Crossed Gears

by TheFoxern

13: Discussions

How long had he been staring at the door? He couldn't be sure. Some time alone, is what Twilight had told him. Told him. He knew that. He knew that they should speak in private, but for her to say something like that...yet he was just...staring. She probably knew he was there. There was no doubt in his mind about that. He was keeping her waiting. Wasting her time.

Yet still he stood. How long would he stand? How long would he keep her waiting? Why was he making her wait? There wasn't any point to it. He slowly pushed open the door to Celestia’s hospital room. Perhaps she would be sleeping. “Copper...” Her voice was so soft. Softer then he could ever remember it being.

He looked at her. She was smiling at him. But this time, there were no tears in his eyes, though his heart felt heavy. He had acted such a fool, thinking everything would be fine. “Celestia-” he paused and took a deep breath. “Princess Celestia. You wanted to see me?”

Her smile widened more. “Yes.” He was drawn towards her. He couldn't help it.

He sat down beside the bed. It was so apparent to him, so close to her now, “You look so much better.”

“I feel it.” Her smile seemed to widen. “It is so good to see you.”

He had to admit it, “As it is to see you.” He got comfortable where he sat, he felt like he would be there a while. “What was it you wished to speak with me about?”

She shifted in order to get closer to him. It was so comforting just to have her close. “Oh there is much to discuss,” she said smiling, getting more comfortable. “Firstly. Twilight wrote me.”

“Oh boy,” he said with a sigh. He stood up and moved onto the bed, laying down quite nonchalantly. It was going to be a long day and if he was going to be lectured he was going to be comfortable.

She was still smiling at him. “She holds you quite highly. Though I do believe it is because I do.”

“I'm sure that has influenced it...” He shifted onto his side so that he could lay and look at her. He didn't want to stop looking at her. Here there was comfort. Here there was some kind of sanity. In her face. In her eyes. He could still taste the insanity, but here it was quelled.

“She said that you went to see Her,” she said smiling. “And had an interesting time.”

“Mother...” he mumbled.

She nodded knowingly. “Oh yes. She has adopted you.” She was smiling even more at him. “It has been some time since she has done such a thing...it makes me glad that the Snow Queen has found someone to dote on. Even if I do not approve of her methods...”

Snow Queen. She called her the Snow Queen. So few did that. “Her methods?”

“She is powerful. How powerful, I don't know. Perhaps more than I.” She laid down as well, looking at him. “She is older than I. Older than Equestria. Some say that she was the first.” She shifted a bit to get comfortable.

Copper gave her a pillow and almost hit her with it in the process. “The first what?”

She smiled as she laid her head upon the pillow. “The first unicorn. First of the kind.” Copper stared at her. “Glorious...and always so...”

“Lovely...”

Her smile was so sincere. “Yes. And she took you. She took much.”

“She gave more.” He would always defend her.

Celestia nodded slowly. “Yes. She gave you more. More than you know.” Copper's brow furrowed. “Oh? You have not realized?”

He frowned at her. “Realized what?”

“Oh my dear Copper.” She smiled at him and the longer he looked, the larger it got. “You have a new title.”

He continued to frown at her. “I was unaware. Would you care to enlighten me?”

She raised her head and cleared her throat. “Allow me to enlighten you, Prince Copper Feather.”

He could not frown more. His mouth could not physically frown further. It annoyed him that he was incapable of showing more distaste for the current situation. “Don't you dare.”

She laughed. He had never heard her laugh before...it was as she was: beautiful and regal. But yet, it surprised him. It did not seem like the laugh she would have. But he had thought she was incapable of laughter, as not so long ago he thought himself. But now she laughed. She laughed at him and it softened his expression.

“I do not want to be a prince.”

It took a while for her laughter to subside into giggles. “Yes, well...you are. Adopted, yes. But still a prince. Not by blood, but by magic.”

His brow furrowed as he stared at her. “A prince by magic?” There was a slight pause. “As Twilight is?”

