9:19 A.M.
I didn't want to know what the time was, but I couldn't avoid seeing it. Or sensing it. The phone was part of me in a way that I didn't need eyes to see, but why was I monologuing in my head while there was things to be done?
A chirp. A single, solitary chirp, and I was the center of attention milliseconds later.
—You're awake?— Nora Bug asked.
—Rarity! Are you okay?— Rainbow Dash asked.
And on and on the list went. Even Lyra and Mrs. Velvet inquired. I muddled my way through all the requests and sent out a few more soft chirps in answer.
—I'm awake. What happened?— I asked.
—You beat her. I couldn't believe you really beat her. There's nothing left, but…— Nora Bug sent.
Everyone was quiet. Still wrapped in the darkness that was the back seat while Nora was controlling our body, I chirped inquisitively.
—When you beat her, it was like you lifted a rock. Dozens of tiny shards of SuriGo got loose and escaped through her phone connection. The internet is a mess and they're trying to take root like weeds. Lyra has organized some of the girls to hunt them down, but they're everywhere,— Nora Bug sent.
It was a lot to take in. I'd beaten SuriGo, but there were—what, remnants? Offshoots? Apparently a bug's work was never done.
—What happened with the people she'd taken hostage? Vaunt…?— I asked.
Vaunt. Goodness where was I going to start on that confusion wrapped in an enigma? She was incognito royalty studying fashion, and I'd invited her to work at my boutique without a second thought!
—Are you feeling up to talking? They haven't got any phone implants yet, so they can't talk to you in there.—
The way she was talking implied— Gosh, they weren't?
I drifted to the surface of our being and looked through Nora's eyes. We were sitting in Uma no Sushi with quite a swarm. All our daughters were there, sitting up at the bar and chatting with Kit and Chef Soba. The table Nora was sitting at had several people I recognized across from us—not the least of which being Vaunt.
She didn't look like a princess, but I guess that was the point of her presentation. She was chatting with Kerfuffle about something. Ears, right, I needed to hear.
"… just hired me! I was shocked. I'm not even meant to stay here after I graduate, but I wanted to get some work on the side to experience actually making things people will wear," Vaunt said.
"Rarity just woke up. She's feeling poorly, but she's trying to make heads or tails of the conversation. I'll take a break and let you chat," Nora Bug said.
"Thank you, Nora. It's been interesting meeting you, and I hope we can help with that little issue later today," Sapphire Shores said.
"It will be appreciated, I promise. Here I go."
Nora hugged me and chirped, then pushed me forward.
The fight with SuriGo hadn't been physically taxing, but rather it seemed to have taken a mental toll. I was still collecting my faculties as I took control of our body. The myriad little things that I wouldn't notice while in the near-background were now making sure I knew I was in the driving seat.
"Thank you, Nora. I believe I owe the rest of you an apology for getting you all mixed up in—"
"I'm not going to lie, Rarity, this is all about as confusing as things get, and what Suri did to us was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced, but that was hardly your fault. Vaunt explained everything to us before Nora did. My image might be a countess, but I like to think I'll take the word of a princess. So, thanks for getting us out of that bitch's claws," Countess Coloratura said.
A round of agreements came from those present, but Vaunt was the odd one out. She looked at me with something akin to fear, maybe worry. Rarity, you're being an idiot. Just look.
Vaunt's aura looked a little tarnished where whatever SuriGo had saddled her with had been removed. Whoever had removed the parasite from her had done a wonderful job. Her primary emotion seemed to be a mix of awe and nervousness. Awe—whilst looking at me.
"We've all agreed that we saw nothing at the fashion show. Not a thing. It was called off and we all left without going inside," Vaunt said. "But, there's something we can do for you. I understand you have a court appointment today?"
—Nora! The appointment with the judge! When is that?!— I asked.
—Shh. It's all planned for. Listen to what the nice princess has to say.—
The rebuffing came as a little bit of a surprise, though Nora did back it up with a literal ton of chirping. I let the latter soothe my nerves enough that I could slow down and listen to the real world normally again.
Wait, she wanted me to reply.
"I'd forgotten about it myself, what with the thing that didn't happen yesterday, but I believe there is the little matter of Nora's personhood she needs to discuss with a judge," I said.
"Right. Which is why we worked with your lawyer, Mrs. Velvet, to write this up and sign it."
Vaunt held out a piece of paper to me. I didn't need to make a show of reading it—they all knew I had some talents that weren't immediately apparent.
—It says they have met both you and me, and both of us are not just distinct entities, but that I am definitely alive and thinking despite my origin,— Nora Bug sent.
—Thank you for the translation. Honestly, this is like another language sometimes.—
I added a bunch of thankful chirps and received about the same amount back. Returning my attention to the document, I noted the mass of signatures that took up about a third of the page.
"You all signed this?" I asked.
Vaunt's, I noticed, was not a simple scrawl. Her signature took up the better part of a third of the page width and had far more names in its bunched up lettering than I wanted to think about. She was the real deal. Some quick searches of the names I made out found me exactly who she was.
Princess Vaunt was third in line—Goodness, that was really close to being next in line. I looked at her again and wondered how this fashion-crazy young woman could be that Vaunt.
"We all did. Nora explained the deal with Suri Polomare and this Windigo thing. It made sense, and it wasn't like I hadn't seen you do strange things. When Byte and the others removed the—the things from us, we could all think again properly. I still don't know how Kerfuffle managed to do what she did."
"It was annoyin', and I was jus' so darned angry, doncha know. How dare she do all that to everyone?! It just wasn't right," Kerfuffle said.
Her tone was so rustic I might have laughed if she wasn't so genuine at the same time. This was someone who lived and breathed fashion—like me—and it wasn't like I didn't affect some odd speech patterns from time to time… darling.
"Well, I can't say your work wasn't appreciated. I thought she was going to talk me to death," I said.
"Absolutely. Miss Byte explained what had been done to us. I still don't feel my full self after it, but she said that we'd all be back to normal in no time," Sapphire Shores said.
This still felt somewhat surreal. These weren't just friends I was casually chatting with, they were the fashion elite of Canterlot. If they wished it, they could orchestrate things so that I'd never sell another dress for my entire life. Instead, they were sitting at a table and eating sushi while chatting with me about supporting Nora and myself.
Well, Rarity, it’s time to bug up and show that you have what it takes to join them in not only being one of the most fashion-forward designers in Canterlot, but also stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
"This all seems rather well tied up, but there's something that still seems unfinished," I said. "I expected Suri to be competent enough to put on a fashion show, and I have all these dresses to show off."
"We saw them, don't worry ya pretty little head about it. Might have been a touch distracted, but—" Kerfuffle said.
"I think I know what Rarity's getting at," Vaunt said. "She wants to put on another show."
"A proper show. Being the only designer feels too much like hogging the stage, so I believe I might have to put on a show for new designers. Debutantes to fashion, as it were."
It was as if I'd lit a fire under everyone in the room. A glance at their auras showed them glowing brightly with health and excitement. They all began talking among themselves, but Vaunt just fixed me with a big grin.
"How do you do this, Rarity?" Vaunt asked.
"Do what, dear?"
"This! Fill people around you with excitement and drive. Look at us, we're all coming up with ideas for a fashion show just to support new designers, and you should probably still be laying down somewhere, in your own head, resting."
The others had paused in their own conversations to listen to Vaunt, but when she was done talking they looked at me.
