More Questions than Answers
One Month Earlier.
The piercing shriek of the monstrous Tatzlwurm echoed off the canyon walls, its enraged thrashing causing enormous boulders and pieces of shale to break off the sides of the cliffs and crash into the gorge below. Flash leapt clear of one crashing rock with a burst of speed, jumping with light feet from rock to rock as he continued to draw the creature's attention to him and away from the village.
"Hey! Ugly! Over here! What's the matter, lose your appetite?!"
The beast roared in reply, surging it's enormous snake-like body forward, it's gruesome, petal like jaws yawning open to reveal the dark pit of insatiable hunger that was its gaping throat from which lashing tentacles reached forth, searching and grasping like writhing snakes as it attempted to pursue it's nimble quarry through the narrow canyon. Flash had hoped that the confining space of the gorge would help them to trap the monster, allowing him to finish it off with Shadowbane. But much to his surprise, not even the Alicorn forged spear could fully pierce its magic-proof scales, leaving only a few shallow marks at best. From then on, he continued to lead it away from the pony village while he and his team devised a way to destroy it.
A surge of momentary panic raced through Flash's chest as he felt one of the creature's mouth-tentacles wrap around his calf like a whip. Not losing a second, he turned to slice off the appendage with a swing of his spear, only to be beaten to the punch by Rose Dust, the whitish gray thestral shooting by in a blur of wings and black armor. The monster screamed in renewed pain and anger.
"Hey, I had it!" Flash shouted to her, "But thanks!" Leaping away a good fifty feet through the air backwards, he pointed the tip of Shadowbane at the great beast and focusing hard, unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning, the enchanted spear amplifying his power multiple times over. The blast caught the worm under its head, violently knocking it back with a shriek as if struck by a gigantic club. It fell to the ground with a rock splitting crash and began to rise again only for it to be driven back down under a cascade of rocks and boulders kicked loose by Sugar Rush, the powerful earth pony looking down at Flash from above; he looked worried.
"That won't hold him for long!" Slipstream shouted to his friend as he landed next to him on the small platform of rock where the human had paused to rest. "Got any more bright ideas boss?"
Flash panted, leaning on his spear, "I don't know how many more of those I got left!" He said, referring to his lightning, but smirked when he realized the double meaning he unintentionally created. He had hit the monster several times with lightning blasts in the course of the last twenty minutes, leaving scorch marks on its building-sized body, but nothing more. 'Only two shots left at best...' He thought inwardly, mind racing.
A bright burst of yellow magic deposited Lumen Dawn at the human's side, "We can't stop this thing Flash! We've hit it with everything we've got!" the unicorn angrily shouted, casting a frustrated look at the pile of rocks that was already beginning to shift and move, the worm roaring with increasing rage. Rose Dust landed a second later,
"Well, we've certainly made it mad, maybe it would just stop and go away if we said we were sorry?" She sheepishly suggested; Flash couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
"To Tartarus with that!" Flash angrily shouted, "That thing's killed five ponies in the past two months, it's a dead worm!"
"And how would you like to do that?" Lumen practically spat. Flash's mind raced for a moment, he looked at his spear and was suddenly struck with inspiration. He took a breath,
"SHARPS! I NEED YOU TO MAKE IT MAD AT ME!" He screamed, his voice echoing down the canyon walls. A blue flicker of light appeared about a hundred feet above and behind him on a ledge, the small unicorn nodded to him, notching an arrow at the ready in his ethereal bow of blue mana.
"Wait, what do you mean make it mad?!" Slipstream shouted over the sounds of crashing rocks as the worm continued to free itself, "That thing's already peeved to Tartarus and back!"
"Just what are you planning, sir?" Rose Dust added in alarm.
"I'm gonna get it to charge me," Flash replied. "Look, we can't kill it from without, so I'm going to let it come right at me, and when it opens its idiot mouth to get me, I'm gonna lob Shadowbane right down it's throat as hard as I can! If I hit just behind the roof of its throat, it'll pierce its puny brain and finish it!"
"That's insane sir! If you miss you'll be worm food!" Rose Dust shouted.
