Shades of Grey

by Inquisitor M

9. Painful Needs

9. Painful Needs

At the archway below Rarity’s chambers, they went down—down the stairs, down the levels, all the way into the basement. At the bottom, Thunderer stood guard in the alcove. His left eye twitched as Silverlight halted the group.

“Where is Splashdown?”

“Making our excuses to Princess Celestia,” Silverlight replied.

Thunderer snorted and hammered on the door behind him three times, much harder than usual, while his eyes lingered on Rarity.

Go ahead, you should blame me. He tried to warn me, but then I just went and did what was best for me again. I got carried away, showing off in front of Twilight and the princess.

“Vanilla, dear,” Rarity said quietly. “Would you mind bringing down the dress-pony from my room upstairs?” Vanilla nodded and raced upwards, hoof-falls echoing loudly on the confined stone stairwell.

The door opened. Rarity edged slowly inside, peering into the gloom and seeing only a vague outline of Luna. There was no window, the only light coming from a single candle burning in the corner opposite the princess, but there was something wrong with the scene—something revealed only when the door clicked shut and several more candles sprung to life. Luna’s star-field mane was gone, returned to the pale blue curls of the scared little princess left in Nightmare Moon’s wake. Luna sat on a raised futon, her stature listless and slumped. Her wings drooped at her sides and her head hung low. The tips of her hair clung to her face, damp from tears that still stained her coat.

“We were selfish, and we are sorry,” she said in a voice broken from sobbing.

“I don’t think I understand. Princess Celestia… she showed me the inscription. No good pony could possibly blame you for being angry at what happened.”

“That is not what we… not what I, meant. It was selfish to bring you here at all.”

“But, Luna. I’m the one who asked to spend the day with you. I don’t understand how you can think you were selfish.”

The princess’s red-rimmed eyes looked into Rarity’s. “Do you have no idea how many ponies have made that request of me? I admit that none were like yours, but even so, my reasons for saying yes to you were selfish ones. I thought I saw something in you. I wanted somepony else to understand how I felt. I thought that pony might be you, and I regret not being honest about it.”

Please don’t! I wish... I wish I had been even half as honest as you have. I wish I could just tell you. I wish...

“That,” Luna said as Rarity looked away. “That is what I saw last night. I do not know what it is that you carry, but I sincerely hope I did not make you feel pressured into sharing it. I wanted you to, and that was unfair.”

Rarity studied the spartan room. There was a second futon, but little else—as if the room was meant never to be used, or lit.

Well, you did say you wanted to ‘talk about it later’, Rarity. Isn’t this later? Or was that a lie too?

“I really do want to talk about it, Princess, it’s just…”

Painful.

Another knock on the door, and the candles extinguished themselves as it swung open. The dress-pony floated in, casting a wan light in the grip of Silverlight’s magic.

“Will there be anything else, Lady Rarity?”

“No thank you, dear.” If she was lucky, the poor light hid her fake smile. When the door clicked shut, the candles reignited and she deftly removed her jewellery and dress. “I don’t feel like I should be wearing this anymore. I want to, I mean, I love it. I’m just not sure I deserve it. Especially after running off and causing trouble for everypony. I do hope Splashdown isn’t in any trouble with Princess Celestia.”

“Oh?” Luna moved to sit on the end of her futon, her hooves dangling off the end in the same way they had in Rarity’s room. Her previously dull eyes now shone. “What did I miss?”

Rarity perched on the edge of the other futon. The bedding might have looked plain, but the plush mattress and smooth, cool sheets were both inviting and relaxing. “Well, I was feeling a little overwhelmed after you… left. Being told to attend your sister didn’t help. I still feel like it was all my fault for bringing the book, but he—Splashdown—he had a few things to say about that.

“He knew I was still nervous and made quite a show of putting himself between your sister and I. When she showed me the inscription in your book, he stayed behind and sent your other guards to escort me here in his place.”

Luna giggled. “That sounds brash, even for him. Celestia will make him pay for that.”

The two ponies smiled at each other, and for the first time since entering Canterlot, the silence felt comfortable. “Luna, whatever happened to your mane? Are you all right?”

The princess frowned slightly. “Oh! Yes. I needed to go back to just being me for a while. The pressure of what is expected of me is more than I care to bear sometimes.”

“Is it because of Stormcloud? You said he brought back memories, and you go quiet when you mention him, or anything from the past.”

