Ace of Hearts

by blowngasket


Fortissimo

Chapter 4: Fortissimo

"Umm think he is alive?" A young voice spoke. Catacomb tried to tone it out, as his head was slightly pounding.

"Ah dunno. He looks like he is breathing. Sweetie, is Perry alright?" Another voice asked, causing Catacombs ability to ignore the sounds to become increasingly difficult.

"Yup. Perry is up...what's that? What's a Catacomb?" a third voice, this one being identified as Sweetie, said to the others. Catacomb groaned, realizing that sleep at this point was no longer an option. He stirred, causing the two small girls in front of him to jump back in surprise. "What happened?" Sweetie asked.

"He's alive!" The first voice yelled out. Catacomb opened an eye slowly, staring at two young girls, no more then about ten years old. The one that just spoke had short magenta hair, and wore a simple outfit consisting of an orange tee shirt and shorts. She had a small pair of orange wings flittering around, probably from the surprise of his awakening. The other wore a yellow tee and a pair of denim overall's. She had bright red hair, with a bright pink bow on her head. The one who just yelled, the winged one, walked closer to Catacomb. "You alright mister?" She asked. Catacomb groaned and covered his ears.

"Too...loud..." Catacomb said to the young girl. She looked at him funny for a second, before another voice could be heard.

"Scootaloo, right? Don't bother with him. He thought it would be funny to drink a bit too much last night, and is now paying the price." Catacomb could easily make out that voice, as it belonged to the only other adult here.

"Guess that stuff was a bit stronger than expected. Heh...ow...hurts to laugh." Catacomb clutched his head in agony, closing his eyes quickly.

"I'll say, didn't expect to wake up in a park, but we will talk about that later." Catacomb heard rustling from the other side of the tree, and soon after the sound of footsteps. He looked up to see another young girl wearing a white dress, and atop her head was a light purple and pink hair. Standing next to her was Perry, arms crossed and tapping his foot. Catacomb knew he was in trouble. He remembered shooting Perry, resulting in him going unconscious, and then trying to lay the moves on Applejack.

"So...where do we live?" Catacomb asked quietly, as to not bother his headache.

"I think it would be appropriate to introduce these nice young ladies first. That is Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle." Perry pointed to each one as he spoke, Applebloom being the one with the bow, and Sweetie was the one he had just gotten the chance to see.

"Morning ladies." Catacomb said quietly.

"Mah sister says that people who drink themselves silly are no good bums who only want to cause trouble." Applebloom said, almost sounding like she was reprimanding Catacomb.

"I don't see how that's any of your concern." Catacomb said, slightly annoyed.

"Cata, her sister is Applejack, so don't go and say things you may regret." Perry said to Catacomb, who had a slightly worried look.

"Really?! She is your sister, huh?" Catacomb asked Applebloom.

"Yup." Applebloom said cheerfully.

"Swell." Catacomb groaned. "Well she is right about it being bad to drink to much. Totally regretting the outcome right now."

"So Cata, was it?" Sweetie asked. Catacomb nodded. "Why did you two sleep on a tree?" she asked.

"Yes, Cata, why DID we sleep against a tree last night? If you couldn't find the house, couldn't you have went to the inn?"

"I was slightly tipsy, cut me some slack." Catacomb said to Perry. "So we going back now, cause I could totally use some medicine."

"Yes, but I would like to make a stop first." Perry said. Catacomb moaned, obviously not wanting to do anything at the moment. Perry sighed, and he looked down at his friend. "Please...I promise only this one stop." Catacomb noted the solemn tone in Perry's voice. He finally understood what he was asking, and nodded.

"You visit her everyday?" Catacomb asked, getting himself up, and attempting to compose himself.

"Indeed. It is how I know my day will be alright." Perry said. Catacomb didn't even need to be able to sense it to feel the strong feelings that Perry felt. It was almost a delicacy to Catacomb, but he restrained himself from feeding. This was special, and it didn't need Catacomb's curse to taint it.

"Well then, let's not wait any longer. I will admit I am eager to get to know the tamer of the savage beast." Catacomb snickered. Perry couldn't help but chuckle as well. As crude as the comparison was, it was still spot on. Both made there way to the hospital quietly.