“Yes. Though it is different. Twilight Sparkle ascended to her position. You were brought into it. As far as the Snow Queen is concerned, you are her child. No one would oppose her claim to motherhood, for fear of her wrath.” He nodded slowly and she smiled at her. “Copper, you are a prince now. But I know you do not want the title, so I will not speak of it.”

“Thank you,” he said as he relaxed back into the bed. It was one of the most comfortable he had ever been in. “I have enough titles.”

She continued to smile at him. “Now then. On the subject of what happened in the North... Please, tell me of this.” Her hoof touched his metal limb. He could not feel it, but knew it was gentle. Concerned.

“I fought with Madam Raven. My injury was due to my anger and inability to control the power that I was given.” Her look was one wishing for him to continue. “The Doctor called it The Shattering.”

Her hoof was withdrawn. “That...is powerful magic. Ancient magic.”

He sat up slightly. “So you know of it? The Doctor did not explain it well enough I think...”

“I would expect him to not,” she said with a sigh. She knew the Doctor...that somehow did not surprise him. “Where he could tell you exactly what it was, I can only tell of what I have found. All of the books have been destroyed. As far as I know, I had the last copy and it-” she paused, looking at him. He saw the sorrow in her eyes. “It was destroyed when I was young.”

“I know it is something used by Earth ponies.” He felt he must give her a place to start.

She nodded. “Yes...to defend against the unicorns. Stories tell that it was a brutal time. I wish I knew more of it, to be more helpful...but all I know, is it was used to kill unicorns.” Her smile waned. “And it was the unicorns who took the power away. That's all I knew of it.”

Copper nodded slightly and let the silence fall. It lasted for several minutes as they both thought. But it was Copper who broke the silence, which for some reason felt odd to him. “When I went to mother, Madam Raven was there...”

Her head tilted to the side. “Yes.”

“She...” He paused, looking at Celestia. “She was there, looking for Sombra.”

Now her smile was gone completely and she looked almost sad. “Yes...I would expect that.” She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Do not be angry with her. But Sombra sought her out. It was there he learned the power of crystals.”

“I...don't see...” She held up a hoof. Had she ever silenced him?

“The Snow Queen saw him as her child, but she saw the darkness within him. We came to help and we fought. We won, but barely. She had to cut him from his power, so she did...something. Even I am not sure and she sealed away the Crystal Empire. Without its power, he was no match for us and she struck him down. But no mother could finish her own child.” She wasn't looking at him now. Words came back to mind. Not the Crystal Heart. And not her. “She took him and hid him. She has told me she hoped he would come to his senses, but he escaped her...and I was weakened by the battle with Discord. I could not stop him...” She looked to be fighting back tears. “I couldn't stop him. Not then. Not before...”

“Before?” That seemed very important. Too important to be left alone.

“You must understand. Copper...he was not always like that...he was...” Her eyes were slightly glazed, as if she was looking far away. “He was my friend. I trusted him...and he betrayed me. Betrayed us all.”

Her. Not the Snow Queen... Celestia. He was worried Celestia would come for him. Then there was a feeling he didn't have everything...something was missing. Something so important that he had to know. He had to know now. “Who is Sombra?”

“He came back from her...changed. He delved too deep into the darkness of magic...too far...” She had not answered him. She could not hear him from wherever she was.

“Celestia.” He actually snapped at her and she looked at him. “Who is Sombra.”

Her mouth opened to speak and then she turned away. She took a deep breath. “You must swear that what I tell you, shall not leave this room. You cannot tell anyone. Not yet.”

There was hesitation. He was actually hesitant to promise her. He had made many promises and kept them all. But this...he could not say no. “I promise. I will tell no one.”

She sagged and laid her head on the pillow he had given her. “Sombra Starswirl.”

Part of the world Copper knew collapsed. “I...” He stared at her, trying to think.

