Chapter 6 — Tastes Like Turpentine and Donuts
Myiasis
Already? I gave you your last orders only yesterday. What happened? You contacted the usual thugs, did you not? Black Ice’s adorable little gang?
We did, My Queen, but they were found out soon after the target reached her home.
They were ousted so quickly? How? What did Overwatch do?
Overwatch did nothing, as far as we could tell. We detected a hint of alarm and anxiety from her condo, but nothing that would condemn her as a changeling. They were suspicious, but Overwatch has shown to be reserved and socially awkward since arriving in Canterlot, and her anxiety could be a result of post-traumatic stress rather than an empathic detection of Mr. Ice.
That was all the reaction we got out of Overwatch?
Yes, My Queen. Overwatch’s attention was drawn to Mr. Ice when he assaulted a pony who surprised him, and he was subsequently chased down and arrested.
Disappointing. I was hoping to get something more incriminating out of Overwatch before he was caught, but he was ultimately a disposable asset. You say he was surprised by a pony? He was always boasting about his ability to stay hidden, and he has not given me reason to doubt him until now. Who was this pony? Show me. Do we have anything on them?
No, we do not. The pony’s name is Lilywater. She appears to be unaffiliated with Overwatch prior to Mr. Ice’s arrest. It sounded like she only arrived in Canterlot recently since she was looking for a place to stay. She has not left Overwatch’s apartment yet, so it is likely she already found residence with Overwatch.
That sounds suspicious though, does it not? An unknown pony comes out of nowhere and suddenly, little Overwatch gets over her social anxiety enough to let her stay?
It does, My Queen, but until we can get hard proof, all we have are suspicions.
Fair enough. Keep a spare changeling trailing her, but nothing overt. Our gambit failed, and Overwatch will be on alert if she is indeed a changeling. Let her relax her guard for a bit while we try another method of approach. The Summer Sun Celebration is tomorrow. Make sure everything is in order.
Yes, My Queen.
Nymph
I learned quickly that my past self had the deplorable habit of waking up at exactly the same uncelestial hour every single morning. If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn Overwatch had set up a system of mirrors right outside my window so the sun would shine straight into my eyes at exactly seven o’clock each day.
I drew the covers over my head, but the moment was already ruined. The room had already reached a state of brightness in which any attempts to fall back asleep would only eke out measly ten-minute naps, leaving me more exhausted than if I had just gotten up like a responsible… adult. I tossed the covers to the side with a groan and rubbed a bit of the crust out of my eyes. With a great heave, I managed to roll into a reasonably upright standing position next to my bed before ambling out, my hooves dragging along the carpet.
Despite having as much vision as a bat in broad daylight, I managed to make it to my bathroom safely, and I stared at myself in the mirror. My mane was having trouble understanding the concept of gravity, and my fur was starting to look oily and unkempt. Did I take a shower yesterday? No, I don’t suppose I did. It was already late when I got back from the guardhouse, and I wasn’t in the mood to do much more than brush my teeth and go to bed.
That reminded me, I should really figure out where the local library was. Story time before sleepy-sleepy had always been a core part of my hive lifestyle, and I wasn’t going to give that up just because I moved halfway across Equestria.
“Morning. You look like you have seen better days.”
“Morning,” I mumbled out automatically, my eyes still half shut. It took a moment before my toaster-powered brain finally registered Crystal lying off to the side, patiently sitting on the bathroom counter. “Wait, what’re you doing here?”
“Waiting for somepony to wake up.”
“Ahh, well, you’re going to have to wait on that one. Shower first, talk later.”
“I might recommend waking up before—”
“Noted. By the way, you’re waiting outside until I can figure out how to stop looking like I just crawled out from under a rock.” I levitated Crystal out of the bathroom, setting her down to the side and out of view before closing the door.
I trudged to my bathtub, my mind still making feeble attempts at waking up as I swept aside the shower curtain. My hoof dipped into the water, making little swirling patterns as I tested the temperature.
Wait.
My brow knit together. When did I fill this thing?
Crystal
Three.
Two.
One…
There was an ear-piercing shriek, and I chortled to myself as the noises coming from the bathroom devolved into a mess of splashes and yelling. The door opened abruptly, and Overwatch scrambled out until her back hit the wall on the other side of the hallway with a dull thud.
Another splash from inside. “A good mornin’ t’ you too, luv’! ’Ow’re you doin’ t’day?”
