Queen Rarity

by Damaged

Chapter 15

4:33 A.M.

I wasn't sure what had stirred me. I was curled up with Rainbow behind me and her arm around my shoulder. Just feeling her against me—all of her—made me feel good.

Then I realized what woke me.

An aching feeling pushed down from my hip to my feet. It wasn't actual pain, but it felt strange. Each night I'd changed, I'd been well asleep at this time. The feeling was distinctly coming from my legs, however, with only minor tingles elsewhere.

To take my mind off it, I used the VPN to link to the server, then closed my eyes and escaped the particulars of my body turning into a changeling for the digital world where my brain could simply focus on what is and what isn't—1 and 0.

—Awake early?— NotABug sent directly.

I chirped softly to her, keeping our interaction purely digital.

—Yeah. I think my legs are changing. They feel strange, and keep on doing, well, that,— I sent NotABug when the next rolling ache came.

—Oof. What are you working on?—

I invited her into my session, and showed her the code.

—My sword, darling. I want a way to deal with Windigo that means I don't have to get too close, and this will let me attack the systems they're running on.—

—This is amazing. Rarity, how did you make code this… this pretty?—

It was a compliment I was more than happy to receive, particularly from NotABug. I looked over what I was working on, and with the color filters it was not just easier to identify, but it was beautiful.

—Thank you, darling. It means a lot hearing that from you.—

I know my chirping grew louder, but I couldn't help it.

—I still need to find actual weapons to use, though I might be able to get some, ahem, friends to help on that,— I sent NotABug.

—What do you mean?—

—Well, this code takes modules that contain the exploit code, and other offensive things like payloads and such. There are other such toolkits out there, but they are not easy to get, and I don't think they'll be suitable for this. I guess I could make my code support their attack tools.—

—So how do we make those?—

—That's where I need a lot of computers, and some more servers. I need to push computers until I break them, and then find out how I broke them, and… It's really complicated.—

—I'm not really good with that stuff. You've seen what I do, it's mostly just guessing passwords and using tools already made.—

NotABug made some embarrassed chirps that only got her more hugs from me.

—Darling, you create wonderful code that runs extremely fast. You can't be great at everything,— I sent NotABug.

I held her and chirped with her for a full hour. I let myself drift back to sleep, companionship vanquishing my worry about changing and the strange sensation of feeling said changes.

7:30 A.M.

My alarm went off, causing me to chirp in discomfort, but I was acutely aware that I was standing upright, and that I wasn't in control of my body. I didn't ask a question, merely chirped curiously.

—I couldn't get back to sleep. I figured we could stand to have some more security, so I installed more of those cameras. It also let me test my remote chat code,— NotABug sent.

Opening the chat wider, I explored our nearby environment and found several motion sensors and cameras chirpily reply that they were present. I looked around my house, having a full range of vision on every external part, the living room, kitchen, and my hat room.

And, of course, I could see NotABug. She was stretching up to fit a movement sensor at the corner of my house. Wearing a pair of shorts and a shirt, she showed off not just her snout, horn, and tail, but her wings peeked out the bottom of the shirt at the back, and she had hooves—we had hooves.

I have hooves.

My knees had stretched up my legs, and my ankle had too. They looked about halfway between human and equine.

—Well, there goes any hope of wearing pumps ever again,— I sent.

—It takes a little getting used to, but walking on them is fine.—

—We need to start getting ready for work. I can't believe we have another day of this on Friday.—

—But then you'll be free of Polomare, Rarity.—

NotABug chirped along with me at the wonderful idea. Free to be who I am inside and free to do what I want—which is to help others show who they are. My positivity was overflowing, causing my mood to shoot through the roof.

I might have a snout, a horn that seems determined to rid the world of pillows, wings, a tail, and now hooves, but I was still Rarity, and I had friends and family around me who I love.

Love.

That was a four-letter word that had become the center of my life. I loved NotABug, there was no doubt about that. I was reasonably sure I loved Rainbow Dash, though more testing was required. And as for Byte—I'd never loved anyone as much as I loved her. And, despite all the love welling up around me, I ate it, too.

Love was everything and something I could express in my work.

My musings led me back to having to go to Polomare Fashion again. There was no point going there unless I had to, and my best bet for finding out if I had to was to call Coco again.

Coco's phone rang out and went to message bank. I pondered the odd situation that complaining about talking to "a machine" would be now.

"Hello, Coco, it's Rarity. Double checking if I have to work today. Thank you."

—I left a message with Coco asking if I was required today. I hope she gets back to me,— I sent.

—You mean you hope she tells you to take the rest of the week off?— NotABug sent.

—Well, yes. That would be a gift I would cherish forever.—

—What time is it?— Rainbow Dash sent.

It was a stark reminder that others were in our conversation area. I sent a little, chirpy greeting to Rainbow, and made a conscious effort to slow things down. Then I realized something—she'd typed that neatly and used punctuation!

—7:41 A.M.— I sent. —And do you have any idea how much I love seeing you write that clearly?—

—Wait, really? Good grammar gets your engine going?— Rainbow Dash sent.

—Momma doesn't have an engine,— Byte sent.

I let out a burst of giggling chirps in my head, even letting out a message with it, which resulted in the cutest animated emoji I've ever seen.

Almost two minutes passed before a message came through.

—Oh! Okay!— Byte sent.

—We need microphones set up too, dear,— I sent.

—Rainbow said not to say what she said,— Byte sent.

—I also said not 2 say that!— Rainbow Dash sent.

—She's slipping. Maybe we need an intervention,— NotABug sent.

NotABug was climbing down the ladder after finishing the last of the movement sensors. There was a certain amount of comfort in not having to move. I could still talk and I could still do things—leaving NotABug in control of my body was certainly not a prison sentence.

She put the ladder in the garage, then entered the house. The sound of the main shower told me why Rainbow Dash hadn't responded to NotABug's comment.

The phone rang, surprising me from the relaxed pace of the morning. It was Coco.

—I got it,— I sent.

"Coco?" I asked.

"Rarity. I'm glad I caught you before work. Suri has been—You probably need to see it for yourself. She's off the rails, but her father still won't do anything. She tried to claim you owed us another week after this, but I managed to quash that myself."

"Thank you. I'm really not looking forward to this. Two days isn't much, considering how much I've put up with from her already," I said.

"You know, practically everyone thinks Suri did it. Wrecked the office. I don't know how she threw things around like that, but—" Coco Pommel said.

"But?" I asked.

"You and your friends were the ones who beat those monsters at the local high school, right?"

I made a slightly-more-than-non-committal noise.

"I think there's m-magic going on."

Coco already had my attention, now she had it one hundred percent.

"No one will talk about it," Coco Pommel said, "But everyone is thinking it."

The mood needed lightening. Coco had done her due diligence and warned me, now I had to be the big hero and show her I understood, and that it would all be okay. Sometimes I wish someone else could be the magical high school hero, but then I remembered that would make me less fabulous.

"I'll be there soon to take a look. Do you think I should go with extra cosplay today? Maybe see if I can lure her into doing something completely silly?"

"Be careful, Rarity. I have a bad feeling about her."

"Thank you for the warning. If things go that way, I'll call some friends in and deal with it. I promise."