“I don't know what happened to make him change. He would not tell me. He returned and he was...so different. But he was sane...and then one night...he wasn't.” Copper could tell it was difficult for her to speak of this. “Luna and I are the only ponies who know who he was...and now, you do as well.”

Once again, there was silence. It was a harsh silence. The kind that made one feel deaf. Then Copper spoke. “When I was in the empire, something spoke to me. It...it felt like him. But only so...so slightly, I did not think it was possible...” He looked at her and she was staring at him. “It didn't know what it was. It just kept saying that it was what is left.”

She was silent for a while and then nodded. “He cast out the parts of him that he didn't want, or thought he didn't need...things like regret. Fear. Kindness. He knew of their existence, but could not destroy them, because they took shelter in the Crystal Heart. If it came out, it means it sensed you had destroyed the rest of it.”

“But I thought...that Som- he, was still alive?”

“Not the part of him that you hit. The Shattering breaks magic. That is all that Sombra was at that point.” Her smile finally came back, though it was small. “He lives through what was left. The parts of him that he did not want.”

“And you knew this?” It made a lot of sense. “You spun words to make me think he was still a threat-”

“He could be. Our enemy is vast and what is left of him is still very powerful,” she said softly. Soothingly. “Please, Copper. I had my reasons. Most of all you needed to see the Empire. See what the goal of our enemy is. It was not just some personal obsession. They need it. But I do not know why...”

“I have a few ideas...” he said with a sigh. “Madam Raven. Using her powers...I don't want to think of what she could do with it...”

There was a general nod of agreement to this, followed by a silence as the both of them laid there. After a while, Celestia smiled at him and tapped his metal leg once again. “So, tell me of this. I have always found your devices so interesting.”

Copper smiled. “Well, it could be considered an artificial limb, but it's got quite a lot of different things going for it. It's correcting the damage, rebuilding the muscle slowly. The magic had done a lot of damage to the leg, all the way to the bone.”

“Twilight Sparkle had not mentioned it, so I was curious,” she said, smiling. Things seemed to have shifted back to something more resembling normal.

“She probably sent the letter before I did it.” He shifted slightly, lifting the leg up. “It'll be a long time before I can take it off. It can't be removed without quite a lot of work.”

Her head laid back onto the pillow. “You never cease to amaze me. You came up with this all on your own?”

“Well, no.” He stared at the limb a moment. “Most of it was based off of something that I'd seen...but, correcting my walk isn't the only thing, it's also going to be used for physical defense.” He bent and twisted his leg. Shing.

Her eyes went wide as she stared. “Goodness. The intimidation factor of that alone will detour most ponies.”

He stared at it and then sighed. “I'm not worried about ponies...” Shnikt. “Mostly I'm worried about situations where I will be forced to use it...I...I did it for selfish reasons and part of me regrets it...” he said with a sigh as he laid back down.

Her head tilted slightly to the side. “Selfish reasons? You are one of the least selfish ponies I have ever seen.”

“I did it to see if I could.” He paused. “To prove that I could. Prove that I was as good as, if not better.”

“Better than who?”

He hesitated as he looked at her. “I'm bad at telling stories...I never know where to start...”

She smiled at him. “Well, just start from the beginning. There's a lot I'd like to know about you, Copper. I know so much, but next to nothing of what you've done in recent time.”

So he told her. He went back to that day when they sat in the meeting room. The day he retired. He told her of everything he could remember. Perhaps he should have left out some of the personal thoughts on her, but those had changed and he pointed that out. She simply listened, smiling quietly and asking the occasional question, or reminding him of things. He hardly noticed when food was brought in. It ended with his hesitation outside the room before he had come in.

It was morning. “I am sorry that you have had it so difficult,” Celestia said softly. “No pony should have to go through a fraction of what you have done.”

All he did was shrug in response. “What of Chrysalis?” It had been bugging him ever since he had spoken of her. He wanted to be with her now.

“She is doing quite well. She seems happy, though not content.” Copper nodded; he expected as much. “We have worked out details of an alliance and changelings are free to move about Equestria as they wish, without fear of being hunted or hindered any more than any other pony.”

