Books and Covers

by KnightMysterio

Books and Covers

Books and Covers
by Jonathan “KnightMysterio” Spires

All characters not original copyrighted to their original owners. If you like my work, please support me on Patreon!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Everfree...
A lonely hut...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Two figures stood in the room. One was colorful, a brightly colored pink and red pony with an insectile appearance. Her wings were butterfly-like, her tail oddly looking like an insect wing as well. Her eyes were glittering blue, and there were white crystals in her neck. A nervous smile was on her face.

The other figure in the room was another insectlike pony. His carapace was black and dark green, his eyes dark green as well. His green wings were ragged-looking but functional, and he had rot holes in his legs. He stared at the colorful female with a mix of anger and pity.

“So...” the female said. “Kevin, right? It's nice to see that you picked a name.”

“Hnh,” Kevin said, still staring at her. “My friend Matilda gave it to me. It's a donkey name. And it's better than yours, Ladybug. Rather redundant, wouldn't you say?”

The female giggled. “I suppose... With Chrysalis no longer in the picture, we can actually HAVE names without them being insults.” She smiled. “It feels good, no longer being a number.”

Kevin sighed, managing to smile. “I'm... I'm honestly happy for you, Ladybug. As much as I'm able to be, anyway. But I'm not interested.”

Ladybug frowned. “Kevin, please... The constant starvation is OVER! In these forms, we can actually feel positive emotions, generate love ourselves! We don't have to hunt!”

Kevin shook his head. “No, Ladybug,” he said.

Ladybug frowned. “Why, though? Don't tell me you're still loyal to HER...”

Kevin actually laughed. “Don't be stupid, child. I didn't run away from the Hive because I was loyal to that overblown psychopath,” he said. “No. I am not loyal to Chrysalis. But I will not go along with that young pup Thorax's vision for us.”

“Why?” Ladybug said.

Kevin sighed sadly. “Because while we've changed, the ponies haven't...” he said.

Ladybug frowned. “I don't understand...”

Kevin shook his head. “You wouldn't,” he said. “You're all hopped up on new emotions, new feelings, and the fact that ponies don't think we're all monsters anymore.” He sighed again. “I, on the other hoof, have seen what ponies are really like. Thorax's brave new world... isn't really that new.”

“Kevin...” Ladybug said sadly. “Don't you want to come out of the darkness?”

Kevin shrugged. “I'm fine,” he said. “Cranky, Matilda and I have an arrangement.”

“But they don't live with you,” Ladybug said. “You're alone so much...” She walked over and nuzzled him, giving him some love energy. Kevin felt refreshed by it, but didn't let her do it for long, pushing her away. “Please...” Ladybug said. “Join us. You don't have to be like this anymore.”

Kevin just shook his head. “I'm fine,” he said.

“Don't you want to be unique?” Ladybug asked.

Kevin turned to her, staring at her incredulously. And then he began to laugh. An unsettling, half-mad laugh. “Silly, silly little grub! In case you haven't noticed, I AM UNIQUE! The last of my kind!”

Ladybug's ears folded back, the changeling wincing. “You're half-formed...”

“Says who?” Kevin said, sneering. “I breathe, I eat, I drink, I sleep... I think, therefore I am. Sounds pretty formed to me.”

Ladybug shook her head. “That's not what I meant, I...”

“And on top of that,” Kevin continued, pacing back and forth, “some of the color schemes for us are just SO DAMN UGLY! What the hell is up with those tails? And, I mean, you're fairly symmetrical, but so many of the others look like a crayon box puked! Blah!” He shook his head, smirking. “As for me, well... Rarity could easily tell you that basic black works with everything.” He strutted a little.

Ladybug frowned. “Kevin...”

Kevin glared at her. “You ever hear the pony phrase 'never judge a book by it's cover?'”

Ladybug nodded.

Kevin sneered. “Noble, right? Love and tolerate. Total horseapples,” he said. “Changelings could be EXACTLY the same as you and the others are now. But if everyling all still looked like me, then we'd still be having to hide in the forests, hunting and scrabbling for just the slightest hint of affection!”

“Not all ponies are like that!” Ladybug protested.