I could hear Coco's little sigh of relief. That a woman in her position would feel that much worry was a concern.

"I'll do what I can to help, Rarity, but I—I've begun looking for a new employer as well. Please don't tell anyone that."

She sounded worried, and I couldn't blame her.

"Your secret is safe with me, Coco. I'll see you today sometime, then?"

"Hopefully."

She hung up.

With a sigh, I went over what had happened in the call. Suri probably did the break-in, she's gone to some new level of crazy, and she tried to get me to stay for another week. Oh yes, today was going to be fun. Even in my head that had critical levels of sarcasm.

—The soulful chirping means you have to work?— NotABug asked.

—As good as things have been going, yes. I have to work today. Apparently Suri has gone a little crazy. Coco thinks she might be getting twisted by magic or something,— I sent.

NotABug had been walking down the hall as I spoke to Coco, and when she reached our room she stripped off the shorts and shirt. I decided to let her dress as she wanted—I trusted NotABug's taste.

—I guess I should send a warning to Sunset about that,— I sent.

—She doesn't have the app yet. You could probably link that to her, too.—

—Am I coming with you today?— Byte asked.

—You could if you want, but we'll mostly be spending our time on the server, anyway,— I sent.

—Do you guys have any idea how annoying it is when you chat so fast? Ugh, my thumbs are sore,— Rainbow Dash sent.

Rainbow Dash walked into our bedroom carrying Byte. She wore a simple blue bathrobe, accented of course with our daughter riding her shoulder.

Upon seeing NotABug, Byte jumped forward and buzzed her little wings for all she was worth—which wasn't much still.

NotABug caught Byte, twirled around and pulled her up for a hug. I felt a small trickle of love flow into Byte as she fed from us.

"Got you," NotABug said.

"I'm not kidding. You guys write so fast. How does Rarity even keep up with it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

—With style, darling,— I sent.

Rainbow had to look down at her phone to see my reply, then she groaned and stepped forward to put her arms around NotABug. I felt even safer than usual. Being wrapped in a hug was the best. I know I chirped happily, and I could hear NotABug chirping out loud as well.

Resting her head on Rainbow's shoulder, NotABug let out a happy sigh and nudged me.

—Now?— I asked.

—Yes. Being in the real world tires me. I need to restock my funds, anyway,— NotABug sent.

I let her push take me, turning my inside out. I squeezed Rainbow Dash a little tighter, and kissed her jaw.

"Hey, Rarity. NotABug get tired?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes, dear. And she wants to top up her money. I certainly don't mind her being in control—it's quite relaxing, actually. I can spend time programming, designing dresses, or even chatting," I said.

"Well, I'm just glad I got to hug both of you," Rainbow Dash said. "So, you really do like it when I write properly like that, huh?"

I kissed Rainbow Dash's neck (all I could easily reach at the moment without impaling her on my horn) and nuzzled against her throat. Snouts were really good for nuzzling, I'd found.

"That answers that. Hey, Byte, how about you hang with me today?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Excited chirping came from the bundle of changeling filly climbing up my left arm.

"Can I? That'd be awesome!" Byte said.

"On one condition," I said, waiting for Byte to nod before continuing. "You don't drink from anyone but Rainbow, unless Rainbow says."

Byte's eyes flew wide and she nodded.

"Perfect. Now I have to get ready for work," I said.

"Nope. You can't," Rainbow Dash said. "Because I'm not letting go until you give me a proper kiss."

I tilted my head up and back, and Rainbow tilted hers down. Our lips met, and I melted against her. Nothing could have broken the moment as surely, as Byte climbing up my shoulders and onto my head, then using my horn to swing across to Rainbow's shoulder.

Despite both Rainbow and I laughing, we tried to stubbornly keep the kiss going a little longer. Finally sated, we broke apart.

"Alright. But that only gets you off the hook until tonight," Rainbow Dash said.

"I'll look forward to it," I said.

I gave Rainbow the most come hither of glances I could, turned, and walked back to my bedroom. My choice for attire was limited by my size, but it also freed me a little. If I was going to adjust anything, I'd need to do it quickly, and it didn't matter if I actually damaged it in the process.

There was a total of three business suits I owned. Two of them had pants and one had a skirt, but truthfully any of them could work with a skirt. Selecting the skirt suit and one of the pants ones, I walked back to my sewing room.

"Finesse, couture, and speed. Come on, Rarity, you've got what it takes to do this," I said.

I took ten seconds—linked to the server—to redesign what I held in my hands to something that would fit me.

Looking at my sewing desk, I let my magic flow into my horn. Power orders of magnitudes more than I formerly possessed poured through me. The raw flow of energy was almost as hypnotic and alluring as a fine dress.

Picking up seam ripper, pins, and the first jacket, I set to work. The little seam ripper made short work of the threads binding the shoulders to the jacket and soon completed cutting the rest of the seams that held the body of the piece together. I reached for scissors next and transplanted the pattern I'd been working onto the fabric—by cutting.

8:10 A.M.

Working fast while I cut, I also began pinning pieces together. Anyone watching would have made the claim I was doing three things at once, but I was actually doing three things a little at a time in very small increments.

8:15 A.M.

I transferred each piece to the sewing machine, still snipping and pinning others, and began to assemble the jacket. It took me just five more minutes to have the jacket sewn together and completed.

Pulling the jacket on, I couldn't help but smile. Perfect fit.

With magic still thrumming in my horn, I headed back to my bedroom and raided my teenage collection for a dress and shirt to match the jacket. Getting dressed—wearing another teddy that had mysteriously appeared since the previous day—I checked the makeup NotABug had already applied and found it more than serviceable after a little more lipstick.

Shoes were completely impossible now, so I called myself ready and walked down the hall. I walked past Rainbow Dash—who was on her phone talking to someone—and kissed our daughter goodbye.

—You have a great day, Byte,— I sent. —And you too, Rainbow.—

Rainbow wouldn't get to see the message until her call was over, but I shot her a smile and a wink before I left the house.

—Darling, is there some way you can let Rainbow access these cameras and sensors?— I asked NotABug.

Some surprised chirping returned before I got a digital squeeze.

—She already can. I'll show her how when she's done with her call. I'm going to avoid the network at work. There's no telling if the police or Polomare have installed something that might log my presence,— NotABug sent back.

I climbed into my car and woke its systems up. Driving to work was a surreal experience. I'd driven this way so many times before it felt both natural and completely bizarre. I ignored my usual parking garage and opted for a more expensive all-day parking lot down the street. I paid with card, then literally hoofed it to work.

8:35 A.M.

Stepping through the front doors, I sent a text to Coco.

—Just got here, darling. Time to face the dragon.—

And as I sent the text, I remembered I was going to contact my friends.

—Someone at work warned me that my boss is showing supernatural tendencies. I'm about to go meet them and find out. Just letting you know, darlings, in case things go terribly wrong. Suri Polomare is the one I'm meeting,— I sent to Sunset and Twilight.

I took the lift up to the floor where I worked and turned into the hallway leading to our group of cubicles. The time clock was my first port of call. For some reason I expected it to reject my credentials, but it logged me in just fine.