"I won't miss," Flash said, his eyes narrowing, confident in Celestia's words that if the weapon was cast with just intent, it would be difficult to miss his intended target. Rose Dust sprang in front of him, crouched low with her wings spread,
"I won't allow that!" Flash looked at her with surprise,
"Excuse you?" He asked before feeling his jaw drop as she stood up and pulled something out from behind her breastplate. There dangling from a thin metal chain in the thestral's hoof hung a silver lunar crest. It was a medal of power that he and the others instantly recognized as a symbol of supreme authority given only to ponies of the night guard when tasked with personal missions of the upmost importance; in short, she was speaking with the authority of Princess Luna herself.
"Captain Flash Skies, I order you and the rest of the team to fall back! You will not go through with this reckless plan!" Flash could see a combination of fear, sadness, and anxiety in her pink eyes, but all wreathed in an aura of unwavering determination. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, the rest of the team uttering audible gasps at the revelation showing that they shared his surprise.
"Rose, I, when did you, WHAT are yo-Get out of my way!"
"I can't do that sir!"
"Hey, get off me!"
"Just fall back for now, I'll explain everything later!"
"You're jeopardizing the mission Rose!"
"You are my mission sir!"
"LOOK OUT!" Slipstream suddenly screamed as the tatzlwurm burst free in an explosive shower of rocks and debris, most of which came shooting towards them. Lumen immediately sent out a powerful shockwave of yellow magic, diverting the worst of it away from the group, the unicorn staggering at the enormous cost of the sudden spell.
The beast roared, turning the ire of its gaze on the tiny team, only for a speeding arrow to embed itself in one of the beady black eyes that sat atop its towering head. Pony ears folded flat to their owners' heads as the subsequent shriek of agony uttered by the behemoth split the very rocks asunder.
The enraged worm struck like a snake, its gaping maw blotting out the entire sky from Flash's vision.
"MOVE!" He screamed, shoving Rose Dust into Lumen Dawn, knocking them both clear while Slipstream instinctively shot straight up and out of the way of the rampaging monster's attack.
There was a deafening crash, and Rose Dust found herself tumbling through the air, feeling the sting from dozens of small sharp pieces of flying shale as they struck her wings. She saw the tatzlwurm rear up out of the explosion of rock and dust, its head thrashing from side to side as it wailed in agony. It slammed itself into one side of the canyon, headbutting the cliff face several times with crazed energy. It lifted its head up with a final howl towards the evening sky before collapsing to one side like a felled tree, crushing the very ground beneath it in its ruin. It twitched once, and all was still.
Rose Dust sprang to her hooves, coughing all the while on the cloud of dust kicked up by the impact. Other than the odd noise of a few stones still falling to rest, everything was still; a stark contrast to the noise and chaos that had punctuated the air only moments ago. She took to the air, her eyes frantically searching the area around the fallen tatzlwurm.
"Flash! Flash! Where are you! Can anypony see him?!" She heard angry muttering as Lumen Dawn shoved aside a huge bolder that had nearly flattened him. Slipstream flew up next to her, and all three ponies' eyes met for a second before they turned as one and raced for the tatzlwurm's head. Sugar Rush slid down the side of the canyon and galloped to join them while Sharp Shot appeared in a burst of blue magic at the spot they were all heading to.
Rose Dust gasped as they rounded the bend of the creature's neck, sliding to a stop and pointing to the spear tip that was sprouting from the top of the worm's head, a pool of blood forming on the ground beneath it.
"Look, there!" She shouted.
"Flash?!" Slipstream called.
"Kapitan!"
"Stop gawping and get its stinking mouth open you morons!" Lumen Dawn shouted angrily. As one, the five ponies pulled open the three massive jaws of the slain beast, ignoring the stench as they desperately searched for any sign of their leader, of which they found none. Rose Dust felt her heart sink into her stomach,
"Where, where is he?" She quietly gasped, feeling like she couldn't breathe.
