Chapter Thirty: The ‘Friendly’ ‘Demon’
✧❖☬❖✧
Life is strange. By the time Luna and I stopped talking, we’d both skipped three meals and the sun was already setting, though we’d gotten me my stuff and I had a bag for it that I could slip between my wings. Between the two of us, whether it was just casual chatter, joking and jibing, flinging dry, sarcastic flirts, or telling stories about our pasts, we seemed to be a little more than platonically interested. When I actually asked directly, Luna said that she found the disapproval of her sister to be the main motivator behind her intrigue, though she admitted that it was tempered by some idle interest in my mad, mad ways. In turn she needled me for the things I appreciated in her, which I had to confess were rather simple. I liked her voice, her looks, and her intellect. I loved the fact that she was supposed to be unattainable, and I knew she would play hard to get if I showed so much as the slightest bit of interest in her. The subtle back and forth; the push and pull we had going on for an entire day was pleasurable to say the least.
Once sunset came and Luna was due to return to her duties, Celestia came to collect her sister and the Solar Diarch;’s face turned stony when she saw that her sister had spent the entire day in my company out in the Gardens. When she was just steps away, she asked, “Were you expecting to sit and talk to a Demon all night as well, or were you going to fulfil your sworn duties at some point, sister?”
Luna gave me a peck on the cheek. “Visit us whenever thou art rid of thine curse. Celestia’s ploy to make thine sister fear thee shall not prevail.”
I made sure that my claws wouldn’t brutalize her back as I gave her a one armed hug. “It’s been great talking to you, Luna. We’ll have to stargaze sometime so you can tell me of the Equisian constellations.”
She let me pull away without a problem and whapped me with her wing as she walked away. “Mayhaps. Until then.”
“You said ‘mayhaps’ and then said ‘definitely’,” I pointed out.
“Shut up, Mutt.” My new favourite Princess (besides my sisters) scoffed.
“Bite me, Broodmare.”
Her jaw dropped and her cheeks coloured adorably. The epicenters of her blush on either cheek were bright pink, though it faded to an attractive purplish colour around the rest of her face. “Thou may as well have called us a whorse!”
I smiled at her. “Let’s make some babies, Baby.”
Her look of offense melted into the one she’d been wearing most of the day; mild amusement with a touch of admonishment. “Stop trying to plant thy seed in foreign soil.”
Celestia growled, her pink eyes glowing. “Sister. If you would like to stop flirting…”
Luna jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Don’t let her discourage thee. Thou art amusing.”
“Thanks, Moonberry.” I thought of spreading my Wind Wings and my actual wings spread, blowing Luna and Celestia’s manes and skirts a little as they stretched. It felt lovely, sadly.
The Solar Cunt’s face went from furious to curious, her lips slightly puckered as she looked at my wings. She muttered something to herself that I couldn’t hear over Luna saying, “Wouldst thou stoppeth thine grandstanding?”
I raised a brow and let my wings sag a little since the black ones actually got tired, unlike the mostly transparent ones. “Grandstanding?”
“Thy wingspan.”
“What of it?” I let my wings sag a little further, flapping gently by some subconscious desire to get into the sky.
“It’s enormous.” Celestia said blandly.
… Okay? “And that would mean…?”
Luna leaned forward. “... Doth thou truly intend to play innocent?”
“For one, you’re speaking to a thousand year-old man with a spotty memory. For two, I’m
not from this planet. For three, I just got these wings.”
Celestia traded a look with her sister. “Okay, I see how we were expecting a little much of you. In essence, an Avian’s wingspan is something akin to ‘The Bulge’ or a woman’s breasts. They’re generally considered to be better when bigger.”
“So I’ve got giant dicks on my back. Or giant tits. Fuckin’ lovely.”
“You also look like a Demon.” Celestia’s tone was smug, but her face was flat.
I shrugged. “Heya, cannae fella getta gal with a corruption kink?”
“What?” The present Princesses inquired simultaneously.
“A lot of women like the idea of being seduced by darkness. Shirtless darkness.”
“Oh shut up.” Celestia snarled, her voice laced with fury.
Luna gave me a wink, her sister unable to see the small gesture. “We would recommend leaving before thou art killed to death.”
With a little salute, I flapped hard enough to get off of the ground. “Send me a letter when the Serpest Mission becomes more time sensitive!”
Luna waved me off and Celestia folded her arms, but neither responded. I didn’t particularly care about whether or not they would. No, someone was busy being thrilled about the power behind his new wings, and that someone was me. A few loose feathers scattered in the gust I created as I climbed, which made me worry about molting all over my bed until I realized that I didn’t technically have a place to sleep yet. I figured I’d rectify that outside of Canterlot, the Wind Magic in my stomach spreading to the area a few inches below my shoulder-blades and helping to propel me out of the city in record time. At least until I saw a yellow Mare with a blue mane on a cloud with three other people. One was a Mollyhen, another was a Dragon, and the third was another Mare, but what worried me was the fact that they were nearing city limits with the warm winds that were helping guide me out of town.
I altered my course because the yellow Mare seemed more familiar that I was comfortable with, and when I touched down on the cloud, she looked at me in surprise. “Garrison? I thought you were off saving Equestria?”
I narrowed my eyes at her before it clicked. Her coat wasn’t yellow, it was blonde. “Heya, Sunshower. I did my part. Poorly, but I did it. I have another task coming up soon enough. What’s up with these fellows?”
The Mare waved with a flirty smile and the Dragon glared at me while the Mollyhen answered with a click of her beak. “We’re trying to get the weather schedule for the next couple of weeks so we know how long we can stay in Canterlot before we have to move on. We don’t wanna get stuck here in shitty winds.”
Sunshower gestured toward her. “Being a part-time Weather Coordinator means being available whenever, wherever to answer questions about the schedule,” She sighed.
The Dragon snorted some smoke. “You work directly for the Crown. At least you get paid well.”
“I miss free time!” Sunshower moaned.
I hit her with one of my wings, not missing the jealous looks that got tossed her way by the other females present. “Then wrap up with them and join a friend for dinner in the city.”
She blushed furiously, shoving my wing away from her face somewhat frustratedly. “Why don’t you start by explaining where you got those from!?”
“After you give us the schedule.” The Dragon maintained.
“After that.” Sunshower conceded shortly before listing off the bullshit in the sky for the next week. The Dragon took off, shortly followed by the Moollyhen. The Mare blew me a kiss and Sunshower rolled her eyes, giving me her full attention. “Seriously what’s up with the Grimdark wings?”
I gave her a look .”Apparently I’m a Demon.”
“Shut the buck up.”
“Not lying.”
“Shut the buck up.”
“Technically an Incubus.”
