Timed Ramblings

by Midnight herald

Close Enough

The smell of his mane was wrong. The hints of armor polish and steel shavings and sweat were there, but his sweat was too sharp, too reminiscent of mushrooms and caves and dust. The hairs were too soft, and by the half-moon light the blues seemed a little too green, although it might have been the sleeplessness talking. His mane was all wrong, and she knew it, but Cadence still nuzzled into it, still drank in its scent greedily as she wrapped herself tighter around his broad shoulders. His mane was all wrong, but it was close enough, and she was all wrong, too. She had been for years now.

His breaths were wrong, too. The rythm of them was off, shallower and raspier than they should have been. The sleepy little murmurs came from too far up in the throat instead of the comfortable rumblings she remembered feeling in his warm, soft chest. But that was so long ago. Before... she banished the thoughts with a dark glower and took another defiant whiff of his mane. Wrapped herself more tightly against his solid, fuzzy warmth.

Tonight, under moonlight, he would be gone, the spell would be broken. The white fur would slip away into a black, fibrous exoskeleton, his voice would become many voices with taunting laughter and a sarcastic, fanged smile. That was part of their agreement.

And Cadence was just tired enough that she didn’t care anymore. That she couldn’t care anymore about what was wrong. She was just tired enough that it was almost real. It was close enough.

Author's Note:

Prompt 303: The mind makes it real

I can imagine that being the Alicorn of Love and loving a mortal would hurt a bunch. So my brain reminded me that we have changelings around for a reason... I don't even know.

Comments

[Loeden]

Close Enough: Wow, jeez, you have ways of describing a sleeping character that I've never even considered. I guess the changelings won in the end, didn't they?

I'm not sure how to feel about it, though.. Since I have almost zero attachment to Cadance and Shining Armor annoys me. Mostly it still hits me in the feels, but there's still that small, irreverent part of me that wants to point and laugh, just a little bit.

[Midnight herald]

2342063 I see this as happening several years after Shining's death, when Cadence is lonely enough to deceive herself with the imitations CHrysalis would provide... I think it wasn't really the point to bring in feelings so much as thoughts... I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote this, honestly. It's been one of those crazy days where absolutely nothing makes sense and everything is glorious because of it.

I also feel nothing when it comes to Cadence and Shining Armor, which drives my brother to no end of crazy. Pointing and laughing is a perfectly reasonable response to this, in a way. Part of me is thinking:
"HEY, YA DUMB BROAD, FIND SOMEPONY ELSE TO MAKE THE SMOOCHES WITH! ISN'T IT YOUR JOB OR SOMETHIN"??" about this. So laugh away, 'cause it's incredibly stupid of her.

[Silvernis]

Certainly a bleak picture of an immortal desperate to regain even a taste of what time took from her, no matter how imperfect or depraved. I'm not really a fan of Cadance or Shining, but the premise here is pleasantly chilling.

[DarkwingSnark]

I have come to the conclusion I like any stories where Chryssy taints love and turns it on its head. First with your Fluttershy one, and now with this. Not sad, exactly, but it IS thought provoking. Makes you wonder how everything will end. Will somepony rescue her? Will she come to her own senses? Or is she doomed to this endless cycle of denial and pain?

[Midnight herald]

2399224 Tune in next time for your latest installment of "Changelings Ruin Everything!!"

This was a deep-thought night, and so it kinda just happened. I imagine at some point another Princess (Twilight) would notice what was going on and set her straight, but for right now she's so lost in her sorrow and shame that she probably won't find her way out alone. Friendship to the rescue and all that, I guess[hope].

[Mermaid]

I adored this one, partly because of your awesome writing, partly because I like Chrysalis and Cadence a lot.