---------- ---------- ----------

"Ah, Perry. What a...pleasure..." The receptionist stared at the masked man. "You know the room, just behave yourself." she said as she continued to look down at papers in front of her. Perry nodded and started to walk towards the room. Catacomb quickly caught up to Perry, grinning slightly.

"Ok, I smell a story here. What did you do?" Catacomb asked. Perry chuckled slightly.

"What can I say? I don't like doctors." Perry said casually and breifly. This was more than enough, though. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Ah shucks, you are to kind. Though I have no choice in the end." Catacomb scratched the back of his head. "Kinda gotta get home. I am starting to smell like death."

"What's wrong with the smell of death?" Perry asked. Both started to laugh yet again, at least until they arrived at the entrance to the hospital room. "You mind waiting out here for a minute, Cata?" Perry asked.

"I understand, Perry." Catacomb responded, giving a mischievous smile. "You can't be all lovey dovey in front of me, is that it? Take your time Perry, as a fine woman needs to be given the proper amount of loving." Perry sighed and shook is head.

"Just behave please..." Perry said, sighing slightly.

"Relax, what could I possibly do in a minute?" Catacomb asked, half joking, half serious. Perry ignored the response and walked in.

---------- ---------- ----------

"Ok Cata, you can come...oh for the love of Celestia!" Perry yelled as he walked out to find a strapping looking young man, short light blue hair and dark black punkish style clothes making out with a nurse in the hallway.

"I'll be sure to come in for a checkup Nurse Redheart. Please take 'good' care of me." The man said to the pink haired nurse. She blushed heavily and walked away, giving the occasional glance back at the man, who only winked at her while giving her a devilish smile.

"Catacomb, for the love of all that is holy, please tell me that isn't you..." Perry said staring. Looking around first, the young mans form shifted quickly into that of Catacomb's usual favorite. He grinned and looked over at Perry. "Of all the places...whatever makes you...or them happy." Perry simply shrugged his shoulders.

"She is starved for passion, who am I as a upstanding citizen to deny her the simple pleasures of life? It would have been cruel of me."

"Not my problem then. Anyways, she is all set to meet you." Perry said to Catacomb, who proceeded to walk into the room. He looked at the bed, or more the woman laying on it. She was mostly hidden under the covers, the only visible thing about her was her long pink hair and blue eyes peering from just above the cover. Catacomb just stared at her, an eyebrow raised. "Fluttershy, are you ok?" Perry asked, slightly concerned?

"Um...I am fine...I uhh just...well I heard you yelling... and...uhh..." Fluttershy, the woman hiding under the covers, stuttered slightly as she tried to speak. Perry walked over to her, and to Catacombs surprise, took his mask off and kissed her forehead. Besides the one time, Catacomb has never even seen him remove it, so even with his back turned, the sight was a shocker.

"Don't worry, my friend here was just being himself." Perry said as he slipped his mask back on.

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Perry." Catacomb said, laughing slightly. He walked towards the other side of the bed, chuckling as she let out a small 'eep' before hiding a bit more under the covers. "I am Catacomb, but you can call me Cata." He looked over to Perry, giving him a questioning look. "Is she always like this?"

"With people she doesn't know, usually. I found the way she froze adorable personally." Perry said, chuckling. Catacomb could see from where he was standing that she was blushing slightly, at the comment. He looked over to Perry and kind of glared.

"I know I saidI wouldn't do my thing, but I swear if you two keep this up, I am going to lose it. Come on, just a nibble?" Catacomb asked nicely.

"Umm...I am sorry for interrupting...what is he talking about Perry...if it isn't a problem..." Fluttershy asked, revealing more of her face. Looks alone, Catacomb wouldn't think twice about making a move, but chances are he wouldn't live very long if he did. She was a catch, and Catacomb gave an approving smile to Perry.

"Well, Flutters, Catacomb is a changeling." Her eyes widened, and with another 'eep', she ducked for cover under the blanket.

"Ouch, I am hurt." Catacomb said, though without really being serious.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." Fluttershy peered back over the covers. "Please don't be upset, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I was just joking, doll. It's fine, I get that a lot." Catacomb said, smiling.

