//------------------------------//
// 10) Annoying Love 
// Story: The Ghost of Cozy Glow the Third Story 
// by SapphireRose87 
//------------------------------//

{Betty}

I went to the Church of Satan so I could rebuild my powers. Afterward, Dae decided he wanted sex from me, and I agreed. When it ended, we lay in our bed, staring at each other. 

Since Dae could hear my thoughts, he knew what was bugging me. 

"You're confused about him, aren't you?" Dae asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, considering he kissed me the other day, and he practically shoved his tongue in my mouth."

"Was it like this?" Dae teased as he leaned over and put his tongue in my mouth. 

I pushed him away. "Stop messing around, Dae. This situation is already weird enough as it is."

"I get it, it's because he's your little brother, right?" Dae said.

"Well, I'm trying to figure out why we're in love with each other in the first place."

"I know why." 

"Why?"

"Let's see here, you two were separated growing up, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then after you died, he didn't see you again until twelve years later?" 

"What's your point here?" 

"Think about it, Betty," said Dae. "You two were apart growing up. All Norman wanted to do was protect you. When he saw you jump off that cliff, his grief overwhelmed him. Now that he's able to see you again, how do you think he feels about it?"

I gave that question some thought and realized why Norman wanted to keep me close to him. 

When Norman won the war with Shadow Mist, he did it all on his own. I was proud of him for it, but I did think he was a little bit stupid the way he won. But, seeing that Fate wanted to meet him, I had a feeling she set that up. Maybe because I'm so proud of Norman and how he excels at everything he does, that might be why I fell for him. 

Although Hell doesn't have a problem with siblings dating each other, I wasn't so sure if Equestria did. I worried that if the public knows that Norman and I are together, he might have to step down from the throne.

Dae smiled. "I don't think Equestria would make Norman step down. I get that you don't want to take any chances, but I did some research on it, and a couple of rulers before Princess Twilight and Norman actually did sleep with their siblings. Equestrian law does say that it's okay to sleep with your sibling, you just can't marry them. Much like how it is in Hell.  

"As a matter of fact, Heavenly Jewel, the first ruler to rule for seven hundred years, slept with her sibling, too. It was because of the prying of the media that it became public knowledge. Sleeping with your sibling isn't a crime in Equestria. But I understand why you might be hesitant to do so."

It was funny to me that Dae did some research on the subject to put my mind at ease.

I still felt it was weird that I have feelings for my little brother. At the same time, I wouldn't mind kissing him again.

"I know what you're thinking." Dae laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you do."

Dae smirked and teased, "You can't wait to kiss him again, can you?"

"No comment."

"Sure, whatever you say," Dae said.


*	*	*


{Norman}

It was another day ruling Equestria, and I had raised the sun. Doing my royal duties, for the most part, is easy for me. But, today, it was difficult because of a mare named Meadow Streams. She wants to date me just because I'm Equestria's ruler. 

"Oh, come on, Prince Norman," Meadow Streams begged, "just one date? That's all I'm asking for."

"How many times do I have to say no before you take a hike?" I hissed.

"Why not?" Meadow Streams whined. "There's somepony taking my spot, isn't there?"

"Excuse me?" I growled. "I don't know why mares like you get it in their heads that they're entitled to the first branch of the royal family when they're not wanted! You have been stalking me and harassing me for weeks now, and I do believe I've said no, so take a hike!"

"But-" Meadow Streams said.

"No, okay, that's it!" I snapped. "Guards!"

"Yes, Your Highness?" one of the guards said.

"Please escort Meadow Streams out of the castle," I said, "and don't let her back in. She's banned from coming here permanently."

"Yes, Your Highness," the same guard said.

Meadow Streams kicked the ground with one of her hooves and sulked as the guard led her away. When Meadow Streams left, I heard Cozy Glow giggling. 

"Did you have to ban her from the castle, Dad?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Yes," I answered, "because she's been stalking me and harassing me lately, and I'm tired of it. Anyway, how are you?"

