//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: A Love Bug's Life // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 6 ___________________________________________________________ “It’s so exciting!” Verity is practically bouncing of the walls, causing the little ones to laugh at the silly antics of us adults. “I wonder who will carry the flag for the Empire,” Scarlet ponders, several foals imitating her rubbing her chin. I have to hold back a snicker, before glancing around the park at the ponies working diligently to spruce it up for tomorrow. Yes, time has moved on here in the Empire and out in Equestria. Twilight has become an Alicorn and our newest princess. About a week ago was the scare of the sun and moon being in the sky at the same time, but, as I’d expected, everything turned out fine, with the Tree being given back the Elements. Now, today is the day Flag Carrying Competition, where teams from all over are going to see who will carry their flag for their athletic team in the Equestria Games. The students from Ponyville should be arriving soon. I frown as I notice two certain someponies are absent. “Whoa, what in the…?” At the rather raspy female voice, I turn around to see a griffin who looks very puzzled as two foals from her front, smiling up at her. I hurry over. “Sorry, sorry. These two scamps love to pull disappearing acts.” I get a good look at the griffin as I’m gently pulling my foals off her with my magic. She looks a lot like Gilda, but with a slightly different shape. She seems to have everything else similar, save maybe a darker brown coat of feathers, but other than that and her body shape, a bit wider than Gilda’s there’s no difference. She shakes her head, before giving me a very disapproving look. “You’re not a very good mother if you can’t keep track of your hatchlings.” At once, I scowl. “Do hatchlings have the ability to teleport? Until they do, don’t act like you know how hard it is too keep track of a foal use can use magic.” The griffin huffs, before moving off and I notice twelve hatchlings with her, several of whom are glancing back me out of curiosity. I blink, before it clicks. Those must be the students from whatever counts as a school in Griffonstone and they’re competing to hold Griffonstone’s flag in the Equestria Games. Suddenly my forlimbs are empty, but before, I can worry, feel a little form plop on my back. Glancing behind me, I see my little owns, giving me the most innocent smiles. I roll my eyes and smile. These two have been a hoofful. Several times they’ve gone flying around the Empire and causing mischief, thinking it’s a game. I’m lucky Crystal Ponies are so willing to forgive little ones’ antics, because if this were Canterlot, I’m pretty sure the nobles would’ve wanted my head ages ago. Shaking my head, but still smiling, I walk back over to the girls and the rest of our charges and set my little ones back down with them. “Oh. Well, this is unexpected.” I think I almost give myself whiplash with how quickly I turn my neck at the sound of the voice. Cadance is walking into the park, a contingent of guards trying, unsuccessfully, to secretly fool after, clearly there for her protection. At once, Rose and Medley cheer, before Rose lights her horn, teleporting the two to sit in front of the pink princess, holding their hooves up to her. Cadance laughs, picking them both up and nuzzles them. “Oh my gosh! Your Highness!” we both turn to see the girls bowing, the foals laughing, thinking they’re being silly. Cadance radiates happiness and I can’t help smiling at her. “Aww! They’re so adorable!” My eyes widen and I turn around, very surprised to see a relaxed trio of fillies, with a rainbow maned Pegasus flying next to them. Sweetie Belle is looking at all the foals. Then they notice Cadance and go nuts. “I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Cadance smiles sadly, nuzzling my foals and returning them to me with her magic, before heading off with Dash and the CMC towards the stadium where the games and Flag Carrying Competition are being held. I walk back over to the girls, before pausing, glancing behind me, a tiny frown on my face. “Prism?” Scarlet Heart’s voice pulls me from my thoughts and I turn to her. I smile. “It’s probably nothing.” We spend the next half hour just entertaining the foals, making sure none of them run off or cause anypony any problems. I call over any fillies and colts who seem upset, indicating to me either they lost the competition, or feel they have. A few minutes with our gaggle of foals gets them all smiling in