Kevin sighed. “No. I'll concede that,” he said. “But most of them are. You haven't lived among them for long. I have. I know how petty, how petulant they are towards anything that doesn't look nice, or looks like it's going to eat them... You? You're pretty. Bright and cheery colors. You're feeling happy and friendly and wanting to share it around. Of course ponies will like you.”

Ladybug frowned. “I... I can't believe that,” she said. “I was one of the ones who replaced the Element bearers! They forgave me!”

Kevin sighed. “They're heroes. Heroes tend to be the best of their kind, and as such are one of the only types of ponies who actually will love and tolerate. And Ponyville's a weirdness magnet, so they're used to the new and bizarre.” He chuckled. “For Faust's sake, they have the Madness Bringer himself, freaking Discord, as a regular visitor.” He shook his head. “Ponyville and its ponies are the exception. Not the rule.”

Ladybug looked uncertain. “Thorax... he befriended the ponies while still looking like you...”

“He befriended a dragon,” Kevin said.

“A dragon with pony values!” Ladybug countered.

“Pony values, but dragon instincts! I've seen Spike, and he's just as treasure hungry as any other dragon! The only difference is that he values friends as his treasures instead of shiny rocks,” Kevin said, shaking his head. “They didn't give Thorax a chance until Spike said they should and an alicorn backed him up. If the Princess of Friendship hadn't backed Spike's play, do you HONESTLY think that Shining Armor, who's mind was violated by Chrysalis, and Princess Cadenza, who had her life stolen by Chrysalis, would have let Thorax go free?!”

Ladybug didn't have an answer.

The elder changeling sighed. “Talk to Zecora,” Kevin said. “Ask her how she was treated before befriending Twilight and the others. Talk to Bulk Biceps. Ask him about how others see him. Talk to that delivery pony that's obsessed with muffins. Ask her how often people mistake her for being mentally retarded.”

Ladybug shivered. “I... I don't know what to think anymore...”

Kevin sighed. He lay down, suddenly looking very, very tired. “I won't begrudge you lot this new beginning. And I honestly hope that this works out, that changelings can truly integrate with pony society. Treasure your friendships. Treasure your new feelings.” He glared at her. “But just don't expect me to join in. I won't change just because others don't trust me because of how I look. I know what I am. I LIKE who I am. And I won't change to conform to what others think is good.”

Ladybug stared at Kevin. Her mind was awash with confusion. Her emotions were whirling, and she didn't know what to say to him. And after a few moments thought... she sighed.

“I can't convince you to join us, can I?” she said softly.

Kevin shook his head. “No. Send my apologies to King Thorax,” he said.

Ladybug went over to Kevin and hugged him. “Goodbye, Kevin,” she said.

“Take care of yourself, Ladybug,” Kevin said, hugging her back. “Be hopeful, but never forget – the ponies didn't start accepting you all until you became pretty.”

Ladybug shivered softly, and left him, flying away.

Kevin sighed wearily, and began to pray. “Please... Please let her never see the world as I see it...”

THE END

Comments

[SomeDudeYouMightLike]

Heh its like my sexuality its in the books and covers...
If ya know what I mean

[SomeRandomMinion]

Kevin gave Ladybug quite the reality check...

[The Great Derpsby]

Kevin's an idiot.

He gives Zecora as an example when the ponies were a) more afraid of where she lived and b) ended up befriending her anyway. He says the ponies only accepted the Changelings when they were pretty, which is not true; then he says Thorax had to befriend a dragon first, but you know what? That same dragon was raised by ponies. He's only that friendly because of the ponies. He has the gall to say Spike only cares for his friends because he doesn't have a hoard. The things with Bulk and Derpy, I don't know what he's even going on about. Bulk flew for Ponyville at the Equestria Games, for crying out loud. They had Derpy replace Rainbow Dash when they thought she couldn't fly. Ooh, look how they're hated!

Kevin is a cynical, self-absorbed idiot who would rather wallow in petty grudges than grow up.

[Raugos]

Kevin does raise a couple of interesting points, but I think that this story would've benefited greatly from exploring those ideas with actual scenes. As it stands, it feels like it's more interested in making a political statement about the new changelings and crushing Ladybug's worldview than fleshing out a story about how ponies aren't as inclusive and caring as they seem.