So far I hadn't had to deal with anyone up close, so the fact I now had a snout (still a better word than muzzle) hadn't come up, but it was about to. I walked into what had been a cube farm, only to find all the dividers were gone. People's desks were just pressed together, and everyone had to stare at everyone else. No privacy at all.

"Like, there you are, Rarity. You're early, which is acceptable, alright?" Suri Polomare said from right behind me.

I hadn't seen her approach, nor had I heard her move, but a sudden chill ran down my spine as I turned to face Suri. Gone was the casual I don't care about dress codes look—Suri was dressed smartly in a business suit, and she looked like her confidence had risen as a result.

But there was more to Suri. I hadn't seen her since my vision began changing, so I had no idea if the ice-blue aura floating around her was an all-the-time thing, or if it were new. I could tell she was excessively happy about something, but at the same time there was seething anger bubbling just under the surface.

Get a grip, Rarity. Just greet her, sit down somewhere, and pretend to do a day of fascinating work—just like I have for over a year.

"If you'd like me to come in earlier in future, I can certainly do that, Suri. Where do you have me situated today? Things have moved around so much," I said.

"Well, you'd know all about that, or so I hear."

I blinked a few times.

"Pardon me?" I asked.

"Your desk is over here. It's a new one, okay?"

Suri walked to just in front of her (rebuilt) office, and pulled the chair out from a desk that would have me with my back to her office door. What was worse was the blinds in her office were open, and she could stare at my back all day.

"Thank you, Suri. And what will I be working on?"

Sugar, spice, and all things nice. She hadn't remarked about my muzzle yet, or me still having my horn. I wondered what her game was.

"Oh, there's already a pile of work for you to do. The usual, alright?"

It took every bit of both human and buggy courage to turn around and sit down. The changeling side of me was a predator, feeding on other powerful beings by dint of blending in, hiding, and controlling situations.

As I picked up the first pattern, my heart sank. It was the same one as I'd seen last week. She was trying to break me.

"Oh, and Rarity? I love the monstrous look. It suits you," Suri Polomare said.

—Monstrous? But we're not a monster, are we?— NotABug asked directly.

—She's the only monster here, darling. Remember Chef Soba? We will always be us, no matter what we look like,— I sent to NotABug.

—Even if we have pointy teeth and a horn?— NotABug asked with a silly chirp coloring her words.

—Especially if we have pointy teeth, a horn, and a tail.—

We hugged and chirped while I selected the result of the first pattern—again. Looking it over, I had an urge to do silly things again.

"This just wants to be a belt," I said.

And so, trying to shove aside the thought I had a monster behind me, watching my every move, I began my second-last day of corporate protests in the form of belts. Not all my creations were strictly functional—some had two buckles, some were all strap—but they all had beltish qualities.

My assessment of Suri was that there was definitely something magical about her, but I didn't know if it was new or something she'd always had.

12:01 P.M.

Internally, my phone collected a message and alerted me that Coco Pommel had texted me.

—Any plans for lunch, Rarity?—

—None, really,— I sent to Coco.

—Well, why don't we go and get coffee somewhere and talk?—

—Sounds good. Meet you at the main door?—

—Sure.—

I stood up from my seat, gathered my handbag, and turned around.

"Hello, Suri. Just heading out on my lunch break," I said.

Making sure there was no panic in my voice was key. Suri was doing this entirely to mess with me, and the best way to leave her upset (and I'd previously established that Suri being happy was bad) was to show it didn't bother me at all.

She was standing there, looking back at me as if it were perfectly normal behavior.

"Well, make sure you clock off and back on. Management wants us to avoid any mistakes going forward, alright?" Suri Polomare asked.

Suri never used corporate speak. Ever. Something was going on, and I honestly couldn't be bothered finding out what it was enough to even make me want to give a smart reply.

"Okay, Suri. I'll make sure I do," I said.

As I turned around, my phone pinged again. This time it was a message from Sunset.

—That sounds a bit far-fetched, but try to be careful, and if you need help just call.—

—Thanks, Sunset,— I sent back.

I clocked out on the computer, and got in the lift to head downstairs when a thought hit me. Getting off on the second floor, I entered the HR offices and approached their terminal for the time clock system. Logging in, I queried my status.

Employee Rarity last seen five days ago at—

"Excuse me?" I asked at the counter.

—Coco, I may be a little late. The time clock didn't register me today and I'm in HR.—

"How may I help you?" the bored guy behind the counter asked.

At least he had looked bored until he lifted his head to look at me. The man's eyes widened in panic, and I could see his hands start shaking. An aura of something new permeated his emotions, and if I had to put a finger on it, I'd call it fear.

"It appears the time clock for our office is malfunctioning. My name is Rarity, and I should have been signed in all morning."

Normalcy could do wonders for people's panic. He gulped, nodded slowly, and lowered his hands to the keyboard keys. He began typing away on his computer, shaking his head a few times.

12:11 P.M.

"I don't understand what's going wrong. I tried to log in as you, but the system acknowledges your login, then doesn't actually sign you in. I'm going to need authorization from a manager to—" the decidedly less-bored guy said.

"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt," Coco Pommel said. "I can vouch for Rarity as having been here all morning, and can authorize an edit to the time clock."

My savior. Coco had arrived in the nick of time and was here to save me from this odd anomaly. The HR drone turned his screen around for her, and passed the keyboard over.

Coco logged into the time clock as herself, then commanded the system to add a logged-in session for the morning and assign it to me. I was singly impressed by her expertise with just the keyboard as she tabbed around entry fields and completely ignored the mouse.

"There. She should have an authorized session for the morning. If you could please check?" Coco Pommel asked.

"Huh. It worked. I guess there must be something up with her account. I'll forward it to IT to look at," the HR guy said.

A stray thought hit me, a shred of an idea that was absurd. I wanted to immediately discard it, but it fit the evidence, if not my knowledge. Suri Polomare had hacked the network to play the same prank on me that NotABug had played on her, only she had done hers better.

It was a silly idea, completely impossible. I knew Suri's skills with a computer amounted to turning it on and stabbing fingers at the keys randomly until it did what she wanted. Hacking was completely beyond her. Yet, the theory fit the evidence.

"Is that some kind of mask?" Coco Pommel asked.

I smiled to show that it wasn't, but must have flashed a little fang.

"You know how it is when you're dealing with magic a lot," I said.

I'm sure she didn't, but despite that Coco nodded as if it were the most common thing ever. There was still the problem that Suri had been hiding her abilities with computers, learned to hack systems in just three days, or she knew someone who could hack into systems. All three prospects worried me.

"Oh. Definitely," Coco Pommel said.

We turned for the lift and she didn't say a word until we were safely inside.

"Did she do this to you, Rarity?"

"No, dear. I did this to me. Give me a second," I said.

I built an image of myself, my usual white-skinned self with purple hair and normal eyes. This self was as small as I was now, though apart from physical dimensions I left a lot of details out. At the last second I remembered my lack of shoes and left my own lower limbs on. Satisfied with the form, I pushed it onto me and let my magic free.

Power thrummed within me, through me, and then over me. A rush of magical green flame coursed over my body and left behind a young woman who looked a lot like how I looked in high school. Unburdened by horn, wings, or tail, I looked at Coco with a smile.