Luna closed her eyes and shrunk down, settling herself. “The matter with Stormcloud bridges my past and present, and it is difficult to manage them both. I told you of my feelings towards my sister, but it goes back beyond the story of Nightmare Moon that you know.

“Celestia was first to befriend Stormcloud, although calling them friends would be a misnomer. My sister and I do not get involved in each other’s affairs unless asked. It complicates things, so it was a surprise when Celestia requested my assistance. I knew of his uncontrollable magic and I love a good mystery, so I was thrilled to take the matter off her hooves.

“Where she had kept her distance, the stallion I found was scared and alone, and I wanted to help in every way I could. I never expected to feel like I shared some of his pain. That, Rarity, is where it all went wrong. My desire to help blinded me to the feelings I had never acknowledged: resentment of my perfect sister. He was lonely, and I was focusing all my energy on finding a way to help him. I was too wrapped up in the challenge that his affliction presented to notice that he was changing as we grew closer.”

Rarity leaned in as Luna gave rapt attention to her own hooves.

“I tried to visit him every day,” Luna continued quietly. “He began mimicking my manner, my words, and my feelings towards my own sister. He was becoming dependent on me, and the sad truth is that I liked it. United by bitterness, we were great comfort to each other, but when I realised that, I was horrified. But I could not bring myself to walk away. That would have broken him, and we still sought an answer to his problem. I tried to undo what I had unwittingly allowed to happen, but I could not. If I saw him less, he grew more resentful; if I tried to talk him out of his misery, we only argued. If I had only consulted my sister…”

Luna’s face tightened, and she looked up to meet Rarity’s eyes again. “No, there is no sense in wishes. I did not, and then the unthinkable happened.”

How long have you carried this, Luna? You said you hoped I would understand, but can that really mean you haven’t shared this with any other pony? Maybe not even your sister? What if I can’t understand?

“I arrived one night to find ponies fleeing from the cave where Stormcloud was camped,” Luna continued. “He’d accidentally destroyed an abandoned barn, and somepony must have followed his tracks. They descended on him in a frightful herd, trying to drive the ‘demon’ away from their farmsteads.

“Stormcloud said he tried not to harm anypony, but their taunts and jeers enraged him. By the time I arrived, he was beyond reason; it took all of my power to battle him. Perhaps there was more that I could have done, or should have done, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Ponies died that day, and a great many were injured.

“He was broken. He would have killed me, so terrible was his fury, and we both knew it. He started to tear himself apart with grief over what he had become, and I simply could not stand by and watch. I consoled him as best I could, knowing that in the end it would break his heart. In hindsight, I don’t think it was his rage that I was afraid of, but the possibility that it reflected my own. We understood each other, and it doomed us both to repeat our mistakes.”

Rarity’s tears began to roll down her cheeks and she wiped them away with a hoof.

“Dearest Rarity, are you all right?”

The unicorn nodded silently.

I wish I could explain how much it means to be here for you. You sound so very happy to be talking about it.

For a moment, she thought Luna was going to scrutinise her again, but instead, the princess smiled and continued. “That is when Stormcloud asked me to cut off his horn, and I was worried that he might take matters into his own hooves. He was resolved that no pony should ever be harmed because of him again. So, I did as he asked before he tried to do it, or worse, to himself. It stopped his magic, but as I have already told you, it was only temporary.

“The first time was a whole week, but by the second day we knew it was re-growing. That was the first time I saw him cry. I couldn’t help myself; I had to console him, and I knew that as I held him, a piece of him died. He knew that even if I purged the curse, as he called it, I would never be the pony he wanted me to be. He knew that I could not save him from himself, and he was ashamed. Celestia says he gave up, but I still refuse to believe it.

“He never faltered from his self-imposed exile. We eventually had little choice but to seal him away, so I created a weave of nullification spells in the mountain. My sister said it was as much art as magic, but I could feel no satisfaction in something steeped in such woe.

“The night after we... I cried into my sister’s mane for hours. I don’t think she ever understood why, but I felt terrible for it. I harboured resentment towards her that I did not dare admit to, and yet she was there for me when I needed her. We… didn’t talk about that night again for a very long time.”

