Thread 95: Stories 1-15

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NC OOCO
>Dash
“Spitfire”
~~~~

>So… the Sonic Flameboom….

“Yeah?”

>You ever gonna teach me that?

“…pft.”

>Did… did you just snort at me? Really? At your boss?

“Dash, you could be Princess Celestia herself and I still would have snorted. You have your Rainboom and I have my Flameboom. Done and done. Quit asking me to teach you how to do it, I’ve got a mile-long list of shit chores you need done.”

>But… b-but yours is soooooo much cooler than mine! The flames just go bwaaaaaaah in every direction and- holy shit, the last time? You baked the fucking air and made it hard to breathe! N-not to say that mine isn’t cool, heh, ‘cause I’m Dash and all… but I’ll admit a little that yours is better!

“Because I’m better than you.”

>Excuse me?

“You’re excused. And I said, because I’m better than you. You have skill, there’s no denying that, but I’ve got years on you, and with those years come experience. Which trumps yours. Look, I’m the previous leader of the fucking ‘Bolts. C’mon now. I’m decked out in a maid’s uniform, yeah, but in a race you’d choke on my flames. You know this.”

>…

“And besides, if you think my Flameboom is so much better than yours, then that means yours has a flaw. The flaw of being less than mine. So you know what you need to do?”

>…Ask you to teach me how to make it better? And if asking doesn’t work, then beg?

“Nope. You get your ass out there and figure out how to improve.”

>Leeeeet’s just cut the middlemare and you just tell me!

“Cut out the middlemare and you’ll always lag behind. I’m not about to hand you shit because you haven’t earned it yet. Want an example of earning your shit? Look at Bulks. You see those scrawny wings of his? Notice how he can still fly with the best of them? Because he took that middlemare, beat the everloving fuck out of it and overcame. Without drugs. And for that, he is one of my more cherished fliers.”

>…So what you’re saying is have Bulky teach me?

“…Right. Goodbye, Dash.”

>H-hey! You get back here and show me how to be better than you, that’s an order!

“And this is insubordination. Got a problem? Go get Fifty-Six to eat some cake off my ass again, I’m starting to like that punishment, heh.”

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NC
>Pinkie
‘Dash’
“Twilight”
[Cadence]
{Chysalis}
-Shiny-
+Spike+

In the private dining/snacking area off their now mutual office two of the elements of harmony paused for a cup of coffee and some idle chat.

‘….sigh….’

>Sigh? What’s wrong dashie?

‘Oh nothin’…just thinking about how with so many of our friends alicorns now I’m one of the few who’s going to die. It’s basically just me, you, and shiny right? Everyone else will pretty much live forever.’

>PFFFT That’s silly!

‘..yeah I guess you’re right. I mean everyone’s gotta die even-‘

>No silly! Me and shiny aren’t gonna die!

‘…what?’

>Come on Dashie! I can pop out of places I can’t physically fit into, seemingly teleport, I know things before they happen, and the fourth wall is my plaything!’

‘...you play with walls? I don’t…’

>Not important! What’s important is that with all of my inexplicable abilities what makes you think I’m going to die until I choose to? That’s just silly!

‘…riiiight. Sure. Ok, pinkie I’ll pretend that made sense somehow, but just because YOU’LL never die doesn’t mean shinin armor won’t’

>PFFFT HAHAHA That’s even sillier! Twilight won’t let him die!

‘She can’t really stop it though, y’know?’

>She punched out cancer!

‘…True…but I mean come on, no one can punch out old age…right?’
***
<Decades Later>

Shining armor lay on his deathbed. Surrounded by all his closest friends and family who he had known and loved in his many, many years. All but one. His hair was grey, his skin pallid, his face wrinkled, his breath a wheezing rattle.

-Is she here yet? ..Don’t wanna go…until I’ve…said goodbye…-

[Not yet my love…not yet.]

-ughhhh….-

The changeling queen hissed in the ear of the dragon beside her.

{Hey! Spike! She’s your old boss! Wasn’t it your job to get her here!?}

+I tried! She wouldn’t leave the lab. Said she had another test to run. I…I think she may be avoiding this.+

[Well screw that! Go and get her here! By force if necessary!]

+…I’ll try. You realize I can’t really overpower her though, right?+

The dragon turned to the stallion he called brother

+Hey.+

-Hey.-

+I’m gonna go try to get twi ok? Don’t go anywhere just yet.+

-And here I was…planning a trip to manehatten-

