//------------------------------//
// Chapter 44 
// Story: The Human Pet 
// by RushyFiction 
//------------------------------//

By the time the group reunited at the local carriage stop, it was already getting late and the sky shone a brilliant orange. Applejack had easily persuaded the amiable Crimson to let her and Care Taker accompany them to his family home, under the guise of educating the recalcitrant Care Taker to be more tolerant towards thestrals and other creatures of the night. They were waved goodbye by Princess Luna, but not Celestia, who had mysteriously taken ill after her encounter with Skinny. He, for that matter, stayed mum on the whole issue. The Amulet still hung ominously from around his neck, but his arrogance and haughty attitude were broken. Luna refused to provide any insight either, merely ordering Crimson and Lighthouse to put their faith in her sister and take Skinny to see Crystal Star. 





The group travelled in an awkward silence, the cause of which none could decipher. Applejack once again took up a place on Skinny's lap like a mischievous cat. He seemed comforted by that. Care Taker stared sullenly out of a window. Redheart did too, although she was actually interested in the sights to come. Lighthouse read a book. And Crimson Star was deep in thought. He glanced at Lighthouse now and again, feeling increasingly guilty over their argument earlier. Crimson was still firm in his conviction that he had every right to invite Redheart to his family home, but the fact of the matter was that he and Light had never been through a serious argument until now.

She'd arrived at the academy a year after him, rehabilitated by Celestia from a feral life. When they met, Crimson had been an aimless pony. Not unhappy, but lacking a sense of direction in life, as he had joined the Guard merely on a whim. And with a solid inheritance from his father, he had access to anything he could possibly want. It was Celestia's decision to raise her from squalor and the verve exhibited 
daily by Lighthouse that inspired him to start doing the right thing whenever and however possible. 

He smiled faintly, his gaze turning on the batmare's mane. It was cut short and dyed dark blue to match her coat. Partially for camouflage, and partially to deter unwanted attention for which Lighthouse had no patience. A single lock of honey remained of her original mane colour. Style or sentimentality? Crimson had never asked. She wasn't the type to talk about feelings and neither was he. 

"Wow." Redheart whispered, breaking the deafening silence inside the carriage. "Why are there only red lights?" She pointed out through her window. They were flying directly above Canterlot's underground city, which was entirely unlit save for the occasional red street lamp and some bonfires. 

Care Taker answered before anyone else could. "Thestrals don't need much light at all. Most of their navigating is done with the ears. Red light is the hardest to see at a distance, making it the most private." 

"Let me guess - you learned our weaknesses in case it ever came handy?" asked Lighthouse warily. 

"Only returning the favor."

Applejack cleared her throat. "In the spirit of mutual cooperation, may ah suggest you two knock it off?"

Both ponies looked displeased, but they weren't willing to argue with the Element of Honesty.

"Seems we're gonna be landing." mumbled Skinny distantly. 

The sight was less than impressive for the daytimers, whose eyes could only discern vague shapes beyond the dim red glow of the nearest street lamp. 

But all Lighthouse had to do was open her mouth and emit an inaudible ultrasonic screech, and the sound waves bouncing against all matter gave her a full three-dimensional map of their immediate surroundings. More specifically, Crimson Star's mansion.

"Is this really where you live?" she asked in awe. "It's like a fortress!" 

"Yeah... come on, the gate's this way."

Redheart stuck close to Crimson, irrationally afraid of the dark. Care Taker did the same with Applejack. Skinny trailed after them. Lighthouse came last, nodding at the Grounded Gang, who had concealed themselves on the thick hedges covering the mansion's fence. 

The group paused at the large metal gate. 

"Well now," Skinny breathed. "Let's get this over with."





Much like the rest of the Caverns, the halls of Crimson's mansion were lit only by a spattering of candles, giving everything a dim glow. But from what could be seen, the interior was austere, bereft of carpentry or artwork. 

A butler pony not dissimilar to Care Taker had wordlessly allowed the group in and disappeared without answering any questions. They didn't have to wait long, however. A very small thestral trotted out from the shadows, carrying a lantern.

At first glance, Skinny thought she was an albino before remembering the sheer variety of colour schemes that exist in Equestria. She had a beautiful white coat and mane, and red eyes that matched Crimson's. Her cutie mark was that of a glowing red disco ball. Upon seeing the bat corporal, her mouth dropped open. 

"Crimson... ?" She whispered. 

Crimson rubbed the back of his head, smiling nervously. "Hi, Soup." He turned to the others. "Uh, this is my sister, Super Star. Soup, these are some friends and, well, that's Anonymous. I'm sure you've heard of him..."

Greetings were shared, but Super Star seemed disinterested in everyone other than her brother. "What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

"Well, I, uh... it's home!" he replied.