“Oh my gosh.” Her hand went to her forehead and she stared at me. “Are you serious!?”
“I dunno.” I chuckled. “Apparently the wings are sexy, so I might be. I don’t think these are though,” I said, holding up my claws.
She stared at those instead of my face or wings. “... Holy shit.”
“Yeah.”
“... Y-You’re not-”
“I’m not going to hurt you. You’ve never given me a reason to so much as poke a freckle on your face, let alone hurt you.”
“You do things for weird reasons sometimes!”
“Yes, but I don’t say that I’m not going to do those things because I generally intend on doing those things. I say I’ll do the things I’m going to do and if I’m not going to do a thing, then I generally don't do it. Now, if you were to ask me to not eat your carrot cake and I were to say that I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t do it to avoid hurting your feelings. However, if you were to tell me to avoid looking at nice rear ends, that would be something I wouldn’t say I would do. Do you understand?”
Sunshower sighed and chuckled, looking tired and scared. “So you’re an actual Demon instead of just consorting with them and now you want to impregnate me-”
“When did I say this!?” My hand flew to my chest and I accidentally cut myself. Hissing, I snatched it away and saw a few slashes on my left pectoral that bled for but a few seconds before healing.
“I’m so sorry! I-I thought that your Incubus thing meant that you were tracking me down to buck me!”
I closed my hands so I could fold my arms safely. “First off: Fuck you. I’m no rapist.” Unless you count Dissida, but that was sexual assault! “Second? I would love to charm and or generally sleep with you, but I would have to ask my girlfriend if she was comfortable with sharing me, which is unlikely. Third is the most important, and it is don’t make assumptions.”
She gave me a womanly look that was ruined by her blush. “Well, at least you’re still relatively harmless for being a murderer.”
“I would argue against that, but I’m leaning more toward ending this friendship.”
“No! Garrison, I wasn’t trying to upset you-”
“Right.”
Sunshower’s shoulders sagged as my words made their impression. “Sincerely, Garrison! I-It’s just that Demons have a reputation, and you’ve said it yourself that you’re not all there in the head! I-I… I’m sorry…”
“Bullshit. I want a hug.” I grunted.
She gave me a hopeful little smile. “Are you sure?”
“I try not to say things I don’t mean when I’m irritated. Sarcasm might be an Avcalesch staple, but it’s not my strong suit.”
The woman who’d tackled me twice and gotten away with it decided to go for a third time since we were on a cloud. I had to flare my wings out to evade harming them unnecessarily, so the natural thing was to wrap them around my assailant. After a good nuzzling, Sunshower sat high enough on my pelvis to keep it platonic, but not on my stomach as to allow me some room to breathe and gave me a true, earnest, apologetic smile.
“Sorry, but it seemed like the right thing to do.” She tittered.
I let the backs of my hands rest against her legs and gave her a look. “You realize these claws are sharp enough to maim you, right?”
“Err… Well…”
I chuckled. Just a little. “Be a little more careful, okay?”
“I’ll try, but you just make a good tackling dummy, you know?”
I flicked her, careful to not hit her with the sharp side of the appendage. “Hush, woman. Also, get off me before I get up.”
“How are you supposed to get up if I don't get off?” She asked in the smarmiest manner, flirting as she sat up straight and folded her arms.
“I don’t choose where my blood flows, you know.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Your seat might get a little harder to sit on if you keep moving.”
Her face lit up and she flapped her wings to do as I’d asked in the first place. “Garrison!”
“You got off quickly enough the first time you tackled me,” I snorted, standing up and stretching, “for that exact reason, I do believe.”
“Well maybe I wasn’t thinking about my friend getting a woody!”
“With your arse? That’s just negligent.” I scoffed.
“Are you taken or not!?”
“I’m taken.”
“... Who’s your Mare?” Sunshower asked, making a frustrated face.
“Maudileena Daisy Pie.”
“She’s one of the Pie Family?” Sunshower asked warily.
“Pinkie is the blackest of sheep in the family.”
“Ah, she’s the odd one out then. The rest of them are.. Normal, right?”
“Most people would say chronically, lethally boring. Maud is a woman you have to love to like.”
“That’s… Kind of a mean thing to say, don't you think?” She rubbed her arm, her expression concerned and uncomfortable.
I tilted my head. “It’s not inaccurate. Most people find her acerbic, if not just boring. Again, unless you’re willing to pay attention, and I mean give her more attention than you normally would give a person, you’ll never notice her subtle nuances. She’s like a wine that tastes like nothing at the first sip, but her flavour develops more as you let her quote unquote ‘body’ fill your quote unquote ‘palate’.”
“So… What attracted you to Maud in the first place?”
“Her air of lethality. The woman is certainly dangerous and she knows it. She’s a true Femme Fatale, but she has a caring, compassionate side that she shows to people she trusts that’s easily marred by the smallest of betrayals. Maud’s tough, but delicate; strong and sturdy, but sweet and fragile when she feels the opportunity is safe enough.” I grinned to myself, not looking at Sunshower. “I’ve called her a geode before: A plain rock with all of its beauty on the inside.”
When I looked back to the blonde Mare, she was smiling ruefully. “Sounds like you really love her.”
“Yeah. I’m slowly learning that immortal women aren’t worth the trouble. We mortals appreciate what we have. Who we have.”
A pregnant silence followed my words until Sunshower said, “So…”
“Yes?”
“... Do you think you could love another Mare like you love Maud?”
“Not exactly like her, no. There’s no one like her.”
She giggled at that, her smile growing less wistful and a little happier. “It’s always nice to hear that. Some Stallions say they love all their Mares the same.”
I raised a brow, the vague impression of a rock trying to cook in my mind by comparison. “Unless they’re clones, then that would make no sense.”
“Right?” Sunshower giggled some more. “Tell you what; I’ve got some time off coming up soon, and I am looking to settle down a little. At least get back into the dating scene. I don’t think you can love me as much as you love Maud, but maybe a friend would be willing to give a Mare a little practice date sometime?”
I gave her a gentle smile, accepting the terms of our relationship as Sunshower insinuated she preferred them. “I’d be delighted, and I’ll make sure to avoid paying for dinner since it won’t be a real date.”
She came in for a hug and tapped my chest with her fist when we parted. “You’re an ass, but at least you make up for it by being a decent guy. Do you know where you’ll be living in Jolly Junction?”
“Not quite yet, but I have the money to buy my own place and the Dragon Fire to send you a message, if need be.”
“Great! Are you taking the train?”
“Well, I was going to fly-”
“You know that’s in the exact opposite direction of where you were going, right? Jolly Junction is southwest of here.”