"Okay. That seems like the most useful magic ever for a fashion designer. How did you do that?" Coco Pommel asked.

"With more magic than sense."

"Speaking of, what is going on with Suri?"

"She definitely has some magic, though if she's using it is another thing entirely. She's full of it. Also, I'm reasonably certain that little problem you just helped me with was her doing."

"It couldn't be. Even with her father's access she'd need to have something running all the time to make those modifications. Are you suggesting that the least computer savvy person I know suddenly worked out how to hack our time clock?"

"I'm saying someone did, and so far she's the only one who has motive," I said as the elevator doors opened. "Your car or mine?"

"Where are you parked?"

"A block away."

"Mine, then. It's in the company parking lot."

I followed Coco to her car, which turned out to be a fancy looking little luxury thing. When she beeped the doors open I climbed in the passenger side.

Once the doors were closed, Coco breathed a deep sigh.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"This job is getting to me. Things were intense before, but they were the right kind of intense. Santhrope just does whatever Suri says—which is terrifying itself. I need to get off this sinking ship."

Coco turned the keys in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Her hands were sure on the wheel and the stick at her side. In short order Coco had her car out of the parking garage and on the road.

"Way ahead of you," I said.

"Let's forget about work for an hour. No more Polomare," Coco Pommel said. "Starting now, that is. So tell me about your business?"

"A boutique for everyone. If you want to come in and get a little skirt for high school, or a wedding dress, I'll make it. I am so sick of—" I said and halted when I almost mentioned the forbidden topic. "I just want to make clothes that make people happy."

"You really were wasted at—Argg! That place is so terrible we can't go five minutes without talking about how terrible it is," Coco Pommel said.

I turned my head to look at Coco—really look—and noticed a streak of color wrapped around her aura.

"Pull over," I said.

"Why?!"

Coco froze for a second, then with dawning shock on her face, she pulled her car to the side of the road and turned the engine off. Her hands shook where she gripped the steering wheel, fingers clutched so tight her soft skin color was unusually white around them.

"W-What happened?" Coco Pommel asked.

"Hold on, darling. I might be able to do something with this."

I was still burning off magic by the second just keeping my body shapechanged, but Coco needed my help. Opening myself up more, my vision sharpened on Coco and started feeling as if I were about to feed..

No. No feeding. I had work to do. The swirls of angry emotion were foreign to Coco's aura, but being wrapped in it like a coil stopped any hope she had of breaking free. It was like poison.

"Poison. Of course. Wind the window down, please?" I asked.

I waited long enough for Coco to do so before I bit and sucked. It tasted horrible, like sinking my fangs into a swarm of bees. But, despite how it tasted, I had to get all of it.

Coughing, I turned my head and spat for all I was worth. I watched the swirling ribbon of nastiness unravel in the air.

"There's more," I said.

It took three goes before I got all of it. The horrible stuff almost made me retch each time, but I wanted to help Coco after all the help she'd given me. Besides, she was a friend, and friends don't leave friends like this.

"What was that? What did you do? I feel—I feel more relaxed than I have all week!" Coco Pommel said.

Insofar as her seat belt would allow, Coco leaned across and hugged me. Love was prominent now, but I wasn't hungry enough to want to feed, particularly not after what I'd just tasted. I hugged her back, uncomfortably aware of how different Rainbow Dash's hugs had been when she'd been just a friend.

That Rainbow always had felt like more than a friend surprised me, but it was another hammer blow against the shrinking shell of ignorance I'd built around myself. I needed more hammers in my life.

"Something nasty was wrapped around your aura. It—Every time you felt anything, it seemed to tighten. How did you feel with it on you?" I asked.

"Upset. I was angry at you for calling earlier, I was angry at your text message shortening my lunch break, and I was—What was it?"

Anger. Interesting. Well, it tasted horrible.

"I wish I knew for sure. I'll keep an eye out for anyone else with that. Call me if you start feeling like that again."

—What did you just do?— NotABug sent.

—Coco had something magical on her that made her angry. I. Well I guess I got rid of it for her,— I sent.

—Is there anyone else at your work with that? Could that be what Suri's doing?—

The thought hadn't actually occurred to me. Suri definitely had something about her that felt magical, but was this it? I needed to see the rest of the people working on my floor to find out.

—Maybe. I'll find out when I get back from lunch.—

—Have you checked yourself?—

That question worried me more than anything else. I tried to look at my own aura, but it was barely even there. To my own magical, emotion-reading sight, I was practically cold.

—I can't see anything around me. I'm not sure if I could see it even if it was there.—

—We should get Byte to check tonight.—

I screwed my nose up at the thought of having to ask my daughter to remove something like that. I turned my attention back to Coco and the real world.

Coco took a deep breath and reached for the ignition again. Once the car was moving, I watched the worrying frown fade from her lips.

"I feel so much better now. Thank you, Rarity."

"You’re welcome, dear. Now, before we break our new rule any further, where are we having lunch?" I asked.

Her eyes flicking to look at me for a second, Coco let out a laugh. I watched her aura bubble and swell, happy emotions breaking free for the first time in days.

"I've got just the place."

12:50 P.M.

Lunch had been more about enjoying Coco's personality and friendship than the food. What I'd ordered (a sandwich) turned out rather bland and uninteresting, though I still ate it. A hot chocolate on the side was the star attraction.

We talked about fashion and ideas. Every time I spoke of my desire to just make fashion for people, Coco seemed almost ready to drool. For a moment I entertained the idea of asking her what she'd take for a wage.

Riding the lift to HR again, Coco once more forcefully logged me onto the time clock—after seeing my own attempt fail.

Dropping my disguise on the lift to my floor, I felt the return of my own form keenly. It felt right and good to be me.

As I left the hallway and walked into what had been a cubical farm (but was now just desks), I shuddered. Everywhere I looked I could see people with those bindings around their auras. Choking and strangling, everyone in the room was saddled with that anger.

How hadn't I noticed before? Resentful looks were everywhere—resentful, or just uninterested. This was too much for me to fix. I could help one or two, but my way of removing that taint wouldn't work on this many people.

I felt sick to my stomach at how out of my depth I was.

—Sunset, I think we might have a problem. Something, maybe Suri, is making everyone here angry with some kind of wrapping around their aura. I can't help them all myself,— I sent to Sunset.

Settling at my desk was even harder than before. At any moment I expected to hear Suri's voice right behind me.

—Are you alright?— NotABug asked.

Concerned chirping echoed through my head, and I let NotABug pull me into a hug.

—No,— I sent.

—What's going on?—

—It has to be Suri. Everyone here is wrong. They're all wound up with that same thing that I found on Coco.—

"Rarity," Coco Pommel said right behind me.

I almost hit the ceiling I jumped so much. The moment I'd heard her voice, I thought it was Suri. I spun around and I saw a hard line on Coco's face. She looked upset about something.

"Half our mail sorters have called in sick, and they need help. I figured with only another day left, you wouldn't be on anything important. Please head down to the mailroom."

Staring up at Coco, I could catch sight of a smiling Suri out of the corner of my eye. Then, just as I realized what was going on, Coco turned around and marched off.