Super Star glared at him. "You're here to see mother."

He shrugged. "She sent a letter and..." his voice trailed off.

Scowling, the smaller bat pony turned around. "Well, come on then. You don't want to keep her waiting!" 

Crimson pointedly ignored everyone's questioning looks, and followed Super Star upstairs where the butler pony stood guard in front of a double set of beautifully carved wooden doors. 

"Soup..." Crimson started.

"She's ready for you." The white thestral said bitterly. "Good luck, baby brother."

Without another word, she disappeared into the shadows. Lighthouse clicked her tongue disapprovingly. Crimson merely sighed, and then nodded towards the butler. The doors swung open.

Crystal Star was sat on a sofa near a roaring fireplace, sipping something undoubtedly expensive. She resembled her son greatly, but lacked any of the warmth and cuddly spirit. And her husky, devious voice was as far removed from the bat corporal as one could get. "Ahh. The prodigal son returns. Dragging along some strays. "

"These are my guests." Crimson said stiffly. Lighthouse stared at him. In all the years they'd known each other, she'd never seen him be terrified. 

"But they're not mine. Get rid of them." 
Crimson was about to protest, but Crystal Star cut him off, addressing Lighthouse. "You. What's your name, young lady?"

Lighthouse's eyes widened. She was caught offguard by the attention. After a few seconds, she sputtered out her name.

Crystal smirked. "Charming. More muscle than mind, though, aren't you?" 

Redheart and stepped in front of the group. "Excuse me?! I don't-"

"You are excused. Go. You have no business down here and I doubt you'll enjoy the sight of me educating my son any more than I will." 

"Mother!" Crimson barked, trying to sound authoritative but failing. 

The batmare ignored him and rose from the sofa, walking up to Skinny and rubbing around his feet like a loyal hound. "But you, well, you're something else, aren't you? You don't belong with this sorry bunch at all. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I'm sure we both have many ideas to share." Her eyes came to a rest on the Alicorn Amulet shining on Skinny's chest. "As the leading predator of one world to another."

Skinny stood defiant. "That's true. But what I have to say concerns the daytime ponies as well as those of the night. So if you want to talk, you'd better listen to your son." 

For a few moments, Crystal and Skinny stared each other down, the batmare eager to find something in the human's eyes, perhaps the same cruelty that defined her. Whatever it was, she seemed to find it, as she broke out into dark laughter. "Welcome to the real Equestria, mr Anon. It's been waiting for you. Very well! You may all stay for dinner." She turned away. "Oh, just one thing. The mansion has been under renovation for some time and most of it is currently unsuitable for habitation. It's rather embarrassing, but we only have two bedrooms available. Super Star will see to your needs." Crystal returned to her seat in front of the roaring fire, sipping drink. The group was evidently dismissed. They hurried eagerly out of the room. 

None were surprised to learn that the two suitable bedrooms were located in separate wings of the mansion or that Crystal had left instructions for Super Star to segregate the earth and bat ponies of the group. Applejack, Care Taker and Redheart were to sleep in some of the unused servants' quarters, whilst Crimson and Lighthouse were granted Crimson's old room upstairs. Skinny himself was to return to Crystal's office after dinner and take the couch there. 

"The nerve of that mare!" Redheart hissed at her roommates once the bats were out of earshot (forgetting, of course, that the definition of 'earshot' was quite different for their kind). "If she thinks she can just push us around like that...!"

"Then she's absolutely right." Care Taker said dryly. "Crimson Star hasn't got the initiative to stand up to her. And that makes her feel safe. Which gives us the chance of working out her intentions."

Applejack didn't join in on the conversation. She lied down on one of the poor excuses for a bed, and concealed her face behind the iconic stetson. To the other two, she appeared to be taking a nap. She wasn't. 

"Intentions? What's there to work out? She's obviously evil! I bet she has an underground lair and feeds daytime orphans to her piranhas!" Redheart squeaked, panicking. 

Care Taker rolled his eyes. "Miss Redheart, we're already in her underground lair... but until we find the trap door to the piranha pool or the orphan cage, none of this holds up in court. Mind you, I wouldn't be surprised by either of those." 

"So what are we hanging around here for? Let's go look!" 

"If you want to get caught snooping around this mare's home, be my guest. I'm going to follow miss Applejack's lead. It's still a few hours til dinner." He sat down on his bed, groaning at the aches produced by an aging body. Once upon a time, Care Taker had been a flamboyant performer on the circus stage with energy for days... but those days were long gone. Now he was just another old pony with a chip on his shoulder. 

He looked up, but the nurse was gone. Oh well. Perhaps she would find something useful. Care Taker put a nice cool pillow behind him and closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep. 

"Ah sure wouldn't like to be in yer horseshoes." Applejack drawled from the other side of the room. 

