• Published 12th Oct 2021
  • 2,036 Views, 111 Comments

Rag Doll - No one is home



It started with an old man who just wanted a fresh start. He knew what kinda deal he was making. Gloomy Sonnet was just another sad unicorn. Charlie was just her rag doll. And then magic came back... they were NOT ready...

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Ladybug, Chapter 5: Monsters in the Mirror

“ The guard is coming, OC.” I position myself in the crux of her withers to… do what I do? Word? Is that a verb?

“It’s okay!” Rose fails to convince us like he’s failed at so many things. “We really are here to help!”

“You better be!” We are of one voice in this.

“This could end very badly for Mr. Rose, Uncle.” It’s a blizzard against an expected summer day. A cold finality that tells me she’s had enough lies. It’s a voice that applies as much to me. Her voice chills my soul. “How do we get out if this goes wrong?”

“We could maybe get back past the smooze off screen again while it’s busy with him.” I try to nuzzle reassuringly. It’s hard to find nuzzle spots when she’s all flared out. There are no secrets between friends and dolls, Rose Thorn might not make it. “He can and will carry us past his best friend if necessary.”

“You don’t have to do this!” I can hear the desperation. I can taste it on OC’s forked tongue. Girl doesn’t even know she feeds on emotion. He’s doing a funny dance. That’s priceless. “We want to help you!”

“You better. You made the deal. You tried to play us. And do not think I won’t use you to cross a river of smiling ooze.” Perched on her head, flailing as I make demands. Rose thought he could sneak up on my little filly. He thought he could play a deal with me off of her? I never told the truth, so how the hell could I tell a lie?

“I know for a fact that Uncle is telling you the truth Mr. Thorn. I know first hoof. Just like you should have told me the truth.” OC steps back and looks away. She really does know, because I’m the one who taught her. I understand why Gloomy gave me away. It hurt at first that it made her so happy to abandon me. But I understand at this moment that she just didn’t need me anymore.

“When the guards burst in, ask the mare in charge this exact question...”

-=-Maretime Bay Day-=-

“You remind me of my mom… in the least weird way you could take that… heh…” The dragonfly chuckled.

The unicorn watched the rainbows melt across the sky. “Is it sad that this isn’t my first rainbow rodeo?”

“Not even my second. I’ve got a saxophone, a trombone, and what I assume is a Hurdy Gurdy. Pick one.” The queen grinned and placed a hoof over the unicorns whithers. “They’re all cursed. I just assume you’re okay with that.”

“You assume I’m your friend like it’s true.” The unicorn smiled brightly. “Or even relevant.”

“All you have to do is choose your name.” The dragonfly leaned in, dragging her stinger down the unicorn’s spine. “No one can ever name you in the shadow hive. And you’re not gloomy at all…”

-=-Present Day, Present time-=-

The sky blue pegasus rushed in rather foolishly. Do you see what I did?

I don’t understand what I did wrong. A filly screams. “Uncle stop! You’re hurting him.”

She was teal. Not blue, always teal.

“Back up, Petal. It thinks we’re threatening its bearer.” It’s not just words, it’s the symbols that sounds are made of. The world is made of words. Every word is a symbol for something I only knew second hand.

-=-=-=-=-

“What do you want?” She delivers her line like a pro. And damn, she’s having fun with this. I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t have listened to her mom about striking these kinds of deals. She’s all flared out and majestic bug-pony-proto-queen. I have to handle this carefully.

“You should back down.” I look at the pegasus mare eyes to buttons. “Put the bunny back in the box. Or don’t. Protecting you from her isn’t a thing I’m obligated to do.”

“Please! We only want to help you!” Is exactly what I’d say if I were in her, I have to say well hooficured, hooves. She’s backing up and clearly terrified.

“Nuh, uh, uh! You’re fibbing, fibbing, fibbing!” And she just stands up on her hind four legs and crosses her front two hooves. Which is exactly as awkward to adjust to when riding off the back of her head as it sounds. It is not easy to do this when she’s all flared out like this. “I’ve seen your colt friend’s little ‘mystery shrine’. You’ve been watching me since the first time I saw the sky!”

-=-Maretime Bay Day-=-

“Rainbows are exploding across the sky.” The dragonfly just laughed. “And you’re just going to ditch? Like, you’re just gonna ghost everything, leave Charlie with the hotel bill, and go home to play the smooth jazz? Respect!”

“If it was that easy you would have given him away yourself.” The oversaturated gray mare smirked knowingly, tapping her hoof on the balcony. I don’t need the ragdoll to carry me anymore. And they don’t need me to carry them”

-=-=-=-=-

Were her teeth always that sharp? “You wanted more than to help me. It costs what your friend already signed up for. We can take as easily as we can give.”

She remains steadfastly Teal as she dives to snatch the doll from the angry filly’s withers. I try to warn her but my cries melt into text against the abyss.The doll's words reach her the moment her hooves touch it.

“Where do you want to go?”

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