“By the ever-changing sands!” Overwatch screamed, nearly hyperventilating as she stared into her bathroom. “Why are you sleeping in my bathtub!?”
“Good morning again, Miss Overwatch. Are you awake yet?”
Her face hardened with determination, and she narrowed her eyes. “Alright, enough of this nonsense,” she said, standing back up onto her hooves and stomping into the bathroom. “Out! Out! You’ve been hogging the shower for too long!”
There was some particularly vigorous splashing and more giggling from Lily, who was promptly levitated out of the bathroom and deposited right onto the carpet, still dripping wet. A bright flower-print towel flew out after her, wrapping itself around her head and muzzle, and the door slammed shut behind her.
Still tittering quietly to herself, Lily wriggled upright, her broad, fan-shaped tail flopping around as she wrapped the towel around her waist. “Ooh, that was fun!” she said as she picked me up. “I never knew surface ’eathens were so grumpy in the mornings!”
I sighed.
Nymph
I grumbled as I levitated over a scoop of fresh coffee grounds and a large cup of water, pouring them into the appropriate receptacles in the coffee machine. With a flick of my magic, I shut the lid and jabbed the on button.
“I did warn you.”
“‘Maybe you should wake up first’ does not at all warn me about finding somepony sleeping where nopony should be sleeping, nor does it tell me to expect my newest tenant to be half fish,” I said as I paced around my kitchen, shooting glares at the other pony sitting at my table. “Seriously, she weighs at least as much as two earth ponies!”
Lily, who was currently an earth pony, just smiled back, bobbing from side to side in rhythm with the disgustingly catchy tune she was humming.
“Well, the mer are a fairly heavy species. I think I mentioned it yesterday, but you were a bit out of sorts when I brought it up.”
The coffee machine was brought up to a boil, and the dark brown beverage soon began dripping into the pot beneath. I stopped before it, staring intently at the steadily filling coffee pot as I tapped my hoof impatiently on the kitchen tile.
“The only thing I remember you telling me was that she was to be considered a subset of pony.”
“I said a little more after you returned, but it is true, is it not? It just happens to be a subset that has not openly appeared in Equestria for a good thousand years or so.”
I shot a glare at Crystal, who was lying on the table at her own seat, an empty plate in front of her. “Well, I’m just confused as to why you didn’t flat out tell me that Lilywater was a Tartarus-damned merpony!”
I noticed with horror that my hoof was tapping to the same beat as Lilywater’s humming, and I stubbornly adjusted my tapping, trying to break the rhythm it had settled into.
“I did not think it especially important at the time. I was a bit more distracted keeping Lily from pillaging the fridge, which was thankfully fairly empty.”
The coffee machine dinged, signalling the completion of its sole mission in life. I swept the pot out from under it and immediately began pouring out a mug. As I passed the fridge on the way to the dining table, I levitated out a carton of milk and poured a small fraction into my mug to turn it from a black pit of Tartarus and into a softer, creamier color.
I sat across from Crystal, still glaring at her as I finally took a sip from my long-awaited coffee.
It was at that moment I promptly discovered that while coffee may have agreed with Overwatch, it certainly did not agree with me, and with a face that wouldn’t look out of place on a choking restaurant patron, I barely restrained myself from spewing the contents of my mouth over my dinner table and gulped it down.
I stared down at the mug in disgust. “How in Equestria does anypony drink this stuff? It’s revolting.”
“Judging by the habits of many of the ponies I run into, very easily.”
“Oooh, I ’aven’t tried me this drink b’fore! I’ll take that cuppa off you if you’re not gonna take it.”
I quickly scooted the steaming mug over to her. “Suit yourself,” I said as I stood back up and trotted over to my pantry. “Surely there’s something to eat in here.”
“Perhaps. Last time Lily stuck her head in there, she informed me that you were running out of… everything.”
She wasn’t wrong. My brow furrowed together as I looked at the bare shelves. There was a carton of cereal with an expiration date of at least three months ago and a few cans of various sauces and soup mixes. A few bundles of pasta sat to the side, still in their packaging, so there was always a fallback plan in case I ran out of everything else, but beyond a dust bunny or two in the back, my pantry was empty.
“Hey, this stuff tastes like turpentine, except without the awfulness!”
“I am mildly concerned you know what turpentine tastes like.”
I rubbed my forehead and groaned.
Feeling a bit apathetic, I levitated out the half-empty cereal box and a bowl from the washing machine and trotted back to the dining table, where my carton of milk still sat. Surely, Frosted Oats were still edible this far past the expiration date.
