait for her to catch her breath.

>Thank you for being so understanding, Auntie Luna! I'll only take a second!

That pink, tranquil face at last turned to the taller mare, setting her off balance with a look.

>Auntie? Would you mind throwing up a privacy bubble? Don't want any listeny loos peaking in on this, it's important!

Nervously, she did as asked. A soundproof, opaque shield surrounded them in a burst of magic. And yet, without even looking, the smaller princess remained unsatisfied.

>...Little stronger.

She increased the force. Less visible, more soundproofing.

>….liiiittle stronger.

Annoyed, she did so.

>...liiiiiiiiiittle stronger.

Finally having enough, she unleashed a massive burst of power, completely sealing both of them off from the rest of the world.

>...Good....

She waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing came out from the pink mare, not a sound, not a squeak.

Then, just as the celestial princess grew impatient, a pink chest rapidly expanded as air flowed into her lungs. More, and more, and more until it looked like at any second that rib cage would burst open.

Then it all came out.

>I FUCKED UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP

The ringing in her ears was only matched in intensity by the head splitting pain that rocketed from the very bottom of her brow right to the tip of her hair. Unknowing or uncaring to the pain she caused her aunt, the princess of love continued right on, screeching all the way.

>I fucked up! I fucked up so, so bad! Auntie you don't- you can't even imagine how much-I FUCKED UPPPPPPPPP!

While thoughts of accidental deaths, complete collapses of governments, perhaps even declarations of war danced through Celestia's mind, Cadence continued.

Recent events poured out of her like a broken faucet. Being sent away, the reveal, 18's horrifying state, being replaced, all of it rushed out in a babbling, near incoherent mess mixed in with choked sobs and broken hearted cries.

She did not know how long it lasted. With as much information she through out, she could have sworn it would take hours. At the speed and incoherence, she would instead think minutes. All she knew is that before long, she revealed one last startling piece of information. What she had given her blessing to, at the end of it all, and at last the pink mare crumpled into a broken heap at the ground, tears openly pouring from her eyes and head clutched in hooves that messed up an otherwise immaculate hair.

Above her, Celestia soaked it all in, her heart in a million places with every word, every painful rent across Cadence's face, every stunning new twist to the tale. She remained, long after Cadence had ceased speaking, eyes wide with an uncertainty and trepidation she had never in her life felt before.
Unsure with how to proceed, she could only let out a single, confused phrase.

“My, that is... quite a tale.”

Even she thought that was pathetic, but thankfully her adoptive niece continued right on.

>I-I watched it, Auntie Celestia. I watched it and FELT it. I felt that horrible, horrible feeling as her levels dropped. I felt cold, alone, terrible. She would have died if I didn't do something. That moment, right there in the kitchen, I knew that if I told her to leave, or if I demanded she never try to be with Shiny like that... she'd have died. She would be dead, right now, right this second, and that... that terrified me. I did that. I... it would have been my fault. Someone I care about, who Shiny dearly cares about, would have died right there, and it would have been all my fault. S-so I said... I said I wouldn't care. That I would be okay with it. That I would just accept it and come to t-terms with it and-and I don't... I don't want any of it. It was the worst situation I've ever been in. I panicked. And now I don't know what to do because... I'm NOT okay with it! I'm terrified he'll ask her and then I'll have to share him and oh sweet love what am I going to tell Twilight and Two and OH FUCK WHAT ABOUT CHRYSALIS!? But I can't blame him it's all my fault and-and-and I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DOOOOO!

Desperate to stop the torrent of sobs that spilled forth, Celestia just spoke the first thing that came to mind, slipping comfortably back into her stance of mentorship.

“So, why don't you just... take it back? Say you weren't thinking clearly and want to re-visit the issue? I'm sure they'd understand you were under severe duress, and-OW!”

Never, in her life, had she seen Cadence move that fast. Never, in her life, had the smaller alicorn struck her, especially not like that. Never, in her life, had she seen Cadence look that horrified. She did not like these new developments.