Watching Luna stare past her vacantly, Rarity wondered if that is what she had looked like when the princess dragged her out of her own thoughts. “Luna? When you mentioned things being difficult between the two of you, I thought about what Splashdown said about his relationship with you. His reaction earlier was rather… personal? A little too defensive, if you take my meaning. Aren’t you worried that there is a little bit of the same going on?”

She hadn’t expected Luna to laugh loudly.

“I understand what you mean, Lady Rarity—”

“Oh, no. Please, just Rarity. That title suddenly feels very uncomfortable.”

“Of course, but perhaps I should tell you his wife is expecting her third foal.” In the wake of her laughter, Luna’s eyes were bright, her smile wide, and her posture tall and proud. Rarity returned the smile, but it felt wooden on her face—just another mask to hide the things she’d done.

“But you are right in one sense. It is something that has weighed on me since that night with your friends in Ponyville. I soon realised that always being open and friendly had its limitations. Canterlot is nothing like Ponyville, and there were too many who sought only to abuse my time for their own ends. Even those who only wanted to show their appreciation could prove troublesome. At first Thunderer organised my guards to take care of it, but I was uncomfortable with that. So instead, I keep ponies at bay as the Princess of the Night.” Luna wildly dramatised the title for effect. “My guards make sure the unwelcome feel no inclination to incite my wrath.”

Rarity tapped her chin with a hoof. “I suppose that would be why I received such an interesting introduction this morning. I really am very glad I passed their tests, but I’m still not sure how I got to be here at all.”

Luna leaned closer, narrowed her eyes, and spoke softly. “Have you ever wondered which of the Elements of Harmony my sister and I held?”

“You… you held…” There was only one answer that begged such a question. “You held the Element of Generosity?”

“Correct. It was a thing of pride, to wield the Elements with Celestia, but in the end it seems I wasn’t even needed. She used them all to imprison me.”

“You mean Nightmare Moon?”

“No.” Luna shook her head emphatically. “Nightmare Moon is not another pony, she is me. She is what happened when I no longer thought my feelings were unfair, or unreasonable, and stopped resisting them. You did not destroy Nightmare Moon. You and your friends saved me from myself. You gave me a chance to try and avoid making the same mistakes all over again.

“You must understand, Rarity, that I became jealous of my sister because I still loved her. I was too scared of losing her love to say what needed to be said. I know now how foolish that was, but that does not mean that I suddenly have the courage to say it.”

I was frustrated. I only wanted to help, but I felt useless. I knew you were searching for something when you asked me how I felt. You saw I was holding it in. Did I want you to find out what I was hiding? Is that why I asked to spend time with you? Could it be that we are both looking for the same thing? But... if you are still trying to cope with it, what chance do I have?

In the distance, she heard Luna speaking. “Are you all right?”

Dragged from her inner monologue, she met the princess’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Luna. I said that I really wanted to talk about what I was feeling, but now that we are here, I’m not sure that I can.”

“Dearest Rarity, that is quite all right. Perhaps it is enough that you have said as much. I owe you a debt for your time. Should you need it to be repaid, you have only to ask... unless you decide to run amok and try to bring eternal night.”

Luna leapt up from her futon, clearing the distance between the ponies with one beat of her powerful wings. She scooped the unicorn into her hooves, holding her tight, stroking her silky-smooth mane, and cooing softly into her ear. “Shhh. It’s all right, dearest Rarity. You’re safe now, you can let it all out. I can feel your pain, I know how much it hurts. You’ve been so generous, and I lov—

Rarity’s cheeks burned, and she turned away, feeling Luna’s eyes upon her.

“I wish I had the words to help you, Rarity, but I am not my—”

“No! Don’t say that. Please, Luna. You are so much like your sister, and I am so very glad to have had the chance to see that for myself. I... oh dear, I’m going to sound awfully cliché again, but…” She cringed, certain that she couldn’t blush more than she was right now. “I really wouldn’t want you to be any other way.”

“Shades of grey,” Luna said, returning to a small, distant voice. “It’s something that Celestia used to say. She would tell me that I always focused on how we were as night and day, contrasting as black and white. She said that underneath, we shared all the same shades of grey. I didn’t understand it back then, but I see it now. It is simply not always so easy to—”

Luna’s head jerked towards the door. “I hear bells,” she said with a smile. “One moment please.” Luna’s horn glowed, and her mane and tail began to float up weightlessly. They thrashed in a magical storm for a split second before turning back into the billowing star-field that Rarity had grown accustomed to.