"What are you waiting for? Looks like Ms. Pommel has some dirty work for you, alright?" Suri Polomare asked.

—Remind me to buy Coco a car. Or maybe a house. Would she like a house? She deserves something really nice,— NotABug sent.

—I can't believe she pulled this. And that steely look on her face was perfect. I bet Suri thought she'd just won the state lottery.—

—Be careful not to look happy. Maybe a tear or two would help?—

I sniffed carefully and did just that, loosing a few tears that I knew would be visible on my dark cheeks. Standing up, I collected my handbag and began trudging toward the lift.

—Maybe two houses?— I asked.

—Maybe ten.—

—What about if we made her a dress?—

—That sounds even better! But seriously, would she like a gift?—

—Money on its own tends to be a little crass. A gift from your heart would be much better.—

The mailroom was on the first floor, and was normally one of the noisier parts of the building. There was a letter sorting machine making most of the racket, though the bundles of letters feeding into it seemed to be reducing at a fast rate. I looked around and spotted one man frantically going through the output trays of the machine.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You must be the replacement she promised. Pick a tray and start checking the letters," the man said.

He didn't even look up from his tray. Seeing a line of seats on all the output trays of the sorting machine, I picked one and sat down—only to sit on my tail. My annoyed gasp finally drew the man's attention.

Blue eyes looked from a pale yellow face beneath a mop of red hair. He wasn't dressed in a suit, but he did have on a shirt and a serviceable pair of trousers that gave him a professional air. If I had to pin his age somewhere, it would be in his late fifties. He stared at me in shock.

"Hello. I'm Rarity. Ms. Pommel sent me down to help," I said.

"R-Rarity?" he said and waited for me to nod. "You, uh—You know you don't quite look—"

"Human? I know. Terrible accident. Had to help a friend and next thing I know I have a tail and a horn. If you ask me, it's a relief to get away from the real monsters upstairs," I said. "So what am I going to be doing down here? Why don't we just use the machine to sor—?"

The man started laughing uproariously, even going so far as to slap his knee.

"This—" he said but paused to get his breath back. "This thing is useless, but we have to use it. It'd be faster to sort everything by hand than let this piece of junk do it. But someone upstairs purchased it and makes us use it. Have a look, go on."

I lifted the first few pieces of mail from the basket before me. Two were for the president of the company, one was for the CEO, and then I found the next one was addressed to Suri.

"Point taken. Does it actually sort anything, or does it just randomize the letters?" I asked.

The man laughed and nodded vigorously.

"M'name's Bent Rules, and before you ask it fits me. Probably the reason why I'm stuck down here."

"So we just sort the letters into the boxes they should go in?" I asked.

"That's about i—" Bent Rules said.

He stopped speaking the moment I started channeling magic. By the time I had a good flood of magic rushing through my horn, Bent was openly staring at me. Memories of Twilight arranging invitations for the Save Camp Everfree ball flickered through my head. I smiled at the happy thoughts.

"Watch this," I said.

Having such a wide stream of magic had a huge advantage here. I levitated every single letter in the baskets and brought them to one side of me. Focusing, I brought my mental attention down to sub millisecond response and started sorting.

It didn't take long to sort the whole pile. The majority of my time was spent getting used to moving so many things at once.

"Rarity, wasn't it?" Bent asked. At my nod he continued, "You know what I like best about this?"

"What's that?"

"That we can get this sent off and then relax."

He walked around and bundle all the letters up, with elastic bands keeping recipients' mail together. He set them in a bag and hooked it over his shoulder.

"Since you did all the sorting, it's only fair I deliver 'em. Keep yourself busy with cards until I get back."

With that, Bent left the room.

I gazed around now that I had a moment. On one side of the room was a large roller-door that I assumed was how the mail was delivered and sent. The majority of the room was taken up with the sorting machine with the remainder devoted to the loading bay. One of the long walls had metal closets that—judging by the few that were open—contained office supplies. The other wall was dominated by a bench that ran its full length.

The coffee machine was made obvious by the fact it was hidden inside an open packing box haphazardly set on the bench.

Getting up, I walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. The bitter taste wasn't hidden by creamer or sugar, and it was just what I needed. My savoring of the coffee was interrupted by a text message.

—How's the holiday?— Coco Pommel sent.

—You are an angel. I don't suppose you could organize this for Friday, too?—

—I'll see what I can do. Telling the staff of the mailroom to take a day off is only going to work so far. How do you think you'd go in stationary?—

I laughed so much I actually chirped my wings a little. After the oppression of working at my old desk, I think my mood would have lightened working literally anywhere else.

—Could it be any worse than working near Suri? I need to ask another favor of you, Coco.—

—Probably not, and of course, Rarity. Just ask.—

—I can't let this pass without making you something wonderful, so could you give me your measurements?—

—Just about anyone else and I wouldn't reply. You really do love making clothes.—

She sent another message with her measurements, which I immediately copied over a VPN to our server.

—I feel a little vulnerable without the protection of a second mobile link,— I sent via ChirpNet.

—Working on it. We have a box of new phones arriving at our PO box some time tomorrow. We still have that spare sim card,— NotABug sent.

—We'll want more. Enough for all the phones. Maybe get a business account?—

—That's a good idea. Once we see Mr. Pants tomorrow, we can get that started. Don't forget lunch with Mrs. Velvet.—

—Darling, it's you she wants to have lunch with. I'm sure I can spend my time doing various things while you eat some delicious sushi.—

NotABug's chirp of excitement warmed me up inside. She was so soft at times that I had to wonder how silly ideas of robot apocalypses would ever come to be—then I remembered Windigo. They were two very different sides of the emerging intelligence coin, pacifism and wrath, both completely without morals to begin with.

While we chatted, I decided to bring up the VPN again and do some programming. There was a multitude of tools that needed implementing for my weapon to work, and no one was likely to write them except for me.

Only twenty-six and a half minutes passed before Bent Rules returned. I looked up the moment I heard the door open and smiled.

"Where's the water kept for the coffee?" I asked.

Bent smiled at me as he set his empty bag on the counter.

"In that big box over there is a water cooler. Before you ask, no, we aren't allowed to have these things in here," Bent Rules said.

I just shrugged at the air of challenge he put in his voice.

"Dear, I leave the company on Friday afternoon. What you do down here is your own business."

A small swirl of affection trailed around Bent's aura. I could have fed if I wanted, but I'd decided to be careful who and where I do such. I could tell there was no hint of the anger-coil that had been wrapped around Coco.

"That explains why you got sent down here. I'm surprised they didn't just tell you to leave on the spot."

Office gossip was one thing I might miss by not being here. I settled on a chair—careful of my tail—and sipped my second mug of coffee.

"You had three letters for Suri Polomare. What did you think of her?" I asked.

"The princess of the company? You had her as a boss?"

Time to break out my collection of Suri Stories. They were many and varied, including such gems as 4 P.M. is a Fine Time to Start on Fridays, What Do You Mean You Won't Work on Sundays?, and Well my daddy... Bent Rules was laughing loudly by the time our coffee mugs were empty.

