Shouldn't Be

by Lumadous

CH 27. Secrets and Lies

Slurping through the cracks and crevices that lined the ceiling of the cave, it followed the small band of brave, but stupid ponies. Watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, like a snake under a rock, it knew it had all the time in the world.

And it also didn’t help that reinforcements were on the way, setting up an ambush that required it to do nothing but watch.

And when they arrived, it would be free to go after the true prize, that delicious little strip of meat that was so tantalizingly close but yet so far.

“Oh, life is good!” It thought to itself, “Now if only I could play with them a little more.”

“Oh my gods! Is that Scootaloo’s tail?!” Exclaimed Applejack, pointing at a few purple strands poking out of a part of a collapsed wall.

“Oh, too easy!” It sang to itself as it slimed to the other side of the wall.

---

“Help me move these rocks!” said Twilight as she started flinging them off with her magic.

“Applejack, is that you?” sobbed a faint voice on the other side of the rocks.

“Ah’m here, Scoots, don’t worry we’ll get you free!” Applejack yelled into the wall.

“Don’t bother, my back is crushed, I’m done for and it’s all your fault!”

The group paused for a heartbeat, you could’ve heard a pin drop in Canterlot.

“Don’t say that, Scoots, you’ll be okay I promise.” Applejack called back, tears welling up in her eyes.

“No, I won’t! And it’s your fault! If you never adopted me I would still be okay! It’s always been you stupid adult’s fault. I. Hate. You!” Scootaloo’s voice yelled back.

The look that etched itself on Applejack’s face destroyed her friends, they couldn’t even imagine what that sort of pain felt like.

“Don’cha worry, I’ll make everything better.” She sobbed, oblivious now to the flurry of rock clearing.

“Oh Celestia, it’s here!” Screamed Scootaloo, her voice skyrocketing into higher octaves as her ‘tail’ was yanked clear from the hole, causing another miniature avalanche.

Applejack merely stared at the spot the tail had been before she launched herself at the rubble, digging with everything she had and then some more. Small, sharp rock chips peppering her face and arms leaving hundreds of miniscule bleeding cuts.

“Scootaloo, everything is going to be okay!” Her scream echoed into the darkness.

---

HA!

That was the most fun it had in years! And that delicious taste, oh so spicy! It promised itself that it would do this more often.

But, it mused as it twirled the little ones sheared off tail, all good things must come to an end.

Slithering down the tunnel towards the faint impression of its tasty little morsel, it could barely wait until it stripped her to the bone.

But, playing with your food was the best seasoning one could ask for.

“Oh yes! Life. Is. Good! “

---

“Honey bear? Are you okay?” My favorite pink pony asked.

“Oh, what, sorry shnookums, thought I heard something.” I replied.

“Uh huh, you’re just stalling. I know you have something important to say!” She was beaming, bouncing like usual.

“Hmmm, maybe.” I teased.

“Oh, ccooooommmmmmeeeeee ooonnnnn!” She begged.

“Well, we’ve been working together a long time at the bakery...”

“3 years, 2 months, 8 days, and 18 hours, give or take 30 minutes!” She boasted cheerfully.

“And they’ve been the best 3 years and change I’ve ever had...” I continued.

“And?” She interrupted.

“Well I got this fancy ring that I wanted to give you, to sym-”

“Aw, boooorrrrriiiinnnngggggggggggg! Why would I want a ring you silly?” She sang, just being her bubbly self, bounce and all.

“I-uhh...” I stammered, surprised I was rejected before I could even ask.

“Don’t worry though, I’ll still be your wifey-poo, but only if you prepare your body for the ravishing of a lifetime!” She yelled excitedly.

“Umm, you do remember we are in a restaurant right?” I said, growing smaller in my seat, feeling like I could roast marshmallows on my cheeks. “And besides, what is with everyone around here always obsessed with sex and other dirty things?”

“Well maybe because we’re all being secretly watched by monsters that feed off of emotions and the more drastic emotions are like dessert to them.” She said, suddenly serious.

“What?” I sputtered.

“Oh nothing, just breaking that wall again.” Her way of saying she was spouting nonsense again, and of course literally bouncing back into her normal, abnormal self.

“So how did you know what I was going to ask?”

“I asked around town, you know how I hate surprises you silly goose.” She said sitting back down in her chair, oblivious to the looks and glares from everypony in the fancy restaurant.

“Yeah, but I had to try; hell, I’d try anything for you, Pumpkin Pie.”

---

“I mustn’t give in!” Scootaloo thought, trying to motivate herself to keep moving.

“They are all depending on me! If I stop, it’ll get me! If I want to have a family I have to fight for it!”

It was times like this she wished she had Rainbow Dash’s courage. She never backed down from a challenge, she just drove on. But she didn’t have time for idle wishes she reminded herself. Threat is now, and now is all that matters.

And besides, dead is dead, no matter how unafraid of it you are.

Pushing those thoughts out of her head she continued on, head held high, eyes wide open and scanning, and...still need to pee.

Funny how quickly something so insubstantial became so important so quickly even when facing impending doom by way of slow and probably very painful death. Finding herself a darker corner in the already impossibly dark cave was unneeded, and impossible, so she just pushed to the side. It wasn’t until too late that she found the large deep hole falling straight down, deeper into her own personal hell.

Struggling with all her might to stop falling, flapping her wings in vain and trying to find purchase on the smooth walls only slowed her down a little. She was completely unprepared for when the whole opened up to a large cavern that glowed faintly green.