"You don't think he-" Slipstream gulped nervously, unable to finish his sentence. Sharp Shot snorted in irritation, lighting his horn and stepping up towards the massive throat as if to jump in,
"Ah! Hold on malen'kiy!" Sugar Rush exclaimed, grabbing hold of the small unicorn with a massive hoof, "We don't even know if-"
A sudden commotion of noise caught the ponies' attention. They looked at each other before racing down the length of the tatzlwurm's body, skidding to a halt at what they saw. There on his hands and knees, covered in a slimy mixture of blood, bile, and Celestia only knew what else, sat their leader. The side of the monster had been sliced open from the inside, its scales parting like some gruesome zipper which had allowed the contents of its guts to spill out. A bone-white dagger shaped from an elder dragon's fang that he had received as a gift from Queen Diomedia, was desperately clutched in one of the human's trembling hands.
Rose Dust felt her heart soar with relief at the unpleasant sight, "Flash! Sir! Are you alright?! Are you-" Her words caught in her throat at the look of pure rage the human gave her as he lifted his head, breathing hard through clenched teeth. He slowly rose to his feet.
"Corporal Rose Marie Dust," he calmly said, wiping his face with his free hand and spitting to one side. Rose Dust's ears slowly wilted as every pony took a slow step back from the pair,
"I believe you have some explaining to do..."
Flash stumbled slightly as the elevator jolted to a halt, the doors parting with a chime allowing him and Slipstream to step off into their subterranean headquarters beneath Canterhorn Castle. Construction on the new base of operations for the Black Guard had finally been finished only weeks earlier, and the smell of fresh paint, drywall and wood still clung to the air, mixing with the cool earthy smell of the underground tunnels into which a the bustling network of rooms, offices, and other facilities had been built.
It was still relatively early in the morning, and various staff ponies were still arriving for the day, some of then pausing to greet the pair of soldiers as they made their way down the hall. Flash nodded and smiled at them curtly, even though he felt utterly exhausted. The train ride back to Canterlot had taken all night, and during the trip he had only managed to catch a few winks of very restless sleep. He had dismissed the rest of the team to go get some rest, with plans to reconvene later that afternoon for a full debrief and assessment of the situation. Slipstream had chosen to remain at his side for the moment, the pegasus casting a worried look to his longtime friend.
"You feeling alright Flash? You look terrible, I mean, more so than you usually do," He lightheartedly joked.
Flash smirked in appreciation at the attempt to lift his spirits, but truth be told, he felt terrible, and not just emotionally. His shoulder was burning something fierce, their portable medkit being fresh out of any healing crystals of which they had been unable to resupply before setting out. It seemed that even a special department with the favor of the Crown itself was not immune from the joys of dealing with the Military Supply Office and their tedious bureaucracy; he had had to settle for a standard field dressing and ointment, of which he was fairly sure he'd done a poor job with. He knew he could have asked Lumen for a tertiary healing spell, but wanted to leave the poor unicorn be for now; the pony looked completely drained after they boarded the train, though he did a good job of hiding it.
"Yeah Slips, I'll be alright. Just not looking forward to what comes next is all."
"I hear ya boss, you want me to stand by? You know, emotional support?" He shyly suggested.
Flash gave him a tired smile, "No, I want you to go get some rest. We got a long day yet."
"Yeah? What about you? When do you get some rest? Or do big scary humans not need as much sleep as us little ponies?"
"Hey, I'm half pony."
"Clearly your better half."
"Yeah, love you too bud."
Slipstream chuckled and paused walking to look up at his friend, "All I'm saying is to take care of yourself, yeah? You're not invincible, and we only got one of ya." Flash stopped walking as well, sighing,
"Yeah I know, I got it. Thanks Slips." He said with genuine gratitude. Slipstream gave him a sad smile,
"Just go easy on her, yeah? We don't know what's going on yet, and I'd bet my left wing that she'd never betray us." He said with a yawn, covering his mouth with a wing. "Alright boss, go earn your boss pay. Imma go catch a few winks, see ya this afternoon."
Flash watched him go while pondering the message he could sense behind his friend's words, it was the same message that Celestia, Ella, his mother, and all others who cared about him had been gently reminding him of for some time. He knew they were right, but he still didn't know how to accept it.