Cozy Glow sighed and looked down at the ground. "I'm fine, I guess, as long as I never look at another TV again! I think I'll just stick to reading books or playing card games with Junior from now on."

I choked. "Yeah, I think playing cards would be better instead with Mr. Giggles on the loose."

Cozy Glow tilted her head. "Why's that?"

"Mr. Giggles decided to possess Discord's family photo album," I said. "If you read a book right now, I'm afraid he'll try it again with you."

"Oh, okay…" Cozy Glow said. She rolled her eyes. "I know that look when I see it, Dad."

"What look?" I asked.

"The look of concern," said Cozy Glow. "It's okay, Dad, and I know Mr. Giggles will be stopped. Once he's stopped, it will bring peace back to Equestria."

Watching Cozy Glow fly off, I didn't care where she was going. The only thing I cared about was that wherever she went that she would be safe. 


*	*	*


{Dae}

When the royal family in Hell found that Betty has a relationship with Norman and I didn't have any issues with it, my annoying brother, Max, started wanting the same thing. 

Today, Betty was practicing the first step to the Mirror Technique. She didn't know that Luella, Norman, and I were watching her.

"It looks like she finally got the first step to the Mirror Technique down," Luella said. 

I smiled. "Yeah, I think she's just over practicing this a bit."

"I agree," said Luella, "and if Max would stop bugging Betty, that would be great."

I smiled again when I saw Luella glancing at Norman with a flirtatious smile. I could tell Norman didn't like the look she was giving him. 

Luella whistled. "And who might this guy be?"

"This guy is Betty's brother," I said.

"Wow, the good looks run the family, don't they?" Luella teased. 

"Would you knock it off, Luella?" I said. "Don't you go chasing after Norman like Max is with Betty."

"I'm not stupid, Max is!" Luella declared.

Norman looked confused. He turned his attention back to watching Betty train. As usual, Norman looked amazed as he watched her.

"It's about time Betty learned how to do that," said Norman. "At least she's not driving herself nuts about Mr. Giggles at the moment."

"Yeah, it must be annoying that your opponent can copy your every move when you're fighting them," I said. I didn't say anything else, but I smiled when I saw that Luella was starting to make Norman very uncomfortable again. 

I wish she would stop giving me that creepy look, Norman thought. 

What? Luella's giving you the same look you give Betty sometimes, I thought. Now you know how Betty feels. 

Yeah, I know, Norman thought. I'm not letting Luella kiss me any time soon, I'm not interested!

I laughed. Okay, fine, it's your choice, but she's not bad in bed, so later on down the line, you might want to reconsider it?

Yeah, no, thank you, Norman thought.

I fell over and was rolling on my stomach in laughter. Luella looked at me and frowned. "What are you laughing about, Dae?"

I snorted. At this point, I got control of my laughter. "Oh, nothing, let's just say you're not getting into Norman's bed any time soon."

I stopped laughing and turned my attention back to watching Betty train.


*	*	*


{Betty}

As I finished training, Max came up to me and yanked on my tail to get my attention. "That's my stupid tail, you know! I'm getting highly annoyed with people yanking on it!"   

Max smiled at me with the extra creepy look that Norman would give me.

"I don't mind when Dae and Norman give me that look," I said, "but when the look comes from you, I definitely mind it."

"Why won't you sleep with me, Betty?" Max asked.

"Because I don't want to," I said, "duh!"

Fortunately, I heard Dae and Norman enter the training area. 

"What do you think you're doing with my wife, Max?" Dae snapped.

"What? I was just trying to-" Max said.

"I think I said no!" I said.

"But-" Max started.

"No, Max," I said, "now get lost!"

Max put his hands on his hips like he was scolding me. "Now, that wasn't very nice, Betty!"

"You heard me!" I snapped. "Get. Lost!"

"Okay, fine," said Max, "I'm going."

Max left the training area, sulking.

"Wow," Dae said. "At least Luella's not that stupid. She knows when to take a hike."