“Good,” he said and slowly moved from the bed. “I think I've been away from her long enough...”

As he walked to the door, she smiled at him. “She may not say it...but she has missed you.”

“Rest well, Princess,” he said as he closed the door behind him. Of course she would say that, but the question was whether Copper believed it or not. Honestly, he wanted to. He walked slowly down the hall; with every step, there was a clink.

He was in the main hall again. The first thing he noticed was that they had not replaced his mural. The second thing was the large amount of ponies. The third thing he noticed...was Chrysalis. And she was Chrysalis. No longer disguised as Celestia. He had missed quite a lot apparently. Then he started to look at the faces in the crowd. They were all familiar...diplomats. “Ah, Copper. I had heard you were here in Canterlot.” It was Amira.

“Good morning,” he said, looking up at the horse.

“I almost did not recognize you. You have changed quite a lot.” She had the air of somepony who was desperate for something to do. Especially if she was being pleasant with him.

“I'm guessing you never passed my letters to Safanad.” To Copper, it looked like she stopped breathing, staring at him. “Thought not. I had thought it odd she didn't reply...but I suppose you can't reply to letters you don't receive- Ah, and look. There she is now.”

Amira spun around in a panic, but of course, she wasn't there. “What?” This is a meeting of diplomats. Of course she would not be there.

“Perhaps I'll deliver them to her myself when I get the chance,” he said as he walked past her. “I know you convinced her. I know you set everything up, but it's fine. Water under the bridge, as the saying goes. Forgiven, forgotten.” He gave her a smile and he actually enjoyed the look of panic on her face. “Good morning,” he said as he walked away.

Conversation died away as he walked. It got quiet, until the only sound was the clink of his hoof and the whispers. Chrysalis watched him as he walked. Chestnut moved up beside him as he made his way across the room. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine,” he said as he smiled. Seeing Chrysalis, even at this distance just made his heart...race.

“Liar,” she said, frowning at him. She was trying to get in front of him and block his path, but he was having none of that.

“I'm fine. Now...I would like to speak with Chrysalis.” He was almost to her now. So close.

“She is in a mood,” Chestnut hissed, partially blocking him, slowing him slightly.

“Oh? And what mood would that be?” he said, looking at her, finally breaking eye contact with Chrysalis.

“A strange one,” she said, still frowning at him.

But he continued on and stopped in front of Chrysalis. “Copper,” she said with a smile once he was closer. “So good of you to finally come see me.”

“Queen Chrysalis,” he said, smiling and giving a bow. It made him happy to see her. Just to see her made him feel better. That made him feel pathetic. “You are doing well, I hope?”

“Oh yes.” She looked out at the crowd. He couldn't help but notice that the door behind her was the one the Doctor had used to get behind the Sombra Celestia thing. He needed to work out what to call that combination in his head. Yet he couldn't help see Sombra in a new light now...especially now. “Are you all right?” There was concern in her voice.

“I'm fine.”

“Liar,” she said, slightly frowning at him. That was twice he had been called that now. She was trying to tower over him, trying to intimidate him. He thought it cute.

“I'm fine.” He paused. “Now. There was a long time I wasn't, but I'm fine now,” he said as he smiled at her. But still she gave him that look. She glanced at his metal hoof. “It's to help me walk. Eventually I'll be able to walk again, maybe without a limp, but I couldn't without this.”

“So you're not fine,” she said as she sat down.

“I'm as fine as I've been in a while. Better now.” He couldn't help but smile at her.

“Chestnut seems to think otherwise,” she said as she folded her arms in front of her. That was a familiar stance.

He looked back at her, trying not to glare. “Does she now?”

There was an “eep” from the the bottom of the stairs. “Uhm...”

“Leave her out of this. You have a lot of explaining to do.” She was still giving him that look and trying to tower over him.

“You're trying to pick a fight and I'm just going to sit here, and think about how much I missed you,” he said with a smile as he sat down.

