//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Yeah, About That! // Story: Crystal Heart: After the Swarm // by Betty_Starlight //------------------------------// She sat there on the left side of the wagon smiling at me from her pony haunches and I suddenly remembered that I have the same thing now as I frown at her, “Are you happy, my love?” She studies me carefully and says, “Yes darling, but I want to know more about you…” My eyes widen, “What do you mean?” She breathes slowly, in and out through her nose, “You didn’t really have much before me, did you?” I blink, “Huh?” She breathes out of her snout before staring back at me, “You say you lived in a cave in the Everfree Forest and only came to town for supplies? What did you normally do with yourself?” My frown lowers, “Well, if you must know, I usually liked to hike in the forest and read books…” “Well, okay honey, but, uh…” She gazes directly at me and continues. “I think I made your life better, and that’s why you love me…” At this point, my head shakes and mouth quivers as I become flustered, “Well, yeah! So what?” Her eyes widen, “Well, I’m certainly not saying that was a bad thing!” she smiles and moves her forehooves to my chest, not far from my heart. “In fact, I think bringing you into the light was a good thing, Crystal!” I smile and relax my shoulders, “I-I’m sorry Starlight… It’s just that well,” I blink.” this whole time, I kept thinking of you as a secret enemy or a nemesis that I must destroy and now, well…” I chuckle. “we’re in thisactualrelationship now and things got weird for me!” I half close my eyes as I continue to chuckle… She blinks, “Yeah, tell me about it! I mean, it turns out the whole time, you were an evil changeling queen who really wanted to kill me, and well, now you’re gonna tryactually being the mare I love,even though you don’t have to be, and while it does make me feel good, and” she blinks again, “it truly makes me feel special that I make you want to be better, but uh, well,” her eyes affix directly onto me. “you don’t really see it coming, you know?” I turn to face the driver with his tall gray top hat and matching heavy overcoat and say to him, “You didn’t hear anything!” before fetching two bits from my right saddlebag with my mouth and moving it towards him… The brown stallion turns to face me on his right and takes the gratuity with his right forehoof to the interior of his coat as he smiles at me, “Of course, ma’am!” before fetching his chrome metal flask on his right on the driving bench and taking a swig of it in front of me and my love… I’m not absolutely certain, but I think I smell bourbon at this point? He soon turns back to the front to continue driving the wagon… I turn back to my love on the left side of the wagon and say, “So anyway!” And that’s when things got really bad… That’s when she kissed me passionately! <*****> So then, I sat there, on my brand-new aquamarine pony haunches on the chair, on the outside patio cafe… I grasped my triple mocha latte with my forehooves and bring it to my snout for a mighty gulp! Oh, how I love coffee now! I set it down and stare up at her as she smiles at me from my right side… I suddenly think she was supposed to be on the other side of the table when she grins and says, “I love you!” I gaze at her, “So, that’s it then? I reveal my big secret and we just continue where we left off?” She breathes heavily out of her mouth, “Well, what else can we do?” I glance over at the vacant patio before back at my love, “I don’t know? I mean, maybe start over or?” She frowns, “How?” “I don’t know, okay? I honestly didn’t expect this love to be real and well, it is now and you’re there and I’m here and…” That’s when she moves her right forehoof to my snout to silence me… “What if I told you that you’re identity doesn’t matter to me, Crystal?” I widen my eyes at this preposterous notion, “What?” She smiles wider and giggles, “Because I’ve seen what’s in your soul!” I frown again, “Well, you’ve definitely seen inside me!” She chuckles as she leans towards me for another affectionate nuzzle… “Ah, yes! The romantic stuff!” She grins, “You act like you don’t want to?” “What if I said that I really didn’t?” She leans closer so her nose is touching mine, “Then I’d say that I didn’t believe you!” before moving her lips to mine for another ardent lock… She releases me to a few inches beyond my face and smiles as I grimace in horror at this insane pony, “I can’t win, can I?” “Nope!” She happily replies before kissing me again! <*****> I stare up at the pony across the room from me as I sit on the EZ chair… I picked this spot specifically so she wouldn’t cuddle me anymore! “So uh, I live here now, right?” She snickers back at me, “Well yeah! We did just eat spinach sandwiches with mustard for lunch!” I nod, “Well, right! So uh, what now?” She sighs from her mouth, “Right! You’re not romantic! So I have to keep thinking of things for us to do!” My eyes widen, “I can be romantic!” She giggles, “Oh? Do tell?” and lifts her right eyebrow while continuing to smile at me. I frown as I suddenly wondered what I just said, “I don’t know? I