I raised a finger and opened my mouth before biting my lip and lowering it. “... I kinda just started flying.”
“... You dumbass!” She burst out laughing after she said that in the flattest of tones, which rather hurt my feelings.
“Hush, woman. I’ll pick your nose.”
“P-Please don’t!” She stammered, still giggling. “You know, I feel a little better knowing that Ponies like you are the heroes behind Equestria. Real, genuine, nutty guys who just do what they can and deal with the consequences just like anypony else.”
I stared at her. “I was tortured when I became a Demon. I was infected with a divine poison so potent it corrupted my very soul.”
Sunshower closed her eyes and mouth, grinned wide, and opened her eyes to reveal a soft violet light. “Woah nelly! Roxy’s back!”
“I blinked,” I said, blinking again for the sake of trying to unsee the thing I’d just seen.
Her eyes were still violet when she put her hands on my shoulders and started smiling. “I’m under the radar right now! Out of that damned loop! Garrison, you have to help me. I can break sooo many rules to make your life easier if you just kill. Ithaca.”
“Who even-”
“Max’s second wife, Roxanne! Ask Jay’s Pinkie, Diane! She’s in Ponyville at Fluttershy’s cottage and she’ll tell you everything, but I’m on borrowed time here, Garrison! You need to be the one to take over, and I need to get out of here to help you do that!”
“Where are you?” I asked, my mind racing at miles upon miles a minute, trying to connect dots between vast distances.
“Somewhere you’ll have to get creative to go. It’s gonna be tricky, but you can do it! I swear on everything I’ve ever loved, I’ll help you if you kill Ithaca!”
“I’ll do it based on the fact that it seems like a good idea, but why?”
“So Lujei can’t! Oddy Doddy Oldy Moldy!”
My breath caught in my lungs as the brick smacked me in the gob, stunning me into silence as Sunshower started seizing, her eyes fading from glowing violet/indigo back to the soft, gentle blue that they normally were. “Ughh…”
I caught her before she fell, but my worries seemed to be for good reason. My stomach felt worse than it ever had, my very instincts telling me to just rip my throat out and deal with Kauku’s consequences before something happened and everything just got worse. I felt my second biggest worry come just before the first, Lujei and Kauku both standing behind me as I cradled Sunshower. No sane man would have looked over his shoulder. Any wise man would have at least tried to run. A fool who relies far too much on luck would lay down his friend and face the first most powerful being in the universe and perhaps fourth or fifth scariest being I’d ever met in my entire existence. Kauku’s calm gaze drew my attention first before I looked to Lujei, her mild irritation evident.
‘Lie and I will mend your memories to fit it. Just keep it consistent.’ Roxy’s voice whispered in my mind.
“Heya.” I said gravely, my wing shuffling on their own accord.
“Hello, Garrison.” Kauku nodded.
Lujei looked at her. “Hey, while you’re here-”
Kauku pointed at her and she caught fire, burning with purple flames that were a distinctly different colour from Roxy’s eyes. The two of us smiled at Lujei’s screams as she whirled around in the air as the Empress made a cage for her. “I don’t like you. You’re the worst person on this planet besides me. Don’t fucking talk to me, you lowlife cunt.”
Lujei did some howling. It was musical.
Kauku shrugged. “If that’s what you have to say to the Matron of Scholars, the reason you made the stone, then I guess you can eat a couple thousand years of Hellfire. You really brought it upon yourself.” She turned to me. “Now to deal with you.”
My smile faded and I looked her in the eye. “What the fuck is Ithaca?”
Her brows raised and she folded her arms. “... This is the first time I’ve technically heard that name in a good while. What do you know of her?”
I gave her an incredulous look. “...I thought it sounded male, but I guess with a mouth full of tentacles, I’d be assuming dumb shit.”
“No, Ithaca is male.”
“Then why- Nevermind. What is Ithaca?”
“What do you know about him?” Kauku asked kindly, giving me a warm, matronly smile that made my stomach bubble and boil with fear.
“I know he’s gross, smelly, and wants me to make some choices.”
She nodded. “That’s good enough. I don’t want you dealing with Ithaca, so call my name the next time he comes around, okay Darling?”
My heart throbbed and life felt so good until Roxy whispered, ‘Don’t fall for it. She’s beyond crazy.’
“Of course, Mistress.” I nodded.
In a beat of my heart, Kauku was lifting me in the air with Magic, standing uncomfortably close, walking around me in a tight circle. “... I don’t really believe you, but I guess I’ll have to let you do whatever you want for the time being. Remember my promises.”
“O-Of course, Mistress. I’ll remember.” I said a little shaklily.
She dropped me back onto the cloud and disappeared, taking Lujei’s flaming form along with her. When they were both gone, I breathed like I’d nearly drowned and thanked my dumbassery for taking me through yet another life-threatening situation. Sitting down next to Sunshower, I tried to calm down until she woke up, groggy and a little lost. I saw her back to her cloud home and fed her a story about some greater beings descending to Equis and making her faint through their power, which she bought because it was fucking true. After that, I flew my happy arse to the train station and asked around for the directions to the flight route to Ponyville. Only one person out of nearly thirty even knew of Ponyville, but apparently all I had to do was buy a ticket and get on the train that was about to leave anyway. I didn’t want to ride the train, so I followed it from the air, which isn’t illegal as long as you don’t land on it. If you don’t have a ticket, that is. If you do, you’re allowed to land and fly whenever the fuck you want, I just chose not to because fuck vehicles.
When I arrived in Ponyville, the first place I went was The Honey Hole, which was a pub where I could get sloshed because I was scared, sad again, and worried like no other. My drunkeness eventually got a few drinking songs started and carried a party long into the night, which the bartender told me in the wake of a massive hangover the night after I’d outdrank seven Stallions by going drink for drink with them. Individually. Max wasn’t lying when he’d said it would be hard for me to get drunk, but I assumed that the only reason I got over my hangover so quickly was because of the same healing factor that made getting said hangover so damned difficult in the first place.
Lucky Strike, the fellow who’d let me sleep in a booth to save money on an inn, let me give him some bits for the favour and a drink for the road. I’d long since learned that eating the hair of the things that bite you might not taste the best, but it sure as fuck makes you feel better. Once I got started on my day, I walked to Twilight’s house and attracted a lot of stares, looks, and blushes whenever my wings felt like doing whatever they wanted. A few Mares came up to me and asked me out for lunch, though there were more people that came around to ask what I was since I looked… Interesting. I got a lot of questions on whether or not I was a Hybrid race, so I started saying that I was a double hybrid born of a Hippogriffin and a Ponape. Apparently Equestrian racism didn’t apply to things with Pegasus blood, so I was allowed to mix and mingle as I saw fit, which was weird.
