Crowned princess Ocelia Ladybug Pastel scratched her plushy chin from her perch on the unicorn detectives withers, as he escorted them to their cell. “Wow, this is way nicer than the pokey in the underhive. Getting arrested isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.”
“It’s actually just the room Queen Haven used to ground the princesses when they were fillies.” The detective looked over his shoulder and smiled warmly. “You’re not in any trouble, this is as much to keep you safe as anything. Changelings haven’t been seen by civilian ponies in generations. Your announcement on social media could cause quite a stir, and not in a good way. We’re here to mitigate that.”
“You know you can’t stop us from leaving, right?” The doll perched on the underling princess head verbally snarled at the much taller unicorn. “The minute I get control of the narration back we can break out of here with a scene transition and you can’t do anything to stop us. We are not your prisoners and we are not under your protection.”
“The doors are not actually locked. We have a step stool to help Princess Ocelia get to the latch.” Rose Thorn shuffled in embarrassment. “We’re really sorry your highness. Our limited contact with your hive didn’t give us much context to our relative sizes…”
“The idea, Mr. Ragdoll,” The cloven hooved white earth pony tossed her head with a smirk, “is why would you leave? And are you that sure that you could? We are abiding by every stipulation of every deal you’ve made. You’re bearer is being cared for and is not confined. You are contained and under observation. You get what you want. We get what we want. There is no reason we can’t be on the same side.”
-=-=-=-=-=-
I never sleep good in observation. I’m not sure why I’m bothering to sleep. I’m also not sure why I’m poking my head out of OC’s cuddle ball to watch the guards while the guards watch us sleep. And yes, I’m asleep, but it’s not like I can close my button eyes. Yeah, this totally isn’t weird for every creature involved. I’m lying. But seriously OC holds me upside down in her front four legs… and she kicks in her sleep.
The dream’s no better.
-~-~-~-~-
“Come out!” I am Giant. I am Monster. “I’ve killed you’re queen, Mr. Sunshine! Come out, and add to my list of names! I am the unnamed, I am the Freak! I am the Queen Killer! Come out!”
The thing that draws itself across the sky is a nest of worms made of fire, they borrow as they burn. And now OC is riding me. But not? This is not a dream. This is a dream of a memory. And the iron filly unfolds to reveal the tree, and then there are aphids… and where there are aphids… Cozy’s awkward flank… why did I just go there? Dammit the ants! I have zero sympathy for the guards, because I saw everything!
And OC is awake, now. The guards are predictably trotting in circles. I screamed a lot.
“Sorry. You doin’ good, girl. Just scuttle to the left…Not your fault. I just need some space… I swear you really do kick a lot, though.” I swear I am not flailing right now.
It’s not her fault. It’s not her that woke me up. I was awake the whole time. I was asleep the whole time.
“It wasn’t you.” I crawl across her, clinging to her every sob. She’s crying now. The guards are shuffling and calling… whoever they call for this. They are not my problem. Only one creature matters. “I’m sorry I woke you up…”
“I saw everything, Uncle.” She hides her head behind her front most hooves while I scramble for balance. “I saw your dream… I saw the Sun…”
It’s the sweet spot just behind her head where I can reach both of her ear-holes. Sometimes she makes herself ear-flaps to listen in directions. But now I’m just all up on the sweet spot where she made holes in her skull to hear things. “I’m not going to tell a lie that big, girl. That’s what’s coming.”
“What are we going to do?” Every sniffle tears my fluffy heart in half. I want to lie and tell her we’re going to win.
“We're going to live, and we’re going to hit the sun so hard everytime it comes between us and life, that every one of it that follows behind knows we ain’t worth the fight.”
-=-=-=-=-
“I won’t lie to you, Gloomster.” And Celestia’s great white flank, but I do not have enough drugs for this conversation. “I’m not a good pony. That is two completely separate things that I am not.”
“I’m am a witch and you are are an ancient eldritch horror from before the fall of magic.” And she just lounges so casual, with that goofy smile. This was a really good late night picnic spot. Her laughter is the threatening caress of a razor. “You do know you're not the first eldritch horror I’ve dated, right? Hey, ‘C:/’ can I get some appropriate smooth jazz?”
C:/ I’m letting it slide this time. But don’t get cocky.
For one second I can see the words. For one second her hooves tap a playful little beat. And for one second all my hearts stop and she looks me straight in the eyes. “Anypony, how did you ever think you could get away with stealing me away, when I was right there watching you the whole time?”
And as the sun rises it’s already too late. As the trap closes, I can only remind myself that I called her out to the crossroads. It’s not right! I’m the one who set this trap! And it was only because I wanted Charlie back! So how am I on the wrong side of the trap? As the sun smiles down I know it’s already too late. I’ve been caught. I am her’s. Whatever is left of my heart belongs to Gloomy Onyx.