Even Stranger

by SaltyJustice

Chapter 26

"Wakey, wakey, you piece of trash."

Octavia snapped awake. She had had a bag placed over her head when the guards had "prepped" her, and must have dozed off at some point. She realized immediately that she was tied up, and briefly struggled against her bonds.

"Yeah, don't bother. You're not going anywhere."

Princess Cadence stepped into view, as Octavia could barely move her head. She was tied with her forelegs on either side, stretched as far out as they could go, and her hind legs both bound to a pole, or perhaps a support strut. Where she was, she was not certain, but it was not a jail cell. It looked more like a warehouse. Boxes and crates were stacked everywhere, with inscrutable writing on their sides. There was a light source somewhere behind her, but it was definitely not natural light. She had no idea what time it was, even.

"Are you sure about this?" asked a voice from somewhere out of view.

"I know what I'm doing."

"But what if she's not a changeling?"

Twilight Sparkle stepped into view, her face a mask of pity. Tavi renewed her struggle.

"Twilight!" she shouted, "Tell them I'm not a changeling!"

Twilight merely hung her head, and muttered an apology.

"It's okay, Twilight," Cadence said, "they all say that. You just have to ignore it."

"I don't know..." Twilight said, trailing off.

"I've done this before. It's not easy, but it has to be done. You'll thank me when it's over."

"Hey!" Octavia shouted, "I am no changeling! Let me go!"

"She's pretty insistent," Twilight said.

Cadence cast a sidelong glance at Octavia, and narrowed her eyes. "Try a disruption spell."

Twilight's eyes brightened up, and she concentrated on her horn. A green glow appeared around it, and a bolt of energy hit Octavia's head. All around, the green glow intermingled with the unnatural light, and the black shadows of the room around them became a sickly green. A tingling sensation flowed down Octavia's body as the magic glided from head to tail. Twilight looked expectantly at Cadence.

"Hey, it didn't work!"

"Of course not," Cadence said.

"Then why - "

"Because, I needed to see. She's the best."

Octavia was about to protest, but Twilight cut her off. "What!?"

"Think about it. Tia said the changeling was supposed to be their best agent. If she can hold a shapeshift under a disruption spell, that'd put her in the top tier. She'd be almost impossible to catch."

Shining Armor appeared from the other side, with Spike riding on his back. "Trust Cadence, she's seen it all before," he said.

"Twilight! Please!" Octavia pleaded.

"See, she's not going to give up the act. Fortunately, we have... ways" Cadence said. A dark smile overtook her face. Tavi felt a sudden, freezing dampness in her mane. Beads of sweat formed and began sliding earthwards.

Twilight and Shining Armor receded, leaving only Cadence visible in front of Octavia. The Princess had a curiously playful look on her face, and turned to the side, pacing gently. She closed her eyes, standing in front of Tavi in a pose much like one lost in thought. Her eye opened, just a fraction of an inch, and closed again...

Suddenly, she shot forward, stopping just before her hoof collided with Octavia's face. She held it there, not striking, merely taunting.

"I'm not touching you."

Octavia steeled herself. Cadence relented, then placed her hoof near Octavia's eye.

"Still not touching you!"

Octavia ground her teeth together. "Stop it."

"Nuh-uh! I'm not touching you!"

"Stop that!"

Cadence smiled again. "Ready to quit yet?"

"I am no changeling!"

"And I'm not touching you!"

The Princess withdrew her hoof then held it forth again, close enough that the warmth of the pink mare mingled with the cold sweat on Tavi's nose. It triggered a minor ticklish sensation. Octavia grunted and tried to resist.

From the corner of her eye, she could still see the rest of the room. Twilight had re-entered the edge of her vision, concern still etched on her face as much as before. Octavia was about to call for help, if for no reason other than that she might ignite some sort of rationality in her quasi-friend, before something in her mind told her not to. Not to waste her strength, maybe, or not to put more strain on Twilight than was necessary.

Cadence continued for another minute, holding her hoof aggravatingly close, until at last, she stopped, and backed up. Twilight had disappeared again, and now the light source behind her was dimmer than it had been. Tavi could no longer see as much of the room as before.