“Tomorrow is the Summer Sun Celebration, correct?” Crystal said.
“It is, isn’t it,” I said as I carefully poured out a thin layer of cereal into my bowl of milk. “Well, I’m not going out. It’s just some silly pony holiday anyways.”
“On the contrary, Overwatch, it sounds like a perfect reason to go out,” she replied in an all-too-reasonable voice. “We will not get an opportunity to go shopping when all the stores are closed tomorrow.”
I grumbled again. I forgot ponies liked to take days off on holidays. “Well, I guess we can go to the market,” I said, shoving a spoon of oats into my mouth. It was a bit stale, like the taste of boredom, but it wasn’t particularly bad. “Anything else we need besides… food?”
“Ooh!” Lily said, jumping in her seat. “I heard there was a place we can get fish! Can we go? Huh?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you hear that? I don’t think any of the markets around here sell fish. There might be a pet store nearby, but I’m not in the mood to haul a fish tank home.”
“I believe Lily means fish for consumption, and while we may not find any of those around here, we could always take a look in the griffon neighborhood.”
Ahh, right. Griffons do, in fact, occasionally eat fish. I sighed before filling my mouth with more oats. “Fine, we’ll pay a visit to the griffons, but not until we find the local library here.”
“The local library? For what reason do you have in checking out books?”
“No reason. I just… like to have the occasional novel to pass the time.”
“Ahh, I see. I thought for a moment you needed to do some research, but I forget you are younger than you appear.”
I pouted, narrowing my eyes at her. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“That I was not expecting anyone to use the library to check out fiction. I have always considered the library to be a repository of knowledge rather than of entertainment. It has been quite a while since I have even considered wandering into the fiction section.”
“Hold on a second,” I said, swallowing my latest mouthful of stale cereal, “how old are you anyways? I-if you know, I mean. As a… possessed gemstone thing.” I coughed. “No offense.”
“I applaud you for your magnificent attempt to earn my everlasting ire, but in all seriousness,” Crystal said, a hint of a smug smirk in her words, “I am very old. I remember seeing Celestia back when Equestria was no more than a collection of homeless ponies desperately trying to survive the Winter Famine.”
My brow furrowed. “Wasn’t that…”
“More than a thousand years ago? Yes. Celestia was fairly young back then, but despite all odds, she grew into quite the impressive leader.”
I blinked. “Wow, is that… respect?”
“Speaking as a former leader, it is difficult not to have a modicum of respect for the near thousand year ruler of one of the most prosperous nations on the planet. You will know what I mean when you see her yourself at the Summer Sun Celebration. It is quite the spectacle, even if it is a ‘silly pony holiday’.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever,” I replied before raising the bowl to my mouth and draining the rest of the faintly sweet milk.
With a few quick steps, I dropped the bowl into the sink and levitated over my saddlebags. “C’mon, we should go now. The morning rush hour should have petered out by now, and the streets’ll be way less crowded.”
“Sounds like a plan, luv’!” Lily said, leaving her empty mug on the table as she grabbed up Crystal and hung the taped gemstone around her neck.
As I riffled through my saddlebags, I mused as to how many bits I should bring and how much space I should leave for any purchases. Lily had no such issues, taking up her own bloated saddlebags and tossing them onto her back with an impressive display of sheer neck strength. They fell with a heavy chink as they settled on her back.
I stared at her.
And then I promptly emptied my saddlebags.
The streets were indeed starting to clear a bit. There were still plenty of ponies trotting here and there, the last few remnants of the morning commute slogging their way to work, but the crowd had thinned enough to allow me to walk in a straight line relatively unimpeded. Good thing too, because I was leaving my hooves to do the walking while I ran yesterday’s… discussion with my newest tenants through my mind.
I took a sidelong glance at the red gemstone bobbing around Lily’s neck. Crystal was, to put it simply, an unknown. Perhaps not a harmful unknown—her display of emotion convinced me she sincerely believed what she was saying—but a huge question mark regardless. A part of me still thought of Crystal as some sort of sealed evil in a can, existing purely to destroy my life. It wouldn’t be hard to rationalize it either. A voice living inside of a gemstone who can access the hivelink? And one who also happened to know the intimate workings of a changeling hive?
One who just bulldozed her way into the room right across from where I slept?