The dragon smiled and shook his head moving to the door.

<BLAM>

…which hit him right in face knocking him on his ass.

“MUDA DA!”

-T-Twili?-

She leapt in the air flipping over the other to deliver a flurry of blows to the dying stallion.

“ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA! Your already healed.”

<BLOR-SPLAT!>

Inexplicable Shining armor seemed to distort and explode painting the walls in gore and leaving Shining himself…around age 25 somehow.

The purple mare siddled up to him and nuzzled his cheek and whispered into his ear.

“Nothing’s going to take you from me until I say so.”

She pulled back.

“Now, if you take care of yourself, I should only have to do this like…once a century or so! See you for Sunday brunch!”

She then turned around and proceeded to leave the room shutting the door behind her leaving them all stunned into silence. Shining literally shaking.

-S-Spike?-

+Yes shiny?+

-I need a favor.-

+Name it+

-K-Kill me…-

+What!?+

-She just punched literally every cell in my body! Trillions of voices are screaming in agony! I can’t do this every hundred years! KILL ME!-

+N-NO WAY MAN NO WAY!+

-PLEASE!-

+DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SHE’D DO TO ME!?+

The stallion wept.

***
‘H-How did I see all that?’

>The Magic of Friendship...

The pink mare waved in the air to punctuate.

‘R-right….SPIKE! Spike has to die right? I mean sure he’ll live for a really long time but old age will get him …won’t it?’

>Oh Dashie….
***
“KLATU! VERATA! NICTO!”

Lighting crashed and blasted into a massive, hulking draconic corpse in the woods.

+I LIIIIVE AGAIIIIN!!!! Oh hi twilight!+

“Hey Spike.”

+I uh…I died didn’t I?+

“Little bit.”

+But…I got better?+

“Wel…you’re undead now…so…kinda?”

+I guess?+

“…”

+…+

“Ugh! I told Celestia you were to old for a diplomatic mission but noooooo why listen to twilight? Why listen to the mare who’s watched over you your whole life? That’s just silly!”

+Yeah, yeah….look it was my call alright? She didn’t make me+

“What!? SPIKE! Uh…Do you know how hard it was to find you?”

+Not very? I mean, I’m a giant ass purple and green dragon…corpse no I guess.+

“well ok that’s true but still!”

+Yeah, yeah…look got any jumbo breathmints? I’d hate to meet up with the girls…like this, y’know?+

“Please.”

From nowhere an enourmous package of maretos is summoned.

“I’ve gotcha covered”
***
‘…ok this is getting surreal.’

>Just roll with it. Soooooo much easier.

‘W-well this just sucks! I’m the only one who dies? What’s up with that!?’

>Dashie dahsie dashie

The pink mare shook her head.

>Don’t you get it? You’re the lucky one!

‘…how?’

>BECAUSE you big silly, while you get to die peacefully at an old age most likely the rest of us will just keep going on and on forever! We will experience all life has to offer! Every sight! Every sound! Every flavor of every cuisine! We’ll do every fun thing we can think of and then one day…we’ll run out.

>But it won’t be bad! Not yet! We’ll just do our favorite things! Over and over and over until they become boring and dull and everything tastes like mashed potatoes! So we’ll throw ourselves into new pursuits, mastering every art and skill that exists while building an ever increasingly advanced and grand utopia until we have reached as close to perfection as possible!

She moved here face mere inches from dash’s

>THEN it’ll get bad! With nothing else left to do we will once again become bored! The constant boredom will drive us to utter madness as we desperately seek anything new and novel to make us feel alive again! We’ll start turning to dark, twisted things!

She stood up on her hind legs.

>Eventually our lives will descend into an unending orgy of violence, greed, gluttony, and perversion as we desperately seek to stave off the ever gnawing emptiness that tears at our minds and our utopia crumbles around us by the work of our own ever grasping claws and hooves! This world will become a hell where all are forced to endure our mad bidding as it all burns down until finally, FINALLY the sweet release of death comes as the stars themselves EXPLODE!

She got down, sat in her chair, and resumed drinking her coffee normally.

>Huh…I guess we will all die eventually.

She takes a sip.

>But you don’t have to worry about any of that. See! Aren’t you lucky?

‘Y-Yay….’

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NCaddtion
~Chrysalis~
~~~~~~~

~CONSWAMA! Not gonna happen.~

>HOW DID YOU KNOW!?

