• Published 31st Mar 2016
  • 680 Views, 231 Comments

The Return of The Terror - Vanilla Mocha



Joy is a reformed changeling. When another changeling from her hive finds her, she has her identity stolen, and all of Joy's friends think she has become evil once more, with Vanilla Mocha and Valerium on her side. Will they prove their innocence?

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Chapter Nine

Mocha sighed. Her café was full of ponies, most of them being her friends. But she didn't want to talk to them. No, not after the events of yesterday. Tonight is the Summer Sun Celebration, and Mocha is determined to change things around for the better. However, she is not even sure how everything turned around for the worst, to begin with.

Crystal Harmony trotted up to the unicorn mare. "Um...Excuse me, Vanilla?"

Mocha looked at her and smiled. "Oh, um, hi Crystal."

"Yeah... Would you know where Galaxy is? He hasn't been back since yesterday."

"I thought... Wait... He left to go after Shadow, didn't he?" Mocha gasped, "That was the last time I saw him."

"Uh...huh. Are you sure?" She lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh no, you too?" Mocha's smile faded.

Crystal shook her head. "I honestly don't know who to believe. All I want is to have my Galaxy back... He's everything to me."

"I understand..." Mocha looked at her, "But yes, yesterday when he left after Shadow... That was when I last saw him."

"Thanks, anyways." Crystal walked away.

Mocha turned around and let out a heavy sigh. Why doesn't anypony trust me? What did I do that was so terrible?

The door to the coffee shop opened. Valerium walked in, with Shadow by his side. Mocha's eyes brightened when she saw her coltfriend, but who he was with caused a heavy feeling in her chest to fall towards her stomach.

The pale batpony approached his marefriend. "Hey, Mocha..."

Vanilla Mocha didn't reply. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue talking.

"You know... If you had never helped that Changeling, nothing would've ever happened."

"Valerium... You don't... You don't think I did all of this, do you? Shadow thinks you're in it too!" Mocha stammered.

Valerium held up at hoof. "Shush, and no, I don't think you did it. But what I do think is that Joy is behind all of it."

Vanilla smiled. "Oh, thank Celes-"

"If you didn't help her, none of this would've happened." His red eyes stared at Mocha.

The mare blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Shadow brought up an interesting point. If you hadn't ever forgave her, we wouldn't have, and then she would've gone back home instead of gaining our trust she didn't deserve."

"So it's all my fault?" Mocha huffed.

"No, it's just that is the reason why so many ponies are blaming us. Sweetie, don't-"

"That's not what it sounded like, Valerium. It sounded more like I'm the only one responsible."

"You... Kinda are."

"No, I'm not." Vanilla frowned, "Valerium... What's gotten into you?"

"Me? You think I'm the one that's messing up around here?" Valerium's tone of voice changed. He sounded annoyed.

"I was only trying to help her-"

"No, Mocha... You shouldn't have helped her. Changelings are evil, they're bloody monsters that will always be evil! You were the one to help her become a pony, now she's taken advantage of that crazy transformation that I bet was a hoax the whole time! She's not reformed, Mocha, she's just lying to you!"

"But...she didn't lie... We both know her, she wouldn't have done that..." The unicorn whispered softly.

"Now I am beginning to think you're behind this. You don't want to admit it, do you? Shadow and Charm were right, Mocha; all you want is attention! Well, ya know what, until you admit it, I won't give you any!" Valerium snapped, turning away from her.

Mocha was breathing heavily, scared by her coltfriend's sudden change in attitude and opinion. Tears watered in the corners of her eyes. "Shop's closed!" She darted to the back room. The ponies that were her customers, and not her friends, left the cafe. However, all of Mocha's friends stayed behind.

Valerium sighed. He slowly walked over to a table and sat alone.

Quillton glanced out the window and saw Vanilla Mocha trotting towards the direction of her home. She was crying. "Valerium, why did you..." Turning his head to face him, he saw Paradise Oasis sitting with him. "Oh, Celestia..."

"Paradise, can you not? I want to be alone..." The stallion laid his head against the table.

"Aww, but I really wanted to hang with ya, ya know?" Paradise smiled, "I just wanted to ask you something... Since you're not giving anypony else any attention."

Valerium shuffled in the seat.

"I really liked that idea you had, that it all comes back down to 'Nilla helping reform Joy-"

"Paradise, can you just stop talking about her?"

"Joy...?"

"Mocha!"

"Oh... Geesh, sorry. Don't have to yell." The mare sat back in her seat.

Breeze flew over to the table. "Oooh, Paradise! Are you doin' what I think you're doin'...?" She grinned.

"Shush, shush shush shush shush!" Paradise giggled.

Valerium looked up. "What...?"

"Paradise li-"

"What Breeze is saying, is," Paradise interjected, "Is that me and her and you are going to be good friends, but that you and I are going to be great friends."

"Uhm hmm..." Valerium put his head back down.

Paradise smiled widely. "Now that Mo- err, that barista, is outta the way, you might as well get to know us better! By us, I mean me, most of all." She nudged Breeze's side to push her away.

Breeze trotted around to behind Valerium. "Hey, want my number? I'd give you Paradise's too, but I don't think she'd appreciate incoming calls from a stallion that's too good for her."

"Too good for me?! Well, don't get me wrong, you're an amazing stallion, but I am more than I appear!" Paradise smacked the table.

"Hey!" Quillton stood on the side of the table, between Paradise, Breeze and Valerium. "Breeze, come on. Paradise, don't mess with him. He obviously wants to be alone."

Paradise sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Where are we going?" Breeze asked excitedly.

"You are going to find Galaxy." Quillton trotted towards the door.

"What about you?" Breeze asked the ginger maned earthling.

"I," he said, "Will stay here. Help Mocha."

"Hey, where is she?" Breeze looked around.

"She 'closed shop'. Ran home, tears all over her face. She was planning a party for tonight, for the Summer Sun Celebration. The rest of us... That wanna help... Will decorate the cafe for her. You and all of them," he pointed at the ponies near the door, "will find Galaxy. He's been missing for about twelve hours looking for Shadow, who is obviously right in here."

"Will do!" Breeze saluted him.

The group of ponies near the door consisted of Film Reel, Thunderbolt Sentinel, Thunder Knight and Pony Pint. The five ponies left the cafe and began their search for the pegasus stallion.

~~~

"So, whaddya think happened?" Film Reel asked the group. They had just got done searching Ponyville, and were about to enter the uninhabited area between Ponyville and Dodge Junction.

"Whatcha mean, Filmy?" Breeze asked.

"About Mocha, and Joy." The pony with glasses replied.

"I for one think Shadow's making up stuff." Thunderbolt Sentinel responded.

Breeze stopped. "Woah, Bolt! What makes you think that?"

"Uhm," Sentinel looked at her, "Let's see, Mocha's our friend, she hasn't lied to me, and it's all just a theory."

Breeze grinned. "Wanna know why I believe Shadow?"

Everypony nodded.

"Because, Shadow's my friend, he hasn't lied to me, and it's a really good theory with a ton of backed up evidence!" She smiled.

"I do have to agree with Breeze." Film Reel said.

Pony Pint's eyes widened. "What? All she did is reword everything!"

"Very true." Thunder Knight added.

"Listen, I don't wanna start a fight. I just want to know why everypony is arguing back there." Film said quietly.

Even though he had said it at almost the volume of a whisper, the four ponies around him seemed to have heard him, because they all quieted down.

Author's Note:

I don't know anymore.

The brightest stars are only found in the darkest of nights.