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. My empathy sense kept telling me she was sincere, and she sounded so in control half the time. Crystal had a very authoritative feel to her words, and with all the trouble I had keeping up with the new developments in my life, I must have latched onto her like the nymph I was. I was supposed to be some fledgling ranger ready to venture out into Equestria, but instead, I was told rangers were worthless and that I should be thankful to come out sentient from a solo-cast memory spell so I could be an infiltrator in Canterlot.
I breathed out a forlorn sigh. I wasn’t prepared for this. I was too young to try something like this, yet I wasn’t sure I even had a choice in the matter. It felt like I was dancing on quicksand, scrambling around to even get my bearings straight. Whatever I picked up from my pony self was already dragging me around and putting words into my mouth without warning, and yet, my old nebulous instincts were the only thing I had to guide me around this strange, familiar city.
My hooves rounded the corner onto one of the more crowded marketplaces. Without looking, I knew that I had entered the Sunlight Plaza simply because the texture of the road changed. Aromas of freshly prepared pastas and quick, cheap hayburgers wafted through the air, mixing well with the general feel of energy floating around. This was one of the streets closer to the guardhouse, one I patrolled often. Many of the fast food joints and breakfast stands were emptying out, but already, faces popped out from the crowd. Names escaped me, but these ponies came here so often and so regularly, I couldn’t help but think they were part of the landscape. I trotted past them briskly, thankful they didn’t immediately recognize what I looked like outside of the illusion enchantments on the guard armor. Until I could get my hooves under me, I wanted to stay away from pony interaction as much as possible, especially if they led to conversations I would need to start with, “So what was your name again?”
I sighed again. Another reminder that I didn’t belong here in this role, like the unwelcome taste of pungent ginger root in a freshly baked cake. I was still a nymph in a world full of queens. With how uncertain I was in solidifying my place in pony culture, a personality like Crystal sweeping into my life was probably the most stabilizing thing that has happened to me. Was I a doormat for letting Crystal into my life so easily? Probably. The pitiful resistance I put up yesterday had been effortlessly swept away by Crystal’s confidence and sympathetic words. My defense was already little more than a front when she stopped hiding her emotions, and her way of speaking only sealed the deal afterwards. In the end, the only information I kept from her was my real name, but was that really any sort of victory? What was the point of keeping my name from her when she was already a step away from knowing who I was anyways?
My ear twitched, and I looked up, narrowing my eyes at the rooftops. I had the most peculiar sensation of being followed…
“Ooh, was’sis place sell?” Lily exclaimed, her sharp tones cutting into my thoughts. “What’re these things? Can we get one?”
“Lily, those are locks. They are for keeping ponies like you away from things they should not be touching.”
Crystal paused.
“Actually, I believe we could benefit from purchasing some of these. Overwatch, we require your bags.”
I hung my head with a huff, stopping in the middle of the road before turning to where Lily had her face pressed against the glass. “Right. Coming.”
I could already feel my back aching.
I really couldn’t pull my eyes away. It was like watching a slow-motion train wreck, except without a whole bunch of metal wrapping itself into a knot and a tiny bit more guilt.
Seriously, how do they make fabric do that?
“Hey, wha’cha lookin’ at?”
I jolted back to my senses, looking away from the window display with a blush on my face. “Nothing! Nothing at all!”
“Was’sis? A lingerie store?”
“Oh ho, a lingerie store?” I could almost hear the purr in Crystal’s voice. “It is amazing what some ponies can do with fabric. I completely understand why you would be staring, dear Overwatch.”
“I-it’s not that!” I stammered out. My face had heated up spectacularly quickly. “I’m just amazed that ponies are silly enough to turn fabric and sexiness into a science.”
“Anything can be made a science if you try hard enough. Why, if you look at how closely the silky lace follows the curve of the—”
“Stop it, I’m underage! I shouldn’t be thinking about this kind of stuff!”
“Curses. Here, I was hoping on corrupting your poor innocent mind.”
“Can we just go buy some groceries already?”
“No, Lily. Put that down.”
“Awww, but why?”
“We are not buying fifty kilograms worth of seaweed. I’m not even sure you could finish it before it goes bad.”
“If I might interject, she might be able to finish it in a day.”
I shot a glare at Crystal.
“I have personally witnessed Lilywater consuming her own body weight in greasy foods and fish. Granted, such an event does not happen very often, but I am not certain she is capable of overeating by our standards.”
