Awkward Conversations And Other Stories

by No one is home

The Cutie Market (Diane/Dayglow): Her last Secret

“This is SO fun!” The pink changeling bouncing around the train car with largely unaware of the nervousness she was instilling in the ponies around her. It wouldn’t have especially bothered her if she had noticed. Charlie had told her three times that as long as she was playing nice it was the other ponies problem, not hers.

“Sir,” an attendant approached Dayglow nervously, and the Tazzlpony let out an annoyed sigh in anticipation, “Your marefriend is disturbing the other ponies sir. Could you please ask her to stop?”

“Stop what?” Dayglow gave his own tightlipped smile, not separating his lower jaws entirely, but allowing enough of a shift to make the attendant swallow hard, “Should I ask her to stop being friendly? Because I will if that’s really what you want, but somehow I don’t think it is. Or maybe I should ask her to stop being so happy that she’s riding a train for the first time? Because I just won’t do that. That’s just plain mean.”

“If you could ask her to please, just stop… smiling?” The attendant shuffled awkwardly hearing the words actually spoken.

“Really?” Dayglow’s annoyance was palpable, and he raised his voice, “So I’m told that you seemingly nice ponies think that my lovely fiance shouldn’t be allowed to smile because she’s really super happy that she get’s to ride on a train for the first time ever? Is that true? Because you all seemed like really nice ponies.”

Various ponies shuffled with varying levels of shame, until one aggrieved soul finally spoke up, “It’s just… her teeth…”

“Charlie?” Diane froze mid bounce, realizing she was the topic of conversation, “Is everything okay? I promise, I’m playing super-nice!”

“You are, Diane,” Dayglow closed his eyes for a moment, “You’re not doing anything scary at all. You’re just being excited and friendly and nice, and for whatever reason, that’s not enough for these little ponies.”

“What the hay!” An angry pony declared, “Don’t try and turn this around on us! You two are the monsters!”

“We are NOT monsters!” The pink changeling snarled in a way that didn’t at all help her case, “I’m a changeling, and Dayglow is a tazzlpony!”

“Well, why don’t you change into something that’s not so ugly?” The pony answered smugly.

“I...can’t change… it’s not my fault!” Diane instantly fell into a panic and started to sniffle.

Dayglow fought an urge to strangle the cruel pony, instead moving to comfort his special somepony, “Come on Diane, maybe one of cars further back is less filled with stupidity.”

“I have a sleeper car, you're welcome to use, if you want some privacy from backwards thinking ponies,” a familiar unicorn mare spoke up, her fur a subdued pinkish hue, and her conservatively styled mane and tail striped blue and purple, “In fact, I think I may be able to solve your marefriend’s changing problem.”

“Diane is fine the way she is,” Dayglow moved between his mate and the new-comer, then considered the offer, “Although a little privacy would nice about now, thank you, my name is Dayglow Pastel, this is my fiance, Pinkie Pie #7.”

“Starlight Glimmer,” the mare smiled warmly, “It’s pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Come on Diane,” Dayglow glared around the rail car, before leading his fiance away from the cruel ponies.

-=-=-=-=-

“So,” Dayglow louged nonchalantly in Starlight’s sleeper car, “Is it safe to assume this has something to do with cutie marks?”

“Whatever you’ve heard, I’m not a bad pony,” Starlight blushed fiercely.

“It’s alright,” Dayglow made dismissive gesture as Diane happily watched Equestria go by through the window, “I’m former human, we all come with crazy spoilers. No judgements, just let me hear what you’ve got to say.”

“Well, the short version is, yes,” the mare nodded gravely, “You’re friend’s cutie mark is the cause of her problems. Changelings don’t have real cutie marks, at least they’re not supposed to. A mark the defines one’s entire destiny goes against everything in a changeling's nature. Her cutie mark is locking her in that shape. I’m sure of it.”

Dayglow considered the three jack-o-lantern balloons that adorned his mate’s flank. He had always assumed they were part of the transformation-gone-wrong that seemed to have led to her condition. It had never occurred to him that it could be a deeper part of the problem.