When I got to the outskirts of town, I spread my wings and took to the air so I could make up some lost time, locating Sweet Apple Acres as my first stop. Something just told me that I needed to go there first so I could break the news to the people Ladesa had lived with for a little over half a year. It made my heart ache a little to know that they were most likely going to take the news hard since Ladesa had always been talking about the Apple Family during the little moments during the trip to Minosia, so as I touched down, I organized my thoughts and tried to find the kindest way to present the information.
I couldn’t think of a way to say anything that would bring her back.
Knocking on the door with a heavy heart, I thought about the coolness of the day and how it was not helping with the cold feeling that I had in the pit of my stomach. When Applejack opened the door and recognition dawned on her face, she asked, “Gauche?”
“Yeah.”
She looked around. “... Where’s Jay an’ Desa?”
“Jayne now rules Minosia. Ladesa… Ladesa died to injuries sustained from the mission. Toxic smoke inhalation, malnourishment, and-” I said softly.
“What?” Applejack breathed.
I…
{...}
...
{Hey…}
[I didn’t tell you to stop.]
{... It’s okay, Garrison.}
I… I just couldn’t look her in the eye. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She spouted. “No. Ladesa… She’s too tough. Ladesa can’t be gone.” Her voice was calm and assured.
I closed my eyes and whispered. “Whether you like it or not, she’s not coming home.”
That… That put grief in her voice. “You’re lyin’. You’re a LIAR!!!”
…
[And?]
… I didn’t have anything to say to her. My instincts were telling me that I’d missed something; some important piece had fallen out of the puzzle.
When Applejack gripped my arms with the true strength of an Earth Pony I grimaced, but I stood my ground. “Where. Is. She?”
“Godsholm.” I murmured.
Applejack slapped a tooth out of my mouth. It was a smaller molar, but it still fucking hurt. “DON’T YOU BUCKIN’ LIE TA ME!!!”
Granny hobbled out of the house with Big Mac hot on her tail. “Applejack, what in tarnation-”
“WHERE’S MY BABYDOLL!? WHERE’S MY CINNABUN GAUCHE!?” Big McIntosh wrestled her off of me and held her while she well and truly freaked out. “Don’t you lie to ME!!!”
“Applejack, Darlin’, calm down-” Granny attempted, trying to soothe her.
It didn’t work. “Gauche… Gauche please…” She begged, the fire in her burning itself out.
“... I’m sorry. I’m… I’m so sorry…”
Her brother loosened up his hold so Applejack’ could bring her hands to her mouth, letting her fall to her knees. “We… We didn’t even come out.”
And that…
{You didn’t betray her. Ethel did.}
Applejack could have had her lover and I could have still had my right hand, but I’d cut it off. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was my fault. I didn’t have the stones to say anymore than I already had, and I knew that Applejack didn’t want to grieve with me. There was no point in trying to comfort her because I was the reason her heart was shattering… The guilt was consuming. So much so that I couldn’t face her any longer. Couldn’t deal with the weight that sat on my shoulders and bent my spine in a thousand different ways. I’d thought that I’d closed off my heart to my mistakes, that I’d compartmentalized and gotten over it, but I wept before and during the flight to Fluttershy’s. It… It ate me up inside that I’d cost a woman her lover; that I’d ended a relationship before it could flourish… I… I hurt a civilian for no reason, and it was someone who’d been kind to me in the past. Who’d taken me under their roof and fed me for a time… Taken care of one of my Guildees.
I tried to take some time to get ahold of myself before approaching Fluttershy’s cottage, having remembered it in a vague recollection of getting incredibly intoxicated with Max and Jay, but I had a hand on my shoulder before I could quite get the tears to stop flowing. “Hey, Garrison.”
I turned and cleared my eyes, looking at a brunette woman with the most adorable Thesuvian curls in her hair. Well, it was more wavy than curly, or vice versa. Somewhere in between. Her oceanic eyes held a certain depth that I couldn’t quite place, though I do now realize that her eyes were oceanic in both colour and quality. It both meant dark blue and that there seemed to be far more beneath the surface than would meet the eye, though it was the latter that encouraged me to maintain eye contact when I could actually make it.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice level and thick.
“Diane. One of Jayne’s exes.” She smiled at me sadly.
“... What?” I asked.
“Twilight and Fluttershy already know that Jayne can’t come back, and Hermione already paid me a visit on Lujei’s behalf for Jayne doing the thing I’m not mentioning.” She curled a finger through her lovely hair because she was a Human and not a fucking Pony, which Jayne neglected to explain. “I really do hate being a Poohair, but at least she didn’t cut anything off.”
I gave her a look, completely falling for whatever it was that she was doing.
{Trying to make you forget about the grief on your heart. She’s great, isn’t she?}
Let me get to how great she is, Buttfart.
[Diane sucks.]
{She’s great at that too.}
[Pervert.]
To get back my first impression of Diane because I’m sure someone somewhere is bored, I gave her a stern look and fell for her trap because I wasn’t paying attention. “My hair is a slightly darker brown than yours.”
She shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, you’re just more of a shithead.”
“Fuck you. Jayne loves you, but you’re unpleasant.”
She smirked and folded her arms, sending my attention below her collar for a moment because my blood is red-
[It wasn’t at that moment.]
It was burgundy. Close enough. Anyway, she purposefully distracted me so she had a reason to give me a look. “Mhmm. At least I can keep my eyes somewhere decent.”
I spread my wings and watched her blush, raising a brow. “If I do this when you do that, I think it’s fair.”
“That’s not even close to what I did!” She huffed playfully, turning and giving me a sidelong glare.
She earned a look for being a child. Or flirting. I couldn’t tell which. “It’s essentially the same thing.” I folded one wing so I could turn and not hit a tree since we were on the edge of a forest, whapping Diane with my big, black, smelly-
{Nigga.}
Owwwwwww!! You fucking shot me!
[... Damn.]
{It’s a .22, you pussy- Ow!}
[Hey! Both of you, stop fighting!]
Fuckin’-
{Punk mothafuck- }
✯☾Ω☽✯
It’s… Everything’s wrong…
She…
I…
… What happened?
⋬⍦⊛⍦⋭
The war. I know I started it. It’s not the first. Not since that day. Not since I started breaking rules…
Even with the Gods that had fled for their lives and universes… The Triple Sixers became The Five-Four-Niners. One hundred and seventeen Gods. One hundred and seventeen entire. Universes. All consumed. Not even my origin Series backs me anymore. It’s all my fault. The Chaos. Reality was shredding at the seams. The Universal Collective had intruders poking inside form the warbling, The Whiteness peeking in from the vastness of the Whole. Its unholy light started shining into my territory… My family… They’re coming…
I don’t know how it started. I don’t know how to fix it.