“...Let me rephrase then. I am not carrying fifty kilograms worth of seaweed for Lilywater before we have even seen the rest of the market, checked out my night time reading, or purchased the fish only she will end up eating anyways.”
“Cor, yer right! We still ’aven’t seen the fish yet!” Lily interjected, bumping the multiple bags of seaweed back onto the shelves. “Where’re these ‘griffon’ neighborhoods you two were talkin’ about?”
I blinked. “Actually, I’m not sure. We’re probably going to have to ask about that…”
“Lily, please remove yourself from Overwatch.”
“B-b-but… cat-birds! Flesh-eating cat-birds!”
“I-I can’t feel my legs anymore. I think they’ve finally given up on getting blood.”
“Lilywater, you look exactly the same as any other pony here. Griffons these days swear off of meat that talks. Calm yourself before you attract an even bigger crowd.”
“B-but what about the nets and the harpoons?”
“Lily, if you do not get off of our host right this moment and apologize, I will turn you back into a fish!”
Lily gasped, popping off of me in a hurry and standing at attention. “O-oh, my bad there, luv! Didn’ mean t’ latch onta you like that.”
“I-it’s fine.” I carefully stood back onto my wobbly legs, shooting a grateful look to the gemstone dangling from Lily’s neck. “I err… thanks.”
“Do not mention it. However I recommend we pick up a few candles for Lily before we depart for the day. I have noticed that she has taken up an unusual fondness for fire, and I fear the worst if that fondness is left unsatisfied.”
I groaned, shifting my already overloaded saddlebags. There were at least two weeks of food between Lily’s saddlebags and mine. The only real difference was that she was also lugging around a small fortune in mostly gold coins. I would almost feel bad if her muscles weren’t so much denser than mine. Living under the sea for all of one’s life must have done wonders for her endurance.
I looked up at the afternoon sun, already past its peak in the sky. “Could we do that after we get something to eat? It’d be good if I could figure out where the best food in Canterlot is,” I said, scanning the area. “Although admittedly, looking around the griffon neighborhoods isn’t exactly the best place to start. What does Lily eat anyways, besides fish?”
“She will eat anything. At this point, it’s quickly approaching tourist levels of ‘I want to try everything.’”
“Yep! I’m all fer tryin’ something new. Seafood’s nice and all, but I’ve already had that fer so long I kinda want something new every so often.”
“Hmm… Well, I heard there was that new donut shop up near the castle.”
“Ooh, I ’aven’t ’ad a ‘donut’ yet. What’re they?”
“They’re like little rings of really fluffy dough covered in frosting and sprinkles.”
“What’re sprinkles? And frosting?”
“Sprinkles are the tiny sugary things you sprinkle on the other sugar thing and—oh forget it, let’s just go. The sooner we eat, the sooner I can apply for a library card.”
“Oooh, can I apply for a library card too?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What’re you planning on checking out from the library?”
“I don’t know! I jus’ assumed I’d figure that out when I get there.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right, let’s just go through this step by step then. We’ll figure everything out over a couple chocolate smothered frosted donuts. Chocolate tastes like love, and according to pony fiction, love conquers all, so having more chocolate means we can conquer more things, right?”
“Cor, I never woulda thought of it tha’ way!”
“Let’s go before I really think about what I just said.”
“Mr. Joe, I can completely assure you that this is entirely normal,” I said, before whispering out the corner of my mouth to the crystal lying on the table. “This is normal, right?”
The young donut shop owner stared at Lily, his mouth cycling through a variety of shapes as if trying to figure out something to say. To be completely fair, I would probably be doing the same if I hadn’t been warned about this beforehoof.
“Wow, these are really good!” Lily said through a full mouth, a party platter of donuts in front of her. “How do you make these?”
“With an oven and lots of love, ma’am.”
“You made these with love?” I said before taking another bite of my singular donut. “That explains why they’re so filling.”
Donut Joe straightened up proudly and thumped a hoof to his chest. “Of course I do! That’s why Donut Joe’s Donut Emporium is the best donut shop in all of Canterlot! Go nuts with donuts!” the stallion said, beaming. “I’ll leave you two to it then. Call me over if you need anything. Perhaps some coffee to wash it down?”
I grimaced. “No, we’re fine.”
“Alright then! Enjoy!” he said, before hopping away with youthful energy.
I bent down to Crystal, looking cautiously around the half-full diner before whispering, “Ponies can put love in their food?”