“Diane,” he used his gentlest voice, “Do you want to be able to change again?”

“I have to be Pinkie Pie!” The brick wall flew up instantly, but Dayglow noted a nuance to his fiance’s defensiveness.

“Do you want to be Pinkie Pie,” he asked cautiously, “Or do you just have to be Pinkie Pie?”

“I.., have to,” the pink changeling sniffled, “I have to because reasons.”

“You know I love you, right? You, not Pinky Pie. Even if you didn’t want to be Pinkie Pie, I’d still love you,” Dayglow reassured.

“You want to know my last secret don’t you?” The pink changeling curled up miserably, “I guess you deserve to know. Tell the unicorn it’s okay. I’ll show you… Just tell her she has to put it back after that. I HAVE to be Pinkie Pie. This mark isn’t mine to give away.”

“Of course I’ll return your cutie mark if you really want it back. I only want you to be happy dear.”

“Seriously,” Dayglow arched an eyebrow, “I’m putting a lot of faith in you, Starlight Glimmer. If you hurt Diane…”

“I don’t want to hurt anypony,” Starlight’s features were pained, “I want to help ponies. I promise, if she really wants it back, after, than I won’t fight you over it.”

At a nod from Dayglow, the unicorn began the spell. It became obvious early on that something was indeed off here, as the mark tried to wiggle free of Starlight’s magical grip of it’s own accord, before finally pulling free with an audible “pop”.

The changeling gasped as she was caught in a momentarily painful wash of pink flames, washing away the pink monster, and leaving the black, spiny, and genderless natural form of a soldier changeling.

“Z?” Dayglow took a shocked step back, “Z, is that really you?”

“Don’t look at me, Ki,” the changeling shied away, “I’ve lied to you this whole time. I tortured you to learn secrets you had already told me. I had to know it was really you. Because I thought he WAS you. Right up until he threw you in that closet with me, I thought he was really you.”

“I chased your ghost across the nightmare, Z,” Dayglow started to break down, grief, anger, and relief pouring over his soul in equal measure, “I thought you were dead!”

“When the world melted, when you melted away into nothing, I was left alone, in the dark,” Z cried softly as she spoke, “Then there were words, and somehow I knew what they said.”

The miserable changeling refused to meet anypony’s eyes, “The words opened a path that led through hell, and I had to become a monster to walk it.”

Author's Note:

First Silververse chapter of the day! Yay! Because David and Damaged are slow and smelly, and their waifus have fleas!

Okay, that was to far. Sorry, Stick, Hay, and Night. You totally don't have fleas. But Surprise DOES have cootties, that is just a historical fact.

No choice your own adventure? Not until this story arc is complete anyway. Sorry.

Daremo was again the only vote and chose Starlight Glimmer for the canon special guest star in this arc. Which meant I had to do a little rewrite after yesterday's episode. So the story didn't get ready until today. Hope you enjoyed it.

Comments

[Dravkwn]

Cutie marks are telling me that they are some messed up whack stuff yo with them booty tats.

[No one is home]

7068792 Even a broken clock is right twice.

[Boulder]

“Come on Diane, maybe one of ? cars further back is less filled with stupidity.”

? = missing 'the'

“So,” Dayglow louged nonchalantly in Starlight’s sleeper car,

lounged

“Do you want to be Pinkie Pie,” he asked cautiously, “Or do you just have to be Pinkie Pie?”

Not saying it's wrong but should this read 'Or do you just have to be a Pinkie Pie?'

“You know I love you, right? You, not Pinky Pie.

Pinkie

Way cool chapter, finally feels we're mostly back on level track again. Starlight's inclusion here is masterful. Was Diane's teeth just pointy like Lunar ponies or is there something more I've missed? If just pointed then other ponies on that train are just racist.

[Autumn Maize]

“Well, why don’t you change into something that’s not so ugly?” The pony answered smugly.

And then Dayglow ate the pony who called his fiancee ugly and made her sad? That counts as resisting the urge to strangle, right?