>ARE YOU INSANE!? Do you have any, ANY idea what that could do!? Do you even have the slightest inkling what presenting her with that hope, that dream, giving her the thought this might all work out as she so prayed for, and then pulling it away will do!? Midnight Crimson would be a BOON at that point! It would be an unobtainable level we WISHED we could bring her back to! It... Celestia, it wouldn't be Midnight Black, it would be... worse.

Her tone alone said it all, but curiosity burned away at her nonetheless.

“Worse? What's worse than that?”

>I don't have a name for it because it's just... it's nothing. It would be like staring into the space between stars. There is no color because nothing is there. Nothing, just an emptiness with no life. And she'd... I'd...

Her throat tightened, every breath coming out in a rasp.

>I messed up so bad. If I had kept it from getting to this point, if I had just... just kept her above this level before now, talked to her, kept her from feeling such isolation...

Cautiously, Celestia reached out, rubbing a hoof along Cadence's back. Thankfully, she seemed receptive.

“But she wasn't. She... Cadence, I've seen Shiny try to drag her with him so many times it's insane. He never left her alone, Two draws her pictures all the time, 42 speaks with her... she wasn't isolated. You didn't lock her in that room.”

>I... she could see it, Celestia. I could see it through her. She's a changeling, she can see it, in us, in them... in him. She isn't exact, she can't see it like I can, not as good as me, but she could see enough. When he was letting it out, and when he had to reel it back in. How... she could see him wanting to reach out to her, touching her with loves magic, giving her just a taste of it, and then pull it all away. Even when he was right there, she would never feel like he was really there. Not when she could feel it, see it as it shifted away from her like a frightened child. I... he did that for me. Don't you understand? He did it all for me. And I wanted... no, I... I still want him to. I love that feeling. I love knowing that he kept it all inside, for me...

She choked again, taking a long breath before continuing.

>I felt... happy. I felt happy when I saw how much brighter he was when he thought she was me. Just the contrast, just seeing the intensity that can't compare, not even close, to him with anyone else. To know that for me, he holds such... brilliance. I want that, Celestia. I want that to always be me that burns inside him like that.

She looked away in shame from the searching eyes that looked down upon her.

>I know, it's selfish, but I don't care. I love him. I love him more than anything in this whole world, anything, and I want him to be mine. It's... is that wrong? Am I supposed to do the opposite? Is this going against what I was chosen for? This responsibility?

A timid hoof rubbed her horn, the appendage suddenly feeling alien upon her head.

>I think you chose wrong, Auntie. I think maybe... I wasn't the best choice to be the Alicorn of Love. Because right then, right that moment... I knew I'd give up this horn in a second, one second, if it meant he never loved me one bit less than he does right now. I want that. I want to always have that. And I'm just scared because... I don't know what it will mean if she and him...

She continued on, standing on unsteady hooves and beginning to pace about the room, just to keep moving.

>There is only so much love in every heart. I've seen it myself. I've seen taken out, removed by a trinket, removed by lack of life, just taken by another. It's not infinite, Celestia. His... it's got to be a lot, I know it's a lot, I know it's bright and beautiful and amazing, even without examining it, but is it enough? Can he love more than one to that level? He shouldn't, it shouldn't be possible. No one heart I have ever seen has that much, never. But maybe... I don't know, and I'm afraid to find out.

She froze again, her head suddenly rocking back and forth as if to shake out the terrible thought that entered her head.

>But I can't let her die. No, I couldn't, never. No matter how much I want him... I can't go that far. I would never forgive myself. Even if Shiny forgave me, I don't think I could. I'm not strong enough to let someone die for this. Especially not her. I do care about her, she's my friend and she means a lot to me, and so much to him, and Two, and 42, and... just all of them. I couldn't, not if I could stop it.

Tear streaked eyes looked back to her at last, desperation marring her face.

>But, then what am I supposed to do?

The white alicorn approached her again, hoof outstretching to console her once more.

“Cadence-”

Only to have it batted away, pointless in the face of the distress before her.

>No! No more hugs! Please, you're the smartest pony I know, I don't want comfort, I want help! Help me! Tell me what to do! Tell me I'm being selfish and should get over myself! Tell me to fight and try to help her another way! Just do something!