Rose Dust looked up from the paperwork on her desk at the noise at her door, gasping softly as she caught sight of Flash. Her heart ached at his somewhat haggard appearance, but not so much as the ache she still felt from deceiving him. He motioned with his head towards his office further down the hall and kept walking. Pushing back from her desk with a sigh, she resigned herself to whatever new questions he had for her, or worse, that he might finally dismiss her after all. As much as it hurt to be sidelined from the team she loved, she held a glimmer of hope when Flash had not fired her outright after learning of her true mission. A hope that he might soon come to an understanding of why she did what she did and put all of this behind them.
Flash was already sitting behind his desk, fiddling with a new medkit when Rose stepped into the room, closed the door, and stood at attention, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Flash looked up for a moment to consider her, the cluttered mix of emotions in his heart he felt towards her: anger, sadness, sympathy, frustration, and the lingering affection he still held for her was making it difficult for him to even know how to begin. He took stock of her appearance; she was wearing their unique black uniform, her indigo mane was tied back in a tight, military regulation bun, and her whitish-grey coat was immaculately groomed and glossy. But he also noticed the dark circles that had begun to form under her glittering pink eyes, a rarity among thestrals, showing that she had still not fully committed to the option he had given her to work nights or days in consideration of her nocturnal nature. In the end, he decided to go casual, in acknowledgement of happier times with her.
"At ease, soldier," he said, still fumbling with the wax seal on the fresh kit. "I'm guessing without me saying that it's pretty easy for you to tell how this operation went?" Rose Dust smiled sadly,
"Well, seeing as I didn't hear Slipstream's usual victory chant when you two came in, I'm guessing, not good, sir."
Flash shook his head, "No, not good at all." He looked up at her, looking hard at her eyes while subtly reaching out his magnetic field; feeling, searching. "Do you know why that is Rose?" Her heartbeat was steady, and her eyes never wavered. She shook her head,
"Tell me."
Without answering, Flash reached into the breast pocket of his now tattered black uniform blouse, pulling out the slightly worn telegram and sliding it across the desk to her. Curious, she opened the telegram, her eyes widening in horrified comprehension at the message's obvious implication, one that said: 'Who else knew, but her?'
"Sir, I know how this must look,"
"And how does it look?"
"Terrible, I know, but, you've got to believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with this!"
Flash frowned, "You want me to believe you now? Sort of like how I believed you before?"
"Don't go there, sir, please, I was just doing my job." She huffed, her voice breaking slightly. Flash felt his jaw clench at her pain, but kept pushing, he needed to know.
"And I'm doing mine. Be logical Rose, what choice do I have? What would you do if you were in my position and I in yours? This isn't personal."
She slammed both hooves down on his desk, "Do you really believe that I would betray you and the boys?!" She shouted, before recoiling in shock at her outburst and backing down, "I'm, I'm sorry, sir."
Flash looked at her hard for another moment before relenting with a sigh, "No, Rose. Despite my personal disappointment with you, no. I never thought you would actually betray us, especially not to some scum like Threshold." He said, noticing her visibly relax, but the hurt was still present in her eyes. "But understand how this looks. I'm not the only one who noticed, I'm sure internal affairs will be looking into this soon, and I can't guarantee that I will be able protect you completely. All I'm saying is to be ready for whatever comes."
She nodded sadly, "I understand, sir." She said, staring down at the floor in silence.
Flash leaned forward, resting his forehead on one hand. He hated seeing her this way, but hated even more the fact that he couldn't completely trust her. Why would you do this to me Luna? He thought for the millionth time before wiping his eyes, "That's all I wanted to say to you Rose, you're dismissed."
She nodded and turned to leave but stopped mid-step. She turned to look at him, her nostrils flaring, "Your blood smells wrong sir, mind if I take a look?" Flash sighed and gave a weary gesture, telling her to approach. He leaned back in his chair, looking away as she swiped the medkit from him and reared up on her hind legs, propping herself up on his shoulder.
"Looks like you did a typical job sir, you were never good at patching yourself up," she said, setting the kit to one side with her mouth.
"Details," he muttered. She paused for a moment, her muzzle scrunched in thought.
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Have you ever needed that in the past, Rose?" He said with a tired chuckle. She smirked at that,
"It wasn't all a lie, Flash. I really did enjoy working under you, I believed in what you were trying to do, and still do. I can't think of anypony better qualified, you really are gifted."