~I'm motherfucking Chrysalis... and I have your room bugged.~

'Wait wha-'

~But no worries! We're not going to get bored!~

>...Y-yeah, yeah we are, didn't you hear the speech?

~Keep challenging me like that, and I'll let YOU get bored before we have Fluttershutter's boytoy put you down.~

>Wha?

'...Okay, I'm curious, how?'

~Because of ME baby!~

'So, overpowering with delusion?'

~Sort of!~

>...go onnnnnn.

~See, every century or so, after our favorite stuff becomes a bit, ehhhh, shall we say 'bland', I'll just hop in there and distort the memories a little bit, maybe remove some of the redundant ones, you know how it goes. Take it in the backdoor once, take it in there a million times, you know? I'll just wipe out enough that doing it again seems fresh, new and exciting! It'll be a never ending adventure of relearning all the most fun things life has to offer, while also riding alongside progress as they create new ones! A universe shall open up, and we'll still be tasting the sweetest wine found a thousand years ago for the very first time. Limitless possibilities and never once needing to give in to our darker natures... more than a couple times, at least, wink wink. Time itself is our river, and I'll make sure it's the river lethe!~

'...oh... so-'

~So you're still gonna miss that and die, yeah.~

'...well fuck.'

~Yeah I'd get to that, timetable you know.~

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NC Addition to NC Addition

'But...but the stars will still explode killing everyone eventually right?'

~...we'll get twilight to work on it.~

'...forever alone...'

>or, y'know, marry a mortal stallion who also dies so you'll at least have SOMEONE you know in the afterlife? I hear that's a thin

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'...I was kiiiinda hoping to sneak in with Shining A-'

BLAM!

[NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]

'...fine, jeeze... don't even really like the guy.... think Soarin' would still go out on a date after I fired him?'

~...~
>...
[...]

'...No?'

[...Maybe I was too hasty...]

'Oh?'

[Yeah! Might be fun to have someone dumber than me around for once!]

'...ouch...'

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NON CANON
>AJ
"Chrysalis"
~~~~

>And that's the deal.

"...you're serious."

>Yep. This piece o' land, right here? All yer's.

"...All mine. This great big, open plain."

>Yep. All yer's.

"For my changelings?"

>No no no no noooo... just you.

"Just me."

>All yer's! Run around and be as free as ya' want! Laugh and play and do that ha thing ya' do, Ah' know ya' love it! Very reasonable loan, by the by, a total steal!

"..."

>...Go on! All yer's!

"..."

>Git!

"I can see the parasprites?'

>O-oh, those?... Just... just fuzzy little balls! Ya' know, wouldn't hurt a fly!

"..."

>Or a bug!

"....Twilight teach you a new magic spell, I take it? Something control related, as to what they eat?"

>...dang.

"Nice try though."

>...Ya' sure ya' don't wanna-

"WAYYYY better with mind control, appleass."

>Point taken. Ya' wanna light the fires or should I?

"You, obviously."

>...dang it...

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Non-Canon
>Pinkie
"Cadence"
'DT'
~~~~
>Welcome to Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content doesn't matter, and I break in my new house! Now for our main segment..Dreamhouse Pinkie: Pink Pony Club Edition!
Upbeat music.

"I'm the pretty one. <3"

'I'm the grumpy one.'

>And I'm the crazy one! Welcome to my dreamhouse, girls!

'Why are we here?'

>You're my pink posse. I'd figured you'd want to visit too. Plus I need to get your cannon. Make yourselves at home.

'Wait, if it's a dream cannon I can't...*sigh*...*sniff* *sniff*'
She sniffs the walls.
'Is this...'
Licks the wall once...twice...some more times.

"Oh my gosh! Is this an easy-bake oven? I love these things."
She puts a browny mix into the oven.
"Hmm hmm hmmm~"

'What's in this room? ...whoa.'
She looks away blushing, but slowly looks back.
'She did say make yourselves at home.'