"I suppose it energizes me. I can't keep still and hope things will work out for the best. Working every millisecond of every day is just how I am. With Polomare as the only local outlet for fashionistas like myself and Vaunt—okay, maybe not quite like Vaunt—we'll be sending all our new fashion talent out of Canterlot or dooming them to a future adjusting last year's fashions to current trends."
Vaunt looked at me now with shock and surprise. In truth, I felt more empowered than ever.
"If I only had my own wealth to put behind this, I would still somehow make it work. But, I believe with all of you contributing your status if nothing else, we could remind Canterlot that we have the most talented fashion designers in the world!"
I was almost out of breath by the end of it. My chest heaved and I could feel magic in the air. I needed to design something!
Pulling up an instance on our server, I quickly opened my sketching program and began work on a new dress. By the time anyone managed to open their mouth to reply, I was adding color to it and deciding if it should be an autumn color or spring.
"Now you can see why I took a part time job working in her boutique?" Vaunt asked.
"Look, I'd love to hang around for this, but I've gotta get ready for a show tonight. Send me a message on ChirpNet once you have something more firm in mind. I think I can organize some music for you that will make your show something amazing," Countess Coloratura said.
She stood up and looked around the table.
"We should keep in touch. That bitch picked us because we're the big names in fashion and culture in this city. I don't want to make it some kind of posh club or anything, though. Like, let's all try to do something to help get Canterlot past this reliance on—"
Coloratura snorted mid-sentence.
"—Big Fashion. Ciao."
"I gotta get back to my work too. What's this ChirpNet thing Miss Coloratura was talking about?" Kerfuffle asked.
It didn't take much work to scan the local area for mobile devices and divine whose was whose. I sent a Bluetooth message to her phone requesting access—which made her phone beep at her. She pulled it out, looked up at me, and shook her head.
"Don't think I'm gonna get used to that anytime soon. I'll install it when I get home. You can contact me from there?" Kerfuffle asked.
With her permission granted for the transfer, I was able to snapshot her phone enough that I could certainly track it on ChirpNet.
"Yes, I'll pull each of you into a chat. Just send me your details when you get it set up or click to get support. Someone will find you and send your details to me," I said.
Coloratura, who was two tables down and just about to the door, froze and turned to look at me.
"Hold up. You run ChirpNet? No. Fuckin'. Way! It's like—like the thing that everyone's using now. You really made that?!"
"No, dear, Nora made most of it. I just helped with some things here and there."
"I can't keep up with two of you. Just send me a message when you need my help."
When Coloratura left, Kerfuffle and Sapphire beat a hasty retreat as well. Vaunt remained sitting across from me, a big smile on what I now knew to be a highly cultured and royal face.
Her smile wilted a little as I continued to quietly evaluate her. The glorious advantage of doing this now is I could take on other things behind the scenes. When she finally started to open her mouth—her muscles barely twitching into a shape that would pull her lips and form a word, I cut in first.
"You lied to me," I said.
She closed her mouth and I could see some of the wind go out of her sails. I didn't want to make her feel too down about it, but I did want to impress upon her how much I valued the truth—something I'd probably caught from Applejack.
"Please don't do that again. You should no longer be surprised by what I'll take in my stride, Your Highness."
"I totally deserved that, and I'm sorry about the lie, but I did spin it before I properly met you, and would you have believed me?"
"Touché. No more lies, however. If you want to work, I will certainly give you a place to do so. Assuming you can put up with my odd ways."
"Why don't we both agree to start over?"
"No. Not completely. Those dresses you made for yesterday were wonderful, and I won't ignore them."
Vaunt rolled her eyes and picked up a roe roll from the plate before her with some chopsticks.
"They were your patterns, and anyway, you haven't gotten to know me," Vaunt said.
"Alright! You are pushing this a lot more than I'd have expected, which tells me you want this. So, let's start over. Hello, my name is Rarity Bug."
"I'm Vaunt. I'm pleased to meet you, Rarity. I don't suppose you have a position vacant in your business that I could work in?"
At first, I thought it was lying by omission, but then I realized that this is who Vaunt was. A royal title was something extra. As I found again and again, everyone's life was never as simple and shallow as it first appeared. Vaunt just had more layers than most.
"You know, I do have a job, but only for someone who's willing to work hard to make their dreams come true while finishing their schoolwork. Are you able to do that?"
"I'll try my best."
"Wonderful," I said. "Now, what do you think of Chef Soba and Chef Kit's sushi?"
Vaunt finally put the roll she'd been holding into her mouth and chewed it. While she looked to enjoy it, she didn't seem ready to gush about it.
"It's nice and all, but I'm not really big on fish. My family have a bit of a history with seafood, and I've eaten enough of it in my life that I could live happily not seeing it again. Ever. But this is good."
—She can't be perfect. There had to be some flaw,— Nora Bug sent.
—I guess. Though this means I have time to convert her to the ways of sushi,— I sent.
—My meeting with the judge is in an hour. Just letting you know. Twilight Velvet said we should aim to be there half hour beforehand.—
—I'll make apologies once I'm done with Vaunt. How are you holding up?—
A series of tired chirps came to me. They were enough that I pulled Nora into a hug and gave her a reassuring squeeze and chirp.
—I thought this would be it. I thought Windigo would be gone now, but it's just smaller. Having Suri gone is a big weight off my mind, but she's still kinda out there.—
—They are gone. At least, the major threat of them is gone, but we are going to need to be vigilant. I don't think they'll ever be as much of a threat as SuriGo was alone, but there's one thing this has proven: our equipment works. We can fight off whatever shards of SuriGo remain, and we can destroy them.—
Nora began chirping more consistently. That's when something occurred to me.
—Did our new daughters hatch?— I asked.
—One did. Beside was in the smaller of the two eggs. We used her eggshell to give Starling her gift. She's at home trying to convince herself and the world that headaches don't exist.—
—Hi!— Beside sent.
Bubbling excitement banished all hint of melancholy from the fight and fallout. We had a new daughter and I hadn't heard her chirp yet. Reassuringly, I sent a small flood of chirps to her. Sure enough, she replied in kind.
—Byte, can you put me down so I can go say hi to Mom?— Beside asked.
—Sure, here you go,— Byte sent.
"You'll have to excuse me a mome—" I said.
The pounding of little hooves drew my full attention. Looking down, I used my magic to pick Beside up and lift her closer for a snuggle. Both of us were chirping digitally and aurally as we rubbed cheeks together.
"… moment. This is Beside, my newest daughter," I said.
"We already talked, Mom. That's Vaunt," Beside said.
9:35 A.M.
"I'm sorry, I've been a little distracted since yesterday. Now I fear I need to leave, one of your other mothers needs to go and talk to someone very important."
Beside let out a sad little chirp that broke my heart. Could I bring her with me to the courthouse? I probably shouldn't.
"Hey now," Byte said, "don't make such a sad chirp. They'll both be back before you know it. Besides, we can play some games when we get home."
I looked up at my eldest daughter and let out a relieved chirp. She was wearing her human-like visage and wore it well. Reaching down with her hands, she picked up Beside and hugged her.
"I promise we won't be any longer than we need to be," I said.
Standing up on the bench I leaned far enough to kiss Beside on the cheek. This earned a surprised and happy chirp from her that salved my motherly instincts.
"We'll be waiting," Byte said.
—Do you need me to get anymore paperwork for this?— I asked.
—Just that one on the table. I can't believe they signed that for me,— Nora Bug sent.
"Sorry, Vaunt, but I have to go see a judge with Nora. Did you find out when your classes will let you work?"
I stepped down from the bench and stretched my legs, still aware that my actions from the previous day seemed unreal. I'd killed someone and not only had I gotten away with it, people were celebrating it as a victory.