Care Taker rolled his eyes. "Really? I thought I was so appealing."

"Anypony doesn't stay'n touch with 'is family has a problem." 

"That's none of your concern." 

The farm mare scoffed under her hat. "That so? The Great'n Powerful Trixie lays waste on mah town - what, twice? - but it ain't mah concern. Maybe if ye'd been around educatin' her instead of chasing night-timers all around the world, things would'a been different. Unless o'course, yer family wants nuthin' to do with yah? I wonder why?"

His blood began to boil at the insults. "My family is defined by success." Care Taker growled. "All entertainers, all celebrities. And we're proud of that. I'm proud of Trixie. She earned her fame through skill and business acumen, not by being an overglorified Chosen One destined to redefine the meaning of life or whatever it is you get up to in Celestia's castle. You want to know why my family wants nothing to do with me?"

"Enlighten me." Applejack's angelic smile infuriated him. The stallion jumped off the bed, growling at her.

"Because I slipped! Because I led my business to ruin. Because I trusted night-timers in my circus. Nopony else would hire them! My family didn't want me to hire them! But I went and did the right thing. I knew it was bad for business. But hey, magic of friendship, right? And they- they robbed me blind! ME! Not even the customers, but me, me they robbed!" Care Taker looked pained, but his anger was too great to contain. "Ever since then, my business has been making Equestria understand what a threat these monsters are." 

"Equestria looks real scared. Good job." Applejack said sarcastically. "But you know, maybe you're approaching this from the wrong end."

Care Taker breathed in deeply. "What do you mean?"

She removed her hat, emerald green eyes glinting playfully in the shadows. "Maybe instead of blaming Changelings for your troubles, you should've taken a gander at the mirror. Any leader who lets his guard down to such a degree is surely asking for trouble?"

"... how did you know there were Changelings?"





There weren't many places in Equestria that Lighthouse would consider out of her comfort zone - being a thestral, she had little to fear - but Crimson's bedroom was one of them. She almost laughed at the transparency of Crystal Star's intentions. Obviously, the older batmare had noticed that the one thestral travelling with her son was a female. Maybe not one of the vaunted upper class, but not a daytimer either. If they weren't here on a job, Lighthouse knew she'd clock the arrogant little fuzzball for her presumptuous attitude and snobbery. 

Regardless, Lighthouse still felt incredibly out of her depth in the room where her best friend had been shaped and molded. He was so unlike her. Any room she slept in for a while would be decorated by no more than blades under the mattress and empty crisp packets on the bedside desk. Crimson's room was practically stuffed with memories. You couldn't escape them no matter which way your head turned. Posters of his favourite characters. Framed photographs of his sisters. Worn-down books and board games. Prized toys. She felt like a stranger and shuffled around awkwardly, unwilling to touch anything out of fear of ruining it somehow.

"Sorry about all that." Crimson mumbled, staring at the cheap rickety fold-up bed that had been added to the corner. "I can take this one." 

"Oh, gee, would you do that for me, sir?" Lighthouse asked with faux amazement. "Thank you so much, I always wanted to sleep in your bed." 

Crimson facehoofed. "Sorry! Sorry. I..."
Hearing sniggering, he looked up again. Lighthouse's eyes glinted with amusement. 
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Always!"
And because this is weird as anything. She thought. 

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier." The bat corporal said, his jaw digging deep into his chest fur in shame. "I didn't mean any of it. I wouldn't do a mission without you. You know that, right?"

Lighthouse clicked her tongue dismissively. "It's fine, sir. You know, I'm almost happy you got mad."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You stood your ground on something. I wish it was something I could have backed you up on, but that was the first time I've seen you fight for something because you wanted to, not because you felt you had to."

Crimson slumped and sat down on his bed, looking embarrassed. "I don't really do a lot of wanting." He said slowly.

Who would with a mother like that? She probably browbeat all initiative out of him. Lighthouse suddenly felt very sorry for that little sister of his, Super Star. No wonder she was furious at the sight of him. He'd escaped this place. Physically, at least.
"Maybe you should. It's a world for everyone, don't you think you have the right to grab a piece for yourself?"

"I guess." 

"No, horseapples to that! What do you really think?" 

"I think..." Crimson began, and Lighthouse was pleased to hear a venomous tone enter his voice. "I think I don't want to be here."

She sat next to him, whispering into his ear. "What would you rather be doing? Be creative." 

Crimson thought long and hard. What did he really like? Sure, he enjoyed being a Night Guard and he liked his entertainment, but what was he really all about, on his own? "I used to have this telescope." He waved vaguely towards a nearby closet. "It's in there, somewhere. Would be nice to dig it out sometime, look at the stars again."

"Do it. Do it right now." 