"DT, I'm baking brownies from an easy bake. We're gonna have a- *gasp* Pinkie has a naughty room?!"

'Uh, it's not what you think...it's gun porn...yup gun porn! This one has a big barrel.'
*BOOM*
They run to check on the easy bake oven. It had exploded and the kitchen was on fire.

"Aw, not even in my dreams?"

'I'll help you put it out if you deny I was in there.'

"Okay okay just put it out!"

Upbeat music. Life in the dreamhouse~

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OOCO
>Rarity
"SA"
'Dash'
~~~~~

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this."

'Story of my life with Rarity.'

>Oh hush! This will be so fun and morale boosting!

'A swimsuit calendar?'

"You do realize I'm not even in the army anymore, right?"

>That's why this edition is 'Classic and New'!

"..."

>Oh hush, I'm giving you all the cider you can drink

'SOLD!'

"I don't drink-"

SLAP

"..."

'Dont you dare.'

"...so this is limited edition, right? Next to nobody will see it?"

>...mmmhmm!

"...uh-"

>POSE!

"Alright, alright!"

>...and thus, I regain my fashion stardom.

"Wha-"

>POSE!

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 >29
"Luna"
'MM'
[Zecora]
{Trixie}
~~~~

>AHHHHHHHHH!

"DOES THOU FEEL THE FEAR!?"

'YES!... A LOT!'

"GOOD!"

[This is cruel and dark! Our pain is not a lark!]

"THOU DOES NOT KNOW PAIN... YET!"

>AHHHHH!

{... Trixie thinks its cool}

"THEN WE ARE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH!... MORE THINGS IN THE DARK, WE SUMMON THEE!"

>AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

{... So cool...}

>['AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]'

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OOCO
>SA
"18"
'Cadence'
~~~

>...How are we feeling about Japaneighs tonight?

'Ugh, I hate Japaneighs, it makes me have heartburn for a week!'

"...How does ONE sweet roll give you heartburn?"

'I have to stay in shape, thank you! We all can't just go FWOOSH and problem solved!'

>Okayyyy, changing the topic, how about Maretonian? Maretonian sounds good?

'Maretonian is just nothing but spices and maybe a fleck of grass in there! It's not vegan enough!'

"You do realize how must spices are made, right?"

'Not all of us can study useless facts all the time, Eighteen!'

>TOPIC CHANGE! Chineighs, that sound good?

'Chineighs food just just Japaneighs food that thinks the other one is racist!'

"...how-"

'Some of us need to contemplate the prejudices woven into the food we eat to better connect with others on a social level Eighteen!'

>ONE MORE TIME!... Curl up on the couch and eat some popcorn?

'...Okay.'

"Yay! My favorite!"

'Your favorite food is popcorn?'

"..."

>She means love.

"It's how I stay so healthy looking!'

'NOT ALL OF US CAN SURVIVE ON AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT OF BELONGING, EIGHTEEN!'

>...
"..."

'...I WISH I WAS YOUUUUUU!'

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OOCO
>SA
"Celestia"
~~~

>You keep pushing for this, but it's not going to happen.

"Come ooonnnnnn!"

>Not gonna do it.

"Come onnnnnnnnn!"

>Nope.

"I'll give you anything you want up to but not including cake!"

>...Wait, where does sex fall on that list?

"Pfft, obviously cake is above Sex, and thus falls under the umbrella. Why? You want that? Doesn't seem like you."

>Well, no, I was just curious if you actually did favor cake over sex.

"That I do."

>Huh... you might have a problem.

"And you might be getting laid, what's it going to be?"

>...Nope.

"COME ONNNNN!"

>I'm not, repeat and stamped, not going to do a meetup with the Wonderbolts and my airforce, with Dash alone your guys would CRUSH mine.

"That's the point! THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT! For this past year I've had to see your soldiers outperform mine again and again! I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT IT"S LIKE!"

>...Nope.

"I WILL SET FIRE TO THIS WORLD! LET ME HAVE MY RELEASE!"

>Nooope.

"...pwease?"

>...

"...I'll give you hugs..."

>...I'll consider it.

"YES!... Wait, seriously? No to sex but yes to hugs?

>I like hugging you. You're huggable.

"...aww..."