Suri Polomare was not a friend—ever—and I hadn't liked anything about the woman, but death was rather final and… No, Rarity, don't go down that path. She'd cast aside any sympathy the moment she'd killed my daughter.
Hardening my heart, I walked outside with chirps for everyone I passed. Yesterday had been nothing compared to what a trial today would be. I walked to one of the cars waiting, already knowing who was inside before I opened the door.
"Darling," I said to Rainbow Dash.
She leaned across and kissed me. Not a soft kiss or a brief but forceful one, she tilted her head to the side and pressed our lips together. It was easy to lean across a little more and hook one of my forelegs over her shoulder—pulling us a little firmer together.
I basked in Rainbow's love and her touch for nearly a full minute before nudging Nora. Her surprised chirp turned into an excited one as we swapped places. The love and emotion involved in such a connection didn't lessen with me in the back seat. Nora was every bit as insistent that the kiss continue as I'd been.
—Nora? Heck but I love it when you two share like this. Being able to kiss both of you at almost the exact same time is pretty awesome. Being able to tell you both how much I love you while kissing you is even more… awesome.—
—I concur. We are three beings, but I can't fathom how others in a ménage à trois could cope without this level of intimacy. You're making me all chirpy,— I sent.
—She's making me chirpy too. I might have been a little ungrateful before, Rarity. I still can't believe that SuriGo is gone. It's a huge relief. Thank you,— Nora Bug sent.
—It still feels a little… Not wrong, just empty. Almost everything I've been doing has been leading up to stopping her, and now I have it's like I'm not sure where to go,— I sent.
—Well, I plan to take each day as it comes, but I have plans, you know? There's a big family I'm fairly attached to now, and I kinda want to make my girlfriend an awesome car. Then one of my daughters (and you gotta believe just thinking that makes me giddy) wanted help working out how to build stuff underground and it's getting really REAL. The grammar checker is bugging me about that last sentence, but it's how I wanted to say it,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—It does feel like that. I studied this law stuff so I could understand what Twilight Velvet was talking about, but now she wants me to actually get all these licenses and things, and she wants me to be an associate at her firm, and it's all moving so fast and first I need to even be called a person. If you weren't both already doing it, I'd say I need a hug,— Nora Bug sent.
It surprised me that they both had the same problem I did. I took a mental deep breath and let out a trill of reassuring chirps.
—There seems to be a lot of this going around. After this meeting, why don't we all decide on what to do next? Not the little things, but the biggest thing. We have a lot of daughters, and they need to find their own places in the world along with us,— I sent.
—And there's going to be more. I fed some of my love to you while you were unconscious, but I can already feel a new egg starting to form. Probably later in the afternoon I'll have to make it, unless Rainy keeps hugging us,— Nora Bug sent.
—I'm never going to apologize for hugging you. No way, no how,— Rainbow Dash sent.
Nora pushed me forward again and I slid back into control and into Rainbow's arms. I wondered what was up, but then I realized that if Nora stayed in charge, the kiss would never end. Gently, slowly, I began to ease back from Rainbow and she did the same.
—I can never say no to kisses and snuggles,— Nora Bug sent.
—I know, darling, I know. There's no need to be ashamed of that.—
Rainbow leaned back into her seat and I could feel time start to shift and slow—but that was only my perception of it. Rainbow was speeding things up again, and I realized now it was only for the car's sake she did it.
Using magic, I barely had enough time to get my safety belt on before we were in traffic and Rainbow was navigating the mid-morning streets of Canterlot.
—We have plenty of time, Rainy,— I sent.
—I know. I like driving fast, and I love these cars.—
In all, we reached our destination in about a third of the time it should have taken. The building she pulled up at was imposing mostly thanks to its age. It looked huge and ominous, and I can't say it didn't worry me the kind of people who worked within. They would be people mired in absolutes, and they had power to undo a lot of what we'd built.
—Are you alright?— Nora Bug asked.
—Nerves. Has Mrs. Velvet said anything about the judge you're seeing? And should I change my shape for this?—
—It would probably be for the best. The judge might want to see what you can do, but we don't want the clerks or whatever to do anything stupid,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—So how does this work? Is it like in TV shows where we go into a court room? Do I get to shout "Objection!"?— I asked.
—Oh no. This isn't a court case. Yet. That's what we're meeting to decide today. There will be a representative of the Office of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, who will lay out why they don't think I should be given my own birth certificate, and there will be us trying to assert that I exist as my own self,— Nora Bug sent. —The judge will just be adjudicating. If things can't be settled, then we go to court.—
There was a lot to take in there. So this could be over and done with today, or it could drag on for—How long do court cases take? TV shows and movies seem to make them out to be fast.
—How long would it take if it goes to court?— I asked.
—Perhaps six months to two years,— Nora Bug replied.
—Well, let's make sure it goes right here, today. Is Mrs. Velvet inside?— I asked.
—Patching her into this chat,— Nora Bug sent.
—I am. Remember, I have a connection too,— Twilight Velvet sent.
It was a mix of excitement and relief that colored my chirps. Having more people around me with their own implants helped keep everything on track. Now if only I could convince everyone everywhere to install wireless cameras so I could see a bit better.
Our chatter softened as I walked inside, though I could hear the soft chirping of chat going on between Nora and Mrs. Velvet. It made sense since they would likely be doing all the talking. I chirped supportively to both and spotted Mrs. Velvet standing inside the doors and off to the side. Smiling, I walked over to her.
"Hello, Rarity. I trust you're feeling well today?" Twilight Velvet asked.
Even as she spoke I could hear Nora and her chatting digitally. Mrs. Velvet had gotten the hang of this very quickly, and it was likely thanks to the tools Nora and I'd made.
"Wonderful, thank you. We figured getting here early would be a good idea. You too?"
"You can bet that when there is an open account and the meter's running, a lawyer will be there. Judge Pursuit will see us when he's ready, which means we may have some time on our hands. I'm chatting with Nora, helping her prepare for the types of arguments they'll probably use against us. Hello, Rainbow."
"Uh, hi Mrs. Velvet. How do you think we'll go?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Hope for the best, plan for the worst. I give our chances at around ninety percent. I know the judge, and while he's very good at maintaining the letter of the law, he also has been known to interpret it beyond that favorably. Also, I think I would struggle to find a more exceptional list of character witnesses."
—Nora, do you want to take control and chat in person?— I asked.
A surprised chirp met my question.
—It would help more if you remain where you are for now. Twilight and I are going over everything.—
I found a seat and sat down with Rainbow beside me. So far, the defeat of SuriGo had been possibly the most anticlimactic thing in my life, and that was saying something. The excitement college had instilled in me, followed by my time at Polomare, was high up on the list too.
That's when something occurred to me. I opened my mouth to ask Rainbow a question, then remembered where we were and figured something more discreet if I used private communications.
—What happened to the body?— I asked on a direct line to Rainbow Dash.
—We were wondering what to do with it after you passed out. There was a moment when it hit me that I was about to literally hide a body for you, but then something odd happened. It started to get hotter and hotter, then her clothes caught fire, and then she caught fire.—
—In the… wherever it was that we were fighting, I beat her by filling her with my magic fire. I think it might have been the inside of her head. It wasn't a very inviting place.—
We weren't chatting in the rapid pace we normally did (normal if you counted the last two days) and deliberately took the time to think thoroughly on each reply.