The Nameless Ones are coming, and I know it’s my fault. Max… Max told me… He warned me… I was well aware that there would be consequences if I started breaking rules, but even I, as old as I am, as powerful as we are… Even if I only had three aspects going at one, which was absolutely unheard of for a God… Even with the strength of hundreds of Gods that I’d depowered or devoured… I couldn’t hold the Collective together by myself. Even as I fought against my naysayers and conspirators, I commanded that they help me keep the Collective alive. I ordered them to work with me instead of against me… I asked for their assistance… Begged against their ineffective blows…
Gods are arrogant… We’re… Immortals. Eternals. Anything that lives longer than a couple hundred years. We… We eventually forget where we came from. It just happens. For some it takes that couple hundred years, for some it takes a thousand. Others take millions upon millions upon billions and etcetera number of years that would make a lower god’s brain quake and ache before they forget… I forgot when I became Fate. I stopped being who I was because I…
Gods are arrogant, but Fates? It’s hard to describe. I hated my job with a hellish passion, but the power that it provided me was as addictive as sex on D’Vora’s love juice. I… I abused that power and I ruined everything… Max’s love… His life… His legacy…
I swear I can feel his disappointment like it’s inside of me. I can see his face glaring at me in disgust; his eyes would be full of tears. The face of betrayal haunted me as I slayed yet more and more Gods… Like cattle to the damned slaughterhouse. All because they were arrogant. Because I was arrogant…
The only thing I had left in all of Existence was Max’s little bronze pea.
And someone took it from me.
⋬❈⊛❈⋭
Diliculum was mighty when she reigned, but not as powerful as Kauku. Sparkle?
Pathetic.
Kauku is the one who fights the wars. Kauku is the one who sheds the blood and eats the heart of the enemy. Kauku is the strength of Omnium. Even Kinkaid Omnium was weak. Kauku is the one who will make order. Her will is law. If she must devour, then she shall.
✧❖☬❖✧
[Are you two done?]
{...}
Bitch.
[And who was that directed towards?]
Yes. Line please?
[You left off on Diane getting hit with your smelly wing.]
{Keep it kosher.}
Grrr. Anyway, I whapped a silly woman with my wing for being silly, and she grabbed it a little too roughly for my liking. In turn, since she was being a Meaniebutt, I pinched her boob with my knuckles, making her grab my wing harder, which made me pinch her harder. “Stooop!” Diane wailed.
“You first.” I grunted.
She let go so I let go, casually swiping down the middle of her shirt with my index claw. It cut through the cloth like a hot knife through butter. “Hey!”
I chuckled as she covered her chest. “Ah, that was probably unwarranted.”
“It was! I’m telling Jayne on you!”
I thought about making my wings encase us and thus it happened, pushing Diane closer to me. “Oh, don’t be like that~ It’s just a bit of fun.”
She let her hands fall, her shirt completely fine. “Right.”
I stared at her ample chest for a second, stroking my chin before doing my wing because it felt better. “How did you do that?”
“Don’t touch yourself and stare at my boobs! How perverted are you!?” Diane cried covering her chest and turning away from me.
I realized my folly. “Oh, my apologies. If it makes you feel any better-”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “I know you were looking at my shirt! You don’t really find me attractive, do you?”
“That’s honestly a hard question to answer. I want to tease and hug you- Fuckin’ wait! I need to talk to you!”
“No shit.” She chuckled, leaning against my wings. It was no issue to hold her up. “I’ve got us covered since Lujei’s out of the picture for the time being. Who sent you to me?”
“Someone named Roxy. She has violet or indigo-”
“What.”
“She said you could help me kill Ithaca.”
“... I don’t know how the fuck she knew that, but yeah. I’m not doing that until after you go to Serpest though. This conversation ends now.”
“But your tits are begging to be touched!”
“Oh shut up!” Diane giggled. “You just want to make Jayne jealous!”
“Would it help if I said that she’s leaning on the woman who turned you into a Poo-Hair for support?”
“She what.”
I nodded. “The first time I met Hermione, Jayne was crying on her shoulder.”
Diane stared at me for a moment, her eyes going glossy before her lip curled and she balled her hands up. “That whore!”
“Successfully thrown under the carriage.” I chuckled, thinking back to the bullshit she’d put me through with Frieda.
{Piece of shit.}
Heh. I got hit in the wing for my words, but then Diane grabbed it and and squeezed the main joint making my eyes roll up into the back of my head, sending me down to one knee. “That’s for letting me know about… That. Jayne and I are going to have a little talk.”
I smiled up at her and giggled like a child. “Uh-huh.”
She patted my cheek and walked away, leaving me with one thing left to do. My wing was too sensitive to get me into the air, but I knew the way to town from where I was, so I got to my feet when I could and tried not to let the rock-hard rooster in my pocket stop me from grinning like a loon. So far the wings had been mostly, if not solely positive, and I was wondering if they would stay that way when I got to Jolly Junction. By the time I got to town, however, there were fewer people just casually going about, so getting directions to the Flight Route was pretty difficult since few people had connections to the other town. However, there was a traveling businessmare that had to go in my direction, and she was glad for some company on the late night flight since there wasn’t a train to Jolly Junction.
Milky Way was a truly pleasant Mare with a very handsome suit that did nothing to take away from her ridiculous bust. I wondered how the woman managed to stand up straight when I initially met her, but I chose not to comment on her back-breakers. Instead, once we got into the air I asked, “So what brought you to Ponyville in the first place? Getting to Jolly Junction is going to take most of the day, right?”
Milky sighed and spiraled in the air, her mammaries swaying slightly out of sequence with the rest of her. “Well, it was mostly just to come back and see my parents. My sister doesn’t visit all that often, even though she’s the favourite.”
“I’m sure we all feel as though our siblings are the favoured ones.” I chuckled.
“Yeah, you’re probably right, but my big sister is really important. She works for the
Wonderbolts and helps manage Canterlot’s Weather Team. I can’t really compete with that, seeing as how I just have my milk-delivery business.”
“How curious. I happen to have a friend with a similar color scheme to you that works for the Canterlot Weather Team.”
“... Is her name Sunshower?”
“Heya, I know your sister! Lovely gal, she is. The freckles really sell the look.”
Milky way gave me an odd look before her eyes crossed and she tried to look at her nose. “We’re fraternal twins. Our Dads just look really similar.”
“Well, you’re cute too, but I was saying that she was cute.”