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>42
"Spike"
~~~~

>....So... I may have over reacted and hit you more than I should, and I would like to apologize. You are a good friend to me, Spike, regardless of how others have treated me. And I would be remiss if I did not extend you the courtesy of an apology for reacting as I did to what was, in all likelyhood, gentle ribbing. I am sorry, that was wrong. I hope we can move past it.

"...did you slip her any tongue-"

>DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

BOOOM!

"SO WORTH IT!'

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>AJ
"???"
'Dash'
[Sunset]
~~~~

A quiet had fallen over them. Slow, easy like the wind, nothing much to them and very little said.

And yet, there was something calming to this, the idea that they could just sit here, three who had been though so much today, and just regard one another. Just be there... normal.

So of course it was going to end with a-

SLAM!

>NOT NOW GADDANG IT YA' DANG... wait a minute.

'Well, that's unexpected.'

Of course, the expected answer was 'Chrysalis'. That made the most sense, had the most history, and it would keep reality in a nice little row exactly as they wanted it to be.

So, of course, leave it to a changeling to mess all of that up, and be the unexpected.

That Chitania, always popping up when she's least expected, and at the worst possible time.

"I will speak with you now."

>...Oh, right... ya' were headin' here, weren't ya'? How'd ya...

Her answer came in the form of sadly tilting of her head to peer around the entrance to the door.

Yep, there they were, two guards shaking like leaves, their spears on the ground and both of them trying to subtly shift off and let her enter. To their credit, from the state of said spears said that at the very least they had brought them to bare, and they had been insufficient.

Insufficient to say, they were bent quite visible, yet there was no marking to imply that she had in any way touched them. Far more likely, she had given those spears a stern glare, and they thought the better of trying to remain in a state that might force her to touch them.

'Hey, asshole? We were having a talk.'

A single glinting eye regarded her for only a second, and for that single second the room became heave with the feeling of an unseen energy waving through the room.

Despite this, and her own basic survival instincts that were no doubt screaming at her and contemplating jumping ship out her ear, the pegasi remained unmoved.

Though, admittedly, she didn't exactly jump up and get in her face either.

Seemingly content, the Titan looked back, lingering just a little bit longer on the undead unicorn that shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. Though she did not move, the Titan's hoof twitched almost imperceptibly, almost as if she wanted to bring up that hoof and scratch something... or punch someone right in the face.

It was impossible to tell with her.

Still, that too came to an end when Sunset looked away, perhaps in regret or shame, perhaps out of fear that her continued gawking would bring about violent reaction that would end what little hope she had of returning to life, and she once more turned back to the mare of her interest, Applejack.

"You know why I am here, yes?"

She steeled herself, though against what she honestly had no idea.

>Ah' do.

"Good... and you know that any events were self defense, and none of this could possibly fall under my fault?"

>Ah' do... not supposin' it makes ya' feel any better that those responsible have been fired?

A single, catlike eye flicked back over, back to the rainbow mane and the frowning face glaring at her.

"Oh? You've been relieved of your position?... That is quite something."

'She means Fleetfoot and Soarin', you know, the two that actually caused this?'

"Is that so? Because according to the papers, you signed off on this whole event."

She shot up, feathers bristling in anger.

'I didn't have anything to do with this! I didn't want it!'

"If you signed for it, at best, this is negligence, no?"

Nothing to be argued there. Content at her reaction, Chitania once more turned back to Applejack, who had taken on an even more irritated expression than before, her muscles tensing beneath her coat.

>Just get it over with. How much are ya' askin' for?

Briskly, a single mammoth hoof reached up, curling beneath her chest armor and pulling free a single piece of paper. With surprising ease, she laid the paper down on the desk, and pushed it forwards.

Curious that there was quite a lot of writing for what should have been a simple number, Applejack brought it beneath her gaze, and began to scan the parchment.

With every dart of her eyes from one side to the other, her face twisted, distorted in anger, and seemed ready to burst at any moment.

Until, at the last line... it did.

SLAM!

>THAT'S THE STUPIDEST FUCKIN' THING AH' EVER HEARD IN MAH' LIFE! Ya' really think Ah'd do this!? REALLY!? This is so gaddang stupid Ah'm gettin' a headace just thinkin' about it! Ah'm about ta' blow out mah' dang eye just havin' this thing in the room! You take this here little piece of paper and YA' SHOVE IT RIGHT UP YOUR ASS!