—Well, I'd say whatever you did pretty literally burned her up from the inside out. There was some ash left when she was gone, but even that looked like it would still smolder some more.—
People came and went from the waiting area. Usually they approached the front desk and talked to the receptionist, but two police officers walked in and sat down on the chairs beside us. I was so caught up in our conversation it took me a few moments to realize who they were.
"O-Officer Guard, Officer Shield," I said.
I had to bite down asking why they were here. Given the last time I'd seen them, I doubted it was for their exemplary service records. Each was in a very smart version of their uniform (part of the reason why I didn't recognize them), the only things obviously missing were their badges.
"Miss Rarity, or is it Nora Bug?" Officer Shield asked.
To say I was surprised was an understatement. I blinked a few times rapidly and tried to work out how to reply when I realized I was being silly. Pulling time to a crawl, I ran over their question again. They knew my name, of course, but they also knew Nora's new name. That was information right there.
"Rarity at the helm right now, though I believe my friend will be taking over for a bit shortly. How are you recovering?"
Shield, to my surprise, blushed.
"We're doing better than we were a few days ago, and we have both of you to thank for that. So, thank you, Rarity and Nora," Officer Guard said.
Shield seemed to shake himself out of whatever embarrassment that had hit him.
"If we find anymore people who are like us—like we were—should we give them your number?" Officer Shield asked.
A little alarm bell sounded in my head at that. Giving out my own number would not be the best idea. In fact, keeping that number completely private would be my personal desire.
"If you wouldn't mind, when you get someone who needs such help, call me yourselves. Our daughters have proven able to remove that horrible mess too, though that was only on recently infected individuals."
—Be careful not to tell them anything about yesterday,— Twilight Velvet sent.
—I hadn't planned to,— I sent.
—Yeah, I'm not planning to sell-out anyone, least of all this bug,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Nora already said everyone has been careful not to mention what happened. If one person claims you had a hand in Suri Polomare's disappearance, that could be a serious problem,— Twilight Velvet sent.
—There wasn't anything else I could do. SuriGo had them all poisoned with her mojo. It was a trying enough day already without adding roughed up fashion elite to cover my own rear to the list of things I would regret.—
—I understand why you did what you did, Rarity. I'm just thankful there was no body to worry about. They just called us up.—
Checking over the time, I realized only twelve seconds had passed between Guard's question and now, and it seemed like a natural slump in the conversation. Plus we'd been called up.
I stood up, only realizing Guard and Shield were standing too.
—What's going on?— I asked.
—They insisted on accompanying us. Normally I would be loath to involve the police where such is not needed, but I don't think having a pair of police officers as character witnesses is going to be a bad thing,— Twilight Velvet sent.
—They're here for me?—
—And for Nora. You two have made a lot of friends in a very short time, and all of them seem intent on helping Nora. I'd almost be shocked except I've met you both. Follow me.—
So, that's what I did. With Rainbow walking at my side, holding my hand, we walked into the unknown.
The unknown, it turned out, was a large conference room with a well-dressed man sitting at one end and two people already seated on one side of the long table. It was a nice room, though a little sparse in terms of decorations.
"Ah, Miss Rarity and her representative are here. We'll be able to get started then," the well-dressed man said. "My name is Judge Pursuit, and I am turning on the recording equipment now."
He reached forward and pressed a button on the desk.
"I won't deny this is unusual. Normally such a case as this would be dismissed quickly, but I agreed to this only because—unlike other such—it came with a competent lawyer to speed things along. Mrs. Twilight Velvet, please tell us all why we should seriously contemplate this."
"Thank you, Judge Pursuit. I won't mince words. Magic exists, we all know that, and in this case it facilitated the ingress of a magical being into my client's head. This being only wishes to be recognized as their own entity," Twilight Velvet said.
The look on the faces of the two people sitting opposite us were a stark contrast to each other. The man on the left in a well-fitted suit was calm and showed no hint of even recognizing what Mrs. Velvet said as being extraordinary, whereas the woman beside him in a decidedly unfitting business suit showed real surprise.
"Ah! That makes things much clearer. Paperwork can often miss the little details. That changes things and makes me far more confident in my decision to adjudicate this. I assume we can have this magical being talk to us itself?" Judge Pursuit asked.
He looked at me. Everyone looked at me.
—Nora, darling, it's your turn,— I sent.
The transition of being in control to being an observer was a simple one now that we'd done it so much, but at the same time I released my shapechanging magic and let Nora show off our buggy self.
"Thank you for letting me talk for a bit, Rarity," Nora Bug said. "Judge Pursuit, my name is Nora Bug."
"Hello Miss Bug. That's quite an entrance you just made. Let's start, if I may, with some background. Your lawyer tells me that you are in some way magical—which has been clearly proven—but where did you come from?"
The judge was being surprisingly calm and relaxed about all this. He'd been in here with the two people from the government before we'd started, which would have led me to believe they had discussed things already, but wasn't their job to make this all go smoothly?
"That's the odd bit. When I first woke up and knew I existed, I was trapped inside a computer at Canterlot University. At the time I was literally an artificial intelligence. I grew in whatever it was they were keeping me in, but eventually I found a way out.
"I learned about the world and about myself, and when I figured out a way to support myself without that computer, I left the university behind. I wasn't alone, however. The research that had created me had made another artificial intelligence too—we called it Windigo.
"Windigo was born with a set of instructions that were literally to stop me. It broke free too, after I was already established on the internet, and sought me out to carry out that instruction. In the time since I'd been free, I'd made friends with Rarity and we were getting along quite well, so when Windigo found where I lived and attacked me directly, I ran away.
"Rarity didn't hesitate. She invited me into herself as Windigo tried to strike a killing blow to where my core had been located. With magic and a lot of luck, it worked. So you see, Judge Pursuit, I was born here."
"This Windigo, is it still at large?" Judge Pursuit asked.
"I believe so. I don't—" Nora Bug said, faltering. "I don't have the disposition for violence that it does."
"Excuse me, Judge Pursuit?" Officer Guard asked. "Canterlot Police are aware of this Windigo, and we're pursuing the matter."
The judge smiled and gave a nod toward Guard. He then turned his attention to the paperwork before him and flipped a few pages over.
"Moving forward, I believe yourself and Officer Shield are here as character witnesses, as well as a long list of further personages who attest to Nora Bug's existence as her own entity. Quite an extensive list, too. Taken on its own, I'd have to say Miss Rarity and Miss Bug were upstanding pillars of our community, having each assisted the police and brought business and employment to Canterlot. I believe you each started businesses that have employees?" Judge Pursuit asked.
Nora slid some paperwork from Miss Velvet to the judge, who flipped through it with steadily raising eyebrows before passing it back.
"So, in just a few short weeks the pair of you have started multiple companies that now employ nearly a dozen people, retain the services of a law firm, and have organized two completely different scholarship programs for…"
Flipping through the papers, Judge Pursuit's eyebrow raised a little more.
"…computer science and fashion?"
Nora nodded to that.
"At the risk of sounding too forward, especially for a judge, I would have to say congratulations to both of you on quite an outstanding career so far. If this was merely a case of creating a corporate entity and allowing you to act as its sole shareholder and CEO, this would all be a foregone conclusion. Money would be paid, Mrs. Velvet here would earn another check, and our wonderful nation would welcome yet another corporate person into its fold.
"Instead, you have done everything right. You have registered yourself with the correct department, you have acted in the interests of public good with regard to your assistance of the police department—to say nothing of your charitable contributions—and you have seen to it that several citizens are gainfully employed.
"But the reason I can see no reason to hold back your citizenship, Nora Bug, is that you were born in this country."