"Anyways, Catacomb here has to feed on the love of others occasionally." Perry said. He looked over to Catacomb, and tilted his head slightly. "How exactly DO you do that anyways?" Perry asked.

"Well, how it is actually done is quite complicated, so I will give you the 'for dummies' version. Your love for each other flows out towards one another, in more ways than just physical emotions. You give off a special chemical that seeps through the skin. It is only detectable by us changelings, and by using a special gland, we pull it into ourselves and convert it into life energy. Downside is, depending on how much I eat, you will become less attracted to each other. But a tiny nibble with a love like yours, It won't even matter." Catacomb said, forming scholarly glasses on his face as he did his grand explanation's finish. "It is also how I break attachments to someone I...well for lack of a better term, use for food."

"Catacomb, I don't feel comfortable with you eating anything about me." Perry said plainly.

"Well then, you two have made me hungry, so I'm off to find that sexy nurse. Nice meeting ya Fluttershy..." She nodded from under her blanket. "...and see you two around!" Catacomb changed back into his punk appearance and went back to the receptionist. Perry sighed slightly, hearing Nurse Redheart being paged over the intercom. Some things will always be the same. Perry though about catacomb and chuckled though.

"What's so funny, Perry?" Fluttershy asked, no longer hiding under the covers.

"I wonder when he will remember he has no idea where his home is...oh well. Trivial facts, not important."

---------- ---------- ----------

Catacomb peered out of the examination room, making sure no one was coming. When he noticed the coast was clear, he walked out and shifted back to his normal appearance. His devious grin was accompanied by him rubbing his stomach. He casually walked down the corridor back to Fluttershy's room. He knocked on the door, before hearing a quiet voice speak from the other side.

"C...Come in." Fluttershy responded with her usual soft tone. Catacomb opened the door and looked around. Perry wasn't in here anymore, much to Catacomb's disappointment. He looked over to Fluttershy, who, though less hidden, had still made it a habit of hiding from him.

"Did Perry say where he was going? I forgot to have him show me where I live." Catacomb scratched the back of his head, giving her an embarrassed smile. Fluttershy nodded.

"He said that he was going home to relax for work." Fluttershy responded. Catacomb hung his head, sighing.

"What am I going to do now?" Catacomb said, sighing slightly.

"Well, I could tell you... If you want." Fluttershy responded. Catacomb shot up, his eyes sparkling with happiness. This caused Fluttershy to retreat slightly from his odd mood shift.

"That would be simply the most awesome thing ever!" Catacomb responded. Fluttershy proceeded to tell Catacomb how to get there. Catacomb made note of how simple it actually was.

"So you going back then?" Fluttershy asked? Catacomb shook his head and smiled.

"Oh hell no! I only wanted to know so I would know. I got things to see, people to...nevermind that, it's a great day out and I don't want to waste it. Again, thank you very much for helping me out. You are a life saver." Catacomb gave a quick wave as he practically jumped out of the door. He happily ran through the hospital, getting a few aggravated yells from doctors he had passed, and finally made it back out into the bright sunny... rain...

"I refuse to accept this..." Catacomb said blankly as he stood in the rain. He ran quickly through town to find someplace that would provide him shelter. The nearest place he could find was the giant library...made from a tree. Shrugging at the odd architecture, he ran inside and closed the door, dripping wet. He was greeted by a small boy, probably the same age as the other young girls from earlier, if not a bit older. He had spiked green hair and wore a green tee with purple jeans, and a purple jacket.

"Welcome to Golden Oaks Library. Name's Spike. How can I help ya?" The young boy asked.

"Just taking shelter from the storm. Didn't expect rain today." Catacomb responded as he tried to get as much moisture out of his hat as possible.

"Well be careful. Twilight will have both of our heads if you wreck any books." Spike said, with a worried look on his face. Catacomb perked up when he heard Twilight's name.

"Wait, are we talking about Twilight Sparkle?" Catacomb asked. Spike nodded, causing Catacomb to get a bit excited. "It must be fate that I find my way here. Oh how the stars have guided my direction to ..."