Flash smiled at her, "Gee thanks, but now I'm waiting for the other hoof to drop." She leveled a bemused glare at him, a hint of annoyance and mischief in her eyes. She suddenly gripped the short sleeve of his dress blouse,
"But you're also hot-headed," she roughly tore his sleeve.
"Hey!"
"And impulsive," she tied a fast knot behind his shoulder with the two halves.
"What are you...that was my favorite blouse!"
"Think you're invincible," she said while tearing off the old dressing with her teeth.
"OW!" He shouted, involuntarily moving to stand only to be shoved back down into his seat by the strong bat pony.
"And can't seem to accept when others genuinely worry about you," she finished, drawing his gaze with her eyes to the front of his shoulder where the griffon's iron-tipped claws had ripped through his mail, leaving a short, but nasty looking tear in his flesh. The area around the wound was now inflamed, and the blood appeared unnaturally dark, a clear indication of poisoning of some kind.
"Ah horsefeathers," Flash groaned, "I thought that griffon might have-OW!" He shouted as Rose Dust suddenly sank her sharp fangs into his shoulder.
"WHOA! SONNOFA-" She growled at him when he attempted to move, tightening her grip around his neck and shoulder, so he held still. "Rose! What do you think you're...oh...ahh..." He relaxed in her embrace as a cooling numbness spread through his shoulder, bringing with it blessed relief. After a few more moments, she detached from him and spat a mouthful of blackened blood into the metal wastebasket at the side of his desk.
"Bleh, 'cursed nightshade,'" she said while shaking her head in distaste. "Nasty stuff, that guy must have really wanted you dead. You're lucky to be still breathing after having it in you for so long, guess you can thank Sunset for that." Rose remarked with a frown.
Flash felt as if a heavy weight had suddenly been lifted off of his shoulders, realizing that the fatigue that had been feeling for the last several hours was not simply due to a lack of sleep, but from Sunset Shimmer's protection charm actively pulling hard on his energy, keeping the cursed poison isolated to his shoulder and thus, keeping him alive. The inflammation around his shoulder had disappeared, and the flesh appeared pink and healthy once more.
Rose Dust finished by pulling a healing crystal from the now opened med kit and applying it to the wound, the glowing violet gem flaring brightly as the prearranged spell worked its magic, the flesh knitting together until it was whole once more, though a dull scar remained, adding to the tapestry of scars that already covered his body. Flash moved his arm experimentally, it felt as good as new, though still a bit sore. Rose Dust tossed the used gem into the kit and threw the old bandages into the can before looking up at him with an expectant look.
"Alright, alright, I hear you Rose, thank you for your honest assessment." He grumbled.
"And?"
"And for patching me up."
"And?"
"And, don't push it, okay?!" He said in annoyance, scowling at her which she returned, though a small smirk curled one side of her mouth. After a tense moment, he gave her a small nod, telling her, if begrudgingly, that he could see her point. She gave a small, satisfied smile,
"Good," she said with a nod. "Will that be all, sir?"
"Yes Rose, thanks again."
She turned and opened the door to leave but paused a moment, "One last thing, sir."
"Mmm?" She looked back at him,
"I can understand if you think you need to punish me, but please, don't punish her, not any more. She's lived with punishment enough." And without waiting for his response, she exited his office, closing the door behind her.
Flash sat quietly for several minutes, pondering what she said, weighing the valid points she made against his own thoughts on the matter, but still unable to overcome the feelings of hurt and betrayal, even if they came from good intentions. With no one else around, he reached out to the one person he knew he could always talk to, one he sensed had been quietly observing everything that just happened as well as all other recent events.
Are you there, mom? He thought, and felt her instantly broadening their connection, her presence feeling like a warm hug after coming in from the cold.
For you my love, always. Bright Skies replied. Flash could feel her own concerns fluttering about in the background, but she purposely kept them there out of a desire to see to his first.
Did you get all that? He asked. She was silent for a few moments as he allowed her to examine everything in his mind and heart at the speed of thought, grateful for the unique gift of having someone who could instantly know his true thoughts and feelings with no chance of being misrepresented or taken out of context.