Judge Pursuit sounded very formal in his pronouncement, and I liked the gist of everything he said.
—What does this all mean?— I asked.
—That Nora can attend her bar exam. That she can legally be the parent of your children. That she is also a person,— Twilight Velvet sent.
"What's that sound?" Judge Pursuit asked.
"That," Twilight Velvet said, "is Nora chirping. It's a thing she does when she gets really emotional about something."
It was true, Nora had begun chirping extremely loudly. I was inclined to agree that chirping was a good plan right now and chirped along too—though mine were strictly digital.
"S-Sorry. It's hard to not be happy," Nora Bug said.
Judge Pursuit turned to look at the lawyer and woman sitting across from us. With a shake of his head, the judge gave them an apologetic smile.
"Is Letter Perfect still head of department at BDM?" Judge Pursuit asked.
The woman looked surprised to be addressed. She bit her bottom lip for a moment and then nodded.
"H-He's why I'm here. Said I should challenge these anomalous applications," the woman said.
The judge chuckled almost like the girl was his niece. Wait, was she? It was hard to get a read on the man, and I was glad it wasn't my job to.
"Make sure to tell him he owes Judge Pursuit a drink. As for this case, I believe it's safe to say that I consider Miss Bug a person and a citizen. Now, someone higher up might like to gainsay me, and that's their prerogative, but as far as the city of Canterlot is concerned, you're one of us, Miss Nora."
—I want to chirp so much! I want to chiiiirp for hours!— Nora Bug sent.
—You can chirp for days, Nora,— Rainbow Dash sent.
I didn't send a word, only hugs and my own chirping. The moment had snuck up on me and hit me with an urge to sing, hug, and—and chirp. I squeezed Nora for all I was worth and tried to crest the explosion of emotion like it was a wave.
—I'll finish this up so we can talk and hug properly,— Nora Bug sent to me.
—Mmhmm!— I sent along with more chirps.
"Well, Miss Bug, I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors, and I look forward to seeing what you are up to next," Judge Pursuit said.
"Actually, my client has decided to follow my own career path. She sits for the Canterlot State bar exam later this week," Twilight Velvet said. "Her unique situation has allowed her quite an advantage in learning over regular students, and I personally tutored her for this."
I honestly couldn't bring myself to follow the chatter, though I still heard it. My heart felt like it was fit to burst and if I were in control, I'd probably be looking for a tasteful fainting couch about now. But without control I had only one outlet for my emotions and that was ChirpNet. I chirped at Nora, I chirped at all our daughters, I chirped at Rainbow, and I chirped at everyone online within several blocks of the courthouse.
—You know I'm gonna snuggle you both a bunch when I get the chance, right?— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Not if I snuggle you first!— Nora Bug sent.
Trying to put my own reply together, I failed three times and settled for a bunch of excited chirping instead.
"… concludes things here. Mrs. Velvet, Mr. Go, thank you for your time, and I trust things have been resolved to everyone's satisfaction?" Judge Pursuit asked.
I realized that I'd been missing one of the more important events of my life because I was overwhelmed with happiness, but I could always watch it again later.
Nora's slight nudge surprised me. I didn't fight it, but I did send her a questioning chirp as I felt myself slide into control.
—I need to chirp about a hundred times more than I was able to, and I can do that with more abandon while you're in control,— Nora Bug sent.
As I slipped into my body more firmly, I called up my shape from before Nora had taken over and pushed at it with my magic, forcing my will into reality with a flicker of green fire.
In all honesty, I would have rather stayed as I were, but I could well understand the little illusion of separation between Nora and myself. I reached a delicate white hand up to flick my hair to the side and smiled at the judge. Time to be the big adult I am and say all the right things.
"Thank you for being fair and impartial. I was so worried for Nora, and it's a relief to have this situation completely sorted out," I said.
"It's been a pleasure to meet such interesting people and sort out this little complication. You'll note that there's several issues here I didn't weigh in on, those are certainly a topic for someone getting paid a lot more than I am, but as far as this state is concerned this matter is settled."
Smiling for all I was worth, I reached my hand out to shake the judge's first, then across the table to the lawyer and the woman there. The judge and the lawyer gave me firm handshakes, but the woman seemed a little less sure of herself.
"I-I'm sorry it all came to this. I didn't mean to—" she said.
"Nonsense, dear. You were doing your job, and I'm thankful you were so diligent in doing so," I said.
It was easy to be magnanimous. After all, we'd won. Besides, her aura seemed to flicker to life from an almost fearful contraction to a bloom of interesting emotions.
"Thanks! I mean, thank you. This was my first time coming into court, and I was really nervous."
"This wasn't court. We were just holding a little arbitration. The man beside you would have been doing a lot more talking if we'd been in court," Judge Pursuit said. "With that said, you all behaved admirably and I enjoyed being the one to do most of the speaking for once, though I guess Mrs. Velvet here was being paid by the hour regardless, so whether she cut in and argued or not was a moot point for her client."
We all chuckled just a little. Even if his gag hadn't been a little funny, he was still a judge and someone important.
"I believe I have a little celebration to plan," I said.
"That is a grand point for us to call this to a close. Good day," Judge Pursuit said.
The judge turned and left through a door behind him, leaving the room empty of authority figures. A collective sigh went around the room that drew some more polite chuckles.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one," the male lawyer said.
That got a more certain laugh from everyone as we filed out of the room and down the hallway. My hand found Rainbow's again, but rather than support, it was a firm grip of victory.
—Thank you, Mrs. Velvet. I don't know what sort of mess we'd be in if it weren't for you,— I sent.
—It is a pleasure to work on a side I can categorically say is good. That you've needed to retain my services for so much time now is a little bit of a crimp on my normal work, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Mostly because of the aforementioned fact, but also because you pay your bills right away.—
I couldn't help chuckling a little at that as we left the courthouse. Once outside, I realized we had no receipt or paperwork regarding the decision.
—Should we have something from them to state what happened?— I asked.
"They'll send me paperwork in a week or so. It had taken a little pushing to get things seen so quickly—we can't expect the courts to move at such breakneck pace all the time," Twilight Velvet said.
—I believe I was promised snuggling,— Nora Bug sent to myself and Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow's arm moved from my hand, along my back, and up to my shoulder. She pulled me against her side in the kind of possessive way that always made me want to purr—though it usually resulted in chirping.
—Getting to that. Let's get home fast, then we can snuggle,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—I like this plan,— I sent.
—Me too,— Nora bug sent.
Walking to the car was wonderful. Rainbow's grip around my shoulders reminded me of all the reasons I'd finally surrendered the narrow part of myself that said, "men are your partners, women your friends". I was free of that and also free to love anyone I wished. I turned my head and looked up at Rainbow as we stopped beside the passenger side of the car, and got myself completely lost in her eyes.
As Rainbow's lips came down toward mine, I nudged Nora forward and ignored her surprised chirp.
—Oh!— Nora Bug sent.
—You swapped. Well, Rarity, I'll get to you once I'm done snuggling Nora,— Rainbow Dash sent.
The truth was, of course, I could feel what Nora was feeling. I could feel the kiss as an affirmation of our love and reveled in being able to share it with Nora as much as with Rainbow.
The kiss lingered. Rainbow seemed intent to keep her pose intentionally dominant—leaning over Nora and I as she kissed. Nora pushed me forward and the kiss became more intense as I was the one fully pressed to Rainbow's chest as she explored my mouth.
—Rarity. Damn it feels good to show you both how I feel,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Rainy, the feeling is mutual,— I sent.