The guard outside rapped on the door three times and it opened with the usual military timing. Accompanied by a jangling of bells, a small pink filly rushed across the floor toward Luna’s futon. She slowed a little as she looked at Rarity, seemingly hesitant of the stranger, then looked back at the princess and jumped up alongside her. “Luna!” she squeaked, throwing her hooves around the princess’s neck. “Vanilla said you were sad!”

Rarity watched, wide-eyed, as Luna embraced the filly without resistance or hesitation.

“Thank you, Blessing. It is true that I was feeling sad, but I am feeling much better now, thanks to Lady Rarity. Perhaps you might say hello to my guest?”

The filly turned her head with a jingle of the bells and pressed the other side of her muzzle into the princess’s neck. “Hello Luna’s friend. I’m Blessing. How are you?”

Rarity worked her jaw a moment before words finally came out. “Hello Blessing,” she said in her best lady’s voice. “What a pleasure it is to meet you! Might I ask how you know Luna?”

“I’m Luna’s spy!”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “A spy? That sounds rather dangerous for such a pretty little filly. Are you quite sure you’re a spy?”

“Tell her, Luna!”

“Only if you lie down and make yourself comfortable, little one.”

Blessing obliged, snuggling against Luna’s shoulder.

“’Tis true,” Luna said with theatrical flair, before lowering to a serious tone. “There was a tragedy among the kitchen staff, and one of the chefs was left to look after Blessing without warning. I am not certain whether he was more mortified that I had been lurking near the kitchen and overheard him, or that I offered to keep this little one entertained for the day. I found her to be loving, adorable, intelligent, and capable of asking the most awkward questions imaginable. You’ll understand, I believe, when I say that I needed to feel useful at the time, and it became quite a regular occurrence.

“It was a terrible idea of course. The castle is not a place for a young filly, and my reasons were not honourable ones. Her presence caused no end of trouble, so Celestia requested the bells. She meant it as a fun way to stop her from sneaking up on private conversations, but you learned to do that anyway, didn’t you Blessing?”

The little filly nodded excitedly.

“I do not spend much of my time in the castle, but when I am here, I allow her to be here too. She keeps an eye on events and reports back to me, and I get to enjoy her company. She gives me something that I need and has a wonderful way of helping me feel better. She has no expectations of me, save that I care for her, and that part is easy enough.”

Luna drew Blessing in with a leg to hold her, but the filly rolled onto her back and fended off the hug with all four hooves. She giggled as the princess drove her muzzle in to nip at her exposed belly.

Rarity smiled—a real smile. The two ponies were so utterly at ease with each other, playing and giggling, that Luna’s earlier sorrows seemed a lifetime away.

When the princess glanced up, she held Rarity’s gaze again. “I think that is what Splashdown was trying to impart. They are guards, not friends, yet we are very close. They desire only to allow me to be whatever I wish to be, and are fiercely protective in that sense. That job is not as easy as I would wish it to be for them, but I have the deepest of respect for their efforts. It is the least I can do to return their loyalty and protect them when they act in my interests.”

“Yes, Luna,” Rarity replied, speaking slowly as she thought it through. “Now that you put it that way, it does sound like what he was telling me. I think he wanted to show me that I had his support. And yours too.”

“Rarity is sad too!” Blessing cried, leaping between the futons and wrapping her little legs around the unicorn’s neck. She hugged tightly, pressing her face into Rarity’s immaculate coat.

“Oh, yes!” Rarity wailed as tears began to flow. “It hurts so much! I just want—

The smile, and her flicker of joy, drained away. Such bliss was not meant for her; Blessing was far more suited to raising Luna’s spirits, and was a great deal more honest, too.

Squirming, Blessing freed herself from Luna’s grasp and curled up impossibly small between the princess’s forelegs. Her head pointed towards Rarity, reminding her that she, not the filly, was the stranger in the room.

“Princess, maybe I should give you two some time together?”

“That is not necessary,” Luna replied softly, “but I suspect you have already made up your mind.”

With a half-hearted smile and a nod, Rarity rose from the bed. She watched as Luna gently nuzzled Blessing behind an ear, eliciting squeals and giggles from the filly. Turning towards the door, she walked straight past Luna’s dress.

“Please, Rarity, I would feel better if you would take Thunderer with you. I have seen what slighted ponies are capable of, and I fear that you have gotten yourself noticed. And remember that you are still recovering from your ordeal. I would not want you to push yourself unnecessarily.