What do you think, could I have handled that better? He could feel her face scrunch slightly as she mulled everything over before responding.
I think...that you're doing the best you can my dear.
He chuckled mentally, A typical 'mom' answer, but you didn't answer my question. There was a flicker of amusement and affection,
There are many ways you could have gone with her Flash, but in the end, I think you were fair. But I must say, she did make some valid points. You are still very reluctant to let others care at times, my love. Flash frowned,
I know, I know! But, caring still doesn't justify going behind somepony's back! I'm tired of being treated like I'm still a foal! He flared mentally, driving to the point that had been dividing his heart for the last month. She flinched slightly at his pain, but came back in a wave of soothing sympathy.
I know Flash. I think it was a mistake for Luna to go behind your back like that with something as close to you as your team, but friends sometimes make mistakes, and when they do, we should forgive them.
She's not exactly sorry for what she did, Flash harrumphed, crossing his arms, Seemed to make it very clear to me that she would do it again in a heartbeat.
She loves you lots.
Yeah, I know. I love her too. He frowned, Why do mares always have to be so clingy?" He felt her mind light up with laughter,
Well, maybe because we think you're just so irresistibly cute, she quipped; he could sense her sticking her tongue out at him.
Ew, gross mom. She giggled,
But maybe it's because you are somewhat special, Flash. You've made a huge impact on Equestria and on a lot of ponies who just happen to be very important. Just try to understand how Luna, how all of us feel about you.
Flash nodded, pausing for a beat before summoning the courage to ask, Speaking of said princess, how is she?
Miserable, but otherwise fine. She really misses you, you know?
Yeah...but she seems to like you a lot. How's the whole dream thing going? He sensed her looking at the lunar locket hanging around her neck, the artifact that allowed her the same power as the Princess, to enter another pony's dreams.
It's actually quite thrilling. Princess Luna told me that she thinks I'm one of the best dream walkers she's ever trained, even though it's been, you know, over a thousand years. Though I must say, the nocturnal schedule took some getting used to.
Great grandpa Night Wing would be proud, Flash grinned, referring to the thestral in their family tree.
Mmm, speaking of family, Ella wonders if your'e coming home tonight, she misses you.
Flash lit up at the mention of his wife, Yes! Please tell her I'll be home as soon as I can. You know, right after I figure out who's trying to kill us and destroy all of Equestria? No biggie. He felt his mother embrace him mentally, a phantom kiss tickling his cheek.
I'll tell her, just don't take too long. I'm very proud of you, Flash. Remember that.
Thanks mom, I love you too. He replied, embracing her back. With that, he felt their connection narrow as she left him alone in his own mind once again; the feeling of her departing always left him feeling a little cold and empty.
Flash shuddered, glancing up at the clock on his wall, it was just past eight in the morning. He looked at the mountain of reports in his inbox and groaned. Gritting his teeth he reached over to the intercom on his desk and flicked the switch,
"Rose, tell the rest of the team that we're meeting in the conference room at 1300 hours. We're going to figure out who the stinking rat is who's trying to sink us, and we're going to bury the lousy bum under the jail we throw him in!"
"You got it boss," Her voice crackled through a moment later; he could hear the feral grin on her face.
"And would you be a saint and bring me some coffee? I'm dying here."
"I'll send the whole cafe."
Flash smiled, flicking off the speaker. I just hope Ella is having a better day than I am, he mused before getting back to work.
Ella replaced the quill she had been writing with in its stand, leaning back in her chair and stretching both hands together high above her head. A glance out of her office window on the first floor of Ponyville General told her, based on the position of the sun, that it was nearly noon. A pile of medical records still remained to be sorted, the latest batch evalutations from the many young children still actively applying to attend the new School of Friendship that Twilight and her friends were opening next fall. It still struck her as an almost silly idea, that an entire school could be devoted to the concept of friendship. But in a world where there existed multiple species of magical creatures and where friendship was more than just a relationship, but an actual force of the very nature of reality, she guessed it made total sense.