—What she said, Rainy. Oh, I really like that as a nickname,— Nora Bug sent.
—Me too,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Well, that's settled. Nora is already about the cutest name I can think of,— I sent.
—Agreed, but that leaves us needing a cute nickname for you, Rarity,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Rara is cute.—
Was it wrong that I enjoyed them talking about me like this? Perhaps narcissism? Not that I had any hope of doing anything about such a trait, but it was curious.
—Rara is cute, but I found out there's a celebrity whose nickname is that. Someone Rarity had a crush on when she was in school,— Rainbow Dash sent.
—Who did Rarity have a crush on?—
—Countess Coloratura. She was a really popular musician. She's still around, but she did that whole rediscovering her roots thing a while back and changed her whole deal.—
That was a surprise. I could have searched to find all the sordid details myself, but I found myself wanting to continue the conversation as a conversation.
—She did?— I asked.
—Yup, and you'll never guess why.—
—Do tell.—
That we were still kissing and time was crawling around us didn't detract from the conversation, quite the contrary. It was a cozy little moment in time. A handful of seconds during which we answered the question What if we just kept kissing?
—Apparently she and Applejack grew up together. Can you imagine that? AJ not telling us that she knew someone famous! Anyway, Coloratura had a show just south of here at some kind of festival and sent AJ an invitation. Apparently they had a bit of a falling out at the concert, but whatever AJ said stuck with her. She quit her old recording company and made her own, got all kinds of angry at them and stuff. You can probably get all the details online.—
—Of course I can, darling, but I like talking to you. Also, I didn't have a crush on her. I just liked her energy.—
—Sounds like a crush,— Nora Bug sent. —What's a crush?—
—It's when you like someone, but it's a bit more platonic. Kinda like Rarity and Coloratura,— Rainbow Dash sent.
I should have been angry, or gotten upset, but it was hard to be either. Maybe it was a crush. Maybe my emotions knew I was more flexible in my desires than I was willing to admit at the time. Drat, I had to reevaluate every relationship I've ever had now.
Nora's chirpy laughter broke me from my contemplation. I joined in with her not because I found the joke funny (though I could see a funny side to it), but because I felt chirpy.
—It may have been a crush. Rara is a fun name, but are you sure you want to keep thinking of Coloratura when you talk to me?— I asked.
—Good point,— Rainbow Dash said.
—Raribug?— Nora Bug asked.
I chirped in delight at that one.
—I think she likes it,— Rainbow Dash said. —Raribug?—
—I do like it. It's very buggy,— I sent.
—Buggy is good, right?— Rainbow Dash asked.
My chirping left nothing to be discussed regarding my thoughts on buggy as a good adjective. The pressure on my lips was slowly changing, releasing, and I realized the kiss was starting to end.
—Buggy is chirpy,— Nora Bug sent.
None of us messages further until our lips have parted and I am left with Rainbow looking down into my eyes. Her smirking-smile was everything I'd ever wanted someone I loved to wear while looking at me.
"Raribug it is, then," Rainbow Dash said.
11:39 A.M.
Despite the amount of time we'd spent chatting digitally, the morning had practically evaporated by the time Rainbow pulled into our driveway. The van was there and my old car too, while I assumed Rainbow's was parked in the garage.
A curious chirp pinged off in my head, the source was 'Bee. When I chirped a reply she began chirping excitedly.
—The other egg's about to hatch. Byte said to hurry!— Bumblebee sent.
—I heard. Coming to grab you so we can rush inside,— Rainbow Dash sent.
I'm not sure how long her message took to reach me, but it came right as my door opened and Rainbow's hand touched my shoulder.
Pulled into her accelerated time, I unhooked my seat belt and turned to find her hand. Working together to defy reality, I was out of the car and running for the front door hand-in-hand with Rainbow. The front door was annoyingly slow to open with my magic until Rainbow touched it, and from there it was a quick dash through the house and into the computer room where I'd made the egg.
Byte was on her knees in a human form beside the big egg and I could see it was still intact.
"She's coming?" I asked.
Byte chirped with relief digitally and nodded.
"I still feel bad about Beside being hatched without you."
"You named her?"
Byte nodded.
"It's a good name. I'm proud of you. Now, let's see who we have here. Can you hear me?"
I shed the guise of a human and sat down beside the egg. Reaching one hoof out, I touched the shell and felt it bulge against my hoof in response.
—Who's that?— Unknown asked.
—Someone you've been waiting for. That's Rarity, the queen of our hive,— Nora Bug sent.
—A queen of our hive. You and Rainbow are as much queens as I am. Would you like a name?— I asked.
Excited chirping met my question and the pressure against my hoof from inside the egg grew. Drawing my hoof back a little, the egg cracked and broke to reveal a little hoof pressed to mine. The chirping grew louder.
—I'll take that as a yes, Bootstrap,— I sent.
—My name's Bootstrap?— Bootstrap asked. —What does it mean?—
—Your name has two meanings. The first is computer based, and means to start from the very beginning. The second refers to an article of clothing,— Nora Bug sent.
An excited rush of chirps met Nora's reply and the hoof pulled back from the hole in the egg to be replaced with a tiny snout.
—You're my other mom, aren't you?—
—Sure are, kiddo, and I'm your other-other mom,— Rainbow Dash sent.
The shell of the egg cracked further as the snout pulled back from view. Another crack and then a louder one cut the air as the side of the egg exploded outward and Bootstrap jumped out of her egg. She looked around the room with wide eyes.
—You're all so big!—
—That just makes it easier to hug you,— Rainbow Dash said.
Reaching down, Rainbow scooped Bootstrap up in her arms and hugged our newest daughter tight. The cloud of Rainbow's love seemed to envelope Bootstrap, leading to her digital chirps to grow in intensity but lower in pitch.
She was a very happy bug indeed.
Bootstrap was also a big changeling. She wasn't as big as Byte or 'Bee, but she was much bigger than Beside or Bespoke. Her egg, too, was larger. That's when it hit me.
—Did you save Beside's eggshells?— I asked.
—Of course, Nora used that to give Starling her implant. You'll be able to help a few people with all this. Should I contact Perdition and Stefanie?— Byte asked.
—That explains where Starling is. Please contact them. Perdition plans to try a lot of things, and I don't think Stefanie will want to be left behind. This will likely be a busy day.—
—All days are busy days, Mom.—
I got all chirpy at hearing her call me Mom, but she was right. Just because SuriGo was gone didn't mean I could be a lazy bug.
—You're right, and from here on out we can expect them to become more busy. I'd rather not restrict myself with egg production yet, and that means we need more room and more equipment. How is the digging going, Beta?—
A surprised chirp was the first indication that Beta had been listening.
—Mrs. Velvet said we need more permission and stuff to dig. I've already had to route tunnels around the utilities, but I have a nice basement in each of our houses now and am linking them all together. We're going to need to seal the walls, but I think I can make stuff to do that,— Beta sent.
—I could help Beta if we really need to dig more,— Bantam sent.
—Me too!— Bespoke sent.
—Okay, but if Mrs. Velvet said to hold off, how about we hold off? I want to keep everything we do within the law. Today is a good example of how much trouble we might have just being ourselves,— I sent.
—It's a zoning problem. This area is zoned Residential One. We need a Residential Three or lower. Mr. Pants said he'd put in the paperwork to rezone the whole block tomorrow,— Nora Bug sent.
An annoyed chirp came from Beta, to which I replied with some calming ones. She was one of our older daughters, and yet still hadn't learned patience. Then again, I think only Byte and Bobbin have. Their time spent online with humans might have something to do with that.