Now her look changed to a mixture of embarrassed and flustered. “You...”

“Yes, me,” he said, still smiling at her. If he could keep her flustered, she'd stop being angry, or get angrier. He was still trying to learn her little quirks. How she reacted to certain situations and reacted to him. It was different than anything he'd done before. “Me. I'm here.”

Her face scrunched slightly. “You are such...” She sighed, unfolding her arms now. Then she seemed to snap back to normal. “Either way...I'm glad you're here.”

That had not been something he had expected and it caused him to raise his guard further. She was trying to trip him up now. “Oh?” What is she playing at now? “And why would that be?”

Her face turned to a slightly malicious, yet soft grin. “Oh dear Copper...your love, of course.” Of course.

“I am sure you have plenty now. Things seem to have gone quite well for changelings...standing out in public. In Princess Celestia's spot no less,” he said as he shifted slightly to get more comfortable. He could feel the heat of the dozens of ponies in the room on his back, staring at them.

“Oh I must admit it does have its perks. Apparently I have admirers. Me,” she said as she grinned. “I can feel their adoration...it's quite satisfying. But none compare to you. All that compressed love...I barely sunk my teeth into it.”

Keep the subject off of him. “What does this treaty entail? You are temporarily in control while she is ill and your changelings are free to roam and live?” He was truly interested. Considering the amount of changelings he was fond of.

“Oh, this and that,” she said as she waved a hoof around vaguely. “Celestia seemed immensely concerned with all that Sombra had done while in control.” She referred to it as Sombra...that was interesting. A small detail that showed she truly didn't blame Celestia. “She's tormenting herself over it. Honestly, it's quite satisfying. Though it would have to be more her fault for me to feel truly pleased. I do hope you make Sombra suffer.”

She had confidence in him. “That Sombra is dead.” She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “The Sombra responsible for all of the atrocities, is dead. Dead and gone.”

“But you speak as though-” she stopped as she saw the many faces around. “Something for later, I suppose.” She sighed softly, shaking her head. “The secrets you keep from me, Copper...for shame...” She grinned.

The room recoiled. That was a look she saved for special occasions. He had been treated to it on occasion. “Careful with that.” He didn't so much as flinch. “We're in public.”

“Oh there it is,” she said as she moved towards him. “There's the playfulness that I like...there's the Copper I want.”

The weeks had changed her. Time ruling ponies had changed her. “That's it?”

She stopped, a confused look on her face. “That's what?”

“That's all you want?” he said as he looked back behind him at the room. There were maybe a hoof full of ponies that he didn't know. “You just want a plaything.” He had been a plaything before...not out of choice.

~

Brutality. That was what she was known for. Murderer. Ruthless. Heartless. Any sort of negative word could be used to describe her. But this was many years ago. Years before her true colors came to light. Before Copper.

Copper always hated balls. The crowded pressure and the feeling that he could not see any attackers coming. So he sat and he drank with Lady Evale. Ever since that day, the day Lers died, he had felt her to be something that he could talk to. Mostly to get away from Horsh. “I shtill don't shee why you blame yourshelf,” she said, smiling. She had had perhaps a bit too much. Or not enough, according to her. “Honeshtly everything'sh going fabuloushly.”

“Only because I'm here.” He had not had very much to drink. “When I leave, mark my words, things will be different.”

“Look around,” she swung her drink around, gesturing at the room. Copper was amazed she could do that and not spill any. Perhaps she was not as drunk as he thought she was. “Nopony here would dare. Not when you could sho eashily...come back.”

He had to admit it, she had a point. “Yeah...” He took another drink. Tomorrow he would head back to Canterlot. He wondered where Celestia would send him next? He missed seeing her light...

“Ah. Look. Here she ish. Late ash ushual.” Lady Evale chuckled as Copper watched the figure approach. The crowd parted well before her, but he noticed it did not close behind her. As if she left something behind...then he felt it. He felt the pressure, from clear across the room. She was hardly in the door...and yet here it was. Her presence pushing its way at him.