“Thunderer can arrange anything you need. A royal luncheon, a visit to anywhere in Canterlot—or with Twilight Sparkle, if I might be so bold?”

Blessing’s head popped up. “Twilight Sparkle was sad yesterday! Princess Celestia said she needed a hug so I gave her one.”

Twilight was sad yesterday?

Rarity smiled. “Thank you so much, Blessing. You really are a good spy after all.”

Rarity, you realise you’re happy because Twilight was sad? That’s disgusting.

“I will need to resume my duties soon, Rarity. Whenever you wish to find me, I will still be glad of your company.”

Rarity nodded, still smiling. Even Luna kept one small part of herself hidden in darkness from her guards and her little friend. I can have my one little pleasure, can’t I?

( II )

At Luna’s suggestion, they made their way back to the School for Gifted Unicorns’ study room in the hope of meeting Twilight. She missed Splashdown’s confident and outspoken demeanour, but Thunderer’s stoic silence was a different kind of comfortable. After he went to great lengths to clarify that Sonata, not her, was the source of his ire, she couldn’t believe that he would remain silent if he had something else worth saying, and that made the silence a statement in itself: a reassuring affirmation that everything was fine exactly as it was.

As the door swung open, the noise that spilled out reminded Rarity of the school’s meeting with Luna. There were fewer voices, but they were buzzing with the heady excitement of arcane discussions. She remembered Luna’s warning and let Thunderer go ahead of her, but none of the ponies inside even noticed their arrival. Twilight was busy conversing with Spellsong, and each of them held several books in air, reading passages and appearing to compare notes. Other groups were doing likewise, or simply reading in silence.

“Oh, Twilight dear?” she said in her sweetest voice.

Twilight’s face lit up immediately. “Rarity! I’m so sorry we didn’t get to talk before! I didn’t even know you were in Canterlot until I saw you. What happened to that amazing dress you were wearing? What happened to Luna? Is she okay? What was that lady-in-waiting stuff all about?”

Having barely taken a breath, Twilight paused only to glance at her floating books. “I’m really busy right now, but promise me you’ll tell me all about it later?” Twilight buzzed with excitement. Of course talking about magic with a room full of experts and a host of new books was bliss for her.

“Oh… yes, of course darling. I just... I had the strangest meeting with a little filly who said you were sad yesterday. I wanted to make sure that you didn’t need to talk about anything. Or need a hug. Or… I don’t know… anything?” But she already knew that Twilight didn’t need anypony’s help, or support, or attention.

“You met Blessing too! Isn’t she wonderful? Wait, no, I really do need to get back to work, but thank you so much for coming to see if I was all right. We’ll talk later, Rarity. I promise!”

Twilight stepped forward and put a hoof around her friend. Before Rarity could return the embrace, Twilight broke away and returned to her conversation with Spellsong.

The words in the room dulled to an indistinct drone. As Rarity stood with a hoof still half raised, the corners of her mouth drooped and the shine in her eyes died. All of these ponies, Twilight included, were too busy with real work to have time for her. They were too busy being useful.

She slunk out of the room with her ears folded down. She didn’t notice Sonata’s eyes follow her; she didn’t even notice Thunderer fall in behind until they were back out in the corridor.

“I think I’d like to go back to my room now, please. I think Luna was right: I may need some rest.”

“You don’t need to ask, Lady Rarity.” Thunderer started marching in the direction of her temporary quarters, but soon slowed to match Rarity’s torpid plod. “If I might make a suggestion and a request? I can have the royal physician make something up to help you rest. As for the request, you haven’t eaten properly since you left Ponyville. May I ask the kitchens to make us both something to eat? Even officer’s meals get boring sometimes. I don’t mind abusing my station every once in a while, if you don’t mind the company?”

Seeing his trademark smirk, Rarity couldn’t help but return a weak smile.

“Good,” he said with a deep bow of his head. “I will escort you to your room first, my lady.”

( II )

Rainbow Dash:

In the rafters of Ponyville’s town hall, Rainbow Dash grumbled quietly to herself as she tried to hang a colourful length of cloth between two joists. “This is soooo boring. This would be a lot easier if you let me ask Fluttershy for help,” she shouted down as the far end of the cloth slipped off again.