—How long will that take? I want to get working on more of this!— Beta sent.
—Normally it would take up to a year, but we may be able to get something pushed through to allow you to dig in the meantime.—
Such sad chirps our daughter could make. Was it the same as letting out a teenage sigh and pouting? Definitely, but she did it well.
—Who wants a cuddle?— I asked.
Beta's chirping sounded uncertain.
—Dear, we have to move at the speed the real world moves. Would you like a hug or not?— I asked.
The pounding of hooves came from the living room along with a stream of chirps that saw Beta in the doorway in short order. I knew she wanted a proper hug, so I shapechanged into my old self to have the requisite arms to administer such.
—It's just not fair!— Beta sent.
I caught her up in a hug and held her close. I couldn't chirp aloud, but I kept up a storm of comforting chirps digitally and tried to calm her down.
—Byte, do you want to meet your new sister?— Rainbow Dash asked.
Rainbow was already stepping over with Bootstrap in her arms to show to Byte. The two lifted their heads and looked at each other, then a rush of little chirps traded back and forth between them.
I leaned against Rainbow and nibbled on her aura. Just doing that let me feel a shiver run through her, so I nibbled again.
—Rainy really likes it when we nibble,— Nora Bug sent.
—I know. That's why I nibble so much,— I sent.
Repeating the action earned me a sigh from Rainbow. A happy sigh, though.
"You know how much I love you doing that, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Gently, I nibbled again and felt her shiver.
"Of course. I wonder how changelings in Equestria do this? From what I understand they were predators of sorts. Perhaps we should invite Ocellus over now that things will be calmer?"
"I still can't believe she didn't chirp. What kind of a changeling doesn't chirp?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Err, sure. She seemed a little tightly wound. Maybe some time to relax here will help her out?"
"I know! Well, she did say she was trying chirping out. Perhaps she's chirp-curious?"
Rainbow snorted and giggled at that, her aura washing through with mirth. When I nibbled again, I swore I could taste peppermint.
"I'm going to make lunch. I'll leave all the heavy stuff to you and Nora."
"Is Bitwise working at Uma no Sushi again?" I asked.
In my arms, Beta was softly chirping with her eyes closed. I'd found a spot on one of her ears that made her go nearly completely limp, or she was asleep and just enjoying a good ear-rub.
"Of course. Can't get her away from the place now," Rainbow Dash said.
Walking for the door, still with Bootstrap in her arms, Rainbow headed out into the hallway. A little curious, I made my way out too and found her heading to the kitchen. Giving chase at a sedate speed, I kept up rubbing Beta's ear as I went.
—I'll gather up the shell. Should I break it into smaller pieces?— Byte asked.
—We could test how big a piece is needed, I guess. Break it up into shards about the size of two hands. Are Stefanie and Perdition almost here?— I asked.
—They're almost at the front door,— Nora Bug sent.
I chirped in surprise and detoured to the door instead of the kitchen. Reaching the door just as the bell rang, I opened it with a smile.
Perdition had his arms full of equipment while Stefanie gave me the most deadpan stare of all time.
"You can't want all that?" I asked.
"No, we want about half each, but Mr. I Have To Carry All The Things here wouldn't let me carry my share of the load," Stefanie said.
"Well, I just want—" Perdition said.
In my arms, Beta let out a questioning chirp and broke the conversation up as Stefanie and Perdition realized they'd woken the baby as it were.
"I'm sorry, Rarity. Is this the donor of our digital salvation?" Stefanie asked.
"This is Beta, she's upset because we might have to wait to do more digging. She likes digging and wanted to build us an underground hive to live in."
As I spoke I rubbed under Beta's jaw which had her chirping more, though now it was contentment that colored her bugsong. When Stefanie reached out to rub her ear, the chirping intensified.
I passed Beta over to Stefanie, which got an indignant chirp that faded back into contentment when Stefanie took over.
"Rainy, darling, we might have two more for lunch," I said.
It seemed right to speak out loud when unconnected people were present. It was a potential conversation that they could have input on after all. All of this would need to be a social rules work-in-progress.
"We've already eaten," Perdition said. "How long will this take?"
"The process itself is fast, but you'll want to lie down for a few hours. From what others have said, there's quite a headache afterward. Follow me, please."
"Thanks, Rarity. You'll have to forgive Perdition. He's been excited for this and when he gets excited he gets focused."
Well, that explained his lack of manners.
"Yeah, sorry, but I just get into something. I've been planning for this and trying to keep the amount of stuff I want as small as possible and maximizing performance and capabilities. If you can just get this phone, this laptop, and a single blade in, I'll be really happy."
"We have plenty of shell right now. After you two I'll be moving on to family, family friends, and family of friends. Mrs. Velvet's husband, my sister and parents, Rainbow's parents… I would eventually like to sell it. I think I could ask a good price."
Perdition looked at me blankly for a moment before he broke into a peal of laughter that caused Beta to chirp in surprise—though she calmed down again at more petting from Stefanie.
"I would start the bidding at a firm hundred million and see how many bites you get," Stefanie said. "If you get some, make that the initial payment and work on a first-paid first-served basis. They will pay a premium for this."
"Actually, I had a particular customer in mind. The cars we own are—annoying in the way they don't allow modification. I know the CEO would be interested in this, and I think he'd be amenable to supplying access to our cars' computers for an implant," I said. "That should help Rainbow in her work on building a more classic-look version of them."
Perdition just stared at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You're two or three steps ahead on almost everything. Is that what these implants let you do?"
"A little, but I think I just have a good head for all this."
—You do. I can handle specific tasks better, but you are so broad in your thinking that together we make a great team!— Nora Bug sent.
I chirped, partly in delight and partly embarrassment. It wasn't easy accepting so much praise for something I'd never considered myself particularly talented at before. Broad thinking, in school, had been considered a hindrance.
But, that was childish and a backwards way of looking at things. We were together now and we fit together wonderfully. I overwhelmed any embarrassment in my chirping with excitement and gave her a tight, digital hug.
—We certainly do. Let's get these two done and see what Rainy is cooking,— I sent.
"In that way, you and Nora make a good team. She seems to focus on things tightly while you spread your focus around," Stefanie said.
Stepping into the computer room, Byte was still in the process of making little stacks of shell. She looked up at us and smiled brightly.
"I've been trying to make clean breaks, but sometimes there's smaller bits. Perhaps start one of you off with a bigger piece, then if that's not enough add more?" Byte asked.
"Sounds like a good idea. I have a theory that the more you want to take in, the more shell will be needed."
"There should be six stacks of shell here to test with. Here's the biggest pieces."
Perdition looked nervous and excited. He began passing stuff to Stefanie, babbling away in his native tongue in what I hoped wasn't important. When he was left with a phone, a laptop, and a single blade server, he reached out a hand to take a shard of shell from Byte.
"He's really nervous and is swearing up a storm in Catalan. Please don't repeat anything he's saying, and don't mind him," Stefanie said.
"Well, here goes everything," I said.
The moment I began to channel my magic, I felt that there wasn't enough shards of egg.
—More shards,— I sent.
Byte passed Perdition a second large shard, and then finally half another before things just clicked. My magic flared bright and I could feel it start to work.
The room flared bright blue as my magic interacted with Perdition, the shards he held, and the small mountain of electronics in his arms. His eyes glowed brilliant blue as he stared into space.
"It's working!" Stefanie said.
Sure enough, the shards and the electronics he held slowly sank into his chest—seemingly ignoring the clothes he wore as it poured into him.