"Hmpf. That was just a warm up," she said, "so don't go thinking you're getting off so easily."

Octavia heard Twilight's voice from beside her, "This is sick."

Cadence looked ashamed, but straightened herself as soon as she remembered Octavia could still see her. "It's probably best if you don't see what comes next. Shining Armor, have the guards arrived yet?"

"They're on their way," he said, from somewhere to the right.

"They have my tools?"

"Yep."

"Tools?" Twilight asked. Octavia grimaced.

Cadence noticed, and smirked at Octavia. She raised one eyebrow, and Octavia hardened herself again. A slight cock of Cadence's head was responded to by a baring of Octavia's teeth. Cadence dropped the smirk.

"... Yeah. Maybe you should take Spike outside. Probably best if he doesn't see this," Cadence said.

The sound of hooves and feet on the floor was punctuated by a door slamming. Octavia did her best to put on a brave face.

Cadence snarled at her, then switched expressions again. She looked amused. Octavia did not like that at all.

"Hey, Octavia, right? That's your cover name?"

"That's my real name," Octavia growled.

"She's gone, you know. You don't need to keep up the act. All you have to do is talk, and this can be over right now."

"I have told you the truth, I am not a changeling."

Cadence did not reply immediately. She seemed to be chuckling to herself. She instead let Octavia hang there, until, without warning, "Why did the changeling cross the road?"

Octavia hesitated, watching Cadence's expectant face. With nothing further offered, she gave in. "Why?"

"She didn't. She never really was on your side."

A spasm hit Octavia's midsection, made all the worse by the bindings around her legs.

"I lost my watch on the beach once, and a crab found it. He wouldn't give it back when I asked. Know why?"

"Why," Octavia asked.

"Cause he was shellfish!"

The pain came back, and Octavia wanted to double over. She could hear a snickering from somewhere behind her.

"I went to my friend's wedding last week," Cadence mused.

Shining Armor chimed in, "Oh, for Mr. and Mrs. Antenna?"

Cadence nodded. "They're a cute couple. I mean, the ceremony was awful, but the reception was excellent."

"I - I can't - ", Octavia managed to mutter.

"It can end whenever you want it to," Cadence spat.

She let the words hang there, and again, the light behind Octavia seemed to dim. All she could see now was the body of Princess Cadence, surrounded by an ever-shortening shaft of light. Her forelegs began to hurt, and her stomach began to tighten. Nopony could last forever, not against this kind of onslaught, but Tavi needed to hold out. Maybe for a miracle, or maybe just to prove she could.

Not getting the reaction she wanted, Cadence continued the attack.

"What's brown and sticky? A stick!"

Octavia groaned.

"I went to buy a camouflage suit the other day, but I quit. Because I couldn't find any!"

Octavia sniffled.

"Did you see the performance the other day? It just opened, it's called "Puns: The Musical". It was a play on words."

Octavia, right then, would have preferred death.

"You know what I hate about Matryoshka dolls? They're so full of themselves!"

Octavia could only muster a whimper.

"How about a chemistry joke?"

Octavia was silent.

"Oh, I see. No reaction!"

Octavia smirked a little, and lifted her chin against her restraints. "Okay," she said, "that one was actually funny."

Cadence continued, "See, in chemistry, when you put two chemicals together and they are compatible, they can react together. Like Hydrogen and Oxygen react to make water..."

"Stop!" Octavia pleaded, "If you explain the joke it's not funny anymore!"

"I know," Cadence said, "and that's why I explained it. It sucks all the comedy out, especially if you just keep talking about it long after the audience has lost interest."

"Please stop..."

"And drawing it out like this hurts even more," Cadence concluded. She examined Octavia closely, eying her up and down. She hadn't broken yet, but would soon.

About twenty minutes had gone by, and Twilight and Spike hadn't moved from the entrance. They merely sat outside the doorway, hearing the occasional scream or plea for mercy. Then, the building would go silent again, and Twilight would wonder what tortures were being inflicted on her former friend. She could not bring herself to go and intervene, she just sat there, next to Spike.