"...Very well."

To her never ending dismay, that had not been an affirmative that she would, indeed, shove that paper up her ass. That would have been something to see.

No, rather, she reached up once again, grabbed yet another paper from that plate of armor on her chest.

This one required far less reading.

For it was numbers.

...many... many... many numbers.

>BALONEY! How do ya' possibly figure yer' worth half this!? Ah' wouldn't give ya' a ham sandwhich fer' yer' stupid hide and ya' think goin' at it is worth all o' this!? How do ya' figure!?

"Math, and history."

>...WHAT!?

The Titan smirked, her fangs showing quite brilliantly in the light.

"The absolute lowest amount paid out in compensation for an unintentional, potentially deadly injury inflicted by the Captain of the Guard to a civilian, multiplied by the number of soliders who participated in the act. In reality, I'm undercutting it quite a bit... but the next settlement up would have been cruel, even for me."

Without a single second past, one of the ledgers from behind Applejack magicked to life, flying over the orange mares shoulder and into the grasp of yellow, waiting hooves.

Flip flip flip went the pages, eyes scanning with insane speeds, before finally closing not two minutes later.

Her eyes rolled slightly up as neurons fired, thoughts filling her brain, before that too came to an end, and she had only one thing to say.

[...Shit...]

Applejack's heart sank like a block of iron in the sea.

While Chitania's smile? Practically soared.

>...Ah' don't think that's how it's supposed to work... Ya' can't just multiply it like that. It's just one case...

"I can bring up individual cases against all involved, if that makes you feel better. I was merely trying to cut down on the paperwork. Would that make you feel better? I'll lose a bit more in legal fees, but any one of those easily covers every single one of those combined, with some left over."

So much for that.

Very rarely did she find herself cursing the generosity of others, but...

>Damn it, Tia, why ya' gotta pay out so much ta' accidents...

This was very much one of those times.

>...We can't afford this right now. Shoot, don't know if we could afford it if we had a huge surplus, ain't no chance with the deficit thanks ta' repairin' the city as much as we have this year.

"I don't see how that's my problem. My problem was walking around, minding my own business after keeping my nose clean for who knows how long, and being shot quite violently in the face. I kept up my end of our deal, Pony, keep yours, and treat me as you would any other."

>...But ya' ain't any other, are ya'?

"Is that to say I will not be treated this way any longer? Because I kept my behavior steady under a very specific set of promises, if those promises are void then mine are as well. If you think the deficit is bad now...

In seconds, Dash was on her hooves.

'TRY IT! I DARE YOU! You think that last Rainboom was bad? Wait till you see me when I actually try!'

>Dash, calm down.

Orange lips pursed, tongue flickering over her teeth as they grit in her jaw.

>...Lemme guess, you'll drop all charges against us iffin' Ah' just agree ta' that there other paper.

"You guess well, I'd love to play I spy with you sometimes... you seem like you're perceptive enough to get what I really care about.."

The titan drew in, curling her massive neck over the desk, looking down at the unmoving apple loving mare.

"Because I could not give a single fuck about all the bits in the world, it's nothing to me. Money is something that exists for the weak to barter with the strong, not something I personally would ever need. That said, it's quite the incentive when the roads need to be fixed, schools funded, no? Would be a shame to let them all down because of a bit of stubbornness."

Two hoofs hit the desk, and she was upright in a second.

>That ain't the problem and ya'll know it!

"So long as I get what I want, none need to be harmed in any way."

>Yeah, well, Ah' don't trust you!

"Too bad."

She growled and gnashed, but there was nothing to be done.

[...Interesting...]

The titan's attention cut back, glaring at the one who had piped up.

[This number is only for the guards, no litigation against the changelings. Why?]

Sunset, internally, was quite hopeful. If she could just admit to backing off because they were changelings or because of personal feelings with 13, then they could build a case to severely reduce-

"I was under the impression the Changelings were led into an area and attacked by the guard as well. As far as I know, it was also the pony captain that directed the blast at me, no? My legal case against them would be infinitely harder to pull off, and I'm not sure it's justified. The Wonderbolts and Guards are an organization, the changelings are merely refugees. In the interest of avoiding a long drawn out case, I would like to pursue those I feel were directly responsible, rather than civilians who were caught up like I was... unless, of course, you all feel this action was deliberate, in which case I can expect to see those changelings lead away in chains soon no?"