The stories kept us both entertained until five when the door opened to admit Coco. I lifted my head and casually pushed the flaps closed over the coffee maker.

"My jailer hath returned!" I said.

The joke got a chuckle from Bent and rolled eyes from Coco Pommel. As she approached, however, I saw the first inklings of a spiral around her.

"You had a meeting with Suri?" I asked.

"Y-Yes. Is it on me again?" Coco Pommel asked.

I stood up and walked closer. I leaned close to Coco and bit into the thread of disgusting energy. Sucking, I drew the venom of anger from her and spat it out.

"I'm quitting. There's no way I can ask you to do this every day I interact with that little wretch," Coco Pommel said.

"Do I even want to know what's going on, or is this another time I need to just look the other way?" Bent Rules asked.

Looking to Coco, I let out a sigh. I couldn't lie to him. I wouldn't lie to him.

"Speaking as someone who knows monsters, Suri Polomare might be becoming one. Being near her too long will have a bad effect on you—though you don't seem to have been affected. How long were you with her?" I asked.

"No more'n a minute. Don't know if you've noticed, but she ain't really the type to say much that's worth a damn, and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual."

I raised a brow at Coco next.

"Mine was a half hour meeting with her and some other department heads. Mr. Polomare is including her in all his meetings this week," Coco Pommel said.

Pondering the information made me wish I had Twilight's (either of them) ability to put data points together and draw a conclusion. Time could be a trigger, but so could being around others in the meeting, or Bent had a natural immunity to it.

I compiled a text for Twilight and Sunset.

—Suri may be the source of some kind of magical effect that makes everyone angry. I need some help with this, please!—

"I'm asking my friends for help on this. I'll be the first to admit when I'm unable to handle something too big. I'm a fashion designer, not a particle physicist," I said.

—Can you bring anyone with the effect on them to my place?— Twilight Sparkle asked.

—I really wish I didn't have to ask Coco this,— I sent.

—Ask her what?— NotABug sent.

—I need to ask her to purposefully get affected by Suri's magic thing again.—

—Ouch.—

"Coco?" I asked. "A friend said they need to analyze someone who is being affected by the—by Suri."

"Who's the friend?" Coco Pommel asked.

"Twilight Sparkle. She's a researcher at Canterlot University. Studying—well—magic."

—This is going way out of my league, Rarity. If you can get me close enough to touch her, I might be able to help,— Sunset Shimmer sent.

"And now another friend, Sunset Shimmer. She can—" I said.

I cut short, realizing Bent Rules was still here.

Coco's eyes narrowed a fraction, and she nodded. Gesturing to the door, she waved me ahead.

"When will you be seeing your friends? I can—I don't want to have that thing on me for long. A day at most," Coco Pommel said.

"Thank you, Bent. Your company was most welcome," I said.

We made our way to HR, where Coco had to force log me out again. We exited the building without speaking, though I did put on my disguise again before doing so. The maintained silence lasted until we reached Coco's car.

"I'll drive you to your car. Where did you park?" Coco Pommel asked.

I quickly gave her directions. Her car started as easily as last time, and she drove out into traffic.

"I'll do it, Rarity, but only if you swear your friend can help. I don't—Despite my time of late, there are people at Polomare that I like. I'd hate for them to fall into whatever cesspit Suri builds it into."

"Twilight Sparkle is literally the smartest person I know, Coco. She helped me understand what's happening to myself, and she'll be able to work out what this thing that Suri is doing is," I said. "As for Sunset, her little knack is touching people."

"Touching people?"

"Yes. And, when she touches someone, she gets insights into them and can see their prominent memories," I said with a laugh. "Honestly. Sometimes I wonder if my life would be different if we were all in a cartoon, or if it would just be exactly the same."

"Friends with superpowers, villains willing to destroy entire companies to get what they want, and magic do sound like comic books. But, if it takes superheroes to defeat my villain, I'll go along with it. Just promise me that you can remove whatever it is Suri does."

"If it's the same as what she's been doing, I can absolutely fix that, even if it is a little different. Not that I'll enjoy it."

Coco pulled her car up to the curb beside the parking lot I'd used.

"Alright then. I guess I'll come around tomorrow afternoon, after I've had a meeting with Suri, tendered notice, and left for good," Coco Pommel said. "That feels good to say."

"Thank you, darling. I'll see you then," I said.

Leaving her car, I walked into the lot, fetched my car, and drove to the mall to check on NotABug's packages. I perked up at the news of a box of mobile phones to pick up, as well as cartons stamped with the same name as our server.

—We're expanding things?— I asked NotABug.

—Oh! Our blades arrived? This is great. They'll give us more performance in the short term,— NotABug sent.

—Bigger server? Good. It got cramped in there,— Byte sent. —Oh! Rainbow said to tell you the egg is hatching.—

I almost dropped one of the packages.

—I'm on my way!— I sent.

Loading the car with the help of the clerk in the mail center, I almost wished that my little car was Rainbow Dash's monster. A big engine would have gotten me home faster.

The moment I turned onto the same street I felt a connection—a link.

—Hi, mommy!— a new user code sent.

—She's so cute! Rainbow is hugging her on the couch and I wanted to hug too so we're both hugging and Rainbow's saying "daww" a lot!— Byte sent.

I chose to forgive my daughter's lack of grammar under the circumstances. The world slowed to a snail's pace. Each decision in driving could be made tens of milliseconds before it was needed, which gave me plenty of time to connect with the cameras in my living room via ChirpNet.

—You're chirping a lot,— NotABug sent.

—Of course I am. So are you,— I sent.

—Why does the world move so slowly? I want to be home now.—

I flicked between making road decisions and watching Rainbow Dash cuddle our daughters. I agreed wholeheartedly with NotABug in this instance, though my growing ability to switch tasks rapidly would be much less useful if everything moved at the same speed.

The car crept forward, inching closer to the driveway. I briefly considered just stopping and running the rest of the way, but unlike Rainbow Dash, my speed was centered mentally instead of physically.

I pulled into the driveway, turned off the car, and opened my door in slow motion. Each frame of the webcam showed Rainbow looking so excited, content, and proud to the point where I needed to be with her to share the moment.

Dumping my shapechanged form as I reached the front door, I swept into my house and looked at Rainbow Dash.

"Look who decided to say hi," Rainbow Dash said.

Despite the accuracy and clarity of the cameras in my house, seeing with my own eyes was always more real to me. Images could be faked, but what I saw was what I saw. The aura around Rainbow Dash was the best I'd seen all day. Both our daughters were feeding from her, though Rainbow didn't seem to show any signs of lacking love.

"Darling…" I said as words suddenly failed me.

"C'mere."

Rainbow Dash held out her arm and I slipped in beside her with ease—like I was supposed to be there. Reaching down to the newest member of our family, I brushed her cheek with the back of one finger.

Squeezing me against her, Rainbow overflowed with love. I nibbled only a little, but she made a happy little contented sigh that let me know she felt it.

"Did you come up with a name for her yet?" I asked.

"Me?" Rainbow Dash asked. "N-No. Should I? Names are important, and you came—"

—Rainbow, give her a name,— NotABug sent.

Head turning at the sound of her phone beeping, Rainbow turned back to look at me.