Helpless. That was the only word to describe it, helpless. Celestia, ruler of an entire kingdom for over a millenia, one of the most powerful and influential creatures to ever walk the earth, one who has seen more in one year than most in their lives, was helpless.

And it hurt.

“I... I don't know what to say. I've never been in a situation like this, Cadence. I want to help you, really, but I don't know how. I don't know what to do for you to make this better. If I could, I would. If I thought there was a right answer, I would speak it, but no path laid before you is simple and plain, it seems. I don't know which way to send you, and I do not want to cause you heartbreak sending you down the wrong way... if there is even a right way to go at all...”

Bitterly, Cadence looked away, knowing full well it was not Celestia's fault, but feeling angered by her lack of assistance all the same.

>I feel terrible for thinking this, but it's worse because she's a changeling. She will drain his Sparklejoules just from contact alone, it's even worse than if she was just some random mare off the street.

Needing this more for herself than Cadence, Celestia's tone once more slipped back into her more familiar, thoughtful one.

“Well, you are the leading authority on those, is there some way to stabilize this? Is there some way to keep his levels to his standard?”

She scoffed at that, dismissively waving her hoof.

>I don't even know what his standard is! Trying to gauge that is like trying to keep enough water in a bucket when you can't see over the lid. Overflowing it artificially with magic is dangerous, it could stunt him even further if I do it wrong.

More than a little annoyed at her slight patronizing tinge in her tone, as if the pink princess were speaking to an earth pony on the merits of flight, she continued.

“Well, then is there a way to reduce her drain? Maybe-”

>THAT'S IT!

In a single second, she had gone from despondent, despaired even, to a manic, wide eyed and more than a little off-kilter smile.

“That... is not a good look.”

Oblivious to the words, she hopped to her hooves, scurrying about the room in a frenzy as her mind raced, all sorts of thoughts spinning in her head.

>I've got it! I'll just- I let them get close, but not TOO close! I've just got to keep them juuuuuust far enough she recharges and gets her charge back! Not married, just, you know, holding hooves or something, nothing major! She won't dip down, Shiny won't love me less, and everything can go right back to the way it was before! IT'S BRILLIANT!

Worried, the Alabaster alicorn took a few steps back.

“How do you plan to do-”

It seems those steps were not enough. In the blink of an eye, Cadence had seemingly just appeared in front of her, grabbing hold of that white face and mashing her own magenta one against it. This, unfortunately, let Celestia see directly into those wild, unfocused eyes.

>IT'S SIMPLE! I just have to stick with them and chauffeur them! It's not like they would want to exclude me, right? OBVIOUSLY NOT! So I just have to be sneaky and keep them just a little a apart, and make sure no funnystuff! I just have to be THERE and do this!

Prying herself off with hooves and an unsettling amount of magic, Celestia resumed putting distance between them, more than a little worried at her present state.

“Okay, Cadence? I do not want to sound mean, but that was a Chrysalis plan right there. You sound exactly like her right now.”

The other party did not look upon her, eyes darting everywhere but Celestia's way as she continued speaking, entirely to her self.

>I just have to be subtle, cunning, OH! I've got it! I know just who to ask!

“And there goes the terror right down my spine. Please do not tell me you are thinking of who I think you are thinking of.”

Again, nothing reached her. No words pierced that mind.

>This will work! THIS WILL WORK! I can make this all work and not kill anyone from messing up!

“You're not even listening to me right now. I could say anything, you wouldn't care.”

In response, she just tried patting herself on the back.

>OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO SMART!

“Thanks to a bet, I have to let Shiny pick the name for my firstborn if I ever have a child. Not even joking, I bet him if I did a poledance for him and he didn't move, he could. He won. It was pretty impressive. Shame, actually, if I won he would have had to pay for my cakes for a year.”

She might as well have told her the sky was two for all she cared. Without even thinking, she reached up and crushed the white alicorn in a frighteningly powerful hug.

>Thank you, Auntie Celestia! This is brilliant!

Her left ear still rang long after those smaller forelegs let go.

“Wow, you are just bound and determined to make me an accomplice in this. I can hear the words “It's all your fault” already.”

>I HAVE TO GO! PLAN IN MOTION!