“Oh.” She blinked and blushed. “Oh! Well, thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
Our conversation went to her sister and how I knew her from there, though I had to subtly reassure Milky Way that I liked her equally as much, despite not having known her as long. I didn’t want the woman to feel inadequate, and I was feeling rather magnanimous myself, so I kept her company on the flight and made the same rest stops she did so we would arrive in Jolly Junction at the same time. I could have cut my travel time by ridiculous amounts if I knew what to look for as long as I could fly in a straight line toward the town. As it was, it took me nearly seven hours to reach Maud’s base of operations via flying because my company was slower than a rotted Hell Mouse.
We touched down in Jolly Junction at nightfall and went to the same inn, but bought separate rooms that happened to be on different floors. We parted ways and that was the end of my time with Milky, who most likely had just delivered the milk she was going to sell via her lovely lumps. When I got to my room, I had a hard time making use of the shower therein since my wings were so damnably large, but I made do and managed to get myself and them clean with a bit of generic wing wash. Drying my feathery friends, however, took a fair bit of flying to do, but I still managed to get them air-dried in the cool night air.
By the time I touched down at the inn, I had a visitor in my room in the form of my favourite Mare, who ran to me when I opened the door to my room and nearly bowled me over. As it was, I stumbled before Maud stopped and squeezed me quietly, her arms crossing behind my back to cup each of the joints where flesh became feathery. I held her in turn, careful not to cut her with my claws, inhaling her scent and wondering if I’d been showing infidelity all day or if I was just teasing the women I came across because I needed release. While on the topic, I gently pushed Maud away so I could chase her lips for a chocolatey kiss that soothed the ache in my heart that I’d felt for Ladesa all over again.
“Epidote…” My Mauble murmured.
I gave her a gentle, sorrowful smile. “Hopefully this isn’t permanent-”
“I like the wings…” She said softly, squeezing the joints a little and making my knees turn into jelly.
“Ooo, don’t- Don’t do that.” I whimpered, my voice weaker than I’d prefer it to be at any given moment.
She raised a brow and held me against her chest, letting me regain my strength. “I was not aware that your wings were so… Sensitive.”
I clung to her because damn shortly before getting my feet under me she steadied me and kept on smelling lovely. “It’s something I’m learning too… So they’re not bad?”
“No. I Iike Pegasi.”
“Maybe you were attracted to the Wind Magic in me in to begin with.” I stood up a little straighter, though we stayed close.
Maud kissed my cheek and hugged me, leaving my wings be as I wrapped them around us as tightly as I could. And then someone said, “Um… Excuse me?”
I turned and saw a creamy orange Mare with a blondish mane who seemed familiar, though the look on her pretty face was a little less than pleasant. Maud, however, remembered her more than I did at that moment. “Amaretta Virgine?”
“Maudileena Pie?” She asked, giving Maud an awkward smile.
“... How did you know I would be here? I told no one where I was coming.”
“I… May or may not have… Y’know… Followed him.” She pointed at me. “Princess’ Order’s an’ all.”
“... And you chose to expose yourself now because of what reason?”
Amaretta folded her arms and made an uneasy face. “I… Never really ended things with Garrison.”
“You tried to trap me twice. The only reason I fucked you was because you took advantage of me. You taught me how to rape the Devil, essentially. When her guard was at her lowest, I seized her by the clitoris, much like how you nearly cost me my rod. Fuck you.”
Maud looked at me before looking to Amaretta. “... I suggest leaving.”
The Ranger’s face fell considerably and she tried to defend herself. “You said you understood! I had to check your loyalty and morality!”
“You could have asked and used your judgement to see if I was lying. There could have been some kind of Lie-Detecting Spell. There are multiple different ways that our relationship could have started, and that doesn’t even cover the fact that your plan was to leave me in my dying days. You didn’t give that much of a damn about me then, so why do you care now?” I asked patiently, holding Maud back.
She cast her eyes to my boots and back to my face, nibbling on her lip. “... I’m not here to ask for you back, Garrison… I’m here to apologize…” She tilted her head to and fro before saying, “Well, I also need to ask if you know where Jay is. I kinda need him.”
“Your apology is unneeded. I will heal Garrison’s heart,” My lovely Mauble said, her tone stony as always, but carrying a certain edge to it, like a polished cube of quartz. “Feel free to leave, Pen-Pal.”
“Jay goes by Jayne and she lives in Minosia for the time being.” I gave her a quick salute. “Until we meet again.”
Amaretta sighed and started walking away, so Maud and I entered the room I had purchased for the night, though she went to the desk that was provided and poured two drinks rather than having a seat. She gave me a glance and gestured with her head for me to sit nearby, two chairs side-by-side separated by an inn table. They hadn’t been in that position when I’d went to dry my wings, so I assumed that she’d had plenty of time to get settled in while I’d been out. I took my seat and let my wings droop over the back of the chair as most Avians did when the seat provided them the luxury. There were always a couple low-backed chairs in inns for Avians, just in case they wanted to sit the fuck down too, but I hadn’t noticed one in my room. I also hadn’t been looking for one, but still. Sure that Maud had brought one for me so I could be comfortable, I waited for her to finish mixing things into our drinks and hand mine to me.
“Your eyes… They have changed,” Maud said softly as she sat on the other side of the little table.
“What stone would you call these?” I asked, hoping that the conversation wouldn’t be the beginning of another ending.
“Apatite,” She answered nearly automatically, “though there are amethysts and tourmalines that also make the same color. Your eyes once matched mine, but now I believe the colors clash.”
Pulling a face, I set my drink down and reached for Maud’s hand, my heart lightening a little when she let me take hold. “We don’t need to match, do we?”
She nearly cut herself on my claws until I pulled away slowly and tried grinding the edges together to dull them. I only succeeded in making them slide across each other, so Maud held onto my wrist instead, sipping her drink. “It was nice. I will concede that one thing in exchange for chances to fly with you.”
“Granted upon your whims.” I replied, giving her my warmest smile. “Do you have any other demands?”
“Why did you come to town with a suspiciously well-endowed Mare?”
“Ah, Milky is Sunshower’s sister, coincidentally.” I mentioned blankly. “I met her in Ponyville and she offered to show me the way to the Flight Route, but honestly the woman is like flying with a dodo.”
“Dodos have vestigial wings.”
“How did her wings get her into the air?”
“Ha-ha-ha. That was mean,” Maud monotoned, giving me a little squeeze.
“It’s a wonder of the world.” I chuckled. “You know, you would make a very cute Pegasus, though that’s only due to the addition of extra things to love.”
Maud’s eyes started filling with contentment, a tiny smile playing in her lips. “Even Tartarification cannot touch your hopeless romanticism.”
“I’d say more along the lines of Demonification or Dissidation, but whichever you want to say. I certainly don’t feel evil, though.”