no time. Eventually, I notice a certain pair of Earth Ponies in frilly pink skirts stomping down the path. I watch the two, frowning as I find myself torn. Being a mother now, I want to protect Diamond Tiara from her horrible mother, but I know I can’t do so without interfereing with the timeline and risking the CMC not getting their Cutie Marks. I sigh, watching the pair disappear down the road. Sorry, Tiara. I wish I could help, you. I really do. “Prism?” I turn to see Scarlet giving me a sheepish grin. “Hmm?” I ask, cocking my head. She rubs the back of her neck. “We’ve… run out of diapers. Could you… go get us some more and I notice Aroma’s expression…” I look to the little pink and purple maned foal with a scrunched up face. I blink, before nodding, giving a salute. “Be back as soon as possible.” I head down the road back towards the care center. With any luck, thanks to the competition having only recently ended, I shouldn’t have to worry about crowds until a little after getting back with… supplies… I stop in place, turning towards the west, my eyes narrowed. I sense… something. There’s negative emotions coming from that direction. Or rather, positive emotions caused by desires for something negative. Glancing around to ensure not too many ponies are nearby, I move in that direction, my eyes scanning for witnesses. I dunno what it is I’m sensing the emotions of, but it has negative intent and that’s enough for me to want it gone. I find myself reaching the edge of the barrier separating the Empire from the frozen north. I narrow my eyes at the barrier. Beyond it, I sense whatever has negative emotions coming closer. I glance back the way I came, before firming my expression and step out of the barrier. At once, the wind slams into my face, the cold trying to sap the warmth from my body. I just shake my head, bracing against the elements, my eyes fixed on the direction the emotions are coming from. Within moments, I see a form coming closer through the snow. As I watch, it becomes clearer… and I find myself confused. It has the head of a tiger, a goat and a tail with the head of a snake. I blink. It’s the Chimera from the episode Somepony To Watch Over me. What in the wide world of Equestria is it doing all the way out here in the frozen north. I was expecting that pony eating yeti Pinkie encounters in Party Pooped. Shaking my head, I focus as it comes within full range, quickly casting a temporary silence spell on the barrier in a way I know will spread it over the whole Empire. Simple, harmless spells do that, as if the barrier knows what will harm those within and what won’t. Guess that’s the Crystal Heart’s influence. “Halt!” I yell firmly. It does, before the three heads look to me in confusion, then burst out laughing. “Look at this ssssilly pony, sssissstersss,” the snake snickers. “Oh. So-oh-oh intimidating,” the goat head says before giving a bleating laugh. “I’m warning you,” I say, gritting my teeth. “I’m a mother. I won’t let you harm my daughters or anypony else in this Empire!” The tiger head just sneers at me. “And just how does a single little pony plan on stopping us? You’re just an appetizer to us.” “Perhapsss her daughtersss can be the main coursssse,” the snake head hisses, laughing cruelly, causing her sisters to laugh along with her. I snort, letting them finish their laughter, before looking at them with cold certainty. “You three are nothing but a bunch of bullies.” They laugh again. “Oh, we’re sowwy pony,” the tiger head says mockingly. “We didn’t wealize we wewe huwding yow widdle feewings.” I snort again. “And you wanna you the thing about being a bully?” They sneer at me, asking in unison, “What?” My eyes flash with Changeling Magic, causing them all to blink in confusion as I add distortion to my voice. “There’s always someone bigger than you!” I’m engulfed in green flash, that rises higher and higher, towering over the quadruped. When the flames dissipate, I’m now in the form of Godzilla. I lean down, snarling, before letting out a deafening roar. My roar echoes across the landscape for several moments, the tri-headed beast’s fur matted against itself from the force of the wind my roar created. I snort, blowing a cloud of frost over the Chimera. “Run!” They do, speeding off, whimpering all the way. I watch them go until they are far out of sight, which, in my current form, gives me a long range of view. Once they’re finally beyond the far off horizon, I return to my Prism form, pass back through the barrier and return the center to get the supplies. Nopony will be any the wiser.