She did not wait for the shield to drop, charging through it, and the wall behind it, like it was not even there, and rocketing off towards... something. Something terrible that she would not doubt be blamed for, Celestia realized.

Alone, she looked around the wreckage of the room, complete with not one but two new gaping holes just for her, and she sighed in regret.

“...The saddest part is realizing this is one of my more helpful days...”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Chrysalis
"Twilight"
'???'
~~~

>KAAARACKABOOM!"

"GAH! WHY!? WHY DO YOU DO THAT!? I have so many, SO MANY volatile things here! YOU WILL END ALL LIFE!"

>Okay, seriously? Gonna keep pulling that? No, you don't. You got rid of all the dangerous stuff. I know you did, I personally helped you do so. They're gone, Twilight.

"..."

>...

"...I just don't like it when you slam my door."

>And yet I do! HAH!

"I'm... guessing saying I'm busy will not send you away."

>Don't care! I'm feeling good and slamming shit, WHA-BAM!

"Why?"

>Oh, come on, it was a cabinet.

"No, I mean, why are you all upbeat right now?"

>Because stuff is coming up Chrysalis, that's why! Let's just say Shiny knows how to make a mare happy.

"...Ew."

>Not in that way, Twisprite. At least, not yet. Gonna revisit that area someday, though. And a couple new ones. HAH!

'Delusion is the first sign of insanity, you know.'

For Chrysalis, the world may as well have stopped.

Twilight very visibly flinched, hoof moving away from the button she had been edging towards the whole conversation.

"Couldn't wait another two seconds?"

'No, I'm much more interested in seeing how she reacts now that she knows I'm here.'

She turned, ever so slowly, towards the corner of the room the voice came from.

There he was, surrounded on all sides by a clear container, just sitting and waiting with a slight smirk on his face.

'Hello, Queen Whore.'

There was a deathly silence that filled the room, choking out any words Twilight may have said in order to keep her from reacting. By the time the ice thawed from her mouth, it was too late.

>HAH! Twilight, you got a pet! Oooooh, he's a cutie, yes he is!

She trotted right up to the cage, carefree and playful.

>Awww, wookit his widdle face! You already pick a name for him? I like Polly.

She idly summoned a ball of love magic, tauntingly holding it up over his head.

>Want the treat, Polly? Go get it! Go get dat treat! Who's a good boy, huh? You is! Yes you is!

'Well, at least you're talking in relation to your IQ again. Given up the ghost at last?'

>Oooh~! Look at him bark! It's adorable!

"Chrysalis..."

She cackled, re-absorbing the magic and turning away from him.

>How cute. You going to get him on a little leash and take him for walksies yet? Be careful, he looks like he bites.

'You don't have any idea.'

"He's sick, Chrysalis. Something is draining his-"

>Do not care.

The purple princess froze, realization hitting her.

"Do you... know what's wrong with him?"

>Nope, no idea.

"But you do know something is wrong with him."

>Pfft, obviously.

"Any... hints?"

>No.

She supposed that was expected.

'Really, what were you thinking. If you really wanted, you should have promised her a night with your brother. Don't feel bad for lying, she doesn't really deserve otherwise.'

>Hey, Twi? Your pet is kind of loud, gonna put down those blast doors like you were planning?

'Oh yes, do cut off my sight, I am starting to feel nauseous looking at her.'

"Chrysalis... he might die. I don't know how to fix him, and-"

>Good.

One word. That was all it took to chill her.

'Oh, come now. Did you really expect different?'

Briskly, the Queen started trotting towards the exit.

>HAH! Just wanted to see if you were up for some fun, but ehhh, looks like you've got your hooves full. No worries, I'll be back later. I'll even bring a dog biscuit for you!

"You don't care that he'll be in the room?"

>Section... four? Five? Some shit, whatever. Some line in some book says if a prisoner is sick then you must treat him to the best of your ability, right? I feel bad, really. You're the only one that can, it's got to suck. Gotta come back sometime, you know, just so you have some fun. Gotta keep you from going crazy!

"Thanks?"

>Anytime! Think I'll go out for a walk. Or a run. Or a fly. You know, something out there. With others. Who are also fun. Later!

With that, she slammed the door.

"..."

'...I hate her so much...'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________