"Is that NotABug?" Rainbow Dash asked. When I nodded, she added, "She wants me to pick a name too, right?"

"It's two to one, dear. NotABug can pick the name for our third daughter."

"I guess Optimus Prime is out? Whoa. Okay. What about Bumblebee?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Rainbow recoiled from the look I'd given her at the first suggestion, but I actually liked the second one.

—I like it,— Bumblebee sent.

Bumblebee looked up at Rainbow and smiled brilliantly. She radiated like a supernova of adorableness such that there was no hope of dissuading her from the name.

"I guess that settles it, right 'Bee?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Stroking the underside of 'Bee's jaw, Rainbow had the silliest grin I'd ever seen her wear. If our daughter's look of adorable bliss was a supernova, I had no name for the magnitude of Rainbow's love. I felt humbled by it.

"She likes it. Also, keep your phone closer," I said.

"I was a little distracted at the time, someone had just poked her head out to say hi."

Happy as I was to bask in the moment, there was another doting mother who needed time with her daughter. I lightly nudged at NotABug, who let out a surprised chirp before she slid forward. I didn't retreat completely, rather enjoying the moment of letting someone else take care of my worldly interactions.

NotABug tilted her head to the side and leaned upwards to catch Rainbow Dash performing a mirror of the maneuver. The kiss and hug combined was everything I needed at the end of my second-last day at Polomare Fashion.

—Coco agreed to get infected by the magic again and come to see you. Is tomorrow night okay?— I texted to Twilight Sparkle.

—Wait, infected? She's risking herself for this? I'll be waiting for you from 4P.M. onward,— Twilight Sparkle texted.

—She believes in superheroes and just causes, I guess. I'll see you there.—

Realization struck that if Coco quit tomorrow, I'd be on my own on Friday. There was nothing else for it, I'd just have to face it in the only way I knew how—extravagantly.

Abandoning the real world, I sought out the server and its warmth and power. There was more than just NotABug and I using it now, and it showed.

—Sorry, darling, I forgot to bring the new parts for the server inside,— I sent.

A rush of chirping came in the wake of my message, and now it originated from three sources. Bumblebee's first chirps were beautiful, and it completely distracted me from my plan for several seconds. NotABug too, apparently.

—Oh! It's alright. I don't think either of us was thinking straight,— NotABug sent. —I'll get them later.—

If I could have yawned in a purely digital state, I would have. However, the moment I started designing outfits, my lethargy faded. A beautiful sundress for Coco was the first thing on my agenda, then more outfits for our foals. Foals didn't seem the right word—it lacked the full force of their adorable nature. Chirpling? Chirpette? Chirplittle?

My first urge was to search for insect-related names, and despite that urge being met with disfavor, I did it. Nymph was one such word I'd found, and it fit better than foal. Plus it was cute.

A new visitor intruded on my workspace. I saved everything quickly and turned my full attention to see who it was. I know for sure I chirped in delight.

—'Bee!— I sent.

I quickly wrapped her up in a hug. Her chirping was surpassed by mine in short order, and I gestured toward the designs I'd been working on.

—I've been designing things, look,— I sent.

—Oh! These look great! What are they?— Bumblebee asked.

So maybe not all my nymphs would just get fashion. I had to make allowances for such an eventuality. I laughed chirpily.

—These are the designs for clothes. I plan them out, then I make them.—

—Why don't you make one now?—

It wasn't hard to realize 'Bee hadn't had much experience with the real world and its limitations yet.

—Well, NotABug is having a turn with my body right now. We have to share our time, and I respect the little moments she wants to spend in the real world.—

—But I just asked her. She said you could both use your magic independently, even when the other was in control,— Bumblebee said. —Couldn't you just use the camera to see and use your magic to make things?—

My chirping—and thinking—stopped for nearly a hundred milliseconds. It was a little humbling to be out-thought by someone who was less than a day old. My chirping resumed stronger than before.

—You know, 'Bee, I hadn't thought of that. Would you like to help me try it?— I asked.

—Okay! Where do you need me to go?—

I built a quick plan of the house and indicated my sewing room.

—What did you tell 'Bee? She just jumped up, chirping like crazy, and pronounced herself as "helping other mommy",— NotABug sent.

—I am helping other mommy!— Bumblebee sent.

—She is. We're going to do some sewing. 'Bee suggested using magic while looking through the camera you put in my sewing room,— I sent.

—That's pretty clever. I'll have to try that myself,— NotABug sent.

I brought up the camera in my sewing room, but to say it was a bad angle would be an understatement. I was looking down at my sewing machine from a corner of the ceiling above and to the right.

—This won't work, 'Bee. I can't see well enough to know what I'm doing,— I sent.

—Oh! Uh…— Bumblebee sent.

A data request came from my littlest nymph, which I opened immediately. It wasn't a request for data but a pair of image streams. The angle and the spacing could only lead me to one source.

—'Bee, is this what you're seeing?— I asked.

—Yup! Will this work?— Bumblebee asked.

The view wavered and bobbled, but the height grew until I could see (on the room camera) that 'Bee was sitting up on the chair. It still wasn't high enough, though.

—Could you get up on the table?— I asked.

—Hold on,— Bumblebee sent.

More bobbing, weaving, and climbing saw 'Bee reach the top of the sewing table. Now I could see—I could create.

—Darling, ignore if your horn glows,— I sent.

—Who, me?— Byte asked.

—Or me?— Bumblebee asked.

—She meant me,— NotABug sent amid chirpy giggles.

I let my magic flow, using NotABug's eyes to gain a reference in the living room before reaching to my sewing room. A green formless bubble of magic appeared in the middle of the room as I saw it on the camera.

'Bee's vision turned and looked at the bubble, so I moved it closer to her. The pressure against my magic as 'Bee lifted a hoof and poked it was curious—I'd never really focused on how things felt with my magic before.

Playtime was not over, but I did want to start doing things. I reached over to where my bolts of fabric sat and selected a light cotton weave that would make a wonderful dress. Scissors and tape measure were next. I brought the three items together and cut off just enough fabric to make the dress.

Locating 'Bee within the room's volume was important and let me anchor my magic to her. She was my eyes, so everything I did had to be in relation to her. With the pattern brought up in my mind, I overlaid it on 'Bee's video feed and began cutting.

—Oh! You're making the shapes you showed me. This is really neat!— Bumblebee sent.

—Indeed. Now we have to start putting this together. This one is a simple sundress for Coco, which means there's nothing tricky about it except for a fastener at the back,— I sent. —It's like a puzzle. Instead of the problem being how to put the pieces together, you have to make the pieces in the first place.—

When I selected a trio of buttons for the clasp at the back, 'Bee tilted her head to look at them.

—What are those? I don't remember those in the diagrams.—

—These are buttons. Watch what I do with them.—

As I explained, I started sewing the buttons on. I could have done them "at the same time", but the time spent swapping focus wasn't worth it when I could just sew faster and concentrate on one. When I had all three sewn on, I transferred the dress to the sewing machine, fitted the buttonhole foot, and made all the adjustments needed for appropriate sized buttonholes.