"We should do something," Spike offered.

"No, this has to be done."

The two continued to sit, staring at the ground.

Eight guardsponies trekked into the building, paying no heed to the pony and dragon sitting outside the door. Twilight barely took notice of them, until a faint rattle drew her attention. A weathered briefcase, carried by one of the mare guards. She looked and met the eyes of its courier as she passed . The guard snapped her eyes forward again, and Twilight wondered briefly, before deciding it best that she not know what lay within.

"And then, she said, 'But how else were we supposed to get the gerbil out?'" Cadence said, laughing. Octavia was not laughing. Shining Armor appeared to have recused himself, and could no longer be heard. Instead, she heard the door open, and a number of ponies enter.

"Ah, finally. I was running out of material," Cadence said as she trotted out of Octavia's sight.

Octavia heard the click of a briefcase opening.

"Excellent, it's all here."

Another click, and the Princess returned to her view, smiling again.

"You're tough, I'll give you that," she said. Octavia returned an angry look, but remained silent.

"Most don't make it this far, which is a shame. You see this?"

Cadence levitated a long, pink feather in front of Octavia's face. Tavi fought the urge to go into shock. "You monster," she spat.

Cadence ignored her. "This was given to me by a friend of mine, he was a flamingo. I've only gotten to use it twice. Sure would be a shame if you confessed right now."

The Princess looked expectantly at Octavia. "I will not waste my breath reiterating."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Cadence said. Her grin had gone into a full-blown sociopathic smile now, and she bore down on Octavia.

And with that, the light behind Octavia gave way, and all her mind could see, burnt into her eyes, was the malevolent grin of the Princess of Love.

Comments

[Rokas]

I don't know how, but you managed to make this both ridiculously funny and dark at the same time.

[PinkPearl]

this is pathertic. it was good until cadence started being suspitious. now it's both rediculous AND STUPID! you've lost a follower.

[Scarheart]

3358800You misspelled ridiculous.

[PinkPearl]

3358934 and? i don't know HOW to spell it. i'm cajun french. english isn't my first language. i'm not a genius

[SaltyJustice]

3358934
You should see my spelling, it's atrocious. Thank you, spellchecker!

[Scarheart]

3359272 I'm in the same boat. It's nice when the site gives you suggestions when you mess up. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Thorax is best pony...erm....changeling!

[The Random Lord]

The horrid Jokes

[Loveless]

: It hard to find any fiction that my sister-in-law doesn't have some strange and dark behavior. (Are you really be Princess Of Love. Or you just assume it)

[Dark_Night]

I think Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is a changeling........ again... what kind of pony... specifically the princess of LOVE... would torture a pony like this? even if it was a changeling? Celestia cares about all of her subjects... all of the ponies that look up to her. cadence should not be princess... and why couldn't twilight use the spell that undisguises changelings? find out the truth before the real Octavia is killed? ya know?

i'd love to see them apologize to Octavia for accusing her of being a changeling.

when they find the truth... you need to add this line:

Octavia glares angrily at the Princess of Love. "I bucking hate you."

[Brony2893]

...really?
That's her torture method?
ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4514626017625004&pid=15.1
I fail to see how tickling and telling jokes will make a Changeling give up their form

You tried to make it really serious, that final scene, but it kinda left me going "Really?... Really?"

[SaltyJustice]

3377405
G-rated torture scene. This is My Little Pony for heaven's sake.
Besides, if those jokes didn't make you cringe, you've got nerves of steel.

[brony323]

The jokes don't make me cringe. I ADORE puns

[Obsidian Husk]

Everyone is an idiot in this chapter.

[Razzy]

I'm quite sure there's something about puns that bad in the Geneva convention.

Next she might even use the comfy chair!

Cya
Raziel-chan

[Mitch H]

Nopony expects the Crystal Inquisition!

[Death is disturbed]

"She didn't. She never really was on your side. "

No nonono nononononono

[Thor447]

I have no idea whats going on here? Were those supposed to be cringworthy?

[DerpTape]

6962678

No one expects Mel Brooks!