Emperor Despair

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

I Promise

"Hey Comet." Was all that Screw Ball was able to get out before Comet Dust jumped on her. She was forced to stand on her hind legs in order to avoid being thrown to the floor. He wrapped both of his forelegs around her, and held he as tight as he could. Afraid that if he let her go she'd vanish like the morning dew, or smoke in the wind.

"Screw Ball." He cried unashamedly in the embrace which the spiral eyed filly now returned.

"That's my name don't wear it out." She patted him on the back trying to calm him down.

"Screw Ball," he hiccupped.

"No seriously don't wear it out silly willy, the warranty just expired."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay I'm going to get it renewed first thing tomorrow morning." She pulled back and smiled the colt.

"What." He looked at her in confusion. "No not that I, I'm sorry I let you get turned into stone. I'm sorry I couldn't stop it." She pulled him close again as he started shaking.

"It's alright," she said wishing she could sound more convincing. "You're doing everything you can to save me and the others. You are doing everything you can aren't you?"

"I've spent every second for the past two weeks reading those books trying to figure them out." She frowned and ended the hug with a resounding pop on his head. "Ow, Screw Ball what was that for?" he asked rubbing his crown.

"For being stupid you big dummy." She glared at him for a moment before it softened and she pulled him back into another hug. "You can't help me if you work yourself to death can you? Don't do that ever again." She looked him in the eyes being sure that she had his attention. "EVER. AGAIN. Understand." He nodded. "Good." She smiled and taking his hoof led him up to a door that suddenly sprang into existence on the far wall.

"Screw Ball, where are we?" Comet asked as the two of them walked through the door into what looked like a normal pony home. If sofas were normally used in place of kitchen chairs and inn tables were normally hung from the walls, like family pictures.

"I really don't know where we are or even how I'm here, but to be honest, it's not my first time. I'm just glad that my chaos magic works here this time. I mean could you imagine a world without chocolate milk rain and cotton candy clouds?" She plopped down on a bed that appeared out of no where. and an arm chair came up under the floor and provided Comet a place to sit down. "It's a pocket dimension of some kind, and the books are connected to it in some way or another."

"That's the simple way of putting it I suppose." A large elderly white male alicorn with a flowing ruby mane and sun cutie mark walked into the room with a glass of chocolate milk floating in his magic up to his lips. "This is really good what kind of milk is it again?" He asked after swigging down the whole glass in one go leaving a chocolate milk mustache on his upper lip.

"Chocolate."

"Ah yes it truly is much better than cow's milk. Oh hello where are my manners? It seems we have a new guest." The elderly stallion smiled at Comet Dust and nodded his head. Comet bowed down to the alicorn out of instinct. "No need for formality my boy. I am Solaris. What are you called?"

"I'm Comet Dust Sire." he answered looking up at the great alicorn.

"Ah your the unicorn colt that miss Screw Ball wishes to court, I certainly approve." Screw Ball's eyes went wide at the same time as Comet's face went red. "He had fine loins miss Screw Ball and you good birthing hips the two of you shall have a good big family I'm sure."

"Grandpa not okay. Definitely certainly not OKAY!" Screwball's and Comet's faces were glowing as red as the alicorn's flowing mane. Comet just made noises completely dumbstruck by the comment.

"Grandpa?" Was the first thing he could ask while he tried to glue his brain back together, and not glow redder with each look at Screw Ball and her 'good birthing hips'.

"I insisted on the title. As I insist now that you keep you thoughts pure as a proper suitor should when courting such a fine lady."

"Grandpa."

"Sorry sire. I'm trying sire," Comet answered.

"It is quite alright I too was young once, and spent many an hour dreaming about preforming the most beautiful dance of spring with a good many a pretty maiden and lady of my kingdom." The colt's and filly's faces both grew redder as the old alicorn continued on.

"Make it stop make it stop." Screw Ball covered her ears and begged for the old alicorn to stop recounting his more youthful years. The colt merely looked on dumbly as what was left of his innocence slowly faded away.

"O dear it seems that my regaling of the tales of my youth have not helped you to slow the desires of your own youthful passions." He looked between the two of them. "Though really I'm surprised that you have been so cruel as to make miss Screw Ball wait. She is already at an age of fourteen to make her wait so long I'd first thought she was sworn to celibacy."

"Grandpa stop it you aren't helping not one bit." Screw Ball recovered quickly from the shock of what had happened her chaotic nature being more than partially responsible. Comet Dust however didn't rebound from the shock of what was going on until a few minutes had passed. "I'm sorry about that, Grandpa is from another time clearly." Screw Ball shuffled her hooves around in front of her. "I wish we had more time."

"Wait what? Are you going some where?"

"No you are though. It's been eight hours. The books charms will wear off soon."

"What no. I. I want to be with you."

"You will every time you work on the books you'll come here in your dreams."

"I'll spend every night with you then." A moment later his face glowed red, and a blush returned to Screw Ball's cheeks as well. "And soon we'll have the days again too."

"Just promise me that you won't get hurt until then."

"I promise."