—Are you controlling it?—

—No, dear. My sewing machine just needs a little adjustment at the start and it can make perfect buttonholes.—

I set it doing the second, and finally the third buttonhole. When it was done, I lifted the dress up and used a seam ripper to open up the holes. Finally, I held the dress out so I could finish and fasten the buttons.

—There,— I sent.

6:13 P.M.

One dress became two, then three, and soon enough 'Bee was yawning and tired. Setting the fifth dress down—half finished—I used my magic to carefully lift 'Bee.

—Come on. Keep your eyes open and I'll take you back to the living room,— I sent.

With another yawn, however, 'Bee closed her eyes and the video feed stopped. I held still, maintaining my gentle hold under her, and fumbled for ideas. I could vaguely see where she was on the surveillance camera, but it wasn't a good enough source to navigate with—despite my recent practice.

Then I got an idea. Holding 'Bee, I scanned the living room and spotted a pile of ten mobile phones charging from a mass of cables near one wall. NotABug and Rainbow were in the kitchen along with Byte. Expanding my magic to two targets (not overly hard thanks to that practice), I unplugged and floated the phone down the hall, using its own camera to guide me.

By the time I floated 'Bee to the living room, I wish I'd grabbed two phones. I set her on the couch and plugged the phone back into its charger before letting go of my magic.

—All done?— NotABug asked.

—'Bee got tired. Oooh. What's for dinner?— I asked.

—Stir fry. Do you want to take over for it?—

—No, I might turn in soon, and want to do a little more research. Feel free to have some fun.—

I was wrapped in a digital snuggle the likes of which were almost unprecedented. Almost. I chirped happily and squeezed back before returning to what I'd been doing before 'Bee had interrupted me.

I barely lasted an hour before I closed my session, chirped a few times at NotABug, and relaxed into sleep.

Author's Note:

Rarity: What do you think of your continuing changes in regards to your body and apparently swiftly expanding family?

"I won't pretend I'm completely alright with the former, but the latter is a strange mix of wonder and confusion. I guess I always expected a whirlwind romance—a prince charming to sweep me off my feet—but reality is not always so far away. I found two people I love dearly, and both are making me happier than I have ever been before—even if I am turning into some kind of monster, at least I'll be a fashionable monster."

---

So I do this "Ask X" thing. X can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and they will definitely, hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories, and they will answer the best question in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer. Try to keep it to one question per post! They will pick one question per chapter.

Support me on Patreon or fuel my writing on Ko-Fi!

Join me on Discord. Warning, said chat may contain NSFW material and should be considered adult in nature.

Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
Boulder
Canary in the Coal Mine
Daremo
Dio-Drogynous
Lazyreader19
Nils
Sirion123

And special thanks to the following, for careful eyes and friendly words:
Lab

---

Editing provided by the astounding Lab. (Huge thanks again. Your efforts makes me look competent! )

Comments

[Doomande]

No surprise at all that one of your stories are getting featured.

[prism heart]

Rarity: Not a question but I've always believed that the word monster referred to behavior/attitude/heart of a person and you are most certainly NO monster.

[tsaukpaetra]

So Windigo really has implanted in Suri? Not enough to incur changes yet, but definitely the danger has risen...
Bee brings lateral perspective. More views is good when having a think tank, and so far Harmony abounds.
To Sunset: have you been able to glean more information from Princess Twilight that could help?
Keep going! ;)

[Starlight Nova]

Which one of your stories is Canary?

[Damaged]

9268689 This one is half funded by Canary.

9268682 Certainly seems that way.

9268669

[zakman]

Another great chapter :)

[Twilight_Shimmer]

Rarity: "Anyplans to do anything nice for the poor sods currently working for Suri once she is gone?

[Zer-Author]

Oh dear. You know, I just made the connection between the Wendigo program...
And the Windigos from the Hearthswarming tale. That was very cleverly done, Damaged.
Also, the Belle family continues to be adorable.

[Damaged]

9269505 Emotivores one and all.

[The Correspondent]

... wait... are they becoming a gestalt consciousness?

[Damaged]

9269621 Who?

[JazzyWaffles]

"I guess that settles it, right 'Bee?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Bug, Byte, Bee... At this point we should call it the B Hive.

A data request came from my littlest nymph, which I opened immediately. It wasn't a request for data but a pair of image streams. The angle and the spacing could only lead me to one source.

Eeeee camera eyes

I was wrapped in a digital snuggle the likes of which were almost unprecedented. Almost. I chirped happily and squeezed back before returning to what I'd been doing before 'Bee had interrupted me.

Cute cuddlebuggos

[Venerable Ro]

You know, if the Changeling form doesn't pan out, Rarity has a fine backup option in cyber-lichdom.

[cheetored20]

9269665
was that b hive pun intentional?

[JazzyWaffles]

9269699
Eeyup

[Damaged]

9269699
9270207 It could be worse, they could call their hive an ARK. We don't want the bugs in the B ARK.

[harts fire]

a grate chapter i love the de tales and how this is all playing out.
Friday is going to be interesting.

[cheetored20]

9270342

[Prysmkitsune]

Part of me hopes sweetie and kit both get 'buged'...i think theyed both make adorible changelings *snicker* sudenly kitsune would have the shapeshifting power in common with her namesake too hehe

or would the term 'linged' sound cuter....yah i th ink it does, all chirped up?

[Greenhorn]

I want to see Suri become a Sasquatch Woman. No fair Rarity is the only one who changed. Plus, it seems fitting.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

9271807
Not Hideous enough, we need something more

[Hazey Logic]

i am hopeful that this will end in or at least include a DBZ style beam fight with Rarity's Family's Love energy eventually winning out over Suri and Windigos Hate energy.

[Cyana Flame]

9270342
B·ARK·RA·CY!

[zakman]

Hmm, tis Friday...can haz update plz?

:-)

[Damaged]

9297313 Next chapter is at around 1400 words and still growing.

[Midknight Defender]

A data request came from my littlest nymph, which I opened immediately. It wasn't a request for data but a pair of image streams. The angle and the spacing could only lead me to one source.

I see NotABug included remote desktop in the hive mind network

[Damaged]

9699393 Such clever bugs!

[MattTOB]

"I guess Optimus Prime is out? Whoa. Okay. What about Bumblebee?" Rainbow Dash asked.

It's funny because Hasbro

[Seraphem]

So, story is really teasing Coco coming to work for Rarity. Hell still surprised that she was Suri's boss.... if only technically. But yeah, when the bosses daughter starts wrapping you up in a magic hate plague.... it's time to either GTFO, or call in Optimus Prime to unleash the Matrix of Leadership at it. But I guess NotABug and the Hive will have to be stand ins. I mean, they are cybernetic shapeshifters after all, they can handle it. Surprised that all Surigo did was mess with the time clock in a way that Rarity could very easily prove she was really at work for, and then make her sit in a place to try and freak her out.

But hey, we have us a new chirpling! And yes also adorable! Though go easy there Raribug, don't want to add too many things to deal with too fast.

Also, let's hope that Sunset pieces together "Magical entity that spreads hatred and anger to all around it" and "Wendigo" to get "Windigo is inside Suri."

[Damaged]

11384573 Daaamn, really old school. The only Prime is Rodimus, and he's got the touch.