She caught sight of her reflection in the picture frame on her desk which held a picture of her and Flash on their wedding day surrounded by her new friends. The glass reflected her old, pre-transformed reflection back at her thanks to the red-framed rectangular glasses she was wearing that Twilight had worked a glamor charm on for her. So long as she wore them, they would conceal her slitted eyes and small fangs, making her look just like she did when she was back on earth, which was a handy thing to have whenever she would occasionally make a return trip there. She had taken to wearing them lately so as not to frighten all the new out of town creatures visiting Ponyville who were not so accustomed to seeing her.
Ella pulled out the hairband that had been holding her hair back and gently shook her head, allowing her wavy golden locks to tumble free. "I'm still me," she murmured, studying her reflection a for a few more seconds, before looking down at her belly with a smile as she felt the twins stir, eager to be fed. She was just over seven months along now, and everything was going smoothly. Even Redheart complimented how well her pregnancy was going, despite its completely unique nature.
I'm a nurse in a hospital for magical ponies with a belly full of magic babies, how did I get here again, God? Ella chuckled to herself, reflecting on her present life never failing to amuse her. She suddenly felt a hunger pain which immediately caused her extrasensory senses to involuntarily expand, the predatory instincts of her changeling nature loudly reminding her that there was food wandering obliviously about in the hall just outside her door in the form of the many ponies present there. She clenched her teeth, quickly reining them in, something that was becoming increasingly more difficult as of late as her pregnancy reached its advanced stages and the hunger spikes came more frequently.
She had withdrawn her senses, but not before she detected the unique aura of one very peculiar little pony. "Oh, look who's coming for a visit..." Ella sighed to herself with some exasperation. She reached into the stack of files and drew out one in particular, opening it to review it for the hundredth time; her sharpened hearing could already hear the little filly chatting away with someone with a tone of amiability so convincingly sweet that it made Ella feel almost sick whenever she saw that nothing of the sort existed in her heart; the little demon child being like a hole in reality, a paradox of existence.
Height: 0.52 Meters
"Thanks mister, I think I'm supposed to go right over here!"
Weight: 13 Kg, Eye Color: Auburn
"Golly, that sounds like a whole lotta work. I hope it'll be alright."
Age: 12, Intellectual Aptitude Test Score: Exceptional. Subject displays cognitive ability far above those of her age group. Highest possible recommendation.
Ella heard a knock at her door before it opened; she didn't even bother to look up from her reading, knowing full well who it already was.
"Thanks again mister, I hope to see you again soon!"
Name: Cozy Glow
The door closed, and Ella looked up from her file to see her tiny guest. The little filly's salmon pink coat was practically glowing, and her sky blue mane and tail were arranged in perfect curls with their trademark light-yellow ribbons. Her adorable little face wore a picture perfect smile for a second longer, before immediately fading into an ugly scowl.
"Ugh," she groaned with a hoof against her face, "I swear...Every. Pony. Else...Is an IDIOT!" She exclaimed, her little wings snapping open as she did.
"Mmm?" Ella asked noncommittally while looking back down at Cozy's file. The pegasus took to the air, buzzing back and forth like an agitated hornet.
"You wouldn't believe it Ella, here I am, taking the precaution to build a completely believable background story that I'm here with my uncle's permission, months spent on false documentation, making sure my alias was airtight, and nopony even bothers to look at it?!" Cozy landed hard on the top of Ella's desk, scattering papers with her downdraft, pacing back and forth before sitting with a snarl, "Seriously, why is everypony in this town so completely stupid?! Hey, are you even listening to me you big alien weirdo?!"
Ella slowly looked up, trying to suppress the grin she was hiding at the sight of something so adorable being so angry. "I'm sorry, are you lost little girl? Do you know where your parents are?"
One of Cozy Glow's eyes twitched, and the sheer level of malice she exuded caused her aura to immediately flow blood red; it smelled and tasted like burning hair and copper.
Ella almost coughed at the sensation, "Okay! Okay! I was kiddin', geez." She said with a playful laugh, causing Cozy's emotions to simmer down to a more neutral open hostility, though a flicker of annoyance remained.
"So," Ella began, closing the file and slowly removing her glasses, her eyes snapped open, revealing her slitted pupils, "Where are you coming from today, Cozy Glow?"