"Your brother is, how do I put this nicely," I said, "he's a 'very special' demon, is he?"

Dae laughed. "Yes, he is."

Norman didn't look happy. "You were doing just fine until Max came up and yanked on your tail."

"That's why we call him Bug Max," Dae said.

"Yup," I said, "too bad I can't squash him!"

Norman snorted. "Let me guess, you can't ban him from Hell because Max is royalty."

"I take it you've had to do that lately?" I asked.

"Yup," answered Norman, "a lot more than usual lately, too. I'm getting tired of mares and women harassing me for a date. They don't know how to take no for an answer. I'm not interested. A lot of them just want to date me because I'm the ruler of Equestria."

"Maybe you can challenge them to a race like I do sometimes?" I joked. 

Norman raised an eyebrow. "And how will that help?"

"If you win, they have to leave you alone," I said, "if you lose, then you have to go on one date and one date only. I've won every single race, and that's with my wings tied down."

"I don't think that would be fair," said Norman. "I can outrun a pegasus. You, on the other hand, racing against another demon might make you evenly matched."

I looked at Dae to see that he had a mischievous look on his face. "I know that look, Dae. What are you up to?"

"Oh, nothing," said Dae, "speaking of racing, maybe you two should consider racing each other?"

"What are you implying, Dae?" Norman said.

"What do you think I'm implying?" Dae said.

"Now is not the time for that, Dae!" I snapped.

When Norman realized what Dae was talking about, he blushed and looked away.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm out of here."

"That makes two of us," Norman said.

As Norman and I walked away, Dae called out, "As I said before, you can run but you can't hide!"


*	*	*


{Dae}

In Hell's library, I sat at a table doing some research to help Betty take down Mr. Giggles. 

Twilight walked past me, carrying a mountain of books in her magic. I hoped she wouldn't see me, but that was wishful thinking.  Twilight smiled and sat down next to me.

I rolled my eyes. "What is it this time?"

"What? Can't I sit down and talk to my friend?" Twilight asked.

"I know how you are, and you don't just want to talk to me," I said.

Twilight put her head on my shoulder. I pushed her back from me. "You want to know why I won't marry you?"

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"Because you're the most annoying mare I've ever come across," I snapped. "Do you think that putting someone under the strangle spell and throwing them up against a wall because you're angry with them is the best way to confront them?"

"I only did that because Betty was being hard-headed at the time," Twilight said. 

I sneered. "No, she was upset because she lost half her teammates on a tracking mission. And you didn't just do it to her either. You tried to do it to me on our first date because you were angry at something I said. When I broke the contract, it was because I didn't want to marry you. The same thing applied when you broke the contract with Shadow Mist. Remember the dates he forced you to go on before the war?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes."

"You did the same thing to me that Shadow Mist did to you," I growled. "It's a good thing you didn't try to declare war on Hell because you knew if you did, then it would not only be a death wish for you. It would've been a death wish for Equestria. As I told Norman before, I had my eye on Betty ever since the first suitor my dad, Lucifer, set me up with that I drove away. That includes you. I can't stand you, and you're not changing my mind about you anytime soon."

"So, what can I do to make you change your mind about me?" Twilight asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Because I don't like you like that, and I don't think I'll change my mind about it anytime soon. So, knock it off, stop flirting with me and Betty! It's getting on our nerves!"

Hoping Twilight would take a hint and leave me alone and stop making advances on me and Betty was again wishful thinking. She spotted the book I was reading and she read the title, "What's that all about?"

"It's about the family that Mr. Giggles comes from," I replied. "I think the more Betty knows about him, that will even the odds of stopping him. That's even without mine and Norman's help."

Twilight tilted her head. "Why just you and Norman?"

"You and Celestia can't go outside of the Land of the Dead," I said. "Norman and I can. I'm not trying to be rude, but I have some more research, so if you'll excuse me…"

Hopefully, the 'if you'll excuse me' line would keep Twilight from following me because I wasn't in the mood to continue our conversation today. Thankfully, it did.