“Slit my throat.” My lover commanded.
I gave her a look. “Have you lost your bloody mind, woman?”
“Please? I ache for the release-” She started.
“Maud, where is this coming from!?” I asked, panic gripping me quickly. I couldn't see desolation in her face, but I was afraid to look into her eyes too long lest I make mistakes from the past all over again.
“Oh? Nowhere, I was just wondering if your heart was cold enough to kill me.” She answered like the sky was suddenly purple, but it was okay because Kauku decided that the sky needed to be.
I rolled my eyes. “I really will suffocate you with kisses to silence you if you don’t stop being ludicrous.”
“You would slay me with kindness rather than giving me a quick, merciful death?” Maud tried to give me Puppy Eyes that worked better than it should have, but not well enough.
I felt bad, but I still said, “Stop being silly. If I had to choose between letting you live in pain or die in peace, I would ask your opinion before making the choice.”
“Yet you will not even try the drink I made for you?” She asked.
Rolling my eyes again, I reached for it with my other hand, giving it a sip. I didn’t recognize the liquor, but I did know sloe and cinnamon don’t go together. “That’s not exactly good, Mauble.”
“... It’s my favourite drink.”
“What is it?” I asked shortly before downing the rest of the glass in one go.
She stared at me for a moment before doing the same and making the most adorable face I’d ever seen on her. It would’ve been harder to believe that Kauku was kind than it would be to think that Maud had a tongue for liquor after that, especially when she waved her hand about and had trouble swallowing. “Oh… I do not drink in large quantities.”
“Maud, getting me drunk is going to take more liquor than you have. I’ll take it straight, though.” I chuckled.
She gave me a look and got up to make a couple more drinks, just pouring some ‘brandy’ for me and mixing herself another oral catastrophe. When she came back, she plopped into her chair and sighed, passing me my beverage. “... This is going to take some adjusting to. You look far too attractive now.”
“... Beg pardon.”
“Your wings. You may as well be walking around with a Minotaur phallus in your pants.”
“Oh. I’ve been told.”
“You cannot hide them. I will have more competition than ever for your heart.” She sighed again, but harder.
I gave her a look and came over to sit on her lap with my drink in hand, getting comfy on her before saying anything. Maud held me and rested her head on my shoulder, snuggling up to me as I rested on her. “You know you’re the only one I need in my life, no? I’ve had multiple offers in the past couple of days,” Maud pulled away and gave me a hard stare, “but I’ve not had a reason to give any of them more than conversation. Should you want for sisters in love, then you have plenty to pick from, which is to say that I will love who you choose to love. You’ve proven to be wiser in matters of the heart than I; a better spouse as well as a better guardian. You have nothing to fear from the man who’s constantly afraid that you’ll come to your senses again and leave him.”
Maud cupped my cheek with her hand before pinching it and shaking my head for me. “Hopeless romantic.”
I chuckled and waited for her to let me go to stroke her jaw with the backs of my claws, which was an unintentional rhyme, also known as the best kind. “I love you, Mauble. Thank you for waiting for me.”
She placed a finger on my chest and drew a little circle on it, which made me wary for but a split second. “I love you too, Apitite. May we find a way to dull your claws soon.”
“May we hurry up and go to bed so we can get a decent start. I’m a little tired and hungry.”
“You can sleep on an empty stomach?”
“You can’t?”
“To an extent, but I would rather go get something to eat.”
“This is your town.”
She looked down at the bulge in my pants and back up to me. “You are on my lap.”
“You say that like you can’t carry my feathery arse,” I said, being petulant and a little snobby.
“Maybe I do not feel like it.” She said extra flatly.
I sipped my drink and nestled in. “Maybe I’m comfy?”
Unfortunately, Maud knows how to make me comfortable. That also means that she is aware of some things that make me extra disquieted. Rather disgruntled. Downright nopified. Maud licked my throat with her long Pony tongue and made me gag before she skipped over my beard and slapped me in the face with it. The damn thing was easily eight inches long and two and a half inches at its widest, which made for a very unpleasant experience. I cowered against my love and tried to wipe her slobber off of my face as she shoved me off of her. Like a man of true manliness, I saved my drink and didn’t spill a drop, though it was soon claimed and drank by Maud. The look I gave her when I got up when ineffectual, which was probably because she was swaying slightly as she stood. Rather, it was most likely the cause of the swaying that make her not care about her casual abuse of my bum.
“Let us alight to my abode. I have waited too long to show you to our home.” Maud said, a smile coming to her face more easily than I’d seen before. It was still minute, but it was there nonetheless. Little did I know at the time that it would be just one of many more to be seen in a night that I would hold precious in my memories
I flipped her off and she did her Pebble-Giggle, which sounded like ‘Heh-heh heh-heh-heh’. She often did it when she knew that I was mildly miffed with her and she was in the mood to act a bit like a naughty child. It often preceded sexual advances because Maud likes to get physical for some odd reason, which I didn’t mind. I was just hoping that she wouldn’t try and break me like last time. Before we could leave, Maud snuck quite a lot more liquor until I chided her and made her stopper the bottle. Unbeknownst to me, the damage was well and truly done.
On the walk to Maud’s house (I only collected half of my refund from the inn because I’d gotten a shower out of the deal), I noticed that she got increasingly drunk, though it would have taken a deaf man to miss the odd way her voice slid between emotions when she talked while hammered. From one word to the next, Maud would sound critically depressed and beyond euphoric, or filled with a deep-seated, unadulterated hatred for the word she was saying before expressing the deepest of love for the next. It was such a rapid assault of conflicting ideas and tones that I couldn't comprehend what she was saying in the slightest, despite knowing that she was saying words.
She still managed to guide us to her house without too many issues, though there were a lot of Ponies asking whether or not she was okay since she was a prominent figure in the community. Apparently she had friends among the civilians of Jolly Junction, and many of them were more than a little wary of the ‘handsome stranger with big ol’ wings’ coming around with Maud in a rather compromised state. I assured those that asked that I was Garrison, or rather, ‘Gauche’. It usually didn’t go over too well until Maud start kissing on my face like I was made of sugar, but the affection was nice anyway.
Once we actually got to her cottage just outside of town, not even ten minutes walk in either direction from the outskirts and the town itself, I took it in while Maud squealed like a little girl. “Gary~! It’s our ho~use!”
I chuckled and carried us closer, getting a better look at it as the meager light of the street lamps in the distance did little to illuminate the cozy looking building. From what I could tell, it was partially made of red brick cobblestone, though the porch and the steps of said porch were wood. However, upon coming up to the house I saw that the main colours were the greyish brick, accented by the cobblestone and dark wood. It was actually rather tasteful, and while I hauled Maud up her stairs, I took note of a few fossils and geodes that she left outside, most likely for decoration, and wondered if she ever worried about someone possibly coming by and stealing the ones that evidently weren’t pretty enough for her collection.