Rather than seeing the underlying prejudice for ourselves, we're kind of expected to simply take Kevin's word for it.

It's a verbal smackdown thinly disguised as a story, and although there's certainly a time and place for things like that, this one doesn't have quite enough zing or burn for me to find it enjoyable. Ladybug's too shallow to hate, and Kevin's not likeable enough to root for.

[KnightMysterio]

8047430 Admittedly I was reaching when I mentioned them. I needed someone likely to be targeted for 'differences,' and went for ponies I've seen targeted in darkfics before. And while I don't agree with this version of Kevin's worldview at all, I did have him admit that Ponyville was different from the majority of ponies he's encountered in his life.

I was working within a word limit when creating this, so I couldn't fully develop it, but I sort of envision this version of Kevin as being similar to Mercer from G.I. Joe.

8047461 This was a drabble commission. Just a thousand or so words. *shrugs* I could probably expand it, but the buyer set the limit. I do as requested when working off of a purchased story.

[Raistlin]

8047461

Agreed. The story would have been better if Kevin, for example, had showed how donkeys or mules are treated outside Ponyville ( "be cool or be mule....no offense"), simply because they look less pretty than ponies.

[Raugos]

8047489

I could probably expand it, but the buyer set the limit. I do as requested when working off of a purchased story.

Fair enough.

[FanOfMostEverything]

That last line rings hollow after Kevin sprayed his worldview at Ladybug with a riot hose. Also, how exactly did he know about the circumstances of Thorax's acceptance?

This is definitely an interesting piece, but it does seem like Ladybug has a few pieces of straw sticking out of her.

[KnightMysterio]

8047642 I may reuse the two in another story. The more I look at this story the less I'm happy with it.

[SwarmLordAbdonis]

Great story :) Any chance of a sequel in the future possibly...?

[Magic Man]

Kevin sighed.  “No.  I'll concede that,” he said.  “But most of them are.  You haven't lived among them for long.  I have.  I know how petty, how petulant they are towards anything that doesn't look nice, or looks like it's going to eat them... You?  You're pretty.  Bright and cheery colors.  You're feeling happy and friendly and wanting to share it around.  Of course ponies will like you.”  

Wow, it's almost as if he's mad at ponies for basically acting like people!

Yes, just like us mean, awful humans, ponies can be very prejudice at times. They can be judgemental because of appearance or where somepony is from. But also just like humans, they have the ability to learn to look past these prejudices with time, controlled exposure and education, even though there will always be some that never will. That sadly cannot be helped.* An exact parallel can be made with the changelings and their development of their worldview. Ponies, changelings and human beings are all flawed.

Hell, one of the only real differences between ponies and us when it comes to fear, prejudice and xenophobia, contrary to popular fandom belief, ponies don't form angry mobs and kill the supposed threat, they spin on their heels, run away and hide, waiting for it to go away.

I'd love to ask Kevin something, since he's so enlightened: are we to understand that there are no dragons who mock ponies for their non-macho and non-warrior culture, calling their leaders "namby pamby" and ultimately deriding them for what they are and not who they are? Or better yet, are there really NO changelings out there, namely certain royalty, who have and still view ponies as nothing more then food, mere cattle who only deserve exist under the Changeling supremacy and fill the latter's bellies with their love?

Don't hurt yourself climbing off that high horse of yours, Kev.

... Yeah yeah, I realized as soon as I typed it.

(Ps, I promise that this is by no means an attack on the author, but rather the character Kevin and his tiresome world-view and hypocrisy.)

*But even then, it should be pointed out, whilst appearances may play a part in it, those ponies' distrust is mostly going to come down to the changelings' past atrocities against them, ie, state-sponsored invasions of their cities, kidnapping and draining ponies' love without consent.

[Wroth]

8047971 The funny thing is he outright insults her and the others looks anyways. Being rather hypocritical in that regard.

“And on top of that,” Kevin continued, pacing back and forth, “some of the color schemes for us are just SO DAMN UGLY! What the hell is up with those tails? And, I mean, you're fairly symmetrical, but so many of the others look like a crayon box puked!

[Alex Warlorn]

8048984

Sorry.