“Yes and no,” she replied, sounding more like a patient teacher than the strict leader. “It depends on what you define as ‘love’. Though it is generally referred to as ‘love’ by changelings, it is actually just magical energy drained using the prey’s emotions as a bridge. The fact that a bridge created from love allows for the most efficient transference and highest quality of magic led to the colloquialism of calling it ‘love’.”
I blinked. “Wait, really? I’ve never heard of that before.”
“I am not surprised. It is generally taught to love collectors rather than rangers.”
“So what about ponies putting ‘love’ into their food?”
“It is not just present on food. Some of the better craftsponies tend to put a little of their magic into the things they create. The phrase ‘to pour your heart into something’ was actually derived from changeling slang a long time ago.”
“Why can’t changelings do that? I don’t remember my broodmother making anything this good.”
“Because for a changeling, magic is much more intrinsic to their being. Changeling magic is difficult to transfer and does not regenerate on its own. It is why they have to drain magic to survive in the first place.”
I pouted, nibbling on what was left of my chocolate covered pastry. “That doesn’t seem fair at all.”
“I like to think of it as a generally good tradeoff for being able to fly and use magic at the same time.”
“I suppose,” I grumbled as I stretched out my wingless pony back. “Well, I guess I learned something new today.”
“It is good to learn things. Fools often do not learn until it is too late,” Crystal said sagely. “Though I recommend stopping Lily soon before we also learn what the lethal dose of frosting and sprinkles is.”
I trotted happily out of the library with a spring to my step, a nice collection of young adult books by Prat’trot firmly squeezed into my saddlebags right beside a bundle of celery and about five kilograms of chocolate.
Lily had also checked a few books out, surprisingly enough, though I wasn’t interested enough to ask what they were. I was honestly more concerned about the bulging seams on her saddlebags than what her flighty curiosity had turned its focus towards this time.
The day was already nearing its end, and the sun hung low on the horizon. Soon, as the moon approached its peak in the sky, the Midsummer’s Night festivities would start, lasting all the way until sunrise the next day when the real Summer Sun Celebration began.
Not particularly wanting to be caught out when the streets filled with partygoers, I ushered Lily back to the apartment quickly, and we both dropped our saddlebags down into the kitchen. Despite the sheer number of bits she spent in addition to the share paid to me for rent, Lily’s bags still managed to outweigh mine by a significant margin, so it was a bit surprising she still had the energy to put a bounce to her step when she took a book and a bundle out of her saddlebags back to her spot at the dining table.
I turned to my fridge and opened the rest of the bags with magic. The refrigeration spell many shop owners keep on their chilled products lasted the entire day, neatly preventing any spoilage until I could place them into the cool embrace of my own fridge. Good thing too. I didn’t want anything more than Lily making the apartment smell like fish.
It took a little packing, but I managed to squeeze everything into the tiny space. I hadn’t really learned how to cook back at the hive and Overwatch herself had a rather limited knowledge of recipes involving more than “put everything into a pot and boil”, but Crystal offered to teach me a few of the things she knew, of which she knew a lot. I was at first hesitant about cooking for myself, but after Crystal pointed out that Lily could eat literally anything I threw at her, I decided to go for it.
I was already finishing stocking the dry foods into the pantry, carefully sorting out everything into neat little sections. It felt good to be neat, and I nodded with approval at the cleanliness of it all.
By the end of it all, there was nothing left save for the clump of novels in my saddlebags and a not-insignificant-but-still-heavily-diminished bag of bits in Lily’s. I carried my bags back to my room and placed them carefully on the bed before I returned to the dining room.
Lily had an open book propped up against an unlit candle in front of her. The large assortment of locks she had purchased was also laid out across the table, and she had what appeared to be thin pieces of metal on a velvet cloth.
My brow furrowed, and for the first time, I actually looked at the title of her book.
“Why do you have a book titled Lockpicking for Eggheads?”
“So silly ponies can’t keep me outta places I shouldn’t be in!”
I resisted the urge to rub my forehead and settled for a simple sigh. “Okay, well, we went out and got everything we needed. Was there anything else that needs my attention, or can I go ahead and sleep through the celebration?”
“Not in particular, but I do have something to ask you,” Crystal said, much to my disappointment. “You know the stallion who punched out Lily?”
I nodded carefully. I wasn’t sure I liked where this was going.
“Was he following you?”
“Maybe? I have my suspicions. Why?”
“You know there was someone else following you today?”
I stared back, my eyes widening. “What? Who? How’d you know?”