She was heading straight for them and gave Copper quite the smile when she had made her way there. Everything seemed to move slowly around her. Sound was softened. “Copper Feather. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” Copper blinked. This was a griffon unlike he had ever seen. “I, am Madam Raven.” The shine of her black feathers, black beak, black claws...red eyes... Copper had only heard rumors of magical griffons.

“Ah...pleasure to meet you as well. Though I'm afraid I was not informed of you coming,” he said as he looked over at Lady Evale.

Lady Evale giggled. “Oh come now Copper. I have to keep shome shurprishes, yeah?”

“My dear Evale, you have had too much, I think.” As she spoke, the glass pulled from Lady Evale's claws and set down upon the table beside them.

Copper felt the words bubbling, that he had told her that and was about to say them, but something pushed them down. “So, Madam Raven, what has caused you to go through the trouble of looking for one such as I?”

“Oh come now Copper.” She took a seat down at the table, as Lady Evale simply stared at the drink, which was just out of reach. “The pony who practically single hoofedly removed any question to the proposed treaty? What kind of griffon would I be if I did not seek you out. I wanted to know what sort of pony could do such a thing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I do not consider it single hoofedly.” But she waved vaguely, dismissing that thought. “Well then...what do you think? Am I what you thought?”

“Oh not at all,” she said with a slight laugh. That laugh would stick to Copper for the rest of his life, he knew it then. It was the kind of laugh that felt so odd to hear, so unique that no words could describe it. “Much, much more.”

That caused him to smile, though he did not know why. “How kind of you.”

“Well, it is such a sight to see a pony reach such a degree.” She put her elbows on the table and steepled her clawed fingers, looking over them at him. “I must admit, I share Evale's interest in ponies. Though for other reasons...”

Copper raised a brow, glancing at Lady Evale. He knew quite well her interest...though he had refused. That sort of thing didn't interest him. “What sort of interest?”

“All in good time,” she said as she leaned back. Copper watched as three drinks floated to the table. “Come now, join me.”

It was a pleasant night. Madam Raven was quite interested in the treaty and asked quite a lot of questions. Copper knew it backwards and forwards. It was all public knowledge, so there was no problem telling her anything.

Then she asked of his travels. Many of those he could not speak of, but he told her of the more harmless ones. Sometime throughout the night, it seemed the party ended. Overall, he had enjoyed the interaction. Madam Raven seemed pleasant, if not a little aloof. He matched her attitude with his own.

Finally the conversation turned to Copper's questions. “What sort of magic can you do?”

“Oh many different kinds,” she said with a smile. “Though my best is healing. I can heal most anything.”

His thoughts instantly went to his wing and his heart almost skipped a beat. “Healing, really? How good?”

“The best, I'm told. Though I'm afraid old wounds don't work.” She was apparently thinking the same thought. “It's only fresh wounds that work. Had I been there when your wing was removed, or when it was still-” she hesitated and took a drink. “Bleeding...I would have been able to grow another.”

“Fresh wounds...that's quite interesting...” He said and that was honest. It made sense that wounds would heal better when they were fresh, before they had time to try and heal naturally. “So I guess Lady Evale's idea for our meeting is not going to work.” Lady Evale had left quite a while ago.

“Ah, no. It was not her idea for our meeting,” she said, still smiling at him. There was something unnerving about that smile.

“It wasn't? So you merely wished to meet me?”

She shook her head slowly. “Oh no. It's much more than that.”

There was the feeling. The feeling of everything going wrong. Of the world falling apart. He had no weapon. He was defenseless. And she had magic. “And...” He swallowed. “What more could there be?”

She grinned at him. “I need a new plaything.”

When consciousness had returned, he felt pain. Cuffs that cut into his legs. All he had seen was her finger twitch and then he was out. “Blasted magic...”

“You asked me...” His eyes rose to look at Madam Raven. “What sort of interest I had in ponies...” She was quite close to him.