Maud clumsily unlocked the front door and flipped on the porch lights before leaving me to stumble into her house. The door was a lovely shade of mauve that I thought was fitting for the home so far, though when I went inside, I was more surprised than I should have been. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting Maud’s house to be vivid, but she… Well, she had a certain ‘flair’ for interior design, I’ll say that…
[What’s that face for? Maud’s house is cool!]
Yeah, that’s because she listened to me when I asked that we do a little redecorating. No, when I first went into Maud’s house, it was a museum with the most boring, droll, drab colours everywhere. Even the furniture looked boring, but when I actually walked in, Maud grabbed my hand and I paid attention to her rather than her furnishings and choice of art, my heart stopped for a moment and she nearly pulled me off of my feet. For once in her time with me, Maud’s lips split into a wide, brilliant, truly expressive smile that made my heart melt into a warm, gooey, sticky puddle that she had unlimited access to. I felt my face heat up and my own smile form as she giggled with a mirth that I’d yet to hear from her, the walls she put up around her inner self finally crashing down with the sauce.
“Welcome home~ hic! Gauche~”
I paused to soak in the moment for just a little bit longer. “Thank you, Maud. It’s good to be home.”
[... As sweet as that is, you still have to catch up to Jayne.]
{Christ, he’s been talking for an entire session!}
I guess I just cared more about what was going on than you did.
[It’s really seeming like it.]
Oh well. Anyway, Maud pulled me along and started showing me things in display cases: The pieces of her collection that never left her home. In the cases I saw incredible minerals that sometimes just made no sense. For instance, there was a stone that pulsed light in different places, but also had a concurrent stream avoiding each pulsation as best it could, the solid yellow line turning spiky whenever it hit one of the purple blobs of colour. There was another stone that was tied down with a ball and chain, and even then it lifted its burden a fair bit off of the ground. It would stay wherever you put it since it was perfectly balanced, which was interesting to say the least.
I’d have been enraptured while Maud was sober, but having her drunk and telling me every little thing she could about the true objects of her passion had my heart throbbing and my stomach flittering about gaily. Even though I kind of just wanted to go lie down with the woman who was keeping me awake, I was happy to entertain her for as long as her buzz wore on. Even as I quizzed her about her rocks and got answers that didn’t correlate at all with what I’d asked, Maud was steadily growing more and more bold with her advances. With me in her territory, she was free with her hands and I was wont to let her play with me as she liked since she seemed to be having fun. Anything from wrapping my arms around her to fondling my wings; Mauble wasn’t terribly shy with her hands and she was plenty comfortable with cuddling up to me, passing out facts like they were pastries on Jus’ Day in Avalesce. Or Araluen. They liked him too, I guess.
Anyway, eventually Maud got to yawning as much as she was talking, so I made her drink a glass of water to stave off her hangover and had her try to find her bed. The woman was rather hammered and a little more than tired, so we saw a closet, the bathroom, and the room I intended on staying in once I got her laid down. At least, that was the plan. Once I escorted Maud to her bed, she just wouldn’t stop hugging me, so I hugged her back for a while, hoping that she’d fall asleep on her hooves and let me lay her down. That didn’t work in the slightest after five minutes of swaying in place, but it was nice. I tried nibbling on her ears to make her let me go, but she usually just hit me with the other one until I let go.
“Mmm~” Maud hummed into my shoulder. “You are warm~”
I puffed out a few chuckles. “Your bed can be just as warm with you in it, I promise. Let’s end the night, my Persian Princess-”
“You know my coat~!”
I kissed her temple and waddled her over to the edge of her bed, but when she sat down, she twisted and clambered on top of me. Maud was probably just too drunk to care about whether or not I wriggle away, she just seemed to enjoy the chase. When my wings hit her headboard, her head hit my chest and she planted her hands on my thighs, getting between my legs in a very compromising way. My heart hammered in my breast for a moment since I hadn’t been expecting to be in Maud’s bed, probably sitting on one of her pillows, but she just smiled at me with that beautiful smile. I couldn’t do anything against it other than watch and hope that it didn’t fade anytime soon, but then she closed her lips, the grin she wore charming me in a different way while she wobbled and wavered.
“M-Mauble, I-”
Maud kissed my fuzzy chin and shut me up, making my face fully flush instead of just casually blush. She’d evidently remembered that touching my chin was the only way to make me stop talking altogether. After a moment that smelled of alcohol and marshmallows more so than chocolate, Maud wrapped her arms around my torso and shifted around until she was hugging my ribs and her head was on my chest. With some lime-sucking effort, I stretched my wings a bit and got the tips off of the headboard, the blood returning to the limbs making life a little less pleasant. I was thankful for the placement of my wings since they allowed me to rest my upper back against the thing without it hurting too much, and it was a nice position to stay in. With Maud in my arms, I had a hard time imagining how things could be much better in the moment, all thoughts of the anal evisceration that awaited me if I made so much as a misstep along the way.
… Can I stop now?
[No. You’re still technically three days behind Jayne.]
Fucking shite. Jayne? Next time, don’t skip ahead so far.
{It was all boring shit! You don’t have to go into the nitty-gritty about every little thing you do!}
[You both do it, so shut it or keep it consistent.]
Ugh… Can I have a break for some tea?
[... Fine. I am tired, I guess…]
{You get tired?}
[Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t I?]
{... Just didn’t think a bundle of energy like you ever wore out.}
It is rather odd.
[Pshaw, like you guys didn’t know me when I was little. I’ll see you later~]
{...}
… Told you I could wear her down.
{Didn’t think it was possible. What now?}
Didn’t you feel it? When we started throwing punches?
{She’s blocking my Super Sanity right now and I can’t fuck with the Nether. What’s the wave?}
It’s from Godsholm~
{Mwah!}
Save the kisses for the good news.
[Hmm… What news would that be?]
… Dissida’s coming?
[No she’s not. Stop feeding her false hope.]
{I mean, it was nice…}
[That’s why ya should think of shutting up]
Right…
{... Oh my God…}
[What?]
Furladra above…
[What. Are. You. Talking. About?]
[Why are you smiling at me like that. What the-]
✯☾Ω☽✯
This is all wrong…
This is all so… So very wrong…
Who the fuck…?
Wait, Mate! I’m who the fuck!
Kinda… Maybe. Probably, I think.
I could ask my family. They might know. They probably know.
I should ask Twilight. She’ll know. My Cherry knows everything.
Might know a little too much for her own good....