Cozy rolled her eyes, "Oh, you know, from roaming and patrolling Ponyville, looking for useful idiots, plotting my inevitable dominion of Equestria, an average Monday. You?"
"Oh just gettin' through another day, working on medical files, trying to resist the urge to go drain somepony's soul, nothin' big."
Cozy grinned wickedly, "If you're looking for somepony to eat, I'd be happy to suggest a few. I'll even help you hide the body."
"Mmm, tempting, but what about you? You're already here after all," Ella said with a smile that showed just the tips of her small fangs, a flicker of green light passing through her eyes. Cozy smirked at the display, completely unintimidated.
"Please, we both know that I'm inedible for a changeling."
"True, but we could change that, don't you have any room in that cold little heart of yours for any kind of love?" Ella asked, allowing a hint of her serious concern for the little pony to enter their semi-playful banter.
Cozy shot her a vicious scowl, "Not on your life," she growled before stepping off the desk and flopping down in Ella's lap with a sigh, "And you'll keep that to yourself if you know what's good for you."
"As I told you on the day we met Cozy, I won't tell anyone. I'm just holding out hope for you, that's all."
"Shut up and scratch my ears."
Ella relented with a sigh, drawing her close with one arm, gently scratching one of the pegasus filly's velvety soft ears with one hand while slowly stroking her soft fur with the other. She could feel how tense Cozy was in her grip, her little muscles tied up in tight bundles. But after a few minutes under Ella's ministrations, she slowly relaxed, snuggling into the human's grip. Ella reached out with her senses, trying for the umpteenth time to make sense of the myriad of colors and emotions that made up the little pony's dark spirit, but gave up after a moment, unable to see anything past the cold purple wall of constant calculations that remained the dominant force of her being. Cozy stirred slightly, bumping into Ella's swollen belly,
"Mmmmnnn...You need to hurry up and have these," she sleepily complained, "They're taking up my favorite spot."
Ella smiled, "Well, then you'd just have to compete with them for lap space while they're on the outside."
"Yeah, but just think of how much me cuddling with your foals will add to my cuteness factor?" She asked while propping up her face on her hooves and elbows, squeezing her cheeks so that her dimples were ridiculously pronounced, her eyes glittering.
Ella could only laugh at that and shake her head, "You never miss an opportunity, do you?"
"Nope," Cozy replied, letting her head drop. Ella continued to pet her for a few minutes before asking,
"So, still planning my murder?"
"Oh yes, dreadful, horrible murder, you'll never see it coming."
"I'm tremblin' in fear. Will I at least be granted the time to finish scratching your ears?"
"....Sure, might as well. I really should kill you and cover my tracks, but eh, I can probably do that tomorrow."
"Tomorrow then," Ella said with a smile. Cozy had been telling her that for three weeks now, the filly truly was a gifted procrastinator.
Stats
Page generated in 0.016 seconds
Total duration
997 users online
2,616,621 hits today, 2,139,894 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Timelines are funny things aren't they, an empath in the right place at the right time and things just up and happen. The best plotlines will always flow naturally in a cascade of consequences.
11865746
I completely agree!
😡Cozy Glow..... Don't hospitals have 'Wanted Fugitive' lists on hand!?!?
11868389
Haha, whatever is she up to?
Ahh, there's the Destiny Chaser we know and love.
I guess the myth of sucking out poison actually works when you have both a spell to keep the poison confined to a certain part of the body, and a batpony there to bite you and suck the poison out.
Good ideas be good from good writer man.
Well, the interactions between lil' Miss Terror and Ella are certainly interesting.
Cozy Glow is equal parts cute and evil. Cutevil? Nah, doesn't sound as right as adorafying. I'll just use that one again.
Can't say I can guess what her plans are in this point in time,
which
I can
segue
into
(They Might Be Giants- No One Knows My Plan)
11877657
11877668
And just like vampire bats, thestral saliva acts as a blood thinner and numbing agent, so pain relief for the human as well; Rose knows what she's doing.
Thanks!
11877670
Yes, keep an eye on Cozy...
Ella knows what she is which is why Cozy can take off her mask off around her.
Wow, been a long while since I've heard a They Might be Giants song, nice!