The bat corporal chuckled. "We're on assignment, Light. We should go and talk to the servants, see what we can find out."
He was about to stand up, but Lighthouse put a hoof on his shoulder. Crimson stilled. There was an odd gleam in her eyes. 

"No." She said firmly. 

"No?"

Lighthouse shook her head. "No. You trust me, sir?" During that moment, she sounded so vulnerable and scared that Crimson had an odd inclination to wrap himself around her, even though he knew she hated weakness. 

"With my life, of course I do." He said matter-of-factly. 

"Then just for tonight, let you decide what you want to do. Not the Princesses, not the mission, just you."

Crimson frowned. Why was she bringing this up now? "This isn't a good time."

"No, it's the best time. It's risky. It's real." Lighthouse insisted. "I want you to feel what it's like to make your own choices, to be totally free."

"Well, what if I decide that the mission is more important? I mean, that's my choice, isn't it? Just because I'd rather be stargazing somewhere in a meadow a thousand miles from here doesn't mean I would actually do it." 

The two of them looked into each other's eyes for a few moments. Lighthouse broke off first, her ears drooping guiltily. "Yeah, I guess..." She mumbled. Crimson wanted to hug her even more, but held off. 

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

She shook her head silently, forcing herself not to tear up. Lighthouse knew why she was in the Guard. She was there because it was the best she could do. No, not even that. The best she could do was survive. Only a chance encounter with Celestia had given her the oppurtunity to be more than a feral bat in the mountains fighting over scraps. But him? He was resilient, kind, charismatic... with near-boundless resources. Lighthouse could easily see the kind of thestral he would be if he only had the slightest desire to push himself beyond servitude. She'd always seen it, and cultivated it as best she could. But she knew he'd only pushed himself to appease her. That touched Lighthouse to the core, but it wasn't all she wanted. She wanted the fire and the hunger. She wanted Crimson's soulful eyes to blaze with a lust for life. She'd grown up within that blaze. Not amongst mementos and gifts, but conquests. And if she could only share that with him... 
Share...

"Light?"

The batmare suddenly grabbed onto his neck, the force of her desire pushing Crimson onto his back. His yelp was silenced by Lighthouse's lips capturing his. 



Redheart found Skinny sitting on a staircase, deep in thought. He held a worn leather wallet, and sifted through credit cards and unfamiliar coins, obviously nostalgic. "Hey, Skinny." 

The hooman looked up, and smiled faintly at her. "Hi!" 

She trotted up the steps and sat down next to him. Skinny's arm came to rest on her back, his strange fingers smoothly gliding across. It felt very comforting. "You should consider a therapeutic career. The foals would love you."

Redheart had intended to ask him if he knew where Crimson's room was, but decided otherwise, sensing trepidation building within him. She chose not to pry about it directly, knowing from experience that patients often needed support more than anything. So instead, she nuzzled into his side.
Her ministrations were more effective than she'd expected. Skinny's eyes welled up and he hugged the nurse. "Shh, shh, it's okay..." She cooed.

"N-no, it's not! I messed up bad. I always mess it up." He whimpered, tears dropping on the Alicorn Amulet. "Everywhere I go. My world, this world. Sooner or later, I always let go and become the worst version of myself."

"Skinny, hey, come on now." said Red soothingly. "You had no way of knowing how the Amulet would react with you. And you didn't want to hurt anyone."

He laughed bitterly. "Didn't I? I couldn't just be happy here. I had to nitpick every little thing, find some flaw, bring it down to my level. And I needed everyone to know how flawed they were. Or worse, make them flawed. Make them... make them suf..." Skinny couldn't even finish the sentence. 

Red couldn't begin to understand the hooman. She wasn't even sure if she was talking to him or some new manifestation of the Amulet. As a nurse, it didn't matter much. He was in pain, and Red had no tolerance for that. "Listen, Skinny." She said in a stern, no-nonsense tone. "Maybe you really did do something horrible, something downright irredeemable. If that is the case, then how dare you sit here feeling sorry for yourself? Why are you sorry for you and not the ponies you claim to have let down?"

"I... I do feel sorry for them. But it's not their fault, it's mine. I-"

"Exactly! It's your fault. So fix it."

"There is no fixing it!" 

Red put on her most piercing glare, the one that shamed every colt and filly into admitting they haven't brushed their teeth. "Then do something else! Something good. Something worthwhile. For them, for some other pony, for yourself. The more evil you do, the more good you owe to the world. Turn yourself around, Skinny. That's your punishment. Show all those ponies you wronged that you respect them enough to try being better than who you were yesterday."

The sound of a throat clearing interrupted them. Super Star was standing on the staircase right below them. "I hate to interrupt your little soap opera, but my mother has called for dinner time."