“It’s subtle, but there was a presence from which it was slightly more difficult to absorb magic from.” I opened my mouth, but she was quick to cut me off. “Yes, I was leeching ambient energy, but that is not the point. It was difficult to pinpoint, but there was a consistent sign that there was a changeling around us as we were wandering around.”
My brow furrowed. “How come you didn’t tell me earlier?”
“Because you would have changed your own emotional signature had I informed you, and then our little stalker would have suspected something. Until you learn to control your emotions, I believed this was the best time to bring it up.”
I let out a harrumph, but a new thought wormed its way into my mind and I took a sharp breath. “Wait, do you think they know about you? If I can detect you, and they caught me talking to a ruby necklace—”
“Technically, I am a red beryl. Much rarer, as much as it matters. As for your concerns, Lily spoke enough that it was possible you were simply conversing with her. As far as detecting me, I find it… unlikely. Ever since our first encounter, I have been keeping my emotional signature at a minimal level. Unless our follower is as sensitive as a ranger and as close to me as you have been, I believe my existence is still a secret.”
I allowed myself a breath of relief, but my gut still churned. “Well, what do we do now?”
“As of now? Unless we have a plan, I suggest we act as normal.”
I trotted over to the dining table where Crystal rested and slumped back into a seat. “And what does that mean?”
“Just act as Overwatch would.”
I let out a frustrated groan, letting my head fall with a heavy thud on the table. There was a short pause. “Do you think Overwatch would go to the Summer Sun Celebration?”
“I would bet that she would, especially considering that she was a Royal Guard.”
My head lifted slightly before hitting the table again. “I hate that you’re right.” I straightened up quickly. “So, I’m staying up through the night then.”
“To be fair, you would not have been able to sleep with the partying going on anyways. You do have a room right next to the streets,” she said calmly. “If you so desire, you may stay and learn how to pick locks with Lily. It is quite a useful skill to have as an infiltrator, and I have no doubt you would be using it in the future.”
I considered the mess of locks spread out over the table, from the book still propped open to the full set of lockpicks lying across their sound-muffling velvet cloth. Finally, I looked up into Lilywater’s beaming face as she hummed a jaunty tune.
A sigh. “I suppose.”
It really was a catchy song.
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wondering if Crystal was a changeling of some sort
That sentence is just gold.
I like her.
Edit:Second, I guess
So, having just binge-read the story so far, I do believe it merits a watch.
And a like. Definitely worth a like.
Oh, and just because I think it's funny, As of Chapter 6, the story is sitting at exactly 33,333 words.
Hmm… I realise that this doesn’t actually reveal when Crystal became imprisoned—only that she’s very old. One of the first maybe-but-not-confirmed-to-be-a-changeling queens, or possibly the first? Confound these mysterious characters!
7370598 Nice to see you here.
Was that a Terry Pratchet reference in there I saw?
7371084 Oh, Hi!
This chapter brings the total word count to 33,333. I choose to believe this is intentional.
7372326 7371031
I'll see you at 44,444!
7371192
No idea. Was it?
I actually used it slightly earlier in the story too. Tarry not!
7371084 7370480
All will be revealed. In time.
7370598
Lily is one of the best characters through which I may channel my silly. It's contagious, I tell you!
great story im loving it lilly and overwatch are great and i cant wait to find out who crystil is
7398514
Makes sense im liking em so far keep it up.
Call upon the sea ponies when you're in distress~
SHOO BE DOO
Interesting...
And I like the fact that you are trying to sell people on Pratchett stories.
Night Watch is one of my favorites (the stable and relatively benign time loop is just pure genius), alongside Making Money, Raising Steam, Monstrous Regiment, and Going Postal.
Guards, Guards gets honorable mention for Errol. (You'd want to read The Last Barbarian if you want full explanation for how that happened, but Draco Stellaris Nauticae is the best species name ever, so it's probably worth it.)
Nonsense, there is no lethal dosage of frosting and sugar! But come to think of it, i believe that sort of reasoning is why im diabetic...
"dropping a bit into the donation box" - what donation box? That came out of nowhere. Is it something from a previous chapter?
9270936
There was a Salvation Army reference earlier.
7447713
I dunno about Turpentine but according to stories I have tasted gasoline when I was a toddler.
Lily is too adorkable to not love.
... How is Lily still alive?
I'm mildly concerned that she can somehow envision the concept of good tasting turpentine...