Damn.

>...let me consider it.

"I'm on a very small timetable, pony."

>Let me fricken consider it!

"...very well."

She seemed content with this, already moving away to the door. Soon, she would be gone.

But not before she took one last pause, and looked back to, strangely, the yellow unicorn.

"...For the record, I have not forgotten what you did, and while it seems I personally cannot call any legal action to you due to being controlled... justice is more than just papers, pony, and the one reason that I have not taken my vengeance is because, against it all, you gave me back my daughter... that's something that is worth a million holes to the chest."

[Not supposing it's enough to drop all charges?]

"...no..."

She shrugged.

[Can't blame me for hoping.]

"I can think you very stupid for it."

[...point.]

Content, she gave only one last look to the princess before she began to leave.

"Be quick in your choices, pony. I am not known for my patience."

>Ya' know ya' deserve way worse than ya' got, right? Iffin' the world was really fair, ya'd have ta' pay fer' the whole city ya' wrecked, all of them.

Slowly, she smiled.

"...Maybe I will, someday... but not this day."

She said no more, and was gone.

'.....soooooo-'

WHUMP went a blond mane to the desk, and whump whump whump again it went.

Groaning, she lifted her head up, and turned to Dash.

>...It ain't gonna be fun.

[...Is it a sex thing?]

>Wha-NO!

[Oh, phew, then it's not that bad.]

>...
'...'

[...what?]

>...Just... Dash? Tell Twilight Ah' need ta' talk ta' her... we might be needin' her soon.

'Isn't the alternative bankrupting us?'

[Or raising taxes to an... uh... politically unfavorable level to put it mildly.

>...still considerin' it...

Always something to fix, she swore.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.
Once he was a small drake a dragon friend to all
Then came the day his greed took sway and brought about his fall. oh

Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.
Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.

He grew into a giant and roared out to the skies,
His fearsome call his friends did all come to realize.
Their young friend was gone now from whence he’ll ne’er return
And with a breath, his childhood home, he did set to burn. Oh

Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.
Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.
Though they tried to stop him their efforts all were vain.
And when at last his mind came back, none of them remained.
He cried forth a river but it was all for naught
For in his claws, those he loved best, had to a one been caught.

Now he waits with patience on the borders of the land.
And those who seek, havoc to wreak, he squashes all they planned.
Yet he’ll live forever in a prison all his own,
For misery and loneliness are now his only home. oh

Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.
Spike the magic dragon lives all alone,
For he has done so many things for which he cannot atone.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Chrysalis
~~

>Hello, beautiful.

Stopping by the Empire to check up on the reconstruction of the stadium had been the best choice she had ever made. Not because she was focused on that, of course, no, that was just one part of what was making her so happy. For that would be completed in three days, they promised. Three more days, that's all she needed, then her changelings could return to the land of love, where they would be at their strongest. With that checked up on, there was only one thing else to look up on.

>You are the game changed I've needed.

A green glow reflected in her fangs and she leaned over the sealed orb, still woven in that web of magic to prevent her from being so much as licked by the contained magic within. Not so much as a single point of magical power held any hope of coming near her, for nothing less was satisfactory. It was a beauty, she had to admit. Her finest creation.

>The Hivemind... the greatest secrets of the changeling races, the most powerful spells and techniques to have ever been known, the ultimate culmination of our races mind... and then....

Her fangs seemed to grow as she circled the thing, hungry like a shark to chum.

>There is the chance I can use you to extract their essences, and create... queens. Queens so grand under MY command! The last changeling Queen no more, I shall command a nation of them instead of a mere hive! They depend on me, revere me, obey me... with this, my ranks would be refilled, my race thriving once more. Six queens, that is all I would need. Merely six and my race would be enough to be stable, and strong... and they would all obey ME.

She pressed up against the barrier, eyes going wide.

>...You know, I'm sure if anyone saw me, they'd think you were somehow influencing me, making me crazy... I wonder...

Her breath fogged before her, and her eyes went even wider.

>...What would they think if they knew... it was all me?

Within, the orb just hummed away.

The Queen outside beyond it's reach.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________