“I-” he winced at the pain in his legs. “I did...”

Her tongue ran along her beak and Copper couldn't help but notice it was black. “It is because I love how they taste.”

~

It took every ounce of will he could muster to bring himself back. Bring himself away from that. He found he was staring at the mural of Chrysalis being defeated. It looked nothing like her. “Oh Copper...you knew what this was when you accepted.”

He took in a deep breath. He had locked those memories far away, but apparently they had brought themselves back. “Yes, because I thought it was more.”

“Oh? Really?” She was smirking at him. He knew she was. “What more did you think it would be?”

“You needed me. But I had hoped that eventually, you would want me. Even when you no longer needed me.” As he spoke, his heart was racing. He had been running it through his head over and over again.

“Need, or want...doesn't matter,” she said softly. She was quite close to him now.

He turned slowly to look at her. Those large green eyes staring at him. “It matters to me.”

She laughed and looked around the room. “Don't you see, Copper? It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore. I'm in power. I'm in control. Do you think you could stop me?”

There was silence as he stared at her. “No. I couldn't.” Silence. She stared at him. “I couldn't if I wanted to. Not if I put every ounce of me into it. I could not try.”

Her grin grew wider. “You are the only one who could possibly stand a chance...and you say you could not?”

“I would not. I probably could, were the situation different. But I love you too much.”

There was hesitation, before she regained herself and laughed again. “Oh this is perfect...not even your love of Celestia could help you?”

“I adore her,” he said and he saw the twinge that hit her; that little flicker of jealousy. “I would do all I could for her. But I love you.”

She stared at him, her face impassive. Until it turned into a grin. “What game are you playing now?”

“No game.” Her grin faded. “I love you. Plain and simple. I may care for Celestia. But if given the choice...” His heart was beating harder and harder. “I would choose you over her.”

“I could take the kingdom,” she said as her grin returned. “You won’t do anything you could do stop me. Twilight could not stop me. Those other two are too far away...it's all mine now.”

“You could, but you won’t,” he said. He felt weak in front of her.

She looked down at him. “Why not?” She laughed.

“Because of me,” he said, his voice quite soft.

“Oh? Do you think so highly of yourself? Do you think that I think so highly of you? That I would simply not do something, because you...what, ask me not to?” She was smirking down at him.

“No.” He was staring back up at her. “You're not going to do it, because of me. Because I don't want you to. And you don't really want to.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly on him. “What makes you think I don't want to, hm?”

“Because you haven't. You could have, but you've not. You know, you knew, that I would not try to stop you...” It was so hard to talk and look at her, but he did not want to look away. “You've had so many opportunities...” He actually felt himself smile. “You've not done it, because of me. You know how I adore Celestia and you do not want to hurt me. Despite everything...despite all your words...and your lack of words...I know, that you love me.”

“Me? Love you?” she said, her smirk increasing. “What makes you think that?”

“I have to believe that you love me. Even though I can't explain it, I know you do.” It felt odd doing this in front of such an audience, but it was best to have an audience of more than just changelings.

“So you simply have the feeling that I love you. You want me to love you?” she said with a laugh. “Oh Copper, so naive...”

“No...I don't know for certain,” he said and then took a deep breath. “But I know how to find out.” It was now or never. He knew how to do it, but the question now, was it worth it? If he was wrong, he would lose her. If he was right, it could break her. But he had to know. No more guessing. No more assuming.

“And how, pray tell, are you going to find out?” Her smile was now a grin.

“By saying a few words.” His heart was beating so hard that he felt like it was going to burst from his chest. Or explode. It was almost deafening.

“What words?”

Author's Note:

((Chapter edited by Amneiger))

Comments

[nevergone]

Mother truckin cliff hangers.

[TheFoxern]

4018461 Hahah. I'm sorry. I can't help doing them.

[Fancies himself a lurker]

Aww shit!! Is he gonna ask what I think he's gonna ask?