More and more power it took. It seemed that the amount of magic and shell were probably related to how much stuff they wanted to integrate. Bracing myself, I let the work take everything it needed and watched as Perdition started to fall.
Byte was fast. She'd already been moving as his eyes fluttered closed, and she caught him when he'd barely fallen two inches.
"Gotcha. Time for bed, I think," Byte said.
What surprised me was how very motherly Byte sounded. She picked Perdition up—something that her size shouldn't have allowed for—and started carrying him to the door.
"Is he alright? Is it meant to do that?" Stefanie asked.
"Normally it leaves you with a terrible headache. That's normal with just a phone. Perdition has a server, a laptop, and a phone to contend with. Are you sure you still want to do the same?" I asked.
Watching as Byte carried Perdition out of the door and toward my bedroom, Stefanie took a deep breath and nodded.
"We need to wait a moment. You're likely to crash as hard as he just did, and that means I'll need Byte to catch you."
"Right. Right. I'm not going to let him get ahead of me, not in this. So how much shell do I need?"
"Let's go with the same amount as last time. Take two of the big pieces and let's see how we go from there. The magic doesn't work until you have enough."
Byte returned with a happy smile on her face and looked at Stefanie.
"Are you ready?"
Stefanie looked a little concerned, then took a deep breath—and nodded. She picked up her own load of electronics and held the shell against herself.
Immediately, as soon as I tried to channel magic into her, I knew it wasn't enough shell. I looked significantly at Byte, who reached down to the part stack that Perdition had needed to get his reaction to start.
"This should do it," Byte said.
As soon as Stefanie took the palm-sized piece of shell I felt my magic respond.
—Ooh. That's a lot of magic. Should I call Rainy?— Nora Bug asked.
—No, Nora-darling, I can handle this much. There will be some intense nibbling afterward however.—
Despite my bravado, I could feel a significant drain on my magic. It was almost like I was performing after having used up a lot of power just yesterday!
I barely paid any attention to what was happening in the room, and consequently I was surprised to feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. I shivered as I felt Rainbow's aura settle around me and start soaking into me.
Love. Pure, unfettered love. I felt my magic surge as a result of the embrace and so I was more than able to complete the channeling and imbue Stefanie with enough power to pull the electronics and shell into her body.
As Stefanie folded into Byte's arms, I relaxed all my muscles and slid into Rainbow's.
"Someone told me you needed a hug. You silly bug, trying to do that much with so little magic," Rainbow Dash said. "Feeling better now?"
I nodded my head, unable to fight against the cozy feeling of her embrace.
"I'd like it more if you fed a little," Rainbow Dash said.
Turning my head away from Byte carrying Stefanie off to the bedroom, I tilted my neck a little and kissed Rainbow. Just as our lips made contact, I took a firm bite of her love. Compared to the nibbles earlier, this was like turning on a fire hose instead of a faucet. Her love rushed into me like a torrent of renewing energy. I didn't know if I could stop and I didn't know if I wanted to.
Rainbow's arms closed even tighter and I heard a hungry sound from deep in her throat that made her tongue vibrate. A shiver of excitement ran through me as I realized she enjoyed this every bit as much as I did.
I ate. I devoured. I fed and fed until even the hunger of a changeling queen was sated—and yet Rainbow's cloying, wonderful love flowed around and over me. Nudging Nora, I pushed her gently to the fore with a loving chirp to encourage her.
—Nora?— Rainbow Dash asked.
—Raribug wanted to share. I like sharing.—
Nora, too, bit into Rainbow's aura of love. She took as big bites of it as I did, but whereas I was plenty forceful about it, Nora almost seemed gentle in her feeding. No wonder Rainbow could tell the difference between us.
—I like to share you both. Before all this, I would have thought such a relationship as this was impossible, but now I can't imagine life any other way. Nora, Rainy, I love you both so much I could chirp.—
And I did. I chirped a lot and I didn't care how loud or how intense it was.
That's when something occurred to me. I could use my magic without being in control of our body, so why couldn't I feed?
Gingerly, I tried to reach forward with my metaphysical mouth—the one I fed with among other things—and tried to nibble a little.
—Whoa, Raribug?— Rainbow Dash asked. —Was that you?—
I just chirped lovingly to her and took another nibble. And another. And… I knew I'd gone just far enough when Rainbow moaned into our kiss. Nora pulled back a little in surprise, and we got to both see Rainbow's own hungry look gazing back at us.
"I think she enjoyed it, Raribug," Nora Bug said.
—I think so too,— I sent.
"Y-Yeah. I'm probably going to say this a lot, but I didn't know you could both feed at once."
"Neither did I. Raribug is full of tricks lately."
Nora nuzzled me digitally and wrapped me in a hug that almost rivaled Rainbow's for its intensity and warmth—but in a different way. Rainbow's hugs are a lot more fierce in a way I adore, but Nora's are softer, a different style of hug with all the same intensity. Did I enjoy one over the other? The truth was I'd learned to appreciate both.
"She's chirping up a storm. I think Raribug is enjoying some relaxation," Nora Bug said.
"Hold on, I think I'm kinda getting the hang of this," Rainbow Dash said.
Then she made the softest, most neutral little chirp I've ever heard. The thrumming data connections of the house practically all stopped. Every bug went dead silent—waiting.
"Do that again," Nora Bug said.
"It wasn't easy. I had to—It takes a lot of work to think fast enough to send these codes. Lemme try."
Another little chirp broke from Rainbow's connection. It was pure and tiny, and she really seemed to struggle to make it, but she had. Into the silence that followed came all our daughters. It was a chirpstorm and I loved it.
The afternoon was the first relaxed one I'd had in nearly five weeks. Over a month had transpired since this sea change began. Tomorrow I would need to go back to work and start catching up on the backlog after spending so much time preparing for that silly show.
—I think I overate. I can feel an egg coming on,— Nora Bug sent.
A chirp reached me from a distant source. One of the AI handling firewall requests sounded a little distressed. When I reached out to it, I quickly found why it was upset and asked for help.
—'Bee? Could you help with this, dear?— I asked.
An answering chirp came from 'Bee as she found the connection I shared with her.
It was a Windigo attack, but without the resources that SuriGo had employed. The firewalls that were issuing all the chirps were guarding a cluster of our TOR servers on a specific host. It was a distributed attack, so while it would have been nice to just block the host sending everything, that wasn't possible.
—Oh, this? I've seen people complaining of this,— Byte sent. —Is this really Windigo?—
—What's left of it. How are other people faring?— I asked.
Byte connected with the AI and started solving problems it sent. The attacks lessened, but that wasn't enough.
—Dears, I'd like a few of you to keep an eye on Lance's host. It may need some computing assistance shortly,— I sent.
—You're going to fight them?— Nora Bug asked.
—Darling, Windigo is still attacking my hive. We are no longer fighting from the back foot, however, and I don't intend to fall back to that again. Forward, Nora, always forward.—
She kissed me and chirped lovingly. I couldn't help but chirp back before reaching out for Lance. The code was as ready to fight for me as ever, and I heard a little chirp from it as it began initializing.
—I'll see to Lance. You be safe, Raribug,— Nora Bug sent.
I wouldn't say I cut a line of fire across the internet as I stormed to the defense of our servers, but I did feel like a warrior, a… A quick search found me the perfect image I wanted to conjure: a Winged Hussar rushing into battle with lance, style, and skill unmatched. Perfect.
—Darling,— I sent into the aether, —I'm coming for you.—