The inside of the roof was only half-painted, an eyesore compared to the rest of the interior. To Dash, Pinkie Pie was reaching Rarity-like levels of fussing regarding the preparations for her big party. There were dozens of banners, cloths, balloons, and streamers she wanted hung to draw attention away from the unfinished repairs.

“I told you already!” Pinkie shouted back, “Nopony is going to disturb Fluttershy now that she’s smiling again! Besides, she’s helping Spike clean up the library, and Spike needs the company too.”

“Huh?” Giving up on the cloth, Dash flew to the ground. “How do you know where Fluttershy is? You said you didn’t know earlier, and we’ve both been here for like hours.”

“Oh, I asked some ponies to follow her, just to be sure.”

“What? You had Fluttershy followed?”

“Sure. Nothing’s too much when it comes to making sure my friends are happy. It took me hours of sleuthing to work out what happened to Rarity.”

Rainbow Dash advanced with a frown on her face. “Well don’t stop there! What happened to Rarity?”

“Princess Luna came by yesterday to see Rarity while she was asleep, and Prancer saw her leaving for Canterlot with Princess Luna’s guards early this morning. So, since Twilight and Rarity are both in Canterlot, and Fluttershy is keeping Spike company, and Applejack can’t fly…” Pinkie hooked a foreleg around Dash’s neck and dragged her in, rearing up and waving her other foreleg through the air. “It’s up to us to make this the best party ever!”

“How did you find out all this stuff?” Dash said, failing to wriggle out of Pinkie’s unrelenting grip.

“Smiles, cupcakes, favours, a little intimidation. The usual.” Pinkie released her hold and trotted back to her table of decorations.

With a nervous chuckle, Dash took off and hovered. “I’ll be… up. You know, away from the crazy pony.”

Several minutes of silence and a few decorative successes later, Rainbow Dash heard a new set of hoof-falls. Applejack stood below, with Spike perched on her hips.

Pinkie spat out a bundle of balloons. “Hi, Applejack! Hi Spike! Have you come to help with the party?”

“Sorry Pinkie,” Spike said, jumping down to the ground and brandishing a scroll. “It looks like we might have to cancel your party again.”

“But why! Doesn’t anypony want parties anymore?”

“Calm down, Sugarcube. Ah don’t know what’s goin’ on, but the letter’s from Princess Luna, askin’ us to go to Canterlot. It doesn’t say much, but Fluttershy got it into her head that Rarity was in trouble and took off on her own, so Spike came to find me instead.”

“Well, duh! Luna came to see her yesterday and she went with Luna’s guards this morning! Doesn’t anypony pay attention?”

Applejack flinched as Dash landed heavily behind her.

“Don’t ask, AJ. Pinkie’s being a little scarier than usual today.”

“Well then, how about Ah ask why every pony seems to know more about what’s goin’ on that Ah do?”

Spike folded his arms and huffed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s hardly new.”

“AJ, I have no idea what’s going on either,” Dash said, walking towards the door, “but I’m gonna catch up with Fluttershy. I’m not sure she’ll make it in one go, but you know what she’s like when she panics. See you in Canterlot?”

“Much obliged, RD. Make sure y’all get there safely, and I’ll see ya when I see ya.”

Taking off before she even reached the door, Rainbow Dash arced upwards towards the clouds, away from the town hall and Ponyville. The last thing she heard was Pinkie Pie shrieking, ‘What about my party?’

Perching on a low cloud, Dash could see no sign of Fluttershy in the direction of Canterlot. “All right, Fluttershy, you got a good head start. Just this once, I’ll race you.”

Comments

[Night Sky]

ummm... the name...

[Inquisitor M]

1475749 What of it?

[Night Sky]

1475763 put the number 50 in front of it, then you will see my point

[Inquisitor M]

1476002 Not really. it's a sensible title, that's an awful book. If anyone is daft enough to avoid a story for a title (which pre-dates the release of the book), then they're probably not the kind of reader that would enjoy this anyway.

[Night Sky]

1476018 i don't doubt how good this story is, all i'm saying is that that is the first thing that jumped to my head. although to be fair, the title "Shades of Grey" is actually a pretty good title.

[Inquisitor M]

1476078 I was appropriately irked when it came out during my initial drafting phase, for sure. Not that I would have felt inclined to change the title anyway, but now that I have art, there's no way in hell! Just looking forward to putting the second piece of art up now (chapter thirteen).