Looking down she saw how much further she had to fall and knew that this was the end. Nothing could survive falling this fast from this height.

Closing her eyes she sobbed into the wind and wished that she could have done more.

---

“My queen.”

“I told you not to interrupt me while I am feeding!” Queen Chrysalis yelled at the changeling who dared enter the royal cafeteria.

“My apolog-ghak!” The changeling choked on the tightening band of magic around his throat.

“DON’T WASTE MY TIME, SPEAK FASTER!” She yelled, not turning from the large bowl like vat that glowed an eerie green.

“Gha- Ah!” The poor messenger sputtered, the magic gripping tighter and tighter, the sound of his trachea, grinding and popping filled the room as the other changelings who came in with him quietly but quickly moved away from their doomed comrade

The queen merely continued staring into the vat even as the changeling pounded on the floor and crawled towards her, his magic sputtering sparks in desperation.

The chamber was deadly silent as the messenger slowly sucumbed. The others who came with him sulking in the shadows, trying their hardest to be invisible. The Queen on the other hand, didn’t even so much as blink.

After long minute, she sighed and turned away, she used her magic to drag a few changelings from their hiding places around the room into a heap in front of her.

“Speak fast before you join him.” She deadpanned.

“Ma’am, a group of pony guards have been spotted in the caves above.” The smartest of the bunch spit out real quick.

“So? Just do with them that you’ve done with the rest. Why did you deem this important enough to interrupt?” She demanded, her horn starting to glow a menacing green again.

“The Elements of Harmony are with them.” The same changeling continued.

With a smile that showed no real joy, the queen laughed as she sang, “So the lovestruck Element of Honesty has conned her friends to come get her exotic flesh toy! Ha, let them come, it will only force Celestia into a checkmate!”

“You!” She yelled rounding on the speaker, “You shall lead the ambush, capture them. I do not care if they are alive or dead.” She paused, slipping into deep thought, “On the other hand, execute one, the yellow one. She’s the most fragile anyways, won’t feed more than just a few hatchlings, but her death shall invigorate the rest into a wonderful stew! And from there, the tyranny of the Princesses will be ended with one fell swoop, and we shall be the victors!”

Smiling as the echo of her voice carried into the hive, causing the horde to stir she turned back to her vat. Peering in, she reached out with her mind and connected again with the dark blob floating within, letting the emotions roll across her mental tongue in a feast of no compare. With a sigh she leaned down to the face poking out of the jello like substance that filled the vat and whispered into the ear of the sleeping giant.

“Don’t worry, Sgt Castle, dessert is on the way.”

---

“Oh Celestia, I do so hope you’ve enjoyed your dessert!” Laughed the fake queen standing outside of the cell.

“You will not get away with this!” The original yelled, refusing to look at the plate at her hooves, “I vow that I will end you.”

“Oh come now, if you keep on talking, your dessert will get cold, and you don’t want to let your valiant guards sacrifice be in vain now would you?” The fake laughed as she left, her laughter like nails across a chalkboard.

Only when she was sure she was alone did Celestia finally start to cry. Sitting on the plate in front of her was the roasted remains of one of her guards of whom she could not identify, only that before his roasting he was exceptionally fluffy. The charred flesh was still oozing and was filling the cell with a horrible smell that ensured that she would never forget whomever this brave pony was.

“Ssshhhh, don’t cry my dear, everything will be okay.” said Discord soothingly as he walked through the wall connecting their cells.

“Let me fix this.” He said, whipping the plate up and sitting between it and her.

“Fix it how? That guard lost his life because he learned about the fake. As time goes on, all of my guards will start noticing, and how am I supposed to take the death of any of my ponies?” She sobbed, wishing she could at least wipe away her tears, but the tight chains prevented any movement.

“Don’t worry my dear, while I may be the God of Chaos, I also cannot abide by jokes in bad humor. What is the point of a punchline if it KO’s your audience?” He said over a slurping noise.

“Oh mother of me! Tell me you’re not eating him!” Celestia said, turning quite green.

“What, no!” Protested Discord as he turned and moved, pointing at the now empty plate.

“I’m just merely fixing the problem.” He continued as his point moved over to a sleeping pony who was oblivious to the fact that he was just a steak seconds before.

“What?” Celestia sputtered, completely aghast to what she saw, “No pony can raise the dead!”

“And I didn’t, that fake cannot see through even the weakest of my illusions, and that guard has been pulling double shifts, so he was never roasted.” He boasted with pride.

“But why? I imprisoned you here; why are you helping me?”

“I’ve already said that my dear.” He said as he turned and walked back to his wall, pausing when only his face showed.

“And besides, you still owe me that kiss.” He laughed as he disappeared through the wall.

Comments

[Humbucker]

YAY, UPDATE

[Lumadous]

3302905
yeah, tell me about it, sorry about taking so long

[Lumadous]

3303458
Let this serve as an example then, don't piss around with Murphy

He is a total dick

[TBS AlexDK]

it was a good chapter and i can't wait to the next

[Lumadous]

3303799
Thanks, should be up surprisingly soon actually

[fire]

yay a update

[Lumadous]

3307060
seems to be the common response.....

That, and, "Holy shit, you're still alive, I thought you died or something"

[TBS AlexDK]

3306841

[Lumadous]

3320978
What brought this on?