"Ahem..." Catacomb looked over to see the said woman sitting at a desk, looking slightly peeved from being distracted at her reading. "This is a library, Cata. If you want to make noise, keep it to an inaudible level, please." Twilight more demanded than asked.

"Sorry." Catacomb apologized quietly.

"It's fine. So your just trying to escape the storm?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I kinda didn't see it coming." Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"We were preparing for the rain for at least a week. Didn't Perry tell you?" Catacomb looked at Twilight, his eye twitching slightly. He pulled out his guns and looked over at Twilight.

"Excuse me, but I have to go kill a clown." Catacomb said calmly. As he made for the door he was quickly stopped by a squeal. He turned to see Twilight practically charging him.

"OH WOW! The newest rune gun model! Metal casing infused with diamonds for added strength and conductivity! Masterwork enchanting! Perfect spell phrasing on the guns! Can I see Them?!" Twilight said quickly. Catacomb leaned towards Spike, and started to whisper into his ear.

"Hey, Spike. Is it safe to let her?" Catacomb asked.

"Beats me, but her pursuit of knowledge can be very scary if you deny her, so your better off." Spike responded, shrugging his shoulders. "She is good with magic, so what is the worst that could happen?" Catacomb nodded and looked over at Twilight.

"Fine, but be careful, they are a custom build. And don't mess with the enchantments, last thing I need is to go to shoot and get a flag with 'BANG' written on it." He handed the guns to Twilight, who immediately ran back to her desk. Catacomb walked over, noticing the magnifying glass she pulled from the drawer.

"So this is a rune gun up close. Do you have any shells?" Catacomb reached into his jacket and pulled out a leather case. To be on the safe side, he pulled out a green one, a sleep spell, and handed it to her. She studied the bullet, for almost a minute. "I can feel the mana working its way through the runes. This is so amazing! I never thought I would find someone who actually uses these things. I mean, do you know how much they cost...probably, as you own two, but WOW! The shells alone cost about 20 bits to make, and that's not even from an expert in Rune crafting. These are fantastic! Who made them!?" Twilight was a mile a minute with her comments, and Catacomb barely was able to keep up.

"Well, I purchased the materials to make them...and...well..."

"Well what?! Is it a secret?!" Twilight asked, obviously excited. Catacomb could only laugh at her overactive enthusiasm.

"No it's fine, I am just afraid you will overload." Catacomb laughed. He'd be lying if he said he was kidding though. "Luna did most of the enchanting work on the shells, though I do have a few store bought ones, for basics. The one your holding is one I would use on a mission. It is a knockout spell meant to subdue the target."

"Can I fire it?!" Twilight asked, though loading the bullet into one of the guns.

"Twilight, it's not a toy!" Catacomb said sternly.

"I know. Spike come here!" Spike gulped and walked over. "Just hold still, this will not hurt." Before Catacomb could further complain, she fired at her assistant, who quickly closed his eyes and waited for his fate. The spell shot out as a green ball of energy and impacted Spike, though oddly enough the spell bounced back and hit her instead. She dropped the gun and face planted on the desk, snoring loudly. Spike looked around quickly, as Catacomb stared in astonishment.

"Is it over?" Spike asked. He looked over at the snoring Twilight and tilted his head slightly. "What happened?"

"Your a dragonkin, arn't ya?" Catacomb asked. Spike nodded, causing Catacomb to laugh. "Rune Shells have no effect on dragons, and lower level spells even bounce back."

"Will Twilight be alright?" Spike asked, concerned.

"Yup, though she will be out for a few hours." Catacomb responded, nodding. He went to go grab his guns, but spent a good few seconds staring at the sleeping Twilight, grinning wickedly.

"Is everything alright?" Spike asked, causing Catacomb to quickly snap out of his lecherous thoughts. Oh the things he would do had the kid not been there, but yet again, Twilight was a friend, now. He sighed, letting his fantasy stay with him, but forever leave it at that. He grabbed his guns and put them back into his jacket.

"Yup. Well I guess this means the library is closed. I like ya Spike, what do ya say we chill and party?" Catacomb asked

"Are you kidding?! I rarely get a day off! This is going to be AWESOME!" Spike triumphantly raised his hand into the air. Catacomb chuckled and did the same as well.