mean, we could uh…” I stare at her and think that since she’s into all the mushy stuff, “maybe cuddle and watch a romantic comedy together? Yes? Romantic? Right?” and smile at her awkwardly… <*****> And so, in a nutshell, that’s why I found myself watching this movie in the dimly lit living room while Starlight loved me from the right by snuggling me affectionately… It’s so weird, but even after all this time, I’m still not exactly used to this! I’m not even paying attention to the movie and I feel trapped in my own head as she nuzzles me from the side and whispers, “I love you Crystal Heart!” I smile back as reality begins to set in once more and whisper back, “I love you too, Starlight!” Then she half-closes her eyes once more and nuzzles me affectionately and I reciprocate. I kiss her on the lips and feel that spark inside me again as I stare at her closed eyes in the dark room… I can’t for the life of me explain it, but this feels good! It seems to make me happy, so I keep kissing her… And then, she does the unthinkable… She slips her tongue into my mouth! She soon breaks and smiles at me from a few inches away before whispering, “You told me that you wanted to be what I needed you to be, right?” My eyes widen when I realize she’s up to something, “Uh, y-yes I did… It infuriates me to no end, but by this stage, I truly do love you, Starlight Glimmer…” She moves her nose up to mind and I feel it there all cold and pony-like, “Well, why I don’t I try to be what you need?” I frown and widen my eyes for the umpteenth time, “Uh, I don’t need anything! Just what are you trying to say?” She giggles and kisses me once more and as her lips locked with mine, time stood still… The movie continued to play on the screen, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about because my world was now magenta and it was sitting right next to me! I nuzzle her back while continuing to smile and stare into her dimly lit azure pupils… When suddenly, I feel her hoof begin to touch me… <*****> Starlight has a sort of glow or aura to her as she sits on her haunches at the table in front of me and uses her blue magick to sip her hot cocoa and smiles happily to herself… I eye her carefully, still thinking about what we just did, “Starlight, we just had sex, didn’t we?” She magically sets her cocoa down to smile at me, “Well, yeah! I was there!” I nod, “Right! But uh, you know I’m a changeling, right?” Her eyes widen, “Well, yeah! But you can be whatever you want to be, you know?” My eyes widen at this prospect, “You don’t want me to be a dog or anything, do you?” She frowns in horror, “Oh, Celestia, no! It’s just that uh…” she glances at me. “What?” She catches her breath and composes herself before glancing back at me, “Well, you said you were happy being Crystal Heart, right?” I frown, “Well, I uh, I am actually… Yes, I’d rather be Crystal Heart than Chrysalis…” She smiles, “So why don’t you just be Crystal Heart, then?” I blink, “Well uh, should we tell your friends?” Her smile lowers, “You know, I never really thought about that?” I suddenly imagined creating tulpa golems of all of her friends before shaking my head thinking that’s probably a bad idea? I stare up at her and say, “Well, why don’t we begin with the obvious choice?” <*****> I stared and smiled at the orange earth pony with her hat-less blond mane, done into a long bun of sorts, behind her… I sat on the other side of the room on the sofa. She seemed to somehow sense that something was up as she unnervingly replied, “Uh, what’s that about Crystal Heart?” Starlight giggles nervously, “Well, uh, baby. Maybe it’s better if you just show her?” I stare at Applejack and say to her quickly, to silence my love, “You agree that honesty is always the best policy, yes?” She looks right towards me and frowns, “Uh, yeah! Always!” I sigh from my mouth and ask her, “Do you believe it’s possible for people to change, Applejack? I mean, truly change for the better?” Her eyes narrow, “Just what are you getting at, sugarcube?” “Do you believe it’s possible to change for the better, Applejack? Yes, or no?” Her eyes and mouth normalize as she seems confused now, “Well uh, y-yeah! I reckon so! Of course! Why do you ask?” I smile, “I’ve decided that this would become my standard shape… But it wasn’t always so…” Her eyes widen, “What?” “I’m actually a changeling, Applejack…” Her mouth goes agape as she repeats herself, “What?” I chuckle, “Yeah… And as I’m sure you can surmise, Crystal Heart was not always my name…” “Oh, wow! So uh, you just prefer a pony form, then? As Crystal Heart?” I chuckle, “Well, yes…” I look over at Starlight Glimmer. “I confess I originally pretended to be a pony to seduce that one, but honestly, I truly love her now and I truly love being a pony, now!” “Uh, alright partner! I mean, I know what you are and as long as you ain’t hurting anypony, I reckon it’s okay… Uh, what was yer original name, anyhow?” At this stage, I smile at the apple horse, much as a deer would gaze at an oncoming train, “Well, is that really important?” She frowns, “Well, probably not, no? Uh, so yer livin’ here now?” (To be continued… )