//------------------------------// // Ladybug, Chapter 9: If You Gotta Ask... // Story: Rag Doll // by No one is home //------------------------------// It was around twenty years ago,  and I was a rookie guard pony.  I was investigating a series of thefts from the recycling bins of electronics stores in lower layers of the city.  Everypony assumed it was some pony pulling a flim-flam with refurbished cell phones.  I staked out the locations and found out the perps weren’t even ponies at all.  It was just raccoonicorns raiding dumpsters.  Well, we all got a laugh back at the station.  Something bothered me though, why would raccoonicorns steal electronics?  Just across the street was a dumpster full of pizza that was much easier to get to. Even though the brass had officially closed the case I couldn’t let it go.  So I tracked the mischievous critters, to be honest I thought it was some kind of unicorn infiltration.  The racoonicorns were trading our discarded technology to the pegopposums who lived beneath the under city.  In the course of my investigation I found a series of network lines leading deep below the Zephyr heights. But it didn’t matter how much evidence I brought forward.  My superiors dismissed my finding like it was a joke.  “Sure, Petal, the Critters are stealing our wifi…” They’s laugh straight to my face.  Then one day I saw the actual Royal Guard performing maintenance on the illicit network.  And they saw me. They offered me a choice, I could end my career in the city guard as a laughing stock, or I could join the Zephyr Heights S.M.I.L.E. Remnant, the Shadow Bolts.  I had accidentally found my way into the house of secrets, and they welcomed me with open arms. Everything I always thought I knew about magic was a lie.  It was all an illusion, just a trick.  It was a ruse to distract us from just how cut off from the world outside Equestria we really were.  And nopony, no creature, no one at all even knew why. It’s my job to know every secret the royal family wants kept.  The trick to keeping a secret is knowing it.  The Pipsqueak Underground are allowed to think that they are being very clever.  Queen Haven maintains the network for same reason Queen Christine does.  We spy on each other. -=-=-=-=- “I only know the Ragdoll from recent experience and what I’ve heard from Agent Rose Thorn.”  And she stalked up on me that whole time.  I am once again glad I have no bladder functions to lose control of.  She actually pulled an off camera creep-up on me.  “He is a criminal, as well as a dangerous magical artifact.” “Fair enough.”  Gotta just give a noodle shrug and wish I had more than one facial expression for that.  “We are just having all the first person exposition that’s not me today.  Okay, OC, I guess it’s your turn, this is what I get for asking these kinds of questions.  Everyone just gets a flashback.” -=-=-=-=- Did you think I’d let you do that, Charlie?  You were gonna leave me out of this.  I met you in pony hell.  I know you remember that much.  You play innocent, but you could always see the blood on my hooves.  And I know you liked it.  I know that you know because I told you.  I’d even bet I know some things you don’t even know about yourself.  You know I ain’t lying Charlie because you ain’t never told the truth. But you know what’s more… just more… than how we met?  It’s how we broke up.  I don’t know if you’re confused or if you were just straight up lying to little Onyx.  She thought I discarded you.  As if I was the one that stopped talking to you.  But this isn’t about me and you.  This is about me and her. -=-=-=-=- “Do you miss him?” The dragonfly asked the unicorn, with a sly smile. “Do you miss your own memories?” The unicorn snarled as she studied the sheet music in front of her.  “Oddly enough, he did.  It really bothered him how little about you he could remember.” “That’s cold Onyx.  I’m just sayin’.” The dragonfly lounged on the couch, stretching languidly.